lieutenantantichrist | [25] [Video/Action for Goldenrod] - "You Leave Philly and Bad Shit Happens"

[VIDEO]

[The flag behind Blake is scorched and askew from where one of his firehorses brushed too close to it. His eyes are dark-rimmed, and have a hint of a wild sheen. No fancy-ass combed hair this time. His beard is dark and thick.]

I tried playing nice.

[There's a bat-like squeak from somewhere offscreen. Yusuke's going away present. He doesn't seem to hear it.]

More people are vanishing off the face of the earth. The wolfkid disappeared the old-fashioned way. No trace of any of them.

[Suddenly, he slams his fist on his desk.]

That's enough!

[He jabs his finger at the screen.]

As of now, I am declaring martial law. You hear me?! Nobody leaves without my permission!

[A violent gesture knocks over a glass in front of him.]

We're on lockdown!

[The video cuts out.]

[ACTION]

[Blake is in his headquarters, prowling back and forth. He can't seem to stay still, and his Pokemon have caught his restlessness. His arcanine is sniffing the air, Steve is pacing and standing on her toes to peer out the windows, his Kingler is scuttling around the old bowling lanes with its legs clack-clacking on the wood floor. There a squeaking and rustle of wings every once in a while as the last damn Zubat out of reach flaps over to a new corner. The only one that seems at rest is a Beautifly perched on top of a bank of lockers.

Blake's tread is hard and heavy. Every once in a while he hisses under his breath,] Bastards.

[[OOC: THE TIME IS NOW. If anybody's looking to ~~have fun punching an idiot in the head~~ make history by overthrowing Blake's ~~delusion~~ government, now's the opportunity.]]

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No, it doesn't.

It doesn't listen to anybody.

And despite what comes out of your mouth half the time, you're not actually an idiot, so I know you know that.

[His voice rises to a roar.]

Then I'll make it!

Nobody steals from me!

_{[She raises her voice, too-- less because she's angry (she's not) and more just to counter his.]}

This place isn't YOURS, Blake! And neither are the people here! They're not being stolen from you.

Yes they are!

[He's too damn mad to listen to himself, and that's why it comes out.]

I never fucking said they could leave me here!

STOP acting like random turns of fate are personal slights against you!

They're not leaving on purpose!

_{[She'd snapped without even realizing-- then takes a deep breath to compose herself a little.]}

--look.

I've been where you are.

I KNOW exactly how you're feeling.

I GET it.

But we're just people yelling at the sky about how unfair everything is. The world doesn't listen to that. It NEVER has. NO world ever has.

[He wants to yell back. There has to be some reason she's wrong.

He reaches for words, and doesn't find any. All he has is denial. No evidence to back it up.

He falls heavily back into his chair. It creaks plaintively.

When his voice comes out, it's small and lost.]

This is all stupid, isn't it.

_{[Oh, honey. As hard a time as she gives Blake, her heart really does go out to him.]}

... It is and isn't. We all go through stage when it comes to dealing with this shit.

Not so long ago, I was threatening to smash Pokemon eggs on-camera when this place took people away from me.

You're in that phase.

Which-- is okay.

But you gotta be careful not to say or do stuff that you're really gonna regret later, even if it doesn't seem like it matters. Okay?

[That reaches through the weight of his anger and failure to almost be funny.] Good luck. Those things're like concrete.

[He picks at a splinter in his desk with his nail.] Phase. Like that stages of grief thing? Some idiot social worker tried to give me a pamphlet about that shit once.

What is there to regret around here? Nothing sticks.

Yeah, exactly.

Sounds like bullshit, I know, but believe it or not, it's a thing. With me, basically all the stages are 'anger', but lookin' back, it was a pretty clear progression. Y'know?

Anyway.

Point is, I thought that once too.

And then I realized that even when the only thing that sticks is you, you're the one who has to live with everything you said and did.

Half the people who saw me threaten to smash that egg aren't around anymore-- hell, maybe even more than that. I can barely think of anyone. But I'll remember that fucking awful broadcast forever.

And I'm pretty fuckin' ashamed of it.

[Anger as the common theme, yeah, he can follow that.

As she talks, she makes him slow down and think, both things he has been trying to avoid doing.

You have to live with it.]

Hey. Trying to smash something is the most goddamn reasonable reaction I've ever heard around here.

You make a hell of a lot more sense than anybody else who just sits back and takes it without getting pissed off.

Me-

[He snorts bitterly.]

It's not like anybody ever gave me any goddamn respect anyway.

_{[That gets a chuckle out of her.]}

Heh. Well, I won't lie. I've done a lotta smashing in my time here. Windows, plates, peoples' faces...

_{[But she sobers up again long enough to give him a straightforward look.]}

Deciding you knew what was best for everybody no matter what they thought wasn't exactly respecting anyone else.

I know you can be a thoughtful person, but it doesn't exactly come across when you're doing the whole Johto Overlord thing. Y'know? If the only thing people see is some guy on their screen yelling at everyone to do what he says, well... I bet you wouldn't wanna listen either, right?

_{[She tries a crooked smile, tilting her head a little.]}

I'll tell you one thing I respect about you-- you're good at getting back up after taking a hit.

[Blake gives her a wry look as he touches the spot on his face that bore a nice bruise, a long time ago.] Yeah, those skinny girl arms pack more of a punch than you'd think.

[He tries to argue back. There's not much heart in it.] Most of everybody else is kids, criminals, or people who're half nuts. They need somebody with a level head to look out for them.

[The chair creaks as he settles heavily back in it.]

Yeah, well. That'd be somebody else. That's different.

[He knows it isn't quite different enough.

His mouth twitches.]

That's the nicest thing I've heard all day.

_{[At that, she smirks and raises an arm to give it an exaggerated flex. But her tone is still quiet and serious when she replies.]}

Everybody is 'somebody else' to somebody else.

_{[Even if he's raising counterpoints, she can tell he's calmed down a lot.]}

It's the truth.

So, what are you gonna do now?

[The wild, angry energy that was keeping him going has ebbed away. He doesn't know what'll be left.

Steve has been staying out of the way. She knows when her trainer is moody and needs space. Now she makes her way over, claws clicking on the floor. Blake's hand settles on her head and scratches absently.]

I'll shut this place down, I guess. Hasn't done anybody any good. Maybe we'll go off for a long walk somewhere. We've been hanging around this city too long.

_{[The first sensible problem-solving he's done in this entire conversation.]}

A change in scenery'll do you good.

Goldenrod's home, but man, I tell ya, I get antsy when I've been there too long at once.

Yeah. You don't seem like the homebody type.

It's been a while since I've just gone out with my dog and beat up monsters.

[He looks down at Steve as he scratches.]

How about that, girl? You feel like taking a walk?

[She may be an intelligent, tough, and dignified being, but the deep fundamental state of being a canine makes her ears twitch hopefully.]

It's hard to be in this place.

_{[Although she's found herself feeling homesick lately in a way that she never had before. It's weird, and a little surreal.]

[But that doesn't change the fact that A Walk (tm) is probably just what Blake and his critters need.]}

I think that's a good idea.

Yeah. I think I'll go out for a while. Clear my head.

[He stands up and starts taking down the flag. In the midst of folding it, he looks back at the screen.]

Thanks, Heather.

[His lip twitches wryly.]

You have a talent for knocking sense into people.

_{[Even if it's only a lip-twitch, Blake gets a fully-fledged smile from Heather in return.]}

Hey, no prob.

It's a hard job, but somebody's gotta do it.

[25] [Video/Action for Goldenrod] - "You Leave Philly and Bad Shit Happens"

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