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.
“Ah, alright,” Gabe answered with a small half-breath. He shifted the roller up and waited to see what Koray did next to follow along with— only to stand there frozen as Koray started talking about Ara right after. Had he… had he read his mind or was it just that obvious or had Koray been thinking about it too or—
“….” Numerous little tidbits of information were all folded up and stored in the back of Gabe’s mind as Koray spoke, but the biggest one was held at the forefront. So she’d picked a dancer. He didn’t know whether to feel better or worse with this information. Gabe took the knife and followed along again watching as Koray cut before actually mimicking the motion. He was careful to avoid his fingers this time, at least.
“I picked up dancing while with Ara,” he answered after a moment. “So I guess that makes sense.” Makes sense, yeah. It didn’t stop the… feelings though.
After having done the pasta numerous times, it took Koray only a few moments before he finished cutting the strips of pasta. Once this was done, he took the strips and carefully started to unfold them, making sure Gabe saw what step was next after that. "We'll let the pasta dry out a little like this and probably cook them last since it only takes about five minutes after the water boils," Koray explained briefly, nodding at the statement about dancing with Ara. "I hope you don't give it up because of her. You really are a terrific dancer, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a natural talent for it~," That night at the ball was still one of the best times he'd had. Well, before Ara made him have a complete mental breakdown but that was neither here nor there.
"So I was thinking for the salmon we could do a berry reduction sauce and maybe fry some asparagus with it. Could also make a berry vinaigrette for the salad too. Sound good?" Koray asked, not really wanting to dwell on Ara too much when there was food to be made.
A natural talent for dancing, yeah. Gabe’s eyes fixed on the counter just in front of them. No….. His hands had stopped moving and instead come to rest on the lip of the counter. Kora had already moved on therein, but Gabe…. Gabe couldn’t. “….” The hand he’d accidentally sliced stung. “….” A breath drew in and out of him. “….” And another. Even on the counter, his hands were shaking just a little. That stupid… worthless…. Pathetic… wrench of a….. of a…. His head was starting to throb just a little. She took… she took….
The sound of tearing paper echoed in the back of Gabe's mind.
A fist raised and immediately slammed down on the counter. The sound reverberated throughout the kitchen and echoed in Gabe’s ears for a little longer than necessary. “She took that from me!” a sharp, angry yelp escaped from Gabe right then and there. “She took it. From. Me.” His fist wouldn’t stop shaking, so he slammed it on the counter again. “She took it from me! She took it from me! She took that fucking…. Terrible… fucking…. Wretched awful….” His fist slammed down on the counter with every swear.
No sooner had they just finished with the pasta that something seemed to... change in Gabe. Koray wasn't exactly sure what happened or why, but judging by the way Gabe was breathing, it was best to put those knives away. Picking up both chef knives, Koray quickly rinsed them off before putting them back in the block just as the sound of a fist slamming on the counter made him jump. 'She took that from me' O-oh... apparently he'd struck a chord when he talked about how well Gabe had danced that night.
More yelps, more fist banging and Koray was at a loss as to what to do. Ara had taken a lot from him too... and was still taking so much... but he didn't let it affect him. Or at least Koray thought that he didn't let it impact him near as much as it was Gabe in that moment. Who was he kidding? Ara was tearing him up worse now than she ever had during the breakup. Sure, he had been hurt... and she'd dragged his name through the mud... but it had been good, right? It... it was fine. Everything was just... fine.
A hand reached over to place it over Gabe's fist after he slammed it on the counter again. Maybe it was foolish to try but... what else could he do? "Only if you let her... You don't have to let her win, Gabe," Koray's voice was quiet and he was a little fearful about what would happen next but... he could take it. He'd been through worse after all.
A hand touched his own, and Gabe froze momentarily. Yellow eyes flashed to his fist and then up the opposing hand to Koray’s eyes. Only if you let her? Only if he let her? “What the fuck do you know?” Gabe snarled back pulling his hand away and standing up taller. “She had me dancing with her again.” His other hand formed a fist and slammed on the counter. The air shook with the force of the motion.
“She made me love her again!” Gabe’s voice snarled out now. “And then she has the audacity to kick me out!” He was yelling slamming his free fist on the counter over and over again. The numerous pots and pans around the kitchen shook but with the force of something other than Gabe’s own motions. “She gave me hope again and took it away from ME! ” He bellowed. “I HATE HER!”
As Gabe froze, Koray was hopeful. Maybe he would listen, calm down, and they could go from there? Of course all of these hopes were dashed to smithereens as Gabe pulled away and stood and retorted back that he didn't know anything. Everything that he was saying was exactly what Koray was feeling and for all he was, he couldn't keep from laughing. It started with a soft laugh that was covered well enough by his own hand. Of course then Gabe mentioned that Ara made him love her again and Koray backed up enough that he hit another counter, nearly doubling over in laughter by that time, sinking to the floor. How was it possible that Gabe was able to say the exact same things that had been going through Koray's mind for a while now?
Arceus, it hurt to breathe. Was this a panic attack, hysterics, or laughter? At that point, Koray couldn't tell anymore, but Rowan resurfaced after that, alarmed at the movement in the kitchen. That wasn't normal? Koray? What was going on??? Either way, the Phantump made a beeline for Koray as he was slumped over on the ground. What was going on??
Koray was laughing at him. Koray, was laughing at him. Gabe’s breath hitched. His eyes stung. The pots and pans shook violently now. What was so funny? What was so funny about this? Funny that he was used and abused again? Something snapped, and Gabe was closing the distance between them. “Shut up! Shut! Up! Shut up!” he snarled not even bothering to bend down to punch Koray but instead raising a leg to stomp his knee as hard as he possibly could. “Shut up shut up shut up! How dare you laugh at me! Shut the fuck up!’ he bellowed over and over again stomping and kicking Koray over and over. Several pots and pans finally shook loose from their spots on the wall and hanging from the ceiling and went clattering to the ground. “I hate you too!”
Stop laughing. This... wasn't funny. And yet, it was? Somehow? Except the fact that they were going through the same thing was hilarious to Koray right then and there. He could hear Gabe yelling at him to shut up and he doubled over, breaths coming in ragged gasps as he tried to stop. Except then a foot connected with his back just under his shoulder and a sickening CRACK could be heard. The laughter stopped but there was now a furious Phantump in Gabe's face. Rowan tried to deliver a Power-Up Punch of his own to Gabe's stomach followed immediately by a Confuse Ray. He was not going to let Koray be hurt by this low life!
Meanwhile, the blows had made Koray curl up on his side, doing his best to protect his head... oh, look, there's a pot right there. That worked as a good shield. Between the kicks and the shouting, there was no way for Koray to say anything. At least he'd stopped laughing though... that was progress. Except he couldn't breathe, Arceus he couldn't breathe. I'm going to die. Except... all Koray felt in that moment was relief. At least the torture would end.
Gabe couldn’t be asked to notice the Phantump right in front of him. His eyes were lower than that: fixed and intense on Koray. Every motion was aiming to crush and break and damage. That was until a Pokemon fist met his stomach. The force of the Power Up Punch was enough to send him crashing backwards back into a stove-oven combination. Hands meant to catch were met with searing heat, and a sharp yelp escaped from Gabe as he yanked his hands back and went crashing down against the oven again.
That Confuse Ray wouldn’t make impact, but it didn’t need to. A glow. Bright violet seemed to envelop numerous pots and pants and rip them from their places on the floor. They rose high and went spiraling about the kitchen smashing into walls, cabinets, and still other pans raising the din in the room. Gabe seized either side of his head, fingers digging into his face and temples. Shrieks. Yells. He was in pain then.
The beatings finally stopped and Koray was able to uncurl only slightly. It was enough to see Rowan send Gabe crashing into the stove and the yelp that escaped him thereafter made Koray wince. Burns were the worst... though what happened next was... beyond alarming. Koray didn't know what to do, except it was clear that Gabe was in pain and... well, he had to do something about it. Dragging himself across the room, Koray asked a begrudging Rowan to get some ice and a washcloth. It would be the easiest way to help Gabe the fastest.
"Gabe..." Koray murmured, holding out a hand to try and pull Gabe's hands from his temples. If allowed, ice would be dropped into them and a cool washcloth would be placed on the back of his neck. "It's ok... if you hate me..." Koray murmured, leaning against a cupboard. Arceus, he hurt.... it had been a while since he'd hurt this badly... but he deserved it and knew it.
"I feel the same way... you know. With Ara. More than you realize..." Another breath. "She danced with me too... made me promise I didn't love her. But I-... I can't help it." Now it was Koray's turn to cry, except he didn't even realize the tears were there, "I try not to but... it... hurts."
Gabe would not let go. Even when Koray managed to pull a hand away, it wriggled from his grasp again almost immediately after. I CAN’T CONTROL IT— His thoughts were practically screaming. MAKE IT STOP! But it wouldn’t, couldn’t. Gritting his teeth and shutting his eyes, he rocked slightly, his fingers scratching digging into skin further. I CAN’T MAKE IT STOP! The pots and pans kept swirling around the room, crashing into one another here and there. One dropped loudly to the ground only to raise up again and slam into others. STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT I’M NOT CRAZY!
“Stop mocking me!” was the shout back despite Koray being closer now. “You knew and you did this to mock me!” One hand dropped only to form a fist and smash back into the oven hard enough to dent it. “How long did you know?” he snarled twisting around to look at Koray again. Despite his eyes being yellow, the glow of them then was purple. “How long did you decide to mock me?!” He wasn’t making sense now, even to himself, but the pressure in his head was only increasing.
The pots and pans around the room crashed and banged and Koray had to wonder if his dad had evacuated the kitchen. He could probably explain it away by saying it was an errant spirit... ironically, that would be believable. Seeing Gabe's hands dig into his temples, Koray gripped both hands tightly and pried them away, pressing his own hands on either side of Gabe's face. If those hands dug into him, that was fine. He was used to being punished.
"Hey, I'm not mocking you... I never did," Koray spoke softly, shaking his head, "I just found out today... when you told me. I didn't mean to laugh, and I wasn't laughing at you. At all," he continued, pressing their foreheads together. It hurt to stay like this, but if it helped Gabe... that would be enough, right?
As his hands were pried away again, Gabe yelped. Both hands raised and held right in front of Koray’s face, keeping him from looking at him directly. Gabe’s head turned sideways. His angry, glossy vision was stinging. His features were scorched as badly as his hands, and his breath shook loudly even over the din.
I wasn’t laughing at you. “You’re lying!” Gabe snapped. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” His head throbbed anew, and one hand pulled away to press against his own face again. It only made his hands hurt more. “You’re just laughing at me. You’re just mocking me. I get it; I’m just a joke! So shut up!”
His knees came up but rather than kick Koray again, Gabe twisted around and leaned over them, pressing his face into the space between them and folding his hands over the back of his neck[x]. The pots and pans seemed all seemingly drop out of the air at once, clattering to the ground in loud disarray. “Shut up…” Gabe’s voice was quieter now.
Arceus, Gabe looked awful.... and yet, there was nothing that Koray could do for him. Not when he'd been the cause of it. Flinching away when Gabe snapped at him again, Koray looked away as he listened to the words. A joke?"I'm the joke..." Koray murmured softly, "I fell in love with her again... I told her it... wasn't love... I convinced myself that... it would be alright if... if I could just... stay by her side," he continued, his voice shaking a little.
Seeing those knees come up, Koray flinched away, thinking that he was going to get kicked again. Instead, Gabe just... folded against himself. Oh... well, was that a good thing? The pots and pans that clattered to the floor made Koray jump before his mind touched Rowan's. Can you see if you can find Gabe's pokemon? A few frantic screeches had Koray reaching a hand up to his head in turn. Ack... that hurt... But, Rowan listened after arguing quite a bit with him. Clearly the Phantump wasn't happy about it but... Koray was at a loss.
Hesitantly putting a hand on Gabe's back, Koray rubbed it gently. Maybe that would help? "If anything... I'm the joke. You? You're... stronger... than I'll ever be..." Well, that much was true. At least Gabe had gotten out from under Ara's shadow, "I... wish.... I had the strength to do what you did..."
Meanwhile, Rowan did find Gabe's bag and threw a few things here and there in search of pokeballs. Oh! Here they were! But... Koray hadn't said which one. Ah well, he'd just press the first one that he saw. Oh... hello giant Alakazam, how are you? Please don't hurt the smol Phantump, he seeks help for two dumbass trainers. ;3;
Gabe said nothing. He didn’t move and barely breathed. His head was throbbing, and his stomach was tight. He wanted to pull away from Koray and demand not to be touched, but that required movement. So he sat there face pressed into his knees, mouth and eyes shut, unmoving. He hated this. He hated this. He hated this. Koray was speaking, but it might as well have been white noise to Gabe right then. He didn’t hear those words, not really.
A flash of light, and Harriet was bending down to accommodate the ceiling of this strange establishment. Her eyes flickered to the Phantump but wouldn’t stay there for long. Instead, her gaze followed the pots and pans that were strung about before finally fixating on— ‘Gabe.’A flash of light, and she’d teleported over to be seated next to him. He didn’t move, but she wasn’t aiming for his body. ‘You’re trying to conceal your mind from me. Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?’He didn’t.
Harriet glanced up at Koray and stared at him. She hadn’t met this one in person but could guess his name from his thoughts. ‘You should avoid touching him,’ she stated briefly. ‘What could be considered comforting can be very… painful for….. someone who has been what he has been through.’A pause. ‘Gabe calls me Harriet. Unfortunate pleasure meeting you.’
Koray didn't know what to do, didn't know if his words were even making a dent. From Gabe's refusal to move or even acknowledge him, it was unlikely that was the case. The flash of light that resulted from the teleport was enough to make Koray flinch back, removing his hand from Gabe's back on impulse. As the Alakazam spoke to Gabe supposedly, Rowan moved over to Koray, handing him one of his leaves in an attempt to help. Right, the Phantump was worried... Koray could tell that much just from the poor thing's expression. He didn't need to be able to feel or hear Rowan's thoughts to know that much...
"Thank you..." Koray mumbled, accepting the leaf before crushing it deftly in his hands, this had happened before. Many times. It would happen again too, just normally not by human hands. The Alakazam's voice in Koray's head made him look up from his Phantump's fussing over him and nodded. Understood. I assure you, I know fair amount about pain... More than Gabe ever has to learn I hope. I... can't quite say it's nice to meet you, but I am glad you're here. Did Rowan fill you in?
The mental conversation with the Alakazam was easy enough for Koray. He had ghosts in his head before, what was one more Pokemon.
A small, sympathetic look came and went from Harriet. ‘It’s inappropriate to compare pain, dear,’ she answered briefly. ‘Unless of course you mean that you don’t want to share your past pains with him, which is understandable as well.’ Human children had so much growing to do and so little time to do it.
Her attention flicked to Gabe right after. ‘I don’t need to know the details.’ She could sense all of what she needed right then anyways. The distress, the despair, the disrepair to his mind was all there even as he leaned against the door to his mind. As if she, a fully evolved and ancient Psychic, couldn’t just force it open if she wanted. It was his room, though, his personal space, and he had closed it off for a reason.
‘I’m going to take him home for now and give him a chance to calm down. If everything works out, we’ll be in touch later.’ Harriet turned to Koray and smiled a little before a white light encompassed her and Gabe. And just like that, suddenly they were gone.
A nod came from Koray as Harriet replied. Both were true, but he wasn't going to state anything further. At least not right then. I understand... sorry. Koray corrected himself quickly enough before looking back at Gabe. He wished there was something he could do, but it seemed Harriet had things well in hand for the time being. When he's better, could you tell him I wasn't mocking him? I was telling the truth. He'll know what that means.
Rowan was flailing again, trying to get him to focus on treating his injuries. Another leaf was tossed at Koray before he focused on the Phantump again. Alright, thanks Harriet... I hope to hear from you then. After Gabe left, Koray sighed and set about doing what he could to clean up the kitchen. Dad would be in here to ask about the mess... would he believe spirits did this? It was worth a shot at the very least considering Dad had seen things like this happen before. Certainly not to this extreme but... hopefully there wouldn't be any questions asked.
06
04
00
