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thoughts-of-a-bibleophile · 3 years

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confessions under the moonlight

hey. so...it’s the last day of HCS week and i’m finally posting my first fic for day 1. life just really didn’t want me to participate this week aaaaaaaa

the good news is i have three fics basically done already that i just need to reread and look over, so those should be coming either tonight or tomorrow fingers crossed?

this is for full moon! it’s definitely still rough, so sorry in advance, but i want to post something before this week’s over, so i hope you enjoy!

one day i’ll put these fics on ao3.... as soon as i figure out how to use ao3....

summary: may invites steven over to her house for tsukimi (the japanese moon festival). baking and shenanigans ensue.

The sky was clear and blue, the air crisp and the wind sharp in a way unique to only autumn. Rustboro was one of those cities that changed colors with the seasons: Currently, the trees were either yellow or totally barren, leaves scattered along every sidewalk.

Under the eaves of the Kalossian restaurant in a tucked away corner of the city, two trainers sat outside for their weekly lunch. Neither of them knew when weekly lunches had become a regular occurrence, but neither of them were willing to put a stop to them either. So every Tuesday at noon, they met here, partially because Steven only had an hour lunch and couldn’t travel too far from Devon, and partially because May had become quite fond of the little bistro they always frequented.

As they were discussing their plans for the next week over coffee, the late autumn wind ruffling their hair and shifting the curls of steam wafting from their drinks, she mentioned it offhand.

“What are you going to be doing for tsukimi?”

Steven dropped the roll he was holding back on his plate, processing the question.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, are you and your dad going to be hosting some sort of party? Or are you going to be keeping it between the two of you?”

He blinked. “My father’s going to be out of town on a business trip, but... Why would we have a party? It’s just another Thursday, isn’t it?”

May furrowed her brow. “Wait. Have you never celebrated?”

“I mean, I suppose I went to a festival when I was younger-?”

“You never had the little dumplings? You never had to eat that weird grass?”

“Grass? Why are you eating grass-?”

“Oh Arceus, that explains so much,” she said, more to herself than him.

“What does that mean?” he said, a touch indignant.

She ignored him. “Come to my house on Thursday. You need to experience a tsukimi, Littleroot-style.”

“I don’t need to experience it, May,” he replied. “And I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you or your family on such late notice-“

“Are you kidding? My mom is always of the opinion ‘the more, the merrier.’ And she’s been asking me to bring you over to meet her anyway-“

“She wants to meet me?” Steven asked, bemused. Did he do something to offend her somehow?

“It’s not important,” May said quickly. “She just wants to meet, uh, the previous champion and all that, you know.”

He wanted to counter that he had been at her Champion coronation and easily could have met her then, but May switched back to the original conversation before he could say anything.

“Anyway, she has the best dango recipe, which you have to try! She’ll ruin you for all other celebrations.”

“Are you sure it won’t be an issue for your family?”

“No, not at all. Really.”

It wasn’t like he really had anything else to do that night besides paperwork for Devon and it was always nice to spend time with May, he reasoned.

“Alright, it’s a date.”

At 4 p.m. on Thursday, Steven stood outside May’s house with a bottle of sake in one hand, the other hesitantly raised up to knock.

The other day, it had been easy to say yes to today, but now that he was here, he felt nervous for whatever reason. Perhaps it was because he wanted to make a good impression? May had said that her mother wanted to talk to him, so maybe he had already squandered that first impression, so tonight he would have to make up for it, somehow. It would be easier to do that if he knew what he had messed up in the first place though.

He shook away his anxious thoughts, realizing he had been standing outside a few minutes longer than necessary, all because he was lost in his thoughts, as usual.

Steven took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever was to come, and knocked twice.

No answer.

He frowned, wondering if maybe he hadn’t knocked loud enough. He tried again, a little firmer this time.

Again, no answer.

He... was at the right house, wasn’t he?

One glance at the name plate said that he was at the Hawthorn residence, so he hadn’t messed that up. Did he somehow show up at the wrong time?

“Hello?” he called to the closed front door. Was he supposed to meet somewhere else-?

“Steven!”

His head turned at the sound of May’s voice. She was at the house across the street from where he stood, waving at him.

“I should’ve told you, but things got so crazy- We’re actually going to be celebrating here! Come on over!”

Suddenly Steven felt foolish for knocking on her door for Arceus knows how long. As he walked toward her, he prayed she hadn’t been watching him be an idiot for the last few minutes.

She wore a bandana as usual, keeping her bangs back from her face, as well as a cute red apron that he noticed had a little torchic embroidered on one of the pockets. It was both incredibly different from what she normally wore, but somehow so very May that he couldn’t help but smile.

She was nearly bouncing in place as he approached. Then her eyes noticed the bottle in his hand.

“You didn’t have to bring a gift, you dork,” she said, elbowing him in the side.

“I just thought it would make for a good first impression,” he said, shrugging.

May rolled her eyes. “You worry too much. She’ll love you.” She grabbed his arm and dragged him in. “Let’s go!”

Half-stumbling through the door, it took him a moment to take in the room before him.

To the left, the living room blended into the dining room, covered in moon-related decorations. There was an open archway at the back with voices coming from it that he could only assume was the kitchen. To the right, there was a set of stairs with a string of azumarill lanterns hung along the banister, a door that looked to lead outside at the very end of the hall.

A few people he recognized from Professor Birch’s lab were hanging up more lanterns along the wall as well as other decorations he wasn’t sure of the names of while the few kids that were there folded origami in the living room.

Some looked up at their arrival, casting them - or more likely, him - confused looks that quickly morphed into some form of recognition.

May ignored them all, though, and marched him straight into the kitchen, despite the gaggle of people standing in their way.

“Mom, Steven’s here!” she announced to the three people flitting about in the kitchen.

One woman, her brown hair matching May’s exactly, looked up from where she was stirring what looked to be noodles in a large pot.

“Oh, it’s about time!” She placed her cooking chopsticks to the side and rushed over to them. He was about to hold out a hand to shake before she embraced him in a hug tight enough to squeeze the life out of him.

“Mom, please don’t kill him,” May said from his side, sounding exasperated.

Mrs. Hawthorn released him and he let out a small gasp of relief. “I’m so sorry, Steven; I just get a little overexcited with my hugs, you see. I’m a bit like a mama Ursaring at times.” She laughed. “Oh and you’ve brought sake as well; you’re so sweet! I’ve really been so looking forward to meeting you after everything May’s told us about you-“

“You’ve talked about me?” Steven asked May, glancing at her.

“Only good things, don’t worry,” May said with a laugh.

“I’ve only heard the best things about you, Steven, honestly, you should hear some of the things she says about you-“

“Ooookay Mom,” May cut in quickly. “I’m sure you guys can talk about that later when I’m not here.”

May’s mother gave her daughter a look that Steven couldn’t interpret, then turned back to him, beaming. “We’ll just have to catch up later.” She took the bottle from him. “Please make yourself at home.”

He had a feeling that something had transpired that he wasn’t privy to, but he didn’t think now was the time to ask about it.

May pulled him away before he could say as much, saying, “Sorry about her. She can be...a lot.”

Steven thought about his own father, with his tendency to ramble and his over exuberant personality, and only nodded in understanding. “No, she was great, honestly. Where are we going now-?”

“Steven Stone?”

They both turned to the person addressing him. Professor Birch‘s son - Brendan, if Steven remembered correctly. He took in the two of them, eyes darting between them, to May’s hand on his arm, and then back to their faces.

“Didn’t realize you would be here.”

“May invited me,” Steven replied, not entirely sure why he felt like he was being analyzed.

“Did she?” Brendan asked, smiling in a way that could Steven could only describe as mischievous, his eyes meeting May’s in another look that Steven couldn’t figure out.

“Yes, Brendan, I did, and we’re going to go help my dad decorate now, aren’t we, Steven?”

Before Steven could say anything, May turned them away from the living room and toward the stairwell. He felt like he was missing something here, but he had a feeling if he asked no one would tell him what it was.

The Petalburg Gym Leader and May’s father, Norman, was talking to Professor Birch by the back door by the stairs, a handful of foldable chairs against the wall as well as a coil of lights.

“Hey Professor, hey Dad. I’ve brought you guys a helper,” May said.

They both looked up at the two, Professor Birch with a smile, Norman with ... a much less friendly expression. All of the nerves that had begun to ease after meeting May’s mother immediately swarmed back at the frosty reception. Did Steven mess up his first impression with her father somehow as well? What had he done? He couldn’t think of any animosity between them when he had been Champion, but surely something had happened.

“Steven Stone,” Norman Hawthorn said with a curt nod. “I hope your father is doing well.”

“Thank you. He’s actually in Johto right now on business.”

“Well, please tell him hello from me when you see him next.”

“Of course. I’m sure he would be pleased to hear from you.”

Professor Birch, on the other hand, was quite excited to see him and cut in before the conversation could get more awkward.

“Steven, it’s been so long! How’s your team doing? How’s that little Beldum you hatched?”

“It’s doing well, Professor. Thank you again for watching after him while I was away.”

“Oh, it was no trouble; he was a delight! I’m glad you’re here! We can use all the help we can get!”

“What ... exactly are we doing?”

“We’re setting up everything outside.” Professor Birch nodded at the stacks of chairs beside them. “That’s the best part of the celebration: It’s all about appreciating nature and what better way to do that than outside with food cooked from the garden we’ve cultivated here in Littleroot?”

“What can I do to help?”

“Help set up the lights in the back before it gets dark. Vigoroth will take care of the chairs,” Norman said, pulling out a Pokéball.

“I’ll head outside to grab the ladders,” May said, already halfway out the door.

“May, I need you in here!” her mother called from the kitchen. May groaned.

“Never mind, I guess,” she grumbled. As she passed him to move to the kitchen, she gave him a half-smile. “I’ll catch up with you later?”

“I’ll be here,” he said, smiling back.

“May!” her mother called again. May rolled her eyes at him before heading to the kitchen. Steven watched her go, only to feel a coil of lights shoved into his arms a moment later. He glanced back to see Norman giving him that frosty look again and Steven cleared his throat, feeling the nerves even more than before.

“Lights, right. Let’s get started then.”

Two long tables sat out in the backyard under rows of string lights as the sun set. The sky was ablaze in streaks of orange and peach, the sun turning the trees to gold and everyone outside into long shadows. Steven had thought he had gotten over being impressed by sunsets after his years of traveling, but he had to admit that Littleroot had some gorgeous ones.

As they had set things up, Professor Birch told him that it was primarily the Birches and Hawthorns tonight, as well as a few lab aids and their kids who hadn’t had family to go to for the holidays. Ever since the Hawthorns had moved to Littleroot, they had tried to make it a tradition to hold a big celebration like this, with Professor Birch’s wife taking the lead on dinner while May’s mother handled decorations. Though they had been doing this for so long that they didn’t need directions nearly as much as before, so she normally handled desserts with May.

Once the lights were hung, Professor Birch sent Steven over to help set the table. Brendan was already there, so Steven started at the opposite side.

“Did May’s dad scare you off yet?” Brendan asked after a bit of silence between them.

Steven looked up in confusion. “What?”

“I’m just kidding, dude, don’t worry.” Brendan raised an eyebrow. “I mean, you know how this looks, right?”

Steven’s brow furrowed.

“Oh dear Mew,” Brendan muttered with a sigh. “You’re the first person she’s brought home since she moved to Hoenn and, short of bringing you for Christmas, tonight’s a pretty big deal for her family?”

“She just told me I had to come to try the dango,” Steven said lamely.

Brendan groaned. “Steven, with all due respect, as much as I know you like rocks, I didn’t think you would be as dumb as one.”

“Excuse me?”

“It looks like you’re dating,” Brendan exclaimed, sounding exasperated. “You know, you and May? In a relationship?”

It suddenly felt way too warm for a late autumn night. May and him? Dating? That was ridiculous; she had said so herself that her mother had wanted to meet him and she wanted him to try some sweets. Sure, he admired her in a dozen and a half ways and thought she was incredibly strong, kind, passionate- And he was getting off track. None of those meant that he wanted to date her or that any feelings he may or may not have were reciprocated.

“Th-That’s not what this is,” Steven managed, trying to not sound as confused as he felt. “She just wanted me to actually go to a tsukimi celebration and introduce me to her mother-“

Brendan gave him a look that could only be read as “really?”

“As far as I’m aware,” Steven tried instead. “We are not dating.”

“It sure looks like it, dude,” Brendan said with a snort. “Her mom and dad think so, at least.”

They were done setting the table, but Steven’s mind was replaying several scenes over in his head from the last few months. They definitely could have been seen as dates and that... explained a lot in hindsight, he thought.

Before he could ask Brendan anything else, Mrs. Hawthorne and May came out with a handful of dishes. Behind them, Professor Birch carried a giant pot with what smelled like curry in it. Once they were placed onto the second table, Professor Birch called, “Dinner’s served!”

May caught his eye across the way and he felt himself smile and raised his hand in a wave. Behind him, Brendan groaned. “Hopeless, the both of you.”

Steven found himself sitting next to May, much to Mrs. Hawthorn’s insistence, and across from Brendan, who kept smirking at both of them.

May ignored him, instead talking to her mother on her right or Steven on her left. Dinner was delicious, but Steven was barely able to focus on that or on the conversations May tried to start, his mind circling back to his earlier talk with Brendan.

It certainly explained why his father always seemed to be asking about May and telling him to bring her for dinner sometime. It also explained why Wallace had asked what was going on with them At the time, Steven had said nothing because he hadn’t thought anything was going on. But clearly something was, whether either of them knew it or not.

“Steven?” He felt a hand on his arm and turned to see May looking concerned. “Is everything okay?”

Suddenly every touch and look from her felt so much more real and Steven recoiled on instinct, only to feel even worse when her brow furrowed at his movement.

“Everything is fine here,” he said, his voice sounding strangely cheery even to his own ears. “Is everything fine with you?”

“Uh, yeah, I’m good.” She frowned. “Did you end up drinking some of that sake? You’re acting kind of weird.”

“What do you mean? I’m acting perfectly normal right now.”

May just stared at him for a moment, searching his face as if she would find an answer to his strange behavior, but then shrugged. “Okay, but if you need to go home early, just let me know. We won’t be upset-“

“No, no!” he interrupted. He was making a much bigger deal of this than he needed to and probably worrying her when she already had so much to think about. What was wrong with him? “I’m fine, really, I’m sorry for worrying you.”

She looked at him for another moment, then nodded, smiling slightly. “Okay, I believe you. But seriously, I won’t be mad if you don’t feel well or need to leave early.”

“Okay,” he said. Brendan caught his eye and mouthed “smooth” and Steven wished the ground would just swallow him up instead of letting him continue to make a fool of himself.

Things had gotten easier after dinner: Professor Birch has engaged him in a long discussion on evolution and May’s mother had asked him to help start the fire in the pit they had moved their chairs around. Despite the string lights and the fire, the moon was bright overhead, shining like a silver coin with a scattering of stars around it.

An hour or so after dinner, May had caught up with him and pulled him back into the kitchen. He resisted the urge to pull against her. Because, really, he did want to spend more time with her, but he also didn’t know how to act around her now that he knew what it looked like. Did she know that they looked like a couple? Did she... like it? Did she want to be one?

His head was full of so many what-ifs and questions for her and himself that he didn’t do anything but smile politely as they walked into the kitchen with Mrs. Hawthorn.

“Wait, what are we doing now?” he asked, realizing he hadn’t actually learned why he was there in the first place.

“We’re making dango, of course.” At his confused look, she rolled her eyes. “What, you thought we just bought them pre-made at the store? My mom would kill me if we served store-bought dango.”

“Oh, don’t be dramatic, May,” Mrs. Hawthorn sighed. “They’re just so much better when you make them by hand, of course.”

“I’ve never made them before-“ Steven started, but Mrs. Hawthorn simply patted his arm.

“Don’t worry, it’s easy! May’s made them for years now, so she can show you the ropes.”

“It’s really not that hard,” May assured him. “If I can do it, you definitely can.”

“Well, I’ll check on you two in a bit,” Mrs. Hawthorn said with another one of those looks at May that he now had a feeling meant she wanted to give them some alone time.

He glanced at her, wondering if he should ask about everything now, but she was instead holding an apron out to him: blue with a little aron embroidered in the pocket, just like hers.

Steven laughed at the sight and May scowled. “What?”

“No, nothing,” he assured her, grinning. “This just reminds me of something my dad would’ve gotten me as a kid. I had so much aron stuff, but I don’t think he ever got me an apron.”

“Well now you can add an apron to your collection,” May said. After he put it on, she grinned. “I’m glad it fits.”

“Wait, did you get this for me specifically?”

“I- Well,” she started, looking away from him and fiddling with the straps of her apron. “We only have two aprons here and they’re already being used by me and my mom, and I knew you would need one, and then I saw that one the other day and I thought it would be cute on you, so... I got it.”

Steven felt his face warm, but just because the oven was likely on and not because he was thinking about her calling him cute-

“Um, thank you,” he tried, hoping he didn’t sound as awkward as he felt. “I appreciate the thought- about the apron, I mean. It’s great, really.” Nope, definitely sounded as awkward as he felt.

“Of course,” she said, still not looking at him. “So, um, let’s start, shall we?”

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak lest he make more of an idiot of himself than he already had tonight.

Theoretically, it wasn’t a difficult recipe: 3 and a half ounces of rice flour, 2/3 of a cup of water; combine the flour and water; mix until it becomes a dough, then form the dumplings.

He primarily fetched ingredients for her, watching her work and mentally taking notes on how it all worked. He wasn’t sure what he was going to use this knowledge for in the future, but he still took notes regardless.

“How long have you made these?” he asked as she stirred in the flour.

“Ever since I can remember, honestly,” she replied. “Even when I was little, I remember my mom sitting me on the counter and asking me to help make the dango into balls, all the while telling me the story of the azumarill on the moon.”

“The azumarill on the moon?” he asked as he watched the last part of the flour fold into the dough.

“You don’t know the story?” May asked. When he shook his head, she simply shrugged. “It’s just a kids story, but I always liked it.”

“Could you tell me it?”

“Do you really want to hear it?” she asked, skeptical.

“I do. Would you?”

There was a moment of silence and Steven wondered if she would decide against it. He then wondered if he had somehow overstepped some boundary that he wasn’t aware of, but after another minute, she began.

“The story goes that there was a hungry old man who asked a vulpix, an aipom and an azumarill for some food.”

She mixed the dough with ease, like she had been making this for ages, which, he supposed she had. The faintest smile was on her face as she spoke and he tried to imagine her as a little girl, wearing an apron just like this, eyes wide as she heard this story for the first time.

“The aipom used his tail to get berries, the vulpix caught him some fish, but the rabbit only had grass to offer,” she continued. “So the azumarill built a fire and then jumped in, offering himself as food for the old man.”

Steven frowned. “This is a kids story?”

“Hey, I swear it has a happy ending,” she insisted with a laugh. “The old man revealed himself to be the moon god and, grateful for what the azumarill had done, saved him from the fire and thanked him. Then the moon god brought the azumarill to live with him on the moon. Legend has it, he’s still up there, making mochi for himself and the moon god. And speaking of-“

May pulled the dough from the bowl and onto the counter with a thump. Steven jumped slightly, too caught up in the story to notice that the dough was finished.

“So I’ll roll this out and divide it into 16 pieces, then we’ll make them into little balls,” she explained.

It was quiet for a moment as she worked the dough, both of them lost in their thoughts. Steven’s had settled considerably - perhaps it had been the repetition of making dumplings that had helped his mind stop running in a million circles.

“It was just a dumb kids story,” she said. “Sorry if I bored you.”

“No, no, that wasn’t it,” he replied. “Sorry, I was just thinking. I liked it, really.”

“I just- I thought it was pretty amazing that the azumarill did so much for someone he didn’t know, y’know?”

Steven was quiet, but May continued. “And then to live on the moon and have mochi for the rest of my life? Sounded like a good deal to me.”

He laughed and after a second, she did, too, and it seemed to break the awkwardness that had been lingering since they began baking. He didn’t know why he had been so nervous before. Even if they looked like a couple and people thought they were, it was nothing a little explanation couldn’t fix. The important thing was that he and May were still friends and that she would still be there for him at the end of the day; that was all that mattered.

“I know I asked earlier, but are you okay, really?” May glanced over at him, worry still in her eyes.

He sighed and leaned against the counter as she divided the dough into sixteen pieces.

“I am. I’m sorry for acting so strange earlier. I was just stuck in my head. We’re okay.”

“Okay, good,” she said, smiling, and he felt himself warm at seeing it. He had felt that before, but he had always just brushed it off as admiration and friendship before. But now he was starting to rethink it all.

“Alright, we’ll each do eight,” May instructed. She picked one of the dough pieces up and began to roll it. “Just fold the piece into itself and roll it between your hands until it’s a smooth ball like this.” She showed him a near perfect sphere, then placed it on the baking tray.

It was simple, really, but some inner perfectionist made him want the spheres to be as perfect as possible, which made him significantly slower than her. When she had finished her batch and he was only halfway through his, she laughed.

“They don’t have to be perfect, Steven. They’re going to be eaten either way.”

“I know,” he said, despite still rolling the ball in his hand because it was a little bigger than the other three.

May grabbed his hands in hers to stop him. He glanced up from his hands to her. She smiled and he could see the amusement in her eyes.

“They’re already great, Steven, really.” She took the dough ball and exchanged it for another slice.

“How’s it going, kids?” Mrs. Hawthorn said, popping her head in the doorway.

“Almost done, Mom!” May said.

Mrs. Hawthorn walked toward them to look over their work.

“Great job, Steven! I would never have thought this was your first time doing this.”

“Well, May did all of the work,” he said.

“No, I couldn’t have done it without you,” she insisted.

“I just handed you ingredients-“

“Yes, but you’ve already made almost half of the dango yourself.”

“Well, however much work you did, you did very well, dear,” Mrs. Hawthorn said with a warm smile. “I’ll let the others know that you’re almost done.”

They thanked her and went back to finishing the last two slices.

Once they finished, May dropped them into boiling water and cleaned up their space as the dumplings cooked.

“Okay, so it wasn’t just me being in my head,” he admitted as they put away the rice flour. “I talked to Brendan earlier and-“

“Oh Mew, what did Brendan say?” she asked with a laugh.

“He- Honestly, it’s nothing. Don’t worry.”

May turned her full attention to him, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What did he say?”

Steven brushed a hand through his hair, wondering why he even brought this up in the first place when they had just dissolved the tension they had had. How did he even explain this without making things awkward again?

“He, er, said that it looks like you brought me home as... your date.”

The bubbling of the water was the only sound between them for far too long. May’s face was red now and she very pointedly looked away from him. Steven’s own face was warm and he knew better than to think it was the steam from the dumplings.

“I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable because I’m here or feel that you’re forced into doing anything or acting in a certain way. I genuinely thought I was just coming over to make these,” Steven gestured to the pot. “I just- don’t want things to get weird between us, if that’s not what you intended.” His voice quieted at the tail end of the sentence, wondering if she had heard him and, if so, if she would explain to him what she did intend.

She still wouldn’t look at him, though, instead stirring the dough balls and fishing out the ones that were apparently done cooking.

“I just want to know what’s happening right now, May,” he said. “Regardless of what happens tonight, nothing will change. At least not for me.”

She let out a long exhale, then glanced over at him.

“I- I really did want you to just experience a Littleroot tsukimi and enjoy yourself,” she started. “I... know what a lot of people have said about us and how this looks, but I know we’re not ... that.“

The question was at the tip of his tongue, but he held it back, waiting as she spoke again.

“I know we’re not and I’m sorry if tonight made you feel uncomfortable or if Brendan or my dad said something that freaked you out. They’re honestly the worst and I can’t believe they would interrogate you tonight-“

Steven touched her shoulder and, like he had earlier, she shied away. His hand held empty air and he was surprised at how much such a small reaction hurt.

“It wasn’t them, May. Sure, Brendan explained things, but he just told me what I probably should’ve known about a while ago. Your dad didn’t say anything. It’s just me. I just want to know ... how you feel. About us.”

He felt foolish for not being able to say it. They were adults for crying out loud; why was it so difficult to ask if she wanted something more, if she did actually want to date him?

You know why, a voice whispered in his mind, all of his flaws and insecurities coming to the forefront of his mind. Flighty even in the best of times, inexperienced in far too many things, travels too much for any steady relationship, hyper focuses on far too many weird hobbies-

May didn’t get to answer, though, because Mrs. Hawthorn popped back into the kitchen just then, her eyes lighting up when she saw the finished dango.

“Right on time! I’ll just take these outside.” She grabbed the baking tray and began walking out. She looked over her shoulder, nodding at them. “And that means you kids too!”

Steven followed her outside, May behind him. He felt less like he was walking somewhere and more that his body was moving for him. There was still so much unsaid between them; would they ever actually have a chance to talk it?

He felt a hand on his wrist pull him back. He looked back at her, but she was very much not looking at him.

“Mom, we’ll be there in a sec,” May said, sounding a lot more normal than he felt right now.

Mrs. Hawthorn smiled mischievously at them. “Don’t take too long, you two!”

Steven shifted from foot to foot once they were alone, just imagining the things she could be thinking about.

It was quiet for far too long between them and he hated it. He wanted to do something, anything, to break it, to go back to the joking and laughing from before. He never should have said anything to begin with; maybe then things wouldn’t be as bad as they are now-

“This is not at all how I thought this was going to go,” May said, startling him from his thoughts. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to go through with this, but I guess now is as good a time as any other.” She took a deep breath, then another. Steven couldn’t breathe.

“I like you. A lot. Like, more than I ever thought I would like someone.” Everything around him froze at her words. Time slowed, yet his heart rate and breathing sped up even further, feeling like an azumarill tapping its foot against his chest.

She was looking at everything but him, her arms crossed tightly in front of her and her face still so red it almost matched her bandana. It was ridiculously cute.

“If you don’t feel the same way, I completely understand and I won’t bring this up ever again, but... I just needed you to know, especially after everything that happened tonight.”

“May-“ He stepped toward her.

“No, no, I also want to say that if you don’t want to be friends or talk anymore after this, I understand that, too, I just-“

“May,” he said again.

“What?!” she exclaimed, finally looking at him. She looked upset, more upset than he’d ever seen her, and he felt horrible for being the reason for it.

A hundred things popped up in his mind to say, things he had heard were romantic or gallant, but all he could muster was a quiet, “I like you, too.”

“As a friend, though, right?”

“No! I mean, yes, of course as a friend, but also as more than that, as more than a friend,” he stammered out. He wanted to hug her and do something to make her feel better, but his hands just fluttered uselessly above her shoulders.

“I- I’ve always admired you; I’ve been in awe of your strength and skill in everything you do since I first met you,” he tried to explain. “I always thought that was all that it was: admiration. But, something changed. I don’t know if it was tonight or if it was on one of our lunch dates that I never realized until now were dates or if it was when you stepped out of the Cave of Origin like a living legend and I realized I was so grateful I hadn’t lost you.” He was rambling, oh Mew, he was rambling; how did people do this?

“I care about you, May,” he said, feeling like something in him had lightened by telling her despite the anxiety he felt for even saying the words. “And whether that’s as a partner or just as a mentor or as a friend, I want to be there for you.”

She still looked at him in almost... disbelief. “You, Steven Stone, like me?”

He smiled, hoping it would quell the doubt in her eyes. “I, Steven Stone, like you, May Hawthorn.”

“Okay,” she said with a breathy exhale that could have almost been a laugh. “Okay.”

Before he could think about what to do next, she flung herself into his arms with a real laugh this time, the one he heard almost daily over the phone and over food, the one that made him want to be the one to make her laugh like that again and again.

They just stood there for a moment and it felt like the puzzle pieces that had broken apart between them earlier that night were fitting themselves back together again.

May pulled back slightly, looking slightly sheepish, though her eyes shone brightly in the moonlight.

“So I know we definitely did this out of order, but do you want to go on a date with me?”

Steven laughed. “After all the apparent dates we’ve been on already?”

May rolled her eyes. “The other ones didn’t count because we didn’t even know they were dates.”

“We definitely did this out of order,” he said.

“Well, now we can do everything in order and do all the cheesy first date things, right?” She bit her lip as she looked up at him, as if she was trying to keep from smiling too wide.

“Right,” he agreed, his mind already thinking of all the things he wanted to do together, all the things he wanted to give her. “Does tonight count?”

She looked above them and the moonlight sparkled in her eyes. He couldn’t look away.

“Dinner under a full moon - not bad,” she said. “But I think we can do better.”

“Tomorrow then. At that sushi place in Rustboro, then a late night flight?”

She smiled and Steven swore it was brighter than the moon itself. “It’s a date.”

dango: rice dumplings similar to mochi that are made during tsukimi to represent the moon!

thank you for reading this - i’m sorry again for not having posted anything this week, but i really hope you enjoyed! again, i’m going to try to figure out ao3 tomorrow - work has just been A Mess and i haven’t had a chance to until now.

i also want to thank the discord for helping me work through my writer’s block and just being really lovely <3 y’all are the best!!!

#hcsweek2021 #hoennchampionshipping #daiharu #day 1 - full moon #my writing #i really wrote 6k words when i could have just written....so much less

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insulationsun · 3 years

Note

hello i hope ur having a lovely day and a lovely week and month and year! yeah :) ur a rlly nice and kind person and i hope u know that

oh...; _; thank yooou so much kind anon....

ive been very busy recently and havent been able to draw lately or be too active >_< i appreciate it so o much..i have to get to a few asks that have been sent to me as well!!! i am sorry for being super late on them everyone i promise i’ll get to em... soo busy!! tired....

but AHHH... WJVJWJ you are so sweet!!!!!!! thank yoou soo much !! <33 hug... wjvnsd. NO U HAVE A LOVELY WEEK MONTH YEAR...!! DJNVJs

asnvkdsvsd (dying) than kyo uoso mu..... kmdkv ur ncie and kind...starts CRYING !!! AAAAAAAA means sooo much!!!! thank you for the well wishes!

#asks #( cry ) (cry )#you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111dsjvnsdmk #SOB THA NK

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pillow-anime-talk · 3 years

Note

AAAAAAAA HELLO T__T

SCHOOL IS STILL SCHOOL BUT READING UR WORKS SOMEHOW RELIEVES OFF MY STRESS

HOW ARE YOU? HAVE YOU EATEN AND DRANK? ALSO, GET ENOUGH REST AND SLEEP OKAY? ITnS VERY IMPORTANT !!!

YOURE IMPORTANT!!!!!

ILYSM ALWAYS TAKE CARE <3

- 🎤

aaaaa, sorry for the late reply :((

i am very happy that my works makes you feel better, it’s an honor!! fortunately, i have already finished school so i don’t have to worry about it (thanks to goddd; i hate the time spent in school, it was soooo boring and tiring)

i’m good, thank you for asking! but please think about your health too, okay?

and you’re important too, my hypmic anon :((( omg, i love you!!

#— 💌#julcia talks

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tiegyen · 4 years

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Hello ^-^ I want to see how you are today ? And by the way, do you have an OC ?

Aaaaaaaa !! I am so sorry pyjajasan !! I am late !! I have done my entrance exam and i am very well pyjajasan ! Thank you very much about your concern ! ! (I'm happy 🥰🥰🥰❤❤❤❤) About Oc, maybe i don't have idea of that. 🤗🤗 Again, thank you very much about your concern and always ask me 💕💕💕💕💖💖💖💖💖❤❤❤❤❤🧡🧡🧡💛💛💛💚💚💚💚 !!!

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twilightofthe · 4 years

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I just left a long ass review on the AO3 page, but I wanted to reiterate it here - I absolutely ADORED your Force Ghost fic! Reading it during my morning commute has made the past few days an absolute joy, so thank you for that! I can't wait to see what comes next! (Also, jsyk, I consider you the third leg of the Semi-Cracky PT/SW fandom trio, the other two legs being, of course, forcearama and gffa. So ty for your service to this noble cause, lol!)

Hello!!! I just wrote a longer-ass reply on AO3, I’m so incredibly sorry for being late. But yeah, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! For being so sweet and I’m so happy it made your day happier!!!!! I really hope you like what comes next when I finally start writing it!!!!!!!!!!!

Also aaaAAAAA it is incredibly flattering you consider me up there with two of the literal coolest people in the fandom, but hey, I will absolutely take it, thank you very much for enjoying me being an absolute disaster who vomits out every weird Star Was thought she’s ever had onto everyone else even if no one wants to hear it!!!!!

#people are so fuckin’ NICE sometimes asdfghhjksldnskamd #ask #asks #ageofgeek #not quite star wars

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ladycibia · 4 years

Note

Honest option ask: I remember your Beauty and the Beast art and they feed all those "what if" fanfic ideas that kept popping into my head. And later, I saw your HPHM art, feel in love all over again and stayed around for your blog because you're sweet, fun person who comes up with some hilarious or adorable ideas for your characters or just anything in general. Keep on being you because you are fantastic and so is this blog! 🤗😘😊😃

Hello there, first of all, sorry for the late reply aaaa second point: THANK YOU ;AAAAA; awww batb!! I know it’s been *only* two years but still, I always get so nostalgic! Thank you *so much* for sticking with me ♡♡♡ it really means a lot to me! And aaaaaaaa, once again, thank you!! You’re so kind ;; I hope not to disappoint you in the future! And I’m wishing you the very same, my dear!!!! ( ´﹀` )

#honest hour is over but I HAD to reply to this!!#thank you SO MUCH!!#you're always so sweet #thank you #<333 #I hope you're having a GREAT day!!#ask box

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artycreaty · 5 years

Text

Emogust 15.08 - Twisted Fairytale

Oh, Hello there! So very sorry this is late. I know I said it everytime but still, this thing took me forever to write! I couldn’t think of where in Fairytale to write about, but then after a day or two of thinking, it came to me - Conan being a child forever did that. But then it took me forever to think about what happens to him and with who and where and every single thing. I’m so tired, and I’m so behind on everyone aaaaaaa. Anyways! Words: 3046. I really hope you like this one, its harder than i thought to get into the head of a certain character aaaaaaaa. I hope I did these two characters their justice! @mintchocolateleaves @sup-poki Please Enjoy!

It was just a rumour…

In hindsight, he should have known it was all a lie. Well, he kind of knew, but it was a different kind of knowing and he wouldn’t have believed it but now he knew and he felt betrayed. That person was way more mature than anyone he knew. That person was acting all the time, but even an actor can slip up sometimes, and he had caught it. That’s why when he just happened to look out the window, his very belief in science and facts just became a whole different dimension; the impossible became possible. But he should have known.

Mitsuhiko should have known that Edogawa Conan was not who he claimed to be.

~Q~

Mitsuhiko was just preparing to get to sleep tonight, after having taken a bath and changed into his pyjamas, and also putting his necessary textbooks and tools into his rucksack for school tomorrow for another week. He had a great time with his friends and Agasa-hakase at a camp for one night this weekend, and he just came back home this afternoon. It was in the mountains about two hours west of Tokyo, and they also played at a river nearby. It was cold, but also refreshing as it was hot during the day. Thankfully Lady Luck was on their side as there was no murder or criminals or the like (he didn’t want a repeat of that one time in the cave where Conan was shot), so they were just enjoying their time without interruptions for once. After having gotten home from the adventure Mitsuhiko talked about it with his family, and so he was tired and wanted to sleep a bit earlier than usual, so he proceeded to do that.

A few hours later though, something woke him up. He sat up and looked around, but there was no presence in his room, nor any sound nor light (other than street lamps, he got used to it ages ago), so he didn’t know what woke him, or why. He turned to look at the clock on the shelf of his bed - it was 1:17 in the morning (or night, depending on how one looks at it). It was too early to wake up, and he was really tired so his head hit the pillow again. But something stopped him from falling into sleep. He didn’t know what it was but he was a bit suspicious so he just turned his head to look outside his window to stare at the full moon that just came out tonight for a few seconds. He knew that Ayumi-chan loved to watch the full moon so he liked to think that if he were to look at it as well his heart would connect with hers for just a moment.

Just before he turned away though, he saw in the corner of his eye a brief flash of shadow running just under the moon. He thought it was just his imagination before he got off his bed and went directly to his window, opened it, and looked closer. No, it was not his imagination; there is indeed a figure just under the moonlight. At first he thought it was just a bird, but no… it looked too large to be one, and the shape is not just right. It looked more like a human figure.

Suddenly that figure seemed to jump higher and higher and higher, directly in view of the moonlight and he gasped. That jump was way too inhuman, there were no high buildings near his house, and no human could ever have jumped that high without some kind of tools. That figure didn’t seem to be carrying any kind of equipment like parachutes or anything, just the clothes on their backs.

Mitsuhiko took a moment to rub his eyes and looked at the figure again, also pinching his cheek and leg for good measure. Nope, not dreaming. It also felt too real to be one. He gasped, that figure was flying! Not just floating or standing on something solid like Kaitou Kid, but literally flying!

He wanted to tell his friends about this, but first he had to make sure that that figure was real, not an illusion, otherwise they would laugh at him. He had to have some kind of evidence to prove that what he saw was real. Besides, he didn’t want to wake them up so rudely.

He quickly changed out of his pyjamas and into clothes more suitable for running (because that figure seemed to be flying in a certain direction), went silently downstairs to the back door, unlocked it and went outside. He then went around the backyard to the gate leading into the street, and ran.

While trying to keep the figure in his sight as he ran, he spared a thought about how that figure was flying. He thought he had heard something about this from someone at school. They had said something about having seen a UFO or something flying about every full moon, and the rumour had spread around quickly. He wanted to investigate about this, with Ayumi-chan and Genta-kun agreeing, but Conan shot it down in a second. He said in a flat tone that there was no such things as UFOs or aliens or fantasies. Haibara said nothing, but didn’t dispute it either. They were crestfallen but soon forgot about it. That was a month or so ago.

Well, I’m actually seeing this playing out, Mitsuhiko thought. He couldn’t believe the rumour was in fact true, but he was also thrilled about it, if he was honest with himself. Tomorrow he was going to prove to Conan that magic does exist, and he was also going to show him the proof, and see Conan kneeling low and apologising and proclaim Mitsuhiko as the right one! He could almost jump in joy.

… But he also knew, while changing his direction to a more direct street so as to not end up in a dead end one, that Conan would never in a million years kneel low for someone else. That was how he was, mature like with Haibara but more suppressed. He wondered about that sometimes.

Ah, that figure seemed to be stopping at a certain area. If he remembered correctly, that area would be a large park surrounded by lots of trees. He ran faster, ignoring the throbbing in his sides.

He finally stopped just on the edge of the park, kneeling over, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He didn’t want to attract the figure to his presence, so he had to be quiet.

Once his breath was in control, he speed walked to where he thought the figure would land. Of course, he would hide behind each trees as he went forward so as to not startle the figure.

When the figure came into sight though, he froze, gasping in shock and astonishment. That figure was actually flying, but what actually caught his attention was the fact that the moonlight seemed to be shining directly onto that figure, and he could see some sort of golden dust scattered about this person, as if dancing about in joy. They would follow this person’s every move, as if they couldn’t get enough of touching him as he floated above the grass, spreading his arms out. And yes, the person was a male, Mitsuhiko could tell now, with the help from the moonlight. He looked to be in his early or late twenties, wearing green sleeveless hoodie and dark green pants but didn’t seem to be wearing shoes of any kind. He also wore dark green tyrolean on his head with a red feather sticking into the side.

That man has had his back to Mitsuhiko so when he turned around with the golden dust still following his movements, Mitsuhiko’s eyes widened. His assumptions about the man’s age seemed almost accurate; under the moonlight he could see sky-blue eyes almost hidden by black frames, the corner of his lips curled up in a relieved smile, his face almost relaxing, like he was having fun. But the most shocking thing about that appearance was that Mitsuhiko actually knew that face. Even though they’ve never met more than two or three times, he was famous enough to have been featured in newspapers and so he knew that face. It belonged to the one of Kudo Shinichi!

But that couldn’t be it, it must be an illusion. He can’t be seeing that person in the presence of magic! That detective was known for facts and mysteries, not magic! Mitsuhiko rubbed his eyes again and took a second look. That face still didn’t change. He didn’t understand, but he wanted to know. But before he could reveal himself though, the other person spoke to himself in what he thought as a resigned tone.

“Well, it’s been fun tonight. But it’s time for me to close the curtain to magical stage for now, much as I hate it…”

Before Mitsuhiko could question that statement though, Shinichi started to wave his arms at the golden dust and then gathered it into kind of a ball in front of him. Once every speck of dust were gathered, his hands curled and the dust started to get smaller and smaller. No, it looked like the dust were getting absorbed into his stomach, his core rivaling a sponge. Shinichi then wrapped his arms around himself while curling into a ball. A low groan sounded through the quiet air as his body started to glow golden lights. The groan then turned into pained grunts and Mitsuhiko was worried about him, he sounded like he was holding back what must have been screams of pain, letting out cries every few seconds.

Mitsuhiko wanted to help Shinichi even through the impossibilities so he came out of his hiding and ran directly to him. When he came within a few feet in front of him though, he stopped. He actually didn’t know how to help, but he had to grab his attention.

“Shinichi-san?’

He suddenly threw his head up and stared at Mitsuhiko with eyes widened in shock, and he had to keep from stepping backwards because that expression was one of agony, like Shinichi’s been suffering in pain all his life and no one had the power to take that away.

“... M-Mitsuhiko?” he whispered, like he couldn’t believe his eyes. Mitsuhiko noted the familiarity laced in his name that was slipped from his mouth. He frowned, but said nothing as he stored that note into the back of his mind. He stepped forward, but Shinichi flinched in what he thought was horror. He didn’t understand why.

“Are you okay, Shinichi-san?” Mitsuhiko still took a step forward, becoming worried when Shinichi took a further step away from him.

“W-why are you h-here? Y-you shouldn’t be here, it’s the m-middle of the night…”

Mitsuhiko could see him trying to hold back a scream, resulting in stuttering. He really was getting more worried for him.

“I saw someone flying outside my window, and followed them here. Then I saw you floating with the golden dust, and you’re glowing…” he trailed off. Shinichi had changed from his position to turning his back on Mitsuhiko and slowly kneeled on the ground a few more steps away. He let out a small scream. Before Mitsuhiko could get close —

“Stay away from me!”

He recoiled back in shock at his strangled tone. “B-but, Shini—”

“Leave! J-just stay away from me! N-n-now—!”

He seemed to choke on his breath before letting out the loudest and agonised scream Mitsuhiko had ever heard in his life. His heart broke a little at the raw emotions of sorrow and suffering and sadness laced in his voice, even though he’d never known or conversed with the detective properly.

Then the most astonishing sight he’d ever seen in his life happened right in front of his eyes. The golden glow, if possible, seemed to glow even brighter. But that didn’t hide the figure in the center. Mitsuhiko’s remaining hold on the knowledge of science and facts promptly shattered into pieces as he stared bewildered at the crouched form getting smaller and smaller and smaller what on Earth is happening?!

While he stared at the sight, he didn’t notice how Shinichi had moved to lying on his side on the grass, so when the golden light had faded into himself, as if nothing happened, Mitsuhiko stared fixedly on the now smaller form of Shinichi. What was different was that Shinichi did not remain in his adult form in a smaller size, but it looked like he had been reduced into a younger version of himself. At least, that’s what he looked to Mitsuhiko still standing a few feet away. The screaming had also stopped, diminished to that of a heavy breathing, as if he’d been running all day, though the breathing seemed to be slowly getting back to normal levels.

Mitsuhiko waited for the other detective to regain his breathing and then begin to sit up, his back still to the freckled boy, though it seemed to still be tense - probably from sensing Mitsuhiko’s presence a few feet behind. He dimly noted that Shinichi’s clothes seemed to have followed its owner’s footsteps, having been shrunk together with him so Mitsuhiko didn’t have to worry about finding clothes suitable for the now younger detective. But that did not matter at this point. Somehow, that young detective seemed so much familiar to the freckled boy; he wanted to run to the other and see his face, but that seemed too impolite so he waited, ignoring the shivers running down his body at the now cool air gently billowing around their surroundings.

After what felt like hours but really a few minutes, a soft voice sounded through the chilly air. Mitsuhiko was stunned to shock not at the words that flowed out of the other person’s lips, but at the certain way a sound resounded through his voice. He recognised that voice, but that person couldn’t be here. Mitsuhiko looked around himself, yet found only himself and the detective in this quiet area. And the voice seemed to have originated from just what was in front of him. Mitsuhiko stared at him in shock, because he couldn’t believe it.

“Mitsuhiko… you shouldn’t have followed me here, tonight of all nights…”

He didn’t reply, still not moving from his spot just behind that person. It must have been an illusion, or he must still be dreaming. But he had already made sure that he wasn’t dreaming. He actually heard two different voices coming from the same direction. It’s just not possible…

As if to hear his thoughts, that person turned his head over his shoulder and connected his eyes (those sky-blue orbs with wisdom hidden behind the pretense and childishness he was so familiar with) with his own inky orbs. That simple act of turning his head shattered his disbelief at the impossibility of every single impossible thing in this world. Then, so slowly as if to approach an enemy, that person stood up from his spot on the grass and turned his whole body to fixate onto the freckled boy, to then slowly putting each of his feet forwards. Mitsuhiko stayed frozen to his spot, his brain attempting to turn its gear around, slowly but surely sending bloodstreams through his veins. In short, they were sorting through all and any memories he could remember, bringing every single memory of that person to the foremost of his mind, taking everything into detail and thus adding one and one to make twos. Suddenly, everything turned into place, he could see everything now. And he could see the proof of that conclusion, right in front of him. That person had stopped just within an arm’s reach of himself, eyes still connected with his, peering into his soul. He didn’t say anything, and Mitsuhiko could see that he was waiting. But for what…?

Mitsuhiko opened his mouth but stopped; he couldn’t get his voice out. I’m afraid, he realized. Of what, he wasn’t sure. Still, he tried.

“C-Conan-kun…?”

He hated how his voice sounded like, there were raw emotions within that one sound. But the other boy didn’t react, simply replied in a steady tone, as if he confirmed Mitsuhiko’s recently realized conclusions about him.

“Mitsuhiko.”

He said nothing more than his name, but the freckled boy didn’t understand why Conan was waiting, or what for. After a tense moment, he drew to the conclusion that perhaps Conan was waiting for him to voice his deductions about the other boy, or perhaps something else…

“Conan-kun, are you actually… Kudo Shinichi-san?”

It was more of a statement than a question, hence he didn’t reply, sky-blue orbs still staring at inky ones. But that silence was more than enough. But that’s… Does that mean that everything about Conan-kun was a lie…? Mitsuhiko felt betrayed, in more ways than one.

“No.”

That one word snapped the actual boy out of his trance-like stance. Inky orbs stared bewildered at blue ones. The smaller-teenage one continued.

“While I did lie about who I am, I didn’t deceive you guys about everything else. Everything we shared up to this point… was not a lie.”

A single tear slipped Mitsuhiko’s control and rained down his cheek, drip drip drip to then spill into the grass.

Mitsuhiko didn’t know why, but he didn’t expect to feel so relieved at that statement, the indisputable way he said it. He wanted to hear that more than anything else. He knew now that Conan must have had a reason for everything but he realised that he didn’t care about that. He only wanted to know that Ayumi, Genta and he were not some kind of pawns to be used and then discarded. He was so glad it made more tears slip down his cheeks, but he gave the startled teenager a tearful smile.

“Thank you… for remaining yourself, even in your condition.”

Conan was frozen in shock for a moment, and then gave a relieved smile in return.

“Thank you as well, for giving me a childhood I never experienced.”

Hope you enjoyed the read! I tried to write in a past tense rather than present, and I also tried to get into Mitsuhiko’s head. It was actually difficult to predict his reactions to finding out Conan’s true identity, but I still tried. I hope this all makes sense, and please do tell me what you think! ^_^

Oh! Also, if this didn’t make sense, or if you haven’t figured it out already, Shinichi’s flying and dust and clothes thingy is based on Peter Pan! XD

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trans-rights-gastly · 4 years

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Same anon as before, holy shit those headcanons did NOT fucking disappoint, I love the whole termination thing aaaaaaaa

!! Well if you like it, there is actually an accompanying story I’ve been working on. I will post a snippet of it here and if you wish, I can post the full thing per chapter!

I apologize if this is a tad confusing.. It’s a snippet after all. Every chapter has a different main character, though some are two or three parters. This is a horror story so usual warnings for those kind of stories appy!

Thank you for taking time of your day to do this, anon. I wasn’t around when the original hype of the game was at it’s peak, I only got it recently!

Story start

Eli played with the mint in his mouth. The branch chief had a strict ‘no food’ rule in place but he made an exception for things like small candies. Never gum though, he considered it not to be a snack but a toy with flavour.

The entire office was silent except for the silent humming of the computers and the occasional clicking of the branch chief’s pen. [Click Click] A habit, he had noticed. Eli looked at the branch chief from the corner of his eye, a thing he caught himself doing a lot lately. Not because he was, as his co-workers would playfully tease him with, crushing on the guy but because Eli was bored. Occasionally he would imagine what kind of person would.. or should he say could, fall in love with someone like his boss.

The guy wasn’t handsome by any means and Eli wondered if he ever was. Even in old pictures he would occasionally see on a senior-employee’s desk or an old employee group photo the branch chief had looked almost the same; naturally skinny with a sickly skin and hair color.

If Eli had to call one thing of his boss handsome or beautiful it would’ve been his eyes. There was something about the icy blue of it that just stood out, especially against the backdrop of the rest of his boss. He wondered why he would hide them behind those coloured glasses. According to rumors, Eli himself wasn’t around to see it for himself, the branch chief always had worn glasses in weird colours, pink, yellow and now of course, green.

The odd shape of it made him look bug-eyed and even odder than usual. He was so lost in thought that he forgot he was staring but it wasn’t like the branch chief noticed. If he was working, he was working and not a single thing on this earth or outside of it would distract him from it, he’d only stop to click his pen and that was it. [Click Click]

Sometimes Eli entertained the thought of replacing himself with a bag of flower wearing a hat and a wig and just taking a paid day off, the guy probably wouldn’t notice the difference anyway. However he never did. He was so close to earning that promotion and he really could use the money. Aether was far from the worst job as it was safe, clean and it paid well. Which was good news considering that he was the sole breadwinner in his household. So if the boss needed a sucking up to, he was there. Not because he like the guy, no far from it, the guy was an asshat, but because flattery gets you everywhere.

He would offer to get lunches, to come in earlier and already boot up all the PC’s, to be close to him so that if he ever needed anything- he’d be there in less than a minute. It was soul crushing, but Eli know he was close to get his reward. Lately whenever, he did something well, he would notice a faint smile on his boss’ lips, a genuine smile, not the creepy one he would sport for events and tours.

“Eli.”

The sudden voice halted his train of thought right away. “Huh- I mean, yes branch chief?” Eli had made a habit of calling his boss by his full title, a thing that earned him lots and lots of points and would always pay off.

“Do you ever think about leaving this place?” The fact that he didn’t get an ear meant that his first response was deemed good enough.

“No, sir. I love it here.” Another rehearsed response. Sure, you were free to leave and go do something else but that’s not what his peers wanted to hear now, was it?

“Good, very good. Because see, there has recently been a job opening- It’s still within the wonderful foundation but it’s higher up and of course that means.. higher pay.”

For a split second Eli wondered if his boss rehearsed this as well but he shook it off, he worked for this and he had earned it. He never made fun of the guy and even protected him. He needed this promotion and he deserved it! “And you are telling me this because…” He dared not finish the sentence himself, afraid that he may mess up.

“Because I consider you a worthy candidate.” [Click Click] Eli felt his inside become warm and bubbly but he contained himself. An employee must always be prim and proper, that was the rule. “I- Thank you, sir. I do not know what to say.”“If you say yes, you can start tomorrow.” [Click Click]

The next day Eli arrived even earlier than he usually did. He shifted his weight from his one leg to the other and was looking forward to wearing a different uniform from now on. This one was tight and a little too revealing to his tastes.

A cold finger suddenly poked his neck which made Eli jump a little. He turned around ready to confront his attacker when he saw it was his boss. He wondered how it was possible for the guy to have fingers THAT cold while wearing gloves.

“Branch Chief..! You scared me.” Eli had not hear him walk in at all, one would think that wearing golden plated heals would make you less stealthy but the branch chief proved otherwise.

“Apologies!” He threw his hands up in the hair like he genuinely meant it. Eli had worked for him for almost 6 years and never heard him apologise, not just to him but to everyone the branch chief talked to. It was always THEIR fault. “Also please, call me Faba.” He said with a grin that would make a cheap cartoon villain jealous.

“Come now, can’t be late to your first day, now can you!” There was a weird hint of excitement in Faba’s voice. Deep down there was a voice within Eli telling him to run, just run and never look back but he ignored it.

[Click Click].

And then it was gone, the entire feeling of anxiety and nerves, just gone. Was it really so weird for Eli to think that his boss was genuinely happy for him? Of course he was happy, he was his protege! With a spring in his step he followed the branch chief to the elevator and watched him punch in a code he never saw before.

“You’ll be working a little deeper down than usual. It gets a bit clammy because it’s below sea level but otherwise you won’t even notice the difference!”

The elevator went down for what felt like almost 20 minutes when it came to a stop. Eli never knew that this was under the surface.. He couldn’t wait to tell the others about it.

He couldn’t believe what he saw, to the left and right of him were huge thick doors that seemed impossible to open. He thought about the fire safety drill they had to do once a month and how this was absolutely not fire safe. He kept looking around till he slammed into Faba who had come to a sudden stop and got a facefull of hair.

Faba was almost a head shorter than him and landed face first in the little tuft of hair on the top of his head. “I.. I’m sorry..” Eli braced himself to be scolded, to be told to turn around and hand in his letter of resignation but to his surprise the branch chief just smiled.

“I should have told you I was stopping. My bad.” Eli now noticed that Faba had taken his glasses off, icy blue eyes looked at him like he was wounded prey and [Click Click]. Actually scratch that. It looked fine. Pretty even.

“So this is where you’ll be outfitted, you have to look the part. Presentation is everything.”

Eli nodded. He was not going to mess up again. If the branch chief told him to jump he would ask how high.

“I’ll leave you to it! Privacy is also important.” And with that Faba turned on his heels and left the room, the thick and heavy doors slamming shut behind him.

Eli looked around and found a locker with his name written on it in neat handwriting. Like Faba had said there was an outfit waiting for him. A lab coat that looked like a simple version of the one faba was wearing, some new looser pants and new shoes and gloves with a golden rim.

He changed faster than he ever did and looked at himself from all angles and decided that he looked good.

Eli smiled and felt amazing, this paid off. Finally he could do more in life that just work. Now he could spoil the people at home, maybe take them to vacation. Kalos is nice this time of year and-

He swallowed hard, did he hear a voice? It wasn’t the branch chief voice, that was sure. He held his breath when he heard it again, a faint voice yelling for help. It was so far away but it was human and in panic.

“Hello..?” The word barely escaped his lips and he only now realised how dry his mouth was. Eli scanned the room and saw an air vent, a few inches above the floor. He got to his knees and put his ear next to it.

His stomach turned. He heard something that he could only describe as soup falling to the floor, it sounded wet but with stuff like noodles in it, the screaming slowly faded away.

Eli brought his knees up to his chin and wiped away the tears that had formed in the corner of his eyes. Maybe… Maybe he heard wrong. Maybe it was something else. The foundation.. it helped people and Pokemon alike. Maybe someone was watching a movie, but it sounded so real.. He should tell the branch chief or his new co-workers.. Wait- did he ever see someone wearing the outfit he was wearing right now?

“Already tired?”

Eli jumped up, equally happy to see a familiar face but terrified from what he just heard.

[Click Click]

His heartbeat slowed to a normal pace again and he exhaled. “I’m.. I’m so sorry, branch- I mean Faba. I just thought I heard something and it scared me.”

Faba looked at him, icy blues piercing directly into Eli’s soul and that smile… It seemed to go from ear to ear with slightly crooked teeth that looked weirdly sharp in this kind of light.

“Oh that.” And that was apparently all he was going to say on the topic. “I returned because I forgot something important. See, you’ll be working in a place that is a little… let’s say more dangerous than your old job so you need to be wearing this!” Eli looked at the box Faba was holding, it was neatly wrapped, like a present but Faba seemed way more excited than he was.

He carefully unwrapped the box and looked inside. It was a helmet. A weird one, with a mouth piece that looked like a modern gas mask and a golden vizor that covered the entire face.

“Tadaa!!” Faba was giddy like a mom who bought her kids that new gaming console when she said she wouldn’t. “C’mon, put it on!” He guided Eli’s hands towards the helmet and helped put it on.

“Thanks..” He realised his words were slightly slurred a thing he wanted to apologise but before he could a sharp pain like a knife stabbing his brain shut him up.

Eli started to panic and had trouble breathing, he fell to the floor and tried to pry the helmet off but it seemed tighter now.

[Click click]

Eli felt his body relaxing. Was it his body? Whose body was it? Who was he? His name, what was it again? Eli… E…? Wait how did he end up here? There was someone there, through the golden vizor he could see two icy blue circle looking at him and he felt a hand patting him on the shoulders.

“There now.” That voice.. who was it’s owner again?

“My name is Faba.” [Click Click]

“I’m your boss and you are here because I saw potential in you. You are such an obedient little one aren’t you? Always showing up on time, always using my correct title like the good boy you are.”

Was he being spoken to like a pet? Was he a pet? Was he human?

“I need you to Listen to me.” [Click Click]

Okay, listening. He could do that.

“See they aren’t all so wonderful as you are and they’ve become.. difficult. Would you be a dear and show them out, please?” [Click Click]

“I need them in little pieces, it’s easier to dispose off.. Now they may plead with you, beg you and even fight you but I know you will Listen to me and do as your told.”

The other person who called himself Faba reached out a hand and pulled him up.

“Be good.. and I may even give you your name back.”

#anon ask #faba #branch chief faba #aether foundation #aether paradise #aether employee #aether scientist #pokemon #pokemon sun #pokemon moon #pokemon ultra moon #pokemon ultra sun #pokemon sumo #pokemon usum #fan fiction #fan fic #pokemon writing

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mexicaneurolover · 5 years

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Eurovision 2019 my top 41 after show

Hello!!! And welcome to another episode of this ESC top series, and we go to May 14, 16 and 18, when the 64th edition of the contest was held in Tel Aviv after Netta’s victory in Lisbon. Before the live shows I posted a provisional top and many things have changed so I’ll mark them. Sadly we had to say goodbye to Bulgaria and Ukraine because they withdrew, Bulgaria because of financial reasons and Ukraine because of some problems regarding the selection of the artist (MARUV NOOOOOOOO, still hurts). The winner this edition was The Netherlands with Duncan Laurence and the song Arcade, making this the 5th time they won the contest and the first one after 44 years!!! So let’s go in this musical adventure.

1st Place: THE NETHERLANDS/Duncan Laurence-Arcade (Real Placing: 1st-498 points) (Before the show: 1st place)

I think I manage to guess the winners in odd years, and ladies and gentleman, THIS IS SUPERB, the perfect winner for this year, simply staged, beautiful performance, stunning voice and Duncan is such a cute person, and I’m so happy this won this year, and what a win!!!!!

2nd Place: ITALY/Mahmood-Soldi (Real Placing: 2nd-472 points) (Before the show: 4th place)

SOLDI SOLDI *CLAP CLAP*. Simply one of the best songs this year, this has a lot of quality and it would’ve been an amazing winner, the music is so unique and beautiful and also the lyrics are amazing, maybe the performance wasn’t as spectacular as I thought it would be but it works.

3rd Place: SWITZERLAND/Luca Hänni-She got me (Real Placing: 4th-364 points) (Before the show: 2nd place)

AAAAAAAA FINALLY THEY FINISHED TOP 5 AAAAAAAAAA. I’m so glad because this is one of my fave songs this year and it deserved top 3 tbh, also the staging is so amazing, he managed to deliver an amazing performance while dancing and I enjoyed every piece of this performance. GO SWITZERLAND.

4th Place: AZERBAIJAN/Chingiz-Truth (Real Placing: 8th-302 points) (Before the show: 3rd place)

Whoa, this was lifted to the sky with the performance, Chingiz has an amazing voice and the song itself is very good, it’s catchy, enjoyable and it worked so well at the end, a very good result for them after 5 years of not so great results.

5th Place: ALBANIA/Jonida Maliqi-Ktheju tokës (Real Placing: 17th-90 points) (Before the show: 5th place)

I can’t describe how crazy I’m about this song, her voice is something awesome, the music is epic, and this was stunning, the staging was simple yet effective and I can’t believe it finished very low, I hope Albania keeps sending quality entries like this and Mall.

6th Place: ICELAND/Hatari-Hatrið mun sigra (Real Placing: 10th-232 points) (Before the show: 6th place)

The power this song has is amazing, and the performance is so enchanting and mesmerizing, time passes and I enjoy this song more and more, maybe this is what my life needed, this is an epic song and I’ll always remember this, and it’s a good song when you feel angry.

7th Place: SPAIN/Miki-La venda (Real Placing: 22nd-54 points) (Before the show: 11th place)

ARE YOU SERIOUS THIS FINISHED 22ND???? EUROPE PLS, this was the perfect way to close the show and I was expecting this a bit higher, Miki’s voice was way better than in OT and he carried a fiesta on stage, it deserved like 10 more places.

8th Place: MALTA/Michela-Chameleon (Real Placing: 14th-107 points) (Before the show: 8th place)

The best Maltese entry in years and it finished outside the top 10? Maybe she wasn’t very energetic on stage but everything else was so good, her singing improved from the semi and maybe performing first wasn’t the best idea, still a very good song.

9th Place: POLAND/Tulia-Fire of love (Pali się) (Real Placing: 11th SF1-120 points) (Before the show: 7th place)

WHY EUROPE WHYYYYYYYYY, NOOOOOOOO. This was so good and deserved the final, they were amazing, on point and it was a nice performance, this had a lot of energy and it will remain as one of my fave entries in recent years, I never stop listening to this.

10th Place: NORWAY/KEiiNO-Spirit in the sky (Real Placing: 6th-331 points) (Before the show: 9th place)

NORDIC REALNESS SERVED IN THIS SONG, and I’m so glad this did better than people thought, they sing well together and I enjoy the jojk part so much, this is everything I like in a modern schlager ethno Nordic song, and I’m so happy they won the televote <3

11th Place: NORTH MACEDONIA/Tamara Todevska-Proud (Real Placing: 7th-305) (Before the show: 18th place)

CONGRATULATIONS NORTH MACEDONIA!!!!!!! You finally broke the barrier of the 12th place, and with a hell of a song, Tamara is such a wonderful singer and when she got her 12 points she was so surprised, but with this performance you can understand her placing, also I loved the dress (unpopular opinion) A well deserved score and well done finally NM!!!!

12th Place: AUSTRALIA/Kate Miller-Heidke-Zero Gravity (Real Placing: 9th-284 points) (Before the show: 36th place)

Where is my clown wig? Remember when I said I didn’t like this entry, it took me 3 months to like it kskkskks, Kate is such an amazing singer, the staging surprised me so much and it’s beautiful, I really thought she was flying around the world, Australia, I’m so sorry for mistreating you before.

13th Place: RUSSIA/Sergey Lazarev-Scream (Real Placing: 3rd-370 points) (Before the show: 10th place)

Again Sergey Lazarev finished 3rd lsskskks, but seriously his voice is very impressive, the staging was nice, and the song is great also, maybe it needed a bit of an oomph or something like the music video but I enjoy this.

14th Place: SWEDEN/John Lundvik-Too late for love (Real Placing: 5th-334 points) (Before the show: 15th place)

Again Sweden delivers a lot of quality on stage, John is such a good singer, his voice is flawless and I love The Mammas, they sound so great, and the staging is perfect for the song, the song is also very good and catchy, another nice entry.

15th Place: ISRAEL/Kobi Marimi-Home (Real Placing: 23rd-35 points) (Before the show: 28th place)

They revamped the song!!!! AND THEY MADE IT 1000 TIMES BETTER, also Kobi’s voice is so stunning and the staging was beautiful, it moved me so much and I thought this was going to score very well, a pretty performance and I hope I can listen more of Kobi in the future.

16th Place: PORTUGAL/Conan Osiris-Telemóveis (Real Placing: 15th SF1-51 points) (Before the show: 16th place)

Another one of the NQ’s that I’ll never forget, maybe the staging wasn’t the right one but Conan’s voice is amazing and the music is hypnotic, it certainly deserved more love.

17th Place: CZECH REPUBLIC/Lake Malawi-Friend of a friend (Real Placing: 11th-157 points) (Before the show: 23rd place)

AWWWWW YEEEEES THEY DID IT AGAIN, this song it’s so wonderful, it puts me in a great mood and they’re so charismatic, I loved the staging and finally they got their first 12 points ever!!!!

18th Place: SLOVENIA/Zala Kralj & Gašper Šantl-Sebi (Real Placing: 15th-105 points) (Before the show: 17th place)

This song is like a trip to another dimension, so calm, intimate, and everything is good and pleasant, I’m so glad this song did it to the final and the performance was so good, it’s one of those songs that’s perfect for a rainy day.

19th Place: GREECE/Katerine Duska-Better love (Real Placing: 21st-74 points) (Before the show: 14th place)

This song didn’t meet my expectations live, the performance was a bit too much and I was expecting something else, also her vocals were a bit restrained, I’ll stay with the studio version.

20th Place: SERBIA/Nevena Bozović-Kruna (Real Placing: 18th-89 points) (Before the show: 26th place)

STUNNING!!!! Her voice is so good, the staging is beautiful, this is amazing and also she delivers a lot on stage, I missed a good Balkan ballad in the contest, I love the spiral and the smoke with the vents, everything here works perfectly.

21st Place: DENMARK/Leonora-Love is forever (Real Placing: 12th-120 points) (Before the show: 19th place)

Again a very lovely song that I can’t resist to, even if it fell in my top I’ll always like this song, and I was so surprised when this qualified, the performance remained simple and yeah, she sounds great.

22nd Place: SAN MARINO/Serhat-Say na na na (Real Placing: 19th-77 points) (Before the show: 20th place)

San Marino again in the final!!!!! How amazing, and this song will always have a regard for me, even if Serhat wasn’t so good live, this song is catchy, and it makes me happy, i’m so happy for them!!!!

23rd Place: LATVIA/Carousel-That night (Real Placing: 15th-50 points) (Before the show: 22nd place)

Awww this song is lovely, the performance was so intimate and her voice is stunning, also the music is calm and this give me chills, a very guilty pleasure this year.

24th Place: BELGIUM/Eliot-Wake up (Real Placing: 13th SF1-70 points) (Before the show: 21st place)

Another one of the disappointments this year, I was expecting so much more of this one, and the performance was so dull, the outfit, the drums and overall everything was so poor, also he was so nervous, again Belgium, you did it, you crushed my dreams.

25th Place: CYPRUS/Tamta-Replay (Real Placing: 13th-109 points) (Before the show: 12th place)

WHAT’S WITH HER VOCALS AND THIS PERFORMANCE, everything was a big letdown for me and I felt so uncomfortable with her vocals, they weren’t good, at least Eleni slayed her vocals last year but this... is... so disappointing.

26th Place: HUNGARY/Joci Pápai-Az én apám (Real Placing: 12th SF1-97 points) (Before the show: 24th place)

One of the biggest shocks to me is Hungary not qualifying with this beautiful song, the staging was very simple but good and his voice is perfect, so... I’ll never understand why this didn’t qualify.

27th Place: ARMENIA/Srbuk-Walking out (Real Placing: 16th SF2-49 points) (Before the show: 13th place)

What a sad sad performance, this was so empty and she was very nervous, also the running order killed this song, I was expecting so much more and AGAIN THIS IS ARMENIA’S WORST RESULT WHY???

28th Place: ROMANIA/Ester Peony-On a Sunday (Real Placing: 13th SF2-71 points) (Before the show: 27th place)

ARE YOU KIDDING THAT THIS IS ROMANIA’S WORST RESULT???? THIS IS UNFAIR, this song is very very good, and the performance was perfect and flawless, also her voice was on point and... why this didn’t qualify.

29th Place: FRANCE/Bilal Hassani-Roi (Real Placing: 16th-105 points) (Real Placing: 34th place)

A very big leap, even if I don’t dislike the song as much as I did on January, I still think this isn’t special enough, the music is quite generic and Bilal’s vocals are still bad even with the lower key, still the message is very powerful to me and I love the performance.

30th Place: IRELAND/Sarah McTernan-22 (Real Placing: 18th SF2-16 points/last) (Before the show: 29th place)

Oh Ireland, you knew your fate and you tried to save you, but in the end you finished in last place and with a lovely song, pleasant song but sadly this wasn’t going anywhere.

31st Place: BELARUS/ZENA-Like it (Real Placing: 24th-31 points) (Before the show: 25th place)

A very very very suprising qualifier and I was happy, but now I realize I don’t like the live performance and the staging, she sings nice but still everything seems out of place for this song, this was better on studio and in the NF.

32nd Place: MOLDOVA/Anna Odobescu-Stay (Real Placing: 12th SF2-85 points) (Before the show: 31st place)

Whoa Ukraine 2011 2.0 Electric Boogaloo, as I said many times before, I like this song but it’s there, they tried to lift it up and it was a bit ridiculous, also her voice wasn’t on point here.

33rd Place: GEORGIA/Oto Nemsadze-Keep on going (Real Placing: 14th SF1-62 points) (Before the show: 41st place)

This is what I call a revival, the staging was so powerful and his voice here sounds great, even if the song isn’t still my cup of tea, I must admit it has a good message and you can feel it.

34th Place: UNITED KINGDOM/Michael Rice-Bigger than us (Real Placing: 26th-13 points/last) (Before the show: 33rd place)

Poor Michael, another case of a good singer with a mediocre song, and it paid off in the results, another last place for the UK, surely his voice was good but it was so plain... nothing remarkable about it. Never do a two artists-one song NF.

35th Place: CROATIA/Roko-The dream (Real Placing: 14th SF2-64 points) (Before the show: 40th place)

The fact this song rose it’s because the other ones fell a lot. This is way cheesier than a pizza, the angel wings... I thought they would get rid of them, again his voice is good but I can’t stand this song.

36th Place: LITHUANIA/Jurij Veklenko-Run with the lions (Real Placing: 11th SF2-93 points) (Before the show: 32nd place)

Poor Jurij, a victim of the juries mistakes... Anyway this song is pleasant but it’s a bit forgettable, also with the staging I was expecting so much more, his voice is perfect and he’s charming, but he deserved a better song.

37th Place: ESTONIA/Victor Crone-Storm (Real Placing: 20th-76 points) (Before the show: 35th place)

Wow I never thought this would finish so low in my top, my biggest problem here is his voice, in the final he was better but it was a big shock for me when it qualified.

38th Place: MONTENEGRO/D Mol-Heaven (Real Placing: 16th SF1-46 points) (Before the show: 38th place)

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL ON STAGE, oh wait, uhhhhh... yeah... this song is... here... and yeah, FALLIN. There’s nothing else to say about this.

39th Place: FINLAND/Darude ft. Sebastian Rejman-Look away (Real Placing: 17th SF1-23 points/last) (Before the show: 30th place)

The person that decided the staging needs to be fired, everything was so out of place here, also sadly this became a sad EDM song because of the key, and Sebastian wasn’t very good, also what’s with the boots.

40th Place: AUSTRIA/PÆNDA-Limits (Real Placing: 17th SF2-21 points) (Before the show: 37th place)

The only remarkable thing of this song is the performance, is stunning, but the song is very flat, nothing special tbh. Lovely staging though.

41st Place: GERMANY/S!sters-Sister (Real Placing: 25th-24 points) (Before the shows top: 39th place)

If a song begins with a glockenspiel and the words “I’m tired” you can’t expect so much, the performance was so boring, the song is dull and this is just there, nothing special and Germany, did you miss being bottom 5? You had a lot of better songs in Unser Lied, I’m sorry, sorry for the drama.

#eurovision #eurovision 2019 #luis' eurovision tops

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