if we can call them friends then we can call them on their telephones

[fingersandteeth]

Who: Steven Durante + the other Rockets
Where: Various places in Goldenrod City + over poke-Skype
When: Late March/Early April
Summary: Steven has a few emotional conversations with his co-workers
Rating: PG-13, with the inevitable likeliness of some threads going up to R in terms of language and conversational subjects. Anything too wicked goes to an inbox.

[This is a catchall post for various inter-Rocket threads with Steven taking place at the end of March/first half of April, with the starters for those threads in their own comments inside.]

Comments

[wonderland_vogue]

She absolutely would be wrong about it, she knows well enough that other than a few quirks that this is a normal body and not an elf body. Either way, she doesn't seem particularly fussed about any of it and is merely waving off the whole Jack thing. She could not care less if he's right or wrong, the opportunity is right here and that's the really important part.

"Would I be suggesting a thing if I wasn't serious about it? If we don't die, then cool, I wake up in the Pokemon Center. Shouldn't be a problem. And, hey, if this gets my cool skeleton body back, then even better." It wouldn't be the first time she's died, after all. "Probably still a better way to go out than the two times I've died, anyway." Less fanfare. Less fighting. Less pain. She's sure it'll be fine.

[fingersandteeth]

Steven groans and pinches his nose. Somehow, despite the berry drugs that are still in his system, he doesn't feel so relaxed anymore.

"Fine," he says. "Fine. I'll do it for you, Lydia. But when you just pop up in the Goldenrod pokecenter after this, I'm going to tell you I told you so. Hold still, okay?"

And so he'll just fit his hands around her throat the way Jack taught him to—the practical kind of strangling, not the fun for the other person kind (because honestly both kinds are fun if you're the one strangling)—and he'll start to squeeze.

[wonderland_vogue]

Typically no one would be calm in a situation like this, but she seems... fine with this whole mess right now.

"I know, I know." She's hoping she won't have to have that particular conversation. But, oddly enough, she seems... just fine with those whole strangling thing. Most people would have some kind of instinct kick in, but if she has, she doesn't show any of it. In fact, she's making it a bit nicer and just closing her eyes and focusing elsewhere.

She's been through worse deaths than this, after all, so what's one more on top of the pile? At least this one has a purpose behind it.

Sorry, Steven, you're getting to learn just how little she gives a shit about this life.

[fingersandteeth]

The thing is, by now Steven is actually used to people being fine with being strangled. Well, by people he mostly means Jack, who has a bit of a fetish for it, both giving and receiving.

It would be accurate to say that erotic asphyxiation had been a key component of their sex life this last month.

So when Lydia takes this so easily, closing her eyes, it reminds him of strangling Jack and Steven finds himself adjusting his hands subtly, to the position they would be in for sexy times with his boyfriend. And when she's seconds away from passing out—

Well. He lets go, pretty much on instinct.

Oops.

[wonderland_vogue]

You absolute failure, Steven.

The sudden ability to be able to breathe again is not what she wanted and for normally people would be pleasant and a relief. Not for her.

Once the blood comes back and the oxygen, her eyes are opening and just narrowing at him. Son. Of a. Bitch.

"What the fuck." At least there's that hoarse sound to her voice, but she's still obviously mad.

[fingersandteeth]

"Sorry!" Steven says hastily. "I'm just— that's when I'm used to letting go when I do it to Jack. It was, shit, instinctual." He takes a deep breath. Thinks.

"Fuck," he says. "Let me get— some cord or something. Something I wouldn't use on him. I'll garrote you. "

[wonderland_vogue]

"I don't need to know what you do with him, oh my fucking god." She's actually hissing that and rubbing at her neck for a brief moment.

"Just hurry it up. I'm starting to get pissed off now." This is the actual worst fucking thing just to accomplish a moot point entirely.

Ffffff

[fingersandteeth]

"Right!" Steven says—and he lurches off to the side to retrieve said cord, only to loop it around her neck and start to pull.

He doesn't stop. Until suddenly—

Poof!

PFFFT

[wonderland_vogue]

At least that was quicker.

Until she's out and... when she awakes in a Pokemon Center she's immediately punching the nearest wall with a loud curse in luckily a language no one in this place is going to recognize.

It doesn't take her too long to get back to where they were and she's just heavy handed knocking on that door. Son of a bitch.

Re: PFFFT

[fingersandteeth]

Steven opens the door, looking altogether weary. "I am sorry," he says in lieu of a proper greeting, "but I did tell you so. Do you need to get fucked up again?"

Because it does occur to him that she might not be high anymore, if the poofing healed everything.

[wonderland_vogue]

"I had to know for myself and even if I hadn't, I needed to know if I would get that form back. Spoilers: I'm still a human. Or, humanoid, anyway." She's huffing softly and just messing with the end of that long ponytail without really realizing it.

"And yes. Good to know that if you get poisoned or something, just die and you'll be fine."

[fingersandteeth]

"I mean, I can definitely see how we could make use of that," he says, guiding her inside and closing the door. "So. Booze or more drugs?"

After a moment he adds, "You know, I wonder if it counts as killing you if I was fairly sure you would just-- poof like that."