[h2][color=darkturquoise]Devon the Totodile[/color][/h2][b][Folio Town - Eastern Residential District → Ember's House][/b]

[@Ninian][@Shiny Keldeo]
The accomplished and happy young blue crocodile marched down the wood street with a smile on his face next to his two friends. However, his eyes flicked over to Lilisette and Selena as they conversed, and brought up a fact that Devon had unfortunately forgotten about during the excitement. His blue lips dipped in an uncomfortable frown as the guilt of what they all assumed was a kind act began to dampen everyone's mood. [color=darkturquoise][i]Oh....That's right.....I can't believe I forgot that.....But I won't pressure her. I don't want it to be like that...[/i][/color]

Shaking his head, the Totodile put up a reassuring smile and leaned towards the Bayleef and Kirlia. [color=darkturquoise]"We're not gonna pressure her. Even though she said she'd go if Selena came with, we won't hold her to that. It'll be her decision on whether she wants to come with or not. So don't worry about it."[/color] As he finished his sentence, he refaced the road ahead and gripped his shoulder strap.

A few minutes later, the moment of truth was upon them. Devon's slit reptilian eyes focused on the blue and cream colored Fire-type sitting on the porch step beyond him, her nervous stutter and quiet voice causing him to sigh. The guilt creeping back into his brain. [color=darkturquoise][i]She really is that bad.....As bad as me even.....I gotta try and make her feel better about this. Maybe I can relate....[/i][/color]

Keeping up his kind smile, the Water-type strolled up to the Quilava and stood before her met her gaze. His tone, while still raspy, softened when he spoke. [color=darkturquoise]"I know what you're feeling Ember."[/color] 

He put a clawed hand on his bandaged stomach. [color=darkturquoise]"That quezy feeling in your stomach? The tension? It's not a good feeling huh?"[/color] The blue reptile then crossed his arms over his scaley chest, and looked off to the starry sky on his right. [color=darkturquoise]"I remember feeling the same....One of my friends....He really wanted to enter this competition..."[/color] 

The Totodile's face scrunched up a bit, as if he was struggling to retell the story. The words came out slow. [color=darkturquoise]"But the only way he could enter it, would be if I joined it with him. You had to have a partner to get in. I knew there would be a big crowd and a bunch of others participants. Everyone in it would be looking right at us..Talking to us....Waiting to see if we could impress them or not. It scared me. I couldn't bare having that sort of attention. It made me so nervous I felt like I was gonna be sick. He knew that, and he didn't pressure me to enter because he felt guilty."[/color]

Turning his head back to Ember, Devon winked at her.  [color=darkturquoise]"But I still entered it. It was my own choice to go up there on that stage, even though it literally made me sick. You have that same choice Ember. We won't force you to do something that makes you unhappy, because we're your friends. If you don't want to go to the party, that's totally ok. We can just catch up with you in the morning. Or maybe just the four of us can have our own little party somewhere."[/color]