Cypress
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Player Character
Posts: 88
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Felicity LaChance
OOC Username: Mel
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Cypress on Nov 4, 2023 11:47:54 GMT 9
A small part of Cypress really didn't want to do the tutorial quests. She had her starter (who she had immediately decreed Huckleberry, though as he walked right beside her and chimed in with a raspy <"...Huckleberry's nice n' all but could you call me Huck?"> and of course, the wolf woman opted to listen to the request - it was the right thing to do after all.)
But all in all, from what she could see, UNOVR seemed to be a standard Pokemon game, despite the ability to now talk with your Pokemon and the multiplayer-based...well, everything. All in all, it seemed that she could walk down the well-marked path to the town and figure out what to do next.
And then she almost stepped on a rock - right, she was shoeless.
And you normally can't run in Pokemon games without Running Shoes - which the Say Goodbye to Mom quest rewarded, apparently.
And it wouldn't be right to not say goodbye to your Mom, wouldn't it? No, it wouldn't.
So, the wolf hybrid would clicked on the pop-up - the UI marking the quest with a little chime, and a notable pop up.
Tutorial 1 -- Pumped-Up Kicks
Searching for Players (1/2)...
'So the Tutorial is a party quest? I have to admit...'did not expect that.'
Cypress's ears twitched as she watched the pop-up and loading circle, her mind going as the game continued to load - humming a little tune to try and pass the time. 'Goodness...it's like a slow shift.'
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Jinyu
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Weekend Warrior
Player Character
Posts: 58
Player Name: Andrew Yang
OOC Username: Peony
Arena Points: 0
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Post by Jinyu on Nov 4, 2023 12:36:04 GMT 9
Today had been a good day! He caught a new buddy to add to his slowly forming team of beautiful Magikarp, and there was barely anyone around, which meant that there were less players to gawk at him wearing a baby carrier (he Google'd the correct term) with a Pokemon egg. It took him a while to call for Herr Forehead, but eventually he did show up looking rather pleased with himself at the nice swim. He hadn't been able to introduce the Magikarp to each other (nor was he able to think of a suitable name, as he had been kind of winging it so far), but he would check on that later! Every fish deserved a proper name!
Anyway, before he was going to retire for the day, he figured he should at least get one of these tutorial quests out of the way. These weren't around during the beta, as far as he knew (or maybe he hadn't just been paying attention), but it would be nice to get some shoes, even if barefoot was an experience™. Unfortunately, said quests had to be done in pairs, and he wasn't sure how many newbies were still hanging around or decided to jump straight into the new region. Luck turned out to be in his favor, though, as he suddenly got a ping that someone was looking for a buddy in one of the quests. Perfect! He brisk walked to where the house was (which was near to where he was, anyway), and eventually managed to find what the quest marker was pointing to: a pretty wolf lady with a Mudkip. He wondered how his Mudkip was doing with that other jolly guy.
❝Hello! Doing a tutorial quest? Mind if me and His Highness join in?❞ he greeted before gesturing to the egg in front of his chest, to indicate that this was "His Highness". ❝Where is this anyway -- oh, Mom's house! Sounds nice and cozy at least.❞
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Cypress
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Player Character
Posts: 88
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Felicity LaChance
OOC Username: Mel
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Cypress on Nov 4, 2023 13:23:55 GMT 9
Tutorial: Pumped-Up Kicks
Player Found! (2/2)Oh, a player!
That wasn't too long of a wait!
Cypress would stop humming as she would notice the popup, and then notice the young man with a blue and red marked egg in a baby carrier approaching her, turning to face him and His Highness - that was a really cute name for an egg! And a really nice idea! Maybe she should carry around Pokemon eggs like that...wait, how would you get eggs in the first place in this game-oh, right, he asked a question. Best not to keep him waiting.
"I totally wouldn't mind you and His Highness joining me! I really like the little carrier you have for him by the way - that's a really nice idea! I might do that too, with any eggs I get-just to keep them close and all!"
Her tail would begin to wag at this point, too and through, though she hadn't noticed the motion - the appendage akin to a subconscious sense showing her feelings off for all to see.
At the mention of Mom's house, she'd look over at the door, and give a once over glance, finding it almost comforting in a sense - familiar, melancholic. "It does sound kinda cozy," she'd begin, noting the little Home Sweet Home wreath hanging on the door, in warm browns and other neutral tones. At this, she would offer Jinyu the door.
"Would you like to go in first?"
It was always best to be kind, that was the Xmart way! And that includes giving someone the opportunity to do something!
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Jinyu
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Weekend Warrior
Player Character
Posts: 58
Player Name: Andrew Yang
OOC Username: Peony
Arena Points: 0
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Post by Jinyu on Nov 4, 2023 14:40:47 GMT 9
Anyone who would happily call his egg the proper name was a good egg in his book. Judging by how she didn't react at all to the egg strapped onto him, he assumed that she didn't know what kind of egg it was, and that was completely fine. ❝Thanks! I had to look for one in the in-game shop, but it makes it easier to just have them around. His Highness does need to see the world, after all! I'm not sure where you can get more eggs, actually, this was a bit of a lucky grab. I'm sure that you'll be a nice egg caretaker though!❞ he gave the blue egg a few gentle pats all the while, and as expected, there was no reaction at all.
Jinyu was reminded of the man that he had traded his Mudkip to, for he was also some kind of canine hybrid and had a tail. He found it cute, yet he wasn't sure if she had noticed it or was doing it consciously. How did it feel like to have a tail, anyway? Did the game provide neurotransmitters to simulate such a feeling, or was that giving UNOVR too much credit? Oh well, best to keep such thoughts to himself. He didn't want to scare away someone with scientist talk. Anyway, the house was inviting, and it reminded him of his parents' place, with all of the novelty items and memorabilia they would collect over the years. The house also looked appropriately festive, just in time for the upcoming seasonal holidays. ❝Sure, thanks!❞ he couldn't help but think that the way she said it sounded like a customer service lady. Maybe mixing in professional talk out of habit? Haha, he knew the feeling.
Inside was pretty much an extension to the Christmas atmosphere. A not decorated Christmas tree sat in the living room, but there were plenty of decorations sitting in open boxes, sitting underneath where the gifts should be. (NPC) Mom had just walked in from the kitchen with a piping hot plate of cinnamon buns. "Jinyu! So nice to see you! And Cypress is here as well! Come, sit, sit! You have great timing, I was just thinking it was time to decorate the Christmas tree. But let's eat first!"
The player couldn't help but smile at the fact that she pronounced his name right. ❝Thanks, Mom! Your cinnamon buns are the best.❞ he was frankly also interested in experiencing how eating was like with a digital body. Was he going to be able to taste the food?
"And who's that cute little thing on your chest, honey?"
❝Oh yeah, this is His Highness! Grumpy little thing, hasn't said a word since I got him!❞
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Cypress
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Player Character
Posts: 88
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Felicity LaChance
OOC Username: Mel
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Cypress on Nov 5, 2023 9:51:20 GMT 9
At the compliment of (potentially) being a nice egg caretaker, Cypress's body would relax a bit, prompting a bit of a laugh.
"Thank you! I think you'll be a great egg caretaker too!"She chimed, watching the blond give the egg a couple pats upon the head. Huh, so he didn't know where you'd get eggs either - she'd have to figure it out on her own time!
Hopefully.
Probably when her shifts weren't too stressful.
After offering for the young man to have the door, and noting the more Christmas-like decorations of the house itself, she was almost reminded of her own family home out of game. The twinkling lights, the almost festive atmosphere...it was all so familiar and nostalgic, in a positive way.
So caught up was the blue and gold eyed woman, that she hadn't even noticed that she had slipped into her 'customer service voice' when she had offered, letting him enter first before following suit.
And the inside of the house almost brought a tear to her eyes.
The undecorated Christmas tree, the decorations underneath it - and even her Mother, even if she was an NPC, walking in with cinnamon buns and offering them to sit down to eat.
"T-Thanks, mère - I'd love to have a cinnamon bun."
...She hadn't had cinnamon buns, in so long. Not since-
Oh, that was the pronunciation of the blond man's name.
Jinyu.
She'll commit it to memory, anything to brush her own unneeded thoughts aside as the Mudkip walked beside her, putting his feet on her leg as she exhaled a bit too sharply, looking down to the Water-type as he spoke, almost softly:
<"You all right, kiddo?">
She gave a soft smile to her starter, before lightly patting him on the head, prompting a little chirp, softly speaking in response to his concern.
"I'm okay - I suppose my breath almost got taken away with the decorations," She began, returning her voice to a normal level as she looked back to Mother, who's expression was almost alight with joy. "You did a really good job, mom!"
"Why, thank you dear! It was a bit of work, but with enough elbow grease-aww, and who's this little guy?" Her attention moved to the Mud Fish Pokemon, trying to lightly scratch him under the chin like a cat, prompting a chuckle from the woman.
"That's Huck - and he is a good guy, been keeping me company ever since I got him."
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Jinyu
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Weekend Warrior
Player Character
Posts: 58
Player Name: Andrew Yang
OOC Username: Peony
Arena Points: 0
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Post by Jinyu on Nov 5, 2023 11:27:17 GMT 9
Things look like they were going great so far. Jinyu figured that it was after they helped (NPC) Mom with the decorations that they would be able to get the Running Shoes that they were looking for. The quest hadn't updated, however, still being rather vague (he glanced at his UI while the NPC was looking at Miss Cypress' Mudkip). He supposed the "how" to get the quest item didn't matter so long as it was gotten. Such open-ended questing was an amazing feat of engineering that he was trying to wrap his head around - it was mostly powered by the AI programmed into (NPC) Mom for sure. Anyway, the current clues they were given seemed enough, and decorating the Christmas tree sounded fun! He hadn't done that in a while - probably the last time was when he was a little boy. Nowadays, when he arrived back in his parents' home during the holidays, the tree would already be decorated, mixed with antique and new decorations. There were still some that survived over the years, not broken by accidents or by Buster, their aging pet dog.
Back to the matter at hand: these cinnamon buns were really good! As far as he knew, there was nothing in the game to indicate fullness, and it wasn't like he was consuming any calories. Despite this, his brain was able to register sweetness and the textures! How interesting! Was the brain just filling the gaps on what it is expected the cinnamon buns to taste like, or was the game hitting certain nerves to create the sensation of tasting? He knew that if he thought hard enough, he could "recall" what something tasted like, but that was nothing compared to what he was experiencing now.
Of course, he didn't let those thoughts leak out. All he really said was, ❝Ah, this is the stuff!❞ he gestured Cypress to take a seat as well, and (NPC) Mom was also joining in on the table, drinking from a Christmas-themed mug. Oh yeah, he also put His Highness on another chair so that the egg wouldn't get crumbs all over it. Jinyu made sure that it was snug and not in danger of falling over.
"Oh, having us all here really takes me back. I wish your father were here to see how much you have grown! That fishing trip was some years ago now..." she closed her teary eyes and let out a sniffle before getting a tissue. "He said he was going to bring back the biggest fish for our dinner, but maybe that fish was someone or something else!"
Jinyu leaned towards Cypress and whispered, ❝So do you think she's talking about my dad, your dad, or our dad?❞
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Cypress
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Player Character
Posts: 88
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Felicity LaChance
OOC Username: Mel
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Cypress on Nov 5, 2023 14:03:23 GMT 9
"No idea,"Cypress, who had taken the seat offered to her by Jinyu, would whisper back. "But I am excited to do some Christmas stuff!"
With the undecorated tree, and the decorations underneath said tree, it seemed a bit obvious what they had to do. But the offering of the cinnamon buns, and sitting to just spend some time with Mom, even if it was for a moment, was nice.
When she celebrated Christmas, it was always a huge family get-together. Family from out of state would fly in, friends would come over for the feast or presents, some would stay over until Boxing Day...
Now, it was just one long shift on Christmas for whoever decided to get a last-minute gift or stuff for their own feast, and celebrating alone in an apartment.
But, the one thing that would stay the same between both past and present was baking. No matter what, there would always be a freshly baked treat in the house, filling the room with a comforting air.
That was to say, the cinnamon buns were really good.
They had that nice sugary, cinnamony taste that she remembered from her own attempts at making the treat, and for a moment, she almost forgot she was playing a video game - until she noticed His Highness, sitting on another chair.
'You should at least, complement your mother's cooking. It's the right thing to do.'
And so she did, after taking a bite. "These are really good, mom!"
"Thank you, sweetheart. They were your father's favourite - oh, I wish he could see you now. That trip he took was years ago..." After finishing a sip of whatever drink, she'd gently set the cup down with a watery smile at her. "He always said that he wanted to get the best jewelry in the world for me...even if it meant battling wild scorpions."
Huh.
Goodness, the desire to ask the same question back to Jinyu was kinda strong now - as noted by the expression forming on her face of understanding and confusion - but instead, she just finished her cinnamon bun.
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Jinyu
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Weekend Warrior
Player Character
Posts: 58
Player Name: Andrew Yang
OOC Username: Peony
Arena Points: 0
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Post by Jinyu on Nov 5, 2023 17:19:50 GMT 9
Jinyu raised a brow at the new story that came out of (NPC) Mom, who was talking about finding jewelry this time. ❝Wuh - how come your dad sounds better than mine?❞ he whispered again with his eyebrows knit. He was glad at least that in real life, his parents were still very much glued to each other, even if they have their squabbles every now and then. Without them as a support system, he wouldn't know what he'd do, especially after what happened with...that.
"What are you two whispering about over there? I never taught you such manners, Jinyu!"
❝Oof, sorry, Mom! I just haven't seen Cypress in a while, so...❞ he quickly lied, pretending like she was a long-time friend. It looked like that was the vibe they were going for in this situation, anyway, where two childhood friends (with the same mom?) come back to spend time for the holidays. ❝By the way, I think you told us that you have a present?❞
She took another sip from her mug (was it tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate? Jinyu couldn't tell) before her eyes lit up. "Why yes! But I'll give it to you later, there's still decorations that need to be put up!"
Hm, well at least that confirmed what they had to do. ❝Right, I'll get started on that then. Just the Christmas tree?❞ he wiped his fingers with one of the tissues and made sure to fold and stuff it underneath the plate.
"I have lights that need to be hung up on the wall too. Can you do it?"
❝Sure, no problem! Don't move, Your Highness.❞ he was pretty sure he was relegated to this because of his height, so told Cypress that she didn't need to hurry with the cinnamon buns before standing up from his seat and heading to the box with lights in it. They weren't on, so one couldn't tell what color they would be when they lit up, but the green cord was quite long. He would need a stool to put these up...thankfully, he saw that there were hooks already near the ceiling, which was where he figures the lights should go.
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Cypress
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Player Character
Posts: 88
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Felicity LaChance
OOC Username: Mel
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Cypress on Nov 6, 2023 5:35:30 GMT 9
Cypress would give a small shrug at Jinyu - honestly, her 'dad' didn't sound better than his; in fact, her dad sounded more like Indiana Jones, than anything. Jinyu's dad, at least in the game, sounded much cooler than hers. Someone willing to provide for their family, someone who would go to the ends of the earth - and even risk not coming back - all for the sake of a meal. That was much better than attempting to fight scorpions for gems.
But, she didn't vocalize it - especially when Mom became curious about what they were whispering about, prompting a bristle.
"Sorry, mom! It's just been a bit since I saw Jinyu, and I wanted to catch up!" Cypress wasn't the best with lying, but adding to the potential vibe of what was happening seemed kinda fitting, so going along with it was the best thing to do.
Of course, then Jinyu mentioned the present and decorations - which prompted Mom to respond that decorations needed to be put up.
And sure, she didn't need to hurry with the cinnamon buns, according to him...but she couldn't just stay idle when someone else is working! Plus, there must be other decorations to be put up as well, not just lights.
Mind made up, she stood up from her seat, wiped her hands in a napkin, placed the napkin on the plate and tucked the chair in, right before turning to Mom as Jinyu headed over to the box with lights.
"Is there anything I could help with too? I know Jinyu is on the lights, and the tree needs to be decorated too, but is there anything else that needs to be done before it?"
"Could you put the gingerbread houses on the table? They're underneath the tree as well!"
Walking over to the box labeled GINGERBREAD X-MAS, the hybrid would open the box, to reveal two medium-sized ceramic gingerbread houses, decorated with sweets and other goodies.
Carefully, Cypress would pick up a house - goodness, they're awfully heavy - and walk to the table once again, placing it down, before returning to repeat the process.
This feels like just another shift...kind of.
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Jinyu
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Weekend Warrior
Player Character
Posts: 58
Player Name: Andrew Yang
OOC Username: Peony
Arena Points: 0
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Post by Jinyu on Nov 8, 2023 13:15:25 GMT 9
This really did remind him of how he used to help around his parents with decorating the house. Holding the cord and bringing it up with him, he positioned the cords to make sure that they were hung nicely and weren't tangled. (NPC) Mom was happy to help by going to the box and helping him untangle some of the cords; otherwise, he would've had to keep going up and down the tiny step-ladder (well, he had to do that anyway to reach the other parts of the walls that still needed a bit of a glow-up). He also noticed that his player buddy was also working on putting up other decorations, which were...surprisingly not Pokemon themed. Maybe Christmas was a little rushed this year?
In any case, it did not take too long to hang up all of the lights, and from there, the house was already looking more festive. Some decorations were also put into place thanks to Cypress, so that only really left the Christmas tree. His Highness had not moved since he was placed on the chair, snug as a bug under a rug. ❝Okay, what do we have here?❞ he pulled out another box from underneath the tree to reveal colorful, bright and glittery baubles, as well as a few not-Pokemon themed (again) items, like nutcrackers and...tiny Christmas tree-shaped ornaments? On Christmas trees? It made him laugh a little at the silliness. He started to put some up under the instructions of (NPC) Mom, hanging them on fake pine needles that prickled his skin. The texture was shockingly nostalgic. It felt like years since he approached a Christmas tree and touched it with his bare hands.
Working together, it felt like half an hour or so passed before they were able to unpack most of the decorations in the boxes, and the room had transformed into one of holiday cheer. ❝Phew! And that's that.❞
"Oh thank you so much, Jinyu and Cypress! It was certainly more fun having all three of us decorate. It's been so lonely since you've gone off on your own Pokemon journeys..."
Oh, mom, he knew that she was just performing her programming, but he saw his mom in her, and gave her a hug. He was plenty taller and bigger than her. ❝Don't worry, Mom, I'll come and visit again soon. 'Specially when His Highness hatches!❞ he then looked at Cypress if she too wanted to give Mom a hug, or something. Or maybe ask about the shoes.
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Cypress
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Player Character
Posts: 88
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Felicity LaChance
OOC Username: Mel
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Cypress on Nov 20, 2023 6:07:09 GMT 9
Through the power of teamwork, the house was finally decorated for Christmas - and Cypress couldn't be any happier, letting out an exhale as she looked at the festive room. It almost felt nostalgic as she had handled the decorations, humming old carols as she worked to keep her mood high.
And as Jinyu hugged Mom and looked over to her, she couldn't help but hug her as well after Jinyu gave her one too.
"No problem, mom - it was nice coming over to decorate with you!"
"It surely was - oh, I almost forgot! I have something for both of you! Think of it as an early Christmas present!"
She would go back into the kitchen, before returning with two boxes, wrapped in brightly coloured (and festive) wrapping paper, holding them out for either party to take. Taking a box, the wolf woman would unwrap the present, to reveal a pair of Running Shoes.
'So that's how you got them,' Cypress's mind proclaimed, as she gave her mom a grateful smile, not really too sure what to say. Silence was enough, right?
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