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Nov 23, 2023 19:11:09 GMT
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Post by lichlord on May 31, 2018 8:12:19 GMT
Rei wishes she was in a mood to play back, but after her morning, packing up and prepping those she was leaving behind, then a few hour trek, any possible joy is gone from her. At least not without rest and a mental reset. She waits for them to calm down before she looks up.
"Hello Kalani. I... know it's not right to ask but I have a few favors to ask of you."
With the amount of times she's had to say this today, it's getting surprisingly easy to confess that she was marked for death today...
"I'm not sure if Clay's told you anything about this, so I may leave the bulk of it to him, but we've all had premonitions in our dreams. Tiki, Clay, Holly here, and myself. About stopping a woman looking to take over Kanto and killing the Queen. And the woman in question just used someone like a puppet to make an attempt on my life today. And it's someone in the guild. So the short story is I can't stay there and expect to sleep while keeping both eyes closed. I'd never feel safe. I felt I, and possibly all my pokemon were in danger. So I was hoping that, one, that room was still available that you let us use last time we were here? And two, that I could keep my spare pokemon with you, so that they are safe and they'll also protect you in all of this. Outside of the guild I can only have a team of six with me, so I'd either have to get them somewhere they can be safe outside the balls, or let them go..."
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May 31, 2023 21:25:23 GMT
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Post by Raven on May 31, 2018 8:47:08 GMT
Kalani visibly pales as you tell her what is going on. "O-oh... um... please don't involve Cerulean in this war... we don't want any trouble. I'll let you stay here, and as a favor to you as Clay's friends, I won't tell anyone you're here, but if it somehow ends up being a choice between you and my people, then I'm afraid I'll have to choose them... I hope you understand." All cheer seems to have gone from her voice and she looks visibly upset by all of this. "I want to believe that the Guardian of Mt. Moon will protect us since we've always respected it, but I don't know for sure..."
She sighs and looks at you again. "You are free to stay in the Inn as before, and I do appreciate your candor and offer of additional protection. Arceus knows Cerulean has no real fighting force of its own if it comes to blows. Please just... try not to involve Cerulean directly if you can? I don't want to turn you away, as I always wish to help people in need, but..." She trails off, choking up a bit.
In her defense, the implications of this information are quite overwhelming for anyone. Gertrude, lurking in the background fixes you with an intense (but not hate-filled) stare. Seems like Gertrude is upset that Kalani is upset, but realizes you're really only a messenger at best, and not the cause of this, thus she does not seem overly mad at you.
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Post by lichlord on May 31, 2018 14:35:59 GMT
Rei was afraid of this kind of answer. She knew she was asking a lot.
"I don't plan on involving your town at all."
(Not like they could avoid the Usurper if she wins but who's counting)
"I don't even plan obut staying long. I'll be spending the majority of the future in Celadon. I just need a couple days of rest first. As for my pokemon, they are for your protection personally, although that extends the other way as I'm sure all the little totodiles will help out and at least keep them company."
Rei sighs again. She really doesn't want to do this, honestly didn't want to leave, but her hand has been forced here.
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Post by Raven on May 31, 2018 18:36:45 GMT
Kalani brightens a bit as Rei brings up the little Totodiles. "Mhm! They'll be great company, I'm sure. They'll be around so much you'll get sick of them."
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Post by lichlord on May 31, 2018 21:40:23 GMT
Rei decides to hold onto that one and even though she wants to express her concern for anyone connected to the four chosen about the danger they might be in, it seems like Kalani may not take it from Rei well. And Rei's not in any sort of sensitive mood herself right now.
"...Yes of course. They are cute, I'm sure both sides will keep each other company. And... thank you again."
Rei decides to just make her way with Holly to the inn to settle in for the night.
I'm sorry Kalani. I don't wish to bring any of this to your doorstep, but there's not many I can trust right now. And going to Celadon unprepared and injured is unwise in many ways.
Rei sighs.
I'm afraid you might be involved one way or another eventually. I wish I could still say 'I don't want to be a part of this.'
Rei is silent the whole way to the inn and as they unpack what they'll need over the next couple of days. She puts her few berry planters in front of the window to get some sun for the next day. Some of the smaller pokemon are in the room themselves while the rest are hanging around Kalani's house. She'll have to make that decision about which ones to take and which ones to leave soon. It's not exactly something she's looking forward to.
Once done, she sits on the end of the bed, her head in her hands, just still. Thinking.
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Post by Raven on Jun 1, 2018 0:27:43 GMT
Holly sits next to Rei and hugs her, trying to help her feel better about everything again. It's all she can do right now, which is quickly becoming her mantra (if she even knew what a 'mantra' was).
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Post by lichlord on Jun 1, 2018 0:46:05 GMT
Rei looks back to Holly, looking just distraught. Whatever strength she was holding onto seems to have completely drained.
"What are we supposed to do? Even now, I don't know how I'm supposed to sleep tonight, let alone plan anything..."
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Post by Raven on Jun 1, 2018 2:18:56 GMT
"I don't know either, Rei. We just gotta get through this somehow."
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Post by lichlord on Jun 1, 2018 2:27:51 GMT
Rei gets up and goes over to open the window and get some cool air. It... doesn't really help.
"Holly I've already failed at my promise to you."
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Post by Raven on Jun 1, 2018 2:36:04 GMT
"What promise?" Holly asks, confused.
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Post by lichlord on Jun 1, 2018 2:48:04 GMT
Rei sighs and leans on the window, unable to look back.
"I told you yesterday that I would put us over anything and anyone. I've already failed that. During the fight with Laurel when we found out that her soul was on the line if she lost... Part of me didn't want to win. I fought like hell but I knew if I did win then I'd basically be killing her. I would have sentenced her to death. That would have been on me."
She sighs.
"And then after when I did win I was about to put Laurel's knife to my throat to try to... I don't know. Bargain to save her? Either humanity is doomed or they save her."
She's gripping the window sill very tightly at this point.
"If she had died there... that would have been it. I wouldn't have been able to take it. That's why I tried so hard to demand help. Because, it would have truely broken me."
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Post by Raven on Jun 1, 2018 3:25:05 GMT
Holly hugs Rei again. "It's not your fault, Rei. Everyone keeps asking impossible things of you, and it's not fair. They should just leave us alone!" She hugs Rei tighter from behind. "But it's like I said before, Rei. If you want to, when this is all over, we'll make them pay for it."
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Post by lichlord on Jun 1, 2018 4:53:37 GMT
It's really only a small comfort but it's something. Rei sniffs, barely holding back breaking out in tears from the stress.
"...It isn't fair."
She's hugged tighter but it only brings a few tears out. All she can think on is one singular dark thought and Celeste's warning only reinforcing it.
By any means necessary.
Rei looks back and almost too light to hear, she says back something to Holly.
"...What if we didn't wait?"
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Post by Raven on Jun 1, 2018 4:59:39 GMT
Holly looks at Rei quizzically. "What do you mean? You want to go after the Legendary Pokemon now? Are we ready for that?"
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Post by lichlord on Jun 1, 2018 5:18:43 GMT
Rei turns around, and wipes her eyes.
"No. We aren't. I'm about two steps from my body and mind breaking."
She looks off to the side.
"Even if I wanted to do something about it... they are gods. We can't stop them as much as we can stop D'mara at this point..."
She looks back up.
"Holly... would you still love me if I changed?"
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Post by Raven on Jun 1, 2018 5:56:56 GMT
"..." Holly is silent for a moment, looking at Rei oddly. "I'm not sure what you mean by 'change', but I'll always love you Rei."
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Post by lichlord on Jun 1, 2018 6:02:33 GMT
"Even if I did something... very wrong? If I became something... monstrous?"
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Post by Raven on Jun 1, 2018 6:12:31 GMT
Holly narrows her eyes. "What are you talking about, Rei? Are you saying you want to... do something like this 'Usurper' person did, and steal a Legendary Pokemon's power?"
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Post by lichlord on Jun 1, 2018 7:10:42 GMT
Rei shuffles as she deals with uncomfortable thoughts.
"Am I crazy for thinking that? I need power to head her off. As it stands, I can barely protect myself. Let alone you, the people I care about, and all of humanity apparently. With me being attacked, I know we don't have unlimited time to do anything. Tiki's just... not going to help us. That I can sense. Which just keeps Clay off balance worrying about us and then her. That leaves us. And we aren't enough."
She turns back toward the window.
"Let's face it... these Legendaries are failures. Finding Xerneas to grant us 'protection' doesn't exactly help us to kill someone running off of the power of death itself. If they couldn't even protect one of their own, then what can they do? They instead choose humans to represent them just because there was a potential future with us in it. And let us know in the worst way. Just by giving us nightmares and expecting us to fill in the blanks. So their 'code' prevents interfering in human matters. Except what they did was exactly that. So they can interfere, just don't choose to."
She sniffs again, trying not to fall apart.
"Holly I'm terrified. Those healers told me my body is so close to just failing. Even with the new mindset I took for myself it's clear I can't avoid fighting myself. Even for my own health."
She slams a hand on the wall.
"So bearing all that in mind, what choice do I have? Other than to sink to her level? If I have it, we'll stop D'mara, and no god will ever test me again. They'll have to leave us alone."
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Post by Raven on Jun 1, 2018 7:16:50 GMT
Holly looks uncertainly into Rei's eyes. "Okay, but how do we do that, presuming that we were to agree it is the only option? Aside from that, who is to say that there aren't other consequences for taking the power of a Legendary Pokemon that we don't know about?"
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