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 Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2012 6:21 pm
`❖-;Face Value,
It will run deeper in time
(Flatsale entry) There was once a very curious shroomish, a fungus-type pokémon who took pleasure in learning about what made others tick, what went on in others' heads as they went about on their everyday routines. However, the shroomish was also shy and still building up the nerve to venture outside of the forest -- the only place the little shroomish had ever known. It had seen humans venture through the leafy corridors, and was determined to follow and find others like them. It was fascinated by these strange mage-like beings who could conjure up pokémon from such tiny balls!
The shroomish started off by trying to figure out what made rocks think the way they did. It began by trying to pull emotions and nonverbal cues from the inanimate objects, but soon found that many of them thought in the same way. The shroomish quickly mastered the art of reading and mimicking the stalwartness the rocks displayed, earning the pokémon a magnificent poker face.
After moving up to insects and other pokémon in the area, the shroomish started gaining a variety of new faces to add to its collection, practicing either until the miming was perfect or until the subject of its testing became too annoyed with the faces the shroomish bounced at it. The mimicry was fine-tuned to such a degree that the shroomish felt confident enough to venture outside its safe haven, and it wasted no time in tracking down the nearest group of wayfarers to follow to the nearest town. It would be a gold mine of new traits and personalities to copy!
Nix stared at the document in his hands, a mixture of shock and disbelief scarring his face. He flipped through the pages, skimming the text to verify that this was all there was to the paper. Momentarily pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed before snorting a half-hearted snicker, eyes falling back on the first page. "This reads like a fairy tale..." he mumbled, slapping the document on the table in exasperation, "And they think I'm nuts!"
Endymion jumped back at the loud sound of paper-on-wood, ice blue eyes downturned to the culprit of the sound before offering Nix a questioning look. Nix had to hold himself back from shoving the pages off the edge of the table in irritation, "This is from a researcher. This! Are they trying to mock me?"
His eyes widened at the realization, at the implications the paper provided. His scoffing laughter made Endymion flinch and step back. Or maybe that was just because of Margarita; she did smell nearer. "So this is what I've been reduced to, huh?" he asked nobody but himself, pulling the document closer. He didn't want to play into the higher-ups' hands like this, making a mockery of the professor's aide, but there was really nothing better to do at the moment. He had no other leads to follow, and it looked like he was scraping the bottom of the barrel with the report he received.
Standing to full height, he grabbed his bag and waved his two traveling companions on, "Endymion! Margarita! We're heading out, so get ready!"
* * *
"You've... got to be kidding me."
The shroomish stared the man down with a passive, blank stare. Its face seemed to sag a little after a moment, turning into a more deflated expression: utter defeat. It was exactly how Nix was feeling, amplified and staring back at the man. It was almost creepy. Were pokémon suppose to have so much control over the muscles in their faces? It was astonishing, even though Nix was reluctant of acknowledging the mockery of a report that led him here.
He kneeled down to get a better look at the little fungus, and the shroomish perked up. Its eyes almost seemed to sparkle with fascination, its mouth turning circular and somehow becoming more... cute. Nix chuckled, "It's so eerie!"
The shroomish seemed to scoff at the terminology, but blushed at the compliment -- at least, she was pretty sure it was a compliment. She had practiced hard to get this far! It already seemed to be making her famous, with the number of visitors having increased as of late. She was a regular tourist attraction!
Glancing around the man in front of her, she noticed another pokémon. She waddled over to the scyther and blinked up at him. Endymion hesitated a moment, flushed at the attention, and lightly swatted at her to get away. She hopped out of the way of the movement, paused a moment, and then seemed to cower after-the-fact, without any forewarning. Endymion was confused; shouldn't it have done that after he tried to get her to leave him alone? Or, better yet, actually moved away without having to cower? This was embarrassing, and he didn't like it one bit!
The shroomish glanced up after a few seconds, its face contorting into a frown as she tried to read the scyther. He was a bit hard to crack! She phased through a number of different expressions, trying to match it up with what she was picking up from the giant insect. It was as though she were reading a book, accidentally whispering aloud as she went along the lines of the page. She just now came across a word she didn't recognize, and was trying to sound it out, in a sense.
Nix pulled out a notepad and started scribbling notes about the scene. This sort of interaction wasn't something he saw every day, and he could bet that it wasn't something normal. Not only that... but it was certainly better written than that storybook of a file he read earlier that day. He was almost disappointed that he had to leave Margarita outside the forest -- that was sure to have come across as an interesting exchange, but he had feared that the rotten stench the pokémon gave off would have driven the shroomish away.
The shroomish frowned once more, but this time it was a more steady gaze. Endymion attempted to glare back in the hopes that it would get her to shove off, but her face began to lessen in intensity, turning into a softer version. There was a hint of sadness in the look, or fear, or...
Endymion turned away, agitated. If she wasn't going to leave him alone, he'd just leave on his own! The shroomish trilled in surprise, but almost seemed to whistle a tune in happiness once recovered. This big guy was certainly an interesting fellow! Maybe she'd have to follow him around and really get it right!
[[ Word Count: 1,099 ]]
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2012 11:46 pm
`❖-;Cluttered Slate,
Why so... whatever-emotion-that-is? Whether or not the researcher and his insect bodyguard wanted her to, the small shroomish was following closely behind the pair, jaunting in her bounds. She had heard a passing comment come from the man about her movements and jovial demeanor, and found the words to be quite complimentary. Terpsichore! Perhaps it was just a slight observation, but it was obvious that if she were going to be following the two of them around, she was going to have to have a title. Why, it was quite flattering, and it sounded so big! She was going to have to work even harder to fill such a weighty name and make it fit that much more!
When the three of them arrived at the camp site, the shroomish quickly lost sight of the scyther, the temperamental insect wanting out of her attention as soon as possible. She puffed her cheeks at the realization, but let it slide for now. The man with his eyes glued to his paperwork was still in the vicinity, and although he didn't seem to be paying much attention to her anymore right this moment, it was enough to make her feel welcome. She would just have to scope out the place and get herself familiarized with all there was to it. Nix may have moved around a lot, but for now the campsite was home, no matter how temporary.
Hopping around the dry fire pit a couple of times, she decided to check out the nearest clutter of supplies to the side of the tent. She decided to stay away from the inside of the tent for now, at least until she was specifically invited inside. Perhaps she was a feral pokémon, but that didn't mean she lacked manners! Sources for learning were plenty abundant on the streets! Or, rather, outside the streets. And city limits.
Despite her growing curiosity for such strange human curios as were stacked outside the tent, Terpsichore was not about to rummage through the bags and boxes to find out what they were. She was not some common thief, nor did she ignore the matters of personal space! Even though she sometimes wished she were, just so she could ignore her nagging conscience on such matters...
<<So infuriating!>> she huffed, stomping a foot as she paced a couple of feet from the bags, <<I want to know how people camp out!>>
<<All you have to do is stick around. It's not that mysterious!>> The voice sounded nonchalant, and Terpsichore could practically feel the owner of the voice shrugging before she turned around to meet...
She reeled back as she faced the grimer fully, nearly tipping over as she bounced on the tip of one of her feet, preventing herself from falling completely over -- but just barely. She had a notion that that was what the grimer was expecting, and when she peered over, she found she hit the nail on the head. The grimer rolled her eyes, and as she did so, Terpsichore bounded back to land flat on her mossy feet. The shroomish gave the poisonous blob a harsh, piercing look as she scanned the melting face for a trace of emotion to copy. This place was just chalk full of challenges, wasn't it? She was in heaven!
<<Good gravy, girl, you're hard to read!>> Terp sighed after a moment, rocking back to stand balanced once more.
The grimer tilted her head in curiosity before laughing, <<Well, I could have saved you the time and told you that one! I'm Margarita! Most people don't really understand me, so it's not anything to worry about. Half the time I don't really know if I understand myself. I forget what I'm doing, half the time.>> Margarita scratched her chin as an afterthought; it was apparent she was wondering whether or not the shroomish even wanted to know all that in the first place, or cared to.
But Terpsichore was already eagerly looking at the grimer. Her smell didn't seem to bother a pokémon whose basis was fungus. It wasn't even entirely apparent the shroomish had a sense of smell at all. <<Well, I'll just have to work on it. You live with the strange glasses-man, too? If so, we're now officially roomies! My name's Terpsichore; it's a pleasure to meet you, Margarita!>> she stated. Oh, this was going to be so much fun!
More apparently so, had Margarita not, in that instance, decided to roll over to the bags, grab a calculator from the nearest one, and proceed to launch it at her new acquaintance. <<H-Hey, watch it! Owww ow ow, what was that for?>> Terp whimpered, frills dangling in befuddled defeat.
She was replied to with an impish laugh as the grimer bobbed in place. <<It's just something I like to do,>> she responded, as though it made up for the action -- and pain inflicted -- entirely, <<Welcome to the neighborhood, Terpsy!>>
[[ Word Count: 823 ]]
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 12:07 am
`❖-;Roleplay #1, Link: Paradigm Grab Bag
Participants: Alexis, Sasha, Meadow, & Terpsichore
Stages: Teen (Alexis, Sasha, & Meadow) & Pokémon (Terpsichore)
Status: Complete!
Premise: On the set in the big city town! It's the best place to level up charisma stats, right?
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:22 am
`❖-;Linkdrop #1, (( The purpose of this post is to provide links to other characters' solos that Terpsichore had a part or was mentioned in, but is not very relevant to Terpsichore in general, and therefore is not reposted. ))
- [Shall Not Be]- Endymion's growth (comes after "Cluttered Slate")
- [Wake-up Call]- Margarita's growth (comes after "Roleplay #1")
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:28 pm
`❖-;Star For a Star,
A wish too big? Oh what a month it had been! Terpsichore was utterly exhausted with everything that had been happening since she decided to travel with the odd little group of misfits. The day was just starting, but the shroomish just wanted to stay inside and be lazy all day for once. It didn't sound like the troupe needed to move their campsite today, so wasn't she entitled to a little "me-time"?
She had much to contemplate as it was. Too much, it seemed; her head was swimming with questions and determinations both, neither of which she believed she had much sense to answer on her own. However, reflection didn't always require the goal to be an answer: it was more about the journey than the destination, so to speak.
Despite such wise mental words, Terpsichore couldn't help but admit to the fact that she was actually hoping to find answers along the way. She pouted at that realization, wishing she were a tad stronger in that aspect. Wise words didn't always come with wise actions, and it could drive her mad if she wasn't careful, or wasn't able to distract her clawing mind from the aggravation of not being able to grasp at something just out of reach.
Glancing carefully to and fro, Terpsichore made doubly-sure she was by herself, at least in the distance of about five yards, give or take. She didn't really mind if anyone saw her, but it was a different story to hear her. Everyone was used to her wandering off; Margarita even confirmed that it was usually to practice speech without an audience and the added pressure of performing, before the grimer had gained some rather unusual features for a pokémon.
Ahh, and now she was getting right to the heart of her anxiety for the day. No, perhaps it had been a good month or so. Terpsichore had only been traveling with the professor's aide and his two pokémon for a couple of days before Endymion had undergone a similar metamorphosis to Margarita, and then the grimer had done the same a couple weeks ago. It was what Terpsichore had been hoping would happen to her, for as long as she could remember! She wanted to be human, she wanted it so badly! It was practically the only thing she ever wanted to be! Why else would she be practicing so diligently on acting like one?
But that was not the problem in itself. Actually, she thought it was magnificent that the two of them had evolved in such a way. After all, it meant that it was truly possible to turn into a human! Or, rather, as human as a pokémon could become. Not only that, but it made her feel less self-conscious about wanting to live in such a manner. Hmph, and her kin had scoffed at her determination! It would show them to call her names and insist that she was the crazy one!
No, the problem was more of inner hurt. Neither Endymion nor Margarita had ever specifically wished to be in the condition they now found themselves in, but ended up that way regardless. Terpsichore, on the other hand, wanted it more than anything, and yet she was still stuck as the common shroomish that she was. It didn't seem fair! It didn't make any sense whatsoever! What, did she have to not want to be like that in order to become such? That was hardly something she could even pretend to do. Did that mean that she had no chance of becoming what she longed to be?
Was she just being selfish?
Terpsichore lowered her head to the ground with a sigh, as though she were being deflated from escaping air pressure. It was lonely like this, and it was lonely striving for the top with no way of reaching it, and no idea where to even start. <<How did they do it? Do I just have to be patient? Do I have a chance? Does... Does it have something to do with..?>> she scanned the note cards in her head before raising it to glance in Nix's direction.
It was then that she saw a small star, seemingly stuck on the top of the nearest tent's pole, one of the legs ensnared around a loose thread. Her initial thought was that that tent really needed to be mended before it started raining. Her second thought was contemplating what exactly it was that got stuck, and how, before the tendril of contemplation came to sudden realization -- wasn't Margarita talking about a star when she first awoke as a poké-human? Endymion seemed to scold her for it, but he knew what she was talking about...
Was this it?
Gleefully, she hopped up and wiggled the fabric of the tent from the outside to jostle the star free. Even if it wasn't what they were talking about, it was worth the risk. It was worth it to stroke her ego, and it was worth it if it gave her hope for the future. Most of all, it was worth it if it helped her achieve her lifelong goal!
Even if she had no idea what living a life as a poké-human entailed.
[[ Word Count: 872 ]]
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 10:24 pm
`❖-;Special Thanks,
Achievement awards The main problem with hitting that brick wall called 'sleep' so suddenly was that a person rarely understood what was going on upon emerging back into a waking state. Both what she was currently doing at the moment as well as what happened before her slumber was lost on Terpsichore as she lie motionless on the ground for a number of seconds, attempting to regain what was lost in her memory. What, had something hit her at full speed or something? No, she felt fine, she felt...
Her eyes widened in utter disbelief before she was even fully upright. A pang of quick-holding fear was first on the scene, but her mind hastily melded the emotion into a heightened bliss before being phased fully into euphoria. It actually worked!? "Holy mackerel!" she coughed out, the first words formed in the Gaian language from the mouth of a shroomish-turned-humanoid.
It was quickly followed up by an incredulous voice from behind her, "You have got to... again!?"
Ohoho! She recognized that voice right away! In her eagerness to show off herself -- as well as her appreciation -- she spun around and tried to hop to her feet. Unfortunately, such long legs and an appendage known as 'feet' were something that were completely new to her, and Terpsichore soon found herself pitching forward in her exuberance. Luckily for her, Nix was quick on the uptake, dropping the bowl in his hands in favor of catching the mushroom-girl before she caused much damage to herself. Unfortunately, she seemed to have twisted a foot slightly in the process, but even with pain biting at her literal heel, she winced out a grin and wrapped her arms around the man's torso. "I knew it! You are good luck!" she exclaimed, sliding a little out of a lack of balance.
"Good... what?" he was caught by, well, multiple surprises at the moment and was unable to fully comprehend what she was blathering on about. What, was it because he caught her?
"This! All of this!" she chirped, glancing up, "I turned human! Those stars must really like you, since Endy and Rita -- we all ended up this way!" It was obvious that her explanation only proved to confuse the researcher that much further, and she puffed her cheeks in irritation (which, she took note, was kind of fun to do). "Do you have any idea how long I've been after this exact goal, mister?" she huffed, stumbling backward and trying to act haughty, "It's been years. All that hard work, all that effort... you even noticed it, too, didn't you? That's why you came to see me in the first place, isn't it?"
Alas, Nix still continued to stare, unsure of what to say. It was actually making Terpsichore feel pretty insecure, but she attempted to maintain her composure, even if she was seated back on the ground. After a moment, Nix asked, "That's what that was all about?"
"Of course! Why else would I try to imitate people?" she was nearly whining in exasperation.
Nix grinned toothily at that, despite being mostly at a loss. Terpsichore sure was an oddity, perhaps even more so now that the man could understand what she was trying to communicate to him! "I'm not too sure if it had anything to do with me, unfortunately," he observed with a bit of a snicker, "However, I'm glad you got your wish after so long. Um... any particular reason to wish for such a thing?"
Terpsichore was brimming with sunshine now, "Yes, but of course! Plenty of reasons! Too many to speak of for now, though." Nix quirked an eyebrow as though to ask for an explanation, of which the girl was willing to offer without ever seeing the expression, "Y'see, it's a bit drafty out here, and..."
"Oh! Right right, I'll go get something for that!" Terpsichore shook her head in amusement as she watched her scatterbrained trainer dash off for something to cover the newly-grown child.
[[ Word Count: 668 ]]
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 10:26 pm
`❖-;Refractive Contemplation,
Bridging the past and future There were some ideas that Terpsichore always found herself avoiding for the future in favor of what she wanted to build towards. Most of it was based off of hearsay instead of true experience in the matter, but she liked to think her imagination was comparable to what actually happened, as though her mind were roleplaying everything to a fairly accurate degree.
However, the more things seemed to come at her from out of nowhere, prove to detract from how she thought they would go, or any other degree that tipped her accuracy of prediction, the more she felt that, perhaps, she really didn't know as much about individuals in general than she thought. In fact, maybe it was impossible to think of everyone else collectively like that in the first place. She already knew that there were many facets to anybody's personality, and many defining characteristics that made an individual stand out from the crowd, even if not immediately evident. After all, she was a solid case on that matter; she wasn't sure if she would have been able to predict her own reactions had she actually been someone else! Everyone was unpredictable, in some form of the word, and there was hardly an exception.
So, then, how was it that people could comment on how accurately an actor or actress played a part when people were so unpredictable from the get-go? While Terpsichore wasn't about to label it false, for there must be a reason, she didn't know how it could be true. Were they just picking apart specific actions and reactions? Was it just how they would have reacted to a crisis, or did they truly know how split-second decisions would be handled by someone with an opposing attitude? She knew that, yes, some people were full of hot air, but what about when it was a majority vote?
Regardless, this was just a passing speculation. It all boiled down to whether or not she could handle it herself, if she truly decided to travel the actress' path. Terp was still on the fence about it, even though she wasn't above boasting that she would become a great one in the future. Really, had there been one person she met where she didn't explicitly state that she was learning to become an actress?
Terpsichore bit her lip at the thought. Well, she might have been digging herself a hole... this was prime bait for I-told-you-so's in the future. Not that she really had to become a famous actress to be a successful actress... or really find a job as one.
Really, Terpsichore didn't even like the idea of fame and fortune. Sure, attention for what she was good at was really quite enticing, but she didn't want to become a snobbish celebrity because of it. No, that was something Terp truly feared, letting it go to her head. She liked to think of herself as a level-headed person, down-to-earth, and most importantly, friendly. Terp adored making friends, not enemies!
But... actresses needn't secure their career among fame and fortune, right? They could be the same old average Joe, just one of many with a bit of a hobby that could make a bit of cash in a pinch. She knew about traveling performers, but hadn't really thought of connecting two and two together until today. They were actors and actresses in their own right, weren't they? They were just in a different hemisphere to the one she had been envisioning all this time.
No, Terpsichore did not want to start becoming a one-man traveling circus, that was just absurd. However, it did pose some very new ideas. She wouldn't have to leave her traveling companions at this rate, and she could keep the same amount of obscurity she had maintained all this time. However, she could also flaunt her stuff if she needed to as well, and maybe even for a good cause, if such charity work ever appeared!
Giggling, Terpsichore bounced in place at the thought. Yes yes yes, she liked this! It would give her more of a direction to focus on!
First things first, though -- she still had a long way to go before she could even pass off as being a human, let alone a professional one!
[[ Word Count: 715 ]]
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 10:27 pm
`❖-;Covert Operations,
Sidekicks come in many shapes and sizes Margarita was full of far too many numerous bizarre quirks to accurately estimate, that much was obvious to anyone from the get-go. In fact, she almost seemed to evolve with each pass of the day into stranger habits; at least, it seemed that way. Truth was that Margarita oftentimes would get so lost in her own head that, although she had walked the same paths of thought continuously in silence, they tended to take people off-guard when she voiced these things -- things that she hadn't put to vocalized words in the past. Perhaps hinted at, but there was always her horrible habit of omission, of only ever speaking half of her steps to get to where she was in her conversation. But only if one was lucky... More often than not, it would only be a fraction of the ascension, splintered and nonsensical.
It didn't help matters that she tended to jump around in ideas inside her own head as well, but at least it was slightly easier to follow had anyone the gift of reading a mind. Margarita was always a strange little amorphous blob, and she prided herself on that fact with little effort. She didn't even realize it could be considered creative, as it was just the way she worked. Why analyze what came natural?
This was the exact notion that Terpsichore found herself facing, peering into the thought processes of a strangely talkative grimer-child. Perhaps Margarita was feeling focused at the moment, a task she had set out for herself now accomplished. She seemed rather bored, actually, staring up at a brilliant blue sky under the cover of lavender bangs. Terp hadn't had much time to speak with the other girl since her own humanoid growth spurt, and now seemed the perfect opportunity to do just that. After all, they never seemed to really see eye-to-eye in the past, and the little social butterfly was eager to right that wrong more stably. "What was all that commotion earlier?" the shroomish asked as she came to stand beside the banded girl, trying to come up with a basis for small talk.
She was relieved to find that Margarita was willing to answer without changing the subject to something random, like the slightly-older girl was so prone to doing. "Nix didn't like me taking Paprika. He said something about 'needing it'?" her violet eyes rolled over to fix on the flecked face of her so-dubbed roommate, "Suppose he might not have really appreciated it when I said he should have the pepper instead, and tossed it near him. The container broke; it got all over!" She cringed at the admittance, giggling a bit.
"That could have been dangerous," Terpsichore stated flatly. She realized that that would have stalled the words at play, though, so continued on, "Why do you like throwing things like that?"
"It's fun! People have the funniest reactions when they're surprised." It was apparent that Margarita was getting a bit uncomfortable with the conversation, pushing it back with lackluster description in preparation for rebuttal from the shroomish-girl. Margarita knew she didn't really approve, after all, especially with an unfounded explanation like that.
In fact, Terpsichore herself could see where this was headed. So, with a sigh to end it before it evolved into an argument, she changed the subject on her own, "What'd he need the paprika for? Is he making deviled eggs or something?"
Margarita shook her head, "Naw, he just wanted to season the peas he was eating."
Terpsichore almost looked green in the face, but her frown told of her confusion, "Why would he put paprika on peas?"
"I really have no idea!" Margarita laughed, tickled by Terpsichore's reaction. Grabbing an object that was sitting on the other side of her, Margarita set what was in her hand on the ground in front of her seated form, "It's not like she really appreciates it."
"Um... Margarita?" Terpsichore's voice had gone flat again.
"Yeah?"
"Is... are you calling that 'Paprika'?"
"Yes!"
"You do realize that that is salt, right? Paprika's the reddish-orange-y stuff."
"I know it is! Or, at least, that's what everyone thinks. Her name is really Paprika, though. The other spice is there to throw everybody off. They're in cahoots together," Margarita explained, wriggling in place.
Terp blinked in disbelief, "You named the salt Paprika?"
"Yup!" the grimer girl chimed, "Well... 'Salt' is only a code name, after all."
Terpsichore laughed; it was almost mocking in tone, "Code name?"
"Ah-huh! All secret agents need a code name. Sudden Assault with Lethal Technology, or Salt! People are going to remember her by her more feared name, of course," Margarita stated matter-of-factly, as though it were common knowledge. Why didn't Terpsichore already know this stuff?
The shroomish scoffed, folding her arms, "More like 'Little Technology;' that's hardly technological at all! Let alone lethal."
"Then her work is done," the lavender-haired child said with a grin, as though she were talking to someone else there, "Nobody knows what she can do, and they all underestimate her. The best undercover agent there is!" She giggled, though confounded as to why such a spectacular spy would want to work under the tutelage of someone like the grimer-child. It was only briefly that she toyed with the notion that, perhaps, it was sabotage from the inside out. They were friends, however, so that didn't make any sense...
Terpsichore couldn't believe what she was hearing, but among all her frustration with the situation, she couldn't help but laugh along with her comrade. She certainly was quite the imaginative girl! Even though the brunette was trying to teach Margarita the art of understanding logic, she ended up learning how stubbornly creative someone could be instead. Despite the aggravation of failure, she alternatively took knowledge away from the encounter herself. The conversation was, by extension, not only a learning experience, but a little insight into Terpsichore's roommate. Perhaps they could get along better now, if Terp managed to keep these quirks in mind?
[[ Word Count: 1,004 ]]
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 10:28 pm
`❖-;Roleplay #2, Link: Shores of a New Horizon
Participants: Eilam, Deanna, & Terpsichore
Stages: Child (Both)
Status: Complete!
Premise: When everyone just wants to be seen as 'normal,' one begins to wonder just what 'normal' really is.
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 10:28 pm
`❖-;It`s Not All War,
Though they're war games, in a sense There were many ways with which one could prepare themselves, to better themselves to face the big bad world out there. Many a pokémon defaulted to the battle systems that life and Gaians paved for them, becoming physically stronger and mentally flexible. Due to Terpsichore still feeling as though she was more pokémon than human, despite her wish being granted for a human body, she was stuck on basing herself on these measures as well. The only problem was that the girl abhorred battle and would avoid it if and when possible.
So how was she suppose to better herself, and make herself stronger, if she couldn't 'level up' through the exertion of combat? It was only recently that she began playing with the idea of doing so like a human instead, but she didn't have the best knowledge in that aspect of Gaian life. After all, with only Nix to base observations on most recently, there wasn't any way to build off of this knowledge base anyway. Well, except through conversation; she wasn't shy about asking. It was a start, she thought, and she could contemplate her next course of action through that.
Peering into the tent where Nix tended to hole up in, working on his paperwork and organizing field notes, Terpsichore waited to make sure she wasn't interrupting some steel trap of a concentration mode before piping up. She couldn't tell, though, and so opted to catch the man's attention with a loud clearing of her throat and a prodding, "Um... Nix?"
The man jumped at his desk, the hand he was using as a chin rest giving way and almost making him faceplant into the surface of his station. While Terp was alarmed by this, and slightly apologetic, she couldn't help but give off a snicker as he spun around, glasses crooked on his nose. Nix blinked, wide-eyed before he fixed this mess in front of his vision. His grin was sheepish as he admitted, "...Guess I must have dozed off. What's up?"
Well, that was definitely unexpected to hear! Then again, Nix had been so stressed out lately, what with all the pokémon with him turning into children and whatnot alongside his usual workload. For a moment, Terpsichore hesitated in asking after such revelation came to mind, but decided to go ahead with it anyway. It's not like she was doing what Endymion did and asking him to help her level up, just to give some suggestions before she tried it on her own. She was a very capable shroomish! Moving to stand fully in the tent without having to hold the entrance open, she asked, "How do humans usually level up? Or... train, even? I don't see them battle or anything most of the time, and they don't seem focused on comparing their abilities individually to others like pokémon do."
The researcher seemed slightly perplexed for a moment before he turned his eyes, thinking about an answer. It was then that Nix snickered, a delayed reaction to the entire 'leveling up' system that Terpsichore was referring to. She was right, most Gaians didn't follow that same system when they were reaching to better themselves. "Well, you've already done a bit of what would help 'us humans' out," he pointed out, "They tend to exercise, and there are various regimens depending on the attributes that you would want to try to improve. Practicing makes perfect in some cases, and that can help as well. It's actually pretty similar to what a pokémon might do for training, you'd just substitute something else for an actual opponent if you didn't want to fight someone. Like an inanimate object, for example." He shrugged, not sure if what he was trying to say was coming across like he wanted it to. However, he was fully aware how much of a pacifist Terpsichore seemed to be, at least when it came to physically attacking anything.
The shroomish girl thought about the words a moment, letting them sink in as she attempted to come up with various scenarios she could utilize. With a frown, she looked back to the man, "What was it precisely that I did that would have improved myself like that?"
"You helped move camp," he stated. The brunette girl made a face, and Nix held his hands up as though in surrender, "Now I know you don't like doing that sort of thing, but it is exercise. Lifting, moving... lifting some more. Builds strength and stamina for most people, you know."
"So I have to keep doing that in order to get anywhere with the leveling up?" Terp complained, slightly miffed.
But Nix shook his head, "No, that's just one example. There are plenty of other things you can do, and I'm sure you're creative enough to figure it out. If taking things apart and packing them helps, what wouldn't help?"
Terpsichore opened her mouth to make a point, but promptly lost it at the statement offered. That was a good point... if that were true, what couldn't she do to level up? Seeing her face soften knocked a wry smirk out of the man at the desk, and it contagiously followed to the shroomish across the tent. "Alright then, I think I can do something about that. Creativity, you say? Why, that's my strong point!" she stated triumphantly, "Thanks, Nix! I'll get on that right away!" Leaving the makeshift room with a quick retreat, she was already more than eager to get started!
[[ Word Count: 917 ]]
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 10:29 pm
`❖-;Roleplay #3, Link: Lost and Found
Participants: Kaida & Terpsichore
Stages: Pokémon (Kaida) & Child (Terpsichore)
Status: Ongoing
Premise: A mutant eevee tomb raider and a shroomish practicing humanity team up together for some unprecedented treasure hunting!
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Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 5:17 pm
`❖-;Avoidance,
Strength isn't everything It was about smack-dab in the middle of a month-long stay stationed on the field surrounding the city. While Nix was gone from day to day in the laboratory where he reported findings, gathered information, and helped with smaller assignments around the city before they were to head off again, the pokémon under his tutelage were stuck waiting. Most of them hadn't much authority to just wander into town, either: Margarita was a hazard, Endymion was highly reluctant, and Terpsichore didn't really feel like going it alone. Without any direction, the days were apt to plow on at a snail's pace. There were no real plans until the end of the week rolled around, and that was still a ways off. Finding what to do with all the free time was both aggravating and difficult, especially when there was constant pestering when one was trying to get some free time with which to think.
There had been a number of ideas thrown around on what to accomplish, but none seemed to really stick. Margarita was feeling particularly rambunctious and couldn't sit still long enough to fully form any useful conversation, bounding off to go pretend she was a secret agent and stationing herself next to the trail that led into town. It was still potentially dangerous to have her doing that by herself, but she hadn't exactly rubbed her teammates right and was fairly adamant about going. She wasn't far enough away not to be able to keep an eye on, at least, so if anything were to happen, Endymion and Terpsichore were only a hop, skip, and a jump away.
Meanwhile, Endymion had grown frustrated with something else entirely and decided to do something about it himself. He was gathering a number of objects around the encampment and tossing them into a pile with a few well-placed blade taps and kicks. Terpsichore watched the unexpected chore with a frown, expecting the scyther to explain himself before she had to ask. Alas, he was too preoccupied to notice her severe look, so she tapped a foot on the grass and indicated, "That isn't the right way to clean a mess..."
It seemed Endymion hadn't realized the brunette was taking note of what he was doing. Terpsichore hadn't really been one to really stick around with Endymion alone before, so he had been expecting her to either chew out Margarita for being destructive or go about and do her own thing. In fact, he wasn't really sure how to talk to her. Seeing this hesitation, the shroomish-girl sighed a bit and nodded with a slight smile, trying to indicate that she was just kidding and that he should just explain himself. "Um..." Endymion started, still a bit unsure as he glanced over to the pile he was assembling, "I'm... gathering things."
"Yes, yes I see that," Terpsichore agreed. She was much less patient with Endymion's stuttering than Nix tended to be, but she was trying, "What for?"
The frustration seemed to pique at that and become more visible, the scyther taking on a sharply indignant nature, "Why do you care? I'm passing the time; go do something with your's."
"Oh no, no. Endy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that," she tried to apologize before he completely shut her out. "I think all this free time and nothing to do with it is getting to me."
"Nothing's stopping you from checking out the town. I know you like it, and you've gone by yourself before."
"Yeah, as an actual shroomish," Terpsichore retorted haughtily. This wasn't working. She paused a moment and ran a frilled hand through her spiraled hair, watching as Endymion resumed his search for more random items. She wasn't sure if he'd still be willing to listen to her, but attempted to speak on a more relatable level, "Sure, it can be fun, but I don't know if it will always be. People are used to seeing regular pokémon wandering through town, but I dunno how they'd react to me now. If you haven't noticed, I haven't exactly been into town since I grew." She waved a hand in front of her, as though she were showcasing herself as an example. Endymion wavered in what he was doing enough to give Terpsichore a heads-up that he was listening and acknowledging her comments as truth. She was careful with the tone of her voice, "It can get lonely, you know?"
After a moment, Endymion resumed in flipping a book over to the growing pile of oddities, and Terpsichore was sure that she had just been blown off. However, once the item was with the rest, the pale-haired boy turned back to face her, "I just got tired of waiting..." He frowned, trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to say amidst irritation, "Nix said... before, he said he was going to try to help me learn something that wouldn't... hurt an opponent." Before Terpsichore could come to the researcher's defense, the boy prematurely dismissed the statements, "I know he's been busy, I just didn't think it would take so long. And... I've got nothing better to do, so why not try doing it on my own?"
Terpsichore looked mildly perplexed, "And what, perchance, were you thinking of doing with that pile of rubbish?"
"Well, I was going to have Margarita..." he began before he thought better of it, "Actually, I've got a better idea. You can throw things, can't you?"
Terpsichore frowned, folding her arms and stating rigidly matter-of-fact, "Of course I can! I'm just not as prolific at it as she is. Nor do I really have much upper body strength to speak of..." She thought about it and then picked up a wadded piece of paper. The girl studied it momentarily before spinning to her side and launching it... half a yard away from where she stood. "Yeesh, I suck at this!"
Endymion seemed a bit surprised, "Well, it's not like I want you to try to kill me with any of it! Besides, that's pretty decent for a piece of paper. Those things aren't very aerodynamic anyway."
Terpsichore glanced at the palm of the hand she used to throw the lightweight object with, "You think I'll be of any use, then?"
"Sure! All you have to do is throw things in my general direction. The fact that you aren't as eager to hit me with them as Margarita would be is probably a good thing," he explained, walking off past the pile of assorted objects a few yards before turning around. "I don't think it will really take all that long. This is something I should be good at, and I've already practiced some without a target. This is basically just to, ah..."
Terpsichore picked up a dirty tennis ball, most likely used by a pet poochyena and then misplaced out here. Tossing it into the air before catching it again, she smiled, "Just so you've got something to focus it on and actually use it for what it was meant to be used, got it. You won't know if you have it down if you don't actually use it in a scenario." Endymion grinned back and nodded, causing the girl to think on another matter, "So what are you suppose to do with these once I throw them at you?" With a smirk she launched the ball, only to have her face freeze and melt into worry a second later. "You're not planning on trying to hit that back at me, are you!?" she screeched. Was she going to have to dive for cover?
"What?" Endymion was caught off-guard, and the tennis ball ended up falling a few inches short of his left shoulder. He flinched at the near proximity of the fall, glancing at the object before returning attention where it was needed. "Terp, didn't I just get done saying that I was trying to learn something that wouldn't hurt someone else?" he huffed, though there was a lilt of a snicker on his voice.
She stared wide-eyed at the boy across the field from her before she giggled at the realization, "Hehe, oh yeah! Sorry about that!" she apologized.
He shrugged it off, "Do you really think that low of me?"
Okay, she could tell he was just playing now. Snatching up the book he rolled over, end-over-end to the pile, she moved it around in a weak pendulum-like movement, "Alright, wise-guy, see if you can't do something about this one!" At least she felt more into her role as the coach now, or rather her role as proxy, as she tried to get the book some air.
As Endymion had stated before, it didn't take him long before the move he was attempting to learn surfaced. The delay had mostly been in the lack of aiming capabilities the shroomish-child retained, something she attributed to her lack of arms in her previous form. However, once another object started falling into the scyther-boy's personal bubble and his wings started fluttering to gather the energy required, the amount of swiftness he exhibited to dodge the attack was enough to answer the girl's previous queries on the subject. Gaping, she pointed, "Agility!"
Peering back at the roll of tape he'd left in his tracks, he turned back to face his faux opponent, "Did it work?"
The green-freckled girl laughed a sarcastic, "No, I was just throwing you off. That's what you were trying to learn! Good work, let's see if you can do it again!" With a puckish smile on her face, she pulled an item up to occupy either hand.
Endymion faltered, taking an uneasy step back, "H-Hey, now. Let's not get carried away!"
[[ Word Count: 1,622 ]]
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Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 5:18 pm
`❖-;Roleplay #4, Link: The Family Laboratory Table
Participants: Eilam, Lucinda, Deanna, Karma, Grayson, Terpsichore, & Nix
Stages: Teen (Eilam), Pokémon (Karma), & Child (Lucinda & Terpsichore)
Status: Complete!
Premise: Whoever knew that family could be so extensive?
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:25 am
`❖-;Baby Steps,
We've all got to start somewhere
It was only a matter of time before Terpsichore started to seriously consider the benefits of training, being the pokémon she was and surrounded by the successes that came with the hard work. She still despised violence, and learning new moves was one medium towards that abhorrent capability... but it was also a sure-fire means of which to measure how far she had gotten in strengthening herself. It was possible to train herself without actually harming anything, but using the learned skill sets beyond that single reason was up to the move itself; there were some that just wouldn't help out with chores, or teach her better ways of acting, or anything she deemed as being beneficial in the slightest to everyday life.
However, the shroomish had had the experience -- very recently, as a matter of fact -- in how a pokémon could adapt learning an ability so that one did not actually have to harm another in order to do so. This sudden strike of inspiration stirred up the eager desire she felt when she had asked Nix about "leveling up" as a human without having to battle another pokémon for experience. What if she had done enough work around the encampment to warrant enough of a knowledge pool to draw another move from? And even if that wasn't so, she was sure that she was close: most pokémon learned a variety of abilities very early in their leveling trees, and she still only knew the single move Absorb. She was stronger now, though, and had more stamina to keep up better with everyone else; surely that meant something, right?
The air was brisk that morning, and Terpsichore was sure that she had only missed out on seeing the morning dew by a fraction of time. She was almost tempted to grab herself a jacket, but it was only a slight chill factor that clung to the air. Besides, just a tiny bit of exercise was sure to get her blood pumping enough to warm her up to a comfortable level; the girl wasn't even experiencing shallow shivers as it was. There were some clouds moving in, though, so it was sure to get colder in the next day or so. That only told her that if she were to confirm any of these theories, she'd better do something about it today or she may have to wait a few extra days.
Dragging a few items with her to the outskirts of the woods near the group's encampment, she thought over the learned techniques she had already witnessed acquisition of from the other members of her troupe. She'd seen it twice from Endymion, and although she helped with the last one, she wasn't too thrilled at the prospect of the first. Nix had encouraged him to try it on wild pokémon, which seemed a bit... barbaric to the young shroomish. From the way the scyther boy had reacted to it, he seemed to take a similar stance on the matter, but the move he had been attempting to learn required the use of a conscious body. The second, however, only called for a few items to train with, and she actually thought it seemed rather fun, much like a game. That was how she wanted to test her own abilities, how she wanted to learn them: without actually having to damage anything. If she was going to have to hurt someone, she refused to learn it.
Then there was Margarita. Terpsichore didn't actually see what happened with that little skirmish, but she had heard about it after the fact. It sounded as though the small grimer girl had spontaneously learned a move through improvisation amidst a half-hearted battle with the scyther because of a disagreement. The brunette shook her head at the thought; they could have such tempers, but really, she wasn't one to point fingers. Still, she wouldn't attack someone just because she was irritated with them! That would be so rude and unbecoming!
Reaching a strong looking tree on the outside of a patch of forested ground, Terpsichore unceremoniously dropped the articles she had been lugging with her. As she freed up her arms, the girl reached out to lean on the tree trunk, pushing at it a few times to confirm the natural structure's sturdiness. It didn't move at all, but really, with her poor upper body strength, what was she expecting? However, the child did take note that the leaves didn't even shudder to the added shock pressure she was placing on the trunk. Good, that meant that even if she was able to excel at learning this new ability, she wouldn't damage the tree at all -- she couldn't have increased in ability that much, that was for certain.
Grabbing the corners of a sleeping bag she had been carrying on her back, she unrolled it and propped it along the surface of the tree. Watching it sag as she tried to straighten it, her nose scrunched in dissatisfaction, "Oh come on, you..." Glancing down, she grabbed the twine that had bound it but moments before and wrapped the top against the trunk, tying the strong piece of string in the back with an overhand knot, hoping it would hold long enough for her exercise.
There was one thing she was sure of as she stepped back to view the "opponent" she set up for herself: there was no way she could learn something on the spur of the moment as Margarita had done. She frowned confusedly at the sleeping bag for a moment before she sighed and shook her head. Crouching down, she pulled her small backpack to her knees and reached in for an item within its gaping maw. It was a small notebook, not unlike the one that Nix tended to carry with him to make observations on everything wherever he went. It wasn't the same one, though; it was a mostly-blank pad that Terpsichore had requested, which she then proceeded to ask of the man to write down some notes on a move she was capable of learning. Scanning over the notes Nix had written was... well, no easy task, given it was chicken scratch, but at least it helped focus her somewhat. She could pick out enough scribbled key words to get a general idea, and besides, it wasn't as though the particular move she was attempting was rocket science.
Standing to her full height, Terpsichore shook her limbs like she had seen those crude boxers do on television. Despite her distaste for the athletes, she at least knew it helped keep a person limber, so she figured she'd try it out. Besides, she had to brace herself somehow -- she knew this was probably going to hurt, and she was bound to get a few bruises to pay for the gained intelligence. Hopping in place, the girl wasn't sure if she was really ready to deal with that amount of pain, especially considering she had only recently recovered from sore and torn hands, something she had received from helping move camp closer to the city.
"It's now or never, girl," she murmured to herself, charging at the tree before she had a chance to rethink her procedure. She hit the sleeping bag with her upper arm, managing an, "Ouch!" before she bounced backwards. Stumbling, she landed posterior-first on the ground about a yard away from the tree. She noted that the sleeping bag did, in fact, stay put, but this tidbit of knowledge was dulled by the infliction she felt from not one but two separate impacts.
After a moment spent of waiting for the pain to recede, Terpsichore pouted up to where the tree loomed. "Man, I almost had it!" she whined, pulling her legs up and burying them under her to sit on her knees. Thinking a moment on what she had just stated, her eyes lit up in surprise. A grin bled its way across her face, and suddenly the irritation she felt seemed to melt completely away, "I almost had it!" The girl bounced back to her feet, suddenly energized and ready to surmount this little move of her's.
She was not wrong in thinking that it wouldn't take her long, and was likewise correct in thinking she couldn't get away with it without receiving a battering of her own. However, Terpsichore was not fazed by it outside of the physical marks. Scratches and bruises would heal in time, and it wasn't as though her green freckles wouldn't work to hide them on a quick glance as it was. She dusted herself off and reread the notes that Nix had written down for her, making sure the explanation of the move corresponded to what she was now able to do.
A smile split her face in half and she giggled triumphantly, "Haha! Nix was right! I can train like a human and learn like a pokémon!"
* * * * *
Level: 3 --> 5
TERPSICHORE has learned TACKLE
[[ Word Count: 1,493 ]]
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Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:24 am
`❖-;Roleplay #5, Link: Everything Plus the Kitchen Sink
Participants: Cascade, Meadow, Alexis, Sasha, Lilly, Honey, Myrrh, Endymion, Margarita, & Terpsichore
Stages: Teen (Cascade, Meadow, Alexis, Sasha, Lilly, & Honey) & Child (Myrrh, Endymion, Margarita, & Terpsichore)
Status: Ongoing
Premise: Second-home sweet home! Who doesn't love dinner parties? On second thought, don't answer that question.
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