LuckyBlackCat

Pokemon Spiral

@OtomostheCrazy I sent you the PM, are the notifications not working? That seems to happen sometimes...

A Change In Me: A Pokemon TF RP (fer1323 and LuckyBlackCat)

Mira

Mira remained restless as she waited for the dinner bell. She tensed at every shout, but Florentine's grip on her shoulder reminded her to stay by his side. She leaned against him, trying to relax for both their sakes. He didn't need to deal with her stress as well as the sparks that would surely fly over dinner, but the problem was, that was what occupied her thoughts.

At the sound of the dinner bell, she stood up, her top tiers swaying. "I'll be fine doing this," she insisted, heading into the dining hall to help the others. It was only fair to make the atmosphere as comfortable as possible. Both for Jean, who sat trying to drink himself into a stupor, and for the guest, ungrateful as she was. Not that the efforts would do much good.

---

Gabrielle Angouras

Gabrielle was turning this way and that, viewing the newly adjusted dress in a full length mirror, when the dinner bell sounded.

"Ah!" Simone's ears pricked up. "We'd better not keep the others waiting!" With that, the Audino scurried from the room. Sighing, Gabrielle followed. She hadn't thought she'd be hungry after the day's events, but all that running had taken a lot out of her, and she had to admit those were some rather appetising smells wafting from downstairs. To think she could have had to resort to eating grass in a forest... or ended up as food herself for wild Pokemon... She shuddered at the thoughts. Trying to push them away, she held her head high and strode into the hall.

The moment she did, she pulled back as an overenthusiastic mass of yellow and green bounced over, flowery hair bobbing around her shoulders. "Ohh! So you're our guest!" the plant Pokemon squealed, gripping the edge of the table as she nearly lost her balance. Clearly she wasn't used to moving around on her mermaid-like tail. "Welcome, and do take a seat! Consider the dress a gift."

Gabrielle glowered. "If by guest, you mean someone who doesn't exactly have a choice but to be here, then yeah," she replied, narrowed eyes flicking from the nymph to the creature sitting at the end of the table. She grimaced. That was the lord of this castle? That repulsive slimy frog? "Although I guess things could have been worse," she added, every word dripping disgust.

Mira bristled, turning that frosty blue glare on her. "Could we at least try to keep this introduction civil?"

The floral Pokemon's grin became a strained rictus. "Well... This has been a challenge for all of us," she explained. "But at least we can all support each other. Oh! And speaking of being civil, where are my manners? I'm Alyssa." Sweeping her arm in a wide arc, she introduced each of the other servants. "And this is our lord," she said finally, "Jean Ambiphian. Now, what's your name?"

Here it was. Her moment to make sure everyone knew to treat her with the respect she'd had all her life. Placing her hands on her hips, she looked around the hall before speaking loud and clear.

"Does the name Gabrielle Angouras ring any bells?"

Be my Sanctuary

Jessamyn "Jess" Bailey

The smile Jess put on came a little more easily to her. This time, Roxy was less resigned, more accepting of the offer. At least for now, she wasn't making things worse for the anchor. "Alright then." She glanced from Roxy to her mom, who nodded and stood up.

"Carbonara Corner it is," the older woman said, picking up her handbag and gesturing for the two to follow.

The familiar surroundings outside were just as jarring as the ones inside. More so, in fact. Not just because Jess couldn't feel like she fit in, but because there would certainly be people around who fit even less. She kept her eyes cast down, forcing herself not to look around like a frightened animal.

The walk only took about ten minutes. She followed the other two into the building, greeted by sensations that should have been soothing. The flickering glow of a stone oven. Chatter over mellow classical music. Food smells she knew and usually loved. This place hadn't changed, hadn't lost any of its inviting atmosphere. The empath reminded herself what Roxy had said. She should drop her guard, let herself relax. They weren't in any danger... not yet, anyway. Not as long as she could act normal. Which was the problem.

Once a waiter had led the group to a table, Jess sat down, making a conscious effort not to hunch her shoulders as she picked up the menu. She tried to focus on the list of meals, not on the people who could be around to watch.

Be my Sanctuary

Jessamyn "Jess" Bailey

Jess sighed. "You sure?" she asked, although nothing she said or did could get rid of that resigned feeling Roxy trailed with her like a shadow. It was clear that the anchor didn't want to deal with people, except her customers, and even then it depended which ones. The fact that it was all for good reason didn't ease Jess' guilt at dragging Roxy around as if she were some kind of everyday living aid instead of a human being.

She continued her deep breathing as she headed down the stairs. Don't make her notice, she told herself. Don't bring about what you're trying to prevent. Don't get Roxy into trouble.

"Sorry about that!" she called once in the doorway of the living room. "So, uh, where to? I was thinking the Carbonara Corner."

Her mom looked up with a smile. "So, Italian food's still your favourite?"

Jess nodded, although that wasn't the only reason. "Roxy, is that ok with you?" she asked, turning towards the anchor. "It's just a short walk." That was the real reason. The anchor didn't need to be dragged along on another car journey right after she'd put up with one for her sake. Nothing was going to make Roxy feel welcome or even respected, but Jess had resolved to try and minimise the stress this weekend would cause - even if the operative word there was "try".

Pokemon Spiral

Sophia Danvers

Mesalon Pokecentre

@fer1323 @Heckno12 @AbysmalDemon @Dusksong @Noxx

Sophia shook her head, unable to stop the anger rising. "No... No you don't understand. You can't even begin to understand. Just because you think you know everything doesn't mean you can judge my family like that! You don't know them! And since when was this any of your business anywa-"

She stopped as the nurse reappeared in the doorway with all three Pokemon. Clenching her teeth and unclenching them when the pressure set off her headache, she took a deep breath. Oscar had overstepped the mark this time, but she'd have to hold back what she wanted to say to him. Right now, the dragon took priority.

"Ita!" Lacey turned and ran towards the dragon. "Ita-gothi-gothi-ta!"

Sophia eased herself up and staggered to the Gothita's side, looking down at the Jangmo-o. He needed a comfortable, friendly atmosphere after his ordeal, and she wasn't going to ruin that.

Turning towards Oscar, Sophia glared, but nodded. "As long as this little one wants to," she replied, forcing herself to stay civil for the Jangmo-o's sake. "And you?" she said as the Bronzor floated over. "How about you, Clarus? Do you want to come along?" The metallic Pokemon closed its eyes and bobbed up and down, in approval of the name as well as agreement.

"Alright then." Sophia glanced around at the Pokemon, then at Oscar, hoping he wouldn't try to continue the conversation on the way. "Let's go."

Notes

Pokemon Party: Gothita "Lacey" lv14, Purrloin "Grimalkin" lv13, Staryu "Arcturus" lv13, Darumaka "Lumas" lv11, Shuppet (currently unnamed) lv11, Bronzor ("Clarus") lv11
Pokemon in PC:
Inventory: Pokeball x1, TM33 (Reflect)

---

Rachel

Mesalon Pokecentre

@fer1323 @Heckno12 @AbysmalDemon @Dusksong @Noxx

"Ohh! If you're heading off now, I'll come along!" Rachel piped up. As bad as she felt about leading these trainers into something they were unprepared for, she couldn't pass up the opportunity to find out what those ruins were hiding. "Surely Lan knows what's behind that door!" Such a central figure to this town, who'd lived here for this long, simply had to.

Now she thought about it, another question arose. Why had Ray never mentioned anything about this? There was no way her brother wouldn't have sensed whatever was in the ruins. If she could catch up to him any time soon, she'd have to ask why he'd been keeping this from her.

Be my Sanctuary

Jessamyn "Jess" Bailey

Jess took a deep breath as she hauled her suitcase upstairs. Roxy was right. By panicking at the thought of her mother possibly noticing something, she'd make that much more likely to happen. "Sorry," she whispered. "I'll do my best to ignore them." She had to. Even with the lingering reminder of the situation in the background, she'd have to act like it was just a normal family outing.

She headed into a room, closing the door behind her. Her room. No, not hers any more. This was weird, being back in this room after five years, books for teens still on the shelves and posters of bands she'd long since lost interest in on the walls. It felt like it belonged to someone else, or had once done. She dug a fresh top out of her suitcase and changed out of the coffee stained one into it, then opened the door to the anchor waiting outside.

"And seriously..." she added. "This is your choice too. What kind of food do you want?"

A Change In Me: A Pokemon TF RP (fer1323 and LuckyBlackCat)

Mira

Mira listened to Florentine's advice. "So, I guess that applies to our preconceived ideas about Psychic type Pokemon," she replied. "And you're saying I need to know my limits, I take it?"

Despite what she'd just said, she sat up when the other maid rushed past in a panic. "Hm? Simone! Is everything ok?" All she got was a hurried reply that everything was fine before the Audino disappeared down a hallway, probably in search of something or someone.

For a moment, Mira considered getting up and following Simone. Looking over at Florentine, she stayed where she was. He'd worry again, but did that really mean it was better to tolerate the guest's rudeness? "This whole situation's about as ok as that houseplant was when the branches got caught in my hair, or whatever it is now," she muttered.

It wasn't long before Simone ran back upstairs, and the muffled yells began again. "This can't just be ignored," Mira said, standing up, only for her headache to spike. With a groan, she sank back down. So much for knowing her limits.

A Change In Me: A Pokemon TF RP (fer1323 and LuckyBlackCat)

Mira

Mira leaned her head on Florentine's shoulder, careful not to prod him with her hair-like discs. "Thanks..." Despite the stress of recent events, she gave a warm smile up at him.

"How are you finding it?" she asked in a sleepy mumble. "Learning to use your abilities? Of course, I knew soldier boy would adapt well to any challenge life threw at him." Given his military past, it wasn't surprising that Florentine was coping best out of anyone with the unfamiliar situation, as well as easily learning to use his new skills in combat. "Do you have any advice on getting the hang of this? Or is it just one of those things that takes time to get used to?"

Being close by him was already easing her tension, as it always did, replacing it with a sense of comfort. Deep down she still felt she should be checking on the situation, but maybe it was best to relax while she and Florentine could.

---

Gabrielle Angouras

"What are you even doing? Curl it under here!" Gabrielle pointed to the fur on her left ear. "And smooth it out here!" She gestured to a tuft sticking out on her right, rolling her eyes as Simone nearly dropped the hairbrush in her attempt to style the puffy mass. "Oww! Don't tug like that, there's a nasty bruise!"

"Sorry!" the Audino squealed. "Uhh, maybe this will help a little..." Switching off the hairdryer and setting it down along with the hairbrush, Simone put her hands together. A faint pink light shone on the injured membrane, then faded, as did most of the pain. "That's the best Heal Pulse I can manage, sorry about that..."

Gabrielle ran her fingers over the formerly bruised patch to find much of the swelling had gone down. "Hm... I guess it'll do. Now, quit apologising and get me a dress!"

The other rabbit instantly blurted "I'm sor-" before raising a hand to her mouth. "Uh, yes! I'll try not to be long!" With that, she scampered from the room.

She'd better not be, Gabrielle thought as she turned her eyes back to the mirror. Back to that face that was no longer the well-known one on TV and magazine covers, but one she couldn't yet associate with herself. Arceus only knew what the press was saying about her now.

She kept glancing at the door, foot tapping on the ground, until she heard the servant hurry up the stairs. The pink Pokemon reappeared in the doorway, a dress draped over her arm, a sewing kit in her other hand. "Is this ok? It's something someone else had around, she said you can have it."

Gabrielle stood, took the dress and held it up. A cream-coloured one with yellow flowers embroidered on the bodice. "It's something of an improvement, though it's rather long, and loose."

Simone gave an awkward smile. "I'll alter it as much as I can."

As Gabrielle tried it on, the fabric trailed on the floor. Memories rushed back, of the dress that had once complemented her figure swamping her within seconds while everyone around stared. Yet another reminder of her lost humanity. Her fingers clenched around the material hanging shapelessly from her new body.

She wanted to protest as Simone placed a hand on her shoulder, but couldn't. Dammit, she shouldn't need comforting. She certainly didn't need pity. It was only when the servant started on the dress that she spoke up again.

"Ow! Careful with that needle!"

"Sorry! It's just, these hands..."

"Oh, quit with the excuses!"

This was going to be one long evening.

Be my Sanctuary

Jessamyn "Jess" Bailey

Don't mess this up, don't mess this up, don't mess this up, Jess told herself, following her mom to the living room once the coffee was made. The room was as it always had been, neat and tidy yet comfortable. Deceptively comfortable. She shouldn't be so nervous about visiting family, but people who knew her well were the ones to be most careful around. They'd easily spot anything out of the ordinary.

During the catch-up, she did her best to keep up the act. She tried to look and sound cheerful as she chatted. She drank the coffee in slow sips, to avoid the effect of too much caffeine at once. She was just starting to settle at least somewhat when her mom said something that sent a fresh wave of panic through her. Something she'd been half expecting, all the while hoping not to hear.

"So," said her mother, eyes flicking from Jess to Roxy, "you must both be hungry. How about we celebrate properly this time, and head out to a restaurant?"

The watchers. That was Jess' first thought. Surely they'd follow. "Uh... Yeah! I'd love to!" she blurted, putting on what she hoped was an enthusiastic tone. "Roxy, how about you? What kind of meal? There are quite a few places around here."

Knowing full well that Roxy was no more keen on the idea than she was, the empath steadied her grip on the coffee mug. She could show no signs of anxiety. She raised the cup to her lips, only to splash the liquid down her front.

At her startled yelp, her mother sprang up. "Oh, Jess! Are you ok? I'll get you something to clean up with."

Jess tried to laugh off what had happened. "Yeah, I'm fine, just being clumsy," she replied, setting the mug down on a coaster and standing up. The coffee contained enough milk that it wasn't scalding hot, and had gone on her rather than the sofa, but that was acting normal gone right out of the window.

That ever growing concern her mother gave off proved it. "I know this is all taking some getting used to," she said, "but really, there's nothing to be so nervous about. I'm sure getting out and about will do you good."

Maybe it would, Jess thought, if not for the constant scrutiny of less than law-abiding types. "Yeah... I'll just go change shirts." She turned towards Roxy in a gesture for her to wait nearby, giving her an apologetic look. She hadn't even been here an hour, and was already in danger of screwing everything up.

Be my Sanctuary

Short posts are fine, quality over quantity. I'll try to reply soon.