1/5 Stars on Yelp

First topic message reminder :

Evelyn was pretty sure that the nicest thing she'd ever said about Grima Outpost was that it, in the most technical sense, offered shelter from the rain. She was really struggling to come up with anything nicer to say than that. The place was a goddamn eyesore, shitty tents raised out from the ground like acne. There was no redeeming qualities unless you really liked the mafia, she supposed. The smog was visible in the air, and the people sucked. ... or, most of the people sucked. She had to reluctantly admit that there was an exception or two.

"We're gonna have to get through the house first." Evelyn explained as she walked onward. "And I'm not gonna lie, you aren't gonna like the house, but it'll be worth it after we get to the end, promise. That's where we'll find my favorite spot in all of Grima." She'd just have to give any ghosts that tried to scare Rui a nasty surprise of her own. Evelyn wasn't really all that scared by ghost stories. They could be fun, sure, but at the end of the day? This was just a mystery dungeon like any other. She wasn't gonna go nuts from some weird rooms.

And she'd make sure Rui didn't, either! No harm, no foul. And even if something terrible had happened in the Chateau... Grima was full of unspeakable acts every week, every day. Eve was pretty sure someone went missing in her old apartment. That's just the way things were. You couldn't think about what had happened on the dirt you're standing on.

Not that she was going to tell such musings to Rui, of course. They'd probably just have the opposite effect and instead of making him less scared of the house, he'd be more scared of everything else. Not exactly what she was going for. So she keep her mouth shut long enough to shoot the Skiddo a smile. She hoped it was reassuring? She didn't really think she was good at being reassuring, but hopefully Rui would take it in the spirit it was meant in.

"Just stick close to me if anyone tries to mess with you, yeah?" She added, her voice a little more gentle than it usually was. Rui wasn't built for the smog. She was fine, sure, she was a poison type - she was built for this. But Rui... she'd caught a glimpse or two of his mother coughing, and she wasn't naive. Grass types weren't exactly meant to be living in someplace like this, especially not long term. The least she could do was take him somewhere with cleaner air, right? Hopefully he'd enjoy a place with some actual plantlife.

And apparently he didn't know it existed! Evelyn hadn't technically been there herself, either, but she had some solid intel. You could say a lot of things about the Desert Rose, but their intelligence was solid. "Trust me. It'll be worth it."

'Trust me' was a bit of a low blow. Eve was sure he did. Rui trusted way too easily for his own good. The trust wouldn't be misplaced, though, she was sure of it. She knew he'd love it.

Evelyn's Energy: 3
(19 - 16 = 3)

Evelyn froze as the Hattrem went on her rampage, ready to step in if she turned on their little group. Oh Arceus, why was this thing so strong? The floorboards were smashed into smithereens, and she wasn't a hundred percent sure that they weren't gonna be the next thing getting broken. She took a cautious step back, ready to bolt if the stranger started slinging punches their way. She wasn't going to find out how much that'd sting.

Until it... seemed to calm down. She was a bit relieved, if still on edge. Poor Rui was more than a bit cornered, with Viktoria being his last line of defense between him and the Hattrem. Sorry, Rui. She didn't move to step between them after Viktoria had deemed to let her through, but Evelyn did shift nervously, her voice a bit skeptical. "When'd he get a status ailment? We were together the whole time." She voiced her concern, an uncertain tilt of her head betraying her confusion.

If Rui was hurt, she was all for having it fixed. And the ghosts were pretty sneaky... maybe something had attacked him through the walls? She'd done some similar tactics with her own moves. That seed of doubt kept her from stepping in, even though she still didn't like this. Might just be a clever excuse to get a cheap punch in. She'd have to kick the hat's ass, if so.

But the Hattrem seemed like she was being honest - there was a visible shift in her demeanor, now that the bout of rage had passed. It'd left someone much more... polite? She was thrown for a bit of a loop, frankly. She furrowed her brow, holding herself back from stepping in. She was nervous, sure, very much so, but her better judgement settled on the fact that it was probably fine.

She scampered next to Rui, though, shooting her friend a smile. "Don't be scared. We're right here, yeah? And you know I wouldn't let someone get away with hurting you." If it doubled as a subtle warning to the angry hat, well, that was an added bonus. She stood supportive next to the shaking Skiddo, watching the psychic type closely in case she started doing anything fishy.

Energy: 11
(+1, new page)

Venusian carried out 10 launched of one Ruined Chateau :

, , , , , , , , ,

"Thank you," the Hattrem smiled as Viktoria moved aside. She looked to Evelyn. The Salandit's concerns were certainly warranted. "He doesn't have one, don't worry. Aromatherapy also has a soothing effect. I sometimes use it on myself when things get.... frustrating. It's not foolproof," she explained, looking back to Rui, "...but it might help calm your nerves."

Ah.. that was awkward. Rui's ears flattened. He knew he wasn't doing very well in here but it felt worse having a stranger all but point it out to him. If only he was more confident and less spooked by things like this. Perhaps he wouldn't cause everyone so much trouble.

The Hattrem stepped forwards again. Rui was a little hesitant. She seemed nice enough now, but a few moments ago she had practically destroyed the hallway they'd been standing in. It was... a little scary to think that this pokemon could do the same to him if she wanted.

Evelyn moved by his side, her smile and words reassuring. Rui trusted Eve. If she thought it would be fine, then it would be worth it, right? If it would help him be less scared? "Y-Yea. Okay..." he agreed.

The Hattrem nodded, "This won't hurt at all, I promise. Just close your eyes, and breathe in, okay?" She raised one of her glowing hands and Rui glanced to Eve one more time before he closed his eyes. Gently, the Hattrem tapped her paws to Rui's head. A small aura pulsated from her touch, causing Rui's body to glow and leaving soft green and pink particles hanging in the air around them.

Rui breathed in, just as the Hattrem had instructed and the gentle scent of flowers filled his senses. It smelled fresh and yet fragrant. The combination was pleasant and relaxing, yet somewhat familiar. It reminded Rui of the time he'd accidentally used Grassy Terrain in his family's tiny house. Rika had been so surprised as the grass sprung up beneath her feet, but the scent of the newly grown plantlife was always a welcome break from the smog that covered the settlement.

Hattrem removed her hands from Rui's person and took a step back. She smiled, triumphantly. It seemed to have worked. At least for now.

"Can... can I open my eyes now?" Rui asked.

The Hattrem giggled airily, one paw raised to her mouth to try and muffle it. "Yes! Do you feel any better?"

Rui peeked with one eye before opening both of them. He glanced around. Evelyn and Viktoria were both still there. And the Hattrem of course. With the pleasant scent of the move, and the memory of his family at the forefront of his mind, he definitely didn't feel as scared as he had a few moments ago. "I... I think so? Thank you..."

The Hattrem hadn't needed Rui's to answer to know the truth. She could sense it after all. All that fear had been like a jackhammer pushing at the edges of her mind, but now his emotions seemed to have levelled off. It was a relief for the Hattrem as much as it was for Rui.

"It's the least I can do. I'm sorry for any part I had in scaring you. People do not come here very often - I honestly thought the ghosts here had long since scared everyone away. Since I tend to prefer... quieter places, that was perfect for me, but.. hmm." She paused, looking thoughtful for a moment, "I am rambling. It has been a while since I have had guests, would you care for some tea?"


Rui's Energy: 13
3 + 10 from Oran Berry

Solilo carried out 10 launched of one Ruined Chateau :

, , , , , , , , ,

So it seems that trusting that Psychic type ultimately went well for the trio, huh. Viktoria guessed the Aromatherapy was more for the Hattrem’s benefit in the end due to Rui’s panicking probably being a royal nightmare for the witch like Pokemon.

”Tea, huh…? What kind by chance? And uh, no worries about the accidental scare you might've given us.” Viktoria spoke, not sensing anything in terms of Pokemon at the moment beyond the four of them while trying to seek out auras. Seems they could relax slightly, though a bit of caution should still be held, right?

Energy: 0. (Again, guys can y’all manage to get your luck to chill on the Pokemon please.)
(1 from new page - 1 for a roll.)

StarDay carried out 1 launched of one Ruined Chateau :

(Absolutely not. Tossing an oran berry at Star again, so you can snag some more pokemon too /SHOT)

Tea. ... maybe that would be nice. The scent of flowers and clean grass was faint but pleasant, and Evelyn shrugged her shoulders. She hadn't actually had tea before. It was in the cafe, but she was never really all too interested in trying it. People seemed to like it, though. Besides, the Hattrem's demeanor had done a complete 180, she seemed friendly enough. "You can blame me for the racket." Evelyn admitted. "I brought 'em here, so I'm afraid it's my fault." She joked lightly, half-expecting a sucker punch for that.

She... better explain some more. And quick. Just in case. "Don't spoil the surprise if you know, but I wanted to show Rui-" She bobbed her head towards the Skiddo. "What's at the very end of the dungeon. I know it'd blow him away." She offered a toothy, slightly mischievous smile, giving the Skiddo a nod. Viktoria, Eve was less sure why she was here, but out of respect for trying to protect Rui, she wouldn't throw her under the bus. The bus in this case being a very angry hat.

She carefully moved to step inside. "If it'd all be the same to you, I wouldn't mind that. Never had tea, actually." It was just never in the budget. And out of all the things she could shoplift from Cafe Sawsbuck, food took priority over fancy drinks. But if the Hattrem was offering, well... no harm done there, right? It was pretty nice of her, in all honesty. "Don't suppose you have anything sweet?"

... wait, no, didn't you make it sweet by adding honey and stuff? Did she sound like an idiot? Because Evelyn felt like she sounded like an idiot right now, but she didn't know enough about tea to know for sure.

Evelyn's Energy: 0
(11 - a lot from rolls = 0)

Rui found himself smiling back at Evelyn as she explained why they were here. He still had no idea where they were going… but he was quietly excited to find out!

A look of understanding dawned on the Hattrem’s face as Evelyn elaborated. Of course someone as skittish as Rui hadn’t chosen to come here of their own accord. She chuckled lightly. The Salandit had come all this way just to show her friend something she thought he’d enjoy. It was endearing. She had been to the forest once before… perhaps with a little thought she could remember the way.

“It seems pointless to assign blame when the situation has already been dealt with,” the Hattrem assured Evelyn, though her expression quickly curled into a mischievous grin, “Although, if you’re feeling especially bad about it, perhaps you would be up for taste-testing an experimental brew I’ve been working on instead? I would love some feedback.”

Rui had drunk tea before. It was a good way to use up the leaves from different berries, and warm drinks had always been better for mom’s throat. Over the years, Rui had tried a number of different berry-leaf combinations. None of them had been especially bad, so he wasn’t against experimenting, but something about the Hattrem’s expression; the mischievous spark in her eye as she spoke of it, made him hesitant to try the Mystery Brew.

“T-Tea sounds nice!” he replied noncommittally. Normal tea, hopefully!

“Of course I still have other teas as well, if you’d prefer,” she chuckled, much to Rui’s relief. Her tiny laugh tinkled through the hallway. She looked to Viktoria, answering her question. “I have quite a number of different types, including various berry teas. Do you have a favourite? You are welcome to take a look at my collection.”

The Hattrem lead them back through the hole she had made in the wall, shoving broken wood and debris aside to clear a path. Rui paused at the newly-formed entrance. He hesitated for a moment, looking everywhere but at the others until he finally plucked up the confidence to scuttle over to Viktoria. He was silent for a moment, taking a small breath before he spoke up.

“U-uhm, Viktoria..?” He shifted awkwardly from hoof to hoof as he tried to puzzle together what he wanted to say. “I… You didn’t have to… I guess- stand between us like that..? But... it was nice of you. Uhm... and- ah.. thanks. For doing that.” Rui could feel his face heating up as he spoke. Was it silly to make such a big deal of it? Rui wasn’t sure, but he hadn’t expected the Riolu to do anything of the sort. Evelyn was his friend and she’d quickly have done similar if it came to it. He knew she would. Heck, she already had during their short time in the house. But Viktoria… he’d only just met her. It was kind of her, plain and simple.

Maybe it really was silly… but Rui had wanted to thank her anyway. He smiled and then turned to follow the Hattrem.

The room beyond the hole in the wall was relatively well taken care of. Inside was a table, a matching set of chairs and an old stove, the shelves above which were adorned with a number of ceramic cups and teapots. The Hattrem beelined over to the stove. One of her hands glowed briefly with a yellow light and a small bolt of electricity sparked the stove to life. The witch-like pokemon spent a few moments nursing the flame, before reaching for a polished ceramic teapot.

“Oh, pardon my manners," the Hattrem turned back to the group, teapot in hand. “I should have introduced myself sooner. My name is Senna, feel free to take a seat. If you would like to pick out anything specific, all my teas are in here.” She indicated to an old wooden cabinet.

“If you’re looking for something sweet, perhaps a pecha tisane? I also have some honey you could add if you would like to sweeten something else! One of my personal favourites is made with dried starf berries.”

Rui's Energy: 0
I don't think I need to add the calculation. That was way more than 13 energy

To say Viktoria’s brain was being overloaded on tea terms was an understatement. She knew borderline nothing prior on the matter, so she was stuck having to guess what to do for this.

”Uh...I’ll try the Starf berry tea with honey if that’s available.” Viktoria responded, glad she’d be able to have some sort of pleasant experience in this place. Though what she wasn’t expecting was Rui’s thank you to her as much of a dork and scaredy-goat he seemed to be.

”Hey, it’s nothing. But um. You’re welcome anyway.”


Energy: 0 again because I’m taking up the Oran berry offer./shot
Rui, bless me with a good ten roll. I will have Viktoria plant an entire garden in Grassveil if this goes well.

StarDay carried out 10 launched of one Ruined Chateau :

, , , , , , , , ,

Evelyn cast a backwards glance as Rui and Viktoria had their little talk. She couldn't help but smile. Rui was easy to get along with, really, but he had a bad habit of spooking himself out of making new friends. Despite her insistence that it was nothing, Evelyn thought otherwise. She'd remember that. "Nah, that was cool of you, Vik." She chimed in before turning back towards the table, walking towards the Hattrem with a slight smile. She really did appreciate her looking out for Rui, it'd definitely earned her a few points in Evelyn's book. She loved the guy, he really did, but he could be a bit of a scaredy-cat. She was glad that Viktoria stepping in had made him feel a little bit better.

Senna, huh? Well, she really did seem nice enough now that everything had calmed down. Hopefully it'd stay that way. Didn't seem easy being a Hattrem, with their powers and all. People gave her enough of a headache without the whole psychic interference bit. Maybe being a Salandit wasn't so bad at the end of the day. She sat down in one of the chairs around the table, her tail poking out the back.

Evelyn... didn't really know much about tea. Pecha tisane sounded nice, though. If a bit fancy. She held herself back from asking what a tisane was, instead weighing her options. The tea that she'd probably actually like was tempting, but maybe she could talk her way into another cup after she'd paid back her debt to Senna. She didn't really enjoy feeling like the owed the other pokemon something, even if she had volunteered to take the blame.

"Alright, I'll be your guinea pig." Evelyn gave in. She had to admit, she was a little curious about this mystery blend. Worried, but curious. It wouldn't kill her, anyways, and she'd definitely tasted worse things in her life, Senna probably couldn't top that if she tried. "Bring on the experimental one, I'm ready." She teased lightly, casting a glance between her two traveling partners.

This was kind of a nice change of pace, just relaxing around a table with a cup of tea. She couldn't say that she minded it at all. She glanced back at Rui, shooting him a grin. "What about you, Rui, feeling brave?"

"Really?!" The Hattrem exclaimed brightly. She was genuinely surprised that Evelyn had agreed. No one was willing to try her blends! She'd always thought they were quite nice but... others never seemed to agree. Senna looked to Rui as Evelyn asked what he wanted. Would she be able to get two taste-testers?

Was he feeling brave? "Not...really..." Rui began. He had never exactly been the bravest, but Evelyn already knew that. Senna seemed so excited for someone to try her mystery blend though... Perhaps it wouldn't be as bad as her initial pitch had made it seem? She came across as pretty knowledgeable about tea. Rui himself wasn't sure what a tisane was; it sounded fancy. If Senna knew tea well, then it made sense that she would know what sort of flavours went together well too.

The more he thought about it, the more Rui was curious what sort of drink Senna would make. "Actually... I think I'll try it too. If that's okay?"

"Of course!" Senna grinned, swaying happily on her braids. She picked a second teapot from the shelf and then set the water to boil. "One starf berry tea with honey and two experimental brews coming right up!" She giggled lightly, "Unless you want to try it too, Viktoria?" The Riolu hadn't seemed too keen, but Senna wasn't harming anyone by asking one last time.

As she was preparing the tea, Senna cast her mind back to the forest hidden within the labyrinth of this ever-changing mansion, remembering her own experience. The forest had been very beautiful in its own unique way, and she didn’t think she had ever seen anywhere else quite like it. Despite this, there were rumours that something lurked among the trees, chasing away anyone whom it did not want there.

“The end of the dungeon, where you’re all headed…” she trailed off. She wanted to respect Evelyn’s wishes to keep it a secret, but warning someone was hard when you wanted to refrain from elaborating too much further. Plus, she didn’t want to spook Rui when he’d only just stopped being scared. “I have been there only once myself, but I still remember part of the way. I could show you what I remember, if you’d like?”

Perhaps if they agreed there would be an opportunity to quietly speak to Evelyn about it on the way.

(Well, time to quietly erase that last Pokemon I rolled out of existence due to a number error. Sorry Banette. Also I guess Vik’s gotta help Rui’s garden./shot)

”I think I’ll pass on trying the experimental brew, although I appreciate the offer. I know my luck regarding experimental stuff- I don’t wanna accidentally ruin the batch somehow with it.” She replied simply after being flustered by Evelyn saying it was more than nothing that she stood in between Rui and Senna. Viktoria didn’t want to take the risk on experimental stuff- last thing she needs is somehow getting an allergic reaction or something from it.

”You’ve been there, huh? Well, it can’t hurt for you to show us what you know about it if you’re willing.” A small smile emerged, knowing that they could use all the info they could get. Relaxing with tea seemed nice- she could get used to this being how it goes for a while.

Oh Arceus, why was the Hattrem so excited? Was it this rare for her to get taste-testers? Was there a reason it was so rare? She shifted in her seat, mildly worried about what was to come. She'd really gotten herself into a mess this time, huh. Well, they didn't seem to be in danger any more. Except potentially by a bad brew. Resigning herself to a questionable cup of tea, she sunk back in her seat, awaiting her fate. Seena seemed so excited, though. Maybe it really wouldn't be that bad?

Evelyn raised an eyebrow at Viktoria's reasoning that she'd ruin the brew. "Chicken." She teased. There wasn't any malice behind it, her tone was playful, but she was watching the Riolu's reaction. Mostly trying to weigh whether it would be safe to tease her more, or if she wasn't enjoying that kind of banter. Evelyn would at least try not to rile her up for fun, out of gratitude for trying to protect Rui. She said she'd noticed that, and it wasn't a lie this time.

Evelyn did perk to attention at the offer of some help. Seemed likely enough that she was telling the truth that it was probably worth the risk, nodding in agreement with Viktoria. "I'd appreciate it, that'd be great." She said pleasantly. Another member of their little party, huh? Safety in numbers, she supposed. And after that display of shattering the wall, Evelyn couldn't say she minded letting the Hattrem stick around. She was starting to think they'd be pretty safe, between the two more fight-y members of their little group.

"But let's finish the tea first. You've got me curious now." And it was true! Evelyn was curious! Just... slightly concerned, too. Hopefully it'd be good. At least bad food was better than no food, right?

Senna nodded to acknowledge Viktoria's answer. She didn't think anyone could ruin the brew, not when past versions had all been spat out immediately, but she wasn't about to mention that out loud! She hoped this version was an improvement - it had a different combination of flavours, stronger ones this time around to try and offset the bad taste. Perhaps it was a fruitless endeavor, but Senna was determined to try! It wasn't every day your hobby lined up just right to be able to help a friend after all.

Rui still had very little idea of where they were headed, but Senna seemed nice when she wasn't angry! He wasn't opposed to her joining their little group. He remained quiet as the Hattrem nodded to Eve, quickly returning to finish preparing the tea. She took out four cups, two seafoam green, and two pale blue. Pouring warm liquid into each cup, Senna placed the seafoam cups in front of Evelyn and Rui, and a blue one in front of Viktoria. "I'm unfamiliar with your tastes, so feel free to add honey to yours if you prefer your drinks somewhat sweeter," she suggested, opening a small jar of honey and placing it in the middle of their group, "I recommend taking a few sips to see if it is to your taste, and then adding more if it isn't."

Senna then took the last cup for herself, sitting down at the table. "I hope you enjoy them!" she smiled, taking a dainty sip from her own cup.

Rui looked down at the cup in front of him. The liquid inside was tinged with an odd purple colour. He leaned forward and took a small sniff. "It smells nice!" Almost... fragrant. As if the cup's contents had been stewed with flowers as well as berry leaves. Maybe it had? Senna hadn't told them what was in the tea. The Hattrem looked rather pleased by his first reaction.

Eying the honey jar, Rui wondered if he should add any. He quite liked sweet things, but he wasn't sure what this drink would taste like. Rui looked to Evelyn, curious if she would add any honey to hers. Senna had suggested they try it first and then add some if they didn't like it...

He took a sip. Immediately an odd, bitter taste enveloped his senses, along with tiny hints of berries Rui was vaguely familiar with. The Skiddo shivered at the sensation, but forced the liquid down nonetheless. He didn't want to spit out something that Senna had worked on! But... he was starting to think that perhaps honey would have been a good idea after all.

A small smile emerged from the Riolu as the blue tea cup was set down. Well this can’t go too badly, right? She had temporarily stopped using aura completely, feeling she could let her guard down just a bit to drink tea of all things. And if a Pokemon tried to fight, well, it won’t end well for the enemy.

Five seconds later, she was very grateful she asked for honey prior to drinking it, having forgotten prior that Starf Berries were both sweet and spicy. A paradoxical existence in her mind, but the honey erased the spiciness for her, allowing her to actually enjoy the drink. Thank Arceus for that.

”Heh, this is great honestly! I wouldn’t mind having more sometime- Uh, Rui, a-are you okay over there?” Her initial thought was cut off completely upon glancing at Rui suffering quite badly from the tea he got- his expression said it all really when he wasn't trying to basically sip it with his face in the cup. So it seems Viktoria missed a Remoraid shot there by not taste testing that experimental brew, good to know. Probably wouldn't be wise for her to consider changing her mind really on trying it.

She didn't really know the "proper" way to drink tea, so she might as well follow Senna's advice. Try it without honey first? More sweetness was rarely a bad idea in her mind, but she supposed it made sense. You could always add more honey, but you couldn't remove it once it was in the cup. She nudged her cup towards her. It didn't smell half bad! More floral than she had expected. It didn't look too suspicious either. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

Her cautious hopes were dashed immediately. Senna had recommended a few sips, but that wasn't happening. It touched her tongue and she instantly gagged, an odd, overwhelming bitterness encasing her tongue. She spit it out back into her cup. She couldn't help it, it was pure reflex, even as she looked up at the Hattrem guiltily, hoping she wouldn't be too offended. It was bad. Not quite putrid, but bad. The ghosts of berries in the cup were nowhere near close enough to balance it out.

A glance at Rui confirmed that he didn't seem to be enjoying it either, her goat friend visibly shivering. So it seemed like it was batting zero out of two so far. ... it was probably telling that Senna herself had poured herself a normal cup instead of this experimental blend. It was weird enough that Evelyn considered whether this was some kind of prank or revenge. Maybe she had the same mischievous streak as the ghost types.

But then again, maybe this was an earnest attempt, and she'd asked for feedback, right? Sure, it wasn't very good, but neither were Evelyn's first attempts at dishes. Evelyn shifted in her seat, hoping the witch-like pokemon wouldn't deck her across the room for spitting her tea back out. Evelyn had been a little rude. But in Eve's defense, so was the tea. "It's very bitter." She explained, tilting her head. She wasn't sure what ingredient Senna had used, but she'd definitely overdone it.

"I dunno if it's a traditional tea ingredient, but you could try adding salt?" She suggested, idly fidgeting with the cup as she spoke. She didn't know much about tea, but she did know about flavors. "Sweet and salty flavors counteract bitterness, right? And saltiness enhances sweetness. So I'd recommend adding something salty to it. Might take a few more tries to balance it fully, but that's my best idea." She offered. Hopefully her feedback was helpful enough to keep from getting punted through the floor. That'd be ideal.