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'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.]

action;

[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.]

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[soggypastry]

[That admission yanks every bit of breath right out of her, leaving her staring at his back with wide eyes and no words. Something in her stomach drops and she tries to swallow but can't. He...loves her? Actually loves her? Talk about a surprise.

It's not that she doubts it, not at all, it's that after all his speeches and their fights about not doing this because of how either could disappear with no warning, she never expected him to take the plunge into this. That's why she's caught so off-guard and speechless now, just staring like he's told her...well, that he loves her. She doesn't know what to say to that, really. She deeply cares for him, too, but...well, she's Lightning. Emotionally stunted, socially inept, better at killing than curing, Lightning.

If Leon wants to walk away, now's his chance. She's too stunned to go punch him now....not that she would have after that revelation.]

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[adamant]

[Anyone who expects Leon's feelings--and the way he goes about expressing them--to make sense is setting themselves up for trouble. Just putting that out there.

Jaw tight and shoulders ramrod-straight, Leon walks away from her. No, he has no intention of stopping and talking about it. No, he has no intention of explaining himself. Even if he wanted to, he doubts he could. Telling her that was bad timing, not even a conscious decision. It just...felt like that was what it would take, to make her understand, to make her care. And yet, even as it emerged he knew it wouldn't do any good. Because the fundamental message is wrong, it's missing a piece: I love you, and because of that, you drive me crazy and I overthink everything you do, I do, we do together and it freaks me out.]