[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Lord Windos]

The confusion silently increased, and so did some worry as what was troubling him to make such a show out of it.... Facing Ven for a few silent and thoughtful moments that felt like minutes, she then opted to lean a litte over to be right at the side of this oddball of a troubled researcher, facing him again from there with an expression of....yes, subtle fear. But at the same time, she slently askshim to speak up and not bottle things up now - it's way too late already to retreat.

"I'll try not to begrudge you, but I can't promise that 100% unless you let me know what's wrong. But.... I don't want to leave your side now after all we have shared and built up together.... I hope you don't either. Ven, you don't want to break up, do you? Does your sexual and romantic orientation prevent us from being together?"

A great big *Sigh* was issued from Ventus' lips as he hear her response and the undercurrent of fresh fear that now enlived her, feeling worse and worse about what he's going to say to her, but his own thoughts mirrored her own at the moment: it was too late to retreat.

".....That is more than enough, my love. I hope we can remain together for an epoch, but if what I say drives a wedge between us......then all I can say I can live with that regret, if it means that what I say is not in vain. (...) *Shots them a confused look, before lightly shaking his head( Perish the though Shiva. My....orientation nor our relationship is the topic of this discussion......."

Deep breath.

Now is the time to speak now.

Or Forever hold your peace.

Ventus turned to face her, and looked directly in the eyes, expression furious.

"No, what I want to discuss is how you have unbelievably, idiotically, and recklessly endangered you life multiple times, when it could have been easily avoided."

His voice came out like an crack of a whip, its tone completely altered. Before, it was tired, resigned, and hesitant. Now, it was charged with an anger born of worry and unrest. A certain kind of fury that both chilled and heat a person right up.

"Think back to the Tusk, Shiva. When we all overcame the Guardians of the location, and entered in the sanctuary, knowing something was in there that had sent them out to oppose us, but not what it was. Shortly discovered it was a......thing that had taken the shape of an old hermit, seemingly absorbed in working their magics on the clay before them. We didn't know what it was capable of, other than it could summon a small squad of Pokémon to ward off or possibly kill anything that dares trespass on his domain. It could be friendly, and only was trying to test us, as it turned out to be the case. Or they could be malicious, and was waiting for us to lower our guard before striking us all down in one feel swoop. Either way, we did not and could not know whether it would treat us with kindness, hate, dispassion, or otherwise for what we did to seek audience. They were unknown.  They were inscrutable. They were dangerous. A n d  w h a t  d i d  y o u  d o  ?"

He hissed out those last words in an seething tone, before he pressed right on in, coming closer to the woman until his presence loomed over her.

" Y o u  w e n t  r i g h t  u p  a n d  s a t  b e s i d e  i t ,  a n d  i n t e r u p p t e d  t h e m  i n  t h e  m i d d l e  o f  w h a t  t h e y  w e r e  i n t e n s e l y  f o c u s e d  o n.  A l l  w i t h o u t  k n o w i n g  h o w  i t  w o u l d  r e a c t ,  o r  t h i n k i n g  o f  t h e  p o s s i b l e  c o n s e q u e n c e s  o f  y o u r  a c t i o n s. "

The voice was deep, monotone, and guttural, such a stark departure from the normally sweet and dulcet tones of the sociologist that it was like something else was speaking in his place. Someone unkind and unyielding.

"Do you know what could have happened, instead of it humoring us all and help save Stair and by extension Cheshire? It could have killed you. It could have killed ALL of us. He could have done WORSE. It could have done ANY NUMBER OF HORRIBLE THINGS. And there would be NOTHING we could have done to prevent it! All we done could have been for naught, or a terrible fate could have befallen you because Y O U  A C T E D  L I K E  A  F O O L.  A .  F O O L !!!"

Word were ground out like wood being ejected from a chipper, blasting with full force. Vens backs away at this moment and takes a deep breath to force himself to wind down from that stressed, panicked induced anger peak. This took only a few seconds, though, as his iron clad grip over himself was in especially fine form for this STERN lecture, giving her no chance to recover when he launched into the next part.

"That was then, though. For awhile, I thought I would accept it as a woeful lapse of judgement on your part, and not burden you with the possible ramifications of your actions. That you do differently for now on. Regretfully for both of us, I was wrong. Just three days ago, for whatever reason, you decided to engage in battle against a wild and clearly murderous Druddigon. Alone, with no back up. I don't even need to go into detail why that was a very S T U P I D decision, as you are painfully are of what could have happened if IT prevailed instead of you. Even if you didn't know you were going to end up facing that beast in particularly, I know you knew that you were about face off against something very, VERY, DANGEROUS , or otherwise you or your Pokémon wouldn't have been keyed up the way you were. I know the difference between surprise shock and expectant battle shock, and you were experiencing the later to my senses. We (the group) could ALL have delt with the Dragon together with minimized risk, but instead for whatever reason you choose not to. Why did you choose to do something so idiotic, Shiva? Why? WHY?!"

Another deep breath, a *Huff....* being issued this time as closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose while shaking his head in a combination of pure dismay, frustration, anger, and fearful concern. When he re-opened his eyes, his expression was back to being tired once more, but it was now also sullen in addition to holding traces of lingering anger still fresh worry.

"Do you know why I'm lecturing you this so harshly. Bringing these moments in harsh, ugly light, and forcing you to understand how foolish, rash, and idiotic both you actions in them? ...........................*Sighs* I'm not doing this to punish you, Shiva. Nor to voice my greviances with you decisions, at least not maliciously so. Neither those thing. .......I spoke the way I did because I wanted to teach you about these errornous choices, so that you try to act wisely and don't ever do them again....... and show you just how worried and scared I was and still am. ....Shiva, if you had been harmed or....or worse .......it would be like losing my father and brother again. Helpless.....powerless......completely and utterly miserable.  Then.....then I would get angry. Mad. U N F E T T E R E D. And much, much worse. I'd become a monster to avenge your death at any cost......including my own life, if that was put on the chopping block."

Dead silence for a full minute, before Ventus continued in an almost heartbroken voice.

"I.....I....I don't want those things to happen to either of us, my love. I don't want either of us to grieve for each other's lose, all because we acted foolishly or as a consequence of said actions. I want us to be together, to cherish and to love and to support each other through all times good and ill. I don't want you looking before you Bounce, only to land in something fall too dire for you to handle alone. I want you to continue to grow and excel as not only a Pokémon Breeder, but as the wonder, magnificent, and splendid woman that you are, with or without me. So please, even if you now despise me for mercilessly grilling you for what I conceive as failings on your part, I want you to take my words to heart and not to repeat your past mistakes. To act wisely and with great caution, only endangering yourself when you have no other choice, or if its justified to do so. P-P-Please, my love.....please....."

The empath is in near tears by the end of his long, harsh, lecture, jerking his head away from his most blessed of friend, someone MUCH too good for him in almost ANY universe imaginable, and buries it into his hand, trying his best for the last time to calm himself down. Easier said than done in this case, for fae woman was the beginning and end of this emotional mess he's in, making it more difficult to dissaociate himself from his feelings and ruthlessly control them.

If Shiva has anything to say in response, now is the time.

For better, or for worse.....