#meanwhile river will make me laugh with little tricks or even hug me | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dianagj-art · 3 years

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MIPHA! MIPHA! MIPHA!

I tried to do more of the screenshot/cinematic kinds look but I gave up and just bullshited the backgrounds bc I didn't wanted to look so plain but I also didn't want to do a background

anyways Mipha is here! it's Mipha time!

(Friendly remainder that what's bellow is just copy paste from my draft and there's probably a lot of typos and gramar mistakes)

More of Yiga Link AU

A group of young Zoras finds Link's body sinking on the river, south of the Minish Woods. They take him out to land and check on him, he is barely alive and they quickly take him all the way to Zora's domain. They send the fastest of them first to inform the princess and she meets them halfway.

Link's wounds are bad, but she still can heal him, they take him to the domain to keep an eye on him, besides he is still uncouncious. They set him up on that little area for other species when they visit, and Mipha had other healers take a proper look at him.

The princess buys him clothes from a merchant since his are barely existent with so many cuts. The zora recognize those cuts, they know the boy was on a Yiga attack and unfortunately, they find his tattoo behind his neck.

They are not idiots and they fear the boy might be a spy and all was just a set up, the princess still wants to talk to him. Mipha was no fool and she wasn't as naive as most people outside the Domain may think, but she was curious, and there was a feeling in her chest that told her there was more to know about this boy.

Link wakes up in unknown clothes, he has no idea of where he is but soon finds out as he started to look around. He remembers what happened and a hand grips his chest. He knows he shouldn't be alive.

"That was terrible wound you had there," The voice startled him and he instantly stood up to go into combat mode. "Don't stand, you are not fully healed yet." he really didn't have another option, there wasn't a part of his body that did't hurt and the pain brough him down to the bed again.

He looked up to see 3 zoras, two tall ones dressed in armor flanquing a smaller one in shinny red scales and dressed in zora jewerly. The princess.

"Don't be sacred" she said and gestured to her guards to stay put as she walked to him, "I just came to look on your wounds"

Link frowned at that, the princess? Coming here to check on a stanger's wounds? Yeah sure. Link remembers his tattoo and quickly hides it with a simple illution spell that wouldn't take that much of his stenght.

"Dont you have healers for that?" he asked coldly.

The princess laughed lightly "Yes," she admitted and stood by his bed, her amrs behind her body, holding her spear "and they know more about hylian anathomy than I do, but they can't do what i can. Your wounds were bad enough to require my assistance."

Link frowned again, "what does that mean?"

Mipha smiled and gestured at the bed, "Can I?" Link recoiled his legs, leting her space to sit down, the princess did, leaving her spead resting on the bed besides her, she extended her hand to him, "give me your arm" she said softly.

Link hessitaded but he rested his arm on her hand. She carefully took off his bandages and let exposed a deep cut on his forearm, the boy winced at the sight.

The princess then put her other hand above the wound and closed her eyes. Her palm started to glow and link gasped loudly. His arm started to feel cold and a bit numb, but the pain was gone, and soon the same sensation washed over his body. It was nice.

Mipha was focused on the wound but she looked up for a moment to catch his expresion, she smiled lightly and looked down again.

The light coming from her palm dimmed until it was gone and his exposed wound wasn't there anymore. Slowly, the pain came back to the rest of his body. Mipha let go off his hand and he lifted his arm to his eye level, twisting it one way and another, trying to see the trick but no, the wound was really gone.

"You... You really have healing powers..." he had herd the rumors but no yiga had actually seen it, just heard things from other people.

Mipha hummed a laugh, catching link's atention, "Outsiders are always so surprissed to see it" she stood up, taking the spear again, "I have other things to attend, but i'll come back to heal the rest of your wounds latter."

She leaves with her guards, a few minutes latter another group of zoras show up. Two of them check on his wounds and tell him to rest while the other two just guarded the entrance. He had a bad feeling, whenever he peeked an eye to the other room he saw a guard. He didn't know if that was normal or if it was because of him.

He rests, too tired to try and transport, and fully knowing that in this state he wouldn't be able to fight. He starts trying to form a plan to get out of there. Taking a swim was not an option, anywhere near water he would be an at disadvantage. He had to make it to the montains that sorrounded Zora's Domain, he could take a run for it once he were back to his feet, he had no idea if zoras were fast runners but they had short legs, he was sure he could outrun them. Once close to the montains he could teletrasnport himself to a higher place and away from them.

Tho he didn't know where to go from there. It's not like he could go back to the Hideout.

Mipha comes back that evening and heals two more of his wounds before leaving. Link is starting to think that maybe her healing magic tires him as much as illutions and trasportation tires him. It takes a few days for him to be fully healed, all the time he is forced to stay on the rooms to "rest"

All the time he feels uncomfortable, he feels watched. It gets worse when he is fully healed and the princess wants to give him a little tour around the domain, everyone always stares at him, or maybe they are looking at their princess and he was just being paranoid.

He had never been to Zora's domain, to be honest, he hadn't seen that much of Hyrule, and he was intrigued to see and learn more.

As they start to walk around the Domain a little red-scaled Zora runs to her and hugs her leg "Sidon!"

"I'm sorry princess," another Zora runs to her, "he's been running away the whole day, he doesn't wan't to do the jump"

"If you don't jump how am I going to teach you to climb waterfalls?" Mipha asked him and he just hugged her tighter, hiding behind her from his instructor.

Link quickly put two and two together and figures out he must be the young Zora Prince, but he was most concerned with the idea forming on his mind. Would they follow him if he jumped? He eyed an opening on the level they were on, and without really thinking about the heigh he kneeled down

"If I jump would you jump?" he asked Siron, "I can't swim as well as a zora would, so if i can make that jump I guess a zora prince would have no trouble doing it, right?"

Siron thinks for a moment then nods. Link walks to the edge and looks down to the long drop. "Having second thoughts?" Sidon's instructor asked him. Link just frowns at him, and takes a few steps back, he took off his shirt and dropped it before sprinting and jumping.

He hits the water gracefully and as he sinks he prapares to transport, but sees a lot of Zoras around him. He sees that at the bottom of the lake there's a whole underwater town that probably outstretched fartest of what he could see. He goes out to the surface and finds it quite hard to not let the current take him away, even when he was under their castle as there were underwater walls shielding him from the strong current of the main water fall of the domain. A few zora heads pop out, looking at him curious. Some heads look younger, maybe teens? And look at him impressed and exited

"SIDON!" Link lifts his gaze and sees someone had jump and the tiny zora splashed in the water. He looks around but the zora prince doesnt come out.

"OW!" something bites his toes and a tiny shark head pops out, sidon smiles with sharp teeth and giggles until the current starts to drag him out. Link lets him, surely other people would help their prince. But they dont they just look, and as much as the tiny zora tried the current kept draging him.

Link reaches out a hand and takes him, wraping his scaly hands around his neck as he swims to the base of the castle structure. He leaves sidon on the rock and climbs up too.

Mipha's head pops out behind him, "you swim quite well for a hylian" Link jumps in surprise, when had she jump? he didnt even see or hear her splash, "You are bleeding," she said and he lifted his feet off the water to see quite a deep bite. "SIDON!" mipha screams distressed, "how many times do i have to tell you it's impropper to bite others!" she lifted herself to the place they were sitting and patted the space between link and her, he puts there his feet and she healed him. As always he stared at her hand facinated.

"I have to thank you, for not letting the curent carry Sidon" she said, "you shouldn't have to, he is 23, he should be strong enough to be able to withstand it." link looks at sidon as he jumps into the water again swiming closer to the rocks. 23? "but I would have done the same" "and thank you for jumping, her instructor had been trying to make him jump all week"

Link looks at his foot and thinks of all the other wounds he had, all the wounds the yiga had made. "I should thank you," he said, "I should be dead. You saved me."

"those wounds were no accident, were they?" she asked, "the yiga were sent to kill you" Link nods, "but why?" he sruggs.

"I have to leave," he said softly, "but i'll hate to leave without paying back what you have done for me,"

Mipha smiles, "I'm sure we'll think of somehting," she stands up, "I know a place you can stay meanwhile. Sidon! Lets go!" he swims to them, his little back fin braking the surface, he jumps towards Link, mouth open. Link backs up but Mipha catches him on the air and hums a laugh. "I'll meet you at the top," she said to link and pointed over his shoulder "you can use the leadder to climb up."

Mipha swims up the waterfall they just jumped from with sidon on her back. They meet at the top and Mipha leaves sidon with his instructor. He runs to link when he shows up and tries to bite his leg, "My prince, dont do that!" the instructor pulls him away before he can do damage and sidon smiles with his spiky teeth.

"I have to apologyze for his behavior," Mipha said tho she is trying not to laugh, "His new teeth just came out and he has a need to bite eveything."

They walk to a village at the top of the mountain overseeing zora's Domain. Mipha pays him a night to stay and tells him good bye. Link is bafled that she has so much trust in him, he plans on just leaving, but he has a chance. He now knew and gained the trust of two zora royals. He knew they were the only heirs of the zora domain and since the king didn't had a mate... He could make a move. And maybe, he could be allowed back with his people.

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angryhausfrau-writes · 4 years

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You Can‘t Cross the Same River Twice - Chapter 20

“Boy, there's enough red, white, and blue around here to make even old Ferret Face happy.” Trapper's looking around the park with an expression somewhere between awe and contempt. “Don't remember it being quite so...” He gestures vaguely at the flag bunting and the kids waving sparklers and tiny flags.

“What, it wasn't like this last Fourth of July?” Hawkeye finds it hard to believe that America would have been less patriotic during the death throws of the Korean war.

“I didn't go anywhere near any of this shit last year – got stuck with a twenty-four hour shift in the ER.” Trapper sighs. “Between the noise from the fireworks and all the kids coming in with powder burns, I coulda been back at the front.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

The clinic has seen its fair share of kids with burnt fingers – though fortunately nothing worse. And Hawkeye hasn't had the most restful week of his life, either. The constant barrage of fireworks brings back memories of artillery shells and he keeps dreaming about Korea. Just hazy impressions of blood and khaki, but unsettling enough to make him toss and turn half the night.

Trapper nudges Hawkeye out of those thoughts with a brief press of his shoulder. “Course, you were actually over there last year, so I tried not to wallow in self pity too much. I'm sure the coffee you were drinking was way worse than the shit in the ER staff room.”

Hawkeye laughs despite himself. Feels himself relax, despite the crowds, despite the dozens of screaming children – shrieks of laughter so, so close to shrieks of terror and agony. Despite what day it is.

He isn't in Korea. No one is going to die today.

Trapper knocks gently into Hawkeye's shoulder again, clearly reading his change in mood. “It gets to be too much and you wanna go home, just lemme know. Ok?”

Hawkeye smiles, small but genuine. “Thanks, Trapper. But I'm ok, really. And Cathy would never let me live it down if I missed her softball game – I'd lose my standing as favorite uncle.”

“That's true enough, Cathy's absolutely ruthless when crossed.” Trapper grins. “She pretty much single handedly whupped St. John's Episcopal in the interfaith league cuz they wouldn't let a girl play softball.”

“She an adorable little terror. You must be so proud.” And now Hawkeye's grinning too.

By this point, they've managed to fight their way through the crowd to the metal bleachers of the baseball diamond. It's crowded here too – apparently the Fourth of July little league games are a longstanding tradition – but it's a more orderly chaos. The hordes of children are being at least somewhat corralled by their impatient parents.

Except for Becky - who comes barreling out of the ballpark and right into Trapper, managing to knock him backwards a few steps with the force of her momentum. While Trapper's still getting his wind back, she flings herself at Hawkeye in an exuberant hug. He hugs her back, a little bemused – she's not normally so affectionate.

“Thank Christ you're here!” she exclaims when she finally lets go of Hawkeye.

“Don't cuss, Becky,” Trapper admonishes her. Though he's pulled her into another, less violent hug – and it's not like he has much room to complain about bad language.

“Sorry, dad,” Becky says, not looking very sorry. “But we've been here for hours! And all mom and Rob want to do is gossip about boring stuff like who's having babies or what some lady wore to church. At least you two talk about interesting things.”

“Speaking of your ma, she know you're running around loose?”

Becky looks guiltily at the ground and Trapper sighs.

“You better lead us to 'em before Louise sends out a search party. Don't want her to think you've run off to join the circus – though your human cannon ball act is pretty good, just about bowled me over.”

“Sorry dad, Uncle Hawkeye.” This time Becky does look contrite. But she brightens up when Hawkeye and Trapper each hold out a hand for her to take. And then she's tearing off towards wherever Louise and Robert are sitting – the two of them trailing in her wake.

They come up on Louise and Robert a little ways away – though the crowds are thick enough, it takes longer than it should to reach them. Leaving plenty of time for Trapper to watch them as he approaches.

It's still kinda strange for Trapper to see Louise out on the town – especially with a guy who ain't him. But they're friendly enough with one another, if mostly focused on the girls whenever they talk. And Robert ain't a bad guy, even if Trapper finds him unbearably boring. He cares about the girls a whole hell of a lot, and that's worth sitting through him talking about bird watching or the stock market or whatever the hell it is he's talking about now. Proper barbecue technique, by the sound of it.

No wonder Becky ran off.

Even Louise looks glad to see them, her smile a little fixed as she goes to kiss first his cheek and then Hawkeye's. And she's very quick to pull Hawkeye into a conversation about her latest knitting project – apparently Cathy's interest had sparked her own and they all trade knitting patterns now. Trapper smiles as he listens to Becky describe the plot of her latest Nancy Drew novel.

It's funny that it took divorcing his wife for them to find some kinda equilibrium with each other.

And Trapper ain't glad it happened, by any means. Mostly cuz Louise deserved better from him than being a distant shadow of the man she married – and a cheater who'd bedded anyone who'd have him over in Korea. A man in love with his best friend, even if it took him a while to realize.

But he don't mourn the man he used to be. Or see much point in regretting his mistakes. What's done is done – all that matters is the here and now. And this here and this now – a clear summer day, his one daughter sitting next to him and the other waving frantically from the dugout, Hawkeye happy and laughing and here with him – is pretty damn good.

Cathy wins her softball game and they all go out for ice cream after. They still woulda gone if she hadn't'a won, of course, but there's a special air of celebration about it on account of the victory.

After they all mob the ice cream cart – along with about a hundred other families - they cram onto a couple of park benches. The girls are talking all in and around and over each other in their excitement. And Louise is attempting to get them to take turns talking – a lost cause in Trapper's opinion. Even Robert is smiling and cracking some pretty terrible jokes. They're loud enough, some of the people walking past are giving them the evil eye.

But Hawkeye is just sitting there. Silent. With ice cream dripping down his arm.

Covered by the loud chatter of the rest of the family, Trapper leans in and says quietly, “You ok, Hawkeye? You wanna cut this short and head home?”

“Nah, I'm fine. Just thinking.” And then Hawkeye laughs quietly. “You know something funny, Trapper? That first week back home I went out and bought knitting supplies and a gossip magazine and an ice cream cone – strawberry, like I'm eating now.”

Hawkeye pauses to lick ice cream off his wrist and Trapper has to look away.

“It felt like – like this forbidden thing, you know? To go out and buy ice cream. Ice cream! It's not like I was breaking the law or anything – I wasn't even buying booze or a nudie mag or anything questionable – but it felt like I was going to get arrested by the cops for being out without a pass, you know? For daring to buy an ice cream cone without orders.”

Trapper nods.

For all that the army was s'posed to bring freedom to Korea, it was pretty damn thin on the ground – for soldiers and civilians. It had taken him a while to get used to the lack of military restrictions when he got back home, too. A while to get used to feeling like a real person again, able to make decisions for himself, able to set his own schedule.

“I had to remind myself that I was a grown adult,” Hawkeye continues, “capable of running errands on my own – going where I wanted when I wanted, without written permission or a curfew.”

Trapper nods again. “It's funny what a guy can get used to, I guess. What starts to feel normal.” He grins wryly. “Not that you've ever given two shits about being normal.”

Hawkeye laughs. “True enough.” And then he bites into his ice cream cone.

They get invited over to Louise and Robert's house in the suburbs for a Fourth of July barbecue. And the girls are so excited to show their dad and Uncle Hawkeye their rooms and toys and neighborhood haunts that they can't really refuse. So Hawkeye finds himself standing on Robert's meticulously manicured lawn, chatting with a slew of pastel-clad, pearl-wearing housewives while their husbands congregate around the grill to talk about cars and vacations to the Grand Canyon and other boring things. Trapper, meanwhile, has practically disappeared in a pile of roughhousing kids – occasionally breaking free, only to be pulled back under by the teaming mass. And Louise flutters at the edge of Hawkeye's little entourage – pouring drinks and setting out side dishes.

Hawkeye had offered to help – he and Trapper both had – but she'd said they were guests and ought to take it easy. Hawkeye doesn't know that he feels easy, exactly, in this world of matching bungalows and matching skirt sets but he does his best to relax.

It had helped when the women had gathered around him and started gossiping. All he'd had to do was listen and ask leading questions and he could be almost totally silent without looking bored or inattentive – a trick he'd learned on the boat home, back when he didn't really talk all that much. Back when he felt like he didn't have anything to say that was really him talking.

He doesn't feel that way anymore, but it's still a relief when they all sit down to eat and he can rejoin Trapper. Talk about something other than church functions, PTA meetings, and children's play dates. Even if they're sitting at the kiddie table and his time is mostly spent trying to keep the kids from putting potato salad in each others' hair.

It helps settle something in him to be able to see the kids alive and happy and alive. Helps drive home that he isn't in Korea and today isn't going to end like it did last year. And it helps that Trapper is sitting next to him, pressed against him, real and solid and here.

Trapper presses closer to Hawkeye under the pretense of the table being crowded. And there are a whole lotta kids crammed onto one picnic bench. But more than that, Trapper needs the comfort and familiarity of Hawkeye next to him.

Cuz it's strange, being here at Louise's house. Seeing her and the kids having a life here. Seeing them have a life here with Robert and without him.

Don't get him wrong, it's not any kinda life Trapper'd want to live. He ain't jealous or nothing. But it's strange, being here with the people he used to be so close to - but as an outsider to their lives.

At least Louise seems happy here - with her nice big house and her nice boring husband and her nice gossipy neighbors. Trapper's glad Louise is living the kinda life she wants – the kinda life she'd grown up with, grown up wanting. Glad she can have the kinda life he hadn't been able to have with her.

But he's really fucking glad when the night is over and he can go back home to his own life with Hawkeye.

#mash #piercintyre #fanfic archive #you can't cross the same river twice #chapter 20

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tightropenuzlocke · 5 years

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Tightrope: a Y Storylocke

Chapter Two: A Gift and a Curse to the Wilderness

Side by side, the resemblance between Grace and Aisling was much stronger, though contrast still existed. Grace was more compact in person than Xoana remembered her, especially next to her daughter who was a head taller and long of limb. But she was just as vivacious and quick to laugh as she’d always been on TV, and had a natural ease about her where Aisling felt high-strung even with the breezy exterior. They smiled the same though—radiating enjoyment and just a hint of mischief.

“Shall we get goin’ then?” It was kind of adorable how Aisling’s accent got stronger around her mother.

“Yeah!”

Aisling gave Grace one last kiss goodbye before practically shoving Xoana out of the front garden to stop their stream of polite farewells. Her Chespin waved frantically until they were round the corner out of sight. The Rhyhorn bellowed after them.

“I always do, Raleigh!” Aisling shouted back.

The Fletching circled them once and landed on Aisling’s shoulder. They crossed the road Xoana would have usually taken to Neuvartault to head for the old route instead. It felt odd to walk instead of drive, but that was the tradition for trainers.

“I thought we’d never get out of there,” said Aisling with a big sigh, but that was all for show.

Xoana wished she could be as genuinely appreciative of the smothering her own parents had poured over her earlier. Of course she had returned all of their “I love you’s” and gave them both the best hug she could muster, but all the while she had been thinking about how to slip out the door.

And here was Aisling trying not to smile at the twittering bird on her shoulder.

“So, can you talk with your Fletchling?”

“The trick is getting him to shut up.” The Fletchling in question cheeped angrily at that and buffeted Aisling’s ear with his wing. “After Cináed found us we battled together for a while until the understanding set in. Same with Raleigh. That’s how I got into training.”

“That’s really cool! Makes sense too. I always thought it was sort of odd to live with pokemon if you can’t talk to them.”

“Didn’t make sense to me either.”

Something tapped Xoana’s leg and she stopped. Froabble looked up at her with his big yellow eyes and blinked—first one eye, then the other.

“Want to come up?” she offered.

He silently inflated the bubbles above his nose once and it seemed like that was all the answer she was going to receive. He’d barely made so much as a peep since she got him. Maybe he would talk more after the understanding activated or perhaps he was simply quiet by nature. She hefted him and held him in her arms.

Aisling waited ahead of them on the footpath to Quarellis. Dozens of these ancient, well-worn trails snaked across the region, maintained to this day for trainers to journey along. This one was wide and sunny, lined with razz berry bushes and stately old apricorn trees. Xoana used to come out here sometimes with her siblings to gather them but not for some time, she realized, not since Clément moved out.

Xoana skipped to catch up. “So, My Queen, did you ever ride like your mom?”

“Oh yeah, I was riding before I could sit up in the saddle. One of my main jobs on our ranch was ‘breaking in’ the baby Rhyhorn.” Xoana inferred from the exaggerated air quotes that this was an outdated term. “It was more like breaking me with how often I got thrown. See, the calves have plenty of power in their charge right out of the shell, but they have to learn form and follow through or you just get launched.” She illustrated this by slapping her hands together and shooting one away from her.

“Wow, that seems dangerous.”

“Eh, a bit,” Aisling shrugged. “It’s not so bad if you wear the gear.”

The way she said it made Xoana think she hadn’t always worn the gear.

“That’s still pretty hardcore.”

“Yeah, I was super into it as a kid and it’s still fun, but it’s not really me anymore.”

Xoana wasn’t sure it was best to probe any further yet. “I guess things come and go. I used to be really into architecture and interiors. Mega nerdy, I know!”

“A little,” Aisling acknowledged. She looked off into the distance, clearly thinking about something, so Xoana let her. Bree bounded ahead, chasing a leaf. Xoana adjusted Froabble in her arms, but there was no way to be comfortable anymore. Maybe she should work out more.

“Do you mind hopping for a bit, Froabble? My arms are getting tired.”

They were getting into town and the Froakie looked down at the cobblestones with distaste. Instead of jumping down, he clambered up over her shoulders and installed himself like a backpack. She giggled.

“That works!”

Quarellis was always a little sleepy right after school let out. The children had dispersed and the tourists who came to see an authentic, old Kalos town had yet to arrive. Most of the shops were closed for a week or two to take a break and outfit themselves for the next season. Froabble leaned over her shoulder a bit to get a better look at the fountain in the square and the Buizel and Panpour playing in it, but stayed where he was.

At this hour, most of the town’s activity was centered around the café they’d met at yesterday and they went in for a boost. Bree bounced excitedly in front of the pastry case when she was given license to select her own treat from the pokemon-friendly offerings and Froabble used his tongue to indicate his choice before the Chespin had even begun to decide. Cináed, meanwhile, eschewed the café’s goods in favor of a sunflower oatcake from Aisling’s pocket. Aisling took her coffee black and got a brioche for herself. She laughed at Xoana’s hot chocolate and croissants but people who thought those breakfast choices were reserved for children were wrong and their souls were shriveled from self-imposed suffering. No one liked black coffee, not really. They were addicts, masochists, liars beyond all hope of redemption.

Aisling was out the door before Xoana had her in stitches. The pokemon were confused but kept pace as Xoana hurried onward so as not to further annoy the grouchy patrons on the patio. Aisling shambled with mirth a half-step behind her and shed a single tear, utterly defeated.

“You make a solid point,” she said when she no longer had to gasp for breath.

Xoana’s steps became bouncy enough to make Froabble finally jump ship—and probably not from the direct line of sugar and caffeine she had just ingested.

They reached the footbridge on the far end of town and Froabble climbed the railing to look down at his reflection in the glassy water. Flashes of white and orange and the occasional ripple of a horn breaching the surface spoke of Goldeen swimming below. Froabble pointed them out to Bree, who fit her head through the bars to look and very nearly got stuck. Instead she landed on her butt and endured something that sounded a lot like snickering from Cináed.

The bridge ended in the hardened earth of the trail that lead through Neuvartault Forest. The dark mass of trees took up most of the horizon to the north, but for the time being the path ambled through tall grass and bushes. A brook that fed the river ran nearby and it’s burbling mixed with the shuffling of the breeze.

Froabble croaked to get her attention and pointed to the water. Should she let him swim? He did need to stay damp but…

“Cináed can watch him,” Aisling reassured her.

The Fletchling and Froakie took off towards the water and Bree stayed behind to guard Xoana and Aisling—a position she took seriously judging by the way she scouted ahead and kept her ears up. There were plenty of wild pokemon about, but none approached them, so the filled the time with conversation. Aisling was surprisingly easy to talk to—not that Xoana ever had much trouble in that department. But she was fun and Xoana didn’t have to work at it. It used to be that way with Serena too.

“So, how long have you known Serena and the others?” The mention of Serena’s name made Xoana worry she’d shared that last thought aloud. But Aisling’s tone was one of failed nonchalance, not prying at an unwitting admission. Xoana let herself feel just a little smug that she had correctly diagnosed anxiety as the motive for Aisling’s coup.

“My mom and Serena’s are friends so we’ve known each other pretty much forever. Hanging around her mom’s gym all the time is what got me interested in pokemon. My parents don’t care for them all that much.”

“Not everyone can be so enlightened.” She was quick with those light, playful jabs.

“We met Tracie and Tierney in primaire. They were already sorta joined at the hip so when I started hanging with Tierney cos of dance, Tracie got pulled into the group.”

“Do you still dance?”

“No,” Xoana sighed, “but it was fun.”

Cináed flew back to them and Froabble emerged from the grass as they neared the trees.

“She started early,” Aisling observed. “She must be pretty good.”

“Tierney’s amazing! She won’t tell you, but she can turn it up!”

“I’ll just have to lure it out of her then.” It might be nice to have some help with Tierney. “Tracie too.”

Oh, right, Tracie. “Um, take your time with her,” Xoana cautioned.

“I will.” She sounded sincere and well-meaning, but the ease and rapidity of her assurance still gave Xoana pause. She wondered if warning her further was wise or if it would only make her more curious.

Xoana’s inner debate was abruptly cut short by a sharp cry from Cináed, who plummeted to the forest floor, wings bound by a thick webbing.

Before they could ask if he was alright, he burned off the bindings with an Ember and wheeled to face his assailant. It was a Scatterbug, but creamy white rather than gray and sparkling where the sunlight hit it—her by the short length of her ruff. A shiny! Xoana could barely believe it. She’d never seen one in person before, not of any species. The Scatterbug took one look at them all and flattened the feelers on the crown of her head. Cináed cheeped angrily and she shrank away from him, but the root at her back prevented further retreat.

“Get ’em Cináed!” Aisling cheered. There was power and excitement in her clenched fists and a light in her eyes as bright as her prey’s glitter.

The Scatterbug shot and missed as Cináed leapt upward with one powerful downsweep. He landed on the Scatterbug’s back and delivered a sharp Peck to her head. She wiggled weakly for a moment, unable to escape, and then prostrated herself in defeat. Cináed only just dodged Aisling’s ball. It barely moved before the telltale green flash confirmed the catch.

“Yes!” Aisling cried and jumped to pick it up. “This one’s got fight in her! Good work, Cináed!”

The Fletchling gave her a little bow and twittered as he flew back to her shoulder. Aisling laughed and hitched the new ball to her belt.

“I can’t believe you caught a shiny! They’re so rare!” Xoana stammered. “And your first catch too.” She almost asked Aisling to let the pokemon back out right then and there, but she supposed she wouldn’t have to wait too long.

“Just lucky, I guess.” She shrugged, but there was a knowing quality to her smile that drew Xoana in. Aisling cocked her head and turned that smile on Xoana. “Why don’t we find a first catch for you too, Marquise? It’ll be a fun surprise for the rest of the crew.”

“Yeah!”

Xoana, Aisling and their trio of pokemon spread out to search, ranging around the woods but never wandering out of sight and hearing of one another. There were at least as many pokemon here as there were in the fields—probably more—but Xoana only caught glimpses and snatches further confused by the dappled light. She hadn’t been under the canopy of Neuvartault Forest in years and it was good to be back. The smell of lichen, dirt, and rotting leaves brought back her outings with Serena. They had built little houses for the wild pokemon and climbed trees and sent bark boats down the brook all while her mother’s Masquerain hovered overhead.

Froabble climbed up a tree to get a better vantage and the Pidgey resting there scattered before Xoana could challenge them. Was it always this difficult to find a wild pokemon willing to battle?

“Marquise!” Aisling called, “I think I found one!”

Xoana hopped a log in her haste and found that Aisling and Bree had pinned a Teddiursa against a berry bush. The pokemon had purple stains around her mouth and on her paws from the meal they had interrupted, but didn’t seem all that perturbed about being cornered. She looked from Aisling to Xoana and chuffed.

“So cute!” Xoana whined.

“Catch her then,” said Aisling in amusement.

“Right! Froabble use Pound!”

The Froakie hopped forward and the Teddiursa put up her juice-soaked mits. Froabble lassoed one with his tongue and wrenched the Teddiursa off her feet. He jumped on her head with both feet and Xoana flinched, but the Teddiursa threw him off and went after him with Scratch.

Xoana fretted for a moment about what he would do before remembering that it was her job to direct him.

“Bubble, Froabble!”

The attack knocked the Teddiursa on her butt and Xoana threw a ball. It rocked twice and was still.

“Nice catch, Marquise!”

Xoana clutched the ball tightly.

“Good job, Froabble! You did great!” Froabble gave her a ribbit. “I think this Teddiursa had the right idea though. Let’s have some lunch.”

They selected a small, nearby clearing carpeted in flowers for their picnic and leaned back against a mossy, fallen trunk. The Teddiursa picked more berries along the edge and came back with an armful to share. Bree eagerly took her up on the offer and Cináed had some with the seeds Aisling brought for him. Froabble busied himself with a nest of termites in one end of the log while the Scatterbug nibbled a leaf on the other end where the shade dulled her glimmer. Aisling and Xoana gabbed and worked their way through the cheese and charcuterie they brought along.

“What are you going to call your Scatterbug?”

“Dáire, I think,” Aisling answered between bites. “It means ‘fruitful’ in Gaeilge.”

“Tierney said Bree means ‘power.’ Going for an auspicious theme?”

“It’s tradition,” Aisling said simply. “What about you? What will you call your Teddiursa?”

Xoana had to think about that for a moment. She whistled and the Teddiursa looked at her.

“How do you like Tessa?”

The Teddiursa cocked her head and Cináed tweeted something to her—perhaps a translation. She smiled and toddled over to climb into Xoana’s lap, then set to licking her paws clean. Xoana scratched her between the ears and she made a chortling purr in response.

“Tessa it is then.”

Xoana looked up to see Aisling, head in hand and smiling at her.

“You’re adorable.”

“Me or the bear cub?” Xoana tried not to sound too invested in the answer.

“Both,” said Aisling after a moment’s deliberation. “You have a way with them too.”

“I don’t know,” said Xoana, looking down at the fuzzy creature melting into her arms. “I think this one might just be really tame.”

“No, you’ve got the touch, right Cináed?” He twittered. “See?”

Xoana wanted to joke or argue that the Fletchling could be saying exactly the opposite for all she knew, but something deeper wanted to just accept the compliment. The two urges battled for a quiet moment and Aisling pounced on the pause.

“That was a great first catch.”

The insolence—how dare she say something so idiotic after her first catch had been a shiny!

“It’s not like I told Froabble to pull that cool move with his tongue. I almost forgot to do anything at all.”

“You were nervous, sure, but you kept your head. Most people don’t until they’ve had some more practice—and I don’t mean school. Doing all this stuff out in the wild is totally different. There’s real stakes to it.”

“I guess so.”

Xoana expected it to stop there, for Aisling to be mollified by her acceptance. Instead she tilted her head to catch Xoana’s wandering gaze and pressed onward.

“You’ve got a natural connection and that has a ton of potential. I think whatever you decide, you’ll go far.”

All Xoana could muster in response was a weak laugh as her heart threatened to beat right through her chest and sent her head spinning. Apparently she was susceptible to flattery. That was… useful to know.

“Care to test that theory?”

Wait, what was she doing? Was she flirting back? Was Aisling flirting with her in the first place?? That grin of hers seemed to suggest so, but maybe it was just a standard sort of playful? When did she get so close? Close enough that Xoana could smell her shampoo: honey, pear and myrrh. Was that a friendly lean? A relaxed arm across the log by her shoulder? Was she even gay?

“You want to battle?” Aisling asked for clarification.

“Yeah!” Koffings and Voltorb! She’d blown it sky high—crashed that momentum right into a barrier not even a Rhyhorn could plow through. Wait, no, on second thought the enthusiasm made for great cover. “It’ll be fun!”

Aisling got to her feet. “One v one? Starter versus starter?”

“You’re on!”

Aisling offered her hand and Xoana almost forgot to move Tessa off her lap before accepting it. Xoana swayed from the vertigo. Aisling touched her arm to steady her but if anything that made it worse. She had to get a grip!

“You ready for a battle, Froabble?”

He ribbitted and hopped to her.

“Up and at ‘em, Bree! It’s our first official match!” The Chespin hurried over as Aisling paced back to make room for the fight. “Cináed, make sure Dáire watches.”

Cináed tweeted at the Scatterbug and she nearly jumped out of her skin, but she put the rest of her leaf down and turned to watch.

Froabble gathered his hind legs under him and Bree lowered herself in preparation.

“Pound, Froabble!” Someone move, please!

“Vine Whip, Bree! Snag one of his legs!”

Froabble was shockingly fast—too fast for Bree—but she received the kick to her jaw like a pro boxer and lashed out with a vine from her wrist.

“Get out of there!”

But Froabble was well ahead of her and already leaping back. Xoana never saw the opening, but Bree didn’t miss it. She lassoed Froabble’s right leg, causing him to fall. With a high cry, she grabbed her vine in both paws, tossed Froabble over her head, and smashed him into the ground on the other side of her.

“Froabble!”

Incredibly he got up and took the only avenue left—straight at his opponent.

“Block!” was all Aisling had time to get out before they collided.

Bree got her arms up in time for Froabble to backflip off them. She staggered but found her feet before the next kick and ducked.

“Swing him!”

Bree grabbed her vine again, swung Froabble around like she was competing in the hammer throw, and flung him back at Xoana.

He landed heavily in front of her and rolled onto his face.

“Froabble?”

He gave her the thumbs up but stayed down. She let out the breath she was holding.

“We give!” she called to Aisling.

Bree turned back to her trainer for approval.

“You did great!” said Aisling, crouching down to her pokemon’s level. “Bring it in!”

They bumped fists and Bree wiggled her claws with Aisling this time, looking fit to burst all the while.

Xoana nearly tripped over her messenger bag and snatched it up to fish out a potion and spray bottle. Froabble had peeled himself off the ground in the meantime and she sprayed him down with water first so that he was clean and damp before she applied the potion.

Aisling had a cloth for Bree and tended her outstretched paws, which looked a bit raw from the vine.

“You two were awesome!” she declared enthusiastically. It took Xoana a moment to process that Aisling was looking right at her.

“Hey! I’m supposed to say that! You won!”

“Only because we stole Froabble’s sick move though.”

“That’s true.” She had to accept that one—for her starter’s sake. “Bree can really take a hit.”

“Chespins are tough nuts to crack. I can’t believe Froabble got up after that first slam.”

“Me neither.”

“All it took was your voice calling him.” Aisling squared up to her, leaned in, and tilted her head down to meet Xoana’s eyes, to make sure she was paying attention and wouldn’t look away. “See, now that’s what I was saying before. You’ve had him for twenty-four hours and you’ve already got a bond. That’s something else.”

Xoana blinked and tried to swallow, but her mouth was too dry. “Thanks,” she forced out—and it felt good. It felt really good. “I wish I had your instincts.”

“That’s practice. You’ll get there.”

Xoana looked down and Froabble smiled up at her.

“Thank you for the match by the way.” Aisling extended her hand.

Xoana took it. “You’re welcome. We should do it again sometime”

The contact lingered—noticeably so. Xoana checked for any sign that Aisling wanted to let go and found none.

“I meant to ask yesterday, but where did you get that lipstick you’re wearing?”

“It’s NAC Aura. Why? Did you want to try it?”

Okay, that was innuendo. There was no way she meant that innocently, not when she said it like that—like she was offering Xoana another bite of her mother’s smoked Gruyère.

What should she do now? Should she escalate it? Was that a good idea? They were sort of like co-workers weren’t they? If something went wrong it would make trouble for everyone. On the other hand, Aisling was gorgeous and Xoana never had an opportunity like this before.

Cináed cheeped and Aisling let go of her hand, laughing at whatever he said.

Without Aisling’s eyes and touch muddling Xoana’s brain, she realized that was probably for the best.

...

The hills east of Neuvartault were bright and lush in the heat of the afternoon. The river was narrower here and rushed through rapids down below them. There wasn’t much out this way and Aisling reminded herself to savor the waving grass and open sky, drink her fill of the calm and quiet. Soon her life would become all gray stone, bustle, and hum.

Unsurprisingly Serena had been very eager to set out this morning after Aisling and Xoana had shown up to dinner last night with new pokemon. Now she was nowhere in sight, having long since struck out on her own. Tierney and Tracie were still nearby on the next rise with Valériane striding beside them, looking for specimens to log. Between Tracie’s strawberry blond bob and Tierney’s stark patchwork vitiligo, they were easy to keep track of.

Aisling should have been watching her pokemon, but her eyes kept wandering to wherever Xoana was. Once again it was worth the glance. Xoana hopped up and down with glee as one of her pokemon took down yet another opponent. Aisling loved the bounce of those girlish tails, how every twist was its own spring, storing and releasing that boundless energy or hers. She looked almost unbearably soft and warm in the pinking light and Aisling resolved to make some excuse to swagger over to her.

“Hey, Aisling!” Cináed swooped around her, snapping her back to the reason she was actually out here.

Her new Azurill had bounced a ways ahead and she shielded her eyes to better make out the sandy shape she was confronting. The pokemon was flat with a pointed tail and turquoise stripes.

“A Dunsparce! Good work, Emer!” Cináed alighted on her shoulder, his job done, and Bree emerged from the grass to see what the fuss was about. “Careful, they’re flighty.”

The Azurill hopped off her tail and crept closer. The Dunsparce looked from her to Aisling and charged, round eyes glowing red. Emer went sailing right over her tail and landed at Aisling’s feet. Dáire ducked behind Aisling’s leg.

“Not this one,” Aisling muttered. Excellent. “Emer use Tail Whip!”

The little Azurill jumped clear of the Dunsparce’s next charge and smacked it with the buoyant orb on the end of her tail. The blow had little effect, which made Emer take a nervous step back, but Aisling saw the telltale shimmer of the Dunsparce’s magic defenses being ripped away.

“Again, Emer!”

The Azurill did as she was told, but the gamble couldn’t hold out forever and the Dunsparce’s next strike hit home. Emer was briefly airborne before disappearing into the tall grass. Cináed took off after her so Aisling turned to her starter.

“Bree, you’re up!” The Chespin planted herself in front of Aisling, cracking her knuckles. “Vine Whip!”

The Dunsparce’s glowing eyes blurred with the speed of its charge, but Bree smacked it aside with a vine. It whirled on her but she repeated the maneuver and then grabbed its tail with another vine and flipped it. Bree pounced on its exposed belly, but didn’t need to. The light of Rage was fading from its eyes.

“Nice work!”

Bree stepped off and the Dunsparce righted itself in time to see Aisling’s ball. Its fin-like wings flared before being swallowed by red light. The Dunsparce did not break out and Bree handed the ball up. Emer wobbled back out of the grass as Aisling perused the catch info on her holocaster.

“You did good too, newbie. Come get a potion.”

Emer didn’t seem to understand exactly what that meant, so Aisling gave Bree a small spritz first. The Chespin leaned in and shook, making a show of how nice it was, then beckoned the Azurill over. Aisling clicked the Dunsparce’s ball and let her out first. She scooted closer and fluttered her wings, letting out a stuttering hiss. It was difficult to read the serpentine creature’s expression, but she seemed happy enough and Bree chittered warmly back.

A shadow passed over as Aisling finished spraying them down. It was Xoana, smiling shyly down at her. Aisling hadn’t found anything conclusive as yet, but she had a feeling and her instincts were rarely wrong.

“How do you like Gobán?” she said, gesturing to her latest catch. The Dunsparce spun a circle.

“So cute! Though not as cute as this little Azurill,” she said, snatching up the pokemon and snuggling her.

Emer let out a purring chirrup and rubbed her cheek against Xoana’s. Aisling couldn’t be sure of what she was saying, so she decided to fill in the gap.

“Are ya sure ya en’t talkin’ about your—”

“The pokedex says Dunsparce are quite rare.”

Aisling wanted to be annoyed at Tracie for messing up her line, but this was the first time she had said anything without being prompted, so she let it slide.

“Does it now? I’ve seen a few before, but they are elusive.”

“Nice catch, My Queen,” said Tierney “Dunsparce are supposed to be lucky, aren’t they?”

Very lucky. “I suppose so.”

“I caught a Riolu.” The pokemon stepped around her legs to greet them. “Gonna name him Laoch.”

“And a fine name it is.” Aisling was a bit surprised one would appear to Tierney, but she still had a lot to learn about her new friends.

“I caught a Fletchling!” Serena was back. “Should be helpful for the first gym.”

Aisling cast upward first, but the bird in question emerged from the grass behind Serena’s Fennekin.

“Wait, are all of these yours?” Serena asked, tracing a circle around Aisling’s team with a swirl of her finger.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“You didn’t tell me your Scatterbug was shiny!” she shrilled, pointing and covering her gaping her mouth.

“I’ve been lucky.”

Serena blinked several times and looked on the verge of demanding an explanation Aisling wasn’t going to give. Instead she said: “battle me.” In the time it took that to register, Serena corrected herself. “Why don’t we have a battle? We haven’t had any proper matches yet.”

“Marquise and I battled yesterday, but sure. Two v two?”

Ending with the question made it tough for Serena to go back to the first item, though her eyebrows were clearly signalling her desire to do so.

“Yes, of course.” She gave her head a little shake and paced across the open space to make room for the battle. “Justine.” She pointed and her Fletching hopped nervously forward while her Fennekin sat primly by her side.

Cináed peered suspiciously at the Fletching from his perch in a nearby bush, but said nothing.

“Want another go, Emer?”

Xoana reluctantly put the Azurill back down. She bounced forward on her tail and bobbed up and down while she waited.

Serena gave Aisling a sharp look, probably an attempt to discern if she was being dumb or arrogant, and Aisling made an after you gesture.

“Tackle!” The intensity that was always simmering beneath Serena’s surface flared to life.

Aisling couldn’t help but smile as she ordered Emer to meet it.

The Azurill’s Water Gun went wide as Serena’s Fletchling dashed to the side and scratched Emer with her claws. Maybe she wasn’t ready to win her own battles just yet, but she could make them easier for her teammates. Aisling had her change tack and go for Tail Whip instead.

This time she hit her opponent right in the… nose? Yes, a small black nose attached to a dark-furred pokemon with a short, bushy tail and reddish paws.

Aisling looked to Serena for an explanation, but she seemed equally confused if not more so.

“A Zorua!” Tracie exclaimed. “They’ve only been reported in the deepest parts of the Winding Woods. Though, I guess that Illusion ability would make them difficult to catalogue.”

The Zorua glanced nervously back at Serena’s Fennekin, almost hiding behind her own tail. Félicité’s ears were pinned back and her bottlebrush tail stood on end, but she looked up to her trainer.

“Oh,” she said smartly. “It seems I caught a Zorua.”

“Cool.” That wasn’t much smarter but whatever. “Are we gonna finish this battle?”

“Yes! Justine use—use your dark-type attack!” Not bad for being flustered.

The Zorua seemed almost as shocked to be asked to continue, but leapt back in with enthusiasm. The dark-type move in question happened to be Feint Attack, which meant that Emer didn’t stand a chance. Justine disappeared in a puff of dark mist and reappeared beside her as she struck. Emer scurried back to Xoana’s waiting arms.

Aisling sent in her Chespin without a moment’s hesitation and had Bree cover her more vulnerable underside to receive the next attack, before trussing up the tricky little creature with Vine Whip until she gave.

Félicité was not as easily ensnared and forced Bree back with Ember. The fire was lovely, to be sure, but Aisling had to douse it. Serena sustained her second shock of the battle when Bree sprouted rocks over her body and went for Félicité like a boulder coming down a mountain. The little fox went tumbling and staggered to her feet only to be struck out as Bree came back around.

It was all over Serena’s face: she had never lost before. Aisling was only too happy to give her that sorely needed experience. Xoana’s eyes had blown wide and Emer hopped back out of her arms to congratulate her teammate. Tierney and Tracie looked rather shocked as well. At least they all knew now.

“That was one hell of a ride, no?” Serena blinked at her, holding her bruised Fennekin in her arms. “Thanks for the battle, Comtesse.”

“Of course,” was all she could muster.

“We’ve gotta work on that Rollout, Bree. I think you can turn tighter than that.”

Bree nodded seriously, dusting the remaining rubble off her arms.

“That was some battle!” said Tierney.

“You were both so great!” Xoana jumped in.

Aisling accepted the compliments, but Serena was still too far away. She kneeled and looked over her two battered pokemon as she sprayed them down with a potion.

“Maybe we should train for a while longer before we challenge the gym,” she told them.

Completely destroyed. If Aisling could have given herself a high five, she would have.

#nuzlocke #storylocke #pokemon y #Kalos #wlw #Tightrope #chapter

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