bottlebay | Video; I got transported to another world and now my hands are poison?!

[Mayaka places the Grumpearl on the bare floor of her newly acquired accommodations. To anyone tuning in, they'll see that this angle has created a fisheye effect, blowing up the lower part of her white Sneasel body and shrinking her head.]

Um... hello? This is Mayaka. I got here a few days ago and I'm a new member of the Lum Berry Guild.

[She speaks tentatively, assuming that the pearl is working. This reminds her of class introductions on the first day of school.]

Does anyone here know how to deal with these? [She waves her claws at the Grumpearl, trying to show the purple tint covering them -- a naturally-occurring venom Hisuian Sneasels produce.]

I poisoned someone - accidentally of course - and I don't want that to happen again! [The strict tone she uses seems to be directed at herself.]

[As Mayaka waits for a response, she looks around her tiny bedroom. It's sparse now, but she's been itching to set up a space to draw again. She hasn't picked up a pen since she landed here.]

... And also, if anyone knows where to get paper and pens, that would be nice too.

[This is a softer request, as if she'd be okay if no one heard. It's not obvious that she's asking about art materials, right? She doesn't even know if she has enough allowance to afford it after spending on basic necessities. Maybe it's pointless to ask.]

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[It's not particularly encouraging to hear that there aren't many other Poison-types around. Mayaka just hopes she doesn't stick out for the wrong reason. She makes a mental note to look for Firoza -- this is the second time someone's mentioned her!]

That's an oddly specific thing to know. [The Sneasel sounds slightly impressed. She's reminded of her friend Satoshi, who loves collecting trivia and fun facts that no one else knows. That's one of the things about him she's most fond of. That he'd put in effort even if it didn't really matter. It mattered to her.]

Are you the kind that likes to remember fun facts like that?

... O-oh. Is it?

[ Uncommon, maybe, but odd? He's a little flustered, until he realizes she's not just saying that in judgement. ]

Sometimes, but mostly just for the stuff I'm interested in. Animals, but especially — well, I guess it'd be Pokémon now. [ He hums a little awkwardly. ] There's still more to learn though. I'm not an expert yet obviously!

[As someone who's dedicated her time to the niche of manga drawing, and always been too self-conscious to express this interest aloud, she can't help but respect Laios' ability to speak freely about what he's passionate about, even if she may not get it.]

Well, what've you learned so far then? [she poses this question just to hear what he'll talk about next.

And as Laios begins answering, Mayaka will realise that she doesn't know his name yet.

Instead of waiting for him to finish, she'll interrupt him mid-sentence to ask:] Hold on, what's your name?

That's... [ He hesitates at first, if only because this is an entirely unexpected turn of events. So much for ruining his first impression! ] I don't even know where to start. Let's see...

[ He's just going to ramble a bit about his species of Pokémon. Electric-type. Can run for days. Often kept to guard and herd livestock. Notable for their strong bite— ... oh, that's right. He always forgets introductions. ]

My name is Laios. It's nice to meet you, Mayaka! Did... did I pronounce that right?

[ He absolutely can't offend her now, especially not after listening to him yap. ]

Yep! Perfectly! Sounds like you're familiar with Japanese names.

[Though she can't say she's familiar with his name. How is it even spelled? She wonders what kind of time period or world he's from.]

... Do you know where Japan is?

[ His face lights up, clearly pleased with himself, until— ]

Ah. No.

[ Then he goes quiet. Japan is definitely not a place he knows from back home, but he swears he's heard it mentioned around here before. ]

What's it like? Is the food interesting?

[ He definitely has a point with that second question. Just give him something to connect the dots with here. ]

[Huh, okay. Is he from some place in the past, or another dimension altogether? She is not an overly ambitious (yet vague) shounen manga author who'll brush this aside for convenience. She understands that more time and study must be needed to untangle this strange overlap of worlds here. But for now, Mayaka quickly abandons this train of thought to engage in the far more accessible topic of food!]

Yes!

[Instead of traditional Japanese food, which doesn't seem all that interesting to Mayaka, she thinks of wildly flavoured ice creams, potato chips and sodas. An image of the overwhelming variety of snacks lined up on a convenience store shelf appears briefly in the Grumpearl, unintentional on Mayaka's part.]

But just because it's interesting doesn't mean it's tasty. [The Sneasel is quick to add. Stuff like matcha cheetos or milk-tea flavoured water have never really impressed her, they're too gimmicky and not worth the money.]

[ Laios was hoping to catch a glimpse of something that he might’ve recognized, either from home or from someone else here. Instead, he gets... all of that. His eyes go wide at all the brightly packaged foods, so plentiful and well-organized. ]

You live somewhere with that? [ An absolute far cry from the dining halls and food stalls he knows, which he starts thinking about in turn. Enjoy the images of somewhere that definitely looks vaguely medieval, Mayaka. ] You’ve tried all of those? But one of them has to be tasty, right? There’s just so much... how...

[Mayaka widens her eyes at the image that flashes across, registering that Laios must be from a place that doesn't have convenience stores. Somehow, the idea of freshly cooked and simpler fare shared in a rowdy dining hall comes across as more satisfying to her, compared to the perfected convenience of modern day foods.]

No way. There's too many weird flavours to try and I hardly have enough pocket money for it. [She'd rather save money to buy a volume of manga, or brand new drawing tools. The Sneasel thinks for a moment, before responding to his question: ] I tend to get the really, really, super sour candies though. It wakes you right up! [Perfect for late night drawing, and staying alert in class.]

Is there a sweet you really like, Laois-kun?

[ That gets a sheepish smile out of him. Some things don't change. ]

So even in your world, food is still expensive. That's too bad. [ Money management for the dungeons is a real talent, and one he doesn't quite have naturally, but he completely understands the need to prioritize. ] We don't really have anything that sour where I'm from! Mostly just... tart, I think?

[ Close enough, he supposes. But that next question is too easy. His tail starts to wag behind him. ]

Cheesecake is my favorite though. Custards are pretty good too, and luckily they have both here!

[Nothing sour?! He's really missing out. Mayaka can't help but wonder if there's something she can make here that'll give Laois an idea of what she means.]

That sounds soooo nice. I saw all the cakes and sweets in town but... I hardly have enough pocket money for it.

[Deja vu, much? As a new Lum Berry member, the guild has given her enough to guarantee her basic necessities, and Mayaka is far too responsible to go and splurge the remainder on a sweet treat that seems exorbitant compared to the dry goods from the market. Even though she really wants to.]

[ His ears perk all the way up. Even if she's just being responsible, his big brother instincts can't just let this slide either. ]

I know Lum gives out some kind of allowance, but the great thing about here is you don't really need money. You can get a lot from favors or even bartering! [ Or be like him and ride off of Ribombee's favoritism around town. ] Was there any specific ones you wanted to try last time?

I can do that? [Mayaka instantly brightens at this new piece of information.]

The gingerbread cookies looked nice, and the cheesecake too! Could you show me how to barter for them, Laois-san? [She asks him for guidance without hesitating. Having grown up in a cash-first society, the idea of bartering is completely foreign to her.]

Yeah, and not just for snacks either! You can get whole meals or even accessories sometimes if you want. [ His tail is wagging pretty strongly now. ] It's pretty easy too once you get used to it, so I can show you how to get started.

[ In his excitement, he's failing to warn her that he's far from the expert in that area. Somewhere in the universe, Chilchuck must be shaking his head. ]

Just let me know next time you're shopping in town! I can meet up with you.

Video; I got transported to another world and now my hands are poison?!

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(╥ ω ╥) cute...

he cannot help himself form being big bro!