[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Hey, uhm, @Iron, may I get some reaction or - better - comfort from Raphael or Cottonee? All that sharing-her-worry and bringing up that she wishes to head into a different direction than the group formerly soft-agreed is hard, subtly stressful and burdening for her additionally to the fear of the threat shown in the vision, so these two especially helping her cope with the distress.

Original Post 1

When Shiva talk about Clefairy, Heart remember about the Moonstone. A place where Clefairy lives and have a Sunstone mine, maybe there is Moonstones. "Its problably indeed looks a lovely place. And if I recall, Cottonee line evolve though Sunstones. Another reason for you to go there Shiva. And since there is Clefairy there, it is another fairy for you to catch Shiva. I remember you mentioned the wish in find one. With some luck, perhaps we may find a Moonstone and that way you can evolve Clefairy..." Heart almost say Caesar too, but he remember about her fear with Nidorinos. If he say something about Caesar evolve to Nidoking...no, there is no reason to worry Shiva even more. "If you want Shiva, I may offer my help to hunt a Clefairy and Moonstones."

Shiva knows all that Heart is sharing here quite well herself, it's all adding to her liking for Elanor and the joy she'd find over the thought of visiting this town. The PUNisher unknowingly speaking out all her thoughts aloud was a little weird and allienating for the coy fae enthusiast at first, displayed by how her getting a little nervous and skittish towards him. She can also relatively easy imagine that Heart himself would be interested in a Moonstone - for evolving Caesar into that toxic bone-breaking male Nido.

Just the thought of that species makes her ask for another Mint Tea Punch, when given she downs it within a minute.

Though she also feels a bit flattered by the offered help here. "H.....'Hunting Clefairys' sounds mean... Poor moonfairies. :C But I, eh, would be glad to have one coming with me if it likes, indeed... Thanks for the....hehe...offer. And the tea."

Original Post 2

Underneath his stoic façade, he's rather confused AND worried about this whole cryptic 'Disaster from the Stars' , but he doesn't let it show. Panicking or his befuddled interupttions for context/explanation wouldn't be condusive for the meeting, so for now he just tries to follow along the best he could, and save his questions for later (or not, if he gains understanding later/doesn't need to understand the deeper meanings).
 
Somebody also has to keep a calm head to help the others out when needed and make rational decisions, and since everyone else seems to distressed to some degree, it falls to him to be that person. Should be easy.....hopefully.

(I'd guess it's very hard to hide something from sensitive Shiva now with her legendary Insight, especially if Terra's within the same room and not able to close his mind from others like Ventus was. If he is though suprisingly, forget what I said! Whether she can be fooled though, I'm not sure, would need GM's input when someone is trying that.)

However, she actually quite appreciates Terra for staying calm, stoic and rational here. She's distressed and worried enough, and it's not only her who is. She also can't help but to feel that the simple monk's having issues to really follow what has been discussed/shared, she already offered him to ask questions if he doesn't get something or needs a retelling of things in a more 'understandable for the easy mind'-way. She wouldn't mind at all.

Original Post 3

"...it's...weird...I saw a vision...but...it wasn't one Gallade was sharing with me...he felt the lurch too and had a vision at the same time...but his was...apparently just a vision of this Pokemon Center...mine was...completely different..."

...the very fact that he saw a vision almost entirely separate from Gallade is what he's having trouble trying to process.

"...weirder still, it was...a vision...of a vision...I saw...Kirlia, before he'd evolved into Gallade...maybe before I'd devolved him even...I'm not sure...but...he was viewing a vision of...me...holding a glowing sword that I can only presume to be the same one that keeps getting mentioned..."

...

"...I was...pointing southwest with it.  And there was a sense of...urgency.  That's all..."

...

He knows Shiva is going to latch on to that immediately and say it points to Elanor.  100%.  He's been around her long enough to pick up on her general behavior.

...and frankly, the thought just kinda depresses him a little.

"...Elanor is almost directly west of Cress.  Southwest is...Teazel Valley and the Safari Zone."

Nathan does not seem comfortable saying that.  At all.  He's totally expecting Shiva to flame him or get super depressed for one reason or another, given that he's offering contradictory opinions to her own.  Again.  Even though it's with good reason.

The mentioning of that vision from Nathan's side...to be honest, it kinda catches Shiva's interest and she even looks up to face him very carefully, right after she desperately rubbed her moist eyes. The boy is pretty much the VERY LAST one she'd expect to have such a spiritual thing given he's usually pretty logical, stern and likely to trust facts more than assumptions.

At first she doesn't say a thing as she needs a moment to order her thoughts and process what she shared here. "Ah, these lurchs....", she eventually speaks up, "Yes, I noticed as well that these seemingly follow us since Atheneum. I'm in contact with a clockmaker from Violet Tent about these - they said they'll bring things up to Prof. Laurelin and will let me know if she founds out something worth knowing."

"That seen vision of yours... I feel that may come to a big part from your close connection to Gallade since he was a small Ralts, especially since you said you saw it from Kirlia's eyes. Humm... It seems something important, so thank you for sharing. If there are more and they feel meaningful, please let us know, alright?"

She mostly ignores that depressing and unformfortable (fearful almost?) feelings from Nathan, and remains all calm in response to those as she begin to page to the map of Chreshire drawn in her Guidebook, begins to muster it with unspoken 'Hmmm's...', tracing lines that depict Routes with one finger and petting through dear Cottonee's soft fluff all the time as she gave her Master a worried glance and chirp upon hearing that this 'Elanor' is in a different direction than that valley the boy mentioned....? "Southwest you say... Urgency you say. I, well, see no problem at all if we make a stop in Teazel Valley and its Safari Zone as it's practically on the way to Elanor if we follow the Routes. I'd like to follow the Routes, yes - Going through the savannah blindly with wild Pokemon ready to punce at any moment is an act only the MOST insane or brave people would do. I'd, ehm, would like to see the Safari Zone myself also... There are rare plants to collect. And Minccino's to catch if I remember correctly." She's smiling a little to herself at the thought of this Pokemon for only a few moments, wondering where she'd be able to get a Shiny Stone from to have a Pokemon that reminds her of home and mom. Bill's already almost along the way - We, uhm, wanted to pay him a friendly visit, didn't we...?"

"I'd be...ready to depart tomorrow afternoon actually.... I'm not having much to do here in Cress City at the moment, maybe only a bit of training or foraging Berries. Restocking on Healing Items and Balls. Seeing that replicated HM Surf in the Museum. Though... Maybe you others have businesses that need to be dealt with before we depart? I'm fine with staying here one more Day."



How everyone seems to expect her to lash out on Nathan or is asking her to give him a chance Shiva takes without any visible reaction, it takes her a lot of strength to do that and hide from the others how it actually HURTS her somewhere deep. When Terra and Heart brought this up to her, she only gives them a neutral look to show that she has heard and accepted their words before looking away again/down to Cottonee, concealing how it's saddening for her and how it allured a feeling of being misunderstood and completely alone on this matter. They likely don't know that Shiva's having very real and good reasons to distrust Nathan to a degree and not seeing him as a real friend of hers anymore, it's too much to trust on time to heal things. - fine. FINE. Though as she told Terra, she's not going to treat the boy differently as he's a member of the group, that's her personal compromise.

She's intuitively seeking Raphael's closure on this matter, leans a little into the serene archangel.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

"....What's 'hentai'?"

...aaaaand at that utterance of the....sordid term, Terra piques up, looking mildly perplexed.

"Never heard it before. Sounds....strange, though, if it......describes those bad vines."

…My my.

"...*Beat, then looks over to the collector* Oh, and don't stand on furniture, Heart. Bad for it, and back you."

...Okay.

(But there's no couch in Shiva's dorm! Maybe take a chair instead?)

At THAT question though, she draws her cell, types a little on it and then hands it over to Terra in a somewhat coy manner. "Here. Read it on the page displayed on screen if you like, but be....uh....warned."

Hey, Shiva's adult and mature in mind, but she's also demisexual and therefor doesn't read or care about that kind of things. Problem solved? *can't help but to laugh hard though*)

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

(But there's no couch in Shiva's dorm! Maybe take a chair instead?)

At THAT question though, she draws her cell, types a little on it and then hands it over to Terra in a somewhat coy manner. "Here. Read it on the page displayed on screen  if you like, but be....uh....warned."

Hey, Shiva's adult and mature in mind, but she's also demisexual and therefor doesn't read or care that kind of things. Problem solved?

The simple monk takes the offer cellphone and gives the Fairy woman a smile and nod of thanks, before he looked over what she's brought up on it.

…which soon turns into staring, with Terra's eyebrows slowly rising up to his hairline as he scanned whatever Shiva dredged up from the depths of the internet.

"....Huh. Hentai are comics. With people having sex in them. Hm....I was right. This is strange."


*Beat, then shrugs, and hands back the phone to Shiva*

"Thank you, Shiva."

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

(...) *Beat, then shrugs, and hands back the phone to Shiva*

"Thank you, Shiva."

With a mild shrug on her own, Shiva takes her cell back from the simple monk, types a little on it to return to her standard front page and the packs it away as if this whole thing was nothing.

"No need to....thank me....? But yes, you're right in it being.....strange, Terra. I, eh..... don't understand why one would read that?? But... tastes vary much, so to each their.................own."

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

@PhantomUnderYour Desk:

(…)

She does so silently though and remains calm and worried, but if Melly really really likes Shiva strokes her a little bit. <3 Tanuki growls a bit at that dog and summons a few sparks with Tunder Shock herself that rain down on Melly.

(…)

The lightning wolf remains steadfastly beside her master and Duskull, but she does sense their change in mood, chocking her head and giving her an inquisitive look.

Tanuki's shocking rebuttal was meet with surprise, but not the kind they probably were expecting/wanting, as Melly nearly startled as seeing a Zigzagoon using Thundershock naturally, before she eagerly began sucking up the electricity with a doggy smile! Oh boy, ELECTRICITY she could snack on, yum yum! She really didn't pay attention to the fluffy furball before, but now she REALLY wants to get to know them better! Talk about getting the opposite reaction than expected!

Spoiler

She mostly ignores that depressing and unformfortable (fearful almost?) feelings from Nathan, and remains all calm in response to those as she begin to page to the map of Chreshire drawn in her Guidebook, begins to muster it with unspoken 'Hmmm's...', tracing lines that depict Routes with one finger and petting through dear Cottonee's soft fluff all the time as she gave her Master a worried glance and chirp upon hearing that this 'Elanor' is in a different direction than that valley the boy mentioned....? "Southwest you say... Urgency you say. I, well, see no problem at all if we make a stop in Teazel Valley and its Safari Zone as it's practically on the way to Elanor if we follow the Routes. I'd like to follow the Routes, yes - Going through the savannah blindly with wild Pokemon ready to punce at any moment is an act only the MOST insane or brave people would do. I'd, ehm, would like to see the Safari Zone myself also... There are rare plants to collect. And Minccino's to catch if I remember correctly." She's smiling a little to herself at the thought of this Pokemon for only a few moments, wondering where she'd be able to get a Shiny Stone from to have a Pokemon that reminds her of home and mom. Bill's already almost along the way - We, uhm, wanted to pay him a friendly visit, didn't we...?"

"I'd be...ready to depart tomorrow afternoon actually.... I'm not having much to do here in Cress City at the moment, maybe only a bit of training or foraging Berries. Restocking on Healing Items and Balls. Seeing that replicated HM Surf in the Museum. Though... Maybe you others have businesses that need to be dealt with before we depart? I'm fine with staying here one more Day."

"....Don't know about Elanor or Teazel Valley, but fine with going to those place. By Route, or through the savannah. *Shrugs* Does not matter to me. I go where the group goes. *Beat* Oh, and what is the Safari Zone? And Minccino? …And who's Bill? *Scratching his head* ...Never heard of those things and that person too. Can help you forage for plants, though. Know much about that, and how to do it very well, *Nods* "

That is Terra's decision on the matter! Simple, and straightforward, like the man himself. He can't even begin to pretend to understand all the stuff about 'lurches' and the deeper meaning of the 'visions' that Shiva shared with her fortune teller ('Note to self: Get fortune from them later....'), but he does know the answers to them lay in those settlements, so going over to those place to investigate and/or solve the prophecy is both the most logical and simplest solution. That, and it is as he said: wherever the group ends up going, he'll follow. Its his duty to safeguard and protect everyone in it, and he can't very well do that if he's not around them!

"Ready to leave anytime. Haven't challenged Tanuki yet, but I can do that later. *Shrugs* Give me and my partners more time to prepare, so it is not bad thing to wait."

[Dragonstrike]

"...you...felt more of those lurches too?  Heart, Terra, have you guys...also felt those weird lurches?"

Nathan's maybe three-quarters surprised by the response Shiva gave him.  His clay Aotius and Mutios necklace clacks quietly in the silence of the room as Nathan shifts his position slightly, as if to remind everyone that it's there.  Two pokemon that nobody has seen in person yet, but Nathan earnestly believes are out there, their influence present in the world...very few solid facts for him to go on, and a whole lot of faith...

Nathan shakes his head in response to Shiva's hypothesis concerning his vision.  "...no, it wasn't quite seeing it from Kirlia's eyes...it was more like...I was watching Kirlia have a vision of me from a distance...like...a vision of the past that was still relevant to the future, I suppose?  Gallade recognized the vision when I described it to him, so he apparently had the same one when he was still a Kirlia..."  No comment concerning the clockmaker and Laurelin.

His every word is laced with an underlying nervousness and uncertainty.  He has no idea if what he's saying will be reasonable to Shiva's ears or set her off in some manner because she doesn't agree with his reasoning at all.  He's not really looking for approval, but...that doesn't mean he's trying to make things worse than they already are.  He's uncomfortable enough right now as it is.

Heart's attempt at a compromise is...kinda helpful, I suppose?  Except not really because the bad joke about Nathan being the 'grumpy trainer' doesn't really help at all.  Terra's unspoken support, however, is definitely a lot more helpful.  Not to say Heart's wasn't, but...it definitely could have been phrased a little more elegantly.

Even though Heart's rally doesn't arouse any cheers, there is one other in the room who seems to firmly believe everything will turn out fine: Gallade.  And he looks Shiva in the eyes to make sure she knows that.  Come what may from the Ruins, he'll take it on.  They all will take it on.  Together.  Unfortunately, he can't really do much consoling as far as Shiva's issues with Nathan go...just assure her that they'll still be tackling the upcoming/current crisis as a group.

Nathan has zero comments on the hentai thing.  He wishes Heart wouldn't use that term, though...that is not an accurate description of those vines...

"...*ahem*...we, uh, kinda trekked through the wilderness once already when we first visited Arrowroot, Shiva...and, uh..."  Nathan casts a glance at Terra.  Ya know, Mr. Wilderness Adventurer himself.  That comment seemed just a tad tactless to Nathan...

"...*ahem*...yeah, uh...if we could stay here for another day or so, that'd be great...I still need to do a task for Laurelin to get my Claw Fossil revived...need to visit a nearby location called Ancestor Cave and catch a few undersized Unown for her...lots of rare pokemon and old pictures and stuff there apparently, too...Meowth, Ditto, Eeveelutions...also still have one exhibit in the museum I want to pay a visit..."  Shiva and Heart might notice the implication that Nathan might have already revived the Toenail Fossil since Nathan made no mention of it in that statement.

[Iron]

Raphael is sitting in Shiva's lap, glowing with a little heat and light. You may never have guessed a birdlike Pokemon could be so catlike. He's even making a purring noise!

Cottonee has dislodged Tanuki from your hair. She kind of burrows down whenever you get tense, like she's hiding, but the fluff against your head feels pretty comforting, and you don't want to make her worry.

[Iron]

As for your Route, yes it's quite simple to visit Bill on the way out or back. Going by Route is always faster than wilderness unless you are flying, or the road is like 4x as long as the "shortcut."

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

"...you...felt more of those lurches too?  Heart, Terra, have you guys...also felt those weird lurches?"

(…)

His every word is laced with an underlying nervousness and uncertainty.  He has no idea if what he's saying will be reasonable to Shiva's ears or set her off in some manner because she doesn't agree with his reasoning at all.  He's not really looking for approval, but...that doesn't mean he's trying to make things worse than they already are.  He's uncomfortable enough right now as it is.

(…)

Even though Heart's rally doesn't arouse any cheers, there is one other in the room who seems to firmly believe everything will turn out fine: Gallade.  And he looks Shiva in the eyes to make sure she knows that.  Come what may from the Ruins, he'll take it on.  They all will take it on.  Together.  Unfortunately, he can't really do much consoling as far as Shiva's issues with Nathan go...just assure her that they'll still be tackling the upcoming/current crisis as a group.

(…)

"...*ahem*...we, uh, kinda trekked through the wilderness once already when we first visited Arrowroot, Shiva...and, uh..."  Nathan casts a glance at Terra.  Ya know, Mr. Wilderness Adventurer himself.  That comment seemed just a tad tactless to Nathan...

"...*ahem*...yeah, uh...if we could stay here for another day or so, that'd be great...I still need to do a task for Laurelin to get my Claw Fossil revived...need to visit a nearby location called Ancestor Cave and catch a few undersized Unown for her...lots of rare pokemon and old pictures and stuff there apparently, too...Meowth, Ditto, Eeveelutions...also still have one exhibit in the museum I want to pay a visit..."  Shiva and Heart might notice the implication that Nathan might have already revived the Toenail Fossil since Nathan made no mention of it in that statement.

The rugged wanderer shakes his head, as he's not experienced anything remotely like what's been described, let alone heard about them until this meeting. Its a complete mystery to him, but again, he's not really bothered by that. Can't know everything, and it would take a smarter man than he to try and do so anyway!

(…)

At this point, Terra picks up on Nathan's sizable anxiety, so he walks over to their side and rest hand on their shoulder. A simple gesture of solidarity and support, but its sometimes just being their for someone is all that's needed...

(…)

Contrary to what the scholarly trainer might expect, he's rather non-plussed about Shiva's earlier comment. While he's not too aware/caring of how unique his choice of 'roughing and toughing' lifestyle is, he does know that its and its rigors not for most, so in a way she was totally right. That, and by this point in his life he's grown mighty thick skin, so unflattering comments don't bother him too much, especially when they are unintentionally so. 

(…)

"*Nods* Okay. *Beat* Do you need help with the job? *Nods* Would be happy to help you. You more safe with me than alone too, and its my duty to protect everyone, so I should come."

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Raphael is sitting in Shiva's lap, glowing with a little heat and light. You may never have guessed a birdlike Pokemon could be so catlike. He's even making a purring noise!

Cottonee has dislodged Tanuki from your hair. She kind of burrows down whenever you get tense, like she's hiding, but the fluff against your head feels pretty comforting, and you don't want to make her worry.

That practically means Shiva now has Raphael in her lap, Cottonee cuddled up on her head, Spritzee on one shoulder and Tanuki probably on the other shoulder or leaned against her plus Gothy by her side. She's feeling weirdly appreciated and loved by being so loaded with own Pokemon, it's a good and warm feeling to her. <3

She's also paging through Hitmonlee's Guide - does it mention this Ancestor Cave in some way?