Beach BBQ

[her-mouse-jesty.livejournal.com]

Who: Minnie Mouse her_mouse_jesty and anyone who wanted to come!
Where: Olivine
When: Saturday, from afternoon to night.
Summary: Minnie decided to throw a party to celebrate the opening of her 'home', now named the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Rating: N/A?
Log:

[The birds have finished dropping everyone arrive at Olivine, and as friends mingle, everything seems quiet at first. The beach has been decorated, which will be further detailed in tags. Just as you’ve decided what you want to do, the front door to the House opens, and out steps Minnie…

… wearing a black and red maid outfit. And six of her Pokemon are wearing the frilly hair pieces too, lined side by side with her, three Pokemon on each side of her – Mickey the Azumarril, Donald the Pidgeot, Pluto the Gengar, Daisy the Magmar, and Walt the Charizard. Before you can begin questioning any of this, she clears her throat, because it’s time for what Disney does best. A song and dance number.]

My dearest friends, it is with deepest pride
and greatest pleasure that we welcome you here today.
And now we invite you to relax, let us pull up a
chair as the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse proudly presents -
your new home!

Be our guest! Be our guest!
Put our service to the test
Tie your napkin 'round your neck, my dear
And we'll provide the rest
Soup du jour
Hot hors d'oeuvres
Why, we only live to serve
Try the grey stuff
It's delicious
Don't believe me? We’ll grant your wishes!
We can sing, we can dance
Johto won’t leave it up to chance,
And a dinner here is never second best
Go on, invite your friends too,
Take a glance and then you'll
Be our guest ! Be our guest ! Be our guest!

Beef ragout
Cheese souffle
Pie and pudding "en flambe"
We'll prepare and serve with flair
A culinary cabaret!
You're alone
And you're scared
But the banquet's all prepared
No one's gloomy or complaining
While Pokemon are entertaining
We tell jokes and do tricks
Everyone gets their kicks
And it's all in perfect taste
That you can bet
Come on and lift your glass
You've won your own free pass
To be out guest
If you're stressed
It's fine dining we suggest
Be our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest!

It's a guest! It's a guest!
Sakes alive, well I'll be blessed!
Where our friends can rest their ends
I've had the napkins freshly pressed
With dessert, they'll want tea
And my dear that's fine with me
While Leon works his crew in
I'll be bubbling, I'll be brewing
In the cold and in the hot
Heaven's sakes! Is that a spot?
Clean it up! We want the company impressed
We've got a lot to do!
Is it one lump or two?
For you, our guest!
Be our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest!

Life is so depressing
When my friends needs are pressing
I’m not whole without a soul to wait upon
Ah, those good old days when I was useful...
Suddenly those good old days were gone
Over a year I’ve been rusting
Needing so much more than dusting
Needing exercise, a chance to use my skills!
Most days we I just laid around the beach…
Flabby, fat and lazy
Then this idea came and oops-a-daisy!
Be our guest! Be our guest!
Our command is your request
We’ll take no money ‘cause you’re our honey
And we're obsessed
With your meal, with your ease
Yes, indeed, we aim to please
While the candlelight's still glowing
Let us help you, We'll keep going
Course by course, one by one
'Til you shout, "Enough! I'm done!"
Then we'll sing you off to sleep as you digest
Tonight you'll prop your feet up
But for now, let's eat up
Be our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest!
Please, be our guest!

[All seven pose as the song ends. That’s probably the signal for the party to start and… where did those fireworks come from?!

Please wait until I put up all the activity posts, then you can tag! All done, have at it!]

Comments

[adamant]

[ He reaches forward, lets his hand fall on her elbow. His gaze, in the firelight, is intense. ]

Do you mind if we talk?

[ His stomach is doing flip-flops because maybe she's guessed, she probably guessed what he has to say and doesn't want to hear it. Of course he's noticed the avoidance, how could he not notice, he's probably fallen too far in her esteem by now or she's gotten used to the idea of them being just friends or perpetually on edge or she just doesn't want to bother and could he blame her?

He motions further out along the beach where light has yet to tread. Further from prying eyes and ears. ]

Alone.

[soggypastry]

[It takes Lightning a moment to respond; she almost wants to stay right where she is, right where she can see other people and the house is in running distance. Right where she knows where she stands. Where they stand.

But she can't stay here. They can't stay here any longer. Eventually, no matter the outcome, you have to keep moving forward. There's no turning back from this anymore, no matter how much her stomach is churning from the raw anxiety. What's he going to say?]

Yeah, okay.

[With that, she steps out of the water, his hand still on her elbow, and she walks with him down the beach and into the darkness.]

[adamant]

[ He takes in her reluctance and his heart settles somewhere in the vicinity of his stomach. His hand drops away from her elbow as he realizes she's following, and his mind whirls on how to start this. He feels dry and blank and afraid; afraid of her saying no, afraid of failing her and himself. As he leads her farther and farther away, his pause for thought turns into a quiet walk, silent, and he lets the water lap at his toes as they go past. When he looks over his shoulder he can hardly see her, the dark folded over her like a blanket. ]

I need to apologize to you.

[soggypastry]

[Guided only by the faint starlight on the surf, Lightning finds herself stopping the moment she can see his shadow warp as he turns to look at her. She can't read his face with the darkness a barrier between them, but his tone and words say more than enough.

Apologize. He's going to say no, that this won't work and they shouldn't even try. Her heart sinks, even as she closes her eyes and shakes her head. It's only through some small miracle, she feels, that her voice remains steady. This is going to be a long talk.]

No, you don't...I had a feeling it was going to end like this.

[Why else would she have avoided him this long? She was trying to find a way to cope with it. To keep them from separating even with this awkwardness still between them.]

[adamant]

[ His heart twists. Like she pulled a rug out from underneath him. He tries not to let it show, because he doesn't want her to see him weak, to see him break. ]

No, just--hear me out. Let me explain. Please.

[ 'Please'. It's not something he says easily, and it hands in the air as his eyes meet hers, searching through the gloom for something, anything he could possibly interpret as openness. But it's too dark; he can't catch a thing, and he almost wants to grab her, hold her, never let her walk away. He can't bear the idea of one more year knowing he didn't grab something good while he had it. ]

[soggypastry]

[His please hangs in the air between them as she holds her silence; he might not be able to see her, but he can undoubtedly hear her intake of breath. He can undoubtedly hear that air shake on the way back out of her system before the moment of hesitation ends, and he shadow shifts as she nods.]

Okay.

[One word. One chance. One last try. That's what she's giving him when all she wants to do is turn and run and never look back. When all she wants to do is hide from the world, from him, and try to forget all they might have been. Maybe then this wouldn't hurt so much. But she stays where she is. She'll hear him out. She owes him this much, at least.]

[adamant]

I can't give you what you deserve. I know I can't.

[ He can't give her what she needs, forget giving her what she wants. His stomach twists itself into pretzels the longer his mouth is open. ]

I can't always be someone to lean on. I can't always be as strong as I have to be. I'm...bad at this. I'll hurt you. I'll disappoint you. I know that.

[ He reaches forward, takes her wrist in his grip, gently. The dark feels oppressive in a way it's never felt before in Johto. ] I want to be better. You make me want to be better. But I know the way you think of me, and you're not wrong. [ His head tilts down, at his hand holding hers, and he wonders if the sound he's hearing is the waves or his own thundering heart. ] I can't add anything to your life that wasn't there before. I'm no one's knight, I can hold down a town but saving hearts isn't my specialty. I know I've got too many flaws to list. I know it, Lightning, I know.

But...

[ He stops, helplessly, fingers loosening around her wrist. Does she even want to hear this? His tongue feels thick and immobile. Is there anything he can say that could change her mind? Is there anything he could do? Actions have always been his strong suit, not words--but Lightning isn't someone he can just take the easy road with. She deserves explanations, she deserves to hear them from him, not anyone else, and she certainly deserves everything he has to give, his stumbling words included. For her, he'll try. ]

[soggypastry]

[At first, everything stops. She was right, he's saying no, and her heart sinks even further. She knew this would happen, though that doesn't stop the dull ache she's lived with almost two months from turning into a sharp stab of pain. She almost wishes he'd actually stabbed her; she could deal with that much easier than this pain.

But then the rest of it sinks in, and her heart begins to rise again. The darkness around them is still pressing down, but suddenly it doesn't feel like such a thick barrier. Suddenly, there's something. There's hope, or a chance, or some other cheesy way of putting this. For Lightning, there's only his grip on her, his fingers around her wrist, and she shakes her head. She pulls her hand back the moment his grip loosens, taking a breath to get herself back under control.]

I know all that. It doesn't matter.

[She pulls her hand back and links the tips of her fingers with his. It's too dark for her to read his face, even this close, but she knows he can feel this.]

I told you before: I never expected you to change for my sake. I never would have asked you to in the first place.

[She shakes her head, trying to settle her nerves again. It doesn't work, and her next words are nearly inaudible over the surf and her own raging heartbeat she's sure he can hear.]

..Besides. I didn't fall for some knight in shining armor from a fairytale. I fell for you, Leon.

[It's the most vulnerable truth she's admitted since this fiasco began, but it's also one hundred percent truth. Where things go from here, she doesn't know. She's still afraid of that, but like she said the first time: she just wants a chance to make this work.]

[adamant]

[ He can't hear what she's saying. Which isn't to say what she's saying isn't important.

It's just that his brain ground to a halt on 'it doesn't matter'. ]

I--you--

[ He's completely at a loss. So that's it? She wants him anyway? He looks down, and suddenly, mysteriously, their fingers are entwined. He swallows so thickly she can probably hear it. She fell for him. She still wants it. She still wants it! ]

But-- [ he continues, slower, tugging on her hand and stepping forward until they're undeniably in each other's space, until he has to quash down the desire to embrace her. ] --if you're willing to have me, to put up with me, with all of my stupidity, then...

[ He laughs a bit, half-rueful, half-hysterical ] I won't make it easy for you, though. I'm already not making it easy.

[soggypastry]

[He's close. Close enough that she can finally read his face, but she's too busy shaking her head and smiling to even try. Sure, he's been stupid, but so has she. It's enough to get her to chuckle, then look up at him and smile softly as she gives their entwined hands a squeeze.]

That's fine. I never liked easy, anyway. I prefer not giving up without a fight.

[Case in point, this. If she'd just given up, they'd never have gotten this far. Close enough to touch again. Close enough that all she'd have to do to hug him is take one step forward. Maybe she will, in a moment. Right now she's too relieved to do anything but just hold his hand and smile.]

[adamant]

I know you do.

[ Who would know more tham him? He's clashed with this lovely woman more than anyone else in Johto, both physically and not. She's strong, she's fierce and brave. She has honour.

Hesitant, he slips his arms around her waist, the insides of his wrists grazing her sides as he gently, slowly, pulls her closer. He stops just short of hugging her. His smile is secret and shy. ]

I have something to ask, though. Before...before anything.

[soggypastry]

[With her hands free and Leon slowly pulling her close, Lightning has raised her arms to rest her them on his shoulders, linking her hands behind his neck. It's an intimate position, but she still has plenty of room to cant her head to the side at that secretive little smile.

And, while she does wonder what his question could be, the first thought going through her mind is just how much she's missed this closeness between them. Sure, it's different, but...in a way, it's the same. Back to how it used to be.]

What?

[adamant]

[ He's enjoying having her in his arms; the last time he was able to hold her was at her birthday, back in March, and nearly six months later it feels just as nice.

The reasons for his small smile is made evident when he leans forward and steals a kiss to her temple, smiling into her hair like a boy. When he pulls away, however, his expression is serious. ]

Maybe you won't agree with me on this, and you're welcome to say so. But I don't want to rush into anything. I don't want to act like we've only got a day, or a week. I want to do this properly.

[soggypastry]

[The kiss to her temple is a welcome surprise, and Lightning finds herself smiling softly even as his tone and expression are serious. Rushing--oh. Right. He's...certainly old fashioned. Most guys on Cocoon would have already attempted to bed her by now.]

No, I get it. We'll take it slow and easy. Make every moment count.

[Almost like an old fairytale, really. Some part of her wants this to be done already, but the majority wants it done, as Leon said, properly. He won't get an argument from her about this one. Not after these past two months, anyway.]

[adamant]

[ It's not like Leon has no appreciation for her body; quite the opposite. She's exquisite, he knows, and he knows she knows. And certainly, if that's what she wants, he'll have no qualms in giving it to her.

But it isn't up to him to decide, and with the last few months as rocky as they've been, he wants to give her as much time and space possible to back out. Almost apologetic, he brings her even closer, kissing her forehead and the crown of her hair. ]

...we should probably head back soon.

[ Yeah no, he'd rather stay. His arms are making no movement to let her go.

No one will notice, right? Besides Rise. And Minnie. And Hope. And everyone. ]

[soggypastry]

[After these rocky months, Lightning really just wants things to work. She knows he wouldn't be rough and would respect what she wants, but for now...well, for now she just takes that final step closer and embraces him fully. The rest they can deal with at another time.]

Yeah...before Hope or Minnie come looking for us.

[She has no doubts they would come, if she and Leon stayed out of sight long enough. Still, she's not making any moves either. They'll have to...eventually, sure, but for now she's content here. Just the two of them and the waves. It's almost perfect.]