Where Angels Tread Once More (001)

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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.

Comments

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I'll be waiting, Krieg.

[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.

[fuelthefire]

[Her silence doesn't bother him as he travels. The two of them have spent so many, many hours in each other's company in companionable silence that the familiarity is comforting...even if it is a little weird to be sharing it over their communication devices rather than in person. It's only a few hours, though, even though they feel like the longest few hours of his life. He watches her reunion with Adorababy and Skagbait with a strange mixture of joy and envy. He's so happy to see the two - the three, including Mari - finally, finally happy again, really happy, and at the same time jealous that he has to wait for hours yet before he can experience that reunion, as well.

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.]

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You've done wonderfully, Krieg.

[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.]

[fuelthefire]

[It is an absolute relief to hear her say that. He was always fairly sure he'd done at least an okay job keeping them happy. It was sometimes difficult to be sure, because they were all missing her so terribly that happiness was not easy to come by, but...well...he'd done his best. And now Angel is here to assure him that his best was more than sufficient, and obviously they're all happy now, returned to her side where they belong. And soon he'll be at her side again as well, right where he belongs.]

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

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[Angel glances around the trees, as if it might give her some idea of just how far she's made it. Further than her feet had gotten her during the first half an hour or so -- a walk to clear her head while Jean packed up his roaming coffee shop. It's faster now, but that doesn't give her a clear idea of where she is.]

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

[fuelthefire]

[Torch Dragon rumbles when he hears Angel say his name and her apologies. This is the kind of thing he loves! He would go as fast as he could for as long as he could anyway, just to see how he did. Knowing Angel is at the end of the journey just motivates him even more!]

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!

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[It had been awhile since Angel had pondered the circumstances of their true first meeting. She didn't like to think about the way she'd manipulated them all the way to her chambers. She especially didn't like to think about the despair they'd all seemed to feel when she announced her plan.

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/

[fuelthefire]

[When they descend on the beach, Krieg will usually wait for Torch Dragon to pull up just prior to landing and then dive off the Charizard's back into a combat roll through the sand. But this isn't the beach and there is no soft sand in sight, and Angel is right there - he's a lot more conscious of her safety than he is of his own, so when TD pulls up to land, he neglects to attempt his usual rolling dismount, and only moves once TD's feet are firmly on the ground. When Angel throws her arms around him, TD gives a happy cry and hugs her back with his stubby little dragon arms.

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.]

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[Angel only has a few short seconds between being released by Torch Dragon and picked up by Krieg to make a note of the Darumaka. She and Zen Doll hadn't had a lot of time to get to know one another, but it would still be impolite to not say hello to him.

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.

[fuelthefire]

[The solidity, and warmth, and life of her skinny frame in his arms seems to break something inside of him. The sharp, cutting grief that had nearly consumed him in April is still raw and painful, not yet old enough to have lost any of its edge. It crashes violently against the feeling of absolute joy of holding her again, and he is utterly and completely overwhelmed. Her soft, quiet whisper, her arms around his neck, and the gentle, comforting touch of her hand on his back are all exactly what he needs. That might not be readily apparent to her, however, as he only begins to tremble harder and seems unable, for the moment, to form any words. The only vocalization he can manage is involuntary, and starts off as a shaky sigh that evolves into a long, quiet, keening whine. It's the sound of a man who typically expresses strong emotions with wordless screaming and shouting but does not wish, currently, to scream or shout. He'd rather not be making any noise at all - he doesn't want to upset her, he doesn't want to make her sad or unhappy - but he can't seem to stop it.

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.

[brokencode]

[Angel knows what she wants to say. She would have given next to anything to promise to Krieg that she wouldn't ever leave him for good. She caught a glimpse during her brief return, and then had picked up on the details once she'd well and truly fought her way back home. They both know, however, how impossible it is to keep a promise like that. For all they knew, she could fall asleep that night and simply not wake up once again.


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.]

[fuelthefire]

[Her apology and her promise are a comfort, even though one is unnecessary and the other impossible. He knows she would never leave him - truly leave him - on purpose. The thing that happened last winter was entirely his fault, and they'd talked about it, and they'd understood one another, and they know what they'll do the next time...because if they've learned anything about this world where they have found themselves, it's that there will definitely be a next time. That was how he'd been able to say a proper goodbye, to get some kind of closure, after she'd abruptly left in April. But it's not one of Those Weekends right now, so if she's here, then it must be for longer than just two days.

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.]