Scarlette: Y'all are both shameless. It's like watching a bad YA novel play out right before my eyes.

-She thinks-

Scarlette: ...Considering your cinematic history, that's not a big surprise, honestly.

Xymansion

Levi sticks his tongue out at Lucius.

Levi: Are you callin' me shameless or are you callin' me cute? I mean, both are correct but the distinction is important in this conversation~

He then looks over to Scarlette.

Levi: Yes. YA Novel. That was exactly what I was thinking this whole situation reminds me of. Nothing else. Nope .

At the perfect moment, Xylander comes back in holding a steaming teapot in one hand and a tray of matching teacups and saucers in the other.

Xylander: Tea is here~

He sits back down on the other side of the couch Levi and Lucius are lounging on and begins pouring everyone a cup.

Xylander: This one of my personal tea blends, I hope you enjoy it~

Levi rolls his eyes.

Levi: Xy you have, like, over 1000 tea blends. You gotta be more specific!

Xylander and Levi share a knowing stare at each other, before bursting out into laughter. Is this a secret joke you're just not getting?

Xylander: It's just a simple jasmine, Pomeg and Leppa blend. Simple and calming, that's all~

The joking between the gods makes this tea only just a little foreboding of a prospect to drink it.

Edited by PippingFool on Jul 14th 2018 at 12:24:17 AM

Xylander's Mansion - Past

-Lucius winks at Levi.-

Lucius: Why not both? I'm right either way.

-He then turns to glare at Scarlette.-

Lucius: Hang on, how do you know about my- about that?

-He goes to take another sip of his empty tea cup, before realising that there's actual tea in front of him and drinking it from the teapot instead.-

-Scarlette looks at Levi flatly-

Scarlette: I mean, I was maintaining a vague semblance of PG-13 content so as not to be too terribly profane in the presence of gods.

-Observing Lucius make the terrible mistake of drinking directly from the teapot, Scarlette takes the cautious option and simply blows on hers to cool it.-

Scarlette: Anyway, Lucy, I make a lot of background checks nowadays. Watching that clusterfuck of a movie was part of my background check for you. Besides, you left a copy laying out in the open one day in our room back in Iron and I'm a morbidly curious individual, you know this.

Xymansion

Levi whistles.

Levi: -With a grin- You're in the presence of the wrong gods if you think you need to keep up a level of decorum around us dollface~

After this, however, Levi and Xylander watch Lucius make a bad decision with concern and a slight expression of horror.

Levi: Uh, dude. Are you...

Xylander: Are you okay there? That pot is filled with scalding hot water-

Levi: You're gonna burn yourself, Stumps!

The boyfriend is Concerned (tm).

Ambiguous Location

“Something eatin’ at ya?” Colt asked, looking at Channah. “I mean, I know it’s just us and our teams - I’m too lazy to count - but think about how I feel. All of two people coming to my birthday.”

<Inb 4 the fact that that’s held true for as long as I can remember,> Amaterasu returned, still running the comb through Pent’s rabbit ears.

“ANYWAY!” Her trainer interrupted. “You don’t look to hot. C’mon, tell me.”

<Sentiment, eh,> Roy muttered. <But a trophy from the hunt. Probably not something he’ll want,> he figured. <He looks like he has everything he wants, aside from a dedicated human friend. I mean, I’m human, but I doubt he’ll not be able to look through the first impression,> he continued to mutter.

“Ya say something?” Colt asked, having heard Roy’s muttering but not what he said.

<Just something about Lilina; haven’t heard back about if she’s here!> Roy quickly lied.

Edited by AbsentCoder on Jul 13th 2018 at 8:05:37 AM

Xylander's Mansion - Past

-Just as Levi and Xylander are pointing out Lucius's terrible, terrible decision, he yelps in pain upon the first sip and nearly drops the teapot.-

Lucius: GAH! O-oh man, that... that's really... that's really good tea. I mean, I'm not usually much of a tea person, but that... wow. It's, uh... it's definitely got a bite to it.

-He sets the teapot down like he meant to do that and points defensively at Scarlette.-

Lucius: I... okay, fair. Still, that film is a cult classic and I stand by it.

Edited by Herbert40k on Jul 13th 2018 at 3:56:52 PM

Scarlette: I'd hate to meet the cult that finds it a classic.

-She looks down at her cup, then at Lucius, then at the teapot.-

Scarlette: ...You know, I was going to ask to make sure there wasn't any weird fae stuff going on with this tea, but after that stunt? I think that deserves an act of solidarity.

-She downs her (thankfully somewhat cooled) cup.-

Xymansion

The tea, much to Lucius's words, is very very good. With nothing all too fae or fucky about it. It's just some good, flavourful tea.

Xylander: Well, um. That was a rather brazen act, "Stumps", but thank you for the praise~

Xylander chuckles, dignified as ever.

Xylander: I take particular care in preparing my blends.

Levi downs the entire cup of tea, seemingly unaffected by the fact it's scalding hot.

Levi: Ahhh~ You sure do love~❤ It's got a great kick and flavour to it without making your heart stop! A 10/10 blend~

Xylander takes his own sip, before placing down the cup and looking over to Scarlette and Lucius.

Xylander: So! Tell me more about yourselves~ I'd like to get to know you better than just what others have told me about you. Get the information straight from the Ponyta's mouth and all that~

Xy leans back onto the couch.

Ambig Party

-Pent settles into the combing. He's still looking a little grumpy but he's also kinda loving how it feels-

Ambiguous Location

Titus: -to Roy, in a lower voice- <Ey, think about it this way if you don't know what to get - Now there's another whole year to come up with gift ideas! But I wouldn't sweat it. Trainers love almost anything we give them. Eventually.>

Channah: -looks over at Colton and shrugs- People only go to parties for the food, anyway, so I wouldn't worry if I were you.

Edited by Metanoia on Jul 13th 2018 at 11:17:01 AM

Xylander's Mansion - Past

-Lucius smiles gratefully at Scarlette, but looks rather taken aback by Xylander's question.-

Lucius: Huh? Oh, I... I dunno what to tell you, honestly. Levi's probably given you a better story than I could, and I'm pretty uninteresting compared to, y'know, gods. The short version of my unlife is that I died, got better, and learnt absolutely nothing from the experience. That's how the, uh... the whole Iron thing came to be.

-He raises his stump.-

Lucius: They didn't like me much, Scar excepted.

Edited by Herbert40k on Jul 13th 2018 at 4:23:21 PM

Scarlette: ...Right. The fun question.

-She sorta stares into her now-empty cup as Lucius goes into his spiel, and for a few moments afterward.-

Scarlette: Yeah. Iron. For me, my deal is that I'm a Faller, so that's pretty much defined the vast majority of my life for the past two years, usually for the worse. It led to fun things like interdimensional jellyfish poison deciding a failed revenge plot would be a fantastic way to live my life, so, y'know. Made some bad decisions, met Lucius along the way. Now I'm pretty much unofficially in rehab.

-Beat-

Scarlette: ...If you want a less depressing tidbit, I like dogs.

Xymansion

Levi: To be fair, dogs are very good content~ Though I was more of a vulpid person myself. Though the two Eevees I had growing up - Shimshon and Shachar - evolved into an Espeon and Umbreon respectively, which are less vulpine in form than some other evolutions in the line.

Levi looks a little pensive and slightly sad for a moment, before quickly bouncing back to his happy self.

Levi: Man Pokemon morphology is weird and inconsistant~

Xylander raises an eyebrow at Levi.

Xylander: Those are some big words you just used.

Levi points at Xylander.

Levi: Hey, I came here to have a good time and honestly I'm feeling so attacked right now!

Xylander laughs as he refills Scarlette's teacup.

Xylander: As for your stories, I understand. Mortals rather banal existences, after all~

Xylander doesn't really say this with any malice or sarcasm, he kinda just states it as a matter of fact.

Ambiguous Location

Amaterasu continued combing Pent’s rabbit ears, getting progressively more into the craft.

<Between you and me,> Roy whispered. <Colt has a history of being almost insultingly ungrateful. When we were in Hoenn, his parents wished him luck. His next response to that was that he had won, and that one of the trainers had three Pokémon I’m assuming are from this region,> he recalled. <So I’m pretty sure it’s more likely he’ll forget about anything we got him.>

“Really? I figured people go to socialize. I do, and I’m hosting one where the ‘mons are having more di-“ he paused.

“Ohhh....”

Xylander's Mansion - Past

Lucius: Dogs are good, yeah. And I've never really gotten the hang of Pokemon taxonomy myself, to be honest. For all our attempted labelling of each Pokemon species there's often very few phenotypes shared between an entire evolutionary line. Gods- I mean, uh, goodness knows how anyone keeps track of it.

-He rankles at Xylander's comment.-

Lucius: Hey, my life's anything but banal! I've been a superhero, an actor, a Pokemon, a ghost, a thief, a criminal, a wannabe scientist... I might be an idiot, but at least I'm an interesting, good-looking idiot.

-He folds his arms (well, arm) and huffs.-

Edited by Herbert40k on Jul 13th 2018 at 5:13:21 PM

Party Location

-Pent made a motion to say something but... Nah he couldn't find any good words and also he was feeling super relaxed right now-

-There's a moment before he finds something to say-

Can someone pass me some more cake, Ammy's seems rather invested in brushing me so I'd rather not move.

Lumiose Streets

-Ever and Amanita are talking to a teenager-

Teenager: —And it just means so much to me that the J-team has all this trans rep!

Ever: I'm...glad to hear it? Can't you just latch onto Kai like a normal human being this is so uncomfortable

-Amanita nudges them in the ribs-

Ever: I'm being nice.

Amanita: You're being you. Cut it out.

Teenager: Anyway, just, you know, thank you for being you?

-Ever raises an eyebrow. Amanita facepalms-

Ever: It's a burden I try not to take lightly.

-...-

Teenager: Can you sign this?

-they hold out a notebook-

Ever: Sure.

-they take the notebook, quickly flipping through it to make sure it isn't a death note, and then sign an illegible scribble into it with their left hand, along with-

Amanita: Uh, what are those numbers?

Ever: I dunno.

Amanita: Shouldn't you know?

Ever: You don't sometimes just write numbers down?

Amanita: Usually no. Is that a phone number?

Ever: How would it be a phone number? It's only 6 digits.

Amanita: Wait, is that a date?

Ever: You know, it could be.

Teenager: Is it the date of my death?

Ever: I hope not.

-they hand the book back-

Teenager: Aw.

Amanita: I'm beginning to see why this kid sought out you and not Kai.

Ever: Deactivate your almonds.

Amanita: What does that even mean

Teenager: Uh, you're Amanita, right?

Ever: You don't recognize Salon Maiden Anabel when you see her?

-Amanita steps on Ever's foot-

Amanita: Yes, I'm Amanita.

-the teenager wordlessly holds out the book again. Amanita sighs, and signs-

Teenager: Thank you so much! See you around!

-they sprint away-

Amanita: That was...awkward.

Ever: I think they got the right impression of us.

Mobius Base, Kalos

-Zelel flies through the various connections he has set up, checking footage on cameras.-

There.

-Footage of Alonya entering the Stormchaser.-

Gabrielle: "So that is where she went."

Zelel: <Affirmative.>

< Query: Is our original plan necessary?>

< Evidence...inconclusive. I must keep an eye on her.>

Gabrielle: "..."

Zelel: <Something is bothering you. I would suggest speaking to someone.>

Gabrielle: "Aurora's giving Hinoko her leasons and Michael and Serena are running errands for me. It's either you or Xerneas.>

Zelel: <...proceed.>

Gabrielle: "...why did it take me so long to realize?"

Zelel: <Elaborate.>

Gabrielle: "Why did I think the J-Team were the villians?"

Zelel: <The Mobius Society has been corrupted since its formation. You joined when it was pure. Multiman and others used propaganda techniques. You were conditioned.>

Gabrielle: "..."

"We're leaving soon."

Sapphire House

-Phaz cheers too, wondering why he's here again.-

Undisclosed space and time period, most likely today and in Kalos, Paris City Lumiose

-Amélie is here.-

Amélie: "Hey, so do you know it's the 14th of July? You all know what that mean?"

Aaron: <It's the Kalosian independence day where y'all were free of any royalty.>

Amélie: "Heck yeah it's happy kalosian day my dudes"

-Happy Kalosian National Day my lads and boy-

-Oh yeah and because of that Amélie is dressed in Kalosian flag clothes.-

-It kinda strains the eyes. So peoples can and will notice her.-

Ambiguous Location

<You’re enjoying this and won’t admit it,> Amaterasu teased as she Extrasensory’d over another piece of cake to Pent.

<I’m just gonna ask it - where is everyone?> She decided as the slice set itself down in front of Pent.

“We never shared the location,” Colt realized. “No wonder it’s just us three and the teams.”

As he eyed Pent’s hastily-wrapped gift he quickly texted his present location to the team. Maybe some more people were willing to come over but didn’t know where to go?

Edited by AbsentCoder on Jul 14th 2018 at 7:00:00 AM

Ambiguous Location

I am reserving my right to not implicate myself.

-He pouts and starts nomming his cake. The present on the table is rectangular and vaguely book-sized and wrapped in brown paper and twine-

Lumiose City, outskirts

On the route into Lumiose, Alisher comes across a man with a mop of red hair, a shade that was most likely unnatural again. Still, that meant that he would likely be a local. Asking for directions wouldn't hurt.

"Do you know where to get camping supplies?"

Rather than just throwing him into the water, Rumba leaps into the air, releases the Basculin, and cannonballs in.

Lumiose

-The redhead blinks-

Julius: That I'm not sure about.