[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

After camp had been speedily set up thanks to the coordinated efforts of Shiva and her Pokémon (something he was in no good condition to do, and therefore was extremely grateful for) and a bland but filling ration bar as dinner, Ventus headed off to bed to be fully prepared for his second night watch shift, as he was not going to shirk his work 'just because' he nearly got blown to smitherins! His most precious person in the world's suddenly pinning him in place with a intense stare before yanking them both away from camp soundly foiled his attempt at getting some rest, leaving him quite surprised/startled in the process! And after seeing the mix of thunderously angry, miserably distraught, relieved thankfulness mix and mar his fae fancy's beautiful countenance and emotional state as she continued to stare at him in privacy.......

.......Well, it was certainly a deeply worrying, unnerving, forboading, and terrifying thing for Ventus to bear witness/being subject to. It had become apparent at mind boggling speeds that Shiva was just as an upset mess as he was when he nearly got exploded, and when she all but screamed at him that her current state was his fault, the often paranoid researcher was left extremely mystified and horrified. 'What in the name of the Tao Trio and Djin have I done to cause my dear Shiva to cause her to experience a near breakdown like myself?!' he thought, trying (and barely succeeding) not to let her feelings cause him to started panicking AGAIN and only compound the dire situation.....

.....And then she clarified just what caused/was causing her to react like she did/is, and he felt his heart drop into he pit of his stomach. Him pursuing Shedinja alone was the source of his dearly beloved girlfriend's woes, and that just made him feel like he was the scum of the earth. Before he could even begin to try and speak justifications for his actions and going from their to solve this problem, she had neatly denied him that by pre-emptively absolving him of his insatiable interest in Shedinja lead him to try (and failing right now) hunting it down, which completely threw him for a loop judging by the flabbergasted look he gave her. Her subsequently then re-affirming her point and rather forcibly entreating, nay, demanding reparations and alluding to the grievous emotional harm he had invariably inflicted on her had him stammering out a response, looking harried and flustered as he raised both hands in surrender/palication.

"Y-yes my dearest, I-I promise t-that I will f-fully and th-thoroughly repay you for th-the....m-my aggregious s-s-search for Shedinja! I-I h-had abso-solutely NO in-intention in-in dis-stressing y-you or th-the others, n-nor I-inspiring feelings of a-abandon-donment, pain, and s-sorrow in y-you as a re-result, and I'm de-deeply s-sorry fr-from th-the b-bottom of my h-heart! It-It won't ha-happen again, I s-swear, so p-please for-forgive me for th-this some-someday........!

His vows and promise did not stop her from continuing laying into/lambasting him for his then logical decision, causing him to lower his arms back down and weakly protest (after he managed to get himself stopping from stammering!) by saying: "But.....my sister Malphena can track the movement of Shedinja, and I frequently left markers for myself so I could find my way back to the group once I found it or ceased my search. Turiel and Lucifer could have also help find my way back with their respective keen navigation abilities......" However, he went into uneasy silence as she brought up how even worse fates could have befallen him, and her comment about leaving herself and his child alone almost made him physically ill at the thought alone. A future that he couldn't share with his cherished cherub and angelic girlfriend, and leaving both beavering at his death/vanishing? Perish Song the thought!!!

As she whispered those last few damning words, a line that was damning as bloody knife, Ventus couldn't help but hang his head in defeat, now feeling like an absolute failure of a man on top being a unthinking scumbag. "Shiva.......I'm........so sorry. I....didn't think of all the......implications and consequence......going on ahead on my search would.......entail. I just wanted......to find that Shedinja and see if I couldn't persuade it to be part of my research and perhaps even join my family......like the Ninjask that it was cast off and created from. I also......wanted to depart from that......Fern's presence, so I.....suppose.......in my.......haste to escape and locate Shedinja........I acted far more freckless and thoughtlessly than I originally thought...... After......After nearly being blown up with my brother and sisters in our search for it.........I think the fears and anguish you're experience are more that......justified.'

The researcher then chuckles at this point, but its a pitful, lifeless thing, and their was a now a ghost of a smile on his face to accompany it.

"The worst part is that I still wish to go after Shedinja, despite my family suffering for it, nearly getting harmed myself, and all the trouble I've caused for you my dear. The species is extraordinarily rare, and the circumstance about its creation from some but not all Nincada shells is shrouded in mystery, so very little is documented on it as a result. That, I feel a.....personal connection to it, as it was ushered into this world as a direct result of helping my Ninjask evolve, so I want to at least attempt to make an offer for it to join me should I find it. .......Strange, how our desires can lead us astray, or down paths we would not have traveled otherwise, isn't it? I can't promise you I'll stop in my quest to find Shedinja.....but I can promise you that I won't make the same mistake I made going after it alone in the first place. *Sighs* I'm so sorry for all this, my love. I'm sorry...."

Yena's support did little to comfort him at this point, but he is sure to give them a wane yet genuine smile and rub their head in thanks (if they let him), signaling they got their sentiments loud and clear.

At the end of her tirade, Ven preferred to be let go, frowning and letting out a tired, unhappy *Sigh* when she suddenly became apologetic over the reaming she gave him, and slowly shook his head in disagreement.

".....You are not the one who should be apologizing for this, dear. As I have said, your.....negative and passonate reaction to my depature is more than justified, so please don't feel culpable for your own feelings. What I did to you....to everyone was wrong, and I should be held to task for it. Otherwise, how am I to learn what is and is not acceptable, and become a wiser person for it......? .......I hate to do this to you, but I need some time to myself so I can.....reflect over my transgression and.......pull myself together after all that's......happened today. .............Good night, Shiva."

With that solemnly said, Ventus briskly departed from his girlfriend and headed towards the tent, both to get rest and do as he said. He was already a mess that was barely coming back together after nearly being made combustible in the explosion, but with Shiva's verbal assault and the realizations they bring.......he could feel himself threatening to fall apart at the seems. That, and he was generally speaking feeling quite miserable himself - and rightly so in his opinion - , so he didn't want to bring his most blessed girlfriend mood down any further than he already has. Hopefully by morning he'll be able to function with at least the semblance of normality......

Malphena again had almost zero interest in teasing/playing around with Ralts as she stood watch with her master, them, and Turiel, as the main bulk of her attention was divided between making sure Ven was really ok as he said he was and keeping watch of their surrounding. She does have her own priorities, and fortunately for Ralts he was on the bottom of the list at the moment, so he's spared of the screaming banshee's usual molestations! That didn't stop him from starting anything himself, however..... (AKA: If you want them to get some fun revenge on Malphena, now's the time!)

*Flashback Ends?*

Flashback!

Yeah, Ralts is goin' through quite a range of emotions currently, so he doesn't add anything else to the actual 'conversation' as he sorts through them and tries to remain calm.  Afterwards, however...

Well, he ends up giving Ventus a stern, worried look of his own.  'You had us ALL worried, buster!  Don't do that again!'  But once that's communicated, he calms down and gives Ventus a reassuring pat.  'It'll be fine.'

How much of those are his own opinion is hard to tell, but it's definitely not entirely something he picked up with his empathy...

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During the night watch, Ralts is feeling a lot better.  He's still rather fussy about Ventus, but he's sure the human will bounce back from this.  So he spends some time to really sit down and analyze the emotions of everything in the general area.  If anything turns up, he'd inform Ventus immediately!  And maybe Nathan, too.

Fortunately, nothing does.

He ends up looking towards Malphena with a reeeaaallly puzzled expression on his face, though (not that anyone can actually see it due to the darkness and his green 'hat').  He shakes his head to clear it and refocuses a moment later.  Maybe he's just imagining things...there's all sorts of emotions he still has to sort through.  Maybe he's just mixing up a few...

He's not the kind of pokemon to seek revenge for just a little playful teasing.  Besides, Nathan told him and Calam off massively before...he really just wants the teasing to stop, though...*sigh*...it's at this point that he REALLY wishes he was a proper Gallade right about now, instead of simply trying to emulate being one...then this wouldn't be a problem...