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"I've decided to quit being Gym Leader! Hehe... just kidding! April Fools!"

(This is a cry for help; she's been so busy.)

[starlightlightning]

im alive! and medicated.

im gonna sloooooowly start getting back into the swing of rping... i've been so busy the last few months so i'm excited to get back into relaxing and chilling. and probably starting too many threads... i'm sorry for people i've accidentally ghosted, i was having a Bad Time(tm)

who did i owe replies to on this blog again... actually i probably will just... not look at those and instead do a proper starter call tomorrow...

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I want to make this known; it’s OKAY to flirt with my muse, it’s okay to say flirty things to them, yes, they may not react to it, they may not respond to it positively, but know as a mun I’m 100% OKAY with it. Especially if my muse is clearly attractive appearance wise, go ahead, flirt with them, if my muse is your muse’s type, it’s okay to flirt, we don’t have to be shipping, we don’t ever have to ship to have you flirt with my muse; I WONT think you’re pushing a ship on me either. But I just feel that some people are scared to have their muse be flirty to another because we a muns might take it the wrong way.

 I’m not saying this goes for everyone, but I’m letting you know that it doesn’t make me uncomfortable and I’m fine with it. 

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Oh, that was good to know. Ree had a head start on this kind of thing at least, that was good to know. Now she wouldn't need to worry quite so much at least.

Her shoulders slumped in relief, and she let out a little sigh.

"That's good at least! I'm so glad to hear that." She admitted, leaning back on the counter and picking at her sandwich a bit. It was definitely starting to get a bit soggy due to the amount of fussing she'd been doing, but she didn't really care all that much.

As long as Ree was eating, that was what mattered.

"I was just-- sorry, I really hope I'm not coming off as too much of a worry-wart," She most certainly was. "I just-- well I guess I am a worry-wart... I never had anyone to tell me how to do these kinds of things, so I just had a really hard time with it... so I wasn't sure if you had the same troubles I did. But... you're already a lot more independent and clever than I was at your age."

Oh… okay, maybe it’s not as funny to see Elesa freak out as they thought it would be. They should have kept their mouth shut, honestly…

“I have a savings account, yeah. In my bank. That’s where most of my money goes. But — yknow, it ain’t just me bringing money in. Lots of the skulls are earning dough. Nobody’s dependent on me.”

Guzma had been very insistent about that. Ree works because they want to, not because they have to.

“I don’t really spend my money, either.” Not when they can get a five finger discount on most stuff “and I get extra cash sometimes” when Mr Lu takes them out to steal wallets from tourists “so we ain’t in danger or nothin.”

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"Wha-- that's awful!" Elesa squawked in shock, horrified by the thought of how awful it probably was to have a Pokecenter that barely worked and power that wasn't even on! She'd been there of course, and it'd been annoying, especially since Unovan summers were horrid.

At least they were doing better, but now she was even more worried!

What if something happened?

She didn't doubt their strength, but what if next year Ree lost? Were they able to save any of the money they got monthly? Did they even know how to save money? She hadn't been taught that as a kid, and had to learn on her own, but it'd been hard!

Elesa fidgeted a bit, clearly having a lot of questions.

"I know you're doing better now, but... I mean-- er-- do you have a savings account set up? For emergencies and all that? I didn't really learn that stuff until a few years ago, and it took me a long time to make it a habit to save..." Oh geez, she really was starting to sound like a parent, and every word that followed that just dug the nervous hole deeper.

they’re a little embarrassed that they never realized it, honestly. Elesa is being so nice about it, but … shouldn’t there be like. A gender radar or whatever? Ree takes another bite of their sandwich and swings their legs a bit.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” they say, instead of apologizing. Elesa doesn’t really seem to want them to apologize, anyway. The blond looks up at him, frowning quietly to themself… thoughtful.

“If you were here four years ago, you’d have a heart attack, i think. We didn’t even have power in the house half the time, an’ the Pokémon center in town was all busted. I’d hate for you to freak out about that.”

Even if it would be funny. A little bit.

“We’re doin a lot better now.”

[starlightlightning]

i want to try and rp with more people - especially new followers - so im thinking...

how do people feel about follower greeting starters? aka,

@/SO-AND-SO has followed you! "oh hey! haven't seen you before"

just little one sentence "hey! nice to meet u" messages that ppl can reply to and go off onto random rp directions if people want? i used to do that all the time on my (very) old rp blogs, but that was just the culture back then. so im not sure if thats an acceptable thing nowadays to just @ someone with a one liner hello.

idk leave some opinions in the replies.

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"Haha, don't worry about it! It isn't like it ever really came up! I'm really fine with however people want to refer to me, but it's nice when people mix it up a little." Elesa laughed, tickled by Ree's reaction. She really couldn't tell if they were excited about it, or just surprised, either way it was a little funny hearing them use her name without the Miss added on. "So if you feel like it, you can use masculine and feminine pronouns for me interchangeably."

Happily, she picked at her sandwich again.

After a bite or two, she added with a soft smile, "I know I don't have to worry about you all, but... I'm gonna. So... if anyone needs anything, I'll do my best to help!"

Ever the busybody (she was never going to finish her own sandwich at this rate), she set it down and got the two of them glasses of water.

“I mean — ! You’ve been doin’ this probably since before I was born, you know? I can’t … I mean, I know I’m just a punk, but I try to have manners… sometimes.”

There’s a pause, before something clicks. That’s…

“M — Elesa, are you… you’re like me?”

Ree scrunches up their brow, before quickly explaining.

“What I mean is — ! You, uh… you ain’t exactly on the gender … binary? Uh. Oh. I — shit, if — I didn’t realize…”

geez, ree. You should be more perceptive to this stuff. Their ears turn red, as they look down at their sandwich. They take another bite, chew in silence, and swallow before continuing.

“And … I mean… that’s — I’m glad you get it. Elesa.” Man, that’s gonna be hard to get used to. “I mean. We have money too, now. Kinda. And I get all these sponsorships and shit. You don’t gotta fuss about us.”

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Relief crossed Elesa's face, though she was still a bit disgruntled about the whole "Miss" thing. It made her feel old. Which, sure, she was going to be thirty next year, but still! It was just weird. Also she didn't really feel like a "miss" half the time. The only party she took offense to was the "betters" part.

"None of that betters stuff." Elesa frowned, looking down the sandwich in her hands. "I'm not better than you, and sometimes I don't feel like a miss, you know?" Elesa chuckled a bit, not really sure how to explain her gender situation.

Sometimes, she just wanted to be a woman who was also a man, and a man who was also a woman.

"And... I would never think worse of you all for being poor before." Elesa set her sandwich down once more, twiddling her thumbs. After a moment, she smiled. "... You know, I grew up poor too." Elesa leaned her arms on the counter. "And I don't mean the type of poor that rich people say they were. I mean... we really aren't that dissimilar. And I just-- I have money now, and if I can help other others eat better than I did, then I'd like to."

“I … I don’ think I can just call you Elesa. Uh. Since you’re — I gotta … respect my betters, and stuff.”

Plus, she’s a woman. Ree knows better than to disrespect a girl. They were taught to drink their respect women juice. The blond takes another bite, chewing and raising an eyebrow.

“You’re not really subtle,” they comment, though they’re not mean about it. “But boss wouldn’t be too cheesed about that. We don’t like pity, and we hate taking handouts. And besides…” they take another bite, chew and swallow, before continuing, “we’ve been getting by way better than when I was a kid. Even got the whole house renovated after the mold fiasco last year. I got a bunk bed now.”

A pause. Ree tries to find the words they want to say.

“We have a lot more money than before. Boss don’t like taking mine, but I give him an’ Dosh and Sis half my earnings from the battle stuff I do. And I won this contest where I have this sponsor who gives us money every month… you don’t gotta worry, or pity us. Boss would get upset if you thought worse ‘cos we used to be poor.”

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"This year, I'm finally going to let loose and have fun for Halloween! I even put in advance that Halloween week, I'm not to be called into work for anything!"

Ghostface costume was on lock. Not sexy Ghostface, classic only!

Horror movies? Check! (People to watch them with though, that was still a work in progress.)

Candy? Also check (will definitely need to be restocked over the month).

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"Ah... yeah, expired food really doesn't taste very good." Elesa paused, closing the cupboard and giving Ree a worried look. Were they really eating expired food? Elesa quickly pulled the ham out to check the date on it, relieved that it was still good. But... how much of this was expired?

Did Ree and their family really have to eat like that?

Of course, she understood financial troubles.

Despite how she carried herself, she grew up poor as hell and had gone her own fair share of days eating rotten or spoiled food both at home and when she was on her journey. It was pretty awful, and she never wanted anyone to experience that kind of hardship.

"... Huh? Oh." She turned and smiled to Ree, closing the fridge door. "No problem at all, Ree. And you really don't need to call me 'miss.' Just Elesa is fine." She leaned on the counter, taking a bite of her sandwich and chewing on it.

Fruit loops really did add something to it. Not great, but better than she expected.

After a moment, she asked, trying and failing to be sneaky about her question, "So... Ree. About Guzma... errr, is he the type to be insulted if someone offered to help with groceries and stuff for everyone? I mean, hypothetically of course!"

“Yeah, sometimes the texture of like. Ham and shit? When it goes bad? It’s nasty. Having cereal on top definitely would help with that.”

are they accidentally implying they’ve eaten rancid food? … yeah. But hasn’t everyone, when things get dicey? Beggars can’t be choosers, you know.

The blond stiffens up when she moves to ruffle their hair, but — they hold it in. Elesa still doesn’t remember that they’re not big into the being touched casually thing. That’s okay. She means well.

— they carefully settle in the chair that Elesa pulls over, and brace their ankles against the legs of it. Yeah. That’s better.

“Thank you, Miss Elesa.”

They remember their manners. Sometimes.

[starlightlightning]

Wait, Ree actually liked it?

Well... truthfully, it was the most edible thing she knew how to make, so she really shouldn't be surprised considering their adventurous palate. Now, if she'd made something on the stove, that would have been a totally different story.

Small victories though.

"Hehe, yeah! See? No one understands the cereal texture. Sandwiches can be so soggy or one note texture-wise, they need a crunch. I used to eat this all the time as a kid." Elesa said, making herself one now that she was certain that Ree was eating.

"Oh! A chair--"

She hurried off, returning a few seconds later with a stool from another part of the room, and set it next to Ree so they could sit down and take the weight off of their legs. Affectionately, she ruffled their hair, returning to the other side of the counter to put everything away.

Ree themself isn’t very concerned with how long Elesa is taking — they’re mostly focused on not falling asleep standing up, and also on not falling, because both of those things would be bad. So when the plate is set in front of them, they grin, perking up considerably.

“Oh shit! It looks great.”

They say it sincerely. Ree picks up the sandwich — it’s got proteins, fruits and carbs, which is a bunch of the food groups they need — and take a bite without flinching. Ree chews and swallows, before nodding their head.

“The cereal adds some good texture. I like it.”

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Elesa nodded.

"No mayo, and definitely no pineapple for you then. Thank you for letting me know!" She said, reaching up into a cupboard to grab down a plate and the bread. After checking the date on the bread (because she herself was pretty terrible about remembering she even had bread in her cupboards), she set to work on rummaging in the fridge.

There really was an assortment of things in there...

Made sense though, since they had so many people there. But unfortunately, that also meant that she had too many options and no clue what to do with them.

The longer she took... the more obvious it was that she was struggling.

"Erm..." She shifted from one foot to the other, looking between the jam and the pickled peppers in either hand. She knew her food was bad, and normally she didn't care all that much! But trying to make something good for Ree to eat was... hard. Her cheeks reddened.

Quickly, she made the choice of a ham, jam, and cereal sandwich. It was definitely the most edible thing she knew how to make that wasn't charred cake mix. Setting the plate in front of Ree, she definitely didn't look very confident about it.

"Sorry... it, uh. It's better than it looks, I promise! I ate it all the time as a kid, though, er, it definitely tastes better with frosted flakes... Fruit loops aren't bad, since, you know. The jam's made out of fruit."

“Sure, I’m a kid, but you don’t gotta treat me like … treat me like…”

… treat them like what. Like a child? No, that’s not … the word they were thinking… ree scrunches their nose up a little, brow furrowed, before they lean forward to put most of their weight on the counter instead of on their feet.

“Sandwiches are — those’re fine. I can eat whatever as long as it ain’t mayonnaise. I don’t like it, so if there’s other stuff, put anything else on it…and I’m allergic to pineapple, apparently, so my dad — my boss says that I shouldn’t have that.”

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"Don't worry one bit about it, Ree! I got this! And no way! You're a growing kid, you need something a little more filling than cereal and syrup on rice. Even a sandwich would be better than that..." Elesa exclaimed, striding confidently through Shady House. She truly had ended up a fixture there it seemed, or at least enough of one that she at least knew the vague area that the kitchen was in.

Oh! Sandwiches! That, at least, she could make edible as long as she stuck to basic things and didn't get too crazy with it. Ham and cheese with jam and frosted flakes, PB and J and pickled hot peppers. All super easy, though maybe not the best in terms of vitamins and nutrients.

The second she set foot in the kitchen, she began to peek into cupboards and the fridge. "Let's see, let's see... erm... what kind of things are nutritious that goes good on sandwiches..."

“Hey, wait — this is shady house, you’re a guest, you’re not supposedta make me food…”

They move to stand, wobbling a little as they do, and put down their switch controller. Ree follows after her, limping just a little — they’re so tired that they left their cane behind.

“I can just have cereal or somethin! It’s no big deal. Or I can pour strawberry syrup on rice, or whatever…”

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"Hrm... Y-yeah, order. Because..."

Elesa balked a bit at the prospect of cooking. Ree was tired, they didn't need to make their own food. Elesa was the adult, so, theoretically, she should be the one doing the cooking... but ordering food was so much less, uh.

Flameable.

"You know... because it's easier. And, you're really tired, so you should try to take it easy whenever you can. But, uh. You're right! There is food here, so just sit tight and I can make something for us!" As she said that, she climbed to her feet. Outside, she looked... less calm that she wanted to, but definitely calmer than she was on the inside.

Inside, she was sweating buckets and praying that a youtube tutorial would save her.

“I think you’re onta something. Red and Hilda always travel, too. I don’ think I’ve ever seen them able to sit still for more’n a couple of months.”

still. Even though Ree knows that … alola is their home. They’re hesitant to wander far, and they definitely don’t want to travel out in the world by themself yet. After all… they’re only a kid.

“… order food?”

a pause. Ree looks — baffled.

“Miss Elesa, we got lots of food here I can make. What are ya in the mood for?”

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"Hmhm. Every Champion I know enjoys traveling. Gets them away from all the noise." Elesa hummed a bit, heart aching. Ree was trying their best, but they truly didn't need to.

She had been like that too though, trying so hard to be the best she could be so no one could look down on her, or think of her as less than. The least she could do was try and be there for them should they need a little extra stability.

And, of course, help remind them to take care of themself.

"Breakfast was a while ago, you know." Elesa chuckled, bringing out her Rotom phone and having it bring up a list of local restaurants. Elesa offered her phone to Ree. "Here. Pick whatever you'd like, and I'll have my Pokemon go pick it up, and I'll get myself something too. The thing that's gonna get you through the hardest part of this job is treating and taking care of yourself."

“I think I get why Satoshi liked traveling so much. It means nobody can make him feel like a billion buzzing combee are in his head.”

they giggle a bit, wiping at their tired eyes. Ree stifles another yawn and looks up at Elesa, nodding as she talks. It makes sense…

“The chairman said I don’t gotta, but I feel… like I gotta yknow? I’m champion. I wanna do so good that nobody can complain.”

A pause. Ree’s brow furrows.

“— I did this mornin?”

[starlightlightning]

"Hm... I see."

Elesa nodded, watching Ree's expression and the way they hold themselves. They look tired, and like they aren't paying attention to their game and... frankly, she couldn't blame them.

She lowered herself to sit next to them, fiddling with her hair a bit.

"It must have been pretty exhausting." Elesa braided her hair a bit, just trying to keep her hands busy. "... It was really, really overwhelming when I first became a Gym Leader. I wasn't much older than you actually and it felt like my head was going to pop because of how much information everyone kept pushing onto me. So I definitely understand what you must be feeling."

Elesa smiled faintly. "Have you eaten yet?"

“… mmhm.”

They give a quick, quiet nod, but they still look… tired. Very much so. They feel tired, too. Down to their bones. Ree fidgets with the controller, but they’re not really paying attention to the screen…

“I had a meeting with the kahuna. Molayne came with me. We talked about… I don’ remember. But it was important.”

[starlightlightning]

It wasn't often that Elesa saw Ree looking so down and, honestly, she was worried. She twiddled her thumbs a bit, shifting from one foot to the other while he mulled over what to do. They were probably exhausted and overwhelmed; being Champion was a lot, and they had gone from having all the free time in the world to being in the spotlight 24/7 since their win.

She took a breath, then stepped forward and leaned down to get a better look at their face.

"Hey there, Ree." She greeted, hands resting on her knees. "Are you holding up alright? You're looking a little tired..."

they look… exhausted.

Seems like there’s been a lot of meetings to attend, interviews to give, and battles to participate in these last few weeks. Ree is clutching a mug full of… something… in their hands, and they’re staring blankly at their animal crossings game on the television.

Being champion is even more work than they expected.