Quest Resources (including current inventory, date, time): https://rentry.org/PokepocalypseQSTQuest Archive: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Pok%C3%A9pocalypse%20RevivalUpdates will be attempted daily! At worst, expect an update every 2 days instead of one. Absences will be announced in advance and given definitive end dates if I can manage it.<><><><><>It is the Year of our Lord 1884, and the United States has just been invaded by creatures beyond modern comprehension!With power beyond any mere mortal's and ubiquity beyond any eathly species, it's only natural that all of America has taken to calling these fresh invaders "demons". And yet, even with such a title to their name, there arise sympathizers. Sympathizers who insist that, despite their ability to rain down fire and lightning from the heavens themselves, these demons are worth human companionship! That they are not to be feared! Even, somehow, that they can help humanity if we just give them a chance...Walter Buchanan, our humble protagonist, is one of these sympathizers. He has set out for New York state with his two human companions, Thomas J. Steele and a mysterious "Andrew", alongside a sizeable posse of demonic acquaintances, seeking the safety of his family and a return to his home village of Cooperstown. We return to him in the current moment, across the country and in America's westernmost state, wrapping up his paid studies as he pursues his smaller goal of reaching Sacramento...<><><><><>
>August 8th, 1884; Tehama, CA. Yet another blisteringly hot summer day.You found yourself staring down an unsettling electric sheep on the cusp of a small, grassy hill.Just moments ago you hadn't questioned much about it. It baah'd like a sheep. It walked like a sheep. Mary sure seemed to think it was a sheep... at first, anyways.Yet, now, she avoided it. The closer you brought the outsider to its herd of Fulvis Khrysomallon, the less certain both you and your own Khrysomallon companion, Mary, became that it belonged there.Furthermore, the grass beneath the stranger's hooves never seemed to bend properly. Its wool hardly reacted to the light breeze that so adamantly messed with Mary's own wool. You hadn't thought to notice before, but now you were considering checking to see if it had made any footprints on the way here.As the stranger stared into your eyes with its own, its coal-black pupils' lack of depth now sticking out like a sore thumb, you couldn't help but inch forwards and try to block its path. The herd didn't seem any more partial to the stranger, after all, with a sizeable amount of Khrysomallon beginning to move away from you and up the hill or begin quietly mumbling distress. "Baaah." The maybe-sheep's shrill bleat returned, the tempo still unchanged from the previous worry it seemed to embody, the creature's expression once more not matching its voice. The outsider seemed... frustrated.It dodged to your right-- you caught it before it managed anything. To your left-- another catch from you. The motion was similar enough to soccer that you managed to play a decent goalie. Some unrelated sound from behind you both caught your attention.A brown figure soon appeared on the horizon behind the odd sheep, within a minute making itself clear-- you could see Andrew's donkey charging right for you, storming through the dirty paths of Tehama to reach you at its edges! You silently thanked your luck for the backup... only to realize how far away the donkey was and how long it'd take to get here. Best to keep your focus on the stranger, then.By now, the strange sheep was becoming actively aggressive. You hadn't seen Khrysomallon this angry since Mary broke an attacking wolf-creature's jaw last week. The aforementioned defender of your safety was apprehensive, too, now trotting in front of you and trying her best to act as a shield with which to repel the stranger.
You gave Mary a good scratch behind the horns for her concern, trying to keep your focus on the newcomer. Before you held its stare, you noted your surroundings: endless fields to your left and right, their patterns briefly interrupted by small slopes and ditches here and there, the only real verticality of note being the buildings ahead of you and the sizeable hill behind you.If you were to try and chase this stranger away, it'd have to be done to the left or right-- into the small hills and brown plains, maybe into one of the lonely trees scattering the town's edges, away from people and away from the herd.Returning your sight to the town, briefly, you noticed another equine joining Andrew's donkey on its way towards you. You couldn't make out anything more, however, as you snapped back into focus and returned to the problem child in front of you.The questionable sheep remained steadfast, staring you down and occasionally making moves to your left or right, seemingly trying to figure out some way past you while it made distracting movements...What were you to do?Walter's current inventory can be found here!https://pastebin.com/FM2wawpk>Take the initiative! Command Mary to start attacking the stranger. It was clearly up to no good and it would just be a waste of time to try and negotiate.>Stall it for as long as you could. The longer it stayed away from the herd the better.>Keep it occupied solely until backup came along. You didn't trust that you could attack it alone and win, given how unprepared you were for the scenario, and Andrew's donkey was such a bulky ally that it alone could probably win this skirmish. >Call out for an ally, either a random townsfolk or one of your existing friends (specify in the post), and hope someone will come help you. >Write-in.
>>6156984My favourite quest is back!>>6156985>>6156987>Take the initiative! Command Mary to start attacking the stranger. It was clearly up to no good and it would just be a waste of time to try and negotiate.Hopefully it'll drop the act if we confront it.
>>6156988+1Welcome back QM!
>>6156987>Stall it for as long as you could. The longer it stayed away from the herd the better.Welcome back, QM!
>not apokélypseone job
>>6156988>>6156999Seems we're fighting it, then! I'll get to writing soon.
Nice to see you return, QM!
This stranger had made its intentions clear. Even now, it continued to make attempts at getting past you. Weaving left, weaving right, then--As soon as it charged ahead, you gave a small shout to Mary to do the same. A loud THUD rang out as she slammed her forehead into the mock-sheep's own, sending the both of them tumbling down the hill and into the small dirt valley below.The occurrence spooked the herd behind you, causing an eruption of bleats and baahs, chasing the huge cloud of yellow-wooled sheep all the way up to the top of the hill-- a peak which they soon surmounted and continued past. As the Khyrsomallon continued to disappear over the horizon, the expression of the stranger seemed to change for the first time you could remember. Its neutral smile soon shifted into a feral rage, the herbivorous animal now baring carnivorous teeth you didn't know it had, the creature making a vicious snarling noise that threw you off a noticeable amount and prompted a pained bleat from Mary.In the small window of time between that noise and Mary's reaction, the creature pounced! It lunged for your dazed friend, aiming for the neck and snagging its teeth on her wool instead, its own fluffier bits standing on end as the creature found itself instantly paralyzed by the occurrence.The exchange happened so fast that you only just noticed the reaction of your other two companions. The small leafy caterpillar wrapped around your neck, Taylor, awoke with a start to begin climbing down your neck and onto your back, as if trying to hide the scene from view. Florian, your smaller plant-based friend who'd taken up permanent residence in your shirt pocket, could be seen quietly squeaking or looking from side to side as if searching for an opponent of his own.Your attention was soon stolen by the creature as Mary let out another bleat. A flash of lightning followed, your heart briefly skipping at the sight despite your growing acclimation, and the creature's ruse soon disappeared.At the bottom of the small hill, twitching and growling, another illusionary fox continued its assault on your closest companion.
Mary continued fighting. The kit seemed continuously determined to down Mary specifically, no longer making any attempts at chasing past her and up the hill, aiming bite after bite at her wool, her knees, her face. It was hard not to wince as you saw the fox chomp down on her cheek, your sheepy friend letting out an incredibly loud bleat of alarm, slamming her tail into the fox and flinging it into the dirt that they trod upon.That was enough-- you felt you had to intervene.>Run down the hill and pull out something from your bag [Empty revolver, thick book, fox fur sample, pillow, picnic blanket, newspaper, or bed roll?]. Use it to get the fox as far away from Mary as possible. [Roll 1d100.]>Command one of your other companions to help Mary in the fight. You know Florian has his strange powder, and you're pretty sure Taylor can bite... [Choose which companion to send in.]>Force yourself to wait for Andrew's donkey to arrive before doing anything else. >Call out for an ally, either a random townsfolk or one of your existing friends (specify in the post), and hope someone will come help you instead.>Cheer Mary on. She's won most of her battles so far, she can win one more!>Write-in.
>>6157709>Cheer Mary on. She's won most of her battles so far, she can win one more!
>>6157721+1we do need Florian and Taylor to fight at some point
>>6157708>>6157709>Command one of your other companions to help Mary in the fight. You know Florian has his strange powder, and you're pretty sure Taylor can bite...Taylor. Florian is too small for this.
>>6157709Changing vote from >>6157722 to >>6157811
>>6157833to BACKING >>6157811, my bad
>>6157811>>6157834Alright, we're sending Taylor into the fray!(And a belated thank-you to everyone welcoming me back! Glad to be here.)
Two on one wasn't exactly a fair fight. However, you were somewhat past the point of caring about fairness. Mary's scuffle with the stranger was turning dangerous. You realized rather quickly that if you yourself tried to intervene, you'd probably be even more overwhelmed than her. Hence... Your hands drifted to your back, carefully prying off Taylor's nubby legs one by one until the enormous caterpillar hung in front of you, your hands gripping either side of the bug and giving it one look over. Florian was too young for this, but Taylor was half the fox's height... The bug's big black eyes remained laser-focused on yours, its expression indescribable. You wasted no more time in trying to discern it. "Taylor, I dunno if you know what I'm sayin' like Mary does, but... you've got t' help her, alright?" The token effort was soon followed by a quick deployment of the bug, making sure to be careful as you turned the bug towards the fox and gently pushed it forward, watching as Taylor quickly noticed Mary's condition and took off towards the stranger.Taylor's first efforts were fascinating! Instead of the physical effort Mary often started with, your buggy buddy decided to begin his assault with a massive shot of silk to the stranger's face. The yelp of surprise it let out seemed to give Taylor the go-ahead to keep at it, crawling through the grass underneath the black fox while it was busy trying to rip the silk off. Taylor's collar seemed to unsettle the fox, forcing it to twitch, until the bug emerged behind his enemy and pounced upon its rear to bite it-- only for the fox to notice and stomp Taylor near the tail end of his back. Your bug chittered loudly, latching onto the fox's behind, biting down and--You looked away. When you forced your eyes back onto the battlefield, you were met with an unsettling sight. Taylor was quite a ways away from the fox, a small dent noticeable in his chitin. He lay scrambling on his back, making odd squeaking noises, while his foxy opponent finally managed to tear off the silk covering its face.Mary, meanwhile, lay defeated in the dirt. You noticed her cheek starting to swell... you wanted to get up and help her, but Mary was already five steps ahead of you. She began climbing to her feet and stumbling away from the ongoing fight between a struggling Taylor and... himself? No, that wasn't right. You gave his surroundings a glance-- the fox was gone. All that you could see was a pair of silk-weaving bugs. You knew one of them was Taylor, but... was the other one the fox? Had it taken on an illusion that made it look like Taylor?...ugh, this fight was messing with your head.
You shifted your focus towards Mary, crouching down to welcome her into your arms, a bit of guilt lacing your thoughts as you stroked her cheek and dug into your haversack to get her a small treat. The first thing she heard out of your mouth was mumbling, mostly of your regrets at having left the medical supplies with Steele. However, hope soon arrived on the horizon. A vaguely-familiar voice caught your attention and pulled you out of it!"Walter! What'n the hell're you doin' over there?"Andrew came riding in on his old steed, his aging brown horse getting up on its hind legs to bray loudly as Andrew yanked its bit, his narrowed eyes moving quickly from the horse's gear to yours.By his side was his donkey, looking up at its master with a sort of confused anticipation, hardly glancing at you-- to your great relief. You hoped the strange anger in Andrew's eyes had nothing to do with your accidental abandonment of his friend. His arrival heralded a shift in the ongoing battle. Taylor, now attempting to ignore his many injuries, was no longer circling the fox with confused anticipation. Instead, he'd taken on some of Mary's tactics and was now attempting to tackle the impostor to the ground with the effort of his entire body. The fox, still hiding behind Taylor's own skin, was clearly beginning to lose steam-- and Andrew's arrival brought with it the fox's final downfall. His horse's braying caught the impostor off guard, forcing its disguise to dissipate as Taylor threw himself into the fox's left side at full force!The vulpine finally relented, stumbling slightly away, not giving up in its attempts to climb the hill but seemingly abandoning any attempt at a fight. You were shocked it was even standing at this point, with its fur a complete mess and its joints looking less than stellar. There was even an enormous bruise on its shoulder that it seemed to be thoroughly ignoring. You gave the dazed kit one look, Andrew's donkey another, and Taylor your greatest attention. Mary remained in your knees, her head now slipping into your open palms... while Andrew watched the fox with a mix of interest and fury. He deserved a reply, didn't he?
>Explain to him what happened and brush it off as a done deal. The fox isn't fighting anymore, the sheep have run away. There's no use in being here any more. >Emphasize the danger of the fox and ask for Andrew's help in chasing it off. You don't trust it to stick around the town or the herd without issue, and if it was able to do this much damage to your team then you don't want to think of what it could do to less-prepared people.>Try to segue into a sort of tutorial session. Andrew still has that nutberry, and this is definitely some kind of neofauna... trying to teach him how the nutberries work with something that's actively not attacking you could save some valuable time.>Praise your companions for keeping you safe and ask him for medicine. Their safety is your highest priority. He can learn what happened later. >Write-in.
>>6158380s>>6158381>>6158382>Try to segue into a sort of tutorial session. Andrew still has that nutberry, and this is definitely some kind of neofauna... trying to teach him how the nutberries work with something that's actively not attacking you could save some valuable time.He can't beat us, so he better join us. At least this herd will take him in voluntarily.
>>6158386Do we want to just recruit every mon we see to every spare human we come across?
>>6158491Then what do you want to do?
>Explain to him what happened and brush it off as a done deal.
>>6158382>Explain to him what happened and brush it off as a done deal. The fox isn't fighting anymore, the sheep have run away. There's no use in being here any more.
>>6158382>Emphasize the danger of the fox and ask for Andrew's help in chasing it off. You don't trust it to stick around the town or the herd without issue, and if it was able to do this much damage to your team then you don't want to think of what it could do to less-prepared people.I have heard the call and I am here to help. Last time I was following this I'm pretty sure Mary fucking eviscerated a Mightyena
>>6158382>Praise your companions for keeping you safe and ask him for medicine. Their safety is your highest priority. He can learn what happened later.
>>6158557>>6158573It was a close vote this time, but telling him and moving on has won!
That, and to stay away from this mess.You sighed. "There was a fox'n sheep's clothing. Didn't know it 'til the thing started tryin' to attack the others," a gesture up the hill made sure he had an idea of where the herd went, "and it was pretty tough t' take down. Must've had experience." Mary gave you one final nudge and tottered off to your haversack, nudging the flap with her head, looking to you when the thing refused to budge. You opened it for her and gave her another treat, then got to your feet and dusted off some of the dirt she'd spread on your pants. "You haven't got t' do anythin' now. Thanks for coming over, though, ah appreciate it." Andrew's horse adjusted herself, turning away from you to let her rider be a little more visible. "You're welcome, but I ain't got any good news for ya." The man rubbed his nose and glanced away. "The stable won't take Dora or Buckwheat."Your blank stare was answered soon after. "...the horse 'n donkey." Andrew extended a hand to the latter and prompted it to join Andrew's horse by her side. "We'll have to convince the hotel or sleep outside." Taylor climbed up your arm as you crouched down to his level. He was bruised and battered, bits of chitin torn away to expose his soft white flesh, taking up residence upon your neck once again and barely moving. Florian watched his ascent with concern, the small budding child catching a flake of chitin in his mouth and not letting go."Wonderful luck for Steele, eh? Just went out for a haircut and now he'll come back to the news that he'll be sleepin' in the sticks again." You couldn't help but chuckle.Andrew didn't seem to be taking it nearly as lightly, getting off Dora and crossing his arms. His eyes wandered back to the fox as he grumbled, "Maybe he'll just learn to sleep with a donkey in the room instead." The fox growled, refusing to budge from its place until Andrew gave it a light kick in the behind. After that it was more than happy to slink away onto the horizon, Andrew watching it all the way. "Little rat. Don't know what prompts those things to be so greasy." The description unsettled you slightly, but you were curious. "You've got experience with 'em too?" "Yeah, plenty. Stupid things like stealing from you when you're busy with somethin'." "Well, I don' think it's fair t' call them stupid..."Andrew raised a brow, but his tone changed thereafter. "Sure, they're smart, but they're like rats. Don't like 'em. Or," he thought for a moment, then continued. "Like if you gave some bum off the street the power t' trick people into givin' him whatever he wanted. That's what they are." Your heart fell further with the description. It was hard to deny their tendencies, but... "...I'm sure there's some good in them." You almost whispered, adjusting your bag and counting your companions (Mary was by your side, barely, and the other two were still with you...) before you gave the hill one last glance.
You could see a sheep or two poking their heads over the top of it. Were they checking to see if the fox was still there? "BAAAH!" One of them cried out. Mary gave a weak bleat back, waving her tail and stumbling forth, exchanging brief conversation with the other sheep as you and Andrew watched. You couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about."Thomas was getting his hair cut?" Andrew had already turned to leave. He was looking back at you. "I'll go tell him about the stable." You gave the man a thumbs-up and watched him and his donkey disappear into town, following soon after. The pair of you entered town with little fanfare, drifting into your respective trains of thought......how long did it take for Steele to get a haircut, anyways?<><><><><>"They wouldn't take either of them in just because of your donkey?" The three of you loitered by the barber shop, the town's passerby paying you no mind. This was especially impressive given Steele's lack of top hat, but you supposed his proximity to the barber's made that excusable.Steele seemed... less than surprised at the news. "I... well, I'm sure their business will feel the consequences of that soon..." He rubbed his chin, letting the setting sun dance upon his shoulders while he ruminated. "It's a shame, isn't it? But I suppose we can manage. Buchanan--" --he paused, then continued as if he'd discarded a thought-- "--you can sleep with the donkey. I'm sure Andrew's horse will be perfectly fine outside his window."You frowned. "Steele, I only have so much space for my own friends. You've got almost a whole room free." The bulky businessman smoothed his slicked-back hair, the idea rolling off his mind like water off a duck's feathers. "Yes, but you're more than able to sleep with almost five animals in the room, are you not? Indiana already disturbs me plenty, what with his late-night scratches or peers out the window, and I struggle to fathom how much less sleep I'd get with an entire donkey in the room."Andrew interjected. "I'll do fine with 'em both. I'm used to it." He crossed his arms. "Buckwheat's a pretty quiet one, you don't hear much'f him." The aforementioned donkey gave a quiet huff and forced his head underneath Andrew's armpit. "Most he'll want is scratches behind the ears, like this." The man demonstrated.You found it hard to believe Andrew could be so kind to one creature and so cruel to another. At least the bug had been... well, an enormous poisonous bug. The fox kits looked like strange dogs at worst, and you'd seen how they could help people. How many times had they harassed Andrew for him to be so immediately opposed to them?Andrew went on. "Better he stay with me for a bit though. Just t' be sure."
Steele perked up again, his trimmed mutton chops seeming to highlight the movement. "Well, that settles things, doesn't it? I'm more than happy with that arrangement. I'll go set us up with a few rooms..." ...Buchanan took an aside to firmly shake Andrew's hand, much to the latter's surprise... "...and we'll meet up to check in when the sun sets." He clapped his hands together and ran off before either of you could agree or disagree. "Heh, it's been a while since I was told what t' do like that." Andrew kept scratching his donkey. "It takes the weight off a bit. You enjoy that?" You shrugged. "Haven't got much of a choice. He's the only funds I've got." "What, you haven't got the money from those studies yet?" "Well, no. You see..." <><><><><>Andrew had bid you adieu. You stood, now, at the village crossroads. The conversation with Andrew had been plenty of fun, but you really needed to get your friends' injuries tended to. Now you sat in the grass by the edge of town, friend in your lap, cross-legged and bandaging up Taylor. The poor bug seemed to wince whenever you accidentally poked his raw bits, giving you a scared glance before mellowing out again. He seemed to be nodding off as you wrapped up, snipping the final bit of gauze you could spare around the bug's back, tying up his makeshift cast neatly and tugging on the knot to make sure it was tight. Upon confirmation of its resilience, you let the bug slip into the grass and leaned back.The sky was a deep orange. The sickly grass was beginning to poke at your palms and tickle your wrists. Even the sparse trees around seemed like better seats at this point. You saw no reason to stay here much longer.It was getting later, but not late enough to go to the hotel. There was no threat of rain nor much threat of further attack... you had time to spare, but where would you go?.>Return to the park and throw yourself back into your studies. You'd left that huge purple bug's corpse there, after all, and had yet to identify a good half of the species that called it home. Maybe you could stuff some notes on Taylor's chitin into there while you were at it. >Follow the sheep herd and see if Mary wants to spend some time with them. It'd be a good opportunity to let her communicate with her own kind... and a great way to deepen your research on the species as a whole!>Make plenty sure that Andrew's equines weren't allowed at the town's stables. If it was some kind of townwide policy, that'd be fine. If it wasn't, though, it could cause problems in the future. Best make sure those don't exist before you run into them.>Just take a walk around town. Maybe think about the future. Relax.>Write-in.
>>6159090>>Follow the sheep herd and see if Mary wants to spend some time with them. It'd be a good opportunity to let her communicate with her own kind... and a great way to deepen your research on the species as a whole!
>>6159088>>6159089>>6159090>Return to the park and throw yourself back into your studies. You'd left that huge purple bug's corpse there, after all, and had yet to identify a good half of the species that called it home. Maybe you could stuff some notes on Taylor's chitin into there while you were at it.More species-categorizing, please!
>>6159129+1I think Mareep are common throughout America right now, but there might be mons here that are uncommon or not found elsewhere
>>6159090>Return to the park and throw yourself back into your studies. You'd left that huge purple bug's corpse there, after all, and had yet to identify a good half of the species that called it home. Maybe you could stuff some notes on Taylor's chitin into there while you were at it.
>>6159129>>6159130>>6159137Alright, we're heading back to the park!
Back to the park, of course!You hadn't finished studying that big purple bug, nor any other residents of the small reserve. Countless creatures remained unnamed in your notes. If only you could document just a few more, neofauna or not, you'd have ten thousand dollars to your name... <><><><><>By the time you looked up from your notebook, the sun had already set.You sat in the same place you had hours ago, briefly forgetting that you had ever left, your eyes drifting from page to companion back to page. The grass here was much healthier than it had been near the edge of town for reasons you couldn't entirely explain. The air felt fresher, too... it was hard to place why. All you could do was remain where you were, soaking in the pleasantries of the park, enjoying its inexplicable serenity without further thought as you sunk into its soft grass.As the sun inched towards the horizon, you began to notice the slowly-shifting demographics of the park. The sunlight seemed to have taken many of the species you'd seen with it. You could no longer see the rowdy starlings that were so omnipresent before, nor many of the small blue ducklings. Instead, you were surrounded by more and more of the large red centipedes from before. They were joined by the odd blue balls of fur you'd seen on your way here, hovering above them and occasionally diving like seabirds to catch a centipede or two to eat...Note after note after note after note. You had no time to organize anything. Eyeless blue creatures with supersonic screeches (maybe what Andrew had been referring to before? But they weren't land-bound...), sentient brambles with seeds for eyes, even......your scribbling came to a stop. Taylor, who'd been sitting in front of you, began to chitter incessantly. Ahead of him was... another silk worm! One of his kind... Taylor reacted immediately, giving you an expression of utmost joy, becoming delighted when you plucked the silk worm from its place (and confirmed that it wasn't another kit in disguise) and placed it beside him. Taylor was more than eager to start communicating, immediately feeling the other silk worm with his small mandibles and touching his forehead lumps to the other bug's (so that's what they were for... you noted it down), chittering and squeaking and prompting you to let Florian out of your pocket to join them as the two seemed to chatter on about...<><><><><>
...you stumbled into the hotel at a time far past whenever your human companions had asked you to be there. You could hear Steele's snoring from the closest room. They were long asleep.Your eyes drifted back down to your open notebook. It almost looked like a schizophrenic's diary at this point, incomprehensible to anyone but you and difficult to parse even now, classifications scattered about like candy with random observations taking up the bulk of the page and various sketches dotting the corners. You hadn't yet reached that hallowed hundred species, but you were certain you were almost there. Almost...The receptionist seemed more than happy to help you. You had to wonder how much patience she had to take a patient this late. Her own hair was half-down, clearly in preparation for some kind of sleep, and her dress was loose. She didn't even have a corset on. The two of you wandered down the dinky halls to a rather standard room at the very end of the corridor, a few rooms down from Steele's and god-knew-where from Andrew's. The lady left you to your own devices soon after, allowing you some freedom to stumble in and collapse upon the room's bed's cheap mattress without any further thoughts on the matter.<><><><><>>August 9th, 1884. You were awoken far too early by one of your friends.It took you several minutes to discern which one. The fact that he was human was a surprise. You only realized his species by the time he was handing you your trunk and insisting you ride some 'Buckwheat' this morning.Your eyes only opened fully once the bright sun hit you. Ahead of you was a half-sunken sun, barely even above the horizon, barely even... ugh. You rubbed your eyes again and checked your company. Everyone was accounted for. Florian sat upon Steele's shoulder, much to the short man's dismay, with Indiana flanking him and staring at Andrew and his two steeds. Your newest acquaintance mounted Dora with little issue, trotting in front of his donkey (right, that was Buckwheat) and making a motion for you and Steele to follow after.It wasn't long until you were on the road once more... barely awake, only kept conscious by Mary's occasional bleats beside you or Taylor's fidgeting upon your neck.
<><><><><>Tree after bush after tree after tall grass.There really wasn't much to see here, was there?The sun was high in the sky now, barely hanging above the ground while traveling far away from the horizon. You were starting to regret not bringing a pocket watch with you, regretting even moreso that you hadn't been able to buy one since.You gave your companions a glance. Andrew was focused on the road ahead. Steele was carrying Indiana in his lap and seemingly just as focused. Your eyes drifted to the Sacramento River, which you three had been dutifully following, watching it in silence as you tried to wake up.It had been a few hours now. Maybe it was time for a rest.>Bring up the idea to Andrew and Steele, see if they'd be open to it. There's a small clearing to your left that you could easily set up camp at.>Perish the thought and try to start a conversation instead. You're just sick of the quiet, really, not the riding.>Write-in.
>>6159672>Perish the thought and try to start a conversation instead. You're just sick of the quiet, really, not the riding.
>>6159672>Perish the thought and try to start a conversation instead. You're just sick of the quiet, really, not the riding.Just gotta hang in there! Sacramento's sure to be better than all this
>>6159672>Perish the thought and try to start a conversation instead. You're just sick of the quiet, really, not the riding.Happy to see you again QM! Here's hoping we can one day have ourselves a little Poke-House on the Prairie, or failing that, formulate a centralized society to foster good relations between people and pokemon. Imagine the shock we're gonna get when Mary or Taylor evolves.
>>6159669>>6159671>>6159672>Bring up the idea to Andrew and Steele, see if they'd be open to it. There's a small clearing to your left that you could easily set up camp at.We are really tired. It's a miracle Waltur is even sitting up right.
>>6159695>>6159743>>6159918>>6160050>>6160266Pretty unanimous, I didn't expect that! We'll be starting up some conversation with our allies.>Happy to see you again QM!Happy to see you too! Glad to be back. :)>We are really tired. It's a miracle Waltur is even sitting up right.Boy can I fuckin' relate.
No, rest could wait. You were trying to avoid sleep, not fall right back into its clutches.Your eyes drifted back to Steele... and, before you could think it over, you'd already asked it."My... profession?" Steele seemed surprised. You clarified. "Yeah, well... you've mentioned investments, sure, but... well," you felt the need to be blunt, "you can't have jus' gotten all that money from those, right?" Steele gave you a blank stare. After a blink or two he seemed to realize something and replied rather normally. "Oh, well, no. Of course not, boy. One couldn't come about a fortune like mine through stocks unless they were an unparalleled genius!"A suspicious pause and grin followed before the man continued. "But, no, I simply ran a store back home. A rather successful one, at that! Perhaps you've heard of one Steele & Pick Works?" Steele didn't hide the disappointment that came with your ignorance. "Well, I suppose our New York expansion is rather recent. I shouldn't have thought you'd know. Anyways," he hurried on, "I've simply been investing my time in that and the house." That comment managed to catch Andrew's uneasy attention. "...which house, your senpai'ly's?" Steele's chuckling turned uncomfortable. "Well, it's slightly more important than just any old household..."<><><><><>>August 10th, 1884.The day passed with little event. The three of you hadn't even stopped at a town last night. You'd had to pull over after your eyesight started getting fuzzy, and slept in a bedroll at a quickly-made camp. You'd awoken to find your breakfast stolen and the camp a mess, so the next hour was spent foraging for berries to replace your lost goods. Florian's eye for the ripest and juiciest fruits around seemed to help the three of you plenty, even if it was still prone to inaccuracy. Andrew could tell you as much-- he was still raging over an overripe elderberry that Florian had offered him. Nevertheless, the group was not to be stopped. You passed by town after town, dipping in and out of awkward conversations, growing increasingly more comfortable as time passed and the three of you had little to do besides pry into each others' personal lives or prank each other at camps. As you were now, Steele was still riding upon Buckwheat in a thoroughly-muddied pair of shoes that you knew he wouldn't change out of because "it wouldn't be proper". It didn't even matter to him that he looked like the donkey that'd helped you pull this off in the first place. He'd walked the damn things out of the mud pit you'd hid them in like he was walking up an immaculate staircase. You could practically hear him formulating his revenge in his head...
...yet you found yourself preoccupied with Andrew's questions, which hadn't ceased since you tried to explain Florian's abilities to him. You'd found him surprisingly interested, probing you with random considerations you hadn't even begun to think about, practically exhausted of hearing them by the end of the day.<><><><><>>August 11th, 1884.A blur. You couldn't even recall a difference between it and the tenth. You'd seen more neofauna, you supposed. No new species for the first time since they'd appeared. They were oddly sparse around these parts... perhaps for the better. Andrew continued to ask about them. You'd offered him your notebook... only for him to ask you to read it for him. You did so diligently, but... surely the notes weren't that illegible, were they? You could still make them out...Aside from that, the only stand-out event was how you'd woken up: covered in dirt up to your neck, with Steele and his guilty mole nowhere to be seen. It'd taken an entire search around camp and their snickering to find them and, once caught, the perpetrators had their dirt returned to them in dramatic fashion. You were thankful that Steele was good-humored enough to clean his suit atop Buckwheat instead of holding everyone up to do it at camp.<><><><><>>August 12th, 1884. A day of progress. One of travel and adventure! Of roaming endless plains, following the Sacramento River, counting trees until your eyes went blurry. Reading and reading to Andrew, bouts of silence while he thought and you caught your breath, sparse questions here and there when he remembered to ask.You did so much. You met some strangers, you made a fire, you exchanged notes, you set up camp, you slept... <><><><><>>August 13th, 1884......Sacramento finally seemed within reach.You hadn't slept at a proper bed in days now.There was a crick in your neck that hadn't gone. Bags under your eyes so heavy that you could feel them weighing down your cheeks. It was hard to keep a straight posture.The warm wind against your face was the only thing keeping you awake. That, and the occasional movements of your companions upon your neck or chest. Florian and Taylor had been sleeping fine. They seemed more than accustomed to you by now. It was hard not to envy them whenever they grabbed your attention..."Gentlemen, I think it's best we take a break." The words shot through your heart like Cupid's arrows. A break? And Andrew was suggesting it... Steele had to agree for you to believe that it was real. You had to start changing course, leaving the river, trotting into a tiny town...You chuckled. It reminded you of Shenanigan's Gulch, if that town hadn't had any mountains. Relatively close to a large forest, small in scope, nearby a crippled railroad...
Steele vocalized your thoughts and the two of you shared a laugh about it. Andrew asked for an explanation: one that Steele provided while you slipped off of Buckwheat and began wandering to the nearest hotel. You had enough money to stay a while, surely...<><><><><>>August 14th, 1884......well, no, you hadn't. But Steele had, just barely, and was more than happy to book the three of you into the nearest hotel.Your rest there had felt heavenly. Your dreams were scattered with fluffy clouds, bright sunshine, and your loved ones. Looker ran alongside you above the clouds with his four puppies, barking as the four of you jumped from cloud to cloud more easily than anything you'd done in your life. The four of you soon plummeted to earth only to be caught by your family, Junior and your siblings catching the dogs while your dad caught you, conversation abounding as you tried to get ma and pa to join you up there. It was so new and exciting, you'd insisted, they'd love it. Looker had been safe, you begged, so they would be too.Your family listened, entertaining your proposal. You explained to them just how fun all this newness was. Junior was curious, Mabel intrigued. Keith listened with rapt attention while Robbie was busy trying to keep one of the puppies still. They all accepted it, your idea. They even seemed interested in your idea. To go up to the clouds, to jump around, to have fun...But you weren't sure if they'd ever joined you up there.You woke up too early to see whether they had.By the time you'd awoken, the sun was well above the horizon. Your inhuman acquaintances were running around the room impatiently, peering out of windows or sniffing your hands to see if you were still alive, Taylor having spun an entire small hammock in the corner waiting for you to wake up. When you checked the time, it was already--
-----"--noon! My word, I'd expected you to sleep through the entire day at this rate!" Steele straightened his bowtie and smiled again. Andrew hadn't said a word, just chowing down on his beans and canned pork without a thought. Steele continued on. "It's good to see you, truly! Let's make this day the best it's been yet." Odd, you hadn't seen him so happy in a while. And everyone else at the tiny saloon was staying quiet. Had he done something? You stuck another piece of french toast in your mouth. It was soft and crunchy, smattered some kind of fruit jam, made just right. You had to remember to give the waittress a big tip..."Where are we?" You finally felt awake enough to ask."Knight's Landing," Steele shot back in an instant. He almost seemed giddy. "It's such a noble name, isn't it? I wish the East had more monikers like it." Andrew sneered through his food, forcing himself to swallow before quipping. "Wish I had the luxury t' be so excited 'bout tiny stuff like that."You both ignored his bitterness and kept on eating, only for Steele to interrupt you fairly quickly. "Ah, Andrew, you had something to say, didn't you? Something quite fortunate!"He seemed confused by the implication at first, only seeming to realize what Steele was referring to while he was chewing his food. He didn't wait to swallow before speaking up. "'ve found us a boat," he swallowed, "Walter. They're... sellin' tickets, to Yolo House guests like us. A steamer t' Sacramento." He continued on. "They take horses 'n donkeys, I already asked. Now it's just up to you.If you've got some studyin' to do around here that a ferry wouldn't let you, I can jus' take us to Sacramento on horseback. It'll be a bit longer, and ah doubt you'll find it as comf'rtable seein' as you were fallin' asleep back there," the implication prompted some blush on your part. It was hard to remember the past few days-- had you really been falling asleep out there? Andrew continued. "But, it'll be cheaper, so ah may as well offer. Your friend over here'll be payin' for the boat or my services, so it's no skin off my back either way. So.." "Are you a ferryin' man? Or would you rather stick to the horses 'n ride t' Sacramento like we've been doin' the past few days?">You're a ferrying man alright. This trip has been exhausting, assuming Andrew is telling the truth. You'll just take a few tickets there and be on your merry way. Steele can surely afford it.>No, your ego's been bruised. You can tough out this last bit. Even if it means you'll end up there by tomorrow evening instead of tomorrow morning, you're willing to save Steele's money and keep yourself awake for this final stretch.>Well... why not both? Offer to pay for Andrew to ferry with you. As much as you hate to admit it, his gun provides more defense than your neofauna can provide and you don't want to travel unarmed.
>>6160550>>6160552>>6160554>>6160555>Well... why not both? Offer to pay for Andrew to ferry with you. As much as you hate to admit it, his gun provides more defense than your neofauna can provide and you don't want to travel unarmed.Waltur's goin to the NoCal riviera alright. Not our money, not our problem. It doesn't get much easier than mooching off of a store chain magnate.
>>6160555>No, your ego's been bruised. You can tough out this last bit. Even if it means you'll end up there by tomorrow evening instead of tomorrow morning, you're willing to save Steele's money and keep yourself awake for this final stretch.Money matters. We can always rest and recover wherever, but money is life
>>6160575You seem to underestimate just how minted Steele is. You think he can't just withdraw an extra grand (in 1884 money) from a Sacramento bank?
>>6160555>No, your ego's been bruised. You can tough out this last bit. Even if it means you'll end up there by tomorrow evening instead of tomorrow morning, you're willing to save Steele's money and keep yourself awake for this final stretch.Hope Steele appreciates this.
>>6160555>No, your ego's been bruised. You can tough out this last bit. Even if it means you'll end up there by tomorrow evening instead of tomorrow morning, you're willing to save Steele's money and keep yourself awake for this final stretch.
>>6160550Also>senpai'lyGod damnit, 4chan.
>>6160708Aw, what? Why'd 4chan censor that? It just says "family" with an accent. I hope that goes through. Just in case it doesnt: Senpai!ly
>>6160711Nope. Still didn't go through. Is the word "senpai" censored?
>>6161051Oh my god, it is.
>>6161051>>6161053that's very odd and I don't know why it's doing that. You can see the word it was supposed to be without the spoiler though. anyways, >>6160575>>6160621>>6160704We're continuing on the horses!Tomorrow!I've been sick for the past few days and I think it's really peaking today, I've got a serious headache that ibuprofen isn't helping and im barely awake. I've been trying to write for an hour or two now and I've turned up basically nothing.I'm going to hold off writing today to just get some rest. I'm not producing anything of quality and staring at screens is probably exacerbating the headache so i'm gonna go touch grass or something.Sorry for the hold up. I'll post this next entry once i've recovered.
>>6161094Get well soon, QM.
>>6161094Sitewide word filter. Try typing"S m h""T b h""F a m""C u c k"
>>6161094Hahahaha it censors “f-a-m”.I wonder if it censors all of the texting shorthands.
>>6161094Rest up, PQM.
Hello, hello! I'm well enough to be at my PC. I'll start writing now. Thank you all for the well-wishes! :)5 days to Christmas, spooky. I hope this passes before then.
"Well, now that you mention studies..." ...better to pin it on that than your own embarrassment... "...ah do think it'd be a better idea t' just skip the steamer n' ride there." Steele sighed some relief, seemingly having remembered the extra cost halfway through your deciding, while Andrew just nodded and went back to his food.You poked at your own for a bit, finishing off the last few slices of French Toast you had before speaking up again. "There's no guarantee they'll take neofauna, right?" The question seemed to pique your companions' curiosity. You elaborated. "The stable 'n Tehama refused us. This very saloon asked us to keep Buckwheat 'n the rest outside." Mary had been just as upset by that as she had been your insistence on her sleeping outside of Cora's house. "Ah doubt the steamer would've taken us anyways." Steele objected. "Well-- perhaps, Buchanan, but it would take very little to sneak Buckwheat in as a regular donkey," he continued despite your weird looks, "simply a haircut and some washed ankles." Andrew's brow was raising while he ate. It only lowered once he swallowed and replied. "Ah've tried washin' his ankles, Tom. Buckwheat seems t' really hate it. Wouldn't let you do it." His tone made it obvious that he would be the one preventing Steele from trying, not Buckwheat."Right," he continued, placing his utensils neatly upon his plate and getting to his feet, "ah'll meet you both outside. Finish up yer food 'n pay for me. It shouldn't be more than a day's ride."
<><><><><>The ride out of Knight's Landing had been... somewhat disconcerting.All three of you had noticed the increased presence of state militia the further along you got. You had neglected to comment on it, because pointing out the obvious was far less conversational than joking about a weird-looking tree, but by now it was impossible to ignore. Practically every other road or trail had two or more militia officers standing duty, stopping the three of you, asking for names and swears of innocence and if you had any weapons on you.The closer you got to Sacramento, too, the harder it was to ignore their equipment. The dinky rifles of Redding were long gone by now, replaced with state-of-the-art shooting equipment that Andrew pointed out to you once you were out of earshot. "Those're some brand-new beauties. Wish ah had one of those," he once commented, "for the buffalo. It'd make the huntin' a lot easier." The troops were even kitted out in armor-- a more harrowing sight than you'd anticipated-- many of their faces covered up by comprehensive steel helmets. Their limbs, too, were coated in the stuff-- patchy sheets of steel covered shoulders, chests, kneecaps, even necks. You wondered how on earth they managed their positions for so long in such harsh gear under such harsh sunlight.Less and less neofauna dotted the trail, growing as sparse as the regular animals they now dominated, their presence only being noticed through scratches or burn marks or signs of conflict elsewhere. You and Andrew found yourselves reading your notes on the Stars of Death and massive eagle chicks around the same time, occasionally glancing up at the sky to see if there were any around.And yet... the closer you got to Sacramento, the more your heart began to soar. It was hard not to be excited. You could finally check if your family had sent you anything. You could send something back! Hell, you could send them a telegram so you wouldn't have to wait weeks to hear from them again! And, if the situation was stable enough, maybe they could even do the same! It'd be as close to talking as you could get, so far away from them.And as the roads became more and more defined, as you saw more and more people going back and forth upon them, as the sparse forest began to swell into a dirty field and even that began to dissipate......you found yourself smiling upon no place other than Sacramento itself.<><><><><>
It felt odd, wandering into the biggest city in the state on horseback.You weren't alone, of course, but there were so many other people in so many other modes of transport. You saw people in carriages, on bicycles, on nothing more than their loafers or Mary Janes. The city truly lived up to its grandiose reputation-- it was hard to walk around it without feeling almost ant-like. You'd followed the river into the city's outskirts, unsure of your exact positioning, noticing a growing number of establishments big and small to your left as you carried on, unable to ignore how even the smallest buildings were nearly thrice your height. Each and every one of the city's citizens seemed indistinguishable from the other, a mass of flat hats and blazers and short dresses and dusters, going about their days in a rush to get someplace you couldn't fathom. Those that weren't on the streets could be heard shouting from rooftops, arguing with family, laying out laundry on their windowsills or chowing down on early dinners. People were scattered across every level of the city, sneering and cheering and jeering and all. Drunkards littered the few bars around these parts, beggars blending in seamlessly among them (until you got too close, of course), children ran through the crowd trying to escape their doting mothers, miners complained of their rowdiness while hauling wheelbarrows of lumber and ores down the street. Even the river itself was congested with steamers, trowlers, ships of all kind carrying cargo, people, animals, more. Smoke and steam and all kinds of vapors escaped their chimneys while they chugged along the bank spraying water behind them and at any man so unfortunate as to be on the river's shore. While your group said nothing, the city spoke for you.Not a block could be passed without at least one building torn, burnt, wrecked or scarred. The city streets were dirty, covered in rubbish and debris, some even stacked with piles of broken wood or stone that passerby would step over like they were nothing. Some of the larger piles almost stood as tall as the people that had to walk around them. Almost every street had a construction or clean-up crew, numbering nearly as many as the plethora of state militia standing guard and greeting people on their morning commutes. The sky itself almost seemed dirty, cluttered with billowing clouds of smoke and the very few neofauna and birds that not even the most accurate rifle seemed to be able to shoot.The sight was somewhat unsettling... but you moved past that, eager to focus instead on what this city could finally offer you.You trotted into town without harassment. Steele's permanent smile was met with many more as he tipped his hat towards anyone that cared to look at him and his mole. Your own neofauna gladly rode upon or beside you, their presence unmolested and their moods chipper, Taylor fast asleep on your shoulders while Mary and Florian gladly trotted along by your side.
Andrew eventually stopped, turning his horse into a smaller dirt street and prompting you to follow with Buckwheat. You lightly kicked the muddy mule to obey and soon found yourselves someplace quieter.-----There was nothing but rubbish here. You figured this place might have been used as a sort of temporary deposit for all the excess trash the larger streets had. There was only so much you could pile up on the sidewalk before those became unusable, after all, and you saw no reason that someone would dirty this place so badly otherwise. It was a shame that this seemed to be the only quiet part of the city.All three of you squeezed into the smaller street, nestling yourselves between the walls of two brick buildings, adjusting your various hats to block the setting sun as you came to a slow halt and returned your shoes to the dirt. Andrew dismounted Dora and got straight to the point. "Right. I've got buffalo t' hunt, you've got studies t' do. This's where we part ways." He seemed almost dismayed by the statement, not keeping eye contact with either of you as he spoke it. "Buckwheat, hold'm still." Both you and Steele soon dismounted the donkey with Andrew's help. Steele, of course, didn't dismount quietly. "Oh, really? I was-- I was hoping I could maybe persuade you to ride us around town! Sacramento's a big city, after all! Surely you know more about it than us, yes? You've been here before?" Andrew gave a grunt and a nod, not stopping as he began loading Buckwheat with some of the extra cargo Dora had been carrying for him. Steele continued. "I can pay you after I've cashed in my investments. You know I'm low on funds right now, but I'll have plenty to spare once I find the firm..." Andrew barely let Steele trail off before asking. "Which firm'n where?" This prompted the businessman to grin and keep at it. "Oh, well, I haven't a clue! I'd be lost without a guide like you! That's why I'm insisting you continue your services while we're here."He earned himself a skeptical stare from Andrew, yet was undeterred. "I am certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it would hardly inconvenience you as much as you seem to claim."Andrew's reply remained uncertain. "I may have been here before, Tom, but I ain't a tour guide." He waited, then continued: "Besides, d'you really think ah'd believe that you want t' pay me more than ah'd make from sellin' buffalo pelts?" Steele's tone wavered slightly. "Well-- yes! What buffalo would you be finding here in California, anyways? They're in the north, and we are quite firmly south!" He trailed off into a laugh that was met with stark silence. Andrew replied quietly, almost sounding disinterested. "...none, Tom. None ah can hunt." He mumbled something about 'not having stock, either', and continued packing Buckwheat's back with bags.
Steele made yet another start. "Well, then... there's nothing stopping you, is there? I'll be paying you more than you would make hunting buffalo, because hunting buffalo would make you nothing!" A wayward breeze flew into the alleyway, brushing past the pair of men now staring at each other, punctuating their showdown until one admitted defeat."...you better be made of money, old man. Buffalo hide isn't cheap." Steele smiled from ear to ear, only to be cut off once more-- "...but, 's long 's ah can eat'n sleep on what you pay me, I might be willin' to negotiate on the pricing." The two conversation descended into one-sided chattering from thereon out as Steele tried desperately to find a price that Andrew would accept... all the while, Andrew hoisted both you and Steele back onto Buckwheat before getting onto Dora and turning around to lead the way onto Sacramento's many streets.-----There was far too much to do here. At every single corner there was something new. A library! A tailor's! Barbers and grocers and post offices and penitentiaries and lodging houses and... you were losing track of the city's offerings very quickly. The dizzying task wasn't one you wanted to continue.Andrew and Steele had left you for the time being, with the latter insisting that Steele ferry him to his specific investment firm in another part of town before all else, so you had who knew how many hours to wander the streets of Sacramento in search of a telegram office. You knew there had to be at least one private one here, surely, and if all else... maybe you could pester the state government? Surely your family being trapped in New York City could qualify as enough of an emergency for them to cooperate...You perished the thought. You'd find a private service, for sure, on your own. Even if this city was starting to feel outright labyrinthian, you knew you could do something as simple as find a building within it. If you got desperate enough, you could even try to ask a local for directions. Or maybe the papers would have some kind of map built in? Surely that would be necessary someplace as big as this. Regardless, simply thinking about finding it would get you nowhere. You had to take action and move your feet... >Take the bridge across the Sacramento and see if there's a service someplace on the wharf.>Start towards the Capitol building instead, hedging your bets on one or two offices being around there. You can see the building from here, so it shouldn't be too hard...>Ignore the telegram offices entirely, for now, and focus on some kind of post office instead. How were you going to send a telegram without knowing whether your family had even seen your first letter?>Do something else! [Write-in.]
>>6161836>>6161838>>6161839>>6161840>>6161841>Take the bridge across the Sacramento and see if there's a service someplace on the wharf.Telegrams might not work, but its worth a try. Not like we can't visit a post office later instead.
>>6161880+1
>>6161841>Take the bridge across the Sacramento and see if there's a service someplace on the wharf.
>>6161841>>Take the bridge across the Sacramento and see if there's a service someplace on the wharf.
>>6161841>>Start towards the Capitol building instead, hedging your bets on one or two offices being around there. You can see the building from here, so it shouldn't be too hard...
>>6161880>>6161884>>6161893>>6162172To my surprise, the wharf has won out! I'll write something a bit shorter for it soon.
>>6161840>Andrew replied quietly, almost sounding disinterested. "...none, Tom. None ah can hunt." He mumbled something about 'not having stock, either', and continued packing Buckwheat's back with bags.What exactly are you up to, Andrew...?>>6161841>Take the bridge across the Sacramento and see if there's a service someplace on the wharf.
...to the wharf, of course.It seemed sensible. If people wanted to contact family, the most profitable place to do that would probably be nearby a port. People just getting off their ferries would definitely be hungering for some kind of messaging service.You made a motion to Mary, formerly resting by your side, and started towards the city's bridge over the river. It was a beautiful and eerie thing. Impossible to miss, criss-crossed on both sides by lattice spun only from steel and brought out of the water with mighty pillars, the Sacramento Bridge was a crossing more imposing than any you could remember seeing. The tracks upon it made you wonder if humans were even meant to cross it, with how little space they had on their sides, but the many broken connections assured you that, whether humans were originally meant to cross it or not... they had little choice but to do so now.Yet even here, above the water and almost away from the city, Sacramento's chitter-chatter never ceased.Beggars lined the sides of the bridge. Many held splintered planks of wood with demands written upon them-- many more simply shouted their desires to passers-by or other beggars. You forced your sight away from them, remembering New York City's breed of bum and not trusting Sacramento's to be any different, keeping your eyes on the task ahead no matter how much it ate at you.
The wharf itself was... no different.The streets were lined with people. At first you thought most of them were fishers or passengers, as would suit such a place, but it quickly came to your attention that almost half of them were spending their time harassing people who had something to give them anything. Some of them were obviously poor, with dirty or damaged clothes. Some of them had been doing this for a while.But, from what you could see, most of them had not. You saw people just like this on the other side of the bridge. going about their days as if they had nothing to worry about. Wearing proper clothes, doing proper chores. Yet here, such routines by the very same people had instead been replaced by... desperation.Wailing to streetfolk about how they'd lost their house. Begging for some spare change to afford a telegraph to someone they loved. Offering to hitchhike someplace "better" for voluntary servitude or trying to sneak onto departing steamers. When you passed them by, you almost had to jump out of the way of one woman who seemed determine to sell you one of her shoes just so she could send a letter.It occurred to you that none of them had flinched at the sight of your neofauna. None of them had booed or shied away from Mary like those in the previous towns had. Not one person seemed to even notice Florian, while Taylor was almost taken for granted. Perhaps it was because there seemed to be almost none here? No, it couldn't be that. The river was still flushed with fish, natural and not, and you could see as much even from here......there it was.You pulled yourself out of your head as your eyes forced themselves onto it: "Atlantacific Telegraph Co," a giant sign upon an equally-giant building read.The two-story shingled building was partly charred, its roof uneven. It was completely covered, sure, but part of the roof was tarp and the only remaining shingles were coal-black. The soot dusting parts of the building made you figure that they weren't always that color. The company towered over most other buildings nearby, sticking out in a row of mostly one-story fishing shacks, only surpassed by the wharf's three-story centerpiece and a few other scattered businesses. You didn't hesitate to fling open the door and walk in.-----How on earth could so many people fit in here??That was the only thing on your mind as you stepped indoors, your nose assaulted by the sheer amount of smells and your skin assaulted by the sheer amount of crowding you had to endure. You swore this place was full to burst-- how on earth any business could get done was beyond you. The only indication that people were moving at all was that the staircase straight ahead of you, seemingly gated-off, would occasionally take in a person or two.
Just as you noticed it, someone began descending the steps. A darkly-bearded man, bald on the head and greying in the face, his mouth obscured by a thick mustache and his eyes absent from the crowd. He was more finely-dressed than anyone else in the establishment, sporting a black suit and tie, and was almost dogpiled by the unwashed masses as he left the gated stairway behind him.A cacophony erupted around the man as he made his way to the door. There was no escape from the screaming, the begging, the confusion, the noise--You made eye contact.The man's stare was sharper than a dagger. Even as you saw no recognition in his eyes, no hint that he even had any idea who you were, you couldn't help but feel unsettled. There was something in his solemn glare that made you feel... put-in-place. Like you'd acted out and he was reprimanding you, somehow.The moment lasted less than a second. You weren't even sure he'd been looking at you. But it had gotten him to stop long enough for people to start taking glances at you.The man left the building soon after. He took almost half of the crowd with him.You raised a hand to pet Taylor behind the collar, wondering if he was somehow the cause... "S-sir?"Oh, someone was calling you. You turned to the front desk. "Yes, ma'am?" "You're... y-you're here fer a telegraph, right?" The lady staffing it was small and nervous. You weren't even sure she was an adult, given the lack of breasts and the absolutely diminuitive stature.You gave her a nod. "Yes, ma'am, whatever th' price may be." "W-well... um..." She ducked under the desk and shuffled around a bit, emerging with a small piece of paper that she read off of. "We here at Atlantacific Telegraph are proud of offerin' only the best'n telegraphin' around these United States!" She cleared her throat and flipped it around. "Each telegraph is, um, ten words! Ten words per pers'n! We do not offer internationals, yet, but we do offer domestic fer, um," she checked the front again, "ten cents!" The lady looked up from her paper and tried to smile. "O-one per word, sir, s-so you gotta choose 'em caref'lly!" You stuck a hand in your jean pocket and pulled out a dime. One of three. "That should do it." The lady nodded and nabbed the coin out of your hand. "Yep--" --then stopped, frowning slightly. "Oh, um, we don' allow those creatures'n here, sir. I-it's state policy. You gotta leave them outside..."
-----With Mary's protests quelled and the three once more sitting outside, the lady escorted you up the gated stairs and into a small room.Within it was little more than a desk, a window, and an honest-to-God telegraph."T-ten words! I'll write them for you, um, a-an' you can jus' say 'em t' me." She closed the door behind you two. Ten words.Ten words to somehow explain how much you missed your family. How much they meant to you. How you couldn't sleep without seeing their faces, and how badly you hoped that they were safe. Ten words.What would you say?>Write-in.
>>6162510>>6162511>>6162512>>6162513>Write-in.In Sacramento. Befriended demons. Everybody safe? Miss you. Love, Walter.
>>6162524Consider this:>Sacramento. Befriended demons. Heading east. Miss everybody, safe? Love, Walter.
>>6162532Let's replace demons with Neofauna (we sent a letter before this, right?) and add "more" because the last letter also explained that Neofauna are pretty cool, actually.So, the new telegram I propose is:Sacramento. Befriended more Neofauna. Eastbound. Miss everybody, safe? Love, Walter.
>>6162538+1>>6162513
>>6162487We’ve put a lot of trust in Andrew just because he hasn’t threatened us in some way.We’ve never stopped to consider that this guy is kinda shady and we know nothing about him.
>>6162618I think Waltuh also was quick to bond with him because hes' a fellow "trainer" in a world where most people still think Neofauna/Pokemon are demons.
>>6162538+1
>>6162618>>6162627We might however also consider that this guy cannot read (properly).Idk if it makes him any less evil, it's just a funny thing to take note of. He would probably not be taken seriously by many people outside of our little group without threatening violence.
