Stormy skies and surging seas... [Lily and Laurel]

[Yuki]

The Tarot islands were well known for their nearly endless weeks of beautiful, clear sunny weather.

But not today.

Dark brooding storm-clouds built up, like fortresses in the sky, collided and battled with each other with crackles and booms of lightning and thunder, heavy pelting rain, high winds, and crashing surf. On a day like today, most Tourists and Natives alike were all looking for ways to keep busy indoors. Certainly, the idea of swimming in these waters, never very safe in even the calmest of weather, was sheer madness with such wild waves. But even walking along the beach, with the wind whipping up sand in one's ears and mouth and eyes, would be quite unpleasant. Unless you had a reason to be there, of course. Today, Yuki had such a reason. She had even asked to take the day off, and weathered the dangerous crossing from Tower Island to Wand island for this reason. And even as she dashed along the beach in her sundress, her hat long torn off and irretrievably lost to the howling, screaming wind- she shielded her eyes with one hand as best she could and scanned the shore for this reason.

A rare purple seaweed. It grew deep, deep in the ocean, beyond the point where most creatures could reach it, even with technology. However, during severe storms, such as this one, great waves could tear loose some of the long violet strands with it's star shaped leaves and some of this might wash to shore. If it did, it would only show up in this lagoon. Some called it 'Devil's Salad' for this reason, and indeed, it was considered a delicacy, like caviar, or truffles. But to Yuki, if properly dried and mixed with white vinegar and several other secret ingredients.... It became the most effective blood stain remover not known to the modern world. Spots treated with this solution were not only invisible to the naked eye, but could not be detected by other means, such as Luminol or other forensic means. Not that Yuki had any bloody secrets to hide. There was just this one spot, in front of Master O'Donnell's desk, that was being ridiculously stubborn no matter what she threw at it.

She spotted a shadow among the waves... no. That was a piece of driftwood...no it wasn't! Recklessly, the Glaceon tore across the spit of land that divided lagoon and sea, and began to wade towards the clump of purple foliage...

[Lily Oceania]

It was days like these where Lily could really have some *fun.* Storms didn’t bother her; lightning only struck things on the ground, and she could shield her eyes from the blinding downpour with her psychic aura. Out and about in her swimsuit, nose pointed into the oncoming wind, she actually had to accelerate to keep from being blown away, much like a fish swimming upstream to remain stationary in a swift river. She could have easily Tailwind’d the winds away—at least in the immediate vicinity around her—but that wouldn't be very fun, would it? This was both her exercise and an intense sport. When she felt a particularly strong gust, she would catch it with her wings and ride it like an amusement park ride, tossed about the wind just as handily as the stormy ocean would toss a small raft.

“Here comes a big one!” She yelled at Laurel, not really needing to yell mind you as they could always communicate with telepathy, but it was reactionary. Her words were immediately torn away by the sound of the storm, lost in an endless ocean of howling wind. She extended her wings like a sail, riding this gust for all it was worth, thrown high into the air, yelling excitedly all the way. How sad it must be, to be a creature without flight. It was a fate she wouldn’t wish on anyone, yet it was a fate most land dwellers shared.

In her excitement, she almost missed the odd sight on the beach. Not only was a glaceon running across the sand, but a shiny glaceon, its icy white and blue fur a stark and immediate contrast to the drab gray tones brought about by the storm, almost like a beacon. As one might expect from a non water type pokemorph, she seemed to be having a hard time about it, not even properly dressed for the occasion. Who wears a dress in a storm? In fact, she looked on in morbid curiosity as the glaceon even started to wade into the water. What was with this girl?

”Do you see that?” She called to Laurel, both in voice and in mind, pointing right at it. ”We should at least see if she’s okay,” Lily urged further. Pulling her wings in to make herself more aerodynamic against the wind, Lily accelerated straight toward the glaceon, like a bullet fired from a gun. As she approached she took more of a hovering approach, gliding overhead. Like a helicopter trying to maintain course during a stormy rescue, she descended until she was next to the glaceon, immediately bubbling them both. A sphere of calm air just large enough for the both of them was left inside the bubble, as the driving winds and roaring sea calmed inside of it, but still continued to crash with all its fury against the walls.

“Hello,” she greeted as cheerfully as she could while trying to maintain concentration, “are you alright? You don’t seem very, um… prepared for this kind of weather,” she offered, trying to find the nicest way to ask why the heck are you out in gale force winds in a dress, lady?

[Laurel Oceania]

Laurel was not really a big fan of storms. He was someone that liked peace and serenity, able to enjoy things in quiet appreciation. Or at the very least he did not mind when the sound of nature was in the background or had a rhythm, like the distant calls of bird Pokemon or the constant roar of a waterfall. Storms were anything but serene though, and though getting wet hardly mattered to him, the howling winds and heavy rain were a danger to fly around in. Of course, his younger sister Lily would not let that dissuade her from having fun. So here he was, hovering in the storm with his telekinesis directing winds away from him, wearing swim trunks mostly so that he wouldn't have to dry out his robes later, and watching his sister play around in the strong winds like a lifeguard watching over a swimming pool filled with small children.

Doing this didn't really bother him. He had gotten pretty used to watching over Lily as she did her own thing. After all, with them having left their home village, there was no one but him to watch over her. Even if he wasn't actually that much older than her in body, he was practically ancient compared to her in spirit. Her endless youth and energy was contrasted by his own empirical mindset and reserved attitude. The last thing he would want to do is to take away her energy and her innocence, but she still needed someone there to make sure she didn't get into trouble.

Having been so focused on watching Lily, Laurel had not even noticed the Glaceon on the beach until his sister had pointed them out to him. It was very peculiar to see anyone else out in the storm at all; not everyone had an 'interesting' idea of having fun like Lily did. Especially a Pokemorph; as far as he was aware, most of them lived in the cities, along with the Humans of which they were born from. They weren't unheard of on Wand Island, but you didn't really see them out in the tribal villages.

"I do see it-" Laurel said in response to the telepathy, but if he was going to add something to that, it was interrupted by a something flying into his face. It was light but even something so small was enough to knock him back in these strong winds, and when he pulled it off his face he saw it was just a hat. Looking around for Lily, he realized she had already went after the Pokemorph and sighed as he followed along. Entering the bubble of calm wind, Laurel studied the Glaceon while the hat was still firmly grasped in his hand. "I imagine you must have a good reason to be wading into a storm," he said adding on to his sister's own comment.

[Yuki]

Fighting against waves that were not only trying to push her back to shore, but sweep her off her feet along with them, Yuki was not aware she was being watched. It took all her concentration and a good deal of her energy to push through. But she was an Ice pokemorph, for heaven's sake! She might not be a water type, but she was closely related, sort of! Swimming should not be *this* difficult!  She had just entangled her arms within a mass of the purple kelp when, like a lightswitch turning the storm off, everything went completely calm around her. The glaceon panted for breath as she looked around at the storm, still raging all around, and then turned to look at Lily with such a comical, bewildered expression that perhaps the latias gijinka could be excused for laughing at it. As Laurel joined them, Yuki's eyes widened in a sort of realization. These two were... special. Legendary.

“Hello,” The Latias greeted her, in an amused, but friendly-ish fashion. “are you alright? You don’t seem very, um… prepared for this kind of weather,” The Latios chimed in then, with "I imagine you must have a good reason to be wading into a storm." His tone seemed sterner, and he looked at her with an appraising air. He was also holding, Yuki noted, a wet and bedraggled object in his hand that took a few moments to recognize as her hat.

"My lady," the Glaceon replied respectfully, inclining her head towards Lily. "My lord," she added, with a respectful nod towards Laurel. "I am all right, though I thank you for your concern and intervention. I am merely after this herb," She lifted her armful of the purple, starry strands for them to observe, "And this violent weather is, unfortunately, the only time it can be obtained. Ah...." Yuki blushed, her glance flicking to Laurel, and then away. "My lord, I believe.... I believe that you are... " She stole another glance at him.

"I believe you have my hat there, in your hand." she finished, shyly.

[Lily Oceania]

Lords? Ladies? Did this lady just walk out of a history book? Her expression at Lily’s sudden intervention did make her almost giggle though, as the barrier wavered (but did not break). This herb? The local villagers used it for medicine and tea, but… she didn’t think it was that important, to risk one’s life in a storm for a plant? Couldn’t she just harvest it on the beach afterward like they all did? And in a dress no less? Well, it wasn’t for her to question, at any rate. She shrank her bubble down a little, as keeping such a large one up against a raging storm was tiring, and stood right up next to the Glaceon. She gave the other a reassuring smile.
“I’m no lady, I’m just me! Lily, to be exact. Nice to meet you, whoever you are! Would you like some help? I’m sure we wouldn’t mind, hmm? Oh hey, that is your hat, isn’t it? Lucky catch!”

[Laurel Oceania]

This Pokemorph sure was polite, wasn't she? And she seemed to have gotten the notion that they were some sort of nobility, probably based on the fact that they were legendaries. Surely this was actually the case in some Gijinka tribes, but he would've thought that someone from the human cities (or at least he assumed all Pokemorphs were) would be desensitized to such titles, since last he heard they have 'presidents' instead of kings and 'senators' instead of nobles. In any case, it wasn't really true for them; if they had any sort of special title, they had lost it by abandoning their home and duties. "Nor is there a need to call me Lord. Laurel shall suffice."

Looking down at the hat, the Latios Gijinka offered it back to the Pokemorph. "Oh, this? Yes, I had found it blowing in the wind and caught it." He tactfully decided to avoid telling either of them that he had caught it with his face. What they didn't know didn't hurt them. "So you are looking for this purple kelp, hmm? Its funny you mention that; I remember reading about a Gijinka tribe that collected a special kelp that only showed up during storms, dry it, then eat some of it while burning the rest as an offering during a ceremony done before a voyage to protect the sailors heading out to sea from storms." Laurel smiled coyly, noting her being quite the opposite from tribal looking. "But I assume you have a different reason for needing it than protecting a loved one out at sea."