Feeling My Way Through the Darkness (Intro Catch-All)

[heartofalioness]

Who: Princess Allura and YOU!
Where: Route 29, Cherrygrove City, and Four Island
When: Around October 10
Summary: In which the Pokémon world gets a new Space Elf Lion Princess (again) and settles in... while getting a crash course in backpacking.
Rating: PG-13 for cussing and really nasty Voltron elements... and apparently Pidge and Lance being TOO MARRIED. (Season 6-8 spoilers for Voltron: Legendary Defender in some threads)


A. Guided By a Beating Heart (Network, Video)

[Well... waking up in the strange house alone had been unnerving, to say the least, especially with the woman blithely claiming to be Allura's mother... Too many fresh wounds involving her own parents, or too-cheery simulacra of parents... But at least this almost-mother wasn't trying to make her stay, or drive a spaceship into a supernova. In fact, it was almost a relief to be shoved out the door.

At the very least she should check this network, see how much of this is a dream or illusion, how much a hostage situation. She means to start composing a text message (at least she can make out the keyboard, thank goodness for the PokéGear's translator function), when a tiny white nose presses a different button, and the first thing people might see is an intense close-up of a white Vulpix face before humanoid hands start to pull the body away from the camera.]

Ah ah ah, little one, that isn't--

[The gentle but firm correction freezes when oh. ... The little blinking is on... complete with a camera preview...]

... Ahem! [This is fine, she can salvage this, she's not nervous you're nervous!] Greetings. I am Allura, Paladin of the Blue Lion. [She thinks half a tick later that maybe she should have kept that under wraps in case this whole situation had something to do with the Galra, but... it seems peaceful here. Besides, after the string of Coalition shows, it'd be hard to keep her identity a secret.] I seem to have arrived on this planet rather unexpectedly. The... gracious woman in the house I found myself in... was able to provide some instructions and supplies, but any further assistance- especially in terms of the sociology and technology levels of this planet- would be much appreciated.


B. I Can't Tell Where the Journey Will End (Action, Cherrygrove City)

[Of course, sleeping outside on cold, hard ground for three nights straight with only a nylon bag and Coressa's fluff for comfort was draining on her. Even with everything she's lost, at least in the Castle of Lions she still has the luxury of sleeping in her own bed, with perfectly comfortable bedding and a mountain of pillows... and she's missed having the mice to sleep on the pillow next to her, even with Coressa's company. So you might find a tall young woman with bags under her eyes and a very, very messy mop of moon white curls looking at the entrance spa with envy.]

No, no, no... I have no idea how long it will be before I find a way home, I need to manage my resources wisely. ... Even if it has been ten thousand years since I've had a proper massage...

[And that crick in her neck could definitely use one... Still, she's suffered worse, she can endure this much.]


C. But I Know Where to Start (Attack on Voltron House)

[The ride from Cherrygrove to Four Island had been interesting... especially once Allura stopped panicking that there was no way this three-foot-seven cloud bird could possibly hold the weight of two fully-grown Altean women together. It took a full ten minutes before she reached that point, and even once they reached solid ground, Allura had to pry herself away from Romelle and her Altaria. (Maybe it was a good thing her super strength was taken away...)

But now she’s on solid sand and... actually, this beach is rather pretty. The shore nestled in on all sides with cliffs while the sea and sky stretched on and on in sapphire and turquoise. ... The lack of any of Altea’s stealth predators or rarely-surfacing sea monsters helped with the view, although she’s sure this place has its own odd fauna.

And the house... it’s still so odd to think of her friends being in this world long enough to have a residence, not just shelter. But it looks safe and peaceful, even quaint, and at least large enough to hold her without being too crowded. It helps that she and Coressa have been traveling light.]

So... this is our house?

[Come welcome your old-new housemate, guys.]


D. So Wake Me Up When It's All Over (Wildcard)

[[Got something in mind not listed in the prompts? Hit me up on my OOC Intro or on Plurk at LoneWolfPrincess!]]

Comments

TDM Overflow

[heartofalioness]

[Collection of threads from the TDM continued and made canon!]

Romelle

[heartofalioness]

[[Continued from here.]]

[Thankfully those extra hours give her a chance to calm down, wash her face so she looks a bit less of a mess, but even then... seeing an Altean ride in on some creature woven from clouds... it's like something out of a dream.]

Thank you. You as well-- [A pause, and then a light, self-admonishing ghost of a laugh.] Forgive me... I should have asked for your name at some point...

Jane Crocker

[heartofalioness]

[[Continued from here.]]

[Ah, right, manners.]

It's nice to meet you as well, Jane. And thank you for the information.

Shiro

[heartofalioness]

[[Continued from here.]]

[The little Vulpix barks, and Allura chuckles and gives her a gentle scritch to the fluffy curls on her head.]

So far, yes. We've been making sure to stay out of tall grass when possible, but she's been quite handy against the occasional avian.

Yuzu Hiiragi

[heartofalioness]

[[Continued from here.]]

[Her expression softens into a smile and light nod.]

It's nice to meet you as well, Yuzu--

[And then the Best Eeveelution appears on screen, and the Vulpix gives a few barks. "Keokeo?" Friend? Allura can't help chuckling a bit.]

Hello to you as well.

Legosi

[heartofalioness]

[[Continued from here.]]

I--AH! [That would be a soft bark... accompanied by a soft tug on one of Allura's more gnarled strands of hair.] ... I mean... I suppose just this once. Thank you...

Keith

[heartofalioness]

[[Continued from here.]]

[Oh... She's quiet for a few more seconds after the offer is laid at her feet, eventually giving a nervous little laugh.]

I hardly know where to start... [And it's true... she knows some things already, but... there was so much going on in her present as well. Especially with so much between.] I suppose... At the beginning. I know this is the past for you, but... were you all right? After Naxzela?

[lordofthefries]

[Continues from here.]

Because that's where he lives?

[Sasha shrugs, because it sounds like a silly question. Surely Pokemon have taken up shelter in weirder places. At least Coran picked a place where there's water and not the inside of someone's sock drawer.]

If you want to use it, you have to ask him to get out politely or else he'll grab you in the dark.

[As someone not named Sasha has already experienced one early morning while preening in the mirror for the millionth time.]

[Video]

[rollstoseduce]

[The man appearing on the screen seems to be... inside a cave?]

Your Highness! You've ret--

[-returned, he means to say, but then Allura finishes what she has to say and Jaskier realizes she doesn't remember being here before. He's heard of this, but never happened to someone he knew... until now. It's not like he was close to Allura, barely acquantiances really, so he's not lamenting a big loss, but still. It's weird. And it makes things awkward, to say the least.]

Welcome to Johto, my lady. [He puts up his best gentle smile and nods at her with his welcome.] As far as technology goes, judging by the stories your paladins have told me, this realm may be a little less developed than what you're used to. Speaking of its sociology, however... it may be daring but still accurate to say it's a utopia.

[heartofalioness]

[A utopia... It sounds nice for a few seconds... but it also makes hairs stand on the back of her neck, thinking of the Alteans in the other reality. They'd thought chipping people's brains and turning them into blank drones was utopia...

But much more importantly...]

"My paladins"? [And that aborted greeting...] You know of me? Of the others?

Video;

[nightyorb]

[Riz, at this point, has accepted that the network doesn't pose a particular threat, so he's actually contacting Allura under his own name and face -- a face that is heavily shadowed by the flat brim of his cap, but even under that, the dark circles beneath his eyes and the freckles on his face are clearly visible. His ears stick away from his face a bit and are a little pointed at the top, but still, mostly human.]

Technology wise, it seems pretty standard. These gears function a lot like crystal tech. There don't seem to be any cars or motorcycles, but there must be plenty of satellites in the sky, because even in the middle of the forest, there doesn't seem to be any problem with getting a connection. I haven't made it to the next city yet, so I can't tell you more than that.

Unfortunately, you won't have your magic here. I don't know what spells you had stocked, but it doesn't matter. None of them will work here. Not even cantrips.

[Because when she says Paladin, she means the magical fighter, right? A protector sworn to an oath. Granted, Riz isn't familiar with any Blue Lion gods, but it is not like that is his area of expertise.]

Oh, and anyone who gets brought here gets turned into a human. Sorry if that happened to you too.

[heartofalioness]

[Surprisingly, most on the terms she's able to follow along with. She's heard the paladins talk about earth vehicles before, of coruse she knows abotu satellites, and quite a bit of Altea's technology was actually run on crystals. It's only when he starts talking about D&D magic mechanics that she starts getting the idea they might be talking about different realities.]

Cantrip?

[No, Altean abilities don't work that way at all, not even Alchemy from the old stories.

The part about being turned human makes her blink though.]

Really? [Her hand immediately goes to her ear, and nope, it's still gently pointed. And Riz can see other features as well: her long curly hair is still moon white, there are still light pink marks at the corners of her cheekbones, and if he looks closely enough, he'll see her pupils are still a light violet instead of black. Apparently Arceus thought her features were small enough to keep. Thanks, llama god.] I seem fine enough... Is it a gradual change then?

C

[shiro2hero]

[... well. There aren't any large predators. But there may be things camouflaged in the sand. Round things. Angry things. Voltorbs. This island is crawling with them. Rolling with them. There's at least three watching from the sand, half buried in it.]

[But, more importantly, something else is watching from the porch. A Meowth, sunning herself on the porch railing. Her little ears perk up, and she sits upright, staring at the visitor... and then...]

[Just. Yowls.]

[Two more pokemon burst from the house. A Marowak and a Gallade. Who apparently are racing to get to Allura first.]

[heartofalioness]

[Hooray, shocky shocky beach mines... Probably STILL not the most horrifying thing she's seen at a beach. (Thanks, Space Australia.)

Still, she's able to at least make to just before the porch before she's bum rushed! The Marowak she at least recognizes a bit from Shiro's video, but what is that TALL thing?!]

Ah--! [She barely lets out a small sound of surprise before Coressa jumps in front and gives a couple of barks. Not a fully defensive stance but more a quick "hey, give the human some space."]

B

[logdates]

[Peridot happens to be passing by, and overhears Allura's tired words. She follows her gaze to the spa entrance, but isn't sure what to make of that, exactly, so instead she just looks back to the woman and shrugs.]

From what I've learned, we're here or not on the whim of something that may be a llama, a god, or both. Great, huh? But the point is, I wouldn't count on getting home in a certain timeframe.

[A pause, and then she gestures around the corners of her own eyes where Allura's Altean markings are.]

I like your... Thingies.

[heartofalioness]

[For a second, she has to blink because Peridot's human form? Resembles Pidge a LOT. Well, save for clothes and slight differences in color scheme. And sounding like if Pidge had tried to inhale helium while having a cold.

The words make her face scrunch up in confusion- what or who is a "llama?"- and then. ... Random compliment?]

My marks? I... thank you?

video;

[amaure]

[Allura is greeted with a disarming smile. Beyond the white streak in his hair, and the pearl-looking adornment on his forehead, he looks like your average human.]

Greetings, I hope your arrival wasn't too troublesome. Well do I know it can be quite overwhelming, not to mention utterly unexpected.

[Quickly he moves onto her questions, gesturing a bit flamboyantly with a hand as he does so.]

In terms of technology--I suppose it might help to know that which you are accustom. To some, this world is rather advanced. To others, quite the opposite.

As for sociology, well, this is a world that does not suffer from war or aught else of that nature. Some might name it a veritable paradise in comparison to that which they are familiar. So long as you are not looking to cause trouble, you shall not find yourself a social pariah.

[heartofalioness]

[She won't say anything, but he might see her shoulders sag in relief when he mentions the lack of war. Thank the Ancients, the Galra Empire hasn't come out this far.]

That is good to know. More specifically, how far has this planet developed in terms of space travel?

[Read: how fast can she get off this planet and rejoin the others?]

network | video

[bestswordmaster]

[The man on the screen is giving Allura a skeptical sort of glare when he replies.]

What do you mean, Paladin of the Blue Lion?

[heartofalioness]

[Ah... that edge in his expression and voice put her on edge too. Is it a coincidence... or a potential enemy? She can't be too careful, stranded as she is.]

That depends? Do the words "Voltron" or "Galra" mean anything to you?

C for CIRCLE UP, GET SOME OF THIS

[pidge_out]

[The only reason Pidge is outside is because she was just heading off to work at the observatory. That's the only reason. Except then she sees Allura - Allura - standing outside of the house and all thoughts about her current projects drop out of her head like bricks. The look on her face slowly morphs from shock to excitement, and before she even realizes it she's rushing down from the porch to meet up with her royal friend.]

Allura! Allura, when did you get here?!

[It's been a few years for Pidge and it shows; most of the baby fat in her cheeks is gone, her skin dotted with even more freckles from exposure to the sun, hair long enough now to be tied up in a short ponytail on the side of her head. She's even grown an inch or two in height, though she still remains the shortest of their team. If it weren't for the fact that Pidge sounds the same or that she still has Matt's oversized glasses perched on her nose (or hell, that she still finds ways to incorporate green into all her outfits), it might be hard for Allura to recognize her right away.]

1/2

[heartofalioness]

[Oh wow... it's not nearly as shocking as Shiro's outfit, but... they really have been here five years, haven't they? Still, she's extremely happy that Pidge is here and alive and safe, like she always wants for them. They can sort out the rest later. She laughs as Pidge runs up to her.]

It's good to see you too, Pidge. And a day or two ago; Romelle was kind enough to fly me here.

video;

[necrodentia]

[ The word "paladin" catches Rainer's attention, not realizing that Allura doesn't mean it in the same way Rainer might be familiar with. ]

Welcome, Allura! I'm Rainer. I'm a little late in responding, so I'm sure someone else has already covered the basics of this plane being crazy AF, but if there's anything else you want to ask, I'd be happy to try to answer!

[heartofalioness]

[Ironically, Altea DID have a version of D&D, although Allura hasn't played Monsters & Mana yet from her canon point.

Allura gives the screen a light nod.]

Pleased to meet you, Rainer. And yes, a few people have explained the time anomalies here. How long have you been here?

Voltron house

[schachmeister]

[Armin had missed Allura's initial post to the network, and by the time he saw it, she had had enough responses that he didn't think he could contribute anything further; not when, knowing Shiro, he was already ferrying her back to his house on the beach and Armin would actually be able to meet her in person quite soon anyway.

It's not the first time he has met Allura. He hopes it is the last time though, that for Shiro's sake, this Allura will stay here and won't be pulled back to their world.

Armin decides to give her a few days, give Allura a chance to settle in and adjust to this strange new world before he makes the short trip over to Island Four, a box of 'welcome to this world' Malasadas in his hand. He lets himself into the kitchen via the backdoor, knocking on the wooden frame as he does so.]

Hello?

[heartofalioness]

[Good timing, Armin. Allura had just come downstairs to make some tea and a snack for Coressa after working a bit more on organizing her room, turning to look at the source of the sound just as she's turning off the burner under the whistling kettle.]

Oh! Ah, hello there. [Definitely not anyone she recognizes from the call, or her brief stink in Cherrygrove. Let's see, whom did Shiro mention...? Sasha and Jaskier she's met, and this one looks male...] Are you Armin, by any chance?

[That was the name, right?]

C.

[wrappedwarm]

[There was no warm welcome here. Mikasa didn't do anything to make her presence known, no greeting. Only peering around a corner. The hood on the coat Yachi had gotten her pulled up. Her face blank.

No words, only staring. Who is this?]

[heartofalioness]

[For a moment Allura doesn't notice, going out on the deck to take in a bit of fresh salt air when Coressa barks towards Mikasa's corner and HI STRANGER!]

GAH! [A slight jump back into a defensive stance before she instantly reminds herself to RELAX.] I-I um... May I help you, Miss?

» a

[spacebaloney]

[Unluckily for Allura, one of the replies to her plea doesn't transmit clearly enough to make sense. But that's not a technical glitch, just the very close up view of what makes up a Pokemon's wet nose. The creature pulls (more like rolls, really) back as Allura is finishing up, shifting to sit on its rear haunches with the Pokegear in between two hooves. And the reason why she doesn't get a cohesive answer becomes obvious: this is no human, not even close. It's an oddly colored rendition of an cow, pink with yellow and black accents instead of the usual black and white, and the black that curves down between its eyes far more sharply than any other Miltank in this world, giving it a severe no-nonsense expression.

RBF, if you will. Resting Bovine Face.]

[heartofalioness]

[Oh... that sure is a Resting Bovine Face. She thinks it's just the marking, but can't quite tell yet.]

Ah, hello... are you a Pokémon as well?

[Obvious question, she knows, but she doesn't know yet.]

A: Video

[insidegalra]

[Thace hadn't expected to see Allura again here. He feels a slight sinking when she asks about Pokemon world. It means this is a different Allura that hasn't been here before. Introductions it is. He puts his hand to his chest and bows as well as he can while video recording.]

Your highness; it is an honor. Thace of the Blades of Marmora.

[The human face onscreen doesn't look Galra at all at first glance. The streaks that would be gray on a normal human are a very pale lilac, however, and his irises are a bright gold. It might be a clue.]

[heartofalioness]

[The good news is Thace’s response comes after one other’s, including Felix’s informing her of Thace’s presence. The bad news... well, she’s from Thace’s future, or lack thereof. Still, the respectful greeting is promising evidence he’s at least a Blade.

She gives a nod of a bow in return.]

The honor is mine, Thace. Both Kolivan and Keith have spoken highly of you.

[Well, not directly in the former case, but with how cautious Kolivan is, he wouldn’t have trusted just anyone for that long and that important and risky of a covert assignment. And he saved Keith’s life... that alone is a debt she and the others can never repay.]