Mimiqueue blanched, freezing as Emery threw an arm over her shoulders, being dragged forward. She stumbled a bit, not anticipating it, but pressed into Emery to keep her balance.

Mom started talking- and it was like she and Emery were doing something practiced- Something Mimi was left completely out of. Did everyone else know what they were doing? Was it something obvious that she was missing?

The woman stopped and spun, grabbing Mimi's shoulders. Mimi froze again, gasping softly at the suddenness of it. "I- Um- M... Mimi." She whispered. Her eyes flicked over the house- the doorway to the kitchen, the homely living room, back to Emery V. "Um... What... were you talking about?" She asked, still so quiet.

Mimiqueue stood before the Precipice Shrine, looking down into the abyss. It gleamed, slightly, a purple-pink that shimmered more the longer she stared. It felt- wrong, in a way. Especially since the letter the kind pokemon had given her had a now-active button on it.

Go to Banquet

But... she had wanted to see the whole path, not just- manifest at the entrance. So, she had asked around, and made her slow way from Briarbane to the Misty Timberland, and now to the Shrine.

And, it seemed the way to get to the Dream Kingdom was... to jump.

Thus, it felt wrong.

But she had to trust, didn't she? She'd verified online, too- official sources, not just message boards- and it all said the same: the Dream Kingdom was through the Precipice Shrine.

Mimiqueue took a breath, and closed her eyes, and jumped.

She landed in a world of noise and color. People were everywhere, dressed brightly and fancifully. At first glance, Micheal felt a pang of distress- it was a gala, the same as he'd been to. The same that--

But- but it was loud, chaotic and noisy. Everyone was talking and laughing, singing and telling stories. Mimiqueue moved, finding a quiet place to sit- stilling as the Queen stepped forth.

As Ruby stepped forth.

Today, we live our own fantasy and forge our own future.

The words were inspiring, brilliant- but Mimiqueue still felt herself sitting in place, hesitant and uncertain. Bless these halls with your creativity. What was she to do, here? People were already up and moving, branching off to blank walls and platforms and pedestals.

But she didn't know what to do. So she sat, at the long table, simply looking down at the fine dishes before her, delicate and empty. Mimiqueue reached for one, to fill it with something on the table, perhaps- freezing further as it snapped underhand, the scent of vanilla and sugar wafting from it.

Delicately, fearfully, Mimiqueue brought the shard to her lips- and it melted on her tongue, molasses and clove and cinnamon, holidays and warmth and... community, which left a twisting longing in her. Maybe... maybe she- maybe he should check on Jasper, when she logged out?

Mimiqueue continued to wait, watching others move and work. So brilliant and confident- No one making art seemed to care that they were being watched, judged- some, even, seemed to thrive more under the watchful eyes.

How strong of personality they must be...

Mimiqueue, after another moment of sitting, of regarding the Dreamers around her, regarding the half-eaten bowl, got to her feet, shyly escaping down a quieter hallway. There were only a few souls, drawn to easels and wide canvas. Mimiqueue looked at them, blanching a bit-

Micheal had been taught painting, of course. A respectable hobby. But was it what Mimiqueue wanted to offer? She drew to an easel of her own, brushing fingertips over the canvas.

Did she want to paint a simple landscape? No, but...

Mimiqueue sat, gently, eyes flicking down to the array of paints, each color and texture familiar to her. She did not draw more from the air, something soothing and meditative about mixing it herself, the edges of not-quite-mixed paint on the brush.

Slowly, the canvas took shape and form, the pale blue and dusty browns of Briarbane- and everywhere in the settlement were people, players and npcs alike, pokemon flitting in alleyways, atop roofs, twining between wrought iron fences, sprawled in the grass.

Maybe- maybe this was a future she could make for herself. Not the bustle of the real world, but-

Serenity of Acceptance.

The world was quiet.

The sun hung low and somber in the sky, barely starting to crease the horizon. Another update had come- a new world, new experiences, new new new.

For Mimiqueue, the old was new. She walked the streets of Briarbane, not for a goal or mission- she did not hurry to checkpoint or quest. Mom’s house held little interest.

What held interest was everything else- the creatures rustling among the dust and cobble, the birds cawing and crowing. She paused at shops, spending hours looking over every item for sale, taking it into her hands, feeling the weight and texture of it.

Mimiqueue followed the moss along a building’s side, and dipped into a side alley to retrieve a pigeon feather. To her… these were more valuable than some pre-programmed quest. She was constantly told what to do in real life- why would she simply do the same here?

So, as night was creeping closer, Mimi found herself walking down Cerulean Boulevard, from the cobbled stone to smooth pebbles, to the smooth sand.

She looked over the ocean, listening to the great rush of it, letting her feet carry her forward- until she noticed the person there. And then, Mimiqueue froze, breath still in her chest, heart fluttering.

But… But the person sitting there didn’t move. And… the few people Mimi had seen, they were all- distinctive. People running by, flames licking at their clothes, water casting from their fingertips- or plants, curling around wrists.

This person… she seemed plain- like the other NPCs. The anxiety abated. Slowly, Mimiqueue moved to their side, carefully sitting. “Um… Is it alright if I join you?” She asked, voice prim and airy.