Scene #1792: Lute's New Pet

Owner	Pose
Samar	Iron Bottom Sound. Possibly the single largest stretch of shipwrecks on Earth, a graveyard of vessels between Guadalcanal, Savo Island, and the Solomon Islands. It looks like almost nothing on the surface, but once one descends to the ocean floor, the sprawling location's true nature becomes apparent. It's black and cold. The pressure is smothering, even to those who wouldn't be crushed by it. At first sight it might resemble a mountainous landscape or a strange sort of city, but that's only due to all the ships whose bodies lie twisted and broken on the ocean floor. Battleships, destroyers, cruisers, carriers; ships of all types, some recognizable, others not, all unified by the grime that cakes their metal surfaces and the twisted wreckage they've all been torn apart to form, decorated here and there by the rotting corpses and skeletons of living creatures that have sunk down here in death. But, unlike most graveyards, this one is vibrantly alive. Of course there are the various creatures of the deep that slither and swim and crawl through the wreckage, but this is the home of the Abyssals as well. The darkness is broken by lights in red, blue, green, and yellow, dancing along as the most obvious signs of Abyssal presence to the untrained eye. Closer inspection - or the aid of a light - would reveal their forms of pale skin and black metal as they float among the wrecks, going about their various activites as the please. Hundreds of them, all forming a strange, vast community in a realm of darkness. Samar is somewhat separated from them at the moment. She sits perched on the edge of a ship's bow, the massive structure below her tilted on one side with a jagged hole blasted into its hull. Her symbiote sits next to her, grasping onto its perch with powerful arms, always connected by that tube that embeds into the back of her neck. Both of them seem to just be staring out into the abyss, only Samar's glowing red eyes and the blazing crimson furnace in the symbiote's throat providing any sort of light nearby.
Lute	Lute's arrival is likely a surprise, in a number of ways. For one, the pressure of Iron Bottom Sound is not something a human could really handle. Lute has various tricks to help with that, though. Standing on top of his Tentacruel, a protective barrier surrounds his entire body. While he is still getting wet, the protective barrier caused by Dive is allowing him to breath, and to handle the pressure. He also carries a light, making his approach a bit more noticable. But, also with him is another surprise. Heading down with him is a sinking bit of a battleship, something he purchased from a scrapyard as a gift. Strapped to it are several canisters of oil he has brought specifically for the Abyssals. As Tentacruel floats down, it spots Samar. It's accustomed to underwater vision, after all. It moves towards Samar, and Lute simply smiles. He flicks back his hair a bit, looking at the leader of the Abyssal Fleet. "Mm. Sorry to dropped in unannounced. I simply wanted to see where the Abyssal Fleet lived. I brought a gift, at least. I hope you like it." Lute glances over towards the large chunk of metal, to motion Samar to it with his eyes alone, before turning back to Samar. If one can say /anything/ about Lute, it's that he is full of surprises.
Samar	Lute's approach doesn't go unnoticed. Between the large Tentacruel and the light he shines out to see, the Abyssals fixate on him as if they're uncertain whether to eat him, attack him, or let him pass. There are some rumblings, some gratings, a few experimental lifts of cannons... When Samar notices his approach, however, she gives a brief frown of confusion and surprise before lifting her hand. It's a simple signal, but enough for the Abyssals to understand that this isn't a target for them. A few continue to stare, but most go back to whatever it was they were doing, murmuring and floating amongst themselves. Samar, meanwhile, stands, floating up from her seat just enough that, when she sinks back down, her feet are planted on her perch. When she rises, long hair gently billowing behind her, she crosses her arms and observes Lute with a curious expression. "Nothing to apologize for," she replies calmly. "You weren't interrupting anything. It's just...a little surprising. How are you not being crushed right now, or at least drowning?" Her gaze slants aside to the wreckage he's brought, and she allows a light smile to curl her lips. Her symbiote reaches out to take it in one massive hand, then immediately tears off a chunk of the metal and gulps it down into its burning gullet. "How kind of you. You really do like to surprise people, don't you?" Samar chuckles briefly at that. "Hm...I heard about your little outing the other day. It's good to hear you're taking my advice so well. In fact...I think I have a little present for you, in reward for being so cooperative."
Lute	Lute barely pays any mind to all of the cannons turned towards him. He's fairly nonchalant about the situation and the danger. Part of it is because he knows Samar. Part of it, because he's just oblivious to danger anyways. But, with Samar asking him how he managed this, he just chuckles a little, and motions with a hand towards the Tentacruel. "There is a move Pokemon can learn called Dive. It's fairly hard for most Trainers to teach their Pokemon it, but I've got a level of skill above that of most Trainers. It creates a protective barrier around the Trainer, and those he brings with. ...Don't worry, though. It's not ideal for if the Union wanted to make an attack on Iron Bottom Sound, or something like that." He looks around at Iron Bottom Sound a bit. Smiling. "...I will say, this place is actually... quite beautiful, in its way. I wish it were easier for me to visit, but I appreciate the look of the place." He's not lieing here, either. He truly likes the dark appeal of this place. He raises an eyebrow at the mention of the gift, though. He's trying to hide his joy. He knew that Samar was talking about offering him something before, but. Recieving a gift is still something that perks Lute a bit, and makes him happy, no matter what it is. "...Well. Your advice was good. I'm going to follow it more. Direct my anger at where it needs to be aimed for me to succeed. For the Confederacy to succeed. Your advice, truly, is grand." "...So. What is this gift?" He's failing pretty hard at hiding his excitement. God knows what he thinks the gift might be.
Samar	That explanation shifts Samar's expression from curious to interested understanding. "Strange. But useful, apparently. You're almost like a submarine in your own right, now." She smirks a little at that, but it's probably more due to equating Lute with a diving machine or a strange metal beast than anything else. Her red gaze slides aside to the landscape around her, the twisted shipwrecks and dancing lights, interspersed with all the bodies of other sea creatures and the muck of the ocean floor. A small smile settles over her again, and she nods. "...yes. I enjoy being here. Maybe that's a little surprising, but it's the truth of the matter. It must be something in my nature." Her eyes narrow a little as she makes a quiet, thoughtful sound. Then she looks back at Lute, another smirk returning to her features as he praises her and eagerly awaits her gift. However, when she holds out her hand, it's not to him. It's off to the side, coming with a slight curl of her fingers to beckon something closer. From the darkness, heralded by two bright red lights that serve as its eyes, an I-Class Destroyer swims up to come to Samar's side. Like a whale of black metal, with a gnashing, blunt-toothed mouth and a slight tail in the back, it comes up a little higher than Samar's hips, about the size of a rather large dog. A low, curious growl like an engine turning over is given to Lute, and Samar places a hand on the destroyer's head. "An I-Class Destroyer, powerful enough to be counted as an Elite. /Our/ kind, specifically." She hums happily, her smile growing a little. "Since you're so devoted to our cause, I thought it would be a good idea to send someone with you to help. She is yours, and will be faithfully devoted to you in whatever you require. This is, of course, a rather large gesture of trust, giving over one of my own sisters to you, but...I believe you will not disappoint me."
Lute	The smile surprises Lute. He, of course, takes it somewhat the wrong way. Comparing him to a submarine? That means she thinks of her as one of her own, he imagines. But, he of course takes it to mean other interests as well, no matter how wrong he is on that. But, as she mentions liking being down here? Well. Lute sighs a little, "There is nothing wrong about enjoying this place. This is your home, after all. You have the power to pick any place you want, so it is no surprise that you have chosen here. It's also a reminder of what the humans have done to you, isn't it?" He says this, as if he isn't human himself, and isn't terrible in his own ways. But, then she motions for the I-Class Destroyer. This, truly, is a surprise. He knew she was considering offering somethin that might help him in the battles to come. But this? It's more than he could possibly have expected. He could tell the implications of this without Samar even saying, but he turns his head to her, smiling, as she says that it is one of her sisters. "There is no way I will break your trust on this. For you to give me aid in the form of one your very sisters.... Yes. This is more than I imagined you would do." And with that, he approaches the I-Class Destroyer. His Tentacruel floats slowly over towards it, and Lute holds a hand up. He actually reaches /through/ the protective barrier. His hand is feeling /intense/ pain due to the highly increased pressure. He hides the signs of it as best he can, though. Because, he wants to show this creature that it can trust him. He slowly moves to rub the top of its head, before slowly pulling his hand back into the bubble. Then, kneeling on top of his Tentacruel, he gets to its level. And speaks, rather calmly to it. "And I-Class Destroyer, then? ...Well. I'm going to give you a name." He speaks, rather seriously. "My name is Logan Trieste, or Lute. Your name is Imima Puddleduck." And Lute completely ruins the somber tone of this meeting by giving it that name.
Samar	"Yes. It's a prudent reminder, as well, of what we fight for. Maybe I should let the Fleet Daughters find this place so they can see what they should be living for." Samar smirks a little more at that; hardly a serious suggestion, but it brings her a little amusement all the same. When the I-Class is approached, it watches Lute curiously, and somewhat warily. Samar gives a faintly surprised glance to Lute, but...he seems to know what he's doing. She only offers a faint coo of reassurance, ensuring the I-Class remains calm enough as Lute rubs the cold, hard metal of its body. It only offers a low groan of appreciation before rumbling its lingering power again. Then that name comes, and confusion settles over Samar's face again. She stares at Lute for several slow, baffled moments, until she finally releases her confusion in a resigned sigh. "...I suppose you /do/ have the right to name her as you want. Well, it's not my choice, but whatever works for you." The I-Class floats over to Lute, then, curiously nudging his Tentacruel with its nose. Samar continues, folding her arms again. "Destroyers are rather basic. Not quite as specialized or powerful as ones like cruisers or battleships, but they have their purpose to supplement other ships. It has several capabilities, but it's more limited underwater. Most of its firearms still need explosives to launch, so naturally that works best on the surface. Still, that won't be a big issue, considering who you're fighting." Her smile returns soon after giving that summary. "Let's hope this gives you some more successes in the future, both with the Fleet Daughters and otherwise."
Lute	Lute shows no signs of being disturbed by the cold metal of the I-Class. He is actually a bit more used to Pokemon made of metal, which generally have consistent body temperatures. But, still, he knows the Abyssals aren't quite normal. Heck, from what he has felt of their bodies, /all/ of them are really cold most of the time. The Tentacruel, on the other hand, is a /bit/ less sure what to think. But, as it is nudged, it copies what Lute did, lifting a tentacle to pet the destroyer. To pet Imima. The Tentacruel speaks as well, though. "...Tentacruel." <Welcome to the team.> Lute smiles at Samar, nodding a little, "Well. That makes sense. I don't fight under the ocean often anyways. Most Elites aren't equipped for that. ...They're better for space then under the water. But I'll still keep it in mind. I'll treat her well, of course. It should be a /big/ surprise for the Fleet Daughters, though. I mean, I imagine they've fought such before, but. They won't expect it from /me/." He sighs, though, looking over Samar. She has done /so/ much for him. And, she has put up with his bad habits fairly well. He's tempted to try and flirt with her more, but he knows that she likely can't feel that way. "...I don't know how I can repay you. Even my continued help trying to sink the Fleet Maidens doesn't seem to be enough. But. I will endeavor to help your cause as much as possible. ...I might even find a way to help me get to Iron Bottom Sound more quickly as well, should the Union ever decide to go on the offensive against it." He ponders, looking around. "...We can't let such a beautiful place be destroyed or attacked."
Samar	Samar stares at Lute for a few minutes, considering his words and his determination. She's certainly pleased to hear him so dedicated to the Abyssal cause, but exactly /how/ she's going to portray that isn't so clear. It almost seems like she's not going to say anything, until, finally, she floats a little forward toward him. Far enough that she can breach his protective bubble, cold water and faint brine still clinging to her, and alight a soft kiss on his forehead. It's not much, and she doesn't seem inclined to /give/ much more, but she does seem willing to give at least some gesture that he would appreciate. "Just continue to bring down my enemies," she replies, floating back to her wrecked perch, "and never forget what I've told you. You have a fire in you, Lute; a fire to burn and consume anyone who stands in your path. Let's just make sure it's properly fed, and I'm sure we won't have anything to worry about." With that, Samar smiles, the glow of her eyes lending the expression a faint air of malice. "You should go back to the surface. I think you and your new friend need to get acquainted. Until later, Lute..." Samar and her symbiote sink back, then, vanishing behind the shipwreck they were perched on a moment before. The Princess only offers a brief wave of her fingertips before she disappears into the darkness.
Lute	The cold kiss on his forehead is far more than Lute expected. Sure, he stole a kiss from Samar the last time the two of them met. But, for it to be returned, even if in a more platonic way than 'on the lips'? It's incredibly appreciated. He suspects it is due to thinking that he would appreciate it. But, that's fine enough for him. That's probably the closest an Abyssal can get to actual affection, he imagines. He grins, though. He can't help it. He speaks, rather jovially compared to most of his tone recently, "Well. Don't worry! I'll make sure she's fed. And I'll use this fire within me to destroy the Fleet Daughters." But, a thought corsses his head. It took him a while to get here. He's allying with the Abyssal Fleet more than even before. He might even count as a member of it in a way. He needs to be able to get here faster, if needed. "...Something I've been considering, with a number of close allies of mine. I want a way to get there sooner if something threatens them. So, before I go. I have one question. I would like to see about creating a portal from my home, to here. I might even see about keeping Mr. Crabs here, to help defend you all. ...There isn't room for something that big in a human home, and so a safe spot to put him and get to him quickly would be nice. It'd be mutually beneficial. What do you say?"
Samar	Samar looks like she's ready to slip away, but then Lute brings up another matter. A strange one, certainly, especially when Samar tries to consider how portals work. Would making one from here to another place flood Lute's house? Though, as idiotic as Lute can be sometimes, he seems assured enough that it could work... Samar's head tilts slightly to one side, and she finally nods her agreement. "...sure. Your pet can stay here, if you wish, and I believe the Abyssals would not disturb him. So long as he doesn't destroy our shipyard too much while he's here. And as long as this isn't going to flood your home, I guess we can set up a portal if you have someone to do that. Just be sure to put a little warning for anyone who tries to enter it, first." Another sly smirk. "Somehow, I don't think most would be able to endure it as well as you have." Samar nods, then, her eyes faintly narrowing. "You should go back to the surface. I think you and your new friend need to get acquainted, and you certainly seem to have some plans to make. We're going to have a lot to work on in the future, aren't we? Until then, Lute..." Samar and her symbiote sink back, then, vanishing behind the shipwreck they were perched on a moment before. The Princess only offers a brief wave of her fingertips before she disappears into the darkness.
Lute	Lute smiles. Leading Imima along with him, he and the Tentacruel start floating to the surface. He blows Samar a kiss as she goes, smiling. He's still not entirely sure what to think of her, or the Abyssal Fleet. But, they are in fact his friends. And so, no matter how emotionless they are, he'll cherish them anyways. Besides, he /likes/ inhuman psychopaths. And cute girls.