[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Dragonstrike]

With Nathan!

With Nathan!

Spoiler

"...humble...yeah, let's go with that...*ahem*..."

Well, he IS being humble, but there's more to this than that.

Though that uncomfortableness is very, very quickly replaced by pure shock as Ventus proposes his first 'favor'.  Nathan can't help but stare at Ventus for a few minutes, wide eyed.

...that was one of the last things he'd expected Ventus to ever say...and even Gallade is at least a little surprised, too.

Still staring at Ventus, and almost completely ignoring Shiva and everyone else, Nathan can't help but ask, "...who are you, and what have you done with Ventus?"

Ven can see that, but doesn’t press the issue anymore than he already has. Overbearing as he’s been, it seems there is a limit for his intrusive friendliness and praise after all.

This is proven even more true when his smile turns wry and self-derisive at the boy’s and psychic knight’s disbelief at his favor, but none the less he takes it in stride and answers thusly: “A fool burdened by his past and fears, that has never learned properly how to let go, move on, or make any exceptions for both. Until now, that is.”

He sighs.

“Or at least, for you. After having leaving the group and having a chance to reflect on our journey together, I realized that too much bad blood had been made about Orthros, and it had almost totally stained and coagulated our bond. That alone only made me loathe them even more for a time, but….I eventually saw that such hatred and prejudice served only to make me blind to their….specialness and myself miserable. Ruin my friendship too, but that should go without saying by now.”

Another sigh, before he briskly continued.

“Combine that with learning that you were going to delve into the Skull Ruins in order to retrieve mystical Artifacts to combat Deoxys, and our…..conversation prior to that, and had what you may call an epiphany. I let myself be overcome with my own feelings and beliefs about Orthros warp and nearly destroy our friendship, and it would forever remain as such if I did nothing about it. *Chuckles* For I believe it’ll be a cold day in hell before you’d ever forsake a Pokemon for any reason, so lovably stubborn and principled as you are. That …..or if I never saw you again.”

The sociologist gone pedantic wanly smiled.

“So I decided thusly: if you were to make it out of the Skul Ruins and survive your struggle against Deoxys, I would find some way to make amends with you over Orthors. Seeing as you have spectacularly done both and have – excuse me, most likely become a hero by saving Cheshire and indebted myself to you for your righteous deed, I found exactly such an opportunity.”

*Chuckles*

“In all honestly I expected you to be the one to ask me to ‘let things go’ with Orthros, but seeing that you weren’t going to do that I decided to be proactive.”

With that reveal, Ventus frowns, his expression morphing into one of utmost seriousness.

“Be warned that just because I will accept Orthros and no longer harass them or you about them doesn’t mean I will ever like or trust them. My absolution of them does not to their rest of its kin as well, as my desires to see them remain separate from humanity still burn bright and hot as ever. After what they did to Corsage, the threat that their powers pose to dreamers everywhere, and their own nature, I can’t in good conscious accept them as anything less than monsters, waiting to prey on the unsuspecting. Just because you managed to do the impossible by taming one and eliminating its kind inherent vileness doesn’t mean anyone else can, or should.”

Once more, a sigh slips from his lips as he deflates, and he gives Nathan a half smile marred with conflicted feelings.

“Be that as it may, I shall, however, be open to the possibility of being on good terms with it in the future, or at the very least amiable ones. Nor will I condemn or impinge on its relationship to you, and no longer let it stand between our friendship. It and you deserve that, I believe.”

“And…..that is that, I suppose. All’s that left is what you have to say about this.”

Despite saying so, the eccentric researcher’s smile turned wryly amused as he remembered something, and he promptly started speaking again.

“Ah, but it would be remiss of me also to not mention that our friend Terra took pains to highlight the wholesome qualities of the dog and his own positive experiences with it in his reports to me, and endeavored to persuade me to take on such a friendly perspective of it. At first I thought you managed to fool him or sought to manipulate me through his reports, but that didn’t last as he persisted in his campaign and I saw his intent to be genuine and unaffected. His words played a major part in me revising my opinion of Orthros, so you should go thank him for this when you can.”

(First thing I want to address is that Nathan almost ignoring everyone else present was not meant to be a rude gesture.  The description was meant to illustrate just how surprised Nathan is and state where the bulk of Nathan's attention is at.  Shiva hasn't really commented on any of the stuff Nathan's said to Ventus (and the opposite is true as well), either, so...I honestly didn't think it would be an issue?)

"...that's, uh...wow...okay..."

Nathan really isn't sure what to say about Ventus's response at first.

Eventually, he awkwardly rubs the back of his head and mumbles, "...I'm not sure Orthros will ever be comfortable with being around you, either, to be honest...but if you're going to bury the hatchet, then it'll probably be okay for the most part..."  Nathan doesn't have to say why Orthros dislikes Ventus out loud, really.

He coughs, then changes topics slightly.  "...so, uh...about the rest of those dogs, though...I have a new theory about why they might have attacked...I don't have sufficient evidence to prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt yet, but...there's a chance that something might have caused them to be more aggressive than usual...if I'm right...that could mean trouble.  Big, big trouble.  I'll get back to you and Dagny on that later, though."

"...also...you should probably talk to Dagny ASAP.  There's a...different issue that I'm sure you'd be interested in hearing about.  I'd tell you right now, but...you know...it's one of our secret ones that we've discussed previously.  I think it's about time we took some action before somebody else did.  If you wanted to tag along, I, uh...don't think anyone would complain."