6/19/2006


Beach
 
Right as pavements meets sand. The Emerald Coast is one of the more touristy areas of Station City. Unfortunately, it's not exactly the safest place in the world. To the west, is the luxurious Hotel, where the windows of several rooms have been left open, so that the occupants can enjoy the prominent sea breeze. The sandy beach itself extends southwards, dotted with a few palm trees here and there, along with the occasional lawn chair and sunning umbrella.
 
The waves of the Emerald Bay gently lap against the sand, and further along the beach, there is an expansive wooden boardwalk, allowing pedestrians to travel over the water. Unfortunately, the entire Boardwalk has been closed down, flagged off with caution tape. Apparently, as the story goes, a lone Killer Whale took out the majority of the boardwalk in an blindly rage, uncharacteristic of such animals.
 
[Exits   : 300 Marina <N>, and Hotel Pool <W> ]
[Players : Klonoa ]

==========================================================================
Name           |Gender  |Status  |Short Description
--------------+-------+-------+-----------------------------------------
Klonoa..........|Male     |IC        |A cat? A rabbit? What the heck is it?   
Gantz...........|Male     |IC        |The Badass Black Fox with the Gunz  


Klonoa
  Now, here is a remarkable sight. At first glance, it might be difficult to pinpoint exactly whether the creature before you is of the feline or rabbit variety, as it shares a certain likeness to both species in a befanged smile and a pair of long, floppy "ears."
  While standing at a height of no more than three feet tall (give or take a few inches), the creature doesn't appear to be any older than a small boy, as a few gaps in his clothing reveal a pair of round and slender arms and legs, all covered in black fur. But as they say, appearances can be deceiving. He may not look as strong as most boys his age, but he makes up for his weakness in more unique and interesting ways.
  He wears a large, blue baseball cap over his head, which has been twisted backwards so that the "bill" of the cap points out from behind his head. Save for the print of a round circle with a slice taken out of it chasing after two round dots, it appears to be pretty ordinary. From beneath the front of the twisted baseball cap, a pair of black bangs spill out in two distinct curves and sit just above eye-level. The top half of his face is covered with black fur and framed by a pair of large cat-like eyes with amber irises, while his muzzle is covered entirely in white fur with a small, triangular brown nose sitting dead in the center. The edges of his cheek ruffs have each been pulled into two or three smooth and pointed tufts, while a dark line sitting just beneath his nose sends out a kind smile. Meanwhile, a pair of huge, rabbit-like earflaps spill out from each side of his head. At the top, they are covered in black fur, while the white fur quickly takes over in jagged markings along the middle and ends in a billowy "puff" at each end.
  Not opting to wander over all of Mobius without any clothes on, he wears a blue short-sleeved shirt and a pair of dark blue shorts over his body. A large zipper tab dangles somewhere just beneath the neck of the shirt on a line, while a light blue belt wraps around the back-end of his shorts and is fixed in place with a pair of large, round gold buttons. From behind, one can see his short black and white tail hang down and end in a tuft, just like his ears. Lastly, he wears a pair of dark yellow gloves over his hands and a pair of large (almost too big for his feet) red sneakers with a pair of white straps over the tops of them. While this boy isn't exactly the "fighting type," he does like to carry around a single, oversized gold ring, decorated with a green diamond, for safekeeping. But how could anyone fight with just a ring as a weapon? It looks like only he knows the secret for certain.
[ Klonoa saw you looking at him. ]
Carrying: (Currency: 0 pennies)
Wind Ring
A large golden ring that looks like as if it could only ever be worn, securely, over the finger of a giant. A diamond-cut emerald frames its center and it shimmers softly in the light.


Gantz
You may have seen attitude and confidence before but maybe not like this. The vulpine in question is a bit taller than average, lean, lithe, and toned, not unlike many other young males around the same age. But the usual, clear smirk on his short, elegantly tapered muzzle (at the tip of which is a small, dark brown nose of equal elegance), the thin, black, typically furrowed brows, and the eyelids half lowered in a discerning manner over his sky blue, almond-shaped eyes are all distinctly smug features. Most Mobians don't have the station or the sheer power to develope such consistant condescension towards everyone. Especially not to their face. Gantz clearly doesn't share this limitation.
If one bothers to continue looking longer, the rest of him is of equal interest. Most of Gantz's body is covered in pure black, sleek fur, except for the saffron interior of his large, triangular ears and the fuzzy patch covering the lower half of his face, including the long spike of fur sticking out of each cheek, the triangular patchs over his eyes, and the thin blaze that goes up the bridge of his snout. The fur on the top of his head is very smooth and pulled back into a long, slender ponytail near the nape of his neck. Perched securely on his forehead are a pair of reddish-brown leather goggles, that usually remain resting there when not in use, and somewhere, in the general area of his neck, is a large, thick ruff of fur that starts out black in the center and quickly spreads out into a golden cream color much like that on his face. Beneath this distinctive but unusual mane is a perpetually open, red jacket made of thin material. 
Over his big, masculine hands, and the snug sleeves of his jacket, are a pair of almost immaculately white gloves that widen near his elbows. Under all of this is a light grey shirt and a pair of close fitting grey pants that are shoved into a pair of bulky but fitted, knee-high black boots. Around his waist is a reddish-brown belt filled with bullets clips and holstered on each side are a pair of unusual red laser pistols with an elongated star emblazoned on their rectangular, blunt muzzles. Sometimes he can be seen carrying a slightly more normal looking revolver (that is nearly as large as himself and with four barrels) over one shoulder quite casually, as if it belonged there. Should he take notice of you or should his bushy, yet stumpy, black tail begin to wag... it might be time to run.
[ Gantz saw you looking at him. ]
Carrying: (Currency: 2147483647 pennies)
(OOC) Plothole
For pure, convenient escape when sh*t goes down! Brought to you by Acme Brand! If it doesn't say Acme, it's just not full of ill-conceived notions.
      

Klonoa, meanwhile, is sitting at the GUN outpost drinking from a tall latte mocha. "And so this one guy came up to me and said, 'Oh, so you must be a big fan of Pac-Man, huh?' and I was like 'Huh? What's that?' The guy nearly freaked! So he decides to -yank- me by the arm to this broken down arcade and I'm all like--'What?' And this gets weirder... He pays for my game and shows me how the controls work. He even knew the names of all of the ghosts by heart! So I'm just playing this game and it's getting really fun. The next thing I know, I cleared it and the guy who bought my game is just standing there with his mouth open and everything. Weird, huh?" He waggles the paper cup a little. "Whoa...Empty already?"
The barrista, who has only been half-paying attention, simply blinks at the strange kid while washing out an empty blender pitcher. "I don't know about you, son, but I think that you have gone well over your caffeine intake for one afternoon."

Gantz considers the comments made as he slowly sips on his own tasty mocha caramel latte and arches an eyebrow at the mention of how Klonoa has already drunk all of his. He snickers at the barista's comment and has to agree with it himself.
"You should know not to give him anything but decaf by now. He won't get any sleep tonight if it isn't," Gantz notes before taking another sip.
Then Gantz thinks of something else. He narrows his eyes slightly, remembering his own weird experiences, some of which occured in the Twinkle Park game center. Not that he's about to tell Klonoa about THAT specific mistake, if Klonoa doesn't know already, but he does start to wonder.
"I bet you've played every single game in Twinkle Park," Gantz adds with a smirk, "So maybe that guy just didn't realize you're some kind of 'Gaming God' by now?"

    Klonoa hums a little disappointedly as he sets the empty paper cup down on the countertop, right along with a few mobiums to pay for the drink. Scratching his head a bit sheepishly as he overhears Guntz's retort, he cracks a smile to no one in particular. "Hee... Well, the owner recommended that I try some, and it looked so good too! But I guess I kind of overdid it huh?" The barista then gives Klonoa a funny look that screams "-Kind of- overdid it?' as he starts to polish the pitcher with a rag and a few small squeaks.
  Turning around on the stool that he sits on, Klonoa reaches back with one hand to adjust the level of his cap as he listens to Guntz. "Every game?" His nose twitches a little. "No way. It's not that I just want to play arcade games all day." A little lie. "It's just that I can't help but think of how much fun they are, and I guess..." He laughs a little, looking embarrassed. "I'm a little good at playing them too? Hee hee. I never really thought of winning anything before."

    Gantz decides to finish off his own drink in one go and then tosses the now empty cup, from a short but significant distance, into the small trash can he knows is on the other side of the counter. It lands almost perfectly, with little to no splash damage.
    The barista, however, is still not pleased, imagining more customers trying the very same thing and failing spectacularly, "Hey, buddy, I would prefer it if you ask me next time."
    Gantz shrugs and frowns at this suggestion, not caring what the barista thinks but not wanting to get himself on the Mobian's badside either. The last thing he needs is to get kicked out of GUN HQ in Station City because he got testy with the non-GUN employees.
    "Hey, Klonoa... you like playing arcade games. But how many 'real' games have you played?" Gantz asks, as an idea comes to him.

Klonoa reflexively leans back on his barstool as he watches the empty cup fly past him and into the trash can, even if it is actually a short distance away from where he is. Coffee can be really nasty when it sticks to your fur, after all. He breathes out a little, relieved, then casts an apologetic glance up to the barista on account of his friend. But when Gantz mentions 'real' games to him, he spins on the barstool a little to wheel back to where he sits. "'Real' games? Like what?" He says, bringing a hand thoughtfully to his chin. Does Garlen's tournament count as a 'real' game? He sure hopes not.

   Gantz grins as he realizes he has Klonoa's interest on the matter. And now that he's thinking about it, the more he's starting to like the notion. That's what he needs! Twinkle Park is only so much fun. Simulations and dance games are okay. So are most arcade games, be they RPGs or something else. But the real fun is in sports, something he hasn't experienced since he was a kid.
   "When I say real, I mean... man to man. Something physical, with a ball!" Gantz says, really getting worked up now, "Catching, throwing, chasing. Real adrenaline!"
    Of course, Gantz would not enjoy the suggestion that this is... very dog-like of him.

Klonoa's earflaps perk up slightly as he hums and nods his head, folding his arms over his chest. It is a pose that would make him appear sincerely thoughtful, that is, if only it didn't resemble a child's silly attempt at imitating a wisened old sage. "Something physical, huh?" He repeats to himself with a blink, before grinning befangedly and pressing his hands against the barstool before sliding off it quickly and landing gently onto the floor with a soft *tmph!* "Sounds like fun! Do you know a game that's like that, Gantz?"
Dun dun duuuuuun...

   Gantz jumps off his barstool as well and clenches his fist in the air, as if begging for strength from some other power. Or just showing off, a lot. Either way, he nods his head abruptly, once, and then punches his fist into his other hand. All right! His teensy tail could be wagging at this point but as it is small, it might be hard to tell from standing in front of him. The Barista certainly has a look on his face as if he can't believe what Gantz is doing so that theory might still be supported, strongly.
   "Yes! Well, I know of a lot but... the only one I sort of know how to play and have the right ball size for is volleyball," Gantz admits. 
   After all, volleyball can be done with any medium-sized plastic or leather ball that bounces well off hard or semi-hard objects. Which he DID find again, a few hours after running out of the GUN Outpost and waking up from a nap he had on a bus-stop bench. This reminds Gantz that he still needs to repay Suiryu for making him look bad. But one thing at a time! Right now, Gantz wants to relax by expending all his energy in a friendly game of volleyball. At least, as well as he can remember how to play the game.
    "Let's go!" Gantz says as he points at the door almost dramatically.    

Klonoa can only stare at Gantz's little bit of theatrics, but it only causes his grin to get wider. Heck, he is even starting to feel a little excited about this himself! And then--"Oh! Volleyball!" He can't imagine how he might have forgotten about that game. Maybe since he hasn't been able to find anyone to play with or has been too busy with GUN-related matters. But it is a game that makes him remember all his old friends, and so he loves to practice with a Moo volleyball every once in away. It's just too bad that Huepow is always chiding him about his form. Hee hee.
When Gantz makes his dramatic point, Klonoa is already making a run for it, laughing. He takes a small jump out the door with his hands stretched out into the air. "Wahoo! Rupuruduu!"

      Gantz gulps when Klonoa beats him to the punch and simply stares as Klonoa races out the door (his ears trailing behind him as he rushes through, with that catchy cry in what is apparently his native language.) Gantz seems rooted to the spot until suddenly he tosses some mobiums onto the counter as well, as a belated tip for the barista since he already paid for his own drink, and runs for the door.
      "Hey, wait!" he calls out. 
      This was his idea, he should be the one tugging Klonoa along! Oh well. Probably before he even knows it, they'll be there, with or without the use of his motorcycle.

Klonoa stretches his arms out into the open air with a slight groan while his feet shuffle off the pavement and onto the sandy beachline. It has gotten a little dark out by now, but there is still more than enough light emitting from a few of the overhead street lamps and the glowing Hotel in the distance. Not to mention that the stragglers who are taking this moment to walk their dearest companions along the quiet shoreline, and the odd cluster of Mobians gathered around a campfire near a more secluded spot on the beach make things seem that much more alive. Klonoa, meanwhile, has turned to look at the sea with a relaxed expression (and just a touch of nervousness). "Aaah... The sea is so nice~."
Hey, wasn't he ready to play a game just a moment ago?

     Huffing loudly, a sole dark figure reaches the beach not long after. One eye is closed as he takes the time to lean against a lamp post while he catches his breath. In his hands is the Moo volleyball, which is usually tucked away in the corner of the GUN Outpost somewhere. He at least had the presence of mind to grab it before he left but chasing after Klonoa was still quite frustrating! Luckily, it was pretty obvious where Klonoa was going... or at least a good guess to think it was the beach! When Gantz finally notices Klonoa nearby, he ponders just throwing the damn ball at Klonoa's head and hoping he might hit him hard enough to knock him into the water.
      Then Gantz notices the couples going for a sunset stroll down the beach. He envies them in some ways. To suggest that Gantz is absolutely preoccupied with money and mild fame (and his father's killer) isn't accurate. He thinks of the kinds of things everyone does. He just doesn't give them much attention. And he never seems to have any luck with getting a date the very rare times he had the time, the interest, the girl in view, and the gumption to approach. Needless to say, Harley once hit the nail on the head when she told him he acted too conceited for his own good. But Gantz is a little too hung up on himself for that to have properly sunk in. He'll need to hear it a few more times to understand it and very few people will likely take the time to explain it to him.
     All of this gives Gantz what even -he- would consider a simple but devious plan. Yes, he was annoyed that he had to RUN FIVE BLOCKS chasing after Klonoa.
     As a breeze rolls in a few small waves, that lap against the shore gently, a white-gloved hand suddenly reaches out to grab Klonoa's shoulder and yank him close (but not too close) as Gantz looks Klonoa in the eye with what can only be a badly dramatized expression of manly love (because, well, Gantz hasn't even seen that look yet; he never really studied other guys IN love before and the ladies never looked at him in such a manner for him to try and mimic even a more feminine facial show of mushiness.)
     "The way you look this evening... let's go for a romantic walk, hand in hand!" Gantz suggests, doing his best not to laugh, as he suggests it in what he hopes is a sexy way.
     It's probably a cruel joke and possibly not the most effective. But Gantz is just doing it in an effort to make Klonoa squirm. ...FIVE BLOCKS, dammit! He ran five blocks!

Klonoa blinks as he is whirled around by Gantz's yank, yelping with surprise. "W-whoa!" At first he narrows his eyes with utter suspicion, wondering if the vulpine is getting so worked up in the moment that he would want to push him into place by the net so that they can get this volleyball game started, that is... Until he gives him 'The Look<tm>'. It causes the child's face to blanken with confusion while his ears stiffen and pull back a little. "Gantz, what are you--" Then in what can be called probably one of the few traumatizing moments of Klonoa's short life: A joking confession of love. Klonoa's response...?
"A...a...a...AAAAAAAAAAAH!!" Klonoa reaches out with both of his hands and pushes at Gantz with all his might so that he can get away. After releasing himself from his grip, his legs turn akwardly and he starts to fall backwards. He goes down with a soft thud and even a *squish* as his ears flop onto the wet shoreline and his entire body feels like jelly. "Mnyaaaa...." @_@

       "..."
       At first, all Gantz can do is stare at Klonoa as he pushes him away, which makes Gantz's ears twitch irritably even if this WAS the kind of reaction he was hoping for. (If Klonoa had suddenly professed return feelings, he would have been reacting in kind to what Klonoa is going through now.) Then he realizes just how badly he has affected Klonoa and he grins, eyes narrowed cruelly. PAYBACK!
       "Hahahaha!" is all Gantz says, while pointing at the unfortunate kitty with long ears.
       Then he winks at Klonoa, turns his back on his horrified friend, holds one hand up in the air, and snaps his fingers as if to show him who's boss. He begins swaggering over to the small volleyball net, which is erected not too far away, the ball still tucked under his arm. And whistling faintly under his breath. Yes, Gantz is an utter bastard sometimes. Still, it's a good thing he didn't try to kiss Klonoa (if he could have brought himself to do so, even playfully) or something similar. That might have left Klonoa in a coma.

Less than a minute passes and Klonoa slowly pulls himself upright so that he is sitting on the sand, looking dazed. Bringing a hand up to his head, he shakes his head quickly from side to side, hoping to get rid of some of the sand that got stuck to her earflaps. He frowns as he grabs his hat by the "bill" and dusts off some of the sand off the top, which has gotten a little soggy from the fall. Well, at least it isn't too bad. It's his favorite hat after all. He pushes himself up from the ground and then replaces the ballcap on his head, inhaling deeply and looking stern, all while Gantz is laughing away in the background.
Brushing his palms together, he brings them down slowly to his sides and then lets loose--"Are you crazy?!" If one were looking closely, you'd swear that his tail was even sticking up straight with anger as he shouts with fangs bared. He then lets out a short "Humph!" and stomps his way along the sand to the other side of the volleyball net. "Geez... You almost gave me a heart attack."

     Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Gantz is still very amused as he watches Klonoa pull himself together while Gantz just tries to remember how to bop the ball up and down on his wrists again. Gantz's ears are pricked at Klonoa's grumbling and he considers what to say to this. Uh oh. More Klonoa teasing is pretty imminent from the look of things!
     Gantz stops playing with the ball long enough to tuck it under his arm and put both hands on his hips, as Klonoa finally takes his place. With his shoulders straight, Gantz decides to chastise him.
     "You're such a child!" Gantz complains, though the complaining part sounds hollow as he is clearly enjoying himself, "You can't even handle a joke. You know what I think? I think you would've done that even if some cute girl had asked you the same thing."

Poor Klonoa. Just when he thought that he'd finally been able to relax from that ...err... "shock," standing ready and waiting for Gantz to set the match in motion, the wind is knocked right back out of him again, so to speak. As the vulpine retorts, Klonoa frowns with his face looking a little flushed, reaches his hand back to adjust the line of his cap so that it rests just above his eyes. "S-shut up! Are we going to play a game or not?" Now looking determined, the child clenches his fists a little as he stands ready. Oh yes. He is ready to pay Gantz back.

       Gantz smirks and rubs his chin thoughtfully, as if wondering whether he SHOULD play with Klonoa or not. As if Klonoa's reaction was a factor. Of course it isn't.
       "I don't know if I should play with babies. But... All right!" he says loud and clear.
       A second later, he throws the ball up high in the air. As it falls, he jumps up and spikes it hard over the net, without even waiting for Klonoa's reaction. He's grinning broadly as he does so and is possibly a little hyper as well.
       "Try to catch that!" Gantz trumpets.

There is a pause, and then Klonoa cracks a smile. "I won't have to!" He says quickly as he makes a dash toward the Moo volleyball, which is already sinking downward since Guntz was able to get a little ahead of him. He bends down a little and pulls his fist back only to pull it forward so that he can bop the ball high into the air. As it begins to fall, he jumps up and responds with his own spike over the net. Landing back on the ground, he rises and falls on the balls of his feet. This is going to be one heck of a game.

   Gantz lets out a noticable rush of air in surprise when Klonoa thwarts his 'attack' easily. He should have expected that though. He grins as he has to duck low and nearly hits the sand, having been caught by surprise himself, and hits the ball again. It reacts quickly, getting knocked high, but unfortunately it was very low and close to the net to begin with. The ball soars up but looks as if it might only barely make it over the net, if it makes it over again at all. Gantz seems unconcerned about this, as he hastily tries to roll over and shoot back into a standing position again, anxious to see what happens.

Klonoa can't help but look a little cocky when he takes Guntz by surprise, imagining that a shot like that would be hard to hit from that low. But he manages to bunt the ball back into the air, impressing Klonoa a bit. He watches the yellow Moo volleyball closely, and is alarmed as the ball falls precariously close to the net. Looks like he'll just have to take that chance. Klonoa makes a short run toward the net and then leaps up into the air. But instead of promptly falling back down or hitting the ball, he simply watches the ball to see where it will fall to. Meanwhile, his body is hovering a few inches off the ground as his large, floppy ears flap like a small hatchling attempting to make its first lift into the air. The volleyball starts to ease over to his side of the net and Klonoa simply reaches up and sets it back toward the other side with a soft push. That shouldn't make it go very far, but at least it will make it to the other side of the net for now...

     Damn that ability of his! Gantz grumbles to himself but says nothing against it. After all, at least Klonoa isn't using the wind to help him... so far.
     With a proud yell, Gantz moves into position and with less flair this time, catches the ball on his clasped hands but bumps it with something of a loud crack and an attempt at direction. Oh, it's going to the left a good ways from Klonoa and spinning hard but if he can move in time, he should be able to catch it before it can hit the ground! Or land just outside the bounds, one of the two.

Klonoa takes a step back as Gantz yells, taking that as a warning for what is about to come next. Digging his heels into the sand, he watches the ball get shot into the air while he lets his body simply follow its direction. Thank goodness there isn't a poorly placed palm tree or a large rock in the way, or else it would have quickly turn ugly. As the ball begins to sink quickly, Klonoa quickens his pace and now brings his eyes level to the ball. He makes a sharp dive for it and manages to hit it with his mighty-... head? The Moo volleyball smacks heartily against his head and sails into the air. Upward? Back to Gantz? Klonoa is a little dizzy, so he can't tell. @_@;
.
        Gantz is rather surprised to see Klonoa hit the thing with his head but this is allowed, at least as far as he can recall, so he says nothing about it. He does narrow his eyes and rush over to where the ball is headed. He waits for only a minute at the most and raises his fist to hit the ball... HARD! But he miscalculates and... he hits the net. It might have just scraped by but, as luck would have it, the ball hits the net hard enough for it to be reflected back at him. He gulps and... just catches it with his hands. He looks down at the ball, very disappointed, and then wanders over to the net to offer it to Klonoa.
        Grudgingly, Gantz admits, "I think that gives you a point... now it's your turn to serve!" 

(OOC) Elsewhere, Janga sneezes.
(OOC) Elsewhere, Gantz suddenly jerks out of a sound sleep and shudders in horror at some sound he heard but doesn't recall what it was.
(OOC) Elsewhere, Joka looks at Janga and hrmms, "Someone talking about you?"
(OOC) Janga grumbles and sniffs irritably, "How am I supposed to know?"
(OOC) Gantz is still in abject terror the next morning.
(OOC) Janga sits in a cardboard box with his arms and feet dangling out. Marker on the box reads: Free to a good home (crossed-out), kennel (crossed-out), anywhere!
(OOC) Janga sniffs, "I just wanted to be adopted as a son... but dammit, they kept trying to put collars on me!"