[Have they been wondering this since they were distributing meals at the clinic and got more used to the idea of Ghost Pokemon? Maybe.]
[Psychic communication is hard, so have an inadvertent memory of them sniffing a wrapped meal they delivered to a Misdreavus. The scent is indistinct and puzzling, at least to their Shinx nose.]
Pretty much! Gotta put the sad in malasada, y'know.
Seriously though... I've mostly just been eating whatever the hell I want. If there's one thing this place has got, it's good food—and I guess most of the fare is fit for any Pokémon consumption.
That's the spirit! [She snorts. Indeed, she clearly is a fellow lover of puns.] I'll hold you to it. I mean, it's the least you could do after I had to drag your ass through all that fog...
Speaking of which—good to see you're already settling right in after all that.
Why wouldn't I be? I'm not stuck in some wet underground caves, like some people. [Jokingly pitying. Let's be real, it's not like wet treetop platforms are much of an improvement.]
[ A missing Pokémon—seemed like an easy enough case to solve. All it needed was finding the right trail, but Bigby being new and unfamiliar with most of Bottlecap Bay, he thought it was only fitting to tap Shoka for this quest when it popped up on the board. It'd be like a part two of their tour, he joked, just with slightly higher stakes.
Even so, splitting up to cover more ground felt like a good first step before the full investigation got going. His initial pick would have been to visit the clinic, but remembering his hesitation with the place (and people), he opted to put that one off in favor of talking to a few shopkeepers instead. After some time, he'll figure out how to connect. ]
Hey, Shoka. Think I found a few leads to start with. [ There’s a distinct sound of items rustling as he juggles them in his hands. He's very much holding the pearl with his shoulder like you would a clunky old phone. ] How’s it going on your end? Ready to regroup?
Shoka's disguise also serves as a convenient storage space, so she removes her Grumpearl before responding:]
Roger that, ace detective. Hope the clues you've sniffed out are better than mine...
[It's going not so great on her end. Though she's gathered a few tidbits of information on Zweilous itself from her own investigation at and around the Pokéclinic, any clues as to the Pokémon's current location were minimal, too vague to be promising. But they can compare once they're back together.]
Meet me back at the board? If you can remember how to get there.
Something definitely smells fishy, I'll say that much. [ Admittedly, the Pokémon he talked to seemed just as clueless as him, if not a little put off by the juxtaposition of his demeanor and appearance, but what he did manage to get out of them was interesting, to say the least. ]
Yeah, shouldn't be too hard. Just give me a couple of minutes before you go posting my missing poster next. [ He fumbles a bit to disconnect again before making his way over to the quest board. When he spots her, he waves her down with his free hand before approaching. ]
Before we compare notes— [ He hands her the pastry he's holding, though not without breaking off a small piece for himself first. ] —one of the bakers asked me to give you this. Said she remembered you. What's it called again? A malsalad?
[Their psychic connection is broken with a snicker. Fortunately, Bigby does show up shortly thereafter—and with an investigation snack, no less! Shoka's ears perk up in surprise.]
Oh—sweet! [She... did that for her? And it's even the spicy kind, her favorite! That's... really nice, actually? Shoka seems a little taken aback—enough that she almost doesn't realize that the pastry is missing a chunk when she takes it in her claws.] Malasada. Um, if she told you to give it to me, why are you eating it? It's mylasada, not yourlasada.
[She doesn't really care that much and would have offered to split it with him anyway, but... Dude!]
More like my finder's fee for your food. [ But he concedes easily on letting the bit go, neatly putting the piece back into her outstretched claws with a smirk. ] Alright, fine. I need to watch what I eat anyway.
[ He says as he pulls out a seed to chew on from his pocket. Letting it dangle from the corner of his mouth first, he rubs his hands together, a bit in thought, but mostly to get the sugar off. ]
So, Zweilous. The Pokémon who knew what I was talking about all mentioned seeing them around town at various times. I don't think they wandered off too far. Also—they have two heads? [ He makes a bit of a face at this. ] You'd think that'd be hard for anyone to miss, but tell me what you got.
[Shoka watches him place the torn-off piece back into her claws with a look that says, Are you serious? Then she hands it right back to him with one hand, after pulling the larger piece under her disguise with her other.]
After you had your grubby little paws all over it? Hard pass. [That's just an excuse, really. More importantly:] Anyway, you've got to try it. High-key one of the best things the Bay has to offer.
[But she guesses she'll eat his finder's fee too if he really insists. They can always grab victory malasadas after this is all wrapped up.
Either way, then it's time for investigation talk.]
Around town, huh? Way to narrow it down.
[It's not Tokyo-sized, at least, but Bottlecap Bay still isn't exactly small to them, after all. Even so...]
... Still a better actual lead than I got, though... But I did manage to get more of a description of the guy, I guess. They don't just have two heads—they have two heads that have it out for each other. Word around town is they're a regular at the clinic 'cause they're always beating themselves up—literally. [She snorts. It sounded messed up to her—and almost like Zweilous themself could have been a suspect in their own disappearance—but the Pokémon who told her this part acted like it was perfectly normal and mostly unconcerning for a Zweilous. Pokémon are so weird.] They're also a Dragon-type with black fur, so... we'll be looking for clawed footprints, if we can actually find any. And if we're lucky, maybe they shed on something, hah.
[She pauses there, searching her memory for a moment before concluding:]
That's about it, though. There was... one other thing I heard, but no clue if it even means anything.
If I was an actual rat, I might find that offensive. [ He matches her look with one of his own, but yoinks the piece back with an overly dramatic huff. ] Might as well give me back the whole thing while we're at it, if you're that worried.
[ His smirk returns, unserious, but between finishing his seed and the investigation talk, he waits before actually trying it. He'll take her word for it for now. ]
Look, it beats having to sniff all around the forest, too. I'll take what I can get. [ Hearing Shoka's description gets a snicker out of him, bad as it when they're currently missing, but the thought is just too ridiculous for him not to. ] Great. A suspect and victim all in one. Could be why they've just been going in circles around the Bay, if they're in the middle of another fight.
... But a Dragon-type, though, huh? [ He scratches his cheek in thought, trying to filter for that scent in his memory. Truth be told, he hasn't met many others beside one Dragonite in particular, but: ] I can work with that. Thought we were dealing with a Dark-type or something, to be honest. I got the two mops of black fur down, but no one bothered mentioning scales. [ His fault, really, for not thinking to clarify types of all things. He'll get there. ]
We can check around some of the spots I know of first, but—go ahead. It still could mean something, eventually.
[In the end it takes them a few days since they ran into Odile, but finally:] Sh-Shoka...!
[This is, unfortunately, a psychic connection, and Siffrin has no idea where to even start. Which means rather than getting Actual Clear Dialogue next, Shoka is getting a messy tangle of emotions. Sorry Shoka! (Did you know it is possible to experience both overwhelming relief and overwhelming dread at the same time?)]
[Still... there does seem to be two particular thoughts that are loudest, even if they're crowding on top of each other. They are:]
["Shoka, they're alive!!! I didn't kill them!"]
["I don't remember, but, but Odile said, that I had a friend named Loop...!"]
[...]
[...they're not totally stupid. They're very good at not thinking about things, by necessity. But they ]
[It's definitely Siffrin, even if she can barely follow those threads of thought keeping them connected. Didn't kill—? Odile? Where has she heard that name before? As for Loop... They had a friend named Loop?
[Siffrin... attempts to rein it in, and mostly succeeds.]
[Oh. They're...] I'm out in the woods.
[They headed back to Bottlecap Bay, (presumably) with Odile. But they wanted to be alone before they talked to Shoka, and the easiest way to be sure was to do a quick gathering quest solo.]
[But they're already bugging her with this, aren't they? They don't think she won't come out unless they tell her not to. And there's no reason to do that. (...right?)]
...not far in. Near the Canopy. [Rather than try to describe it further with words, they just send her a vague mental map - they're a very short distance into the Northern Forest, near some of the "safe" mushroom patches.]
[Her thoughts finish that sentence for her, uncertain in contrast: If that's okay. She doesn't mean to intrude or make them feel cornered, but they're clearly freaking out; they shouldn't be alone right now, and she shouldn't have free rein to root around in their innermost thoughts.
Once they send her the mental map to their part of the forest, she's already up and moving.]
On my way.
[She makes a beeline there, keeping her Grumpearl tucked away in the hollow of her disguise-head just in case she strays off course. When she arrives at the end of their mental path, she glances around, searching for any sign of them.]
[The trouble with waiting for Shoka is now, of course, they're tying themself into knots and second-guessing talking to anyone about this all over again. But they do hang on and stick roughly around where they showed her they'd be.]
[So here they are, trying to distract themself with gathering mushrooms - but they give up on it as soon as they hear her approaching, their unfolded ear swiveling around toward her.]
...hey. [They smile at her, trying to look relieved, but it mostly looks nervous...]
[Despite the burst of Feelings they accidentally sent Shoka, though, in retrospect they probably don't seem nearly as bad as the night with all the ghosts. No matter how hard they were trying to hide it then.]
[Her relief, on the other hand, is obvious in her voice. It's reassuring to see them here, no matter how startling the call they left her was (it's reassuring that they called her at all, really). She approaches quickly but carefully, coming to a stop beside them.]
Okay... What's going on?
[Their message is still fresh in her memory. If they can't figure out where to start, she can try a few things to nudge them in the right direction.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
at some point in early april
Date: 2025-04-09 01:42 am (UTC)...what do you eat?
[Have they been wondering this since they were distributing meals at the clinic and got more used to the idea of Ghost Pokemon? Maybe.]
[Psychic communication is hard, so have an inadvertent memory of them sniffing a wrapped meal they delivered to a Misdreavus. The scent is indistinct and puzzling, at least to their Shinx nose.]
no subject
Date: 2025-04-09 04:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-10 01:37 am (UTC)But no promises if you eat souls. I'm pretty sure only the Lum Berries can afford those.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-10 05:22 pm (UTC)Bummer! Well, I mostly thrive off of fear and negativity anyway... And the occasional spicy malasada.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-11 04:52 am (UTC)[They're pretty sure they've seen a stand with those in town! They haven't tried any yet, but Siffrin at least recognizes the name.]
So what I'm hearing is... you live off a diet of pain-strys?
no subject
Date: 2025-04-11 10:28 pm (UTC)Pretty much! Gotta put the sad in malasada, y'know.
Seriously though... I've mostly just been eating whatever the hell I want. If there's one thing this place has got, it's good food—and I guess most of the fare is fit for any Pokémon consumption.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-17 08:26 pm (UTC)[But - huh! Makes sense. Or... no, it really doesn't with how many types of Pokemon there are, but it fits with what they've seen other kinds eat.]
I guess I'll owe you some ghoul-met cuisine next time we run into each other.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-19 11:56 pm (UTC)Speaking of which—good to see you're already settling right in after all that.
[They've even got jokes!]
no subject
Date: 2025-04-20 04:18 am (UTC)Why wouldn't I be? I'm not stuck in some wet underground caves, like some people. [Jokingly pitying. Let's be real, it's not like wet treetop platforms are much of an improvement.]
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:heads or tails (early june); audio
Date: 2025-06-10 05:46 am (UTC)Even so, splitting up to cover more ground felt like a good first step before the full investigation got going. His initial pick would have been to visit the clinic, but remembering his hesitation with the place (and people), he opted to put that one off in favor of talking to a few shopkeepers instead. After some time, he'll figure out how to connect. ]
Hey, Shoka. Think I found a few leads to start with. [ There’s a distinct sound of items rustling as he juggles them in his hands. He's very much holding the pearl with his shoulder like you would a clunky old phone. ] How’s it going on your end? Ready to regroup?
no subject
Date: 2025-06-13 10:12 pm (UTC)Shoka's disguise also serves as a convenient storage space, so she removes her Grumpearl before responding:]
Roger that, ace detective. Hope the clues you've sniffed out are better than mine...
[It's going not so great on her end. Though she's gathered a few tidbits of information on Zweilous itself from her own investigation at and around the Pokéclinic, any clues as to the Pokémon's current location were minimal, too vague to be promising. But they can compare once they're back together.]
Meet me back at the board? If you can remember how to get there.
action
Date: 2025-06-15 07:14 am (UTC)Yeah, shouldn't be too hard. Just give me a couple of minutes before you go posting my missing poster next. [ He fumbles a bit to disconnect again before making his way over to the quest board. When he spots her, he waves her down with his free hand before approaching. ]
Before we compare notes— [ He hands her the pastry he's holding, though not without breaking off a small piece for himself first. ] —one of the bakers asked me to give you this. Said she remembered you. What's it called again? A malsalad?
no subject
Date: 2025-06-16 08:02 pm (UTC)[Their psychic connection is broken with a snicker. Fortunately, Bigby does show up shortly thereafter—and with an investigation snack, no less! Shoka's ears perk up in surprise.]
Oh—sweet! [She... did that for her? And it's even the spicy kind, her favorite! That's... really nice, actually? Shoka seems a little taken aback—enough that she almost doesn't realize that the pastry is missing a chunk when she takes it in her claws.] Malasada. Um, if she told you to give it to me, why are you eating it? It's mylasada, not yourlasada.
[She doesn't really care that much and would have offered to split it with him anyway, but... Dude!]
no subject
Date: 2025-06-19 04:36 am (UTC)[ He says as he pulls out a seed to chew on from his pocket. Letting it dangle from the corner of his mouth first, he rubs his hands together, a bit in thought, but mostly to get the sugar off. ]
So, Zweilous. The Pokémon who knew what I was talking about all mentioned seeing them around town at various times. I don't think they wandered off too far. Also—they have two heads? [ He makes a bit of a face at this. ] You'd think that'd be hard for anyone to miss, but tell me what you got.
no subject
Date: 2025-06-20 01:18 am (UTC)After you had your grubby little paws all over it? Hard pass. [That's just an excuse, really. More importantly:] Anyway, you've got to try it. High-key one of the best things the Bay has to offer.
[But she guesses she'll eat his finder's fee too if he really insists. They can always grab victory malasadas after this is all wrapped up.
Either way, then it's time for investigation talk.]
Around town, huh? Way to narrow it down.
[It's not Tokyo-sized, at least, but Bottlecap Bay still isn't exactly small to them, after all. Even so...]
... Still a better actual lead than I got, though... But I did manage to get more of a description of the guy, I guess. They don't just have two heads—they have two heads that have it out for each other. Word around town is they're a regular at the clinic 'cause they're always beating themselves up—literally. [She snorts. It sounded messed up to her—and almost like Zweilous themself could have been a suspect in their own disappearance—but the Pokémon who told her this part acted like it was perfectly normal and mostly unconcerning for a Zweilous. Pokémon are so weird.] They're also a Dragon-type with black fur, so... we'll be looking for clawed footprints, if we can actually find any. And if we're lucky, maybe they shed on something, hah.
[She pauses there, searching her memory for a moment before concluding:]
That's about it, though. There was... one other thing I heard, but no clue if it even means anything.
no subject
Date: 2025-06-21 09:51 pm (UTC)[ His smirk returns, unserious, but between finishing his seed and the investigation talk, he waits before actually trying it. He'll take her word for it for now. ]
Look, it beats having to sniff all around the forest, too. I'll take what I can get. [ Hearing Shoka's description gets a snicker out of him, bad as it when they're currently missing, but the thought is just too ridiculous for him not to. ] Great. A suspect and victim all in one. Could be why they've just been going in circles around the Bay, if they're in the middle of another fight.
... But a Dragon-type, though, huh? [ He scratches his cheek in thought, trying to filter for that scent in his memory. Truth be told, he hasn't met many others beside one Dragonite in particular, but: ] I can work with that. Thought we were dealing with a Dark-type or something, to be honest. I got the two mops of black fur down, but no one bothered mentioning scales. [ His fault, really, for not thinking to clarify types of all things. He'll get there. ]
We can check around some of the spots I know of first, but—go ahead. It still could mean something, eventually.
no subject
Date: 2025-06-22 03:00 am (UTC)[The rest of the malasada is already gone, absorbed into the void beneath her disguise rag.
A pause, then, as she thinks back to what she heard.]
Well, I talked to someone who saw Zweilous pretty recently, and he said he heard 'em say something about... "Doing it all over". Whatever that means.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:pls forgive how late this is...i took several weeks to decide what a drop-off log looks like 😭
From:looks at how late i am PLEASE you are so good ;u; everyone reeling at the struggle of stone tablets
From:thank you for saving my life
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:probably actually on october 1st or something
Date: 2025-09-27 11:28 pm (UTC)[This is, unfortunately, a psychic connection, and Siffrin has no idea where to even start. Which means rather than getting Actual Clear Dialogue next, Shoka is getting a messy tangle of emotions. Sorry Shoka! (Did you know it is possible to experience both overwhelming relief and overwhelming dread at the same time?)]
[Still... there does seem to be two particular thoughts that are loudest, even if they're crowding on top of each other. They are:]
["Shoka, they're alive!!! I didn't kill them!"]
["I don't remember, but, but Odile said, that I had a friend named Loop...!"]
[...]
[...they're not totally stupid. They're very good at not thinking about things, by necessity. But they ]
[ they are thinking about Stardust, right now.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-28 02:50 am (UTC)Frinrin?
[It's definitely Siffrin, even if she can barely follow those threads of thought keeping them connected. Didn't kill—? Odile? Where has she heard that name before? As for Loop... They had a friend named Loop?
Wait.]
Hey—where are you right now?
no subject
Date: 2025-09-28 06:18 am (UTC)[Oh. They're...] I'm out in the woods.
[They headed back to Bottlecap Bay, (presumably) with Odile. But they wanted to be alone before they talked to Shoka, and the easiest way to be sure was to do a quick gathering quest solo.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-28 06:45 am (UTC)[Unless Siffrin would rather keep this onpearl only, is the unsaid... But she gets the feeling that she should be there with them right now.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-28 06:59 am (UTC)[But they're already bugging her with this, aren't they? They don't think she won't come out unless they tell her not to. And there's no reason to do that. (...right?)]
...not far in. Near the Canopy. [Rather than try to describe it further with words, they just send her a vague mental map - they're a very short distance into the Northern Forest, near some of the "safe" mushroom patches.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-28 08:47 pm (UTC)[Her thoughts finish that sentence for her, uncertain in contrast: If that's okay. She doesn't mean to intrude or make them feel cornered, but they're clearly freaking out; they shouldn't be alone right now, and she shouldn't have free rein to root around in their innermost thoughts.
Once they send her the mental map to their part of the forest, she's already up and moving.]
On my way.
[She makes a beeline there, keeping her Grumpearl tucked away in the hollow of her disguise-head just in case she strays off course. When she arrives at the end of their mental path, she glances around, searching for any sign of them.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-29 02:03 am (UTC)[So here they are, trying to distract themself with gathering mushrooms - but they give up on it as soon as they hear her approaching, their unfolded ear swiveling around toward her.]
...hey. [They smile at her, trying to look relieved, but it mostly looks nervous...]
[Despite the burst of Feelings they accidentally sent Shoka, though, in retrospect they probably don't seem nearly as bad as the night with all the ghosts. No matter how hard they were trying to hide it then.]
no subject
Date: 2025-10-04 06:06 am (UTC)[Her relief, on the other hand, is obvious in her voice. It's reassuring to see them here, no matter how startling the call they left her was (it's reassuring that they called her at all, really). She approaches quickly but carefully, coming to a stop beside them.]
Okay... What's going on?
[Their message is still fresh in her memory. If they can't figure out where to start, she can try a few things to nudge them in the right direction.]
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:[1/2]
From:[2/2]
From:(no subject)
From:[1/2]
From:[2/2]
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:[1/3]
From:[2/3]
From:[3/3]
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:would it be too mean if they volt switched her into a bush......
From:GOD they should try it and see what happens...
From:we're doing it
From:(cat yowl stock sound effect)
From:[1/2]
From:[2/2]
From:(no subject)
From:would genuinely 100% give this to Shoka if I didn't need them to get away for their net post...
From:she tried her best 😔
From: