wormed | 2ND PRAYER - [VIDEO/ACTION FOR ANYWHERE BETWEEN AZALEA AND GOLDENROD]

[[It's somewhat of a law in his canon that being Kariya is suffering, and today is, of course, no exception in the slightest.

If you're anywhere between Azalea and Goldenrod, you're going to see a rather interesting sight; there's a herd of wild Scolipede stampeding their way along the route, making a hell of a lot of noise and fuss. The kicker, however? There appears to be a man clinging to one of the huge Bug Pokemon, holding on for dear life and wearing an incredibly pained expression.

For those who know Kariya Matou, you might not be surprised that he's gotten himself caught up in a big mess of worm-like creatures, but to his credit this was not as planned and they...may have chased him down until they caught him, which would have taken them all of five metres since running still isn't A Thing That He Does.

Ever since he arrived in Johto he's been like a magnet for all sorts of bugs, but this is the worst lot of luck he's had in a while. Behind the herd, a Beautifly, Butterfree, Scyther, Yanma and Ledyba are flying in hot pursuit, trying desperately to rescue their unfortunate trainer. The Yanma is carrying Kariya's Pokegear, which he dropped at some point during the mad rush, so anyone viewing his feed has quite the nice view of the situation. He's trying to fly in close to give the Gear back to his trainer, so he should be able to respond to anyone contacting him to find out what the hell is going on.

Clinging to his captor, Kariya continues to wince. He's had to endure a lot of things, but this is by far the most bizarre, and for anyone familiar with his past? That's saying something. It's official.

Being Kariya is suffering.]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[[Oh

well that's

.....you're a very convenient person to have around, Lancer

However, the Scolipede Kariya is trapped on appears to have escaped the flames and is roaring at you and your fire horsey; what do, Lancer?]]

I'd appreciate it if you didn't burn me too!

[[Why is being Kariya so suffering? Well, fortunately, his A-Rank Suffering hasn't been passed onto his Pokemon, as his Butterfree has the bright idea of scattering Sleep Powder all over her trainer and the Scolipede from above, causing them both to crash to the ground, unconscious. Don't worry, Lancer; Kariya will wake up ~~next comment~~ in a minute.]]

[Well that]

[that's a thing. Geez.]

Liath Macha. Take care of it, will ya?

[The Rapidash shook her head and snorted in annoyance, kicking the Scolipede off Kariya and clear into Kanto.]

[[His Beautifly perches on his head and soon has Kariya awake, shuddering slightly and coughing hard.]]

H-Hikari...maybe next time, not so much powder....

[[Just give him a minute while he hacks up a lung there, Lancer, before he looks at you, almost...shocked. Now that the adrenaline is fading away, he's....well, amazed.]]

You...actually helped me.

Hm? Of course I did. You don't seem like a half bad guy, so why shouldn't I?

[[Struggling to his feet, holding a sore shoulder, Kariya continues to stare at Lancer.

He's....very unused to people just...helping him for the sake of helping.]]

I suppose you want something in return, I...I have money....

[[If he could....find his wallet....oh, right, there it is; his Ledyba is a very good catch.]]

Don't be stupid, kid. I don't want anything.

[[....why are you confusing him like this :|]]

...are you sure? I...

[[....what the hell why are you so nice he can't

this doesn't make sense you're just helping him for the sake of helping there's no way]]

Thank you, then.

[[Oh my god, this is awkward, how does he deal with this awkward, he...will pat his Beautifly, yes. That's a good idea.]]

[BRO DO YOU NEED A DICTIONARY TO CHECK THE DEFINITION OF 'HERO']

No problem. Really, I wasn't doing anything important, and I probably needed a reason to get the hell out of the Breeding Center for a change.

[[....Lancer have you seen his Servant

NOT EXACTLY THE MOST HEROIC THING OUT THERE

ALSO JUST SHUSH OKAY!!!]]

I certainly owe you a few drinks, at least.

[[He's getting better at regular conversations, see!! He's trying!]]

I don't even know what those things were; they just...appeared out of nowhere in the forest. I owe you one.

Hey, I can accept that.

[He laughed at that, raising a hand to scratch his Rapidash behind the ears.]

Bug-types kinda tend to do that once in a while. C'mon, let's head back to town before anything else happens.

....back? Ah....oh no, I've lost Sakura!!

[[aslkdjasd this is what he gets for going exploring in the forest like an idiot but his Yanma flew off and he had to chase him and]]

I don't even know where she is! What if she's hurt?!

[[panic panic panic panic]]

How could I be so stupid?!

Woah, stop stop stop stop.

Breathe, kid. I'm sure she's fine--got her own team to watch her back, doesn't she?

I....

[[...and he'll actually take your advice and breath a little there, Lancer.]]

You're right, I'm being foolish. She was with Shirou, too.

[[...alright, we're calm, we're good.]]

Sometimes I forget she's not a child any more, you know?

Hey, I get it. I had a kid of my own here a while ago, and sure I worried myself sick about him once in a while. But sometimes you have to step back and let them handle themselves.

You're completely right, of course, it...just feels strange.

[[...man look at us, having a normal conversation.]]

You can stop calling me 'kid' you know; I'm almost thirty.

[[....well, sort of.]]

Hah, sorry. It's kind of a habit.

[NORMAL PEOPLE DOING NORMAL THINGS]

....well, I suppose if I really think about it, you are a fair bit older than me!

[[You darn Heroic Spirits and your...massive ages, goddamn]]

I suppose I am a 'kid' compared to you!

Hm, you think that counts? I mean hell, I've been dead most of the time so who knows how old I'm supposed to be now.

I think you should count it. You're here, walking around, aren't you?

[[Being imbued with the crest worms has changed Kariya's priorities a little when it comes to how he views life.]]

But I suppose it's subjective.

Eh, it's a tricky thing. I'm anywhere from thirty to thirty-two dependin' on if we're still counting ages, and I'm not sure if I should count myself as dead or alive. It's annoying.

I consider you fairly lively, if nothing else.

[[....he feels you, bro.]]

Perhaps we should learn to appreciate what we have now, at present. Thinking too much of the past can...

[[Hurt.]]

...be frustrating.

...yeah, I know the feeling.

[[Well, the awkward levels just skyrocketed, so perhaps it's time for Kariya to worm himself out of this situation.]]

...I should probably leave you be. Sorry for causing trouble.

2ND PRAYER - [VIDEO/ACTION FOR ANYWHERE BETWEEN AZALEA AND GOLDENROD]

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