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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 18:40:25 GMT
Amber trails after the group, expression carefully blank. The strange sights, though, are distracting. Just seeing all the various bioweapons, seemingly working alongside these humans...there's something light and fluffy that rises in her belly. She feels movement in her hair and leans her head against the small, sparky yellow mon that crawls its way up to stand on her shoulders, peeking over her head and only tugging a little bit at her hair in the process. It makes a soft noise as they look around together. Maybe her liking this little thing isn't such a bad thing, after all?
She's so distracted looking around that she almost misses Bunnie's encounter, listing off slightly from the group to get a better look at the Growlithe and the forge. It's pretty, and distracting, and she almost forgets her earlier concerns until Bunnie pipes up again, calling out to her. She looks over, frowning, and nods, before pointedly turning back to watch the...what was the word? She'd read about them before....something smith. Green...smith? That sounded about right...or, not, nothing about that was green, was it? But the fire was pretty bright... Redsmith?
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 18:41:08 GMT
The woman's obvious and continued interest in Joe rattled what little nerve he'd mustered. "S-sure, maybe," he managed noncommittally with half a smile before Cecil finally relieved him of her attention. Giving the muscle-strapped Pokemon a wide berth, he quickly slipped into Purewater ahead of the others, but they caught up quickly as he found himself nearly frozen by the sudden influx of strange and unfamiliar people - and so many of them with monsters too! Obviously this had been a big mistake. Best to get what they needed quickly and return to the Vault, where his misery was at least predictable and reasonably survivable.
For some reason, though, Bunnie and Cecil saw fit to waste time... was that flirting? he wasn't sure - with the visually loudest pair of people Joe had ever seen. Even some of the monsters looked tame by comparison to these women. He didn't have the guts to introduce himself - and no way the fluke at the gate would repeat itself, these girls had zero time for Joe and he knew it. Squeezing past the four chatty folks, he tried to slip into the 'General Store' - and stumbled on the doorjamb, spinning towards the twin that hadn't done any talking yet before toppling flat on his own ass.
"S... sorry..." he squeaked, terrified of her inevitable retribution.
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 18:41:44 GMT
”Two outta five,” Kat chuckles to the pair who’d actually bothered to greet her. ”I guess we coulda done worse.” Her lime-green stare took in the other three in turn: a well-kept bird who didn’t even bother looking up, another as slight as a child with large, owlish eyes currently resting on the smith, and one who outright ignored her in order to—
There was a flurry of motion just past Roz, and her copy let out a shrill Oiiiii!—one of the few sounds ‘she’ could replicate—before a flailing arm caught ‘her’ shoulder, and the illusion dissipated with a pop. The Zorua shook his head and neck quickly before steeling his deep blue stare at the poor bugger who’d ruined their fun. Kat’s own gaze was equally as icy, and for a brief moment she forgot about the truly interesting people she was speaking to. Her lips curled backwards in a half-scowl, half-snarl. And then she smelled smoke.
She looked back at Cecil just in time to see him pocket—something. But the cigarette suddenly perched between his lips was clue enough, and her eyes widened, distracted by the other idiot’s clumsiness for the moment. ”Blaze ‘n blight defy me,” she swore breathily, staring at the man’s pocket like he was hiding solid gold. ”You have a whole pack of ‘em? Y-you—” Either these folks were rollin with more cash than they’d let on, found some nigh-untouched loot cache, or… there was the other conclusion, her first one. A few of the group were looking about, oddly entranced by strange ol’ Purewater. Was there more to that? Once again, she ran her tongue along her teeth. She’d find out, one way or another. But common sense was near shoutin that she’d better stick with them at least until she did.
Smiling as brightly as she could—which still looked a bit sharkish, given her suspicions—she tugged Joe to his feet and brushed a bit of dust off him. ”A pleasure,” she all but hissed from between her teeth. She then turned back to Cecil and Bunnie, although her eyes kept darting to the former’s cig with something akin to hunger. ”Aight, well, I’m Katora. Kat, actually, if it’s all the same to you lot. And this here’s Rosco.” The dark-furred fox pokemon leaped onto her outstretched arm, then bounded to her shoulders, peeking out from underneath the mess of hair and attachments. ”I’ve got a place that should fit all of ye, if a bit tightly. I don’t suppose any of you could help me with this, though?” She raised her arm, showing the Pip-boy. ”Stopped workin’ proper a while back now. I’ll waive any debts if it can be fixed. Then Roz and I can show you around, hm?”
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 18:42:12 GMT
Aaah! What was that noise? Christine wondered, startled. Looking around, she saw...the second person was gone. Damnit! Does...that mean these things can look like people? The thought worries her more than she'd care to admit. She thought most of them were pretty cute, this one is too... but she did like being able to know what's real and what's not...
She tentatively walks a bit closer, "Pardon my ignorance on the matter, Miss... Kat" she says to the strange girl, sounding more confident than she felt, "but... how does he do that? We don't exactly have anything like him, from where we come from...down South."
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 18:42:35 GMT
She drew her eyes away from Cecil's cig to look at the speaker--ah, the one who'd looked anywhere but at her earlier. Her lips quirked into a half-grin. "You ain't never seen a Zorua before? Illusions are just... iunno lady, it's what they do. Roz likes copyin' people he finds particularly interesting. Oi, show 'em again."
Roz chatters back, and then with another quick pop, a copy of Bunnie is swaying next to Kat's side--who did a quick double-take before grinning thoughtfully. "Guess he likes you too," she said to the girl who'd first approached.
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 18:43:36 GMT
Ohgodohgodohgod they can look like us, was the mantra that overwhelmed all logical thought as Joe sat paralyzed on the ground, eyes fixed on the black- and red-furred creature that had been Kat's 'twin' moments earlier. How could Joe ever trust his fellow Vault-mates again, when he'd never know if he woke up one morning and one of them had been... replaced?
He finally found his voice when the colorful woman yanked him to his feet, nearly tripping again in the other direction at the sudden shift in balance. "J-joe. Vargas." He realized he had steadied himself on the not-Bunnie and quickly flinched away, abject fear obvious on his face. "How... how does anyone here trust each other, when any one of you could be a monster in disguise?" His eyes darted back and forth between every 'human' milling around the street - what if this was an entire town of monsters, a trap sweetened by familiarity and the illusion of safety? Was that the real intent behind the radio signal... to draw in humans?
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 18:43:59 GMT
"Blaze and blight defy me. You have a whole pack of 'em Y-You-" Cecil regarded Kat with the same mild disinterest he did most people, but her outburst had immediately drawn out two lines of thought that set the boy's gears to turning. Cigarettes weren't common up here. They weren't exactly easy to get at in the vault either, kept in storage for special occasions, or in medicinal chests for sore throats. These were no less different, hard stolen as they were, the greaser couldn't help but take a moment to lament his wastefulness.
The second train of thought went to all the things a single cigarette might get him, either from this 'Kat', or other people around town that recognized them as valuable. Gifts earned favors, but he didn't have much to give. When that perception of power was given limits, it wasn't respected as much. Cecil kept his hand hidden for now.
Turning away from the action with Kat and her twin Roz, the greaser spotted Amber a bit distant for his tastes. Staring into a fire with a curious, bewildered look on her face, like she was trying to puzzle out some great mystery of the universe. Snorting softly, smoke jetting out of his nose, Cecil shook his head and started to approach the girl. "Hey. Hey."
Reaching out Cecil physically turned Amber to face him and the rest of the group, just in time for her to see the little black fox turn into a striking replica of Bunnie. "Don't go getting lost in your own head, alright? We don't know anyone here. It ain't any more safe then the trucks were."
Turning back towards the others, Cecil's bored facade was shattered with the appearance of a second Bunnie. His mouth fell open just slightly, having missed literally the entire explanation and sighting of the Zorua in engaging Amber. "What fresh hell...?" Then, just like that, before Cecil could stalk over, with a flick and a laugh Kat explained everything for him. Pokemon, jeez. The way Joe was sweating made it all worthwhile though.
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 18:45:12 GMT
Amber is so entranced with the redsmith that she wanders a few steps in his direction, trying to see what he's making. His casual use of the biomonster's fire is fascinating all on its own! She only vaguely listens to the conversation, the new girl not having held her interest for long, before there are hands on her shoulders twisting her physically around and she yelps, stumbling and falling against the source. The Pichu on her shoulder doesn't take kindly to her being mishandled--he sparks in the general direction of Cecil, making a noise of irritation. Still, Amber thinks as she listens, Cecil isn't wrong. It /isn't/ safe here.
Facing the group, she's about to apologize and agree when he mutters his confused comment and her gaze snags on the second Bunnie. She pales, skin taking on a vaguely green tint. "...do we have to have two of them?" She mutters almost absentmindedly, tone vaguely bitter. Still, she listens quietly to the girl's explanation, and watches as the second bunny becomes a small, darkly colored pokemon. They don't talk...well, /she/ doesn't talk that much, and Joe doesn't either in between his panic attacks, so that might not be that useful. She squints at Cecil for a moment, wondering if he's going to implement some policy of slapping them to prove that they're not illusions. She wouldn't put it past him, to be honest, and she casually side steps away from him a few feet.
And...oh, there was something they'd been talking about fixing, wasn't there? Unless she'd misheard, which was pretty possible. "Sorry..." She starts. "What did you need?"
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 18:45:35 GMT
The small bird with the wide eyes was addressing her now, too. Again no name. Kat put aside her annoyance for a moment, twirling what looked to be a lime green silk ribbon around her ring finger as she slowly pushed forward her other arm, where the Vault-Dex sat on her wrist. The casing didn't look in too rough condition, but... "Somethin' inside's fried," she muttered. This tiny little girl was their mechanic? She stifled her doubts with a sniff. Normally she'd be hard pressed to show strangers the odd toys and doodads she'd scavenged or traded for, but with this lot all havin their own Vault-Dexes... well, she was willing to give 'em a chance. "This kinda thing your kick an' calling, then?"
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 18:46:10 GMT
Amber steps forward, leaning over the dex to stare at it. She pulls small screwdriver from the pocket of her vault dex and starts unscrewing the face plate, carefully prodding at the innards. It's obvious from the way she handles the piece, moving the girl's wrist around, that she's largely forgotten the dex is attached to an actual person.
A spark on her shoulder from the small yellow pokemon that starts trying to get closer to see what's happening is the first thing that brings her out of the intense concentration she falls into when she starts playing with machinery. She pulls back, blinking eyes that had, at some point, started burning from her staring with such little blinking. She reaches up to wipe them as they tear up.
"Hold him," She mutters, picking up the Pichu under the arms and holding him out to Cecil. Her tone is distracted. "A shock will fry it."
"Let's see. I found some things out by the truck, could try and use those to fix it..." She sticks the screwdriver in her mouth and starts picking at the wiring. "But I think I can maybe...if I just hand an extra pair of hands..."
"Joe," She says suddenly, looking up. "You did maintenance, right? Can you..?"
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 18:46:33 GMT
"Here," Christine says, even though Amber probably wouldn't notice. "I'll take...him?" Her? It? She grabs the Pichu, and hopes to god that she wouldn't get shocked.
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Post by Lockdown on Jan 2, 2016 22:08:16 GMT
With Joe's assistance, the small screen on Kat's wrist finally flickers to life, as the girl herself experiences a brief shock. As the 'Dex begins to boot up, there's an imperious sniff from behind the group. "Really, even if you are newcomers to the city, one would think that you would have been blessed with a modicum of manners. Blocking a door like this is quite rude." It's the woman with the white-furred canine, which is looking down its long snout at you all, visibly unimpressed. KatThis is Cindy Trehan, the wife of the mayor and self-appointed preserver of fashion within the wastes The woman pauses, before looking all three of the ladies over critically, ignoring Kat and then focusing on Bunnie and smiling." Well, at least one of you seems to be an alright sort. That's quite a daring ensemble darling, and it accents your eyes just stunningly. Did you make it youself?" As the woman speaks, the five Vault residents have simultaneous beeps sound from their 'Dexes, while Kat's Dex displays "Boot-up sequence complete. Mobile network found. Accessing... Network synch complete." You all get 3 more Dex-XP as Zoroa, Buneary and Chespin are added to the Dex databanks.
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 3, 2016 2:20:33 GMT
"Look, miss," Christine says softly, before Bunnie can say anything more that could make it worse, "You speak of manners, but one who touts them such as yourself should know that it's rude to just butt into a conversation like this. And then to continue and insult most of us? We'll move along, alright. Good day. Ow!" The last bit was from a spark from the electric mouse she still held, which she quickly handed back to Amber.
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Post by David Hilm on Jan 3, 2016 5:03:53 GMT
Bunnie smiles at the new woman. "Yes, I did actually. It was a hobby of mine in my spare time back home." She turns to Christine. "Now Christie, that's no way to speak to a stranger. Not that I seem to be any better at it today. I'm sure this woman has a busy schedule and we're just mildly inconveniencing her. No harm intended from either party, of course." She looks back to the new woman and rolls her eyes in an exaggerating manner. "I'm sorry for, well, I'm sorry. We weren't intentionally being a nuisance I assure you."
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Post by Seya on Jan 3, 2016 9:46:39 GMT
Kat bit her tongue. Oh, there were a number of things she'd like to say to the Trehan woman, but she was already on uneasy ground with many of Purewater's higher-ups and didn't want to be forcibly removed from the town's safety anytime soon. She shuffled slowly out of the doorway. It was well enough that the old witch was ignoring her; Kat focused her attention on the little owl-faced girl, who had sucessfully (maybe she shant've judged so soon) brought the Vault-Dex back to life.
She watched it sync up to the others' with a slight frown. "Ain't that fancy? What clever hands. So does that mean..." her eyebrows raised as she scrolled through the Dex, and entries for several pokemon--a few she recognized, a few she didn't--popped up. "These 'mon belong to you lot, then?"
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Post by Robot on Jan 3, 2016 13:20:44 GMT
Cecil could do nothing but stare at Amber for the longest moment. Wanting nothing to do with the rodent, his displeasure was written all over his face. Finally, blessedly, Christine ran interference just as the greaser was about to open his mouth and rudely tell off the scrawny girl.
Watching the trio huddle up to work at Kat's junked Dex, Cecil saw the woman coming. Well dressed, even her Pokemon stood out as fancy. Had he been the type to look for trouble, the boy would've immediately set about casing her place. He'd have to find it first.
The ding of his Dex startled him from his train of thought, drawing his attention back to Kat. The stranger that now knew everything about their 'Mon count and type. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he suppressed a sigh and returned to the last dregs of his cigarette.
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Post by Slytherclaw on Jan 3, 2016 18:29:39 GMT
i.imgur.com/B2botby.png i.imgur.com/B2botby.png Amber glances at the woman, blinking for a moment. She looks the woman up and down, before shrugging and stepping to the side. She turns her back on the woman, facing Kat, and dismisses the woman entirely. Humans, after all, weren't all that scary--and the old woman didn't look like much of a threat in general. She nods at Kat's question, wiping her hands on her jumpsuit, and accepts the Pichu back from Christine. "This is Topaz," She says, happy to share the name. She nuzzles his head. "He's a Picha." She frowns. "Pichy? Pi...chu?"
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Post by Lockdown on Jan 3, 2016 18:54:45 GMT
The woman gives a small laugh at Bunnie's apology, and a nod of acknowledgement to Amber as the girl moved out of her way. "Really darling, it's no trouble. I will admit to being a bit behind schedule, and it's got me out of sorts. That nasty shearer of Slane's nearly scalped my poor little Louise! I mean, just look at the state of her fur! It was a miracle anything could be salvaged at all!" The canine gives a piteous whine. Her thick white coat does look a little ragged upon closer inspection, but it's glossy and full.
"Oh, but where are my manners. My name is Cindy Trehan. My husband's the mayor here in Purewater." She focuses on Bunnie again, though she's made a point of also moving to the side to allow traffic to come and go. "Tell me darling, have you perhaps found any fashion magazines in your travels? I'd found one from before the Cataclysm that detailed an absolutely posh trim for my darling Louise, and it said there were going to be a whole run of them in their magazine. It was put out a few years before the Cataclysm hit from what I've been able to find out. I'd be willing to pay quite a bit to get my hot little hands on them. She grins and winks at Bunnie in a conspiratorial manner, before pausing and checking a small ornate watch on her wrist.
"Oh my, I'll have to ask you about that later darling, I need to get my husband his lunch. The poor boy would starve himself in that office if I gave him the chance. Please, drop by my house when you have the time and we can chat more. It's the one with the flower-painted mailbox. Ta! And with that the woman darts into the store, coming out a few moments later with a bundle and heading towards the plant in the center of town, her companion trotting at her heels
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Post by Seya on Jan 3, 2016 21:58:23 GMT
"Topaz, huh?" Kat replies quietly, making a point of ignoring Trehan. She also doesn't bother correcting the misidentified species; not worth gettin' into a fight over. "I s'pose he's quite cute. You might like Hazel, though she's a bit'v'a princess. Oi, Roz, return." The Zorua is recalled into his ball, which Kat quickly switches with another. "My first pokemon," she says to Amber with a half-smile. A small rabbit-like pokemon covered with fluff materializes in Kat's arms, with a large pink bow at the base of one ear. She gives the strangers a questioning look before assessing Topaz with a rather haughty expression.
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Post by Slytherclaw on Jan 5, 2016 0:40:37 GMT
i.imgur.com/B2botby.png Amber peers at the fluffy bunny looking pokemon with its big bow and grins. "She's cute..." Amber says admiringly. An 'innocent' spark from the Pichu looking up at her from her arms draws her attention back and she cuddles it closer. Still, she leans her chin against his head and looks back at Kat. "Did you get her from a vault scientist?"
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