pidge_out | Victory Road IC Inbox

[Shhhh, don't spoil her fun.]

[At first, Rover doesn't like that the game has changed. That's super rude to switch on him! But he quickly gets into this new one, attempting to peck at her paw every time he sees it come at him. His trilling almost sounds like a growl, but it's really just because he's excited.]

[And then Pidge gives Shiro a petulant look at that, but it's clear she's not taking the comment too hard.] Har har har. I'm not as bad as he is, okay?

[She'll leave Rover to his playtime, though, turning back to get herself a slice of this amazing-looking cake. And also to take a quick picture of it and send it off to Lance and Hunk by way of an invite.] Well, now she gets to have an aggressive owl to wrestle with, too. I should really let him battle more to let that energy out.

[That's his job!]

[Bat bat bat!! Keep trying Rover! As long as you can't fit under the couch, she's going to win this game. There may even be another paw appearing from under there too. A black one, ringed with yellow. Luna has brought reinforcements!]

[He just raises an eyebrow at her.] You can be. But that's all right. You're our aggressive grass owl.

[He knocks into her shoulder lightly.]

Yeah, that might help. Have you ever thought of doing the training circuit? Gyms and everything?

[Don't be rude, daddy. :C]

[Rover flutters up a bit in surprise when a new paw enters the fray. And then his feathers are fluffing up again and he's having at all the paws with frankly way too much energy. Even if he doesn't seem to be winning, he's enjoying the challenge.]

[Pidge glances up at Shiro with a smirk and knocks right back into him.] Taking that as a compliment.

Ehh, not really. I mean we did the whole wandering around and camping thing and that was all right, but I don't really get the appeal of the gym thing.

[When a Meowth and an Umbreon hide under a couch... they gang up on Rovers. Batting at him from all angles, even. When he hops at one, the other bats at him from behind. Come on owl! They have you now!]

[He laughs a little. Expression briefly lifting, like it had when she walked in.] Okay, good. Meant it that way.

It'd help Rover expend some of his energy. He'd even get stronger. And so would you.

[Rover flutters up, just enough to keep him hovering over the floor, and starts attempting to bat at all the paws by stomping his little owl feet at them. Never give up! Never surrender!!]

[Pidge puffs up her chest a little at that, mouth full of chocolate peanut butter cake and muffling her words when she speak.] You don't think I'm strong?

Oh, no. You're one of the strongest people I know. But... you could be stronger.

Anyone could.

[How's that for a challenge, Pidge? He's calling you out.]

[That's right Rover. Keep playing with the paws. Keep trying to get them. You know you want them. Just ignore the sound of heavy feet approaching you... slowly... steadily...]

[Nothing to see here.]

[Her eyes narrow ever so slightly; she knows what you're doing, Shiro.

It really shouldn't work... and yet it does.]

...I'll think about it.

[Rover is just... way too excited right now. Bapping at paws and fluttering and trilling and so much playing!! He doesn't know that anything else is even going on at the moment. Must catch paws!!]

[Does he know you, or does he know you, Pidge?]

All right. Just ... let me know what you decide. Maybe we can do some training.

[Maybe he'll let her win, even.]

[As Rover hops about, distracted. Big hands reach down. Hello Rover. Have you met Shiro's Incineroar?]

[How dare you, Space Father.]

..Well, I guess training's not a bad start. Even if we don't do the whole gym circuit thing.

[Rover does whatever the Rowlet equivalent of screaming and flailing is. Because he definitely didn't expect Big Hands to come down around him, and oh no is the game over he doesn't want to stop playing but THAT IS A VERY BIG CAT.]

[Shush you love him.]

Nah, it's not. It's a lot of fun for these guys too. They like the whole battle thing.

[They really like it. Or most of them do, anyway.]

[Like the Incineroar currently holding Rover like a particularly curious football. Turning him over and around in her hands. What is this weird orb??]

[She does. Behold her suffering.]

Yeah... I know Rover really does.

[Speaking of Rover, he's struggling to break free of Big Cat Hands. How dare you Rowlet-handle him and roll him around and around like a ball. Rude! RUDE!!

He's flapping his wings wildly and trying to fly up to freedom, making all sorts of wild indignant noises. Who are you, cat?! You are no Luna!]

[And upon hearing all this noise, Pidge just looks toward the living room area with a slight frown.]

...Since it sounds like he's always picking fights with every other monster in the house.

[Shiro's head whips around at Rover's noises. But as soon as he realizes who it is that's holding the owl, he relaxes. It's just one of the muscle cats. They're showoffs, they're big on fights and wrestling, but... they're also careful around the smaller pokemon.]

He's welcome to try. She could probably chuck him.

[But Red does not. The Incineroar only sets Rover down. Gently. and pats him on his little orb head.]

[The whole way down the floor he's huffing, feathers fluffed and body trembling, and as soon as he's on the floor he's still bouncing in place and trilling indignantly at the big cat. So what if he's literally 1/8 her size?! He can take her. Absolutely.

And Pidge just looks on with a little sigh, eating some more cake.]

I don't think that would even slow him down.

[Rover can bounce around all he wants. The problem with that is he's surrounded by cats. Who like orb-shaped objects rolling and bouncing around. Two pairs of eyes poke from under the couch. And the Incineroar's eyes do that huge "i can see the universe" thing.]

[Run, Rover.]

... you'd be surprised.

[Pidge sighs around a mouthful.] We'll see about that.

[Because Rover isn't even deterred. So it's a big group of big cats. So what? He can fly. That is clearly an advantage.

He'll even reassert that advantage by fluttering up into the air until he's eye-level with the Incineroar, making all sorts of noise right in her face. Come at me! Come at me!]

Let me hope.

[Luna is slowly stalking out from under the couch. Shiro's Umbreon is right behind -- acting way more like a cat than a fox... rabbit... thing.]

[The Incineroar, however, just stares. Her eyes are huge. And then, quickly, she reaches out one huge paw-hand. To bat at Rover. Hopefully she pulls her strength back.]

[Pidge doesn't say anything to that. Just hums around a new mouthful of cake while she watches Rover with the other Pokémon.

Rover, who decides to immediately dodge that reach with a dive at Incineroar's face. And then starts stamping his feet repeatedly at her nose. He's not using the talons, at least. But see how mighty he is! So threatening! So powerful!]

[Rover no.]

[The Incineroar just chuffs at him. And moves to literally snatch Rover out of the air. Come here. Let her hug you tiny owl man.]

[Okay Rover is maybe not quite agile enough to dodge that reach. So he's maybe getting pulled into the Incineroar's grip with several loud squeaks of alarm and surprise. Rude!! He was being so mighty, how very dare!!]

[Pidge can only sigh.]

He really has no idea how small and round he is.

[Shhh no, don't try to escape, little orb. She thinks you're adorable!! Let the muscle cat hug you forever. You can come hang out with the other ones, and they'll play with you for days.]

... I guess he's fitting for you, like that.

[Because you don't care about your size, Pidge.]

[That's true, Shiro. She doesn't. Which is why she's going to knock into him lightly by way of protest.]

Rude.

[But again, she also doesn't care, and that comes across in the deadpan tone of voice.]

[Rover, on the other hand, has a much more violent way of protesting. Squabbling and wriggling and trying so hard to flap his wings. He doesn't know the Big Cat! He likes the littler cat, and the dark one. Big Cat has caught him and clearly this is against some rule.]

You know I'm right.

[He nudges her back. Grinning. It's her birthday, so he's going to needle her a little. Like true family.]

[Look, Rover. You're not as buff as Red is. She's probably ten times your level, buddy. Just settle down and accept this affection.]

[She makes a face, but she does know he's right. And honestly she wouldn't have it any other way. Rover is a unique beast, and as much as he wears Pidge out, she does care about him a lot.]

He's still worse.

[What is affection. Can it be beaten into submission? Will it make him stronger?

He's totally looking to the other two Pokémon and making a noise in their general direction. Was this all a trap?! He thought they were bonding!]

[Make faces all you want, Pidge. You know he cares -- this is how you know. He teases. You're not really a member of Team Voltron unless you're teased a little.]

Okay. Yeah. But I do remember you going after a few people five times your size before.

[And winning.]

[The two other pokemon just hop up on the Incineroar's shoulders, with Luna purring. Yes, see? It's bonding!]

[Okay, she can't help it; Pidge preens a little at the memory. Her chest puffs up a little as she swallows another mouthful of cake.]

To be fair, all the Galra are pretty huge.

[Shiro doesn't even know who all she's taken down by now.]

[Rover just stares at them for a moment with those big owl eyes. He still feels betrayed! But of course now that he's not wriggling around to break free it's easier to see that he's being held the way Pidge does sometimes. And that's not so bad.

So with a sigh that's more like a low trill, he settles down. Fine. Bond away.]

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shiro2hero - 2019-05-01 04:49 (UTC) - Expand