Novelux Downtown Novelux

[Jackie Cat]

Wyatt blinked, nodding vaguely.

"Uh, yeah. She tried to do this whole 'tribal' shtick but she just sounded like a normal frontier settler to me. She probably was half feral, though, judging by her ferocity... Never fought her myself, she just kinda dipped from the dome scene not long before we were due to get matched up, actually. I thought for a sec, maybe she got spooked? But nah, no way. That girl coulda put me through the wall if she wanted. Holding back all the time if you ask me."

The panda scratched his head, trying to recall something...

"This was a while back. Some number of weeks, I dunno. She said something to me about a dungeon? She seemed stressed out. But like I said, there're more than a few dungeons you can get to from here."

 

[Ambyssin]

Okay, those rusty gears were onto something. But what exactly could Nova do or say that wouldn't sound totally suspicious?

"Huh. There's a buddy of mine back west who was exchanging letters with a friend here." Nova feigned a pensive frown. "Said they'd stopped writing a couple of months ago, though." He tapped a claw on the ground. "I doubt it's a coincidence. From what you saw of her at the dome, do you suppose she's the type that could, y'know," he looked over his shoulder at one of the taller buildings, "ruffle the feathers of the powers that be?"

 

[Jackie Cat]

The Pangoro stubbed the end of his cigar out with his thumb, and pocketed it. His aura was more than strong enough to protect him from a little cinder.

"Is that so?" he asked, not really asking, so much as implying Nova knew more than he let on, and Wyatt wasn't so slow as not to catch it. "Well, could be you're onto something, there. Hard to cite anything specific, but you could just tell she wasn't exactly a squeaky-clean above-board type, yeah? Wasn't so keen on publicity – she liked the attention she got in the arena just fine, but she wouldn't do interviews or nothin'."

Wyatt pawed his chin, and thought hard for a moment.

"Y'know what, if you get a chance to hit up the Duel Dome, maybe you'll find somethin' more out there from the fighters. Or even Douglas himself, come to think. That guy isn't a distant investor, he's deeply invested in his pet project. He'll have paid attention to a rising star in legal trouble or whatever it was, I'm sure."

The bear pulled a well-worn pocketwatch from his coat and checked the time, then returned it, fishing out a slip of paper and a stubby pencil worked down to its very end. He scrawled a quick, illegible note.

"This'll get you or whoever you give it to an audience with Douglas Dunsmuir," he rumbled. "Don't waste it."

He held it out, offering it to Nova. Something in what the party had said to Wyatt seemed to have resonated with him. It was hard to tell what, exactly... Maybe he just liked rocking the boat.

 

[Ambyssin]

Nova accepted the noted and stuffed it into his satchel. "I won't, Mr. Working 'Mon Hero."

 

[Jackie Cat]

Wyatt gave an upward nod – and a slightly bemused grunt – of acknowledgement.

"You take care of yourselves," he growled, amiably.

And with that, the Pangoro kicked up his pallet, put it under one arm, and headed off. His scheduled demonstration period was done – though whatever it was for still remained unclear. Perhaps Wyatt just wanted his cause to be heard. Or perhaps the hulking Pangoro, with his arena-honed battle prowess, sought to provoke something more practical in nature...?

In any case, he was gone – and the Wayfarers had a place to stay in town that they could trust, and a lead to follow, at the Duel Dome...

<><><><><>​

 

[Sinderella]

As always, Odette felt at home in a city. No matter where she was, what world she was in, or what form she existed as, a city just felt like home. And after the past few days she had, a city with solid shopping options was even better. Retail therapy had never been her primary source of alleviating stresses or anger, but with Sun Stone moving management, the depleted of energy to set more things on Wrath fire, and a lack of access to her standard, more technologically advanced means of blowing off steam, treating herself to some more presentable clothing and another pair of boots felt right. Earned, if anything.

With a fresh purchase, bagged in hand, she sauntered down the sidewalk, feeling the most at ease she'd felt since she spoke to Koa. Thoughts of her new buys--a blouse of maroon lace and corset-like ties and a pair of pants with the most pockets she'd ever seen on an article of clothing in Forlas--fueled the minute pep in her step. She felt pokes of hunger in her stomach and debated where she'd be best off going for a bite to eat. As she pictured a piping hot cup of tea, she passed a window displaying a gold marvel of a dress. It was enough to stop her in her step to gawk at it. "Oh my gods," she gasped under her breath. She swore she could feel the wad of her tip money in her satchel quaking.

[ @Jackie Cat ]

 

[Jackie Cat]

Industrialisation had brought many things to civilised pokémon society, but some luxuries remained just that – the price of an artisan outfit like this, let alone the tailoring necessary to fit it to one's species' form, or the elemental proofing to wear it safely, was extravagant. Still, it wasn't unthinkable that she could blow her savings on this...

While transfixed on the dress, Odette might notice that, in her shop window reflection, there was a tall, smartly-dressed Inteleon at her side.

"Ms Odette," said Nolan, mildly. "Good day. It seems we are bound to encounter one another wherever we travel."

The Covenant investigator's voice had less sourness than Odette was familiar with. Perhaps because this was a chance meeting and not interrogative business... or because Novelux was more civilised, a more comfortable 'home turf' for Nolan.

"Attire like this is not widely worn," he mused, gesturing lightly to the item that had held her attention. "I have come to learn that a preoccupation with full outfits and elaborate clothing is one of the many... indicators, of a human soul."

Not a hard and fast rule. But common enough that he could romanticise it a little. He himself was thoroughly outfitted, in undergarments, overgarments, spectacles, hat, cane... Did he think it was somehow 'more human' of him?

"I wonder..." he began, as if about to ask what business the Wayfarers had in the city, but then continued, "what it is like, on your world of origin? I have always wished to know about human society, seeing as... Well. I may never see it for myself."

 

[Sinderella]

Well, of all the people she wasn't anticipating running into, it was Nolan. Which felt mildly stupid on her part. Novelux was a place someone like him would thrive in, wasn't it? Truthfully, anything regarding him or the Covenant had been the furthest things from her mind in the past few days.

That didn't stop the wide-eyed look she threw his way when she caught his reflection in the glass, but it softened considerably upon his greeting. “Nolan, sir,” she replied with a polite nod. “That it does.”

She suddenly became acutely aware of the trousers and blouse wrapped up in her shopping bag, and the champagne-colored dress and stockings she’d decided to slip into today. With a very slight grimace, she looked over her own attire, ruffling her skirt with a sheepish scoff. “Then I must be making my origins abundantly clear, huh?” Not that she had any reason to be particularly embarrassed about it. Nolan was in a full-fledged suit, and he was merely human descended. Whatever helped him sleep at night, she supposed.

She didn’t bother to mask her minute surprise at his question, but her features soon settled into something more empathetic. That was an innocuous enough query; one she could easily indulge him in for brownie points and no extra skin off her back.

“Oh,” she breathed, briefly aiming her eyes at a passing tram. “Well, it’s not much different from here. Humans live and work and earn money and complain about the price of products and cover every available building in absurd amounts of advertisements.” She nodded her head toward a particular advert for a must-have A/C unit, adorned with garish flashing lights. “Except my world is quite a bit more advanced. Like, A/C units have been a thing for over a hundred years. In fact, in my current home, it’s pretty much taboo to construct a house without one because of how unbearably hot it gets.” Affectionate distaste tightened the frown on her lips. “Island climate.”

She placed a hand on her hip. “Before that, I lived in a city kind of like this one. Lumiose City. 2 million people live there; put some of the crowds here to absolute shame.” She shook her head with a sense of fondness. Another tram clamored by, and she gestured to it.

“Public transit is a thing, but a lot of people got around with individual gas powered automobiles. Those who opted to walk places usually had their faces in their phones, because most telephones are completely cordless and portable. And Lumiose is widely considered the fashion capital of my world, so you always saw people dressed just as nicely as you are now. Or in things just as lavish as this dress,” she explained, throwing a thumb back to the gold masterpiece in the window.

Realizing she might not have exactly been touching on what Nolan wanted to hear, she cleared her throat. “Of course, there’s a lot more to human society than just the workings of my home city. Is there…anything in particular you were curious about?”