First Feather - [Video/Action for New Bark Town]

[charcoalfeather]

[Seems like it's a busy day for the network, and it wasn't about to stop just yet! The feed of the Pokegear's video setting flickers to life, showing a young face fixating on it with her wide, brown eyes. It's likely immediately obvious that this person is new to the world, as the snowy setting of New Bark town sits in the background visible behind her. ]

... O-okay, then that must mean...

[Rakka looks away for a moment, and the sounds of paper being flipped reaches the Pokegear. Looks like Rakka's found a bench to sit on while she slowly, carefully makes her way through her Trainer's Handbook. Flip, flip, oh.]

... So that means it has to be on now. [She says quietly, affirmingly. To herself. Okay, you can do this, Rakka. Just breath in...

Give her a second, she's nervous.]

H-hello? Can anyone hear me? [Dumb question, she's trying.] If anyone can hear this... I think I really need some help.

[Her voice trails away a bit, confused and worried.] My name is Rakka, and I'm a Haibane from Old Home, in the town of Glie? I... I was there a moment ago, and now I'm here in... Joh-to? A woman calling herself "Mom" pushed me out of a house, and wouldn't let me back in. A-and now I have this little ball that had a bird inside it!

[Everything blurs together as Rakka moves the screen until it focuses on... a disinterested Doduo, plodding around in the snow, both of its heads trying to snatch snowflakes out of the air.]

... I think she's a bird. [The view returns to Rakka. Her tone has equal parts wonder and anxiety.] But she's also a 'Pokemon' and it's so much bigger then the birds I've seen, and it walks around instead of just flying, and it has two heads...! And now... I'm all alone here.

[She's trying not to panic, oh she is. But it's plain-as-day that she's feeling the stress as she speaks up:]

If anyone can tell me the way to leave this place, or if you know Kana, Hikari, or Nemu... please tell me. I'd really appreciate it! [A slight nod and an added:] Thank you!

[... She doesn't know how to turn this off. Uh. Hang on. She'll get it eventually...]

Around New Bark Town.
[Rakka was positive she'd never been here before... yet, there were a number of similarities that she couldn't just ignore; they were literally standing all around her.

Windwills, turning ever so slightly in the breeze. There's one situated almost in the middle of town, and Rakka's almost instinctively drawn towards it. It's big, noticeable, and it's something she recognizes. Which is comforting because a LOT of things seem to be happening today, and they don't seem to be stopping. She reaches out to touch it, big mistake. Cold! Cold. But real all the same.

So that's where she decides to be right now, standing at the base of one of the windmills, rubbing her hands together and giving a jolting sneeze while she watches those giant blades turn.

It's boring, but something to focus on.]

Comments

[charcoalfeather]

Uh... Yes? [Says the 4'11" girl that looks absolutely human. Please hear her out, Ashley.]

A Haibane is supposed to have wings-oh, and a glowing ring that floats above my head, too. [points to... air.] And when I woke up here they were gone!

[It was a startlingly morning for Rakka, when she found out she was Human.]

1/3

[hashtagafreakingghost]

Wings and a...

[...]

2/3

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[...wait]

3/3

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[holy kickflipping crucified christ are we really going here]

A halo?!? Oh my GOD you're an angel?!

[charcoalfeather]

[One constant fact stands firm, in this universe and others: Rakka will never be prepared for Ashley Williams flipping out.]

I-I, uh... wh-what's an angel?

[Asked completely straight despite being surprised and also very confused.]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[It's the little things in the multi-verse like this that keep you on your toes, right?]

What's a- it's- a thing, a heavenly, holy-thing with wings and a halo, like- celestial messengers of God or something like that! That's exactly what a- ...what'd you call yourself? Haibane! That's what it sounds like!

[charcoalfeather]

[Rakka's on her toes most of the time anyways, everyone's so tall!!]

"Celestial messengers... of God"? "Heaven"? I... [Rakka... is intrigued, but she's also freaking out just a little bit.]

I'm really sorry... but, I've never heard of anything like that before. I mean, except for "God" I think...

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[Well Ashley's face just melts into confusion.]

You...huh? That's so weird, and baffling and- oh gosh, I probably just really confused you then, didn't I?

[charcoalfeather]

[Cool, now they have matching expressions.]

Umm... [nodnod??]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

Sorry. Just- forget about it, I...must've been mistaken, you know?

[Nothing is as she thought it was..... This sure is frustrating.]

[charcoalfeather]

I-I'm sorry too. [for what] Everyone back home knows about the Haibane. I guess I wasn't thinking about it too much.

[Not that it made things any better sometimes.... Bluh, this is indeed frustrating. She shakes her head.]

But, that thing about angels you were talking about... it sounds really neat, Ashley!

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[Oh god honey don't apologize you'll break her heart looking like that]

It's fine, fine. Don't worry about it, I assumed too much.

[now that that's done...]

I mean, well, angels are like...religious symbols. They're supposed to be servants of Heaven? Full confession, I'm not the best person to explain this, since I'm not really into religion. But everyone knows what angels look like, because the imagery is everywhere, in books and movies and stories of all kinds.

[charcoalfeather]

[She can't help it, it's kind of a compulsion.]

Well... I think you're better at explaining it then I am. [yup, that's a joke. She laughs softly at herself.]

Oh, well, I've never heard that before. But, I guess what I used to look like was like an angel. I really did have wings and everything.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

Wooow. So...you look like an angel without any of the religious ties or baggage? That...is really kind of cool?

[Sure, let's just accept this. Like, if monsters like wendigos and video game worlds and stuff like that are real then why not angels who aren't traditional angels?

She's very adaptable.]

[charcoalfeather]

I guess...? If that's what it seems like, then, yes! I guess I'm kind of like an angel. But I never really did anything really "angel-like" like you talked about back then, I was just kind of a normal girl.

[It's a circle of confusion, Ashley. Suddenly, a rather stiff breeze blows through. Rakka's already wearing her winter attire, but it gets a good shiver out of her.

Right. It's cold out here.]

A-and I guess... I really am normal now.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[Ashley, who is not wearing winter attire, shivers a bit more. Agatha responds by heating her flame up just...a little. Thanks, candle.]

Why is that? It's so weird, there was that- um, fish-lady [little tiny internal screaming] but there's also you and- you just had wings and a halo? You already would've looked human enough, what's the point of... If the intention is to normalize everyone so they appear human, that is, but I don't know what else it could be. Why- why are people healed up, or cleaned up, or changed...

[You've reached questions hour.]

[charcoalfeather]

[You are actually a good candle, litwick. At least Rakka doesn't know you're a ghost yet.]

I-I really don't know what's going on right now, everything's still so strange. I know I wasn't here a while ago, but now I'm supposed to be in a new world and my wings and my "halo" are gone. So I guess that means I'm a Human now, and I wonder if I should feel happy about that, and...

[hhhhmmmmmgggh]

.... M-maybe, we should try and calm down. Okay?

[hashtagafreakingghost]

What? But there are so many questions that need answering and so many-

[oh. ohhhhhh. Oh.]

This is all really really knew for you and kind of freaky so I should probably just shut up, right.

[charcoalfeather]

[nodnod!!]

I-it's not like I don't want to think about it... but, maybe not right now?

[please and thank you]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

Yeah, of course, take time, adjust, not think about- things like that.

[...kind of a luxury she'd like, tbh, block out all the bad shit in her mind]

Won't happen again.

[charcoalfeather]

Okay. Thank you. [A little nod to that. Thank goodness, tbh. There's enough going on already that Rakka really doesn't need a mental meltdown on top of it.

...And before the awkward silence rears its ugly head like a sudden pokemon attack... a pokemon suddenly appears!

But it's Rakka's Doduo, so that's fine. It steps towards her, one head delightfully squawking at her, while the other watches Ashley. It's a new face!! who is this new face??]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[A two-headed ostrich! Well! That's just the thing to cause Ashley to demonstrate her uncomfortable response to unfamiliar situations, that is to say, jump back and hold on to Agatha tighter and let out a small shriek.]

Oh my God what's that?!

[charcoalfeather]

[Surprise, Ashley! Actually, surprise for everyone, especially Rakka's Doduo who start flipping out. One head immediately tries to charge while the other is... just very distressed. So they're stuck in one spot, arguing with one another. And Rakka's jumped a little too, letting out a quietly startled cry.]

What? What? [/Distressed bird noises everywhere]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[Well with one head looking aggressive, Agatha starts balling up her stubs and taking swings at the air, yelling angrily. Very intimidating, gal.

Ashley just gestures at Doduo with one hand.]

That! That- bird-thing, ohgod--

[charcoalfeather]

[A very intimidating candle that isn't getting much attention from the squabbling bird sisters. So... sorry?

Rakka looks where Ashley is gesturing, and there isn't anything behind her doduo is the-Oh!]

O-oh! I'm sorry, that's the Pokemon I was given!