Surprise Visit [Norman]

[alyssa]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=width,350][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true] [style=font-family: times new roman; font-size: 23px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 2px; font-style: bold;]Don't like change? [/style] It was easy to say this frustrated the Leader. Not only the fact that she’d realized it would be a smart idea for her to get used to the notion of staying in one place more often than she had her whole life, but also the idea of converting a building that had once been an office subcomplex in the Northeast side of Sootopolis into the Hoenn Nox Capital Building. ”They really know how to make me hate my job…” she said in frustration to her Espeon perched upon the desk toward the back of the room. ”…’Oh but this would be a smart idea’, ‘Why? How’, ‘It would be easier to direct from a single point, you won’t have to travel as much’, ‘I don’t like it’, ‘The C.L.A.W.S. initiative is your reach through the region, we think we’d benefit even more if you stayed in one place.’” Her voice swapped between high and normal pitch as she mimicked the conversation that she’d had a few days ago with one of the Commanders of C.L.A.W.S. ”Agh!” she slammed her hands down on the desk, back to the wall behind her as she threw a paper ball across the room, sending it flying out the door. ”I hate being in one place for too long.” The Espeon made a quiet, purr-like sound, ”And I hate changes like this…” She gestured to the air around her, ”…to Hoenn.” Alyssa sighed, bending over slightly so her forehead met the desk. This was not a good day.

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=width,125] [style=font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 3px; text-transform: lowercase; margin-top: -20px;]Team, Espeon tags, Balendin as Norman notes, [/style] [style=font-size: 10px; padding: 10px; margin-top: -40px;]✲ AMB Tanz [/style]

[norman]

The salty sea air rushed past Norman as his Pidgeot carried him high over the ocean. Sootopolis was his goal. Some sort of new Nox capital building was rumored to have been created there. He had almost discounted it as complete fiction until he had heard the information from a trusted source. Nox in Hoenn had always claimed that their goal was to return the region to the state it had been in before the rise of the Lux faction. Yet here they were building some sort of capital building, It seemed that even Nox was coming to the conclusion that they could not turn back time. The old world system was outdated and ineffective, some change was necessary for the world keep moving forward to a bright new future.

The old crater that marked Sootopolis City rose on the horizon. In a short time, Norman and his Pidgeot were gliding to the bottom of the crater to the city below. The pair came to a landing in front of the capital building. If luck was with him, his rebellious son would be hanging around and he could drag him back home. That dang kid had run off to fight in Nox's ridiculous vendetta, refused to come home, and never even bothered to call. His wife kept on a brave face, but Norman knew that she was worried out of her mind. Ruby's behavior was simply unacceptable. He had been raised better than that.

Norman strode forward towards the building suddenly in a sour mood. As he approached, some guards stopped to block his path. They were fairly youthful, probably not much older then his own son.

"Excuse me, Sir, but this area is off limits. Even for a Gym Leader."

Norman took enough time to scowl at them before pushing past them and making his way through the door.

"Really Sir, you can't go in..."

Norman did not hear the rest of the sentence as the door shut behind him. Norman made his way up to the closest person that appeared to be some sort of secretary or something.

"Where can I find the office of whoever is in charge?"

The lady did not have a chance to speak before one of the guards came running after him.

"Sir, if you insist on resisting, I will be forced to use force."

As the boy came up to Norman, he turned around and glared at the kid.

"Then go. Go get your commanding officer or whatever you Nox call your superiors. Hop to it. I do not have all day."

The solider quickly ran off and entered an elevator. Norman made his way to some stairs. He had seen a directory on the wall that told him which office belonged to an Akiyama. Unless he was sorely mistaken, that would be the person in charge.

After hastily heading up the stairs, Norman found himself outside of the office. The kid was still in the elevator by the looks of it. Everyone knew that the stairs could be faster if one was quick enough. Norman threw open the door so that it slammed into the wall loudly.

"Alyssa. I am here for my son. Hand him over."

[alyssa]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=width,350][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true] [style=font-family: times new roman; font-size: 23px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 2px; font-style: bold;]Don't like change? [/style] Alyssa literally jumped a full foot in the air when the other door to her office – the main entrance - slammed open with a sudden, rushed force. The Leader recoiled from her desk, pokeball drawn from her hip in a flash when her arm crossed in front of her defensively until her guard lowered when she recognized the “intruder”. Still, she couldn’t help but stare with a mixture of surprise and mild shock. The Gym Leader was practically the last person she expected to see bursting through the door. ”Norman.” she stated, relaxing slightly and replacing the pokeball on her belt. Her voice was less intense than the man’s opposite her. The Leader pulled her hair over her shoulders and shook herself, as though to snap out of the still-surprised look that had remained on her expression. ”Good to see you too.” She nodded slightly to a chair in front of him, nodding to indicate he could take it before hopping upon her desk, sitting cross-legged looking at him. ”I don’t have Ruby with me at the moment. Did you expect me to have him chained in my closet?” She paused before speaking again, ”…how did you even get in?” She jumped to a conclusion relatively quickly, and almost didn’t want to be right. ”Should I expect Sootopolis Personnel to come running to my door in the next minute or so out of fear you’re here to try and kill me?” Even if he had wanted to, he already would have tried.

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=width,125] [style=font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 3px; text-transform: lowercase; margin-top: -20px;]Team, Espeon tags, Balendin as Norman notes, [/style] [style=font-size: 10px; padding: 10px; margin-top: -40px;]✲ AMB Tanz [/style]

[norman]

"Maybe. One of the kids from out front should be coming to tell you I am here as soon as the elevator arrives. Not sure what happened to the other. Maybe he went to get reinforcements."

Norman sat down on the indicated chair. It did not seem like Alyssa would have some sort of fancy chair that shocked people or locked their arms to it. She was not some sort of movie villain.

"Maybe you do have him chained up somewhere. I have heard the rumors of the Nox succubus who lures young men in and then uses her feminine wiles to get them to do her bidding. Granted, I am not even sure if Brendan is into the fairer sex. He is already twenty years old and he has yet to bring home a girlfriend to meet his parents. I thought he might be interested in Birch's daughter, but maybe I was wrong."

Norman studied the Hoenn Nox leader. The women had not seemed to age much if at all since she had fought him in Petalburg. He had heard other rumors that she used dark magic to absorb the souls of young virgins to maintain her youthfulness. Ridiculous to think such a thing. Where could such superstitious babble possibly originate from?

"So where is Brendan? I am none to happy with you filling his mind with your Nox babble and driving him to run off to the front lines."

[alyssa]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=width,350][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true] [style=font-family: times new roman; font-size: 23px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 2px; font-style: bold;]Don't like change? [/style] Alyssa sighed and felt her eyes reflexively roll. "Great. Thanks for the heads up." Of course that would be the case - more people showing up when she was content as a cucumber to be alone for the remainder of the day. The Leader couldn't help but raise her eyebrows when the Gym Leader spoke. Her expression grew so disbelieving and vaguely surprised that she felt as though her eyebrows may vanish into her hairline. They'd already done so behind her bangs. She quite literally face-palmed when he finished speaking, dragging her thumb and middle finger across her temples as she slid it back down her face. "Norman do you really believe everything you are told or hear without investigating for yourself first?" She wasn't sure whether to be amused or annoyed with this discovery, "I don't lure people to do anything for me. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." Wasn't that the truth? "And calm down. I'm not "filling his mind" with the ideals of Nox as you believe. I don't force my views upon others if they don't want to hear it." She stared pointedly at him, "He chose to work with me on his own accord, and you could say he's acting like something of an Ambassador for Hoenn in other regions when he's not working himself to the bone here." She shrugged some, before propping her elbow on her knee, and chin in her palm. "Last I heard he was in Hoenn, though, but that's about all I have. I try not to bother him much unless necessary."

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=width,125] [style=font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 3px; text-transform: lowercase; margin-top: -20px;]Team, Espeon tags, Balendin as Norman notes, [/style] [style=font-size: 10px; padding: 10px; margin-top: -40px;]✲ AMB Tanz [/style]

[norman]

"When you see him next , send him home. It would not be to hard to slip into Littleroot and visit his mother. More and more refugees pour into town every day. Lux simply cannot keep track of everyone coming in."

Telling a known Nox radical that the security of a Lux town was poor was probably not a very smart move, but Norman did not think it really mattered. No doubt Alyssa already had spies in Littleroot and if she did not, maybe it was time Nox had its eyes opened to what sort of suffering their foolish vendetta was causing the people of Hoenn. Hoenn Lux simply did not have the resources to care for the refugees particularly with Nox cutting off food supplies. In addition, Nox had shut down harbor towns to Lux ships all across Hoenn. Lux could neither provide for its charges or sent them to the sanctuary of Johto and Kanto. All they could do was wait while the people suffered and the jaws of Nox closed in around them.

Norman thought maybe he would bring the whole food shortages thing up since he was here, but he was interrupted by the sound of many footsteps moving hastily down the hallway. It seemed that Alyssa's protection or whatever had finally come.

"It seems like company is coming."

Norman pulled out a pokeball.

"Should I leave? I could just use the window here."

[alyssa]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=width,350][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true] [style=font-family: times new roman; font-size: 23px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 2px; font-style: bold;]Don't like change? [/style] She raised her eyebrows slightly, mildly surprised with the request (no, that was more of a “strong suggestion”) he gave her. ”Well…” the Leader scratched her head, letting her gaze drift from the man before her to the ceiling above her head. ”…I’m not his sitter or anything, but I’ll see what I can do.” Alyssa knew Norman knew full well she could have Ruby in Littleroot easily by giving him a direct order to do just as the Gym Leader had requested. However, Ruby was one of the people that stood above the rest of Hoenn Nox supporters – he was someone the Leader wouldn’t be fond of giving a direct order to. ”I’m aware of the situation of the massive influx of Lux-supporting refugees flocking to Littleroot since they see it as their only safehaven in Hoenn anymore. However…” the sounds of many footsteps racing up the stairs and down the stone hallway toward her office cut her off. She stared balefully at the door, watching the shadows on the wall grow larger as the people rushing to “protect” her from Norman finally made their way to them. ”It does.” Alyssa glanced down at him again, sighing as he pulled out a pokeball. She pointed a single finger at him, angled downward to emphasize her words. ”Stay seated.” The Leader looked up to see the small party brought to the aid she didn’t need skid to a halt at her door. ”Leader --!” Had they been ready to say more, she wouldn’t know, seeing as she cut them off almost immediately. ”Did I send for help?” ”No but…” Accusing hands with pokeballs in them pointed at Norman. ”Do I look like I’m in danger?!” ”No--!” ”No! Exactly! Go help construction more, you’ll know if I need you here! Out!” ”But --!” ”NOW!” She jumped off her desk and landed next to Norman’s chair before closing the door swiftly on the party’s unsure faces. She waited until she heard them walking away before going back to her desk and resuming her cross-legged seat upon it, staring at Norman. ”Sorry about that.” Alyssa coughed before continuing, ”However, they should be able to get out.” Her eyes began to narrow unhappily as a suggestion came to mind. ”I gave the Lilycove and Slateport harbors the order to allow people passage out of Hoenn if they so desired.” Her lip began to twitch, ”Don’t tell me --.” She didn’t finish her sentence out loud, —that the ship captains are still not permitting it?

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=width,125] [style=font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 3px; text-transform: lowercase; margin-top: -20px;]Team, Espeon tags, Balendin as Norman notes, [/style] [style=font-size: 10px; padding: 10px; margin-top: -40px;]✲ AMB Tanz [/style]

[norman]

Norman watched as the poor kids received a tongue lashing. It really was his fault, but it was still their fault that they let him reach Alyssa. Hopefully this did not stop them from coming to her aid in the future. Then again, Alyssa was technically the enemy so maybe he should be wishing her harm. It just seemed wrong to do that.

"If you gave that order, it does not seem that anyone has been getting out. I doubt any fearful Lux supporters would trust a ship captain that seems allied with Nox and I doubt a ship captain that supports Lux would pull into a Nox held harbor. Plus you know that those hardasses in the Lux mainland would never let a Nox ship to dock there without commandeering it. I would say make a public statement promising that Nox would not interfere with any Lux ships pulling into a Nox controlled harbor for the purpose of providing passage to refugees."