A few minutes went by. Both were silent, unsure what to say now. Tori's
eyes were cast down as she looked at him through her eyelashes.
"So," Tori began. Blake looked at her. She racked her brain to think of something to say. The silence was killing her. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she wanted to ask, but she wasn't sure how to say it all. "How-How was your little, uh, vacation, or vision quest, or, whatever, with Hunter?" She finally asked.
"It was OK." He said. "I guess. It was just, we had to think about who we trust." He looked up at the sky. "Ever since our parents died, Hunter and I have basically just relied on one another." He squinted, as if in thought. "We were convinced family was all a person has, and since we were the only family we each had, we stuck to that."
"But you trusted Lothor." Tori pointed out. Blake shook his head.
"I don't know about Hunter, but I didn't trust Lothor. At least not completely. The fact remained he was evil. But, he said he knew who murdered our parents, so, we just trusted him enough to get to our parent's murderer. After that, we weren't going to have anything to do with him." He sighed. "But, of course, you know, we were lied to. Tricked. And it wasn't the last time we were tricked by that-" Tori put a hand on his shoulder, his bare shoulder. Blake's skin tingled where her hand was. *Cut that out!* He scolded himself. *When on a weird deserted island, not good time to think about...that stuff....Although...No, no, bad, no thoughts of Tori!*
"You're playing the blame game again." Tori said. "You're not psychic, or a mind reader or anything. You had no way of knowing what was going on. It's a simple mistake anyone could've made." Blake looked at her.
"It was a 'simple mistake' that nearly killed you." He said.
"But it didn't." She said. "See, I'm here. Not dead." She took her hand off her shoulder and took his. "I'm right here." Blake blinked. He could barely breath. He could've killed her. Why was she being so forgiving?
"I don't think I could live with myself if I knew I had killed you." He whispered. Tori bit her lip. Was he saying that because...*No, course not, he's just saying that, like, homicide, not good, so, yeah.*
"But you didn't." She said gently. Blake looked away; he suddenly felt nervous..well, even more nervous then before. He reached over and picked up his shirt. It was still pretty damp, but he pulled it on nonetheless. Tori was grateful to get rid of the distraction of his shirtless body. She took a deep breath. "I wonder how the others are doing." She said, changing the subject. Blake didn't respond. The two sat in silence once again.
"Oh look, it's two POWERLESS rangers!" Came a voice. The two looked over to see the snail creature Tori and the others had been fighting before.
"Oh, not him again." Tori groaned. Blake jumped up into a fighting stance in front of Tori, as if to protect her. Tori was both touched and annoyed by this gesture. On one had-He was protecting her, showing he cared, on the other hand-Tori could take care of herself. As if to prove that to herself, she pushed herself to her feet, hissing gently in pain, but not letting that stop her.
"It would've been nice if you had actually killed her," the creature said to Blake. "But I guess if you want something done, you gotta do it yourself." He laughed. Blake's anger boiled at this.
"Don't even think about it, slug." Blake growled.
"Time to send you to the dirt ya came from, Stinky." Tori said, going into a stance. The thing laughed.
"This is gonna be fun!" He extended a hand, sending beams and forces at the two. They dodged away, barely missing the explosion.
"Ohhhhhh, he is so gonna get it." Tori said, her anger flaring. She stood up, ready to fight. Blake took her arm.
"He's got evil alien powers, at the moment, we've got nothing. I suggest we run." Tori glared at him. She had no intention of running, but, Blake didn't seem to take no for an answer. He dragged her as they ran off.
"Oh, I love chases!" The creature said joyously. He sent a few more beams their way. This time, one hit Tori at her leg. She grunted as she stumbled, falling to her knees.
"Tori!" Blake exclaimed worriedly.
"I'm OK." She said through clench teeth, trying to get back up. Blake lifted her up in his arms, an arm under her legs and back. He could feel the cuts under her shirt, and felt yet another pang of guilt. Tori circled her arms around his neck as he ran with her.
"So," Tori began. Blake looked at her. She racked her brain to think of something to say. The silence was killing her. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she wanted to ask, but she wasn't sure how to say it all. "How-How was your little, uh, vacation, or vision quest, or, whatever, with Hunter?" She finally asked.
"It was OK." He said. "I guess. It was just, we had to think about who we trust." He looked up at the sky. "Ever since our parents died, Hunter and I have basically just relied on one another." He squinted, as if in thought. "We were convinced family was all a person has, and since we were the only family we each had, we stuck to that."
"But you trusted Lothor." Tori pointed out. Blake shook his head.
"I don't know about Hunter, but I didn't trust Lothor. At least not completely. The fact remained he was evil. But, he said he knew who murdered our parents, so, we just trusted him enough to get to our parent's murderer. After that, we weren't going to have anything to do with him." He sighed. "But, of course, you know, we were lied to. Tricked. And it wasn't the last time we were tricked by that-" Tori put a hand on his shoulder, his bare shoulder. Blake's skin tingled where her hand was. *Cut that out!* He scolded himself. *When on a weird deserted island, not good time to think about...that stuff....Although...No, no, bad, no thoughts of Tori!*
"You're playing the blame game again." Tori said. "You're not psychic, or a mind reader or anything. You had no way of knowing what was going on. It's a simple mistake anyone could've made." Blake looked at her.
"It was a 'simple mistake' that nearly killed you." He said.
"But it didn't." She said. "See, I'm here. Not dead." She took her hand off her shoulder and took his. "I'm right here." Blake blinked. He could barely breath. He could've killed her. Why was she being so forgiving?
"I don't think I could live with myself if I knew I had killed you." He whispered. Tori bit her lip. Was he saying that because...*No, course not, he's just saying that, like, homicide, not good, so, yeah.*
"But you didn't." She said gently. Blake looked away; he suddenly felt nervous..well, even more nervous then before. He reached over and picked up his shirt. It was still pretty damp, but he pulled it on nonetheless. Tori was grateful to get rid of the distraction of his shirtless body. She took a deep breath. "I wonder how the others are doing." She said, changing the subject. Blake didn't respond. The two sat in silence once again.
"Oh look, it's two POWERLESS rangers!" Came a voice. The two looked over to see the snail creature Tori and the others had been fighting before.
"Oh, not him again." Tori groaned. Blake jumped up into a fighting stance in front of Tori, as if to protect her. Tori was both touched and annoyed by this gesture. On one had-He was protecting her, showing he cared, on the other hand-Tori could take care of herself. As if to prove that to herself, she pushed herself to her feet, hissing gently in pain, but not letting that stop her.
"It would've been nice if you had actually killed her," the creature said to Blake. "But I guess if you want something done, you gotta do it yourself." He laughed. Blake's anger boiled at this.
"Don't even think about it, slug." Blake growled.
"Time to send you to the dirt ya came from, Stinky." Tori said, going into a stance. The thing laughed.
"This is gonna be fun!" He extended a hand, sending beams and forces at the two. They dodged away, barely missing the explosion.
"Ohhhhhh, he is so gonna get it." Tori said, her anger flaring. She stood up, ready to fight. Blake took her arm.
"He's got evil alien powers, at the moment, we've got nothing. I suggest we run." Tori glared at him. She had no intention of running, but, Blake didn't seem to take no for an answer. He dragged her as they ran off.
"Oh, I love chases!" The creature said joyously. He sent a few more beams their way. This time, one hit Tori at her leg. She grunted as she stumbled, falling to her knees.
"Tori!" Blake exclaimed worriedly.
"I'm OK." She said through clench teeth, trying to get back up. Blake lifted her up in his arms, an arm under her legs and back. He could feel the cuts under her shirt, and felt yet another pang of guilt. Tori circled her arms around his neck as he ran with her.