[FIN] Smoke Signals of Distress

[Tymiko]

The Umbreon in Tymiko's lap scrambled up to get a view of the picture being sent. She stood to peer over their devices, looking from one to the other.

"Whoa, hold on a second," the trainer told her pokemon, trying to adjust to Distance's sudden change in position. She checked her gear after Abel asked and regarded the picture a while before holding it out for her Umbreon to see. "Yeah, I got it," she said, sounding a bit melancholy. "Thanks. I'll do what I can and tell you if anything turns up."

The girl sighed and was quiet for a few more minutes. "If you catch them - the people who took Isaac - what would you want to do with them?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

While Abel normally didn't like others looking at his phone, an Umbreon wasn't capable of reading anything anyway, let alone things he didn't want to be read, so he made no move to shoo Distance away if she wanted to look. He offered a simple nod and a quiet "thanks" to Tymiko's words, and in the silence that followed he tucked his phone away and took a few more drags from his cigarette.

Her question a few minutes later surprised him, and he turned such an expression to her for a moment before he focused his gaze ahead of him. A hand lifted to run its fingers through his hair, and he exhaled through his nose, blowing clouds of smoke out as he did so, while he thought of how best to respond. Of course he'd thought about it - it was hard not to, at times - but given his past experiences he wasn't about to mention how he really felt about the matter. "I guess that depends," he replied eventually, honestly, and in uncertain tones, "on what they did to him, or what they're planning on doing to him." If they meant him no harm - something he sincerely doubted - then he'd be content if they were simply locked up for a while. If they did mean him harm, or had already done something to harm him, then he would've preferred a much more serious consequence. A moment or two later he turned a partly bewildered, partly curious look towards her and asked, "Why?"  

[Tymiko]

Tymiko waited patiently for the man's response, watching him as he seemed to think about it. When he spoke again, she listened quietly until he was done, taking Distance back into her lap and stroking her to soothe them both.

"Mm." When he turned to look at her, she smiled sheepishly and gave a little shrug.

"I used to be a lot more emotional and impulsive before someone helped me get my feelings under control," she explained. "I did a lot of...stupid stuff. Things that hurt myself and others and that I often later regretted. I eventually decided to try not to regret things anymore so I forced myself to try to calm down and think when I was the most upset or angry. Sometimes I find that planning things out ahead of time - like thinking about what you might want to do once you find Isaac - can help you keep a level head once that time comes. Maybe keep you from doing anything rash, like trying to torture or kill them."

She smiled down at Distance in her arms. "It's funny to me that you didn't even factor what they did to you in your judgement of what you want to do to them back. And it's not like they let you off easy, either, since you're still recovering from the wounds they inflicted - physically and mentally."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

As Tymiko spoke, Abel took another drag from his cigarette before inspecting what little remained of it. Deeming it effectively spent, he pressed the lit end into the ashtray he kept in the corner and left it there, then exhaled one last cloud of smoke. "Sounds like you matured quite a bit since then," he noted, not knowing when 'then' was, and while he was mildly curious about what sort of 'stupid stuff' she'd done, he didn't ask. It wasn't any of his business, after all. "That's good - making rash decisions usually ends poorly. I've made quite a few of those before," the blond admitted ruefully, "so I try not to make them anymore. But I have to wonder," he added after a moment, his voice and expression growing more serious as he leveled her with a critical look, "why the first thing you thought of was torturing or killing." Seriously though, what kind of tracks did her mind run on? She couldn't know anything about his past - she couldn't - so he was fairly confident she was speaking from something more personal.

"Ah, that's because it's not important what they did to me," Abel admitted, spreading his hands out palm-up in lieu of a shrug. "It sucks, yeah, but he's much more important than a few broken ribs. Those'll heal eventually - 'time heals all wounds' and all that jazz - but it doesn't heal anything when someone's missing and you don't know if they're okay or not," the blond finished with a light sigh as he leaned his head back against the brick wall.  

[Tymiko]

"Maybe. In some ways," she murmured, pondering her deeds and motivations of the past. At his mention of torturing and killing, the young lady turned to look at him with a small smile and a peculiar look in her eyes. "Like I said," she answered, "I've done some stupid stuff. Violent, even. I'm told I can be pretty temperamental and I get caught up in the passion of the moment when I'm emotionally impaired."

She shrugged. "I've learned to keep myself in check better since, but that doesn't mean I don't still get urges to hurt others when I myself am hurting. Especially if I feel they deserve it. Like those men." Her eyes had turned hard as she glared at the wall ahead of her.

"Sometimes I'm almost grateful that people like them exist. Their actions give me an excuse. If they're fine with doing whatever they want to others, then I figure it's fine to do whatever I want to them." She shook her head and put a hand to her face to hide it, chuckling bitterly. "Not that that's the way justice, the law, or morals work. I know it's a dangerous way of thinking, but that's how I've always felt. That's why I've had to work harder to remind myself what is and isn't socially acceptable so I can stay out of trouble."

She put her hand back down and looked away from Abel in the opposite direction. "Even if you managed to get Isaac back, though, and he was unhurt...could you ever really forgive those guys? Because I don't think I'd be able to. At least...maybe not until I'd made sure they were truly sorry for their actions, first. And sometimes that takes a little persuading."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

He... wasn't sure if he liked that look on her face. No, he was pretty sure he didn't like it. A faint frown creased his brow and tugged at the corners of his lips, but he had no idea what she'd done and for all he knew, it wasn't actually that bad; he'd much rather give her the benefit of the doubt than assume the worst. "I think that's part of the maturing you did," he noted after a few quiet, thoughtful moments, "if you recognize what sets you off and make a conscious effort to curb it before it gets bad. That can take a lot of effort to do, and not a lot of people do it. Grown-a** adults, too," he added with faint amusement. Oh yes, he'd seen quite a few adults who acted more immature than children.

"But, getting urges is different than actually acting on those urges," the blond noted aloud, and resisted the urge to shrug along with the statement. No, shrugging still hurt. Justice - the law - morals... Such words brought a firmer frown to his face, and he leaned his head back against the brick wall with a tired huff of a sigh. "That's the shitty thing that happens sometimes, y'know. Sometimes someone does something illegal but the law can't punish them for it, so they just get away with it as if they hadn't done it at all. It is a dangerous way of thinking, though," such a dangerous way of thinking, one that he himself had partaken in on multiple occasions, "so yeah, it's best to keep doing what you're doing. I think you'll stay out of trouble no problem, you seem like a good kid," the blond finished with a hint of affection in his voice, and a ghost of a smile crept into his expression for a brief moment before it vanished again. It was hard to be positive when his life was in the gutter, or when they were on such topics - or both.

Her final question gave him pause, and he chewed his lower lip thoughtfully for a moment or two before he gave it up and sighed again. "That's another one of those things that just... isn't really that important. I probably wouldn't ever forgive them no matter what, but in the end it doesn't matter one way or the other. Forgiving them or holding a grudge against them for the rest of my life - neither one'll help bring Isaac home any quicker, yeah? I mean," he added after a moment, a frown alighting his face, "maybe I'll feel differently later on, but right now I just... I don't. It doesn't matter - they don't matter - and at the moment it's kinda hard to really feel strongly about something like that when there's more important things to think about."  

[Tymiko]

"Thank you," Ty replied quietly, her glare mellowing to something more melancholic as she continued to stare at the wall. "A pokemon I met in my travels helped me figure things out or I might have just gone on like that forever without realizing how selfish and insensitive I was being to those around me. Especially those I care about." Distance looked up and her trainer kissed her head. "Pokemon really are a wonder, aren't they? I don't know where we'd be without them.

"That's why I want to do whatever I can to help you get Isaac back. But I don't want to do anything that you yourself wouldn't do or condone. That's why I asked what you'd want to do with those men if you caught them."

At being called a kid, she laughed and looked back at Abel. "I'm older than I look, you know. I'm just short. And have a round face." Her laughter faded, leaving behind a genuine smile. "But thanks for the compliment."

She nodded solemnly at Abel's talk of forgiveness and grudges not mattering. "I understand." She moved Distance off her lap and pushed herself up on her feet. "Well, then, I think I'll leave you to your thoughts. Distance is falling asleep in my lap and my legs are falling asleep right along with her." Ty winced as she had to use the rail to support her weight once the pins and needles sensation started shooting up her legs. "It was a pleasure talking to you, though I wish it was under better circumstances. Hopefully we can talk again soon when you're feeling better."

The Umbreon yawned and stretched. Distance enjoyed the nighttime and was, of course, Nocturnal, but being in the same place for so long doing nothing but worrying over Isaac and Abel was making her tired. Maybe finishing up their walk back to the Pokemon Center would wake her up some more. Before that, though, Distance moved to rub affectionately against Abel's leg - not too hard in case he was hurt there, too - and hurried back to Tymiko's side.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Yeah," the blond agreed as he watched out of the corner of his eye as Tymiko kissed Distance's forehead, "they are." And oh, how he wished he had his... But he didn't, not anymore. He took a deep breath - or as deep a breath as he could, given his injuries - and nodded his head. "They are pretty great. I don't know where we'd be without them, either. I... Thanks." His fingers flexed and fidgeted a bit in his lap, and he kept his gaze downward for the moment. "I really do appreciate it." Even though he didn't have any idea if it would help at all. Was Isaac even still alive? He had no idea, no way of knowing--

Forcefully setting that thought aside before he descended into an even worse state of mind, he grasped onto the conversation as firmly as he could. He offered Tymiko a small, strained smile. "I'm sure you are," he ceded, "but I'm pretty sure I'm still older than you, so you're a kid to me either way."

As she stood, he followed her with his gaze - not with himself, he didn't want to struggle to get up in front of her - before he nodded again. "That's fair," he agreed, "and thanks for keeping me company for a while. It was nice to just sit and talk for a while. Yeah, hopefully next time will be... better." While he understood her desire to get up and walk around and obviously head back home - or wherever she was going next - before it grew too dark outside, he couldn't help but wish she'd stay and talk longer. That was a selfish desire though, for her to stay longer just so he could have someone help keep him from his thoughts.

Distance's sudden presence at his side drew his attention though, and he offered her a brief, wan smile as he reached a hand out to pet her head a bit. His injuries didn't extend to his lower body, so he had no negative reactions to her weight against his legs. "I'll text you and let you know if anything changes, yeah?" He said to Tymiko, even though his gaze remained on Distance for the moment.  

[Tymiko]

The girl smirked at being told she was a kid to him because she was younger. "I'll take that as a compliment," she answered Abel. "And you're very welcome. I'm only sorry I can't do more at the moment."

Tymiko guessed that she might have been leaving the man lonely by bidding him a good night now, but she was the sort of person that couldn't bear to stay by a person's side while they were feeling so down and there wasn't anything she could do about it. She felt especially frustrated and helpless since all she was doing was sitting around.

She could have discussed other ways of trying to find the stolen Espeon or even started making posters to identify Isaac but doing that with Abel around didn't seem like it would have benefitted him much. If anything, it might have made him feel worse, and that was the last thing she wanted to do right now.

By sticking around, she didn't want to inadvertently make the man feel pressured into talking about stuff that depressed him even further, especially since they barely knew each other. Just having Distance by her side knowing that Abel didn't have Isaac was making her feel guilty being around him.

"Sounds good," Tymiko answered Abel, noticing his gaze upon her Umbreon. "Good night, Abel. And good luck. Take care of yourself." She gave him an encouraging smile before turning to go. The sooner she got back to the pokemon center, the sooner she could start making those flyers.