[It's such a relief to see that the grunts are okay, and even moreso a relief to see the kids are fine too. As expected, his men give him a rundown on everything that happened quickly, pointing out Themida's injuries and jumping the moment Corbeau barks for them to go get medical assistance. Typical grunt behavior, waiting for his word instead of just jumping to action... but it's fine, he supposes. It's not like a twenty second delay is really going to change that much, probably. If only he had a Psychic-type that could Teleport her to help... Ugh. Maybe something worth looking into getting, at some point. Gardevoir's certainly proved how useful they can be, even though they're a little unnerving.
Without anything left to do but wait for the time being, he can safely turn his attention to Jacinthe. She's certainly looking alright, but he ignores her words immediately in favor of:]
Are you hurt? Don't start with the apologies - guy was prepared for you all. I was just lucky enough to have your dad's partner with me.
[It wasn't really luck, but he doesn't want to tell her that her dad was poisoned while her mom's injured, that just seems... way too much to take in right now. Besides, Rusco should be just fine. The man already knew how to treat it as much as he could, and Philippe brought help immediately, everything should be fine.
...Speaking of. He turns his Rotomphone back on to approximately thirty-two messages of varying degrees of worry from Philippe and Corbeau sighs.]
Philipe, it's me. Everything worked out. Get down here when you get a chance - I've got some questions for this kid when he wakes up and we'll need to turn him over to the authorities, given all the damage he's done. Make sure we've got medical aid on the way - not for me, before you start panicking - and tell Rusco that the situation's resolved and his Houndoom helped tremendously. She's just fine too.
[Unsurprisingly, Philippe snaps to attention and gets to work and Corbeau exhales again once all that's taken care of. He pulls out some Potions and a Revive for that Froslass and moves to get to work as he continues speaking to Jacinthe.]
Glad I could help. Wish things could've resolved cleaner, but we'll take it one step at a time.
A little bruised and sore, but nothing a touch of bedrest won't recover.
[Jacinthe can't even find it in herself to pout, though she'll attempt to get up once all's said and done--she's having a bit of difficulty moving with a bit of a limp in one of her legs, but she'll manage to stand on her own as the people start to filter out and Corbeau goes over to send the message to Philippe that he's okay. Jacinthe's eyes can't help but soften in sympathy as Froslass takes the healing with ease; she'll actually be going back into that discarded Luxury Ball once all is said and done, actually, probably proving who's Pokemon just got stolen...
Even so, Jacinthe finds herself smiling, the expression a touch softer now. He really looks so radiant like this. She should probably go and get some medical attention, but she wants to stay. She doesn't know why, but she wants to stay, and...]
I know it likely does not bear repeating, Corbeau, but...thank you, again. You really did save all of us from someone who had let power go to his head.
[She goes to walk closer to him if allowed, pausing for a moment. A little...uncertain?]
...Will you be quite alright by yourself?
[Can I stay with you, my knight in shining armor, for just a little longer?]
[He's noticed the limp, but thankfully she's not moving too much. Once Froslass is taken care of and returned to her Pokéball (and yeah, that's not entirely unexpected), Corbeau stands, moving to offer Jacinthe an arm without thinking. Here, lean on him, if you need to.]
I won't be by myself for long, if you want to head on back with Gardevoir's help. But otherwise you should wait here so they can check you over, just in case.
[It probably is just a little strain; they'll likely tell her to take it easy, rest and recover. But he can't help but worry anyway, given the state of her mom's injuries. What if it had been Jacinthe in that position? What if—
Pointless to think about it, he decides and dismisses the thought. She's fine, just a little bruised, but she'll recover and bounce back well enough. She's Jacinthe, after all. Anything less would be unacceptable.]
[Corbeau offers her an arm and it's strangely a struggle to breathe. She's kind of thankful that her flushing tends to not be entirely obvious on her face, but she will gladly take that arm, actually!! Hers now.]
I don't mind waiting here at all. I'd much rather be with my savior than anyone else right now.
[...She just says that without a second thought, and she's not entirely sure if it was a mistake, but she doesn't want to be anywhere else. She doesn't, she truly doesn't. If anything happened to him, she wouldn't forgive herself, but...
Jacinthe goes quiet after, seeming contemplative. This might be the end of their contract, at this point--once they get to the bottom of this, there...won't be any need for her to stay by Corbeau anymore. Her parents might just end up occupying even more of her time, and who knows how Mother's injuries are going to shake out. They're alone right now, and...
It takes a moment, but Jacinthe looks up at Corbeau after a moment, pausing. Her expression reads confused, yet determined as she thinks. What is this strange, strange feeling that has a stranglehold on her heart? She can't be in love with him, can she? With this knight who's saved her princess ass so many times that it really does feel like a fairy-tale. With this man who has unabashedly offered her a roof, kindness, and so many things she's been lacking for so long.
...Is this...]
...I'm going to have to think of some way to truly thank you, you know.
[It comes out lighthearted, but Jacinthe's gaze goes off to the side after a moment.]
[Jacinthe takes his arm and Corbeau scoffs at her words with a roll of his eyes.]
Careful, you'll inflate my ego. You would've done the same in my position, yeah?
[Not that he doesn't appreciate it, it's... actually almost a little embarrassing to be called her savior... He's absolutely not knight in shining armor. He's a damn mob boss!!
His attention is on Jacinthe as her expression shifts, looking confused. She seems to be struggling something, but he has no idea what it is, and her words aren't exactly making it clear.]
Hey, c'mon, this is what you paid me for, remember? You don't have to thank me for it. I'm glad I've been able to help.
[Though... come to think of it, with this guy taken care of, this should be the end of these specific problems in Lumiose. Jacinthe won't need the Rust Syndicate's protection anymore. He'll probably only see her if she's hosting battle tourneys. That's... kind of weird to think about, in all honesty. They've spent so much time together recently, it feels sort of... hollow to think about how things may look in the future. Maybe he's just overthinking it, though. Jacinthe called them friends. So it'd make sense for them to still find time to spend together, right?
...Ugh, this is childish. They're grown-ass adults, they can sort something out. It isn't as though this is the end of their time together.]
Without hesitation, of course. Anyone who'd harm a hair on your head would be suffering a fate worse than eternal servitude to me!
[She says that and it's hard to tell if she's being serious or not. Knowing Jacinthe? She probably is, at least.
But the rest of that sees Jacinthe's cheeks puff a bit.]
You truly do frustrate me sometimes, Corbeau...all of these good deeds that you do, and you're so quick to brush off appreciation for them.
[And maybe that's what makes her so impulsive. Maybe that's what makes her want him to know with certainty that he's appreciated, that he's cared for, that his deeds are something to be celebrated, and--
He'll likely notice something's off after a moment, when she lets go of his arm almost unconciously. It's without thinking that Jacinthe moves her face in close, pressing a small, gentle kiss to his cheek. It's an appreciation he can't run from, and something that is certainly deserved for his hard work, and...
...
Why...is her chest so tight, all of a sudden? Like she's done something wrong? She hasn't. She knows she hasn't.
[That gets a roll of his eyes even as she lets go of his arm, and he's half turning to properly respond when she moves and presses a kiss against his cheek. Corbeau freezes, eyes wide like he simply isn't comprehending for a moment.
In the time he's known her, Jacinthe has never been overly physically affectionate. Not with strangers, not with him, not with Lebanne, that he's seen anyway. So dismissing this as simply "Jacinthe being Jacinthe" doesn't make sense. So if it's not Jacinthe being Jacinthe, then does that mean—
No. No, it doesn't.
He exhales - a breath he didn't realize he was holding, that sounds more weary than he actually is. Maybe it could've been a laugh, if he was feeling at all humorous. But instead it's just a sound that isn't exactly the most pleased - because he still has to figure out what the hell he feels about it.
A smarter man would've just asked Jacinthe if there was any deeper meaning behind it. Regrettably, Corbeau doesn't think to use his words.]
Oh. Oh, she screwed up. She screwed up, she screwed up, she screwed up, she did something impulsive to her only friend and she screwed up, she screwed up--
Everything in Jacinthe seems to go blank when she sees her (is he still her dear friend if she did this? did she just--?) protector's eyes widen in such a manner and for a moment, she's not comprehending anything. It's as if her actions and these circumstances are so far, far away in this moment, as if she's staring through a nightmare that she'll certainly wake up from soon. Certainly, she's sure.
Why isn't she?
Why is she still in this reality, with a man she--]
I'm--sorry. I'm so--
[The words come out shaky, shaken, everything about her feels so far away as she practically jolts off of him in an instant, and...
Maybe it's the adrenaline in her that makes her run so easily, or maybe it's the sheer panic that's gone and taken over her mind, but she needs to get out of here. She needs to get out. She can't stay here, she can't stay here, she can't stay here.
Jacinthe all but flees after a moment unless Corbeau happens to have the foresight to stop her, bolting out with no intention of stopping.]
[For a brief moment, it's like the entire world has collectively taken and held a breath. Like everyone and everything is waiting on this moment, like maybe the earth's stopped turning.
And then Jacinthe starts apologizing and she's off like a shot despite her injury, and Corbeau calls out after her—]
Jacinthe—
[—but he doesn't follow. He can't leave Themida and the kids behind. And mistakenly, foolishly, he thinks that she just needs some time to calm down. That this will all be resolved the next chance they have to talk - because it isn't a big deal, right? Just a misunderstanding. They both need some time to figure out how to approach the matter, and maybe actually communicate about their feelings. If there are any. Hell, he doesn't know.
Maybe if he'd gone after her, things would've been different.]
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sranks2025-10-22 06:33 pm
no subject
Without anything left to do but wait for the time being, he can safely turn his attention to Jacinthe. She's certainly looking alright, but he ignores her words immediately in favor of:]
Are you hurt? Don't start with the apologies - guy was prepared for you all. I was just lucky enough to have your dad's partner with me.
[It wasn't really luck, but he doesn't want to tell her that her dad was poisoned while her mom's injured, that just seems... way too much to take in right now. Besides, Rusco should be just fine. The man already knew how to treat it as much as he could, and Philippe brought help immediately, everything should be fine.
...Speaking of. He turns his Rotomphone back on to approximately thirty-two messages of varying degrees of worry from Philippe and Corbeau sighs.]
Philipe, it's me. Everything worked out. Get down here when you get a chance - I've got some questions for this kid when he wakes up and we'll need to turn him over to the authorities, given all the damage he's done. Make sure we've got medical aid on the way - not for me, before you start panicking - and tell Rusco that the situation's resolved and his Houndoom helped tremendously. She's just fine too.
[Unsurprisingly, Philippe snaps to attention and gets to work and Corbeau exhales again once all that's taken care of. He pulls out some Potions and a Revive for that Froslass and moves to get to work as he continues speaking to Jacinthe.]
Glad I could help. Wish things could've resolved cleaner, but we'll take it one step at a time.
no subject
[Jacinthe can't even find it in herself to pout, though she'll attempt to get up once all's said and done--she's having a bit of difficulty moving with a bit of a limp in one of her legs, but she'll manage to stand on her own as the people start to filter out and Corbeau goes over to send the message to Philippe that he's okay. Jacinthe's eyes can't help but soften in sympathy as Froslass takes the healing with ease; she'll actually be going back into that discarded Luxury Ball once all is said and done, actually, probably proving who's Pokemon just got stolen...
Even so, Jacinthe finds herself smiling, the expression a touch softer now. He really looks so radiant like this. She should probably go and get some medical attention, but she wants to stay. She doesn't know why, but she wants to stay, and...]
I know it likely does not bear repeating, Corbeau, but...thank you, again. You really did save all of us from someone who had let power go to his head.
[She goes to walk closer to him if allowed, pausing for a moment. A little...uncertain?]
...Will you be quite alright by yourself?
[Can I stay with you, my knight in shining armor, for just a little longer?]
no subject
I won't be by myself for long, if you want to head on back with Gardevoir's help. But otherwise you should wait here so they can check you over, just in case.
[It probably is just a little strain; they'll likely tell her to take it easy, rest and recover. But he can't help but worry anyway, given the state of her mom's injuries. What if it had been Jacinthe in that position? What if—
Pointless to think about it, he decides and dismisses the thought. She's fine, just a little bruised, but she'll recover and bounce back well enough. She's Jacinthe, after all. Anything less would be unacceptable.]
no subject
I don't mind waiting here at all. I'd much rather be with my savior than anyone else right now.
[...She just says that without a second thought, and she's not entirely sure if it was a mistake, but she doesn't want to be anywhere else. She doesn't, she truly doesn't. If anything happened to him, she wouldn't forgive herself, but...
Jacinthe goes quiet after, seeming contemplative. This might be the end of their contract, at this point--once they get to the bottom of this, there...won't be any need for her to stay by Corbeau anymore. Her parents might just end up occupying even more of her time, and who knows how Mother's injuries are going to shake out. They're alone right now, and...
It takes a moment, but Jacinthe looks up at Corbeau after a moment, pausing. Her expression reads confused, yet determined as she thinks. What is this strange, strange feeling that has a stranglehold on her heart? She can't be in love with him, can she? With this knight who's saved her princess ass so many times that it really does feel like a fairy-tale. With this man who has unabashedly offered her a roof, kindness, and so many things she's been lacking for so long.
...Is this...]
...I'm going to have to think of some way to truly thank you, you know.
[It comes out lighthearted, but Jacinthe's gaze goes off to the side after a moment.]
no subject
Careful, you'll inflate my ego. You would've done the same in my position, yeah?
[Not that he doesn't appreciate it, it's... actually almost a little embarrassing to be called her savior... He's absolutely not knight in shining armor. He's a damn mob boss!!
His attention is on Jacinthe as her expression shifts, looking confused. She seems to be struggling something, but he has no idea what it is, and her words aren't exactly making it clear.]
Hey, c'mon, this is what you paid me for, remember? You don't have to thank me for it. I'm glad I've been able to help.
[Though... come to think of it, with this guy taken care of, this should be the end of these specific problems in Lumiose. Jacinthe won't need the Rust Syndicate's protection anymore. He'll probably only see her if she's hosting battle tourneys. That's... kind of weird to think about, in all honesty. They've spent so much time together recently, it feels sort of... hollow to think about how things may look in the future. Maybe he's just overthinking it, though. Jacinthe called them friends. So it'd make sense for them to still find time to spend together, right?
...Ugh, this is childish. They're grown-ass adults, they can sort something out. It isn't as though this is the end of their time together.]
no subject
[She says that and it's hard to tell if she's being serious or not. Knowing Jacinthe? She probably is, at least.
But the rest of that sees Jacinthe's cheeks puff a bit.]
You truly do frustrate me sometimes, Corbeau...all of these good deeds that you do, and you're so quick to brush off appreciation for them.
[And maybe that's what makes her so impulsive. Maybe that's what makes her want him to know with certainty that he's appreciated, that he's cared for, that his deeds are something to be celebrated, and--
He'll likely notice something's off after a moment, when she lets go of his arm almost unconciously. It's without thinking that Jacinthe moves her face in close, pressing a small, gentle kiss to his cheek. It's an appreciation he can't run from, and something that is certainly deserved for his hard work, and...
...
Why...is her chest so tight, all of a sudden? Like she's done something wrong? She hasn't. She knows she hasn't.
...Right?]
no subject
In the time he's known her, Jacinthe has never been overly physically affectionate. Not with strangers, not with him, not with Lebanne, that he's seen anyway. So dismissing this as simply "Jacinthe being Jacinthe" doesn't make sense. So if it's not Jacinthe being Jacinthe, then does that mean—
No. No, it doesn't.
He exhales - a breath he didn't realize he was holding, that sounds more weary than he actually is. Maybe it could've been a laugh, if he was feeling at all humorous. But instead it's just a sound that isn't exactly the most pleased - because he still has to figure out what the hell he feels about it.
A smarter man would've just asked Jacinthe if there was any deeper meaning behind it. Regrettably, Corbeau doesn't think to use his words.]
no subject
Oh. Oh, she screwed up. She screwed up, she screwed up, she screwed up, she did something impulsive to her only friend and she screwed up, she screwed up--
Everything in Jacinthe seems to go blank when she sees her (is he still her dear friend if she did this? did she just--?) protector's eyes widen in such a manner and for a moment, she's not comprehending anything. It's as if her actions and these circumstances are so far, far away in this moment, as if she's staring through a nightmare that she'll certainly wake up from soon. Certainly, she's sure.
Why isn't she?
Why is she still in this reality, with a man she--]
I'm--sorry. I'm so--
[The words come out shaky, shaken, everything about her feels so far away as she practically jolts off of him in an instant, and...
Maybe it's the adrenaline in her that makes her run so easily, or maybe it's the sheer panic that's gone and taken over her mind, but she needs to get out of here. She needs to get out. She can't stay here, she can't stay here, she can't stay here.
Jacinthe all but flees after a moment unless Corbeau happens to have the foresight to stop her, bolting out with no intention of stopping.]
no subject
And then Jacinthe starts apologizing and she's off like a shot despite her injury, and Corbeau calls out after her—]
Jacinthe—
[—but he doesn't follow. He can't leave Themida and the kids behind. And mistakenly, foolishly, he thinks that she just needs some time to calm down. That this will all be resolved the next chance they have to talk - because it isn't a big deal, right? Just a misunderstanding. They both need some time to figure out how to approach the matter, and maybe actually communicate about their feelings. If there are any. Hell, he doesn't know.
Maybe if he'd gone after her, things would've been different.]