Food is a fantastic people bonder! @misofirebird - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
Food is a fantastic people bonder!
@misofirebird
Hullo dear visitors! I don't use tumblr as often as I like, but I do write fics on another site! Have any questions, comments or concerns? List em' here! As forever and always: May your life be full of love, joy and flavor! Keep in mind, this an 18+ blog, so no minors, please. AO3
Updated: 05/29/2022: Chapter Six of A Wish’s Obsession, Chapter Eleven of Revali’s Bane and Chapter Thirteen of May’s Adventure (Hoenn Saga) are uploaded.
AO3 Link: Misofirebird
Reader Stories:
A Wish’s Obsession (Female Reader x Undisclosed)*: One Two Three Four Five Six
Crossovers:
Revali’s Bane (ORAS/BOTW)*: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven
Pokemon:
May’s Adventure (Hoenn Saga)*: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen
Star Wars/ The Mandalorian
A Commander’s Contempt (Female Reader x Din Djarin)*: One Two Three Four Five
Disclaimer: I apologize that some of these links lead directly to AO3. I was (and am still) trying to figure out the kinks for this site.
Due to its surprising popularity on the many places it's been posted and reposterd to, I decided to finally complete this little wlw sketch that I had kind of given up on. I'm hoping to have it riso printed soon !
luffy the mc you are luffy... always kind, always accepting, always gracing others with the chance to change, to voice their desires and their dreams without judgement (and even helping to make them come true), always trusting in the kindness of those around you and always trusting his friends with all his heart
it's a cruel world out there and kindness will always be the best way to battle against it
Achiepy-san! I love your Shrine Maiden/ Sun God AU! Please tell me how she got that job! Was it in the family business? Or did she volunteer because she thought she could get brownie points with the local god?
MISO! Oh I suckkkk at creating stories but I'll try to explain how the hell she got here in the first place for you!
So it's definitely to get brownie points with the local God and also because Bellemere force her to! And also-also because selling lucky charms, talisman, Japanese paper fortunes sells numbers due to the popularity of the Sun God is getting, which btw she doesn't believe in😭 and she's gonna change her mind real soon after her first dance to entertain the God for offering and blessing...
No escaping now, she caught the attention of the Sun God, no other higher beings will save her now...
Summary: The trainer, May Maple has entered a brand new region to start an incredible adventure. Fostering friendships with people and Pokemon...but also catches the eye of a certain Professor from Kalos...
Pairing: May Maple x Professor Sycamore
Word Count: 2.7k
Warning: Swearing, violence, explicit. No minors please.
A/N: Still making sure this story isn’t collecting dust. I’m being awfully slow about it....
The morning I woke up to in Wally's uncle's house was filled with an exciting buzz. The development of Wanda's boyfriend now being able to visit freely, Wally having someone that sorta resembled a friend (me) and the Rusturf tunnel being opened was still fresh in everyone's mind. Thus, the breakfast table held plenty of food and conversation. However, I was too busy shoveling food into my mouth to engage in any talk unless it was absolutely necessary. Today was the big day for me to compete in my first Contest Spectacular. Truthfully, I didn't feel nervous in the least bit. After all, Skitty whom I chose as the participating contestant would be the one to go up on stage to perform. I was just the person who would wear the stupid looking clothes.
Speaking of Skitty, the little creature was by my leg; rubbing her head against it and meowing softly in request for food. That adorable face and its methods had been just too much! However, my dad sternly warned me that training Pokémon that were naturally attractive would be difficult. They could easily manipulate their trainers and were used to getting what they wanted with appearances alone. Well this Skitty was certainly going to work just like everyone else on the team...Team Maple...yeah that sounded good.
I wiggled a piece in front of Skitty to capture her attention. "Okay girl...sit!" I commanded as if she was more of a dog. However, it seemed to get what was coming across because she diligently obeyed the simple order and sat down before looking up at me expectantly for a face of approval. Pleased with her obedience, I rewarded her with the treat. Skitty excitedly took it and began to consume it.
"So May, I heard that you and Wally are going somewhere today. Are you two gonna do some training?"
I looked at a curious Wanda that sat across from me; she daintily picked up her food with a fork. Wally was next to me, feeding his magnemite a biscuit. The live assortment of metal parts gladly took it and dematerialized it into its...wherever it's stomach was. "Uh...yep! That's exactly what we're gonna do today! In fact, don't bother coming to look for us...at all!" I said while getting up from the table and putting my things in the sink.
The teenage girl glanced at the both of us and let out a slight giggle. Hm, why was she laughing all of a sudden? Did I say some hidden joke? The boy however, picked up Wanda's response to my answer and his face became bright red. "I-It's not like that Wanda! I just met my senpai! W-we're not doing anything like that!"
"Doing anything like what?"
I was confused about what he was saying due to the lack of understanding that involved romantic relationships. Had I known, it would have turned into a very violent morning.
"N-nothing! Let's hurry so we can get a head start!"
When breakfast was all said and done, Wally and I left the house. While on the road, the both of us talked on the way with our speculations of what these 'Contest Spectaculars' were gonna be like. Lisia didn't go into all of detail about it...actually, she did; I just wasn't paying a whole lot of attention at the time. What I did remember was that there were five categories to participate in and a talent round. The rest of the information was complete babble to me, and I would come to find that there would be personal consequences for such carelessness.
************
Thirty minutes of walking yielded the wondrous sight of the Contest Spectacular building. My companion was getting hopped up with excitement because of the anticipation. I could tell that his imagination of wonders that my Skitty and I will perform was already being blown out of proportion. I had to remind him that there was no way that I was going to go up there and make myself look like a fool in front of thousands of people. The disappointment for Wally was great.
Once inside, my companion waited with the other people who were to be the spectators while I went up to the front desk. I was given multiple forms to fill out for my Pokémon to participate. Of course Skitty would be in the cute category of the normal rank contests. Hm...talent? Well, she was sorta good at scratching things and manipulating people with her adorable face...tricks it is!
After filling out all the forms, Skitty and I were gestured to the dressing room so we could get ready. We obliged and went right in. No sooner had we entered the spacious place however, a very familiar person who was already there spotted and greeted me. "Maaaaay! You came! I knew you would!"
Oh boy.
Lisia promptly squealed with excitement upon seeing me, by thankfully didn't pull me into a suffocating hug. Still didn't make her less insufferable though. While her bird tweeted with joy, Skitty shared my uncomfortable feelings of being with such overly jolly company. "You're just in time too! I can help you get ready for your cute debut!"
"My cute debut?" I asked with my tone less than thrilled.
"Yes! One has to look their most adorable when making their start in a cute contest! But first, let's get you out of those clothes!"
Let's? What did she mean by-ARCEUS!
The door suddenly slammed shut behind Skitty and I as a strange, creeped out feeling came over me. Lisia's smile remained as it was with my pink outfit suddenly in hand. It would seem that she greatly anticipated my arrival for the sake of being her doll for dress-up. "I...I think I forgot that there's this thing...oh fuck it!"
I quickly turned on my heels towards the exit when my face smacked right into the giant bird's cloud-like wings. The loyal Pokémon of the teen idol wasn't gonna let me go so easily. It pushed me towards Lisia with an exciting cry.
"Good job Ali! Now May...let's get you dressed so we can put on your make-up ," she said in what I thought sounded like a tone of sadistic pleasure. Make-up?! I've never worn that stuff in my life! Cosmetics in my biased opinion were unnecessary and too complicated for me to comprehend. I knew that mom wore some on occasion, but I overall stayed away from the stuff.
"Wait! I don't any of your dam make-up! AAAAH! Don't get any closer!”
I was pulled into a cabana screen where I was parted from my comfortable clothes by force and was made to wear the nearly unbearable, sparkly outfit. However, the torture didn't stop there. After I finished getting dressed, Lisia pushed me into the vanity chair. She undid my hair and attacked me with a hairbrush, styling gel and many combs. My eyes teared up as my head was painfully pulled back by the teen's violent brushing through the unruly hair in an effort to make it manageable. Once it was tame enough, she added styling gel to shape my hair; admittingly one of the most calm part of my 'cute debut'.
The peace however, was short-lived when moving onto the second phase: Make-up. I was politely scolded several times to remain still as she applied foundation and powder to my face. When that was done, Lisia carefully added mascara to my lashes to make them more noticeable. Finally, the teen put strawberry-flavored lip gloss on my lips; a task that proved slightly irritating to her because I couldn't help but want to taste it.
"Hm..." Lisia thought out loud as she stepped back to observe how I looked. Her lack of a quick response made me dread that she felt unsatisfied with her work; and she indeed was.
"Ah! I know what's wrong here! You don't have any earrings! Not to worry though, I have loads of em!"
"Hell no! I don't want to wear any more of that gaudy crap! I swear you'll be styling a black eye if you try to put more stuff on me!"
"Hey I found a pair! This'll look great on you!"
"Are you even listening?! I sai-AHHHHHH!"
Outside the room, audible screams of pain could be heard by people who were in the lobby as I had gotten my ears pierced for the first time.
************
I glared angrily at the teen who now examined me with much satisfaction. The lobes of my ears were throbbing with a dull ache of holes being poked into them. She was gonna get it! I stood up from the stool with a hateful intention to mangle her. "Wow, you look so much better now! See for yourself!" She said while gesturing to the vanity mirror.
Fury clouded my common sense and logic as I readied myself to beat that stupid smirk off her face. Fortunately for Lisia, I just happened to glance at the reflective surface while cocking back my fist to punch her and stopped. My breath was caught in my throat as I saw something that could only be done by magical fairy godmothers.
My hair was tied up in a side ponytail while my side bangs cascaded down both sides of my face. A light layer of powder covered up any shine that would have shown on my features. The gloss made my lips more pink and glittery. Simple white earrings were in place without making me feel too cluttered with stuff.
The outfit I wore was a combination of colors that consisted of an off white, purple and different shades of pink. My top had long white sleeves that stopped at my elbows with a multi-colored scheme of a pink bow design on the front. The covering stopped just a few inches above the waist to give room for the design of the skirt. It was certainly cutesy with a stitched in belt for holding my contestant Pokémon's ball; the bottom of it also had the same colors at my top. And while it was short, there was thankfully light pink undershorts to go with it. It had light yellow trimmings around it; overall the garments were a must for the sake of my sanity. On my feet were hot pink heels that were designed with three leather bands on my calves with a bow on each side.
The only think that felt out of place was the bracelet. It was the same color as my short's trimmings with a little pink heart attached to it. What made it strange was the stone in the middle of the little heart. There was some odd design in the middle of it with a bluish-green color.
"Sooo...you like? I know I do! Your cute debut is bound to wow the audience and maybe even steal a few hearts of some cute boys!...and then...you could have this beautiful romance as you blah blah blah blah! *sighs* blah blah..."
I stopped listening to Lisia as I continued to stare at myself in the mirror. What would dad think about it? He would probably tell me that I looked ridiculous and make me take it off. Mom might be an avid supporter for me finally wearing something that wasn't tomboyish..... And Sycamore?
My face burned red as possible scenarios played in my head. That silky voice of his pitched with amusement while observing me in a devious fashion. That gentle grasp playing with my long locks of hair as he would find some excuse to get closer to me....well fuck him! He won't get an opinion! It's not like I was going to show it to him! I'd sooner be criticized by that lame-ass nerd, Maxie than subject myself to more of that evil professor's confusing torture!
"...blah blah but enough about that! The contest is going to start soon! Make sure that you get all those last minute warm-ups in and prepare yourself to dazzle the crowd! Oh! And one more thing! Remember to smile!"
I focused back on the teen as Ali flew by her side in preparation to leave the room. She giggles with excitement and clapped her hands together. "See you after the contest! I'll be watching!"
************
Ten minutes passed and the contestants were ordered to come back stage so they could line everyone up in order. I was last according to the random draw, but that suited me just fine since I can efficiently monitor any mistakes or certain quirks the other made. First in line was a middle aged man and his slakoth, then a girl with her taillow, that was followed by a boy with his poochyena and finally Skitty and I.
The majority of the backstage was dark with the exception of the bright lights that stole through the opening of which we would be going out of. Shouts and cheers from the audience that cried out in anticipation rang in our ears. My eyes stole a glance at Skitty; she started to get nervous. The little creature let out these small, frightened mewling sounds while practically clinging to my leg.
"Hey girl, don't worry so much!" I said as I picked up the kitten to comfort her. "I'll be right there to keep your mind on track!" said my enthusiastic voice as I tried to prevent any more anxiety from building up. It worked to some degree because Skitty stopped shaking; although the whimpered mewling was still evident. All while doing so, I purposely didn't mention anything about the dreadful professor because I inwardly hated how much my Pokémon adored him. Jealousy once again stole its way into my heart from how much she loved receiving attention from him and not me. Well, that was certainly going to change!
Suddenly, a voice broadcasted through large speakers announced the start of the contest. That was the cue for the first contestant to go up on stage. Through the opening, my eyes stared at the two as they began their act. To me, the choice of having his Pokémon loaf around was incredibly boring. Was it all that it could do? Oh man, I think I'm gonna die from the boredom of waiting.
************
A half hour passed and the other two contestants came and went with ease. Honestly, it was still pretty boring. The girl managed to stun the crowd with her taillow as they did hoop tricks for their act while the boy and his poochyena took lead with doing some commands like shaking its trainer's hand and standing on its hind legs.
Eventually, the two of us were next. I stretched my legs in preparation as skitty came beside me. "Okay Skitty, let's go out to own all those losers and get something to eat after that! You ready?!" I asked with brimming self-confidence. She simply meowed at me in understanding while the shaking of growing anxiety came back again.
We both took in a deep breath and walked out of the safety that was formerly the back and onto the polished stage. Suddenly, all of that confidence that I had melted faster than a snowman in the desert when we were confronted by a sea of spectators. Fright gripped my heart and Skitty ran behind me for protection.
"Ladies and gentlemen, contestants no. Four: Birdie-Chan and Skitty!"
Yep. I knew choosing that nickname would come back to bite me in the butt. When I went to fill out everything in the lobby, my eyes stared dumbfoundedly at the name entry. I certainly didn't want anyone to know who I was. My reputation of being a strong, merciless trainer would be shattered if word got out that I participated in this...sugared up ponyta show. Of course, I wasn't very imaginative when it came to aliases. However, the ones that did stand out to me in my head was some that came from Sycamore and Wally; thus, it led to the creation of 'Birdie-chan'. Ugh, I hate them both, and yet they were the ones who supplied me with a decent stage name.
No sooner did my 'name' get broadcasted, did all of the bright spotlights focus on us with an upbeat, poppy song start playing in the background. That's about the time where the weight of the situation hit. I was on stage...with a sea of people watching me. My limbs had all but decided to freeze up. Oh hell! What should I do?!
Note: Whoo-hoo! Finally finished and polished this chapter! Nearing the endgame folks! For now, Please enjoy this chapter!
Rating: E for ‘Explicit’! No minors please!
Matt silently stole in one of the nearest doors of the east wing. It was a sparse living space where it was evident someone lived here, but it felt empty. Like a hotel where people would pass through after staying a night or two. He had gone two three other rooms to see an odd pattern arise. Different room, but same conditions. There weren’t guests he saw aside from themselves. Was this where the staff slept? It creeped him out a lot. Normally live-in paid labor usually had at least personal touches to their rooms. Well, it could either be A: Human trafficking, or B: Serial kidnapping. Whatever was going on recently had led them to this.
His heart thumped in his chest in a terrible thought for their lives; especially yours. Every city had its share of dark underbellies, and more popular ones amplified those kinds of problems. He wanted to make sure that whoever was behind this had a large, heavy book thrown at them. Then have a judge put the criminal behind bars that would exceed the human lifespan five times over.
After checking several more rooms that didn’t reveal much else, he came to one door at the end of the wing. It had an antique look. The door was made from a dark, heavy wood with ivy moldings. Something you’d usually find for a front door.
There was some reluctance for the reason of what he might not like what he’d find. It's crazy that he came here to begin with. This REALLY feels like something the police need to be looking into. With that said, they’ve already gone too far in to chicken out now. Besides, two people he barely knew possessed so much humanity in looking for someone they had never met. The least he could do was follow through. So, with all the courage he could muster, Matt reached to grab a hold of the brass doorknob to slowly twist and push in.
“Hm…okay, this is pretty normal “
Despite all the self-inflicted suspense building up in Matt’s head, the room he managed to open up, was an extremely fancy study. From well-polished hardwood flooring, to the fancy crown molding decorating the four corners of the ceiling, the room breathed the type of atmosphere that was waaaaay too expensive for him. Not to mention, the fireplace that was on for some reason; making this one hell of a fire hazard. Honestly though, he should be thankful nobody else was here at the moment to question his actions as he stepped past the threshold. And it was pretty obvious that the desk would be the first thing he snooped through.
The object itself looked antique with a deep, dark brown color. A few office supplies took up residence on its surface, with not a single sheet of paper littering it. That said, a more thorough inspection revealed three deep drawers on the occupant's side. A place where Matt had no trouble raiding.
The first one he opened was a very detailed file drawer. Organized alphabetically, were the names of people he didn’t really know. Many were women; something that sent an uncomfortable chill up his spine. Things only felt creepier when he decided to pull a file out and read through it.
That chill evolved into a freezing sensation that locked his sight into place.
Not even at work did he feel such disgust from the amount of personal information that was printed out on paper in here! From where she was born, to her previous daily routine, it was like this woman was stalked on a daily basis! Not to mention, there were notes scribbled on some pages about preferences or habits that elicited certain responses…like something you'd take note of from a pet. This was terrible.
It had been a little too much for him to stomach this cursed knowledge, so he promptly stole a glance at the fireplace; right before instantly throwing the entire file in. That eased a bit of his conscious. Actually, it made him reach for both ends of the file holder, and effortlessly pull the whole thing out for a ‘cleansing treatment’.
Without ceremony, the very sensitive documents of information were fed to the flames. For good measure, Matt took a nearby fire poker to constantly turn over the burning paper. Making absolutely sure everything would turn into unrecoverable ash. The room felt a bit warmer, and it seemed to satisfy him enough to take on the next drawer.
He wiped his sweaty palms on his jacket and carefully pulled on the metal handle of the second compartment.
There had been much apprehension due to the nature of their venture, but he found himself to be slightly less anxious, though also curious when finding a rather thick file on the most damning trio. It was like a parody of what you’d see in high school sitcoms when a principal took out a delinquent’s folder for comedic effect. Matt had to set the file down on the desk to pry better. Whoever this asshole was, he reeeeeally did his homework. It looked like he collected every scrap of knowledge he could find on Pedro. Personal life, memes, memo notes with copied handwriting, receipts, coffee preferences, major roles, minor roles and a lot of other things Matt felt he shouldn’t have seen. Whoever this guy was, he seemed near inhuman to have this much dedication to his demented obsession. Enough to repulse anyone with decent morals. At least this explains the letter mailed to him. This is more than enough to nail the bastard for identity theft; and if he could take a couple of pictures, kidnapping can DEFINITELY be added to the list. Question was: How can he sneak this thick monstrosity without anyone noticing?
“…Maybe if I can cover it up with my jacket…” he mused to himself. Although, the article in question was on the thin side. Still, Matt couldn’t resist testing the theory.
“Hm…I can pull it off…kinda…”
Half-satisfied, the young man knelt down to open the final drawer. And immediately his heart felt like it jolted out of rhythm for several seconds.
The first thing he noticed was your cellphone. He’d recognize it anywhere since you always had it in the nurse’s station whenever you’d work. Matt picked it up, but he knew the battery would be dead from a lack of charge. So…you really were here. Are you still?
Thinking back from earlier, he didn’t see you around the mansion, but then again, he saw very few people around besides the three of them. There were a lot of horrific alternate scenarios that came to mind, but he forced himself to clear those unsavory thoughts from his head. Dwelling on the worst wouldn’t make the current predicament any easier. But he regrettably continued to feed those fears by pocketing the phone to continue digging. And he didn’t have to try hard to find MORE evidence of your presence.
As if it wasn’t enough to also pull out your wallet and keys too, but to have your personal file at the bottom of it all had been the cherry on top of this nightmarish sundae.
While it wasn’t full like Pedro's, it felt like there was at least enough to tell a life story. Something that he knew would be crossing a line if he took so much as a peek. Peeping at two people's literary lives was already two times too many. Matt resolved about asking you directly about yourself when they got out of this hellhole.
So, without much re-thinking, Matt took the damning file, and made sure everything inside would burn to ashes as he threw everything into the flames. Poking the remains with a poker until the grey particles thoroughly mixed around like sand. However, it didn’t make the situation any lighter in his chest.
The floorboards under Pedro's feet made a creaking sound every step he made. It added to the rising creep factor that was obviously felt in the air. Without the other two, the situation he was in currently had the distinct likeness of being in a house from every horror movie in existence. All he missed was having the IQ of a college student from a party school. Just take a quick look around and re-group. The luck he got lately was terrible, so he subtly crossed his fingers in hope a serial killer wasn’t waiting behind closed doors for an unsuspecting victim. Was he considered a main protagonist in this situation? Fuck, he hoped so. Now…what was behind this door?
As he silently prayed, his path led him to a very extravagant bathroom. He cautiously flipped the switch and found it to be as high end as those ones in an ultra luxury home. Nothing thankfully, but you can never take any chances in a place like this.
“* Sigh *…I can’t get that letter outta my head,”
His friends should count themselves lucky; they didn’t have some guy on the prowl using their identities to commit crimes. Worse still, he was personally invited into this creepy house for what could only be sinister reasons. He can at least take some solace in the fact he wasn’t alone in all of this, lest a worse fate befall him.
It was those thoughts that swam around his brain when he opened up another door.
Woah! What’s with the smell of roses?!
He stumbled back some as sweet, overpowering but intentionally relaxing aroma hit his nostrils the moment he opened the threshold. Was this some kind of perfume room? Probably not a very useful place to check, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. So he popped his head in-HELLO.
Instead of finding a room with bottles of perfume, it was in fact a bedroom that tapped into a very aristocrat-like lifestyle. The personal fireplace in here crackled softly as it barely lit up the fancy space. Revealing several pieces of furniture no man should ever afford; decadent, alluring and too fine for his tastes. The chill atmosphere of the cold home hadn’t been felt here despite the large windows that practically made up the other side of the wall. The night had shown itself clearly through; painted with an expanse of endless stars above. Growing terror aside, it was a very beautiful scene to look at-
Something in the corner of his vision had moved.
His brain immediately went on high alert as he focused on the thing that took up residence in the way too large bed. It was small compared to him and moved around under the silky blankets as if to get free from them. Pedro was caught like a deer in the headlights as his legs froze into place. Well…that summed up his flight or fight response…not that he’d immediately attack someone in their sleep.
The first thing to come out of the covers was a head full of hair that had a sleepy face attached to it. One that looked too familiar for his own comfort. In fact, when that face had been rubbed of slumber and looked around for a moment, she spotted him; gazing at him in a manner that wasn’t full of shock.
“I’m sorry…I took a really long nap,”
“…That’s okay?”
He was unsure if what else he could say in response to the first dialogue shared between them. But he immediately knew this was the girl that had up and vanished; which then unnerved him more. How can he go about this?
Hm. You had the incredible urge to fall back asleep. The warmth your body made had transferred onto the sheets and invited you to curl back in, but you resisted. He was here, and always insisted on having complete, undivided on him. Something that seemed childish had he not been playful about it. Thinking back on it caused a small, dreamy smile to spread across your face.
So, you swung your body to the edge of the soft bed, and got out to properly greet him. A little strange that he hadn’t already made any ridiculous quips or wasn’t nearly crushing you with the force of his weight; maybe he was getting tired. Regardless, it made no difference as you went to him. There was some staggering in a few of your movements, but it was well worth the end results of your arms encircling his slightly chilled torso. The slight jolt he made didn’t go noticed by you at first, but when your face comfortably pressed into his chest, there was an unfamiliar feeling of being suddenly pushed down on your shoulders. The action of it definitely got any dregs of sleep out of your system.
Something felt off.
“W-wait a sec!” he said while trying to pry you away. An act that made you keep a hold for a few seconds before being torn off him. This was…confusing.
“Hang on. I uh…this wasn’t what I expected,”
Oh? Was he playing hard to get?
Your hands traveled up to smooth against the sides of his face. Your head tipped back with your lips slightly parted in mind to kiss him.
“Well…what were you expecting?”
After being with him for so long, your heart thumped persistently in the imagination of both bodies twisting together in slow, passionate love-making. Thus your hands started to grip his head to pull his face down. However, his own quickly gripped your arms.
“Hold on! I-I don’t know what’s going on here!”
He quickly stepped away for some breathing room. Looking uncharacteristically flushed from the encounter.
Okay NOW you had no idea what’s happening. It felt super awkward. Especially when you didn’t know what to do with your hands.
An uncomfortable silence hung between you both as he reluctantly freed your limbs, and you attempted to muster up words.
“…I-I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?”
“Well…I…I’ve never had a girl try to get frisky with me after waking up. I must be something special,”
A small, grim smirk formed on his mouth to try dispelling the oddball of a situation. Unfortunately, it didn’t make you feel better. Which made you curious about his strange behavior. Your heart started to form a sense of dread; and the was a question itching in the back of your mind.
“……Do you…know who I am?”
It came out of your mouth as a barely audible mumble.
His smirk slowly morphed into a straight line as he understood your predicament. You both studied each other’s appearances. It suddenly felt mortifying walking around in a thin silk nightgown. But more so, seeing looking very casual in attire confirmed your fears almost more than Pedro opening his mouth to speak.
“Actually, I do…just not personally. The police were the first people to acquaint me with your picture. Then a friend of yours told me you disappeared. All things considered, you’re more popular than I am-“
He stopped mid-sentence when your body suddenly turned away from him to face the windows. You hugged yourself with drooping shoulders and a slouching back. Now would be a pretty good time for the ground to swallow you whole. Footsteps approached closer behind you, but you didn’t care to acknowledge them.
“Hey look, things happen. I know it’s… really weird, but if you come with me right now, we can re-group downstairs with the other two and leave quickly. Who knows what else is lurking around here,”
He went to put a hand on your shoulder in comfort, but it only served to make the feeling worse. When you turned around, tears were dripping down your face. An aching feeling started to consume your chest. It bloomed so fast; your breath was even becoming stifled in pain.
“I’m so stupid….” You sniffed with your voice cracking.
“Ah shit, don’t cry. It’s not your fault, okay? Nobody saw any of…whatever this was coming,”
Not a single word in that pity sentence cheered you up. Why would he try evoking any sort of good will for your sake?
SHIT!
You just realized this is the ACTUAL first time meeting your dream fantasy hearthrob! What a fucking nightmare! Everything these past few weeks turned out to be a lie, and you allowed yourself to believe it because there was an attractive man involved!? How were you going to explain that to anyone?!
“*Sniff * Just leave me alone!”
His hand was rebuffed with an abrupt roll of tense shoulders, along with a brisk walk towards the glass window. The waterworks running down your face added to the embarrassment and shame of being tricked.
But instead of distancing himself (as he rightfully should), the man carefully tread closer towards you. He clearly wasn’t getting the message.
“I said, LEAVE -“
“Okay, now you’re being dramatic. Come here,”
You were suddenly pulled into his chest. The smell of him filled your nostrils as he enveloped you in a comforting embrace. His hands combed through your hair to put you at ease. There were several muffled whimpers of resistance at first, but when he stood his ground keeping you secure against him, the floodgates pouring through, as you finally cried your heart out. Your knees shook from distress as you latched onto him for dear life. He stood there to soak it all in while sprinkling words of encouragement. He even smoothed his hand over your back for a good minute.
“I-I’m so stupid! * sniff * I let myself get tricked like an idiot!”
“Its okay…you didn’t know. Nobody did,”
It should be a felony for a man to be this gentle. He’s literally known you in the span of minutes, and he’s handling you like someone would in a movie. The warmth being radiated had begun to soothe the pain that had struck your heart. Receiving human contact like this hadn’t been felt in a long time. It’s not that it wasn’t unnecessary, but there were very few instances in adulthood that rarely called for such comfort. Now however, had made it apparent on how emotionally starved you were. A need for a counterpart who could satiate every spectrum of feeling. Perhaps that was why you didn’t mind pressing more into his chest than necessary.
Finally, after some time of squeezing all the tears from your eyes, the blubbering and sobbing eventually came to a halt. You sniffed a few times before awkwardly raising your head up to meet his face. Almost regretting that you left his shirt wet with tears.
“There you go. Feel better now?”
“…A little. Thank you…”
“Hey, a little goes a long way,”
Despite the dire situation, you wouldn’t complain if he let you spend a few more minutes in his arms. His optimistic personality seeped into his words to uplift you. A dream that was actually a reality. But you awkwardly cleared your throat before pulling yourself away. Now focusing on more important things, like escaping a psychopath.
“I’m gonna grab something before we go. I um…don’t want to leave half-naked,” you said gesturing to your body.
“Right. Don’t take too long,”
You headed straight to the closet, in which Pedro followed right behind.
It was a place that made up more space than the average studio apartment. Every inch was filled with expensive male and female attire; though any of the latter was unsuitable for the cold. So instead, you rifled through the suits and custom designed outfits for something warm. Meanwhile, he silently watched.
There was this…warm sensation. Pedro could feel his exposed skin tingle from the hug. He was only trying to be nice in comforting you, but was now unable to shake the feeling off. Shit, he should be ashamed of thinking like that after what she’s been through. If only his friend was here to smack him upside the head.
He tried to empty his filth-riddled brain while watching you flit about the clothes. Feeling the thickness of fabric to see which one was better. Now that he thought about it, a lot of these were ones he was familiar with. Notably, they were costumes from the shows and movies he played in. However, they were less lackluster than the ones he put on for the cameras. Whoever this guy was, he paid attention to detail on an uncomfortable level.
When you came back to him, there was this look of surprise on his face. Draped around your shoulders was the outfit he wore in ‘Game of Thrones’. Honestly, it wasn’t the warmest of choices, but there was a feeling you had a reason for choosing it.
“Look…no matter what you say, I’m not keeping it,”
“But didn’t you say it made you feel like a god?”
“Yeah, but that’s the least warmest thing to be wearing. I know there’s gotta be a jacket in here somewhere,”
He tried to dismiss all the blood traveling down south upon looking at you. The suit was way too big, and adding the combination of your dark, simple silk nightgown clashing with the brightness and rough fabric of the Sunspear's features gave some rather promiscuous implications to you.
“No, I’ll be fine,”
“*sighs* Geez, you’re too much. Don’t complain if you start having second thoughts,”
You didn’t respond, but instead went around him rather quickly to exit the closet and head for the door. As subtle as he could, Pedro fixed his pants.
“We’re gonna be meeting up with our friends before we get outta dodge. There’s a downstairs parlor room where we decided to come back to,”
“Our friends?”
“Yeah. My friend Oscar, and your co-worker, Matt. You know him, right?”
A little sparkle had hit your eyes upon hearing your co-worker whom you’ve had a long, seemingly hopeless crush on, had willingly came along to find you. This was news you didn’t quite know how to take in. There was some apprehension of diving into the meaning behind his actions, since he had never given any clear indication about being more than friends. Although, it felt like a multitude of butterflies flew around wildly in your stomach.
“Y-yeah. I didn’t think he’d go out of his way to find me,”
“Well, that’s what good friends are for, right?”
“Yeah…he is a good friend,”
As you went to the door with those thoughts churning in your head, your face brightened a little more at the prospect of what this new revelation could possibly mean. Grabbing the knob a little too excitedly.
“I want to make sure-“
Your voice suddenly died mid-sentence as you opened the door with gusto, and found a well-dressed Pedro Pascal standing beyond its threshold. The alien man as you now came to associate him as, had this pleasant expression gracing his face. Understanding the truth made it a horrifying terror to see.
“Good evening, pretty girl. You finally woke up. And what’s this I see? You wanna play too?”
“ ….um-”
“Don’t be shy. I like when you come to me all wrapped up,”
Shielding yourself from him using your hands ended up being a big mistake. He quickly got a hold of your wrists like shackles. Being able to claim them back was out of the question; so you demanded.
“Let me go!”
“Hey, easy there! What’s wrong, baby-“
He suddenly noticed the original copy staring at him. Immediately, he paused as he took the man in; continuing to maintain a possessive hold on you. Displaying some capacity of concern for a second before focusing back on sliding his hands around your form. Trying his earnest to take off the bothersome layers of clothing despite present company. There was a struggle to fight back; short, quivered breathing and panicked shots of adrenaline accompanied the resistance. But every slap or pull to his hands and arms had little effect. He even seemed like he enjoyed the pitiful effort.
All Pedro could do was stare back at what he could see as a Japanese horror story in the flesh. Even how the stubble grew on his face was eerily identical. No wonder people swore up and down it was him. He wasn’t going to die, right?
“Get your hands off me!”
“Awww, but you didn’t mind them last night. And I didn’t mind that mouth either,”
The sociopathic doppelganger leaned in to chase your lips a kiss, that had narrowly been dodged with a turn of the head. However, he happily settled with pressing his mouth against your cheek. Fuck, if it took every ounce of willpower to repel his advances. The passion hadn’t let up one bit. You had to clench your teeth and screw your eyes shut to keep your guard up. He seemed too calm about the situation, like the bastard knew this would happen. Or was it that it made no difference?
Whatever he had plotted, it did little to make your shaking legs any better, which failed to stand their ground when he pulled you up against his body. The yelp of protest had no sway in objection of his embrace; which led his lips to smooth against yours. It was unfair that they were still warm, inviting and very capable of pacifying you.
“It’s alright, just relax…there’s no need to be scared,”
“No! I…I-I-I don’t want it! Please do-“
“HEY!”
The spell you were mesmerized under had been broken with shout that jolted you to your senses. Quickly looking back, it was Pedro himself. While having the appearance of being shaken up by this revelation, he managed to get over the shock long enough to understand how much distress you were in.
A flutter of relief sprouted in your chest, but the doppelganger features twisted into annoyance. Clearly irritated that his lesser ruined a perfectly good moment.
“…What? We’re in the middle of something. Didn’t the staff tell you to wait?”
“What-“
“I don’t listen to assholes who commit identity fraud and kidnap people. So who the fuck are you?”
THANK GOODNESS he interjected, because the now strange doppelganger had finally stopped molesting you. His gaze fiercely bored into the original. But he made absolute sure his arms constricted you against his torso. Making it so there was no thought of escape.
As he walked into the room with you in tow, he kicked the door shut with a foot. You tried in vain to separate yourself from him; which had been next to impossible due to his strength.
“*sigh* You are just so difficult to please. I seriously hope you’re not a joy kill at parties,”
“Not the answer I’m lookin' for,”
“Okay…prick; plain and simple: I’m you,”
“…”
The two of you were incredibly confused by that bombshell of a statement. It sounded like a revelation straight out of a soap opera. Which understandingly caused an uncomfortable silence.
“Right, right. How can I put this…I’m an answer to a lonely wish, made from an aching heart. This one’s to be exact,” he explained while putting his warm lips on the shell of your ear. An action that tried to draw out a moan. You thankfully didn’t react despite the shivers working up your spine.
“She doesn’t look like much to anyone not paying attention, but this one’s got some very strong feelings,“
“What?! What are you talking about?!”
“Now, Hold on pretty girl. I was just getting to that. So anyway, this little thing was so lonely and sad, her poor heart desperately wished for handsome knight to come whisk her away to eternal contentment. Now let’s be honest: You weren’t gonna do it. That dumb kid who worked with her sure as hell had no balls to do it. So, who do you think had to pick up the slack?”
His mouth moved to peck loving kisses on your face; traveling down to settle by the crook of your neck. But every word said out in the open made any kind of affection seem more picturesque of the stockholm syndrome you’ve been blind to.
“So of course, I came along into existence with a desire to fulfill that humble dream. Though I should be grateful…pretty girls with a heart full of hopeful dreams don’t show up very often,”
He held you tighter against him in satisfaction with his work, and you could feel the bulge of his cock pressing against your ass. It made you sick. All of it. To know that your fears and cravings led to this twisted monstrosity. It made your chest tighten up. Your mouth quivered in despair.
“You mean…all of this was my fault?”
“What? Don’t be silly! You didn’t do a thing; I made sure of that. The only work you needed to put in, was waiting. I’d never let a beautiful flower lose their petals over ‘frivolous things’,”
“Then what about those other women? You feed them that line too?”
Pedro spoke up with a judgmental retort, and the evil version of himself had little trouble with rolling his eyes.
“They’re adults. They can choose to walk away from me at any time. It’s not like I keep them in a basement,”
At this, Pedro briefly glanced at you with anxiousness before flitting his eyes back at the alien. Every second of this situation felt like you’d end up in handcuffs while being shoved into a police car; not that you’d resist at this point. You smeared someone’s life and dragged two more people into a situation that could’ve been avoided.
“But back to the matter: It's pretty obvious that you’re famous. I can’t really go anywhere without someone pointing me out. Sooner or later, somebody’s gonna get suspicious. The reason you’re here is because I came up with a set of solutions. Somevery favorable ,”
You didn’t want to hear more of whatever vile sickness he had in reserve, but it was impossible to cover your ears when he held your arms captive. Every word burned your soul as he spoke.
“It's simple: You can write off the whole thing for one. Just claim you can’t find her and leave it as ‘Another nice girl who tragically went missing'. You can move on with your life, and we’ll live ours quietly. Maybe move to some backwater country. Out of your hair, so you can do…whatever it is you do,”
As terrible as that sounded, you couldn’t help but want to agree. It really was your fault no matter what anyone says. At the very least, he shouldn’t be punished. The world’s moved on without plenty of people anyway.
Pedro got silent for a moment. Looking as though he was chewing on the idea.
“…I see…but what if, and I’m serious about this: I’m not a complete asshole like you? What then?”
You couldn’t see what expression he had on his face, but Pedro's own small smirk must’ve reflected utter annoyance from his doppelganger.
“Then maybe…I’d be open to sharing,”
Both of you looked at each other in bewilderment.
“WHAT?!”
“WHAT?!”
He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear as he explained himself.
“It’s not really a secret that you and a dozen other people whore yourselves out on that casting couch on the daily. And for people who fuck you over nonetheless. Why not do the same for her? She’d at least make it worth your while,”
Your face felt incredibly hot as the explicit sentence processed through your brain; it looked like steam would shoot out of your ears if it was feverish enough. Both brows were furrowed with a mouth that couldn’t seem to twist into an appropriate reaction. Coming from a prude mindset however, did at least yield an immediate response.
“A - ABSOLUTELY NOT! I’m not somebody who just sleeps around! I didn’t even think I’d even be in this situation!”
“Really?...You never thought about it?”
Your face was flushed, and adrenaline shot through your veins that was fueled by embarrassment. You most certainly thought about it every now and then reading fanfiction. Mostly during those ‘lows' you’d have in the dead of night on occasion. The fantasy of having more than one doting partner felt exciting; even if it wasn’t feasible. Having multiple hands explore very naked surface of you. The overbearing warmth of two bodies sandwiching you, as they pleased you. He was a sinister man for pulling out such a dark fact from you.
“O-Of course not!”
Even Pedro looked unconvinced. Augh! Someone should just kill you already!
“…So anyway, you’ve got nothing to lose here. Having a sweet, comforting touch is a much better deal than some old, senile movie producer. All you need to do, is get those two snooping busibodies off my property and keep it between us,”
Though he relayed these very ‘generous’ words, you grunted uncomfortably from the air being briefly squeezed out of your lungs. Apparently, he didn’t feel as honest as he spoke. At any rate, the real Pedro definitely had a lot more integrity than you. He was already a saint by participating in a manhunt; let alone comforting your sorry ass.
So why is the room so silent?
For some reason, he looked at your captor, and then to you. It was this longing stare that you pretty sure had been made by yourself not too long ago. Always leering at your co-worker when he wasn’t noticing. Never missing a night off of staring at photos of your fantasy soulmate til the sun came up. Of course, being a knowing recipient of it now had allowed an uncomfortable knot to form painfully in your stomach. There was too much silence between this absurd proposal; but your throat was dry from the aching terror to form any meaningful dialogue. Staring at him with an unblinking gaze didn’t do anything more than amp up the gnawing fright.
Wordlessly, he started walking up to you. His sight never deviating to anything else. It was an encounter you couldn’t force yourself to get away from when he was close enough to go down on a knee in front of you both. Your heart began to sink. In a pitiful attempt to dissuade what could be lurking in his thoughts, you rapidly shook your head with a shaky breath and pounding heart. He was uncomfortably close in every sense of the word with tense brows framing his eyes.
“It’s uh, really weird right? Don’t even know you that well, and I can’t stop staring…”
What an ominous way to start off! He wasn’t even trying to stop himself!
It made you tense up and breathe faster like you were preparing your mind to block out trauma. But that didn’t stop your heart from feeling the sharp pain of betrayal. Proving that once again, that your fantasies heavily contrasted the bitter reality of a person’s morals.
“… I’m surprised you haven’t found anyone yet; you’re very beautiful. But if you’ve been feeling like this for a long time, I guess I can’t blame you either. It’s hard…to find someone that fills the emptiness inside. Life hasn’t been fair to us, huh?”
You said nothing to him. Though there was an inkling that he wasn’t looking for a response.
“That’s why…I want you to know…I’m only human. I’m not perfect, no matter how much I act like it. Nobody’s ever going to be. Whatever happens next, keep that in mind when someone asks you to get a coffee with them. Or maybe you should ask them yourself; it just might make their day,”
You suddenly blinked in confusion. It's like you actually got hit in the head from that curve ball he threw at you. It was the last thing you’d thought would come out of his gorgeous lips, but dammit if you weren’t glad for it! The amount of relief that flooded your chest was nearly overwhelming.
“Y-yeah! I-“
You were suddenly pulled back from him, and mercilessly thrown on the soft bed. It was an easy feat for the alien man, who now look upon Pedro with distain. For him, he retorted his answer with a kick to the face. Causing him fall on his ass, but quickly somersaulted back and picked himself up.
“So, that’s a ‘no’ then. That means I’ll stick with killing you like I planned to,”
You snapped your head up in time to see Pedro wipe his bloody lip with a thumb while walking back. That psycho didn’t even hesitate! You could help him, but how much would that end up backfiring? Probably a lot.
“Shit! You hit really hard. Didn’t even try to pull it,”
The evil twin immediately swung a punch, but only got to graze the left side of his face. Allowing Pedro to tackle him against the floor. An audible ‘thump' echoed throughout the room that made you since in imagination of the pain.
Having the villain momentarily dazed, the man proceeded to punch him square in the eye. Then another. Trying his hardest to knock him out cold. But the twisted creation struggled fiercely to escape being pinned. Grabbing Pedro's neck one-handed to cut off air.
“ARGH! You dumb piece of shit! I’ll kill you!”
“N-ngh…not on…my life!”
You sat up in bed, frozen in fear of what to do. Two men were locked in combat by the door. Trying to go over there to escape can certainly prove ill-fated in the event a stray fist was to hit you; or having one of your limbs locked by the evil twin…but that didn’t mean the glass patio window doors weren’t an option. You tried before, but got caught. This time would prove to be more successful with Pedro being the distraction. So, you worked up your nerves, hopped off the bed and grabbed the lamp on the nightstand. The makings of your plan drudged up enough confidence to hold it like a bat once more and swing it ferociously against the glass.
The brass material of the lamp connected to bring a devastating web of cracks to the transparent material. Its unpleasant sound of destruction ringing in your ears. However, the reaction of flinching and briefly closing your eyes didn’t make you regret pulling the object back for another violent hit that indented the now ruined glass. But on the third try, it shattered a jagged hole in the pane and let the cool night breeze come through. Its chill that caressed your skin had been a welcome sign of freedom.
It made it all the easier to enlarge the hole for you to slip through-“ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”
A strong firm grip latched onto your hair to pull you back. It felt merciless, and reactionary tears muddled your vision. The pain shook your limbs and caused the lamp to clatter on the ground.
“Just where do you think you’re going?!” A haggard but angry voice said behind you.
The two attempts made to peel off the offending hand had been punished with a tighter grip.
“Let go of me, you bastard!”
“Not if you’re planning on leaving, little Ladyship. I’m not letting you get the chance to fuck another guy,”
“Tw-twisted asshole! You’re hurting me!”
He ignored you while ushering you past a bloodied Pedro. Shit; he really did a number on him. A quick glance revealed a bloody nose, a swollen jaw and bloody lip. What hadn’t been covered by clothes were these black and blue bruises. The only saving grace that assured he wasn’t dead, were the grunts of pain that accompanied his attempt to get on his feet; slowly but surely.
But there wasn’t any time to linger, as you were forcefully pulled along to the closet. The evil wish kicked the door open to throw you on the soft rug inside.
“Be a good girl and stay here,”
You immediately stood up to glare at the monster, only to realize how much he wasn’t unscathed. His face was also dripping with blood and battered like he owed lunch money.
You tried running at him to leave, he closed it right before; making you collide with solid wood. It hurt a LOT. Most of your entire right side radiated with pain, but you tried again. Still nothing.
Though revelation of futility finally clicked in your brain, there was hope for eventually being free as you heard sounds of resistance on the other side. So much flesh meeting each other; so many loud noises. All that you could do was be ready and wait. Prepare yourself for who might open the door. Be wary of what your fate might be.
So, you sat away from the threshold, with a wooden hanger in hand; holding your knees together while sitting on the floor. The feeling of adrenaline coursing through your veins. Well, after this, you would never complain about your life EVER again.
Summary: Steven Stone's experiments with the dimensional shifter reap some unexpected results. Although progress doesn't come without a price, and guess who has to pay it...
Word count: 7.3k
Warning: Swearing and violence
A/N: Woot! Slacking for so long and finally finished this chapter! forgive the delay, and I hope you enjoy reading!
A Lumiose night was nearly as bright as day. The center of the city had so many lights on, you’d think they had a fear of the dark. With all the constant hustle of city life, it looked like it the place never got the chance to sleep. So there we were, in the middle of it all to take the scene in. Well, I already experienced this alien behavior. The other two though-
“Great goddess, Hylia! My eyes are burning! Why do these people despise the night?!”
“SHHHHH!”
“He has a point. It’s like they afraid of their own shadows,”
“Okay, yeah. They’re pussies; point established,” I dismissed with a wave of my hand. “But don’t forget why we're here,”
My friends looked at each other, before giving me this incredibly disbelieving look.
“It was supposed to be for finding fresh leads,”
Right.
“Well…yeah. But the castillia cone cart here is awesome,”
The two gave me this knowing look that reflected how much our day WASN’T filled with productivity.
Okay, we may have gotten distracted after the coffee and croissant cart. The sight-seeing stops didn’t help us any either. And there was that studio I had to avoid to maintain my credibility as a cool trainer. But they should be grateful for that Luimose tower tour!
Actually, maybe it would’ve been better if we saw it at night.
Spying the castillia cone cart, I briefly turned my head back to the duo while motioning in that direction.
“I hear what you’re saying...BUUUUT...once you’ve had these bad boys, it’ll change your life,”
“Aren’t castillia cones from Unova? What if those are even better than Kalos'?”
Fuck, they are?! How did I not know that?!
“Well…” I said clearing my throat with a front of bravado. “We’ll see about that, non-believer,”
I took a confident step forward toward the little, humble cart. The owner of the stall greeted, shortly before I requested an original flavored frozen treat from the heavens. A vanilluxe who made sure the confections stayed frozen gave me this delightful shrill from its two heads. Such a cute Pokémon, but I’d be too tempted to try eating it.
After having exchanged money and ice cream, I returned to the both of them as confident as ever. That ice cream in Mossdeep was about to look like frozen milk. Holding out the cone to Brendan, I encouraged him to take it.
“Come on, heretic; I wanna see you literally eat your words,”
He smiled mischievously and got closer to take it for a thorough examination.
That’s about when my shirt suddenly looked and felt like it was being tugged.
Hm?
A weightless feeling then washed over my body, and before I could understand what was going on, the ice cream was shoved into my best friend’s face. What the fuck was that-
My frame was suddenly pulled past the two at a frightening speed. I could form words form words at least, but they were something along the lines of-
“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!”
You know, the kind that you’d experience on death-defying roller coasters or having a car nearly smash into yours, but miss by mere inches.
I was helpless in trying to regain any control of my limbs as they were put stiffly down. But there was no need for their use as I missed human bodies, buildings and other every day obstacles by a hair. It nevertheless invited fear of some stray slip-up while whizzing by. The reactions from nearby citizens were very telling from shock or annoyance or anger. Although I wasn’t able to finger any hecklers, nor tell them to fuck off. The high velocity of wind beating against my face and restricted movement forbade it. It was truly criminal. What I was able to do however, was see the less touristy, fancier side of the city.
OH FUCK NO. FUCK,FUCK,FUCK -
My body unnaturally veered a hard left around the corner to discover an overly hoity-toity restaurant. A place where several few but very influential people gather to whine and dine.
I know what I said.
The overly decorated, gold-gilded doors seemingly slammed opened on their own accord to ominously invite me in. I, of course was helpless in resisting. Going past its threshold, niche waiting area and a handful of richly adorned customers. Their responses to the broken tranquil atmosphere by some dull-dressed plebian were short and mute, but claimed expressions of passive aggression. Hey, it's not like I wanted to be here either!
Suddenly, I was turned around and forced into a fancy, cushioned wooden chair. The object turned around to push me close to a small, ornate and round oak table in the far and dark corner of the restaurant. Unwillingly seating me across from a man holding a menu to his face. His wineglass was still full of a very expensive liquid.
“Well, well…what took you so long?”
“…”
“Ah, the silent treatment! You think yourself clever. But it will take more than lack of words to deter this estranged admirer,”
“…”
“Come now, surely you must have some witty retort on that sharp tongue. All this time between us should at least grant me a gentle ‘hello',”
“How bout’ a ‘fuck you’?”
The menu hiding his features was quickly dropped to the table. Professor Sycamore's stern, ocean blue gaze trained itself on me with a knowing look to not be a smartass. It admittingly had also been mixed with some confusion.
“Not quite the Miss Maple who had left me behind, I daresay...”
His fingers absent-mindedly played with the stem of the glass. Staring at me with surprisingly restrained interest. Possibly born from a thought of security, as nobody currently knew where I was. The Kalosian professor wanted to make sure we were interrupted any ‘third parties’.
“...I remembered that haughty attitude was not the last thing I saw of you. Had some force spurned your affections for your favorite professor?”
I had to let out a most disgusting scoff.
“Okay, one: Professor Birch is my favorite, and two: Your Pokémon's still holding me hostage!”
I wished I would’ve sounded angrier than I was from being hijacked. It sounded annoyed at best, which is an action that gave away how much influence he exhorted over my mind. I can only hope he didn’t immediately pick up on that small detail. But he did remember that I was forcibly held in place.
“Ah! My apologies!” He replied in surprise before giving a casually dismissive wave.
I don’t know where that fucking animal was, but in that second, the energy it used to control me with, was quickly released. There were no noises of its cry or even departing away; which unnerved me so much. The prickles of lingering Esp that bit at my skin, did little to ease my wariness. Especially now I was with this beast of a man without the aid of my friends. Having my Pokénav taken away from me last minute made me curse under my breath. It rang off the hook as the telekinesis from the Pokémon floated it from my pocket, to the Professor’s hands. Letting out a playful ‘tsk’ for the sake of his amusement. There was no way I was gonna get found.
This was around the time a waiter stopped by to take our orders. He was speaking the universal common. I rejected the offer equal to the weight of a unovian cartoon anvil, but my all too willing companion eagerly spoke up in kalosian. There were bits and pieces of the language I was able to understand despite remaining overall ignorant of the short conversation; maybe I should’ve studied more. When the naïve employee left to fulfill the order, Professor Sycamore pursed his lips in thought before opening that obnoxious mouth.
“So…what brings you to this fair city? Yearning for the sights? Maybe you wish to remember the taste of the local delicacies? Or perhaps…something more?”
He really was still full of himself.
“Yeah! Maybe I wanna send your ass to prison like I should’ve!”
The not-so-humble Professor didn’t flinch like I imagined. In fact, he even chuckled at my heavily implied threat.
“I suppose...I should never expect a guilty soul to escape the ever-fair scales of justice. Though, at least let me have this final night with the rose that pricked my heart,”
His response made me abruptly stand up to slam my hands on the table. The silverware and glass flutes shook slightly. Some of the patrons stole glances at the scene I was making.
“Oh for fuck's sake! At least be a serious piece of shit when I’m apprehending you!”
“But where is the fun in that? “
A vein painfully bulged from my neck as I reluctantly refrained from laying hands around his own. His default demeanor was the reason why I couldn’t control myself properly. Maxie, Archie and him had this sort or personality that tended to wind people like me the wrong way. It's like they got practice from an early age to rile up fiery opponents. Such as now, for instance, Sycamore now had this ‘innocent smile’ on his handsome face while leaning in closer.
“Little Birdie,”
Ugh, the repulsive pet name. It was a long time since that name plagued my ears. Stemming from the comparison of a fletchling, he used it freely between the two of us. Whether I was berating him at every turn or having the odd moment of sharing my thoughts. And he especially used it when I thought I was hopelessly in love with him. The way he let two words roll off his tongue had fascinated me; even now. Maybe it was his heavy kalosian accent. But no matter how many times he cooed the alias now, there’d be no way I was gonna be swayed like some rube. It just made my face stiffen in resolve.
“Not falling for it!”
“Do not be so cold! Sit, relax; let us talk. Far too much time has passed between us,”
I let out a huff of skepticism.
However, he merely gestured at me. Patiently waiting for me to settle down.
I eyed him much too inconspicuously. There were alarms going off in my head.
What the hell was this asshole playing at?! He already confessed to the heinous theft! And I am in no fucking mood to deal with this shit!
But-
“No way, Jose! I’m sitting down, but I’ll relax when you’re present in hell as it freezes over!”
With crossed arms, I let my butt drop in the chair while I glared daggers towards the easy-going professor. He never changed the polite smirk of his lips; although his eyes narrowed rather mischievously. The man must think highly of himself to be the ‘winner’ of our dispute.
“There we go! You make such a fuss over a small affair, but…I always adored that fiery spirit. Perhaps that is why my life has been so dull of late,”
I let out this irritated puff of air.
This was when the waiter came with two decadent chocolate cake slices. It was a deep cocoa color with rich-looking frosting and gold flakes. A waste of metal really, but it made the dessert look much fancier. He gently set the two slices in front of us and left without any word. I was extremely thankful since it saved from talking to someone outside of the awkward encounter. That being said, I made no move to eat the luxurious cake. Both hands were firmly folded together on top of the small table. Sycamore however, effortlessly split a piece with his fork; although he toyed with it more than actually attempting to consume the portion. He eyed me up for a moment.
“So, I see you are not so easily enticed by sweets. *sigh* Adulthood has unfortunately rounded your tastes…or am I using an incorrect lure?”
“It's none of your fuckin’ business, tool! I’ll eat whatever I want, whenever I feel like it! Now, you wanna explain why I’m not pounding your face in yet?!” I snarled in utter defiance.
The question though full of blunt demand, did nothing to rush an answer out of my opposition. He actually put a piece of cake in his mouth. Slowly savoring the rich flavor before washing it down with a sip of his deep red wine.
One would think he blatantly ignored my question on purpose; and they'd be right. Watching him take his sweet time, created the impression of acting spiteful. The idea was reinforced from how he bored his sight into me. Probably from the fact Brendan was the one interrogating him instead of me. Meanwhile, my Pokénav kept beeping off the hook. A hundred percent all Brendan. I, however was unable to reach across the table and wrestle it back.
“Hm...erm...AH!”
He stuck his fork stuck out at me like there was some realization.
“I remember! Your friend was rather rude about teasing my feelings! He made me think you had not tagged along to Kalos! Then he abhorrently drudged up those unsightly memories of my momentary fall from grace! Honestly, I thought the son of a professor had more decorum! Pray tell what made him act so tasteless?”
My face was scrunched at his deflection. He used his Pokémon to figure out something was up. Which meant Brendan wasn’t the least bit subtle in inquiring about Team Flare. I may not have been either, but I figured he could succeed where it was impossible for me! I knew I should’ve just shown my face after all! Swallowing my fear like a bitter pill would’ve been a better plan instead, because now, I have to deal with this asshole anyway!
“If you remember now, then don’t bother askin’ me. You’re the only person we know from Team Flare we didn’t turn in-”
“Now, that is rude!” He interrupted. “Implying that I joyously participated in such depravity! Is that what you think of your beloved professor?” he feigned with a forkless hand to his chest.
“You’re not my professor, but if you’re as innocent as you keep claiming, then you’ll tell me the truth...”
My voice paused. A word I rarely used was trying to form on my tongue. The feeling of a single syllable grossed me out.
“...Please,”
That playful smile suddenly fell as he suddenly looked upon my rare display of politeness. Though it felt like my organs were twisting up, appeasing his ego might help loosen those lips. That was my hopeful, wishful thinking.
Fortunately, it was correct.
As more sincere, larger grin gave way, it gave him this dreamy look; nothing mocking or overly exaggerated that masked his real feelings. Fragments of memories had returned to the forefront of my head from that single expression. This felt like when the moments we shared were more honest. The times I spent with him in Hoenn and here when it was under more ‘innocent’ circumstances. Back when-
“Well darling, when you put it that way...I feel that I am unable to resist such a request,”
Thank fuck his voice snapped me back to reality. I don’t know what my face looked like to him, but I instantly forced it to look annoyed from his antics. My hand still made no move to consume the cake in front of me. But it didn’t mean that my eyes didn’t occasionally drift to the dessert. For me, taking the bait was acknowledging my defeat. A move that said I could be pacified with treats.
It's true, but what kind of moron would let the enemy know that they were still vulnerable?
“Okay then, do you know if Team Flare is still together?”
“Of course not! Make no mistake dear: You pulled together a ragtag group of children and rent a powerful organization helpless. There is no coming back for them,”
“Mhh...”
When he put it like that, it made me feel a little proud of myself. I felt my face flush from the odd compliment. Nobody who wanted to get over their crush acted this stupid. I had to clear my throat to move on from the praise.
“*AHEM*! Well then, has there been anything odd going on here lately? Any robberies from anywhere important? Labs getting broken into?”
Professor Sycamore raised a brow.
“What an odd thing to ask for a Hoenn-stationed trainer. Has something happened?”
“Hm...actually...something has. But...I’m not allowed to talk about it. We thought you might’ve saw something or someone,”
The Professor was always watching. It's true he constantly buried himself in his research with little thought of watching the clock. Real scientists, regardless of which side of justice they were on, trivialized every basic human need for their pursuit of knowledge. Even Brendan’s dad, who adored his son, had his share of problems with being at home. But Sycamore used his Pokémon and assistants to his advantage. If anything unusual happened in Kalos, he’d eventually catch wind of it.
However, a long, spaced-out expression etched itself in his face as he struggled in thought. Great, the one time I need his creepy network of information, and it comes up dry!
With a careless sigh, he combs a hand through his gorgeous hair.
“Sorry darling, nothing of the sort has happened here of late. The whole of Kalos has been quiet for some time,”
“...fuck. Thanks anyway-”
“Just a moment,” he interrupted. The shifty professor casually turned his head left, and then right before moving his face forward. Having no consideration while invading my personal bubble and being inches away from my own features. MOTHER FUCKING HELL!
I could’ve just moved my faced back like repelling magnets would, but that require an action that short-circuited when he came close. Why did I come back to this guy for any information-wait, none of this was done willingly! AAAAAAAAAAAAH -
“Have you by chance, been to Alola?”
My neck was stiff and sweat drenched my face, when I heard the quiet question pass through his lips, my mind was sick with relief. Well, it was sick regardless, but you get the idea. As for his question:
“N-no, why?”
“...It is...a tropical region good deal away from here; far closer to Unova. But...”
He stopped himself. From the tense expression, Sycamore wasn’t sure he wanted to divulge such potentially dangerous information. But as I learned, his need to keep secrets had led to his downfall in the past. Seeing him act like this made me remember how much of his emotions he keeps bottled up.
Don’t get me wrong: What he did to me and my friends was absolutely fucked up; and with that said, he did have a sense of morality. He could’ve gone the ‘absolute route’ like Lysandre, but chose to let common sense take back the wheel from fear. His change of heart and service to the region was why I decided to defend him from any jail time. I think...I let distance, time and infatuation morph my reluctance to see Sycamore.
“...I am unsure I should divulge my suspicions...it is vague at best,”
“So why are you whispering?”
“Well...there have been telltale rumors of a recruitment for organized crime. I have little idea if it has anything to do with your predicament, but it would be an ideal place to start,”
Oh crap! That’s actually useful! It may lead to some dead end, but it better than nothing! Processing this new information made my chest swell with the excitement I needed. Possibly being one step closer to finding the assholes who made our lives unnecessarily harder and curb stomp them. The professor may have looked like he was reading his own obituary, but I was now high on adrenaline.
“FINALLY!” I unexpectedly shouted. The quiet atmosphere of the restaurant was immediately broken (again) as diners now casted irritated glances at the only extremely noisy table of the evening. There were even a few audible grumbles of patrons who could just wish they had the courage to tell me off. Obviously, I wasn’t gonna care either way.
“I should’ve just talked to ya sooner! Professor! Erm, take care of the bill for me; I need to go back now!”
I leaned my body around to grab my Pokénav and leave in haste, but my wrist was quickly snatched up.
What the?!
My head sharply turned to face a tense Professor Sycamore. The excitement burned as annoyance while I tried pulling my arm back. He had no issue keeping his hold. “HEY! Let go!”
“I must ask that you pause for a moment and hearken to what I say,”
“UGH! Seriously, if they’re really are rampant thugs, I’ll just kick their asses like I always do. It’s not that special,”
All that got me was a yank powerful enough to sit my ass back down in the chair. Who does this handsome bastard think he is?! He’s not the boss of me!
A sharp exhale of air left my flared nose as I angrily watch the professor seat himself once more. For good measure, he kept his (admittingly well moisturized) hand latched into me.
“And therein lies the issue: ‘Thugs’ are not so organized. What opposed you before were not ‘thugs’, but experienced criminals. Not every encounter you have experienced left you unscathed,”
“Yeah, because I was by myself-”
“If you please, let me speak!”
He harshly silenced me with a sharp, reprimanding tone that caused my mouth to clam up. Whatever he had eating away at him must’ve been serious.
“I must implore you to take precaution, because I fear these rumors reveal an especially threatening agenda than what previous gangsters had conjured up. If this is true, then you must proceed to the region with caution. You will be even further from any of your allies, and the consequences of your defeat would be far steeper,”
“Well yeah...it's not like I’m gonna lose. Besides, Brendan’s coming with me,”
“One mediocre trainer will not be enough to satisfy my troubles,”
“For fuck’s sake, it’s not like I’m gonna dive in head first! Like you said: They’re just rumors. You know how shit gets blown outta proportion. If anything, it’ll end up being small-time losers who got lucky. BUT…if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll try not to do anything incredibly stupid,”
I tried sounding reasonable despite the flushed heat radiating off me. The anger of explaining myself was outwardly manifesting, but devolving into an animal like usual isn’t going to help me. It's better to talk reasoning, at least check it out and assure the man I would keep my hooligan tendencies in check. I’ve grown a tiny bit since we last saw each other.
The professor however, didn’t seem even remotely convinced. In fact, he raised his brow knowingly at me. A tight frown was searing into his mouth. He had this expression of looking regretful for releasing any information.
But-
“Fine. Do as you wish; I could only dream of stopping you. But please…at least use some discretion,”
Discretion? It's not like I was gonna start slapping people around and demand answers. I mean, I haven’t done that too much. We’ll be going to a new region with no recognition. After a little bit of familiarity, that’s when I’ll start going ham. With that in mind, I sighed.
“Puh-leease! I’m not some stupid kid anymore! Brendan and I’ll sort this out quick before you can get your pants in a twist!” I arrogantly replied before rising up from my chair once more. This time, keeping both hands close to my sides. Just in case he tried to change his mind. However, he didn’t try any funny business this time. The disapproving look he projected even gave in to resignation. Still, I kept my eyes suspiciously narrowed to avoid an easy capture.
“So...I’m gonna leave,”
“*sigh* Disappointing. And here I entertained the idea of a late-night soiree,”
“Only in your sick dreams. Bye,”
My body was once again free to grab my communication device and turn on my heels before going to the exit. Saying nothing nor gesturing anything else as I walked away in relief. This time, he made no attempt to keep me; although I’m sure he was restraining himself with his re-discovered morals.
Despite my previous expectations, the encounter was an unexpected success. I got what I wanted with the added bonus of clearing my misconceptions of that Sycamore bastard. While he would remain an asshole who easily riles me up, the transparency of his intentions and willingness to aid me was refreshing. Maybe I can visit Kalos again with a lighter chest.
-------------------------
So as expected, I walked ALL the way back to the Castilia Cone Cart. Now able to text Brendan back to let them know I was alive and unaffected by his charm. The responses were in all caps and exclamation marks; and the look on his face when we met again was wild with relief.
“MAY!” He shouted as he ran towards me with a clinging hug. I could feel the thick waves of anxiety radiating from him, as my face was smushed into his panting chest. Ew, his shirt was all sweaty. Was he running around the city most of the night? I mean, shouldn’t be surprised since he doesn’t know squat about Lumiose City, let alone Kalos.
“Are you okay?! How’d you escape?!”
“Brendan, geez! Calm down, will ya? Nothing happened!”
My hair was messy from yanking my head back from his steadily annoying hold. I threw my hands up defensively to halt his advances. Revali was gratefully the less space-invading of the two. He looked concerned, but I could’ve done without the sarcastic:
“There you go; no need to waste your crying on someone who couldn’t bother to be properly kidnapped,”
A vein popped up to throb on my forehead. I immediately held up a finger for a retort.
“Fuck you, bird boy,”
“Man. It’s bird man ,”
HHHHHRRRRRM !!!
I made myself turn around wildly with an angry huff.
“Whatever. Let’s just head back to hotel. We’re going to Alola tomorrow,”
“Eh?”
“Is that a shop?”
Oh right. I didn’t explain anything. My head turned slightly to have both party members in my field of vision.
“It's a region that’s close to Unova. Pretty tropical and all that. While the lead is really thin, it’s the only thing we got. And I wanna get on a flight in the morning; so, no sleeping in,”
“Ah...so that means we should’ve just made you go to that Professor in the first place,”
“SHUT UP REVALI!”
I was still fuming about the horribly teasing remark when we got back to the hotel. Maybe if I had actually let go of my pathetic, lingering infatuation of that idiot, my cheeks wouldn’t have been so red. But strangely, Brendan seemed to be affected by it too. My friend looked like he was sulking while tailing behind us. Giving visual shaming signals to Revali. I don’t know why he’s doing that, it's not like Brendan to be personally insulted so easily.
Other than that, nothing dangerous or deadly occurred back to our trek to the hotel. We snuggled into our respected sleeping accommodations and settle down for the night.
-------------------------
….
….
…-”HALLO GOOD SIR! WELCOME TO CAFE HYRULE!”
HGMH! Wha-what was this?!
“Revali found himself sitting straight upright in a wooden chair at a round, oak table. He was inside one of those cafés in Kalos; though this one looked different from the others.
The walls were made of the same stone that erected Hyrule’s mighty structure. Even the crimson banners that bore the royal symbol were hung on every side of the room. But it presented itself as though they were made to entertain more than entrance. The two young members of his party were nowhere to be found...but the person who stood before him gave the Rito quite a shock.
“Good sir...have you decided on what you want? Would you like me to come back?”
“...Princess?!”
“Oh no, sir! We don’t have anything like that on our menu!” she said with a slight giggle. Something he rarely saw from the princess of Hyrule. This couldn’t be her. She was dressed in common garbs. There was a blue apron tied around her brown dress as she held up a small notepad and pencil. Her golden hair tied back into a ponytail. Her jovial smile that was given too freely at the moment, raised Revali’s suspicions.
“This...has to be a dream...I’m dreaming,”
“Of course! You are, but do not let that stop you from enjoying the moment,”
Hm?! Who said that?!
Revali snapped his head to across the table. A man suddenly appeared in the once vacant seat. He had his ocean blue eyes on a newspaper. The blue shirt he wore had a button undone in a way deemed very provocative. He focused on turning a page before looking up from it to the doppelganger princess. He refused to believe this one was the real deal.
“Two Kalosian lattes, if you please. My dear friend simply cannot decide fast enough!”
“Yes sir! Right away!” she replied while jotting the order down before excusing herself. Revali followed her form with his eyes as she gave it to a young man; someone who looked exactly like the very swordsman hero he used to actively despise. The man said nothing in reply, but nodded his head rapidly while taking the paper and disappearing into the kitchen. The Rito warrior then put his gaze back on this stranger. Was this man here for some nefarious purpose?
“I daresay, you should cease laying such a distrustful sight upon me! If I truly wished you harm, I would have done so the moment I knew of your existence...Revali,”
“Hm?! How did you-”
“Well...this is your mind,” he replied in a matter-of-factly way. “I prefer to know what kind of opponent I converse with. Such as those two: Link the not-so-talkative one. And the young lady; the one who wields a power sacred to your people. Quite an impressive feat, actually...”
The intruder took his eyes off the paper to stare straight into his own. Both hands were folded on top of the table. His smile very calm in such a strange situation Revali stood up defiantly and backed away. But he only for a second before his body was moved by some unknown force and made to sit back down again. That’s when the Zelda doppelganger waitress came back with two steaming cups of coffee. Again, she was all smiles and no ounce of regal dignity. This was certainly some kind of strange hell!
Meanwhile, the man had taken up the cup and with a gesturing grin, took a momentary sip before setting the cup back on its saucer. The Rito though, skipped the beverage. It had to be all for show since this was taking place in his dreams. In fact, he didn’t try beating around the bush.
“What do you want?”
“Ahh...yes...’that’,”
He leaned back in his chair a little too comfortably.
“Well, the young children who are burdened with your care is what I ‘want’. More specifically, my precious pupil; whether she cares to admit it or not,”
Revali narrowed his eyes with disgust. So, this was the infamous ‘Professor’ he was told so much about. Suddenly, he could understand the validity of their fears with this man. Using such lowly tactics to confront his opponents.
“Despite how low your opinion is of me, it is a demand that benefits the both of us,”
“I highly doubt it,”
“Oh, but it is. You see, I would very much wish to see my student kept out of harm’s way. She has trouble to adhering to her personal welfare; I am sure you have seen her barbaric tactics,”
...What?
“Surprised? You thought I meant exhort you? Try my nefarious ways of coercion?”
“...Yes?”
“Bah! Trust me...you have nothing I want. Besides, I tire of my darling having the audacity in continuing to see me as her enemy. *Sigh* I long for those adorable smiles. Can you believe she only reserves them for that uncharismatic-”
He must have sensed his features form into displeasure, because he completely straightened himself up while clearing his throat. Although even with his best efforts, hints of displeasure were plain as day on his handsome face. The lack of upturn on his mouth was the biggest indicator. Was this man jealous of Brendan? Oh, the irony.
“You see Rito Champion, I have deemed you non-threatening to my beautiful, but barbaric student and her mediocre friend. However, what is threatening, are the possibilities of an evil that has gone unchecked. I am sure you know what kind of ‘consequences’ come from such neglect,”
This human irked him. He didn’t need him examining every aspect of his life to get the point across. That said, if the analogy he was referencing was just as serious, then he should really be on his guard.
“It very much is! Although…I suppose it is not calamity-inducing. Nevertheless, I wish for my precious pupil to remain unharmed. She is not all-knowing and seeing as your ‘perfect princess’,”
Revali frowned at the undertone of mockery.
“I’m beginning to understand why my companions find you so unpleasant,”
The man said nothing of the insult, but smiled calmly. He took another sip of that fake beverage before politely setting it down.
“Of course they do; it has only been a year since Miss Maple had diverted our own previous ‘calamity’. I do not expect forgiveness to be so readily available on my part. However, the Birch boy should know I still have not given up. He may think his companionship with my pupil has earned him a spot by her side, but I have my ways of clawing back into the spot light...”
Revali blinked several times as he realized that this man was very childish. What sort of fool harbors such unnecessary ire? But at least he knew that Brendan’s suspicions were now justified. That being said, it's not as if this man would go to extreme lengths to win affections. If that was the case, then he-
“Are you listening?!”
The Professor Sycamore’s voice cut into his thoughts, and Revali remembered that the man was still across from him.
“My apologies, but I have little interest in what mess you’ve gotten yourself into,”
In reaction to the blunt retort, a mean smile formed on his mouth as his brows furrowed. Dropping the calm and collected pretense. A laugh erupted from his chest that gave the Rito a feeling of concern.
“Right. I suppose the affairs of humans are inconsequential. Very well then, I have made my point. You are free to go then,” he replied while waving his hand dismissively.
But no sooner had he finished his words, did Revali suddenly accrue a splitting headache. A pain so immense that he fell from his seat and writhed in pain. The man, pretended not to notice. Having no change in movement apart from taking another ‘sip’ of the imaginary hot beverage.
“This is the part where you wake up,”
-------------------------
A cry of pain woke my ass up faster than you could say ‘rubber baby buggy bumpers'. My heavy blanket was tossed aside as I went on alert. Scanning for threats in the room. Fortunately, it was only Revali waking up from whatever bad dream he had and hurting himself in the process. After setting myself in a crouching position with alarm on the bed, I was able to mellow out…until I saw that the bed alarm was set to wake us up in two minutes.
That feathery bastard!
“Dammit! Errrgh, I’m just-I’m going to the bathroom,”
Regrettably rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I rolled off one of the two beds in the room to groom myself. But before I could close the door, Revali’s hoarse voice spoke up.
“W-wait!...there’s something I need to tell you-”
“AFTER,”
* SLAM *
I had no patience to listen to whatever crazy dream the stupid bird had, after just being robbed from TWO whole minutes of sleeping soundly. My groggy mind cursed him, as it now made me reluctant to get ready. I shuffled to the mirror and stared at my unhappy reflection for several minutes. Then pathetically brushed my teeth with the foamy toothpaste filling my mouth with a powerful, minty taste. It did jolt me a little more awake, as well as the cold water splashed onto my face when I rinsed off. However, I would unfortunately require caffeine to truly shake the dregs of slumber.
Dam, where’s my hairbrush? Crap, I left it on the nightstand.
I reluctantly exited the bathroom to grab it, when I saw Brendan also dragging himself out of bed to get up. Revali was muttering to himself as he got ready.
“Eugh, I’m gonna have a muzzle on you the next time we sleep. Maybe then we won’t get any more rude awakenings,”
Revali looked back with grogginess on his face.
“Maybe you should’ve told me about that maniacal professor’s ability to torment people in their sleep. It would’ve saved me a great deal of surprise,”
Suddenly, both Brendan and I had these faces like we encountered a brush of death. We stared at the tired champion with new eyes.
“...you mean, he was...”
Brendan couldn’t finish his sentence. The thought sent shivers up his spine; as well as it did for me.
In order for him to get a peep in on us in our dreams, he had to know exactly where we were. Which meant that he knew we were here the second we stepped foot into the city.
“...... WE ARE FUCKIN’ LEAVIN’!”
-------------------------
We were all huffing and puffing going to the train station. The urgency however, was not because of leaving on time.
“How come you took so long telling us Sycamore was messing with you last night, sooner?!”
“Why does it matter?! He's not trying to harm us!”
“Both of you just focus on hurrying up! I don’t want him to know we’re leaving! He might try to do something despicable like see us off!”
“…what-“
“JUST SHUT UP AND KEEP RUNNING!”
What a trio we made as chaos insured from rushing to the station. We bumped into a countless amount of people and Pokémon that made us stumble like drunkards. Many victims in our path shouted angrily at us for running past them. I’m sure half of the city would hate us from how many people we ran past/ into, in less than seventy-two hours.
By the time we got to there, the three of us were huffing and puffing. Revali was the worst one affected since he didn’t know where we were going, and isn’t used to using his legs for such strenuous activity. I nearly half-dragged the bird to the ticket counter in a desperate attempt to keep him in pace of us. Brendan had gone right in front of us, behind a single person. So close to our getaway!
And wouldn’t you know, the trench-coated, hat-wearing civilian was slow as molasses! Why does that ONE person always go at a slugma’s pace?!
Brendan and I fidgeted uncomfortably in place while occasionally turning our heads while Revali struggled for air; waiting for the asshole to finish up.
“Excuse me sir, we’re in a hurry. Are you able to move as-“
“GET THE FUCK OUTTA THE WAY!”
“May no!”
It should take all but five seconds to get your dam ticket and leave, but this idiot had the audacity to take thirty precious seconds of our lives to ask, pay and move for the next human being. I was more than inclined to leave Revali, move around Brendan and grab a hold of this moron. So my grip sunk into his shoulder to push him out of the way.
“Why, have you no respect for your betters? That is not how I taught you, young lady!”
EEP!
Brendan and I stiffened with surprised as the stranger turned around to reveal himself as the handsome professor. HOW?!
“W-what are you doing here?! Don’t you got a day job to go to?!
“Hm, do you think I tie my entire life to my work?”
“YES!”
He merely let out a laugh. Meanwhile, my fists were held up defensively. More terrified of being charmed than actually being assaulted. “J-just so ya know, I’m not going back with you no matter how much you beg!”
Brendan, for some reason, suddenly slid in front of me to act as a human shield. His arms were spread out wide. He was sweating, but had an expression of hard determination.
“Y-yeah! May’s a lot smarter than that! Your tricks won’t work on her!”
“You both…look ridiculous,”
Both Brendan and I turned our now scowling faces back at our supposed-to-be-silent companion. He slightly recovered from the abuse, but still had to suck in air at a labored pace.
“Indeed! I have no intention of causing strife! Only to see you off and wish you well in your investigation!”
I audibly groaned while my best friend let out a sigh. But he kept himself in front of me for good measure.
“Geez, you couldn’t help yourself. We don’t need any send-offs!”
Professor Sycamore held up three tickets.
“Or your charity! Move aside!”
I went around Brendan to purposely bump sides with the haughty Professor as I went to the counter.
“Excuse me, mister. We need tickets for the early morning ride,”
“Ermh, sorry miss, but we sold our last seats. The next one is an hour wait,”
Huh. An hour.
I had my gaze look back to a smug Professor, who still held the tickets out in his grasp. My sight narrowed frustratingly. Sometimes you have to buckle down and admit defeat. It was just that it tasted so bitter.
So, in a quick motion, I swiped the tickets outta his hand with disgusted face and returned to the small group. The unwanted benefactor remained smiling while keeping his ever observant gaze on me.
“Excellent!” he said, rubbing his hands together with too much enthusiasm. “Very unfortunate you need to leave so soon, but I look forward to reuniting once more!”
“Whatever…just get the hell outta here,”
Words meant to insult his generosity, easily fell flat from the stoic disposition he displayed. But he made a polite tip of his hat and replied:
“Til we meet again, Little Birdie❤”
My face suddenly busted into a bright red, with a right scrunch of my lips as the stupid nickname was said out loud in front of arceus and everybody. I imagine the professor got a kick out of my reaction as he casually walked away like nothing happened.
-------------------------
“.....May?”
“…”
“...May?”
“What?”
I was irritable right now. Mainly because of being outsmarted by a nerd. Brendan’s need for attention only caused me pain. Revali remained silent as the three of us sat in our plane seats. The couple on the opposite side of the craft looked like they were getting traveling for their honeymoon. So lovey-dovey with each other, and dressed like tourists. The blonde-hair man had whispered something into the dark-skinned brunette's ear before she giggled. It only took a stolen glance to make me sick.
“I um…wanted to make sure you’re alright…”
Brendan sounded like he wanted to add more, but ended up silencing himself. My friend acted unusually standoffish. One could easily piece together that Professor Sycamore was the sole reason for such timid behavior. So I put a hand on his, that had been tightly gripping his arm rest; Brendan instantly stiffened with surprise. Though annoyed, I mustered up a confident face for him and said:
“I’ll always be alright when you’re with me!”
“….eh?”
I thought that would reward me with an equal expression of bravado, but I got one of a beet red, bewildered one instead.
Summary: The trainer, May Maple has entered a brand new region to start an incredible adventure. Fostering friendships with people and Pokemon...but also catches the eye of a certain Professor from Kalos...
Pairing: May Maple x Professor Sycamore
Word Count: 3.7k
Warning: Swearing, violence, explicit. No minors please.
A/N: Still making sure this story isn’t collecting dust. Though its actually been in development since 2015. Who’d thunk?
Wally looked very confused as he was suddenly confronted by a question that had been asked by someone he just met. Kirlia got very nervous because she was reading the very obvious emotions that were in the air. The sad, lonely atmosphere that belonged to the naive trainer was now easily overpowered by the feelings of growing malice, frustration and anger...lots and lots of anger. Those ocean blue eyes that belonged to Professor Augustine Sycamore were now glinting a hardened grey while every inch of his body was unusually stiff. Nevertheless, a smile was plastered on his face; a smile that looked more sadistically cruel than friendly, but still a smile.
My knees were shaking and I had to force my body to move behind one of Mauville's many decorative statues for safety. Once it felt like a secure position for Chirpie and I to observe, I poked my head out to listen to their interaction.
"Um...y-your student?"
"Yes, MY student! The little darling is a free spirit, you see. Just running off in pursuit of her own desires instead of attending to her duties. She even left her shoe behind! I don't suppose that you haven't seen her...have you?" He asked with his words barely breathing properly from being strangled by restricted fury.
Wally timidly collected his thoughts while Kirlia clung to his pants as they were being glared upon. Was he thinking about selling me out to Sycamore?! The moments of silence were too long and scary as I contemplated on leaving. There was no telling what the Professor would do to me if I was back in his clutches again. I was gnawing at my nails by the time Wally finally made up his mind. His mouth was reluctant to open up, but he was able to force out an answer.
"Um...I did see her and we did talk a lot..."
I started to get up and creep away. My heart became heavy from the disappointment to be felt by the betrayal I just got hit with; even if I had just met him.
"...But...she already left," he finished with his eyes dared to look up at the Professor's. I suddenly stopped to look back at the scene. The weak, pathetic boy didn't rat me out after all! Relief was gladly taking the place of sadness and settling down in my chest, but it was far from over. His answer made Sycamore's eyes narrow with barely hidden irritation.
"Really?" he said while casually starting to circle the boy with his hands behind his back. Wally's eyes quickly focused back on the ground to prevent himself to be more intimidated than he already was.
"She just...left? Well...my student can be quite crafty. Cunning even! She unfortunately has the habit of misleading one’s expectations,”
Normally when someone tells you they hadn’t seen the person in question, the appropriate response would be: ‘Okay, have a nice day’ or ‘Thanks for wasting my time, asshole’. Why the fuck was he drilling into this string bean of a kid? If it were me, I would’ve maybe pushed him out of the way as I moved onto the next person. But continued interrogation? Not if I already knew he had a hand in being an accomplice. Sycamore is better at being a nerd; he’s just acting like a dick at this point.
“Ah...I'm sorry, but I don’t know where she is,”
“Are you certain? Because lying to a person of authority could yield some very unpleasant consequences,"
My newfound companion looked like he could feel the animosity weighing down on him and began to tremble. Maybe if he was lucky, he would faint before the Professor ate him alive. It was still hard to think that only a few hours ago, Sycamore was hardly what anybody could call a threat. Now he looked like a completely different person. Should I go and help Wally? Should I continue to stay in my hiding spot?
The young trainer in question forcefully squeezed his eyes shut and attempted to stick with his version of the story. "Y-you're right! I’m sorry! I-I-I she asked me which route would go to Lavaridge Town!" Wally blurted out as sweat now rolled down his face that was followed by violent, sputtering coughs that made his face turn red. Kirlia gave an alarmed cry as her nervousness was forgotten and tried to comfort her trainer. Sycamore stopped upon seeing him start to deteriorate and eased up on his ferocious nature. Realizing that there was nothing more he could do with people starting to notice, he retracted the vicious smile. He wanted to maintain his ‘professional’ image.
"I see..." he muttered to himself while continuing to stare at the boy with a stern face. "Well thank you anyhow, dear, sweet child. Please forgive me for disturbing you. Have a most.... ‘pleasant’ evening,"
With that, he walked down the street until he was swallowed into the night. I made sure that it was clear before rushing out from my hiding spot to check on Wally. He kept on coughing and shaking even after the danger was over.
"Wally?! You okay?!"
"*COUGH, COUGH*...Senpai?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you come to the store with me?"
"Sure buddy,"
************
The two of us bought flashlights and a few other supplies we needed before proceeding to leave Mauville for Verdanturf Town. We traveled about an hour before calling it a night. To avoid any more surprises, we tied ourselves with rope (I actually had to tie Wally's because he didn't know shit about knots) to a tree that would be our temporary housing. That way if we fell, we wouldn't hit the ground....in theory anyway. The boy withdrew Kirlia and switched her out for roselia, who looked more than ready to face the night. However, it would be Wrumple and I to start lookout duty while the two slept.
As the shift started and my red caterpillar ate some leaves off of a nearby branch, my brain turned back to the events that transpired earlier. I felt ashamed for even thinking about ditching my partner; especially when he took a bullet for me. Even though he belonged to the dreaded boy species, I started to wonder if they were even as bad as dad made them out to be. If anything, men more of a threat since calculating Sycamore and smart-ass Maxie have proved themselves to be dangerous in their own right. And let it be known how much I was disgusted on how he treated other people.But for some reason, my stomach wasn’t in the kind of knots you’d have from being repulsed. Just being a spectator from his actions made me nervous. But deep within the darkest part of my subconscious, for some twisted reason, it made my heart flutter a little. My breath was hitched at the thought of the professor baring his leashed anger through an unfriendly smile. It was terrible to almost wish that I was in Wally's place for those reasons, but I did; and I would never tell a living soul.
************
The next morning, I was awakened by the feeling of soft petals brushing against my cheek. The action startled me and made my eyes widen to look at my travel companion's grass-type staring curiously at me through its small eyes. Next to it was Wally, who had a cheerful expression on his face. Obviously, from how he looked, the boy was more than ready to resume his journey. I rubbed my eyes and absent-mindedly sat up on the branch that was thankfully strong enough to support my weight while fixing my messy hair.
"Good morning, Senpai! A-are you ready to leave?"
"....yeah...sure...."
The remnants of sleep still clouded my mind as I was just barely able to answer. Nevertheless, my response had been more than acceptable to him. Immediately, he urged his roselia to hold on to his head as he slowly started to climb down the tree. It was a painfully long process as I had to give him a little pep talk to get him all the way down, but nothing dangerous happened beyond that. I followed shortly after with a quick pace while Wrumple stuck to my shoulder.
Thus, we picked back up our journey on a bright morning as we traveled on the road to Verdanturf Town. We passed a small daycare center where a charming old couple happily waved and wished us a good morning. The Pokémon behind their fence happily played in with their peers while a certain few were entertaining themselves on their own.
We also had encounters with athletes, bug catchers and Pokémon breeders who more than eager to test our skills as trainers. There was even a pair of students who claimed to be better than us. For some reason, Wally was flustered with this fact and quickly accepted the challenge. We teamed up once more with Wrumple and roselia in play. It was a hard battle when put up against a fighting and normal-type, but we beat them along with everyone else who crossed our path.
Not long after one of those battles, Wrumple started to shoot out lavender colored string and encase herself in the stuff. A strangely fascinating thing to watch because of how she tediously made sure that the threads were tight enough, and would occasionally re-thread it if it wasn't. When she finally did finish, Wrumple had 'evolved' into Casecoon.
We stared at each other for a moment before I went to pick up my bug...and curiously start to rub the silk barrier against the side of my face. Wow! This stuff was so soft!
The remainder of our journey consisted of battling through trainers, fishing at the small ponds where we caught ourselves more Pokémon, talking with Wally to give him tips about what he should do in battle and rubbing my face against Casecoon. Well, I eventually had to stop because she started getting annoyed.
Four hours later, Wally and I reached the quiet, little town of Verdanturf. What I first noticed was how clear and delicious the air was. Aside from that and the pleasant light green grass that softly brushed by our legs, this small place that serviced people with medical herbs a Pokémon mart and center, a Contest Spectacular building and a handful of small homes. There was also a route nearby called the Rusturf Tunnel. It was supposed to connect Verdanturf with Rustboro, but apparently, they discontinued the construction because their equipment disturbed the Pokémon who lived in the tunnel.
Here's where things started to get confusing for me. If we lived in a world where people could tame large beasts with immeasurable power and use them to help us with almost anything under the sun, then what was so difficult about getting a Pokémon to just lift the obstacle out of the way?! Or teaching one to dig around it?! Or breaking it?! There were so many options to pick from! I was tempted to seek out the foreman so I could punch some sense into him. Lucky for that guy, he was on the other side of the tunnel. Not wanting this stupidity to stand any longer, I dragged Wally with me inside the dark place.
An hour of walking in the dark and unusually damp tunnel revealed a girl who looked slightly older than me who was trying to peek through the small spaces of the large boulders that were in her way. I certainly had little idea of who she was, but my companion did.
"W-Wanda!"
The teen turned around in surprise as Wally scurried to her and gave the girl a frightening hug. While I would give the occasional near-death hug to Brendan, I was still somewhat repulsed by the action of him doing it. Boys were still not in the clear for me.
They talked for a little bit while I sat on a nearby rock. Poochyena surveyed the area as she chewed on her squeaking toy. She would occasionally stop with that to sniff around the place; letting out a sneeze when she sucked up too much dirt. When they finished with conversation, they walked over to where I was.
"Senpai, this is my cousin Wanda...she wanted to ask if you could help her with something,"
At that moment, she stepped forward. Just like Wally, she had the same wintery blue eyes and long tea green hair. However, she looked like she went out more because of her tanned skin. She straightened out her forest green dress and held firmly on her sun hat.
"I uh...I was talking with Wally, and he said that you could do anything..."
Really? Anything? I could have laughed from the utterly ridiculous statement that blew me out of proportion. It sounded even funnier since I just met him. Despite the amusement that I could have gotten, I kept my mouth shut out of respect and the fact that she was the first girl that I met so far that didn't have some crazy personality. Also, from how my companion talked badly about himself, I figured I give him a break from any criticism.
"...I...I really need your help!" I glanced down to her hands and noticed that she began to roll the rim of her sunhat with anxiety. "My boyfriend's trying to so hard to break those boulders but they won't budge! I know I've only met you...but please...can you help us?!"
"Uh, we actually came here to do that anyway,”
"Really?! T-Thank you so much!"
"Eh, not a problem," I answered and promptly stood up to face the large boulders. I walked over to them and studied its rugged surface for a place to start before giving out a short whistle. The little dark-type who was looking around perked up and came running with a happily wagging tail. Poochyena stopped just a short few feet away from me; biting down on her toy.
Past my lips came a confident chuckle as a hot burning determination filled my chest. "Alright Poochyena, use rock smash on those boulders!" I shouted while fiercely pointing to the obstacles. My Pokémon dropped the squeaking entertainment upon hearing my command and ran toward them. She slammed into the rocks head first. The impact was great and already, shards of stone flew off to reveal a large hole.
"Come on Poochyena! Keep at it!"
Another ground shaking impact reverberated into the tunnel's floor and the cracks in the boulders grew larger while spreading around the stone. Despite the expectation of the outcome, it was still amazing to see such a little animal like that take down something over seven times her size. "Okay Poochyena! Give it your all with this last one! I know you can do it!" I exclaimed as I encouraged my Pokémon in the loudest voice I could muster.
It backed up as far as the tunnel would allow with determined eyes locking onto the target before stopping briefly. The little dark-type took in a deep breath through its nostrils and suddenly charged forward with trembling speed. Poochyena zoomed past the three of us and crashed into the formerly superior obstacle. The little dog went right through the boulder and onto the other side with a sudden audible grunt that shortly filled the air.
Wanda, Wally and I looked at the huge, still growing hole that was now in the once mighty stone. We didn't have time to get a clear picture of who else had been on that other side because the rest of the rock was quickly falling to pieces. We all backed away to a safe distance as it crumbled into rubble and dust kicked up in the air.
When everything took a minute or two to settle, our party saw a now clear path to Rustboro city...and an unconscious guy wearing a martial artist outfit on the floor with my dizzy Poochyena laying on him. Mission accomplished! Although, the cousin didn't seem to agree.
"EECK! TIMMY!"
************
Upon taking Wanda's boyfriend to a small treatment center, it was revealed that he sustained three broken ribs; and there had been no small wonder of how it was caused. He was lucky that the impact of the rock slowed my Pokémon down enough to do only that. He didn't seem to care about his injuries though. Timmy's attention had been too absorbed with the gladness of being able to see Wanda more often from now on. His weird determination to be with Wally's cousin made me wonder about Sycamore's own drive to keep me within his proximities as much as he could help it. Was I making a mistake by pushing him away? Could it be that I was the one who was wrong?
Those questions became stuck in my head for the rest of the day as I rewarded my freshly healed Pokémon with a new squeaking chew toy; it was in the shape of a meowth head. Poochyena ran around us in circles as we walked towards Wanda's house afterwards with rapid squeaking sounds to be heard. Upon reaching our destination, I was introduced to Wally's uncle and aunt. They were surprised by my efforts and influence I had on their nephew. Apparently, he had some sort of medical issue with breathing and the original plan for him was to stay with them for some time. However, his unexpected ambition to become a trainer had put those plans on hold. That being said, they insisted that it was my presence that caused Wally to feel a happier with who he was. Of course, I couldn't see any of those kinds of changes, but I did notice his kirlia looking more radiant today than from last night. She twirled around him a little more and happily kept grooming the boy a lot more than his sanity could handle.
Later that evening, I joined his family for dinner and nearly gorged myself to death. Fortunately, my trusty Poochyena was there to help me out by eating what I couldn't force down my throat. The best part of the meal: No Sycamore to tell me that I was eating like I was in prison! Or tell me that eating too much would give me stomach cramps (which I got later)! Because fuck etiquette; I'm a trainer!
After dinner, I stayed up with Wally to talk about many things: Like where I used to live or that he sleeps with a tennis racket because of his fear of spider Pokémon. Wally reminded me of Brendan in a few ways...if he had those sarcastic comments and talked about someone named Jane in his sleep.
"By the way Senpai, why do you wear your bandana like a bow?"
It took me a minute to register his question.
"Oh...this thing?" I clarified while taking the red accessory off. The slightly rough texture was felt on my skin as my brain searched for answers. Hm...why did I wear it like that? After wracking my head for what felt like two seconds, I gave up trying to remember.
"I dunno. I'm more comfortable with wearing it like that I guess,"
Even with that sad excuse, the strange mystery still bothered me. It would have been more normal if I wore it around the whole head. Well dad did say I looked adorable and mom said it added a nice feminine touch. I shelved the oddity in the back of my mind before shooting my own question.
"So what's up with kirlia? She's so uptight about everything and likes cleaning you off. It's like she's my mom,"
"Well, that's her way of thanking me,"
"For what?"
"For feeding her,"
Wally then told me about how he met kirlia one day when he made a bold effort to eat his lunch outside. It wasn't an easy feat for him since he just got off of his inhaler after an annual physical deemed him to be fit without one. Still, he struggled with finding his breath when he wasn't emotionally sound. It was then that a dirty, weak ralts came up to him with slow steps and a bowed head.
Upon seeing the poor thing, a curious look appeared on his face and crept towards it. The ralts stopped and was about to turn when a ham sandwich was thrusted out towards the little creature. It took one look at the meal and snatched it up to eat.
That day on, the Pokémon wouldn't stop following him around. Wally had to believe that this was some sort of sign to set out to become a trainer; so he did just that.
The answer came straight out of left field and hit me hard in my chest. He looked completely straight-faced, but I could already feel my eyes getting wet and forced myself to turn away so I could rub them. Dam Wally and his ability to compromise me!
But in point, he never actually caught it in the wild or had it given to him? I thought about what Professor Birch said to me when I first got Chirpie. Never did it occur to me how deep bonds could be forged out of simple acts of kindness with people and Pokémon. I thought it had to do a great deal of just being the superior one to gain the respect needed. I think I need to tell Chirpie that I love him a lot tonight.
At the same time, it was no wonder he was found the way he was. I had to assume that he followed some sort of guide for catching his other Pokémon, but REAL guidance could be useful to him.
When it got late, I decided to turn in for the night. I told Wally that he could come with me to the Contest Spectacular tomorrow but threatened to pummel him if he breathed a word about it to anyone else. There would be no way that I would have any personal security with someone else besides him and Lisia knowing that I was going to don one of the most girliest outfits in history.
"G'night Wally!"
"Good night Senpai!"
************
On the road to Verdanturf that started from Mauville, a figure carefully walked on the dark path with a small light that came from a device he was holding. It was the map of the region with a magnified part of Verdanturf town. With the aid of the glowing light, a victorious smile played on the person's lips. He should be able to get there by tomorrow morning.
Summary: You only had hatred for him, that Mandalorian. His victory against Moff Gideon inspired vengeance, but not everything goes as planned...
Pairing: Female reader x Din Djarin
Word count: 5k
Warning: Swearing, violence, reader starts off as an antagonist, murder, explicit, smut. No minors please
A/N: Yahoo! Back again! I’ve been hanging onto this one for a while, but finally gathered up the moxie to finish it! Now onto my other stories I hadn’t abandoned, I swear! As always, let me know how you think. Feedback is welcomed.
The first thing you register when you start to wake up, is the lack of a second body next to you. His thick cloak was still draped over you, but the Mandalorian was nowhere to be heard in the room. Your ears however picked up various rummaging sounds from the next room over, that was carried by echoes bouncing off the walls. You were curious and wanted to see what he could be combing over this time, so you attempted to roll off the old, filthy bed. But when you tried moving, every limb retracted back in pain. It didn’t take much to remember why you were hurting, and recalling the memories of what transpired the night before...or however long you were here. The lack of light in this hovel made it difficult to differentiate time.
Still, you sat yourself up while keeping the old garment wrapped around you. Basically, you were incredibly fucked. Not because of...it was...well mainly because this would contribute to an occupational suicide, and a literal execution should anyone found out. Maybe you could lie and say the animal forced himself on you. Nobody would believe an honorless, heathen savage. Of course, you’d have to be the one to kill him. One blaster to his exposed skull would do the job. If you really wanted to make it look convincing, you’d choke the life out of him with your bare hands. Feel the life ebb away from that glorious, thick neck-
Suddenly, your thoughts drifted to a flash back of mere hours ago. Hidden away in the dark, your tongue lazily slid up from the man’s warm clavicle, to a rough, stubbled cheek. The sensation of his sturdy pulse enamored you. There were countless of times of putting rebels and other animals down, but the best part of it was witnessing their pathetic lives slowly fade out until only their husks remained. Being hands on was the bread and butter of your amusement. Especially when their wills to live crumbled like a clod of dirt. Savoring each beat of life eventually filter out. But something was different here.
The strong pounding of his heartbeat felt as though it was giving you a sense of passion. He was making you very confused. When somehow in the late hours of whenever it was, you woke up briefly to find yourself laying on his warm, bare skin. The throbbing of his lively heart enthralled you; and before you could try to reason against it, your mouth began to slide against this newly exposed Mandalorian. There was no in-between here: You were the one at fault for then moving yourself completely on top of him. He even tried to swat your lips away for sleep as you attempted to find his. Grumbling about getting more rest. That’s when you had to settle for tasting the rest of him. His neck...his well chiseled stomach, his-
A loud, exploding sound interrupted the playback of your very few decadent memories. The room was still difficult to see, so you had to rely on touch to get yourself out of the bed and stumble through the peasant home. Having shaking legs did not help ease the situation; though the lingering ache in the pit of your abdomen gave you a surprising amount of euphoria.
But all those addicting afterthoughts didn’t shield you from the filthy floor contaminating your feet. Gods, every texture of the muddled ground sent uncomfortable sensations up to your brain with urgency. The Mandalorian was the only source of light, and the sooner he was found, the quicker you could find your clothes. No matter how good your touch was, no part of you had registered where your battered uniform was.
Then there was the rest of your body. Partially coated with sand, grime and-…. well, you knew what else. There was little hope to consider water to be present in this abandoned hovel, but maybe they were wise enough to have a sonic-type shower instead. The lowly bounty hunter should be able to perform a simple fix. Oh gods...what would be given to have the filth pulsed off. Your hair could also use attention; it had long since gone unruly. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything present to control the mess growing out from your head. A complaint you’d address with him once you found the bastard. Speaking of which...
Roaming around the place and following the echoing sounds your warden made, allowed you to find the man back in the garage. The little light he attached to his helmet illuminated on the side of an old, rusting speeder. Smoke was drifting up from some mishap, that was supposed to fix whatever was wrong with it. Alien words were mumbled from underneath his helmet and bounced off the old walls as he carefully took apart more panels of the vehicle. Even with the light being sparse, it was now easy to outline where he was.
“... What in the name of the sacred gods are you doing? Messing with old wiring attached to old fuel cells could blow this dirt hovel straight to the stars,”
The gravelly voice, perfectly blended with the coarse question, had successfully sent an unpleasant jolt through the Mandalorian. You could see the sudden jerk of his body that matched one of surprise and irritation. It was a pleasure to get under his skin, if you weren’t able to kill him right now.
Your wily tempter that likely crawled from one of the pits of the six hells themselves, let out an exasperated sigh before setting down something in his hand. Not bothering to turn around and give you the attention you rightfully deserved.
“I know what I’m doing,” he managed to spit out; though ungracefully. Putting one hand on the plate of the speeder, while the other reached into the exposed hull to feel for the fried cables. Giving off the body language of how unwanted your presence was. And maybe it was just a figment of the imagination, but it almost looked as though he wanted to not remember what happened in the other room. It was a welcome slight since he eventually needed to die in the slowest manner possible. Even if the sex left your toes wanting to curl up in contentment every five seconds. You couldn’t let mere body contact corrupt the rest of your morals.
“Hm, I see. But before you continue deluding yourself, I need to retrieve my garments. The pitch-black room you kept me in has no illumination,”
“….”
“…Well?”
“….I’m busy,”
You snorted haughtily.
“I hope you’re not referring to that hopeless endeavor as ‘busy',”
In all seriousness, what could he expect from playing around with obsolete machinery? A child would know better than to repair useless, ancient relics; even if the intentions were to make traversing easier. It may be for the best anyway to not ride in that safety violation of a vehicle. Who knows when the engine would inevitably explode?
The Mandalorian immediately stopped what he was doing, and retracted his reach from the speeder. With the telling signs of turning his body rather stiffly, it was clear how much your words had greatly annoyed him. Even his movement towards the bedroom was deliberate and hurried as he purposely smacked his shoulder against yours on the way out.
How mature.
Regardless, you trailed behind him while keeping the cloak wrapped around you as tightly as possible. Thank the seven gods he was somewhat capable of a small form of empathy.
When you tailed him back to the room, the helm light he wore casted a low radiance in the small space to where the old linen and your clothes were lying. Looking at their state of being crumpled carelessly invoked feelings of embarrassment up to flush your face red. It was unnoticeable to him however, as he stood there for a moment, and then bent down to pick up the articles of a once pressed uniform. Oh good, the animal has manners.
He continued picking up that small pile save for the boots. Perhaps this was his way (despite your chidings) of extending a wroshyr branch. It was a truthfully kind gesture, if not for the impudent detail of their own purposes.
He finished in an instant, and you reluctantly stepped forward with a facial expression stiffened into an arrogant poker face.
“I suppose you think I’ll find this small gesture uplifting enough to pay a compliment. What a very adorable thought-”
The bounty hunter’s shoulder purposely hit against yours once more, but with extra force. It made you stumble to the side as he walked behind you to pick something up and come back. A small, metal trash receptacle. The different course of action confused you as he then began stuffing them in there. And second he finished, the Mandalorian set it on the floor in front of you.
“…I can just reach in there-*FHOOOWSH*
Suddenly, a stream of flames came out from one of his vambraces and set your garments ablaze. The choice in his logic shocked you so much, that all you could do was stand in place for those few seconds to watch them burn.
He, on the other hand, must’ve enjoyed the reflection of surprise in your irises, because he decided to add insult to the travesty by saying:
“There’s your illumination,”
You foolishly tried to stick your hand into the flames as an attempt to pull them out, but he blocked every try with efficient speed. Only allowing you to watch the demise of your dignity. Helping your heart in that moment, harden so it could remove any sort of sympathy that had been previously garnered for him. He was truly colder than the darkest reaches of space.
“…My uniform…you disgusting…heathen…nerf herder!! What am I supposed to wear now?! I’ll be condemned in the six hells and flailed before I come out if this hovel, naked!”
If not for the small fire and cloak still loosely draped around you, he would’ve had his neck getting crushed between your hands by now. That evil, barbaric, incubus!
The sentient garbage took your insult unfortunately too well as he simply turned away to a small, broken closet. By the seven gods…what does he think he’s doing?
As your former outfit slowly turned into soot, a dreadful look appeared on your face. The madman had done it. He dared to…*gag* completely eradicate every sign of magnificence that you once exuded as an imperial commander. It was in its place that this Mandalorian crafted an appearance of an ordinary nobody. Someone who belonged with the rest of the commoners at every glance. A person who looked like…a farmer.
No moment had been spared with a proper reaction of repulsion as he slowly revealed a filthy, plain dress with a dark brown open robe. The material looked like it was made from bantha fur. Something mere peasants wear when performing daily chores. You would rather slit your own throat than let that touch your skin.
“NO! GET THAT BACK!” You protested while backing away. Stepping away from the fire to flee. “I don’t deserve this! I’m better than you! I’m better than anyone on this fucking rock! I refuse to wear that shit peasant outfit!”
The terrible warden simply let all of your ‘legitimate concerns' roll off him and stepped over the small fire. Carrying those cursed garments with him.
“I want my cloak back,” he replied while drawing closer; reaching out to grab your arm. This made you hug yourself while angry tears were being squeezed from your eyes. Your voice breaking out from beginnings of a sob.
“YOU DON’T FUCKING NEED IT! YOU’RE NOT THE ONE WHO’S NAKED! NO-DON’T TOUCH ME-“
Before you could send him on a fruitless chase around the hovel, he quickly reached out and seized your forearm. Having vicious resistance from you, but ultimately pulling you within his bubble of influence. You smacked against the cold, beskar armor with your forehead. This was when he put the farmer clothes over his shoulder and tore the cloak away from you. Something that you wished had better implications.
This made you tried to vainly cover your nakedness with your limbs and sink to your knees. Now full blown whining angrily.
“YOU BASTARD! I’LL REMEMBER THIS! I’LL HATE YOU UNTIL THE END OF OBLIVION! YOU DON’T DESERVE ANY HAPPINESS! ROT FOR ETERNITY IN THE MIDST OF THE SIX HELLS-“
*BAM*!
“*Sighs*. You’re getting annoying,”
Several hours later…
The Mandalorian had achieved two impossibilities today: Fixing an old speeder into a functioning vehicle, and getting a near feral imperial into regular clothes. Both lengthy processes that rendered him tired. Only one felt like a proper accomplishment. The other presented like a wraith that continued to haunt him. Fortunately a headbutt to the skull had temporarily quieted that said wraith. However, he started to feel as though it were spinning out of his control.
He regrettably let his emotions get the better of him and slept with her. You don’t develop an attachment to the bounty and expect to get out unscathed; that’s what happened the last time. At least with Grogu, he expected the tantrums.
So by the time you woke up bound, dressed and in the passenger side of the speeder, he gave out a soft but very drawn-out groan. It wouldn’t be long now before your eyes slowly peeled open. First the obscene light of day. Then pain emitting from your forehead to come into focus. And finally, that fucking mouth-
“You…bastard…I'll-ERMH! My head…”
“Don’t speak. You’ll give us both headaches,”
You wished you could do more than that; one blow to your skull, and everything blanked out. But now that things were becoming clearer, your skin could register the foreign material that had been forcefully put on. It was itchy, uncomfortable and made you sweat. There were constant messages of disgust crawling up your spine, but there was little that could be done about it. The only thing possible for rebellion at this point was to angrily shift your body as much as you could away from him. You didn’t wanna see that glorified bucket helmet for the rest of your natural life, but an hour or two would suffice. The hateful movement was accompanied with an annoyed scoff.
The best thing you could do, was take your mind off the current predicament to imagine being in a far better place. Surrounded by people who were always enamored by your presence. Living in the luxury of good ration packets and the old habits of your workplace.
As soon this was over, you'd resume your role to torture war prisoners for information. Their blood would stain the floors in your relief. As for the bounty hunter, well…he’d be the best inspiration for your greatest interrogation practices-
The speeder suddenly slowed down, and your mind was thrown back into the ugly reality that the gods unfortunately bestowed on you. Shifting back into your seat properly had made you realize that they were coming up on an expanse of a junk yard. It made you look upon in disgust as the male instinct inside that beast had been drawn to old, broken down objects. It should’ve been impressive how handy his skills were, but pissing you off diminished his value.
“This again? You’re pushing what little luck you had to begin with,”
He didn’t respond to the insult, but stayed the course towards the place. Refusing to fuel a pointless argument. The Mandalorian was beginning to wonder if all of the complaining and attempted halts of the journey was a way to buy time before reinforcements arrived. He wasn’t sure if this was true, but tempting the fates was a fool’s errand. It would be wiser to shut out feedback of her welfare for now.
In the end, your captor tuned you out, which infuriated you more. Although, there was also this tiny, inward feeling that decided to fester in your chest. Along with emotions of despicable, romantic lust, disappointment somehow entered residence without you knowing until now.
You only felt this before for one reason only: Being unfavorable in the captain’s eyes.
This was confusing because he wasn’t here to see the monumental failure you were yet. He’s normally present with that unchanging stare-…
No...it couldn’t be. That would be silly. The only pleasures needed to be worried about were yourself and the Captain’s... whatever transpired yesterday was meaningless. He wasn’t that special to trump anyone important. Perish the thought, he wasn’t special to begin with. He’s nothing but something to punish for the glory of the Empire. And nobody escapes the Empire unscathed.
This is what you mentally resolved as the gates of one of the planet’s concentrated pile of broken metal and other useless garbage, were becoming easier to discern. You could even make out a figure who sat at his post by the imposing metal doors of its entrance. He worked on a service droid, and stopped when he noticed your speeder.
The vehicle in question stopped several feet away, and the Mandalorian promptly propelled himself out of his seat. He looked uncharacteristically excited based on his hurried approach to the man. And after reaching, conversing and giving him payment, the stranger got out a remote and pressed a button.
The gates shuddered for a moment, but then began to groan as they slid open. It wasn’t skull rattling like the ones in that hive of scum and villainy (much to your relief), but you could feel yourself vibrate in your seat. At the same time, your warden returned to jump back to his side. Gripping both hands rather tightly on the steering mechanism of the speeder. It started to make you wonder what this immature man-child with a voice of a siren could possibly look forward to in this oversized trash pile.
Then he realized you were next to him. His head reluctantly turned towards your general direction.
“I’m only saying this once: Stay in the speeder,”
“Of course. I wouldn’t want my peasant attire to get any dirtier,”
The snide remark received no reply as he started the vehicle back up and slowly went through the now open passage.
Slowly driving through the hot, littered landscape felt like you were looking at museum exhibits. It was strangely fascinating to spot parts and bits from the older eras. Some that dated back before the Empire had been established. If you came here under your own influence, you would’ve admittingly lingered here for some time. Probably not too long since the two suns shining down made this stop none too friendly. Oh, and then there was this blasted sand. Even being stuck in the speeder didn’t do much to prevent the grainy particles from dusting over you. It was making this ordeal much more painful than necessary.
The Mandalorian however, didn’t think much of the scenery. He looked too focused on driving. Of course he would be so short-sighted. He was a cold-hearted bastard who deserved nothing but scorn.
Then, the speeder stopped abruptly, which caused you to jolt suddenly. You thought something was disrupting the hovering process of the vehicle, but it was in fact the bounty hunter who halted it himself as he hurriedly got out.
He stepped over rusting metal while making sure his cloak didn’t catch as he made his way towards what looked like a drop ship; something from one of those bygone periods. Wait.
You struggled to maneuver yourself out of the hovering safety hazard, before managing to fall face first into the sand. Not a majestic moment to be sure, but disturbing it revealed something sleek and shiny. You paused momentarily, looked around and gathered it up under your sleeve. Never let an opportunity go to waste.
After getting up and shaking what sand you could off, you went in the same direction of the uncouth savage. Although, you struggled more getting across the terrain. Having both hands shackled by binders made tripping much easier, so you were forced to slow your pace. Falling this time meant stabbing yourself with metal or some other debris that would certainly require medical attention. He'd just as easily let you suffer the rest of the trip to the republic's authorities.
Fortunately, you were able to successfully follow him to that mysterious drop-ship, where you found the man slowly smoothing his hand over the old metal. The thing looked like it sat here for many years. Rust had oxidized most of the outside and its windows were busted. Yet he was petting it as if it were an old companion. He has to be joking.
“You have to be joking,”
“…Didn’t I say to stay in the speeder?”
He didn’t turn his head back, but stopped smoothing his hand over the rusted craft; annoyed with the interruption of a fond memory. You let the irritation of his tone slide off you.
“I’m here to be the voice of reason, Mandalorian. Don’t let your love for obsolete junk get us killed. That thing wouldn’t carry us past the stratosphere,”
He was silent for a minute as if he seriously considered your opinion. Then the bounty hunter turned around and proceeded to close the space between the both of you.
What a relief.
The daydreaming fool was actually considering the consequences-wait, why isn’t he stopping-
He had just walked past you, when he grabbed your shoulder and forcibly pulled you back to the speeder. You felt practically dragged behind and struggled to keep up in pace.
When you were just barely able to make it back, the Mandalorian hoisted you back onto your side with little care. This about the same time you understood what nerve you just struck.
And as you tried to compose yourself in the seat, you caught sight of your captor pulling the backpack out. Making sure you were full witness to the action.
“Never tell me the odds,”
************
That day was the start of many weeks to come of restoring a Pre-Empire Razor Crest drop-ship. He started on the inside first. Buffing out the dangerous levels of rust and fixing the extensive wiring. However, as proud as he was, he didn’t do it alone. Apparently, the junkyard's services included droid assistance so the job wasn’t a month-long endeavor. The gods knew you wouldn’t survive being in this scrap heap for that long.
He took short breaks, and only really stopped when the time came for sleep. Unfortunately for you, he made sure you were shackled to the speeder. He didn’t want you pulling any fast ones on him while toiling away. It was just difficult to believe how motivated he was to proving you wrong. Maybe he actually thrived off it; it was hard to tell. But what wasn’t, had been the significant progress that started to show.
Once most of the inside was nearly complete, he deemed it less hazardous to keep you inside for the remainder of the project. Although, you weren’t keen on that either.
“GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF ME! I’M NOT GOING IN THAT DEATH TRAP!”
He had swung you over his shoulder when you refused to exit the speeder under your own power. You didn’t trust anything that slipped past that disguised mouth, and you certainly wouldn’t be a willing passenger for an accident just dying to happen. Unfortunately for you, his strength won over your complaining.
“I HOPE YOU DROP DEAD, MANDALORIAN! YOU DEVIL OF DISCORD! FILTHY HEATHEN OF THE SIX HELLS! YOU DON’T DESERVE TO LIVE!”
“Noted,”
All you could do was scream, whine and shout profanities at him while being carried into the ship. And just like the bottom of his heart, the interior was dark and silent. Foreboding like you imagined it would be. There was a feeling that he preferred the darkness, but the purposeful lack of lighting here confirmed it. Especially when he shoved you into a small storage unit with a small blanket; ironically perfect for your size.
“Stay in here, or I’ll shackle you to one of the pipes in the cockpit,”
Your angry, pouting face was the last thing he saw before the sliding door shut closed. And so began the several hours of solitude.
The dim light that was thankfully shining in the small space illuminated how much of an honestly remarkable job. What should’ve been aging rust had gotten scrubbed off to reveal the reflective metal underneath. You were laying on a semi-soft mat that was recently put in. Again, you should be impressed, but hatred prevented you from giving him any praise.
So in anger, you let yourself collapse on your side, hugging the bathna wool blanket before falling asleep. This would be a part of the short pattern you’d keep for days. It became difficult to discern time. The only constant was slumber, hunger, anxiousness and the brief visits of that savage throwing a ration packet at you. Oh, how you despised him.
You regretted laying eyes on him. You hated how everything turned out in his favor.
So many thoughts broiled in your mind, that your heart nearly stopped when the storage door suddenly opened. You were on the defensive, as the Mandalorian blocked the entrance with his intimidating stature. But when the shock subsided, the usual feelings bitterness remained. Your vision flitted to staring at the metal wall.
“What?”
“Get out. We're preparing for departure,”
Departure?! Already?! It couldn’t have been that long since you sat in here...you thought. He has to be playing some mind game in order to invoke obedience. It made you scoff skeptically.
“I highly doubt you made this rusted bucket space-worthy. Let alone doing in an impossibly short amount of time. Do you realize how many engineers it takes to restore a space craft?”
Instead of an answer, you were pulled out by your forearm and forced through the ship. The place was slightly more illuminated now, and you could see how cleaned up the ship looked. It was outdated, but whatever aging monstrosity you thought would be found had been gone, and replaced with the idea that this had recently exchanged with a previous owner. It came as a shock; especially when your eyes spied a half-open, fully-stocked weapons locker. When did he get all of those?
You then came to a ladder. The bars looked freshly scrubbed from the way it felt on your hands. No matter how clean it was, this transformation did nothing to make the ascent easier. Having shackled hands were a difficult impediment with climbing, but the Mandalorian wasn’t discouraged by your handicap. He simply continued to coerce your travels before following behind.
Eventually (following a few slips and hesitating fear) you were able to make it up to a pair of closed doorways. One behind, while the other faced in front like a looming force. You waited until the Mandalorian ascended into the threshold and ordered you to go forward. These next few steps were full of confidence of his failure.
A savage like him couldn’t perform technological miracles. It takes an immense upheaval of manpower, prowess and a bright mind to repair a ship. Service droids were never a good substitute for raw, human grey matter. They had more of mind for automation than thinking outside the box; though for good reason.
But when those doors retracted open, your eyes nearly bulged out of your skull.
The cockpit…it looked brand new. You moved in closer to see the three pristine flight chairs that swiveled without a creak. The pilot’s chair; oh gods the pilot’s chair! It was within reach of an organized, pristine control board where the buttons, switches and levers hadn’t looked aged a day in their life. Even the glass that you had previously seen outside as busted, were complete and clear as crystal. You sat down in awe of what had been previously thought of as impossible. In fact, your heart started beating fervently from finally understanding the magnitude of his talent. This nobody who was called a ‘king' had put Empire doubly to shame.
Speaking of which, the man casted a shadow over you and pulled your body from his seat. It hurt, but there were no complaints coming out of you this time. He put you in the chair on his left and at least secured you with seat belts. The man returned to his self-proclaimed spot and buckled in.
You were feeling more confused now than ever.
Oh you wanted him…that beautiful, brilliant mind sitting in that erotic vessel. He was completely wasted as an aimless bounty hunter. Even with his back turned and preparing for ascent, it made him all the more desirable.
Why did he have to be born somewhere not under Imperial control? At the very least, he could’ve recognized the supreme rule of the entity and submitted himself to it! But no, he had to cock it up and force your deadly hand. Maybe if you change tactics, it could still work in your favor. But for now, you’d wait.
Suddenly, you felt rumbling shake the cockpit. It was more pronounced than a newer vessel, but not enough to bring about any worries. The Mandalorian flipped a few switches overhead, and then slowly pulled back a large lever. While the change couldn’t be felt much, looking outside the window of the junkyard showed the landing gear being retracted and a slowly minimizing landmass. It jump-started something in your thoughts that hadn’t been there much of your life; excitement beyond your occupation. The restoration of an old ship resuming its flight had a strange effect on you. Years of being unimpressed and only having love for serving your Captain barely left room for anything else. The more idle your hands got, the more you were able to see a phenomenon of things not noticed before.
Pretty soon, the junkyard turned into a dot in a sea of golden sand as it rose higher in the air. You swiveled around as much as you could to survey the shrinking land.
Above your head, the bright blue of the atmosphere began to darken as the Razor Crest bypassed the various atmospheres of the planet. Not long after you were staring at what looked like a golden ball in the vastness of space.
Your eyes darted over to the barbarian...though, you could settle for just calling him a Mandalorian.
Summary: Steven Stone's experiments with the dimensional shifter reap some unexpected results. Although progress doesn't come without a price, and guess who has to pay it...
Word count: 7.3k
Warning: Swearing and violence
A/N: Aaaaaaaaand, back again! I’ve been pretty MIA for a good while. I’d apologize, but then I realized how much I’ve been going through and needed a slow progression for writing. Working in a profession that directly deals with ill people is gonna make me take some TLC. I also didn’t want my writing to seem like it was a chore to complete; otherwise I’d be forever struggling as a writer to think creatively. But I hope everyone is doing well. Its important to take breaks and give yourself care. Also, I realized how much I was trying to fit into this chapter and had to find a stopping point for now. Let me know how it flows because I appreciate feedback! Otherwise, enjoy!
Going to the airport used to feel exciting. The idea of going somewhere different ignited so much elation, I thought I was gonna explode!
This time however, I realized how many baby steps I was taking towards the large airport in Mauville. There were no guesses as to why resistance plagued my mind. It had been a year since I went to Kalos, and the memories there were a mixed bag of feelings. Even Brendan and Revali noticed with their occasionally subtle glances, but said nothing to bring up the observation. Acting as if everything was normal for the time being. I was sorta glad for it, since explaining my apprehension outright would kill me, and Revali doesn’t really need to know the reason behind my ‘slightly’ stir-crazy behavior.
“Good arceus, were the lines always this long through security?!”
“Well… summer is right around the corner,”
“Oh, right…. But still! I’m just so ANNOYED! UGH!!”
However, I remained compliant with the situation until the three of us went through. Although, Revali was looked at with some suspicion. Mainly because of his fierce-looking expression and lack of arrows in his quiver. We ended up having to dispose of the versatile bombs-on-a-stick since they would instantly detain and question us for any possible acts of terrorism. Of course, our compatriot gave pushback, but we managed to convince him to cooperate. Promising the Rito that we would remedy the loss. It was just overall fortunate that no fights broke out before and during security.
Afterwards however, we (I) distracted ourselves with the many outlets around the port to kill some time. The airport in Hoenn wasn’t big compared to the one in Johto, that said, there were still many things to do. Several shops with various goods and food lined the path to our gate. Our compatriot was eager to get to the waiting area. Revali had been extremely fascinated by the idea of air travel being a commonplace for non-flying folk. But I wanted to explore the gift shop first.
“So...” He started off quizzically while absent-mindedly staring at the wares of knick-knacks. “People don’t fear flying several hundred feet in the air?”
I was in the middle of searching through handkerchiefs when my ears caught the question. My head turned while holding an orange, Torchic embroidered one.
“Actually, more like thousands,”
“THOUSANDS?! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!”
My face had this smug look as if I had been a part of the design team of modern travel.
“Science, baby!”
Brendan then stuck his nose in our conversation while having a mudkip key chain in hand.
“Technically, its engineering-“
“Okay, whatever smart guy! Engineering. But its all in the same category! People who are nerds got the idea of making metal things slightly resembling bird Pokémon, and made it big enough to carry other people. You know, the same kind of people who brought you back to life,”
“Hm…”
Revali's curiosity halted for a moment as he was suddenly reminded of the situation. I stood still from admiring a groudon handkerchief to observe the shift in behavior. Oi, I might’ve touched a nerve or something. It would be better to change the subject.
“Anyway, it’s a lot easier to get somewhere without taking a lot of time. I like camping out between days as much as the next guy, but we’re on a schedule,”
“Right... so will we go see whomever it is immediately after?”
“What? No way! We’ll all be dead tired from the lag. And I’m not seeing anybody looking like garbage. We’re getting a room first, then answers,”
“Lag? What is that?”
“You’ll see,” I finished before deciding on getting the two souvenirs and going to pay for them. Brendan followed suit after spotting a Kyogre key chain to add for purchasing.
Revali let out this strained sigh, but followed us. Trying to keep his patience together. You know, I thought he’d be more impatient and try protesting the matter. Although, unbeknownst to me, the Rito knew a lot more about the reason for my delays than he let on.
The time eventually came to board our flight and find our seats. Since this was Revali’s first time being on a plane, he got to sit by the small, oval window. I had the unfortunate luck of losing rock, paper, scissors and sat in the middle. My tongue stuck out at Brendan, who happily snuggled into the aisle seat. His easy access to the bathroom made me especially envious. Fair was fair however, and all three of us fastened our seat belts as the obligatory announcements were called overhead.
Revali glued his eyes to the double-pane window to intently watch the wing flaps on the plane move to ready for take-off. He looked just as interested as I was every time I gazed out. The abated excitement of travel never lost its luster in my eyes.
And then…the plane started moving.
It lurched forward with a slow start, but then started to pick up speed up. Faster than each second until our heads were forced back into the semi-hard seat cushions. Then, the plane's front tilted up, and the land though the window began to shrink. Smaller and smaller til one could only make out the patterns of civilization and wilds of the island. Now, when the plane leveled off in the air and Revali had the nerve to look back again, the sight of it startled him back against me. An action that had me taste feathers from open-mouthed surprise. I shoved him back.
“Dude, calm down!”
“We’re up for Hylia knows how high, and you’re not the least bit concerned?!”
“What did I say about hylia? If you’re gonna swear, it's at arceus. Second, it's perfectly safe! People do it all the time. Nobody else is freakin' out,” I said right as the sound of a child screaming their head off filled the air. Terrible timing at it’s finest.
I paused for half a second at the irony, but ignored what might be an agonizing plane ride. “Besides, I told you what was gonna happen. You should’ve said something then,”
“I thought you were shamelessly lying through your teeth! I didn’t actually think humans would be capable of performing such an enormous feat!”
“Then you’ll believe me now when say its safe! We’ll all be fine til we get to Kalos. Now shut your beak and enjoy the view. Or sleep. Something that won’t make you flip any shit,”
The Rito party member narrowed his gaze at me for only a fraction of a second before turning his head back to cautiously peer at the sight. It was funny how he looked like every skeptical Pokémon who interacted with new things. When Chirpie was younger and inexperienced, he was confused about me wearing my hair a different way. I cut it short once, and he spent an hour trying to look around for me when I tried telling him otherwise. Brendan had a similar episode with Snowcone when he got into his Contest Spectacular outfit. The poor thing spent the whole time wailing out at the idea his trainer just ‘vanished’.
Hopefully Revali can keep himself out of trouble for a while. One of the last thoughts I had before my eyelids slowly fluttered closed.
-------------------------
The flight was long, but thankfully that whining child FINALLY shut up, and Brendan’s consideration for others left me occasionally waking up to food. Revali had been offered sustenance by a very ‘talkative’ pidgy, but silently insisted on water.
When all three of us weren’t sleeping, we’d talk about what we would see outside the little window. Our Rito friend had successfully gotten over his initial fear and became fascinated with the new perspective of Earth. The light blue hues of the planet slowly blending in with its dark shades of the outer atmosphere. It was made even more mystical with the small, fluffy clouds and endless ocean on the planet’s surface below. I loved looking at things from afar to appreciate the magnitude of its beauty. It was like for that minuscule moment in time, everything else stopped for the sake of allowing you to enjoy the scene for what it was: Life.
It was a wonderful time talking, giggling and sharing with each other, and honestly, I was a little sad when we eventually encroached onto another landmass and began to prepare for descent. That little slice of happiness disappeared to make way for the familiar feeling of dread and responsibility. Something that started to make me feel unsure if I wanted to go through the unpleasant trial.
The plane steadily returned to the ground and the tiny but complex city of Lumiose began to enlarge. Its buildings starting to be made out in detail with its mix of new and old designs. The enormous, tall Prism tower that sat in the middle of it all was unmistakably visible and stood proudly as a magnificent centerpiece. Revali of course took everything in awe, as he had never seen such a sight. Brendan was more reserved and simply gathered his pack in preparation for landing. I… kept my ass sitting in that chair with both hands together. Staring at the little destination marker in front of me land right on Kalos' largest city. What was I gonna do? How was I gonna confront someone like him for answers? All my insides were starting to knot up. Woah! Keep your food down! Don’t you dare throw that up!
I swallowed the threatening bile that usually preceded whatever meal that came with it and laid my head back in the chair. Just don’t think about it til we hit the tarmac-*BUMP, BUMP!*
Oh good arceus, seriously?!
The plane’s wheels were already colliding with the land and maneuvering to slow down. Very soon, the dreaded seat belt sign blinked off and we were free to move about the cabin. Not something I’d thought would ever strike fear into my heart. For a moment, I stayed sitting, but Revali wanted to get up and out. Evidenced by nudging my arm with his great wing. I was irritated by the action.
“Hey knock it off! I’m going, I’m going!”
He didn’t reply because people were moving around and would very much see the insulting retort he’d let out. Instead, there was this side-eye look that painted a clear picture of his message as he stood up. Brendan was too busy getting his bag to notice the unpleasant interaction. That said, he was radiating some apprehension. He must be having second thoughts too. But even then, he didn’t voice any of it for the sake of our off-track friend.
Eventually, we shuffled our way into a line of people leaving the plane. The flight attendants stood by to ‘thank us for choosing that flight'. Not much I could say about it beyond the fact it was the ONLY flight to take; but I digress.
So the three of us made our way into a long, grey colored hallway that led into an exuberant space filled to the near brim with people, shops and technology way more advanced that Hoenn. It all looked so futuristic, and it made me surprised on how much I forgot about how secluded the region was from the rest of the world. Revali felt the same way as he widened his eyes in awe at the change in environment. He thought Mossdeep was the epidemy of advancement? It was now a dirty hovel compared to whatever this dazzling society was. There must’ve been so many things going through his head.
“Purah would certainly be green with jealousy...”
“What?”
“Nothing, nothing… just a thought. But where do we go from here?”
“Well...” I said reluctantly. “We need to leave the airport and take the train into the city. It's pretty close,”
“...train?”
“Yeah! Its vehicle we use for mass land transport. It's pretty awesome. Not nicer than Johto’s though,”
“You mean Unova’s,”
I scoffed.
“Unova has the most aggravated trainers on those things! Can’t go a second without people wanting to pick a dam fight! But sure, let that fantasy run wild in your head,”
“And where did you hear that?”
“The internet, obviously!”
Brendan rolled his eyes as he brought out Snowcone. The mini ice golem that was a part of old Hoenn lore came out very excited and let out this odd, warbling sound. My cohort bent down at the knees to scoop up his willingly portable-sized companion. It was an adorable sight, and despite the creature out aging Brendan by thousands of years, he always treated the ancient creature like a small child. Doting on him like a proud father. I could use Mightyena to distract myself. Maybe pouring my affection into her would take my mind off the terrifying anticipation of what lies ahead. So I reached for her ball on my belt. The anxious energy was surging through me as nervous fingers inched towards the object. An action that made fate choose for me.
Suddenly, the first ball on my belt shook wildly, enlarged and opened up to spill out a bright light. It morphed wildly until turning into the shape of my seven-foot-tall blazekin. Chirpie automatically responded to my distress; much to my dismay. Why, you ask? Because the moment he registered my apprehension, a parental instinct took over him and prompted his talons to pull me into an embrace of warm, soft feathers. It was nice.... and embarrassing.
“*SQUAWK!*”
“CHIIIIRPE! STOP! HEEL! LEMME GO!”
During the useless struggle, my Pokémon took one look around the airport, and immediately recognized the place. This time, he made a very irritated squawk. My vision was blocked, so I couldn’t see a thing. It was really certain that people were passing by and seeing me flail in vain against my battle partner’s hold.
Fortunately, Brendan spoke up. He knew what the fire-fighter was displeased about. “I know, but we’re in a tough spot! He’s the only lead we got right now; and all that stuff happened a year ago! Show a little bit of restraint for Revali’s sake!”
He looked unsatisfied despite the reasoning. Chirpie even hugged me tighter as if he would lose me. However, a moment passed where he let his grip loosen just a little . Only enough for me to poke my head out with a relieved huff. My hair and clothes now had some of his crimson down stuck to it.
“*sigh* I don’t like it either, Chirpie, but a LOT’S going on. He’s technically not against us anymore. A bastard still, but as long as he’s not a criminal, we got nothing to worry about,”
Of course my heart was still thumping from anxious adrenaline pulsing through my system. It's been a year since all that stuff happened. I don’t know what’ll be there waiting for us the second we step into the city, but I was hoping it wouldn’t end up going south like I imagined in my head. The slight reassurance to myself prompted an awkward thumbs up for my battle partner to see. Allowing him to be at partial ease and let me go.
I stumbled back before straightening my stance out to dust off as many feathers as possible. But as soon as I got as much as I could off, I grabbed one of his talons before staring at him with a determined gaze.
“No matter what happens Chirpie, I’ll look after myself. I’m not the same chump I used to be,”
He looked back emotionlessly and let out a short ‘squawk' that at least relayed some agreement. Reluctant-sounding, but one that would allow me to do what I needed to accomplish.
A big grin slowly spread on my face for a brief moment to reciprocate my gratitude, shortly before dropping it and turning to our small party.
-------------------------
So we hopped onto the train that led into the city. Revali marveled at the speed we were going while passing much of the wild nature.
“Incredible… and there’s a pilot for this, yes?”
“Kind of; we call them conductors instead,”
“Ah, I see,” he responded while taking another once over around the inside of the car. To him, it was nearly a more spacious version of an airplane. The seats were softer and more sophisticated looking with their blue and white generic pattern design. Its inside walls were more of a sleek, off-white. The concession cart the attendants drove were bigger with cheaper and various options to choose from. It was really fun seeing him get more ecstatic about interacting with everything. I suppose this was when I first felt another odd feeling bloom in my chest. It was familiar, and I didn’t like it. I thankfully managed to bury the strange presence with a feeling of anxiousness when we went through a long, dark tunnel. This tunnel, was technically one of the many gates in Kalos. This one in particular, well…
It only took a few minutes, but when the light of day shined through the train car once more, the enormous buildings of Lumiose City came into view. Near the foundations was a scene of near congestion. The always maintained main streets were choked with cars and gogoats. One mistake and a car accident would be the least of anyone’s worries. But by some miracle, the endless routine of living and mechanical transportation never clashed in this city.
As for the people, they remained busy no matter what they were doing. The constant moving, chatting, working and even carousing had nearly made me dizzy staring at them the first time I came around.
The structure of Prism Tower had risen above them all in the background with the cloudless blue sky. Not something I was thrilled about noticing. Fortunately, it gave me the advantage of scoring us a ride.
Holding two fingers to my mouth, I used them to blow air and produce a high-pitched whistle while standing at the corner outside the train station. Revali and Brendan both raised a brow at my strange behavior, but when a cab suddenly appeared, their other brows shot up in surprise.
I opened up the passenger door and looked at them.
“Hop in,”
-------------------------
So away we went, to find a cheap hotel. It would’ve been a challenge, if not for the cabbie's recommendation. There was only one hotel I’ve been to in this city, and it was way out of our budget. But thank goodness the one suggested was not only vastly less expensive, but a regular place where trainers come and go when they stop in Lumiose. That said, maybe the name ‘Cheapissme’ could’ve been re-thought out by the owner.
The three of use checked in to a modest place that re-drudged up an ancient feeling of interest for the old, kalosian-style brick architecture, that co-existed with the weathered appearance. It completed the quaint look with homely furniture and wallpaper; the kind you see at grammy’s house. Having the owners of the small hotel being a sweet, old couple really played up the theme. Something that I had no defense of resisting.
As I got the key for the room, the air suddenly started to smell like fresh roses and lavender. I immediately stopped what I was doing to whip my head around. Revali and Brendan, who were standing behind me quickly reacted by imitating the same action. They must’ve thought there was danger, but for a different reason. However, there was nothing to be found of what I perceived to be there.
An older-looking aromatisse had been walking towards us with coffee and biscuits on a wooden tray. Emitting pleasant smells to keep new occupants satisfied with the atmosphere. Fuck if that didn’t scare the hell outta me.
“Uh, thanks,”
“*UUUOOOOAH*!”
I took the small cup and turned back to the older man.
“Sorry about that. I thought I noticed something else,”
“It’s alright. She sometimes gives me a fright, myself. You enjoy your stay now!”
-------------------------
We retired to the small room for the day and talked about tomorrow. It honestly hadn’t had much thought put into it aside from confrontation and interrogation. But that was the entire purpose of being here. No side-tracking or distractions that this place might tempt us with. The rito looked disappointed we wouldn’t be at least getting one stop in. However, he did enjoy the view from the third floor that had us overlook some buildings and see part of Lumiose Tower. The way Revali leaned into the open window, his body language clearly cried out for the temptation to fly out and explore. Brendan and I eyed him cautiously to make sure we could catch him in the event of him giving in to his desire. Time aside, there were still criminal elements hidden away in the city despite its wonder and beauty. Something I learned the hard way.
There were thankfully no instances of the sort as we stayed in our hotel room and eventually went to sleep, when the time came. Naturally I had to force myself by closing my eyes and keeping myself in a still, sleeping position. Curling up in a ball underneath the quilt purposefully wasn’t my usual method. Thankfully slumber eventually overcame me.
And so the next day, we huddled in the vehicle and were driven away by the cabbie. The ride itself was only ten minutes of passing by the city scenery. I opted to be the mankey in the middle once again. Revali continued to be cautiously enthralled by the new environment, while Brendan occasionally stole a glace out of his side of the window. Seemingly uninterested in the different social structure that presented itself outside. If I only had at least half of his self-control. Well, maybe if I practiced disciple instead of wishing for it, I might not be in this mental catastrophe.
Speaking of…
The cab pulled up to a large, three-story building with taupe-colored walls and forest green trim. The two stone pedestals with large pokeballs on them stood side-by-side with small stone steps. And attached to those unnecessary decorations were wooden fences that kept a single, richly nourished sycamore tree on opposite ends. The sunlight made it seem cheerier than most of the other places in the city. Not to mention, it looked more like we were staring at the front of a mansion more so than a laboratory.
Revali immediately got out on his side to see the interesting spectacle up close. Brendan wordlessly unceremoniously unstuck himself from the seat (while avoiding the busy traffic on his side) to go around the cab and join him. Although, he wasn’t as curious.
And of course, I was the only one who anxiously scooted my unwilling ass out of the vehicle before paying the man and have a (dreadful) moment to stare at the third floor.
Suddenly, all the hair I had felt like it stood on end. Every tingling sensation that told me not to go in, kept me anchored to the asphalt like a stiff plank.
Shit, I just fucking can’t!
“May?”
Instantly, my gaze focused on Brendan. He was now facing a few inches away from me. I must’ve had some awkward emotion plastered all over my features , because he now had an admittingly concerned look on his face.
“You gonna be okay for this?”
My eyes glanced off the side so I could work up the courage to form a filthy lie. Something simple as a ‘Hell yeah’ or some other brave statement that I promised to Chirpie earlier. You know what happened next? I’m sure you do.
“Uh-huh…”
The corner of my purposefully distracted gaze revealed an unconvinced facial reaction. I attempted to spin the lie further.
“Its no big deal; piece of cake…”
“May,”
“Come on, you expect me to be afraid of-“
“MAY…you know, you don’t have to. Maybeeee…OH!”
It looked like an idea popped into Brendan’s head.
“Why don’t you show Revali around? Since he won’t be here long, it might be fun for him,”
The big bird in question picked up on our conversation and slightly turned his head.
“But, what about-“
“I can deal with that guy,” Brendan replied as he jerked his thumb back at the building. “It’ll take like half-an-hour, tops,”
He was offering me an out. A thing that I would usually be opposed to. Doing that would mark me as some sort of coward. I mean, what kind of trainer would back down in the face of danger?! Even now, my struggling ego kept begging me to refuse the empathy; I couldn’t let my gentler counterpart walk into an active pyroar's den by himself! I wouldn’t forgive myself if anything happened to him!
“I…don’t know. What if-“
His hand was suddenly put on my shoulder, and my eyes quickly darted forward to see the confidence in his face.
“Hey…everything’s gonna be alright. Just leave it to me, okay?”
I stared back at him without saying anything, but there was a warm feeling that swelled in my chest. It made me want to trust in what he was doing.
“O-okay…thanks,”
“No problem! You’d do the same,”
Sure I would; if he had any problems like that.
But now that we had a change in plans, I promptly called Revali over so he could be caught up to speed on our new idea. There was this inward instinct that he already knew, but he didn’t outright say it; very much to my relief. He strolled up to us, so he could ‘inquire’ about our strategy. And when we told him the two of us were going sight-seeing instead, well he:
“Really?! I’m quite shocked! And here I thought we were going to barge in uninvited, and demand explanations from our suspects in usual, barbaric fashion!”
“Yeah? Well tough shit. Brendan’s gonna be handling this one. Besides, I know where we can get some decent food around here. Say bye for now,”
He shook his head as if I was the fool. Just before he put his feathered hand over my face and pushed me away. COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY, and I wasn’t able to see or hear the short exchange of words between them. Whatever; probably something like ‘being nice’ or whatever pacifist suggestions his bird brain thought of. But when he was done, Revali pulled his head back towards me and removed his wing. He had a confident expression on his features. Brendan’s was more of a stoic determination.
“Don’t worry, I got this!”
-------------------------
Did I though?
I could be stiff-faced all I wanted, but seeing two major support systems walk away made the situation feel A LOT more cumbersome. I was never afraid like May had been, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t intimidating to confront a certifiable sociopath. Even in the beginning, my dad’s former colleague never sat right with me. I tried to dismiss these subconscious red flags as personal insecurities for a long time. But then, I had the displeasure of knowing the official professor of Kalos a ‘little more’ than I cared to. It's still hard to believe that this guy isn’t in prison.
Nevertheless, here I go. Revali’s words of “Don’t screw it up,” pep talk didn’t do very much. He must’ve thought it would inspire me to be a man and tackle the obstacle without fail.
Walking up the stone steps and through the fancy threshold, I was greeted by the sight of a small waiting room. The modest taupe-colored walls and light blue floor tiles shared the burden of several things in-between the space. There a few standard crimson sofas in one corner that shared a pamphlet rack and office plant. Above that were portraits open spaces that I could only assume would be places in Kalos. Possibly a way to advertise to trainers just starting out. I wonder if he has any new students to begin with?
The other side had a secretary sitting behind a computer reading some make-up magazine. Really overly feminine-looking; like if someone was just finally starting to get the hang of trendy fashion. Something that May would never try, lest it kill her. Between both scenes was a lone elevation that looked like impending destiny. Had the encounter been at night, I don’t know if I’d have the guts go through the task. A good thing we didn’t decide to act on basic instinct.
“Excuse me? Miss?” I called out while walking to the desk. The woman, upon hearing my voice, put down her magazine with a split -second annoyed look.
“Hi. I’m here to see Professor Augustine Sycamore. I wanted to know if he was in,”
The secretary darted her eyes to the computer and clicked a couple of times with her mouse.
“The professor's all booked up today,” she replied while picking up the desk phone and pressing a button. “But I can call him to inquire about scheduling an appointment. Name?”
Hm, not good. Knowing him, he’d give me the run-around and schedule it at least a year ahead. We didn’t get along well. Wait a sec…maybe I could still make this meeting happen.
“Tell him…May Maple's here,”
She raised a brow at the obvious choice of a girl’s name. But when the line stopped ringing and a voice on the other line picked up, her mind immediately focused to the phone.
“Hello, Professor? Yes, I have a ‘May Maple’ here who wants to schedule an appointment-…well yes…okay…well I would have to cancel-…the whole day?”
Seeing a bewildered look on her face made my own nearly twist with reluctance. This guy was just as desperate as ever; going so far as to ignore his duties as a professor. It also made me feel…really envious.
“Uh, understood...Right away sir,”
She hung up with that strange expression still on her face.
“Professor Sycamore…he wants to meet with you immediately,”
“Oh...er..Thank you,”
“Yeah…sure thing kid,”
With a small, awkward wave goodbye, I went right for the elevator. Thinking up ways to approach the subject. I didn’t want him dragging the conversation on for hours out of spite and only getting a word salad. Being clever was supposed to be my forté, but he was cunning in his own way. I'm positive he was a sociopath at his core. He used people for his own benefit, while mimicking human emotions to blend in. Not dealing with him for at least a year created dread as to what new schemes he might be thinking up.
On the way up, I mentally ran scenarios to predict what kind of dialogue me might throw at me. It was like having a battle with myself in an imaginary struggle of wills. And man, it felt like my spirit was getting riled up. Did May feel this way too? Couldn’t blame her for trying to excuse herself if that’s the case.
The ride lasted half a minute, and the car stopped with a soft ding. When the mechanical doors opened up, the fragrant smell of lavender hit my nose. It tickled to the point where I had to hold my sneeze in. Geez, did he bathe his entire office in the stuff? It was like he wanted to cover up blood in here.
I shook my head and made my way to his desk.
I never came up here before, and was unused to a scientist’s office looking like it had been designed by an aristocrat. Granted, there were clear signs of one taking up residence here. Piles of books on the floor with the shelf nearby at capacity. A red, Victorian loveseat had notes strewn about on it. Even the large, Sycamore wood desk had its office supplies extremely unorganized. Of course, the man holding up a large newspaper in front of him didn’t seem like he noticed the chaos.
“To think…when I woke up this morning, I would not dare to imagine that my most prized pupil would come grace my presence after an entire, painful year of being absent. Have you come to make amends? Did that young, excitable heart find it unable to endure another day away from the most warmest of comforts? Whatever flimsy excuse you told yourself that brought you back to me, do well to take note of my ever-lasting patience. I have waited without complaint. Even so far as to not touch another woman! A trial that burned my flesh indeed! But one that carried a greater reward that is yourself. So I must boldly ask: How do you plan on repenting for such folly against your beloved Professor-“
During that entire monologue of inflated ego, Professor Augustine Sycamore had continued to hold up the newspaper as if the idea of May being in his office was an afterthought. I knew better though; he played up the dramatics to hold up suspense and gain the upper hand. But when that paper came crashing down for his triumph, that charming, default smile he wore suddenly dropped upon finding me with crossed arms instead. Realizing he wasted his entire speech on the second boy he loathed the most.
“Sup,”
“…And my day was going so well,”
He sat back with barely hidden frustration and disappointment. Only slightly upturning a corner of his mouth as a sign of churning thoughts filled with spite.
“Yeah, I’m not really happy about this either. But something terrible happened recently. There was an incident in Mossdeep and I thought…you might know something about it,”
“Oh…” he said unsurprisingly as he examined his fingernails without a care in the world. Then his ocean blue eyes darted back to scan me up and down warily. Trying see if it was some kind of lie. A slender hand went to push back his dark, wavy locks. “I see…clearly my nefarious past with Mr. Fluer-del-lis has me up in arms with criminals everywhere,”
“Okay, geez. Not like that! I'm not saying you did it or anything. I just want to know if you might know anybody who might do something like that?”
“Again, I am not the sort to casually strike up a friendship with people who enjoy a life of crime, Birch boy. I intend to keep the legitimacy of my profession and morals intact,”
“Ah-huh. So you don’t know if Team Flare is up and running again, right?”
Professor Sycamore bored a little too deeply into me after the question. Actually thinking about my words before answering. On the bright side, the conversation is going right to the point.
“….No. I know as much as you. But Team Flare's aspirations were only as strong as Lysandre's existence. I could hardly think of someone being as steadfast and ambitious as he,”
“Sounds like you almost admire the genocidal maniac,”
“I did many things, but ‘admiring genocide' was not one of them. Do not mistake one action as compliance to all. Quite the problem of modern society. I took you to be one of the smarter brats,”
A cruel smile slid up his face.
“Perhaps I was wrong,”
Honestly, his retort struck a nerve. I liked being smart, and low blow aside, it seemed childish to say an insult like that to someone younger than him. Let alone the son of his colleague. My face flushed with embarrassment, but I said nothing of the offense.
“Okay, whatever. So if you don’t know anything, I guess I'll just go. See ya,”
I turned around on my heels. Showing disinterest in continuing anything else with the man-
“And you as well, Birch boy. And do give Miss Maple my sincerest regards,”
Oh please. Like she’s gonna care.
“May doesn’t have time to worry about that,”
Why does the back of my neck feel like prickling?
“Pray tell, why is that? Involving her in unnecessary tribulations once again?”
I tried scratching the offended area to get rid of the sensation. It wouldn’t go away. Not only that, but an overpowering urge to turn around came over me. I have no idea why I thought about entertaining this guy’s curiosity.
“No…it’s…trouble came to us,”
“Really now? How interesting. And how did this trouble...come?”
His voice was a little playful in tone. An elbow of his sat on his desk while the hand attached to it cradled his head. He looked down at the paper to study the crossword puzzle as I felt like a small headache was forming in the back of my skull. All this lavender...
“The four of us were at the Space Center when it happened. It was supposed to be a simple send-off,”
“I see...those dreamers finally decided to go into space like they’ve always advertised,”
“No, no. We were gonna say goodbye to our friend. He needed to go back-“
Suddenly, I snapped to attention and instantly knew what was going on. My body stiffened in a blink of an eye.
“HEY! Don’t you start mind-probing me! My brain’s not out for display!”
“Says the boy who masquerades as someone I hold near and dear to my heart. Oh, the hypocrisy!”
As if to play victim, he completed the motion by placing both hands on his chest where his heart is. What a jerk!
My eyes narrowed at his antics while wondering where the heck his esper-types were. He had several Pokémon that were very strong. I never seen or had to fight them, but word of mouth from May told me to be cautious. Imagine living out the nightmarish scenario of what would happen if a professor was evil? Unfortunately, my friend had been one of those people. Remembering that hardened my resolve to leave.
“Whatever. If you don’t have anything else useful to say, I’m leaving,”
“So soon? But you have not attempted to even ‘slightly’ interrogate me for signs of devious mistruths! Have you no shame?! I should at least insist upon destruction of personal property as an attempt of serious intimidation!”
“Goodbye, Professor Sycamore!”
“Truly a disappointing visit! Please inform Miss Maple that your methods for extracting information are “severely lacking!“
I nearly let an audible groan of distaste exit my mouth if my manners didn’t get the better of me. And as anyone’s learned, giving the agitator even the slightest boon of satisfaction would encourage them to hound the annoyed even further. May was unfortunately born with the personality of snapping at any sort of slight against her. Also knowing my friend, she’d probably accidentally end up spilling things he shouldn’t know about; aside from me coming close to it.
Meanwhile, the Professor made no attempt to come after me. I was grateful he didn’t try to trap me and force some kind of desired feedback. However, I thought I could hear some kind of devious sniggering; faint as it was.
Thankfully, as went around the corner out of his line of sight, the odd feeling slowly dissipated. However, the sensation was still felt upon me. Even when I went into the elevator and sighed with relief. Is this how my battle partners felt after they’re attacked with esper-type moves? I should bring them to the Pokémon Center more often.
Eugh!
I got off the elevator and immediately sped walked past the secretary. She was trying to get my attention, but I blocked out her dialogue for attention. Getting back to the group and eventually leaving was important. Any more time we waste could be higher chances of Revali never going back home. Where were they?
-------------------------
“This is a Lumiose galette. It’s pretty good. The stand make em' fresh here,”
“Hm, I’m not to sure…”
“Come on, try it!”
Revali eyed the pastry like it was a deadly object. The idea was that he had been fond of bread, so taking him to a place where they made the best baked goods in the city would top off his day. There was always something magical about this humble stall. All the tastiest stuff were made in small places. I let out a huge sigh.
“It's not like it’s gonna kill ya! What would I get outta that?!”
“Immense satisfaction,”
“Geez Revali. If I wanted you dead, I would’ve left you with all those people in Oldale. Now try the fucking pastry like a fucking tourist. It's awesome,”
“Fine, fine!...you never seem to let up, do you?”
“No, I’m not a-well, it's just a good pastry!”
There was a moment of hesitant thought going through my mind, while I nearly made myself out to be braver than advertised. Thankfully, I switched gears for another reasoning.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” he replied back with some amusement in his voice. Taking the sweet bread from my hand to take a bite. He paused for a moment to let the flavor of melted sugar and bread linger in his mouth. Then…he took another bite.
YES! SUCCESS!
“It’s…well enough. Certainly different from what you were trying to push on me before. I can’t believe you didn’t show me sooner,”
I slightly shivered. I wasn’t really eager to spill out an explanation. But it felt like Revali could see right through me. Maybe being a ghost gave him a sixth sense, because he suddenly put a wing on my shoulder and said:
“Whatever it is that has you wound up, you made a wise choice in trusting your friend,”
“I…”
I couldn’t look him in the eye. Its been forty-five minutes since we parted ways with Brendan, and my heart felt heavy with regret. There was this feeling of being wrong, and I couldn’t justify my actions despite my fears.
“I don’t know…I think I made a mistake,”
“No you didn’t. You trusted someone with a task you thought you couldn’t handle by yourself. Whether or not you knew you were capable is an entirely different question, but trusting someone else with your burden proves how much you trust them,”
“…It doesn’t feel like it,”
“Sometimes it doesn’t. Believe it or not, I had to learn that one the hard way,”
My mouth tightened for a moment as I thought he was trying to garner sympathy for my stupid decisions. But then I remembered he used to be dead. An epiphany that made me look up at him. This time with a hopeful look in my eyes.
“Hm…alright, guess there’s no use getting whiny about it now anyway-“
“Hey guys!”
My thoughts perked up as Brendan’s voice popped into the conversation. I turned around to see him doing a brisk walk up to us. Looking untroubled and unmolested. It made me feel immense relief, and the nightmare scenarios had started to melt away from my mind. Maybe we finally got something.
“Hey! So…how’d it go?”
“Weeeeeell…he looked like he didn’t know anything. Team Flare's still a bust as far as he can tell. But maybe we should stay one more night to look around, just in case,”
And then that hopefulness deflated like a depressed drifbloom. So even the admittingly attractive sociopath didn’t have anything to give us. He’s a lot of shady things, but I trusted the feeling that he was being honest...this time.
“Fuck. I hoped he would give us something. But given the situation, I was gonna suggest it anyway. Lumiose is one of the more advanced cities in the region. Who knows what we might find. Whaddya think, Revali?”
We both looked to the mildly disappointed bird. However, he wasn’t as frustrated or impatient like I thought. Instead, he gave out this concentrated sigh and had a posture that resigned his fate to the unfortunate situation.
“Might as well. I can’t imagine leaving here so easily without turning a few more stones,”
“Cool! So if we’re staying, let’s go this café I know a few blocks down. They got awesome coffee that’ll go great with croissants,”
“Hang on! Let’s ask around some more before taking a break!”
“Just coffee and croissants! Then we’ll do that!”
“Sheesh, will you stop thinking with your stomach?!”
I didn’t reply to Revali’s accusation of personal desires, but grabbed a hold of Brendan’s arm. He staggered forward and stumbled since his other hand had been scratching the back of his head. Revali let out a groan and moved after them; getting an urge of ruffling his feathers in the process.
Hi again my fellow peoples! Miso-chan coming here to talk about the latest shipment in kimonos! Hope ya’ll are ready!
Up first is this shibori style haori! Its a nice custard yellow, that’s bright enough to invoke positive feelings, but not to the point where your eyes beg for mercy. I feel as though anyone would have a great time brandishing this. Now the reddish-orange dots are where the shibori style come into play. Smoothing one’s hand over it (In which the dots are the size of my thumbnail) can easily feel the protruding bumps of the fabric where it was uniquely dyed. The inner part of the coat with the yellow illustrations with the white background are fantastic to look at. One thing I love about kimonos are the pictures, depictions and patterns that are woven into them. It reminds me a lot of a tapestry that tells a story. It seems silly, but that’s how I interpret them sometimes. After all, they are capable of being considered ‘wearable art’; and what does art do at times?
Anyway, this wonderful jacket is made of silk!
Next up is this Nenneko! this is not long-sleeved like haori are, and are much thicker. Now, I was thinking this is just a regular coat like a michiyuki, but I feel that its a little different. I’ve tried looking it up, but the results seem vague at best. If anyone has more insight about it, let moi know! I bought this thinking it would be short, but instead, it went past my knees. Pretty hilarious, but I know what I’ll go for when things start getting colder. My roommate jokingly said I looked like a jedi when I tied it (that was giving me some ideas for sure). Honestly, I probably looked more like Tanjiro bundled up in the cold. But let it be said that its functionality is not without its beauty. I love the stone grey color with the gold thread and flowers. Like most of my kimonos, its got its small spots and old stains, but it does nothing to take away from the entirety of the clothing. Very smooth when I’m running my hand across it. Made of silk!
Lastly, is this wonderful skirt type hakama! Now, to my knowledge, they are mostly used for sports and graduation. This made me a little sad and was about to give up my dream on wearing one, til I found out about skirt types. I don’t know if they fall under the same category of uses, but I bought this anyway. Yes, call me crazy but I recently watched youtube videos about a lady named Billy who did a segment on incorporating kimonos into every day wear. She did one with a Hakama, and I got instantly excited.
Upon receiving this item, I immediately noticed that the color from the picture is different from when I can look at it in person. Its more of a deep purple, while the indigo is what looks to be perceived. Fortunately, I could care less about that kinda of minor stuff. What might be a pickle is the misconstruing of size. You see, I’m about 147 cm (or 4″10 ft and a half). The skirt length is 89cm. That’s more skirt than torso, so there’s a good chance I might need it hemmed. Thankfully that’s not an issue. However, this is why everyone should look at the listings before buying anything; used items especially. Remember folks, use caution on the internet when doing any purchases. The sellers I get my kimonos and kitsuke accessories have never been an issue, but I’m sure there are horror stories out there.
The fabric is nice and thick, which is fabulous and is made from a combined weave!
Thank you folks for your time, and if any of you all wanna talk shop or fun, lemme know! May your week be great, full of flavor and good company!
Hi everyone! If you haven’t watched this anime yet, I highly recommend it. It has a heavy theme about suicide, so if you don’t feel as though that’s your cup of tea, then fair is fair. However, I believe in giving anything a chance, so check out the first episode to test the waters!
So I added this poll in response to what I plan to finish off for A Wish’s Obsession. Feel free to comment and what not! I’m excited to see your answers!
“Well, it would be as if I was wearing your Kimonos!”
Alright folks, after a long break from feeding my habits, I actually bought more Kimonos! (Although this is actually from an old delivery. I do have more coming on the way)
This is an antique Haori with the pattern of Snowflakes integrated with the seigaiha (waves). I like the way it does both without looking too busy. Its a style I can appreciate that is simple, but effective. Its not embroidered and smooth to the touch. Its a gray-green color with a liner so it’ll be warm to wear with a kimono or whatever clothing put on. Made of silk.
Up next is a hanhaba oni with a seigaiha design lightly decorating parts of the obi. Its speckled white with a deeper gray-green color; almost black when I look at it. Its very thin, and I could easily wrap it around my neck like a scarf (I sometimes see shops re-purpose obi and obiage as such). Very smooth to the point where it would feel like a silk made product that most Americans are used to. Surprise, surprise, that’s what its made from.
This particular antique haori is unlined, but had its haori cords with it. A nice treat so I can tie it together (although, I usually leave them open anyway). Its a light purple color that is easy on the eyes and has a motif that is described as ‘Chaya-tsuji’. I wasn’t familiar with this term, so I looked it up and found that its a woven scenery of landscapes, trees, plants, etc. Remember folks, sometimes its okay that you don’t know things. Learning about something along the way can add to the excitement of a person. Anyway, this is embroidered, so its got a nice feel of smooth and bumps in the shape of the design. And like most of the stuff I have, its made from silk.
Last but never least is this reversible, rainbow-colored hanhabi obi. I like the way the colors blend into each other when transitioning to a different hue. They say the main color is beige, but it looks more off-white to me. Its a wonder how Kimono is considered a dying art. Its the little things that get me interested on certain things; like water bears.
At any rate, its thicker than the seigaiha obi, but is thin and slippery enough that makes me use the kimono dressing clips. This obi is made with synthetic fiber, which means I can probably throw it into the washer if I wanted...but I’m still unsure. I’ll have to buy an experimental one with the same fabric type and test it out. Wish me luck.
As always, let me know how things are! We’ll talk shop...or kimonos...or whatever tickles your fancy! Have a wonderful rest of your week, and may your life be full of food, flavor and good company!
