This world is inhabited by creatures that we call pokemon. People and pokemon live together by supporting each other, but now the scourge threatens the safety of the entire region. Kohaku has become a dangerous place, where children stay at home and only brave souls go adventuring.
Welcome to KOHAKU. Come for the nightmares. Stay for the tea and crumpets.
The season is SUMMER. It is easy for survivors to forage for food from the land, as there are entire abandoned farms ready for harvest. On the downside, you can smell the corpses.
swarms
GRAND OPENING !
Welcome to KOHAKU REGION's grand opening! If you're interested in joining, come check out our grand opening giveaway!
Blood is everywhere, coating old, brown blood from dying Scourge that may have nested in Isaac's room. Mordecai's back smarts from the bruise left by the edge of a wooden desk, though the excruciating pain in his left cheek outweighs it entirely. He coughs, salty blood flooding his mouth.
He's not sure if he should get up, because Delilah will only kick him back down.
Quite frankly, Mordecai is 80% relieved that he has told Delilah. The throbbing in his cheek is welcome. Anything to block out the cracking in Delilah's voice.
"..."
Best to be honest(?)
"We all had enough already." Enough of everything, that was.
I already know I was a coward. You don't need to tell me that.
For some reason, it hurt to hear those words aloud than internally.
He picks the Lickitung doll off the floor, carefully setting it on his knee. He doesn't speak, because he already knows that Delilah is aware that, even without saying those words, Mordecai feels the same.
He waits for Delilah to kick him again, then storm out the house.
she doesn't disappoint -- delilah swings her leg back to ram her foot into her brother's side, her vision becoming blurred. "you --" she can't even speak.
delilah sinks to the floor, her hand shielding her eyes. "how could you?" she whispers.
she doesn't acknowledge mordecai for a long time. it's as if a whirlwind of emotions slammed into her from all sides -- she can't tell if it's pain because of the deaths, or because of her brother, or because of every other fucking thing that's gone wrong since the scourge arrived --
-- and she cries, the trail of scorching tears burning her eyes and cheeks dripping down her face. "what will sorry do?" delilah's breath catches in her throat.
It takes Mordecai awhile to respond. Physically staying alive outweighs speech, so he has to catch a few breaths while blood leaks from the inside of his mouth. He wipes at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand as the excruciating pain in his side had yet to calm itself.
delilah eventually stems the flow of tears, and -- though by no means is she calm -- she rummages around through her bag and eventually throws a roll of gauze at her brother.
Mordecai has half the mind to throw the doll back at Delilah, tell her to go give the doll back to Isaac, tell her he didn't care if Isaac turned his back on her again.
But he did care. He still cared.
So Mordecai sets the doll on the desk (he hadn't moved at all) and tears some gauze off the roll. He slips the thick piece into his mouth against the open cut.
"... I'm taking it back to Isaac." He doesn't know how, but he'll take it back if Delilah can't.
she doesn't look at mordecai. "he'll like it." her voice is still bitter, but it's at least the thought of isaac that allows her to be vaguely civil. delilah stands unsteadily.
she hesitates, then holds out her hand to mordecai. (half of her hopes he'll take it; the other half wants to simply leave him there.)
Mordecai lifts a hand, but hesitates to reach out to her. He does, eventually, reach out to his sister. He wants to take her hand, but he flinches, hand curling into a fist. He's not sure how she can offer to pick him up after everything that had happened in this room. When his fingertips hit her palm, his fingers twitch away, as if he'd touched a hot stove.
He squeezes his eyes shut, and on the third try, he grips her hand tightly.