Arrival in Gigas

[bravenewmods]

The City of Gigas is unlike anything the people of Union have ever seen before. The city is immense, a sprawling metropolis that covers the land as far as the eye can see. Built up primarily around enormous centralized towers, unlike Union these towers are dark concrete buildings, covered in glass windows. The buildings seem to serve any number of functions, and have a startling variety in construction, style, and even size, creating a unique skyline that is breathtaking to behold. The city is connected with roads of asphalt, upon which whiz smoke-belching steel carriages at frightful speeds, the engines (and piercing, constant horns) creating an ever-present din that engulfs the city in loud, chaotic sound.

“Downtown,” as the Gigans know it, is a huge collection of stores, apartments, and businesses. Apparently, the larger homes are built in Calderan-style but tend to be further from the main commotion of the downtown areas, of which Gigas citizens assure Union citizens that there are several, each with their own district name and culture. The technology is quite advanced as well, full color televisions are standard in every home and built in devices so slim and with such sharp images that they seem decades ahead of Union’s own technology. Pokemon are still quite present in Gigas, many people riding flying types and the buildings having huge perches to accommodate them. As with the vehicles below, however, Gigas seems to regulate air traffic to individual lanes and the birds seem well-trained as they convey their trainers to and fro.

Humans are just that, here, Human. No unusual shapes and sizes like the Enlightened and Earthkin of the Union Alliance, and those displaying unusual traits receive odd looks. Like many civilizations to the east, Battling is a common sport though in this place it’s more like the combat arenas of old. Several stadiums dot the cityscape, the sounds of Pokemon Battles and cheering crowds echoing for blocks all around, and it’s a stadium where humans are not welcome. Unless, of course, they want to make a show and spar against a Pokemon, of course.

This is Gigas, the City of Reclamation. Union civilians have free rein to explore this grand city as councillors are invited into the massive capitol building to negotiate with the Gigan leaders. Gigas civilians, for their part, are polite, friendly even. While many of them are caught in the bustle of their daily lives they regard Union citizens with interest and curiosity, willing to talk about their city, extolling its virtues while complaining about the noise, the crowds, the lines, and the expense all the while. One thing is clear though, the people of Gigas are proud of their city and their accomplishments. This is their home, and they are eager to show it off to the world.

Comments

[magicquotes]

"Complaining is good for you, though," he says, with amusement, noting her expression. "Clears the air a little. It doesn't do to keep everything so bottled within."

He seats himself, comfortably settling into a nearby chair (though the chair itself is admittedly not very comfortable at all, he makes himself at home regardless).

"At least move once in a while. I doubt they were expecting a statue."

There's a lot more people than I'm used to. Almond shuffles, shifting weight from claw to claw. He doesn't like it very much.

[sleepingvalkyrie]

"Maybe so. But there is an appropriate time and place for that." Meaning, not right now, in public anyway.

She looks amused at the mention of statues. "I think they were expecting something far fiercer. Or perhaps more barbaric." Which Valkyrie can certainly be. But Gwendolyn wasn't here to satisfy expectations of the locals, merely those of her sister and of Citadel.

Is it really so bad? The Fletchling hops out of its cotton-wing pillow, taking over speaking duties; Muninn seems to sink back into sleep, but rest assured, he is listening! The people here certainly seem very...human, compared to our people, and our People. By which he means regular Unionites and Enlightened respectively (of which his trainer is one of the latter).

[magicquotes]

"Ah, perhaps you could strike a pose. Something fearsome, perhaps," he says lazily. "I suppose that might impress them. Or make them feel better about themselves. Such is life.

But I suppose that's below your dignity. Do they have anything interesting to say here, or do they just talk your ear off until you sleep?"

It's crowded, the Murkrow says, after a moment. It's very narrow here. There isn't much room to breathe. I can't say a lot about the people. I didn't watch them. He doesn't concern himself with the business of humans, overmuch. Only if they engage with his charge.

[sleepingvalkyrie]

"I hardly think they need us to make them feel better about themselves," she replies, albeit under her breath, before she stretches out her legs for the first time in quite a while. Her bird pokémon adjust accordingly, well used to such movements. "There is of course a great deal of talking. There are very important people on both sides, and all must of course be heard."

And once the loud voices had fallen silent, then the real conversations could begin. Gwendolyn hoped that would be soon, though the Calderans and Sanctuary representatives hadn't been helping on that front. (As was their right, really, but it made her no less annoyed at sitting through the same spiel several times.)

"Have you seen much of the city yet?" Asked of Magnolia, unaware of the specifics in the conversation between birds. The birds here do not seem to fly in very natural formations. I suppose they don't really have the room we are used to. Still, there are an awful lot of people but it seems a big enough city to accommodate. Any trees?

[magicquotes]

"Hah, of course. But do they have any opinions worth hearing? I do wonder." Magnolia's smile is teasing, but his voice is low. "But you don't seem like the type to gossip, so I won't pester you with questions.

Me? I've been around. There's a sad lack of trees in this place, I have to say. All metal and smog."

They fly in very orderly ways. Do they order the patterns of the birds around this city, too? Almond shifts, nervously. I don't like it very much...

[sleepingvalkyrie]

I suppose they do. There's a worried tweet, before feathers are ruffled. I am glad they do not do that back at our nest. By which he means Union, of course.

"There will always be gossip. But I am not the best at offering it, or receiving in turn." She is sometimes a little too earnest, a little too forthright. But she appears to receive the teasing with good grace, at least. "It is strange that they use so much metal. The area around here does not appear to have much in the way of mining. I suppose their technology helps keep things cool."