Spinda Cafe

[Adamhuarts]

"I guess? I feel sorry for her more than anything though. Things had been very difficult for us since Mama Rosa passed away. We lost our original home, had to leave the water continent, and it took a while before we could move in to Mystifying Town. Wiggletough knew Mama Rosa back when she was a young explorer, and he helped us find a new home to stay." Cynthian's expression turned somber as he fiddled with his vines around the glass cup.

"Mama Zahra is very gentle and strong willed. Even after everything we went through, she kept marching on forward."

 

[Cresselia92]

Icetales’ smile waned and his tails slowed down significantly. A missing mother, and a lost home… He knew how that felt like all too well.

“Hmm… this Mama Zahra appears to be quite the remarkable soul. Having to go through all those misfortunes and still persevering… my, everything must have been excruciating.” He sighed and closed his eyes, his expression seeming like one of reverence. “I sure hope that thy dear Mama Rosa is still guiding and guarding thee and thy family from beyond the twilight…”

He opened his eyes once more, while a more pronounced gleam shone in his irises. “…Just like… my own mother is…”

 

[Adamhuarts]

Cynthian widened his eyes a bit, then he relaxed his face to a bittersweet smile. "I wish we shared a less unfortunate thing in common. For what it's worth, we have each other's backs now."

 

[Cresselia92]

Icetales took a deep breath and rubbed his face with a paw. “Yes, indeed. We have… our respective backs covered.”

He shook his head and showed a small smile. “But let us change topics, shall we? There is actually a little something I had been working on, alongside the information about the God Squad. And, perhaps, thou might be able to offer some assistance.”

The Vulpix turned toward the pile and pawed at some notes, before taking out a small group of papers filled with lists and paragraphs. He extended the papers toward the Roselia and showed a hopeful smile.

“So! I have this project in mind: I would desire to organize a lovely party in honor of our cortège, which would also double as a ‘welcome back’ celebration for our missing comrades. I might not be able to offer much help battle-wise, but my organizational skills are top notch.” He beamed a grin. “Perhaps we could even invite the God Squad? I know from experience that fellows and ladies are more amicable and open to conversations in a joyous and festive atmosphere, but I do not wish to push things more than required.”

He leaned a bit closer.

“And, well, thou have been around from much longer than yours truly, so… could thou give me some suggestions and pointers about our fellow heroes, like preferences and whatnot? I wish for things to be impeccable.”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Oh, this is such a delightful idea, Icetales!" Cynthian said as he scanned the papers with bright eyes. "And for sure we should invite the god squad. If this plan goes well, it could reduce the tension between our groups by even just a bit. I know that Potluck and perhaps even Truffle would surely find it pleasant. Though I'm not sure about the others... Leg might be too shy to attend, at least that's the impression I get from her."

“And, well, thou have been around from much longer than yours truly, so… could thou give me some suggestions and pointers about our fellow heroes, like preferences and whatnot? I wish for things to be impeccable.”

"Hmmm, I can't say for sure really. I've only known everyone here for less than a month, but I don't know too much about their individual lives. Dave is a scientist who could literally create life, Curio loved to get around and she's from a world with humans, Starr was a trainer and that's about all I know about her, Cabot uh... well I barely know a thing about him. Astrid and Tricky both came from worlds similar to mine, or so I've heard." Cynthian held his head in his flowers and sighed.

"I probably should have spent more time getting to know everyone frankly speaking."

 

[Cresselia92]

"Oh, this is such a delightful idea, Icetales!" Cynthian said as he scanned the papers with bright eyes. "And for sure we should invite the god squad. If this plan goes well, it could reduce the tension between our groups by even just a bit. I know that Potluck and perhaps even Truffle would surely find it pleasant. Though I'm not sure about the others... Leg might be too shy to attend, at least that's the impression I get from her."

Icetales grinned a bit wider. “Yes! Precisely what I had pondered, good fellow. I can clearly tell that there is some palpable tension in the air, and I am planning to do something about it.”

He placed a paw on his chin, a pensive expression on his face. “Although, I recall hearing that one of them is a Snorlax. That individual, well… Snorlax are renowned for their immense appetite, and they would probably eat more than the entire cortège.” He tilted his head. “Also, we all are unique species. Finding specialties that could satisfy everyone and calculating the required supplies is going to be… troublesome.”

"Hmmm, I can't say for sure really. I've only known everyone here for less than a month, but I don't know too much about their individual lives. Dave is a scientist who could literally create life, Curio loved to get around and she's from a world with humans, Starr was a trainer and that's about all I know about her, Cabot uh... well I barely know a thing about him. Astrid and Tricky both came from worlds similar to mine, or so I've heard." Cynthian held his head in his flowers and sighed.

"I probably should have spent more time getting to know everyone frankly speaking."

Without skipping a beat, Icetales brought an empty paper under his forepaws and scribbled some notes with his leftmost tail.

“Life scientist… ‘mon that lives with humans… personal trainer… unknown… ‘mons that live with ‘mons…” He scratched his forehead with the pen. “Well, do not feel dejected about that, Sir Cynthian. This is still better than empty aether. As of what I’ve gathered… Sir Bahamut feeds on light, Sir Celeste loves stars, Sir Cino has… a strong tail, and Miss Astrid and Curio love venom—I mean, chocolate!”

He leaned against the seat once more and frowned. “Hmm… That sounds like a challenge. Should I bring protein snacks for that Starr individual? That seems fitting for a personal trainer, I reckon, and since she will be one of the guests of the ‘welcome back’ party…” He looked at the note. “And then there is the other feline, too… Golly! So many possibilities, yet so many missing variables.”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"I don't really know what Brisa would like either. Honestly, I'd feel awkward around her next time we meet because I bailed out during a sparring session we had against Cabot and Astrid." Cynthian exhaled a frustrated sigh and rested his head against his flowers.

"I call them my friends but I don't even know much about most of them. Some friend I turn out to be," Cynthian said frowning. Then he raised his face with a glint in his eyes.

"I think we could probably bring gummis as a food choice in the party. There's always a Gummi universally appealing to whatever typing a pokemon has, so we won't have to think too hard when it comes to what suits who, right? And I guess we could get some of that synthetic meat too. I briefly recall Celeste preferring those, and maybe Nip too."

 

[Cresselia92]

"I don't really know what Brisa would like either. Honestly, I'd feel awkward around her next time we meet because I bailed out during a sparring session we had against Cabot and Astrid." Cynthian exhaled a frustrated sigh and rested his head against his flowers.

"I call them my friends but I don't even know much about most of them. Some friend I turn out to be," Cynthian said frowning.

Icetales showed a reassuring smile. “My good fellow, being a friend does not necessarily mean that thou must know life and times of everyone. What a friend should do is… well…”

The Vulpix trailed off as he wondered about the definition itself. Friend… well, he had a few ‘mons back home that he considered very good acquaintances, but were they friends? Firetales was the closest candidate, but the defining line was very blurry.

“…I reckon… that being a friend means being willing to lend a paw and to listen and understand what the other ‘mon is feeling, in a mutual circle between trust and caring. Some ‘mon may define that ‘empathy’, howbeit I… suppose it goes deeper than that.”

He looked right into Cynthian’s eyes. “And even though I cannot claim to know everything about thee, I can say with confidence that thou have all those qualities in spades.” His tails started wagging. “Ergo, thou are a friend. This is what mine observation has told me.”

Then, a smirk appeared in his muzzle. “And if thou will be in need of some moral support whenever thou’ll confront this Brisa, then do not hesitate to reach out for me. I shan’t leave thy side.”

"I think we could probably bring gummis as a food choice in the party. There's always a Gummi universally appealing to whatever typing a pokemon has, so we won't have to think too hard when it comes to what suits who, right? And I guess we could get some of that synthetic meat too. I briefly recall Celeste preferring those, and maybe Nip too."

Icetales blinked. “Oh? Gummi are a thing here? That…” he started wagging his tails and spreading some snowflakes around, “is excellent news, good fellow! Gummi are an exceptional supplement and addition for ‘mons with difficult tastes. I wonder if Rainbow Gummi exist, too!”

He tilted his head and frowned. “Although, I wonder if they are as scarce as in my world…” He shrugged and added a few extra notes. “I shall concern myself with that later. So, Gummi and fake meat… is that like vegan burger or tofu?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

“…I reckon… that being a friend means being willing to lend a paw and to listen and understand what the other ‘mon is feeling, in a mutual circle between trust and caring. Some ‘mon may define that ‘empathy’, howbeit I… suppose it goes deeper than that.”

He looked right into Cynthian’s eyes. “And even though I cannot claim to know everything about thee, I can say with confidence that thou have all those qualities in spades.” His tails started wagging. “Ergo, thou are a friend. This is what mine observation has told me.”

Then, a smirk appeared in his muzzle. “And if thou will be in need of some moral support whenever thou’ll confront this Brisa, then do not hesitate to reach out for me. I shan’t leave thy side.”

"Huh?" Cynthian was completely caught off guard by those words, and his face went redder with every word Icetales spoke till Cynthian became red as a tomato.

Cynthian struggled to find his words as his brain shorted out. In the end, he could only utter, "Thank you." and hid his face behind his flowers.

Icetales blinked. “Oh? Gummi are a thing here? That…” he started wagging his tails and spreading some snowflakes around, “is excellent news, good fellow! Gummi are an exceptional supplement and addition for ‘mons with difficult tastes. I wonder if Rainbow Gummi exist, too!”

He tilted his head and frowned. “Although, I wonder if they are as scarce as in my world…” He shrugged and added a few extra notes. “I shall concern myself with that later. So, Gummi and fake meat… is that like vegan burger or tofu?”

"Erm, no. Gummis are abundant in this world, same as mine. You could even get a Gummi shake here in Spinda Cafe," Cynthian said, lowering his flowers slightly. Though his face was still a shade of red. "I don't really know what the fake meat is made of. Only that it's apparently as good as the real thing."

 

[Cresselia92]

"Erm, no. Gummis are abundant in this world, same as mine. You could even get a Gummi shake here in Spinda Cafe," Cynthian said, lowering his flowers slightly. Though his face was still a shade of red. "I don't really know what the fake meat is made of. Only that it's apparently as good as the real thing."

“Hmmm… I should sample that fake meat to ascertain its quality, then. If it’s as good as vegan beef, it could be a very valid addition to the menu. I greatly appreciate thy suggestions, good sir.”

Icetales scribbled the information on his paper and nodded to himself. Yes, everything was starting to fit into place, and it was in good part thanks to…

“…Um, Sir Cynthian?”

He looked at the Roselia with a confused stare. His knowledge about walking plants’ anatomy was still fairly lacking, so he didn’t know if a Roselia taking a red hue was a good sign or not. Unless they were about to shed their petals for winter? But… in that new world wasn’t autumn yet…?

Red hue…red hue… red hue…

Then, everything clicked, and Icetales’ eyes widened.

Oh, golly! It happened again! I definitely must hold back on my praising prowess…

“Err… Art thou feeling swell, good sir?” He tilted his head and showed a shy smile. “If it is because of what I have told earlier… um, I was merely telling the truth.” He wrapped one of his tails around his forepaws and started rubbing them. “I truly believe that thou are a kindred and brave soul. I mean, thou truly pulled thy weight when we rescued that Lugia! As such, I do not desire thee to think any less of thyself, thy worth and thy skills. Alright?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not used to hearing compliments like that, so you caught me a bit by surprise. Thank you though. I appreciate it," Cynthian said with a lighthearted laugh.

"Anyway, about the welcoming party, we'd probably have to get everyone else on board. We could also look for more suggestions from them while we're at it. Geez, I sure hope we can pull this off since everyone is busy trying to find Brisa and Starr. Not to mention anything can happen between now and then, but we should definitely give this party a shot regardless of those obstacles!" Cynthian thrust his flower forward. He'd have given a thumbs up, if he had thumbs.

 

[Cresselia92]

"Anyway, about the welcoming party, we'd probably have to get everyone else on board. We could also look for more suggestions from them while we're at it. Geez, I sure hope we can pull this off since everyone is busy trying to find Brisa and Starr. Not to mention anything can happen between now and then, but we should definitely give this party a shot regardless of those obstacles!" Cynthian thrust his flower forward. He'd have given a thumbs up, if he had thumbs.

“That is the right spirit, good sir!” exclaimed Icetales, beaming a grin. “Golly, I sure hope this plan works. If it does, the cortège as a whole would benefit from it and the relief it would bring immensely, and the God Squad may become more amicable toward us, too. I do not want to omit any detail.” He tapped his chin with a forepaw. “Hmm… I will make a note of consulting Miss Mellow. We could bring some tea blends as well…”

He blinked, and looked at Cynthian. “Ah, but Sir Cynthian. If thou have other plans or matters to attend for today, I shan’t deter thee. I can take things in my paws for the time being. Heavens, I have so much to plan!” He chuckled. “I appreciated thy input. Truly. It is swell to hear other fellows’ opinions and suggestions.”

 

[Adamhuarts]

He blinked, and looked at Cynthian. “Ah, but Sir Cynthian. If thou have other plans or matters to attend for today, I shan’t deter thee. I can take things in my paws for the time being. Heavens, I have so much to plan!” He chuckled. “I appreciated thy input. Truly. It is swell to hear other fellows’ opinions and suggestions.”

"I'm just happy I was able to help." Cynthian folded his arms and smiled earnestly. "And thank you for cheering me up. You're a good mon, Icetales."

With that, Cynthian leapt off his seat, waved in goodbye and headed out of the Cafe.

<><>>^>>

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa entered the cafe ravenous for food after three days of surviving on scraps in a dark pit with Starr. She arrived with Curio and Starr in tow, half expecting more posse members to turn up at any moment, and she was so hungry she could hardly think. Anything would do. Literally any food at all.

"Bartender, forgive my rudeness," she told Spinda at the bar, "but my friend and I have been without food for some days and we're expectin' company. Please just serve us somethin' to eat with all haste, and keep it comin', could ya?"

She took a seat at the closest free table to the bar and snatched a third stool from nearby so both her companions could sit with her.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr was sore, she was tired, and she really wanted to soak in a hot bath for the next week, but absolutely none of that mattered because food was a thing that existed. She barely had a chance to register what the waiter had set down (some kind of sandwich, who cares) before she'd already shoved half of it into her mouth. This was a terrible idea and she was probably going to make herself sick and she could not remotely attempt to care less.

She did at least, in between way-too-large bites, manage to bark out an order for a pot of coffee.

"Yes, an entire pot. No, I didn't stutter."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa let Starr take the first item of food that arrived, with a slightly envious grin. She was awfully conscious of not coming off like a feral but if Starr was going to eat with that much enthusiasm, so would she.

She wasn't so selfless that she'd let Curio take the second plate, however, so when the waiter served up a tray of something fried and spiced, she went at it like a wild creature.

Soon, all three of them were tucking in to a growing platter of foods, hardly caring how it tasted. Curio chowed down with almost as much enthusiasm as the cats, as if she'd been starving the last three days with them. When Brisa felt slightly less like a bottomless pit, she thought to speak up.

"Hey, Curio... I know folks must've worried somethin' awful about us while we were gone. I'm sorry we couldn't so much as get a message out. Is everyone okay? How have you been keepin'...?"

 

[NebulaDreams]

"Hey, Curio... I know folks must've worried somethin' awful about us while we were gone. I'm sorry we couldn't so much as get a message out. Is everyone okay?

Curio was halfway in between a meat skewer when Brisa asked that question. Usually, she didn't bother stopping to talk -- people told her she had a habit of eating with her mouth full. But she wanted to be serious about her answer, so she swallowed and cleared her throat.

"Oh c'mon, don't be sorry, I imagine you wouldn't have gotten anything out in that temporal armpit of a place. But yeah, Diyem, or rather, Dark Matter broke the news to everyone about what he did before he came here, and we've caught more of those brainslugs as well. We even managed to get one on our side, believe it or not. Oh, and we saw Mewtwo! But I dunno if you'd know about him."

How have you been keepin'...?"

"Yeah, fine. Of course, I've been worried sick about you guys, but now you're here, it's all gravy."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa chuckled at 'temporal armpit' and smiled at how easily Curio dropped huge pieces of news like they were trivial gossip. Dark Matter? Public knowledge. Shades converted to the posse? Naturally. Mewtwo? Well—

Of course, I've been worried sick about you guys,

You hadn't seen me for a week before I went missing, why start worrying about me? thought Brisa, and hated herself for thinking it.

She closed her eyes. Curio had worried. Curio had missed her. Avoiding someone you could find any time was different to not knowing where someone was or if you'd ever see them again. Not knowing if you'd ever make things right.

She knew that all too well.

It just... didn't make sense that things could be back to the way they were, just because she'd been, what, missing in action for three days? That was it? No second apology, no deep change of heart, no recompense or penitence? They were... okay? It felt wrong. She shouldn't be getting Curio's kindness. She picked at her food with shame dampening her appetite.

"I actually gave up in there," she said, off-handedly. She'd meant to change the subject, but not that far. Too bad, she was talking about it now.

"I genuinely thought we'd die down there, from starvation, or exposure, or... well. Like I said. But Starr wouldn't accept it. She yelled at me, every time I brought up the easy way out! Said 'we ain't doin' that.' She kept us both throwin' ourselves at the rocks to find a way up, and eventually it paid off, and when it happened, I was ready to take the opportunity rather than lay down and bite dirt."

She looked at Starr, not sure what emotion was showing on her face. "I'm glad it was you down there with me, y'know. Someone else might've taken my damn fool offer."

 

[NebulaDreams]

"I actually gave up in there," she said, off-handedly. She'd meant to change the subject, but not that far. Too bad, she was talking about it now.

"I genuinely thought we'd die down there, from starvation, or exposure, or... well. Like I said. But Starr wouldn't accept it. She yelled at me, every time I brought up the easy way out! Said 'we ain't doin' that.' She kept us both throwin' ourselves at the rocks to find a way up, and eventually it paid off, and when it happened, I was ready to take the opportunity rather than lay down and bite dirt."

"Damn." Curio sighed. "Sorry, it hurts to hear you lost all hope down there." She turned to Starr. "And good on you for not takin' up her offer. I wouldn't forgive you if you did."

 

[Chibi Pika]

Oh, and we saw Mewtwo! But I dunno if you'd know about him."

Starr coughed hard and had to stop herself from almost choking. "I'm sorry, did you say Mewtwo?!"

How... What the hell? What on earth was an artificial, one-of-a-kind, human-created Legendary doing in a world with no humans?

She looked at Starr. "I'm glad it was you down there with me, y'know. Someone else might've taken my damn fool offer."

Starr glanced away. She'd been.... well, not close to taking the offer. But even thinking about it at all was too much. Even with Diyem as probable safety net.

...She basically wanted to think about anything else now.

"Damn." Curio sighed. "Sorry, it hurts to hear you lost all hope down there." She turned to Starr. "And good on you for not takin' up her offer. I wouldn't forgive you if you did."

Starr blinked, taken aback. Curio wouldn't have forgiven her... for letting Brisa off her? For a moment, she dared to let herself believe that, but then... no. No, obviously she thought that it had gone the other way around--that Brisa had asked Starr for an out.

"Wasn't ever any question of that," she said in a low voice, her mouth dry. She proceeded to chug some coffee and burned her mouth. Dammit.