Keladry arrives in Chicago!

[lady_glaive]

Characters: Keladry and anyone who wanders by
Time: Early Morning, Nov. 19th
Location: The Respawn Point The Bean
Content: Kel arrives in Chicago
Format: Prose
Warnings: Nothing at the moment

Comments

[notnamedash]

Due to a little mishap trading Pokemon a long time ago, Red's team had a love of early morning jogging. See Green, Red's rival, pushed his party way too hard and didn't understand the idea of relaxation. Completely too serious for his own good. However, that did lead to Red having to take his friends out for a run every so often. Well, two of them. Poli and Saur wanted to jog. Pika was quite content to sleep this morning.

"Venusaur!" Red paused to look back on his partner, who had his attention focused on the Cloud Gate. Well, more specifically, the person standing by it. Red looked over and figured it was best someone go to greet her. Of course, he couldn't do that with Poli and Saur next to him. People seemed to have a thing against his friends at first. He recalled the duo of Pokemon back to their Pokeballs and ran over to the Cloud Gate.

Red slowed his pace as he got closer, "Hi!" The Indigo Champion casually walked over, calling her attention. He had his hands visible, to make sure she was aware he wasn't a threat. Well, he was trying not to seem threatening anyway. He never quite understood the whole weapons thing, they seemed weird to him. "You're not a local, are you?"

Okay, Red was really bad at this.

[lady_glaive]

Kel was sure that she saw the boy before he saw her. He wasn't terribly subtle about it, she thought- the doubletake was a pretty clear indication.

If she wasn't scared out of her mind with fear as to what was going on, she might have allowed herself a small smile. Still, even though he appeared harmless, she had seen him use magic on those monsters. She may have no gift of her own, but that didn't mean she wasn't helpless.

She carefully selected a griffin-fletched arrow, and silently cursed herself for not putting on her griffin-feather band immediately. Nocking the arrow, she kept her bow lowered. Prepared, but not hostile.

He spoke "You're not a local, are you?"

Kel considered her response carefully. She needed information, and fast. Keeping her bow ready, but lowered, she answered the strange mage.

"Not as far as I know. I am Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan from the Kingdom of Tortall, and I come in peace. What is this place?"

[notnamedash]

"What I've been told, a city called Chicago," It didn't have a gym, so he wasn't sure why it wasn't the town of Chicago, but apparently it was worth being called a City. "Normally when people come in peace they don't have a weapon ready."

Red's eyes stayed on the weapon, judging from basic physics it probably carried a speed and power like Cloyster's spike cannon. Red wasn't exactly well versed in the subtlety of bows. He could probably manage to keep himself from being horribly killed if she choose to stop being peaceful, barring any unforeseen tricks. Still, she did say peace, so he'll worry about Plan B later. Talking was working so far.

"I'm Indigo Plateau Champion Red of Pallet Town, from the Kanto Region," Red loved having his title, he was very proud of becoming the champion of Indigo Plateau. He still found it entirely overkill for anyone to use his title formally. However, she seemed to be a fan of full titles, so he could manage with his for right now... especially while she was armed. Red smiled, trying his best to be not someone you want to shoot with whatever weapon you have, "But Red is fine. I don't mean any harm." The whole 'hands visible no sudden movement' thing was getting old, he kept his hands in view, but low. Mostly to keep his arms from getting tired.

[lady_glaive]

"Well, that's good to know. Sorry about the weapons- where I come from, people are more often enemies than friends. Comes from living in a war zone."

Keladry slowly removed her arrow from the bow, keeping her movements slow and obvious. She carefully replaced the arrow in her quiver, being sure not to crush the fletching. Still, her glaive was in easy reach the whole time- Kel didn't live this long without learning a few important lessons.

Walking forward, she extended her hand cautiously. "It's nice to meet you. You seem fairly knowledgable about this place, would you do me the honor of updating me as to what I've missed? I'll worry about getting home after I understand what this place is, and why I've been brought here. There could be valuable information about the war here, even if a Scanran mage sent me."

[notnamedash]

Red casually took the handshake, it was a good step forward. Well, except for her expecting him to have answers. He didn't count it as a personal failing he couldn't give her answers, as nobody had what she probably wanted to know. "I know my way around here, but we all got here the same way and with the same questions."

Red picked up a one of the phones everyone seemed to get on arrival, and passed it to Keladry, "This is yours, its a way to communicate with the various people here. One of the few things we know about who brought us here is they give us those." He carefully reached in his pocket to reveal he had one of his own. Making sure not to do anything worthy of undoing the steps forward of putting away the weapons.

"The region is known as the United States, and it apparently extends out far in every direction. Not that we can confirm this, the barrier keeping us here prevents leaving the city. The year is 2010... but it isn't a calender I know. Most of us are from different worlds. I'm not from a world at all like this, the wildlife is wrong. I have no idea what a Scanran mage is, but nobody knows how we got here so that is as good a guess as any," Red smiled sheepishly, he'd exhausted most useful info in one breath. But at least it was honest, honest is good. Directly saying that this probably isn't her world will help, at least a little. He did feel bad that helping her here would do nothing for her war home.

Red glanced out from the bean toward town. "There are two hotels most people from outta town stay in," Red pointed in the general direction of the Hard Rock, and then the Blackstone. Red went on with a brief rundown of the places to find food and clothes, the fact they don't take money, and the storekeepers all seem creepy. "That's pretty much it... whoever brought us here sends us out on missions sometimes. Without telling us much of what's going on. Does promise we'll go home when we're done."

A promise Red did believe... most of the time.

[lady_glaive]

As Kel shook the strange boy's hand, she was relieved to find it was calloused and strong. It may not mean much to other people, but for Kel, knowing that somebody worked with their hands was comforting. Work was something she was used to. She could do work.

When he handed her a strange device, her brow instantly furrowed. She poked fitfully at the buttons before placing it into her (rather crowded at this point) beltpouch. Her eyes crinkled slightly at the corners when she saw how nervous her companion was. It seemed to be that his magical monsters weren't terribly speedy at protecting him.

As he explained the situation, she took mental notes of the details. Could this be a magical realm, like the Dragonlands or Divine Realms of myth? When she got back, she would have to do research. Or ask Numair.

"Well, then. It seems like I should get settled in. Where do you think I would find more fellow warriors, the Hard Rock, or the Blackstone? Thank you for your help, by the way. I won't forget it." With this last she smiled, to put him at ease. She was good at reading people thanks to her work in the refugee camps, and this boy seemed to be telling the truth, and a bit more than marginally frightened by her glaive. Kel saw no reason to dissuade him of this fear, but figured that those huge monsters and his knowledge would be valuable assets.

She strapped all of her weapons down before starting to walk towards the hotels.

"Aren't you coming to guide me?"

[notnamedash]

"Well, the Blackstone has a few wizards at it. But given what sorta people I've met I figure both have a number of warriors on hand," Red considered, he didn't exactly keep track of who stayed where. He knew the Blackstone better as he stayed there. Except for that detail of the fact that his pets weren't accepted by the defensive systems.

"Oh, right," Red definitely was okay with helping her around. Now that she wasn't holding weapons directed vaguely at him. It was nice that she considered remembering his help, not sure why she brought it up though. Maybe that was just her way, "...Can I let my friends back out? They're no threat, well, not to friends."

[lady_glaive]

"Well, that sounds like the place for me to be, then. How do I sign up for a room?" Kel didn't really need a place, but it would be good for storing food and any excess weapons or armor that she had. Sleeping in a real bed with a roof over her head would have been far preferable to digging out a snowcave so she didn't freeze.

Kel pondered this. "I do need some friends around here, but I have to admit that I have seen no creatures like yours." The only explanation would be that they were powerful immortals, controlled by this young boy. She slowly backed away, placing the large metal structure behind her.

"Slowly, please. I mean them no harm, but I will defend myself if they choose to attack." Kel held up her hands and showed off her numerous griffin scars. "I've been used as a chew toy for an immortal before, and I have no desire to repeat the experience. If, however, they are your friends and as peaceful as you say, I would be honored to meet them."

[notnamedash]

"Asking the desk clerk works," Red explained, "the locals aren't very bright. However it is a room, comfy bed, all the usual needs." Of course, Red quite liked the outdoors, camping, and the simplicity of his journey... but a soft bed and a warm bath aren't bad things, by any stretch.

"They're called Pokemon, I'm not sure what these immortals you talk about are," that did seem like an apt name for several Pokemon he had met in his travels, but not all of them. Just the like of Mew, Lugia, Ho-oh, and other legendary creatures. Red held up the two Pokeballs for Keladry to inspect, Poli and Saur were doing their best to look friendly inside their containers. It does help that both are much smaller in this form.

Red tossed the balls away from Keladry, to give more space to make the meeting easier. Poli was the first to appear from the smoke of the Pokeballs. The short creature didn't have a face as such, but the eyes were kind. Saur was a bit friendlier looking, despite his size suggesting otherwise. He smiled in a way not to show his teeth too much. "These are Poli and Saur, my friends. They aren't a threat to you, they're both really friendly." Red smiled and motioned Kel toward the pair, while he stroked Saur behind an ear.

[lady_glaive]

"Well that's easy enough. I assume that the locals somehow speak my language, just as you do?"

Kel leaned forward a bit to peer inside the containers. It must be a strong magic to be able to shrink them down like that. If the same spell could be used for horses.....Kel mentally shook herself for getting distracted. She didn't have Peachblossom here.

Kel slowly approached the large creatures. It was clear that they were at least trying to look friendly. Tentatively extending her hand, she lightly placed it on Saur's shoulder. His skin was warm and smooth, and the great creature made no move to harm her, just turned its head and grinned a bit. Kel couldn't help herself from smiling at bit in return.

[notnamedash]

Red was sure she was speaking his language... it was better not to dwell on little things like that, "Yes, like I do."

"Closer to his ear," Red offered. Saur ruffled a little, a few errant small leaves fluttering to the ground around him. Red grinned, it was nice when friends made new friends, definitely lessened how bad the mood was before. Her worried about his friends, his own worry about her weapons. "They both weren't this big when I met them. Saur was about..." Red paused, put his hands together, something like a small dog, "Poli wasn't any bigger. I guess the perspective on them is a little lost on me."

[lady_glaive]

"Fantastic. How secure are the rooms?" Kel would rather carry everything she had and would need than have it stolen because she was careless.

Kel was careful to move slowly, and lightly scritchled the immort...Saur, she corrected herself, behind the ear where Red had indicated. If what Red said were true, these great beasts must be terribly old. But he was still young. It must be a strange world where he comes from, Kel decided, and she was very content with her own. It didn't mean she wasn't curious, though. "How did you meet? You seem to have a strong bond with both of them." Even after interacting with them for a short period of time, Kel could see the obvious friendship.

[notnamedash]

"The locks are pretty advanced, but the doors are really easy to break if you put a bit of effort into it," they were exactly what you would expect of a hotel. Red just happened to be used to the locks and security of a gym, or an evil base for a band of criminal thugs trying to take over the world. They knew how to make something secure. It was rather annoying most of the time, nobody else had security of that caliber.

"Oh, um, I found Poli when I was a kid. Right before I left home I met Saur... I kinda released him from a lab, and the Professor let me keep him for some reason," Red explained as Saur made a contented noise, "Pika didn't want to come with us this morning, he's staying in the room. And the others..." all three of them looked a bit pained in unison, "They didn't get grabbed with me to come here."