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queenraikichi94 · 4 years

Text

A song to heal a tired soul 24 (Raikichi x Piers)

Rated: Teen and mature

Warnings: Bad language and some NSFW

Note: Raikichi is around 25-26 years

---------------PART 24------------------

A couple of days passed since Piers finished battling againts all the challengers that made their way to his Gym and it was time to return to my uncle’s house. Piers needed some vacation away from his Gym and when I told him about going to my uncle’s house, he quickly agreed. Of course, I’ve told N about that, and despite his tries of searching by his own a place to stay for some more time cause he wanted to watch my official match againts Steven Stone, I’d told him not to worry, since I would manage to get him a private room at Budew Drop Inn. At first, N didn’t want to accept it saying that I always helped him and it was time for him to do something by his own, but since he helped us a lot during the time he stayed at Spikemuth, it was time for me to pay for that favor.

We arrived at Mototoske just in time, cause my uncle told me that the ceiling of the terrace had been repaired and when we entered in the garden, Corviknight got out of her Pokeball and quickly started to cheek her nest. Also, Honchkrow got out of his Pokeball as well and went to help his adoptive mother, making us laugh.

“Piers, I have to say that you are doing a very good work with Honchkrow” N said was we helped my uncle with the flowers of the garden and then, with the furniture

“Well, when he was still a little Murkrow, I let him stay with his adoptive mother despite of me being his trainer cause he still needed her” my fiancée said

“That’s why I say that you’re doing very well, cause you knew that Murkrow still needed his mother and you allow him to stay with her until he was ready to leave the nest. Despite of not being her biological offspring, is clear that the bond between Corviknight and Honchkrow is very strong”

“Well, giving her the egg when he was growing up was the only way I had to safe her life, despite what that bitch of Oleana says” I said as I allowed Honchkrow to land on my arm “Buddy, you’re getting bigger and stronger. That’s good. I think that is time to do a medical check on you to see how are you. The last one was when you started to fly by your own, and that was when you were a Murkrow”

Honchkrow chirped and flew to land on my fiancée’s head. When he was a Murkrow, he loved doing that, and in those days it wasn’t a problem, but now, that was a Honchkrow and was heavier than when he was a Murkrow, it was a bit difficult for Piers not to loose balance with his Pokemon on his head. “Honchkrow, buddy, I know you love to do that, but you’re heavier than before and I don’t want to loose balance” Piers said and Honchkrow flew to the perch that uncle Kabu put next to Corviknight’s nest, and then, Honchkrow ruffled his feathers.

“Are you okay, babe?” I asked when I saw Piers stretching his back and I heard a small ‘crack’ when he did that

“Yeah, I’m fine” he said but then, my uncle had his back againts his and when he grabbed his arms, I knew what my uncle was going to do “W-Wait, Kabu!”

“That back of yours needs some scretching” uncle Kabu said and he leant down, making Piers’ back scretch, we heard all my fiancée’s back scretching. Then, my uncle let him go and chuckle “Now that you’re going to stay some days here, I’ll take you to do some exercise”

“Alright...but don’t do that again...” Piers said laying down on the ground before standing up with a worried expression on his face “What’s that?”

He pointed at a drone that Glaceon quickly knocked out with Shadow Ball, and then, Honchkrow picked it before it fell to the floor, giving it to me. “Let’s see...” but before I could examinated it, the drone exploded, making me jumped startled and fall to the grass of the terrace garden “Holy Arceus” I managed to say

“Raikichi, are you alright?!” Piers said as he rushed at me “Your hands...”

He was right. The explosion made my hands get wounded with burns. He helped me to stand up us uncle Kabu treated the burns from my hands. “I’m fine, really, I...” I started to say but then, I looked away. Why I couldn’t avoid feeling useless every time that someone trated my wounds? Why I was still thinking on doing and dealing with everything alone? Once my uncle finished putting the bandages on my hands, I sat down next to Corviknight’s nest, and she nuzzled me with her beak. “Don’t worry...I’m fine...” I murmured and then, I stood up and went to help with the garden but Piers stopped me.

“Babe...” he said stroking my cheek before leaning his forehead againts mine as he closed his eyes.

I closed my eyes, ignoring completly what was around us and then, when I opened them, Piers nodded. I nodded too and after whistling, I mounted on Corviknight with Glaceon and flew away. Piers knew that I needed a bit of time alone, and I was grateful with him cause he understood it.

---------------------N’SPOV------------------------

When I saw Raikichi flying away, my heart flinched a bit, cause I couldn’t understand while she was leaving, but then, I saw her fiancée, Piers, standing there as she flew away. “Why you don’t stop her?” I asked, worried and a bit angry.

“She needs her space, and for that, she needs to be alone until she feels better” Piers said, stroking Honchkrow’s feathers “Maybe you didn’t see it, but when her uncle was treating the burns of her hands, I could see her expression...I’m sure she was thinking again that she was useless cause other person was helping her...And I didn’t want to overwhelm her...That’s why I let her go away for a ltitle while”

“But she’s wounded and...”

“Piers is right, N” Kabu said. Despite of his age, he had the spirit of a young man, but also, he had the wisdom of someone of his age “Everytime Raikichi needs help or needs someone to treat her wounds, she can’t avoid feel useless...And now I know the reason...Nanu was right when he said that he was very disagree to see our niece working with the International Police...All those years that she passed working with them at the same time she did her duties as World Champion had left a mark difficult to erase”

“But thanks to her efforts and her work with the International Police, she was able to stop those people that tried to destroy our world many times”

“Yes, but at what cost?” Piers said, sadness on his gaze “You’ve seen her when you stayed at Spikemuth, you’ve seen our argument”

He was right, and that made me think on the time she spent with me when the Interpol gave her the mission of scorting me to the safehouse they prepared for me and the ones from Team Plasma rejected following Ghetsis. All the times I tried to speak with her of different things and she always cut the conversation with phrases like ‘It’s not time to speak about this’ or ‘I’m still on service. Stop distracting me’. I didn’t want to believe in that moment that she’d earned the nick of Cold Heart Champion, but some moments of that journey showed me that she could be as cold as the coldest ice in the world. That was what they’d taught to her in the Interpol? To be cold hearted and so serious even that you couldn’t empathize with anyone?

Now I could understand how she was feelings. The happiness I could feel on her heart when she talked about how she started to feel once she left the Interpol, the happiness she showed when she was with Piers...Did she had those feelings before? Or she was forced to hide them behind a mask?

“Do you know...when she is going to return?” I asked as we entered inside the house

“When she feels better” Piers said, his hand around his engament ring “I trust her”

-----------------------RAIKICHI’S POV------------------

The soft breeze played with my hair as I enjoyed the views. I told Corviknight to land near North Lake Miloch and when I found a good spot, I sat down and I let my Pokemon to play around the place. The burns of my hands stopped hurting but in my mind, all those thoughts were again there. During the years I was in the Interpol I had to do everything alone, only allowing someone to help me when things turned dangerous or, well, when I was near to die. But the rest of the time, I had to everything alone, treating my wounds by myself and dealing with everything alone. And now, that I had a tranquil life, that I only had to deal with my duties as World Champion-and with the furtives-then...Why I though I felt useless when someone helps me? Why? I remembered when I had to scort N, the many talks we had, and the many times he tried to tell me about he was feeling but I kept behind my mask...Or even Sycamore, who apart of allowing me to stay on his lab as I did my work in Kalos, tried to do everything to make me feel like home...And I was still being a lonely person...And when I finally got free for the Interpol and allowed myself to feel love and freedom...I saw that love and my feelings broken and destroyed...Until now. Piers promised me to help me everytime he could, and he always did, but for some reason, part of me decided to be selfish and tried to avoid the help...

“Maybe uncle Nanu was right...When you work for the International Police, you end not being the same...” I murmured and then, Glaceon trotted approaching me and rubbed her head on my arm “Now I understand why uncle Nanu has that behaviour sometimes...I think I was a fool saying to myself that I would keep being the same despite of working for the Interpol...But now I see that I was wrong...” Glaceon licked my bandaged hands and I stroked then her fur.

I did everything to keep myself away from the International Police since I was near to die in Kalos. I remembered the day when I woke up and the first words I said after that were ‘Fuck everything, I’m done with the Interpol’. In that moment I realized that I had been a fool putting my life in even more dangers than when I was only doing my duties as World Champion, and in that moment, I decided that I was done with them...But now, knowing that the furtives me and my relatives had been confronting since I arrived to Galar have elite groups that were able to make their track dissapear, and having also suspects that Rose was hiding something made me think on the talk I had with my uncle Nanu the other day...After all this time I spent away from the Interpol, and there would be a day in which I would have to call them for help. I wanted to deal with the furtives by my own, even counting with the help of my uncle Kabu, my fiancée Piers and our friends, cause I didn’t want to involucrate more people, but due the circunstances...Maybe uncle Nanu was right and it was time to ask them for help. Fuck it.

Then, Glaceon moved her ears and meowed, putting me on alert cause that meant that she noticed danger. I quickly called all my Pokemon back to their Pokeball except of Glaceon, and I followed her. Something put her on her nerves and she had reasons to be in alert when we reached the place. We hide behind some trees and I tried to use one of my devices to hear the conversation that the strangers we saw were having, but we were attacked and we had to dodge it, revealing our position.

“Dammit” I said to myself as Glaceon and me dodged more attacks

“Well, well, look who has decided to appear here”

“You?! You’re one of the bastards that attacked my uncle’s house!”

“I’m pleasured and honored that you remember me...But is a pity that no one is here to help you”

“I’ve dealt with more than this!”

“Sure?”

Then, more furtives surrounded us, cutting all the posibilities of having an exit to get a better position if I wanted to fight, and before I could do anything, their Pokemon started to attack. Glaceon and me were able to dodge some of them, but since they were even more, some of their moves were imposible to dodge. In the ground, without being able to see cause the Sand Storm they provoke, I panted. In better condition and without being wounded and with a better position, I would be able to deal with them, but they knew that I was going to have problems, and then, I knew it.

“So this is your way to remove me from the map, eh?” I said, standing up with a bit of difficult “Bringing me to a trap and then surrounding me with a very large group of people because you’re so cowards that you can’t face me alone?”

“Shut up, bitch”

“At least I fight with honor and I don’t use these creeping methods of you in order to get down a powerful enemy...Now I see it..You’re afraid of me”

“I say shut up!!”

“And why I don’t obey you, bastard?” I replied. Now I was being the person I used to be when I worked with the International Police. “Do you think I’m going to give up only cause my enemies are so coward and scared that the only way to defeat me is to outnumber me? Pathetic”

“What?!”

“Pathetic” I repeat and then, I smirked “I said you’re pathetic”

“SHUT UP, BITCH!! TOXICROAK, POISON JAB!”

Just as I though “Glaceon, block it with Iron Tail!!” I ordered and Glaceon blocked Toxicroak’s move, making the Pokemon to back off. Despite of being wounded like me, Glaceon showed the courage that she always showed. “And now...” I started to say, but then, a Thunder Wave hitted me and a Psychic made me flew away, hitting the ground when the Pokemon stopped the move and made me fall.

“What were you saying, Champion?” the furtive said as their Pokemon surrounded Glaceon, avoiding her of helping me. I tried to stand up despite of being paralyzed by the Thunder Wave, but the furtive kicked me so hard that I rolled few meters away, holding a pain cry “Look at you...You were so focused on some of us that you didn’t see the ones that were just behind you, ready to knock you off”

“That’s...That’s playing dirty, you bastard...”

“Right now you aren’t in condition to threat me, bitch. You are all alone here and no one is going to help you?”

“I wouldn’t say that if I were you” I said smirking as I showed him the device I was going to use to hear them “This device can send a signal to the telephones of my friends, and right now, they are coming here”

“Liar! Toxicroak, Poison Jab!!”

“Obstagoon, use Obstruct!!”

The Toxicroak gave some steps back when the Obstagoon blocked their mvoe with Obstruct, and I knew that Obstagoon perfectly. Glaceon made her way to approach us and now was at Obstagoon’s side, and then, Piers, my uncle Kabu and Sakura arrived. Even N was there, despite not having any Pokemon that belonged to him, but he managed to befriend some wild Pokemon that would help us.

“Raikichi!!” Piers said approaching me “Babe, please, tell me...”

“I won’t tell you that I’m fine cause I’m not, but I would be honored to fight at your side once I get free of this paralysis”

“Easy, eat this” Sakura said as she forced me to eat a very, VERY spicy Cheri Berry, and when I ate all of it and I got the paralysis out, she smiled “See? When the Cheri Berry is more spicy, the paralysis is out in less time”

“I would have prefered a Parlyz Heal, you know” I said, standing up

“I forgot them in my house”

I rose an eyebrow but then, I shook my head. “I know I will need some time to get free for those thoughts I use to have in certain moments, but know, specially since I arrived here, I know that I’m not alone. Not anymore. Let’s end this. Together”

“Not today, Champion” the furtive said and then, some of their Pokemon used Smokescreen, avoiding us to see anything.

“Don’t let them scape!” Kabu said as we cough, but when the Smokescreen was gone, the furtives were gone. Again. I groaned as my legs failed me, but I ended falling on the warm fur of my uncle’s Arcanine, who was fast enough to stop my fall “Kiddo, are you alright?”

“Honestly? I feel like shit right now” I said and Piers couldn’t help but chuckle “I won’t lie, I’m not in my best moment right now”

“We should take you to the Pokemon Center together with Glaceon” Piers said “To make sure that you’re not very wounded”

“Alright, let’s go then” I said and my fiancée blinked twice before looking at me “I know that sometimes my mind is full of those thoughts of me thinking I’m useless, but if I want to get ride of them for once and for all, I should start trying to avoid thinking on them”

“That’s my Queen” my fiancée said as he helped me to stand on my feet

“Guys?” N said “I think Glaceon has found something”

Glaceon meowed as she pointed at something in the ground and Piers picked it. It was like a broken device from the furtives and when my fiancée gave it to me, I growled. “Look” I said as Glaceon rubbed her fur on my legs “This is Macro Cosmos logo”

“What?! Then Rose is behind this...He has been behind this from the beginning and...” Piers started to say very angry

“All people in Galar use Macro Cosmos technology, Piers” I said “Maybe this is a proof, but we need more”

“This should be enough”

“No, Piers, it isn’t” Sakura added “Rose will hide behind the shield of ‘All people here uses Macro Cosmos technology, so I don’t know who can be those furtives’. Raikichi is right, we need more proofs”

“But first, let’s take her and her Pokemon to the Pokemon Center” uncle Kabu said and we nodded.

-----------------------

“Now you should take some rest”

“Oh, c’mon, Nurse Joy said that I didn’t have any broken bones and...Okay, okay, you win”

Piers chuckled as he helped me to sit down on the couch. We had just arrived from the Pokemon Center after spending there some hours after what happened in the Wild Area and I only got some wounds and bruishes, but nothing serious. Glaceon was healed as well and now was curled next to me. Uncle Kabu was preparing some food as Sakura and N argued about their different point of view abour Pokemon, specially after having N knowing about the organitzation Sakura’s father leaded.

“Uncle Nanu was right” I said with a sigh and everyone looked at me

“What do you mean?”

“Remember that you asked me some days ago if I was fine when we were in Spikemuth?” I said and Piers nodded “I lied. Uncla Nanu called me2

“And why did you don’t tell me?” Piers asked, sitting next to me and framing me with his arm around my shoulders

“Because I didn’t want to involve you or anyone in...” I started and then, I sighed “He told me that it was time to ask Looker for help if we wanted to get ride of those furtives but...”

“But you’re afraid of having the Interpol asking you to return with them, right?” uncle Kabu said

I nodded and then, I took a deep breath “I want to avoid calling them the most but...If time arrives...I will take my responsabilities as World Champion and I will accept again my Interpol Badge”

“Babe, tell me you’re joking...” Piers asked, clearly afraid of loosing me again

“No, I’m not” I replied “If joining the International Police again is the way we have to defeat those furtives once for all, I’ll do it, but I won’t be under their orders”

“You mean...Having them under your command?” N asked and I smirked softly “Is the International Police, they...”

“They will obey my command since this is a problem that requires a lot of help. I’ve learnt that I can be over them and not letting them putting me in a low rank only cause I’m young”

“Raikichi...” uncle Kabu said “Are you sure about that?”

“Yes, uncle, I’m sure...That’s why uncle Nanu wasn’t very happy when he told me about asking the Interpol for help again...But now, if we want to know how to stop the furtives at firts, we need to know more about their methods” I said and I looked at Sakura

“Are you sure about this?” she asked and I nodded “You know this will be a bit...”

“If he can help us and that can help me to avoid calling Looker a bit more, then, I don’t have any more options”

“I don’t like this, kiddo” uncle Kabu said

“You don’t need to call my father, Raikichi” Sakura said, and Piers, N and my uncle looked at me surprised that I wanted to call Giovanni “Despite of being away from him, I know everything about how the Team Rocket groups dedicated to steal Pokemon work. And when I say everything, I mean, everything”

“Well, that is better than having my niece talking with a mafia boss that wanted to see her death”

“Thanks, uncle” I said with a sigh as Piers brough my laptop from my-well, our share room. “You didn’t have to remind us that”

“Why?” my uncle said and when I pointed to N, who looked terrified, uncle Kabu gasped a bit “Yeah, let’s say that Giovanni wanted to see Raikichi death due the trouble she caused to his mafia, but thanks to Sakura, he has changed his mind”

“I hope that...” N murmured as Sakura sat next to me, making me be between her and Piers as I wrote evertyhing that she told me about Team Rocket’s methods.

----------

“Pheew, that was a lot of information, but I have all of it” I said

“See? You didn’t need to call my father” Sakura said and then, she chuckled when Piers moved a bit on his sleep, his head on my shoulder “He can be sleepy as a Slakoth”

I chuckled but then, I gasped when I saw the time. It was near night. Uncle Kabu had gone to do his exercise rutine while Piers and N stayed with me and Sakura, but both young men fell asleep while Sakura and me talked about . “Hey, babe, time to wake up” I said stroking his cheek.

Piers slowly opened his eyes and smiled when he saw me before kissing me. “What time is it?” he asked with a yawn as Araminta used Psychic to cover N with a blanket

“Near night” I said with a yawn as I stretched carefully cause my body still hurted

“I’ll have to return to MIlo’s farm before my cinammon roll starts to worry a lot” Sakura said and I chuckle

“Thanks for everything”

“We’re friends afterall, right?” she said and then, she exited my uncle’s house

“She’s a good friend...Despite of having a mafia boss as father” Piers commented as he stood up before yawning again “I’ll put my sleeping clothes on. Are you going to your bedroom now?”

"No, I think I’ll go to the terrace” I said standing up “I need to stretch my hurted body a bit “You can go and have a small nap before dinner if you want”

Piers smiled and then, he came to kissed me before hugging me softly “I’ll be waiting for you in the bed if you want to rest, ‘kay?”

I nodded and he left to our shared room and then, I went outside, to the terrace, followed by Glaceon. Archer, the male Indeede, brought me a jacket cause the night was cold and I didn’t bring anything to put over me. Corviknight was on her nest, sleeping peacefully, and next to her, it was Honchkrow. He still slept next to his adoptive mother and seeing them like that made me smile softly. I walked until I reached the steell bars of the balcony, and I leant there, my arms crossed on the balcony as the breeze played with my hair. Glaceon, as always, was at my side.

“I suppoused you would be here”

“And I suppoused you were sleeping, N” I said as N approached me, with the blanket over his shoulders

“This reminds me of something” he said

“Huh?”

“This reminds me of all the talks we had during the time you had to take me to the safehouse that the Interpol prepared” N replied “We used to end speaking at night, or well, trying to speak, cause you always said...”

“I can’t talk right now cause I’m trying to keep you alive” I said and then, both of us we chuckled “Yeah, I think that reminds me those talks too...”

“Promise me something, Raikichi” N said “If you have to work again with the International Police, promise me that you won’t stop being yourself. I don’t know who you were before we met, but if you were like now, happy, and with no problems to show your feelings, please, keep being yourself”

“N...”

“It hurted me to hear people calling you the Cold Heart Champion only cause you had to be cold hearted and serious because you didn’t like how some of them treated you only cause your age”

“Don’t worry” I finally said with a smile“I will make them to be under my orders, and if someone tries to call me but that name, I will shut them out...You know, during the years I was working with them, I learnt a lot of things...Now I can apply those things without stopping being myself, so don’t worry about that”

N nodded and smiled. “When you mentioned that you were thinking on joining again the Interpol, both your uncle Kabu and your fiancée Piers were very worried and scared, but I can say that Piers was the most scared from the two of them. He’s really afraid of loosing you”

“Yeah...I know...” I said with a sigh “When I was near of dying due the serious pneumonia I had...” I shook my head trying not to remember those days

“I felt the same when I saw you collapsing on my arms after passing out due the poisoning and the bleeding that you got when you recieved that Poison Jab followed by that Slash...How you put your life in danger just...”

“Well, you weren’t the only one worried about me fighting death...”

“What do you mean?”

“When I was fightin Team Flare in Kalos, I was at the edge of death for a second time, being the first time in Unova...Someone that was a close friend of mine got broken inside when he was informed about em maybe not being able to survive...Sycamore really was afraid of loosing me...But yeah, Piers is the most afraid of that..Maybe because I had a bond with him that I didn’t have with anyone before...”

“And with that boy, Guzma?”

“Guzma...I don’t know if we could call bond to that...Ya know, before I could tell my feelings to him, he broke my heart...I told you the story, and I don’t like to remember it again”

“Sorry...Is just...You really wanted to help him and I can understand that the betrayal you have felt was that big...”

“Not like the first one I recieved...”

N looked at me while I remembered the first time someone betrayed me. The first time when someone played with my heart and feelings. The first time that someone broke them and left me alone and wounded after attacking me. That betrayal was the one that started to make me to lock my heart.

“Well, I think is time to prepare something for dinner...And you should go to your room in the Budew Drop Inn before it gets too late” I said as we entered inside. I removed the jacket and after putting it on a perch, I went to check on Piers who, as I suspected, had fallen asleep again. With a smile, I closed the door woftly and then, I went to the living room, where N was putting his jacket on “Thank you, N”

“No, in fact...I should be the one thanking you”

“Huh?”

“These talks are the ones I wanted to have with you when we were in Unova”

I couldn’t help but chuckle when he mentioned that, and after saying goodbye, N went back to the Budew Drop Inn. I started preparing the dinner when my uncle Kabu arrived from his daily training. “Hey kiddo” he said as he put his coat on the perch before helping me with the dinner “Where are the others?”

“Sakura is in Turrfield, N is now going to the Budew Drop Inn and Piers is taking another nap in my room” I replied and then, I took the ladle that my uncle took cause he wanted to help me “And you should go and take a shower while I prepare the dinner”

“Let me help you, kiddo” he said “You’re still recovering”

“I can do this, don’t worry. Now, go and take that shower before I tell Araminta and Archer to use Psychic and to put you in the bathtub”

Uncle Kabu chuckled and went to his room to get his sleeping clothes before going to the bathroom, and when I focused again in making the dinner, PIers hugged me from my back, startling me and making me getting a cut on my finger with the knife. “Piers!! Don’t do that when I have a knife on my hand!”

“Sorry, did...Oh, fuck” he said and quickly went to take the first aid kit that I had on my room and when he returned, he cleaned the blood from the wound and then, wrapped the wounded finger with a band aid “I think this is enough” Piers said putting the things back to the first aid kit and then, he hugged me “Sorry, babe, sorry...”

“Hey, it’s okay, babe...” I said and then, I felt him trembling. He was trying not to cry “Hey, Piers, look at me. It was an accident, ‘kay? Please, don’t feel guilty...”

“S-Sorry...” Piers said and after taking a big and deep breath, he smiled softly “Let me help you”

I nodded and I let him cut the ingredients while I finish other preparations. Together, we made dinner just in time, and while Piers put the plates on the table, I gave some food to our Pokemon and then, we sat to have our deserved dinner.

After dinner, we went to our rooms. Piers was covered with the blankets in our shared room nearly of falling asleep while I was checking something on my laptop. I was checking the notes I took from the information that Sakrua gave to me when I found a folder with old photos. The photos or my first days with the Interpol. I sighed and I closed that folder before closing the laptop and then, I put it on my night table, and once I removed my glasses and laid down on bed, I felt Piers’ arms embracing me and putting me near of him. I chuckled as I allowed him to put his head on my chest.

“It was a long day, wasn’t it?” I asked with a yawn

“Yeah...Tomorrow we should start your training since your match againts Steven Stone is going to be soon” Piers replied, yawning as well “Have you thought on what Pokemon are you going to use?”

“Yeah, I decided what Pokemon I’m going to use, and since I’m sure Steven will make his Metagross mega evolve...”

“You’ll use a Pokemon that can mega evolve, right?” he asked and I nodded “Metragross is Steel and Pyschic type, so a Dark or a Fire type Pokemon would be a great choice”

“You’ll see it, babe...Now, let’s sleep”

-------------------------------

Near a month passed since Piers finished battling with all the challengers that arrived at his Gym and now, the day of my second official match in order to defend my title arrived. Also, I recovered full from the wounds I got that day battling againts the furtives, so I was now full energy. Knowing that Steven Stone was as famous as Lance or even more, I had to ask Rose to put more security in Mototoske since the battle would take place on Mototoske Gym, and Rose agreed to do that, letting me know also that he was still worried about his popularity and reputation.

I sighed as Piers and me entered the airport, with Glaceon at my side and his Obstagoon at his. The reason? That fucking press that was waiting to get an exclusive. “Ugh, I really hate when they get that disturbing trying to get an exlusive” I said as we approached the meeting spot where we were going to wait for Steven. “I really hate them”

“Yeah, they can be really disturbing when they want” Piers said

“Don’t tell me that you forget about the time you were a Coordinator and you were surrounded by press”

Piers and me turned and we saw Steven, who approached us without being notice. “Time passes and people changes, you know that, Steven” I said, shaking his hand but then, Steven took my hand and gently, he gave it a kiss, making me blink twice and when he let my hand go, he chuckled at my expression. “And some people never changes, right? As gentlemanly as always, Steven”

“You know I will be always be myself” he said and then, he spotted my fiancée “So you’re Piers. Nice to meet you” he adding shaking Piers’ hand “Raikichi told me about you, and I’m really surprised and honored to be at the first Dark type Gym Leader I’ve ever met”

“Uh...Thank, you, I guess...” Piers said grabbing his chocker as he used to do when he was a bit nervous and then, he looked at me “I should go and help your uncle with the checking of everything in the Gym”

“Alright, call me once you’re done, babe” I said before kissing him “I love you...”

“Me too...” he murmured with a soft smile on his lips and then, he left the airport with Obstagoon at his side.

“He’s quite interesting” Steven said as we left the airport, ignoring the press that was trying to stop us “Wallace told me also about your wedding”

“Oh, he did?” I said and Steven nodded “Well, it’s normal. Being the former student of my uncle Juan has those things. My uncle was very excited after knowing I was going to get married”

“Yeah, and Wallace too” Steven said with a chuckle “He thought on inviting some Sootopolitans, you know, cause both you and Wallace are related with the ancient clan”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, but really, it’s not necessary to bring all of them here...Not when one of them is gone”

“Oh, yeah, Natsuki” he said and I nodded “I understand then that you don’t want to have many people on your wedding”

“Just my close friends and relatives” I said as we went to his room in the Budew Drop Inn. Thankfully, his room was very far from N’s, and knowing that maybe Steven knew about N, it was the best, but also, when N was informed that Steven was going to stay at the Budew Drop Inn, he showed himself a bit nervous, and my uncle offered him to stay on his house until the event of the battle ended. After letting Steven left his things on his room, we exited the hotel and we found even more fucking press.

“Fuck it” I murmured to myself but then, I cleared my throat “Excuse me but we don’t have time to speak with you. The Hoenn Champion has just arrived and I’m sure he doesn’t want to speak with any press right now”

“It’s true that both of you worked together on...” one of the journalist started to say but I just only need one dark glare to make the journalist back off

“This second match is really important, that means that you will be returning fully to official matches, won’t you?”

“I will do it, but at my rhythm“ I replied

“And what about your wedding?”

“That’s something private”

“And what about your fights with the group of furtives that is working here in Galar? Do you think that they will be stopped one day? People are very worried, specially after the incident of the fires in the Wild Area”

“Let me be clear with that. Those furtives are doomed. I’ll do everything possible to stop them. One of my duties as World Champion is protecting Pokemon and people, and stopping those furtives is one of my top priorities”

“Let’s talk about the official match, mister Stone” another journalist said, this time asking Steven and releasing me for some of the pressure I was having over me “Is the first time you’ll be battling the World Champion in an official match. Are you nervous?”

“Of course I am, but both me and Raikichi will give everything in the battle” Steven said “I’m sure it will be a very honorable battle”

“At the same level as the one that took place between Lance and Raikichi?”

“Or even more” he said

“One more thing, World Champion...It’s true that you were known as the Cold Hearted Champion...We will be seeing...”

“Not more questions”

“Excuse me?”

“I said no more questions” I repeated, another glare telling the journalist not to keep asking

“But...”

Glaceon growled at the journalist that backed off and then, Steven and me continued our walk towars the Gym. We walked in silence, my hands closed into fists during the most part of the walk until Glaceon meowed and rubbed her fur againts my bare leg, making me relax a bit. “Raikichi?” Steven asked “Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not” I finally said with a sigh “I’m tired of press, and I’m even more tired of hearing people still calling me that...”

“If you want we can delay our match...”

“No, don’t worry” I said and then, I smiled softly as we arrived at Mototoske Gym “The match is tomorrow early, so we have the entire day to prepare ourselves. C’mon, I’ll show you where we are going to battle”

I guided Steven to the inside of the Gym where my uncle Kabu was watching the preparations. With him were my fiancée and N, who tensed when he saw Steven approaching them. “Since the Gym Challenge is near an end, I asked Rose to use Mototoske Gym for our battle instead of having it at Wyndon”

“Wyndon will be recieving a lot of people to watch the end of the Gym Challenge once the Challengers earn their last Badge in few weeks soon, so yeah, It is a good idea having that match here in a quier place” my uncle said “So, Steven, ready to enjoy a bit of Galar before the battle that will have this night?”

“Sure”

The day passed between visits to interesting places and some stops to have some food, but when night arrived, we went to Mototoske Gym. The terraces of the gym were full of people as we could see before going to the locker room. I was putting my Champion cape over my shoulders as I thought on all the training I did with the Pokemon I’d choosen for this battle. Glaceon meowed and rubbed her fur againts my bare leg. “Don’t worry girl, we’ll get the victory” I said stroking her fur before standing up and going to the battlefield.

“Ladies and gentleman!!! Welcome to this new official match on which the World Champion is going to defend again her title, this time againts the Hoenn Champion Steven Stone!!! Let’s greet them with a big applause on this starry night!!” the referee said and the crowd went wild as both me and Steven took position.

“I won’t put you things easy, Steven” I said removing the cape and taking a Dusk Ball on my hand as Glaceon sat down next to me “Are you ready, Steven?”

“I’m always ready!” he said “Metagross, I’ll choose you!”

“I knew it” I murmured to myself, smriking when I saw the Metagrossite on his Metagross “Absol, is time to shine!!”

My Absol roared when she got out of her Pokeball, and her Absolite, that was on the adornment of her collar, shone, making Steven know that this was going to be a battle between Mega evolved Pokemon. “Are you both ready?” the referee asked and both of us nodded “Then, let’s the battle begin!!”

“I’ll let you do the first move, Steven!” I said

“Metagross, use Bullet Punch!!”

“Absol, dodge it with Quick Attack!”

My Absol dodge it with Quick Attack, but then, Steven’s Metagross started to chase Absol, so I had to act quickly. “Absol, keep using Quick Attack and use at the same time!” I ordered and then, Metagross got a bit confused, specially when I ordered the next thing “Now, turn back and run around Metagross!”

“Metagross, use Meteor Mash until you find the real Absol!” Steven ordered and I smirked

“Block it with Night Slash!!” I said and Absol blocked Meteor Mash “Now use Dark Pulse to make Metagross be very away from you!!”

And with that, Metagross flew away unable to dodge Dark Pulse, and it was my chance to empower my Pokemon “Absol, Sword Dance!”

“Look at that!” the referee said “Raikichi made her Absol to get rid off Metagross and then, Absol got her Attack empowered!”

“Absol, Sword Dance again and then, use Double Team as you approach Metagross!!”

Once more, Absol’s attack rose and then, she used her speed to confuse Metagross as she used Double Team. “Use Night Slash!!”

“Metagross, grab her!!”

Despite recieving the Night Slash directly, Metagross managed to grab Absol and then, Steven ordered his Pokemon to use Bullet Punch. I ordered my Pokemon to dodge it, but despite of this, Absol got some damage of that move.

“Bullet Punch again!!”

“Absol, block it with Flamethrower!!” I said

“What?!”

Flamethrower hitted Metagross, pulling it away from my Absol. Then, I got my chance and after ordering her to use Sword Dance again, I touched my Key Stone, that reacted with the Absolite that my Pokemon had around her neck. “Now, our hearts are connected. Evolution beyond evolution...Absol, mega evolve!!!”

When the shine that covered Absol dissapeared, everyone was amazed at the aspect of Mega Absol, and before Steven could react, I told her to use Shadow Claw without stop, putting Metagross againts the cords. Metagross recieved a lot of damage and it was having a hard time to dodge my Mega Absol, and then, Absol backed off when Metagross used Meteor Mash to make my Pokemon stop attacking.

“Now is my turn!” Steven said, clearly nervous cause he saw that he was in a difficult time, and then, I smirked when he made his Metagross mega evolve.

“Look at that!!” the referee said excited “We’re now being witnesses of a battle between two Mega evolved Pokemon!!”

“Metagross, Bullet Punch!!”

“Absol, Night Slash!!”

Both attacks collished, and both Pokemon kept using the same moves until Steven ordered his Mega Metagross to use Giga Impact. Of course, my Mega Absol dodged it and since the Pokemon that used Giga IMpact needed to rest after using that move, I saw my chance to win. “Let’s finish this, Absol!!” I said as my Pokemon approached Metagross “Now, DARK PULSE!!”

The hit was so hard that Metagross couldn’t make it, and when the dust cloud created by Metagross when it hitted the ground dissapeared, everyone saw that Steven’s Pokemon was out of combat, returning to its normal form. “Metagross can’t keep battling, so the victory is for Raikichi who keeps the title of World Title with her!!!”

Everyone explouded on cheerings as Steven returned his Pokemon to its Pokeball and then, my Absol returned to her normal form. Glaceon went to celebrate the victory with Absol as I approached my Pokemon. “You did it very well, girl” I said stroking her white fur “Now, take your deserve rest” I added as I returned her to her Pokeball before looking at Steven. “That was a good battle”

“Well, you knew how to put me againts the wall” Steven said as we shook our hands “I will have to train more if I want to take that title with me”

“You will have to work hard if you want to try again” I replied with a chuckle

After the battle, we went to have dinner in a restaurant near my uncle’s home. I was really tired but the adrenaline in my blood was keeping me awake. Steven and uncle Kabu talked a lot during the dinner; it was normal since both of them were from Hoenn, and my uncle was famous in Hoenn even before coming to Galar when he became a Gym Leader here. As they talked, I looked some of the notifications I got on my Rotom Phone before sighing a bit when I saw a photo of me and my grandmother, with my parents and uncles, the day when I became the World Champion.

“Are you okay, babe?” Piers asked gently

“Yeah...I only remembered my grandmother...Is difficult to think that she’s gone...” I said with another sigh

“Speaking of that” Steven said and then, he gave me a box, which had an amulet that I knew very well. It was a Sootopolitan amulet that you recieved when a relative died; it was their way to say ‘sorry’ “Wallace told me to give this to you and to your uncle in person since he couldn’t come here”

“Oh...Thank you...” I said, putting the amulet inside the box again “Is curious that my family is distant related to the Sootopolitans but this makes me feel that we’re part of them despite of being distant relatives...”

Steven nodded and after the dinner, he went to the Budew Drop Inn, but when I was going to go back home with Piers and uncle Kabu, I saw N being a bit distracted. “Something’s wrong, N?”

“Eh? No, don’t worry” he said smiling softly “I was thinking on returning to Unova this night”

“But there aren’t any flights to Unova until tomorrow and...Wait, are you planning...?”

N nodded and I sighed softly. “I know you’re worried, but you don’t have to. I’ll tell Zekrom to wait for me on the Wild Area”

“It will be dangerous, N” I said “But if that is your wish...Let’s go first home in order to let you gather your things first”

He nodded and we went back to my uncle’s house. Once at home, Piers went to my room and uncle Kabu went to his own room, while I went to the kitchen in order to prepare some tea for me and N since my fiancée was already at bed and my uncle was ready to go to sleep too. Once the tea was ready, I gave N a cup with the warm liquid and we sat down on the couch. “I think I know why you want to return to Unova tonight” I said after taking a sip of my tea.

“Surprise me”

“You know I will call Looker in few days and you don’t want to have problems with the Interpol, am I right?”

“Yeah...” he finally said after spending some minutes in silence “I know some Interpol members still think that I’m a criminal...”

“I understood...But is dangerous to go to the Wild Area, specially at night” I said “I’ll go with you once we finish the tea”

“You don’t have to...”

But before he could say something, I put my hands on his shoulders after leaving my empy tea cup on the table. “I won’t let you go there alone, N...You’re my friend and I don’t want to see you in trouble” I said and then, he smiled. I smiled back and I let him finish his tea before he gathered his things. I put my jacket on and with Glaceon at my side, we went to the garden. Corviknight was waiting there and when I stroke her feathers, she allowed us to mount on her. “Hold on tight” I said and Corviknight flew away,

The night was cold, but at least, it wasn’t raining. We arrived to a forest clearing in the Wild Area. Corviknight landed and Glaceon and her started to watch the surroundings once me, N and Glaceon went down. N looked at the night sky and then, Zekrom landed in the ground. Luckily, the legendary Pokemon didn’t bring any storm with them. I watched N going to greet his friend and when Zekrom looked at me, I smiled. “I’m glad to see you again, Zekrom” I said approaching then, and Zekrom nodded, nuzzling me.

“Before I go back to Unova, I want you to keep something” N said as he searched something on his bag “Here, take it”

“N, this is your music box”

“I know, and I wanted to give it to you when you were recovering from the wounds you got fighting againts Ghetsis, but you were gone. I discovered that you’d gone to Kalos, so I couldn’t give this to you...” he said “I tried to repair it, but I couldn’t”

I smiled softly as I opened the music box. It had two figurines-both were Meloetta but in their two forms- and of course, N was right; the mechanism didn’t work. “Don’t worry, N. I’ll repair it” I said as I closed the music box and put it inside the bag I always brought with me. “I suppoused this is a good bye...It was good to see you again, N, and I hope you’ll forgive me...I know it wasn’t a good idea to stop talking to you when I went to Kalos but I didn’t want to have the Interpol disturbing you”

“You don’t have to ask for forgiveness, Raikichi” N said and smiled as he stroked my cheek “I understand why you did it, and as I said, I’m grateful cause I finally saw how you are without any masks...A kind and brave person that is ready to fight to protect everything”

“Thanks, N” I replied and then, I hugged him, taking him by surprise, but then, he surprised me when he embraced me with his arms. Who knows what would have happened if I had decided to stop hidding myself behind a mask, but things went different, and despite of that, I was glad of having N as a close friend. “I promise I’ll do everything to repair the music box” I said as I let him free from my hug and I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit when he used his cap to hide his very red face. “N?”

“Y-Yes?” he said once he recovered, his cap now on his head

“Thanks” I said as he mounted on Zekrom “And farewell, my dear friend”

N nodded and then, I approached Zekrom, who allowed me to give them some pets “Protect him, okay?” I whispered and Zekrom nodded. Then, I gave some steps back and saw Zekrom raise the flight and flying away. With a sigh, I mounted with Glaceon on Corviknight and I told her to fly back to my uncle’s house.

Once we arrived at my uncle’s house, Corviknight landed at the garden and Glaceon and me went down and entered inside after saying ‘good night’ to Corviknight. There, I removed my jacket and slowly, knowing that it was very late in the night, I went to my room. Piers was in bed, sleeping and hugging one of the pillows. I smiled and once I closed the door of my room behind me, I removed my clothes and got onto my sleeping clothes. After removing the ponytail and the glasses, I put the music box on the dresser and then, I laid down on the bed, slipping under the covers and in that moment, Piers left the pillow and embraced me, pulling me close to him a bit tightly that I had to pat gently his head to tell him not to hug me that tight.

“Sorry...” he mumbled on his sleep “I was worried...”

“Don’t worry, babe...I’m here now...” I murmured before yawning and then, I kissed his temple before falling asleep together with him.

---------------------------------------------------------

“You’re useless”

“What?”

“You’re useless. First you put your life in danger protecting Saturn and then you came here to stop me...I’ll end you here and I’ll became the ruler of this world”

“Giratina won’t let you to stay on their dimension! And I’ll stop you!!”

“Pathetic”

---

“Look at you. I can’t say that you’re weak cause you’re standing there despite of recieving a serious damage between the Poison Jab and the Slash...What motivates you to keep standing up?”

“T-The answer is easy...Stopping you and end with your fucking mad plans is the only thing I need to keep standing up...”

“And protecting that monster as well, the monster I used to call my own son”

“N isn’t a monster and I’ll do everything to stop you!!”

“How pathetic...Let’s finish this”

---

“Please, Raikichi, don’t keep fighting. You’re terrible wounded and you need medical assistance”

“I-I won’t stop u-until I stop this madness...”

“Then both you and the professor will die!! That will be your punishment for trying to stop my plans to make this world more beautiful!”

“If I have to fight until I let out my last breath in order to stop this madness, then, I’ll fight”

“Is a pity, but this fight ends here”

---

“You shouldn’t have done that”

“What? And letting that boy dying in the claws of that Salazzle?”

“YOU COULD HAVE DIED”

“Don’t...”

“How pathetic you are...Now let’s see who will love you now”

“How you dare to say that to me?! How you dare to say that to me when it was ME who saved you from Lusamine when she went crazy?!”

“...Pathetic”

--------------------------

Pathetic, useless...Those words and those bad dreams were hunting me until the point of waking up panting. I put my hands on my chest, cause the pain I was having was so hard that I thought someone was piercing me with a sword. Why...Why I had to be haunted by those nightmares? Just fucking why I had to suffer?! I tried my best to hold my tears as I tried to deal with the pain that was hurting my chest. Cyrus, Gethsis, Lysandre...Fighting againts them not only as the World Champion but also as an Interpol member had left a mark on me. Even Guzma, the man I was helping to have a better life, left a mark that could be compared with the mark left by those villains...The first three were crazy men that wanted to rule the world on their way and they tried to kill me. The last one was the leader of a group of vandals that didn’t know another way of life that doing small and not very serious crimes until Lusamine decided to manipulate all of them, including Guzma. But the mark left by Guzma was harder cause I fell in love with him when I was in Alola and before I could tell him, he broke my heart and feelings.

Then I remembered the time I was in Kalos and the moments when Sycamore took care of me, and even the times I had to take care of him when he was too focused on his work that he didn’t take his deserved rest, and ended falling sick. Sycamore...He was the man who made me think on stop hiding behind a mask, who made me think more seriously on stop working with the Inrerpol...And also, he was the one who made me notice that I was loosing something important as I kept hidding myself behind that could hearted and serious mask. Augustine Sycamore was the first one that made me think on letting someone to love me, and I think the multiple talks we had were for good, cause thanks to him, I managed to find courage to stop working with the Interpol, and in the end, that made me to find true love.

When the pain started to being less, I laid down again on bed, and smiled when I saw Piers, at my side, sleeping pacefully. “You will be able to find someone to love” Sycamore used to say. Oh, and I couldn’t forget that kind of date...I wasn’t sure if my heart in that moment was having the right feelings, and in those moments I felt a bit bad for Sycamore but my words were true; I wasn’t sure about my feelings and I didn’t want to play with his own feelings. But now, that Piers was with me, I knew that my Punk fiancée was the only one that could really love me after what I went through. Then, I checked the time. 3:10 am. Fuck. And then, I saw that Sycamore was online in the Pokessenger. I smirked and I send him few emojis until I got a reply.

“Damn, Raikichi, you scared me!”

“Really? Don’t tell me that you have fallen asleep on your desk”

“No, I didn’t”

“C’mon, Augustine” I texted him back and I chuckled a bit when he replied me back with an emoji that showed that I was right “It’s 3:10, you should be sleeping”

“The same with you” he replied. Touché “What are you doing awake at this hour?”

“I couldn’t sleep...I had nightmares”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, chére” Sycamore replied. It looked that he still had feelings for me “Do you want to speak about that?”

“Don’t worry about that...They were about...Well...”

“Lysandre?”

I was silence at his question. Yeah, he was right; when Lysandre activated that damn thing, I though we were all doomed, and when I saw Sycamore running to me in order to check on me, I feared the most. I sighed when I saw Sycamore sending a Meowstic emoji with a cute face that said ‘You okay?’.

“Yeah...Well, part of the nightmare was the day when he activated that thing...But let’s change the topic, ‘kay?”

“Alright then, chére” he replied “What do you want to talk about?”

“Well, maybe you could help me with some things for my wedding”

“Of course I will-Wait, wedding?! Are you going to marry?!”

“Yeah-Oh, shit, I didn’t tell this to anyone, only my family, cause we are still thinking on the guests, but yeah, I’m going to marry” I said, and when I saw that he was taking his time to reply, I worried a bit “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, is only that...Well, it has taken me by surprise, you know...”

“Augustine...”

“You know that...Well...Damn, why is this so hard?” he replied “Is hard when you have feelings for someone and then you know they are going to marry...Shit, tell me that I didn’t sound like a jealous person...Sorry...I should have told you about my feelings before you moved to Alola but I was scared of being rejected”

“And I was scared of not being able to love you cause I didn’t know if the feelings I had inside were of true love or not...But, you know what? Remember that talk we had when I was recovering from a cold?”

“Of course I remember since I didn’t want to leave your side cause you always tried to do efforts when you were recovering”

Touché again. “Well, let’s say that after having my heart broken the first time that I allowed myself to love someone, I ended falling in love with the man I will be marrying soon”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he’s helping me a lot and his love helps me as well” I said “He’s sleeping next to me right now. I’m sure both of you would be great friends once you meet”

“That would be nice...I should let you sleep”

“Not until I see you offline that would tell me that you’re sleeping”

“But I have work to do and...”

“Augustine Sycamore, work can wait. Now, go to sleep”

“Alright, alright” he replied “Raikichi?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m really happy cause you finally managed to find someone to love; I’m glad”

“Thank you, Sycamore” I texted back “I’m sure we’ll meet again soon. Now, go to sleep”

“Okay, okay. Good night, chére”

“Good night”

I blocked my phone and after putting it back on my night table, I laid again on the bed and searched the warm of Piers’ body, who embraced me when I curled next to him. I closed my eyes and smiled when he hummed one of his songs still sleeping, and I fell asleep again.

-------------------------------------------

“I hope you’ll come to visit us in Hoenn” Steven said

“Sure, I just need to think in the proper moment to pay a visit to my uncle and to Wallace as well”

We were in Mototoske airport ready to say goodbye to Steven Stone since he decided to return to Hoenn the next day after our match. Of course, he asked about N, but I told him that N decided to return to his homeland last night. Once we saw Steven entering on the plane that would take him back to Hoenn, I couldn’t help but yawn. We woke up very early to go with Steven to the airport and I was still thinking on thos fucking nightmares again. Damn it.

“Babe?” Piers asked squeezing my hand gently “Are you okay?”

“Eh? Yeah, is just I’m a bit tired...I woke up in the middle of the night and then, we had to wake up early to come here”

“Do you want to go home and have a small nap?”

“No, don’t worry” I said with another yawn and then, I streched a bit before sighing a bit “I think I’ll go to the Wild Area to get my mind clear”

“Then I’ll go with you” my fiancée said as we exited the airport

“Piers...”

“I have a good idea” he said as we went to the restaurant we used to go sometimes “We’ll pick some food and we’ll have a picnic in the Wild Area. What do you think?”

“That’s a great idea, babe” I said kissing him before letting him buy the food as I searched in my Rotom Phone a good place to have our picnic.

Once Piers bought the food that was packed on a picnic basket, we went to my uncle’s house to pick a a picnic mantle before taking a Flying Taxi to the Giant’s Mirror. Once there, we exited the Flying Taxi and started to put the things on the ground.

“Alright, the mantle is on the ground and now, let’s allow our Pokemon buddies to have some fresh air!” I said as I let all my Pokemon out of their Pokeballs, followed by Piers, who did the same and then, we sat down on the mantle as we saw our Pokemon having fun. “Ah, I like this...” I said and then, Piers told me to remove my jacket and once I did it, he started to massage my shoulders.

“You’re a bit tense, darling” he murmured as he kept massaging my shoulders before kissing my neck “Wanna talk about what made you wake up in the middle of the night?”

“Oh, well...It was a mixture of nightmares and memories...Most of them were the moments I confronted the evil people of turn and...Well...the last one...” I said as my hand reached my chest, right over my heart

“Babe...” Piers said hugging me before putting me between his legs, my back againts his chest and then, he hugged me again, kissing my neck before leaning his chin on my shoulder “I’m here with you...I won’t leave you cause I love you so much that only thinking of seeing you sad hurts me a lot”

“Ya know...Guzma wasn’t the first one I fell in love with...Well, I mean...There was another person that made me think that maybe it wasn’t bad to love someone but in that case, I wasn’t sure of my feelings and I didn’t want to hurt him” I said as I leant a bit more againts Piers “It was when I was in Kalos. In that region I was still working for the Interpol, and I was still keeping the feelings away from me...And this man managed to make me doubt about if I was doing the correct thing keeping myself behind a mask...”

“And who was that man?”

“Professor Augustine Sycamore” I replied and I chuckled softly “His field of study is Mega evolution and how it affects the Pokemon that can Mega evolve...Since the first time we met, I found him pretty interesting, and well, there was a moment when both of us were a ball full of nerves and with a mixture of feelings. He was clearly in love with me but I wasn’t sure if what I felt for him was true love, so when he invited me for a date, it ended pretty weird cause, well, we were near of kissing but I couldn’t go further...But that day made me think that maybe working with the International Police was doing bad for me...But now, that I’ve found you...Sycamore was right when he told me that one day I was going to manage to put my feelings in order once I found the correct person to love...And when I told him about Lysandre being the Team Flare boss...I’ve never seen him that broken...Lysandre was his friend and knowing that his friends wanted to destroy the world...But also, knowing that Lysandre was the one that put me at the edge of death...Well, Sycamore was devastated and we stood at my side all the time I spent uncounscious in the hospital, recovering from my wounds”

Piers made his embrace around me a bit tighter as he kept in silence while I spoke. I put my hands on his arms and he got a bit relaxed, but he kept hugging me. “Babe?” I asked softly before he allowed me to turn in order to face him and then, I cupped his face with my hands as his hands her on my back. I crossed my legs around his waist and then, he leant his forehead againts his while I wipped his tears away. “Hey...” I murmured

“S-Sorry...Is just...I remembered when you...Well...” he mumbled before letting me kiss him, and when we parted our lips, he hugged me “You’re a very special person, Raikichi. You always know how to make people feel better, and when you are near, is like if everything turns calm...”

“Piers...”

“So I understand how Sycamore felt when he saw you fighting for your life...Is really hard to see the person you love the most fighting againts death cause they want to keep living...” he said and then, he stroked my cheek, with a soft smile on his lips “I won’t stop loving you, my love...My muse, my Queen...I love you so much...”

“I love you too, Piers...” I murmured before kissing him again before we parted our lips cause Glaceon was meowing “Alright, alright, let’s eat, ‘kay?”

Piers nodded and after sharing a short but tender kiss, we started to eat the lunch. Our Pokemon were eating their food as well, and the weather was perfect to enjoy a day like this, without responsabilities, without people disturbing us...Just Piers and me, and our Pokemon. While we ate, I thought on the talk Piers and me had about forming a family and I tried to imagine how our future child could look. It would be really cute if our child had his hair; curly black and white hair. I smiled as I kept thinking until Piers kissed my cheek, making me go back to the real world. “In what were you thinking, babe?” he asked as we finished having lunch “You looked happy”

“Well, I was imagining how our future child would like with your hair”

“Really? Black and white hair?”

“And with curls” I said with a chuckle as we finished packing the things up cause we were going for a walk “A little child with curly black and white hair”

“And with your eyes” Piers said as we called our Pokemon back except for Glaceon and Obstagoon “That would be perfect...Your eyes are beautiful, babe”

I blushed and then, he kissed me before we started walking. We didn’t have an exact place to go; we would walk and enjoy the nature and beauty of the Wild Area. We talked as we walked, enjoying the enviroment that was around us. The hours passed and the sun started to hide, telling us that it was time to return home.

“Why you don’t stay a bit more with me?” I asked as we took a Flying Taxi back to Mototoske after he called Obstagoon back to his Pokeball.

“I was going to ask you about that” he said “Since I don’t have to fight with more challengers, I can go to check the Gym when I want and I can also spend more time with you...Also, I wanted to look some things for our wedding”

“That sounds nice” I replied with a soft yawn before exiting the Flying Taxi once we arrived to Mototoske “But first I think I will take a little nap...Or you have another plans?”

He smirked as we entered in my uncle’s house and judging for the silence, uncle Kabu wasn’t in, so Piers took my hand quickly after we closed the main door behind us and took me to my room. After entering my room and closing the door, he slowly removed my clothes, leaving only my bottom underwear on. I rose an eyebrow but then, I understood what he wanted to do. “If you’re going to give me a massage that maybe will have a happy ending, I want you to be shirtless”

“As your wish, my Queen” he said and once he removed his jacket, boots and shirt, he told me to lie down on bed, so he could be on top of me, ready to massage my back “Don’t be that tense, babe...I’m not going to hurt you...” Piers said as he worked on the correct spots where the tension was acummulated. Sometimes, he took his chance to kiss my neck and my back, making me smile. His hands worked on the spots, and when he had the chance, he stroked gently my scars and the tattoo “Do you like this, babe?”

“Yeah...”

“Can I move to the second part of the massage?” he asked before biting softly my earlob

“Sure” I said and he allowed me to turn, now my back was againts the sheets and his lips were againts mine. My hands ran trough his naked chest as we kept kissing, and when his groing accidentally touched my tights, he groaned on my lips “Let me help ya~” I said as I helped him to get ride oh his pants and underwear, and when I heard him sigh in relief once his hard lenght was free, I kissed him again, my hand now around his cock.

“I was the one giving you the massage...” he murmured againts my lips before moaning

“I know but I want you to have pleasure as well” I replied as I allowed him to lay down on bed and then, I was on top of him, with my head between his. I started licking the tip of his cock, savouring the first hints of precum as he stroked my clit gently before starting to lick and suck. Both of us moaned, and I smirked when I got a groan of pleasure from him when I started to suck his lenght. Sometimes I pulled out the cock of my mouth and licked the length before putting inside my mouth again, and Piers switched between his fingers and his tongue.

“You’re so wet...” he murmured before continue licking and sucking until both of us started to get tense “Damn, Raikichi, you’re so fucking good, babe...”

I moaned again with his cock inside my mouth when he licjed and sucked again my clit and it didn’t take us too long to reach our orgasms. Piers allowed me to move and when he saw me licking the cum from his cock with sensuality, he blushed madly, even more than a Tamato Berry. Then, he gave me a tissue to clean myself while he cleaned himself and once we were done, Piers came to the bed with a package on his hand, and once he got his hard cock covered with the condom, he laid down on the bed and I put myself over him, lining his cock with my entrance and slowly going down with a moan when I felt his lenght filling me.

“Can I move, babe?” he asked, his hands gently holding my hips

I nodded and he started to move slowly, and I moved with him. Our moans and pants filled the room as we kept moving. I leant down in order to kiss him, and Piers was the one now moving, rocking his hips againts mine as we kissed with tender and passion. Damn, I loved this man so much that I didn’t know what would I do without him. After not being sure of my feelings, and then being betrayed by the one I decided to love, I finally found someone that really loved me. Despite of all the bad thoughts people had about him, the truth was that he was a very kind and lovely person, that cared for the ones he loved the most, and that was enough to make me being more in love with him.

“A-Ah...Piers...”

“Y-Yes, babe?”

But instead of replying with words, I kissed him as our fingers laced between them, only parting our lips when we reached the climax a second time. Both of us were panting, so we spent few minutes lying down on the bed, with me over him, before letting him to pull out his member out of my sex and once he covered the condom in tissues and threw it to the trash bin, he returned to bed, covering us with the blankets and embracing me on his arms, his chin on the top of my head as his hands ran gently through my hair and back as our legs got tangled.

“Ah, this always feels so good...” he murmured and I smiled “Do you feel better?”

“Yeah...” I replied and then, I yawned “Sorry...”

“Don’t worry, Raikichi” Piers said with a chuckle “So...We still have time to have a small nap before going to take a shower and doing dinner...”

“I won’t say no to having a short nap before dinner...” I murmured but then, my Rotom Phone vibrated with the new messages “Fuck, we should go to have a shower and prepare dinner...Uncle Kabu is on his way back home...Bye to the short nap...”

Piers chuckled and after few more kisses, we exited the bed and after putting the bath coats and taking clean underwear and our sleeping clothes, we went to have a quick bath. As we bathed, Piers didn’t stop peppering me with kisses, making me blush and chukle when his short but thicklis beard. “Sorry” he said once we exited the water in order to get dried and dressed “Give me few minutes more and this little short beard will be gone”

“Alright” I said kissing him once I got dried and dressed and then, I exited the bathroom and went to put the clothes on the wash machine while Piers got his short beard shaved. Glaceon was on the living room, with my uncle’s Pokemon, and uncle Kabu was drinking some fresh water. “Hey, uncle”

“Hello, kiddo” he greeted me with a smile “Did you and Piers enjoyed of your day in the Wild Area?”

“Yeah” I said with a yawn “Sorry...Oh, Piers is still in the bathroom if you were waiting to enter”

“Don’t worry for that, kiddo” uncle Kabu said “Why we don’t call a restaurant to have dinner? You look really exhausted”

He was right; I wanted to prepare a delicious meal for dinner, but I was so tired that I wasn’t going to say no to a night without preparing the dinner “Alright, call Captain’s Table and ask them to bring us something for dinner”

Uncle Kabu nodded and I went to the sofa, just in time cause Piers exited the bathroom, full dressed on his sleeping clothes and perfectly shaved. Once he put his clothes on the washing machine, he sat down next to me on the couch, but I quickly laid down, my head on his lap, making him chuckle as his fingers played with my hair locks.

Near an hour later, the dinner arrived and the three of us ate it without paying much attention to the news on the TV. “I will take another break from the official matches before asking another Champion, Elite Four or Gym Leader to have a battle for my title” I said with a yawn as we ate the desserts. “Piers and me want to start with the wedding things”

“That’s a good idea, kiddo” my uncle said “If you need some help, just tell me”

“We will” both me and Piers replied at the same time and my uncle chuckled.

Midnight arrived and we went to bed. It didn’t take me too long to remove my glasses and slippers and laid down on bed due how tired I was. Piers was sitting on the edge of the bed, with the music box N gave to me on his hands. “Is a pity...Maybe we can find the proper pieces to repair it...”

“N gave it to me...He wanted to give it to me when I was recovering in Unova but he couldn’t cause when he tried, I was on a plane to Kalos, so he gave it yesterday”

Piers put the music box back on its place and then, he laid down next to me, and I curled next to him, hugging my fiancée with a purr. “I’ll help you to repair it if you want, babe”

“That would be amazing...” I said with a yawn before closing my eyes “Good night...”

“Good night, my love”

#pokemon OC #trainersona #raikichi pkmn #pokemon sword and shield #piers x oc #piers #steven stone #N #kabu #a song to heal a tired soul

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whimsicottonnee · 5 years

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The Thesis of Pokemon Games : Why The Galar Region and SWSH Games Offers a Complete Reworking of the Series’ Central Thesis

Pokémon as a plot-driven series can, first and foremost, be characterized by its insistence on the dual concepts of nostalgia and locality : particularly when combined as ‘local nostalgia.’

I’m not really going to go into my whole argument of how this is pulled off by the game developers and which aspects best contribute and remind us of ‘local nostalgia’ because most of us already know. All it takes is one listen of the ost for Twinleaf Town or Aspertia Town for players to become intensely nostalgic for older games. The running theme of the player’s mother, in my opinion, is one of the major keys to achieving this, as well.

So, the theses of pokémon games (or at least a good number of them!!) deal with the player’s local sphere and the expansion of it. It’s a game about going off to college or just simply moving away from home. It doesn’t have to be the player’s lifelong home, necessarily. Shadows of Almia, the Hoenn games, and the Alola games are the best examples I can think of where expanding your local sphere does not necessarily mean that the player’s never been outside of the in-game residence before. But despite being from another region, Chicole Village is undoubtedly the player’s home in Shadows of Almia. Partner Farm is the bedrock to which the player returns, repeatedly, to meet old friends and family before embarking off again to an adventure even further away. In the Alola games, the player has recently moved from Kanto, yet it’s clear through gameplay and character interactions that the player considers Hau’oli Outskirts to be their home. The player’s mother, equally key to constructing a hometown as the score partnered with it, is another symbol of nostalgia. The game’s storytelling, in most if not every game, is designed so that the player only knows their mother as a kind, warm, supportive, and ever welcoming presence : home is where the heart lies or “east or west, home is best.” So, in embarking from these cozy, nostalgic areas with the warm wishes of your mother, the innocent aspiration of moving out is well-portrayed in the series.

Here is where ‘backyard theory,’ as I like to call it, begins. The player (save for the Galar player, who routinely has the secret of meeting characters and locations spoiled by Hop) has very little, if any, knowledge of the region that surrounds their cozy hometown. The player must gain their first pokémon and travel down unfamiliar routes catching more and more unfamiliar pokémon. There is guidance to the story, of course. Roadblocks are constructed to prevent entering “too-difficult” levels, and a combination of the professor, rivals, and enemies provide incremental story, but there’s room to explore. Some games leave enough room that players get lost their first run-through (@ the Sinnoh and Johto games). Each town is new, and the player is welcome to aimlessly explore these areas : speak with the locals, peek into apartment buildings and chat with the occupants, accept items from kind npcs who reinvigorate the optimistic worldview of the series, etc. In time, the player expects theme songs to play at certain areas, expects the sounds that the pokémon make, and expects dialogue. Previously unfamiliar buildings become “oh that’s Guzma’s dad’s house” or “that’s where the boy who plays Unwavering Emotions lives.” And while this is a mechanic of most games (after all, exploration is a fundamental aspect to rpg), the pokémon games take it further.

Certain symbols become emblematic. The Pokecenter, in particular, becomes a bedrock of nostalgia. It certainly helps that the theme is only altered, never rewritten, between every iteration of the series. Soon, the player’s backyard and local sphere is no longer confined to their hometown but encompasses the entire region. Every player has a ‘first time’ entering Undella Town, but the music becomes hauntingly nostalgic once players have become familiar with it. There’s a reason why, despite only being a route theme, DPPT’s Route 209 got a remix in the latest Smash rather than, say, Sycamore’s Theme.

So, once the climax occurs (be it capturing Giratina or saving N from the actions of his abusive father or helping Lusamine’s loved ones save her from her own derangement), it’s not the Champion-to-Be but instead the local girl from Twinleaf Town with the Eterna Roserade and the Snowbelle Snover and is friends with the swimmer kids down by the resort. The varying plots of the various pokémon games aside, the climax of the series is when the local sphere become the entire region. And it’s at this point that you’ve earned being the Champion, regardless of your team’s coverage and levels.

Alola, in a sense, did one of the best jobs in capitalizing on this universal thesis in making the Champion theme, the player’s theme, an extraordinary remix of the entire game’s theme, but that’s another meal altogether.

Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield turn all of this on its head. There are so many npcs that the player cannot speak to, and, in most of the larger cities, there are more npcs that the player cannot interact with than there are npcs the player can interact with. Motostoke struck me significantly in the beginning of the game because I ran around the city wondering why there were so many public areas, like shops and boutiques and plot-related venues, that I could explore but only three or four private residences that I could enter. Most npcs are found in passing along the street. As they pass the player, a small speech bubble pops over their head as if they’re mumbling to themself or merely speaking to the player in passing. Fundamentally, the player cannot interact with the locals. Most places that the player does explore is also heavily driven by the plot with either Leon or Hop telling the player to go to them in order to advance the… ‘story.’

The ‘story’ is going gym to gym with repeated encouragement or roadblock without being allowed to consider the weight of heavier concerns : i.e. the chairman killing the entire region through a weirdly futuristic pokémon that supposedly is thousands of years old. Everyone the player can speak with in the towns already knows the player, since the ‘Gym Challenge’ is broadcasted on regional telly for private enjoyment (another mesh of public and private spheres that simply feels jarring for such a private-based series). Many npcs will tell the player “I’m routing for you, you know!” or “You’re my favorite Gym Challenger!” without giving any information about themself. The player no longer expands their local spheres ; they simply allow locals to get to know the regional superstar.

The climax of the game is the player saving Leon after he has already significantly weakened the legendary pokémon on the player’s behalf so that the player may succeed in finishing Eternatus off and capturing it like any other Dynamax pokémon. Thus, the three who ultimately save the region from being sucked of its life by the Darkest Day are the three superstars who have had their entire careers broadcasted regionally on television.

The player’s mom never calls or shows up throughout the game once the player leaves their hometown, and she’s never given a personality. She’s cute, alright. milf rights. But one of the wonders to many other pokémon games is the knowledge that your mother had something similar once. I’ve been referencing the Sinnoh, Unova, and Alola games a lot, but I truly think these games understood ‘local nostalgia’ the best of the main series games. In the Sinnoh games, the player’s mother shows up in Hearthome and speaks of old days in the Contest Hall. In Unova, the player’s mom seems well-acquainted with cleaning up the mess left after pokémon battles. In Kalos, once of the more shallow games in the series for local nostalgia, the player’s mom was a famous Rhyhorn racer with a story of her own. In Alola, the player’s mom’s Meowth and her friendship with Kukui paint her character vibrantly ; it also certainly helps that one of the end cutscenes to the game is the reiteration of the first cutscene with her on the deck relishing the Alolan sea breeze. In Galar, however, there is none of that characterization. Her own pokémon, a Kanto Munchlax, says nothing of her character ; why not give her something that lets the player understand that she is a Galarian village mom? Give her a Skwovel or a cute Chewtle to characterize her. She never encourages the player to come home for a nap if the player ever gets tired. And, so, despite the hometown theme being really lovely and charming (and the Budews in the front yard being a heartwrench), the idea of nostalgia is almost nonexistent in the game.

My personal take on the nostalgia of Postwick is not within the game itself. It’s more the idea of Postwick, for me. The hype of the game and the humor behind the starter release and the lovely lofi remixes that came out for the trailer themes before the Debates began is what is nostalgic for me. Driving through the desert around the town I live in with the windows down in the one-hundred-degree heat listening to SWSH lofi remixes is what makes me nostalgic for Postwick : not the narrative of the game.

And, while that’s a personal experience, all of the other above reasons are why Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield simply feel hollow. There was a sacrifice of local nostalgia for the sake of how ‘cool’ superstars can be.

#long post #pokemon #pokémon #pokemon swield #pokemon sword and shield #pokemon sword #swsh #galar #meta #not proofread ww

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court-of-pokemuses · 5 years

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Every Eusine ship rated!

I’ve done this over on my main account @/pkmnsdarkqueen, and I think it’s kinda fun. It’s every ship on the muse from this page rated by my personal opinions. For this account I’ve been slowly working on it since January, and since this is a multimuse it took this long. I hope ya’ll enjoy!

Disclaimers directly below and the list under the cut!

strike through=my side commentary, trying to be funny, usually about ship names italicized=if asked I’d be down to rp it mostly just to see how/it it’d work * by name=I just think it’s a wildly random ship bold=ship name and who in it to help you find a certain ship highlights=they are grouped up, again in case you want to find that one ship

Took out category of Eusine and a protagonist/rival/or companion since they’re all children so it’s a hard no. A few other younger characters fit in the other categories though they’ve been judged no as well for the most part. Some shipped but ONLY in the context of the character being grown up.

Took out category of Eusine with pokemon because pokephelia. In multiship some of them have a pokemon and these have been dubbed as being one of the human’s part pokemon.

ships on ‘never ending romance’ website. Before asked yes mun has other ships she likes that aren’t listed, but Im only focusing on those listed.

Eusine w/ a Villain

Top rated ships: Diamondstud, & Uxorious shipping.

Bottom rated ships: Fanatic, Fixation & Hoax shipping.

*DiamondstudShipping - Colress & Eusine 5/10 I mean they’re both fabulous dudes who are focused on finding legendaries so I’d give it a fair shot of happening. Then again would Colress be able to put up with Eusine?

FanaticShipping - Eusine & Saturn 0/10 Hehehe, they’d kill each other. (Saturn would kill Eusine)

FixationShipping - Eusine & Giovanni 0/10 Giovanni would kill him let’s be honest.

HoaxShipping - Archer & Eusine 1/10 I.........hm.........yeah don’t really see it too much either as a long term thing. Maybe a hook up?

*UnfortunateShipping - Butch & Eusine 4/10 I mean it’s interesting you got 2 folks who like to show others up, and are fancy bois. Could kinda work I suppose.

UxoriousShipping - Eusine & Hunter J 6/10 And in this corner we have the wild ship that kinda makes sense just make Eusine more crazed. I mean they’re both obsessed with finding legendaries??? So just watch em run around trying to find certain stuff. Not much love there tho

*WorthyShipping - Cyrus & Eusine 4/10 I’m sorry but I do not see Eusine as hitting the ‘worthy’ level on that I mean he’s strictly emotion based tbh. This would be wild though to see.

Eusine w/ a champion

Top rated ships: Regent shipping

Bottom rated ships: Gnomon shipping

AeonShipping - Eusine & Cynthia 0/10 Oh gosh no, how the f is that gonna work? Like bruh I don’t think she’d put up with him.

GnomonShipping - Eusine & Steven Stone 4/10 Gnomo means gnome, so this ship is about gnomes???? Anyway moving on from that def another one night stand scenario.

MantleShipping - Eusine & Lance 4/10 Here we have another one night stand! Seriously just very few people can handle Eusine long term.

*RegentShipping - Alder & Eusine 7/10 Eh Alder did casually shoot his shot at Cynthia so if he did with Eusine def would of at least gone a round. Tho hm long term???? Maybe? I mean Alder has more patience???

SplashShipping - Eusine & Wallace 4/10 Both fabulous, but can they handle each other’s extraneous is the real question.

Eusine w/ an elite

Top rated ships: Ouroboros, and Harker shipping

Bottom rated ships: DarkMagic, MythHunter, and Elitist shipping

DarkMagicShipping - Eusine & Karen -50/10 Hehehehe, no. Yeah no even if Morty wasn’t involved in why Eusine hates her they would soon find a reason to be at each other’s throats.

ElitistShipping - Eusine & Will 1/10 Will would be sick of him pretty soon, or Eusine would be sick of him. If they didn’t chat much before hand maybe 1 night.

HarkerShipping - Eusine & Marshal 7/10 Cuter than some others I will say and I mean Marshal does seem to have more patience than some, and maybe it’d work.

MinaShipping - Eusine & Grimsley 5/10 Oh grims baby boi shipped around. Yeah I could kinda see it running better than some but again 2 dramatic bois, we’ll see how long they can take each other.

*MythHunterShipping - Drake (Orange) & Eusine 1/10 I just want to see em exploring the world trying to find crazy legends and such.

OuroborosShipping - Eusine & Flint (elite) 9/10 Kinda want to see this happen. I just imagine it being the refined boyfriend and messy other boy friend who were originally roommates.

PilgrimageShipping - Bruno & Eusine 3/10 Ye Bruno would have the patience of a saint to handle him but would it be a good relationship?

WellReadShipping - Eusine & Lucian 5/10 Hm, nerd meets fabulous extrovert. Kinda sorta maybe?

(Surprised to see everyone in the Johto league and no Koga)

Eusine w/ a gym leader

Top rated ships: Sacred, Maelstrom, and RagingInferno shipping

Bottom rated ships: Camilla, Sacrosanct, and Broxa shipping

BroxaShipping - Eusine & Winona 0/10 Winona would not put up with this man.

CamillaShipping - Eusine & Sabrina -10/10 Sabrina WOULD NOT put up with this man.

CeladonShipping - Eusine & Erika 3/10 I kinda want to see this in that Eusine can usually get away with his slightly flirty shiz and expects Erika to fall, but she just outright does not and boom he’s like,”but....hm I am intrigued.”

CorruptShipping - Bugsy & Eusine 0/10 No way in heck would Boy Scout and Eusine get along

DropletShipping - Eusine & Misty 2/10 Huh it’d be interesting but also they’d probably just fight alot.

HereticShipping - Eusine & Falkner 6/10 I think the name is funny, and brings up some interesting possibilities in au, but as the same time I kinda see it in the main timeline and wanna see it.

IntertidalZoneShipping - Eusine & Jasmine 0/10 Ye they might ship, but would it be a healthy relationship?

JustinShipping - Eusine & Elesa 0/10 Who is Justin. They would be fashionable together but trying to romance would not work.

MaelstromShipping - Eusine & Volkner 8/10 Ok maybe. Tbh Volkner and Morty have somewhat of the same vibe to me, but Volkener has a bit more sad energy.

MinakaneShipping - Eusine & Whitney 0/10 This is the first time I feel like Eusine would be annoyed and only becasue she’s just a happy ball but like all the time.

*RagingInfernoShipping - Chili & Eusine 7/10 Ok but watch em both get mad and scream like and then like cuddle afterward and both apologize.

RueShipping - Eusine & Candice 0/10 Eusine is bent on finding legendaries and Candice is all protect them. no.

SacredShipping - Eusine & Morty 1000/10 Top for the boi cause they just have alot of character moments, and also they have the same salty chemistry and I love it.

SacrosanctShipping - Eusine & Clair 0/10 Clair would hurt him first before any sparks flew.

SiWongShipping - Byron & Eusine 4/10 Eusine is your dad now Roark. So anyway I think it’s kinda interesting I like the contrast they have with each other but Idk how it’d work together.

TesseractShipping - Brock & Eusine 1/10 Please explain the name to me, are you telling me they’re Avengers now??? So anyway I kinda feel like this wouldn’t happen. Like I mean Brock is a kind soul, and Eusine is kind of a goblin.

WTFEverShipping - Brawly & Eusine 3/10 The name says it all. They’d have a one night stand, Brawly would think it was more and scream that at Eusine who’s confused why he’s mad.

Eusine w/ Professor or assistant to

CrossRegionShipping - Bill & Eusine 3/10 Bill I suppose could work but I feel like things would fall apart when Bill realizes ‘oh you don’t just like suicune in a research sense you’re a bit fanatic.”

***ForelockShipping - Eusine & Professor Sycamore 5/10 .....Ok but if Sycamore was evil maybe? Idk why specifically this, but for some reason I feel like that would vibe??? In general tho naw.

*InvestShipping - Eusine & Professor Rowan 4/10 Naw don’t see this long term but I see it going longer than most.

*LifelongDreamShipping - Eusine & Fennel 9/10 There aren’t too many heterosexual ships I see with Eusine but oddly enough I can see this one. Especially after Eusine lost suicune and they get to talk about what they want from life.

Eusine w/ a minor GAME npc

Top rated ships: Bowtie, and Value shipping

Bottom rated ships: Chaser, and Jinx shipping

*BowtieShipping - Eusine & Juggler Irwin 6/10 You know what ye, let em both be showy but one has the cool ability to juggle.

ChaserShipping - Eusine & Satsuki 2/10 Satsuki is a kimono girl about protecting the legendaries idk if she’d be down with his goal unless you just want to focus on them enjoying the journey of looking.

HarangueShipping - Eusine & Thorton 5/10 I can’t tell if Thorton is a child so that’s weird but for this we’re gonna head cannon he’s an adult. I mean kinda cute I guess with crazy pants McGee energy that Eusine has and in control Thorton. SO eh.

*JinxShipping - Eusine & Palmer 2/10 But Palmer making a hologram suicune? Eh Might be cute, but it’d need more depth than my little cute joke.

MysticPoisonShipping - Eusine & Lucy 3/10 Funny to imagine same energy as Erika, but long term I don’t see it.

PokeWifeShipping - AZ (XY) & Eusine 4/10 Someone please explain, please. I mean it’s a no from me dog, but like maybe in an alternate timeline???

*ValueShipping - Eusine & Riley 6/10 They just wanna go find legendaries. They both have the slight cool vibe and I like it.

Eusine w/ a minor ANIME/MOVIE npc

Top rated ships: Harrow, Thunder, Jones, and LegendQuestShipping/PursueShipping/RavingShipping

Bottom rated ships: 20Questions, FollowMyLeader, and Legato shipping

*20QuestionsShipping - Eusine & Flint (Kanto) 0/10 Ya’ll this is Brock’s dad. Like wut??? Brock I am your dad now. I guess the fandom just sees Eusine with dads/dad bods. what 20 questions are they asking?

*AncientPossessionShipping - King of Pokelantis & Eusine 5/10 ..........yeah if anyone was gonna end up possessed it’d be Eusine. They both want to find a legendary pokemon, but Eusine still has their heart focused on wanting to help the pokemon. Although hm idk but what if the king corrupted Eusine???

FollowMyLeaderShipping - Eusine & Molly Hale 0/10 So this is the child from the movie and I get we see her all grown but still I don’t like this.

ForeignShipping - Eusine & Harrison 3/10 This guy has a houndoom as his main and has a tie with ho-oh, I’m shocked the fandom didn’t slam him together with Karen. Anyways he doesn’t have too much depth in the way most anime NPCs do but like mayhaps

GoldbergShipping - Eusine & Noland 5/10 Another dad bod type. Anyway I see this one tho since the cold calculations of Noland may mix with Eusine’s craziness.

*HarrowShipping - Eusine & Harley 10/10 Yes def on this one. Harley is kinda intense, Eusine is intense. I think this makes sense.

JonesShipping - Eusine & Ian 8/10 There isn’t much on this guy except that he takes care of pokemon. But he has that dad bod which apparently is Eosin’s thing so sure.

LegatoShipping - Butler & Eusine 0/10 So Butler has a girlfriend for one. I honestly feel like they have the same energy but Eusine is gay.

LegendQuestShipping/PursueShipping/RavingShipping - Eusine & Lawrence III 8/10 Again this is just crazy Eusine with someone enabling him.

*MadShipping - Eusine & Tyson (Johto) 6/10 The Tyson they’re talking about it she one that forced the evolution to happen. I mean I guess but also again this would be the crazy Eusine one.

ThunderShipping - Eusine & Kudou 8/10 One gets Suicune, and one gets Raikou I mean he’s one of those anime characters that doesn’t get much character so let it happen.

WitnessShipping - Eusine & Ritchie 0/10 This guy is a rival to Ash so ya know it’s a kid, and I don’t see anything they’d connect on.

Eusine w/ Orre or Ranger npcs

SuicuneShipping - Eusine & Venus 8/10 So they’re both conceited, and focused on folks liking them?

Eusine w/ manga characters

UnworthyShipping - Eusine & Walker Guess what folks, it’s another dad-o, specifically Falkner’s.

Eusine and multiple people: (All are gonna be a no romantically because I don’t see Karen being poly, but I’ll give plot ideas)

Top rated ships: ImaginaryFriend, and Oos shipping

Bottom rated ships: MissSaigon, Erratic and CrystalIntegrity shipping

4KingsShipping - Eusine, Falkner, Morty & Lyra 3/10 I’m kinda lost on the name here, and I could see them all hanging out I guess. Maybe a couples date thing, Eusine & Morty w/ Lyra and Falkner. Where do the kings come from tho?

BromanceShipping - Eusine, Flint (Elite), Morty & Volkner 7/10 Bromance where nothing is platonic and clearly 2 couples, or heck maybe it is, anyways I like it though! CapeShipping - Eusine & Jackson (Vincent) / Eusine, Jackson (Vincent) & Lance 9/10 Ok but cape awareness club though where they all sit down and make up good reasons to have a cape, and they make PR for it cause they’re tired of getting teased. It’s a funny idea. CrystalBellShipping - Eusine, Morty & Suicune 5/10 Ok this is just Eusine completing his goal in life and morty also being there. I mean I feel like Morty would be the 1 person to support him having the pokemon but I mean it’d eventually just be his fav pokemon on his team.

CrystalIntegrityShipping - Eusine, Paul, Kris & Suicune 1/10 This is just eusine hanging out with children and a legendary pokemon what are they supposed to do?

CrystaltrioShipping - Eusine, Morty & Kris 4/10 Just a gay couple handing out with this child who defeated them both in pokemon combat. Look she just thinks they’re cool ok?

DashingFanboyShipping - Baron Alberto, Eusine & Lawrence III 9/10 3 bad bois all out wanting to catch their pokemon favorite. Please don’t leave them along longer than 5 minutes because bad things can and will happen.

EastWindShipping - Crystal, Eusine & Suicune 4/10 This is just Eusine being mad that she caught the pokemon. It makes sense tbh, but I think she’d get annoyed with him trying to convince the legendary to be his pokemon. ErraticShipping - Eusine & Morty + Eugene (Eusine) & Kudo 2/10 Ok so this is just Eusine shipped with one guy and another Eusine shipped with Morty cause Eugene and Eusine are the same person. I am confusion and I feel like Kudo and Morty would be too.

ImaginaryFriendShipping - Eusine, Lawrence III, Morty, Ho-Oh, Lugia & Suicune 10/10 .........This is just people giving them a hard time about pokemon they will never get/see isn’t it. Heh I feel like you could put more people in this thing, and I think there should just be that as a support group. IntelligenceShipping - Eusine, Lucian & Will 5/10 Bruh Lucian would lose his mind trying to deal with these two, It’d be funny to watch but poor Lucian. KarmaShipping - Eusine, Falkner, Morty & Will 5/10 What did Falkner do to deserve bad karma? And yes I say bad cause Will, Morty, and Eusine alone would cause some shiz. This is the above but with one more person and falconer stuck with it. LovelyangstyfanserviceShipping - Eusine, Falkner, Lawrence III & Morty 5/10 Ah so these are the angsty bois huh? You’re missing a few folks. Marina'sFondestDreamShipping - Eusine, Jackson (Vincent) & Lance 3/10 I think this is just a 4 way someone wants to happen. Eusine would have a good time talking to Vincent about Raikou cause it could help him find Suicune. Lance is wondering how he got wrapped up in this convo.

MisledShipping - King of Pokelantis, Ash & Eusine 4/10 So Ash got possessed by the king and Eusine would def fall into the same boat if there. Yeah the king would have 2 minions basically.

MissSaigonShipping - Brawly, Eusine & Morty 1/10 So many Eusine and Morty with another person. Hm I can’t think of much they’d have in common immediately...

MovingOnShipping - Eusine, Lawrence III & Professor Carolina 5/10 Professor Carolina helps 2 dorks get over the fact that they can’t have the legendary pokemon they want. MysticQuestShipping - Eusine, Jimmy (Kenta) & Marina (Johto) 4/10 This is just them all looking for suicune and only one gets it, spoiler it’s not Eusine

MysticShipping - Eusine, Morty & Will 6/10 Ah yes the clairvoyant, the psychic, and a fanboy. One of the most powerful forces to ever exist. Real talk though I feel like they’d just all cause trouble together.

MystifyShipping - Eusine, Morty & Whitney 3/10 Is it just me or is anyone that ships with Morty and Eusine feels like a 3rd wheel? I feel like they’d have an ok time together but idk if it’d go long term. OnMyHonorShipping - Eusine, Falkner, Morty & Clair 6/10 Ok yeah they all definitely have that ‘honor’ vibe about them but I fell like their honor systems have various levels of skew to them. It’d be interesting to get them all in a room to talk about it though.

OosShipping - Brawly, Eusine, Morty & Will 10/10 Please catch them all in some school au where they are the trouble makers of the school. Brawly is the wanna-be intimidating jock, Will is the class clown, Eusine is the dramatic theater kid, and Morty is the introvert they adopted. SacredDevotionShipping - Eusine, Morty, Ho-Oh & Suicune 9/10 They finally got the pokemon they have fan boy crushes over. Cute but I feel like they’d not realize how much for it takes to care for a legendary. That and be bad at trying to defend them, interesting thing to explore.

SacredFireShipping - Eusine, Morty & Ho-Oh 5/10 Now morty got his pokemon he wants. Kinda cool, maybe it’d show Eusine what he looks lie to other people.

SacredHonorShipping - Eusine, Falkner & Morty 3/10 Again falconer feels like the third wheel here, and idk what they’d do long term.

SuitUpShipping - Butler, Darach, Eusine, Lance & Steven Stone 6/10 All the dudes in suits huh (and Lance)? I feel like some are missing. I can see them all going shopping some time though and getting wild new styles.

TrimurtiShipping - Eusine, Giovanni & Lance 4/10 Huh....ok I mean I just see it as Lance reluctantly keeping Eusine safe from Giovanni cause Eusine would def do something to make him mad trying to act tougher than he is.

Eusine w/ Eusine

RagingEgomaniacShipping - Eusine & Eusine 10/10 He’d band himself in a heart beat, and they’d be wildly annoying to everyone else.

#muse: eusine #every ship rated

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oh-theatre · 5 years

Text

Sycamore High: Tear The Union Apart (Chapter 36)

A/N: Sorry this chapter is shorter!! But there wasn't a lot I could do for right now! Also, there will be some jumping back occasionally

summary: The professors discover something...

words: 1368

warnings: Swearing, negative thoughts, kissing

Ao3 Link

February 14th

(Ok so this is one hundred percent not accurate about adoption and all that but…this is not how it works but for the sake of my story ahaha sorry I'm really sorry)

“Good morning” Chad greets strolling into the kitchen, Henry smiles at him handing him a cup of coffee. He leans over the counter placing a soft kiss on his lips. “Happy Valentines day love” Henry smiles nodding, he yawns covering it up with his hand.

“Wheres...wheres Ted?” He inquires joining Chad on the other side of the counter. He wraps his arms around his husband from behind, leaning his head on Chad's shoulder. Chad sets his coffee down, looking through the mail.

“He and Tommy are out doing something” He informs, Henry nuzzles. It's these nice moments he carries with him throughout the day. Chad picks up a hefty letter, reading the address “Oh! Its Teds adoption papers! His official ones!” Chad squeals, Henry chuckles nodding. Chad opens the letter reading it thoroughly, he mumbles a few words his face falls. “What?”

“What's wrong dearest?” Henry asks, he wraps his hands further around Chad swats them away. Henry pouts but his husband turns to face him. His face his riddled with confusion. Henry feels his stomach drop below his feet. “What is it Chad?”

“The adoption papers…” His bottom lip begins to tremble, he holds it up reading “Ted Hidgens formerly known as Ted Porker is now the legal child of one Henry Hidgens” Chad reads, he purses his lips looking up. Henry waits for him to continue, and Chad Hidgens. “Teds not my son…” Chad trails off, Henry shakes his head taking the paper. He reads over it but no mistake, no misinterpretation, Chad is not the father.

“This has to be a mistake” Henry swears, Chad nods doubtfully. “Why don't we call them?” He hands Chad the papers and fishes for his phone. “Here” He hands it to him, Chad reads the number and calls. He goes through everything listening intently, he holds up a finger-walking out of the room, presumingly for some information. Henry cleans up their cups, he’s furious. They've had small mistakes happen like this before, but he never got a clear answer why. Chad returned holding the phone in his hand, his face reddening, his eyes wide. “Love?”

“We aren't married,” He says, confused and hurt.

~~~

Present Day

“Morning” Ted announces walking up to his locker, the group waves at him save for Tommy who has his head buried in a study book. Ted glances his way but continues towards his locker, opening it to put some items in. He sits in his chair placed next to Paul and Tommy. He leans over nudging Tommy, he looks up adjusting his glasses.

“Yes?” He asks. Ted smirks at him, flashing his teeth. “Ted, I'm really busy do you have something to say?” He irritates. Ted recoils.

“Nevermind, jeezus” He mutters “Just wanted to say good morning” He shuffles in his bag for his own work. Tommy rolls his eyes.

“Yeah hi, morning” He rushes returning to his work. He tries but slams his book shut, stuffing it in his bag. He stands folding up his chair, putting it back neatly before leaving. Ted watches, his face falling. Bill notices the encounter and leans over.

“Are you alright?” He asks, Ted nods unconvincingly. Bill had known him for enough time to tell when even the slightest thing was wrong. He opens his bag handing Ted a pop tart he wasn't going to eat, it was a nice gesture from his father but…

“Thanks, dork,” He says taking it gladly. Bill smiles, ah food, the way to Ted's heart. Not that Bill didn't already have a special place in Ted's heart, forever and always. “Whatcha up to?”

“Studying for finals” he responds showing Ted his booklet, Ted nods showing him his laptop opening to his own study guide. They continue working, Jackie joins the group kissing Charlotte on the forehead as she arrives. Ted offers her Tommys seat, she takes it gladly making sure to flip off Paul, who returns the favor.

“Why were you so late Desai?” Paul asks accusatory, Jackie bounces in her chair.

“Wouldn't you like to know weather boy” She responds fist-bumping Ted in the process. Charlotte sighs wondering how she ended up dating this moron. “My snake was sick so we had to take care of him. Paul's eyes widen as he leans forward, Bill shuts his book.

“Snake?!” They exclaim in unison, both equally interested. Jackie chuckles, she pulls out her phone showing them a picture.

“His name is Token, he's a corn snake” She informs, Charlotte awes a little scared. Bill buzzes in his chair, Ted smiles. He loves snakes, he loves them and Ted can see it in his eyes. “You good there Dorris?” Jackie asks eyeing him, he shakes his head frantically.

“I wanna meet him!” He exclaims, the group has never seen him so excited. Jackie laughs and nods, Charlotte begins packing her things. Emma follows her example. “Where are you guys off to?” Bill asks, Ted begins packing up his own things.

“We have a free first period so we are going to go study over at Beanies” Emma explains, Ted nods agreeing. Paul takes Emma's hand, she leans down kissing him. “Bye Matthews” She smirks, he smiles back. Jackie nudges Charlotte's foot softly, she smiles a goodbye. Ted blows a kiss to Bill, who catches it mockingly. The group chuckles as the three of them disappeared leaving Jackie, Paul and Bill, alone.

“Hey fucker” Paul motions to Jackie, Bill shuts his eyes.

“Not even a second” He mumbles scribbling down some notes in his book. The bell rings signaling the start of class.

~~~

“That wouldn't make sense, because ‘E’ equals ‘MC’ squared,” Ted says, Emma nods writing it down. Charlotte yawns exhausted, she takes another sip of her coffee. “Oh my god, I just wanna play Minecraft” He groans, leaning back in his chair. Emma snaps in agreement. He pulls out his computer, much to Emma's laughter. Charlotte eyes him “I'm not gonna play, I just wanted to look something up… Leave me alone” He pouts.

“I'll play with you as soon as I'm done with this one sheet,” Emma remarks, He gives her a thumbs up. Charlotte rolls her eyes at the pair, looking around tapping her pencil. She pokes Ted with the eraser, he looks up.

“Hey, where's Tommy? He usually has a free period around this time as well” She notes, He bites his lip, nodding. He shrugs turning back to his computer, she wants to keep pressing but lets it go. Ted opens up the messenger app on his computer. Emma opens her own computer, doing the same.

Ravioli give me the formuoli

Em: Hey dweeb

Paul: Ms.Perkins are you texting during class??

Em: always babe

Paul: what's up buttercup

Em: just wanted to check-in, we didn't talk much this morning

Paul: Do you care about me perkins?

Em: Forever and always Matthews

Paul: That's cute and cheesy don't do it again

Em: Noted, so how are you?

Paul: I don't know...I don't wanna tell anyone though

Em: You told me :)

Paul: Because you cornered me and sai “Hey fucker, you are sad, what's up”

Em: …

Em: I did not give you a chance did I?

Paul: No you didn't, but tbh? Right now, I'm fine. I'll tell people when I'm ready

Em: Ok, well I love you <3

Paul: Weirdo

Paul: but I love you too

Emma giggled shoving her phone away per Charlotte's request. She hoped Paul was ok, after everything he had told her? She could only hope and check-in. Ted, on the other hand, did not have as much luck.

Gumdrop

Dearest: Hey, Charlotte wanted to know where you were

Gumdrop: Busy can't talk

And that was that. He shut off his computer, returning back to his physical work. The last text itching the back of his mind. What was happening? The prolongment of something dead? Did he miss something, was it his fault? The words scraping his heart for some unknown reason.

Busy

Cant talk

#sycamore high #tgwdlmhs #the guy who didn't like musicals #starkid #musical theatre #theatre #corey dorris #jaime lyn beatty #jon matteson #joey richter #lauren lopez #robert manion #jackie desai #my writing #writing #fanfiction #ao3 #archive of our own

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immortalcockroach · 6 years

Photo

THE END IS JUST A BAD DREAM | BELLARKE, MODERN AU

Bellamy Blake has many bad habits, but his worst is falling for girls he can't have.

At twenty-four, Bellamy’s life consists of bars, gigs, park benches and—if he’s lucky—friend’s couches. It’s been two years since his life shattered into pieces around him and he still hasn’t started picking them up.

For two years, Bellamy’s been good. Good stops being enough when he meets Clarke, a girl whose life is in the process of shattering, and somehow the two of them collect their own pieces to help the other, and themselves in the process.

For all it’s worth, Clarke is off limits – but it might be this time that his bad habit is truly stopping him from getting the glue that would finally mend his life.

This was inspired by the Coen brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis. It’s an indie drama about a folk artist who has a horrible love life and is homeless and some elements are going to feature in this fic. If you’ve seen it, then you know exactly what kind of mood I’m going for with this fic.

Now, this is a mature fic. I’m fairly certain there will be no smut, but it’s mature as it’s dealing with topics such as homelessness, alcoholism, depression, PTSD, and abortion. These trigger warnings are spoilery, yes, but I want to make sure no one reading the fic is uncomfortable with these subjects.

Fret not, this isn’t an entirely dark fic, but these themes are important so I just needed to get that out there. I’m trying to approach this as seriously as possible. But I mean, Bellamy’s great with his guitar (he plays rock) and he’s definitely going to serenade Clarke at some point. (Spoiler: it’s in the very first chapter.)

So far, there’s only one chapter and since this fic is what I like to consider the most important thing I’ve written in my life, I’ll try to write some more before beginning to post it. Also, I’m currently looking for betas for this so if you read the first chapter and think this might be up your alley, message me.

Below the cut is an excerpt and all the lovely tagged people.

THE END IS JUST A BAD DREAM

‘dirty fingernails, same as your mind, but he could strum the guitar just fine, every now and then he’d think about his life, daydreamin’ just to pass the time’

His fingers slide across the neck of the guitar, the tips hard and rough from a lifetime spent on the strings. They change positions and the chords like dancers, applying pressure in all the right places. The other hand strums the same strings with a black, leather guitar pick in a dazing rhythm. On the verses, the pick rests and his fingers slide between the strings, tugging at them in an elaborate, dark manner. His voice is hoarse, deep and lazy, captivating in the way it soaks in emotion during some parts, and is dry at others.

Shaggy hair and worn out clothes, he is just the type of person who plays at the pub, unnoticed by any of the guests. There is nothing memorable about him, from his week-old stubble and greasy hair, grey shirt with tiny holes throughout it and his leather jacket with as many patches as there are years behind him, to his decades-old guitar accompanied by his melodic voice that blends in with the chatter, as if arising from within the dark walls of the bar.

He finishes the set and few people clap. There’s beer already waiting for him at the bar and he sits down, watching as a kid in his late teens takes his spot, still a bright, nervous smile on his face. He greets the crowd, cheerfully, his face falling when hardly a head so much as turns in his direction.

The guy at the bar takes a sip of his beer, looking away from him when the kid begins his set, a dark smile creeping onto his lips. He slouches, both elbows on the wooden countertop, one hand laying on it with fingers tapping in the upbeat rhythm of the boy’s song, and the other holding a beer to his lips, never setting it down.

One of the boys who works here as an all-in-one approaches him with an almost empty tin. He takes it, throws all the money on the bar and gives the tin back to the boy, staring at the few coins without a word.

That barely amounts to twenty dollars, and that’s if he’s lucky. Five one-dollar bills, one fiver, and several dozen coins. He scoops it all up except for the fiver, sliding them into the one pocket of his jeans that doesn’t have a hole at the bottom. It clangs against his beat-up, five-years-old phone.

He listens to the people. Most of the chatter is incomprehensible from the distance and blends together, like white noise for his thoughts. Some things he can pick apart, though – the voices he’s heard in more than a dozen visits to the Bunker, gigs or not. They talk about shitty politics like the rednecks they are, or complain about the weather or politics upstate. They whine about their wives and bad beer and neighbours who shoot their rifles at odd hours in the night, and praise hunting.

Some of his songs, he picked up here. They are snippets of conversations between life-long friends, or a man whose mistress had just found out she’s the other woman. Occasionally, people come here after they have been broken up with, and he listens, creating songs about them inside his head.

By the time he finishes his beer, the kid is just taking a break in the middle of a set. It’s his first time, judging by the lack of blood in his face and his feet shaking as he stands beside him, asking for a glass of water.

The kid looks at him. “You were great.”

All he gets is an empty glass of beer raised in a toast.

“Bellamy,” says the girl behind a bar, in a tender voice. “You should get some rest.”

The bartender is leaning against the bar, looking at him with the curves of her lips turned upwards. Her smile reaches her eyes and the look makes him not let his eyes wander to her chest, which is showing the slightest bit of skin.

Her smile drops a little and there’s the slight wrinkle between her brows when she frowns, studying him. “If you need somewhere to—”

Before she can finish, he slides her the fiver.

He doesn’t wait for the change. The night outside the bar is cold and harsh, cold wind nipping at his nose already. He wraps his scarf around his lower part of the face and tucks his hands into the pockets, his guitar hanging off his shoulder in its case.

His pace is slow, prolonging the walk to the park for about three, four minutes. He’s humming to himself the songs he never plays, and his fingers strum inside his pockets. There’s an old Johnny Cash song that crosses his mind next and when he closes his eyes, his shaky lips flutter even more. His leg muscles ache and his feet are swollen so when he finally reaches the park, he props them up on a bench he’s sitting on.

It’s a quiet park. It’s even quieter now, at nearly midnight on a Tuesday, when most residents are asleep or in the comfort of their homes, if they aren’t drinking themselves senseless while people, like him, sing to them. Polis is not really big for a park, so from where he’s sitting, in the very heart of it, he can almost see its every edge. There are wooden benches scattered around the place and several sycamore trees planted in ideal spots for people to sit under them, or have the whole view of Arkadia.

Now, these benches are slowly being covered in a thin layer of snow, soon to turn the park into a winter wonderland.

A few benches from him sits a girl. She’s wearing a crimson set of a beanie, scarf, gloves, and a black coat, shielding her face from him. Her hands venture into her pocket and take out a paper tissue, which she uses to blow her nose – not in the way people do when they’re cold. He then notices it’s far from the only tissue around her.

He’s never known how to deal with crying girls who aren’t his sister. This one isn’t his problem, but he can’t help thinking if she’s here, crying on a Tuesday night, maybe she’s just alone as he is – even though her clothes tell him she’s not in the same situation as he is.

So he does the only thing he’s good at – he takes out his guitar and strums it.

For a while, his fingers are playing a song of their own. His mind is wandering and he doesn’t know what to play for her. He’s bad at covering songs and none of his own seem appropriate, so he lets his brain go to a different place.

He’s not worried about her. He doesn’t particularly care, either. It’s simply that he’s cold and playing the guitar is going to warm him up, and she gets a free show.

i’m tagging people who might be interested (and i couldn’t tag everyone for whatever reason): @the-most-beautiful-broom @283livesforone @starrydilemma @ivegotyoufor-that @diyozaa @sunnyemori @sjh-07-10 @kickthatassgirl @youve-got-a-big-heart @batdonthavenicknamecallmequinn @brooke-b23 @shadowheron2013 @octannibal-blake @clarkegriffintitties @divergentseagreengirl @isaweetdreamworld @veeshthefrog @halfbloodduchess @bella-my-blake @meh-g @megggggglmao @b3ach-waves @bellarke-stydia-olicity @forevery0ungggg @autumnessprime @aromanticcomedies @garfieldyke @mommabeargriffin @claire3534

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awed-frog · 6 years

Note

hi there! i dont tend to trust sdcc interviews but i figure i'd ask this so i could get your opinion! a big thing they were talking about was the aftermath of michael on dean.. if they do this right it could be SO good and SO interesting for his character.. so i was gonna ask what you think this means for his character? after he is done being possessed by michael?

Hi! I haven’t heard the spoilers, and to be honest my enthusiasm about the show is pretty much in free fall - under a cut and sort of bitter, okay?

So, the obvious parallels that come to mind are Dean coming back from Hell and Dean being freed from the Mark, and I think the time and energy the show spent of those aftermaths is very telling of what the narrative priorities are.

If you look at the post-Hell period - was intense. I haven’t rewatched that season in a while, but I seem to remember they spent a lot of time on how broken and not himself Dean was? And the whole thing, of course, was revealed to be even more tragic than what fans expected when Dean decided to tell Sam about how he’d chosen to torture others. Ouch. That was some truly powerful stuff, especially because in the pre-Hell period Dean had mostly pretended to be carefree - scarfing down burgers for breakfast, having threesomes, and generally trying to convince himself (and others) that since he never had much of a lifespan anyway, this death made complete sense. All of that, of course, was masterfully contrasted with how Dean actually died - he never got the hero death I’m sure many were expecting, the beautiful and sexy death main characters and pretty people are mostly gifted (or burdened) with. Instead, it was terrifying, base, humiliating affair - Dean was literally torn apart by dogs as his baby brother watched (not to mention he regretted his righteous decision as soon as he landed in Hell, and found himself calling for Sam like a frightened child instead of suffering his fate in manly silence). Jesus Sycamore Christ. That was beyond sobering, as was the whole post-Hell period - and especially how Dean wasn’t, in the end, all that happy to be alive again. Again: ouch.

What happened in S11 was rather different. On the whole, I enjoyed that season a lot, but while there were some tense and emotional moments for Dean (like his conversation with God), I found it very odd - and somewhat disappointing - that nobody ever mentioned the Mark again. After all, it was implied (or stated outright? I honestly don’t remember) that the Mark didn’t exactly change Dean; its power was preying on people, and taking their worst instincts to horrifying extremes. For instance, Dean kept hunting, but where he would normally give people a second chance, or find a solution that didn’t involve a full-out massacre, MoC!Dean never cared about that at all. However necessary it was for Dean to choose this burden (and even that is debatable), it led very directly to the death of a bunch of innocent people - Charlie, of course, but also the NoHomo hunter, knockoff Draco Malfoy and Rowena’s godchild (you’d think she’d mention him again at some point, or that Sam and Cas would bring him up in a kind of ‘Hey, remember when we slaughtered an innocent teen on the off chance his beating and bloodied heart could cure Dean? Good times’, but nope). To make matters worse, those four deaths happened in the space of a couple of days? And I get that Dean had other things on his mind soon after he was cured, but I still found it bizarre that they never came up at all. I mean - sure, there were subtextual clues and all that - when are there not, amirite - but to me, it was too weak. Honestly, it looked like Dean (and Sam, and Cas) just didn’t give a damn about the trail of destruction they’d left behind. Because this is what’s never acknowledged in S11: that those deaths were on them. Whoever got killed when Dean had the Mark: on them. And, more directly and unequivocally, all those people Amara killed: on them. That’s some powerful stuff, and yet it’s never explored at all, because it’s not what the current showrunner is interested in.

All this to say: in theory, post-Michael!Dean should be huge. The fact Dean took the decision so quickly was already a narrative blunder, considering how he’d been in exactly the same situation (and worse) in earlier seasons but had decided to say no to Michael. I mean - Dean’s free will and how it clashes with his need to help others - that’s the core of the character, and yet it took one line of dialogue to erase it into nothingness. Now, heading into S14 it looks pretty likely that Dean will rid himself of Michael very early - we’re talking two or three episodes, max, and apparently that’s our fault or something (don’t even get me started), which means this Very Meaningful and Earth-Shattering thing is already losing importance in favour of - I don’t know.

(More KFC demons? Lucifer’s cousin Throckmorton? Bobby and Mary’s budding romance and how that is finally the thing that turns Mary into a Tupperware wife and removes her from the boys’ lives in a believable way? I guess we’ll see.)

Will it have an effect on Dean? Obviously I can’t say for sure, but I doubt it.

Like, for one, Michael has no beef with Dean, and vice versa. These two characters are not connected in any emotional way. To Michael, Dean is just a random and contemptible human; to Dean, Michael is just another over-ambitious freak in need of a good beheading. As for archangel possession - that’s tricky. Some guys are left empty shells; Sam wasn’t, and Cas wasn’t (and Dean is another main character, so he can’t be hurt too badly). Sam suffered a lot, but that’s because Lucifer hated him and had a personal vendetta against him. As a comparison, when Lucifer possessed Cas, he basically gave Cas a nice TV and never bothered him again, and I think that’s a more accurate description of the connection between AU!Michael and Dean. Neither of them cares enough for this thing to escalate. So whatever happens between them (Michael dies; Michael is kicked back to the AU!world; Michael finds another suitable vessel; Michael is forced into an unsuitable vessel), I don’t think there’ll be a lot of focus on how that changes Dean.

On the plus side, there are solid narrative reasons for that lack of focus to make sense. For instance, Dean’s never been the emotionally stunted troll fanon keeps pretending he is, but over the last two seasons he’s really made an effort to make his feelings crystal clear, and he’s been berated and ignored every single time. So if I were him, I don’t think I’d be very eager to confide in Sam ‘What about MY feelings?’ Winchester, Mary ‘Ew, I don’t want to be your mom’ Winchester or Cas ‘You humans make everything so needlessly complicated’ Winchester (he’s a brother now, right? even if for some reason we’re seeing him less than Jack). No, Dean is likely to keep his feelings private - despite the fact this experience should, logically, be a turning point for him. We know Dean has big issues when it comes to giving up control, and possession is - inevitably - also a metaphor for rape, which is - canonically? - a part of Dean’s past (look at Alastair’s unnecessary queering, for God’s sake). So a post!Michael Dean - he could have less confidence in himself, especially if his decision ends up doing more harm than good for some reason, or he could develop PTSD and decide to retire because he’s got nothing left to give (narratively sound, but not a place the show can afford to go to) or he could become nihilistic and even more determined to get his blaze of glory ending, and sooner rather than later (after all, we know he gets suicidal when he feels he needs to atone, so).

From a RL perspective, I don’t know how much of that we’ll see. Considering how little they used post-MoC!Dean, I think maybe we can expect some new crisis which will keep the focus off Dean’s feelings and opinions. On the other hand, S13 was basically a ‘best of’ of the Kripke era, so it’s possible that S14 will revisit the post-Hell!Dean theme in some way. I don’t know. Lately, the show seems determined to prove our heroes are Good People Who’ve Done Nothing Wrong Ever, so from that perspective Dean saying yes to Michael should turned out to be a Big Mistake, because Dean saying no to Michael is basically half of what saved the world the first time around. Then again, I’m not seeing a lot of coherence on that front (I’m on team ‘Why was the AU!world even about Mary’, sorry about that), so, really - everything is anyone’s guess. At this point, the one thing we can predict about Supernatural is that if you’re interested in the characters’ inner lives and in them actually evolving in some healthy way, you’re better off with fanfiction.

I apologize. I know that was depressing and bitter. Here is a baby owl.

#ask #spn meta #spn season 14 #dean winchester #michael!dean #spn criticism #spn negativity #not a mary fan #also not a dabb fan #tbh not an anything fan atm #then again it's after midnight #and i'm having family problems again #so there's that #sorry this was so hopeless :/

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redditnosleep · 7 years

Text

Has Anyone Heard of The Left/Right Game?

by NeonTempo

Hi Guys,

Firstly, I want to apologise for not being at my laptop for the past few days. I had to attend a wedding in Scotland for one of my uni friends. They booked it in mid-week and, between you and me, I don’t think it’s going to last which means not only have I neglected you guys, but I’ve also wasted money on a rental suit and a John Lewis tea set.

As always thank you for your help in my ongoing attempt to find Alice. I’m now in full contact with the radio show she was working for, and they’ll be sending over Rob’s submission to the show as soon as they can. I’ve also looked up every town named Jubilation and have contacted residents from each of them. None of them have the particular junction mentioned in the previous log, “Sycamore Row” and “Acer Street”. I even combed google maps to make sure. I’m not sure what town Alice passed through last February but it doesn’t seem to exist on public record.

The guy who promised to retrace the route from the mirror shop came through, and has sent me a few possible addresses for Rob. He also mentioned looking into the game itself more. I’m not sure what he means by that but I want to be clear, please don’t play this game on my behalf. I don’t want that on my conscience.

Ok, without further ado, here’s the following log.

Thanks again.

The Left/Right Game [DRAFT 1] 10/02/2017

(Possible Opening) (I want to address you, the listener, for a moment, with an advance notice concerning the following episode. I’m sure it’s not been lost on you that every installment of the series so far has played host to some strange, unexplainable occurrence, and spanned a great many miles of travel. It goes without saying this has been by design. I’ve been summarising the countless hours of uneventful meandering and taking extra care to document the strange phenomena we’ve encountered along the way. I wanted the story to be fast moving, to have a real feel of progress with every chapter.

If that sense of exploratory intrigue is why you’re listening to this show, I completely understand. I’m certain it’s a primary draw for almost all of you; the twists, the turns, the mysterious, strange encounters along an impossible road.

But if that is the case, I feel it’s my duty to inform you that, apart from a few notable exceptions, there will be almost no ground covered in this segment, and the monsters we encounter will be all too human; stress, divisiveness, discomfort and, as one might imagine, grief.

If you want to read the synopsis of this episode on the website and wait for the next part, then you’ll be all caught up and I’m sure we’ll be back on our way, heading once more into the great unknown. But I feel it’s important to give the aftermath of Ace’s capture its own episode, in part due to the significance of the revelations that are unearthed in its wake, but also as a gesture of deference to the man we lost.

This is the story of our second night on the road.)

As we make the left turn, the horrifying space behind us is quickly replaced by a quiet emptiness ahead. The Wrangler crawls, defeated, toward the waiting convoy. The remaining four cars are parked haphazardly, taking up more than half the road. Rob drifts to the far end of the tarmac, looking to overtake and resume formation. Both of his hands rest on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on some distant point in space. It’s not hard to imagine that behind the focus and the quiet control, there’s a man in turmoil, a man who can’t bring himself to say anything, in fear of saying too much.

AS: This is Bristol to all cars. We’re heading back on the road. Get yourselves in formation and make way for those around you. We’ve got a while to drive before we stop for the night.

LILITH: Bristol where’s Ro… Ferryman?

AS: Ferryman’s here.

APOLLO: Where’s Ace?

AS: Ace is… Ace didn’t make it across.

APOLLO: Uhh what?

LILITH: What the fuck? Bristol where is he?

It would be simple to describe what had taken place, or at least summarise the barest facts; what happened to Ace, where he is now, why he isn’t coming back. But for some reason, I can’t utter a word about what's transpired. Something about the event itself makes it impossible to retell, as if the requisite phrases have been locked behind glass.

AS: We need to get to the stopping point. It isn’t safe to stay here.

Shortly after we’d turned the corner out of Sycamore Row, Rob implied that the rest of the days’ drive would be uneventful. Had he waited just a few minutes longer, he would have been entirely correct. We’re on the road for another four hours, both of us quietly attending to our own preoccupations as the forest gradually thins out. The landscape gives way to rolling cornfields, that stretch out beyond the horizon on both sides.

Nothing notable happens, which is ironic, as I find myself typing up a lot more notes than I need.

With the sun descends through an orange sky as we pull into a clearing, beside a wild grove of apple trees. Rob turns off the ignition and the two of us sit in silence. Rob’s need to concentrate on driving had been a good excuse to stay quiet, a good excuse to not face each other. Now the wheels aren’t turning however, and the true reason for our mutual reticence is all too clear.

AS: Do you think he’s dead?

ROB: I don’t know.

Rob’s response isn’t reassuring, and I’m oddly grateful for that. There are no comforting words he can give me, and any attempt would have seemed horrifically insincere, a mockery of the situation’s onerous gravity. Anyway, given the circumstances of Ace’s capture, I’m not even sure which answer I want to hear.

Lilith appears at my window, rapping her knuckles against the glass with an aggressive impatience. I’d expect nothing less about now. Everyone in the convoy has been made to follow a unilateral order, my order, without explanation. They’ve been travelling for hours accompanied by the glaring absence of another human being. Looking in the wing mirror, I glimpse the rest of the convoy, standing by their cars, watching the Wrangler expectantly.

Rob’s hands still haven’t left the wheel.

With a sharp intake of breath, I push the door open and step out onto the grass. The ground is soft below me as I walk over to the group. There’s recently been rain. I begin to address the rough semicircle, it almost feels like one of Rob’s briefings.

EVE: What’s happening Bristol?

APOLLO: Did Ace turn back?

I meet Apollo’s eye. For the briefest of moments, I consider telling them all exactly that. Maybe it would save them from the slow, heavy ache that’s currently weighing down my chest. Maybe it would just save me from a difficult conversation. Either way, I know I can't lie to them. They deserve the truth, however unpleasant.

AS: No he didn’t turn back; they crippled his car.

LILITH: The tow truck? Did he get out?

The answer doesn't come easily. I’m being pressed to say the words aloud and, in doing so, to fully acknowledge what happened. It feels like I’m being driven to a funeral, like I’m being verbally marched towards an open casket.

EVE: What happened to him?... Bristol…

ROB: He’s dead, Eve.

I hadn’t heard Rob step out of the car when he reaches the group. It’s hard to hide my relief as he takes over proceedings, addressing the group matter-of-factly. Now it really is like one of his briefings.

ROB: Two guys in the tow truck coming outta Jubilation. They got him. They took him back with them to the town. Way they were treatin’ him he won’t last long.

BONNIE: Oh goodness…

EVE: What? Rob what’re they going to do to him?

ROB: I can’t tell you. Nothing like this ever happened before.

LILITH: Well we need to go back.

ROB: That ain’t gonna happen.

LILITH: We’re not going to fucking abandon him.

AS: Lilith…

LILITH: We’re going back!

ROB: No we’re not.

APOLLO: Me and Rob can go. You know the place right Rob?

ROB: The kid’s dead Apollo.

LILITH: But he was alive when you last saw him?

ROB That’s right.

LILITH: So what point did you decide he was dead?

ROB: When I saw him being carried away with a fucking tow hook sticking out his mouth! Goddamn it.

Rob shouldn’t have said that. I understand his reasons of course; he wants to convey an important truth, that nothing can be done, or could have been done, to save Ace. His ghastly choice of words does the job, but it also sends a ripple of disturbance through the crowd, planting in everyone’s minds the gruesome image I’ve been trying all day to uproot.

Bonnie covers her mouth in shock and sorrow. Eve turns noticeably pale, and even Lilith, who is intent on leading the questioning, is taken aback.

LILITH: Did… did you see this Bristol?

I nod solemnly. The group bristles at my affirmation.

AS: I saw enough. I had to close my eyes when it happened, Rob tried to save him until…

Before I can finish my statement, my words are cut off by something truly unexpected. In spontaneous response to my words, a harsh outburst of mocking, sarcastic laughter rings out from within the convoy. One by one, we turn towards its source, until we all find ourselves staring at Bluejay. Her unapologetic chuckling fills the silent night air.

AS: Is something funny, Bluejay?

Bluejay tries to speak through her, all too slowly, waning laughter.

BLUEJAY: It’s just… you call yourself a journalist… Hah you closed your eyes, my god… there it is! There it is.

AS: I’m sorry?

BLUEJAY: Do you close your eyes for magic tricks too?

EVE: What the fuck Bluejay?

APOLLO: Come on, this isn’t the time.

BLUEJAY: Oh the time is well fucking overdue. Seriously are you all morons? The Left/Right Game is a hoax. It’s fake! Rob Guthard’s played you all like fucking children! Ace is fine, he’s probably an actor! Like the hitchhiker was an actor and those towns people too. I mean, come on.

The group is taken aback by Bluejay’s incredulous tirade. She’s clearly been holding her tongue since day one; our reaction to Ace’s capture representing just one step too far.

AS: I saw Rob shoot one of those townspeople with a hunting rifle. I saw the wound. It was real.

BLUEJAY: It was a blood filled squib. The rifle was probably loaded with blanks. You can buy both from any good theatrical retailer. Seriously what the fuck is wrong with you people?

LILITH: Ok firstly, I don’t like your fucking tone. Secondly, have you noticed that we’ve been the only cars on the road for almost two days? And what about Jubilation? Are you suggesting Rob hired out a whole town? That would be fucking impossible.

BLUEJAY: Oh yeah sure, THAT’S impossible, but it’s totally believable that we’re driving on a magic road. Maybe this is the highest budget scam I’ve ever seen but that’s all it is, a scam. And Al Jazeera here is giving him all the publicity he wants. I mean these people are sheep but you, you’re a fucking sycophant.

My mother used to tell me that you can’t strike a person from the high road. Staring down the barrel of Bluejay’s darkly self-satisfied grin, I’m more than tempted to make the descent.

AS: Ok Bluejay fair enough. I’m not going to pretend to know what’s going on here, for all I know you could be right. But why would Rob spend the production budget of a Hollywood film to trick a radio journalist and two vloggers. Trust me, our website does not get enough traffic for-

BLUEJAY: Oh don’t be so self-important. It’s not YOU he’s trying to fool.

Bluejay turns to Rob, fixing him a glare of pure, unadulterated triumph.

BLUEJAY: Admit it Rob. Admit that this is all a fucking farce. Admit that you knew who I was before I even got out of my car.

Rob’s face looks like it’s been carved from granite. The group looks to him for an answer, but he delivers his response directly to Bluejay, his eyes locked with hers.

ROB: It’s true… … I know who you are Denise.

The atmosphere changes, and for a moment, the night erupts into a foray of whispers. Rob’s answer clearly means something to everyone but me.

EVE: Denise?

LILITH: Denise Carver?

APOLLO: No. You serious?

AS: Sorry, who’s Denise Carver?

LILITH: She’s the biggest killjoy in the hobby.

BLUEJAY: Oh fuck you, you fucking air-head.

ROB: Denise here is a member of the Skeptics and Rationalist Institute of America. She likes to get herself invited on ghost hunting expeditions under a false name so she can debunk them publicly. You may've gathered she don’t believe in the supernatural.

BLUEJAY: Actually I do believe in the supernatural. I believe that it’s a billion dollar industry built on selling comfortable lies to the gullible, and it thrives on shitty journalists and attention whore bloggers who are willing to spread whatever shit they think will get them clicks.

AS: That’s why you took so long getting around the pine tree. Even when the truck was coming for Ace. You didn’t think any of it was real.

BLUEJAY: Uhh… did you?

As condescending as her delivery may be, her words spark a sudden realisation. It’s true, that with an unspeakably high budget and a few deft stooges, you could probably replicate most of what we’d seen on the road. Yet, without realising it, I’ve found myself agreeing with Rob’s version of events, personally defending the Left/Right Game’s validity against its decriers. I’d set off on this journey much like Bluejay, as a staunch, confident skeptic, but somewhere between the tunnel and this moment, I’d become a believer.

Bluejay notes my lack of protest, and turns back to Rob.

BLUEJAY: I’m flattered you went to all this trouble. I didn’t know my work was so offensive to you.

ROB: I admire your work Denise. Always have. That’s why I brought you along.

BLUEJAY: That is bullshit. Tell your friend Ace he can’t act for shit.

Bluejay pulls a pack of Marlboros out of her coat, lighting up immediately, and goes to sit on the hood of her nearby car. Her demeanour clearly signals that her part in the conversation is over, though her words leave a bitter aftertaste for everyone involved. To sympathise, it must be exhausting, spending two days with people whose opinions are diametrically opposed to your own, having to listen in silence while they corroborate their own seemingly preposterous views. Having said that however, I’m incredibly glad she’s stopped talking. It reminds me of a time when we got on much better.

The next question comes from Eve, her voice quivering.

EVE: Can… can we die here Rob?

The quiet force of her words turn everyone’s heads back towards Rob. It’s clear that others have been thinking the same thing, and they’re looking to Rob for an answer.

ROB: It’s possible. The road ain’t ever killed no one before. Not so long as everyone followed the rules.

LILITH: But you said in your emails it was dangerous.

ROB: That’s right.

LILITH: But you didn’t feel like telling us that we could die out here?

Rob turns to Lilith, clearly offended by her accusation.

ROB: In the 1920’s Jon Ebenrow killed 36 people and violated their bodies. In one of your videos, you guys went to his home in Virginia looking for the man’s ghost. Bonnie & Clyde once spent $500 to stay at the Iowa Murder House, a place that’s supposed to possess its victims and force’em to kill each other.

ROB: If you all honestly believed in what you were chasing, you should be accepting death as an outcome every time you step out. We are looking for evidence of another world. What we’re doing here has the scientific significance of the moon landings, the cultural significance of Columbus reaching the Americas and a whole lot of people died doing both. If you accepted the risk chasing down the ghost of a two-bit serial killer, you should be willing to accept the risk for this.

Lilith looks like she’s been scolded by a parent. There’s a fire in her eyes as she observes Rob, meeting his criticism with scorn.

LILITH: Oh so it’s Ace’s fault? He should have “accepted the risk”?

ROB: He did accept the risk. Ace made his decisions. He saw the dangers of the road first hand and he kept on goin'. I told you this place could be dangerous, and maybe you didn’t take that seriously. But you are NOT gonna treat me like I lured any of you here under false pretenses.

We stand for a few moments in the uncomfortable void left by Rob’s words. No one’s quite sure where to look.

APOLLO: Well what do we do now Rob? Do we turn around?

ROB: I ain’t gonna make that decision for you. If you want to split off and head back, I suggest you wait till mornin’ and stagger your leavin’ times by an hour or so. I ain’t never seen nothin’ like what happened back there before, but this is the most people I ever played the game with. Maybe that’s doin’ somethin’.

AS: What do you mean by that?

ROB: Well it’s the only thing that’s changed. Truth is, this ain’t our world, by all rights we shouldn’t be here. Even when it's one car the road always tries to discourage you. Maybe it’s like bacteria in a vein. One or two might slip by unnoticed but once it hits a certain point it’s like a uh…

AS: Like an immune response. You think the road’s pushing back on foreign objects?

ROB: And the bigger the group-

AS: The more violent the response…

It makes sense, until Bluejay laughs once more. Hearing her reaction, I reassess what I'm saying and I can’t help but feel a little foolish at the idea.

ROB: Maybe. It’s just a theory... I don’t know.

Rob collects himself, regaining his composure.

ROB: Either way, you all have the morning to decide if you want to keep on the road. Bristol, if you want to go home, you gotta find someone to take you. I ain’t ready to head back yet.

He turns away from the group and marches to the Wrangler. I don’t see him again for the rest of the evening, and I have no intention of bothering him. Eve and Lilith immediately crowd around me, asking if I’m alright and taking it in turns to disparage Rob’s actions. I can’t bring myself to join in. All I can bring myself to say is…

AS: Can I charge my phone in your car?

The group has very little to say for the rest of the night. A deep solemnity hangs in the air, dampening any semblance of good cheer like wet leaves on a dwindling fire. No one offers any conversation, Apollo’s reservoir of quips has run dry. Everyone’s wondering where they’ll be going from here, pondering the sort of person they are in circumstances such as this. Do they press on towards danger, or back towards safe and familiar ground. It’s a question they’ll have to figure out for themselves, ideally before sunrise.

I already have questions of my own.

About an hour after Rob’s departure, bidding fair well to the rest of the group, I walk over to Lilith and Eve’s car. My bag is resting on the front seat, a black wire leading inside from the charging port. I’ve decided not to tell the pair that I’ve been charging the detonator for a military grade explosive less than ten metres away from them. Perhaps it will come out during broadcast. If you’re listening to this, sorry girls.

I pick up my bag and, checking that no one’s looking, make a beeline for the apple grove. I march through the small wood, the air growing still, the sounds of the convoy quickly fading behind me. In the late evening darkness, with the moon shrouded by legion of crooked trees, I’m puzzled that I’m not more afraid. I’ve seen what happens on this road and, as I pass through the grove and into the neighbouring field, intentionally isolating myself from the rest of the group, I'm quite aware that help won’t be coming for me. Even so, as the corn rises up in every direction around me, I find myself almost incapable of fear. The day's events have drained me of emotion, and I'm now with everything else pulled away, I’m left with only one driving directive; an overpowering urge to figure this road out, regardless of what that entails.

Judging the distance I’ve traveled to be acceptably out of range from the convoy, I take the block of C4 out of my bag and place it on the ground. Gritting my teeth, my body cringing with self-inflicted dread, I press the power button on the Nokia and wait for something to happen. My worries of instant disintegration are allayed slightly as the grainy image of two outstretched hands comes into view, swiftly replaced by a menu screen.

I work fast, the words on the brown paper package constantly reminding me of what I’m putting at risk with every passing second.

Firstly, I type my number own number into the phone, assuming, or at least hoping, that the mechanism isn’t activated by outgoing calls. A few seconds later my cell phone rings, giving me the Nokia’s number. Checking the call logs, I find a second, different number, which seems to have made a call to the phone three times in quick succession. If I were a betting woman, which I sometimes am, I’d suggest that this number belongs to whoever built the bomb, the calls representing an attempt to test the trigger prior to its implementation. If I’m right, then this should be the personal number of whoever was driving that crashed car.

My third discovery, is a little bit more puzzling. No texts have been sent from this phone, however there is one solitary message residing in the phone’s inbox. It’s from a third, separate number, and it reads thus:

“Please don't do this Rob.”

I stare at those four words, the new information grating uncomfortably against my already preconceived theories. If this text is to be believed, and my previous deductions are at all accurate, then that means Rob Guthard was driving the car. That the C4 in the trunk had belonged to him. All this time I thought Rob may have been responsible for something terrible, but what if he was run off the road himself? If that is the case, it leads to an entirely new question… who was responsible for his crash?

As I begin to think it over, the air explodes around me.

I’m jolted out of my examination by a powerful, echoing voice which reverberates the very air. The corn is thrown into a frenzy as the noise echoes from every direction, as if spoken by the air itself.

VOICE: I’ve watched you questioning.

Without a second’s hesitation, I turn off the Nokia and throw the block into my bag. I jump to my feet and scan the cornfield for whoever spoke the words, backing away towards the convoy. Suddenly, realising how far I am from my friends, I break into a run, my boots pounding the dirt as I flee back to the woods.

Less than a minute later I burst out through the trees, my bag swinging with the weight of the block. Everyone’s in their cars, seemingly fast asleep. I’m starting to think they’re onto something. With no one to talk to, and a long day ahead of me, I suppose there’s no further recourse but to catch my breath, write up my immediate thoughts and then, finally, get some much needed rest.

I feel a dull pressure behind my eyes as I step towards the Wrangler. Quietly opening the back door next to my sleeping area, I carefully hide the block under my luggage. Then, silently closing the door again, I wander around to the passenger side, where my notes are waiting to be typed.

I reach out and grab the handle, gripping it tightly. I don’t open the door. In fact, after a moment staring through the glass, I let go.

The pressure behind my eyes gives way, and before I know it I’ve slid down to the damp ground, my back against the cool, hard metal of the door. A whine catches in my throat as ugly tears stream down my cheeks. My breath shudders as I inhale, and my attempt to breathe out plays to the world as a quiet, declining sob. The tears take me by surprise but I don’t wipe them away. In a bittersweet way, they’re welcome, necessary even. They carry with them a familiar sense of heartrending release. By the time they’ve run dry, I feel like I might just be able to move on from the events of the day. The sounds in my head are just a little quieter now I’ve paid them their due.

BONNIE: Are you ok honey?

I’m picking myself up when I see Bonnie walking carefully over to the Wrangler. I brush myself off, a little embarrassed at being caught.

AS: I didn’t know you were awake.

BONNIE: I’m a light sleeper, and Martin… Clyde snores. Do you need someone to talk to?

AS: I think I just need to sleep. Thanks Bonnie.

BONNIE: My name’s Linda, if you’re wondering.

AS: … Alice.

BONNIE: That’s a beautiful name. Well Alice, I know I don’t talk much, but I know how to listen… if you ever want me to.

For the first time since the pine fell, I find myself smiling. It’s a weak smile, but a smile nonetheless.

AS: Thank you Linda. I might take you up on that. Have a good night.

BONNIE:** Have a good night.

Bonnie starts to walk back to the car, before pausing and turning round. One last piece of comfort to offer.

BONNIE: And remember, everything will all be alright once we get to Wintery Bay.

I frown a little, unsure what Bonnie means. She smiles back blankly, then resumes the path back to her car. She’s mentioned that place before, upon leaving Jubilation, in what seemed like a moment of idle reminiscence. How she mentioned it just now doesn’t seem like reminiscence at all.

After everything that’s gone on, all the suspicion I’ve been directing at Rob, all my worry for Ace. Is something the matter with Bonnie?

Perhaps I’m misunderstanding, perhaps Bonnie misspoke, but all the same, the brief comfort her words afforded me has already faded away, leaving a familiar feeling of confusion and paranoia in its place.

I let myself into the passenger side, type up a few pressing notes and then climb through onto the air mattress. Sleep doesn’t come easily. I close my eyes and try to convince myself that tomorrow will be better than this harrowing day. Yet every time I make that particular argument, a voice in my head responds:

“That may depend on which way you turn.”

#creepy #horror story #series #left right game series #author: NeonTempo

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