adamant | 8th roar [ video + action for Goldenrod ]

[ The feed clicks on to nothing but Leon's voice, calm and even. If you know him, however, you might realize that he's a touch worried. ]

I heard Lockon was sent home, but has anyone seen Carly? One of her pokemon was transfer---

[ Another voice breaks in, high-pitched and excited and decidedly belonging to a certain ninja. ]

--Leon! Your egg! Gimme that!

[ There's a scuffling noise as Yuffie swipes the gear straight from Leon's hands; no, he gets no say in the matter. She immediately turns on video, and you get a good shot at the inside of Leon's room at the inn. It looks like what you would expect Leon's room to look like: spartan, meticulously kept, nothing of any personal significance on mantelpieces or the wall. Aerith is sitting in a small chair by the bed, Maria on her lap, watching the proceedings with some trepidation. What should attract attention, however, is the pack of dogs crowding the space: Romeo, the big Arcanine, with Mosey the Houndoom sitting sedately beside him. At their feet are Al the Poochyena and the yet-unnamed Riolu. Even Skarmory is there, with Lucky Duck on her back; all six pokemon have their eyes on Leon as he moves towards his backpack, which is now glowing.

Or not quite.

He pulls out the Growlithe egg; it's flickering, which is not something Yuffie's ever seen an egg do, because her voice is a bit cautious when she speaks. ]

Er, Leon? Is it supposed to be doing that?

[ Leon's expression is grim, but he gently sets the egg on the ground and takes a seat. After a few moments, Romeo and Mosey exchange glances, before they move in on the egg. Leon has a moment of apprehension, but neither canine makes an aggressive move. Together, they blow a gust of hot air at the flickering form; that stabilizes it, and its glow becomes more pronounced.

It seems interminable before the egg finally gives a few, meager shakes. The light recedes, leaving nothing but a very, very small Growlithe behind.

A very, very small Growlithe which is very, very immobile.

Yuffie's hand around the pokegear goes shock-still, even as Aerith brings her hands up to her mouth. Skarmory makes a keening noise; the dogs are silent, but their eyes are on the puppy. Leon seems to make a decision, because he surges forward, his voice low and even. ]

Aerith--give me my scarf. Now.

[ Aerith, snapped out of her shock, reaches around for the requested item, wasting no time in throwing it to Leon. He uses it to pick up the tiny thing on the floor, before sitting back down in a single, heavy motion. He settles the small bundle on his knee, bending over it. Then, with the single-minded concentration Leon has been known to give to things that matter, he starts to rub.

He knows, in a corner of his mind, that he should be rushing this small creature to the pokemon center. Isn't that what he told Kairi to do? But he remembers Ari's face when she looked at him, long and measuring. Kisa's gently worried stare, and the promise he made her. If the heat from Romeo and Mosey caused the egg to hatch, then it stands to reason that if he can warm the little one up enough it should wake, right? But he can't make the puppy cross the divide; all he can do is build a bridge and hope she meets him halfway. He can give her a chance.

Isn't that what he'd told Kisa? That they would work together.

Yuffie's hand is shaking a little; anyone's who's been keeping track might be a bit put off. But the camera never leaves Leon's hands, gently but firmly trying to reinvigorate the baby Growlithe. The dogs and Skarmory are all looking at Leon, now--even the distant, quiet Riolu seems worried.

There's no sound other than the soft patter of wind against the windows and collective, tense breathing. Yuffie can distantly be heard whispering, a slow and steady chant of 'come on, come on, come on...'

And then there's a sneeze. The tiniest, dimmest little sneeze you ever heard. Out of the scarf emerges a nose, which Romeo and the others immediately rush to meet.

Relief floods the room. Leon smiles, shy, warm and tired. Aerith laughs, and Yuffie gives a cheerful whoop. ]

She got lucky.

Way to go, Leon! I'm totally showing this to everyone!

[ And with that, Yuffie turns off the feed. ]

[ ooc. gold is Yuffie, pink is Aerith, both used with permission! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I like to think so.

[ That's all he'll concede, Light. Better take it. ] I'll take her to the center once she's done. No use not having her checked out, at least.

[Oh, she'll take it.]

Make sure she's alright. I'm sure her mother will be happy to see her after that.

They're on their way, actually. Her mother and her trainer, that is.

[ Does he sound...apprehensive? No, it's probably just Lightning's imagination. ]

What do you think of 'Lucky'?

[She has no imagination to create that tone in his voice, but she says nothing on it. If he's worried and wants to talk, he'll say.]

I think it fits her.

Thanks. There was actually--

[ Lightning doesn't get to know what Leon was going to say, because his attention is drawn away by something else, presumably another post. The feed actually cuts out for a few minutes. ]

[ When he comes back, he looks...well. A bit shellshocked in the eyes. His expression is schooled in a mask of steadiness, though, and his voice seems normal. ]

When are you getting back into town, again?

[Even with his face calm and his voice steady, Lightnings eyes flare with concern for a moment. When is she getting back? She left yesterday morning, it would take another couple days to get to Fang and Vanille, then then four day walk back since Odin can't carry triple...]

About a week from today. What happened?

...nothing important.

[ Translation: nothing I want to talk about right now. ]

I'll be fine. I'm going to be traveling anyways; I'll have time to think.

[Not going to press him for what caused that, but....]

Where are you headed? If you're going in the direction of Violet, I'll wait.

[ He purses his lips. On the one hand, having a few days to recoup might not be a bad thing. On the other, traveling will Light isn't unlike traveling alone, and it'll allow him to get it out of his system. ]

I'm headed north, towards Ecruteak. Can I meet you on the way?

Edited 2011-01-10 06:47 (UTC)

Yeah. I'm a day out of Goldenrod now, so it won't take long for you to catch up. [She won't turn around, but she will slow her pace to give him time to catch up with her.]

[ He nods. ]

I'll be heading out as soon as Lucky gets checked. I'll try to be there as fast as I can.

[And that's a nod right back, Leon.]

Okay. Odin can carry double, so once you catch up I can drop you off closer to Ecruteak faster than you'd get there on foot.

I--

[ Wait. ]

...Can Odin carry us both?

[Have a snort from off-screen, Leon. Odin heard that, you know. Light's just going to smirk a bit.]

Unless you weigh over two-hundred pounds, we'll be fine. He's stronger than he looks.

[ A pause; his expression sours a bit. At least he's no longer upset about the other thing. ]

You don't think I can break two hundred?

[That may or may not have been the point, actually.]

You can. On a good day back on your homeworld, you probably do. But not here. Not without access to your full training routine and whatever it is your militia fights regularly.

[ She's right, of course, but he doesn't want to admit that quite so readily. ]

We'll see when I get there. [ YOU HIT HIM IN HIS MANLY PRIDE, LIGHTNING. ]

[Nor would she expect him to at this point.]

Yeah. We will. I'll see you soon. [Oh, he'll get over it. They all do, eventually.]

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