[Open Log] Ch-Ch-Cherry Blossoms

[vianca]

Who: You!
What: Cherry Blossom Festival
When: April 10th - 18th
Where: All over town & campus. Wherever you find a cherry tree. Probably even up there on that mystery island for whatever reason, if you're so inclined.
Rating: Flower power.





Pink is everywhere. No matter where you look, you're sure to see the signs of soft pink and white blossoms. There's a fresh spark of life filling the air and just beckoning for everyone to come outside and enjoy the sweet scents of spring. Well, except for you, people with springtime allergies. They just want to make you miserable. But perhaps for everyone else, it was a wonderful amazing time to be had.



There are wonderful spots for picnicking! Frolic inducing atmosphere and the space to do it! Every so often you will see vendors selling treats for the event! Cosplayers taking advantage of their natural environments for photo ops! Hot date spots! Blossoms! Sparkles! Everywhere! Even when it rains.

This log is completely open! You can do whatever you'd like with whomever you'd like whenever you'd like. Just start up a thread and go!

Have fun! Don't forget to add your character to the entry tags! ♥

Comments

[travelingsandstorm]

Regardless of how Acacia looked and acted, she couldn't deny she loved the sight of the pink flurry of cherry blossoms fluttering about. The floral aroma was rather enjoyable and relaxing as well.

With the day so beautiful, it'd be such a waste to spend it indoors so you can definitely find Acacia roaming about looking for people to bother and annoy. She may be perusing the stalls of the festival or even simply people watching from up high in a cherry tree. Anything can happen, so feel free to approach her or be caught under her predatory gaze.

[rivalappeared]

Beware of the sudden pile of fallen petals tumbling onto your head from a slightly higher vantage point, Acacia.

[travelingsandstorm]

Not.

FUNNY.

Insert aggravated sigh.

"Oi! Do you have ANY idea how long that's gonna take to get outta my hair without messing it up?" she yelled as she quickly turned to glare up at the perpetrator. "Green, you punk!"

She broke off a twig nearby and chucked it at him. When that didn't satisfy her, she reached for a small branch.

[rivalappeared]

Green laughed as he batted the twig away, but held up his hands placatingly as Acacia picked up the branch.

"Alright, alright, sorry. I couldn't help myself." He made an attempt at a pout, but a giggle cut through that illusion. "You look fine. Like a flower princess or some shit."

[travelingsandstorm]

"Ohh...? Flower princess, you say?" He certainly knew how to appease Acacia. Flattery definitely goes a long way with this sassy sandslash. "I'll take that over 'some shit' anytime. Guess you're not so bad."

She leaned back and relaxed. "So? Why're you up there and not out treating our Blue to something wonderful like the real princess she is?"

[birdlady]

ROOMIE. Melia hadn't spent much time with her roommate yet, which she felt a little bad about. So, what better time than the present? ...Aside from the fact that she had two Chao in her arms and another one perched on her head.

"Acacia! Hello! How are you today?"

[travelingsandstorm]

"Hello, Melia. Doin' well. You?" she said casually from her spot on the tree. Acacia didn't mind the company of her roommate. She seemed as beautiful on the inside as her outer appearance. Acacia just... didn't like holing herself up in her room when there was so much to explore, hence her lack of effort in hanging out with said gorgeous roomie. Her bad.

Noting the little creatures in her arms with mild curiosity, she asked, "What've you got there? They're kinda cute."

Extreme Backdating the Party

[rivalsolarbeam]

The cherry blossoms were certainly something to be enjoyed. They ushered in the spring for everyone, leaving the air that much sweeter. Not that Bulba really needed the reminder. He was too sweet himself, all fuzzy headed and dusting pollen everywhere.

It was easy enough to find him soaking up some rays amongst the petals. More likely he was roaming from spot to spot, seeming contemplative. A bit tense even, almost as if he were bracing for something here and there. But that came and went, often melting away into a small smile depending on who crossed his path in the cheery atmosphere.

There'd just been a lot on his mind, and spring was not a good helper.

[flowerofmtsilver]

Things were about to smell even sweeter all up in here. And definitely this was going to continue to contribute to fuzzy headedness and conflicted feelings.

"Bulba! There you are."

The wild Saur trotted over to where the shiny one stood among the flowers. Vinnie's eyes, normally so much brighter whenever spring rolled in, were dulled by an air of uncertainty. There was the lingering worry over how distant Bulba had been lately, and that anxiety born of the things he felt, how far he went. It was hard to say how much of it was imagined, but all the little mistakes, the little missed gestures, they were adding up.

Wouldn't Bulba normally want to check out the cherry blossoms with him?

"I thought..." He cut himself off, second guessing his own words. It wasn't like his boyfriend was obligated to bring him every time he wanted to go on a walk or anything... Vinnie furrowed his brows, confused about what he could've been doing wrong. Maybe Bulba still needed space?

Trying his best not to sound hesitant, the Venusaur asked, "Did you... want some company?"

[rivalsolarbeam]

Normally, nothing would have made Bulba happier than the prospect of stealing time away with Vinnie under the blossoms. It'd been something he had been looking forward to. Somehow, they had never had the chance to enjoy the sights together. He should have been thrilled to have Vinnie appear at his side.

... And he was. That was part of the problem.

"Vinnie." The smile had lit up Bulba's eyes before he could help himself and tense into something more reserved. God it was so hard to figure these things out when he could smell the other man's sweetness everywhere. It made it so easy to smile, and that just made him want to cry. Bulba watched him, thinking about how much he wanted to pull the other Venusaur amongst the petals and- and how selfish that would be. It only added to the confusion that was his expression, flickering somewhere between fond and bittersweet.

"I would," was the soft reply as his stomach turned. He couldn't keep putting this off. "I wanted to talk to you."

[flowerofmtsilver]

I wanted to talk to you. Six words that could strike fear into the heart of any man. Vinnie forced himself not to look too taken aback or nervous, but it was pretty hard not to. Maybe it was nothing to be worried about, maybe it was his imagination running away with itself, but... it could've been anything.

Swallowing hard, the Venusaur steeled himself for whatever might come. It was a struggle to keep a casual air to his demeanor and voice, even while his guts were twisting around inside him.

"...Al'right."

[rivalsolarbeam]

It was for the best. That's what he had to keep telling himself.

Without thinking he had reached for Vinnie's hand. It was what felt natural to do. Bulba caught himself doing it, and made the split-second decision to fondly graze his fingers against the other's instead. It been tempting, oh so tempting, to hold his hand again and savor that warmth. Bulba drew his hand restlessly to his side, inclining his head towards the pink spotted green.

"Walk with me?" The buzz of spring wasn't going anywhere, but they could at least start heading somewhere that had less enthusiastic student body participation.

[flowerofmtsilver]

There was a flutter of disappointment as Bulba pulled away his hand without Vinnie's in it, but... if he didn't want it, then pushing it was just going to make things bad, right? With a conflicted look in his eyes, Vinnie subconsciously ran his thumb across the indent on his lip - a souvenir from his time as a Charizard, when he had been a little too bold, too rough, burned maybe too brightly with his instincts. The scar didn't bother him, but the fear that he might've hurt Bulba in any way did.

A little sullenly, the Venusaur shoved his hands in his pockets, cutting off the temptation of doing anything with them.

Vinnie's gaze darted quickly towards the bustle of the festival, then back. If this was something private, then it was probably serious. With a small nod, he uttered in a low voice, "'Course."

[rivalsolarbeam]

That earned him the soft curve of a small smile. It'd never been so hard to do. Bulba swept off across the grass, confident that Vinnie would be right behind him if not at his side.

He should have taken the older Saur's hand. The regret had come almost instantly, knowing he should have taken what he could get, because it was all so fleeting. Like a flickering flame that took what needed and left him in the dark. It would have kept his hands from restlessly toying with his messy hair.

The chatter from the festival had grown quieter after a little bit of wandering. Bulba had no destination in mind. He couldn't see that far ahead of him, even as he kept his eyes trained carefully forward.

"... You're amazing, you know."

[flowerofmtsilver]

That had taken Vinnie by surprise. So much so that there was a hitch in his step, and he blinked mutely in surprise. He hadn't exactly expected that to be the first thing for Bulba to say when the other Venusaur had been so distant lately. It rather put him at a loss to how to actually respond, and to guess where this was getting at.

"Uh... I dunno 'bout that," he said, stumbling over his thoughts. He certainly didn't feel like he'd been doing all that amazing a job at being a good boyfriend lately. Out of curiosity, he had to ask, "What brought this on?"

[rivalsolarbeam]

"I haven't said it as often as I've thought it," Bulba supplied gently. "I should." Should've. When Bulba went against his better judgement to glance back at Vinnie, that half smile was still on his lips. A fleeting uncertainty kept it from reaching his eyes, betraying some of his nerves as he quickly flicked his gaze back ahead of him.

"You've come so far, and you're just going to keep going. There's so much you're going to be able to do." The shiny saur chewed on the inside of his lip. He hadn't really planned what he wanted to say. Every time he tried to think about it his chest would feel as tight as it did now. Maybe the waver that had started to crawl through his voice wouldn't have been so noticeable if he had.

"... You deserve to be happy every step of the way so I..." He swallowed, stuck on the words. "I don't want to keep holding you back."

[flowerofmtsilver]

Vinnie's expression faded from confusion into one of worry.

"But you're not holding me back," he replied, insistent. "I've never thought that." Where did Bulba get the idea that he had been doing anything but be supportive? Was there something here he wasn't seeing?

Whatever the Shiny Saur meant to say, he probably had to say it with a bit more bluntness.

[rivalsolarbeam]

Of course he did. It had been hard enough trying to tell Vinnie he wanted to be with him, so it shouldn't have been a surprise that it'd be just as hard trying to give him his life back. Bulba's shoulders hitched, an anxious hand rubbing up the length of his arm.

"I am," the younger saur countered with a harsher note of desperation that caused his ears to flick back. "I tried to say I wasn't, but all I've been was selfish. I thought I could shine enough for you but I haven't. All I've done is confuse things and put you in awful situations and I can't. I can't do that to you anymore."

[flowerofmtsilver]

There was a sharp twist in Vinnie's gut, causing him to wince at Bulba's words. It hadn't always been easy, especially with both their families the way they were, but that didn't mean it was impossible to fix. Resolving things with Char was a huge step in that direction, wasn't it? Vinnie had thought he did a good job in helping all three of them become closer, even if it was through reckless means.

When it was all said and done, though, it worked out for the better. It was worthwhile. At least, he thought it was.

Hesitantly, Vinnie's voice went quiet with trepidation as he asked, "You don't think it was worth it...?"

[rivalsolarbeam]

A rush of shame flared hot on his face and Bulba squeezed his eyes shut. How on Earth was he supposed to say that he treasured every second, of course it had been worth it, it just... wasn't ideal to continue for Vinnie's sake.

"It was, to me, but it's... You could do so much better than someone like me. Someone that isn't just going to be another obligation for you, and who can actually... do what I wanted."

[flowerofmtsilver]

Incredulity began to trickle into Vinnie's face as he protested, "I want you t'be my obligation, that's not... not the same as being an obstacle, you're--"

His words cut off into silence as it sunk in. Whatever was in his eyes before had been replaced by dread - like a sinking, icy pit had opened up in his stomach and he had just been nudged over its edge.

"Wait, you're...? You..." Suddenly, it felt like shards of broken glass were stabbing at his throat when he tried to muster a single sound. His tongue felt too cut up to speak.

[rivalsolarbeam]

There it was. Slowly, the blonde gave a mute nod.

He hadn't planned on looking back at Vinnie. Doing so would have crumbled all of his resolve and he would have backed off and prolonged what he expected to be the inevitable. Yet he did it anyway, turning slightly back towards the other.

His sight was already somewhat wavering, his eyes red from trying to keep his tears at bay. A nearly herculean task in the light of Vinnie's expression. His stomach churned hard and he nearly felt ill. "I'm sorry," he murmured, stepping back to brush a ghost of a kiss against Vinnie's cheek.

Which is where it didn't add up, because the younger saur still smelled so sweet so close. So, so sweet, and it certainly wasn't just spring's doing.

[flowerofmtsilver]

Oh, no no no, you couldn't just expect to give him a kiss and an apology and expect him to just be okay with it. Vinnie reeled back from the touch - even if minutes ago he would've longed for it. Now it felt like if he accepted it, then he was accepting Bulba's reasoning.

Fuck no. He couldn't just take that without a fight. Not when he still hadn't heard a decent explanation for it all. A blaze sprang to life in his chest, and even if it was a sputtering one, it still gave him the fire to spit out, "No, you're not..." Not sorry? Not breaking up with me? No, no, not "--making sense! Nothing you said makes any fuckin' sense!"

Defiant, Vinnie's hands were suddenly clenched into tight fists at his sides, and he would not be moved. "I'm just supposed to accept this is for my own good? That you're throwin' me away for my sake or somethin'?!"

[rivalsolarbeam]

It was suffocating. His head felt stuffed with cotton, and his throat had gone tight and dry. His heart felt fit to burst, just waiting for the stray moment when Bulba would slam it down with a hammer. Everything felt wrong, wrong, wrong, but he couldn't convince himself to stop. A twinge of regret was twisting in his guts, but it was still what he needed to do, wasn't it?

"It... it hurt, Vinnie. Every time I said or did anything to make you uncomfortable, it's hurt. I've chased away so many of your smiles and that's... that's not what I..." Bulba's voice cracked as he spoke and he covered his mouth with his hands as if that could hold him together.

"I get too greedy and reach for you, but when I do you look so guilty and it... I can't do that to you anymore, it kills me."

There was a panicking feeling rising up in his throat because oh this was wrong, no matter how true all of it was.

[flowerofmtsilver]

Vinnie was growing more incredulous by the second, his eyes wide with disbelief. Every heartbeat seemed like drums pounding in his ears. All this time, Bulba had been hurting - he'd been torturing himself over ever missed smile or touch, and saying nothing. It was hard to decide whether to apologize or to just feel angry.

"I don't get a say in how I feel? In how I want t'feel?" The Venusaur's voice was threatening to crack. "If it wasn't worth it, I wouldn't be fighting to make it work." Literally fighting, no less.

He swallowed, struggling to hold onto what composure he had left. "Now you're just telling me to give up. On you."