[video / action for lavender town + a closed section for elsa]

[meteorman]

[Lavender town may be mostly fashion and radio now in the place where it isn't still stubbornly ghosts, but Ford has managed to find a tiny gaming shop tucked in among the boutiques. That's the background of this post: stacks of dice and cards and boxed sets of all sorts of different games, some themed around Pokémon and some (a much smaller amount) not.]

Hello, all! I have a proposition for you. Back in my day I used to be quite the gamer, and I've discovered that several of the popular ones in this world are similar to the kind I'm familiar with. It may take work to arrange, but would anyone be interested in setting up a session of Mysteries and Dungeons? It's a game of adventure and chance, where each player creates a Pokémon character to--

[There is a distinct crash from behind him. He turns and so does the camera to reveal a Sableye standing among a knocked-over display of plastic dice cases.]

Polly -- Polly!

[The Sableye does not respond. Instead she picks up one of the cases of plastic dice and clicks her teeth thoughtfully.]

Polymethyl Methacrylate! [That gets her attention. She looks up. Twitches her head slightly to the side. And then quick as a flash she uncaps the case of dice and upends the whole thing into her mouth. The video goes very shaky for a few seconds, clicks off, and then clicks on again after some time has passed (if anyone is in the area, they are welcome to try and help him corral his idiot ghost daughter). Polly the Sableye is now tucked securely under one of his arms, wriggling ineffectually.]

Anyway. I would be happy to discuss the logistics of arranging a campaign, or methods for teaching one's Sableye what is and is not appropriate for a snack.

[He had to pay for those dice, and the three other cases she ate before he managed to get a hold of her.]

✦✦✦
[Much later, after the Unfortunate Dice Incident, Ford has made his way back to the bed and breakfast he and Elsa are staying in. Normally he would have just camped, or perhaps stayed at the local Pokémon Center, but Lavender is a town he's never been to which means a longer stay. And with a traveling companion who is a Queen he feels a little more obligated to do basic things like sleep in a bed.

At least the bed and breakfast has a large garden as part of the property, perfect for Pokémon who are guests to stretch their legs. There's also a tiny bench for trainers to sit on in among the plants, near a very obviously man-made miniature pond (someone's Goldeen is in there, having a nice nap beneath the lilypads).

Ford emerges from the back door, carrying two mugs of tea, and walks over to the bench. The Cubone Elsa recently picked up is tumbling around on the grass with Ford's newly-rescued Golett. It's play-fighting at the moment, though he's been warned that Josef has some anger issues after being abandoned and he's on the lookout for escalation.]

Here you are.

Comments

[meteorman]

Uh.

[He blinks down at the Pokéball. It's pretty obvious what she's doing and yet he still feels somehow as though he's missed something.]

Are you sure?

[The line scuffed out, Josef picks up the discarded bone and walks it back over to Cubone. Here you go, buddy. That's Justice.]

[frozenfractalsallaround]

Yes, of course, I insist. She's yours.

[Please. Please just take her.

Cubone seems a little surprised that Josef would return the club, but he's absolutely thrilled. He takes it back and starts cheering loudly, waving it all around and banging it on the ground. He'm happy.

Elsa deposits the ball in Ford's lap as an act of finality.]

I trust you, I know you'll take good care of her. She might even grow to be a better person with your help, like I did.

[Elsa. Sober you is really judging high you for letting out these deep thoughts. These aren't things you just say to people all willy nilly.]

[meteorman]

[So. Preliminary observations about Elsa of Arendelle, stoned edition: markedly more physically affectionate. Much less concerned with censoring herself when it comes to negative emotions. And positive emotions.

Maybe it's his own tea starting to really work its magic or maybe it's how much he's mellowed in the past two years but he skips right over the preliminary disbelief and into feeling genuinely touched that she thinks knowing him has made her a better person. He's still working on making himself a better person.]

... Alright. If I could manage Scylla I can manage Eostre.

[Of course his party is already six full. He takes her ball and it does that Thing the extra ball does where it zips off to the PC -- but he'll get her out soon. When he's not high. When he can introduce himself properly and get some ground rules established.

Maybe he'll also float the idea of trading Elsa a Pokémon in return, when she's a little less... this. Lord knows he has plenty he thinks would be happy with her, and boxes of eggs.]

Also, I have a question.

Do you want to just stay on the ground or do you think you're ready to attempt getting back on the bench?

[He could understand just wanting to stay on the ground. But, also.]

[frozenfractalsallaround]

[Elsa breathes a sigh of relief once Eostre's ball is zapped over into Ford's PC. She's gone, she's no longer has to worry about that anymore. It's such a weight off her shoulders.

Ford's assessment is pretty accurate. She really doesn't feel that inherent need to censor herself as much as she usually does. Usually it's pretty nagging and just happens. Now? Pfff.]

Oh, we're still here.

[Elsa seems like she'd forgotten completely that they were still on the ground. This is fine. With what appears to be tremendous effort, Elsa pulls herself to her feet and kind of sways on the spot a little bit.

The view from up here is much better than on the ground. This place is so pretty, Elsa couldn't imagine being anywhere else right now. Elsa waddles back to the bench slowly, feeling like her limbs weigh a hundred pounds each.

Which is funny because she ways like 10.

In a shocking lack of good posture, Elsa slumps down onto the bench.]

You're getting up here too right? I can't be the only one climbing all over furniture right now!

[meteorman]

I don't know if I'd call that climbing.

[Ford pushes himself to his feet and walks back over to the bench. Usually when he walks anywhere it's brisk and clipped. Right now he can't be bothered. He looks down at his own teacup resting on the bench for a very long moment like he's not sure how to parse it before he bends down to take it and set it on the ground. There. Now he can sit down.]

[frozenfractalsallaround]

I'm on the furniture, so of course it's climbing!

[Duh??

Listen, it makes sense in her head.

She watches Ford contemplate his teacup, nodding sagely as if she knows exactly what kind of struggle he's going through in that moment.]

Sometimes the little things like that are the hardest things to deal with.

[meteorman]

I'm good at solving problems. Even little ones.

[His posture is usually very good. Not so right now. This bench isn't great for lounging but he manages to kind of do it anyway.]

So every time you sit down you figure you've climbed the chair?