with knowledge comes great responsibility

[anythingforyou]

[What an absolute ordeal all of that was.

Today was certainly one hell of a day, that's for sure; they've managed to take care of another Guardian and gain it's trust (or at the very least, something resembling it), they managed to find Candice and manage to...well, maybe not get her back in a state that's altogether wanted, but ensure they managed to get her at least into a place where she could possibly regain herself. It will likely be a process, as such things are, but they've done their best, and they should have no regrets.

The center is definitely going to be a welcome reprieve for all of their suffering, at the very least. The Kompot is certainly more than enough to likely get everyone warmed back up and in a stable condition, along with the copious amount of blankets the locals have provided. They've got the time to rest and get ready for their next adventure.

Rest well, ye merry band of travelers. You've earned it.]

Comments

[bloodspent]

Yeah, just a bit.

[...Speaking of people he gives a fuck about.]

How're you doing, after that? That can't have been too great on you, either.

[eudaimonikos]

Heh.

[Ugh, was it obvious?]

That Froslass was a real dick, huh?

[bloodspent]

God, tell me about it. Been a while since I've done anything like that, and back then we at least got shelter and some snowmobiles after a while.

[eudaimonikos]

I don't understand why people live in places like this! Got a whole continent, and they're all "ooooh, you know what would be great, let's go to ice purgatory".

[He could talk about this for years.]

I feel like I understand human reactions to near-death experiences better, now.

[bloodspent]

What seemed weird about them before?

[He doesn't sound like he's judging or anything, just kinda wondering.]

[eudaimonikos]

It's not that it seemed weird.

[Right? Michael looks thoughtful.]

I mean, I understand it. Your lives are so easy to just snuff out. [He shrugs.] I guess I just didn't give it much thought. Or I just didn't care. That's probably more accurate.

I've come close to dying before. But that was more like if someone held a gun to your head - scares you, sure, but you aren't actually actively dying yet. To have your body just start shutting down around you...I didn't realize I was quite that used to having it on.

[bloodspent]

...You don't ever really get used to it just kind of fading like that. One of those fun experiences that's completely shitty every single time.

It'd be pretty great not dealing with that again while we're here, to put it real lightly.

[eudaimonikos]

You guys really get dealt a shitty hand.

[That's a statement of fact, but at this point probably some kind of backwards attempt at sympathy also.]

Next time, we should just send an advance team of Pokemon into the lake an hour or so beforehand. They do all the talking with the inevitable Pokemon guards anyway.

[bloodspent]

I don't disagree with that, but good luck trying to convince anyone to let their Pokémon go alone.

[eudaimonikos]

We already let them fight alone, more or less. I get the idea is that we're training them, but practically speaking we're all completely useless in a Pokemon fight.

[.....siiiigh, as he replays that argument in his head.]

Yeah, that's not gonna fly. What if I made it about how much I trust them?

[bloodspent]

See, that might go somewhere. I don't know exactly how far, but they might listen to that one.

[eudaimonikos]

I just - [He leans forward, hand on his chest, suddenly painfully earnest.] - I really believe Cat Janet can do it, and I want to give her that chance. This is their world; shouldn't they be able to take the lead in fixing it, if they're willing? We should support them in their journey.

[.....]

That all probably sounds better if you don't know me as a person.