bottlecaplogs | January+February Catch-All

[As soon as Pignite starts listing off ingredients and amounts, Siffrin can feel their stomach sinking. It's baking that's the one where you have to be precisely exact, isn't it...? There's absolutely no chance.]

[There is, however, one advantage of deciding your new personality needs to be catty (teehee) and obnoxious! You can admit to your terrible memory, but make it sound like it's just because you don't care enough, not because you're a useless forgetful mess.]

[Cheerfully, they announce,] I'm not gonna remember any of that.

[Downside: they do actually care about doing a good job right now. They'll just have to make up for it some other way...]

[They glance to their side, at Noelle.]

Just tell me what to do, okay?

[There's two things she knows about Siffrin:

1. They're one of Shoka's best friends!
2. They helped save her when she ran away!

... and, also, maybe they're a wizard? Unclear. Still, she imagines someone cool and kind... so when Siffrin just seemingly gives up, she's taken aback.]

Umm... okay? Faha. [She's much better at being told what to do, herself...]

So, you'll want to mix all the dry ingredients... [She helpfully lists out exact measurements of flour, baking powder, and so on.]

[Siffrin listens to this surprisingly attentively for someone who just made a big production of not putting in effort remembering. As long as Noelle's giving them just one or two directions at a time, they seem to do just fine.]

[Once they get to mixing in the wet ingredients, and the stirring required is more intensive, Siffrin starts alternating between holding the spoon between their teeth and clamped between their front paws. Their body type isn't really built for this, and while they've seen other Pokemon stir with various moves... they don't have anything suitable. Still, they've got no room to complain - Noelle's Deerling shape isn't any better!]

[...]

[While they've got the spoon in their paws...] You do a lot of baking, don't you?

[Did they hear that from Shoka, or someone else...? They don't remember. Maybe it's just based on the impression Biggs gave off while sending them to Pignite.]

[What do they mean by that? Is she being too bossy? Too commanding?

... It's just baking, she reminds herself. Maybe they didn't mean anything by it.]

I mean, I wouldn't say that, you know? I did more when I had, you know... [She glances at them struggling with the stirring.] Hands.

So... just a lot of baking for a deer?

[Hands! The things you take for granted...]

All I ever did was eat baked goods, even when I had hands. So you've still got me beat, angel!

[Hang on what was that.]

['Angel'... where has she heard that before? Why does it feel like she missed a step? She freezes, and then slowly lets herself come back to normal.]

... So you also came from another world, then?

[...oh! Yeah, they guess knowing Shoka and Bigby isn't really a guarantee that they're not a native Pokemon. Especially with someone like Shoka, who - no matter what she says - gets along with a lot of people. And Siffrin sounds kind of similar to Shinx, like how Dr. Denne's name is similar to his species...]

Do I make that good a Pokemon? I'm flattered!

[They really are, a little bit, even if they wouldn't be able to admit it without making a joke out of it like this! Managing to fit in!]

[That sure was a reaction to the nickname, though, wasn't it...]

... um, I'm glad? Fahaha. It just seemed rude to assume. [And she will not be saying "you know what happens when you assume," because that involves saying a bad word.

(... Why does she still care?)]

Anyway, it's time to mix the wet and dry ingredients. I can take a turn if you want to watch for this part.

[She will be stirring using a combination of her front hooves- balancing carefully- and her mouth on the handle of the wooden spoon. Not exactly sanitary, but she doesn't have retractable vines or anything.

Once she can speak again, she turns to Siffrin.]

... All I really know is what Shoka said about you. I mean, not that we were gossiping! It was only good things!

[Siffrin steps back to let Noelle take a turn, tail flicking absently as they watch. It looks like they're not significantly worse than Noelle at stirring or anything, at least! (It's fine, it builds immunity. Or something. Just as long as they don't all end up in the clinic with that mysterious coma disease -)]

[They blink, visibly taken off guard, then transition as smoothly as they can to a smirk. They press one paw to their chest.] Don't worry, angel, I forgive you! Who wouldn't want to gossip about me?

[There's the click of hooves: Pignite trots up with a clay tray of baked cookies and decorating supplies, dropping them off on the counter in front of Siffrin.]

Careful, they're hot, [the Fire Pokemon advises, before glancing over at Noelle's stirring, giving it an approving nod, and then rushing off to another end of the kitchen.]

... that's good, I think? [She doesn't know how to respond to their comment, exactly. Fortunately, Pignite is there to save the day.] Don't those cookies smell good? You can pick the icing colors if you want! I'm going to keep working on this batter.

[Of course, Shoka did not tell her that Siffrin is colorblind.]

By the way, um... not that I mind, but where did you get that nickname from? 'Angel', I mean.

[Pick icing colors, huh... Siffrin eyes the box of decorating supplies balefully in a moment where they think Noelle is busy with the batter. Well, they can at least pick a lighter shade and a darker one? For the contrast.]

[They hold up their chosen colors for Noelle's approval, whatever they are.] How about these?

[Oops, busted. Cheating at nicknames...]

...okay, you've caught me. I didn't come up with it myself - I got it from those Deerling in the woods that were all mooning over you.

It sounded too cute not to use!

... Deerling in the woods? You mean, uh... [It's all a blur. She remembers a Vileplume in her way, she remembers using a Heal Pulse...] Oh! I remember them. But, I don't remember them 'mooning over' me? What do you mean by that?

They were practically ready to fight all of Bottlecap Bay over you, angel.

[They just barely keep themself from adding, 'Didn't you notice?' They still don't know the full story of whatever was going on with Noelle during that whole thing, but based on what Shoka said, she was clearly Going Through It. Like, 'stardust snapping at everyone and running off to the House alone' Going Through It.]

[... They're serious, aren't they?

What did she do? She's not really an angel. She's more of a demon, if anything. The only reason she helped those Deerling was because they weren't standing in her way. And now they have some entire cult around her?

She should go back and dispel any of those notions right now-- but she doesn't want to see them ever again. And wouldn't it be better to let them believe? Is false hope better than none at all?

... The cookies are done. Pignite returns to take them out and let them cool on the windowsill.]

... Sorry, I haven't finished the next batch yet.

[Pignite reassures her it's okay. How comforting it is to be mediocre at something.

"Dark blue and bright yellow icing..." Pignite muses, looking at the cookies Siffrin has decorated. "Very celestial choice."]

Edited 2026-02-22 20:19 (UTC)

[Hmm. That really didn't go over well, did it...? And they don't want to upset her, as much as they're teasing...]

[Pignite shows up before they can say anything else, so they're distracted with that for a moment - celestial? And 'blue.' Isn't that the color they're supposed to be, mostly? Hm.]

[As if they intended it all along:] Of course!

[They've been doodling simple little Pokemon outlines on each of the cookies. As a consequence, it may look like they've been decorating them with constellations...]

[They wait until Pignite has trundled back off before adding:] Don't look so worried, angel! If any of them show up to try and steal you away, I'll chase them off! You know, if kittycat doesn't do it first.

[They put a bit of extra emphasis on the last bit, and wink.]

[Honestly, based on the devastation Noelle left behind her during All That, she could definitely do it herself. But that's not the point here! The point here is defusing with more teasing. About Shoka this time.]

K-kittycat?! [Oh no. That's... a really cute nickname for Shoka.] D-do you think she would? Gosh, maybe she would use her scary Ghost powers on them? A hundred shadowy tendrils chasing them off and holding onto me protectively or something, fahaha... [She's getting into this fantasy.]

[Oh no. Oh no they're delighted by this.]

[And also maybe feeling a little bit wistful... but for once, not in a bad way?]

Maybe you should get a little bit stolen away. Just to make sure she uses her scariest Ghost powers.

[Belatedly, they have the thought that maybe Noelle would enjoy some of Mirabelle's books...]

[Her ears: perked up. Her fur: standing on end. Her face: burning hot. (Though maybe the blush isn't visible through the fur.)]

You think she would?! [Agh! She was so stupid, 'having a mental breakdown' when she ran away instead of spying on all the cool ghost stuff that Shoka must have been doing!!!!!] I mean, I wouldn't want to put her through something like that again but just a little bit would be fine right? No, no, I couldn't, haha. [Calm down, Noelle. Remember the cookies.

Right, the cookies. She imagines Shoka absorbing one of them into her shadows and chewing on it with many teeth and fangs and the cookie being completely obliterated from the universe and--]

[The blush is totally visible through the fur. Not as red, mind, but only being able to see shades means they're a bit more sensitive to changes in those, and they can see her face growing darker...]

You need a little bit of drama for a really good romance, right?

[That's plays, Siffrin.]

[(It's hard to tell how seriously they're suggesting this...)]

^{I mean I wouldn't call it a romance or anything like I mean like sweet stocking stuffers I'm such a mess and she's way too cool for me you know I mean of course you know you're like her best friend and--}

[She has not inhaled once.]

[A breath.]

Seriously, though, cut it out, fahaha! Stop teasing me already!

I don't know what you mean!!

[But distraction successful??]

[As Noelle finishes up the dough and gets a tray ready, Pignite returns to rotate some batches in and out of ovens. He looks at the counter in passing, noticing a bag that's still sitting there, and pauses.] Mismagius hasn't picked up her order yet...

[He sounds a little worried.]

[Thank gosh, a distraction! Noelle sounds a little too eager to get out of the hot kitchen.] W-we can go check on her!

["Really? You're such an angel," Pignite says. Noelle's face instantly falls. "It must be the fog. You should go together to avoid getting lost out there."]

January+February Catch-All

Morpeko, More Problems (Noelle)

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