♫ One Chord ♫

[nonstopyouth]

[Action take 1: Near the Gates]

[It had all been a blur, really. She'd lost track of time wandering through the wilderness and if it hadn't been for the friend she made (The small fluffy mareep trotting at her heels) she might have been in real trouble. But she'd managed to stumble into a merchant caravan that offered to take her in in return for a few chores and she'd gotten her passage into Union.]

[Union was ...well. It was a lot. It was a lot mostly because she didn't know what to expect and she didn't have much of a frame of reference. Still, even as she looked up at what was left of the tall spires, and the constant construction littering the ones that looked damage, there was something beautiful about it. Peaceful even.]

[It struck her as something inherently unfamiliar.]

[Immigration was stressful and scary and she didn't know what she was supposed to do. She'd bumbled her way through until they released her into the city with some information on getting settled and she was left to her devices.]

[She was tired, dirty, ragged looking and scared but somehow, looking at the city from inside, up at the towers and the people walking by, she felt at ease. Maybe Mr. Berry had been right. Maybe this place really could help her.]

Isn't this place incredible, Pyuru?

[The sheep Reep!s at her in agreement.]

I wonder what I should do now...

[To that, the pokemon had no response. Good question.]

[Action take 2: Near Ninetales Vale.]

[After some exploring, Cyan decided the best course of action would be to work up some money. Food and a place to sleep were the priority. Mostly food. She and her friend were starting to get hungry and she didn't want to impose on the merchants she came in with any longer.]

[So Cyan is sitting on a bench with her guitar. The case for it is on the ground and open with a small sign that says "Thank you for listening!". She's been playing for at least an hour by now. It's funny that she couldn't tell you a thing about where she was from, but music and songs, they always came right to her. She couldn't tell you where or how she learned them, but it was like her heart wouldn't let her forget.]

[She's not bad at all, either. And she plays with a smile despite the pretty poor state she's in.]

[Video: Warp band.]

[And of course a little later on when she's managed to have a meal. She's sitting outside, playing with the warp band. When the feed comes on she looks startled, black cat ears standing straight up.]

--Think it's working! U-Um! [Oh no, just a little stage fright.]

Hello... um! I was told I could talk to people on this so I guess that's what I'm doing...

[This was going terribly. She turns bright red and her ears fold back. Pyuru decides to take things into her own hands by showing off a sparkly electric move! Yeah!! Hello Union we are here!!]

[It's too bad that it also hits Cyan which causes her hair to poof right up]

--Kyaah!!

[In her distress, she drops the warp band and the static electricity probably shorts it out. It goes dead as the Mareep worriedly tries to apologize.]

Comments

[nonstopyouth]

[Hahaha.... yeah... But when the trainer runs up she will carefully end the song. Maybe now Union won't kick her out for disrupting the peace.]

Did you write that yourself?

[To the growlithe, obviously.]

[warriormouse]

[Sunflash just yips and turns around to start tugging on Martin's belt. She knows he keeps his wallet in that general area, time to get the wallet and give this girl all the money! Martin manages to get her off his belt before he's half-naked in the Vale]

This is why I haven't gotten you a Fire Stone yet. [To the girl:] She didn't interrupt, did she?

[nonstopyouth]

[Oh my. She covers her mouth with her hand trying not to giggle. To his question, she shakes her head.]

N-No! Not at all. It was nice. I hope she had fun.

[warriormouse]

[She did! She did! Martin can the girl come home with them please please please? She looks cuddly.

Martin just pats Sunflash's head to try and calm her down. Noonvale, meanwhile, goes to sniff Cyan]

She did, I think. My name is Martin, and the performer here is Sunflas--Noonvale, what did I tell you about sniffing everyone without asking?

[The Spritzee chirps back that it's hard to ask when most people don't speak Poké and goes about her business]

[nonstopyouth]

[Cyan being psychic at least means she can get a vague gist of what's being said. Anything beyond that tends to start giving her a headache. She smiles at them.]

It's okay, I don't mind. [Even if that was kind of strange. She hadn't seen a pokemon like that before that she could remember. She probably smells like dirt, cat, and sunshine.]

My name is Cyan. It's nice to meet all of you.

[warriormouse]

[She does! And Noonvale promptly sprays her with a perfume that's mix of orange, lime, and tangerine.

Martin forgot her bottles today.]

[nonstopyouth]

[LKJDSLSKDJLFDSJFLS]

N-Nyah!

[Wait...that smells kind of nice??]

O-Oh... I like that...

[Even if she can kind of taste it in the back of her mouth blaugh.]

[warriormouse]

[Noonvale chirps in success while Martin just sighs.]

I'm sorry about her. She...she makes perfume for everyone she meets and then tries to sell them more if they like it. It's surprisingly lucrative, and it's gone to her head.

[nonstopyouth]

[!! That's pretty enterprising!]

I-I see. [She pauses and is suddenly a little sad she can't offer to buy it from her. Oh no she went through all that work....]

[Her ears fall a little and she looks kind of embarrassed.]

I really like it but um. I can't ...buy any right now. But- maybe another time! [When she's not playing for her lunch.]

[warriormouse]

[He caught that and beckons Noonvale back. She obeys with a soft little whistle]

Did you just arrive, Cyan?

[nonstopyouth]

[FFFF He figured it out. She turns red and fidgets with her skirt. She nods.]

I did. Early this morning. The city is really nice and the people have been really kind so far.

[She really isn't doing too badly on the playing front. She's got some dollars in her guitar case.]

[warriormouse]

Do you have a place to stay? If you don't, I run Redwall. It's a sort of shelter and semi-permanent residence for people who need it.

[nonstopyouth]

[!!]

[She looks up, surprised and- looks at her guitar case.]

I-I don't. I don't have any money, though. Just this.

[warriormouse]

That's fine. I charge nothing.

[nonstopyouth]

Nya? Nothing? Nothing at all?

[What.]

[warriormouse]

Nothing at all. You can stay as long as you need to.

[nonstopyouth]

Really?? But-! That's-!!

[!?!??!?]

That's really nice of you!!!

[warriormouse]

There's so many new arrivals that need a place to stay nowadays. I had to do something...and then with the attack from the Elite Four so many locals have needed a place to stay. I can't charge for help.

[nonstopyouth]

I-I'll do chores or something! To make it up to you! I can clean...

[While she spazzes out Pyuru is just going to excitedly cheer for their good fortune. She was warm and wooly but she didn't want her trainer to sleep outside.]

[warriormouse]

[Martin chuckles]

If you want to help with chores, you can do that. A few of the people living there right now help with chores since my team and I can't do everything.

[nonstopyouth]

[Lots of intense nodding yes.]

[Pyuru nudges the guitar case shut and she quirkly turns to pick it up. She pauses, though, reaching inside to pull out a few bills. She then approaches Noonvale.]

Um... so is this enough? If it is, I'll be happy to buy that bottle.

[warriormouse]

[Noonvale chirps.]

She says residents get a bottle free.

[nonstopyouth]

[You're killing her. You are literally killing her.]

[After what she remembers running from and the tolerant but harsh merchants she stayed with- all this kindness out of the blue is hitting her kind of hard. she stands there for a moment, gently presses the money shes holding out to her chest and starts to cry. It's the saddest most pathetic little collection of upset squeaks ever emitted by a person before probably.]

E-Everyone I-Is so nice...

[warriormouse]

[Oh. Oh no. This happens sometimes at Redwall, usually with mothers, and usually he just lets someone else handle it because Martin is not good with crying people. At all.

Thankfully Sunflash is on it and she tries to lick Cyan's face to make her feel better while the Misdreavus flies over to coo soothingly.]

[nonstopyouth]

[LKSJKLJAS DOG LICKS. That stops her crying pretty quick but she's- at least smiling through a few hiccups. Aw, you guys.]

[She does seek out Martin and smiles at him.]

Thank you.