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pokeexehasstoppedworking · 3 years

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Love Doesn’t Do Encores Ch8 Battle Gym Leader Milo

(I have read somewhere sheep love dandelions so Im applying that fact to wooloos. I would also like to note that all side quests shall also be considered a part of the story.)

It would be nice to wake up without pain in your neck, sides, or back wouldn't it? That's what you wished you could do as you were shaken yet again the very next morning by someone. The four of you had decided to set up camp in the nearby camping grounds near the stadium since the day was starting to come too a close and you still weren't used to not sleeping on anything between you and the ground besides the thin floor of the tent and had fallen asleep feeling the hard ground beneath you and it must've taken you at least a good three hours before you had fallen asleep that night. Your sobble softly snoring sleeping on your head. And this morning was just like the rest when you woke up with a slight pain in your neck and back, popping them as you stretched. And with what happened yesterday you must've looked a sight-

"You look like you haven't slept in a month." Yep. It was Gloria decked out in her white gym uniform again ready to take on the day and battle ....or so it seemed.

You yawned and rubbed at your neck. Giving a groan as you already felt your sobble climbing on your back to reach it favorite riding spot and you gave him a look when he flopped half of himself over your shoulder. You were starting to see a pattern with this little guy liking to hitch a ride instead of walking himself.....Hm. Well if he was gonna stick with you for a while maybe you should give him a name? But right now you were more concerned with how much you were yawning. "Haha. I wonder why."

"Is she up?" Victor's head appeared in the opening of the tent next to his twin's and rose a brow at you blinking at the sunlight. "Oh...Wow you weren't wrong? Real case of bed head there, Y/n."

"Glad to know I can scare off Prince Charming," you sarcastically stated, "Although I wasn't expecting any kissing from any royalty anyhow."

Gloria snorted and Victor quickly held up his hands. "WHA- I-I didn't mean to be rude I swear it's just-"

"Ah. It's fine." You cut him off moving to grab your lumpy backpack/pillow at this point and made to crawl out of the tent. "Im always like this in the morning anyways. All I need is a quick hair brush and Im fine. ...What time is it?"

"Pretty early in the morning. We can all head on over to the stadium if you want but we'll still have to wait. Milo's still battling someone at the moment."

It must've been one of the trainers from before you guessed as you completely crawled out reaching up to straighten your hair out in an attempt to look presentable from a night of little sleep. "I guess he's still busy today. Kinda makes me wanna rethink my whole business liscence schtick if this means I'm gonna run a business like that."

"Business stick?"

"...Nevermind. Help me put away the tents then we can head on over to the gym ok?"

The four of you scrambled to put the tents away as you fumbled to get yourself looking half way decent. You doubted anyone would pay too much attention to you being only one random person sitting in the crowd of possibly hundreds of more people...That reminds you. You looked over your shoulder at Gloria who was currently in a pretty deep conversation with her twin whil Hop (tried to-) wrestle the tent down into it's more compact form. Victor mentioned she had stage fright. Not as bad as before stage fright, but still stage fright. He mentioned she had gotten A lot better but it seemed there was still some left since you could still remember her stiff smile and the way Hop had assurringly held his friend's hand out on the field there, which was real sweet of him. You could definately tell he was related to Leon. But it won't be the same here. It's not like you or anyone else would be there to encourage her while on field. The best any of you could do was cheer her on from the stage. Guess the two of you would have to roll with the punches as they were about to hit you. It didn't take too long to pack everything away, and you had helped Hop with his struggling battle to put the tent away. As soon as it was tightly packed away and placed onto Hop's back, you turned ready to journey to the stadium-

"Hey." Gloria's voice stopped you mid step as she pointed back up the way from the stadium. "Before we head on out I need to buy me some dandelions."

You gave her a look like she was crazy. "Dandelions? What would you buy dandelions right now for?"

"Milo's still busy right? Then we have time to get some before we go!"

You had zero idea what in the world Gloria would want with dandelions especially before her first gym battle, but you agreed since it meant you'd have some more time to straighten your hair out. So you agreed and she proceeded to buy dandelions at the florist shope. Stuffing them into her white uniform's pants pocket. She had bought a good amount and you wondered what in the world they were for. A gift for Milo perhaps? By the time the four of you made it back down to the GIGANTIC stadium. Her brother turning to her as you three stopped by to part ways. From here you could hear the cheering from the hundreds of people within and briefly wondered for a moment exactly where all these people came from. Certainly not this small town unless they traveled to see the matches. Which seemed more likely.

"Don't forget to show them your League Card to get in," Victor reminded her.

"I know."

"And stay calm."

"I know."

"Have a clear head and think things through alright."

"I KNOW!! Vic I'll be fine! You guys should get seats and watch me kick some butt!"

You heard him groan and shake his head. "Just....Don't forget what we talked about earlier alright?"

She nodded her head before giving him a smile and turned on her heel to trot on over to the front doors, which was guarded by more of those security people from the first stadium. Hop caught your attention when he nodded his head towards the stadium and you agreed following him as he turned to walk towards around the far side of the stadium with Victor hurrying to following behind. The three of you walked around until you came to two large double doors with stairs leading up and up into the stadium and you followed them screams and cheers becoming more and more promanant until you exited through the top and found yourselves high up and in side the stands....Huh. There wasn't as many people as you thought there would be. There was still a lot of people filling the seats around you but there was considerably less than at he opening Ceremony. There was still a good chunk of empty seats scattered about even with the large crowds. Surrounding the field was hundreds of seats with spectators cheering loudly and chattering likely excited for the next battle with Milo but said Gym Leader was no where to be seen on the field. Your guess was that he was taking a small break before the next battle to be had. You still followed behind them as they walked down the steps(thank GOODNESS that it wasn't as loud as the other stadium. You didn't think you could take that loud of a racket again.) and the lot of you were able to be seated a lot closer to the field this time thanks to the variety of open seats. As the three of you sat down the cheers of the crowd soon turned into loud but managable to your ears murmurs. Your sobble had taken to pushing itself up half on your head to look around interested but you reached up to take him into your lap instead. Neck still stiff from your awkward sleeping position.

It was then you noticed there was no one on the grassy fields below. "Hey. Where is everyone?"

"Gloria must be going through the challenge right now," Victor said it was easier to talk to him now than at the Opening Ceremony. "It took Hop about twenty five minutes to make it through so we'll have to wait and see what happens."

"It wasn't too hard," Hop commented crossing his arms, "In Postwick it's practically a need to know skill how to herd wooloo. A right of passage if you will. That challenge was practically begging me to solve it!"

That's right. Hop and the twins were born and raised amongst these pokemon. This should be fairly easy for them you thought. Or more likely hoped.

"Is this being broadcasted on TV as well?"

"No. Only the Entrance Ceremony and the Champion Matches at the end of the year will be. All the battles at the stadiums are recorded though, but they're uploaded to the Gym Challenge League's official Poketube website. So Mom would still be able to watch us if she wanted too. It helps with the pacing of TV channels and networks and makes it more convienet for anyone watching."

Ah. That makes sense. Guess you just had to wai- ....You blinked and squinted your eyes towards the field and pointed. "Hey. Who's that?"

Both boys looked towards the stadium's giant TV and Hop answered. "Oh. That's Dan. He's the gym's referee here, but he doesn't usually step out on field unless the battle's about to begin."

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!! THE BATTLE BETWEEN GYM LEADER MILO AND GYM CHALLENGER GLORIA SHALL BEGIN!!"

All three of you looked rather surprised at what was just said by the blonde man before Hop said what the three of you were thinking. "WHAT?! Already?! How could she have finished the challenge that fast!? It's barely been ten minutes."

You weren't sure yourself but were distracted by the sudden amount of cheers from the crowd as two more figures stepped onto the field. From the far left came Milo, the same man who worriedly apologised for letting his wooloo knock you over and from the right came Gloria..but she looked a bit different. Unlike last time, instead of stiff her movements were fast, jogging her way to the middle keeping her eyes slightly downward as the cameras caught her image and placed them on the screen for everyone to see. The two of them met somewhere in the middle of the field by Dan and although you could see their lips moving as they exchanged a few words you couldn't hear anything. You had guessed you wouldn't unless they had microphones to speak into. Before long the two bowed to each other before turning on their heels and walking away from one another. The flash of Victor's camera making you blink as he proceeded to capture his sister's first real battle of the league. Hop watching with a set determined face. The referee taking a few steps back himself, most likely not wanting to get caught in the crossfires.

"Here we go."

In one fluid motion with a cheer from the crowd, Milo threw a ball out and in a flash of light out came a gossifluer. Gloria mimicked the motion with her own pokeball and to your light surprise it wasn't a scorbunny. It was a corvisquire. The crow bird like pokemon gave a loud caw as it fluttered there awaiting orders. You didn't remember her catching that pokemon. Must've been one of the new ones she managed to capture back before you left Motostoke.

"BATTLE BEGIN!!"

Immediately Milo pointed and his lips moved in yelling in order. Immediately his gossifluer responded by a wind blowing around itself and suddenly leaves danced around it it a tiny tornado before being flung forward towards the bird pokemon. Razor Leaf move perhaps? Gloria's small form (or big form on the giant tv depending on which one you were watching) pointed back and barked something and like a blurred shadow the bird thing shot forward, dodging the leaves thrown at it, and like a seagal plucking a fish from the sea, the tiny gossifluer was quickly snatched up into the claws of the crow thing. You could only watch in worry for the poor thing as the corvisquire flew up, up, up until it would've been considered out of bounds of the gym. Before plummeting like a rock down below. THEY'RE GONNA crash!! Was the first thing in your mind as they went and just at the right moment the pokemon snapped it's wings back up and easily managed to fly away unhurt. A sigh of relief escaped you. Thank goodness....Only...it no longer had the gossifluer in it's claws. Your hold on your sobble increased making it give you a confused chirp, as your f/c eyes instantly went to the part of the field it would've crashed into. Only to catch the part glimpse of a light going back into the pokeball in Milo's hand. That could've only meant that Gloria managed to one hit K.O. the poor pokemon. That didn't sound right, unless the corvisquire she caught was pretty strong or-...Oh no. It couldn't be that- No time to wonder on that now as Milo sent out another pokemon who looked like a walking puffy dandelion. Eldegoss if you remembered right. While Gloria kept her corvisquire....before returning it. Guess she was changing it after all.

"ALL RIGHT!! DYNAMAX TIME!!"

You didn't have time to ask Hop what he meant. A bright red glow oozed out of the band Gloria wore upon her arm as she held her pokeball, it quickly was surrounded by the glowing energy before becoming bigger in her hands. She stumbled a bit seeming to have trouble with the added weight where you for sure thought she'd fall, before uprighting her self and turning around. With her teeth grit, Gloria raised the gigantic red pokeball above her head and tossed it. Your eyes followed it as it sored as high and far as she could- CRAP!! Your hands came up as an explosion of red appeared out of no where like multiply giant fireworks, followed by a whoosh of wind strong enough to push your body back and an UNGODLY giant cry in such high volume you could've sworn your ear drums could burst. There was a very loud chirp of panic and your eyes opened in a panic down to your shirt just as your sobble dove under it to escape the now......FREAKING. GIANT. BIRD THING!!! THAT THING WAS MASSIVE AS YOU STARED AT IT FLYING!! Thank god the stadium was built big enough for that thing to flap it's wings!! Speaking of which every flap sent a gust of wind flying from it, making Victor have to hold hit hat with one hand as he continued taking photos! Good gosh! No wonder your sobble was shaking against you! That'd thing give would give you nightmares too! A red circle of dynama clouds hung over the Corvisquire and it's black body now had a red shine to it. Looks as if Milo had decided to do it as well, because he did the same process of returning his own pokemon and adding the same red energy from his dynamax band. Giving the precious red pokeball a few pats with a smile before turning around and with one arm chucked it into the air behind him. Once again you had to shield your eyes from the bright explosion of red as the giant eldegoss made it's appearance with a slam down on the field that disleveled the ground and shook the stadium from under you. In an instant Gloria pointed towards the dynamaxed grass pokemon and must've given some kind of order you couldn't hear. Because it was at that very moment what you could only describe as a giant whirlwind of a tornado whipped from the corvisquire and straight for the eldegoss in a dead hit. That's right. Dynamaxing was a cool thing, but neither pokemon could dodge each other's attacks they were too big. Dynamaxing was a test of brute will to see how much you could hold out. And you were pretty sure Gloria had the upper hand but not because you thought she was super strong. The high winds made the three of you clutch your seats as it hit the eldegoss head on. If your hair wasnt a mess before it was now. Once the winds (other than the powerful breezes from the bird's wings) died down, you nearly choked seeing Gloria's form on her hands and knees clutching the grass to not be blown from the dirt. HOW WAS MILO STILL STANDING!? With a shriek of it's own the eldegoss leaned it's large head forward and you were surprised when three large green seeds fired off from it's head and landed with giant thuds under the bird's feet. Thank goodness Gloria was already ducking. What sprouted forth was GIGANTIC green mushrooms and grass surrounding it, then it exploded in a giant flash of green light. Giant glowing petals made of energy shooting everywhere before disintergrating into thin air. Green waves of energy washing over the crowds as the bird gave off a giant eagle cry of it's own but still flying in tack. ...That was one tough chicken!

"Eldegoss's Dynamax Move!! Awesome isn't it!?"

You couldn't answer. Another giant eagle cry pierced the air making your ear hurt and two black jet streams poured from it's wings. You watched in horror and shock as the dark jetstreams encircled the poor grass pokemon. Encasing it with a dome of black before exploding in a blast of black. The eldegoss crying out in pain as is tilted towards the ground- OMG! That thing was gonna crush Milo!! The eldegoss went out in an explosion that sent dirt clouds flying up everywhere as it timbered glowing brightly through the dust clouds as it magically shrank down winthin it's own mess. You all watched with baited breath as the clouds spread out and covered the famous gym leader as well, Gloria's bird pokemon glowing a bright reddish color before beginning to shrink down until it was back to it's normal size. It's normal size being about as big as Gloria herself (which was still pretty big but when again you remembered how big corviknight are supposed to get), and perched back onto the ground right next to it's trainer who was staring from her kneeled position as the dust literally settled. At least the giant gusts of wind weren't pushing you against the seats anymore. Maybe you should suggest to Leon to install seat belts on these stands. As the dust finally settled with great relief you saw Milo, unhurt and waving his big sunhat to shoo the dust away. Behind him was a giant crater in the ground and disheveled land. All that was left behind from the battle that had taken place.

"THE BATTLE IS OVER!! VICTORY GOES TO GYM CHALLENGER GLORIA!!"

The absolute UPROAR of the crowd's cheers along with Hop standing up to shout his own cheers to his rival/friend and another flash from Victor's camera signaled him capturing the shocked look on his sister's face just standing there looking around herself....Before you saw the brightest smile Gloria's ever given on her face and hugged her corvisquire making the poor pokemon wobble on it's feet as Milo placed the hat back on his head. The gym leader took a moment to look behind him at the disheveled field and big crater in the ground before looking back to the teenager and approuching her. Gloria seemed to notice because she stopped hugging her pokemon to face Milo with wide eyes as he approuched her. The two exchanged words for a moment before Milo held out his hand in a fist with a smile. Wide eyed she took a moment to stare at it before slowly holding out her own hands and he dropped something into the palm of her hands. Wide eyed and staring straight at it, it only took her a few moment for her to hop about excitedly and hold up the small thing in her hands. The cameras zoomed in enough for you to see that she was holding the same badge Hop had showed you the other day on the TV. She did it!? Her first badge! One more step on your way home! ...At Least you hoped. In the end the two of them shook hands and soon after excited the field as the three of you exited the stands, you taking your sobble and putting him on your shoulder again. The poor shaking pokemon calming quickly noticing there wasn't anymore giant pokemon. Hm. You might have to put him in your backpack from now on if he was gonna react all scared and hide like this. By the time the three of you excited the stands Gloria was already waiting outside the doors she went in. Smiling and bounding over towards you waving the badge around in her hand.

"LOOK AT THIS!!," she yelled excitedly shoving the badge in your faces the bronze-gold shining in the sunlight. "On my first try too! I told you I could do it!"

"You must've took my advice then."

You gave Victor a curious look. "Advice?"

He nodded. "Yeah. We used to play VR battles when we were younger as practice since we didn't have any pokemon. I suggested she pretended it was like the game and try her best."

Oh. Well that worked out pretty well for her anyways. Hopefully it'll work for the next battle as well, but you were a bit concerned that Gloria(and Hop-) only won because Milo and his pokemon was overwhelmed and tired by the onslot of trainers coming so early. But you were reluctant to say so. Not only because you didn't want to disturb the progress of the game's story more than you might have already did just by being here, and because you didn't want to hurt either of their feelings. Weighing your options, you decided that not mentioning it was the better choice for now.

"Congrats! I knew you could do it!," you complimented as she smiled wider.

"Thanks! I guess Hop and I must be on the same battling skill level then!"

"HECK YEAH! Wouldn't expect anything less from the greatest trainers to come out of Postwick!" You chuckled at him. "Oh by the way. What'd you do with all those dandelions you bought? Did you give 'em to Milo or something?"

A sly smile spread across her face. "Nope! I'm surprised you didn't remember."

He rose a brow. "Remember what?"

"Expert on wooloo huh?" She shook her head. "Wooloo love eating dandelions! That's why you barely find any of those flowers where wooloo graze or on farms in general. The objective was to get the wooloo to knock over the hay bails right? What better way than to get them to chase after you with their favorite food?"

Wow. That was actually a really smart idea you had to admit. Growing up in a farming community must really pay off. Hop's jaw practically fell open with this new revolution and his hands hands came up to grip his head. "AW MAN!! Why didn't I think of that!? I got my own wooloo for crying out loud!"

"Hey. It's ok. You're still smarter than me when it comes to science and research. You'd be a pretty good scientist too!"

"Science? Really?"

Hop nodded with a sigh. "Yeah. But it's more of a hobby, I just find learning stuff interesting y'know. But my main goal is to become the next Galar Champion!!"

"Not if I beat you to it!"

"Bring it on, Glory!

"Speaking of becoming champion," you interrupted the two, "Have you guys figured out which person you're gonna battle next?"

Both of them paused before looking at each other and Hop shrugged. "Well, there's really no particular order you have to have to battle in so I can pick anyone I want to battle next. It really doesn't matter as long as you get the eight badges for your Badge Circle...." She looked at you. "But Mr. Milo suggested I should go battle Nessa instead. He said she might be a good challenge for me."

"Nessa? Isn't she that model lady you showed me before?" She nodded.

"No way! That's where we were headed too!" Hop smiled. "This is a great chance to do a bit of traveling together!"

"Hey that sounds like a great idea! But first I want to check out this Turrfield treasure."

You all looked at her confused. "Turrfield treasure?"

She nodded. "I heard from a kid that there's supposed to be some kind 'o treasure around here. I think I figured out the riddle since then and I wanna go check it out before we leave."

"What kind of riddle?"

She made a thinking face. "Uh...Hang on a sec. What did she say how'd it go again? Some treasure lies in Turffield and the way to find it is with the standing stones and a riddle."

"Standing stones?"

"She means the ruins around Turffield," Victor answered you seeing the confusion on your face. "Some people call them 'Standing Stones' since most of them stand upright with their strange carvings."

"Seek the standing stones with Grass before the other ones," Gloria recited, "Use well that strength and find then the strength of it's strength in the end. Dally not if you've a mind to find what time has left behind...I don't know what it means tho."

"I do! It's about Pokemon types duh."

The three of you looked at Hop. "How did you solve that mystery?"

His answer was to point upwards towards the small florist and gift shop. "You remember the gift shop up there we were in?" You nodded confused. "They have this brochure in there with info on the Geoglyph and Standing Stones. I got curious after what Glory said about the thing and had a lil peek. It turns out one of the older standing stones has symbols that spell the word 'Grass' on it. And then there's two other's with 'Water' and 'Fire' cut into 'em too. It's like the three pokemon types. Grass types are usually stronger than water types but water types are usually stronger than fire types. And Fire Types are usually stronger than Grass types. It's a whole cycle of advantage type strengths."

You all were completely floored with such a logical and smart answer to come out of the teen but Gloria seemed the most impressed when she suddenly grabbed onto his hands making the poor boy freeze. "NO! WAY!! Oh my eevee! That makes so much sense! Hop you're a genius!!"

....He blinked a pink hue coming to his cheeks. "I-...I-I am?"

"YES!," she insisted eyes wide, "Who else would've been smart enough to figure out that riddle in one day!? And make the connection with pokemon advantages!" She gave him a tug and he stumbled a bit as she pulled his hands. "C'mon! We gotta go check 'em out! You know where they are right?"

"Wha- GLORIA!! What about our travel plans!?," Victor shouted after her gesturing towards a road that if you looked, was the way out of town.

She waved him off tugging Hop quickly down a different path back towards the Geoglyph. "It's just a quick look see! We'll meet you guys at the Pokemon Nusery on Route Five!!"

"GLORIA WAIT!!.....UGH!!" Victor facepalmed himself with a groan as he stood there and you blinked. "This is why I'm glad she has a traveling buddy." He looked back up at their disappearing forms with a scowl. "She gets one idea in her head there's nothing stopping her from getting it! Then she just rushes off into it without a second thought."

"Then I take it she didn't tell you about tresspassing on the Chairman's mine shafts."

"She did WHAT?!"

"Uh...Nevermind," you deflected pointing down the road. "Should we uh...Go wait for them?" In the end Victor huffed, shook his head, and turned on his heel to begin walking down the road. So you took that as a yes and made to follow him. "So....Where's the way to this Nessa person?"

Victor took a minute to respond with a sigh. "I'm not too sure. I know it's all the way on the other side of Galar in a coastal town called Hulbary. So it's safe to say it'll take some time if they insists on battling her gym next. Let me check my map." You watched and walked beside him patiently as Victor reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Turning on to where the screen lit up and then spoke. "Hey Rotom. How long would it take to travel from the town of Turffield to the town of Halbury?"

Now you know you shouldn't have been surprised considering all phones had a rotom pokemon in it acting as this world's version of 'Hey Google' but you still blinked at the almost robotic voice answering him back. "ZZZZT. Follow on Route 5 to your destination. By Flying Taxi it would take approximately a week. By foot near a month."

"A WHAT!?"

He gave you a look. "Flying is a lot faster than walking, and Halbury's all the way across Galar from here. Of course it would take that long to travel by foot." Oh...right. Not a game. R.I.P your poor feet and the many night of awkward sleeping positions to come. He looked back to his phone messing with something on the screen a few times. "...According to this, Route Five starts once we pass the Pokemon Center and cross Turrfield Bridge. From there it's a straight course right across country to the east coast. It might take a while but it's the most convenient one for all of us."

"Isn't there a train or those taxi things?" Even if you REALY didn't want to try using those birdbrain powered taxi's you didn't like the sound of you walking across country for about a month either.

"Even if we got a taxi you heard Rotom. It'd take like a whole week of flying. And the corviknights need time to rest and eat and sleep too. They're living things just like us. Even cars, trains, and planes need to stop and need time to tune up and refill on gas don't they? And besides there's no train stations or Flying Stations set up in Turffield. If you want a train you'd have to travel back to Motostoke which is half a week, or you'd have to call a taxi from there to pick you up. Besides Gloria has a whole year to complete this task. One month out of eleven more isn't going to hurt anyone."

Except your feet and sleeping abilities but you couldn't argue. He was right. You traveled for four days and waited five for Gloria to get her first badge. You could do it again but longer. As the two of you walked down the road, the town began to fade away a bit behind you as you two traveled down the road. You both were just crossing over a small hill when you noticed a small cabin like building with a sign above his door reading: Turffield Pokemon Nursery. That must've been it! It looked as cozy as it did cute. And a little bit a ways from it was a bridge. That must've been the Turffield Bridge Victor spoke of earlier. Maybe you two should wait for the other two inside? It was pretty sunny out and you've been in the sunlight for a while. As you two walked towards the building, some movement near the bridge caught your eye and your eyes turned towards said movement. And your vision was filled with blurs of black and red and your hearing clogged with yelling. Your hand instinctively coming out to grab Victor's shoulder. The teen stopped from the tug on his shoulder a few yards away from the Pokemon Nursery before giving you a confused look as you stared. He followed your gaze just as what was happening finally registered in your head. It was those goons again! The weird ones that looked like they just stepped out of some kind of rock concert! The same ones from the hotel back in Motostoke! Why were they here tho? Two men who looked about your height a bit taller, were standing there on the bridge just as it connected with the road and backed against a part of the bridge was another man who looked all dressed up to be a doctor. Blue jumpsuit and a mask over half his face as he held up his hands to the men. Now yelling could be heard.

"OI! Just hand over that bike already!," One of them shouted pushing the smaller man's shoulder once, "We need it to cross this long bridge!"

"N-N-No!" The doctor man stammered out backing further against the wall of the bridge. "I-I bought this with my own hard earned money f-f-fair and square! What would two blokes like you even do with it!?"

"We're gonna use that bike ta chase around Gym Challengers! It'll be a scream!," the other said before cackling out with laughter.

"WHAT!? N-NO WAY!! I-Im not letting you two meatheads use my bike to chase around innocent children!"

"...Victor?"

"Yeah I see it." He peered around you brow raised looking at the scene before you two. ''Who the heck are those guys?"

You didn't answer, just stared as the two brutes jabbed the man again demanding his bike (or lack there of as you couldn't see one-) be handed over to them. How mean! But what really caught your attention was mentioning chasing around gym challengers. Now you couldn't remember if anything like this had happened in game but chasing around innocent kids for whatever reason just didn't settle right on your gut. There was two kids with you that were challengers and one could easily mistake Victor for one if you weren't careful.

"....You stay here." To reiterate your point you pulled Victor to the side of the road and firmly planted him there. He blinked and opened his mouth- !? He blinked again once you shoved your backpack into his arms and began walking. Your sobble giving a small chirp of surprise with the sudden movements. "Hold this."

"Wha- H-HEY! Y/N! What're ya doin'!?"

"C'mon old man! Give us the darn bike and we'll leave ya alone! You can get another one!"

The man scowled up at them. "T-Then why dont the two of you BUY one!?"

"Money's tight man! Just give it to us!"

"HEY UGLY!!" Dust sprayed everywhere or at least over one of them. As the three men turned to the sound of a woman's voice only for one of the weird rockstar wannabes to receive a splat of dirt picked up from the road to hit him square in the face and have the rest of it cover his front body. The man sputter/screamed out and hands immediately went to wipe at his face. Luckily none got in his eyes so no pain, but that didn't stop the annoyance. Especially since when he looked back up there was a girl standing there hands on her hips and sobble half hiding behind her head as she point. You gave them the angriest scowl you could muster. "You two KISS lookin' airheads leave that poor man alone! He already said no so beat it before I make you!!"

Behind you Victor's jaw dropped and the two goons seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment. Looking between the two of them confused before scowling and looking back to you. Crap. These two were both at least a good foot or two taller than you were. You hadn't really thought ahead but no turning back now.

"Oi! Girly, why don't ya mind your own business?"

"Yeah! This doesn't concern you!" They said leaning over you. Unknownt to anyone your sobble was starting to get a bit teary eyed at the two above him.

"It IS my concern if you're going around hassling innocent people! What'd the guy do to you two?! Back off and leave him alone before I call Officer Jenny on your arses!" Really you didn't know if this region had an Officer Jenny, but it seemed to work as their scowled wavered a bit.

"Whatcha gonna have us arrested for!? We haven't done any crimes yet!"

"Yeah yet! And what about you two planning on scaring everyone you see?"

"Last chance Girly!" One poked your shoulder as if to intimidate you. "Mind your own busines-"

"WWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

The three of you were interrupted by a loud almost baby like wail as you immediately cringed from it being from directly next to your head. You hissed hands coming to cover your eyes in a panic feeling tears start to sting from them. Was the pain of the yelling so loud you started crying?! If you could've seen past your furious wiping and tears you would've noticed the other men starting to cry as well, face paint starting to run down their faces.

"AAA!! M-Man what's goin' on!?", one shouted to his companion.

"I-...I D-DONT KNOW!! LET'S JUST GET OUT OF HERE OK!?"

They fled. Bumping into you and knocking you over in the process. You yelped as you fell to your butt on the dirt road and your sobble let out a choked hiccup as it was jostled from your head and onto the grassy ground in the men's haste to escape. Well...the baby cry was gone at least, but there was still a few hiccups from behind you as you hissed and used your sleeve to furiously wipe at your stinging eyes. WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT ALL ABOUT!?

"OMG! Y/N! ARE YOU ALRIGHT!? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?"

"Here young lady. Turn your head up." You blinked crying to see past the stinging of your tear soaked eyes and someone gently grabbed your jaw. A Second later a wet cloth was wiping at your eyes. Almost instant relief came from your sore red eyes as someone wiped at them. "There we go. Lucky for you I always have a Sobble Tear Cloth handy on me due to how sensitive the little ones can be." Once you got enough clear vision you could see the faces of Victor and the doctor man who were both kneeled next to your fallen body. "There now. How do you feel?"

".....Peachy,'' you mumbled shaking your head from his grip. "What was that?"

"Your sobble crying. When sobbles cry it's like someone chops a hundred onions near you. It's a defense mechanism that's highly affective as you can see. The effects take a while to wear off but luckily for you I happen to be an expert on these kids of things." Grabbing your arm the man carefully helped you on your feet and smiled behind the mask. "Thank you kindly for the help. But you didn't have to, Im sure they would've left sooner or later."

You waved a hand sniffing as said sobble began to immediately start climbing up your pants leg again. Combined with your wooloo bowling trip, you must've really looked a sight. "It's fine. Can't be worse than being knocked over by a wooloo. Are you alright, Mister?"

He nodded. "Yes. Thanks to you. Here. Let's get you to the Nursery. There's some eye drops in my office that might help you further. I work there as one of the nurses with the caretaker and her assistant."

You nodded and with the urge to wipe at your eyes the Docter and Victor helped you stumble walked your way towards the Nursery, your sobble continuing to climb up your body with little difficulty as it reached your shoulder. You felt it touch your cheek and give a small chirp but at the moment you paid it no mind trying not to fall over.

"Hey, Vick-...Oh wow. What happened? Was Y/n crying or something?"

Oh great. Well at least they finally showed up.

"Ill tell you later. Opening the door over there and let's get her inside."

The next thing you knew you were inside a cozy looking house and was given eye drops. It took a few minutes for you to go back to normal and the redness around your eyes to subside. But by the time it did you were feeling way better and sitting on a green couch. One hand petting your sobble who happily accepted the affection with a smile. Hop and Gloria had returned from their small search a little bit after you had managed to chase those men off, and they happily explained their trip from standing stone to standing stone...But unfortunately didn't find anything other than an old ten dollar bill that someone most likely accidentally dropped while visiting them. And Victor got to scold you about just walking up to strangers like that. Weren't you the grown up here? Glad to know everyone was ok tho. The elderly lady at the center had offered the four of you tea as thanks for helping to rescue their nurse and Gloria excused herself to check out the Center's Free Pokeboxes in their own rotomi stations. When you asked about it Hop was happy to explain.

"Oh. Free Pokeboxes are basically boxes from people's rotomi boxes. Usually Nurseries and Centers get a whole lot of them if a pokemon's trainer passes away, or if they were donated or abandoned to the system. From there they're sorta put up for adoption or released back into the wild if no one claims them within a year or so.....Y'know I think Ill take a look too. I might just find a neat new partner." He got up to go join Gloria currently flipping through options on the rotomi leaving you with Victor sitting on the couch.

You sighed. "Man. Some day it's been huh? A riddle solved. A gym battle won. And now a nurse was saved."

"All thanks to you. But please maybe don't be so reckless next time. I was afraid something bad might've happened to you by what those brutes yelled running off."

"Oh? What'd they say?"

He hummed. "Um....I think....'You're too strong!" He tried to repeat in a failed attempt at a deep man voice. "If you stay in the Gym Challenge you're gonna cause problems for our lady! You haven't seen the last of us! We're gonna make sure you stay out of our lady's way!'..Or something like that."

Well that perked your interest. You stared at him. "Our lady?...Does that mean someone ordered them to go after Gym Challengers?"

He hummed a more worried look coming over him. "Could be. But I wouldn't know who or why. Who'd want to go after the Gym Challengers?"

That was a very good question. You wracked your brain for a moment. Was there any person in the game with a pack of goons? And was there any lady out to stop the gym challengers? Your memory turned up nothing as you sighed and sunk back into your seat on the couch as you did. Those goons were at the hotel and now here as well. That couldn't just be a coincidence could it? No...You had a feeling there was something linking those guys to whatever's about to happen to you. Too bad you didn't know. As you both silently sat there, another person walked in through the door and up to the counter but you paid them no mind even as Gloria approuched them.

Eventually you sighed. "I wouldn't know either it seems, but just in case I think we should all be keeping a really close eye out for anymore of those guys and let Leon know the first chance we get. As the saying goes better be safe than sorry."

"Couldn't agree more. Especially since this is concerning my friend and sister."

"What's concerning us?"

Oh that was Hop. You turned. "We wanted to tell you about-" You blinked coming face to face with a grumpy purple face in the arms of Gloria as she held the tiny pokemon clinging to her like a baby. ...You pointed. "Where did you get that?"

"My Toxel? The lady that just came in wanted to drop it off. Somethin' bout hatching it and not being the pokemon she wanted or some speel. I couldn't just let a cutie like this go into adoption or tossed out in the cruel wild after just being hatched." She held it up to her face as she smiled. "Look at how cute you are! Who'd wouldn't want acutie pie like you?" The baby toxel in her arms responded by reaching an arm out and grabbing her nose. Aw! Cute.

You shook you head with a smile before standing. Lifting an arm up with your sobble clinging to it to allow it to freely crawl back onto your shoulder before you stood up slinging your pack over your shoulders. "C'mon. I'll tell you as we walk. The sooner we start the sooner we can reach Halbury and our next step of this little adventure."

#pokemon shield #pokemon sword #pokemon swsh #pokemon sword and shield #Pokemon Piers #pokemon piers x reader #Reader #piers x reader #reader x piers

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minyoongijjangjjangmanboongboong · 6 years

Text

The Parting Chapter Five

Description: The only certainty in life is death, and it seems to follow Park Jimin. All his life, the icy shadow of death has hung closely by his side, along with the shadow of…something else. Reapers exist to guide the souls of the living to the world beyond. But what happens when a particular Reaper tampers with the natural order and saves a mortal boy’s life? What will they do once their fates become inextricably linked?

Genre: Supernatural, Drama, Fluff, Angst

Pairing: Jimin x (f) OC

Word Count: 10.3k

Tags: Flower Shop Owner!Jimin, Reaper!OC, Non-Idol!AU, Cop!Yoongi, Supernatural!AU

Warnings: Death, swearing and mentions of alcohol, although infrequently

A/N: WOW hi guys! The teaser images have dropped and so has my HEART. I’m neck deep in theories and I can’t escape haha. This week has been a little crazy, since my mom and my sister have back-to-back birthdays and I had to take some time to spend with them. It’s been nice though! I hope you guys are doing well, and I hope you’re all breathing after those images dropped. As always, I will respond to all asks received within a day of receiving them, so feel free and feel comfortable sending me anything! And please send feedback, criticism, comments or concerns my way so I can address them.

- Mercury

Previous Chapter – Next Chapter

Chapter One

Masterlist

Weekly updates: Sunday, 1PM (PST)

“You don’t look so good,” commented Jimin in the morning, staring at me as I rested my head on the dining table, my hot cheek against the cool wood. He bent at the waist to look at me seriously.

I met his eyes but as I looked at him, hair ruffled with sleep and eyes hazy from waking, I felt my throat constrict and turned my head the other way, towards the living room. “I’m fine.”

“Did you sleep okay?” he asked. I heard the old chair scrape against the floor and groan against his weight as he sat. “You really don’t look good.”

I shook my head. “I slept fine.”

“Are you sure nothing happened?” he asked, voice lilting with worry.

After Zero had showed me Injung’s name in The Book, I’d nearly collapsed. Zero, seeing my reaction, simply smiled and stood to his feet. He said he was glad to see that something had finally affected me. Then, satisfied, he had turned and disappeared, leaving me alone in the dark room, sitting on my bed with my hand on my lips, trying to stop the sobs I felt in my chest from bursting forth. How cruel was fate? To reunite Jimin with his only living family member only to shorten his life by half.

If Jimin knew…

I sat upright and rubbed my forehead. “I apologize. I don’t…I don’t feel myself today,” I said.

Jimin nodded and slid a carton of banana milk my way. I examined it for a moment, but my appetite seemed stunted. “It happens,” he said. “Is there anything I can do to help?” He smiled at me, bright and messy and vibrant.

I glanced away, towards the blank TV. “Are you opening the shop today?”

He cleared his throat. “Um…yeah, I’ll open as soon as Injung leaves.”

“That’s good,” I said, resting my cheek in my hand.

“Mornin’!” called Injung from Jimin’s room, stretching his torso this way and that.

Jimin and I turned to greet him, but I couldn’t match Jimin’s smile. This man…he was giving his life away without even knowing it. My chest felt horribly tight. “Morning,” said Jimin. “Want some coffee?”

Injung shook his head. “I won’t stay long. I’ve got a hotel for a reason, right?” he asked with a laugh. Smiling, he approached the small table, eyes on me.

“I’ll go get ready for the day,” I said, standing as quickly as I could and turning back towards my room.

“Ah! Wait, you don’t have to-,” began Injung.

Without turning I shook my head and ran my fingers through my hair. “It’s fine. I need to get changed anyway. Now you have a place to sit.”

“Oh, Nari! You can just keep wearing the stuff from Mom’s dresser, okay? Her clothes seem to fit you pretty well,” said Jimin.

Normally, I might have protested. I might have told him it was a waste to use such precious clothes on me. “Alright,” I said instead, twisting the doorknob and letting myself inside before shutting it behind me with a sigh, leaving the banana milk behind.

I opened the dresser as instructed and grabbed a loose white shirt and a pair of wide-legged pants, tying them tightly around my waist. I stared at the mirror for a long moment. I thought perhaps the girl reflected there might offer some wisdom, might have some answers in her frighteningly dark eyes. But instead I just saw a girl, small and gloomy and sad. A girl I was beginning to understand was me. A girl I was beginning to become comfortable with.

I shook my head and turned away. No. I couldn’t become comfortable. I couldn’t allow myself to be lulled into the false hope that things could just continue this way indefinitely. They couldn’t. Injung’s clock was proof of that.

I sat on the bed, but as it bounced under my weight, I heard a disembodied ghost of conversation from outside. Quietly, I tried to focus on it from where I sat, but it was too faint. I wandered towards the door and sat down on the floor, leaning my back against the wood frame.

“I know the timing’s weird,” said Injung with a laugh.

Jimin laughed with him. “No, it’s fine. I wanted to get a chance to talk with you anyway. Since you mentioned you had something to tell me?”

Injung sighed. “I don’t wanna drag it out since it’s…kinda sad, so I’ll just tell you,” he said before pausing. I could almost see Jimin’s face, eyes wide and expectant like a child. “It’s Dad.”

“Grandpa?” asked Jimin, tone puzzled.

“Yeah,” Injung said. “A few weeks ago…well, he passed away. Kinda suddenly actually.”

“Oh my God. How?” Jimin asked, but his voice was more sympathetic than sad. I wondered how he could take the loss of yet another family member so calmly.

“Naturally. In his sleep,” he said.

“I’m so sorry, Injung.”

Injung chuckled. “No, it’s okay. Old man was a bastard anyway. One of the reasons Mina left.”

Jimin clicked his tongue. “He’s your dad,” he said. “Even if he sucked, you can still be sad about it.”

Injung exhaled slowly. “I guess you’re right,” he said. “But that’s not what I wanted to tell you about really. It’s…a byproduct of Dad dying that I wanna discuss with you.”

“What is it?”

“His will.”

I backed away from the door. The longer I listened, the more I felt like an intruder. I sat back down on the bed and watched the ocean through the gaps in the curtains. His will? I wondered what that man had left behind that was important enough to warrant such a serious conversation. Was Jimin perhaps in the will? Why, then, would Jimin still remain so unaffected by the man’s death? Something was strange about it all, and I desperately wanted to know more.

I shook my head.

I was a Reaper. And Reapers do not trouble themselves with the lives of humans.

Reapers do not trouble themselves with the lives of humans…

I was hosing down a bouquet of roses when the front door bell tinkled, signaling the entrance of a patron. I turned to glance over my shoulder, finding the back of Jimin’s head as he watered the plants on the other side of the store. He startled and spun quickly towards the door, spraying water from his can onto the ground before gasping and readjusting his hold on it. I followed his eyes and found a young girl in a navy school uniform.

“Ah,” I breathed as I remembered her. She pushed her black hair behind her ears, like she’d done before. The girl who’d taken the lilies.

She peered at me curiously, lingering in the doorway, before sending a bright smile towards Jimin. “Hey! It’s Jisoo!” he called with a chuckle.

She nodded. “You remembered,” she said, then entered the store, holding her bag in front of her knees. “I heard you were in an accident and my mom told me to stop by with this.” She pulled from that bag a small plastic box. She held it out to him.

Jimin eagerly accepted the gift and lifted the box’s lid. “Medicine?” he asked.

She nodded once more. “Herbal medicine. My mom runs the natural pharmacy in town. She said she knew you from when your father used to sell dried herbs. Kwon Seonhwa?”

My back stiffened. Seonhwa? The name of that girl in my dream, the one talking endlessly about self-death. I walked closer to the pair as Jisoo explained what each herb was supposed to do, pointing into the box with her slender index finger. Jimin smiled as he listened, nodding attentively, until I drew near and he took notice of me, shutting the box and offering the young girl a smile.

“Tell you mom thank you for me, okay?” he asked. “This is very thoughtful.”

The girl peered at me, eyes scanning me up and down, before she furrowed her brow and returned her dark, probing gaze to Jimin. “Is she your girlfriend?”

Jimin inhaled too sharply and sputtered a cough. “G-girlfriend?” he asked, laughing and waving his hands.

I shook my head. “No. I’m a freeloader living in his spare room,” I said, still watching the girl. She was younger than the girl in my dreams, but not by all that much. Similar deep-set eyes, similar pitch-black hair.

She furrowed her brow at me. “You seem weird.”

“I am weird.”

She pouted her lips slightly before sighing. “I need more flowers,” she said, turning back to Jimin as he struggled to regain his breath.

Squinting from his coughing fit, Jimin, raised his eyebrows. “Oh! For-,” he paused to cough again. “For who?”

Jisoo’s expression fell serious as she sighed. “The same friend who lost someone recently. From last time.”

“This friend…are they going through a very hard time?” asked Jimin.

The girl nodded, eyes on her Oxford shoes as she scuffed them against the concrete floor. “Yeah. I’m worried about him.” Her eyes went far away, distant and lost in thoughts. Something about her expression made my chest constrict.

I nodded my head and walked quickly to the back of the store, grabbing a modest bouquet of mixed flowers. Vibrant purple irises poked out from the top, surrounded by yellow daisies. I set the bouquet into a vase quietly and carried the small bouquet out in my hands. I approached the two as they both watched me, Jimin quizzical and Jisoo yet unconvinced.

I smiled as I came nearer. She watched me with furrowed brows as I set the bouquet beside her on the counter near the doorway. “This one is good,” I said.

She tilted her head to the side and ran her fingers along one of the iris’s petals. “It’s pretty…but why this one?” she asked, pointing to the roses I’d been watering before. “Why not those?”

“Well,” I began, leaning a hip against the counter, resting my hand on the side of the vase. “Irises mean hope. They say that you are very grateful for the friendship you share with this person,” I said, then glanced at her. “And daisies mean new beginnings. You’re hoping he can find a new, happy beginning.”

She stared at the bouquet for a long moment, leaning down to give it a sniff, before leaning away and crossing her arms, staring up at me. “Really?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yes.”

“You think he’ll like it?” she asked, screwing her mouth to the side as she thought.

I smoothed my hands over my thighs before pushing off from the counter and nodding. “I think…no matter what you give him, he’ll be able to feel your sincerity.”

She turned to me sharply with wide eyes. “My sincerity?”

“I felt it,” I said quietly. I picked up the bouquet and adjusted an iris. “I could feel your sincerity after just a moment talking with you.”

Her cheeks flushed slightly and she glanced away, back towards Jimin. “She’s not lying right? The flowers really mean all that?”

He nodded and ruffled her tidy hair slightly. “She’s not lying.”

“I don’t wanna be tricked by some weird lady,” she said, turning to give me a suspicious look over her shoulder. “Don’t trick me, okay?”

I laughed lightly, the sound surprising even me, and shook my head. “I wouldn’t know how.”

She pursed her lips before nodding. “I’ll take it then. Ah! And can I get a bow around the vase?” she asked Jimin with a big grin.

He smiled. “Certainly,” he said, taking the bouquet from my hands and leading Jisoo to the register. As he guided her away, still chatting, he glanced over his shoulder and offered me a warm smile, eyes squeezing shut slightly.

And guilt made my body cold.

“Ah,” I exhaled, jumping away from the chilly metal pressed against my cheek. I sat on the stone fence across from the shop, looking down at the rows of houses leading to the beach below, feet dangling over the edge.

I turned to find Jimin settling beside me, holding a can of soda to my skin with a laugh. “You resting?” he asked.

I swallowed hard and glanced away, back to the not-so-distant beach. “Yes. Legally, employees are required to take a break.”

“You’re not on the payroll though,” he said, chuckling and placing the soda on my lap.

I held it in my fingers, letting the condensation gather in my palms. “I forgot.”

He leaned forward and craned his head towards me, examining my face. “You seem distant. I thought we worked things out last night,” he said.

I leaned back on my hands, setting the can of soda beside my thigh, and turned my face away, gazing down the street. “We did. I’m not upset with you anymore.”

“Then what is it?” he asked, inching closer to me, still staring at my face. “Did Injung say something weird to you? Do you feel sick or anything? Are-,”

Finally, I met his eyes and shook my head, silencing him. “None of those things,” I said then sighed, rubbing my neck. How was I to articulate any of my worries to him? How was I to explain the things that troubled me so deeply I was beginning to develop a stomachache? “Jimin…I…,” I started, but paused as I found my lexicon empty. I glanced away. “Things are very complicated. I am wondering if the choices I’ve made have been the right ones.”

He cocked a brow. “How do you mean?” I watched the springtime sun play in deep russet streaks in his hair, watched the breeze pick up his buttoned shirt and toss it around his collarbone delicately. He was so very alive.

“I am worried. Now that I have a choice in what I believe in and what morals I will follow…I am very worried that those morals and beliefs are wrong,” I said, my voice growing lighter with each uncertain word. “Because even though I know I should feel guilty for what I’ve done, all I can feel guilty for is the way that choice affects you.”

“Nari…you’re kind of confusing me a little,” he said with a laugh. “Is there a way you can say it plainly?”

I shook my head. “No,” I said, but as his gaze probed me I felt my resolve shake. His kind amber eyes, his sweetly parted lips, his gentle, encouraging smile. I couldn’t stop myself from speaking. “Jimin…well…what would you say if I told you that the one who saved your life…is me?”

His eyes grew very wide as he stared at me before he leaned back slightly, staring out at the sea. “I…I would be…,” he paused, then with a smile he returned his attention to me and tilted his head to the side. “I would be very grateful.”

“You would?” I asked, relief crashing against my chest. I felt my posture slacken.

He laughed and nodded. “Of course! If that’s true, then you’ve given me the best gift anyone could ever give,” he said.

“Even if you being alive means that things have become extremely complicated?” I asked.

He smiled, placing a hand on the back of my head, smoothing my hair tenderly. “Nari, I’m really grateful for every second of my extremely complicated life,” he said. “Remember what I told you about the mugunghwa?”

I blinked at him, his hand still pressed softly against the nape of my neck, and nodded. “Your father liked them. The eternal blossom.”

He nodded. “When I was young, my mother passed away,” he said, pushing the straying locks of my hair behind my shoulder before dropping his hand to his lap with a smile. “She was a really great mom. She brought a lot of life into my childhood memories.”

I glanced down at my clothes and shifted slightly, uncomfortable in them once again. Of course, I’d known about his mother’s passing for years. But the thought of Jimin, this boy I’d watched for so long, explaining it to me so intimately was unfathomable. I glanced at him as the sea breeze picked up, playing with the hairs that curled softly against his neck.

“She raised a very lovely son,” I said, nodding.

His cheeks grew pink and he chuckled. “Ah, well,” he said, rubbing his shoulder. “My mom was sick, you know? So my dad and I knew it was coming when she eventually…succumbed.”

I inched closer to him, sensing the shift in his mood. Somberness. I wanted to meet it with comfort. “That must have been difficult for you. Knowing for so long.”

He shook his head. “No,” he said with a smile, playing with the hem of his slacks. “Because even though it was sad and painful, at least she was alive to experience those things.”

I blinked. “I…see.”

“She was grateful for every complicated moment,” he said with a chuckle. “Even the days that were really hard. She was still grateful to be alive while she had time.”

I swallowed something heavy in my throat. “That is…a wonderful attitude.”

He laughed and nudged my shoulder with his. “No need to be so serious. I’m actually very happy when I think about my mom,” he said with a shrug. “The point is…life is the most valuable opportunity. Even if it’s messy, I’m happy to be alive. Even if things get hard, even those hard moments are gifts. At the end of the day, nothing lives forever. There is no eternal blossom,” he said, voice slow and gentle, sitting in the air softly. “My dad knew it too. But nonetheless…he always loved the mugunghwa the best.”

“Why is that?” I asked carefully, watching his face as the sun caressed it.

He smiled at the rooftops below us. “Because it reminded him of it. It reminded him that life is short, even though we wish it wasn’t. So take each day as a blessing,” he said with a nod.

I scanned his features, searching for any pain, but saw nothing but peace. Somehow, the way he’d explained it had made sense to me. He was grateful for the pain, because it meant he was alive. Something in me settled slightly. I grabbed the soda he’d brought me and cracked it open with a fizz, startling myself. Slowly, I pressed the rim to my lips and took a sip. The drink was almost painful as it slid down my throat. I coughed into my hands and set the soda down again.

Jimin laughed and turned to me, taking my forearms in his hands and prying my fingers away from my face. I continued coughing, shaking my head and glancing away. He continued laughing, leaning close to get a proper look at me.

“What’s this? Have you never had soda?” he asked.

I coughed and nodded, arms still arrested in his grip. “No,” I replied between sputters.

He smiled and shook his head, laughter dying as he simply watched me. “Nari…if you’re the reason I’m alive right now…no matter what, I’m thankful to you, okay?” he asked.

I met his eyes, my own watering from the exertion of coughing, and blinked a few times. “Really?”

He nodded. “So don’t feel guilty or whatever. I don’t really understand why you would, but I wish you wouldn’t have so many worries.”

My cheeks flamed, skin growing hot as he stared at me seriously, a kind smile still touching his features. “I…I’ll try not to worry so much.”

He laughed and released my arms with a nod. “And don’t push me away, okay?” he asked, taking the soda I’d sipped on and pressing it against his rosy lips. As he swallowed, he stared at the can with a smile and shook his head. “Makes me sad.”

Sad?

That I was ignoring him?

My heart began to beat fast and loud against my ribcage, as if struggling to escape.

Sunset was fast approaching on the horizon. The day had been busy, filled with sympathetic neighbors and friends dropping by with gifts. Old regulars came to the shop too, oblivious to what had happened to Jimin. Most of them were elderly restaurant owners buying arrangements for their tables or shop clerks looking for window decorations. Jimin, ever gracious, greeted each of them with a smile. I was sure that to Jimin I appeared very odd. The longer I lingered in this body, the more I understood it. And the more I understood how strange my behavior would seem to any rational person: awaking naked in the street, insisting that I know him despite all evidence to the contrary, badgering him incessantly, and now taking credit for his life…I was sure I was making a fairly poor case for myself. But nonetheless, whenever there was a free moment between patrons entering and leaving the shop, Jimin managed to send a smile my way. A grin bright enough to strain my eyes.

My guilt was slowly subsiding as I watched him smile, watched the smiles he gave to those he spoke with. He brought too much to this world to leave it so soon. There had to be something I could do to save both Injung and Jimin. There had to be a way I could absolve myself of the choice between them.

Funny. Hundreds of years holding human lives in my hand, and only now did I feel the crushing weight of responsibility.

“Hey,” said Jimin in a quiet voice as he shut and locked the front door to the shop, turning to me as we stood on the sidewalk.

I glanced at him. “Hello,” I responded, offering a smile.

“Namjoon texted. He wants us to head to the station and answer some questions. Looks like probable cause isn’t quite enough to prosecute,” said Jimin.

I exhaled slowly and nodded. “Is that why your mood has been so good today?” I asked.

He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “How did you know?” he asked.

I laced my hands behind my back as we made our way down the sidewalk, following it as it curved easily around the cliffside. “Well, I suppose you’d be quite happy. You don’t think he did it, right?”

He nodded. “Right,” he said. “Ah, anyway I guess it doesn’t really matter what I think. The thing about truth is that, if you give it enough time, it always comes out.”

My heart raced and I looked up at him quickly, eyes wide. “What makes you say that?” I asked, but my voice was far more panicked than I would have liked. I cursed this human body, as the more I used it the more difficulty I had controlling its emotions.

He smiled. “Whoa, why do you suddenly seem like a person with a lot of secrets?” he asked with a laugh, rubbing the top of my head. “I guess I mean…the truth has a tendency to reveal itself. I have to have faith that, regardless of what I think, the truth will come out when it’s the right time.”

I exhaled slowly and crossed my arms. Some truths were never meant to be revealed… “That’s a fine attitude.”

He glanced at me out the corner of his eye as we strolled and gave the side of my head a slight, playful push. “Don’t be so serious, huh? All I’m saying is that things will work out how they’re supposed to.”

I nodded, but it was clear my mind was still racing. “I hope you’re right.”

I’d been to police stations before, but never one in this small beach town. Jimin had always been exemplary in terms of behavior, so I’d never needed to follow him to such a place. Few died in police departments, so The Call had never beckoned me either. So as I entered the friendly brick building, I walked close beside Jimin, careful not to move too far from him for fear of encountering something — or rather someone — that might expose a string in my web of lies.

Once inside, we were greeted with rows upon rows of desks, almost all empty save for a few in the center — which housed photos of friends and families, office supplies, and all manner of knickknacks — and one in the back corner, home to only one old computer. Just looking at that lonely desk and I knew who it belonged to. I sighed and resolved to avoid it. No use actively seeking Yoongi out, especially after our odd and unresolved interaction from nights prior. He’d seen that teacup on the table. He’d seen me flustered and panicked. He’d seen far too much. And he wasn’t the type to just…forget about something like that.

I steeled myself to greet him as Namjoon approached with a smile. “Hey,” he said, clapping Jimin’s shoulder. “You look good, Jimin. Healthy.”

Jimin laughed and swatted Namjoon’s hand away. “Of course I do,” he said, peeking over his shoulder at me. He gave a bashful smile before turning back to his friend with a chuckle. “I’m doing really well.”

“Probably because you have such a good nurse with you,” said Namjoon with a joking grin my way.

I raised my eyebrows and pointed to my chest. “I’ve received no formal medical training,” I said, shaking my head.

The two laughed and Jimin shook his head, gently placing a hand on my back between my shoulder blades. “Anyway, we’re here to give more information?” he asked Namjoon who led us with a swooping motion to his desk in the center of the room. We followed slowly behind and settled into two stiff chairs. “But I already told Yoongi everything.”

“You’re not the one we wanna talk to,” said a voice I recognized at once.

I shut my eyes and rubbed my forehead, already fatigued from the simple thought of entertaining that cheerless, unwelcoming man. I heard the sound of a chair being dragged along the floor and heard that chair protest against the weight of Yoongi’s body as he collapsed against it. Opening my eyes slowly, I turned to face him and saw his grim expression was exactly as I’d predicted. He sat, straddling the chair backwards, scanning me as his face loomed close to mine.

Luckily for me, I was too exhausted from the idea of a conversation to offer much in the way of expression, so his scanning was fruitless and he turned instead to offer Jimin a somber look. Namjoon sat across from us, separated by his well-decorated desk, his chin resting atop his laced fingers as he watched the scene with a sympathetic smile. I envied him, having such distance between himself and Yoongi.

“I don’t know how much help I’ll be,” I said, sliding my eyes towards him. “I’ve told you everything I remember.”

Yoongi cocked a brow and scoffed with a smirk. “See,” he began, pointing at me with one lazy finger. “I think you’re hiding something. Probably a lot of somethings.”

I shrugged. “You are entitled to your wrong opinion.”

Jimin sputtered a laugh which he concealed, poorly, as a cough and Yoongi shot him a glare. “Well, we’ll just have to see. I’m conducting a thorough background check on you alongside the investigation. Don’t think that just because you haven’t been arrested you’re not a suspect.”

I rubbed my temples. “Okay. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” I said, and almost smiled. What sort of background check could he conduct on a person who didn’t, and shouldn’t, exist?

He smirked and leaned away slightly. “Jungkook,” he started, piquing my attention, “is gonna get out soon. His bail’s being posted.”

How strange. That gang didn’t seem like the type to have such dispensable income…

I nodded. “Good. Then his friends will stop bothering Jimin,” I said, glancing towards Yoongi and crossing my arms. “Unless you’d rather him be at risk for no reason besides…probable cause.” The last words left my lips like a curse, and Yoongi’s dark eyes narrowed slightly.

“Things would go more smoothly if we had all the information,” said Yoongi.

“Is it not part of a detective’s duty to piece together the evidence available and create a case?” I asked. “Why am I being pressed to do your job for you?”

He set his lips thin and stared at me, right into my eyes. I wished I could frighten him the way I’d frightened Hyungwon. I wished I could look back at him with that same bloodlust, that same fierceness which had rendered Hyungwon not only speechless but immobile. But I simply hadn’t the contempt for this man. He was bothersome and frustrating, but as I looked into his eyes I didn’t see any evil. And furthermore, I didn’t see anything I could exploit. I didn’t see the insecurity and fear that Hyungwon had. This man was iron-clad and cold as stone. Even if I could muster the hatred to intimidate him, there was a high probability that it would result in nothing.

“Deliberately hindering a police investigation is criminal activity,” he said seriously, voice deep and rumbling.

I nodded. “Fascinating.”

He roughly shoved his chair against the ground, pulling himself closer. The sudden, loud movement startled me and I jumped slightly, staring at him with wide eyes. “You’re the only one who saw this guy, Jane Doe. You’re the missing link to solving this whole damn thing. I would’ve thought you’d be jumping at the opportunity to help,” he said, then flashed his eyes towards Jimin. “It helps him after all.” His words dripped, acrid and accusing.

I glanced between the two. What sort of history bound them together in such a hostile dance? And why, hen Yoongi’s acidic voice attempted to corrode him, did Jimin simply sit with his eyes on his lap and take it? It was almost as if we were outside the shop again, fighting with Jungkook’s gang. Like he felt he deserved it…

I shifted slightly so as to obscure Yoongi’s view of Jimin and crossed my arms. “What would you like from me, Officer?” I asked.

He stared at me, eyes probing, and tilted his head down. “If you’re not gonna cooperate and tell me everything, then…at the very least I need you to come look at the kid. Jeon Jungkook. Since you saw the attacker, you might be able to tell if he matches.”

I stood and nodded. “Let’s go then.”

Yoongi scoffed, joining me standing, and crossed his arms. “That easily?”

“If you ask me to do something possible, then I’ll gladly do it. Up until now, you’ve been requesting I give you information that doesn’t exist,” I said, the lies falling from my lips more easily than ever before. Something about this man ignited anger in me, and a dash of something else.

Competitiveness.

I didn’t just want to placate him.

I wanted to win against him.

Jimin sighed and placed a soothing hand on the small of my back, peering down at me with a soft smile. “Listen, you don’t need to be so involved. If you don’t wanna go back there you don’t have to.”

I met Jimin’s eyes before turning slightly towards Yoongi. I smiled. “Lead the way, Officer,” I said, slipping out of Jimin’s grasp and following Yoongi towards a hallway in the back.

Namjoon and Jimin fell in line behind me, and I caught Namjoon say quietly to Jimin with a chuckle, “Don’t worry about her too much.”

Indeed, I was fully capable of defending myself against this pale man. I was a Reaper, taker of lives, bringer of death. What did I have to fear from an officer with thin limbs and purple bags beneath his eyes?

We entered an interrogation room together and I stood with my arms crossed, lingering in the back of the sterile room. Jimin entered too, but his steps were hesitant, even the echoes timid. He stood beside the door as Namjoon shut it behind us. I could deduce the source of Jimin’s obvious discomfort, because sitting across from us at a small wooden table with his sharp eyes on the floor by Jimin’s feet was that boy. Jungkook. His shoulders were broad, but slumped. With a single motion of Yoongi’s wrist, the young boy stood and finally he lifted his eyes and met mine. I scanned them, searching for something there like I had with Yoongi. But again, there was nothing fundamentally evil there. Frustrated and perhaps a little hurt, but no ill will. He just looked…

Tired.

“No,” I said, shaking my head as I looked him up and down, scanning his build. “The attacker was slimmer. Shorter too.”

Yoongi exhaled loudly and turned to me, pointing at Jungkook as he stared at me, angry eyes now wide like a child. “You’re telling me our only suspect who not only has motive to attack, but also set the stage for the event to occur just…isn’t him? Because you say he’s not?” His voice was getting louder, but I’d seen too much in my years to be frightened of him anymore.

I threw my hands up. “I don’t know what to tell you! It seems you’re looking for the answers you want and not the truth itself,” I said, crossing my arms. “I wonder if you’ll ever believe me if I don’t say what you want me to say!”

Yoongi stalked towards me and stood close, standing above me with an expression all too easy to read. He was holding himself back from really exploding. Why did I want to provoke him? “You’re walking a dangerous line, Jane Doe.”

“My name is Nari,” I said sternly, holding my ground as his piercing gaze bore into me.I felt the full force of his rage upon me, but all I could do was smile slightly. “And I’m your key witness.”

Yoongi scoffed, as if in disbelief, and rocked on his heels before stepping away from me and pounding a fist on the table in front of Jungkook. The younger boy, startled, jumped slightly and stared at me, eyes still wide and round. I looked at him and tilted my head to the side, shaking my head.

“The more I look at him, the more certain I am. He’s not your killer,” I said, shrugging.

“And how can you be so sure?” asked Yoongi, turning towards me and raising his brows. “Divine intuition? A…gut feeling?”

Namjoon placed a hand on Yoongi’s shoulder. “Drop it, Yoongi,” he said, voice chiding in his ear. “She’s right. She’s our witness.”

“And she’s hiding something!” he said, throwing his accusing finger towards me.

Jimin sidled up beside me and leaned down towards my face, breath shifting my hair as he spoke. “Stop messing with him or he’ll really snap,” he said, voice terse.

I turned to look at him, brow furrowed. “Is this behavior okay from a law enforcement professional? Have I done anything to warrant that kind of aggression?” I asked.

“Nari,” said Namjoon carefully from behind me. I glanced at him and sighed. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but…really, if there’s anything you can tell us that can substantiate your claim…,” he said, eyes pleading as he stared down at me. I knew what he wanted. He wanted me to come clean, to tell Yoongi I’d been there for the whole night.

But how could I reveal something like that? How could I justify having seen something that was impossible for me to see?

Jimin stared down at me, expression soft and patient, but nonetheless…expectant. I looked at Jungkook who too wore a similar expression. If I told Yoongi about what truly happened, how one of the two boys stood up that night just when Jimin left and disappeared into the smoky darkness of the bar…

Jungkook would be implicated even further. And as I stared into his eyes from across the room, I became certain. This boy was not the culprit. He was terrified and lost and insecure, just like a child. He was just a boy. And he was a boy who’d done nothing but invite an old friend he admired out for drinks.

Even if I’d wanted to give Yoongi the answers he craved, looking at that innocent boy’s face…I knew I couldn’t.

That’s the problem with finding your morals.

Once you’ve started uncovering what you believe in, you lose the ability to choose logically.

My compass, which I was certain was missing from the start, began wildly pointing away from Jungkook, pointing someplace else entirely. Namjoon continued staring at me with a smile all too pleasant and Yoongi continued to brood beside the table, penetrating eyes focused on Jungkook who too stared at me. They all expected something from me. Every single one of them.

I turned to Jimin, watching as his gentle, compassionate eyes as they scanned over my face. And what did he expect from me? The longer he looked at me, the clearer it became. He expected me to do whatever I thought was right. In his soft expression I saw faith. Faith in me. And, wordlessly, I met his faithful gaze with a smile. I nodded my head and remembered what I’d learned in the hospital. The power of ignorance.

I returned my attention to Namjoon and shrugged my shoulders lightly. “I’m sorry, Namjoon,” I began, then smiled at him. “But I don’t know anything else.”

“Dammit!” shouted Yoongi, pounding the table once more to which Jungkook once again lurched slightly. Yoongi, visibly affected by my stubbornness, raked his fingers through his dark hair and turned to me. “You do realize that you could very well be the reason why a murderer gets out, right?”

I shook my head and peeked at Jungkook. “No,” I said as he blinked at me. “Because this boy is not your murderer.”

“Jesus Christ,” said Yoongi, laughing in a way that caused this strange body to shiver. He turned to me and, with a smile that looked almost wild, he shook his head. “If someone else dies, it’s on you.”

“Yoongi, please. Don’t say stuff like that to her. She’s just trying to help,” said Jimin from beside me with a sigh.

Yoongi turned his fiery eyes toward Jimin and nodded. “That’s right. Just keep playing the good guy then, like you always do. Nice Jimin. Friendly Jimin. The son every mother wishes they had, Park Jimin.”

Jimin’s breath hitched and I watched the muscles in his neck work as he struggled to remain calm. I had no idea what to do to mediate. As I learned more about myself, I learned that perhaps mediation wasn’t my strongest attribute…

“Min Yoongi, you have no right to talk to me like that,” said Jimin, jaw clenched.

“Like what? Just telling the truth,” said Yoongi with a scoff. “Tell me, Jimin, why don’t I have a right?”

Jimin shook his head. “Stop it now.”

“No, say it. Say what I did that took that right away,” said Yoongi, laughing once more and patting his chest. “Tell me!”

“That’s enough!” shouted Namjoon, grabbing Yoongi by the shoulder and walking roughly with him into the hallway, shoving him outside and shutting the door behind them, leaving us alone with Jungkook. I heard the distant, muffled sound of arguing.

I turned to look up at Jimin to find him staring into the middle ground, muscles tense and expression poor. “Th-thank you,” said a small voice from the opposite side of the room.

Jungkook approached quietly, hair mussed and loose shirt dingy from wear. He smiled at me softly. “Me?” I asked, pointing at my face.

He nodded, still grinning, and rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t expect you to stick up for me like that,” he said, chuckling as his eyes fell to the floor. “It was…kinda cool.”

I blinked at him, furrowing my brow. “I…did I stick up for him?” I asked, turning to Jimin and cocking my head to the side.

Jimin, having calmed slightly, nodded. “Kind of,” he said, forcing a smile.

I nodded. “Um…,” I said, filling the silence. “You’re welcome then.”

Jungkook’s head snapped up and he looked down at me with bright brown eyes. “Hey, let me treat you to dinner or something.”

I cringed away and offered a polite smile. “Ah…that’s not necessary.”

“Why not?” asked the boy, a pout on his lips. The longer I looked at him the more he resembled a child. “I wanna show my appreciation!”

“You’ve more than shown it,” I said, nodding my head vehemently.

He tilted his head and sighed. “No, but still I wanna say thanks properly, you know?”

“Live a long, healthy, law-abiding life. That will be a proper thank you,” I said, glancing up at Jimin who seemed to have relaxed.

Jungkook stared down at me for a long moment, then sighed. His shoulders fell as he watched me and his heavy brows began to knit. “Ah, what should I do? I think I like you.”

I coughed slightly and waved my hand, backing away. “Excuse me?” I asked.

Jungkook nodded. “Yeah. I think I like you. What was your name again?” he asked, mirroring my backwards step with a forwards one.

Jimin cleared his throat and smiled at the young boy. “Her name is Nari and she’s trying to recover her memory. She’s been through a lot lately, so maybe ask her out some other time.”

Jungkook rolled his eyes and approached me, leaning down at the waist to smile at me. “He’s pretty boring, right?” he asked. “He used to be more fun.”

I flushed and glanced away, taken aback by how keenly he stared at me. “I find him just fine the way he is.”

Jungkook sighed. “It’s no good if you like another guy,” he whined, then crossed his arms and backed away. “Anyway, I should thank you too, Jimin,” he said as he offered his large hand for Jimin to shake.

Jimin stared down at it for a while, brows furrowed, and shook his head. “Don’t thank me, Jungkook.”

He smiled and grabbed Jimin’s wrist with his free hand, shoving their palms together and clasping his fingers around Jimin’s in a tight shake. “I owe you a lot, alright?”

Jimin sighed. “I’m the reason you got taken here in the first place,” he said.

Jungkook waved his hand and laughed, lighthearted despite having been kept by the police for a day. “Hey! You just told the truth. Yoongi’s the one who’s got his panties all twisted, thinkin’ it was me,” said Jungkook with a scowl. “I would too.”

I narrowed my eyes at him and crossed my arms. “Why? Is there any reason why he’s so set on you as the suspect?” I asked.

Jungkook turned to me and smiled brightly, rubbing the back of his head. “Ah, well…something like that.”

“What is it?” I asked.

Jungkook’s face fell and he turned to me with downcast eyes. “I don’t want you to think I’m a suspicious person.”

“He’s the one who attempted to rob a supermarket owner a few weeks ago,” said Jimin, rubbing his forehead.

“How did you know?” asked Jungkook, eyes wide.

Jimin sighed. “Yoongi told me when he came to interview me at the hospital. The day he got me to admit you were there at the bar.”

Jungkook groaned. “I didn’t want you to know,” he said. “I didn’t want you to think I would ever try to hurt you because of something stupid like that.”

“Why did you do it?” I asked, thinking aloud.

Jungkook glanced at me and shook his head. “It was a dumb dare from the guys. We’re just…we just play around, you know? We’d never do anything scary like…murder or something.”

Jimin nodded. “I know, Kook.”

“Call me Jung!” interrupted the boy with a whine. “I told you a million times.”

Jimin chuckled and patting Jungkook’s shoulder with a nod. “Well, either way I’m glad you’re out soon.”

“Thanks to you,” he said, winking at him.

Thanks to him...

The bail?

Jimin rolled his eyes and opened his mouth as if to speak, but stopped at the door opened and Namjoon entered. The air became once again heavy with somberness as he walked into the room with eyes on the floor. I set my lips thin. I wondered if my resistance would negatively impact Namjoon…

The thing about truth is that, if you give it enough time, it always comes out.

I had to believe in Jimin’s words. I had to believe that the choices I made, however difficult they may be, were ultimately in the service of the truth. I inhaled sharply as Namjoon finally looked up and met each of our eyes respectively.

“I think it’s best for you two to go,” he said, voice low and tired.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek and met his eyes. “Namjoon, I’m-,”

He glanced at me before looking away. “We’ll call you if we need anything else.”

My stomach dropped, filling with lead. The heavy, dreadful feeling persisted as Jimin led me out into the hallway and towards the front doors. It persisted as we passed the sea of desks, the lonesome one in the corner occupied by a dark-haired man with his head down. It persisted even as we exited the building and stood out on the sidewalk. And as the door swung shut behind us, I could tell Jimin felt it too. I’d hurt someone I trusted. In saving one innocent person, I’d condemned another.

Was part of being human feeling like this?

“What do you say to getting some drinks? I know a good place.”

I glanced up at Jimin to find him smiling at me, tender. I raised my eyebrows. “Is that a good idea? Don’t you need to rest?” I asked.

He groaned and leaned his back against the facade of the building, screwing up his features in a show of theatrics. “All I’ve done is rest.”

At the sight of his pout, a few stray laughs escaped my lips despite my mood and I stretched my arms slightly. “Are you perhaps feeling stifled?”

He nodded, eyes shut, still pouting my way. “I wanna go have fun,” he whined.

I laughed again. “It is unusual for you to be so eager to go out,” I commented.

He sighed and opened one eye, peering down at me. “Maybe Jungkook got to me. I really did used to be fun, you know,” he said, tone playful. He gave a mischievous smirk. “And besides, I wanna see if you can outdrink me.”

I pursed my lips. If the night of his accident was anything to go by, Jimin was not someone difficult to outdrink. I peeked at him from below as I thought. “You’re sure it’s a good idea?” I asked.

He nodded eagerly. “Positive.”

I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. “Then let’s go.”

I stared at the amber drink before me, tea mixed with rum, and tilted my head this way and that. The thing looked okay enough, not a toxic green or a frightening murky white as I’d seen before. We sat together at a bar by the station, a nice place playing American music from the seventies. Plenty of people were idling about, but we were the only ones at the bar. Jimin was nursing his fourth beer, and his dopey smile was a clear tell. The entire evening he’d been pestering me between bites of bar food to give the drink a shot. I’d been hesitant, insisting that watching him drink was better than drinking myself. I wondered why he was so adamant about it, and longed to ask him more precisely if there was a special reason. But the way Jimin watched me eagerly, a beer in his own hand as he nudged my knee with his beneath the bar, spurred me to grab the tall glass with both hands and take the straw between my teeth. His eyes glittered in the soft, hazy light and the smile on his face danced in the picture of him reflected in fractals on his thick mug of beer.

I took a big sip, letting the drink slide down my throat, and coughed slightly as I’d taken too much at once. I clutched my chest and shook my head, but as I began to regain control over my lungs, another sensation emerged. Something vaguely hot, sitting just beneath my skin. I scratched at my neck slightly, trying to alleviate the odd feeling, but as I did I found no relief. The heat slipped further down into my chest before dissipating. I furrowed my brow at the sweet drink and crossed my arms.

Jimin’s laugh retrieved me from my confusion and I turned to him with wide eyes. “What?” I asked, rubbing my throat. “Something felt hot.”

He laughed once more and shook his head, taking another deep swig of beer. “Alcohol,” he began, “feels hot, doesn’t it?”

I nodded my head and played with the straw as it sat in my cup. I puzzled over it. “So it’s normal? That feeling?”

He nodded and inched closer, smelling sharply of booze as he exhaled in a laugh. “You’re so funny,” he said with a smile. He was intoxicated.

I pursed my lips and took another deep sip, this time prepared for the odd warmth. As I tasted the drink, I found it rather pleasant and stifled a smile as I stirred my straw through it.

“What is it?” asked Jimin, sitting close, his face looming near mine as he watched me carefully.

I turned only my eyes towards him but, upon seeing how striking he looked with a drunken flush on his high cheeks and a rosy hue to his parted lips, my gaze fled quickly back to the safety of my drink. “I’ve found something else that caught me off guard,” I said, smiling slightly.

He smiled and tilted his head to the side, caging me between his arms as one was resting on the bar and one was draped lazily over the back of my seat. Having all of his attention made me fidgety, the weight of his honeyed gaze heavy upon my fragile human heart. “What’s that?” he asked, voice low, eyes scanning my face.

I cleared my throat and inched away, trying to gain some distance between us. “I don’t find alcohol all that unpleasant,” I said, chuckling. But the sound emerged choppy, almost awkward. Was I perhaps feeling flustered?

He grinned. “That’s good,” he said, then thankfully leaned away. “Let’s drink together again someday.”

I took another sip, trying to keep my thoughts to myself, but like it usually did curiosity overpowered me. “Why did you want to drink today?” I asked.

He peeked at me over the rim of his beer, his hair teasingly out of place, his eyes heavy-lidded. “I told you. I wanted to have fun.”

I shook my head. Because, despite the playfulness in his eyes I could see something else there too. Something sadder. “I want to know the real reason,” I said, leaning forward slightly to get a better view of him.

He opened his mouth and shut it a few times, almost speaking now and then, before he sighed and slumped over his drink. “You caught me.”

“You’re obvious.”

He chuckled and sighed, letting his head loll backwards, hair falling off his forehead, exposing the skin there. His lips parted and I could see his Adam’s apple bob. Was it the alcohol making me so much more finely attuned to his body? I glanced away. “It’s that bastard Yoongi,” he said.

“Ah,” I said, nodding as I drank some more, desperate to wash the image of Jimin’s pillowy lips from my mind. “He bothers you?”

“Yoongi,” he began with a frown. “That bastard.”

I chuckled and turned to him again, but found that move to be a crucial mistake as he was pushing his hair from his forehead with his hand, eyes cast on the bar in front of us, lashes dusting across his cheeks. Again I looked away. “You said that already,” I said.

He sighed beside me. “He hates me.”

“Why?”

“Because I was there when he wasn’t.”

I furrowed my brow and chewed on my straw. “What does that mean?”

“That bastard, Yoongi. He’s punishing me,” said Jimin.

I rested my cheek in my hand and scanned the shelves of alcohol, backlight with a neon sign, sitting behind the bar on the wall. “You must do something wrong in order to be punished.”

“That’s exactly it!” he exclaimed, clapping his hands and pointing to me. “See, I didn’t do anything wrong.”

I nodded and smiled slightly as he mimicked my pose, only instead of staring at the shelves he was staring at me. My heart raced. “I believe you.”

He exhaled, long and slow, and his eyes fell from my eyes to my flushed cheeks. Eventually, they dipped lazily lower, landing on my lips before once again he met my eyes and smiled. “I’m glad.”

I cleared my throat and drank some more, my drink nearly empty. “Is my head supposed to feel this fuzzy?” I asked.

Jimin chuckled and scooted closer to me, gently taking my face between his hands. He examined my forehead, squinting at it for a moment, before backing away and nodding with a grin. “It’s the best part. Makes it hard to think,” he said, laughing.

I touched the spot on my hot cheek where he’d touched, feeling the trail of tingles he’d left behind. I could focus on nothing else. “I don’t like it,” I said, shaking my head. “I feel like I’m thinking more.”

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, voice soft below the music and smooth.

My stomach fluttered. Was that a side effect of the alcohol? I met his amber eyes and swallowed hard. “Things I shouldn’t be thinking about.”

His lips parted in a smile and his eyelids fell heavier. “Like what?”

“Like…,” I began, then shook my head. “Stupid things.”

He smiled and took my hand gently, his grip loose, his fingers playing with my own as he hummed with thought. He extended his hand, our fingertips touching, forcing my fingers to part, before letting them connect once again. “That’s too bad. I hoped we could both get our minds off of the things that were bothering us,” he said softly.

I felt faint and my face was burning hot. “Is that why you wanted to drink with me? Because you were worried I was upset?”

He nodded and met my eyes with a smile. “Bingo.”

I inhaled and, before I this stupid, feverish body could do something ridiculous, I pushed up from the barstool and stood to my feet. But as my shoes touched the ground, I found my balance unsteady and had to grip the side of the bar to stay upright. Jimin laughed and stood alongside me, replacing the bar I was clutching with his arm. He coaxed my hands around his bicep and the lightheadedness suddenly felt secondary to the flutters in my stomach and the heat in my face.

I avoided his eyes as he chuckled at me. “I want to leave.”

He laughed and patted my hand. “Sure.”

We walked quietly along the sand, having taken a detour to sober up before journeying all the way home. The ocean lapped at my bare feet as we wandered in an unsteady line down the shore. Overhead was the navy sky and a smattering of glittering stars, reflecting on the calm sea below. Jimin walked a pace behind me, laughing at me now and then as I stumbled walking or ran away from a wave I’d underestimated. I walked carefully, placing one foot exactly in front of the other with each step. And with Jimin behind me, I felt safer. I knew if I couldn’t see him, I couldn’t think about strange things.

“Hey, Nari?” he asked, voice nearly drowning in the waves.

I swallowed hard and extended my hands out on either side of me, desperate to keep my balance and desperate to give my mind something to focus on. Because, as soon as he spoke, my mind had wandered to how smooth and melodious his voice was. And as my mind wandered there, it wandered to the way his voice sounded in a whisper. And then it wandered to the way it sounded in a breathy laugh.

I shook my head. “Yes, Jimin?”

“You’re really familiar,” he said, chuckling as he mused. “I really feel like I know you from somewhere.”

I stiffened, my steps faltering slightly, and as I stumbled slightly into the water Jimin was quick to reach my side, wrapping a strong arm around my waist. He stared down at me with wide eyes. I blinked up at him, unable to do much else, and watched the moonlight run gently through his disheveled hair, touching his skin, featherlight. Why did I envy the moon as I looked at him that way, awash in its glow? Was I becoming too greedy?

He scanned me, supporting my body as I regained my footing. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Had he always been so handsome? Soft features, kind eyes, flushed cheeks. I took my lower lip between my teeth to keep from saying something I’d regret, but as his eyes fell there I quickly released it and cleared my throat. “I…I’m fine.”

But even though I’d stopped biting them, he continued staring at my lips. I wasn’t sure why my body felt so very hot. The alcohol, surely. Surely, surely. I felt his breath fan across my cheeks as he exhaled and watched his smoldering eyes as they worked over my face. What about this body had him so focused? This strange body.

“Say,” he said, his hand firm against my waist despite my restored balance. Carefully, he brushed his fingers against my cheek, smoothing the hair out of my face. “Do you think Jungkook is serious? About liking you?”

I cleared my throat and glanced away, down towards the endless sand beneath our feet. “I think he felt very grateful to me.”

“But do you think he likes you?” he repeated, wrapping his second arm around my waist, letting his hands settle lowly on my back. “Likes you likes you?”

I furrowed my brows and stared at his chest as it rose and fell before me. “I suppose not,” I said. “He’s very young. Those feelings tend to come and go quickly at that age.”

“You’re nearly the same age, aren’t you?” he asked.

I set my lips thin. Sure, nearly the same age. Give or take three-hundred years or so. “I…I suppose so.”

He sighed and softly pulled me closer by the hips, almost too close to breathe. “I don’t really like that.”

At this, I finally looked up at him and found him staring into my eyes already. He smiled slightly and tilted his head to the side. “E…excuse me?”

He nodded, and it was clear by the way his eyes went heavy that he was still intoxicated. “I know I don’t look like it, but I can be kinda scary when I’m mad, okay?” he asked, chuckling. The sound was enchanting in my ears, so soft.

“Why would you be mad?” I asked.

He swayed us back and forth slightly and smiled. “I dunno,” he said, then laughed and leaned down close to me. “Why does it make me feel kinda mad?”

I shook my head as he pressed his forehead against mine. “I don’t know either.”

He hummed and met my eyes with his hooded ones. He tilted his head slightly and leaned closer to me, still smiling just enough to confuse me. His face was so close I could see every detail on his skin. His hands moved slowly up and down my sides and, for a moment, I became lost in the sensation of it all. His touch, something which I never even dared to dream of feeling, the warmth of his eyes on me. Why had I let myself become this way? Weeks ago I’d have been perfectly content just watching him, invisible, unseen, unknown. But now…having him simply look at me didn’t feel like enough. I wasn’t sure what, but I craved something more.

I shut my eyes, a reflex I wasn’t familiar with, and rested my hands on the firm expanse of his chest. I could feel him close to me, feel the ghost of his lips lingering so close to mine, feel the puff of his breath on my scorching skin. And just as I felt I might find relief, a frigid, tall wave crashed against our calves and nearly knocked us down. Jimin caught me before I fell, but the bottoms of the pants I’d worn were chilly and heavy with ocean water. I gaped down at them, then turned my attention to him.

But as I looked up at him, I only saw his laughing face, eyes pressed into crescents with the force of his grin. As if nothing at all had happened, he released my waist and began walking back up the beach towards the street and the cliff and the town atop it. All I could do was watch his back retreat, left alone on the beach with wet pants and burning cheeks and a pounding heart and a new sensation I couldn’t quite name.

And he walked up ahead, his laugh echoing around the peaceful, navy-tinted beach.

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heathenarmyimagines · 6 years

Photo

Title: Horrible Marriage

Summary: The day after (Y/N) and Ivar’s wedding as much more eventful than expected.

Pairing: Ivar x Reader

Taglist: @ubbesgirl, @shewolf2000, @tis-itheapplepie, @atequila, @demoncrypt1066, @greennightspider, @badbitsh13, @fireismysaftey, @minarawr, @laketaj24, @hvitserksgirl, @blahblahcookiesdoma, @fabulous-peasent, @sforsammmmmi, @minmiin1d, @courtrae89, @letsloveimagines, @tomarisela, @titty-teetee, @beyond-the-ashes@elenawrit, @mblaqgi, @whenimaunicorn, @chuflisworld, @mystruggledlife, @moose-squirrel-asstiel, @syreni-dea, @trashqueenbitch, @alykatv, @mbaku-babygirl, @perfectus-in-morte, @beyond-the-ashes, @neeadinghugs, @readsalot73, @triumphantreturnofpies, @anarchy-is-coming, @tephi101, @alicedopey, @ivarslittlebadgirl, @jtrstp, @nejijjeoroo, @charlylama, @ivartheblessed, @captstefanbrandt, @fabulouschrissi, @ivarsrideordie, @3x5gurl, @the-writer-appreciation-blog, @lolabee9, @captainfoxy22, @young-ugly-god, @im5ftbutmythroat66, @bribyyy, @irishhiggins, @cadetomlinson, @keclleon101, @slutforragnarssons, @ltkeke, @meeeeeeeeeps, @lille-kanin, @opalscarab, @ssraven7, @ivarandersen, @concretewaywardangel, @funmadnessandbadassvikings, @sharon-is-tired, @cadetomlinson, @mystruggledlife, @chuflisworld, @justmarissa97, @lol-haha-joke, @weirdly-randomly-awesome, @inlovewithmakeupcomicsanim, @idonthavehusbandsihavelovers, @alexa040004, @buckythetinman , @burntmythroatskullingmytea,@jorunnravenslayer, @two-unbeatable-beaters, @buffy-the-vampire-blogger

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five

Walking out of the Matrimonial Chamber that morning you felt like a champion.

You had done what no woman had ever accomplished, what Margrethe had failed to do.

‘Well you two had fun it seems.’ Ubbe smiled as you and Ivar entered the great hall.

‘We might have.’ Ivar smiled.

‘You did we all heard it.’ Hvitserk laughed.

A blush like no other covered your face, you didn’t think you had been loud.

‘Don’t get too prideful brother, we leaned by the door.’ Sigurd grinned, pulling Hvitserk into an embrace.

‘Ah! Gods its…just too much.’ Hvitserk mocked your voice, clinging to his brother dramatically.

‘(Y/N), i-it feels good.’ Sigurd said huskily, caressing Hvitserk’s face.

‘You bastards, disrespecting our sacred wedding night.’ Ivar glared, but his cheeks were a bit red.

‘Don’t be angry brother, they are unmarried idiots having a bit of fun.’Ubbe soothed.

‘They listened in on a moment that was meant for me and my wife.’ your husband spat.

‘It’s fine Ivar I don’t mind, it was still a perfect night. And we all know they should get used to hearing you pleasure me.’ you grinned.

Ivar looked taken back before a smile crossed his face, he looked up at you with mischievous eyes.

‘I guess they should, come here.’

You giggled as he grabbed your hand and pulled you down to kiss him, all passion and fire.

Ivar pulled you down lower until you were straddling his lap, he pulled back dragging your bottom lip between his teeth.

‘Alright enough of that Ivar.’ Ubbe laughed.

‘No such thing as enough with a woman like her.’ he said, keeping his eyes on you.

‘Ivar you got so angry when they heard us, if they saw us...saw me, you’d probably kill them.’ you smirked as you stood up.

Though he rolled his eyes dramatically in the way only he could Ivar nodded in agreement.

‘Come, lets eat, we worked up an appetite last night.’ you said.

Once Ivar and you were seated a slave placed plates in font of you both, you said thank you, but were not surprised to not get a reply.

A lot of the other slaves didn’t like you much, they didn’t like the special treatment you received because of your closeness to Ivar.

While they had tiresome and hard labor work you merely cared for Ivar, and while they slept in a rickety barn with rags for warmth you slept in Ivar’s bed under thick furs.

‘You are too polite.’ Ivar said kissing your cheek before he began eating.

‘So you two are finally married now.’

Everyone turned as the queen entered the hall.

‘You know we are, after the madness you went through for the wedding.’ Ivar answered as she sat on her throne.

‘Forgive me for wanting the best for my son.’ she smiled.

‘No need to apologize, the wedding was amazing, the town will speak of it for ages.’ you complimented.

Though you did find it tiresome you did appreciate all the work Queen Aslaug put into the wedding.

‘Sigurd and Hvitserk told me of your night, I am happy for you both.’

‘Thank you, but I prefer not to speak about my wedding night with my family over breakfast.’ Ivar dismissed.

‘Fine, what do you have planned for today?’ Aslaug sighed into her drink, clearly she’d lost interest.

‘We are going to the hunting cabin, so Ivar may bring home his first kill to feed his wife.’ Hvitserk said, his mouth half full.

‘And I will cook in our kitchen for the first time.’ you smiled.

Floki’s wedding gift of a house had by far been your favorite, it was something you’d secretly wanted all your life.

Ivar’s bedroom in the great hall held a special place in your heart and you had great memories in that room. Yet still it was Ivar’s room in the great hall, you had no claim on it.

This house you could organize it and decorate it; best part is Ivar would let you have your fun. He hated decorating and really couldn’t care less as long as it had the essentials.

‘Lucky Ivar, marrying a slave who already knows how to cook, Torvi nearly burned our first home.’ Bjorn said, joining his brothers.

‘Hello Bjorn.’ you greeted.

‘Hello...Sister in Law.’ he smiled sadly.

Bjorn often said you reminded him of the sister he lost as a child, and you could see he thought of her every time he saw you.

‘Aslaug.’ Bjorn greeted with no emotion.

Everyone knows that Bjorn, like Lagertha, has always blamed Aslaug for ruining their family. Which you completely understood, from what you heard it did sound as if she had snuck in like fox and stolen another woman’s husband.

Aslaug grinned in greeting.

‘Will you join us in our activities today brother?’ Ubbe asked.

‘Only if your activity is fishing, Torvi says she will not let me have her if I don’t bring home twenty fish at least.’ grunted Bjorn.

‘You won’t be so cruel to me will you wife?’ Ivar asked.

‘Of course not, twenty fish is ridiculous, I’d never ask for something so silly.’ you answered.

Ivar smiled and kissed your cheek.

‘I want our first meal to be a boar Ivar, a nice and fat one, big enough Ubbe will complain about carrying it.’ you smiled wickedly.

Ivar rolled his eyes so hard his head had to move with them, he looked at Bjorn in annoyance.

‘Thank Torvi for filling my wife’s head with ridiculous ideas so early on in our marriage.’ he glared.

‘No need for nastiness Ivar, I wanted boar anyway. I will not deny you sex if we don’t have it, but I know you will get it because I want it.’ you assured.

‘Still you could deny if you want, trust me sex controls men like meat controls dogs.’ Aslaug smiled.

‘Mother.’ Ivar pouted.

‘I’m only teasing, let me have fun with my daughter in law.’

‘Well if I am to catch a boar that will please you we should be leaving.’ Ivar said.

‘And I should be in the river.’ Bjorn sighed.

All the Sons of Ragnar left the table, Ivar kissing you before climbing onto Ubbe’s back.

‘See you at home wife.’ he called as they left.

‘Will you be joining me today your highness? Floki says you have yet to see my home.’ you said.

‘I would love to, but I have duties, lookouts spotted an envoy. I must be here to receive his message.’ she declined.

You sighed in acceptance before excusing yourself, secretly glad you would get to see it all alone.

Eagerly you followed Floki’s directions, not that you needed them. He had built the house on Ivar’s hill.

It was a very simple home from the outside, clearly Floki put in a lot of effort to make it subtle.

Behind the house there was a freshly dug garden and a pin for the animals that had been gifted to you and Ivar.

‘Thank you Gods, thank you all for this blessing. I shall sacrifice a goat for you, may it please you when the time comes.’ you whispered, before going inside.

The living room was small and only held a fire pit for cooking, a two chair table set and a rug. In the master bedroom there was a bed covered in thick furs, a fireplace, a chest and a wardrobe.

The second room was completely empty, but you knew what it was meant for.

Children.

You smiled to yourself as you walk around the empty room, thinking of the life ahead of you.

You stop and look out of the window and see the markets of Kattegat, a view you loved.

You looked further past the town, to take in the view of the other hills when you paused.

There was someone standing there on one of the hills, looking down at the town as you had just been.

Though you could not see hardly anything from so far away a familiar feeling settled in your stomach.

A feeling that everything you know is about to change and there was nothing you could do. It was a feeling you hadn’t felt in years, and only one man gave you that feeling.

A panic filled you as you began running out of the house, your legs burning as you pushed yourself to keep going.

Down the hill and through the woods then up another hill you ran until the hunting cabin was in sight.

Outside of it all the princes were skinning their kills, but they all paused when they saw you frantically running.

‘He’s returned!’ you yelled

‘(Y/N)?’ Ivar asked as you ran to them.

‘Ivar...’ you wheezed.

‘What is it?’ Ivar asked.

‘Ragnar Lothbrok has returned.’

#ivar imagine #ivar the boneless #ivar x reader #vikings imagine

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kyeugh · 6 years

Text

Dave and Katherine Discuss Real Life

Author’s Note: this is just a little thing i threw together after reading @antialiasis’ Morphic because the sad ending left me wondering about the future. i originally had plans for it to go further, but i’m not really interested in making this a long-term project, at least for the time being, haha. anyway, i hope you enjoy it!

Calm down now. Be cool.

Katherine took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked damn good. She didn’t think such things very often, but right now, she had no shame in admitting it. She was a little off base in some places, sure— her eyes were rather squinty, for example, and her nose was much too small and high— but you didn’t have to be perfect to look your best, and she certainly did.

Oh, there was also the trio of green horns sticking out of her head, and the fact that her hands were in fact giant roses. But those were minor details, really, hardly worthy of address. At least, that’s what she had to tell herself if she had any hope of making her case.

“Ms. Harrison, five minutes.”

Katherine nodded. “I’m just about ready,” she replied, glaring at her hair in the mirror. She wished she could do something with it. Its utter plainness was all the more obvious when contrasted with her rather fetching pantsuit. Oh, and don’t even get her fucking started on the pantsuit. No one would ever appreciate it for what it was, that being nothing short of a miracle. Just try putting on a tight shirt when your hands are roses and your head is covered in thorns.

Christ, what was she doing? Ruminating on her clothes? In less than five minutes, she would leave her house and step into a car, which would bring her all the way to the town courthouse. How long had it been since she’d been to town? In a car? Outside of her neigborhood, even?

She took a final look at herself in the mirror. Flawed. Perfect. Plain. Beautiful. Human. Pokémon. It was hard to describe someone like her concisely, but that’s just who she was. A mix-up. And today, she was going to change things for all the other mix-ups. Today, years of hard work would finally come to fruition. After hours and hours spent poring over books and articles and wiki pages and proceeding transcripts and histories and everything else imaginable, teaching herself the inner workings of this particular corner of law, Katherine had finally reached the day she’d been long preparing for.

Today, Katherine would testify before the city court to free the Pokémorphs from their perpetual house arrest. And, with any luck, today would be the day she was finally freed.

Unfortunately, David Ambrose woke up.

“Agh, fuck.” His head pounded as he rolled to the side, his eyes scrambling desperately into focus before resting on the alarm clock on his nightstand. 12:17. “Shit.”

Didn’t he have something today? The, uh… The thing. Fuck. What the fuck was it?

Dave flopped onto his back again and was just about to shut his eyes and fall back into the sweet embrace of sleep when he saw something taped to the ceiling. What the fuck? He squinted at it, rubbing his forehead as though it would actually do something for the pain.

It was an index card, and he could just make out the text. It read: “Court case. Katherine. 11:30, don’t forget.”

Ah, fuck. Well, he hadn’t forgotten, at least. He’d overslept, which was at the very least outside of his control… Though, if the taint of beer on his breath was to be trusted, it probably _was _in his control after all. But whatever. He’d probably have slept in until noon anyway. Right?

Groaning, he sat up and fumbled for the remote on his nightstand, nearly knocking over his alarm clock and table lamp in the process. When at last he found it, he switched on the television and turned it to channel one.

There she was, in all her morphic glory. Dave had never seen her so dressed up— she wore it wonderfully, though he found the buttons that ran along the back seam of the sleeves amusing. So that’s how she’d fit it on despite her hands…

A marquee rolled across the bottom of the screen. Dave wasn’t yet conscious enough to read it all, but he got the gist. Katherine was still making her case for the humanity of the Pokémorphs, and arguing that the Dangerous Nonhuman Act was unconstitutional— or, at least, it was unconstitutional in its application to the Pokémorphs. Dave had heard the argument a million times. He’d even helped write it. He could only hope she delivered it well, though he’d never resort to fucking praying, thank you very much. If anyone knew how important delivery was, it was him. It was definitely, fucking definitely him.

“—aware that the media paints us as half-human, half-Pokémon hybrids,” Katherine said, her voice cool but just shaky enough for it to be perceptible. Well, Dave sure as hell didn’t blame her. At least she was talking fucking sense. He’d seen way more severe television blunders on similar topics in his days, to say the least. But it didn’t take much to outperform fucking Brian, of all people. Dave didn’t realise he was shaking his head until he felt it pounding in protest.

“However, this is simply not the case. You will notice by the upright posture and intelligent behaviour of not only myself but my peers that we are much more human than anything else. As per the lab report, in fact, we are almost entirely human, with some Pokémonic genes spliced in. So, modified as we may be, Pokémorphs cannot be described as ‘nonhuman’ any more than, say, a black person, or a disabled person might be. There are simply different genes at play, but we look and behave and think the same way as anyone else. The line between human and non is blurred, to be sure, but i think that given my substantial evidence, even the most resistant will see that we are just like everyone else.”

Dave shook his head. Fuck. It was too early in the morning for this shit, and he had very important things to do today. He always did. Such as reflecting on what little he’d seen as he made his way to the kitchen.

Katherine was a fairly good public speaker, you had to give her that. But that was only true on some accounts. She presented herself confidently, true, and she vocalised without timidity. She was a proud and strong speaker. And yet, what on God’s green fucking Earth was she talking about? While he could agree that the Pokémorphs were primarily human, why he hell did she think to compare that to race and, fuck it all, disability? Well, whatever. It wasn’t Dave’s case. If he’d wanted it done better, he’d have just done it himself. This wasn’t about him. It was about the Pokémorphs, and it was also (purely by chance) about everything Dave had worked toward for the past ten yeaoh goddamn it who was he kidding.

Katherine couldn’t fuck this up. She just couldn’t. To her credit, she had a sound argument when she wasn’t botching her attempts at injecting political buzzwords. If the judge had any reason at all, he’d see her point and rule in her favor. But in truth, Dave had come to distrust the public sector a long time ago.

He’d come to distrust a lot of things, actually. Sometimes he wondered whether his drinking habits should be one of them. Even still, he produced a fresh beer from the refrigerator and cracked it open, taking a good sip. Christ, why the fuck was alcohol in the morning looked down on? There was nothing in the world like a cool splash of beer on a dry, scratchy morning throat. Absolute fucking ecstasy.

Dave took the can to his recliner and fell into it, leaning forward and taking healthy sips as he stared off into the distance, into his regrets, surrounded by a rather impressive castle of beer cans and the persistent drone of the courtcase on the television in front of him. His throne. It was another day in the life of the once-great David Ambrose.

If he had been watching the television, of course, he might have seen something very important. Game-changing, even. But, of course, it was absolutely nothing like Dave to see important things until it was entirely too late. Who did he have to blame but himself?

Literally everyone, obviously.

Sighing, he turned his gaze to the portraits that sat on his shelf. He wasn’t the sentimental type, but, well… He wasn’t the sentimental type. Having a bunch of your kids die tended to change some things about you.

He regarded the images somberly.

Will was such a sweet kid. He’s the last one you’d expect to get shot. But that also made him the likeliest. That’s what happened to sweet kids. It happened to Brian, too. When you’re in peril and you can’t stand up for yourself, you get a bullet in the fucking head. No golden charm was going to deflect that. Dave sniffed a little, and took a long drink of his beer.

Mia. Christ. What a character. And yet, Dave found himself thinking that her loss was perhaps one of the most profound ones the world would ever know. He knew he was wrong for allowing himself to choose favorites and value one life over another, but… Mia was something else. She was unstable. She was terrifying. She was a psychopath. But there was something beautiful about that. She was all of those things because she was supposed to be. They had always been here. They were not defects. They were woven into her DNA as solidly as the colour of her hair or the shape of her face. It was who she was. And now it was all gone.

Nothing personal, of course. Purely scientific. She was a marvel, biologically. Well, they all were, to be fair. But she was something else. Sometimes it seemed like she was more Scyther than anything. There was real scientific potential there. He should’ve tested her more. Should’ve prodded her. Picked her mind apart and figured out what she really was on the inside.

Well, there was nothing on the inside now, and there was no sense moping over it. Dave finished his beer, then crushed the can in his hand and threw it backward haphazardly. It fell amid a pile of similarly crushed cans, at least three dozen in number.

It was going to be a long-ass fucking day.

“Your honor, if i may.” Daniels’ voice was so damn smug that Katherine could hardly resist leaping over the bench and socking him in his face. There were two reasons she couldn’t do that, however. Firstly, the public already erred on the side of Pokémorphs being extra dangerous and violent, so her case would certainly not be helped by flagrant aggression. Secondly, her hands were roses, and she suspected they may not be very good for punching anyway.

“The plaintiff raises valid points, of course,” he continued snidely. Grr. “Points worth considering. However, it seems to me, with all due respect, like she’s gracefully failing to address the Mamoswine in the room, as it were.”

The judge raised an eyebrow. “That being?”

“Mia Kerrigan, your honor.”

The audience burst into quiet but energetic chatter.

Mia. Of course.

“Order!” the judge cried. “Continue, Mr. Daniels.”

Daniels happily obliged.“Mia Kerrigan was a proven psychopath. All witness accounts corroborate claims of her violence and dispassion. She attacked with little provocation, and herself provoked others, seemingly searching for reasons to fight or even creating them. Such behavior is consistent with the observed behavior of Scyther, and in human beings is antisocial to the point of justifying asylum. If the animal genes could have affected the mind of Mia Kerrigan in such a way as to make her unfit for human interaction, your honor, why should we assume her fellow Pokémorphs are any better off, when they are purportedly equally human? After all, we do know that several of the surviving Morphs were personally responsible for the tragic deaths of several men of the Church of Holy Truth.”

Katherine stood abruptly, heat rising to her face, heart leaping in her chest. How could he say something like that? “I object, your honor,” she said through clenched teeth with all the tact she could muster. “The kills made by the Pokémorphs are shown by the court of law to be in self-defence, and are not valid evidence against the humanity of our kind.” Even as she said it, she could feel Daniels’ smug grin. It doesn’t matter, he’d be thinking. The seeds of fear have been sown. “Mia Kerrigan was a psychopath, it’s true. There’s simply no denying it. However, her mental state is not indicative of any of the rest— there is no evidence to suggest that any of the other Pokémorphs are psychopathic in the least, and none of us have committed violent acts apart from the Church of Holy Truth incident, which as i stated previously was self-defensive. And, for what it’s worth, you don’t put psychopaths in asylums. They walk free just like everyone else, until they commit a crime. Which Mia didn’t.”

Daniels’ grin had faded. She was right, and he knew it. Or he knew she was technically right, at least. If he was anything like his cousins, Katherine knew he was fare more malicious than he was letting on. But you simply couldn’t in court. Katherine almost wished he would. Then everyone could see what a sham he was once and for all, and the support of the judge would be hers for certain.

No one else spoke, so Katherine continued. “Besides, that’s a matter of mental stability, which, while admittedly influenced by our Pokémorph genes, has nothing to do with our status as human. Your honor, i believe the truth is evident here. Despite our appearances and minor differences, we Pokémorphs are no less human than any other person in this courtroom. Our segregation is unjust and should be repealed immediately. I see no reason to believe otherwise, and none has been presented.”

And that was true. Daniels had sure said lots of things about Pokémorphs over the last few hours, most of them bad and some of them true. But none of them had anything to do with their status as human. And that’s what the case was about.

The judge’s softening impression implied that she agreed. “A fine point, Ms. Harrison.” Daniels tried rather poorly to keep his fear from spreading to his face as she spoke. “The court rules in favor of the Pokémorphs. They are hereby excluded from the provisions of the Dangerous Nonhuman Act, and otherwise protected against further discrimination by the full power of this land’s constitution.” She slammed her gavel with a resounding and unbelievable satisfying, crack. And it was all over. “Case dismissed.”

Katherine fell into her seat, lightheaded. And for the first time in a decade, free.

“Jesus fucking Christ, what the fuck?” Dave sounded more angry than excited, as he often did. But in truth, his heart was leaping in exuberance. “She did it. She really fucking did it. Holy shit.” Still muttering to himself, he looked around for his daughter before remembering they no longer lived together. Fuck, how long had it been? Three years? And he still expected her to be around. Christ.

He grabbed for his phone and began punching in Jean’s number before anxiously holding it to his ear, leaning forward in his chair with anticipation.

“Hello? Dad?”

“Jean,” Dave said, more of an energetic breath than a true utterance. “You… You’re… Fuck.”

“So you heard?”

“Yes, of course i fucking heard. Wait, are we talking about the same thing? Did you watch the fucking—”

“Yes, of course i watched it. We all watched it.”

“So you know that—”

“Yes, Dad. I know. I’m in town right now, actually. God, i forgot how awesome it is here! And did you know you can pay for things with your phone now? You don’t even need credit cards! I mean, people are staring at me weird still, especially now that i’m yelling into a phone, and they probably don’t know that i’m allowed to be here yet so it’s all really weird, but still! Wow! It’s so great to be back out here, i can’t even hardly believe it! And i know i can’t really be Sarah Hooter anymore, and that sucks but i’m over it so whatever, but maybe i can be an actress in something else now? And i think Katherine should be a lawyer forever now, she was so super good. And Gabriel could toootally go into construction or mining or something, i mean he totally jives with rocks and stuff, and Jack… Well, i don’t know! But we can all have jobs now, that’s the point, and we can finally be with people, and even if they look at us weird that’s fine because we’re free, and—”

She continued for a good little while, but Dave stopped listening to the words. That wasn’t the important part. Instead he clung to her voice. The energy, the enthusiasm. It had been gone for years now. Ever since she’d evolved, there had been something off about her. This was it. The cheer. And here it was back.

His daughter was happy again.

Dave revelled in it as she spoke. And when she finally finished, drawing for air to replace all of it she’d just displaced while talking, Dave found himself at a loss for words. For once.

It was a good thing Jean couldn’t hear him cry through the phone.

#writing #morphic #antialiasis

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