#ch14 sneak peek

[wizardofarles]

Sneak Peek of LYKMC Chapter 14

Auguste didn’t emerge from his room again until Friday evening. Laurent was curled up on an armchair in the library with a book in hand when Auguste clamored down the stairs in his boots. He always made so much noise. Laurent had grown used to a quiet house in his absence. It was still jarring every time Auguste crashed through the house like he wasn’t afraid to be heard.

Laurent caught a glimpse of him through the open doorway as he dashed through the foyer—just a tall blur of denim and worn black leather, and a flash of tousled golden hair. He might have been wearing the same clothes as yesterday, but it was hard to tell. Ever since he’d found it in the attic Auguste wore that motorcycle jacket like a second skin.

He heard the front door burst open—

“Auguste.”

—and close again.

“Uncle,” Auguste said, sounding chastised. “I was just heading out.”

“Where are you going?” Uncle’s tone was smooth and light, but slippery like ice. Laurent sensed the danger in it, even if Auguste did not.

“Just out with Jord,” Auguste answered as Laurent crept up out of his chair and peered around the doorframe.

Auguste’s back was to him, one hand still gripping the handle of the front door. Leaning against the back of the couch in the living room with his ankles crossed was Uncle, regarding Auguste over the rim of a glass of wine he was swirling beneath his nose. He looked comfortable, like he’d been lounging there a while, staring out the entryway to the foyer just waiting to catch Auguste on his way out.

“Jord? Now, there’s a name I haven’t heard in a while.” Uncle didn’t seem to see Laurent across the hall. His eyes were on Auguste. “Is everything all right between the two of you?”

“Yeah,” Auguste said brightly, “everything’s fine.”

“Will you be home for dinner? I’ve invited Torveld.”

Auguste hesitated. “I don’t think so, sorry.”

“That’s a shame.”

“Give him my best, though.”

“I will. I know how fond he is of you boys.” Uncle raised his wine glass to his lips. As it caught the light from the window and flashed a red wink, his eyes flicked to Laurent.

Laurent ducked back behind the wall, heart exploding in his chest. Auguste and Uncle were still talking in the foyer, but he could no longer make out their words over the drum of his own heartbeat.

By the time his pulse had slowed enough for his heartbeat to retreat from his ears, he heard the front door close. The following silence that crept in like the tide told him that Auguste was gone.

“Laurent.” Uncle’s voice was calm; he did not shout his name, but Laurent flinched as though he had.

He emerged from the library, reluctant to part from the wall which shielded him, but too afraid to ignore his uncle. There was nothing to be gained from stoking his anger; better to face the punishment he was about to receive for eavesdropping than to add disrespect and disobedience to his list of sins.

When Laurent lifted his gaze and mustered the courage to look his uncle in the eye, he did not see the anger he’d expected there. Instead, his uncle’s eyes were bright with mischief. He tapped Laurent under the chin with his knuckle and offered him a conspiratorial smile. “Your brother always looks so guilty when he lies.”

Laurent blinked back his confusion, like trying to adjust his eyes to a sudden change in the light. “You just let him lie to your face,” he said slowly. “Why?”

“My dear,” Uncle said with a twinkle in his eye, “if I revealed every time I knew he was lying to me, I would only be helping him learn to hide his lies.”

Something shifted uneasily in Laurent’s stomach. Does he know when I’m lying too? Uncle had risen to his feet as he was speaking and was now standing very close to Laurent, his head bent to his level. The thick, sour scent of red wine on his breath was suffocating. Laurent angled his face away, searching for clean air, but Uncle’s wine glass appeared under his nose.

“Have some wine, Laurent. You look pale.”

Laurent took the offered glass and slowly raised it to his lips, trying not to inhale through his nose. He usually liked wine; especially the fancy reds Uncle would let him try when they were alone. He didn’t know why this particular glass was so repulsive to him. He took a small sip, careful not to grimace as it went down.

Uncle did not take the glass back when Laurent tried to hand it to him. He stared at Laurent with a mild expression, quirked an eyebrow ever so slightly, and waited. Laurent looked down into the burgundy depths of the glass in his hand. Before he had a chance to lose his resolve, he tipped the contents into his mouth, draining the glass. He had to fight against his gag reflex to swallow it.

Satisfied, Uncle took the empty glass from his hand, set it down on a side table and smiled at him. A warm flush was creeping up Laurent’s neck and onto his cheeks.

Then the amusement drained from Uncle’s eyes, and he expelled a deep sigh. “I worry about your brother. He’s not well. You saw how he was last night. I just wish I knew who he’s really seeing when he goes out. I hope he’s not putting himself in danger.”

Laurent chewed his lip, momentarily forgetting how much Uncle hated that habit. “There must be something we can do to help him.”

“Torveld is attracted to you.”

The words hit Laurent like a slap, blindsiding him. It was not even a statement he could deny. His uncle had seen them together at his birthday party. He looked down at his hands, where he began picking at a tender hangnail.

Uncle said, “He will try to come on to you this evening at dinner.”

“I won’t do anything to encourage him,” Laurent scrambled to say, “I promise. I’ll tell him I don’t see him that way.”

Uncle clicked his tongue. “That would be rather awkward. I’ve given Torveld my blessing.”

“I … don’t understand.”

Was the room spinning just a little? Laurent wasn’t usually this much of a lightweight. Maybe it was because he’d skipped breakfast again. He tried to take a step backwards and stumbled. Uncle placed his hands on Laurent’s shoulders to steady him.

“All you need to do is play along,” Uncle said. “That is, if you’re sincere about wanting to help your brother.”

[terapsina]

EPILOGUE - Part 2 - She's Come Undone and Set Free- Angry BAMF Elena Fic

relationships: elena/elijah, elena & rebekah, elena & caroline, elena & bonnie, caroline/klaus, bonnie/rebekah

summary:

She’d been free. Freed from a conscience she couldn’t afford to give up again. Free from the grief she’d never actually wanted to abandon, not until the choice was taken from her. But also free from the two brothers that had been taking choices away from her from the moment they’d come to town.

And she didn’t want to give that freedom up. She wouldn’t. Not ever again.

/or/

When Elena feels her humanity returning she finds herself focusing on having finally been free from the Salvatore brothers, and doesn't abandon her justified anger. Unfortunately, she also realizes that her sire bond to Damon isn't fully broken and goes to Rebekah for help, help that involves a little trip to New Orleans.

On the way, Elena will have to deal with her newly returned humanity as well as some long-awaited truths about Caroline's old relationship with the older Salvatore.

There are some things that even the most compassionate person could never forgive.

read on AO3:

                   Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Ch5 | Ch6 | Ch7 | Ch8 | Ch9 | Ch10 | Ch11 | Ch12 | Ch13 | Ch14 | Ch15 | Ch16 | Ch17 | Epilogue Part 1 | Epilogue Part 2 | ...

sneak peek:

Rebekah had been stubbornly ignoring the sight of Caroline's judgemental eyes on the periphery of her vision for the past three minutes. The younger vampire didn't say anything, and yet the eyes seemed to be getting louder with each passing moment anyway. "What?" she finally snapped, once it became clear that unless she chose to acknowledge it, this might very well continue for the rest of the night. "You're doing it wrong," Caroline informed her. Rebekah tried to remind herself that she actually rather liked the blonde baby-vampire now. Unfortunately, after forty-eight hours of getting subjected to Caroline actively micromanaging every single, last aspect of this particular day... it was rather hard to remember why. She took in a fortifying breath and made herself remember how much she was looking forward to the sight of Bonnie lying beside her on some European beach in that new dark blue bikini Rebekah had seen her packing into a suitcase - an evening with cooling sand beneath them, still-warm light from the sunset playing across the lines and dips of Bonnie's relaxed form; the feeling of Bonnie's hand in her own as Rebekah pulled her into the frothy waves for a midnight swim - and that any new murder attempts on Rebekah's part would instead certainly result in a rather sad and lonely trip through Europe. Killing Caroline wouldn't be worth losing that. Plus Nik would probably bitch about it from now until Earth got swallowed by the expanding hunger of their sun. On the other hand... "It's a marshmallow, how exactly can I be burning it wrong?"

[skyfallscotland]

Seriously Amy? It’s not like we’re not all in love with Xaden and you had him write *that* love letter? I literally could not stop smiling!!!!

I need ch 9 AND 10….this reunion might just be one of the top remixaden scenes.

Speaking of which….what are your top 3 Remi/xaden scenarios?

I'm sorry haha, I thrive on making him a perfect(ly flawed) human being, ok?

I have to choose? 😭 Haha

The reunion/following conversation/day IS one of my top three, for sure. I feel like I'm already going to forget some of their F&F scenes? I'm going to cheat and do three from both (yes, that means multiple sneak peeks so buckle up). I think it kind of says a lot upon reflection that most of my favourite scenes/quotes are from times where they're intimate but openly communicating 🥺

In F&F definitely when Rem first manifests her signet and she's crying and overstimulated and he's laughing but comforting her all the same.

I flinch, closing my eyes against tears as he turns back toward me. “Remi,” he says gently. “Look at me.” I shake my head, keeping my eyes firmly shut as the tears spill over, running down my cheeks. He laughs softly and I shake as I feel his hands on my face, pulling me close. “Angel,” he says quietly, “why are you crying?” “I don’t know,” I whimper as he holds me to him, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

Maybe the scene by the lake where she threatens him?

“And Xaden?” My voice is gentle and he freezes in place, only a foot away. He turns his head, barely glancing over his shoulder. I let my hand shoot forward, pressing the dagger I’ve palmed from my corset against his spine. “You don’t ever speak to, or handle me, so disrespectfully ever again.” I tell him warningly, holding his gaze. “There are so many things I could do to you that would still leave Sgaeyl intact.”

And when he tells her he loves her 🥺

“I love you, Remi.” He skates a gentle hand across my cheek and my heart begins to pound in my chest. “So much.” He cradles my face as his onyx eyes hold my gaze. “I love you in a way I never thought possible. You’re—you’re everything to me. I’d burn the world for you.” I swallow hard, blinking back tears. I’d known already that he loved me—I could tell from his actions and the way he always held me like I was something precious. I didn’t need the words, but… “I love you too, Xaden. You’re my stars,” I tip my head back so he can kiss me again, softer this time, “my centre of gravity.” I whisper. “I love you more than anything.” He presses his forehead to mine, clutching me tightly like if he blinks, I’ll disappear. “Promise me you won’t leave.” He begs quietly. “Promise me.” “I already told you,” I whisper softly, “for as long as you love me in return, you’ll never be alone again.” It breaks my heart that he’s still so convinced I’m going to hate him—that he believes there’s no possibility that I’ll stay.

In T&T definitely the reunion and the scene that follows, for which I'm keeping the best lines to myself for now, because I want you all to experience them in context, but... (Ch9-10)

“I don’t know.” I admit quietly and his expression shutters. “We need to talk about it—about so many things.” I tell him. “I can’t figure this out on my own.” It took me a while to realise that. “But what I do know is that I love you.” I tell him firmly. “Xaden,” I cup his jaw gently, “as long as you love me in return—” “I’ll never be alone again.” He whispers, finishing my sentence like it’s a common refrain, something he’s repeated to himself over and over, and I close my eyes for a second, willing myself not to cry.

This moment in (approximately) Ch14? I think? Where they have both fucked up.

“I thank Amari every day that you gave me a second chance, because no one else will ever meet my standards. I know exactly how strong you are, Remi Sorrengail.” I bury my face in his neck, trying to force back the tears that prick my eyes. “I’m sorry.” I choke out, trembling slightly against him. “I feel like I let you down.”   “No, angel.” He says quietly, cradling me close. “You didn’t let me down.” His arms tighten around me. 

And this whole scene where Remi almost dislocates her hip, that looks like it's going to sit around Ch17-ish

“Come here.” He slides away and in a second he’s hovering over me, pulling my leg out straight. His hands gently manoeuvre me this way and that, his thumbs kneading my thigh. “Stretch it out and then we can try again.”  I huff. “I’ve killed the mood already.” I mutter. “What’s the point?”  He stops, lacing his hands together over my thigh and then drops his chin down on top of them as he stares up at me amusedly. “Bold of you to assume you know how I feel.” He challenges.  “Are you still hard?”  “Are you in charge?”  We stare at each other for a moment before my lips twitch, just slightly, and then he’s grinning, dragging his teeth over the skin at the top of my thigh as I laugh softly. “Stop being a brat.” He chides, nipping gently as he pushes himself up, crawling over me. “Follow the rules.”

And yes, in case you were wondering that's just the tip of the iceberg and I plan to ruin you all xx 😇

[octopussoap]

anyone on here who follows me about Silver Springs: ch14 is done and sent to betas- hopefully ready to post this weekend.

No WIP weds post but I’ll share 2 little sneak peeks:

Chapter title - Begged and Borrowed Time

End quote- “Unlike feelings, blood gets realer when you feel it.” from the poem Not Even This by Ocean Vuong.

You can draw your own conclusions what the chapter will be like with that info 👀💚🌿

[jekkiefan]

Vampire!Lanyon fic ch14

Title: Come here, listen, and be careful

Rating: Teen

Ship: Jekyll x Lanyon

Chapter word count: 1919

Sneak peek:

Lanyon clutched the seat of the carriage. The vehicle rattled and rocked down the street. Now that the sun was setting, Lanyon was being driven to the Society of Arcane Sciences. However he regretted leaving the house. He clamped his mouth shut in frustration. Why do so many people have to be out on the streets? The vampire could practically smell all of the sweat and muck outside the door. It was an affront to his senses.

The carriage slowed to a stop. Lanyon peeked out a window and saw the tall pillars of the Society.

Ao3 Link Here

[kolbietheaggrievedwriter]

Sneak Peeks 8/?

Work: yet we are the movers and shakers

Chapter: 14 (I intend to delete the current ch14 and replace it with this one bc I really don't like where I initially went with it. Instead of a transition chapter, I want to jump right into the good stuff.)

-

> Dave: Fondly reminisce 

Yeah, no. 

LOHAC is still a sweltering, bubbling, gear-infested nightmare of a shitty PS2 platformer, and the only memories that come to mind when you set your shaded sights on the erratically placed clockwork and unforgiving orange ocean is chucking your own still corpse over the edge and watching it catch fire as it sinks into oblivion. Not exactly the kind of bittersweet moments that you crack open the family album to sigh and cry over to your kids like a suburban dad who swears he could have been a pro football player - no, really! - if only he didn't get their mom pregnant senior year or, you know, suck complete and utter ass on the field.

The fact that the possibility exists once again that you could unexpectedly run into and have to dispose of a Dead Dave is severely harshing your ironic glee that you'd gotten to meet Obama in the fucking flesh, even if he likes Karkat better than you. (But he's awesome like that, so you're more proud of him than anything, the same way an elementary school teacher might be when one of her former students grows up to be a motherfucking mack. You can't tell Karkat as much, of course, or he'll hold it over your head forever, and it'll be a whole thing.)

"Perchance, do you have an idea as to what we might need to accomplish here?" Kanaya asks, after Looking Away respectfully for a minute while you process your abrupt return to your land. Because unlike Rose, who lunges for the kill whenever she smells blood in the water - or basically anything remotely resembling an emotional reaction to something, armchair psychologist fucking rabid for a reason to dole out watered down wisdom that she is - Kanaya is a bro who understands when to pretend she got paid off by the local crime lord and didn't see nothing or nobody in case someone - say, a policeman - were to ask her.

[yuniemaki]

Dancing in circles ch14: Love Read on ao3 Words: 50k+ Rating: M Pairing: beidou x ningguang mafia au

Summary: Love ruined them once and love can ruin them again. But despite it all—

Sneak peek:

Ningguang traces the scars along her arm, each one a memory of a fight or a murder in the name of the Qixing. She forged numerous friendships in the triads, fanned the flames of dissonance against her parents. Most of these friends have died in service to her, even those who had originally carried out her plan to kill her parents. One by one, she’d traded the lives of those she trusted to cement her power, until only one remained.

She can’t possibly touch Beidou with these bloodstained hands. But by Morax, she longs to. Or perhaps, if touch is too much indulgence for the sins she has committed, she’d settle for just hearing her name fall from Beidou’s lips again… before she dies.

The embers flare, yearning to ignite.

Ningguang keys in Beidou’s number once more. She stares at it, downs her fifth shot, and exhales. The buzz in her head is strong, and it whispers softly in her ear, what can go wrong?

What indeed?

She presses the call button, watching the screen as it begins ringing. A pause, and the screen loads: 0:01. Ningguang imagines Beidou saying, “Hello?” and rests her hand on the phone—

A gun presses against the back of her head. She says nothing, stiffening ever so slightly at the feel of cold metal digging through her hair, pressing into her scalp.

[artistic-writer]

Between Now and Nether :: Sneak Peek :: Ch 14

“The entire precinct fell silent when Emma walked through the door.  There was a mixture of pity and awkwardness that hung in the air, sorrow etched onto the faces of everybody she looked at.  Voices dulled to whispers, shoes stilled against the ground and the eerie silence was disturbed only by the shrill ringing of a telephone.  Emma’s cheeks flushed and she gripped the edges of the folder she was holding even harder, her knuckles turning white as she bowed her head and walked through to the detective's bullpen.

“Well, this is uncomfortable,” Emma whispered to Killian who was hot on her heels, invisible to everyone but her.  He even passed through a few people who were taking up space on the opposite side of the narrow hallway, shuddering each time he did but thankful he didn’t get tethered to anyone like he had with Humbert.

“I’m right here, love,” Killian told her softly as Emma reached the Captain’s office.

She took a deep breath, curling her fingers into her palm to form a fist and knocking on the huge, dark oak colour door hard.

“Come in!” Captain Lucas called, her stern voice almost making the door rattle on its hinges.

“I’m right here,” Killian repeated, wrapping his arms around Emma’s body until his flat palms spread out over her stomach.  Emma’s eyelids fluttered closed and she let her head roll back as if she could really feel Killian pressed up against her.  Killian nudged his face into the hair behind Emma’s ear and pressed his ethereal lips to the skin there.  “I’m always right here.””

Taglist: @mariakov81 @rouhn @hollyethecurious @kmomof4 @resident-of-storybrooke@hookedonapirate @galadriel26 @aye-captn @the-captains-ayebrows @yayimallamaagain @i-nvr-wrote-it @officerrogerss@kiwistreetswan @wellhellotragic @depechemode75 @distant-rose @yrellow-bugs-and-pirate-ships @courtorderedcake  @wellhellotragic @followbatb

[harryforvogue]

ch14 sneak peek 👉👈

here she is! just for you

[jrob64]

Sowing Seeds of Trust  (Sneak Peek of Chapter 16)

Is it Sunday again already? Once again, the next chapter is a work in progress, so I hope you’ll settle for this sneak peek until next Sunday. 

If you would like to catch up with the story, you can find it on:

Tumblr - Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5 Ch6 Ch7 Ch8 Ch9 Ch10 Ch11 Ch12 Ch13 Ch14 Ch15

ffn or Ao3

*********

The sound of Allison beginning to cry came through the monitor and Emma pushed herself to her feet to go get her daughter. Killian returned to preparing their breakfast, knowing Emma would feed the baby as she sat in the rocking chair in her room, since that had become their morning routine. 

By the time his two girls entered the kitchen, he had already eaten and had pancakes and fresh  fruit waiting for Emma. She handed Alli off to him and sat down to eat as she watched him bouncing the baby in his arms, talking to her sweetly. 

“There’s my big, strong girl,” he commented. Emma looked up from her plate to see Alli holding her head upright, looking Killian in the face. “I know I only look like a blob to you, but I hope you at least know I’m your papa blob!”

Emma giggled at his words. “She’s a smart girl; she knows who’s holding her, don’t you, Alli?”

Allison gurgled, then burped and laid her head back down on Killian’s chest. Her tiny fingers tangled in the chain around his neck and he gently uncurled them before turning to look at the clock. 

“M’s and Dave should be here in about an hour, Love. Do you want to take a shower?”

“Yeah, I probably should since Alli is content for now.” She finished the last bite of her pancakes and carried the plate to the sink to rinse it off. Then she turned to press a kiss to Allison’s head and shared a kiss with Killian, too. 

“Mmm, that tastes sweet,” he hummed. 

“That’s because of the syrup,” she chuckled. 

“No, it’s because I’m kissing the woman I love.” 

Her heart melted. “I love you too, Babe - more than I can begin to tell you.” 

His answering smile was bright and he leaned in to share another lingering kiss with her before she scooted away to head into the bathroom. 

As he continued to rub Allison’s back and hum to her, Killian thought about the unusual circumstances of his and Emma’s relationship. He had to admit he had a very strong physical attraction to his girlfriend - one he desperately wanted to explore. Just sharing those brief kisses with her caused a stirring in his groin and he knew that as their love grew deeper, it would only become more difficult to resist temptation. 

He knew it was important for their relationship to be built solidly on trust and devotion before they moved to the physical phase. Emma had told him enough about Neal Cassidy for him to realize the guy used Emma’s vulnerabilities to take advantage of her. He had learned that she longed for acceptance and love, and offered those things to her superficially so she would give herself to him. 

Killian wanted Emma to know how a physical relationship felt when people were really and truly in love. In all honesty, he wanted to know that feeling for himself, too. He had only ever been in a sexual relationship with the older woman he dated in college, who turned out to be married, and over time he realized he only thought he was in love with her. The feelings he had for Emma were so much stronger and deeper, and he had no doubt that this time he was really in love. 

Of course, their romantic relationship was still new too, even though they’d known each other for several months. He was enjoying the physical touches they shared so often now; the hugs, massages, hand holding, cuddling, and the kisses. He could hardly be around her without touching or caressing her in some way to let her know he cared for her, and she was becoming more comfortable reciprocating those touches with every passing day.  

So he was willing to wait until he knew they were both on the same page when it came to taking their relationship to that next, most intimate level. He couldn’t take the risk of breaking the strengthening, but still fragile, thread of trust which he had established with her. She had a lifetime of insecurities to overcome in order to fully put her faith in him, and he vowed to be patient for as long as necessary. 

*********

FYI - I’ll be posting a new one-shot story tomorrow, which is the other project I’ve been working on lately. I hope you’ll give it a read!

Tagging: @hookedmom @xsajx @kymbersmith-90 @kmomof4 @katie-dub @ohmightydevviepuu @lassluna @pirateherokillian @teamhook @stahlop @elizabeethan @whimsicallyenchantedrose @resident-of-storybrooke @therooksshiningknight @jennjenn615 @lfh1226-linda @ilovemesomekillianjones @killianswannn @stories-enchanted @eleveneitherway @girl-in-a-tiny-box @withheartfulloflove @kday426 @lyssapup27 @swanlovato @kaoslikesstuff @djlbg @kristi555 @laschatzi @xarandomdreamx @lkles08 @wyntereyez @bubblegum1425 @xhookswenchx @yasbio2015 @tiganasummertree @winterbaby89 @wefoundloveunderthelight @hollyethecurious @let-it-raines @jonesfandomfanatic @searchingwardrobes @dreamingdreamsalways @oncechicagolove @andiirivera @vvbooklady1256 @gingerchangeling @everything-person @klynn-stormz @qualitycoffeethings @vampcoffeegyrl23 @enchanted-swans @cassy1511 @ohmakemeahercules @donteattheappleshook @bluewildcatfanatic @the-darkdragonfly @demisexualemmaswan @lavenderbudd @grimmswan @spartanguard @flslp87 @ultraluckycatnd @sarahpaq08 @thisonesatellite @captainswan21 @zaharadessert @mariakov81 @snowbellewells @xouatxcs @kiwistreetswan @batana54 @nadine200179 @probalicious17 @courtorderedcake @julesep3026 @jackieorioncat @whatthehell102082 @xemmaloveskillianx @jarienn972 @sthonour @linda8084 @carpedzem @pirateprincesslena @daxx04 @winterbythesea @artistic-writer @scientificapricot @cocohook38 @wisfan3000​ @chrisilybrooke @pcrcabcth @captainswan4life85​ @molly958​ @kingofmyheart14​ @badwolfreturns​ @itsfridaysomewhere​ @mcakers @chamomileandmint @fallingforthecaptain​ @lovethelifeyoulive1106 @onceratheart18​ @strangestarlighttree​ @omgmarvelous​ @justanother-unluckysoul​ @mrs-potatos-but-likes-tomatos​    

[pokeexehasstoppedworking]

Love Doesn’t Do Encores Ch14 Battle Gym Leader Bea

You two had found yourselves out of Hammerlocke by sundown that day. But not before you went back into the town and stopped by that cafe you both had passed earlier, and each gotten a free piece of cake and small cup of tea from those coupon things that Applin Boy had given to Gloria as thanks for helping him. Cake and tea weren't exactly what you would call dinner but you weren't going to complain about free food. Your drizzilie sure tried sneaking it from you but settled for the small bag of fruit you tossed at it after you told him no.

"So," you asked Gloria after taking another sip of the tea you received, "You mentioned challenging Bea next right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Remember how I told you there was four gyms that gave the same badge?" You nodded. "The Fighting Type and Ghost Type gyms give the same badge. While the Ice and Rock gyms give a different badge from the Ghost and Fighting gyms, they give the same one as well. So either someone can just chose the Fighting or Ghost type gyms then move on and chose either the Ice or Rock type gyms. But I plan on stopping by both. The closest one just happens to be the Fighting Type Gym run by the Gym leader Bea. Not only is she the top fighting type pokemon trainer, but she's been the winner of the Galarian Martial Arts Championship seven years running undefeated. They say she can go bare fists with her machomp and win."

"Wow. She sounds really strong."

"She is. Which is why I think that's why Hop's going there too." She frowned stabbing at a piece of her free cake. "He said he wanted to become stronger. Challenging another strong gym leader right after defeating Kabu but loosing to Bede sounds like he's trying to conquer another hard challenge to prove he's strong. ...I'm worried about him."

"I know, but don't worry," you assured with a smile. You remembered enough about the game to know Hop would definitely bounce back, and after hearing him speak the other day, you knew he'd be fine. "He's a strong and has enough determination in him to move a mountain if he felt like it."

...She smiled at you. "Thanks Y/n.  I knew I made a good choice in my traveling buddy."

You paused a moment...before blinking. "That reminds me. Why did you want me to come along with you back in Postwick? I mean it's not that I mind, but we were practically strangers then."

She shrugged. "I really don't know. I know it's gonna sound weird, but there's a really good atmosphere around ya. Like...You just give off good vibes, and my gut feelings are usually spot on anyways. An' I wasn't wrong!" She smiled. "You've been a great friend ta us!"

You smiled. Well that was strange. It was almost like what Sonia said about your 'good aura', but you weren't going to complain about the nice compliments.

"You're one of the gym challengers endorsed by Leon, aren't you?" Both of you looked up and blinked at the sight of an older woman, who looked older than Kabu, dressed in a blue and pink outfit with accessories, an umbrella in one hand, was pretty tall for someone you'd expect, and aquamarine eyes looking at Gloria curiously. Stunned that you two hadn't noticed noticed her walk up to you before now, both you two looked at each other before Gloria looked back to the old woman and nodded. She hummed for a moment before suddenly holding out something to her you recognized right away. "My name's Opal. If you want to know more, have a look at my league card." Gloria's brown eyes stared at the card for a moment before taking it from the lady. "I'll keep an eye on you, Child. I want to see what you can do when you go all out."

Both of you watched silently as she silently just...turned around and walked right out of the cafe. Like nothing had just happened. Leaving the two of you sitting there looking after her blankly before looking at one another with blank faces wondering if that actually happened.

Eventually you blinked as Gloria looked at the card handed to her. "Who was that?"

"According to this..she's Ms. Opal." She looked up to you holding up the card in her hand, "And the Fairy Type Gym Leader from Bellonlea!"

"What?" You held out your hand as she offered it to you. "Lemme see that." And true to Gloria's word, it was an official League Card with the picture of the very same elderly woman you just spoken too on it. "Huh." You handed it back to her. "I wonder what she was doing all the way here in Hammerlocke then?"

She shrugged before pocketing the card. "The same thing as Lee? Like maybe she's seein' the Chairman too? Or maybe traveling since I don't think anyone would challenge her yet. March is almost over so it's still pretty early in the year for anyone to gather many badges."

Wow. Almost three months had passed already? You must've lost track of time from traveling so much. You weren't too sure but shrugged. "Who knows? C'mon. Let's finish eating and hit the road before it gets too dark outside."

After the meal the two of you headed back out on Route Six as the sun nearly set in the sky making everything lightly darker but had enough light to still see. The lights of Hammerlocke shining out as the two of you left the dragon town. You were a bit nervous about running into Raihan or that Mr. Rose again, but you ran into neither as you left the town. Thank goodness. You and her then fell into the familiar routine of walking, camping, and more shaking of berry trees as you passed by them by chance. Only this time Gloria seemed to pick back up her hobby of taking pictures for her dex challenge again. The photos Victor had given her had filled up a good sizable amount of the book already but there was still more photos needed for it as well as for that curry dex challenge book she needed. It was a bit random but you were glad she found something to keep herself occupied on the way there, and photography was a pretty neat hobby. Although she didn't seem to be as into it as Victor was. If she wasn't doing that, she battled a pokemon here n' there as you either watched or gathered food or some other needed thing to be done and like before you traveled past a few small towns, houses, or other travelers heading in the opposite direction. No signs of the boys, but you were glad not having any more run ins with those Team Yell grunts as days passed as you two slowly made your way towards Stow-on-Side.

"So how long until we reach Stow-on-Side?," you asked one day while walking.

Gloria hummed for a moment before whipping out her phone and flipping through the screen once it turned on. Lately the region around you had started to get rockier with more and more hills and cliffs jutting out of the earth until it slowly consumed both side of the path the two of you walked. "According to Rotom we should be there sometime tomorrow if we keep on goin' down this pathway." That was great news! "Also accordin' ta this, there's another historical wonder protected by the Galarian Conservation Society! ...Hmm. I wonder if she'll be down here too??"

You rose a brow at her. "Her who?"

She looked at you. "When I was chattin' with Sonia at the vault I showed 'er some old pokemon fossils I picked up. Useless really. Ye find 'em sometimes and see 'em in your science classes n' museums and the like. I was gonna give 'em to Hop as a gift since he's into that kinda stuff but she told me an old scientist friend of hers was in Stow-on-Side trying out this new fossil restoration or somethin' like that. But she couldn't find any fossils to try 'em out on."

......You blinked. "Since when did you get fossils??"

"I found two by accident back when we 'ere in the Wild Area. Y'know. When I fought that wild diglett in the cave." You groaned remembering that experience. "And then some bloke traded me two he didn't want at the pokemon center for the applin I was gonna put back when the red-headed bloke didn't want it. I completely forgotten I even had them til I remembered just now."

"That reminds me. Whatever did you do with those other pokemon you were given? Especially that baby toxel. It looked pretty young."

"Ah! I sent it to Mum to take care of! She mentioned being lonely without us there so I thought she'd like raisin' the wee tyke!"

You rose a brow. "Can she handle a toxel??"

"She sent me pictures of the lil thing sleepin' with Munchlax so I think they're doing just fine!"

"If you say so."

The both of you traveled until the sun went down and you set up camp under a shady ledge before quickly packing up the next day at day light and going to travel again. Until coming to a bunch of bright stony ledges and cliffs in a dead end where the path ended just a few yards in front of the cliffside. .......Which left the both of you confused looking around.

".....Does this mean we're at Stow-on-Side?," you asked pressing you hand against one of the rocky hills before yanking and waving it back from the heat of them sitting in the sun all day. Speaking of which it was hot as you traveled. Must be entering summer territory. Your f/c eyes scanned up and down the cliffs surrounding you all and a hand pressed above your brows to block the sun. "Or did we make a wrong turn somewhere??"

"Can't be! We followed nothin' but Route Six all the way here!" Gloria had already brought out her phone giving it a little shake. "Accordin' to this Stow-on-Side's just up ahead!"

"So either your phone's broken or we have to suddenly learn how to rock climb." Your eyes scanned the ledges more. They looked a little too dangerous to just be climbing without any professional gear or unless you were a rock climbing expert. To which you had neither...."What about that corvisquire you have?"

"It's not big enough to fly either of us up these mountains!...*sigh* We might have ta just call a flying taxi at this rate."

Yeah. That might be the best option either of you two had at this point. ....Your Drizzilie, which had taken to fully putting itself into your pack with just his head peeking out from under the lid to avoid the sun, suddenly gave a look towards something shiny. Before it's eyes widened and it gave a loud chirp poking it's head out fully to the both of you. You looked over your shoulder as it continued to make noises at you. "Whoa! Hey. What is it boy?" It's arm popped out and he pointed his hand towards the other side of the dead end you were at. You both looked over and you blinked at something against the cliffside shining in the sunlight. "Hey! What's that over there?" You pointed and began walking towards it...Gloria blinked, before putting her phone away and quickly following after you. You approuched the shining thing and soon discovered it to be a- "It's a ladder!" Walking forward more it was indeed a metal ladder. Secured and bolted to the cliffside and going up until it ended at the very top of it. "....What's a ladder doing here?"

"That must be how people get ta Stow-on-Side from 'ere," Gloria reasoned. "Ya think they'd actually make this more easier to get too."

"You'd think so. Good Boy!" Drizzilie gave a huff before returning to it's spot inside your bag. Ok be tsundere. Pausing to look at it for a moment you grabbed it before immediately letting go from how hot it was. "...You really think this is the way?"

"There's no other way around here other than a taxi, and what do we have to lose? The worse case scenario is that we'll hit another dead end or just climb to the top and hail a cab like we were thinkin' anyways."

She had a point. And if you did end up just going to the top of the cliffs here you could get a better look of your surroundings. So reluctantly you nodded. "Alright. But let me go first to make sure it's safe."  Slowly and with a sigh you grabbed the metal ladder wincing in pain when the hot metal stung your hands lightly, and began to climb up. It wasn't too hard or high of a climb, and you were fast to release the ladder as hard as you can also considering the weight on your shoulders, it made it a bit more difficult. Once you reached the top however and climbed up all the way, you noticed there was nothing but more ledges, dead grass, and...another ladder leading somewhere ahead of you. Standing up, once you deduced it was safe, you carefully looked over the edge to Gloria looking up at you and waved. "It's safe! And I found another ladder!"

Gloria didn't even hesitate after that. In her excitement you weren't sure if she just didn't notice the pain or bared it to climb up but you were there to offer a hand and pull her up with you once she was there. And you two wasted no more time and got climbing. Not baring to stand in this heat anymore. The second ladder you climbed up lead to the top of one of the larger clifftops, a small pond of some sort, and another much longer ladder leading you further and higher into the mountain sides and you two went. Your muscles were sore and tired from the extra weight of your Drizzilie who peeked out and down from your bag every so often, and your hands burnt under the ladders' metal. You were sure it wasn't enough to be badly hurt for a long time, but it sure stung, and you were paranoid that at any moment you would fall. But luckily you didn't and by some miracle forced yourself NOT to look down before making it to the third ledge and ..another ladder. Gloria right on your heels. Rinse and repeat. Climb, pray to whoever heard you that you wouldn't fall, get to the top, and then do it again. The both of you must've been on your seventh or eighth ladder and ledge at this point and you were resting on your knees exposed to the hot sun tired, breathing heavy, and shaking your sore hands. Gloria doing the same with her hands before reaching up to wipe her brow and look around ...Before spotting and pointing to yet another ladder.

"Hey look! It leads up to a tunnel of some kind!"

You looked to the giant black whole that the ladder lead into and groaned. "Oh PLEASE tell me this isn't going to be another mine."

"Only one way to find out!" She happily bounded towards the ladder, and with another groan, you slowly forced yourself to stand and followed after. Where does she get so much energy? And in this heat? She was already half way up the ladder by the time you got there and began slowly climbing, grip so hard your knuckles turned white to keep yourself from falling. Gloria making her way right into the tunnel and disappearing from view as you got closer to the top yourself. "Y/N!!" She suddenly shouted echoed by the tunnel. "Ya gotta see this!!"

"I'M COMING!!," you strangled out in a shout still making your way up.

Gloria was waiting for you when you finally got to the top, letting her grab your arm to pull you with a grunt into the shady tunnel with her. With a sigh as your sore hands touched the cooled floor of the cavern, you twisted your legs around, and just sat there breathing and wiping at your forehead from the long trip you two had suffered. Gloria was kind enough to let you catch your breath, considering it must've been harder for you with your Drizzilie being no help, for around five maybe ten minutes before you turned your head..and blinked at the light coming from the other side of the short tunnel. Gloria went ahead and started walking towards it...and you again forced yourself up and walked after her. But slower this time considering how tired and sore you were. She stopped by the cavern opening and once you caught up, your eyes widened.

"Holy smokes!"

Carved into the cliffside was the BIGGEST statues you had ever seen! The stone digletts stared out blankly onto the horizon and were blocked off by a chained fence embedded into the stone ground below it. Was this the historical landmark Gloria spoke of yesterday? She started walking forward and after a moment you followed staring up at the massive stone beasts before you. A flash of light going off as she snapped a picture of it while passing....Before she turned and with a gasp that had you snapping forward pointed excitedly.

"Y/n! Look! We found it!" What was unmistakeningly a stadium shone brightly in the sunlight as you looked and blinked, and before it was a couple small buildings, one including that classic pink pokemon center. You two wasted no time in jogging towards it past the statues and up a small flight of stairs carved into the stone floor, past under a wooden gate of some kind and over to the buildings ahead. Where you saw people. PEOPLE!! Walking around doing their everyday lives as usual! You two had successfully found Stow-on-Side! The tall two story buildings were all carved from stone as well with a couple small tables in the pathway you two walked that had a few people yelling at passerbys to come and bye from them as they sat under umbrellas from the hot sun. As you walked past everyone Gloria took out her phone again and after a few taps on it nodded in glee. "This is Stow-on-Side alright! Apparently the diglett statues we saw are part of some famous ruins including an ancient mural up the path by the stadium! We should go check those out once I'm done with the battle here!"

"Once we rest first!" You sighed and again reached up to rub your temple. "I'm beat from all that walking and climbing! And it doesn't look like this place has any inn or public place besides the center we can rest up in."

You both turned right still walking along the path towards the stadium.

"Yeah? Well I can check on my regional map of Stown-on-Side. It should tell u-" She stopped. Freezing like someone paused her on tv. Her face suddenly drawing a blank. Curiously, you stopped too and turned around to give a raised brow at her suddenly blank expression. Before you turned to look where she was looking. A whine coming from your backpack as your Drizzlie poked it's full head out. And you under stood why she stopped. IT WAS THE BOYS!! Both were talking to each other walking down from the stairs leading to the big stadium, until they happened to look down towards the both of you and stopped. The four of you staring at one another in surprised silence...Before Gloria straight up BOLTED towards them both! "HOP!!"

"Glori-AH!!" The poor boy didn't even get a chance to finish talking before he was glomped by the brunette nearly knocking the both of them over in the process.

"I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!! YA PURPLE HAIRED LOONEY PONYTA!!," she shouted with a smile. "YA HAD ME SO WORRIED!! DON'T DO THAT!!"

"N-Nice to see you too!," he forced out strangled by the crushing hug, "M-Miss Y/N help!"

You walked on over but didn't need to pry them apart thankfully as she let go and let Hop breathed and clutch at his chest by the time you got there. Victor looking annoyed opening his arms. "And what am I? An invisible Sobble?" Gloria giggled before giving her brother the expected hug he wanted.

"We thought we'd miss you guys here by how long it took! Were you here that long?"

"Sadly yes," Hop answered rubbing at where Gloria nearly crushed him to dust. "Turns out there was a few people here itchin' to battle Bea before going on to harder gym leaders like Kabu, so we had to camp out for a bit for an opening."

Gloria paused...slowly retracting her hug from her brother and turning to him, face concerned. "Does...D-Does that mean you didn't win?"

...He smiled. "Took me two tries! But I managed to get my fighting badge!"

"You did!! Hop that's amazing! I told you, you could do it!"

He chuckled....before his face turned back to a neutral one. "But...Glory." His hands came to stuff themselves into his pockets. "I'm still not too sure what I should do about all that stuff I told you before. About me being weak and dragging down Lee's good name and all, yeah? "..He smiled again. "But the only thing I can do is get stronger right?"

With a sigh Gloria gave her own determined smile, reached over, and made him blink as she flicked his nose. "That's what we've always told you, Hop. I never lost doubt in ya."

He paused for a moment gold eyes blinking and looking cross eyed at his nose, before his face went pink again and he chuckled. "Y-yeah! A-Actually I was hoping for a b-battle with ya the next time I saw you." Your Drizzilie whined more. "Vi-Vic's been battling me and helping me build up my team and come up with new s-strageties on how to battle upcoming gym leaders. So I'm gonna try out all kinds of different things against you and see what works!..If you wanna battle that is?"

"Do you really need to ask? You're on!"

"Then let's do this! I bet an all out battle with my true rival will help me get my head on straight-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH-"

A screech that pierced your eardrums interrupting Hop from saying anything else. Immediately all your hands shot up to your ears and you all made some kind of cringed face or closed their eyes from the scream that came from directly behind you. You forced yourself to turn around at your drizzilie's head poking out from your bag. Mouth open wide and yelling at the top of his lungs before he abruptly stopped upon noticing you had looked at it in utter shock.....How could such a small thing make such a noise!! Slowly, the others uncovered their ears as well giving the three back and forth looks, before also looking in the direction of your bored looking drizzilie.

..........Victor blinked and pointed at your backpack. "What the absolute Arceous was THAT!?"

"I......have absolutely no idea." You eventually managed to get yourself to talk. "I've never heard him make a noise like that before."

"Could there be something wrong with him?," Hop asked rubbing one of his ears, "It is pretty hot and he's a water type. Maybe he's gotten dehydrated from lack of water or something?"

You jumped. YOU HADN'T EVEN CONSIDERED THAT WHILE TRAVELING!? WHAT THE HECK!! YOU WERE AN AWFUL TRAINER!! "I...." You swiftly turned nearly nailing Gloria in the side with your back pack in a panic. "I-I gotta get him back over to the center just in case! You two go ahead and have your battle!"

"I'll come too!" Victor stepped forward. "I meant to stop by anyways to grab some potions from the center."

If you heard him you didn't pay him much mind as you practically stumble-ran your panicked self back down what few steps you had climbed up towards the stadium and RAN towards the center with Victor right behind you. You nearly tripped and slammed in your haste turning the corner and RUNNING past the vendors calling out towards that bright pink building. The people inside jumping and looking on in surprise when you practically ripped the doors off their hinges bursting inside and without missing a beat flew to the wide eyed nurse joy standing behind the counter, swiftly turning your back where your drizzilie still bored looking despite everything that was happening right now, and in panic DEMANDED she'd take a look at him NOW!! Surprisingly no one moved, too shocked to really know how to react. It took Victor coming in and explaining calmly to the startled Nurse Joy what the drizzilie did and politely asking her to look him over did she finally react accordingly. She took her sweet time in the next ten minutes pulling your water pokemon from it's hiding place, making it sit on the counter as you watched a nervous wreck with Victor assuring you he was ok, and slowly and carefully examining him as a doctor would a patient during a physical....All to just smile at you and tell you essentially......Your Drizzilie...Was throwing a tantrum akin to that of a moody angsty teenager during puberty. ....You blinked and had to be explained to again as, even though Drizzilie was a little dehydrated from the hot weather, he was actually throwing a tantrum because he was hungry. So you, worried you might have let something bad happen to your pokemon without knowing, had panicked over nothing and rushed him over here to be told he was acting like a toddler not getting their way because he was hungry......WHAT!?

"He's perfectly healthy, you probably just haven't fed him today yet and he was just expressing that to you in what way he thought you'd understand. Although in this heat he is naturally a little dehydrated, and you yourself look it too and exhausted. My advice to the both of you is to rest here for an hour or two out of the weather and have you both drink some water. I'll lend you some and some pokemon food so it doesn't happen again. After all we don't want anyone dropping from the heat."

You sighed. Relieved Drizzilie wasn't really hurt, but annoyed he had scared you for no reason. You shot a scowl at the pokemon standing next to you and as soon as it made eye contact with you looked embarrassed to the floor. Nurse Joy was nice enough to give you some bottled up water and a small bowl of pokemon food for the two of you and you thanked her before Victor was nice enough to help you carry them over to the table and chairs in the corner. You gladly plopped yourself down in one chair exhausted, sighing as at last your muscles got a chance to rest among the cool ac of the center. Victor sat across from you as your drizzilie plopped itself on the floor by your feet with it's newfound food and water to make it happy.

".....Hey. Y/n?" You hummed from where you had laid your head against the table. "Are you ok?"

".......Yeah."

".......Would you like some water?"

".....Yeah."

He was nice enough to hand you a bottle of water which you chugged down before resuming your position of laying against the table silently resting. Even when the other two finally caught up to you and entered the center.

"My strategy goes right to the pot when I've got all these bad thoughts running through my head," Hop's voice came as you heard the door open just didn't look up.

"Yeah. But I also barely won. I blame the heat. 'Sides you're gettin' better!," Came Gloria's voice right after him.

"Hrmmm. I tried switching my team members in and out to max out their potential in every match up but we just couldn't get it together somehow. Maybe that's why I'm still so weak?"

"Call yourself weak again n' I'll drag ya ta Lee myself kickin' n' screamin' and have him talk ye out o' that crazy mindset!"

"Ok! Ok! I won't! No need to go all charmander on me, Mate. .......Oh! Y/n! Hey!"

"......Hi," you mumbled to Hop.

"So how'd it go? Is everything ok?"

"Oh yeah. Turns out he was just throwing a big whiney fit cuz he was hungry like a big baby, but he should be fine now. How was your battle?"

"OH! That's good to know he's not hurt or anything. It was fine thanks. I got to see how my tactics work on the battlefield and what to improve on. In fact I think we're ready to move on. Are you ready to go, Victor?"

"What?! You mean you're both leavin' us again?!" This time you did force yourself to look up. More out of concern than anything as Gloria stared at the two boys, and you noticed Victor had stood up from his seat. "B-But we just caught up with you!"

...Hop sighed. "I know, and I don't really wanna split up either but I still have some things I need to work out myself. And I wanna make more good choices when it comes to battling and strategies for them. .." He smiled. "But Lee really is the greatest trainer, and I don't want people laughing at him all because his little brother is rubbish. It's not enough. I've got to try harder and harder and hard 'til no one's laughing!"

"But....you're not rubbish to me."

Hop paused again before sighing again. "I know...That's why you make such a good friend and rival, Glory."

"............Hey Hop." The three looked at you and you hesitated for a moment. Would this change the game's story events?? Well it wouldn't hurt to give him some words of encouragement like you gave Sonia. "Listen. You got the Fighting Type badge right?" He nodded. "Then you're not rubbish! You said it yourself that there was a few other gym trainers were here because they didn't want to challenge Kabu yet. But you did. And you won against the guy that supposedly makes their numbers drop."

He blinked wide eyed, not really expecting that. "Yeah...But just barely. And not exactly how I would've liked."

"So? That didn't stop you from winning on your FIRST try either way. How many trainers besides you two have those bragging rights?? The dude's so powerful he personally says congrats to anyone who does beat him. A guy doesn't do that unless only a few actually manages to get past him. Sure Bede may have beaten you. Sure he said a bunch of stuff about you and your brother, but he's just doing it because he's trying to get under your skin. He's trying to make you doubt yourself. He's trying to make you lose." You pointed to the wide eyed looking boy. "Hop. You CAN'T just be calling yourself weak. Leon and you are both strong. Just in different ways and Leon sees that in you. Why else would be agree to sponsor you in the first place? Haven't you seen what you've been able to do so far?" You gestured to his back pack. "In there somewhere is four badges ok? Four badges that you won on either your second or even first try. Do you think I could have done that? Absolutely not. You have four badges and you just need eight to compete at the end of the year! It's been three or four months and already you've come farther than most of your rivals in the challenge." You smiled. "That's not rubbish or weakness Hop. That's your true strength plain and simple."

Hop continued to stare at you with those bright gold eyes for a long moment, before the biggest smile you had ever seen on him came through. "...Yeah...YEAH!!" He pointed at you. "You're absolutely right! ...I...Still need some time to think about a few things, but I appreciate the words."

You smiled and nodded. "You'll figure it out eventually. Until then, just keep calm and work hard and you'll get there. Don't worry yourself over what Bede said because Gloria's right about him being wrong."

With a nod, Hop turned back to Gloria who blinked back at him. "I'm off, mate. Off to find the kind of pokemon that I can really draw the strength out of."

She frowned. "We'll meet up with you later tho...Right?"

"Oh you know we will! I still have to beat you sometime. I'll see you around. Ok?"

....Gloria nodded and the two of you watched as they bid farewell and after a moment they were gone. You two looking after where they left....before you looked over at Gloria's sad face. "Hey. Are you alright?"

After a second or two she nodded. "Y-Yeah." She inhaled. "Yeah I'm good. It's just a bit unfair y'know? Gah!" Her hands came up to grip her head. "I wish I could just get my mind off all this!"

You opened your mouth to speak- "That child." And practically yelped, jumping up, as the both of you whirled around face to face with....Opal. The elderly woman staring at where they boys left. "Gym Challengers should battle for the sake of their own pokemon. Why worry about saving the Champion's name? We all know he's unbeatable."......You exchanged a look with Gloria. "Anyway, here's a little something for letting me watch your battle." To your surprise what she handed out (more like put in Gloria's stunned hand-) was another league card. "Now on you go, Child. You're headed to the Stow-on-Side Gym next, no? The Gym Challenge is about having fun."

You both watched silently as she once again appeared out of no where, before ignoring anything she just did, and just...Left! Gloria finally blinked before curiously looking down at the card in her hands. Slowly turning to you as she rose a brow. And looked up to you. "..This is Bea's League Card."

....You blinked. "You mean the gym leader from this gym?" She nodded. "Why on earth would she have that?"

"I'm more confused on why she's here too."

"I'm more impressed she managed to do all that climbing required to get here. Wouldn't be surprised if she did the smart thing and grabbed a taxi....But she's got a point." You pointed to the card in Gloria's hands. "We came here so you would challenge Bea. If you want to get your mind off things, then a battle against her would be the best thing to do just that."

Gloria stared at you a moment. Before looking down to the card in her hands a determined look coming over her as she inhaled and pumped a fist into the air. "You're right again! I came here to challenge the fighting type gym and it's leader! I didn't spend days travelin' and climbing an unholy amount to just quite now! Hop plans on challengin' me 'n the finals! I owe it to him to at least try my best to get there with him! If he can do it then so can I too!" She turned, her mind dead set and seeming to forget you. "Look out Bea! Cuz 'ere I come to get that badge!!"

"You can do it!," you called after her as she suddenly ran out of the center, fist still high in the air. And leaving you sitting there by yourself. After a moment you sighed and leaned your cheek back down against the table. You were too tired and sore to move at the moment and your back could use a rest from days of lugging that troublemaker aro- The chair in front of you creaked as Drizzilie climbed onto it, before pulling itself onto the table and sat there next to your head, careful to not sit on your hair spilt over on the table behind you. After a moment it gave off a questioning sound and tapped your head as if expecting an answer outta you. You blew out a breath. "I get you're used to being carried around by now, but now you're bigger and heavier. And it's starting to strain my back out." It made another squeak noise. "That means you're a big boy now. One day you're gonna be taller than ME!" You were right that Inteleons were genuinely taller than most humans if you remember right. "What then? You can't expect me to piggy back ride you everywhere. It tires me out. So after today, how about you start giving walking a try?" Your answer was a few pats to your head. "I'll take that as a yes. Because there's NO way in heck I'm trying to carry you back down those ladders."

It was...mostly a blur right after that. It was almost embarrassing how fast you were to fall asleep sleeping half way on a table, but you must've been more tuckered out than you thought. You weren't even too sure how much time had even passed. All you can remember was waking up to a flash of light from behind your retinas making your sleeping body flinch....And your hearing picking up giggling from a far distance. And the feeling of something pressed against your neck. It felt like a cool water balloon just laying again your neck, not that you didn't mind being inside from the heat and all that, but you definitely shied away from the something that was shaking and as COLD AS ICE sniffing at your cheek. With a groan from being deep in sleep for so long, your eyes slowly blinked open to blurry yellow-....Yellow?? You blinked back more in your sleepy stupor as your drizzilie laid lazily like a cat in the crook of your shoulder and next as you yawned. Reached a hand up to rub at your eyes. And looked at the yellow dinosuar as it tilted it's head at you curiously. Blank faced you sat there and stared at it. ......It blinked and gave a small noise. And you yelled up immediately shoot up to your feet as the thing gave a scared sqawk like a parrot and dove itself to cower behind Gloria shaking. Drizzilie chirping in annoyance at being disturbed from it's spot of rest on the table next to you! Everyone in the center was either hiding behind the counter or like you pressed against the walls away the scary looking pokemon who looked like a giant yellow dinosaur trapped in a blue upside down acorn. The thing gave a sad noise as you stared at it, body pressed against the wall, your chair knocked over in the process of getting up. Gloria was already cooing at it soothingly and patting it's head, camera slung around her neck and a picture in her other hand........You pointed.

"WHAT THE HECK IS THAT THING!?"

"Calm down, Y/n. Ya gonna scare Arctozolt even more than the wee babe already is," she said calmly patting it's head.

......You blinked. "I SCARED HIM!? Gloria what IS that?!"

"Oh this?" She gestured to the thing glancing around nervously. The only ones not so freaked out about it was apparently her and your Drizzilie who looked more annoyed it's nap was cut short. "Remember that scientist las I mentioned before? Well I found 'er wonderin' around with the weird contraption in hand. You were still sleepin' when I went back out for food so I figured why not give it a try? This is only one of four new wee ones I've got....But I wanted to come to you straight away because...well..." She looked nervously at you with a strained apologetic look. "I think we might have ta make a run for it."

.........You blinked. "....Run from what?''

She hummed making a rolling motion with her now free hand. "That scientist lady may be lookin' 'round for me cuz I ran off with her 'research'." She gestured to the pokemon who pressed it's nose against her arm curiously.

......"Gloria." You peeled yourself from the wall finally. "PLEASE tell me you didn't steal those pokemon."

She scowled stuffing the picture into her pocket. "I nay stole anything! Especially since it was mine in the first place! They were my fossils she just did some science whatcha-may-callit to 'em. It's not my problem she throws a fit once she sees me flee with 'em. 'Sides. Do ya really want them cooped up in some lab being studied like statues?"

....Well...You couldn't argue with her there. So with a breath in you breathed out calming yourself and held up your hands. "Right." You quickly moved to grab your bag, Drizzilie taking the hint and hurrying to climb off the table to join after you. "Ok then. Let's leave. And put that thing in it's ball-" You paused. ".....hey. What about Bea?"

"I told you I came for the Fighting Badge didn't I?", she asked pulling out a pokeball, in a flash of blue the light the thing was gone. "And I walked out with it as well! No need to worry ye head off!"

You nodded already going to the door. TIME TO LEAVE!! The last thing you wanted was to be arrested by a scientist for tampering with her research or stealing or-...Or whatever Gloria did while you were out cold. Darn it you had to stop being such a deep sleeper! You should've went with her instead of sleeping in! "Which is the fastest way out of Stow-on-Side?" You asked speed walking to the doors with your pokemon at your heels easily keep up with Gloria in tow behind you.

"The fastest way out is the back path leading behind the stadium." She said pointing as you sped walked out into the hot sun. "It's up that long stairway past the mural!"

You nodded. Sounded good to you! And your body was well rested from that powernap so you had the energy now to spare. Footsteps slapping against the stone pavement the three of you sped walked past people who looked like they'd seen a ghost. Oh no. Don't tell me Gloria paraded whatever ancient thing that was on the way there! Looking around, you peeled your eyes out for any sign of an angry scientist with a machine or anything the like. And you did run into a scientist. Just not the one you were fearing. As you two made it up the first flight of steps that lead to the stadium and path to the mural, a dash of yellow side lined you.

BARK!!

WHOA! You yelped and swung your arms out as you stumbled a step, only saving grace was Gloria who thanks to her quick reflexes grabbed onto your pack and pulled you back upright. Catching yourself back onto your feet as the yamper culprit wagged it's lightning bolt tail and panted happily at the both of you before giving off another loud bark. ....Wait a second. A yamper?? What was a yamper doing all the way up here? That could only mean one thing.

Footsteps rapidly approuched. "I'm so sorry!" You both turned. "Is everyone ok?"...Yep. It was Sonia. You both sighed in relief to see her. Thank goodness! It was just her. The red headed scientist quickly approuched scowling at the happily panting pokemon before wagging a finger at it and placed one hand on her hip. "Bad boy! You know better than to run off and scare people like that!" The dog pokemon tilted his head at her but otherwise didn't change it's expression as she turned to you two apologetically. "I'm so sorry about that. He can get easily excited. But it looks like my yamper really likes you, huh?"

"Sonia." A hand on your chest as your headed tilted back with a smile of relief, "Thank goodness it's only you."

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to come examine the ancient ruins and mural around Stow-on-Side after flipping through all those history books in the Hammerlocke library." They had a library?? "I thought maybe something was here. Anyway, we've run into each other at a good time." She happily turned and gestured up the way towards the stairs you two were about to run up anyways. "You know the mural here in Stow-on-Side I just mentioned? It's said to tell the story of the hero of Galar as well. Though what's there today is actually a replica of the ancient art that used to be here."...She paused...and you blinked as she turned to Gloria with seemingly a bright new idea in her mind. "Say. You tend to have surprisingly sharp eyesight, so I was wondering what you might think when you see the ruins?"

Gloria blinked..her hand coming to rub her arm embarrassed. "Uh..Actually I haven't see the ruins or m-mural yet."

She blinked taken a back. "Oh really?,'' she asked surprised. Gloria nodded embarrassed and Sonia held up a hand in assurrance. "Hey that's alright. There's a first time for everything. Since you haven't see it yet, how about we go together since I'm heading there anyways?"

"Would we!?," Gloria beamed and you coughed to gain her attention.

"Aren't you forgetting we're supposed to be leaving town for something?," You pressed raising your brows.

"Yeah. We're still going the same place anyways. But don't ya think running would make us look more suspicious?"

You opened your mouth...but closed it. She had another point. It's make you both look suspicious if either of you just ran outta here like a ghost was chasing you, it'd make you look like you were fleeing the scene of the crime. Acting along with Sonia like tourists would probably help you both blend in here a little better with the other people walking up and down the stairs...You nodded. Alright. You'd do that but then you two had better skedaddle while you had the chance too. Sonia looked please at your answer and would've probably expressed it too, if it wasn't for the earth rattling KA-BOOM sound that went off like a bomb somewhere above all of you. The echo of it boomed across rattling the sky, and you and the other two girls, and a whole bunch of other people looked up in alarm at the frightening sound. Which had come in the direction of the very place you were about to head off too. Sonia's yamper made a distressed bark sound and scampered behind the woman's legs. Drizzilie too seemed mildly surprised at the sound. The best you would describe it as a far away grenade or a firework going off, but who'd have either of those around here!?

"Wha...What in the world was that!? What's going on up there?!," Sonia managed to asked out before another ka-boom noise had you all more startled. "Sounds like it came from the direction of the ruins, too!"

"Maybe some of the old things are collaspin' in on themselves from age?", Gloria suggested.

That made a worried look come over the young scientist and a hand came up to her cheek. "Oh no! That's not good! Those are historical sights we're still studying!"She gave a look to the pokemon still cowering and shaking behind her heels. "Let's have a look! Come along, Yamper!" Her heels left loud footsteps in her wake as she turned and ran towards the stairs the yamper whimpering like a scare dog before quickly running after it's owner.

You yelped as Gloria suddenly grabbed you too and yanked you into a run after her. "Come on! We gotta see what's goin' on too! That's are way outta here remember!?"

You didn't argue with that. Only willed yourself to ran with Gloria after Sonia who was already ahead of you running up the flights of stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. Without the extra weight on your shoulders anymore it was really easy to keep up with them as you all ran past people who were looking with concerned, confused, or scared faces up towards the top of the stairs. One little boy even gripping the pants leg of who must've been his grandmother sobbing in fright. Sonia was the first to reach the top of the hot weathered stairs and stop facing what must've been the source of the sounds because ANOTHER giant boom noise echoed throughout the sky. Your heart raced in your throat, and your lungs heaved as you picked up the place. The second one to get there was Gloria and then a minute later you right behind her and then your Drizzilie who had resumed to running on all fours just to keep up with the lot of you. And the source of the noises were laid at your all's feet. No it wasn't a grenade. Or fireworks. Or even ruins collasping in on themselves from old age. It was a HUGE elephant looking pokemon who must've been the size of a large soccer mom's mini van who had it's trunk halfway stuck inside the cliffside where this strange but beautiful looking hand painted mural was drawn onto the cliffside. A giant hole was in the mural sadly disrupting it's beauty as many spiderweb cracks surrounded it as the elephant thing forcibly pulled it's trunk out of it scattering rock dust and tiny fragments at it's base. And the white haired boy encouraging it on as he pointed.

"Yes! Destroy it! Destroy it all!," he shouted to the elephant pokemon in absolutely frustration, "We're going to find those Wishing Stars!" Your eyes widened in absolute SHOCK. Holy heck!! It was BEDE!! What in the world was he doing!? The others must've been in shock too because they didn't react at all staring in horror as the thing raised it's trunk again and with a sickening crunching gravel sound slammed it's trunk back into the whole it created. More cracks slowly forming across the pretty painted picture. "We've got to bring the chairman more wishing stars if we want to please him! Copperajah! If you're truly the chairman's pokemon then you should feel grateful for this chance to help him find wishing stars!" The thing gave out another elephant sound and repulled it's trunk out from the now slightly bigger hole it made.

"BEDE YA BLOODY KOOK!!," you both jumped as Gloria finally found her voice, hands flying to grip her head as she stared horrified at the destruction before her. At the sound of her scottish accent Bede let out a high pitched wail of surprise and whirled around back pressed to the pokemon's side as his wide purple eyes stared. Surprised no doubt to see Gloria there. She threw her hands at him and his mess. "WHAT IN THE WHOLE STUPID HAIRBALL BRAIN SCHEME OF YERS ARE YE DOIN' NOW!?"

Bede continued to stare at her wide eyed for a moment, before instantly righting himself and dusting himself off. "Oh my. You again." He was WAY to calm for this to be normal. "So you think that you can start collecting wishing stars now and get in the chairman's favor? That's the way of things, is it?!"

Gloria blinked and looked at him like he was stupid for accusing her of something so...so...Well stupid too. "Have ye stumbled and hit your head on somethin' or is your head so stuffed full of that fluffy hair ya can't see what you're doin' right there!?" She pointed even more at the destroyed mural. "And what are ye goin on about wishing stars for!? Like I give a ratatta's arse 'bout lil rocks when I already have the one I need!"

"I see. So you have some cunning in you. But I won't have it!," he growled pointing back at her in anger. "I won't allow anyone to stand in my way! I have to win this for the chairman! Do you really think I'd let you keep me from everything I want!!"

"Did ya even hear what I just said!? I don't want ta git in your way! I want ye ta stop damagin' that thing! Are ye deaf!?"

He chuckled without any happiness. "Oh yes. My partner's move is simply splendid, wouldn't you say?" He held up his hand and with a snap the copperajah as he called it gave a giant elephant roar before lifting it's trunk back up and striking back into the same place it had been before hand. "Now leave me be until I can figure out what to say to you officially!" He turned back around. "I have work to do."

"What do we do!?," you turned to Sonia in a panic as she as panickedly looked back to you as you helplessly pointed at the GIANT elephant thing. "I can't take that thing on with Drizzilie! I can barely beat my own sleep time!!"

"I-I-..." She stammered looking around panicked hands lightly shaking not sure what to do herself before whipping to the stairs to everyone there. Sweat on her face. "SOMEONE GET THE GYM LEADER!! SOMEONE GET BEA NOW!!"

Good idea! Bea would absolutely be able to stop this but by the time she got up here that mural would've been nothing but rubble- ?! "GLORIA NO!!!" Your hand snapped to stop the girl but she was too fast as your hand grabbed empty air.

Gloria had dropped her bag to the ground. Her hands gripping her camera so hard her knuckles were white as she charged forward with speed you hadn't seen her use before. The copperajah pulling it's trunk back again to slam it for the hundredth time back into place in the crater it made in the rock as Bede persisted in barking at it to do so. It's trunk lifted high to the point it was about to slam it back down, when Gloria slid her way between them and the mural, before holding up the camera- "SAY CHEESE!!" And a flash of bright white shot out. The copperajah gave out a pained wail as it turned itself away from the flash quickly shaking it's head. The trunk that was raised to strike the mural more instead coming to it's own body to rub at it's eyes. Bede himself flinching back with a angry cry followed by a growl and gritted teeth as he was stopped.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?," he cried out angrily to her arm wiping at his eyes before blinking wide purple eyes full of confusion at the scowling girl. "I'm doing this for you! I'm doing this for everyone in Galar!!"

"What you're doin' is destroyin' Galar! Not helpin' it ya dummy! Why would I want ya doin' this for me!?" Bede stopped seeming stunned and...it might've been your panicked mind but he looked a little hurt at her words as she glared and held up her camera at him like a weapon. "Now stand down before I get more evidence of yer crimes!"

"...I...But why? How can this be?" ..He numbly pointed at her. "How could someone like you get in my way? I was the one chosen by the chairman! I was the one to defeat the champion!" He cried out at her. "I'm one of the elite! Someone who can shoulder the future of the Galar Region!" He pointed at her. "YOU EVEN AGREED WITH ME!!"

"Since when did I agree with destroyin' ancient sights for bloody sparkly rocks!?"

He didn't get time to anwer. In fact none of you did as a group of footsteps made their way from from behind you and your Drizzilie chirped in surprise before diving in front of your legs to avoid being swarmed by a few people in police suits like you'd often see Officer Jenny wear, a few gym staff people in white suits, and at least three pokemon that you supposed was to help restrain the culprit. You and Sonia looked around yourselves surprised but relieved to see the police coming FINALLY, and Bede suddenly looked even more panicked hands at his sides and lookig around widely as he was affectively surrounded.

"Make way for the Chairman!" Hey! You recognized that woman's voice. And turned just in time for the Chairman himseld and an angry Oleana part their way through the crowd. But instead of feeling relief anymore, a bad feeling pooled at the end of your stomach. "Challeger Bede!" She yelled and just when you thought Bede couldn't have gotten any paler, his skin turned such a white the bright white of his hair could've been considered darker than his skin tone. "I wondered what you were up to when you asked to borrow Chairman Rose's copperajah.I can't believe you'd try to use the chairman's pokemon to destroy a historical sight!"

Wait wait WAIT! HOLD UP!! They actually let Bede borrow THEIR pokemon without asking what he was doing and surprised about this!? ..A low rumble noise came from the wall as a piece of it slid away between the cracks around it. A few pebbles falling from it and landing right behind Bede's feet. No one noticed but Gloria who was still standing between Bede and the destroyed mural, blinking and looking up at the stone wall. You all were too busy watching the show between Bede and his sponsors to notice.

Bede had stood there stunned for a moment before scowling and pointing at her, but his tone was obviously scared. "Who cares for some ancient ruin when the next thousand years are at stake!? Did you stand in the path of a pokemon's simple beam or something?" Wrong move. Oleana looked even more angry now. "How do you expect to support the Chairman with that sort of thinking!?"

More pebbles fell down and Gloria looked right up, twisting her body around as she took a few steps back staring at the wall.

"Bede." Bede Froze. Absolutely. Freaking. FROZE as the Chairman addressed him holding a hand up to Oleana who immediately stood down at his motion. "Young Bede." His hand was slowly returned to his pocket, the chairman's eyes scanning his pokemon who still shook it's head and the absolutely destructon of the once beautiful mural. And shook his head. How was he so calm about this? "It pains me to say this but I am truly disappointed."

".....W-What?"

"It's true that I'm the one who found you, back when you were all alone." He sighed reaching a hand up to rub his head. "I saw talent in you. You reminded me a little bit of myself back when I was young. That's why I sent you to a trainer's school, to give you a chance at success. But trying to destroy the mural, part of Galar's history! You show no love toward Galar!" He looked back up to the boy who by this point was lightly shaking. Just staring at him like a little scared mouth. "You are clearly not a worthy challenger for the Gym Challenge."

"W-W-WHAT!?," Bede shouted at him. "B-B-But all I have ever done was for you!" He placed a hand to his chest. "All I have ever done was for Galar! Y-You must be joking right!? You're disqualifying me from the Gym Challenge?! But you're the one who endorsed me! T-T-There are a hundred different ways we could sort this out!" He insisted more desperate. "Why are you chosing the worst possible option?!"

Mr. Rose just held up a tired hand again. "I don't want to hear anymore from you, Bede. We will decide what to do with you later. For now you will return to Hammerlocke with us."

"B-B-But-.." He looked around in a blind panic around himself at every staff, policeman, and other adult there watching him. More pebbles falling and Gloria's eyes widened in danger. "I-I REFUSE!! THERE WAS A MISTAKE!!"

"Challenger Bede," Oleana stated firmly, "I'll be taking those wishing stars you have gathered. And you WILL be returning with us to Hammerlocke."

"I- N-No wait!" He was grabbed by two men in those white gym uniforms and his purple eyes shrank as Oleana walked towards him.

That's when the Chairman turned towards the rest of you and smiled apologetically. "AH! Sonia! And Gloria and her friend too!" You both turned to the Chairman as Gloria paid no attention to you, the Chairman, or Bede's shaking form as Oleana collected what looked like more sparkling gems out of his pockets. "Terrible shame all this." he gestured to the seen before him and you wanted to hurl at how disgustingly calm he could POSSIBLY be about all this! "An absolute disaster." OH YOU THINK!? "I never wish to see us lose challengers for this sort of reason. Yet we do what we must do to keep things fair and sportsmanlike."

"Then why did you lend him your copperajah without watching him?," you found yourself saying with a frown, "Or have a young boy collect stones from possibly dangerous mines?"

He fell silent, giving you a look that could have been surprised at what you said as you still stared at him. The reality of what you had said not catching up to you then and there because on top of what just happened something else struck. The sound of cracking walls and moving gravel made everyone look up as the cracks and wall of the cliffside moved ever so slightly under the weight of the lose boulder as it slipped free and fell down towards the earth. Down right towards the scrambling and screaming people. Right towards the frozen form of Bede as his mouth opened in a silent scream at the heavy rock barraling towards him as he stood in it's shadow- Well the rock did made contact with the ground, shattering into lots of tinier pieces on impact. Everyone yelped and cowered, arms flying up to shield their faces or turning away as the tinier rocks flew everywhere. Bede and Gloria laid upon the ground sprawled out from where she tackled him out of the flying death maker's way. Both groaned out before sitting up. Bede once again freezing at the sight of Gloria being so close and pulling him up into a sitting position with a scowl!

"Ye alright?"......he slowly nodded. "That's good." Before she began shaking him. "WHAT THE ABSOLUTE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU!? NOW DO YA SEE WHY IT WAS A STUPID IDEA YA DUMMY!? YA COULD'VE BEEN CRUSH BY A STUPID FLYIN' BOULDER!!"

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?" A loud female voice cried out and if you thought Oleana's loud voice was scary it was nothing compared to the slightly smaller than you woman who stomped her way through the crowd barefoot, angry, and with at least three fighting type pokemon behind her. Just how many people were going to show up here!? And how could she stand walking around barefoot on the hot ground!? The grey haired woman looked absolutely shocked at the state of her town's mural and all the debry around the ground from it, but unlike everyone else who stood around taking a long time to react, her reaction was instant. Anger flooding her features and her face looked like a tea kettle ready to pop as it turned beat red. An accusing hand was pointed at the destruction caused. Wait. She looked familiar. "WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS!?"....Oh right! You saw her on the card Opal had given Gloria! It was Bea the gym leader of this place!...And she did NOT look happy to see what happened. Even more unfortunate for Bede some people around him pointed him out to the angry woman and once she snapped his gaze to himself still half held by Gloria, you could tell he was just one more heart attack away from fainting. "SO IT WAS YOU!!" She pointed right at him. "IT'S BAD ENOUGH YOU INSULTED THE TRAINER I ENDORSED BUT NOW YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY OF RUINING MY TOWN'S SUPPLY OF INCOME TOO!? WHERE DO YOU THINK SOME OF THE MONEY TO KEEP THE STADIUM RUNNING COMES FROM YOU LITTLE PUNK!? I SWEAR BY THE TIME I'M THROUGH WITH YOU YOU'LL BE GLUING THE ENTIRE THING BACK BY HAND WITH NOTHING BUT A LITTLE CHILD'S GLUE STICK!!" By now Bede looked pale enough to pass as a ghost.

"Bea now, now." The Chairman held up his hands to her in a calm manner. "Calm down. I'll pay for all the damages and repairs to be fixed. We'll have an exact replica of the mural back up in no time at all. It'll be like this never happened."

"WHAT?!" She snapped a look towards the chairman. "AND LET THIS LITTLE TROUBLEMAKER GO UNPUNISHED FOR ALL THE TROUBLE HE'S ALREADY CAUSED!?"

"I never said he wasn't going to be punished. We were just about to figure that out just now I assure you."

She huffed crossing her arms. "Oh yeah? Is that right? If you ask me you should take away the gym badges from him-"

"NO!!" Bede gave off an 'Oof' as Gloria suddenly grabbed him to her in a protective manner and his face hit her shoulder as he blinked confused. The adults looking at her in a way that made you nervous just standing there watching.

...Bea got a look of realization over her before she pointed at Gloria. "Hey. I know you. You're the trainer that I just badge the Fighting type badge too. Are you in on this too?"

Gloria shook her head no. "NO!! Are ye kiddin' me?! I'd never do somethin' as stupid as this!" Her hand pointed at her. "BUT YA CAN'T TAKE AWAY HIS GYM BADGES!!" She then pointed at the Chairman who blinked at her. "AND NEITHER CAN YE!! BEDE WON THOSE FAIR N' SQUARE!!" Bede blinked and looked up to her in shock. "YER RIGHT THAT HE SHOULD BE PUNISHED FOR DOIN' WHAT HE DID!! BUT GYM BADGES ARE A SYMBOL OF ALL THE HARD WORK YOU PUT IN AS A POKEMON TRAINER JUST TO GET THEM!! ONCE A GYM LEADER GIVES THEM TO YA IT JUST SHOWS HOW MUCH YOU IMPROVED AND GROWN FROM THEN!! IF YOU TAKE THEM FROM HIM THEN YOU'LL BE DOIN' NOTHING BUT TELL HIM HIS WORTH AS A TRAINER IS NOTHING AND I WON'T ALLOW THAT!!" Her grip on him increased slightly. "Punish him for what he did to the mural if you want, but don't you DARE take his gym badges from him!"

You weren't sure whether you wanted to bury yourself under a rock or be proud of her in that moment, but her words got the Chairman to stare at her a moment. Humming and eyeing her protective stance frowning at him before he sighed and nodded. "She's right Bea. I won't tamper with the progress he's already made thus far, but he sure will be answering for the mess he's caused everyone today." He gestured back down towards the stairs. "Come. Lets discuss what we can do about the mural out of the hot sun alright? Ms. Sonia I don't suppose you could stand by until my team gets here could you?"

Sonia blinked."...OH! I-i-...Sure."

The two of you stood there as everyone and their pokemon trickled out of the destroyed area and back down the stairs after the chairman and gym leader who shot a nasty glare at Bede before she left. ...Bede slowly pried hmself away from Gloria falling back onto his bottom as she blinked. He got up shakily, dusting himself off in the process, before looking back to her. The two of them silently staring at each others for the longest time.

"Bede," He jumped and turned to Oleana as she stood there waiting for him expectantly, "Come along. You're aware the Chairman doesn't like to kept waiting." Bede paused for a moment looking between her and Gloria exactly once, before turning and started walking towards her. She turned and walked away from the three of you as Gloria slowly stood herself. Bede not sparing either of you a head glance as he walked past the two of you head down without a word.

The three of you stood there watching everyone leave down the long flight of stairs silently ...before you finally broke the silence by looking at the mess as the copperajah lumbered past after it's owner. ".....Well I can say for certain that this so fair has been the most eventful day I've ever had in my life."

"Tell me 'bout it!" Gloria grumbled dusting herself off as she walked over to you to which you looked at her.

"Hey. Are you ok? You're not hurt are you?"

She shook her head no to your relief as she still deeply frowned. "I know the show ponyta was a looney but I didn't think he'd have the gall ta pull somethin' like this."

You hummed. ".....Somehow I don't think that was exactly all his fault."

"Whatcha mean by that?"

You went to answer her but was cut off yet again by voice. "Now that I think about it..." Both of you looked to Sonia who hummed. "You know. During one of Bede's matches, I heard the announcer say that Bede has no family. Apparently it was Rose who took Bede under his wing, and so Bede was battling for the Chairman's sake." Gloria looked between you two surprised, but you were more angry than surprised at this point gaining a frown. You had pretty much picked up on that by now. "*sigh* But that's a story for another day." She looked to the destroyed Mural. "Oh poor Bea. What an awful turn of events. I hope the mural survived all that."

"I doubt that." Gloria kicked a decent sized rock away from her at the mention.

And then that's when the rumble started. Just like the sound of the rock that nearly crushed Bede, only there was a lot more of it! The three of you looked up in horror at the cracks in the once pretty mural finally giving away under the strained weight, and it fell apart.

"LOOK OUT!!"

You quickly grabbed Gloria and yanked her behind you as your Drizzilie once again ducked behind your legs for cover as the rocks fell away and crumbled to the ground in a heap. Sending smaller rock fragments and dust everywhere making the three of you cough up a storm. But it's when you looked up however, is when the REAL mystery began. Because when the two of you looked up....your eyes widened. In place of where the mural used to be was a pile of rubble and a hole in the cliffside. But in the hole ..was a couple of statues. Two of which were two GIGANTIC dog looking pokemon holding a sword or shield in their mouths, and behind them were two kings carved into the stone.

"...Hey." You glanced at Gloria shaking dust from her hat and Sonia walked up wide eyed to the statues. "Are you ok?" She nodded before plopping the hat back onto her head. "Good. What about you Sonia?.....Sonia?" You blinked and looked over to the orange haired woman gaping up at the statues...Huh. Why did they seem familiar to you?

"......Not a brilliant turn of events, but the ruins were brought into the light for us to see!," Sonia finally said after a long moment of silence. "What does this tell us about Galar's legends?"

"Uuuuh." You rose a brow up at the statues. Not really sure if she was talking to you or not. "A....sword and shield?" You guessed based off what the things were holding in their mouths...Hey. Wasn't this whole game's thing revolved around a sword and shield or something??

She nodded. "Right! More than any hero, there's those things that appear to be pokemon that stand out! Not just that, but those pokemon appear to be holding a sword and shield as if they were using them! Anything else look interesting to you?!"

"Uuuuh. ...Those two guys there." You pointed to the two king statues. They're the same as the tapestries aren't they?"

"I didn't notice that! Oh good observation! There really were two heroes. But if that's the case then why only the one statue at Budew drop inn?"

You shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe whoever built it didn't feel like making two giant gold statues."

She hummed. "More than any statue of a hero or old tapestry, these ruins made in truly ancient times must show us the real truth! Which means that....."

"....The sword and shield are pokemon?"

"YUP!!" She snapped with a smile to you making you blink. "I was thinking the same thing! Seems like at some point in history the sword and shield were combined with the two actual pokemon and treated as the same thing!" She hummed looking back to all the rubble. "But then what? They just faded from history? Two young heroes. The sword and shield were actually pokemon. But why would the truth of these ruins be hidden when their stories were depicted in artwork?"

"...Maybe they had something to do with it?" She looked at you and you pointed to the human statues. "The kings or whoever they are. They went through a lot of trouble hiding this..maybe it was to protect the things that protected them."

She hummed. "Possibly. We won't be too sure until I get Mr. Rose's approval to study it more. Thanks! With your help I really feel like we made a big discovery here!

"Not sure how I helped but your welcome!"

"..So there was history being covered up by all that over stylized artwork. I'm gonna have to look into this some more. OOHH!! IM SO EXCITED!! NO RESEARCHER HAS EVER MADE SUCH A DISCOVERY-" A bark caught both of your attention as Sonia looked down at her feet in time for her yamper to drop something white at them. And she blinked. "Hey boy. Whatcha got there?" Not a bone you hoped. She quickly reached down as you leaned over to look and she stood up with a white mask in her hands. It was covered in does and a bit yellowed with a few scrapes, and had three black holes in it presumably for a person's mouth and eyes. "Well would you look at this. I dont think this is from the ruins. ...It kinda reminds me of the one's Allister wears."

"Who?," you asked trying to see it. Sonia handed it over to you and you grabbed it from her to get a better look.

"Allister. He's the boy who's in charge of the Ghost type Gym just down the road there." She pointed towards the exit path from Stow-on-Side. "It's located by the Stow-on-Side cemetary, but it'll take a full day just to get there from here. I just mentioned it might be his since the only one I've ever seen with that kind of mask was him at the Entrance Ceremony....But I guess you'll be headed to Bellonlea next, right?"

You opened your mouth- "Y/N!!!" You were nearly knocked to the ground when Gloria ran up to you and grabbed you suddenly. Yanking you forward hard enough to send you stumbling a few steps as she panicked. "It's that restore scientist lady! She's headed up the stairs this way!" She pulled you into a run away from Sonia as she watched bewildered down the path away from here. Your Drizzilie running at your heels.

"Bye Sonia! Good luck in your research!!," you called back.

Guess you'd be able to finally leave Stow-on-Side.

[the-pale-goddess]

↠ RECENT WORKS || HILDE’S FAVORITES ↞

WARNING: my fics depict adult themes and situations—don’t read them if you’re a minor!

Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

🧁- Hilde’s attempt at fluff; 💔- angst fest; 🔥- smut; 🌲- pining

❥ Meet my MC: Tiffany Addams

❥ Misc relationship Q&A

❥ E&T’s future (HC) 

❥ NSFW stats

❥ Commissioned Art

❥ E&T playlist

❥ Pinterest board

AU mini series: Tiffany finds out about Ethan’s drunken encounter whilst in the Amazon (aka Drunk Lord Ethan AU) 💔

↠ Masterlist

[WIP] AU series: Tiffany and Ethan reunite after almost 7 years. What brings her back to the old flame?

↠ Masterlist

[WIP] Book 1 AU: Ethan Ramsey doesn’t play favorites. A sassy intern might prove him otherwise.

↠ Masterlist

Bonus fics:

❥ Noise of The Void *NSFW* / a deleted scene from Frenzy 🔥💔

Drunk and desperate, Ethan calls for his old flame, hoping to discipline his disobedient mind.

Canon-inspired

❥ Vices & Virtues 🌲💔🧁 (set between Chapters 5 & 6)

Dr. Ramsey’s weaknesses don’t disturb his everyday life often, but when they do, a certain intern happens to always be involved.

❥ Burnt (set between Chapters 9&10)🧁🌲

Tiffany’s looking for peace & quiet during her lunch break…A blinding realization finds her instead.

❥ On a Night Like This [ao3] 🌲

Mere seconds before the dam breaks; an addition to E&T’s first kiss.

❥ Puncture Wound (NYE fic set after Miami)💔🌲

Ethan monitors Naveen overnight. An unexpected guest keeps him company moments before the midnight strikes.

❥ Untouched 🧁💔

An emotional addition to E&T’s first time in Ch 15.

AU

❥ mild *NSFW* Blind (takes place after Miami)💔🔥🧁

The annual Edenbrook gala is all about extraordinary food, free booze, serving looks…and jealousy in every possible form. Who will crash and who will burn this night?

Canon-inspired

❥ *NSFW* Running to the Edge of the World (30💎 scene in Ch12) 💔🔥🧁

E&T steer a new course of their relationship while trying to adapt to the reality after the attack.

❥ *NSFW* Cabin Fever (20💎 scene in Ch14)🔥🧁

E&T get creative while stuck on the job at Dagger Mountain.

❥ Sooner Than You Think (inspired by Ch17)🧁

Ethan’s picking up Tiffany for ‘definitely a date’ at the Hopeful Hearts Gala and all of her roommates are there to witness the iconic moment.

❥ Tomorrow Never Came (inspired by Ch19)🧁

Is there tomorrow for Tiffany and Ethan?

AU

❥ We’ll Talk About It Later (two shot based on Ch 8+9)

Part 1: *NSFW* Breaking The Habit 🔥

Part 2: The Talk 🧁

↠ Ficlets: masterlist ↞

❥ *NSFW* Conquest (Detective/Thief role play)🔥🧁

This isn’t an ordinary night for Detective Ramsey and she’s no ordinary thief.

❥ *NSFW* The Tape (aka how a certain video was made) 🔥🧁

E&T decide to make their visit in The City of Love particularly memorable.

❥ Take Me Home Tonight 🧁

Tiffany doesn’t go on a bender often. But when she does, it’s always a wild ride—especially for a certain grumpy doctor.

❥ *NSFW* Breakfast at Tiffany’s 🔥🧁

Tiffany surprises Ethan with a fancy breakfast.

❥ Just an Ordinary Day 🧁

Just three people enjoying their day at the beach...Wearing wedding outfits.

❥ Distracted (sneak peek) 🧁

A glimpse into the future of The Ramseys as seen by Ethan’s teenage lookalike - his son NJ.

↠ Open Heart as Netflix Original Series

↠ E&T in a gossip column

↠ E&T’s business cards

↠ My manips

____

❤️Gifts from wonderful people❤️

[terapsina]

EPILOGUE - Part 3 (of 4... dammit) - She's Come Undone and Set Free- Angry BAMF Elena Fic

relationships: elena/elijah, elena & rebekah, elena & caroline, elena & bonnie, caroline/klaus, bonnie/rebekah

summary:

She’d been free. Freed from a conscience she couldn’t afford to give up again. Free from the grief she’d never actually wanted to abandon, not until the choice was taken from her. But also free from the two brothers that had been taking choices away from her from the moment they’d come to town.

And she didn’t want to give that freedom up. She wouldn’t. Not ever again.

/or/

When Elena feels her humanity returning she finds herself focusing on having finally been free from the Salvatore brothers, and doesn't abandon her justified anger. Unfortunately, she also realizes that her sire bond to Damon isn't fully broken and goes to Rebekah for help, help that involves a little trip to New Orleans.

On the way, Elena will have to deal with her newly returned humanity as well as some long-awaited truths about Caroline's old relationship with the older Salvatore.

There are some things that even the most compassionate person could never forgive.

read on AO3:

                   Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Ch5 | Ch6 | Ch7 | Ch8 | Ch9 | Ch10 | Ch11 | Ch12 | Ch13 | Ch14 | Ch15 | Ch16 | Ch17 | Epilogue Part 1 | Epilogue Part 2 | Epilogue Part 3 | ...

sneak peek:

"Hey, Elena, can we talk?" Bonnie asked, feeling a lead weight in the core of her stomach that she'd been ignoring for months now. She'd been putting off facing it, for a change letting herself enjoy the rainbow of feelings that Rebekah made bloom in every corner of Bonnie's heart - a sensation that terrified her in how little it made Bonnie hesitate to commit to it lately. Back when Bonnie had first knocked on Rebekah's door, she'd thought it would be a reckless adventure that would end with a fond kiss and no nicks to the heart - because how hard could it really be to maintain emotional space from a Mikaelson? Well, as Bonnie had learned before she went off to face Silas when she weaved a sleeping spell into her kiss to keep Rebekah safe... quite impossible. And now Bonnie feared it would hurt a great deal. "Sure," Elena said, closing her laptop and clearing away some papers to free up space for Bonnie to sit beside her on her dorm bed. "what's up?" Bonnie sat. Hands in her lap, playing with the silver bracelet set with emeralds that Rebekah had gifted her a few weeks ago for their first anniversary. Bonnie's eyes closed with the memory of Rebekah's voice - 'They match your eyes.' "I got into Loyola University New Orleans, I could transfer starting next semester," Bonnie admitted, swallowing and opening her eyes again to stare over Elena's shoulder. "That's great," Elena exclaimed, moving to hug her but halting when Bonnie could only manage to smile wanly "...that's, not great?" She felt a traitorous tear leak past the corner of her eyelid.

[justatiredghost]

Living for the Moment Ch14

A series of glimpses at Klaus’ life if he’d met Dave in his mid 20s. His life isn’t magically transformed, love can’t fix either of them when they’re both homeless and in a bad place. They’re not even really ready for a relationship yet. But maybe a supportive friendship can set them on a better path, the two of them inspiring each other to take care of themselves. It’s going to be a long and bumpy ride, and the question is, when will they actually admit to themselves that they have feelings for each other?

Read More AO3

“Oh, come on,” Ben groaned. “Of all the things we could be doing--”

Klaus knew he had been even more reckless than usual and Ben had obviously had enough. Then again, he’d probably had enough of his shit five minutes after he showed up as a ghost for the first time.

“Oh, come on, Ben,” Klaus said. “Live a little, why don’t you.” 

“I’m dead, remember? If I was, I certainly wouldn’t be doing stuff like this. You’re either about to get seriously injured or arrested,” Ben said, exasperated. “Or both. I thought Dave getting clean might inspire you to do the same.”

“Obviously you know absolutely nothing about me,” Klaus said.

“You’re right. I gave you way too much credit,” Ben rolled his eyes, clearly giving up on him.

“Ooh, someone’s feeling nasty today.”

“Don’t you ever get tired of this?” Ben asked, gesturing around them at the grimy streets and just the general situation they were about to get into. “One of these days you really are gonna end up dead.”

“At least it’ll probably be funny,” Klaus said, giving him a grin before jumping into action.

The plan had been to con one of the shittier dealers, the one that was constantly trying to rip people off. Klaus figured, why not return the favor? Unfortunately, things went wrong like they usually do. He got a little too greedy, pushed his luck a little too far, and the next thing he knew he was being tackled as he tried to flee around the corner.

He didn’t really like fighting all that much, too much work and all that, but he was wound up enough now. He could certainly hold his own and he had to admit it was nice to blow off a little steam. Too bad the cops happened to be passing by. There went some perfectly good drugs. And, of course, Ben was there to say he’d told him so.

At least he was going to rehab instead of prison. And he couldn’t help but laugh when he realized it was the same one Dave had gone to. 

“Looks like this’ll be fun after all,” Klaus said, grinning at Ben.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Ben groaned. “It’s like they’re trying to reward your bad behavior.”

It hadn’t even been a full week since they’d last seen each other. They’d gone longer before, but for some reason knowing that that wouldn’t change for a full month had somehow made it worse. Klaus didn’t want to admit how much he’d missed him, but now that he was going to see him again, he couldn’t deny how excited he suddenly found himself. He was barely sitting still while they were signing him in, and once they’d taken him to the common room, he spotted Dave chilling with a book almost immediately.

“Well,” Klaus exclaimed as he made his way over. “Fancy meeting you here!”

“Klaus,” Dave said, looking equal parts pleased and confused. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey, when the judge gives you a choice between rehab or jail, it’s an easy one,” he said, dropping into the chair next to him.

“Are you okay?” Dave asked, noting the bruises and the black eye. Thankfully most of the damage wasn’t visible.

“What, this old thing? It’s nothing,” he said dismissively. “So how have you been?”

“Shitty,” Dave said with a little laugh. He definitely looked under the weather. Withdrawal had clearly set in and, while he was probably through the worst of it, he was still sweaty and achy and, just, generally miserable. “What about you? Are you going to be okay? You know, here?” He tried to make a complicated gesture that probably meant, ‘ghosts,’ but gave up at Klaus’ bemused look. 

“Don’t you worry about a thing,” Klaus said, patting his shoulder. “I got it covered.”

No one had their own room here. Instead, everyone claimed a narrow bunk bed and hoped whoever was above, below, or next to them didn’t snore too loudly. The beds near Dave were all taken, but Klaus still crashed on one when they went to Dave’s for a bit of privacy. 

“It’s ridiculously easy to get stuff in here,” he was explaining, gesturing expressively as he laid it all out. “Just gotta bribe the right orderlies, or trade with the newcomers who managed to smuggle some in. Pretty sure my stash here was hidden well enough that I can dip into that too.”

“Klaus, come on,” Dave said, rubbing at his face with an exhausted sigh. 

“What?” Klaus laughed. “I can’t help it if rehab is a pretty great way to get off the streets while still keeping the ghosts away. Just fewer dealers to turn to, so if you have to deal with an asshole, you could get yourself into a jam. I mean, there was this one guy who--”

“Klaus,” Dave snapped. “Please-- just stop.”

“Oh please don’t tell me you’re gonna lecture me about getting sober too,” Klaus groaned, flopping back onto the bed. “Maybe I won’t share any drugs with you after all.”

“Klaus!” 

“Right, you’re actually trying to get sober,” Klaus said and he hadn’t realized how exasperated and frustrated Dave was becoming. “In that case, don’t worry, I won’t tell you where my stash is. It's a secret for a reason. You can still help me steal some more, though.”

Of course he knew what withdrawal did to people, but Dave always seemed so chill, it was hard to even picture what a testy Dave would be like. It probably said something fucked up about him that he thought it was a little amusing. Well, maybe not amusing. Maybe interesting was a better word. If he was going to get a lecture like he did from Ben, though, that kinda made him want to push even more. 

“Look,” Dave said with a heavy sigh, and somehow that was worse than him being angry. “You don’t have to take this seriously, but I’d hoped you could at least respect what I’m trying to do here.”

“No, yeah, totally,” Klaus said, hands raised in surrender.

“I’m not asking you to help me, just-- don’t intentionally make this harder for me, okay?”

“Fine, if you’re gonna be such a buzzkill,” he said, feeling petty, waiting for the lectures to begin.

“No, you know what? I’m sorry, I can’t do this,” Dave said, standing up and leaving the room. Apparently he wasn’t going to get a lecture after all. Klaus couldn’t help but feel guilty that he’d expected it. Dave had never done that sort of thing to him before, after all. 

“Good going,” Ben said, suddenly sitting in the bed next to Klaus.

“Oh, shut up,” Klaus said, throwing a pillow at him, scowling as it flew harmlessly through him. He was silent for a long moment, before he continued much more seriously. “Things aren’t going back to normal, are they?”

“Probably not,” Ben said. 

He’d had grand plans of the two of them causing havoc here; elaborate heists to steal drugs, making fun of the doctors behind their backs during group sessions, that sort of thing. He knew Dave wanted to get clean, but it hadn’t really occurred to him that he might want to take a lot of this seriously. 

“I need to get out of here.”

“Or you could stay, try to get clean too,” Ben said.

“Yeah, that’s not happening,” he said, shooting a glare at him. 

He felt guilty just sneaking out, especially right after that little fight, so he came to a decision with a defeated sigh. He supposed that if all this stuff actually helped Dave, he could try not to be such an ass about it. Surely they could find other ways to have a good time. Maybe they could still pull pranks on the orderlies that treated them all like shit. 

For now, he dug around in his bag before heading back out into the common room. He found Dave sitting in the corner, hunched over a table and chewing on his fingernail absently. Klaus dropped into the chair next to him, pulling another over to throw his feet up on.

“Truce?” Klaus said, spreading various makeup and nail polish out onto the table, all from a recent theft of his. Thankfully, there was no proof he’d stolen it, so the cops had let him keep it.

“You really are something else,” Dave said with a chuckle, shaking his head, but he turned to face the table more fully, looking over some of the items. 

“Okay,” Klaus said, picking up an eyeliner pen and scooting closer. “I can take a hint, I’ll shut up.”

“You can?” Dave said with a chuckle.

“I can be very observant when I want to be,” Klaus said, holding the eyeliner up in offering. “May I?”

“So of course you rarely want to be,” Dave said with a grin, snatching the eyeliner from him. “Me first.”

“Whatever you want,” Klaus said, pleased he was engaging. He leaned forward, closing his eyes as Dave got to work.

“So, you gonna tell me how you ended up here, or what?” Dave asked.

As Klaus recounted his adventures over the last few days, Dave seemed to loosen up a bit, and when he finally won a real proper laugh from him, Klaus couldn’t help but peek one eye open to grin at him.

“Keep your eyes closed,” Dave scolded. “You’re already squirming all over the place. And I’m out of practice”

“Fine, fine,” Klaus said, trying to hold still. “But I better look amazing by the time you’re done.”

“You already do, don’t worry.”

After a moment, though, Dave’s hand stilled, and Klaus peeked again. His stomach fell when he saw Dave was sitting there, staring at his own hand. It was trembling and even gripping his wrist didn’t help. He dropped the eyeliner onto the table and rubbed his hands together in frustration.

“Yeah, it’s just gonna get worse,” Klaus said sympathetically.

“I know, I’ve done this before,” Dave snapped testily, before sighing and shaking his head. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got a thick skin.”

“Doesn’t matter, you don’t deserve it. Thanks for helping.”

“‘Help,’ is a strong word,” Klaus said. “You’re just the only one here who knows how to have a good time, so of course I’m gonna hang around.”

“Well, either way, it’s appreciated,” Dave said, and his fond smile was much too genuine. 

“Here,” Klaus said, snatching the eyeliner back up. Things were getting much too serious. “I think it’s my turn to do you.”

“Okay, okay,” Dave said, leaning against the table and closing his eyes. “My life is in your hands.”

“It’s just makeup, Dave, calm down.”

[izzyaro]

Legacy ch14 preview

I’ve been neglecting my HP stuff for a while, so here is a sneak peek of what Remus and Sirius are going to be dealing with in this chapter.

Remus Lupin,

My name is Harry Potter. I’ve heard that you were friends with both my father and Sirius Black. Sirius Black, who I’ve just found out is my godfather.

If this is the case, then I want to know why he spent eight years in Azkaban for a crime that he may not have committed, leaving me stuck with my Muggle relatives.

I should say at this point that I am no longer living with the Dursleys. They didn’t love, like, or want me, and so I left. You don’t need to worry about me, I’m in a safe place, but I am not going back there. All I want now is to understand why all this happened.

I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about this letter. I am not going back to the Dursleys.

Harry Potter

[originalhybridloverfics]

Rememberance Ch14 Sneak Peek

"We could do that back home, too." Oliver chimed in. He would prefer to make a day of it with just him and Felicity. 

The thought of seeing her in a small bikini, dripping wet from the water, spending the day on the beach, beneath the hot sun and keeping his hands to himself seemed impossible. He had restraint but his control around Felicity was a thin tether. 

There was only so much he could take when his body screamed for her whenever she was near and his heart longed to be close to her in a way he never wanted to be close with anyone else.

Felicity looked at Oliver a smile pulling at her lips. "Maybe we will." 

John who was quiet most of the time. "Maybe you should make it a private beach. Unless you want to traumatize the locals with your obvious eye sex." 

Sara snorted. 

Felicity blushed and Oliver was mesmerized by the flush in her cheeks.