[text + action]

[loopsiedaisy]

Who: Loop + You
What: Evolution, psychic Pokemon, the perils of snomstorms! Half of everyone Loop knows in One Single Building!
Where: Goldenrod City
When: Early December for text post; December 14-16 storm for action
Warnings: Nothing specific, just the usual chance of Loop's warnings coming up in threads!

[Text, early December]

I got told about evolution, so I was expecting one of my Pokemon to change shape eventually, but.

Did I just miss hearing the part where they start beaming images into your head?

[Orrery has discovered telepathy! Let's not talk about how long it took Orrery to get Loop to realize it was her.]


[Snomstorm! Goldenrod, between Dec 14th-16th]

[A]

[So it's a good thing Loop went and caught a fire Pokemon recently, because the vending machines at their inn (motel?) are both de-powered and emptied to the last dregs. Loop's had to emerge from the depths of their room to get groceries. And in the fifteen minutes they've been outside, slogging through the snow and trying to find a place that's open despite the power outage...]

[Their Metang has somehow managed to get herself frozen to a fence. Loop is currently trying to coax their new Cyndaquil - who is draped over their bag - to wake up and melt her free.]

[They like naps as much as anyone else, but:] Come on, you've barely been awake for five minutes since yesterday...

[Orrery, meanwhile, is letting out a baffled whirring sound. She's not used to having arms or being so big, and apparently she generates JUST enough heat to slowly melt snow, then get stuck when she touches something colder and it refreezes. Like someone licking a metal pole. But she only has one arm stuck, and surely she can use the other one to lever herself free?]

[- whoops, no, now she has both of them stuck.]

[B]

[Or maybe it's a bit later, and Loop is ducking under the eaves of the Game Corner next to you. Why? To avoid a sudden shower of falling Snoms from the roof! The surprisingly heavy bugs thump into the snow like little icy missiles, whizzing by terrifyingly close.]

[C]

[Or, as the snow has intensified and REALLY started to pile up, you've found yourself completely turned around! (Unless you know exactly where you are, and you're actually looking for someone or something else? Did one of your Pokemon run out into the storm, maybe?)]

[Whatever the reason you're out, it seems like there's a fire flickering in the distance - if you approach, you'll find Loop, shivering and holding their Cyndaquil to their chest. Burnoît, fortunately, seems to have woken up and figured out what Loop wants! The lil guy is flaming a path through the snow.]

[(For once in their life, Loop has returned Orrery to her ball.)]


[Wildcard!]

As usual, happy to figure something else out, just DM or Plurk me!

Comments

[loopsiedaisy]

Anything but that!!

[The Tide of Dog recedes. Loop sticks both of their feet stably on the ground to stabilize their chair. Though, with how comparatively well-behaved all the Mightyenas are, maybe they don't need to?]

I've been here... [They glance out the nearest window, trying to judge the passage of time by the stars, but... as it's been the past few times they looked outside, it's just a wall of blowing snow. If not for the power, the storm clouds would be glowing with the light pollution from Goldenrod, but tonight the sky is absolutely black.]

I'm not sure. It was already dark for a while before, uh, the tall one brought me here... [They're still not totally sure about calling him Scar, despite what Envy said.]

[They trail off. It would've gotten dark early because of the storm, so that also doesn't narrow it down much. They definitely don't trust their perception of time by itself, though.]

...Oh! I'm fine!

[They don't look fine, they look like they were nodding off on the table before Heather showed up. But they don't look cold, at least! The Cyndaquil napping on the table in front of them probably has something to do with that.]

[Orrery pokes their hat. Loop straightens it with one hand, giving her a Look.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Tall one? That's an umbrella that technically Henry could fall under, but Heather kind of doubts that Henry would scoop up a total stranger and bring them back to the house. To the Pokemon Center, maybe-- he's a good guy.]

[But Scar seems like a safe bet as to who Loop is referring to.]

[So she just kind of nods, thoughtfully, at this answer. Particularly because it also explains why Loop is by themselves. Scar often vanishes as quietly and mysteriously as he appeared.]</sub>

You sure?

These barstools are, like, fine for a little while, but if you sit on them too long your buttcheeks are gonna take you to court for damages.

_{[She slowly picks her way between the layer of snorfling dogs until she's no longer in danger of stepping on paws or tails, and beckons to Loop.]}

C'mon, I can't let you go through that. Litigation is hell.

[loopsiedaisy]

[Scar: resident cryptid. Who knows what he'll drag out of the snow next... (and maybe that's where he's gone? A mystery...)]

Hey, if my buttcheeks are willing to settle for P500 and - [They glance into their bag,] - some Tropi-yums in compensation, who am I to stop them?

[But Loop does slide off the chair to follow Heather, with another nudge from Orrery. They scoop up their Cyndaquil from the table, holding him against their chest with one arm, then skirt their way around the snuffling congregation of dogs.]

[They can't quite avoid getting smacked by wagging tails a few times, but at least they weren't at the kibble epicenter like Heather! What with their lack of depth perception, that's probably the only reason they don't step on any paws themself.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[With the kibble epicenter successfully escaped, Heather leads Loop into the living room, which has already seen some degree of blackout-related re-shuffling. Pillows and comforters from the linen closet upstairs have all been hauled down, and there's even something like a pillow-fort built around the Ogre Hut (tm) in the corner, although its builder is nowhere to be seen and some of the house's smaller Pokemon seem to have claimed it for now.]

[A softly-glowing golden Larvesta is gently illuminating the dark room from her spot on the coffee table, but when she spots Loop, her fuzz frizzles and she freezes like a startled cat before starting to caterpillar-crawl down one of the table-legs. SHE HAS BEEN SPOTTED. SHE MUST AWAY.]

[Heather does not address this.]</sub>

Well, I guess I can't stop you, but at least the couch will delay the inevitable.

Go ahead and grab a blanket, get cozy.

And if you want, you could even give me a name other than Mister Mistoffelees, because that one's a bit of a mouthful-- although I'll keep doing it, if necessary.

_{[She offers a friendly smirk. Because she does remember their introduction, or lack thereof on Loop's end.]}

[loopsiedaisy]

[Loop gives the Larvesta a startled blink, then a gentle wave. Then they try to focus back on Heather - though they can't resist glancing curiously at the glowing bug out of the corner of their eye occasionally. They try to keep it unobtrusive, she's clearly scared.]

[Blanket, blanket... here's a fuzzy one that doesn't look like they'll destabilize any pillow architecture if they pull it free! And it's a nice light shade, too. But who knows what color it is]

[This time they're clearly actually thinking about the name question. Heather's been so nice, and also is currently offering them a place to sleep in her own house - isn't it rude to keep dodging? And this should be such a basic, normal person thing to answer.]

[But saying "Loop" feels like something they won't be able to take back. And the idea of going by that again, forever... bad!! Extremely bad! (There is maybe one person they wouldn't mind it from.)]

[Their other option is the one they've put down on paper when they had to, for jobs, but aloud... they still feel like they betrayed it, or gave up on it, or something. It's someone else's, they don't have a right to it anymore. And trying to make something up themself is how they ended up with Loop - clearly they can't be trusted with names.]

[So... they're right back at being stuck. They pick at a corner of the blanket, just barely stopping themself from pulling on a loose thread and unraveling some of it.]

[Loop takes a breath, forces a smile, and with a great effort of will makes themself meet Heather's eyes again.] I like Mistoffelees! It sounds like something from a play...?

[Which is a subject that makes their smile become more genuine, albeit smaller.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Carrie the Larvesta is very skittish-- she inchworms away across the floor and wiggles underneath an armchair. SHE IS NOW HIDDEN. Never mind the yellow glow now emanating from the gap under the chair. She's hidden.]

[Meanwhile, Heather's thumping the pillows on the couch out of habit.]</sub>

It is-- from my world. Though, honestly, there's almost definitely an equivalent here in this one...

_{[She doesn't pay enough attention to musical theater to know for sure but like, c'mon, there's gotta be.]}

It's just a bunch of people singing in cat costumes, pretty much. Mistoffelees is the one who can do magic.

_{[Lifting a hand, she hums and idly 'conducts' with a finger as she tries to remember the words, because it's been awhile.]}

Hm-mm-mm-m-m-m, was there ever a cat-so-clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees?

_{[Cutting herself off, she glances back at Loop.]}

Actually, I have no idea if you're like a magical dude or anything, I just kind of assumed from the hat. But hey, if you like Mistoffelees, then Mistoffelees it is.

_{[Heather is perhaps in a unique position to understand why one might want distance from an old name.]}

[loopsiedaisy]

Magical like a wizard? Heh, no, those aren't real where I came from.

[Unless... does Wish Craft count? Maybe? It's got rules like any other kind of Craft, just more complicated ones, but - well, they don't want to think about that anyway.]

But maybe that's exactly what a secret wizard would say. [They give Heather a one-eyed wink.]

[They feel weird settling down on the couch while Heather's standing, but - well, obviously she has to have her own bed somewhere else in this house. So they sidle over with the blanket they selected, settling Burnoît on one couch arm and sitting awkwardly on the edge of the couch themself.]

[And immediately sinking much deeper into it than they expected. Clearly this couch is very worn in.]

Are wizard cats a thing in your world, or was that just for the play?

[Orrery settles down to the ground next to the couch too, crushing a pillow underneath herself.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[She DOES have her own bed-- well, technically, it's Envy's bed, but she's successfully stolen half of it.]

[In any case, Loop doesn't have to worry about her standing there indefinitely, because she promptly does a sort of half-sit on the couch arm that isn't occupied by a Cyndaquil.]</sub>

Wizard cats? Nah, I wish. Would be a hell of a lot more fun and whimsical.

_{[UNFORTUNATELY: THE HORROR GENRE.]}

But then, that could also be what a secret wizard would say.

_{[She returns the wink-- cartoonishly, and with a vaguely ducklike sound-effect from one cheek.]}

[loopsiedaisy]

[Wizard cat Heather Mason! Got it.]

[Loop is simultaneously reassured by Heather settling down and making herself more comfortable, and also made slightly more tense by the close physical proximity in a place that is... "intimate" doesn't feel like exactly the right word, but more private than outside? Personal? This is someone's home. (Multiple someone's.) This is a couch that people who live here have probably dozed off on before, a safe spot from the outside world.]

[They
              don't
                                  belong here.]

[...stop thinking about it. Loop forces themself to relax. But they also pull the blanket they picked up over their lap, so they can secretly fidget with their gloves underneath it.]

There have to be wizard cats here, right? There's plant cats and everything. [They're thinking of Envy's two-legged kitty.]

[foolishwren]

_{[If Heather notices Loop's tension, she doesn't acknowledge it. She notices. But in her experience, casual conversation usually does a better job of making someone chill out than forcing them to acknowledge their obvious anxiety out loud.]}

Hm... I mean, it wouldn't surprise me...

_{[Envy's yo-yo cat hasn't evolved yet, so Heather doesn't have the knowledge of Meowscarada to conveniently spring to mind.]}

There is a magical fox, but mine gets pissed off whenever you call it 'magic', so I think she prefers it to be referred to as 'psychic powers, but with a witch aesthetic'.

_{[She chuckles as she says this-- both because Gilly's desperate desire to be taken Completely Seriously has always been amusing, but also because Heather herself is more than a little familiar with the plight of a psychic surrounded by people crying 'witch'.]}

[loopsiedaisy]

[Hmm. Loop still thinks of Psychic type as "makes things float, but sometimes violently inward or in all directions at once"... but it is kind of magic-esque, huh?]

[They look down at Orrery, who is still slowly flattening that pillow, but also still awake and listening to their conversation.] What about you, Orrery? Are you a wizard?

[Orrery is picking up what they're putting down. She makes a very mysterious, dramatic sounding whirr, then hums a few notes. Maybe she is.]

[foolishwren]

_{[Heather is respectfully silent as Orrery considers her answer... and when she starts dooting out the little melody instead, she barks out a hearty laugh and slaps her hands together.]}

Well, there you go!

A wizard never reveals their secrets.