Team Iron Base

After the hug ends, Janet gives a laugh of her own.

Janet: I guess that just happens when you're in the prescense of someone so wonderful....

Janet goes quiet as she goes red as a Tomato.

I'm having to learn to pay the price

Stormlaundry

Hardly well-versed in Pokespeak, Alisher let Aytar out to handle the Whimsicott.

Aytar: <Galiya, come on out. It's not nice to run around without telling.>

Galiya: <But it's so comfy here! Besides, it's a bit of a waste to not see what this place has to offer~>

Aytar: <...you're just napping in some machine. I'm sure there's more to do around here.>

Timers to measure time, thermometers to measure thermomets, mometers to measure mom, and measuring containers to measure measurements.

Team Iron Base

-Lucille doesn't quite know how to respond to that, so she lets out a nervous chuckle as colour continues to rise to her cheeks.-

Lucille: Heh... you must be talking about somebody else, right?

Trans rights are human rights. JK Rowling preaches hate. If you sit at a table with five bigots and say nothing, there are now six bigots.

Iron Base

Janet looks around her dinky, leaky room and looks aside with a shy smile.

Janet: I don't know, there's only one other person in the room with me...

Her Herdier boofs

I'm having to learn to pay the price

Team Iron Base

-Lucille gives another awkward little chuckle.-

Lucille: Well, there's your dog. And dogs are the best people.

-She scritches Herdier behind his ears for emphasis.-

Trans rights are human rights. JK Rowling preaches hate. If you sit at a table with five bigots and say nothing, there are now six bigots.

Reception

-Elizabeth frowns.-

Elizabeth: "I feel guilty about that."

"Dang that sure is totally poggers my good bitch"

Iron Base.

Janet's blush seems radiant now.

Janet: Yeah, he's pretty great. But the other person in the room is... pretty awesome, not gonna lie...

She looks back at Lucille.

Janet: Even when she looks like she just had a run-in with a tumble dryer

I'm having to learn to pay the price

-As it turns out, Kaius was absolutely enthralled with what Salvador was saying.-

Kaius: Nono, by all means, ramble. It's an interesting subject matter.

---

Scarlette: ...Okay. Phew.

-She turns toward her properly, no longer trying to half-hide her prosthesis.-

Scarlette: It was... a mistake I'm not proud to have made.

-Kai is in bed, staring up at the ceiling-

Kai: Aaaaaaaaa.

Onabarrak: <You'll have to get up eventually.>

Kai: There's no way I can get vacation days when Carmilla's got a hold on me! Gods, I shouldn't have suggested that.

Onabarrak: <Kai.>

Kai: Like, yeah, this is an easy job. I'm a trainer. I go into the wild and find Pokemon, it's what I do.

Onabarrak: <Kai.>

Kai: But it's not going to always be an easy job! What kind of ages-old vampire temptress just assigns easy jobs for their thralls to carry out? My life is on the line! She almost killed me because I didn't make my offer interesting enough!

Onabarrak: <Kai.>

Kai: Maybe I should complete the job and just vanish forever. Be a hermit. Change my name a seventieth time, take a course at Minstrel's School of Being A Fucking Faceless Shapeshifter Spirit. Who the fuck is Kai, anyway?

Onabarrak: <Kai, by the gods, be quiet!>

-Kai squeaks and shuts up.-

Onabarrak: <Your best option, presently, is to simply complete your first objective. Putting it off is only going to cause you more stress. We have a plan, so let's execute it as planned.>

Kai: Okay.

-...-

Onabarrak: <It requires you getting up.>

-Kai finally forces themself to stumble out of bed.-

Alto Mare, reception

Channah: You want... Wait, what? I...

There is no disdain in nature, there is no humiliation.

Alto Mare Reception

-Looks Channah directly in the eyes-

Do you understand now?

-Looks away, more nervously-

I mean... I understand if you want some time to think about things a bit, or a lot.

Edited by rmctagg09 on Aug 27th 2018 at 12:18:33 PM

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Stormchaser

Brie: —And that's just sort of surprising to me, you know? We got along okay at Kai's birthday, but other than that I...honestly didn't really get the impression Alice really liked me?

Ever: Why wouldn't she?

Brie: I don't know, why does anyone dislike anyone?

Ever: I can think of a lot of reasons offhand but I don't think any of them would apply to the two of you.

Brie: I mean, I guess. I dunno.

Ever: Clearly.

Brie: Hey!

Ever: Have you considered talking to her?

Brie: What.

Ever: Just a thought.

Brie: ...Are you doing alright?

Ever: I'm just rather tired.

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.

Stormchaser - the afternoon after the reception

Colton slowly picked his head up off of his bed, nursing a pounding migraine. “Oh god, what happened last night? All I remember is Roy handing me a manilla folder and everything going dark,” he recalled as he grabbed a cup of coffee - black - from off of his side table.

Wait, when did that get there? Meh.

His head hurt too much for him to process the bitter taste of the coffee, but it did wake him up. Which only made his head hurt more.

<Hey, hey, hey... take it easy,> a female voice mewled from just beyond the foot of the bed. Mae stood up and yawned, looking at Colton with that piercing gaze her species was known for.

“Mae, thank Arceus,” Colton said as he dragged himself up and knelt beside the Luxray, running a hand through her mane. “What happened last night?”

<After that red-haired person gave you those papers you tried to practice them. Then you spontaneously decided to go home and sing a lot of songs as loud as you could. It genuinely hurt,> she recalled, ignoring the pets. <everyone else is in their Pokéballs, nursing their own headaches. I was the last one sent out to keep you from doing anything stupid, and then you just fell unconscious halfway through my shift.>

“... You guys just want to take the day off? Lounge around the room and do nothing?” Colton asked, throwing himself back-first onto the bed. “I’m pretty sure I need it more than you, honestly.”

Before he could receive an answer he had already dozed off. Mae rolled her eyes and got on the bed as well, feeling her trainer cuddle her, making her slowly fall asleep as well.

Colton’s Subconscious

He didn’t know where he was. He didn’t know what he was looking at. He didn’t know who these people were. But somehow he knew he should know.

“Wow. We’ve never really thought about what would happen if he were to turn up in here,” one of them said. “we should have known it might happen.”

“He’s not really in here, idiot!” Another responded. “We don’t even exist!”

“If I could butt in, who are you?” Colton asked, approaching the people that looked like him as they almost began to get at each other’s throats.

Talbain spoke up, rubbing his scruff against the Unovan’s pants. “They’re your aspects. They’re part of what makes you you. That’s Otaku, that’s Programmer, that’s Strategist, that’s Ambition, he’s Smartass and I’m Talbain.

“So why am I here?”

“You’re having a crisis,” Talbain explained, circling around the arguing Aspects with Colton awkwardly following behind him. “After Ilya disregarded you Ambition went into complete and udder conniptions. As the part of you freshest to the team, and with his sole purpose in life to be the one to get you to take the shots you’d otherwise miss, he can’t process failure yet. Smartass, Programmer, Strategist and Otaku have all had moments of failure. And you can recognize those feelings, right?”

Colton nodded, pretty sure he knew where he was going.

“So when Ambition took the reins for the first time and crashed and burned, he took it out on everyone else as he only exists to know success in the face of adversity.

“Smartass, Otaku and I decided to bring you in to mediate him. He’s too infantile for someone your age. We need - “

“Realism? Insecurity? Inferiority?” Colton asked, gesturing to three new characters, one with a standard suit and tie, another clutching a plushie and his headphones, and another who looked about 10 years younger than the rest of them, with casual attire only made noteworthy by the “Kick me” embroidered on the back.

Talbain looked at him, then back at the group, who were each reaching for a microphone and spouting ideas.

A Stone Edge ejected all of them from their seats and brought Colton into anguish. Not physical pain, but mental fatigue brought on by confusion.

Realism, Insecurity and Inferiority all stayed back and conversed among themselves.

“... I suppose this is the best solution we can ask for,” Talbain realized, returning to the dog bed in front of the table. A few new chairs appeared, each with the new aspects’ names.

“I suppose I’m going to have to stick around,” Realism considered. “This is my life now, might as well enjoy it.”

“Are, are you sure it’s a good idea?” Insecurity muttered as Colton forced him into his seat.

“This is too much responsibility!” Inferiority panicked. “I’m not ready for this! I don’t think I’ll ever be ready!”

“You’re perfect.” Colton comforted, half-joking.

“But - but what if I choke?!” He returned.

“That’s the point!” Talbain growled, which caused Inferiority to panic and take his seat.

And then everything went black.

Colton’s Mindscape

“That was really meta,” Otaku considered, looking at the new recruits. “Welcome aboard.”

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Realism nodded.

“Something’s gonna go wrong! I just know it!” Insecurity panicked.

“I’ll try not to be a burden,” Inferiority whimpered.

[Insert Unoriginal Stinger Here]

Alto Mare, reception

Channah: ... -nervously starts scratching at her wrists, leaving deep red marks in the skin- ... -slowly, in a small, scared voice- You're saying that you like me.

Edited by Metanoia on Aug 27th 2018 at 1:23:31 PM

There is no disdain in nature, there is no humiliation.

Alto Mare Reception

Ever Memito, you had better be correct about this being the right thing to do.

-Takes a deep breath-

...Yes. Like, I understand if you don't feel the same way, and we can just pretend that the latter portion of our conversation didn't happen and never mention it again, or you don't even know how you feel yet, and would rather sit on it a bit before giving any sort of final answer.

I just hope I haven't screwed up our friendship by mentioning this, that's a bit more important to me than whether or not you actually reciprocate.

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Reception

-Alonya's smile grows a bit wider-

Alonya: You and me both.

---

Julius: Why would you?

Laundry Room, past

Julius: You should probably go back to your Trainer now, yeah...

Contact Me!

Stormchaser Laundry, Past

Shutter: Well, he's right. There's plenty of things to see here without having to crawl up vents. This is a very interesting airship.
Tommy: Really, now. Instead of relying on letting Scout see everything, why don't we set aside a day to actually get a guided tour? That way, we wouldn't have to check if Scout gets lost.
Shutter: We have a map. I requested the copy of the floor plans of this place so I wouldn't get lost on my way to the laundry room.
Tommy: I mean, yeah, that's useful but you never seem to know what's in this place. Plus that map is a pain to read.

Reception

Bryn leans back against the bar, steepling her fingers, patiently waiting for the two to finish their reunion to figure out whymst this former Iron person was looking for her.

All are significantly abnormal in a normal world... All are significantly normal in an abnormal world.

Alto Mare, reception

Channah: -stares at the ground- That's not supposed to happen. It. Doesn't make sense. Tagg... -looks helplessly and a little miserably at him-

There is no disdain in nature, there is no humiliation.

Alto Mare Reception

-Confused-

...What do you mean it doesn't make sense?

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Alto Mare, reception

Channah: -exuding an aura of plain childish confusion in her expression and posture- No one's supposed to... feel... -gets up suddenly- Excuse me. I have to think. -walks away, picking up speed-

There is no disdain in nature, there is no humiliation.

Stormchaser

Ever: You ever feel like you made a great decision leaving a party when you did?

Brie: No, not really.

Ever: ...I could've gotten a ride from Pef.

Brie: It's alright. I was pretty tired.

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.

Reception

Elizabeth: "I mean...you and Ishtar were...are?...a thing. I feel like I'm taking her place. It feels wrong."

-A snek derg peers at Julius from under a table, eyes pressed against a pair of binoculars.-

"Dang that sure is totally poggers my good bitch"

Alto Mare Reception

Muddy: -Watching her leave- <So you finally did it, huh?>

...This party's overstayed its welcome, we should probably go soon. I suppose this beats her hating me forever like that time back in Mossdeep.

Muddy: <Hmm...>

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Reception

Julius: ...

It's... it's over. I... I need to move on. I can't stick to the past, it's literally a world away...

Laundry Room

Julius: And you're probably hungry.

Contact Me!

Hotel Fabulous, Alto Mare

Giacoma: <Rey, do you seriously think this is a good idea?>
Reynard, to Merlin: So, what brings you to the fanciest hotel in Alto Mare? And what fey-ish favor are you going to ask? If it's anything like that last one I ended up taking in '77, whoa nelly. Here's hoping I can keep this one on the down low, though. My son Richard isn't gonna like this one bit.