[Video/Action for anyone in the Goldenrod suburbs] Backdated to immediately after everybody woke up.

[garbagechild]

HELLO?

HELLO!

HELLO HELLO HELLO!

HELLOOOOOO?!

<sub>[Assuming you didn't just mute the video INSTANTLY because the audio consisted of a child hollering into the mic, what follows is some very uncertain sniffling. The kind where the kid in question is still kind of working out whether they have a reason to be crying or not.]

[The video display is going from room to room of what looks kind a generously-sized suburban house-- nerds who have gotten familiar with the architectural aesthetic of each city might be able to note that it looks like one of the typical for-rent Goldenrod homes in those sprawling neighborhoods on the southern end.]

[There doesn't appear to be anybody else home but the camera-holder (and a few Pokemon here and there, but he's not paying attention to them), who seems to be getting more panicky with each empty room he finds.]</sub>

Where is everybody?!

<sub>[THE SEARCH GOES ON.]

[Until, five or ten minutes later, the feed finds him sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor. Without a shirt. Eating sliced bread straight out of the bag.]

[While crying.]</sub>

All my friends are go-o-oooooone.

Comments

video;

[pipers_son]

Alright. We’ll be there in a bit, so just hold on. Want me ta bring Invidia so ya can hide in his hair again?

video;

[garbagechild]

_{[Wrath thinks about this for a moment.]}

... Yes.

video;

[pipers_son]

Then we’ll be right over. Just hold on.

[With no time to spare, Joker immediately hauls off for the Homunuculus house. With a Rapidash, that’s a very quick journey. If the front door is locked, then expect it to become unlocked through means that totally don’t involve certain illegal tricks that Joker may or may not know. Either way, he’s soon stepping in flanked by the majority of his main team- Angel, Invidia, Rogue- and calling inside.]

Wrath! Where are ya?

video;

[garbagechild]

<sub>[Joker doesn't have to wait very long-- at the sound of his voice, there's a pitter-patter of bare feet from the living room.]

[Wrath appears almost immediately, charging through the doorway and slamming straight into the ringmaster in a tight hug.]

[He doesn't say anything.]</sub>

[pipers_son]

[It’s a good thing that Joker knelt down at the sound of those feet, because he’s pretty sure the force in which Wrath barrels into him would have knocked him flat on his ass. As it is, there’s just a crouched stumble backwards and a grunt before he rocks back into place, one arm wrapping around the boy. He reassuringly runs his hand along his mess of hair.]

There, there…. Big brother’s here. I ain’t goin’ anywhere.

[From around him, Rogue starts to squeeze into whatever space he can until most of Wrath’s feet have been consumed by Furret fur. Rogue’s little body vibrates with each worried noise he makes.]

[garbagechild]

<sub>[Encased in both arms and a TUBE OF FUR, Wrath starts to calm down a little bit, his hitching breaths evening out. He's still upset. But he's at least found out that the rest of his friends and family are mostly still around. At this point, it's more the residual adrenaline and panic than anything else.]

[But he always likes hugs. So he clings tight.]

[After awhile, he mumbles--]</sub>

Lust's coming back tonight and Envy is in the woods.

[pipers_son]

[Joker keeps patting the boy down from his panic high while the rest of his Pokemon start filling up what little space is left in the entry way. If there’s one thing Wrath isn’t going to be lacking today, it’s Pokemon affection judging by all the snouts poking around Joker to snuffle at him.]

[The ringleader himself eases up when Wrath finally speaks up and he keeps his voice soft.]

Is that right? Well, I bet when they come back home, they’re gonna be hungry. Want me ta teach ya how ta cook somethin’ for ‘em?

[It’ll be a good distraction, if nothing else, and it’ll be actual food and not just bread out of a bag.]

[garbagechild]

_{[He nods, snuffling a little. He WOULD like to learn to cook! But...]}

I'm not allowed to use the stove after what happened with the soup.

_{[But maybe if Joker just tells him how to do it...]}

[pipers_son]

If I’m here with ya, whatever happened ta the soup won’t happen again. I promise.

[He ruffles Wrath’s hair and grins down to him.]

And I’ll show ya how ta do it first, so ya know how ta get it right.

[garbagechild]

Okay...

_{[Surely it'll be okay with everyone as long as he's got Joker with him.]}

I bet... Lust would be happy, if there was something nice here when she got back.

[pipers_son]

She sure will be, I bet ya.

[Cradling Wrath in his good arm, Joker pushes himself up with a grunt. Rogue, against all odds, is still determinedly clinging to Wrath’s feet. That makes things a little awkward, but not so much that Joker can’t make his way to the kitchen.]

Think she’ll like pancakes?

[garbagechild]

_{[Having a big singular Furret Slipper is nothing if not comforting, even if the fur makes his perpetually-bare feet itch. Starting to emerge from Crisis Mode, he wriggles a little in Joker's grip to get a better view of where they're going.]}

Of course.

Everybody likes pancakes.

_{[Pancakes are one of the few things Wrath absolutely cannot imagine anyone disagreeing with him on.]}

[pipers_son]

Wiser words have never been spoken, Wrath. That’s why yer one a my favorite little brothers, yer so smart.

[As they come into the kitchen, Joker sets Wrath up on top of one of the counters.]

Can’t wait for the day when I get ta introduce ya ta everyone else I know. They’ll love ya.

[garbagechild]

_{[A wobbly smile crawls across his face. He has lots of friends and family here-- but even with all of them, he's still never been told that he's anybody's favorite.]}

They will?

[pipers_son]

They absolutely will!

[Angel starts to crawl up to join Wrath up on the counter while Joker bustles around the kitchen, putting bread away and getting pans and things.]

Have I ever told ya about ‘em all, Doll and Dagger and all the rest?

[garbagechild]

<sub>[Wrath doesn't hesitate to reach over and grab Angel to pull her into his lap. Although he's far gentler with Pokemon than he tends to be with people, he's still... grabby.]

[He shakes his head.]</sub>

Uh-uh.

[pipers_son]

[Fortunately, Angel is more than happy to deal with grabby. She wiggles up against Wrath’s chest, making happy little chirps. Joker is in a much better mood, Wrath is in a better mood, everything is good on the empath train.]

[In the meantime, Joker chats as he sets things up.]

Well, through me, ya got four more brothers and three other sisters! They all worked in the circus too- For yer sisters, ya have Beast our beast tamer, Doll our tightrope walker, and Wendy does the trapeze with Peter like Lust and Envy do, ha!. Then Jumbo is our firebreather, Snake is our snakecharmer, and Dagger…

[Getting some milk from the fridge, Joker grins over to him.]

He does the throwin’ knives like yer gonna do. He’d be so proud ta see ya doin’ the same.

[garbagechild]

<sub>[He wraps his arms around the little Mime Jr. letting his chin rest on top of her hat.]

[A smile peeks back onto his face at the mention of the knives.]</sub>

Would he?

Will I get as good as he is?

And are Wendy and Peter as acrobatic as Lust and Envy? I bet they aren't, since they're humans. But I'm sure they're still good.

_{[Wrath, Lust and Envy are humans here too...]}

[pipers_son]

Yup and yup! Well, so long as ya practice and don’t kill anyone.

[That last bit is important.]

And, ha, they’re very good for bein’ human. In fact, they’re only as big as you are, so they’re really good. Now come over here, I’ll show ya what ta mix in the bowl first.

[garbagechild]

<sub>[That last bit is absolutely going to happen and there's not much anybody can do about it. Handing blade weapons to a former assassin who is also a prepubescent boy with limited experience at being mortal is literally guaranteed to end in disaster.]

[BUT HE'LL BE THE BEST KNIFE THROWER ANYBODY'S EVER SEEN ASIDE FROM THAT.]

[Chest swelling slightly with pride at Joker's faith in him, Wrath scoots closer so that he can look.]</sub>

[pipers_son]

Next time, ya should probably make Lust or Envy stick around while yer measurin’ out things… But this is how much ya need of each thing. Pay attention now.

[With a little psychic help from Angel here and there, he measures out all the flour and such, along with putting some eggs to the side.]

That much, got it? Too much or too little of somethin’ can mess the whole thing up.

[garbagechild]

_{[Wrath nods solemnly.]}

It's like alchemy.

You need exact amounts.

Or else it can turn out all wrong.

[pipers_son]

Exactly. [Leaving the wooden spoon in the bowl, he ruffles Wrath’s hair.] Yer such a clever one, this’ll be easy for ya once ya get the hang of it. Now, once ya got all the measurements, ya dump ‘em inta this big bowl. Hold on…

[He does just that, making sure to leave the eggshells to the side, and then slides the bowl over to Wrath.]

Here, you can stir the mix yerself! Don’t have ta go too fast, and don’t make a mess, just stir it until it’s all smooth like instead of clumps.

[garbagechild]

_{[The hair-ruffle gets another little smile and he takes the spoon and bowl, starting to stir the mix. His motions are a little uncertain at first, but they get steadier after a second.]}

... It would be easier if I could still transmute things.

I could make pancakes very quickly without having to worry about anything but the chemicals.

_{[... and they probably wouldn't taste very good but.]}

[pipers_son]

[Once it’s clear that Wrath isn’t going to become a one child blender of destruction, Joker eases up a bit. The kid’s point makes him grin.]

Ya could, but ya know what ya wouldn’t be able ta do if ya could still do that?