#moonkssed

There's a buzz in Ecruteak City when she arrives - there are rumors of a ghoul wandering the streets, and the pool outside of the Bellchime Path had been befouled, oily sludge floating atop the water and spreading a sickening shade of black across the surface.

The Burned Tower sways with the wind and creaks as it always did. The lower floors are covered in shadows and Matsuba's voice, warbled with worry, drifts from the darkness when he hears her approaching.

( txt: lady yuri ) what a charming little partner you have. i shall send you a doorway posthaste.

And he does -- he gives a bit of time for Yuri to get ready before there's a golden ring that appears in the air before her. After a moment, a pink hand pulls the bottom of the ring into a circular doorway that shows the garden archways of the Pasio arena.

He relaxes into the touch of Yuri's hands instantly, leaning down a bit so she can reach his face without standing on her tip-toes. It brings a sweet smile to his face as he feels her kiss his nose, and he leans up to return the gesture to her forehead, butting his head to hers in response.

He clears his throat and lets her lean closer. If he had thought about it, he would have wrapped his coat around her.

Fireworks were a common occurrence in Pasio, particularly in months so packed with holidays as these. He's glad to be watching them with her, the sky lit up in shades of red and gold, when she leans up to press a kiss to his cheek.

He jolts at the feeling, his face turning pink. Hopefully he can blame it on the cooling weather.

The second flower gets tucked behind his glasses and he adjusts them so they hold the flower more securely, a genuine smile crossing his face. Well! How kind!

In her waking hours, her searches were fruitless.

Upon returning home, she tried to find him, knowing he would not want to miss out on the first steps of her new journey in life. Yuri wanted Matsuba to be there, as he had been there for so many things growing up. He was dear family.

When she slept that night, she twisted the red string that connected them around her fingers, hoping this connection would aid in her finding him at least in her sleep. Her power was stronger in the world of sleep, so it was that she began reaching out, using the network of dreams to spread outwards further and beyond.

She discovered she could traverse different planes this way, even if it was for fleeting moments and always shifted. Dreams were unpredictable, but gave off so much power she could reach whole new worlds.

In her dreams, she wandered, following the red string only she could see, now leading her somewhere. Hopefully the place she could see Matsuba again.

The red string is what guides her through her sleep this night, pulling on it until it draws taut at the insistence of her fingers. Following it draws through the strange fog that usually plagues Matsuba's dreams, the kind of mist that would always cloud his visions.

The space she finds is not like the towering spires of the Bell and Burned Towers. It's dark, the suffocating feeling of being underground, and the red string draws her right to who she seeks.

Matsuba lies curled on his side, one arm tucked under his face. If not for the strange setting, it would be the most peaceful sleep he'd had in months. He mutters idly, barely stirring when Yuri comes close, and her approach causes a handful of eyes to open on the walls.

Unown begin to make their presence seen, drifting down around her and the unconscious medium -- until a snarling in the darkness is heard.

The fog thickens around her and the snarling comes closer, heralded by a pair of eerie yellow eyes. The sensation of malice, thick enough to choke the air, is what drives her back.

" I know. It just doesn't help that she's a frightening woman. She ran the gym here for my entire childhood, she knows how to scare someone. "

He laughs, a light chuckle that leaves him shaking a bit, before he looks to the Pokemon bouncing in the yard. Zorua was bouncing around chasing the tendrils of Jellicent, who was trying to scoop up the Gimmighoul he'd taken in.