Game Week of the Multiverse: Polteageist Cafe

[Shiny Phantump]

"No, they were right. I was making a mistake, they were trying to stop me from making that mistake. Keep the creature that did this to me contained so that it couldn't do any more damage."

Mother was right, I was just being naïve. Now she's lost the last bit of family she had left. Who knows if I will ever see a human body again...

"Here ya go!"

Lillie's manners kicked in, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Oh, thank you."

It occurred to her that she didn't know how to eat as a Mimikyu. She'd figure that one out... later.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Jesse gave a nod of thanks and tucked in.

{Have a lil' conviction, kid,} he sent, casually. {I know y'had a good reason. Victory don't come so easy to those as give up on theirselves this quick, y'hear?}

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Well, I thought I had a good reason."

Lillie grumbled. "I was just... wrong. They warned me that Ne- That Cosmog was dangerous, and that it had to be contained for everyone's safety. I didn't listen, so now I'm a Mimikyu." At least you can say what happened to you wasn't your own fault!

"Also, Cosmog is loose now, so who knows what other harm it can do..."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

At least you can say what happened to you wasn't your own fault!

Jesse flinched as if he'd been slapped. "I volunteered fer the life I've lived," he growled. "I'm responsible fer bein' this way. I ain't a victim."

It was his own fault. Every time he'd been hurt, or felt like shit, or let someone down, it had been because of that decision. A decision he's made ofr himself. Him, and no one else!

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Oh." Are you reading my thoughts?

Lillie mused over what he'd said for a moment. She felt like it was different. "Well... In your case, you saved people. I just took a beautiful world and left it all the worse!" I- No, wait, don't think that.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Jesse couldn't care less what Lillie was or wasn't thinking. Whatever she felt so shit about, there was no fucking way it would register to him. At least not right now. He rubbed his temple to ease the migraine.

"I'm hearin' yer thoughts. There's a difference. Anyway, kid, listen... Don't fuckin' give up on yerself, willya? There's nothin' more precious than good intentions. Fuckin' commit. Go back, fix the problem, don't let anythin' defeat ya. Ain't y'got courage?"

Goddamnit. This fuckin' gal {thinks y'gotta succeed t'be justified, she should} get the fuck over it.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Lillie's felt her frustration stir in her depths. "Go back and fix it? How? How am I supposed to go back? This same Cosmog did the same thing to my father years ago and he's never come back! He has a masters degree in theoretical physics, if anyone could find a way back, it would be him! If he can't do it... then... then I..."

Then I'm going to be stuck this way forever, too...

She took a deep not-breath before allowing herself to speak again. It was important to maintain one's composure. "Sorry... I shouldn't be mad. You're just trying to help."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Jesse shrugged. The anger was leaving him pretty much instantly; this was just a scared kid, she didn't know what he'd done.

"We'll find a way t'fix it. ...You're thinkin' about this all wrong, Lillie. It ain't about whether yer achievements or capabilities are up t'scratch, what matters is that ya know what's right and y'never stop pursuin' it. It's the direction that matters. You make a choice, 'n' y'just keep goin'."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

The argumentative force was gone from Lillie's voice. Her voice sounded hollow without it. "That's easy to say, but... I don't have a way to pursue it. How could I 'pursue' opening a new wormhole back to my world. I don't even have Cosmog anymore. So then what? Do I just run blindly at something I don't understand how to get for the rest of my life, and just hope I run in the right direction from sheer luck?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Jesse curled his lip back for a moment, then let it go with a sigh. "Maybe yer cosmog came t'this world too. Maybe there's a power here that can get y'home, like the power that got me to mine. Maybe y'don't find either of those but ya keep yer shit t'gether and try to make this world better. Mopin' don't help none. Searchin' fer leads might."

Lillie had an outfit, some company, a little light refreshment. World hopping shock was a hell of a thing, but there was always something to hold on to unless you were trapped in a lightless cell without any allies in all the world who knew you were there and he just had to persuade her of that.

"You'll find somethin'. With enough determination."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Why is he doing this? Why can't I just be frustrated?

Even just thinking about any of that left her feeling more exhausted than she already was. "I can't... I don't have the energy to pour into something like that. I don't know how to track something that can teleport, and the hero people certainly don't know about anything that'd let humans get home. What could I expect to find that they don't know about? I don't want to go insane trying to find something that doesn't exist." I've seen it happen to Mother, chasing a ghost. But then, if I try to move on... that would just make me stuck. I can't... Neither of the options work!

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Jesse took more whiskey from his flask to wash down the last of his muffin. What he really wanted were some decent poached eggs. Too bad. You couldn't always have what you fucking wanted, and that was the way of it. No point griping when you could take action.

"You take a minute to get yer bearings first, Lillie. That's what I'm doin', with this migraine of mine. But after that... damn near the whole group are gonna be questin' fer a way home. Somethin'll come up."

-¡¡pain!!-​

Jessee clutched at his head. "Fuck, just, listen. All of us were drawn here from different worlds. Yer fuckin' cosmog sure didn't summon me and it sure ain't what summoned all those other motherfuckers. There's somethin' here that made a buncha mon missin' and pulled th'lotta us from across existence. Whatever that power was can send us home. So fuckin' take it easy on the doom 'n' gloom."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Okay. I guess I'll..." What was everyone going to do in the meantime? "I guess I'll just wait? I don't know. Whatever everyone else is doing, probably." Unless it's more shopping...

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Guess we'll find out pretty soon," said Jesse, wondering why shopping would be a priority for anyone besides Lillie, with her outfit predicament. "We'll be spendin' our first night in this world soon enough. Gettin' some rest will help us all, I'm right sure. Hope t'see you in better spirits come mornin', partner."

He meant it, but . . . Jesse did somewhat expect that of the motley crew he'd arrived with, not so many of them besides himself would both take the situation seriously, and pursue a solution in any appreciable way. That was usually the way of it.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Sure..."

Lillie anticipated she wouldn't feel that much better, but the night's rest couldn't hurt, could it? She slunk off back towards the area where the Mismagius house had been.

<><><><><>

 

[Fusion]

Night life in the city had left a rather big impression on Kora, to the point that the moment night had fallen, new life was breathed into the fox. Faint wisps of dark aura rose of his body constantly and slowly, and his eyes had a glow to them. He also couldn't stand staying in the house all night, he had to go out and do something!

It probably didn't take much to convince Lance to go out with him, but Kora was too hyped up to really care. He would've went right off into the night by himself, honestly.

Entering the Cafe, Kora took in a deep breath, then snickered. "Aw man, I knew this place was gonna be a fun lil hang out spot!" he said, lightly bumping Lance with his hip. "C'mon, we should take a seat and get somethin' to eat and drink for the night! I wonder if we can bring carryout back to our place, hehe!"

 

[Navar]

In a normal situation, Lance would've preferred to stay home and read a nice book on his bed, maybe drink a cup of hot cocoa. But... this wasn't really a normal situation, and for once he was glad it wasn't.

It probably didn't take much to convince Lance to go out with him, but Kora was too hyped up to really care. He would've went right off into the night by himself, honestly.

"Okay, okay hon! The cafe won't disappear out of nowhere! I think..."

Once he got inside, Lance took a look around. Maybe this would be fun, specially since his boyfriend was there with him.

"C'mon, we should take a seat and get somethin' to eat and drink for the night! I wonder if we can bring carryout back to our place, hehe!"

"Right! Maybe they have some cake... I've been wanting to get some myself."

 

[Fusion]

"Cake sounds great!" Kora snickered, leading him and Lance over to a cute little booth off to the side of the cafe. Nice and private, for private conversations. And despite there being two sides of the both, Kora made sure to sit on the same side as Lance. "I wonder what kind they have, hehe! You think they got a menu?"

 

[Navar]

"I assume they do have a menu," Lance shrugged, sitting down with Kora on his side. He didn't even make an effort to hide his smile.

He wrapped his arm around Kora's shoulder, grinning. "Sure, if there's cake, let's order one. I might not be fat... but I can eat."

 

[IFBench]

The only other person in the cafe at this time, the owner Polteageist, came over holding a menu, before setting it on the table.

"Here you go! What would you like?"

Almost every item on the menu was British.