On the road again

[dejabrewed]

Who: Sandalphon and You!
Where: Throughout Johto
When: December
Summary: Readjusting to being human and using Pokémon again. Also with a new starter!
Warnings: None for now!



quest | adjusting to sariel (i)

[ for the most part, adjusting to pokémon was the easy part. just work with them until they listened, right? it wasn't hard. he had done it before, with his rambunctious starly and ditto. even the ever calm gabriel was easy to work with. but something about this noibat he had received when being pushed out of 'mom's' home once more.

this time, sandalphon was trying to get it to do anything else rather than to stare at ants. ]

Sariel. We need to make it to Azaela-- get into the pokéball? ... Please?

[ silence. sandalphon just buried his face in his hands. ]

fate episode | human again, but at what cost

[ the weekend was short. sandalphon forgot how quickly a weekend could go in his eyes. he was thankful he wasn't in the skies when he could no longer feel the weight of them within his body-- which that alone was irritating. he felt so much heavier and sluggish as a human. it was to the point that he was laying down on the ground, right in the middle of ilex forest. his noibat sat on his chest, staring at his trainer curiously. ]

I miss being in the sky. I would've been out of this forsaken forest days ago.

fate episode | a cup of coffee

[ to the angel-turned-human, there was no coffee in this entire world that could compare to his standards. absolutely none. and that alone was the biggest pet peeve of his. he'd at least hope to find some semi-decent coffee, but no. nothing matches. he was getting quite cranky about it, actually. it was to the point that there was only one thing to do.

make his own.

he's pretty much making coffee at whatever city, town, or route he goes, after getting his hands on the tools necessary. he's sipping away, but nothing is coming out right. ]

It might just be the tastes of this world... [ he looks around for someone to be a willing taste tester. when he spots someone, he calls out. ]

Hey, you. Come here, I'd like for you to try something.

wildcard!

[ plot with me through pm or on plurk (divinereaper)! ]

Comments

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[fortuna_tenax]

( so.

she wasn't quite expecting to be called out like that? but at the same time, she did come all this way just to see him, a shiny, tiny meowth dangling on her shoulder and amalthea at her side. so, in a way it works out in the end at least. walking over, jinx sticks her hands in her coat pockets. )

What's up?

[dejabrewed]

[ at least his taste tester was someone familiar. his stern look softens just a little, remembering that jinx was going to visit him-- but the new addition in the form of the meowth was definitely interesting.

but back to the matter at hand. he held out a cup of freshly made black coffee. ]

Ah, I was wondering when you'd arrive. Taste this coffee for me, will you?

[fortuna_tenax]

Ah- fueling my caffeine addiction. How did you know?

( but yeah, she'll try some. carefully taking the cup and keeping a certain kitty's face out of it like it's the most casual thing in the world, she takes a sip. what can she expect from the beans? )

[dejabrewed]

I didn't. I just need a taste tester.

[ expect a gentle sweetness, along with a hint of cinnamon out of the beans. sandalphon looked at jinx expectantly, almost as if he's worried about the coffee tasting bad of all things. but with almost two millennia worth of practice, he really can't screw it up. ]

[fortuna_tenax]

( jinx just snickers.

more importantly- holy shit? holy shit. this is the best coffee she's ever had. after a moment, she looks at the cup, and then at the pot. ...

gently slides the coffee pot closer to her. hers now. )

[dejabrewed]

[ a snort. ] That's my only coffee pot. Don't steal it.

[ but by that reaction, he at least knew it was a good taste. but there was definitely some work to be done with it. he took down some notes in a journal he recently bought, making sure he wrote down the finer details of the coffee. ]

Is it more sweet or acidic, is the question here. Also, that is straight black-- I want to know if you'd like it with sugar or not.

[fortuna_tenax]

It is sweet, yeah- and I do, but that's because I personally like incredibly sweet things. It's just fine without it, too.

( still, it's hard not to giggle a bit... fiiiine, she will relinquish the coffee pot. after she gets another cup. )

[dejabrewed]

I see... [ more notes were taken. he takes coffee things very seriously. ]

As long as it's good black, I know I have a decent start. [ a sigh as he closes his journal. ] Though replicating the flavor from my home land will be a lot harder than I thought.

[ he wonders why he even blurted it out. but its out there, and backtracking wasn't in his agenda. welp. ]

[fortuna_tenax]

( oh- he did this back home, too? soft, for a man who's spent hundreds of years in prison. jinx perks up a little, but doesn't quite... no, never mind. she's nosy. )

What are you trying to go for?

( ... not that nosy. )

[puddlesoverdios]

[Erina, with her shopping held in one arm and a pachirisu following along behind her, stopped short. Both breeder and pokemon wore matching scarves.]

Well, sir, if you would explain what it is I'm to be trying... After all, it does not sound precisely... above board to announce yourself so.

[dejabrewed]

[ a flash of confusion littered his face before he realized. yeah, most people didn't like surprises. he should fix that. ]

Coffee. I've been trying to replicate a taste, but I'm starting to think that my taste buds have gone awry.

[puddlesoverdios]

Oh! I don't drink very much coffee... but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to help you. Is there something I ought to be tasting?

[Coffee was bitter, but she recalled it being popular enough that the scent would waft out of some of the coffee houses where men often congregated.]

[dejabrewed]

You should be tasting a brew with a sweeter taste, with a hint of cinnamon near the end. I roasted the beans myself, so I want to be sure I'm not fooling my own taste buds.

[ in other words, he's had too much coffee that he's confusing himself. ]

[puddlesoverdios]

Very well.

[Erina gave the coffee a small, hesitant taste, letting the liquid flow across her tongue. It was still a bit bitter, but she she could taste a bit of sweetness under it. She took another small sip, and let it sit for a moment, before she swallowed again.]

I don't taste cinnamon, but I do taste the sweetness.

[dejabrewed]

That only means I'll have to up the cinnamon content for the next brew. But it's good to know that the roast came out sweet regardless.

[ he writes down some notes, focusing on what he could improve about the blend. ]

Thank you. I was driving myself mad with all the samples.

[puddlesoverdios]

I can imagine. It's a bit like when one chooses a tea in that case. Eventually, everything smells the same!

[Erina chuckled and offered him his cup back.]

Does this mean you'll be looking to open your own shop, then? Or will you only be roasting for yourself?

[dejabrewed]

It truly is the pain of a barista. [ a small chuckle as he takes his cup back. ]

Yes, that is the goal. However, it won't be until after I take on the Gym circuit.

Voice, Goldenrod, sometime on the 10th

[fayblood]

When Shrike got Sandalphon's message the morning after the weird weekend, he didn't waste time setting out to meet him. Which didn't mean he left right away, mind, just that he promptly started packing and buying supplies, so that he could be ready to go first thing the next morning.

Which he was and he did.

A few days' of travel later, at a pace that's probably a little surprising for someone his age, and his destination is soon in sight. Another hour or two and he's walking through the outskirts, the open walking path quickly giving way to row upon row of houses and buildings, with enormous towers looming further ahead.

It's a big city. Like, really big. Bigger than anything Shrike's even imagined before, let alone actually seen. And befitting its size, it's full of people. Just... people everywhere.

He only gets a few blocks before he ducks into a quiet side street to contact Sandalphon. Which he'd been planning to do anyway, when he got to the 'city' part of the city, but... well, now's as good a time as any, right? Right.

"I got to the city," he says as soon as he sees the icon blink on that it's recording. He actually sounds kind of nervous.

[dejabrewed]

I'll be waiting at the Pokemon Center. You can't miss it.

[ for the most part, goldenrod wasn't any different than a port town on an island. he only needed a little bit of adjustment. but when he hears his pokegear fizz to life, he realizes one of the few friends he has here in this world is now nearby. might as well tell him where he was. sandalphon was there already treating his noibat, so going anywhere else is really counterproductive in his eyes.

but the thought crossed his mind: did he travel here on his own? couldn't he have asked to meet half way? he's resigned to the fact that shrike is a strange one and won't question it. ]

It's not far from the city's entrance.

[fayblood]

"All right."

That undertone of nervousness in his voice isn't gone, but if Sandalphon's already waiting for him, Shrike won't question it. Besides, Sandalphon's always been so kind and patient towards him, this is a chance to return the favor, isn't it?

So, unless there's more instructions to give, he'll stow away his 'gear again and prepare to head a bit deeper into the city. At least it sounds like the Pokémon Center is relatively close. Shrike adjusts his pack and takes a deep breath before plunging determinedly onward.

Luckily, he really doesn't have far to go. On the other hand, that doesn't change the fact that the city is big and crowded, and by the time he steps through the center's doors Shrike's moving at a pretty brisk pace for a walk and has to practically skid to a halt to avoid running into someone else heading for the exit. He quickly makes his way nearer a wall instead and starts looking around for Sandalphon, one hand clutching his hood tightly to prevent it from falling off as he looks around with nervous, slightly jerky movements.

[dejabrewed]

[ because shrike is so hidden from view, it takes him a bit to realize that he had arrived. that was slightly annoying, but he remembers that it was almost the same when he had met him for the first time. he decides not to confront him about his fears for now, more content to get down to more important matters. ]

Thank you for coming all this way. But calm down, you're making me nervous now.

[ he's not going to mention that he totally relates. ]

[fayblood]

"Oh! Um, all right..."

At least he wasn't too startled. Though, staying calm when he's so on edge is definitely easier said than done.

Though, now that he's met up with Sandalphon, Shrike remembers one of the reasons why he came all this way. So he proceeds to reach into his bag and pull out a couple of pokéballs, which he offers to Sandalphon.

"I have to get the others from the PC, though..."

[dejabrewed]

[ sandalphon gladly takes the pokeballs in his hands, happy to have the rest of his team around. surely gabriel and sariel will get along, but azazel...? he's worried. ]

Thank you for holding onto them. I'm sure they were a handful... Azazel especially.

[ he wouldn't blame shrike for being bullied by him. but at least now he had more than one pokemon to deal with. ]

Take your time. My new starter pokémon is being healed right now.

[fayblood]

Seeing Sandalphon so glad to have his Pokemon back does brighten Shrike's mood a bit, too. Though it's a little hard to tell as he has his hood up as usual since he's in public.

"I tried to make sure all of them got to be out, but I think he didn't want to listen to me..."

That's a severe understatement. And probably helps explain why Shrike had been so slow in training his own team during that time.

[dejabrewed]

Azazel has always been a handful, I don't blame you.

[ he sighs, wondering just how bad the staraptor bullied him. but as he put his pokeballs away, there was a certain relief that flooded over him. his pokémon friends were back home, safe and sound. that was most important. ]

Regardless, thank you for watching over them.