Duchess Natalie&#x27;s Awesome Life

Not So Bad | tag: Valentyn

Natalie smiles sadly at Val and kisses him as warmly as she can. She hugs him close and sighs into his shoulder.

"You’re so dumb sometimes." She squeezes him tight, nuzzling against his neck affectionately. "Being brave isn’t being not-scared. It’s doing stuff anyway." Another kiss to his cheek, and she cards her hands through his soft hair. "Which, I’ll remind you, you already did by coming here."

The dark-haired girl leans her head against Val’s chest and sighs contentedly. “I’m glad you’re gonna stay with me, though. I mean. Glad doesn’t really begin to cover it, but… it’s kinda the closest word I can think of.”

"I… I guess. If you say so." Val smiles though. "I am glad you’re okay. We need to get you a new ‘caster, though… I can’t let you run off without one." He starts to wrap his arms around her shoulders, but pauses. "Erm. I’m all wet. I should probably change into something… y’know. not."

Natalie nods a little and pulls away, giggling. "I almost didn't notice. I'm just so happy you're here and everything..." She bumps noses with him and takes his hand. "Come on, let's get a room here and Flynt can help your clothes dry."

She looks to Edgar with a small frown. "D'you wanna stay out here, Edgar? Or could you walk to a room okay?" The gogoat considers it for a moment before standing herself up, a little wobbly without use of her injured ankle but otherwise alright. "Okay. Let's go then."

Once situated in one of the Center's small rooms, Natalie sets to getting most of Val's wet clothes removed while Edgar gets cozy on a large cushion in the corner. The dark-haired trainer pulls a length of rope from her bag, one she carries in case of cave emergencies, and stretches it from wall to wall so she can hang up everything for Flynt to work on toasting dry.

"While I'm thinking about it, Val," she says with a blush already crawling up her cheeks. "W-will you... take the Luvdisc now?"

#ooc post #you can tell it's important because it's italicized

GUYS

(( Does anyone wanna draw Natalie and Val a pair of cute profile pictures because jfkdslfhdsnaflkdsa they're SO IN LOVE!?!?!!?!?

paired icons are the cutest thing ok and i am always so jelly of u other OTPs gettin' em so. ;u; yeah. ))

fightingspiritchloe started following you

...what the actual heck with you and Poe today

#fightingspiritchloe

sugarheartsandsweettarts started following you

Scuse you, Poe. I see you there.

#sugarheartsandsweettarts

Not So Bad | tag: Valentyn

"I… we’ll see." He shifts a bit, but leans his forehead against hers. "I dunno that it’s that safe… but… I c-can’t let you do it alone I guess, a-and since you want me… I’m n-not about to say no." Val huffs and swipes at his eyes again.

"I c-can’t promise anything. B-but. I… I’ll try hard. I think you could do it just fine on your own - y-you made it here okay, and th-there wasn’t really any kind of danger… b-but I’d probably get too lonely without you and my team, a-and I don’t really…. want to stop traveling."

Taking a deep breath, Val presses his lips to Natalie’s again for a short kiss. “I-I’ll try to be braver.”

Natalie smiles sadly at Val and kisses him as warmly as she can. She hugs him close and sighs into his shoulder.

"You're so dumb sometimes." She squeezes him tight, nuzzling against his neck affectionately. "Being brave isn't being not-scared. It's doing stuff anyway." Another kiss to his cheek, and she cards her hands through his soft hair. "Which, I'll remind you, you already did by coming here."

The dark-haired girl leans her head against Val's chest and sighs contentedly. "I'm glad you're gonna stay with me, though. I mean. Glad doesn't really begin to cover it, but... it's kinda the closest word I can think of."

Not So Bad | tag: Valentyn

Val sniffles and wraps his arms around Natalie. “I-it’s… b-but it’s irresponsible… I…” He hiccups a little, startled by the kiss, but doesn’t object. A few seconds pass and he pulls away, sniffing and rubbing at his face with both hands.

"I — sorry — I just — I don’t want anyone t-to get hurt because I mess up…." He tries to clean his face up a little, hating just breaking down in the pokemon center. "It’s a b-better idea for me to j-just go home…." As he says it he takes Natalie’s hand and laces their fingers together. "I… I dunno."

"I… if you really w-want me to come with…. b-but that means you h-have to stop running off w-without me. I c-can’t s-save you if I d-don’t know where you are." He laughs weakly, though the decision to keep traveling lightens his spirits a little. "I d-don’t know about b-battling…. I know it’s different doing t-trainer battles, b-but…. wh-what if I get them hurt? Or hurt someone else’s pokemon…? A-and it’s not like I can j-just never see any wild pokemon…."

Natalie squeezes Val's hand. She bumps her cheek to his affectionately and gives him a bright, warm smile.

"I know Frost Cavern was serious. But it's rare, and... we handled it. And we can only get better from here, right?" She brushes a hand through his hair, enjoying being so close to him again. "You forget, there's tons of trainers who go through journeys like these. It's tough, but it's not often that dangerous. Even battles with wild 'mons." Natalie nuzzles their noses together as she speaks. "And look... like I said before, even a tough loss from a gym leader only ruffled my team."

She sighs lightly and wraps her arms around him again, holding him close to her. "I'm so glad you're staying, Val. You're the best, and I don't think I could keep going without you."

Not So Bad | tag: Valentyn

Obediently stopping when Natalie shushes him, Val just stares at her with increasing confusion as she starts saying nice things about him. “I - wh - it -” He bites his lip and tries to sift through everything his best friend is saying.

"it — until Dendemille it wasn’t… dangerous. N-nobody got hurt until the caves. N-nobody almost died. It…. it was fun, b-but… I didn’t realize how dangerous traveling and battling are. N-now I know better. I-it’s… y-yeah the wild pokemon ran away, b-but I w-was on a huge ice monster, s-so of course they ran off…."

He’d like to protest that running to help wasn’t brave, but he has a hard time putting it into words. “i-it’s not like… like you wound up in any real danger anyway… A-and I can’t l-leave you on your own if you’re in trouble…. w-we’re friends…” Voice warbling, Val wipes at his eyes with his sleeve as he feels the prickle of tears. “I-it’s n-not like I just j-jumped into s-something dangerous… I…”

Val tries desperately to not cry for a moment before he can’t help it and wipes his eyes with his sleeves again. “I-it’s dangerous, a-and I w-was stupid, and n-now I know better, and p-people can g-g-get h-hurt, and I’ll m-miss travelling and I’ll m-miss my p-pokemon b-but I c-can’t put them in d-danger a-and m-make them fight o-or risk another a-attack while we’re t-travelling—”

"You..." Natalie sighs through her nose, frustration making her squirm a little more. "You didn't know I was gonna be fine. You basically... you basically did jump into something dangerous. For me. To keep me safe. You... you are brave, and you're driving me crazy."

She kisses his cheek and hugs him tight. "Do you hear what you're saying? You'll miss everything, but you're gonna stop anyway?" She sighs into his shoulder and shakes her head. "You're being stubborn for no reason, Val. Your pokemon want to travel and battle and they want to be there for you if something does go down again. Skulk and everyone... they know the difference between trainer battles for fun and serious danger, and they trust you."

Natalie hugs him tightly and rocks him gently back and forth. "I need you to stay, Val. For your sake, and mine, and your pokemon." She pulls back and smiles at him sheepishly. "But mostly for mine, okay?" She kisses him softly before she can think too hard about it.

Not So Bad | tag: Valentyn

"N-no, it —" Val frowns. Maybe it was a mistake to say anything… "I… it’s not you, it’s just — I haven’t… I haven’t been training at all… I… I don’t even know if…. if I want to battle anymore. I’m — I’m thinking about going back home."

It sounds so wrong, and he feels so guilty for even thinking it… but…

"I… I realize it’s… it’s gonna make a lot of people unhappy, but… I don’t think I’m cut out for this. I c-can’t even travel through a snowy route without thinking someone is seriously hurt. I’m — I’m terrified of… of battling, of running into wild pokemon, of… of anyone getting hurt. I’m not… I’m not brave enough. I’m not cut out for this. And you —" He lowers his gaze to the tile floor. "You don’t need me. You made it here alone. You - you fought Olympia without any help, and even if you lost… Edgar is fine, and you’ll train hard and you’ll do better next time. You just weren’t prepared. Y-you don’t need my help. B-but I…. I can’t even handle my own pokemon right now, and… I think that they’ll be upset, but… I don’t belong out here. I’m not strong."

Meeting Natalie’s eyes again, he smiles as best he can. “B-but I’m sure they’d love to help you win, a-and you know where I live so you can visit, and… I c-can’t keep all of them, s-so I’d rather they go to someone who cares… I have a lot though, so I might have to release most of them…”

#re: valentyn #penpalshipping #natstory #jfdkslfhdsa SHE SAID THE THING

Natalie's gaze shifts between concerned, sad, and angry as Valentyn speaks. She settles somewhere between the latter two and grumbles a little. The things Val is saying just don't add up to her; she saw him for the first half of their journey, his excitement and his sheer joy as he won more and more battles and bonded with his team. Where the hell did that go?

She shakes her head roughly and puts a finger over his lips. "No. Hush. No."

As she sorts through her thoughts, she pulls her hair back behind her shoulders and tugs it lightly. "Val - what happened to you? Where did you go?" She reaches up and cards her hand through his soft blond hair. "You were so pumped when we started - you knew exactly what pokemon you wanted and what you were gonna name him before you even met Roque. You loved seeing new cities and traveling with your pokemon. Up until Dendemille, you were having the time of your life." She purses her lips. "And saying you're not brave? Are you kidding?"

Natalie puts her hands on his shoulders and makes sure he's looking into her eyes. "Valentyn. I know you think you're scared, but can't you see what you just did? You thought I was in danger - that something serious was happening - and you pushed through the things you were afraid of to get here and make sure I was okay. I'm sure you ran into some wild pokemon on your way, too, and that turned out fine, didn't it?" She plays with the ends of his hair fondly and smiles. "Heck, I just had a really tough loss in the gym, and the worst that came of it was a sore hoof. Battling is fun, and I know you loved it once." She sniffles a little, her eyes stinging again as her frustration brings up tears.

"Val, you're the bravest guy I know. The best guy I know. You love your pokemon and you loved battling, and..." Her cheeks, already flushed from her crying, turn a richer pink. "I love you. And I don't want to see you throwing away the things you used to love to do."

Not So Bad | tag: Valentyn

"I —" He stares at their hands. "If I didn’t want to see you, I wouldn’t have come to……. r-rescue you, I guess." The redness creeping across his face is horrible, but there’s no way he can keep her from seeing it. "O-or… I would have left or something once I saw you were okay. I-it’s not like I’d… avoid you or anything…"

He looks over at Edgar. “At least everyone’s okay. I’m glad the worst that happened is a little strain and a broken holocaster. Y-you should probably get that fixed. Or replaced, I guess.”

Leaning back, Val sighs. “It was pretty stupid of me to freak out… I… I dunno what I thought the problem could have been…. I mean, you did post about being at the gym. I dunno.” The noises of the pokemon center are calming, but not altogether helpful. It just brings home the fact that he’s in an unfamiliar city, not Lumiose where he’s gotten so comfortable.

"I…. I should probably go…. I mean, you…. you really don’t need me here. You just need to train a little, and now that you know what to look out for… I’m sure your badge will come easy. I should…." He shrugs. It’s not as if he actually has anything that pressing to do. "M-maybe clear out my PC, I guess? O-oh, that reminds me…. are there….. are there any of my pokemon you’d…. want to look after for me….?"

"N-No, no... not stupid. You're the best, Val. You're the only guy I count on, y'know..." Natalie runs her thumb over the back of Val's hand affectionately.

She blinks at him as he continues and tilts her head. Slowly, her brow furrows and her lips curl down in a frown.

"Val, are you..." She puts her free hand against his forehead with concern. "Are you sick? Did something happen? Why are you...?" She squeezes his hand. "I... did I... make you wanna leave?"

Not So Bad | tag: Valentyn

Val isn’t sure whether to laugh or yell. Intense relief washes over him - Natalie’s okay. But also…

"I…. t-that’s it? That’s why — yeah, it’s…. it’s pretty broken. I tried to get a hold of you, but….. t-that’s why I came all the way out here, I….." He sets his chin on her head and frowns.

"I thought — I thought maybe you were in trouble, the way your last message came out… A-and not hearing from you anymore… Y-you just disappeared, and — I thought maybe you were, were h-hurt or… or l-lost somehow…."

Exhausted and wet, adrenaline surge winding down, Val feels very weary and foolish. His hold on Natalie loosens and he pulls back to look Edgar over. “I’m pretty sure she’ll be fine, Natalie…. did anyone get seriously hurt? Is…. is that it?”

"I... oh, Val, I'm sorry... I'm sorry I freaked you out, I just... I was so mad at myself, and after... after making a fool of myself yesterday..." She shakes her head and nuzzles against Val a little. "Arceus, I'm glad you're here with me though..." she murmurs.

She looks over at Edgar again, who noses affectionately at her shoulder and huffs. "No, just Edgar's ankle got hurt... I mean, it was a tough fight but. Everyone's okay." Natalie takes a couple of deep breaths and her hand seeks Val's to tangle their fingers together.

"I'm sorry... again. I... I'm sure you didn't wanna have to see me... after yesterday..." Her lip trembles and she fights back another wave of tears, free hand covering her mouth.

Not So Bad | tag: Valentyn

Natalie sniffs and looks up with surprise at the sound of someone sliding in front of her. She drops her feet to the floor and her sobs start anew when she sees Valentyn in front of her, looking like he’d swum himself to Anistar.

"Val! Arceus, I - I’m so fucking glad you’re here…" She wraps her arms around him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder and crying. Edgar shifts beside her, nosing at her comfortingly. "Ohhhh Val. I’m such an idiot, I am such an idiot…” Her words garble and slur together as she weeps against him, clinging to him for dear life.

"Natalie, what happened?" He squeezes her against him. He spares a hand to rub Edgar’s nose briefly, then settles down and holds Natalie.

"What’s going on? What did you do…??"

Natalie takes a couple deep breaths, trying to calm her tears. She rests her forehead on his chest and sighs heavily as her sobs steady.

"I-I... gh. I tried to battle Olympia..." She turns to look at Edgar and sniffs sadly. "I just... I haven't trained in forever, and I didn't have you, and I just went for it, and... we lost." She rubs her eyes and tries not to start crying again. "Edgar sprained her ankle, and I think... I th-think Fae's mad at me..."

The girl gives Valentyn a squeeze and leans her head on his shoulder again. "I was so mad, and... I threw my holocaster at the wall..." She squirms a little. "I'm pretty sure I broke it..."

Not So Bad | tag: Valentyn

Dripping and exhausted, Valentyn skates through the gate to Anistar. The first thing he does is check his holocaster to make sure there’s been no more word from Natalie. Nothing.

Heaving a sigh, he slides down the street to the pokemon center, if nothing else to get his bearings. Someone should have seen her, it would be unlike her to not stop in as soon as she got there. Brushing down his hoodie, trying to look somewhat less bedraggled, he pulls his skates off and steps through the doors.

He didn’t expect to see Natalie curled up with her pokemon right there in front of him, that’s for sure. A burst of adrenaline sees him kneeling in front of her, tearing off his bag and unsure what to do with his hands.

"N-Natalie?! A-are you okay?! What happened?!"

"Val! Arceus, I - I'm so fucking glad you're here..." She wraps her arms around him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder and crying. Edgar shifts beside her, nosing at her comfortingly. "Ohhhh Val. I'm such an idiot, I am such an idiot..." Her words garble and slur together as she weeps against him, clinging to him for dear life.