findingbeasts | IC Communication

[Luckily, Sasha's grown up around enough animals to be able to figure out what kind of mood the doglike Pokemon are in. And just like how she would greet any strange dog, she stoops down a bit and holds her hand out to Roxy first so she can sniff it, and then to Mopsus. Idle wondering is happening about if they could smell the berries she always keeps stashed in her hip pouch because one never knows when they'll run into a starving Pokemon on the road when the crash, bang, and maybe a boom of something going on behind the door pulls her attention upwards and into the face of a Sableye that seems to be greeting her.]

Uh... hi? [She is pretty sure this package isn't for the creature and that guess is confirmed as correct when a human shows up at the door too.] No, it's okay! She didn't scare me at all!

[To his question, Sasha tilts her head and squints a little, trying to search her memory banks for the man's face. She's spoken to a lot of people in this place, folks who have come and gone, and sometimes they're just all a blur. So she shakes her head, looking apologetic all the while.]

I don't think so? If we did, I don't really remember. I just came back here a few weeks ago. I'm sorry, sir.

Oh, no that's quite alright. There's no need to apologize. [Newt shook his head, giving her a smile. He's fairly certain it was only once, if that, and he's not going to hold it against her. This place can be quite strange in the way it works with people coming and going, that much he has figured out.

The Sableye under his arm finally gets away and scrambles up onto his shoulder, peering at Sasha with her wide grin again as Newt just shoots her a look before realizing how rude he's being.]

My apologies--Newt Scamander! [He offers Sasha a hand as Roxy and Mopsus both let out what can most definitely be described as snickers.] Are you--did someone from town send you? [Oblivious wizard is oblivious to the package she's holding, news at 11.]

[He says there's no need, but she'd rather apologize anyway. Feeling forgotten is not something she herself likes to feel and if this man somehow remembers her, then it's rude to have let his existence slip from her mind.

It's also rude to keep stooping down when he's offering his hand. Sasha straightens up and shakes his hand before moving the package to an angle where she can read the address label easier.]

Uh, yeah! I'm Sasha Braus and I have a package for a Mister... Mister Nnnn...

[Ah. This is both a new and old problem. All the other packages today had simple names with only a few letters and those names also were ones Sasha was already familiar with. Easy peasy when it comes to Maria and John and Jack. Not so much when it comes to Scamander. This one looks like a jumble of letters she's never seen before and she can't read it. Not pronounce it; no, that's a problem for people who had the luxury of going to an actual school and learning how to read at the proper level. Sasha just outright can't read the name here at all and if she looks like she's about to cry, it's because this is embarrassing. Her first job and already she feels too stupid to keep it.

He's going to report her to her boss, isn't he? And then she'll be back to looking for a job. Well, at least scrubbing toilets at one of the resorts doesn't require reading.]

A pleasure to meet you, Sasha.

[Newt draws his hand back as she angles the package and starts to say who it's for, figuring that it's for him given this is his house but he's more than happy to go along with things since she is just doing her job. It becomes clear rather quickly that she's having a small issue and the wizard tilts his head as he watches her then glances at the package.

She can't read.

On his shoulder Niffler makes a curious chittering noise before hopping down onto Roxy who let's out a gruff bark. She turns her head to eye the Sableye who just chitters again and points to Sasha. The conversation seems to satisfy Roxy who steps closer to the young girl and Niffler reaches out with her spindly clawed fingers to reach over the side of the package and point at the letters.

N-e-w. Say that first, girl.

Newt can't help but smile faintly.]

If you break it down into a single word to start before adding the 'T' on the end, it does become a bit easier. The last name is a bit trickier, however. [He steps away from the door and motions to the letters Niffler was pointing at.] N-e-w. New. And then add the 'T' onto the end. New-t. For the last name, start with the first bit--S-c-a-m. Scam. [The wizard explains it patiently, not trying to belittle her at all as Niffler points to the letters as Newt explains.] The next bit there, a-n-d-e-r. ander. Put those two words together and you've formed the last time in its entirety.

[If there's one thing about Sasha, it's that she's just as stubborn as she is a clown. It's that stubbornness that bites back the tears, probably the only thing that saves her from making this an incredibly awkward situation, especially when Niffler comes down to help her out.

Great. Just great. Even the Pokemon knows how dumb she is.

Her fingers tighten around the corners of the box as Newt joins in on the crash course on his name. Although he's incredibly patient about it, the fact that he has to do it to begin with makes it sting even more. Man and Pokemon showing her something she should already be able to do and the only way Sasha can reply is with:]

Please don't tell my boss.

[Fake it 'til you make it was the advice someone had given her when she applied for the job. She made it, but now in her head, it's about to be snatched away from her.]

Tell your boss what?

[Newt gives her a curious look.]

That you got a bit lost coming here? That's hardly your fault. I do live in the middle of nowhere.

[The wizard gives her a reassuring smile as Niffler chortles in delight then clicks her talons on the package again. Hey, hey! She's trying to teach you something, girl!

Thankfully Roxy snorts and steps away from Sasha, in turn pulling Niffler away who scrambles to grab onto the Lycanroc. She growls irritably as Roxy heads into the house, Mopsus following as Newt motions inside.]

If you'd like, I could make us some tea. [Give her a moment to collect herself and calm down. Your secret was safe with him Sasha.]

But I didn't get lost?

[Finding her way to isolated areas is second nature to a girl who lived in the middle of nowhere too. That's not what she meant. What she meant was...

The proverbial lightbulb flickers to life and oh. Now she gets it.

Sasha blinks in disbelief because she fully expected the company's customers to snitch about how unprofessional their newest employee is when she can't even read their name. How can she be trusted to find their address properly? But Newt doesn't even seem to be holding it against her or even mentioning it out loud, like he's trying to preserve what little pride she has left. Now if only Niffler would catch the hint.]

Are you sure?

[Not about the tea. Little does he know Sasha's already accepted the offer of a free drink. She means him pretending she just didn't make a plum fool of herself on his porch.]

Of course.

[He simply smiles again before stepping inside, figuring that she'll follow him inside. Newt has never been the type to judge people for any reason let alone get them in trouble simply because they can't do something quite as well as someone else can.

Once she steps inside the cottage Sasha will be treated to the sight of...well there's a lot of Pokemon milling about inside the open floor cottage. Many of them seem to be young and running about playing, all of them being careful not to make a mess though. Set up in front of the fire place is a large nest of blankets with a Slugma carefully tending to a large batch of eggs with the help of several young Audinos.

In the kitchen Queenie the Audino and Jacob the Slurpuff are busy baking and both give happy greetings when they spot Sasha, the Slurpuff happily bopping towards the stove with a sheet of Pokemon-safe cookies.]

Please make yourself comfortable, I'll get the tea started. Would you like anything to eat?

[Excuse Newt as he starts to roll his sleeves up, walking into the kitchen.]

[Box still tucked under one arm, Sasha wipes at her glassy eyes with the other, indeed following Newt into his home. If she was worried about breaking the work rules, she just stomped on them right now. Granted, she is officially on her lunch break now, but there has to be somewhere an unspoken rule about entering customers' homes.

Oh well. If he ain't telling, neither is she.

There were certainly a lot of Pokemon on the front lawn, but that didn't prepare Sasha for the sight of more than she'd ever imagined could fit in one home. There are so many. So many different breeds, types, and sizes, though most of them still look like they're in their baby stages. They're all just so cute that Sasha can't help herself but kneel down to pet a trio of Togepi rocking back and forth on their eggy bottoms.]

Yes, please. [Tea and food? Who said there was no thing as a free lunch?] You have a lot of Pokemon. Are you a breeder, sir? I mean, Mr. Scam...ander?

[Did she pronounce it right? Please tell her she pronounced it right.]

[The Togepi triplets are delighted with the attention and happily crowd Sasha for more of it, wobbling about and trilling merrily at her.]

I am, yes! [Newt was in the midst of putting the kettle on, glancing over at Sasha with a smile.] Though honestly most of the Pokemon here don't belong to me like you may think. Some of them have Pokeballs but most of them are simply residing here for a bit because they decided they want to.

[Hearing the chatter of the Togepis, a pair of Eevees come prancing over and one is very clearly a different color than the other. The pair chirp in greeting, bouncing around Sasha and sniffing at her shoes before the normal colored one attempts to get up onto her leg. Friend!]

Oh, that's nice!

[Well, if Sasha has to split her attention between the toddling Totegpi and the incessant climbing of the Evee, she might as well make it easier on everyone and just plop herself in the middle of the floor, being an invited guest be damned. At least this way, the Evees can clamber into her lap and she can scoop up the triplets in her arms.

And so, this is how Newt will find her at any moment now because he sure told her to make herself at home.]

What if you run out of room, though? You're not going to kick them out before they're ready to leave, are you?

[Perish the thought!]

Edited 2018-04-01 19:17 (UTC)

[Kettle on the stove and warming, Newt asks Queenie for some help gathering some snacks for their guest, pausing to look over at Sasha and really that is possibly the cutest thing he's seen in awhile.

The Triplets are trilling and chirping happily as they're held, little arms waving about as they chatter together and at Sasha like she can understand then. Ano, meanwhile, happily beds down onto the girl's lap with a happy little Eevee-grin while his sister, the off-color Eevee, continues to prance around them.

It's..so precious, dear gods.]

Of course not. I've actually been considering having some work down to the cottage to make it bigger. I just want to have it done in a way that won't disrupt the forest and Pokemon too much.

[She can't really understand one peep from the triplets, but Sasha can still smile and nod down at them like she does. They don't seem hungry for food, just hungry for a trainer's attention and ATTENTION NOW. What else does she have better to do right now than give into their demands?

Sasha starts rocking slightly, bending her head a little to each Togepi, bopping their foreheads lightly against hers.]

Good. You have to respect the forest. Take what you need from it, and no more, but give just as much back in kind. If you take care of it, it'll take care of you.

[Suddenly, Sasha's gone from the playful teen with arms full of Pokemon to a serious hunter who was raised with her father repeating those words everyday of her life and then just as quickly, she's back to her nuzzling those little eggy monsters, juggling a bit to reach down and pet Ano in her lap.]

Ahhh, Togepi are so cute! It's like they have eggs for pants!

[Each one of them squeals when their foreheads are bopped and squirm about in Sasha's hold. Such a good friend! Head bops! She gave head bops!]

Absolutely. I would never dream of doing anything that could possibly upset the balance of the ecosystem already here.

[Her conviction is admirable and Newt gives her a reassuring nod. Don't worry, Sasha. He won't be damaging anything anytime soon.

Queenie walks past him with a happy twill and Newt glances down and smiles as she heads over to where Sasha is with the little ones, a plate of cookies in her paws.]

Togepi are quite adorable. I have a Togetic in my care as well but he's a bit of a shy one with newcomers. He may make an appearance later. [As he turns to grab some mugs, Queenie holds out the plate of cookies to Sasha with a happy noise. Here you are, darling!]

What's an ecosystem?

[Sir, you can't just go around using big words like that on someone who is functionally illiterate. Know your audience!

Now here's a new problem: Sasha's hands are full of Pokemon, but she's also being offered cookies. She's certainly hungry herself, practically starving really, but she also just doesn't want to drop the babies. A solution is brewing in the moment where Sasha is glancing at the cookies, then the Togepi, and then back at the delicious cookies, but first, it's only polite to ask permission first.]

Mr. Scamander, is it okay if I give some berries to your Pokemon?

An ecosystem refers to a biological community. All organisms that live in the same physical environment, like a forest for example, and how they interact with one another and their environment.

[It's alright, Sasha. He's more than happy to teach you!

Queenie is more than happy to wait, looking quite amused by Sasha's plight of being overrun by little Pokemon.]

Hm? [Looking up from the mugs he was pouring water into, Newt couldn't help but smile.] Oh, yes, of course. Feel free. Just watch your fingers. The Togepis especially can get a bit hasty with their eating sometimes.

[Them? Hasty? NEVER! The trio giggle and twill as they wobble about.]

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