02x. [Action - Fourth Wall Event]

[explosivecombat]

[It's been a surprisingly explosion-free few days.

It's not that Kimblee doesn't enjoy having his alchemy back, as he certainly does. However, he doesn't have a proper outlet for it (..."proper") and there's that battle recently, odd and dreamlike and just kind of hovering on the outer edges of his memory - he suspects it wasn't quite a dream and there's been more than enough evidence to back that up, but really, there's not much to be done about it.

So he's restless as hell. Restless as hell is never a good thing.

Today he's got Ayanami out with him, and they appear to be exchanging blows; whether encouraging this with something that's actively tried to kill him in the past is a good idea or not is apparently of no consequence to him today, since he seems to be having a grand old time either way - the shocks she's sending at him are being countered with sharp snaps of his hands coming together and whips of energy detonating in midair when they connect with the electricity, and the explosions are loud and he isn't flinching at them in the least, and the look in his eyes is getting manic.]

Again - come now, you can do better than that!

[That's about the point when Ayanami decides to prove that she can, in fact, do better than that; she waits until the next time he fires off one of those explosive currents and promptly Mirror Coats him, and he's suddenly very, very grateful that getting kicked out of Johto for a month and a half seems to have done wonders for his spine because holy shit, nothing like having an explosion rebounded at you for double the damage, getting the hell out of the way is probably prudent.

But then the air clears and Kimblee is laughing like this is the greatest damn thing he's ever seen, and he's looking a bit of a mess but hey, at least he's happy, even if he's probably deaf as hell after that - ]

That's more like it; absolutely beautiful!

[...right. Well, either way, he doesn't seem to mind.]



[OOC: He can be run into just about anywhere because Johto is, as usual for these things, completely on the blink; he's going to be a bit...um, excited no matter where you happen to run into him because yay alchemy, but you are more than welcome to put him where you want him - he'll be ending up in Goldenrod after the event, however, so he'll definitely be there at some point!]

Comments

[glaciates]

[Well we certainly can't have that, now can we? That would just be rude.]

Yeah, I guess it has been.

[It doesn't feel like it for him, but the chill in the air is more than enough to tell him that he's been gone for awhile. He hesitates for a moment, looking a bit lost before finally coming up with something else to say.]

Sorry about leaving again.

[It's not his fault and he knows it, but that doesn't change things any. He's left Kimblee alone twice now. Johto really needs to decide if he wants him here or doesn't.]

How have you been?

[explosivecombat]

I can't complain.

[He shrugs a little, flicking one of those stray strands of hair out of his face; his ponytail's been doing a spectacular job of messying itself up during the battle, a few more locks have come loose.]

And really, you have nothing to apologize for; I imagine if you had any say it wouldn't be an issue.

[For several reasons; he's arrogant enough to assume he's one of them, and realistic enough to know that "cheating death" is more likely.]

[glaciates]

[You know him too well.]

Yeah.

[A pause. It's as awkward as it usually is when Isaac has no idea what to say. This feels way too familiar, but it's usually never this awkward with Kimblee.]

So uh... have you gotten any new Pokémon?

[God, this is awkward.]

[explosivecombat]

[Oh, god, you had to ask him about the Pokémon, that's so awkward - ]

Ah...yes, I have, actually. Several. I also received a pair of yours; Carmen and Bellatrix are apparently mine for the duration.

[glaciates]

[Wh-What is that look for!?]

Oh, yeah? Are they behaving well? I don't think you'd have any problems with them, but...

[He trails off with a shrug.]

[explosivecombat]

They are, yes; I wouldn't really expect differently.

[He always got on with them reasonably well before, after all, and Carmen is related to Carlisle -

...oh, and Archer breeds those things...

Eugh.

ANYWAY, LET'S MOVE ON - ]

Speaking of Pokémon - what on earth is that...thing you've got with you?

[Because seriously, it looks like you just rode in on the dining room table.]

[glaciates]

Oh, this? I think he's a new species of Pokémon. I found him in the ice caves, but I've never seen anything like him before! I think his species name is "Avalugg." He's pretty slow but he's got a great defense and a pretty good attack!

[Well that certainly gets Isaac to look somewhat excited.]

[explosivecombat]

[...at least it's not the terrifying-sort of excited, honey.]

Somehow I'm not surprised that you're one of the first to find one; I haven't seen that sort before.

[glaciates]

I found him not long after I showed up here so who knows, maybe more of them will appear!

[Or it could be one of those weird three-day-only things. Either or.]

[explosivecombat]

[Good...god.]

My, my - you're rather fond of it, aren't you?

[glaciates]

Well, he is an Ice-type...

[explosivecombat]

[Isaac...]

You don't say.

[glaciates]

What?

[Oh come on, what is that look for?]

[explosivecombat]

Nothing, nothing.

[See, there we go. It's not awkward anymore!

Well, for him. Maybe for you.]

[glaciates]

[When are things not awkward for Isaac...?]

Yeah, well.

[Well.]

I'm glad to be back, even if it's just for a little while.

[explosivecombat]

[Oh, he knows~

That subdues him a little, however; he doesn't seem down at all, more like...softer, somehow.]

It's good to have you back, believe me.

[glaciates]

[That certainly seems to please Isaac and after a moment he starts forward, like he's going to latch onto Kimblee. He then seems to think better of it and raises a hand to mess with his ponytail instead.]

Ah, yeah it... yeah.

[explosivecombat]

[...Ah, that...]

What is it?

[glaciates]

It's... it's nothing!

[Ahahaha... haha... ha... orz]

[explosivecombat]

You wouldn't give me that look if it were nothing.

[His words are easy, however.]

[glaciates]

W-Well, yeah...

[He's way too obvious, isn't he...? Oh well, might as well be blunt about it!]

Are you uh... Are we still...?

[.................how does he ask this]

[explosivecombat]

[...oh.

He suspects he probably should have expected this, but the fact is that he didn't; he tilts his head a little before correcting the behavior, trying to work out how he should respond.]

Well...are we...?

[glaciates]

[At least Kimblee seems to have gotten the question! Isaac shifts to fold his arms, glancing at the Pokémon beside him as if Avalugg has an answer.]

I don't know. I mean, you haven't found anyone else?

[...not that he sounds too hopeful or anything......]

[explosivecombat]

[...Scheiße.

There's a moment where he hesitates too long, and he's staring at Isaac with that expression they tend to get, and it hits him all at once that for once, he legitimately doesn't have an answer to that particular question because he doesn't know.]

Why...Why would I have?

[It's the only way to cover it that he can think of; he suspects it isn't enough, but we'll see.]

[glaciates]

[Well he'll just mirror that expression, thanks.]

Well, I mean, I was gone so...? There really wouldn't be any reason for you not to?

[He hasn't forgotten what Kimblee has said in the past, but Kimblee is the sort of person who can move on, who should move on when things don't work out. Isaac can't imagine him pining over something he can't have, so the idea that Kimblee hasn't moved on confuses him.]