|9| [Text][Action]

[wing_attack]

[... He's awake. He's awake and he's inside somewhere and that's not where he was last, so he bolts outdoors as fast as he can, heedless of the weather or the fact that it's the middle of the night. It's wet, but he doesn't care - he hops on Regal and flies out of town as fast as he can, heading towards Ilex Forest.]

[Regal can tell that Tobias isn't doing well, but he can't make it there before he has to land. Tobias takes shelter under a tree, and types out a brief message to the network.]

im awake again if anyone was looking for me went home or something

i dont want to talk about it

[That's it. He curls up on the grass and starts crying, and Regal tries to comfort him but Tobias just stiffens when he's touched, so Regal just sits next to him awkwardly and tries to rest.]

[Then again, since the biannual weirdness has just ended, it wouldn't be surprising if people are in random places, so if someone has managed to end up on Route 34 near Ilex Forest, it's not exactly hard to spot the giant bird near the side of the road.]

[[ooc; Just as a warning, there's going to be spoilers in this post for the end of Animorphs!]]

Comments

[wing_attack]

[The shrieking startles him a bit, and he moves closer to Regal. He considers pulling out someone else from his bag, but Regal can probably take care of whatever it is.]

[The voice makes him pause a bit as he looks down the road. Who is that? He can't tell. Jimmy? Maybe? The older one, not the one from the circus. Regal pulls Tobias a bit closer, and the two stay still while they watch the small group.]

[He's not exactly the best sight to see, with dirt on his face and clothes from where he's been sitting in the damp mud. He can't exactly bring himself to care, though - the only person he ever wanted to look good for is gone, after all.]

[anexcitableboy]

Sorry about that! It's my pokemon, she...she screams. I dunno.

[Jimmy's calling out in the direction of the bird, assuming there was a trainer around somewhere. He's getting closer, Lenore still held snugly to his chest.]

Sorry if we startled you. I don't even know how I got here...

[wing_attack]

[... Oh. That's definitely Jimmy. Tobias opens his mouth to speak, but his throat is dry, so he clears it before speaking. It's still a little scratchy, but at least he's audible.]

It's... it's fine. Regal's not going to hurt you if you get closer.

[anexcitableboy]

Oh, hey!

[Jimmy knows that voice. Bird buddy! His cautious approach stops being cautious and he jogs over to Tobias and his Pokemon.]

You get stuck out here, too? Jeeze, that was weird...

[wing_attack]

... I flew out here. I've been... asleep for a week. I went home.

[He looks up at the other, covered in dirt and somewhat damp. Regal is crouching over him protectively. Something's wrong and he doesn't know how to fix it.]

I wish... I wish I hadn't...

[anexcitableboy]

Home...?

[Jimmy halts by the tree where Tobias has curled up, Lenore still in his arms. It takes him a minute before he understands. Whatever happened, it's clear it was rough on the kid. Jimmy scrubs a gloved hand over his mouth and squats down so he's not towering over Tobias.]

Oh yeah, I've heard about that kinda thing. Guess it wasn't so great a trip. You know...this ain't so great a place to hang out, on that topic. How 'bout you come with me, huh? We can get somewhere comfy. You look like you could use something to eat.

[wing_attack]

[He takes a deep breath, trying to pull the somewhat lost look from his expression, but he can't help it. He's going to have to learn facial expressions again. He can't quite remember how to make his face do what he wants, not how he really feels.]

... I don't know where to go.

[The idea of going anywhere seems... pointless. She's not going to be waiting for him anywhere. She's not at home. What's the point in being human?]

[anexcitableboy]

Well right now, you can come with me. I figure I'll either hit home or a hotel. We can get some food, get a good sleep in. No matter how shitty things are, they usually look a little better after a nice long sleep.

[He doesn't know what happened, but he knows rough times. And Tobias is clearly going through some real rough ones.]

[wing_attack]

... Okay.

[Regal nudges him up, gently, and pushes him over towards Jimmy. Tobias nods, and returns him to his Pokeball, pulling out another one with a blue dot on it and letting out John the Gallade. Walking around without protection just seems like a bad idea, but Regal needs to rest.]

Let's get going.

[anexcitableboy]

There we go.

[Jimmy offers an encouraging smile when Tobias gets up, and shifts Lenore cautiously to one arm.]

I'd put her down, but she starts screaming if I'm not holding her. She's...kinda inherited.

[He doesn't directly ask Tobias about what's going on. If the kid's ready to talk, he'll talk. Jimmy knows better than to try and push someone to open up. Instead he takes out his cigarettes and lights one, resuming his amble along the road.]

[wing_attack]

... It's fine.

[He wrinkles his nose slightly, but keeps going after Jimmy, John watching the area around them cautiously.]

Mine likes playing with my other Ghost Pokemon. Maybe she'd like that, too. ... I think they get lonely easily.

[anexcitableboy]

Yeah? I don't know much of anything about'em. Just what I read in the index thing. She belonged to a guy I knew who went home, for good I guess. He wanted me to have her. She and Omi don't play, but Omi's not really playful.

[He looks down at the pumpkaboo in the crook of his arm and shakes his head. It's one of those leading kind of topics - Lenore's trainer had gone home, and home was the source of Tobias' glums.]

[wing_attack]

... I don't know if being here is better than at home. At home... I always had the sky, and hawk instincts I could just disappear into. Here... I don't have either. I sort of have the sky, but it's... it's not the same.

[He reaches out to give Lenore a gentle pat. It's okay.]

[anexcitableboy]

I dunno either. I've got more going for me here, but...

[Jimmy shrugs, not able to really offer anything he thinks will be helpful.]

It's not home. I don't even have that much waiting for me. I don't even know if I've got a job still. A lot of my family died, recently. But home's home, you know? And it's gotta be crazy tough for you.

[wing_attack]

I... my mother's alive, but she doesn't remember me. I don't really have a home since... since...

[The Gallade moves forward to support his shaking trainer, who shakes his head.]

... Rachel's gone. So I don't... have anyone else to really stay for.

[anexcitableboy]

I get that.

[All too well. Jimmy looks up at the dark sky as he walks, and lets out a long sigh.]

I had a girlfriend, wanted me to ride off into the sunset with her. I wouldn't, 'cause of my ma. Had to stay with her, she was everything. But my ma killed herself a week or two before I came here. And I drove Maggie off.

Was Rachel your girl?

[wing_attack]

... I'm sorry.

['His girl'... he just laughs at that. He can't really help it. The idea of Rachel belonging to anyone is just ridiculous.]

More like I was hers. If you can even call what we had.. a romantic relationship. But she took care of me. She helped me stay connected to being human. Even when I wanted to fly away... even when I wanted to cry but couldn't... she was there. She was... probably the bravest of any of us. And she died... she died fighting. I guess that's the way she would have wanted to go anyway...

[anexcitableboy]

[Jimmy shrugs. It's one of those things he doesn't even know how he feels about. Especially now, removed from it all, the messy weeks before coming to this world seeming more and more like some kind of dream.]

[But something Tobias says makes him nod.]

I think that's the best any of us can hope for. To go out how we want. And all the stuff she did for you? It's still there. I know it sounds like a lot of dimestore card bullshit, but we keep people with us by remembering'em and living the way they'd want us to.

[Not that he's great at taking his own advice.]

[wing_attack]

[The idea of a dime store almost makes him smile. That's right. Jimmy's from a way different time than he is.]

... True. I just... I wish she'd come here instead. She'd like it here.

[anexcitableboy]

Yeah, there's a couple people I kinda wish were here, too.

[Jimmy reaches over and squeezes Tobias' shoulder briefly, wishing he could cheer him up. He knows it's not that easy, though.]

I dunno how it all works. Thinking about it gives me a headache and makes me wanna lie down. But who knows?

[wing_attack]

I've traveled through time and to different planets, so I know about getting headaches from this stuff.

But... all I can do is... keep going, I guess.