➵ 001 [video]

[healthepot]

[There's some fussing with the camera when the feed first starts up, but soon enough it settles in one spot. Natalia, with her Dratini draped across her shoulders, leans back now that she's satisfied with the warp band's placement.]

Say, I have a question for any Engineers out there. Would any of you happen to have experience in making arrows? While I don't think I'll need any right away, there's a possibility I will in the future and it never hurts to ask ahead of time, right?

[She reaches up and strokes her Dratini's head, offering a smile.] That's all I wanted to know, thank you for your time.

Comments

[Video]

[hardtocatch]

[That message catches his attention, so he decided to answer.]

Arrows? So you can use a bow? That's really awesome! But I don't know any Engineers.

[Video]

[healthepot]

I can! I've been training to use one since I was fairly young.

[Video]

[hardtocatch]

That's great. Makes me wish I could do something like that.

[Video]

[healthepot]

[She tilts her head to one side thoughtfully.] Would you like to learn?

[Video]

[hardtocatch]

That would be awesome! Can you teach me?

Video.

[ladyofluminosity]

Natalia!

[There's someone she probably hasn't seen in a while, since Lux has been frequenting some very different circles lately. And Camille is with her too, the Dragonair humming a greeting to Draco.]

Video.

[healthepot]

[Natalia's expression brightens a great deal.]

Lux, it's been a while! [Draco perks up, cooing happily at Camille. Hi, sis!] How have you been doing?

Video. [1/2]

[ladyofluminosity]

Really well! What about you? It's been a really long time!

You need help with making your arrows, right? Hold on a second.

[She ducks out of the way of the camera for a moment.]

Video. [2/2]

[indy_wannabe]

[And a new face is pushed in]

WAUGH! What!?

[healthepot]

Quite well! Bored but otherwise well--oh!

[Suddenly a person she doesn't know...! She offers a sheepish smile.] I'd like some new arrows but I don't really know how to make them myself. [... Plus the whole "not an Engineer" thing.]

video;

[tracedarte]

What d'you need arrows for?

[Luke appears on her feed upside down, where he's laying haphazardly off the side of his bed, his hair sprawled out around him and his Flareon Mieu in the corner of the video chewing on it idly. Luke doesn't seem to notice as he looks questionably up at the video. Someone isn't happy about being shut up in the house again.]

You don't have anything to shoot.

video;

[healthepot]

... Ah, well, about that. Considering my recent decision to become a trainer, I decided that it would be better if I was prepared for something that would require me to shoot things. Better safe than sorry, after all.

[It's said rather casually, as if... you know, Natalia had actually mentioned this before. Except she kind of hadn't. In the meantime, Draco the Dratini coos a greeting at Luke and Mieu.]

[tracedarte]

Really? You're gonna throw away all your dresses and go out into the wild? Lame.

[He rolls his eyes. Mieu lets out a happy noise and pounces at the Warp Band as if to say hello, but all it does is make Luke fall on his head and he swears.]

Damn it Thing! Get off! Owwww....

[healthepot]

I'm certainly not going to learn more about the world by sitting at home. [... She's not throwing away all her dresses, either, just switching them out for travel-suited clothes, but... Details.

She and Draco wince simultaneously when Luke falls.] Shouldn't you be a little more careful?

[tracedarte]

Outside of Union sucks though. I bet you'll get eaten right away.

[He says this while he sits up. Natalia gets a glimpse of his really messy room (how does he manage that with servants who clean?) and his exposed abs before he grabs the camera again and holds it back up to his face from where he's not sitting in front of his bed. Off screen, Mieu whimpers and scampers away when Luke tries to kick him.]

I am careful! Mieu knocked into me!

video;

[albertstyle]

Uncle would be pretty pissed hearing that one, Natalia. [Coming in here and now, stuffy Fabre twin number one two!

Asch's expression looked bored over his wrap-band's video, eyes heavy and hand supporting his chin. They've been awfully sheltered sines childhood-- the twins a little more, but nonetheless. The parents of these well-to-do kids didn't like seeing them in danger and this might be the only person Asch can consider a "close friend"--or "best friend."

"Person that doesn't live with him that he generally puts up with."] What are you getting yourself into now?

video;

[healthepot]

At this point, I'm less inclined to care what Father thinks of the entire thing. [It's said with a shrug, although Draco's letting out an indignant squeak at the action. The small dragon-type turns to the warp band's camera and waves to Asch with his tail afterwards.]

I've decided to become a trainer and I don't want to be caught unprepared for something I can't handle. [Is that a dig at a certain something she may have heard about? ... Perhaps.]

video;

[albertstyle]

[Hello, Draco! Beauty is here too, Asch's beautiful Vulpix never leaves his lap once work hours are over. However, she doesn't have the time to say hi for she's catching up on well needed sleep-- exciting life.]

Ugh, I can already hear Uncle blaming me for influencing you. [Not that Asch doesn't think Natalia could make a good trainer, she'd make a better one than he is... that's for sure. Sadly, that isn't how his family is going to react.] Everyone's stress out enough already with Luke and I awakening as those foxes... [He can't even remember the name of the Pokemon he shifts into, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the smarter twin.] You'll never wait for anybody...

[... That's just how Natalia is and how she should stay. That attitude will take her father's place on counsel one day. When Asch becomes a judge, like his father, he'll have Natalia... maybe, hopefully.]

video;

[healthepot]

He can blame whoever he wants, it won't change my decision. [She's becoming a trainer come hell or high water.]

... are the two of you okay after all that? [She'll more readily admit to being worried about Asch than Luke most of the time, but... It was a little different this time, wasn't it?]

video;

[albertstyle]

I'm fine. [Asch would never admit otherwise to Natalia even if he wasn't lying.] As for Luke, I guess he is too... [He's shared so many thoughts with Luke these past few days, he'd rather never talk about the shitstain every again.]

Everything about shifting is exhausting.

Video

[my_father_is_a_tycoon]

Oh! Have you decided to become a Trainer too, Natalia?

Video

[healthepot]

I have! Father isn't too pleased with my decision, but I don't think he's pleased with much these days.

Video

[my_father_is_a_tycoon]

[Lenna smiles, albeit slightly sadly. She dearly misses her own father, who is still missing somewhere outside the city. But she's here to congratulate her friend, not to dwell on her own problems.]

I'm sure he'll get used to the idea.

Video

[healthepot]

I certainly hope so. Either way, he's not going to stop me and he's not going to change my mind about this. It's my decision to make, after all.

[A small sigh.] So, got any advice for someone who's still learning the tricks of the trade?

Video

[my_father_is_a_tycoon]

Don't take on more than you can handle alone.

[The answer comes quickly enough that one might correctly assume that Lenna speaks from firsthand experience. Natalia may have heard about Lenna's failed solo foray into the mountains after her father went missing - she came back with a Dratini egg, a Hoppip, and no small amount of injuries.]