exeggutorhead | 31st Transformation [text/action]

Entry tags:

31st Transformation [text/action]

[Text]

I've got nanao's riolu, she's gone.

[This hasty text is all anyone's going to hear from Envy over the 'Gear until much later in the evening. He already saw that Tulio had said something to the network, so he doesn't feel the need to elaborate. That and he's not really feeling like talking to anyone; he almost doesn't even bring the 'Gear with him when he leaves her house and heads out to the forest that lines Route 34, and it's only habit that has him slip it into his coat pocket.]

[Action]

[With all the disappearances and almost everyone around him losing people, Envy had been growing increasingly paranoid that someone he knew would vanish too. And now someone had. He just hadn't ever expected it to be her. Nanao had seemed permanent, somehow; maybe it was that she had a house, maybe it was the promise she'd made to him, but after finding her bed at the Center empty, her number disconnected, and a Pokeball and a letter (he hadn't read it yet, he didn't want to) meant for him…

It had been stupid of him to think there was anyone that couldn't vanish.

Envy's well into the trees before he finally stops in front of one particularly tall one. He stares up at it, still half in a daze of disbelief, before his face twists into a snarl. Envy never has dealt with loss very well, much less the loss of someone he actually considered family.

With a wordless shout, Envy starts laying into the tree with his fists as though it had personally taken her away. He's lucky he's wearing gloves, or the bark would have cut into his fingers; as it is, he's doing significant damage to the gloves. He doesn't care, he just wants to take this out on something, anything, so that he doesn't have to think about it. He wants his strength back so that he could knock the whole tree down and move on to the next one, and that he can't even make a dent in the wood just frustrates him more. He'd tear the whole forest down if he could. But all he can do in this place is try his damnedest to break his hands. He'll stop eventually, when he doesn't have a choice anymore, but to hell with rational thoughts about how this coping tactic doesn't work so well when he's human.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[France had found out about Nanao's disappearance from Tulio, so he isn't surprised by the content of Envy's post. He does, however, want to talk to Envy in person: partly because he rationally knows Envy was also close to Nanao, and partly because he irrationally wants to make sure Envy is still here.]

Where are you? I want to see you.

[France won't be getting a reply for at least an hour or two, and it's only because it's France that Envy replies that soon.]

woods by rrt 34.

[...yeah his hands aren't working so well right now.]

Edited 2012-02-09 02:52 (UTC)

[France pauses momentarily. There's quite a lot of woods in Route 34, but he can guess that Envy is close enough to the city to be found easily.]

I'll be there soon.

[About twenty minutes later, Envy should hear someone else wandering around the woods at a moderate pace, occasionally stopping and looking for something or someone.]

Hello? Envy?

France?

[Envy's voice is a bit hoarse by now, and while there's no evidence of actual tears, there's a waver in it. He starts walking in the direction he heard France's call coming from; it doesn't take long to find him. By now Envy isn't looking so much angry as he does a wreck. His arms hang loose at his sides, and the fronts of his gloves are ripped halfway to pieces. But there is a good measure of relief on his face when he sees France.]

Afraid I couldn't give much better directions, heh... [He gives a weak attempt at a normal expression before just letting it fall as he continues to approach. He trusts France enough that he doesn't feel like he has to hide behind that.]

[France turns in the direction of Envy's response, quickly meeting up with him in a sort of halfway point. He's openly relieved to see Envy, too, and he moves over to close the gap between them, hugging Envy around his elbows, fingers curling into the back of Envy's winter clothes.]

It's alright.

[He makes a sound somewhere between a rueful and hysterical, presses a kiss against Envy's cheek.]

So happy to see you.

[So happy you're still here.]

[Envy presses into France's hug, bringing his forearms up to wrap around France's lower back in return, even if he can't get his fingers to grip. He hadn't realized how much he needed the contact until just now.]

I'm happy you're here.

[And he means that, completely. Envy lowers his head, pressing his face against France's shoulder and gritting his teeth. His shoulders tense.] Damn it, this place...!

[He still can't make the waver in his voice go away.]

[France rests his cheek against Envy's head, breathing out shakily. There's a part of him that feels almost human, a bitter kind of awareness of the parts of him that are missing here, that he's disconnected from his usual existence. There's another part that is determined to hold onto Envy and take what he can from this moment, in this moment where he does exist.]

[He presses himself against Envy as close as he can, shuddering.]

I can never trust this place.

[Envy makes a noise of agreement. Johto may have given him so much he could never have had back in Amestris, but it had also just proven that it could take that away just as quickly. He's quiet for a long moment.]

Don't leave.

[He can't stand how small his voice sounds, or the edge of desperation to it, but he doesn't have the energy left to have done anything about it.]

[France shivers, swallows, and curls slightly, breathes in against Envy's skin. Envy smells like sweat and exertion and forest and faintly of other things, probably blood, soap, and salt. He smells like earth and humanity. He smells like home.]

[France breathes out, shifts his hands from Envy's back, takes a light hold on Envy's wrists. He lifts Envy's hands, the heel of France's hands supporting the cup of Envy's palms, to inspect the damage done to them before bending slightly and pressing his lips to the top of Envy's right hand, to a patch of uninjured skin exposed between the shredded gloves. He looks up at Envy, still bent low, and smiles, a honest, loving, sad thing.]

I never want to leave you.

I want to go with you, wherever we go.

[Envy stills when France takes his hands, and shivers slightly at the kiss. What's visible of his hands shows mainly nasty-looking bruising and scrapes on his knuckles and the sides of his hands; even in the midst of irrationality he hadn't been stupid enough to punch the tree flat. Still, if he hadn't been wearing gloves it would have been much worse.]

[Envy trusts France completely; there's no doubt in his expression at what France says. He can't keep from smiling just a little himself, as sad and exhausted as he is. France always seems to be able to pull emotions out of him, to make him feel.]

I'd go with you anywhere.

_{[He doesn't respond to Envy's message for probably obvious reasons, but he does a few hours later, just because he really really needs to keep tabs on him, needs to make sure.]

[The uncertainty in his voice this time isn't like his usual, sort-of-awkward-how-do-I-people, but a genuine fear of not getting a response.]}

... where the hell are you?

[It's a little while later before Envy responds. His voice sounds hoarse and dulled. He's used up most of his anger on the tree for now. But he is a little relieved to hear from Tulio.]

Woods next to the route. Are you still at the house?

_{[He nods, remembers Envy can't see it, and gives a low 'yep'.]

[He pauses there though and rubs at his neck, making small noises, starts of words, before he finally blurts it out.]}
_Don'tleave I mean, uh, why are you out there?

Edited 2012-02-09 16:26 (UTC)

[Envy's not entirely sure if he heard that right. There's a noticeable pause before he answers.]

No real reason...what did you say before?

_{[There's an equal pause on Tulio's end, and then he sighs.]}

Just, um ... don't go anywhere.

_{[He doesn't ask that of people. Though he tries to make it sound a little nonchalant, he can't keep his voice from sounding kinda small. It's Miguel and Envy, now, and he needs to make sure they'll stick around.]}

[That Tulio would ask him not to leave means a lot, and there's a tiny bit more life in Envy's voice when he responds.]

I won't if you won't.

[Tulio isn't allowed to disappear either; Envy doesn't know what he'd do if Tulio did.]

Right. Good.

_{[He breathes out and it's in relief, because hell, some guy at Nanao's house left when she disappeared and it's not like he'd really thought Envy would do that, but ... he still worried. He's not good at keeping people around, that's why he doesn't have many to begin with.]}

You can't get rid of me that easily.

[They can be bad at keeping people around together!]

[He sighs, and there's a hint of his earlier anger in it. When he speaks next, it's clearly through gritted teeth.]

I hate this.

_{[Tulio's been pretty angry too, but right now he's just ... honestly very sad. So he just sounds pretty tired and hopeless when he answers.]}

Yeah, me too.

[Envy's quiet for a long moment.]

...I'll head back to the house in a while.

[Besides not wanting to show so much weakness to the various residents who might still be there, the ones he doesn't know well or trust, he's...really not sure he wants to have to go back yet and face that Nanao isn't there anymore.]

Okay. Good.

I'll- see you later.

_{[He really hopes so. If Envy doesn't actually show up, he'd go a little crazy. He hesitates, not sure if he should end the feed there, but eventually does.]}

_{[If the hesitant pause before he speaks doesn't give him away, his voice certainly should. Miguel is very worried.]

I.. I have her Gyarados...

Where are you?}

[It's a while before Miguel gets a response, but he does get one. Envy's voice just sounds dulled by that point, and not at all like his usual tone.]

Just went out for a walk. I'll be back.

Alright then... don't get yourself hurt. _{[And don't go off disappearing.]}

Well...

[It may be a little too late for that first bit of advice Miguel.]

_{[Audible sigh]}

Then at least come back in one piece, preferably without any major injuries.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

31st Transformation [text/action]

[Text]

[Text]

[Text 1:2]

[Action 2:2]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[audio, later]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio 1/2]

[audio 2/2]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]