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Tarnished Lands - Realm of the Golden King

unrepentantAuthor

A cat that writes stories.
Location
UK
Pronouns
they/she
Partners
  1. purrloin-salem
  2. sneasel-dusk
  3. luz-companion
  4. brisa-companion
  5. meowth-laura
  6. delphox-jesse
  7. mewtwo
  8. zeraora
She found Sleet to be on her own, her teammates occupied without her. That needed to be fixed. Sleet was not always the easiest person but Hazel still liked her.

Hello, Sleet. How are you feeling? So much is happening very quickly.

Sleet didn't grin, exactly. When she saw her friend (if Hazel was a friend, if it mattered whether Hazel was a friend), she made a dry, tense face, half smile, half grimace. She winked humourlessly.

"Feeling... bad," she croaked. Why joke? Why dance around it? Hazel wouldn't understand anyway and seemed unperturbed by basically anything. "Feel like shit, head full of shit, mad as hell at that prick Orrrrzo and I'm gonna shoot his ffffucking eyes out."

The taunts in her head came so readily and melded with the miserable thoughts already squatting in her skull that she could just about tune them out as she would a droning deskfan or a busy motorway.

– fucking piece of shit failed miserable tiny tiny fuck you upstart shitty useless fucking piece of shit fucking stupid lizard –

"Don't like it much here," she rasped, then trailed off into a joyless chuckle. "Like you being here, though."

She couldn't manage a real smile. She gave Hazel a stiff thumbs-up. It was the best she could offer.
 

Dragonfree

Moderator
Staff
Location
Iceland
Pronouns
she/her/hers
Partners
  1. butterfree
  2. mightyena
  3. charizard
  4. scyther-mia
  5. vulpix
  6. slugma
Mightyena's ears perked up at May's unexpected reply. "I talk different?" She turned to Spirit, bewildered. "But I can understand you just fine. What else would I need to learn?"

But after a moment of silence, Mightyena's tail, which had stopped wagging at May's unwelcome news, started up again full blast. "Maybe you could teach me to speak human instead! Then I could even talk to humans besides Nate. That would probably be the most useful thing."

"Don't get your hopes up, Mightyena," Nate said, coming up beside her. "Let's just get through this battle first, okay?" He gave May an uneasy look. Goddammit, he hated it when Mightyena dragged him into awkward conversations like this. It wasn't like he had anything to say to this girl, but just standing around here while the pokémon chatted was fucking weird.

Nate gave the girl a sidelong look, which only grew more intense when the girl snapped to her ninetales about something not being real. Hearing things now? Or maybe always. Maybe that was what was behind the weird running-away thing earlier.

Sure as hell didn't make this less awkward. "Good luck, I guess," he said. "Too bad we never got that battle earlier."
Spirit winced. "Most Pokémon's mouths and vocal cords cannot form the sounds to speak human. I was given the ability by Entei." She perked up again, switching back to her native speech. "But you should be able to learn our Pokémon speech. You can make sounds, correct? By arranging them right, at the right pitches and lengths, and using body language to accentuate them, you can form different words. If you listen to me speak, can you hear the sounds, and understand what they mean?"

May tuned it out with a sigh, looking at Mitch. "Yeah. Could've used a battle to pass the time." She paused as the implications of his words sank in. "What do you mean, good luck? Aren't you going to be there too?"
 

Shiny Phantump

Through Dream, I Travel
Location
Hallownest
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. sylveon
  2. absol-mega
  3. silvally-psychic
  4. ninetales-phantump
  5. cosmog
  6. gallade-phantump
  7. ceruledge-phantump
"Feeling... bad," she croaked. Why joke? Why dance around it? Hazel wouldn't understand anyway and seemed unperturbed by basically anything. "Feel like shit, head full of shit, mad as hell at that prick Orrrrzo and I'm gonna shoot his ffffucking eyes out."

"Don't like it much here," she rasped, then trailed off into a joyless chuckle. "Like you being here, though."
Hazel closed her eyes and nodded solemnly. "That is understandable." She should've seen it coming, really. "I will not ask what you saw back there, unless you are wanting me to, but... 'bad' does seem to sum it up correctly. I am still hearing echoes of it."

The scream, the sound of her talons rending flesh- It reverberated in her mind. It had felt right, reasonable, like the only option at the time. And it was, but at the same time, it had also felt like she had accepted something fundamental about herself. About who- and what- she was. A sentiment the sounds of horror and pain the twisted into a mockery: This is what you are. What everyone who has ever called you a thing has seen.

She shook her head. "I'm glad you're here, too. Enjoy the eyes. I will be taking my own catharsis, too. Maybe in that way, we are the same."
 

Negrek

Play the Rain
Staff
Mightyena's ears flicked back in disappointment. A pity Spirit didn't know of any way to share whatever magic it was Entei had done to give her her abilities, but she really shouldn't have gotten her hopes up. She knew well enough that it was impossible to make all the different sounds that humans did.

"Yes, I can hear you," Mightyena said. "I can understand." It was strange, though. She hadn't thought anything of it before, but the ninetales' speech did sound odd. It wasn't that surprising; different kinds of pokémon sounded different, and Mightyena hadn't ever talked to a ninetales before. But it was more than just the usual accent, wasn't it? Her words sounded flat, almost hollow. Almost a little bit... well, a little bit like a human's.

"Is that really all it is? Just sounds?" That was what had always confused her about human speech. Why would you make your language about sound? It was strange that somewhere pokémon had decided to do that, too.

It made sense, then, why humans could learn to understand Pokémon in Spirit's world. Humans could hear things. They could hear some things, anyway. Not the really deep sounds Steelix made when he was sad--not that Mightyena could, either--or Raticate when he got all squeaky. But they could hear enough to be reasonably useful, when they couldn't use energy at all. If you talked to them only using sound--however thatworked--there was probably a good chance they could pick up on it.

Meanwhile, Nate blinked down at the ninetales girl. "I mean, yeah, we'll all be there fighting, but it ain't like we'll be hanging out together or nothing. Figure with everything going on, we ain't gonna see all that much of each other until it's... over." What a weird damn thing to be fucking weird about. Whatever her deal was--

Wes said:
"Hah! Can you believe that 'Nate' can't even read? How dumb is that? And he lied about his name. Definitely not hanging around him anymore."
The hairs on the back of Nate's neck pricked up. What the fuck? How the hell--where did he learn that fucking name?

Nate spun around, only barely able to see Wes through the haze. (Was it the right Wes? For fuck's sake.) "Hey! What the fuck is this? You got something to say about my name? Dunno if you're fucking deaf or what, but it's Mitch. And what the hell kind of name is Wes, anyway?" And why the fuck was he trying to start shit now?
 

Chibi Pika

Stay positive
Staff
Location
somewhere in spacetime
Pronouns
they/them
Partners
  1. pikachu-chibi
  2. lugia
  3. palkia
  4. lucario-shiny
  5. incineroar-starr
The place they'd found themselves was dark, desolate, and devoid of life. It felt cold. Like the air itself wanted them gone. And yet, there was nowhere else to go but forward, despite every instinct saying not to.

A faint howling wind echoed, though the air felt stale and dead. And the whispers on the nonexistent wind carried words from... somewhere.

Someone said:
"Mightyena, stay away from the freak of a Pikachu. It's another one of Rocket's damn weapons."

Nine stiffened, feathers standing bolt upright. He muttered something under his breath, sparks coursing through his--

"D-don't," Jade said in a low voice, holding a hand out in front of him. She wasn't sure what he'd heard. She just knew that nothing good could come from this place. Nothing worth listening to.

What good is a kid going to be when there's champions here? She'll run and hide at the first sign of danger.

Nothing...

Jade glanced around tiredly, looking for anything else to focus on. Anyone else to listen to. Her eyes fell on Laura, looking every bit as tired and miserable as she felt herself. That was... well, it wasn't good, but it was a reminder that the older trainers weren't just, magically handling things better.

"One last fight. Then... then we can relax," Jade said, and she wasn't sure if she was saying it more to herself.
 

Panoramic_Vacuum

Hoenn around
Partners
  1. aggron
  2. lairon
As Aggron tracked Malachai's flight path, he thought he heard a voice tickling in the back of his mind.
"A trainer's safety is the sole and absolute responsibility of their pokemon, Laura. I have no envy of Steven, with a partner like Aggron."
thinking-1.png
Aggron's pace slowed a little as he cocked his head to the side, trying to catch where the voice had come from. It didn't feel right; the words too sour, too venemous. Like someone was pretending to be Malachai...

And then from overhead, a bold, regal voice cut through his mind.
<Aggron,> he sent, cordially. <I am satisfied to see you present for this conflict. May we depend on each other?>
surprise.png
Aggron cracked a toothy grin at Malachi's greeting. He turned his snout to the sky and laughed. "Ha, I knew I was hearing things. Not like you to talk behind someone's back."

His tail thumped on the ground, cracking brittle rock and sending up dust. "I know we only just met, but you get to know someone in the heat of battle, y'know? You're too proud for that underhanded stuff."

Aggron rumbled amusedly to himself. "Never met a dragon that wasn't straight to the point."

neutral face.png
He regarded the giant Noivern with a curt nod of his horns, his blue gaze burning bright in the gloom of Orzo's realm. "It's good to see you, too. Whenever you need my armor, just shout and I'll be there. Let's kick this fake king's ass so hard he'll wish he stayed a myth."

Aggron paused for a moment, tapping his snout with a claw in exaggerated thought. "I'll take low, you take high?" he asked with a grin.
 

HelloYellow17

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. suicune
  2. umbreon
  3. mew
Nate spun around, only barely able to see Wes through the haze. (Was it the right Wes? For fuck's sake.) "Hey! What the fuck is this?
Wes jumped at the shout and turned to its source, tense and at the ready—were they being attacked? Here, now? Then he saw Mitch, and relaxed ever so slightly when he realized there was no danger—only to tense up again as the man stomped toward him through the mist, face twisted with fury.

You got something to say about my name? Dunno if you're fucking deaf or what, but it's Mitch. And what the hell kind of name is Wes, anyway?" And why the fuck was he trying to start shit now?
Wes stared. It took a moment to find his words, and when he did, they came out slowly. “The hell are you talking about?”

Neo glanced between them both, ears angled back. Novo bristled slightly and silently stepped between Wes and Mitch, challenging the latter with a hard stare.
 

unrepentantAuthor

A cat that writes stories.
Location
UK
Pronouns
they/she
Partners
  1. purrloin-salem
  2. sneasel-dusk
  3. luz-companion
  4. brisa-companion
  5. meowth-laura
  6. delphox-jesse
  7. mewtwo
  8. zeraora
"That is understandable. I will not ask what you saw back there, unless you are wanting me to, but... 'bad' does seem to sum it up correctly. I am still hearing echoes of it. I'm glad you're here, too. Enjoy the eyes. I will be taking my own catharsis, too. Maybe in that way, we are the same."

Sleet's guts pulled a loop inside her at the idea of someone else being the same as her – of course they weren't the fucking same... but hadn't they just been through something similar, and didn't they have... things 'in common?' Yeah...

"Saw a bad old memory of back when things were shittiest for me," Sleet hissed. "And how they could have been even worrrrrse. Didn't need any help figuring out it was bullshit. Needed help figuring out things now could be good."

Things now could be good. Hard to keep believing, while stuck in this drab land full of hateful voices. The despair was thick here. But spite was a powerful emotion, too.

"Ffffuck this frrrriendless loserrr," she blurted. "Hazel, I want to be your fucking frrrriend."
 

unrepentantAuthor

A cat that writes stories.
Location
UK
Pronouns
they/she
Partners
  1. purrloin-salem
  2. sneasel-dusk
  3. luz-companion
  4. brisa-companion
  5. meowth-laura
  6. delphox-jesse
  7. mewtwo
  8. zeraora
Jade glanced around tiredly, looking for anything else to focus on. Anyone else to listen to. Her eyes fell on Laura, looking every bit as tired and miserable as she felt herself. That was... well, it wasn't good, but it was a reminder that the older trainers weren't just, magically handling things better.

"One last fight. Then... then we can relax," Jade said, and she wasn't sure if she was saying it more to herself.

Laura looked up and smiled faintly at Jade. It was good to see her. Among all the champions and weirdos and saviours, it was good to have a girl like Jade around so Laura could feel less out of place. Right now, Jade didn't even seem any younger than Laura felt.

"Relax, huh?" she said, a little playful, a little bitter. "Don't remember the last time I got to do that. You get much time off between sessions of fighting bad guys?"

Howls afar, after all this, Laura could use the goddamn vacation they were promised.

"Let's find a nice spot on the beach and doze off just as soon as we beat the hell out of that hoopa," she added, forcing a grin.
 

unrepentantAuthor

A cat that writes stories.
Location
UK
Pronouns
they/she
Partners
  1. purrloin-salem
  2. sneasel-dusk
  3. luz-companion
  4. brisa-companion
  5. meowth-laura
  6. delphox-jesse
  7. mewtwo
  8. zeraora
Aggron cracked a toothy grin at Malachi's greeting. He turned his snout to the sky and laughed. "Ha, I knew I was hearing things. Not like you to talk behind someone's back."

His tail thumped on the ground, cracking brittle rock and sending up dust. "I know we only just met, but you get to know someone in the heat of battle, y'know? You're too proud for that underhanded stuff."

Aggron rumbled amusedly to himself. "Never met a dragon that wasn't straight to the point."

He regarded the giant Noivern with a curt nod of his horns, his blue gaze burning bright in the gloom of Orzo's realm. "It's good to see you, too. Whenever you need my armor, just shout and I'll be there. Let's kick this fake king's ass so hard he'll wish he stayed a myth."

Aggron paused for a moment, tapping his snout with a claw in exaggerated thought. "I'll take low, you take high?" he asked with a grin.

Malachai chuckled to himself at Aggron's talkative reply. One found ways to keep one's mind clear of hideous whispers, he supposed.

<Low and high should suit us well,> he replied, with dry delight. <From even a single battle, I come to understand my opponents – and I understand you to be a resolute warden of the earth. If one has firm enough support, one can move anything. You shall be the fulcrum, Aggron, on which I shall move Orozoquiselin to defeat.>
 

Negrek

Play the Rain
Staff
Wes stared. It took a moment to find his words, and when he did, they came out slowly. “The hell are you talking about?”

Neo glanced between them both, ears angled back. Novo bristled slightly and silently stepped between Wes and Mitch, challenging the latter with a hard stare.
"You heard me," Nate growled. "You got a problem with my name? I don't know what the hell your damage is, but fine, you want to get this done before we punch out The Golden Jackass, then fine, let's get this one." He stopped before reaching the umbreon, folding his arms over his chest. It wasn't like he wanted to get bitten right before fighting the asshole hoopa or none of that shit.

Mightyena's head snapped around at Nate's yell, but she turned back to give Spirit a hurried, "Sorry, one minute," before dashing away. "Nate...?"
 

Shiny Phantump

Through Dream, I Travel
Location
Hallownest
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. sylveon
  2. absol-mega
  3. silvally-psychic
  4. ninetales-phantump
  5. cosmog
  6. gallade-phantump
  7. ceruledge-phantump
"Saw a bad old memory of back when things were shittiest for me," Sleet hissed. "And how they could have been even worrrrrse. Didn't need any help figuring out it was bullshit. Needed help figuring out things now could be good."

"Ffffuck this frrrriendless loserrr," she blurted. "Hazel, I want to be your fucking frrrriend."

Hazel placed her head on Sleet’s shoulder. “It’s a good thing that you already are, then. The easiest things to want are things you already have.”

She took a deep breath. “What I saw… it was a place from a memory, where I used to be kept before Gladion saved me. But it was different. He was there, the real him. They used me to hurt him. I never figured out it wasn’t real. I killed someone, and I thought it was real. Now I’m preparing to do it again. I still hear it, the end…
 

Chibi Pika

Stay positive
Staff
Location
somewhere in spacetime
Pronouns
they/them
Partners
  1. pikachu-chibi
  2. lugia
  3. palkia
  4. lucario-shiny
  5. incineroar-starr
"Relax, huh?" she said, a little playful, a little bitter. "Don't remember the last time I got to do that. You get much time off between sessions of fighting bad guys?"
Jade tried to smile. It probably looked really strained, but it was better than nothing. "...Not really. At least, not recently. But my friend back home is always looking for ways to make things feel normal, and... I need to try following her example."

"Let's find a nice spot on the beach and doze off just as soon as we beat the hell out of that hoopa," she added, forcing a grin.
Nothing had changed about their situation, but things felt a little bit lighter at least. "Yeah. I--I really want a vacation. A real one." They deserved it after all this dammit.
 

Sinderella

Angy Tumbleweed
Staff
Location
In Guzma's Closet
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. sylveon-shiny
  2. gothitelle
  3. froslass
  4. chandelure
  5. mimikyu
Her grin only widened. "I appreciate that, really! But you need to be careful, too. You're gonna be just as big a target out there as the other mythics, possibly more so with you actually being paired with a human. So, y'know... don't be afraid to let us know if you need support."

Somewhere behind them, Olivia trilled her agreement.
Odile Neutral Grin.PNG
Odile grinned maniacally. Her, being the biggest target out there? That sounded like a fantastic time. "̶G̶o̷o̵d̷.̵ ̵I̴f̵ ̴t̶h̵a̵t̷ ̷b̸i̵t̷c̷h̵ ̷a̵s̵s̵ ̴w̵a̸n̶t̷s̶ ̵t̵o̵ ̶c̵o̵m̶e̴ ̷a̶t̶ ̴m̵e̷,̸ ̴h̵e̶'̷s̵ ̶g̷o̷n̶n̷a̶ ̷h̶a̶v̸e̵ ̶a̴ ̵s̵h̶i̸t̷ ̵a̵s̷s̵ ̶t̷i̴m̵e̴.̶"̵

Odile Thinking.PNG
Still, though, this girl had a point. Being tethered to a human might cause some extra problems...not for her, but for the human in question. Her smile dwindling for a moment, she quickly glanced at Odette.

W̶e̴l̵l̶.̴ ̷I̵f̷ ̷h̴e̸ ̴t̷r̴i̴e̷s̸ ̷m̸y̵ ̸v̵e̸s̸s̴e̴l̴,̷ ̶h̴e̷'̵s̴ ̸g̴o̶n̵n̵a̶ ̶h̶a̷v̶e̵ ̷a̴n̶ ̷e̶v̵e̶n̴ ̵s̴h̵i̴t̴t̴i̷e̸r̷,̶ ̷a̵s̷s̶i̷e̵r̷ t̷i̸m̸e̶.̸"̵

There was a sense of finality in her tone. Like she was all too certain.

Odile Smug.PNG
As Olivia trilled, she grinned again before fully nudging Odette with her elbow. "̸J̴u̷s̴t̴ ̷m̷a̵k̶e̸ ̶s̵u̶r̶e̶ ̴t̷h̶i̸s̵ ̸f̴r̸i̸g̷i̷d̸ ̷b̴i̵t̷c̸h̷ ̶i̸s̶ ̸c̵o̸v̴e̴r̴e̸d̵ ̸w̵h̶i̴l̵e̷ ̸s̸h̵e̴ ̶p̴o̵w̵e̴r̶s̶ ̴m̸e̶ ̴u̴p̵.̶ ̶S̶h̵e̵ ̴n̶e̴e̶d̶s̵ ̷t̵o̵ ̶b̵e̶ ̶s̸t̸a̴n̷d̸i̸n̴g̷ ̸j̸u̴s̶t̸ ̷a̸s̴ ̴m̷u̸c̷h̷ ̶a̶s̷ ̵I̷ ̷d̸o̶,̸ ̵y̸'̸k̶n̶o̷w̶.̶"̷

Odette Sus.PNG
Odette sighed, rolling her eyes as she did. "Really, you can't think of anything nicer to call me right now?"

Odile Thinking.PNG
"̴F̸i̷n̵e̵,̶ ̷f̴a̶t̵ ̴W̶e̸d̷n̴e̸s̸d̷a̷y̸ ̷A̴d̷d̴a̸m̷s̶,̸ ̷w̴h̶a̷t̴e̵v̶e̸r̷.̶"̵

Enora Sus.PNG
Enora couldn't help but do a double take. "I'm fairly certain that that's somehow worse."

Odette Deadpan.PNG
"Dude."

Odile Smug.PNG
"̶S̷L̵A̸S̶H̴ ̸J̸,̸ ̸B̷R̸O̷.̵ ̵S̵L̶A̸S̵H̸ ̵J̵.̴"̸

Enora Angry Frown.PNG
"Is this really the time for jokes?"

Odile Neutral Grin.PNG
"̵W̶e̶ ̸a̸r̷e̷ ̵i̷n̶ ̴a̵ ̴l̶i̸t̷e̵r̸a̴l̷ ̸p̷a̴r̷a̵d̶i̵s̸e̴ ̷r̶i̶g̸h̸t̸ ̵n̵o̸w̶,̶ ̸o̸f̴ ̶f̸u̷c̷k̵i̵n̸g̵ ̵c̴o̴u̸r̴s̶e̵ ̴t̵h̵i̷s̴ ̷i̴s̵ ̵t̶h̶e̸ ̵t̴i̴m̶e̶ ̷f̷o̷r̸ ̶j̵o̷k̷e̷s̶.̵"̶

"Keep an eye on Odette. She could lose it any time. She's damaged goods."
Odette Pissed 2.PNG
Odette was about to open her mouth to respond, when the distant whisper filled her head. It...sounded like Kimiko. But it sounded too far away to really be Kimiko. On pure angry instinct, she shot a glare at her parallel, but it wasn't long before it melted off her face, quickly replaced by a look that was far kinder.

Yeah. She knew well enough how voices in one's head sounded. She should have known better.

"Sorry," she said abruptly. "I think I'm going nuts."
 

Dragonfree

Moderator
Staff
Location
Iceland
Pronouns
she/her/hers
Partners
  1. butterfree
  2. mightyena
  3. charizard
  4. scyther-mia
  5. vulpix
  6. slugma
Meanwhile, Nate blinked down at the ninetales girl. "I mean, yeah, we'll all be there fighting, but it ain't like we'll be hanging out together or nothing. Figure with everything going on, we ain't gonna see all that much of each other until it's... over." What a weird damn thing to be fucking weird about. Whatever her deal was--
Okay, whatever. May rubbed her face, sighing, about to say something like okay, fine, it just sounded like you were about to bail on us, but before she could, Mitch suddenly turned, barking at Wes about how his name was definitely Mitch. She looked between the two of them, Mitch trying to challenge Wes to a fight. What...

Oh. He'd heard one of those dumb voices, hadn't he.

Mightyena's head snapped around at Nate's yell, but she turned back to give Spirit a hurried, "Sorry, one minute," before dashing away. "Nate...?"
Did Mightyena just call him Nate? Was this seriously another guy going by a fake name who'd picked 'Mitch'? (Come to think of it, she was pretty sure she'd had the vague impression his name was something different after their first encounter near the beach, before everyone was calling him Mitch.)

"Hey, calm down," she said, raising her voice. "Whatever you think you heard, it's just some nonsense this place is doing."

"Orzo must be trying to challenge our friendships with one another," Spirit mused.
 

Seren

Lurking
Staff
Pronouns
He/Him
Partners
  1. sableye
As Olivia trilled, she grinned again before fully nudging Odette with her elbow. "̸J̴u̷s̴t̴ ̷m̷a̵k̶e̸ ̶s̵u̶r̶e̶ ̴t̷h̶i̸s̵ ̸f̴r̸i̸g̷i̷d̸ ̷b̴i̵t̷c̸h̷ ̶i̸s̶ ̸c̵o̸v̴e̴r̴e̸d̵ ̸w̵h̶i̴l̵e̷ ̸s̸h̵e̴ ̶p̴o̵w̵e̴r̶s̶ ̴m̸e̶ ̴u̴p̵.̶ ̶S̶h̵e̵ ̴n̶e̴e̶d̶s̵ ̷t̵o̵ ̶b̵e̶ ̶s̸t̸a̴n̷d̸i̸n̴g̷ ̸j̸u̴s̶t̸ ̷a̸s̴ ̴m̷u̸c̷h̷ ̶a̶s̷ ̵I̷ ̷d̸o̶,̸ ̵y̸'̸k̶n̶o̷w̶.̶"̷

Listening to Odile and Odette banter lightened Kimiko's mood considerably, despite the constant pressure of the surrounding air. All around her, it seemed like the others (well, most of them, anyway... Mitch and Wes seemed to be snapping at each other over something?) had a similar feeling - one of determination and hope, rather than despair and fear (although she was certain there was still plenty of that beneath the surface, too). After everything they'd gone through so far, it was a welcome change. Someone mentioned a nap on the beach and Kimiko couldn't agree more - she'd been trying to do that since Day One!

"Don't worry about Odette," Kimiko said to Odile. "We'll keep her safe." And then, as another thought occurred to her, she spun towards the girl in question. "You got enough water on you?"

Odette was about to open her mouth to respond, when the distant whisper filled her head. It...sounded like Kimiko. But it sounded too far away to really be Kimiko. On pure angry instinct, she shot a glare at her parallel, but it wasn't long before it melted off her face, quickly replaced by a look that was far kinder.

Yeah. She knew well enough how voices in one's head sounded. She should have known better.

"Sorry," she said abruptly. "I think I'm going nuts."

But Odette had a rather ticked off expression on her face, and it wasn't directed at Odile's jokes... only for a moment, however, before it faded.

"I think we all are to some degree," she said with a dry chuckle. "It's almost over now, and then we'll go have a giant karaoke night at the Dragon's Maw. Something tells me Xavian won't let us leave without hosting some kind of massive victory celebration, anyway."
 

Panoramic_Vacuum

Hoenn around
Partners
  1. aggron
  2. lairon
Malachai chuckled to himself at Aggron's talkative reply. One found ways to keep one's mind clear of hideous whispers, he supposed.

<Low and high should suit us well,> he replied, with dry delight. <From even a single battle, I come to understand my opponents – and I understand you to be a resolute warden of the earth. If one has firm enough support, one can move anything. You shall be the fulcrum, Aggron, on which I shall move Orozoquiselin to defeat.>
neutral face.png
Aggron watched Malachai soar overhead with a gleam in his eye. He couldn't see the dragon's expression from where he stood, but he could hear the smirk in his tone. "I'm not sure I understood all those words you just used, but it sounds like we're on the same page. That's good."

He turned his gaze toward the castle they were creeping toward. It was hard to tell if they were getting closer, or if it was just a trick of the shifting landscape making it seem like it would always be out of reach.

"I leave it up to you to keep an eye out for any more funny stuff before we get there," he called up to the Noivern as Malachai's flight took him further ahead of the group. "I'll hold down the fort here."
grumpy.png
"Not in the mood for any more surprises, anyway," he grumbled. The castle might still look far away, but he knew they were getting close. He could feel it. "Be ready for anything."
 

Flyg0n

Flygon connoisseur
Pronouns
She/her
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. swampert
  3. ho-oh
  4. crobat
  5. orbeetle
  6. joltik
  7. salandit
  8. tyrantrum
"̵W̶e̶ ̸a̸r̷e̷ ̵i̷n̶ ̴a̵ ̴l̶i̸t̷e̵r̸a̴l̷ ̸p̷a̴r̷a̵d̶i̵s̸e̴ ̷r̶i̶g̸h̸t̸ ̵n̵o̸w̶,̶ ̸o̸f̴ ̶f̸u̷c̷k̵i̵n̸g̵ ̵c̴o̴u̸r̴s̶e̵ ̴t̵h̵i̷s̴ ̷i̴s̵ ̵t̶h̶e̸ ̵t̴i̴m̶e̶ ̷f̷o̷r̸ ̶j̵o̷k̷e̷s̶.̵"̶
"This is not a paradise." Darkrai said, his tone dense with bitterness. He fixed his gaze on Odile, gaze both stern and pained. "Do you not see? This is decay. An abomination, a distortion. It was not designed this way, created this way."

Darkrai reached down and picked up a chunk of broken pavement stone. It crumbled in his grasp. “You cannot hear it, but the land is weeping. It cries out for help even as it besieges us with taunts... This is not how it should be."
 

Sinderella

Angy Tumbleweed
Staff
Location
In Guzma's Closet
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. sylveon-shiny
  2. gothitelle
  3. froslass
  4. chandelure
  5. mimikyu
And then, as another thought occurred to her, she spun towards the girl in question. "You got enough water on you?"
Odette Neutral.PNG
Once the voices died down, Odette was finally able to register the question. She reached around to grab at her backpack, her frown deepending. "Honestly, I think I only have my main and a spare. Hopefully that'll be enough."

"I think we all are to some degree," she said with a dry chuckle. "It's almost over now, and then we'll go have a giant karaoke night at the Dragon's Maw. Something tells me Xavian won't let us leave without hosting some kind of massive victory celebration, anyway."
Odette Bigger Smiles.PNG
The thought of a massive karaoke night did bring a bit of a smile to her face. That would be an adequate way to celebrate eviscerating a fake hoopa, wouldn't it?

"Perhaps not. That does sound like a good time. And I do owe you a karaoke session, so that's even more of a reason why you need to make it back."

Her expression suddenly became a little more wistful as she took another look toward the horizon. "Though, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling a little homesick. At this point, I'd give my fingernails for a hug from Clovis and a kiss from Guzma."

Gods, she wasn't going to let them go for a while when she got back, and they were just going to have to deal with it.

"This is not a paradise." Darkrai said, his tone dense with bitterness. He fixed his gaze on Odile, gaze both stern and pained. "Do you not see? This is decay. An abomination, a distortion. It was not designed this way, created this way."
Odile Neutral Frown.PNG
Odile had been silently listening to the rest of Odette and Kimiko's conversation when Darkrai had decided to regard her. Little eavesdropper, apparently. Why'd he sound so bitter? She was just making a passive observation.

"̴I̵ ̴m̸e̷a̵n̶,̸ ̵i̶t̵ ̸l̴o̷o̸k̶s̸ ̶l̵i̴k̷e̵ ̵t̸h̴e̷ ̵p̵l̵a̵c̶e̸ ̵I̷ ̶w̸a̷s̴ ̷b̸o̵r̵n̸,̵ ̴a̵n̶d̵ ̸I̶ ̸h̸a̶d̴ ̵a̶ ̴g̶o̷o̵d̷ ̶f̶u̷c̴k̵i̸n̷g̸ ̴t̶i̴m̶e̶ ̷t̸h̵e̶r̵e̶,̴"̸ she said cooly, regarding him with a flat expression. The more he spoke, the more she looked around. She supposed from a mortal standpoint, or a less barbaric mythic or legendary, this was scary. She, however, was simply feeling quite nostalgic.

Odile Thinking.PNG
However, she could practically feel Odette and Enora's glares digging holes into her skin. Starting an argument with this dude probably wasn't the smartest thing to do in this situation, as much as she wanted to tell him to take a Xanax and calm the fuck down. Would Xanax even do anything to the King of Nightmares? That sounded like an interesting experiment to propose.

But, instead of saying anything else crass, she raised her hands defensively. No use in wasting energy on arguing on one's view of "paradise" when she needed to conserve it to bite Orzo's head off his body and wear his entrails.

"̴O̷k̴a̸y̸,̴ ̸y̵o̷u̵ ̷g̸o̵t̸ ̷i̶t̴,̵"̵ ̷she said in a breath. "̸I̶t̸ ̸i̴s̵ ̵d̸e̷c̴a̶y̵.̴ ̶I̴t̸ ̶i̷s̴ ̶b̵a̴d̵.̴ ̶T̴h̷a̸t̴ ̸i̸s̷ ̴c̶o̶r̷r̴e̵c̷t̶.̷"̵

Darkrai reached down and picked up a chunk of broken pavement stone. It crumbled in his grasp. “You cannot hear it, but the land is weeping. It cries out for help even as it besieges us with taunts... This is not how it should be."
Odile Neutral Frown.PNG
Odile observed Darkrai's little exhibition on the decay, digging her fangs into her tongue as he continued to speak. Be good, no fights yet.

"̸Y̷e̷a̷h̵,̷ ̴i̶t̶'̵s̴ ̸p̶i̷s̴s̸e̶d̶ ̸o̷f̶f̶ ̵i̵t̷ ̸h̴a̶s̶ ̴a̷n̴ ̸a̷s̷s̸f̸a̴c̴e̸ ̴l̵i̴k̵e̵ ̸O̶r̷z̷o̶ ̴l̴o̶o̶k̴i̷n̷g̴ ̸o̴v̶e̵r̶ ̵i̶t̸.̸ ̵I̶ ̸c̸a̸n̴ ̸t̶a̷s̵t̷e̸ ̸t̵h̵a̷t̶ ̶m̸u̵c̵h̶.̶"̶

Maybe that's why she felt so at home at the moment. The Wrath in the air was top-of-the-line.

Nonetheless, she started snapping, as if she'd just listened to a beatnik pour their heart out to her. "̸B̵u̶t̴,̵ ̸t̶h̶a̷t̶'̸s̶ ̷s̶o̸m̴e̴ ̶d̴e̵e̵p̷ ̵s̵t̶u̶f̶f̶,̵ ̵m̵a̵n̸.̸ ̶W̷e̷ ̸c̵a̶n̴ ̶t̵a̴l̴k̵ ̴a̷b̸o̴u̵t̸ ̸i̶t̸ ̷a̶ ̴l̸i̷t̴t̵l̶e̷ ̴m̷o̷r̶e̶ ̸i̶f̸ ̷y̵o̵u̷ ̷w̸a̵n̵t̶.̶"̷
 

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Flyg0n

Flygon connoisseur
Pronouns
She/her
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. swampert
  3. ho-oh
  4. crobat
  5. orbeetle
  6. joltik
  7. salandit
  8. tyrantrum
Nonetheless, she started snapping, as if she'd just listened to a beatnik pour their heart out to her. "̸B̵u̶t̴,̵ ̸t̶h̶a̷t̶'̸s̶ ̷s̶o̸m̴e̴ ̶d̴e̵e̵p̷ ̵s̵t̶u̶f̶f̶,̵ ̵m̵a̵n̸.̸ ̶W̷e̷ ̸c̵a̶n̴ ̶t̵a̴l̴k̵ ̴a̷b̸o̴u̵t̸ ̸i̶t̸ ̷a̶ ̴l̸i̷t̴t̵l̶e̷ ̴m̷o̷r̶e̶ ̸i̶f̸ ̷y̵o̵u̷ ̷w̸a̵n̵t̶.̶"̷
Darkrai cast an even look on Odile, then back on the land around them. He seemed to pick up on Odile's frustration. "There is no joy to be found in this kind of suffering," he said softly, though mostly to himself.

"I suspect you would feel differently were it a friend of your own suffering." There was a note of regretful understanding in his tone, however. "Though I imagine on its surface such a world as this would indeed seem homely to you indeed, and for that I cannot blame you."
 
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