(no subject)

[lovelycharming]

Everybody enjoying another peaceful, carefree day in Ultern? Good, because there's a sparkle in the sky other than Ulternian sunshine and look, it's a bird! No, it's a plane! No, it's...

"TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAAAAA—huh? Hey, wait a minute...! Jessie? Meowth?! Where is everybody?!"

Before James can get an answer, he'll be crash-landing in Ohritori! Face full of sand on Stardust Beach? Embarrassingly suspended from a palm tree or even an Exeggutor? Or taking a miserably full-clothed dip in the sea? (Brrr!)

((Is this going to be a repeat of Mairin landing on various ships and needing to be rescued multiple times—perhaps, fortunately, both Mairin and James have terrible luck and certainly can wind up in fixes more times than they can count... maybe he's under the impression he can just launch himself back into the sky and find his friends, who knows?! But he just keeps landing here... oof.))

Comments

[lovelycharming]

"... y-y-YOU'RE the Boss' kid?! Is that why you have such a giant st—stuck-up attitude?!"

Please give James a moment to recover...

[aggrocket]

“Yeah, that’s right. I am.” James uncrosses his arms, pushing down on the ground and lifting himself to his feet. “And I’d keep that smart mouth of yours in check unless you want to introduce it to the backside of my hand.”

With the threat of unnecessary violence out of the way, he surveys the area quietly while brushing the sand off his pants.

“You been to the city over there yet?”

His eyes are fixed on the rooftops of Turnbloom.

[lovelycharming]

James flinched. "Yessir!"

It took him a moment to recover from that little threat, before he answered, "... no, actually. I've only been as far as the forest and a young researcher's lab there...

[aggrocket]

It’d be a lie to say James didn’t look pleased at the way the other James fell in line.

“Well then, let’s get going.” It’s more of a demand than a suggestion. “We’re not gonna gain anything standing around.”

A pause. “…What were you doing lying face down out here, anyway?”

[lovelycharming]

Terrible! But James is a follower, so he'll follow... as long as he actually sees James as worth following in this specific regard.

"I'm part of a team, you know..." James said sulkily. "So, if I find my partner..."

He won't keep following you!

"I was... trying to go back the way I came," James answered shiftly, not wanting to tell the other James any embarrassing details.

[aggrocket]

“A team? Yeah, that figures.” Hey what does that mean, James? He starts to walk toward the city, apparently not caring to elaborate. Luckily, he also doesn’t seem to care enough to really pry into the obviously shifty answer, taking it at face value.

“…So it’s harder to get out of here than it looks, then?”

[lovelycharming]

Why did he sound so bitter about it? James wondered if he lost his team mates or if he had trouble forming one, like Jessie did in the past...

"... sorry," he apologized, even though he didn't know for what exactly.

"Yeah. It's not a normal place at all. You can't just leave all of Ultern, apparently."

[aggrocket]

“Of course. Of fuckin course we can’t get out. This really is like a bloody movie, innit?” James sighs. “At least we didn’t wash up on some other planet entirely, I guess.” Things could always be worse! He walks in silence for a spell.

“…The hell were you apologizing for back then, anyway?” He asks finally, casting an almost curious glance back at his counterpart.

[lovelycharming]

"It does sound like a movie, doesn't it?" James laughed a bit, awkwardly.

He let the silence fall uninterrupted, until James spoke to him again.

"I... I guessed I must've bothered you by talking about my team. I might be completely off-base here, so do correct me if I'm wrong, but... I thought maybe... you lost your partner or could never form a team. My partner went through several partners before me."

[aggrocket]

James scoffs. “Hardly. I said it figured you were on a team because you clearly aren’t cut out to work solo.” This freakin guy sure has some nerve! And to think you almost spared even a shred of sympathy for him!!

“Topaz operatives generally either work by ourselves or in large squads.”

[...y'know what, I think James (derogatory) has reached the limits of patience for James (postive) ]

[lovelycharming]

James blinked fast as if stung, stopping in his tracks.

His expression darkened with anger! A very rare thing to see on this particular James.

"... then, I take it you'll be able to work just fine without any help here! I'll take a different path. I'll prove I can work solo!"

Genuinely amazed it lasted this long

[aggrocket]

James (derogatory) stops and turns to face James (positive). He looks surprised and …actually, a little impressed?

“Haa? So you’ve got a little spine on you after all.”

He shrugs his shoulders. “Alright, I look forward to hearing about that. Don’t die out there, yeah? Or do. No skin off my nose.”

[*and yet!*]

[lovelycharming]

James wasn't expecting any acknowledgment from this man.

"Of course, I do. Do you think I made it this far without one?"

The well wishes, however rudely phrased, do earn a smile from James.

"... so, you are like Jessie. The same to you. See you round!"