[FIN] Don't Say Goodbye

[BlackFireKitsune]

Rosie's behavior was growing increasingly distressing, so Sera held her friend's hand tightly as her other arm moved to hug the blonde. "Both of you damn well better talk if something's wrong," the brunette said, and gave Rosie's hand a meaningful squeeze, "so one of you should start talking." Preferably Rosie.  

[Suudonym]

Just talking wasn't always so easy, not when something was still painful and especially not when someone was already accustomed to bearing such pain alone. "Someone close to you," he ventured, the words quiet and careful as he attempted to offer her something she could confirm or refute or amend as she wanted, "someone you loved so much, wasn't anything like the person you thought she was… or, didn't even want you to know who she really was. Someone who was family hurt people that you care about - hurt you." His own familial relationship with Asch had started from the knowledge that the person who had hurt his friends and stolen pokemon from them was his brother, so he at least had some understanding of what Rosie's feelings might resemble. His tone wilted slightly as he added, "And a friend tries to abandon you when that's the last thing you ever needed." The words trailed into an uncertain silence that Luke hoped Rosie would fill with her own thoughts.  

[Blood_Goddess]

She lowered her forehead against Sera's shoulders when the brunette went to hug her. letting her hand go and with the hand she wasn't holding onto Luke with, wrapped around Sera.
She remained like this as Luke spoke, gasping lightly as she cried into Seraphine, everything Luke was saying seemed to just spring out into her mind. God, how could Faleen DO that to them?
Though it was with Luke's last Statement that she looked up and over at him, shaking her head and holding her arm out for him.
"I'm sorry... I just... I don't know what to do." She spoke weakly. "You wouldn't have to feel like you had to leave if it weren't for her, Seraphine would not have been shot, Dove got attacked, Yuri, Ray, Poor little Henrietta and Tymiko... Terrible, terrible things, and it was all from my sister.. My sister!"

Rosie shook her head harshly "This isn't her, this was never her. Never in a million years, and I just feel so ashamed now of what she did, and so ashamed that I feel so sad for her, ashamed that I want her back, and that I miss her! After what she DID to you!"  

[Suudonym]

The outstretched arm was met with hesitation - he didn't want to take comfort, even unintentionally, for he didn't deserve it after his actions - before he acquiesced to join Seraphine at Rosie's side. He spoke in a tone that was calm but quiet and heavy, "Asch stole Vahy'n. He hurt people, he terrorized people, and who knows what kinds of orders he carried out that we never knew about. I thought I had responsibility for that, but you told me otherwise." He paused, unsure if it was really plausible to effectively relate the two situations that were so similar and yet so different. "But he was still family… And if you'll forgive me for loving my brother, despite everything he did, then there's no way I can fault you for feeling like you do about Faleen. Regardless of what she did, you have years and years of memories telling you that she's your beloved sister. No one's going to ask you to throw all that away."  

[Blood_Goddess]

Rosie furrowed her brow as her expression sank, Luke loved his brother... It was so terrible what had to happen to him, what happened to both of them.
She lowered her gaze again and shook her head, "Or course I do. I always wanted the best for you and Asch..."
How could she hold that against anyone.. She understood how the situations were different, but really, how much different in the end?
Luke had lost his brother, hearing him speak about Asch, that he loved his brother, and knowing what kind of situation Asch had been trapped in with Team Rocket, it was terrible.

"I just wish I knew why..."  

[Suudonym]

"I wish I could give you the answer," he said, "but even if you knew, it wouldn't change the choices she made. Just take it a little at a time, and any time you want to talk, or just want someone there, we'll be beside you."  

[Blood_Goddess]

She knew she couldn't expect it to be that easy. and she showed it with a soft nod of understanding, though one of great disappointment.
Glancing from one of her best friends to the other, she lowered her head back onto Sera's shoulder, hugging her.
"Thank you... both of you. I don't know what I would do without you..."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Seraphine remained quiet while Rosie and Luke spoke, the latter trying to calm the former, and unable to keep herself from thinking, once again, that she wasn't very good at this whole 'emotional support' thing. Regardless, she hugged Rosie when the blonde strengthened her grip, and nodded in agreement with Luke's words. "Yeah, we're always here to talk and stuff." She had no siblings at all, let alone ones in Team Rocket, so it was exceedingly difficult to even hope to imagine or sympathize with their situations. It was hard enough even imagining having a sibling in the first place.  

[Suudonym]

"I could say the same," he said in echo to Rosie's sentiment.  

[Blood_Goddess]

She couldn't say she felt better about what happened, but the fact that she still had her friends, they weren't mad at her, and Luke wasn't going to be leaving seemed to have finally settled in with her.
Eventually Sera had finally succeeded in dragging Luke and Rosie off to get something to eat, sit, and just settle down.

It wasn't until pretty late that Rosie was able to make it home. Opening her door, and letting her pokemon in first. Rosie made sure to keep as quiet as she could, in case her cousins were sleeping. From the soft glow of the upstairs she could guess that at least guess that Rodney was awake, and studying.

Crossing into the kitchen to grab a water bottle from the fridge. The kitchen was mostly clean, save for a small pile of mail sitting on the edge, One envelope in particular caught her attention, since it was sitting apart from the others, and turned face up to display Rosie's name.

Pausing with the bottle in her hand, she tilted her head, letting the fridge door closing beside her as she made her way over to pick it up. opening the unsealed envelope to find what looked like a letter inside.  

[Suudonym]

The words upon the paper were small and carefully written, the message they conveyed disparaging in tone:

Rosie,

I guess a letter like this is a little cold for the last words I give you. I'm sorry, I didn't want to leave without explaining anything, but I'm afraid it isn't something I'll be able to say clearly out loud.

I'm returning to Grande Ile. It's of my own will this time, so don't worry about that. If my father still acts disagreeably, there's another house my family owns where I can stay until he eases off. As far as a reason goes… After what happened in Kanto, I started to understand that all of my choices have hurt people. If I'd realized that sooner, maybe things wouldn't have happened like they did. Every decision I make leads to someone getting hurt. Maybe next time I'll end up getting someone killed. I don't want to hurt anyone again. I'm already beyond ever forgiving myself.

Honestly, I'm ashamed to be near you. The promises I made all turned out to be completely empty. After deciding to protect my friends, I couldn't do anything when it really mattered. I'm a total failure, and it's embarrassing that it took this much for me to figure that out.  

[Blood_Goddess]

Rosie's heart grew more and more heavy as she read the words that she knew were from Luke, having glanced down to the bottom to see who it was from.
She didn't get very far in reading it before she quickly closed the letter.

No, no she didn't need to read this anymore, they had worked past all of this that night, she knew his fears, knew how he felt and they were going to move on.

Folding the paper back up, and then folding it again a few more times she placed it back into the envelope.
It would be okay.

Without reading the rest of the letter, Rosie walked across the kitchen, folding the envelope in her fingers before she dropped the paper in the trash.
It wasn't with anger or malice, the words were hard to hear, but it was in the past now, they could move on.

Closing the lid of the trash Rosie stared at the ground for a couple more seconds, before turning, grabbing her water bottle and heading up stares.  

[Suudonym]

The remainder of the letter descended into the darkness of the trashcan, its sentiments summarily ignored and discarded:

I don't really want to go back to Grande Ile. Kodo is more of a home than the manor ever was. I love this island, and I love Camphoreon, and I love all the friends I met here. A lot of really painful things happened here, but there were a lot of great things that happened too. Above everything else, this is the place where I met you, who was always at my side when I couldn't do something alone, who saved me so many times, who I cherish more than anyone. The happiest I've ever been was with you, and I guess that's why I'm so ashamed, because despite everything you did for me, all I did for you was ruin the competition in Kanto.

If I can't protect anything by being here, I'll protect it by leaving. I don't know what will happen from now on, but I know it'll work out better if I'm not messing things up. I can't do anything, but I'll always hope for your success and safety.

For everything up to now, thank you. I'm sorry. I love you.

- Luke  

[Suudonym]

Eventually, Rosie would receive a new message to her gear: "alors j'ai mis une lettre dans votre boîte aux lettres…"  

[Blood_Goddess]

"Yes, I saw it... but I didn't read it." Rosie typed out a reply, and sent it off after a few seconds.