Aside 18 Notes!

ROSETTA:

You travel around the boundaries of Darkfeather some on a bird quest!  There's a bit of a low lands field around the city before the forests begin, and around here you find a few Taillows pecking about for grains.  As you walk along the wall, you also notice a lone Snubbull trying to sneak up on you.  You're fairly certain this thing isn't very smart and sees you as prey.  As you make your way down near the shore it gives up as you catch sight of a Psyduck laying on the beach, gripping its head in pain.

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The Taillows are fairly easy to lure over and quickly become friendly with you.  Snagging one would be no issue.  The Psyduck on the other hand...Maestoso flutters over after a bit, seeming agitated.  Trilloby continues to stare it down until you come to check on him.  If you had to guess by it's expression and Maestoso not wanting any of this...the Psyduck...seems depressed, hugging its tiny little psyduck knees with one arm and head with the other.  It's a rather pitiful attempt at a fetal position.

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Cadenza's reaction isn't far off from Maestoso's disinterest.  You certainly don't think this thing is -that- bad off but something has it in a terrible mood at the moment.  Trilloby just continues to stare down the sadduck.  It's reaction to -you- is dificult to guage as well, as it's just keeping its eyes on you for now.  (Taillow stats to come in a bit!)

SARYX:

You hunt around town for a place that'd be appropriate to set up shop, and wander upon a bazaar in the French District.  You pay a measly fee to set up there and get a good amount of people interested in what you're peddling.  Most don't seem to really need a weapon given they are just normal city folks, but you do make a few transactions from people who want something simple for show or self defense.  Roll me Charm for that.  You also get approached by a Ranger.  Guy's name is Doyle, dark hair, glasses, sorta short like yourself.  He's got a bit of a special request if you're willing to hear him out.

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So Doyle explains what he does for a living some.  His division of the Ranger is the Peacekeepers - essentially the police force - and he's often working night shifts at the moment.  The issue is, at the late hours of the night in Darkfeather, stray ghosts, not unlike stray Pokemon in other cities, start lurking about and causing mischief.  They are much trickier to deal with than a normal stray as they are often more intelligent, can phase through surfaces, go invisible, and can't be hit with conventional objects to try to shoo them off.  And they -love- to tease the Peacekeepers cause of that last part.  This isn't a unique problem to Doyle, but one they just sort of tolerate at the moment.  He'd appreciate it if he had a baton that could bap ghost types.  The other sales net you 1250 in profits so far.

CHASE:

You wander through the French District one afternoon, somewhat aimless.  You know what you were looking for down here, but not really for a whom or a where.  What you do see is this is a rather nifty district for arts in general.  You pass so many artists doing portraits on the street side, artisans with their works, hand made bakeries, candy shops, seafood joints.  It's a mix of sounds, exuberant sounds, smells and colors.  And of course, you see plenty of stores for musical instruments, places offering lessons, and rather high scale looking jazz lounges.  One in particular by the water side stands out, Last Boat Out, catches your eye as it's an actual large sized boat that's been renovated to be a lounge.  You can hear the soothing sound of brass instruments from within, but also from the water side as well.  A bit down the way you catch sight of a few street performers, elderly guys with various instruments - including a guy with a washboard, jamming away.  They don't seem to be very organized, in fact you think they are winging it, but they sure as hell seem to be enjoying themselves.

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The old guys thank ya for the tip and continue on with their banter as you walk over to Last Boat Out.  On board, and inside, you find a well furnished, a eye catching violet carpet, and large bar.  There's also tables set for dining, but given the atmosphere here you think it'd be waaaaaaay over your head price range wise to actually dine here.  Also here is a small balcony leading out to the outer part of the ship.  Over in that direction, you spot the source of the music.  A quintet of performers, composed of four with brass instruments (including a Saxist) and a pianist, are playing a slow, soothing piece.  The sort of tune you'd welcome when traveling the streets of this town.  After a bit they conclude and the patrons give a light applause.  They bow and start to pack, either done or getting ready to take a break.

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While Last Boat Out seemed like a bit of a bust, the old guys start laughing as you walk back out.  "Boy, what were you lookin' for in a place that pretentious?  You look like a Torchic that wandered into a butcher shop lookin' for a friend."  Another cracks up, "Elloit since when you be seein' worth a damn with eyes as bad as yours?"  Elliot quips back to that, "I can see you too damn old to remember to tune that guitar of yours or somethin'." The old guys all cackle as a group, waving you over to tell them what's up.

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The old farts go around and introduce themselves.  Elliot's a heavy set guy in overalls, who appears to you to be blind.  He's got a sax with him but was singing instead earlier - low, soulful voice.  Kurt's a skinny, lanky mess with a bunch of small instruments with him, things like tambourines, washboards, small hand drums.  The third, the guitarist, is Roger.  He's fairly average build wise, but has some pretty bad scars on his face and arms.  They talk with you for a bit, seems all three of these guys at one time were Explorers themselves.  The joke is Kurt didn't get any lasting injuries from it cause he was the scrawny one no bandits, fiends or rabid wilds cared to try to gun down or eat.    That was long ago though, now they just jam in the streets of their home town and live off their savings.  It's a pretty swell retirement all things considered.  "So what's a young brotha like you doin' lookin' for the SOUL of the city?" Elliot looks left and right.  "Shit, if that's us we're all fucked." The three of them cackle at the joke.

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You four talk music some and the other two convince Elliot try his out.  He sighs and gets some cleaning liquids out and cleans off the mouth piece, explaining that if you aren't slobbering on it a bit you're doing it wrong.  He shows you how to hold it and where the different gauges correspond to notes.  It's not entirely different from how a guitar's strings are structured, but the sorta thing that'd certainly take practice.  You jam with them some and do terribly as you try to wing it - a few times they just stop playing and laughing, but it's to be expected the first time.  It's the sort of case where knowing how to read music helps get the function, but the motions are just...very different.  When you're through with that, Elliot quips, "Well I'd tell ya not to quit your day job, but we don't got one either." They all laugh again.


GENEVIEVE:

Throughout the week the word sorta spread about the terrorist bit of the early week for you guys.  Shawyun wasted no time in arriving.  You weren't entirely sure -how- he got there as the SS She's One Of Ours, Sir wasn't around, but sure enough you found way more ice cream in the freezer than you could ever eat, your room (and the boat as a whole for that matter), noticeably more organized than you left it, and a doting gentle giant who, after vice grip hugging and kissing, spent a rather significant amount of the rest of the day trying to make sure you were holding up well mentally with all the stress of this stuff. It's obvious enough he's worried and cares but is honestly stumped on what he can do to be of any help with it, specially if it'd be better to try to think about happier things or tackle these issues at the moment.  So instead he's currently grilling kabobs while trying to wrap his head around what ever you did tell him of what happened.

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"Woah, that's pretty rad!" He says as he puts a plate of pita, hummus and mixed vegis on the table.  "You're taking to dueling like a...Shellos does to Karrablasts? Naw that doesn't sound right.  Believe it or not most Explorers don't really do that hot in the upper parts - the people up there devote a looooot of time to it that we can't really afford.  Full time job for them and such.  But you'll probably be one of the exceptions to that eh, eh?"

After that comes the kabobs as you ask the second part. "...I actually do, but I figured you would think that's stuff is boring so haven't thought on it in a while.  If I'm totally wrong about that though...hrrrrm." He seems to be thinking on just what cute couple things to do in Darkfeather.

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"I'd be down for that, yeah!"  You guys finish up dinner and hit the town.  Shawyun seems ecstatic to just be walking around arms locked and holding hands.  He's keeping an eye out for stuff to do as well though.  As you wander, it becomes clear that one half of the town is much more calm and traditional than the other half.  Most the things to do in the French Quarter are quieter, fancy venues, artists on the street side taking commissions and doing portraits, traditional theaters and performances, and an art museum.  The other half is much more modern bar scene with dance clubs, loud music, that sorta jazz.  Shawyun seems more interested in the quieter half, but also is waiting to see what catches your eyes.

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One of the first things he drags you to in the French District is an artist doing caricatures by the street side.  "Awlays wanted to try this and see what they'd do to me!"  Once done he pays the artist and you guys get a silly picture done.  His chin ends up the big pronounced bit, yours is your ears.  You guys have a good laugh and end up at an out door jazz concert where there's a small street side bar set up.  You guys spend some time drinking and listening.  Eventually the band starts to play slow dance songs, and a make shift dance floor starts to form in front of the stage.  Shawyun looks over to you and grins and holds out a hand, "Probably not the sort of dancing you prefer, but shall we?"

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You guys dance together to sappy slow songs all cute and couple like - he steps on your feet a few times even, mostly cause of the height difference, as he seems to have pretty good form for this sorta thing.  "I had a coach who used to make us slow dance together if we lost a match.  Was sorta an awkward punishment but not entirely useless I guess."  Once you guys find your way out of there, it's fairly late and you're both quite tipsy still, so you make your way back to the ship.  Shawyun plops onto a booth seat in the kitchen, pretty exhausted, and stretches some.  "That was a lot of fun - thanks for going along with it, Genevieve...this booth seat might be more comfortable than a sleeping bag on the floor though. Hrrrrrm."

ALICE:

Alice has spent most days in the rec room on your ship, where she's currently set up camp, also trying to make sure she understands what she's getting herself into.  After about three days she seemed to finally be caught up to date on it all, and then got rather somber.  Lot less energetic than she seemed to be earlier in the week, spends a lot of time just fiddling with her guitar or fishing off the side of the SS Pleiades.  You also notice unlike Rosetta, she doesn't just -like- caffeine, if she doesn't drink a lot of it she crashes hard and tends to nod off.