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New year's greetings, from the islands. Wrath and I had a lovely holiday.

[That sure is Lust in a bikini top, floppy hat, and sunglasses in a tropic locale.]

It was a rather quiet changing of the year, for which I'm appreciative. And the islands are pleasant, despite all the ocean around. I have gone in, if for no other reason than it turns out my young companion is quite enamored of it. The beaches here are different than the beaches in Johto, though, I rather like them.

And the drinks are certainly worth the trip.

[She lifts a fancy looking large tropical drink, adorned with fruit and an umbrella, into the screen's view.]

We'll be heading back to Goldenrod in a few days. Though if anyone such as family or my suitor would like to join us for the tail end of our island adventure, that would be perfectly alright at this point.

[Which is honestly less of an invitation and more her discrete way of letting the people who ought to know that she's perfectly fine and dealt with whatever she needed to deal with.]

With luck, we'll end this trip without Wrath getting anything horrible from the sea tangled in his hair.

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[This has been the right idea. Lust's not fond of the sea, but the beaches here are more pleasant and inviting, and it's different. This isn't Johto. There are no beaches that have specific memories attached to them. That's what she needs, just some distance and a passing of the date without any attention drawn to it.]

[And she does think this will be good for Wrath. Both of them, and their odd familial relationship that's grown over their time together. They can spend countless hours on the beach or exploring the islands, eating island food and playing with island Pokemon, just the pair of them. She's been reading books on child rearing, and forging and maintaining close familial bonds is very important for children.]

[Hopefully, he'll enjoy the trip.]

_{[The very first thing Wrath did upon setting foot on the beach was launch into a breakneck run straight at the water, and just kept going until it was too deep for him to actually run without the water slowing him down. Only then did he seem to realize where he was, turn around, and start to paddle back towards the shore, hair flowing out behind him like a cape.]}

LUST!

THE WATER IS HUGE!

_{[Not particularly cold OR warm, just. HUGE. THERE'S SO MUCH OF IT.]}

[Oh good god.]

[Lust isn't sure how she expected Wrath to react to the sea, but she certainly didn't expect him to launch himself full tilt into it. Why, she can't think now. Of course that's exactly what he's going to do. She hasn't even taken off her shoes or beach wrap, and he's already in the surf.]

[Guttle fast on his heels.]

Yes, it is. It's larger than you or I can comprehend, be careful in the waves!

[The sea is so large and he's so very small. At least he can swim. From the looks of it, rather better than Lust herself can. And Guttle's right there, he's better than a flotation device. She dumps her beach supplies in a heap and kicks off her shoes before hurrying down to join the excited ex homunculus child in the ocean.]

_{[Well, he certainly didn't stop to take his shoes (or anything else) off. At least they'll dry quickly on the beach?]

[He hops to grab onto Guttle the second the spherical seal is in the surf. His grin is enormous.]}

I love it!

_{[Kicking and splashing, he starts to steer Guttle around. He actually does seem to be an accomplished paddler-- in no small part due to Sloth, who he spent a lot of time... swimming around in. God, Homunculi are weird.]}

You're certainly taking to it well!

[Lust is less enthused. She gingerly steps into the sea, not about to simply leave Wrath in the ocean on his own. She hasn't been in the ocean in...god, it's been so long. Since they'd come that first time, and Greed had pushed her on that silly board because she didn't trust her swimming abilities in the deep water...]

[Guttle is having the time of his life. He practically floats on the surface even without his rolling ability, and he adores Wrath. He's more than happy to serve as a beachside toy.]

[She can't help but smile, watching them. Wrath's come so far...]

Maybe you'll find a new Pokemon, while we're here. I wonder where Spheals live, in the wild...

_{[He really has.]

[Even if 'come so far' in this case means happily thrashing around in the ocean with all his clothes on, he's doing it in the presence of someone he was more than happy to kill off the last time they'd both been in their own world. If that's not progress, what is?]}

Do you think so?

Do you think we'll find more Guttles?

I don't know.

[Lust looks thoughtful.]

I've never seen another Guttle, actually. Not in the wild or on anyone's team. Oh, I'm sure other trainers have Spheals, I've just never seen them.

[Where do they live in the wild? She feels as though she should know this. Is Guttle ever lonely, without any of his own kind to be with? He's never seemed lonely, but he's the sort who puts on a brave face.]

But I assume they live by or in the sea. We'll have to keep watch, won't we?

_{[It's hard to feel lonely in the sea of other Pokemon that occupy the house, but then again, being the only one present of your kind can be a little isolating. All the Homunculi know that to a degree.]

[Wrath seems too preoccupied to get too deep about it, and inadvertently splashes Lust as he and Guttle power past, kicking up small waves of their own.]}

We're gonna find more Guttles!

We might.

[Maybe this is too tropical for Spheals. They are built for cold, after all.]

[Lust can't help but shriek when she's splattered with an errant, Spheal-and-child produced wave. Her sunhat droops and drips and she automatically slices her hand through the water to return the fire. It's simply a force of habit.]

[Good god, Wrath's clothes are going to be ruined. Oh well. Lust is rather certain she has that thought numerous times a month.]

Two on one is hardly fair!

_{[Wrath lets out a small, feral shriek of his own when she splashes them back. OH NOW IT'S ON!]

[He splashes again, this time deliberately, a big toothy grin on his face.]}

We're Homunculi, we've never fought fair!

There's a first time for everything!

[Lust lunges to the side, to avoid the 'attack', causing more of a watery disturbance than if she hadn't moved...]

Besides, Guttle isn't a homunculus!

He is now! He can be Gluttony!

_{[He wriggles and twists in the water until he's on his back so that he can kick up even bigger splashes at her with his legs, cackling.]}

[Seeing as how her sunhat has already been rendered useless, Lust whips it off and employs it as a water-flinging weapon. She'd had no intention of submerging herself in the ocean, but the best laid plans mean nothing in the face (and wildly flailing feet) of an excited child.]

You know...that's why I named him what I did. 'Guttle' means to eat voraciously and noisily. It's derived from 'Gluttony'. A smaller word for something similar. I thought it fit.

_{[No sunhat is a match for Wrath's kicks! Although, he can't really stay in one place particularly well while kicking, so every few seconds, he has to re-orient himself so that he can keep the splashes going in her direction. AN OPENING FOR COUNTER-ATTACK, PERHAPS?]}

Does that mean he should be named Guttlony?!

_{[... It was the best namesmash he could think of while flailing wildly in the ocean, okay?]}

[Lust laughs, trying to block the barrage of water that Wrath's feet kicks up and return fire while he adjusts his direction.]

I think 'Guttle' suits him just fine. And I think he agrees.

[Guttle's barely even paying attention to the conversation, he's just having fun with two of his favorite humans in the ocean. He never gets to go to the ocean!]

Could you imagine being called anything else than what you're called now?

_{[That gets him to think for a second.]}

Hm... no!

I-- oh!

_{[He splutters when some of that splash inadvertently goes into his mouth. OH, he wasn't expecting it to taste... anything like what it tastes like. Thrashing, he spits it out immediately.]}

Lust!

Someone seasoned this water!

_{[And seasoned it TOO MUCH!]}

[Lust laughs, doubling over and covering her mouth with her hand. She can't help herself, it just strikes her as so immensely funny, the way Wrath reacts to the sea water.]

It's salt water, sweetling. The ocean's full of salt water - don't drink it, it will make you sick. But it's very good for floating in.

What? Why is there salt?

_{[He's only ever experienced freshwater. He doesn't look DISGUSTED, just very, very confused.]}

Because of the rocks and minerals in the ocean. They make it salty. Salt comes from the ground - I suppose it's a sort of rock.

[Rocks are just minerals after all. There's probably a more complex explanation, but that's as far as Lust understands salt water. And likely as much as Wrath can grasp.]

Salt water's supposedly very beneficial to the skin. But I sometimes think that's simply something the tourist board came up with, to make the ocean seem more appealing.

Oh...

_{[He looks vaguely disappointed that he can't just DRINK the ocean after all-- he'd assumed that with all this water, he could both swim AND keep this human body hydrated.]

[But he perks back up pretty quickly, and splashes her again.]}

[Rather than splashing Wrath back, this time Lust grins and lunges toward him with a playful cry. As well as she can lunge in water, at least. But she gives it her all, launching herself to try and scoop him up.]

[She's already soaking wet, it doesn't matter at this point. And she's found she very much enjoys just playing with Wrath.]

_{[He might be a pretty good swimmer, but well, Lust is FAST.]

[He lets out a squeal as he's snatched up, flailing with all his mismatched limbs.]}

NOOOOO! GUTTLE, HELP!

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