From: "Adrian Tymes" <wingcat@pacbell.net> Subject: Re: [PW!] Inquisitions Date: Wednesday, December 29, 2004 2:55 AM >>The Azumarill pointed to the general area where Jeff had runn off to >>with Aerie. Her expression and tone was tinged with worry. "Azu zumarill." >> >>"That all? Trust me when I say that Jeff still cares. I think this is the >>part >>where you get to learn the art of tomenting your trainer." >> >>"Azu? Marill?" >> >>#What Grass Man is trying to get at is that you aren't being ditched# >>Mary's face brightened. #AND that this gives you the chance to learn >>the fine art of teasing. I'll even show you the ropes personally!# The >>Girafarig said, beaming with pride. >> >>Mary shook her head. <"The last thing I need is to turn into a water-type >>clone of you"> >> >>"True" >>#Yeah ... HEY!# >> >>"You have learned fast waterhopper," Bob said in his best fake sage voice. >> >>By this point Mary was feeling better. The loud rumbling noise only served >>to confirm that. "Rill?" >> >>"Food sounds good Mary. Who knows, we might even save little bro a >>snack. And perhaps after we can invade the couch fort!" Thus it was, some time later, that Mary was carrying a platter of cookies... "FIRE THE CATAPULT!" "DEATH FROM ABOVE!" ...which she barely jerked out of the way of a descending Aerie-Skitty. "Rill?!" "I don't care who you are," Aerie retorted while smoothing her fur with a paw. "Approach the couch fort at your own risk." "Mary? Is that you?" Jeff poked his head above the stuffed wall. "I was wondering where you got to. Are those for us?" "Azumarill!" Mary dashed towards the couch fort, only for Aerie to put herself in the way. "Let her through," Jeff requested, a bit surprised. "You know this pokemon?" Aerie asked while locking eyes with Mary. "Of course I know her! She's mine! C'mere, Mary!" Mary stuck her nose up and walked around Aerie. Aerie slowly followed her back to the fort, fur bristling. "Azu. Rill?" Mary pointed behind her. "Nothing to worry about." Jeff picked up Mary and stroked her, eventually lying on the couch and setting her on his chest. "Aerie won't eat you. Right, Aerie?" Aerie smiled. "Gee, I don't know. She looks so tasty..." "AERIE!" The hybrid winced. Jeff's shout had had just a hint of honest anger, and she felt it. "You scared her. Apologize." Had Aerie been in some other form, she might have done so. But as she was, looking up at the pokemon who dared intrude on HER Jeff and take his affection, and who was looking down at her defiantly from atop him, she let her identity slip just a little as the pride of feline pokemon touched her mind. "She doesn't look scared to me." "Rill! Marillazu azu azuma rillrill!" "Doesn't sound scared either." Jeff frowned. "What's gotten into you two?" "Oh, she's just jealous. She can't hug you as much as I can." "Rill?" Mary toppled over and spread her arms in the widest hug she could give Jeff. Aerie leapt up, transformed into a ditto, and spread over most of Jeff, nudging Mary out of direct contact with him. She left a few spots open, like his face, but when Mary ran over to them, she just closed up and opened somewhere else. "Umm, Aerie..." Jeff struggled gently within her, finding himself trapped. "Not now." She giggled. "Come on, Mary. Uh! Too slow! You want to hug him, you'll have to do better than that!" "If you want to play with my pokemon, at least let me get Bob out." Jeff squirmed his hand into his pocket. "Bob's outside, and he's not YEEEEEEEEEK!" Aerie shot up to the ceiling, snapping back into her normal form, then dashed for the furthest corner of said ceiling. Once there, she cowered into it, shaking and looking at Jeff with wide eyes. "I meant my treecko." Jeff produced Bob's pokeball. "Are you okay?" "DON'T...DON'T TOUCH ME WITH THAT...THING!" Part of Aerie was urging her to exit the pokemon center and flee for her life. The fear would fade soon enough, but while it lasted, it took all her trust in Jeff just to remain in the same room. TBC? >>>[NS: I realize everyone else has a few things going on, and I was >>>hoping to get to the concert, but this is a big plot element coming up. >>>Three guesses what.] >> >>[NS: I think I know, so I insert this random insanity before you get >>all drama and angsty.] > > [NS: Random insanity's good, helps lighten the mood. Anyway, yeah, it is kinda > transparent if you've been paying a lot of attention to the storyline so far. > > But is it just me, or is the PW! a ghost town lately?] [NS: This happens over the holidays. The solution is to keep it at least lukewarm until people come back, or until new people join. It doesn't always work, but it's better than the alternative: people won't come to something that's totally dead.]