Closed More Than Human

OOC Thread​

Max was pacing in front of the doors of the Radio Tower, frowning. The Persian had been commanded the night before to set out on an early morning raid of Ilex forest, and he had done it, with a few others, but... The feline Pokemon sat in front of the door, making it whoosh open. He jumped back to his feet and swore, walking back a few feet. He always forgot the sensors still worked. Shaking his head, he returned to his trail of thought.

He'd found nothing, and Abijah would not be pleased. He couldn't afford to mess up, not now, he had spent years working his way this far to the top...there was no way he could fall from grace when he was this close...

The Persian scanned the streets immediately around him, wondering if it was worth it to gather the members of the team again and return to the forest. He had to come back with something, anything, to make Mistress be pleased with him. Hopefully the team had not gone back to their sleeping places already.

"Everyone! We're going back to the forest. Front and centre!"


---


"Samantha, has the team come back from the forest yet?"

"No Mistress, I don't believe so."

"Hmph. He's taking and awful long time in there. Oh well. Samantha! Go bring me a prisoner, one of the men this time. I'm bored."

Abijah curled her nine flowing tails around her body and smiled, watching carefully as the young human girl she kept as a personal slave bowed and skittered out of the room, the large collar around her neck clanking as she moved. The girl was useful, didn't question Abijah or David, and did as she was told; stunning qualities for a slave.

It would take a few minutes for her to return, and Abijah took these few moments to groom her tails gently, pausing to coo gently at her belly when one of the pups inside kicked. Soon, soon...

When Samantha returned, she had a pair of Machoke behind her, the two of them carrying a human man, who looked to be in his forties or so, with heavy shackles around his wrists and ankles. The Machoke attached the shackles to special metal rings in the floor in the middle of the room and left, the man glaring daggers at Abijah as she sat on her nest of pillows. Samantha bowed her head and retreated into a corner, keeping her gaze to the floor. Abijah watched her for a moment -- she was quite pretty, for a human, too bad the burn scars disrupted that -- before looking back at the man.

"Tell me where the rest of your kind hide, human," the Ninetales spat, sending a tiny wisp of flame from her maw.

"I'll never tell you," the man growled in response. Abijah just smirked.

"I have ways of...convincing you."

"Everyone! We're going back to the forest. Front and centre!"

The Persian's masculine voice echoed; Tanya knew it was time to return. She ran toward the voice, all the while anticipating her return.

I'll get to see Fanagg! See, Fanagg is the Glaceon she'd had a crush on ever since she was old enough to register that.

"Present." Tanya said once she reached the Persian.

"Everyone! We're going back to the forest. Front and centre!"

Alice got up and walked calmly towards the Persian, it was time to seek out some humans. More guilt. She wondered what they would do to the humans if and when she sensed them. Torture, death. This is war, she reminded herself.

"I'm here,sir." Alice called out respectfully.

She started concentrating. She was slightly tired, and she needed all her mind to seek out using her aura powers.

Grizmot's left ear twitched. The Persian crouched a floor below was loud, although the yowling order hadn't quite burst the Raichu's eardrums at this distance. His tail uncoiled from a broken windowpane like a live wire, the scarred lightningbolt flicking over his head. The lean Electric-type shook himself, rough fur bristling. In one fluid and silent motion, Grizmot leaped from his perch on the first floor and fell slowly, landing smoothly enough (if not gracefully). He remained on all fours, his torn tail instinctively planting itself in some loose dirt.

The Raichu had landed not ten feet from the Persian. Grizmot looked impassively, but attentively, at his compatriot. A Vaporeon was also there, announcing her presence. Grizmot thought her name was something like Tanner or something... Whatever. She was a youngster, overly jubilant in an annoying way. There was also a Lucario (Alice, he thought) who was a bit too passive for the Raichu's taste.

Lizzie sighed as she saw the Pokémon who were part of the General's team practically turn around and return.

They just got back! she thought to herself, shaking her head. Why do they have to go back? The Espeon sighed and curled tighter around her two pups, who were napping quietly beside her. Lizzie continued to stare out of the window the old building she was in, watching as her fellow Pokémon and their slaves wondered around the city.

I wonder if everyone's masters were killed. Do some of them now own them as their slaves? Lizzie lowered her head and closed her eyes, attempting to sleep while her pups were quiet. Serves them right, I suppose...

A Lopunny was walking in the Radio Tower, a purple scarf around his neck, and a heavy chain bound to his arm. He was David Ananke Ishtar, but was more commonly known as General Ishtar.

David was a man of authority, for good reasons as well in his opinion. he had worked to achieve his position, but a higher position seemed to only bring him even more work and problems.
He stopped on his way to the highest floor and looked out the window, and began pondering, like he always did.

Is it right to judge the humans like this? To choose their fate? That was the thought that returned to him at a lot of times. Even though he always answered it himself every time. It doesn't matter if mankind is evil and should be judged accordingly. What matters is that the people, my kind, wants them dead.
He looked away from the window and continued his walk to the highest floor.

"Greetings", David said as he entered Abijah's room, and wasn't slow to notice the chained man. "So, you're the unfortunate one to be one for Abijah to toy with this time? Most of them so far have asked me to kill them instead, since she's so fond of not doing that."

The pale blue felid watched his superior pace in front of the door, jaws pulling back it a silent yawn. He just wanted to get back asleep since he didn't have a doubt they'd be sent out on another raid soon. With one this fruitless they'd have to try a different area. He couldn't help but chuff with amusement as Max jumped into the air, seemingly startled by the doors of the Radio Tower. "Scaredy cat," the Glaceon muttered under his breath, smirking. Then again, he wasn't exactly the bravest either.

He was already thinking about his leader and how furious she'd be. Being the defiant type, he'd seen her rage before, and he didn't like it one bit. Last time he had unsuccessfully found his 'happy place' and ended up blacking out in front of the throne of pillows Abijah sat upon. It was quite embarassing.

He started walking towards the building, yawning again as he loped along forward. He couldn't wait to lie down and close his eyes, let the darkness engulf him, have sweet dreams...

Somewhere in his head he heard a record scratch as Max's announcement interrupted his nocturnal fantasies.

"What? We're tired! I'm not gonna go back into that darn forest again!" Fanagg yowled, adding in a groan afterwards. He started forward again, defying the Persian.

--------------------------------------

The elderly Pokemon walked along at a slow pace into the room, stopping and shaking his head at his leader.

"Abijah, so quick to torture. She's quite a different type of character," he said, though it wasn't clear if he was talking to the girl, the middle-aged man, or to himself. He stared at the Ninetales and the man before turning his head to the girl, Samantha.

"Have a good day, young one," he said with a smile before starting his slow pace across the room. Jowki was really something to look at and wonder, 'What the heck?'. He was a strange old pale Slowking, and as he continued walking he muttered, "Hoggy hoggy warts" loudly.

"Everyone! We're going back to the forest. Front and centre!"

The old ghost sighed. The patrol had found nothing the first sweep, and were likely to find nothing again. "Max, oh sorry," he smirked, "General, why are we returning to the forest? We found absolutely nothing on the first sweep. What makes you think we'll find anything the second time? If nothing else we scared the Pokémon senseless and in their scurry, the target might be lost forever. I'd highly advise we not go again. Some of your soldiers are tired, not as used to this kind of pace as others."

Spectre wasn't tired or afraid, he just hated repeating everything with similar results. Max was too intent on pleasing Abijah. Everything had to be perfect for her. If Spectre didn't know any better he'd assume Max loved Abijah. But of course, he did know that would be a false statement.

Cinxia hadn't been able to sleep. She hadn't been one of those selected to scout in the forest south of the once-great human city of Goldenrod, and she was starting to get a little tetchy for some real work. Protecting the vulnerable and the wounded in the Empire was a good enough position for her, especially considering the trust put into it (she was an Absol, after all), but sometimes she enjoyed the thrill of the hunt. Wrinkling her nose, she rose slowly to her feet and padded across the scratched and scraped linoleum of the abandoned building she was staying in.

As she moved, she eventually caught sight of one of the nursing mothers, Lizzie, curled up and attempting to sleep with her dozing pups snuggled into her fur. Cinxia's eyes softened at them, suddenly slightly wistful at her own failed attempt at any semblance of a family. She did like pups...

"Are you alright, Lizzie?" she asked, her voice low, not intending to wake the Espeon if she was asleep. Cinxia sat down on her haunches closeby, glancing out of the broken window for any sights of the scout team returning from Ilex Forest. Hm.

Jacobin stood upside down on the Radio Tower wall, staring down on the pokemon who would consider themselves his comrades. He clicked his mouth at the speed in which his mind was moving; click, click, clickclickclickclick click. Cat spoke, big yellow mouse fell, ghost appeared. Things seemed to be happening.

Suddenly he had an urge.

"I'd highly advise we not go again. Some of your soldiers are tired, not as used to this kind of pace--"

His legs kicked into motion and he ran down the wall, jumped towards the ghost who was speaking - landing on the solid part of it, the rock. "THE FIRE! THE FIRE, IT BURNS, IT WILL GET YOU! DON'T - DON'T - F-FORGET!" He was shaking as he spoke.

Skycutter perked up as he heard the feline's voice, taking his attention off of the golden streets of the city. He took a few steps towards the Persian, although it took a moment to find him; Breloom didn't really have any superior senses relative to, say, dogs or cats. He straightened his tail out from around his feet, making sure not to hit anyone else nearby. As soon as he looked a bit more straightened out, he hustled to an area in front of Max, where a few other Pokemon had already gathered. Most of them looked dark -- very suiting for an Empire like this one.

He looked up at Max with elliptical black eyes, attention showing in them. Although he wasn't sure about this Empire yet, he didn't have anywhere else to go, and he wasn't exactly fond of the humans either. He would just have to wait and see what they told him to do...

Fanagg jumped with a cry of surprise, turning around to see Jacobin attack Spectre.

"Holy Giratina, what the heck is your ever-loving issue!" he exclaimed in a more high-pitched panicked tone. The surprise attack and Jacobin had surprised him so much that he feared he would pass out then and there of a heart attack. However, noticing Tanya, he wanted to appear tough by continuing padding away toward the tower, though now with small, wary, shaky steps.

"What the-?" Tanya said and turned to see Jacobin attack Spectre, and Fanagg pacing ever closer. "Fanagg!" she squealed, toppling over as she usually does. "Um... hi..." she said, turning a shade of red that would put a tomato to shame, and standing back upright. Before she realized it, she was standing next to Fanagg. "Fanagg, what are you doing?" she decided to say since she was over there.

"Hmm?" Lizzie looked up, blinking until her vision cleared up. She looked up at the Absol sitting next to her and gave her a polite smile. "Yes, I'm fine," she said, putting her head down. "Just a bit tired, that's all."

I wonder what Cinxia came to me about.

"Do you need to talk 'bout something?"

Cinxia shook her head and made a non-commital sound in response to Lizzie's question. "That's to be expected, right?" she said, nodding her head towards the pups. "I can't imagine how hard it must be to get them all to sleep at the same time... probably legendary-level patience."

She paused for a moment, mulling over an answer. It would be be nice to have some small conversation with someone, but... the Espeon did look very tired. Hm. "Not in particular," she replied eventually, stretching herself out gradually across the floor. "I'm just a little anxious to know how the Ilex Forest group are doing. It doesn't sound like they've found anything."

"THE FIRE! THE FIRE, IT BURNS, IT WILL GET YOU! DON'T - DON'T - F-FORGET!"

Alice was broken out of her reverie by the disturbed voice. When she looked towards it she saw Jacobin, shaking like a madman and attacking Spectre. She walked slowly and calmly towards him.

"Jacobin, please cease this. Spectre is not harming you."

Or he might be. Alice considered. She never understood the spirit. She never knew Jacobin either. Maybe he was just attacking Spectre for no reason. The Lucario didn't know. Either way, it would be best to get this sorted out. She approached the two, intending to stop the Ariados and calm him down.

Mika clacked her beak upon hearing the command. They really didn't need to go back - besides, with her size she didn't fare well in forests. At least in close quarters she could try and slice everything around her to ribbons... But it was difficult to move around, and the atmosphere in general was rather unpleasant. Flaring her wings out with a metallic rattle, she gracefully flew to where Max was standing expectantly, landing with a flutter of wings that had the sharp edges barely an inch from his head. Why yes, she was pushing it, but the thought of flying around in a forest that she was already sick of did not please her, and his orders irritated her on principle. While she wouldn't have argued with the superiors who were actually competent, Max was very far from that, and she seethed at having to obey him.

The Skarmory leveled a glare at the Persian, but didn't choose to add her own spiteful remark to everyone else's. If they did, by chance, run into someone, she could always kill them, and that would make the whole experience worth it.

----------

Karae was generally at a loss of what to do when not on missions, and drifting around aimlessly seemed like a good idea. Despite the fact that the Dragonair glowed, she was also quite small - this ensured that she was often ignored. In battles, it was really hard to miss her. Her aura in battles was far more intense, as she was using it to manipulate the weather, so she was never overlooked then. But now... there were a lot of Pokemon around Goldenrod, and she was only one more in that swarm. Sometimes, she found the subtle fade into just another unseen Pokemon rather... disappointing. Most would do whatever they wanted when they weren't needed, but she had nothing else that she did want to do...

Still drifting around, she spotted an abandoned building, and was about to ignore it when a flicker of motion through a cracked window informed her that someone was inside. Having nothing else to do, she floated over, peering through the filthy and cracked glass and, upon identifying the two inside as part of the Empire, she carefully tapped her thin horn on the window. "May I enter?" she inquired politely.

Amber strolled into the room, tail waving high above her head. She was in a good mood, a better mood than usual, as she usually was after playing with a few prisoners. This time she'd only needed words, threats. Those were the best prisoners, the closest to completion. And even better, her best student, an electabuzz named Bee, was ready for a couple of humans of his own. The new selection of humans contained twins. It was a perfect match.

And now she'd seen the machoke escorting a man into Abijah's room.

"Saw you brought in a human," she said, gesturing to the man. "I haven't broken him yet."

Because he was new, of course, and breaking them took time. And, really, since when did Abijah really care about Amber's fine art? She didn't care about the breaking so much as seeing humans in pain. That was enjoyable, of course, but Amber really pitied Abijah for being unable to appreciate the slow deterioration of a human's mind. Or keeping them mechanically intact; Abijah knew enough to keep them alive, but beyond that...

Amber's tongue poked out of her mouth. "Did you want to work on him yourself, or shall I?"

"THE FIRE! THE FIRE, IT BURNS, IT WILL GET YOU! DON'T - DON'T - F-FORGET!"
the Ariados cried as he attacked Spectre with no reasoning what so ever.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF ARCEUS ARE YOU DOING!!??" He shouted. He then threw the Ariados off of him with a flick of his Keystone and used Will O Wisp on the Madman. "You want a fire that burns? HAVE IT!" The flames snaked their way over to the Ariados and scorched the horn on his head. "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?" He shouted as the flames made contact.

Zenshe couldn't possibly just be hanging around, but that was pretty much what she was doing. As far as she knew, the mistress of this place Abijah was probably toying with some human captive again. Might as well teach them a lesson, since they were the ones who brought the planet close to ruin several times. Or maybe she was just exaggerating to herself. One would think the pink puffball was relatively harmless, but she could easily use moves that would be utilized by other Steel-types - making her a somewhat formidable door guard. Not that she was really looking outside or anything - Max the splotchy Persian was probably still next to the door.

Or maybe she just wasn't paying enough attention.