polteaguise

[polteaguise]

( The door opens halfway through his typing. )

Nova. Nova can you let me into the office..I'm locked out. Please. Please. It's so cold 🥺

(@newbarkboiii)

You don't have a key?

[polteaguise]

Nova. Nova can you let me into the office..I'm locked out. Please. Please. It's so cold 🥺

(@newbarkboiii)

You don't have a key?

[polteaguise]

Green shows up at their home with three gifts for his spouse: A dratini plush, and a Mew plush, very cute and fluffy, and a small ghost keychain.

"Coffeebean! Looks like you've married quite the genius, huh." ✨

Oh my Arceus. Is this the cutest thing or what? That reaction doubles when they're handed a Mew in addition to the little dragon. “The smartest in Kanto.”

They lean forwards to kiss him on the cheek. “Someone's been having fun.”

[polteaguise]

masquerade daydream...

gift art for my bestie @polteaguise ! husbands at the ball dancing like they don't have a care in the world...

maskless version under cut! (my favorite version btw)

[polteaguise]

They twiddle their thumbs, eyes shifting up and down constantly. They're fighting between the ingrained courtesy of looking someone in the eyes when you're talking to them and the anxiety talking to someone this intimidating gives them.

They nod. “You have a ghost problem?” It's stupid question. They're not sure why they asked. Realizing this, they begin shoving their work into their bag at record speeds. Anything to distract themself.

“I, uh. I don't know if he's there yet, but I'm sure he'll be in soon... If he's not!”

( from here, @polteaguise )

Dashi grew very, very impatient with how long this person took to reply. His foot tapped the ground, and he considered leaving and searching for someone a bit more willing to help...

Except they replied right before he turned away.

"You work there?" this... shy specimen? Flighting ghosts? Dashi displays a tiny smile. "I'd like that, if possible. I'm kinda in a rush, though. Been meaning to go there for a while; if I don't go soon I'll forget again."

[polteaguise]

"Hey. Excuse me." Towering over Nova, a man with bright orange eyes. "Do you know where's, uh... I think it's called Mewstery Gang?"

oh. this name is so unserious.

"...Kim's medium company."

( @destinybounded )

(@destinybounded)

Nova glances up from the sea of papers they'd been shuffling through. Their shift ended two hours ago and they were spending some time lounging outside of the café on one of their shaded tables. The vanilla Chai sitting beside them had long since been forgotten. They were too invested in the endless sorting they were being subjected to.

So invested, infact, that they nearly forget to reply to his question. A minute passes before they realize they're being addressed. “ Yeah, it's just up the... ”

They would've responded like that: no glances cast his way and further drawn into work. But something tells them to look up... So they do. Freezing their latest set of sorting, they glance upwards at the giant before them and nearly shrink back into their seat.

“ It's, um... I... I work there? If you want... I'm about to go there soon. You can come with me...? ”

[polteaguise]

15 years old

You can't quite place this emotion. This isn't new for you, but this is the first time you've exerted so much energy into trying to identify it. To name it. Every time you glance down the thrum of your heart threatens to drown out everything else. The chain feels heavy in your hand, bathed in malintent. In sin. The very act of holding it feels... Wrong. Especially after everything you've done. After all you stand for.

To say it's 'just insurance' doesn't justify it. The fact that you have the capacity within you at all to use such a thing is proof of how deeply evil has seeped into your soul. There's no going back now. There's no changing who you've become.

And yet, this feeling isn't fear, nor guilt.

"Someone looks excited."

The hell does she know? You've found your patience thinning with her lately. Then again, your patience has thinned with most things. It was only a matter of time before even she became a prop, a background element, in your eyes. Her constant reassertion into the frame, overestimating her importance, when she has far outlived her use, is what irritates you the most. The sickeningly arrogant tone she takes with you. The way she treats you like a dog on a leash.

It doesn't help that you have someone whispering into your ear all the time, seeding doubts into your heart. You could ignore them if only they weren't based on truth.

Athena goes through the motions again, manipulating machinery you cannot even begin to comprehend. She barely acknowledges you this late in the game, merely acting on instinct. This is all familiar territory to her. 'This, too, is one of your sins,' you think. If Uxie could see you now, she'd surely rend you to pieces.

You close your eyes. Your heartbeat swallows the world. She says something else to you, equally as impertinent as the last, no doubt. She is irrelevant. You cannot hear her anymore. Your newfound attitude towards her is something she has picked up on, but it's no matter. This is the monster she's created, after all. She can curse herself for that. But... Oh well. As long as you do what you're meant to, it doesn't matter how cruelly you treat her.

You're both only using each other. That's been your relationship from the very start.

Very soon, you will be able to return to your post. You'll be able to do that which was created for you. The path laid out for you by Arceus himself. You'll get to be the hero you were meant to be, and everything will go back to normal again.

This is your redemption. This is what you are meant to do. The very heavens are on your side. Tomorrow, everything will change. It will all be better. You'll do whatever it takes to make sure of that.

You're the good guy in this story.

[polteaguise]

He tripped, huh? So why does it feel like a chair thrown at them, and Green took the brunt of the hint? Their back hurts from the sudden fall, and from having to take all their husbands weight. But otherwise? They're fine. Confused, but fine.

Nova doesn't say anything to Green. They raise their brow a bit, an expression that calls Green a liar, but they don't express that verbally. They accept his help getting to their feet before glancing behind Green. Nothing there, so they turn to look behind them.

... They're going to ignore the oven.

One of the cupboards is creaked open ever-so-slightly. That's enough for them. They whistle like they're calling a dog, and they command the shadows with that same attitude.

“ PHOBOS! Down! Now! ”

They know it has a habit of sliding into small crevices and dark spaces, so it's no surprise when a pair of eyes come peaking out of the crack. Apprehension, but then they narrow into a smile. Even without seeing its mouth or hearing its voice, it's clear Phobos is laughing at Green.

It slinks down out of the cabinet like a pool of gelatin, settling at Nova's feet and clutching their ankles possessively. The tension between Pokemon and trainer lingers for several seconds like a black fog settling into the room. Nova takes a deep breath and the mood seems to clear instantly.

“ 170, please. Green? ” They're beaming as though nothing happened, doing their best to retain composure while the children are fighting in their castle. Their kitchen. Their wonderful space of serenity and peace, damn it!

Stupid haunted oven! All he wanted was to bake some nice brownies with his spouse, have fun, enjoy their peaceful everyday life and his love for Nova.

Green wasn't expecting the oven to shove him. Of course he didn't get to calculate it properly and fell on top of Nova, sending both of them to the floor.

"Ugh!!" he at least held his hands up to avoid having all his weight onto his lover. "Fuck. I'm sorry, Nova, are you okay??"

Rolling to the side and jumping on his feet, he helps his spouse up, casting an angry glare at the stupid oven.

"I, um. might have gotten a little... You know. Swept up by love... Haha..." his forced laugh dies soon, replaced by the face of genuine shame. "I'm sorry."

[polteaguise]

"Nothing boring about being boring."

That's a contradiction, something Nova is entirely comprised of. But it makes sense! On a philosophical level. And if you ignore the glaring fact that it makes no sense semantically. It's pretty unusual for someone to have no quirks, no distinguishing features, and no idiosyncrasies. To find someone who attracts absolutely no awe and no interest would be objectively fascinating. The very act of being boring is not boring.

That's insane people thinking, so Nova doesn't say any of that out loud.

"Besides, I think you're interesting enough. I might even go so far as to say you're a little strange." Which they say without a hint of hostility or insult. "Which is good. I don't know how to deal with people who aren't a little strange. I always feel safe talking to you."

So, yes. They've noted the silly little behaviors. But it's not like they're embarrassed by it. They're the little things that make Cynthia 'Cynthia.' They wouldn't want it any other way.

Oh Nova! Fantastic to see you again! Can I get a cold brew and a pumpkin muffin?

(@celestglaukopis)

"Evening, Cynthia! It's been a while, hasn't it?"

They get to work immediately preparing drazz drink. There's less people in the cafe around this time —- Nova acts more freely, humming loudly and stepping about as they finish the order alongside one other. Cynthia gets drazz drink only a minute after the customer before drago. They don't want Cynthia to grab a seat before they have a chance to talk, so they finished both orders with worrying speed.

Soon as they finish, Nova leans over the counter to talk. "You know, admittedly I was a bit nervous when you first said you were going to start coming by. I thought there'd be a parade of cameras here soon enough. But I'm actually glad you're here."

"It's nice to have someone to talk to. You know. Without the customer service smile. It gets lonely when that's the only way you can talk to people."

[polteaguise]

“ Oh, Green... ”

Nova's busy being swept off their feet, drawn along by every word. As far as his spouse is concerned, Green's plan is going perfectly. No surprises there.

The oven, however, still has plenty of surprises. The spirit struggling against him relents all of a sudden. It lets Green go while he's still fighting it. At the same time, it perfectly mimics Green's movements. The result is a little loss of balance that, if Green's coordinated enough, will surely not result in him slamming into Nova. The second result is that the oven turns on. And it keeps turning on. The spirit is really helping him turn that oven on! All the way to 250 degrees. It then proceeds to seal his hand there so he cannot twist it lower.

Checkmate.

What the absolute fuck is this.

Were he not hugging his spouse he'd most likely scream in fear because this is absolutely the work of a ghost. Although maybe a few ghosts he knows too well...

He needs to do something fast. Something no Nova doesn't realize and doesn't worry about it! He shifts a little, now looking straight at his spouse's eyes, yet still fighting the oven.

"Uh... Kouki, I... Ever since we got married I kind of always have this... fear that something will come and try to ruin our happiness." for someone who's on a arm wrestle right now, he's sure good at sounding sweet. Well, it all comes from the heart nevertheless. "I would hate that... Because I love you so much. All I wish is that you're happy and at peace... I just want us to be happy."

And this damn oven isn't helping at all!!!!! But it will be fine, as Green is full of stubbornness.

[polteaguise]

I did nothing wrong.

[polteaguise]

5

"What do you wanna do when you grow up?" You stayed out late again. You did your best to ignore the incessant nipping of the night chill, squinting your eyes at the ocean of lights above. If you focused enough, the world seems to melt into nothingness, condensing into nothing but stars. If you could maintain this, the bitter, cold air, the passing spirits and wisps, and the scrapes and cuts in your hands and knees, all seem to fade away. But his voice cuts through the concentration like a blade and all the worldly sensations come rushing back.

If not for him, you may end up floating away. The string to your balloon, grounding you to reality yet allowing you to stay ever in the clouds.

What did you want to be? It's not something you'd ever put much thought into. All the other kids seemed to have such clever answers. They wanted to be doctors and firefighters. They wanted to be politicians and police officers. They wanted to be just like their teachers, their parents, their favorite movie stars. All the other kids seem to have it all figured out. You never did have such neat and tidy answers. "It's alright, you have plenty of time to figure it out," is what the adults would say. Increasingly you wonder if that's true.

I want to stay just like this forever. Ten, twenty, thirty years in the future, you want to lay here and watch the stars with him. Is that a good answer? Are you allowed to say that?

Before you can answer, he jumps in with his own. "I want to be the leader of the Battle Tower!" Ah. Just like his father. Just like everyone else. That's a good answer. He's brave and strong and you're sure he'll grow up to be a great trainer just like his dad. You tell him so, with significantly fewer words. He loudly informs you that that's not an answer.

... You mull it over. You like food, but you could never be a chef. You mess up in the kitchen all the time, and you don't like being yelled at. You don't want to be a trainer. That seems scary. There's always so much going on. So many people, too much eye contact. Your mother's a scientist. Maybe that's a good answer? Everyone always wants to be like their parents.

You like the stars. Maybe you're on the verge of something here.

"I want to study stars," you say. "Like an astronaut?" He replies. Before he can go into another tangent you correct him. "No. I don't want to go to the stars." That's not your dream. That's too big for you. But. "I wouldn't mind sending someone up there."

Helping other people achieve their own dreams. Sending people to the stars and beyond. That sounds wonderful. You'd like that. Maybe.

He manages to throw his entire life's goal away in a second. Rolling over and grasping your hands, he obscures your view and blots out the sky. He's pressing down on your scrapes, but you don't even feel it. You squint. The whole world seems to compress down to him. Just one star in the sky, and all the discomfort in the world disappears.

"Then how about you send me to the stars? I could be your astronaut. I could go waaaay up there and then I'll explore the stars for you! I'll take loads of pictures, and when I come back I can tell you all about it!"

That's a wild dream. You think, maybe, stars are too hot to explore like that? But, you think he really could do it. You think he could do anything. If that's his dream.

You'd really love to help him achieve it.

You both promised that day. That you'd keep watching the stars together forever. Ten. Twenty. Thirty years from now.

[polteaguise]

Send me an age and I'll tell you something that happened to my muse at that age

[polteaguise]

The oven doesn't like that. It tries to shift back off, but quickly realizes Green will pose too much resistance. It continues this futile attempt for ten or so more seconds before an inky black appendage reaches down from one of the cupboards and grabs Green's arm. It's a dual tug-of-war now. The dial continues to twist in the opposite direction while the hand scratches and tugs on Green's arm in- -It can't even be called annoyance. The body doesn't put that much thought into it. It merely desires strife, and it will antagonize the trainer to retrieve it. When one arm doesn't work it begins to try and grab Green with another. It will continue like this, one shadowy appendage after another, until the resistance stops and the oven is freed from the Oak's grasp.

“ Oh. Uh... Green? ”

And for Nova, this is growing increasingly uncomfortable.

They're swept away unwittingly, all but forgetting the brownies. The distraction works perfectly. They're like putty in his arms. There's just one problem:

The oven turns off again.

The knob can be seen slowly turning back to the 'off' position without any physical interference. It seems to mock Green, denying him his deft preheating and looking him in the face coldly and apathetically. The oven is off.

Nova raises a hand to Green's back, squeezing his shirt tightly. They giggle ecstatically from the kiss, some mixture of surprise and jubilation. Once they begin to speak their hand releases the clothing and drops to the oven door for support. “ These must be some pretty good brownies you're imagining. I've never had one that made me want to drop thousands of dollars on a wedding... But I like the confidence. ”

At this rate they're just going to turn back around and see that the oven is off. And they'll laugh. They'll definitely laugh at him.

[polteaguise]

They're swept away unwittingly, all but forgetting the brownies. The distraction works perfectly. They're like putty in his arms. There's just one problem:

The oven turns off again.

The knob can be seen slowly turning back to the 'off' position without any physical interference. It seems to mock Green, denying him his deft preheating and looking him in the face coldly and apathetically. The oven is off.

Nova raises a hand to Green's back, squeezing his shirt tightly. They giggle ecstatically from the kiss, some mixture of surprise and jubilation. Once they begin to speak their hand releases the clothing and drops to the oven door for support. “ These must be some pretty good brownies you're imagining. I've never had one that made me want to drop thousands of dollars on a wedding... But I like the confidence. ”

At this rate they're just going to turn back around and see that the oven is off. And they'll laugh. They'll definitely laugh at him.

He, in fact, did not preheat the oven. Can you blame him?! What if it wasn't the time to do it yet? What if he ended up burning the inside of the oven? He's really good at burning things. What if they took too long and it got too hot and the brownies burn?

He's not admitting, though. Not that he's scared of Nova, he simply... doesn't wanna disappoint! Today is supposed to be a date, lovely, simple, sweet, fun, amazing date. Not a failure.

"Nothing's going to waste tonight!" He proclaims, smile hiding his brand new anxiety. He approaches Nova, leaning to give them a kissy and sneakily turn on the oven behind their back before it's too late. "I'm so good at learning, remember that. I'll pour all my love onto these brownies and you'll be so happy you'll ask to marry me again."

No more mishaps tonight!! He's decided he'll stare at the oven the entire time the brownies bake. Holding his trusted partner Oran Berry Shaped Timer in a hand, glasses on his face, determination in his heart.

[polteaguise]

Oh Nova! Fantastic to see you again! Can I get a cold brew and a pumpkin muffin?

(@celestglaukopis)

"Evening, Cynthia! It's been a while, hasn't it?"

They get to work immediately preparing drazz drink. There's less people in the cafe around this time —- Nova acts more freely, humming loudly and stepping about as they finish the order alongside one other. Cynthia gets drazz drink only a minute after the customer before drago. They don't want Cynthia to grab a seat before they have a chance to talk, so they finished both orders with worrying speed.

Soon as they finish, Nova leans over the counter to talk. "You know, admittedly I was a bit nervous when you first said you were going to start coming by. I thought there'd be a parade of cameras here soon enough. But I'm actually glad you're here."

"It's nice to have someone to talk to. You know. Without the customer service smile. It gets lonely when that's the only way you can talk to people."

[polteaguise]

@greenxprof ( from here )

Nova takes a good few minutes to appreciate his choice in apron. Ridiculous. Cheesy. They can't love him any more than this. “ Did you preheat the oven? ” They nearly leave it at that, but the good sense to clarify quickly comes to them. “ To 170. ”

The worst case scenario would be for them to burn the brownies. No matter how precisely you measure and how perfect your ingredients, putting anything in the oven at 250 degrees is turning it to coal. Not that he's ever done that. The 250 degrees. Not the burning. He's a 'blink and it's coal' kind of guy, overwork from the lab has lead to far too many smoking dishes for Nova's poor heart.

They've invested in a timer, now. One of the old fashioned ones that dings loudly until you turn it off. It prevents burning, but it doesn't save their dishes from the precision monster that is Green. He's been given three lectures explaining that measuring liquids in the lab is significantly different from measuring powders in the kitchen and it still doesn't seem to have set in. Old habits die hard?

That's why Nova's here. To watch him like a hawk and correct him every few seconds with a bright smile and cheerful attitude. 'You can't get annoyed, look how cute I am! That's too much sugar!' This sort of routine. They already warned Green what kind of monster they'd become in the kitchen when he'd suggested the brownies. Now he doubly cannot get annoyed at them. Look how cute they are!

‍ ‍‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍“ I mean, I'm sure you did! Just checking. I'll get sad if all our hard work goes to waste tonight. ”