Battles slowed to a trickle in the late afternoon, and by the evening trainers left the PokeCenter for their beds. Ys preferred his shift; he had access to the records and details of pokemon he had not yet seen in person. Usually, Fuu would be busying herself in the back, checking on him at predictable intervals. She did not treat him like a child, condescending or strict; an appreciation. Where was she now?
Not at the desk, or in the back room. He wasn't worried, but she had been acting strangely that day. Her smile hadn't met her eyes. Nurse Joy was in the first room, and the second was dark, but there was light in the third. Ys stops at the door and peaks in. "...Fuu?"
Had she hurt herself? No, he thought, taking count of her tears, this was familiar, the helplessness of despair.
She starts a moment, her knees drawn to her chest, her sob startled into a hiccup. Glancing up, she sucks in a breath, as if to pretend that she'd never been crying. She digs the heel of her palm into her eyes, wiping out the last tears--only to find her shoulders still shaking and tears still coming, unbidden.
"I-I'm sorry." She cries when she's alone. She has to keep that in mind, she has to try to stop the tears. "I-I c-clocked out for break. I didn't mean to waste time..." She sucks in another breath, but she's still crying, covering her face with her hands now. "A-am I late?"
One thing is very clear right now: she's in absolutely no condition to work. She's trying to stop but she's been so homesick for so long, grieving for her closest friend in this world so silently. She's held it back so long that she just can't anymore.
Although it had been months since Miles last worked at the Pokémon Center, he still dropped by periodically. Sometimes it was because Perseus overate and had a stomachache; sometimes Pip got a thorn in his paw during his adventures; sometimes, he needed to switch out his party at the PC. Occasionally (or most of the time he visited) he'd see Fuu. She would be sitting at a desk, or she would be hustling about and assisting the Chanseys. When she was sitting, he'd bring her tea or white hot chocolate--that was the first thing he ever drank with her, though she wouldn't remember
( ... )
She chokes back her current sob at the sound of someone at the door. One shuddering breath after another, she tries to sound normal. She tries to sound calm and happy and like herself. Breaking down in front of others was not an option. She stands, rubbing her sleeve across her eyes, trying to stop her lips from trembling, trying to smile like she normally does--smile with her eyes--
When I remember you, I always want it to be with a smile on your face. The thought comes unbidden to her mind. The comfort Ferio's voice once gave her is completely gone from it, now, leaving only the homesickness, the want to hear his voice for real. The tears well up again--tears of sorrow, of course, of grieving for friends lost and yearning for friends away, and of anger at her own self and her own selfishness. She isn't alone, no matter how she might feel she is. It's why she's still in Goldenrod, instead of moving to Ecruteak. She loved the scenery and culture of the neighboring city, but she needed to be around people. (And she had not
( ... )
He had never really seen Fuu Hououji upset. He'd spoken to her, soon after Shinjiro's last disappearance, but there was no video then. They first met with her trying to console him, and she didn't cry around people. That much he could figure out. She was different from girls like Clover, and while both of them tried not to cry in front of others, she was also different from girls like Kisa. Miles had to remind himself, often, that she was only three or four years older than him. That she was only a year or two older than Franziska von Karma had been.
"I..."
He frowns a little when he sees the smile at first, and when he sees the frown slip away. He knew she'd try. Her failed attempted only showed how much she was hurting, though, and he furrows his eyebrows as he reaches into his pocket to pull out a handkerchief. (He never goes out without one.)
"I brought you some tea," he tells her, holding out the little cloth.
Fuu lets a few moments of surprise pass, completely frozen. For a second it seems as if she might start crying in earnest again. Instead, a shaky, genuine smile breaks on her face.
It might be comforting if it weren't for the fact that she was crying, again. But she laughs a little bit through the tears. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you. Thank you."
She takes a step back, away from the door to let him in the room.
Clover's shift was over, and she had just packed up her things, arranged the files that needed arranging, and allowed her Dratini to curl around her arm as they were leaving. She sighed; she never really planned on working at the Center, but it was amazing how she ended up there anyway. And she had also planned to find a better job at the mall, or another job as a waitress, but somehow, she never really got to it and stuck around the Center for a month
( ... )
Fuu's startled by the voice. A knock was one thing--a faceless person on the other side of the door, it could be anyone or no one. A voice was different, in the way that it was a person. It was a person who had heard her crying and had answered.
Fuu gulps back another round of tears, sniffles once or twice and stands to move from her balled up position on the floor. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb anyone."
Her face is red, her eyes still teary, she's a mess, but she's hoping Clover doesn't say anything. Somewhere in the back of her mind she thinks it would've been more prudent to return to the hotel, or even take the day off.
That voice sounded familiar. It was from that blonde girl she worked with at the Center. Clover was almost certain that was her, crying behind the door. But that girl had always been so cheerful, so calm...it was almost disconcerting to realize that she was the one sobbing here tonight.
"You're not disturbing anyone. It's okay."
She stepped away from the door, waiting for Fuu to open up. The Dratini slithered all the way up to Clover's neck like a blue scarf.
It takes another moment, a few more swipes at her eyes, but the door eventually clicks open. "I'm late, aren't I? I-I'm sorry, I lost track of the time."
She's still shaking a little. Her Caterpie bobs around her feet, and she struggles to force a smile. The last thing she wants is for someone else to see her breaking down like this.
Comments 43
Not at the desk, or in the back room. He wasn't worried, but she had been acting strangely that day. Her smile hadn't met her eyes. Nurse Joy was in the first room, and the second was dark, but there was light in the third. Ys stops at the door and peaks in. "...Fuu?"
Had she hurt herself? No, he thought, taking count of her tears, this was familiar, the helplessness of despair.
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"I-I'm sorry." She cries when she's alone. She has to keep that in mind, she has to try to stop the tears. "I-I c-clocked out for break. I didn't mean to waste time..." She sucks in another breath, but she's still crying, covering her face with her hands now. "A-am I late?"
One thing is very clear right now: she's in absolutely no condition to work. She's trying to stop but she's been so homesick for so long, grieving for her closest friend in this world so silently. She's held it back so long that she just can't anymore.
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When I remember you, I always want it to be with a smile on your face.
The thought comes unbidden to her mind. The comfort Ferio's voice once gave her is completely gone from it, now, leaving only the homesickness, the want to hear his voice for real. The tears well up again--tears of sorrow, of course, of grieving for friends lost and yearning for friends away, and of anger at her own self and her own selfishness. She isn't alone, no matter how she might feel she is. It's why she's still in Goldenrod, instead of moving to Ecruteak. She loved the scenery and culture of the neighboring city, but she needed to be around people. (And she had not ( ... )
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"I..."
He frowns a little when he sees the smile at first, and when he sees the frown slip away. He knew she'd try. Her failed attempted only showed how much she was hurting, though, and he furrows his eyebrows as he reaches into his pocket to pull out a handkerchief. (He never goes out without one.)
"I brought you some tea," he tells her, holding out the little cloth.
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It might be comforting if it weren't for the fact that she was crying, again. But she laughs a little bit through the tears. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you. Thank you."
She takes a step back, away from the door to let him in the room.
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Fuu gulps back another round of tears, sniffles once or twice and stands to move from her balled up position on the floor. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb anyone."
Her face is red, her eyes still teary, she's a mess, but she's hoping Clover doesn't say anything. Somewhere in the back of her mind she thinks it would've been more prudent to return to the hotel, or even take the day off.
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"You're not disturbing anyone. It's okay."
She stepped away from the door, waiting for Fuu to open up. The Dratini slithered all the way up to Clover's neck like a blue scarf.
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She's still shaking a little. Her Caterpie bobs around her feet, and she struggles to force a smile. The last thing she wants is for someone else to see her breaking down like this.
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