joy on helixmas morn (even for domeists)

[domeinion]

[1) Alice's Lab]

[In the days leading up to Helixmas, or Christmas, or "whatever you want it to be" as Dr. Unoya put it last year, Alice can be most often found in her lab in the Shrouded Woods. She's currently cleared off one of the bulletin boards and is mulling over what's best described as a conspiracy wall, with yarn connecting photos of the different Legendaries that popped up over the past year, news articles about the Malamar incident at the last Harvesting Bonds Festival, copied texts about the festival in general, and any reports of evil-team activity she can possibly find. You may come in to her pacing back and forth, focused on the board, until Hyperbug buzzes and Alice turns around.]

Oh! Sorry, you gave me a start! Did you need something?

[2) Turnbloom Market]

[But, well, it is multiple gift-giving holidays, and even if Alice doesn't celebrate any of them, it's always good to appreciate your friends. To that end, she's made the trek to the biggest centre on the island a few days before to do some more last-minute shopping. She looks over a hand-knitted Wiki plush and hums.]

I know all the textbooks didn't go over well last year, but what does everybody want?

[3) anywhere]

[Alice has the determination of a scientist and three team members who know Fly, so she'll head out to find you and deliver your gift herself! Don't be surprised if she shows up wherever you happen to be. Don't worry, it isn't programming textbooks this year. Probably.]

Comments

2

[closedbond]

[X too was out shopping--well. Or maybe he was replenishing on snacks given the amount of junk food in the bags he and his Chesnaught, Marisso are carrying. At the sight of Alice he'll make his way over to here.]

Hey, Alice.

[He'll notice the plush in Alice's and before glancing over to her.]

...are you buying something for somebody?

[domeinion]

Oh, hi, X! I'm trying to finish my shopping. I never celebrated Helixmas back home, but a lot of people here celebrate things like it, so I thought it'd be nice to participate.

[closedbond]

Oh!

[It takes him a second but he recalled talking about the holidays with Alice. He'll nod along.]

It slipped my mind...how's the shopping going? Did you find anything?

[domeinion]

A few things! It's taking a little more effort than I anticipated, though. Last year, I got a lot of my friends what I liked, but I don't think a lot of them were too happy with the science textbooks.

[closedbond]

Ah...

[There's a smile and a chuckle in reaponse from X. He could only imagine their faces from the presents.]

It is hard trying to shop for someone else. ....I wouldn't mind getting a textbook. You never know when that information will come to use.

1 [Lillie and Trip WOULD appreciate textbooks on topics they find interesting, they're nerds]

[timidlyblooming]

Oh, this is interesting...

[Lillie's quite taken by the wall! She's going to analyze the photographs, even though she would like to see what else Alice is working on here... are there any villainous teams she might recognize?]

[domeinion]

[All the notes are from anecdotes around the island, usually clips of newspaper reports, so there's nothing from Alola if only because we've never had any villains from there in-game. There are a few drawings added that... probably nobody can make heads or tails of, Alice is not an artist.]

Ever since the incident two months ago, I've been worried. If something is building from this, we need to be ready.

[timidlyblooming]

Ready... for some kind of enemy?

Oh, excuse me, Alice, what are these?
[Lillie pointed at the drawings, smiling a little sheepishly.]

I'm having a little trouble understanding them.

[She recognizes Team Rocket, at least!]

[domeinion]

Oh, that's fine! I just tried to catalogue what I saw at Harvesting Bonds. With those Malamar who controlled people's minds and tried to take over the region, I'm worried that things will get worse going out. At least for Feast of the Sail, the Manaphy just wanted to play, but every other major holiday since, something strange has happened -- and this time, it was dangerous.

[timidlyblooming]

That's true... it might be building up to something. The Ulternians don't seem to be that surprised by the Legendary Pokemon appearing, for example... but the other events, especially the Malamar incident, couldn't possibly be regular!

2

[lavieenmarron]

Textbooks?

[Mairin pouts.]

Is that like the opposite of a picturebook? A book with no pictures? ... I'm not very good at those...

[domeinion]

Sometimes they have pictures, but they certainly aren't like picture books. They're meant for studying a subject in depth. What do you think people would want more than that?

[Mairin is a tiiiny bit uneducated and writes very childishly in crayon]

[lavieenmarron]

[Oh, boy, she loves learning, huh? Mairin stares blankly for a moment in utter shock and surprise, before laughing nervously.]

Weeeell, I can't speak for other people, but there's plenty of stuff I'd want!

Like finding love! Seeing Alain happy and safe... ooh, crayons! I want crayons and another notebook, so I can write! [Mairin lags... a little bit behind in some areas.]

[domeinion]

Well, that makes sense! Love is important to a lot of people, after all. Sometimes enough that they'll just pack up and decide their whole life's direction on it.

[lavieenmarron]

[Mairin nods eagerly, clasping her hands together.]

Oui, oui!!

But, I want to grow stronger with the person I love! We'll walk towards our goals together!

1

[stormkingofshepherds]

Ah-my apologies. I simply wanted to thank you, for spending time with Brinda. They're really interested in these other worlds you've spoken about, after all. [Even if the young Legendary-in-human-form was a little nervous at first, at the same time they don't really have the same level of trauma Nathaniel does. And it's good for them, he thinks, to have others treat them like a young kid.]

[domeinion]

Oh, don't be sorry! They're a good kid. I'm just glad to have somebody who likes hearing about these things. It's a fascinating process when you're not stuck in the middle of it personally, and even when you are. I should know.

[A Slaking with a hat and a jet pack wanders in from the back of the lab and waves with a rumbling roar.]

DJ's right! It's good to have visitors.

[stormkingofshepherds]

I suppose "fascinating" is one way of putting such things. It's not a description I'd use as much. [A pause.] Well, I suppose there are still cases where I would. [Like the Forge, and meeting Mewtwo.]

[He waves back at the Slaking in acknowledgement.] What are you researching, right now?

[domeinion]

I know some of what I've talked about is dangerous, for sure. But the knowledge of other timelines in itself, the way they can differ so greatly but still have a similar basis, whatever that may be, that could capture anyone's imagination.

[DJ seems happy with this and sits down on the floor. Alice walks over to Nathaniel from her Pepe Silvia wall, Hyperbug flying after her.]

Right now I'm putting together everything I can about what's been happening here. Something dire happened on Harvesting Bonds, and I'm trying to see if there's any connection to the strange phenomena we've been seeing on other holidays. Usually, those also happened when a powerful Pokémon drifted in, but it's never been a malicious one before, nor a whole group of them. And that makes me worry.

[stormkingofshepherds]

[Nathaniel takes a step closer to the wall as Alice walks towards him, leaning on his walking stick to peer at the connections she's making.]

...that is concerning. [A crazy part of him momentarily wonders if it's his fault, that he's somehow dragged the dangers of his world to this one. But that's ridiculous, surely. The threats towards Quan's Hope were nothing like the Malamar.] What sorts of phenomena have there been before? Any that were, well, not directly malicious but still dangerous in some way?

3, if you're cool with a separate Brinda-thread!

[loudvoiceloudbabybird]

[As a Legendary, particularly one of storms themselves, the winter weather doesn't actually bother Brinda like it might some others. Despite this, Nathaniel still has a tendency to fuss over them, which is why they're dressed in a jacket, with a pair of Lampent hovering over their shoulders as they make their way up Overlook Hill. Said pair of Lampent seem slightly odd, as they share one internal flame that swirls back and forth between the two of them. Brinda chats to them as they make the ascent.]

Do you guys get tired climbing? I mean, you can float, but it still takes energy, right? Does it take more energy to float up a slope than on the ground? Since flying upwards take more energy than just gliding-

[They pause when they hear the sound of someone approaching. And it's a familiar sound. They turn their head.]

Alice?

[domeinion]

[At least this is a tropical island, though it's always good to prepare in case they get magic snow again... Alice looks a little worse for the wear, covered in dirt and bumps from falling off ledges, but is moving just fine and waves at Brinda. Hyperbug, hovering at her side, buzzes a greeting as well.]

Hello! I was looking for you. Happy Winter Wonder! Well, that's what they call it here, but to me it appears to be a local variant of Helixmas... Oh!

[Alice lights up and approaches the Lampent.]

Nice to meet you! A shared life force between two of the same species... Forgive me the question, but are you randomized like us?

[loudvoiceloudbabybird]

Are you okay? [Brinda notices the dirt and bruises, and is immediately concerned, even as Alice greets the Lampent. They look a bit confused at the question, before finally shaking their heads.]

This is Memo and Lady! [As they're introduced, both of them tip their "hats" in a respectful fashion.] They just...got along so well they eventually had their flames fuse together like this. Even though Lady tried to fight us at first!

[She lets out an embarrassed "Lam!" at that. Technically there hadn't been any need for them to fight at all, in the end!]

[domeinion]

Fascinating! [Alice lights up and bows to the two Lampent.] Being together that long and bonding like that... I wonder how often that kind of thing happens? Is it a phenomenon specific to your home dimension?

[Hyperbug flies over to Brinda and gives a reassuring buzz. This stuff just happens to his trainer a lot, but she's okay! He used to worry, too.]

[loudvoiceloudbabybird]

I'm not sure! I haven't heard of it happening before, except in cases where they're supposed to do that like Magnemite and Diglett. But a lot of our team is pretty special in different ways!