19th roar [ video + action for Olivine ]

[adamant]

[ 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. ]

Comments

[action]

[soggypastry]

I'm not expecting you to back down from it, I'm---

[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]

[adamant]

Just because you won't let me protect you doesn't mean I can't.

[ 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]

[soggypastry]

[No, it doesn't mean he can't. It just means he's not going to get anywhere but to where they are now and that...that stings a bit. More than a bit, really, and she finally takes a step back to breathe, just listening to him and starting to understand his actual reasons.

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]

[adamant]

[ Looking at him like that, with her soft sadness...she makes him want to. Change, that is. She makes him want to take a crazy risk. But he can't, he knows. He can't turn back now. ]

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]

[soggypastry]

[At this point, turning back isn't an option for either of them. Not after coming this far and moving away from everything they'd been just a few months ago.

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.]