starkidcosmo

uh, i don't know about relaxing, but bloodborne is definitely my go-to game for feeling good, just because I adore cosmic horror and weird, gross things and bloodborne has all of that and more. tbh i probably only like it so much because i've never actually had to play it lol... other than that, the uh, entire digimon franchise has its own special place in my heart wow who could have guessed that so it's definitely something i revisit when i need a little pick-me-up.

as someone the US government considers a woman, my gut reaction is 'oh god please no,' but that's more because 1) I'm not a huge fan of what the US military has been doing, and 2) I'm not a huge fan of taking orders from people I don't know, much less like, and less because I don't think I'm physically capable. (I mean, I'm probably not physically capable, but I've done some wild shit so who knows.) In some regards, you're right; the women who've thus far signed up for the military are volunteers, as in, they (hopefully) know that they can handle the physical demands, but at the same time, it's kind of ridiculous to assume every man over the age of 18 can do the same? Regardless of "sex," everyone's bodies are built differently and can or can't handle a wide variety of things. And even if we consider "sex," what are we talking about? Chromosomes? Genitals? What's written on a birth certificate? Because none of those things are reliable, and I'm not even talking about transgender people. Doctors are known to modify a baby's genitals if that baby is born intersex, so not everyone with a penis is going to be "male." Chromosomes can't even be determined without doing tests, so you really can't know for certain what your chromosomes are without doing tests. So my point is: how do you determine whether or not someone is fit for military duty just by whether they're "male" or "female?" If we're going to do a draft, which I guess the US isn't going to drop anytime soon, it should really be more on a case-by-case basis. Draft everyone, run them through a few tests, take them if they pass. I can't believe I just wrote that lol

So then, both K_H and I get 5 exp for each of our pokemon?

Juniper's Lab- Mio Mio placed Loam's pokeball in the healing machine gently, giving it a small, reassuring rub. It was silly; he knew Loam couldn't actually feel him touching the pokeball, but it made him feel better all the same. He sighed, thinking of all the ways he could have stopped this from happening. He was startled out of his reverie by the sound of a door whooshing open, and the sight of Professor Juniper's companions brought him out of his funk completely. The Professor Oak, creator of the Pokedex, world-renowned Pokemon researcher, stood casually at Professor Juniper's side. Mio was only a few feet away from a legend among researchers. He had so many questions! He wanted to discuss everything he possibly could with his hero. Meena let out an audible sigh and Mio gave her a light flick on her forehead. Next to Professor Oak was Professor Juniper Sr., whose work Mio was less familiar with, but still someone to be admired. His ears burned as the older Juniper introduced himself, and when the man pressed five pokeballs into his hands, he was pretty sure his whole body was going to burst into flame Bianca pulled the group away from the group of Mio's heroes, leaving Mio somewhat regretful. He looked back five or six times, imagining the sorts of conversations he could have with three top-tier researchers, before the door to Professor Juniper's lab closed behind him and it was too late. Entrance to Route 1- Mio Mio was alarmed at the phrase 'friends you'll be with the whole time.' He'd assumed they'd all go their separate ways and do their own thing, at their own pace. More than that though, he wanted to get Meena away from Jack and Lara as quickly as possible. He'd said he'd keep her from picking fights, but honestly he'd rather just avoid any chance of confrontation. His mouth twisted at the thought of restraining Meena all the way across Unova. Jason stepped forwards to the point just before Route 1 started, followed by the trio of younger kids. Although Mio was perturbed, he plastered on a happy face and rolled forwards on his skates, stopping next to Jason. "I'm ready too." he said. Meena rolled her eyes and draped herself around Mio's shoulders like a scarf, digging her claws in tight. Loam's pokeball hung off of Mio's belt, but inside, her eyes were gleaming in excitement. BAG: -Potion (x2) -Pokeball (x5) -XTransceiver -Rollerskates

Mio Mio started as Bianca rested her hand on his shoulder. His whole face burned as he realized she'd seen him crying, and he looked away from her in embarrassment. He coughed awkwardly, still unsure and upset despite Bianca's reassurances. Meena flicked her tail over to his other shoulder, resting it on Bianca's hand in a show of support. However, her gentle demeanor changed as Jack approached with Lara. Her tail thumped dangerously as she stared down the pair. Mio gave a bitter half-smile at Jack's words. It was one thing hearing that from Bianca, who'd clearly been a trainer for a while, but it was another thing entirely to hear it from another Amateur. It honestly felt as though he was being spoken down to, although he knew that probably wasn't Jack's intention. "Well, one of my Pokemon stopped listening to me and the other fainted so... In my books, this is a loss." He chuckled, but it was hollow-sounding even to himself. He stayed quiet for a moment, but when Jack turned to the lab, he spoke up again. "Uh, Jack?" he called, sounding more like his usual self. "Uhm... Look, I don't... It was a battle, and you did what you had to, and that weird discharge or whatever it was obviously wasn't your fault so, I don't have any hard feelings or anything." He trailed off, unsure of how to continue. How could he tell someone his Pokemon probably hated them? "But, Meena probably... Well, she probably doesn't see it that way." He gave Jack an apologetic look as Meena grumbled under her breath. "So, she'll probably be, uh..." Mio's gaze turned down and away, ashamed. "...pretty rude to you guys. She won't pick any fights-- I'll see to that, but... Well, if your water bottle falls open onto your head in the middle of the night, it was probably her, so let me know if any unfortunate coincidences happen to you, ok?" He grimaced. Meena gave Lara and Jack one last withering look before turning her nose up at them. "But! Anyways," he laughed, feeling awkward. "You're right, I need to get Loam all healed up." He strode towards the lab, ears burning.

Mio For half of a second, Mio thought they'd finally gotten the hit they needed. Loam's attack hit Leonidas dead-on, and even a rookie like Mio could tell it was a crit. But before he could even begin to celebrate, there was a flash of light followed by an audible zap. "Oh no," Mio breathed. "Oh no no no no. No." He hurried over to Loam, Meena close behind. Loam's body looked still as the grave as Mio and Meena rushed to her, but up close they could see she was breathing steadily. Relief washed over Mio, sapping him of all the fear and adrenaline that had built up. He sagged to his knees, tears welling in his eyes. Meena pressed against his side in a brief show of support before hurrying over to Loam, nudging her gently, but she didn't respond. Mio fumbled to pull out his Pokedex, opening it up to scan his little Mudkip. Sure enough, the status screen showed that she had fainted. Mio couldn't help it. He sobbed, cradling Loam's unconscious form in his arms. It wasn't until Meena drew his attention that he realized Jack was speaking to him. "Oh, uhm." He laughed awkwardly, scrubbing away his tears. "No, Loam is- Loam fainted so. I think we can call this your win?" He forced a weak smile in Jack's direction before turning away and pulling out Loam's pokeball, watching as it converted her into energy and closed shut. Trembling, Mio pushed himself to his feet and rubbed at his face again, feeling embarrassed. It doesn't matter if we lose, he'd thought. Clearly, he'd been wrong. Meena glared daggers at Lara and her team before leaping up to sit on Mio's shoulder. He shot her a look, one that told her he knew exactly what she'd done and exactly was she was thinking. "Don't," he said, a little hoarse. Meena pretended she didn't know what he meant, and Mio was too tired to push the issue.

Mio Mio chewed on his lip as Jack issued his command. He wasn't sure of Shinx's moveset, but he was fairly certain Leonidas shouldn't know anything like a confusion move. Even when Jack pointed out Loam's fin, he didn't understand. But, as Leonidas circled Loam at max speed, he got the gist of it. They were trying to force Loam into opening her eyes. At this point, Mio was getting frustrated. Sure, Loam still hadn't taken any hits, but water gun was next to useless and Leonidas had only taken one, with two boosts from charge. It was time to change strategy. Loam was sturdy enough to take a tackle or two even with her defense dropped, and it wasn't like he could attack from range. Probably. It was yet another gamble, but one Mio was willing to make. Even if it failed and they lost, it's not like he'd have to give Loam back and crawl home with his tail between his legs. "Loam, open your eyes and use tackle!" Immediately, the Mudkip's eyes snapped open. She brought all her strength to the back of her legs and launched herself forwards as soon as she saw Leonidas in front of her, disregarding any threat to her defenses.