what was the saying? the, ah, cold never bothered her anyway? well, that was true with the dark. the night. the nocturne. she turns slowly, her arms delicately in front of her body, crossed. she gives the man a lofty sort of look though remains quiet for now. deep within her mind, she has a spark of activity. a sort of illusion crossing her mindscape.

she hadn't been crying. she may have been lost but she didn't care. she wanted to go deep in the woods. she wanted to be spirited away by the unseen. it was better than facing reality. a boy in town called her freaky. he pulled on her hair. she pushed him down in anger but... fearing retribution she ran. and ran. and ran...

stop.

"I suppose it is" she replies with a little shrug "but I must go through the woods to get there" she raises a pale hand to point in the distance. did she really live in Rustboro City? no. but he didn't need to know that. "don't mind me. just gathering my courage." lies. she wanted him to leave her be. or was he going to be some sort of pseudo-knight and escort her? how...

fascinating if so. rather dull if he gave up so easily though.

2/5 posts

"how kind of you" she says in reply. goodness, her little act really made him think she was ordinary, no? Siobhan was a bit mundane compared to the older of the Rockets however. she could not argue with that. "I'd rather not spend the night at another motel if I can help it." wait until morning, said all the level-headed travel guides. regarding Hoenn, that logic was thrown out the window. shit would hit the fan regardless of the time of day.

but that is what she liked about the region. Galar had become rather dull lately. "and I would rather not trapeze the woodland at night alone" she adds, her gaze looking back to the open trail after she took him in. nothing remarkable stood out - because time had passed. they had both grown. "I hear it is haunted by Ghost Pokémon" she pauses, glancing back at him with a wry smile "and human spirits." the deaths of many hung on the mind's of Hoenn civilians.

whether she was amused by the locals gossip or controlling any outward fear, she strolled forward without another word. the man and his Umbreon already said they would come with her. no use wasting idle chit-chat, hmm?

3/5
jayden cross

the Shuppet's appearance caused her to grin almost happily. as it passed through Jayden, she could not help a soft chuckle. "no" Siobhan agrees "I rather like ghosts" and if the Shuppet was friendly enough to its trainer, she perhaps could let down her guard a bit. ghosts were lonely, seeking companionship. "I see them as a glimpse into the beyond. what wonders could they share with us..."

the young woman pauses. "I came to see if some folklore about the area was true" a gentle shrug "it seems I may go away empty-handed" a wailing banshee of a ghost - either Pokemon or human - and a headless specter "shame; I had wanted to write a piece on it and submit it to an occult magazine..." if she could find the spirits and communicate with them, understand their pull to this place... was it legend or was it recent tragedy? "I went to Petalburg to get some materials."

Siobhan gestured to the bag she wore, stuffed full of papers and writing material he could not see. the Shuppet seemed to... be more in tune with the area. was it picking up on residual energy? "it may just be ghost Pokemon or some bug types playing pranks."

4/5
jayden cross

she did indeed follow. "perhaps I am impatient when it comes to Hoenn." there was always something paranormal going on, so the fact that it did not show itself to her was... disappointing. fortunately, the Shuppet would guide them. Jayden followed until a cabin was in view. it looked old, worn down. lost to the elements. perfect. 

Siobhan walked around him to approach the door. she still did not pull out any Pokémon like Jayden had, content to do this own her merit. "this appears to be an old ranger station" she muses, stepping back to allow the man a closer look "one wonders why it was abandoned." it didn't look that old. there seemed to be equipment even left behind through the window...

perhaps she could find something useful to bring back to Rocket. unaware she was standing with one right now, she kept up the façade.

jayden cross

Siobhan would enter the cabin along with Jayden, looking around. at first glance there was nothing of note, save for a very thick dust problem. the man was the one to find the clue. he unraveled the parchment as she walked to his side, noting the primitive drawing of Darkrai. it seemed to be from an old book.

"worshippers, perhaps?" she muses to Jayden, a thoughtful look entering her eyes "or did they summon Darkrai?" the thought could scare anyone away from their abode, let alone actually doing it. it wasn't uncommon for haunted beings to draw their tormentors. children oft did for their monsters.

a cabin, abandoned. a parchment of Darkrai. no one in sight. the depths of the woods obscuring the cabin's location. prime real estate for a haunting. perhaps they abandoned the cabin out of fear, the Pitch Black Pokemon giving them nightmares... too many possibilities. "let's look around more."

jayden cross

"yes."

there was nothing else here. Siobhan was almost disappointed by it. with no one in the vicinity to tell them anything, they could stand around and guess all night. but where would that get them? she opts to move on, like Jayden suggests.

though perhaps if she was lucky she'd stumble upon the cabin again one day. or, perhaps, just perhaps... it would vanish. swallowed up by the woodland or other supernatural forces. they were meant to fine it this night. but would they ever again?

nevertheless, she exited.

the rest of the escort was naturally uneventful. a few words were exchanged between her and Jayden, but that was pretty much it. by the time they came to the end of the woods, they parted ways. Siobhan left with a lingering curiosity.

Jayden, unknown to her, left with the Darkrai scroll.

/end