If there was anything other than his usual routine of training that Red was expecting to do, following a holiday-goer (had to be, had to be) around wasā¦certainly not it. But her mix of scatterbrained while also certainty was kindaā interesting, in that bizarre way. Blastoise didnāt seem to mind either as they were led to her hotel, and Red gives a shrug, a āSureā to standing around in the lobbyā though moving back near the way out, given hisā¦half-dressed state.
Lena happily let Red take the bag, glad that her little offering was accepted. She followed as he led the way. The idol did not visit the region, let alone the island, enough to know her way around. Even though she had just met him, she trusted Red enough to take the lead.
āI have a few pokemon. Iām not that great at battling, but I travel a lot and tend to be busy so I like to keep them for company. Itās hard to meet people when you donāt stay in one place for too long.ā
Lena eyed the Blastoise.Ā āDo you have other pokemon, or just the one?ā
Letting Red take the lead was a good idea. He walked as if he knew exactly where he was going. The idol had no way to know if he actually didĀ know or not, but the confidence was enough to convince her.Ā āAre you from around here?ā She was pretty sure his pokemon was from Kanto, but he also seemed like a local. There was probably no harm in asking.
Iāve been having health issues that are still in the process of being diagnosed/taken care of, but I have a bit more time to take care of myself and relax, so Iāll be working on replies!!
Red wrings at his shirt (quietly annoyed he couldnāt put it back on, but did he really want to walk around in a soggy shirt and jeans? hell no), looking over his shoulder towards the inner centre of the city, but his mouth a troubled thin line when he looked back towards the woman and this plan of hers.Ā
āWhat about money?ā He points out, holding out his shirt in front of himself to give a little shake. Heās not sure then what to do with it after that, but lets it hang from his hand, at his side. āI donāt care about the hat. But you didnāt lose a wallet, nothing like that?ā
Lena completely forgot about money.
āI didnāt bring my wallet with me. We should probably go pick that up first. Itās kind of hard to pay for things without any money.ā That last sentence was mostly the idol speaking to herself, but still a true fact. She motioned over to the high class hotel behind them.Ā āIām staying there, so the walk isnāt far.ā She started walking before finishing her sentence, slowing down a bit for the man to catch up, despite only being a few steps ahead.
Lena hesitated once the two arrived at the hotel.Ā āYou can wait for me here in the lobby. I shouldnāt be too long.ā She quickly rushed over to the elevator, heading to her suite. She felt a bit awkward at having such a big room to herself. She originally wanted a smaller room, but apparently the woman who assisted her in booking the room was a fan, and insisted on upgrading her room for free. The idol accepted the upgrade, but didnāt agree to theĀ āfreeā part. She was sure the hotel was financially stable, but if she had the opportunity to, she wanted to give them all the money they deserved.
She stepped into her room, quickly taking her wallet out of the safe. She double checked her card was in it. She was about to walk out, but took a few steps back, heading towards the minifridge and taking out a pack of candied pecans. She snacked on them while heading back to the lobby and made sure to leave some for Red.
Lena walked up to him, offering the bag as a greeting.Ā āI have my wallet, so Iām good to go when you are.ā
Elaines inner monologue never helped her panic, as she raced through the ruins. The tale of the Solaceon Ruins was one of the most popular scary stories told back in Kanto, the legend of the small farming town was the source of some of the earliest nightmares she had. Yet, there she was, Pudge sandwiched in her arms.Ā
The things I do for researchā¦
Lena watched as the woman reached for her flashlight, shielding her eyes to prevent herself from being blinded. As she got a better look at her face, Lena sighed in relief as all her fears vanished.Ā āA researcher?ā So she definitely wasnāt from town.
Relief soon turned to excitement.
āWait, a researcher!ā
The idol walked over to the other woman and inspected her closely. She didnāt seem too much younger than herself and had a Pikachu on her shoulder. This information didnāt really help her.Ā āIf youāre a researcher, are you also here to find Unown? Do you know what they do? Iāve heard that something happens if a few are together, but I donāt know anything else.ā
Before Elaine could answer, Lena began to speak again.Ā āDid you say you followed a shadow?ā She asked, finally absorbing the rest of Elaineās sentence.Ā āI was following a shadow too! It led us both here, I wonder if thereās something in this room?ā
Lena walked around the walls of the room. She kept an eye out for something out of the ordinary, but nothing stood out.Ā āI donāt see anything...ā She trailed off, attention turning back to Elaine.Ā āIf thereās nothing in here, then you must be important! If the shadows are leading us on some wild goose hunt and sent us both to an empty room, then we must need each other, in one way or another!ā Her excitement grew as she spoke.
In all honesty, Lena had no idea whether or not she was right, but this young woman was her only hope and she was determined.
āSo, Elaine.ā Lena started with a smile,Ā āMy nameās Lena. I donāt think I have too many useful skills in a situation like this, but Iām sure you do with your profession. I was hoping to find at least two Unown and see what they do. Iām sure we can help each other out!ā
Yea, we can definitely go somewhere! I heard of a place pretty close by that Iāve been wanting to go toā¦
Jisu followed behind Lena closely, pumping her fist in celebration when the idolās back was turned. Thanks to her new fan, the dancer could forget about her hotel key mishap for a short while, sheltered from the outside chill at long last. Additionally, she also got to spend time with a cute lady in a warm cafe, which was a definite plus. Jisu, picking up on Lenaās embarrassed reactions and lingering stares, sensed that the idol felt the same way.
āIām not sure if this place is your cup of tea, but they have warm drinks and heating.ā
The walk was mercifully short, and Jisu had to keep herself from running into the cozy eatery. Upon first glance, the street dancer could tell that this place was upscaleātypical of many Castelia-native cafesābut honestly, Jisu was just happy to be inside.Ā āHeat is all I need,ā she replied with a happy sigh before slipping into the booth seat across from her new companion.
Lena smiled at the way her companion ordered. While the idol definitely used her fair share of profanity, she tried to prevent herself from being anything other than polite in well-populated or upscale locations. Or anywhere, really, as her producers tried to keep up her good reputation. She always felt weird trying to stay on her best behavior. Itās not like she would actually do anything so bad to ever tarnish her rep. A bit of cursing isnāt evenĀ thatĀ bad.
Curious eyes traced over the womanās scar. Lena didnāt allow her eyes to linger for too long, just a quick glance, knowing that she didnāt appreciate stares to her own. She absentmindedly readjusted her bracelets and couldnāt help but think Jetās scar was the perfect compliment to her attitude and personality.
Lena was snapped out of her thoughts from being called an angel. She listened, a small smile growing on her face. The idol was starting to get used to people immediately recognizing her, so someone having no idea who she was, and delivering a small threat on top of that, was intriguing to say the least.
āYou know,ā She started calmly, an eyebrow raised to show her interest.Ā āIf you want to know who I am, you couldāve asked nicely.ā
Despite her apathetic expression, her voice was teasing. She watched as their waitress drew closer, leaning closer to Jet so her words would remain out of ear shot.Ā āShe definitely is aware of who I am, but Iām honestly not sure how coherent she would be talking aboutĀ me while in frontĀ of me.ā She meant her words as no insult to the server, merely as a counter-attack to the suggestion of using the waitress to find out.Ā āIām not easily intimidated.ā The idol spoke her last sentence with a quick wink and through a charming smile, immediately leaning back into her chair and turning to shine the same smile at the waitress.
Lena kept her smile the entire time the waitress put their dishes down. She would happily take her plates from the server, hoping to make the womanās job a bit easier. When all the items were on the table, the woman walked away, Lena saying a quickĀ āthank you so much!ā before the worker returned to the kitchen.
As soon as the waitress disappeared, Lena turned back to Jet and let her wide smile fall into a more natural one.Ā āYouāre right, money isnāt necessarily a concern of mine.ā She caught herself speaking somewhat formally and tried to relax. She wanted to allow herself to be casual.Ā āHmm, Iām not sure if Iām too innocent to be here, but Iām not gonna say no to you complimenting me.ā
āAnd if you wanna know, Lenaās actually a nickname. My nameās Darlene, but itās stupid. Itās so... old timey.ā The idol took a sip of her tea, pulling out her phone with her other hand so she could take a picture of her dessert. She held the camera directly above the pastry, looking up at Jet.Ā āDonāt judge me.ā The sentence came out quickly. Lena was a bit embarrassed by her actions.Ā āI know taking pictures of food is basic as hell, but itās a nice memory. And they put so much work into making sure the presentation is perfect, I donāt wanna just fuck it up without getting a nice reminder.ā
Lena put her phone away and looked back to Jet after getting the picture.Ā āI wanna get to know you too, sweetheart.ā The idol attempted to use a nickname of her own, but immediately blushed and shook her head.Ā āPlease ignore that. Look, Iām not that great at social interactions, especially around gorgeous people, BUT! I do wanna get to know you.ā The pinkness of her cheeks deepened as she realized the compliment slipped out.Ā āIāll be happy to tell you more about myself, but I'd prefer if you told me a bit about yourself too. You can go ahead and ask me anything, and hopefully I can ask something in return?ā The idol nervously fiddled with her bracelets, hoping she didnāt seem too pushy.
Red pats at his hair, wet and hatless and therefore in a very poor state, but his insides otherwise less waterlogged than the outside of him. Blastoise looks too easygoing where he stands, at least trudging up his legs from the clogged sand, the wailord in the background lazily picking out the food thatās surfaced from the sea from its gluttonous maw.
And then there was the woman, chatting at him. Rivulets running down his forehead, he squints at first at her, before wiping the water and his fringe back to get it out of that state.
āYou donāt want to sort yourself out first?ā
Lena looked down at her disheveled appearance, slowly nodding.Ā āThatās a good idea.ā After all, the area was a popular location and she wouldnāt want to get recognized while she looked like a mess.
The idol checked herself closer at his next question. She still had her bracelets on, her hair clips were still in place, but her glasses were missing.Ā āI lost my glassesā the sentence came out with a sigh. Not that the accessory was actually important, it was just unfortunate that she lost them right after buying them.
Turning to Red, Lena placed her hands on her lap.Ā āWe can recompose ourselves and then go somewhere we can buy replacements for our lost items.ā
The woman stood up and looked around for the nearest place they could fix themselves up.Ā āWell, at least the wave pushes us close to the restrooms.ā Once Red got up, she started walking over, stopping once they were at the doors.Ā āWe can meet out here once weāre ready.ā
Lena was happy to see the inside relatively empty. She took one of the complimentary towels and stood in front of the mirrors, drying her hair as much as she could. Once the color was no longer darkened from the water, she styled it in a simple ponytail. She messed with her bangs a bit before walking out, waiting only for a few seconds before Red came out.
āSo...ā she started awkwardly,Ā āI know I said Iād replace our items, but Iām not sure where the nearest shops would be.
āDo you... so happen to know where we can go.ā
Later on, Lena might consider all that came before the event as signs, as warnings. Donāt go to the beach, you donāt want to go to the beach. No, no beach today. Go tomorrow.
But signs are easy to miss and people are persistent, and Lena no different to getting her deserved time in the sun. Everything seemed finallyĀ fine: she had her sun, the beach, nothing appeared out of place than when a blastoise so rudely stood in her sun.Ā
Brows thick and his forehead creased, his stare at her is more of an intense glare.Ā
Lena didnāt back down as the man turned and glared at her. She wasnāt one to be easily intimidated. However, she was definitely phased by his sudden grabbing at her.Ā āHey, what the hell!ā Her exclamation only got louder as he pushed her down.
At the time, she had no idea what he was doing. She was slightly creeped out by a stranger dropping the two of them to the floor, but before she could do anything, the giant wave hit the two of them and pushed them far from their hiding place. Soaking wet, with seaweed in her hair, and a Pyukumuku lying next to her foot, Lena only had one thing to say.
āWhat. The fuck.ā
The idol sat up and looked around, seeing the other beach goers looking as bad as she probably did.Ā āRight after I finally fixed my hairā she mumbled to herself as she ran her fingers through her hair, pulling out the seaweed.
She looked to the man lying next to her, all at once realizing the intentions of his actions.Ā āOh, you were trying to block the wave werenāt you?ā Good to know he wasnāt a creep. She offered a small smile,Ā āSorry for kinda yelling at you before. Itās been a bad day.ā She sighed and rested her chin on her palm.Ā āItās been a reallyĀ bad day, and it was supposed to be pretty great.ā
Lena wallowed in self pity for a few minutes. The day had definitely taken an unexpected turn, she was allowed to be upset for a bit. However, she quickly remembered that there was a stranger sitting right next to her and she didnāt want his first impression of her to be of some woman who yelled at him only to sit there, depressed. She needed to get her shit together.
āI also owe you a thank you! How about you let me get you something?ā Just now noticing his own soaked hair, Lena offered a sympathetic smile.Ā āI can get you a new hat, if youād like.ā She held out her hand,Ā āMy nameās Lena.ā
ā½ - Something your muse has problems understanding
ā½ - Something your muse has problems understanding
She doesnāt understand how some people can be sociable so easily. Even though sheās in the spotlight a lot of times, she still has trouble being extroverted and wishes it came as naturally to her as it does to others.
ā¤ - What does your muse look forward to in their soulmate?
Honestly, sheās afraid she doesnāt have one. But if she ever finds someone she considers her soul mate, sheād look forward to being able to be herself (easily angered and all) without worry.
ā - What kind of weather does your muse consider the best?
Her perfect weather and temperature conditions would be 70 degrees, sunny, with a slight breeze. That way she could wear cute summery clothes but also show off a cardigan or light jacket if she wanted to.
Sheās a sucker for nice scenery! A Solaceon girl at heart, her favorite is definitely a field at night with far off mountains and an endless amount of stars.
ā - What is your museās phone gallery filled with?
Lenaās definitely one of those people who takes pictures of food before she eats it, especially when itās something she doesnāt eat that often or a very cutely decorated dessert.
ā¦ - What is your museās favorite fruit?
She likes custap berries and really wants to try an enigma berry.
Iām sorry. I just wanted to let you know that I think youāre very talented.
Jisuās eyes widen at the strangerās unexpected compliment, the iciness frosting over her expression melting away almost instantly. As the mysterious woman runs out of words and shifts awkwardly in place, the dancer gives her a curious once-over, taking note of her striking looks and designer winter wear. Jisu is used to these situationsāpeople were often hesitant to converse with her given her bold appearance and talentsābut, thankfully for this beautiful stranger, the Virbank native has no problem taking the lead.
āWell hey, girlā¦I appreciate that,ā she replies proudly.Ā āThe talent comes from a lot ofĀ thisā¦āāJisu pauses to rap her chest, over her heartā āā¦and a lot of this,āĀ she finishes, flexing a muscle unabashedly with a wry grin.Ā āPassion and strength, babyāthe strongest one-two punch of all time!ā
Lena watched as the woman motioned towards her heart, her eyes lingering at the strangerās chest for a second that hopefully went unnoticed. Her eyes moved to the womanās flexed arm as a bashful giggle slips out of her mouth.Ā āYea, passion and strength, definitely.ā Her cheeks flushed at her dazed response. Now was not the time to make a fool of herself.
Lena recomposed herself and listened attentively as the woman explained her previous attitude. She tried to fight off another blush at being winked at and called a sweetheart, the attempt ending unsuccessfully.
At Jetās suggestion to go somewhere, Lena nodded enthusiastically.Ā āYea, we can definitely go somewhere! I heard of a place pretty close by that Iāve been wanting to go to.ā She started walking, turning her head after a few steps to make sure her new acquaintance was following.
"So, Jet,ā Lena started with a small smile.Ā āI definitely understand your attitude earlier, Iād react the same way. My nameās Lena. Iām from Sinnoh and donāt visit too often, but Iām happy we were able to be in the same place at the same time.ā She held out her hand, hoping a handshake wasnāt too formal. She rarely met new people outside of a business setting.
The waitress came back and asked for their order, fidgeting while glancing at Lena from the corner of her eye. The idol assumed she was a fan and gave her a smile that would hopefully help her calm down. āIāll have a fruit tart and chamomile tea, please.ā Looking over at Jet, she motioned towards the menu.Ā āFeel free to get whatever you want! Iāll pay.ā
Honestly, so many things. She has a quick temper and is used to being in a fast paced environment at work, so things being done slowly bugs her. Sheās also used to getting her way, but sheās been working on that, and is more open to unexpected events.
ā¤ - What does your muse look forward to in their soulmate?
ā„ - How often/easily does your muse get heartbroken?
ā£ - What calms your muse down?
į¦ - Sexuality?
ā - Does your muse worry about time?
ā - Favorite time of the year?
āæ - Does your muse like nature in general?
ā - Does your muse have any kind of religion?
ā - Can your muse write? How well?
ā - Can your muse draw? How well?
ā - What kind of weather does your muse consider the best?
ć - Can your muse speak any other language other than their main one?
ā - Does your muse believe in the afterlife?
āŗ - Something your muse finds pretty
ā - What is your museās phone gallery filled with?
ā¦ - What is your museās favorite fruit?
ā§ - What is your museās favorite kind of food?
ā½ - Something your muse has problems understanding
āŗ - Something that makes your muse happy
ā¹ - Something that makes your muse sad/upset
ā - How often does your muse text?
āØ - How often does your muse use the computer?
ā« - What is your museās taste in music?
āÆ - Something that gets your muse angry
ā - Your museās future dream and why
ā® - How much your muse worries about appearance
Lena read the sign with a scoff.Ā āFree of worry my ass,ā she mumbled to herself as she pulled her hood down further, veryĀ worried of being recognized. The weather was warm and yet the idol was wearing an oversized raincoat with a scarf. The combination of the two covered enough of her face to hide her, but if any of the locals saw her they wouldĀ immediately realize who she was.
She knew coming to her hometown was risky. Lena always claimed she was born and raised in Jubilife, and her parents played along, but the people of Solaceon were proud to have such a large idol reign from their small farming town. Luckily, reporters never went to the town and her secret was still unknown. As long as she wasnāt seen today, she was fine.
Walking as quickly as she could without being suspicious, the idol went over to the place she came to visit: Solaceon Ruins. Her parents never allowed her to visit when she was younger for fear of her getting lost, but she had always been interested in the ruins. Apparently Unown lived there and rumor had it something strange would happen if multiple were together. Lena wanted to find out what.
Lena entered hesitantly. She always heard creepy rumors of the ruins as a child, but she was sure those were just wise tales told to keep the children out. However, now that she was older, she couldnāt help but notice the shivers that ran down her spine whenever she heard a noise. From the corner of her eye, she saw a small floating figure move into another room.
The idol let out a shakey breath.Ā āOk... I guess Iām following that... Itās crazy to follow something I probably didnāt even see, but itās my only clue.ā With a definitive nod, she took off her hood and walked in the direction of the shadow. She followed (hopefully) the same shadow through various rooms before reaching a dead end.Ā āUgh, youāve got to be KIDDING ME.ā She yelled into the room, turning around at the foot steps she swore she heard.
āWhoās there?ā There was a note of fear and desperation in her voice. Her surprised expression immediately changed to confusion as a face she didnāt recognize emerged from the corner. It was someone sheād never seen before, so clearly the person didnāt live in town. No one ever moved to town.Ā āWhy are you here?ā
