nexus_crossings | the art of the dress

Of the many stores that cater to the crafting minded, Mantis visited the fabric stores more and more. Winter was almost there and he needed better clothing to keep off the chill and welcome the scant bit of warmth he and his pets would need. There wouldn’t be much to get, only a bit of wool for the little ones. It’s always been his own proportions that have been difficult to manage.

With a few rolls of fabric loaded already in the shopping cart, he leaves Yaga and Francour in the kid seat while he stared hard at his own reflection in a mirror. He’s always been a bit tall, a bit too thin, but he thought at least this could be a point in his unusual life where he’d gain a pound or two. He turned one way, then the other, always checking his figure. At least clothing didn’t require him to be painfully aware of his face.

That said, the measuring tape in his hands made several rounds at different points on his body. It snuck around his chest, his hips, traced along the length of his arms and legs. He sighed loudly and rolled up the measuring tape around his hand before handing it over to Francour for safe keeping. His little espurr took the tape measure reverently and squeaked when Yaga moved closer to lick his head. The catwing pinned the pokemon down more and groomed him with a great deal of care.

“Is it me?” Francour trilled loudly and was allowed up by Yaga. “I thought I was cooking more than I was before.”

Yaga licked his jaws and meowed. “I know I kept feeding Ben. You both got a chance to meet him. You know he can’t cook.”

Mantis walked over to the cart and pulled out a slip of paper from a pants pocket. Yaga rubbed his head against Mantis’s arm while Francour was more content to hold on to the sleeve of his shirt.

“I gained a little bit, but it still needs a lot of work. How am I supposed to safely gain weight if nothing sticks?”

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Mantis jumps slightly hearing Ben's voice, but he's quick to try and calm himself. "You are improving, but at the beginning you- You...' His voice trails off and he holds his hands up, making a small circle and then a larger one. "How did she grow that fast?"

He looks quickly at Francour, who is staring at Morrigan with utter awe. The little espurr waves at the bird. "She's bigger than you now."

The guilty look does make Mantis feel bad for complaining the way he did. "I'll keep feeding you. Morrigan looks large enough she can carry back a meal and a recipe with it, and I'll make every excuse to visit between checking in on you and seeing those two."

"It's a...quirk Pokemon have. This is Morrigan, but she evolved from Rookidee into a Corvisquire. She has one form left, Corviknight. I read a little about the kind of Pokemon she is - Corviknight are used as a taxi service in the world that they come from."

Ben assumes that it's because he's been taking care of her and giving her opportunities to fly and learn on her own. She's a scrappy little bird, even if she's not so little anymore.

"You're welcome to visit at any time. I'm sure Ravage, Soundwave, and the others will enjoy seeing you. And I'm training Morrigan to carry mail, so I'll let you know how we're doing. But yes, I'd appreciate recipes by mail very much. How is Francour?"

"It's impressive. She's going to be as tall and drenched in black as you are." He steps a little closer to Ben and Morrigan, tilting his head to admire the new plumage. "No wonder Ben can't stay in the apartment. It sounds like you'll be taller than both of us."

Yaga has many perches to allow for stimulation in his own apartment, and little Francour has become something of a second chef in the kitchen. Now he's wondering what will set off Francour's evolution if the change is this dramatic between forms.

"Francour likes to watch me in the kitchen and use his own powers to hand me things." He makes a pulling motion with his hand, making the cart come closer. Francour stands up in the kid seat of the shopping cart and trills when Mantis picks him up. His fuzzy head nuzzles up under Mantis's chin. "Yaga is teaching him to show affection."

"The apartment won't have space for her. We'll have to move out, that's true. The Decepticon embassy will have space for her, though she'll go out to the Wilds to stretch her wings some." Morrigan, as if to underscore the point, shows her full wingspan. "The other animals will be coming too, obviously."

The others, granted, aren't as outdoorsy as Morrigan is. The Corvisquire likes going outside, while both porg and catwing are scared of the world outside the apartment. But unlike them Morrigan is from the Wilds.

"So, he gets along with Yaga? That's sweet."

Mantis laughs a little and watches as Francour reaches up to try and touch Morrigan's wings. "As long as she's not bringing home presents. I sometimes get a little mouse or bug from when Yaga finds something."

Yaga is the hunter of the little pack, but Francour has his moments of commanding the kitchen snacks. It's a balance of skills between the two of them.

"Yaga seems to think he's a very large kitten and I don't think Francour has it in him to convince Yaga otherwise." He holds up Francour a little higher. "I know he's an espurr now and he'll turn into something called a mewostic when he's strong enough."

"He's a sweetheart." Ben can't help but beam at the Espurr. "Very friendly, and he clearly loves you. The two of us have a way with animals."

He wonders if Francour's psychic powers and his connection with the Force can intersect, the way his powers allow him to communicate telepathically with Mantis and the Decepticons. It would make sense if things work that way, and it's certainly worth trying.

He decides to tentatively ask Francour himself for permission to touch him, and run a little experiment with both of their powers. He gently knocks at the door of the little creature's mind. Hello, Francour. I'm Mantis's friend, Ben. May I pet you briefly?

"He's like a small child who found out he can have conversations with adults. We've been using our mutual powers to cook and clean up."

Francour focuses his large eyes on Ben and his tiny face becomes more concentrated and serious. It takes a couple of seconds, but he slowly smiles again and holds out one of his paws to Ben.

Ben! Ben, Ben, Ben. Hello Ben. Hello. Hello. You touch. Touch.

Mantis sighs, but there's a happy tone seeping into his voice. "See? It's about the level of a toddler learning to talk."

Ben listens, then gently pats the catlike Pokémon's head. Thank you, Francour. It's good to meet you, too.

He likes having people around with similar powers to his own. There's Rey, of course, they don't have to share the same space to talk by the nature of their dyad, but having other telepaths helps.

"I can talk to animals - to an extent. Their minds are easier to read than humans', and they're better listeners most of the time. I can give Morrigan orders without speaking to her directly."

Of course, Morrigan decides whether to listen or not, though she's grown more obedient as she's evolved and matured.

Francour trills happily and lifts his head up to scratch himself against Ben's palm. His tiny smile grows and he tries holding on to Ben's hand if he tries pulling it away. Ben! Hi Ben. Like Ben.

"Easier, but also difficult in a way. They don't think to the same degree we do most times, so it's hard to get them to really communicate in a meaningful way."

Mantis shakes his head and gives Francour a little scratch beind his neck.

"All my pets are going to have a social skill I like. He likes people."

You're a good friend to Mantis, aren't you? Ben's words and thoughts are a little longer, but he keeps them simple so the Pokemon can understand them.

He can't help but be fond of the Espurr. Francour is a sweetheart, and even Ben's heart melts when he's around the catlike little creature for too long.

He gently strokes the Pokemon on top of the head, the way Pokemon he knows like best.

"Morrigan likes people - I'm training her to help me carry messages here, or if there's ever a situation where I need help."

Francour nods and looks back at Mantis. Like Mantis. He cook. I help!

Mantis pouts slightly at the utter cheer in the espurr's thoughts. It's so...sweet. Francour can't help it, but it's an excess amount of chipper. He picks Francour up a little higher to make it easier for Ben to get some pets in.

"Better than Fracour right now. He's still too small to get around without much assistance."

"That's right. Mantis is a very good cook. I've had enough of his food to know."

Ben strokes the little creature's head gently. Francour is enthusiastic, in his thoughts and in the way he acts, and Ben feels a small thrill when the Pokemon talks to him.

His powers have grown since he came to the Nexus. That, and he's found new uses for them.

Francour leans his head over a lot for Ben, but never too close to the ears. His eyes close as he gets into the touches, and he rumbles a little with a kind of purr.

Ben scratch. Ben good.

"Ben likes to eat more than you do." Mantis doesn't even mind that kind of sweetness. It's refreshing, in its own way, to hear that level of comfort. "Spoiled, the both of you."

the art of the dress

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