#scion of stories and maker of myths. || volo

[forjustice]

"My therapist says I'm obsessed with revenge. I'll show him."

[quasimyth]

@slyginkgo​ 

How strange and forbidden it is, the union between Giratina and Arceus standing before him. Such tension can he feel ‘twixt the two, but not one that’s necessarily ancient; this struggle is old beyond the years, but it’s one of husband and husband. Perhaps rather deeper than that--Kazimir was assigned to Volo as his watcher, it seems--but it is free of the primordial hatred that courses between the Giratina he knows and the Arceus he loathes.

This is not, however, a Volo he can necessarily trust. The man is ever-shifting, hard to read--and that, perhaps, is reason enough not to invite him to the Hisuian Spring Festival. Perhaps not the most tainted soul he’s ever read, but not the cleanest, either. If he pushes further in his soul-reading, he could most likely see the reason why this soul feels so off to him…but not before making his feelings known.

      “So. You’re the other Volo,” he huffs. “What purpose do you have in visiting the Festival?”

He has a feeling already. He can’t think that this man will be up to anything good. But sometimes, it’s the disparity between the response and what intuition tells him that can be the most revealing.

Cynthia stands behind him; he doesn’t need to see her to feel her look of worry. 

Don’t be worried about him, Volo thinks, knowing she can hear. Worry about the Festival.

[forjustice]

"My goodness, how can you be so invested in insulting me and yet be wrong about every aspect of myself? I care immensely for others--else I would not have established the communes under the principles of equality and community. I am not sad or lonely or weak, for though I've seen more than most, I have plenty of those close to me as well as the community I established to give me support--people who I hold close instead of pushing away. And what lies have I recently told to my followers? All of them are perfectly aware of my long list of past crimes and still choose to love me because I've shown I won't do them anymore, you know! And last of all: Did you know that I'm a narcissist? Since when have I ever tried to put on a mask and pretend that I'm nobody instead of the somebody I am--and I will never view being myself as a punishment!"

[forjustice]

(Ancient-pokehistorian) Saburo picked some flowers for Volo. They're weeds, and the roots are still attached, but they aren't poisonous! And they look pretty!

"Weeds? For your divine one, your beloved? Who you should never shower with anything but the finest flowers and jewels?" He laughs as he speaks; they both know he's just joking. Someone like him, who seeks to dismantle value systems--Shinies versus ordinary Pokémon, silk versus wool, flowers versus weeds--because he thrives on questioning the values that created those systems in the first place would never make such a judgment.

"Just kidding~" he indeed says, taking the weed flowers from Saburo and inhaling their fresh scent. "You know exactly what I like, my love!"

In his palm he uses Grass Knot to grow a bouquet of his own.

"In return I shall gift you: The knotweed. It nourishes Combees, just as we have nourished our children. It has flourished in the harshest of environments, just as we have flourished through the trials and tribulations of the centuries. Just like us and our children, it stubbornly clings to life, rooted deep in the soil as we are rooted in the soil and the snow of Hisui. And....It's really quite prolific~" he adds with a wink.

"Happy Valentine's Day, my love~ Here's to many more."

He leans in for a kiss.

@ancient-pokehistorian

[forjustice]

"Is that what you think of me?" He has a sly little smile, not at all taking this seriously. "After all I've done to provide this beautiful little village with the vital goods it needs? You wound me, Benny. I would think, with this world being so harsh and unforgiving, that the people who struggle to survive in it would put a little more emphasis on community."

@forjustice (For Volo)

"You're not getting back into the village so easily." Beni stares Volo down with a knowing gaze. "We've plenty of perfectly honest representatives for the Ginkgo guild."

[forjustice]

He looks happy. Too happy. Oh dear, what does the sly fox have planned...?

[forjustice]

🎲 +Saburo again, except this time with a pouty determined face

"My, my, I can see the dogged determination in your eyes~" Dogged. Dog. Saburo is a dog person. Get it? "Let's see if it gets you anywhere!"

Volo's held his human form so far, but his fox ears are out for this one, and he's wagging his nine tails in excitement. Never a good sign when he's in a situation in which he holds all the cards. Little does Saburo know, no matter what happens, Volo is leading him into a trap in which getting a Nun or a Shin would in fact be a form of mercy...

He smirks. The trap is sprung. He doesn't even reach into the box this time to give Saburo his award--Volo reaches into his pocket instead. Grinning with all of a fae fox's malicious mischief, he places the folded-up prize in Saburo's open palm...

A single Poké.

He lets out a teasing foxlike laugh, his smile positively devilish.

"Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha~!"

[forjustice]

🎲 + Croc, pleasie

"How delightful for you! Another big, big winner~!" he says, as he starts handing the envelopes of cash to Croc. But Croc, like Mira before him, would also get the sneaking feeling that the universe was mocking him...The amount he gets is lower than the original amount in the pot as well!

[forjustice]

🎲 + Mira (Macha)

"Well done, child! You've certainly earned yourself a nice treat!" he says, as he hands over the money. Yet even in this moment of triumph, Mira gets a feeling that the universe is mocking her...

Wuh oh! The amount she gets from this full pot is lower than the amounts the pot was filled to previously! But it's okay, Mira. You could've had better luck, maybe, but what you got is still pretty good!

[forjustice]

🎲 + Altra ( Though the youth is only doing this for fun.. because it looks interesting! )

"Oh, unlucky…Unnnnfortunately for you, it's time to pay up," he says, accepting ₱800 into the box. Then he grins, and gives a wink.

"But who knows? Maybe if you come back later, you'll have better luck next time!"

[forjustice]

🎲 + Will

"As our first customer, you're off to a rousing start--my goodness, how lucky you are!" he says, emptying the entire contents of the black box with the money in it into Will's bag and then refilling it with the same amount it had before. "But you are the first customer, after all...Who knows--if you come back later, maybe you'll win even bigger!"

[forjustice]

🎲 VOLO'S 🎲 DREIDEL 🎲 LOTTERY 🎲

"Do you like games? Do you like holiday traditions? Do you like GAMBLING? Well, I've got something for you that combines all three: my favorite holiday activity, the Dreidel Lottery! Step right up, spin the top, and cross your fingers for a cash prize from this box I've got right here--you could lose big, win a little or hit the jackpot, and there's only one way to find out! It costs ₱200 to enter, the same price as a humble Poké Ball. So come on down and spin away--it could be YOU who wins today!"

FULL OOC RULES

Hello everymun, and welcome to this fun little RNG dash game that came straight from the way my imagination decides to just go off when I'm about to fall asleep! To participate in Volo's Dreidel Lottery, please abide by the following rules.

To play, send an ask with a 🎲 emoji + the name of the muse you're entering. Discord-only muses may send on anon or through a blog they're not featured on. I will accept asks until the end of Hanukkah, or sunset on January 2, 2025.

You may send in asks for two (2) muses at a time. Please send in separate asks for each muse. After you send asks for two of your muses, please wait for me to answer asks from 3 more muns before you send any more. This way, everyone gets a chance to play!

I will then spin a dreidel using Google's online dreidel for you. Nun ("nothing") means your muse gets nothing--but they don't have to give anything either. Gimel ("entire, whole") means your muse gets everything in the box (aka the pot). Hey ("half") means your muse gets half of everything in the pot. Shin ("put in") means your muse has to put an extra ₱800 in the pot (the price of an Ultra Ball in Paldea). I will screenshot the result and then post it when I answer your ask.

I will not post, and Volo will not tell, how much money is in the pot at any given time--and that includes what value is in the pot to start with. >:3 If your muse gets money, I will DM you how much money they get. Muses can choose to either talk or not talk about how much they won of course, but if you yourself want to know, you will have to figure it out :3

If you want to have your muse react, do so in the tag #vdl2024.

Thank you for reading y'all, and MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR!

[forjustice]

🎲 + Willow! (kokorowoutsu)

"Oh, now you are most definitely too young to be gambling," Volo says--not that he particularly cares if a six year old plays his game, but he can feel the combined eyes of Lanakila, Amaya and Magneto bearing down on him and judging him if he accepts her request to play. "Where are your parents? Do they know you're here? Well, what they don't know won't hurt them, but I'm warning you, you might just be setting yourself up for some disappointment..."

Gimel. Usually the best one you could possibly spin, but before Willow can celebrate too soon--a smile comes to Volo's lips. At first, it's genuine, but it morphs into a mischievous little smirk as he slowly opens the prize box to reveal what's inside--

₱5.

Saying it's "not much" is an understatement, but it's just the right amount to make the joy of victory turn to throwing something across the room in frustration. Volo's words about disappointment indeed were prophetic--the rest of the contenders had received Poké amounts numbering in the tens of thousands, and in a stroke of mischief he'd decided to leave this paltry amount just to see what would happen. A shame it had to be someone so close to him getting this result, but, well, he did warn her. She is a fae, and she needs to know the ways of them.

"And that, my dear girl, is the lesson to be learned here. If you come prepared to play, you must come prepared to lose."

[forjustice]

"'I'd kill for you.' 'I'd die for you.' Hah! Such sentiments are too weak to express the depths and the power of my love. I can do so, so much more for my family and friends than simply die or kill, and to restrict myself to those things would be an insult to the full extent of my abilities....

"I would change world history for the ones that I loved most. I have already--and I'll do it again."

[forjustice]

I added some stuff to Volo's Johto Moon Festival Moon Maiden Appeal for a private IC Pokémon Contest I'm in OwO The changes made it more elaborate and I think it made the pacing better too. Come check it out!

[forjustice]

Just before the Johto Moon Festival closed for the year...

N and Pokémon adoption centers--these two things were as inseparable as the two O atoms in oxygen. How strange it was, then, that he failed to make an appearance at the Moon Festival's adoption bazar, but it was not without reason. Toward the beginning of the Festival, his Carracosta's shell had gotten cracked, requiring immediate medical attention, and he would not leave his side until the poor prehistoric turtle was fit for discharge from the Pokémon Center. Unfortunately for him, this didn't happen until that evening. Which meant that if he wanted to pick up a Pokémon, he had to act fast.

One of his relatives in the sprawling web of the Volo family had mentioned what was there oh so casually--oh, yeah, did you hear? There's a bunch of Pokémon at the adoption bazar from Unova. You know how Handsome Ditto got banned in Contests there? Well, a bunch of them ended up in shelters and--And he was on his way, blitzing through the streets on the back of Reshiram toward the remainder of the festival. He slowed only to pay the entrance fee for that day, then zoomed past the attendant before she could fully get out the "Mind you, there's only five minutes before the festival closes"--he didn't care. Reshiram flew through the festival grounds at speeds that would make an Officer Jenny hop on her motorbike in hot pursuit, powered by the Fusion Flare lighting up their engine-like tail.

@onlyheartaches' Quicksilver, the fastest being in the world? No, it's N and his Pokémon, when they're on their way to pick up a new Poké-pal!

"I think that's Nathanael," Volo said to her family as she walked with Amaya and the children back toward the entrance, narrowing her eyes in concern as she saw the unholy blaze that that dragon was giving off. "Nathanael--"

But N didn't even hear his name being said as Reshiram slammed into her chest, knocking the wind out of her and sending her careening past the rest of her family.

"NATHANAEL!" Volo screamed as she breathed in, head spinning, her whole body pinned to the Legendary's chest with its speed. "STOP THIS INSTANT!"

"You're not stopping me!" N had to shout over the wind that Reshiram has kicked up with their speed. "I'm a man on a mission!"

And that mission was fulfilled when they descended like a wildfire on the adoption bazar. Reshiram screeched to a stop at its gates at 8:59 P.M., dumping Volo unceremoniously at the feet of the same attendant who suspected her of being a full kitsune and who had to deal with Allie being her bratty self.

That poor woman. Haven't my muses put her through enough?

"We're almost closed," she said. "Is there something you want, sir?"

N pointed to the Handsome Dittos remaining in the field.

"I WANT FIFTY."

The woman stared at him, flabbergasted. Somehow she could tell he wasn't actually completely kidding.

"We, er, we only have three left," she said.

"Then I want three. I'll take your entire stock," he said, with no idea of volume control or how intense he was being. Pokémon were one of his hyperfixations, and the autism had him by the throat.

The lady continued to stare. On one hand, what the fuck. On the other hand, the remaining Dittos had shapeshifted into Zoroark—picking up perfectly on the evolutionary line that N is a Pokésouled of—and had begun to strut and preen. They saw that almighty ball of flame nyooming toward them faster than it would through a whole clearing full of dry brush, its rider hoping to take them home. And that boosted their confidence more than anything else! Of course they’d want to go with this dude, are you kidding?

“Allow me to explain, if you have any reservations," N said, straightening proudly as he began to monologue about the beauty of his passion. "My full name is Nathanael Harmonia Asimov, but you may recognize me as N. While I have to admit that some of my past actions in the defense of Pokémon's rights have been...questionable, my desire to help them has always been unparalleled. There is nothing more bitter to my ears than the sound of Pokémon from any version of Unova being so callously abandoned as these handsomest of Ditto were--" the Ditto look even more pleased at the praise--"and yet nothing sweeter to my heart than giving these Pokémon a home. As a Unovan, especially a Native one, how can I not fulfill my solemn duty to help any Pokémon from my homeland--whatever version of it in the universe it may be?"

Slowly, Volo picked herself back up off the ground; though she was in human form, she shook herself off much like a fox would to get the dirt out of its fur--which didn't do much to correct the attendant's nagging suspicion of her.

"He's a relative of mine. I can vouch for him," she said, not aware that she wasn't exactly helping.

There were a few more moments of awkward stares before somebody noticed.

"The festival has already closed. Is everything all right?" another festival attendant called, heading over. Two choices: Either a no or a yes. She had to make a decision. Now.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” the lady muttered under her breath as she looked down, but soon gave the other attendant a thumbs up and put a smile back on her face—especially because the Ditto seemed to be smiling too. One of them was even giving her puppy eyes, having sensed her hesitation--trying to persuade her with a "pleeeeeeeeeeease?" Pokémon loving these two despite the fact they could be so off-putting must run in the family.

“Well, they certainly seem interested in you, sir,” she said. “And we did make it our goal to adopt out every last Pokémon in these fields before the festival ended. You are….quite passionate about these Ditto. And while I must strongly urge you never to speed through Festival grounds like that again, EVER, I hope that passion will inspire you to give them the homes they deserve."

With that, she handed over the adoption paperwork. N pulled out the necessary fees from his wallet, with the most "shut up and take my money" meme energy he's ever had.

"You know, you could have just gone back to Unova to adopt some," Volo grumbled as they walked toward the exit, still sore over being body slammed and then dumped on the grass like a pile of old clothes.

He was going to get several speeding tickets for this, but it was so, so worth it.