[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Lucky. Shiva was so concentrated on the herbs that she outright missed that hidden blush on him. However... there was something wrong with the smile he gave her. Meanwhile, she knew him well enough to distinguish between the real honest ones and those that had a different feeling behind. Yet she could not always and far from clearly determine what kind of feeling it was. (At an Insight of 4 instead of the current 3, she might and most likely will be able to do that though.) Right now... Was this worry? Or curiosity what she'll do with the herbs? Or a mixture of both...

"Of course you deserve thanks for finding those! I'll make sure to craft them into an incense stick later to be held by a Pokemon. It'll help if Confusion over an opponent's attack arises and grants a peaceful sleep on top of that." Right. Nothing wrong with that. Just her beloved mystic and the hope to reenergize herself and her Pokemon in case things begin to overrun her.

She listened to his reply over his mother's occupation with great interest, however. In fact, after a few words, she ordered him to sit down just where they were, on a meadow apart from the main path, framed by the yellow and orange foliage of the forest. Even with the trees trimmed, it did not dimish the 'elusive' feeling here. Fennekin quickly came over to place himself close to Shiva and was receiving careful stroked behind his ears. He placed his head down to rest after sniffing on the Spindleweed and deciding he already knew the scent.

So... Practically speaking, it was a little similar to the way Shiva grew up... With the difference that it was her father's business that caught her as soon as she was mature enough. Helping out where she could... Handling the various Pokemon given into care, same with the changeable amount of eggs to hatch...

If she would have the chance, she would absolutely love to meet Ven's mother once.
... .... .... Yes, IF.


"But then...?" Things...changed? Something's very wrong here... VERY wrong... Why that sadness all of a sudden? That silence felt not good. It meant nothing good.

After a while of that silence, Shiva carefully touched him by the shoulder. Honestly distracted by that sudden change in atmosphere, while secretly, she was about to get WHAT was wrong. She declined his offer before... She gave him the space he needed until he felt ready to tell on his own. It came unexpected that now was the time... Was it? Only he decides.

"Hey... Ven, listen... No, look at me. Look. At. ME." Then, the very very hestant words, nothing more than a whisper filled with fright over what may come next. "What...has happened?"

[Lord Windos]

If she would have the chance, she would absolutely love to meet Ven's mother once.
... .... .... Yes, IF.


"But then...?" Things...changed? Something's very wrong here... VERY wrong... Why that sadness all of a sudden? That silence felt not good. It meant nothing good.

After a while of that silence, Shiva carefully touched him by the shoulder. Honestly distracted by that sudden change in atmosphere, while secretly, she was about to get WHAT was wrong. She declined his offer before... She gave him the space he needed until he felt ready to tell on his own. It came unexpected that now was the time... Was it? Only he decides.

"Hey... Ven, listen... No, look at me. Look. At. ME." Then, the very very hestant words, nothing more than a whisper filled with fright over what may come next. "What...has happened?"

Ventus slowly, slowly inclined his head up towards her, meeting her eyes at last. Silence prevaded the clearing they were in, and the world seem so still at the moment. As if it was itself anticipating the often harried researcher's response to his best friend. A gale of wind suddenly wiped through the clearing, scattering the fallen leaves surrounding them in an absolute flurry. Once the wind died down, Ven sat down on the ground cross legged, and motioned for Shiva to do the same.

Staring at her for a few more seconds, he finally decided to speech, his voice now tired and full of defeat. "A more appropriate question would be 'What didn't happen.' You already know the story of my earlier years, and my time with Genesect, but you are not privy to all more skeletons, Shiva. Only the beginning and the tail end of my tale, but never of the middle of it. I've already told Nathan about this dismal point in my life, in an effort to explain my action and to regain the trust he lost in me. Now, I believe its time for you to know the complete version of events. The story is thus....."


{My my, what a wonderful day for a sad story}

(Now Shiva know a part of Ventus' dark past...but not all of it. Even Nathan doesn't know all the sorrid detail to this man's life...)

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

(Shiva is already sitting there in the meadow, no need to motion her~You can edit that out.)


His gaze almost told everything. So full of gloom... He wasn't even trying to conceal it. If he did, he failed spectacularly to do so in front of her.

Ah... Nature replied on the situation. The wind must have caught up the tension here, and tried to blow it away. It felt amazingly well. Fennekin yawned on this and placed his head in new Master's lap. Not sleeping, though. He kept his eyes open and seemed eager to here the story as well. Magical lil' fox. He lived in this forest, so he knew.


........................................................................................................................................................................................................



Shiva said not a single word as he opened up towards her. She actually did not show any signs on the outside. Neither inside. She was just...drained. Empty.

As he finished though, hell broke loose in her. Something deep inside must have cracked, releasing a storm of emotions. Still, those felt far FAR away. Like...it weren't her own.

She just leaned her head into his shoulder, burrying her face there, as the tears began to fall. Salty tears of bitterness and sadness. Compeletely silent for a while, before they were accomplished by nearly toneless sobbing. Ah... Maybe better without glasses... Her vision was blurred by tears anyway.

THAT must be the reason he's so worried and overprotective over certain things. That must be the reason why he adresses his Pokemon with 'brother' and 'sister'. He had nonelse. That must be the reason why he fears Fairies... Why him? He was... such a good and kindhearted person...

[Nylon]

Valder, having visited the poke center, was now looking around for whatever might catch his eye. I'd like the valuable item if I may.

 Valder walks on a stick and jumps quickly aside. He then realises a stick scared him and gets a bit embarrased. 20exp used on dex!

[Lord Windos]

Shiva said not a single word as he opened up towards her. She actually did not show any signs on the outside. Neither inside. She was just...drained. Empty.

As he finished though, hell broke loose in her. Something deep inside must have cracked, releasing a storm of emotions. Still, those felt far FAR away. Like...it weren't her own.

She just leaned her head into his shoulder, burrying her face there, as the tears began to fall. Salty tears of bitterness and sadness. Compeletely silent for a while, before they were accomplished by nearly toneless sobbing. Ah... Maybe better without glasses... Her vision was blurred by tears anyway.

THAT must be the reason he's so worried and overprotective over certain things. That must be the reason why he adresses his Pokemon with 'brother' and 'sister'. He had nonelse. That must be the reason why he fears Fairies... Why him? He was... such a good and kindhearted person...

Even as drained and miserable he was after telling his dark tale again, he couldn't afford to wallow in it. After all, Shiva was doing plenty of that herself right now, and it made him feel even worse, somehow. "Shiva, don't cry over me. Those events happened so very long ago, and I have grown stronger for them. You don't have to mourn over their deaths, so please..." Ven said, looking sad and worrid at her, but his word where to no avail.  Ventus knew then that, unlike with Nathan, a simple pep talk wouldn't work; not this time.

So with slow and careful deliberation, Ventus leaned over the crying young woman, and enveloped her in a full body hug. He rubbed her back soothingly, letting her get all of the anguish out of her system. Then, he began to sing Shiva a song:


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You would not believe you eyes,

If ten million Illumise,

Lit up the world as I fell asleep

'Cause they fill the open air,

And leave teardrops everywhere,

You'd think me rude, but I would stand and

Stare

(Chorus)

I'd like to make myself believe,

That the planet Earth turns slowly

It's hard to say that I rather stay awake when I'm asleep, when everything is never as it seems...

(End Chorus)

'Cause I get a thousand hugs,

By ten thousand lightning bugs,

As they teach me how to dance...

A foxtrot above my head,

A sock hop beneath my bed,

A disco ball is just hanging by a thread...

(Chorus Section)

Leave my door open just a crack (Please take me away from here)

I feel like such an insomniac (Please take me away from here)

Why do I tire of counting sheep? (Please take me away from her)

When I'm far too tired to fall asleep...

To ten million Illumise,

I' weird 'cause I hate to say good-byes,

I got misty eyed as they said farewell (they said farewell)

But I'll know where several are,

If my dreams get real bizarre,

'Cause I save a few and I keep them in a jar. (jar, jar, jar)

(Chorus Twice)

It's hard to say I'd rather stay awaken when I'm asleep,

Because my dreams are bursting at the seems...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As he finished the song, he just sat there, now stroking the hair of the young woman. He'll stay with here, no matter how long it takes....

[Dragonstrike]

(Not familiar with that song? Well, here it is! Fireflies by Owl City)

EDIT: And here's a Karaoke version if you want to sing along with Ventus

[Lord Windos]

Ten million Illumise

(Oh darn it, I knew I was missing something!)

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

(Absolutely beautiful. Well done, Ven.)

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

... It took a while, but Ven's efforts to calm her down began to have an impact on her. The stream of tears has stopped. Not completely as his melodic voice subsided, but it clearly got a lot better.

Whether it were the gentle hug he gave her, the lyrics of his song or him just being there now that played the biggest role, was undisclosed. Did it matter? No. The biggest role might be...

... "Still... You never lost the ability to smile... And the will to move and live on..." Ah. The sobbing stopped. While her voice was just a weak whisper, she knew he'd hear every word clearly as ever. She even made it smile by herself in all this bitterness. She didn't even cared as he began to stroke through her ordinary messy hair, and rather...appreciated it. His touch was soft.

Fennekin reacted to the whole thing with an appreciating and encouraging howl up to the sky.


---------------
Mechanics:
Shiva will need the rest of the day and a good night's sleep to get over it, and most likely will walk in some sort of unconscious emotional daze until actually getting to rest for the night. She'll act and behave relatively normal on the outside, though. The Comite-Encounter surely will take her mind off things!~

[Lord Windos]

... It took a while, but Ven's efforts to calm her down began to have an impact on her. The stream of tears has stopped. Not completely as his melodic voice subsided, but it clearly got a lot better.

Whether it were the gentle hug he gave her, the lyrics of his song or him just being there now that played the biggest role, was undisclosed. Did it matter? No. The biggest role might be...

... "Still... You never lost the ability to smile... And the will to move and live on..." Ah. The sobbing stopped. While her voice was just a weak whisper, she knew he'd hear every word clearly as ever. She even made it smile by herself in all this bitterness. She didn't even cared as he began t stroke through her ordinary messy hair, and rather...appreciated it. His touch was soft.

Fennekin reacted to the whole thing with an appreciating and encouraging howl up to the sky.

Time passed. Tears flowed. Sorrow reigned for a brief moment. But it was only for a moment. His soothing hug, his lyrical voice, his presence....slowly, but surely, all of it prevailed over the foul mood that had befallen the magical young woman. His curiosity was briefly flared to life when heard her whisper those word, and a tired, wane, yet genuine smile graced his face. With both hands, Ventus cusped Shiva's head, and gently guided her eyes to him.

"To survive is to endure, but to thrive is to be kind. To care for other, and be with them in there time of need...that is my purpose in life. I can't give up; too many people that need my aid makes it an impossibility. Having support of such a miraculous, compassionate woman as yourself, though?" Ventus said, before leaning down and, with great delicacy, places a chaste kiss on her forehead. "It makes my burdens lighter, and gives me the power to march on my endless quest. Thank you, Shiva."

And so, the two sat there, enjoying each other's comforting presence, until they both have recovered from their emotional backlash. Truelly, what would either be without one another? In the end, the researcher never want to think of the possibility

*End Flashback*

Order: Ventus will appear completely normal to the group as he goes and encounters the Spearow! Let's hope he find something good!