[Catchall] Settling In

[pyrodulia]

Who: Agnes and You
What: The process of getting acclimated to a new body and a new world
When: October
Warnings: Mention of Agnes' canonical death (no details), discussion of gruesome use of human remains, cult activity, fire used to destroy important things.

She never actually put any milk in it. She never even drank it. She’d just take it over and sit there, staring out the window into the street for an hour or so, then stand up and leave. I’d go over to clear away her coffee. It was always scalding hot.

The way she always used to order the coffee, it always sounded like she was enjoying it. The order, I mean. Like the phrase “one black coffee with room for milk” was a delightfully novel thing for her to say.


1. Coffee
There was a cafe back home, the Canyon Cafe. Agnes started visiting in 1991, and she was certain that the staff noticed she didn't seem to age a day between then and 2006, when she...before she arrived here in Bottlecap Bay. She'd gotten into a habit, ordering a black coffee with enough room for milk, and then setting with the cup and not drinking a drop. It was the normalcy of the act of ordering she craved.

Here, though, adjustments need to be made. As a Ninetales (what a silly name), she can't exactly hold a mug, so the coffee is prepared and put into a shallow bowl for her. And as a Ninetales, rather than what she was before, she can actually drink it.

She's surprised, with the first sip, exactly how bitter it is. In fact, the look on her face might be comedic for onlookers. There is absolutely sputtering happening, and her tails all standing up straight like a row of exclamation marks.


2. Canopy
For some reason, Rimbombee went out of his way to ensure that Agnes's living quarters up in the Canopy are water-resistant, if not completely impervious to rain, making her more comfortable than some of the other Cheri Berries. In the meantime, though, she can be found exploring the Canopy as a whole or bringing messages from those standing watch to the main building.

There's a restlessness to her that's obvious if you watch her for long. But that restlessness was one she had since she was anchored by Gertrude Robinson. Then, she existed unable to fulfill her purpose. Here and now, she doesn't know what her purpose is.

If you're around the Canopy, perhaps this is a good time to meet the new recruit? After all, she's fully herself instead of Froslass's pet bitch now.


3. Chitin
Agnes has no issues with bugs, in the abstract. But the first time she sees a spider web bridging the gap from the branch of a tree to its trunk, her response is more than a little 'kill it with fire'. Which is especially dangerous considering she's capable of launching a Flamethrower without even thinking about it.

And now the tree's on fire, and the Joltik whose web she just immolated is very upset. Someone should do something about that. Like, now.


4. Wildcard
Catch me on darkersolstice, wherever you get your social media, to plot.

Comments

3, because he's unfortunately, like this,

[ourtomorrow]

[ Ken has not been a Pokemon very long, but it doesn't take much time to learn both his species name ("Lokix") and that Pokemon, like Digimon, have an established taxonomy that affects their everyday lives. To wit, Ken is a "Bug/Dark" type. This gives him advantages in certain situations and disadvantages in others. He is "weak", for example, to fire.

This does not stop him from running up at the first hint of smoke. ]

Is everyone all right?!

[ He turns to the nearest Pokemon - a fox of some sort. ] Are any Pokemon still in the tree?

[pyrodulia]

I'm not sure. But there aren't any spiderwebs in the tree anymore.

[Her tone of voice is somewhat callous, and she gives Ken a somber sidelong look.]

[ourtomorrow]

[ No spiderwebs.....Did she set the fire?! Without being sure whether anyone was -

Not the time. Ken unsnaps his back legs, lurching upwards into Showdown Mode. He's still getting the handle of this, but for height, and jumping prowess he can't beat it. ]

I'm going to look for anyone trapped. Can you get help? Look for water sources, or Pokemon who can produce it.

[pyrodulia]

[Agnes bites back a defensive, snappy response, feeling justified in her feelings about webs and The Web, but instead nods and goes to look for Water types. Eventually, she seems to quite literally herd a Palpitoad over, nudging the pokey little frog boi with her snout to try and get him to go faster.

...great with people, this fox.]

[ourtomorrow]

[ Ken's finished his surveillance of the tree by the time they return. He'd found a bird of some sort (Pidg....??) distressed at the top, stunned and frightened, but he'd urged it and it'd flown away.

Even with an exoskeleton for a face, his relief at seeing Agnes return with a Water-type is as, well, palpable as that toad. ]

Thank you....It hasn't spread to other trees. Should I carry you?

[ That last bit is to the Palpitoad, who shakes his little head (so, his little body) and sets forth to conquer the blaze with Water Gun, Ken hovering behind him in case he can't reach.

Oh, Ken is also wearing a Caterpie like a hat. He found this little guy too and it's too scared to move. As you do. NBD, right? ]

1

[paperceptive]

Hah!

[ A little indelicate, maybe, but Odile can't help but notice a reaction like that. She's nearby with her own coffee, which is in a large mug rather than a bowl; she can hold it between her forepaws, as long as she's careful with her claws. ]

Is that good, or bad?

[pyrodulia]

It's rather strong.

[Alright, perhaps the way she's been ordering it for decades is a little intense, now that she finally gets to drink it. But hey, isn't that what the 'room for milk' was for?]

[paperceptive]

It does take some getting used to.

[ Tea is the more common drink of choice in Ka Bue. It's what Odile still prefers, most of the time, but coffee sure does help with late nights. ]

I'm surprised they have it here. It's toxic to most animals.

[pyrodulia]

We aren't all exactly animals, are we? I breathe fire.

[To be fair, that was a little like the difference between her and people before. Sure, she may not have been a literal flamethrower, but a single touch could cause a blistering burn. A kiss on the cheek sent someone to the hospital.

(She wonders what became of him, after. That was very shortly before her death.)]

1

[wolfcut]

Make it a coffee. Even in his sorry state, Bigby did indeed remember that.

His order leaves no room for anything but a sprinkle of sugar. Strange, considering his general distaste for sweets, but it helped cut through the bitterness when he first started drinking it however many decades ago now. Even when finally learned not to scrunch his nose at every sip, the habit managed to stick with an ever growing collection of mismatched sugar packets at his desk to show for it.

He holds his own cup (perhaps too big for someone his size) with both paws, blowing against the steam before finally taking a drink. As he watches her reaction over the rim, Bigby can't help but smirk.

"Taste even better than you imagined?"

[pyrodulia]

"Stronger. I might actually need the milk. And some sugar." And it looks like there's a shaker of nutmeg on the condiment counter that inexplicably smells like the autumn and winter seasons to her, so some of that may get added to the cup too.

"I don't think it's bad, though. I'm just not used to it, yet. I never expected to get the opportunity."

[wolfcut]

"Here," he hums quietly, first setting his cup down before sliding over the sugar bowl in her direction. It's far too much for him alone, but good that they gave him enough to share. "Start with one scoop. It helps tone it down."

Bigby wonders if he should at least put it in for her, considering her lack of thumbs, but he chooses to wait rather than assume. His paws wrap around the cup again, just to hold for now.

"You're fine. Most people don't take it black." Good thing she left room for milk. He taps at the ceramic. "Why is that, anyway? Not a lot of coffeeshops where you're from?"

[pyrodulia]

She is learning how to manipulate (ah, the etymology of the word betrays her) tools and utensils with her mouth, so even if some of the sugar is spilled along the way, she does get a spoonful into the cup and stir it.

"No. There was one I visited every Tuesday, the Canyon Cafe in Sheffield. I ordered this same thing every week." And never drank it, apparently.

2

[no_ufo_ending]

Henry has been a very quiet neighbor. Some things never change. He's made peace with sleeping on a little pile of dried grasses and honestly, his new body makes curling up rather easy. He also appreciates the rainproof roof--or he did until it sprung a leak.

He passes the Ninetales with a few flats of bark, some nails, and a hammer in his claws. One of his feet catches on an uneven bit of flooring and he fumbles the hammer. Curse having only three fingers on each hand!

"Look out!" He didn't want the hammer to land on anyone's paws.

[pyrodulia]

The Ninetales' tails are excellent for batting projectiles away from herself.

"You should be more careful. You could hurt someone." There's nothing sharp about that rebuke, and she moves to grab the hammer with her mouth to bring back toward Henry. Ew, mouths, but she has no other way to pick things up. Damned lack of fingers.

[no_ufo_ending]

Henry winces and dips his head. "I'm sorry. I'm not used to my...hands..." He admits. He accepts the hammer and tucks it carefully in the crook of one arm, shifting the rest of his supplies with the other. He needs a backpack or something.

[pyrodulia]

"Then perhaps you shouldn't be doing it alone, while you're still adjusting to your body." Not that she isn't just as new and fresh. But being a fire elemental of sorts is familiar enough that she's able to fake it.

(She might not realize that this sounds like she's offering help, yet.)

3

[friendlyflower]

A fun fact: Sunkern's Pokedex entry states that sometimes it falls out of trees.

Flowey happens to be up in a tree, enjoying watching everyone from high up when a flamethrower nearly burns him to a crisp. He falls out and lands ungracefully on the ground with a thump. To add insult to injury- or really, further injury to blunt force trauma- the surprised Joltik hits him with a Thundershock out of surprise. It's not very effective, but it leaves him twitching and miserable.

"Anyone else?!" he shouts into the air. "How about someone comes and kicks me while I'm down?! Nobody wants to spit on me, too?!"

[pyrodulia]

"I could step on you, little seed."

Agnes, no. The Ninetales, content the web is no longer going to be a threat, is not actually here to start a fight. With Joltik or with Flowey.

[friendlyflower]

Flowey is about to say something very rude, but then he remembers that the Ninetales is very powerful and could burn him until there was nothing left but ash. So instead he just. Smiles.

And then obliterates the Joltik with a Blast Seed.

That always helps. Once he's done with that, he turns back to Agnes. "No thanks."

[pyrodulia]

"Good. I have no quarrel with you."

Which is about as close as she's going to get to an apology, at least for now. Besides, his brutality in pelting that bug was almost a little amusing.

1!

[autumnrainrunaway]

Well, this certainly was an expression Dolly hadn't expected to see out in the town. Just how strong was the PokeCoffee here? Curiosity was strong in this small Sylveon.

"Is the coffee here this strong?"

Yep, good time to socialize with Agnes! Thankfully, Dolly seemed to have avoided Froslass's guard dog during the 'festival'. Dolly goes to trot over with a small donut bag clutched in her ribbon feelers.

[pyrodulia]

"Stronger than any I've ever sipped before." Technically true; she's never sipped any before, so this is the strongest by default. But that's neither here nor there. There's a pastel fox coming over, what does an Agnes do?

Ah yes, the dread beast of socialization

[autumnrainrunaway]

"I wonder if it can be diluted a bit to cut the strength down? Maybe with a creamer or a biscuit?" Dolly was a curious fae that was for certain. Yep, the pastel fox is likely going to hang out for the time being as she comes up to the table.

[pyrodulia]

"Creamer, probably, or milk." Agnes finds a small pitcher of creamer on a nearby table, realizing vaguely that she's not built to carry it over to the table. No prehensile bits on her.