united_one | if i started numbering my posts, life would be so much easier [Action/Video]

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if i started numbering my posts, life would be so much easier [Action/Video]

[Somewhere on Route 3, a bewildered Paprika has just woken up with a Swellow in her face. With a particularly undignified noise, she rockets up from her sleeping bag, waving her hands around until she stops at the realization that maybe this is still her Pokemon. Oops. As soon as Robin begins preening her, Paprika's belated realization is confirmed.

Robin? Robin, hey, what the heck happened to you when I was gone? You got, like, freaking huge.

[Robin squawks something in response, but as Paprika has no clue what it means, she wriggles out of bed and goes through a quick morning routine, rubbing her head occasionally as if it aches. Eventually, she sits back down and turns on her Xtransciever, Robin immediately fluttering down to perch on her Trainer's shoulder. Suffice to say, it doesn't work quite as well as when she was a Taillow, so the screen is quite cramped between the two of them.]

Hey, so, I'm not sure if anybody else watches this thing, but my group's just kinda gone and I'm pretty sure some really trippy shit just went down, 'cause last time I checked, I was still with N and Dragonite and Hilda. Like, I went to sleep, and it was like I was back home, but I'm pretty sure it was legit, 'cause I'm wearing the stuff I wore last night at home instead of what I was wearing back here.

[She smiles, and there's a definite hint of sadness in it--she only realizes in hindsight that she'd just seen her friends and family again for the first time in months, though no time had passed in her own world. Robin trills again, prompting Paprika to point to the awkwardly placed bird Pokemon on her shoulder.]

Oh, also, Robin just got freaking huge--like, not even fat huge, just really big. Not sure if this is a prank or the Entralink being all douchey, but this shit's pretty crazy.

[She moves like she's about to say something else--perhaps a request that the rest of TSA show up rather promptly, but she seems to think better of it and instead turns the feed off.]

((OOC: Ahaha sorry for the TL;DR there. Basically what happened is that the AU event brought in a Paprika who was born and raised in Unova, so AU!Paprika took OU!Paprika's team into her own hands and leveled them up quite a bit while OU!Paprika was back home for the two weeks, unaware that she'd ever been at U_O. I guess since N went feral and whatnot, TSA was separated, but they don't have to be too far away.))

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So it wasn't just me then. Guess I'm not going insane then.

[ Of course her Eevee is looking too. ]

I'm missing a couple weeks too.

Woah, trippy as hell! What if this is all, like, some Matrix deal with the Entralink or whatever?

[Realizing she's looking at a new face, Paprika hastily adds,]

Oh, I'm Paprika, by the way.

Oh, right. I'm Hazel.

[ The Eevee makes a small noise. ]

And this is Cloud.

[ Hazel tilts her head at the feed. If The Matrix movie exists in her world she hasn't heard of it. ]

Matrix deal?

Cool! Oh, and this--

[Pointing in the direction of Robin, who is still crowding the screen as she runs her beak through Paprika's hair.]

--is Robin.

[Realizing she's encountered yet another person sorely lacking in basic cinematic knowledge, Paprika dismisses the notion with a wave of the hand.]

It's from a movie--Iunno, I guess not a lot of people here have movies at home? But yeah, I went home for like two weeks, but I didn't remember all the stuff that happened here 'till I got back just now.

Robin seems very fond of you.

[ She can't help smiling at the preening. ]

There are movies home. I dunno if our worlds would have the same ones. I was always more interested in video games though.

[ And Hazel gets a kind of sad look on her face for a split second. ]

I didn't end up going home. I just don't remember anything.

Yeah, she--okay, okay, my hair is pretty much perfect now!--she's pretty touchy-feeley.

[Movies does someone want to talk about movies because Paprika is always ready to talk about movies.]

It's that one with Keanu Reeves from the '90s where he's this dude named Neo and he finds out the whole world is actually just this thing in everyone's heads called The Matrix? It's some seriously trippy stuff, but it's a classic, man.

[Ahem.]

But yeah, I remember everything now that I'm back. Didja just, like, fall asleep two weeks ago and then wake up and find out it was today or something?

It's nice that you're close.

[ Hazel doesn't know much about actors... not even the ones in the few movies she's seen. ]

Doesn't ring a bell... I think I would have at least heard about it if it was a classic in my world.

[ She's not sure she wants to try and find out if their worlds have any video games in common. ]

Well, I think Cloud would be a lot more worried if I'd been sleeping this whole time... And I'm not really that close to where I last remember being so I must have done some traveling.

So like, sleepwalking or something?

[She shakes her head.]

Iunno, maybe the Entralink dude would just, like, tell us if we asked? I mean, he's pretty weird, but I don't think he's a douchebag or anything.

I dunno about sleepwalking... Cloud could probably tell me if I could understand him.

[ She doesn't really want to bother N with this. She only talked to the guy once that she can remember. ]

...The old guy? He seemed nice enough I guess. I was kinda not thinking straight when he was talking to me.

[The bit about Hazel maybe talking to her Eevee is what catches Paprika's attention, so she promptly glazes over what seems to be veering into uncomfortable territory for the other girl and grins.]

Well, if you wanna talk to your Pokemon, I actually know this guy who can legit understand what they're saying! He's... Uh.

[She glances around--still no sign of N.]

He's somewhere, yeah. He's usually with me, though.

...Do you mean N?

[ It's not a common skill, is it? ]

I don't really want to bother him.

[ And she's a little embarrassed about where their one conversation went. ]

Oh, d'you know him too? I guess he really gets around for such an awkward guy, huh?

[She says it with affection, though.]

Aw, c'mon, he's not like that! I betcha if we just asked, he'd have a chat with Cloud there.

We talked to him once when I first got here. He seemed nice. [ Cloud makes an agreeing sound. ]

I just don't want it to be a habit. I'd feel bad if I only ever ended up talking to him when I want to know what my pokemon had to say.

Aw, don't sweat it so much--he's a pretty chill guy once you get down to it! Kinda weird, but still chill.

...I guess if he doesn't mind. I'd rather not talk about it through video though.[ That willll end up real awkward if she finds the conversation they had during the event first. ]

Oh, d'you wanna just come and meet him?

[A beat.]

Uh, after I find him, that is. He's kinda AWOL right now.

Maybe not right now. I'm almost to Nacrene City... [ She feels awkward and might be thinking to 'miss' running into them before she moves on to Pinwheel forest. ]

[Here, have Dragonite. She is pretty close, yeah. But that Swellow does look rather tasty. So she's not speaking up - just sitting there, behind Paprika - staring.]

[Unfortunately, Paprika is not well-adapted to the wild, and remains completely oblivious, having moved on to trying to coax Robin out of another preening session.]

[And then-- Dragonite pounced!]

Holyshitwhat!?

[Paprika, understandably, does not take this well. Neither does Robin, who begins crying out indignantly and poises herself to attack until Paprika realizes who just jumped on her out of nowhere.]

Jesus tittyfucking Christ on a cracker, you scared the crap outta me!

[She gives a breathy little laugh, already kind of embarrassed at how freaked out she'd been.]

...Sorry. [Dragonite said. People don't do that. She forgot, in her happiness and also hunger. But she is happy! She's smiling and everything!] Are... you missing two weeks too? [Dragonite's just glad that time's still going, too.]

[Paprika's awkward smile drops into a concerned look as soon as Dragonite mentions the missing two weeks.]

Yep. I mean, I remember what I was doing back home, but I don't have diddlysquat for here.

[A pause.]
You... you went home?
[Dragonite didn't.]

[And here's the guy that went missing in action! He looks a bit dazed and disheveled, and has a scraggly Woobat nestled into his tangled ponytail, but he looks otherwise unharmed.]
She evolved. That is why she is bigger. [Because explaining that is apparently more important than explaining where he is... or maybe it's just easier. He smiles.] Congratulations to the both of you.

[He tilts his head curiously.] You went home?

Evolved? Like, Darwin evolved?

[Completely baffled, Paprika takes stock of N's disheveled appearance with a raised brow.]

Yeah, I went home for... Two weeks, yeah. But, like, I didn't remember anything about being here 'till I got back. So were you in like a garbage can or something the whole time? 'Cause you look kinda, uh...

[How to say this nicely?]

...Beat. Yeah, beat.

[N apparently doesn't know who Darwin is.]
Well... Sometimes, when Pokemon reach a certain level of development, they change form-- evolve into a higher stage. Do you recall when we both used to be raising Darumakas? My Darumaka evolved into Darmanitan, her second stage. [He grins with a bit more energy.] It is a good thing. It means that she has become stronger.

[He scratches his head at the question, and idly plucks a few leaves from his hair.]
I don't remember where I was. It was as if I simply fell asleep for a long time... I woke up in the depths of Wellspring Cave, in... a spring. [Imagine that!] This Woobat has promised to guide me out. She claims I was acting differently, and looked a bit different as well. These were also left with me. [He holds up some scraps of black fabric and furrows his brow.] Apparently, it is all that was left of my clothing.

[Paprika nods slowly--now that she thinks about it, she has seen evolution before without realizing what it was.]

D'they all do that, or is it just like, "I feel pretty legit so I'm gonna get huge but still sit on your face"?

[Seeing N's leaf-riddled hair and tattered clothes, Paprika can't help but laugh as Robin eyes that tangled ponytail keenly. Apparently, being Paprika's friend is a free pass for incessant preening.]

What the heck were you doing in a cave? Catching up on all the Boy Scout badges you never got to get as a kid?

[She's making a valiant effort, really, but she's pretty much dissolved into giggles at this point, her mental image of N in a Boy Scout uniform futilely attempting to start a fire with a pair of sticks just a bit inaccurate in comparison to what really happened.]

Man, d'you want me to come pick you up or something?

There are a few species that do not evolve. A few examples are... Sigilyph, Absol, Minun. However, it is possible that these have the potential to evolve, but there is no proof of them. [He thinks for a moment of Paprika's team.] All of the Pokemon you currently have in your team have known evolutions, actually.

[N shrugs in answer to the question regarding his whereabouts, and squints a little.] What is a Boy Scout...? [But she's laughing, so he smiles a little.]

Mm. I suppose it would be nice if you would. I shall let Woobat lead me out as best she can, and we can find each other from there.

Sweet! Is there, like, a way to know when they're gonna change, or do they just sorta do it whenever.

[Paprika pauses to stand up, which proves to be more difficult than she'd anticipated, what with Robin still weighing down her shoulder and all.]

Boy Scouts are pretty much just these dweeby kids who wear really awful shorts and like, make fires in the woods and shit. I think my little brother was one for like, a year.

So I'll meetcha in front of that cave place, right?

It depends! Requirements for evolution are different between species. Some are relatively simple to predict, while others are not. [For demonstration, he makes a bit of a nodding gesture to reference the Woobat that is now on his shoulder.] This species-- Woobat-- apparently does not evolve until it develops a strong bond with a trainer, for example. That can be particularly difficult to predict, understandably. [He smiles, happy to talk about such subjects, and admittedly proud of his knowledge.

But onto the definition of a "Boy Scout"...] Oh... Why would one encourage children to start fires in the woods? [He looks genuinely concerned about this.] And they achieve badges by doing so? How malicious! And children in your world are expected do become one? [Oh dear...!]

Ah-- Oh. Yes, please.

[Surprisingly enough, Paprika actually absorbs most of that.]

So like how you have to teach an iguana its name and how you smell before it stops trying to use you as a chew toy.

[She does actually have iguana-inflicted scars on her fingers, though they're barely visible. Still, at N's evident surprise, she realizes that maybe her explanation of Boy Scouts wasn't as concise as it could've been.]

No, no! Like, they make little campfires and learn to survive in the woods and stuff like that! They sell this nasty-ass mulch, too, 'cause the Girl Scouts got the cookies.

[N would probably agree with that analogy, but...]
What is an... iguana? [A creature from her world, he assumes, but he's always interested in the specifics when it comes to animals!

He blinks.] Oh. I see. [He doesn't really, but at least they don't seem bad?] That is okay, then. Mulch is very important for plant growth! I would rather sell that than cookies, I think. [Oh god now he's going to try to become a Boy Scout Paprika what have you done.]

They're like...

[She fumbles, trying to come up with an appropriate Pokemon analogy.]

Well they're like these little scaly critters that waddle around and bask in the sun and make super-weird faces all the time. Like, they open their mouths and it looks like they're doing a weird laugh thing.

[Oh hell to the no, he did not just insult Girl Scout cookies.]

Aw, c'mon, you definitely wouldn't be saying that if you'd ever had a Thin Mint. Girl Scout cookies are legit the best thing on the planet.

[Paprika pauses to check the map on her Xtransciever, which thankfully has both her location and Wellspring Cave's marked on it.]

Mmkay, looks like I'm gonna be about...Ten minutes-ish?

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if i started numbering my posts, life would be so much easier [Action/Video]

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[video] what are iguanas? we just don't know