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Old 02-18-2013, 01:33 AM   #126
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Liliana mused that perhaps she might be seeing shadows as a result of starting to see the spirit world, and could possibly have been becoming stronger, before being interrupted by Peeves's kiss. Peeves could sense the adoration and desire Liliana was feeling... Their relationship had come a long way from mere puppy love, for sure... almost as though the relationship had been growing... maturing... evolving. As this thought occurs to Peeves, he finds himself momentarily blinded by a bright light- not just the light Liliana was giving off, either, no- Peeves realized very quickly that the light was also coming off his own body as he felt changes take place, felt his body expand, his hands become more human-like... The glowing finally faded, and Peeves could hardly believe his eye- both he and Liliana had simultaneously evolved into Dusclops.

At the word "punish", Coselle went into a seductive whisper, but before anything could get too far underway, the other room provided ample distraction in the form of bright glowing. Coselle got off of Keith's lap and went to investigate the glow. Keith followed, equally intrigued, and as he arrived in the other room, his jaw dropped as he witnessed Peeves and Liliana evolving. As the glowing faded, Keith was rendered speechless as he looked at his newly evolved Ghost-type, and merely held up his Pokedex.

"Dusclops, the Beckon Pokemon, and the evolved form of Duskull," the machine droned. "Dusclops's body is completely hollow, and is said to be like a black hole on the inside. It can absorb anything into its body, but it will never come back out."

"Wh... Wha... Whoa!" Keith finally managed to exclaim. "...Whoa!"

"Whoa would just about cover it," agreed the male Dusclops. "Lil... We evolved!" he exclaimed.

"What is go-ing on in here- whoa," came the voice of Myrtle as she floated into the room, and stopped short at the somewhat unexpected sight of a pair of Dusclops. "Ei-ther this neigh-bor-hood is more haun-ted than I thought, or Peeves and Li-li-a-na just e-volved."

"The... the second one," Keith said weakly, still stunned by this whole development. "Definitely the second one. Peeves, Liliana... Congratulations, both of you," he added.


Code:
What?  Duskull is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations!  Your Duskull evolved into Dusclops!

*Peeves learned Shadow Punch!*

*Peeves learned Fire Punch!*

*Peeves learned Ice Punch!*

*Peeves learned ThunderPunch!*

*Peeves learned Gravity!*

*Peeves learned Bind!*
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Old 02-18-2013, 02:18 AM   #127
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Coselle stands slack-jawed at the sight of Peeves and Liliana's transformation; she knew that Marion had been working hard to train the former Duskull to channel her energies into the spirit world, but she had not realized that the training had created so much progress. Eventually, Coselle shakes herself out of her dumbfounded gaze, grinning and clapping her hands together in excitement. Keith finally manages a "Whoa," which Peeves responds (in surprisingly fluid English) should just about cover it. Liliana, on the other hand, seems... distracted, once again.

"I never realized how many spirits were in this house," she mutters as she looks around, inspecting each one in turn. "They all seem friendly enough, I suppose... I guess that's what happens when you set up a house in the Hidden Mansion, right? Oh, oh dear... Dear, your head is... it's coming off, here, let me help you with that..." The Dusclops wanders over to a spot behind Coselle, and pantomimes lifting an object and placing it back on something... presumably resetting the spectre's head on its neck. "Got your head pinched off by a Kingler, you say? Don't tell me he used... guillotine!" Liliana begins laughing. "Oh, you are nice, aren't you? Have you guys met Opal yet? She can juggle her own head- No, no, I'm no very good at juggling- I wouldn't want to drop it... No, really, I would not want to give you a headache."

Coselle chuckles a bit. "What, is she asking you to juggle her head?" The dark-haired woman suddenly feels her hands being lifted, and an odd weight falling into her palms...

"Opal says she wants you to try," Liliana says to Coselle with a grin.

"But... but I can't even see it..." Coselle says, looking down at the invisible head. "I guess I could attempt it, but she better not get mad if I drop it."

"She says she won't," Liliana grins. "Go on!"

Coselle sighs a bit, though remains surprisingly calm for such a morbid situation; perhaps her former life as a Banette desensitized her to such madness. Either way, Coselle attempts to juggle the head, only to have Liliana intervene, appearing to catch the head, though it cannot be seen.

"Heh, Opal says you suck at juggling."

Coselle narrows her eyes, making a face in the direction of where Opal was supposedly standing. "If I were back in Banette form I could juggle her head plus two more. It is simply not fair if I cannot see them!"

"Opal thinks you're making excuses," Liliana says with a laugh, which only infuriates Coselle even more.

"Yes, well... Tell Opal that she isn't allowed to go into my boyfriend's room with that wandering head of hers," Coselle mutters angrily. A soft, yet ominous laughter responds to her muttering...
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Old 02-18-2013, 12:08 PM   #128
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Liliana seemed a bit distracted, remarking on how many spirits were in the house. Keith blinked in surprise as Peeves also started looking around. "You're right, Lil," the newly evolved Dusclops nodded. "I'm not sure how I missed it before, in fact." As Liliana spoke to Opal, Peeves stopped in front of what looked to be absolutely nothing. "Hey, um... you got a little something on your face there," he said to someone or something Keith couldn't see. "No, no, other side... Ohh, oh, oops, sorry, that was part of your face..." Peeves muttered. "Yeesh... Excuse me for asking, but what happened, anyway? Ooh. Ooh, that'd do it, yeah... Well, in all fairness, how is it you didn't notice the Charizard's tail until after you stepped on it? It's big, it's orange, the end's on fire... not exactly easy to miss, is it?"

"So, wait, Peeves," Keith began, "You mean you can see ghosts in here?"

"Dozens of them," nodded the Dusclops. "Though I think a lot of them were drawn here by me and Liliana evolving." He then glanced around the room. "Okay, you couldn't see that, but almost half of them just nodded," he added. "For a while, I've started to see strange shadows with nothing to cast them... I wasn't sure what to make of it. Never brought it up, didn't want you thinking I was losing it, because honestly, I wasn't so sure myself," he admitted. "Now I realize, it was the start of this."

"That's... that's actually kinda cool," Keith remarked.

"Thanks," Peeves remarked before his eye seemed to fixate on something else Keith couldn't see. "Hey! HEY!" he exclaimed. "No, no, the cookies are off limits!" Peeves started walking forward, but having not walked since he was a Machop, he was finding it a slow, awkward process. Desperately, he reached out with his large hands, and then a pair of shadowy fists flew out of them, dissipating as they hit what appeared to be thin air a short distance away from the hidden compartment where Keith kept an ample supply of cookies for Peeves and Liliana.

"Thus, I reiterate; whoa," Keith stated. "Peeves, I think you learned how to use Shadow Punch!"

"You think?" Peeves replied as he stepped over to the spot where his newest move had vanished, and seemed to pantomime the action of helping someone to their feet. "You OK?" he asked. "Sorry about that, but... The cookies, they're for me and Liliana, that's all. Didn't mean to attack, it's just the cookies are kind of a big thing for me, you know?" He paused, apparently listening intently, then gave a small nod. "As long as you're OK," he stated. Then, he sighed. "Oh, all right, I guess one cookie won't hurt," he sighed as he used Psychic to move a single chocolate chip cookie out of the cabinet and hand it to nothing. Then, the cookie slowly started vanishing, as though bites were being taken out of it. Soon, all that remained were a few crumbs which fell to the floor.
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Old 02-18-2013, 10:53 PM   #129
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((The storyline between KeithxCoselle is transitioning from red to yellow. Again, this is a one on one storyline, but obviously people are more than welcome (and even encouraged) to participate in the the general storyline.))

Sitting in the living room chair where she had initially sought comfort from Keith after the incident that provided her with humanity, Coselle quietly hums to herself as she works on sewing a new scarf for Keith. Having developed quite a talent for needlework as a Banette, it was one of the few skills she really prided herself on other than her battle prowess, though getting used to sewing as a human was a gradual process. The black-haired woman looks up at the clock with a suspicious glare at the current time. Keith had been at the Bar for quite awhile, and Coselle couldn't help but begin to wonder who had met there and what could be keeping him so long. She had yet to receive anything... even a text... to alert herself to how he was doing. She was tempted to send along a spy, but given that she no longer had access to Marion's Pokemon after their big blowout, she was not sure who would perform such a deed for her. Myrtle? Perhaps, particularly if she expressed her concern for Keith... After all, much as she hated to admit it, she did care for her trainer's well being. Of course, sending spies sounded... overly paranoid, as if she did not trust Keith to stay out of trouble and keep himself safe. Sighing heavily, she lets the clock tick on, as she continues her sewing.
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Old 02-18-2013, 11:16 PM   #130
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The door of the Secret Base opened up, and Keith walked into the living room.

"Hel-lo, Meat Sack," Myrtle greeted her trainer. Keith merely nodded, and walked over to the chair in which Coselle was seated.

"Hey, Coselle," Keith said to her. "Sorry I haven't sent any texts... forgot to charge my Xtrainciever," he explained, holding up the nonresponsive device. "Wow, that's a nice scarf," he stated as he noticed what she was working on. He sat down on the arm of the chair, and continued talking. "Hey, listen... I got a few things I want to tell you... First, I met Marion over at the bar... She's still not happy with you, unfortunately... she gave me this," he said as he withdrew a vial of black liquid from his backpack. "She says that if you drink this, the destroyed souls will leave your body intact... but you'll die within two days, as it'll sap out all your humanity in the process," he said, clearly sickened by the very thought of the woman he loved dying. "Now, here's the thing," he added. "You won't actually have to die. This second part, this is the part you're going to love," he said with a smile as he paused for effect. "Chuck came through. He found a way after all. There's a way to give you 70 years' worth of humanity, and it doesn't involve the destruction of souls at all. It's completely guilt-free. Now, I've been talking with Chuck on the way back, and we think we've gotten it all figured out. If you take the... whatever this is, a potion, or something..." he said as he gestured to the black liquid, "and then immediately afterwards Chuck does his thing, then Chuck is certain that what will happen is, you'll just feel a little ill as the souls are leaving you, but you won't actually die, and once the souls are gone, you'll still be human. What do you say?" he asked. "Coselle, I love you... I don't want you to die... but let's face it, what we both did was wrong, and this is a chance to put it right. Plus, on top of it all, Chuck can ensure you don't actually die. You can still be human, for even longer than you would have with this borrowed time, and all without the guilt of having destroyed souls to do so." He looked at Coselle anxiously, awaiting her response.
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Old 02-18-2013, 11:47 PM   #131
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Coselle continues slowly knitting her scarf as Keith returns, focusing on each stitch carefully so as not to ruin her progress. Keith explains immediately that his Xtranceiver had not been charged, and Coselle takes a quick look at the Xtranceiver that Keith holds up, nodding in order to indicate that she accepts the excuse. He compliments the work on her scarf, and she gives him a bit of a smile.

"Thanks... Not quite ready yet, though, is it?" Coselle stops sewing for a moment, inspecting her handiwork on the project thus far. As she critically eyes some of the stitches she made, Keith sits down on the edge of the chair, letting her know that there are a few things that he wants to talk about. Coselle sighs audibly at the mention of her sister; sweet young lady though she usually was, she had taken Coselle's actions terribly. No matter what Coselle tried, Marion seemed inconsolable about the destruction of souls. The action had hit a nerve, and every day, the dark-haired woman felt worse and worse about it. After all, Marion was only acting on values that Coselle herself had instilled within her. As Keith produces a vial of black liquid from his pocket, her eyes are drawn to the poisonous-looking liquid, and listens to Keith explain its function.

"I know what it does," she softly responds. "Marion has been threatening me with it constantly." Coselle takes the vial from Keith, inspecting it as Keith continues his explanation. He assures her that Chuck has it all figured out; that he can restore her humanity the moment she drinks the potion, using a solution that Chuck figured out. Coselle glares at Keith after he gives his explanation, adding that this was the opportunity to "set things right".

"Clearly, Chuck does not have it all figured out," Coselle growls. "You realize that, if you were to try to give me any sort of humanity after I drink this, that it would be absorbed into the souls leaving my body? Those 70 years would not go to me. Do either of you even understand how this potion works?! I would have to wait for the toxins to completely clear out of my system to even attempt such a thing... I cannot say I trust what you suggest if you do not even understand that. It doesn't just remove humanity from the body... It repels it. That repelling effect is what encourages souls to reform on their own."

Coselle looks at the potion for a long while, tears forming in her eyes. "What we did was wrong, you say? Wrong? What happened to 'I don't regret giving you life?' What happened to all of that? Did you change your mind? Am I suddenly not worth it anymore? Did you change your mind about THAT, too?"

Before Keith can even respond, Coselle uncaps the vial and chugs it in one fell swoop, throwing the empty vial on the ground. "I thought, for once, you would stay strong in your convictions. You just love proving me wrong, don't you? Don't have the balls to stand up for your... stand up for your actions, huh?" Coselle's intial fierce, rage-filled tirade breaks into a stammer, as she puts her hand over her mouth to suppress the hideous sound of gagging, the potion beginning to take effect.

Coselle wobbles toward the door, tears streaming down her face; she had hoped simply to leave and find some quiet place to die on her own, away from Keith and his shifting viewpoint, but the process seems to be taking effect more rapidly than Marion had initially suggested; Coselle's body already drips with sweat, as her head pounds with incredible pain. She doubles over at the door, her face already void of whatever color had been initially there. She takes a few, deep breaths, lying herself down where she buckled. In between breaths, she stammers;

"But... I admit, I want to put things right, too... my sister..." Coselle curls up in a little ball, shaking violently as the sweat soaks her clothes. "Cold"... She murmurs. "Did it... just get cold..."
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Old 02-19-2013, 12:29 AM   #132
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Keith frowned as Coselle stated that the potion would not allow for Chuck's solution to work while she died. "He failed to mention that," Keith said quietly. Coselle then demanded to know if he thought that she was suddenly not worth it anymore, and before Keith could even open his mouth to reply, she chugged the potion down in one go. As she tried to continue her rage-filled tirade, the potion clearly started to take its effect. Keith was horrified as Coselle started wobbling towards the door. He followed her, trying to stop her, but the potion did that for him as she doubled over at the door. In a small voice, Coselle admitted that she also wanted to put things right, and curled into a ball, her clothes becoming soaked with sweat as she asked if it had just gotten cold.

"Coselle..." Keith murmured, tears streaming down his face. "Coselle..." He gently scooped her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom, where he lay her down on the bed, and got as many warm blankets as he could find, gently laying them on top of her. Finally, he knelt down next to the bed next to his rapidly expiring lover. "Coselle, you have to believe me... this isn't what I wanted, for you to be dying like this... I don't regret giving you life, it's the way I did it I regret... If only Chuck had thought of his solution a week sooner, this wouldn't be happening... I mean, all I meant was, you yourself said you shouldn't have destroyed those souls... I'm so sorry for all of this," he sighed, trying (and failing) to hold back tears. A few moments passed in silence, and then Keith spoke up again. "I might not be able to stop you from dying," he murmured, "but I told you once before... I'll be damned if I let you die alone," he said as he took hold of Coselle's hand. "I love you..." he whispered to her. The whole situation... it wasn't fair, damn it! He had to choose between the love of his life and what was the morally right thing to do... What the hell kind of choice is that? Anguish, sheer anguish, threatened to overpower him. Coselle would become a Banette again, so it wasn't like she would be gone... but after what had just happened, would she want to stay with him? He desperately hoped so, but part of him was scared that she would not...

Peeves walked into the bedroom, and patted Keith on the back. "Restoring those souls is the right thing to do," the Dusclops quietly reassured Keith.

"Then why do I feel like crap?" Keith replied tearfully.
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Old 02-19-2013, 05:43 AM   #133
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For in that sleep of death what dreams may come...

Keith murmurs his beloved's name as he gently scoops her up from the ground, her body trembling so violently that it reverberates through Keith's very bones. He carries her to the bedroom, where he covers her with blankets; she uses what strength she has to wrap herself in them, desperately soaking in the warmth as she shivers. He takes hold of her hand which given her complaints of cold is incredibly warm, almost burning to the touch. Though she can vaguely comprehend Keith as he vehemently apologizes, trying desperately to assure her that this is not the way he wanted things to be... yet to Coselle, despite the tangibility of his hand holding hers, and the sound of his words, he and his touch felt distant, fuzzy... like something recalled out of a dream. The throbbing of the blood rushing through her head was never so loud, so distinct before... It threatened to drown out all noise, overwhelming her hearing. Her vision clouded with blurs, running together into a dim, yellow light, which gradually fades as her eyes clothes, her shuddering and heavy breathing gradually falling into sleep.

Visions overwhelm the young woman's dying mind, slowly at first, but gradually building. Bold colors, some that Coselle swears could not even exist in nature, brighten and darken with the foreign, indistinct murmurs that whisper from within herself, never quite becoming discernible. Sometimes, the visions would meld into horrors, as pains from her waking body seeped into the tumultuous mass of simultaneous color and void, manifesting as insects crawling up her body, or horrific screams, or black flames consuming her body as she burns alive. As she falls deeper into the void, the dreams take stronger and stronger hold, replacing the reality which she fades gradually away from with their own, strange stories.

Coselle awakens on a grassy field, her skin coated by the warmth of a sunny sky. The sound of beautiful, brass bells catches her ears, as the sound of an organ playing in the distance jolts her into this world. Looking down at herself, she realizes that she is wearing a white dress, complete with beautiful white gloves to hide her burned hands, and an intricate veil. She picks up the dropped bouquet beside her and admires the beautiful rose arch at the end of the outdoor church, surrounded by the most vivid, fragrant gardens Coselle could possibly imagine. Looking down the rows of pews, she cannot recognize anyone who is in attendance, and, with irritation, wonders why her sister would not be here. Brushing herself off, not questioning her current reality as one trapped within the dream, she walks down the aisle to meet her groom. At first, she believes that she is finally marrying her beloved, as his familiar silhouette comes into view, dressed in a sharp tuxedo with hair slicked back... Only to realize as she looks into his, black, soulless eyes that she does not recognize this man, either.

"Where's Keith?" She shouts, throwing her bouquet down much as she did with the vial. "Who are you?"

Coselle immediately puts her hand to her mouth, immediately regretting her outburst as it shatters the serenity of her surroundings... The sky turns black, and the faces of these strange guests contort and stretch into ghastly beings, who surround Coselle with their eyeless glares and dangling, distorted mouths. They topple the pews as the flowers begin dripping with blood, charging at Coselle like deranged zombies. The frightened young woman immediately turns to run, darting into the bloody, dying gardens to escape the scene that had turned so terrible so quickly. Running through the garden, she comes upon the familiar center of the Fizzytopian Park's Rose Garden, which somehow remains unchanged in the midst of all this madness. She finds a picnic waiting for her there, but the food has long since rotted, remaining in all its filth, uneaten, staining the blanket with his rot. Beside the blanket, lying beside a spilled glass of a dark red wine, is an equally rotted corpse, who appears to be wearing the same clothes as Keith usually wears, complete with the fallen cowboy hat near the body... Coselle runs to the corpse, and despite the smell which radiates off of it, holds it tenderly, weeping with bitter, bitter remorse.

"How did I let this happen," she viciously murmurs to herself, truly not remembering how something like this could have happened without her knowing. Despite the sounds of the wedding guests closing in, Coselle remains riveted to the spot, holding on to the decomposing remains of her beloved. "How could they have done this to us..."

Like a movie, the screen goes black. The scene changes. The transition never makes itself clear.

Coselle is drowning underneath the water. The cries of the MissingNo are clear overhead. She can see the boats, but no matter how hard she tries to swim, they are too far away for her to reach.

Scene change.

Liliana, somehow still a Duskull in the dream, is knitting a body bag for Coselle in Marion's living room. Coselle approaches the little ghost Pokemon, and tries to tell her that she isn't dead... but Liliana ignores her. Coselle realizes that she is no longer in Marion's Secret Base, but back in the Mansion parlor, where she died and first became a Shuppet. The paintings in the lobby, which used to depict all manner of subjects, now display gritty crime scene photos.

Scene change.

Coselle is back in her Banette form, trying to put on one of her old dresses from when she was alive. The fact that it is way too large and hangs limply around her form, even though that would be the perfectly logical way for it to fit, comes as a surprise to the Banette... and reduces her to tears.

Scene change. Scene change. The images keep coming, disparate, yet connected. Familiar streets and unfamiliar buildings. The people she knew, did not know, could not remember... the people who looked like someone but claimed to be someone else, the liars, the painful truths. Places and scenes begin to blur together. The dreams spiral out of control, out of reality, into a world beyond Coselle's comprehension. What would become of her? What would become of Ke-

Coselle awakens in a small, white room. Simple metal shelves laden with books are the first items that catch Coselle's eye. Standing up, she begins rifling through the volumes; at first, they appear to be books on probability and statistics, but the words begin taking on a sinister turn... "A woman rolls a d100 six times. What is the probability that a) she will decide to steal a man's eyes; b) that she will introduce a new character to the storyline; c) that she will let you live?"

The words run together, a mix of mathematics and strange philosophy, which immediately gives Coselle a headache. Setting the book down, she finds a strange, leather-bound book at the bottom of the shelf; dusting it off to inspect it, she realizes that her name is in the title on the cover: The Second Death of Coselle Ette.

"Do you like that story?" A young woman about Coselle's age swivels around in her computer chair, lowering her black-rimmed glasses to get a better look at her visitor. Her hazel eyes glint with a mischief so similar to that of her sister's that it almost makes Coselle wonder if it was her sister... and yet, there was more than meets the eye to this girl. No, she wasn't a girl at all... There was something...

"I have been writing for a long, long time, you know," the girl comments, idly checking the strange graphs and numbers on her computer screen. "Yours in particular is an interesting tale, isn't it? Rare that I find myself writing for the same person twice."

"You..." Coselle narrows her eyes, beginning to realize that this... woman... was somehow responsible for the narrative of her life. As if recognizing Coselle's dawning comprehension, the woman's eyes flicker red for a moment, as hints of the distortion world obscure the white walls briefly before disappearing.

"You used to be so respectful," the woman sighs, writing symbols into a notebook by her chair. "You used to revere the laws of the two worlds. What happened, Coselle? Why do you try to defy me at every turn?"

Coselle finds herself speechless. Bowing her head immediately, she cannot think of the words to say.

"You have to bear the consequences of your actions," the mousey, brown-haired woman finally says. "Both of you do. You balance on the edge of life and death like it's a tightrope. Like you've somehow mastered being on both sides. It is inevitable that you fall in direct consequence of your hubris-"

"Why?" Coselle's eyes flare as she looks up at the odd manifestation of the god she once adored, defiant in the face of the concealed power. "Why does it have to be this way? You could change this, you know. Why must you make us both suffer? I have served you for years! I have been denied happiness at every turn! Why... why can't you give this to me? A life, a real life... Have I not suffered enough for you??"

The brown-haired woman sighs, carefully standing up from her chair. Though the action would not be intimidating otherwise, the questionable nature of her identity gives Coselle palpable fear at her movement. Looking directly into Coselle's eyes, the brown-haired woman smirks. "You really love him... Don't you?"

"Yes," Coselle pleads, "It's true... I had never planned for it to be this way, but-"

"I did not plan for it, either." The brown haired woman shakes her head, crossing her arms. "Sometimes, you defy even my expectations, Coselle. You accomplish things I never thought could even be within the realm of possibility in the world of the living. I do not know whether to be repulsed by your methods... or to deeply respect your stubborness... your unbridled passion." The young woman laughs a bit, sitting back down in her computer chair. She swivels back to the screen, pulling up a website with a black backdrop. The woman laughs softly as she begins typing into a little, white-trimmed box. "The wheels are turning. Go."

"Wait, stop! What are you doing-"

Before Coselle can get her answer, the scene fades to black.

---

In the real world, minutes turn to hours. Hours stretch long and unforgiving through Keith's bedroom, as Coselle's uncontrollable shivering remains ceaseless, even in slumber. Occasional cries and groans from the dreaming woman echo in the silence, before they give way to nothing. It is hours of this, hours, from evening dragging on into the morning, far the afternoon... by the second evening, the screams and moans are few and far between. The shivering begins to slow down, eventually ceasing. In the midst of her final dream, Coselle takes her last, deep breath... and ceases to be.
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Old 02-19-2013, 07:41 AM   #134
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The hours stretched on mercilessly. True to his word, Keith stayed next to Coselle the entire time, much as the sight of her dying tore at his heart. The tears scarcely stopped, not only due to what was happening to her, but also as Keith reflected on the many ways he himself could have stopped this... He could have stayed strong in his convictions, he could have not let Marion's arguments sway him... why did he even accept that wretched black potion? He could have said "no" to Marion... True, Coselle would have been living off of borrowed time, but she'd be still living, damn it! He could have not resorted to letting Coselle kill those men, and waited for Chuck to come up with his solution... a bit late for that now. He was trying to do the right thing... How was it that things tended to still go screwy whenever he tried to do the right thing? Was his moral compass that out of whack? How ironic was it... In doing the right thing, one generally avoids damnation... and yet, as far as Keith was concerned, this right here, this was a worse Hell than anything else the universe could inflict upon him.

Peeves stayed by Keith's side the entire time, and used Psychic to bring him food, for he adamantly refused to leave Coselle's side. She could go at any moment, and he may have screwed up so friggin' much with her in the past... but he would keep this one last promise, by Arceus. He wouldn't let her die alone. She deserved better than that.

On the second day, Chuck arrived in the base- he had acquired a Roggenrola core, and Keith subsequently lashed out at him, calling him out for neglecting to mention that the potion would have to take its full effect first, in contrast to what he had said the previous day. He broke down sobbing halfway through his ranting. Many times, Myrtle and Helena needed to eat away a little excess emotion from Keith, to ensure that this did not drive him to insanity.

That afternoon, Keith murmured the only words his Pokemon had heard him speak since his outburst at Chuck. "Arceus... Giratina... Whoever, whatever's really up there... I screwed up... I screwed up real bad this time. Every time I tried to do right, it blew up in my face... worse than that, because of my stupid, stupid, stupid choices, the woman I love is dying... I never wanted this... I know I deserve to suffer for the poor choices I made, but why does she have to?"

He went silent after that, though the prayer continued as he silently begged for just one more chance. If not for him, than at least for Coselle. She deserved much better than she got... As her time ran out that evening, Keith lost it. As she took her final breath, it was as though the tears could not leave Keith's eyes fast enough. After allowing him fifteen minutes of uncontrolled sobbing, Chuck floated to Keith's side with a glass of water. Keith downed it, and calmed down somewhat. He still looked awful, but now at least he had calmed down to the point where he could speak coherently.

"She can still have her final chance," Chuck said to Keith. "If we get working on it now, and if, of course, she is willing to go with it once she is back to being a Banette. The Roggenrola core is here. I've checked and double-checked, and this method will work. We need to find someone who would be willing to give a little fragment of humanity to jump-start it-"

"I will," Keith interrupted him.

"Beg pardon?" Chuck replied, blinking in surprise.

"I'll do it," Keith stated. "Take out part of my soul and put it in there. If that's what'll get things going."

"Are you certain?" asked the Gastly. "From what I've heard, this doesn't exactly tickle-"

"I don't care," interrupted Keith. "If this has even the slightest chance at working... I know now, Chuck... I was trying to do what was right by the universe... But Coselle, she's my universe. I have to do what feels right... which doesn't even come close to describing any of the decisions I've made over the past week. If this Roggenrola core is the one last chance I've been praying for... I want to make things right, Chuck. I want to do things right by Coselle."

"Very well," nodded Chuck as Luna flew into the room. "I've taught your Swoobat just what to do. Brace yourself, as this won't be pleasant..."

"Can't be worse than..." Keith muttered, though unable to finish his statement. But Chuck didn't need him to finish it. Slowly, Luna flew over to him, a sad, apologetic look in her eyes. "Don't worry about it, Luna," Keith reassured her. "You're doing what has to be done."

"Swoo..." murmured the Swoobat. She closed her eyes, and used Confusion. Used her telekinetic capabilities on a not-so-tangible part of her trainer. Keith slammed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth as the pain of having a scrap of his human essence removed coursed through his body. And yet, this pain, it did not bother Keith as it should have, for two reasons. One, deep down, Keith knew he deserved it, for all the bad decisions he's made which led to Coselle's death. And two, he knew that this would give Coselle the life she deserved to live... if she chose to take it. Though this seemed to go on for hours, it in fact only took a couple of seconds, and at last, the pain ebbed away. Keith opened his eyes, and saw Chuck examining the Roggenrola core with an air of satisfaction.

"Did... did it go OK?" Keith asked. "Is it in there?"

The Gastly nodded. "Yes," he stated. "All Coselle needs to do is take this, and she will live for seven long decades, give or take a year."

With some difficulty, Keith glanced at the body on his bed. "Will it work if she takes it now?" he asked.

"I doubt it," sighed Chuck. "The potion is likely to still be in effect, as she has not yet reverted to being a Banette."

Keith sighed and nodded. He knew now that all there was to it was to wait... wait, and hope... hope against all hope that, in spite of his poor decisions, his lack of thought, his lack of understanding... in spite of it all, that he might yet still have one more chance to make things right.
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Old 02-19-2013, 10:12 AM   #135
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Eventually, Minerva awakens from her strange dream, sitting bolt-upright in bed, her yellow eyes glancing to and fro with confusion. At first, the disoriented Banette begins floating around the bedroom aimlessly, her mind not quite caught up with what her body has endured. The body of Coselle shimmers and fades, the illusion of humanity finally broken. The clothes she once wore fall flat onto the bed, limp and lacking the form of their former owner. The souls, which had been fragmented and broken as the result of her actions, were whole again; she caught a glimpse of the pirate's ghost as it floated out the window, his eyes in the direction of the sea. The Banette looks around the room, noting the personal affects Keith has lying around to indicate that this was where he lived. Herhead droops, as she looks at her cloth hands with disdain. She notes the chair beside the bed, the pool of wetness where Keith presumably hung his head and wept... How long had he cried? And for what, a Banette whom he found morally reprehensible? What a strange man...

The Banette sits back on the bed, her eyes dull, lifeless. She was so tired, and so drained, that it was hard to feel anything at that moment. Her heart had grieved so bitterly that she wondered if she even had tears left to shed. Normally, she would wonder how Keith would react to seeing her back in her original form, but at this point, she could not even bring herself to care about that. All she wanted was sleep... and yet, with her insomnia returning, it was yet another desire that her body was denying her.

"Af-ter all this..." Minerva murmurs to herself, "One won-ders if he could love me at all." Minerva cackles bitterly, though the laugh is so soft and weak, it almost resembles sobbing. "Spend a life-time with a mur-der-er? A mor-al-ly bank-rupt Ban-ette? Would he e-ven bear to look at me?"

Minerva looks up at the window, wondering if, like the other souls, she should simply leave herself.

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Old 02-19-2013, 11:23 AM   #136
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Minerva awoke from her dream, the body of Coselle vanishing as the Banette floated aimlessly around the room. After a short time, she returned to the bed and murmured to herself, wondering whether Keith could really love her.

"He does love you," came a voice. Chuck floated into the room, grinning at Minerva. "He will be glad to see you again, Banette or human. He would be in here right now, only he went to go throw up... Witnessing the death of one's beloved has that effect, after all. Not sure how much he'll get up, he hasn't been eating much..." The Gastly's grin faded somewhat. "If only you could have heard him while you were out of it," he said to the Banette quietly. "How broken up he is over what's happened over the past two days. He's done some things he openly admits were stupid, but he would give anything he can to make things right. He's even gotten a decent start on that." As he said this, he produced the Roggenrola core. "This is my solution," he explained. "Eat this, you live for a full 7 decades. It required a small fragment of humanity, the removal of which would involve excruciating pain. Even knowing this, Keith volunteered himself, his soul, to donate that bit of humanity to this, because he knows how much being human again meant to you," Chuck sighed. "He took the pain surprisingly well, too. My honest opinion, I think this was nothing to him compared to the agony of watching you die."

Footsteps could be heard at that moment as Keith, head hung low, reentered his room. He glanced at the bed, doing a double take as he realized Coselle's body was gone, and Minerva was lying there instead. As he locked eyes with the Banette, he was overcome with emotion. The look he gave her, it was not one of revulsion, not one which suggested that he was looking at something loathsome or reprehensible... No, his look was one of love, intense sorrow, and a fierce determination to set things right. He had so much he had to say he hardly knew where to begin. At last, he knelt down next to the bed, opened his mouth, and murmured, "I only wanted to do what was right... Only... I realize now... What's right is not what others tell me is right... but what feels right, in my heart. And your happiness, whatever the cost... That's what feels right to me, Coselle," he sighed. "I just wish... I just wish it hadn't taken you dying all over again for me to realize this..." he added, tears threatening to fill his eyes again.
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Old 02-20-2013, 09:02 AM   #137
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Chuck the Gastly is quick to respond to Minerva's musings, letting her know without hesitation that Keith does indeed still love her and that he will be overjoyed to see her, no matter her form. In fact, he would be with her at this very moment were it not for the great and terrible sickness of bereavement over her death. Minerva looks somewhat incredulous at this... after all, did he not give her the vial? Did he not supply her with the very poison that killed her? Certainly, he would be upset, but was this not the right thing to do? Minerva bristled at the thought, but by the same token, how would she have gone on living if she was a source of such great shame to both her sister and her lover? She had no one else in this world but the two of them and their Pokemon.

Chuck goes on to describe the solution that he and Keith had planned for her in an attempt to begin making things right again; a Roggenrola core which, if ingested, will give the Banette 7 decades of humanity. Minerva takes the core gingerly in her cloth paws, inspecting it carefully while Chuck explains that the bit of humanity within, which had been excruciatingly extracted for the express purpose of giving her a full life, had been taken from Keith. The Gastly sighs, explaining that the pain was likely nothing compared to the agony of watching his beloved slowly pass away. Minerva, however, seems distracted by the core itself. "How ex-act-ly would this core pro-vide me with such a well-spring of hu-man-i-ty," she questions, viewing the core at all angles. "Do you know?"

Though the sound of footsteps approaching the bedroom alerts Minerva to Keith's arrival, nothing prepares her for the absolutely horrific state he is in. Dark circles line his tired, red, tear-stained eyes; his skin, devoid of color, looks almost grey, his haggard expression betraying the hours of heart-wrenching sadness that extended as if they were years. His hands have the soft tremor of anxiety and dread, his back hunched deep as if he had spent his whole lifetime bent with his face in his hands, grieving. He looks, in many ways, a ghost of his former self, and the sight of him brings tears to Minerva's eyes immediately. Despite his current state, however, the look he gives the spectre lying like a doll in the midst of the many disheveled layers of sheets is one of deep, deep love in the midst of sorrow.

"I did not in-tend to cause you such grief," she bitterly remarks through sobs. "I thought... I thought this is what you wan-ted."

Keith goes on to explain to Minerva that he had neglected to listen to his own heart when deciding what is right, letting others influence his decisions when he should have been the one leading his own life and coming to his own conclusions. He tells her that what feels right in his heart is for Coselle to be happy, and tears threaten to overwhelm him once again as he admits his wish that it didn't take Coselle dying a second time for him to realize his mistakes.

"If you ne-ver stand up for your own be-liefs, then you will ne-ver be hap-py... and nei-ther will I," the Banette finally comments after listening to Keith's emotional words to her. "I am not da-ting my sis-ter, or your Po-ke-mon, or the mem-bers of the Fiz-zy-to-pi-an go-vern-ment, or the o-ther trai-ners at the Bar..." Minerva grasps one of Keith's hands with her paw as the other carefully takes hold of the core; "I am da-ting you. It is your hopes, dreams, be-liefs that I re-spect... Why can you not re-spect them your-self?" The tears streaming down Minerva's eyes stain her cloth, creating dark ribbons down her face. Minerva always thought this rather unseemly about her anatomy as a Banette, and often did everything in her power to prevent others from seeing her cry... but at that moment, such concerns seemed trivial.

Minerva shows the core that Chuck has given her to Keith, tilting her head a bit. "You say this will give me hu-man-i-ty? Do you know how it works?"
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Old 02-20-2013, 10:55 AM   #138
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As Keith and Minerva looked at each other, the Banette stated, between sobs, that she did not intend to cause him such grief, and thought that this was what he wanted. "No," Keith shook his head. "This was not what I wanted," he sniffed, trying hard to not cry, though he could not help but smile as Minerva took hold of one of his hands. "I never wanted you to die... I should never have taken that vial from Marion... You're right, you're so right, I should have stood up for my beliefs... I'll never know why I let Marion's words get to me like they did... But I do know I shouldn't have," he sighed, tears starting to run down his own face. "Even if what we did, even if destroying those souls was some great sin against all humanity... even if my involvement in it was going to condemn me to damnation... Watching you die, watching you suffer like that, that was a worse Hell than anything else the universe could ever hope to inflict on me." He paused to wipe away his tears, and then resolutely said, "I promise... From now on, I stand up for my beliefs."

Minerva then showed the Roggenrola core, and asked how it would work. At this, though Keith opened his mouth to reply, Chuck spoke up instead. "It's a Roggenrola core," he explained. "They are natural sources of perpetual energy. When a Roggenrola dies of old age, the core stops producing energy... but all it needs to reactivate is to be introduced to more energy. It doesn't even need to be the specific kind of energy it would normally produce, it will take whatever kind of energy it is introduced to and start to produce more of it. It's very rare for a Roggenrola to die of old age, however, given they can live for centuries, so this is obviously not a common practice. It took me an entire day of searching Pokemon cemeteries before I finally found the grave of a Roggenrola that died of natural causes. So once this is inside you, it will keep on producing more human essence from the little bit Keith provided, enough to last you for the next seventy years."

"It's your choice, Coselle," Keith said. "I know how much it meant to you to be human again, to have a chance at the normal life you deserve... But if you want to remain a Banette, that's fine too. Either way, whatever you decide, you have my support," he stated firmly. He gently gripped the cloth paw that was holding one of his hands, looked her in the eyes, and said in Shuppet language, "I love you, Coselle. No matter what happens... That is never, ever going to change."
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Old 02-21-2013, 06:36 AM   #139
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Keith shakes his head, telling Minerva that her death was not what he wanted at all. He admits that he did not know why Marion's arguments got to him, despite the fact that they shouldn't have; from now on, he promises, he will not allow others to sway him from what he knows is right.

"Do you real-ly prom-ise?" Minerva looks deep into Keith's eyes, searching them for any traces of hesitation or doubt. "Are you cer-tain you will be a-ble to keep that pro-mise?"

When Minerva asks about the core, Chuck takes the initiative to explain the mechanics to her. She nods occasionally to indicate that she is listening, though she does not interrupt his explanation. A smirk begins to make its way across her sorrowful face, lightening her expression somewhat. "Grave rob-bing, hmmmm? Well, I sup-pose it is far bet-ter than the al-ter-na-tive..." Minerva cackles a bit, squeezing Keith's hand. The poison trainer adds that it is her choice and her life to make the decision with, but no matter what path she chooses, he will support her completely. In Shuppet language, he professes his love for her, and lets her know that nothing will ever change how he feels.

I love you, too, Minerva responds in Banette language, before taking a long moment to stare at the core she has been provided. Though she recognizes the weight of her decision, she does not take long to make it. I... I suppose if you sacrificed part of your own humanity to fuel this core, it would be a shame to waste it, right? Despite Minerva's normally fierce, frightening look and demeanor, the smile she gives Keith is shockingly and abnormally... well, shy. One might even say vulnerable.

The Banette gently takes her paw away from Keith's hand to, in one fluid motion, unzip her mouth and throw in the core, zipping it again with such speed and accuracy that the action goes by in a blur. The Banette immediately pulls a few layers of sheets over her body and glares at Chuck; The transformation does not come with a complimentary set of clothes, she hisses, strongly implying that she would rather he not be in the room as the core begins to take effect.

At first, the Banette remains relatively normal. Minerva seems rather unperturbed by this; she seems quite at peace with the fact that the core will take time to have an effect, lying still and silent as the core settles within her cotton-filled stomach. Eventually, an odd, white glow begins to take over the Banette's body, which shifts and whirls around her silhouette, working slowly and carefully to construct a new form for the ghostly creature. Much like Coselle's death, it takes hours upon hours for the process to give her life... yet these hours do not stretch nearly as long, as the Banette within the glow seems peacefully at repose, feeling no pain, and perhaps if the removal of humanity was such a painful experience, the renewal of such a commodity would feel pleasant to the spectre. Keith could only guess, as Minerva made no sound or indication of how she was feeling, remaining still and silent as she was before.

Eventually, the silhouette begins to resemble the young woman that Keith had recently lost, the glowing strands of long hair messily draped across the pillows and sheets. Her body, concealed by the sheets, can be seen in general outline underneath the covers. The glow fades gently, leaving behind the familiar Coselle, looking the very image of Snow White: a pale, sleeping corpse that somehow appears full of vibrancy and life. A deep shudder suddenly echoes in Coselle's chest as she takes a breath, sitting bolt upright to clutch her heart through the sheets that cover her chest as it begins to beat again. As she sits up, Keith realizes that Coselle's upper back is still glowing; upon further inspection, a few pale, white crystals seem to have grown on her back, clustering on both shoulderblades like jagged, stunted crystal wings. Coselle reaches to feel her back, and immediately makes a face.

"What are these... rocks?" Coselle's expression is full of concern. "They don't hurt or anything, but... I wonder what they are." Eventually, Coselle shrugs and lifts the sheets a bit to privately inspect herself. "Everything else seems to be in order," she finally says as she wraps the sheets tightly to her body. She looks at Keith with a small smirk. "Are you going to let me put my clothes back on... or no?" Coselle cackles darkly, her old self returning quickly. "After all, you did work so hard to get me this body of mine..."

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Old 02-21-2013, 04:35 PM   #140
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Minerva looked deep into Keith's eyes, and asked if he really did promise to stay true to his beliefs, if he was really certain that he could keep that promise. "Yes," Keith nodded, with no hesitation whatsoever.

As Keith professed his love for the Banette, she replied in kind, and gave him an oddly shy smile... it almost made her look... vulnerable. She took a long look at the Roggenrola core. Though the decision before her was a big one, she took relatively little time to make it. She unzipped her mouth, threw in the core, and zipped it back up, all in one fluid motion. Right away, she covered herself with the sheets and glared at Chuck, stating that the transformation would not provide her with clothes. Chuck grinned and responded, "Point taken, say no more," before floating through the wall, going into the living room.

At first, nothing happened, but after a while, a soft white glow came over Minerva's body as the transformation commenced. Like her death, it took hours, but these hours were a lot more forgiving than the 48 or so hours Keith had spent next to the bed sobbing over his lover's dying body. Indeed, unlike then, Minerva appeared to be in no pain. She showed no reaction whatsoever, and looked peaceful as the transformation took place.

Finally, the glowing faded away, and there lay Coselle once again. Still and unmoving, but for only a moment, as she started to breathe again almost right away. She sat up as her heart started beating again, and Keith could see that her upper back was still glowing. To his surprise, several pale white crystals had formed, jutting out of Coselle's shoulder blades like odd little wings. As she felt the crystals, asking if they were rocks or something, Keith replied, "They're some kind of... crystals." His voice betrayed his curiosity as to why this had happened. He felt a bit of relief as Coselle stated that they didn't hurt (though this didn't satisfy her own curiosity as to what they were). After she determined that everything else appeared to be in order, she turned to Keith and smirked at him, and the sight of that made Keith smile the biggest smile he had smiled in days. As she asked him if he would let her put her clothes back on or not, Keith grinned at her, but then started to realize just how hungry and exhausted he felt, given the ordeal he had gone through over the past two days. "I'm not gonna lie, that second option, it's tempting... But, if I don't get any food into me soon, I think I'm gonna collapse," Keith sighed. "You can put your clothes back on... for now," he added with a grin as he exited the room to give her some privacy.

As Keith entered the living room, he spotted a Qwilfish sitting on the table. Before he could tell which one it was, that question was answered as the Qwilfish unleashed an egg-shaped mass of glowing yellow energy, which was absorbed into Keith's body, instantly revitalizing the previously weary and exhausted trainer, filling him with energy and relieving his tiredness. Hannah, after all, couldn't use Softboiled. "Thanks, Hebenon," Keith smiled at the Qwilfish, who smiled back at his trainer.

Chuck floated over to Keith, nodding approvingly. "You look better already," he stated. "You should have seen yourself earlier, you were a mess. Not saying that's particularly surprising, of course..."

"Hey, Chuck," Keith said suddenly. "You never mentioned any side effects-"

"Well, given that the only possible side effect is temporary, harmless, and stupidly rare, I felt it wasn't even worth the time to mention," laughed Chuck. "Why? Has Coselle sprouted any crystals?"

"A few, yeah, near her shoulder blades," nodded Keith.

Chuck nodded. "See, it's rare, but sometimes, due to the core's nature as a part of Roggenrolan anatomy, a small number of crystals will form on the body. Not unlike what one would see on a Boldore's back, only these, I'm assuming, are more pale, more white in color?" Keith nodded. "Thought so," said Chuck. "As I said, these crystalline growths are harmless, and they will clear up in approximately three to five months."

"That's good," nodded Keith. "As long as they're not gonna be dangerous for Coselle or anything like that, then that's fine." Then, he felt someone pushing a roast beef sandwich into his hand. He looked, and it was Peeves.

"Eat," the Dusclops said. "You barely took bites of anything I gave you the past two days."

"Thanks, Peeves," sighed Keith as he started to scarf down the sandwich, only just becoming aware of how hungry he was. As he finished the sandwich, he glanced over at his bedroom door, waiting for Coselle to come out.
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Old 02-22-2013, 10:14 AM   #141
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Keith lets Coselle know that the objects growing out of her back are, in fact, crystals. "Like a Boldore's?" Coselle asks, trying to crane her neck to get a look at them. "How strange..."

Though Coselle pouts at Keith's resistance to her temptations, she resists the urge to pull him into bed regardless of his choice; after all, his fatigue and hunger was clearly visible through his eyes and through his haggard expression, and it was probably wise that he ate and refreshed himself before doing anything else. The poor man had been through Hell and back... The least he deserved was a damn sandwich.

As Keith's Pokemon see to reviving their exhausted trainer, Coselle begins dressing herself; from outside the bedroom, a string of explitives weave their way to Keith and his Pokemon's ears as Coselle struggles with her top, given the crystals that have now formed themselves on her back. Though she had been careful to put on her dress by putting her legs through and pulling up as opposed to throwing it over her head, she still struggled with the back. An audible rip can be barely heard from outside the door, with the far more audible FFFFFFFFFFFF- following it from Coselle. Her dress now ruined, Coselle scrambles to find something to put on over herself; scrambling through Keith's clothes, she finds the rattiest, oldest shirt she can find for fear that she may accidentally tear it, and drapes it over herself. The shirt dwarfs the petit young woman, making her look even smaller than she is, and landing only about an inch above where her dress ends. Even so, Coselle is pleased enough with how it looks, even though when she examines herself in the mirror, her shoulderblades appear to stick out unnaturally given the way the shirt falls over the crystals.

Eventually, Coselle makes her way out of the bedroom; though she does not bother to go through the process of putting on and lacing up her combat boots, the rest of her clothes (save the addition of the shirt and the rips in her dress) are exactly as they were before. She immediately smiles as she sees Keith already looking more healthy than before.

"Are you feeling better?" She tilts her head a bit as she asks, examining him.
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Old 02-22-2013, 11:07 AM   #142
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Keith heard Coselle's swearing as he munched on his sandwich, and had a feeling the crystals were starting to pose a problem for her. A ripping sound could then be heard, followed by Coselle's barely restrained and very much audible reaction to it. Eventually, she exited the bedroom, and aside from her lack of boots, and the fact that she was wearing one of Keith's oldest shirts over her dress, her clothing looked just as it had before.

"Yeah," Keith smiled as Coselle asked if he was feeling better. "Yes, Coselle, I'm feeling much better now." He then looked at what Coselle was wearing. "I'm gonna go ahead and guess those crystals were a bit of a problem," he remarked. "Don't worry about those too much, by the way. Turns out, there was one possible side effect to that core, and Chuck didn't mention it because it's not only harmless, but so rare he didn't realistically think it'd actually happen."

"Yes, didn't feel like worrying you unnecessarily," the Gastly explained. "The crystals aren't going to pose any risk to you, and will in fact go away in three to five months."

"So, yeah, as I said, I'm feeling a lot better now," Keith smiled. "Had something to eat, Hebenon got me with Softboiled... And of course, now you're back," he said to Coselle, his smile widening as he approached her and tightly wrapped her in a hug. He made sure to be careful, so as to not harm himself on the crystals jutting out of her shoulder blades, but after close to eight years of regularly holding a Qwilfish in his arms, this sort of thing was not exactly unfamiliar territory to him. After so long, after so much agonizing grieving and sobbing... The fact that he was holding his beloved in his arms once again... In a perfect world, this hug would never have to stop.
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Old 02-22-2013, 05:59 PM   #143
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Love. That kind that kills the scars.

Coselle is unable to conceal her happiness at the fact that Keith is doing better. Much as she tries to temper her grin, it shines forth anyhow. Of course, upon being asked about the crystals, she grimaces immediately. "That was one of my favorite dresses," she mutters darkly, pouting in an almost childlike fashion. Both Keith and Chuck reassure Coselle about the crystals on her back, informing her that they will fade in three to five months. "Makes sense," Coselle smirks. "I am no expert like my sister, but I imagine the humanity production takes time to adjust to the appropriate levels in one who became so powerful in their spirit form as I have." Coselle giggles darkly. "Sounds like something Mary would say, hmmmm?"

Keith tightly wraps Coselle in an embrace, which the dark-haired woman returns just as tightly. Resting her head on his chest, she can feel herself tearing up again, much as she tries to fight it and remain tough. Sure, Keith had his faults, just as Coselle did... but despite the ups and downs, the mistakes and the tears and the angry outbursts, she could not see herself with anyone else. It was frightening, how fragile he made her feel, how easily he could break her heart... but somehow, he made her feel safe and secure in his warm embrace, in spite of the fact that she was in the most vulnerable state she could possibly be in. Love.
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Old 02-22-2013, 06:49 PM   #144
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Though Coselle tried to hide it, her happiness at Keith's improved condition was unmistakable. She wasn't too happy about the crystals, however, revealing that they had ruined one of her favorite dresses. As she was informed that the crystals would go away in a few months, she stated that it made sense, and that she imagined that the humanity production would need time to adjust accordingly to her. Keith smiled at this and nodded in agreement as she suggested it sounded like something Marion would say.

Then, Keith embraced Coselle, and she embraced him back. As she tried and failed to fight back her tears, Keith found that he also could not hold back every last tear which threatened to leak from his eyes. As they hugged, he reflected on what he had told Coselle, about how what was right is not determined by what others tell you it is, but what feels right in your heart. And as they continued to embrace, Keith knew that this, this right here, this not only felt good... this felt right. Coselle alive, him and her in each other's arms... this was right. This was so, so right. And Keith knew that whatever anyone else could ever say to him to try and convince him otherwise... his mind could never be changed on that. Ever.
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Old 02-22-2013, 10:58 PM   #145
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Though Keith didn't say a word, Coselle could sense the resolution within his mind and heart. Though the days of feeding on the emotions of others were now officially over for Coselle, she still felt somehow nourished by the deep conviction in his love for her. She imagined, even if that talent for sensing emotions faded, she would probably still sense certain things about the way Keith was feeling and thinking, given that a part of his own humanity lived deep within her, the sacrifice which kept her alive. Maintaining the embrace, she looks up at Keith with her ghostly pale, yet glittering eyes, which sparkle in the aftermath of her tears. She lifts her hand to gently touch his cheek, guiding his face closer. Slowly, gently, she brings his lips to hers; it was not usually in her nature to be tender, and yet, the burning, unbridled passion that was so much a part of Coselle's personality still smoldered underneath the softness, even in this delicate moment. She hoped... in that moment, she hoped that it did not hurt when that humanity left him. She hoped it did not hurt him now. She hoped that everything was ecstasy and joy and the only pain was overwhelming beauty... that nothing would hurt him. Ever again.

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Old 02-23-2013, 12:33 AM   #146
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As they continued to embrace, Coselle looked up at Keith, and gently touched his cheek with her hand, guiding his face closer to hers'. Their lips met slowly and gently, and though this was all much more tender and gentle than Coselle tended to be, Keith could tell that it was still her burning passion under there. It had hurt when Keith had had that little bit of humanity taken out of him... but seeing Coselle die had been far, far worse. And even so, any pain he had felt when he had sacrificed that bit of his soul... Not only was the pain gone now, but this moment right here, this was worth it. He felt no more pain now, only sheer, unadulterated joy and happiness as he and Coselle kissed, still locked in their tight embrace. He would never, ever allow any harm to come to her ever again.

He did not want the kiss to end, but alas, it had to at some point. How long they had been kissing, he could not say, but as their lips separated, Keith looked into Coselle's eyes. He said nothing, knowing that there just were no words that could convey how he was feeling at that moment. Even saying "I love you", he wasn't sure that would do his feelings justice at that moment. And so, he continued to look into Coselle's eyes as they continued to embrace. He hoped that the fact that he could not find the words to accurately convey the intensity of his feelings for her wasn't going to stop her from picking up on them in any case.
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Old 02-23-2013, 07:00 PM   #147
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Though Keith says nothing as the kiss finally ends, his eyes speak volumes; refusing to let her go, his arms remain tight around her, he communicates a love that goes beyond words... a need that is hard to verbalize. Though Coselle is incapable of finding the words herself, she deeply understands what he is trying to tell her. The intensity between them was palpable; a beautiful moment... which is suddenly interrupted by Coselle's shocked and horrified flailing at the sound of her rumbling stomach. The dark-haired woman is easily startled by the sudden feeling, not having actually felt so truly hungry since the final days of her first mortal life. She clutches her stomach, thinking for a split second that the core was having some hideous reaction, before blushing profusely when she realizes that she is just hungry. Straightening up and pretending that nothing happened, she strolls toward the door of Keith's Secret Base.

"Heh, I suppose you are not the only one who is famished..." Coselle smirks. "One roast beef sandwich isn't enough, right? You'd be willing to for seconds, would you not? I am told that there is a place near the Bar that sells the best burgers this side of Fizzytopia..." Coselle pouts a bit. "Marion does not eat red meat very often, so we have never been before. I want to go~" Coselle gives Keith her best Aislyn impression, complete with big, sparkling, puppy-esque eyes. She had seen Aislyn do this enough times that she could at least approximate it.
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Old 02-23-2013, 08:52 PM   #148
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Keith and Coselle's moment was abruptly interrupted as the latter started flailing about. "Coselle?!" Keith exclaimed, unsure what to do. Then, it became apparent that Coselle was simply hungry. She blushed profusely at this realization, and started acting as though nothing happened. Keith sighed in relief, and was prepared to follow her lead. Coselle remarked that Keith wasn't the only one who was famished, and suggested that the one roast beef sandwich he had had wasn't enough. She did have a point, Keith had to admit. Peeves had brought him meals while he was crying over Coselle's dying body, though he had only grudgingly nibbled at the food. Coselle then told Keith about a place near the bar which sold fantastic burgers, and then pouted a bit, adding that as Marion didn't often eat red meat, she had never been there before, and she wanted to go. She then did a remarkable impression of Aislyn, but Keith needed little convincing to go to a restaurant with Coselle. Or to go anywhere with her, for that matter.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go," smiled Keith. He started to follow Coselle to the door, but stopped suddenly. "Oh, yeah, before I forget again," he added as he took a Poke Ball off his belt and enlarged it. "I thought you might want to see this," he grinned. "Just before I had left the bar, one of my Pokemon evolved. Meant to show you when I returned from the bar... Obviously, that kinda slipped my mind... So, have a look," he said as he threw the ball. "Cyanide, come on out!" he shouted.

In a flash of light, the ball opened up as Keith called the nickname he had given his Eevee. The light faded as quickly as it had come, revealing... an Umbreon! It would very likely come as a surprise to Coselle, considering Keith had already let her know that the former Eevee had previously had her heart set on Flareon.

"This just happened, just before I left the bar a few days ago," Keith explained. "I don't even think Cyanide herself was planning to evolve like this, though she certainly doesn't object to it. Cyanide, go on and say hi to Coselle, huh?"

"I dunno..." mumbled the Umbreon, eyeing Coselle warily.

"Come on," Keith encouraged her. "I know you never really wanted to get to know Coselle, but she's very nice, you'll like her. Besides, she once had an Umbreon of her own," he added.

"Did she, now?" asked Cyanide, her ears perking up slightly. "Well, I guess anyone with an appreciation for this form can't be all bad," she conceded as she made her way over to Coselle. "Hi, Coselle," the Umbreon greeted her. Keith grinned- appealing to Cyanide's vanity was the quickest and easiest way to get her to warm up to someone. Though as an Eevee, Cyanide had always been a little wary of Coselle, he had a feeling the two just might start to get along now.
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Old 02-23-2013, 10:03 PM   #149
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Coselle grins widely at Keith's lack of hesitation to go with her to the burger shop. "Mm, I can't wait~" Coselle smirks, licking her lips at the thought of satiating her hunger. "I imagine there's a reason the word carnal is related to carnivore... I have a hard time imagining a vegetarian really tearing someone apart." Coselle giggles with a predatory glint in her eye, despite the seemingly nonchalant tone of her comment. Before the pair are able to grab something to eat, however, Keith suddenly remembers something that he had meant to show Coselle. Even before he says what it is, Coselle recognizes the familiar glint in Keith's eye... It was the same one he always got whenever he caught or evolved a Pokemon. As a Banette, Coselle had mocked that look more than once, though beneath that mocking was an appreciation for his enthusiasm. At the mention of Cyanide, Coselle nods her head, imagining that he wanted to show her his new Flareon...

The sleek, long-eared silhouette that bursts forth from Keith's Pokeball surprises the dark-haired woman, whose eyes widen with excitement. Could it be that...? Yes! Cyanide had evolved into an Umbreon! In her previous life, Umbreon was Coselle's absolute favorite Pokemon in the whole, entire world... Her starter, Anna, had chosen that path, and the two were exceptionally close. Coselle, the lover of dark-types who harbored a great deal of darkness within herself, likely influenced Anna to evolve the way she did... It always seemed to her that the soul of an Eevee's trainer had a strong influence on the Eevee him or herself. Anna was such a sweet, naive little creature, after all. More Espeon than Umbreon, some would say. To manifest such a deep, yet elegant and majestic darkness had to, at least in part, be due to her relationship with Coselle. The thought is strong in Coselle's mind, and she cannot help but comment;

"You know, Keith..." She begins. "Eevee have an odd little tendency to evolve as manifestations of the hearts of their trainers. Cyanide is very, very close to you... I have to wonder..." Coselle decides to stop herself from saying any more, hoping that she was not overstepping her boundaries by implying that his love for her may have influenced the evolution in any way. It was far too presumptuous to say such a thing, after all... No matter what the reason Cyanide evolved into Umbreon, however, Coselle was certainly thrilled at the sight.

"She's so beautiful," Coselle grins. She seems genuinely disappointed at Cyanide's hesitancy to say Hello to her, though Keith quickly convinces her that Coselle is worthy of the Umbreon's time.

"Hello, Cyanide," Coselle responds to the Umbreon with an odd little grin, holding her hand out carefully before scratching Cyanide gently under the chin, just as she once did with Anna. It was her favorite, after all. "You really do remind me of my beloved Anna..." She muses, her expression wistful. There were very few things she missed from her first sojourn on Earth as a mortal soul, but being with Anna as she was before she died was certainly one of them.
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Old 02-23-2013, 10:57 PM   #150
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As Keith had imagined, Coselle looked very pleasantly surprised to see that Cyanide had evolved into Umbreon. She started to remark on how Eevee had a tendency to evolve based on what was in their trainers' hearts, and stated that Cyanide was rather close to Keith. She said no more, but Keith got the idea what she was trying to say. "Never even considered it," he admitted. "But it would make sense, wouldn't it?" he added. "Cyanide's always liked the idea of Flareon... I don't think she had ever really considered becoming an Umbreon before."

Cyanide looked somewhat pleased as Coselle stated that the Umbreon was beautiful, and as Cyanide greeted her, she grinned and gently scratched Cyanide under the chin. Cyanide instantly looked pleased at this, and sighed contentedly. Her tail even started to wag. Oh, yeah. She could warm up to Coselle easily, she thought to herself.

Keith, meanwhile, noticed the wistful expression on Coselle's face as she mentioned Anna. He walked over and gently took hold of her free hand. He knew Liliana, Marion's Dusclops, had in life been Anna, Coselle's own Umbreon, and that Coselle must be thinking back to those days.
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