1st Wrench: A Fateful Trip [Action/Video]

[sparkofgenius]

Action, the Verdant Forest:

[Okay, so she'd taken a wrong turn on one of the paths. She had to have, because she should totally be back in Union by now! All she'd intended to do was poke her head out into the forest to get some basic reconnaissance and some preliminary training of Gato done. But without a map it was a bit easy to get lost in that sea of green. Especially for someone who'd never really been outside of Caldera before. Smart and competent she might be, but Lucca most definitely new to the whole exploring on her own.

That said, she's not exactly panicking if anyone happens to come across her. She seems perfectly calm, perfectly rational. And that's probably because she has yet to actually notice that she's gotten lost! She's casually inspecting just about everything. Rocks, trees, streams, berries, basically just anything she comes across. On her back is a small pack that seems to be bulging, and the little Golett running along behind her is similarly weighed down by a backpack of his own. Periodically, she pulls out a notepad and scribbles something, too.

But in the midst of this scientific rampage, something Weedle this way comes. Lucca's search has attracted the attention of a local, an annoyed little creature who's just popped out from a rotted log she'd disturbed with a kick...and the instant she catches sight of it, Lucca lets out a piercing shriek.]

Ahhhhh!

[Apparently the intrepid scientist...has a fear of Bugs!]

((ooc: Tag before the Weedle if you like too!))

Video, Nightfall

[A video comes through the Warp Band, and it's a young woman, clearly. She's dressed...oddly. Almost haphazardly. A scarf around her neck, a tunic visible in the video, and a helmet. With an actual antenna sticking up from the right side. She adjusts her glasses before speaking, and opens with a long sigh.]

Right, so. My name's Lucca Ashtear. Recently of Caldera, and I've set up shop here in Union for the time being. Gotta say, these warp band things are pretty incredible An Aligning tool, communication device, and a homing beacon all at once? Ingenious. I couldn't have designed them better myself. At least...not and kept them this small.

[A pause as she removes her glasses and wipes away some fog.]

Couple of questions for you. First, because I'm new in town, where's a good place to pick up spare parts? Wires, copper, steel, that kinda stuff. Also are there any glassmakers around. Definitely going to need that. I have trouble making that myself.

Second, a more...heh...normal question. Is it just me or is it chilly around here? I don't know how you guys stand it in the lowlands. When does the weather usually shift? Or is this what passes for spring?

And one last thing. The Old City. I'm planning on going down there to nose around soon, but a guide or escort would be nice. More a safety precaution than anything. I'd pay, of course.

And...yeah, I guess that's about it.

[And off goes the feed.]

Comments

[bnw_wighty_npcs]

[The icy bird's demeanor remains... well, icy. Though it clearly has no hostile intentions, it seems that overt friendliness is not on the agenda today, either.]

...

[It gives a slight shake of the head.]

I do not seek... that type of understanding. Child... Why do you roam from your home?

[sparkofgenius]

[That's an easy question. Lucca looks up and smiles, not an ounce of cheek in her voice. She knows when not to be a brat. And in front of a talking ice bird? Probably a good time not to be a brat.]

I left for a few reasons. The first is to better understand the world. The past, and the present. I...have always been kinda gifted with machines, and Union has some pretty marvelous things, and I've heard that the ruins underneath have similar treasures. Things that I could maybe learn from.

[She gestures down to Gato.]

And I left to help Gato along too. He's always been tough, but he tells me that he wants to become stronger. Become better. And that's something I like doing. Making things better for the people and Pokemon around me. It's sort of the same reason as the first though, because I guess recovering lost ideas can also make life better for him too.

Um. And because I also want to see the world. But that's just my personal reasons. I know different people travel for different ones, but I think that's probably the same for all people and Pokemon.

[bnw_wighty_npcs]

[It's unclear whether or not the creature approves of her answer, as its response is to slowly breathe out a stream of ice into the air while she speaks. The condensation quickly coalesces to form a stream of incredibly large snowflakes that slowly begin to drift down to Lucca and Gato.]

Not all who travel... will reach their destination. These souls lost to the journey... they leave behind their lingering regrets.

[A wind picks up now as the snowflakes begin to flurry around Lucca - the effect is subtle, but the world around her will slowly fade from her vision.]

When you cannot take another step... can any of these reasons guide you onwards?

[sparkofgenius]

That's absolutely true.

[Lucca adjusts her glasses again and looks all around her, at that wall of white. This was obviously a test. The Pokemon didn't seem hostile, but this is definitely a test.]

And of course they can. Pursuing growth, pursuing the unknown? Both of those things are a reason to go forward. The most important reason. They're a guiding light, even without necessarily giving you the clearest path. Because no matter where they lead you, you're still further along than you were at the beginning of the journey.

[She takes a single step forward, as if to prove that point.]

That's progress. And that's what guides me.

[bnw_wighty_npcs]

Spoken with the confidence... of one who has just embarked.

[But it does not sound dissatisfied with this answer. When Lucca takes a step through the spiraling snow, it will collapse all about her and drift down to the ground.

Perhaps surprisingly, though, when she emerges, the bird and its crystal tree are nowhere to be seen. Instead, she faces a crossroads.]

But as you say... these ideals may not bring you to the clearest path. What if this guiding light... takes you down the wrong path?

Many times in the past... such a thing has happened. And many times in the past... I have seen this traveler lost.

[sparkofgenius]

[She stops short, and looks from right to left.]

The key there is knowing how to retrace your steps. To understand when you're reaching an undesirable or wrong outcome, and turn back. You can always take a step back, use what you've learned on the wrong path, and reforge things correctly. That takes practice, a keen eye, and a wise companion who can walk at your side.

[She nods to Gato, and pulls out a string. Tying it to a stake, she jabs it into the ground and starts forward on the left path.]

And I trust Gato, he's always been a wise...if silent, partner.

[bnw_wighty_npcs]

Hm.

[As Lucca traverses down the left path, the air in front of her shimmers slightly like diamond dust; it is only a few more steps before she finds the crystal tree and the bird out in front of her once again.]

To blindly follow an ideal without understanding the destination... That is how the path may be lost. There is a need for reflection.

But to speak in this way... perhaps you already know.

[The bird rears up to stretch out its wings once more, unleashing another shower of sparkling ice and snow.]

What is your name, child?

[sparkofgenius]

Reflection. Yeah. That's what science is built on. Seeing the world, and reflecting on it, and how you can change it to make a brighter tomorrow.

[And when she answers the next question, she bows her head reverently. She understands majesty when she sees it.]

Lucca Ashtear. Daughter of Taban Ashtear. May I ask your name, sir?

[bnw_wighty_npcs]

[It does not answer immediately, choosing instead to slowly flap its wings to arise once more into the sky.]

I am... the watcher in the blizzard. A guide to the lost... or a messenger to the damned.

[They had never been able to decide which way it had truly been. Nor had it ever deemed it relevant to explain itself.]

Once, I was called... Articuno.

[And with a single flap of its wings, the snow and ice coating the ground are whipped up once again by an incredibly strong wind. In the blink of an eye, the whiteout has consumed the entire clearing, leaving Lucca and Gato completely blind. ...And in the next blink of an eye, it has passed.

It is spring now. There should not be any snow nor ice in this region. And indeed... there is not. The crystal tree is gone, as if the entire encounter had been only imagined within Lucca and Gato's minds.]

I enjoyed our meeting... Lucca Ashtear, daughter of Taban Ashtear.

[In the spot where the tree ought to have been, there is a single, large, blue feather.]

[sparkofgenius]

Articuno...

[Lucca bows her head again, committing the name to memory. She'd only just begun, and she'd encountered a vision that would drive her forward for years to come. A guide to the lost. A reminder to take a moment and reflect.

And a single feather.

What an auspicious start.

She steps forward and reverently picks it up, turning it over in her hand. What a curious thing.

Turning to Gato, she smiles.]

I guess...Weedle aside, we got lucky today, don't you think.

[A nod, and the ghostly automaton silently glides over to her, hugging her leg.

Man, that thing would have kicked his ass, glad you kept your mouth shut, boss.]