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 Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 7:07 pm
There were things that were just hard to accept. It had been difficult to come to terms with the fact that the thief who had hurt his friends was his brother and that his parents had deceived him throughout his childhood. Somehow those seemed different, though, perhaps because they were just things that happened to him in spite of his own wishes and actions. It was difficult to come to terms with the fact that his sword in his hand moving as a direct result of his own thoughts and impulses had taken someone's life. It was almost impossible to reconcile, but he couldn't let that be the end of him. He had a duty to atone for his actions, and there were still things he could do. He was still able to fight, even if he couldn't yet take his sword in hand again.
The request to meet with Guy had been sent with some hesitation, but Luke recognized the fact that he would never be able to settle without knowing what his friend thought of him. Even knowing the worst was better than being left in suspense forever, and so Luke waited restlessly at base of one of the beach's soaring cliffs, where they had agreed to meet. Mieu, happy to be welcome at his master's side again, was nestled calmly in the boy's arms both for the end of mental support and to keep him from pacing idly in all his anxiety. Green eyes watched the late afternoon sunlight dance on the ocean's waves, his hands absently stroking the almost dozing Flareon's oddly-colored fur.
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 7:56 pm
The request itself was met with hesitation, as well, but ultimately, Guy had no choice but to accept to meet Luke and talk things out. It certainly wasn't something Guy was completely looking forward to, but he knew that they would have to speak about it eventually, and the easiest way to remove a bandage from a wound was to rip it off all at once. Or something to that effect. Either way, Guy had been wanting to talk to his friend about this from the beginning, so what was he afraid of?
...Several things, apparently. He was afraid that his friend would berate him for being so cruel earlier. He was afraid that Luke's self-image had been damaged forever. More than anything else, Guy was afraid that Luke, his oldest and closest friend, will have changed. Such a scarring event had obviously done something to Luke subconsciously, and Guy wasn't sure what to expect. He almost felt like he didn't want Luke to know all of the harsh cruelties of the world, even though he was painfully aware that he could not protect his friend from those things. He realized this, particularly after what had only just happened.
Once again, Guy was alone as he steadily made his way to the predetermined meeting place. He appreciated Anonymes' company, assuredly, but he didn't want the innocent little Ghost to be around during Guy's and Luke's conversation. Arceus only knew how Anon would react if he knew 'Sir' Luke had killed a man. Guy's prediction was 'not well at all,' so he opted to leave his Pokemon back at home base. It took nary a minute before Guy caught sight of Luke and Mieu beneath the cliff a short way ahead. His steps wavered for half of a moment as Guy paused tentatively, but after he had taken a deep, calming breath, he stepped forward, calling out in a subdued greeting as he approached his friend. "Hey, Luke."
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 8:07 pm
At Guy's approach, Luke leaned down to set Mieu on the ground, offering the Flareon a pat on the head after it had leapt out of his arms and returning properly upright. The expression with which he met his friend was much more straightforward than it had been when they last spoke, but it was undeniably nervous. He raised a hand in sheepish greeting, "Hey." The hand slowly went to the back of his neck, and he stood for a moment in anxious silence with his eyes on the ground. It was better to know than to wonder forever. It was better to talk and say whatever had to be said than to live in some silent fantasy.
His gaze returned to Guy's. "Um, well, sorry about... before." One word at a time, just one word at a time. "I was kind of... you know, stressed out." Doing all right so far.
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 8:18 pm
Well, Luke hadn't abruptly changed into some completely different, jaded person, Guy noted. That was a promising sign. He halted his approach once he was within arm's-distance of Luke, but he couldn't help but remain a bit wary. He didn't know what was going to happen or what was going to be said. None of that could be helped right now, though. He just had to focus on the matter at hand. That's all it was.
Luke's apology came slowly, but there it was, and in response, Guy merely shrugged his shoulders. "It's... fine. I understand." He didn't understand at the time, obviously, but now was not the time for that! "I, uh... I have to apologize, as well. For pressuring you into talking and... all that. I just wanted to know what was going on, you know?" It seemed like he was always the last to know about anything, but he didn't say this.
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 8:34 pm
He lowered his hand from his neck, returning it to his side where it fiddle idly with the edges of the fabric of his jacket. He nodded slightly. "Yeah, I know... You were just worried, and I was... not being helpful." He flexed his fingers absently, inhaling and exhaling slowly. "I appreciate it though... You're always looking out for me, even when I'm being some... stubborn, uncooperative jerk."
He shifted absently, exchanging a glance with Mieu below despite the fact that the Flareon was wholly unaware of what was going on. He drew another deep breath, making very visible attempts to keep himself calm and steady. "I just... though I should know. Whether or not you hate me for it... Whether or not I could still be your friend..."
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 8:47 pm
Guy folded his arms so as to prevent himself from fidgeting, and he lowered his eyes as Luke spoke. It was still so weird to hear Luke talk so poorly of himself. Guy wondered if he could ever get used to a... a humble Luke. It was a strange change, but Guy supposed that it would be for the better if it stayed that way. Luke's words brought a faint smile to Guy's face as he stared down at the sand at their feet. "It's okay," he said. "You were just upset."
He looked back up to Luke, his blue eyes matching his friend's green. He frowned slightly before replying. "Well... Frankly, I'm shocked that such a thing happened. I never wanted for such a terrible thing to happen, especially to you." His eyes glanced away as he searched for the right words to say. "...But no, I don't hate you for it. I don't think I could ever truly hate you, Luke. You're... You're like a brother to me." Guy realized that he might have hated Luke once, long ago, but such a time had long since passed. That was before Guy really began to know Luke. Guy gave an awkward half-chuckle. "I don't know how much that means to you, considering, but that's how I really feel."
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 9:07 pm
Luke remained very tense and rigid as he awaited Guy's response, not even realizing that he was holding his breath until the words came that allowed him to expel it. He exhaled a long sigh, raising a hand across his eyes as though faced with some light too bright to look at. "Well no, that... means a lot to me. Like, practically everything." He drew his lingering hand across his forehead and through his hair, momentarily silent as he recomposed himself. When he realized this, he gave an awkward laugh of his own, "Sorry, I guess I was kind of worried about that..."
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 9:38 pm
Luke's laugh was met with Guy's own, and the blond chuckled quietly as he sat himself down on a more grassy patch of ground. "Heh... I know, don't worry. It's... pretty reassuring to hear you say that means so much to you, though. Really." Guy wasn't sure at first how Luke would react to hearing his friend refer to him as a brother, especially since Luke hadn't exactly had the best experience with siblings. ...Then again, neither did Guy.
Guy propped his elbows on his knees as he sat, staring out at the sea as it slowly morphed its colors with the descent of the sun. "I have to be honest with you, though; I do worry about you. I worry a lot. Probably more than I really should, actually..." He ran an idle hand through his wind-swept hair. "I know it's rather rude of me to feel like I have to watch over you all of the time, but let's be honest - I've practically raised you since you were a kid. I can't help but feel a little... I dunno." His eyes were cast downward, staring at the ground. "Protective, I guess."
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 9:53 pm
As far as Luke was concerned, Guy was much more a brother than Asch. Asch might have looked like him, but he fulfilled nothing the boy had always heard and expected of a sibling relationship. Guy, conversely, had a much more realistic case in his favor, and it seemed only natural to consider him as such.
Luke followed his friend's cue and seated himself as well, resting his hands around the Flareon that climbed into his lap when the opportunity presented itself. "I think I probably took that for granted," he said at length. "In the first week I was ever here, there was that Rocket chick that threatened me, and now there's... well, this, and then everything in between..." There were certainly a lot of instances when he'd failed to protect himself, when he really thought about it... A hesitant pause preceded his next words, "Asch... keeps telling me to go home. And I'm like... I really don't want to, you know? But clearly I can't look after myself..." His gaze remained firmly in his lap, met by Mieu's own blue eyes. The Flareon reached up to rub the top of his head against the bottom of his master's chin, earning a pat in response.
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 10:11 pm
Guy listened in silence as Luke explained his situation, remarking on the fact that Asch had told him to go back to the Grande Ile. To that particular detail, Guy wrinkled his nose and cast Luke a sidelong glance. "What, you actually believe him, then?" he said sourly, making no confusion between who out of the two brothers he sided with. Guy huffed and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. He remained quiet for a few seconds before he spoke again.
"In the end, it's ultimately your decision whether you want to go back home or not. If it's any consolation to you, Kodo is really starting to feel like home to me. I don't want to go back for a while now." He turned his attention back to the ebbing waves before them. He had grown so accustomed to this sunset over the past year. They both had so many friends here now - that, and they still had Team Rocket to head with - so what real reason did they have to go back and admit defeat now?
"I... admit, it might be partially my fault that it's so hard for you to take care of yourself on your own, what with me being like a mother hen and all..." Guy pursed his lips slightly. "You just need to learn to become independent, and that'll take time. You have to realize, though, that taking care of yourself doesn't mean you can't rely on your friends from time to time," he said, looking back over to Luke.
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 10:40 pm
He shook his head adamantly, "I can't go back now. At least not until Rosie has Vahy'n back... And even then, if there are still things I can do, I don't wanna just leave." At home he felt like he was always just sitting around, never accomplishing anything. He was told time and time again how important it was to study and learn all about the nation's politics, but it was all so inconsequential. At least in Kodo he could actively pursue a solution to a problem instead of just reading about how to disguise solutions in a way that more people are more likely to support them. It was all so convoluted; he couldn't stand the thought of dedicating his life to something like that.
"I don't know about that... I was pretty quick to let others take care of me, after all, so it's not like you can only fault yourself..." He'd let Natalia set up a way for him to get out of the country in the first place, he'd let Rosie show him around and find him a place to stay, and even recently he'd let Yuri give him refuge - there was probably even more than that, even, and this was all just in the last year or so. "I'm... not really sure what to do... Obviously I can't just stay this way, but how am I supposed to change...?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 7:04 pm
Yes... There was still the problem of Vahy'n to deal with, as well as the entirety of Team Rocket. Guy closed his eyes for a moment as his simultaneously listened to the ocean waves nearby and the words of his friend. "Yeah, I didn't really expect you to want to go back just yet. I don't really blame you, either." One of his hands reached up to rub the back of his neck. "You never really seemed that happy back home."
Guy blinked, pondering on the idea of how Luke could change. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Well... So far, you haven't done too badly, I think. You've gone out and made your own friends and you've had your own experiences. I think you should keep doing that, to start with." He paused, trying to conjure up any other suggestions. Guy sighed, raising his hand and flicking Luke in the forehead. "And you should stop being so stubborn. You can't help yourself if you refuse to address the problem. That, and it makes you really difficult to deal with," he added smilingly.
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 7:51 pm
Wasn't that the truth. No, he had been so dissatisfied with his life at home that he had forced it away from himself. It was strange that his peaceful life in Grande Ile still seemed so unlikable, even compared against everything that had happened in Kodo - and everything that was bound to happen yet. Maybe it was just as Guy said and Kodo was already home now.
Luke nodded slightly as Guy spoke. Indeed, if he thought about it, he couldn't say that the people he had met and the things he had seen and done hadn't changed him, and he couldn't say that he was a different person than the boy that had arrived at Kodo a year prior. He was jerked abruptly out of the reverie by the slight, if not unexpected, impact against his forehead, raising his hand to the spot and staring with a brief surprise that gave way to a faint smile. "Heh, yeah... Sorry..." His eyes wandered away, features pensive, "I guess I'm just... really selfish. I know I'm always leaving you out of things, and I guess it's because I'm worried I'll end up hurt over it... or something." He frowned; he wasn't really very good at all this sentimental crap. "But I can try. I mean, I already feel really bad about it, so..."
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Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 4:07 pm
"While I most certainly won't disagree with the fact that you are selfish," Guy began, closing his eyes as he spoke, "you have to remember that everyone is selfish at times. The want and desire to cater to our own needs is something we're all born with. It's human nature." Opening his eyes, Guy looked over to the blue Flareon in Luke's lap and gave the Fire-type a friendly scratch behind the ears.
"It takes time for all of us to learn to put away our selfishness for the sake of others, and it takes longer for some than for others. It's just another part of growing up, I think, and, honestly... You still have a lot of growing up to do, Luke." With that, Guy gave his friend a smirk and a half-hearted punch to the shoulder. As he rested his elbows on his knees, Guy titled his head heavenward to gaze at the changing colors in the sky, a humored look appearing in his expression. "Don't be too hasty to become an adult too soon, though. Being a grown-up sucks."
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Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 7:58 pm
Mieu nuzzled into Guy's touch happily, his large fluff of a tail waving back and forth. Luke remained absent to pokemon and friend alike as he absorbed the words, staring out at the sea with a somber, thoughtful expression. "What makes my life any more important than anyone else's?" he murmured, speaking more to himself than to his company. "What gives me the right to defend myself or my friends at someone else's expense...?" He leaned forward slightly and rested his chin in his palm, visibly vexed by the question and in search of the answer.
Guy's words pulled him from his thoughts, and he responded to the gesture with a passing grin of his own. "Yeah, I guess..." His attention wandered, his expression settling into an insincere smile. Regardless of how many years' worth of memories he had, he was already eighteen years old. Whether he wanted to or not, he couldn't really remain so much like a child: contradictory, stubborn, and selfish.
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