World Tree MUSH

Diantha has found an interesting new world to visit, with lots of curious creatures, and a sort of paradise that she can't says she's ever seen even in her lengthy lifespan. From Malie Garden, she shapeshifted into her raven form and took flight, and is now enjoying soaring around above Malie City itself, riding the thermals that rise from its stone streets which warm in the sun. All the while, she watches the humans below with curiosity as they go about their day along with these myserious 'Pokemon' creatures.

    And most likely in a spot Diantha can see from her point of view, someone arrives in Malie City through a nearby Vine. Someone tinged with darkness.

    ... Someone dressed for winter, and carrying a holiday-themed cup of peppermint mocha coffee. Serrah squints at the brightness and heat, and chuckles to herself. "Oh for cryin' out loud," she mutters to herself (and even her voice is different from what it once was). In a burst of shadows, her clothes change from a winter coat to a black T-shirt bearing the text "Perfectly Normal Human Being", and a rainbow-colored skort.

    ... Well ... her fashion sense is the same, at any rate.

    Taking occasional sips of her coffee, she makes her way into Malie Garden, on the basis that hey, it seems as interesting a place to wander as any.

     Diantha would smile as she saw Serrah with her excellent avian vision, would if her mouth wasn't currently a rigid beak. Still, she adjusts her flight pattern to take her in the direction the 'perfectly normal human being' is walking. For some moments she just watches from above, seeing what this old acquaintance might be doing, though she supposes there isn't much one can do during a stroll through a park besides relax and enjoy the scenery. 

     At least that's what she thinks people build these sorts of places for, to have a nice bit of nature amongst the city. In time she comes down to land atop a park bench nearby Serrah, wondering if the woman has any idea she's more than just a raven. There are some brighter purples in her feathers, but in this world, she's decidedly drab by comparison to many flying types.

    At first, Serrah doesn't even notice the raven. Instead, as she approaches the bench, she yawns; up close, she actually looks fairly sleepy. She smiles faintly at the sight of the raven, takes a deep breath, sips from her cup, keeps walking, and then ... stops, backs up a bit, and frowns in confusion at the raven. "... Thought it was only pokemon in this world," she murmurs. "You ... don't look like one."

    She looks around, trying to see if there's anyone else who looks like an outworlder, then glances back towards the Vine she came here through. "... I guess it makes sense that ravens can just sort of ... come through vines, just like anyone else ..."

    ... Her eyes are red. And she has smallish fangs.

     Diantha spreads her wings once more as she leaps and flutters down to land on the ground. A moment later she begins to change shape as the form of the raven suddenly and rapidly grows larger like a balloon, the body elongates and feathers are replaced with fur and skin as her lower and upper half begin to take shape, wings growing into slender elvish arms, those little bird legs and feet growing into long cervine legs and hooves as another pair of legs joins them. her head takes an elvish shape as well complete with very long and pointy ears, and a pair of antlers grow above her forehead as her plant-like hair flows from the back of her head. It's all over in just a moment, but it is an odd sight, and looks like it would be rather painful if it wasn't for the magic that makes it possible in the first place. 

     She smiles up at Serrah and nods. "You got me, I am very much not a Pokemon. Nice to see you again though, it's been quite a while."

    Serrah jumps in surprise at Diantha's sudden transformation. "What the fu--"

    She's suddenly standing several feet away, staring at Diantha. One minute she was right by the bench; the next, she was in her new position, with no time in between. The transition is as abrupt as a video skipping ahead.

    She smirks. "Windsong!" she says. "Holy crap, it feels like it's been ... heh, it's been a lifetime, so to speak." She shakes her head, and runs a hand through her hair. "Wow. How've you been?"

     Diantha frowns a bit. "Sorry, I'd have warned you, but talking with a bird beak is... not something I've yet mastered." She jokes with a grin. "Anyway I've been doing alright, wandering around a lot, still haven't found the world I came from yet... Part of me wonders if I really want to find it, another part hopes that it's problems might be more easily fixed with help from other worlds. I just don't know. I'm from the forest, I didn't get involved with the politics and more complex goings on there, I just know that the various people always seem to be trying to kill each other and the only thing that ever really brought them together was a demonic invasion. Oh, and some of the races are destroying nature, though I guess that's not a problem unique to my world... Anyway, how have you been? You look... good."

    Serrah snorts. "Yeah," she says. "Well, me? I was dead for a year and a half." She shrugs. "A vampire duke turned me. Took us that long to put him six feet back under, and ..." She grimaces. "... the resurrection wasn't quite successful."

    She sips her coffee. "On the bright side, I'm ..." She yawns again. "... still kind of immortal, I think. Plus I can fly." She causally rises a few feet off the ground. "Also I can stop time. Downside is, sunlight is slightly uncomfortable, and my ..." She yawns again. "... okay, I think it's obvious what it did to my sleep schedule, wow."

    She frowns suddenly. "Shit, I forgot my baseballs at Devil May Cry."

     Diantha blinks, even shudders a little at the recount that Serrah was turned into a vampire, and now she's... partly resurrected, whatever the fel that means. "Oh my, sounds like you've had quite the adventure in the meantime... Though that word doesn't really seem to do it justice, I could probably come up with something more fitting in Kaldorei, oh well. Glad you're still around... But." She blinks again, glances up at the bright Alolan sun beaming down at them, and then back at Serrah. "Should we move somewhere more shaded?"

    Serrah nods. "I am now a 'dhampir'," she says. "Apparently on other worlds it means the child of a human and a vampire? But vampires in my world can't have kids, so, uh ... that's not how it works."

    She chuckles. "I kind of wanna hear the Kaldorei version," she says. "Cussing transcends language, sometimes ..." But then she blinks at Diantha's concern. "Oh. No, no, I'm fine," she says hurriedly. "I'm, I'm trying to get used to it. Don't always even notice it ... sometimes." Serrah has not developed into someone willing to admit things. "But, I mean ... if ... you ... wanted to find some shade, I wouldn't, like, run away from it or whatever."

     Diantha ponders a moment and nods. "Hmm, perhaps Alash'anir, more accurately portrays the ordeal you went through. It roughly translates to venom and storm. Anyway, I don't mind the sun, we dryads nor our kaldorei sisters are able to get sunburned, usually, just get a little darker purple. But if it does get to be too uncomfortable don't bear the sun for my sake. Did you have any other plans besides wandering the park here? I could likely go for some food before long. Hard to bring supplies and shift to my raven form."

    Serrah almost looks disappointed by the sound of the cussing. "I mean, 'ordeal' is definitely more accurate than 'adventure'," she says mildly. "Uh ... no plans, really. I was just wandering around, seeing how winter looked in other worlds. Like half of them have some kind of midwinter festival thing going on, at least in the denser population areas." She shrugs. "Some of them even allow outsiders. But, uh." She smiles. "Food does sound good, yeah. I even have some money in the local currency. Which ... is a story of its own. I'm friends with a kid in this world."

     With a laugh, Diantha nods in agreement. "The living dead on my world don't have the best reputation, even among those they are allied with, from what I've overheard. I'm glad you were able to escape the influence of this vampire relatively unscathed. But enough talk about that, I'm sure you're not looking to relive these events. Let's find a place to eat, and you can tell me about your friend. The humans here are rather... curious." She admits as she takes a moment to look around, gathering her bearings, and heading toward town.

    Serrah nods, and follows Diantha several inches above the ground. "His name's Luke Gray," she says. "Uh ... I'm trying to remember, were you at that bank heist with Daaria?" (The Demon Queen's bank robbery, where Holly Winn crashed through a ceiling window.) "I think he was there, too." She shrugs. "Anyway, he and I have helped each other out in a few of our ... of our actual adventures. He's participated in kicking Vincent's ass. Uh, that's Vincent D'Ambrosio, the vampire duke I mentioned. Helped me take him down, too."

     Diantha takes to walking next to Serrah, matching her pace and looking over as she listens to her. "Oh, yes. I believe I was there... Yes! I remember. Surprised now that seeing all these people and Pokemon running around wouldn't have jogged my memory of him earlier. Don't think we got much of a chance to chat back then, so maybe I should try to meet him properly. Glad to hear he helped you out with this D'Ambrosio regardless. I feel a bit ashamed I wasn't around to help also, to be honest."

    Serrah nods. "He's sort of a minor celebrity in this Blossom," she says. "Stuff's unreal, I tell you. Literally all the wildlife in this world is classified as 'Pokemon', and so is some of the plant life."

    She shrugs, and gently pats Diana's shoulder. "Don't worry about it," she says. "It's done, he's permanently dead, and ... aside from being a dhampir now, and this douchebag called 'Mr. Crow' copying Stop the World, there aren't even any wrinkles in the outcome."

     Diantha nods. "It is pretty incredible. I do remember, at least vaguely, Luke's Pokemon, and I've spent a little time watching from above more recently, this is certainly a unique world I think I'll have to spend some more time checking out." She admits, then looks up at a shop as they pass. "Huh... malasada. I guess I'm not going to have any clue what the food here is. You might be a better guide there depending on how much time you've spent here with Luke."

    Serrah nods. "It's all incredible, really," she says, sipping at her coffee. There's a slurping sound, and she peers inside, finding it basically empty. "The World Tree, I mean," she continues. "Fighting demons every so often ... tiny robots ... busting up a smuggler operation ..." She winces at that last memory for some reason. "... getting stuck in a space station fighting people who were turned into zombies by aboleths ..." She shrugs.

    She looks at the store. "Hm ... I'm not familiar with this region in particular, but I know what malasadas are. Sweet fried dough pastries. I don't think I've actually had 'em before."

     Diantha gives a grin at all the 'excitement' Serrah is spouting off about, making her realize she's really been missing out on a lot of things going on across the tree lately. "Well, if any new incredible opportunities come your way, give me a yell, I'd love to join you for some excitement and lend a hand to help out around the tree, I really should do more of that. Anyway, Malasada, sweet you say? Well, I guess we can try them together unless you have a better idea." She offers as she quickly slips inside.

    "I'll make a note of it!" Serrah answers. "I've only had a few since I go, uh, un-vamped."

    She carefully follows the centaur-like dryad into the building. "Yeah, malasadas definitely sound like a good idea right about now," she says. "My treat." She scoots ahead of Diantha and gets in line, smiling faintly.