victory_road

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Keith and Romelle are gone. I've got their starters. And Keith's Skarmory. If anyone has any of their other pokemon I'd appreciate knowing. Going to Cianwood City. Missed that badge. Sorry to anyone waiting on the Island. That's all.

[That's. Really all. That's all he knows how to say about the situation. All he thinks to say without dumping more feelings out.]

[So clearly... it's back on the road.]

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Lance and Matt want to.

[But...]

[He doesn't speak on the "but". Because Lance is part of the team. Lance knows Keith. This might be hurting him just as badly. Matt is too -- and Matt has the observatory. And Shiro hates feeling like he's prying his boyfriend away.]

Jean I'm sorry

What're you apologizing for? I'm the one who's in jail and can't come meet you on the road.

[That part, at least, is patently Not Shiro's Fault(tm).]

Are you letting them? They're coming to meet you because they care about your dumb dorito ass, you know.

I'm not in control.

[Of his words, of his situation, of the people they've all come to care about. That he can't keep himself together. That the solution is still to shove it all under the rug and declare "I'm Fine".]

[That he's making Jean worry.]

[So many things.]

I know. I know that

[Jean sees that change to private, don't think he doesn't.]

You can't control everything, Shiro. If you could, I know there are things you would have done differently.

[A soft sigh.]

Don't beat yourself up over shit you can't control, okay? It's not your fault they went home. No one is blaming you for it.

[Look it's easier to break down in private okay.]

I need to be of myself I know they aren't

[He knows they're not blaming him. But maybe? Maybe they should. Keith always had him on such a high pedestal. He never blamed Shiro for one goddamn thing and... that was hard. Like a standard he could never fully uphold.]

[This feels the same way.]

Why?

[It's a genuine question, said without rancor or accusation.]

You're there whenever someone else breaks down; kind of shitty to assume we wouldn't return the favor when you need us.

I don't think you won't

[I think I shouldn't have it]

I don't I would never thnk that about any of you

So why are you running away from all of us?

I'm not running.

[Both times felt like I was running again.]

[Hadn't he said that to Keith? The night before the party? And the answer had been having everyone together helped.]

[Now...]

I need time

[Jean can respect needing time. He's definitely needed time before, to go and sort things out in his head. He's never passed out on the side of a road over it before, but he also knows that Kuro and Haunter will take care of things if that's what happens here.]

Okay. But don't take too much time, all right? There are a lot of people around who are worried about you.

[He knows what Jean is trying to do. He knows he should appreciate it. He should be grateful, and it should help, knowing how much people care.]

[They care, so why are you running? is how his brain starts to twist it around. So many people care, so you should be better already.]

Be back by the time you're out of prison.

Ugh, don't remind me.

[Turns out that a life of crime doesn't pay. Who would have guessed?]

Be well, Shiro. We love you.

[OH GODS SO EMBARRASSING GETTING OFF THE PHONE RIGHT NOW!]

Keep that in mind for the future then

[Yeah, embarrassing for Jean.]

[But he keeps quiet on that front. What ... is he supposed to say to that? How do you respond? Jean solves that issue by hanging up, though.]

[And leaves him staring at the 'gear for a little while longer.]

[ marco can't see the rest of this conversation, but he can see jean asking if someone is going to meet shiro at cianwood city and can't help but butt in. ]

I'm in Cianwood for the same badge. I can go meet him.

[ he doesn't know shiro well, but he knows him well enough to worry, and he knows jean and recognizes that concern. ]

[Oh gods, thank you so, so much for Marco.]

Would you? Please? He needs someone there with him and he's being a stubborn ass about it.

Absolutely.

[ the please isn't even needed, but does speak volumes to how much jean is worried. ]

I'll let you know when I find him, okay? I'm pretty good with stubborn people.

[ . . . . ]

Thanks. I guess I gave you plenty of practice for this exact situation, huh?

I didn't mean you!

[ not just you. ]

But - you don't need to thank me. He's my friend too, and I know he and Keith were like brothers.

Yeah, they were really close. I liked Keith too... what I knew of him.

[Keith had a much harder shell around him than Shiro did. Much harder to pierce.]

He was private. But Shiro definitely cared about him.

[ he's soft as he says it. he imagines this is... pretty similar to how jean would feel if he left. he kind of wants to assure him he has no intentions of leaving - but he's sure keith felt the same way.

oops. that silence has run a little long, hasn't it? ]

I'll make sure to take care of him. Can't have him getting hurt before you get out.

[Oh no: Jean would be emotionally destroyed if anything happened to Marco. Keith is, to the best of everyone's knowledge, going back to a war, but not necessarily his death. Marco, and now Bertolt, would be going home to certain annihilation, and Jean chooses to not think about that as much as he can.]

Yeah, he needs to be feeling better by the time I'm out of jail so he can give me shit about it.

You mean us giving you grief about it isn't working the same?

[ you can't hear it, but there is SUCH an eyebrow raise right now. ]

[Oh no, don't worry, he can hear it. He hears that raised eyebrow all the way over in Violet Town.]

You guys don't have the same level of dadly gravitas.

But you're saying I do have some fatherly gravitas?

A little. But you're going to have to up your game to compete with Shiro.

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sunspotted - 2019-04-05 03:19 (UTC) - Expand

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