bottlecaplogs | March Catchall

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March Catchall - Goals and Quests

Who: Firoza and YOU! With a private toplevel for Firoza and Shoka
What: Firoza Istus has plans, and has things to do. You're super welcome to join her as she goes about on her own personal MSQ
When: The month of March
Where: All over Bottlecap Bay!
Warnings: Shouldn't be any, but I'll put them here when they come up.

[Well! After a stamp of approval, some advice on how to put some things into motion, and a month under her belt of living in this new world, in this new form, Firoza has some things about town she's focused on taking care of over the course of...what seems to be the Second Astral Moon? One, two, three...yeah, that'd be Second Astral.

(The Eorzean calendar can be a bit rough to remember when you don't grow up with it. But anyway.)

The Questboard is checked pretty often, and while her eyes linger on the exploration or rescue missions, Firoza knows her limitations. She needs practice in combat before she can effectively contribute to any of those. So, for now, the supply missions are what she's taking on. While she goes to gather berries and twigs with Emporio and Junpei on two separate occasions, she also goes back down to the Mines to help get some more cool rocks with Shoka. If you'd like to thread something out during those explorations, or even just meeting up outside the questboard to talk about joining up for that, you're absolutely welcome to! And you're super welcome to notice how pointedly Firoza's eyes linger on the other kinds of quests.

When not out gathering materials, Firoza can be found in one of two places. The first? A clearing in the Canopy, where a tired old stump has been left to be reclaimed by the earth. Must've been a big tree that fell over in a storm, by the looks of how the top is splintered, but some Pokemon probably tugged that huge fallen log away to use for construction long ago, because it's nowhere to be seen, and there's no beaten down path of grass from a recent effort.

But it's perfect as it is, this stump. After all, this is clearly a Level One Training Dummy.

Firoza's cries as she lashes out at the stump ring out from the clearing, as she launches herself at the wood in Scratches and Double Kicks, and even the occasional attempt at Poison Sting...but only if she's still and aiming very carefully. We don't need errant poisonings here. She works on lashing out on all fours, on rearing up on her hind legs, maintaining balance...it's all simple moves, more to train herself on how to move rather than building strength in her blows. That can always come later. If you want to smack a stump for a while, or are concerned when you hear yelling somewhere in the Canopy, you're welcome to come over! Absolutely critique her form if you know what you're doing, she'd appreciate it.

The other place Firoza often lingers is at a shop run by Spinarak, specializing in producing things made from extremely strong thread spun by the proprietress in question and other Bug Pokemon. They're all very bemused by this gentle-voiced Nidoran fumbling with a wooden sewing needle in her paws and her unrelenting persistence, and are very welcoming, considering her greenlight to namedrop Ribombee as the one who pointed her this way. Anyone can come and see her here...but Shoka is the one person who gets a personal invitation to come along one day, if she's interested.

Other than that? Firoza's staying at the Cheri Berry base, so her fellow guildmates are welcome to find her there! Feel like chatting? She's happy to listen! Think of this as your Wildcard option.]

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Right?

[Fortunately, she doesn't have any problem with creepy-crawlies. Come to think of it, she technically is one now.

She laces her claws together, fidgeting a little.]

You've got way more experience at this than me, so... how do you bet we're gonna start?

Well, we would be learning our available tools and materials. Seeing what works best with our hands, as they are. Learn the basic stitches on scraps...that's how it started for me. I can't imagine it wouldn't be similar.

Right... Makes sense, I guess. Not that I'd really know...

[There's an awkward pause; she tugs lightly on one of her disguise's ears.]

... Hey, listen. Thanks—for coming to get me and all. Really. [It means a lot to her—but she's already said that to Firoza once before.] I'm... ready to give it a shot whenever you are.

[Firoza looks a little surprised at the additional thanks.]

Of course - it's no trouble. And it wouldn't be fair if I kept the opportunity to myself, after you said you were interested.

[Like you just always see if you can help a friend out, that's just how it works.]

[Her tail-stick actually gives a brief and apparently subconscious wag at that.] Lead the way then, boss.

[She would like to see the spider!]

[She chuckles! Nobody's called her boss before. New nickname!

Much better than some of the others she's been given by others, for sure.]

Happily.

[Do we want to fast forward to being at Spinarak's, or meeting her, or...? I'm cool with w/e]

[When they arrive at Spinarak's shop, the arachnid Pokémon is there to greet them with a smile (on the back of her abdomen). Shoka is for once on her best behavior, almost meek in comparison to her usual rude and standoffish demeanor. Emanating a nervous energy, she watches and follows along with rapt attention as Spinarak gives them a tour of the shop, showing them where all products and materials for sale are stored, where Firoza and Shoka can find implements for themselves, and eventually where they can take some time to start practicing. The shop is short on hands, Spinarak says, so she's elated that Ribombee sent Firoza to her, and now just as happy to have Shoka here, too. Mimikyu are natural seamstresses, she half-jokingly remarks at one point, probably in some attempt at easing Shoka's nervousness. All Shoka can say in response is, Actual Mimikyu, maybe...

Ultimately, work inevitably calls Spinarak away; she presents Shoka and Firoza both with spider-thread, needles, and scraps of fabric before skittering off elsewhere for a while, leaving them alone.

Gatto Nero's creator must have started out like this, too, once upon a time... But Shoka finds herself doubting that she would have had quite so much trouble with step one. Holding the needle and thread before her real, squinting eyes, she tries once more—with rising frustration—to feed the thread through the needle's eye.

For what feels like the umpteenth time, she misses. She grumbles under her breath.]

Ugh... Come on...

[Firoza, meanwhile...yeah, she's having some trouble too, fumbling a bit with the needle. But she did manage to get it threaded.]

...I don't know if it's rude to assume, but. In this body, if you have a mouth...whetting the tip of the thread usually helps get it to go through the eye. And I've done it with this kind before. It's completely safe.

[It is spider silk, somehow not sticky, but...like...sometimes you abide by old habits before you realize it.]

[Shoka flinches a little despite herself.]

Gotcha... [Still glaring at the end of the thread like it owes her money, she considers the advice.] Honestly? Not sure if I actually have one or not. I mean, I can eat and everything, but...

[Considering the lack of privacy in the Spire and her own, instinctual discomfort, she's hardly looked at her new body at all, and the glimpses of it she has gotten were bewildering at best. She has teeth, she thinks, but they sit in a strange, incomprehensible spiral, and though she can definitely taste, she somehow can't be sure if she has a true tongue.

Regardless, she can at least give it a shot. Sheepishly, she withdraws her arms (and the needle and thread) into her disguise. Whatever she tries under there seems to work, because when her claws reemerge, they're holding the needle by the thread drawn through its eye.]

Hah! Step one down. [Sigh!] Only... all the rest left to go.

[Firoza watches...and her lil Nidoran behind kinda wags a little, subconsciously. It's almost like a dog with a stubby tail trying to wag its tail, just not nearly with the speed of zoomies.]

That's the most important step! Wonderful!

[She snorts.] I guess... You don't have to hype me up that much though...

[But she appreciates it, really.]

Now I've just gotta knot the ends... And then I can start stabbing this thing, right?

[This thing being the two small squares of scrap fabric she's trying to sew together for practice.]

Nonsense. My mother was very encouraging, and her example is that which I follow.

[Gentle and understanding with corrections, yet earnest and pleased by progress. Mama Istus really is the best.]

That's the gist of it, yes. [If a bit violent. But like, what is sewing if not many tiny stabbings?]

Right. And you were how old then?

[Basically a baby, she presumes, because this feels like being babied. The lack of bite in her tone indicates that she isn't really mad about it, however.

It must be working, too, because knotting the ends of the thread proves to be less challenging for her than step one. A couple moments later, she's successfully spearing the two squares of cloth with the needle.]

Four winters.

[So basically at the beginning of her most solid memories, and when she could actually hold the tools.]

She was a weaver and seamstress by trade, and where we lived was very cold - it was an important skill to have.

So, four. I'm a bit older than that, if you hadn't noticed...

[She draws the thread through the opposite side of the fabric. Baby's first stitch, complete!]

...I still don't think it's inappropriate to be supportive to someone new to something.

There's being supportive, and then there's babying.

[She's still clearly not actually mad about it, though. She starts in on another stitch, placed unevenly beside the first.]

Has anyone ever told you that you're way too nice?

[Tilts her head like a curious dog]

No, I don't think they have. But I can see what you mean. I do not come from a wholly kind world, after all.

[Regardless, Shoka supposes there's only one thing left for her to do now: pay the support (and babying) forward.]

... Well, guess you're doing wonderful, too, or whatever. Threaded that needle on the first try and everything! Like you've always had no hands! Go you.

[Shrugs at her need, smiling slightly.]

Well. Thank you.

[She thinks it'll be more impressive if she can wield it, but let's not backtrack into arguing about praise and all that.]

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March Catchall - Goals and Quests

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