Frontier Town Traveller's Haus - Lobby

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

One evening at the Haus, Steven was reading over that day's copy of the Gazette when he caught the eye of someone else in the lobby. A fall coat deerling sitting in one of the corners was glancing over at him from time to time over the top of a book held in their vines.

At first, Steven gave them a nod of acknowledgement and went back to reading the newspaper, used to the odd glances from townsfolk. But peeking out from behind his paper, he noticed the deerling staring at him again, and Steven grew curious.

Folding his paper and setting it on a nearby table, Steven floated over to the deerling with a friendly chime to grab their attention. "Good evening," he said. "I couldn't help but notice you were looking my way. Is there something I can help you with?"

 

[canisaries]

Folding his paper and setting it on a nearby table, Steven floated over to the deerling with a friendly chime to grab their attention. "Good evening," he said. "I couldn't help but notice you were looking my way. Is there something I can help you with?"

Andre perked up from his drawing. "Oh, sorry," he said. "I was only drawing you. I hope that's alright." He showed the notebook with a very crude drawing of a beldum... it was a beldum, right? "Apologies... I'm not that good right now. The.... teleportation accident screwed with my dexterity. I'm just trying to get better."

He paused. "Say, you don't look familiar. Are you new here?"

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven tipped upward in surprise. "Oh! Of course it's alright, no need to apologize," he said, giving the deerling a smile with his eye before leaning in to get a better look at the sketch.

"It looks good," he said, and then chuckled. "I don't have an artistic bone in my body, and I can tell it's me--"

Steven paused, bobbing up and down in thought. The deerling had said 'teleportation accident'... And if they were staying at the Haus then perhaps they could be trusted.

"Well, me as I am now, of course. You're right though, I am new here. My name is Steven, and it seems we've both had, uh, teleportation mishaps on our way here." He used the same inflection for emphasis.

"I'd offer a handshake but, well..." He chuckled again. "Despite the mishap, it's impressive what you're able to do. Have you sketched any of the other guests staying at the Haus, too?"

 

[canisaries]

"Well, me as I am now, of course. You're right though, I am new here. My name is Steven, and it seems we've both had, uh, teleportation mishaps on our way here." He used the same inflection for emphasis.

Andre caught on. "Pleased to meet you, Steven. My name's Andre."

"I'd offer a handshake but, well..." He chuckled again. "Despite the mishap, it's impressive what you're able to do. Have you sketched any of the other guests staying at the Haus, too?"

Andre nodded. "I have. It's been pretty interesting, drawing lots of species I wouldn't have paid any mind to back where I came from. I do wish I could do a better job, but..." Don't badmouth your art, he remembered Katie saying. It just makes other artists feel bad about their work. Although she'd said that back when even his worse sketches had been impressive. Andre shook his head. "I'm gonna keep practicing."

He gave a smile. "So, how has your journey been so far?"

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven tipped forward in a little bow. "Nice to meet you, Andre. It's good to see you so dedicated to your craft."

"And it does seem like members of our group came in all shapes and sizes. I haven't met many of them, but the ones I have have all been very unique."

Steven glanced towards Andre's sketchbook again, curious if he could peek and see what other pokemon he'd drawn to maybe give a hint as to who was staying at the Haus, and by extension part of their group. But he wouldn't pry further if Andre didn't want to share.

He gave a smile. "So, how has your journey been so far?"

"My journey?" Steven repeated. "It's been quite an interesting one. I arrived here with two others-- a petilil and a honedge-- at a fort out in the desert. Maybe you'll meet them soon. Though, if you're an artist, I bet you'd enjoy a visit there. The sunset lasts for hours, it's quite beautiful."

Steven blinked, and then offered an apologetic chuckle. "Ah, forgive me, I'm beginning to wax poetic. What of your journey? Did you arrive here in Frontier Town?"

 

[canisaries]

"My journey?" Steven repeated. "It's been quite an interesting one. I arrived here with two others-- a petilil and a honedge-- at a fort out in the desert. Maybe you'll meet them soon. Though, if you're an artist, I bet you'd enjoy a visit there. The sunset lasts for hours, it's quite beautiful."

A sunset lasting for hours? Surely that was a figure of speech. "Well, I'm a bit wary of travelling on my own while I'm still so weak. I'd have to do it with a group. Maybe our adventure will take us there someday."

Steven blinked, and then offered an apologetic chuckle. "Ah, forgive me, I'm beginning to wax poetic. What of your journey? Did you arrive here in Frontier Town?"

"We arrived in Little Scriven, a lovely little town, and were escorted here by a courier." He bit his lip and lowered his voice. "We did... let it slip there that many of us were not originally pokémon, which we learned later was a bad thing. In case you didn't yet hear, it should be kept a secret that there are humans among us. If you meet a poochyena named Dave, he can tell you more."

Andre glanced around to make sure no one was listening. "So... are you one of them? 'Steven' is a pretty human-y name."

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"Well, I'm a bit wary of travelling on my own while I'm still so weak.

"Ah, of course." Steven's expression fell as he remembered his own helplessness at the hands of the Night-Captain. "In the future though, you should go for sure. I'd like to go back again, myself. We met the Wardens of the fort. They were kind. Serious, but kind. I like to think they'd remember us as friends."

Steven listened to Andre's tale of his own arrival and nodded along as he shared the information about disclosing their nature as former humans. "I met a roggenrola named Aige when I first arrived here, and she told me much the same. I'd like to meet this Dave, too. It seems information is invaluable to our group. Thank you for the tip."

"So... are you one of them? 'Steven' is a pretty human-y name."

Steven's eye closed to a thin red line, and he rose and fell gently in place, like a sigh. "I am, yes. I haven't been asked before, though I fear I'm not as stealthy about it as I assumed. The townsfolk keep giving me strange looks..."

Suddenly, Steven looked nervous, his eye darting around the room before fixing Andre with an earnest stare. "Is... is it that obvious?"

 

[canisaries]

Steven's eye closed to a thin red line, and he rose and fell gently in place, like a sigh. "I am, yes. I haven't been asked before, though I fear I'm not as stealthy about it as I assumed. The townsfolk keep giving me strange looks..."

Suddenly, Steven looked nervous, his eye darting around the room before fixing Andre with an earnest stare. "Is... is it that obvious?"

Andre eyed Steven up and down. "Well, one thing that sticks out is that you don't have any clothes or accessories. In other words, you're naked. The mon in this society wear clothes to signify that they aren't wild mon, so people that are naked are met with a lot of caution."

He smiled. "There's a tailor in this town, I hear. I doubt you have money of your own yet, so I could buy you something. It won't, uh, be anything fancy with my pay, but it'll get the job done." He paused. "Not that I claim to know what kind of clothes or accessories a beldum could wear. Refrigerator magnets?" he suggested with a smirk.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

In other words, you're naked.

"I'm-- I'm what?" Steven couldn't suppress the surprised shriek he made. His claws instinctively snapped together, like he was trying to cover himself, but ultimately failing.

Before Andre cold explain further, Steven darted back over to where he'd left he copy of the Gazette he'd been reading, opened it, and huddled behind it with only his head peeking out.

"I, uh, I'm so sorry. Oh gods, that explains so much." His voice quaked with embarrassment. "Thank you for telling me this. And, ah, you've very kind, but I have some money. Been working in the local mine a few shifts. I'll-- I can go to that tailor first thing tomorrow."

"Not that I claim to know what kind of clothes or accessories a beldum could wear. Refrigerator magnets?"

Steven paused at Andre's joke. Well, it'd been meant as a joke, but what if it wasn't? He'd never considered it, but it's not like his current form could wear the same clothes he was used to.

"Do... do they even have refrigerator magnets here?"

 

[canisaries]

"I, uh, I'm so sorry. Oh gods, that explains so much." His voice quaked with embarrassment. "Thank you for telling me this. And, ah, you've very kind, but I have some money. Been working in the local mine a few shifts. I'll-- I can go to that tailor first thing tomorrow."

Andre nodded. He secretly felt good about not having to share his paycheck, and immediately, he felt bad about his greed. Still a rich kid, eh, Andre Duval?

Steven paused at Andre's joke. Well, it'd been meant as a joke, but what if it wasn't? He'd never considered it, but it's not like his current form could wear the same clothes he was used to.

"Do... do they even have refrigerator magnets here?"

Andre frowned. "In this era, even with the fudge factor of a different world, I highly doubt it. But they could have iron jewellery, maybe?" He shrugged. "That's if iron even sticks to you. I'm not that familiar with beldum anatomy, not that my knowledge back home is guaranteed to be accurate here, anyway."

He looked around. No one seemed to be listening. "So, what kind of place do you hail from, anyway? What kind of person are you back home?" He mentally cursed himself for putting it like that - he didn't want to imply his conversation partner was a bad person... again.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

But they could have iron jewellery, maybe?" He shrugged. "That's if iron even sticks to you.

Steven perked up at this. "Oh, yes, iron would stick. I have a very good internal magnetic field; all beldum do. It's how they are able to levitate."

He paused, peering around the lobby for a moment before spotting what he was looking for.

"Watch." He abandoned the newspaper and floated over to the nearby end table, lifting a small metal ashtray with telekinesis. He held it close to his side and then let go. The ashtray plunked to the floor. Steven stared at it with extra scrutiny before laughing quietly. "Oh. My mistake, that was pewter."

"In any case, of something is made of iron, nickel, or cobalt, I can wear it." He placed the ashtray back on the table as he spoke. "That feels odd to say."

Despite that, he seemed to be more at ease about the whole naked thing for now.

"So, what kind of place do you hail from, anyway? What kind of person are you back home?"

"What kind of person?" Steven echoed, pausing in his re-tidying of the Gazette. "Well..."

He hadn't thought twice about it, but in this place, in this body, he could actually be himself. Not the Champion of Hoenn. Not the heir to the Devon Corporation. Just Steven. He smiled, eye upturning into an arc. A genuine, happy smile.

"I'm a bit of a wanderer, you could say. I travel place to place with my partners, and perhaps this is odd, but I rather enjoy collecting rocks. Everyone has a favorite hobby," he finished with a chuckle.

"What sort of thing do you like to do? Besides your art, I mean."

 

[canisaries]

"Watch." He abandoned the newspaper and floated over to the nearby end table, lifting a small metal ashtray with telekinesis. He held it close to his side and then let go. The ashtray plunked to the floor. Steven stared at it with extra scrutiny before laughing quietly. "Oh. My mistake, that was pewter."

Andre snickered.

"What kind of person?" Steven echoed, pausing in his re-tidying of the Gazette. "Well..."

He hadn't thought twice about it, but in this place, in this body, he could actually be himself. Not the Champion of Hoenn. Not the heir to the Devon Corporation. Just Steven. He smiled, eye upturning into an arc. A genuine, happy smile.

"I'm a bit of a wanderer, you could say. I travel place to place with my partners, and perhaps this is odd, but I rather enjoy collecting rocks. Everyone has a favorite hobby," he finished with a chuckle.

"What sort of thing do you like to do? Besides your art, I mean."

"Well, art is my muse and my main source of income, but I do have other sides to me," he said. "I like the nightlife - going out to bars with my friends or alone to look for company. I'm also a cinephile, and a lover of jazz." And a fucking murderer, don't forget that.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"I like the nightlife - going out to bars with my friends or alone to look for company. I'm also a cinephile, and a lover of jazz."

"Ah, those are great hobbies. I have a friend who enjoys much of the same. He's also an artist, though more of a performance artist, actually."

Steven glanced to the side for a moment, bobbing in thought.

"You know, now that I think about it, one of the saloons around town probably has a jazz act," he offered. "I get the feeling we'll be in this land for a while. Might as well enjoy yourself while you're here."

"Speaking of," he looked down at Andre's sketchbook. "I should probably let you get back to your art. I've interrupted your evening long enough."

 

[canisaries]

"You know, now that I think about it, one of the saloons around town probably has a jazz act," he offered. "I get the feeling we'll be in this land for a while. Might as well enjoy yourself while you're here."

"Oh, the Sun Stone Saloon has one of us working there as a singer - a mawile named Odette. She's brought some contemporary music along with her and tried to make it work for a wild west audience. It could be that there's jazz in the mix, who knows."

"Speaking of," he looked down at Andre's sketchbook. "I should probably let you get back to your art. I've interrupted your evening long enough."

Andre grinned. "It's no trouble! I love meeting new people, and getting familiar with each other is something our group should be doing, anyway. But I won't keep you if you're going somewhere. I just hope you have a good day wherever you go."

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"Oh, the Sun Stone Saloon has one of us working there as a singer - a mawile named Odette.

"Ah, it seems there's quite a few more to our group I haven't met yet, then." Steven tipped his head, pondering how a contemporary music act would have gone over with this town's crowd. "I bet if you asked her, she might be willing to try out some jazz tunes, too."

"It's no trouble! I love meeting new people, and getting familiar with each other is something our group should be doing, anyway. But I won't keep you if you're going somewhere. I just hope you have a good day wherever you go."

Steven nodded, giving Andre an ocular smile of his own. "You're quite right, it's been a pleasure to meet you, and I appreciate your tips on who else from our group to be on the look out for. I don't really have anywhere to be, but I should probably put some thought into what to get from the tailor."

He gave a little bob as a farewell gesture, and began to float towards the stairs that lead up to the guest quarters of the Haus. But as he got to the foot of the stairs, he paused and glanced back toward Andre, a cheeky look in his eye.

"You know, I'm glad to have bumped into you today. My friend is never going to believe me when I tell him I've posed as a nude model."

And with a chiming laugh, he floated up the stairs to his room.

<><><><><><>​

 

[Jackie Cat]

Sometimes, Laura liked to use the lobby to sit and write. She didn't have a desk at the Gazette offices, and her tiny room was no study space at all, but the lobby had a nice ambience, comfy chairs, and a coffee table to put her stuff. She'd taken to organising her notes on the party here, and had spent most of the current evening drafting attempts at her first Gazette article. How was that going? It was... going. She kept looking up, distracted, to glance around the room. Sometimes her gaze landed on maus staff going about their business. Sometimes she gave a little nod hello to another 'heroic spirit'. Sometimes—

"Good evenin'."

"Howling fucking shit," she blurted, jumping in her seat as she realised there was a Floragato sitting right fucking next to her without her noticing.

"Sorry fer startlin' ya!" said the other cat, laughing. She tipped her wide-brimmed hat, and grinned. "Name's Sonora. And you are one of them mystifyin' newcomers, ain'tcha?"

"Yeah," stammered the human-turned-Meowth. "I'm Laura. And... I know who you are."

"Oh, well that saves us a minute of time, don't it? 'Cause I got a proposition for ya, and I've already got four of your buddies interested."

Laura had a feeling it was gonna be a long night.

<><><><><>​

 

[Hap]

With people wandering in and out of the Traveller's Haus all day, it was, Ridley considered, an excellent starting point if you wanted to find people to talk to.

And after the discussion in the dining hall, that was exactly what Ridley wanted. Sure, from a spectator's standpoint it had been a mildly hilarious clusterfuck of an argument, but it had prompted him to realise that he didn't actually know most of his fellow universe-travellers. Somehow, between the mundane business of everyday life and the time he spent in the library pulling random books off the shelves, he'd let social interaction start slipping by.

Ridley's new goal, he'd decided, was to remedy that. It would be nice to have friends here, or at least allies.

Entering the lobby, he recognised one of the people he'd arrived here with. The deerling - Andy? No, Andre - was currently scribbling in a notebook. Ridley waved at him. "Hey!" he said. "I haven't seen you in a while. How's Frontier Town been treating you?"

 

[canisaries]

Entering the lobby, he recognised one of the people he'd arrived here with. The deerling - Andy? No, Andre - was currently scribbling in a notebook. Ridley waved at him. "Hey!" he said. "I haven't seen you in a while. How's Frontier Town been treating you?"

Andre flinched at the sudden greeting, but relaxed quickly as he recognized the speaker. "Ah, Ridley," he said. "It's nice to meet you too. I've been good - got a job at a post office, and I've been practicing drawing in my spare time. How about you? What have you been doing?"

 

[Hap]

"I've been good - got a job at a post office, and I've been practicing drawing in my spare time. How about you? What have you been doing?"

"Aah, I haven't been up to much," Ridley admitted. "Doing odd jobs and spending time in the library, mostly. The most interesting thing which has happened recently was a group of us tagged along with a ranger to help find a missing supply wagon and got in a fight with some wild pokemon about it."

He added, "Hey, you draw? That's cool!" Ridley vaguely remembered the frustration Andre had experienced in Little Scriven's library when he'd tried drawing there, but he guessed it might be rude to bring that up.

 

[canisaries]

"Aah, I haven't been up to much," Ridley admitted. "Doing odd jobs and spending time in the library, mostly. The most interesting thing which has happened recently was a group of us tagged along with a ranger to help find a missing supply wagon and got in a fight with some wild pokemon about it."

"I see! Personally, I haven't been in a fight yet. I've only trained a little bit. Honestly, I'm not sure if I could hold my own against wild pokémon..."

He added, "Hey, you draw? That's cool!" Ridley vaguely remembered the frustration Andre had experienced in Little Scriven's library when he'd tried drawing there, but he guessed it might be rude to bring that up.

Andre grinned. "Yeah! I've been drawing since I first picked up a crayon as a baby. Right now, though, ah, I'm catching up to my real skill level. I'm not as good with my vine as I am with my hands." His smile had drooped, but he forced it back on. "I've been making progress, though! Not enough to be able to sell anything, but enough for it to be fun again.

"So what kinda hobbies did you have back home?"