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[waitingforplayer2]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, CHIAKI NANAMI.

FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX

*** galagamer has joined XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX
<galagamer> This is Chiaki Nanami.
<galagamer> I'll get back to you as soon as I can!

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[waitingforplayer2]

[ The good news for Trish is that Nanami hasn't really figured her roots out yet at all. She's barely planted them in soil, even - mostly they've been on floors or pavement, since she got them.

So for now, Nanami'll slowly take out one of the little ... pizza sandwiches? It smells like cheese and meat and that's heavenly. ]

I'm sorry. I've been here mostly. [ She takes a bite of the snack, and... is that the ghost of a smile on her face, finally? It does taste really good, like comfort food. It helps her relax a bit, at least.

She hands the bag back to Trish so she can take one. ] You changed too. [ It's her first time seeing Trish as a werebear, in day form. ]

[figlia_morbida]

[Her poor roots...this is what all city plants feel like, surely.

Anyways, Trish adjusts so she's sitting a little more comfortably, that is: curling forward to drape her arms over her knees, her tail sweeping up and against her side. Cozy...

She accepts the bag of trapizzinos wordlessly, watching to see how Nanami takes it. Admittedly, she's not very familiar with Nanami's tastes yet, and she's pleased to see it's well-received. Good, good.

She pulls one out for herself, showing off her fangs briefly as she takes a hearty bite. Being a bear means meat tastes twice as good, which is stupid because it was never her favorite before, but whatever.]

You don't need to apologize to me. Besides, compared to you, I'm lucky enough to be back in a body I'm familiar with.

[She thumbs a small trace of crumbs off the corner of her mouth.]

That being said, you got the hang of your new body quickly last time. What's different about this one?

[waitingforplayer2]

[ Trish is so soft-looking... and it makes Nanami miss being a merperson more, for the moment, now that she's all bark and leaves. But she tries to push that down, there-- there has to be good stuff about being a nymph, too, she just hasn't found it yet.

And Trish's question, as she munches on the little snack, makes her focus on that, looking down at herself-- becoming something that's less sad to think about, but more... strange. What is different about this one? ]

The old me kind of just felt like me but with scales. [ Well, that was half of being a merperson. She takes another bite and thinks. ] Mm... and then swimming was nice.

[ Okay, that's half the question. Come on, Nanami... hmm... ] I... feel a lot... different now, I guess.

[figlia_morbida]

[She could ask Giorno and find out very quickly what all the perks of a nymph might be. Asking Trish what Giorno thinks, however, would be a less fruitful endeavor. Giorno is an extremely eccentric boy and would kiss a spider on its ghastly head just behind it's eight eyes. He likes strange things and being strange. That would be Trish's answer.

But that's neither here nor there.

Here, Trish listens and digests this answer. It makes sense. Although Nanami's body had an odd texture, and all her human features were just as absent as they are now...she supposes an animal, even one of the ocean, is a far closer cousin than a tree, regardless of whether or not that tree is animated by magic.

And if there's one thing trees don't usually have, it's freedom of movement. That's what she thinks about when Nanami brings up swimming.

Trish takes another bite of her snack, swallowing before speaking again.]

I asked a silly question, didn't I? It's different in every way, just as it was the first time, while you're the same person underneath.

[And then, seemingly abruptly:]

How do you feel about going out today?

[waitingforplayer2]

Mm...

[ Is she the same person? It's hard to say. She feels so much different than she did as a merperson, and even as a human, in ways that are really hard to put her leafy finger on.

It's just another thing to think about, she supposes.

She's snapped out of her thoughts again, mid-chew, by Trish's suggestion. She looks out the apartment's big window, at the sun and at the street below. ]

Mm... the sun outside is nice. [ She has been going to the roof sometimes for some sunlight. It feels nourishing on her fronds. ] I'm still pretty slow, though.

[figlia_morbida]

[Trish's green eyes flick to the window, following Nanami's gaze.

It's a lovely day, aside from the fact it's too damn hot. She used to love it, but fur makes warm weather horrible. A plant monster however...they've got to love it.

Trish looks back to Nanami, considering.]

...Is that part of the reason why you've stayed inside this whole time?

[She could see that being a huge deterrent. She could see any part of it being a deterrent, really.

But it comes back to a lack of freedom. In her mind, it does.]

[waitingforplayer2]

[ She nods, sort of embarrassed to admit it.

She should be out there figuring it out, but she's just been so tired since her near-drowning and unexpected change. It's way easier to curl up in a sunbeam in her own apartment.

But being out in the sun does sound sort of nice, honestly. ]

[figlia_morbida]

[Trish has no context beyond the natural discomfort of a new body.

Nanami is notably silent too, and Trish brings her hand to curl over her lips thoughtfully.]

It won't be an issue if you've got help.

[It's no good keeping her cooped up like this, right?

Of course, if she doesn't want to, Trish won't push the issue. But she likes it better when Nanami is able to explore to her heart's content.]

[waitingforplayer2]

Mm...!

[ She's... again embarrassed to take help, even offered freely. But...

Well, she did like riding on top of Trish as a mer. And she does wonder if she can do something similar as a nymph.

So she nods slowly. ] Yeah... you're right. [ She's brightened a little bit, now, her fronds perking up and her roots raising a little as if she's preparing to get up. ] You... wouldn't mind?

proving Jackal right even more as she carts around a tree

[figlia_morbida]

[Asking for help fucking sucks. Trish knows this well. Pride is her sore point, and she assumes Nanami's is the simple fact she's too selfless, and imposing on others is anathema to her entire being.

Which is why Nanami doesn't have to ask, because Trish has essentially already decided for her.

Trish finishes her trapizzino, unfurling a little, her tail swishing behind her.]

I wouldn't offer if I did. No one makes me do anything I don't want to.

[This is emphatically not true, but Nanami doesn't have to know that.]

My only caveat is that it has to be close. I'm not carrying you all the way to Vandare and back.

[This is a shitty joke. Who would ever go to Vandare willingly.]

choo choo all about the Trish train monster

[waitingforplayer2]

[ She finishes the last bite of her own. She's... smiling just a little bit, finally, on her wooden features, despite herself. ]

Um... if you take me to the arcade... I could show you around.

:3c

[figlia_morbida]

[Trish doesn't show it in an obvious way, but she's pleased.

Well...her tail is swishing behind her as a tell, but she's not a dog, so it could also be read as agitation. If it weren't for her peaceful expression, that is.

Regardless, Trish has to ponder just how she's going to accomplish this. Nanami was easy to carry in water because the smaller girl could simply meld to her person. Carting her around now will be a little more cumbersome, but she's not one to be dissuaded by a challenge.]

I think that sounds like a fine idea. You know, I'll be in Bavan most of the week, so if you need help getting there going forward, you can reach out to me.

[But for now, they get to figure it out first.

So, Trish adjusts herself until she's walking on her knees. Awkward, but it keeps her low to the ground so she can offer her back to Nanami.]

Do you think our lake trick will work just as well on land, Nanami?

[waitingforplayer2]

[ Nanami's starting to get your number, Trish, she recognizes that tail wag. Bears are basically big dogs anyway, right? ]

I think... we should try. [ It's-- she's going to be more cumbersome like this, but... maybe it would work? She looks down at her roots. ]

If it's not painful for you... maybe these can hold on...

[ She carefully takes Trish's shoulders - her leafy hands are gentle. Then she tries to lift herself up.

Her roots... do not want to come up, actually. They like being grounded. She hesitates. ]

Can you stand? [ Tries to get a good grip on Trish. This might take a bit of strength - do you even lift, Trish? ]

[figlia_morbida]

[They are not big dogs!! But the languid to-and-fro of that curled, fluffy tail betrays a relaxed mood. Anyone who has made her upset would immediately recognize the sheer contrast of it compared to the agitated, rapid swishing tail of an unhappy werebear.

She's not as subtle as she'd like to think, either way, and she listens to Nanami's concern with a tilt of her head.

Would the roots be painful...? Maybe if there was no buffer, but her fur is so thick it takes some time for water to reach her skin during her morning shower, and it takes even longer to dry off once her fur is properly soaked. No, she doesn't think the roots will be a problem.

Nanami seems willing to try it still, and Trish feels the odd sensation of the leafy facsimile of hands gripping her shoulders. As for that question, she responds by planting a fuzzy foot on the floor, changing her stance to a kneeling one.]

Only if you're sure you're not going to fall.

[In her mind, Nanami's question might seem silly, but it's also a reminder that she doesn't look like the type to be able to do this because in a proper reality? She isn't. But being a monster means nothing makes sense anymore, so what the hell ever.

Carefully, Trish will stand, although she's not sure what to do if Nanami falls. At worst, Nanami will simply be back where she started, and hopefully not too startled. Can trees bruise?]

[waitingforplayer2]

[ Nanami grips Trish's shoulders tight. Her roots protest, but Nanami wills them up, and holds on.

What tendrils had been inching their way into the floor, release their purchase, and the tree girl comes loose suddenly. She clutches onto Trish, holding on, and her roots dangle-- but begin to look for new purchase.

In a method not terribly unlike how her tentacles previously behaved, Nanami's roots seek something else to hold onto - Nanami's got good arm strength, but it's not the most comfortable for all her weight to be dangling like that. So a few of them begin to lay themselves on Trish's back-- one, then another, then another, with a few gently draping over the sides, Nanami working hard to will them not to hold too tight-- or worse, attempt to take root. It's just an extra way to balance herself. ]

How-- how's that? Does... does it hurt? [ She's perched on Trish's back, but it's-- somewhat less precarious than when they were in the water together. This is going to take some getting used to. ]

[figlia_morbida]

[It's radically different to their time in the lake. There, Nanami melded almost seamlessly to her form with a body that was squashy and elastic, and now...she's stiff bark all over, her movements slower and more uncertain. Trish doesn't have that appetite for discovery anymore, for her part, but that's immaterial when Nanami is not a soft and wet thing touching her.

No, the tree change may in fact be fate smiling on them and their odd dynamic.

Anyways, Nanami comes free from the floor, and her roots cling to Trish's back and middle. Trish is skinny, and hopefully that makes it easier for the nymph to grip rather than more difficult. Less surface area, sure, but a more secure grip when opposite roots can parallel one another.

The grip isn't too tight either, although it's a little strange to essentially be hugged from behind by a tree. She can feel the toughness of every root, but her fur is an excellent cushion, and she glances over her mottled shoulder at Nanami.]

Not at all. How is it for you?

[She seems secure, but Trish doesn't know how much effort it's taking for her leafy passenger to hold on.]

[waitingforplayer2]

[ It feels comfortable. It feels familiar, actually, even though this isn't a stunt they've done very often yet. Hearing that Trish isn't in any pain or even discomfort helps the nymph to relax even more; she drapes herself over Trish's shoulders, and allows her roots to get a slightly more secure purchase, entangling with each other as they hold on. ]

It's good. [ The quiet little sigh she makes sounds very much like one of relief. ] I... I think I'm ready.

[ Hopefully her fronds aren't tickling Trish in the face too much, given her position. ]

[figlia_morbida]

[It's always odd to have someone hanging on to her, but it's not done without permission, and it's ultimately done to help.

Nanami seems happy with the arrangement, particularly, and Trish has to subtly angle her head up and down to push a frond under her chin. Tragic, that Nanami doesn't get to see the way the werebear's face screwed up when the aforementioned frond brushed her nose. That tickled!

Once that's done, it's time to get moving, and Trish takes a few experimental steps around the room to see how Nanami does. She's not very heavy for a tree, and has a pleasant smell, actually. Like the forest itself, shrunken to the microcosm of Nanami's person. However, that's a weird thought to have, and Trish crushes it under her metaphorical heel.

Anyway.]

Yes, you seem plenty steady. Are you ready to head out?

[Or...will she lose her nerve?]

[waitingforplayer2]

[ The longer she holds onto Trish, the more natural it feels to stay put, like a big piece of lichen attached to the back of her friend. There's still not enough pressure on the werebear to cause discomfort or pain, but her roots wiggle freely where they aren't gripping Trish's sides, a sign of Nanami's growing comfort.

It's odd, perhaps, that Nanami feels more comfortable on Trish's back than she did on the floor of her apartment, in the sunbeam - but then again, perhaps it's not so odd. The apartment is artificial and Trish certainly isn't. She's a trusted friend and a part of the natural (monster) world, just like Nanami is.

There's something in there, some deep nymph instinct that Nanami might be tapping into, but the nature of it escapes her for now. So instead she nods, probably getting her fronds in Trish's face again. ]

Yeah. Wait... [ She leans down from where she's hanging, grabs her bag, and hoists it over her own shoulder. ] Okay, I'm ready.

[figlia_morbida]

[Perhaps the tree part of Nanami also balked at being on the floor, which is made of wood. Then again, trees compete with one another, and the one that's been transformed into floor boards is already dead and duly defeated. Thus the tree brain should be pleased, right? Who knows! Certainly not Trish.

In any case, Nanami nodding dislodges the fronds Trish had trapped, and she gets them run under her nose once more in a manner not unlike feathers in a slapstick comedy.

Trish's face twists up twice as much with the added motion, too, the werebear angling her head up and away again so she can trap those traitorous leaves before they can tickle her any further. What if sneezing dislodges Nanami!!! Not permitted.

But Nanami leans again, and those fronds come right back when she does, and thrice is Trish attacked.

Thus, the werebear sneezes.

It's actually anticlimactic. The world's squeakiest sneeze, and it hardly moves either of them. But Trish is mortified, and instead of waiting for a comment, she marches towards and out the door, brushing the fronds out of her face as she does and saying way too quickly:]

Good, we're going then.

[waitingforplayer2]

[ It's sort of hard to tell what "tree brain" is given that trees don't usually have... brains. There's a mindset to being a nymph that Nanami hasn't totally adjusted to yet, especially since she's still in a bit of shock and denial about it, and has been cooped up in her apartment mostly.

But playing games is a help, and being with friends is a help, to making Nanami feel more like herself, tree or no. And Trish's squeaky little sneeze elicits a giggle, which she hastily tries to cover up with one hand. (Luckily her roots are secure enough that she doesn't actually fall.) ]

Thank you... [ She really couldn't be grateful enough for this. Both because it's a familiar comfort when she's feeling sad, and also for the practical help of getting her to the place where she usually works, or just spends time unwinding. ] It's not far from here... just a couple of blocks.

[figlia_morbida]

Mhm. I came from that way, so it shouldn't be hard for me to find again.

[If Nanami giggled, Trish pretends not to hear it, apparently.

Instead, she's dutifully marching her way out of the 38-8, turning back only briefly to make sure Nanami's apartment is secure. It probably doesn't need to be locked, but it's the principle of the thing!

Anyways, Trish will otherwise make the trek in silence. Not because she's being awkward, but because she's not one to chatter someone's ear off. Instead, Nanami will get to enjoy a peaceful ride, swaying from the motion of the werebear's imperious stride.

Eventually, the arcade will come into view. Trish slows here, mostly to see how Nanami's feeling about all this.]

You're going to be a pleasant surprise, you know. They weren't expecting to see you anytime soon.

[waitingforplayer2]

[ The walk is peaceful. It's the fastest she's moved in a little while now, but the sun is warm and relaxing on her fronds, and even in the time it takes to quietly walk two blocks, Nanami finds herself half-dozing.

When Trish speaks to her again, Nanami blinks the sleep out of her eyes, and looks up. They're right in front of the arcade. Trish found it with no problem, apparently. ]

Mm... yeah, I... I got my shifts covered... [ She feels a bit guilty about that, actually. Are the other employees going to resent her for taking the day off but coming back anyway to play? ]

You... came by before?

[figlia_morbida]

I did, yes. It was the first place I came to look.

[What Trish doesn't say: "but really, it's easy to find again because I recognize how it smells". Specifically, like sweets and the stink of oft-handled metal coins. It's not dissimilar from a laundromat, but the arcade makes itself distinct with the beeps and boops echoing from within to greet Trish's round, furry ears.

Laundromats sound like earthquakes, if earthquakes were made of stained briefs.

Anyways, Trish doesn't think about how the staff will feel. Nanami has a unique affliction, and if they're not understanding...well, they can bite her furry, pink ass. What matters right now is that Nanami not be left to mope around, because that will do nothing for her (bold thoughts from a bear who has moped for a year). The werebear will continue inside, and Nanami's fronds may miss the sun, but maybe the familiar sight of the arcade will brighten her dull heart?]

You'll have to guide me from here, however. I'm afraid I don't remember much about arcades.

[Of course, she wants Nanami to verbalize these directions.

She hasn't moved to set the nymph down, and honestly won't until they've found a place to sit and relax for awhile. Assuming Nanami doesn't insist otherwise.]

[waitingforplayer2]

[ She's been settled in comfortable, but now she raises up a little bit, blinking the sleep out of her eyes as she peers over Trish's shoulder - much like when they were exploring the caves deep in Lake Dala, except this cave glows with more familiar lights and sounds from Nanami's childhood and countless more besides.

There's a group of teens at the bowling alley now, and they stop and stare at the pink werebear who walks in with the nymph on her back. But the arcade has a strict no-violence no-eating policy, and Nanami's been careful to enforce that, so after staring for a few seconds the group goes back to their game, only occasionally stealing glances at the pair.

Nanami notices them, and gives a wave to the human working behind the prize counter. Then she thinks for a few seconds. ]

Hmm... we have to figure out a good first game for you. Do you like to dance?