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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]
[ 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. ]
[action]
There's so much she wants to tell him. That sure, there's no going back and they'll never be what they once were. But that doesn't mean this is all it'll be from now on. They're both still here, they both still have time...but she doesn't say it. She only looks up, sighing as she looks directly into Leons eyes and just...tries to start mending this. It's as much her fault as it is his.]
...you haven't lost me. I wouldn't still be standing here if you had.
[No. If he'd lost her, she'd have punched him and walked away, leaving all this behind her and never speaking with him again. But she's still standing her. She's still trying.]
I'm just trying to understand why you're doing this. What are you trying to accomplish?
[action]
You agreed, Lightning. You said you wanted this. You know why. I should be the one asking you that question.
[action]
[She knows why it hurts, though. That much she does know and she puts the heels of her palms to her eyes for a moment, forcing back the burning before she looks back at him, determined.]
Maybe you're right. Maybe we'd have been better off if I'd never found out and neither of us had said anything. But I found out and we can't go back to how it used to be. There's a reason for that, and I swear, if you tell me it's because we'll both vanish at some point, Etro help me, you're going to regret it.
[Or she will. It's hard to say, since she has to force herself to take a breath and calm down a little. Just enough to not break his jaw automatically.]
What are you trying to do? Who are you actually trying to keep from getting hurt? Me or you? Just tell me that.
[action]
[ He turns on her, using his few inches of height to his advantage. He stares her down openly. ]
What do you think I have to offer, Light? I have nothing to give you but pain. I don't know what you're imagining, but I'm not--you're making the wrong choice, here. You want to know who I'm protecting, well, here's your answer: you. It's always been about you, Light.
[ He doesn't care if she hits him--okay, he minds a little--he just wants her to be clear for five minutes. He's tired of having to explain himself. Last month she told him she understood his motivation, that she agreed with him. Now she's changed her mind and wants him to reconsider? What does she wants from him? ]
[action]
[Looking for answers and forcing herself to not step back or look away. The few inches he has on her are making quite the difference now, with him looking down like this. It's...rather intimidating, but she's faced down worse and she moves forward, nearly stepping on his toes by accident before she meet him face to face.]
And you think this doing this is protecting me from getting hurt? You think this hurts any less than waking up one morning to find you gone? I've got news for you, Leon. It doesn't. Do you honestly think I wouldn't be hurt if you went home even if this had never happened?
[The answer to that, as far as she's concerned, is in her tone. It's softer than even she's expecting, part of that giant ball of hurt making its way to the surface without her wanting it to, and she has to swallow it back down before she can speak.]
If it's always been about me, then you know I don't need protecting. Not from this, and not from you. Not from a person who's one of the few reasons I'm okay with not being able to go home.
[There. She's admitted it. She's finally said aloud and it's probably going to drive an even bigger wedge between them, but...at least it's out now. ...Fal'cie this is a disaster.]
[action]
[ He breathes out, gently, turning his face away; from this distance, he can practically count her eyelashes. ]
Lightning, I...I'm always worried about consequences. It's just what I do. It's my job, back home. It's how I was trained and how I've made it, how I've survived this long. I second guess myself a lot; I'm always worried about making the right decision. And I'm not good with...feelings.
[ He ducks his head, nose pink. ]
I don't know if that's--if this is a risk I'm willing to take. I'm sorry I can't...be what you want me to be.
[action]
Really, this is all she wanted. Just some way to make sense of this mess and maybe find a way to move forward. Maybe. But for now, she'll sigh and shake her head.]
It's okay. I never expected you to change for my sake. I wouldn't have wanted you to in the first place.
[Because she fell for him the way he is, protective side and all. Changing him was never something she wanted to do.]
It's like I told you. I just wanted answers.
[action]
Maybe I should've been more superstitious. Shouldn't have given you that knife.
[ It's a muttered sigh, but it's audible enough. It's almost a painful memory, now: holding her in his arm, the scent of her hair. How soft and warm she felt in the evening air in March. He turns away. ]
You got your answers, Lightning. I have to go put some ice on this.
[ Meaning the rapidly swollen eye he's nursing. ]
[action]
But before she can say anything, she hears him speak, watches him turn, remembers that night, and sighs herself. Not so long ago, but it feels like a world away now. Knowing he's going to walk away, she calls Sen back to her side, watching as the Lucario hesitates, throwing one more worried look towards Strike before he pads to his trainer, standing by her as Leon speaks.]
Yeah. I'll...see you around, Leon.
[Sooner or later, they'll cross paths again. And when that happens...Fal'Cie only know what could happen. Still, to her, it seems that the tension has eased a little. Maybe the others were right. Maybe there's still hope after all.]