holidaygirl1225: (blush4)
Noelle Holiday ([personal profile] holidaygirl1225) wrote in [community profile] bottlecaplogs2025-09-05 08:27 am

Noelle's September Quest Ho-ho-home [Catch-All]

Who: Noelle & Shoka, Archnemon, Bigby
What: Quests! (Scholastic Decisions, No Pain No Grain, A Dour Struggle)
Where: Icefall Lake, around Death Blood Murder Skull Town, the woods
When: Mid/Late September
Warnings: Pokemon battling (violence/injury), potential references to death/disassociation
wolfcut: (104)

[personal profile] wolfcut 2025-09-05 08:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Venturing beyond the borders of Death Blood Murder Skull Town — god, what a fucking mouthful that turned out to be — he makes sure to take it slow with Noelle following close by. A bit further in, he considers eating a seed or two before the fighting inevitably begins, until he remembers his company. No, he can wait on that, actually. ]

You’re fine, Noelle. [ He means it, but the disgruntled sigh that follows might come across as otherwise. Whoever was in charge of assigning quests clearly needs a quote-unquote talk after this is all said and done. ] Just think of it as another lesson. It’ll be—wait.

[ He puts his arm out to stop, motioning with his other hand to keep quiet. He glances around them with ears on alert. Pack hunters. Right.

A Howl erupts before three Hondours jump from hiding, though one is just unlucky enough to land face first on a Thunder Punch. While it tries to get back on its feet, the other two move in closer with low growls. Bigby gives a few of his own until he glances back up at Noelle, his brows furrowing slightly.
]

... You, uh. You ready? [ Because those Houndours sure are charging in for a few Bites. ]
telewarped: (Don't sweat it)

[personal profile] telewarped 2025-09-06 05:07 am (UTC)(link)
Based on what she'd heard about Noelle's dream, Shoka might have guessed that she would have more of a dislike for the cold. Instead, it's just the opposite; Noelle is in her element in the snow, prancing around without a care in the world. But maybe Shoka shouldn't be so surprised. After all, her name is Noelle Holiday.

Watching her, Shoka can't help but laugh. "Dork..."

She and Noelle make for a rather unprofessional-looking pair of bodyguards, especially beside the silent, serious sentinel that is Aegislash, but Aegislash doesn't seem to mind, and Shoka wouldn't have it any other way.

Eventually, however, the cold worsens—to the point that Shoka notices Noelle shivering, try as she might to hide it.

"Aw, what's this?" teases Shoka, shuffling over the surface of the snow toward Noelle. "No more frolicking left in you?"

She's drawn something out of her satchel: a length of thick, white fabric. With a free hand, she motions for Noelle to approach her.

"C'mere for a sec."
wolfcut: ([comic] 003)

[personal profile] wolfcut 2025-09-06 05:33 am (UTC)(link)
[ That yelp makes his confidence waver just a bit more, but his nose twitches as the grassy scent fills the air. It's oddly calming, and for whatever reason, his mind wanders to his damn seeds again. Just pushing that thought aside one more time.

As Noelle deals with her Houndour, the other rushes at Bigby, and while he lets off a Thunder Shock, it's not enough to stop it completely. He presses against its jaw as it tries to gnash at him, unable to focus enough to charge another attack.

Instead, he looks over at the Deerling, and between grunts, he manages to shout out:
] Hit it, Noelle. With a Tackle or— [ What do deer even do except run? ] —ram it! [ Wrong animal. Whatever. ] Hey, hey, hey, where the hell are you going?

[ The Houndour pulls away from him, intent on helping its packmate, until Bigby launches himself right on it. He's pulling on its ears to redirect its attention, but he might as well be holding on for his own sake as it starts jumping around like a mechanical bull. Fun. ]
wovensecrets: (examining)

[personal profile] wovensecrets 2025-09-06 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
[ Once upon a time, Archnemon might have scoffed at having to do tasks like this, though usually she wouldn't have had a choice in the matter. Odder still, to make the choice willingly to do so. Anyone could do these...? But something about the very nature of survival being at the heart of it and the need to keep busy is very compelling. And something nice to do away from a recent clinic stay. Ugh.

In any case, having a chance to partner off with a ... pupil? Mentee? ... She has no idea how to quantify this, she doesn't know how this sort of thing keeps happening here, but it seems like a good opportunity. Regrettably, she's not as fast, but it's easier for her to move once they're further away from the larger grouping of Pokemon in the town.

Nervous, happy energy? Well, at least it's pep enough to work with. ]


Well, quite busy, though I do try to be! I hope your training has been going well. Who expected this little town would grow up so quickly?

[ And even more amusing that somehow this choice won, perhaps especially so for how people react saying it or avoid it. Good job Noelle for trying even though it hurts. ]
wolfcut: ([comic] 006)

[personal profile] wolfcut 2025-09-06 10:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Bigby Bites down hard to stay holding on. Less than effective, even as his teeth break skin, but he follows up with another Thunder Shock. He can feel its body begin to tense, paralysis setting in, but not before it manages to send him off with one last kick. Next thing he knows, he's tumbling right up against the other Houndour. Immediately, he turns to keep fighting, only —

Yeah, that guy's knocked out cold.
] ... No kidding. [ He nudges against it for good measure, just to make sure, but no. Noelle sure did do it. Good job crosses his mind, until he's too distracted to get the words out. She might be able to muffle her scream, but there's no hiding the smell of burnt fur from him. ] How bad is it? Be honest.

[ Speaking quietly, he moves closer to her, but with no healing moves and body that can barely shield half her size, there's not much for him to offer. Frustrating. With the Houndours moving in, he finally goes for his last resort: Seed Bomb. He's not expecting much, just enough to keep them from pouncing right away, but to his surprise it's hitting a lot harder than expected. Huh. ] When I run out of seeds, get ready to move, alright? Don't want another one of those to hit.

[ He's already down to his last few, without realizing he might be forgetting his usual hunger management precautions. ]
wolfcut: ([comic] 027)

[personal profile] wolfcut 2025-09-08 06:45 am (UTC)(link)
[ It's a relief to hear, but they're not quite out of the woods yet. His ears flick, eyes glancing back over at the downed Houndour starting to come to as the pack growls amongst itself, ready to give chase the moment any sudden movements set them all off. The more he thinks about it, the more fucked it seems to send a deer to fight these things, conveniently forgetting he's not exactly an apex predator himself anymore.

But, he has to give credit where credit is due.
] Take off right when I land these, got it? And don't make it easy for them. Zig-zag. Use the trees for cover. Any that catch up to you, just kick 'em off your tail, same as before.

[ Funny, giving this sort of advice. He takes in one last breath, the Houndours beginning to rush in. ] And don't worry. I'll be right behind you. [ Attention back on the pack, he fires his last few Seed Bombs, not at them, but some of the heavier branches above. With a stronger impact, they break just as intended, falling right on target. That takes care of some of them for now. As for the rest, he's too busy booking it himself to take a headcount.

He tries not to steer too close toward Noelle at first, if only to try to divert them, but seems they're too intent on prioritizing the Grass-type.
] —damn it.

[ Best he can do is Leer while he tries to catch up. Surely she's got this a second time. ]
wovensecrets: (perky)

[personal profile] wovensecrets 2025-09-08 07:56 am (UTC)(link)
Oh my, you've really been stepping up! Told you, that you could do it.

[ Archnemon certainly can sense the slight dip in the emotions, and winces only slightly, as she can tell that the happy feelings were definitely covering something else (longing, loneliness), but the comfortable thing about being in Noelle's aura was that positive reinforcement seemed to work around her to help even it out enough for her to not crash out immediately around her.

Stranger for her to feel genuine about it, too, instead of just using for this benefit, and it surprises her that it does... but maybe that was the benefit of being in such a strange world when priorities change and one has to live with the side effects of empathy headaches...? Still, she can't help herself - she usually mirrors others rather than opening up. ]


But, what do you do to relax? I admit, I've been at a loss for hobbies myself...
telewarped: (Share all of what came true)

[personal profile] telewarped 2025-09-09 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
Unthinkingly, Shoka tosses the bolt of fabric (which might have been originally intended for use as a blanket for a small Pokémon) up onto Noelle's back, drawing it loosely around her like a shawl—and then, seeing (what she mistakes for) fear in Noelle's posture, stiffens.

Oh—right. Noelle is an easily spooked deer and Shoka is an accursed, killer ghost. Obviously she should be keeping her distance and especially keeping her claws to herself. Her bad.

"What?" she hisses, suddenly defensive. "I—just know you're still getting used to the whole no hands thing, so..." Her eyes briefly dart away... and then return to the blanket. "Ugh, just stay still, okay?"

After a moment of fiddling with the fabric, she manages to tie it off around Noelle's neck, comfortably warm and snug. With that done, she shuffles backward in a huff and scans their vicinity for Aegislash—more for an excuse to look at something other than Noelle than out of worry. Fortunately, Aegislash is taking notes of some kind and is paying them no mind.

"There. How's that?"
wovensecrets: (perfectly fine)

[personal profile] wovensecrets 2025-09-11 05:17 am (UTC)(link)
It's definitely tricky.

[ It's easier to talk about other people's hobbies and considerations more than her own, when so much had to go to the wayside when work became the only priority.

Still, no one was really setting those priorities anymore, as much as she was still filling her time with "work". Hm. Was this really a genuine act of consideration? It was such a strange thing. Something she might be more inclined to dismiss, if she hadn't gone and encouraged it to begin with. Why were people nice to her here, anyway...? Weird! Right then. ]


Oh, do you really? I used to play flute, but I've never sung around other people before. At least where anyone else was supposed to hear me...

[ A short quick laugh. It's not something she - thinks about. If she might have, if she wanted to - none of that was relevant, before. She can think of one person who might have encouraged it, and another who might have forbid it if it were too much a distraction. No more car radio, after all. ]

So, if you would like me to sing with you, you just might have to teach me a few songs, Noelle-chan.
wovensecrets: (listening)

[personal profile] wovensecrets 2025-09-12 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
[ ... Well for her, Christmas was... she looks distracted for a moment. ]

Hm?

[ Wait no, she knows time is different here, along with her own issues with it recently. Though it's also associated with a thought path she'd been particularly avoiding, so she shakes herself out of it. How did this end up so focused on her anyway... she'd need to look for an opportunity to divert when she could. ]

Oh, I've taught myself to play some of them before, if that counts...

[ That is, following along with Ode to Joy was dramatic enough for someone who had Bach's Toccata and Fugue as their ring tone... ]
wolfcut: ([art] 010)

[personal profile] wolfcut 2025-09-13 09:06 am (UTC)(link)
[ What he lacks in size, he makes up for in speed, but even then, catching up and keeping pace brings its own toll. Eyes red, heart racing, he can feel his energy start to deplete faster than it should be. The few stray Thunder Shocks he lands from the sidelines do nominal damage at best, with the Houndours seemingly able to shake it off each and every time. There's only so much he can do before it becomes too much. They're bound to reach her, and then—

—and then, she laughs. His eyes go wide, watching as she's able to knock them down while they nip at her heels. The scent of singed fur in the air still puts him on edge, but she's holding her own, just like before. There's a hint of pride welling, maybe, like a teacher watching his student finally come into her own in spite of all worries.

She can pull through, until she can't.
]

Noelle!

[ He calls after her, desperation in his voice pleading for her to move. But she's frozen in the face of absolute danger, leaving only one option. Mustering what strength he can, he dashes forward with a Quick Attack, sliding in between them both before pivoting to launch right at the Houndour. The Flamethrower hits him head on.

He doesn't cry out in pain, not even as they tumble over each other on the ground trying to assert dominance. Instead, he snarls, deep, guttural, feral. There's nothing but him and this beast twice his size, ready to make a meal of him as his body begs to seize altogether. Eventually, he loses the fight. It pins him down, even as he continues to struggle, but it doesn't make its final blow, not yet. Instead, it simply stares with a strange curiosity, as if in sympathetic recognition.
]

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