blossom; cellphone

[punchtheflowers]

[You have reached the voice mailbox of ...Vinnie. Please leave a message after the tone. ... BEEP! Or drop him a text. He's been really into that lately. Specify date and time and which boy you just saw Sasha talking to so he knows who to punch.]

Comments

[rivalsweetscent]

[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...

[punchtheflowers]

[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.]

[rivalsweetscent]

[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.

[punchtheflowers]

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.]

[rivalsweetscent]

[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.]