02. [video] Air Bud

[mech_and_mutt]

Alright! Who else is excited for the Blitzball tourney this month?

[The backdrop of the view is a beautiful, wispy blue sky, taken from a vantage point above a patchy sea of clouds. There's a soft roar of wind in the backdrop of the entire broadcast, and an airship's wing visible on the deck behind him-- not that any of it distracts Red from taking center stage with a toothy grin and a blitzball spinning on his finger. One has to wonder how long he had to practice that before he turned on the camera. He's even got a towel across his shoulders and attire that makes him look ready for a dip in the water.]

Never even heard of it 'till I came here, but you gotta check it out if you haven't yet! It's like Flying Disc, only underwater-- and you can pound the heck outta the other team! Just so happens Cloud City's got its own team for it, too...

[That grin gets wider as he pops the ball off his finger and tucks it under his arm, jerking a thumb toward his chest.]

...And you're lookin' at its newest member! Introducing: Red Savarin, the newest member of the Cloud City Dragons!... reserve team. Hey, everyone's gotta start somewhere, right? But just watch-- I'll be in the big leagues before ya know it!

(It'd help if you'd stop trying to catch it in your mouth, 'po.) (Just hold the iMog!)

[He momentarily leers at his cameramog before clearing his throat and catching his stride.]

So if any of you need me, you can find me at Cloud City. Just look for the orange airship parked a mile outside of town!

Comments

[mythmaker]

Wolf-kun, congratulations!

[She has her iMog set up against a stack of magazines in her room. The video captures her clapping and also wearing a very tiny hat with a dragon on it.]

How do you play? If it's underwater...do you maybe hold onto a Zora? Or maybe you wear heavy scuba equipment?

[mech_and_mutt]

Why thank you! [A wolfish grin.] Lucky you, gettin' to know me before I made my big break. Nice hat, too! You already a fan of the Dragons?

And nope; you just hold breath and dive right on in! It takes some gettin' used to, though.

[mythmaker]

My, my. Before long, you might even be as famous as I remember being...I'm going to have to work harder, aren't I?

[She takes off her hat after tipping it and rests it in her palm.]

I'm already a fan of you, but this hat is from the first outfit I performed in. You look like you're dressed and ready to dive in, too.

[mech_and_mutt]

Well, I don't have my face on a biscuit box yet, but give it a year or two.

[He takes closer look at her hat through the screen.] Oh, right- you were a part of that Dragon King's Beauties thing back home. Is that your old uniform? Mine's just what some of my team suggested. Apparently this sort of style's really popular...

People around here must really like their belts.

[suigojin]

Do you really try to catch the ball in your mouth?

[Yes, out of everything else in the video, that's what he chose to comment on.]

[mech_and_mutt]

Why wouldn't I?! It'd make sense for this kinda game!

But it turns out you gotta use your hands instead. Weird, right?

[suigojin]

Not if you're playing underwater. That's how you drown.

[mech_and_mutt]

What?! No! It's not like I'm actually trying to breathe while I do it! It's just how we played these kinda games back home-- it's a reflex! Besides, I only tried to do it a couple times.

[And attempts three and four were mostly an attempt to show off.]

[zanarkandian]

Congrats, man!

I'm Tidus, from the Myste Aura Merrows reserve team. We'll definitely have to face each other on the field next year! I'll be watching your team, working on strats, y'know, the usual.

[mech_and_mutt]

Of course I know who you are-- I first heard about this sport from you runnin' your mouth on mognet! And watch us all you want, but it won't prepare you for when I dive in next year!

[The cameramog can faintly be heard sighing.]

You played Blitzball back at home, right? How do these big tournaments tend to go?

[zanarkandian]

Hah. We'll just see about that, but I'm sure it'll be a good fight.

[Zunne is almost equally unimpressed.]

They're huge! All the lights, the cheering fans...it becomes a craze for a little while. Playing to a crowd like that is amazing. Just wait 'til we do it next year.

[mech_and_mutt]

...That does sound pretty good.

[He tries to play it cool, himself but Mocha tips the camera down with a quiet snicker; his tail's wagging like crazy.]

How was it being a big-name player? Y'get a lot of fans, a lot of merch deals...?

[promisedtolive]

I've never heard of Blitzball, or Flying Disc before. [ What are games??? :o ]

But congratulations. How do you breathe underwater?

[mech_and_mutt]

You've never heard of Flying Disc?! Oh man, it's the best! There's a small, lightweight flying disc and you have to catch it in your teeth. It gets crazy.

You should check out blitzball, though! It's The sport in this world, as far as I can tell.

--oh, breathing? Y'dont. Half of my practice sessions are just workin' on holding my breath!

[einspine]

[Papyrus' eye sockets... metaphorically light up, since, naturally, they're usually in an empty, black state minus the moments when they get all googly. But boy oh boy is there a smile on his skeletal face. Wowie! A sport! How exciting!]

WOWIE! AN UNDERWATER SPORT!!! THAT'S SO THRILLING! SO UNIQUE. I BET UNDYNE WOULD LOVE IT!!!

[mech_and_mutt]

You should see some'a these pros in action, too- they can hurl that ball through water faster than most people can through the air!

Undyne? Bring 'em along to the tournament! And tell her to root for the Dragons while you're there.

[einspine]

DO THEY PERHAPS POSSESS SUPER STRENGTH? ARE THEY RIPPLING WITH MIGHTY MUSCLES?! I MAY HAVE TO UP MY GAME IF I'M TO COMPETE WITH SUCH EXPERTS IN THE ART OF BALL.

[He strokes his chin in contemplation, though an awkward laugh creeps out of him soon after.]

UNFORTUNATELY, UNDYNE ISN'T HERE. BUT FRISK IS!!! AND I'M SURE THEY'D LOVE A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE SUCH A RIVETING AND ROUSING SPORT.

[mech_and_mutt]

Sure! Bring Frisk, then, and--

[...Hold on a minute.]

...Don'cha think it's kinda weird makin' that comparison? You don't even have muscles!

Video

[witchwithoutacause]

So how much are tickets gonna set me back?

[ She's interested, but still finishing that whole school thing. Call her lazy, cuz that's what she's being right now - and indecisive. ]

Video

[mech_and_mutt]

Does it matter? You're about to see all the greats gathered in one place!

[Never mind that HE's getting in for free as a member of the dragons. But, hey, not his problem.]

Video

[witchwithoutacause]

We don't all have illustrious careers.

Video

[mech_and_mutt]

Alright, alright. To tell ya the truth, I got no idea- I hear when the Dragons play at Cloud City it costs a couple days' pay for most people, but Ka'Pandol's got this big new stadium this year so we don't know the prices yet.

I know that they'll be doing a big tour beforehand and I think that's gonna be free, so if you need to know for sure make sure you don't skip it.

text;

[studdedcouncilprez]

Hello.

I caught a glimpse of you on the iMog for that underwater game.

You cut the dashing figure.

Good job.

text;

[mech_and_mutt]

Oh! Thank you.

What

Part did you see?

[PLEASE not the part where he tried to catch it in his teeth...]

text;

[studdedcouncilprez]

Unfortunately I was working on something to catch the action, but I definitely saw your smiling face announcing your location.

My apologies if I missed a major play.