[FIN] Winter Wonderland

[Suudonym]

Though physically worn out, Luke had already spent most of the day asleep, and so after easily making himself comfortable on the downstairs bed (indeed to avoid the stairs), he closed his eyes only to subdue the lingering spinning sensation, his breathing slow and relaxed. He heard Rosie's quiet approach, felt the slight shift of the bed as she seated herself, and opened his eyes with a mild smile. "Sorry about all this," he said, his voice dry and quiet. This little adventure had not been what he had had in mind when he had set off to go to work the day before - or two days before? Everything sort of blended together after a certain point.  

[Blood_Goddess]

She didn't expect him to wake up, and speak, so when he did she blinked in surprise, but returned a soft smile shaking her head, "What are you sorry about?"
Shifting where she sat to face him better and leaned forward to prop herself up onto her elbows so she could speak to him.
"I though you would asleep. Did I wake you?"  

[Suudonym]

He shook his head, "Just closed my eyes for a minute. I'm a little dizzy still." He shrugged partially as he tried to find the means to explain, "You know, the past couple days. The guy who took my gear and said those things. Worrying you. Not finding my way back sooner."  

[Blood_Goddess]

"That wasn't any of your fault, you know." She pointed out. tilting her head lightly "I'm just happy that you're going to be okay."  

[Suudonym]

Another light shrug, "I think I could have dealt with it better, though." He flexed his fingers slightly. "From the beginning, even... I'm not terrible at hand-to-hand combat, but it's difficult if I'm outnumbered..." It was sort of a relief to feel resolved about carrying a weapon after waffling on the decision for so long, though he certainly wished it wasn't necessary.  

[Blood_Goddess]

She watched him in silence for a couple of seconds, her head tilted to the side before the blond let out a light breath, pushing herself up and scooting closer so she could lay down by him, reaching her hand out to take the hand he was flexing into her fingers.
"... What happened? What did they want?" She asked, knowing that while she didn't think it was Luke's fault, she had to understand that she didn't actually know what had happened, for the last two days all she could think about was that he was lost in the woods, and she needed to find him,  

[Suudonym]

He closed his hand around hers as she took hold of it; the depth of the cold that he had felt was already becoming a distant memory, but he appreciated her warmth no less for it. "I don't know," he said. "I think they thought I was spying on them or something? I was about to head back towards town when an Ice Beam hit Leste and knocked me off. A guy came over asking if I was all right, then kneed me in the stomach." His expression fell at the recollection. "Eventually they got me in one of those-- you know, the plastic tie things? The adjustable ones?" He couldn't remember the word, but he felt like the description conveyed the idea pretty well. "They got one of those on my wrists, behind my back, and when it didn't stop me from fighting, I got knocked out." He reached up his other hand to gesture lightly to the bandage on his forehead. "That was this, probably. When I came to, I was at their camp. Apart from the one guy, they were pretty civil."  

[Blood_Goddess]

Rosie tried to swallow the knot in her throat, as prepared as she was for the story of what happened.
"How many were there? I... I mean I know I heard three."  

[Suudonym]

"Um..." He counted them off mentally. "Five, I think? I'm pretty sure I could have gotten away, but probably not for long if they'd decided to pursue, and they'd taken my pokemon, so..."  

[Blood_Goddess]

her brow furrowed with a troubled look, but she took a light breath. "It sounds like they had you really out numbered."  

[Suudonym]

He made a faint sound in confirmation. "They were okay, though. Only the first guy was violent." He exhaled lightly, closing his eyes as he tired of the daylight. "If I ever see him again I'm gonna punch him right in his stupid face. If we're ever walking somewhere and I stop and punch a guy for no reason, that's him."  

[Blood_Goddess]

Though she smiled, it didn't quite reach her eyes, the concern still in her brow. She hoped against hope that Luke would never have to encounter any of those men again.
He looked a little better then he had in the forest, but he still looked like he had taken more of a beating then she could even imagine. many places of his face were discolored with angry bruises and cuts. She could tell he was in pain from the way he moved, and he was like this the whole two days he was lost int he woods, left there by someone who would do this to another human being.

It was hard not to get upset about this, If Ray hadn't found him...

"I'll know to call the cops then." She said, with a weak laugh.  

[Suudonym]

He gave a breathy laugh in reply. Just having his eyes closed was making him terribly sleepy despite having already slept so much. He didn't have the will to open them again, though he insisted on continuing to talk to Rosie.

"I think I would have done a lot better if not for all the fighting beforehand," he said, nearly murmuring. "Started off exhausted... Recipe for disaster. But it worked out, so I guess it's no use dwelling on it." The words were intended primarily as a comfort to himself; he remembered the experience of being found by Ray primary in feelings, none of which were good. It was unduly stressful to think about.  

[Blood_Goddess]

"Yeah," Rosie spoke lightly, "Yeah it did."
She watched him for a few more seconds, knowing just how warn out he must be, lifting the hand she was holding, bringing the back of his hand to her lips and holding it for a couple of seconds, just so grateful that it all did end up okay.

She was tired too, not just from the lack of sleep but from the emotional hurricane all of this brought up. She really wished she could have managed it better, but from the moment she heard that man tell her that Luke was dead she seemed to be in just a constant panic.

"Where they Rocket?" She asked, after a pause.  

[Suudonym]

He was visibly more relaxed than he had been in the day's earlier hours, not only for the obvious reasons but also simply for having Rosie's company.

He nodded faintly, "Didn't seem to mind if I knew, either. They were all in uniform." And also going on and on about the stupid League and the stupid trainers, but again, that was just a*****e Kyle. "They were actually pretty respectful, though, for me being an enemy hostage. When you called and I shouted, I guess that one guy was pissed off by it - he came at me kicking - and someone held him off and someone else stood in between us." His voiced softened tiredly. "I don't know. Maybe they just felt sorry for the pitiful, helpless trainer. I think it's a good thing you called."