Destiny Village ~ Hot Cocoa Therapy Offices
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Dave's gaze snapped back to Fugu, his heart thumping. Goddamn it, the one moment he forgot to not look at him. "No. No, he didn't say anything. He's just sort of staring at me. Does that half the time."
In his peripheral vision, Shadow's eyes were still fixed intently on him. The knot in Dave's chest tightened until it was suffocating. He gritted his teeth, rounding back on Shadow. "I'm not happy, all right? That what you want me to say? I hate even fucking existing most of the time and that's what I'm going back to at home. Happy?"
Shadow gave a slow nod. He sure didn't look happy about it.
In his peripheral vision, Shadow's eyes were still fixed intently on him. The knot in Dave's chest tightened until it was suffocating. He gritted his teeth, rounding back on Shadow. "I'm not happy, all right? That what you want me to say? I hate even fucking existing most of the time and that's what I'm going back to at home. Happy?"
Shadow gave a slow nod. He sure didn't look happy about it.
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Fugu seemed to understand this. "This is a fundamental question. It won't be easy to follow along. We also don't know how much of this will carry over to your world, even as an echo or a dream. Still, as you know, we can only hope." She opened her eyes. "Let's get the words flowing one last time. I want you to talk about the things that you're unhappy about, but I also want you to talk about what drives you forward anyway, and what keeps you fighting. It sounds like there are still battles to be had in your world. Tell me about them."
As she spoke, the desk slid into the wall, and she drew her blade. One last battle; for Dave, perhaps it was only appropriate that it be in a therapist's office.
"Channel that energy into your blows, human!"
She rushed in.
As she spoke, the desk slid into the wall, and she drew her blade. One last battle; for Dave, perhaps it was only appropriate that it be in a therapist's office.
"Channel that energy into your blows, human!"
She rushed in.
And there it was, Fugu pulling out her sword again. Shadow actually smiled a little as he stepped aside. Adrenaline pumped through Dave's veins as she charged, and he charged too, Shadows curling around his feet.
"My kids," he began with a heaving snarl as he tackled her. "Every day I'm trying to make things better for them and it barely fucking matters. Two of them are dead and the others under indefinite house arrest."
"My kids," he began with a heaving snarl as he tackled her. "Every day I'm trying to make things better for them and it barely fucking matters. Two of them are dead and the others under indefinite house arrest."
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"Yet you still fight," Fugu replied, the flat of her blade parrying most of Dave's tackle, but the way she almost buckled--yes. Dave had much more power than ever before here, especially since their last meeting. "You say barely, but it still does. What do you do for them?" She pushed, distancing herself at the same time, before rushing forward with an Aqua Jet.
Yet you still fight.
Radiance burst bright and golden from his chest, and Fugu's attack shattered a barrier.
"Yeah. Yeah, I still fight, because they deserve a life." He glanced off to where Shadow was, under a pair of shields. For once, the other Mightyena didn't look quite so pathetic and pitiable, standing up straighter, eyes blazing. "Their bodies are fucked up. Jean's got a fire sac but her mouth can't handle it. I spent a night reading studies on Ninetales and fire suppression. And then there's the politics. Been campaigning to get that asinine law repealed for a year."
His heart hammered as he prepared for Fugu to shatter the other shield, the buzzing focus of the Brilliant Determination ready for a counterattack.
Radiance burst bright and golden from his chest, and Fugu's attack shattered a barrier.
"Yeah. Yeah, I still fight, because they deserve a life." He glanced off to where Shadow was, under a pair of shields. For once, the other Mightyena didn't look quite so pathetic and pitiable, standing up straighter, eyes blazing. "Their bodies are fucked up. Jean's got a fire sac but her mouth can't handle it. I spent a night reading studies on Ninetales and fire suppression. And then there's the politics. Been campaigning to get that asinine law repealed for a year."
His heart hammered as he prepared for Fugu to shatter the other shield, the buzzing focus of the Brilliant Determination ready for a counterattack.
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"A year. You haven't been defeated yet. And you'll never stop, will you?" Fugu raised her blade, but then made a feint, expecting at least a basic counter. She didn't know what else he was capable of. There was a tingling sensation on one side and she glanced at Shadow, seeing the faintest outline of something that might have been there.
Refocusing, she slammed hard on the last barrier, then brought her blade up again. "A single human fighting for the lives of others. Impossible odds. But even against the world, what is it that you do for the ones that still live that the world is against? Is that your drive?" She swung down--
Refocusing, she slammed hard on the last barrier, then brought her blade up again. "A single human fighting for the lives of others. Impossible odds. But even against the world, what is it that you do for the ones that still live that the world is against? Is that your drive?" She swung down--
Dave bared his teeth and lunged in for a Crunch. "Anything," he snarled, heart racing. "I'll do anything it takes for them, I don't care. I'll keep them safe."
Yeah, look how that fucking went last time. A tendril of shadows snaked its way around his lungs.
"They're all I live for."
Yeah, look how that fucking went last time. A tendril of shadows snaked its way around his lungs.
"They're all I live for."
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That determination--in a world where nothing went right for him, he found his purpose. In the end, it perhaps wasn't the healthiest thing, but they only had a day. She could only hope that this determination would become something healthier later, if he could find more purpose as those kids grow up. If he ever finds a way to give their lives purpose again.
Fugu parried again, but the attack did what it had to. It seemed like her guard was down. And she recognized that Blacklight corruption in him; any further and he may explode. Now was the best time.
"Then reflect," she said as her horn glowed red, "on that determination!"
The shouts and all of Dave's words and feelings washed back onto him again, clear in hindsight for him to see. That surreal feeling of hearing himself was back, dissociating and yet ever so real...
Fugu parried again, but the attack did what it had to. It seemed like her guard was down. And she recognized that Blacklight corruption in him; any further and he may explode. Now was the best time.
"Then reflect," she said as her horn glowed red, "on that determination!"
The shouts and all of Dave's words and feelings washed back onto him again, clear in hindsight for him to see. That surreal feeling of hearing himself was back, dissociating and yet ever so real...
My kids.
They deserve a life.
I'll do anything it takes for them.
I'll keep them safe.
They're all I live for.
I don't care.
Jean.
That's what I'm going back to at home.
Dave stepped back, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The buzzing in his brain began to calm, slowly.
Jean needed him. Keep chipping away at that law. Try to be her father. What else was there?
Maybe he'd get to tell her he'd had this weird fucking dream where she had a big sister who was a lion. Bet that'd keep her excited for a week.
"So that's it?" he said finally after a few seconds.
They deserve a life.
I'll do anything it takes for them.
I'll keep them safe.
They're all I live for.
I don't care.
Jean.
That's what I'm going back to at home.
Dave stepped back, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The buzzing in his brain began to calm, slowly.
Jean needed him. Keep chipping away at that law. Try to be her father. What else was there?
Maybe he'd get to tell her he'd had this weird fucking dream where she had a big sister who was a lion. Bet that'd keep her excited for a week.
"So that's it?" he said finally after a few seconds.
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"...Something different happened there," Fugu said. "I sensed it. There was... more. Hold onto that feeling. That thought. Maybe, with some luck, at least that thought, even if you don't remember its origin, will follow you home." She sheathed her blade, nodding. "You likely have much to do today. If you feel that was enough... then I will agree.
"...How does Shadow feel?"
"...How does Shadow feel?"
Dave raised an eyebrow. What, the notion of telling Jean about her imaginary lion sister? Hard to imagine that being deeply important, but sure.
He glanced at Shadow. The last of his shields was shimmering out of existence. He was back to looking like his usual timid self, but at least he seemed more quiet and contemplative than anxious and agitated.
"It's not a lot to live for," he said softly. "But it's enough to keep going. It always has been."
"He seems all right. You're good to go, right?"
Shadow nodded slowly. "Thank you for reminding me."
"Cool." He looked back up at Fugu. "Guess that's it. Would say I'll see you around, but you know."
Shadow gave him a meaningful stare.
Dave sighed. "And thanks for everything."
Before he turned around, Shadow brushed his head gently against Fugu's side.
He glanced at Shadow. The last of his shields was shimmering out of existence. He was back to looking like his usual timid self, but at least he seemed more quiet and contemplative than anxious and agitated.
"It's not a lot to live for," he said softly. "But it's enough to keep going. It always has been."
"He seems all right. You're good to go, right?"
Shadow nodded slowly. "Thank you for reminding me."
"Cool." He looked back up at Fugu. "Guess that's it. Would say I'll see you around, but you know."
Shadow gave him a meaningful stare.
Dave sighed. "And thanks for everything."
Before he turned around, Shadow brushed his head gently against Fugu's side.
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Fugu noticed it, but she knew that this side of Dave was skittish, so she only gave where she felt a friendly smile. And, perhaps for the first time, there was a hint of that true tenderness behind her battle-hardened stare. By some miracle, she'd managed to even look the right direction when nodding at Shadow.
When the door closed, Fugu looked at her desk, thoughtful. Minutes passed, thoughts flitting through her mind, ruminating over the raw emotions she'd witnessed, reflected back, felt...
With a slow and steady sigh, the battle-therapist returned to her desk and arranged her things, nice and proper.
Mesprit, are you there? she called. ...I think I'm ready... to take the next steps of our training.
When the door closed, Fugu looked at her desk, thoughtful. Minutes passed, thoughts flitting through her mind, ruminating over the raw emotions she'd witnessed, reflected back, felt...
With a slow and steady sigh, the battle-therapist returned to her desk and arranged her things, nice and proper.
Mesprit, are you there? she called. ...I think I'm ready... to take the next steps of our training.
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