this island is in SHAMBLES. i mean RUINS.

[tidaldrum]

[no. literal ruins. it is an island of ruins. mythology nuts, ruin lovers, fossil collecters............ all are welcome!

anyone is welcome, actually. why? because there's a chance of finding a fossil!!!

as well as an equal amount of chances to find things that look like a fossil but aren't. like an old amber with nothing in it. incredible.

and wouldn't you know it, but there's a fossil revival lab on this island too! it's pretty unmanned, but there's books with instructions on how to revive your very own DESTRUCTIVE DINOSAUR MONSTER.

so hey! come on! make a friend! throw your enemy into one of the ruin's dozen puzzle rooms! ffall to your doom! whatever you want!

TREASURE AND RARE POKEMON AWAIT]

Comments

[tidaldrum]

[Ethan's Happiny is ten times more excited to hear Silver's voice than Ethan is; she hops off the shelf to greet him, while her trainer busies himself putting up items she'd knocked off trying to help.

Hello, Silver and Crocolady.]

Stay away from them. [But they're people she knows, Ethan. Her lip quiver doesn't earn her any points, and Ethan forces himself to remind to scoop her up with his right arm when he bends down. At least she doesn't wiggle or cry as much -- tiny blessings from a tiny baby. Not that it helps his mood, which has gone from "bad" to "why did i even bother waking up today" in ten seconds flat.] Your Totodile evolved, huh? That's great. Croconaw are great. Hope you've been treating it nicer than you treat everyone else you meet.

[haha broken wrist what broken wrist no such thing especially not around THIS JERK.]

[savedover]

[Silver doesn't verbally acknowledge HapHap's greeting, but he does nod at her. His Croconaw doesn't go as far as to put herself between Silver and Ethan, but there's a certain tension in the way she holds herself. She watches them both, a wary glint in her eyes.]

I'm not going to waste energy by kicking her, if that's what you're concerned about. [His tone is disdainful, bored. Kicking around a baby Pokémon? Not worth the time or the effort, in his book.] Yes, I noticed. Not that it's any of your business.

[tidaldrum]

Sure it is. [Not particularly.] I have a Feraligatr, remember? He's just a little shy and doesn't take well to dusty abandoned labs.

[Among other things. Like spiders, for instance. Ethan gives the Croconaw a once-over, then takes a step to the side. He's not going to risk going right past Silver and getting his arm snapped off by some wary allidile, so he's gonna try and scoot around both pretty unfriendly-looking faces.]

I'm not finding anything I need in here, [grumble grumble huff huff] so I'm leaving. There's plenty of dusty, stupid books in here about fossils and whatever, if you think that junk's interesting.

[savedover]

Yes. I know. The impossibly strong one with a stupid nickname. [Even if they've technically never battled, Silver knows a strong, well-trained Feraligatr when he sees one. Unfortunately for Ethan, neither of them are immediately moving from the door.]

I'm looking for useful information, not garbage. [He's there because he finds dusty, stupid books about fossils interesting............] You're so transparent. Like I said, I was just leaving. Just stay right where you are, and we can pretend that we never saw each other today.

[tidaldrum]

[Hey. Until Silver starts nicknaming his Pokémon, he doesn't get to have an opinion on how other people nickname their team.]

And like I said, there's nothing in here for me, so I don't need to stay here. We'd probably end up going the same way, unless your direction is out of here. [Fighting isn't going to get you anywhere! ... Lyra'd say. So Ethan just continues his scooting.] I'm not going to go ripping up books just to set my wrist.

[savedover]

Oh, have you broken your wrist? [Silver's not concerned. At best, he's "idly curious".] Interesting. I didn't think your pain tolerance was high enough to cope with that sort of injury on your own.

[A pause.]

Anyway, you shouldn't try setting it yourself. The bones of the wrist are very delicate; you'd just end up injuring yourself further.

[tidaldrum]

[It's dangerous to lay around and cry in a place you don't know anything about, you know, and -- he hasn't suffered worse, but Haphap wouldn't have been any help in battle and Ferafera avoids small spaces like the plague soooo

just gotta deal w/it sometimes. Besides! Dealing with a broken wrist is a lot less painful than dealing with his current company.]

Yeah, thanks. [Won't find any gratitude in this tone though!] You gonna just stand there and pretend to know everything, or you wanna show a poor boy your good side and help me out?

[savedover]

I don't have a good side. [Silver folds his arms, taps his foot, and weighs his options. What is more troublesome: helping Ethan now, or dealing with his and Lyra's sass later? The decision is clear.]

If you want my assistance, find someplace to sit so I can take a look at it.

[tidaldrum]

[And here he was hoping Silver'd take the chance to leave. Ethan humphs, turning and migrating down the row of shelves until he's found a couple of boxes. His Happiny tests their steadiness by leaping right out of his arms and onto them, scattering dust and a loud thump of books under her feet.

Ethan brushes her aside so he can sit down; after a moment, he lets her climb into his lap and rubs her back with his unhurt hand. Guess who still doesn't sound half as grateful as he's going to be when this whole thing is over?]

Let's get it over with so we can pretend we never saw each other, I guess. I mean -- thanks.

[savedover]

I don't want your thanks. Keep it to yourself. [After Ethan settles down, Silver will approach him to examine the injury. He kneels on the dusty ground to examine Ethan's wrist, carefully pushing aside his jacket aside. When he sees the state of Ethan's wrist, he makes a soft sound of disapproval.] Tch. You've really made a mess of it, you idiot.

[He rises to his feet, wiping the dust off of the front of his slacks.]

I'm not qualified to set it. Wait here, while I find something to splint it with. [He turns to his Croconaw.] Make sure this moron doesn't move.

[tidaldrum]

[Ethan has to bite his tongue on any sharp comebacks, because honestly? Sassing or no sassing from Lyra, Silver could still opt out of helping him. He's elusive enough to keep even the most determined twelve year old off his trail, probably. He has a hard enough time trying to find him the few times he actually wants to.

The very few times.]

I asked you for help, idiot. I'm not going anywhere. [He turns his attention to his Happiny, his piece said, and sighs at her. She, of course, sighs back.

Also as soon as Silver's gone, see icon.]

[savedover]

[It's just that there's a certain inevitability to it. Silver's been corralled so often into other shenanigans that, when he's tired, sometimes he doesn't have the energy to argue against it.

Instead of poking around the shelves (because seriously, where are you going to find something to make a splint with there?) Silver turns his attentions to some old desks. He misses Ethan's very mature gesture, but his Croconaw doesn't. She's gonna stare at you judgmentally from across the room, buster!

Eventually, Silver finds what he's looking for: an old-fashioned yard stick. He walks over to Ethan, idly hitting it in the palm of his hand.]

Hold out your arm. I need an accurate measurement before I break this.

[tidaldrum]

[It's his Happiny's fault, not his! She wanted a vantage point or something. Who knows. Baby Pokémoon are stupid.

That yard stick gets a wary glance --]

You're not planning on hitting me with it, are you?

[-- but he complies with Silver's instructions.]

[savedover]

Hmm... [For a moment, he seems like he's seriously considering it.] As tempting as that would be, no. It will serve as the rigid component of the splint.

[Silver holds the ruler up, measuring Ethan's arm. Once he's determined how long it needs to be, he breaks the stick over his knee with a loud snap.]

[tidaldrum]

[Both Ethan and his baby jump -- to his credit, he doesn't flinch half as much as she does. Haphap starts up the sniffle routine too, and she doesn't stop until Ethan's bouncing her lightly on his knee. As bad of a dad kid he can be towards his Happiny, he still cares about her. A dirty look for you, Silver Coco.]

Geez -- you mind doing that a little softer next time? If there's a next time. [He hopes there isn't. Getting medical care from Silver doesn't sound quite as charming as never breaking another bone again.] She's easy to scare!

[Isn't it cute, he finally cares about his crybaby.]

[savedover]

[Silver discards the part of the yardstick that is too short for his purposes, looking up at Ethan with a sour expression.]

I could. As long as you don't mind dealing with jagged edges that would probably give you splinters. [Silver reaches into his large front pocket, pulling out an unopened box of gauze.] Hold out your arm so I can wrap it up, moron.

[It's the farthest thing from cute. In fact, Silver would even consider it pathetic that Ethan is using the baby to cover up the fact that he himself was badly startled by the sound.]

[tidaldrum]

[Easy on the nicknames, Silv. Ethan might fall in love with you. (Gag.)

He does so, keeping his other hand on his slowly subduing Happiny. His knee's bouncing less too, eventually coming to a stop.]

You do know my name, right? [Come on.] Saying it instead of some dumb insult a three year old could come up with isn't gonna kill you.

[savedover]

Ah. I nearly forgot. Take your jacket off-- I'll use it to make a sling. [While Ethan gets that settled, Silver will open up the box.] I know what it is. I just don't prefer to use it.

[tidaldrum]

[It's a lot harder taking off his jacket than he thinks it's going to be. He struggles with shouldering it off after he gets it zipped down, and his happiny's little arms aren't much better (though they do, at least, get his shoulder sleeve off). At least gently tugging it away from his left arm is easier, even if by the end of it he's got tears stinging at the edge of his eyes.

Broken bones suck. And he sounds considerably less grumpy and a lot more strained when he starts speaking again; it gets better the longer he talks though.]

The Silver I knew was like that too. He didn't started saying my name until... He asked me if I was me in Goldenrod, I guess, when I tried sneaking into the tower dressed as a Rocket grunt, and he said it in Ecruteak too, but I don't think we were on serious name-to-name basis until Mt. Moon in Kanto.

[A long time! Talking is better than trying not to cry (which is for sissies) so Silver's gonna have to deal with it.]

He's not nicer than you for sure, but he's not as dumb. Or maybe he is, because he keeps thinking he'll beat me one of these days. He's great to battle next to though. I mean, Ferafera can take care of pretty much anything and anyone, especially a couple of dragons, but it was still a lot of fun to battle with him instead of, like, against him. If that makes sense? [...not a lot's fun anymore.] He told me he'd come back as my toughest challenger yet, and the only thing tough about him is trying not to laugh in his face about it. He'd probably shove me into the water and that stuff's freezing, you know? It's coooold in Blackthorn.

[A pause. Dude hates his voice right.]

Be gentle with me, okay? I'll talk more the more unnecessary pain you put me through.

[savedover]

[Silver watches Ethan intently, expression stony and difficult to read. He doesn't doubt that the task, although simple, is difficult and painful for him-- but it has to be done, even if that means he has to listen to Ethan babble.

... even if it's just babbling, there's something he loathes about listening to Ethan talk about the Silver he "knows".]

We aren't the same person. Don't talk as if we are. [His tone is, perhaps, a little sharper than it should be. Once the hoodie is off, Silver will take it and set it aside.] I'm going to use this ruler to immobilize your arm. It's not going to stop hurting. Once it's wrapped up and in a sling, you should go visit the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy will be able to help you get it in a cast.

[tidaldrum]

Okay.

[If he was Lyra, he'd make a joke about Silver sounding jealous. But he's not, so he won't. He'll just steel himself and ... continue to talk about his rival, because there's room to keep on.

(So much for not trying to provoke his help.)]

You guys aren't, but you've still got similarities. And even if there's a lot different between the both of you, what's the same seriously sticks out. I can't tell if those are your worst qualities either! [Huff. Besides.] You probably compare me to that "Gold" you know anyway. Why can't I do it with the Silver I know.

[savedover]

[Silver grits his teeth. It's impossible to completely ignore Ethan's babbling, especially when they're so close. He works quickly, holding the splint firmly to Ethan's arm as he wraps it up in the gauze.]

Because I don't assume that you and I have the same relationship as Gold and I do. [When he finishes wrapping the splint and immobilizing Ethan's wrist, he neatly tucks the end of the gauze into the splint.] The reasons I dislike you are completely different from the reasons why I hate him. You and I are effectively strangers, no matter how much your attitude reminds me of his.

[He pauses, frowning a little as he checks his handiwork.] Let me know if that's too tight-- I'll loosen the gauze.

[And now, to tie Ethan's jacket into a sling so he can be done with this emergency first aid for a dumbass.]

[tidaldrum]

[Ethan grits his teeth. It's true, but it's not something he's going to lose sleep over. He leans his chin on his hand, lips pursed as Silver works.]

Me and the Silver I knew didn't have any kind of "relationship" or -- [Ethan's not taking it That Way, but relationship can mean friendship, too.] He was some jerk who thought he was stronger than everyone else, and Ferafera and I pretty much proved him wrong. I'm pretty sure he just thinks I'm a nuisance or obstacle or whatever, and he's just a petty thief that's starting to learn that you gotta trust and love your Pokémon for them to do any better for you.

[So they're not friends, but they're not enemies. Rivals, maybe. He could count the Silver he knows as a "stranger" too, for all he actually knows about him.]

Anyway, it's fine. Thanks again for taking some precious time out of your day to help me out. I [gross] appreciate it.

[savedover]

Oh, please. If you don't have any ties to him, why do you keep talking about him? Why do you keep talking to me? [Just like any of his other movements, Silver quickly and efficiently fashions Ethan's jacket into a sling.] Now, hold still, while I tie this in place.

[He doesn't respond to Ethan's thanks. He doesn't need, want, or appreciate them. Don't thank him, that's gross!]

[tidaldrum]

[He'll hold still, if only because he's thinking on Silver's questions. He's tired of the other boy brushing off his answers as thoughtlessly said.]

Because... [He purses his lips, but realizes: this is ridiculous. It's as ridiculous as breaking his wrist. As ridiculous as Silver actually setting it for him. Maybe, by now, he's just tired.] Why should I even answer, huh? You don't care.