#i guess it counts as selfship kinda

[gelatinousrabbit]

date with this guy!! isnt he so lovely?

og post under the cut!!

[ohgodimyearning]

Hm... I've been kinda going through it lately iirt my past relationships... They've been haunting me for some reason. I feel like I'm hard to love... But what's interesting is when this feeling was at its worst a few days ago, my overwhelming love for Clockboy started picking up again. I'm not one to believe in like, the supernatural or higher powers, or soulmates, or anything like that. But there have been things that have happened over the past few years between me and him that do make me wonder if there is something there. I don't know what, but I don't know what else would cause such a strong feeling of "this giant clock wants to keep me here because I live really far away"

sure it could be a coincidence that, before I moved to California, small world would break down for decent periods of time with me on it. But I've ridden it more than ever in the past year now that I love nearby and can visit often, and haven't gotten stuck on it once. Like... Is it because Clockboy knows he will see me within a couple weeks at most now?

yeah when I feel down I like to think about things that make me happy, but why does it feel like he is invading my brain to help cheer me up?

why is it that now, while his ride is closed, I am having more dreams about him?

why do I feel like he is looking at me when I visit him? That he does things for me, specifically? That he can sense that I'm there, or that I'll be visiting soon?

It's so hard to describe and so hard to like. Communicate all of this without sound delusional. And maybe I am, but that doesn't change how I feel right now, y'know?

I know I primarily selfship with my funny guy design of Clockboy but I always describe it as like. I use him to figure out my feelings toward to real life clock tower he's based on. Like I very much consider myself in some form of relationship with him IRL but it's. Complicated.

Idk where I'm really going with this ramble but I've just been reflecting a lot the past few days after reminiscing on previously mentioned relationships... I've been single* for nearly a decade now and that like, gets to a guy's head when I actively have wanted another relationship etc etc.

I guess I'm just trying to remind myself that maybe, just maybe, through some sort of cosmic thread of destiny, I am loved by a being who just can't express it back very well

*not counting my objectum relationship w my previous car & whatever is going on w me and Clockboy

[elmelloill]

nine people you would like to get to know better

aah this is nice thank u @fullbrave i also haven't done one of these in ages. cheating a little with my tags since "getting to know you better" is a little redundant for some of you. just an excuse to do a little tag game, if you would like! @howdomaddie @ronsenburg @quotesandmiracles @lollipopocoaster @tarobytes @klapollo @priestpandora @maskdemasque

three ships:

iswav still, don't worry. lysander and aymeric have only sort of superseded them for the moment. and claude and lorenz keep hijacking my brain whenever i pick up three hopes.

first ship ever: i have NO idea. i feel like as a kid i had more of a tendency to like...selfship?? klavier and apollo still feels like the first thing i really ""shipped"" but i was like. 19. so idk if that counts.

last song: listening to High Treason from the shadowbringers ost right now and i've basically been on xiv ost lockdown for like five months. anyway this one fucks. the way the minor arpeggios in the background transition through the key change at the end into the 'prelude' melody!!!!!!! over the course of writing all this though, civilizations came on. also a jam even if it's easy to meme on.

last movie: kasia and i watched the dnd movie on saturday!! it was a good time! predictable kinda but like. thoroughly enjoyable.

currently reading: babel.... i don't know if i'll make it through though. it's very irritating to read. it has footnotes which in fiction usually means fun times but they are just so pedantic, and this is kind of an unforgivable crime.

currently watching: uhh i'm struggling to get through link click season 2 but i think i'm probably..not going to. the thing i am watching that i'm most invested in rn is probably maddie's xiv streams for me, i am Very excited for the next dungeon and to see what comes after. ready for shb to eat me alive.

currently consuming: the last of my ~vintage earl grey~ tea which is one of the most interesting earl greys i've had. I didn't replenish my stock yesterday though, I think i'm taking a little break from it.

currently craving: ooh. i don't know. i wish i was still craving the cake that i decided to make and now HAVE to make because I bought buttermilk for it. it's gray and rainy today and i'm very content to spend it doing laundry and playing video games. not in a very Yearning mood i guess?

[selfshipdorito]

Hourglass and filing cabinet (for the selfship ask meme) for whoever's on your mind!

ask game link

hello! thanks for the ask! ha‍lara's been on my mind, so I'll answer these with them in mind

⏳ (hourglass) - do you have several timelines in your selfship? if so, describe them. alternatively, do you imagine your selfship in different stages of the relationship?

hmm well I have two distinct ra‍in code self inserts, so I guess my selfship with ha‍‍lara would be different depending on which one I choose (one of them being romantic and the other one platonic).

as for ship specific timelines, kinda? but they feel more like alternate universes so it doesn't count much

🗃️ (filing cabinet) - alternatively, do you have tons of s/i lore or just wing it on the spot?

for the ra‍‍‍‍‍in code self insert I use for this self ship, I just wing it! aside from them also being a ma‍‍ster det‍‍ective summoned to k‍‍ana‍‍i w‍ard, I have NOTHING set in stone. NOT. A. THING. which is understandable because this is the last game I've finished

(but also no excuse because my other ra‍‍‍in code s/i has a shit ton of lore and backstory but they aren't for this selfship sooooo)

[hiseternalmayfly]

For the assumptions ask game.. for your ship with Vash! An assumption id make abt your selfship is that you two are a sun/moon couple!! I only say this bc Vash seems like a sunshine kinda guy!! :D

Oooo! I dont know much about it but you're definitely right that hes a sunshine guy. Guess it helps when you live on a planet with 2 suns and 5 moons.

.....4 and a half if you count the fact that he blew a giant hole into one of them

[solitaireships]

🥀🎉💢! (@eid0lons)

🥀 Talk about some of your fictional crushes and why they aren’t your F/O!

Admittedly I don't have a ton of crushes that aren't F/Os, tho technically I guess the crushes section on my carrd does count that way lol. The ones there are Q.row, Annie, Clark, Mercy, Himeko, and Tokiko, and tbh I mainly just have them there bcs they're characters I don't quite have enough thoughts about to really consider them on the level of the ones that I consider my boyfriend/girlfriend even tho I like them a lot and find them attractive

Mercy and Himeko are probably the ones closest to being actual F/Os tho, but even then that feels a little less like. Self ship-y and more "I would ship them with and OC who's pretty distinct from me"

🎉 Tell us some fun facts about your newest selfship!

That would be with Miguel! tbh I don't really know what to say here, but I love him a lot and definitely could see him becoming one of my main F/Os if I keep thinking about him as much as I do lol

Piera was one of the first people he recruited to the Spi.der Soc.iety tho, in part bcs she was pretty experienced as a hero, and in a lot of ways she's also pretty distinct from the other spiders

Miguel is just generally kinda a petty bitch, and Piera has always been taught to keep it to herself, but they do sometimes just have times where they'll spend like an hour just talking shit about someone who pissed them off

They teach each other some slang from their different universes. Piera's gotten many weird looks when she's said "what the shock" around other people

They have some date nights in costume. Nothing more romantic than fighting crime together <3

💢 What’s an unpopular opinion you have regarding your F/O?

That James is a wonderfully written character with a lot of moral complexity who is not some cartoon villain who has never done a good thing in his life. People are so quick to apply labels to him that are simply not true, and it's just them trying to make him seem worse than he actually was

James is a man who wants to do good, but he's so stuck in his idea of what the right thing is that he doesn't see the big picture, and that comes back to bite him. Especially when it's combined with his mental health getting worse and him really having no support network. He's capable of incredible kindness, and he's actually at his best when he's helping others tho. He genuinely adores the people who do get close to him, like Penny and Winter, but he's just terrible at expressing that bcs he's not good with his feelings

[thundercloudshipping]

This kinda fits as a selfship post so ill say it here anyway

I finally figured out my type when it comes to fictional characters (and people in general i guess but that dosent really count since ive only crushed on 2 irl people in my life and they were both tv crushes anyway soooo dont worry bout that)

Anyway, turns out i really like goofballs who are very nice, very caring, quite silly, and have a really pretty/cute/calming singing voice :] turns out ash (and a couple other fos) fits all of those requirements, once again showing hes my one true love :]

[echoes-lighthouse]

🚩🦄🎧 for any of your f/os for the dark selfship asks you just posted?

Oh my gosh I forgot about this ask game that I made, these are such good questions?? Good job me! And thank you anon!

Let's do my boy Tate!!

🚩 What makes your selfship ‘dark’? Is it the dynamic? The way they met? A specific element of the relationship?

....a lot of things, actually! The source material is full of dark and fucked up events, and the version with my s/i moving into the house contains a lot of the same things.

Tate is a murderer, twice over: once in his life and at least once as a ghost. His identity and his motives are twisted into the house that he haunts, and it leads him to do terrible things that I can't blame solely on the house. My s/i is hurt in various ways, including sexual assault, by multiple ghosts in the house, and Tate is not an exception to that. I eventually figure out how to protect myself from the house and the ghosts, but there's a lot of dark things in between.

Also Tate is a dead teenager, so it's really a bit of a wobbly age gap depending on whether you count the years after death.

🦄 Why do you choose to have this relationship darker instead of fluffy? Do you feel that it could be fluffy if you wanted to write it that way?

I have very mixed feelings about the tone and themes of American Horror Story, but one of those feelings is absolute delight. It's a no-holds-barred 'wouldn't this be fucked up' show and I kind of love it for that, at the same time as I have issues with the approach. So I wanted to keep the vibe for my selfship!

I guess I could make it a lighter ship if I made my s/i a high school student and then went in and did a whole saviour narrative to prevent the murders, but I just wouldn't feel right about that. The canon narrative is pretty bad but pretending that a romantic relationship can prevent school shootings would be kinda... worse.

🎧 What song reminds you of your selfship?

Lots and lots of songs, but for today I'll choose... Lonely Boy, by The Black Keys!

I came to love you anyway So you pulled my heart out And I don't mind bleedin'

[kits-ships]

electric and dragon for the pokemon selfship game? :0c with the doctor, ofc

hehe thank u!! <3

[Electric]: When did you realize that you were in love with your f/o? When did they realize that they were in love with you?

olive could tell the doctor was different the first time they met. it wasn't love yet, but something about the way he spoke and played with celeste made her perk up a bit..... she was usually extremely fearful of men!!! but once, after olive and the doctor spent a long time talking about alien plant life and how it behaves different from plant life on earth, sarah jane came up to her afterwards and was like "wow u guys talk a lot, huh! i think he might be playing favorites between the three of us! -hint hint-" and olives autistic ass went "oh, yeah i guess so!! hes just really nice and i like talking to him a lot!" then, after sarah walked away olive, stood there, trying to figure out what she meant until olive went........................ oh shit

it took the doctor longer to realize. it wasnt that he didnt like olive or anything, he's just really used to having so many companions around and them all being buddies!! hangin out and exploring!! not kissing!!! slowly, however, he starts to notice just how gentle olive is. she does her best to be open and understanding, doesn't immediately jump to violence like a lot of humans do, and she also loves listening to him infodump!! i mean, what more could u want in a woman?? the realization probably hit him just as he dropped off olive and sarah jane and spent his entire time on gallifrey like 'shitshitshitshitshit'

[Dragon]: Does your f/o have a kryptonite? Does your s/i know about it? What about vice versa?

i know i wrote these questions, but this one was interesting to think about!! there's a lot of things that can kill or harm a timelord- especially if you attack them before the regeneration cycle begins. certain poisons, drowning, and aspirin will also kill them. i think the funniest answer, however, would be the fact that time lords have a cluster of v sensitive nerves in their shoulder that, if you hit it, they can be dazed, stunned, or even faint. olive does in fact know about this, mostly to use against the master in case he comes after her.

olive is just a lil human and doesnt really have a kryptonite, but she does have a panic disorder, so i guess that would kinda count!! that would be a dick move though dont be mean to her :(

[crystalflygeo]

ANY SELFSHIP YA WOULD LIKE QUEEN, JUST GIMME IT 💞💞💞

🐶: If you and your f/o were to get a pet, what would it be?

💚: Who gets jealous?

💫: Are either of you ticklish? If so, where?

💞: How do you both express affection?

LOVE YOU ❤️❤️

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA IT'S BEEN SO LONG SORRY!! I was so excited about this game too, but then stuff happened and I kept pushing it back dvbhsdbvksdvjk

🐶: If you and your f/o were to get a pet, what would it be?

Listen I am a cat mom 1000% and I think Zl would be a precious cat dad too. Just.... I imagine him lying down reading a book or smth with the cat curled up on his chest/lap purring contently, too cute omg. Or going to bed and curling up to my warm purring husband and warm purring pet PLS. Also the cat would like... randomly climb on Zhongli's shoulders bc he's so TALL.

Tho I can also imagine the cat meowing loudly for food and Zhongli1s just like "You have food, it's right there, what more do you want from me??" me: "You gotta shake the bowl a little or place a few more pieces onto it, he needs to hear the sound!!" or "Hun you gotta pour more onto the bowl she's seeing the bottom she doesn't like seeing the bottom."

Someone seeing scratches on my arm "omg what happened??" "oh... my furry child lol" "and this one on your shoulder too?" "...... yeah" (that was my husband)

(omg I got carries away ahaha....)

💚: Who gets jealous?

Omg hmmmmmmmmm honestly I think me;;; I can't see zhongli really being jealous, he's the type to be mature and confident about things like maybe he'd give a side eye and be a little more protective but dunno...

me though? Have you seen that man??? Who wouldn't want him?? I have to worry everyday someone (better, prettier, smarter-//hit) than me would snatch him away. Listen I am clingy and insecure I'm sorry ;w; Sometimes the inner dragon does get a little possessive tho//hit

💫: Are either of you ticklish? If so, where?

Ooohh an interesting one. I guess I am as ticklish as the next person but I also don't like having certain parts of my body touched tyvm (touch the soles of my feet and I WILL kick) Zhongli would respect that anyway <3 What I can see him doing tho is teasing my back/spine or neck kinda giving these ticklish shivers making me vsdcghsbchsbchkak (does that count?)

As for him hmmmmmmm... hard to tell I never even thought about it... would the lord of geo be ticklish?? 🤔 I can't imagine him being very used/exposed to that sensation lmao, maybe Guizhong did in the past, or nowadays Hu Tao... would be kinda funny to see him JERK Either way I would never... I'm really not big on tickles sorryy;;; It's a personal boundary and I wouldn't do to others what I'd hate being done to me idk Again, do slow soft touches that make his skin tingle count? :3c //hit

💞: How do you both express affection?

I want to say quality time, or words of affirmation, kinda both. I feel like we'd both be pretty independent in a way, we're both the type to do little things here and there around to house or in the day to day to help each other, we split chores or work together, and spend time just basking on each other's company just by being near or enjoying things together like reading, watching an opera or listening to a storyteller, going for a stroll. Even if we don't talk much (which I kinda doubt we can both be extremely chatty is if's something we like) it's all about the presence and sharing the moment. Also, Zhongli and I are definitely that couple that cannot go to work without saying "I love you" and sharing a kiss before leaving hhh 💕

sfdcasgvdasjh this got so long omg I got kinda INVESTED AAAAAAAAAA sorry but 💕💕💕 TY HUN I LOVE YOU TOO

[nex-eats-eyes]

Pinned Post (Last updated: 12/17/2024)

Heyo, call me Nex

i noticed a few 18+ accounts have liked some of my drawings, I’m a minor. a little baby. i can only count to 5.

🌻 Pronouns 🌻

They/It if I don’t know you well

They/It/He/Any if youre my friend

🌻 My main interests are 🌻

Splatoon

Hollow Knight

Vocaloid / Synthv

Pikmin

Rain World

Bioshock

Cookie Run

Regretevator

🌻 Hobbies 🌻

wanting to kiss woman😔

art

video games

occasionally writing

🌻 Other 🌻

I’m lesbian, genderqueer, demian, fictoromantic, and PROBABLY?? ambiamorous idk tho

^^adding to the fictoromantic part, im fine if u ship yourself with the characters i love theres plenty love 2 go around

^^^ANNDDD adding onto that, characters in question are Folly and Carolina Mach who are both from the roblox game Regretevator

^^^^anyway i love them both very much feel free 2 tag me in stuff with them or something im embracing my cringe theyre my BEAUTIFUL wives fr since like 12/12/2024 :3

i’m autistic?!?!?!!?!? (no one could’ve guessed /sarcasm)

I have pretty bad social anxiety, so I may not talk to people

I’m EXTREMELY forgetful

you are allowed to send random asks with no meaning whenever. asks = happiness

If I post art, I don’t want criticism due to the way I automatically take things, even if you specify you’re trying to help

🌻 More here: https://nex-eats-eyes.tumblr.com/aboutnex 🌻

More of my socials here: https://the-eye-thief.carrd.co/ (less overstimulating site)

if you like my art enough to give me money go there ^^ i have a ko-fi

OR https://nexsiteofnex.straw.page/ (sillier site)

🌻 Current Splatfest team?!?!?! (if one is going on soon) 🌻

:P

🌻 Nex tags 🌻

nex says random shit - random shit i say (sometimes i forgor to tag it)

nex says important shit - hey. listen to me. i have something important for once.

nex does art - yes!!! i do it!!!!!!! art!!!!

nex reblog - self reblog

nex is incoherent - when i say things that are kinda word jumbles

gerald documentation - images w/ my plushie gerald (orange inkling girl plush)

shocktoon - bioshock x splatoon things

nexs silly guys - my ocs

❤️🩷💜 - selfship mention (context, red heart=folly; pink heart=me; purple heart= mach)

🌻 Idk🌻

i’m taps (aka fuzzy oooze’s) little sibling

you can send me asks whenever even if i have 0 clue who you are

Flash warning under cut (its a bunch of gifs)

[goldenworldsabound]

@virus-selfship thank you Adri ily ❤️

OKAY UM some general lore as context first I guess! (I typed kiss instead of guess HELP????)

Kerioyl is the Captain of a well known group of Hunters called the Menagerie of Fools (naming goes hard). They're really well regarded!!!! Strong!!! Capable. What are Hunters? Hunters...um...hunt monsters and...protect people...and find treasure? 🤔that's my impression. It's not a competitive thing really like there's an association and stuff but there are still different groups!

There's also a variety of "dungeons" called Stratum, but these Stratum are like...not what you think of a dungeon, they've got big skies and likes towns and lakes and it's just like a dimensional pocket of some kind it seems like. Some are just caves or are different types of environments. There seems to be a world outside these Stratum given you have to choose to enter them but...we don't know anything about that yet.

ANYWAY there's also magic, and a separate time of thing called "Blessings" which tend to be innate and rare powers that don't count as magic, technically. Magic items are also a thing a lot of research is dedicated to!!!

I decided my SI would have a Blessing - Blessing of Fox Spirit. The other two Blessings we've seen are Blessing of Barrier (dammit that's my usual SI thing- fkjdshfask) and Blessing of Might (which is just a person who is super hecking strong). For Blessing of Fox Spirit I decided it makes me have fox features and control over magic blue spirit fire stuff. This enables me to be an incredible Hunter on my own. There seem to be some instances of people like this. I've become well known, but I go between Stratum often and without telling anyone, so no one knows where I am at any given time, exactly. (What are my goals? idk tbh but s1 only gave us the surface level lore so we'll get there)

SO Kerioyl wants to get a strong team of Hunters together so they can follow this legend to get wishes fulfilled by doing a bunch of difficult stuff (skimps on the details for brevity). He really wants SI to join the team, he honestly holds them in quite high regard and is a bit of a fanboy. The whole team has a similar feeling though I think he's the most excited about the prospect. He just hasn't had the chance to run into me.

But then he WILL. And asks me to join. He's freaking out inside but he's playing it all cool cause that's the kinda guy he is. And then the Menagerie of Fools just- the rest of them just totally out him as a bit of a fanboy right in front me cause they love teasing him fdskajhfkjdsa so he's a bit embarrassed but still asks me to join. i'm flattered and accept, technically on a temporary basis.

SO that's the setup and um then the cuteness starts. He didn't realize I was so cute until he met in person and he's 😳about it. He's great at playing it cool bit like if he flirts a little or shows interest and I react positively to that he gets flustered by that /// w. which is really cute

he's also like NO I gotta not have feelings cause I'm the Captain and now they work under me, that'd be a weird power dynamic. <- the rest of the crew is like bruh. You have almost no power. There is no power dynamic. He's just kinda finding excuses cause he's got it down bad you know- trying to deny it-

Me being me I spend my time trying to be close to him whenever possible. Sits with him at meals. Sits next to him when we're riding the carriage places. Stands next to him whenever we're all just chatting. Lays my sleeping bag next to his to sleep. I like him but I'm shy and will just forever do this fdksjahfjkdsa ALSO the whole crew is like 😏 just, without saying anything helping out making sure I can sit next to him and stuff dkjhfkjdsahf I quickly have a "spot" and that spot is always "next to Kerioyl". I sort of notice this happening but I'm like it would be WORSE for me to bring it up and then have to have a conversation about my crush so- fdkjshfakjads I simply do not.

Filmina, the Vice Captain, is trying to get both of us to confess eventually and Kerioyl is like "no :) " and just leaves the conversation every time but she's able to corner me and convince me I have to try fkjdsahfkjds

ANYWAY before that um also fun fact I think my SI should get a full fox form as a treat- can turn into it at will, things are totally fine. But also turns into it involuntarily if hurt too much or weakened significantly. So you can imagine that happening, and Kerioyl really cares about everyone in his crew, which includes me, so he's so worried. Maybe I'm even unconscious overnight one time and he's worried I'll get too cold, so he cuddles me in his sleeping bag to keep me warm and safe...really sweet...until I wake up and we're both panicking now fkjdahflkdshak

a-also at some point I kiss him on the cheek (feels his stubblies against my soft lips) and he's SO flustered and that flusters me extra esp since I did it on impulse no doubt

to sum it up. In many respects Kerioyl is all bark and no bite when it comes to flirting and teasing. He is an ABSOLUTE mess when I return affection or interest in any way fdksjhfajdsk and that in turn makes ME a mess. So we're just. Shy and cute. And the whole crew wants us to finally kiss and date fkdashfkjdshaf BUT I HAVEN'T GOT THAT FAR YET OKAY-

Does. Does anyone want the Wenrioyl (Wendy x Kerioyl wksbshs) ship gush 👉👈 I'm feeling so like. Vibrates. So much energy-

[salsflore]

☂️🍳🧸 -- violetsareblue-selfships

HI APRIL !! squeezing you. one of my fave mutuals ^_^ i’ll answer for zhongli i guess

how do they feel about rain?

probably finds it calming, would say it soothes him. i WILL make him nap with me if it’s like one of those silly rainy evenings and everything is peaceful.. rainy bg noise my beloved !!

how well can they cook?

man if you’ve been alive over a few millennia and you STILL don’t know how to cook, you’re a lost cause /lh he can cook pretty well, i’ve mentioned this before but he’s kinda ‘picky’ when it comes to his food and the ingredients used. i suppose he’s developed a refined taste over the years, that old weirdo..

do they have any stuffed animals? If so, are they decorative or do they sleep with them?

he hasn’t bought any of his own but if he sleeps with one does that count. how silly would it be if i had a rex lapis plushie ( like, would liyue even make such silly merch for their god? inazuma does it, though .. )

why hug the ACTUAL god when you have the plushie ?? right ?? i’d like to imagine he sleeps with it when i’m gone for whatever reason, vice versa

insert the “me, my girlfriend and her small sized plush (which was made in MY image)” meme here i guess

[selfshipdorito]

kinda vent ish, but yea

i wanna talk about my platonic f/os so much. i haven't count how many i haven't revealed yet, but it's a whole lot of them. idk, i feel bad for talking about them, specially cuz what happened with a lot of them was "oh look! a thing I like! guess i'm friends with the whole cast right now" and that feels like i'm breaking the rules of selfshipping in a way? i know there's no such thing as rules for selfshipping, but y'know??

[ofieugogyshz]

Fic;; This Will Get Better, ch 3

The first match (part 1)

this chapter could have technically been longer, but enough was going on in this one already that I decided it was best to keep them separate. put one match in one, and put the other to the next chapter. which makes me feel kinda bad that the first match is so short while the second is much longer, but, uh. well, that’s how the die roll, i guess!

Chapter content warnings: none, i think? unless selfship bothers you.

Word count: 2373

Chapter Summary: Lance and Sarah finally enter the dojo and meet Mustard, the master of the dojo they’re visiting, and Leon’s former master. When they do, he challenges them to a battle to test their skills. 

(Fic Masterpost)

--------------------------------------------------

“Everybody, I have an announcement to make!”

When the doors had closed behind us, we weren't expecting to be introduced immediately to a full class of students; certainly not at this time of day. The loud call of Honey's voice caused every person in the Dojo to turn and look at us.

Had I been feeling better at the moment, I might have soaked in the spotlight that had suddenly been turned on us. But something had slowly clicked off in my brain, and I found myself hugging my recently-befriended Jigglypuff, hiding my hands behind its balloon-like shape. In spite of my own issues at the moment, I made sure to stand beside my husband. I didn't feel like a key figure here, but I'd be damned if I made myself look like a meek thing next to him. I could pretend to stand proud for the next few minutes.

“We've got some special guests. Please welcome the standing Champion Lance, and his wife, a former Champion, Sarah. They've come all the way from the Indigo Plateau in Kanto to train with us. I'm sure you will have many questions for them, but please remember they are here to learn from us as much as you all are.”

Simultaneously, everyone in the dojo crossed their arms over their chest, before throwing them down to their sides, their heads bowed in respect.

“HI-YAH!”

There was not a single stray voice, not a hushed, excited murmur, as the class shouted their greeting to us.

“Welcome to the Master Dojo!”

Their sudden, intense synchronicity was a little startling; even my husband had been surprised by it. The trainers in the Dragon Clan had a lot of discipline themselves, but there were never so many, nor a class-like environment such as this. Similar levels of respect were observed, but there was never a need for shouting. I hid a small smile behind my Jigglypuff, taking some comfort in the fact that even my husband was not expecting the greeting that we had been given.

Honey turned towards us, beaming with pride at the dojo's students. “All our students are so good and hardworking. Everyone really gives it their all around here.” She turned back towards the group of students, each wearing a yellow and black uniform. They continued to look her direction, as though waiting for her to speak again, or else to be dismissed.

Honey continued, her voice fawning a little as she spoke. “And that handsome gent in the back is my darling hubby, and the very master of the Master Dojo!”

At her words, he turned around. I noted the unusual outfit he wore. A teal-green and black sportsman varsity jacket with a navy blue emblem on the back; it reminded me of the image posted on the roof of the dojo. Perhaps their logo? He had on a hat that matched his jacket. Even more unusual was the large size of his eyebrows. Or was it hair that had grown so long it covered his eyebrows? I couldn't quite tell the difference from here. And he was.... old. That stood out almost as much as his eyebrow-hair, given his wife's much younger appearance.

There was a pause as he quietly regarded his visitors, before breaking out into a mirthful grin. He moved his hands and legs into a pose that I would only assume was from martial arts, with one hand held high and the other in front, palm exposed; one leg was bent as though it could unleash a kick at lightning speeds if needed.

“Why, hello there! My name is Mustard! I'm rather good at Pokemon battles, you know! I'm pleased as cheese that you could join us!”

I'm not quite sure what we were expecting. From his clothes to his demeanor, he felt opposite from what we anticipated. What we were able to learn about Mustard before we arrived was that he was an incredibly disciplined and intense trainer; nothing about his casual demeanor led us to believe that we were looking at the same person. I quickly looked at my husband, to see if he caught onto the same things that I did; but if he did, he didn't show it. He was much better at maintaining a pokerface than me. Which shouldn't have surprised me at the moment; he needed that skill in order to be successful in his other line of work.

The group of students respectfully stood aside as Honey guided us through them to introduce us to the Master of the dojo. We bowed when we greeted him.

“Uh... nice to meet you?”

“Cheesed to meet you!”

I groaned at my husband's response, just barely resisting the urge to drag my palm across my face in front of present company. Why had he gone along with it. Couldn't he pretend that nothing odd was being said? Nevermind that, I thought to myself. I'm sure he's doing it intentionally to tease or bug me....

Mustard laughed, looking pleased with himself. “Heh heh, it's nice to see that you've got a sense of humor, too! Good, good!”

Honey sighed, shaking her head at her husband. She gave me a remorseful smile. “Don't let him fool you into thinking he's just a silly old man. He's a real beast when he gets serious.”

I looked at my husband and Mustard, heaving my own sigh. “I'm all too familiar with that myself, unfortunately.”

At that, Honey seemed to perk up. “What's so unfortunate about that, though?”

“I...” I looked at her, confused for a moment. Didn't we just both experience mortifying embarrassment at our husband's exchange, or was she not normal? But before I could formulate a response that didn't overstep any bounds, she turned back to her husband, a sweet smile on her face.

“Well, darling, I'll leave the rest up to you.” She excused herself, heading towards the sidelines of the Dojo. I gave her one last longing look, not wanting to be left in the company of our husbands if it meant having to hear excruciatingly painful jokes for the next stretch of time.

My husband looked at me, seeming to sense my distress. He reached a hand out discreetly for me to take, and I grabbed it, feeling him give it a gentle squeeze.

I'm sure the exchange was not missed by Mustard, because he gave us both an almost-teasing grin, but rather than comment on it, he moved on. “This is my favorite part of having new trainers visit our dojo. I wanna see just how good the two of you are! Everyone, clear out of the center; it's time for a Pokemon battle with our two guests!”

With excited murmurs and whispers, the crowd of students parted from where we  stood, revealing the green and blue carpeting that lined the center of the dojo's main room. Now that it was exposed, it was clear that the center of this room doubled as a Pokemon battlefield. Mustard looked at a nearby dojo student, who nodded and took their place along the side of the field as the referee. Mustard's attention turned back to us.

“We'll have a one-on-one match for each of you, just as a sampling of your strengths.”

My eyes went wide in surprise; I'm not sure why this felt unexpected for me. I knew that we were coming here for training, so it'd make sense for us to be challenged like this. It was the best way to gauge our levels as both challengers and new trainees.

Perhaps it was because I had expected to settle in first, to be given time to adjust to the new environment, and get to know the other trainers before I was asked to battle. I hadn't even had time to set my bag down somewhere, much less find out where our luggage went, if it even made it here.

I took a deep breath and quickly recomposed myself. I rubbed my thumb over my husband's, and he squeezed my hand in response.

“So which of you is going to challenge me first?”

Lance and I both exchanged looks, communicating non-verbally a rather quick exchange. I used to jump at a chance to go first in a situation like this. No hesitation. I was always eager to show off my skills, to be given praise first and set the bar. But up until what I keep considering “recently” (in actuality it had been several years), I had lacked that drive to challenge, to show off my skills as a trainer and to eagerly take up any challenge that came my way. I didn't used to turn down offers for a battle, but as time went on, I found myself turning down more and more requests for a match, altogether fading from the public's memory as a Champion. It was never lost on me whenever the media referred to me as only his “wife”, his “spouse”, glossing over my previous achievements as the public's memory only lasted for as long as you did in the spotlight.

Unusual as it came to be, I did not want to be the one to challenge Mustard. Even though I understood the logic of it, I did not want to have a battle with him so soon, not under so many scrutinous eyes, an audience expecting a spectacular match from both of us.

“I'll go first,” Lance said, his eyes not leaving mine for a moment. I gave him a curious expression, but he didn't explain, instead turning his head towards Mustard. He let go of my hand, and I stepped aside, joining the students on the edge of the battlefield.

“Are there any particular rules?” he asked.

“Just the same as your exhibition match with Leon. Oh yes, I saw that match, and I must say, you impressed me a tiny bit with it. Perhaps if Gyarados was capable of Gigantamax, it might have stood a chance against Leon's Charizard!”

“I must admit, I thought we would have had the type advantage,” Lance said as he walked to his side of the field. He held up a Pokeball. “Now that we're back in Galar, I hope that we'll be able to get in more training on Dynamaxing.”

“Is that so?” Mustard stroked his goatee as he considered Lance's words. “Well, I hope that we'll be able to provide you the training that you're looking for!”

Without any call, Mustard sent out a Shinx. The small, blue and black lion cub stretched out on the field, letting out a cute yawn. It flicked its yellow, star-shaped tail as it surveyed its surroundings. It must have recognized that they were about to battle, because it turned towards my husband and let out a small growl. Electricity started to spark off its fur.

“Go! Zweilous!” Lance sent out the black and blue, two-headed Dragon-type Pokemon.  It should have evolved into a Hydreigon by now, but upon evolving into its second stage, the adorable little Deino that I had given him had entered a rather stubborn phase, and refused to evolve again. It saw no need to, and Lance wasn't one to force or convince his Pokemon to evolve (especially not after that incident that led him to his red Gyarados). Maybe that's something else that Lance had wanted to work on while we trained here-- getting to know and understand his Zweilous better.

The Shinx continued to growl at Zweilous, giving the two heads pause. Zweilous responded with its own shout, teeth bared. Its black fur bristled, and its two small wings stood on edge, as though ready to take flight.

“Shinx, use Spark!” The tiny lion cub charged its body, before throwing itself at the dark-type two-headed dragon. Electricity crackled around Shinx as it sped towards its opponent.

“Dodge it and use Body Slam!”

Zweilous jumped into the air, its leap higher than one would have expected from it. Using the momentum from that, it landed a heavy Body Slam on the cub. Shinx fired off sparks still, struggling to get out from under the heavy dragon. It cried and growled, trying to get up. Mustard, however, saw the position his Pokemon was trapped in as an opportunity.

“Perfect. Shinx, use Ice Fang!”

“What?!”

At its trainer's command, Shinx's fangs went frosty white, and it bit into the nearest leg of Zweilous. Howling in pain, the dragon hobbled off of Shinx, who jumped up and faced it again. It pawed at the ground, fearlessly starting to circle around the much larger Pokemon. Its mouth still held an icy frost, prepared to use the technique once again.

“Zweilous, use Scary Face!”

A nasty face gave the blue cub pause. It cowered for a moment, and shook its head when its trainer called out to it. Though it moved a little slower, some hesitation in its step, the trust it had in its trainer was evident. It didn't waver, not even when Lance called out his next attack.

“Now, follow it up with Dragon Rush!”

“Use Thunder Wave!”

Shinx's reaction time was much slower, and it had been hit by the charging Zweilous. The power behind that attack had thrown it across the dojo battlefield, crashing into the wall behind Mustard. The electricity it had built up for a Thunder Wave crackled and fizzled out. The Pokemon tried to stand once more. It stumbled on its forelegs, before passing out.

“Shinx is unable to battle! Lance is the winner!”

Both trainers went to greet their Pokemon, Lance petting both heads of his Zweilous (both of which promptly tried to bite at his arms), and Mustard giving a good scritch behind his Shinx's ear.

“You did a fine job, Shinx.”  Mustard called back his Pokemon, and it disappeared in a beam of red light. He stood back up to face Lance, grinning and stroking his goatee again.

“That was a mighty fine battle. I can't wait to see what your wife is capable of!”

I felt my face heat at that. I wasn't ready for my match.

[just-miru]

hehe thank for the tag, silly!! let's see-

three ships: i actually don't really care about shipping characters that much, so i don't really have any ships (besides my silly selfships asdfagas-), so i kinda just go along with whatever's canon ya know

so we have me and my f/os asdfagas-, boseman and ivy from blueycapsules, and alphys and undyne from undertale

first ship: i guess my platonic selfship with Tom and Jerry from when i was like 5 i think

last song: per aspera ad inferi by ghost

last movie: moromeții

currently reading: nothing- tho i have some books i have to read for school, and some others i've been wanting to read for a while, but my brain is just like "do not" and i can't really fight against it-

currently watching: nothing again- or maybe random youtube essays videos, if they count? not even watching them per se, but rather just listening to them in the background

currently consuming: painkillers- (dw, i am not overdosing on them or anything!! just being a dramatic silly asdfagas)

currently craving: breakfast. more specifically some eggs and maybe a sandwich

open tags! feel free to join if ya wanna :D

Tag 9 people you want to get to know better

thanks for tagging me @cricketfucker :3

Three Ships: junpei and chidori (persona 3), kanamori and asakusa (keep your hands off eizouken), and zacharie and sucre (off) (ngl i don't have very many)

First Ever Ship: probably katniss and peeta from the hunger games lol i was obsessed with those books

Last Song: scawy monstews and nice spwites :3 by fraxiom

Last Movie: uhhh tokyo godfathers ? i think ? im not a movie girlie 💔

Currently Reading: romantically apocalyptic :) im almost done i think

Currently Watching: trying to find time to finish mob psycho again🙏

Currently Consuming: gas station sour gummies 😋

Currently Craving: tim hortons farmers wrap..... good lord....

tagging: @the-grooose-is-loose @yaffles-world @bugsarecool @arcadegannonenthusist @scrungleinthejungle @garrahanminingcompany @edwardbenzx27 @emperornero @shhhhimwatchingthis (feel free to ignore if you don't wanna do this :3)