voidtreckerexpress | Haibara is the worst pet owner

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Haibara is the worst pet owner

Who: Ai Haibara and her Sylveon, Prada
Where: All around the train
When: Any time between Llama 16 and Llama 27
What: Haibara is bonding with her new Pokémon, come say hi
Warnings: [Anything you feel people should be aware of before reading.]

Haibara's received a new companion to help keep her safe, a Sylveon she's named Prada. They're also surprisingly large - standing over three feet tall at the shoulder, which is actually about Haibara's height. It might be weird to see a child with an obviously magical pet larger than they are, but that's how it is.

During the last half of the month, following her receiving the Sylveon on the 16th, Haibara is trying to get used to Prada and get Prada used to life on the train.

[ A: Medical Car ]

Haibara heard the phrase 'Pokémon can be as smart as humans' and set to work teaching her new companion how to tell various medicines apart. She has medicines arranged on a surface in front of herself and her Sylveon, labels facing them and their contents also visible inside the bottles.

"This is Enalapril. It can be used to treat hypertension and diabetic kidney disease, but the main thing you need to remember is that it can help in cases of heart failure. Dosage tends to start small, so split a pill in half before using it."

This is a normal thing for a small child to know, and also for her pet to know. Prada simply nods as if she actually understands what's being said.

What the heck Haibara?

[ B: Kitchen, Library ]

You know an unexpected perk of her new Pokémon companion? Prada is already pretty tall, but those ribbons? She can manipulate them. That means... reaching things on high shelves. Things are no longer safe from Haibara on even the highest shelf, let alone the middle-height ones that used to elude her.

This becomes apparent when somebody enters and sees her gazing at something out of reach - a book for the lbirary, a bit of spice in the kitchen. This might be where you're tempted to grab it for the tiny child, but before somebody else can, a Sylveon's ribbons dart out to grab it instead.

The Sylveon shoots a look towards the interloper that communicates 'I've got this we don't need you,' and then turns to Haibara in search of praise.

...Yeah, okay, this is normal, right?

[ C: Meet and Greet ]

This is the actual socialization attempts.

If you're somebody Haibara knows and haven't met Prada before, the young girl will greet her acquaintance with a short bow. "This is Prada, a companion I've been gifted with. You'll be seeing her around, so I thought it best to introduce you."

Prada lets out a musical-sounding bark, appropriate for a fairy-type.

If you're not somebody Haibara knows, she'll give a nod when she sees you taking a look at her Sylveon. "It's okay, Prada doesn't bite. Unless she senses ill-intent, or so I've been told."

[ D: Pokémon Play Date ]

A special option for people with Pokémon or other pets of their own. It's nothing formal, but Haibara figures it's a good idea to make sure Sylveon is used to the other pets, animal companions, etc. around the train as well as the humans. And so she's arranged a little hang-out time for them, probably in the Garden but possibly somewhere else if it fits better.

Cute animals hanging out? Heck yeah.

[ E: Other? ]

Fill in your own prompt! Haibara will be around most of the train as usual, spending most time in Library, Medical, and general life activities. She will have Prada with her, either showing the Sylveon around or just in general keeping her near her side.

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Conan sets down Watson on the floor and takes a step back as the Togepi makes its way toward the larger pokemon.

He raises an eyebrow at Haibara.

"Someone got to you, I see."

"For self-defense purposes," Haibara said reasonably, or at least like she was trying to convince herself it was. "Prada can apparently sense hostility and calm conflict using... something or other."

Prada is curiously sniffing Togepi as Haibara says this, then lets out a curious but melodic yip.

Conan rubs his forehead. "Sometimes I really wish I could take a look at some of the research papers from that world. Watson can apparently teleport out of danger and share happiness. Somehow."

Watson trills happily at Prada, and starts to walk around inspecting the larger pokemon.

"As far as weirdness goes, some empathetic abilities isn't much compared to everything else we've seen here." ...No comment on teleportation. Haibara's experienced that one by now and still doesn't like to consider its implications.

Meanwhile Prada is offering a ribbon to Watson. It's apparently the method sylveon use for sensing emotion. But it must mean Prada is curious.

Watson sits and stares at the ribbon, then reaches out and taps it.

Conan grimaces at the reminder.

"I'd still like to have a better understanding of how it works."

A squee so high-pitched it almost doesn't reach Ai's ears emits from Ayumi's mouth as she looks down at Prada, hands on her own cheeks as her eyes sparkle.

"Oh my gosh Ai-chan, you never told me they were this cute!" She immediately goes to scoop Prada up to cuddle, nevermind the fact that the animal was the size of a large dog.

Haibara still isn't quite sure how to handle this older Ayumi. For most people in the Know, she'd play down a comment like that, deflect with something about how Prada was utilitarian for what Haibara needs. For others, she'd probably give a noncomittal response. And for the child Ayumi she's used to, she's probably...

Well. This was still Ayumi, right? "She's pretty affectionate, so feel free to pet her as much as you like."

Prada lets out a confused but musical-sounding response to that.

No matter what kind of horrible, traumatizing adolescence that Ayumi goes through, she'll always stay Ayumi. That's as comforting to her as it is for Ai.

"Are the ribbons sensitive? The base seem like a good place to scritch them, but I don't want to hurt Prada." Ayumi makes dreamy-looking kissy faces at Prada as she continues to cradle them. "Where did you get them, anyways? I've seen a few of these kinds of animals around the train, but I think Prada is pretty new."

Ayumi this Sylveon is big how are you doing this, Haibara could ride the thing and you have her in your arms.

"Not so senstive that you can't scratch her there, no." With that answered, she mentally processes the next question. "Ah, my roommate - and friend of Edogawa-kun's - comes from a world with them." Or close enough. It's a long story. "He ordered her for me, as a.... method of protection."

Prada, meanwhile, just seems very confused by what's going on, and is trying to gauge from Haibara if she should be worried or not.

The growth spurt probably helped—Ayumi's tall enough now that she could probably scoop up Ai with a little effort. Plus, you know, the muscles from all that training.

Ayumi takes Ai's word for it and gently scritches Prada around the base of their ribbons. "Ahhh, that makes sense. Without his sneakers or his belt, Conan-kun is extremely puntable. It always felt like you could take care of yourself, though... haha, though I guess that's from the point of view of someone who 'grew up' right next to you. From where I'm standing right now, you look," vulnerable probably isn't the correct word to use, "...a lot smaller, pffft."

Edited 2021-06-25 00:52 (UTC)

Being almost double Haibara's (physical) age does infer some differences between their size. It's still strange to think of somebody so tall as Ayumi-chan... though at the same token, she's still smaller than Haibara's real body.

"The kind of enemies we have, even Edogawa-kun's belt and sneakers aren't terribly effective on. I certainly can't fend them off with my dry wit by itself." Of course, she's referring to the Organization. Ayumi probably gets that, though.

Meanwhile, Prada gives out some sort of happy noise. Okay, that's good. Ayumi, you can stay.

"Haaaah, yeah. When you put it like that, it's kind of a wonder that both of you even made it to ten." Ayumi shrugs. "If experience has taught me anything, though, it's that we're all really, really good at pulling miracles out of a hat, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised."

She continues gently cuddling Prada. If she could shower affection on a baby shantak, a less eldritch, less monstery, but still just as mysterious creature of about the same size should be no problem.

To be fair, Haibara is eighteen now. She is substantially past ten. And the fake ages they provided are nothing but approximations given their size, nothing else.

"A wonder indeed." Naturally, she doesn't voice any of those internal thoughts. "Though we've had our share of close calls, even with 'ten' such a long way off."

"Ahahaha... you don't need to tell me twice about that."

It is extremely weird thinking about all the times Koji (or Gin, back then?) almost caught and killed Ai and Conan while they were growing up.

Yondu's just about to get up and help, just on the reflex of seeing a kid do the reach and his dadly instinct drives him to his feet, because he's done the 'I'll watch the child climb up to get it themselves' maneuver and had to deal with bandaids and bruises later.

But in the middle of getting up, the dog thing reaches up with... ribbons? Grabs it, pulls it down, and then gives him a serious case of plush animal level stink eye.

Well, alright then.

With a shake of his head he sits back down, pulling out the book he's been reading relating to the prisoner that died proving the existence of void travel. "I guess if it works, it works," he mutters.

Haibara settles in for some light reading, taking a seat across from Yondu. It's been so long she barely even spares a glance to the blue man - weird but she's seen weirder over the past half year or so.

She flips open her book and begins scanning the pages. Of course, her light reading material is a medical school Molecular Biology textbook. She can barely lift the thing up to read it... so it's a good thing her Sylveon is there to help.

It lets out a small melodic yip, and Haibara answers with a "Yeah, yeah" as she offers a headpat to the fox-like pink and blue creature.

For some reason... it looks smugly over in Yondu's direction as it receives the headpat.

He just looks at the dog in confusion, wondering what the hell pissed its kibble. And then his gaze trails to the Molecular Biology book. Which is... alright? He lives with a pretty strange kid so that's only a little off. It's just not normal light reading for kids her age (or what appears to be her age). He's used to them being more into art and music.

That perplexed look holds as he looks to the book again, reading it and frowning deeply.

After a couple of moments he asks. "What kinda dog is that?" Because it moves its ribbons like feelers and that's new enough to remark on on this vehicle of oddities.

Haibara glances up at that, Prada mimicking her motions. And her Sylveon is, indeed, moving her ribbons.

"I don't think she's exactly a dog. Her species is called Sylveon, and the type of animal is actually called a Pokémon. They're..." How does she say this and appear both sane and rational. Huh. "...like animals but they have magic powers, I guess."

Prada barks?

"Oh yeah! Like them what Eva an' Jou keep around. I get it." He nods like that's explanation enough. "They work pretty good on missions."

"How long you had her? 'Cause she took to ya quick." And seems very keen on impressing her. Which he guesses is good? It'll look out for her. He's got the feeling that it should be cute but with the jealous critter gaze, it comes off as a tad creepy.

Haibara gives a curt nod. "Mn. Jonouchi-san got her for me, actually, when we got packages last." Which, depending on when this thread takes place, could be between a couple days to a week and a half ago. Either way, a short amount of time.

"She's for protection, supposedly. Mostly onboard the train. I try to stay away from the dangerous parts of missions."

"On board the train is usually safer'n missions. What's got 'im so worried he'd give ya somethin' to protect ya on the train?"

He won't argue with her for keeping safe, that's for damn sure. She's little. Well read, but little. At her age he could kill a man and he damn well knows that's not how it should be. He'd rather her be keeping safe.

But if there's somethin' worth protecting people from he's wanting to know. Especially a kid.

Sorry, blue man, but she's not going to anger the professional killer on board with a personal vendetta by revealing said person is on board. Instead, she falls back on a pre-packaged excuse.

Giving a little shrug, she answers with "There's already been two murders on board since I arrived. Every passenger arrival is a chance for a new, unsavory individual to come on board, and children make easy targets."

It's not really even a lie. Sure, Vermouth is reason number one Haibara needs protection, but honestly her chances of surviving any other member of that criminal organization showing up are even worse. Right, and other people might be dangerous.

"Prada here" she pats her Sylveon's head, prompting her hand to get nuzzled, "can supposedly read ill-intent and calm people down."

His first and worst mental response is that a Pokemon probably won't stop someone who is hell-bent on something like that. And there's a sad, guilty memory of what he'd done for Ego, so long ago. That's definitely nothing he'd do anymore as he wasn't heartless, just desensitized and an easy mark to be played by a higher being, and he has a karmic debt that he's very aware of and he'll spend the rest of his life dutifully working off. But it has left him with the sick knowledge that, if someone wants something, they'll get it.

But then she describes what it is that the Sylveon does and his brow raises.

"Slick move on Jou's part," he says, actually pretty impressed with the kid's ingenuity. Turning off that bad intent can help a lot. Even if he's pretty well acquainted with a lot of entirely too-calm killers. Train is genuinely chock full of them.

Haibara herself doesn't view Prada as a foolproof plan, but at the very least, it's another tool in the arsenal. Or an edge that might tip a survival scenario into her favor. She doesn't know how Sylveon's ability supposedly works, so she finds it hard to be relied on.

But... "Besides that, she can make shields and... honestly, do a lot of other things. She's a versatile companion."

Prada preens at the obvious compliments, seemingly able to understand them, or at least the intent of Haibara's words.

It does seem to understand, but Eva's also seem to be similarly perceptive and Jou's had down in the caves.

"I'm pretty impressed with 'em as far as companions go, but I ain't ever been good with animals or close to." 'Close to', because sometimes Pokemon don't seen that animal-like. "Never really had the space nor the time to care for 'em."

He was too busy taking care of Peter, who was practically like keeping an animal.

"I can't say I've been particular good with animals in the past," Haibara you look like you're a grade schooler, "but it's really the best option. I'm not going to overpower an adult at this size no matter the training," and even if she could, there was time to consider, both in free time she had and in the time that would take to learn, "and it's not like somebody else would enjoy being employed as a bodyguard over a hypothetical."

Prada huffs up a little, mewling with a strange reverberation.

"Of course you're just fine." Haibara puts a hand on Prada's head placatingly.

"Well, you weren't trained like I was but I'd rather you not be. It's a shit way to live." He readily admits that. Yeah, he could absolutely teach her to throw down. Would he want to? Hell no. He'd rather her have huffy ribbon critter to watch out for her. "Sounds like you'd woop some ass at a debate competition, goddamn."

She doesn't go half-ass on explaining stuff, does she?

He shakes it off, because this train has lots of strange-ass kids on it. "Honestly protectin' people is good work. I preferred bein' hired for it back home." He'd take a lot of shitty jobs and have to twist them around to make the money but also not do the godawful thing somehow. But protection work? Bodyguard details? Quick and decent. Ones where absolutely nothing happened and you still got paid? Even better.

It's fine, she has Mouri trying to teach her self-defense. It didn't work so well. Now she knows how to throw a punch without breaking anything, with all the force of a tiny child behind it - in other words, completely ineffective.

"It's good work if you get paid for it. And have good reason to think somebody requires protecting." Which, actually, she has pretty good reason to be targeted, but she's not gonna admit that.

Well, not so great work when up against the Organization. She's seen how they take care of bodyguards. Methodically and fatally.

But.... he admits doing that sort of work back where he comes from, among other things. His comment about training... Hm.

She takes note of this. He might be the right kind of person to run to if things go south with Vermouth. It's at least something to keep in mind, even if it hopefully never comes to that.

Prada can feel the interest in her master, and gives a look over to Yondu. Less irate at this point, more curious, mimicking Haibara's actual emotions even if the girl isn't showing it.

"Well, right now we're gettin' paid in fruits and nuts but I'm the type of person that protects his people. So y'all get a free lookout for now." Even with all the superpowered folks around, he's still got his one trick and it's a pretty effective one.

"Sounds like you got good reason to. I'm in Upper One Cabin B if you come across some kinda shit your new friend can't deal with."

Because she is a kid, and if she needs help, he wants her to know where he is. He is kind of hoping that no one like that is around. Seems sort of particular if Jou got her a protection animal specifically when he's on a whole team full of kids, not all of them powered.

The critter seems less prone to the stink eye at the moment, he does notice. But assumes that it has to do with the fact that he doesn't have any bad intention here, like she'd mentioned before.

[Masumi’s just stopping by Medical when she sees Haibara and…what she assumes to be Yet Another Pokemon. It takes her another moment to realize that Haibara seems to be trying to teach the Pokemon about the medicines on the train, which is certainly not expected.]

Hey, uh… new pet?

Ah, Sera-san.

[ Haibara stops what she's doing to give Masumi her full attention. And if you didn't know any better, you might think this trans-colored fox-like creature was actually miffed at that. The body language and expression it's giving towards Masumi seems to suggest that, anyway.

Haibara doesn't notice, and continues. ] You save me the trouble of introducing you later. This is Prada, she was gifted to me by one of Edogawa-kun's friends. A little something in case certain people stop playing nice.

She's cute. [Regardless of Prada's attitude, Masumi still offers her hand for the Pokemon to sniff.]

Just in case, huh? Always good to have a backup plan if things go wrong here. Anyway, what are you doing?

[She can't have actually been teaching Prada about the medications, could she?]

[ Prada ignores Masumi's hand and turns back to Haibara instead. ]

I'm teaching her how to handle medicine. Creatures from her world can be very intelligent, so I might as well make use of that.

If she can at least differentiate medicines, she can function as an pharmaceutical assistant.

[ She absolutely is teaching her about medications. ]

[Masumi looks quite startled at being snubbed, but takes her hand back anyways.

...And of course, she was teaching Prada about medications. Masumi's going to need a second to absorb this.]

Wow, that sounds useful. How's she doing at it? [In the meantime, she's just going to glance around, looking for what she came in for in the first place.]

Are you looking for something? I've pulled most of the bottles down. [ She motions towards the array of bottles spread out in front of her. ] I've been showing Prada the bottles and pills so that she can learn what they are.

Ah, yes. I left some estrogen and androgen blockers in here since I have limited room to keep things in my sleeper cabin, and I was just coming in for them.

[She’s looking over the bottles as she speaks, trying to spot…
…There, two bottles that she recognizes as the ones she’d bought recently. However, Masumi doesn’t go for them right away, not wanting to push Haibara or Prada out of the way to get to them.]

There they are, with all the meds you got out.

Prada, you heard Sera-san. Estrogen and androgen blockers.

[ It's a test. And Prada Gets that. Which means that despite her own feelings on the matter, the sylveon wraps her ribbons around two bottles and offers them to Masumi. They are, somehow, the correct bottles. ]

[Masumi watches as Prada gets the bottles and gives them to her, surprised and a little amazed at the sylveon getting it right.]

Wow, thanks! [She takes the bottles, grinning wide enough for a single snaggletooth to show.] That was great!

The garden car is one of the few places Eva's comfortable on the train outside the cabins letting 'Nona out. Mostly as it's less the size of the ninetales and more because of the tails. There's a lot of tail to the fox, even if he's mostly considerate and keeps them to himself.

You know, when he's not dumping half of them on Eva's lap -the perils of sitting on the ground- as the fox sniffs at Prada, ears pricked and body language curious.

"I'm pretty sure you have the better deal." It's less grump and more resigned. She's long accepted her fate of tail-ness. "Don't have to contend with tails."

It's only nine tails but it seems like more. And, she can feel Princess laughing at her from his loaf by the fountain, the impish fluffball already having introduced himself to the sylveon at some point. "Anyway, how have you two been getting on?"

Prada seems fairly curious about the nine-tailed pokémon in turn, maybe even the tiniest bit confrontational until it sensed that the fox was only curious himself. They're probably doing a bit of a curious circling-each-other routine and eying each other up. If not, Prada's attempting it at least.

Haibara, for her part, just shrugs. "I don't have to contend with nine tails, but Prada's pretty needy all the same." Still, in pet terms, that's about the bottom barrel of complaints. "So fairly well, I suppose. It's a lot to get used to."

Prada can attempt it all it wants (and Princess's chirps are very much encouraging this, the arse), but 'Nona is extremely secure in the fact he's stronger than this fairy. Eventually, though, he does give in - and go right for the old sniff-the-butt. Stronger or not, new friend want!

Eva nods in understanding, ignoring the pokemon for now. Animals will do as animals do. "Makes sense though; that form's only gotten through affection and a fairy-type move, which I assume it has? Either way, it's probably trying to gauge your affection levels?"

Hmm. She didn't actually know that part. Haibara's knowledge only goes as far as what that tablet said about sylveons - after all, it's not like they're native to her world.

"I'm not sure what qualifies as a 'fairy-type' move. Misty Terrain sounds fairly fae?" Maybe Moonblast? It's hard to judge based on name alone for many of these.

"Either way, the affection bit does explain a lot about her behavior."

"Misti....?" Give her a second while she does a bit of language switching in her brain. "Ah! Mist Field? Yeah, that'd do it- and it's an incredibly useful status move to have."

To the point she's considered getting the Galarish TM for Princess several times over the years. "If you like, I can tell you what type her attacks are, though you'd want to go to Jounouchi-kun for specific details. As for affection... Settle for what works for you both."

If Satoru were here, she'd happily punt her boyfriend at Haibara. Unconventional ways of showing affection to others unite!

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Haibara is the worst pet owner

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Library

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Medical

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D!!!! Maybe five or so days after she ICly got her pokemon?

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