Destiny Village ~ Parfait Way

[SparklingEspeon]

"Out of curiosity, Tricky... why do you want to be an Explorer? What drew you to the idea? If you don't mind my asking, I mean."

That was the worst possible question anymon could have sent Tricky's way. She didn't understand why it kept coming back for her. Memories of that day surged back to her in a rush. It was all coming back she had to keep it in she had to she couldn't have a breakdown not here--

Deep breath. In and out.

"I just..." Pause. Focus. You've got this. "...I just like seeing the sights. There's nothing like a trek into a giant, evil cesspool of danger to raise your spirits! Y'know?"

A nervous giggle. Tricky didn't know how convincing that sounded.

 

[Namohysip]

Wishkeeper relaxed a little. "Well," he said. "It looks like he is learning. How about that." Progress. Had to think about progress.

Eyes wandering left, Wishkeeper spotted Potluck returning so soon--couldn't have been more than a few minutes, perhaps just to drop off the food? But then he sensed the other presence on Potluck's back and stood up.

"Maple's here," he reported. "But she's..."

She had her hands on the back of Potluck's neck to make sure she didn't fall, and she was trying to keep up a powerful front, but she was still weak. She probably wouldn't be able to stand on her own.

 

[Ambyssin]

“Oh, hey, it’s Captain Syrup and her loyal steed.” Esper saluted them.

 

[Phoenixsong]

Deep breath. In and out.

"I just..." Pause. Focus. You've got this. "...I just like seeing the sights. There's nothing like a trek into a giant, evil cesspool of danger to raise your spirits! Y'know?"

A nervous giggle. Tricky didn't know how convincing that sounded.

Skara hadn't expected the pause before that response. (Neither had Limax, if the sudden slowing of its previously enthusiastic wagging was any indication.) Huh. Did that mean something? Was Tricky not...?

...but it wasn't her place to pry into that, was it? And anyway, it wasn't like she was in a state to make accurate reads about people. Probably just imagining things. No sense ascribing feelings to others.

Maybe better to change the angle of the conversation slightly, just in case, though.

"Sights, eh. I can't say I haven't seen some breathtaking things when I've done training missions. I also can't say that they're definitely worth all of the danger that goes with. I hope that at least things are better outside of these, um, 'dungeons' where you're from." Hmph. Still kind of gloomy. Not helping either of them. Something lighter... "What do you do when you're not in a dungeoneering mood? You seem like someone who has a nose for excitement."

 

[Virgil134]

"I guess she must still be pretty injured..." Cabot murmured.

 

[Namohysip]

Maple scanned the crowd and nodded at the ones that gave her a quick glance. Potluck paraded around and started chatting with a few partygoers, and Maple listened quietly, only really answering when people addressed her directly. She seemed particularly focused on the Shades, occasionally holding her bag a little tighter.

 

[Ambyssin]

"Hey, Jigsaw Puppy. Missed ya." Esper zipped over and sat between Potluck's ears. "Oooh, your fur is soft. What kind of conditioner do you use?" He paused. "Kidding! I'm made of ectoplasm. Soap won't do much."

 

[Dragonfree]

He rolled his eyes and turned to Dave with an exasperated sigh. “I’m sorry,” he said, foregoing his theatrical shout for a quieter tone. He didn’t care if anyone other than Dave heard him. Really, he’d prefer if they didn’t. “I’ve been nothing but a complete ass to you, and you’ve reacted like anyone should.”

He grabbed his bottle and chugged the rest of it. “The team would be dead without you. Don’t waste this party being mad at a dumbass. Have fun. Make some friends.” He tossed some poké to the counter (the drinks might’ve been complimentary, but tips probably weren’t). “I’ll get out of your fur.” He didn’t bother to address the gawkers, but simply started walking.

Dave blinked as Zane motioned to leave. Had this fucking guy just... made his way through an actual apology? Without immediately putting his foot back in his mouth?

...That made it worse, honestly. Some people just lived in insane troll logic land, but no, Zane was apparently perfectly capable of acting like a normal human being and just fucking chose to be reprehensible anyway. He scowled after Zane as he left.

Mia squinted in his direction. "I want to know why he had someone else speaking for him."

"Yeah, well, don't go visit him to find out."

She cocked her head. "Why?"

He sighed, wracking his brain for the appropriate Mialogic. "Well, he sure didn't seem to want to talk about it, did he?"

Mia shrugged. "I could beat him in a fight if he refuses."

"You can't--" Actually, would she even get in trouble for picking fights on Cibus? Everyone was fucking fighting all the time. "He probably wouldn't tell you anyway."

They were interrupted as Potluck arrived carrying Maple. Dave hadn't exactly dared to hope she'd actually bought it, but she looked alarmingly close to it, wobbling on her feet, supporting herself against Potluck's body. He hadn't really been paying much attention to her while-- when the battle ended. Joule had really done a number on her, huh.

She kept glancing at the shades with some note of nervous suspicion. He wondered if Mia could kick her ass right now. Probably. (He was not going to let her try, though.)

 

[Namohysip]

Potluck paced around and grinned at Esper. "I use bubblegum flavored shampoo!"

"...Scented," Maple said, leaning forward.

"I think it's both."

Maple rubbed her forehead. "So, these are the Shades, hm? I didn't expect them to... manifest so differently from each other. Or manifest at all..."

She looked to Wishkeeper, who nodded in greeting.

"Something seems off about Owen," Maple said, immediately noticing his lack of outward cheer.

 

[Ambyssin]

“Oh, his shade is his past self who worked as a secretary,” Esper chirped. “So, he’s one-hundred percent more boring!”

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Celeste approached Dave. “He didn’t try anything too bad, did he?” He sighed. “Last time I bumped into him, I narrowly avoided having one of the locals file a harassment claim against the entire team from how he treated one of the locals.”

 

[Namohysip]

"Secretary?" Wishkeeper's left eye twitched. Owen held his mouth, like he was giggling.

--

". . . been really cool about it," Cal explained to Cinderace, who was nodding and writing a few things down in his notebook.

"I see, I see," Cinderace said, nodding. "So, you used to be the very creatures that were infecting other Pokemon in Cibus? Yet here you are now... You can't possess people now, right?"

"I dunno! Figure I shouldn't try, though." Cal flicked her black tail cheerfully, that third golden ember waving with it.

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot laughed a bit awkwardly at Esper's joke, before going up to Maple.

"I'm glad to see you're doing a little better," he said. "Sorry we weren't able to help you more with Joule, though."

 

[Dragonfree]

Celeste approached Dave. “He didn’t try anything too bad, did he?” He sighed. “Last time I bumped into him, I narrowly avoided having one of the locals file a harassment claim against the entire team from how he treated one of the locals.”

Dave sighed irritably. "Checks out. No, he was just being a weird creep about Mia." He glanced at her. "Right, this is... this is Mia."

"You have a blade on your head," Mia said, cocking her head curiously, reaching up with one of her scythes.

"He sure does. Remember how you don't touch people without their consent?"

Mia withdrew her arm, with the tiniest note of dismay. Dave reached for another topic. "So, uh, guess you haven't got a shade?"

 

[Namohysip]

Maple glanced to the left at the mention of Joule. She didn't want to think about that right now. "There was little you could do," she told Cabot.

"Mm." Wishkeeper crossed his arms. "How is the food, Maple?"

"It's quite good," Maple replied with a faint smile. "And you are... Owen?" Her eyes trailed to the cracked-mud pattern on his lower half.

"You may call me Wishkeeper. I am Owen's Shadow. Ah--" He raised a hand when Maple's expression became guarded. "No. I am not hostile. A Shadow is not necessarily an evil, dark self. And Owen also took great care to guarantee that even if I was hostile, there would be little I could do." His smile was wry. "He made sure I was among friends when it happened. Should I wish to cause trouble, I would be stopped immediately. I'm quite clever that way."

Maple warily looked Wishkeeper over. "I see... Well. It is good to meet this side of you."

"Likewise," Wishkeeper replied.

"I'm sorry?" Maple frowned. "Am I showing a different side of myself?"

"You are. You are weak. And yet you remain composed and had the resolve to attend this event, despite everything." This time, Wishkeeper's smile was softer. "There is a lot that can be said about a person's character when you see how they behave when vulnerable. I'm sorry for putting a spotlight on it... but I do want to point out your strength despite it."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Dave sighed irritably. "Checks out. No, he was just being a weird creep about Mia." He glanced at her. "Right, this is... this is Mia."

"You have a blade on your head," Mia said, cocking her head curiously, reaching up with one of her scythes.

"He sure does. Remember how you don't touch people without their consent?"

Celeste nodded. “I do. I have one blade on my head, and another for a tail. I mostly use the head one, myself. The tail one is only helpful if someone gets behind me.

Mia withdrew her arm, with the tiniest note of dismay. Dave reached for another topic. "So, uh, guess you haven't got a shade?"

Celeste looked away. “It’s complicated. Apparently, it didn’t get enough stimulation, and now it’s just an inert blob.”

Celeste felt a pang of disappointment in himself. Back in the dorms, a certain shade sensed it and thought it was disappointment in them.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave blinked. "Huh. You sure? What do you mean, stimulation?"

 

[Shiny Phantump]

“Like, mental... stuff? Chip’s theory was that I didn’t let it poke around in my brain enough to form an identity of it’s own.”

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave furrowed his brow. "I mean, I wouldn't say I was letting Squiggly poke around in my brain all that much either. Maybe Chip's just full of shit. Show me your shade?"

 

[Ambyssin]

"Wow, Poochy. You aren't even going to ask him to dinner first? For shame." Esper tapped his nubby arms together and clicked his tongue against his cheek.