#unfortunately you warn trainers as just Some Guy

[ghostxmagnet]

ok so called my parents and there was, indeed, a weird braviary that's been seen around. thankfully it's been staying near the forest but apparently it went after a trainer that got too close. they're fine, they got away, but,, that's concerning.

i'm wondering if it's hostile bc of the weird surroundings? i also wonder if it's trying to make its way to lake acuity; i think i remember something about that being their natural habitat that i read somewhere?? but that was a while ago so i might be wrong.

either way, not great. thankfully my parents said they'd warn their neighbors that might not know about it yet and try to get someone in contact with gardenia so she can give out a more formal warning.

[forwhomthewordsflow]

Puppy Love

modern!eddie munson x fem!reader

18+ ONLY MDNI

warnings: tooth-rotting fluff, a bit suggestive at some parts, language, more fluff

author’s note: this was totally meant to be a small lil blurb but then i ended up getting sucked into it and well…it ended up being a tiny bit longer than i thought.  also, there’s some legal jargon in here that i totally might’ve misused, don’t hate me! i’m not a lawyer i swear! anywho, i’m still pretty new to the whole writing thing so please go easy on me because i’m a crybaby

p.s. i stopped writing it in order to keep the word count from going through the roof, but if you guys would like a part two picking up right where this leaves off then i’m soooo into that, i really love these two!

word count: 5.3k

Let it be known, Eddie Waylon Munson was not a dog person.  This doesn’t mean that Eddie is a cat person either really, he’d actually be more inclined to categorize himself as a fish person, really.  Eddie can hardly take care of himself, who in the hell would think he could take care of another living being?

Steve fucking Harrington.  That’s who.

Under any other circumstances, Eddie would’ve turned him down in a heartbeat when he asked him to watch his Golden Retriever, Captain, for a week while he’s on vacation with his parents. 

“Dude, c’mon.  You owe me one.”

Eddie scoffed.  “Since when do I owe you one?”

“I–There must be something I’ve done for you…” Steve sighs ,”Haven’t I been letting you swim in my pool free of charge?”

“Yeah, me and every single other member of our party.”  Eddie rolls his eyes and crosses his arms, determined to stick to his answer of a hard no.

“Fine,” Steve huffs.  “What if I gave you three hundred bucks for it?”

At this new piece of information, Eddie perked up.  

“Well, well, well Harrington.  Why didn’t you just lead with that?”  The two boys shook hands, and that was that.

Eddie wishes he could’ve said no, but he unfortunately really needed the extra cash.  The weed business had been slow due to the fact that his usual richie-rich-asshole customers are all off “summering” with their rich families wherever it is that the rich families go to do that shit.  

Eddie figured that he could handle this.  Steve assured him that Captain is well trained thanks to the expensive trainers that his parents hired, plus Eddie would get to stay at Hotel de Harrington while he watched the dog.  Eddie will mind his business, Captain will do his own thing, and Eddie would be $300 richer at the end of it all.  Sweet digs and three hundred bucks is just something Eddie doesn’t have the heart to pass up these days.  

–

Eddie always manages to forget just how gi-fucking-normous the Harrington’s mansion house is.  As Steve leads him through the foyer and into the numerous hallways, Eddie figures he must look like he’s stepping into a house for the first time.  His jaw drops a little at the seemingly priceless artwork that hangs from the walls, the crystal vases lined up on shelves, and the expensive looking furniture placed meticulously all around the house.  He hopes to hell that he doesn’t find some way to fuck something up while he’s shacking up here.  

“I can’t believe you live in this art museum, Harrington.”

Steve scoffs.  “Yeah, it’s all nice and fancy until you think about the fact that all the dumb shit decorating this place could probably feed a small village.”

Eddie stifles a laugh, then hears an excited bark from the other room.

“Okay, time to meet the man himself.  Just warning you, he’s a hugger.”  Steve winks at Eddie and jogs to unlock the door to the backyard.  As soon as the glass door slides open, Eddie sees a blur of blonde fur coming towards him, and then all he can see is the ceiling.

Eddie quickly learns that this is because Captain has knocked him right on his ass.

Captain squirms on top of Eddie, trying his hardest to lick him all over his face and neck while Steve is bent over cackling at the whole ordeal. 

“Okay, okay buddy.  Thanks so much,” Eddie says unenthusiastically while glaring at Steve.  He gently shoves Captain off of him and stands back up, only to look down and realize that his all black outfit is now covered in little golden dog hairs.  This only causes Steve to laugh harder.

Steve straightens back up after being hunched over and sighs, “I warned you man,” then walks past Eddie and into the laundry room, clapping him on the shoulder as he goes.

Captain trots happily behind the boys as Steve shows Eddie where Captain’s food and water bowls are, how much to feed him and when, and where his leash and harness are.  Steve assures him that he doesn’t have to take Captain on a walk or anything if he doesn’t feel like it (he so does not), but he does have a grooming appointment scheduled on the day the Harrington’s set off on their vacation.

Eddie huffs at this revelation.

“I know man, I’m sorry.  My mom had apparently scheduled it months ago and forgot it was on the day we were leaving.  But it’s really easy I swear, you just drop him off at noon, and then pick him back up at three.  It’s already paid for and everything.”  Steve looks at Eddie apologetically, and Eddie figures it won’t be that bad.

–

Eddie was wrong.  He’s only been watching the dog for an hour and already he knows he’s not cut out for this shit.  Captain is stuck to Eddie like fucking velcro.  Who knew dogs could be so needy?  Eddie goes to sit on the couch?  Captain needs to sit right next to him.  Eddie needs to go to the kitchen to grab a drink?  Captain is practically stepping on his heels as he trails behind him.  Eddie has been pretty lenient so far, it’s only a week right?  But he’d had enough when Captain was demanding to follow him into the bathroom, pawing at the door and whining when Eddie wouldn’t let him in.  

Thank god for that goddamn grooming appointment.

Despite being only a couple hours into this gig, Eddie needed some alone time.  

Captain seemed just as excited to get out of the house when Eddie fought to put his harness on him.  He never thought he’d ever be spending a full ten minutes practically wrestling with a 70 pound dog, but Captain just wouldn’t sit still.  After all was said and done, Captain sat and waited next to the front door calmly, while Eddie emerged sweaty and breathing heavily.

–

The grooming salon ended up being only ten minutes away from Steve’s house, which Eddie was thankful for since Captain decided to sit shotgun and stare at Eddie the entire way over.  On the outside, the place looked fancy.  Eddie scoffed a bit at the Grecian columns bracketing the entrance, and the name of the salon printed in gold swoopy letters across the large window panes in the front.  He couldn’t believe people were willing to shell out enough cash to bring their dogs to a place like this all for a haircut.  Eddie looks over at Captain, who is of course staring at him…still, and sighs.

“Here goes nothing I guess.”

Eddie wrangles Captain out of his van and into the salon, hoping to God that these people wouldn’t be able to smell the poor on him.  

What actually occurred was quite the opposite.

Upon opening the glass doors, Eddie was hit with a whoosh of cool air and a small bell chimed to let the employees know that someone had walked in.  Captain was apparently very excited by the gust of air, and decided to jump in circles around and through Eddie’s legs.  While Eddie was caught up in detangling himself so he doesn’t fall flat on his face, he hadn’t noticed you walking up to them.  

“Hi there, need some help?” 

Eddie looked up and could’ve sworn he heard a choir of angels singing.

You stood there smiling at him, the prettiest girl Eddie had ever seen in his 24 years of life on Earth.  He doesn’t think he’d ever had someone smile at him like that before, but he knows he could definitely get used to it. 

While you were waiting for Eddie to respond, you noticed that his dog’s leash was still quite tangled around his legs.  Deciding to take things into your own hands, you take a few steps back and kneel down to the ground to call the dog to you.  He comes bounding up to you, causing his leash to slide smoothly out from under Eddie’s legs, rendering him untangled at last.

Eddie blinks, suddenly he’s untangled and Captain is jumping up onto you, ever the hugger.  

He finally gets his head out of his ass and jogs up to you, grabbing Captain’s leash and yanking him off of you.

“Bad boy, Captain.  We’re supposed to ask for consent before hugging pretty girls.”

Eddie is elated when he spots a blush crawling up your cheeks.  You stand and brush yourself off.

“It’s really okay.  Captain has my consent to hug me any time he wants!”  Your voice had risen to a puppy-talk octave, Eddie never imagined he’d find that so adorable.  You lean down again to scratch Captain behind the ears, and the dog looks up at you with stars in his eyes.  Eddie, having caught a whiff of your perfume as you bent down, is sporting the same look.

You straighten up with a happy sigh and look up at Eddie with a grin. 

“Well then, now that we’re all introduced, how can I help you?”

Eddie all at once forgets why he’s here, caught up in your beautiful gaze.  He feels like he should shield his eyes from yours, lest he burst into flames from taking in your beauty. 

“I’m—uh...I’m grooming.   N-no, that’s not right, sorry.”  You giggle quietly while he tries to finish his sentence.

Eddie laughs at his own stupidity.  

“Sorry.  He’s getting groomed, he should have an appointment under Harrington I think?”

“Sure, let me check on that.” You turn away from him to walk back towards the front desk, and boy is it a treat for Eddie.  You’re wearing a cute company t-shirt, white sneakers, and these perfect fucking denim jeans that cause Eddie’s to get a little tighter.  They must’ve been tailor-made for you with the way they’re hugging your thighs, your hips, your ass–

“Alright, I’m seeing that Captain is just here for his routine trim, yes?”  You look from your computer screen up at Eddie to find him already staring at you with his mouth slightly open.  The look on his face makes you giggle a bit, and this seems to snap him out of his daze.

“Uh, yes.  That sounds right.”  Eddie shakes his head a bit to rid himself of all the impure thoughts swirling around in there.  “I’m just bringing him in for a friend, so whatever’s on there should be right.”

You pretend to type some more as you try and find the will to push down the blush warming your cheeks.  You already clocked that he was gorgeous when he stumbled through the front doors, but how in the hell does he keep getting better?  You noticed the bulge of his bicep when he yanked Captain off of you, the warm chestnut color of his eyes, and now his super-sexy-deep voice?  Being turned on at work was not on your agenda today…

After a few seconds of nonsense typing and very deep breaths, you look back up at Eddie to find him smiling at you.

“That’s really sweet of you, to help out your friend.”

Eddie puffs out his chest (as though he hasn’t been mentally complaining about watching Steve’s dog for multiple hours).  

“Yeah, I do what I can to help.” Eddie shrugs his shoulders in a way he hopes comes across as ’Yeah baby, I’m just a helpful guy.  Super nice, super sweet, definitely boyfriend material..’

You grin and finish getting Captain all checked in.  

“Alrighty!  Captain’s all good to go.  I can get him taken back and then we’ll see you in three hours.”  

Your sweet smile has Eddie captivated until he realizes you’re holding your hand out for Captain’s leash.  Eddie reluctantly hands it over, because now he has to wait a whole three hours to see you again.  You take the leash, wave ‘bye’ to Eddie, and walk through the door that leads to the rest of the salon.  Eddie lets out a deep sigh.

Goddamnit.

—

Three hours turned out to feel more like three days when it meant waiting to see your face again.  Eddie arrived fifteen minutes early to the salon (a first) and waited anxiously for Captain’s scheduled pickup time to roll around.  Eddie strutted into the salon not a second too late before screeching to a halt.

In your place, stood a much older, much rounder lady.  Eddie deflated a little, cursing himself for not finding out if you’d even be here at this time.  He huffs out a breath, and begins walking up to the front desk. 

Then, a thought pops into his head.

Maybe, if he’s nice enough, he can ask the older woman about you.  Then at least he’d have your name and maybe even when you were working next!

Eddie decides it’s time to amp up the ol’ Munson Charm.

His tentative walk turns into a swagger-filled stroll as he reaches the front desk.  Eddie leans on an elbow and smiles a devilish smile down at the woman.  She looks up at him with wide eyes as he dings the silver bell that sits on the desk, winking at her while he does it.

“H-How can I help you sir?”

“Oh sweetheart, please…call me Eddie.”  He goes on after she spends a moment too long gazing up at him, “And who might you be?”

She gulps and straightens her horned glasses.  “B-Betty.  Betty Brown.”

“Hello, Betty Brown,” Eddie can tell his charming smile is having an effect on her, and he’d be lying if it wasn’t boosting his ego a tiny bit.  “I’m here to pick up my dog, Captain.  Brought him by a few hours ago to get his haircut…you know how he likes to impress the ladies.”

Betty nods and takes a deep breath before turning to the computer to try and hide her smile. 

“Okay, Mr. Eddie.  I checked him out with the card on file, he should be up here shortly.” 

“Thanks, sweetheart.” Eddie waits a moment, before launching into his plan.  “I was actually hoping you could help me with a little something else.” 

Betty looks back up at him, blushing when they make eye contact.

“See, when I was in here earlier, there was a really nice girl helping me out.  But, silly me, I completely forgot to ask what her name was.”

To Eddie’s delight, Betty’s face lights up in recognition.  She says your name with so much glee that it’s obvious to him how loved you must be around here.

“Yes, she got off an hour ago.  She usually works the morning shifts, except on Fridays because those are her days off.”

Eddie quickly learned that underneath Betty’s bashful smile was a woman who loved to talk, and he couldn’t be happier for it.  Eddie quickly learned how long you’ve worked here, that you don’t have any pets of your own, and that last Christmas you brought the most delicious homemade cookies for the entire staff.  He also learned that you’ll be working again for the next two mornings.  

Eddie left with Captain and a smile on his face, but not before pressing a kiss to sweet, sweet Betty’s hand.  Thanks to her, Eddie’s confidence is restored and he actually thinks he might have a shot with you.  All he has to do now is figure out what his reasons will be for coming back to the salon two days in a row.  

–

He spent all evening pacing around the Harrington’s house trying to come up with excuses to come see you.  All of the ones he’d thought of so far made him look like even more of a jackass than he did today.  

I thought I might’ve dropped my wallet somewhere around here.  A gorgeous girl isn’t going to want to go out with a guy who drops his shit everywhere.  Pass.

I think Captain needs a little more of a haircut, maybe just another half inch off?  First of all, Eddie doesn’t know shit about haircuts.  He’s been doing his own with kitchen scissors in his bathroom mirror for over a decade.  Second, he would never risk potentially offending you and your work as a dog groomer on the off chance that you’re the one who cut Captain’s hair.  And lastly, for a dog, he’s got to admit that Captain looks pretty damn good after his appointment.  Who knew a dog could look so regal and majestic?  Anyways, PASS.

It was only after Eddie had plopped down on the leather couch with a huff of defeat that he heard the first few plinks of raindrops hitting the windows.  Eddie went to his phone to check the forecast for the rest of the night, and as luck would have it, there was a 100% chance of thunderstorms until tomorrow morning.  As all the pieces of his new plan began stitching themselves together, Eddie finally allowed himself to relax.

–

Eddie used to hate his “backyard,” if you could even call it that.  Behind the trailer was a medium sized patch of dirt, with some sorry-looking green plant-things trying their best to survive scattered about.  The only times Eddie would really look forward to going outside to play as a kid, much to Wayne’s dismay, was when it rained.  Because when it rained, the once dry and grainy surface turned into slippery, messy mud.  Eddie used to love sliding around and making mud pies and all of that stuff, and right now it seems like Captain is having just as much fun, if not more, than Eddie used to.  

The yard was fenced in, so Eddie wasn’t too worried about Captain running away despite Steve’s promises that he’s ‘leash-trained’.  Eddie planned to tell you otherwise though.

‘He just somehow managed to get away from me.  Yeah, I had to chase him all through the mud and dirt this morning.  But I caught him because I’m like, really fast and strong and stuff.’

He does feel a little guilty about lying to you.  But he figures that if it’s something the two of you can laugh over at your wedding someday, then it’s well worth the little white lies.

Eddie’s brought back from his reverie of you in a long, white dress by Captain dropping the mud-soaked tennis ball at his feet…again.

He couldn’t believe how much energy this dog had.  They’d already been out here for twenty minutes and Captain just kept going and going.  Eddie did have to admit, it was sort of fun watching him play.  He even found himself laughing out loud when Captain would get the ball stuck in a puddle of mud and not hesitate to dunk his entire head in to retrieve it.  There was even one point where Captain got so excited and amped up that he just zoomed around in circles over and over again. 

Maybe dogs aren’t so bad after all.

After another ten minutes of chasing around the now mud-covered tennis ball, Captain decides he’s done playing and sits down at Eddie’s feet.  Eddie can’t help but notice that he’s panting pretty hard.  “You must be thirsty, huh?”

Eddie runs inside the trailer to grab a tupperware bowl and fills it with cold water from the tap.  He hopes to god that Captain hasn’t run away already, he’s decided to really put Steve’s whole “leash training” thing to the test.  But sure enough, when Eddie shoves his front door open there he is, sitting nicely at the foot of the trailer’s steps.  Eddie pats his head, then promptly wipes the flaky, dried mud off onto his jeans.  “Good boy.” 

After Captain is done drinking water, Eddie looks him over to ensure that he is completely and totally covered head-to-toe in mud.  Letting out a satisfied sigh, he decides that it’s time for the next stage of his plan to take action.  

He loads Captain into the back of his van (Eddie makes sure to drive especially slow, and Captain pretty much lays down the whole time) and he sets off towards the salon.  

–

Eddie is practically vibrating with anticipation as he puts his van into park.  He’s ecstatic when he sees your beautiful face smiling after two customers as they exit the salon.  Eddie turns around in his seat to see Captain.

“Okay, buddy.  It’s showtime.  I need you to bring your A-game and be a real good wingman for me in there.  Got it?”

Captain tilts his head at Eddie, as though he didn’t understand a thing he said, but then straightens up and lets out a firm bark.  A laugh bursts out of Eddie as he turns the van off and goes to get Captain from the back.  Before rounding the side of his van, and while he’c completely out of your sight, he does a quick smell test on his pits and breath, and then double checks his hair and teeth in the reflection of his rear windows.  After deeming himself presentable, he takes a big deep breath.

“Don’t be stupid, Munson.  Think charming thoughts,” he says under his breath as he starts towards the front door.  

–

You’d be lying to yourself if you said you weren’t sticking around fifteen minutes after your shift was over yesterday in the hopes that Eddie would decide to come back early to pick up Captain.  It’s rare that a guy comes into the salon who looks to be around your age and single, but it’s much rarer that they’re as good-looking as Eddie is.  You spent the entire drive home and the rest of the night fantasizing about his voice, his big hands, his laugh.  You wondered what he did while he waited for Captain’s appointment to be done, what his favorite movie was, his favorite food…But most of all, you wondered if you were making up this mutual attraction in your head?  The nervous stuttering and blushing could just be from nervousness, but he was definitely staring at you a few times.  You also wonder whether or not you had actually caught him staring at your ass…but maybe it’s best not to get ahead of yourself.  Maybe he has a girlfriend.  Maybe he doesn’t even see you that way?  Maybe you should get a grip because you’re basing all of this delusion fantasy off of a ten minute conversation you had with the guy.  Leave it to you to construct a made-up scenario in your head after a short interaction with a new crush.

Be that as it may…you still made sure to carve out an extra half hour to get ready for your shift today.  You blow-dried your hair using your fancy products, spent quite a bit of time on your makeup, and spritzed some perfume on before you left.  You even made sure to wear the same jeans as you did the day before, just in case he was looking. 

The first half of your shift was spent hunched over the front desk, it was an extremely slow day so far.  You found yourself perking up a bit whenever a dark haired individual would walk by the front of the salon, only to droop back down again at the realization that it wasn’t who you wished it was.  With all the rain that came down in Hawkins last night, you figured more people would be making last minute appointments to have their dogs bathed, you’d hoped that today would be busy enough to keep your mind from wandering to a certain pair of warm, brown eyes.  But as your shift crawled towards the halfway point, suddenly things started looking up.

As excited as you were to spot a familiar gorgeous man walking into the salon again, you couldn’t conceal the look of shock on your face once your eyes landed on his mud-covered companion.

“Oh–oh my god!”  Eddie couldn’t quite read your expression, but he was relieved to hear a laugh bubble out of you after your exclamation.  He stood there sheepishly for a moment before he remembered his plan: Be. Charming.

You walk out from behind the desk with a hand covering your mouth, not quite believing what you were seeing.  There stood Captain, proudly smiling and panting, covered head to paw in mud.  Another laugh bubbled out of you, and you were pleased to find Eddie laughing with you.  

Goddamnit, that’s a sexy laugh he’s got.

“What…what happened to you?” You say to Captain, bending down to gently pat his head. 

“This absolute miscreant here got out of the house this morning and found himself a nice, muddy yard to roll around in.”  Eddie looked at you with a grin that made your knees weak.

He looked you up and down while you straightened back up.  Was there a way for someone to get a thousand times more beautiful overnight?

A blush rose to your cheeks as you caught him checking you out.  That settles it, he’s definitely flirting with you.  If he can be so forward about it, maybe you can too.

You look up at Eddie through your lashes, making sure to flutter them a couple times for good measure.

“Aw.  And here I was thinking you’d gotten him all dirty just so you could come and see me again.”

Eddie stills.  

Fuck, he can’t believe how hot you are. 

 Fuck, was his plan really that shitty?  Did you just call him out?  

Eddie’s panicking is subdued by your quiet giggle.  Thank god, you were kidding.

“It’s a good thing you managed to catch him, he looks like the type to go on an adventure in the woods.”  Eddie startles, quickly realizing he’d been full-on staring at you while conducting his mental freak-out.

“Oh, yeah.  I’m–like….fast…” Eddie can feel himself getting lost in your eyes as you stare up at him.  His words trail off into oblivion, nothing else exists other than your pretty smile, the little crinkles next to your eyes, your lips…

Holy shit, is Eddie staring at your lips right now?  Is he going to kiss you?  God, you hope he does, you’ve been fantasizing about his lips for hours now.  You can’t let him kiss you right here in the lobby…can you?

Eddie shakes his head a little, breaking himself from the trance you put him under.  

“Ahem, yeah,” Eddie loudly cleared his throat ,”It was no big deal, really.  He’s a good dog, came right back after he realized he was in the wrong.”  Eddie looked down at Captain, only to find him looking right back up at him, obviously judging him for his outright lies.  Eddie looks up at you, shrugging and shaking his head disapprovingly.  He lets out a big, over dramatic sigh ,”I just don’t know what I’m gonna do with this one.”

“Well it’s obviously not his fault,” you reply, “Look at that face!  That face could never do anything wrong.  I should know, I’m actually his lawyer.”  Eddie spots your poorly concealed smirk and decides to jump head first into this bit with you, excited to see if you can keep up.

“Oh really?”  He crosses his arms and takes a tiny step towards you.  This causes his t-shirt to pull taught around his arms, accentuating his biceps.  Your mouth waters a bit.

“Yes, really.  My client is as innocent as they come.”  You place your hands on your hips and look up at him with a level of sass Eddie had no idea you were capable of.  He decides that he loves it. 

“Huh, that’s interesting.  I totally object.” 

“Are you implying that he acted with intent?  Are you attempting to slander my client?” You place your hand on your chest in a “pearl-clutching” type of way, Eddie stifles a laugh.

“I am indeed.  He knew exactly what he was doing when he ran out that door, the evidence is all over his fur,” Eddie replies.

“My client was just following his nose, any mess that ensued was purely circumstantial.  He is innocent of any and all wrongdoing.”  Eddie feels like he’s got stars in his eyes, he can already picture you fitting in so perfectly into a DnD campaign.  You take his pause as a sign to bring your argument home.

“This is a clear case of prosecutorial overreach.  My client was acting in the best interest of the household, ensuring that the yard was thoroughly inspected for potential threats, pests, intruders, or otherwise.  Any mud on his fur is merely a badge of his dedication to home security.”  You cross your arms, clearly having won this fake-case.  

Eddie takes a step back and starts a slow clap.  You take a tiny bow and burst into a fit of giggles.

“I’m impressed, sweetheart.” You hope Eddie doesn’t see how affected you are by that nickname.  “Where the hell did all the legal jargon come from?”

“I used to watch a lot of Law and Order.”  You look down, suddenly shy with a sparkly feeling in your chest.  You really hope you didn’t come across as super weird.  It’s been a while since you’ve been able to have banter like that with someone else.  Hawkins isn’t a very diverse place, and you’ve found that the majority of the people living here tend to be pretty cookie-cutter conservative.  It feels great to let loose a little with someone you’re interested in, you just hope you’ll get more opportunities to do it.

Eddie, on the other hand, can’t stop looking at you.  Is this what falling in love feels like?  The girls in this town all seem to have made their own assumptions and come to their own conclusions about Eddie: he’s a devil worshiper, a satanist, a hookup to check off their bucket list and then never speak to again.  But not you, obviously.  You don’t look at him with the same disgust in your eyes as everyone else in this town does.  Your eyes are full of a kindness and warmth that Eddie could see himself getting used to.

“So, uh,” Eddie rambles, “What’s the verdict for Mr. Captain?”  Captain perks up at the sound of his name, you giggle at the tilt of his head.

“Hm,” You tap your finger to your chin and look off into the distance, “I think a nice, relaxing bath would do.  Maybe a couple treats, too, for being such a good boy.”  You squat down to Captain’s height to scratch him behind the ears, and Eddie can’t help but cringe a little at the flakes of dried mud that drift down off of Captain’s head and onto the floor.

You grab Captain’s leash from Eddie as you stand back up, walking him over to the desk to get him checked in at the computer.  He’s delighted to discover that you’re wearing the same pair of jeans as you were yesterday, and he mentally kicks himself for sneaking another peek at the way your hips sway as you walk.  Eddie deflates a little at the realization that this might be the end of this interaction.  He never wants to stop talking to you.  

“I’m guessing the card on file is what we’ll be using today?”  You ask sweetly, looking up at Eddie.

“Uh, yeah.  Yeah that’s just fine, thank you.” 

Holding eye contact with Eddie, you murmur “,You’re very welcome,” with a smile.

Oh, Eddie is so totally fucked.

Eddie watches as you walk Captain to the hallway door and hand his leash off to a younger girl.  You happily trot back up to the front desk and lean on it with your smiling face resting in your hands.

“Oh, you– you’re not giving him his bath?” Eddie stammers out.

“Nope.” You reply, popping the ‘p.’ “I’m stuck on front desk duty today.”  

Eddie sighs, relieved that your conversation might not be over.  He puts his elbows on the counter and leans towards you a bit. “Well, it can’t be all that bad.”

Your smile widens and you tilt your head, “I think it’s starting to get better.”

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

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[harmonia-university]

Some history facts with Prof. Elsie!

Hey! The name's Elsie, and I'm a history professor at Harmonia University! I specialize in human history, but I'm pretty passionate about history in general so I guess the Askblog Council came to me with all these questions from you guys, heh heh!

You probably saw me a while ago anonymously answering a few of these questions. But I think I'm brave enough now to show my face to everyone and be an official member of the Blog! I believe these questions were asked a while ago, but now I have the time to answer them so...well I guess I should address them eh?

What can you tell us about humans?

Well I think I've mentioned before, and it's probably obvious just by looking around, but they're nonexistent here! They did exist at one point, we were all living harmoniously together...until some unfortunate circumstances that led to a big war between humans and Pokemon. From then on, humans began to disappear and then just...completely vanished, without any warning.

Was it ever stated how all the humans disappeared? Is it simply an extinction event or more of a supernatural thing?

That's a pretty big topic in today's history research actually! After the war, although the Pokemon won by a landslide, there were still a good amount of humans left. Although the roles shifted a little bit, as before Pokemon were often companions to humans, almost like a pet...but now we were more independent. Living among them as civilians.

The complete disappearance is truly an enigmatic event that is a big debate among experts nowadays! Some associate it with a giant meteor shower - the biggest one seen in history that wiped out humans, as us Pokemon are quite durable. There's also been recounts of a blinding, soul crushing flashing beam of light that wiped them all out. Either way, life was becoming more unsustainable for humans as things evolved to fit Pokemon-kind more...that probably accelerated things. But from how fast it happened and the fact that the event was very poorly documented...there's more reason to believe that someTHING supernatural caused it.

What are your thoughts on humans as a whole? How do you feel about their unfortunate fate?

My family was always very close with humans. I've only heard great things about them, and all the cool stories of how my family, against all odds, won the biggest battles in international leagues and tournaments, all thanks to a trainer that knew how to make a small, weakling species like ours, very strong! I grew up with a very positive outlook on humans, and it makes me really sad that things ended the way they did. Like I said earlier, we wouldn't be here if it weren't for the humans. That's probably what led me down this path, honestly. Haha!

What's the geography of the world like? How has the geography changed since the human times?

The humans were in the midst of restructuring and renaming the regions in the world. To make them more...friendly sounding I guess. Certain areas also wanted to be their own thing...so that's where regions like Unova and Alola come from.

When the humans were wiped out, this was an unfinished project that Pokemonkind were determined to finish. Physically, the world is the same. But how everything is divided is probably different from what you're used to.

The region that Harmonia University is in - Arboria - although one of the biggest regions in the world, remained in one piece, somehow! Our downstairs neighbour got split into a few parts...Unova and Alola, as Ive mentioned, and some of the desert areas became known as the Orre region.

Another example where things are different...the Freyurr region! This was comprised of 3 different regions before - collectively known as Scandinavia. After the human extinction, this region became one with 3 distinct areas with their own language and culture.

What happened to Pokeball technology? It seems like it could be dangerous, but on the other hand it could be useful - especially for transportation! And it's low cost, low space, I'm surprised I haven't seen any evidence of the technology being converted for modern use.

Pokeballs are pretty much nonexistent nowadays, near impossible to get your hands on as a normal civilian! It was one of the biggest things that the Pokemon back then had a gripe about with the humans. Although not completely inhabitable, living in a Pokeball was very unpleasant - it's basically like being put into a very deep slumber, for who knows how long. Not much room to do anything or move around in there. Plus, many humans caught and collected tons of Pokemon with no rhyme or reason - many of them were left abandoned in Pokeballs and PC’s, never being able to see the light of day.

Other than for research and education purposes, Pokeballs have been banned all around the world ever since Pokemon civiliazation was born. We don’t even use them to capture our own ferals.

I've heard rumors that humans had experimented with themselves to turn into Pokemon before, but I'm assuming it's all just a myth. Was there ever a possibility that some of the humans ended up becoming Pokemon due to their experiments?

Pah, I'm pretty sure that was all a hoax. I'm sure humans have tried, but honestly they didn't make any breakthroughs in that front. I don't think human genetics were wired in a way that would even make that possible. They were able to kind of do it with Pokemon due to there being a particular species with properties that could allow it. But humans to Pokemon...nah that'd be a complete rewrite of everything! Or maybe...a really fun dream.

Do the Galar fossil Pokemon exist? How do fossil Pokemon work, are they revived or have they just always been around?

Yep, they do exist. But there's a bit of a catch...all of the fossil-revived species living today were revived during the human era, or are descendants of those that were. We've had to abolish a lot of those fossil revival labs, as newly found fossils would just come out as feral Pokemon with really nowhere to go. Now there are some such Pokemon in captivity, but it's strictly for ethical research purposes!

Anyways, I think that's all the questions that were left over for me! Hope that was informative. Our history isn't pretty but I think it's still really important to learn about it all. Haha! Well, if any of you still have questions, or just want to come chat with me...I'll be available!

[prismaticpichu]

FF7 Crisis Core Characters & Their Pokémon Partners!~ 💛 🗡️

Why howdy!! Welcome back to another glorious edition of “Pichu combines her hyperfixations like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!” <3 Yeeeehaw!

I tried to be as creative as I could with the move references 😂 Kudos if you can spot ‘em all!

Warning for Angst <3 :,3c

~~~

Angeal

Samurott ~ A bladed warrior Pokémon known for its strict and formidable discipline, as well as drawing obvious inspirations from Samurai/their honorable Bushido code! The fella was an Oshawott for most of Angeal’s life—belonging to the entire family as a whole, considering that they unfortunately didn’t have enough money to buy many Pokeballs/food to take care of more than one. It was only when Angeal decided he wanted to join SOLDIER that his father officially gave him Oshawott’s Pokéball, leading Angeal to spend officially numerous hours training with his buddy. By the time he joined SOLDIER, he had a worthy Samurott by his side—the strongest Pokémon out of all the three elite Firsts. When he eventually took Zack under his proverbial wing some handful of years later, the boy quickly bonded with Samurott: training, playing, and often feeding his aquatic friend when Angeal was unable to. When Angeal deserted ShinRa’s forces, however, Samurott still clung to those memories and tried to convince his trainer to do the right thing, ultimately becoming wishy-washy with its own morales as result. And, in the end, nothing hurt its rended soul more than being forced to battle Zack under Angeal’s command. It was also the last battle it ever fought.

Moves:

Aqua Cutter

X-Scissor

Double Team

Take Down

Genesis

Flapple ~ An apple—obviously!—and a red, winged apple that housed a little (book)worm-dragonsnake thing on top of it! With Crisis Core taking some inspiration from the Garden of Eden story, it seemed like the most appropriate choice. Let’s also not forget that apples rot. Anywho—able to afford Pokeballs at a young age, Genesis caught the little guy when it was just an Applin, which subsequently catalyzed his affinity for the fruit + prompted him to start a small Banora White juice stand as a kid. Growing up, Genesis loved to battle—always pushing to be the best he could be, to emulate the heroes in his stories and the silver-haired superstar he saw in the papers. But he was also a kind boy, with a kind heart—good ambitions—and spent many days helping training with Angeal’s Dewott. He was able to get his hands on a Tart Apple rather young, and ultimately went on to serve as viable asset to ShinRa’s military with the aid of his aerial Pokémon. But it was the times after the war that were sweetest to Genesis—where he and his best friends hung out together, where they used Flapple’s attacks as props and projectiles, with one of their favorite games including knocking apples of off each other’s heads. They were childish games, yes—but harmless games. Harmless competition. Harmless rivalry. Simple rivalry. Fiery rivalry. Intense rivalry. Jealous rivalry. Burning rivalry. Dangerous rivalry. And, one day, it was just too much—it was taken too far. One training incident, one battle between friends. A pepper of metal; a spur of blood; a cry of pain; and a trip to the infirmary. And it was after this day that Genesis was never really the same. When the man felt himself growing ill, Flapple was the only one he confided it—was the only one he told his plans of desertion to. And when the day came for him to abandon his past, Flapple was hesitant. Hesitant—but loyal. He remained by Genesis’s side and watched his trainer degrade, watched him rot like the fruit of his own etymology. And he wanted to cure. And he would help his trainer find that cure—that “gift”—no matter the cost. He would do anything. He would do anything, even if it meant helping destroy the reality of his old friends.

Moves:

Wing Attack

Grav Apple

Trailblaze

Outrage

Zack

Arcanine ~ Yes—pupper for life! <3 But just like the game Zack hails from, NEVER underestimate the power of a fiery pup!! One of the most loyal Pokémon to exist, Zack took in an injured Growlithe from the wild when he was just a little kid, immediately sparking a friendship that would last him for years upon years to come. Zack loves his partner more than anything in the world—training to become the best SOLDIER he can possibly be since the day their dreams were together. Together, from vigorous and unwavering training, they climb through the ranks of ShinRa. It’s only at Fort Tamblin where, alongside receiving a Fire Armlet from Lazard, he receives a Fire Stone—and it’s all Arcanine adventures from there! Unfortunately, however, this is also when Angeal deserts, and Zack relies more than ever on the comfort of his best friend. Arcanine helps him stay positive, but even the dog itself begins to grow jaded, losing some of the blazing spirit that used to surge through its veins. Modeoheim is one of the worst tolls on the two of them—one of the most spiritually-shattering incidents of their ShinRa career. One that is only trumped by Nibelheim, where its life comes to end upon being crushed by fiery debris. It was trying to save Claudia.

Moves:

Close Combat

Play Rough

Protect

Flame Charge

Cloud

Riolu: A little baby-waby Pokémon that grows into something truly incredible and iconic. Riolu was a gift from Cloud’s mother when he was turning 14 years old—a little something to keep him safe as he went away to ShinRa. Cloud was always a little hesitant about raising Pokémon, but bonded rather well with Riolu once he opened up—albeit after an admittedly awkward start. Riolu was always there to comfort Cloud after SOLDIER-exams, always there to cheer him up and keep him going until the next one. When it’s time to go on a mission with the Great Sephiroth, Riolu is there to keep him chill—sitting in his lap in the truck, affectionally nuzzling his chin to keep him level-headed. Cloud wanted to keep Riolu in his Pokeball as to keep his identity hidden—a decision that would go on to save the small Pokémon’s life when the town was horrifically set ablaze, sheltered from Sephiroth’s wrath and madness while other Pokémon made the fatal mistake of trying to stop him. Following the incident, he doesn’t remember much—unaware of when Zack broke him out of the lab and carried him and his poisoned Riolu to the edge of Midgar. There’s flashes of something in his memory—serrated shards of a bloody face and bloody body that slash into his psyche beyond his own understanding. He doesn’t remember the moment his Riolu evolved—evolving into a Lucario under the pouring rain and the pearls of crimson that had stained its paws. In fact, he doesn’t even remember ever having a Riolu. All he could seem to remember is having an Arcanine—an Arcanine who perished before his eyes—and taking custody of a Lucario who originally belonged to his friend.

Moves:

Endure

Bullet Punch

Reversal

Copycat

Sephiroth

Pichu ~ Yep! That’s it, you heard it right: no legendary Pokémon, no mythical—just a small little lab rat that Sephiroth cherished more than anything on the planet. He first met Pichu when he was just a little boy, finding it trapped in a too-tight cage among Hojo’s numerous experiments. Bruises and scratches marred its yellow fur, coiled into itself as it quivered and shook amid the pulsing darkness. And Sephiroth, at his tender age, could hardly stand the sight. He couldn’t stand it—not when he could feel every scratch laddering its body, every injection that must have pierced its fragile form. He knew it was a risk, he knew he could be punished—but at that moment, meeting those pained and teary eyes, none of that seemed to matter. When Hojo found Sephiroth with Pichu the next day, he of course tried to take it away—only to be met by a tempest of threats and snarls, kicks and hisses. In the end, Hojo conceded, but forcefully fed it an Everstone when Sephiroth was asleep. In the following years, the duo were inseparable—every surgery, every training session, every trial… they were together. And when Sephiroth went on to Wutai, you bet Pichu was there with him. It wasn’t much of a battler—often hurting itself with its own electricity—but what the Pokémon lacked in strength it more than made up for in loyalty and spirit. As Sephiroth’s fame and influence burgeoned, he did everything in his power to keep his treasured friend out of the limelight—often keeping him sheltered in his Pokeball until the man was able to return to his quarters in peace. This lead to several people fantasizing about what Pokémon the Great Silver Warrior could possibly have—what kind of mythical beast he kept stashed away. Only very few people have ever seen Pichu at all: Glenn, Matt, Lucia, Genesis, Angeal, and Zack—all of whom were shocked at first, but developed a newfound respect for Sephiroth after learning of its origins. Angeal and Genesis, in particular, even had the honor of babysitting for the little guy during press meetings. When the latter two deserted, Sephiroth was crushed, but Pichu did wonders to keep his spirit afloat: curling into his lap at night, falling asleep on his shoulder… Anything it can possibly do to assure Sephiroth that he wasn’t alone, it did. When it came time to leave for Nibelheim, however, when the inevitable tragedies spiraled, that’s where things started to splinter. Zack awoke one night to Pichu pawing at his face—a small and desperate gesture to get someone to help it. Agreeing to help his friend’s partner out, Zack followed Pichu to the basement of ShinRa manor, where he found Sephiroth in the heart of an eerie, candlelit library. He told them to leave—both of them. Zack tried to gently talk things out; Sephiroth told him to leave even louder. Disheartened, but thinking his friend needs space, Zack took Pichu and leaves. In the following days, he tried to comfort the anxious Pichu, telling it that Seph just needs some time to breathe and digest everything he learned. He told it that Seph will snap out of it soon—that he will return for his best friend. He promises it. Assures it. And yet, when that seventh day arrives, the town went up in flames. Villagers were killed, slaughtered, as well as every Pokémon in his wake. All the man could think about was her. Mother. His birthright. His planet. Revenge. Humans. The urge to destroy—the need to kill… The bleary shapes that he cuts down are nothing—meaningless little insects in the greater design of his world. His blade slashed through them all, cut them open and left them to burn in the hellish flames engulfing the village. They were all irrelevant—every single one of them. Meaningless. Worthless. Just kill time. Just kill them, She whispers. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.

“SEPHIROTH, DON’T—“

It’s too late.

Masamune had already struck, deaf to the young SOLDIER’s horrified plea.

And blind to the sight of Pichu staked through it.

Moves:

Nuzzle

Nasty Plot

Facade

Wish

[puella-1n-somn10]

⚔️Puella Magi Madoka Magica x Pokemon Sword/Shield: Hop and his Witch Form⚔️

Word count w/o intro: 11,703

Look, I know that the Traveler from Genshin won that poll, but...if I may be honest, I am not ready for what concept I had for them to completely topple apart all thanks to a single shred of lore being aimed at my head at mach speed. Trust me, fellas, I saw the roller coaster that is the Fontaine chapter; if shit is that crazy while we are halfway through the main story, then I dread the revelations that will befall us all when SNEZHNAYA rolls around-!

With all that being said...welcome back, ladies, gents, and those who have casted the dreaded concept of gender out of their lives! For those who are unaware, we are here today to witness what would happen if I were to take the worldbuilding of Puella Magi Madoka Magica and apply them to other media. Today's unfortunate guest for today is none other than the goat himself, Hop!

...Not funny? Ah, alright-

Yes, I am aware that Hop's reputation amongst the fanbase is...controversial at best. Generally speaking, I've noticed that the negative image of this character was formed by the fans prematurely judging him based on his initial lines of dialogue, passionate (which is often mischaracterized as cheerful) attitude, and, I shit you all not, animations (which is more of a fault caused by tight release schedules and the developers being rushed than that of the character himself). From these alone, he tends to be placed on tiers lower than the fucking Gen 6 rivals (no hate towards them, promise, I just wish they were fleshed out more)- which proves to me that not only are those types of Pokemon fans purely visual beings, but that media literacy is dead, rotting, and its tombstone has been Hyper Beamed to Hell and back-

BUT we're not here to rant now, aren't we? My...personal, burning distaste towards those who call him a Hau clone aside, we are here to dissect his character- in more literal ways than one! If I may be honest, this analysis post thinly disguised as a silly, crossover ficlet was created as a thought and writing exercise for myself, and it was quite fun, if I must admit! So I hope from the bottom of my heart that you guys find as much joy in Hop's pain and suffering as I did while writing it!

Just a few quick warnings, this post will contain mentions of child neglect and favoritism, implications of social ostracization and public shaming, and, I cannot stress this enough, mentions of self destruction/S-H/su-c-de. If any of these themes are too triggering, especially that last one, please, please click away! I am being serious here- take the utmost care, and be safe!

Of course, spoilers for Madoka Magica, Magia Record (Anime ver.), and Pokemon SWSH are right up ahead! If I may be honest, I haven't touched upon the DLCs yet, so spoilers regarding them will be minimal at most. There will also be shades of PostwickShipping (Hop <3 Gloria) present, so if that isn't your cup of tea, I sincerely apologize.

It would also be fitting to play some Decretum on the side, too, especially when we get to the despair bit- God damn, he and Sayaka need to be buddies.

-The Wish, Possible Powers, and Soul Gem-

"Before we ever started out on this journey… I remember watching Lee on the telly. He was like a bright star, so strong I could hardly bear to look right at him. But now, I can tell just how strong he really is… And what he's got that I haven't…"

Now, I could go the easy way and say that he'd wish to be as great as Leon- to become as strong as the champion and equally undefeatable, but, honestly, not only does this feel cheap, it feels so...unlike Hop as a character. He doesn't just want to defeat Leon- he wants to prove his worth and make his mark as a trainer. Hop, like the rest of Galar, idolizes his brother- so much so that he copied his strategies and every move; a mistake that had gotten him to lose the fight in the Circhester stadium even after facing off against so many trials and tribulations-

After all, as Bede said it in his own...brutish way, if people looked down on Hop, they will do the same to Leon - the man who Hop looks up to as not just an older sibling, but as a symbol- as an unshakable LEGEND, and not just as a human being -. So if the perception of the man who Hop saw as a hero was to shake all thanks to him...it'd be quite devastating, to say the least. It was this possibility that hit him the most- where his worth and identity came into question.

Hop may dislike losing - a sentiment that grows stronger every time you defeat him -, but what he fears even more is disappointing others; lowering his and his brother's worth in their eyes. He wanted to be number #1 because it was expected of him to do so, by himself, by the public, and, when you think about it, even by his family - whether consciously or not -...

After all, just look at his home- do you see any pictures of Hop around? Left and right you find memorabilia and trophies belonging to Leon, but how much mementos of Hop can you find? Whether or not he was aware of it, Hop craved not just the glory of his brother, but also the validation and positive attention.

This was his path in life- no, this was his destiny, as he'd put it; to become as strong as his hero and receive that blazing torch after living in his shadow for so long. To live up to his splendor, to inspire others to get up and take a stance, and to make something out of himself. His brother was a hero- so it makes sense to imitate someone as amazing and strong as him.

So, after analyzing his character for a bit, his wish could go along the lines of wanting to be by his brother's side, or, more appropriately, to make an impact on the world and the lives of others like he did. After all, we are assuming that he made the contract a bit before his constant losses began to fuck with him; he had confidence in his abilities at least during the beginning, and was certain that he was going to emerge from the final battle victorious.

The powers resulting from this wish could go in a lot of different ways; after all, wishing to make an impact is quite abstract. It isn't like he wished for someone else to get healed or to win on a lottery; so trying to make powers based on that would be tricky. My best guess is that his powers are associated with memories and legacies, which, once more, also fits in really well with how he documented and tried to mimic Leon's strategies and actions.

Now, before we focus on his soul gem and witness it crumble along with his self-esteem, we're going to take a good look at his attire upon transformation into his Magical Boy form- an aspect that, regrettably, I've forgotten to cover back while I was analyzing Medic. Now, this part may be a little unclear to some upon first reviewing the designs present in PMMM, but a pattern is there- and one of the most common reasons behind a magi's design is the intent behind their wish and their desires before or after taking on the contract. In order to prove my point, I'm gonna list some examples:

Sayaka Miki is a knight in shining armor; she wanted to uphold the ideal of a magical girl and fight for what's right

Homura Akemi's outfit is rather...funerary, for lack of a better term; she made her wish as result of her losing Madoka, and had more or less doomed herself to watching the demise of her beloved over and over again

Nagisa's outfit looks like an everyday, ordinary outfit for someone her age; she craved a normal life where she was able to be just like the other kids around her- not having to worry about living in a dump and caring for an unstable parent

Iroha's design invokes the idea of a ranger or even a mercenary; she is dedicated to finding her sister at what cost, even if most of the evidence (or lack there-of) pointed towards Ui not existing in the first place

Being in the spotlight of someone else's life, looking up to his brother, and making said champion an example on how he should lead his life...I think a stereotypical, legendary hero might do it; the main protagonist of tales like Beowulf or even your everyday JRPGs. Hop often made references to him 'weaving his own legend', so this would make perfect sense!

Speaking of-

Regarding his soul gem's shape, simple- upon transformation, it would look just like a small flame placed on his solar plexus like a brooch or button. Comparisons to Leon's charizard aside, it is a simple and straightforward symbol representing his personality; passionate, competitive, hot-headed, and bright- but all flames are prone to dying out one way or another. Hop's association with fire is also presented to us in-canon in his second league card, with him pulling off Leon's signature pose as flames wildly danced around him.

This also brings the idea of him burning himself away to fit into his ideal of a champion to mind, or literally burning himself out. A raging fire ready to render all that is in its path into ash- including himself.

The emblem on the middle of its egg form is a little harder for me to interpret fully. I could go with the easy way and say that it's probably the same as its form upon his Puer Magi transformation, but we all know that my perfectionist ass would not just simply settle with that. The options on our hands are as follows;

The easy option, the Hop flower (symbolizing how becoming a professor is his true calling in life)

A coat of arms (royalty themes- also, a pun on Eternatus' eternamax form, coat of ARMS, heheh)

A spiral (symbol of futility, continuation, cycles, and a downward spiral)

A coat of arms WITH a spiral in the middle (look at the above two points)

A flag (him wishing to create his own legend, and how he was initially a foot ahead of us during the start of our journey together)

A windmill (...we'll get to that, but let's assume it's because of Postwick for now- I personally prefer this one)

A shield with two crossed swords (again, royalty and hero themes)

As for its color, here is where things get interesting; I already spoke about how most soul gems correspond with the eye color of their respective magi, since "eyes are the windows to a person's soul", so a brilliant gold would fit both with this unwritten rule and thematically. However, then I got thinking- Red is also an applicable color, right? It fits his personality, and would clash really well with the cool purples and blues...until I realized that not only is red already going to be present as a sort of secondary (if not primary) color to go along with the existing cool palette in mind, but the added gold highlights would embolden it and make sure this design really pops.

Besides, making red a central color for his magi outfit also adds in to the idea of him still mimicking Leon, whose associated colors are purple, gold, and, of course, the reds of his cape! We aren't completely sure as to how much control a magi has over the outfit they'll don upon transformation, but we do know that Madoka actually designed her own magical clothing, so some input from the magi themselves, whether consciously or not, does contribute to the matter. This would also make a cute little homage to his champion outfit in Pokemon Masters EX!

One last point before we get to the part you've all been waiting for, we have to look at his weapon; yes, his powers are probably associated with memories or even perception, but, according to my research, one's weapon doesn't necessarily have to be tied to the wish. As a matter of fact, aside from Mami's ribbons (symbolizing her being tied to the life of a magical girl and her capturing others in this web of malice whether consciously or not- a literal lifeline), most of the cast's weapons are unrelated to the wishes made, and, like the aforementioned outfits, are more tied to the magi's intents or even personalities;

Nagisa's is a trumpet that blows out bubbles. She wanted her mother to hear her, but she's only ever able to let out little squeaks; the dichotomy between her desire to be acknowledged and wanting to be a decent daughter to a horrible person like her mother.

Homura's is a shield; she wishes to protect Madoka, but a shield alone cannot deflect everything threatening her sweet rose. There's also the symbolism of her hiding behind a shield, both as Moemura (shy and reserved) and Cool Homu (covering her emotions with an aloof exterior); in both cases, she's hiding herself away from the world.

Sayaka's is a cutlass sword. Go figure.

I am not completely sure on Madoka's; she dislikes brutal fighting, so it would make sense for her to use a long-range weapon that she's able to use to snipe enemies from a safe-enough distance. I also heard that a bow and arrow have some sort of significance in Christian lore, but, to be frank, I am not completely sure about this; this section requires further study.

Again, I gotta thank @bluethepearldiver for saving my butt here and on the upcoming natures section! According to them, since I had already removed swords and shields from the equation in order to make space for both Gloria and Victor, a polearm type of weapon would fit him the most! In their own, brilliant words, it is "representing how unattainable his goal ultimately is", and, in my opinion, it is a mid-range weapon- when utilized correctly, Hop would be able to conquer battles that would require either long or short ranged attacks to clear! Also, personally, it brings the image of a sheep herder to mind.

As for the specific type of polearm, that one would require a lot more creativity, but, since Hop comes from Postwick, a weapon that originates from Europe would be fitting. After thinking about it, I believe his weapon is probably a Halberd, due to how it can pierce, chop, or slash depending on the situation. It would also symbolize poor, bright-eyed Hop constantly changing his strategies and teams in order to catch up to us- to finally match us in strength. Every time we met him, he would have different strategies, a different team, a different outlook- he tried every viable, effective strategy, tearing apart the aspects of himself that were deemed roadblocks, pushing himself until he was burning himself way too brightly for his own good, yet...

-Descent Into Despair-

He lost. He had lost yet again, hasn't he?

His grip on the pokeball was shaky. The eyes of the crowd fixated on him as the last of his pokemon fell to the ground. Frozen air filled his lungs; his eyes felt like they were turned to stone, as did the veins in his arms.

The whispers grew louder; the crowd's collective judgement was being passed from one attendant to another. His teeth were about to shatter from the pressure around him alone. Not even Melony's concerns were registered on his mind; all the words around him amalgamated into a brute cacophony that choked all the will and rationality out of him.

His heart was on fire. His lips were dried as he stared at the nothingness before him. It was so hard to continue standing up- fucking impossible to focus on anything but this blunder forged by his own hands- which he now sees as nothing but useless vestiges. His heart was a war drum in the midst of conflict; beating as though the drummer's life was on the line if they were to dare and drop the pace. How he wanted to gouge his own eyes out and rip those ears out...

"Pitiful."

What on Earth was he missing?

He tried to change his strategies, he really did. The sad look on his pokemon’s eyes broke him every time, but they just couldn’t be of good help…he had to be a better trainer.

That’s what good trainers do, right? They make sure their teams were optimal. After all, strategy came first; that was what he learned from all these battles that long moved his heart.

"Foolish."

Another loss.

He looked down at his final, fallen comrade, not taking his shaking hands into account. Was it the cold? The stress? The sheer disbelief of what was before him?

Or was it frustration? A poison seeping between his clenched teeth- ready to curse out himself and direct his anger to the world? Readying him to pound against the earth beneath him until his knuckles were mangled and bloody?

No...no, this can't be it. He had to push himself further- he had to be better. Not a single Pokemon of his would listen to someone as fragile as he was; he had to make an example out of himself if he had to be a strong leader- a hero to them...

"Hypocrite."

Wooloo...

You promised, didn't you?

He stifled his own sobs. Oh, how could you have done this to them, Hop? They were the closest thing you had to a childhood friend! They were right by your side to the very end! All you had to do was to keep their head up, tell them it wasn't their fault, and that you would still enter the league together if you both focused! All you had to do was stay strong-

But you couldn't. You just had to up and leave them; cast them to the dirt where you dragged his good name through.

In the end, he couldn't even uphold that.

"Pathetic."

Over and over...over and over, he had repeated this fruitless, pitiful endeavor- all to no avail.

Finding himself floating adrift, Hop feels as though his very existence was slowly slipping from his fingers; becoming one with the very void surrounding him. He couldn't even feel his limbs, much less his face.

No matter how much he had stretched himself so thin, it just wouldn't work. The evidence was there before him, for all of Galar to see- his true rival and his brother on that field together, the latter holding the other's hand and raising it up in the air...that no matter what he did, all the sacrifices he had made, it was all up there in the air like smoke. His dreams, hopes, and ambitions- gone with what shine in his eyes that were left.

Oh, little sheep...do you not realize that you have tangled yourself within this spider web- the very definition of insanity?

"Worthless."

He's tired.

With each loss, it got a lot harder for him to get up and walk away.

His legs were shaking, and not just due to the harsh winds around him. The winds were picking up their pace, but the eyes, the eyes, the eyes-

Why must you insist on further embarrassing yourself, young man? Can't you tell when it's the time for you to just drop everything and move on with something better for everyone else's sake?

You're just embarrassing yourself at this point- nothing more than a clown attracting disrespect and shame like flies to a rotting carcass much like yourself.

...

Yeah...

What if...it was him?

He couldn't take the watchful gazes of the crowded streets anymore. Oh, how he wanted to hide away in the corners of the world- render his own face into nothing but a crimson pulp just so their judgemental glares, mocking smiles, and whispers would finally leave him alone and hollow.

His heart was racing- his veins were on fire, and his arms were about to burst.

It was too much... Upon stumbling upon a silent, empty, dirty alleyway, he slumped onto his knees as he shook from both the cold and pressure of all the bottled up frustrations in him. At long last, the waterworks finally broke out. Only the night sky and howling winds were his current company; doing little to distract him from his pained heartbeats and dried up throat.

He couldn't hold on to his victories, no matter how feeble or small. It didn't matter what he did or how much he tried, all that he's tried holding on to will just slip away from his fingers, like the breaths of fresh, cold air escaping him; inhaling just enough as to not allow him to pass out on the spot, but it was only that much.

The sound of metal clanging on the ground escaped his ears. It was only when he was finally slumped on the ground that he had noticed the fading luminescence just before his reach. Even as his body shook from the mental strain and the cold, he still recognized the jewel that was on the dirtied ground. Hands shaking, he slowly picked up the once brilliant object...

Through jittering teeth, he just couldn't help but sob whilst instinctively smiling; the sound coming out like a sort of soft giggle...

Hahahah...oh, don't tell him- don't tell him he couldn't...

What a mockery- look at him, everyone! Not only had he failed the challenges before him, but, oh, this poor damn pest- he couldn't even look after his own damn soul gem! The very thing he had traded away what was left of his identity outside of the league for- and even then, with his wish, it only made sure that his mistakes would return to him in even stronger, more merciless manners. Was it due to him being unable to focus on both perfecting his strategies and his duties as a puer magi?

For all Hop cared at that moment, it was just another sign of his pathetic, useless existence. Worthlessness- no, he was way beneath that; he had failed. He had failed, he had failed, he had failed, he lost, he had motherfucking lost.

Answer yourself this, Hop- Do tell how you expected to come so far like this! How you have managed to shamble and shuffle through the league challenge like the worm you are, with nothing but another's achievements to your name- and you couldn't even take good care of that!

"...Useless..."

Hop shakily breathed out.

"Hah...if only I wasn't born so useless..."

His grip on both sides of his head grew tighter. As he gritted his teeth and his eyes twitched, one last thought flashed in his mind-

"There's...nowhere left for me..."

"Everyone else is moving on without someone...some pest like I am..."

With all the air that was left in his lungs, Hop roared into the night and unleashed all the grief in his heart. His anguished wail was interrupted by a sudden crash, and all that was left were the howling, autumnal winds...

.

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.

Word of the contestants' escalating behaviors grew amongst the people of Galar.

At first, it manifested as deepened anxieties; competitors being so overwhelmed by the upcoming events that it caused them to hyperventilate, shake uncontrollably in between sobs and unintelligible screams, or, at worst, completely melt down; faces reddened by tears as they were unable to remove themselves from the ground due to the paralyzing nervousness and hysteria. Initially, these incidents were brushed off as being related to the individuals' worries over the nature of the Gym Challenge, on top of the resulting trauma caused by the Darkest Day; even after the region was granted another chance at seeing the bright, blue skies, tensions were still at an all-time high, so, at the time, this appeared to have been the most rational conclusion.

It was when they've descended into thrashing bitterness and violence, however, that concern was finally demanded and raised- and, along with them, a whole basket of questions that craved all the answers in the world; anything to make sense of what was unraveling. Many a stadium had to close down - some even in the midst of these breakouts - for investigation purposes in order to get to the bottom of this anomaly.

Before long, rumors began to spread amongst the Galarian public- both on the streets and on social media; ranging from a contamination of sorts, to possible side effects of the Darkest Day that the current chairman was uninformed of. In the end, one by one, the majority of the gym leaders had to step forward admit that they knew as much as the rest did regarding the matter, but that did little to help stop the creation and spread of conspiracy theories, and they soon devolved into a competition of its own; on whose hypothesis is the most click-worthy and attention-grabbing.

Nothing was stacking up; everything had been tested - the water, the air, the soil, and especially the power spots -, the stadiums were inspected from top to bottom, and even the gym leaders were interviewed; it all came back negative.

The chairman himself had gone dark.

In the midst of the mass hysteria, right everyone's noses, the range of whatever was influencing these stadiums, the...being that has sending all these people into these frenzies...was growing.

Violent breakouts and missing persons reports spiked without ever showing a sign of slowing down. Nay, not even the gym leaders were spared- with Bea finally coming to her senses while Allister tried to subdue her and not hurt the rest around her, and Milo's herd of Wooloo going completely berserk and in complete panic not unlike the contestants and their own pokemon.

It was at its assumed worst when it had finally reached Postwick Town. Most of Galar had succumbed to what was engulfing it with its malice and twisted hopes, and, according to theorists, they doubted it would stop there. The people residing in the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra were given the order to lock down and cease all functions until further information's released, in the vain hopes of preventing the spread of its influence.

And then-

Silence.

Everything around them was completely dim, with nothing but small flickers of flame and their own eyes' adaptation to help traverse them through what became of the region; a dim, cold land with ashy skies overhead, overrun with scared wildlife and...monsters- beasts you have never seen the likes of before. Perhaps staying still while you're able to recognize Galar while you could would be the wisest choice; stray far enough, and the world around you will fade, shift, and turn, until you find yourself not outdoors anymore, but in a dingy, suffocating hallway filled with cracks and little to no light-

and, soon enough, you will realize that you are not alone.

To the most fortunate (or unlucky, depending on the perspective), the sight of the missing people was there for them to see; lined up for their next battles and subsequent executions. Days of being trapped, fought, beaten up, and isolated in pain did a number on their psyches, and that is without mentioning the existing effects that have already engulfed Galar; plunging them into insanity.

By the braver and most informed few, most of the missing people have currently been accounted for- most, had it not been for the unfortunate casualties resulting from...all that has been unfolding around them, whether they were still yet to be found, were done in by beasts swarming through these twisting tunnels, condemned by whatever's waiting for them at the center of this cursed maze, or...just couldn't take it anymore, is still up in the air. Those whose statuses have not yet been confirmed included the younger brother of the former champion himself- who, quite possibly, may have been one of the earliest victims, if the timeline was to serve them right-

Oh, but if only they knew better- that the bright-eyed, enthusiastic Hop was right back to where it all started; watching the competition from atop the stage, waiting for the next match to begin. The empty husk that was once "Hop" was silent; slumped to the back to his seat with his dull, milky eyes staring into the distance, as the crowds roared once the hero and his new challenger entered the fray.

Yes...yes! Cheer for him! ONLY HIM!

Shaking from the cold and the tension of her surroundings, Gloria's attention darted from the armored monstrosity to her unconscious rival amongst the masses. His colors all but completely desaturated- it was nothing short of a miracle seeing his body still somewhat intact, though his sunken face and sloughing skin - some even falling as soon as she grabbed on to him; revealing pale bone -...without thinking, the armored girl screamed.

Contrasting Gloria's priority shifting from grabbing on to Hop's corpse and make a break for it to taking down that thing who must have caused it, Leon was...silent. His heart sank as he fell on his knees- his eyes shook as he fixated on the monster before them. His blood ran ice cold; it was so hard to breathe without sobbing...

Gloria and the gym leaders who have finally located the arena - those who have and haven't contracted - deemed that being a monster- Hop's God damned murderer, but Leon knew better.

The gold hues that were pooling from what's assumed to be the monster's eyes were unmistakable.

His own little brother was right before him, waiting to fight him in the middle of this arena-

Just like how he had promised- like how he had always wished for...

-The Witch's Nature-

Ah, the most unpredictable section of this post- the one where yours truly is expected to agonize and sob over all the options before me. Character complexities are complex! Multiple reasons behind despair! Oh, how is your truly ever going to choose the perfect nature for a warlock that would not only encompass the magi's goals and history with only a few words, but one that would also feel fitting for a spooky being like a witch?!

Welp- once more, I have thank Blue for their brilliant input once more! They've decided that his nature would be Admiration, and, honestly, it's genius! It not only fits his overall character, goals, and what caused his sanity to go downhill with the brakes cut off, but it has the right amount of dissonance that the witches of PMMM are known for! Again, this has been your reminder to support them- c'mon, chop chop, that's an order.

Of course, nothing wrong with mentioning all the other, though scrapped, natures. Again, you're all free to reinterpret the warlock to your hearts' content, and if you do have any other suggestion that would fit, please let me know! I not only want to understand Hop's character better, but I do wish to improve my character-deciphering and writing skills. Once more, I encourage all sorts of fair criticism heading my way, and, with all that being said, here's the losers' club:

Reflective

Smitten

Idolizing/Idolization

Competitive (decided that this one might fit Nemona better if I ever got into ScaVio and made a witch for her. Later. Inshallah.)

Self-abandonment (look at the above, but with Bede instead)

Self-immolation

Guilty

To yearn/Yearning (again, Nemona)

-The Witch's Appearance-

"It's not enough! I've got to try harder! And harder and harder till no one's laughing!"

Alright, first thing's first, before we dive into ANYTHING, we need to touch upon Hop's self-image and how it transforms through the course of the game. From the beginning, he is just so confident in his abilities and goals; it wasn't just a desire, it's a goal- he will beat Leon! He will become champion! One day, he's going to be on that stage; he WILL fight Leon, and he WILL beat him- just we wait!

And 'wait' we didn't.

For all his talk about creating his own legend, of taking up the mantle, we have done nothing but drag his face through the dirt without failure.

The more we beat that poor fella up, the more...desperate he became, and it gets cranked up to 11 once Bede humiliated him; calling him a waste of space, and that all he is doing is tainting his brother's legacy by trying, so it would be best for all parties involved he should just stop that. If he just stopped trying at all. If he just gave up at once. He still tries to maintain the spirit of friendly competition between the main character and himself, but the constant humiliation has been getting to him, and the talons that are digging in to his mind are sharp.

It is then that we finally realize that the once-confident trainer who initially accompanied us is no more. This hatred towards himself only grew with time, and, even when he had reintegrated Wooloo/Dubwool into his team, his self-worth was still nigh-non existent; he dared not accompany us during even the post-game story, believing that he would just be slowing us all down, and how we would fare and be better without someone like him around.

In Hop's eyes, he was a burden; a waste of space, and, no matter how much he tried to fight it, those words would persistently repeat in his mind. His constant defeats didn't help, either, whether it was by our or any other trainer's hands-

Hell, it can be argued that Hop's earlier confidence and passion were nothing but "fronts"; he had always cheered Leon on and idealized (dare I say even worshiped) him to no end, but, aside from the promise that he would, one day, defeat his brother and become a champion, what other positive things did he say about himself? What other dreams did he hold? He owed so much of his own knowledge about Pokemon battles to Leon, after all. This can be seen in the third episode of Pokemon: Twilight Wings, if we choose to interpret Wooloo's actions as reflective of Hop's- trying to be something it is not, and, ultimately, causing it to stray far from "home".

He wanted to be the hero of his own story. That's all he wished for. Instead, we've shoved him into the sidelines- face first on the dirt, without even realizing our strengths.

History repeats once more- the tale of Leon and Sonia all over again.

The image of a knight, a warrior, a hero is definitely a strong base to start it all off. The ideal knight in shining armor, he who stands up for everything right- the unbeatable champion of the people. Not just a person to look up to, but a symbol- that's all he wanted to become; just like how he saw his brother.

When he realized that his current tactics didn't work, everything had to go out the window. We aren't saying this lightly- everything. His plans, his . He had to change everything about himself- until he realized that the problem weren't his teams or his plans...it was him. It has always been his fault- he was just weak, nothing more than a pathetic worm.

The armor is scraping every fiber of his being. No matter what, he still cannot attain the strength and glory of a champion- so he has to keep doing this; break and melt himself. It isn't right, it hurts, but he deserves that pain- he deserves the agony and so much worse for the sin of his existence.

But it's not enough. It's not enough, and it will never be enough. Flaming hot, red daggers will forever pierce through his flesh and skin; melting and reshaping him not necessarily just to fit his desired goal, but as punishment.

It doesn't matter, though. It doesn't change his sheer, fucking incompetence. He'd bash himself against the wall, turn his knuckles bloody, and have his howls of torment be drowned out by his observers' whispers and harsh judgements, but it doesn't change the fact that he deserved every second of it. He had to keep molding himself, he had to suffer, he had to pay for being such a pest to everyone's lives and for being so weak...

No matter how much he tried, it doesn't change the truth that he is no damn hero; he is here as a prisoner, present to repent for his crimes of his pathetic existence...

Oh, yeah. Futility is not just a present theme, but we are running to the HILLS with it.

Next up, we look at his actions- the "spice" and depth this brings to his warlock's design.

Let's retrace our steps a bit and look at Hop's character before and after the main story; as soon as we boot up the game for the first time, there we see Hop being so excited over his brother finally coming home- he was practically shaking and jumping by the news of it alone! He just couldn't wait to see him again, much less what he must have brought back with him- and, when he laid his eyes on the starters and chose his, he was over the moon and the sun; this was the beginning of his legacy! Ah, even his own mother said that he had to learn some patience.

Compare and contrast to his attitude in postgame- he's a lot more mellowed out, but that can be better described as him finally being burnt out. He had nowhere to go, no goal to attain, and not a single strength to his name. Bede and Marnie are training to become gym leaders, Leon's the new chairman of the Galar league, Sonia is on the way to become the new regional professor, but Hop? There was nothing left for him. There isn't anything he was able to do that others could do even better- all that was left for him was to rot in the fields, forgotten and cast away like the object of shame he was.

"I don't know how much I can really help... If I come along, I might just end up slowing the rest of you down..."

I've already established how the warlock might be imprisoned in a sense; all to symbolize how he must have felt during his downfall and the lengths he went through in order to become someone worthy of becoming champion- of sharing his brother's legacy, but we should also take how he first started off into account. We already have the pain, but where is the tragedy in it all? The downfall of his confidence? The fall of Hop, the once bright-eyed, confident, and proud young man? How could we symbolize the face that we have flicked his passion and convictions away with the push of our buttons?

Passion...glory...destruction...hotheadedness...Lee...Charizard...

"Fire- and lots of it!"

Yeah, this should not come off as a surprise - given how I have already mentioned it dozens of times already -, but, hey, if Ophelia has a lot of flames in her design to symbolize the tragic end of her family and her own hotheadedness, then I can't see why the same cannot be applicable to our uncrowned prince of Galar. Truth be told, I think the fire is burning at him to this day; as I already mentioned, he is in a constant state of melting down and reshaping himself to no end to fit an ideal that is so far away from him, and what better way to do so than by forcing himself to endure these flames to no end- not just to burn away all his mistakes, but to subject himself to what rage and disappointment he believes Leon must be feeling? You cannot ask for a more fitting punishment, no? Quite ironic as well, if you'd ask me.

Plus, as a warlock, he wants the people to cheer for him- only him! What better way is there to grab their attention and love than by becoming the brightest thing on the battlefield?! Yes, it's all worth it in the end, hearing the people of Galar scream just for him alone- oh, he couldn't be happier! That is all he desires! If we thought Oktavia craved attention, think again.

Speaking of lengths he went through to become someone he is not, let's talk about him changing his teams; this is his point of transformation as a character, where the cracks in his confidence begin to grow alongside his desperation. At this stage, Hop was willing to make any sacrifice necessary to meet that goal of his- if he fails, not only were his dreams on the line, but so was Leon's reputation. The only constant between these teams is the starter Leon gave him- with teary eyes and a regretful heart, he had damned the experiences and memories he shared with the 'mons he caught along the way, for all that mattered at that moment, all that was worth keeping, was the one thing that held any sort of direct connection to his future glory; the very gift his brother gave him. It should be worth it though, right? He's only becoming better, becoming stronger, becoming the best trainer he could be-

Isn't that right, Wooloo?

Oh, man, wooloo. What kind of Hop-centric design would this be if I didn't incorporate this cute little sheep in some form or another? If not the sheer GUILT he must be feeling? Since I already covered how the warlock would be forever unsatisfied with his form, let us talk about the promise he made with Wooloo, and how him breaking it must be haunting him. Just up and abandoning them, his lifelong partner pokemon must hate him for such a cowardly decision- it should hate him; he had backed out of such an important vow between them, and implied that it was their fault that he was unable to reach his goals. Ultimately, it is his guilt and self-hatred that got him here; whenever he wasn't melting down and reforging himself, he was always fighting for the audience's attention- a whole herd of sheep who constantly demand a spectacular show. It felt right for his first partner pokemon to judge him, after all- he must be condemned for his disloyalty...

Building upon the last point- since Wooloo, his very first pokemon, was also removed from the team, this would translate beautifully into him removing parts of himself to fit that perfect mold, and what better way than to add in sheep elements to his design? The warlock having hooves as dark as obsidian for feet? Broken horns that might be mistaken for parts of his armor? Heck, even the gnarly skeletal system resulting from us combining that of a human's and a sheep's? While I am not too sure about what exactly is going on underneath his helmet, I will just assume that at least its base form resembles a mutilated black sheep's face, because of, well, Hop seeing himself as the black sheep of the family. Combined with his halberd, which I am certain would carry on from his last form to this one, this would bring the idea of a twisted sheep herder of sorts, on top of the existing themes of sacrifice that are already associated with cattle in multiple religions.

Of course, we can't go wrong with referencing him copying Leon's tactics in battle and said worship! This, too, will be a source of pain to his warlock; not only does his armor resemble draconic scales (again, Charizard), but the base of his helmet would bear the shape of Leon's beard. This also ties in to the above point of him trying to reshape his form to that of the champion's in order to achieve prestige and victory by following in his hero's footsteps, but its ultimate purpose in the end is the further erasure his form and himself; all that made Hop 'Hop'. He is constantly slicing away at his being just to fit that mold....

Yes, he also gets to keep the cape; much like his halberd, I can't see why this element of his magical boy form would not get carried over here, as it also assists with establishing the theme and desire to be like a big shot like his brother. Its red coloring would also be of nice contrast to the ashen grey or deep darkness of his armor, although it is tattered and not as magnificent as it used to be in his eyes. The armor already boosts the idea of a hero, but, combined with all of the elements from above and Hop himself going down the slippery slope, this monster right here invokes the idea of a fallen hero; bright-eyed protagonists who have become jaded over the course of their journeys or have decided to outright give up on their ideals and goals- some even opting to join the opposing side of the narrative outright.

I should also mention his inability to look at Leon in the face and how he didn't want negative attention to be drawn towards him in spite of Hop's desire to face off against his brother- some eye trauma, maybe? Would the mementos of Leon in his barrier bring him pain? Or...would the warlock be unable to see past the "glory" of the champion and his dreams? How his mistakes are blinding him? Maybe what he saw was so bright, so brilliant, that it blinded him to everything else; turning his eyes into burning pools of blood resembling molten steel?

Now, we calculate his karmic potential, his emotional volatility, and how they contribute to his warlock's strength.

While I was first working on this post, I thought that maybe he would have cracked after he had lost against the gym leader of Circhester Stadium - Melony -; after all, he must have been devastated, with all these eyes watching him as his final pokemon fell, but then I remembered two key details-

His self-esteem did not get any better by the end of the game's main storyline. In fact, it was at its lowest during postgame- and he even brought a comically large shovel to dig wayyyyy deeper, courtesy of Sordward and Shielbert!

His karmic potential not only stems from him being the champion's little brother, but his role in stopping the second Darkest Day.

So, in a way, that loss would be considered to be more of a catalyst for his despair rather than the straw that broke the camel's back, not unlike Sayaka learning the truth behind the soul gems or Hitomi's confession to Kyosuke. He may have brought Dubwool back to his party, he may have appeared okay-ish after we've defeated him in the semi-finals, he may have helped us save the day, but his internal conflict didn't dissolve just like that- you cannot erase all these years of constant comparisons, long-standing dreams, horrible impostor syndrome, and such an inferiority complex just like that with the snap of one's fingers.

Truth be told, he was supposed to finally give in after said semi-finals, but, out of urgency, he held on just for a little while- for just enough time to assist us with finding Leon and stopping Rose's plans. Now that everything was said and done - now that everything was laid to rest -, the eyes just wouldn't stop staring at him, the whispers didn't cease, and Hop...he was tired- he was oh so tired. Falling on his shaky legs and the harsh thoughts in his heads still not slowing down, Hop had finally closed his eyes and gave out his final farewell...

Also, Sordward and Shielbert will die by my hands for making his self esteem go further down the toilet in postgame, I swear to Allah-

From all that, we can see that not only are legends, prophecies, and destinies HUGE themes for when it comes to the design of his barrier, but that his warlock is gonna be powerful. Now, I don't wanna be redundant by saying that he, too, would be as tough as Walpurgisnacht (we've already done that with Medic, though, after thinking about it, he'd be more comparable to Hyades Daybreak), but saving an entire region is, putting it lightly, a huge feat, and that's without us touching upon his supposed connection with the legendary pokemon, one of Galar's heroes of myth, Zacian. In between being tied to almost a hundred destinies (Madoka) and saving the entirety of France (Tart), putting an end to the apocalypse - The Darkest Day - has got to be up there.

I know this sounds like a sort of repetition on my end, but remember what Homura said back during episode 9; "from here on, for every person (one) has saved, (they) will curse another". So, while Medic got his powers thanks of a combination of his own karma and how he had fused 8 other souls into him, Hop's karma was all his. In short, by this logic, Galar is beyond fucked.

Oh, and, y'know, the whole deal with him being the champion's little brother and Gloria's childhood friend. With all that in mind, bro's warlock is not just stupidly powerful, but outright broken. Not at Ultimate!Kriemhild levels, but that's still not good news in of itself, isn't it?

In the end, whether he had completely given up after he had lost to Melony or during some time between the events of the main story and postgame is up to you and your interpretation of Hop as a character. For the sake of this segment alone, I will just go with the idea that, if he despairs before the climax of the main story, his warlock would be a formidable foe, but not yet a world-ending threat like either Walpurgisnacht or Crépuscule de La Reine.

For comparison's sake (and to paint a clearer picture), I'd say that he could be as powerful as Gisela, if not moreso. From the PSP games, we can see how resilient and tough that witch is - so much so that she is tied to both Mami's and Kyoko's backstories -, so surpassing her strength is still a commendable feat. Much like his depiction in the section above, the warlock would still be capable of cursing many stadiums at once and cause such intense panic in order to take the league challenge down with him by making the contestants to go completely berserk, and, if he so wishes, he could render an entire village into ash.

However, if you guys wouldn't mind, I'll still be running with the idea that, thanks to the player, Bede, Sordward, Shieldbert, his family, and Galar's corrupted celebrity culture, the entire region has yet another apocalyptic event to go through, and only Arceus could save them now- basically what happens during the above despair segment. Good job, everyone! Enjoy listening to Grass Skirt Chase while ya could! /j

Now that we got the basic picture of the warlock down, let's cut to the chase and dive in to his barrier. I've had a lot of fun with this one, so buckle up!

As I already mentioned in my previous Medic post, a witch's labyrinth is stated to be the "mental landscape of the magi before they turned into a witch". From analyzing the barriers of the Holy Quintet and the other existing witches from the original anime, I've already deduced that they must be tied to either core memories, coping mechanisms, or desires-

HOWEVER,

A more simplistic take on all that would be "a place that rubs salt on the magi's/witch's wounds"; makes more sense, no? Candeloro is forever alone in her little tea party, Charlotte is in a silent conversation with another doll- unable to speak about what's on her mind, and, for goodness' sake, Ophelia's barrier is underwater. It is just logical to see that a labyrinth is designed to keep the witch miserable; specifically made to remind them of their own shortcomings, mistakes, broken hopes and dreams, and all that they've lost by the act of contracting with an uncaring trickster like Kyubey.

Unsurprisingly, with this idea in mind, I think the barrier would be a twisted version of a stadium, lit up by raging fire. The audience is present; their eyes ever-staring at you as their yells echo throughout the arena. You just know that your actions and failures will be recorded for future generations to see, mock, and spit at- after all, you are now trapped in a legend that is yet to be completed! Yes, even the style of your surroundings looks like it could fit right in an old storybook or any of the murals present across the region. Not too far away from this labyrinth's center, you are able to find multiple cages housing the victims he had captured; fighters worthy enough for him to test his skills on or put on a spectacle for all the audience to see.

In the middle of the battlefield, in the shadow of a large statue behind him, lies the warlock; broken, battered, burnt, and practically melting, but his duty remains clear as daylight- bound to his punishment and his own selfish desires, it has become his goal to defeat you before the audience. It is his destiny to be bound to this stage, having to pay for the sin of his existence.

The trinkets of Leon - or a silhouette that resembles him - that surrounded him in his own house are also present; after all, they are tied to his motivation, admiration towards Lee, and his wish to become champion. Even until now, the warlock and his familiars take good care of them, though he despises the reflection cast by them.

I should also make a quiiiiiiick note Pokemon Masters EX; you see, upon activating a character's sync move, they are displayed in front of locations present in the canon of Pokemon known as their "mindscapes", and, fellas, upon finding out that said places are significant to each person's story and life one way or another, I've realized that I have stumbled upon a hail Mary for PMMM/Pokemon crossover fanatics out there, myself included. Of course, I wouldn't recommend using these mindscapes alone as a sort of easy way to make barriers, but they do act as nifty, optional blueprints or spices to make those labyrinths look more colorful or representative of these characters.

When it comes to Hop, his mindscape, unsurprisingly, depicts Postwick Town. The location doesn't change when he becomes a Neo Champion, with the only alterations made to the artwork is that it is now nighttime and the presence of small flickers of flames dancing around; burning as brightly as the stars above - one more point towards fire being a persistent theme here -. Perhaps if you've gained enough of an upper hand and luck in battle to grant you some time to look at the ground, you can see that there's specks of white paint that faded away with time; the surface still resembling that of a soccer field's to this day, not unlike the one in his backyard.

To reflect his mental state and emotions of worthlessness and futility prior to him crossing over the point of no return, well, here's where the fun and pain come in-

The halls of the labyrinth are...suffocating; as soon as you enter, you realize that the area is only wide enough for a single person to traverse through. It's so dark, too; only the oil lamps and unmaintained lanterns present provide any form of luminescence, and even then, you have to be careful; one small misstep, and it is you who will be up in flames.

You also get the sinking feeling that you are being watched through the cracks and holes of suffocating halls; a feeling exemplified by the sounds of rain and howling winds just outside. The oil lamps do nothing to alleviate the bone-biting cold around you- the warmth provided is minimal at best. Not too far away, peculiarly enough, you can hear what must sound like...a radio; the details of what is being said is unclear, but the language is actually understandable if you happen to know Arabic. Through static and compressed sounds, you can hear that the voice on the radio is...reciting a nasheed; one chanting about the light of honor, victory, and divine heroism in the face of adversity, with determination being a repeated theme peppered in. No matter which hallway you turn towards, you cannot seem to get any closer to the source of the sound.

As you make your way to the center of the barrier, in spite of the lack of windows present, you decide to be a little brave and take a peak through the torn cloth or any of the cracks on the wall; you find that not only are you not at all far away from the hallway you've already visited, but that you appear to be going down a spiral- but this can't be possible! It is like you've done nothing but repeating the same steps over and over, only for your determination and desires to bring you down...

The winds have gotten louder - clashing with the noise present in the halls -, and your legs feel so tired...

You cannot take it anymore. You finally deduce that, if you want to face off against the warlock right then and there, then you better take a nosedive; break through the halls and descend further and further until you reach the arena, and face off against a furious gladiator- angered and heartbroken by the prospect of you destroying these mementos. How could you?! Such an act is beyond heinous in his eyes! You are no honorable opponent like the rest of them- nay, he is here to strike you down, to restore and clear the champion's name...

To rub salt on his wound a little more, let's add in more references to the people who affected Hop's life- those who have sent him down a spiral, whether consciously or not.

At the end of some of these hallways, you can find shrines that are clearly meant for worship; moreso than the memorabilia that are already present. A large statue rests in the middle of it, surrounded by worn pictures depicting a silhouette of a man and damaged, worn-out books and scrolls. The scent of smoke is present, alongside ashes on the ground; the warlock or one of his familiars must have been near the shrine not too long ago.

Some parts of the halls, namely what items made of organic material like cloth, are clearly damaged- whether caused by burns, cuts, or, most strangely of all, moths. The bothersome nature of these little creatures not only represent Bede tearing apart at his self-worth, but also his reliance on Chairman Rose- such a depiction may symbolize his actions and words' effects on Hop's self-image and life, but it also acts as a subconscious, final "fuck you" to white-haired youth; at the end of the day, Bede is just an unwanted, insignificant insect who gravitates towards any source of light while causing great disaster to others, even at the detriment of his own life.

...but...isn't that what you have cursed yourself into, Hop? Having to prove yourself to someone who is so far away for all eternity? To mimic them? All for a part of their attention and approval- much less a sliver?

They have both locked themselves in a cycle of attempting to appease to someone in their lives at the detriment of their own health...

Upon his defeat, once the crowd cheers at his defeat, the walls will crumble, and the debris will crush and pierce the warlock - whether he was still alive or dead by then - as you finally get a look at the outside world... Rolling hills that span for miles greet your vision as the grey, rainy skies conceal the afternoon sunlight- but it still is brighter than the suffocating arena and its connected halls. Not too far away, you are able to spot a windmill, still going on for what seems like several vicious years, if its poor state was any sign. Ah, if not for the chaos around you, the flickering silhouettes of round sheep in the distance and the smell of grass and rain really makes it feel like you're right back home...back in Postwick...

To end all this on a high note, let's touch upon his witch's kiss/warlock's whisper/evil cutie mark. Thankfully, I got it as soon as I could; one of those old emblems that acted as tickets to a gladiator match depicting a simplified sheep's head! To add some freakiness, the sheep face is stripped to the bone on one half, and glaring right at the person looking at it on the other. A circle of hop flowers surround the disfigured head, and the emblem itself appears to be half-melting.

-Witch Card-

Sayf Al-Muharib. The Gladiator warlock, whose nature is admiration. The light of an old hero's glory - eternally out of his reach - had caused his sight to turn into searing, painful ichor; blinding him to all but his own failures and shortcomings. As penance for the sin of his existence and weakness, the warlock is in a constant state of breaking down, melting, and reforging himself whilst in preparation for his next battle in the hopes of searing away all the flaws in him - all that lead him to his incriminating mistakes - and achieve a perfect form. He is unable to recognize the being beneath his armor anymore, nor could he remember the vision he had prior to his entrancement.

The cries and cheers of his familiars herald another chance for the warlock to prove himself and absolve the legacy of his hero once and for all- but, no matter what, the crowd is never satisfied, and neither will he ever feel proud of himself for the victory. He will never be an inch closer to the light of legend he craves so badly. To emerge from the battlefield victorious, one must not lose sight of their promise in the midst of battle.

(His name is inspired by Sayf bin Omar/سيف بن عمر, a Muslim historian and compiler. It should also be of note that the reliability of Sayf's ahadeeth have been a point of controversy to this day. When translated, the warlock's full name means "The warrior's sword".)

(The fact that his first name literally means "sword" bears two meanings depending on the protagonist- if it's Gloria, then it reflects how he tags along with and respects her though he is seen as incomplete without her presence in the eyes of the rest; while if it's Victor, then it's the clash between their friendly rivalry and his growing respect towards him. Either way, it also symbolizes how the MC stole his spotlight and destiny, and how they broke him and his dream apart throughout their journey.)

(Also, Homura fits the criteria needed to defeat him, let's GOOOOOOO-)

-Familiars-

Batel (plural form: Abatil). The gladiator warlock's minion, whose duty is preservation. A scholar at heart, the warlock analyzes the actions of the hero of legend to learn from them for future endeavors. Prioritizing the opulence and safety of these treasures, these small followers of his are on constant lookout for anything that would posses a danger to these sacred masterpieces while archiving the feats of the champion for future re-readings.

Unfortunately, their master despises the reflection cast on the memorabilia; forever reminding him of what he will never become. He will hang his head down in their presence out of both respect and shame, lest the sight of the failure he had become shatter what was left of his original heart once more.

(Symbolizing Hop's knowledge of battling in general; jokes about type advantages aside, he was always analyzing Lee's battles and was eager to use his knowledge during battles. It's also one of the key reasons as to why he chose to become a professor in the end.)

(Yes, the warlock himself also does his job at chronicling the feats of Leon - even going as far as to imitate them to this day -, but not only are the Batels there to assist him (I mean, they are his familiars), but they also sort of symbolize how...exaggerated Leon's achievements can get, especially in the eyes of others- including Hop's.)

(Its name is a play on words in Arabic; "Batal/بطل" means "Hero", but "Batil/باطل" can either mean "of no good use" or "useless". Leon was the hero, his hero, his ideal- Hop, on the other hand, was just dead weight to him.)

(Another note to add is that Hop's uniform number is 189, which, when read in Japanese, can mean "Hiyaku"; leaping. While the warlock himself would be struggling to walk with these hooves of his and his mutilated form melting and meshing with the armor, I can also see that the Abatil's only way of moving around is through leaping, since they would probably have only one leg to stand on. Ah, I love the smell of symbolism in the morning.)

-

Al-Daja (plural form: Al-Dajij). The gladiator warlock's minion, whose duty is to uphold competition. Ever-so excited for the upcoming battle, the crowd will explode into applauds whenever a new victim enters the stadium and comes face-to-face with their master. Their never-ceasing cheers always demand for more, and, not wanting their wide, unblinking eyes to stare at all his faults and mistakes, the warlock complies.

The warlock will try and not show a sign of degradation to his opponent- he'll hold out until they sing songs of his glory and his story gets passed down from generation to generation. However, these minions will often times become so entranced with the relics and spectacle that they would forget the identity of their master altogether, and even start cheering for the new challenger once the warlock is thrown into a corner.

(Based on Hop's personal drive - to become as glorious and powerful as the unbeatable champion himself -, how the losses have been affecting him, and him not wanting what negative attention he garnered along the way to affect Leon directly. The audience can be quite the chatterboxes; all it takes is one small piece of gossip for everything to go out of control. Its name, ألضجة, means "The Noise".)

(They also symbolize how everyone else already act around him all thanks to his brother's legacy- looking down on him for every little mistake he makes, while each victory earns him another comparison to Leon. He doesn't want to disappoint them- not the crowds, not his friends, not his family, and not himself, so he carries on with his useless endeavor; constantly chasing after a dream that is so far from his reach. The fact that this familiar is prone to forgetting who they are serving exactly is indicative of Hop forgetting himself.)

-Inspirations-

In-canon:

Sacrificing aspects of himself just to come close to that aforementioned ideal; going as far as to remove his lifelong friend, Wooloo, from his team

Trophies and other memorabilia of his brother being found in their home- almost no mementos of Hop being found there

Corviknight, one of the 'mons he gigantamaxes upon the release of the DLCs (the other is his starter pokemon, which I will assume is Scorbunny)

The fact that he is evidently Arab/Muslim-coded, especially in the French translation of the games where his name is Nabil (fun fact, Raihan is also an already-Arab name)

The third episode of Pokemon: Twilight Wings

Dubwool being able to learn a fuck ton of self-destructive moves

The statue of the Hero of Galar in Wyndon (Motostoke in the anime)

Outside Influences:

The Sealed Vessel from Hollow Knight and their theme; actually, wanna bet that he is trapped in a similar manner as they were if we were to assume that his power is equal to Isabeau's? That he has been gathering power from the mass hysteria resulting from his influence over the stadiums?

How sheep, lambs, and goats are associated with sacrifice, slaughter, deceit, and rituals (to tie the aforementioned wooloo/dubwool and self-abandonment points mentioned earlier)

The golden calf

The fact that some gladiators were prisoners and had to fight and put on a spectacle in order to regain their freedom

nana825763's "My house walk-through"

That one segment from Valle Verde part 2 which starts at around the 3:58 mark

The Devil Within by Digital Daggers (not my dumb ass imagining an animatic in which Bede is this warlock's first victim)

Cause of my Death by Itoki Hana

Dolus Vel Pedica, Area Strigae, and Delusio Summa from the Madoka Magica PSP game

The concept of living armor, but with added body horror

-Closing Statements-

Phew! Well, thank GOD this didn't take as much time as Medic's warlock did! (unless if we count my sick days- then yeah, it took just as much) To say that this was a WILD ride would be the understatement of the century!

I wanted to nail the vibe the witches had before we, as the audience, learned the truth about their origins - that he must have been born out of competition and the impostor syndrome that comes with such high-stakes contests -, and the idea that he, Sayf, was vengeful not just towards the leagues and the people who had beaten Hop while he was down, but also towards himself. I am unsure of whether or not I've completely succeeded on that front, but, if you guys have better ideas and/or criticisms, please do let me know! I aim to improve my writing in general and my abilities to break down character motivations and symbolize their actions in more abstract manners.

Being Bede is suffering; his ass is getting haunted on one hand, and Leon is able to smell his fear from a mile away on the other. He's not fucking winning this, lads :'3

...With all that being said, there is one shred of information that I've been withholding until now- the final piece of the puzzle that, once we step back, paints a rather grim image of what would occur if we were to combine the worlds of Pokemon SWSH and PMMM...

Outside the league challenge, the story of SWSH tackles the eldritch origins of Dynamax/Gigantamax; that the very vessels that allowed the people of Galar to utilize it must come from the remains of the invading Pokemon, Eternatus. Its initial awakening from its 17,000 year slumber heralded the event known as the Darkest Day; in which it had absorbed so much of Galar's energy that it caused its form to change and a dark storm to envelope the region, causing the pokemon to dynamax/gigantamax and go berserk. With the emergence of said storm come what is now known as "Galar Particles"; other sources of energy that, after the defeat of this threat, were utilized by humans for generations to come; rebuilding Galar from the ground up to the region we know today.

Now, a theme that both medias apparently share here from this fact alone is "energy". In a sense, you could say that Eternatus itself acts very much like a living grief seed; absorbing "impurities" in order for its true form to "hatch" and release boundless amounts of concentrated energy that can be used in a useful manner later down the line.

So....what gives? Why is Eternatus such a key element to this concept if the focus of this post is Hop? What does that creature beyond out comprehension have to do with the one we currently have in our hands right now?

See, not only does Hop's karmic potential stem from his destiny to stop the second Darkest Day alongside the main character, but his brother was also tasked by Chairman Rose with capturing the beast and delivering it to him; this was planned out in order to solve Galar's energy crisis that was going to unfold in the next several years or so, and, though it was a hard decision, the Chairman believed that now was a better time than never. The future of Galar, in his eyes, relied on him...

Obviously, Rose's entire plan fell flat on its face, so it was up to us, our bestie, and a very gud boi an' gorl (Pokedex entries confirm Zacian is Zamazenta's older sister) to save an entire region's ass from a wicked, unfathomable threat once more, but what if things went a little differently in this timeline? Obviously, one of the heroes who was supposed to assist/had assisted Gloria fell into despair and became the next world-ending threat she's going to have to put down, but what if this wasn't the only deviation from the norm here?

After all, Rose wasn't the only one who had sought out the means to prevent and remedy a sort of entropy issue at any cost necessary...

[winniethewife]

My first taste of love (Hunter x Reader)

A Fic for @freesia-writes

A/n: I hope you enjoy it!

No warnings Just fluff.

~~~

It all started on Kamino. She was one of the few ever charged with training clones, she had seen many batches of cadets come and go, but when she was asked personally By Nala Se to train the experimental batch of clones known as Clone force 99 she was definitely honored. They were a unique bunch. Tech with enhanced mental capability, Wrecker was well… built to wreck things, Crosshair and his long range abilities, these were all things she felt like she could work with. Hunter was an enigma. His enhanced sensory abilities were beyond anything she was used to, it took a while to figure out what she was going to do with him, but the main thing that made Hunter the most interesting to train was teaching him how to deal with how his senses would overwhelm him.

Once when the batch was still relatively biologically young, translatable to about 12 or 13, she found Hunter hiding in a supply closest. She didn’t even say anything she just climbed in the closet with him and wrapped a gentle arm around his shoulders.

“Hey, I’ve got you.” She mumbles. He nods and hid his face in her shoulder, embarrassed for being found but thankful for her comfort. That was the day that Hunter found out what a crush was, it was totally inappropriate, She was his trainer, His teacher! But he couldn’t help it.

~

As they were nearing the end of their training and the end of their accelerated growth cycle she found her role changing from teacher to friend, she still had some things to teach them but it was obvious that they were going to end up doing things their own way. She was so proud of them, and it showed. She would defend the batch tooth and nail when any of the republic officials or Kaminoans seemed to take issue with them. Something that probably cost her job in the end. She was reading the notice on her data pad that after the next Cadet graduation she would be asked to leave, her services no longer needed. She was so focused on the notice that she didn’t hear Hunter come up to her.

“Hey…you okay?” Hunters gruff voice asked as he saw the expression on her face, she jumps up startled.

“Kriffing Maker! Hunter! You scared me!” She laughs slightly and gives him a small smile. When did he get so…handsome…she shakes the thought away “Nothing for you to worry about, Okay? I’m just fine.” She reaches out and pats his shoulder, his face flushing.

“Alright if you say so.” He is unconvinced but doesn’t want to push.

~

After their cadet graduation, it would be a long time until she saw the batch again. She went back to mercenary work. At some point the war ended and everything seemed off about it. She was rubbing her temples while sitting at the bar at Cid’s parlor, unfortunately one of the few places she could get work these days. Just as she was about ready to just head out she heard some familiar voices. She quickly turns her head to the entrance in disbelief. But there they were, The Batch…Her Batch. After recovering from the most enormous hug from Wrecker, an introduction to Omega and Echo, and a very detailed explanation of everything that had happened from Tech, She finally managed to steal Hunter away for a moment. He had spent the entire time standing to the side a small smile on his face as he admired her. She was even more beautiful now then she had been on Kamino. She approaches him and with slight tears in her eyes she took his hand and pulled him in touching foreheads, hands still clasped together.

“I’m sorry, that I wasn’t honest with you” She says quietly as she maintained the contact.

“I worried, you just vanished after our squad graduation. I-I thought I did something wrong.”

“No, Hunter… You never did anything wrong. The Kaminoans thought I got too attached to you guys, wanted me out of the picture.” She squeezes his hand gently. Her eyes meeting his amber ones. Her free hand running through his hair.

“I…I never had the chance to tell you…how I felt.” Hunter whispers as he looks at her.

“Hunter…I always knew. You never had to say anything.” She smiles.

“Can I kiss you?” He asks with slight hesitation. She smiles wider

“Yes.” She mumbled. He pulled her in closer and wrapped his free arm around her waist, closing the distance as he pressed his lips to hers. Lost in the perfection of the moment they hardly notice Echo covering Omegas eyes and the rest of the batch averting their eyes.  She was happy for the first time since Kamino, she was in his arms…Hunters arms. Her Hunter

~

Masterlist

[yumiyue07]

Through Fire and Blood

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8

｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★ POV: K-idol x reader

H/N = His name Y/N = Your name

M/N1 = Member 1’s name (choose any member of your bias’ group) M/N2 = Member 2’s name (choose any member of your bias’ group) M/N3 = Member 3’s name (choose any member of your bias’ group)

Trigger warning: swearing, violence ｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★

The real chauffeur, Do Jin, a forty-year-old man, sat there, mortified. He had been at H/N's service for years, a trusted and loyal companion. A man of integrity and conscience, he was renowned for his exceptional fighting skills. His combat training was honed to perfection, and it was no coincidence that he was the trainer of the entire team, including H/N.

These qualities had convinced H/N to appoint him as your chauffeur as well, placing your safety in his capable hands. Yet, it was strange that he had been so easily overpowered.

When he saw H/N, he immediately jumped up and bowed ninety degrees, his head lowered in shame and contrition.

"Boss, I'm terribly sorry," the chauffeur stammered, his voice filled with shame. "I... I..."

"It's okay," H/N reassured him, his tone calm and understanding. "I'm glad you're not further hurt. Please sit down and tell me everything, down to the last detail." Do Jin was just a victim in this game, and H/N understood that.

"I went to the garage as instructed to get the car so that I could pick up Miss Y/N at the agreed time. When I went to get in, someone stopped me. He engaged me in a trivial conversation. I tried to get rid of him by trying to sit in the car. When I turned away from him, he suddenly put a cloth over my face. I was only able to grab his arm before I blacked out. I don't remember what happened after that. The next thing I remember is that I woke up here in this building. M/N2 already told me where they found me," the chauffeur explained, his voice tinged with frustration and confusion.

"Who was that man? It must be someone from our ranks. Who else would have access to our premises?" H/N inquired, a hint of impatience creeping into his tone.

"It must have been someone new. I haven't seen him here that often. Unfortunately, I can't remember exactly what he looked like. I'm still a bit woozy from the anesthetic," the chauffeur replied, struggling to recall the details.

"How many new recruits have we had recently?" H/N wanted to know, his mind racing with possibilities.

"We've taken on five new recruits in the last few weeks," M/N1 chimed in, providing the information.

"Fortunately, only five," H/N muttered, almost relieved. He turned to Do Jin again. "Do you think you'll recognize him when he's standing in front of you?"

"Yes, that should work," Do Jin affirmed, his determination evident.

"Get the new guys into the building under some pretense. Ensure absolute secrecy. We can't let that bastard get away. Take pictures of them inconspicuously and show them to him. The lousy rat mustn't know that we've already talked to Do Jin-ssi," H/N instructed, his tone firm and decisive.

"All right, boss. Leave it to us," M/N2 and M/N3 affirmed, acknowledging the task at hand.

"One last question," H/N inquired. "What was he talking about with you?"

"Hmm, he was asking questions about the car and how long I've been working here," Do Jin said. "He wanted to know if you would be in the office today and when you usually arrived." As soon as he finished talking, realization dawned on him.

H/N exchanged glances with M/N1, their eyes filled with a shared understanding. The mole was spying on him, trying to ensure that everything went according to their plan.

"Boss, I'm so sorry," Do Jin said, his voice filled with regret. "I just realized what a big amateur mistake I committed. I should have been immediately suspicious of him. Then I'd have a chance to stop him, and Miss Y/N would be safe." He covered his face with his hands in shame.

"We all made a mistake somewhere to let it come to this," H/N said more to himself. "The mole shouldn't have made it into the team in the first place." He turned to Do Jin. "Get some more rest. The boys will get back to you," he said, offering a reassuring nod.

"Thanks, boss," the chauffeur responded earnestly, bowing 90 degrees again. "And again, I'm terribly sorry. I hope we find Miss Y/N soon."

"I hope so too," H/N murmured, his thoughts consumed by the urgency of the situation. H/N and M/1 left the room and stood in the hallway.

"We now have a good lead," M/N1 said, his voice filled with determination. "Our team will certainly locate this rat quickly. Don't worry, we'll find Y/N." He patted H/N on the back encouragingly. "I'll join the others and help find the newcomers. You'll hear from us as soon as we have any news."

"Thank you, M/N1," H/N replied, nodding in appreciation.

H/N retreated to his office, his mind racing with thoughts of the mission ahead. Meanwhile, M/N1 joined the others, ready to tackle the next steps in the search for you.

It was already dark outside, the faint moonlight barely penetrating your room. You had been meticulously plotting your escape, drawing inspiration from countless movies. The plan itself was simple: seize the opportunity when you could go to the toilet. The execution, however, would be the difficult part. If Jun Ho was out there waiting for you, it would be damn difficult to trick him, let alone put him out of action. Finally, that moment arrived.

The boy who had brought you the pillow and blanket earlier returned, this time with food and a small construction spotlight to illuminate your room. He seemed inexperienced, a perfect target for your scheme. Grateful for the provisions, you thanked him as he hurried back toward the door, his demeanor betraying a hint of fear.

"Could you untie me?" you asked, gesturing to your bound hands. "I can't eat properly like this, and I really need to use the toilet."

His response was dismissive. "Use the bucket."

"Please," you pleaded, desperation creeping into your voice. "I can't do anything like this. Please, I really need to go." This time, you pointed to your bandaged ankles, hoping to evoke some empathy.

Reluctantly, he relented. "Oh, dammit. Don't you dare try anything," he warned, running his fingers through his hair. Carefully, he cut the rope binding your ankles and helped you stand. "I'll untie your hands when you're in front of the toilet."

"Thank you," you said sweetly, masking your anticipation with gratitude. This was your chance.

You mentally prepared yourself for the sight of Jun Ho in the hallway. You had to be a pretty good actor to convince him. But to your surprise, he wasn't there. Your puzzled look didn't go unnoticed by the boy.

"Oh, Hyung is talking to the boss," he told you carefree. "Forget what I just said, it's none of your business."

You nodded, trying to mask your inner leaps of joy. This was your chance. If you could trick the boy, it would be much easier to get out of here.

As he led you down the hallway outside your room, you carefully observed your surroundings, mentally mapping out your escape route. During the earlier incident with Jun Ho, you had already gained a valuable overview of the area.

With each step, your heart pounded in anticipation of the impending confrontation. As you reached the end of the corridor, the emergency exit door loomed ahead, a glimmer of hope in the darkness. Following his instructions, you turned right into another dimly lit passage.

But before you could make any move, he warned you sternly, his voice filled with authority. "The second door on the left. No tricks, got it?"

With a nod, you feigned compliance, biding your time until the opportune moment presented itself. As he removed your restraints, you seized the chance, moving toward the door with calculated precision. But just as you were about to reach for the handle, you spun around with lightning speed, delivering a powerful elbow strike to his vulnerable midsection. The element of surprise worked in your favor as he doubled over in agony, caught off guard by your sudden assault. Drawing on your combat training, you swiftly delivered a decisive blow to the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious. Regret flickered briefly in your eyes as you whispered an apology to the fallen foe, knowing that desperate times called for drastic measures.

Just as you were about to slip back into the main corridor, your heart pounded in your chest as you heard footsteps approaching from behind. A cold sweat broke out on your forehead, your escape plan hanging in the balance. With your breath held, you froze in place, listening intently. The footsteps grew closer, their rhythmic cadence filling the air with a sense of impending doom.

To be continued...

♡

Stay tuned for part 10!

Love, YumiYue 🌙

(⌒▽⌒)♡

Follow me on: 📸 Instagram: @yumiyue07 🎵 TikTok: @yumiyue07 📝 Wattpad: @LunaVerse_YumiYue

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fan fiction inspired by Stray Kids’ song “Freeze”. All characters and events are fictional and are not intended to represent real people or events.

All rights reserved. Please do not repost or reproduce this story without permission.

© 2024 LunaVerse - YumiYue07. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

[more-cardigan-than-woman]

The School Trip Ch 3: Star Labs

Summary: You and Mr Todd take the kids to star labs

Part 2

1.4k

Warnings: 18+, swearing, mentions of masturbatin

AN: Not sorry that I have been trapped in Baldurs gate for months instead of doing this. It will happen again.

"Everyone take a worksheet," you direct the teenagers, holding them out in your hands as they pass through the door to star labs, "remember your friends and follow the rules."

"And no wandering off. There is alot to see here and we don't want to have to call your guardians and tell them we lost you in a lab, okay." Jason adds, ticking off their names as they pass through the door into the lobby.

“Hi Guys!” Dr Snow exclaims as she approaches your group in the lobby. Her long white coat covering the very stylish dress she's wearing, paired with the kitten heels, you can’t help but feel like you’ve underdressed for the occasion in your skirt, sweater combo. “Are you guys ready for a tour?” she continues, giving you and Jason a warm smile, “I just have to speak to your teachers and then we will get going. Why don’t you guys start by looking over the videos that are on display just behind me.”

“Dr Snow, it’s so nice to finally meet you,” you smile in return taking her hand, “The kids are so excited to be here.”

“Lovely to meet you. I’m sure it’ll be a great day,” she looks over her shoulder, “You are welcome to join the tour or there’s a cafe down the road if you didn’t want to join us.”

“I think it’ll be best if we stay close, in case one of them needs us,” Jason pipes up from beside you, you’d almost forgot that he was there to be absorbed in the warmth that seems to radiate from Dr Snow.

“You’re more than welcome to join the tour,” she takes Jason's hand, “the more the merrier. Just try to stay towards the back, don't want the kids to get distracted.”

“Coffee would be nice though,” you nudge Jason's elbow. You’d missed out on one this morning, instead opting to get up and get ready at the ass crack of dawn. You didn't want to wake up and see him in his sleepy state, unsure if you'd be able to resist how adorable he probably looked if he was half asleep. Unfortunately he was already gone when you woke up, so you rushed through your routine and waited in the park outside for everyone to be ready to head out. You should have gotten a coffee, you're an idiot.

"I can run down to the cafe and grab some coffee." Jason's offers, "that way you can stay with the kids and we both get a decent coffee."

"How kind, Mr Todd isn't it?"

"Yes ma'am, Jason," 

"We're just going to head down to the particle display which is the first left on this hall," Dr Snow points out, "we'll wait for you there."

You and Dr snow both give Jason your orders and he heads out to grab them.

"So,” Dr Snow links arms with you as you approach the group of teenagers, "is he the one you mentioned in our emails?

Xx

It didn't take him long to get your coffee. His mind is almost blank as he walks back to the lab. The sun shines in his eyes and all he can see is the tiny bit of drool falling from your lips as you slept this morning. Your hair was all a mess, he couldn't put his shoes on quick enough. 

He'd taken his morning jog, running at twice the speed of normal in an attempt to quell himself of the dreams he had. He'd woken at 3 am with his cock throbbing and all he could do was pray you didn’t wake, attempt to clear his thoughts and hope like fuck that it would go away. At 4 am he finally gave up, slipping on his trainer and slinking out the door. He didn't make it back to the room until after you had already gone. 

You've already moved onto the third exhibit when he finds you. He doesn't mean to sneak but it sounds like you and Dr Snow are talking about him while the kids interact with the exhibits.

"Coffee delivery," he says, loud enough to startle you both.

"Just in time," Dr Snow smiles, taking her from the tray and turning to face the kids, "Ok scientists, we are about to go into the collider room. Please follow me."

"Caity," you stop her, as she's about to head out the door, "you got the kids?"

"Yeah, we'll be right. You know where the swab room is? Meet us there."

"What's going on?" Jason asks, trying to undergrad what's going on. Are you gonna ask where he was this morning? Ask where he went so early in the morning?

"Caity is going to take the kids down to the collider. I figured we could- um," shit ,how do you put this? "This morning, and yesterday- i- '' you start to walk unsure where you're going but knowing you need to keep moving if you want to be coherent.

"I went for a run," he cuts in before you can finish your question, following you into a room, "its habit. I like to get my endorphins going early," he lies. He usually runs in the afternoon, but fuck he needed out of there and he doesnt want to make it awkward, not when he’s just starting to get to know you.

"Was it a nice run?" You ask, thankful that you don't have to finish your question.

"Yeah, I found some pretty spots around. There's a nice little park a bit from the hotel."

"Nicer than the grass out the front?"

"Way nicer, had a lake and everything. I even stopped and finished your book." And had jerked off to it, but he left that part out. That was between him and the birds that called in the trees above him, the swans swimming in the lake and the squirrel he startled when his internal scream started to bubble out of his mouth at the thought of taking you against the tree his back was pressed against.

"What did you think?"

"I understand why people like them a bit more now. A Lot of reassurance, care and the main characters needs are centered above all else. Makes sense that people would find comfort on them."

"Never really thought about that. I'm always focused on-"

"The smut?" He interrupts again, "that was pretty good too. But I'm more of a visual guy," he pauses as you both stop in front of a display, watching each other in the glass, "I like to see what I'm doing to people, see how they react when I touch them." His eyes meet yours in the glass, "nothing prettier than seeing someone lose themselves underneath me."

He turns, waiting for you to say something. His hands hidden in his pockets as he tries to hide his nerves. But your eyes are locked straight ahead, caught on something  in the display and when the silence gets too much for him he asks, "can you tell me what this is?"

"A physical representation of string theory."

"Looks like a cat's dream land."

"I'm sure Rex would love it." Your voice distant as you continue to try and scrub the imagine of Jason Todd spread out on top of you, his curls falling in your eyes and his sweater somewhere on the floor

"What I said," he starts to backtrack, knowing he's said the wrong thing, that it was way to forward and so unlike him, kind of. He just wants to be friends. He tries to remind himself as you stare up at him looking confused and curious, "it was inappropriate. I apologise," he starts to stammer, "I'll just go catch up with the kids and I'll see you on the bus."

"Do you know much about string theory?" You ask and he stops in his tracks, turning back towards you.

"Only what I read in biographies of physicists." Now it's his turn to look confused. He was certain a second ago that he had blown any chance, but with the way you're looking at him right now, maybe he misjudged the situation.

"Would you like to know?"

"You don't want me to leave?

"No, but-" you think about your next words carefully, , "I think safer conversations should be had while in the proximity of impressionable teens."

"Okay, explain it to me like I'm 5."

Ch4

[formula-1-otp]

Friends will always Help

Summary : Liam gets paired with a new trainer when Logan is in the US. Unfortunately this trainer doesn't like Liam much. Max and Checo save the day.

WARNING : This fix contains mentions of rape, abuse and other dark themes some readers may find triggering. READ AT OWN RISK

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Liam was so grateful to be part of the f1 team. Even as a reserve driver, it was his dream. Heidi worked hard around the Red Bull and RB garage to make sure everything was perfect. He wanted the team to win as much as the drivers wanted to win.

As Liam was packing up his stuff at the Red Bull training centre he started walking towards the stairs so he could head home for the night. As he opened the door and sauntered through he felt someone give him a slight push, he turned around to see one of the Red Bull engineers looking at him with a dirty look.

“Watch where you’re walking Lawson,” he pushed passed Liam and continued down the stairs. Liam just shrugged it off and headed to his car.

Unfortunately, the following days the engineer had picked Liam out of a crowd and Liam wasn’t sure what he did to make the tech mad but whatever it was must have been big. He was in the simulator room this time, just practicing he was pretty happy with the result in his training. He slowly got himself up and stretched as he had been sitting for quite some time. As Liam faced the door he saw the same tech starting at him. Liam just stared for a few seconds he wasn’t sure what to do.

“Why do you always seem to be where I need to go?” That statement confused Liam the engineers never used the racing sim.

“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t know-“ Liam was cut off by feeling a slap to his face.

“You will only talk to me when I let you talk,” The engineer, that Liam could now see was named Mark, had got into his face. Liam quickly nodded his head. “Christian wants to talk to you in the office,” Mark crossed his arms and moved from the door. Liam blushed a bit before scurrying to the office. He was slightly worried Christian hadn’t asked to see him in the office before so Liam couldn’t help but wonder what he had done.

He carefully knocked before opening the door when he got the okay. Mark had followed him to the office and went inside with him. Now Liam was panicking.

“Hey Liam, I just want to let you know you are not in trouble, always have to start with that,” Christian could see the relief leave Liam’s face. “But over the next couple months for race weekends I have assigned Mark to work with you to get you prepared just in case we need you this year,” Christian smiled and explained the plan, that Mark would accompany Liam to races and they would discuss strategies and how to help prepare Liam for if he was needed. Liam kept his exterior calm but he was nervous, this Mark guy didn’t seem to like Liam much, Liam didn’t want to be stuck with someone who didn’t want to hang out with him. They finished up their meeting before Liam and Mark were excused from Christian's office to get to their next meeting.

Liam slowly walked down the hall. Heidi could tell Mark was burning daggers into the back of his head.

“Of course, Christian pairs me with you, you’ll never have a career in F1,” Those words stung Liam he had always had a bit of a self-confidence issue, but so many of the drivers had reassured him, he deserved to be there. They finally made it to their destination one of the empty board rooms. Liam walked in and sat down at the table, Mark just stood behind Liam handing him some paper and a pen.

“Now instead of doing strategy for a driver like you, I need you to write a letter for me, on why I deserve to have my children and why my ex-wife should be arrested,” Mark explained in detail how Liam was to write the letter. Liam couldn’t tell without Mark saying anything that Liam didn’t get a choice. So slowly Liam began writing all the things that Mark had told him.

Liam was trying his best, unfortunately though he was nervous so he made a mistake he went to scribble it out but Mark smacked the table startling the kiwi before he got the chance.

“I thought I told you to write me a letter, not screw it up, every time you screw up you will be punished,” Mark grabbed a chair before standing up on the table. Liam just stared he didn’t know what was about to happen.

“Put your hand on the edge of the table,” Mark instructed and Liam followed.

The Kiwi honestly just wanted the whole thing to be over. As Liam’s hand rested on the side of the table the way Mark wanted, what he wasn’t expecting was Mark to full force stomp down on his hand. Liam cried out in pain wanting to pull his hand away but the weight was crushing it. Mark removed his foot before crouching down to be closer to Liam, before slapping him across the face.

“Take your punishment like a man Liam,” Mark grits his teeth watching Liam start the letter over again.

Liam wasn’t sure how long he had been in the board room, his hands were red and throbbing, and he was sure he probably had a few broken bones. Heidi tried to count his blessings at least Mark would occasionally crush his other hand so to make sure he’d be able to write. Liam finally got it right, he had done it perfectly. He was holding back tears, he had learnt earlier that crying only made everything worse.

“We’re done for today Lawson, but you better be back tomorrow at 7 am we have a lot to do tomorrow,” Mark slowly leaned down in front of Liam, the kiwi couldn’t help but look away. “Liam you better look at me,” Mark grabbed Liam’s face looking into his eyes before planting a kiss to Liam’s lips. The kiwi tried to get away but it only made Mark hold tighter. When the older man released the kiwi he silently got up and left the room. Leaving Liam alone to finally let the tears he had been holding for hours out. He brought his hands close to his chest trying to relieve any pain unfortunately it wasn’t doing much. Liam knew he had to get going, he managed to grab his phone even though it was incredibly painful, he saw the time he had a media dinner to attend with the Red Bull drivers and if he didn’t get a move on he wouldn’t have time to go home and change. Liam somehow managed to shuffle his belongings into his arms before sneaking out of the training centre. He would have to figure out a way to hide his hands he could see the purple and black already starting to form in places and it was only a matter of time until someone noticed.

He managed to get into his car and took a few shaky deep breaths. He sat there for a bit, he wasn’t sure what to do. He could barely move his fingers let alone drive his car. Liam managed to get his phone on his lap and open his contacts, he searched the list, he wasn’t sure who to call, he didn’t want to tell anyone but he wasn’t sure what to tell them what happened. As he sat contemplating who to call. The Kiwi noticed he must have been sitting there longer than he had meant to and now wouldn’t have time to head home to get changed so what he was wearing would have to do. Liam just took a whim and picked someone.

As the line dialed Liam was getting more and more nervous.

“Liam?” The voice on the other end sounded confused but it brought Liam back to reality.

“Hey Checo, I uh I need a favour,” Liam knew he probably sounded awkward but he and Checo weren’t super close but they were always friendly.

“What can I do for you, Liam? You do remember we have that media dinner tonight?”

“Yeah of course, I was gonna ask could you by chance pick me up on your way I’m still at the training centre,” Liam tried to sound nonchalant but he knew that most people had left the training centre hours ago to get ready for this dinner.

“ of course Liam I’m just about to leave my house I’ll be there shortly,” After thanking the Mexican Liam hung out and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He looked around his car thankful that the last dinner party he went to he brought an extra button down and left it in his car. He was even more glad when he realized it was Logan and would cover at least his palms. Liam somehow managed to get his shirt on without undoing any of the buttons, he didn’t think his fingers would’ve let him if he tried.

It wasn’t long before Checo was pulling up beside Liam’s car, the kiwi stepped out, and Liam tried to hide his wince when he went to open Checo’s door. He’s not sure if the older man saw it or not but he didn’t say anything if he did. The two just rode in silence, and Liam was thankful for that. They eventually arrived at the venue Checo parked before the two men hopped out. Chico smiled at the kiwi before instantly walking over to Max and starting a conversation. Liam observed for a minute, not too many cameras but he imagined there were lots of reporters in the room. He saw Yuki and Daniel talking to some of the techs from the garage. Liam was overwhelmed, he usually loved a good media event, they served great food and usually had some fun conversations but right now he wanted to be anywhere but there.

Liam strolled up to the bar, he needed something to take away the pain. What he wanted was to put his hands in the freezer for a bit but he knew he had a job to do. So he slapped on a fake smile before going into mingle. Holding his drink was proving to be a lot more difficult than he intended so he tried to always go converse near a table where he could set his drink down.

As the night went on people were getting more and more drunk. Liam was thankful the shirt he had covered most of his hands so no one had noticed, and if they did they usually only noticed the tip of a finger and he could easily play it off as he had slammed it in his car door. He slowly made the rounds saying goodbye to all the drivers and crew. Liam knew it was late but luckily the train would still have a few more trips to his neighborhood. Luckily it was quiet for a Thursday night so the train was quite empty he just sat with his thoughts. Trying to block out everything that had happened over the day.

Returning to his empty apartment Liam was reminded that Logan was still in the US for another week, he couldn’t fault his boyfriend he was glad he could get a week off and go visit his family, but Liam missed the company of the American. The house seemed to quiet. Walking into his bathroom looking under the sink for the tensor bandage, Liam managed to grab two bags of frozen vegetables out of the freezer, since he couldn’t find any ice packs, and slowly sat himself on the couch placing his hands on the ice. Finally getting some relief. He knew he'd have to wrap his hands soon, especially if any bones were broken he wanted them to heal properly.

Liam wasn't sure when he fell asleep but he woke up on the couch still in his clothes from the night before, his hands were ultimately what woke him up they were excruciatingly pounding with pain. He looked at the clock on the wall seeing it was 6:30 his face dropped and panicked because he was going to be late. He jumped up somehow managed to get his shirt off and ran to the room to grab whatever he could find. He didn't realize though the shirt he grabbed was Logan, a Williams shirt to be specific but Liam didn't care most of the team knew of his relationship and supported the two young men. He quickly wrapped the tensor bandage on his hands, grabbed his keys running outside, to realize he left his car at the training centre and he would have to take the train and then the bus. It was at least a 45-minute trip if all went perfectly and it was already quarter to 7, Lism just sighed before rushing down to the train station, he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket he panickedly pulled it out to see it was Logan calling him. He instantly answered grimacing a bit at the pain.

“Hey baby,” Liam couldn't help the smile on his face.

“Hey, How's it going?” Lian could tell Logan was tired he could hear it in the American's voice.

“I'm okay just heading to the factory for an early start,” Liam explained he made it on the train, cramming in trying to not bump his hands as best he could.

“Liam why is it so loud? Are you on the train?” Liam paled even though Logan couldn’t see him he knew Logan would be suspicious.

“Oh yeah I had a media dinner so Checo just drove me to and from,” he didn’t want Logan to worry so he just stretched the truth a little bit.

“And you didn’t ask anyone to drive you?”

“Most of the team doesn’t have to be there till about 10,” Liam explained he could hear the worry in Logan’s voice, he felt guilty not telling Logan everything but he was so embarrassed of everything with Mark and not being able to drive. He was a reserve driver and he couldn’t handle a tech that was trying to make him tough, he was sure Mark was just trying to prepare him for when he would have a full-time seat. Logan finished up the call before letting Logan go so the American could get some sleep.

Liam ran down the street, he was late, panicking and just wanted to be at the factory. Luckily as he came around the corner he could see it come into view. He ran up to the front doors and was in such a rush he went to pull the door but he didn’t grab the whole door handle which made him bash his hand off the handle. Liam whimpered retracting his hand quickly, he could feel the tears in his eyes, he knew the more he used his hands the worse the pain would be especially since he was in such a rush he forgot to take any pain meds.

He barely made it through the door before he saw Mark standing in front of him.

“What did I say, Lawson?”

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault-“ Liam felt the sting of his cheek.

“I guess I have to teach you a lesson, I thought you were smart but I guess you’re too stupid,” Mark grabbed Liam’s arm as hard as he could and dragged the kiwi back to the board room. He threw Liam to the ground when he entered, and he proceeded to kick Liam in the stomach a few times before reaching down and giving him a few punches, Liam groaned on the floor trying to protect his organs but he knew it was no use, he just let the abuse come, he knew he couldn’t cry but he couldn’t stop the single tear from falling down his cheek.

For the days to come Liam knew the routine, he would arrive at the factory, meet with Mark, get punished for screwing up something, push through the pain and go home and nurse his wounds in the privacy of his home.

Liam lifted his shirt staring at himself in the mirror, he could see the dark marks on his stomach, some were from a few days ago others were a few hours old. Liam knew Logan was coming home in a few days and he wasn’t sure how he was gonna hide it from his boyfriend but he was trying to strategize any way he could. On the bright side whatever Mark was telling Christian they were doing was making his boss happy.

It was the following Thursday that Liam got up like normal and examined his bruising making sure none was too bad, he struggled to get out of bed the pain in his stomach was a lot worse than it had been, but that’s what happens when you have bruises on top of bruises.

Liam showed up at the factory well within the time he was allowed to show up for Mark he couldn’t handle a beating as soon as he arrived he wasn’t sure he’d make the whole day if that was the case. Liam followed the routine to a tea doing everything Mark asked. He was t sure where he went wrong he was so tired and his brain just wasn’t working properly and he was frustrated and in pain and he couldn’t help but let a few tears fall.

“What did I tell you about crying you baby,” Liam was ready for his normal punishment but the look in Mark's eyes scared him he hadn’t seen the older man look like that yet.

“You’re making me do this Liam if you would’ve just behaved this would’ve never happened,” Mark walked over to the door in the corner, Liam didn’t know where that door went, he knew the ins and outs of the factory but he hadn’t been in there, as the door opened Liam could get a glimpse of the dark room, it was an office, he put two and two together. It was Mark's office, there was a desk with a chair and a small black couch. Mark threw Liam on the couch before reaching into the drawer of his desk and pulling out some handcuffs. Liam’s eyes widened, he had no idea what was happening but his brain had some ideas. As Mark handcuffed him to the bed Liam tried to struggle but Mark was bigger than him and with all the pain Liam was in he had very little fight.

Liam felt his belt being undone, he was panicking he didn’t want this, is this what it took to be a Formula 1 driver, if it was Liam wasn’t sure he could do it.

Liam fought against Mark but unfortunately, the bigger man had no issue getting Liam to succumb to him. Mark knew exactly where he had punched and kicked Liam in the week before where all the sore spots were so if Liam wouldn’t behave he would give them an extra hit. Liam managed to muffle his cries he knew making a noise would just make it worse. The pain was extreme, he wanted his first time to be with Logan, he had been saving himself for his boyfriend, and Logan never pressured Liam into anything he didn’t want to do.

Liam was feeling nauseous, the pain was getting to him, and the way Mark was enjoying every minute taking Liam’s innocence, eventually the older man finished, leaving Liam crying and heaving into the trash can next to Mark's desk. He hadn't eaten anything so all he was throwing up was stomach acid.

“I have a few meetings with the team so you have a few hours of training before I’ll be back for round too, my sweet little boy,” Mark placed another kiss onto Liam’s lips in between his heaves, and just like that Mark was gone. Leaving Liam alone, pants around his ankles heaving into a trash can crying. All Liam wanted was to go home and hide. He felt disgusting, dirty, used. Liam finally stopped puking long enough he could gain enough composure to get his bearings. He knew he needed to get to the bathroom and clean himself up. He slowly pulled his pants back up around his waist groaning at the uncomfortable feeling he had from his behind.

Liam slowly stood on shaky legs trying to just keep putting one foot in front of the other. He made sure to wipe his tears before leaving the boardroom. He didn’t want anyone questioning him. Liam made it to the bathroom shut the door behind him, and slid down the wall to the floor, he couldn’t hold back the tears anymore and he just started sobbing, the memories playing in flashes in his mind. He completely lost track of time stuck in his little world.

Max and Checo were just casually chatting as they were walking down the hall. They had just finished up their lunch and were heading to their afternoon meetings, as they passed the men’s bathroom on the second story it was hard to miss the sound of cries coming from inside. Checo gave Max a look before the two began to investigate. Checo slowly opened the door trying not to make too much noise.

The second the door opened Liam’s hand flew to his mouth to try to muffle his sobs, he thought Mark was coming back for him and he couldn’t take it. He hurt so much, he could feel the blood drying where Mark had forced himself into Liam. Liam didn’t want to look, if it was Mark he didn’t want to know and if it was someone else he just hoped they’d either leave as soon as they saw him or do their business and head on their way.

As Checo rounded the corner first he stopped in his tracks. The small kiwi he had given a ride to last week was here in the bathroom crying on the floor. Chico looked at Max worried, he had never seen Liam lose his composure. Checo slowly approached Liam, he wasn’t sure what was going on but he didn’t want to startle the boy who looked so small against the bathroom wall.

“Liam?” Checo said softly, Liam's head snapped up panic on his face as his eyes met Checo’s and then Max’s gaze.

“Liam, what happened?” The Dutchman was next to crouch to Liam’s level, he kept some distance between them.

“Oh nothing, I’m okay,” Liam tried to get himself to stop crying, he needed to handle this on his own, if Mark was doing this to him and he was a reserve driver he could only imagine what happened to Checo and Max. Max went to reach out to the kiwi only for Liam to flail backwards to get away from Max hitting his head slightly on the wall behind him.

“Whoa it’s okay, we’re not here to hurt you,” Checo stopped moving, he was confused, never once did Max or Checo ever hit anyone on their team let alone the young New Zealander.

“Liam, has Logan been hurting you?” Max spoke Checo could hear the anger in Max’s voice, it didn’t happen often but Max could be very protective of his friends. Liam quickly shook his head, he was overwhelmed, and scared, but he didn’t want anyone blaming Logan, heck he had barely talked to his boyfriend in the last week since Mark had him on such a tight schedule.

“Liam if someone is hurting you, please tell us we just want to help,” Checo pleaded with blonde, he hated seeing him so upset.

“Can I sit beside you?” Checo asked carefully. Liam thought about it carefully before nodding. Checo slowly sat beside Liam, “Can Max sit on your other side?” Liam responded with another nod. Max carefully took his spot on the other side.

They sat in silence just letting Liam cry, but they sat with him reminding him they were there and ready when he wanted to talk.

“It was Mark,” Liam whispered looking at the floor between his legs. Checo and Max looked at each other worry evident on both their faces.

“What did he do?” Max couldn’t keep his anger at bay. He never really liked Mark, he always got a bad vibe from the older man.

“When Christian assigned us it was just small things, a slap here, he did break a few of my fingers but that’s whatever they seem okay now, but it just got worse and worse until today…” Liam started crying again, the flashbacks coming in spurts no matter what he did they wouldn’t stop.

“What happened today Liam?” Checo couldn’t believe what he heard. He knew Mark, but he thought Christian had fired that man months ago Checo was mistaken.

“H-he raped me…” Liam was full-on sobbing into his knees. He felt like such a fool, he was supposed to be strong, and resilient and here he was crying in the men’s bathroom in front of two amazing drivers who probably had more important things to do than listen to Liam’s little story.

“Oh Dios mío,” Checo mumbled, he knew Mark was a bad guy but he never expected that.

“Oh Liam,” Max couldn’t help it he was furious but he was also so sad for the kiwi. He could tell Liam was struggling with this “Do you want me to call Logan?”

“No please don’t tell him, I don’t want him to change his mind about our relationship,” Liam had stopped sobbing but he couldn’t stop the tears from coming.

“Liam he wouldn’t, he loves you so much, you know that,” Checo was trying to comfort Liam but they were struggling.

“I know but he’s on the plane anyway I have to explain all these to him anyway,” Liam shows the older boys his bruising under his shirt. They could see all the blue, purple, yellow and green spots covering his entire midsection and chest.

“Oh, Liam and you’ve been working like this?” Checo couldn’t remove his eyes from the bruising.

“Working 12-hour days,” Liam mumbled, it was true he had been working so much overtime he barely had slept in the last week between work, tending to his injuries, and cleaning the house so it would be perfect for Logan when he arrived since Liam knew the boy would be jet-lagged.

“You’re done working for today,” Max said, Liam’s eyes darted up to the Dutchman.

“No I have more meetings with Mark this afternoon, and then he said something about round two,” Liam’s brain wasn’t even making sense he was tired, the trauma of the day making his brain foggy.

“No you will never see Mark again, Checo can you make a few phone calls and make sure we have some people around for Liam until Logan’s flight gets in,” Max looked to Checo who just smiled back. “Okay Liam you go with Checo and I have to go raise hell,” Liam didn’t even have time to process before Max was out of the bathroom.

“Hey Checo,” Liam looked over to the Mexican who was busy texting on his phone who he was texting Liam wasn’t sure.

“Yes mi amiga?” Chico looked up from his text to Lando and Oscar.

“Thank you for everything,” Liam leaned into the older man a bit feeling safe with him which was something he hadn’t felt in a while.

“Of course let’s get you home,” Checo helped Liam to his feet before walking with the younger boy to Checo’s car, slowly helping him into the front seat, Checo wouldn’t rush Liam he knew from experienced the pain Liam was going through, it had been many years since Checo experienced it but those experiences never left your brain.

Max stormed up to Christian’s office, he usually loved his boss but hearing what Liam had endured for the last week and a half made Max furious. Max knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Christian answered smiling at Max.

“You had Mark working with Liam!?” Max started explaining everything to Christian, leaving the older man dumbfounded in his chair. Max wasn’t trying to make him feel guilty but he was so angered. Luckily Christian understood and Mark was fired instantly.

Checo pulled into Liam’s driveway, Liam was confused by the McLaren in the driveway, he wasn’t expecting visitors. Checo helped him inside refusing to leave the Kiwi's side. He could feel the death grip Liam had on him even if Liam didn’t notice he was doing it himself. Liam looked into his living room to see Lando and Oscar sitting on the couch. Charles and Carlos were in the kitchen, all four men looked to Liam as they came in. Liam couldn’t help the heat that came to his cheeks. He saw the sympathetic looks he didn’t even know what to say. He didn’t want people to know but the fact that within 20 minutes all these people showed up for him made his heart warm. He couldn’t help the tears coming again, he was tired of crying.

“Thank you all of you,” it was quiet and if the house wasn’t dead silent they all wouldn’t have heard him.

“Of course mon Ami, now go have a shower get comfy and we’ll have food and a movie picked out,” Charles smiled softly to Liam before Checo slowly guided the Kiwi upstairs to his bedroom.

“I’ll be right here the whole time,” Checo reassured Liam as the kiwi slowly walked towards the bathroom. He undressed himself turning on the shower making sure it was as hot as his body could handle before stepping in. It didn’t fix how he felt but he felt a little better after. True to his word Checo was sitting on the bed on his phone he smiled sympathetically to Liam as the younger boy came out in his sweatpants shirtless and the bruises seemed almost more prominent now. Liam stopped by the closet to pull out one of Logan’s many hoodies and throw it on, the scent of his boyfriend calming Liam immediately.

“Let’s go downstairs and get you some food and we’ll have a relaxing night,” Checo smiled at Liam who returned it with a small smile before they headed downstairs.

Liam saw the four men and now Max all sitting around his dinner table and he could hear the playful arguing before he even made it downstairs.

“But Charles I’m hungry,” Lando whined, Oscar was just chuckling beside him as Charles was glaring at Lando.

“I made it for Liam so he gets to eat first then you can get some,” Charles replied with a look of seriousness but Liam knew Charles could hardly resist Lando he could be pretty persistent when he wanted to be.

“Thank you Charles and Carlos it smells delicious,” Liam said dishing himself a plate before sitting at the table as one by one the group went to get something food. They chatted carelessly during dinner keeping the topics light and humorous. As they finished up Lando and Oscar cleaned the dishes before Checo and Max were guiding Liam who was on autopilot and slowly fading to the middle of the couch that had been filled with blankets and pillows.

“We picked Cars to watch, it’s the only thing we can agree on,” Oscar said to Liam giving him a playful smile, Cars were one of Liam’s favourites but he also knew Charles probably wouldn’t watch anything else even if Max begged him to. They weren’t even half an hour into the movie before Liam felt his eyes slipping closed but he couldn’t stop himself he was just so tired and for the first time in a week and a half he felt safe. All his friends came together to make sure he was okay and he couldn’t have been more grateful.

As the movie came to an end Checo looked at the group, half of them were asleep and the other half were enjoying the end. Checo turned his head as he heard the front door close softly and gentle footsteps before Logan came into view smiling at Checo.

“Oh, I see I missed movie night?” Logan chuckled softly, looking at the couch to see Liam, Lando, Charles and Max all cuddled together asleep on the couch.

“Logan we need to talk,” Checo unfortunately knew he had to tell Logan, he deserved to know, the remaining 4 men all went upstairs to the bedroom so they could talk and not disrupt the sleeping group downstairs.

“What happened? You guys are scaring me?” Logan didn’t like what he was walking into.

“Christian paired Liam with a new trainer while you were gone, Mark was his name,” Checo started but the thought alone made him mad, the fact that Christian even paired Liam with that monster. Checo had heard multiple reports about Mark over the years but most went under the rug.

“He hurt him, Logan, he broke or sprained a handful of the bones in both Liam’s hands, he beat the crap out of him day in and day out, made Liam work 12-hour days but not actual training he made him do his chores, his bidding, and even worse he raped him Logan,” Checo was grateful that Oscar stepped in, he knew it may be easier coming from Logan’s friend then another driver on the grid. Checo could see Logan’s face turning red in anger but then it shifted to hurt, and disappointment.

“Max got him fired it’s dealt with he’ll never have to see Mark again,” Checo added, Logan just ran his hand through his hair.

“And I wasn’t here for him,” Logan felt awful, the love of his life had lived a horrible nightmare while he was having a relaxing vacation with his family.

“But you’re here now and he needs you more than ever,” Carlos smiled to Logan which in turn put a smile on Logan’s face.

The group headed back downstairs, getting comfy beside their partners they managed to move enough sleeping bodies so Logan could crawl in beside Liam and pull his boyfriend close placing a soft kiss on his temple.

“Logie?” Liam mumbled waking up slightly to see his boyfriend beside him.

“I’m here Li, I’m not going anywhere go back to sleep,” Logan said softly so as not to wake the other sleeping boys.

Logan still felt guilty over the coming weeks but he made sure to make Liam feel safe in any way he could and when the memories would get too much for the younger boy Logan just held him close and comforted him. They made sure to thank their friends often and made movie nights a regular occurrence enjoying each other's company.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

my dearest tumblr fanfic writer, can you make a fanfic about the reader seeing gold from lost silver and immediately throwing him against the ceiling, causing gold to make an ugly SPLAT sound? thaaank youuu !!!!!!111!11!!!one!!!1

A lovely request, anon /gen

........

“Hey, are you Gold from the Lost Silver tale?”

Blinking owlishly, the doomed trainer spun around to see you there. The Unowns on his team spelled out the words “WHOS ASKING?” as he stared at you with a curious gaze.

You didn’t respond right away and just approached him, taking him by the shoulders(?). “I’m gonna practice Seismic Toss on you if that’s okay.”

“..I don’t-”

Unfortunately he had little time to protest as you suddenly flung him up towards the ceiling, and upon impact his body made a nasty “splat” noise. The blood from his stumps splattered everywhere, some of it getting on your trainer clothes, but it didn’t bother you.

You were just amused by how he stuck to the ceiling like glue.

Then without warning, Gold began falling.

The Unowns tried to catch him, but to no avail as he faceplanted to the floor, more blood splattering everywhere. Somehow his hat managed to stay on like it was part of him.

“Hah. And they say fighting-type moves are ineffective against ghosts.” You chuckled, stopping when the Unowns stared at you angrily with glowing red eyes. “Jeez, sorry guys..”

Looking down at Gold, you sighed. “My bad, dude. I don’t know what came over me. Can I treat you to a grilled cheese as an apology?”

For a few moments he didn’t move, though he eventually looked up at you with a smile.

“Yes.”

[candyredappledragon]

part 4 [ long post warning! ]

As they finally approached where Fezandipiti is in Oni Mountain. Arven and Florian already decided to team up. Florian’s excuse was that Ogerpon’s pokeball was shaking the entire time. She wanted to let loose and finish the job but Florian isn’t going to actually let her KILL them. He needs to catch them and let them sit in the boxes for Arceus knows how long. They decided to go after Okidogi tomorrow since it was about to be night and the trek across Kitakami was tiring. If it was possible, Florian would’ve given the group a ride to make it a breeze. Unfortunately there isn’t room for five more people on the 

Arven kneeled down to his Mabosstiff as his Pokemon wagged its tail in an excited manner ready to battle and help Florian and Ogerpon.

“Haha good to see you are excited to fight, Mabosstiff. We’ll be the best support for Florian here.” Mabosstiff barked in reply as he was agreeing with Arven.

Ogerpon ran around Florian letting off steam and as well pump herself up with the upcoming battle.

“Well look who’s excited. No surprise here hehe.” Florian commented watching Ogerpon for a bit then looked over at the rest of the group. “This’ll be over before you guys know it.”

Carmine rolled her eyes. “Well I hope so. I’m tired and I want to relax a bit in my home.”

Kieran watched the group talk amongst themselves a bit far away. Something was lurking in the shadows but hid itself when Kieran noticed the presence of it.

-

As Fezandipiti let out a cry of defeat. Florian quickly threw a pokeball at it, securing the capture of the bird Pokemon. Ogerpon jumped up and down in victory letting out some happy chirps. The trainer high fived Arven and the both walked over to the group with a grin on his face.

“See, it didn't take too long!” Florian said, tapping at his Rotom phone and the pokeball vanished instantaneously.

“Great! Can we head back now my feet are killing me,” Penny muttered in complaint.

Kieran was sitting on the floor of the cave away from the others but not too far. He spotted a figure hiding and soon realized it was Pecharunt coming to check on him. Kieran got up then heard a loud cry noticing it was from Ogerpon as rapid footsteps were heard.

Ogerpon had her cudgel out and her eyes were full of anger as she was about to swing at the peach Pokemon Kieran ran in front of Pecharunt in defense getting in between the two. Ogerpon stopped herself and backed off. Pecharunt was shaking like a leaf in response to Ogerpon’s aggressive behavior. She was glaring at the two lowering her cudgel a bit.

“S-sorry Ogerpon but I can’t let you hurt my friend,” Kieran said looking at her, he was scared out of his wits but he had to defend his friend.

Florian ran up to the three in confusion as others followed suit. He was confused and concerned as to what’s happening between the two parties.

“Kiki what’s going on?” Carmine asked.

“I-I should’ve said something earlier about the friend I was trying to help.” Kieran said, looking at the ground avoiding eye contact from the group. “When it first awoke the Loyal Three took notice and tried to get their hands on it. The one night before Carmine came home it followed me home.”

“Then some unfortunate things happened but we made amends…well some of it.” Kieran said sadly, going over to Pecharunt and holding it to comfort and calming it down. This angered Ogerpon more causing Kieran to gulp in worry and readying himself just in case she wanted to attack.

“Kieran… Ogerpon is clearly upset with this Pokemon. Do…do you know their history?” Florian asked.

Kieran closed his eyes in thought. “Do you remember reading the signs the first time you came to visit Kitakami? As well as learning the true story from my grandpa.”

“Yeah?”

“They’re all connected to this Pokemon and Ogerpon.”

“Huh? Then why are you helping it knowing what it did to Ogerpon?” The trainer said with a confused look on his face.

“Because.. it didn’t mean to. It didn’t mean to kill her friend. Only ordered the Loyal Three to get the masks and that’s it, it only wanted the masks and nothing more. Pecharunt is really sorry for its actions and no longer desires the masks and regrets it during the time it was dormant.”

“Kieran… I-I don’t trust it. What if it’s pretending to be weak just to attack Ogerpon and steal the masks? What then?”

“...I’ll take full responsibility for it then and fix it,” Kieran replied.

“I know you really care about Pecharunt but you can’t just be too nice towards it when it literally made its friends go and steal the masks, making Ogerpon lose her only friend during it.”

“Pecharunt said it was sorry. What can it do? Bring her friend back to life?”

“Maybe you should reconsider being friends with it and actually consider how Ogerpon feels. Didn’t you like her a lot? Why did you just change your mind after seeing it?”

Kieran hugged Pecharunt a bit tight for comfort. “B-because.. It wanted a friend. It was all alone. I was at first skeptical of it yet it didn’t do anything to me that was really bad. Yes I know it is inconsiderate of me to just casually accept Pecharunt despite what happened in the past.

“But it doesn’t mean that no one can change after learning their mistakes. I-I know I have.”

Florian sighed. “Kieran I know you see the good in everything and everyone but I just don’t think it is right to do it to some who don’t particularly deserve it. Especially Pecharunt.”

“H-huh? But...”

“I know you mean well, Kiki. But there is a limit to it and I’m not sure why you accepted it so quickly either. Despite the story and everything including Ogerpon,” Florian said, crossing his arms looking at Florian in question.

“...Doesn’t everyone deserve second chances? Why doesn’t this apply to Pecharunt?” Kieran asked meekly, his hands felt clammy. He doesn’t understand why Florian of all people aren’t trying to support or understand him. Why? What did he do wrong?

“Why does it deserve it? I’m sorry but I still just don’t trust it all.” 

“...That’s alright, Florian.” Kieran’s face darkened looking at him. “You aren’t even considering how I feel about this but how you and Ogerpon feel instead. I see how it is.”

“T-that’s not what I’m trying to say, Kieran. I just worry for your safety-”

“You don’t have to lie to me, Florian. I can take care of myself, you know.” Kieran interrupted. “I’m not that helpless.”

Florian stared at the other in shock. He didn’t know what to say or do in the matter.

“Kiki, this is just a misunderstanding. I didn’t even know the friend in question was behind the Loyal Three,” Carmine said, walking up to her little brother. “Florian is right to not trust it but-”

“But what, sis? It hasn’t done anything wrong yet and it doesn’t want to! Why can’t you believe me either?” Kieran snapped.

Carmine looked away sadly, “I’m sorry, Kiki. I somewhat agree with what Florian was saying about Pecharunt. Even considering that you adore Ogerpon to death and all. I just can hardly believe you are accepting this Pokemon despite what happened to Ogerpon. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

“Pecharunt said it was sorry and isn’t going to hurt her. It’s too weak to hurt anyone. And I do like Ogerpon but I don’t know if she likes me.” Kieran muttered in reply.

“Huh? ‘Course she does! I mean c’mon you get along very well with Ogerpon when you take care of her, right?” Florian said.

Kieran shook his head. “...No, not really.”

“Oh.. I’m sorry then that was insensitive for me to assume. B-but Carmine’s point still stands.”

“Can you at least trust me then?” Kieran asked, looking at Florian with hope. Please. Please don’t say no, please, please, please.

Florian opened his mouth, “I…” Then clamped his mouth shut, going quiet.

Kieran made a fist and tightened it in anger. Digging into his pocket he brought out the love ball and chucked it at Florian's head as hard as he could. Florian muttered out an “ow” as it hit him rubbing his head.

“There! That shows how I feel,” Kieran yelled in anger, turning around, not daring to look back. “I’m going home.”

He ran off with Pecharunt in his arms heading outside to where the sun was already setting. Florian tried to reach out for him but stopped himself just standing there in silence not knowing what to do.

Carmine put a hand on Florian’s shoulder. “Don’t worry I’ll talk to him. You guys should head back to the community center and rest up for tomorrow.”

-

Kieran walked to his room and shut the door behind him. He sat on his bed and placed Pecharunt beside him causing Furret to stir awake. The furry Pokemon perked its head up noticing Kieran upset and crawled up to Kieran’s lap trying to comfort him looking up at him with a look of concern. Kieran rubbed his eyes as tears swelled up, he placed one of his hands on Furret’s head and started petting it trying to calm himself down.

[ Kieran is available for asks. ]

[outro-jo]

masterpiece (18+)

pairing: hwang hyunjin x amab reader

type: smut (minors and ageless blogs dni)

warnings: established relationship (hookup but not rly dating), kinda non-idol au, the reader’s gender is never explicitly mentioned just that they have a dick, hyunjin is called nicknames like pretty boy, sort of sub/dom dynamics, hyunjin is a brat (wbk), masterbation, mlm, anal, hand job, descriptions of readers cock and body, they come on a canvas idfk, implied second round

notes: wrote this for my friend’s birthday and thought i’d post it bc there are so few mlm and wlw kpop fics on here. when requests open up, please don’t request smut. i’m still not super keen on posting it 😅 but i hope y’all enjoy 🤍

please read info before requesting!

masterlist | info

————————————

hyunjin was thrilled about his new apartment. he loved after so many years of living in a dorm with a bunch of other guys to have a place he could finally call his own. finally he was able to decorate the way he wanted and fill the fridge with something other than plain, unseasoned chicken breasts. he could put flowers on his dining room table for the sun to cascade early morning light on. he could hang up art form other artist that inspire him and have furniture other than a couch left on the street and a weight lifting chair. most of all, he was thankful for a comforting place he could call home.

he had invited said other guys and some friends to a house warming party because he was just so excited to show the place off. you were surprised to get an invite but in all fairness, you would be getting invites to his place more often.

the two of you met at his usual cafe, when he was getting this third americano of the day and it unfortunately ended up on your shirt. what was less unfortunate was you choosing to wear a white shirt that day and the dark coffee soaked through, showing your toned torso. you were thankful you started seeing that new hot personal trainer at your gym once you saw the glint in hyunjin’s eyes and smirk he was unsuccessful in hiding as he took the flimsy napkins to your shirt. when he gave you his number, he intended to take you out as an apology but the both of you ended up liking staying in a lot better and it became bit of an occurrence to meet up at your place since he had roommates.

now you were getting a look at his place. you showed up only slightly late, (you couldn’t seem too eager) the door was open displaying the party going on inside. everyone was standing around talking with glasses full of red wine. hyunjin was mid-conversation with felix when he noticed you and rushed over.

“hey, you came!” he kissed you on the cheek.

“that’s what i said last week.” you mumbled in his hear, earning a playful smirk.

“cheeky… come on in!”

your gaze trailed the expanse of the apartment’s main living area, trying not to think about how good he looked. unbeknownst to you, hyunjin was doing the very thing you were avoiding, taking every inch of you in, sipping on his wine to seem less obvious to everyone else in the room that he was eye-fucking you. his interior design skills should be praised, finding the right balance of comfort and beauty, much like the man himself. neutral colored furniture appropriately accented the pops of color that came from the art on the walls and shelves. he had an artists eye, that much was obvious.

tonight there was something different. maybe it was something in the air or the way he dressed or something about the ease of which he carried himself in his own place, but even as the two of you parted, each respectively mingling with the other guests, you couldn’t help your gaze from landing on him. he looked damn good. half of his hair was loosely tied up on his head and a dark green linen button down was loosely tucked into a pair of slacks. a few of the buttons had been undone to show the tank top clinging to his body. thinly framed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, raising slightly when he inevitably scrunched his nose in laughter. even when he was being cute hyunjin was driving you absolutely wild.

as the night progressed, you noticed the tightness in your pants having to tuck you dick up in your waistband when you excused yourself to the bathroom at one point. but it was no use and while you didn’t plan on anything happening that night and you had not received any indication of hyunjin hoping to hook up that night, you couldn’t help yourself. some of the invited guests slowly started to filter out and the host was ushering them out when you snuck off to a side room. you chose to leave the lights off, not bothering with them as you stumbled in the darkness, ripping off your belt and tugging you pants and boxers down your thighs just enough to pull your painfully hard dick out.

you slowly began to tease yourself, thinking of the way hyunjin had done it before, tracing the pronounced veins similar to the way his tongue had. he had looked so good on his knees for you, eyes wide and round to plead innocence while hardly performing an innocent task. a hard shudder ran down your back as you collected the wetness that had leaked from your tip to spread it across your girth—something you remember hyunjin commenting on when you first met up.

“i’ve never been with someone as thick as you before.” he breathed out in anticipation, his cheeks burning at the confession.

what he himself lacked in thickness was well made up for in length. you two were the perfect pair, completing what the other lacked. you thought about his long, pretty, pink dick as you stroked your own. wet, sloppy noises filled the room and you couldn’t help but moan softly. as good as your hand felt, you knew he felt so much better, thinking of when he had you in his mouth and once stretching out that cute little asshole. the way it gaped open from your size—

“ah, fuck… hyunjin, fuck!”

your ministrations didn’t come out as quiet as you hoped but thankfully it was sounding more quiet beyond the four walls of the dark room. stumbling back, lost in your pleasure, your hand instinctively landed on the table behind you and suddenly felt a little wet. if you had more of your wits about you, you might have notice the faint smell of paint that filled the air but you were too far gone in your bliss.

just a bit more. you were so close. the tightness in your stomach was building as the muscles contracted beneath you. your groans were coming out more strangled now as you felt yourself starting to tip over the edge. suddenly as you began your descent, the door opened and the light was flicked on. hyunjin propped himself up on the doorframe with an amused smile playing at his plush lips.

“i see you found my art studio.”

the newly lit room allowed for you to finally see where exactly you had stumbled into. different mediums, pallets, and tools scattered across the tables and a large canvas stood on an easel in front of you, dripping with… not paint. the wet you had felt before when you gripped on the table was a lovely shade of blue as you looked down at your hand to inspect it. your cheeks burned a nice crimson to compliment the color nicely.

hyunjin pushed off the doorjamb and stalked towards you, “if you wanted to paint all you had to do was ask, baby.” his tone was light and playful with a slight edge of condescension.

he leaned forward with both hands grabbing your jaw to inhale you into a rough kiss. without thinking, your blue stained hand reached up to grasp at the back of his neck. the force of hyunjin’s body against yours sent you back into the table but this time your opposite hand landed to support you and picked up a bit of green paint. without breaking the kiss, hyunjin removed his glasses and tossed them on the table behind you before pulling off his button down (not bothering to undo the buttons individually). your paint stained hand found purchase on his waist, turning the white tank he had tucked into his pants blue and green respectively. he moaned wistfully against you as he deepened the kiss, with his tongue searching for yours in your mouth. he tasted of the red wine he was sipping on earlier and smelled of his usual cologne that had you weak in the knees. his hand tucked in between your bodies, blindly reaching for your cock that began to quickly harden again at his touch.

hyunjin chuckled, breaking the kiss slightly with a smirk, “getting hard again, baby? i thought you just came.”

“thinking about fucking that tight little ass of yours again,” you told him, sliding your hand down to grab it with a light squeeze to make him jolt in your touch.

“well,” kiss, “what are you waiting for?”

god, this fucking brat. you groaned internally and externally before spinning hyunjin around. your hands made quick work of his belt and slacks as you reached around in front of you, letting the fabric drop to the floor. your wet cock teased his ass crack making his head fall back in your shoulder as he moaned. he was so fucking pretty. spit pooled in your mouth before you filled your hand and spread it between his cheeks, two fingers plunged into his right hole. hyunjin whimpered and rutted his bum into you, the ample mound of his cheek rubbing against your hard on.

“fuck,” you hissed.

“please, baby… i need you inside me.” hyunjin whined as you stretched him out.

you hummed, “i have to stretch you out, pretty boy,” you felt him clench around your fingers, “don’t wanna hurt you.” you placed kisses on his open mouth.

“please… i can take it.” he could feel his mind already going fuzzy as your fingers brushed up against his prostate.

“hmm, if you say so.”

you pulled your fingers out of him slowly, making him groan then placed a hand on his thigh, making sure to graze his hard, bouncing dick, before grabbing a hold of your own to slowly push into him. a frenzy of moans left hyunjin’s lips as he felt himself stretch around your girth. his walls welcomed you warmly as you bottomed out, his bum fully pressed against your hips. you hum, feeling fully content and pressed kisses to hyunjin’s exposed throat column as his head was resting on your shoulder. waiting just a moment for him to adjust to you, you reached your now free hand around to stroke him gingerly, earning another chorus of wanton moans.

“baby… please move,” he begged desperately.

slowly you complied, starting to match your strokes to sync with each other causing hyunjin to bury his face into your neck. his arms reaching up to grip a fistful of your hair and tugging. you hiss at the action. his whines get more high pitched as he pants warm breath on to your neck, raising goosebumps on the delicate skin. your thumb grazes over his sensitive tip which results in a jolt from him.

“fuck, i—, ugnnhh” any attempts hyunjin made at speaking were thwarted by your thrusts that began to increase in speed.

“what’s the matter, gorgeous? feel too good? my cock has you too dumb to speak… huh? that pretty head of yours all empty?” you teased him, watching the way his chest turned crimson.

“yes… yes, god!”

you could feel by the way he clenched around you and the way he throbbed in your hand that he was getting close, your own high not too far behind. your thrusts lost their precision as his hips rocked to meet yours. the coil in your stomach getting tighter and tighter.

“my beautiful artist…” you mused, pressing your lips to his shoulder. “you wanna paint with me? mix your cum with mine on that canvas? c’mon, pretty boy, i know your close. let go for me.”

with that, hyunjin’s hips stilled as he tensed up and pitifully grunted out. you held his dick up so that his release splattered all across the canvas over your own from before. when he finished, you pulled out of him, he instinctively cuddled into your side, as he usually does, and you came on the canvas once more. hyunjin in his post coital daze, was pressing kisses all over your neck almost in gratitude. as much as you loved the act of sex with hyunjin, you almost loved his afterglow more. he was always so cute and cuddly, wanting to be close to you and kiss you as much as possible.

you came down from your high with heavy pants, looking down at hyunjin with a lovesick smile that he easily returned then kissed off your lips. after a few moments, he separated and turned to look at your masterpiece.

“i’m glad i gessoed it black. you can see it better.” he mused softly.

you pressed a kiss to his cheek, “i think it’s your best work, baby.”

hyunjin playfully rolled his eyes, lightly slapping your chest as he finally reached down to grab his pants, exposing his ass to you, making you gasp and your eyes go wide.

“jinnie! i got paint…”

hyunjin threw his head back and laughed at your horror, “it’s ok. it’s a water based paint so it’ll wash out. wanna help me?”

“lead the way, picasso.”

[rubyreduji]

eat your young | the before pt. 2

tags: minor angst, fluff (maybe?), hunger games!au, gn!reader warnings: mentions of death and corrupt government wc: 6.4k an: jihoon and yn being obsessed with each other but not wanting to admit to anyone, even themselves ♡

m.list

First day of training and Jihoon would be lying if he said he hasn’t been shitting himself all morning. He could barely sleep last night worrying about today and also replaying his conversation with you over and over again in his head. Can he even call it a conversation?

“You okay Hoonie?” Soonyoung whispers to him during breakfast. “It’s okay, training can be scary but just lay low and work on your survival skills.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jihoon mutters. He tries to listen to what Soonyoung is saying but he gets distracted by you walking into the room. You don’t spare a glance at Jihoon or Soonyoung as you sit down and start to eat.

Soonyoung stops talking at your appearance and if you notice, you don’t say anything. It only takes a couple more minutes for Jennie to swoop into the room and usher you and Jihoon towards the elevator. “First impressions are everything, so you cannot be late.”

The elevator brings you down to the basement where a few other tributes have already arrived. Jihoon’s eyes scan the room. It’s huge with an array of different stations and simulations. There’s a wall with several weapons on the wall, some that Jihoon can’t even identify.

The tribute trainer enters the room and gives a rundown of everything to the tributes before setting everyone free. In the blink of an eye, you’re out of Jihoon’s sight line. He tries to look around the room for you but fails to find you.

Jihoon shakes his head. He shouldn’t be worrying about you. He glances at each of the stations before deciding to start with fire making. In theory it should be simple, right?

The problem is that it isn’t simple. Jihoon has been sitting here for at least an hour trying to get it right and he can’t and he’s pretty sure the careers have already noticed and are making fun of him.

“You need to go faster, and you need better kindling.” Jihoon jumps at the voice and looks up to see another boy hovering over him. He’s got a long nose and a distinctive freckle on his left cheek. “Hi! I’m Seokmin, District 10.”

“Uh, Jihoon. District 7.”

“I know! Sorry that sounds weird, I just recognize you from the reaping.”

“Do you…want something?” Jihoon knows he’s probably coming off rudely, but he’s so confused right now.

“Well, I was thinking we could be allies! You seem the most approachable and you’re small which could come in handy.” This guy…wants to be allies? He hasn’t even seen Jihoon’s skills. Well, that’s a lie, he’s seen Jihoon struggle to make a fire for an hour. So what does he want with Jihoon?

It wouldn’t hurt to have someone on his side though. Even if they do end up double crossing him, it’s not like he was going to survive anyway and Seokmin seems nice enough. Soonyoung would like him. “Yeah, okay, allies,” Jihoon says and a grin spreads across Seokmin’s face.

“So, Jihoon. What skills do you bring to the arena.”

Jihoon is about to tell Seokmin that he unfortunately doesn’t have any when he hears yelling.

“Watch where you’re going, dumbass!”

“Watch where I’m going? You’re the fucking idiot who ran into me!”

Unfortunately, Jihoon knows that voice. He springs up, leaving Seokmin behind, to run to the center of the room where you’re squaring up with a scary looking boy. Jihoon thinks he recognizes him as one of the careers. What are you doing?

“Oh, you are so dead!” The boy lunges at you and you look ready to swing on him, but before he can reach you a trainer jumps in between you two.

“Hey! No altercations before getting into the arena. Break it up you two or I’ll have you both suspended for the rest of the day.”

The boy huffs and you roll your eyes, an annoyed look on your face, before walking away. The interaction reminds Jihoon of similar run-ins he’s seen you have with peacekeepers.

From what Jihoon knows, you’re not usually an ill-tempered person, but when someone gets you worked up you get worked up. That personality comes out a lot around authority, or just general people who think they’re better than you.

“Jihoon?” Jihoon turns around to see Seokmin staring at him.

“Sorry, that was just-”

“Your district partner. Y/N, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you two close?”

“Not really, but we know each other,” Jihoon answers. “As for my skills, I’m gonna be honest I don’t have many. I was hoping to use the next three days to get that sorted out.”

“Hmm, well, are there any weapons that you might want to try out?”

Are there? Jihoon’s eyes look over at the armory wall. For a moment his eyes land on the axe. Everyone at home knows how to use one, how hard can it be?

It only takes one more second of thought for Jihoon to expel the idea from his mind. There will probably only be one axe put into the arena and he should leave it for you. He would probably just make a fool of himself using it anyway. Give everyone back home another reason to make fun of him.

He continues to look over the wall until his eyes land on a long, thin steel pole. A staff. If he can learn how to use it, it should prove to be helpful. Or maybe he should pick something blades? Something blade but staff like…a spear?

Jihoon walks over to the wall and finds a spear and grabs it. It doesn’t feel too awkward in his hands and he’s sure if he works on it for the next three days he can learn how to use it. Seokmin seems to approve of his choice as well and Jihoon moves over to one of the training dummies to try and start practicing.

It doesn’t take until after lunch that Jihoon can finally balance out the length of the spear to his own height and he’s even able to land a few blows onto the dummy. Jihoon’s just finish up a water break when he feels a presence behind him.

When he turns around, standing behind him are three careers, one of them being the one you fought with earlier. Jihoon cowers away from them.

“Scram pipsqueak, we want to use this area.”

If it was you in this position, you’d tell him to fuck off. What can he do? He can’t hurt you (yet). The issue is that Jihoon isn’t you, so he just scampers off. He should go back to the survival stations anyway. He’ll try the spear again tomorrow.

You feel unsatisfied as you ride in the elevator back up to the District 7 floor. The whole day you were itching to get your hands on the axe, but you know you couldn’t. Luckily you were able to brush up on some survival skills.

This gives you two more days to work on hand-to-hand combat, knife skills, and a few extra survival skills just in case.

“How was the first day of training?” Momo asks when you and Jihoon walk into the living room.

“I made an ally,” Jihoon announces. You’re a bit surprised by this. Not in a bad way just…Jihoon isn’t exactly someone who stands out compared to other tributes. “The kid from District 10, Seokmin.”

“That’s it Jihoonie!” Soonyoung cheers. Momo and Jooheon seem satisfied with this.

“And you?” Jooheon turns a watchful eye towards you.

“I just worked on survival stations. I’m gonna try and work with some knives tomorrow,” you tell him. He looks happy with this as well.

Dinner is served soon after and it’s nothing to note. The mentors make idle talk with the stylists, and you spend most of the time looking across the table at Jihoon. You’re still wondering what he was trying to ask you last night. You’re not sure why but ever since your names got called, you want to learn everything about the younger boy. Pick his brain apart and put it back together just in time for you both to be sent to your deaths.

Fortunately for you that occasion arises later while you’re sitting in the living room. You’re sitting on the couch, watching tapes from past games. Your knees are drawn up to your chest and you frown as you watch a boy on screen snap a girl’s neck.

“You didn’t tell them that you got into a fight with a career.” Okay, that is not the kind of conversation you were expecting.

“I didn’t think I had to,” you reply. “Nothing actually happened and it’s not like any sponsors saw or anything.”

“You’re putting a target on your back.” When you look at Jihoon there’s a frown on his face and you don’t know if it’s because he’s worried about you or because he’s unhappy with your actions

“There’s been a target on my back the second my name was pulled from the bowl. It doesn’t make a difference Jihoon.” There’s a solemn undertone to your voice and Jihoon doesn’t say anything else on the topic. Instead, he moves to the couch and sits down beside you.

“Doesn’t watching this stuff make you feel…uncomfortable? That’s gonna be us soon.”

You huff out a sigh. “Yeah I know, and it does, but what else am I supposed to do around here? I just thought maybe I could get more insight. See what worked did and didn’t work for others. It’s kind of driving me crazy though.”

“You’re already so well skilled Y/N-ah, I’m sure you have a chance at winning.”

“Aish, don’t say things like that,” you mutter.

“Why not? I’ve seen you use your axe before, it’s incredible what you can do with that thing.”

“That’s even if I can get to an axe,” you say, finally vocalizing one of your biggest worries. “What about you? You don’t think you can win?”

“I’m one of the smallest people here, even the fourteen year old is bigger than me. Not to mention I don’t have the skill level to survive. I can do as much as I can to train in the next three days but the hard truth is I won’t even last the first day.”

“Not with that attitude you aren’t.” It slips out of your mouth before you realize what you’re saying. It’s what you always tell your little sister when she’s bitching at you about something and you want her to stop acting like it’s the end of the world. Only, this kind of is the end of the world for Jihoon. Jihoon just lets out a soft chuckle.

“You’re very interesting L/N Y/N.”

“I’m the interesting one?” You’re amazed that Jihoon, the Lee Jihoon, thinks you’re interesting.

“Of course. Your reputation proceeds you, you know.”

“I have a reputation?” You laugh a little. “What about you and your reputation? You’re the songbird of District 7.”

Calling Jihoon a songbird may be a low blow but you hope he doesn’t take it like that. It was a nickname given to him by some kids in school and it was generally used to make fun of him, but it never seemed to phase Jihoon. You actually think the nickname is kind of cute.

“Half the district thinks I’m nuts.”

“So what if they do? They’re still singing your songs everywhere they go.”

This seems to take Jihoon by surprise. “People…sing my songs?”

“Yeah. People are always humming your tunes while we’re working,” you tell Jihoon. You take a moment before adding on, “That’s not the only place people are singing your songs either.” You hope Jihoon knows what you mean, especially since he was the one who brought up your mother’s death yesterday to begin with.

“I…didn’t know that,” Jihoon whispers. “People really like my songs?”

“Yeah, at least the people in the poorer parts of the district. So who cares if people think you’re nuts for not being a lumberjack. There are thousands of lumberjacks of in the district, there’s only one you.”

Your words seem to touch Jihoon because when he looks at you there’s a softness in his eyes. The softness is gone too quickly for your liking though, as Jihoon’s expression morphs into a frown. “Song writing doesn’t get me very far in the arena though, does it?”

“Maybe not. Who knows, maybe you can serenade the sponsors for some water.” It makes you smile when you hear Jihoon laugh at this. An actual real laugh that doesn’t have a hint of sadness tinged in it.

“Y/N? Jihoon?” Jennie’s voice cuts through the moment and you can’t help but feel a little disappointed. “You two should be getting to bed soon, you have another big day of training tomorrow.”

You and Jihoon shoot each other a look before both getting up and heading to your own separate rooms, not wanting to make Jennie upset.

When you wake up the next morning you go through the same routine you did yesterday. Take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, go to training. Today you head right to the wall of weapons and grab the knife you were eyeing yesterday. A good knife can be handy for multiple things and though you’re hoping you’ll be able to rely on an axe for most of your time in the arena, it’s good to have a backup plan as well.

You’re an avid whittler but using a knife to carve wood is a lot different than using it in a combat setting. When you hold an axe you have the whole handle to grip onto and the shape of the blade is different than it is on a knife.

You practice swinging your arm around with the knife in your hand and it feels awkward, like you’re doing something wrong. You probably are, you just don’t know what.

You want your motions to be fluid so you can keep up your stamina and adrenaline. You want to handle the knife in a way that it can do damage to your opponent, but not yourself. Your grip needs to be comfortable but firm, so the knife doesn’t slip out of your hand or get forcibly taken from you.

It makes you frustrated that you can’t just pick up the skill. The axe is like an extension to your arm, it feels natural. You can’t remember a time when you had to learn how to use it, you just knew. With the knife however there’s too much to remember and think about and you can’t keep it all straight.

With a defeated sigh you decide to take a break from the knife, knowing you’re getting nowhere with it. You know that Jooheon told you to not pick up an axe until tomorrow during the Gamemaker’s assessment, but you just want to give it a couple swings to prove you’re not totally incompetent.

When your eyes scan over the armory wall you see the axe that was previously there is missing. You know it’s not Jihoon who’s using it, so who could it be?

You walk around the training center, looking into all of the dummy and simulation areas to see if you can catch a glimpse of whoever is using the axe. You finally find the culprit when you make it to one of the last simulation stations. The simulation isn’t even on but inside there’s a tall skinny boy with thick framed glasses holding the axe.

You observe as he turns the axe around in his hands, inspecting the whole thing like he’s going to find a secret message if he looks hard enough. He eventually grasps the handle firmly in his hands and stances himself up. He looks awkward and uncomfortable holding the axe and it makes you feel uncomfortable.

You snort as you watch the boy try (and fail) to swing the axe. “You’re doing that wrong.”

The boy jumps and drops the axe, the blade just barely missing his foot as it falls to the floor.

“I-I wasn’t trying to use it. I was just…examining it.”

“It’s a fucking axe, there’s nothing to examine.” The boy flushed with embarrassment at your harsh words. “I can teach you how to use it.”

“Why would you do that? Aren’t I competition?”

“To be honest you don’t seem that much of competition. You look like you could use the help.” The boy looks even more embarrassed and you start to feel bad.

“I’m better at…non-physical tasks.” You don’t say anything and the boy straightens up his back before continuing. “I’m Jeon Wonwoo, from District 3.”

“So you’re smart? Sounds like that could come in handy.”

“What are you insinuating?”

“And here I thought you said you were smart. I mean an allyship, Jeon Wonwoo from District 3. You’d be the brains, I’d be the brawn,” you explain.

“Oh, oh! I see now, yes, that would be nice.”

“Great,” you smile at Wonwoo, “I’m Y/N, by the way. District 7.” You walk over to him and pick the axe up from the group. “I know I told you that I could teach you how to use this, but if I’m being honest, I’d prefer that the axe be just a me thing.”

You start the simulation before walking further into the room. Holographic attackers appear and you dodge their attacks while you swing your axe around, hitting them as they come near you. The handle of this axe is a bit different than the wooden one you have at home, but it’s still an axe that you can maneuver around with ease.

The muscles in your arms are happy to be used the way they’ve been trained to and you keep going until the final hologram pops up. You rear your arms back before launching the axe through the air. It flies across the room until it lands right in the skull of the hologram. You’re a bit out of breath as the simulation powers down and you take a moment to catch your breath.

“Woah.”

You quickly whip around to see Wonwoo accompanied by a few other tributes, Jihoon included. The look on his face is unreadable. Standing behind the crowd you see the career you had your altercation with yesterday, Seungcheol, staring at you. You make eye contact with him for a second before looking away.

“That was so cool!” It’s one of the District 12 tributes talking to you. Chan you think? The youngest one of the bunch.

“Thanks, kid.” You weren’t trying to show off and you definitely weren’t trying to gain so much attention, but there’s no undoing it now. You walk away from the simulation, letting everyone stare. Wonwoo follows after you.

“Yeah, I’m definitely glad to have you as an ally.”

Gamemaker’s assessments are today and Jihoon honestly does not know what he’s going to do when he’s in there. He could try and do something with the spear, but he’s still a little iffy on it. He’s been improving his skills with it, but he’s still not great.

After your little axe show yesterday there have been whispers about you going around the tributes. Jihoon was perplexed when he saw you showing off. Were you doing it purpose? Or did people just happen to notice you when you were trying to fly under the radar? Were you sending a message to the careers? Jihoon keeps trying to think of reasons why you did it, but he knows he won’t know the truth unless he asks you.

He reminds himself of what you said the first night of training. How that no matter what you do you’ll still be a target just from the sheer nature of the games. Once again, you didn’t tell the mentors about what happened during training. Probably because Jooheon would be mad if he knew what you did, but then again Jihoon thinks that you wouldn’t care that much if Jooheon was mad at you.

“Your district partner is kinda scary,” Seokmin says to Jihoon while they sit at a camouflaging station. Jihoon knows that he should be working with the spear to prepare for later today, but his muscles are already sore from using it the past two days and he doesn’t want to overexert himself before getting into the arena.

“They’re a beast with an axe,” Jihoon says instead of truly addressing what Seokmin said.

“Do you not cut wood in District 7 as well?”

“No, I’m actually a songwriter.” Jihoon feels embarrassed to say it out loud. It’s already embarrassing enough back home but saying to someone who isn’t from his district seems even worse.

“Woah, I’ve never met a songwriter before! I like singing a lot, but I could never write my own songs. That’s so cool!” Jihoon thinks about how you said the lumberjacks sing his songs while cutting down trees. Maybe being Jihoon is less embarrassing than he thought.

“Yeah, me and my friend Beomju write music together. It’s not much compared to what some other people do, but it brings me joy.” Jihoon thinks about how even though he’s only been gone for four days, he still misses his parents and Beomju. He tries not to cry while thinking about them, but he knows that if he does end up crying, Seokmin won’t say anything about it.

Thankfully Seokmin can sense the mood of the conversation and changes the topic. “Do you know what you’re gonna do for your assessment?”

Jihoon sighs. “Maybe I’ll do something with the spear but I’m not sure. Honestly, I’ll be lucky to get even a one.”

“Hey, it won’t be that bad! At least you’re from District 7. I heard that once it gets down to the last few districts, nobody’s even paying attention anymore. What a waste.”

Right, Seokmin is from District 10. There will be five other people who go in for their assessment after Jihoon before Seokmin has a chance to go in for his. It’s unfortunate, especially for the District 12 boys who don’t seem to have any skills either. Just shows how unfair the games really are.

The assessments start after lunch and you and Jihoon sit in silence in the waiting room. Jihoon knows in theory he could just go and sit with Seokmin but he’s not sure they would have anything to say to each other either.

Jihoon saw you working on hand-to-hand combat with one of the trainers earlier. It seems like you’ve used your three days of training well. Jihoon’s not sure if he can say the same.

Little by little the numbers start to dwindle until the second person from District 6 is called. It isn’t until your name is called that you finally speak to Jihoon.

“Good luck.” That’s all you say before you’re up and gone. Jihoon doesn’t say it back. He’s not sure why; whether he didn’t have enough time to get the words out or maybe because you don’t need luck when you have talent.

Despite having ten minutes to show off your skill, you finish up early because Jihoon is being called in only six minutes after you are. Jihoon walks in and he feels small as the Gamemakers look down at him from where they sit on their balcony.

“I-I’m Lee Jihoon, from District 7.” Jihoon wants to kick himself for letting his voice break, but he can’t focus on that. Instead of he finds a spear and drags a dummy into the middle.

He starts to fight the dummy and he feels awkward as he does. He stabs at it a couple times before moving farther away and throwing the spear at it. He misses and Jihoon tries not to let it get to him. Still, what the fuck is wrong with him?

It seems after he misses his shot the Gamemakers have stopped watching and Jihoon doesn’t blame them. He just takes his exit and tries not to cry. He feels dejected as he makes his way back up to the District 7 floor. He just hopes Soonyoung isn’t disappointed in him.

“Jihoonie!” Soonyoung cheers when the elevator doors open and Jihoon steps out. “Aw, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing, just tired I guess.” Jihoon doesn’t have the heart to tell Soonyoung he probably got a one on his assessment.

“Well you can get all the rest tonight after the broadcast. Come on now, dinner is ready!” Jihoon allows Soonyoung to guide him into the dining room.

“I mean, they didn’t look pleased, but at least they didn’t look bored,” you’re saying as Jihoon and Soonyoung walk in.

“What happened?” Soonyoung asks as he takes his seat.

Jennie huffs. “Y/N decided to throw a fit in their assessment.”

“It wasn’t a fit, I just got annoyed at their attitudes so when I was done showing off my skills I…threw the axe into the rack of the other weapons…and it caused a louder noise than I was expecting. At least they were wide awake for Jihoon’s assessment!”

Yeah, Jihoon kind of wishes they weren’t. Maybe he could have saved himself some embarrassment.

The rest of the dinner Jennie keeps letting out little huffs in your direction and you keep rolling your eyes at her. It isn’t until the group settles down in the living room to watch the broadcasting of the scores that Jennie finally seems to have calmed herself.

The broadcast starts and on screen is the Hunger Games host himself, Boo Seungkwan. Seungkwan has been hosting the games for a couple years now, and he’s a fan favorite of the Capitol. He has a charming personality and dusty blue hair.

“I hate Boo Seungkwan,” Soonyoung growls from beside Jihoon. Right, Seungkwan was the host when Soonyoung was in his games two years ago. “The nerve of that guy sometimes.”

“Shhh, it’s starting.” Soonyoung looks offended at being shushed by Jennie, but he doesn’t say anymore.

The scores of the careers are predictable, anything ranging from an eight to a ten. The rest of the non-career scores also fall pretty similarly to previous years being in the six to eight range.

The room falls silent when the District 6 scores are finished being reported. The anticipation is killing Jihoon and he glances over at you to see you staring straight at ahead, awaiting your score.

“From District 7, first up we have L/N Y/N who has receive a score of…a nine!” The room erupts into cheers, but your expression doesn’t change from the slight scowl you’ve been sporting since the broadcast started.

“Congratulation Y/N-ah,” Minghao tells you. You give him a respectful nod, your eyes still boring into the screen.

“Next from District 7 Lee Jihoon who has been giving a score of…five.” The room doesn’t celebrate for Jihoon the way they did for you, but he’s still given polite regards.

Jihoon expected himself to be more upset about his score, but he’s pleasantly satisfied with his five. He’s not putting a large target on his back which means he can hopefully fly under the radar for longer than some of the other bigger threats.

At least he didn’t get a one.

You scored a nine. You can’t tell if that’s a good or bad thing.

The careers already don’t like you, so it’s not like any more harm can be done. Your mentors seemed to be happy about the score too. Hopefully you’ll get some good sponsors out of it.

It’s Jihoon’s score that you’re more worried about. There’s pros and cons to scoring a five. It takes a bit of a target off of his back, but unless he does amazing during his interview, it will be difficult for him to get sponsors.

You’re mulling over scores and the logistics of how far Jihoon will be able to go in the games when you pass a room and hear the mentors talking. You don’t mean to eavesdrop, but sometimes you can’t help but let your curiosity get the better of you. Especially in a situation like this.

The voices are muffled and you move closer to the door to try and hear better. When you finally tune in you hear Momo’s voice, calm and serious when she speaks. "When it comes down to it, we have to pick the tribute who shows the most promise, and who the sponsors are willing to give to. I hate to say it, but from the looks of it, Jihoon isn't either of those people."

"No, no. You're just going to give up on him?" Soonyoung's voice is raw and desperate.

"That's not what I said-"

"But that's what you're insinuating! Fine, if you don't want to help Jihoon, I'll do it myself."

"Kwon." Jooheon's commanding voice makes Soonyoung stop ranting. "You know it's nothing against Jihoon. This job isn't for someone faint of heart and sometimes we have to make difficult decisions."

"Like choosing that my best friend dies? He can win, I know he can, you just have to give him a chance."

"If he shows the potential in the arena, we'll do what we can, but until he shows that he can win, we have to put our efforts into someone who has already shown their worth."

"Why can't you help him now?"

"And what about Y/N?" Momo speaks up again. "What about their best friend and their life? Nothing is fair in these games. We'll try to help them both as much as we can, but there's only so much we can do. You know this Soonyoung."

"I don't care about Y/N! They've already shown they can take care of themself. You need to help Jihoon."

"They can't both win. When it comes down to both of them, we'd have to choose one," Jooheon says.

"And you'd choose Y/N?"

"And we'd choose Y/N." It's Momo who answers the question, which surprises you a bit. You decide this is the moment to make your presence known, feeling you've already eavesdropped too much.

You open the door. Three sets of eyes turn to look at you and before any of them can talk, you open your mouth. "Jihoon should be the one to live."

"What?" It's Soonyoung who is the first to speak.

"Can you not fucking listen. I'm telling you to help Jihoon and not me."

"Why?"

"Why does it matter? I don't know why you're asking so many questions when I'm doing this for you Soonyoung." That shuts him up real quick. "I don't care what the rest of you have to say. If I come out of that arena and Jihoon doesn't, I'm not going to be nice about it." With that you leave the room again, hoping that they got the message.

"...Jihoon?" Jihoon looks up from where he's lying on his bed to see his best friend standing in his doorway. The older boy looks like he's about to cry.

"Soonie? Are you okay?"

Soonyoung moves over to Jihoon's bed and crawls in right next to him. "I'm a terrible person." This startles Jihoon a bit. What is he talking about? "This evening, the mentors were fighting about who they're going to be helping out the most in the arena. I said you. Momo and Jooheon both said Y/N."

"Oh." Jihoon doesn't know how to feel about that. He's not mad though, he knows that much. It's more like...morose.

"I told them that I want them to save you. That I'd let Y/N die to save you."

"Soonyoung..." Jihoon feels conflicted. He doesn't want the tradeoff to be you die so he can live, but he knows that's how it works. If it came down to it, would Jihoon be able to kill you? Does Jihoon want to live so badly he'd sacrifice all his morals to do so.

"Then Y/N came into the room," Soonyoung continues. "They heard everything. They told the mentors that we need to help you and that you need to be the one who wins."

You...want Jihoon to win? Why? It doesn't make since to Jihoon. Jihoon doesn't want to kill you, but would he give up his chance to win in turn for you? Jihoon isn't sure he would.

"Why would they do that?"

"They said it was for me, I don't know. Maybe they just heard me talking and felt bad, but Jihoon you don't get it." Soonyoung's voice gets tense as he starts to cry. "They heard me say I want them to die so you don't. Isn't that awful? What kind of person have I turned into?"

"You're not a bad person, Soonyoung," Jihoon tells his best friend. "You just love me a lot. The games are designed to break people, don't feel bad about having human emotions."

Soonyoung doesn't say anything else, but he continues to cry. Jihoon lets Soonyoung use his shoulder to bury his face in.

Something not a lot of people know is that Soonyoung used to be one of the kids you used to "train" for the Hunger Games with. He was one of the kids who were better at it, like you, and it's honestly probably one of the reasons why he even won his games. Jihoon was offered to join as well, but he turned them down. He didn't want to train because he thought it would manifest him being picked. Well, you trained too and now here you both are, and only one of you has the skills to survive. He should have been safe, rather than how sorry he is right now.

It should be you who lives. It should be you who the mentors are helping. But instead, you're the one who has offered your life in turn for his and what has he done? Nothing.

You said you did it for Soonyoung, but that can't be the only reason. You two aren't even close, and you're even less close to Jihoon. By all means, you should be taking the chance to live.

There's no way you can have some kind of death wish. You have friends and a family to get back to. From what Jihoon knows you actually live a fairly happy life. So why are you laying down your life for him?

Soonyoung eventually cries himself to sleep in Jihoon's bed and Jihoon quietly gets up and leaves the room. Just as he hoped he finds you sitting in the living room, staring out one of the large windows.

"Y/N-ah."

"Soonyoung talked to you." It's not a question. "What's done is done. Don't think I want anything from you because of it. I did it for my own reasons."

"Which are?"

"It just felt right. Soonyoung sounded so hurt at the idea of the other mentors helping me. I can make it in the arena by myself, at least for a while. Not that it would matter much if I did die."

Your words stun Jihoon a bit. "What are you talking about?"

"I work as a lumberjack, just like everyone else in District 7. If I win, I won't have to work and what do I do then? I don't have a hobby or anything important like that. You have your music, and it's good. It inspires people."

"You want me to win...so I can write music?"

"I want you to win so you can change the world with your music." You're not saying everything you want to. Jihoon can tell by looking at your eyes. You're trying to hint to him something bigger than just winning the games.

You want him to change the world with music? You want him to inspire people? Inspire people to...change the way things are done. Jihoon's eyes widen a bit when he finally gets it.

"Y/N..."

"I can't do it. I can't do what you do. But I know you can."

You think Jihoon could start a revolution.

"I-I can't do that," Jihoon says to you in a hushed whisper.

"You may not be able to, but you can inspire people who can. You know better than anyone else what music can do." When Jihoon doesn't respond you keep talking. "Let's become allies. I'll protect you in the arena, and that way the mentors can help us at the same time. When it comes time, I'll make myself sparse so you don't have to."

"I can't let you do that."

"Why not? I'd rather it be you than anyone else in that arena. Let me do this Jihoon, please." Your voice is sincere to the point you're almost begging. This means something to you. Something more than just a revolution or a need to do a good deed. Jihoon doesn't know what it is yet, but he's going to figure it out. He at least owes you that.

"Okay, but I cannot in good health just let you lay down your life for me. You need to fight for yourself as well, and in the event something does happen to me, you need to win."

You don't say anything, you don't even nod, but somehow Jihoon knows that you take his words to heart. "You're allied with the District 10 kid, yeah? Seokjin?"

"Seokmin," Jihoon corrects. "Yeah, he's taken a liking to me."

"Good. District 10 kids are underrated when it comes to the games, but they bring their own special kind of knowledge and skill." Jihoon wonders just how much you know about the games and just how more prepared you are than him.

"Do you have any allies?"

"Wonwoo, form District 3." District 3 is the technology district. Jihoon thinks he knows who you're talking about, the tall skinny kid with glasses and a timid personality. He must be smart though, for you to want him on your side.

"Anything else to note about the other tributes?"

You let out a small huff. “The careers.”

“Right…them.”

The career pack is larger this year, six of them with each tribute from Districts 1, 2, and 4 allying together. “They outnumber us, and even if they didn’t their fighting skills are more developed than ours. The best we can do is try to outrun them or outsmart them.”

“They don’t like you,” Jihoon states. “They’ll be out to get you.”

You snort. “I’m well aware. I guess we’ll just have to tread carefully. In the end, we can only do our best.”

Jihoon thinks about how he said those exact words to Soonyoung four days ago. He’ll do his best, and Soonyoung will do the rest. Jihoon just hopes his best will be enough.

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[ventela1]

Reddit had warned me of a trainer on Route 120. A formidable opponent equipped with a single strong Pokemon. I planned to avoid the battle or prepare accordingly.

And then I forgot and ran into her.

Cooltrainer Jennifer.

You see, Route 120 has permanent rainy weather. Milotic knows Water Pulse, a good Water Type move that can cause Confusion in addition to being boosted in power by the weather.

I'm sure you guys can do the math.

Unfortunately, I wasn't leading with Zigzag and had to spend a turn to send him in.

Here's the damage from ONE Water Pulse. I pivoted to Gooey and...

I realized this was yet another "a crit will screw us over" situation and decided not to take chances. I settled in for the heal stall. Am I ashamed? ABSOLUTELY NOT. This trainer can team wipe an unprepared Nuzlocker! I was ready to do anything necessary to ensure we exited this battle with without any casualties.

I had been falsely informed that Milotic has Ice Beam (it doesn't), so I refused to send out Trip. In hindsight, that was probably the right call anyway, given his lower defenses.

*Sigh*

Yeah, while the constant looming threat of a critical hit was there to keep it worrying, the battle was also just going to take a really long time. Better a long victory than a short loss, though.

Milotic refused to use anything other than Water Pulse. Unfortunately, I forgot to count the turns, and waiting it out felt like it took enough turns that I actually had to Google whether NPCs in Gen 3 can run out of PP for a move. They can, so I knew we only needed to outlast 20 total Water Pulses.

It still felt like a lot longer. Shoutout to Gooey for holding a Whirlpool for 5 turns, though.

With an insane amount of luck re: No crits, we finally forced Jennifer and her Milotic into another move.

Two other moves, actually.

NOOO IT'S ONLY COOL WHEN *I* DO IT

Whichever game dev put this in must have really wanted to humble some children. And adults.

But since we were safe from Rain-boosted Water Pulse, finally:

We exited the fight many Potions poorer, but with the party intact!

[erigold13261]

What was/is Team Sayu and Neon J’s childhood like? (Is it bad) (most likely bad) (is it any different in canon and FRAU)

The Sayu Crew's childhoods are relatively the same with just some minor changes to choices, Remi has some major changes because of Eve. Neon's childhood is vastly different from OG to FRAU.

But uh, for the most part they are not good. Please read the trigger warning. Also it's really long.

[Trigger warning for abuse(financial, physical, emotional), transphobia, homophobia, fatphobia, hate crimes/murder, eating disorders, forced unnecessary medical surgery (mention of lobotomies), ableism, suicide/suicidal thoughts, alcohol/drug use, underage drinking, drunk driving/car crash]

OG Tila and Sofa have relatively the same childhoods as their FRAU counterparts.

Tila's family put her into singing classes at a young age and pushed her to keep her voice up in the hopes she will make it big as a singer. She obviously does because of Sayu, but shortly before that her family finds out she is a lesbian. OG Tila was able to run away from her family and get emancipated from them when the Crew signed up with NSR thanks to Eve's help. FRAU Tila though never had a connection to Eve through Remi, so she (and the others) were never emancipated. So now her family basically take her money as compensation for a "disgrace" of a daughter (there are no real laws to this because she is a minor in their care, so they technically have a right to take her money). Tila is too afraid of her parents to really fight back or say anything and is terrified of them trying to force a guy into her life if she starts trying to date other girls so she just focuses on work.

Sofa's family was always pushing them to lose weight and try to look better or be "healthier" even though their weight was never a problem and didn't impact their health. The constant belittling and comparing of their body caused them to isolate and start delving into computers where they learned they liked programing and editing videos. Which just made their family even more judgmental of them. They sorta accepted Sofa for coming out as nonbinary, but they kept making remarks like "no one will ever take your gender seriously when you look like that" (basically saying only skinny people are nonbinary, which is not true at all). Sofa honestly thought a lot about ending their life, especially when being forced to exercise to the point of throwing up sometimes.

Once the Crew was formed and they joined NSR, OG Sofa was able to get away from their family and learn how to love their body the way it is. They even started exercising more out of enjoyment with Dodo than being forced to. Unfortunately for FRAU Sofa, they were still stuck with their family. Who hired personal trainers for Sofa with their own NSR money along with restricted their allowance and food intake (basically starving Sofa) to try and make them skinnier. Sofa ended up developing an eating disorder and started forcing themselves to puke to try and satisfy their family just so they would leave them alone. Sofa's family even started suggesting cosmetic surgery to try and "fix" Sofa's body for them, but thankfully Sofa has enough power to flat out deny those suggestions.

Dodo was never a talkative child even though he could respond physically to people perfectly fine. He was developing perfectly fine except for being non-verbal. His parents put him into speech therapy classes and tried to force him to talk, which he did end up doing even though he would get severe panic attacks out in public and have meltdowns that only further annoyed his parents. OG Dodo's parents ended up following the advice of someone who told them to enroll Dodo into sign language classes. They did but refused to learn sign languag, making Dodo still talk or at the very least write down what he was trying to say. It got to the point that Dodo just stopped trying to communicate with his parents (or anyone really) at all. It also didn't help that Dodo was into wearing dresses and skirt along with dancing. His parents tried to force him to stop but thankfully by the time they saw this part of Dodo he was joining the Sayu Crew and was able to leave his family.

FRAU Dodo was the same up until his parents' taking someone's advice. Instead of putting him in sign language classes he was forced to get a surgery for a new voice because his parents thought his voice was wrong. It didn't help Dodo to voluntarily keep talking, but it did give his parents the ability to guilt him into talking since they "spent so much money trying to fix him" that he just forced himself to talk. Especially once he overheard them thinking about doing another surgery on his brain to see if that would "fix" him. It was technically easier for him to physically talk but the mental aspect of it just really hurt Dodo. By the time he joined the Crew he was too afraid to ever truly express himself because his parents were willing to basically lobotomize Dodo in the hopes of getting rid of anything they deemed abnormal.

Remi's story is the most different out of the Crew compared from OG to FRAU. Both Remis' fathers had Eve with one woman and then Remi with another. OG Remi lived with his parents with Eve coming to visit her father almost every weekend and some holidays (she was 12 when he was born). The two were able to grow a pretty good relationship, especially when Remi started showing signs of liking art like Eve. Once Eve went off to college she saw less of Remi but was still a supporter for him. Once Remi joined NSR he also came out as trans to friends and family, which his mother heavily disapproved of and tried to kick Remi out while his dad was trying to tell Remi that he wasn't a guy. Thankfully Eve was able to help him out, made sure he got away from that environment, and even helped the rest of the Crew get away from their toxic families. She set them up in a big apartment and helped each of them get situated into their new lives.

FRAU Remi on the other hand did not have Eve to help him. Eve only ever came around on very select holidays. She only saw Remi like once or twice a year, and when she visited she was basically being forced to go which only soured her mood and made it difficult for the two of them to form any kind of meaningful bond. Once she left for college Remi never saw her again until he joined NSR, other than, you know, seeing her on the TV which pushed him to try and follow her footsteps. So he worked very hard to try and hone his artistic skills to try and be a graphic designer for NSR. His parents told him to not hold his breath because he won't make it far considering Eve is so much better than him and he shouldn't be looking for handouts from his half-sister (which he wasn't, he just wanted to follow her footsteps).

Once he became friends with the Crew and they made Sayu, they were able to join NSR but not get away from their families. Remi tried coming out as trans, but quickly realized that was a mistake as his parents disapproved and even tried to hit him. They almost forced him to quit NSR because it was "obvious that the fame was messing with Remi's head" but Remi was able to persuade his parents (with money) to let him keep working and stay with his friends. He even promised to never talk about being trans again and admitted he was a girl and would never try to be a guy. That was the only way he was able to still stay onboard as Sayu's lead designer. Thankfully the Crew respects Remi but they've had a few close calls of almost using masculine pronouns for him while in the presence of his family.

For Neon J, his childhood and life basically hinges off of one decision he decided to make which drastically changes the outcome of his and many other people's lives. Firstly though, let me talk about his life in both OG and FRAU before the change.

Neon used to have an older brother (by a few years, maybe 3) who he looked up to. They were very close and did everything together. As they grew up, his brother started showing interest in boys. The parents disapproved and would yell and scream at Neon's brother. They would belittle and embarrass him for years, making his life a living hell and trying (but failing) to get Neon to join in on hurting his brother. They were trying to "force the gay out" of Neon's brother. It all boiled over to the point that Neon found his brother dead in the closet after coming home from dance practice one day. His brother had killed himself from years of abuse and self hatred. Everyone was devastated. Even the parents because in their eyes, they were just doing what they could to "fix" their son.

As both OG and FRAU Neon started to become teenagers, they started to realize they liked girls. Both were obviously terrified to even try and talk to their parents, but this is where the change takes place.

OG Neon hid this side from his parents. Pushing them away and never opening up to them (they had suspicions but never really found out). He let his anger for himself and his parents fill him. Taking it out on other students who messed with him or his small group of friends. He started going out with his friends more, partying and drinking to try and mask the pain he was feeling. Experimenting with different substances and people. Even racking up a reputation for being a whore in his school. While all of this was happening, he was also making music with his friends, to the point they were able to go to a Lights Up audition as 15-16 year olds. They lost, and were humiliated by the judges only triggering Neon's anger more.

He ended up in a fight with his parents about his behavior where he stormed out of the house and picked his friends up in a car (his or his parents', doesn't matter). The group went out drinking and partying, trying to forget their worries and pain. Only for Neon to swerve while driving and hit a tree. Two of his friends died that night, and another was put into a coma. He was the only one to not be severely hurt (his chest was all torn up from his seat belt, but he was alive). After recovering, his parents were able to settle things behind the scenes with the other families (who were not as angry as they should have been since they could not give two shits about their kids, one family was even happy to be rid of their burden). Neon ended up just leaving his family at 16, dropping out of high school, and going to work as an apprentice toy maker until he decided to join the navy. He would never talk to his parents again, but he would tell his wife Martha about them and she would go to them out of desperation years after their divorce to escape an abusive relationship.

For FRAU Neon J, instead of hiding himself away from his parents, he decided to just tell them he liked women, but he also liked men! He came out because he didn't think he could ever fully hide this part of himself and was afraid to make things worse if he got caught later on. And his parents... they accepted him. As best as they could, they accepted Neon because they did not want to lose another child and regretted what they did to his brother. They saw this as a second chance to do what was right and support their kid. Because of this, Neon never pushed himself heavily into rock/music as an outlet and so he and his friends never went to the Light Up audition. They never started drinking or doing drugs because there was a safe place for all of them now. If any of Neon's friends needed a place to stay for the night, they had him and his family.

On the night that OG Neon and his parents had a fight and went out partying, FRAU Neon was home with his parents. He had declined an invitation to go out with his friends so he could work on homework, or some music, or dance, just something that kept him in that night. And the next day he woke to the television talking about a hate crime that killed a lot of people at a local gay club. Neon's friends were out there that night and were some of the victims of the attack. None of them survived and Neon felt distraught at the fact he could have offered them to come over to his house that night and possibly save them from this horrible fate.

In the end, FRAU Neon went on with his life, leaving home when he graduated high school and went to work as a candy maker. He dabbled in toy making a bit, and fixed machines that he worked with. He also ended up getting top surgery at some point (OG Neon's car accident gave him a make-shift top surgery that the surgeons had to clean up. They were going to reconstruct his breast but Neon never got that far into the healing process). He joined the navy a year or two after OG Neon. He still keeps in touch with his parents at times (less so after building 1010 and joining NSR), so does Martha as she had met them during their marriage and they still see her as a daughter-in-law even after the divorce.

[So yeah. That is "basically" the differences. Neon's life has such a high importance on the story of NSR. Just him not going to the Lights Up Audition with his friends is what leads to Tatiana being the way she is. And probably why the Sayu Crew's family is the way they are, as FRAU Neon joining the navy later actually leads to an extra year or two of wartime.]

[giantroboticplatypusbutt218]

Oversight

This is Part 3 of the Magnetic Attraction series. 

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Content Warnings: Fantastic Racism, Internalized Homophobia, Suggestive Content, Mild Language, Canon-Typical Violence.

Summary: Rev receives some friendly advice from Tech after a mistake of his is brought to attention. Desperate to prove that he took Tech’s words to heart, he seeks the aid of his other friends to improve himself before the evening is over.

Unfortunately, he missed the most crucial piece of advice that Tech tried to convey.

Word Count: 27,277

Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (Link to Chapter on Ao3)

~

Chapter 3

Word Count: 8229

Notes: Okay, this chapter is long as heck and that's after axing 1000 words from the first draft. If I didn't cut out those 1000 words, it would literally (not figuratively in the slightest) be as long as the last two chapters combined. So like, be prepared for that.

~

As soon as the door closed behind him, Rev heard a crash in the hall. Sighing in defeat, he finally decided to take note of his surroundings. He knew where they were, especially since Tech’s lab was right across the hall, but he still had some questions. 

“Why… did you bring me to the virtual trainer? I thought you were giving me a makeover.” 

“I am. All the stuff we need is already in here.” 

As Ace pulled him into the control room, Rev noticed against the wall a half dozen plastic bins and a rolling clothes rack with a comforter draped on top. 

“How long has all of that been in here?” 

“Don’t worry about it. Anyway! Let's crack open a few tubs and pick out some clothes!” Ace rushed ahead, seemingly having a specific bin in mind. As he bent down, he pointed toward a different bin. “How about you get started by picking something out from that one right there? Practically anything in it will give you a fresh look!” 

Hesitantly, Rev opened the specific tub as he was instructed. 

“Uh…” He grabbed a large handful of garments and lifted them, looking underneath and finding much of the same. “Are… these all women’s clothes?” 

“Some of them,” Ace said, putting a few tops on the lid he set aside. “There’s a fair mix in there.”

Rev grabbed another handful, tilting his head at the content beneath. “These are all dresses.” 

“So?” 

“Dresses… are women’s clothes?” 

Ace looked up at him, a funny look on his face. “What century are you living in, pal?” 

“Well- I mean- Isn’t it a… little weird?”

“You’re telling me you haven’t seen a single guy wearing a dress walking around? Say, back when you went to grade school?”

“I was enrolled in a series of boys-only private schools that had standardized uniforms.” 

“Of course you were.” Ace sighed, wiping his face. “What about college?” 

“We had uniforms there too.” 

“In college?! Where’d you go? Military school?!”

“The Institute of Business Synergy.”

“Please tell me you made that up.” 

“Wha- Of course I didn’t make that up! Why would I make that up?” 

“The acronym is literally IBS.”

“Yes, it had an unfortunate acronym but that doesn’t mean it’s made up! It’s a private institute in Arizona which sets out to prepare budding entrepreneurs for their various business endeavors by creating an environment that facilitates cooperation and inventive strategies as are the best practices to gain traction in any potential marketplace-” 

“I hate all of the words you just said.” 

“-and to simulate such real-world environments everyone was required to wear professional attire as if in a business setting where our specific lessons in workplace cooperation would be most applicable, and so we all were required to purchase our pre-approved uniforms which did not include dresses for either men or women.” 

“Or nonbinary people I’m assuming.” 

“What does nonbinary mean?” 

Ace just paused, staring at him for a moment. “Er, moving on,” he said, “what about seeing people just out and about? Surely, in all the years you’ve been out of school, you’ve seen at least a few guys in dresses at some point.” 

“Well, yeah, but a few guys being a little confused or uh… into women’s clothes doesn’t change the fact that dresses aren’t made for them.” 

Ace went quiet again, giving him a strange look for a few very long seconds before pulling out his phone. 

“Uh… Ace?” Rev asked. “What are you doing?” 

“Sending Lexi a text,” he said, typing. 

“Why?” Rev quirked his head as he heard a tone denoting a message being sent. “Is something wrong?” 

Ace scrambled briefly as the phone rang in his hands. 

“Uh… hold on.” He tapped the screen, wincing as he put it to his ear. “It’s not a bad idea!” he defended immediately. “And for having sensitive ears you sure talk pretty loud.” 

Rev stood awkwardly as he listened to half of the conversation, wondering if he spurred on this call by saying something he shouldn’t have. 

“Maybe it’ll help him understand everything better! He might even like it!”

Cowering slightly, Rev felt he was getting a better clue at what Ace was planning. 

“Well obviously they had some sort of breakthrough last week, so who’s to say he can’t have another one right now?”

Were they talking about him and Tech?

“It’ll all be fine!”

“…”

“Fair enough.” 

“…”

“Wait, why? I asked you because you would be better at talking to him. Why do I need to be there?”

Ace was making Lexi talk to him about something? Rev got a sinking feeling, now knowing that he did in fact say something he shouldn’t have. 

“Ugh, fine.”

It sounded like whatever it was, it was really bad. 

“…”

“It’s not terrible. You just have some very narrow taste.”

“…”

“Ugh. Later, Lex.” He tapped the screen and pocketed the phone. 

“So uh… what was that about?” 

“Nothing. Just don’t be surprised if Lexi and I call you in for a little chat sometime.” 

“About what?” 

“We’ll get to that later. But for now…” Ace peered at the bin of dresses that Rev was standing over. “See that yellow dress with the blue and red accents?” 

“This gaudy one?” Rev asked, picking up the overly saturated dress.

“It’s not gaudy, it’s bold,” Ace stated firmly. “And yes. Do me a favor, read out the tag for me.” 

“Uh, okay.” It took some maneuvering, but he eventually wrangled the tag into sight. “Let’s see here, hand wash only- I coulda told ya that- all natural materials -I couldn’t have told ya that- size medium… masculine build…” Rev looked up. “Wait…” He looked back down. 

“So, wanna retract that statement you made earlier?”

“Did you get this custom made… or…?”  

“Do you think a custom dress would come with a generic tag?” 

“I…” Rev dropped the dress and started searching through other ones. Just as Ace said, there was a mix of men’s and women’s in there, as well as unisex dresses which were equally as baffling to him. Not just that, but the men’s dresses were from quite a few different brands, meaning it wasn’t just one company making all of them. And now that he saw many examples, he could actually see how the men’s dresses were specifically made with men’s dimensions in mind. “I…” he set down the dresses, “I… don’t understand.” 

“What’s there to understand? There are dresses made for men; There have been for a while.” 

“So… it’s not weird for men to wear dresses…” 

“No, Rev. Frankly, I’m shocked this is a revelation for you at all.” 

“But my dad-” Rev paused, then let out a sigh and looked away. “So you want me to wear one of these?” 

“Of course! A bold new outfit is a great way to feel more confident.” Ace rummaged deeper into the bin nearest to him. “Most of the stuff here is more on the feminine side, which is obviously not what you’re used to, but getting you out of your comfort zone is just what you need!”

“Um… okay.” 

Ace looked up at him. “Well, go ahead! Find something you like! Unless you’d rather I picked for you.” 

“No. I’ll… try to find something.” 

By now, Rev had probably seen every dress in the bin twice, though never through the lens of actually finding one to wear. But, Ace had offered him confidence help, and he had accepted it. Plus, there was still the fear that if he didn’t improve whatsoever by the end of the day, Tech would be disappointed. So…

One by one, Rev picked up dress after dress, partly expecting one to just stand out against the rest as something he could wear. However, once he had held each dress twice more, he figured he needed a new plan. 

Okay… he had zero knowledge when it came to fashion, but he did have some knowledge of what colors went well together. Orange would be the complement to his feathers, but most of the orange dresses were really bright and saturated, which would clash. Red was his next go-to. It was a color he liked anyway. 

Alright… in terms of red dresses, there were a few. One was covered in cobalt and lime stripes… so that was an immediate no. The next had a simple white base with an amateur red dye job done to it. Rev held it up and inspected it. 

Ace noticed the movement and looked up. “Are you really going with that?” 

“Just looking right now. Why? Is something wrong with it?” 

“I mean… it wouldn’t be my first pick.” 

“Is it bad? I think it looks okay.”

“You don’t see anything wrong with the red splotches all over a clean white dress?” 

“Well, according to color theory, red has many positive connotations such as warmth, passion, strength, power, love, determi-” 

“It looks like it got drenched in blood, Rev,” Ace stated. “I bought the dress cheap and splattered dye all over it for a Halloween party.” 

“Ah…” Rev looked over the dress again, smiling nervously. “I mean, the red substance on the dress could be one of any number of non-murdery substances such as hot sauce, tomato soup, cocktail sauce, ketch- uhhh actually I’m just realizing now that none of these options are particularly flattering either so I’m just going to put down this dress and find another one now…” 

Ace chuckled, getting back to his own search. 

Well, the last red dress he had was covered in sequins, but at least it was a solid color and didn’t clash too hard with his feathers. However, it didn’t take a keen eye to notice that it was clearly made for women, not to mention how… revealing… it was. 

“Ooh~ That’s a nice one,” Ace said. 

“It uh… wasn’t made for… men.” 

“Who cares? Do you think the fashion police are gonna bust in because you decided to wear a dress with a few more curves?” 

“Uhhhhhhhhhh… No?” 

Sighing, Ace pinched the bridge of his nose. “You took way too long to answer that, pal, which is pretty ironic.” 

Rev looked away, cheeks red as the dress he was holding as he cleared his throat. “Uh, anyway, it’s a bit revealing and the dimensions are probably off and the uh… chest area… wasn’t made for someone like me…”

“Actually, that’s one of the better women’s dresses you’ve got there. Here, let me show ya.” Ace got up and walked over. Once Rev handed over the dress, he turned it around in his hands and held it by the waist.

“Alright, you notice how the torso of the dress stays up even when I hold it at the base?” 

“Yeah?” 

“That’s because it’s got a really strong wire and some thick fabric that keeps it in place. If you just…” Ace bent the top around, flattening it somewhat into a shape Rev could see would fit a little better. “…And there. See? It should stay in place no matter how much you move around, especially considering that it was made to contain some pretty huge breasts.” 

Covering his face, Rev blushed more. “Anyway… Um…” He glanced back at the dress, specifically the long slit that ran all the way from the bottom to the upper thigh. Not to mention it had an entirely exposed back, giving barely enough fabric to support a tail hole. “Don’t you think it’s a little… lacking in coverage?” 

“That just means it’ll show off more of your manly physique!” 

That seemed like it’d be a better selling point if Rev wasn’t aware of how lean he was, practically a twig in his own opinion. To be fair, being thin did make him more aerodynamic. 

“I don’t know…” he said simply. 

“You’ll look great!” 

“I… really don’t think I could dress up in just… this…” 

Rev was already feeling exposed just thinking about it, and couldn’t help but shrink a little despite still being fully garbed in his hero suit.

After a moment of awkward silence, Ace let out a hum.

“Well,” he muttered quietly, “I do need you to dress up at all for this to work…” He let out another thoughtful hum. “Okay, so, I might have a couple ideas that might help.” 

“Like?” 

Ace handed Rev the dress and opened another bucket, moving things around inside. “If you can’t go through with wearing the dress because too much is exposed, maybe un-exposing a little bit might help. Like… Ah!” He pulled out what he was apparently looking for. “These gloves actually go with the dress, and they cover a bit of your arms.” 

Rev took the gloves offered to him, noting the smooth texture and purple color that almost exactly matched his crest and tail. 

“I… guess that’s a little better…” 

“It’s the leg’s you’re worried about, huh? Well, look in that bin right there,” he said pointing at one close to Rev. “There’s a long pair of boots that you might like, a little dull but I think you’ll appreciate them.” 

“Alright…” 

Rev carefully laid the dress and gloves over the edge of the dress bin and got to work popping the lid off the one Ace pointed to. Sure enough, it was filled with many different kinds of shoes, many of them heels. Thankfully, the boots Ace was referring to were easy to find, as they were long as he said and purple like the gloves. Unfortunately, they also happened to be heeled boots.

“…These ones?” Rev asked, despite knowing the answer. 

Ace looked up from a new bin he was going through, that one appearing to be filled with shorts and skirts. “Yep!” 

“They’re…” 

“Heels. But don’t worry. If Duck can walk in them, you surely can.” 

“Duck wore these?” 

“He loves them, since it’s so rare to find heels that are nice to his webbed feet. Actually, they might even be more comfortable for you than him, considering that you’re a bit taller.” 

“If you say so.” 

Rev retrieved the boots, setting them up next to the dress and gloves. At the very least, the colors didn’t clash and the designs were pretty simple. He could feasibly look not terrible in this selection of clothes. 

Taking his eyes off his ensemble, he watched as Ace continued to gather his own assortment of clothes. 

“So… you said Duck liked these boots. Are all these clothes yours and you just loan them sometimes?” 

“Oh, we’ve pooled together our snazzier stuff so it’d be easy to just grab what we need when we’re in the mood to dress fancy. Before then, Duck would borrow from me, and then I’d borrow from him, and eventually, neither of us could remember who had what, so this is just an easier solution.”

“And when do you guys ‘dress fancy’? I don’t think I’ve seen either of you in any of these clothes before.” 

“Well, you already know none of us get much free time, so we only get to wear this stuff when we’ve got a spare moment. And we only really started dressing up last year.” Ace closed his current bin and hopped over to the one filled with shoes. “As for why you haven’t seen us, I couldn’t tell ya. My guess is that you just go to bed a bit too early or something, since the best chances Duck and I get to dress up usually happen after dark.” 

“You’re probably right.”

Rev resisted the temptation to explain why he goes to bed early… Ace probably didn’t need to know that he wakes up on the floor multiple times each night due to tossing and turning. 

Closing his current bin, Ace pulled another one over, this one seemingly filled with hats. Rev continued to watch, feet shifting awkwardly beneath him. 

“Come on,” Ace said, startling Rev out of his thoughts. “You can pick out more to wear than just that, right?”

“Well… it’s not like I have much experience in dressing like… this… so I guess I’m just standing here trying to remember any information I may or may not have on the subject which is most likely minimal at best if I do any information which means that these are the best clothes I can gather with my minimal information.” 

“Jeesh. This ain’t a test, Rev. Grab some jewelry out of that bin right there,” he said, pointing to the one he got the gloves out of earlier. “Just take what you like! I promise this isn’t a big deal.” 

“Right. Okay… I’ll do that.” 

“And you can stop being so awkward already.” 

“Don’t be awkward. Okay.” Rev stepped over to grab the jewelry, muttering, “Don’t be awkward. Don’t be awkward. Don’t be awkward.” 

“You’re still being awkward.” 

Clearing his throat, he stopped talking and started looking. 

~

Rev learned what the clothes rack with a comforter on top was for once it was time to actually change into the clothes he gathered. Turns out, it was a makeshift privacy screen. It also turned out that he was up first to change, something Ace proposed so he’d have a little more time to get used to his outfit while Ace was busy changing after him. 

Despite having finished getting dressed, Rev was having a hard time actually stepping out from behind the blanket. Obviously, his nerves had something to do with it; His suit was draped over the blanket and he was strongly feeling the urge to snatch it down and put it back on. But, there were also physical difficulties in walking out, mostly attributed to the ridiculously high heels he was wearing. Then, there was the fact that he was very much still feeling very weird in these clothes. Overall, Rev wasn’t feeling very motivated to do this. 

“Are ya done yet?! You only really need the privacy for the dress!”

“I’m done! Just give me a second, okay?” 

Ace sighed. 

Rev took a deep breath, assuring himself that this wasn’t weird, and he’d look okay. 

The boots made a few deep taps on the hard floor. To Rev’s dismay, he couldn’t use his arms to cover himself up, as they were already in use keeping him balanced. When he managed to stop looking at the floor, he saw that Ace seemed to be having a not-negative reaction to how he looked. 

“Wow. You look great! A little dull, but pretty great anyway!”

“Thanks? I guess.” 

“Don’t be like that. I mean it! You should dress like this more often!” 

“I’ll… think about it.” 

“Alright. My turn! You just get used to walking around and stuff while you wait.” 

“Will do.” 

“You’re being awkward again.” 

“…”

Ace patted his shoulder as he walked by. “I promise. You look amazing.” 

Rev simply nodded, staying still as Ace picked up his things and brought them behind the makeshift curtain. 

Clothes shuffling filled the air, but not heels tapping on the floor. 

It was hard not to feel stuck in place, everything that was happening was new to him. Still, he couldn’t just stand there looking at nothing. 

His eyes wandered around, before getting caught on the window separating the control room from the virtual trainer on the other side. The opposite room was pitch black, making Rev’s reflection in the glass crystal clear. 

Rev wanted to say he didn’t recognize himself, but that would just be a lie. It just looked like him… but dressed femininely. Not like him as a woman, or him as another person. Just him. In some clothes. 

And he looked nice. 

All the colors went well together, which Rev was still shocked he managed to pull off given the selection of clothes he had to choose from. The gloves and boots did manage to cover some of him up… and he kinda liked how they left just a little uncovered; It was like they led the eye to the small amount of thigh and bicep that could be seen. He doubted Ace when he said the dress would show off his manly physique, but exposing a little lean muscle seemed to complement everything pretty well.

Rev turned in place to the best of his ability while still in heels, looking himself over. 

The jewelry he chose was nice and subtle. A thin bracelet studded with fake diamonds on his right wrist and a silver ring set with a fake red ‘gemstone’ on his left hand. Stepping closer to his reflection, Rev looked at the necklace he chose; A red pendant matching the fake gem on the ring, set in presumably fake silver and attached to a thin ‘silver’ chain. The necklace brought attention to his collarbone, and his shoulders by extension. They weren’t very muscular, but Rev thought that what muscle was there looked nice, and felt it was possibly okay to have it on display like this. 

Briefly, he wondered if Tech would like how he looked, then shoved that thought into a corner. 

He was never, ever, showing this to Tech. 

…Maybe that thought was a little extreme. 

He was never, ever, showing this to Tech… anytime soon. 

That was better. 

Since dressing like this was normal, and he looked good dressed like this, Tech probably- definitely wouldn’t judge him for it. So… maybe if Rev ever felt up to dressing femininely again, and Tech wasn’t busy… maybe he’d like to see? 

But not now. Right now, Ace was the only one who had to know. 

Speaking of Ace.

“I’m doooooone~” 

Rev’s face scrunched at the high-pitched tone Ace employed, and found it difficult to will himself into looking at what he decided to wear. 

He turned his head… and…

Well… 

At least Rev could sort of make out a… theme? Motif? The outfit was certainly flashy, and covered in glitter, but most of the things Ace decided to wear had a sort of oceanic vibe. Somewhat.

It appeared that Ace also decided to wear heeled boots, but his were a very shiny pink and tied with bright green laces. Said boots didn’t go as high as his own did, so Rev could see that he wore blue thigh-high socks covered in thin, wavy, neon red and green stripes. Even from a glance, Rev could make a fair guess the stripes were put there through the use of glitter glue.

Rather than a dress, Ace was wearing shorts and a shirt. Said shorts were white and highly reflective, with a pearlescent sheen to them. Around his waist were two belts; One a baby blue and made of pleather, covered in what Rev hoped to be fake pearls. The other, a bright yellow braided rope/belt that was simply looped around his waist rather than threaded into the shorts’ belt loops. 

For a top, he had on a white, long-sleeved shirt that was covered in many hues of blue overlapping polka dots and failed to conceal most of his shoulders. Over it… he was wearing a starfish bra. Painted pink. And covered in glitter. His wrists and fingers were adorned with a myriad of bracelets and rings respectively, most shades of blue, pink, and green, which admittedly sort of went well together, but were too numerous to even get an estimate of. Around his neck was a shell necklace, multicolored and covered in glitter. 

So much glitter. 

And his face… was covered in makeup. Maybe ‘covered’ wasn’t the right term, but he had on some sparkly blue lipstick and green eyeshadow… and he did not skimp on either. Since his lashes were a bit… fuller than usual, Rev could assume he had applied some false lashes as well. Attached to his ears were dangling pearl earrings, which may have been subtle if not for the fact he decided to wear multiple pairs of them.

He struck a pose, showing off the sparkle of his outfit as well as his glittery multicolored nails that Rev had just now noticed. “So… how do I look?”

Flashy? Eye straining? Tacky? 

“…Bold.” 

“Aww! I knew you’d come around!” Ace twirled in place, failing to notice Rev’s concerned expression. “I was going for a sort of fairytale-esque mermaid vibe, and I think I really outdid myself!” 

Since he wasn’t off on the theme, Rev had to admit Ace succeeded. 

“And now,” Ace said, walking over to the console, “it’s showtime!” He turned on the virtual trainer’s console, navigating through a selection of scenarios seemingly with a goal in mind. “Ah ha!” 

The room opposite of them came to life, a runway surrounded by a virtual crowd lighting up. 

Rev quirked his head. “Are these the assets you requested me to make when we first moved here? Is this what you’ve been using them for?”

“Yep! You did some great work too!”

“While I can’t say I’ve only used the virtual trainer solely for its intended purpose, as is the case with the rest of the team, a fashion show is still a highly abnormal scenario to load into a state-of-the-art virtual reality device designed to help train us for potential combat situations.”

“Stop being such a stick in the mud,” Ace said playfully. “Now, let’s go in and strut our stuff!” 

“Wait what? WAH!”

Before he knew it, Rev was being pulled by the arm away from the console and into the training room, wobbling on his much too high heels as he desperately tried to maintain balance. On the way to their destination, Rev accidentally shoulder-checked quite a few virtual audience members thanks to Ace’s enthusiasm. 

“Alright!” Ace said, stopping Rev near the end of the runway. “I’ll show you how it’s done, and then it’s your turn!” 

“But I’ve never walked in heels before today! Much less paraded around on a stage in front of a million people!” 

“You made all these people, Rev.”

“That doesn’t stop me from feeling uncomfortable with the idea of having a sea of virtual eyes on me!” 

“Well, once you’re up, just imagine them all in their virtual underwear!” 

“How is that supposed to-” Rev reached out as Ace easily trotted away. “Ace!” 

“Just pay attention!” Ace called, his voice barely audible over the roar of the virtual crowd and electronic music. “You’ll be confident in no time!” 

“But-!” It was pointless at this point, so Rev simply sighed. Besides… maybe after getting a little instruction, he really could follow Ace’s lead and become more confident. He had to try, right? For Tech. 

Spotlights shined down on Ace at the back of the runway, leading Rev’s eyes to him. It was at this point that he noticed why Ace might have preferred all the glitter: He was practically shimmering under the concentrated lights. While it did make more sense in that context, Rev still found it to be overkill… at least as far as his own taste was concerned. 

After a few more seconds of soaking in the reactions of the pre-programmed audience, Ace began to strut down the runway to the defined beat of the music. His form was flawless, walking in his heeled boots as if he’d never walked in anything else. Not only that, but he was also waving and blowing kisses as he walked, somewhat similarly to Lexi’s victory dance earlier that evening. 

It didn’t take long before Ace reached the end of the runway where Rev was watching. After striking a flashy pose, he kneeled down and grinned at him. 

“Learning anything?” 

“Uhhh…” Quickly, he tried to think of something he learned. “Uh, glitter, is, really sparkly in spotlights?” 

“That college education seems to have done wonders for you,” Ace remarked sarcastically.

“And uh.” He tried thinking of something else, replaying Ace’s short strut in his head. “I, should, keep my back straight while walking?” 

“There you go! And while you’re at it, focus more of your weight on your toes; It’ll help you keep balance.” He stood up. “Keep your eyes on me, because there’s still more to show ya!” 

Rev nodded, and Ace stylishly turned around to strut back up the runway. 

The strong steps Ace took really affirmed that while he wasn’t Rev’s first choice, he was still a decent choice in getting confidence advice. Given that Ace was the leader of their team, he’d obviously have confidence to spare. But Rev never would have imagined him in a situation like this acting just as confident as always, and maybe even more so. Whether or not Ace can instill something resembling that level of confidence into himself… has yet to be seen. 

At this point, though, Rev had to wonder: Is this the confidence Tech was asking for? Was Tech trying to bring out a more feminine side to him? Get him to dress in a ‘bold’ way? Maybe there was some sort of relevance that Rev just couldn’t see? Regardless, this was the only idea Rev had at this point, so he had to stick with it. 

By now, Ace had reached the start of the runway and was circling back. Realizing he was lost in thought, Rev decided to pay extra close attention this time. 

Every few steps he posed, his arms and legs held in positions that made Rev wonder how he managed to balance like that. Sure, he always knew Ace was strong and flexible, but how he could do a one-legged twirl in heels was beyond him. Though, now that he thought about it, maybe the weird arm stuff was the thing keeping him balanced. After a few more steps, Rev watched Ace do another balanced pose, and the way Ace slowly moved his arms into position confirmed his hypothesis. 

Ace reached the end of the runway once again, this time cutting to kneeling down to better speak with Rev. 

“So, learned anything else?” 

“If I want to do any fancier poses I’ll have to pay attention to where my weight is distributed to prevent toppling over due to the low surface area of my shoes?”

“That’s a pretty complicated way of putting it, but sure! You’re a natural, Rev!” 

“Oh, uh, thanks!” 

“Now it’s your turn!” 

He went still. “What?” 

“It’ll be fine,” Ace said, sliding off the runway and beginning to nudge Rev along. “The best way to learn is to practice!” 

Stumbling and stammering, Rev tried in vain to prevent being whisked to the stairs. “But- But- But-” 

“You’re a smart guy! You’ll do great!” 

They reached the stairs and Rev shot his arms out, grabbing the railings and holding on for dear life. 

“NO!” 

Ace halted, taking his hands off. 

“Er… What’s the matter? By all means, it seems like you know enough to give it a try.” 

Seeing as Ace wasn’t forcing him along anymore, he unclamped his hands from the railing. “I…” Around him, Rev heard more automated cheers. “It’s… There’s so many people here. I know they’re fake but… this is… a lot.” 

“Hmm…” After tapping his chin a few times Ace gasped. “Hey, I’ve got an idea. Stay here.” 

“Okay?” 

Ace took off and quickly disappeared into the crowd. 

As seconds passed, Rev began shifting in place. What was Ace going to do? Would it really help? How late was it getting? Since his suit and by extension his communicator were currently in the control room, he couldn’t exactly look at the time. It had to be getting late, though. At least, that’s what Rev thought given that exhaustion was beginning to creep in. But at the same time, Rev wondered if his exhaustion was actually due to all the lessons he’d been taking. 

Seeing Ace jogging back, Rev fought between letting out a sigh of relief and a worried moan. What came out was a soft whine. 

“I’m back! And I’ve got just the thing to help your stage fright! Ta-da!” He presented Rev with a purple masquerade mask with silver embellishments. “Just cover your face and all these digital people won’t have a clue who you are.” Ace leaned in to whisper cheekily, “digital people aren’t very bright.” 

“Thanks?” Rev let Ace hand him the mask, and out of obligation, he put it on. 

“Woah! Where’d Rev go?” 

“Please stop.” 

Ace chuckled. “But seriously, feel different?” 

“It feels like I have a mask on my face.”

“And?” Ace raised up a handheld mirror, letting Rev see his reflection.

Upon seeing himself, Rev was pleasantly surprised at how well the mask went with the rest of his outfit. Still, he’d be lying if he said he was completely unrecognizable in it. Sure there were other roadrunners who looked like him, but not that many, and especially not on Blanc. If anyone were to see him like this, they’d know who it was immediately. Especially Tech and his other friends. 

Still… At the moment, it was just him and Ace in there. The mask covered up a bit of his face, and oddly, it did feel like he could hide a little more with it on. While the thought of getting on the runway was still scary… it was a little less so. As embarrassed as he was to admit it… 

“I… do feel a little better with this on…” 

“See! What’d I tell ya.” Ace put away the mirror and pat Rev’s shoulder. “Think you can go up, now? I’ll stay right next to you just in case you need help.” 

“I don’t know…” 

“Well, why don’t you try anyway? This is what gaining confidence is all about; Doing things you’re unsure of and learning it’s not as bad as you thought!” 

Well… he had a point…

Rev took a deep breath. “Alright.”

“That’s the spirit!” 

Ace raced ahead, within seconds waiting for Rev at the top of the small set of stairs. 

Rev’s entire focus was on his feet as he stepped up, his grip nearly iron on the railing. 

“First order of business,” Ace said, “is to get you walking. You can’t strut if you can’t walk.” 

“So first I’m gonna just show off my ability to walk? That doesn’t seem like something hordes of people would pay to see.”

“This is a free fashion show,” Ace continued, nudging Rev more lightly toward the runway. “Trust me, all these people will be cheering you on the whole time.” 

“I would hope so considering that’s what I programmed them to do.” 

“Exactly!” Once they reached the start, Ace fully took his hands off of Rev. “Just follow my advice, and you’ll be all set.” 

“Okay,” Rev replied uneasily. 

“Now, let’s get walking!” 

Ace proceeded to take a step forward beside Rev, hinting at him to do the same. Once followed, Ace repeated with another, and another. Sure enough, they were walking. If Rev was honest, he thought it would be harder, but maybe having Ace dragging him everywhere was just a bad way to start learning. At the very least, he was managing to not screw up when it was most important. 

While it was quite nerve-wracking to have all those eyes on him, the mask did help, oddly enough. While he knew it was entirely illogical to be nervous around what were essentially fancy cardboard cutouts, he began to understand that what he was really afraid of, was who could be hiding inside the virtual crowd. Still, the effort it took to learn how to walk in heels was distracting enough to keep his mind off of it for now.

They did a circuit before Ace nodded at Rev’s progress. 

“Good. Now; To the beat of the music!” 

There was no room for hesitation as Ace called out a “Four! Three! Two! One!” and got him stepping to the beat. It was a pretty quick beat too. Rev could feel the imbalance as he forced himself to keep in step with Ace. Any stumbles had to be prevented though. He couldn’t fail now. Not when he might be so close to getting the confidence Tech wanted him to have.

Another circuit completed. 

“Again! Try to really feel the music this time.” Ace nudged him playfully. “It’ll help you relax.” 

Ace could tell he wasn’t relaxed?! Wait, he could just become relaxed, and everything will be better again. Alright. 

On Ace’s count, they stepped onto the runway again. 

Rev tried to relax this time. He tried to make his breathing more even, forget about the crowd, and pretend like this wasn’t his first time in women’s attire. Like the boots he was wearing. Which were hard to walk in.  

“Ahem.” 

Rev startled slightly as Ace tapped his shoulder, getting his attention. 

He nodded his head to the beat, and pointed vaguely upwards, most likely gesturing to the hidden speakers. 

Right. Ace told him to ‘feel the music’ to calm down. Maybe he should do that. That’s kind of like what happened when he was learning from Lexi, but that… didn’t go well. Though, that music was embarrassing and of a genre he didn’t like. This music was specifically of a genre he did like and contained no embarrassing lyrics. This was more doable. 

As they continued along the runway, Rev tried keeping up the steps while listening to the music the same way he would during a research binge. Just having a fun time listening to regular music. Enjoying the beat. Feeling the rhythm. 

Rev barely noticed as they completed the circuit. All things considered… that wasn’t too bad!

“Nice!” Ace said. “Ready to try some poses?” 

“I think this might be a strange thing for me to say but, sure!” 

“Okay then; Follow my lead!” 

Back onto the runway. A few steps in, Ace struck a pose, a hand on his hip and a finger pointed into the distance, then nodded at Rev. He copied his pose, a little unsure at first but quickly holding the stance firm. Ace gave him a thumbs up, and then they continued. 

A little later, another pose. Then again. And again. Each time, Rev felt like he had a better grasp on it all. And better planted feet. More and more, he was getting that feeling he had when he first saw his reflection in the glass. Despite being new and different, the clothes, the poses, he felt great! The crowd might be fake, but he felt like he was really showing off how amazing he looked and they were eating it up! 

Ace and Rev didn’t pause when they completed the loop. Instead, they immediately began the next one. 

With the added experience, Rev no longer felt the need to copy Ace’s actions. He tried out his own pose unprompted, and received a cheer from Ace. From there, Ace took a few more steps ahead which allowed Rev more room to work. With the added space, Rev tried out more poses, showing off his improved balance, lean physique, and gorgeous clothes. With how amazing it was going, who wouldn’t love to see this kind of performance? Maybe he would give his other friends a chance to see him like this soon!

They circled back again, but this time, Rev grinned. He made one step onto the runway, and with a flourish, tossed his mask behind him. A thrill bloomed in his chest, heightened by Ace’s jaw hitting the floor. With no more need for a shield to hide behind, Rev continued forward with pride in each step. 

The form of each pose was flawless. His attire shimmered under the spotlight. The look on his face was entirely assured. At this point, Rev was wondering how much better he’d look in makeup like Ace. He judged it earlier, but he had to admit; The longer they were dressed like this, the more it felt like they looked great! Maybe Lexi was being dramatic. After all, it wasn’t like Ace was hurting anyone. 

No prompting was needed once again as Rev took to the runway upon completing the last pass. Somehow, it was like the spotlight was calling for him. This little show was somehow both freeing and invigorating, like releasing his chains and being filled with… confidence. Ace was right! This is what he needed! Everything was going perfectly and there was no feasible way to screw up now! He wasn’t going to let Tech down! 

Rev’s heel slipped off of the runway. 

He flailed back to avoid falling off. 

“OOF!” 

And his butt hit the floor. 

…

It happened again! He screwed up! How could he screw up again?!

Rev scrambled to get back up, wobbling as he looked to see if Ace saw him. 

“You alright, Rev?” 

Oh no. He saw him. 

“Haha! Yep! Just trying a new pose!” 

“It’s alright, Rev. No need to-” 

“I didn’t screw up! Just watch! See! I’m-! WAH!”

This time, his entire body lurched as he failed to pay attention to his footing, causing him to topple onto and knock over multiple crowd members with a cataclysmic THUD! 

“Rev!” 

As his vision swam back into focus, Rev’s heart started to race. This was entirely humiliating and if anyone were here to see him like this… who knows how disappointed they’d be?! Dressing in these clothes was weird and prancing around in them was even worse! Nobody could see him like this! Much less his friends! Much less Tech! 

“Rev?” 

Pathetically, Rev scrambled through the crowd, heaving and tripping as he made it to the stairs. 

“Are you hurt? Rev, what are-” 

He practically crawled across the back of the runway, snatching his mask and putting it on. 

“Come on! These people aren’t real and it was just a small mistake! Rev!”

As he launched toward the stairs, Ace put a firm hand on his shoulder. 

“What are you doing?! Everything’s alright! You can’t be calling it quits due to one little mistake, right?” 

“Let go of me!” 

Rev sharply rolled his shoulders, throwing off Ace’s hand and making a mad dash for the control room 

Unfortunately, his mad dash wasn’t exactly fast. He teetered and smacked shoulders with multiple virtual crowd members. The control room was just within reach when he tripped over his own feet and cataclysmically hit the floor once again. 

A groan rolled out of Rev’s beak as he rubbed the side of his head, his surroundings blurry when he tried to open his eyes. 

“Rev! Are you- Woah.” 

Wait… When did Ace get back into his suit? And why were the accents pink? And when did he start sounding like Lexi?

Gasping, Rev threw himself back and immediately regretted the decision as his head pounded. 

“Here, let me help you up.” 

He didn’t have much of a choice as she took his hand, pulling him to his feet. 

Rev’s vision finally cleared, and not only was Lexi there, Slam was only a few steps behind her! 

“Uh… This… Uh…” Rev could feel his face flushing as embarrassment consumed him. 

“Oh my gosh!” Lexi said as she looked him up and down. 

Rev folded his arms, trying in vain to cover himself. “I… uh…” 

“You look amazing!” 

“…What?” 

Slam nodded profusely, giving a thumbs up. 

“See,” Ace said, walking up to them. “I told ya, Rev.” 

“Ugh,” Lexi sneered at him. “You definitely had nothing to do with that.” 

“Hey!” 

Lexi continued to inspect his outfit, bringing out more red in Rev’s cheeks. “I heard a huge noise and thought I’d walk in on a disaster and- I just can’t believe how great your outfit turned out! You should be proud!” 

She did walk in on a disaster! He didn’t plan for a single person other than Ace to see him like this, let alone two people! 

“Look I-” Rev tried moving past them but continued to stumble. “I need to-” He tripped and hit the wall behind him, feeling cold metal sliding across his back for a split second before he realized what had happened. He tried to scramble away, but he was already falling backward. 

“AHH!” 

“Woah!” 

The cold hard smack of the ground didn’t come. Instead, Rev felt a firm pressure under his arms. 

Slowly, he opened his eyes. 

His chest tightened. The very first thing he saw was a lightbulb, then the furry brown hand that held onto it. The next thing he saw, barely out of the corner of his eye and blocked by part of his mask, was a black nose and tan snout. 

“Here, uh, I’ll try to help you up.” 

The pressure under his arms slowly shifted to push him up and ahead, leveling him out and onto his own feet. 

Rev didn’t want to turn around. He didn’t want to face him. Didn’t want to be seen like… this. 

In the doorway, Lexi was looking past him, snickering. Behind her, Slam and Ace leaned over to watch. 

“Um…” Tech cleared his throat. “Are you… alright? You nearly got hurt.” 

Rev laughed nervously, frozen in place. “I… Yep!” 

“Um… could you… turn around?” 

Ace whispered something into Slam’s ear. More snickering followed. 

“Uh… why… do I uh… need to do that?” 

“Rev…” 

He gulped, forcing his limbs to unlock. Slowly, he turned in place, refusing to look at Tech even once he was facing right toward him. 

The air went completely silent. The silence was killing him. He couldn’t stand it! Anything was better! 

“Haha!” Rev choked out, nerves on fire. “I don’t suppose this is the attire you’d want at your congrats party. Right?” 

A bright flash caught Rev’s attention, immediately followed by a sharp POP! 

Despite the distraction, Rev saw that Tech’s gaze was trained on him instead of the bulb. 

“Uh…” 

Their eyes met, and Rev noticed how flushed Tech’s face was. 

Tech quickly looked away. “Ah-! You can-! Wear what you want! But I mean-! I-! Uh, anyway! I need to-” He glanced around. His eyes met the burnt bulb. “Get a new bulb! Bye!” 

Then, he turned and dashed down the hall.

“Wait! That was a joke and also I got the bulb from-” 

A thud sounded at the end of the hall as Tech ran into the courtyard door before throwing it open and barreling out of sight. 

“…the garage.” 

Duck walked into view from around the corner, his attention toward the courtyard as he made his way over. 

“Jeez. What’s got him acting all- Woof!” 

Rev simply groaned and covered his face as the last of his friends saw his attire. 

“Well no wonder why he was running off! You’re gonna kill him if you go around dressing like that! Though,” he nudged Rev’s arm with his elbow, smirking, “he might thank you for it.” 

“W-What?” 

The snickering behind Rev grew louder. 

“I’m saying you’re laying it on pretty thick, pal. Tech’s already into you, so you don’t need to go out like that to get his attention.”

“I wasn’t dressing like this for Tech!” Though, technically speaking, he kinda was in a tangential way. But, nobody needed to know that. 

“Well, it sure seems like he’d want you to.” 

“Okay, that’s enough, Duck,” Ace said.

“Hey! I’m just stating the obvious! You were all thinking it!” 

Ace opened his mouth, but a retort didn’t come. 

Lexi and Slam looked away. 

“Hmph!” Duck breathed triumphantly. “So Rev, if you weren’t trying to dress to impress, what were you doing anyway?” 

Ace stepped in. “That ain’t any of your business.” 

“Just getting help with my confidence.” 

“Confidence? Oh, I know exactly how to get you some confidence!” 

“Now hold on!” Ace jutted in again, this time pulling Rev back toward the others. Leaning in and lowering his volume, he asked, “are you really going to take advice from Duck?”

Lexi nodded. “Yeah. I mean, come on. Surely, whatever it is you’re doing, it’s not worth it.” 

“Uh huh,” Slam agreed alongside them. 

Maybe they had a point? Duck was definitely last on his list of people he’d take advice from, especially personal advice. His strong suit was definitely more in physical conflicts rather than emotional ones.

Still… It was getting late, and Rev was getting tired. Tech just ran off, but the next time they saw each other… he might want to know that Rev had some kind of improvement. Any kind of improvement. And with the last two attempts being a complete failure… he had to do something.

“Maybe… I could give him a chance?” he said, nerves alight with nervous energy. “He might have something to teach me,” he continued, every fiber of his being disagreeing with the words coming out of his mouth. He let out an anxious laugh. “I mean, what could possibly go wrong?” 

“That’s the spirit!” Duck said, suddenly behind him. 

“Wait!” Rev yelped as Duck clapped his shoulder. “I was exaggerating!” 

And before he knew it he was teleported away. 

Ace hummed uneasily, crossing his arms. “Duck’s bound to do something sketchy. Keep an ear out, Lex. ” 

“Was already planning to.” She paused briefly, tilting her head. “Though, in the meantime, I’m gonna go make sure Tech’s okay.”

“What’s up with him?”

“He just threw himself into the walk-in freezer.”

Ace and Slam snickered. 

“Alright. Slam, keep hanging with Lexi until we know where Duck took Rev.” 

Slam nodded, and he and Lexi took off for the other side of the base. 

“Meanwhile… I guess I’ll change back into my suit in case of an emergency…” 

He sighed, walking back into the virtual trainer. 

~

Link to Oversight Chapter 4 ->