punchtheflowers | blossom; cellphone

[Vinnie stared at his phone as it rang, zoning in on the call display text. He could feel his blood rising as he weighed his three options: end the incoming call, let it ring until voice mail, or pick up.

...no, fuck those other two options. His little brother was hurt and he wanted answers.

One ring shy of going to voice mail, he finally clicked the receive call button. He was in no mood to mince words right now.]

Was this you.

Edited 2012-03-30 04:33 (UTC)

[Yes, that was about the reaction Bulba was expecting. He hesitated. There were a lot of things that could have been said, but they were each as ineffective as the last. Being as straight forward as he could was the only good option he had.]

... Yes. I can't say anything but yes.

[It was very clear he wanted to say no.]

But I never would have wanted this.

[There was a dull silence on the other end of the phone. Maybe the background sound of automatic doors sliding open, the white noise of open air.

When Vinnie spoke again, it was in a strained, gutteral growl - and yet that was the best he could do while holding back the urge to scream.]

So you sent your stupid, fuckface dragon with the raging vendetta against my family... after my little brother. And you thought there wouldn't be blood.

You gave him a reason, and you thought... [Vinnie's voice began to shake, and he had to take a deep breath to compose himself.]

...Is that right.

[Bulba braced himself. This was something that he needed to hear.]

When did Char ever need a reason for anything? [There was a very small sigh.] I didn't ask him to do it. I didn't send him, he just...

[Made the offer and Bulba didn't try very hard to decline it. That was probably just as bad. Would it honestly have gone any different though? He shook his head, faltering for a moment.]

... I'm not stupid enough to think nothing would come from it, but I would never let him go after anyone I didn't think could hold their own. Marie's not a pushover.

Char did it FOR YOU! [Okay, now Vinnie was snapping and accusational, and his voice had gone up in volume. Containing these feelings weren't working out well at all anymore.]

M doesn't have his Everstone anymore! I don't know how the fuckin' thing got out've his gut but he'd rather die than evolve! That wasn't a fight, that was torture.

Is this what your team does t'someone who can't fight back? I hope your fuckin' brother's pleased with himself now that he got to blow off steam from his dumbass tattoo. He finally pulled a win out've his inflamed ass, now. There's scars all over M's face and t-they're not fuckin' healing...

[There was a small choke in Vinnie's words suddenly, and he grew quiet.]

[There was a sharp intake of breath at the accusation, and that was the last sound Bulba made for quite some time.

How was he supposed to know Marie didn't have an Everstone anymore? He hadn't even known he had one in the first place! ... At least hat was how his thoughts had started out, but they came to a very jarring, disquieting halt. It was in that moment that certain oddities suddenly came under the light of understanding. That stupid, stupid rock. With all that happened, Bulba had never confronted the Squirtle about why there had been a freaking rock in his stomach. He'd naturally been a Bulbasaur for so long that the thought of an everstone had never once crossed his mind in regards to the Squirtle.

There was a loud clatter on the other end. The phone had slipped right through Bulba's fingers, hitting the ground before he could fumble to catch it.

How in the hell was he so stupid. How was this even possible. Good job, Bulba, you'd really done a number this time. And for once, this was actually all on you. Clearly karma had just been working in advance so it wouldn't have to deal with this crap now.

When he lifted the phone and found his voice again, it was a small and shaky whisper.]

... I'm sorry. I-I don't know what to say... do...

[There was shaky, uneven breath on the other side of the phone line, and another span of wordlessness. How guilty Bulba felt over this right now was irrelevant - all he had done was state the truth, and if there was guilt felt over it, then it was due. At this point, he owed the Ivysaur nothing.

Maybe he was an idiot for thinking their rival teams could have anything between them except animosity. He didn't want to believe it, but he couldn't dispel the evidence clawed into Marie's face either.]

Even... even if you didn't mean to, that was my little brother who got hurt. I never expected you t'like him, but I thought at least we... were friends...

I'm tired of watching my family get mauled an' not bein' able to stop it, Bulba.

[The conversation had begun in rage, but Vinnie was very quickly losing the battle against his despair - there was simply too much to funnel into anger anymore. Hopelessness and disappointment were overtaking his voice. His words trembled slightly, as though he were in pain.]

[It was a guilt that he would carry without question. It was his fault, and Bulba wouldn't deny it.

... He just wished Vinnie were still angry. He knew he deserved anger, and it was so much easier to handle. It just made him flinch. It didn't reach in and try to break his heart. He felt each tremble in his voice drive them a little farther apart, and it was agonizing.]

... You shouldn't have had to. You don't deserve it. I don't like him, but he didn't deserve it. I didn't know. I'm an idiot who can't take any of it back.

[He swallowed, his voice quavering slightly under the weight of past tense.]

We were friends. I didn't want to lose you too, but I...

Your family comes first.

Tchnngh...

[No, wait, that wasn't emotional pain making his voice shake - it was actual, physical pain. There was some hurt inflicted on him that was not yet fully healed, and the sudden wave of agony was demanding to take precedence over phonecalls. Sucking in a hiss of breath, Vinnie only had space to tell him:]

I need t'find some painkillers... Bye.

[Click.]

[Ah. That was fair. He stared down at his phone for a moment, focusing on the words Call Ended. As far as he knew, that made it three. That was fair too.

He turned his phone off and went back inside.]

blossom; cellphone

oh hello Vinnie was just in the Pokecentre waiting room or something yeah

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