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

[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.]

[explosivecombat]

[Look, in all honesty he agrees wholeheartedly with that but the fact is that he isn't sure if he has or not and as such he has no idea how to navigate this situation - ]

Would you prefer it if I had?

[glaciates]

[How can you not be sure??]

Ah, well...

[...............]

Do you want the honest answer or the socially acceptable answer?

[explosivecombat]

[It's complicated, the entire thing is horribly complicated...

That said, however, the question stops him and seems to center him a little; he tilts his head a bit, considering, before seeming to come to a conclusion.]

...You think you should just want me to be happy, even if it's not with you. That's the socially acceptable answer.

I assume the honest answer is that you want me to say that nothing's changed.

[glaciates]

Yeah. You know me too well.

[He grins, but the expression isn't very sincere.]

I don't know how long it's been, or what's been happening here, but as long as you're happy, I'll be okay. I really do believe that.

[After all, he's not here on a permanent basis. He won't have to deal with it for very long.]

[explosivecombat]

[Kimblee just studies him for a moment before saying anything; he's come to the same conclusion, honestly.

It's only three days. Irrelevant, in the span of things.]

There isn't anyone else, Isaac.

[glaciates]

Really?

[He tips his head a bit at that, expression as open as usual. He's still surprised even though Kimblee's earlier questions sort of implied as much. It doesn't take long for that expression to fade and Isaac smiles. It's not the same over-the-top happy look he usually wears, but it's not a confident smile either. It's a contented one, one that speaks volumes about how pleased he is with that answer.]

I guess it goes without saying but... I'm glad.

[...You totally don't mind if he drags you into a hug right? Not like you have much of a choice anyway.]

[explosivecombat]

Good.

[...oh, dear.

Kimblee flinches a bit at that hug; apparently that's a reaction that's never quite going away, no matter how much time passes, but he's quick to relax into it this time around, allowing one of his hands to find Isaac's ponytail where it's trailing down his back and tugging on it lightly.

He'll likely start squirming eventually, once this has gone on for far too long and he's starting to get claustrophobic, but he's content for now.]

[glaciates]

[Well, Isaac is perfectly content to hug on Kimblee forever, but he'll let go once the squirming starts. He just grins, reaching up to push some of those stray strands of hair away from Kimblee's face.]

I hope I'll return here someday. We can pick up where we left off! We'll need to make up for lost time, after all!

[explosivecombat]

[...Ah. Right...]

Of course, Isaac. I'd like that.