012// [Video/Action]

[rivalsweetscent]

([Narration of sorts])
---

[The video feed clicks on, and oh hey it's the student kitchens in the background. There's two big pots on the stove and a really big rice cooker over there on the counter and oh hello there's a Bulba in the feed now. He's given up on the effort of trying not to seem really tired, and he seems pretty distracted on top of that.]

In case you were wondering um... Kirby had to go back to Dreamland for a while. Something came up...

[He frowns, looking like he really doesn't want to talk about it and makes a motion towards the stove with his head to switch the subject.]

Oh, uh, if anyone's hungry or whatever, I made some curry and... kind of made too much out of habit... There's both spicy and mild so. People are welcome to it so it doesn't go to waste. It's down here in the student kitchens.

Uh... that's it. Thanks.

[And then the feed cuts off.]

Comments

[redisaloser.livejournal.com]

You saw him off?

[rivalsweetscent]

[All he did was nod.]

[redisaloser.livejournal.com]

[He settled into a chair.]

Did he say where he was going?

[His hand went up to his head, he could feel a headache coming on.]

It'll be okay. Everything will be okay, you'll see.

[rivalsweetscent]

Back home to Dreamland. I guess some things came up that he needed to go take care of.

Yeah... I just... It was kind of sudden. I just need some time.

[He moved to take another seat near Green, peering over at him.]

... You ok?

[redisaloser.livejournal.com]

[He lowered his hand, giving Bulba a tense smile.]

Just a headache. Something in the air, maybe.

[rivalsweetscent]

Oh.

[And then he made a face.]

That might be me. Or the curry. ... Or both.

[FIRST SPRING AS A FLOWER D-DERP.]

[redisaloser.livejournal.com]

[He let out a light chuckle, closing his eyes again.]

No, it's not that, I've just spent too much time staring at a screen today, probably. Don't make this about me, Bulba, I'm here for you. Remember?

[rivalsweetscent]

Hnnn. Fine, okay.

[He crossed his arms over the table, resting his chin on them and sort of half-pouted. Fine. This was about him now.]

[redisaloser.livejournal.com]

Sourpuss.

[He returned to eating his curry.]

How have you been spending your time, lately?

[rivalsweetscent]

[Bulba briefly stuck his tongue out. It was very brief.]

Um... catching up on studying... I kind of fell behind for a while. Going outside a lot since the weather is getting nicer.

[And then completely regretting it because it was reminding him a lot of things he couldn't figure out. He shut his eyes and sighed.]

I keep trying to figure things out but it's not really working. So nothing all that exciting.

[redisaloser.livejournal.com]

[There is a familiar expression of guilt that flashed across Green's face, before he occupies his hands with eating again.]

Well, the past is the past, anyways...

[He winced, inwardly. That sounded awkward.]

[rivalsweetscent]

[He conveniently missed it behind his eyelids. He opened his eyes again to glance at Green, and then he stared out towards the middle of the table.]

Yeah... It's hard to learn from it if you don't know it, though.

[redisaloser.livejournal.com]

What is there to learn from if it could hardly even be classified as 'you'?

[Green stood, scooping more curry onto his plate. He looked at Bulba over his shoulder.]

I'll help you make more. Sorry I'm eating so much.

[It had been a while without home cooked food by the Ivysaur.]

[rivalsweetscent]

No, it's okay, I made way too much. Have as much as you want.

[He was sitting up now though, watching Green attentively with an oddly serious inquisitive look.]

... What did you mean though? Did we talk at all?

[redisaloser.livejournal.com]

[... He might have started stirring a little bit harder at this. Shit shit shit.]

Uh, what? What'd you say?

[rivalsweetscent]

[Bulba frowned a bit.]

You said something about the past not being classified as 'me.' What did you mean by that?

[redisaloser.livejournal.com]

[He was still for just a moment, before the stirring resumed. Not as frantic as before. He dumped more food onto his plate.]

I dunno... People were acting weird all week, right? But everyone was talking about how they were some one else. So whatever you, or anyone, did that week, it wasn't actually them doing that.

[rivalsweetscent]

Oh... Yeah, I guess.

[He nodded. Crisis averted. Bulba continued to watch Green with honest curiosity.]

Do you remember anything from that week?

[Okay maybe crisis not so averted.]

[redisaloser.livejournal.com]

[He shoved an animal sized glob of curry and rice into his mouth and spoke around the food.]

Sompf stpuff.

[And that wasn't entirely a lie-- he didn't remember how long he had spent in the shower on... any of those days. So, he didn't remember everything after all, right?]

[rivalsweetscent]

[Curious curious curious.]

Did we meet at all? I know you had a Squirtle...

[redisaloser.livejournal.com]

[Green stood and walked over to the sink, fiddling with some of the utensils.]

Oh? Uh, we talked. Yeah. Pretty sure we spoke?

[Again, not a lie. But it was still pretty damn hard to sound convincing, so he just made everything sound like a question.]

[rivalsweetscent]

[Oh no, if you were done he was going to come take your plate away from you. He would be the one doing the dishes, thank you very much. But he had just gotten some food so... Bulba sat tight for the moment.]

About anything interesting? Char said we spoke too, but I didn't really ask about what at the time...

[There had been a little too much freaking out there to remember how to ask questions.]

[redisaloser.livejournal.com]

[Unbeknownst to Bulba, Green had one of his hands firmly secured on the handle of a kitchen knife, and the other hand resting, clenched, next to it. It was foolish to think that Bulba would ever stop asking questions. But he was living in the now, and right now, if this line of questioning continued, Green was fully prepared to cut his hand open as a distraction. Reckless, sure, but wasn't that what he was known for, anyways?]

... Cooking... ?

[So, no, was the implied tone of his voice. Drop it.]

[rivalsweetscent]

[There was a little something there that made Bulba pause. He couldn't help but think back to the night on the couch, where he knew there was something Green wasn't telling him. Bulba had left it alone then, but now it was creeping back up on him as Green danced around the questions. He furrowed his brow a little, tilting his head. Hesitantly, he pressed forward one more question.]

...Did something happen?

[redisaloser.livejournal.com]

[Green winced right before jerking the blade of the knife horizontally down his palm-- not big enough to cause a medical emergency, but certainly enough to cause a sort of mini crisis. He let out a yelp at the pain suddenly shooting down his arm, and dropped the knife back onto the bottom of the sink with a clatter as blood began to flow freely from his right hand.]

Shit!

[Wow, that hurt a lot more than he thought it was going to. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up from the sudden rush of adrenaline. Bulba wasn't stupid, but he was loyal. It wouldn't stop the questions later, but it would do.]