The ultimate Darkrai ship (from my Pokemon DND campaign)
EVEN WITHOUT THE CUT, THIS WILL BE LONG.
and under the cut will have screenshots+ further info under the cut for maximum info dump. above the cut will be the Inciting Incident >:3
I run a DND campaign based on PMD Explorers of Sky, because I love this game to death and thought it would make an excellent campaign- It follows the plot for the most part but obviously, canon divergence.
Through one of the players, Darkrai got introduced early on in the story, which changed up a lot:
Wigglytuff's guild has two clerics of yveltal and xerneas respectively, both told to fix temporal tower to keep the great resurrection cycle their gods perform in check. It ALSO has the DMPC, who is the explorers hero (don't judge me/lh) BUT she has all her memories. she Knows what she needs to do.
in other words, the guild is a huge threat for Darkrai, so he plagues it with nightmares to break their spirits/warning shot them.
....Crook the barbarian sandile is the boi in question.
Lucid dreamer, has great emotional awareness and control, is an ex-con but believes everyone can be redeemed with enough patience and time- after all, he was.
So Crook is unfazed by the nightmares, and on top of that treats Darkrai like just some guy- not disrespectfully, but not like some Demon of Shadows, or the mythical Darkrai absolutely is. It stumps Darkrai but he tries again.
Darkrai and Crook talk and Darkrai claims Crook cant care about anything if he's this unfazed by the nightmares, of the concept his friends would betray him- again. That Crook is heartless and apathetic.
Crook says "No, I do care about smth actually."
and Darkrai asks what that would be.
.....and CROOK...
Crook says he loves Darkrai.
Crook is laughing and rolling on the floor, he's clearly pulling a leg, but for a reason I can't explain, I rolled insight for Darkrai.
CRITICAL. FAIL.
he had a 19/20 chance to roll his eyes and go "ha ha fucking hysterical" AND THIS IDIOT BOUGHT IT.
Darkrai doesn't fall head over heels just for that, he dismisses it but is flattered, but still flabbergasted at the confession- especially because, Darkrai is an empath for negative emotions.
Nothing Crook is feeling disproves this actively. No hate, no malice, at Worst some annoyance, because he doesn't see Darkrai as an enemy. (he doesn't worship or ally with Darkrai but also just. treats Darkrai as a person.)
This results in a slow burn crush on Darkrai's end that is spanning the campaign and may lead to this idiot's possible redemption.
TL:DR the party barbarian of all people flirted jokingly with Darkrai and Darkrai believes this- or at least is getting Feelings about it from repeated talks
I FLIP TABLES FOR THESE TWO OK.
(now for under the cut-)
you still here? thanks! go get water or snacks, care for yourself on this journey w/me :3
OK
as promised I have screenshots, crook's first language isn't English so some of it reads strange but somehow that adds to this.
If you need more Crookrai, or even just aren't sold yet... keep reading >:3c
THIS IS EVEN LONGER, WOE BE UPON YE!!
Ok you're still reading.
So, these two built a slight rapport over the campaign, because they made a deal to be honest with each other (with the right to withhold info because naturally Darkrai doesn't want to be bound to spilling his Evil Plans:tm:)- not some grand deal or magic binding spell, essentially a pinky promise without the pinkies.
As the campaign went on, a wish spell was made so Darkrai couldn't hurt people in the guild, or their loved ones, with magic or his powers, effectively making him directly harmless (As a note, only one Wish at a time can be active, meaning to use Wish again on top of the usual cost will undo this effect- mimicking other spells for free is alright though.)
However, Darkrai manages to blackmail the life cleric and uses Skuntank to (forcibly) kamikaze in Apple Woods, near her village- everyone was relatively unharmed, but Darkrai made his point that he Can hurt people around them if they aren't careful.
in order to use this to further command the cleric, he tries to slip a sending stone into her bag.
....Tries.
Because Crook spots this and takes the stone- doesn't tell anyone, but he does take it anyways.
and how does he use his first call to darkrai?
(it became a running gag somewhere that the two use foul language with each other, crook screamed a curse and Darkrai called him out on it later)
They chat and Crook explains he actually wanted to talk to Darkrai again, and goes on to say he probably would have ended up causing the fire unintentionally by killing Skuntank in his rage. and while he was angry that Darkrai caused the fire... He still didn't hate Darkrai. Which is definitely still a step better than most people.
The second call was even funnier, though, because, with nothing leading up to it-
Crook basically called Specifically to make cat puns but also to mention that he'd met cresselia and even managed to give her head scritches (yes, he did.) and thought "hmmm y'know who else could use stress relief, THIS GUY!" and decided to ring Darkrai up LOL
Darkrai, naturally, refuses and gets grumpy at the idea and hangs up.
Now here's a part where the campaign REALLY differs- a few characters are from the Mist Continent (y'know like from super) which in this game is like a feudal Japan area, and it's needed to go there, so the party gets on a boat and sets sail.
but Crook being uprooted and rather lost with the various revelations being told- that Ezra will die to save the future, that a surviving friend of his who has every right to hate him may be in the Mist continent, that for once he doesn't have the security of a land he's familiar with..... for once, it Shakes him. He can't take it.
So, in a dream....
(I'm gonna let these screenshots speak for themselves.)
(crook showing off with the dream logic for his not-bf >:3c)
Not shown, but at some point Darkrai elaborates in his negative empathy (probably to explain he could Hear crooks angst for the whole boat ride) and Crook, earnest, says...
Now there's one bit of pertinent info the player didn't know about for a bit- and Crook doesn't really either.
Darkrai had someone he loved.
Actually a couple of partners, but he still grieves his first, Mew. They died, he felt it was his fault, but he also felt angry at the gods for not preventing it either.
Mew acted. Pretty much how Crook has been, with slight differences. But that patience, that love and acceptance, the gentle but stubborn insistence to talk to him...
It's too much. It hurts too much.
On it's own it already hurts but the wounds of the past sting too and he leaves abruptly. He cant stop his plans, he cant change his mind now, there's no point.
so cut to the Mist Continent proper....
Crook is looking for the aforementioned friend (Marshadow, a patron for another character, tags along because Crook completely alone is too dangerous) and....
Thats all we have as of right now, but Crook's player has informed me that:
-Crook would absolutely run away with Darkrai in a fugitive arc trying to redeem/defend him even if no one else will
-He'd also wrap Darkrai in a blanket burrito
-also, if he could ask Darkrai for anything it's apparently just giving the guy a good long hug.
Crook's player claims he's just being friendly but I'm sorry, no he's not-/lh
Thanks for reading this far and hopefully I've given you guys a funny story, and maybe a new ship to root for! Feel free to ask questions about the campaign or players, I'll gladly answer! Have a good day, afternoon, evening, night, and drink that water you grabbed earlier if you haven't :)
A post??? on My blog??? it's more likely than- wait I made this joke already-
Finally got to drawing my favorite moment in Sky of Mana between Darkrai and Crook where Crook is finally being vulnerable and Darkrai is the first one saying something for a change. I had a lot of fun working on the details for this one.
Drew this Crookrai comic a while ago- this really is just the dynamic with these two.
May redraw it but figured I'd share here!
this isn't in the sky of mana campaign or anything, just an ooc shitpost lol
