Collab ~ Knead to Know

Gotta get them recruitment tickets for Plum Pudding and Team Sonnet! 

My sister  did all the digital coloring stuff and made a couple of tweaks to the basic character sketches I did, and I also wrote the following story. It's about monkeys and penguins and foxes and plot things. Take from it what you will. There is no wrong way to interpret it.

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    So… I had been staring at the Piplup for what was probably bordering on six and a half minutes now. I’d already overcooked a few too many little cakes and berries. But when the Vaporeon girl gathered all their food together and started walking off to add it to the community collection, I finally grabbed my tortilla and bits and bolted after them.

    The Piplup heard me coming, I think. Or she sensed it through magic. As she walked beside the Vaporeon, she checked over her shoulder, and then swung full way ‘round as I skidded to a stop. Big plumes of dusty sand in her face.

    I rubbed my eyes as the dust settled down again. “Um, sorry, Piplup. Miss Piplup. This is comin’ out of nowhere and it’s gonna sound real weird, but I swear you feel… familiar. Do I know ya?”

    I caught myself on the last word - you - just in time to tilt it up at the end. Even after all these months. It’s ridiculous and unfair that I can still slip up.

    The Piplup gave me a gentle smile that reminded me, somehow, of days once upon a time when I was just a little Chimchar in my mother’s arms back on the farm. “No,” she said, “but I wish you did. We probably wouldn’t be friends, but we could at least be acquaintances. I’m Kima. You’re Rory of Team Plum Pudding, right?”

    So she’d heard the Kit story, probably. I tried not to be too disappointed. A lot of people had, I think. Of course, a lot of people hadn’t, but sometimes we just like to be pessimistic.

    “Where’s Colin?” she asked, peering around in the dark. “I thought you two would’ve been fast friends by now.”

    Snorting, I shifted my cooked food in my arms. “Where’s Colin? I gave him what he wanted and I sent him on his way. Ain’t seen him since Miles’n Rudy left to rescue the merchants. He kept tryin’ ta explain somethin’ to me, but I wasn’t listenin’. He’s just another nerd I don’t have time for.”

    “Oh. You don’t like him?” Kima looked personally hurt to hear this. I didn’t feel bad- didn’t feel a lot of anything. Not like that was much new.

    “I mean, he’s fine. He just reminds me of Adrian, y’know? Too soon an’ it hurts too much.”

    “What’s too soon?” Stardust asked.

    “Since Adrian’s death.”

    The two Water-Types exchanged surprised glances. “Oh,” they said, almost together. “I’m sorry.”

    I kicked at the ground. “Well, either that or he went and ran off someplace. I don’t s’pose you guys know where he disappeared to? Din’t even find a body. I looked.”

    “Of course. He’s still in the Researchers Guild back in Andalusst. Or should be, at least- I guess I don’t have proof.”

    “That can’t be right.” I frowned at the Piplup for a long time, rubbing the cuts in my right foot against a stone in the sand. “Kit told me he were dead and buried now. Rudy said as much too. Anyway, it’s just a short walk from the Guild ta get home. S’weird he’d really stay there the whole time without comin’ back if he were still alive. And if he were there, I’m surprised I din’t ever see him last week when I searched the place.”

    “Well, that’s where he is. In the warm room. I put him there.”

    “Kima,” Stardust muttered.

    “She asked!”

    “You put him there.”

    Kima looked both surprised and confused. “Because that’s where he’s supposed to be right now. You didn’t know this? He was supposed to write you a note.”

    “Why does everybody keep sayin’ that?” I slammed my hand into the place just below my eye. “Shoots and Sandshrews, I wish I woulda known he was there before I trekked through the Dungeon! T’woulda saved me a lotta grief and wonderin’.”

    Her feathers started to puff around her chest. She looked away, scratching at her neck with one soft flipper. “Ah snap, I’m sorry. I think I must have said too much. I hope I haven’t ruined anything.”

    “Hmph. He’s my personal servant, y’know. I really wanted a’ bring him along if he was still alive, even if he’s awful in the desert. Home sweet home,” I finished, filling the last part with sarcastic venom.

    “Hm…” Kima looked at Stardust, who sat back on her haunches to better hold the sweetcakes in her arms. She didn’t do that great a job with them. Then there’s me who made ‘em almost every week of my life back in Iravia.

    Kima made a trilling noise like a sigh. “Well, I’m really not supposed to do this, but let me make it up to you. Can I see your hand?”

    I took my hand from my face to see it smeared with red face paint, like blood. I wiped it a few times down my chest. “I hope you ain’t gonna break my wrist.”

    “What? Oh, no. I’m just going to write my name on you. Don’t worry- it won’t last long. Consider it a reminder to the universe that it owes you one. Y’know, like a handshake. Seal the deal. These things matter.” Kima reached into the fluffed plumage at her neck and drew out a golden feather. “You’ve got a couple karma gifts stacked up already. You’ll be getting one shortly after you reach Geoda City to make up for the surprise of losing Adrian like that, and the connection will be obvious when you see it. Yeah, sorry about spoiling the surprise of that, again. I thought you knew. For the record, you could’ve had your thing an hour ago, but apparently you didn’t want it then, so have fun with that. Word of caution: You have no choice but to accept it. Sorry, that’s the way karma works! So I really hope your negative attitude doesn’t last.”

    I would’ve said something, but I think Rudy’s gotten me used to my messed-up universe by this point. When it’s real late at night, sometimes you just reach a point where you stop caring and let it all go to nods and bored looks.

    “And the second present is to balance off Kit ruining your good name, because that wasn’t fair to you, I guess, and I think I can work things so you’ll get that one just in time for Christmas.”

    “And you can promise that. Uh-huh.”

    She shrugged. “Well, sort of. Yeah, I’ll promise I can see what I can do, if you don’t die beforehand. I like to think it’s my job to run around and do favors for a few of those who deserve it, make the world a better place. Nudge things along. Cheer up some people who’ve been dealt a bad lot, or a good lot but could still use a boost of brightness. You could say I work for Karma. Hand, please?”

    I extended it, but slowly. Didn’t see a reason not to. “You don’t got an ink bottle. Not that I see, at least.”

    “There’s a capsule inside this part of my quill right here.” Kima pressed the sharp tip of her pen down, not seeming to notice or care that I flinched. She swirled out her name on the underside of my wrist and underlined it with a sharp dash. “There we go. A deal’s a deal. If you think you deserve anything else to get your balance back, let me know and I’ll fix it.”

    Stardust cleared her throat. That made Kima sigh. She folded her flippers.

    “Actually, forget I said that. Sorry, Rory. Apparently I’m ‘not allowed’ to just pour gifts over you, because that would be ‘playing favorites’. If we had unlimited resources, then yeah, I’d totally make your life heaven. But I’m not a god. I just work for one and I have to distribute blessings carefully. There’s only so much I can do before you start taking them for granted. And then you go all soft and downhill.”

    “I understand,” I told her. I think I did. I rubbed my left ankle with my sore foot. Can’t believe I’d stepped on all those glass shards. At least the bandages had stopped the bleeding. Colin had made me put them on, even though I didn’t want to. I wondered how long Kima had been ‘telling the universe to give me gifts’. And if it was possible that Adrian was one, somehow. And if so, whether he was meant to be the good or bad kind.

    “I guess your god’s a big, fancy Pokémon. Maybe a Mopoleon.”

    “Ah. Well, actually…” Kima coughed into a curled flippertip. “I’m not sure.”

    “Hm. See, I was really hopin’ you wouldn’t say that. Y’know, sometimes gods send dreams to their followers, I think. If I’m not mistaken ‘bout that part. If they’re really real. So someone knows they are.”

    “A dream, huh? I haven’t had one.”

    “Then a vision.”

    She laughed and denied it again. I rolled my eyes. This was just like talking theology with Rudy. Just with calm, sane words and eye contact.

    “But for some reason, ya think your god’s real. Sure.”

    “Yes, I do. I don’t need to have any dreams. I just know. I’ve felt feelings. I’ve had impressions, heard voices. When you listen, you can feel a spirit all around you. You can’t deny once you know.” She tilted her head. “Is something bothering you?”

    She meant it. She freakin’ meant it. I blurted, “But Kima, I gotta know. How d’ya do it?”

    “What’s that?”

    “Believe in a god ya’ve never seen afore. Without any proof.”

    Kima shrugged. “I just do.”

    “Well, I think you’re bonkers.”

    “That’s all right. I think you’re bonkers too, for not believing. I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want what I’ve been blessed to have. But hey. That’s life. Everybody’s different. It’s more fun that way.” Kima folded her flippers behind her neck. “We should probably get going. Anything else I can help you with while you’ve got me here? Any questions you want answered? I do a little fortune telling on the side.”

    “Kima…”

    “Okay, I might be paraphrasing.” The Piplup propped her elbow against Stardust’s shoulder. “So. You’re one of mine- You got questions for me?”

    I tapped my chin. “Um… I don’t really… think so. I pro’lly should, but I’m pullin’ up blanks.”

    “Really? Nothing at all?”

    “Wait.” Bracing myself inwardly, I bit my lip. “Aw, please don’t tell anyone I’m askin’ this, but… About my future, um… I-if you can see things-”

    “It’s not exactly me-”

    “-do things turn out okay with Rex?”

    Kima touched the back of her neck again, frowning. I-I think I blinked or something, because this… like this flicker of bright color passed across her eyes for the briefest instant but… nah.

    “Rex… Rex…” She glanced at Stardust, who shrugged. Then, “I don’t think I have a Rex in my jurisdiction. Not that I can think of, at least. Sorry, Rory. I could try to get back to you on that, but-”

    Sighing, I massaged my forehead with one thumb. “S’okay. I guess even you don’t know everything.”

    “Sorry. I can find out a lot of answers for you if given a little time, but I’m not-”

    “A god. I know. You just work for one.”

    Kima nodded. She shook her wrists so they made snapping noises. “Ah, good. Now you’re getting it. Any other questions? I’m obligated to answer three every time one of you catches me, and since I couldn’t help you with your last one…”

    “Huh. Ya’ll sure like ta play by some weird rules. You oughta talk with Rudy.”

    I gave Kima’s statement some thought. The breeze kicked up a scattering of sand. I didn’t want to waste her time, so after only a minute, I came up with what I felt like was a good response.

    “Hey, so, if you’re s’posed to answer questions when we find you… I might wanna see you again soon after I’ve had some time ta think. My question is, when can I see y’around next?”

    Kima’s face went blank. “Oh. Well… Do you have any important events coming up? Guild parties… masquerades… I try to get around, get involved, keep my tabs up to date. Okay, I’ll just say it: I like to hear the gossip. What can I say? I’m a storyteller at heart.”

    I snapped my fingers. “I’m puttin’ together a play, actually. I decided ta start workin’ on it the night when Adrian din’t come home. I’ll pro’lly pull it together when we get back to Andalusst. You could try ta make it to that.”

    Kima sort of rubbed her beak pieces together like she were grinding her teeth. “That sounds crowded. But that was your question, and I’m a bird of my word. Think up three more questions for next time. And don’t pull that trick again. I’ll keep my ears out for anything on this Rex of yours.”

    Stardust muttered something I couldn’t hear. Kima relieved her of an armload of sweetcakes. “Enjoy your presents, Rory. Be good. See you at the play.”

    “Presents… Hey Kima, how many people are you s’posed to be in charge of anyway?”

    “Ah ah ah,” she said as she turned her back. “You’ve had your three. And this is nitpicky, but I’m not sure ‘in charge of’ was the phrase you were looking for. I’m not anybody’s boss. I’m just the bonus level. Just, if you were wondering. For future reference.”

    I shook my head as I watched her go. There were a lot of strange ‘mon in this world, and ain’t that the truth. I wondered if Rudy might like to meet her. They seemed like they’d be good friends. Next time he poked his ugly mug in my business, maybe I’d point him her way.

    While I was exchanging my food for a recruitment ticket from Chelle (who greeted me with my name and a wave of her tongue depressor, but didn’t even ask where Adrian was), I was surprised when this silver Eevee came zipping up to me on two legs, a square brown hat on her head, her ears dangling down by her chest.

    “Hey.” She pushed back the brim of her hat with one claw and smiled. Orange lantern light reflected off her teeth in a kind of creepy way. “So you’re Rory. Can we talk a quick sec, please?”

    “Uh… sure?” Stuffing the recruitment ticket in one of my pockets - I didn’t plan to use it yet, but I like to keep these things on hand - I followed her a short distance away from Chelle and the tables, and we found a place on some red rocks by one of the less-crowded cooking fires. She looked familiar. Her voice was familiar too. Not Kima-familiar, but… familiar. I couldn’t place it. Not in this state.

    The Eevee crossed one leg over the other and closed her paws in a circle around her knee. “Sorry, I probably should have checked before I dragged you off like that. Do you recognize me at all?”

    “Should I?”

    “Apparently not, but we work together in the Guild. I also interviewed you and Adrian that one time.” She extended her pale paw for a shake. “I’m Braxton Darkwood.”

    “Isn’t that a boy’s name?”

    She frowned. “I am a boy.”

    … Oh.

    “Sorry,” I mumbled. Braxton Darkwood, the shiny Eevee who did interviewing work for the Researchers Guild… I guess the name did evoke something in the back of my brain, like a scratch. Maybe a rumor. Hmm… Wasn’t it-?

    “It’s fine,” she (he) said. He didn’t sound too fine. “I get it a lot. Of course I wish I wouldn’t, but that isn’t what I really want to talk to you about. Actually, I was wondering about your gems.”

    My shoulders stiffened, even though I tried to fight it. Stupid biology. Stupid trigger reactions. “What about my gems?”

    “You have a lot of them, don’t you? I remember you paid for your cake and cookies at the Riches’ place with them on, erm… the day after the Great Statue attack. I was there, but apparently you don’t remember that either.”

    My hand went for my top right pocket before I could stop it. Braxton lifted his brows, so I pressed with my palm. It was flat. Empty.

    “I don’t got any on me,” I said, resisting the urge to touch the pockets on my left side.

    “Oh, that’s all right. It doesn’t have to be now. Do you think you’d be able to hook me up with a diamond when we get back to Andalusst? Or if not a diamond, an opal or something else sparkly would do. You’d be helping me out a lot.”

    I stared into the fire. It sizzled and curled low, bristling with smoky ashes. “Sorry. I don’t really give handouts.”

    “No, no,” he agreed, waving his paws in front of him. “I would pay you for it, of course. I’m afraid I don’t have too many starcoins on hand, but I could do some work, if that’s all right by you. Since Adrian’s gone now, if you need a little help somewhere-”

    “What d’ya want a diamond for so badly?” I asked, because I wasn’t in the mood to have a heart-to-heart about Adrian.

    Braxton scratched behind an ear. “Heh heh. Funny you should ask. See, for awhile now I’ve been scraping in the dust for a pretty wedding ring I can give to my fiancée. Kennedy, if you remember her?”

    I tried to remember a Kennedy. “Nope.”

    “Well, when Adrian gets back, you can ask him. Anyway I’m, um, going to propose to her. Technically I have, but her parents won’t allow it if we don’t go through with a large ceremony, and we want to do things right.”

    I shrugged. “Sounds fair. I need a new servant, and that sounds like a good use of one of my gems. I’d be happy ta help ya, if you’ll do one more tiny thing for me.”

    “You mean, something besides work for you?”

    “Yeah. I want ya ta pay me back, but I also want you ta invite me to your weddin’ when it happens. Assumin’ I’m still around. And- and I want you guys ta get me nice clothes for it too.”

    He smiled. “I think Kennedy will allow that, so long as you’re a friend.”

    “Hmm.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to commit to that. My friends were weird enough already.

    “So, when do I start work?”

    “How ‘bout now?” I looked around. “Um… You could grab me some juice. I like apicot.”

    “Apicot juice? Huh, interesting choice, since those are such dry berries. But your wish is my command, so sure thing.” He pressed on his knees and stood. “Kennedy stayed behind in Andalusst to take care of the shop, I got off work, so I’m free my entire time in Geoda. I’ll stick close, assuming that’s all right.”

    “Yeah.” I ran my right palm over the red rock where I was sitting. Grit clung in the creases of my fingers and in my scar. Then I stood too so he wouldn’t be taller than me. “It’s just me here too, so it’ll be nice not to be alone.”

    Braxton laughed. Tilting his head, he said, “Don’t you have Rudy?”

    “I wasn’t counting Rudy,” I snorted back.

    “Well, you can count me on your side now.” He waved his silver tail in good-bye.

    Something was still bothering me. Maybe it was a rumor I’d heard somewhere without fully paying attention? That happens a lot. I don’t know what exactly made me say it. Habit? Can I blame Rex? Anyway, as he started to walk away, I said, “Uh, Braxton, I’m gettin’ the weird feelin’ here that, um… Well, I think I’ve heard people say your girlfriend doesn’t know you’re a tr-”

    He gave me a ferocious brown glare that told me the whole story.

    “You sunstroke serious? It’s true?” I flattened my cowlick to my skull. “How can she not know? I picked it up straight off. How dumb is that girl if she-”

    “Don’t. Say. A word. About Kennedy.”

    “I’m just askin’! Just sayin’, if she were my girlfriend, I’m not sure I’d-”

    “I’m not marrying her for her brains!” he shouted, and immediately both paws clamped over his muzzle. I stared at him, not… really sure how to respond to that. The panic was bright in his eyes. It died slowly as he slid his paws away.

    “Um. So you’re… keepin’ it secret?”

    He hissed, “I want to marry her. Don’t get involved. This doesn’t concern you.”

    “But you know, when you marry her, she’s probably gonna find-”

    “She’s not going to find out. Is she?” Braxton stood on his toes to reach his full height, which brought his chocolate brown eyes almost level with my chin. “Rory? Or… or… or maybe it’s time some of those friends I know you hang around with - Adrian, Miles, Rudy, that Wobbuffet - found out what really happened to Rex.”

    It was my turn to reel back. “What in Chazeja- Who told you about-”

    Rudy.

    Maybe not Rudy, but if not him, certainly Kit. I’d thought he might know. He’d practically confirmed it three times over, and he knew about my fake accent. Did he know about the Nincada thing too? A-and that Miles guy had hit me an hour ago, when Kit had possessed him…

    Dirt and Digletts.

    Kit knew. I mean, he had to, right? But if he knew, why wouldn’t that louse help me with it? Did he just like to see people suffer under his thumb?

    The fur prickled up the back of my neck. I clenched my fingers in and out of fists, letting sparks trickle over my flarefeathers. “I swear, people just don’t got any secrets in this city. You listen a’ me, Sparkledust- Adrian’s dead. You can’t blackmail me there, ‘cuz he’s never comin’ back. Kit knows already, and Miles and Rudy pro’lly do too, or soon will.”

    “Fine. Once you butt out of my lovelife, then I’ll butt out of yours.”

    “My loveli- Oh Raticates, you wouldn’t.” He wouldn’t.

    Braxton stuck up his pointed nose. “Dear Rory, you have no freakin’ idea what I’m capable of. I’ve been tossed to the sidelines for just over two years- or- or for as long as I’ve existed. That doesn’t mean I don’t have a story of my own. My name may not be as well-known as yours or Kit’s or Rudy’s, but that’s the way I like it. I’m a reporter. It’s my business to learn about every face in Andalusst. But you don’t know one thing about me, really. Maybe you’ve pinned down one of my attempted secrets, but you don’t have my weaknesses. Not a one.”

    I should have punched him. I don’t know why I didn’t. I just didn’t think about it. My brain was stuck on the word ‘sidelines’.

    “You- you’re a journal newspaper writer guy person. If you put one word-”

    “I would never out you like that!” He put his paws on his sides. “My paper is above petty gossip.”

    “But you’re not.” Then I did punch him. Or tried too. But he moves fast. Faster than Adrian, even. Holy holly, he should not be that fast. He darted around to the other side of the cooking fire. My fist punched through empty air, and I overbalanced and had to flap my arms like a chick to stay upright.

    I huffed once through my nostrils and dove through the fire to reach him (Chimchar, remember). But it was like chasing Kit- Braxton may as well’ve been a Ghost with how fast he moved. The closer I came, the more faded he seemed to get. How was it possible for him to dodge me like that? Me?

    Oh duh, brainiac. Don’t you know anything? Run Away. Eevees had the Run Away Ability.

    I stared at him through the dying flames, and he looked just as shocked as I still felt, for some reason. I don’t think he meant to say that much. Now he felt guilty, now that he’d seen how it hurt me.

    Groaning deep down in my soul, curling my lip at the surface, I forced myself to endure humility. “Aw, please don’t go around tellin’, Braxton. I still haven’t decided if I need it to be a secret, an’ I don’t wanna kick my bridges before they hatch or anything. I really don’t care about you and Kennedy. Your secret’s safe with me. Apparently.”

    “Yeah. Same to you.” Braxton rubbed his elbow. “Oh, wow. I’m really sorry that I snapped just then. I’m not a perfect person. Not even close. Please… please let me still work for that diamond. I won’t be any trouble. I’ll work hard. Honestly, I will.”

    I didn’t even think of that, cutting him off. Could I still dangle that threat over his head? He’d already apologized; I’d probably blown my chance. Drat.

    Well, Adrian was always the smart one. Aurora was just the carthorse, the one who carried others around at the expense of her own self, because she wasn’t smart enough to figure out how to slip off the bridle.

    That’s all I’d ever been to Rex, too.


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Kima happened because of my tendency to answer three questions of each person I talk to. No, that's not a joke. No, I don't actually pull strings in my friends' lives to ensure they're happy when they deserve to be. No, I'm not shorter than my little sister. Why are we having this conversation?

So... do you guys remember last year when I said Plum Pudding and Lithium would be teaming up in Geoda? Consider them teamed! I'm glad my children are making new friends.

I wonder how things are going to fare from here...