1st Trim [Action for New Bark Town] / [Video]

[topiaries]

ACTION: Day time
<sub>[As people and Pokemon busily pass up and down the little New Bark streets, welcoming or bemoaning the newcomers depending on the humor of the local in question, Edward stands in the middle of it all. He is all at once so very excited to be here (wherever here is} and he is also elated about those brand new flesh hands carefully hidden away beneath his bird keeper gloves but he is also just a little bit terrified because there is So Much of Everything happening all at once.]

[What are these animals!? How did he get here? Who was that Mom lady? She wasn't his mom. Only people who are born have moms! Where was Megs? He's looked over the town his whole life and this is NOT his town.]

[So Edward is just going to stand here clutching his backpack straps like a kid on his first day of school as his breeder's headband slowly slips down over one eye. He woke up with it on. Arceus knows he didn't tie it himself and he's so afraid that if he moves too suddenly this incredible dream will pop like a soap bubble.]</sub>



VIDEO/Action: Evening

<sub>[After a long day of people-watching, awkward questions, and petting unfamiliar animals with mixed results, Edward sits by himself outside a small cafe with his bag by his feet. Eli the Skarmory perches on the table and pecks viciously at Edward's arm guard while he fiddles with the Poke'Gear. He's seen people staring at these things all day and after looking through the book in his bag, he's ready to give it a try.]

[The feed blinks on to reveal the young man's scarred face. Eli looks up from trying to destroy his sleeve and blinks curiously at the flashing record light. For a long moment, Edward doesn't say anything. He isn't exactly nervous but it's clear he didn't have a plan.]

[And then finally:]</sub>

Hello!

_{[He waves. He's seen people talk very animatedly into these things. So someone must be talking back to them! Edward doesn't get the chance to say anything else though because his Skarmory lurches forward and fills the screen with flailing blades. Eli snatches the device up in his beak and flutters several feet away where he lands and starts pecking it.]}

Eli! Don't!

_{[Edward hurries over and suddenly finds himself at odds. Every time he reaches for his device, the bird turns and hisses, fanning out his dangerous wings. He just got these hands! He doesn't want to lose them so soon! It's the first time he's ever been on this end of a pointy situation. He has to think quickly or his 'gear will be ruined! Edward grabs up his backpack and waves it. Eli notices the dangling straps and luckily decides those look more fun to destroy. Now that his razor blade turkey is distracted, Edward leans down stiffly to grab up his 'gear. The little red light is still blinking. He presses the END key with his thumb.]}

Comments

[Action]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[...So eventually, Ashley- well she's not calm. Calm is a very funny, distant place that she will not be for some time, maybe she'll write it a letter, but it will never write back, this is just how she Works.

But when she's not as distressed!! Let's go with that!! She's actually willing to walk around and do things!

What the heck things should she do.

At the very least, she notices a man who looks...um, well, he's pretty...scared stiff? And this is coming from her who is like, the queen of Freeze instead of Flight or Fright- so, maybe she should- is-

...Before Ashley can walk up to him, her Litwick decides to break the ice instead, approaching and poking at his leg.]

[topiaries]

<sub>[Edward is yanked from his daydreams by a gentle tap on his leg--one he can actually feel through normal cloth instead of his weird Hot Topic outer shell he used to have. He looks down and is surprised to find an animated lump of wax looking up at him.]

[Surprised but not frightened.]</sub>

Hello.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[Hello there! She waves, rather animatedly, leaning back her...well, her whole body is kind of her head, since she's a candle, but she tilts and stares up, nevertheless.]

Wick! Litwick!

[And then she starts tugging on his clothes- come on, stop standing like a statue! Get out! Do something!

...Ashley doesn't really think her small er friend(?) should bug him, uh.]

[topiaries]

_{[Edward is nothing if not agreeable so when the little Litwick seems like she wants to show him something, who is her to turn her away? He shuffles in place as he turns, fully prepared to follow, when he spots Ashley.]}

Oh!

_{[He draws himself up, hands snapping instinctively to his sides to get them out of the way even though there's no need now.]}

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[Ashley's shuffling over in a hurry, actually, first addressing Litwick-]

Oh my God, Litwick, what are you doing, dragging a- a random person somewhere- would you stop that--?!

[This pain of a candle.]

I- I'm sorry, she's, um, nosy.

[topiaries]

_{[For a split second, Edward is sure he's the one in trouble and an apology is halfway out of his mouth before she beats him to it. Oh! Well then! His small smile returns and he directs it at both Ashley and her tiny nosy friend.]}

It's fine. She's friendly.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[...and has an ego, so it seems, as she appears so very smug at that. Who does her candle remind her of, it's on the tip of Ashley's tongue...]

Friendly. I guess. [Time to...talk to a fellow...otherwordly abductee, huh.] Did...you just get here too?

[topiaries]

Yes.

<sub>[Edward's smile fades. He looks over the top of her head in the direction of the mysterious Mom's house. This lady has a people collecting problem. He's seen something like it before on television but instead of people it was cats and ceramic figures of sappy-eyed children.]

[Finally his attention returns to Ashley and suddenly Edward grows intense. He knows what to do. They're meeting for the first time and there's something he has yet to try. The barber juts out one gloved hand.]</sub>

My name is Edward.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[And suddenly this unassuming man-child (how old is he, he seems...younger than she'd pegged) has this air about him, at least to her, this strange purpose that shocks her, with the look on his face, how seriously he took such a simple gesture...

Ashley needs a moment to collect herself but she returns the handshake, an awkward, baffled smile automatically pulling at her lips.]

Ashley. I'm Ashley.

[topiaries]

<sub>[It is a mystery.]

[Edward's face lights up in both delight and determination. Yes. He's doing it! It is a good day.]</sub>

Did she fix you too?

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[Okay now it's just sure bemusement.]

"Fix" me?

[topiaries]

_{[Her confusion is starting to confirm his suspicion that not everyone is put through some kind of painless operation assembly line before they're booted out the door. Time to explain as best he can. He withdraws his hand and shoves his headband back into place.]}

I wasn't finished before. I thought she had helped all of us.

_{[Bam. Two full sentences.]}

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[A record so far, though it does nothing to make Ashley any less confused. Her hand drops slowly and she just-]

I'm sorry, I don't understand. I mean- something cleaned me up somehow, got rid of... [She rubs one of her wrists, almost idly.] Marks, but- how weren't you...finished?

[topiaries]

I was given hands. Were you hurt?

_{[He saw that gesture. Who had hurt this girl? She was perfectly nice!]}

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[Well, you know who's definitely picturing the Wrong Thing here? Ashley, who gasps and brings a hand to her mouth. It's not in horror, just surprise and- concern, in a way.]

Oh my God, you don't- that's so horrible! I'm so sorry, that- that must have been-

[She has like a -10 penalty to this knowledge roll, that's how little experience she's had to find the right words for this (though okay, if any of her friends lose more extremities, shout-out to Michael Munroe professional dumbass, who grabs a waving animatronic hand in a creepy abandoned hospital?!)--

How in the world does Ashley dig herself out of any preemptive holes she's going to fall in??? Charge right ahead.]

I'm very s-sorry for your circumstances...but very glad you could, um...receive help, here. [Punctuated with a nervous smile.

#NailedIt]

[topiaries]

_{[Edward's brows spring up as poor Ashley experiences a blue screen of death right there in front of him. He's seen machines malfunction before and instinctively reaches out one of those brand spankin' new hands to comfort her.]}

It's okay! I'm happy now.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[In a reacting-in-the-moment sort of way, she takes his hand in both of hers, for another gentle shake- one of those one hand over, one hand under kind of holds.]

Good. That is incredibly good, that it's...better here. You seem like a good guy, Edward.

[topiaries]

Thank you.

_{[He's been saying that a lot today. Everyone here is so kind! He has a sneaking feeling he knows why everyone is being so nice to him, but he isn't going to let that make him bitter.]}

Where will you go?

[hashtagafreakingghost]

Go? You, uh, you mean...after this town?

[Well. Ashley lets her hands fall.]

...Down the path, I guess. 'til I get somewhere that has a warm bed.

[topiaries]

<sub>[He nods. He's seen so many people moving on out already and he's PRETTY SURE that Mom lady isn't going to let him come back in, no matter how nice she is. She's busy shoving people out the front door still. He saw it happen two other times.]

[How did they get in there in the first place?]</sub>

You should take this.

_{[She's been so kind to him. It's time to do her a good turn. Edward shrugs off his bag and crouches down unsteadily to start going through it. Eventually he fishes out the granola bar he started out with and offers it to her.]}

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[Ashley watches curiously; take what? What's he looking for?]

Oh. Oh- you don't have to give me this, I- I have some food of my own, really!

[She doesn't want the poor guy to go without.]

sorry for the delay!

[topiaries]

I want to.

_{[No budging here, ma'am! To make his case, he stands and holds the bar out even further.]}

You're a friend.

no worries at all! :)

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[So earnest and honest that, well.

How the hell can she turn that down? Alright, +1 granola bar.]

Then, thank you. I really appreciate it.

[topiaries]

_{[Satisfied, he stands again and shoulders his bag before giving her a smile. Well. He isn't going to spot his friends just standing around!]}

I'm going to wait a little longer before leaving.

_{[Edward finally steps away from the road's edge and starts to move back into the little town proper. But before he forgets, he lifts a hand again and gives her a wave. A completely normal non-scary wave!]}

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[She isn't going to head down the road yet either, but she's a bit too bemused to say so, at his little wave and walk. With a half-smile, Ashley waves back.

What a friendly person.]