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Fandom ❉」EUNOIA ⋮ ic
- Thread starter cwosont
- Start date
cwosont
Member
♡coded by uxie♡
Last edited:
AI10100
Expert Lurker
♡coded by uxie♡
Juju
PREY-FOR-US
Frankie Wellington
When Frankie opened her eyes she was back in her room, complete with its dust motes and creaky windows. The dream had been so vivid that for a moment the sudden change was disorientating. She sat up, disturbing the banded heaps of fur that were piled on top of her. Pip yawned and gave a stretch while Jamber remained curled up in a ball on her lap.
“That lady… she’s familiar.” Frankie muttered, blinking the sleep from her eyes.
She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and sluggishly pushed her glasses to her face. There was a conversation she had recently with the owner of the carpentry store over an old carving. Something about a goddess with a Celebi. After a quick search on the internet she found an outdated page discussing the regional deity and the spring where she was said to live. It was clearly a tourist trap, but something bothered her about the pictures.
Frankie had to rub her eyes a few times just to be sure, but she was absolutely certain the springs looked identical to the one in her dream, even if she had never seen pictures of it or been there in her life. The only thing that didn’t quite match her dream was the goddess. On the webpage the goddess was gloriously depicted in an illustration, nothing close to the faded and battered woman who had talked with her.
“Weird dream, I guess…” Frankie mumbled, switching off her phone and trying to get back to sleep. Strangely, she couldn’t. All she could do was replay the dream over and over in her head. There was an uneasy feeling in her gut, like the butterflies before an important meeting.
Eventually she gave up on sleep and got up to make some breakfast for herself and the pokemon. A kettle boiled on the stove and some eggs crackled, but Frankie was elsewhere. She didn’t even notice Jamber chewing on a stolen cookie. “Irreversible damage… and fading magic. Is that even a thing?” she pondered to herself, flipping over an egg, “Besides, how do you find something in another timeline? That’s bollocks.”
Frankie sat down after everyone was served and checked the website again, reading through the legend of the goddess. The little 10 year old version of herself nagged at her about forgotten dreams and destiny. She took a sip of her tea and winced when it was too hot. Even if the dream was some ‘vision’… what could she do? She wasn’t even a trainer… and it was pretty dark out.
She gazed out over her berry field, where dew glittered in the dying moonlight. After so much hard work she had finally managed to get some sort of stability in her new life. She already had her great adventure by taking the leap of faith and building up a fresh start in Windermere. Jumping into another one was the last thing she needed. Things had turned out well with Jamber and Pip and her farm. One mistake and it could all come crumbling down. Should she risk it all over some dream?
Over some dream…
Now hold on, she thought, lowering her steaming cup of tea, What's with all this rubbish? Excuses and playing it safe was all I did back in Wyndon. How fine and dandy was that? If I’m too afraid to take chances I might as well head back to the office…no, this is new Frankie!
Frankie stood up so quickly she knocked her chair back and made the dishes rattle. With a determined smile on her face and voice full of renewed zest she declared, “That’s it, we’re going on a hike today! I hope you lot fancy a little adventure!”
The sudden movement spooked Jamber, who rolled backwards and went belly-up on the floor. “Oops, sorry buddy.” Frankie scooped him up and went looking around for her bag. “No time for lollygagging! We’ve got a spring to find and a region to save!”
Frankie hurriedly stuffed whatever she thought she would need into a bag and pulled her green knit cardigan over her shoulders. The sun was still sleeping so it would be cool. Speaking of which, it was still quite dark. It dawned on her that there was a very high chance that she could get lost.
“You’ve got this, Frankie…” she said to herself, adjusting the bag on her shoulder and locking her door, “I mean you’ve got Pip and Jamber, and I’m sure Chris will look for you if you’re missing. Getting lost is just another adventure, right?”
With Pip at her side and Jamber huddled in her bag, Frankie took off into the forest following the light of her phone and the marked area on its electronic map.
Frankie immediately regretted her decision as soon as she lost sight of civilization and the trees swallowed her up. She couldn’t help but imagine all sorts of monstrous pokemon lurking around every corner or jump at the slightest of sounds. Worried he would run off (and totally not because she was scared) Frankie hugged the sleepy Jamber to her chest like a plush doll as she trudged through the dark woods.
More than once she tried to turn around, just to check if she could recognize the way back home, but it only served to disorientate her. The only time any direction made sense was when she pressed forward without looking at the map, using only the memory of her dream as a guide. For better or for worse, she eventually decided to rely solely on that. It made her braver, somehow, so she followed her intuition over the blip on her Rotom phone.
Just when Frankie was about to doubt the credibility of her imaginary skwovet guide and admit she had gone mad, she quite literally stumbled upon the spring. The ground dipped too quickly for her to react to and before she knew it she was stumbling forward into a dry riverbed. She tried to pedal back, but the dew had turned the grass slick.
“Eep!” Frankie squeaked in alarm, landing in an awkward kneel-squat in the crusty mud. She let out a sigh of relief, thankful she had chosen to wear her workboots. She was even more thankful that Jamber hadn’t fallen in. The last time he played in the mud he had made sure the entire house had gotten a share of it.
Pip peered from the shore and let out a concerned chirp. Frankie waved at her while holding the now squirming Jamber, “I’m alright, I'm alright! Just a little mucky, is all!”
The furret’s ears pricked up and she looked further along the spring. She glanced back at Frankie and trilled in excitment.
“Eh? Do you see something?” Frankie asked wearily, only to witness the furret take off. “Oi, wait up!”
She lifted Jamber to the bank and then hauled herself up, the both of them chasing after Pip. It then became clear just what the furret had been distracted by. Two figures stood beside the spring, one sporting familiar pink hair. Pip had already run up to Chris and was rubbing up happily against the ranger’s leg.
“Chris!” Frankie called out as she ran over and gave the pink-haired ranger a huge hug, “Oh Chris I’m so glad you’re here! I lucked out getting here but I’m positively sure I’d get lost on my way back to town and…”
It was only when she pulled away from the hug that she seemed to remember that Maddox was here. She chuckled nervously and smiled, “Um, oh uh Maddox right? Hello! Erm, lovely morning innit? Name’s Frankie…eheh”
She rubbed the back of her neck, grinning broadly to compensate, “Fancy meeting you two here. Um, right, this is going to sound daft, and definately mad, but do either of you know anything about a goddess? Or a celebi… or timelines? I had this really off dream…”
“That lady… she’s familiar.” Frankie muttered, blinking the sleep from her eyes.
She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and sluggishly pushed her glasses to her face. There was a conversation she had recently with the owner of the carpentry store over an old carving. Something about a goddess with a Celebi. After a quick search on the internet she found an outdated page discussing the regional deity and the spring where she was said to live. It was clearly a tourist trap, but something bothered her about the pictures.
Frankie had to rub her eyes a few times just to be sure, but she was absolutely certain the springs looked identical to the one in her dream, even if she had never seen pictures of it or been there in her life. The only thing that didn’t quite match her dream was the goddess. On the webpage the goddess was gloriously depicted in an illustration, nothing close to the faded and battered woman who had talked with her.
“Weird dream, I guess…” Frankie mumbled, switching off her phone and trying to get back to sleep. Strangely, she couldn’t. All she could do was replay the dream over and over in her head. There was an uneasy feeling in her gut, like the butterflies before an important meeting.
Eventually she gave up on sleep and got up to make some breakfast for herself and the pokemon. A kettle boiled on the stove and some eggs crackled, but Frankie was elsewhere. She didn’t even notice Jamber chewing on a stolen cookie. “Irreversible damage… and fading magic. Is that even a thing?” she pondered to herself, flipping over an egg, “Besides, how do you find something in another timeline? That’s bollocks.”
Frankie sat down after everyone was served and checked the website again, reading through the legend of the goddess. The little 10 year old version of herself nagged at her about forgotten dreams and destiny. She took a sip of her tea and winced when it was too hot. Even if the dream was some ‘vision’… what could she do? She wasn’t even a trainer… and it was pretty dark out.
She gazed out over her berry field, where dew glittered in the dying moonlight. After so much hard work she had finally managed to get some sort of stability in her new life. She already had her great adventure by taking the leap of faith and building up a fresh start in Windermere. Jumping into another one was the last thing she needed. Things had turned out well with Jamber and Pip and her farm. One mistake and it could all come crumbling down. Should she risk it all over some dream?
Over some dream…
Now hold on, she thought, lowering her steaming cup of tea, What's with all this rubbish? Excuses and playing it safe was all I did back in Wyndon. How fine and dandy was that? If I’m too afraid to take chances I might as well head back to the office…no, this is new Frankie!
Frankie stood up so quickly she knocked her chair back and made the dishes rattle. With a determined smile on her face and voice full of renewed zest she declared, “That’s it, we’re going on a hike today! I hope you lot fancy a little adventure!”
The sudden movement spooked Jamber, who rolled backwards and went belly-up on the floor. “Oops, sorry buddy.” Frankie scooped him up and went looking around for her bag. “No time for lollygagging! We’ve got a spring to find and a region to save!”
Frankie hurriedly stuffed whatever she thought she would need into a bag and pulled her green knit cardigan over her shoulders. The sun was still sleeping so it would be cool. Speaking of which, it was still quite dark. It dawned on her that there was a very high chance that she could get lost.
“You’ve got this, Frankie…” she said to herself, adjusting the bag on her shoulder and locking her door, “I mean you’ve got Pip and Jamber, and I’m sure Chris will look for you if you’re missing. Getting lost is just another adventure, right?”
With Pip at her side and Jamber huddled in her bag, Frankie took off into the forest following the light of her phone and the marked area on its electronic map.
•❃°•°❀°•°❃•
Frankie immediately regretted her decision as soon as she lost sight of civilization and the trees swallowed her up. She couldn’t help but imagine all sorts of monstrous pokemon lurking around every corner or jump at the slightest of sounds. Worried he would run off (and totally not because she was scared) Frankie hugged the sleepy Jamber to her chest like a plush doll as she trudged through the dark woods.
More than once she tried to turn around, just to check if she could recognize the way back home, but it only served to disorientate her. The only time any direction made sense was when she pressed forward without looking at the map, using only the memory of her dream as a guide. For better or for worse, she eventually decided to rely solely on that. It made her braver, somehow, so she followed her intuition over the blip on her Rotom phone.
Just when Frankie was about to doubt the credibility of her imaginary skwovet guide and admit she had gone mad, she quite literally stumbled upon the spring. The ground dipped too quickly for her to react to and before she knew it she was stumbling forward into a dry riverbed. She tried to pedal back, but the dew had turned the grass slick.
“Eep!” Frankie squeaked in alarm, landing in an awkward kneel-squat in the crusty mud. She let out a sigh of relief, thankful she had chosen to wear her workboots. She was even more thankful that Jamber hadn’t fallen in. The last time he played in the mud he had made sure the entire house had gotten a share of it.
Pip peered from the shore and let out a concerned chirp. Frankie waved at her while holding the now squirming Jamber, “I’m alright, I'm alright! Just a little mucky, is all!”
The furret’s ears pricked up and she looked further along the spring. She glanced back at Frankie and trilled in excitment.
“Eh? Do you see something?” Frankie asked wearily, only to witness the furret take off. “Oi, wait up!”
She lifted Jamber to the bank and then hauled herself up, the both of them chasing after Pip. It then became clear just what the furret had been distracted by. Two figures stood beside the spring, one sporting familiar pink hair. Pip had already run up to Chris and was rubbing up happily against the ranger’s leg.
“Chris!” Frankie called out as she ran over and gave the pink-haired ranger a huge hug, “Oh Chris I’m so glad you’re here! I lucked out getting here but I’m positively sure I’d get lost on my way back to town and…”
It was only when she pulled away from the hug that she seemed to remember that Maddox was here. She chuckled nervously and smiled, “Um, oh uh Maddox right? Hello! Erm, lovely morning innit? Name’s Frankie…eheh”
She rubbed the back of her neck, grinning broadly to compensate, “Fancy meeting you two here. Um, right, this is going to sound daft, and definately mad, but do either of you know anything about a goddess? Or a celebi… or timelines? I had this really off dream…”
fluticasone
neru
. D O V E
Birb™
Fitzroy
Crystal.
♡coded by uxie♡
Last edited:
purplemarble
Junior Member
.Merlin .Salverius
Merlin had always experienced lucid dreaming whenever he went to sleep for about as long as he could remember. In any of the situations his brain could muster up, he would figure out ways to take charge and mess around with his own imagination until his alarm rang. He had done this on countless occasions.
This, however, was not one of those times.
The fact that he had no power over his actions in this exceptional dream made his heart race as it would have in the midst of anybody else’s worst nightmare. Whatever little control he felt he had was forcibly directed at answering the Harvest Goddess’ call. A sinking feeling had settled in his gut, and much to his surprise, it was that precise combination of sensations that awoke him, with the exception that the feeling remained instead of vanishing like it normally would. “What the...” he whispered to himself.
Aura, asleep at the foot of his bed, perked her head up to look at Merlin with her wide deep purple eyes shimmering in the moonlight that bled through the bedroom’s sole window. Taking a moment to stretch her legs and back before scooting over towards her master’s hand, Aura used her nose to nudge it lovingly while Kiko slept soundly (and loudly) in the box next to his actual bed, by the door. Merlin lifted his hand in sync with Aura’s nudge to pet her forehead before planting a tiny kiss on it as he sat up. “Might as well get up now...” he muttered in defeat. He refused to go back to sleep in case the dream would resume: this hadn’t bothered him much in the past, but since the knot in his stomach wasn’t budging, Merlin chose to stay up for a while, in hopes that this would make a clean break in his mind before resting again.
Aura’s satisfaction was confirmed by a discreet high-pitched squeal and she hopped off the bed, patiently waiting for her human companion to come out from under the several layers of bed sheets he laid out (the resulting pressure was quite comforting). He pressed a button behind his left ear to turn on his hearing aids, drank the glass of water that sat on his nightstand, rubbing his face gently with one hand as he brought the glass back to the kitchen.
A faint whistle, provoked by the steam coming out of the quaint little teapot Merlin had prepared, sounded across the room. Tea was ready; surely it would soothe his stomach long enough for him to return to bed undisturbed. Absentmindedly stepping outside on his balcony, Merlin carefully sat down into one of the two hanging chairs he had installed a month prior, spinning a teaspoon in his cup while looking up at the moon. Aura, as always, was quick to follow. Merlin was still perturbed by that dream; judging by what he remembered of its trees, he was fairly certain the forest he saw was just out of town, but in all of his outings to forage plants and berries for work, he never noticed anything that resembled a spring like that one.
Some time passed... the feeling of impending doom didn’t.
“Maybe I should go for a ride...” he thought. His next shift was only in a couple more days, what harm could it do to step out at this hour? Naps could always be had later. And so he came back inside to change into a plain white shirt, black hoodie and grey sweatpants, threw a baseball cap on, undid the lock on his mountain bike – decidedly a great tradeoff for what he had back in Lumiose City – and brought Aura with him in her pokéball, stashed in his dark green backpack, making sure to grab his indigo Rotom phone before pedaling off into the night.
Whether it was by intuition or some sort of muscle memory, Merlin somehow found his way to the spring after leaving his bike by the side of the dirt road close to a random motorcycle; a sure sign that he wasn’t the only one to have had this dream. Why else would this thing be laying there at this hour?
Despite his not being known for having particularly remarkable facial expressions, the state of the spring would have been enough to transform his serious look into one of pure shock, if that moment hadn’t been stolen by bumping into Crystal as she tried to leave, causing the two of them to shout in surprise, immediately followed by everyone else present. “S-sorry,” was the only thing he managed to say in a stutter, embarrassed. Merlin then noticed that Crystal weren’t alone: Chris, Cyrille, Frankie and Maddox were also there...
He backed off a little and turned to see a strange hooded figure, kneeling before the same rock he’d seen in his dream. Its presence only strained his gut feeling some more. At a loss for words, he simply looked around at the others in silence, unsure of what the next step would be.
This, however, was not one of those times.
The fact that he had no power over his actions in this exceptional dream made his heart race as it would have in the midst of anybody else’s worst nightmare. Whatever little control he felt he had was forcibly directed at answering the Harvest Goddess’ call. A sinking feeling had settled in his gut, and much to his surprise, it was that precise combination of sensations that awoke him, with the exception that the feeling remained instead of vanishing like it normally would. “What the...” he whispered to himself.
Aura, asleep at the foot of his bed, perked her head up to look at Merlin with her wide deep purple eyes shimmering in the moonlight that bled through the bedroom’s sole window. Taking a moment to stretch her legs and back before scooting over towards her master’s hand, Aura used her nose to nudge it lovingly while Kiko slept soundly (and loudly) in the box next to his actual bed, by the door. Merlin lifted his hand in sync with Aura’s nudge to pet her forehead before planting a tiny kiss on it as he sat up. “Might as well get up now...” he muttered in defeat. He refused to go back to sleep in case the dream would resume: this hadn’t bothered him much in the past, but since the knot in his stomach wasn’t budging, Merlin chose to stay up for a while, in hopes that this would make a clean break in his mind before resting again.
Aura’s satisfaction was confirmed by a discreet high-pitched squeal and she hopped off the bed, patiently waiting for her human companion to come out from under the several layers of bed sheets he laid out (the resulting pressure was quite comforting). He pressed a button behind his left ear to turn on his hearing aids, drank the glass of water that sat on his nightstand, rubbing his face gently with one hand as he brought the glass back to the kitchen.
A faint whistle, provoked by the steam coming out of the quaint little teapot Merlin had prepared, sounded across the room. Tea was ready; surely it would soothe his stomach long enough for him to return to bed undisturbed. Absentmindedly stepping outside on his balcony, Merlin carefully sat down into one of the two hanging chairs he had installed a month prior, spinning a teaspoon in his cup while looking up at the moon. Aura, as always, was quick to follow. Merlin was still perturbed by that dream; judging by what he remembered of its trees, he was fairly certain the forest he saw was just out of town, but in all of his outings to forage plants and berries for work, he never noticed anything that resembled a spring like that one.
Some time passed... the feeling of impending doom didn’t.
“Maybe I should go for a ride...” he thought. His next shift was only in a couple more days, what harm could it do to step out at this hour? Naps could always be had later. And so he came back inside to change into a plain white shirt, black hoodie and grey sweatpants, threw a baseball cap on, undid the lock on his mountain bike – decidedly a great tradeoff for what he had back in Lumiose City – and brought Aura with him in her pokéball, stashed in his dark green backpack, making sure to grab his indigo Rotom phone before pedaling off into the night.
Whether it was by intuition or some sort of muscle memory, Merlin somehow found his way to the spring after leaving his bike by the side of the dirt road close to a random motorcycle; a sure sign that he wasn’t the only one to have had this dream. Why else would this thing be laying there at this hour?
Despite his not being known for having particularly remarkable facial expressions, the state of the spring would have been enough to transform his serious look into one of pure shock, if that moment hadn’t been stolen by bumping into Crystal as she tried to leave, causing the two of them to shout in surprise, immediately followed by everyone else present. “S-sorry,” was the only thing he managed to say in a stutter, embarrassed. Merlin then noticed that Crystal weren’t alone: Chris, Cyrille, Frankie and Maddox were also there...
He backed off a little and turned to see a strange hooded figure, kneeling before the same rock he’d seen in his dream. Its presence only strained his gut feeling some more. At a loss for words, he simply looked around at the others in silence, unsure of what the next step would be.
nine lives
azenva
never ask me for anything ever again
Iris snapped awake. She arose from her bed of crushed wildflowers, their fragrance fighting past the wind. The grass, verdant ripples in the breeze, was a brilliant emerald, blindingly beautiful. The Skwovet, watching like a guard, scampered off. It rustled the blades further. It provided the only other sound. No birds serenaded her, fortunately, as Dream Iris had packed light on frying pans for her self-defense needs. No other Pokémon ran past, or vocalized their names in the distance. No rivers hummed with their quiet implacability, no trees shook in the breeze. The great, wide outdoors felt like an abyss.
Outside was a place Iris went to sometimes. Rarely did she savor nature—she was raised in the city, and the city was where she belonged. Concrete was the canvas, neon was the paint. Nature’s vibrancy, the greens, the browns, the rainbow of flowers and Pokémon, paled in comparison. The hustle and bustle suited her better than serenity. The empty space begged to be filled. The frenetic pace of urban life made peace and quiet feel lethargic. Iris couldn’t stop and smell the roses if she tried, she had to get out there, do something, be someone, now, now, now. The outdoors was just an in-between, a placeholder, a path, a stepping stone. No destination. Windermere was nature. It had people, but it was no metropolis. Iris would be getting out soon. Probably. Hopefully.
And despite her lack of care for it, she was in nature right now. “How had she gotten here?” Was the question she would have asked if she were truly awoken, and not in the dream state where one simply accepts whatever is happening as truth. But in her sleep-addled state, outside almost felt like a place Iris would want to be in.
She looked down and regarded the soil that had joined her when she had stood. No, inside would be fine for her. The earth that soiled her legs was brushed off with prejudice as she rose…slowly. Iris had suffered after standing up too quickly before, but this was something else. Blinking back to life after…that, she was hit by another…that.
"Please..." comes a voice, weak and distraught. "Please, I need your help... in the springs..."
Iris knew little of what exactly was around Windermere. Even when she wasn’t forcibly stuck inside due to the nature of her work, she preferred the indoors anyways, for reasons explained in the prose dump a few paragraphs ago. Outside bad, inside has online videos of a comedic and entertaining nature designed to induce laughter and amusement, and also the equipment and resources to both produce nourishment that is nutritionally filling, appealing in taste, and satisfies Iris’ lizard brain desire to be one with fire and steel, as though she were a Legendary Pokémon in her domain.
The Skwovet scuttled on back. The guard was now the guide, as Iris followed in its path without stopping to ask why she was following the instructions of some random Pokémon that was just passing through. The endless grass ended, giving way to dirt and the trees that were missing from earlier. A sunbeam shone through the foliage once in a blue moon, an occasional light shining in darkness. The sound of leaves rustling was still absent. Now in the forest, the zephyr was dead. The plants around her appeared to be following suit, as now Iris could see clear as day that the clearing that the Harvest Goddess’ springs made their territory was decrepit, especially now that the light of the day was not being choked out by the impenetrable canopy above. Squinting after having adjusted to not being able to see anything, Iris could just barely see the Harvest Goddess.
"My magic..." the Goddess says breathlessly. "It is fading... I do not have the power to... keep this region safe anymore... Celebi, my dear friend, has not lived in our time for many years..." She wavers. "Without them, I do not have the strength to go on... With the others you must... find our Celebi... or this region will fall to ruin... It is only a matter of time before... the damage is irreversible..."
Iris snapped awake. She arose from her bed of bed material, fragrance and residual tiredness nonexistent, and sat there, bolt upright.
Someone’s been having too much coffee and not enough sleep.
Pushing herself with her arms, she moved to the edge of the mattress, legs dangling off the side. She was at a point of change, where she could go forth into the place that is not the bed or return to the bed. To go back to sleep was tempting, probably necessary. The housekeeper gazed back at her pillow with longing in her soul, conflicted. As much as she wished to sleep, she couldn’t make herself do it. A force caught her every time she fell back. The call to adventure would not let her hang up. Tearing her eyes off the cushion that lay so near, yet so far, she allowed herself a moment to not do anything and look around.
Iris met the eyes of the disheveled but bright-eyed woman in the unnecessarily large mirror. The reflection used her fingers to comb her hair, currently resembling a cat’s fur all puffed up and messy, as she looked away.
With a sigh, Iris hopped off her bed and began her morning routine. After a pinch of the cheek and a temperature check for that fever dream. All clear.
Hygiene. Check. Cleaning. Check. Pot of coffee, pan of breakfast. Check, check, check. Iris breezed through her chores on autopilot, stewing over whatever that not a fever dream was. A human-looking deity, irreversible damage, and worst of all, a mandatory team effort. Was Iris really going to do this? Maybe she had hallucinated after all?
No. The dream was real, some primal instinct told her. She would have to get out there. Travel. Wasn’t that what she wanted, anyways? To see the world, not be cooped up in some backwater?
She had awoken Remi earlier, but she simply made a noise of irritation and fell back asleep in Iris’ room. Perhaps her choice of tunes was a bit aggressive considering it wasn’t light out, but what was Iris supposed to do? Not listen to music? Or, Arceus forbid, get new taste?
At the very least she could stop singing along. “Iris. What in the Distortion World are you doing.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement, flat and annoyed, spoken by the person who had let her live in Windermere in the first place. Their dimunitive frame stood partway out in the hallway to their room, blue eyes half-closed.
Iris looked over her shoulder and raised a hand in greeting. “Good morning, Casey. Chores.”
“Morning?” Their voice rose in pitch by as much as their freshly-awake vocal cords could handle, so not much. “Look out the window.”
The blinds were currently drawn, but no light was bothering to sneak through. Iris reached out and opened them. It was night, of course.
“It’s—“ Casey glanced down at their watch, taking a moment to let their tired head process the three numbers it displayed. “Like 6 AM. It’s not morning at all. Look, dude, I’ve got all the things ahead and I need to be ready for them. Company’s gonna be heading halfway across the region to kick some families off the land they’ve had for generations so it can build parking lots in a week, and I’m on surveying team. And some family’s coming to take my house while I’m gone—”
The Harvest Goddess had the power for one last miracle. This was her chance.
“Actually, I have to be gone for a while too. Emergency popped up.”
Casey blinked, dumbfounded, then let out a very drawn-out sigh. “Of course. Well, at least you lucked out of handling the folks.” They buried their face in a hand. “I’m off for a little more beauty sleep. Please stop singing.” They turned to get out of the door frame, but paused to poke their head back out. “Save some food for me for later. Thanks.” At that, they went back to sleep. Lucky them.
Iris scarfed down her half of the potato hash. It was good, of course, but she was still too preoccupied with her dream to appreciate the nuance of the flavors. Shoving it into the oven to let it keep warm for her benefactor, she went back to her room to bring Remi along. She mewled with discontent, still half-asleep and refusing to walk on her own.
Iris left the house, Remi in her arms, princess-carry style, and made her way into the land of Outside, but for real this time. She shouldn’t have known the path. Couldn’t have. She’d never even entered the forest before in her months in the region. Yet she treaded the trail with ease, even with her burden in hands, making her way to the springs like she had done it a thousand times before. The route was even darker than it was in her dream, somehow, especially since she couldn’t exactly pull out a lamp or flashlight, but her feet still moved of their own volition.
It seemed Iris wasn’t the only one to have this prophecy embedded within her skull. A half dozen other people that Iris did not know were also gathered. And then there was the person kneeling on the ground, in front of a statue of that Harvest Goddess. She set Remi down on the ground, who had finally fully woken up, and stood a bit away from everyone else, waiting for something to happen.
Outside was a place Iris went to sometimes. Rarely did she savor nature—she was raised in the city, and the city was where she belonged. Concrete was the canvas, neon was the paint. Nature’s vibrancy, the greens, the browns, the rainbow of flowers and Pokémon, paled in comparison. The hustle and bustle suited her better than serenity. The empty space begged to be filled. The frenetic pace of urban life made peace and quiet feel lethargic. Iris couldn’t stop and smell the roses if she tried, she had to get out there, do something, be someone, now, now, now. The outdoors was just an in-between, a placeholder, a path, a stepping stone. No destination. Windermere was nature. It had people, but it was no metropolis. Iris would be getting out soon. Probably. Hopefully.
And despite her lack of care for it, she was in nature right now. “How had she gotten here?” Was the question she would have asked if she were truly awoken, and not in the dream state where one simply accepts whatever is happening as truth. But in her sleep-addled state, outside almost felt like a place Iris would want to be in.
She looked down and regarded the soil that had joined her when she had stood. No, inside would be fine for her. The earth that soiled her legs was brushed off with prejudice as she rose…slowly. Iris had suffered after standing up too quickly before, but this was something else. Blinking back to life after…that, she was hit by another…that.
"Please..." comes a voice, weak and distraught. "Please, I need your help... in the springs..."
Iris knew little of what exactly was around Windermere. Even when she wasn’t forcibly stuck inside due to the nature of her work, she preferred the indoors anyways, for reasons explained in the prose dump a few paragraphs ago. Outside bad, inside has online videos of a comedic and entertaining nature designed to induce laughter and amusement, and also the equipment and resources to both produce nourishment that is nutritionally filling, appealing in taste, and satisfies Iris’ lizard brain desire to be one with fire and steel, as though she were a Legendary Pokémon in her domain.
The Skwovet scuttled on back. The guard was now the guide, as Iris followed in its path without stopping to ask why she was following the instructions of some random Pokémon that was just passing through. The endless grass ended, giving way to dirt and the trees that were missing from earlier. A sunbeam shone through the foliage once in a blue moon, an occasional light shining in darkness. The sound of leaves rustling was still absent. Now in the forest, the zephyr was dead. The plants around her appeared to be following suit, as now Iris could see clear as day that the clearing that the Harvest Goddess’ springs made their territory was decrepit, especially now that the light of the day was not being choked out by the impenetrable canopy above. Squinting after having adjusted to not being able to see anything, Iris could just barely see the Harvest Goddess.
"My magic..." the Goddess says breathlessly. "It is fading... I do not have the power to... keep this region safe anymore... Celebi, my dear friend, has not lived in our time for many years..." She wavers. "Without them, I do not have the strength to go on... With the others you must... find our Celebi... or this region will fall to ruin... It is only a matter of time before... the damage is irreversible..."
Iris snapped awake. She arose from her bed of bed material, fragrance and residual tiredness nonexistent, and sat there, bolt upright.
Someone’s been having too much coffee and not enough sleep.
Pushing herself with her arms, she moved to the edge of the mattress, legs dangling off the side. She was at a point of change, where she could go forth into the place that is not the bed or return to the bed. To go back to sleep was tempting, probably necessary. The housekeeper gazed back at her pillow with longing in her soul, conflicted. As much as she wished to sleep, she couldn’t make herself do it. A force caught her every time she fell back. The call to adventure would not let her hang up. Tearing her eyes off the cushion that lay so near, yet so far, she allowed herself a moment to not do anything and look around.
Iris met the eyes of the disheveled but bright-eyed woman in the unnecessarily large mirror. The reflection used her fingers to comb her hair, currently resembling a cat’s fur all puffed up and messy, as she looked away.
With a sigh, Iris hopped off her bed and began her morning routine. After a pinch of the cheek and a temperature check for that fever dream. All clear.
Hygiene. Check. Cleaning. Check. Pot of coffee, pan of breakfast. Check, check, check. Iris breezed through her chores on autopilot, stewing over whatever that not a fever dream was. A human-looking deity, irreversible damage, and worst of all, a mandatory team effort. Was Iris really going to do this? Maybe she had hallucinated after all?
No. The dream was real, some primal instinct told her. She would have to get out there. Travel. Wasn’t that what she wanted, anyways? To see the world, not be cooped up in some backwater?
She had awoken Remi earlier, but she simply made a noise of irritation and fell back asleep in Iris’ room. Perhaps her choice of tunes was a bit aggressive considering it wasn’t light out, but what was Iris supposed to do? Not listen to music? Or, Arceus forbid, get new taste?
At the very least she could stop singing along. “Iris. What in the Distortion World are you doing.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement, flat and annoyed, spoken by the person who had let her live in Windermere in the first place. Their dimunitive frame stood partway out in the hallway to their room, blue eyes half-closed.
Iris looked over her shoulder and raised a hand in greeting. “Good morning, Casey. Chores.”
“Morning?” Their voice rose in pitch by as much as their freshly-awake vocal cords could handle, so not much. “Look out the window.”
The blinds were currently drawn, but no light was bothering to sneak through. Iris reached out and opened them. It was night, of course.
“It’s—“ Casey glanced down at their watch, taking a moment to let their tired head process the three numbers it displayed. “Like 6 AM. It’s not morning at all. Look, dude, I’ve got all the things ahead and I need to be ready for them. Company’s gonna be heading halfway across the region to kick some families off the land they’ve had for generations so it can build parking lots in a week, and I’m on surveying team. And some family’s coming to take my house while I’m gone—”
The Harvest Goddess had the power for one last miracle. This was her chance.
“Actually, I have to be gone for a while too. Emergency popped up.”
Casey blinked, dumbfounded, then let out a very drawn-out sigh. “Of course. Well, at least you lucked out of handling the folks.” They buried their face in a hand. “I’m off for a little more beauty sleep. Please stop singing.” They turned to get out of the door frame, but paused to poke their head back out. “Save some food for me for later. Thanks.” At that, they went back to sleep. Lucky them.
Iris scarfed down her half of the potato hash. It was good, of course, but she was still too preoccupied with her dream to appreciate the nuance of the flavors. Shoving it into the oven to let it keep warm for her benefactor, she went back to her room to bring Remi along. She mewled with discontent, still half-asleep and refusing to walk on her own.
Iris left the house, Remi in her arms, princess-carry style, and made her way into the land of Outside, but for real this time. She shouldn’t have known the path. Couldn’t have. She’d never even entered the forest before in her months in the region. Yet she treaded the trail with ease, even with her burden in hands, making her way to the springs like she had done it a thousand times before. The route was even darker than it was in her dream, somehow, especially since she couldn’t exactly pull out a lamp or flashlight, but her feet still moved of their own volition.
It seemed Iris wasn’t the only one to have this prophecy embedded within her skull. A half dozen other people that Iris did not know were also gathered. And then there was the person kneeling on the ground, in front of a statue of that Harvest Goddess. She set Remi down on the ground, who had finally fully woken up, and stood a bit away from everyone else, waiting for something to happen.
Crimson Rose
Elder Member
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cwosont
Member
AI10100
Expert Lurker
♡coded by uxie♡
purplemarble
Junior Member
. Merlin .Salverius.
What the hell? Merlin kept repeating to himself as he carefully listened to the conversation while it unfolded. He had heard bits and pieces here and there about this Goddess, but he never imagined he’d be witnessing an important event such as her death. The sheer perplexity of the situation was baffling enough that you’d just want to go home back to bed, sleep and then wake up as if this also had been a part of the dream... Except it wasn’t, and now, Merlin had to make up his mind. Stay and take a leap of faith, or go and deny it ever happened in the first place. He stepped forward to speak up after Chris and the Witch’s exchange.
“I, too, choose to answer the Goddess’ call of duty. I would be a fool to say that I know anything of her or Celebi, save for a few tales I heard after my arrival in Eunoia; yet I also know and appreciate the true value of life, much like them. I’ve looked death right in the eye many times as I cared for and held on to pokémon while they passed over to the next realm. I wish to see the land and all of its beings moving forward towards a brighter future...” Merlin paused for a moment, feeling a sting in his heart at the thought of his great-grandfather. “And I... I have dues that I must pay. They are not my own, but they might as well be. So believe me when I say... you can count on me.”
This extraordinary predicament was, indeed, what Merlin felt to be his moment for redemption, for the guilt and shame he was subjected to and had been feeling himself about his heritage. This was the opportunity to be everything that old bastard never could have been, even in his wildest dreams: a truly good and just person... Brave, and righteous through meaningful actions. Yes... The mere thought of it all lit up his heart and soul in a way Merlin hadn’t felt in so, so long. Emotions twisted and turned in his gut in an unsettling mix of pain, excitement and relief. Then, a couple of minuscule tears made their way to the corners of his eyes. They wouldn’t have made their way down his cheeks if he hadn’t blinked in surprise at their presence. Thankfully, it was dark enough so nobody noticed... hopefully.
As he finished his declaration, Merlin was suddenly seized by another source of anxiety which felt far more distressing than the herculean task at hand. How was he, of all people, supposed to cooperate and make friends with a bunch of perfect strangers?
“I, too, choose to answer the Goddess’ call of duty. I would be a fool to say that I know anything of her or Celebi, save for a few tales I heard after my arrival in Eunoia; yet I also know and appreciate the true value of life, much like them. I’ve looked death right in the eye many times as I cared for and held on to pokémon while they passed over to the next realm. I wish to see the land and all of its beings moving forward towards a brighter future...” Merlin paused for a moment, feeling a sting in his heart at the thought of his great-grandfather. “And I... I have dues that I must pay. They are not my own, but they might as well be. So believe me when I say... you can count on me.”
This extraordinary predicament was, indeed, what Merlin felt to be his moment for redemption, for the guilt and shame he was subjected to and had been feeling himself about his heritage. This was the opportunity to be everything that old bastard never could have been, even in his wildest dreams: a truly good and just person... Brave, and righteous through meaningful actions. Yes... The mere thought of it all lit up his heart and soul in a way Merlin hadn’t felt in so, so long. Emotions twisted and turned in his gut in an unsettling mix of pain, excitement and relief. Then, a couple of minuscule tears made their way to the corners of his eyes. They wouldn’t have made their way down his cheeks if he hadn’t blinked in surprise at their presence. Thankfully, it was dark enough so nobody noticed... hopefully.
As he finished his declaration, Merlin was suddenly seized by another source of anxiety which felt far more distressing than the herculean task at hand. How was he, of all people, supposed to cooperate and make friends with a bunch of perfect strangers?
nine lives
Last edited:
fluticasone
neru
—
cyrille
. D O V E
Birb™
Fitzroy
Crystal.
♡coded by uxie♡
Last edited:
Juju
PREY-FOR-US
"Dream?” He hissed in disbelief. “Fuck me.”
Yep, Maddox… definitely Maddox, Frankie thought, her face frozen in a polite, albeit awkward smile.
Frankie didn't see Chiffon coming, and it took her a moment to realise what was happening. One second she was giving Chris a big hug and the next thing she knew her skin was cold and covered in something gooey. Her clothes had also received the same treatment.
"Ack! Bullocks. Oh Chris now I know how you feel…" Frankie groaned, holding out her arms gingerly as she inspected the ooze-covered state of her cardigan. It was one she had crocheted herself, and it had just been washed.
She thought about how unlucky it was to both fall in the mud and then get attacked by slime but it only made her giggle at the absurdity of it all. It was better to look at misfortunes as funny stories to tell later rather than get caught up in bad luck.
"Chiffon! And…" She turned around to find her favourite tailor in town. "Cyrille. How you doing, luv?"
Frankie wasn't really familiar with everyone in town, so when The Witch spoke up she just assumed she was another town resident. She certainly looked human enough, but Frankie got an odd feeling in her gut whenever the lady pointed at Maddox and he obeyed her command without hesitation. Of course, she didn't know Maddox all too well, so she couldn't really mark it off as supernatural just yet. Some guys were just a little easier to get along with when in the company of a pretty woman, so she shrugged it off.
Then the mention of “Witch’ began to float around and Frankie regretted skimming through the article on her phone. Try as she might, she didn't recall any mention of a Witch. Perhaps it was another page? She had heard of forest witches in Galar, but they were spooky ghost ladies who would trap people in illusions for their amusement. This so-called “Witch” seemed a little different than that. At least, hopefully.
"Well now, I can't say just why the Goddess chose me. I actually thought it must have been a mistake at first. I mean, I’m not a trainer and I’m barely a farmer!” Frankie said, shaking some goo off her sleeve, “But after a bit of thought and a cuppa I figured she’s got to have a good reason for all it. It's just hard to see right now, is all!”
She continued, shining with her weather-worn optimism (and the layer of pokemon-goo and mud), “Times like these you've just got to roll up the old sleeves and get to it. No point dallying over this and that. Me Nan always said that if you've got a job to do you better get it done. The rest will usually work itself out in the end. I’m no sword-and-shield bearing hero, but I will do my best at whatever I can!”
Yep, Maddox… definitely Maddox, Frankie thought, her face frozen in a polite, albeit awkward smile.
Frankie didn't see Chiffon coming, and it took her a moment to realise what was happening. One second she was giving Chris a big hug and the next thing she knew her skin was cold and covered in something gooey. Her clothes had also received the same treatment.
"Ack! Bullocks. Oh Chris now I know how you feel…" Frankie groaned, holding out her arms gingerly as she inspected the ooze-covered state of her cardigan. It was one she had crocheted herself, and it had just been washed.
She thought about how unlucky it was to both fall in the mud and then get attacked by slime but it only made her giggle at the absurdity of it all. It was better to look at misfortunes as funny stories to tell later rather than get caught up in bad luck.
"Chiffon! And…" She turned around to find her favourite tailor in town. "Cyrille. How you doing, luv?"
Frankie wasn't really familiar with everyone in town, so when The Witch spoke up she just assumed she was another town resident. She certainly looked human enough, but Frankie got an odd feeling in her gut whenever the lady pointed at Maddox and he obeyed her command without hesitation. Of course, she didn't know Maddox all too well, so she couldn't really mark it off as supernatural just yet. Some guys were just a little easier to get along with when in the company of a pretty woman, so she shrugged it off.
Then the mention of “Witch’ began to float around and Frankie regretted skimming through the article on her phone. Try as she might, she didn't recall any mention of a Witch. Perhaps it was another page? She had heard of forest witches in Galar, but they were spooky ghost ladies who would trap people in illusions for their amusement. This so-called “Witch” seemed a little different than that. At least, hopefully.
"Well now, I can't say just why the Goddess chose me. I actually thought it must have been a mistake at first. I mean, I’m not a trainer and I’m barely a farmer!” Frankie said, shaking some goo off her sleeve, “But after a bit of thought and a cuppa I figured she’s got to have a good reason for all it. It's just hard to see right now, is all!”
She continued, shining with her weather-worn optimism (and the layer of pokemon-goo and mud), “Times like these you've just got to roll up the old sleeves and get to it. No point dallying over this and that. Me Nan always said that if you've got a job to do you better get it done. The rest will usually work itself out in the end. I’m no sword-and-shield bearing hero, but I will do my best at whatever I can!”
azenva
never ask me for anything ever again
Everyone in the clearing knew the others except Iris and the hooded Witch. The former was comfortable staying where she was and observing this continuation of her dream. Was this being scared? Maybe. Didn’t feel the way it did back in Kalos.
The Witch wasn’t scared. Freely accusing the multiple other people surrounding her, demanding answers to questions Iris couldn’t answer, and generally acting like someone who hadn’t been kneeling in some dirt in a dead spring. The guy who was volunteered to answer the question choked out a response about a dream. Just like Iris. Everyone else here probably had that vision after all.
The unhooded figure turned towards the petrified monument. Sending away Casey was her last gasp of power, apparently. More indictments of mankind were flung, and another impossible question posed. She was good at this. Answer guy from earlier responded again, of his own free will this time. His vitriolic comeback seemed as good a nonanswer to piggyback as there would be.
Iris made to approach and agree, but the Witch fired back first. Introducing herself as cordially as a poison introducing itself to someone’s bloodstream, she spat more of her own venom back. The currently uncharacteristically quiet brunette knew as much about the folklore of Eunoia as she did about…herself. Because really, who was Iris? What about her made her worthy of this quest? She was a background character of her own life. Only the hunk of rock the Witch was obsessing over knew.
And there was only one way to find out. Continuing her motion of stepping forward, Iris spoke for the first time since she had left the house what felt like eons ago. “I don’t know who I am, really. I’m a stranger to this region. I know nothing of whatever legends this land holds. I don’t know why I was chosen. But I was, and I’m going to do what I’ve been called on to do, no matter what you have to say about it.” Her voice stayed quiet at first, but picked up as she found her groove and her confidence. Her right hand had clenched into a fist over her heart. Her eyes glanced down at it, but she made no attempt to relax as she looked back up, staring back at the Witch and daring her to respond, silent again.
The Witch wasn’t scared. Freely accusing the multiple other people surrounding her, demanding answers to questions Iris couldn’t answer, and generally acting like someone who hadn’t been kneeling in some dirt in a dead spring. The guy who was volunteered to answer the question choked out a response about a dream. Just like Iris. Everyone else here probably had that vision after all.
The unhooded figure turned towards the petrified monument. Sending away Casey was her last gasp of power, apparently. More indictments of mankind were flung, and another impossible question posed. She was good at this. Answer guy from earlier responded again, of his own free will this time. His vitriolic comeback seemed as good a nonanswer to piggyback as there would be.
Iris made to approach and agree, but the Witch fired back first. Introducing herself as cordially as a poison introducing itself to someone’s bloodstream, she spat more of her own venom back. The currently uncharacteristically quiet brunette knew as much about the folklore of Eunoia as she did about…herself. Because really, who was Iris? What about her made her worthy of this quest? She was a background character of her own life. Only the hunk of rock the Witch was obsessing over knew.
And there was only one way to find out. Continuing her motion of stepping forward, Iris spoke for the first time since she had left the house what felt like eons ago. “I don’t know who I am, really. I’m a stranger to this region. I know nothing of whatever legends this land holds. I don’t know why I was chosen. But I was, and I’m going to do what I’ve been called on to do, no matter what you have to say about it.” Her voice stayed quiet at first, but picked up as she found her groove and her confidence. Her right hand had clenched into a fist over her heart. Her eyes glanced down at it, but she made no attempt to relax as she looked back up, staring back at the Witch and daring her to respond, silent again.
Crimson Rose
Elder Member
cwosont
Member
AI10100
Expert Lurker
♡coded by uxie♡
fluticasone
neru
—
cyrille
purplemarble
Junior Member
. Merlin .Salverius.
Merlin’s eyes darted around as the discussion started to heat up with Kira’s outburst and the Witch’s consequent warning, punctuated by the flaming business card. What was that about? It just goes to show how disconnected the girl was from the rest of the world, where mere mortals actually had to work to acquire anything of value. The only legacy her family left, as the Witch said, was the sorry mess in which they found themselves now.
It was certainly intriguing to hear of other magical folk related to the Goddess, even though Merlin hesitated to ask more questions, only for more to pile up as the Witch spoke of the Harvest Sprites. Our scientist wondered if he would get to see them at all when the time would come. It would serve as confirmation that he does indeed have a pure, kind heart… just the thought of it made him feel fuzzy inside. But ultimately, only time would tell. In the meantime, all he could do was hope.
He ended up picking a couple of questions he thought would be the most useful: “Are there ways to know more about the Harvest Sprites…? Some lore, legends, ancient history…? Are they a rare Pokémon breed, or something else entirely?” Because what you just said is about as vague as it gets… ‘Go to this city’. And then what? Merlin thought to himself.
"As I have said, the Harvest Sprites come from the region's magic. They are no Pokémon. If you are truly the Goddess' chosen, then you will learn for yourself what the sprites truly are. I do not have the time for history lessons."
Merlin looked away in dissatisfaction. Hmph. Some help you are…
His mind soon started scrambling around trying to figure out how he was going to weasel out of work for so long – who knew when this quest would come to an end, really? He knew practically nothing of Eunoia, being so busy with patients and their owners, he’d had little time to spend learning more about this new corner of the world he found himself in aside from the essentials. He didn’t feel comfortable lying to his employer, but how else was he supposed to go about it? “Going on an epic magical quest to save Eunoia” wasn’t going to amount up to anything aside from a one-way ticket to the nearest asylum. And yet, if this is indeed the last shot humanity had to save the world, there’s no way he could idly sit by and let the others go out on their own. Someone had to keep things in order, and it sure didn’t look like any of these folks fit the bill, save for Chris and himself… as usual. He turned to Cyrille and Frankie. Cyrille appeared mortified, while the ever-optimistic Frankie was trying to comfort him. What on earth are we getting ourselves into…? Cyrille’s nervous inquiry further confirmed Merlin’s thoughts. He looked over to Chris and gave a firm nod, signaling his commitment and resolve to see this through. He'd just have to come up with something, anything, to leave it all behind. I'll hand in my resignation if that's what it takes. Sadness stung at his heart at the thought, but there was something much greater at stake. If they didn’t embark on this journey, there would soon be nothing left to call home anyway.
“Yes, we’re going. All of us.” Merlin looked intently (trying his best to conceal his discomfort in doing so) at each person present. He spoke in a firm tone. “We must go as a group. I am counting on your cooperation and expect nothing less than immediate, full commitment from each and every one of you. Otherwise, we don’t stand a chance at all.” He looked away as soon as he could to get rid of the tension building in his gut from the sustained eye contact. “I don’t think the Goddess chose us out of convenience. She must have a plan for us… Even if it’s beyond our comprehension right now.” He paused for a moment, deep in thought. “There’s no time to waste. Let’s regroup at the town gate as soon as we’re ready. Go pack your things and say your goodbyes… Because we’re in it for the long haul.”
It was certainly intriguing to hear of other magical folk related to the Goddess, even though Merlin hesitated to ask more questions, only for more to pile up as the Witch spoke of the Harvest Sprites. Our scientist wondered if he would get to see them at all when the time would come. It would serve as confirmation that he does indeed have a pure, kind heart… just the thought of it made him feel fuzzy inside. But ultimately, only time would tell. In the meantime, all he could do was hope.
He ended up picking a couple of questions he thought would be the most useful: “Are there ways to know more about the Harvest Sprites…? Some lore, legends, ancient history…? Are they a rare Pokémon breed, or something else entirely?” Because what you just said is about as vague as it gets… ‘Go to this city’. And then what? Merlin thought to himself.
"As I have said, the Harvest Sprites come from the region's magic. They are no Pokémon. If you are truly the Goddess' chosen, then you will learn for yourself what the sprites truly are. I do not have the time for history lessons."
Merlin looked away in dissatisfaction. Hmph. Some help you are…
His mind soon started scrambling around trying to figure out how he was going to weasel out of work for so long – who knew when this quest would come to an end, really? He knew practically nothing of Eunoia, being so busy with patients and their owners, he’d had little time to spend learning more about this new corner of the world he found himself in aside from the essentials. He didn’t feel comfortable lying to his employer, but how else was he supposed to go about it? “Going on an epic magical quest to save Eunoia” wasn’t going to amount up to anything aside from a one-way ticket to the nearest asylum. And yet, if this is indeed the last shot humanity had to save the world, there’s no way he could idly sit by and let the others go out on their own. Someone had to keep things in order, and it sure didn’t look like any of these folks fit the bill, save for Chris and himself… as usual. He turned to Cyrille and Frankie. Cyrille appeared mortified, while the ever-optimistic Frankie was trying to comfort him. What on earth are we getting ourselves into…? Cyrille’s nervous inquiry further confirmed Merlin’s thoughts. He looked over to Chris and gave a firm nod, signaling his commitment and resolve to see this through. He'd just have to come up with something, anything, to leave it all behind. I'll hand in my resignation if that's what it takes. Sadness stung at his heart at the thought, but there was something much greater at stake. If they didn’t embark on this journey, there would soon be nothing left to call home anyway.
“Yes, we’re going. All of us.” Merlin looked intently (trying his best to conceal his discomfort in doing so) at each person present. He spoke in a firm tone. “We must go as a group. I am counting on your cooperation and expect nothing less than immediate, full commitment from each and every one of you. Otherwise, we don’t stand a chance at all.” He looked away as soon as he could to get rid of the tension building in his gut from the sustained eye contact. “I don’t think the Goddess chose us out of convenience. She must have a plan for us… Even if it’s beyond our comprehension right now.” He paused for a moment, deep in thought. “There’s no time to waste. Let’s regroup at the town gate as soon as we’re ready. Go pack your things and say your goodbyes… Because we’re in it for the long haul.”
nine lives
Lazy Taco
Greedo
Andrew Matthews
“Now where the heck did that hungry Skwovet go? I was sure that it was hungry but no, it made me follow.” Andrew scratched his head a trying to figure out where the furry little creature had wandered off too. Every time Andrew had managed to find the pokemon, the little Skwovet would vanish in a matter of seconds. Yet instead of running away completely it always turned almost as if it was checking to make sure Andrew was following them. It made him feel a little frustrated and was half tempted into sending Mookie, Mimi and Chester out so that they could corner the pokemon but those words stopped him.
“Please….Please… I need your help…. In the spring..”
Andrew wasn’t sure why but this small phrase kept him from stopping and giving up so he kept on following the small rodent. The spring? He had to wonder where it was as it seemed like there was nothing but trees around in a place he didn’t even recognize as he kept on following the Skwovet. This was freaky but at the same time mysterious. He tilted himself when he finally saw the spring but couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious over the Skwovet approached the goddess, one he’s seen in a few pictures during his stay in town. She seemed more then trouble, as she spoke
“the damage is irreversible…” Was the last thing Andrew heard as he faded.
____________________________________________________________________________
“NOOOOO” He yelled out as he awoke from his slumber, shooting up from the comfy bed of the inn room he was staying in.
It didn’t take long for someone to come knocking on his room’s door. Now he was fully awake but he had a goal to accomplish. Getting off the bed, he went and opened the door to see another traveler he had spoken with last night at dinner from the inn that he was currently staying at.
“Are you okay sir? You were screaming pretty loud so I thought I’d check on you and see if everything was okay.” The trainer said to him while looking a bit worried.
“I’m okay but could I ask you for something… Can you tell me how to get to the Harvest goddess Spring?” He asked her. He wasn’t sure why that name came to his head but it just did. The traveler seemed confused at first but she finally realized what place Andrew was talking about.
“I haven’t seen it myself personally but I’ve heard some rumors of a spring on the outskirt of town from some locals perhaps that might be the one?” Thanking her, He closed the door and started getting ready, showering, brushing his teeth, changing clothes, looking inside his backpack to make he had everything he needed and finally checking his pokeballs to make sure that the trio hadn’t lept out of their balls over night.
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Exiting the inn, Andrew was stunned by it still night, and started heading in the supposed direction of the spring that the trainer had told him about, ignoring everything that was on his path. As he walked, he looked sideways and saw a Skwovet in front of him who seemed like he was staring into the soul.
Maybe it was the Skwovet in the dream Andrew didn’t say anything and just smiled as he started to approach the pokemon only for it to take off in to some bushes running fast as if spooked by the human. Andrew took off running towards the pokemon for what felt like a while only to find it eating some wild grown berries by a puddle, that was clearly not the spring. “Perhaps you’re not the dream Skwovet after all” He thought aloud, as the now angry skwovet chucked a smushed oran berry at him. Staining his shirt. Definitely not the same pokemon, which means he probably was led in the completely wrong direction. Andrew shook his head, it was too early for this kind of stuff. As he began wandering off in some other direction. Not even taking a second guess on if it was the correct direction or not.
After getting lost in the woods multiple times, he could finally hear the sounds of voices, some higher pitched than other. Carefully Andrew crouched behind a tree, looking around it at some people who stood around a spring in the middle of the night. The same spring from the dream he’d finally found it!
‘But should he get closer?’ Andrew thought carefully as he watched everyone they seemed rather distracted by the witch some being moodier then others. ‘Nah maybe not’ choosing it was probably better staying put behind his tree instead of engaging. Andrew listened in and everything that was going on. A business card?? The Goddess?? Harvest Sprite?? Witch?? Chosen ones?? Celebi he understood because it was a mythical pokemon but everything else was something…..
