Video; I got transported to another world and now my hands are poison?!

[sharpjustice]

[Mayaka places the Grumpearl on the bare floor of her newly acquired accommodations. To anyone tuning in, they'll see that this angle has created a fisheye effect, blowing up the lower part of her white Sneasel body and shrinking her head.]

Um... hello? This is Mayaka. I got here a few days ago and I'm a new member of the Lum Berry Guild.

[She speaks tentatively, assuming that the pearl is working. This reminds her of class introductions on the first day of school.]

Does anyone here know how to deal with these? [She waves her claws at the Grumpearl, trying to show the purple tint covering them -- a naturally-occurring venom Hisuian Sneasels produce.]

I poisoned someone - accidentally of course - and I don't want that to happen again! [The strict tone she uses seems to be directed at herself.]

[As Mayaka waits for a response, she looks around her tiny bedroom. It's sparse now, but she's been itching to set up a space to draw again. She hasn't picked up a pen since she landed here.]

... And also, if anyone knows where to get paper and pens, that would be nice too.

[This is a softer request, as if she'd be okay if no one heard. It's not obvious that she's asking about art materials, right? She doesn't even know if she has enough allowance to afford it after spending on basic necessities. Maybe it's pointless to ask.]

Comments

[positivestars]

Poison claws… We found that one by accident, too- ah, but I'm sure the situation was very different!

[Fusion spells requiring at least two participants does make it easier to check whether that's what you want.]

I'm not sure what to suggest that others haven't… Practice definitely sounds like a good idea!

As for paper- besides the Archives, I'm sure others must use it for short term things! Butcher paper… copy paper… Maybe the Post Office has something!

[sharpjustice]

[As the image of a Clefairy appears on the Grumpearl, Mayaka can't help but smile at how pink and cute it looks. During her first few days at the Archives, the Sneasel diligently read up on the different kinds of Pokemon species. The image printed in the books doesn't do Clefairy justice!]

There's a Post Office here? [is her surprised response to Maya's suggestions.]

I've spent most of my time in the Archives since I arrived, and kind of forgot about walking around town. [she admits a little sheepishly while folding her arms, as if disappointed in herself for missing such a crucial step in getting to know her new environment.]

[positivestars]

There is! These Grumpearls are pretty convenient, but… it's not really the same as holding a letter in your hands, right?

It's a nice place to explore! There's a lot to see, so- would you like to go exploring?

[sharpjustice]

[Mayaka blinks, taken by surprise at how forthcoming the Clefairy is. She hasn't been asked anywhere by anyone since she arrived here. Then again, with all her time spent sequestered in the Archives, it's not like she's made any effort to make friends apart from Emporio and Noelle. (Does Akechi count too? ... Nah)

There's no reason to reject the invitation -- she should get to know the rest of town, and having someone show her around would be more efficient than wandering aimlessly by herself.]

I'd agree if you weren't a stranger. [She says this with a teasing grin, reminding Maya that she hasn't properly introduced herself yet.]

[positivestars]

Oh…? Well, that's easily fixed! [she grins, eyes lighting up.]

At times, an easy-going reporter! At others, an attentive editor! And in the here and now, an assisting Clefairy!

Maya Amano. It's nice to meet you!

video -> action !

[sharpjustice]

[Mayaka can't help but clap approvingly at the Clefairy's impressive introduction. She did that so confidently!

Mayaka wishes she could talk about herself in that way, but she hasn't accomplished anything, nor does she have a title she can proudly describe herself with. She wants to be able to say she's a manga artist with the same ease as Maya. This still feels far away, but perhaps being in the presence of someone like Maya will give her hope she'll reach it eventually.]

That was so cool, Maya-san! [As she says this, she picks up her Grumpearl and places it on the table.]

Could we meet at the Questboard? That's the only other place I'm familiar with apart from the Archives.

[If Maya agrees, then the Sneasel will leave her Grumpearl on the table, wasting no time departing to ensure she gets to the meeting point as soon as possible.]

[positivestars]

[Cool…! It was cool! She can't help being pleased at that- it's always nice to hear!]

That sounds perfect!

[Maya heads to the Questboard herself, tucking the Grumpearl away. (People talk, and she's nosy! But she'll be focused.) She waves, on spotting Mayaka.]

Mayaka-san! Over here!

[sharpjustice]

[It's easy to spot the Clefairy from a distance because of how pink she is and because of the few number of Pokemon milling around outside now that it's getting colder.]

Hi! Oh -- just Mayaka is fine. Or Mayaka-chan. [She says self-consciously as she runs up to meet Maya, who is a bit taller than her. Having always been the youngest and smallest in her family and school, it's odd to hear her name appended with -san.]

[She swings her claws by her sides as she scans their surroundings, already focused on the task at hand.] Where should we get started?

[positivestars]

Mayaka-chan, then! [She gets the impression Mayaka is younger than her, after all.]

I thought we'd have a short tour of some of the facilities- the Post Office, the clinic, some of the shops- and then stop at one of the cafes! I think that's a good way to go about it.

[sharpjustice]

[Mayaka expresses her agreement with a small smile, nodding her head for good measure.]

Sounds good. [As they set off, she recalls a funny memory related to touring the town and the Quest Board.] You know, when I first got here, Rio-chan offered to give me a tour of the place at this very spot. But we went straight to the library and I spent all my time there after that trying to read as much as I could. [She still believes that there must be something recorded somewhere that holds more information on the forces that brought them here.]

So, I'm really glad to have a proper tour of the town today.

[positivestars]

Rio-chan? I don't think the name sounds familiar, but I don't think I've met everyone… What is she like?

It does seem they hold tours generally every so often! I think there were some when I first arrived- ah, here's the marketplace, ahead of us! [There's a good look at a lot of stalls, from here.]

[sharpjustice]

Oh! His name's Emporio. The little Cubone who wears a skull like a bagpack? He acts pretty grown-up for his age. Not afraid of ghosts, for instance.

[Mayaka recalls how she'd been perplexed by this fact, as she's been afraid of ghosts even since she'd been a kid.

She walks up to take in the variety of wares available, examining the goods with a curious glint in her eye as they pass each stall. If this is what they have during the colder season, she can't help but anticipate what will be in stock once spring comes. Though... ideally, she shouldn't be imagining such things. Isn't she supposed to be focused on getting home ASAP?]

We could make hotpot with this! Oh, and rice balls, and grilled sweet potatoes and yams. [Mayaka has been craving food that tastes like home, as she's grown sick of eating plain veggies and berries. She'll need to get some gloves first before she can entertain the idea of cooking, though.]

What kind of food do you like, Maya-san?

[positivestars]

Oh! My mistake. Mm, I've seen him around, but we haven't spoken. [Hm… There are good things and bad things about that. But it sounds as though he's a helpful person, so that's good. What's this about ghosts?] Are they causing you a lot of bother?

[They've seen a couple of ghosts back home. It's possible!]

She follows Mayaka's path through the shops, offering smiles and words of greetings to the stallholders.]

Oh, that sounds good! I think someone was expressing interest in that…

Me? Oh- I'm happy with most foods! But if I had to pick…. I suppose ramen, or cr- uh, well, ramen's good enough! [She hasn't seen a Krabby or Kingler in person, but- it feels weird talking about eating them.]

[sharpjustice]

Ramen's perfect for this cold weather! [Mayaka agrees wholeheartedly.] Though I've never tried making it myself. I doubt they have instant ramen here.

[She realises she's been too distracted by the marketplace, and hasn't replied Maya's earlier question about ghosts.]

And no, about the ghosts. [Thankfully nothing spooky is bothering her and she hopes it stays that way.]

Just... well... Polteageist is a Ghost-type and I'm now in their guild. So I've got to figure a way around that. I need to at least go up and thank them properly for taking me in. Rio-chan said they can be pretty particular about who they pick. I feel like I got in out of pure luck.

[positivestars]

Maybe not, but someone's bound to have thought of something similar! Noodles are a staple in many of the world's countries, after all. We can always ask!

Ohhh… I see. So it's a personal matter. [She understands that.]

It's pretty strange to think that that's a whole type here! But it seems like that's the way they are. Hmm… Do you think it would help to speak with others who have spoken to them first? If you take a gift,that could be something to focus on besides their ghostly nature, too. [She hums.] I'm sure they saw something in you that matched the Guild! The Lum Berries focus of researching, right?

[sharpjustice]

[The Sneasel nods attentively as she takes note of Maya's ideas about how to deal with Polteageist.]

Yeah, they do. I'm more of a reader though, of detective novels and such. [She's too self-conscious to admit she's a huge manga fan, especially to someone she considers cool like Maya. But she's not lying, she likes her fair share of mysteries too!]

The only time I've ever done research outside of school projects was to help a friend figure out a mystery related to our school festival.

[Mayaka remembers digging through her school's library archives to find out all she could about the student riots that happened in the year Chitanda's uncle was expelled from school.]

[positivestars]

[She got the impression they're nice (probably? somehow). And it's a shame to be worried about her guild leader.]

Well, that's still related! You have all of that, and it could come in handy at some point! Do you have any you'd particularly recommend?

A mystery? That sounds intriguing! Would you mind telling me more?

1/2

[sharpjustice]

I'm a Christie fan! All of her novels are great, so it's hard to pick one to recommend, [Mayaka says with a tiny smile.

Now, if Maya were to ask her for manga recommendations, perhaps she'd put in more effort to figure out what would be the best title for the Clefairy to sink her teeth into.]

Well, we call it a mystery, but it's probably nowhere close to the kind you'd want to report on, [Mayaka starts to say, before adding,] although, I suppose it's precisely because of that, that it was important that we found out the truth before it got lost.

2/2

[sharpjustice]

My friend, Chi-chan, was really close to her uncle. He attended our high school in the 60s, and got caught up in the student protest movement... and was expelled as a result. He never spoke about this, and he disappeared when Chi-chan was just a kid so she never got to ask him about it.

To honour his memory, Chi-chan really wanted to find out the truth behind why he was forced to leave the school. So... our group of friends looked into the school's history to find the truth. We were just a bunch of kids rifling through the yearbooks, reports and newspapers, but we managed to figure it out. [Though she sounds proud of this accomplishment, there's a hint of sadness in the voice, indicating that what they found out wasn't exactly a heartwarming story about Chitanda's uncle.]

I'm just glad that Chi-chan got her answer in the end.

[Mayaka figures this is enough of a summary, and crosses her arms to signal that she's done sharing.]

Do you have any fun mysteries to share, Maya-san? Ghost stories are off-limits!

[positivestars]

Agatha Christie… I've heard good things about her! I wonder if we could get any of her works here… It'd be a nice thing to share!

Mm, I agree! Even the small stories matter to someone, right? I think hearing those is important, just as much as the big stories.

The protests…? [That- the one she's thinking of was more university level. So perhaps not the same thing?] Was he involved in the politics of the school? It's impressive work that you put it all together!

Ghost stories are off-limits, huh… Yukki mentioned something about the Snow Queen back at St Hemelin, but there were definitely ghosts- or something like them- involved… There was a spirit trying to help out in that other incident, too… Sevens had stories of Hanako-chan… Hm… There's an old shrine, and no one knows how it came to be there, but… I don't actually have a lot of information on that.

[…Mikage-cho and Sumaru seem pretty haunted, now that she thinks about it! Whoops.]

Oh! Actually- there's an old air raid shelter we had to get ourselves out of. There weren't any ghosts involved in that, I promise!

[sharpjustice]

[Mayaka tentatively listens as the Clefairy runs through her memories, scrunching her brow at the slightest mention of spirits and Hanako-chan -- why does Maya have so many examples of spooky-sounding mysteries?!

She finally eases up at the mention of the old air raid shelter.]

Get yourself out? Why were you trapped in there to begin with?

[positivestars]

[People find the supernatural tales particularly interesting, she guesses! (Maybe the D.V.A. system had something to do with it, but- the Snow Queen Mask seems to have been cursed well before that…)]

Ah, that, well! It seemed the student council president of Kasugayama had a clue to another individual we were trying to chase down, and we heard he'd gone down there. But it turned out that it was a trap, as the student council president had a grudge against Eikichi-kun.

[sharpjustice]

[Mayaka frowns at this short anecdote, upset at the idea of a student council president behaving in such a way. She's always held people in authority to high standards.]

Maya-san, it sounds like you're more than just a reporter. [She makes this observation with a little awe in her voice.]

[positivestars]

[Well- Kasugayama High- also known as 'Cuss High'- does have a reputation for poor behaviour… It doesn't seem he had much of a good example.]

Eh- you got that from that? I don't think it relies on anything special to want to make sure a friend is safe, though!

[…also, he and Lisa would have been at each other's throats if it had just been those two.]

[sharpjustice]

Clues, chasing down people, getting locked up? [Mayaka counts off the examples using her claws.]

It sounds like you were getting tangled up in mysteries and cases!

[She sounds more impressed than anything else. Especially given that Maya had done all that to help a friend in need. And with this realisation, Mayaka is now more certain that the Clefairy is someone she might be able to rely on.]

Do you have a hunch about why we got sent to here?