it makes him feel better instantly. he should inspect the circumstance for his worry, unbox the emotions there, but he's never been one to look under the rug. head in the sky, up in the clouds, close to the sun - that's where he belongs. 

with a smile, he says, "like i said, never thought about it much, but these guys kind of depend on me." the guys in question are busy curiously watching a sandile build itself a mound in the dirt. it lashes its tail in warning when blue or captain get too close, but all three pokemon seem to have a mutual understanding with each other. 

"if anything happened to me, well, i gotta make sure they're taken care of." he breathes out. it's almost like...letting go. do they all feel like this?

"i swear this isn't just a trick to see you again," knox says humorously. "but we may as well call it serendipity."

// skipping

samuel carter

☉

he's been up since before dawn, when the sky was still gray and the world was still asleep. the pokemon crossing paths with them now are just the tell-tale signs of the world waking up. he can't say he hates to see it happen, but there was something lovely about feeling like he and sam were the only people in the world.

he shakes his head. "nah, let's not rush it. besides, this walk is for pleasure, not business." he laughs. 

and as though to prove him wrong, a wild toucannon comes down on them like a shadow. he ducks, reflexively, expecting captain to make some sort of move, but she's well aware that sam's companion has it under control. she watches, only slightly on edge in case anything should go wrong, but otherwise pays the scuffle no mind. 

he pulls out his phone and hands it to sam. "here," he says. the phone starts buzzing and Summer Atreides shows up on the caller id. he snorts and swipes to decline. 

// skipping

samuel carter

☉

it must be a testament to knox's good looks. at least, that's what he tells himself when sam doesn't mention anything about the call. she's not a notorious name, by any means, except perhaps those who've come across her files in the league. the prescott name is big, but it's not unique enough to be recognized in an instant. 

fucking idiot. gotta be more careful. he shrugs his worries away (and why be worried? if it all goes to hell, there's no reason he wouldn't be able to just up and walk away from this). 

"well, at least we're getting somewhere," he says. he pockets his phone again and relaxes a bit. 

and then, as silence lapses and threatens him with his thoughts, he says, "i wonder why the pokemon here have been so active. and aggressive."

samuel carter

☉

knox gives him the side-eye. "you sound like a skeptic." he wouldn't have believed all the stories either, regardless of the leveling of cities, the whole world turned upside-down with panic and unrest. but he'd been in slate port that new year's eve. 

he still lies awake at night thinking of it - 

//

his attack means nothing to the beast. and there are people screaming around him. bodies, crushed by the initial bomb impact, splintered apart with broken beams and colorful painted bricks, have him stumbling sideways.


it's too much.

he stops suddenly, breathing hard, waving a hand as if to say i'm okay or maybe what the fuck what the fuck? his mask slips and his bloodshot eyes are just a bit scarier, a bit more worrisome. 

captain migrates slowly from his shoulder to sit at a pressure point on his neck. he relaxes, gasps a, "y-yeah, not a threat. territorial. right." he stands straighter and then he takes a half-step forward, still dazed, still stuck in the in-between (he thought he was through this, thought the detaching was over) and his awkward handshake, the goodbye on his lips, both fall away as he shakily closes the distance and pulls sam into a hug. 

gotta get to summer. she'll fix me it.

he withdraws, almost impishly, and finally finding his words, says, "see you...when i see you." and then he turns, neck burning, thoughts racing/drowning, thinking soon soon soon.

samuel carter

☉