Third Feather [Video/Action for Violet city]

[charcoalfeather]

...Hello? Is this working? At all?

[The feed opens on a familiar street of Violet City, somewhere notably outside the gym. The beautiful morning it is, you'd think that nothing's wrong at a glance, but you'd be so wrong.

The voice itself that could be heard just now was possibly unrecognizable, not helped by how the screen isn't facing whoever's holding it; it's pointed a the gym, rather. But then it moves along, going to a group of Pokemon standing around nearby, and a Dodrio, who's three heads all seem curious about the pokegear... or whoever's holding it.]

Well, it looks like it's working, right Kuki? Hmm, the Pokegear still being broken would be the least of our worries.

[A worried squawk follows. The voice is mature, but still light, like someone that was just stepping into an adult's shoes. A nice step away from the confusing rush of children on the network, isn't it?

But enough of the scenery, the gear is finally turned over, smoothly revealing... Rakka? Only, she looks like Rakka, albeit from several years down the line. She positions the gear until it's pointed directly on her face.]

...Some of you might not recognize me right now. [Hehe. Hair's still a mess, but that smile's one hundred percent her's.] It's Rakka. I guess I wouldn't recognize me either if I suddenly looked like this.

[But therein lies the point. With minor hesitancy, she speaks.] Is... anyone there? Karkat? Ashley? ...Yang? I'll take anyone, really it... feels like I slept for years. So, I just need to know if anyone's still around, okay?

[She'll let that sit for a moment, glance away, and cut the feed.]

Action for Violet City

[Y'know, maybe if this world actually gave them some warning when it was about to get weird, maybe it wouldn't be so bad? Yeah! Rakka could live without some of this excitement; it's not exactly fun to wake up in bed feeling like you've slept through your teens. Still... got to try and look on the bright side!

...It's a nice day? Bluh.

Well, curiosity never really dies down. And she's got on a nice dress she doesn't remember buying. So she sets out on a stroll through the city. She's always got at least one of her roster at her side - yes, even the Phantump because someone's feeling a bit braver. She spends the day talking to the locals, asking people in random shops and Sprout tower about the current weirdness, to not much luck. Mmrrgh.

She can at least try and unwind a little at a cafe she comes across, but her pokemon are getting their share of it. What? She's eating! One, or two bites count.]

Comments

[Video]

[wing_attack]

[Well, there's the image of a boy, but he's not talking to the camera. Instead, the image swings to a familiar-looking Braviary, and then back to the boy.]

[Please get the picture, Rakka. Rachel does not speak human.]

[Video]

[charcoalfeather]

...Huh? A Braviary?

[Well, there's a kid there. Strange that there's been so many for a while now...

...

...Wait.]

Are you... Rachel?

[Video]

[wing_attack]

[She nods and grunts, before glancing over at the boy who's got a book in his hands.]

[Help, Rakka.]

[Video]

[charcoalfeather]

Rachel? But then, who...

[It doesn't take a lot to put the pieces together. Rakka didn't want to believe it, but she was older. So, it's entirely possible, that then...]

... Tobias?

[Video]

[wing_attack]

[She nods. What do. She is not equipped for small, squishable humans.]

[text]

[quadrangle]

[... okay, so there's basically no chance in hell he's going to have the composure necessary to respond in video. Just. Holy fuck, Rakka? Oh god. She asked for him, oh god. She asked for him first, oh god. She's—she's all mature-looking and it's honestly sort of terrifying but oh god. Help.]

HI. HELLO.

[??????????? IS HE NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO HER AND NOT MAKE A COMPLETE ASS OF HIMSELF, WHAT IS THIS]

I'M HERE. EVERYONE'S STILL HERE. THERE'S JUST SOME AGE AND OR MEMORY INUNDATING OUR HAPPY HAMLET WITH RAMPANT SLAPSTICK SHITFUCKERY AND ENOUGH SQUALLING WIGGLERS TO POPULATE ENOUGH SCHOOLHIVE RUMPUSBLOCKS TO COVER A GODDAMN METEOR.
I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED SOME PEOPLE WOULD GET THE OPPOSITE END OF THE DEAL BUT I'VE BEEN SORT OF FUCKING PREOCCUPIED WITH MAKING SURE DAVE DOESN'T STICK A PRONGED NUTRITION IMPLEMENT INTO AN ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE POWERING STATION.

[He is making so much sense right now. Wow.]

SO UH
HOW'S BEING AN ADULT.

[text]

[charcoalfeather]

[Boy. That's a lot of emotional struggling that will never translate through a text. At least there's one person she knows that's not turned into an adorable and confused youngfeather.

Youngfeather. Children. It's the same, sort of.]

Hehe. Hello Karkat.
At least you still sound as elegant as you always are.

[She'd be lying if she wasn't at least a little glad to see that grey text.]

It's a little strange. I went to bed last night, and next thing I know it feels like everything I did yesterday was years ago. All these new memories swirling around in my head.
I won my first gym badge, by the way.

[text]

[quadrangle]

[.... oh god why had he responded it's even more obvious now how totally fucking awkward talking to Rakka makes him gdfhgjlnad shit fuck shit fuck fuck fuck fuck]

THANK YOU? I GUESS. FUCK, NEVER MIND

[WHY DOES HE KEEP MAKING IT WORSE]

CONGRATULATIONS. ON THE BADGE, I MEAN, NOT THE SUPERFLUOUS FUCKING MEMORIES WREAKING HAVOC ON YOUR SELF CONCEPT.
YOU SEEM LIKE YOU'RE TAKING IT PRETTY WELL? BUT I MEAN I GUESS IT'S LESS DISORIENTING THAN THE ALTERNATIVE, FUCK IF I KNOW. MAYBE IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE PERSON. OR THE MEMORIES.
ANYWAY, UH
I'M GLAD YOU'RE OK.

[... excuse him, he needs to go scream into a pillow. Or smother himself. One of the two.]

[text]

[charcoalfeather]

You're welcome :D

[She can have a little fun. Karkat's great.]

I'm taking it... alright, I guess? It was still really surprising when I woke up and saw my hair was longer and everything I remembered was different. It's
I don't know for sure. It's like I went to sleep and went back home for a couple years. And now I'm back here, all over again.
But, yeah, thanks. I'm glad you're okay too, Karkat.
From what I've been seeing, I was worried everyone would be kids.

[He's a small comfort. Maybe a medium sized one.]

[Video]

[knightoftimeout]

Hi, Rakka. Your dress is pretty. Why d'you need Katkat for?

[Video]

[charcoalfeather]

[ oh.

oh my, that's a tiny Dave.]

...Well. [ahem. okay she can do this. All these new memories of caring for youngfeathers, don't fail her now.] Thank you, Dave. And, the reason I'm looking for Kar... [Katkat?

Okay, she'll try not to forget that one. Hopefully.]

Karkat, is because I was thinking I needed his help for something.

[Video]

[knightoftimeout]

I can help! Maybe. Katkat's making hisself busy tryin'a look after me, but I gots lots of time. But if you need help doing something high up, I can't reach anymore 'less I climb. And Katkat yelled at me when I climbeded before.

[Video]

[charcoalfeather]

Well that's for the best. Don't start climbing anything that's too high, Dave. If you fall then you could seriously hurt yourself. I'm pretty sure I can get everything I need on my own anyway.

[She is stern about this. Don't want any children falling from high places on her watch! Or Karkats, it seems.]

...So, Karkat's looking after you?

[Video]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[Well. This sure is Ashley, but uh.]

You know me too, miss...? 'm sorry, I'm not a big girl, I'm ten.

[Video]

[charcoalfeather]

[...Uh. She wasn't expecting to see someone so young, but also familiar in small bits. Just enough.

Well, there are quite a few people in this world she hasn't met yet... maybe this is just a mistake? Still not going to stop her from pulling a little, surprised look. Whoops.]

O-oh, your name's Ashley, too?

[Video]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[She nods. It should be telling that the PokéGear's ID probably looks familiar to Rakka...]

I've never...met a Rakka.

[Video]

[charcoalfeather]

[It does. It's very familiar, certainly an ID that Rakka's seen pretty often.

Maybe there's two Ashley's in Route. With similar IDs... Or, maybe Rakka has to come to the simple conclusion that another one of her best friends has aged back into a little girl...]

...I see. [And she doesn't remember her either. Rakka brushes a couple of strands of hair back behind her ear, just enough thinking time. She needs to piece together a reply to... to that.]

Well, it looks like this is the first time you've met me then. [She smiles. Yup, that's a smile.] My name's Rakka.

action

[mafille]

[Not too long after Rakka and her pokemon set themselves down and start eating, a little girl stomps her way to the table next to the one she's sitting by while a Chatot is following her, holding a chocolate cookie in its beak. Apparently, she's holding a large cup herself, which she places on the top of the table eventually.]

Nothing like a coffee in the afternoon!

[No one in the right mind would give her coffee, though—it's just hot chocolate. Hearing that, her Chatot tilts his head but gets back to the cookie a moment later.]

Look, Kousei! [It seems that it's the Chatot's name.] This beautiful lady has so many pokemon!

[At this point, Chatot just wants to dig a hole for himself somehow and hide, seriously...]

[charcoalfeather]

[Boy, she'll agree with that much regarding the coffee. Rakka hadn't known the virtues of drinking coffee until... this afternoon, to be exact. She's more of a tea person but now she's feeling energized. It's amazing. And she'll go back to hating its taste when she returns to normal, so right now she'll just sip it thoughtfully while she notices this little kid talking about her.

Important fact about kids: they have little to no indoor voice, which means Rakka totally hears her call her beautiful. And, well, kids complimenting you is really uplifting.

So, she looks up at the little girl, giving her a little smile and a wave. Her Pokemon are far more preoccupied with their meal to pay the kid any mind yet.]

Hello there. Having a nice day?

[mafille]

Oh, the lady heard me!

[And she still can hear you...

It's too late to lift her hands up to cover her mouth, but Kaori does it nevertheless. Just a while later, she forgets about that little faux pas of hers and waves back at Rakka.]

Hello! And yes! I've got to play with so many kids, I'm so happy! How about you, miss?

[Now to think of it, she hasn't seen many adults around save for the lady behind the counter and Rakka.]

[charcoalfeather]

[She can definitely still hear you!!

But this is fine, and a welcome distraction at that. There's certainly more then enough children around here, she knows she'll run into more then she can think of.]

Oh, I'm doing just fine, thank you. [She nods slowly, listening. This little girl seemed to be having a great day. One less tyke she had to worry about, hopefully. Or maybe she'd just worry in general because that's what her memories have been telling her msfmsdm

Oh, right. Her.]

I... I'm glad to hear that! I was pretty busy all day myself.

Action

[coolskeleton_95]

[There appears to be some sort of Dinosaur swinging an almost too small child around by the seat of his pants. He is screaming.]

BIG BROTHERRRRRRRRRRR!!!!! HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Action

[charcoalfeather]

[Well if there's anything that'll get Rakka on her feet, it's something like... that.]

Ah! Hang on! Let him go!

[Yup, jumping right into the thick of it. Rakka reaches out to grab the child as he swings by, and attempts to pull him from the Pokemon's jaws.]

Re: Action

[coolskeleton_95]

[Careful! He might be sticky! Or slimy! Nah, I'm not that mean. You get an arm!]

WAAAH!

Ruur? Amaaaa! [Oh, boy! Tug of war!]

[charcoalfeather]

[That's just something Rakka will have to deal with--No, okay. She's got an arm, that's good. And she's pulling now.]

Oh no, oh no... [Tug of war with a child is not fun, especially when they're crying! Oh no.] I-it's okay! Don't worry about this-- Let go!