There are some things in life you just have to do. Nastyjungle understood that. Alchemator didn't.
"Forsooth, dear Jastynungle, perchance might I inquire as to your task?"
"I'm leaving a note for Ritter and the gang."
"Forsooth, but why?"
"Well someone has to feed Bruteroot while we're off finding this television leader--"
"Forsooth, visionary leader."
"--whatever. Someone has to ban the spambots and stuff too. It turns out, Alch, that's there more to being a moderator than sitting around getting pissed on tea! Also make sure you tell v0x to fuck everything for me."
Alch contemplated this proposal as she stormed away. It was a bit of a generalisation to say that he was drinking tea
all the time, and -- after all -- he was British. It's practically a requirement. Having Ritter house-sit was a pretty good idea too, as long as he didn't move in with his army of cats. Bruteroot wouldn't be pleased about that. Forsooth, they could just leave that MK fellow to plump up the cushions occasionally, thought Alch. It would certainly give him something to do. Then again, they did need someone down-to-earth on this quest of discovery, since certain people were quite prone to getting lost in thought. Alch finished off his tea, put his mug down and went to find Az.
***
Hookline Ansinker dropped into his chair. Of course, that wasn't his real name, but it was far too dangerous to let anyone know his true identity. There were certain... connotations associated with his name. If he was linked to this scam then the entire thing would be dismissed as an elaborate troll. In all honesty it was just an elaborate troll; it was the dismissal that he couldn't bear to think about.
Ansinker didn't want to be dismissed again. Bah! How dare they just cast him aside like that. He'd been around for years! He'd contributed day-in-day-out to make Smogon a better place. Well, quite a few days anyway. And now that some new games came out he was shunned. He'd show them. They'll pay dearly for this, thought Ansinker, or my name's not--
***
It was approaching evening, and the Smeargle Studio was -- somehow -- approaching silence. Nastyjungle flitted around the room, lighting candles and plumping up the cushions. She'd seen MK try to do that early, but he'd failed miserably. He knew it too, and went to drown his sorrows in some loud music. NJ almost felt sorry for the guy, but of course NJ never felt sorry for anyone. Not even that witch she accidentally dropped a house on.
There were footsteps in the next room -- the kind of heavy tread that only a Brit studying Politics in Glasgow could have. She panicked. She wasn't ready yet! Launching onto the nearest sofa, NJ tried to make her hair fall seductively around her bosom. Fuck short hair.
"Uh, Az is that you?"
Az's jaw entered the room, with Az quickly following behind. He frowned at Nastyjungle. Az I mean, not his jaw.
"Did you need me for something?"
"I just wanted to say--"
"Forsooth, I have finally ascertained your area of location within this household, Az. Please be seated; I am enthused to regard that Jastynungle has aforetaken this liberty."
NJ sighed. Again.
"Forsooth, in order to discover the household of the visionary leader, the services of whom we require, we must proceed through the egress immediately."
MK, with excellent timing, noted the blank faces of Az and NJ. He translated.
"Let's go."
***
"Forsooth, there is but one automobile with the usage of which the task can be accomplished. Unfortunately I cannot direct the path of this motorcar."
"Why do you have to funcking speak like that? v_v"
"You men are stupid -- I'll drive."
Ok, let me be the first to say that the Smearglemobile -- as aptly named by Alch -- was not exactly the greatest pickup truck known to man. On a good day, the steering wheel stayed on for a little while; on a bad day, the brakes didn't work. For a good few months the residents of the Smeargle Studio hadn't risked trying to tell what kind of day it was.
It had a Smeargle painted across the side of it. As Alch would put it, it certainly was a sketchy thing to drive. Nastyjungle buckled herself in.