The LUMIOSE Team (PLOT)

"Did you spend a lot of time here? If the name of his spot doesn't ring a bell, we're pretty sure there's a... fish place or something right across from it."

"Something about rolling was in the name," Lidda added.

"I'm afraid I can't help, but I meant, Miranda, that you would be a wonderful guide here. You know this city well, yes? Being able to navigate outdoor terrain and a city are typically different monsters. I believe in your capabilities."

"OH!" Miranda shouted, a smile breaking out over Looker's face. "The sushi place! I do know that street. I always wanted to compete there but Papa said I would have to get stronger to stand any kind of chance even though we could easily afford the entry fee." Compete? Entry fee? He stares owlishly at her. "The trainers that dined there were frighteningly powerful. I bet you would have loved it there Mr. Don."

Her warm expression fell and Looker's heart sank a touch. "Oh dear, but that's all the way on the north side of the city and we're by the south exit. Pretty much a straight line from here but we'd have to pass the gym and those....people. I don't know that anyone could get there without taking the long way around."

Of course it would not be that simple.

"Well... that sounds exhausting but... I suppose if it's the only way, then it's the only way." His shoulders squared. "I'm determined to go even if it takes a long time to get there. I'd be honored for you company and your help, if you'd like to come."

Giovanni said, "I'm afraid I can't help, but I meant, Miranda, that you would be a wonderful guide here. You know this city well, yes? Being able to navigate outdoor terrain and a city are typically different monsters. I believe in your capabilities." Ah, that clarified any confusion from earlier. He encouraged the girl with a pat on her back.

After a few seconds of concentration, a realization suddenly hit Miranda as she shouted, "OH!" She had a huge smile as she explained, "The sushi place! I do know that street. I always wanted to compete there but Papa said I would have to get stronger to stand any kind of chance even though we could easily afford the entry fee. The trainers that dined there were frighteningly powerful." The Greninja nodded in agreement; the fights there had not been easy. 'What better way to show off a shiny than fighting a difficult battle' had been her old trainer's logic. Miranda added with warmth, "I bet you would have loved it there Mr. Don." Her face fell after a moment, and she said, "Oh dear, but that's all the way on the north side of the city and we're by the south exit. Pretty much a straight line from here but we'd have to pass the gym and those....people. I don't know that anyone could get there without taking the long way around." Oh... Yeah... Elise had mentioned that it was on the other side of the city.

"Well, at least you know where it is," Vitaly commented. "All we had was that it was somewhere on the north side."

If Looker had been disappointed, he didn't show it. His body language screamed determination as he said, "Well... that sounds exhausting but... I suppose if it's the only way, then it's the only way. I'm determined to go even if it takes a long time to get there. I'd be honored for you company and your help, if you'd like to come."

"OH!" Giovanni and Scout started a bit when Miranda erupted, apparently having just been struck dead on with an epiphany. "The sushi place! I do know that street. I always wanted to compete there but Papa said I would have to get stronger to stand any kind of chance even though we could easily afford the entry fee. The trainers that dined there were frighteningly powerful." A shame he hadn't spent more time in Kalos. Battling cafes were, sadly, not very common back home. Fine food and challenging battles? That sounded very much up his alley. "I bet you would have loved it there Mr. Don."

"I heartily agree."

"Oh dear, but that's all the way on the north side of the city and we're by the south exit. Pretty much a straight line from here but we'd have to pass the gym and those....people. I don't know that anyone could get there without taking the long way around."

"Well, at least you know where it is," Vitaly offered; it was a sound observation. There were certainly worse lucks to be had. "All we had was that it was somewhere on the north side."

Looker, on the other hand, didn't seem daunted in the least. An admirable quality, even if he was completely bereft of his own personal history. Though Giovanni did often find those that were obscenely optimistic, at best, exhausting, he did have to concede that they did tend to have some sort of quirky charm about them. When not being completely irritating, of course. "Well... that sounds exhausting but... I suppose if it's the only way, then it's the only way. I'm determined to go even if it takes a long time to get there. I'd be honored for you company and your help, if you'd like to come."

"I would most certainly like to follow," he offered. "I can't say I'm not intrigued to see if you'll find what you've been looking for there. Plus, I would sincerely like to repay those kind fellows for the present they gave me." He rotated his shoulder a little, testing its strength. "Miss LeClair?"

"Well, at least you know where it is," Miranda smiled at Vitaly's kind observation and started to feel a little bit better. "All we had was that it was somewhere on the north side." She was still worried about Mr. Looker getting to where he was going but he seemed to be more optimistic than even Mr. Don.

"Well... that sounds exhausting but... I suppose if it's the only way, then it's the only way. I'm determined to go even if it takes a long time to get there. I'd be honored for you company and your help, if you'd like to come." Miranda wanted to shout her agreement because traveling with them meant Mr. Don would be able to recover. He wouldn't be as focused on protecting her if there were others to aid him and could properly rest. Or at least as properly as the end of the world let a man.

"I would most certainly like to follow," Miranda let out a happy little sigh as he agreed. "I can't say I'm not intrigued to see if you'll find what you've been looking for there. Plus, I would sincerely like to repay those kind fellows for the present they gave me. Miss LeClair?" She smiled and gave Giovanni a small hug. "Of course! Anything that keeps you safe." Her cheery smile was back as she turned to Looker and offered her thanks. "I wouldn't mind helping you get through the city. I know it rather well. After all," she looked to Giovanni for a bit of courage before returning her gaze to the men in front of her. "This is my hometown."

"I would most certainly like to follow. I can't say I'm not intrigued to see if you'll find what you've been looking for there. Plus, I would sincerely like to repay those kind fellows for the present they gave me." Looker felt something inside of him sigh in relief. The more who went, the safer they would be. Leaving a barely recovered man and his young ward alone didn't sit well, and Miranda's knowledge of the city would be so helpful. Thank goodness Don was on board.

Now would the young miss be as well?

"Miss LeClair?"

More warm relief as the girl smiled and hugged her parent. "Of course! Anything that keeps you safe." She beamed at him, Looker unable to help matching the cheeriness on her face. What an infectious smile. Of course Don had stepped up to be her protector; who wouldn't want to ensure the safety of such a sweet child? "I wouldn't mind helping you get through the city. I know it rather well. After all," she glanced at Don before looking back to him, "this is my hometown."

"What luck! It almost feels like fate brought us together!" he laughed. Human company that didn't want to kill him-he still couldn't quite get over that-with one who had lived her previous life here and grew up navigating these very streets, one who had spent his current life here and would know how to avoid the locals, and one who seemed extraordinarily lucky as well as competent in many ways, if he'd been raising a child in the apocalypse. "You'll be a wonderful guide, I'm sure. I honestly could not have asked for better help. Unless there's any objections, why don't we gather our things and set out while it's still light? It looks like we have most of the day to go before nightfall."

This was truly happening. Not only was he going to make it to where, hopefully, all his answers lay waiting for him, but he had somehow managed to find three kind people to help him get there.

Everything was going to be okay.

The moment of truth. Would he and Looker have more companions for this venture? Don didn't appear to spend much time thinking on it before accepting. "I would most certainly like to follow. I can't say I'm not intrigued to see if you'll find what you've been looking for there. Plus, I would sincerely like to repay those kind fellows for the present they gave me." Don rotated his shoulder a bit to emphasize his point. He asked his charge, "Miss LeClair?"

Her answer was immediate, "Of course! Anything that keeps you safe." Miranda gave her guardian a quick hug. Her smile was bright as she turned back to Looker and said, "I wouldn't mind helping you get through the city. I know it rather well. After all," here she paused and glanced at Don before continuing,"This is my hometown."

Vitaly had had a feeling about that, but he hadn't wanted to assume. He felt a large amount of pity for the child; her hometown had turned into a bandit holdout. He worried what she would feel walking through her old hometown and feeling how empty and strange it would be. Coming back to something one thought they knew and finding it different often inspired sadness, and he didn't envy her that. If something ever inspired him to go back to Orre, he'd likely feel something similar.

Looker, however, was joyous, "What luck! It almost feels like fate brought us together!" He laughed. "You'll be a wonderful guide, I'm sure. I honestly could not have asked for better help. Unless there's any objections, why don't we gather our things and set out while it's still light? It looks like we have most of the day to go before nightfall."

This seemed a little fast for Vitaly's liking, and he looked Don back over before saying, "We probably want to be sure Don here is ready to go first. He just woke up this morning, and his injury wasn't insignificant." Then realizing he had just talked about the larger man like he wasn't even there, he asked while embarrassed, "Well, you think you're up for moving out?"

Giovanni gave a little grunt as Miranda captured him in an enthusiastic hug. He really should have expected that... "Of course! Anything that keeps you safe." She turned back to Looker, her enthusiasm anything but dulled. "I wouldn't mind helping you get through the city. I know it rather well. After all," she glanced back at Giovanni before continuing, "This is my hometown."

"What luck! It almost feels like fate brought us together!" It does, doesn't it, old boy? Giovanni inwardly mused, unable to keep his grin from growing in the face of Looker's unadulterated jubilation. He was just so exhilarated, so boundlessly happy to have found companions and was so blissfully unaware of the irony of it all. Ah, well. Giovanni could relish in the seclusion of the inside joke. "You'll be a wonderful guide, I'm sure. I honestly could not have asked for better help. Unless there's any objections, why don't we gather our things and set out while it's still light? It looks like we have most of the day to go before nightfall."

My, Looker was eager to get going. Vitaly seemed to have the more level head on his shoulders, however, and suggested instead, "We probably want to be sure Don here is ready to go first. He just woke up this morning, and his injury wasn't insignificant." He seemed to realize that he was talking as if Giovanni couldn't himself, and was adequately embarrassed for it. At least the man understood his mistake. "Well, you think you're up for moving out?"

Giovanni tested his shoulder again and grunted. He still felt plenty weak and none of his pokemon would be a suitable mount and could remain stealthy in a jungle such as this. "If I'm honest, I'm not sure enough in my strength to risk a long travel that may require a lot of running. Vitaly is completely correct. But I would suggest moving by night as a better alternative. Scout would be far more capable of carrying me if needed if she were to have the night cloaking her while doing so. Plus, I may actually be a bit stronger by this evening."

"What luck! It almost feels like fate brought us together!" Fate. Such a funny thought. She felt it very much the same thing that brought Giovanni to her aid when she first met the man all those many weeks ago. It was as if Mr. Don had Fate’s special favor as things always seemed to turn his way. Even something as horrible as him getting shot turned towards his good fortune as they found not only safe shelter but also the only people likely left in the entire city who would be so kind to them. She would happily help the men who helped her guardian as long as Mr. Don wanted to stay.

"You'll be a wonderful guide, I'm sure. I honestly could not have asked for better help. Unless there's any objections, why don't we gather our things and set out while it's still light? It looks like we have most of the day to go before nightfall." Miranda blushed slightly at the compliment but a look of concern crossed her face at the mention of heading out already. Mr. Don was barely conscious and while they didn’t have much in the way of supplies left she wasn’t confidant in leaving him all but alone, and he certainly wasn’t in any condition to go with them.

"We probably want to be sure Don here is ready to go first. He just woke up this morning, and his injury wasn't insignificant." Oh thank heavens someone else realized it too. Miranda wouldn’t have been at all comfortable with addressing that issue but she would have tried if Vitaly hadn’t said something. "Well, you think you're up for moving out?"

"If I'm honest, I'm not sure enough in my strength to risk a long travel that may require a lot of running. Vitaly is completely correct. But I would suggest moving by night as a better alternative. Scout would be far more capable of carrying me if needed if she were to have the night cloaking her while doing so. Plus, I may actually be a bit stronger by this evening."

Miranda frowned but nodded slowly. From what they had seen and heard by the men who attacked them this city was pretty much purged of Pokemon so night would be less hazardous here than in the wild. It was the humans who were the danger and at night it would be easier to slip by them. “If either of you could tell me which ways you have already been or tried it could help us map out safer routes through the alleys,” Miranda chimed in, eyes not quite meeting anyone else’s as she began picturing the city in her mind. “I’m afraid many of them Scout is too broad for decent movement and I would prefer to avoid that if possible… Mr. Don wouldn’t be much help if we got cornered again. Too easy to get trapped in the maze of shoulder-width alleys.”

"We probably want to be sure Don here is ready to go first. He just woke up this morning, and his injury wasn't insignificant." The smile disappears from his face, replaced with something far more sheepish and embarrassed. "Well, you think you're up for moving out?"

"If I'm honest, I'm not sure enough in my strength to risk a long travel that may require a lot of running. Vitaly is completely correct. But I would suggest moving by night as a better alternative. Scout would be far more capable of carrying me if needed if she were to have the night cloaking her while doing so. Plus, I may actually be a bit stronger by this evening."

The girl nodded slowly with a little frown. “If either of you could tell me which ways you have already been or tried it could help us map out safer routes through the alleys. I’m afraid many of them Scout is too broad for decent movement and I would prefer to avoid that if possible… Mr. Don wouldn’t be much help if we got cornered again. Too easy to get trapped in the maze of shoulder-width alleys.”

"I'm sorry; I was so eager to get going I completely forgot you need more time to rest." How embarrassing of him. At least his new friends were kind about his over enthusiasm. "Waiting until night sounds like an excellent idea. And she's right about the planning, of course; I only just arrived here a short time ago... I believe I came in by Route Four. I tried to go the opposite way, but I ran into a small group of those bandits- or rather, I saw them; I don't believe they saw me. But that way isn't an option, most likely; they may still be there."

[I feel so unsatisfied with this post but this is the best I can do for now. Maybe I'll edit later.]

Thankfully Giovanni didn't seem angry about Vi's mishap, and the larger man rolled his shoulder and grunted in response to Vi's question. That likely didn't bode well for an early departure... "If I'm honest, I'm not sure enough in my strength to risk a long travel that may require a lot of running. Vitaly is completely correct. But I would suggest moving by night as a better alternative. Scout would be far more capable of carrying me if needed if she were to have the night cloaking her while doing so. Plus, I may actually be a bit stronger by this evening." Yeah, that sounded like a better idea... Though he was a bit worried about Scout being used as a mount.

“If either of you could tell me which ways you have already been or tried it could help us map out safer routes through the alleys,” Miranda spoke up. Vitaly crossed his arms in thought as he tried to compile what he knew and how to describe it...  She then brought up the concern he had had, “I’m afraid many of them Scout is too broad for decent movement and I would prefer to avoid that if possible… Mr. Don wouldn’t be much help if we got cornered again. Too easy to get trapped in the maze of shoulder-width alleys.” He nodded in agreement with her.

"Yeah, they can get narrow pretty quickly."

Looker quickly apologized for his enthusiasm, "I'm sorry; I was so eager to get going I completely forgot you need more time to rest. Waiting until night sounds like an excellent idea. And she's right about the planning, of course; I only just arrived here a short time ago... I believe I came in by Route Four. I tried to go the opposite way, but I ran into a small group of those bandits- or rather, I saw them; I don't believe they saw me. But that way isn't an option, most likely; they may still be there." Oh... That wasn't far from them if he remembered right... Just a guard at the gate, probably.

After tapping his fingers for a second, Vitaly knelt down to look through his bag, "I have an old map in here... Wrote a few things on it that might be good to remember... Since the city is a circle, we can go the long way around if need be..." His words were spaced as he tried to find where he had last stashed it. "Here we go!" He pulled out an worn, folded paper that had seen much wear and tear. "It doesn't have a lot of small details, and things have worn out... but it's a start."

“If either of you could tell me which ways you have already been or tried it could help us map out safer routes through the alleys,” Miranda spoke, and Scout smiled at her sense. Too often it became obscured. “I’m afraid many of them Scout is too broad for decent movement and I would prefer to avoid that if possible… Mr. Don wouldn’t be much help if we got cornered again. Too easy to get trapped in the maze of shoulder-width alleys.” Everyone nodded in solemn agreement.

"Yeah, they can get narrow pretty quickly."

Looker quickly cleared the air with an apology, his enthusiasm somewhat dimmed. Scout was sorry to see it go, even if it was a tad inappropriate. Giovanni, however, was infinitely entertained by the detective's antics. Was he always this scatterbrained or was that simply the amnesia? Too bad he never intimately knew the man beforehand. Pity. "I'm sorry; I was so eager to get going I completely forgot you need more time to rest. Waiting until night sounds like an excellent idea. And she's right about the planning, of course; I only just arrived here a short time ago... I believe I came in by Route Four." He was a little chatterbox, wasn't he? "I tried to go the opposite way, but I ran into a small group of those bandits- or rather, I saw them; I don't believe they saw me. But that way isn't an option, most likely; they may still be there."

After tapping his fingers for a second, Vitaly knelt down to rummage through his bag. "I have an old map in here... Wrote a few things on it that might be good to remember... Since the city is a circle, we can go the long way around if need be..." Scout frowned. Traveling longer with a wounded wall of a man wasn't an idea that made her shudder with glee. "Here we go!" He pulled out an worn, folded paper that had seen much wear and tear, earning a small inquisitive sniff from Scout. "It doesn't have a lot of small details, and things have worn out... but it's a start."

Giovanni leaned over to look at it, curious eyes fueling his drowsy mind. "These are locals, so any hidden little alleyways might be covered... but there are so many. There couldn't possibly be enough of them to cover every single alley..."

Scout eyed Giovanni, her expression stale. "...Did you not hear them? A lot of these alleys are narrow. Meaning I can't get through them, and especially not with you on my back. So you'd be hobbling around being super useful."

"Just voicing my thoughts, dear Scout," he chuckled back.

The Gliscor wasn't charmed. "Well think smarter thoughts."

"My point is that the bulk of their forces would be mostly grouped in the larger routes, yes? So the alleys, while a bit more dangerous, would be thinly guarded. They may be numerous, but Lumiose is a very large city. And there can only be so many people."

Miranda smiled a bit as Vitaly agreed with her, feeling more confident that she wasn't interfering with the planning. "I'm sorry; I was so eager to get going I completely forgot you need more time to rest. Waiting until night sounds like an excellent idea. And she's right about the planning, of course; I only just arrived here a short time ago... I believe I came in by Route Four." Route Four, that was on the other end of the South Boulevard where she and Mr. Don came in at Route 5. So they had both gates at the south guarded? "I tried to go the opposite way, but I ran into a small group of those bandits- or rather, I saw them; I don't believe they saw me. But that way isn't an option, most likely; they may still be there."

"I have an old map in here... Wrote a few things on it that might be good to remember... Since the city is a circle, we can go the long way around if need be..." Miranda perked up and completely missed the frown growing on Scout's face. The long way was likely going to be safer in the long run but she didn't want to risk her companion any more than they already had. "Here we go! It doesn't have a lot of small details, and things have worn out... but it's a start." Miranda took a look at the somewhat outdated map and smiled, her mind filling in the rest of the blanks easily. This would be perfect.

Giovanni and Scout began to bicker back and forth and Miranda sighed, waiting for them to finish before patting the older man's arm affectionately. "You underestimate how many people lived here, Mr. Don. The last I saw of my beautiful city it was overrun, Papa and I fleeing for our lives. For survivors to have not only pushed back the dead but also kept living Pokemon at bay as well... there must be many of my fellow countrymen still within these walls. But I do have an idea. I think. Well... most of an idea." She pulled out a pencil from her bag and pointed at Vitaly's map. "May I?"

Vitaly began to rummage through his things, Looker watching from his place with curious eyes. What was he looking for?

"I have an old map in here... Wrote a few things on it that might be good to remember... Since the city is a circle, we can go the long way around if need be..."

Looker almost smiled; a map! How handy! But a glance at Don wiped the slowly growing smile from his face

Taking the long way around with a wounded member of the group would not be very smart...

"Here we go!" The little shout brought his attention back to Vitaly, finding the man pulling out a faded, worn piece of paper that Scout sniffed at.

He wondered what kind of scents that paper would hold for a pokemon, what kind of information that would give them.

"It doesn't have a lot of small details, and things have worn out... but it's a start."

Giovanni leaned over to give it a look, Looker joining him. "These are locals, so any hidden little alleyways might be covered... but there are so many. There couldn't possibly be enough of them to cover every single alley..."

His pokemon did not approve. "...Did you not hear them? A lot of these alleys are narrow. Meaning I can't get through them, and especially not with you on my back. So you'd be hobbling around being super useful."

"Just voicing my thoughts, dear Scout,"

"Well think smarter thoughts."

Looker couldn't hold back a small snort of laughter, half hiding his smile with a hand. "Wow, she sure told you."

"My point is that the bulk of their forces would be mostly grouped in the larger routes, yes? So the alleys, while a bit more dangerous, would be thinly guarded. They may be numerous, but Lumiose is a very large city. And there can only be so many people."

"You underestimate how many people lived here, Mr. Don," Miranda pointed out. "The last I saw of my beautiful city it was overrun, Papa and I fleeing for our lives. For survivors to have not only pushed back the dead but also kept living Pokemon at bay as well... there must be many of my fellow countrymen still within these walls. But I do have an idea. I think. Well... most of an idea."

He watched as she pulled a pencil out and used it to point at the map. "May I?"

"It's Vitaly's map, but regardless I would love to hear the idea you have." The girl really seemed to know the area; anything she had to say would likely be useful.

Giovanni leaned over to look at the faded paper after Scout sniffed it. He commented, "These are locals, so any hidden little alleyways might be covered... but there are so many. There couldn't possibly be enough of them to cover every single alley..." Well. He did have a point there. That was a big reason why Vitaly was able to live here and not get caught. Though if Scout had to carry Giovanni...

Scout voiced a similar thought, and the pair debated for a bit before Miranda cut in, "You underestimate how many people lived here, Mr. Don. The last I saw of my beautiful city it was overrun, Papa and I fleeing for our lives. For survivors to have not only pushed back the dead but also kept living Pokemon at bay as well... there must be many of my fellow countrymen still within these walls. But I do have an idea. I think. Well... most of an idea." She pulled out a pencil and pointed at his map before asking, "May I?" While he understood what she planned on doing, he couldn't help tightening his grip for a second. This had been a lucky find, even if it wasn't the most accurate thing he could have. He knew she wasn't going to steal it or deface it to uselessness, but there was still a nervousness about people he barely knew that he couldn't shake.

Looker's voice snapped his attention back to reality when he said, "It's Vitaly's map, but regardless I would love to hear the idea you have." To not let them use a resource would be stupid, and Vitaly knew it. He had promised to help them out however he could. He released his grip a little and held it out to her, so she could grab it.

In an attempt to cover up his earlier reticence, he gave her a smile, "Yeah, I'm curious to see what you've got."

"You underestimate how many people lived here, Mr. Don. The last I saw of my beautiful city it was overrun, Papa and I fleeing for our lives. For survivors to have not only pushed back the dead but also kept living Pokemon at bay as well... there must be many of my fellow countrymen still within these walls. But I do have an idea. I think. Well... most of an idea." Giovanni watched the young woman with interest as she continued. So rarely was she in such a form. If only she could apply this confidence and capability to other things... "May I?" Giovanni spotted the reluctance in Vitaly's body language.

"It's Vitaly's map, but regardless I would love to hear the idea you have." Looker's words seemed to persuade the other man; his hesitance likely was a result in years of hoarding precious belongings rather than real distrust of the small girl. Hopefully Miss LeClair didn't spot it like he and Looker had.

In an attempt to cover up his earlier reticence, he gave her a smile, "Yeah, I'm curious to see what you've got." Giovanni smiled at the acceptance and he turned to watch his ward, excited to see what she had up her sleeve.

Miranda's enthusiasm was slipping away as Vitaly hesitated, his fingers tightening their hold on the fragile paper in question. She felt bad for even asking now and started to shrink back when Mr. Looker made her feel even worse. "It's Vitaly's map, but regardless I would love to hear the idea you have." Great, now it felt like she was bullying the map from him. This was not helping! She was even more crushed when he reluctantly handed over the paper with a forced smile. "Yeah, I'm curious to see what you've got." Now she really was a bully.

With a heavy sigh she took the map from him and unfolded it as neatly as she could, face fallen from one of enthusiasm to one of bitter acceptance as now she had no choice but to carry on with what now felt like the dumbest idea in the world. She didn't look at any of the men in her company as she carefully drew in and repaired the worn sections of map, relabeling anything of importance that had either faded or never been in place to begin with, and studied the various markings Vitaly himself had made. For where they wanted to go they would have to cut around to the other side of the city and there weren't many alleys listed on a general map. Yet a citizen would know of more.

With great care she penned in each and every one she could remember until a maze of thin lines wove their way around the entire city. She blocked off each dead end with an X and any narrow passages with a double line so in the future Vitaly would know where not to go if they parted ways. Once finished she sat back and let out another small sigh as the decision of which way to go now became one of infinite choice. "Well...that should at least help pick a direction. Problem is there is now a lot of direction. Where we want to go is here," her finger trailed across the map and pointed to a small shop she had labeled L.B. "It won't be easy..."

The old detective's heart couldn't help but ache a bit when Vitaly's fingers clenched on the old paper. There wasn't much to fear from the girl, but of course, to someone used to having to be suspicious of anyone touching their belongings...

It was only natural Vitaly would be hesitant to hand over the map. Gods knew how long he had spent in this city trying to eke out an existence among those would would rob him if they could ever catch him. It was an honest surprise when his words seemed to persaude the man to hand over the map, and as the clenching loosened in his chest, he smiled a little at their companion.

It was a small act, but sometimes, even those required a fair amount of courage.

"Yeah, I'm curious to see what you've got."

Looking at Miranda now, the knot that loosened tightened with a vengence as she sighed. That was not a happy sound, the look on her face told him, and for a moment he considered trying to coax out of her what had upset her. But she was quick to get to work, redrawing entire sections of the map and labeling sections that had faded or had never been marked at all. To bother her now while she worked would be stupid. She was busy and obviously concentrating, and it was his quest that caused this situation in the first place. There would be time later to clear everything up.

Right now, he couldn't help but be fascinated as he studied the map, standing at her side, looking down on it from above. She was quite good at this. Don had hinted her sense of direction was poor when pretty much anywhere else, which was a shame. If it were better she could have had a career in mapmaking, maybe.

He couldn't deny it was enjoyable to watch the picture of the city come together. He would have to ask her about what all of her new markings meant. Come to think of it, he should ask Vitaly what all of the markings he made meant.

She sighed again as she sat back, surveying her work. "Well...that should at least help pick a direction. Problem is there is now a lot of direction. Where we want to go is here." She trailed her finger along the paper until she stopped at a building she had labeled. L.B. His heart rate kicked up a touch. "It won't be easy..."

"I suppose too many directions is better than no direction at all, though. At least we know we can even get there." He stared at the routes with a critical eye. "Now it becomes a matter of choosing the safest and fastest route. I'm sure none of us want to spend a lot of time on this little quest. Or run into trouble."

His eyes traced the paper, mentally noting the areas that were obviously marked as dangerous, before placing a finger on a route. "This one doesn't look half bad. I don't see anything that labels it as dangerous, though it might take all day to get to where we want to go."

Safer, in the end, was more important than faster, even if he didn't want to try anyone's patience with the length of this little adventure.

When Miranda's face fell, Vitaly instantly felt bad and cursed his poor social skills. The smile became even more strained, but she still took the old map. As she started drawing, he couldn't help watching in simple curiosity. He tilted his head in almost wide-eyed wonder as she kept filling in alleyways and fixed damaged parts of the map. This was going above and beyond what he had expected; she even added little x's where he assumed passageways ended. When she finished, she let out a sigh. "Well...that should at least help pick a direction. Problem is there is now a lot of direction. Where we want to go is here," she pointed to a small building labled L.B. "It won't be easy..."

"This is amazing," he muttered quietly. Speaking a little more loudly, he tried to encourage her, "At least we know we have options if something doesn't work out." He peered over the map to see which routes might be their best bets.

Looker added, "I suppose too many directions is better than no direction at all, though. At least we know we can even get there." He continued to muse aloud as he also scrutinized the map, "Now it becomes a matter of choosing the safest and fastest route. I'm sure none of us want to spend a lot of time on this little quest. Or run into trouble." It was interesting to see the man focusing so intently, and again, Vitaly wondered about the strange quest they were going on. Eventually, Looker put his finger on a route before finally saying, "This one doesn't look half bad. I don't see anything that labels it as dangerous, though it might take all day to get to where we want to go."

Vitaly eyed the route and racked his brain. Were there any dangers he might have not marked down? He brought his hands together in front of his face as he tried to remember. Nothing really came to mind. "It should be fine," he said. He then quickly looked at some of the side streets and alleys that paralleled the chosen route, "They like sending out patrols... Though you've already seen that. Nevermind..." He quickly looked away and shut his mouth. Embarrassment kept him from continuing the thought.

((It seems the site ate my reply. I am simply observing Miss LeClair's interaction with the other men. Please skip me.))

"This is amazing."

Miranda's fluttering heart soared as her fears were placated by the simple phrase. She had anticipated much more backlash for marking what was essentially the entire map but it seemed her idea of filling in the faded and missing sections as a favor paid off. "At least we know we have options if something doesn't work out." She offered Vitaly a shy smile as she scoot away to let the men get a better look at her work. It wasn't often she got to feel proud but this time she embraced it. She had done something helpful finally.

"I suppose too many directions is better than no direction at all, though. At least we know we can even get there. Now it becomes a matter of choosing the safest and fastest route. I'm sure none of us want to spend a lot of time on this little quest. Or run into trouble." That was true. She wasn't sure what the man intended to find at the old building but it had to be important enough for him to consider risking his life for. And since they had helped Mr. Don she wanted to do what she could to help them too. "This one doesn't look half bad. I don't see anything that labels it as dangerous, though it might take all day to get to where we want to go."

Miranda leaned around Looker to see where his finger had trailed and pictured the pathway in her mind. It seemed decent enough, and he hadn't chosen any of the double striped alleyways which would have been too narrow... Maybe she should point that out? "As long as we don't have to backtrack to any of the ones I made two lines it should be okay. They are the narrow ones."

"It should be fine," Vitally added though continued to look over the map. "They like sending out patrols... Though you've already seen that. Nevermind..." Miranda smiled, feeling a definite sympathy for Vitaly's current state of mind. "If we run into trouble there are others in the area we can duck into. The city is a maze if you don't count the main thoroughfares, there is bound to be a way through."

She seemed much brighter now. Looker smiled to see her bashful pride. Good, perhaps they could work on bolstering that confidence further.

With her as their main guide, she'd definitey have the opportunity. Maybe. Hopefully.

"As long as we don't have to backtrack to any of the ones I made two lines it should be okay. They are the narrow ones."

"It should be fine." Vitaly was as focused on the map as he was. "They like sending out patrols... Though you've already seen that. Nevermind..."

Oh, poor Vitaly. Looker winced inwardly; he knew that sort of awkwardness. Thankfully, everyone handed it with grace, something that made him feel better.

He really did find a nice group of people.

"If we run into trouble there are others in the area we can duck into. The city is a maze if you don't count the main thoroughfares, there is bound to be a way through."

"Making the city a maze doesn't seem like a good idea," Looker mused. "But at least we have a map to be able to navigate it, as well as a plan, since it seems like we're all in agreement over this route to our destination. And we know when we're leaving, too!"

Now all they had to do was kill time until then. Oh, he was so close to finally finding answers! Keeping the grin off his face was impossible.

"As long as we don't have to backtrack to any of the ones I made two lines it should be okay. They are the narrow ones," Miranda explained. Though still mildly embarrassed, Vitaly looked towards her when she gave a him smile and added, "If we run into trouble there are others in the area we can duck into. The city is a maze if you don't count the main thoroughfares, there is bound to be a way through." His anxiety eased a little with the supportive smile, and his dumb mistake was mostly ignored.

"Making the city a maze doesn't seem like a good idea," Looker mused. Vitaly almost opened his mouth to explain that depending on how old the city was, then it wasn't really anyone's fault. However, he checked himself; recalling how tidbits of information like that often made people's eyes glaze over. Looker was too happy and excited, and Vitaly didn't want to dull that. "But at least we have a map to be able to navigate it, as well as a plan, since it seems like we're all in agreement over this route to our destination. And we know when we're leaving, too!"

Vitaly couldn't help but smile a bit at the infectious energy, but he wanted to double check his supplies before they left. He glanced around to make sure he hadn't left anything before walking over to where Drizzt sat guarding their supplies. Due to trying to find the map earlier, the items weren't stored the way he wanted them, so he decided to just start repacking it. Jozan and Lidda, who had been quiet through most of the talking nudged him to recall them for the time being, and he complied. He didn't have anything he wanted to say at this point in time, and he didn't think they'd take offense if he just stayed quiet.

"As long as we don't have to backtrack to any of the ones I made two lines it should be okay. They are the narrow ones," Miss LeClair explained with a level of confidence that reassured Giovanni. She had lost a bit of it at first, but this problem was too far into her expertise for her to shy away from it completely. He watched wordlessly, pleased that his ward was slowly, yet surely, coming into her own. "If we run into trouble there are others in the area we can duck into. The city is a maze if you don't count the main thoroughfares, there is bound to be a way through."

"Making the city a maze doesn't seem like a good idea," Looker commented, clearly amused by the labyrinthine city structure. Giovanni made an amused sound of his own; Lumiose was likely a much older city than most of the other metropolises they knew; the older the city, the stranger the infrastructure. Adding in the dense population, city planners were likely just trying to make ends meet. But he knew poor, amnesiac Looker wouldn't know that. Heh. What a shame. "But at least we have a map to be able to navigate it, as well as a plan, since it seems like we're all in agreement over this route to our destination. And we know when we're leaving, too!"

"Then all that's left for us is to wait, it seems," Giovanni mused as he settled back with a small grunt, Scout still serving as a sort of couch. "So, could I ask what's in that Bureau, Looker? Why is there such a dire need to get into it in the first place? If... that's not a rude question."

"Making the city a maze doesn't seem like a good idea," Looker replied with a bit of mirth, causing Miranda to giggle. The labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways filtered throughout the plazas of the city only seemed daunting to outsiders who primarily stuck to the large main roads, all built in such a way as to house as many people as possible in the defined area of the city to keep it in its famous shape. It wasn't so complicated once you got used to them.

"But at least we have a map to be able to navigate it, as well as a plan, since it seems like we're all in agreement over this route to our destination. And we know when we're leaving, too!" Looker's enthusiasm was catching as Miranda found herself smiling along with his positive energy, looking back to Giovanni to ensure that this plan was alright with him. He seemed to smiling to himself as well so Miranda felt comfortable enjoying her small victory of helping with the map and made her way back over to him.

"Then all that's left for us is to wait, it seems," Giovanni replied casually, leaning back into Scout with a soft noise of discomfort. Miranda began to dig through their belongings to see if she could track down anything softer for him to lean on besides the Gliscor as he continued. "So, could I ask what's in that Bureau, Looker? Why is there such a dire need to get into it in the first place? If... that's not a rude question." Miranda's hands stopped moving as the question struck her. That was a legitimate question, one she had been wondering herself not too long ago but was too nervous to ask. She looked over to the other men and added quietly, "Is it just because of the name?"

Vitaly seemed in high spirits as he packed his bag back up, Looker struggling to contain his excitement.

This was really happening. They were going to travel someplace that may finally have answers for him.

"Then all that's left for us is to wait, it seems," Don spoke up, catching Looker's attention. "So, could I ask what's in that Bureau, Looker? Why is there such a dire need to get into it in the first place? If... that's not a rude question."

The girl looked up with a question of her own before he could reply, something close to sadness in her expression. "Is it just because of the name?"

Well... he supposed this conversation was going to happen sooner or later. It was just later. And given that they were going to be helping him, he couldn't lie. That just... felt wrong.

"You're a sharp one Miss Miranda," he murmured with a sad little laugh. "Yes, you're very close. As fantastical as it sounds, I... lost my memory a couple of months before the outbreak. I woke up on a Hoenn shore and could remember nothing. I barely even knew what a pokemon was, and my nickname was something I knew only because it's stitched into the inside of my coat." To give himself something to do, he started checking through his own provisions, not wanting to meet their gaze when they heard his story and ultimately decided he was either insane or a liar. "I've searched for my identity ever since then. A few months ago, a vague memory surfaced-- someplace called The Looker Bureau in Lumiose. It took a little while to figure out where exactly Lumiose even was, but... well... here I am. And inside that building I may finally, finally find answers..."

Please believe him.