foolishwren | 78. [Video/Action for Ecruteak Inn]

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Location: Ecruteak City Inn

78. [Video/Action for Ecruteak Inn]

_{[It's a fairly common occurrence for Godzilla the Totodile to hijack Heather's 'Gear-- he's sort of had an affinity for filming ever since he first hatched, after all. But apart from his one little act of philanthropy a few weeks back, he's actually been surprisingly absent for the most part, at least in the sense that he hasn't been filming with the 'Gear much, with or without permission.]

[But TODAY when Heather's feed fizzles on, it's not the blond trainer but instead the little blue crocodile Pokemon.]

[His pebbled brows are furrowed, though, and ... are those BAGS under his eyes? Is it even possible for reptiles to GET bags under their eyes? Is Heather just rubbing off on him or what?]

[He seems to be sitting on the little balcony outside his trainer's room at the Ecruteak Inn, stubby legs dangling off the edge between the rail bars. Ecruteak is a quiet town at night, and as such there's none of the loud nightlife that characterizes many late-night city posts. Just crickets, and the occasional sound of people or Pokemon moving about in the brightly-lit room behind him.]

[It's a moment or two before he actually says anything, but the look in his red eyes is deeper and more contemplative than the normally self-centered little animal usually has.]}

... What do you have to do to be a good Pokemon?

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_{[Yeah, that was sort of her intention. Anything to make it just a little more inconvenient for him to just get up and leave...]

[She stares evenly back. Unlike him, she's NEVER had a good poker-face (if that wasn't obvious the time he'd comforted her back in Olivine...), but she's not gonna give up. She KNOWS he's not okay.]}

Bullshit, Kaito.

None of us know when or if we're gonna get home. You had your BEST FRIEND here with you and then she poofed without even getting to say goodbye to you.

I've known you for a year. Do you really expect me to believe you don't care? That it didn't even get to you a little?

[... that gets a flicker of something, and for once, he actually tilts his head away from her. A few more moments of heavy silence pass before he inhales deeply]

'M just tired of losing people, that's all.

_{[It's okay, she'll wait.]}

Of course you are...

And it's okay to be upset about that stuff, you know? You don't need to pretend it doesn't hurt.

'Least of all to your friends.

[more silence passes.

... and before he can even really think about what he's doing, he reaches up and tugs on her shoulder, drawing her in for a much needed hug]

_{[Okay, THAT'S unexpected... but you know what? It's the good kind of unexpected. Because if there's one thing she's pretty sure Kaito could really use right now, it's a damn hug.]

[She has to twist in her seat a little before letting herself be tugged into the embrace just so that she won't, like, sprain something in her back, but then the hug is being returned wholeheartedly.]}

It's okay.

[there's no talking on his end, just hugging]

_{[She lapses into silence as well-- just sitting there with her arms around him. It feels weird, a little-- to be doing this without cracking some joke or other to ease the tension like she so often does. Not that she's incapable of being serious-- hardly. But she's never been the friend that people ran to for comfort, probably because she so often resorted to humor. Still, this is one situation where humor's not the right solution.]

[So she'll just hug. And rock back and forth a little, just because it seems like the thing to do. Motion can be comforting sometimes, right?]}

[... a little, yes. Though after some time, he pulls away, because he doesn't want to get too clingy]

... I'll be okay. Don't worry too much, all right?

_{[She's used to being the huggy one, so she'll take what she can get.]

[She sits all the way up again once he lets go, offering him a small smile.]}

I know you will. I just... don't want you to feel like you have to bottle all that stuff up, okay?

_{[After a second's hesitation, she reaches over to take his hand in hers, bro-style, and give it a firm little shake.]}

We're here for you. Me, and Crow, and... everybody else.

[Takes it, giving her an amused, lopsided grin when she does, and returning that shake wholeheartedly in return]

You guys sure do stick to people like an annoying piece of tape that you can't quite pull off of your finger, huh? [he says it sardonically]

_{[It gets a crooked smile in return.]}

Yep.

Preeeeetty much.

[snort]

I'll have to start plotting on how I'm gonna lose you guys before I head to Mahogany.

Don't plan on it.

We're like what happens when somebody decides to use glitter in their school project. WEEKS later, you'll still be finding sparkles attached to you randomly.

... When ARE you gonna head to Mahogany? _{[Not soon, she hopes. She's sorta gotten used to having him around.]}

Soon.

[... sorry Heather :(]

You guys will come too, right? [Crow is company, but after Aoko's disappearance he kind of... wants to stick close to Heather's crew]

_{[... The smile falters a little bit.]}

... We were planning on staying.

I still need my badge, and...

_{[S-sorry Kaito.]}

... ah. [reaching up to scratch the back of his head]

For how long? We don't have to move on right away. 'S not like the gym is going anywhere.

I dunno... we haven't, like... planned specifically.

But there's... stuff. _{[Like waiting on Ironhide to get closer, so that he could start teaching her how to fight proper-like instead of street-style... or for Angela, should she decide to flock with her birds-of-a-feather instead of just wandering alone... or just the town. There's something about this place, and Heather wants to investigate.]}

I don't want us to like... weigh you down.

_{[... OKAY SO SHE KINDA DID but not in the 'weighing-down' sense as much as just loving his company.]}

You've been here before and all, so there's not too much of a reason you'd need to stick around...

[leaning back on his hands thoughtfully]

I just have two more badges to go, y'know? I figured I should earn them sooner rather than later.

[shrug]

But I can wait.

_{[Her brows furrow a little bit. It's a sort of strained expression. SHE WANTS HIM TO STAY BUT.]}

... You really don't need to hang around on account of us. Really, you don't. 'Specially since I don't know how long we're gonna stay, and Dad and Henry are a little less... spry and travel-happy than most people are.

... But... if you wanna stay with us, I know I'll be happy to have you around.

[playful eyebrow quirk]

You sure? 'Cause it sounds almost like you're trying to get rid of me, Heather.

_{[... snerk.]}

Far from it, Smiley.

I just don't wanna scare you off.

_{[A pause, and then she claws her fingers, raptor-style.]}

Want me to cling? 'Cause I can cling like a pro.

I thought we already established you clung like tape?

And glitter.

.... Glitter-tape.

[SNORT]

Scary.

I think I just unwittingly invented the most obnoxiously-sticky substance known to mankind.

I should patent that shit.

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