bravenewworld | Closed Log: The Hardest things in life...

Current Music: Yuugao

Entry tags:

Closed Log: The Hardest things in life...

Who: Yakumo and Harima
What: A conversation that needs to happen
When: Early December
Where: Somewhere around the Tsukamoto residence.
Summary: Yakumo finally fesses up to Harima, Shenanigans happen
Rating: S for School Rumble Antics

It'd been a few days since Yakumo evolved, and a few weeks since Harima and Napoleon had moved into the spare part of her house and things were beginning to feel a little different. For one, Harima was just more present, and for two...the normally quiet girl felt much more comfortable and confident. Perhaps a side effect of her as-yet unrevealed Enlightened status, or maybe she was just finding it easier to express her feelings. It could also be the snow, since they really weren't able to go out and explore as much, but it left her feeling like maybe she should finally fess up. She'd told herself it would be after she had worked through some of her mental blocks...and she'd definitely done that. It was going to be hard, but she needed to do it.

And something about today made it seem like the right time. He was outside taking care of Napoleon, and she'd just gotten dinner all set. The slow cooker was going, simmering to make the miltank stew tender, and there's enough time left that she thinks that now's probably the best time to just...tell...him. Maybe it's stupid, a teenage dream, but she knows she can't go on like this. Blushing every time he looks at her, waiting for him to give her hugs, dreaming of...well...all the things a teenager in love dreams about. He's got a good heart, and she knows he cares about her, but she won't be able to deal with that for long. One day, she'll just blurt it out, or trip over herself.

May as well take the Tauros by the horns and go for it, right? At least, that was what Kotori had told her, and Hanayo...in her own way. She needed to just get it out, and before dinner was probably best. If it went well, they'd have dinner together...like a couple should. and if it went badly? Well...Yakumo is pretty sure she wouldn't want to eat afterwards.

Getting dressed in her warmest coat, she picks up Iori and together she and the Meowstic head out into the snow, trudging towards the stables. The Psychic type knows what's going on, able to sense her nervous emotions, hear the hammering of her heart in her chest, and he gives an approving purr. He and his buddy have been waiting for this. In fact, Napoleon gets a little psychic nudge of warning as Yakumo enters the stables.

It's happening buddy!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Harima stared at her blankly for a moment, processing this.

"...I like you a lot too, Yakumo. You're one of the best friends I've ever had."

...It was fairly plain that he didn't understand Yakumo's true intentions on this.

"No!" Yakumo shook her head, "Not like that! You're my friend, of course. But...but...I mean...I mean I like you more than that."

She swallows, clutching a hand to her breast as she tries to put it into words. Her mind racing, she shakes her head quickly, trying not to throw up all the butterflies. This wasn't going as well as she'd hoped...but there was really only one way to get through to him. She knew that. He wasn't good with words, or understanding subtleties...

"Harima...Harima, I love you."

...

That was a wholly unexpected turn of events for this encounter, for Harima. He stilled at those words, slowly processing them and everything that they entailed.

"Yakumo, I...what?"

The girl looked up at him, her eyes wide. She's not sure how to react to that...well...that reaction.

"I...I love you. I have for a l-long time...I just...I haven't...I haven't known how to s-s-say it."

That look on her face was just making it harder for him...

"I--I--"

Napoleon helpfully nudged his human friend in the back. Go on, say it!

Harima swallowed the lump in his throat, staring down at the girl with eyes that were equally wide.

What was he supposed to say?

"I...I..." she trembles, and a panic comes over her. He doesn't know what to say? Or he doesn't like her? Has she...screwed this up? Oh! This was just a terrible idea! Why...why did she have to open her big mouth!?

Rushing around him, she just...runs over to Teru. The Rhyhorn lets out a braying bellow and the girl jumps onto his back, nudging the Pokemon to just...take her away. She doesn't think she can deal with this. So she just...takes off!

Right through the door, tearing it off it's hinges and leaving Harima, Napoleon, and Iori there as the mounted duo tears off through the snowy yard and into the streets of Union.

"What--hey! Yakumo, wait up!!"

Without further ado he scooped up Iori and jumped on Napoleon's back-- mentally kicking himself the entire time. Whatever had happened was on him, and he was going to find a way to fix it.

"Follow her, Napoleon!" He called, nudging his big friend into motion. Together, the three of them tore through the snow hot on the Rhyhorn's trail.

Hopefully, they would be fast enough!

Teru's pretty fast, and he's out of the house's gates and bounding off into the snowy streets at a breakneck pace. She's just got to get away, and the Pokemon feels her emotions, clearly agreeing. He'll get you away, trainer, don't worry!

The girl leans forward, hugging tight and clinging on for dear life, a gnawing sensation deep in the pit of her stomach. She's upset...hurt, and confused. Sure Harima could be a bit slow...but...to not be able to say anything? Just freeze up like that?! No...that hurt...and she doesn't want to even look at him right now. Stopping is just out of the question.

Now the snow's deep enough that Napoleon will have no trouble moving, or following Rhyhorn's tracks...

Teru was pretty fast, and Napoleon had yet to truly test the limits of his new form....but snow was always a benefit for him.

And, obviously, Rhyhorn tracks stood out in the newly fallen snow.

Harima dug his hands into his friends thick hair, holding on tightly for his own and Iori's sake. There was no telling what was going to happen out in this weather, but he would be damned if he gave up now.

"Yakumo! Hold up!"

He called out into the cold air, despite knowing that he wouldn't get any responce.

Teru charges ahead, feet thundering on the icy roads. He's making for one of the gates, maybe, to the far south, but Yakumo isn't really paying attention. She trusts her companion, and she doesn't hear Harima.

So, away they go, heading towards a large hill covered in ice. This...given the bulk and speed, might be a potential problem.

It could be a problem, not that Napoleon cares. He continues charging ahead, pushing his legs as fast as they could go because he knew that Harima didn't want it to end up like it did.

He was dumb, but he had a good heart. This wasn't how it was supposed to end.

As Teru gets onto the hill, he realizes his mistake. he's not meant to be running on ice this fast, and his balance starts to wobble. Yakumo cries out as the Pokemon's legs sprawl underneath it and it picks up speed, sliding down the steep slope and crashing into things. First is an unfortunate street cart, shattered into pieces, and they clip a passing cart as they go down, faster and faster!

'Ah, shit' was the only phrase that Harima could think of when he saw what was happening up ahead. The ice was too slick-- they were only able to move with the traction they had because Napoleon was a partial Ice type, but Teru? No, the Rhyhorn didn't have the same instincts.

"Napoleon, let's meet up with them!"

Another nudge and Napoleon kicked it into high gear. Harima only hoped that they could make it in time...

Down, down they go! But friction from snow is starting to slow them at least a bit. They'll still hit the bottom hard if someone doesn't get there, but Napoleon's easily gaining on them now!

They were going to get there before there was any crash or chance of anyone getting hurt. As soon as they were parallel to the charging Rhyhorn, Harima saw that there was little choice left to them.

"Yakumo!" He called out over the wind, hoping to catch the girl's attention before he tried anything and got them both hurt.

"H-Harima?!" Yakumo's eyes are wide in fright, and in surprise too. What the hell was he doing?! Why was...oh...Napoleon.

"Don't talk-- just trust me!"

And-- he dove for Yakumo.

She shuts up and feels him barrel into her. The sideways momentum rockets the pair of them into a snowbank, and she clings to him in mid-air.

Teru keeps on sliding, and hits a drift at the bottom hard. That fall would've seriously hurt Yakumo...but not the rock beast, at least!

The two of them go flying into the snow, with Harima taking the brunt of the impact before they rolled to a stop in the fluffy piles of frozen, pristine snow.

Shaking the snow out of his hair, Harima realized too late that his shades had gotten lost somewhere in the fray-- not that it mattered, he could always find a new pair.

There were other, more important things.

"...You alright?"

She holds back a scream as they fly into a snowbank together, curling up against him with her eyes shut. Once everything stops though, and the world stops spinning, the first thing she hears is that question. And she freezes, barely able to look at him, much less speak. he'd just seriously through himself off the back of a moving Mamoswine...

"I...I..." Words won't come. She freezes up in the cold, laying there on top of him.

Harima cursed under his breath, tearing his eyes away from the slim girl while he mentally kicked himself for this. Of course she wasn't alright-- they just jumped off a stampeding rhyhorn!

"Let's find you a doctor. Can you walk?"

"I...I'm...I'm alright," she stammers, still shivering. She's cold but otherwise alright. The snow and he had broken most of the fall. And he didn't know it, but her body wasn't quite as frail as it might appear.

"Are...you?"

Harima shook his head. Missing shades and the snow that had slipped in underneath his jacket aside...

"I'm fine. No sweat."

"G-Good." She leaned against him, shaking slightly as honest to goodness tears start to form in her eyes. She'd done something very, very foolish and she knows it...and maybe gotten Teru hurt to boot. Probably cost herself a valuable friend.

"I'm...s-s-sorry...this is all my fault. I'm...so stupid...I just...I..."

No, Yakumo. It was his fault for being a dumbass, for not knowing how to talk to anyone properly, and for always metaphorically sticking his foot in his mouth.

Yakumo's stammering fractured like brittle ice under the December sun, shards fragile and dripping chilled water off the edges and into the snow. Harima pulled back, looking stunned by the emotional turn of this dialogue.

Whatever was intended to happen, Harima knew that this wasn't it.

Hesitantly, he gently pressed a cold finger against her lips in an attempt to silence her.

"Shhh," he hushed her, leaning in. "It's not like that. You're a good person, always have been."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject