adamant | 4th roar [video + action for anyone anywhere apparently ]

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4th roar [video + action for anyone anywhere apparently ]

[ The camera feed opens to reveal...Jigglypuffs.

Yes indeedy, all of Leon's team have been ~*~magically~*~ transformed into Jigglypuffs. The first one opens its mouth, cawing like a Skarmory. The second one rumbles out in an Onix's deep bass. The third just kind of...rolls there, making wet noises. And the fourth looks positively horrified, making distressed Scyther shrieks. Yes, even Green. Sorry, Zack! ]

Someone had better have a good explanation for this.

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[ He's not going to object to that. Instead, the hand that was firmly on her shoulder is going to gently stroke her hair. The hand on her back rises a bit, so that if he stays bery still, he can feel her pulse. He's not letting go anytime soon, Rinoa. ]

[Well this is nice.... for a little while. Squall's always so busy these days with Garden work that they don't get a lot of time to spend like this. Still...

She lets the moment continue a little bit longer before interrupting]

...Squall?

[ He knows, intellectually, that she's probably not his Rinoa, because of the obvious reasons, but that doesn't make saying this any easier. ]

Not Squall. It's Leon, now.

[ He gently pushes her away, makes her look at him, a decade older and definitely not a military commander. ]

I... What?

[She does look at him closely. She's always looked at him closely. He complained about it once, telling her she could see into his soul. She felt that was still true here. This was not her Squall. Upon closer inspection he was indeed older not only in appearence, but in his eyes.]

[Unconsciously she takes a slight step back putting a bit more space between them.]

Y-You go by Leon now?

[She wants to ask what happened. If this is Squall in the future, what happened to make him look like that? But as usual she was scared to know.]

[ He wants to reach out to her, to take her hand or her arm, to keep her from stepping back. But he resists the urge, lets her take the time she needs. He crosses his arm over his chest, as if it could provide some kind of barrier against all the grief he can feel, threatening to bubble up all over again. ]

Don't suppose the name 'Radiant Garden' means anything to you?

[She shakes her head, offering up a small smile. The mood is growing quickly somber.]

Can't say "Radiant Garden" does. But Garden is a familiar name. I live at Balamb Garden currently.

[The last sentence is a bit hopeful, as if the name Balamb will spark sudden recognition.]

[ He shakes his head. ]

I'm not--I'm not your Squall Leonhart, though I did have that name once.

[ He swallows thickly again, ducking his head momentarily before looking back up at her. ]

I come from a city called Radiant Garden; ten years ago, it was destroyed, and... [ He looks away, eyes narrowing, lost in a bleak memory. ] I couldn't save you.

Oh...

[She averts her gaze to the ground toeing at a pebble for a few moments. This was certainly not anything like she was hoping, or expecting, not that things have been living up to her expectations since yesterday morning.

Now all of this. It's tragic and a little embarrassing. She wants to wrap him up forever, but now that would probably be inappropriate.

She takes a deep breath.]

You've moved on though, right? I mean, it's been ten years, please tell me you haven't been moping about all this time.

[It wouldn't entirely surprise her if he had, but she sincerely hoped he hadn't been.]

[ He exhales sharply ~~no it is not a huff~~, and the corners of his mouth pull up; it's so like her, he thinks. ]

I've definitely been doing things besides moping. Didn't have much of a choice.

[ His expression fades back to pensive, then. He's definitely not going to tell her he still thinks of her, that he's had a decade to recreate her in his mind. ]

[She smiles then, crossing her own arms in front of her mirroring his stance.]

Good.

You know, Sq--Leon... this may or may not help but I did get saved not once, but twice by my Squall. Once from the clutches of space and once from being sealed away due to my own potential dangers. It was around then that I really started believing that things happened for a reason.

Maybe where you came from you didn't save me for a reason. And if you've been doing things other than moping I imagine they've been important things, hmm? [She nudges him lightly with her elbow.]

[ He listens to her, expression darkening slightly. It's easy to say that 'things happen for a reason', and it's the kind of line he'd expect from Aerith or Sora. But hundreds of people lost their lives that day, and he's not inclined to make light of it by saying that it all happened for a reason.

Violence, he's learned, is often senseless.

Of course, he knows that Rinoa doesn't know any of this, so he'll just nod. He's interested, though--to know her story. To see if that kid really did avoid his mistakes. ]

Maybe. Or maybe all I've been doing means nothing. There's really no way of knowing. [ When she nudges him, he uncrosses his arms, lifting his eyes to meet hers. ]

[When she meets his gaze her smile grows a bit and she tucks her hair behind her ear.]

I'm sure it means something, even if only a little. You give people courage!

[She reaches up to finger the rings on her necklace. Squall had always given her courage, and she was sure Leon was the same. They were different people with the same core.

After a moment she tilts her head back looking at the sky.]

This place is strange. I can't feel my power here.

[ She's seventeen, he reminds himself. Still, he can't help noticing that she's as beautiful as he remembers. ]

I give people courage...? [ He shakes his head. ] No. I just fight, and try not to mess up.

[ It was mostly the truth; Leon had never really asked for a leadership position, he just couldn't bear to sit around while the Heartless continued their relentless onslaught. The rest of the Resistance had just gravitated to him. ]

No one has their powers here. No magic, no weapons, nothing. Only these creatures. [ He motions to Swablu. ]

[She laughs at his answer. Even in ten years, from a different world he's still predictable. Quistis would be glad to know.]

You're a natural Leon. In a sense, aren't we all just trying not to mess up?

Especially here. It's strange not being able to feel the magic. Or even having my weapon. Or my dog. I named this little guy here after my dog Angelo.

[She reaches out to pet the Swablu who's been a good boy this whole time by not bothering the humans that were oh-so-serious.]

[ He frowns. What are you laughing about, you silly girl? ]

You're telling me...though I think I might be getting used to this whole pokemon thing.

[ Not having the Revolver on him is like being naked, pretty much. Skarmopuff is going to take this opportunity to come up and meet Swablu. Hello, pretty blue bird! ]

It is rare that I see you, or well... Squall without his gunblade. But I don't know, I could see him with a cute little creature following him around. He'd probably find it troublesome though, wouldn't he?

What kind of 'cute little creature' do you have?

[As if in answer the "Jigglypuff" appears to greet Angelo. Hello, pink puff ball! Swablu senses something slightly off with you, you don't quite sound like a Jigglypuff.]

Oh! [Rinoa laughs again and attempts to scoop the Scarmopuff up in her arms.] Is this your's Leon?

[The look she's giving him is mischievous.]

He does, on both counts. [ Squall has a Cyndaquil, which by Leon's estimates would fall rather on the 'cute' side of things, and he knows for a fact that Squall has ditched his partner before, since Hope gave him trouble for it when they first met. In response to her second question, he pulls out his pokegear. ]

Normally, she's--[ he motions to Skarmopuff ]--this.

[ He shows Rinoa the picture of Skarmory on the pokedex, and Skarmopuff confirms this by letting out an ear-piercing shriek. That, little blue friend, is because she ain't no Jigglypuff at all! ]

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4th roar [video + action for anyone anywhere apparently ]

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