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! ]

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[ He lets them take point, not because he doesn't know the way but because it puts them in a position of leadership--power--especially now that he's got the puppy in his hands. Speaking of which, she's back to sleeping now, her tiny head pillowed by his bicep. He doesn't try to speak, just lets the silence stretch as they walk. ]

[ once they actually enter the Center, Kisa stops and steps back to let Leon take care of things from here. Ari settles down by her feet, though she's still watching him. YES, LEON, YOU ARE BEING JUDGED. ]

[ Not nervous about that doggy stare, nope. Not at all! Leon talks quietly with the nurse, telling her about heart rates and first meals and other small but important details. After listening, the nurse takes the puppy, sweet and gentle, and Leon is a little pained when they disappear into the back. He turns to Kisa, looking resigned. ]

All that's left is to wait.

[ Kisa watches him quietly, and then it's a good twenty seconds before she slooowly reaches up to take his hand and give it a little squeeze. ]

She'll be okay. She's brave.

[ The gesture, simple but direct, draws something approaching a smile from him. It's funny, he thinks, that this little slip of a girl is comforting him. ]

She's scrappy, that's for sure.

[ He pauses, looking down at her. ]

How long have you been in Johto, Kisa?

Four... months, I think.

That's a long time.

[ Then again, when he thinks about it...when did he get here? Mid-October? That means he's been here nearly three months. The thought makes him blink. Has it really been that long? He's lucky he had Sora, Aerith and the others to keep him from going too stir-crazy. ]

...

[ Kisa nods, lowering her head. She'd been completely mute for more than two months of that, too. And if she dwells on how long it's been, she can't help but think about her family, how it's been the first time she's missed the Zodiac's Banquet... ]

[ It's Leon's turn to put a comforting hand on Kisa's shoulder--only for a moment, though. ]

But you've made some friends, right?

M-mm. [ she musters a smile, then nods. ] I don't... make them feel weird here, I think. I'm really lucky.

[ He double-takes. He can hardly imagine someone being freaked out by such a small person. ]

You make them feel weird?

... My eyes. And my hair.

[ a pause. ]

They're not normal.

[ Leon steps back, gets a good look at her. He doesn't want to offend her, but he's not seeing it. ]

They're...not?

[ Kisa shakes her head, and now she's staring at her feet. Her voice is kind of stuck at that tiny volume now. ]

Mm. That's why... everyone stopped talking to me. They'd just... laugh.

[ There's a shiver up his spine, and a part of him wants to put a hand on the back of her neck and pull her close, protective. The other part wants to rip apart whatever it is that made such a small girl so incredibly sad. He does neither of these things; instead, his hand lifts to touch a strang of her hair. His hand is rough and callused, but her hair is soft between his fingers. ]

You look fine to me.

[ She stares up at him, and for just a second, there's this sense of genuine surprise that he's not bothered at all. But people here are from different places, maybe it's not so weird to him.

... But Kisa's comforted, regardless. ]

... T-thank you.

[ He pulls back, putting his hands on his hips. He doesn't say anything, just looks back at the counter, where the nurse still hasn't returned. He reflects on the slight dread in the pit of his stomach, that not so long ago he would never haved cared this much about something so impermanent. ]

[ Kisa lets him ponder things, choosing to move over to a chair and sit quietly with Ari leaping up onto her lap and making herself comfortable. Time to pull a vigil. ]

[ Leon leans against the wall; he hates to sit down for any length of time, unless it's for a meal. Luckily for the three of them, only twenty minutes pass before the nurse returns, with Lucky tucked safely away in a pokeball. Leon is swiftly at the counter again, to retrieve his puppy. ]

Just go easy on the training, alright? And try to soften her kibble up with water when you feed her. Other than that--she'll be a bit on the skinny side, growing up, but I don't see any problems.

[ Leon's face is carefully controlled, but his relief is palpable as he takes the ball from Joy. His eyes slide to Kisa, like a small victory. ]

[ Kisa's happiness is just like every other emotion of hers. It's not as loud and jubilant as some others' might be, but when she's TRULY happy, she doesn't need to be vocal about it. Thus, she's answering Leon with a truly radiant smile, while Ari finally barks approval and hops off her lap to give his leg a headbutt of GOOD JOB. ]

[ Leon is a bit surprised at a sudden headbutt to the shins, but whatever, he'll roll with it, he's happy. He leans down to give Ari a victory scratch. ]

We knew she'd make it.

[ tailwag tailwag tailwag. Kisa can't hold back a giggle. ]

Mm, I'm glad.

You're not alone.

[ He kneels down to Ari, giving her proper scritches. He told them he wouldn't give up, hadn't he? ]

[ and she'll lick his hand, because finally she approves. Well done, Leon. ]

[ Satisfied that mama no longer doubts him, he stands up from his crouch. The look he gives Kisa is warm, but businesslike again. ]

I need to be going. I made a promise to meet someone, out of town. [ He lifts Lucky's pokeball. ] I'll take good care of her, don't worry.

[action]

biteisbigger.livejournal.com - 2011-01-12 20:04 (UTC) - Expand