Lost souls and Boxes.

First topic message reminder :

Gotta have that Guild Mission reference:

Arriving back at the foot of Pricklemist was easy. Getting out of the forest while bringing an igglybuff back from practical non-civil Ferals was not. Yooka was staring at the location the abandoned house was at on the hill... Hopefully the box didn't get opened. That lock looked rather complex. However, I wasn't able to look at it well enough, but... "meh..."

Another problem occured. They probably moved. It's only been half a month but non-civil peeps tend to not stay in one place... but again the abandoned house was practically their home and they were territorial but tolerant. She growled to herself. They are not going to be happy seeing me again. Being under pressure will make this easier than she thinks. Perhaps they wont recognize her now that she's a Purple Kecleon due to some intensity she's went through during that time.

She placed her bag on the ground to check its contents to make sure she's prepaired. Instead of putting it back on she decided to rest for a bit. the journey was rushed. She got back in a half the time without the igglybuff. No real rest till now. She didn't fall asleep but she laid down to think of what to do when she encounters them again or finds the box without attracting them.
"Not like they'll be a problem to handle... Alone this time, with no one to actually hinder me."

[Energy: 0 + 1 (Page regeneration) = 1]

Like the repentant child Yigo was, he wanted nothing more than being punished for what he did. It wasn´t until Yooka went serious that he realised the nonsense he had just said. Explorers would never end someone´s life; moreover, they´ll give them a second chance like Alki had done in the past with him. He shouldn´t sully their name with that act. He had to apologise, but something made Yooka get distracted.

Barely loosening his grip on her and turning to face the intruder, Yigo found himself confused. What he had sworn to be a picture on one of the room´s  walls was releasing a purple gas that carried the smile and eyes of the picture. Without believing that Yooka had her wounds healed he stood between the gas and her. He had no intentions towards the gas, not even when it opened the mouth that it was carrying.

Was that gas... alive? And having a conversation with Yooka? At least, it didn´t seem hostile. And just like it came, it vanished. Looking back at her, he realised that they had a lot to talk but he didn´t answer until he had made sure that Yooka wasn´t lying about her wounds being recovered. To his delight, he couldn´t find any trace of it. Probably she had used something from her bag like she had suggested him to do in case of that happening again. On the other hand, she might be alright but, after the gas´ speech, Yigo´s blood was boiling. It had called Yooka a criminal, it had called an explorer a criminal! The Sandshrew wouldn´t believe it and was not going to pay it any more attention any longer for respect of both Yooka and the Furfrou; besides, the intruder was gone and they have something else to settle.

"I-I don´t know what that was..." Yigo started, looking behind where the explorer was "but what it said is not true... it can´t be" his voice was getting more confident as the words flew. Thanks to their previous interaction, he finally collected himself and was able to be calmed and focused yet he still wanted to show that to Yooka, somehow, even if they were not supposed to be friends "we could say that... it assumed!" Yigo turned to her and let out a chuckle. That was the first time he had fun with the lady´s words that got so deep in him "A criminal would have let me to... it would have left me alone" extending his hands to her and looking away his voice lowered in tone "I´ve heard from the Furfrou... that we had to convince the little one to get the box. I´m... going to help you. After that... you can... t-take me to the Polis Estation... I-I won´t resist"

The sandshrew was a bit cute. Yooka had to diverge her eyes while it spoke. She didn't diserve the attention from innocence. She didn't like things that are cute, but the feeling was mutual. She liked things that are truely innocent, like child innocence. But the small ones tend to be... cute, naturally. Why did she have to have this feeling when it was honest. She hated this feeling. It was as if she did something good but it in and as of itself was bad. What and why. She will never figure that out.

The feeling came even more so when it repeated a phrase she used incorrectly, or rather he was correct but she knew the reasoning. Why was she being silent to this... Her coloring deepened. but it remained the same purple. The laugh it made, made Yooka cringe with an audible "...tsk..." and what it said directly after made her mumble but with no sound, "Would they?"

When it extended his hands and look away Yooka snapped back to the sandshrew in time to here it explain that it did indeed understand what the furfrou had said. This perked up Yooka. It knew what the furfrou was saying! If this sandshrew can help her finish a Guild Mission, then his request will be granted plus some. "Oh, I can do you one better. If your finding it hard outside just visit the Grassviel Guild and show someone this." She went through her bag and pulled out a card with her guild information on it. However, she held it up with her wrist as if to say "under one condition"... "I'm not really known as "friendly" with these pokemon. As you just saw... and well, I don't really want anyone to be rather... Disappointed. I don't have a way of getting the box without causing alarm like last time. Yes, I said last time... I came here with another explorer but what happened during the middle of it I've forgotten. As I could see, it wasn't good."

She hesitated with the card, was it ok to give such a thing to him...? It held quite alot of power over her. As this was her personal info within the guild. a commodity with respectable value. Useless to those who don't know of what it could do. Which isn't much, but to her... this is how she will remind herself that this pokemon has a value higher than most others on her scale of judgment. Perhaps a test. "Think you can do it?" Simple and direct. Not exactly a command considering it give him a choice. How he does it will determine her judgment on the guy. She won't be too strict about it as he's not exactly and necessarily a bad pokemon. She'll find how he does it... as a lesson. Something she may keep in mind, but this is only if he says sure. If he says no... what then? what will she do? Well one things for sure. Whatever happens wont be to his likings, but if he's willing to be with her even after that she'll pay him back in some way or another.

enter the butterfly effect:

Her deal was simple and to the point. Yooka was going to forgive him if he succeeded, like a trial to test his good willingness. She wanted to solve the issue without molesting. He couldn´t wish for more; after all, the pack leader was treating them like one of them and defending them. The last thing he´d want would be betraying its trust. But something was making him nervous. If Yooka with the help of another explorer were not able to retrieve the box, what were the odds of him succeeding where they had failed? If only Alki was with them...

Doubts were thoughts he couldn´t afford. He had to get the box to go back and see her after all! And for that, he needed the item the explorer was offering him as a reward or, at least, he believed so. When she had asked him if he was ready, the Sandshrew reluctantly nodded as he wanted to help but he saw himself unfit for the task. "I-I... I can do it! U-Uh... um... what do I do? The alpha said that you just had to ask... the little one for it" However, as simple as the task seemed, there was still the issue of the Kricketune "B-But... the Kricketune..."

Now that he thought about it. The melody that was playing in the background had stopped. Did that mean that the issue was solved? Was the Kricketune gone? Or had the Furfrou convinced it not to fight them? The Sandshrew got curled in to the size of a ball and rolled to Yooka´s side once more. Yigo may not know the solution of those questions, but considering the circumstances, recalling seemed imminent.

Every immediate moment the sandshrew studdered was the moment Yooka felt weak in the heart. What did she just do? Why was the sandshrew being this way? Was it still thinking it was a bad pokemon? no, this isn't right, yet Yooka felt like it was. Why? argh... Yooka cringed. Why was she doing this to him. She just successfully manipulated the sandshrew into doing her bidding like some form of evil mastermind. She felt like she needed to stop but... she needed this to continue to finish the mission at hand.

When the Sandshrew curled up into a ball. Yooka sensed great dread in herself. She felt like crying yet she herself didn't shed a tear. What was this feeling? It was evil. Why was she not questioning her actions earlier? why now? Yooka patted the top of the Sandshrew's ball-shaped form. "Just be yourself." She questioned herself why she chose those words over many... It just felt right... yet, it's not what she wanted to say. The advice was shoddy to herself. It was way to late for her to... be herself...

"I don't know what the last explorer did really... but that little tot, called her annoying. heh. funny thing really... I would have never see her as annoying, not exactly on purpose. more of... unfortunate. I should probably make you two meet, you'd be a pretty good match. Her name... er... is Alki." Yooka headed for the door when she finished saying this, not really paying attention to the Sandshrew, and opened the door a bit.

ooc, and it is at this moment I'm 90% sure your character will be thinking the same thing I am. She needed to say this at some point... but like usual her approach and timing will always be bad.:

What she saw was pretty surprising... the tot was back in it's corner and the crickitune was nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, the furfrou was laying on something resembling a couch with a... zangoose standing next to it. They could be seen talking in that unknown language yooka couldn't quite decipher but the furfrou and sandshrew apparently knew it like it was natural. The two seem to be friends... or well. respected friends. perhaps maybe through just mutual relations. eitherway, the Furfrou looked over and nodded. Yooka took that as a sign she can come back into the room and opened the door completely.

To be able to help Yooka, aside from getting the box, Yigo could not disturb the members of the Furfrou´s pack. Waiting for it to open the door and call them in again the Sandshrew felt a pat on his ball-shaped body followed by the words "Just be yourself". It felt... flattering but disorienting. Yooka wanted him to be himself; however, what she knew about him was either not enough or wrong. Did she know something that he didn´t?

Now on his usual shape, Yigo felt a bit disappointed knowing that the explorer that accompanied Yooka failed at trying to convince the Kricketot... until he heard her name. Unable to contain the need, he shot back her name "Alki?! S-She was... s-she failed?" Yigo already imagined that Alki wasn´t exceptionally strong, that her strength lied elsewhere. Alki had some charm, a way to make you feel happy and special and the Kricketot calling her annoying felt like an insult. At least Yooka seemed to disagree with the insect...

Distracted, the Sandshrew was not aware of the fact that the purple lady had already opened the door. On the other side, he found the Furfrou next to a Zangoose, both of them on what it looked like a comfortable seat, staring at them. The Zangoose was the one to stand up.

"Don´t worry, the tune´s gone and it ain´t going to come back until night comes." the Zangoose said with a masculine voice while it stretched its arms "By any chance, have you seen Viper around? It´s time to feed her and, with the storm, I´m sure she got scared and hid somewhere."

Ignoring the Zangoose, Yigo focused on the Furfrou. It seemed unharmed and rather calmed, its eyes targeting the pair. The Sandshrew then entered the residence´s entrance and sat in front of the Furfrou´s seat, waving his tail slightly. When he was about to pronounce his intentions he was quickly overwhelmed nervousness and heat from his inside. "W-We... I-I... I won´t c-cause... trouble anymore... I-I´m s-sorry" Even though it pained to speak, knowing that Yooka was nearby was comforting. Yigo only had to look for her eyes to feel a bit better "M-My... name... is Yigo... and-"

"Quiet!" the Furfrou interrupted him growling a huff and standing on his fours

Feeling even worse, Yigo pulled back towards Yooka, seeking refuge near her. Why would she want him to be himself? The only thing he could do right was making things worse.

Something seemed odd but Yooka couldn't quite catch it. The atmosphere in the room was too soft. The Kricketot wasn't even scared of Yooka and Yigo when they re-entered the room. Surprising. She fully expected the thing to stare at them with those beady eyes. instead it stared at them like the zangoose was acting to the Furfrou. What occured while they were out? Yooka was confused.

What Yigo said just as she was entering the room made this feeling worse. He knows Alki? or he knows of Alki? his tone sounded like he knew of Alki. If that was the case then that would make sense why she could sense Alki's presence in him. The pressure in her chest started to hurt. Why was she doing this to him? If he knew of Alki, and now she said Alki was the one that failed... He must be devastated to even attempt this. Argh... Yooka gripped her belly with both arms and cringed. She couldn't answer the Zangoose's question as the pain and thought, did not sit well with her.

The Sandshrew started speaking but was interrupted by the Furfrou as he probably expected an answer or noticed Yooka. She quickly hid the pain so as to hide it from Yigo. That made enough time for her to answer the question. "Don't worry about it... Yigo... I'm the one who started this in the first place and unfortunately, no." The furfrou huffed again but in a softer and rather disappointed tone. (Great...) Yooka continued. "I don't have anything to offer the kricketot, but I do need that bo-" a sharp and quick squeek could be heard from the kricketot itself. This startled Yooka making her skin crawl for a few seconds. The Furfrou Barked rather angrily at this. (Shut it!) the furfrou did a few more things but to her it was a mystery.

Yooka didn't know how to respond to that... or to know what to make of it. Her head was spinning, but she wasn't actually dizzy. She looked down towards the Sandshrew and looked over towards the Zangoose. She remained silent as those things occured. She was getting overwelmed. She followed suite to whatever happened but didn't understand what was happening outside of the movements. It only looked like they had some form of talk about something to her but... Yooka gript her frill but this time in confusion. She closed her eyes and groaned, practically whining and whispering. "Mmrrr, what's going on?"

ooc, up to you:

The room certainly felt different, like the balance of powers had shifted. Yigo cowardly expected Yooka to fix the mess he had made but may have worsened the situation. The Furfrou did not look happy and Yooka seemed to be the reason. Did the Furfrou think that she wanted to overthrow him? Or had the Kricketune convinced it not to let them stay?  Yigo followed Yooka´s sight towards the Zangoose. It was true, they hadn´t seen that "Viper" unless that was supposed to be the gas that, truth be told, appeared to be unscareable.

The Zangoose huffed lightly, crossed his arms and swung his tail from left to right. It seemed disappointed until its eyes found Yigo´s. A smile got drawn as it stepped closer to the Sandshrew.

"So... you´re Yigo, ain´t ya? I´m going to look for Viper and I´d probably use a second pair of eyes" The Zangoose crouched to be at Yigo´s level and extended its hand to him to show friendliness and safety "She shouldn´t be that far and I have an idea to where she should be. Your... friend... relative?... She can come too" Its sight shifted for a second to Yooka, expecting some sort of approbation or denial but quickly returned to Yigo "So, you´re in?"

Yigo hesitated at first, not sure if he had any chance at attempting anything. Avoiding the Zangoose for a second Yigo stepped aside and waited for the Furfrou or Yooka to react to the proposition but none of them did much. The Furfrou just nailed its sight on them like if they were fangs and the explorer seemed like she took the hit. Without much confidence, the Sandshrew got his hand on top of the Zangoose "A-Alright..."

Soon, the Zangoose grabbed Yigo´s hand and shook it slowly as to make the agreement official. That was foreign to Yigo, it didn´t look like it belonged to the language it displayed with the Furfrou before.

"See? It wasn´t that hard" the Zangoose stood up and turned to Yooka, crossing its arms "Then, ma´am, follow me" it added, moving towards one of the hallways in the room expecting them to come along. However, Yigo continued at Yooka´s side holding her hand with his own. "Y-Yooka... a-are you... coming?"

"Y-Yooka... a-are you... coming?"

The words were not heard by ear except by body as Yooka found herself following without realizing. Her head was still jumbled with multiple thoughts of differing things. She needed to pause and actually think. For the second time, they arrived in the will o' wisp candled hallway. Yooka was vaguely aware of what was occuring. The Sandshrew was following the Zangoose and she followed the Sandshrew. When the door closed, she blinked. She suddenly wanted to know what just happened but she remained quiet about it.

She didn't remain silent though, as she did ask a question. "Gah, curse that kricketot. Why is it so stubborn...?" her headache continued as she felt another ping. Gripping the frill and closing the eye that are on the same side as the pain, she growled to herself. "A little detour from that bug is fine, but I seriously-- ngh." another ping of pain. She sighed and concentrated at what the two are doing. Yooka had a nagging sensation in going through the re-made door. leading to the room she first found the box. The Kricketot and Seviper both slept in that room, it was practically a sleeping quarters anyway. A couple beds, a few dressers. She distinctly remember being sent across the room when the door was splintered by the furfrou's giga impact, knocking her into the wall. After that... not much. It felt more of a dream then anything for she doesn't remember the trek back to the guild after that... and she'd remember a near week long trek back after a complete failure like that.

While guiding them through a hallway Yigo kept holding Yooka´s hand, driving her along the way. It looked lifeless, an empty husk depleted of agency. It wasn´t until they had reached a room with a couple of pillows and blankets barely visible by the lonely hovering ember on the front wall, where Yooka began cursing about the little insect. That sole action made the Sandshrew drop his hands and look at her shocked. Had she just-?

The Zangoose noted the explorer´s behaviour and, keeping an out on her, it turned to the Sandshrew and crouched again to his height "It looks like she´s not here but he has to be here somewhere... I know! Why don´t ya look outside? We´ll be here in case she returns and you don´t notice it. I´ll tell you if she comes back" its eyes got back to the Sandshrews, smiling faintly "I´m counting on ya, kid. Don´t disappoint me!"

It felt strange... but Yigo felt the need to accept the guide´s request. Helping people made them more eager to help you in exchange. If Yigo was able to find Viper, perhaps the Zangoose could help them get the box. Just nodding to it, Yigo advanced towards the door they had just come in through and abandoned the room ready to find Viper.

Outside of the sleeping quarters, it was dark and dusty. Only the lights of some colourful flames hovering over candles and sticks were able to better the situation. In reality, it didn´t bother the Sandshrew that much, having many more options to spot Viper. Even though Yigo didn´t know how did Viper look like, he expected it to be his first find. The Sandshrew pressed his ear on the stone floor, trying to catch footsteps or any sign of movement. Strangely enough, he could only hear... a conversation... from the way he came from.

"...What are you doing? You´re allowed in again, given a second chance and all you do is demand that your requests are met?..."

It was the Zangoose, it seemed angry. Who was it angry at? Yigo had no idea but only knew of someone else that was with it. Curious, he abandoned his task in favour of spying on the conversation. His ear shifted from the ground to the wall of the sleeping quarters.

" ... don´t mind that you do your job, but having a kid do it? Is that stupid box that important?..."

A slight feeling of pain got to Yigo´s chest with a sensation of suffocation. He brought his hands to his face needing something to bite. Yooka hadn't forced him to do anything! He decided on his own to help! Hearing the conversation only made him feel worse, losing all confidence the explorer gave him before. Now dropped on the floor, waiting for the next line of dialogue he noticed a cloud of purple smog forming around him. When he was about to react, something harnessed him in against the floor. A hand shaped cloud forced his mouth shut while a shiny mouth and mean eyes appeared in front of him.

"Hush, hush, little one" the ghastly mouth let out, whispering to his ear "You wouldn´t want to interrupt mom and dad when the best part is about to start, don´t you?"

Fudging brilliant... absolutely well played. :

Well aware of what was happening Yooka didn't even dare question the Zangoose as it seemed pretty intelligent in comparison to the others, except maybe the furfrou. The feeling she got from it reminded her of the charmeleon Garnet... which was rather hard to forget. It did practically what she did and when the sandshrew left he started talking like she was the one in the wrong. Yooka couldn't hold a laugh. She let out a rather shallow chuckle at the first bit and walked over to the pourly patched wall where she had made impact. She rubbed it as the zangoose continued.

The next bit weirdly triggered Yooka. She turned around and walked over to the zangoose rather boldly. While standing right next to it, she found out she's slightly shorter. one of her hands glowed orange as she poked the chest. She felt a little power increase after the touch. "I don't trust myself in keeping calm after a few misshaps and he said he'd do it, I gave him an option to do it if he wanted. I...--" Yooka paused and turned around. "I needed the help." She relunctantly took out a slip of paper. It was the Guild mission itself, or rather a copy. She didn't turn around but she passed it over her shoulder towards the Zangoose. "I trust you can read? It'll explain everything... sortof."

The feeling in her chest... the pressure and pain were no longer present. Yooka just noticed this while holding the paper over her shoulder. Why was that? What was the pressure and/or pain? Yooka growled to herself from this thought. Emotions, why did she care? Why did she care...? she cared? She clentched her fists and took a rather short deep breathe, then faced the Zangoose.

Yigo was stuck on his position. The gas creature had him on the floor but it was not doing anything else. What was the point? He couldn´t even explain to it that he was actually helping the Zangoose. He needed to get free, but with one of the gas´ "hands" pressing his head and the other pressing his body the only thing he could think of was punching the wall and attract the attention of the ones inside the sleeping quarters.

"Hahah... She´s funny, isn´t she? She is trying to convince Gus over there that she got here by her own and that you "magically" agreed to help her. How cute" Taking advantage of the Haunter´s speech, the Sandshrew tried to punch the wall. Unfortunately, the Haunter was not distracted enough and stopped the move with the hand that was not long ago holding the Yigo´s head "What are you doing? You are going to get us caught! And you wouldn´t want them to find out what you were doing instead of... let´s say... finding certain Seviper"

How could it know that much? Was it there the whole time? It was a scary thought that someone was always following him every second, learning from him, from his failures. And then there was Yooka. Each of the manor´s inhabitants knew about her, it was obvious that she had been there before. The Haunter, in particular, seemed to dislike her more than anyone based on what it said in the other room. Yigo couldn´t let the chance to put it in its place be missed.

"Y-You..." he whispered, only to be heard by the gas amalgamation "You are wrong... I wanted to help her... I-I need to... she needs me... Can´t you understand it?"

"Oh, so you think that she needs you? I would have believed that if you were the first one to come with her" Seeing that Yigo had no intention to give away their position, it started petting him in a way that felt uncomfortable. "Oh! My bad! I´m sure she hasn´t told you that" it continued, sarcastically.

That was all that Yigo needed to turn the tables. The gas made a mistake. It had assumed. It was now Yigo´s time to show what he had learned from the explorer "D-Don´t assume things... I already knew... about Alki... Yooka put her trust o-on me" Yigo sat in front of the ghost type, still letting himself get touched by it, and smirkingly grinned, believing that he had won the argument. The Haunter looked a bit shocked as his eyes grew bigger and unsettled, its hands vanishing into thin air.

"And I thought that you were just naive... now I see that you are just like them. Just be warned, thievery will be punished, like last time. if you try to do that again... hahahah" The gas began hovering above Yigo, looking down on him and making one of its hands glow with an eerie light

"You... liar... h-how dare you..." The Sandshrew got offended. Now it wasn´t only Yooka the one that got insulted. By accusing Alki of theft it made the Sandshrew rage. Standing up on his feet he waved about his claws wildly trying to hit the incorporeal gas "Y-Yooka... A-Alki... they would never do that!" he shouted in a grave tone, not caring anymore if they got caught. The Haunter simply enjoyed looking how the Sandshrew futilely wasted his energies while it hovered over him higher and higher, slowly merging with the ceiling.

"I guess she didn´t put her trust on you after all, hehe. Don´t be angry, Sandy, I´ve done nothing but telling you the truth!  Hehe... anyways, I´d like to see their reaction when they discover that you were spying on them but I have to make sure that Viper doesn´t accidentally eat your friend. She likes the taste of thieves, hahahah"

Yigo felt the weight of those words, making him sit on the ground gazing at the last of the gas clouds dissipating into the air. That thing thought that Yooka was a thief, Yigo once thought that Yooka was a thief. Was he right after all? Yigo completely forgot his mission to retrieve the box as he had more pressing concerns that needed to be answered. The last look was driven at the door. They were going to come out soon, weren´t they?

"Yooka... thief..." he repeatedly mumbled those words to himself "Yooka... thief..."

ooc, I cannot compare.:

Putting trust into something after being aggressive. It'd be no different than her punching a person and saying 'help me'. It just doesn't work that way. No one can trust someone like that, Well, there could probably be some who would help, but they couldn't put their full trust in them. The moment the paper left her hand instead of receiving a retaliation was the moment that feeling arrived in her head.

The Zangoose looked at the paper and squinted. It even scoffed. Yooka didn't turn around to the noise. "This doesn't explain why your making the kid do it." Yooka flinch, he was right. The Zangoose placed the paper on her head as he continued. "Just tell everyone the reason you want the box. Don't demand it." This made Yooka's hands clenched into fists, but she didn't know why she did it. The Zangoose noticed this and continued to press.

"Your getting angry at yourself for--" Yooka couldn't take enough. She spun around and shot back, "I was told I was soft by a rather big threat. I'm trying not to be, but I can't do it right. it's either one side or the other. Don't you be lecturing--" the Zangoose covered her mouth with one of its rather large paws. "Shhh..." Yooka looked confused. The Zangoose pointed to the door. She still didn't understand. He smiled and whispered, "I bet you the Haunter's doing his scaring."

This really confused Yooka, but before she could push the paw away and ask what the zangoose poked her chest and explained, "I know you mean no harm. I saw it on your when you were panicking. Let's just say it's a test. I know, sounds horrible, but trust me. I know these guys more than you think." He removed his paw and Yooka noticed he said something about knowing the whole group in this place and blurted out, "Wait, what about these-- uh... what about that seviper?" He laughed. "Outside. I needed to get you two out of the room. Just stay calm and tell the little tot why you need the box. I'm sure it'll understand." with that he winked and walked over to the door. Yooka picked up the paper from the floor and put it back in her bag.

He stopped at the door and raised a paw towards Yooka. She was instinctively walking with him and bumped into the paw. "Pay attention. The haunter is very good at convincing things to how he veiws events." He opened the door and lo-and-behold the sandshrew looked out of it. Drained of thought. Was Yooka really back to square one? Yooka cringed. What did the Haunter tell the Sandshrew? Probably what happened last time in full. The Zangoose waved Yooka towards the Sandshrew.

"I..." she choked. The Zangoose gave her back an above average pat, "Come on, say it. Get it ove--" "I'm sorry." The Zangoose gave Yooka's back a rub. "That wasn't so hard. Was it? But I'm not so sure your friend there is feeling the same thing." They both stared at the Sandshrew. Yooka gave no tears, for even though she was being pained by saying it, she couldn't show signs of weakness infront of others naturally. Another nightmare come true.

The explorer´s apology caught Yigo out of guard but nonetheless meant that she had to be sorry about something. Yigo began to grow suspicious about her. He knew that Alki was incapable of stealing the box, she wasn´t like that. The thought of Yooka extorting her, offering her something she needed in exchange of accomplishing the task, was starting to make sense, that´s what Yooka was doing to him after all.

The Zangoose that stood by her side was expecting for an answer similar or positive towards the explorer. However, Yigo apology went to the Zangoose instead "I-I I´m also sorry... sir... I couldn´t find Viper..." He deliberately avoided eye contact with Yooka and it could be easily noticed when he gave her his back "I´ll find her... I-I can do it"

A moment of silence came after that.  Yigo knew that it wasn´t what they were expecting. By getting no answer, he gave single step before being stopped by the Zangoose´s paw on his shoulder. Reluctantly looking back, the Sandshrew noticed that its expression was not confused, but unsettled, getting second thoughts regarding stopping him from going to find Viper "O-Oh... don´t worry little one. The... Gastly told us where we could find her, isn´t that right, Yooka? Viper´s on the lower level. Do you want to co-?"

"Lies!"  Yigo shot back getting the Zangoose´s paw away from his shoulder and turning towards the pair, remembering that the Haunter was going through the ceiling and not through the floor when it was going to take care of her. Yigo found the contradiction very annoying. Someone was lying, probably everyone was lying to him. "I-I´ve been sincere... haven´t I? N-No more lies..." he stepped away from the Zangoose and glared at the explorer for a second, before shaking his head sideways "Yooka... I-I want to... I want to believe in you... but..." The strange feeling of talking to a stranger kicked in again, making him difficult to talk properly and feeling a burning feeling inside each time he tried to speak up "A-Alki... you made her steal... the box..." Yigo shrugged, hugging the nothingness tightly to desperately find comfort  somewhere "N-No more lies..."

Someone´s breaking:

ooc¦ 'the lower floors':

Her heart dropped when the response never came. Of course it didn't, nothing goes right for her. Nothing ever goes even in a decent direction for her. She stared at the sandshrew as the zangoose said something. Yooka only growled to what was said and the sandshrew caught it too as it practically yelled out his response. Perfect, now things were worse than easter. With HER being the one that's bad. Her face took on a downcasted gaze. Her body tensed as she held back the cold feelings.

This is just bad. Why does it have to be bad? She wanted one mission to finish successfully without another team. Why can't she do it alone? Another attempt at the same mission. Why hadn't she learned from her mistakes? Yooka started to shiver as she looked away from the sandshrew. She felt like alki. She cant do anything, no... Yooka cant do anything right. She can only get in trouble, any attempts at being friendly resulted in her being the bad guy. She wanted to leave, but she couldn't. Not empty handed like last time. Like all the time.

She'd rather feed herself to that seviper and let the pain of her body dissolving be the end of it. Argh, but she's too much of a wimp to think of doing that. Yooka looked at the sandshrew and poked his forehead unthinkingly. She blinked. "Yigo, if you don't trust me just say it. I'm weird ok. I don't want to be the bad guy, but I can't seem to get this good guy thing down. I try to be nice to things but they never do it back. I was told I was too soft and I know I can be apathetic to the things I don't find interesting... uh... interestingly enough. A do like a learning experience... and this is one. Yigo, you made me learn something." Finally a tear had shed. It's been a long time since the last time she's shed something like this. It was back with Darcy.

She gave the sandshrew another poke on the forehead. "Don't you be giving up on me. I left Alki's team for fear I'd hurt her innocent mind. I've learned the truth of the real world and I'm to much of a wimp to teach her that." The sound of slow clapping could be heard from above. The haunter returned and it looked annoyed. "Oh look at you miss actor. Unfazed and still acting. You ain't-- Yooka's shadow cut him off. it quickly slid across the wall and slammed the ghost back through the ceiling. "Shut up, idiot." Yooka went silent after that but the voice of the ghost could still be heard. "heheheheh, Last time you were here, Alki wasn't a part of your team.--" Yooka growled aloud and grabbed her left frill and closed her eyes, "shut uuup!" but the voice continued. "--Why did you bring her last time if you were just going to use her? hahahahahah." Yooka turned around away from the sandshrew. A second tear had shed, this was starting to get overwhelming, again. She needed this to stop. She hated this feeling. It was evil. Why did it exist...?

Was it because he was young? Was that the reason why no one told him the truth? Was the truth that bad to conceal it from him? Yooka was talking about her being too soft and that she tried to be nice, that´s why she left Alki. The explorer said that it was too afraid of hurting Alki by teaching her how the real world was. Was that the reason why she never told him the truth? To protect him?

No. He didn´t need protecting. Keira, Yigo´s mother, had prepared him to face the challenges of the world. He could deal with the hard truth. All the lying and masking only made Yigo more suspicious to the point in which he couldn´t trust anyone anymore. He just wanted to leave, to be able to go back to Grassveil, to reunite with Alki. For that, he had to finish the mission successfully. The following talks were getting nowhere as they were just the ghost´s attempts to make Yooka vulnerable.

"Yooka, shut up!" he interrupted shouting between his teeth, trying to let her see that talking was of not use with the ghost "Y-You and me... we are talking about that later..."

"Uuuhh... I see, kid, that you have some bark... heheh" the Haunter grinned, containing a laugh "have you finally realised that you are but a mere tool to her means? Look at her... she knows what she has done. She may try to lie, but her tears can´t... hehe"

Yigo contained his desire to attack the malicious gas, clenching his fists and letting a subtle and almost unhearable growl "W-We are leaving... but not without the box"

"Aren´t you forgetting something? Because it´s fairly obvious that the box is not yours. And do you remember what happens to thieves here?" The Haunter took the chance to release some repressed resentment by lighting one of its punches with a bright light and launching it in front of it. The Sandshrew showed no interest in that move, as he had finally realised that it was harmless and just wanted to scare him, to break in front of him like Yooka had.

"The box is not ours either" The Zangoose finally decided to step in "The explorer doesn´t want the box for herself, she´s trying to give it back to their rightful owners" The Zangoose swung its tail and crossed arms "This is serious, we may be the ones in a pinch. I don´t want trouble with the guild, and I´m sure that the others would agree with me"

"But... Gus!" The Haunter´s expression changed from a smirky pose that demonstrated confidence to one of a powerless shock. It holded its mouth opened and got its eyes broadened as the grip of its hands weakened "I can´t believe that you just trusted outsiders! That´s only an excuse to get the box from the tot!"

The other two continued with a conversation that Yigo understood as a power struggle between the lower links of the pack´s hierarchy. Even though they had one of the most merciful and forgiving leaders, conflicts to rise in the pack had to happen. This saddened Yigo, as he had considered staying with them in case he wasn´t allowed back in Grassveil. Seeing how their conversation only revolved around mistrust and Yooka´s theft without giving her a chance to explain herself, Yigo grabbed the explorer´s hand and pulled from it lightly, just to catch her attention "I-I won´t give up... I-I need to see... A-Alki again" he whispered just to her ears, looking at her eyes with a worried gaze "b-but for that... I need..."

"The card..." he thought to himself. He knew that if he said that Yooka wouldn´t trust him, so he deliberately stopped there. If they weren´t telling him the truth, so he wouldn´t.

"I´d rather play it safe, I won´t be taking risks" The Zangoose was finally able to get a hold of the situation, it´s facade erasing any sign of doubt it had "If that makes you feel better, we´ll talk it out with the others." With a void huff and a slight twitch of its left ear, the Zangoose remembered that Yooka and Yigo were still there. It turned to them, pointing to the way through which they got to that hallway "As for you two, I want you out of this place. The storm should have eased off by now. Wait outside and I´ll bring you the box myself"