#millie dachsbun

[redolentgrove]

Names and Changes

"Bijoux? Loki?"

Millie opened the door of the guest cabin in Redolent Grove, expecting to find either of the two taurs greeting her to the new day. However, as she stepped through and into the morning sunlight, she found the surrounding area surprisingly empty. The Dachsbun ran her hands over her clothing, straightening out the wrinkles from her sleep and yawning.

"Celeste? Anyone?"

She spotted the faraway silhouette of what appeared to be some type of tauric creature, darting toward it to see who it was. She put on the brakes when she got closer, no longer recognizing it as anyone she had previously met, but an Aurorustaur, now facing toward the fairy-type dog. She certainly didn't know anyone who was a fossil Pokémon, let alone a taur of a fossil Pokémon. She found herself immediately smitten, however, by the unfamiliar dinosaur's beauty, her tail wagging fiercely and a familiar scent of freshly-baked bread emanating from her body.

"You smell like my Dad's kitchen in the morning," Khione quipped, taking a long whiff of the aroma and chuckling to herself. "What's an anthro like yourself doing out here? Seems like everyone else I've seen here is some form of taur or anything but the typical Pokémon shape. You one of miss Loki's friends? Maybe of miss Celeste?"

Millie's face reddened at the remarks, but she remained disciplined, for now at least. She nodded shyly, offering her right hand out. "Uh… I'd like to think Loki and Celeste both consider me a friend, but I really don't know them well at all. I… only really know Loki's daughter, Bijoux. I'm going to be rooming with her at Harmonia University. I'm… Mille-Feuille Bonaparte Carême, but I'd really just prefer to be called Millie."

The dinosaur perked a brow and accepted the offered hand, shaking it firmly and then letting go. "Khione Petranov. Wow, whoever named you must have really been a prissy bitch. Aheh… sorry."

"I mean, you're not wrong…" came the response.

Khione cleared her throat. "Thank Arceus… anyway. So, a fellow Harmonian… you said you're rooming with Bijoux. Aniseed, I presume? I always wondered when I'd get to meet the first centaur student accepted to Harmonia. I heard she beat me out to admissions by a few hours. Probably because of the alphabetical nature, but I'm not complaining. Just means I'm not alone anymore."

Millie's head tilted in thought. "Are you… the only centaur where you're from, Khione?"

"No, my mother's one. My father isn't, but I guess that doesn't always override the genetic code to make you anthro." She blinked once. "You know, I have to ask; miss Loki and miss Celeste were acting awfully weirdly last time I saw them. It was like they knew me, but didn't call me by name or didn't remember it."

The Dachsbun put a hand to her own cheek. "Did they think you had transitioned like Loki had? I mean, that's all I really have to guess. Maybe they didn't want to deadname you or something."

Khione shook her head. "No, I mean, I'm intersex, not transgender."

Millie's eyes raised. "Inter… sex?"

The dino nodded once more. "Right. See, you know how most children are born either male or female? When I was born, I was born with characteristics of both sexes. Most of the time, the parents and doctors make a decision on how they want the child to be presented as one or the other, but that requires extra procedures to 'correct,' so to speak." She did the mocking air quotes with her fingers, scoffing. "My parents didn't want any of that, though. See, they had lost a couple of hatchlings in infancy, and frankly they were just glad I was born healthy outside of being intersex. So they let it be, deciding they'd go ahead and let me make my own decisions about how I presented myself."

"Wow… I wish my mom were half as cool as your parents are. So, I'm guessing you present femininely? Skirt outfit and all?"

Khione smiled gently. "Yes. I might not have a typical sex identity, but I definitely have a set-in-stone feeling that I'm female on the gender spectrum. Which luckily, is all anyone really needs to know."

Millie trilled gently. "Do you-"

The Dachsbun's question was cut off by the shiny Delcatty's arrival. She noticed Cerise's awestruck expression immediately, smirking at the cat with a nod. "Oh yeah, believe me, that's basically exactly how I felt," she barked.

They both listened to Cerise's question, which had been directed at Khione. The Aurorustaur was careful to make sure the feline had finished before she began her answer.

"My village feels the same way about names," the dinosaur explained, casting a sideways glance. "In fact, they put such an emphasis on what names mean, that they technically don't even give you a name when you're born. You get a temporary designation, usually a couple of syllables of your family name, followed by two or three letters. I was known as Petralyn originally. When you're eighteen, as part of a coming of age ceremony, you choose your personal name, based on how you view yourself, your qualities, aspirations, things such as that."

"I chose the name Khione because it's based upon an ancient mythological tale of a snow nymph, whose father was the god of the North Wind, Boreas. She's associated with the beauty and purity of winter snow, and while I'm not really into the beauty aspect of my own body, I rather appreciate the beauty of snow and ice moves as I'm using them on the battlefield. There's beauty in power, just as there's power in beauty, and I wanted a name that reflected that duality."

"Frankly, I find the idea that most of society chooses a child's name for them kind of off-putting." Khione flashed Millie a quick smile of sympathy. "It just feels like parents put undue pressure on them to be what they want for their children, long before said children even know who or what they want to be. And kids change their minds all the time; heck, I had a phase for a couple of years where I was obsessed with beauty pageants. There was a year I did nothing but play sports. Childhood should be the time for someone to figure themselves out, not to be molded into what someone else wants for them."

"…I don't think I could ever have more of a crush on someone than I do right now," Millie blurted aloud, much to her embarrassment. The Dachsbun's face turned beetroot red, but Khione simply smiled at the dog, her own tail wagging with a slight hint of a blush on her cheeks.

"Glad to know I'm hitting all the right notes for a first impression, Millie," she said with a slightly smug satisfaction. "But you and I can discuss that another time. Anyway, um… yes, that's basically how I chose my name. It's been a process, but I'm proud to be called Khione."

"Well, no wonder Loki and Celeste don't know your name, if you've just chosen it!" Millie offered, shaking her head to clear her racing mind.

"True, but they could have at least called me 'Petralyn,' if nothing else. At least then I could have told them my chosen name. I guess that's where I felt a little disheartened. But maybe with herself being trans, miss Loki didn't wish to be insensitive and deadname me. I suppose you've got a point there."

Multiple growls could be heard amongst the three Pokemon's presence. Khione nodded with a smile, saying, "I know that sound anywhere. Must be Millie and her aromas riling up my stomach. Shall we continue this talk over breakfast?" The dino motioned to Cerise. "You can come along too, if you're hungry."

@ask-shinydelcatty

[andromedako]

19! 28! 2! For the Pokémon questions!!!!

2. What’s your least favorite Pokémon?

ohhh.. hard question. i like a lot of them but if i had to pick, maybe. terrakion. i just dont like it sorry </3

19. What are some of your Pokémon that you remember the nicknames of?

OH !! ok this is a bit easy bc a lot of gijinkas are named after my nicknames of pokemon i have!

we got: millie (alcremie), an (cinderace), kanade (meowstic), rui (drifblim), peaky (raichu), strawberry (roserade), regulus (leafeon), cygnus (armarouge), meissa (pawmot), spica (skeledirge), tianlang (dachsbun), altair (gallade), mimi (mimikyu), sylvie (sylveon)

and from my recent randomizer race w/ nene: colon (carracosta), waga (starly), riinu (darumaka), :/ (natu), HM (rufflet)

28. What is your favorite type?

fairy! (all my aces thus far [excluding endgame sv] have been fairy types LMAO.. sylveon + alcremie + dachsbun) second fav is ghost :]

[redolentgrove]

"Celeste, we're home!"

Loki and Bijoux arrived back in Redolent Grove following the Gilded Gala. The sun had just begun to rise over the treeline, and the elder taur stopped for a moment to admire the colours adorning the sky. Oranges, purples, blues… all weaving together into something one would find on a master artist's gallery.

"Celeste?" Loki called a second time, peeking into the main clearing to find her daughter sitting upright, her taurbody stretched lazily beneath her and… an all-too-familiar Dachsbun curled up against the Sylveontaur's flank, head resting on the elder fairy type's fur. The dog was fast asleep, a sight that brought a soft smirk and knowing chuckle to Loki's muzzle.

"Shhh, don't wake her up…" Celeste's chiding was gentle but firm, and a forepaw brushed along Millie's side, causing the canid to let out happy murmurs. "Poor girl; I woke up at about one in the morning and she was zonked out like this right next to me. I wonder if she had a nightmare or something."

Loki shook her head. "This isn't the first time you've ended up with someone cuddled up to you within moments of meeting you. Honestly, I think she was glad to be sleeping somewhere with someone she could trust. Almost looks like how half of the kids I adopted decided they were mine."

Celeste stuck out her tongue playfully. "I'm not adopting my sister's roommate, Mom. This family tree is weird enough as it is."

Bijoux looked over at Millie nervously. "You're not kidding…" She took out a phone, snapped a picture of herself and Loki, and then saved it to the memory. "I'll wait until she wakes up before I show her. Let her have some comfort and all. She must be tuckered out after everything that happened."

Loki nodded. "Celeste, can I count on you to watch Millie for a little bit longer?"

Celeste shrugged. "Yeah… I don't think I'm going to be moving any time soon. I'll tell her you two got back when she wakes up. You know, she kinda smells like cinnamon and vanilla… it's kinda relaxing." Loki tapped Bijoux on the shoulder and motioned sideways. "Hey… while that's happening, I need to talk to you about your Mum…"

Bijoux headtilted slightly. "Oh, Arceus, she's not out here, is she?! I've had enough drama for a while…"

Loki shook her head. "No, I need to talk to you… about why she and I really separated. And how it was my fault..."

[redolentgrove]

Twas the Night Before

"Thanks again for all your help with the ocarina solos, Celeste."

About half an hour had passed since Bijoux's conversation with Blackjack. She was back on her laptop, putting the last touches together on the musical track to finish it. Knowing the gala was almost here, she was somewhat anxious to have it ready in time, but her earlier bouts of focus had helped immensely. From here, it was just little changes to give it a refined feel.

"Hey, no worries," Celeste trilled, the Sylveontaur peeking over her half-sister's shoulder. "Wow, this looks incredibly complicated, like you've actually got a lot of music stored on here… this is all stuff you've recorded?"

"I wish." Bijoux's response was casual, but also somewhat jealous, as she finished putting the last touches on the final track, saving her work. Fingers crossed that the export would be clean. "No, pretty much everything is either from the friends I made in band and choir at Undella High, though some of it is also Mom's piano playing. I do have some harp samples on here, but they're not in this particular track. I'm going to be playing that portion live along with the backing track I'm making here, and singing the words."

"And Mom's okay with this? I mean, you remember what happened the last time you performed a song in public like this…" Celeste's thought was cut off by a pinging sound coming from the phone next to Bijoux's laptop.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm not performing that song again. I learned my - oh?" Bijoux picked up the phone, turning on the screen. A text was displayed on it, from Loki.

I got a message from the tailors - our dresses are fixed and ready for us to wear to the gala I told you about. If you can, send Celeste to get them. Also, get the guest bed and tent ready

"Huh. So the dresses are ready already? That sure was quick; Mom and I just went in for re-measurements yesterday." Bijoux chuckled softly. "Mom wants to know if you can go pick them up for her."

"Oh, of course!" Celeste trilled, her tails wagging lazily. "I'd better get moving before they close up shop. Did she say anything else?"

"Yeah… something about getting the guest bed ready… I think she's going to be having Millie over here for a while." Bijoux tilted her head. "She was here earlier; you just missed her before you came in to record your ocarina samples."

"Millie?" The Sylveontaur looked slightly confused. The name wasn't familiar to her at all.

"She's going to be my college roommate. Something must have happened while Mom went to deliver her family's floral order." Bijoux turned back to the computer screen - 'Exported successfully!' displayed, much to the chinchilla Pokemon's relief. "Thank goodness… I'll have to listen later and make sure it's all stitched together right, but at least it's done."

"Oh, that's nice," the fairy-type hummed. "You're going to be roommates here too, then! That's kind of fun. Well, I'm going to the tailor's then; you can work on the guest bed in the meantime. The Sylveontaur stood up fully and walked away, leaving Bijoux by herself.

"Yeah… kinda. Bye, Celeste!" the Cinccino-taur chimed, shutting down the laptop and tucking it beneath her left armpit. She headed to the storage shed and put it down on one of the shelves, thumbing through - ah, there it was! The guest tent, neatly packed into a box. She grabbed the box, and a box above it containing a sleeping bag. She took them back outside, getting them ready for her mom's arrival.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The process of setting up the tent and sleeping bag together took about two hours. Loki and Millie arrived at the clearing just as Bijoux emerged from inside the tent, the Dachsbun on Loki's back groggily humming and leaning into the taur's upper body. The colourful sunset swirled above the tree lines, giving an indicator that it had been a long, eventful day. Loki began un-hitching herself from her cart, nodding toward Bijoux in greetings.

"Hey Mom," Bijoux trilled casually, striding gently over to the taller taur's side and gently nudging a hand against Millie's cheek. "Hey, Millie."

"Huh… wh?" The Dachsbun's eyes fluttered open. She recoiled slightly at the Cinccino-taur's touch at first, but calmed down when she realised who was standing there. "Bijoux, hey… wow, Loki, are we here already?" The fairy-dog fidgeted slightly to re-orient herself on Loki's back, then hopped off, her feet hitting the ground beneath her. "Wait, Loki, let me help-"

"It's okay, Millie," Loki replied, already mostly through the unharnessing process. "I've done this hundreds, if not thousands, of times. It's basically an exact science at this point. I appreciate the thought, but right now I'd like you to just focus on making yourself at home. Bijoux just finished setting up the tent, it looks like. It's not much, I know…"

Millie shook her head, leaning lightly on Bijoux's side before walking over to the tent and smiling softly. "It's fine, Loki… honestly, I like the thought that I'm just camping out here with you two." She stepped inside the tent with a casual shrug, admiring the handiwork. Bijoux had sturdied it impeccably; it would have taken a gale-force wind to remove the stakes and unsettle it from the earth. The sleeping bag was comfortable, yet humble; it was a far cry from her normally plush bed, but she kind of liked it better this way.

"Everything okay in there?" Bijoux questioned, as Loki finished unattaching herself from the cart, taking it toward the storage shed. "It's kind of funny that you and I are sort of roommates out here, too…"

Millie nodded gently, stretching herself out lazily and letting out a soft sigh. "Yeah… hey, Bijoux? Listen, Loki invited me to this 'gala' thing that the two of you are going off to tomorrow… but I feel bad for turning down the offer."

"Why?" The taur tilted her head. "I would think the last place you want to be is somewhere fancy like that…"

"Yeah, but she offered so nicely and I just, you know…" Millie's head drooped as she slid into the sleeping bag. "After everything she did to help me get away from my Mom. I wonder if I owe it to her to go there. I'm not sure anyone would even be around to watch me at that point…"

"Nah," Bijoux hummed quietly. "You don't owe anyone a thing, Millie. Not me, not Mom, not your mom, not anyone. We'll find a way to make things work somehow; we always do. You worry about getting some rest and feeling safe, okay? I don't know what happened over in Undella Town, but it's over now."

"Is this your friend, Bijoux?"

The Cinccino-taur's head whipped back. Celeste had returned, complete with a pair of neatly-folded and arranged bags settled in a basket hitched upon the Sylveontaur's lower half. The fairy-type peered over Bijoux's shoulder, waving at the Dachsbun gently.

"Hi, there!" Celeste purred out lovingly, her twin tails wagging fiercely. "I'm Bijoux's half-sister, Celeste. You must be Millie! I'll help watch you while Mom and Bijoux are at the gala! I know they'd appreciate that peace of mind…"

The Dachsbun stared at Celeste with a fierce blush. "Y-yeah… gosh, you're pretty…" she murmured, a mixed hint of jealousy and admiration emanating in her voice. "What's in that basket on your back? That looks heavy…"

Celeste shook her head. "It's just Mom and Bijoux's dresses for the gala event." The Sylveontaur patted the wicker basket gently, as she felt the loosening of the ropes holding it on her back. Purple-socked hands then undid the knots and ties keeping things together, taking the basket as well. The hand then ruffled Celeste's head, and Loki's muzzle finally peered over her daughter's shoulder to look at the Dachsbun within the tent.

"Girls, back up a bit; Millie needs her rest." Loki gently tapped Bijoux and Celeste's legs with a forepaw, and the three of them all padded off to different parts of the grove. Loki took the dresses to the storage shed, Celeste went to the lakeside, and Bijoux headed to her favourite resting spot near her mother's gardens. Meanwhile, Millie yawned and lay her head down, eyes closing. The day's events clearly got to her, and it would take a nice night's rest for things to truly sink in.

I can't help feeling like the odd one out, and that it's somehow my fault... she thought, drifting slowly off to sleep.

[redolentgrove]

At this point, I should stop asking why she does it and just be grateful she doesn't do it worse.

Millie held her forest map out as she traversed the paths and clearings in White Forest, specifically Redolent Grove. "Okay, I'm here, and the lake is there," she uttered verbally, tracing over the corresponding sections of her map with her right index finger. "Which means, following the orientations and the sky, I'm going… north-by-northwest to find Bijoux. And that…" She faced slightly to her left, setting forth. "…is this way."

Suddenly, a blur of orange and blue zipped in from the right-hand side of Millie's currently, happening to head right toward the same north-by-northwest direction the Dachsbun had just used to orient herself.

"What the-" Millie was taken aback by this at first, but knowing she wasn't in danger and hadn't been knocked back from the mystery blur, took a moment. "Those shades of colour looked an awful lot like that mythical from Hoenn… Deoxys, yes! Wow, I wonder if it's heading over to talk to Bijoux. I'd better do my best to get over there and see."

The canine bolted forward, following the now-certain path to see if she could figure out exactly who, or what, had the mythical Pokemon in such a hurry… and curious to possibly meet them in person, if possible.

Bijoux sat by the eastern lakeshore, just sitting on the grass and reflecting as she stared at the crystal-blue water. It was a soothing late morning; the sun was fully up and the dewdrops had long since vanished, but it was still temperate and cool before any of the forecasted summer heat could rear its head and ruin the vibes of the settings. The Cinccino-taur scooted back slightly, stretched her lower body out casually and let out a bit of a yawn, but just when she was about to get cosy…

"Wh-" The instant Deoxys appeared, Bijoux's whole body jumped to all four sets of her tiptoes and seized up involuntarily, the taur yelping with a high-pitched squeal. Fur on end, frazzled looks, glasses dissheveled… It might have been from the absolutely devilish speed at which he arrived, or the rapid-fire, all-caps level of yelling he did… maybe even the complete incoherence of his words? Whatever it was, it had her mind working overtime to try and comprehend anything of what was going on. She heard "Sunkist" and "goldfish" and something about a moustache? What moustache? Anyway… Harmonia? He went there too? No, just something about skateboarding. A roommate, he asked about a roommate, didn't he… She was about to try and stammer up a haphazard response when a familiar voice saved her.

"Bijoux, mon ami! You didn't tell me you kept such presitigious company!"

Bijoux turned her gaze over to the left, carefully keeping the loud, dominance-asserting Deoxys' shape in the corner of her right eye, just in case he had more to say. Or any more to do, for that matter. She relaxed… slightly, but a lot of that voluminous fluff was still quite on end. She adjusted her glasses back to the proper position, then let out a little squeak.

"M-millie, what are you doing here?" the Cinccino-taur hissed, ears perked. "How did you know where I lived, anyway? Why is your family out here all the way from Kalos?"

"I didn't know the exact spot in White Forest, just that you said White Forest…" the Dachsbun explained, idly brushing at her shoulders. "But... Mom and Dad came to the forest to pick up a large floral arrangement for my cousin Madeleine's wedding, and brought me as, and I quote, their 'humility belt.' Actually embarrassing." Millie even did the air quotes thing, with her tongue lolled out in a disbelieving huff.

"Oh no, that's almost as bad as the jokes Mom makes…"

"I'd bet. Oh, speaking of her! She's the florist! Isn't that crazy?" Millie's eyes lit up somewhat. "I know you said your Mom was a gardener but I'm impressed she has such a strong business with selling her flowers!"

"Yeah, she's pretty- Wait, you're the clients that rush-ordered forty-five dozen flowers in a one-day span and pushed like four orders back by a day or two?" Bijoux was taken aback by this discovery. "The nerve of your parents…"

"Blame my mom," Millie replied flatly. "If it's anything obnoxious from a Carême, she definitely did it. Dad's too far gone to stop her from being a full-on nightmare. Anyway… when I talked to your mom, she said it would be good to visit you while they closed the transaction, so she gave me a map and told me where you'd be. Then I sighted your speedy orange friend and he so happened to lead me right to you."

"Orange fr-" Bijoux's eyes narrowed slightly. "Millie, I don't know this guy! He came in here yelling about being a sunkist, twirling non-existent moustaches and that he used to skateboard up and down Harmonia back in the day! I think I heard something about a roommate in there…"

"Oooh, how eccentric. I'm sure glad Mom and Dad weren't here to see that. They'd probably wonder what's gotten into the gods if they're acting with such frivolity and carefree whismy. Me, I don't care. I seem to remember the legendaries weren't always so serious, myself."

Bijoux let out a chuckle and nodded lightly. "Well, I mean, this is more a case of 'mythical' versus 'legendary' Pokemon, if we're going to be entirely truthful, but yes, it's true that there tends to be wiggle room for a bit of… um, whimsy." She rubbed at her arms bashfully. "I'm not sure though… I don't remember any of the mythical Pokemon being quite so… loud and random."

Millie took a stride toward the Cinccino-taur, the fairy type gently craning her neck to the right, then to the left, in a casual stretch. "Deoxys with his several formes, doesn't surprise me that he's prone to burst forward and be a bit vocal with all that going on around him. Just take a deep breath, slow down, and… wait, did you say he asked about a roommate?"

The taur nodded softly. "I… think so?" She looked over at Deoxys and let out a nervous smile. "Uh, m-mister Deoxys, this is my roommate at college… I'm never going to remember all this, but I think she said her name was… Mille-Feuille Bonaparte Carême. Something like that."

The Dachsbun laughed heartily. "Bijoux, my dear… just Millie is more than sufficient. Unless you're talking to my parents; they'll throw you out of the house for getting it wrong. Sadly, Bijoux, I don't think she'd even let you in the house at all. But yes, that's absolutely correct; I'm shocked you remembered it so well after just a couple of times being told! Such sharp memory…"

Bijoux blushed at this. "Psh… I only remember it because you told me the name when we first met, and I remarked that I thought your parents were playing some sort of high-class game naming you so pointedly themed around the Napoleon dessert. You didn't answer me back then; is making up joke-ish names like that some sort of rich-Pokemon game that I just don't understand?"

Millie blinked briefly, then shook her head. "They kind of were," she admitted. "I have no idea if they think it's a game, mon ami. I think that's just how rich Pokemon's brains tend to work. And with a last name like Carême, I can't exactly do a whole lot around it that isn't going to sound like some sort of weird, even sicker joke. I thought about going by Millie Bonne, but that sounds a bit like Milk Bone, and even though I don't think that sounds all that bad, I'm sure someone out there is going to connect the dots and turn that into a joke because I'm a Dachsbun."

Bijoux stuck out her tongue playfully. "Well, you are a treat to be around… even if your Mom sounds more bitter than a kale and collard green smoothie."

Millie rolled her eyes. "Don't push your luck, souris pelucheuse," she growled, playfully giving Bijoux's shoulder a shove. "Anyway…" The Dachsbun looked up at the sky, noting the slight change in the colours and tints. "I think by now your mom and my parents should have arrived in Undella with the arrangement. Loki… only said she bought me until sundown, after all. I'm not going to look that gift Ponyta in the mouth."

"She told you to call her by her first name, huh? Typical Mom…" Bijoux let out a soft chuckle. "Why call her 'my mom' earlier, though?"

"I guess I just… internally wrestled with the idea before I actually did it around you. Maybe I just didn't want you to feel like it wasn't approriate to do it?"

"What, calling my mom Loki? You might as well; most of Undella High knew her as 'Aunt Loki' in the years before I graduated with all of the time she spent there supporting the students and teachers. Heck, one day she even managed to get enough food together to make a giant luncheon for everyone on the campus; over seven hundred between students and faculty combined!"

"It's… refreshing, to see someone so invested in community," Millie remarked, a warm smile on her face. "And a bit of an honour to be able to address her so informally. I don't get a lot of the whole 'casual' friendships when I'm in my family's hot-to-trot world of high finances and ideally preened bodies. She seems extremely genuine and sweet, if a little bit on the impish side, when she has to be."

"Yeah, she didn't exactly take the name of the trickster god without borrowing a few of the more… clever, sneaky tactics said tricksters would employ," Bijoux replied. "That's pretty much just how Mom is. Family and community mean everything to her, but she's not afraid to be nasty if she needs to pull punches."

"You're a lucky girl to grow up under her care." The Dachsbun blushed some. "But uh… I'd better stop gushing about Loki's kindnesses and get going so I don't miss the rehearsal dinner. Mom would die if everything wasn't perfect. And as tempting as causing my mom to melt down is, she's paying for my tuition, books and board and such. I'd better… wait until I get my degree before I do anything too risky. It was nice to see you, mon ami. Give Loki my best, and I'm sure I'll see you at school soon, oui? Au revoir~"

Bijoux bowed a bit toward the Dachsbun in acknowledgment. "Of course, Millie… I'm sure she'd be glad to hear you feel so favourably about her. Au revoir, mon ami," the Cinccino-taur replied, earning a bit of a playful smirk from her roommate and friend. But before the fairy type disappeared…

"Oh!" Millie turned back briefly, to address the taur. "Could you hold onto this for a bit?" The Dachsbun handed Bijoux the Gracdiea bloom Loki had given her. prompting a bit of confusion from the normal-type.

"A Gracidea… this is one of Mom's! She clearly wants you to have this if you have one; why are you giving it to me?"

"Because… I think if my parents knew I had it on me, they'd make me get rid of it. Well, Mom would, at least. Dad would just silently stand there and let her rip it from my paws and light it on fire or something." Millie seemed apologetic, something Bijoux definitely took to heart when the Dachsbun made her request. "Can you keep it for me until we get to Harmonia for the year?"

"Of course," Bijoux agreed immediately, gently tucking the bloom into her sweater. "I'll make sure it gets safely to school so your parents don't get suspicious." She let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry; I hope Mom wasn't too mean to them…"

"I'm sorry she wasn't meaner," Millie barked, a statement that caused both girls to let out sharp cackles, though they stopped guiltily before long. "But, quite really, I wouldn't have blamed your mom for smacking mine across the face. I wouldn't even be surprised if my mom tried to hop on Loki's back and ride her like some sort of Ride Pokemon, thinking she'd just trot her over to Undella Town!"

"Millie, if your mom tried to ride on my mom's back, she would have a severe concussion from being bucked and kicked off, and that's the best case scenario." The Cinccino-taur let out a long sigh. "And that's saying a lot the one taur that would offer a ride on her back to just about anyone."

"She'd kind of deserve it, if we're being honest… I don't think she had a single nice thing to say about your mom, Bijoux. She kept making fun of her appearance, her being a mythical hybrid, trying to doubt her abilities…"

"You're just lucky words don't bother Mom anymore," Bijoux answered casually. "Seriously, one time an Absol tried to roast her and she just laughed them off. She saves all her anger for direct disrespects like attacks, touching her without permission, stuff like that, you know? Though I've heard teasing her friends and family will rile her up a bit…"

"Ah, yes, a classic protective mother… anyway, I think your acquaintance has heard enough of us bantering. I should take my leave. Oh! And a tip, Bijoux; my family is staying at a beautiful little villa in Undella Town, just north of here. So I'll try and sneak down here when I can to get away from their… them-isms, if I can."

"Isn't that-" Bijoux was cut off before she could even complete her thoughts.

"Was their villa, mon ami," Millie countered. "That family actually decided to move to a villa in Alola last year. Malie City, to be more specific. Did you know they had a deep love of the Malie Garden? I'm surprised they would choose to go there when something as expansive and gorgeous as White Forest is just a short southward walk away! But, as they say, the heart wants what she wants. Their loss is our good fortune. Again, au revoir~"

And as Millie left, Bijoux waved good-bye, then turned back to face Deoxys, if he hadn't left by then. "Oh… and uh, Mister Deoxys… no, I don't think you're going to fit in my backpack. You're taller than I am. Sorry to disappoint you."

(( @askdeoxys ))

[redolentgrove]

"For the last time, Mille-Feuille, darling, your father and I have a business deal to close with this 'Loki' who promised us the most gorgeous display for Madeleine's wedding tomorrow. Personally, I doubt any one Pokemon could produce as many flowers as she requested, but at least this florist made an attempt to provide as much as she could!"

A shiny Dachsbun anthro, clad in her Harmonia University uniform, followed along behind a pair of much more spiffily-dressed canines. There was a Dachsbun female, non-shiny, and a Furfrou male, shiny, in a Debutante trim, the former wearing a long white "mermaid-style" dress and holding a black handbag, and the latter in a dapper purple tuxdeo. They both carried hot-to-trot attitudes, the Dachsbun more than the Furfrou, much unlike their daughter, who clearly wasn't sure why she was here to begin with. Usually if she wasn't in some sort of gala-level get-up, her elders would refuse to be seen near her.

Morning birds sang and the grass buzzed with fresh dewdrops. The sun had barely begun to rise over the horizon, still obscured by many of White Forest's treelines. But in a particular Redolent Grove, there were little clearings where the rising sun was quite visible, a harbinger of another hot, summer day to come.

"Look, Mom," the younger canid began, "that's not really what I meant. I mean… why do you want me here if I'm just going to be in this university clothing? Don't you usually like me being in, oh, I don't know… some sort of elevated level of clothing? Some sort of label, a designer ballgown, heels, anything to actually seem like I'm related to you besides just being a Dachsbun? And why are you so dressed up for that matter? For a forest?"

The elder fairy cackled. "Oh, for once you're not here to look good, Mille-Feuille," she chimed, her tail wagging heatedly. "No, I want you here because I caught wind that our florist happens to have a child attending school with you next year, and I want you to show our dear 'Loki' that we're not that far above her, despite what any paychecks and estates would , even though your father and I wish to maintain our… elegance, despite the climates. You're our... humility belt, as it were.

"Har-har. And her child? Yeah, you mean Bijoux." Mille-Feuille perked her left brow. "I told you all about her when I got back from the tour, remember? They ended up assigning us to the same dorm as roommates… she's the shiny Cinccino-taur in all of the pictures I showed you."

"Ah, this '-taur' thing…" The Furfrou interjected himself into the conversation uneasily, but carried forward. "I spoke with miss Loki over the phone; she said she was one as well. Remind me, Mille-Feuille… what exactly does that mean, per se? It sounds a bit like 'tower;' does that mean she's going to be especially tall? I can't imagine how good one would be with flowers as a giant… suddenly I'm a bit worried."

"I can assure you, good sir, that I'm no giant."

The three canids all whipped their heads to the voice's source. Loki stepped out from behind a tree to show herself, causing all three of them to step back in varied degrees of shock. The two elder Pokemon, much more pronouncedly, while Mille-Feuille seemed to only slightly quiver. It was almost forced, like she just didn't want to make her parents look bad.

"Dear Arceus…" The elder Dachsbun woman covered her snout. "You're a Shaymin? And a hybrid, no less! But darling, that limb count, the ears, all superfluous… I suppose this would be one of the… very few mixtures of Shaymin that pulls together a cohesive look, but still…"

Loki watched the group with perked ears, trying to judge if this dog was just being the standard brand of snooty, or if she was going to have to end up getting something to use for self-defence, or to beat some sense. She narrowed her eyes. "That, dear lady, is not a compliment. Not exactly the greatest way to a first impression, no, no…"

The Furfrou shook his head and bowed slightly before the Dachsbun could protest. "Ah - l-listen, miss Loki, I do apologise for my wife; she's… incredibly blunt with her words. Anyway… I'm Hugh Carême; we spoke over the phone earlier this morning. This is my wife, Vera, and my daughter, Mille-Feuille." He offered Loki a handpaw to shake. He was clearly there for damage control, a notion that most merchants would greatly appreciate.

Loki smiled at Hugh. Okay. At least one of the parents isn't a total head-ass. I feel bad for the kid, though. She really doesn't look like she's enjoying this at all. She accepted the offer gladly, also returning the bow briefly before standing back up. "Ah yes, the Carême family… you had quite a challenging order! Ten dozen white roses, ten dozen black roses, ten dozen purple roses, ten dozen pink roses, five dozen Gracidea flowers… I'll return momentarily."

Vera tapped a footpaw impatiently. "Yes, yes; I'm well aware of our order, now the question is, did you actually fulfill it…"

"Mom, don't start," Mille-Feuille protested briefly, as Loki stepped cautiously away from the trio, "I mean, you do remember the last florist you did this to banned us from her shop entirely? Miss Loki is one of the only florists Dad called that didn't have all our numbers and faces on a 'do not serve' file!"

"Now, Mille-Feuille," Vera rebutted, "A woman knows what she wants, and does what she must, to get it. Feelings are not part of a job description, and let no one convince you otherwise."

"Dad! Can you talk some sense into her for once and tell her to stop trying to make enemies with everyone she meets?"

Hugh just shook his head and turned to the right, clearly knowing better than to even try at this point. Some would have called him a genius, others would consider him a coward. Either way, it was a survival instinct to him.

"Smartest thing he's said all year," Vera mumbled. "Now, where is that florist with my flowers…"

"Madeleine's flowers," Mille-Feuille countered. "These are for her wedding, remember? This isn't about you for once…" She could feel Vera's preparation of a verbal lashing, but just then…

"Well, I've got the cart packed. You said the event was in Undella Town?" Loki returned to the group, outfitted with a harness that attached herself to a wooden cart. Inside the cart, there were many bundles of flowers… forty-five dozen, to be exact. All of the requested colours, all of them arranged in precise order and pruned to perfection. "Ah, but wait, before we go…"

"Of course, time to shake me down for money, I get it…" Vera reached into her handbag.

"No, no, miss Carême, not yet; I was going to say, you should look and count your order, make sure it's all correct." Loki gestured to her to come forward and look into the cart. "Wouldn't want to get all the way to Undella and miss a single stem, would we? You'll pay me once the count's right. And before we get there, we should make sure your order's complete. You'd like to do so alone, I presume? I won't hover; wouldn't want me creating a rush or a false sense of counting."

"Smart; I trust my numbers way more than yours. Glad to see there's a brain in your head after all." Vera gestured her head toward the Furfrou. "Hugh, I swear to Arceus, stop moping over there and put that mathematical brain of yours to actual use, why don't you? And Mille-Feuille… you seem to know how to speak to these 'taur' creatures; ask if your little friend is around to see you." She and Hugh went over to the back of the cart, looking carefully and counting through the bundles, sorting them back into colours to keep track.

I'm right here, you know. But Loki let the comments slide; words were only words and the ones disparaging her looks had long since lost their punch. But maybe it'd be better for the little one to be away from your influence for a bit.

"Miss… Loki?" Mille-Feuille walked over to Loki's front right flank, admiring the size of her Gracidea bloom while her parents toiled in their inspection. She was surprised that she was taller than yet another Pokemon-taur, given that most of the legends spoke of them being rather large. She tried not to stare too long, not wanting to give off the wrong impression.

"You don't want to be here right now, do you, Mille-Feuille?" Loki asked in a hushed tone, her right ear perked slightly. "You've had the most uneasy look on your face since the instant I saw you…"

"Uh… really, I'd just prefer Millie," the teen whispered, her snout wrinkling. "And no, ma'am, but n-not because of you! I promise! I just… our family's Undella villa, this wedding…" She looked over at her parents, causing Loki to raise a hand.

"Say no more. You must be the roommate Bijoux's been so excited to move in with next year." She handed Millie a single Gracidea bloom and a forest map. "Keep this one between us, okay?"

"M-miss Loki, I couldn't-"

"I'd prefer just Loki," the hybrid replied, with a kind smile. "At this time of day? Bijoux's probably over by the eastern lake clearing. I'm sure she could use the sight of a friendly face."

"How did you know I was Bijoux's roommate? You didn't show up until well after I said that."

Loki wiggled her ears. "You think these things are just for catching radio signals and being giant leaves? I heard a lot more than you think I did, Millie… and it doesn't help that I was behind that tree for a good five minutes before you even got here. Now, make an escape, before they realise what I'm doing. I'll buy you until sundown, okay?"

"T-thank you…" Millie ran off, and about a minute later, Vera returned to Loki with an angry huff. Hugh strode right behind her, clearing his throat as he announced their findings.

"Okay, that's… ten dozen white roses, ten dozen black roses, ten dozen pink roses, ten dozen purple roses, and five dozen Gracideas. Forty-five dozen, all accounted for, all prim and proper, beautifully trimmed, perfect condition. Miss Loki, you've done the impossible!"

"What can I say," Loki said with a shrug. "This hybrid mix is like the Midas touch for flowers; you ask for it, I'll make it happen."

"Damn you for being right," Vera fussed, reaching into her handbag once again and pulling out her checkbook, beginning to date and sign the topmost one. "What was the quote again, two million?"

"Two million, yes ma'am." Loki watched Vera finish the check with a proud hum.

"Here." The Dachsbun sighed defeatedly and handed Loki the check. "Didn't think you had a ghost of a chance to pull it off, but guess I'm eating Honchkrow pie tonight. Whatever. Are we going to Undella Town now?"

"Of course." Loki put the check in her saddlebag, and looked back at her cart. "There should be some seating space in the cart, just hop on in amongst your flowers and-"

"Are you insane!?" the Dachsbun interjected. "Ride in a cart; what is this, a family Halloween adventure? I'm not walking; If I'm being chauffeured, it's on your back or bust."

Loki's eyes narrowed. "No, ma'am, I don't think that's going to be happening; I'm not a ride Pokemon. Not unless you're willing to write another two million check…"

Vera scoffed. "Two million to go one route on a taur's back… maybe a cross-Unova expedition, but not that short of a distance!"

Loki smiled broadly. "Didn't think so. Besides, don't you want to be close to the flowers, miss Carême? If you're riding in the cart, you can make sure they don't get damaged in the transport process! Do you really think you can trust just one set of eyes back there to keep everything safe?"

Vera looked back at Hugh, who let out a bit of a whine. Loki flashed a brief look of apology before she could be spotted, and as the Dachsbun's eyes returned to Loki's…

"Damn it! Fine. You're right; I can't trust Hugh with anything that isn't mathematics. Poor bastard gets lost finding his wardrobe every morning. I can't argue I'd rather see things firsthand and make sure nothing happens, after all the work you did to make these." The last words seethed in a seeming protest, but Vera knew when she had been beaten.

She and Hugh carefully arranged the floral bundles to make themselves room in the cart, and once the two were in, Hugh closed the cart's back gate to lock themselves in safely.

"Is the safety latch locked tightly back there?" Loki questioned. "I can't unharness myself without causing you to tilt, and I don't want to risk the flowers being smashed…"

Vera waved Loki off with a nod. "Yes… my husband sealed everything; you're good to go. Say… what did you give my daughter up there?"

"Your daughter? Oh, Mille-Feuille… ah, yes, I gave her a forest map. She saw the cart and knew all three of you wouldn't fit, so she thought she'd use the time to see if she could find Bijoux, since she was already here. She said she'll meet you back at your villa to watch the sunset."

"Oh, that stubborn girl… living the high life and she wants to go play with commoners… ah, well, at least she knows where the villa is. Very well. But if a single hair on her head is missing or she doesn't make the sunset…" Vera made a bit of a slashing motion with her right hand.

"Yes, yes, you know where to find me," Loki trilled unshakenly, stepping forward to begin the journey to Undella Town, keeping a jaunty but safe pace. At their current run it would be about midday before the three made it to the beachside villa, almost too long for any of them to stand, for varied reasons...

(( Millie has been introduced! ))