it was a bit embarrassing that the blow was enough to send him stumbling backwards, though not the least bit surprising. ( for as confidently as he tended to hold himself, bede weighed about as much as his hatterene — which was to say, practically nothing. ) thankfully, he managed to catch himself before he hit the ground.
bede’s head snapped up, a growl tearing through his tightly clenched teeth. it was complimented by the wild look in his eyes, as if he fully intended to launch himself at the other’s exposed throat. ( lay your hands on me, will you? do you even know who you’re fucking with, you spoiled little — ? ) he regained his composure back almost as quickly as he lost it, rebuilding his walls and forcing his expression into something a bit more palatable. ( angry, yet with an indifferent edge that was recognizably bede. ) however, there was still a noticeable flush staining his cheeks — the ghost of his rage, of his fight or flight response immediately swinging to the former.
❝ really? is this what you’re resorting to now? ❞ his hands shook like they wanted to curl into fists. ❝ you’re too weak to defeat me in a battle, so this is what you choose to do instead? pathetic doesn’t do it justice. ❞ his eyes narrowed, voice dropping to a venomous purr. ❝ your brother should feel ashamed to know he shares blood with someone as pitiful as you. what an embarrassment. ❞
touch me again, and i’ll make you choke on your own teeth.
Warmth... Despite the snow that fell outside, Bede felt so warm. Bundled up in blankets and joyful despite his discomfort. How long ago was it since he was taken from the orphanage? Only a month. The door opened and the young child cast his gaze over. Rose... He felt nothing but gratitude every time he saw the chairman there. The man that had took him in. ‘How are you feeling?’ He inquired curiously, a gentle smile on his face. The truth was not well, but Bede didn’t want to say that... He didn’t want to say anything. The silence lasted for a moment before the older simply sighed. “Well if you need anything, you have the rotom phone on the bedside table. I’ll call for someone to bring you some soup and crackers. Don’t forget the wastebasket next to your bed.” A long time ago Bede would have thought this kindness would never come to him. And yet now--
His eyes opened suddenly to the sound of knocking. A headache pounded through his head as he pushed himself up slowly. When he was sick he always dreamed back to his childhood. A childhood wrought with illness and filled with false fatherly gestures that he knew never panned out. As he pushed himself up further, he felt his stomach roll, but not enough to warrant grabbing the freshly empty trashcan kept next to his bedside. It felt uncomfortable to not be laying fully upon his bed, the scent of disinfectant overlaying vomit was making his head spin even more. But there was not much he could do about that. He looked to his bed side table, carefully taking inventory of what was there.
Crackers,
Mints,
Paper towels,
Disinfectant surface wipes,
Air Freshener,
Water bottle...
A shaky sigh as he took up a mint and slipped it between his teeth. The knocking picked up again only encouraging him to rush... Something that anyone else would argue against. He slipped on his pink slippers, they kept the cold floor off his feet. It didn’t matter that he was wearing white-and-pink striped knee high fuzzy socks, the floor was still unbearably cold in his opinion. Moving over to his closet he grabbed a robe and threw it over his pretty white nightgown. He knew far too well that he would need to open the door and expose himself to the cold, as such despite the fact that his skin was mostly covered anyways, he wanted more clothes to protect him even further.
The stairs creaked under his weight, snatching the attention of his pokemon. His Gardevoir picked her head up and was quick to come to him. She was a sort of mother to him in a sense. Always watching out for him, in the end he was still young and nobody was here to take care of him, especially in times like this. There was Opal, but that woman was currently in town, having gifted the cottage located so deep in the tangle to the current gym leader... Someone who could use the privacy. The pokemon checked his temperature, shaking her head when she found it was too hot for her liking, before carefully walking with Bede over to the door. Now that she knew he was awake, she wasn’t going to be leaving his side lest he was in bed.
Bede took the handle of the door, nearly shrinking away in discomfort at how cold it was, before pulling it open. Who stood in the doorway was someone he wasn’t expecting. The other was upon the wooden porch, shielded from the rain which had begun to reach such a deep part of the tangle, the glowing mushrooms for which surrounded the blond’s house illuminating the others features. The gym leader’s face grew red as he realized just how much of a mess he must have looked -- in front of Hop of all people. Why was he here? Did he hear about the gym’s closing for the next few days? Was it through some other person like Opal or even some other rival they shared?
“Hop? Why are you here? Do you wanna pick up a disease or somethin’?” It was obvious he was too sick to care about sounding proper, not to mention his voice, being as distorted as it was, wouldn’t sound good like that anyways.
@brothershadowed said: despite everything, hop offers bede a small trans flag with a smile.
it was only natural bede would tense up at hop’s approach — eyeing him warily, much like a wild pokemon torn between fight or flight. ( he had already picked the former; they both knew how that turned out. )
of all the things he was expecting ( an insult, a challenge ) a gift certainly wasn’t one of them. for a moment, bede simply stared, the gears turning in his head slowing to a sluggish crawl as he processed what he was looking at. ( a flag — ? no, not simply that. so much more. ) his eyes widened. rare were the moments when the boy allowed his heart to be worn on his sleeve, but this — ? his face broke out in a genuine smile, violet gaze softening to something into something far more gentle than his usual, condescending glare. bede reached out, fingers curling hesitantly around the flag. his jaw worked like he wanted to say something ( thank you, thank you, thank you — ) but instead bede settled for a nod. ( truce? he tried to communicate silently. however temporary it might be. )
then a second nod, flag displayed proudly in hand. ❝ trans rights? ❞ his smile turned mischievous. ❝ such a popular phrase tonight, is it not? ❞ and bede couldn’t be happier.
@brothershadowed said: 💬 "I heard that you secretly like the new champion more than you let on." ( rumor meme )
❝ quiet, you. ❞ it was difficult to tell whether he was speaking in response to the rumor, or simply hop choosing to address him at all. ( knowing bede, the truth was probably a bit of both. ) the gym leader sighed through his nose and tried to put on his best poker face — an effort that was thwarted somewhat by the traitorous dusting of pink across his cheeks. what a ridiculous question. what an invasion of privacy. what a waste of his valuable time.
❝ i fail to see why it should matter to anyone, what i feel about the champion. ❞ bede replied, straddling the line between haughty and defensive. ❝ they’re but a stepping stone on the path to my ultimate goal. an obstacle that i plan on — no, i will overcome. they shouldn’t have to be anything more than that. ❞
liar! liar! he was such a liar! ( but bede would die before he admitted as much. )
he's crying, tears streaming down his cheeks and fear evident on his face. " lee- don't.... don't be mad but... i think-- " he pauses, hiccuping a little. " i think i'm a boy. "
leon smiles, and reaches out to ruffle his little brother’s hair. “don’t cry, kiddo. i love you no matter what gender you are. come here, then. you look like a lad in need of a hug.” he spreads his arms open wide. “what do you want me to call you now?”
@ shield. " i'm... i'm trans. i'm trans, and- it feels so weird to say out loud- wow..."
Random Inbox Starter || Always Accepting || @brothershadowed
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[🛡] While Shield had never met anyone before that was trans, they knew it must have been incredibly hard for those who were scared or unsure about coming out. So the fact that their best friend of ten years was able to come out and say it without fear must have been pretty exhilarating and strange at the same time. A smile graced the other’s face, a soft hum leaving him as he put a hand on Hop’s shoulder.
“I’ll always be with ye every step of the way. After all that’s what best friends are for right? That hasn’t changed even if you have and there’s nothing wrong with that. You’re you and you’ve always have been to me.”
@ sword " ...hey- uh. my new name is hop. i'm- a boy."
Random Inbox Starter || Always Accepting || @brothershadowed
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[🗡] Sword felt a bit honoured that she was one of the first that the other had told about this, even more so when they came to them to tell them their new name once they settled on something they liked. A small smile graced the young girl’s lips, after all- they were her friend regardless whether they were a boy or a girl. It would take getting use to but they had no doubt they would be able to get the hang of it.