Treasure Town ~ Marketplace

[Adamhuarts]

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[Shiny Phantump]

After arriving from the woodlands, Celeste looked up and down the marketplace stalls. He whispered to Cynthian. “Which of these do you think sells cause-play things?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"I thought we were looking for contact lenses?" Cynthian tilted his head slightly and his face held a hint of amusement.

"If you really want to dress up as other pokemon, we could always look for shops later. Do you prefer pre-made costumes or do you prefer them tailored? Now that I think about it, Leg from God Squad wears a Pikachu cosplay I'm very sure she made herself. We could ask her for some pointers, though I'm not sure if she'd even want to talk to us with how shy she is... still worth a try though," Cynthian said while holding his flower to his chin.

"Sorry, I'm getting side tracked. Let's just get those contacts for the time being. Just try to spot any shop that has an eye in its logo. They usually have one in my world."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"If you really want to dress up as other pokemon, we could always look for shops later. Do you prefer pre-made costumes or do you prefer them tailored? Now that I think about it, Leg from God Squad wears a Pikachu cosplay I'm very sure she made herself. We could ask her for some pointers, though I'm not sure if she'd even want to talk to us with how shy she is... still worth a try though," Cynthian said while holding his flower to his chin.

“Dress up? Why would I want to- Oh, that’s what cause-play is, isn’t it.”

"Sorry, I'm getting side tracked. Let's just get those contacts for the time being. Just try to spot any shop that has an eye in its logo. They usually have one in my world."

After coming out of the shop, Celeste now owned a pair of contact lenses. There was just one thing...

“How do I wear these?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

“Dress up? Why would I want to- Oh, that’s what cause-play is, isn’t it.”

"Wait, you didn't—Sorry for jumping to conclusions." Cynthian laughed nervously and cleared his throat. After that, they headed on over to a shop and browsed their wares. There were so many different optical gadgets and contacts for pokemon of most shapes and sizes, and they were luckily able to find one that fit Celeste's size. They made their purchase and then left, though Cynthian couldn't help but wonder what the collective bill he and his group have incurred on the God Squad's budget...

After coming out of the shop, Celeste now owned a pair of contact lenses. There was just one thing...

“How do I wear these?”

"You just gently place them over your eyes," Cynthian said. He held one of them out of the case and held it up at the sun. It shined with a vivid blue. Cynthian then returned it to its case then glanced Celeste over. "I'm... not sure how an Absol would put it on, since you're quadruped, and have claws. Oh, I could help you put them on if it doesn't make you feel uncomfortable."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

“Yes, please. I don’t think I can get them in myself.”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"If you say so."

Cynthian drew in a breath as he concentrated. If he were to do something as delicate as placing contact lenses on someone's eyes, he needed to be careful. He sprouted a bundle of thin vines from within his black rose and held them together. With the contacts case still open, Cynthian merely tapped his bundle vines over a contact lens and a mysterious force kept it stuck to his vines.

The tricky part was actually putting them on Celeste's eyes. Cynthian had to request Celeste to move his face closer, though that did make Cynthian slightly uneasy. Celeste was still a giant pokemon, compared to Cynthian, and could easily bite of his head after all.

Cynthian wasted no time in placing the lens over Celeste's eyes and detaching his vines from it with ease. He repeated the process a second time for the other one then took a few steps back before his instincts overwhelmed him to run away from Celeste.

"So, how does it feel? The blue tint doesn't actually affect how the world appears to you, right? They only cover your irises," Cynthian asked, his minivines still swaying from his flower.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Celeste blinked a few times.

“Huh. This feels... surprisingly normal. Like they’re not even there. I expected them to at least tickle a little... Well, they did feel a little funny when you put them in, but not now.”

He perked up and smiled.

“How do they look?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

Cynthian stared at Celeste and smiled. The red eyes already looked good, but there was something about the deep blue that he couldn't help but find charming as well.

"They look great on you. You look just a tad more elegant now," Cynthian said, shaking his flowers like pom poms.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

“Perfect. Thank you for showing me this, by the way. I owe you one.”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"No, no, it's only natural to help friends in need," Cynthian said with a blush. "I'm just glad you liked the contacts."

The two chatted a bit longer before heading off their own separate ways, though Cynthian lingered about in the shopping district for a while.

Helping Celeste out reminded him of what his mother used to tell him. An act of goodwill sparks another, and that filled Cynthian with gratitude. So many of his companions have been kind to him even though they really didn't have to. Perhaps he should start repaying some of that kindness. Maybe he could get a gift for some of them? Curio had been the kindest to him, but a material gift wouldn't really be enough to repay the heavy debt he owed her.

Perhaps he should start with Astrid first. He hadn't forgotten her kind words to him after his underwhelming performance during their sparring session. Recalling what she told him back then dyed Cynthian's cheeks pink, and he quickly shook it off. Come to think of it, she and Icetales were both Blizzard Island Vulpix species. Cynthian really liked Icetales too, perhaps he could get both of them presents?

Cynthian smiled as he thought of what to get them both, and he continued to window shop the various stalls and stores before making his decision.


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[Persephone]

Cuicatl stumbled into the strange scents of the marketplace. Her steps slowed and eventually she stopped altogether, losing the will to walk. She plopped down without a shred of grace. A small part of her noted that she barely felt the fall, especially compared to the pain of every trip back home.

Home.

Cuicatl looked up and shot a small burst of dragonfire into the air to remind herself that she could. Such a great change. The universe finally making up for a lifetime of bad luck. Did she deserve it anymore? She'd killed her brother and was willing to leave her sister in bondage and her... daughter without a mother. But home had never been half as good to her as this world.

She didn't believe in eternal punishment in the same way that Genesis did. But she increasingly wondered if her first instincts about this place were right. She had died. This was hell. In the end she'd tear her soul out and stomp on it to stay and then it would be taken away anyway.

That's just how the world worked.

 

[Cresselia92]

“…Hmm, yes. I reckon that it should suffice. Much appreciated, good sirs.”

Icetales bowed at the two Kecleon brothers and strode away from the shop, directed toward the crossroads. A toothy grin made its way on his muzzle: finally he had gathered all the necessary to organize the best of parties.

The only disappointment he had so far was being unable to find ice blocks to craft sculptures, but considering that he needed a polar temperature to keep the statues from melting and his artistic skills were next to nonexistent…

Heh. It was no big loss.

“So, all it is needed is a location. I wonder if I can organize something either at the Guild or at the Living Quarters. Also, I need to contact the Go—oh?”

He slowed down his pacing, having spotted the bundle of dark fur and blue scales that was sitting all by herself. A breath of dragonfire in the air and a missing smile. He frowned in concern.

Hm? Miss Cuicatl? Why is she looking so… forlorn?

His ears flicked and his tails quivered. If there was something that made his heart ache was seeing another Pokémon’s heart aching.

I should check on her, at the very least…

So, he made his way toward the lone Deino, keeping a slow pacing to not spook the blind dragon. Once he was sure to be close enough, he spoke with a soft voice. “Greetings, Miss Cuicatl. What art thou doing here all by thyself, if thou not mind me asking?”

 

[Persephone]

Great. A reminder that she was also twisting the knife in Pix’s abandonment issues.

She wanted to just lie on the ground and do nothing forever, but when she did stuff like that people got concerned and started giving her attention that she didn’t deserve.

“Just thinking about home.”

 

[Cresselia92]

Icetales’ eyes narrowed further while his ears folded back. So that was the source of the former human’s concerns. Was she feeling homesick? Did she miss her original body? Her family and friends? All of that? Or perhaps something else entirely?

He sat by her side, letting his tails spread on the fresh grass. He was unsure whether she would have appreciated a comforting gesture or a gentle back rub with one of his tails, so he decided to just listen to her plight for the time being.

“Hmm… I see. That is an understandable state of mind and pondering, I reckon,” he said, curling up his tails. “Art thou missing thy former life and folks who remained at home?”

 

[Persephone]

“I guess.”

And she did miss them, in a fashion. She missed her Pokémon’s antics, and her mom’s team, and even sort of Kekoa.

And she really missed her brother.

“But I still want to stay here,” she half-whispered. “Does that make me a terrible person?”

 

[Cresselia92]

“Oh?” He looked at Cuicatl, right in the… well, right where any other Pokémon would have had their eyes. “That is… quite the question, Miss.”

There was a brief silence as Icetales’ thoughts swirled in his mind. She wanted to stay in the new world… why was that? And why did she ask if she was a ‘bad person’?

…Did she do something terrible in her original homeworld? Was she fleeing from her issues and taking solace in this brave new world?

“Well, it would be most preposterous of me to declare whether thou are a bad person, as I am lacking the evidence to lay down such kind of judgement,” he replied, his voice still gentle. “Though, the fact that thou are considering this avenue… well, I wager that thy life was not what could be considered rosy and joyful. And if thy life was brimming with hurt… then it would not be irrational to desire a more fulfilling existence, even if that meant crossing into a new world.

“Howbeit, I cannot help but be concerned about the folks who would be left pondering what happened to thee. Assuming that thou have folks who would feel thy absence, of course…”

For some reason, Icetales felt like he was saying those last sentences to himself, rather than to his acquaintance.

 

[Persephone]

"They'd get over it quickly enough. My mom and brother are dead, my dad doesn't care, my sister is strong enough to take care of herself. My daughter is... young. Three moons old. Maybe she won't even remember me in a year or two. Her dad's alive and there's no shortage of people who would take her in." And probably be good to her, too. You don't piss off tyrunt because someday they'll be big enough to break free. Then you won't be able to make money off of them.

Also, you'll be dead.

Americans care more about the former than the latter, though.

 

[Cresselia92]

"They'd get over it quickly enough. My mom and brother are dead, my dad doesn't care, my sister is strong enough to take care of herself. My daughter is... young. Three moons old. Maybe she won't even remember me in a year or two. Her dad's alive and there's no shortage of people who would take her in."

A gnarling coldness gripped the Vulpix’s heart, its sharp fangs sinking deeper and deeper with each word uttered by his draconian acquaintance.

Heavens. Why were all fellow heroes dragged down by such emotional baggages? It was so unfair! If only he could rid of all the unhappiness in everyone’s heart…

“…How utterly dreadful. My heart goes to thee, Miss Cuicatl…”

He stared at the ground and ran his claws across some dirt. If only there was something he could do. Except… perhaps there was something he could attempt.

So, he dragged himself closer to the Deino and wrapped two of his tails on her back, sucking in all his frigid energy from them and giving a few gentle rubs with his soft fur.

“I… cannot tell if thou would be allowed to stay here or in any other world but thy own, I am afraid. Howbeit, I want thee to know that there are folks here who care about thee, unlike thy world. Think of… Sir Cynthian, for example. And I am confident thou have met many swell fellows who are more than pleased to have known thee.” He smiled, and while he knew Cuicatl couldn’t see it, he hoped that his voice carried the mental image nonetheless. “And I care about thee, too. Thy help has been essential, a few days ago. My skills are sharper now, and that is thanks to thy battle knowledge. For that, thou have my gratitude.”

He sighed. “And, well… even if there is the possibility that we cannot stick together and forever, we can at least enjoy our time while it lasts, no? We can… have the lives that have been barred from us. What we rightfully deserve.” He chuckled nervously. “Indeed, this world might be on the verge of collapse and there may be deadly fiends, but that shouldn’t deter us from supporting each other in more ways than one. Dost thou not agree?”

 

[Persephone]

The first thing she noticed was the spike of cold rushing down her body, feeling more like a burn than a chill. Then it settles down to a temperature that's less uncomfortable. Almost balanced by the warmth of the fur. Cuicatl slowly relaxed and leaned into the touch. Was this what cuddling Pix would be like once she evolved?

All her problems still remained. Nothing had changed. And, well, Icetails raised the point that she might not even be allowed to stay. So she slowly focused on every problem, pushing it back on the timeline. This world was still in freefall with no clear sign of stopping. This wasn't a choice she would have to make today, if she even had a choice at all.

"I don't think I deserve this life," Cuicatl finally murmured. "Never did anything to earn it. Did one thing that should put it out of my reach forever." She spit out a tiny ember of dragonfire, just to remind herself that she could. "But it's nice of you to say those things."