Hello! I’m @fruitrollup56 but I go by Fruit on here. This is my writing blog. I like writing short one-shots.
Info about me:
Fandoms: Pokémon, One Piece, Xenoblade (mostly just 2), Undead Unluck, Soul Eater, Vocaloid/PJSK, Yo-Kai Watch, Delicious in Dungeon, and Naruto
Favorite characters: Ghetsis Harmonia Groupius is my main favorite but I often go through phases where I’m a fan of random other characters at times.
Favorite colors: Black and green, of course
Favorite animal: The noble pink-toed tarantula, avicularia avicularia
Hobbies: Gaming, cooking, baking, drawing, crafting (ex jewelry making, needle felting, and wire working), and writing, of course
Will write (pairings): Character x reader of any gender, character x oc, oc x oc, character x character
Will NOT write (pairings): Incest, proship, teacher x student, big age gaps, anything that makes me uncomfortable
Will write (genres): Fluff, romance, AU content, headcanons, hurt with comfort, hurt without comfort, angst
Will NOT write (genres): Anything that makes me uncomfortable
My main rule: If you don’t know if I’ll be cool or not with it, just ask! It doesn’t bother me seeing a request that someone isn’t sure whether or not I’ll write. I’d much rather have someone ask rather than not :)
DNI: Racists, proshippers, pedos, homophobes, transphobes, acephobes, the regulars y’know
I will be taking requests at first unless they get too busy for me to handle, in which I will shut off the requests until I can get them handled. They will be opened up again after that.
I am a busy person, though, and it may take me a little while to get to requests, so please be patient with me while I work.
Kahuna Nanu hates Ultra Beasts, but what is he to do when he finds out that you, his long time crush, is one in disguise?
TW: Technical age gap (reader is 330 and Nanu is 55, but development wise they’re about the same) that does not get brought up, human x Ultra Beast/monster relationship, reader is a Xurkitree but is sentient
———————
“When were you gonna tell me that you weren’t human?”
Nanu leans on his hand. He’s got you cornered, to say the very least. You could tell by the tone he used when he asked you to visit him that he had figured something out about you.
You hadn’t expected him to have found out that you were what those at the Aether Foundation called an ‘Ultra Beast’— a Xurkitree, to be exact.
You just stared at him. You had spent so very long crafting your human form that you thought it could trick people for as long as it would take for you to get the data on what the Aether Foundation was doing and return to Ultra Space, but that plan was derailed when you became friends with the old kahuna. Despite Tapu Bulu’s very blatant dislike of you (the Tapus have a sense for Ultra Beasts, so of course it wouldn’t like you), the man decided that you probably just got too close to the Aether Foundation for its approval and disregarded any sort of warning thought he may have had that was about you.
Mostly because he had fallen for you.
Nanu hates admitting it, but it’s true. He had fallen head over heels for you in the time that the two of you had spent together. The slightly awkward but charming way you speak, the way you always look after Pokémon, wild or otherwise, and the curious yet endearing looks you would give him every now and then as if he were a rare gemstone or shiny Pokémon. He had figured out, though, that the look you were giving him was like a scientist looking at mold spores on a plate or like a curious Noctowl eyeing its next Rattata meal.
He felt betrayed. Extremely so.
You wring your hands together and shrug, “I never planned on telling you. In fact, I planned on leaving before the topic ever even found its way into anyone’s subconscious.” You explain.
Nanu shakes his head, “Why? Why would you keep a secret like that from me? From anyone?” He pauses, then he bites his lip and shakes his head, “Actually, that’s a stupid question to be asking. The real things I should be asking are why you’re here, why you decided to disguise yourself as a human, and why you haven’t run on back to Ultra Space yet now that I’ve figured you out.”
“I’m here to stop the Aether Foundation from dabbling any more in our business. Ultra Beasts, as you call them, are smarter than they give us credit for.” You explain, “So there was large outcry for their efforts to… bring us here to be stopped. I came to gather information and report back on how we could stop them.” You say.
Nanu nods, “…S’pose that makes sense. Now, answer my other two questions.” He points at you.
“I’m disguised as a human because of two reasons.” You continue without pausing to dwell on his newly cold and harsh tone, since he obviously has reason to be acting that way, “Firstly, it makes sneaking in so much easier. Even you should recognize that reason.” You claim, “Secondly, I admire human form. How you all are so similar and yet different at the same time. I wished to replicate that for myself and live amongst you for the time I had decided to spend in Alola.” You then pause, hesitant to move onto the next part of your explanation.
Nanu does give you a look that asks for you to continue, though, so you sturdy yourself and shrug your shoulders.
“And I remained in Alola over my desired time because I found myself rather liking human company.” You say, “Especially yours, Nanu. Though, I know that means nothing now that my lie has come to light.”
Nanu narrows his red eyes at you. He can’t tell whether or not you’re telling the truth, but even though he’s found out that you’re an Ultra Beasts, he wants to believe what you’re saying.
“So you don’t mean any harm to real humans, right?” The man asks you, clear skepticism in his voice.
You nod, “Of course.”
“Other Ultra Beasts that have come over here have all wanted to hurt the citizens of Alola. What makes you any different?” He asks.
“There are certain humans who wish to kill other humans. What makes you different than them?” You ask swiftly in return, “And yes, your hesitation to trust me after my lie is understandable, but what you fail to grasp is that Ultra Beasts like myself have been living amongst you for generations now. Sure, some Ultra Beasts have a desire to harm or kill humans, but the majority have never even thought of doing that.” You sigh, “Please believe me. I am just here to learn.”
Nanu gives you one more discerning look, but he eventually sighs and shakes his head in resignation, “Fine. I’ll believe you for now, but I’ll keep a close eye on you to make sure that you don’t go rogue and start killing Alolan citizens, alright?”
You sigh in relief and nod firmly, “Of course. Anything that means I can stay amongst you folks.”
Nanu huffed but gave you a slightly softer look. Despite his searing hatred of Ultra Beasts, perhaps his newfound discovery wouldn’t have too much of an impact on your relationship.
————————
Months had passed since that day and fortunately enough, you had only grown closer with Nanu.
His previous visits to your home to make sure that you hadn’t ’gone rogue’, as he liked to call it, morphed into visits that always included heartfelt conversation and playful banter that, admittedly, left the both of you craving each other in a way that you hated to admit.
You were well aware that you shouldn’t be getting yourself this intertwined with a human and Nanu felt the same about you being an Ultra Beast, but the drag the two of you felt towards each other was undeniable and extremely powerful.
The tension finally snapped on a fine evening at the police station that Nanu had made his home.
The sun had set and Nanu had previously insisted that it was too late for you to head back to your home on your own despite his knowledge that you can take on any sort of Pokémon or human being that chose to mess with you.
You sit next to the man on his couch. His arm is lazily draped over your shoulders while you keep your attention on the television program playing in the background. Nanu was dozing off, as he had been for the last half an hour or so now, but you were wide awake. Whatever had turned on the television intrigued you so.
You were well aware of how humans displayed affection to each other. Hugs, kisses, etcetera, but you had never seen it displayed so brightly as what was being shown on the television. You had never thought that actions like that could be as meaningful as what they were being portrayed as.
A thought then climbs into your mind and you cast a sideways glance at Nanu. Slowly, you lean towards him, the television program drifting out of your focus and into the background.
You place a kiss on his forehead.
Nanu immediately snaps back awake and rubs his eyes, any sign of drowsiness the man was previously experiencing disappearing just as quickly as you had given him that kiss.
“Hey, hey, what was that?” Nanu asks you, swiftly demanding your attention.
You keep your gaze away from him and shrug your shoulders, “Just replicating what I saw on the television.” You claim, though the both of you know that was a lie and that there was meaning to the kiss you had just given to him.
Nanu sighs and drags a hand down his face, “What did I tell you about the lying thing? It makes you seem untrustworthy.” He says, “Tell me the truth. And don’t use the TV as a scapegoat this time.”
You shrug once more, trying to portray an air of casualty to your awkward admission, “I suppose that I just wanted to try out affection. I mean, what those humans on the television show said to each other sounded like… how I feel about you, so I assumed it was only right to do what they were doing.” You say.
Nanu blinks a few times. Until now, he hadn’t thought that you could feel anything, let alone romantic attraction. At least, he thought that’s what you were describing, and he would be right.
Your eyes bore into his for a moment and the man eventually slumps his head against your chest, his cheeks turning the faintest of pinks, “Alright, alright, I get what you’re saying.” Nanu says, trying to play his actions off as casual, “I feel the same, but I’m too tired to discuss it in full right now.” He says.
“You are always too tired, Nanu.” You say, bringing one of your hands up to rub circles on his back. Even though you don’t know much of anything about humans, you know that the action is supposed to be soothing. When Nanu snuggles closer to you, you know that said action worked as you intended it to do so.
“You caught me. But regardless, let’s not think about it too much.” He mumbles, “I love you. And that’s all that matters. We’ll discuss labels later. If you want to. If you even want to be in a relationship.”
He then laughs, “Though, you’re an Ultra Beast. Do you even have context for that sort of thing?”
“Of course I do.” You quickly reply, “We aren’t solitary creatures in Ultra Space. We have intimate and loving relationships, just like you humans do.”
“But you weren’t aware of what affection is like?” He asks you with a faint frown.
“Of course not. It’s far different in Ultra Space than it is here. Especially with the lack of limbs.” You reply, making Nanu laugh softly.
“Alright, I guess that makes sense.” He mumbles, “…you do want to be in a relationship, right? I didn’t just go talking too much, right?” He then asks.
“Obviously. I would be a fool to tell someone as wonderful as you ‘no’. Especially since it is all too clear that we feel the same, or at the very least, similarly.” You grin.
Nanu sighs softly, but this time it’s in an affectionate, happy way.
“Good. Because I love you. Even if that’s weird to say because you’re some otherworldly electric creature.” Nanu says as he sits his head back onto your chest.
“I love you as well. Even if you’re a small, fleshy human.” You hum as you bring a hand up to stroke through his hair, content with this turn of events and with the way your life seems to be going with Nanu by your side.
After lots of trouble, you and Terragon finally manage to get some alone time together away from Racine Construction and the crushing responsibilities of every day, and you decide to make the very most of that chance.
TW: Sexual themes, smut, ‘reader’ is the same age as Terragon
———————
The door is locked firmly and the lights are turned down low.
Racine Construction is shut down for the day. Some excuse about the workers needing a break and Canari needing the whole place for a certain stream she’ll be running.
You knew what the real reason why the construction company got shut down for the day, though.
Back and forth, you roll the thought around your head as you lie partially underneath the covers of a bed that is a little more than unfamiliar to you. It smells of rust and sawdust and a gentle, faint musk that you wouldn’t have recognized if you didn’t become so acquainted with its owner.
You tug the blanket up as it falls off of your bare chest, listening to the shower run. Terragon had promised you that once he ‘washed the dirt off from the day’ that he would come in and meet you, but the tension was driving you insane.
You could barely take it. You wanted to feel his hands all over you like he had promised. You wanted to let him destroy you and-
The door to the bathroom opens and you immediately turn towards the sound. Before you can register that your beloved has returned, Terragon slides into bed next to you and pulls your head down so he can manage a kiss with just the right amount of tongue.
When you break apart, you brush your hair out of your face, “It took you long enough. You made me wait for so, so long… it’s cruel, you know.” You mumble as you sit close enough to him to where your noses are almost touching.
“I know, darlin’.” He replies as a grin starts to form on his bearded face, “I’ll make it up to ya, just like I said I would.”
Despite the very distinct strength difference between the two of you (Terragon being much weaker despite his construction background because years of work has worn him down), you allow him to guide you underneath him. He pins your hands down in the best way he can do so, and he leans down so he can manage another few kisses on your face.
Hesitantly and with genuine precaution, Terragon moves the blanket from off of your chest, taking a brief moment to marvel at how beautiful you are.
You jolt as he leans down and takes a tit into his mouth. The lack of self control the man has is blatant, but you enjoy that fact to the fullest. Especially as his tongue makes circles around one of your newly firm nipples.
He tugs his face away from your chest, making you whine from the lack of the touch. Terragon casts you a smug grin, “Just be patient, darlin’. I’ll give you what you need.”
You clutch at his chest while he gets into position, your pussy begging for his cock. You wish you could put it into words, but you don’t know how to at the moment.
Despite not having much length, Terragon knows how to use every single inch of his dick to the fullest, and you’re fully ready to experience it once again.
The moment he slipped it in, you made a terrible, slightly strangled noise just because you knew that you would finally feel some sort of relief after having to wait so long for him.
“Ain’t that nice, darlin’?” Terragon asks you through faint pants as he slides in and out of you in a practiced, serious motion, “I told you that I’d fix you up. Make you right. Please you correctly.”
Even though his rambling is a little pointless, you hang onto every single word. A soft whimper leaves your lips and you grip onto his shoulders. Through shaky breaths, you speak, “I know… I never doubted you.” You huff out as the two of you stay intertwined.
He grunts as the tension between you two slowly build. You feel your legs tremble, your body begging for Terragon and the release he can provide to you, and you’re well aware that Terragon feels the exact same way.
When your release finally rushes over you, your back arches and you squeeze around the man, a moan leaving your lips. You cry out his name and grip at his chest, then revel in the pleasant moment when you feel his release inside of you and the quiet, desperate call of your name that makes your heart flutter like a person who has just started to fall in love, even though the two of you have been together for years now.
Terragon’s breathing is heavy for a moment and although you aren’t paying attention to your own, you know that it likely matches his own. You reach a hand down and gently rub it down his back as he crawls up the bed and shimmies under the covers right next to you.
He snakes his arm around you and places a kiss onto your cheek. You hum and return the kiss to his forehead.
“I love you, Terragon.” You whisper as the man’s breathing slows down and he seems to become a bit more sleepy after your passionate activities, as he often does, “Thank you for making the time for me.”
He nods and hums contentedly, “I love you too, darlin’. We’ll have to take another day off sometime.” He says as he winks at you.
You laugh softly and nod as you feel Terragon drift off to sleep on your chest, “I agree. We’ll have to do this again very, very soon.”
zoro period comfort one shot / drabble!! little bit of cuddling on a sunny day
Zoro x Reader - Strangely Timed Comfort
On a strange day on the Sunny, Zoro sneaks off to his beloved’s room to solve an issue they’ve been having as of lately.
TW: Period pain/period cramps/period sex, slightly aloof Zoro, spoilers
———————
The light streamed through your window and over onto the sheets on your delicately made bed. The rocking back and forth of the Sunny made you more so sick to your stomach than you were previously. Being a pirate and being on your period was a combination that many a person wished they didn’t have to endure.
Unlike many others, though, you had Pirate Hunter Zoro to make your more miserable days just a bit more bearable.
This morning, you sat clutching a pillow to your chest while ignoring the sick feeling that every now and then flared up in your throat. Because of how terrible you felt, you barely noticed that the door to your bedroom clicked open and shut closed.
A large, calloused hand finds its way to your hip and offers it a squeeze.
“You’re still in bed?” Zoro, your boyfriend since you started this pirate journey with the Straw Hat Crew, asks you in a slightly worried and slightly judgmental tone.
You shrug faintly as an attempt to get him to remove his hand from your hip, not wanting to deal with his judgement, “I told you that I was cramping really badly this morning and warned you that I might not get out of bed. Your tone and attitude won’t change that.” You claim.
Zoro huffs in a childish manner, but he scoots over to sit next to you on the queen sized mattress, “…that just happens sometimes though.” He mumbles.
“That doesn’t make it any less of an inconvenience, Zoro.” You mumble out as his hand snakes around your waist and finds a place to sit on your lower stomach.
His thumb presses gently onto your sensitive stomach, earning the faintest of whimpers from you. At your unexpected reaction, he peers down at your face and gets this odd smirk on his face that could only possibly mean one thing for the two of you.
He glances over at the door, then back down at your gradually flushing face. He tilts his head as if to ask if what he’s about to do is okay, and you nod so as to approve his request.
Slowly, he moves the blanket off of you and moves his rough hands down to undo the buttons on your pants. Despite a bit of trouble, he manages to get them off of you and off of the side of the bed.
Warmth gathers between your legs as Zoro fumbles with his own pants as the tension in the room grows both sensually and awkwardly, if that’s even possible.
When he manages to do so, he’s all too eager to stick his giant, thick cock into you.
Zoro knows nothing about being gentle, so when he decides to really go for sex, you know you’re going to be sore the next morning… but at least it’s so much better than continuing to be distracted by your terrible cramps.
All he has to do is dip his tip into you to get you whimpering. It’s almost pathetic in his mind, but the more pathetic you are for him the better.
The further he goes in, the more you clench around him, making him moan and even whimper, though not to the same degree as you are.
One of his hands grabs onto your wrist and the slight jolt makes you open your eyes- and you’re so very glad you did.
You stare into his green eyes and pause at the sight of his green hair a mess and sweat dribbling down his face. It slides down his brow and over his lips- oh, his lips, how you wish you could feel them against your pussy, but that would have to wait for another day.
The heat builds and eventually snaps, causing you to practically scream out Zoro’s name followed by a beg that comes out as more of a demand for him to continue to pleasure you in a way only he can.
With the strong wave of your climax, he comes right after you and shouts your name out in tandem.
Slowly, your passionate moment comes crashing down when the two of you break apart for a split moment, Zoro eventually collapsing onto your chest with his face right between both of your tits.
“That was an appropriate distraction.” You mumble as you reach a worn out hand up to run through Zoro’s hair.
“Good.” Zoro replies, his voice slightly muffled in your chest, “That was the point.”
A shapeshifter is sent to keep close tabs on the dungeon’s new chimera, but a hiccup occurs when the two seem to get closer than expected.
TW: Chimera Falin and shapeshifter reader, they are both monsters
————————
Things were quiet in the dungeon for the first time in a long while. More than often there was a cry of a monster such as a growl or hiss that signaled fighting between two parties of either the same monster species or rivaling clans of different monsters. That or adventurers crying out in pain from being mauled or being in battle.
But on the sixth floor, things are silent. Deathly silent.
You sit on the floor in a hastily constructed nest that’s far too big for your small, slime based body. Because it makes your new boss, the chimera, more comfortable, you stick in a semi-elven form with pointed ears and a human-like body that you would have no use for had it not made the chimera not give you that nasty glare she uses to the fullest.
Behind you in the sloppy nest is said chimera, curled up and resting peacefully at the moment. The master of the dungeon has been cruel to the red dragon- what her body once was -for quite some time, preventing her… or them, from resting. You had to enjoy the peace that was brought to her because of her endless fighting and struggling as of lately. You weren’t expecting for her, during her rest, to require you stick by her side.
Soft feathers press against your back as you fidget with broken pieces of rock and torn up roots that make up the nest. The chimera’s soft breathing soothes you, to an extent, since it’s a signal that she’s really sleeping.
Because the master of the dungeon had forced you to keep close watch over her, you hadn’t had much time to rest either. Although shapeshifters don’t need rest in the conventional sense (sleeping, keeping well-fed), they still require breaks and you are no exception.
You find yourself stretching out a bit, but that movement seems to alert the chimera. She wakes from her slumber and moves her head down towards you, her curious, golden brown eyes looking you up and down.
“Do you not sleep, shapeshifter?” She quietly asks you in that tone that inexplicably makes your jelly heart leap.
You gently shake your head, “No, master, I do not. I am not your regular sort of shapeshifter, but rather one that’s based in slimes.” You reply, “And so, since slimes do not sleep, I do not sleep either.”
“But you are much more smart than any slime I’ve ever met.” She replies as she sits her head onto your shoulder, making you shiver. The gentle feeling almost makes you drop your form due to shock and comfort, but you stop yourself by bringing to mind your mission and how important it is that you keep this body up so the chimera won’t unleash her wrath upon you.
“Only because I have been given unusual intellect by the lord of the dungeon.” You claim as you cast a glance over to her, the confused expression gracing her face amusing you just a bit.
“How sad. You’re forced to live as a slime but you are smarter than any of your brethren.” She says with a frown.
“Not a slime, a shapeshifter, but more or less, yes.” You confirm, “I suppose it isn’t any problem, as I have favor in the eyes of the lord of the dungeon. The same is to you. You have so much more knowledge and power because you are special in his eyes.”
“I should intervene with him, then. I can have him give you a body. A proper one. One that reflects your brain and elegance.” She sleepily replies as she curls a bit tighter around you.
“I would say the same to you, but your body already reflects your internal beauty.” You say as you watch her drift back to sleeping.
Softly, you sigh.
‘A body of my own,’ You think to yourself, ‘ordained by my master. How lucky could a beast get?’
(Inspired by the Ogata Dagashi song, linked here:)
When you were children, Corbeau promised you that he would bring you across the world. Now that you’re older, he fully intends to fulfill that promise.
TW: None! Enjoy freely.
———————
It was widely assumed by the Rust Syndicate that their boss didn’t have a soft spot for any sort of romantic partner… or that a romantic partner would have a soft spot for him.
He was sort of this untouchable pillar for many; a beast that could not be touched or gotten close to because of his status and past. To many, talking to Corbeau was like talking to some sort of CEO or monarch.
That’s not the case for you, though.
You knew Corbeau when the two of you were children. Even though your parents warned you about talking to strange children on the streets, you couldn’t stay away from the purple haired boy who was always lingering near alleyways with his Venipede.
Over time, after wearing him down enough to get to know him, you and Corbeau became friends. The two of you would spend many days wandering the long, winding streets of Lumiose and talking about whatever you could find to talk about. It was like that for quite some time, but your casual fun started to halt when Corbeau was taken under the wing of Lumiose’s one and only Lysandre. Because of his lack of time to see you, Corbeau promised you that he would find you again once he had more time. He told you that he would bring you all over the world once he had the chance and that it was a promise.
Corbeau has never forgotten that promise, and now that things in Lumiose have calmed down a little bit, he’s been making certain arrangements for the two of you.
You’re called by him bright and early one morning, answering the phone and smiling when you hear his voice and his nickname for you.
He tells you that you need to come down to his office with an open mind, which makes you incredibly curious. What could he want this early, you wonder?
So you get yourself ready and you head down to his office, still curious and a bit antsy to find out what he wants to tell you.
You take the elevator up to the beautifully decorated room and approach Corbeau’s desk, an eyebrow raising at the faint grin he has placed on his pale face.
“So, what’s this about?” You ask him with a small tilt of your head.
“I plan on finally fulfilling my promise to you, sunshine.” He says with a nod, “I told you that I was going to take you all over the world, and I fully intend on doing that.”
You gasp as he slides you a file. You pick it up and begin to flip through everything he has put in it: pamphlets, magazine clippings, and a plethora of printed out pictures of destinations and restaurants.
“Corbeau, what is this?” You ask him with wide eyes, “You can’t really be thinking about taking me all of these places.”
“Not thinking, sunshine. Doing.” He says with a firm nod, “I already have all of our plane tickets. A whole half a year across the world.” He says with a bright smile, “I’m going to bring you on dates absolutely everywhere. Galar, Paldea, Kanto, you name it. I’m going to go everywhere with you.”
You cover your mouth with your hand and manage a nod. You can’t believe it. He’s finally fulfilling his promise to you. You’re going to see the world with Corbeau.
After years, you return to Lumiose to find that things have completely changed… and that your first love has completely forgotten you.
TW: Hurt with no comfort
———————
After stepping off of the train, you take a deep breath in.
You had missed the city of Lumiose so deeply. In fact, you had missed all of Kalos. You had grown up there and had spent most of your life there, but a job opportunity in Galar pulled you away from the city you loved so dearly.
You promised people you knew that you would be back, but you hadn’t expected for the job you had to fulfill to take nearly six years. For a little over a year after you had left, you had exchanged letters with your lover, Lysandre, but the letters he had been sending you back completely stopped after what Kalos had been calling the very worst thing to happen in quite some time. Your lover had tried to destroy the entire region to create a ‘new, more beautiful world’, but just ended up getting himself killed instead. Of course, you missed him, but there wasn’t anything you could do now that he was gone.
You take a brief look around and smile. Despite the changes the city is clearly undergoing, you feel back at home amongst the tall buildings and rustic appearance of the streets that sit in front of you.
Grabbing your luggage, you head down the paved road towards your new apartment. It’s tucked in the very edge of the Vert district near a strange looking café that you fully intend on going to get a coffee from on the regular. It’s often said that nothing beats Lumiose’s coffee, and after spending six years in Galar, you can wholeheartedly agree with that statement.
You then bring all of your luggage into your apartment and decide to go explore the city. Taking in all of its changes, you find a place on a bench (that receives a bit of your scorn due to being very clearly anti-homeless) to sit and watch a few people pass.
Eventually, a figure in the crowd sticks out to you. You frown and get up from your seat, deciding to investigate the oddly familiar visage.
The crowd thins and noticing that he was being trailed, the man turns around.
The both of you freeze. Your eyes lock onto him and your hands drop to your sides.
“Lysandre?” You ask, barely able to believe who you’re seeing.
It can’t be. He was supposed to be dead.
The man frowns, “I’m sorry, I don’t know who that is. I think you have the wrong person.”
He turns back around and you reach out for him but pull your hand away.
In a way, you think, the rumors were true. Lysandre is dead. Whoever this is that has replaced him is not the man you once knew and loved. This is someone else completely.
You have searched a million timelines for one where Ingo comes back home to you and reunites with his brother, but the one you end up finding isn’t at all what you had wanted.
TW: Hurt with no comfort
———————
Arceus had blessed you with a gift; an ability to travel between various timelines.
From the moment you learned you could use it, you began to search every single timeline for one thing: your fiancé, Ingo.
He had disappeared a little over three years ago and everything in your life had gone off kilter.
Your friendship with his twin brother, Emmet, had completely fallen apart. Emmet couldn’t even look you in the face without thinking of his brother and how the two of you were once inseparable.
Of course, since Ingo had gone missing, your wedding plans fell apart. You canceled all of the reservations and sent out notices to your family and friends that the wedding would not be happening. You dealt with flurries of ‘what happened?’ and ‘I’m so sorry!’ with every phone call.
Ingo’s side of your king sized bed grew to feel so lonely that you just sold the whole thing and bought a twin sized one. You took it as a sign that things were really over and that he wasn’t coming back.
Your gift had given you new hope, though.
The moment you figured out how, you started jumping between timelines to search for your beloved Ingo. You did the same thing every single time: go to the Battle Subway, talk to Emmet, and if he hadn’t seen Ingo and he was missing in that timeline, you jumped to the next one and started looking around for the Battle Subway once again.
Your search was taking years. Every now and then you drop back to your original timeline, but you don’t stay for long at all. Only long enough to reassure those around you that you were just traveling to ‘see the sights’ now that you were single again.
Despite the struggle, you continue to hunt for Ingo to what you first assumed to be no avail, but eventually, you stumbled upon a timeline in which Emmet tells you that Ingo is running the single train today and would be back to the station soon if you wanted to speak to him.
You thanked him profusely and waited in Gear Station until the single battle train returned to the station. The moment Ingo stepped out of the green colored train, you race over to him and embrace him.
“Ingo!” You exclaim, “I missed you so, so much!”
Ingo freezes, pauses for a moment, then hesitantly pushes you away from him, “I’m sorry but… who exactly are you?”
You immediately stop in your tracks. In your grief, you hadn’t realized that it was a possibility that Ingo wouldn’t remember you. You hadn’t gotten engaged in this timeline. You hadn’t even met him.
Your hands drop to your sides and you stare him in the eyes. Those soft gray eyes that you missed so much are now filled with confusion and a little bit of sadness that seems to be directed towards you.
After that, you head back home and resign yourself to your fate. You’re probably never seeing Ingo again, and if you are, it isn’t going to be your Ingo.
In every universe, in every piece of code, you’re resigned to be alone.
It’s working hours during a hot day at Racine Construction but you and Terragon are doing the opposite of working…
TW: Mature scenes, ‘reader’ is the same age as Terragon
——————
It was hot outside. Burning hot outside.
All of the windows in Racine Construction were put up and the garage door that was usually closed was put all the way up, showing the usually private work area to the entirety of Lumiose.
A few construction workers wander the premises, organizing materials and making sure that everything is in place. Canari is out today, having scheduled a date with Gwynn for the first time in quite a while. Other than it being a scorcher, things seem to be quite regular in Racine Construction.
That is the case unless a worker strays too close to the gender-neutral employee bathroom.
You and Terragon are behind the locked door, trying to stay as quiet as possible despite the position the two of you are in.
Earlier, you had wanted to beat the heat, so you went to sit in the bathroom for a little while where the air conditioning worked the best. Terragon had a similar idea and followed you into the restroom. Things degraded from there and the two of you had broken into a full-out makeout session.
Soft whimpers spill from your mouth as the man places kisses on your collarbone and up your neck. You grab onto the grungy sink for leverage as your lips meet his, finally earning a low groan from Terragon.
One of his hands is on your hip to hold himself up and the other rests on your breast, grabbing to both explore and pleasure.
You try to not let yourself disintegrate under his rough but kind touch. You have to keep yourself together in fear that someone will be able to hear you if you moan too loudly.
The kids between the two of you breaks apart and Terragon goes back to giving attention to your neck and collarbone that has been conveniently exposed due to the silken material that makes up your shirt and the relatively poor ability for your buttons to hold.
He gives more nips and kisses to your throat, causing more noises to slip out of your mouth. Out of nowhere, he stops and makes a ‘shh’ sound at you, then he winks.
“Just quiet down a little bit, sweetheart.” He mumbles, “We don’t wanna get caught, do we?”
You gently shake your head and tilt your head back up, an implication that you want his attention on your body once again. Of course, he obliges and resumes his onslaught, his lips slowly making their way up to your face.
Right as you’re about to go in for another kiss, slamming sounds are heard from the door.
You both pause in your tracks and you suck in a quick breath, trying to be as quiet as possible as a voice calls out: “Hurry it up! Whoever’s in there, you gotta quit hoarding the bathroom!” They exclaim.
Both you and Terragon sigh and exchange an awkward glance. You had been trying not to get caught, but someone is waiting outside of the bathroom.
How in the world are you two going to get out of this situation now?
Piers isn’t a fan of staying outside for long periods of time, but with you, he’ll make an exception.
TW: None! Enjoy freely.
———————
Piers had promised you that he was going to go on a hike with you since you seemed so excited to go on one with him… but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t excited about it.
He’s not the sort of guy to spend a lot of time under the blazing hot sun (even if he’s under tree cover) and because of how pale he is, he sunburns easily. He decided that, to make you happy, he would go on a hiking date with you regardless of his preference for being indoors. Especially since he had picked the locations for the last three dates the two of you went on.
The two of you chose to hike on a trail in a secluded forest on the very edge of Galar. The end of the hiking trail overlooks the ocean surrounding the region in a beautiful, glistening view that you’re extremely excited to see.
You stand on the edge of the trail and put on sunscreen, your tall boyfriend next to you doing the same thing. Although you’re dressed in relatively appropriate hiking attire (a short sleeved tee, a pair of athletic shorts, knee-high socks, and tennis shoes), Piers is still dressed head-to-toe in his regular punk attire. Although it isn’t his gym uniform, he’s still sporting lots of spikes, platform shoes, and an amount of black clothing that makes you worry for him and his tendency to get overheated. You just tell yourself that you’ll keep a close eye on him and will make him rest if he shows signs of heatstroke.
After helping Piers put on sunscreen, the two of you head out onto the trail and start your hike.
The path is a bit bumpy and uneven, but you’re able to keep your footing. Piers, not so much. The man almost trips over roots and rocks every five or so minutes, giving you a hearty scare every time it happens. Eventually, you hold hands while you head down the path so as to make sure that you can catch him if he ends up actually falling (though, since he’s significantly taller than you, he might just end up bringing you down with him).
You stop about halfway up the trail to have a few snacks and to reapply sunscreen. You make sure to remind Piers to stay hydrated (since he usually only drinks energy drinks) so he doesn’t pass out and make you drag him back to your bus stop. Reluctantly, he drinks more water so that you don’t have to worry about him and can enjoy the hike.
The second half of the hike takes only a little longer than the first with the first part being about a half an hour and the second being about forty-five minutes. The two of you reach the overlook and you excitedly peer over the rope fence that had been set up to keep people from toppling over the rocky ledge and into the ocean.
“You need to come see this, Piers.” You say to him with a smile, piquing the man’s curiosity regarding what’s so special about the view.
He steps up next to you and looks out over the ocean from the strange vantage point that the two of you have. He makes a soft ‘hm’ sound and sits his thin arm around your waist, one of his large hands coming to rest on your hip.
“I guess you were right.” The blue eyed man admits, “This is a pretty cool sight… and it’s been a pretty great date so far.” He admits.
You glance up at him and crack a brighter smile, “Really? Does this mean I’ll be able to take you on more dates like this? Hikes and beach walks and all of the above?” You ask.
Piers sits a hand on his chin in contemplation, then he shrugs, “If I make it out of here without a sunburn, I’ll think about it.” He teases, gently squeezing your side.
You scoff and elbow his side, “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.” You say, leaning your head back against his shoulder.
Even though you two have the hike back to the bus stop, you’re both content with how this date has gone… and are both excited to have another one similar to it in the future.
(Inspired by the Death Cab for Cutie song, linked here:)
Emmet used to be such a sweet man, but after the loss of his brother, he’s become someone who you can no longer recognize due to grief.
TW: Guilt tripping, mentions of therapy and mental illness, Emmet is mean at times, mostly angst with comfort at the end
———————
You gently tap your fingers on your dining table, your gaze looking anywhere but at your husband, Emmet.
The two of you sit in thick silence while trying to enjoy your meal. Tensions had been high between the two of you as of recently, especially since Emmet has changed so drastically as of lately.
You understand that for Emmet, losing his twin was the worst possible thing that could have happened to him, but you hadn’t expected for him to become the person he had. He’s antisocial and reserved now and so unknowingly cruel to you. He didn’t mean to be, but the way he spoke and acted was just so unnatural for him. It upset you incredibly badly, but there wasn’t anything you could do about it other than try to bring it up and suggest therapy again, which he had rejected the thought of many times.
You stuck your fork into a brussel sprout and lifted it to your lips, pausing when Emmet clears his throat.
“Hey. You’ve been acting weird lately. Why?” Emmet swiftly asks you, making you sit your fork back down onto your plate.
“I don’t know, I just-” You then sigh, “I think we need to talk, actually.”
Emmet freezes but he tries to focus on what you’re saying, “Alright… about what?”
“About you and our relationship.” You plainly say.
Emmet’s hand tightens on his fork. You aren’t going to leave him when he’s in this state, are you? That would be horrible of you, and he isn’t afraid to make that known.
He stands up from his seat and slams his hands onto the table, “Is this your way of saying you want to divorce me?? You can’t- you can’t do that! What do you think will happen if you leave me? I will lose it. I will lose my mind!” He exclaims.
You stand up as well, noticing these blatant symptoms of his. You reach across the table and gently grab onto his arm, “Emmet! I’m not going to leave you!” You try to reassure him, “I still love you. You know that. I remind you of it every day.”
He sniffles a bit and you gently shake your head, “Emmet… let’s sit down on the couch and have a chat, okay? I’m not leaving you. I promise.” You reassure him.
He nods in agreement and follows you to the couch. You sit next to him and watch as his hands fidget with the legs of his dress pants.
You reach over and gently squeeze his shoulder, “I know you’re going to tell me no again, but I really think that you should look into getting some help.” You say, “I understand that the loss of your brother was hard for you and the it isn’t just something that you can move on from, but that’s exactly why you need to go and get help. I love you, Emmet, but you haven’t been yourself at all recently and it’s really upsetting me. You’ve been rude and cold and unfamiliar and honestly I just want my husband back.” You desperately say to him.
He frowns and tugs away from you, “I do NOT need help! I am allowed to be upset that my brother is gone and I can react in any way I like to that! I have not been rude to you!” He exclaims, “You are telling me falsehoods! Liar! You just think I need to go get help for something trivial, don’t you? There’s something that you don’t like about me that you want them to fix!”
“Yeah, I want my Emmet to return to me! I don’t want whatever shell of a man you are now!” You exclaim as tears well in your eyes. Why can’t he understand?
You shove him back and stand up from the couch, making the decision to go to bed early so you can scan through your thoughts. Arguing with Emmet is like arguing with a brick wall, so you know you aren’t going to get anywhere in this conversation.
You get changed and get into bed. A couple hours pass before you hear the door open.
Slowly, the bed creaks with Emmet lying down next to you. He wraps an arm around you and sits his forehead against the base of your neck, “I am Emmet, and I am sorry for shouting at you earlier.” He mumbles, “I’ll do better in the future… and look into counseling, just because I love you.”
You sigh and roll over to place a kiss on his forehead, “Thank you, Emmet. I love you too.”
Even though it isn’t a perfect situation, it’s an improvement from where the two of you were before. At least you’ve convinced him to help himself. The future could be brighter for the both of you now that you’re doing something about his issues.
Now that Corbeau has you in his life, he won’t let anyone get between the two of you. Even if that means killing to get his way.
TW: Obsession, mention of character murder, implied kidnapping
———————
Your friend had spoken poorly of your relationship with Corbeau. They claimed that they thought he was a bit ‘creepy’ with the way he looked at you. You didn’t think anything about it, laughing it off as ridiculous. You told them that you didn’t think he was any sort of threat and, although he was a plainly powerful man, he wasn’t going to hurt you in any way or hurt anyone else because of you.
That statement turned out to be blatantly wrong, though.
You had heard word from your friend’s family that they were murdered in some sort of hired hit. You racked your mind to think of who could do this, but came up completely short.
You sat on your couch in your living room with your hand covering your mouth from shock and grief, Corbeau right next to you. He peers over your shoulder curiously at your phone and a grin forms on his face.
“Oh, they were taken care of much more swiftly than I thought they would have been.” Corbeau mumbles loud enough for you to hear. As if he wanted you to know that this was his doing.
Your eyes widen in horror and your head snaps over to him, “Excuse me, what?!” You ask, unable to believe what you just heard your boyfriend say.
“Oh, don’t act so shocked. They talked poorly of us, so they had to be handled.” He sits a hand on his chest and nods, not even thinking for a second that what he just did could have been wrong in any way shape or form. All he knew is that he defended your relationship’s pride by getting rid of someone who criticized the two of you and that was a good thing.
You blinked and slowly sat your phone down, your hands starting to shake, “Corbeau… you had someone kill my friend because they said that they thought you were creepy?” You ask him, barely able to process what’s going on.
Corbeau nods, “Obviously! Who wouldn’t? I mean, you’re my wonderful partner. My love, my life, my everything.” He reaches up and gently cups your cheek. You hesitate to pull away, terrified of him in this moment, “I would do anything for you, and that includes moving people who question our undying love… out of the way, let’s say. Just like your friend.” He says, narrowing his gaze.
You swallow thickly. Abruptly, your sweet, loving Corbeau had been replaced with this murderer monster. You should have listened to your friend’s warning, but where would that have left you? Probably dead, right by their side.
Corbeau leans in closer to you, observing the fear in your eyes. He sighs and shakes a finger at you, “The moment I leave, you’re going to go and tell someone about this, aren’t you?”
You don’t have to reply. He knows that the answer is yes.
His grip on your jaw tightens and he yanks you towards him, “My beloved. My sweet, wonderful beloved. Turns out I can’t be leaving your side any time soon.” He hums, “I suppose I’ll have to get you a ride to my penthouse where I’m sure you’ll be incredibly comfortable.”
You know that you can’t say ‘no’. You just nod and resign yourself to your fate.
Ghetsis isn’t the most caring of lovers, but on days when you act really off, he shows that he really loves you.
TW: Ghetsis as a character I suppose (he’s still a bad guy here and he thinks about ‘getting rid of’ your boss and coworkers’)
———————
You wished you could stop waking up with headaches.
You’ve tried everything: drinking water, getting more sleep, taking the occasional Tylenol, cutting down on screen time, even eating a bit better… but nothing has worked and you still have a headache for the better part of your days. Doctors said it was probably something with the way you were sleeping and that nothing could be done about it, but that doesn’t mean it was any less of a pain and that you wished something could fix it. But like clockwork, you wake up and a headache starts.
The same could be said for this morning.
You rolled over in your bed and stuffed your face into your pillow with the softest of groans as the pounding in your skull formed just enough discomfort that you couldn’t fall back asleep. The light pouring through the curtained window next to your bed agitated it further and you thought for a good moment about curling into a ball underneath the sheets and not getting up until it was gone, but you had work to go to and your boss probably wouldn’t be very appreciative if you missed another day. He had claimed you were on thin ice and would lose your job if you continued to miss, so there wasn’t anything you could do.
After about half an hour from your waking up, you hear shifting from next to you in the bed. Ghetsis, your husband, was probably waking up to get ready for whatever he does as one of the esteemed Seven Sages of Team Plasma. Usually, he’ll just grunt out a ‘good morning’ and get ready in silence (he is anything but a morning person), but today you feel one of his large hands placed onto your hip.
You peek your head out of the pillows to see red eyes on you.
“You’re not out of bed yet. Why?” Ghetsis asks simply, his voice rough from sleep. He knows that you usually wake up and get ready just a little while before he does, so seeing you still in bed next to him is more or less confusing for the man.
“Headache.” You mumble as you shut your eyes and try to make the painful feeling go away (to no avail, obviously), “I’ll get up soon. I promise that I won’t be late to my job, either.”
This makes Ghetsis frown. He’s heard plenty about your boss from you and how your company doesn’t act kindly towards your uncontrollable problem and if given the chance, he would have the majority of people in charge of you go missing… but that would be bad for your employment status AND you’d probably be able to figure out it was him who ‘took care’ of the people who you work with. That doesn’t mean he isn’t upset for you over it, though.
“You should call off.” He mumbles as he lies back down and slides the hand that was previously lying on your hip around you. He then tugs you closer, coming to rest his face in your hair.
“I would, but I was told that I would get fired if I took another day off.” You mumble, gently patting his hand as a sign of lazy affection.
That makes him frown even more, “Ridiculous. If they fire you over taking a few sick days here and there then they simply can’t understand your worth.”
You manage a small laugh at that, “You might think that, but to them, I’m just a replaceable cog in the machine. If I’m defective, they can just throw me away and get another one.”
“False. You are one of a kind, my beloved.” He mumbles, still groggy from sleep.
You flush at the term of endearment and how out of character it is from your husband. Clearly, he isn’t paying attention to what he’s saying and every thought is going straight to his mouth without passing the Ghetsis brain check. It does make you feel a bit better about the situation, though. How someone like Ghetsis sees worth in you even if your job doesn’t.
“Thank you, sweetheart.” You finally reply to him as you scoot yourself closer to his chest and further into his warm, one armed embrace, “Maybe I will call off. I can always just find another job, right..?” You mumble with a small smile.
Ghetsis nods, “That’s the best choice here. Get some rest and defeat that headache.” He says, then he presses a kiss to your forehead before releasing you from his grasp and getting up to get dressed.
His mission was achieved; getting you to take care of yourself and value your health over other’s expectations. He’s proud that he managed to do it, even if he had to get a little mushy for you.
Usually, an Applin is a traditional confession gift in Galar, but Raihan thinks that tradition is outdated.
TW: None! Enjoy freely!
———————
Raihan wrung his hands behind his back as he waited for you outside of a small park in Hammerlock.
He had decided that today was the day he was going to let you know how he really felt -and have felt about you- since the two of you met.
The day that you came to take him on in his gym was boring. He didn’t have much to do and it was grinding at the back of his brain as he had played on his phone. Then you showed up and swept through the gym trials without a single moment of weakness.
When you finally had come face-to-face, Raihan had to admit he was a little bit nervous. You had done so well in the gym challenge and against the other trainers in the gym, so would you sweep him in an embarrassing defeat in front of all of his fans?
It ended up being an extremely close battle, though. It came down to both of your final Pokémon with you eventually taking the win and earning the gym badge… and Raihan’s undying respect.
You were a tough battler and he always admires tough battlers, but you were also extremely handsome and dedicated to taking home a win from his gym. After encountering you a few more times and witnessing how you had literally saved the entirety of the Galar region (and possibly the world), the dragon-type trainer had to admit that he had a little crush on you.
Well… it was little at first.
With every day that passed, Raihan grew more and more enamored with you. Every little thing made him think of you.
Especially the silly Pokémon Goomy.
His Goodra had a clutch of the little guys a few months ago and their sweet and expressive faces made him immediately think of you. Even better, a shiny had come from that clutch that every now and then, he would call by your name.
‘A rare Goomy among the silly bunch.’ He thought, ‘Just as rare as they are…’
Well, he caught the Pokémon in a love ball and took it with him to what was supposed to be a hangout at the park with you.
Usually, confessions on Galar happen when someone gives an Applin to someone else. It’s a well-known tradition that is unfathomably common pretty much everywhere in the region, and Raihan found the thought of taking a regular Applin in a regular confession to you dreadful. So he made the choice to confess with the Goomy that reminded him of you.
He glanced up from his feet when he heard footsteps approaching. His eyes lock with yours and he starts to smile.
“Hey! It’s been a bit since I’ve seen you last, yeah?” Raihan asks you as he tries to play everything casually as if he’s not walking into what he would consider a life changing moment.
You offer him a faint grin in return to his, “It has been quite some time. I guess we’ve both been too busy to see each other and hang out. I mean, with you being a gym leader and all and myself having a job now…”
Raihan shakes his head, “We’ll have to remedy that in the future. I’d rather not go too long without seeing you.” He says, then he gestures to the entrance to the park and waits for you to step onto the path so he can fall into step beside you.
Even though it’s a bit difficult for him with how tall he is, Raihan does his best to match your pace as the two of you walk down the dirt path surrounding a small lake in which Magikarp take residence.
You cast a few glances towards the scenery to intentionally avoid keeping your gaze on Raihan for too long. You’d hate to make him feel awkward or uncomfortable, especially since you’re unsure whether or not he returns your feelings and you’d much rather continue to stay friends with him than ruin what the two of you have now by confessing.
Thankfully, Raihan isn’t (too) afraid of that possibility.
The two of you eventually stop at a metal garden bench overlooking the small lake and you take a seat while oranges and pinks and yellows start to paint the Galarian sky, heralding in the nighttime. It makes you a bit upset, thinking that soon enough your time next to Raihan will end and you’ll be left without him again because who knows when the next time you’ll see him is?
You’re snapped out of your thoughts by Raihan clearing his throat, “Uhm, ‘scuze me.”
You glance up at him and tilt your head ever so slightly, “Do you need something?”
Raihan nods, “Yeah, sorta.”
Slowly, he reaches into his pocket and gently stuffs the love ball into your hands. You curiously roll it around in your palms, then click the button on the front and send the Goomy out onto your lap.
Immediately, your eyes light up despite the little sludge creature making a bit of a mess on your clean dress pants.
“Oh my goodness! They’re so cute!” You exclaim with a bright smile, “And a shiny nonetheless! Raihan, you didn’t have to…”
He rubs the back of his neck, “I wanted to, though. ‘Cause listen, I like- I love you.” He stammers out with the faintest of flushes, “A lot. And I didn’t want to go cliche and tell you with an Applin, especially when a Goomy suits you much better.”
You’re taken a bit off guard by his unexpected confession, but you flush and take his hand in yours.
“I love you too, Raihan.” You say as you snake a hand up to cup one of his cheeks.
Flustered, he nuzzles into your hand and leans in a bit closer to you, eventually closing the distance between the two of you with a warm, loving kiss.
When the two of you pull away from each other, he fidgets with his hands and avoids catching your gaze, “So… this makes us a couple now, right?” He asks in a way that’s so blatantly not Raihan.
You laugh and nod, “Of course it does. It was official the moment I got the Goomy.”
Volo isn’t the kind to stop hanging around you even when you insist that his purpose for doing so is pointless. At least it’s endearing…
TW: None! Enjoy freely.
———————
“I told you that you weren’t going to find anything here.” You sit a hand onto your hip as you stare at the back of the blond man’s head. You were starting to get agitated, especially since the sun had been beating down on you since about ten and it was only starting to get hotter.
Volo had insisted upon being brought out to the Shrouded Ruins nestled close to the back of the Crimson Mirelands region when you had offhandedly mentioned that you found an old clay pot buried in the dirt that had caught your keen eye.
This sort of thing was a common occurrence. You, an official, Galaxy Team certified archaeologist, would find something and accidentally bring it up to Volo, who would get so excited about it that he wouldn’t stop mentioning it until you brought him to go investigate further for himself.
What really confused you this time around, though, is why he wanted to come to the Shrouded Ruins with you so badly. Volo had been to the Shrouded Ruins hundreds if not thousands of times before. Sometimes you felt as if the man lived there. But his intrigue and curiosity to explore the little cluster of ruins because of an old clay pot made you a bit confused. It’s not the usual sort of item that would pique Volo’s interest. It’s not a large mural or a stone tablet engraved in some ancient language: it’s just a pot that you were able to determine was once used for storing water because of calcification on the pieces designated as the inside ones. You had explained that to him, but he insisted anyway.
Perhaps it was just a ploy to waste your time.
Volo, despite your glare, is relatively unbothered. He digs though the dirt like some kind of burrowing Pokémon, not paying attention to the mess he’s making on his white and yellow clothes.
“You said you had found a pot here,” Volo says between scoops of dirt, “so of course, there has to be more historical marvels buried in the dirt.”
Ah, so that’s what it was about.
You cross your arms and shake your head, “It’s the Mirelands, Volo. What have I told you before about the Mirelands?”
He sighs, “The swampy consistency of the ground allows for things to shift and drift with underground currents and end up in places they wouldn’t have been otherwise.”
“Exactly.” You say with a firm nod, “The buried river system around here probably floated the pot over to these ruins, especially since it doesn’t match any of the other artifacts I’ve unearthed from this area.”
You crouch into the dirt next to him and notice his slightly disappointed look. He always gets upset when he doesn’t have the chance to look around with you. It’s foolish, seeing a grown man wallow in despair like an Oshawott being told ‘no’ to another treat over not getting to dig in the dirt with you.
Sadly, you have an undeniable soft spot for the blond.
You gently shake your head and sit a hand onto his shoulder, “You’re not going to be able to find anything here, but I can bring you to some other ruins where you might be able to dig something good up, huh? How about it?” You ask him, hoping to see that silly smile of his again.
Obviously, the offer of more ruins lights him up immediately, “Oh, that just sounds great!”
He stands to his feet and gestures out to the rest of the Mirelands while you raise yourself back up to a standing position, not as eager as Volo but still a bit excited to see him so happy, “I’ll let you lead the way, yeah? I’m your ruins buddy for the day!” He hums, striking his signature pointing pose that makes you scoff softly.
“Alright, alright.” You shake your head as you start away from the ruins with Volo in tow, “Just don’t get upset if we don’t end up finding anything.”
Volo shakes his head, “I won’t!” He tries to reassure you, but you know him too well to believe his claim.
Volo just has that sort of undying interest: in both ruins and in you.