[FIN] Finish the Promise

[BlackFireKitsune]

Seraphine was equally surprised at his question, her eyebrows raising accordingly, but Rosie put the response into words better than she could. "Of course it is. It's more than okay, it's.. it's..." She frowned at the floor as she tried to think of a better thing, but she was not nearly as good at emotional support as Rosie.  

[Suudonym]

He gave one small, hesitant nod. The question was a challenge, though. He remembered the girl in the park who appeared so desolate that he couldn't in good faith leave her, and he remembered by some miracle managing to encourage her and being encouraged by her. But did that excuse everything else that had happened because of him? Certainly the idea of letting Rosie suffer was painful, but how many people would still live…?  

[League Trainer Rosie]

She furrowed her brow watching him, not sure what was going on through his head, of course it concerned her. Of course she wanted nothing more then to help Luke feel better, but she didn't exactly know how. Something was going on with him that was beyond words, even the words Rosie could muster.
"Luke, why do you ask?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Sera's brow furrowed at the question that had her curious as well, and instead of asking and making it repetitive, she simply remained silent and awaited Luke's response.  

[Suudonym]

He tensed mildly, drawing in on himself. "There are a lot of people who would be alive if I hadn't gone there," he said, barely managing the words. "There are a lot of… unforgivable things that would never have happened."  

[League Trainer Rosie]

Rosie was left completely speechless at his reply as she tried to put together what he had said in her mind.
Though it wasn't hard to draw up a vague understanding of what he was talking about, considering the recent events. But it wasn't true... It couldn't be true.
though while she felt that way, it was clearly something that had been on Lukes mind for a while, and if it was making her heart shrink, she could just imagine what it was doing to Luke

"Luke," She continued after a longer silence then she had intended. Speaking gently. "You don't know that for sure..."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

What was he talking about? The thing that happened to him and Yuri killed a bunch of people? Or something else? "Well bad s**t happens all the time anyway," she hazarded, "so I think if that didn't happen, something else would've anyway even if you weren't here. It's not like if you never came to Kodo then it would've been a super happy place for everyone forever, cuz you know that's not how it'd be. Team Rocket would still be there, doing s**t and then we'd have one less awesome person trying to help stop them," Sera explained, leaning over to gently bump her shoulder against his. What else, what else, what other thing could she think of... "And plus what if you never had come? Who would've saved Dove when she fell through that dock? I don't think anybody else noticed as fast as you did and they sure as hell didn't bother to do anything as fast as you did."  

[Suudonym]

"I do know that for sure," he said suddenly, defiantly. "How does opposing Team Rocket make up for anything? If I hadn't been in Kodo, Asch wouldn't have--" No, no, he knew this feeling, this baseless guilt and self-loathing. It was too close, and it was utterly terrifying. Blood feeling as ice in his veins, he abandoned the unfinished sentence entirely as well as all thoughts associated to it, grasping his upper arms with opposite hands as he tried to steady himself. A blade at the throat. All too simply, all worries could vanish. Please, what in the world would it take to stop all of this?  

[League Trainer Rosie]

Rosie's hand joined his on his arm, she didn't look away from his, even if he didn't look at her.
"Luke, we can't think like that. please please please don't. If we dwelt on the choices in our lives that we don't always have control over at that point in time, then who knows what number of mistakes we can dig up, or the regrets we hold. You've always done what you felt was right, and no matter what you say or how you feel right now, you are, and have always been a good person, and a wonderful friend." she paused, her face falling so a sadness she couldn't contain. "We all knew that, Asch knew that... I know nothing can take the pain away... nothing can ever take the pain away. But our whole lives will always just have to continue to be a series of decisions based on the people you love, and finding that reason to stand and keep going. And then, It can start gettting easier..."

Her blue eyes didn't once move from his, despite how painful it was to see him like this, it scared her, all she wanted to do was hug him and just hope that if she hugged him long enough that it would get better.
"I don't want you to feel like coming to Kodo was a mistake," She said, her voice becoming considerably more weak. "I don't want you to be scared to come back, I don't want our home to be linked with the memory of where you feel like you made a mistake that got people hurt. Because its not, Kodo is where you met your friends, its where you've made a powerful and positive impact on the lives of people there, more then you could ever imagine, and I've seen it! Its where you will always have a home with people who will always love you, and always be there for you."
Her hand tightened on his.
"I know nothing I can say can really help right now. But please, don't start doubting yourself now."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Seraphine knew she was not at all good at this sort of thing, trying to make someone feel better who was so depressed and emotionally overwhelmed. Rosie was much better at it than she was, and she freely admitted it - even if it was only to herself. The brunette honestly didn't know what to say, but luckily her friend took care of that easily. Anything Seraphine could think to say would just be a repetition of Rosie's words, so rather than bother doing that she instead hesitantly put a hand on Luke's shoulder.  

[Suudonym]

A small shake of his head, and a response that came in a failing voice, "I'm more scared of staying here than going back to Kodo." Grande Ile had become suffocating, its memories stifling, and he was absolutely certain that he was drowning.  

[League Trainer Rosie]

"you don't have to stay here." Rosie told him, glancing over at Sera with a sad look. "We'll take you back to Kodo, or wherever you want."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Sera squeezed Luke's shoulder gently and tilted her head to better see his face. "Hey, didn't I say earlier we came all the way here to see you? It goes without saying that we're not leaving without you, we came to bring you back home," she said firmly. although she couldn't imagine him living anywhere but in Kodo with them.  

[Suudonym]

"Anywhere but here." The response was small, wavering, and desperate.  

[League Trainer Rosie]

"Okay" the blond nodded, "We will, don't worry."
tucking one of her hair away from her face, she then settled her hand on the side of her neck, gripping her shoulder as she just watched her friend's pain, able to do nothing more then to just sit by him.