Adventure Thread - Group A

"You don't know she was headed in this direction. She might not have noticed anything had you lot not taken her out of the Swamp. If you had left her alone, she might not have been cursed the way she was. You and her are extremely lucky that Curses are my specialty." She stands up, ghostly energy gathering around her hands. Trevenant watches from the sidelines with wide eyes. On the one hand, Marissa is her and Holly's Big Sister. On the other, Rei is Holly's mate. She's torn on whom to help, if anyone. "Truthfully, there are only two ways I can think to ensure that this sort of thing never happens again: 1) Keep her here, in the Swamp. Safe from all outside influence and harm; or 2) this: Cuir ceangal ris an dà anam seo còmhla. Leig leotha pàirt a ghabhail ann an gaol, pian agus beatha. Ma dh'fhuiling neach, bidh an dithis a 'fulang. Ma ghabhas aon aoibhneas, bidh an dithis gàirdeachas. Ma bhuaileas fear, thèid an dà chuid a sgrios. Na leig leis a-rithist an dithis a sgaradh. Bidh iad an còmhnaidh fad is gu bràth."

Before Rei can think to do anything, run away, beg, cry, anything, she feels an intense pain inside her body. Inside her soul. She briefly sees ghostly chains bind her and Holly's souls together before they disappear. After a moment's reorientation, Rei can feel Holly's emotions from within her unconscious mind. Pain, fear, relief... love. Pain from the ritual's completion, the removal of whatever spell or curse D'Mara placed upon her during her captivity. Relief that whatever was influencing her mind (this curse) is now gone. Love for Rei, but also fear that she has hurt Rei irreparably. That her panic and uncontrollable actions during the execution of this curse's effects have pushed her beloved away forever.

"Why, just what you wanted all along. To be close to her. Everything she feels, you will now share with her. Pain, love, anger, jealousy.... Death. All you could ever want and more. So you'd better not let anything happen to her. Or yourself for that matter. If you die, she dies. So don't die." Marissa crosses her arms and looks away from you. "I do this to motivate you to take better care of my sister. Don't let something like this happen again. For your sake and hers." Holly whimpers a bit in her sleep as she feels Rei's emotional turmoil from the past week's events. "Best learn to work through your emotions if you don't want to hurt her more. In truth, I know she can't stay here forever. I can't hold my little sister back from the rest of the world all her life. Eventually she would have left on her own, with or without your presence."

Marissa just sits down to rest as Rei leaves. Apparently those spells or whatever took a lot out of her. Trevenant briefly seems concerned by Marissa's condition, but the other woman just waves the Pokemon on.

Holly shivers slightly in the cold night air as you leave the cave. Trevenant follows silently behind. Nothing accosts you as you reach the edge of the swamp. When you eventually reach Cerulean again, it's probably around midnight. Kopi is perched outside your borrowed house/hut, as instructed previously.

Clay starts to run into the cave when he hears Rei cry out, only to meet her carrying Holly coming back the other way. He'd ask what happened, but the look on Rei's face is enough to know she's not up for questions tonight.

Which is fair enough, really. Rei's been through a lot today. He'll keep pace with her back to Cerulean - more because he's worried about her collapsing than anything else - and make sure she makes it to their house. He lingers by the door for a moment until she just collapses on the bed, then calls softly, "I'll be at Kalani's place, okay? Let me know if you need anything."

If Kopi isn't returned completely to his apricorn, Clay will tell him, "That goes for you, too. If something goes wrong, if they're sick or something, come get me, okay?" His voice comes out very close to Kopi's, a rather hoarse caw. Apparently ridiculously stressful days are good for his Murkrow accent.

If Tiki's still with them at that point, he'll say, "Sorry to keep you so late. You got any place to stay around here?" Kalani will probably not be super-thrilled if he shows up this late with an extra guest, but he doesn't want to make Tiki drag herself all the way back to Celadon this late at night if she doesn't want to.

Rei just gives a thumbs up from face down on the bed, and Kopi merely nods. Not like they are sick, but Clay won't know the true extent until tomorrow so his worry is perfectly fine for now.

Kalani clings even tighter to Clay. "You keep saying that sort of thing, but then you always forget to talk to me. I'm beginning to think I need to just tie you down so you can't wander off on me again..." It's hard to tell if she's joking or genuinely considering this option.

Kalani only then notices Tiki is (probably) awkwardly lurking nearby. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry for ignoring you! You needed someplace to stay for the night, right? You can have the Guest Room, and Clay can stay with me."

Clay blushes brightly, but he gives a hesitant nod. "Uh, okay."

This is probably the part where he should apologize for dragging in an extra guest even if Kalani's going to insist it's not a bother, but he's also fairly sure Kalani was trying to get him into her room all along... for one reason or another. "See you in the morning, Tiki?" Assuming she doesn't get out of this town and away from her crazy friends before Clay gets up in the morning, he guesses.

And then Tiki's gone and he's pretty much left at Kalani's mercy.