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19th roar [ video + action for Olivine ]
[ The feed opens on Olivine beach. Judging from the bobbing, it's being held by a pokémon, one that doesn't have arms to stabilize it. A metal grating sound—Skarmory, then.
The camera flicks up suddenly, sliding across a long stretch of sand to...Leon. Leon surrounded on all sides by his team. Lucky behind him, her head in his back. Strike and Scizor in front, pulling him by the arms. In the water, Flood waits, making soft mournful noises, tentacles reaching for his trainer. Leon, for his part, has both feet planted firmly in the sand and is not moving.
Not.
Moving.
An inch.
They push, they pull, he doesn't budge. His expression is one of rock-solid concentration. He tries to shake them off, but they're stronger than he is, and he goes back to putting his energy into doing his statue imitation.
It looks for all the world like they're trying to feed him to his own Tentacruel.
Skarmory chirrs in amusement, then quickly drops the 'gear to go join the fun. ]
The camera flicks up suddenly, sliding across a long stretch of sand to...Leon. Leon surrounded on all sides by his team. Lucky behind him, her head in his back. Strike and Scizor in front, pulling him by the arms. In the water, Flood waits, making soft mournful noises, tentacles reaching for his trainer. Leon, for his part, has both feet planted firmly in the sand and is not moving.
Not.
Moving.
An inch.
They push, they pull, he doesn't budge. His expression is one of rock-solid concentration. He tries to shake them off, but they're stronger than he is, and he goes back to putting his energy into doing his statue imitation.
It looks for all the world like they're trying to feed him to his own Tentacruel.
Skarmory chirrs in amusement, then quickly drops the 'gear to go join the fun. ]
[action]
I'm fine.
[ Because you sure look fine, Leon. ]
[action]
You sure about that? You don't seem fine from where I'm standing.
[Even for him, he's standing far too rigidly for this to be his normal stubborn side. What's going on?.]
[action]
That's enough, all of you--I said it's fine.
[ But Flood makes that sad, mournful noise again, and the pokemon redouble their efforts. ]
[action]
Then why aren't they listening to you?
[action]
[ They think it's harmless--not only do they implicitly trust Flood, their teammate, they definitely think a little splish-splash will do Boss some good! He's just being stubborn, as usual. Leon quickly finds himself with two feet in the water, looking alarmed. His pokemon seem to sense it, and stop pushing quite as hard, looking up at him in confusion. ]
[action]
Guys, back up. Give him some space.
[She knows that Sen can at least drag Strike off if need be, but right now her main focus is the other human on the beach and she turns her attention back to him. She's never seen him act like this, so what could be causing---oh. Fal'Cie, if she's right about this--]
Leon, do you know how to swim?
[It's not said with an unkind or mocking tone; she's actually just kind of curious. And maybe a little concerned; even with Flood right there, things might have gotten dicey if he couldn't swim back towards shore on his own.]
[action]
If I could, you think I'd still be on the beach?
[ Skarmory makes an upset noise, and Strike none-too-fondly smacks his shoulder. Why didn't he say anything? Stupid Boss. ]
[action]
I'd think that you would have asked someone to teach you by now, since you've been in town for a while.
[Hell, she could have taught him if she'd known. Before...things started happening.]
[action]
Wasn't sure who to ask.
[ Ven volunteered, but... ]
Besides, I've been busy all summer.
[action]
Not busy enough to avoid them trying to drag you to the water, apparently.
[As for who he could have asked...awkwardness and lingering tension aside...]
You could have asked me. I would have taught you if I'd known you couldn't swim.
[action]
[ Because he would never want to lose the equality that's built up between them; letting her teach him something so basic...he'd have to bend to her completely, and he's not necessarily ready for that.
Not that he could ever express this, mind you. He's content to just blame everything on awkwardness. ]
[action]
And why's that? What reason would you have to not ask me?
[Because she wouldn't belittle him for not knowing. She wouldn't laugh in his face or call him an idiot. She'd just teach him the same way her parents had taught her and Serah; simple as that.
She, of course, doesn't know his reasons. Hard to know them when he's not saying.]
[action]
[ Note the use of the past tense. ]
[action]
No one says friends can't be teachers, Leon. We've all learned from our friends even before we came here.
[action]
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[Leons tone might be snappish or upset, but Lightnings is cold and not leaving any room for doubt as to what's on her face. She's not pitying him or anything of the sort; she's just angry that he'd think she would think any less of him for this.]
You think I'd want to see you drown instead? What happens if no one can get you out of the water in time? All it takes is one chance, one mistake, and it's over. Is your pride worth your life? Is me, or anyone else, not seeing you like that really worth that cost?
[To her, even with all the pride she herself has, the answer is obvious. To him? She can't really say for sure at this moment in time.]
[action]
[ She might not think she'd think less of him, but he's convinced she already does. He breathes in, and his face goes blank in that way he's so adept at. ]
Ven volunteered. So it isn't that.
[action]
I can understand you not telling one of us. But not letting your own team know before they tried this? Was a stupid risk.
[As for who's going to be helping him...]
Ven has a broken arm and won't be able to help for at least another few weeks. So if that's not it, you'd better damn well tell me what it is right now.
[With those last two words, Lightning has stepped closer, eyes narrowed and cold as she gets right in face, close enough that one step forward from either of them will send the other tumbling back.]
[action]
He immediately moves away, bare feet leaving hesitant impressions in the sand. ]
Just...forget it.
[action]
Spit it out, Leon. Now.
[Her tone is razor sharp, and it's probably obvious to him that this time, she's not going to forget it and let him walk away.]
[action]
[ He's rounding on her, aggressive too, now, the way's he's been with her all the times they've talked these past few weeks. Both of them in a constant state of high tension. ]
[action]
But even with that, the tension hasn't eased and she's finally shouting, standing rigid and full of barely contained anger and hurt. Because, no matter how hard she's tried, she just hasn't been able to put all that behind her.]
That's no reason for you to not come to me for help, dammit! Whatever this is, we're still friends and we both agreed that's how it was going to be!
[action]
So, is that how it's going to be? Every time I piss you off, I get a black eye? [ It's not like him to be crass, but there's an aggressive curl to his lip right then. ]
Some friendship. [ His head drops a bit, accompanied by a sag of his shoulders. ] We're not friends, Light. Don't be deluded.
[action]
No, just every time you act like an idiot! And be glad it's just your face, because I know plenty of other places--[Whatever else she was going to say gets swallowed up as he says they aren't friends. Lightning goes quiet, stiff as a wooden board while her hands clench at her sides and her eyes burn. The ball of hurt and anger and nerves is only getting bigger and bigger inside her, big enough to make her stomach flip and it's all she can do to keep her breath from catching in her throat.
But in the silence, Sen whines and looks between Light and Leon like a scared child looking between his fighting parents. It's enough to get Lightning to unclench her fists, swallow hard, and let a mask of apathy spread over her face.]
If we weren't friends, you wouldn't be calling me Light right now.
[action]
[ How a single word can brim with so much hurt is mind-boggling. ]
I just--I'm sorry. I regret that you ever...found out. That I ever let it get that obvious. Maybe if I'd kept my emotions in check better, we wouldn't be here. But there's no going back, now.
[ It's all a rush, and possibly more feelings he's vocalized in a while. ] I never wanted to lose you. I never wanted it to be--like this!
[ And yet, as far as he's converned, 'like this' is the only way it can ever be. ]
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