Lost Cause

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Each step was made with hesitance, but he was fairly certain that this path was the safest. The only problem was that it was a guaranteed safety. His eyes darted about to and fro with a growing sense of dread and anxiety. He was alone, out in the open, in the place he'd last seen Voix. For all he knew the damned Zoroark lived here and yet he was coming back. It made his skin crawl and fur stand. He honestly looked adorably fluffy more so than terrifying. He swallowed his fears as he stepped along, uncertainty kept him from making much progress.

He came with the intent of collecting some items, a sack strapped around his side. The light crystal blue necklace dangled from his neck as he walked on all four legs. It was much more comfortable this way. It kept his stomach less exposed, far easier to run from danger as well. Zadira needed more items though. Not only for his own protection, but to hopefully sell them to the local merchant back at Grassveil, maybe an explorer or two. The debt he needed to pay was big and the lawyer made it perfectly clear what would happen if he couldn't keep on his payments.

It was understandable, considering the pachirisu saved what was essentially the rest of his life, but the lawyer's expectations were brutal. He could either pay up or he was going right back to where he was found.

Mocha was right...but this, this didn't line up with any of the anomalies of any dungeon he'd ever heard of. The closest one he could think of was that house near Pricklemist, but this was next level compared to that thing. He was still uncertain, but he shook his head, "We just...need to go home. I-I should have brought an escape orb. I thought it'd be fine and I couldn't find one so..." he paused. On one hand, he did regret coming here, but on the other, then he wouldn't have met Mocha! She seemed...well, extraordinarily nice for another zangoose-on par with Caritas-discounting the book because obviously that book was full of lies.

"If we could get back to Grassveil...well, then it'd be too risky for anyone like Voix to pull anything dangerous. I-It'd be safe...ish." So long as they kept in the public eye and didn't saaaay-go into the privacy of one's own home completely alone with nobody to come check on them for days until a certain blue zangoose came home. The longer he stayed in Black Mist, it seemed that the more he'd keep obsessing and stressing over just about anything and everything.

---

The mightyena disappeared into the darkness, but it wasn't long before something else took their place in terms of Maxie's company. Out of seemingly nowhere, a Diglett popped up out of the ground just off to Maxie's side near the fire. It looked about, before it finally seemed to notice the mawile.

"Oh, Hewwo!" the digglett chimed merrily.

Z: 10 energy from natural regen let's go boiz

Kat carried out 5 launched of one Echo World :

, , , ,

Kat carried out 5 launched of one Black Mist Mountain :

, , , ,

Mocha: [Energy: 7 + 1 (Page) = 8]
Maxie: [Energy: 6 + 1 (Page) = 7]
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She didn’t like the “ish” Zadira added at the end of “safe.” She hugged him again. It helped to assure her that, if there was someone trying to deceive them, at least Zadira was real. ”I want to leave. But it’s so far, and…” And she was a burden at the moment. Knowing that she was the primary reason they were all even still in this place didn’t help to improve her mood at all.

She hated feeling like this—feeling like a burden, afraid, sad. But she was too tired, physically, mentally, and emotionally, to even try to overcome any of it. She just wanted to curl up and sleep and hope to wake up to a better situation.

…

Maxie jumped from her spot in surprise. As if by reflex, she swung her horns in the direction of the sound. Fortunately for the diglett, she assumed the source was taller. Her horns swung ineffectively over the thing’s head. After a moment, she collected herself.

Then she immediately collapsed back down to the floor. ”Hi.” Her voice was dull and tired. She was so thoroughly exhausted from everything. If another Pokemon showed up and was actually hostile, she thought she might not even react. She’d just stay completely still, completely silent, and hope whatever it was just assumed she was a part of the scenery.
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Mocha's Rolls:

Badger carried out 4 launched of one Black Mist Mountain :

, , ,

Badger carried out 4 launched of one Echo World :

, , ,

And Mocha wasn't in any condition to fight or travel. At least, not at the moment. He hugged her back, suddenly very conscious of just how much he was hugging this zangoose he met literally just that today...and sort of thought as Caritas for a moment when he had his little...episode. Hell, what was he thinking, this entire trip was one big episode. The amount of times he flipped between different emotions was more than he could count. It exhausted him just thinking about it. He knew there was something wrong with him, but what if it was worse than he thought?

His hold tightened. Mocha was literally the only thing he had left that was anywhere close to a friend. He didn't know what to say in response to her, but he certainly felt tired. Emotionally and physically. Mocha probably felt the same, he assumed. Here he was, keeping her out here.

"We...should probably head back...test Maxie a-and...get sleep. If the mightyena are tricks then...well..." he didn't know what to say. They didn't have much of a choice. They were going to have to sleep eventually. Perhaps in shifts? Him and Mocha-that is, seeing as Maxie had the foolish idea of trusting these two strangers.

----

"Oooh..." the diglett chimed-almost knowingly, "Chu seem a wittwe upsetti spaghetti!" it sang. "Is dewe someting wwong uwu?? Chu can tawk to me owo about it owo!" The demon edged closer to the mawile, wide eyes sparkled in the mawile's direction. The little hairs on the top of its head twitched and twittered, but if it had a mouth, it'd certainly be smiling. "I was on uwu my owo way home~ but i've got time fur a pokeyman owo in a nyeed owo!"

Mocha: [Energy: 8 - 68 (Rolls) = 0]
Maxie: [Energy: 7]
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Zadira didn’t finish the thought. Mocha assumed it was because he didn’t really have a plan. She didn’t either. Sleep sounded great, though. She nodded in agreement. After an extended pause, she broke the hug. ”Let’s go.”

She needed to think of some questions that only the real Maxie would know the answers to. It wouldn’t be difficult. There was enough details in their meeting that she could remember—and that she knew Maxie would remember—that she was certain she could prove to herself, and therefore Zadira, that Maxie wasn’t a trick of Voix’s or of this strange phenomenon that the mightyena talked about.

…

Ah. The madness was finally setting in. She must have finally hit her breaking point and this diglett was the first sign of reality crashing around her. That, or she was just unlucky enough to be discovered by what was almost certainly the most irritating diglett in the area, possibly even the world.

”You have about five seconds to get out of here before I start playing whack-a-diglett.” It was not an empty threat. Honestly, she could probably benefit from the potential catharsis produced by trying to smash the diglett back into the ground from which it came.

It took him a moment to get a move on, but when Mocha agreed to return and released him, he lead the way back inside the cave. He stopped before he fully entered, however, as he saw that the duo of Mightyena were gone. Instead, a diglett with odd hairs on the top of its head accompanied Maxie. He quirked an eye brow as he heard Maxie threaten the diglett, but it didn't at all seemed phased by this.

Instead, it seemed to almost deflate a little in sorrow. It perked right back up with a new wave of energy, "That's vewy mean of chu owo! i wouwdn't thweaten to huwt someone offewing to hewp me owo out~ why don't chu just aiw it aww out uwu? chu knyow-vent uwu? tawking to peopwe about youw pwobwems is a good and owo heawthy way to manyage youw stwess wevews. It keeps teh eviw spiwits out of youw souw owo!"

...

"Hey on second thought maybe we should stand back for now," he whispered to Mocha, already appalled and thoroughly annoyed by the presence of this newcomer...if it was even a newcomer at all. Whole lot of "ifs" in this scenario.

Mocha: [Energy: 0]
Maxie: [Energy: 7]
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Maxie stood up. ”You want me to vent? Sure, I can vent,” her frustration was incredibly evident in her voice. It was as if it took every ounce of her effort to speak instead of simply start swinging at the mole Pokemon. ”I came out here to have a nice hike with my friend. It wasn’t like I didn’t expect a little trouble to pop up—an aggressive local or two, nothing I wasn’t sure I could handle. Boy was I off. I was so far off.”

She started pacing between the two walls of the cave. She seemed completely oblivious to the two zangoose that had returned to the cave entrance. Her voice was loud enough that it echoed out and deeper into the cavern.

”Zadira shows up. Nervous as he was I should have known he’d be trouble. Then all Hell breaks loose with the steelix and the birds and Mocha getting attacked and he just freezes up. Then I find Roi—he definitely wasn’t much help. In fact, he might have just made everything worse. And then there’s the zoroark—”

It was as if something just suddenly occurred to her. After a pause, she continued, just a bit calmer. ”Ya know what? I shouldn’t be blaming Zadira. That little brat Voix—or I guess whatever he grows into—He I can blame. The young version of him that showed up nearly got me killed, so I can at least blame him for that directly. But I don’t think it’d take much for me to pin most of this on him.”

Putting all the blame—and therefore focusing all her anger—on one particular cause seemed to help her. She turned to the diglett. She took a deep breath, and spoke in a very measured tone. ”Thank you. I’m still very stressed out and very angry, but at least I have some focus back. I have an apology to make.”

…

Mocha heard the voice of diglett but failed to see it. She knew it wasn’t either of the mightyena. ”Who is she talking to? How does she keep finding strangers?” She listened to the mawile’s ranting. It started out pretty agressive, but the ending was, Mocha thought, probably a favourable result.

At least they all three agreed that Voix was the problem.

The mawile was aggressive. It started aggressive at least. The way she fumed, he couldn't decide whether he should be scared or angry. Ever so steadily, he began to teeter towards the side of rage. His paw on the wall, the claws began to dig into it as the mawile declared that she should have known he was trouble. What?! What the hell did he do to deserve that kind of first-judgement? Was being terrified a crime now??

A shift in the tone halted his descent into outrage. Maxie revoked her blame on him...then placed it on Voix. Was...was she finally getting it? The claws relaxed as his pointed ears gradually fell back. Maxie then informed the diglett that she had an apology to make.

...

Was it selfish to assume it was to him? He was pretty sure he should be expecting one now, but he wasn't sure of it. Apologies were supposed to make everything alright again, that's what Caritas told him...but then again no amount of apologies ever stopped most of the people he knew. It was one of those odd things where Caritas would tell him one thing, but experience told him the opposite. H never understood that.

Mocha spoke to him. He kept his voice to a whisper, as he didn't have the courage to speak up after that little burst of emotion from the fae. "Uhh...it's...a Diglett-one of the odd kind with the hairs on its head. I have no idea, but this one could have literally popped up out of nowhere..."

---

The diglett, meanwhile seemed quite proud of its ability to help. If it had a smile, it would have grown wider. The little ground type spun around in a little dance before it continued, "Oh owo! that's wondewfuw owo! i'm so gwad i couwd hewp chu. Is dewe anything ewse i couwd hewp wif uwu? i'm supew good at hewping peopwe bawance theiw spiwits wif a good nommed of hewbaw incense~ oh but i'd have uwu to go gwab dem. I don't have uwu dem on uwu me owo wight nyow-but i heawd wavendew weawwy hewps cawm teh nyewves owo!"

Mocha: [Energy: 0]
Maxie: [Energy: 7]
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”No, no, you’ve helped plenty. But, if you’re familiar with this cave, do feel free to head that way,” she pointed deeper into the cave. ”I have some acquaintances who went that way to see what was around. I’m sure they’d love a tour.”

She was certain they would not want a tour from this creature, but she was also certain that she didn’t want to spend any more time in its presence—even if it had, in fact, helped her.

Mocha wasn’t surprised by the mawile’s initial declarations of blame toward Zadira. She didn’t like them, but they didn’t surprise her. She had caught on pretty early that Maxie blamed Zadira for at least some part of her troubles.

Maxie turned toward the entrance and noticed the two zangoose immediately. ”Oh. Good. How much of that did you two hear, and do I still have to actually make the apology?” The tone of her voice may have been the closest thing to timidness either of the zangoose had ever heard from the mawile.

The mawile noticed them. Of course he mawile noticed them, Zadira was a little difficult to miss with how he peered over the edge of the cave. He wasn't sure if they should have been eavesdropping or not, but somehow he felt guilty that he did as the mawile's tone shifted. Caritas always flipped out whenever he was listening in on her conversations without her knowing-so he avoided it whenever possible-no matter how curious he was.

Her question, however, was one he didn't quite know how to respond to. Just how much of it was there to hear? Did she actually still have to apologize or not? His answer came in...well, it didn't. He was silent. He looked over to Mocha, as if she might have the answer to this.

Before anyone could respond, however, the diglett would open its big wretched mouth once again. "What uwu? what wouwd i go down dewe uwu? that's teh steewix's den. Uwu i don't knyow about youw fwiends~ but dey'we pwobabwy going to west owo in pieces ow something owo! don't wowwy though-wiwacs hewp wif teh gwieving pwocess~ i couwd go gwab some owo!"

...oh.

Mocha: [Energy: 0]
Maxie: [Energy: 7]
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Maxie put her head in her hands. ”Oh. Good. Great. Yes. Go get the flowers. Please.” She would have said anything to get rid of the thing at this point. Now she had another steelix to worry about on top of everything else.

”Yes.”

Maxie looked up at the zangoose. ”What?”

”Yes, you still have to apologize.” Mocha had stepped around the corner and was now in full view.

”Did you not hear there was a steelix?” The zangoose simply glared in response. Maxie sighed. ”Alright, fine, you’re right.” She turned to Zadira.

”Zadira, I’m sorry for doubting you, and for getting frustrated with you… And for calling you trouble. And generally upsetting you... Okay in retrospect I’ve kinda been a jerk and I don’t even blame you if you’re angry at me.” She glanced at Mocha to see if that was enough. Mocha in turn looked to Zadira for a response.

He stared down at the mawile as she apologized to him. Strangely enough, things seemed to melt away from him. Not visually or literally, but it just sort of felt like it happened. It was brief and simple, but heartfelt. Maxie's gaze snapped to Mocha, who turned to him for his response. A few seconds of silence filled the air as he filed through his mind to decide what to say. The situation with this supposed "Steelix" entirely forgotten to him. Besides, it was trap. It was best to stay here, where it was safe, and ignore it.

The answer was simple: No. That wasn't enough. That was only the first step. First step was Why. There were three more steps Maxie had to go through for this to be a proper apology. His tone became flat as he stared down at the fae, memories of another voice floating through his mind.

"This is wrong because...?"
"This is wrong because...?"

He watched and waited. No smirk, no arrogance, just plain and simple...just as Caritas did it.

Mocha: [Energy: 0]
Maxie: [Energy: 7]
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Maxie’s gaze shifted from Mocha to Zadira. She stared for a moment while she processed what exactly he had just said. ”...What?”
She hadn’t exactly expected an “apology accepted”—she wouldn’t have blamed him if he refused to forgive her. She was definitely in the wrong. However, she hadn’t expected him to respond with a leading question. She looked back at Mocha for an explanation.

Mocha just shrugged. She had no better idea as to what was going on than Maxie did. ”... This is wrong because…?” She repeated it out of confusion more than anything. She had no idea where Zadira was going with this.

…

“That’s a big steelix.” Pesky whispered to his brother as they both stood at the entrance to a large chamber well into the cave. They had been following the single corridor for a while now, and this seemed to be the end of it. The end for them, anyway.

“I think it’s asleep.” Dart replied, just as hushed. “I propose a tactical and silent retreat.”

“Agreed.”

And so they did.

She didn't seem to get where he was going. That's alright, he didn't either at first-when Caritas did it. He continued his stare at her expectantly. She needed to answer this, then they could move on to the next steps. It wasn't a proper apology until it was finished. Why didn't Maxie know this? How did Mocha not know this? It was common knowledge wasn't it?

"You said what you were sorry for," he pointed out, "Now you acknowledge how it was wrong, explain what you'll do to avoid it in the future, and then ask if I accept." It was simple stuff, basics that Caritas insisted upon. It usually seemed to work, but then again Caritas was always around when he apologized to people.

Mocha: [Energy: 0]
Maxie: [Energy: 7]
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Oh. Maxie suddenly realised what was going on. Zadira had a process for what must be, in his eyes, a proper apology. Sure, why not? This was fine. She could do this, no problem. They’d just all ignore the potential threat of another steelix.

”This is wrong because… I shouldn’t judge people so quickly, and I should be more patient with people...” That was all probably quite true, actually. In her mind, she resented the idea that she might actually learn something from this stupid ritual he was demanding.

What was the next step? Explain how to avoid the mistake in the future? Avoiding interactions with Zadira after this was on surefire way to avoid doing this again. ”Next time…” She glanced at Mocha. Mocha didn’t have to make any stupid apologies. ”Next time I’ll try to be more like Mocha. Really get to know the person before making any judgement.”

Every single word if this apology burned. This whole process felt demeaning. Was that the point? To make the guilty part feel like a scolded child? She looked back at Zadira, but she didn’t look quite directly at him now. ”D-do you accept my apology?” Was that a good enough performance for you?

He didn't intend for it to be as it actually was. In fact, he was oblivious to it. He listened as the mawile went through the whole process as he laid it out...but there were steps that she missed. Not verbally, but physically. She had one of the two physical points down, but she faltered towards the end. His free paw lifted up and pointed to his eye.

"You gotta make eye contact," was his response in that dull and flat tone of his. He didn't accept the apology just yet. It wasn't time to. Zadira focused on the eyes of the mawile, as he waited for her to look back at him. It was clear that he expected her to try again...this time with eye contact. He was hardly even focused on the apology itself, instead he paid close attention to the mawile's posture, patient despite his earlier gripes with her.