Decisions

First topic message reminder :

not ooc. It's just alot of first post stuff... It helps me think... If you have some similar tactic I wont mind it. It may even give me an idea.:

[starting type: Normal]

Just outside the Guild, not even... Leaning next to the doorway, was a semi-Purple Kecleon. she's had so many tough times that the color just became a norm for her. Especially after a quest involving scaring things. She ended up being the most effect by the end. Yooka's practically always on edge now and still never really cares for things unimportant.

Right now she lost her defense scarf due to her last mission. Having to use it to tie up the target sense it had some form of mortal disease that probably would have killed her if she got bit, scratched, or whatnot. So she's looking through some of her stuff to replace it, she didn't find much though. She even found some TMs she could sell.

She wasn't happy as of the moment. only 3 things could replace it but none looked right. Reaper Cloth sounds fine but its practically a tattered hooded cape. Lunar ribbon is just a ribbon relating to the moon, apparently able to evolve some pokemon. Special band, well... is just a glorified band.
Yooka left her backpack and stuff on the ground and was leaning on the wall next to the entrance. "I figured something like this would happen. I should just go to the market and 'get' a scarf. None of these have any use in dire situations like 'that' time... mmrrr." She moaned looking down at the sprawled items. The special band looks like the only choice here.

So Morty wanted to take a rest...  Darcy nodded with understanding, still sticking right beside the Skorupi as they walked.  "Okay.  I think that's a good idea," she whispered with a tiny smile.  Maybe taking a nap would wash away all of this anxiety that had taken hold of him.  Darcy wished she could do more to help, perhaps that she could ask him about what was wrong...  But she didn't want to rush her new teammate.  There was no hurry, and Morty could adjust to living with them at his own pace.  The thought gave Darcy a welcome feeling of calm as the two of them pushed the heavy wooden door open together...

It didn't last long, however, as she heard the voice of her other teammate.  "H-hi, Alki.  I'm...  Um, I'm sorry about the wait,"  Darcy said as she stepped into the hallway, flattening her ears and glancing away from the little Igglybuff.  Had she been standing outside of the door this whole time, waiting for them to come out?  Darcy had expected to find her in their bedroom, or maybe outside...  Not here, all alone with whatever was burdening her while she waited for someone to talk to.  Vague guilt crept into the Skitty's mind as she untwined her tail from Morty's and closed the door to the guildmaster's room.

She sat down in front of Alki, not sure what to say.  She still had so many questions.  Nothing anyone was doing today made sense.  Making a new friend was supposed to be a happy occasion, right?  So why was everyone acting so frustrated and scared and sad..?  She didn't want Morty's introduction to the guild, his introduction to a whole new chapter of his life, to be something that he would never have good memories of...

So when Alki spoke up, as if to explain herself, of course Darcy felt relieved at first.  She listened patiently, ready to put all of this to rest, now that Morty was registered and they all could talk openly...

But then...  "I understand why y-you'd want Morty over me," Alki said.

"I...  H-huh..?"  Darcy murmured.  Every word that Alki uttered next only deepened the Skitty's guilt and confusion.  "A-Alki...  Alki, you're the best partner I've ever had," she said as she stood to her feet, her voice growing shaky.  "P-please don't leave.  Letting Morty stay with us doesn't mean I don't want to be with you anymore.  Nothing would make me want that."

Her legs felt wobbly, but she followed Alki down the hall, as close to her hurt friend as she dared get.  "...I-I didn't know that was how you felt about all of this.  P-please, please don't cry, alright..?  Let's go back to our bedroom and talk about things.  Nothing is going to change between us.  I promise..."

(crappy post bc i havent made a real post in like 2 weeks haha)

Everything felt normal again. With Faye gone, Morty was slowly feeling better. Of course, he was still a bit shaky and stuttering, but other than that he was fine. Thank heavens that he could just head to a bed now. If he took a nap, he probably feel fine when he woke up...

"I understand why y-you'd want Morty over me."

?! What? Is that what she thought he was going on? He hadn't even considered that! Now, all those repressed negative feelings had come back to him. This day was far too much for poor Morty. Darcy reassured Alki that she wasn't being replaced, and that they could all finally head to their bedrooms. Morty said, "Oh... Alki? Is that what you thought I was doing? I... I couldn't ever do that. I-I'm... sorry...".

Morty felt exhausted. It was still so early, but he felt like he had just been running around for hours. After his apology, he paused, and added, "...so. A-am I gonna end up sharing a r-room with you two? Because about now, I t-think I need some time by m-myself.".

Alki was dimly aware of the Skitty’s words. She couldn’t believe they were true, they simply couldn’t be. She wasn’t the ‘best’ partner that Darcy had ever had. There had been Pokemon Darcy had known before, after all, other ‘partners’ that were certainly better than her. And she’d been spending a lot more time with Morty than with her too.

Still, despite these things, Alki sensed a certain honesty in the Skitty’s voice. And if there ever was a Pokemon who spoke from her heart, it was Darcy. She couldn’t recall a time that she’d lied, nor could she remember a time that she’d said anything even remotely hurtful to Alki. If there ever was a Pokemon she could trust to tell her the truth, it was Darcy.

And besides, she really didn’t want to leave, and if both Darcy and Morty were telling her she didn’t need to, why would she ever question that?

“Are you… r-really?” She choked out, struggling to believe that despite her immaturity, her uselessness, and her selfishness, they’d still be willing to keep her around. She rubbed her eyes, trying to get rid of the tears. She felt an overwhelming amount of gratitude. She hardly deserved anything anyone had given her since she’d arrived at Grassveil, especially not this. Whether it was out of pity or misguided judgement didn’t matter. She wasn’t sure what it was that was making them keep her, but no matter what, she’d do her best to live up to their expectations.

“I-I don’t... ” She hesitated. What was she going to say? She doesn’t deserve it? No, that wouldn’t be right. Morty was uncomfortable, he wanted time to himself, he’d just said so. She didn’t want to make this any longer than it needed to be. They were giving her a way out, after all. Why tell them something neither of them wanted to hear? “I d-don’t know what to say, besides… um. T-Thank you, both. I’m sorry how I acted today, M-Morty… I… it was immature.” She squeaked out. “A-And… i-if you guys are gonna keep me, I’ll… I-I’ll work harder to not let you two down again...” She finished, looking between the two, the tears still not stopping. She shouldn’t have acted the way she did. Not at all, Darcy had handled it maturely. She hated herself… She apologized quietly, and then fell silent as she waited for Darcy to explain how things worked to Morty.

The tears in Alki's eyes didn't slow down.  But she came to a stop, no longer bouncing towards the guild's exit.  Darcy took a step forward, her heart fluttering with pain and regret...  And to the Skitty's relief, Alki seemed to listen to what her two teammates had to say, gazing up at them with her round, glittering eyes as she thanked and apologized to both of them.

"Alki, you know, I..." Darcy said, sitting down and looking away.  She felt choked up.  She knew that despite everyone's words, Alki still probably blamed herself for all of this...  How could the Skitty explain to the Igglybuff what she was feeling?  She doubted that her friend would ever believe it...  Even if the emotion welling up inside of her was something she wanted with all of her heart for Alki to understand.

...But she couldn't stop herself from trying.  "...W-when I say that you're the best teammate I've ever had, I really mean it," Darcy said as she finally met Alki's eyes, her expression pained.  "...I-I don't like to talk about it much, but...  I had a really hard time at the guild when I first came here, too.  ...I messed up a lot of things.  I did a bad job sometimes and...  And..."

She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again.  She couldn't choke out the last few words.  And so, after a moment, she did the only thing she could convince her body to do.  Shakily, she moved closer to her partner...  Then sat down, and picked her up off of the ground with a hug.

"You're the only teammate I've had that's never left, Alki," she finally said.

"E-even when I told you that you should.  You didn't want to go away.  A-and..."  She sighed heavily and hugged Alki tighter.  "And I-I'm trying really hard, but I don't know how to explain how much it meant to me.  J-just...  Please trust me, Alki.  I-I know it hasn't been very long, but you're my best friend.  I'd never, ever want you to go away..."

She held Alki like that for a while, squeezed tight against her fur.  She would have sat there for longer, but Morty was still present, another Pokemon that she simply couldn't ignore...  "S-sorry," she mumbled as she sniffed and put Alki down on the ground, her cheeks rosy.  When she turned to face Morty, she suddenly seemed...  Anxious.  "Sorry.  You're a part of our team now, so you're right.  We're going to share a room.  And you've earned a break."

She stared at the ground and fidgeted with her paws while she thought about what to say.  "A-ah, and, um...  P-please don't get the wrong idea, Morty.  I've thought a lot more about what it means to be a team leader since Alki helped me.  I'm not going to let you down or make you want to leave or anything.  O-or I'll do my very best at least..."

She blushed even harder and had to turn around to hide it.  "S-so!  Our bedroom, right!" she said while walking down the hallway, too embarrassed to turn around and see if Morty was following her.  "It's this way. T-there are only two beds there right now, but you can take a nap in mine, and I'll have another one set up by tonight.  I-it's a cozy room, and I think you'll like it..."

The whole scene had turned into a strange, emotional, gushy one. It wad kinda awkward... Morty just felt like a third wheel. He didn't really have much to do with their problems. By now, though, they seemed to have been sorted out amidst many tears and hugs. It was embarassing to him. But, at the same time, very intriguing... these two had sounded like they had been through a whole lot. Especially Alki. She was so hard on herself... it looked like she struggled to do anything without falling apart. He didn't verbally express it, but Morty felt a certain level of respect for her. The fact that she still went on through everything else was inspiring to him. He couldn't help himself from growing a smile on his face for the first time in what felt like years. Alki thanked him and Darcy for their kindness, and for letting her stay. He responded with, "It's okay, Alki. No hard feelings, I promise.".

Now that that was over, conversation shifted back to their bedrooms. Darcy was still a bit flustered from what had just happened, from what he could see. She brought up that he shouldn't get the wrong idea, and how she didn't want to let him down, to which he replied, "Ha. It's okay. I can promise you both that I'll do just fine here.". The offer of a bedroom, at last, had come to him. Eager to get a much-needed rest, he said, "Thanks, you guys. I guess, if you need me, I'll be in here. Uh, unless you'll be coming in too, 'cause I'll be with you already...".

Without waiting for the others, he entered the room. It was small, but big enough for him. He glanced at the bed, before just settling on the floor. He was ready for a nap. And who knew? It was early. Maybe he could still cram in an adventure after he woke up? Now that he was a guild member, so many possibilities had opened up...

(are we abouy ready to end the thread yet? i still need to make one more post to finish up, so its whatever you guys need)

Alki let the Skitty’s words wash over her, allowing herself to believe the words that she heard, even if she knew that they weren’t exactly true. This was a free ticket to stay in a life that, while she didn’t deserve, was certainly something she’d wished for almost her whole life. Ruining this moment would ruin her life, she was certain of that. She didn’t believe any of it, Darcy was just saying these things to try and make Alki feel better…

Her thoughts were interrupted by someone picking her up, and seeing as Morty was still standing right in front of her, that left only Darcy. No one else would be willing to hug a Pokemon as insufferable as Alki.

Even as she was hugged, she still appeared sad, but as Darcy confessed… so much about how she felt, she found her sadness melting away. Even if she had messed up, which she had, she could make up for it. She could redeem herself of any mistakes she might’ve made. Darcy was telling the truth, and the truth never felt so nice for her.

“I… appreciate that.” She said, not wanting to dwell any more on herself. She’d messed up, but if Darcy really thought that highly of Alki, she wouldn’t define herself by that. She’d make it up to the both of them. “What I said earlier still stands, though. I’ll… I’ll work harder for you two. I promise...” She said, rubbing her eyes vigorously, trying to rid herself of any tears that might still be there.

The topic of conversation wasn’t her anymore, though. Morty offered her one last acknowledgement, and she was relieved to know that both of these Pokemon were willing to bear with her. Forgive her, even. Feelings of gratitude toward the guild resurfaced. It certainly seemed to attract good Pokemon… but the more these two talked about beds, and rest, the more tired Alki felt herself become.But she’d only woken up awhile ago. It wouldn’t do to just go back to sleep. She observed as the Skorupi entered their room.

After a moment’s hesitation, Alki mumbled a quiet excuse towards Darcy before following him in. She didn’t have much to say, but at the very least she could keep him company. She didn’t really want to talk. She grabbed a smaller book, and sat down on her bed, trying to decipher the text, occasionally glancing over at Morty nervously. Even after he’d forgiven her, she still felt a bit uneasy around him. She hoped she’d be able to impress him in the future, he was her new teammate after all, and she wanted him to think highly of her in the future.

OOC:

Darcy fell quiet as she shyly guided her teammates down the hall.  She wore a tiny smile on her face, but her steps were smaller and her pace was less energetic than usual...  She had said some very personal things back there.  Some things that perhaps she hadn't meant to...

...But neither Morty nor Alki seemed bothered.  In fact, they both seemed to be happier than they'd been all day, each eagerly rushing into the bedroom before she even had a chance to say anything.  The sight banished some of the doubts from her mind, and she found herself smiling wider.  "Okay.  Sleep well, Morty," the Skitty said with a soft laugh, giving both of her teammates a nod.  "And thank you, Alki.  Umm...  There's actually something you could help with right now, if it's alright with you.  Do you think you could stay here, and keep an eye on Morty..?"

The Skitty's energy seemed to be back in full force, her eyes twinkling a little as she looked at Alki.  "There's some research I need to do in town.  I, um...  I don't know anything about what kind of Pokemon he is...  And I also want to find a good job for us to do next.  If you'd like to, you can come with me.  But otherwise, it would be nice if you could stay here and make sure he knows where to get food when he wakes up, and if you could answer any questions he might have..."

((I think we're mostly done here too, unless you two would like to continue by yourselves for a while.  It might be fun to see how Alki and Morty get along when they're alone.

Is there anything either of you would like to do after this thread?  We could always accept a job from the bulletin boards and see where that takes us.  But I am open to anything, if you have ideas.))

ooc:

Morty finally had a chance to relax. Upon entering the room, instead of climbing onto the bed, he collapsed to the floor, ready to feel sleep's sweet embrace. He thought he had heard someone follow him in, but he didn't feel like looking behind him. Quickly, he fell asleep.

...But as he had began drifting off, he remembered... what was that paper Yooka had given him? He hadn't read it yet. She seemed quite... eccentric, so what could possibly be on it was a mystery to him. Whatever. He didn't think it would be too important, he'd read it sometime when he woke up.

And, once he woke up, the next chapter in Morty's story would at last begin. This rescue team would be a nice segway for exploring and finding strong Pokemon. Helping others didn't sound half bad, either. With Alki and Darcy's help, Morty knew that he would enjoy his time as an official member of the Grassveil Guild.