[Game Thread] Pokerole Mystery Dungeon: Primal Shadows

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

Once Marcus begun his tale of his past woe with Team Artificer, and how it all shaped him to be the Pokemon he was to this day, Pyra listened with rapt attention at first, hanging off each and every one of his words. Then, as he got into the details of his story, the brimstone imp's interest became less and less eager and energetic, and far more thoughtful and pondering, her smile smoothing out to the point of being nearly invisible. By the end, she was just......staring at him, part way comprehending him yet somehow  lost by what he was trying and meaning to teach the group.

Throughout the entire story, however, not once did she display any sign of care, compassion, or true empathy for the bones craftsmon past plight.

Because she didn't have ANY of such feelings for them, despite of them practically pouring their heart out to everyone.


Or rather, perhaps in spite of it.

Pyra......she honestly didn't get what and why Marcus had problems with Team Artificer's state goal and methods, beyond them seemingly screwing him over in the end. Seemingly, because it was him that decided he no longer could tolerate them for some reason and abandoned the Team that gave him reason a purpose in Life over what appeared to be a slightly baffling divide in opinion and ideology. She could sorta understand why he'd be mad and bitter about his former teammates breaking his prized possession, as she would be rather miffed if somebody stole or vandalized her or her friends Items, but she just could not get why he had such an extreme reaction as he did over it. They must have had a good reason to do what they did, if they were to do such a thing, right? Even if they didn't, you were supposed to forgive, accept, and love your teammates that gave your purpose, and support them no matter what. That, and why he suddenly and inexplicably started to feel SOMETHING for that Galvantula, and how that apparently further spurred him onto to feel animosity towards his former Team and cut ties with them + the Guild.

To her, the Cubone ultimately brought almost everything negative about his departure from Team Artificer upon himself for his nearly nonsensical and abrupt 'change of heart' (if that is the right term....) , making himself an enemy and pariah of his ex-teammates and The Guild , burning his bridges and forcing him to start from scratch. All because he could no longer agree with his Team's methodology and ideals for. Some. Reason.

And now, due her group being associated with him due to their chance meeting, they were being dragged into that mess of his own making. They suffered, were suffering, and perhaps would continue to suffer from his choices and the stigma it brought him from Team Artificer, should anything be done not to correct this problem non explosively or resentfully. And, given what she understood and learned about her beloved friends, and what she just seen from Kogeki's impassioned outburst and pledge, almost assuredly primed them to cause conflict and cause friction with the Team and others like them for the unforeseeable future and mire them further in there baffling and dangerous 'ideas' they had about Non Team Members/Close Friends to Team. 

For absolutely no good reason whatsoever, save for gratitude for the guidance he gave and the favor they owed him still. No good reason at all, save that he thought it was the right and correct thing to do, and tried to get everyone on board with his line of.....anti-logic.

Upon realizing and drawing that conclusion was when Pyra stopped smiling and started starting at him, thinking hard about WHAT he was trying (and to her, failing) to teach them and get some sense of understanding out of it all. Because at that point she was getting very frustrated with him and his own brand of moralization, and she didn't want to do anything too sudden, least she fully set off her friends and Confuse them all over this and her recent spats with them. She had enough of that, thank you very much.

From what she had gathered, she could only come up with three 'good' things : He wanted to protect and safeguard her group in some way by sharing this story and his own Insights on it, he want to paint and tar Team Artificer and those like them as 'bad' and pull them away from being/doing anything like them, and he simply and honestly felt that he was doing good by her and her friends by sharing his personal story. 

She hardly to begin to comprehend what sort of good he was trying to do by them beyond self interest and further reinforcing his own 'ideas' or rightness, so she didn't dwell on that reason for very long.

Team Artificer's methods, overall attitude, and goals didn't strike her as bad - in fact, she actually found it all to be entirely sensible and logical, if not good in its own way - and such thinking could probably benefit herself and the Team in their quest ahead to defeat The Darkness. If not, then T.A. certainly could've been ignored and the group could do things their own way without any meddlesome influence trying to unduly shake things up. So that reason was put to bed with the other.

No, the only reason that made any sense to her and the conclusions she had drawn was the first one: Marcus was trying to protect and guide the group to what he though of was the best and most good way possible. To not let them suffer his fate, and become in some way 'better' by emulating his 'ideas' and making almost everyone further doubling down on the nonsense idea-feelings for Non Friends. 

If that was the case (and it most likely was), he was not doing a very good job of it in the she demon's opinion. His and such thinking would only serve to cause more harm than good outside of needless reinforcement of a good public image/relations with Non-Hostile Non-Friends for her cherished companions, and she could already see the signs of such plaguing the group.

She realized that such harm was mainly due to her thoughts-ideas-thinking clashing with nearly everyone else (save Kogeki, and occasionally Kee). Had realized it for quite some time, even if she never fully actualized it as a full thought until now. If she just accepted such and similar thinking and made it her own, even only outwardly and superficially, then she imagines a LOT of the problems she's been having would go away.

It was such a simple solution. It would be so easy.

A simple, easy solution she wouldn't take. Not because she thought it to be wrong, but because she could not and would not support anything she couldn't gain some full understanding from UNLESS it was one of her friends OR if it would end up causing harm/harmful problems for everyone she cared about. To do so would be foolishly blind, something she refused to be of her own conscious volition. She could hardly understand half of what Marcus was trying to convey to the group, and what parts she thought she did were either things she entirely disagreed with or found to be flawed, biased, and needlessly provocatory, so she wouldn't do it. No matter how much problems it would solve between her and the group, no matter what it would cost her. 

That was that.

When Pyra finally processed and fully gathered her thoughts and opinions, her face hardened in twin with her resolve, and she looked poised to share her findings with her friends and Marcus. 

But she didn't. Because as she did so, she first looked at everyone first. Dax, angry, frustrated, and thoroughly fed up and in a state of agitated distress. Kogeki, wrathful yet newly resolved to fight back against what he perceived to be unjust and foul, to stay with the group and in the Guild he loathed to do so. Karen, quiet, meek, and sweet, yet also tense and sympathetic to what had been told, and always so worried, afraid, and disappointed in her own 'failings' . Kee, that lovable rouge....who knew what he was thinking, which way he'd end up blowing in the wind?  And Marcus, misguided, foolish, and potentially a grave detriment to her team, yet he seemed so earnest and sincere in his desire to help and nurture the group, despite having no good or sensible reason to do so.

Pyra looked at them all....and she just deflated. She frowned, a mixture of frustration, abject misery, and a sort of understanding screwing her features, before she looked away from everyone and decided to keep quiet for the time being.

She knew what she thought-believed was important, and that it must be shared with everyone to enlighten them of the bigger picture.....but she also knew that most would not like or accept it. It would only cause trouble, further division between herself and the rest, and set herself that much farther apart from her beloved friends. That, and though she was not pleased with Marcus with his story or his own choices therein and thereof, she didn't want to crush his spirits or make a enemy out of him. Because, misguide and incomprehensible as it may be, he just wants to help her and everyone in his own way. She couldn't fault that pure intention, even if she could find one for nearly everything else.

For now, until such a thing no longer had to be.....ignorance would be bliss, for her treasured friends and Marcus, no matter how much it ate her up so bitterly.

While Kogeki was occupied having his own blood boiling with the most heated wrath ever boiled, he had a moment to see Pyra own react towards everything said from both Marcus and Kogeki himself. He can imagined just a bit what is passing though her head.

Kogeki and Pyra even with a few days, have a few things in similar. Both have a more gray shade type of personality. Both of them have some actions and decisions who sometimes clash with the decisions of the group. And sometimes they are judge because of it, despite the loyalty they show to the group. In certain areas they very alike in many areas. And among them, Kogeki feel more connected to Pyra in terms of friendship because of it.

Thats why he decided to see if he can help her in whatever problem she is having. "...Excuse me. I think I will explore a bit this rest room. I need some time to think a few things..." Kogeki approach Pyra. And sit beside her side, respecting her silence and not saying anything, but showing he is for her in that moment like a friend. "We...can talk later if you want. I will always be here if you ever want to talk. Thats what friends are for." Thats the only words he silent tell her those words only she and him can hear.