006; video/text

[grapecape]

[Today's broadcast comes from the interior of the Goldenrod Breeding Center House, where Ondorus has settled himself down in the living room. The fire is crackling warmly in the hearth, and a Luxray is rolling slowly on the ground in front of it, soaking up the heat from all angles like a giant kitty rotisserie.

'Tis the season.]

Winter is the cold month of the year. It belongs to the blue spirit and the element of water, and it masters rare minerals and hardy plants. It favors mountains and highlands, and shies away from the tropics and other places ruled by summer.

It also seems to be a time for camaraderie and goodwill, in Johto and elsewhere. A time of harsh conditions, reminding us how we depend on and are depended upon by our fellow creatures - to share what we have, and reconnect with our community.

[...he sounds (and sort of looks) a little sniffly. Three guesses who spent too much time out in the snow this week?]

I have two things to ask. First, there are a number of Pokemon in the Goldenrod Foster Home at this time; Pokemon whose trainers have departed from Johto, leaving them here with the hope that another trainer will step up to take care of them. I encourage anyone who has the resources to care for another Pokemon to investigate the Foster Home, especially in this season of charity.

And the second. If you leave with me a name and location to deliver to and some description of your likes and dislikes where food is concerned, I'll send a small Christmas gift. You may respond privately, of course, and the gift comes entirely free of obligations.

Have a very happy holiday, everyone.

[The video ends, but the post isn't over - added on to the end is a text portion with simplified and travel-friendly versions of these recipes.]

Comments

[video]

[sunpendant]

[Well, well, well.

Someone from home.

Sort of.]

Hey.

[video]

[grapecape]

[that was abrupt. who are you.]

Good morning.

[video]

[sunpendant]

[There's no reason to beat around the bush with him.]

Is anybody else from Sharance here? [She thinks not. No one answered her. Maybe they didn't want to, though.]

[video]

[grapecape]

[-what

Ondorus jumps in his seat a little, eyes widening. He looks taken aback, and there are worried Xatu noises as the camera is turned away from him for a moment, wobbling around the fest of the room.

It comes back to Ondorus shaking his head at the cameramon, giving them a smile that doesn't quite match the seriousness in his eyes.]

You did just say "Sharance", didn't you?

[video]

[sunpendant]

[Not the reaction she expected.

The fluffpile on her head rouses and chirps softly.]

Yeah. Sharance. [More slowly and clearly this time. This was the desert guy, wasn't it? With the-

Where is his horn?]

[video]

[grapecape]

[The same place as your feathers.

Ondorus is quiet, visibly thinking of how to respond. When he snaps out of it after a few seconds, he shakes his head slowly.]

To my knowledge, there is nobody else from Norad as a whole in Johto. [He reaches out, taking the Pokegear from Olivia - the camera moves around accordingly.]

[video]

[sunpendant]

Oh. [She thought as much, but she felt she had to ask.] Sorry.

[It's rough to be alone.]

[privated video]

[grapecape]

[aaand hands the Gear back to Olivia. Just being cautious and courteous.]

Thank you. [He appreciates the sympathy. A lot. It makes him feel relieved, for some reason.]

I'm sorry to have to ask this, but...how is it that you recognize me? [She could've visited the settlement, maybe, but he thinks he'd at least vaguely remember her face in that case.] Especially in relation to that village...

[privated video]

[sunpendant]

You're Ondorus. You live in the desert settlement.

[Does he forget or something? Geez, what if that happens to you after you spend a while here?]

[privated video] gahhhh my html

[grapecape]

That's right.

[..."but that doesn't answer the question", says his bewildered tone.]

[privated video] forgiven

[sunpendant]

[Not sure what the problem is. Melody chirps again, drowsy but shifting into 'awake'. Raven who are you talking to you never talk to anybody.]

You came to the Unity Festival?

[privated video]

[grapecape]

[...This only gets more and more mysterious. And interesting.]

There hasn't been a festival held in the settlement for a long time.

[privated video]

[sunpendant]

It was about half a year ago. Micah brought you to Sharance to make-

[Slowly, her tone shifts along those words from irritated reminder to "oh who he's clueless about this."]

To make friends.

Re: [privated video]

[grapecape]

[Micah?

The village and the settlement, reunifying?

And within the span of a wooly's lifetime...

Ondorus' expression is indescribable, a mixture of disbelief and astonishment and hope and relief under a translucent lid of calm that he's working intentionally to maintain.]

Do you mind if I take a moment to move somewhere less public?

[privated video] my typo...

[sunpendant]

Uh, sure.

[She has to feed her nestling Swablu anyway. Those insistent peeps aren't coming from her ears.]

[for_realsies]

I- I want to take in a Pokemon, but.. what if their owner comes back?

And... I already have more than a full team. I don't know how to handle moving Pokemon to my box, I don't want them to think I've forgotten them or anything like that.

[grapecape]

Hopefully, they'll be happy that someone was a friend to their Pokemon while they were away.

[aha...] I have the same problem, to be honest.

[for_realsies]

I have two eggs that I'll eventually need to hatch, but my team is full. A few of my team don't do the fighting thing, so I might leave them in the box as I travel, and take them out only in towns?

But... I don't wanna take in any new Pokemon if I can't give them the proper attention.

[grapecape]

That you have that concern in the first place is a sign that you're a responsible trainer. I think that as long as they understand your wish, your Pokemon should not resent having to be away from you for a short while.

That's how Olivia has explained it to me, at least. We don't travel much, but when we were on the road, it was sometimes necessary to leave a less adventurous member of the team in the PC. I still have my reservations about it, but nothing unexpected has happened with it.

[for_realsies]

I- I want to! Really, but I don't have any badges yet. So I dunno how much Pokemon that I didn't make friends with myself will like me? How about I promise to adopt one if it likes me after I have some more experience at all this!

*Cause that is how the games prevented being a cheaty mccheater face on the subject of trades.*

I know that Omen won't let me outta his sight, but Whiskey really isn't liking the travel and fighting. But she likes hanging out with me in cities. I think she just dislikes trail food and likes people food better.

[video]

[enjoymyatelier]

...I'm not sure if it would be accurate to say that winter 'favors' mountains and highlands, although that may be my own personal biases speaking.

[bluh bluh he doesn't even want to think of traveling until winter's over]

Are you really offering food to anyone who asks, though? I may have to take you up on that.

[video]

[grapecape]

I was referring to a unique aspect of my world. Blue rune spirits often congregate in mountainous areas, creating lands of eternal winter...they're not limited to mountains, but they do seem to "favor" them.

[haha.] That's good. I was planning to ask you what you'd prefer whether you stepped up or not.

[video]

[enjoymyatelier]

...I see. Honestly, I probably should have assumed that from the start, but it's certainly something I find quite unpleasant.

...hmn. Well, I've been in the mood for some pastries, though I should say that I can't abide anything too sweet. I'd probably be fine with anything involving dark chocolate.

[video]

[grapecape]

[chuckles...]

I'll see what I can do.

Have you found a good place to stay until the weather turns, then? [striking up conversation. he...figures that kayneth is finicky enough to just avoid the hell out of dealing with things he doesn't like.

like snow and cold.]

[video]

[enjoymyatelier]

[hahaha yeah no fuck snow and cold]

I'm currently in Saffron, which is... decent enough, I suppose. I'm not sure if I'll be staying here the whole winter, but I'm sure I'll be here just long enough to win the HM for Fly-which is far more tedious to get than it has any right to be, I may add.