Fizzytopian Park and Gardens

[Missingno. Master]

Nagini, Vega, Fa, Narsil, Kara, Bedivere, Spinel, Kuranes: Fa's reaction got Nagini wondering, and she increased the speed of her slithering. As she spotted the morbid picnic currently underway, the Arbok moved even quicker, and arrived on the scene at the exact same time another Arbok did. The both of them cast their Glares at the exact same time, but Nagini said nothing. She had intended to speak, of course, but found herself listening to what the other Arbok was saying instead. She found herself rather impressed with how he was handling the situation, his voice neutral and low, yet threatening nonetheless. Once Vega had stopped speaking, Nagini tried to think of anything to add, but found that there was nothing to say that he hadn't already said. Still, she continued to Glare unblinkingly at the Frillish and Misdreavus, patiently awaiting some sort of explanation behind what they were doing.

[Marion Ette]

Nagini, Vega, Fa, Narsil, Kara, Bedivere, Spinel, Kuranes: The moment an ominous shadow is cast over the ghostly pair, the more feminine of the two bolts in the other direction, leaving Bedivere to endure the full brunt of Vega and Nagini's gazes. Though paralyzed to the very spot he stands by the powerfully intimidating eyes of the serpents that tower over him, he seems undeterred... Chipper as ever, he grins at Vega, whom he had turned to before the paralyzing double-glare.

"Spill blood? Dear, dear me... I believe you misunderstand." His voice drops to a whisper. "My most intriguing companion does not intend to feast upon our dear Sir K... but we cannot let him know that! Perhaps you are not aware of the eating habits of Misdreavus..." Bedivere chuckles a bit. "A bit more discriminate in taste than Mistress Minerva or Lady Myrtle... It is not all negative emotions they crave. Only that of fear. Heavens, I did try to be terrified for my dearest new friend! How I attempted to feel fear, even as a knife was telekinetically placed at the base of my throat, hearing that insane, beautiful laugh! Alas, I am not one to feel fear, you see." Bedivere hangs his head, appearing a bit disappointed at his own inability to be frightened. "I have faced death already, and it has dulled the sharp edge of the natural tendency to be frightened at the prospect. Ah, but young Kuranes still has plenty of fear left in him." Bedivere's eyes sparkle at the sight of little Kuranes trembling at the sight of the serpents and their menacing glares. Despite the fact that they intend to save the Eevee, he still finds their very presence to be fear-inspiring. Behind Kuranes, the Misdreavus who had narrowly escaped the glares was now drawn back by Kuranes' emotions, the red gems around its neck glowing as they absorb the Eevee's feelings of fear. The creature licks its lips, indicating how thoroughly it is enjoying the meal. "The feast is already beginning, I see~! Ohohohoho~" Bedivere grins like mad, watching his companion consume the fear. "I do hope it is to your liking, my dear~" The Misdreavus gives Bedivere a flirtatious smile in response, followed by a cute little wink.

[Missingno. Master]

Nagini, Vega, Fa, Narsil, Kara, Bedivere, Spinel, Kuranes: The Misdreavus had fled, but Bedivere had still been there to take the full force of the Glares of both Arbok. Indeed, the Frillish did not seem deterred in the slightest as he sought to correct the apparent misunderstanding that had arisen. As it turns out, Kuranes himself was not the meal, but rather, his fear was. Nagini blinked. Now that she thought of it, she did hear that Misdreavus fed on fear, and she was starting to wonder why she hadn't made the connection sooner.

"It appears I have misunderstood the situation as well," Nagini said quietly as the Misdreavus consumed Kuranes's fear. "I did indeed know of the eating habits of Misdreavus, but I somehow failed to make the connection here. My apologies, Bedivere, for assuming the worst right away," she said, bowing her head slightly in apology.

[Balmund]

"No, Bedi, no!" Little Fa had pleaded as soon as she got into the scene, hoping to perhaps save in time a possible victim of murder, though her words fell short as she couldn't find it in herself to complete her sentence; constantly looping over the same syllable again and again in between panting while tears threatened to pour out of her eyes from the nervousness. She only later realized she had very familiar company in the form of Vega, and Nagini had even managed to reach them before herself, despite her head-start; such was the level difference. Though Bedivere's body was clearly paralyzed in a primal reaction to the Arbok's stunning stare, his mind was still his own, and he calmly explains his true intentions (issued in whispers so as to not spoil the plan). Misdreavus feed, after all, in fear, and though Bedivere had lost the ability to feel fear himself. Nagini seems quick to accept the Frillish's defense, even going as far as apologizing for assuming the worst, though there was something still to be said about binding a creature against its will to psychologically torment it. Never even mind the possibility of the victim entering a state of irreversible shock as a result! Vega wasn't one to turn all smiley faced over a "false alarm", though his expression does soften somewhat. It was never his intention to let out such an intense Glare to begin with. It was only a natural gesture his body adopted when his self entered a particular state of mind, one which could range mere sternness, to bitter hatred, depending on the occasion.

Bedivere's speech flies right over Fa's head on the other hand, who could not really grasp any of it. She frowns in frustration and puffs her cheeks before she decides to do something about the whole thing herself. She takes only a couple half-hops forward before she starts biting and nibbling at the Eevee's bindings. Of course, she never openly spoke of her intentions, and Kuranes could very likely be taking her attempts in the complete wrong. At least it was better to believe one is being eaten alive by a cute, little snake than by some sadistic ghosts? It doesn't help any after the rest of the gang arrive to the scene. "Ooooh, talk about perfect timing, ha, ha, ha! Bedivere, my man! We're having Eevee for lunch?" Narsil's mouth started to water as he grinned wide, his mouth flashing a complete set of very sharp fangs in the process. Kara turns quickly around and jabs Nars with a quick Scratch across his nose yet once again, this time eliciting a pained Yeouch! from him as he rubs his face, tears almost bursting forth from one of his eyes as a result ... that is until he suddenly starts wheezing in laughter at some inside joke only he could comprehend within his head.

Despite all these happenings, Vega's eyes were always focused on one single target, never turning away from Bedivere's own. It was a snake thing one could say. Once they fixate on a particular object, it was as if the rest of the world ceased to exist for them, as they only had eyes for one. It wasn't that Vega did not notice Fa wrestling with what she was supposed to save, or the arrival of his other young teammates, or even the important presence of another powerful snake, but rather that his focus was best devoted to this silent conversation with the merry ghost. His eyes scrutinized deep, trying to see past the many layers of masks that lied beneath that jovial and deceptively innocent face, and in turn, it was as if he suddenly found himself navigating through a most intricate of labyrinths. So seemingly unreadable did Bedivere seem at first glance. "Not one to feel fear, you say." He almost whispered to himself. "Then I must say, you, sir, either know nothing of the true face of fear, or perhaps already know it too well. You have a feeling heart, and as long as you don't turn into one of the heartless, you will always have a vulnerable spot that can be preyed upon. Are your fears that terrible to you, or have you forgotten them entirely? The missy will have a handful trying to uncover them for you, that's for sure."

[Marion Ette]

Both serpents perceive the honest, if somewhat warped intentions of the cannibalistic culinary genius standing paralyzed before them, and soften their glares somewhat in response to the understanding that Kuranes was not in any immediate physical danger. Nagini goes as far as to apologize for assuming the worst of Bedivere, whom she knew was not the sort to ruthlessly murder someone... not without permission, anyhow. "Oh, it is quite all right, Lady Nagini! I am only glad that our ruse is convincing to even one as clever as yourself, ohohohoho~!" Bedivere's grin widens, the paralyzing effect of the glares slowly beginning to wear off. Vega, however, is not so quick to apologize... After all, Kuranes' mental well being was still very much in jeopardy, and the fear he experiences by the betrayal of a trusted team member could have all sorts of damaging effects to his young psyche. Even if he is not eaten, the experience of almost being consumed alive by a loved one is one that changes a Pokemon's mind; the grim possibility of death becomes more tangible, real... begins to take on the face of siblings, friends, people that once represented life in the mind; if the smiling Bedivere could kill Kuranes without a second thought, what assurance did he have about anyone else? Vega senses this potential for mental scarring quite keenly, but even moreso, he is intrigued by the complexity of the seemingly merry, yet deluded Frillish. There was certainly more than meets the eye with Bedivere, and yet it was hard to find the face beneath the grinning mask. Vega concludes that this strange creature must either have never experienced true fear, or perhaps the experience had affected him so deeply that it formed the mental barriers which Vega had such difficulty penetrating. Though Bedivere's smile is unwavering, his answer to Vega's question is anything but amusing.

"I left my fear behind long before I was born, Lord Vega. I have dragged my charred, emaciated soul from the pit of boiling blood and fire. I have fled the centaurs, swam through waters laden with the sullen damned, trudged through battlefields populated with faceless men, braved the foul, icy rains and the violent winds which carry spirits torn apart by longing... Like tempered steel, I am reborn from the flames, unbreakable and full of purpose." Bedivere chuckles brightly. "Metaphorically, of course."

Meanwhile, poor Fa doesn't quite understand what's going on, her focus failing her. Frustrated with her attempts at comprehension, she decides to instead act upon what she does understand, which is that Kuranes is bound and distressed. Untying his bonds will surely make him happy, right? The young dragon takes a few hops forward and starts gnawing on Kuranes' bonds; the shiny Eevee, having enough of his fear consumed by Spinel to think straight, perceives that Fa is attacking his bonds and not him; indeed, if she were trying to eat him, she would likely go straight for the neck or chest, wouldn't she? Even if she DID intend to eat him, once she bit through his bonds, he could make a quick escape before she bit into her legs. The Eevee seems momentarily hopeful when the sight of a Gabite flashing its glistening fangs drains all the color from his face. He desperately tries to help Fa bite through the bonds, straining against the cords in a desperate attempt to free himself quickly before the Gabite took a bite out of him!

Spinel narrows its eyes at Fa's attempts at freeing the Misdreavus' lunch, and a deep, masculine Growl emanates from the creature's throat in irritation. "Stop what you are doing at once," the Misdreavus hisses, his commanding, baritone voice a poor match for his appearance. "It is rude to meddle in the affairs of others," he nearly shrieks with contempt.

[Missingno. Master]

Nagini found herself somewhat flattered as Bedivere expressed his happiness that the ruse was convincing to someone as clever as her. It was true, she was rather clever, but she felt that saying so would amount to bragging, which she tended to not do. She merely settled for politely nodding in acknowledgement of the Frillish's words, though she still looked somewhat concerned, and it was certain that Bedivere's words in response to Vega were slightly unnerving. "You are very kind, Bedivere," she replied. "But... I hope this will have no negative impact on the Eevee... Kuranes, you said his name was?" she added, concern in her voice. "Fear can create a lasting impression, after all, and not a very desirable one. I try to not inflict fear on others unless it is absolutely necessary. Of course, I see that it's necessary in this case, but this is a unique situation- any time it has been necessary for me to induce fear in anyone, they truly deserved to be frightened. I get the feeling that this does not apply here. Are you certain that this experience will not traumatize the Eevee?" Nagini asked. "I remember how it tore at my heart to see Sakura scream in fright at the sight of me... I am glad I was able to help her, at least... I would hate for Kuranes to be traumatized, and by you, no less, given how kind you are."

[Balmund]

Vega silently absorbs Bedivere's words as he speaks of his abandoned fears. Wether or not the Frillish was speaking in pure metaphor, he felt in a way the words were meant to be taken rather literally, which only raised more questions than answers, but he wasn't going to press further. The other Arbok, who was revealed to him to be known as Nagini, then starts wondering about K's wellbeing, wanting to make sure this experience was not going to cause lasting harm to the poor Eevee. She then goes on to explain how she only used fear when it was absolutely necessary, and only on those that deserved it, though she could see how it was necessary now in order to feed Spinel. Vega however, could not agree to either of those thoughts. He had endured many years under of a dreadfully tyranical Arbok, who used and abused fear tacticts to bring an entire clan into complete submission. For Vega, fear was frighteningly effective, but never appropriate or necessary. His resortment to it was never really out of his own free will, but rather a result of the qualities of his own species. The art of intimidation was genetically ingrained into his body, it ran deep, and he loathed it, for it came to him without a second thought, in his voice, and his body. He would rather believe, however, that, if anyone ever held respect for his persona, it was more because his knowledge and beliefs rather than fear of his power, even though fear and respect usually went hand-in-hand. What really grated on him however was using a team member as nourishment for another. For instance, one could say killing for food to be necessary, and yet one never consumes another of his kin. Even cannibals would only take prisoners and slaves for food, for the most part. Even in this "not deadly" scenario, this course of action was not acceptable at all, and Vega would not condone it.

Meanwhile, Fa was doing her very best to free the captive Eevee, and K seemed to pick up on this as he tried to bite unto his own bindings as well; in obvious desperation of course, as a Gabite with a clear appetite for fox flesh was very much in clear sight. Spinel was getting annoyed by Fa's actions however, and starts Growling menacingly as he commands her to stop at once. Fa seems startled at his authoritative voice, and for a second she looks like she doesn't know what to do, but something changes in her expression as she starts gathering courage for what she thinks is right. "No!" She squeaks. "No, no, no!" She mutters as she stubbornly keeps unbinding K with renewed purpose.

Upon hearing the male banshee's voice, Narsil couldn't help cackling in laughter, though it wasn't clear if he was laughing at himself for falling straight into the trap, or at Spinel for his hilariously mismatching voice. The "lady" doth speak like a man indeed! Kara however, did not find Spinel's voice humorous at all, instead frowning in disaproval at the mere suggestion of just standing there as an innocent was gagged and abused before her eyes. "Say what? Now listen here ma'am, sir, whatever it is that you are, you can call us the rudest bunch in the whole wide world, but we ain't gonna stand for tis kinda thang right before our eyes. If this is some nasty prank, it's as tastless as stale fries left unattended for whole damn day. My goodness, what is wrong today? One moment I'm trying to do some good ol' match-making, and now I'm arguing with Doc Frank-N-Furter in person."

"We?" Narsil interrupted. "And seeing how this whole banquet was laid out for this moment by the way, I'd say this prank is a very tasteful one!" He started laughing out loud again, before being on the recieving end of another Scratch to the nose.

"My deepest apologies now," Kara continued, "but try to stop me if you can." She went on to try and lend a helping hand with her sharp fangs and claws.

Vega had remained silent throughout the whole thing. The events starting to test his patience, he takes a deep breath as he thinks for himself if this was another trail sent from beyond to try him further. "Enough!" He exclaimed, before turning to Spinel "You. The park is inhabited by dozens of unsuspecting and easily impressed bystanders. If you want fear that badly, you're free to wreck havoc as you wish, but I will not allow you to treat your kindred as an item before my presence. There is nothing else to argue. The rest of you," he turned to his own group, "apologize, we're leaving."

[Marion Ette]

Nagini, Vega, Fa, Narsil, Kara, Bedivere, Spinel, Kuranes, Sakura/Sumika, Gwyn: Fa does her best to free little Kuranes, gnawing through his bindings as best as she can. Upset at the interference, Spinel wails angrily at Fa, stunning the Dunsparce for a solid moment. At first, she seems to have no idea what to do, but something within her compels her to act against the orders the Misdreavus barked out, and she continues gnawing at the rope which constricts Kuranes' back legs, squeaking her determined refusal like a little toy.

"I cannot believe the complete and utter disrespect I am experiencing right now," Spinel mutters to himself with a sour expression, as if recently having bitten into a lemon. To make matters worse, the grinning Gabite seemed to find his voice humorous, though his jolly laughter was nothing compared to the insulting remarks of his younger companion. Spinel's eyes become more and more inflamed with fury as the Totodile speaks.

"It is clear that I do not need to tell you that you are disrespectful. You barge in on my lovely picnic, make a mess of things, then feign courtesy by apologizing... in advance. As if I even REMOTELY believe you're sorry when you make no attempts to restrain yourselves from your pathetic hero impersonations. Oh, and ma'am? I must apologize for being less masculine than yourself. I am certain if I had a jaw as wide and jutting as yours, people would figure out my gender right away." The Misdreavus takes a long swig of his wine, the glass trembling with the creature's rage.

Bedivere looks at Spinel quizzically before appraising Kara's appearance. "Oh, I do say that Sir Spinel is exaggerating. Your face is indeed lovely. Your jaw suits you, ohohohoho~!" Spinel narrows his eyes at Bedivere, who smiles serenely in response. The Totodile makes her way over to Kuranes, biting at the gag as Fa works at Kuranes' hind legs. It does not take long with Kara's help for the shiny Eevee to become unbound. The fuzzy fox wobbles dizzily to his feet, sniffing the ground a moment before immediately bolting away from the picnic, trampling casseroles and gravy boats in his mad dash away from the group that had gathered. Vega finally orders his teammates to cease, stating that while the Misdreavus could have his fill of fear from any of the Pokemon around the park, Vega would not allow Spinel to consume his kin.

"Kin? Kin? That fuzzball is not my kin. On what sick planet do you live in that having the same trainer suddenly makes one kin?" Spinel, who had his fill of being lectured and insulted by these intruders, suddenly grows cold in his expression, a dark smile spread across his face. "Fine. Fine. I understand. The lot of you want to play hero. You, the steadfast moral compasses who guide the rest of us rabble to the right path. Oh, I understand, now. I am the villain, is that it? Then you have yourself a villain. Mark my words..." The Misdreavus vanishes into thin air at the conclusion of his sentence, leaving his empty glass of wine behind. Bedivere picks up the glass, examining it a moment before calling out to Vega and his teammates;

"WAIT! Please, do not go! Who will eat all the food that I have made? I did so wish that we would all have a nice picnic together, ohohoho~!"

***

At first, it had appeared as if Kuranes is simply running away as fast as he can from the madness, but after a few feet of dashing, Kuranes stops short, barking happily at the ground, which shakes beneath Kuranes' feet; softly at first, but then with a rumble so intense that the little Eevee is almost knocked over. A rather odd little bug Pokemon bursts forth from the trembling ground, her hooklike arms breaking the surface of the soil in a mad rush. From the hole out of which the Nincada emerges, a purple light becomes more and more apparent, as a Litwick floats out of the underground tunnel behind the Nincada. The Nincada immediately wraps her appendages around Kuranes in a hug, as the Litwick casts the shadow of a smiley face using his mysterious, flickering light as the backdrop.

K! Oh, I was so worried... Sumika was saying terrible things and putting images in my head of you dying horribly, and I had to make sure you were okay. I'm glad she was just being silly again! Sakura rolls her eyes in the back of her head, muttering angrily at herself; Sumika, I wish you would stop making me upset for no reason! You worry too much. No, really! Stop lying, Sumika! STOP IT! Ugh, I am DONE talking with you. The Nincada's eyes roll back forward, as she re-engages with the outside world once again. How is the picnic with our newest teammate going?

Kuranes turns back, looking hesitantly back at the smiling Frillish who had bound him. Despite the harrowing situation he was just in, he hated to implicate Bedivere in what had just occurred... After all, he knew how easily misled the jovial jellyfish was, and he was not the real enemy, here...

Let's just say that I would keep an eye out for Spinel if I were you, Kuranes states simply. He's... not a very nice Pokemon.

Though Sakura tilts her head with a bit of confusion, Gwyn nods his head silently in agreement with Kuranes' assessment.

Sumika will watch out for us, K! Don't worry... Even if Spinel's a little weird, Sumika is much stronger than him. Sakura giggles a bit, her compound eyes catching a glimpse of the picnic and the Pokemon that have gathered. Hey... is that Vega and Nars? Who's the Totodile with them? Arceus dammit... I hope this doesn't mean that Chris is around! I haven't trained enough yet to face her! Sakura narrows her eyes and pushes her body close to the ground, trying to sense vibrations consistent with a Seviper in the soil. The Litwick, on the other hand, does not hesitate to float over to the company gathered, motivated by sheer curiosity.


Jessica, Sewaddle, Blueberry, Waffle, Gadget: ((Continuation from a long time ago... Sorry it took so long!))

Gadget's eyes drift for a moment as he tries to recall whether or not he heard the name "Stacey" before; with no lightbulbs going off in his head, he goes into another rambling monologue; Noooooo I don't know a Stacey but if she is a friend of yours and a friend of my trainer then she is a friend to me too it is the law of friendship that is how it works it is a law of friendly physics and maybe we can all go on an adventure together and I could meet her LEAF! Gadget's eyes turn upward toward the Sewaddle on his head, and his wide grin displays his grass-stained teeth. Why are you putting leaves together are you part of the bakery too I loooove leaves they are delicious are you making edible leaf hats that should be a thing I would wear a leaf hat every day and eat it every night and get a new one and I would be LEAF HAT GADGET and that would be my name yes. Are you my leaf hat today you kind of look like a leaf and you are on my head though Coselle would be mad if I ate you and I bet you would be mad too I think possibly... YES so I would like a hat do you make nice hats for lawnmowers even though lawnmowers do not wear hats but I want to wear a hat I AM THE TRENDIEST LAWNMOWER yes. Please? Gadget's big, saucer-like eyes look pleadingly at the Sewaddle.

[Missingno. Master]

Nagini, Vega, Fa, Narsil, Kara, Bedivere, Spinel, Kuranes, Sakura/Sumika, Gwyn: Nagini found herself liking Spinel less and less as the Misdreavus grumbled about getting no respect, just before making scathing remarks about Kara's appearance. "Respect works both ways," the female Arbok said to the Misdreavus. "You demand respect of others, yet I see you do nothing to deserve any yourself. All I see is you feeding off your own teammate." Spinel then ominously stated that if they wanted a villain, they got themselves a villain, and promptly vanished. Nagini looked wary, even after Spinel's disappearance. "I disagree with him," she stated. "I consider my teammates and trainer to be my closest friends and family. He may need to eat, but that does not give him the right to regard someone on his own team as a piece of meat." It was then that Nagini noticed the Litwick and Nincada that had emerged from the ground several feet away. "Sakura? It's nice to see you again," she smiled at the Nincada. She then turned to face the other Arbok present. "You are Vega, right? My name is Nagini, it's nice to meet you," she said.

[Dark Searchman]

Delilah, Sparky, Hebenon, Cyanide, Pomona, Hannah: Hebenon suggested they meet the new Eevee on Keith's team and Teleported them both over to where Pomona and the other Pokemon were. However, when Eevee saw them, she wasn't too fond of the fish. Delilah cringed slightly at how rude Cyanide was to her teammates. She reminded her of Amethyst, though without the power to crush someone's lungs. "Why do you feel the need to talk that way ... even to your senior?" Delilah wondered with worry.

Then another Qwilfish appeared and introduced herself as Hannah, Hebenon's sister. Much more pleasant than Cyanide, so Delilah flashed her lures slightly to greet her. "Hi, nice to meet you too!" she said happily.

Icarus, Amelia, Hedwig, Hauser: As Amelia flew closer she suddenly had to stop for the wing blocking her. A menacing Crobat hovered in the Taillow's way, wondering why she was so intent on making herself a nice snack for a huge Aerodactyl. "But ... but dat's Icawus!" the baby Taillow chirped. "He's my fwiend, why aw you in the way?"

Icarus had been watching the Aerodactyl all this time when he suddenly heard Mia chirping. He looked up and feared the worst. "Oh crud, Mia!" he squawked in surprise before flying up to put himself in between Mia and the Crobat. "Icawus!" Mia chirped happily. "You even th-think about hurting M-Mia, and m-my shiny wings w-will be the l-l-last thing you s-s-see..." Icarus tried to say in a dangerous tone, though he was admittedly nervous. Now that he could see the Crobat up close, he could see the obvious difference in strength. No, this was no plucky scorpion!

Hyrem, Sera, Aisa, Seshiro, Shisato, Vi: Hyrem had been holding Aisa for a while and decided that now was a good time to hold someone else. So he put Aisa on his head, her other favorite place to be, before taking out a few more Pokeballs. "Seshiro, Shisato, come on out you two!" Two Ekans, one male and one female, appeared out of their Pokeballs both looking at Hyrem and flicking out their tongues to take in the new scents of the lake. "All right, you two go ahead and have fun! I know you guys have much better moods than Amethyst does, so at least you'll play nice, right?" The two Ekans say nothing but go slithering off together towards some very familiar scents...

Once Hyrem was sure they were far enough away, he took out a third Pokeball. "OK, Vi, you too!" An orange and yellow chick appeared on Hyrem's lap. "Torchic!" she cheeped confidently. "Hey, Vi! You want to sit here and relax?" Vi chirped happily, while Aisa didn't voice any objections; she was too busy chewing her trainer's hair to even notice! "Hello," Sera said, bowing before the little chick. "My name is Sera, what is yours?"

"Heh, it's Vi!" said the Torchic, slightly surprised at the yellow color Sera was feeding her mind. "Uh, great to meet you! Um..."

"Please, do not worry about the color," said Sera, as if she anticipated Vi's question. "It is how I express my emotions."

"Oh, okay," said Vi before sighing and enjoying the scenery of the lake safely in Hyrem's lap.

[Missingno. Master]

Delilah, Sparky, Hebenon, Cyanide, Pomona, Hannah: It was clear that Delilah was unhappy with Cyanide's rudeness. The Chinchou asked Cyanide why she talked the way she did. The Eevee snorted. "I talk to who I please in any way I want," she snapped. "And I don't see how it's any business of yours, either," she added, narrowing her eyes at the Chinchou.

"Excuse me," frowned Hebenon, now looking decidedly pissed. "I would prefer it if you did not talk to Delilah like that."

"Oh, yeah?" sneered the Eevee, bringing herself face to face with Hebenon. "And at what point did I ever imply that I gave a Raticate's *** what you would prefer, hmm? And what you gonna do, anyway? You gonna attack me, a poor, defenseless level 2 Eevee?"

Hebenon was seething. Cyanide's rudeness, especially towards Delilah, was unforgivable as far as he was concerned. And yet, if he was to attack the Eevee, he would look like the bad guy, given how much more powerful than Cyanide he was. Fortunately, he was spared from having to do anything once Cyanide and Pomona took Sparky in the direction of his trainer. Once they were alone, Hebenon turned to Delilah. "I am so sorry, Delilah," sighed Hebenon. "I had no idea she'd be that rude." Then, he smiled again as Hannah showed up. He introduced the two, and Delilah seemed so much more pleased to meet the young Qwilfish.

Hannah looked very pleased to see that Delilah was so nice. "Um, Delilah," she asked, "um... Could I... could I get a hug?" she asked hopefully.

Icarus, Amelia, Hedwig, Hauser: The baby Taillow protested, still under the impression that the Aerodactyl was the Skarmory she was mistaking it for. Then came Icarus, and while he was clearly intimidated by the powerful Crobat's presence, he bravely threatened her should she harm Mia. Hedwig merely rolled her eyes. "Relax," she stated. "If I meant her any harm, you would know it all too well by now. My intent was to stop her from getting close to that large and very hungry-looking Aerodactyl," she said, pointing at aforementioned prehistoric Pokemon with one of her wings. "She seemed to mistake him for you." Hedwig paused, looking at the Skarmory and the Taillow. "So I'm guessing you're Mia and you're Icarus," she said, addressing the Taillow and the Skarmory respectively. "Name's Hedwig. Oh, and Icarus, I'd think twice about throwing threats my way, OK? I'd really rather not fight you, not when you're at such a disadvantage. Even if we were evenly matched in level... watch this," she said as she turned to face a pair of large rocks. She unleashed a sizzling Thunder attack at one of the rocks, reducing it to a heap of charred, smoking gravel within seconds. Then she faced the remaining rock, and all four of her wings were suddenly ablaze. She then dove down at the rock, little more than a large fiery X, and rammed the rock hard, her Crossfire blasting the rock to pieces. She flew back up to Icarus and Amelia, and continued speaking as though nothing had happened. "So yeah, I'd prefer it if you just accepted that I mean you no harm, OK?"

[Dark Searchman]

Delilah, Hebenon, Hannah: Cyanide was even more disrespectful towards Hebenon, but fortunately she left before Hebenon decided to take action. Meanwhile, Hannah wanted a hug from Delilah, but she wasn't sure how to approach it. "Um, I'm not sure I should do that," she said with uncertainty. "I've been able to kiss Hebenon on the lips and avoid the spikes, but I don't think I would be able to hug your kind, unfortunately..."

Amelia, Icarus, Hedwig, Hauser: After seeing such a display of strength from the Crobat (which surprisingly didn't seem to attract the huge Aerodactyl), Icarus wasn't about to argue with Hedwig. "Ehehe, n-not a problem," trilled Icarus nervously. "I just want to make sure Mia's all right, you know? She's really young, and- MIA! COME BACK HERE!" he suddenly said in a hushed tone. "Hm? If this isn't Icawus then who is it?" the curious little Taillow said as she dared to fly closer to the dinosaur. Icarus's silver body was starting to rust from all the sweating he was doing at that moment. "Didn't you hear her!? That's an Aerodactyl, something that will eat you in one bite if it notices you!!"

"But wut if he's nice? Wike you?"

"I don't want to find out, personally! Now get back here! Before he knows you're there!" whispered Icarus, starting to sweat bullets. Against a Crobat that could fry her opponent to a crisp with a Thunder, Icarus was pretty brave, but he knew for certain there was nothing he would be able to do to stop a powerful Aerodactyl from snacking on Mia. He turned to Hedwig for help; if she could use such powerful attacks, maybe she could do something to get Mia out of harm's way.

[Missingno. Master]

Hannah, Hebenon, Delilah: Hannah looked a little downcast as Delilah expressed her uncertainty over whether or not she should hug the young Qwilfish. "Oh, but... it's not that hard to avoid the spikes," Hannah said quietly. "Keith and Pomona hug me all the time."

"It's true," Hebenon added. "I mean, the spikes are pretty sharp, but there's not many, and they're spread out pretty wide. And Keith holds us in his arms all the time. He has to be careful, but it's possible."

"And I don't have Poison Point, either," Hannah added. "So even if you did somehow hit one of my spikes, it wouldn't hurt really badly. Please?" she asked Delilah.

Hedwig, Icarus, Amelia, Hauser: Hedwig was downright alarmed as Amelia flew off towards the Aerodactyl anyway. Icarus's frantic whispers were doing nothing to stop her, so he turned to Hedwig for help. Swiftly and silently, Hedwig flew over until she was in front of the Taillow, and gently guided her back over to Icarus, gently pushing her with one of her wings while flapping the other three. She was perfectly silent throughout this whole thing, so the Aerodactyl wouldn't have heard a thing.

"You should listen to him," Hedwig whispered to Amelia. "It's true you don't know whether he's nice or not. And there are some things you take that sort of chance with. But a hungry Aerodactyl is not one of them."

[Balmund]

His temper reaching a boiling point from the sheer indignation, Spinel strikes back with stinging remarks of his own, only infuriating the Totodile in return, though Vega remained dreadfully silent, and Nars and Fa ... well, they tended to be unfazed y words most of the time.

With Kara's help, Kuranes found freedom in no time, and promptly bolted out in a swift escape without as much as a single word, trampling over plates in the process, and just as the little fox Pokémon left, so would everyone else. Spinel, who had had enough lecturing for day, threateningly remarks that if they were all going to make him out a villain, then a villain he would be; vanishing then into nothingness as he made his retreat. His other comment on team-members not being kin also rubbed (most) of the group the wrong way, though it wasn't a line they hadn't heard before, from a certain teammate of their own, no less!

Confused by K's sudden escape, Fa doesn't think it twice before following behind the shiny fox Pokémon, right before Vega rallies the rest of the group the make their leave. Bedivere jovially begs them to stay, hoping they could all have a meal together.

"You are a gentleman, sir, but you'll understand if we say we've lost our appetite for now." Kara speaks for the group.

"I'm still hungry though. Wouldn't mind staying for food and booze ..." Narsil chimes in, before being physically scolded again and comically dragged away by the much smaller Totodile.

Several (dozens) of feet away, Kuranes had suddenly stopped as a pair of friendly faces emerged from the ground. Both Nincada and Litwick seemed extremely happy to see him well, the former having an ominous premonition detailing a horrendous death befalling her friend. Kuranes doesn't go into details about it, but lets it be known that Spinel isn't a particularly nice Pokémon to hang around with. Sakura then recognizes the the group of Pokémon leaving the picnic, save for a new face in the form of a Totodile, and wonders nervously if this might mean Orchrist too was nearby? Gwyn, on the other hand, doesn't hesitate the least to approach the group.

As Vega slithered his way back to the edge of the lake, Nagini takes the moment to finally greet and introduce herself, just as Gwyn floated over to them. Vega's response was far from direct as his gaze turned to the newcomer instead. "Men and Pokémon alike find interesting ways of crossing each other's paths. Sometimes, it's purely intentional, and at other's, purely incidental, but I've always believed we encounter those who we are meant to meet. It is nice to meet you too." He answered back, though his own greeting could've been taken to either one of them.

Meanwhile, Fa had separated form the group and had rushed in to Sakura's and Kuranes' location. At first she seemed thoroughly concerned, though she then tilts her head before her face fills with joy as she recognizes Sakura, even though back then they hardly managed to interact with each other due to the latter's absolute fear of snakes, even petite and cute ones like Fa. Nonetheless, the Dunsparce was still filled with glee upon encountering a familiar face. "Ah! Sakura! You friends with grey-foxy-kun? Ah! Yes, um... are you all right, Mr. K?"

[ApertureScience]

Myrtle, Neville, Spirit
“So, now what? We know how we feel, but where’s the next step?” Neville questioned, unsure of what to do now that the Crobat had had departed. “I suppose it’s entirely your choice. I haven’t been around for some time, so maybe there’s something you have grown fond of while I was away.”

James, Maxwell, Euen, Vincent, Jojo, Chiaka, Matthew, Geodude, Alexander
James nodded at how well his team had co-operated. The team of eight had set up quite a little picnic on the base of the hill, all over shadowed by a large oak tree, whose leaves were just starting to appear after the cold days of winter. All but one of the group was now eating on the small set up of food, with a tiny green bird up within the branches of the tree, watching down on the others.

“C’mon Alexander. No need to be afraid.” James called up to the Natu, whose calculating eyes quickly switched over to him and shook his entire body. James crapped a walnut from a small bag, and threw it up to the psychic bird. He hopped over, grabbed onto the walnut with his talons, and glided over to the nearest branch. However, with no legs to support him, the walnut spun him over and Alexander fell into James’ lap, dazed. James’ hand stroked the little bird’s feathers, watching over his pokémon to make sure the mischievous little animals didn’t run away.

[Missingno. Master]

Myrtle, Neville, Spirit: Neville asked that now that they both knew how they felt, what the next step would be. He left the choice up to Myrtle. "Hmm," Myrtle said. "May-be we could go and get some-thing to eat for now?" she suggested. "My trai-ner was stu-pid e-nough to leave the pic-nic lunch he packed where his blas-ted Bas-cu-lin could get at it... did your trai-ner bring food?" she asked. "I will ad-mit," she added, "I am not that sure my-self what we ought to do... I have just a-bout no ex-pe-ri-ence in this a-re-a... E-ven in life, it was near-ly im-pos-si-ble to make a friend, let a-lone be in a re-la-tion-ship," she sighed, vividly remembering how much hatred she was met with wherever she would swim to in the sea of Kanto, back when she was alive, when she was a Missingno. Then, she looked at Neville, and smiled again. "I sup-pose we shall learn to-ge-ther, right?" she said.

[Marion Ette]

Nagini, Vega, Fa, Narsil, Kara, Bedivere, Spinel, Kuranes, Sakura/Sumika, Gwyn: Fa follows Kuranes in his mad dash away from the picnic, confused at first by the shiny Eevee's sudden stop; soon, the confusion gives way to delight as Fa recognizes a former teammate, though they shared trainers only briefly. Sakura's once-paralyzing fear of all snakes and snakelike beings did not help to socialize the two much, either, as even though Fa was an innocent and adorable little creature, she still fell under the wide umbrella of "snakelike". Fortunately, Sakura seems far less intimidated by Fa this time around, and actually manages to offer a claw to shake in greeting.

Hello, Fa! Uh... What's a kun? Sakura tilts her head, apparently confused by Japanese honorifics. The grey fox is one of my newest teammates, named Kuranes. We call him K, though. Fa asks Kuranes if he's all right, and Kuranes flicks his tail energetically, grinning widely.

Doing great! No worries, Kuranes puts on an overly enthusiastic show of health, but Sakura looks less then convinced. She turns to Fa with a confused expression.

Is there any reason he wouldn't be okay? Sakura rubs her claws together with concern, before her eyes roll back in her head. Her voice drops a few octaves and takes on an ominous tint as a darker self seems to take over; I sense that there is something you are hiding from me. Out with it, the both of you! Sakura suddenly shakes her head violently, regaining her former demeanor. Eh, sorry... Sumika's been on edge lately for some reason.

As Gwyn boldly approaches the larger group of Pokemon with Sakura cautiously trailing behind, Nagini recognizes her former ophidiophobic friend from the Bar, and calls over to her. Sakura waves with a claw to the Arbok, looking rather cheerful. Hi, Nagini! It's nice to see you, too! What have you been up to? Sakura's eyes shift back and forth nervously for a moment. You haven't seen that awful Orchrist around... Have you?

While Sakura addresses Nagini, Vega makes an interesting philosophical comment which seems, at least partially, to be directed at Gwyn... Though perhaps there was someone else he was addressing, as well. The Litwick bows respectfully to Vega, before casting a shadow on the ground with his ominous light... Kuranes' silhouette appears before quickly disappearing again, followed by the shadow images of a Nincada and Litwick looking around and wandering as if searching for something. Eventually, they stop in front of the shadowy representations of Vega and his team, and Kuranes' shadow comes forth from the crowd, as the Litwick and Nincada show exaggerated movements in line with joy and excitement. The Litwick then melds the shadows together to form the silhouette of a Misdreavus, which transforms into a question mark.

Meanwhile, Bedivere grabs a trampled casserole dish and begins serving himself from the ruined dish, spooning a hefty serving on his plate. "No matter, I suppose... I do not want you all going hungry, but if you would prefer to go, I will not stand in your way, ohohohoho~!" Bedivere waves at Kuranes and company, urging them to come join the picnic. "Hello there, good ladies and gentlemen! I do apologize if I upset you earlier, Sir Kuranes, but I baked a cake just for you~" Bedivere lifts a small, yet elegantly decorated blue cake, with white icing intricately spelling out the name "Kuranes" in a gorgeous script. Kuranes' eyes bulge at the sight of the sweet cake, and he licks his lips.

How could I stay mad at you when there's cake? Kuranes chuckles before making his way back to the picnic blanket, where the gnawed, frayed ropes still lay ominously. Sakura follows Kuranes closely, shooting Bedivere a suspicious look.


Marion, Coselle: Meanwhile, in another part of the Fizzytopian Park and Gardens, a pair of young ladies admire the verdant scenery around them, though the pace at which they walk suggests that their intention is not sightseeing alone. Though the two ladies share hauntingly similar facial structures and body types, there are clear distinctions between them; the darker-haired of the two, whose long, straight hair cascades past her shoulders, adjusts her clothes as she walks, having chosen a belted miniskirt so short that it threatens to expose her with every step. The lavender-haired woman giggles a bit at her black-haired sibling's awkward attempts at walking as she fixes her skirt.

"Cosie, how are you going to sit in that thing? Hell, how are you going to do anything in it?"

"My dearest Mary..." The dark-haired sister grins almost inhumanly wide. "There are plenty of functions for which a skirt like this is appropriate, and I do intend to play to its strengths when the opportunity arises."

Marion shakes her head in response, chuckling a bit as she adjusts the lacy, pale pink shoulder straps of her own, slightly more modest dress. "Honestly, what is the thrill in that?" She smirks a bit. "Aren't you gonna make him work for that much leg?"

"You make your man work all you like," Coselle cackles. "What is the saying, now? All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, is that not so?"

"Well, then Keith must be the very embodiment of excitement, mustn't he?" The light-haired sibling smirks mischievously as her sister playfully swats at her in mock-admonishment.

"You hold your tongue, silly girl. I saw the way you rushed upstairs last night... like a little Lopunny." Coselle holds her hands in front of her like paws and hops once as if to illustrate her point. "I swear, it was as if someone was dangling a carrot in front of you-"

"Excuse me, but you were not supposed to be at the Nightclub to begin with, Co-selle." Marion crosses her arms and narrows her eyes a bit. "Why would you-"

"Oh, Mary, dear, you of all people should know how difficult it is to be away from the one you love..." Coselle pouts. "Besides, I would have simply kicked myself if I had missed that doe-eyed expression of yours." She clasps her hands together and bats her eyes overdramatically, looking like a lovestruck teenager. "Oh, Balmund, tell me more about those big, strong dragons you have mastery over-"

Marion rolls her eyes. "C'mon, Cos, I was NOT acting like that... was I?"

Coselle merely laughs in response, as Marion begins to recap the night before in her mind with some slight measure of worry.

[Dark Searchman]

Delilah, Hannah, Hebenon: Hannah assured Delilah that the spikes on her body wouldn't hurt too much if she hugged her, especially since there's no poison to worry about. "Um... okay, I'll try," she finally said before tentatively swimming over to the younger Qwilfish, maneuvering her sensitive antennae so at least they wouldn't get punctured, then gently reaching her fins out to hug Hannah. Well, looks like she avoided the spikes, though she was still unsure about doing this.

Amelia, Icarus, Hauser, Hedwig: As Hedwig gently brought Mia back to where Icarus was, her stare--cold, yet somewhat soft--helped the little Taillow to realize that maybe the big Pokemon wasn't such a good creature to approach. Icarus could finally relax as the baby was further away from the Aerodactyl. He had taken it upon himself to protect the little bird, and he wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to her. "Thanks, Hedwig," he trilled softly. "And I'm sorry I threatened you the way I did. It's just ... Mia means a lot to me," he said with a smile. "I'm sowwy too," Mia chirped sadly. "I just wanned to be fweinds with him."

"You've got friends, Mia!" cawed Icarus. "Brittany, Vi, Zyra, Conis, and now Hedwig! ... And me." With those words, he flew up close and nuzzled her with his beak. "Come on, let's get out of here. If we're lucky the big guy will still be doing ... whatever it was he was doing."

Shisato, Seshiro, Nagini, Narsil, Kara, Vega, Fa, Kuranes, Bedivere, Sakura/Sumika, Gwyn: Two young Ekans had slithered away from their trainer in search of where the familiar scents might be. It wasn't long before they happened to see two Arbok, along with many other Pokemon, near the edge of the lake. "Look Shisato, it's Nagini and Vega! They've met already!" Seshiro hissed happily. "Yes, I can see! Let's go!" Before long, they catch up and approach the group. "Hey, Vega, Nagini, nice to see you again!" Seshiro called out to the older snakes. "Looks like you two have already met!" said Shisato. "Oh, I don't think you've met Vega yet. Vega, this is Shisato, my closest teammate! Shisato, this is Vega, the Arbok I was telling you about!" "Nice to meet you, sir," she said as she bowed her head. "Oh, Seshiro, I don't think we've met anyone else here..." Shisato points out. "Actually, we met Sakura, remember? Back at the bar?" "Oh yes, we did! Hello, Sakura!" she calls out to the Nincada. "I don't think we've met anyone else, though, so let's introduce ourselves! I'm Seshiro, and this is Shisato." the male Ekans says, pointing his rattle to the female when introducing her. "Nice to meet you all!" they both say at the same time, then blush when they realize they did so.

[Missingno. Master]

Nagini, Vega, Fa, Narsil, Kara, Bedivere, Spinel, Kuranes, Sakura/Sumika, Gwyn, Seshiro, Shisato: Nagini smiled as Sakura cheerfully greeted her, then nervously asked if she had seen Orchrist anywhere. "I have not," Nagini assured her. It was then that Vega responded, though the way he was speaking, he could have been addressing either Nagini or Gwyn. Maybe both of them. Nagini couldn't tell. The female Arbok glanced at the spot where Kuranes had been tied up, then looked back at Vega. "I have met Bedivere before," she said to him. "I know what he is like. I won't deny that his methods were questionable, to say the least, but I have no doubt his intentions were good."

Then, Seshiro and Shisato came over. "Hello, Seshiro, Shisato," Nagini greeted them both. "Nice to see you both again." She couldn't help but grin as the two Ekans ended up saying the same thing simultaneously, and then blushing after realizing this, on top of that.

Hannah, Hebenon, Delilah: Hannah smiled happily as Delilah carefully hugged her. Hebenon was quite right about the spikes being easy to avoid, and Delilah avoided any kind of injury all too easily. Moreover, once the hug was over, Hannah looked really happy. "Thanks so much, Delilah!" the female Qwilfish said happily. "My big brother was right when he told me how nice you are!"

Hedwig, Icarus, Amelia, Hauser: "It's not a problem," Hedwig replied as Icarus thanked her for returning the Taillow to safety and apologized for threatening her. "I would have reacted similarly if my trainer was in danger."

Luna, Keith, Coselle, Marion: Elsewhere in the park, Marion and Coselle have arrived, both of them clearly with some sort of purpose in mind. And if their conversation thus far was any indicator, each of them was waiting for someone. And the someone Coselle was undoubtedly there to meet was coming right now.

Though nobody could be seen approaching them on the path, the sound of wings flapping would undoubtedly have met their ears. Then, slowly Flying towards the ground was a Swoobat, and her feet were clutching the shoulders of her trainer- Keith. He was in his usual attire- black shirt and blue jeans, though this time he lacked his red and white sleeveless jacket, as well as his trademark cowboy hat. His dark brown hair was neatly slicked back, now that it was clearly visible, without the usual headgear to obscure one's view of it, his pants appeared to be a brand new pair, and his shirt, upon closer inspection, had a visible collar,and two or three buttons in the front, a change from his usual t-shirt. It was obvious he had gone to great lengths to prepare for this. Luna gently set Keith down on the path before the two ladies, where he stood, smiling at Coselle as he returned his Swoobat to her Poke Ball. Once Luna had been withdrawn, he walked up to Coselle, smiling the whole time. "Hello, Coselle," Keith greeted her, his eyes taking in her appearance (they paused as their gaze met Coselle's noticeably short skirt, though only for a second) before looking into her own eyes.

[Balmund]

Looking far less intimidated this time around, Sakura manages to return the greeting to Fa, though looking rather lost at Fa's use of the Japanese honorific. As she was called on it, Fa too seems actually thoughtful, as she had no idea what it meant herself, having used it only because she found it cute in a random, Monday afternoon anime show on tv. Sakura then proceeds to properly introduce her friend, and while Fa had overheard the Eevee being called K already, she still nods energetically in response.

As Fa then asked about K's wellbeing, he responds with an overly enthusiastic show of heath in response, the the Nincada didn't seem to be buying it, narrowing her eye sin suspicion. Why wouldn't he be alright in the first place? Darker and darker thoughts now clouding her mind, Sakura's head shakes violently before her other self demands them to explain themselves proper. Before they could however, she reverts back to normal, excusing herself for Sumika's behavior. Puzzled, Fa only tilts her head in response, before they're all called out by Nagini.

Just at the group gathered, two new faces joined in, this time in the form of a pair of Ekans. Seshiro, Vega had already met, and Narsil and Fa had only seen for a moment back at the base. Shisato however was definitely a completely new face for all, and for Kara, all other faces were very much new to her. "My goodness, this is quite the gathering, ain't it?" She muttered to herself.

Greetings exchanged, Sakura asks wether Chris is still around, whereas Gwyn on the other hand wondered, in his own way, about Spinel. "Sis? Ah, she is very close! Wanna go meet her? I bet we could play games!" Fa answered Sakura's question, though clearly missing the Nincada's intention with it, and in turn, suggestion the impossible in her innocence. Nars couldn't help cackling at the mental image however.

"I'm afraid your friend has gone off on his own." Vega in turn responded to the Ghost-type before turning to the rest of the group. Bedivere had started picking up the mess Kuranes left behind, and incited them to come back in with the promise of delicious cake, a mostly fail-proof tactic. Fa definitely intended to stay around, both out of desire to better meet her two new friends, and of course out of need for suger in her bloodstream, and where she went, Narsil would follow, though Kara seemed a bit at a crossroads herself. She still didn't feel like eating, and returning after she so decisively insisted on leaving would be considered awkward at best. But perhaps she had let things get the better of her in the heat of the moment. "You should stay and keep watch, Kara." Vega encouraged her. "Sometimes it's best to ease down on your stubbornness and let go of your pride. I'm still heading back. Solaire has been left alone for far too long now. The rest of you are more than welcome to follow. It must be a good thing for all of you to have shown up. A gathering of snakes and wisps just in time for my daily prayer! The Wyrm will be pleased."

*****

At another part of the park, nearby where a certain pair of young sisters walked around while admiring their verdant surroundings, Duke found himself sitting on bench while reading a thrilling novel of mermaids and sailors, a topic which had recently interested him a lot. By his side, a giant Seviper laid coiled and calm (for now); her thoughts filling her mind with naughty pranks and suggestion, ready to be inflicted on some unsuspecting park-goers for her own amusement, though the warmth of the sun's rays filled her with laziness.

Both Duke and Chris raise their gaze simultaneously as some figures suddenly approached them, their faces showing clear surprise, though Duke's then lights with a smile. Before him stood a lady with a bit of a thuggish look, and by her side stood yet another Seviper of her own. She seemed to be wear a mix of biker boots and sleeveless jacket; along with a short, square-patterned, red, miniskirt; thigh-high black socks; and a white shirt with a design of a rocket blasting off into the stars. A fingerless glove covered her left hand while her right remained naked. Long, wavy, brown hair fell until just a ways under the base of her neck, and while her facial features seemed painfully average, her hazel eyes could be considered as definitely captivating. She only smirks smugly in greeting, and Duke could help chuckling in return, before getting back up to his feet and warmly embracing her.