2024-04-22: Catching Up
- Log: Catching Up
- Cast: Hannah Curie, Anne Aomori
- Where: Viridian City - Emerald Way
- Date: April 22, 2024
- Summary: Anne invites Hannah to have a chat and catch up. They talk current events in Filgaia, Lunar, dating, and the nature of animal companionship.
=======================<* Viridian City - Emerald Way *>======================== Viridian City is a city of many importances; it is the major commerce and logistics hub within the Emerald Cape province, providing primary access to the western reaches of the Kanto region. It's of no surprise, then, that it sports an expansive and well-developed commercial district, with Market Way providing a wide variety of shops and goods for all walks of life. Lush and adorned with nature, Viridian's residents enjoy a spacious and relaxed environment, with most living in medium-density apartment blocks three to four stories high. The market is most recently memorably featured in the hit single by sensational Nedean-pop band 2BA, "I'm on the Road to Viridian City." BGM: Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee & Pikachu! - Pewter City - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGrGjO5F6ZM
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
Things had been hectic lately. With things on Filgaia heating up between Kislev and Aveh, and then Solaris bringing Filgaia's problems to Nede, and not to mention the continuous, ongoing threat of the Ten Wise Men, both by their mere presence and the Rifts they've opened... Hannah is not lacking for things to do these days. Not that she ever was, as a solo Drifter, but as a member of ARMS she has additional responsibilities now, too. She's gotta earn her keep, after all.
But even among all of that she's still found time to help out Anne in her lab or run various errands for her when her path brings her that way--Nede's social services may be really good (not least of all in the way that they simply exist to begin with), but having a little bit of extra spending money doesn't hurt. Especially now that she's starting to become more committed to figuring out how to train her pokemon.
But it'd been a good long while since she'd simply had a long chat with Anne about something not related to work, or done anything outside of a work context, really. Anne must've thought so too, because she invited Hannah over to her apartment. Hannah was glad to accept the invitation, and so she arrives.
Zephyr takes off down the hall to find the exact apartment number, and Hannah follows behind. Cassandra the Absol is out padding along her side, but Agapi and Eimi are in their pokeballs. Hannah's dressed in a striped green t-shirt, a navy blue skirt, and a pink vest that goes down to almost touch the bottom of her skirt. Her curly pink hair's grown out some, properly getting to 'medium length' now, and of course, she has her crest graph pouch on a belt and her trusty but well worn hiking boots on her feet and her satchel behind her.
She reaches the door and rings the doorbell, while Zephyr alights on her shoulder and chirps. Hannah gives him a smile. "Thanks, Zephyr."
<Pose Tracker> Anne Aomori has posed.
The apartment is on the fourth floor, in the corner. When Hannah rings the doorbell, there's a brief bit where she has to get up and come to the door, but then Anne opens it up. She smiles once, a pleasant but brisk sort of expression. "Hello, Hannah."
She nods to Zephyr and Cassandra, too. "Good to see you all." Stepping back she opens the door into the entryway. There's a living area, and the kitchen behind it with a bar; she has a lot of photographs up, including of her son and daughter and their fathers with them, though a number of just her kids alone and together, too. There's a large, red flower arrangement on the table with a closed card, and a number of cacti about the area.
"Hmm," she comments. Anne looks to Zephyr for a moment. "I have a perch I bring out for Arrow, my Fearow on the balcony sometimes," Anne mentions to Hannah. "Zeppyr would probably fit on it. If you think he'd enjoy a better place than the back of a chair, that is."
"You do talk to him quite a lot--and as if he understands you better than I gather is common for a Filgaian bird." She looks to Zephyr. "Do you understand me?" she wonders of him. "I hate to talk as if you're not present."
"Well, regardless. How are you?" she asks, leading them all inside. Laqui is curled up on his bed at the moment, and looks with some interest as Hannah and the gang come inside.
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
Hannah smiles as Anne opens the door. "Howdy, Doc. Thanks for invitin' me over." Zephyr and Cassandra offer their own greetings (though Zephy's is not any part of his name or species.)
They all walk in when invited to. Cassandra goes to curl up in an out of the way corner, while Zephyr is comfty just riding on Hannah's shoulder, it seems. Though, the red-tailed hawk does look at Anne curiously as she describes a perch for a Spearow. He turns his head to Hannah and chirps.
Hannah looks thoughtful for a moment. "Mmmm... Nah, think it's the other'un? Looks kinda spiky?"
Another chirp from Zephyr.
"Yeah! Think you got it there."
Zephyr looks to Anne and chirps, and Hannah chuckles. "Yeah, he'd like tryin' it out, though honestly he's used to perchin' just about anywhere."
But Anne asks if Zephyr understands, and Zephyr looks her right in the eyes and chirps once more, then tilts his head. Hannah chuckles and reaches up to stroke under his beak. "Oh, yeah, me'n him got... kinda a special bond. We got a sorta... empathic sense about each other. He's perfectly normal, aside a that though. Guess I'm so used to talkin' to 'im I forgot to think how others might perceive it, sometimes..."
"Oh, I'm doin' fine. Keepin' busy, like I always do. Keepin' up with my duties for ARMS, navigatin' between worlds, tryin' to learn about trainin' pokemon--Agapi and Eimi both evolved recently, if I hadn't mentioned. At the same time, even. That common? Oh! An' I met your daughter Sable the other day, in Cinnibar. Nice kid. How've you been on Nede?"
<Pose Tracker> Anne Aomori has posed.
"You're welcome," Anne says. here are plenty of places that are comfortable for an Absol to curl up in the area. But for now, Anne leads the way to the glass door, where she steps out onto a small balcony. There's a table and a couple of chairs there--and as mentioned, a perch! Zephyr would indeed fit on it, though it's wide enough for a much larger bird.
"I see," Anne says. "That's very interesting; we have a few people with abilities like that, but not usually with a single Pokemon... though the most skilled Trainers can make people imagine they might have such a sense."
A pause, and she nods. "I see. Well, that's good to a point, but remember to take some time to relax, too. You'll burn out if you don' spend time for yourself."
"You hadn't--Metapod and Kakuna, then? It's a very interesting stage." She nods. "Yes; Bug pokemon in general evolve more quickly and easily than other Pokemon."
A smile. "Good," she says. "I'd like Sable to meet a lot of new people, and broaden her horizons." She considers that. "Actually, I've been doing fairly well. I have some projects that are near ready. And I had the chance to visit Lunar, and learn more about a few important matters."
"I also have a date upcoming," she comments. "Sable's father. He's been pursuing me again for a while now," she says, gesturing back to the flower arrangements, "And I think it might be nice."
"I do want to get out to Filgaia properly, too."
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
Cassandra will dip her head in greeting to Laqui as she passes by, and Hannah gives a, "Howdy, Laqui!" in passing, too.
Cassandra takes up a spot on the balcony, after taking a moment to enjoy the view and the fresh air this high up. Maybe the elevation reminds her of her old mountain habitats.
Zephyr, meanwhile, chirps happily and takes off to go sit on the perch. He puffs up his chest some, looking proud and ready to believe he's big enough to hog the whole thing for himself.
Hannah chuckels. "Well, now you done it, Anne." She looks to Zephyr. "Don't go gettin' a big head, now."
Zephyr just looks at her and chirps indignantly while riffling his feathers.
"Oh, don't give me that. You know I love ya."
But Hannah nods to Anne. "Yeah, can't really explain it none, either. Me'n him have had it ever since I was a little girl. Maybe even since I was a baby, though my memory don't exactly go back that far."
Hannah chuckles and rubs the back of her neck. "Ah, well... I try not ta overdo it, but... I'm used keepin' busy, you know? Grew up in an orphanage where there was always somethin' to do... An' you know what they say 'bout idle hands and all that."
After a beat she realizes Anne may not, in fact, know what the Filgaian-based idiom is. "Ah, they're the Devil's playthings, is what they say."
Metapod and Kakuna. "Yep. That's them now. Ironically I was tryin' to relax when that fight happened--but I guess Solaris does as it will," she says with significantly less cheer.
"Seems like she's doin' just that. Turns out she befriended a girl I knew who's a Visitor from Lunar already, so... glad to see them gettin' along, an' to see Timu fittin' in so well." She smiles as Anne says she's doing well. "Glad to hear it. Anythin' you can share about your projects? Might be fascinatin' to learn even if I ain't exactly an expert in Pokemon."
"Lunar's fascinatin'. We weren't really aware of the goin's on there 'til relatively recently, on the Filgaia side of things, so there's still a lot we're learnin' about our neighbors."
But a date! "Oh! Well ain't that lovely now. I hope you two have a good time. Y'all decided what you're gonna do for the date yet?" She looks to the flower arrangement and whistles. "Mighty nice arrangement, there."
"Well, if'n you're wantin' an escort, I happen to go back n' forth with some regularity."
<Pose Tracker> Anne Aomori has posed.
Laqui yawns widely in response.
There's certainly space for Cassandra. And of course, Zephyr. She laughs back faintly. "Arrow won't mind a guest too much." She certainly does see the interaction between the two; and as Hannah explains, "Interesting. I gather such abilities aren't at all common on Filgaia." She nods then. "Hmm. I think the specific Devil you mean is beyond me, but the expression makes sense."
"Yes... I'll have to learn more of this 'Solaris'."
"Timu.... I think I met a Timu. Well, making good friends is part of the journey. that's important." Then, "Hmmm. Not much yet. Though the research we're working on is going places--that I can share with you back at the lab."
"I see. So you're new to each other, too. That's not at all obvious, from how you interact--but maybe that's because individuals adapt more quickly than worlds."
She smiles back, and nods. "Thank you. And no, I'm letting him surprise me. I like it when a man works a little harder to impress me." She nods to the arrangment, "And he's never been the type to turn down the challenge. I'd been so busy with my work that I didn't have time to really entertain the idea, but..."
"Well, I decided to take my own advice. Besides, I know it'll make Sable happy that I'm even considering him."
To Filgaia, "I could go for that. I can take care of myself on a journey, but it's just smart to have a good guide."
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
Hannah chuckles. "Arrow may not mind, but Zephyr gets kinda jealous of other birds sometimes." There is an indignant squawk from Zephyr and Hannah rolls her eyes. "You get jealous of Chcobos an' they can't even fly." She looks to Anne and sighs, though there's a note of good nature to it. "Ain't had the heart to tell 'im what Agapi an' Eimi're gonna be like when they finish evolvin'."
Zephyr, for his part, just huffs.
"Well, all kindsa abilities pop up on Filgaia, but... off hand I only know one other with a similar one... an' she might be a special case too, come to think of it. Her powers are more general, though. Me'n Zephyr just work with each other."
"Yeah, sorry our problems followed us here, but... guess we all got shared enemies on multiple fronts, now."
"You'd remember'er if you met her, I'm sure. A Guado tends to stand out 'round these parts. Sweet girl, though. Glad Nede seems to suit her." Making friends is important, though. "Sure is. Ain't ever been on a 'Journey' as such, but..." Well, she's had her own trials and difficulties to work through. "But havin' allies an' friends as a Drifter's jus' as important." She nods. "Sure, we can discuss it there."
"Well it's been a good few years now, so... lotta time for some cross-cultural interactions, you know?" Guns have, regrettably, made their way to Lunar... but then again, Seraphim have formed pacts with the Guardians to wield their power. Having Oracles and Seers is surely a boon to both their worlds, as Anne might have recently learned about.
Anne has opinions on her date working to impress, and Hannah chuckles. "Well, can't say I've given it as much thought as all that, but... hopefully he won't disappoint. Can't imagine springin' for an arrangement like that is cheap, even on Nede." She pauses and tries to think back. "Ain't been on a date since I left Sielje five years ago... Closer to six now, really... Well that time sure flew by."
Hannah grins and starts to say something, but then laughs when Anne beats her to the punch about taking her own advice. "Yeah, Zephyr usually does a good job of keepin' me from workin' too hard... though half the time he's just interruptin' me to complain about bein' hungry."
"Takin' care of yourself on a Journey's one thing, but..." Hannah looks more serious for a moment. "Things ain't settlin' down too much. Even I'm grateful to have Zephyr watchin' my six anytime I go through the portal."
<Pose Tracker> Anne Aomori has posed.
"Ha, is that so?" Anne asks in amusement. "Well, a Fearow is a lot bigger than a hawk," she says, remembering the terminology that Hannah used. She laughs softly at the matter of the evolving Pokemon though. "I'm sure you'll be fine, Zephyr. Think of it as being a mentor."
One other... That's worth noting. "Well, sometimes something just is what it is. Some mysteries remain mysteries."
A shake of her head. "Our problems went to you first," she points out. "And frankly... maybe Solaris giving us trouble will be the kick our government needs to think harder about how we interact with the other worlds. Things have been stagnant on Energy Nede for a long time. This might be part of what changes that."
Then she nods. "Yes, I think I know the one. Personally, i think the Journey is important for youths everywhere--if you can reach a point in your societies where it's more doable, that'll be for the better."
"Hmmm, yes. There would be. And the technological difference..."
Anne laughs back, warmly. "I've had a lot of time to think about it," she answers. "And two kids' worth of troubles with men for it. I don't imagine he will. But it's fun to make him sweat it a little."
A pause, then. "No, it wasn't cheap. But that's interesting, too. Do you lack the time, the opportunity, or the inclination?" she wonders, entirely pleasantly neutral about it. Whatever answer is fine.
"Heh. It's important to keep a full stomach. I won't argue with Zephyr there."
Then a more serious nod. "Yes. I think I would be well-served with allies there, too. Dealing with wild Pokemon can be dangerous, but not quite the same way as being shot at is dangeorus."
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
"Might be, but... Zephyr once fought a bear, an'--" She pauses, and frowns. "Y'all got a lotta pokemon that're like bears, but I ain't familiar with all'of them..." She scratches her chin. "Imagine somethin' like, two or three times as big as Cassandra o'er there, n' that might give you the right size of scale?"
But Zephyr, on the other hand, looks at Anne curiously. Chirp? A mentor? Him? Hmmm...
Hannah chuckles. "Well... now you got'm interested." Making Zephyr feel important, but in a way that might actually be constructive. Score one for the animal behavioralist.
"Yeah, maybe so... but nothin'll ever change the fact that Zephyr='s the best friend a gal could ask for. Saved my hide a couple dozen times over."
"Supposin' you're right, there, but even so..." She sighs."Solaris has been a concern of ours for quite a few years. We ain't all that keen on 'em gettin' access to more technology'n they already have... I think we stopped 'em at the Mansion, but I heard they hit another target a few days ago. Someplace called Silph Co?" A beat. "Oh, 'n fightin' their soldier's what got Agapi an' Eimi evolved. They did mighty fine work. Cassandra too."
"Ab," says Cassandra contentedly from where she's curled up.
"Meanwhile seems like things on Filgaia n' Lunar are always chanin'... dunno if that's good or bad, but... here's hopin' it don't harm Nede too much to start makin' changes of its own."
Hannah is quiet for a moment as she considers. The culture on Nede is a lot more gentle, in many respects... She looks off at the horizon for a moment. "Goin' on a Journey would've been a nice option... wasn't one I had though," she says, with a somber note. "I had... some difficulties pop up. Ended up leavin' school early to see to 'em. World's a pretty intimidatin' place for a Crest Sorceress jus' startin' out..."
But the technological differences... "Yeah, we already had gunsmoke ARMs' makin' their way to Lunar... Which probably ain't an improvement in certain regions there."
"Well, here's to hopin' he'll stick it out, then," Hannah says with a chuckle. Glad you're still on good terms with 'im, in any case."
Anne has a question for her, and Hannah turns thoughtful. "Well... kinda a mix of all three? Went on a couple of dates at Sielje, an' they were nice an' all, but... didn't really seem worth it compared to just hangin' out normally? Then I left, and, well... didn't really have the time or the inclination, dealin' with my other problems..." She shrugs a little. "Had a chat about it recently with a good friend of mine, though. Turns out she got... a lot more out of 'em than I ever expected anyone to."
She shrugs a little. "We decided it just didn't seem to be my thing, so. Guess it's mostly number 3, these days?"
"Yeah, an' with open warfare heatin' up... there's a rogue robot out there, too, causin' havoc... wouldn't mind borrowin' a little of Nede's stability right about now, tell you what."
<Pose Tracker> Anne Aomori has posed.
A bear! "Yes, 'bearlike' is a term we have," Anne says, and don't think too hard about that. "I see. Zephyr's tougher than someone would think, I see."
She nods along, sure of herself, when Zephyr chirps about it. Score one for Anne!
"It's good to have a friend like that," Anne answers. "I'm glad you have each other." It's not unfamiliar to Anne, of course; she shares a major bond with her oldest Pokemon, even if she doesn't have what seems to be a supernatural sense for them.
"I see," she says. "In Saffron? Silph is most famous for its pokeballs, but it has a lot of technology that would be useful--or dangerous. They're playing a dangerous game, though. Energy Nede has been peaceful for a long time, but push us too hard, and they might not like what they get. I wouldn't probably like it much either."
Good work to her Pokemon, though.
"I see," Anne says. "I can imagine Filgaia would be unfriendly that way. You seem to have borne up under it well enough to have survived, at least."
"...But heh. We'll see. It should be fun. And, well, I try to be. Sable really looks up to him. And, well, I liked him well enough to get her back then, so..."
Then she considers Hannah's answer. "Hmm. Interesting. Your friend sounds like a fun person. As for you, there's nothing wrong with that. You might be what we'd all asexual, or aromantic; that is, a person who isn't interested in sex or romance, or both." She doesn't get into detail, but Hannah's an adult enough that Anne isn't shy of talking about it. "It's quite normal."
Open war, and a rogue robot... Anne frowns thoughtfully. "If it comes across the portal, we might have an issue; we keep our weapons primarily in Armlock. I hope you can take care of it soon."
"Be careful, mm?"
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
"I prefer scrappy. Think we got that in common." She grins to Zephyr. "But either way, he's mighty brave, too." For all that Hannah jokingly complains about Zephyr's voracious appetite, she admires and appreciates him just as much.
Seeing a whole world where people have a similar bond to animal-like companions has been... interesting, to say the least. (Probably one of the more pleasant discoveries she's had on Nede.)
"Yeah, I don't know that gettin' a little bit of tech is suddenly gonna make 'em an equal to Nede... but it might still shift the balance of power on Filgaia enough to suit 'em. Think that might be why they've been low-key about it, to avoid provokin' too bad of a response."
"It ain't, no..." Hannah sighs. "Yeah, well... me survivin' it all is... kinda the problem to begin with." She studies Anne for a long moment, considering. She helped them out, when they first got here, she's been supporting her with work... it's probably safe to tell her. "Don't go spreadin' this around none, but... my magic's got a few problems to it. It's... stronger, than normal, but... much harder to control. Foolhardy me left Sielje tryin' to fix it on my own, an' keep people from gettin' hurt... All I did was worry all my loved ones an' I ain't even any closer to solvin' it. Managin' it, yes. But solvin' it is still an ongoin' problem."
"Had to rely on it to survive out on my own, even as I was tryin' to fix it. Zephyr kept me company, an' kept me alive."
But Hannah sits up when Anne mentions that they've got some terms for that. "Asexual n' aromantic, huh...?" She blinks a little as she considers it. "... Huh. So if'n you all got a word for it... that means there's a buncha ya that feel that way." It's a bit profound, knowing that you're not as alone in something as you thought.
"Been learnin' quite a few interestin' things on Nede 'bout how they consider people, if I'm bein' honest. Learned that Eimi was nonbinary, an' I got someone back home I want them to meet, when I can make it back there." A pause. "My home's on Filgia, just... on a different continent than what the rift leads to. It'd take too long to travel there n' back and still take care of everythin' I need to."
"But I'll go look those up... Thanks Doc, for pointin' 'em out."
"Well, we're workin' on a plan to take care of the rogue robot, at least. An' I don't think Kislev an' Aveh have much an interest in Nede as they do each other, so... here's hopin.'"
"I'll do my best. An' Zephyr an' my pokemon will, too."
<Pose Tracker> Anne Aomori has posed.
"Scrappy works," Anne replies. "I think that works just fine."
"True. Which could prompt more Filgaians to try to cross the gap to make up the difference. I think you're right, though. They're not stupid. There's that much, at least."
Problems. Anne nods; she's only as familiar with Crest Sorcery as Hannah's made her so far, but she listens anyway. "I see..." Stronger, and harder to control. "Sometimes it seems like a good idea to strike out on your own. But it's always easier with some good friends. I find that's true, too."
"Well, I have no expertise that can help you, but I appreciate your trust all the same. The best I could do is give you a scientist's approach to it."
Hannah sits up and, Anne inclines her head. "Mm-hm. We sure do. One thing we're good at on Energy Nede is having terms for analyzing ourselves," she says wryly. "You get pretty good at it when you're all you have for that long."
"Jokes aside, it is normal. Even without words for it, in my view."
She learned interesting things. Anne hmms. "I see. Far from the portal... Probably farther from the portal than Energy Nede has distance in it at all, anymore. A whole planet. It's really something."
"You're welcome. There are a lot of other terms, too, of course. But you'll find those as you look." She likes teaching. it's nice.
"Ultmately, 'your best' is the most important thing you can do, I think." A pause. "How'd you like something to eat? I can probably whip something up."
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
"Yeah, Solaris ain't exactly subtle a lot of the time, when there's somethin' they want. That they're bein' subtle now means they know they're needin' to tread lightly."
"Just 'cause somethin' seems like a good idea don't mean it is. If I could go back n' do it all over..." She nods. "You c'n thank Zephyr I'm here to have this lovely little chat with you."
"Got a bit o' the scientist in me myself, but... ain't gonna turn down another perspective, at this rate."
She laughs a little at Anne's joke. "Supposin' you do, after so long."
Anne offers something to eat. "W--"
Zephyr immediately chirps and immediately takes off from the perch to land on the back of a chair nearer to Anne. More chirping ensues.
"Well I was gonna say it'd be right neighborly of you an' accept, but I guess you know how Zephyr's votin'." Hannah stands up and smiles. "Sounds like a mighty good idea all the same. I'll help, if'n you want."
Nothing better than sharing a meal with friends.