Set in the original region of Arciel, Legends Rising is a route-inspired, but not strictly route-based, Pokemon roleplay. Pick a faction, pick a class, and strike out into the wild to take on the League, master Contest coordination, research the mysteries of Pokemon and Arciel, and much, much more. Will you be a classic trainer? A criminal? A farmer? Choose your destiny on Legends Rising.
Koray Starr its chaos time, summary eri is with babies and its sunset
post wc: 1643 total eri wc: 1643 total thread wc: 1643
The sun was just barely beginning to set, the horizon was preparing to meet it's luminous body and getting ready to welcome stars as gorgeous as ever into the night sky- and Eri was ready. It was the perfect setting for what she had planned, the perfect backdrop to hopefully hype both her and the mons she had with her up- because it wasn't going to be easy- no- the stars had set her up for a challenge. She was in a fairly sparse clearing in the training grounds, a "secret" place where the sunsets brighter and the stars are more visible, where she'd learned to come for training and baby raising.
It was a place she adored, where she could be quiet, and didn't have to cater to any stars. Just her and her star-guides, where she could focus and just appreciate the celestial land around her. Of course- with her rowdy bunch of babies, perhaps that might be... a little difficult. She'd decided to wear something easier to vibe infor the training session, hair tied into loose ponytails by the nape of her neck, left uncurled. A skirt just above the knees without a poofy petticoat, a huge turtleneck sweater that was probably the comfiest thing she owned and a pastel pufferjacket,looking something like this. Eri refused to mess around, not when it came to training.
She stood before five baby mons, who all were currently adjusting to their new enviroment- some sniffing around, others sticking close to Eri while others just kinda... stood where they were. Cyllene, her shiny Raltz was grasping onto Eri's leg, hiding behind her from the rowdy bunch of pokemon. Narvi, ever the calm and entuitive Shroomish, was scouting out the clearing, getting her bearings and trying to keep her footing- despite stumbling every few steps and falling over- she was determined to be okay! Aegir was running around, softly shrieking as Carinae chased him, tiny arms grabbing out in an attempt to reach for the bug type and stop him in his running. Ira, the Wingull, was resting next to Eri's incubator, she still hadn't learnt to fly and socialising with the other babies.... really wasn't her thing.
Eri had all the time in the world- she'd packed sparkling energy drinks, poketreats, sweets full of stardust, purple fake-lanterns- it was going to be a stellar night! Her Incubator rested near her, currently hosting her Spiritomb egg. Cosma had wanted to come along, but Eri had convinced her to stay home, as the babies had needed to bond with each other- since they were all similar ages and it'd be easier to work with them then.
A small purple picnic rug was set out under Eri, and was where she currently stood, double checking she had everything. This might be difficult, but she'd spent years researching how to work with babies- the most important thing right now was ensuring their fine motor skills were stellar and getting them to test out their moves. After triple-checking everything fingers were brought to her lips, a loud whistle that got her babies attention.
"Ira! Carinae! Aegir! Narvi!!" She brought her hands to her hips and beamed at them. Narvi quickly toddled over to where Eri was, the shroomish excited, especially since her trainer looked so happy! Ira hopped a little closer, away from the incubator while Cyllene drew even closer to Eri's leg. Carinae still chased Aegir though, leading him away from the meet-up spot and further down the clearing- nooooo! She brought her hands up to cup over her mouth and yelled out again, "Carinae! You won't get any star snacks if you don't come back!" ANd Aegir too- but if Carinae stopped bothering him then surely he'd come back too, Eri was almost positive- maybe.
Carinae, hearing her voice had paused, being small in the distance, and stared at Eri a few moments. Eri stared back, quirking an eyebrow, and after a few moments the figure came closer, little hands outstretched towards her until he was within pickup-range, and Eri, being weak, instantly grabbed the mon and heaved him up, using one hand to keep him settled while she leaned over to grab him a treat. The mon still pulled at her hair, but at least he was back... but...
"Aegir!" Eri had to yell out louder, confused for a few solid moments- where had the bug type gone?! She squinted, attempting not to flinch at a rather tight hair pull. The other mons around her began to get restless, believing they'd been called over for no apparent reason- but still! "Aeeeegirrrrrr- buddy! I have star treats waiting just for you- berry flavoured too, with extra stardust!" she waited a little longer for a response, moving to shift Carinae to the other arm and smiling apologetically down at the other three mons. Ira only flapped her wings in response, white Cyllene pulled a little at her socks... looks like both Ralts enjoyed pulling things- she'd have to work on that with them. Narvi seemed to be looking in the distance too, sizing up how far away Aegit had run.
Right... maybe Aegir was scared? She could faintly see him in the distance, jumping up and down on the spot and staring in Eri's direction. This was fine, she could get him back. "Aegi- ow!" She was cut off from calling again as Carinae pulled down harshly on one of her pigtails, the girl crying out loudly and jumping on the spot. This star-guide would be the death of her. She moved to unlatch from Carinae, settling him on the mat and pouting on him.
"If you do that one more time, Cari, no poketreats- do you copy?" Carinae just tilted his head at her, and Eri rolled her eyes. Riiight-o. One step forward now, but before she could step again there was a harsh tug on the back of her shoe, that almost fell off- Carinae didn't want her to move, and was making grabby arms again- oh for stars sake. Eri took a breath, moving to tug her hair out of the pigtails and letting it fall freely- there were no stars here to see her anyway so it didn't matter, before leaning down to pick up Carinae and holding him close again. "As soon as you tug on my hair, you're going down, okay?"
There was a nod, as the pokemon seemed to nuzzle into her touch. For now, he was fine. Eri took a breath, squinting back in the distance... right- she needed Aegir back towards her so he could actually take part in the training, this was turning out to be a real nightmare. She took in a soft, deep breath before yelling out, "Aegir! Carinae's sorry! And i'm holding him so he wont chase after you-come back and you'll get some star snacks?!"
There was a pause, where Aegir seemed to go over her words in her head, but after a few beats he'd seemed to decide to run back, tiny legs carrying him forward in a bouncy jog before he joined the group by the picnic rug, sending Carinae uncertain looked every few seconds... right.. okay... Ignoring the sudden chill on her legs as the sun began it's decline, at the time she knew it would, she took a step back so the mons by the mat could look at her. "So today isn't a play day, guides!" She couldn't clap her hands, so instead she moved to attempt to bounce Carinae in her arms so he didn't get restless.
"We're going to do some training- I promise it's good training!" Did... pokemon even know what training was? She hoped so! And, because she was alone in her area she could be as loud as she wanted! Eri used her free hand to point at an area by the mat, giggling softly- which seemed to lighten Carinae's mood in turn. "Do you guys wanna go over there? We're gonna do the basics!"
At first, none of them did anything, however when Eri pointed again Cyllene was quick to hobble over to the area, a soft coo leaving her. Ira was next, flapping her wings as she walked over, a funny sight for a Wingull, Aegir stared at Carinae a few more seconds before rushing over next to Ira, the two cooing at each other for a brief moment. Narvi watched Eri a few more seconds, contemplative before slowly walking over, almost falling over once before nodding and facing the girl... right, now she just had to get Carinae down and she could start!
She bent over a little and brought Carinae to the floor before her, gesturing for him to take his place by the others, and after wiggling a poketreat at him he relented, standing near Cyllene- who instinctively shyed backwards, away from him. "So! We gotta get a rhythm up first- like... warming up- and to get your motor function working!" or at least test their skills... she probably didn't word that right. Hands settling back on her hips, Eri giggled.
"With the stars as our witness, let's begin!" She brought one leg up, them stomped it down. "So, you guys are gonna have to copy what I do, okay? We're gonna be marching- one leg, then another leg!" And, thus begin... baby hell- because none of them knew exactly how to follow her and very easily angered each other- stars- Eri wasn't cut out for training, she was too soft, and she was gonna get sweaty real fast- hell wearing a short skirt was a bad idea because with every other movement chills were sent up her spine... but... nobody would see her, and so she was happily in her natural habitat, with baby star-guides.
After tossing and turn for what seemed like ages, Koray finally gave up trying to sleep and decided to try and do something at least semi productive. Most of his pokemon were sleeping that night well, aside from the ghosts that liked to lurk about, Thurin being one of them. If it weren't for his ability to sense the Gastly from a fair distance, there was no doubt in Koray's mind that Thurin would have startled him a thousand times by now. Still, the Gastly enjoyed trying and it was a little endearing how much he liked to cause trouble.
Speaking of... "Hey there, Thurin~," Koray hummed, not even turning around as the Gastly sighed. You always do that! The Gastly whined, moving in front of Koray as he attempted to get something out of the fridge. It was easy to duck around Thurin to get what he wanted though, namely his coffee from the day before. A shrug would be given to Thurin as Koray took a sip, smirking a bit thereafter. "You make it easy, what can I say~?" Thurin pouted and once again swore he would manage to startle Koray one day. This was par for the course, Thurin always claimed he would be able to scare him one day but there were two problems with that. Koray had learned to expect the Gastly to be a sneaky mischief maker and there was always the fact that he was a spirit sensor. It was quite literally impossible to be alarmed by a ghost's presence, especially one of his own pokemon.
Looking over towards the doorway, Koray took note that Lórien and Elanor were up now which meant that Rowan wouldn't be far behind. Sure enough, the Phantump faded in from the woodwork, making sure that Lórien and Elanor were alright. The trio were almost inseparable by now which made Koray's heart warm seeing them chatter amongst themselves. Really, it was because of Elanor and Rowan that Lórien had opened up as much as she had. Before, the Yamask used to be quite shy and still was a little wary of strangers, but nowhere near as bad as before. Sighing, Koray ran a hand through his hair and finished the rest of his coffee. Well, might as well be a little more productive this evening since everyone was already up and raring to go.
"You guys up for a trip to the training grounds? I could bring Eärendil and Caradoc too," Koray suggested, laughing softly at the chorus of cheers he felt as much as heard in his head. They knew better than to wake the house in their excitement at the very least. Grabbing the two pokeballs that held the larger and more intimidating ghost types Koray had encountered, he made his way to the training grounds. Usually there wasn't anyone here at this time of night so he thought it would be a safe place to try and work with a couple of his newer ghosts. Pippin was actually asleep so Koray was going to try and sneak out without waking the bubbly pumpkaboo. Thankfully it was easy enough to sneak out, Koray just barely remembered to grab a jacket before asking Rowan to carry Elanor just to be on the safe side. If the Pumpkaboo heard them leave, she would beg until allowed to go with them. Adventures were always so much fun after all!
The walk to the training grounds was fairly uneventful, but Koray wouldn't let Eärendil out until they were in a decently sized clearing. The Dhelmise was a gentle giant, but he didn't know how well they got around, even as a baby. Or well, not so much a baby as a young pokemon. Eärendil looked around the area curiously, seeming amused at all the small pokemon around them. Ah yes, they did enjoy getting out and stretching some, thank you Koray~. That left only one pokemon remaining... Caradoc... but the last time Koray had tried to be around the Spiritomb was the day he hatched. Caradoc had been so angry that he'd screamed and almost made Koray faint in front of Sid... Sigh. He knew he couldn't keep the Spiritomb in its pokeball forever... that wasn't fair, especially given that it was probably angry at being trapped the way it had been.
Maybe in a little while. Rowan looked worried as Koray put Caradoc's pokeball away but a smile reassured the Phantump that he was just fine. Yes, it was time to enjoy the stars tonight, maybe even see if they could find some higher ground. Yes, that would be good. "I'm alright, Rowan. Let's go up to the clearing, there might be a better view of the stars," Koray mused, smiling gently at the series of worried faces looking back at him. Ah, yes, the downside of being a spirit sensor, it worked both ways. No sooner had they reached the clearing however that Koray stopped and stared at the sight he was seeing. Was... that really Eri? She looked so happy with all the different young pokemon surrounding her. So very... different to how he usually saw her. For a few good moments he just stared, watching the scene unfold before him. It would be Rowan that would snap him out of it. The Phantump had no qualms of saying hello to a friend after all! Sigh, so much for just watching. Eri looked so happy, he hadn't wanted to interrupt that.
"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Koray said softly, hoping that he wouldn't startle Eri too much. Eärendil hung back from the group at first, not wanting to startle the little ones running around though they did look happy to see such precious young ones. The rest of the group had no qualms about joining the young pokemon and starting a wonderfully fun game of tag. Alright, that was an admittedly adorable sight...even if Thurin was cheating and phasing out before he could be tagged. "Hey, play nice, Thurin. Phasing is cheating and you know it," Koray scolded before sighing and running a hand through his hair, "I take it you couldn't sleep either?" That was why he was out this evening after all.
post wc: 992 total eri wc: 2635 total thread wc: 3678
Marching apparently wasn't very easy for baby pokemon, the girl found that out really fast. Cyllene had been much too intimidated by the other baby pokemon around her and had almost instantly folded in on herself, creating a small, safe ball. For now Eri'd leave her like that, at least to help her get used to the atmosphere! Narvi the Shroomish however eagerly followed Eri's movements, bringing her little legs up high before stomping them into the ground! "You're doing great, Narvi!" Eri's voice rang out, and the Shroomish coo'd back at her in excitement. Carinae was struggling to get it, and he didn't like Eri giving Narvi attention when he was right here! A low growl left him and he moved to bump into Narvi, causing the marching mon to lose her balance and tumble over.
Ahhh! "Carinae, buddy- buddy noooo." Eri shook her head a few times, a pout on her face as she rushed over to grab Carinae. "That's it- you have to sit in time out, by the incubator. And you don't get any treats until... your times up- so you;ll have one minute, okay?" Carinae just shook his head a few times, but took the position asked of him. Good! Now she could get back to the other babies!
Narvi was back on her feet and marching like a pro, however Cyllene had unraveled slightly and was instead just looking at the rest of the babies, almost jealous they were doing so good. Ira flapped her wings when she marched to give herself more power, while Aegir stomped not quite in time, but with enough vigour to keep himself satisfied. "You guys are all doing great! Left- right- le-"
She was cut off at the sound of footsteps, and a familiar voice- a confused nose left her and the girl all but swung around on the spot- no! Stars weren't supposed to be here?! Let alone Sirisu- this was her private training spot where the babies would have no distractions and be able to focus on their fine motor skills- and- "S-Sirius?!"
And Eri wasn't in her appropriate star-meeting outfit?! Arecus- ahhh- this was so unprofessional! The panic must have shown on her face as she took a step back, moving to bring a hand in her hair and attempt to salvage herself, pulling her hair back up into pigtails as she spoke, "U-Uh- yeah! It's... a stellar night!" it really was, and the stars were supposed to be fully visible, at least once the orange glow of the sunset turned into an etheral purple- but that was besides the point! She couldn't think about catering to the stars while training star guides- just what did the fates have in store for her tonight, stars save her.
Her gaze flicked to check on the babies, only to find all of them, including Carinae in.. a game of tag?! But- aaah no she'd just got them to settle too! She fastened her hair tight and at least attempted to pull her already short skirt down slightly, an awkward, slightly forced grin on her face. It's not like she could tell the star what to do, he'd found this area or been led by the stars above, so now she'd just... have to deal with it- uh...
At his next words, mainly about her not sleeping Eri shook her head, moving once to pluck up Carinae as he ran past, moving to put him back in his time-out by the incubator and sending him a look. "Nope- the stars give more energy and I thought it'd be perfect for bringing the baby star-guides out and teaching them basic motor functions, and coordination..." A wary glance was sent to the babies, who'd all been tripping over themselves in an attempt to chase the ghost mons, uhhh... She almost didn't notice as Carinae reached over to yank on her hair, and the girl let out a soft gasp, pout forming on her lips. "Cari, no! No berries after your time out- you'll only get some for good behaviour now!"
Eyes flicked to her spiritomb egg, as if to check on the numbers on the incubator before the girl wrestled her hair free of Carinae's grasp and stood upright, narrowing her eyes at Carinae, as if asking for him to dare try something else before turning to Koray, the same pathetic excuse for a smile on her face. "Sorry- uh- i'm in no position to properly cater for the stars right now..." She moved to wring a hand through her pigtails now, "...You have trouble sleeping, then? I could find some pills or something for you, or research meditation, or- uh- the wifi out here is bad..." a head shake, she didn't want to cut her training session short at all but if the fates led the star here he more than obviously needed her help, right?
She brought her lips together as she turned to face the babies again, bringing her fingers up before whistling. "Ira! Cylene! Aegir! Narvi!" The mons all seemed to stop in their game to face her, and Eri rolled her eyes a little. "Back in position- we haven't gone over baby stretches and too much running around could hurt you- especially when we haven't properly gone over jumping yet- and I don't wanna have to take any of you little star-guides to the pokecenter so late."
That was all it took, and a small offering of berry for most of them, albeit dejectedly to return to their spots before her, cooing softly and waiting her next instructions. Eri took that time to survey Koray's mons, blinking, "Oh- oh- you have some babies too?!" her eyes may have sparkled for a moment upon noticing them, and she turned back around to face him, "What are their skills like- their current stage in development?"
Oh... it looks like he had startled Eri after all. That hadn't been his intention but well, here he was and it looks like she was already tying her hair back up? "Eri you don't have to-..." or she was going to already. The night was beautiful and the pokemon were having so much fun playing together. From the looks of it, there were babies with Eri as well. That didn't come as a big surprise, especially given what Eri did for a living. It was cute but... why doesn't Eri look happy? Everyone was getting along so that should be fine, right?
Oh, it seemed that Eri hadn't come out here because she was awake but because she had energy and wanted to teach some of her babies. Oh, well, seeing the babies trip it made sense why she was upset now but Koray simply laughed. "Playing is good for them, it teaches them coordination and how to get along. Relax and let the young ones have some fun~." Ouch, that looked like it hurt. Seemed like she had a troublesome one on her hands. Kinda like me and Thorin. Except the Gastly was more mischievous than trouble making like Cari.
At the apology, Koray shrugged and went back to watching the babies, "Hey, it's alright, I didn't expect anyone to be out here. You don't have to put on an act for me you know, Eri~," he stated, taking a breath before Eri called her pokemon over to her. Oh, well it seemed like his pokemon were eager to get some berries too and followed the babies back over to her. He would pull out some snacks he'd brought as they swarmed over to him, his mind a cacophony of requests. Ouch. "Alright, alright, chill out guys. Here, I have some for everyone." Handing out the treats thereafter, Koray laughed and debated whether he should bring out Caradoc. That was... harder to do, especially since the last time he'd nearly fainted when the sheer amount of spirits had assailed him.
The question about the babies he had with them had Koray nodding and gestured to the Dhelmise now happily munching on a treat behind him. "Yes, actually. A Dhelmise and a Spiritomb. The rest aren't babies anymore, but they are some of my younger pokemon certainly," Koray explained, shrugging a little at the follow up question, "I'm not entirely sure. I have all but Caradoc, my Spiritomb out right now. He's... a handful..." That was the understatement of the year. But Koray wasn't about to try and explain why they were afraid of bringing the Spiritomb out again.
"Ah, but Eärendil is a sweetheart, even if they look intimidating. You don't have have to worry about them. They mostly watch, it's kind of hard for an anchor to move freely when not in the water but we're working on that." A low chuckle could be heard from Eärendil as they waved in their own way and went back to watching. Rowan and the others were still happily munching away on their treats. For now it seemed everyone was happy.
post wc: 1693 total eri wc: 4328 total thread wc: 5899
Already it seems the stars wanted to make her training her new babies as difficult as possible. With her babies lined up infront of her, awaiting command, and Koray and his gang of star guides it was going to make keeping the newborns attention extra difficult, and then she had to think about catering to the stars?! A star who was here because he had trouble sleeping and was probably tired- should she just ditch training and go to medicinal 24 hour stores to search for sleep remedies? Maybe she could do that tommorow, actually... As Koray spoke Eri couldn't help but puff out her cheeks ever so slightly, not so much in annoyance, but rather at just being told to 'relax'.
"They're at an important stage in their development, the stars are perfectly aligned for training tonight and I don't want them to exhaust before the peak of what i've planned out occurs- I have no time to relax when it comes to ensuring the best for my star guides!" She spoke like she'd read this straight out of a textbook, which she hadn't! She had training to tune their fine motor skills that features rigorous exercise, treats, lots of marching, maybe a song or two to keep their attention, nap-time and then... uh... she'd have to check her schedule for the rest- but all before the sun rises it had to be done! "Their fun times are schedules for an hour from now, of course since their babies I have a solid 30 minutes of allowance for their mess ups due to personalities, or getting bored- or-"
She stopped as Carinae began moving out of line, and very quickly rushed over once more to grab at the Ralts, easily lifting him back into her arms and making a show to bat her loose pigtails right over her shoulders so he couldn't get to it. A tongue was poked out at Carinae, which he in turn attempted to grab, causing her to dodge away quickly and shift how she was holding the baby- momentarily distracted all at once she realized, yet again, a star was watching- aRGH it was so difficult to both cater to baby star guides and stars, she hadn't set any time aside or planned for what to do if this were to happen!
As he spoke again Eri brought her lips together, bouncing the Ralts in her arm and flicking through the right thing to do, or say in this situation. If only she could pray to the celestials right now and ask for advice! As he brought up her... not having to put on an act her eyebrows scrunched ever so slightly, uh... "I'm not putting on an act, what in the stars gave you that idea?" Her response was quick. Changing her mannerisms, her body language, how she dressed, how she spoke was in no way putting on an act! Don't be ridiculous! The celestials would be so pissed at her that she wasn't playing up to the stars- should should offer him a snack, right? Or... later? Maybe? "...I only packed enough for one star-guide..." It was mumbled then, thinking out loud before her head shook a few times, Koray can have her food, stars are way more important anyway.
She just felt super under-dressed and uncomfortable, she didn't now what to do. The best bet would be to offer to train Koray's mons too, but she didn't know their energy levels and capabilities, and if they'd be comfortable with how basic everything was. Eri was just... replanning literally everything in her head right now, and her eyes were flicking to every part of the field, debating what to set up, and when. "Mmm....okay!" A nod then, she had an idea, of course she'd have to hear about Koray's baby star-guides and then maybe, just maybe she could make this work and he wouldn't focus about how utterly un-stellar she was as a star guide, and the celestials wouldn't be dissapointed in her and scorn her for being an awful excuse for a star guide!
Eri's mons were patiently waiting, chatting amungst themselves, and Ralts had a few too many times attempted to wrestle to grab Eri's pigtails- one of which succeeded leading to Eri biting back another whimper of pain. Ahhh- ah okay. Ow. The Ralts was put back in a time-out as Koray spot, a Dhelmise... and a Spiritomb. They're his newborns- both ghost types without legs to march, but she could possible do more mentally stimulating things! Yeah! Like... puzzles.... or... she hadn't planned for mons without feet!
Think, Eri! Think, think, think! Oh- wait. "I actually have my Spiritomb egg here! They'll be hatching soon, I hope! So I can integrate them into the party!" She gestured to the incubator, sitting atop the mat next to her designated time-out zone and with a few bags and baskets around it. "So if you did wanna bring Caradoc out- you could even maybe wait for my babies hatching and they could get along together!"
Good plan! Of course, if her spiritomb didn't end up hatching that could ruin the hopes she'd just built up in Sirius, making his stars dim and him further dissapointed in her! The one time she hadn't been prepared for stars, why now- she should have brought like... a hair curled... a spare change of clothing... better boots... more pastel outfits- but this was a learning experience! She knew for next time, now, and she wouldn't let the stars down if she was ever without her normal aesthetic!
As Koray spoke about Eärendil Eri's gaze drew to the Dhelmise, in one part curious, and in another trying to figure out what the best training method for the mon could be. Of course, Sirius said they were fine just to watch, but... "Maybe they can't move but...." She waved a hand in gesturing, spinning once on the spot before facing Koray once more, "I believe some mental games can work with that baby, and even the Spiritomb! The ones I did have planned for my newborn star-guides were more physical, but i'm more working on motor skills than anything- I can put that back a notch and integrate your pokemon into the regimen if... I... figure out some challenging mind game... things..."
She trailed off at the end, having to take a puff of breath to ensure she didn't run out of air before bringing her hands to her hips. Mind games, puzzles... she knew of a few but they needed screens, and she couldn't talk to the mons so verbal games wouldn't work either- or like- they couldn't talk to her... uh... What about if she... hid an object under... cups? Oh wait she only had transparent plastic cups- aaaaaah- stars help her. Hands moved to pull slightly at her pigtails as she struggled with her thoughts, what was a challenging mind game for coordination? What had she studied?! Think, Eri Novae! Think!
"...As...I think i'm going to have to keep the babies moving- or else they're going to wonder off again, and I only just got them back into place!" This was embarressing. Eri didn't like this, but... she had to keep three core things on her mind at all times- one. The wellbeing of the star in the area and his needs, two, the baby star guides and their needs and wants, and three, her capabilities as Eri Novae, breeder to the stars. Which were realllly hard to all balance!
A foot was brought down as her hands fumbled out of her hair back to her hips. "Back to it, guides! Gimme a left foot!" Oh, oh! That seemed to bring the babies out of their stupor. Aegir was first, and the rest of the mons followed in her stride. "Then a right!" The babies before her copied Eri, bringing their right foot down into the ground below- but Eri wasn't really focused on what she was doing. Any person would be able to tell. Her voice lulled, her eyes weren't really on her babies, but rather the space behind them, and she didn't seem at all attentive.
Mind games... puzzles... Eri let out a gasp, all at one startling the babies who'd been following along. Eyes flicked to Sirius then. "Does your Dhelmise know basic common words yet? You can... wait no..." Then she was back to being in thought, her babies, albeit confused, kinda wanted more treated and followed her, but her pacing was all off, and then eventually she just stopped, standing just quietly in thought... uhm... uhm... uh... uh... "...I...didn't...bring anything for mental games that I usually play with my star guides..." it was mumbled out, and guilt flashed through Eri's gaze momentarily...
But Eri never lost! She needed a game that could be played by a giant anchor without it moving! Oh- that their star would approve of, of course. Eri Novae never gave up or faltered! "...what about... something to do with... what move they'd use... if up against... a specific type- and- uh- a rock could be a... test dummy- so type advantages and disadvantages are drilled into the Dhelmises mind? Unless you're not going to use them for battle!" All at once she bounced out of whatever mental funk she was eye, gaze shining as she glanced back at Koray. "Of course I can't do it with my star guides, because they basically don't have any useable moves right now, but it beats the Dhelmise just sitting arou-" She stopped all at once, all but choking on air as realization struck and her face fell. "...But your other mons... i'll have to... work them into the equation too..." she was awful at math. What was... a mental game... they all could do...
Hands moved back to pull at her hair, and Eri's babies all at once began to get bored, a few had began straying from infront of her and wondering around, while the girl stared off into the sky, lost.
Koray smiled a little at how seriously Eri took this training. It was endearing, really, to see exactly how she trained and made sure that everyone was getting the right amount of excercise among other things. Maybe I should start trying to train mine too, actually. Thurin for one might enjoy a little sparring. The others? Well, they could practice moves or just start drills or something. The comment about not putting on an act made Koray laugh, shaking his head. Yeah, she was definitely putting on an act now. A sigh left him as he ran a hand through his hair. Why was she like this?
"Eri... really, it's just me? You don't have to cater to me. I'm fine, this is just a night out with a few ghost pokemon, it's not a big deal." Of course those words went pretty much unheard as Eri went on to mutter something about how much she had packed to eat. Hhh. Not like he could eat that much right then anyway. "I'm fine, Eri." How many times would Koray have to repeat himself that evening? By the looks of it, it would take a lot more convincing to make Eri just relax around him. Why can't she just be herself? She was so cute when it was just her and the babies...
Of course then Eri explained that she had a Spiritomb egg right there and Koray instinctively took a step back, paling considerably. No... He... didn't want to deal with another one. The last time he'd been around a Spiritomb... But isn't that the reason I came out here? To try and handle being around Caradoc? Well, one of the few reasons at any rate. It mostly started because he couldn't sleep. Right, deep breath... maybe the Spiritomb wouldn't be like Caradoc... maybe they would be friendly and... Koray swallowed, trying to will himself to calm down, only managing to give Eri a smile that looked more like a grimace. At least Eri gave him a way out. He could wait. "I...think I'll wait..." Koray murmured, not giving any explanation to his reaction right then. Eri hadn't understood when he'd told her earlier after all. She'd even called it a gift. She won't understand... maybe I can leave before the time comes. That was an idea, a way to avoid the same pain as before.
And Eri was off again, trying to brainstorm games that his Pokemon could play. She was actually trying to rework her entire training routine simply because he showed up. A shake of his head would be given before Koray stepped forward, waiting until she'd finished giving directions before taking her shoulders. He wouldn't say anything, just wait until he was certain he had her attention. Brown eyes searched lilac ones before giving a soft smile, "Stop this, Eri. I repeat, I am fine. I don't need you to create a training regimine for me or rework yours completely just because I showed up. I've never once asked to be catered to. Please, don't start now." It wasn't quite a chastising tone, but quiet and gentle, serious enough that hopefully Eri would respect his wishes.
"Let me worry about my pokemon, alright? They'll be fine, promise. I think Rowan's already got them sparring actually," Koray explained, only releasing Eri's shoulders after she agreed. Rowan was in fact doing just that and had paired up against Thurin. That left Eleanor and Lórien were 'sparring,' in a sense. It seemed the two girls were having more fun playing target practice than actually battling, but Eleanor encouraged Lórien to keep going. Eärendil was watching silently, sometimes playing with one of their own moves but even watching paid off when it came to learning. The big Dhelmise was a gentle giant after all and didn't really seem to want to battle. That... only left Caradoc... Koray did feel a little bad about not including the Spiritomb but after last time.... He was still afraid. Plain and simple.
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What was a mental game?! Her gaze scanned the horizon as her hands kneaded and pulled at her pigtails, the setting sun, the rising stars. She needed a mental game for Koray's mons, so the star didn't get left out, so she could do training properly. Everything mattered when it came to the stars and putting them first, and she hadn't brought like... alphabet blocks- if she had maybe she could have taught them like, common phrases or something- or- maybe she could use her phone? But... but that took the interactivity out of it... She didn't realize Koray was closer until the sunset she was lost in disappeared, and she had to blink a few times, confused. Did he have an idea, maybe?!
Oh he totally did, stars were full of stellar ideas. But... but then he wouldn't be able to find a game that would intermix properly and train them to the best of their ability! Not that she wanted to doubt the stars or anything, they were destined to shimmer bright after all, but she was a caretaker ontop of a star guide and this was her job! Eri was startled out of her thoughts as hands were placed on her shoulders, eyes widened slightly as she was drawn out of her stupor by the male. As he spoke her brain struggled to keep up, stop? Stop what? He doesn't need her to... but... it would help! All priorities turned to the stars when they showed up! That was just the way of things!
And the fact that he said he never once asked to be catered to had Eri pushing her lips together, an expression of stubbornness all at once making itself known. She managed to mumble out, "...well that's because you're not supposed to ask to be- it just happens to stars." before he began speaking again. Was he... yeah. As a star, he had a right to tell her what to do. It was how life worked. And he was telling her to stop. Telling her to let him worry about his mons. Her gut felt heavy, her throat felt clogged. Right. Right. Okay. She just... wanted to be of help. but... Eri brought her gaze away from Koray's warm eyes, over to where her egg lay, and she simply nodded her head. "Whatever the star says, of course."
Then his hands were gone. The star had good intentions, Eri was sure, but this was Eri's job. Eri didn't want to upset the celestials, Eri wanted to be there for the stars and do everything in her power to ensure that while they were in her presence they were treated like royalty, like they should be. He said something about them sparring and for a moment her gaze flicked to his pokemon... atleast... they looked happy... but Koray said to let him handle his pokemon so... she... couldn't do anything...
Eri had gone quiet, and hadn't seem to move from her spot, as if rooted to the flaw by the weight she was feeling. Would the celestials scorn her? Or would they understand? Why did the star not understand ho stellar he was, why didn't he accept aid? She couldn't understand. Of course she couldn't. Wordlessly, she walked back over to the babies, looking dejected. A few had wondered out of formation, and she worked to round them up, sweeping a few into her arms and bringing them back over to their initial spot, softly mumbling that they had two minutes of marching left.
Koray only smiled sadly when Eri objected. That he shouldn't have to ask to be catered to... it was just what happened. Hah, since when did anyone cater to him. It made him uncomfortable to say the least of things, he didn't like anyone doing everything for him. Eri especially, because he cared about her and... it felt like she was in chains everytime she tried to cater to him. Like it was an obligation rather than out of free will. "You never need to cater to me, Eri..." Koray repeated softly.
Except then Eri's head dropped. Defeat. He recognized it all too well. What did I say? Koray was only trying to make it easier on her. She shouldn't have to redesign her whole routine just to accommodate him. He hadn't exactly been expecting to come to the training grounds, Eri had. She'd even prepared a whole routine. She's really something special. And yet... as Eri would say, her stars looked dim. There was none of that vibrance he'd seen when she didn't know he was there. It... hurt.
And then there was Caradoc. He'd come to try and get better with the Spiritomb... he was just a baby. It should be easy, after all. All his other pokemon were happy, they were training in their own way so he didn't want to interrupt. But... for whatever reason, Eri wanted to help. As much as he didn't want to admit his shortcomings. Maybe... maybe this was somewhere she could help.
"Eri..." Koray started softly, clearing his throat after a moment, "There is something... Umm, I need help with my Spiritomb. Caradoc." Was it worth admitting weakness? That he actually feared that pokemon in particular? If it gets her to smile again, I'd do anything. "I'm afraid of him. I can't handle him, not with this curse I have. It's too much to bear..." There, he'd said it. He was weak. And there she was, with another one ready to hatch.
Bringing out the pokeball, Koray stared at it, swallowing a lump in his throat that tried to form. "When he hatched, I almost went unconscious. Too many... spirits... all screaming at once. I haven't let him out since." Would she understand? Would she be able to help? Or would she claim this curse was a gift again. He'd sooner walk away without trying to release Caradoc than hear that again.
post wc: 1129 total eri wc: 6060 total thread wc: 8729
Mentally, Eri had been counting, knowing that after marching she had to see what their skills running were like and then she could bring out the little cones she'd packed earlier for an obstacle course, that... Koray's... mons... couldn't do... argh- why wouldn't the star let her help!? Eri hated it, and she felt... just so uncomfortable, being in the presence of the star and doing nothing at all to make life easier on them, to aid them in becoming brighter, it was wrong, it was terrible! Of course, a few of her baby mons had noticed she wasn't as chipper as she had been and in turn, hadn't been putting as much enthusiasm into their own movements.
Eri didn't notice. Thirty-Eight, Thirty-Nin- Koray's voice broke her counting and Eri paused, twisting her body slightly to see him, he had... some kinda of expression on his face that she struggled to read, uncertainty? Worry?! How could she help?? Was it because nothing she offered was useful? She knew she wasn't the best star guide but... ah. Ah?! Ah he was asking for help! Eyebrows shot up slightly and her lost expression seemed to mould into something akin to excitement.
He needed help! He needed help! Her help, as a star-guide! Whatever heavy feeling that had been weighing down her gut before was alleviated as she practically bounced out of her spot towards the brunette. She couldn't help him with figuring out mon training- or- he didn't want her to help, but... he wanted her help for something else! And that was all that mattered!
Spiritomb... that was... oh! The same species as her egg! She'd done a bit of research on them prior to receiving it, of course, since she hadn't owned a ghost type before, they were a collection of a bunch of spirits, right? And if the spirits were negative, then the Spiritomb itself could wind up being a fairly aggressive pokemon, taking on the traits of it's spirits, which is why Eri was hoping whatever guide the stars thought for her to have would hopefully have a decent temperament. Her gaze flicked to her egg before going back to Koray, her hands moving to clasp infront of her, eager to hear the rest of what he had to say.
Her expression fell ever so slightly at his next confession- he was... afraid... or the spiritomb? Of a pokemon issued to him by the stars above? And then he mentioned the 'curse' and her mouth opened ever so slightly, understanding flashing through her eyes. Oh- yeah. Right, the spirits, being able to see and... hear them, right? As he continued to speak Eri brought a hand to instead gently bat and push through her ponytail, the little stars in her mind twinkling as she pieced together what information she was given.
He couldn't handle his spiritomb because it held so many spirits who were... uneased. Restless? Upset. Screaming- screaming for... something. "Hmm..." She moved then, walking towards where her items were, and where Carinae, who currently was in time out stubbournly glared at her. Her Spiritomb egg was picked up as she made her way back over, clutching it gently to her chest. "...It sounds like... the spirits were either scared, or aggravated, maybe they were shocked too, suddenly being brought to the plane in the form of a Spiritomb..."
A breath was taken as her brain worked overtime, he needed her help as a star-guide, and without internet it wouldn't be right to give him false information, so she could only work with what she was familiar with. "I don't have much experience with Spiritombs, Koray... however, perhaps... it was just startled? The spirits- I mean.. but it's perfectly fine to be scared of them! The screaming must have been deafening, and from my research usually the spirits are like, spirits who've done bad or wrong things in the past." Her explanation of stuff he already knew wasn't helping, and so Eri, shifted to instead run a gently hand over her egg, gaze lowering to it with a soft expression on her face. "If you're scared, then they can probably feel your fear. I'd imagine they'd feed and find humour in you... being...afraid of them, like taunting, maybe? The best thing you can do is to make it clear who's in charge, they're the ones trapped, and you're in charge of what happens to them- of course it... i... don't know what your... ability is like... but..."
Eri shifted, her hand leaving her hair as her eyes drew up from the egg to Koray, a smile on her face now. "They think they're being punished, or, technically are. You need to be firm but, like let the spirits know they're okay, that maybe they're stuck there but you wont make their lives a... living hell?" A shrug then, "Uhm... i'm not sure about the logistics of your ability, and I assume it cant be... blocked out... but... I wouldn't send your mon out for a little bit longer- my uh... Spiritomb is actually set on hatching soon..."
She moved closer then, holding the egg out to him them, "They're warm to touch, you can very faintly feel the pulsing of energy- see? It's it stellar? Soon it won't be able to be held back anymore... If they're screaming tell me straight away and i'll ball the little baby, but otherwise I want you to stay calm, take breaths- they're darling star guides and shouldn't get the best of you!" The egg was then moved back to Eri's chest, "...There's a lot of uncertainty's, but... i'd spend time with just you and the spiritomb alone- you said you... almost fainted, correct? Bring them out like, in a bedroom, with a ball right next to you. Try and affirm who's in charge, or talk to them, if you didn't faint you're still some-what capable of handelling them... right?"
A head was tilted and she blinked at him, going over the information in her mind once more before nodding, "As soon as it gets too much return them and you can go about it once more when you feel better! Like the next day, orrr... the next week! It might not feel like it's working at first but if they get used to their presence, and you theirs then i'm sure you'll be able to handle it, you're going to be such a bright star, after all!" A larger grin spread of Eri's features, hopefully that helped! It sounded like it was decent, at least, but she knew some stars didn't really like how she worded things... uh... she quickly followed it with, "I believe in you, Sirius!" Just to reaffirm her words.
Even as Koray voice the need for Eri's help, he wasn't sure what exactly that would entail. For as calm and collected as he appeared on the outside, he was shaking. It was hard for him to admit, but he was... scared of the Spiritomb or well, any Spiritomb for that matter. How was he going to get past that when the sudden amount of spirits made it almost impossible for him to be around them? Still... seeing the hurt and sad expression on Eri's features light up was arguably worth whatever he was feeling right then and there. Of course that expression was fleeting after Koray had expressed his fear of Caradoc. Of course Eri wouldn't understand. Of course she wouldn't know how to help.
Already Koray's mind was racing, trying to figure out how to take back the words that he'd already spoken. It wasn't that big of a deal, it was... he could figure it out on his own... somehow. Taking a step back, Koray was about to tell Eri to forget it, that he would figure it out on his own. Or at least before she started to speak, to explain that she thought Caradoc might've been scared or shocked. It made sense... in a way, why every spirit had been screaming but that didn't lessen the shock he'd been given any. Something like that was....far too reminiscent of what he'd dealt with in the past. Then there was the admission that she didn't have much experience with Spiritombs and then stated that it was ok to be scared. No... it isn't.
Being afraid of a pokemon wasn't something that Koray thought was ok, it was shameful, and something that made his stomach twist and turn. Right then, he was grateful that he hadn't had anything else to eat that night. He would have surely lost whatever remained in his stomach based on that feeling. Eri was right about one thing, Caradoc would certainly be able to feel his fear. It had been the one thing he'd felt beyond a shadow of a doubt when the Spiritomb had hatched. It wasn't fair to the Spiritomb. Surely the pokemon deserved a better trainer than him... Of course the inferences and hypothesizing wasn't doing much to help Koray's anxiety in that moment. The advice was sound, in his mind he knew it made sense but the thought of it? It was enough to make his stomach hurt.
And then Eri had to point out that her Spiritomb was hatching soon and Koray's features paled. After having admitted how scared he was of Spiritomb... he was going to have to face one right here and now. A shaky hand touched the egg only for a second before withdrawing his hand. Another step back was taken, a shake of his head given. No. Eri didn't know how bad it had been before. She didn't realize that the mere presence of that many spirits had made it feel like his head was trying to explode. I can't do this. Of course Koray hadn't taken into account that his other ghosts in close vicinity would be able to feel his fear. The playful training they'd been doing up until that point was put on pause. All eyes were on him and all Koray could think about was how he wanted to be anywhere but here.
Questions flooded his mind, everyone was talking at once. Everyone was worried. Koray could hear them, could feel them. It didn't help. His anxiety only increased as another step backwards was taken. Except this time his foot would hit a large root, sending him falling backwards with a soft thud. Stunned, it took a moment before Koray was able to register that he'd fallen. Longer to even try to get up. Still longer to remember that the Spiritomb was hatching. That he needed to leave right now if he wanted to escape the same awful pain and fear he'd felt with Caradoc. Eri believed in him? The sentiment would be sweet if it wasn't for the fear and anxiety drowning out everything else. Eri might believe in him, but it would do little good if Koray didn't believe in himself.
post wc: 1165 total eri wc: 7225 total thread wc: 10,609
Eri was hoping that what she'd said would have some kind of effect, especially when he was asking for help! But... if anything he looked distressed by her words, there was a headshake, a step back... had... had she said something wrong?! Had the star gone mute without her realizing? Eri didn't understand, she couldn't understand. A soft intake of breath was taken before her face fell, instead moving to bring the egg closer to herself in an act of comfort. Of course, because she hadn't taken the time to properly prepare herself for a star being her the star was unable to feel at home in her presence.
...And then he fell. Eyes locked onto his form for a second before Eri moved into action a soft, "S-Sirius?" Leaving her... right before her two Ralts began wailing. Loud, terrified, the emotion they were feeling was too much. Too much for babies to bare. Ahhhh- ahhhhh?! Eri's eyes widened, oh- oh stars what did she do?! Stars took priority but her babies were- and-
A resounding crack echoed and you could practically feel Eri begin to panic. Her mind whirled, okay- so- priority, to care of the star, and the babies- she had to calm the star to calm the babies- and- and her other babies were getting distressed just from the star on the floor... uhm... Eri... Eri didn't know what to do- but- she had to be there for the egg. "Stay there, Sirius- uhm- ghost guides please, watch him for... for a second?" this probably wasn't the right thing to do, but- but she had to ensure the egg was okay, and then ensure the star was, and then the babies. Her head hurt trying to figure out priorities, and Sirius had his pokemon who were now moving in.
She took a few steps back, closer to her little set up. She could feel the egg moving, getting ready to face the world around them and she was quick to open the incubator, bringing the egg closer to herself for warmth and gently smoothing a hand over is. Eyes flicked to Cyllene, who'd ran to her side and was desperately tugging at her sleeve- she wanted her to go towards Koray, because there was so many bad emotions practically radiating from him! And Carinae was curled up behind her bag, the emotions being too much for the little guy to bare, he was sobbing.
"Breathe, babies- okay? Focus on me- Aegir, come here!" She had star guides who could help when she couldn't. Her baby pokemon seemed to rush up to her when called, and Eri shuffled around a little, hand not holding the egg shuffling through her bag before she brought out a blanket and her bottle of water. "...Get this to Sirius,, don't leave his side."
Aegir had to make two trips, one for the water and one for the blanket, of course he couldn't do much with the blanket and just offered it to one of the ghost pokemon to help with, a soft concerned coo leaving him. Narvi had followed after Aegir, curious as to what he was doing only to confusedly stare up at the guy on the floor, uhm?? Mister! A chitter left her and she pushed a food to the ground as if to get his attention before attempting to gently bump him with her head- are you okay mister??
Eri was trying her best to stay calm. Aegir would take care of the star, she'd hatch the egg and then... return the egg nce... the baby was born- it felt... so wrong... Eri usually was there for them, to help them, to introduce them to the world, hold them and assure them how much she loved them, but now for Sirius' sake she was probably going to have to recall the newborn.
More cracking, Eri continued to gently rock the egg, trying to ignore the insistant tugging on her arm and the soft sobs of Carinae, she'd... she'd deal with them next. This was too much. Eri was stressed out. Why did the celestials want to make her evening as difficult as possible? Why did they wanna hurt the stars?? Eri didn't understand, and it was in this scenario that she realized just how underprepared she was to deal with stars.
She should have been more prepared- more ready. And now ones light was literally diminishing infront of her across the clearing and if she came near him with the hatching egg it'd only get worse and she really really REALLY didn't wanna put a star through that at all. Suddenly, a bright light bled out from the egg and Eri winced. Showtime.
In her arms appeared a small spiritomb, who let out a whine. The Rune momentarily sat of Eri's lap the whisps of purple almost... enchanting her. The celestials create such... amazing creatures. Of course, her amazement was shortlived as the Spiritomb seemed hesitant to move, moving closer to Eri's form like a terrified child. "H-Hello baby star guide, welcome to the-"
A pause, eyes flicked over to where Koray was... stars.... she... was going to have to... recall... a baby... She gulped, and attempted her best smile. Despite the sobs of her Ralts', despite everything she had to insure the baby was at least in a decent mindset and wouldn't be mad at her. "World. We're gonna nap first- okay?" There was a soft, confused noise right before Eri grabbed out a pokeball and recalled the Spiritomb whos face had morphed into what she could only describe as terror before he was sucked into the ball, closing with a click.
One breath, two, and then Eri pocketed the ball- okay- next... She moved then to grab Cyllene into her arms, the tiny Ralts seeminglyin the midst of a tantrum and squeaking about how awful Eri was not to go check on somebody who was radiating such emotion, a small tug on Eri's hair was given but the girl only winced and moved to grab her next Ralts, Carinae, who, very untypically of himself just... let Eri take him, curling into her chest and whimpering.
Right- right- okay-then- ow! She bit on her cheek ever so slightly to stop from crying out. This was fine, how she felt wasn't important, she couldn't afford to diminish the stars light any further. One step, then another, and a very soft, "Koray- uh- they're in the ball..." left her. One step, then another and she was at his side, she didn't know what to do, she had screaming Ralts', one who immediatly clung to Koray's side, feeling his raw emotion, while another refused to let go of Eri's shirt. Like a mother, Eri adjusted the blanket she had her mon deliver, so it was smug over his shoulders, and grabbed the water to pop off the lid and hold it to him. "...Drink?"
Everything went to hell the moment the egg started to crack. Given his experience with Spiritomb last time, it was little wonder that Koray started to shake. To suddenly not be able to breathe. Rowan came over as quickly as he could, followed closely by the others that had been playing nearby. Everyone was worried, but the cacophony of voices in his head only made Koray feel worse. He didn't even try to get up, not that it would help matters right then.
There was screaming, Koray was aware of that. There were Ralts that didn't know what to do with the rush of panic they undoubtedly felt radiating from him. I can't breathe. Eventually, the voices quited... well, mostly. He would barely acknowledge the blanket that would be draped around him, didn't even register that there was a water bottle nearby. The baby pokemon gathered around him were a comfort, certainly, but it didn't ease the panic.
Just breathe... breathe... you don't know what will happen. Except he did. The moment that the light of the egg grew blinding enough to reveal the Spiritomb, Koray felt them. The sudden influx of spirits that filled his mind and made a soft sob leave his throat, grasping his head as if it might explode. Not again... This time though, they weren't screaming. The spirits were there, but weren't near as filled with rage as Caradoc was.
Slowly, his breathing returned to normal. Koray was able to ease the panic, to regain his sense of the world around him. The panic and anxiety was still there, but it wasn't radiating off of him like it had been earlier. It wasn't until Koray felt Eri adjust the blanket that he dared to open his eyes again. There was something she was offering him, something to... drink? At the very least, he was able to sit back up again. The water would be taken and a very small sip would be taken. He didn't want to chance losing whatever he'd manage to keep down by drinking more.
A hand ran through his hair as a deep breath would be taken. A murmured apology leaving his lips. There were moments like this one where he wished he could control this curse. He didn't want it, had always run from it. Lately though? That had gotten increasingly harder to do.
post wc: 609 total eri wc: 7834 total thread wc: 11,618
Thank the stars! He was drinking, and his eyes weren't squeezed shut anymore. That was one thing sorted out, at least, in Eri's books. Although Carinae was all but tugging her jumper with as much vigour as possible, softly whimpering and rubbing his head into her, letting her know that Koray... probably still wasn't feeling the best. And Cyllene... the poot baby was still at Koray's side, hands gripping on whatever part of him she could to get his attention and assure him he was okay, all while sobbing dramatically. Eri'd have to work them through how to handle emotion too... but she didn't have time for that... a sigh left her.
Her body was shaking slightly with adrenaline, from being put on the spot and having to work through so much at once, her brain still ticking over ways to ensure the star get better and how to properly deal with this. Her lesson with her babies was all but forgotten at the current moment, her focus instead on the star who obviously just... was not okay.
Would he be cold? Would one blanket be enough? From what she'd read up stars after some form of breakdown either wanted one of two drastic opposites, talking to distract them or silence so they could focus on themselves and their thoughts because their brain can't handle words and socialisation- Eri wasn't sure which. As he spoke up, only managing out a sorry her eyes snapped to him, and she attempted her best smile. "An apology isn't needed, star, you've done nothing wrong."
...Oh... oh. Eri had an idea! Something... all the mons could work on, even Koray's! Sure it wouldn't be like, an activity but... pokemon were supposed to be there for their stars, perhaps if she worked them through comforting the star before her that could be the way to go about things! Ah-wait- but first... "Are you the type of star who likes talking after going through mental strain, or, would you prefer silence?" It was asked curiously, and Eri worked to attempt to gently dislodge her Ralts from her jumper to instead shift Carinae up to her chest, a hand moving to gently stroke the pokemon as curious eyes moved to Koray. What would he say? Would he even accept her help? "Or- or I know some stars want space, I could find another area of the training place- that'll help, right? I know some prefer eating and some don't eat at all, uh, I think I packed berries- or..."
And Eri was back up from Koray's side, moving to her little basket and shifting through her bag, looking for something to work with. In the meanwhile, Eri's baby pokemon had moved closer to Koray, a few curiously watching him while others coo'd gently. "Aaaa-ha!" Something was raised to the air in victory, and then an apology was mumbled after for being too loud, she knew most people preferred quiet after going through mental hell.
Once more back to his side Eri quickly settled herself down next to him, a pokemon brush in her hands. "You wanna brush the baby pokemons fur?" she blinked once, twice, then glanced at the pokemon she'd brought- oh. Oh stars. They all- none had fur! A flush appeared on her face "...oh stars, sorry, only my Wingull can really be brushed I guess, maybe you wish to read something to them- orr... or maybe you're the silence star which again I get, but I need you to communicate because the stars won't tell me what to do here."
Eri was talking too much. That was one thing that Koray was more than aware of. She was trying to do too much and he wished there was something he could do to make her just stop for a moment and just, sit with him. It seemed that Eri just wanted to keep going and it was making Koray even more exhausted than he already was. Thankfully, Rowan had managed to hush his other ghosts so that they didn't keep trying to talk over each other. It was already hard enough focusing on reality without the psychic connection giving him a headache on top of everything else.
An arm would be brought around the poor Ralts, gently trying to assure the one closest to him that he was alright. He knew that it was partially his fault that they were so upset in the first place but... he could still try to comfort them. The dismissal of his promise earned a light frown before Eri was off once again, asking him about what he preferred after an... episode like that. Koray had just started to open his mouth to respond when Eri moved on to the next subject, something about space this time or food. No, food was the last thing he wanted right then.
Watching the whirlwind that was Eri would have been comical if Koray hadn't been so... tired. Still, a smirk did play on his features though he didn't take the brush offered to him. At least not right away. As soon as she finished speaking, Koray took the brush, set it down, then grasped her hand instead, threading their fingers together. Maybe this way he could make her stay still for even just one moment. Without thinking, he leaned forward to kiss her cheek, resting his head on her shoulder thereafter. Arceus, he was tired... and she felt... warm...
"Just, sit here with me... please? We can watch the stars together... that's all I want..." Koray murmured, not really having the strength of will to do much else. Rowan and his other pokemon looked on with mild concern before the Phantump started to usher the other pokemon to get back to their training. It was best to leave Koray alone. If the babies would let him, Rowan would even start trying to help them work on some moves. Well, when they weren't distracted with Eri and Koray at any rate.
post wc: 1352 total eri wc: 9186 total thread wc: 13,381
Cyllene practically ragdolled as the Ralt was drawn closer, relieved that she couldn't feel way too much. The other human besides Eri at least seemed better! And after a few momsents the shiny was able to relax slightly, a soft coo leaving her despite her general shyness around those who weren't Eri, thankfully that Koray was alright. Eri's other Ralts, on the other hand was still clutched to Eri's chest, hands gripping into her puffer-jacket as if letting go would be the end of the world. He could feel the girls slight panic and unsureness, it wasn't as bad as the storm that just slammed into the naughty Ralts fullforce but was enough for him to refuse to let go of her jacket, no matter how much she moved.
The momentary lack of response as Eri held the brush had her realizing just how bad of an idea it was! Were there other options to calm down the star? Like- feeding the babies, that could calm him, maybe! Or maybe he could build a new training regime for them... wait that'd bee too much work for the stars! Calming down stars... she didn't have a book to read but she could read off her phone notes for the training session, maybe! She wasn't prepared in the slightest to cater to the stars, especially not a star who'd been affected by something she could have controlled if the celestials had just let her know he was going to show up!
Eri could see the future when she prays, so why didn't the celestials just let her know?! She just wished she could do something, because obviously what she was doing wasn't helping. Eyes went to flick back to Koray in apology and she was moments from bouncing back up to go through her basket again when she noticed... a weird smile on his face? She didn't recognise it is a smile, there was more... smugness to it? Eri wasn't good at identifying emotions or why they happened, and she was further confused from how he switched from how he was to this expression??
Her confusion was amplified as he grabbed the brush from her, and she could only watch as it was placed down, confusion knitted upon her expression? Koray? Her mouth opened again to question what he was doing, only to shut quickly as he instead lifted her hand and clasped it in her own?? Uhm??? Sirius? Eyes widened, and Eri was incredibly confused. Why did he take her hand captive? She couldn't help him with one hand out of action! Unless Eri was dragging a star on some sort of celestial mission she'd never held their hand, and stars never attempted to grab her hand, so she couldn't even begin to understand Koray's intent, did he want her to take him somewhere?
...His hand was warm though, despite the slight bite in the ai that she could feel nip at her legs the warmth was a welcome contrast, not that she'd admit it. Of course, this also stopped her from training her babies, all who stared at Eri and Koray with confusion. None of it could have rivalled the confused expression on Eri's face, and then he leaned forward and- a squeak left her as lips connected to her cheek?! "Sirius??" Now she could speak! Was he okay, like?? He had done that when she had gone to find clients at the valetines gathering, twice! Only her mummas could do that because there was specific sentiment behind it that only mumma star guides could replicate! If she was confused before, she was even more confused now. "O-Only mummas can...uh" She found her stuttered response fade out as he seemingly relaxed against her side, finding herself in yet another position she'd never been in before?!
Uhm?!?!? UH?! Stars, help her! What did she do?! Celestials, anybody? The Ralts that had been clinging to her shirt seemingly echoed Koray's emotions, feeling drained, and all at one let go of her jacket, flopping into her lap and curling up with a soft cry. This wasn't at all helping- was Koray sick? That would explain his behaviour, and sudden change, he was happy then sad then he went PHWOOM and now he's like a floppy blanket against her side, and he had her hand captive! Eri was very, very tense.
...Star behaviours, she'd researched it but Eri still never was able to grasp sudden changes in mood and how they happened. Perhaps he was a star who, when he went through bad things just needed somebdy by his side? She'd heard about it, which meant she'd have to do some researching, maybe to find him a star who could be there? Eri couldn't be a sit in, she was a busy girl! His words interupted her thoughts and her gaze drew back to the exhausted boy, although it was... slightly awkward to attempt to look at him, given how he was literally against her side. The explanation he gave didn't help her understand at all, he wanted her to sit there with him, she could do that but she'd probably have to properly reshcedule the training for her baby mons- and... he wanted to watch the stars...
The stars... Eri was quiet for a few moments, awkward, confused, and her gaze instead travelled to the sky, the residual sunlight hadn't yet left, the sunset dwingling down to nithing, but the faint speckles of itsy-bitsy stars had started to sort themselves out amidst the horizon. This was a sight Eri adored, that she could never get tired of. She found herself sighing then, fine. "...if that's what'll help your stars." but he couldn't at all have been comfortable! Eri wasn't a therapist, she didn't know how t help with things like star breakdowns, she knew how to refer people to them but... it was her job as a star guide to just do as she was asked, if that was what would help.
Eyes flicked to Koray, and she noted his blanket from the slight shifted had began to fall... he hand closest to him had again been taken as a hostage so she instead opted to lean slightly towards him and use her spare hand to attempt to hitch it back up over his shoulder, a flush that thankfully wouldn't be visible in the dim lighting breaking onto her features due to the unfamiliar proximity. "Those who aren't feeling mentally the best are more suseptable to be cold or get sick, no chances can be taken." Was her explanation for her actios, before she wriggled back to where she was. His hand, in hers was squeezed slightly, it was something her mummas did whenever she was unsure about something when she was little, something she knew helped.
Her gaze flicked back up to the stars then, slowly dancing amidst the sky as it darkened into a rich blackness. A hand was raised, the one not currently in his grasp, to point out a constellation. "Tonight, Leo reigns supreme in the night sky. If I were to pray, that's who i'd direct it to. He's one of the bravest celestials, did you know that?" She shifted her finger upwards slightly, towards a small bundle of stars slightly above the 'leo' constellation. "...And tonight, there's a rare star cluster visible in the sky, they call this one Coma. Typically, eeing it is a sign of good luck!"
Eri was okay with silence, but when it came to stars or spotting constellations she couldn't keep herself quiet. Her eyes twinkled as she spoke then, content to just point out different celestial bodies and speak about them. Her babies on the other hand, except for her two Ralts, found themselves moving towards where Rowan was, eager to do something! Their trainer was a little busy, but Carinae, who typically riled them all up. As long as they could still train, they were eager to do something! Excited coos left them as they reemed to crowd around the ghost type, they were more interested in him than anything, and might need a little bit of spurring on before they could properly focus.
Eri's objections were all but ignored as Koray leaned against her, feeling much too relaxed to even try to get up again. Resting his head on her shoulder wasn't exactly planned, but it felt comfortable... right, even given how drained he felt after the anxiety attack he'd had. He was only vaguely aware of the way Eri had stuttered, giving his own plea to just stay here and watch the stars. This outing might have been unplanned, but being like this was the most relaxed Koray had felt in ages.
If only Eri would relax and just enjoy the moment. Koray didn't understand why she was so tense, just that she'd been so focused on his well-being and the pokemon earlier. It was only after he'd mentioned just wanting to look at the stars that Eri relented and seemed to relax. A soft sigh escaped him at her initial words about helping 'his stars'. Ugh, he was starting to hate those words. It was like she had no choice but to cater to him. That was why he'd phrased the request the way he had, he wanted to make it Eri's choice, not because it was what he'd told her to do.
The feeling of her adjusting the blanket had Koray humming a little softly, smiling just a little more at the feeling. He liked being this close, even if it was for more selfish reasons. Though it was the explanation for the action that made him laugh. Yes, like that was the only reason for the gesture. He'd like to see her explain away why she'd squeezed his hand following that. Gazing up at the stars, Koray felt a certain measure of peace, they were always beautiful to look at but perhaps even more so now that he was with Eri.
Then Eri started to explain the constellations, and Koray was enraptured by how much she knew. Leo, huh? That was a pretty cool constellation. Though... wait a second. "You pray to constellations?" Koray asked, hardly believing what he was hearing. He'd never heard of anyone praying to stars, much less constellations or... celestials, by the way Eri was describing it. One of the bravest celestials, huh. If only Leo would help him to be brave and maybe speak his mind instead of accepting whatever came. Like the coward he was.
Eri would continue however, describing a rare star cluster, Coma. If it was good luck, maybe the stars approved of this? Koray didn't want to get his hopes up, not when Eri seemed not to feel the same way as he did... or as he was beginning to. Dare I risk my heart again? That was the real question. Yet, Eri was so beautiful...so...well, maybe not perfect, but she was kind, thoughtful, and looked out for others even before herself. She was precious, in a way that Koray couldn't really describe. For now, he was content with listening about the explanations of the stars and constellations. Occasionally, he would ask questions, but for the time being he was content to listen.
Rowan was glad to see that the baby pokemon had followed him after all and even teamed up with Thurin and Eleanor to have them practice their attacks on them. Since most of the babies had normal attack moves, there was no need to worry about the ghost pokemon getting hurt. In fact, Rowan demonstrated that they could easily phase and essentially 'tickle' the other pokemon. If the babies did a good job with the training, they could play a nice game of tag! That sounded like a good idea, maybe? If not, well.. Rowan was pretty sure he could try and think of something else! Maybe ask the babies what they wanted to do? No... that was probably a very bad idea. Maybe just try and see what they thought about the move practice first.
post wc: 669 total eri wc: 9855 total thread wc: 14,707
Koray was laughing. That was the first thing Eri noted, probably not at her she hoped but laughing was a sign of being happy, which meant that she was doing a god job as a star guide! If he was able to get out of the mindset he was in before then that's a step to him being able to get back to the work he came here for- or... didn't he say he came here because he couldn't sleep? ...Maybe she had to buy him sleeping tablets or something later. Her whole focus soon went to the stars, to fill the silence, to explain what she knew and perhaps distract him from his thoughts.
Her knowledge on stars was expansive, as shown through her words, bending and creating fantastical tales that sounded straight out of fairytales about the dazzling lights in the sky. Her concentraion was broken at his question, and her gaze left the sky to instead focus on Sirius, eyebrow quirked. "Nono, I pray to the celestials- they're beings who appear to us in the form of constellations!" She looked at him as if this was the most obvious thing to exist before bringing her attention back to the sky. "And star guides must pray to them every morning and night to learn of daily tasks, to inform them of events, to ensure specific actions are okay... it's truly ethereal."
She very easily slipped back into explaining what was visible, her attention moving from constellations to one rather bright speckle in the sky. "Now, that one there's not actualyl a star, Koray! If you squint a little you'll notice it's much, much bigger..." She pointed it out then, leaning forward slightly and circling it with a finger. "That's actually Venus! I'm sure you know about the planets so I don't need to explain much... but I could tell you a tale about Venus my mummas told me!"
The star didn't specifically say he wanted to learn about the sky, rather he wanted to watch it, but... he was with Eri, so the luxury of silence shouldn't have been expected. She seemed happy enough, bright smile on her face as she spoke of the tale of Venus meeting Mars and Mercury and of how Mars betrayed Mercury in an attempt to win the affections of Jupiter, leaving Venus isolated and alone. She took to shining as bright as she could to get Mars to notice her, after all, which is why... "...why she's the second brightest natural object in the night sky- it's said to this day she's still trying to get his attention!"
A soft sigh left Eri and she moved to stretch, only blinking in confusion when her arm felt heavier then usua- oh right her hand was being held captive. That was fine, uh, she could just... stretch one arm above her head! "Annnd- just off from Venus, lower left diagnal is Aldebaran, can you spot it Sirius?" she moved her hand back to her lap then, deciding then on silence so she can turn her attention back to the star next to her, tilting her head to simply watch him. Carinae in her lap seemed to be getting restless and moved to tug a little at her hair and sme of the loose strands, leading Eri to wince and gently scold him while waiting. Cyllene, meanwhile, was practically pressed to Koray's side, just to ensure he was okay.
Without Carinae around, the babies who Rowan was helping seemed keen to try this... tickling training thing! Narvi seemed hestitant, the Shroomish letting out a soft cry and staring at Rowan in contemplation, while Aegir let out a loud yell and attempted to charge in Rowan's direction... he just forgot the move bit. Ira, on the other hand had the advantage of being a flying type, and without hesitate attempted to shoot a water gun at Eleanor, diving down at the pokemon.
Eri's explanation about praying to the celestials did little to help Koray understand what she meant. It... sounded strange, almost alien? But Eri believed it, she seemed convinced that these beings existed. Something about how they appeared in the form of constellations? That sounded laughable, really, and as she went on to continue to explain what she did as a star guide, it felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. Whatever Eri was describing didn't sound right, praying to stars? Asking stars permission to live her life? Who the hell made her believe that? He almost felt sick again, almost. How could Eri be so happy when she was living in bondage to stars? Ethereal wasn't the word Koray would've used to describe what she was explaining. It was safe to say that whoever made her believe these asinine rules wasn't on his good side. Whatever it took, Koray would try his best to free her from whatever this self-made curse was. Nobody should be subject to the whims of others, even if it was stars or celestials or whatever else.
Thankfully, Eri didn't stay on the subject line for very long, continuing to explain the constellations, and... she even used his real name. That brought a genuine smile to his face, following where she was pointing and just enjoying listening to her explain a story about Venus. The story struck a chord with Koray, though he wasn't exactly sure why. Didn't really want to dwell on that, not when he was just enjoying the time with Eri. With his hand in Eri's he was aware how she tried to lift their hands briefly. At the next question, he looked up in the sky again, scanning the stars and finding what she was talking about. "I can see it, yes." The Ralts seemed to be getting a little restless, and Koray used his free hand to pat Cyllene reassuringly. He was ok now, just tired. Maybe it would be best to see about going home now actually. Falling asleep in the middle of the training grounds didn't sound like a good idea after all.
"We should probably see what the pokemon are up to..." Koray mumbled after a moment, not all that eager to follow up with the suggestion. Still, he did let go of Eri's hand at the very least, squeezing it one last time before letting his hand settle next to hers instead. Sitting up, he looked over to see that Rowan had in fact taken charge of the others. That only left Caradoc... "Unless... you think you can help me with my Spiritomb?" His voice sounded shaky, hesitant, but he did shift enough to pull the pokeball from his person, staring down at it. "Last time, I almost passed out. So many voices... screaming. Wanting to be heard. I-... I haven't let Caradoc out since."
Rowan meanwhile, was glad to see that the babies had taken up the tickle training, especially Aegir who... decided to charge right for him. The Phantump laughed and moved out of the way, reminding Aegir to use a move next time. Thankfully, Lorien was watching what Ira was doing and promptly used Protect in front of Elanor. Rather than chastise the Wingull though, Elanor cheered, telling her that she was such a good shot but thought Lorien would be a better partner. Unlike the Yamask, water moves would hurt the Litwick and she had no urge to get hurt on what was supposed to be a fun outting. Not even if it was to help babies learn how to attack.
post wc: 847 total eri wc: 10,702 total thread wc: 16170
Needless to say, under the stars, Eri was truly lost in their ethereal presence. For a moment she truly forget her plan for the day, for her star-guides. The shimmering presence of those she'd do anything for, the stars above, just to ensure she could please the fates had a soft, content breath leaving her. Under the stars, Eri was home. As Carinae wiggled, as Koray spoke and let go of her hand, it all was background activity. Her eyes for a moment shimmered with adoration as she listed off to herself the constellations she could see, blinking once, twice, and then finally tearing her gaze away from the sky above, back towards Koray and tilting her head.
Eventually, his words registered, and she let out a soft hum of confusion. Pokemon. Pokemon- right. Training. Under the guideance of the stars- her plans- her plans! And her hand was free! She burst up from the floor with newfound energy, a soft gasp leaving her. "Right! Now you're better I have to get back to the babies- and rework my plans so the stars are content with how I appease who i'm meant to!" Her words were almost forced as she let her gaze travel across the clearing, at her baby pokemon, at Koray's own pokemon, then back to Koray.
...Spiritomb- oh. Yeah he mentioned that. "If my spiritomb had you react like that- imagine what your spiritomb would do, Sirius." Whatever spell the stars and speaking about them had put her under was gone, and in their place was a fretting Eri. "Before you even try it again you'd need to have a stellar plan in place, and should be in a place you're familiar with, where the sparkling adoration of the celestials meets the land." She means a home. She sincerly means a home. "And you shouldn't force yourself into it either- you need to slowly get used to it! Like, say, having them out for five seconds theeen having Rowan quicking recall them, then trying again a few minutes later for a little longer- it's either that or try calm their stars whiiich would probably be overwhelming for you."
A giggle then, before she clapped her hands together and quickly attempted to bend down and pick up Carinae, who despite his wriggliness was more then happy to have all of Eri's attention, making this fact very known by how he yanked on her hair. If she minded at all, the purple haired girl didn't let it show. Instead, she gestured with her head to the baby mons.
"I can come up for an action plan for your stars, Sirius, anything to help make you shine." She began slowly walking now, pausing to see... the... tickle... fight... that was taking place. It wasn't controlled, or part of her slow plan to introduce them to using their movesets and work with the stars. A soft puff of air left her, masking her frustration. This was in the fates, so, maybe... this was how they were supposed to train, for now? That must be it.
Narvi had decided against taking part, being too nervous to even try by all the chaos going on, and had retreated to where Eri's empty incubator and her bags were. Ira was esctatic that she was being cheered on?! In response, she aimed one more water gun, this time at Lorien, with as much force as possible. Aegir huffed at Rowan, and, after a beat tried to once more launch himself at him, this time going for a peck.
Eri, watching all this, puffed her cheeks. She couldn't even document these things so she could improve on them, it was dark and hard to properly focus, despite the stars working their hardest to illuminate her night. Her gaze fell back to Koray, as Cyllene gently tugged on the boys pant leg, the shiny Ralts worried about the emotions running through his head.
There was a pause, and then, "You were given that star guide for a reason, it was in your fates after all! So even if it worries your stars now, how scary it is to hear all the voices, it'll get better. And I can help all I can! In fact...." She was trying her best to just ignore the chaos of the babies, shifting her hold on the pokemon tugging harshly at her hair, ignoring the slight spike of pain each tug sent down her spine. it was minor, and she couldn't find it in herself to put him in time out again. She seemed to hurry over to her bags, pushing through until her phone, with its various dangly star chars and obnoxious star case was grabbed.
With one hand she began inputting something before putting it away once more. "I'll do it once i'm home. Sometimes it's very trial and error, buuuut, your stars shine brightly, so! If we work through this you'll be able to battle and befirend your spiritomb in no time!"
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