mylittlejamjar | 5th Confession: I left without them.

[ The other shoe crashes to the floor and shatters. Kyouko knows she has to do something with the moment but it just stretches on, Teddie and her both staring at each other like the world's stupidest shoot-out, without any guns, with a bear and a half-decayed pony on the bank of a river.

She takes a deep breath. As deep as she can without piercing her lung on a jagged rib. ] Ya realize I'm kinda a half-rotting corpse at this point, Teds. Thought ya were gonna score with the ladies, not some friend who can't even keep her own body in check.

[ Him opening up to her is sweet. She can't deny that. She almost feels bad deflecting the issue. But it's a lot to take in. ]

[...Well, she certainly didn't tell him to go away forever, so he's pretty sure this is going okay. For now...

Still, he's caught off guard by her answer. She didn't agree or disagree, she just...changed the subject slightly. Teddie wasn't even aware that was a thing that could happen.]

What the heck does that have to do with anything?! Don't you see what I'm trying to tell you here?! This is an unbearably huge love I'm trying to confess, it's a big deal!

[ Girls are good at that, Teddie. ]

I know, I know, jus'... heh. Yer serious?

[ It seems like the stars are a little brighter. Or maybe that's just her eye healing.

She wants to give him a hug, actually. That seems ill-advised right now. ]

Look... [ She speaks a little softer. ] It's not a secret that ya mean the most ta me of any dumb person here. Pony, bear. Whatever.

But when the Pale Pony came ta the games and we all realized there wasn' a way ta get back, you know who I was scared for, right? Wasn' me. Told ya, I already died once, so this is just extra. Ya've got a while ta go yet.

[ And their ages aren't even that far apart, and doesn't that make the whole thing a little more poignant. ]

An' when I went ta Stalliongrad ta beat up that guy, an' then jus' now with Jappleack an' th'others... I know it sounds bad ta ya, but I don' care abou' me. Ask the big dumb lizard who came through in my first month, I didn't give two bucks. But...

[ She paws at the ground. ] Ya know. I worry about ya. I guess. An' yer a dork an' all but s'like, I know you'll be okay anyway...

[ Feelings are hard. She feels like she's already said a lot and yet nothing at all. ]

I guess... I guess th'only thing that really matters is that I care about you more than any other dumb person I have recently. [ She doesn't take her eyes off the ground. ]

[Her eyes not being on him gives him the perfect opportunity to slip off his shirt and place it in his bag momentarily. What he does next, he's not even sure if it's a smart idea, but he slides up against her and sits down, leaning on her decaying body. He does his best to be gentle and pick the spot with the least open wounds, and this is honestly one of the worst smells he's ever had to deal with, but he wants to be there for her. You don't just tell someone how you feel about them and then go "Yeah, I'm not about to touch you."

In fact, he doesn't really say anything.]

[ Despite his confession, her wanting to be close to her at all while she's in this state is just about the last thing she expected. But she extends a creaky wing and drapes it over him - luckily, the less-decaying one. ]

See? How many bears do I know who'd do that? Yer somethin' else, Teds.

[ She lays her head on her hooves. Then leans into him a bit. ] Yeah. If we're goin' there, I guess I love you too.

[ Which... isn't a conversation she'd been expecting to have. But she's not about to add modifiers to a sentence like that, not even inconsequential ones. Because she means every word of it. ]

[Teddie's eyes light up like they're practically dancing and his heart would have flown out of his chest if that was a thing that could happen. That was it, she said it.]

Really?! I mean, no, you wouldn't lie to me...

[He's so glad Chie talked him into doing this, who knows how long he would've waited? Best of all, he's pretty sure this is the first time anyone's ever told him they love him. It's...well, like he said before, a big deal.

With that excitement out of the way, he manages to calm himself down and smile the biggest smile he can muster. This must be what maturity feels like.]

I'll do my best, you can count on me! I'll even visit every day until you're better and bring all the soup you can eat! ...Or is it drink? GAH! Y-You know what I mean!

Shh. Stop.

[ Kyouko places a hoof... well, not on his mouth, cause that'd probably be gross, but right in front of it anyway. Still, she's smiling. Oh, is she smiling. ]

Yer gonna... nah, I can't tell ya what to do. [ She grins. ] But ya gotta understand somethin', okay? I'm not sayin' that so that we start some kinda pact where you do stuff for me or vice versa, like this is some kinda transaction or whatever where we each haveta work twice as hard so we get somethin' outta the deal.

I'm sayin' it as a fact. I love you. I love you. Not who ya could be. [ She pokes him in the chest. ]

[That's...a lot of love, definitely not an amount he's used to. The moment she pokes him in the chest, he can't even contain himself anymore. He's bawling, everything he was holding in is finally flooding out. It wasn't a sad cry by any means, he almost acts as if he were overjoyed.]

Kyo-chaaaaaaan!!

[He doesn't even think twice, although maybe he probably should have, before throwing his arms around her. Ohhhh, it's gross, and it's sticky, and he at least remembers not to put too much pressure down on her, but how could he not hug her after something like that?]

I love you, too! Let's go punch stuff the moment you get be-eee-ttterrr!! WAAAHHH!!!

[ Kyouko hugs him back, tightly. She didn't realize until now how much she needed this. ] Punchin', huggin', whatever. Let's see if we can't get our old job back from Bon Bon, too. [ She actually clings to him, not quite willing to let go. Now that she's vocalized the love, she doesn't know why she didn't notice it or really even address it before, but it's there, and the fact is that she does and has cared deeply about him for a good while now. ]

First, though, we could probably both use a bath. Yer fur's matting.

I know, I really stink.

[He manages to smile through his tears, even laugh a little. His poor fur, it'll take hours to return it back to its pristine condition. But it's fine, the wash will just remind him why he did this in the first place and how overjoyed it made him...]

I meant what I said, though, every single word of it. I'm still gonna come over and help you out until you're all better again.

An' I'd want ya with me, bear. Whenever ya can manage it, 'n' feel like comin' over. Jus' so long as I'm not a burden.

[ She's still concerned about that, for some reason. ]

We should go back ta my place, there's a bath there... [ But she doesn't feel like letting go of him, just yet. ]

[He's perfectly okay if she wants to hang onto him a little while more, and he's especially okay with going to her place to bathe.

There's only one thing that concerns him...]

Are you gonna be okay going all that way? [Especially with a lack of leg.] I can give you a lift and we'll be there lickity split.

[ She begrudgingly admits that she is not especially good at being mobile right now. ] I'll be okay, just not the quickest. ... Wouldn' mind a lift.

[Good enough for him!]

Just call me the Teddie Taxi Service!

[Kamui is summoned instantly, who then uses his giant metal claws to scoop the both of them up in its arms like a shovel. This is exactly what a taxi isn't.]

You're gonna love this, hang onto your eyeball!

[Defying all logic, Kamui takes to the sky, because there's nothing more normal than a giant smiling bear that can fly. No one can say that this night was boring.]

[ ... It's probably about time Kyouko asks about him. She clings to Teddie, peering over the bear's arms to see the view below. ]

Pretty useful. How'd ya find this guy again?

[Oh right, maybe actually explaining your power is a good idea. Teddie's been too used to people just knowing what a Persona is.]

I didn't! A Persona's just kinda like a part of yourself. If you really think about it, he's just another me.

[There's no need to explain how he had to fight a manifestation of his inner demons to obtain it. No, that would kill the mood.]

Oh. [ She looks up at Kamui. ] Kinda quiet. Not that much like you at all.

[He looks up with her.]

Yeeeaaah, I don't think they talk all that much. All my pals have Personas, too, and I never once heard a peep from any of 'em.

[When Kamui finally lands, it softly sets them down before disappearing like it has many times before. Unlike Teddie, it doesn't need to wash off the undead rot stench from itself.]

[ Kyouko gets up on three hooves, using Teddie to balance herself. ] Least we don' haveta spend half an hour walkin' across Ponyville now. [ She pulls out her key and unlocks the door, letting them both in. ]

Ya gotta fill me in on what I missed the last week.

[Teddie has no problem being that support, grabbing up his bag and making sure he has everything before helping her inside. Last thing he needs is to leave something behind.]

Not a whole lot that I can think of. Then again, I wasn't paying too much attention... OH! I had some friends help out and fill in for you at work, just so you know. I bet they won't mind helping out just a tiny bit longer while you recover.

Edited (that was not the right words at all) 2014-08-29 16:43 (UTC)

Oh, okay. I dunno how important that was, Bon Bon was doin' okay before we got there, but... good thinkin', anyway.

[ And at least this way, Teddie wasn't working by himself? She hates the thought of him all alone for a week. ]

[It was a tough week, and some wigs might have been purchased, but he survived.]

Ah! I can't WAIT to start working with you again! Heck, it's the only reason why I keep going in the first place. I figure if we're gonna be honest about our feelings, I might as well let you know that. Maybe Bon-chan will even make you special "WELCOME BACK" candy for being away for so long.

...You'll share, right?

Yeah, of course. S'not just welcomin' me back, it'd be welcomin' us back as a team. [ She grins and tousles his ~~hair~~ head-fur. ] 'N honesty's good. Keep doin' that. I'll never fault ya for bein' honest, not if I can help it.

[ She makes her way over with him to the bathroom and turns on the faucet. Warm water causes steam to fill the room almost immediately. ]

Edited 2014-08-29 16:52 (UTC)

[Watching Kyouko fill up the tub and the steam that follows it only causes Teddie's imagination to run wild. That's probably not the most innocent smile on his face as a hint of blush manages to sneak past the fur on his cheeks.

Thankfully those thoughts don't last very long when Kyouko refers to them as a team, which reminds him of something very important.]

That's right, Kyo-chan! If you disabear again, I wanna come with this time!

[ Slow down, Teds. Kyouko turns the faucet off with a snap. ]

Yeah. I shoulda done that last time, but... you know. [ She already went over that. ] I'll let ya know next time, and you can decide. ... If Jappleack doesn't come back, we might need to go in again.

[ She gestures to the bath. ] You first. Water's gonna be nasty after I get in.

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