november catchall

[paperceptive]

Who: Odile, quest partners, & OPEN
What: catchall for November
Where: around the Bay
When: throughout November
Warnings: none atm!

Comments

[telewarped]

[That first sentence is already amazing, and then Odile generously gives her another. Shoka can't help herself; her concern turns to shock, then to amusement.]

Oh! Yeah, that's my bad. I warned you about the berries that explode old people, but I totally forgot about the pumpkins that explode old people! Oops!

[paperceptive]

Ha!

[ Frustrated with herself as she is, the jibe does make her bark out a laugh. ]

Better work on your briefing skills.

[telewarped]

Well, excuse me for not including literally everything in one lesson! Maybe you should've been doing more independent research. But hey, you didn't die, so there's that!

[And she's seen Odile die many, many times, hasn't she?

With an almost imperceptible shudder, she moves on.]

Looks like you took being exploded like a champ, actually. I'm almost impressed.

[paperceptive]

[ Hm...? What was that about? ]

We'd been seeing more and more combat back home, as we approached the King. Though I will say, those Berries also work wonders.

[ She's actually not convinced she should be feeling as decent as she does! But Odile's not gonna complain about that. ]

[telewarped]

I know, right?

[Berry that heals old people! Peace and love on Pokéarth.

She glances toward the (still nervous-looking) Audino.]

So... what were you saying before? Something about "checking yourself out"?

[paperceptive]

I can rest just as well in my own quarters.

[ Better, really, with her books and a little bit of privacy. ]

[telewarped]

Uh-huh. And how long's it been since you were literally blown up?

[A day? A few hours?]

[paperceptive]

Immaterial. I've been treated.

[ She might know that she's being sort of unreasonable, but. She's still doing it. ]

I'm not going to die in the night.

[telewarped]

Okay, Splodile.

[Shoka is no medical professional (and also has a history of trying to escape her own treatments), but she doesn't have to be to get the sense that Odile probably shouldn't be walking around unattended right now.]

Look, I know being stuck in the clinic sucks, but you look like hell. And you better not die, so... Maybe we should see where the nurse is going with this.

[paperceptive]

[ "Don't tell Siffrin that nickname" is the phrase that comes to mind, but Odile knows better than to say it. ]

What are they going to do without Healing Craft?

[ Anything internal...you'd need to go to a House for that. A shrine, in Ka Bue. ]

[telewarped]

You do know Pokémon have their own version of Healing Craft, right? Or is that another tip I've gotta add to my briefing?

[Again, she glances at the Audino.]

Audino especially get tons of healing moves.

[paperceptive]

Really?

[ What's with the bandages, then? Maybe their cooldown is just long enough that it's better used on more serious injuries. ]

Best get on with that so I can go home, then.

[telewarped]

Uh. I mean... Hate to be the bearer of bad news and all, but even with the healing moves, it's still gonna take longer than that for you to be back to normal...

[... She thinks. She's a gamer, not a medical professional!]

You're not seriously saying Healing Craft could fix you up instantly, are you? Just a friendly reminder here: you were literally exploded.

[paperceptive]

It could have been much worse. Healing Craft could handle minor injuries like this directly.

[ Indicating her bandaged-up cuts and burns. ]

Anything internal is much more complicated. Fortunately, that's not what we're dealing with here.

[telewarped]

Huh. [External or not, those injuries don't look minor to Shoka, but she supposes that she hasn't had a true body capable of bleeding in a long time. A healing psych in the UG could heal any damage instantaneously, but everyone in the UG was already dead, of course.] Well, that's super convenient and all, but it doesn't exactly work like that here. A blast injury isn't minor enough for a basic Heal Pulse. Too bad, sucks to be you!

[There's a pause before, very suddenly:]

So. What kind of food do you like?

[paperceptive]

Hmmm.

[ She sees what's going on here, but she'll go with the change in subject. ]

I enjoy a bit of spice. Perhaps - do they have onigiri here? Without apple slices?

[telewarped]

So... normal onigiri.

[Who puts apple slices in onigiri???

... On second thought, considering how bizarrely delicious and filling apples are in this world, maybe she shouldn't knock it before she tries it.]

Y'know, you could dream bigger than regular onigiri... But yeah, I think I can find you some. So don't go anywhere.

[Thus, her clever scheme is revealed: if Odile wants her onigiri, she'll have to stay put at least until Shoka returns. To her credit, Shoka at least has the decency to make a quick exit, shuffling away with purpose.

When she reappears a short while later, she's carrying a small box in her claws.]

Special delivery! They had Pokéumeboshi, Veluza meat, and plain, so... take your pick.

[paperceptive]

I'll try the Veluza.

[ While she's never seen a Veluza, it smells like fish. Odile's always liked fish well enough, but after becoming a Sneasel...it must be like cats, she guesses. ]

I've been craving something like this ever since the apple onigiri. Our chef, Boniface, has some creative ideas at times.

[ She wonders how they're doing. Not well, if their absence has been noted...yet, she's not at all certain it would have been. ]

[telewarped]

You got it. [Helpfully, she plucks that flavor out of the box and hands it to Odile. Her clever scheme is a success, it seems.] Apparently they've got an ability that lets 'em regenerate any flesh they lose, so... No Veluza were harmed in the making of this onigiri.

[Just a fun fact! Not that Odile seems particularly concerned about where the meat came from.]

I'll say. Never heard of anyone putting apples in onigiri... It totally tracks for Bonnie though.

[Only after she says it out loud—automatically, thoughtlessly, without even knowing what she means by that—does she realize how strange that is for her to say. She's never even met Bonnie. She tries to move on quickly.]

They were that bad, huh?

[paperceptive]

[ Odile hones in on that immediately, sorry! ]

Not one of their better ideas, for sure. Has Siffrin told you about them?

[telewarped]

[Figures! Shoka snorts.]

Yeah, they told me about all of you. Just the basic stuff—like your names, what kinda role you had on the team... [How they died and died and died...] That sorta thing.

[paperceptive]

Hm. Yes, I suppose he would.

[ Gems know how fond he is of them. Odile thinks it with more wry fondness than Siffrin would probably believe. ]

I miss the others too. But I'm glad Boniface isn't here, at least. They'll want to get back to their sister, after all.

[ It seems cruel to delay that reunion even more, after they've waited so long. Odile doesn't know what their plans for travel were, given Siffrin's health, but Isabeau had sent a letter to Bambouche explaining the situation. Petronille would likely show up sooner or later. ]

[telewarped]

[He—?

Oh... Right. Odile thinks she's talking about Stardust, doesn't she? Not... her Siffrin. That's going to be weird to figure out. Thankfully, Shoka's Pokémon form being faceless means that her momentary confusion doesn't show, and her voice is unusually gentle when she continues.]

I bet. I... would've liked a chance to meet everyone, to be honest. Considering how much Frinrin's hyped you all up. [She's exaggerating, but only a little; said hyping up came more from Siffrin's memories than their mouth.] Didn't even know Bonnie had a sister, though...

[paperceptive]

None of us have ever met her either. She was frozen before we met Boniface.

[ It was a grimmer encounter than this brief summary would seem to imply. She glosses over it. ]

[telewarped]

Oh. [Cowabummer. She seems to be debating something with herself for a moment before she adds,] Because of that "King" creep, right...?