003. Action for Goldenrod City / Video

[ratingspoint]

[ACTION FOR GOLDENROD CITY / SLIGHTLY BACKDATED TO 2/2]

[As usual, Mettaton is outside when the sun comes out in all its glory today; it's a little chilly for his liking, but the direct sunlight is going a long way toward taking the edge off and it's more brisk than anything. Either way, it looks like he's enjoying himself – and like he's made a new friend, maybe, seeing as he's sitting on a park bench with a Pokémon in his lap, round and pink and large-eyed and probably a pretty familiar species to people who have spent any time at all around the Goldenrod area.

It seems like he's doing something with her outside of just letting her sit there being cute as fuck, though; he's gesturing a bit in her general direction – surprisingly, it's nothing overly grand, just the sort of handsigns that are obviously supposed to mean something to the creature staring at them, and anyone with musical training will probably recognize solfege when they see it. It looks like they've done this before, too; granted, it takes the Jigglypuff a moment to remember what he's doing, but she picks it up quickly enough and before long there's a scale happening, followed by something else that's obviously supposed to have some sort of tune to it.

There aren't any words, obviously, given that this is still a Pokémon he's working with, and the melody is a reasonably simple one (la-do-do, la-ti-so-do, fa-la-la, so-la-ti-so) but the fact that she's got some grasp on it seems to be making Mettaton happy in a strange, smirking sort of way, and the Jigglypuff seems pretty content to be making him happy, and clearly, this is just going to be what they do with their lives today.]


[VIDEO / 2/3]

Good afternoon, beauties!

[The weather is decidedly nastier today than it was yesterday, though judging by the coat he's still got on and the fact that his hair is still a bit damp (acceptably fluffed-out, but still obviously having been wet previously) that didn't deter Mettaton from going out in it a short while ago. After all, sleet is new! Frozen bouncy precipitation! It's fun.

...Weather hasn't quite lost its novelty factor yet.

That said, though, he's back indoors for the video broadcast, and it doesn't seem that the aggressively pink...situation that is his bedroom has improved any. If anything, it's gotten slightly more surreal: that certainly is a lawnmower in the corner, because of goddamn course it is, and it's standing out a bit against all the sparkles and the soft things lying around.

But that is neither here nor there.]

Today's broadcast is going to be relatively short and sweet – but don't be deceived by its simplicity! Again, I'm asking for audience participation – because while I've got all of you gorgeous people watching, it would be almost a shame to not have a call-in show once in a while!

[...He's got a question, in other words.]

My question today is one of the heart – namely, those of our monster companions. Now, last I knew, human souls were some of the most powerful forces in the world, able to withstand...oh, all sorts of things. But the monsters here...! They can withstand even the most powerful magical attacks, and all they do is faint... The strength of their souls must be immense, able to overpower even the strongest of humans.

My question to you, darlings, is whether we know if they can be overpowered? Does anything kill them, in other words, or are they just going to live forever?

And for those playing along at home that are just dying to voice whatever threats and accusations just popped into your sassy little heads – bzzt! Wrong! I have no desire to hurt these things – if anything, I'm trying to make sure the opposite happens. So save it for another show, will you?

[...Buddy...]

Comments

[ratingspoint]

It depends on what we're up against, darling! Personally speaking, I spend most of my time in a body that can't be destroyed easily, if at all. And we've got several with powerful magic - intensely so, descriptions won't do it justice!

But we're vulnerable to a lot of things that humans are not, so there's also that. Against one another, we're fine, but humans are another story altogether.

[defyingfrigidity]

[Elsa perks up a little at that. Even after more than a year in these lands, mentioning magic is always a surefire way to grab her attention.]

You say that descriptions wouldn't do it justice, but could you try? I'd love to hear about what kind of magic you're familiar with!

[ratingspoint]

The boss monsters in our world are extremely powerful - fire magic strong enough to raze everything in its path, but gentle enough to bake pie with, or so I've heard! Their control is fantastic, and our king, Asgore, is the strongest there is. They say he's going to set us free from the Underground someday; his power is definitely strong enough to rival the strength of a human's soul, he's done it six times over.

We all have magic, though we tend to have our specialties - depending on who it is, summoning electricity or magical spears that can cut through anything is second nature... But we don't have anything on our king and former queen.

[defyingfrigidity]

[It's a good thing Elsa's been around Johto so long; the fact that this man is talking about not being anywhere near human just isn't fazing her as much as it might have a year ago.]

The strength of a soul... but on such a deep level, aren't we all the same? Even if we're different in species or abilities, there has to be some common ground we all share.

[The power to be of great use or great destruction... boy. Elsa can sure understand that.]

And what sort of magic do you have, if you don't mind me asking?

[ratingspoint]

[That's...interesting, actually, that question regarding souls; it actually gets him to pause a bit, and for some reason it's hitting him a bit strangely and there's a good long moment where he really obviously has no idea what to do with his face - something that manages to persist even while he tries to answer the other question she's given him after the fact.]

I mostly create mechanical things, darling! Usually things that need some sort of electrical power to run. Spotlights and luminaires, small robots, countdown timers, things like that. I can also generate the power needed to run them, of course.

As a performer and entertainer, it's all very fitting.

[...I mean there's also bombs, but he's been told not to talk about the bombs.

Now that that's out of the way, though, there's still the rest...]

But when it comes to our souls, I... Well, no? You're the first human I've met that's questioned it, actually, and insisted that we must be the same at all - assuming that you are human, that is, because this world has a way of changing people.

But if you are, your soul and mine are actually very different. Very, very different.

[defyingfrigidity]

Really? [Yep, she sounds totally hooked.] I admit, most of those things fly a bit over my head, with technology in my world being far behind that sort of thing, but it still sounds fascinating.

[ELSA NO DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM]

I'm human, and always was, yes. But how does that make our souls so different? Surely you think and feel and act just the same as we do?

[ratingspoint]

[...NOT MENTIONING THE BOMBS WAS A GOOD LIFE CHOICE, APPARENTLY. GOOD TO KNOW- ]

Thinking and feeling has nothing to do with it! Or, at least, not the way you're implying - of course monsters think and feel just like humans do, and if anything we're more in-tune with all of that than you are. You see, our soul is everything, darling; our bodies are made of magic, rather than...

[...Uh.]

...Blood and water and whatever else is in there.

[#NailedIt]

It's nice, most of the time; as I said, we're very aware of our souls as a result, and all the thoughts and feelings that come with it. We're also aware of the states of the souls around us. But that...well, it has its drawbacks.

The more you hate us, the less our soul is inclined to want to fight you. The less we want to fight, the weaker we are. Needless to say, facing down anyone who hates us enough is going to result in a very short battle and one less monster in the world. Dust everywhere. An absolute tragedy.

Whereas your soul is just...you, inhabiting a physical body. Your body isn't attuned to your soul the way ours are, because it's not everything about you. So you can take a lot more, and your soul is much stronger for it.

It's something I've always found really fascinating, actually. Along with humans in general, of course.

[defyingfrigidity]

[... Elsa's not an expert in biology by any means, but she's pretty sure that's not right... but details!

That... is incredibly fascinating. And a bit sad, too, that you're affected by the feelings of others to such an intense degree.

But does it work in reverse? If someone loves your or has a lot of good feelings in general for monsters, are you stronger for it?

[ratingspoint]

That's an excellent question! And one I don't have an answer to.

[...Uh. Well, at least he's blunt about it.]

I haven't really met enough humans to know, and the ones I have aren't really inclined to love us.

[defyingfrigidity]

... Well, maybe this place can help change that. There are times where our powers - as well as anything that made us different from the usual residents in these lands - are returned to us. Perhaps you could test that theory then!

[ratingspoint]

...Well. I'll have to keep that in mind, won't I.

[He does sound pleased by that, though, at any rate.]

But really, darling, hopefully you won't mind if I interview you just briefly - from the sound of it, you have some sort of magic yourself...?

[defyingfrigidity]

Of course, I don't mind!

[Ah, what a ways she's come, that she's okay with talking about her powers so openly now...]

I do, yes. I was born with the ability to create and control snow and ice.

[ratingspoint]

Really.

[And that sounds far more interested than anything; not sarcastic in the least.]

I know someone who can do something similar, actually! He'd probably love you... Do you fight with it any?

[defyingfrigidity]

[Elsa can't fight the blush crossing her face at his tone. She's used to people being interested in her powers by now, but to that level...!]

Oh, no! I... well, I had to, once, but only because I had no other choice. It was self-defense.

[And she's not really proud of that...]

I mostly use it to help my people, or to entertain them.

[ratingspoint]

As good a use as any, if I do say so myself!

[And he does; robot celebrity and everything.]

Ours usually has multiple uses also... I'm not as familiar with human magic, though, it's been a while since any of us have seen it.

[defyingfrigidity]

I'm not surprised. It's extremely rare, at least where I come from. To the point where most people just believe that magic is the stuff of myths and stories.

[And not all of these stories are good...]

I could show it to ou, if you'd like. Assuming our powers are returned to us again in the future.