025 [Video/Action for Saffron]

[soggypastry]

--I said stop that.

[Well. Someone sounds a little angry today, doesn't she? Lightning's not exactly known for her easy-going nature, but she's calmed down a lot here in Johto. Except it doesn't seem that way from the tone of her voice.

But at least the growling isn't her. No, that growling belongs to the Shinx who just happens to be chewing on the gear, keeping the feed in blackness until Spark pulls it free of his mouth and starts a bit of a Pokésquabble. This does let anyone watching see that Lightning has a cloth over her arm and is chasing Odin around, the horse prancing and...yep. Dancing around to avoid her. He seems amused, though, especially after she tosses the cloth over his back. It's a saddle blanket, and it's supposed to stay on, but Odin's not having any of it. Nope, he's just running away so quickly it falls to the ground and leaves Lightning in the dust. Amused horse is amused and...almost laughing.

Yep. A laughing horse. It apparently does happen, but Lightning is most certainly not amused. She's just picking up the saddle blanket and trying again. And again. And again. And each time, Odin just runs away and ditches the blanket, leaving Lightning shaking her head while Shinx and Spark continue to tussle, hitting the gear and ending the feed without her noticing it was even on.]


Private Text to: Rise Kujikawa

[About six hours after the video feed, Rise will receive this:]

Can you meet me at the Train Station? I have something for you.

Comments

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[adamant]

I don't think I could.

[No, rather, Leon quickly releases one of his pokeballs--and Flood appears in a flicker of light. Tentacles!!!!

Leon can't do it, but Flood can. Sneaky.]

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[soggypastry]

[Tentacles that have Odin stepping back quickly. That's just not fair, man! Not fair at all! He can't outrun tentacles! Of course, that's probably the idea because Lightning is moving quickly, managing to get the blanket to stay on his back this time.

And...yep. It's staying. Odin is so busy trying to keep an eye on all of Flood's tentacles that he hasn't quite noticed she's got the saddle in her hands, and he doesn't notice until she's tightening the last strap. Will it stay on? Seems that way, because she's sighing a bit in relief.]

Finally. Thought he was going to run all day.

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[adamant]

[Flood gives him a not-so-sympathetic look, like, if you weren't being a moron, we wouldn't be here!

Leon, for his part, just watches her, a bit curious.]

What's the saddle for? Don't you usually ride him bareback?

[That, and lugging a saddle around was going to be a pain.]

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[soggypastry]

[Odin snorts in the face of your not-so-sympathetic look, Flood. You traitor. Mons are supposed to stick together!

As for Lightning, she's just making sure the straps aren't going to come undone in a moment. Do her nerves show? She can't tell.]

Usually, yeah, but having my bag on while riding makes it hard to balance. Saddle bags would make it easier.

[A pain she'll manage on her own. Somehow.]

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[adamant]

[On her own? Like hell. He's gotten to the point where anything he buys, food, clothing, medicine--he counts for two, and how to best split the carrying between them and their pokemon. No, that saddle is going to be their responsibility, as far as he's concerned.]

Skarmory can carry them. Besides, Odin looks like he's going to throw you.

[Leon turns a cautious eye to the bound Rapidash. Don't try anything funny.]

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[soggypastry]

[As far as he's concerned, perhaps it is. But as far as Lightning's concerned, she bought it, she deals with it. She'll manage somehow.]

Carry our bags and us at the same time? You really think she can manage that? [Said as she prepares to mount up, one foot in the stirrups.] And it wouldn't be the first time I've gotten thrown.

[Odin just snorts, both at Lightning's comment and at Leon's look. Don't try anything funny? Then get this crazy idea out of trainer's head, ridiculous mate!]

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[adamant]

She can carry us. Snow can carry our bags. That's if we're flying--if not, there's always Steelix.

[See, Odin? He's trying.]

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[soggypastry]

You really want to be riding a metal snake if we have to travel in a storm one day, Leon?

[Trying and only partially succeeding, sadly, because that really was an honest question. Still, Odin has to give him points. Trainer is overly stubborn most of the time and getting through to her isn't easy at all.]

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[adamant]

[Smirking a little, he makes his way over, gently putting a hand on her shoulder. His expression is neutral, but warm.]

If that happens, I'm sure we'll find a way to get comfortable. [The implication being, Odin doesn't like it when they get comfortable. Leon is pretty sure Light remembers the last time he took them for a joyride.]

There's nothing stopping us from riding Odin, without the saddle, and leaving the bags with another pokémon, if we needed to.

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[soggypastry]

[Despite her frustration, she's not tense when he touches her....or rather, not after. She relaxes a bit, glancing at Odin who is still keeping his eyes on Flood.]

I know we will. We did it before, I just...

[She trails off, remembering that joyride...or rather, the trouble and near throws it brought until they finally got settled down and off Odin's back at camp. A repeat of that wouldn't but fun, but...there's some part of her that still doesn't want to have to rely on Leon or his team to get around. She's not good at that yet.]

I just prefer to be prepared instead of caught off-guard. It's a habit.

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[adamant]

[He...understands. He's not happy about it, but he gets it, intellectually, the need to be ready for any eventuality on an individual level. But even though what she's saying is, 'I want to be prepared', what he's hearing is that she doesn't trust him to take care of it, which stings. As soon as he has the thought he realizes it's stupid, but it still leaves a bad taste in his mouth that's probably visible in the very, very slight tightening of his face as he nods.]

All right. It's your decision.

[He motions to Flood, who gently releases Odin from the wrap, saddle and all. Leon moves back to watch.]

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[soggypastry]

[Oh, it's definitely visible. It's visible and it gets Lightning frowning, but she doesn't ask. Things would be so much easier if he'd just vocalize this kind of thing because then she could say something and assure him that she does trust him. Which she does. Implicitly, in fact, but this is something she feels she has to do.

Odin, to his credit, doesn't do anything funny as Lightning mounts up with ease. But against his credit, he also doesn't move. He just stands there and snorts, glancing at Leon as Lightning rubs the bridge of her nose. Ridiculous mate, you are no help at all.]

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[adamant]

[He sees that frown, but he doesn't contest it. These two, master communicators. Instead he's just going to sit and stew in it, because that's totally the grown-up thing to do. Even if she did tell him she trusts him, he'd be sour about it when presented with evidence to the contrary.

He gives Odin a flat stare, then slowly, slooowly pans his eyes to Flood. Still there. Still a Water-type.

Do the math, Odin.]

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[soggypastry]

[Oh, he can certainly do the math. It's why he hasn't attempted to throw Lightning right off with the stupid saddle, but he's not moving. At all. Sorry, man. No go. Lightning will just have to get that...which she does, muttering under her breath as she dismounts.

She gets the feeling she's going to be doing a lot of damage control over the next few days, but Odin is at least easy. Berries, brushing, free-running. Simple. Leon...well, she's still working on that. Master communicators indeed.]

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[adamant]

[Leon's a second away from telling Flood to Bubble the back of Odin's legs for a kick-start, but he's beaten to the punch when Lightning dismounts. He arches a brow.]

Giving up?

[Unspoken criticism: 'that's not like you'.]

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[soggypastry]

[Already undoing straps and buckles, Lightning doesn't glance over at him as she shakes her head, focused on her current task.]

No city is built in a day. It's going to take more than one morning to get him used to this.

[Her tone is matter of fact, but the look in her eyes when she glances at Leon dares him to say anything else on the matter. Giving up isn't like her? He should really just say so.]

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[adamant]

You were barely on for five minutes.

[He says it neutrally, almost conversational, as he recalls Flood to his ball. Okay, so he's being a little less indirect, now. just out-and-out say he's upset? Never.]

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[soggypastry]

Do you want to try, or would you prefer I end up thrown off?

[She's gone back to undoing straps, but now that Flood is back in his ball, he's pinning Leon with a look. Try it, ridiculous mate. He dares you. You'll end up on the ground faster than you can say your own name.]</small.

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[adamant]

I'll pass; Odin would burn me to a crisp. He's a little bit spoiled, after all.

[Them's fighting words, he is aware.]

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[soggypastry]

[While Lightning had been about to say that Odin wouldn't burn Leon because she trusts and cares for him, dem fighting words get her jaw to snap shut fast enough her teeth click. Odin reacts first, snorting smoke as Lightning glares at her beau. It's a clear warning: Watch it, ridiculous mate. He can torch you from this distance.]

You're one to talk about that.

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[adamant]

Am I? None of mine would give me half the trouble he gives you. [He's not afraid, either of her or of Odin. He has his own pokemon to back him up, if he needs it.

But he doesn't want to draw out an argument. He raises a hand, turning away from her.]

It doesn't matter. Do what you want.

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[soggypastry]

[Half the trouble, huh? She remembers a certain Skarmory and his entire team trying to force him into the water, but she can't say anything about that before he's turned away and she feels like punching him.

But she doesn't. Not yet. She just glares and calls out to his back, eyes narrowed. Something brought this sudden change on, but what?]

What the hell is your problem?

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[adamant]

[You know that moment when you know you're being stupid and dumb and feeding your own insecurities, but you're internally twisting yourself into a pretzel and can't seem to stop? That moment when everything That One Person does is an attack, every word hiding an irrational hurt? This is one of those moments.

In Leon's head right now, very paraphrased:

You are my problem, you and your pokemon and the way you push me back and won't validate my need to take care of you and the way you systematically call me out on my bullshit instead of letting me just brood it out in peace which always worked for me before when I didn't have to answer to anyone because I was in-fucking-charge, did as I pleased, and was good at it so no one gave a shit if I had Issues-with-a-capital-I on the side! And I'm the problem because I am having a million goddamn trust issues because of this place and the newness of This Thing we're doing and I really, really want to get over it but I can't and I get frustrated because I can't and I inevitably disappoint you and I hate letting you--anyone--down and it just makes me more pissed off when I see my own failings.




Bag of sunshine, this man.

He kind of pauses, her question ringing in his ears.]

Just...forget I said anything.

[Denial is not, contrary to popular belief, merely a river in Egypt. Let's sweep things under the rug, this is a winning solution.]

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[soggypastry]

[Denial is most definitely a river, and Leon's standing ankle deep in it. Not that Lightning really knows that, but she knows he's not saying everything because he never does and that drives her crazy and makes her want to hit him a lot of the time. If she could just figure out what was going through his head---but she can't. She can't and that annoys the ever-living shit out of her, forcing a strangled noise up her throat.

She almost takes a step forward to grab him and make him look at her, make him look her in the eye and talk, but she doesn't. She just forces herself to breathe and cross her arms, stomping on that fighting instinct. Could talking work this time? Unlikely, but...]

Did you forget how things went the last time we went that route, Leon? You should just spit it out.

[This...can't end well, can it?]

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[adamant]

[That pulls him up short. Yeah, he remembers. Damn, it was unpleasant. He turns, a bit slowly, afraid of making himself vulnerable because he knows he pressed her 'punch-bullshit-in-the-face' button earlier. He keeps glancing between her face and her fists. And then he just--]





I love you.



[Oh, god damnit, not what he wanted to say at all, what the hell.]




I'm just very bad at it, apparently. I'm sorry.


[Understatement of the century. He gives her an even look, then turns away again.]