farawayplace | In the turning, flowing wind, I sing alone

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In the turning, flowing wind, I sing alone

There’s a little girl, dressed in a light, summery dress, with matching white sandals, arriving on Stardust Beach, blinking at the sunlight and feeling the coastal wind on her face and tasting the salty sea-scent of the air.
For a time, she’s absolutely stunned, daring not to move (has her imagination ever been this strong?!), then, without really meaning to, she’s forced to take a few steps (the wind is so strong!), that she steps into wet sand and realizes she couldn’t just be imagining this. It’s a little too soggy and gross. She decides, then, maybe it was the last few years that were a very bad, very long, and very strange dream (although she liked the Pokemon…), and this was reality! She giggles and takes off her sandals, putting them higher up on dry sand (hot, hot!), before rushing back to the wet sand to play.

She twirls and spins and laughs, but when she turns back around, searching the beach, she cannot find her mama or her papa.

“… didn’t we go together? We’re at the beach now…”

Wasn’t the car crash and everything else a dream? She couldn’t have gotten here on her own! It’s true it’s not the same beach she knew and even the people looked a bit different, but maybe they just went on a very, very long trip!

Question 1: Vacation?
Ai decided to ask around on the beach, gently tapping shoulders and tugging on sleeves.
“Excuse me, have you seen my papa or my mama? Um, papa’s hair is much more wavy than mine, but grey, and he has a nose this long…”

Question 2: Heaven?
She had to find her parents! They had to be here, right? Because if they weren’t… then the car crash and these past years weren’t all a dream… then, maybe she’s just gone on ahead to Heaven? So she decided, in between asking about her parents, she’ll also ask some people if this place were Heaven!
“Excuse me, is this Heaven?”
Ai thought this was a very clever way to find out more quickly, than if she had only asked everyone one question, then started all over with the next one. She should find her answer quicker this way!

Sand

Ai had never seen sand that looked like this before! It was so pretty and mysterious. Almost like konpeito! But she knew better than to try and taste it… although she really did feel tempted to. It looked so pretty… she sat down and held grains up to the sunlight and wondered if the stars fell down and turned to sand or if the entire island was one very big star broken up into many little stars… oh, but it wasn’t hot or shining, like the sun, were they stars that went out, like switched-off lights or snuffed-out candles? Ai kept wondering, while rolling the little grain between her fingertips.

Whatever they were, they were pretty, so Ai wanted to collect some sand, along with seashells and bits of seaweed and anything else.

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"I guess that's a yes to that one," Gold says lightly with a small huff of a laugh, trying to be casual as he rests his jaw on his hand, propping his elbow against his knee. He doesn't want to worry her too much, so he's hiding his own upset at another kid drifting here all alone. "Yeah, that happens a lot around here. So much the locals even got a word for it, drifting. Even I drifted here like you, a while back."

Yes, yes, it unfortunately was, Gold!

"Drifting... it makes us sound like we survived some kind of..."

Shipwreck! But she didn't like the word, she realized, because instead of an adventure, it sounded a bit too close to car wreck. She looked troubled.

"... what happened before you drifted here?"

"Survived some kinda what?" Gold asks, before he connects the concept to the word drifting. "Oh! Like a ship crash or something? Hmm... It's not that kinda drifting, it's more like... Uh, how do I say it..." Gold crosses his arms, thinking hard for a moment. How did people explain drifting to him? "It's like... being in one place and then ending up in, uh... here. At the beach. Or somewhere else nearby I guess." That doesn't make anything more clear...

"Huh?" The question is an odd one, and the wary way she asked it makes Gold think there's something up. The way her mind jumped from 'drifting' to 'ship crashed' also doesn't paint a nice picture. So, to ease her fears, whatever they are, Gold smiles. "Nothing big. I was heading to Goldenrod City to help out a friend of mine. Why?"

"How mysterious... then, it's more like you fell down the Raboot hole?"

It's starting to sound more like a fairy tale, especially in Gold's case.

"Goldenrod City... where is that? I'm glad you were just going to see a friend..." Ai said, thoughtfully, toeing the sand. "I was just wondering if this place might be Heaven instead, you know."

"The what hole?" Gold asks, absolutely confused, having never read a fairy tale in his life.

"It's a place in Johto!" Gold grins, not about to talk about how his friend was actually in danger. Not necessary to tell a kid, especially since Gold knows he'll just save Silver once he gets home. "Heaven... Nah, it's a pretty great place to be, but it's not that awesome. Oh yeah, this is called Ultern! And that's Turnwheel City." He points at the big buildings beyond the beach.

Of course, the idea she might be talking about actual literal Heaven doesn't cross Gold's mind, he just figures Ai was in a bad place before this.

"You know, like when Alice chased the Raboot and followed it down the hole and fell into another world, where nothing made any sense! And she met, um... it's easier if I had a book. Or maybe we could see the movie!"

Maybe it'd be easier to explain if she could get a book for Gold sometime!

Ai looked in the direction Gold pointed. "Turnwheel City..."

None of these names were familiar to her, but she nodded.

Then, maybe she was still alive, just somewhere... very far, for some reason...

"Johto is close to Kanto, right? That's where I'm from, but if this place is far from both of them..."

Without realizing it, she'd started shedding tears. She blinked in surprise, but frowned. It's a little bit lonely...

"... I don't know how to get back home."

"Alice did that? Huh," Gold says, because that does kind of sound like something that'd happen to the Alice he knows. But he nods in actual understanding once Ai mentions a movie. "Ohhh, it's a book and a movie! Okay, got it." He hasn't read a lot of books, or watched a lot of movies, and he hasn't gotten into the habit of doing that in Ultern either. Maybe he should, if people are going to reference them.

Gold nods, keeping a close look on her. He's not sure what she's thinking when she gets so quiet like that.

But he definitely isn't expecting her to start crying so suddenly!

"Hey, whoa, no, it's fine!" Gold panics a little, he didn't mean to make her cry. He flails a little with his hands, helplessly, and starts talking very quickly. "You can go home! I mean, sometimes people go home! It happens as suddenly as coming here, and it's a surprise when it happens but people can go home!!"

Gold wasn't sure what kind of a place Ai came from, or if Ai would even want to go home, so he didn't mention it before, but now he feels guilty about not saying anything about it.

Ai shakes her head and tries to wipe away the tears, but the sand on her hands makes it sting a bit more and she just cries even more. "... sorry... I just— don't know where to go. Where will I live, until it's time to go? It's so far away..."

She's just scared right now, mostly.

Gold sits there, hands hovering uselessly. He winces slightly when she gets her sandy hands in her eyes, but doesn't know what to do about that, so he just does nothing, letting her cry.

"There's places to stay here," he says in a calmer voice, trying to steady himself. "The locals all know people drift here, so they got places. Like, there's the Pokemon Center, I stayed there when I got here. And then Professor Banyan invited me to live at his place. He'd probably let you stay there too, if you wanna. He's nice like that. I, um, I was kinda lost when I came here too so... I get what it's like."

Listening, she began to calm down somewhat, but was still sniffling a little bit and shedding tears.

“A Professor…?”
This seemed to get Ai’s attention and she raised wide, tearful eyes to look at Gold. “I’d like to meet him…”

Maybe he might have heard of her father? She sighed, breathing starting to return to a more relaxed pace.

Whew, she's calming down. Gold gives her a smile.

"Yeah, we can go see him! Just, uh, go wash your hands and face first! You got, you know, sand and stuff."

There's probably a place to wash sand off near the beach somewhere, let's say public bathrooms? Gold points at them.

"I'll wait outside, so we can get going when you're done."

She nodded and did just that, but perhaps spent a little bit longer than needed, as she was just so amazed by the faucets and clear water. It’s so clean and clear, so different from the murky and dark culture medium! He might hear splashing and even giggling.

Well, she’s very little!

But, she’ll be out soon enough, all cleaned up!

“The water is so clean and pretty!”

Gold waits patiently, and smiles to himself when he hears her giggling and splashing.

When she comes out he walks up to her with a smile. His smile stills a little bit at her words, but he keeps it up. Is she easily amused, or is clean water that unusual for her? Is this how other people feel when Gold says something worrying?

"Yeah, it is, huh?" he says cheerfully. "Now let's get going! This way, to Route 1!" He announces it dramatically with a point, before starting to walk. "The Professor's house is right by the beach further this way! Wanna walk on the beach all the way or do we take the grassy path?" He gestures at the grass between the beach and the city.

She giggled at his theatrics. "You're funny!"

At his question, she brightened considerably!
"I want to walk on the grass!" Ai said excitedly, eyes sparkling.

She hadn't seen or felt grass in so long!

She grabbed Gold's hand, excitedly pulling on it. Let's go, let's go!

"Thanks, I try!"

He's a little surprised to get his hand grabbed, but lets himself be pulled along. Well, he might as well forget about whether this kid's got a dark past and just show her all the cool stuff he can think of along the way. It's cute seeing her so excited!

"Grass it is, your highness! Hey, what's your name anyway? I'm Gold!"

Oh, she didn’t introduce herself! She stopped, feeling embarrassed, cheeks flushing, but being called “your highness”… she let go, stepped back, and did a very clumsy little curtsey.

“I’m Ai! Fuji Ai… forgive my rudeness. It’s a pleasure to meet you, your majesty.”

Are they royalty now? Playing pretend is fun!

Gold does a fancy bow in return.

"A pleasure to meet you too, your highness, princess Ai of Fuji! I, Gold of the house Drum, shepherd of the Miltanks, am at your service!" he states foppishly as he does so, then looks at her and grins. "And I guess I'm a king too?"

Ai can't help but laugh at Gold's introduction and self-given titles.
"Do you really work on a Miltank farm? They look so gentle! I've never seen them in person..."

"Shall we?"

Walk on the grassy path, she means!

"Yup! I'm a Miltank farm part-timer! The farm's in Gilterrace Town, maybe you can come by and see them someday!" Gold announces proudly. He decides not to talk about his dad's Miltank farm back home since home seems to be a delicate subject.

"We shall!"

And with that, Gold begins marching along the grassy path, making sure to keep his pace manageable for Ai. There are plenty of sights to see along the small path, like the windwheels in the city, the flowers on the side of the road, and the Wingulls flying above.

"I'd love to!"

Ai drank it all in, watching in absolute amazement and wonder at everything, the sky, the soaring Wingull, the motion and colour of the pinwheels, and she even crouched down low to admire the flowers, brushing her fingertips across the petals very, very gently... at times, the wide-eyed wonder gave way to an almost nostalgic, wistful smile that looked out of place on such a young face.

Gold takes it slow and stops whenever Ai does to look at whatever's got her interest. He feels like he's seeing it all for the first time. But when he glances at Ai, that wistfulness feels too old for her. ...Well, not his business.

"Oh, that's the Professor's house over there," he says once they get close enough, pointing at the red-roofed hibiscus-covered house, with some grass-type Pokemon hanging out at the yard.

"What a lovely place!" Ai pauses to admire the outside of the house, before approaching slowly. "Do you still live here too? And you're sure I won't bother him?"

They hadn't asked permission before arriving, maybe it was too short notice?

"Yeah, I live here. I used to worry about bothering him too, but he's like, uhh," Gold wonders for a moment how to put it, making vague gestures with his hands, "super nice. If there's a way to bother him I haven't found it."

Gold heads for the front door with no hesitation. The door's usually not locked, sometimes even when the Professor's not in, so he opens it and steps in, holding it open for Ai.

"Come on in," he tells her, then turns to look inside and cups his mouth to call out "I'm back! I brought a guest!" in case Banyan's inside.

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[1/2; poor Gold!!!]

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[it's so funny that Gold first assumes it's our Alice and, y'know what, it's understandable]

[what other Alice could there be? XD]

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[*Gold is adorable* and this thread’s adorable]

[Ai is even more adorable!]

[they're BOTH adorable, he's cracking me up so much]

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[Gold is adorable and this thread’s adorable]