ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* Angel (
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victory_road2018-08-13 01:11 am
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Where Angels Tread Once More (001)
01- Action
[The more things change, the more they stay the same. Angel wakes, knowing that it's been ages since her last arrival. She can tell by the way the sun shines through the trees outside of a window that isn't her own. It's summer, if she had to guess -- the last she'd seen, it'd been spring.
She smiles politely and nods along with "Mom's" antics. She shoulders the bag, maintains her composure for the length of time it takes to make it to a distant treeline, and then quickly tears through it until she finds the small sphere she's looking for.
Mari bursts forth in a ray of red light. She looks around, clearly confused at the change of scenery. It takes her a good second or so to turn around and notice Angel. Her pleased bleat chimes out perfectly in sync with Angel's own delighted yelp. The young woman gathers the pokemon in her arms, burying her face in the soft wool and hoping that the addition of a few tears won't end up shocking them both.
It takes a good few minutes, but eventually she's back on her feet. She approaches the start of the trail, sucking in a deep breath. She'd almost forgotten how it tasted.]
Well, Mari? [She glances down at the pokemon, then off into the woods.] Here we go again.
02- Video -- closed to fuelthefire
[She doesn't make it far into the woods, though. Once she's far enough out of the earshot of both the town and other travelers, Angel pulls out her PokeGear and settles down once more. There are a number of people Angel needs to reach out to, but no one ranks higher than her best friend. She holds her breath as she thumbs through the network, searching and searching until --
Until she finds Krieg. It took long enough to make her worry, make her heart ache all the more for the psycho she'd left behind. She felt bad enough, disappearing on him, and while she'd managed to earn a chance to say goodbye, she would have much rather stayed with him.
It worries her, the time she'd spent away. Krieg had progressed in leaps and bounds over the course of the year and a half they'd spent together. She would have liked to have hoped he'd kept progressing, that he'd stuck with the friends they'd made together and that he'd stayed strong without her.
But as she pulls up his contact information and begins a call, she can't help but worry what might wait on the other line. She does her best to put on a brave face, but her smile wobbles and her brows are tightly knit together. Off-screen, her fingers toy with her dress, at least until Mari notices and nudges them with a gentle bleat.
If nothing else, it reminds her that she can stroke the mareep's head while she waits. At least she isn't facing this alone.]
03 - Video
[When the call to Krieg has gone out, and after Angel has finally managed to dry her eyes, she turns the camera on herself once more. This time, her smile is a little stronger -- she knows Krieg is okay, and it'll only be a matter of time until they're reunited.
Still, it's hard to shake the nervousness. She worries about who she'll see, certainly, but it's who she won't see that troubles her more. Were Jean and Armin still travelling the pokemon world? Was Cissnei still off exploring the islands? Her stomach twists nervously at the very thought of any of them being gone.
And then there was the one person she hoped was gone. Handsome Jack, her father, the man who'd tried so desperately to endear himself to her over the course of her last visit.
She shakes her head and focuses her attention on the pokegear. Her forces her smile to stretch just a little wider, trying to ignore the sick, twisting feeling in her stomach that Jack always seemed to elicit.]
Good morning, everyone. I suppose the fact that you are seeing this video in your feeds says everything that I am planning to but... I can't help it.
It's... been quite awhile. Four months, if I remember my dates correctly. But it would seem that I'm back and that there are no shenanigans beyond that which brings us here occurring. It... seems safe to say that I am here to stay, at least for the time being.
I... hope everyone has been well. And I look forward to hearing from all of you -- not just those I knew before. It is... nice to be somewhere I belong again.
[She trails off, content to leave it at that. Realization hits her only seconds later, however, and she quickly finds herself stammering out one last sentiment.]
Oh, and -- ah. It's Angel. For those that might have, ah, forgotten. Or. That never had the chance to meet me in the first place.
[The more things change, the more they stay the same. Angel wakes, knowing that it's been ages since her last arrival. She can tell by the way the sun shines through the trees outside of a window that isn't her own. It's summer, if she had to guess -- the last she'd seen, it'd been spring.
She smiles politely and nods along with "Mom's" antics. She shoulders the bag, maintains her composure for the length of time it takes to make it to a distant treeline, and then quickly tears through it until she finds the small sphere she's looking for.
Mari bursts forth in a ray of red light. She looks around, clearly confused at the change of scenery. It takes her a good second or so to turn around and notice Angel. Her pleased bleat chimes out perfectly in sync with Angel's own delighted yelp. The young woman gathers the pokemon in her arms, burying her face in the soft wool and hoping that the addition of a few tears won't end up shocking them both.
It takes a good few minutes, but eventually she's back on her feet. She approaches the start of the trail, sucking in a deep breath. She'd almost forgotten how it tasted.]
Well, Mari? [She glances down at the pokemon, then off into the woods.] Here we go again.
02- Video -- closed to fuelthefire
[She doesn't make it far into the woods, though. Once she's far enough out of the earshot of both the town and other travelers, Angel pulls out her PokeGear and settles down once more. There are a number of people Angel needs to reach out to, but no one ranks higher than her best friend. She holds her breath as she thumbs through the network, searching and searching until --
Until she finds Krieg. It took long enough to make her worry, make her heart ache all the more for the psycho she'd left behind. She felt bad enough, disappearing on him, and while she'd managed to earn a chance to say goodbye, she would have much rather stayed with him.
It worries her, the time she'd spent away. Krieg had progressed in leaps and bounds over the course of the year and a half they'd spent together. She would have liked to have hoped he'd kept progressing, that he'd stuck with the friends they'd made together and that he'd stayed strong without her.
But as she pulls up his contact information and begins a call, she can't help but worry what might wait on the other line. She does her best to put on a brave face, but her smile wobbles and her brows are tightly knit together. Off-screen, her fingers toy with her dress, at least until Mari notices and nudges them with a gentle bleat.
If nothing else, it reminds her that she can stroke the mareep's head while she waits. At least she isn't facing this alone.]
03 - Video
[When the call to Krieg has gone out, and after Angel has finally managed to dry her eyes, she turns the camera on herself once more. This time, her smile is a little stronger -- she knows Krieg is okay, and it'll only be a matter of time until they're reunited.
Still, it's hard to shake the nervousness. She worries about who she'll see, certainly, but it's who she won't see that troubles her more. Were Jean and Armin still travelling the pokemon world? Was Cissnei still off exploring the islands? Her stomach twists nervously at the very thought of any of them being gone.
And then there was the one person she hoped was gone. Handsome Jack, her father, the man who'd tried so desperately to endear himself to her over the course of her last visit.
She shakes her head and focuses her attention on the pokegear. Her forces her smile to stretch just a little wider, trying to ignore the sick, twisting feeling in her stomach that Jack always seemed to elicit.]
Good morning, everyone. I suppose the fact that you are seeing this video in your feeds says everything that I am planning to but... I can't help it.
It's... been quite awhile. Four months, if I remember my dates correctly. But it would seem that I'm back and that there are no shenanigans beyond that which brings us here occurring. It... seems safe to say that I am here to stay, at least for the time being.
I... hope everyone has been well. And I look forward to hearing from all of you -- not just those I knew before. It is... nice to be somewhere I belong again.
[She trails off, content to leave it at that. Realization hits her only seconds later, however, and she quickly finds herself stammering out one last sentiment.]
Oh, and -- ah. It's Angel. For those that might have, ah, forgotten. Or. That never had the chance to meet me in the first place.
no subject
Okay.
[...And she's not the only one. His voice cracks again, and he coughs to clear his throat, and repeats himself.]
Okay.
Are you okay? You're not hurt? You're safe?
[And then something occurs to him. It might seem a little crazy, that Mari would be whisked away just like that, but it's also a little crazy that it's possible to store living, breathing creatures in a computer, so. Of the two, the Suddenly Whisked Away scenario seems slightly less insane.]
Did you find your sheep?
no subject
I'm... sorry I haven't been here, Krieg. [More than anything, she wants to reach out and wrap herself in his embrace. There's nowhere she's ever felt safer than with him.] But. I'm here. I am okay, I am safe and... I'll see you soon.
[Mari, having settled against Angel's lap for the time being, perks up at the mention of her moniker. Balancing against Angel's side, she pokes her head up just enough to blink at Krieg. The bleat that follows is one part apologetic, three parts overjoyed. It wasn't her decision to get pulled away from Krieg, but at least it was an important cause.]
I... suppose that answers your question, doesn't it?
no subject
Yes! I'm coming!
[It's a tremendous relief to see Mari's little face peek in at the edge of the screen and to hear her soft little bleat. That feeling on top of the swiftly rising joy as the simple reality of talking to Angel really hits home is straight up euphoric, and he grins widely under his mask.]
Keep her safe, Sheep-face! I'm gonna come get you both!
no subject
How long do you think you'll be? [She's excited to see him, certainly, but she also needs to regain at least a modicum of composure before he arrives.] Do you want me to meet you in the middle?
[Backtracking to the New Bark Town fast travel wouldn't be too much effort. She'd gladly do it if it made Krieg's journey any easier.]
no subject
[He squints thoughtfully at her for a moment before looking up and away in the direction of One Island, already planning the shortest possible route in his head which will also not totally wreck Torch Dragon. The Charizard is strong and fast, but there's no way around how much ground (and sky) they have to cover to get to where Angel is. He can fly TD to the ferry, take the ferry to Olivine, slam through two Fast Travels to get to Violet, maybe slam a third depending on how much the first two make him want to vomit, and then Fly the rest of the way...]
...It's gonna be hours.
[He stops squinting into the distance to look back at her.]
Gotta take the ferry first, but it'll go faster after that. We can meet in the middle!
no subject
But it is disappointing, to say the least.]
I... can start walking then. [It would have been easier with Bailey, or any Pokemon capable of carrying her. Determined as Mari tended to be, and as small as Angel was, there was no way of making that work.]
You'll be safe, right? No stunts?
no subject
[He is absolutely, 100% teasing her, a deliberate callback to the first time he dropped everything to run and find her. It feels strange to remember something so clearly, and even stranger to relish the memory. He was elated at her presence then, and he's beyond elated now. He keeps a tight hold on his 'Gear with one hand, and begins to use the other to reach for essential travel items and pokeballs. TD is already in his ball, which makes that easy. When his hand brushes over 'Dora's ball, he pauses, struck with a thought, and turns back to look at the 'Gear again.]
I'll put your ribbon cat and your spike dog in the PC so you can take them out while you wait!
[There's a PC she can use in New Bark, right? He spent like, ten minutes there, once, and doesn't remember. It seems like there should be. Hopefully there is.]
no subject
Her mood brightens all the more when Krieg mentions her wayward Pokemon. She glances back down the path -- she'd have to backtrack a little bit, sure, but it would be worth it to have Skagbait and Adorababy back with her.]
That would be... That would be perfect, Krieg. I... get the feeling they've missed me. [She tries to pretend that her eyes aren't burning all over again.] How have they been? They have not caused too much trouble, have they?
no subject
[He grins a hidden grin at her again, but his smile fades into a more serious expression as he pauses just to look at her, and to take in the reality of her once again. No, Adorababy, Skagbait, and Mari had not only been zero trouble, the trio had been much-needed comfort. The constant presence of three intelligent creatures that Angel had not only loved, but who had also loved her in return, had been a greater boon than he could ever have imagined.
When he speaks again, his voice is quieter, with even more gravel than usual, as he admits something to her that he hadn't even properly realized until just this moment:]
They kept me sane.
no subject
Hadn't she only just been defending Krieg to Armin? Only a few minutes prior, she'd been so confident in his mental state, convinced that he'd kept soldiering on not because of her Pokemon, but because he'd found the strength to do it himself.
To hear that his grip was far more tenuous than she'd believed knocks the wind from her lungs. Once more, guilt washes over her, the tide far stronger than it had been before. It makes her eyes burn anew, but it also manages to help her muster the strength to bite them back. Crying over it would only make him feel guiltier.]
I'm glad they went to you then. [Her voice is far softer, and she doesn't follow it up with anything. Nothing she could say would take away the pain he'd gone through, would it?]
no subject
[It was more than just her Pokemon - he's somehow made several very good, very staunch human friends in this place, and their presence and their support was just as important - but in the first few days, focusing on the two - then three - creatures he had inherited from her had been all he could do. If he only knew the turmoil his words had caused in her, he would do his very best to explain, to alleviate her worry, but, he doesn't, so...
Anyway, that's all in the past, and they are in the present, where he much prefers to exist. He drops his dark mood with the ease of a man who's had plenty of practice forgetting unpleasant things, and also with the ease of someone who is only a few long hours away from reuniting with his best friend.]
But they suit you better!
[And it's back to gathering Pokemon! He's sitting here wasting perfectly good time that could be used to running to meet Angel.]
no subject
[It's like Krieg had opened a floodgate. It was bad enough that she had left him, at least he'd known life without her. It wasn't necessarily the case with Adorababy and Skagbait. They knew Krieg, and had adjusted well, but the only other person they had known beyond Angel had long since left this world.
To make matters worse, she and her pokemon had only just patched things up after the last time her abilities had reared up again. It felt horrid to think that she'd abandoned them again.
She sniffs, and brushes her hand over her face as casually as she can manage. She'll just have to hope that the effort manages to collect whatever tears were trying to form.]
You're sending them soon, right?
[Right now, more than anything, she needed to see them. To apologize and to know that they would all be okay.]
no subject
No. She feels guilty for leaving them behind.
And for leaving us, too, probably.
The voice in his head is hardly ever a welcome interruption, but this is one of those rare times he's glad it's broken the habitual reticence it's developed since he got here and spoken up.]
Yeah! I'm taking them to the monster hospital now.
[And so he is. It takes him hardly any time at all to pack up in any situation. He never has more possessions than can fit in the backpack "Mom" gave him what seems like a lifetime ago. He doesn't know if he'll be coming back to the island right away once he's met up with Angel, or if they'll strike out on a different path, so it just makes sense to take his few belongings with him.
...As well as all of the usual suspects.]
I'll tell you as soon as I get there!
[Mostly because he's not going to be cutting the connection between their 'Gears....as long as she's on the line, he'll be on, too.]
no subject
[And she does. It isn't a silent wait -- she responds here and there with observations of her location and musings of their first adventure through these woods. The last time she'd passed through the area, she never would have thought they would have become such fast friends. He was a body guard at the time, someone to get her from point A to point B without any interception from their mutual enemy.
But now? It feels wrong to be here, or anywhere really, without him at her side.
It isn't a horrifically long time until he's delivered Adorababy and Skagbait. She speaks less to Krieg then, though the feed remains up and the video remains focused on the newly reunited team.
And then they're on the road. Angel knows she won't be able to cover nearly as much ground as Krieg -- even with her filling out, she still didn't have a creature on hand that was capable of crossing the long distance with any amount of speed. Still, it makes the walk that much better.
It's a couple of hours later, time spent observing her team and listening idly to Krieg some handful of miles away, that she really thinks of anything important to say.]
They look good. Happy, even without me being here. [She hates cycling back to this subject, but at least there's a silver lining.] I think... they needed you as much as you needed them.
no subject
The ferry ride is the worst part, because he can't move under his own power, or at the very least, under one of his 'Mons'. Even though Skully has inexplicably been able to learn the move Surf, she's not exactly a fast swimmer. Which makes sense, considering she's almost a half ton of steel and rock. The ferry is undoubtedly faster than the surfing Aggron, even though it feels slow as mud.
The Fast Travels are also frustrating, because he knows how much better they could be, and they just aren't. He could hop Fast Travels all over Pandora without courting severe nausea after just the second one, and he didn't have to take them in any certain order to cross the continent. He could just go to the one he needed.
It's hours since she first contacted him, and he's finally stepping out of the Violet Pokemon Center and into the streets in preparation for letting Torch Dragon out and finally hurrying things along. He's fighting the dizzy, nauseous sensation that's a result of taking two Fast Travels in a row without a break when she speaks again, and her distracting remark couldn't have been timed better.]
...I just wanted them to be happy.
[He did his best, Angel.]
no subject
[There's no doubt in her mind that the last few months were difficult for all of them, Krieg included. That difficulty doesn't show in the way they appear, though. It's clear that they've been well-tended to, groomed and fed and kept as happy as they could be.
Not that she'd ever had a reason to believe otherwise.]
How much longer, do you think?
[She looks up toward the sky, as if just asking might somehow summon Torch Dragon and her beloved best friends. She's even a little disappointed when that doesn't happen, despite having a clear enough look at Krieg's feed to know he hadn't even taken flight.]
no subject
Not long now!
[As he says that, he lets Torch Dragon out of his ball. The black Charizard snorts enthusiastically as he emerges and immediately crouches down next to his trainer. Someone else is just as excited to see Angel as Krieg is. Swallowing down the lingering nausea of the Fast Travel, Krieg swings a leg over TD's back, and has barely straddled him properly before they're airborne. Then Krieg is laughing as the wind rushes by and TD's strong wings stroke up and down to gain altitude. It takes a minute or two of noisy ascent before they level out and Krieg can talk and be heard again. He looks back to the 'Gear still clutched in his hand, a wide grin hidden beneath his mask. Torch Dragon is a champion flier, and now that they're in the air they're finally going fast enough to satisfy Krieg's sense of urgency.]
How far did you get?
me, quietly trying to pretend that i didn't forget that she's riding with jean
Not nearly far enough. [Her pulls a faux grimace, before turning her camera around to show her surroundings.] Give my condolences to Torch Dragon for all the work he's having to do. We can make camp once you're here and rest for the night.
[It's another memory that she misses. Even before she'd left, Angel and Krieg had done precious little traveling together, at least not when compared to the start of their journey. She'd struck out on her own for a time, but those cold nights didn't compare to the ones spent by a too-large fire, laughing until the moon was high in the sky, and then sleeping peacefully until the sun rose again.]
You remember the first night we did that, don't you? [There had been another face there, a kindly, older man that had since left the world. She hardly remembered him, hardly remembered anything beyond the pressing fear that Jack was close behind them. And of course, she remembered Krieg, illuminated in firelight.
Despite her fear, that image, coupled with his promises to keep her safe, had helped her sleep peacefully. They'd helped her sleep peacefully every night they spent out in the wilds.]
i won't tell anyone if you don't >> Also i'm just gonna fudge the meetup location
I remember.
[It's been a slow process for Krieg, getting used to having memories he doesn't want to forget. He still has trouble holding on to them sometimes, even in this warm and gentle world where he wants to remember. Whatever part of his broken brain is in charge of remembering things is likely damaged, just like the rest of him, but somehow, when it comes to Angel, he seems to have no trouble at all.
He remembers the curious thrill of happiness upon hearing her voice and seeing her face on the network for the first time after arriving. The fierce joy he'd felt when she called him friend. The urgency to reach her side before Jack could find her and harm her some more, and the dumbstruck disbelief when she had thrown her arms around him upon their very first meeting and thanked him for helping her. For killing her. For freeing her.]
Let's have a lot more nights like that!
[Torch Dragon has taken them very high into the air - another challenge he enjoys - and they can both see for miles. One slender young woman, traveling alone and on foot, might be difficult to spot from this height, but one Enchanted (?) Moving Coffee Shop is much, much easier to spy. It still takes about an hour - the towns are very spread out, even for a very fast Charizard, but eventually it comes into sight. Torch Dragon sees it first, and Krieg spots it a moment later, and then they're diving out of the sky toward it with all the speed of a Charizard carrying a nearly 300lb man on his back.
Said man bursts into laughter on the way down, as he always does, because for him, the descent is the most thrilling part.]
Muohhoho! AhahahahAHAHAHA!
you're good, this is perfect!
But that didn't take away her gratitude. And that gratitude had been the driven her to seek out an stick with Krieg from the beginning.
The sound of steadily approaching laughter draws her from her thoughts. She looks skyward, spotting both man and pokemon drawing closer and closer still. She motions to Jean to slow down, and then clambers out of the side car before the traincar can even come to a stop.
She's bouncing on her heels before Krieg even lands. Admittedly, she has to turn her gaze away for the last few feet -- she's terrified she'll see something awful if she doesn't. Once they're both on the ground, though, Angel doesn't hesitate. She crosses the distance between the two of them and throws her arms around Torch Dragon as best as she can. He's worked hard to get Krieg here, and deserves the bout of affection.
It's something to occupy her time while she waits for Krieg to disembark.]
\o/
Krieg is all but vibrating with impatience for his turn to hug her, but the brief pause before he's able to does give him a chance to carefully set Zen Doll on the ground (the little Darumaka is, as always, right where the Psycho is), and to shut off his 'Gear and tuck it away.
Even with those small tasks to attend to, it still seems like an eternity before Angel finally turns to him, but when she does, he reaches up to yank off his mask. His eyes are visibly red and the entire left side of his face is one giant (but healing!) bruise. He drops his mask to the ground at his feet and finally - finally - pulls her into his arms. He lifts her right off her feet, pressing his unbruised cheek to the side of her head and just...holds her. He's trembling with the sheer force of his joy, so much so that Angel will likely feel it even through the strength of his embrace.]
no subject
And then she's being pulled into Krieg's embrace. The bruise is noted, but she doesn't have time to be troubled. One second, she sees his face, the next she's up in the air and said face is pressed against her hair. She doesn't even have time to dwell on it, the warmth of the near-crushing embrace quickly drives whatever concerns she'd had from her mind.
A pair of thin, pale arms wrap around Krieg in kind, settling around the thick span of his neck. One hand dips lower, running a careful circle against his shoulder blade. She can feel him shaking, but from what emotion in particular, she isn't sure. If he's afraid, or upset though, then perhaps the gentle touch might bring some comfort.]
I'm home. [Her voice is barely above a whisper. It doesn't need to be, she knows he can hear her just fine.] It's okay now, Krieg. We're both okay.
no subject
He nods his head briefly to acknowledge her words, a few short, small jerking motions while he squeezes his eyes shut tightly. When he finally draws in a shuddering breath, he holds it briefly to stop any more wordless noises. Then he lets it out in a rush, and it's just a loud but voiceless exhalation. He repeats this three or four times, focusing on the act of breathing to try to rein himself in. When he finally manages to speak using actual words, his voice is low and rough, and cracks at the end.]
I thought you were gone forever.
no subject
The thought alone is enough to scare her into squeezing Krieg just a little tighter. Maybe if her grip was solid enough, she wouldn't have to worry about disappearing into the nothing once again.]
I'm sorry. [Her voice is quiet, almost hollow. Krieg might accept the apology, he might even tell her it wasn't her fault, but it still didn't feel like enough for her. No one deserved to go through losing a friend like that, but especially not Krieg.]
I... won't be going anywhere anytime soon. [It feels like she's tempting fate, making a promise like that. She'll just have to cross her fingers and hope she can at least give Krieg that much.]
no subject
He can only hope.]
I know.
[It might be a while before his voice returns to normal, as overwhelmed as he still is. It'll definitely be a while before he makes any motion to return her to her feet. But, given how tightly she's hanging on to him, it's probably safe to assume that she's totally okay with that.]