[FIN] Handling It

[BlackFireKitsune]

At first Sera hadn't wanted to even look at her phone, but finally, begrudgingly, she extricated herself from her blanket nest with a bleary-eyed frown and pulled the device off her nightstand to check it. Ah, Taavi wanted to meet up. They'd both discussed the possibility, however briefly, before -- well, before all of that happened. Drawing in a slow, even breath, the brunette tapped out a short, positive response. Even if she didn't want to leave the comfort of her apartment - or even her bed - she'd gone far too long without leaving, without giving her pokemon the exercise and opportunity to train like they all wanted and deserved.

Some time later, after changing into clothes she could actually go outside in - a black hoodie with pink trim instead of her ruined white one, combined with simple jeans and flats made up her attire, along with a matching black purse and a pink bow tying up most of her hair to keep it out of her face - the brunette grabbed a selection of pokeballs, recalled most of them, then stepped out into the windy afternoon air. While it was chilly it wasn't cold, and while it was bright outside, the number of clouds scattered about the sky prevented it from being too sunny for more than a few minutes at most. With Luna's assistance Seraphine arrived at their predetermined meeting place in the park in no time at all, and as she dismounted the fire-type - along with Anastasia and Giselle - kept an eye out both for would-be threats and also for their company.  

[TawnyAngel]

It didn't surprise him that Sera's reply took a while, it had taken him a while to motivate himself to message her in the first place. When the response came back positive Taavi forced himself to get up on the couch and actually change out of his uniform into jeans, a long-sleeved top, and hoody. Did he look presentable? Probably not, it had been a few days since he'd bothered to shave.... Taavi gave his reflection in the mirror a thoughtful look, was the stubble starting to suit him or was he just going completely nuts? Oh well it was too late to do anything about it either way. Once he'd tied his hair back almost neatly Taavi headed out of the bathroom to find his boots.

With that done he rounded up his pokemon - plus Isaac who wanted to come along and see Sera's pokemon - Taavi stepped out onto the fire escape and climbed a little awkwardly onto Scully's back.

A little while later the Dragonair glided down towards the spot they had chosen to meet. Though he spotted that Sera was already there Taavi didn't wave a greeting because it was kind of hard to hold onto a serpentine pokemon at the best of times let alone with only one hand in action. When they alighted and he'd climbed off Scully's back however Taavi offered Sera a tired smile. "Hey. How're you holding up?" Neither of them were going to be 'good' but he hoped that... well, that things weren't as bad as they might be? That she was coping? Something like that. "Um, Isaac wanted to come along too to see your friends," he added to explain the presence of the Espeon around his neck.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Ah, and Taavi was here; neither of them had to wait very long, that was good. As Sera turned away from Luna, she waved with her right hand - and sunlight occasionally glinted off of her metallic left hand. His question gave her pause and she frowned thoughtfully as she debated how best to respond, but before she could Isaac rubbed his head into Taavi's cheek before he hopped down onto the ground so he could trot over to lean against Sera's legs. A faint fondness manifested in her expression as she knelt down to pet the psychic-type. "Hi Isaac," she said instead, taking the opportunity to have a bit more time to think. After petting him a bit, she straightened up and pulled out another pokeball to release Isabella, who spread out her paws before giving herself a thorough shake, then she, Isaac and Anya congregated near Luna to catch up. Giselle faded into view near Sera, though, and offered Taavi a small wave and a smile.

"Um," Sera said at last with a frown, pocketing Isabella's pokeball and pulling out Agatha's dusk ball to release her too; although she now had two hands, she continued to use just the one. "I'm... uh. Okay I guess," she finished somewhat lamely with an equally lame, unhappy shrug. Inhale, exhale; don't think about it. "What about you?"  

[TawnyAngel]

Oh, well, that was new. "Uh... yeah, same I guess. Your hand is really cool though," Taavi replied, equally lamely and hoping that it was okay to comment on her hand. To cover his uncertainty by giving himself something to do with his hands Taavi reached for his pokeballs to let out the other pokemon he'd brought along: Swift and Sky who Sera might recognise appeared first closely followed by a Chimecho, a golden Vulpix, and a shiny Milotic. "Uh, I don't know if I ever properly introduced you to everyone so! This is Scully, Swift, Strikes the Sky - but she says Sky is okay for short - Melody, Aurelia, and Kielo."

The assembled pokemon made various gestures and noises of greeting, Kielo a little behind the rest as she remembered that she was okay on land now, and that she had one long tail rather than a short one plus two fins on the side.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Oh," she said, her eyebrows lifting a bit almost in surprise as she glanced down; her left hand rose and its metal fingers flexed. "I keep forgetting about it. It's been so long since I had two hands. I can't..." Her expression wavered, the inorganic hand closed into a fist. "I feel like if I'd had it sooner - like I should've - then maybe..." She trailed off there, unwilling to continue the train of thought. That was what was nice about hanging out with Taavi compared to anyone else; he knew, he was there, and she didn't have to explain anything. She didn't have to talk about it because he already understood.

The metal hand lifted further and her fingers waggled in a wave to the pokemon, "Hello. Uh," she frowned as she glanced back to her own pokemon, "I can't remember if you've met all of mine. I think you have? But anyway: Anastasia, Luna, Isabella, Agatha, and Giselle. I have Victoria too, but we should find a better spot before I let her out," she added after gesturing to each of her pokemon as she named them. While she didn't think anyone was listening or could hear them, she didn't want to start going on about a Diancie just in case.  

[TawnyAngel]

Oh yes, he definitely understood. Taavi shrugged slightly and nodded. "Yeah. I wondered, what if I'd had more of my partners with me but..." He shrugged again, unable to finish the sentence. "Probably wouldn't have been different but I can't help thinking it anyway." He still woke up some mornings expecting to see Valour perched on the fire escape or snoozing in the corner if it had been a nasty night and when he didn't....

"Um, I think I had met everyone but I didn't know all of their names. Hi everyone." Taavi smiled a wan smile and gave the group a wave. Victoria though? That had to be the name Diancie had chosen right? He was looking forward to seeing it again - or her? - which was a minor miracle given how he felt in general.

"Shall we take a walk then?" Taavi suggested, gesturing towards a secluded area of the park. "And, eh-he, I keep forgetting I don't have two to use at the minute. Hands I mean." That had been awkward but it probably didn't really matter that much, he doubted Sera had any more energy to judge him for it than he had to worry about it.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Seraphine shook her head; she understood the feeling, the intense desire to wish it could have been different, to think of what she could have done differently... But there was nothing either of them could do about it now. Enough horrible things had happened to her that she knew perfectly well by now how useless such thoughts were. That didn't make it any easier to not think them, though.

Instead she focused on a less painful topic - at least for her - and she strode forward both to get closer to Taavi but also to start walking in the direction he had gestured. "It's hard to remember when you just have one, and once you have just the one for so long, it's hard to remember when you have two again," the brunette noted not without a touch of morbid humor. She'd lost hers so long ago now that it didn't really bother her so much anymore. "At least yours is only temporary. How's your arm doing, and how long do you have to have the cast on?"

Sera's pokemon fell into step behind her - not so much in Giselle's case, of course - and as Isaac and Isabella conversed, Anya peered in Swift's direction with traces of anxious worry in her expression. She knew it wouldn't be 'well' of course, but she felt compelled to ask nonetheless.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Habits, right?" Taavi replied with a wry smile. He then looked thoughtful for a moment before adding; "You can get used to nearly anything when it stays like that for long enough, it might be awful but... yeah, you get used to it, right?" It was hard to imagine ever getting used to Valour not being around but he'd felt the same after his Dad had died and now the absence was normal, though it still hurt.... Maybe he'd call his Mom sometime to see how she and Lauren were doing, Lauren would be - what - seven this year?

"Ah, but I should be able to get the cast off at the start of December so not really long enough to get used to it," Taavi added as he drew himself back to the present and recalled that Sera had asked the question. "It's not really too bad though, the cast is a lot nicer than last time I had one. Um. 3D printing is the way forward right?"

<> Swift greeted the Umbreon with a wan smile that matched the slightly tired droop of his tails. <>  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Yes," the brunette agreed softly as she thought back on all the things and people she'd lost and how long it had taken her to come to terms with each of them. In every instance it had taken quite a bit of time, but in the end the result was the same. "Yes, you can. Sometimes it.. takes a while, but," she finished the sentence with a small shrug.

Oh, only December? "That isn't too long, so that's good. Only about a month or so then," she mused aloud. "I expect you'll want it out by then so you can wear long sleeved stuff better, since it'll be much colder around then. I.. didn't know they could 3D print casts." Her brows furrowed a bit in thought, but it was working for him so that was neat enough.

The dark-type bobbed her head in understanding, her ears tilted back quite a bit. she clarified with a sad, wistful smile.  

[TawnyAngel]

It sounded like this wasn't the first time Sera had lost someone, or at least had something unimaginably awful happen to her... Other than the hand that was. "Yeah, uh, they think six or seven weeks in all and it should be okay. The 3D cast is some kind of trial? I wasn't paying all that much attention when I got it honestly but I've been back a couple of times now to have the bite looked at and, yeah it's pretty cool. They can just unsnap some clasps on it, clean and dress the bite, and put it back together. I think the plastic is recyclable too? So that's good." Ramble ramble.

<> Swift agreed, pausing for a moment to raise his head and look up at the sky. <> The Vulpix sighed, shook his head and set off again. <> Taavi was trying to save up for a fire stone for him but he wasn't sure if that would happen any time soon with Alyssa around.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"I wouldn't have been paying much attention either," she commented with a dismissive wave of her hand, "but that doesn't sound too bad. At least it'll be off soon, and they can make sure the bite doesn't get infected or anything in the meantime." As they walked and talked, their path led them towards one side of the park. A much smaller path branched off from theirs and continued in a winding manner into a more heavily wooded area; Sera turned and headed in that direction. "Over here might be a good spot."

Anya agreed hesitantly as she trotted along in Sera's shadow. Desks were places humans could sit and do things, which sounded much better than trying to use two hands all the time when he only had access to one. For now anyway; it sounded like he would have both soon enough.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Yeah this looks good," Taavi agreed, it was more secluded for one and for another it just looked a tiny bit wilder which always appealed to him. "We ah..." He wasn't sure if he should even talk about this. "We've got a good description of the Rocket out and a photofit, we might...." Taavi ended the sentence with a shrug, the idea of justice was cold comfort but it was something.

Hope? Swift looked up again. <> Swift sighed and looked down at Anya again with a shake of his head. <>  

[BlackFireKitsune]

A severe frown crossed her face and Sera's hands balled into fists. "If he gets caught, whatever punishment he gets won't be nearly enough." With that, she huffed and slipped through the thin, worn path between the trees. Unlike the main walkway this one wasn't paved or lined with anything at all; just a small dirt path worn by the feet of interested people or Pokémon that wanted to find a nice spot off the beaten path.

Anya's short fur bristled immediately, her response quick. she replied, as if the answer was obvious. Her ears tilted back further. course you should keep that hope alive. How would he feel if he learned that you just gave up?>  

[TawnyAngel]

"I know," Taavi agreed. It wouldn't bring back the life that had been taken or change whatever had happened to Valour but- "At least he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else." That was something, an important thing.

<> Swift agreed, looking a little shamefaced. <> Valour had always looked out for him, always been there to cheer him up, and he was just going to give up?

<> Kielo put in a little dreamily. <>  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Sera's frown deepened as she passed through the trees, pushing low-hanging branches away as she went, then finally begrudgingly admitted, "I guess that's true." It wouldn't change anything for either of them though.

A moment or two later the small path opened up into a similarly small clearing - large enough for the both of them and their Pokémon at least, but not much bigger than that - and Sera surveyed it briefly before she moved to one side of it and sat down on a rather large rock since there were no benches or anything else to sit on except what had grown or fallen there. Rather than let Victoria out right away though, the brunette turned to her ghost. "Can you make sure no one else is too nearby?"

Giselle made a soft noise of acquiescence before she disappeared.

the Umbreon replied softly, though she offered Kielo a small smile.