No emotion is as bitter as Disappointment

[thebetterhalf]

Who: Marco Bott (thebetterhalf) and Princess Tutu (clumsyduck), possibly others later?
What: Heart Shard plot
When: December 1st
Where: The forest
Summary: Disappointment has taken root in Marco’s heart and it’s up to Princess Tutu to remove it.
Rating: PG-13 at most. Also spoilers for midway the first season of Attack on Titan.


[It’d all started when Jean arrived in Luceti, less than a month ago. A heavy feeling had settled in Marco’s chest when he was told the bad news. Dead. He was dead. He’d fallen at the hands of a titan. All his training had been for nothing. He’d never get to live out his dreams. The other top ten graduates had all survived Trost, he’d been the only one to mess up this badly.

Over the past few weeks, he’d found himself unable to smile. Unable to think about anything but the harsh reality that had befallen him and the way it made him feel. He couldn’t put a finger on that emotion- was it frustration? Grief? Jealousy that the others got to live? No, that was ridiculous, he shouldn’t be jealous of something like that.

Whatever it was, it’d begun to fester and before long he’d come to a realization. He’d messed up because he was weak. His training hadn’t fully prepared him for the horrors that lay in wait on the battlefield. He needed to get stronger- much stronger than he was before. Stronger than even the number one graduate of their class. So he’d forced himself to go out and train more and more often. He’d use the Battle Dome if he understood how it works, but he doesn’t want to waste too much time on figuring it out, so instead he’s been taking to the forest. Slinging from tree to tree with aid of his 3D Maneuver Gear, trying to reach new altitudes and hacking away at oddly-shaped branches with his blades. Fighting until everything becomes a blur and even wildlife that happens to cross his path isn’t safe. If they receive an injury, that’s their own fault for getting in his way.

The result is always the same. No matter how tired he gets, no matter how many trees he damages, it’s never enough. The awful feeling won’t leave him and he knows that he still needs to train more.]

Comments

Sorry I meant to do this days ago >_<

[clumsyduck]

[By this point, Duck had ventured out into the forest enough for multiple random reasons that came up. Today she was just taking a walk since she wasn't sure what to do. She partially wanted to hang out with her housemates, but they were all busy. Zelos was out doing whatever it was that he did. Sheena was most likely dragged along by Zelos. And she felt that Suki needed a little time alone after Sokka -- apparently Duck's not!father -- left Luceti.

She stopped the moment her pendent began to react, quickly changing into Princess Tutu and investigating. When she finally made it, she nearly got hit with some of the twigs and a good slice of tree. She glanced up to see a boy. It was possible this was where the heart shard was lying.]

Hello?

It's cool!

[thebetterhalf]

[Marco had just perched himself on one of the lowest branches of a tree, hand pressed against the trunk for support despite the way his fingers are curled around the blade's handle. His breathing is heavy, hours of exercise taking a toll on his body, but he doesn't seem too bothered by it. At the sound of Tutu's voice, he glances down at her with a somewhat blank expression.]

What?

I'm here now, though <3

[clumsyduck]

[She knew it had to be him for how much her pendant reacted. Usually the people she approached were... well.... on some sort of ground. It was a little different when he was traveling through the trees and destroying everything in sight.

What could she do in this moment?]

Are you okay?

[OOC: Wow, I actually had a use for this icon xD]

Weee!~ <3

[thebetterhalf]

[He continues to peer down at her, a few idle questions floating through his mind. What's with that dress? Why is she all the way out here? What does she want? He doesn't voice any of this out loud, though. What point is there in wasting time on such questions?]

I'm fine. ...And I'm busy.

:D <3

[clumsyduck]

[Hey, it's a tutu and it's cute. B|]

You seem.... [What's the word she should use....] troubled.

[thebetterhalf]

I'm not troubled.

[There's a moment's pause, then he jumps down from the branch. It's a good six or seven feet to the ground, but he manages to land firmly on both feet. He doesn't sheathe his swords, instead continuing to clutch the pair of them in his hands.]

...I'm just training.

[clumsyduck]

Training...? What are you training for?

[A moment.... and then she twirled her hands above her head before reaching out.]

Dance with me.

[thebetterhalf]

Dance? [He stares at the hand with an expression of confusion, almost as if he doesn't know what he's seeing. There's a scuffling sound as he takes a small step backwards, leaves crunching under his feet.]

I... I don't dance.

[clumsyduck]

Everyone can dance.

[She smiles softly, leaving her hand out for him to take. She won't force him to dance if he doesn't want to.]

[thebetterhalf]

[Hesitant as he is, there's something about the girl's smile. Something that has him believe that maybe, just maybe, she can soothe the awful feeling in his chest- in his heart. He sheathes his two blades and makes an attempt to reach out to her hand with his own, but he freezes halfway there.]

... I can trust you, right? [He doesn't know what she'll do, or if she'll even do anything, yet the need to ask just seemed to dawn on him.]

[clumsyduck]

[She'll just leave her hand where it is, allowing him to chose for himself.]

Of course. [She wouldn't hurt him.]

[thebetterhalf]

[There's another few seconds of hesitation, then he places his hand on top of hers. That's how it's done, right? It's more instinct than anything else.]

Lol sorry for the subscribe spam. I didn't know I wasn't subscribed to Marco

[clumsyduck]

[She smiled as he took her hand, leading him as they danced.]

What troubles you?

It's fine, I don't get notifs for that anyway! XD

[thebetterhalf]

[He has no clue what he's doing. None at all. And yet, somehow, the proper steps just seem to come to him. He can't stand on his toes the way she is, especially not with his boots, but his movements manage to match hers nonetheless. It feels... soothing, somehow.]

I... don't know.

mkay xD

[clumsyduck]

[He's no dancer, but he does a good job keeping up with her. Although, she has been keeping it simple for him. If it makes him feel any better though, if she was just Duck, there would be no way she could dance like she does as Princess Tutu.]

You don't know?

[thebetterhalf]

[He shakes his head, then it dawns on him that maybe that's a bit of a lie. He does know something, at least.]

I need to get stronger. Strong enough to protect myself. Stronger and stronger. [It's the only way to make a difference. It's the only way to give all his hard work over the years meaning.]

[clumsyduck]

[Keeping the moves simple as they dance..]

And for those you care about, too. There's much more than getting stronger. Other ways to improve without going this route.

[She means that in the best way possible, smiling to him gently.]

[thebetterhalf]

No. Training is the only way to get more experience. Training is the only way I'll learn.

[If he'd had all this experience sooner, then maybe he wouldn't have fallen in battle. Maybe his life wouldn't have been wasted.]

[clumsyduck]

Are you sure that's the only way?

[thebetterhalf]

[The question startles him. It seemed to only make sense to him that he'd need to train in order to get stronger.]

...What other way would there be?

[clumsyduck]

There are other ways to get stronger. Are you sure what you need is physical strength rather than mental strength?