#vera dachsbun

[redolentgrove]

A Striking Revelation

((Note: the following post has a description of implied threats of familial abuse, divorce, and a somewhat gross description of the "stuffy head-ass" trope. Discretion is advised.))

"Mister and Mrs. Carême, we're here."

The sun was tall in the sky now. It had taken a few careful hours of movement and some brief water breaks, but Loki had arrived at Undella Town's most famous villa. A cart full of flowers trailed behind her, and inside the cart, a Dachsbun and a Furfrou served as passengers. The Dachsbun named Vera looked over at the taur with a slight grunt.

"Ugh, finally. You're lucky you got here just in time for our decorators. We might have enough time to get things set just before the guests arrive."

Vera's voice seethed with dissatisfaction, which, somehow, Loki read as an improvement to the Dachsbun's earlier attitude. The fairy-type looked over at her husband Hugh, who had begun to nod off during the last bit of the journey. She nudged the Furfrou with an elbow, hissing at him to wake up. The startled poodle yipped and bolted awake, looking over at his wife with groggy brown eyes.

"Wh- are we finally here? That ride was so smooth I started falling asleep…" Hugh yawned casually, covering his snout with a paw while gently sliding over toward Vera. "I hardly felt a thing."

"That's because you sleep like a Komala, you overly fuzzy oaf," Vera snapped, moving a few flower bunches around to keep them safe. She then undid the safety latch on the back of the cart, stepping off with a brush of her dress while motioning at the Furfrou to follow her. Hugh did so amicably, though he seemed far less concerned about dust and unsettled clothing when doing so.

"Are you safely out of the cart?" Loki asked, venturing a glance behind herself. She then took a moment to take in the sight of the villa. She remembered a time when it had been owned by members of the region's Elite Four, and even frequented by the Sinnohian champion. It was then formerly owned by some of the most elite battlers of the world, and now it was apparently under the care of the Carême family. One could only imagine how much such a place would have cost when it came available. Then again, the old adage was, 'if you have to ask, you can't afford it.' So Loki didn't bother to ask; she just admired it.

"Quit gawking; you're lucky to even get to see the damn place." Vera's voice snapped the taur out of her stroll down memory lane, and continued to fling barbed words at her. "Honestly, Hugh, can you believe this commoner? She has the look of a pampered housepet who's stepped outside her front lawn for the first time, all over a simple villa…"

"Vera, did you call Martin and Quincy to let them know we were arriving?" Hugh interjected, seemingly catching the incredible negative energy radiating from his wife's words. "I trust you weren't expecting our florist to hand-deliver the flowers to our floral artist…"

"Of course I called them!" the Dachsbun retorted almost immediately, with a deeply indignant huff. "And do you really think I'm letting this common rabble set a single toe inside the villa? Of course not! She's not on the guest list, after all!" Vera glared a dagger at the Furfrou, just as a pair of Granbull anthros arrived to the group, each with a smaller, but still spacious, handcart in tow.

"Miss Vera, these are the forty-five dozen flowers for Mister Charles to arrange, I presume?" the Granbull on the left asked, earning an equally sharp glance from the Dachsbun.

"No, Martin, they're tumbleweeds - of course these are the flowers, you absolute dullard! Now, you and Quincy get these into the villa before Charles loses his mind! I swear, that Stoutland is a mastercraft when it comes to arranging flowers, but he goes absolutely bonkers when he has nothing to do on his plate…"

"Miss Vera, you didn't tell me you picked such a beautiful florist," the Granbull on the right chimed in as he joined his companion in beginning to load the flowers into their respective carts. "She looks like she stepped out of a fairy tale…"

"Aww, thank you so much, dear," Loki replied, blushing slightly at the dog's compliments. "That's really quite flattering of you to say…"

"Shut up, Quincy," Vera snapped. "She looks like she stepped out of some sort of strange science-fiction machine, not a fairy tale! Seriously, it's like someone took a Leafeon, grafted a Gracidea flower onto its side, gave it an anthro body-"

"Vera, that's enough-" Hugh began, before being cut off by his wife.

"Never interrupt me, Hugh! Anyway… it's like they did all that, slapped an anthro body where the head should be, and just for good measure, decided to accent it with purple like it's dying or something! This isn't normal; it's like some Arceus-forsaken experiment to make some sort of exotic housepet like you see with all those strange mixtures of dog Pokemon! This is a bastardised mess! A walking, talking plant, not a Pokemon!"

"You shut your yapper right now before I smack it off of you!"

Everyone's heads whipped to view the owner of the voice that had so suddenly screamed out from behind Vera, though Martin and Quincy still continued loading the last of the flower bouquets into their carts. It was Millie, standing with balled fists and narrowed eyes, growling almost ferally as she stomped up toward her mother.

"Millie, how did you get here so quickly?" Hugh whispered, a query that was very obviously ignored by the younger Dachsbun.

"You are unbelievable," Millie snarled, getting into her mom's face with a sudden, reckless abandon. "That sweet, loving woman dropped everything to get you those flowers at a moment's notice, stood with you to make sure the order was right, brought them all here with zero expectations of a tip or anything extra, and you resort to calling her a housepet?"

"Mille-Feuille Bonaparte Carême, you mind your own business, you little whelp," the elder Dachsbun rasped, clearly taken aback by the younger fairy-dog's actions. The two Granbulls, carts now full, used this opportunity to slowly, awkwardly turn and head toward the villa, running as fast as safely possible once they were out of any potential splash zone, so to speak. "I don't care if you and this… thing's-"

"She is not a thing!" Millie's reaction was swift and immediate, leaving Loki humbly standing there, still attached to her cart. Even if the taur wanted to, she couldn't really get between the two with her lack of mobility to the sides. She could only listen to the youth's outburst helplessly. "Miss Loki has done nothing but be kind to you despite you bad-mouthing and doubting every step she's taken! Can't you just be grateful, for once in your pathetic, overbearing life, that someone else has some sort of grace and humility even when faced with your… your-"

"My what?" Vera's left hand raised threateningly, balling into a fist. "Choose your words very carefully, child, or else-"

The elder Dachsbun's words stopped cold when she felt a hand grab onto her left wrist. She looked back to see Hugh's rage-filled snout staring back at her, eyes locked on his wife's.

"That is more than enough," the Furfrou snarled. "If you so much as lay a finger on our daughter, you'll only wish that you could escape that scenario with death."

Vera let out a loud gulping noise. She weakly began lowering her fist, still quivering with rage, but now, also… fear. Fear that the Furfrou had reached the point where he actually spoke against her. Fear from his words. She could see the fear and anger that had manifested in Millie's face, still bracing for a potential impact that might or might not come. And then suddenly, she realised, Loki was still there, having witnessed everything. This was a disaster, unquestionably.

"Now then." Hugh's voice cut through the silence at long last. The taur steered herself and her cart a bit so she could walk up to the Furfrou. "Vera, I believe you owe this woman something?" he continued, gesturing toward the elder Dachsbun.

Vera stood palely and looked at Loki, with an expression the taur could only read as 'a guilty child who's just been caught doing something wrong.' The Dachsbun murmured quietly to herself, before looking over at the taur with a ghostly expression.

"I… I'm sorry."

Loki could sense a mixture of emotions in the canine's voice and visage. There was certainly some genuine regret, but she could also tell how forced the apology seemed, that there wasn't a full understanding that the fairy-dog was in the wrong. And that she really didn't want to take back those words. But the taur decided to be the bigger 'mon in this scenario, nodding back at Vera politely.

"Thank you. Apologies accepted." She offered a gentle smile, though she stopped short of offering a handshake. Who knows what the Dachsbun could have planned had she tried that. She decided to use this as an easy way to make her exit. "I'm glad I was able to get your flowers here safely. I'll leave you three some time to collect yourselves before your rehearsal dinner. Bijoux is probably wondering where I am by now, so… good-bye."

Loki had started to trot off with her cart, when…

"Wait, Miss Loki!"

The taur stopped. Vera had already left toward the villa, but Hugh and Millie came running up beside Loki's cart, and the Furfrou looked over at the two, one after the other. "I'm… terribly sorry to impose this on you, but, would you mind watching Mille-Feuille for a while? Perhaps until it's time for her to go to Harmonia? If Vera was so willing to raise a fist to strike her, I don't feel safe having her near our daughter. And you seem to have a good rapport with Mille-Feuille, and your daughter does, and I just don't want…"

Loki raised her left hand gently to stop the dog's ramblings. "Of course, Mister Carême. I completely understand."

"Just Hugh will suffice, thank you, Miss Loki."

"Just Loki will suffice, Hugh." She smiled warmly at the Furfrou, then looked over to Millie. "Millie, would you like a ride back to White Forest with me?" She knelt her body down slightly, offering the young Dachsbun a space on her back. "Honestly, I think you'll be more comfortable here than in that cart."

Millie stared at Loki with gleaming eyes. "Wait… you're serious? You'd actually let me ride on your back? But my mom…"

Loki shook her head. "You're not your mom. You've made that more than apparent today. You stood up for me when nobody asked you to, risked her wrath, and even got your father to stand up to her as a bonus. I'd say that deserves a lot better than just being allowed to ride on a centaur's back, but honestly, that's all I can really offer right now. I'll have to get a bed made up; I haven't had a bipedal guest out here in ages, but I'm sure I can make it happen."

Millie gently positioned herself on Loki's back as the taur rose up, the Dachsbun gently wrapping her arms around the hybrid's stomach and sinking gently into her leafy fluff. Her nose became filled with the scents of lavender and the Gracidea flower on the taur's flank, immediately sinking the canine into a state of ease and trust. "But what about you, Dad?" she murmured, looking over at the Furfrou. "I mean, I know I'm safe, but what if she tries to hit you?"

Hugh shook his head softly, leaning in and patting Millie on the forehead, before standing in front of Loki with a grateful smile. "I'm not worried about myself. She can deal with the consequence of potentially losing her daughter forever and pin that entirely on me. She forgets that we have joint ownership of most of the assets, and that if she tries to attack me, I'll probably be able to get a lot more in a divorce settlement."

Loki looked at Hugh, and gently held out her left hand for the Furfrou, who happily took it in a handshake. "You're a smart man, Hugh," the taur remarked. "Was… Vera always like this?"

"Not before she got the inheritance, no…" the Furfrou explained. "She was a lot more humble and loving, but money and status changed her…"

The taur nodded softly. "A sentiment I know all too well. Sadly, she's far from the first or last Pokemon to be wooed by fortunes and social pecking orders. Look, I don't want to linger. I want to get Millie back to White Forest before sundown so I can set up a bed and proper shelter for her… and if you could possibly at some point, Hugh-"

The Furfrou smiled brightly. "Get her belongings? Gladly. I'll bring them by tomorrow morning; she'll have clean clothing, grooming supplies, everything she needs. And, really, Loki, thank you so much again for looking after my dear little girl; and I truly regret that things happened the way they did." The canine took out a checkbook and wrote a check, this one for five million Poke, before handing it to the taur.

"Hugh, really, it's nothing, you don't have to-" She tried to deny the check, but the Furfrou basically slammed it into her hand before wiping his paws clean of the matter.

"I insist. Think of it as a tip from the flower arrangements. Honestly, you definitely underquoted Vera, and with the developments I doubt she's going to be interested in paying for Mille-Feuille's schooling and such, so…"

Loki begrudgingly took the check, stashing it into her saddlebag with a somewhat forced smile. "I'll see that Millie is well cared for, Hugh. Thank you again for… absolutely going far beyond what you ever should have."

Hugh let out a little sigh of grouchiness. "Loki, honestly…"

The taur shook her head softly. "I'm sorry, Hugh. Vera's gone; I don't have to put up that façade of humility anymore. Genuinely, thank you. I wish you weren't Pidgey-holed into this situation, but… I'm glad my initial thoughts about you were right."

Hugh's brow perked. "Initial thoughts?"

Loki nodded. "That Millie clearly got her good manners from you, and that she was able to grow up with at least one parent whose head wasn't so far up their ass that it was basically digesting in their stomach."

Hugh stepped back in shock. "Loki!!! My word…" The Furfrou chuckled mirthfully. "…as much as you're not wrong, still!"

Millie looked up at Loki. "I only wish you had been able to say that to Mom's face…"

Everyone shared a deep-throated laugh at that remark. Once that was done, the Furfrou looked over at Millie one last time, patting her on the head and saying his good-byes.

"Be good for Loki, okay? I'll try to see you when I can, but it's going to be an awkward talk with Katherine as to why you're not at her wedding…"

Millie shook her head. "Honestly? I think everyone will know pretty quickly why I'm not there. Just say Mom's name and I'm pretty sure the collective room will be like 'yeah, okay' and understand. Give her and Stephane my best, though!"

Hugh shrugged his shoulders. "I hope so. And of course, I'll send all your love their way. Good-bye, Mille-Feuille. Good-bye, Loki." With that, Hugh left back toward the villa, leaving just Loki, her cart, and of course, Millie, who gently bounced on the taur's back with excitement.

"Loki, do you think Bijoux is gonna be shocked when I show up with you back at White Forest?" Millie asked, sniffing at Loki's leafy ears with curiosity. "Gosh, you smell nice…"

"If you were able to tell her anything about your parents," Loki began, leaning gently into Millie's nosings, "I think she's going to understand full well why I came back with you in tow. Hold on tightly, okay? I'm gonna try and go a bit faster than I took your parents here…"

And with that, Loki bolted forth, cart in tow, Millie on her back, on the road back to Redolent Grove…

[eleccy]

AA4 Pokemon AU

I wanna put together a Pokemon AU for AA4 but they were never lawyers. Just Pokemon trainers.

Here's what Pokemon I think everyone would have and their trainer classes.

Apollo - Pokemon Trainer:

Pidgey -> Pidgeotto -> Pidgeot

Kristoph - The Pokemon Professor:

Persian, Dragonair

Arcanine - Vongole

Phoenix - Weird Guy/Former Gym Leader?:

Grimer (he has a secret team that will sweep the fuck out of you. I think he should battle Kristoph at some point)

Trucy - Magician:

Fletchling (I have literally no other reason for this other than that I think the contrast of Fletchling's red would look gorgeous next to Trucy's blue outfit and I think it'd be so cute)

Buneary

Olga Orly - Waitress/Dealer/Team Rocket??:

Raticate

Winston Payne - Gym Leader (the first one Apollo encounters):

Magikarp

(Originally Winston is quite cruel, insulting Magikarp for its uselessness.

Apollo tells him to try to be nicer.

"Nice? Kid, I've been doing this for twenty years! I know what I'm doing! Kids today…"

His gym is actually a no-type gym, not a water gym.)

Shadi Enigmar - Still in hiding:

Alakazam

(Zak is never killed here.)

The Judge - ??? he would be so useless here because they're not lawyers lol. He's retired. He has Voltorb, it's a bald joke

Klavier - Rock Star:

Dragonite

Big Wins - Mafia Boss/Baker:

Hariyama

Little Plum - Mafia Boss/Baker:

Vileplume

Wocky Kitaki - Gangster:

Sneasel

Guy Eldoon - Restauranteur/Doctor:

Dachsbun "Spoon"

Chansey

Pal Meraktis - Doctor:

Chansey

Alita Tiala - Nurse:

Staravia

Alita looks so much like Winona, a flying type Gym Leader. I would have to give her only Flying types like Wingull.

Ema Skye - Forensics:

She probably has Trubbish to help her dig through the trash.

Wesley Stickler - Student:

Magnemite

Lamiroir - Singer:

Wigglytuff

Romein Letouse - Bodyguard:

Machoke - I feel like Machokes would be used in the security business

Daryan: 2nd guitar

Toxitricity - was going to give to Klav but it seemed to fit him better

Vera - Artist:

Mareep (when young) -> Flaaffy (this is another headcanon where I have no real reason but I think it would look really cute with her character design)

Teddiursa (because of the teddy bear sketchbook) - It's funny if it evolves into Ursaring and then is very overprotective of her like a Papa Bear

Drew Misham - Artist:

Smeargle

I still haven't decided what Machi, Valant and Brushel might have

Edit: Machi probably has Jigglypuff, Valant has a Psyduck, and Brushel has... Zubat? idk

[redolentgrove]

"For the last time, Mille-Feuille, darling, your father and I have a business deal to close with this 'Loki' who promised us the most gorgeous display for Madeleine's wedding tomorrow. Personally, I doubt any one Pokemon could produce as many flowers as she requested, but at least this florist made an attempt to provide as much as she could!"

A shiny Dachsbun anthro, clad in her Harmonia University uniform, followed along behind a pair of much more spiffily-dressed canines. There was a Dachsbun female, non-shiny, and a Furfrou male, shiny, in a Debutante trim, the former wearing a long white "mermaid-style" dress and holding a black handbag, and the latter in a dapper purple tuxdeo. They both carried hot-to-trot attitudes, the Dachsbun more than the Furfrou, much unlike their daughter, who clearly wasn't sure why she was here to begin with. Usually if she wasn't in some sort of gala-level get-up, her elders would refuse to be seen near her.

Morning birds sang and the grass buzzed with fresh dewdrops. The sun had barely begun to rise over the horizon, still obscured by many of White Forest's treelines. But in a particular Redolent Grove, there were little clearings where the rising sun was quite visible, a harbinger of another hot, summer day to come.

"Look, Mom," the younger canid began, "that's not really what I meant. I mean… why do you want me here if I'm just going to be in this university clothing? Don't you usually like me being in, oh, I don't know… some sort of elevated level of clothing? Some sort of label, a designer ballgown, heels, anything to actually seem like I'm related to you besides just being a Dachsbun? And why are you so dressed up for that matter? For a forest?"

The elder fairy cackled. "Oh, for once you're not here to look good, Mille-Feuille," she chimed, her tail wagging heatedly. "No, I want you here because I caught wind that our florist happens to have a child attending school with you next year, and I want you to show our dear 'Loki' that we're not that far above her, despite what any paychecks and estates would , even though your father and I wish to maintain our… elegance, despite the climates. You're our... humility belt, as it were.

"Har-har. And her child? Yeah, you mean Bijoux." Mille-Feuille perked her left brow. "I told you all about her when I got back from the tour, remember? They ended up assigning us to the same dorm as roommates… she's the shiny Cinccino-taur in all of the pictures I showed you."

"Ah, this '-taur' thing…" The Furfrou interjected himself into the conversation uneasily, but carried forward. "I spoke with miss Loki over the phone; she said she was one as well. Remind me, Mille-Feuille… what exactly does that mean, per se? It sounds a bit like 'tower;' does that mean she's going to be especially tall? I can't imagine how good one would be with flowers as a giant… suddenly I'm a bit worried."

"I can assure you, good sir, that I'm no giant."

The three canids all whipped their heads to the voice's source. Loki stepped out from behind a tree to show herself, causing all three of them to step back in varied degrees of shock. The two elder Pokemon, much more pronouncedly, while Mille-Feuille seemed to only slightly quiver. It was almost forced, like she just didn't want to make her parents look bad.

"Dear Arceus…" The elder Dachsbun woman covered her snout. "You're a Shaymin? And a hybrid, no less! But darling, that limb count, the ears, all superfluous… I suppose this would be one of the… very few mixtures of Shaymin that pulls together a cohesive look, but still…"

Loki watched the group with perked ears, trying to judge if this dog was just being the standard brand of snooty, or if she was going to have to end up getting something to use for self-defence, or to beat some sense. She narrowed her eyes. "That, dear lady, is not a compliment. Not exactly the greatest way to a first impression, no, no…"

The Furfrou shook his head and bowed slightly before the Dachsbun could protest. "Ah - l-listen, miss Loki, I do apologise for my wife; she's… incredibly blunt with her words. Anyway… I'm Hugh Carême; we spoke over the phone earlier this morning. This is my wife, Vera, and my daughter, Mille-Feuille." He offered Loki a handpaw to shake. He was clearly there for damage control, a notion that most merchants would greatly appreciate.

Loki smiled at Hugh. Okay. At least one of the parents isn't a total head-ass. I feel bad for the kid, though. She really doesn't look like she's enjoying this at all. She accepted the offer gladly, also returning the bow briefly before standing back up. "Ah yes, the Carême family… you had quite a challenging order! Ten dozen white roses, ten dozen black roses, ten dozen purple roses, ten dozen pink roses, five dozen Gracidea flowers… I'll return momentarily."

Vera tapped a footpaw impatiently. "Yes, yes; I'm well aware of our order, now the question is, did you actually fulfill it…"

"Mom, don't start," Mille-Feuille protested briefly, as Loki stepped cautiously away from the trio, "I mean, you do remember the last florist you did this to banned us from her shop entirely? Miss Loki is one of the only florists Dad called that didn't have all our numbers and faces on a 'do not serve' file!"

"Now, Mille-Feuille," Vera rebutted, "A woman knows what she wants, and does what she must, to get it. Feelings are not part of a job description, and let no one convince you otherwise."

"Dad! Can you talk some sense into her for once and tell her to stop trying to make enemies with everyone she meets?"

Hugh just shook his head and turned to the right, clearly knowing better than to even try at this point. Some would have called him a genius, others would consider him a coward. Either way, it was a survival instinct to him.

"Smartest thing he's said all year," Vera mumbled. "Now, where is that florist with my flowers…"

"Madeleine's flowers," Mille-Feuille countered. "These are for her wedding, remember? This isn't about you for once…" She could feel Vera's preparation of a verbal lashing, but just then…

"Well, I've got the cart packed. You said the event was in Undella Town?" Loki returned to the group, outfitted with a harness that attached herself to a wooden cart. Inside the cart, there were many bundles of flowers… forty-five dozen, to be exact. All of the requested colours, all of them arranged in precise order and pruned to perfection. "Ah, but wait, before we go…"

"Of course, time to shake me down for money, I get it…" Vera reached into her handbag.

"No, no, miss Carême, not yet; I was going to say, you should look and count your order, make sure it's all correct." Loki gestured to her to come forward and look into the cart. "Wouldn't want to get all the way to Undella and miss a single stem, would we? You'll pay me once the count's right. And before we get there, we should make sure your order's complete. You'd like to do so alone, I presume? I won't hover; wouldn't want me creating a rush or a false sense of counting."

"Smart; I trust my numbers way more than yours. Glad to see there's a brain in your head after all." Vera gestured her head toward the Furfrou. "Hugh, I swear to Arceus, stop moping over there and put that mathematical brain of yours to actual use, why don't you? And Mille-Feuille… you seem to know how to speak to these 'taur' creatures; ask if your little friend is around to see you." She and Hugh went over to the back of the cart, looking carefully and counting through the bundles, sorting them back into colours to keep track.

I'm right here, you know. But Loki let the comments slide; words were only words and the ones disparaging her looks had long since lost their punch. But maybe it'd be better for the little one to be away from your influence for a bit.

"Miss… Loki?" Mille-Feuille walked over to Loki's front right flank, admiring the size of her Gracidea bloom while her parents toiled in their inspection. She was surprised that she was taller than yet another Pokemon-taur, given that most of the legends spoke of them being rather large. She tried not to stare too long, not wanting to give off the wrong impression.

"You don't want to be here right now, do you, Mille-Feuille?" Loki asked in a hushed tone, her right ear perked slightly. "You've had the most uneasy look on your face since the instant I saw you…"

"Uh… really, I'd just prefer Millie," the teen whispered, her snout wrinkling. "And no, ma'am, but n-not because of you! I promise! I just… our family's Undella villa, this wedding…" She looked over at her parents, causing Loki to raise a hand.

"Say no more. You must be the roommate Bijoux's been so excited to move in with next year." She handed Millie a single Gracidea bloom and a forest map. "Keep this one between us, okay?"

"M-miss Loki, I couldn't-"

"I'd prefer just Loki," the hybrid replied, with a kind smile. "At this time of day? Bijoux's probably over by the eastern lake clearing. I'm sure she could use the sight of a friendly face."

"How did you know I was Bijoux's roommate? You didn't show up until well after I said that."

Loki wiggled her ears. "You think these things are just for catching radio signals and being giant leaves? I heard a lot more than you think I did, Millie… and it doesn't help that I was behind that tree for a good five minutes before you even got here. Now, make an escape, before they realise what I'm doing. I'll buy you until sundown, okay?"

"T-thank you…" Millie ran off, and about a minute later, Vera returned to Loki with an angry huff. Hugh strode right behind her, clearing his throat as he announced their findings.

"Okay, that's… ten dozen white roses, ten dozen black roses, ten dozen pink roses, ten dozen purple roses, and five dozen Gracideas. Forty-five dozen, all accounted for, all prim and proper, beautifully trimmed, perfect condition. Miss Loki, you've done the impossible!"

"What can I say," Loki said with a shrug. "This hybrid mix is like the Midas touch for flowers; you ask for it, I'll make it happen."

"Damn you for being right," Vera fussed, reaching into her handbag once again and pulling out her checkbook, beginning to date and sign the topmost one. "What was the quote again, two million?"

"Two million, yes ma'am." Loki watched Vera finish the check with a proud hum.

"Here." The Dachsbun sighed defeatedly and handed Loki the check. "Didn't think you had a ghost of a chance to pull it off, but guess I'm eating Honchkrow pie tonight. Whatever. Are we going to Undella Town now?"

"Of course." Loki put the check in her saddlebag, and looked back at her cart. "There should be some seating space in the cart, just hop on in amongst your flowers and-"

"Are you insane!?" the Dachsbun interjected. "Ride in a cart; what is this, a family Halloween adventure? I'm not walking; If I'm being chauffeured, it's on your back or bust."

Loki's eyes narrowed. "No, ma'am, I don't think that's going to be happening; I'm not a ride Pokemon. Not unless you're willing to write another two million check…"

Vera scoffed. "Two million to go one route on a taur's back… maybe a cross-Unova expedition, but not that short of a distance!"

Loki smiled broadly. "Didn't think so. Besides, don't you want to be close to the flowers, miss Carême? If you're riding in the cart, you can make sure they don't get damaged in the transport process! Do you really think you can trust just one set of eyes back there to keep everything safe?"

Vera looked back at Hugh, who let out a bit of a whine. Loki flashed a brief look of apology before she could be spotted, and as the Dachsbun's eyes returned to Loki's…

"Damn it! Fine. You're right; I can't trust Hugh with anything that isn't mathematics. Poor bastard gets lost finding his wardrobe every morning. I can't argue I'd rather see things firsthand and make sure nothing happens, after all the work you did to make these." The last words seethed in a seeming protest, but Vera knew when she had been beaten.

She and Hugh carefully arranged the floral bundles to make themselves room in the cart, and once the two were in, Hugh closed the cart's back gate to lock themselves in safely.

"Is the safety latch locked tightly back there?" Loki questioned. "I can't unharness myself without causing you to tilt, and I don't want to risk the flowers being smashed…"

Vera waved Loki off with a nod. "Yes… my husband sealed everything; you're good to go. Say… what did you give my daughter up there?"

"Your daughter? Oh, Mille-Feuille… ah, yes, I gave her a forest map. She saw the cart and knew all three of you wouldn't fit, so she thought she'd use the time to see if she could find Bijoux, since she was already here. She said she'll meet you back at your villa to watch the sunset."

"Oh, that stubborn girl… living the high life and she wants to go play with commoners… ah, well, at least she knows where the villa is. Very well. But if a single hair on her head is missing or she doesn't make the sunset…" Vera made a bit of a slashing motion with her right hand.

"Yes, yes, you know where to find me," Loki trilled unshakenly, stepping forward to begin the journey to Undella Town, keeping a jaunty but safe pace. At their current run it would be about midday before the three made it to the beachside villa, almost too long for any of them to stand, for varied reasons...

(( Millie has been introduced! ))