TEEN: Black Heart, Bright Soul

[OrionTheAbsol]

Ah, a ten-year project? Stray is also technically over ten years old. And I definitely see that you put a lot of thought into this one; the graphics, character designs, world map, etc. I'm quite excited to see what you put out.

Spoiler: My Commentary

Prologue I - The Wilted Flower

• Hmm, the black heart and the bright soul? I feel dumb for asking this, but I wonder if there is some analogy reflected through the two characters? Seems like I'll find out soon enough.
• Oh, a kingdom in modern times? And with Internet too.
• I like the repetition of 'limited' here. There's something so personal about that word.
• "Pretty sure it'll be my Misfit Angel Enchantress dress." - Ha, I see what you did there.
• "Got a master's degree in biology, but I'm still clueless about everyday life." - You and me both, sister.

Chapter 1: First Impressions

• "The cemented cobblestones beneath her feet were slick with rain and filthy with mud, cigarette butts and discarded gum, and as she made her way towards the closest main road, she spotted stylized graffiti on nearly every building." - Some truly exceptional description here.
• I love it when characters come across some unexpected weather. This always gets some amusing reactions.
• "I applied for a waitress position at one of them in Aughrim last month. Got turned down though, even though I already have waitress experience." - Yeah, I love it when hiring companies pass over experienced people without explanation. I love them even more when they simply don't respond back to your applications.
• "See that scar? I got bonked on the head by a baby Cubone about three years ago. They said I needed, like, seventeen stitches?" - Damn, a baby did that? Either a strong Cubone or the shape of the bone is rigid as hell.

Not too long ago, I just read a bit of Beth's "A Long Walk." You two make seamless descriptions seem so easy, lol. I enjoyed the progressive worldbuilding, especially in chapter 1. There's definitely quite a bit to Lanark.

I got no suggestions to give unfortunately, but I'll certainly come back to read more. Looking forward to it!

 

[Daren]

Prologue review:
Yeah, this prologue does a very good job at nailing that uncomfortable "can't afford to screw this up, but scared to try it " feeling. Andrea's simply not being able to afford clothing appropriate for this first meeting reminds me of an issue I see discussed in the real world regarding interviews that lends a feeling of real authenticity to her story. Luckily she does have Webster, who so far seems like a very supportive friend.
The prologue has done a good job of catching my interest, so very nicely done in that regard!

Also I have to say "Marrowmite" is a quite convincing Pokémon name.

 

[Misfit Angel]

- Content warnings -
[ sexually suggestive content and innuendos ]

- Content notes -
None!​

Black Heart, Bright Soul
Chapter 7: The Seeds of the Field​

"If you find yourself struggling with doubt, just remember the one golden rule: the rest of your competition doubts themselves, too. Don't overestimate them, but don't underestimate yourself, either. You're better than you realize."
~ Ada Pinkett, former champion of the Lanark Coordinator's Society 2007-2009​

May 20th
Holly Hill Recreation Center, City of Aughrim

"Relax, Kim... It's just a practice session, nothing more," Kimberly whispered to herself. "Besides, maybe it'd be good to see him again... Maybe I just haven't given him -- anyone -- enough time for a spark to form..."

She was taking refuge in the bathroom of the Holly Hill Recreation Center, a location that was popular with Pokémon trainers and coordinators for its expansive main floor and its numerous -- and also spacious -- private rooms. In just under an hour, she was meant to begin the final stretch of her lessons before the big event that the last few months of her life have been leading to, the contest that would be her big debut in the coordination scene: the Flower of Aughrim. It had only been two months since she started training, and her mind was preoccupied by doubts about whether she was ready to compete -- after all, most people didn't try breaking into the scene until they'd practiced for longer.

She found herself staring into her reflection in the mirror, attempting to soothe her nerves for her upcoming practice session, but she found it troublingly difficult. She just couldn't put aside the worries that she wasn't ready at all, and all of the time she could spend practicing still wouldn't be enough; she was nervous about getting stage fright, that her skills weren't up to her own standards, and that the outfit she decided to wear for the contest wasn't ready yet.

As she thought it over, she stared into her reflection again, and just as the previous day, her imperfections stood out immensely. Her hand disappeared into her purse, returning with her makeup kit. As she started her work, the door to the bathroom opened up and two women entered, deeply enthralled by the conversation they were engaged in.

"...supposedly got a competitive trainer competing in this one with us, a league champion even! Wonder how those talents will translate into coordination..."

"We do? Who is it?"

"She's got a funny name I can't pronounce... Senna Kros... Kr... Kr? Senna something. She's a Kanetska girl."

"Oh! I heard her name, but nothing about her."

"I'm not sure I believe it, considering the diplomatic tension between our two countries, but supposedly she's a retired three star general from the Iron Union. She defected a couple years ago, I heard? But she looked really young, there's no way she could be some high ranking general."

"Woah, woah. Get the fuck out. She's a league champion and a Kanetska military brat? She's gonna mop the fucking floor with us! They're like, superhuman! They don't fuck around where she's from!"

"Yeah, that strict culture they have of rigid efficiency has its perks sometimes... But where did she even find the time to do all of that?"

Wow..! You hear that..? A league champion is coming to rain on your parade... Why even bother competing..?

Kimberly listened intently to the two girls gossip as they entered the stalls. She felt bad about eavesdropping, but it sounded as if they were talking about the upcoming coordination contest; if there was any valuable information to learn about her fellow contestants, it was worth breaching her personal etiquette -- she knew next to nothing about who was competing, and hadn't even seen a list of names.

"She's not the only person to worry about. Guess who else I saw was signed up? You familiar with the name Petyr Milos?"

"Uhh... Maybe? Is he that guy who came into the Lanark Coordinator's Society out of nowhere and tore it up like a tornado a few years ago?"

"Yeah, that's the guy. Started out completely unknown, then absolutely dominated the scene for three years, only to retire out of the blue and never explain why."

"Don't tell me he came out of retirement..."

"Nope! Why would he even come back to the beginner leagues, anyways? Nah, he's got a protege now, girl by the name of Kimberly Fairbrooke, and she's entering, too."

She perked up and paused her makeup application for a brief moment. While she saw herself as an expert of her own life and reputation, she was interested to know what other contestants thought of her.

"Never heard of her."

"I don't know a lot about her myself, but one of my friends told me to watch out for her. She's the daughter of one of the country's richest philanthropists, the lady who runs the Valenzi Foundation... I shudder to think of the connections that girl's got. She's supposedly also the training partner of that rising superstar over in the Rose League, Nicole Spencer."

"Why are all of these rich professionals coming into our beginner league? We're fucked, aren't we? This girl sounds like serious business, as well... Hopefully her and the military brat are some of the flame-outs. Lots of big names sign up to these and never bother to show up, don't they?"

Almost in sync with each other, the pair emerged from their stalls and gathered at the sink on either side of her. She was cautious that they'd recognize her and cease their gossip, but it seemed they were completely oblivious to the fact that their subject was standing between them.

"Yeah, hope so. I don't know a lot about either of them, but if what I'm hearing is true... I mean, this Senna girl? A three star general and league champion, and she's under 30 years old? And she's not in a military prison being interrogated night and day after defecting? It doesn't make sense, and I don't believe most of it... I'm also hearing some stuff about that Fairbrooke girl that's relieving, and we might not have to worry about her in the end, either."

"Oh yeah?"

"She's pretty wealthy, yeah? Like, ridiculously wealthy. Money can buy connections, maybe even a stewardship under a certain retired legend, but it can't buy skill or natural talent. Heard she's only been training for a month or so? She shouldn't be a problem, we've been practicing a lot longer," the one said before they broke away from the sinks and headed for the door. "I've also heard that her and this Petyr Milos fella? Sounds like --"

And with that, the two left the room, as did her chance to learn some juicy gossip about herself.

Oh boy..! Wonder what kind of scandalous rumors you were about to hear..! Can't imagine they were ones that would make you look good...

"Rumors... Does everyone know about Petyr and I? I guess Nicole was right, maybe it was naive of me to think it could be kept a secret... But what other possible rumors could there be about me? I haven't dipped my toes into the scene at all yet..."

Good luck keeping your relationship with Petyr a secret now... You don't have his fancy studio to hide away in this time...

That was another big worry of hers, her mentor. Even though he'd been officially retired from the Society for three years, even going as far as publicly distancing himself from it, there was still a lot of buzz about him in the overall field of coordination. For years, there were questions about whether he'd take on any understudies, like most former champions of the Society did, but he refused. Refused until he met Kimberly, at least, and adopted her as his only student -- another break from tradition for former champions.

But why did he pick you of all people, huh..? You're a complete nobody in the coordination scene, someone who only had a sparkle of interest in coordination twinkling in her eye...

A large part of it had to do with her mother introducing the two to each other, but that still didn't answer the question of why such a legend would take on a complete nobody as his first student. Did he view honing her unrefined skills as a worthy challenge for him? Or perhaps he couldn't take the buzz around his lack of a student any longer and picked the first person he found who displayed any interest? Maybe he just found a pretty girl and thought their shared passion would help bring him closer to her?

They'd been practicing together for nearly two months, and she still had so many questions about his motives; all of her theories seemed like reasonable ones, but all of them also cast her relationship with him -- both professional and personal -- in a negative light.

You know the real reason why... It's a means to an end... You've noticed the practice sessions are getting shorter and the dates are getting longer, right..? He's letting your dream down all so you'll go down on him...

She shook her head. "Ugh! Not today! I put up with you enough last night." She reached for her purse and unzipped the side pocket, pulling out the sole object inside, her bottle of Tenzepam pills. She fought against her shaking hands and opened the cap, poured two into the palm of her hand, then stuck them into her mouth. With a handful of tepid water from the tap, she washed them down and put the bottle back. "Hopefully they work in time..."

She sighed as she clasped her hands together, closed her eyes and leaned over the sink in silent reflection, an attempt to empty her mind, but alas; all she could focus on was her twitching hands.

Compared to previous days, that voice in the back of her mind that only focused on the negatives in her life had started early, and it was downright venomous. She thought she was in the proper headspace for her upcoming competition, but the stress and anxiety were in full attack mode, and she wondered why -- it's not like it would be the first time she'd be appearing on a televised broadcast in front of thousands of viewers, if not more. She quietly lamented to herself that it was too early to be dealing with this, but no amount of wishful thinking had ever made those doubts go away in the past.

Doubt tended to follow her wherever she went, accompany her in whatever she tried to do with her life. When she flirted with becoming an oil-on-canvas artist, her mind seemed dead set on comparing herself to the god-like renaissance masters -- anything less was a waste of time. When she put effort into her violin skills, she always felt that she was learning through brute force and operating from muscle memory, rather than being able to adapt her abilities and improvise on the classics, perhaps even compose her own melodies -- one of her goals when she started. Similar brushes with doubt took place with every new thing she attempted to turn into a career; sketch artist, fashion designer, competitive Pokémon trainer, everything. The worst part was that she could never figure out why. Likewise, none of the treatments or suggestions that her various therapists and doctors had given her over the years were particularly effective, granting her a few hours of relief at best.

Just turn around and go home... Why are you even trying this..? Those two gossiping bitches were right... all the money and connections in the world can't buy skill, there's people competing that are better than you'll ever be, and you haven't been practicing enough to cover your shortfalls... Well, unless you wanna buy out the judges, financially or otherwise...

"Goddess deliver me..." she whispered softly as she ran her hand through her hair rough and hard, almost clawing away at herself. "Feels like my medicine has been getting less and less effective..."

She stared into the mirror yet again. The imperfections were still obvious to her, despite her efforts at hiding them, but perhaps that was the best she could do -- hide them and hope no one noticed. She put her makeup kit back into her purse, took a deep breath and headed for the exit. As she stepped back out into the hallway adjacent to the lobby, she spotted Mr. Tobey leaned up against a support pillar, his attention held captive by a display case full of trophies and ribbons. She approached.

"...do I miss my boxing days... Should'a kept with it... Would'a gone pro if I hadn't joined the Royal Navy... Could'a spent my days breaking guys in two, with my bare hands!" she overheard as she approached. "Ah! You all set?"

"Yes," she said with a nod. "By the way, did you see two women come out of the bathroom before me? A tall redhead and a blonde just a bit taller than me?"

He nodded.

"What were they talking about?"

"Oh. Umm. I dunno, I wasn't paying attention. I was over here looking at these fancy trophies, anyways. Probably couldn't have heard them even if I cared."

"I see... Well, I guess we should go find the room Petyr rented out for me."

He bowed his head and pointed in a random direction. "Lead the way, young miss."

Didn't you ask him to stop calling you things like that..? He's not listening...

"I'm... actually not sure where we're going," she bashfully said as she retreated to her phone for guidance. "Let's see... Petyr said we're in room 202-A. Surely that must be upstairs?" she idly mused as she looked around. "Now where are the stairs..."

"Pretty sure I saw the stairs back that way," Mr. Tobey said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. "Had your nose buried in that phone of yours and didn't notice, right?"

"M-maybe."

"This is partially why I'm around, you know. You're always staring into that thing instead of paying attention to your surroundings. Inattentiveness like that can get you into a world of trouble."

Even he thinks you're a dumb bimbo... And maybe he's right, eh..?"

She frowned, turned her phone off and put it away into her purse. "I hate that you're right about that. Shall we, then?"

Atop the stairs stood two women, one about the same age as Kimberly and another who appeared to be at least a decade older. The younger one sported shoulder-length dark brown hair and was dressed in a trendy and flirty style that was all the rage: a fuchsia miniskirt that was capped by delicate frills, and an acid-washed, distressed denim jacket worn over what appeared to be a low-cut black crop top. The other was dressed much more conservatively, with a simple pastel pink button shirt with its sleeves rolled up on top and beige khakis on bottom. Her messy, sandy blonde hair was pulled to the side, draped over her shoulder in a loose ponytail.

She recognized the older one, an old acquaintance from her days at a gymnastics class in her hometown of Visalia -- Alexandra Goldbough. The identity of the younger one escaped her, though she looked vaguely familiar; perhaps she was one of the many socialites she interacted with during her time working for charity? Her casual and immodest attire certainly didn't paint her as one, however.

As she neared the top of the stairs, Alexandra's face lit up. "My, my! Is that Kimberly I see?"

"Helloooo," she happily said as she climbed the final step. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Almost three years?"

"Oh, darling," Alexandra said as she reached out for a hug. "I saw your name on the list of contestants for the Flower of Aughrim, but I'm actually surprised to see you here! You've been crazy busy!"

"Heh, I suppose I have been... Mother keeps me working! I've been making more time for my practice sessions, though. I must say, I should be the one surprised to see you instead! How are you finding the time to practice? Didn't you drop out of our gymnastics classes to take care of the kids when your husband left?"

"Ex-husband, now. And yes... But I'm getting a little bit of help these days, so I'm finding myself with a bit of free time. Thank you, Grandma Goldbough..." Alexandra glanced at her younger companion and nodded in her direction. "I'd like to introduce you to my dearest friend, Britnee. She's following me into the field of coordination."

Britnee crossed her arms and smirked. "Other way around. I seem to remember that I was the one who started training first."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Britnee," she said. "Are you both competing in the Flower of Aughrim as well?"

Alexandra nodded. "Uh huh! Brit and I have been practicing together since last September. Based on the list of names we've seen so far, we're pretty confident we can take the first and second places, and it'll probably be a tough race between me and her. I'm so hyped to see what the judges think!"

"Heh, I admire your confidence..." she said nervously. "I'm just here to have fun, if I'm honest. A win would be nice, but I'm not expecting one. Everyone around me is, though..."

"Tt. Of course they are," Britnee snidely remarked. "You're one of those high society types, aren't you? Already got a leg up on me and Alex."

"What to you mean by that?"

"People just treat you differently, don't they? Always polite, always accommodating, I bet. Girls like me and Alex have to earn our respect."

The girl's got a point... When's the last time someone back home was rude to you..? You're an unmarried, beautiful, wealthy, young woman... Of course people aren't going to badmouth you...

Alexandra seemed as if she could sense something bubbling up and tried to change the subject by making a very obvious and very exaggerated nod towards Mr. Tobey, who she'd been eyeing curiously since he and Kimberly arrived. "So, who is this handsome fella? I never knew you were into tall guys, Kim! Wow!" She put her hand atop Kimberly's head and guided it over towards Mr. Tobey, ending at the bottom of his ribs; her eyes were drawn upward and a smile appeared on her face.

Mr. Tobey let out a gremlin-like chuckle as Kimberly spoke up, "Ah! Yes, where are my manners? This is Mr. Tobey, a close friend of mine. He's... Umm. Sort of like... Uhh. A travel partner!"

"Ahh... I see!" A sly smirk appeared on Alexandra's face. "I'm a little jealous!"

Way to go, Kim... You've got an impressive way with words...

"Huh?" She asked, before her eyes quickly widened. "N-no! It's not like that at all! I'm not into -- No!"

Mr. Tobey couldn't hold in his laughter anymore as Alexandra reached out and placed her hand on Kimberly's shoulder. "Oh, come now, friend. I'm just being silly! It's fun to wind you up sometimes!"

"Heh, funny..."

"Still, though..." Alexandra added, casting a glance at him. "If you're single --"

"Alex, stop," Kimberly sternly said.

"Okay, fine. Sorry."

Britnee shook her head. "She's not single, anyways. You haven't heard?"

"Heard what? You know I don't have time for gossip."

Britnee paused for a moment, then fixed her glare on Kimberly. "Heard that you're Petyr Milos' girlfriend. That true?"

"What business is that of yours?" Kimberly asked.

"Just a curiosity. You know there's photos of you and him together in The Breaking Wave, right?"

More rumors, sourced from the most notorious rag in the country. How had such rumors even started? How had they spread so far without her knowing about it? How deep did the rumors go, and what kinds of subjects did they touch upon?

"I'm Petyr's student," she said in an attempt to deflect. "Of course we'll have been seen together."

"The photos I've seen say you're more than just a student. Students and their masters typically don't hold hands and kiss on moonlit beaches."

A thin film of sweat had formed on her forehead, and her cheeks went red. Who was this Britnee girl, and why did it seem like she already had an axe to grind?

"Look at that, she's blushing. Knew it," Britnee stated.

"Photomanipulation is a thing, right?" she shot back. "You shouldn't believe everything you see in a magazine like The Breaking Wave."

"A convenient excuse, but body language doesn't lie. Wonder how far that little relationship of yours goes, eh?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Britnee," Alexandra said with a stern tone.

"C'mon, the guy's both a dreamboat and a notorious skirtchaser. You're honestly telling me --"

"Britnee!" Alexandra scolded with the voice of an angry mother. "I've known Kimberly for years, she's not like that! I was just joking before, but this is a subject that makes her uncomfortable, so end it. She's right -- not everything you read in a trashy tabloid is fact."

"Just sayin'," Britnee retorted.

Alexandra's expression hardened. "And I'm just saying, you're not in school anymore. You're an adult now, it's best to start behaving like one. Enough with the rumors, that's all it ever is with you it seems like! Even more, you're moving into the realm of being a coordinator -- a certain level of professionalism and good manners will be expected of you if you ever hope to maintain your reputation. You can't just go around making scandalous accusations like that! What if people see how you're behaving and spread rumors about you? You'll be toast overnight once those go viral. Successful coordinators have lost their careers because they started doing the mean girl routine, and it'll happen to you if you do as well."

Britnee crossed her arms again and muttered quietly, before speaking up again, "Alright, maybe you've got a point. Doesn't change the fact there's a conflict of interest here, though, does it? Petyr's one of the largest sponsors of the Lanark Coordinator's Society, isn't he? What business does he have teaching one of the contestants?"

"That... is a good point," Alexandra said, glancing toward Kimberly as if expecting some sort of answer.

The truth was that Kimberly didn't have an answer; she hadn't thought of her relationship -- either professionally or personally -- with him in that manner. She wasn't at all aware that Petyr was one of the Society's financial lifelines. Was it even true? The source of such a claim was someone who was evidently a novice of gossip, one who struggled to distinguish fact from fiction, and it's unlikely that Petyr would hide such a thing from her. After all, she knew that he had spent the last few years distancing himself from the Society. Why would he be funding the Society in secret? Was he?

Well, well... Is Petyr lying to you about stuff already..? Not a good sign, girl...

"I'm not sure that he is a major funder of the Society. I'm pretty sure people who distance themselves from and openly criticize the culture of organizations don't throw stacks of gold at them."

"I find it hard to believe that you don't know for sure," Britnee stated flatly. "Unless he's hiding it from you."

"It's something I'll have to speak to him about, I guess. If he is, well... I don't want an unfair advantage. I have enough of those in my life."

"Hmmph," Britnee huffed. She tried to get a read on the time by looking at Alexandra's watch. "Hey Alex, what time is it?"

"Time for you to get a watch," Alexandra said as she raised her wrist.

"Ha ha. Real funny, mom. Think our room is free now?"

"Yeah! Should be!" She reached out and hugged Kimberly. "It was so good to see you again! Good luck at the contest! But remember: I'm the one who's gonna go home with a trophy."

Kimberly giggled and squeezed her tightly. "Probably! I'm definitely not going to be ready for this in time, but it'll still be tons of fun!"

As the two broke away and made their way down the stairs, Mr. Tobey crossed his arms. "I like that Alex girl. Good sense of humor on her."

"She's a real gem!" She poked him gently in the side with her elbow. "Well, you heard her, she's single now!" she sang in a mirthful tone.

"Ha! I don't need any distractions like that. Dunno if I could handle step-children, anyways..." He paused for a moment. "That Britnee girl, though... Man, a childish brat."

"I got that impression as well..." she said with a shake of her head.

"You watch yourself around her. I can protect you from physical threats, but I'm no match for a gossip girl like her. I don't think a court would be lenient if I squashed her like a bug."

Wow..! The thought of hitting women has entered his mind, even if he finds it distasteful... You have to separate yourself from this guy before he decides hitting you would be a fun way to spend his evenings...

She cleared her throat. "Well, uhh. She brought Petyr up. Umm. I don't know if you know --"

He nodded. "I do. Your mother told me."

"Tt. Of course she did... So, are you going to play nice?"

He placed his massive, meaty hand on her head and ruffled her hair a bit. "Kim, I'm a friend, not your father. I'm not going to stand in between you two. And if you want some private time with him, that's all you gotta say."

"O-oh! That's reassuring to hear!" she said, happily. "Thank you."

Well then... Is it his decision to give you some free time with the boy, or your mom's..?

Update notes: June 4, 2023:

• Added a profound quote to the chapter heading
• Various tweaks to grammar and dialogue

 

[Misfit Angel]

Well it only took two years but here I am, responding to feedback!

System Error

- Too bad Andrea isn't nerdy enough to reply WHAT IS A MAN? in response to the vampire accusation

Good point. I'll have to expand her knowledge of video gaming at some point.

- PikaPedia? I assume somebody was domain squatting on PokePedia. Or that it's an on-purpose reference to this very site.

Very much a reference! Not sure why I chose Pikachu, there's no reason Pikachu should be as popular in my world as it is in this one... But alas, it's already set in stone.

- Shots fired at Lati@s design, woot

hell yeah screw that fighter jet looking motherf

- I have the funny mental image of the two birds chasing after the one bug, then comedy strikes as all of them end up in the webs.

I can't say for certain since it's been so long, but I beleive this is what I had in mind. Seems like something I'd do with my background out-of-shot comedy.

- Oh hey, a reference to something real world that doesn't get a Pokemon rename! Cool stuff.

Star Trek is love, Star Trek is life, Star Trek is canon

- The plot thickens. A decently powerful legendary Pokemon deciding to show up is indeed a serious environmental concern. And yet what do you do about it? What can you do about it?

Stay tuned

- Just changing one or two letters, the hallmark of a not-website. Although Instaglam sounds more fashionable and about what one wears

"I'm a model! Honest! Just ignore the fact that I'm not wearing much of anything in those photos..." - Andrea, probably

- Man tfw your coworkers just look you up everywhere. And plan to abuse it

- Also did she just get reverse doxxed?

And it is only going to get worse for her from here on out, poor girl

- Fires from a vampire restuarant? Clearly it was for liking Jacob better.

The real reason she was fired was for saying Nosferatu-type vampires are gross and should no longer be accepted as part of the mythos

- Never imagined she'd be a League nerd. Let alone one of those boob-themed strimmers

Girl who is struggling financially hears it's easy to make money by being one of those, is sorely disappointed but keeps it up on the hopes she'll make it big one day.

- Not how I was expecting an Arcade to look like. Seems more like a themed club, maybe an adult's Chuck E Cheese or something...

Hell yeah, the best arcades are just themed clubs for adults!

- For someone eager to get away from her bodyguard, Kim seems unusally set on having him there.

A big ugly goon has his uses, and as much as she doesn't want him around, she realizes that.

- Although calling it a dungeon too. This is either going to get weird or kinky. Maybe both.

No time for kink, gotta game!

- Going beyond even Mega Evolution, which mostly should've been normal ones anyway!!!

I'm unsure what to do with mega evolution. Right now the idea is to treat them as either fourth stage evolutions, or genetic mutations.

Least it wasn't Houndeath

Please, I have a bit of self-respect as a writer

- She certainly does have a point about finding out for sure, know some who found out that way

Was how I found out, not sure I'd recommend it for the masses though.

- Mmm, can't really take Kim's side here. Sometimes opportunity knocks unexpectedly, and you have two choices: keep to your schedule and throw it away, or jump for it.

Absolutely, she's definitely being a little bit selfish and not considering the lives that others want to live.

- The image she's putting on? From their interactions, I thought that really was her

I don't know if you'd be familiar with it, but Majima's backstory from Yakuza 0 + the remake of Yakuza 1 is the inspiration I took for her. Unpredictable, probably insane loon who actually has a serious side. She's always gotta maintain it, because someone might be watching.

- I do find it amusing they go pretty far in without giving names, until Andrea surprisingly recognizes Kim

This is a problem with my writing style, where I challenge myself to refer to characters by their physical descriptions for as long as I can before I get sick of it and have them namedrop for each other.

- That feel when an accent gets called exotic when there's no sign of it in the dialogue. Then again, I was found exotic by an American for being a Canadian, so I can buy it.

Yeahhhh... I wish I could write her with a weird speaking style, but considering she's the star of the show who's going to be taking up at least (and most likely more) half of the screen time, I don't want to annoy anyone who reads with it. Diarmad in chapter 4 was probably bad enough!

- The rich always want to make more money

Rule of Acqusition #18: a wealthy person without profit is no wealthy person at all

- Kim raises a good point about Andrea's poverty. Of course we know, but the other option she might not be considering is she spends all her money on makeup and dresses

I wouldn't expect the girl who's never been close to running out of money despite her numerous frivolous pursuits to understand the concept of overspending on luxuries.

- Abusive ownership can sum up top level gaming ownership of Pokemon well

What ever do you mean I'm being abusive when I release a perfect IV pokemon for having thet wrong special ability?!

- In before the stairs break under him and he walks up anyway, because he is that committed to his job

AU where the stairs break and it's revealed he's spider-man when he climbs up the wall to follow the two

Well, I can definitely see how you're having problems getting the two together, heh. They seem like they'd make great friends, but with their established characters, it's going to take work to get them as lovers. And sometimes sadly, no matter what you do, your characters might not do what you want them to! A bit of an oxymoron to say that, yes, but still, get what I'm getting at, right?

Until that time comes though, the best thing I can suggest is to keep writing on! Don't even bother trying to think about how to get them together, just write and it will come naturally - or maybe your story will veer off in an unexpected direction. IIRC Stephen King once said a good writer will let a story go where it wants to. Besides, Andrea still has a plot of her own that doesn't necessarily need to involve Kimberly - even though Kimberly wants her involved for validation purposes. Which is probably where Kim's plot might end up faltering come to think of it - maybe by design, but she's kind of a loner with all of three characters in her section of the story, all of whom she doesn't seem to like in certain ways. Of course there's just two chapters with her so I dunno what you have planned.

Anyway, some musings on your writer's blockage aside, I still like this fic a lot and hope to see more it!

Though it's taken some time, I've kept your encouragement and advice in mind this entire time. I'm still looking for ways to make it work between them, but for now, I'm open to Kimberly's side of the story faltering a bit, since Andrea is infinitely easier to write.

Ryoma Maser

-And as usual, school doesn't even prepare you for the outside world and yet you can get chemistry degrees despite it with student debt.

Amen. Sure, I can tell the difference between ethane and butane, or categorize gneiss properly, or name significant dates of the Zulu wars, but... When I have to hire an accounting firm to do my taxes for me, that's a basic failure of society and a damning indictment of the education system. I wish it could be better in my setting, but -- oh wait, it can

-How do you fit a Pokéball into your stocking? I know they have that retractable size mode, but you still put it there instead of your purse?

Andrea doesn't carry anything valuable in her purse. Though she's only 20, she's been mugged enough times to learn that lesson. Good point on them not fitting comfortably, though... Maybe I'll move away from that and have her dangle them from her garter. Girl's gotta do her sexy thang still

-Does no one know what softball is apparently? My sister did while we were growing up but really no one?

I bet if you talked to the average 20 year old, publicly educated bloke from ol' blighty, they wouldn't know the difference between baseball and softball. It's an attempt at cultivating the culture by them just not knowing about a niche sport from a faraway land.

-Shady Oak, the next professor Oak that we must have for some reason.

Throwbacks to Dr. Spruce from the very original version of Storm Island

-Petalfall Festival, I kinda want to see that.

Tough, it's not happening. I was writing a stop-and-sniff-the-flowers chapter but realized it was basically a carbon copy of the festival I was gonna have Andrea and Kimberly partake in in Steelport in the first incarnation of Land of the Roses, which I plan to bring to this story.

-Coocluck sounds alright for an original mon, have we had a chicken/rooster Pokémon besides the Torchic line?

Hard to say, my knowledge of pokemon stops almost in its tracks at Gen 4. I remember complaining about there still not being a dolphin, only to learn that a dolphin has been in for two or three generations now

-Oh god, the accent text (if that's how you would describe it) makes things a tad confusing but that's point I presume, it was always there so get use to it Ryoma.

Ach! Wha' do ye mean ye cahn't read it, laddie? Ah think its clear as the waters o' Loch Ness, ye bampot!

-Grumpooses? Gumshoos evolution?

Nah, just a standard Canada goose with an uninspired name, grumpy buggers

Did you really just reference steam hams from Simpsons?

Absolutely. I hope you're ready for an unforgettable luncheon of ancient references

-Alice and Andrea new ship? The former called her cute..

Not gonna lie, there were voices in the back of my head tempting me to trash my meticulous planning just to make these two to a thing somehow. There will be a nod to that in a future chapter.

-Ah a meeting that never happened in either version. I don't think I ever recall seeing Nicole in person in original or the first rewrite with Andrea or Kimberly.

Technically correct, the best kind of correct. She did, however, appear in a flashback in Storm Island!

-I guess Emily and Patrick are surrogate sibling close?

Former boyfriend and girlfriend. I try not to judge people, but I'd say it'd be weird for him to step in on her in the shower if they were that kinda close.

-So first version crazy mushroom dude, second go no exploration just orange forest, now third charm is Articuno. Man, what's next you gonna find Celebi in there?

Fourth version of the story will literally be Andrea stepping onto a piece of alien tech and being transported into the bedroom of the reader

-Does Kimberly have a crush on Nicole? Cause that's what it looks like.

Maaaaaaaaaybe

-Hello inner voice, you're new. I guess the zalgo you were trying didn't work out.

Sadly not. It worked on some lines, but the rest were annoying to read with all the garbage orbiting the letters

-Owain is a strange name for a Hydreigon in my opinion.

According to my notes from that chapter:

-- Nicole Spencer likes to go by the name Nica, to solidify her "Welsh" heritage. Her team have nickanmes that are Welsh inspired:
- Owain, her Hydreigon, is named after a legendary Welsh king who had a golden dragon on his banner.
- Dormach, her Houndecay, is a corruption of Dormarch, a spectral hound in Welsh mythology. Houndecay is a mythical third stage evolution for Houndour, and is poorly understood since they're so rare. Nicole mentions she knows where it happened -- [REDACTED]
- Cythrdann, her Obstagoon, is a portmanteau of the Welsh words for demon and tooth.
- Llynafan, her Drapion, is a combination of Afanc, a lake monster in Welsh mythology, and Llyn Llion, where the beast was rumored to live.
- Cyraeth, her Mismagius, is a shortening of Cyhyraeth, a disembodied wailing spirit from Welsh mythology.

Evidently I never stuck with the first line, as I never really brought up her nickname of Nica. Sad.

-Damn Nicole, you are the incarnation of that one Legends meme! Go fight a Ursaring barehanded!

Gonna have to commission art of her standing over a dead Ursaring with bloodied, bandaged hands and torn clothes before I die

-Kimberly thinks Andrea is cute, Kimdrea returns full force!!

-A lot of Storm Island talk! Should I just hunt it down and read it at this point?

Ehh. I dunno if it'd be worth the time, it's not really good in terms of writing quality, and the deep flaws in the methodology I was applying while writing are visible on the surface level. There's some fun stuff in there, but... Eh.

-Coordination, always forgotten and never given attention just a girls thing anime wise and honestly what everyone gives to female protagonists like Leaf or Kris with no goals.

Ha ha oops definitely not what I'm doing here ha ha

Orion

"The cemented cobblestones beneath her feet were slick with rain and filthy with mud, cigarette butts and discarded gum, and as she made her way towards the closest main road, she spotted stylized graffiti on nearly every building." - Some truly exceptional description here.

"See that scar? I got bonked on the head by a baby Cubone about three years ago. They said I needed, like, seventeen stitches?" - Damn, a baby did that? Either a strong Cubone or the shape of the bone is rigid as hell.

I'll say this: never underestimate a baby's strength when it comes to swinging blunt objects. I got a pretty nasty bruise on my eyebrow when my cousin's 3 year old whacked me with a magic wand.

Daren

Also I have to say "Marrowmite" is a quite convincing Pokémon name.

Hell yeah, happy to hear it! Love when my names hit that golden quality

 

[Misfit Angel]

- Content warnings -
None!

- Content notes -
None!​

Black Heart, Bright Soul
Chapter 8: Practice Makes Perfect​

"Failure to succeed is not a character flaw. Not using what you learn from those failures to form new ideas and new methods, is."
~ George Rutherford, Fleet Admiral of the Royal Navy of the Empire of Lanark (September 19th, 1943)​

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

"Gorgeous, gorgeous!" cheered on a slender man with a long, braided ponytail from the corner of a dance room. "Your rhythm is improving, Kim! Not quite at the level I'd like it to be, but... it should be good enough."

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Kimberly was bouncing up and down on a soft mat, engaged in a complex dance that saw her arms swinging back and forth in intricate motions and her feet swiveling, twisting and sliding around with calculated choreography. Behind her was a large bipedal turtle that was struggling to keep up with her moves.

As the two moved around in relative unison, the man called out, "Switch it up! Spin!"

Kimberly slid to the side, attempting to spin around the green-skinned Blastoise behind her, but caught her ankle on that of her black-shelled companion. The bump was enough to throw her off balance and send her tumbling to the floor.

"Ah! No! No no no!" the man chastised. "Hmm. This isn't working."

Kimberly accepted the Blastoise's hand and pulled herself up from the floor. "We're making progress, Petyr! We can do this!"

"After you've taken ten steps backward. Perhaps, given enough time, you could make this routine work again. But your contest is this weekend, there is just not enough time." Petyr pressed his hands against his lips in thought as he observed the two. "Though... I do worry that even time may not make this work... I have been observing Juliano's movements since he evolved into a Blastoise. He knows the moves, and he knows them well. But the agility that he enjoyed as a Wartortle is gone, unfortunately. Perhaps this dance routine is just too much for him these days."

The Blastoise hunched over in sadness, prompting her to pat his rugged shell gently.

"The thought did cross my mind. That switch-up has been causing us problems these past few practice sessions... But it's what we've practiced the most! We have to make it work somehow!"

"If I may," a booming voice echoed from another corner of the room -- Mr. Tobey. "This is just my opinion, but I agree with Mr. Milos. My brother had a Wartortle when we started our security business years and years ago. That boy was quick... Until the evolution hit. There are just some facts of life that need to be faced, and the fact that Blastoise is much slower and less agile than his predecessor is one of those facts. I think you should try using his new strengths to your advantage."

"Do you have any suggestions?" she asked.

Without uncrossing his arms, he shrugged. "Don't look at me. I don't understand this flashy coordination shit at all. Best I can say is that one of Juliano's new strengths is, well, his strength. Maybe there's a way to work with that."

Petyr eyed up Mr. Tobey with a critical glare, then nodded. "He may be right... The question is, what can we do that incorporates his new strengths? And do we have enough time to create a working routine?"

Kimberly stepped up to Juliano and gave him a glance. Though Blastoise and Wartortle were very different in size, there was little anatomical difference between them, the largest being the steel cannons that emerged from his shell just above his shoulders; they both walked upright on stubby legs, they both sported large protective shells, and they both had short arms, though a Blastoise's were notably burlier. "I have an idea, Juliano... Try to pick me up?"

Juliano stepped into position and grabbed her by the hips. With almost inconsequential effort, he lifted her as far as his stubby arms would allow, her hips just above his head. He immediately put her down and let out a chuckling laugh.

"So strong!"

Juliano quickly grabbed for her hips again, this time sending her into the air with an unexpected toss. She shrieked and flailed her arms uncontrollably as she tried to prepare for crashing hard on the floor, only to land back in the arms of her Blastoise, prompting a hearty chuckle out of him. After placing her back down onto the floor, he flexed his bicep, which in turn prompted a hearty chuckle out of Mr. Tobey.

"Juliano, please, warn me in some way if you're going to do that..." she said, dropping to her hands and knees.

"Boy's got strength in spades, I'll say that much," Mr. Tobey commented.

Petyr placed his hand to his chin and nodded. "Yes, yes... Tell me, Kimmy -- erm, Kimberly. By any chance, were you a member of your school's cheerleading team?"

She shook her head. "Mother would never allow it. She said that only floozies and flunkies joined those teams... She always said that I was above it."

A slight grin appeared on Petyr's face as he shook his head. "I have not interacted with her much, but I get the feeling that your mother is a very... old fashioned woman."

"No one has told her yet that the 19th century has long since passed."

"Ha!" He perked up. "I know! That girl you're always talking about, Nicole. I seem to recall you mentioning she had a lengthy history with school sports teams. Was she on the cheerleading team, by any chance?"

She nodded. "She was. Team captain for three years, even!"

"Excellent! And she's in Aughrim still, right?"

She looked to the floor. "I don't think so. She said she was leaving today to travel to Glastonfell and train in the Dornoch Mountains for her upcoming challenge of the Rose League Elite Four. She didn't even say goodbye..."

"Ah... A shame, I was hoping we might be able to consult her for an idea I had."

"Oh? What is it?"

He shook his head and reached into his pocket for his phone. "Continue practicing your mimicry routine with Juliano, I'll need a few moments before I can answer that."

"I see," she said before turning to her Blastoise. "Let's try this again. I have faith that we can make this work again."

Juliano nodded.

Kimberly and Juliano had been practicing their routine for nearly fifteen minutes; the routine consisted of Kimberly leading the way, quick on her feet, with Juliano attempting to mirror her movements as best he could. In the past, he was able to flawlessly replicate her movements when he was a Wartortle, as well as during the switch period where they faced away from each other -- even when she improvised her movements in ways he couldn't realistically predict -- but his increased bulk proved troublesome. Tried as he might, he just didn't have the speed to match her anymore, and attempt after attempt ended with her on the floor, picking herself up after stumbling over his feet.

"I don't feel like we're making any progress... Perhaps I am going about this wrong? I feel as if I'm operating on muscle memory, rather than adjusting myself to your new size."

Juliano lifted his large foot and wiggled it around before stomping it back onto the ground with a weighty thud.

"It's not your fault, though... You can't help the body you were given."

Loud clapping echoed from Petyr's corner of the room. "Kimmy! Uhh... I've got an idea."

"You do? I'm happy to try it!"

"Until we can perfect it, I feel it's wise we shelve the mimicry routine for now and focus on a replacement. I have some early ideas that incorporates Juliano's new brute strength with your past as a gymnast."

"My past as a gymnast..." she said, visibly excited by the idea. "I've been wanting to! I'm glad you're warming up to the idea!"

"I've resisted it since... well, it's so traditional. It doesn't wow the judges anymore. But strengths are something we should focus on!"

"I don't know if it's a strength anymore, to be honest... I've been trying it out lately on my own and -- to say I've gone rusty would be an understatement."

"Which is why we'll have to practice, practice, practice! It is the key to perfection, after all." He nodded and crossed his arms. "I've seen how quickly you pick up new skills, remastering an old one will be no problem for you. I have faith in you."

She blushed and smiled. "Thank you."

"Hmm... Perhaps -- Ah, what are you doing?" he asked, watching as she motioned for Juliano to step aside as she walked to the other end of the room.

"I'm going to take a running start and show you what I can do. You've never actually seen my gymnastics skills before, have you?"

"Umm." He stamped his foot down on the hard floor; only a small part of the room was covered in the soft padding she was using to practice with Juliano -- the soft padding that she had used during her entire career as a professional gymnast.

"Motivation to do it right," she quipped.

He grimaced at the thought, but straightened his posture as he watched.

With a running start, she was off; she dove onto her hands, sprung off of them and managed a partial backflip, but stumbled on the landing. As she tried to catch herself, she left the safety of the padding and crashed to her hands and knees, nearly slamming her head into the floor. She pushed herself back to her feet, feeling a sharp pain shoot through her right wrist.

"Oww..." she whimpered as she shook her hand and inspected it for any damage to her freshly manicured nails.

"Are you okay?" Petyr asked as he briskly skipped up to her and knelt down beside her.

"Just a little bit of soreness in my wrist. It could have been a lot worse."

"Yes, it could have. I don't think it's a good idea to practice your new routine here. It will be a little bit busy in there, but I was going to suggest we take this to the main gymnasium. There is much more padded flooring to practice on there."

He's trying to show you off... Trying to gin up the rumors about you and him...

"A-Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Aren't we still trying to hide that we're together? There's rumors swirling..."

He dismissed the thought with a wild flick of his wrist. "I am the teacher and you are the student. We are working on your routines together. There is nothing unprofessional about that, and I can be professional in public."

"Very well."

The gymnasium was indeed busy with activity, much to her dismay. Nearly half of it was host to an ongoing game of basketball, and the other half was dotted with other coordinators, practicing their routines; she recognized several of them, most notably the two women she overheard in the bathroom. Strangely, the pair appeared to be working on a dual performance together, rather than separately -- a confusing circumstance, as the Flower of Aughrim was a solo contest.

Look at all these people..! You sure you want to practice here..? You'll make a fool of yourself in front of all of them and still not be any better for it..!

She did her best to ignore her anxiety, but she couldn't ignore the fact that it was right; while most of the people inside were practicing or watching the ongoing basketball game, there were still others who were just idly standing by, likely to notice her if she started flying through the air in spectacular displays of gymnastics. All of those people... All of those witnesses to her embarrassing mistakes and slip ups.

"I don't know if this is a good idea..." she said as she clung to Petyr and hid behind him. "There's so many people..."

He looked down at her. "All this time, you've been saying you've been excited to get on stage. In fact, you've been on stage before, haven't you? Steelport, your battle against Roy Eckhardt III?"

She nodded quietly and buried her head into his shoulder.

"And now a few onlookers at a community center is enough to scare you?"

She lifted herself from her comfortable pillar and huffed. "It's just... this anxiety. It's like a wild animal today, even with my medication and meditation... I can't get it under control."

He turned to her, grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. "Kim... Kim, I know it's difficult, but it's a simple fact: you can not succeed as a coordinator if a situation like this gets the better of you. I know you're a strong woman with an even stronger desire to go far as a coordinator. I expect great things of you because I know you are capable of them. Let me see just how strong you are!"

"I... I'll try!"

"No. You'll succeed."

She motioned for Juliano to follow her over to a lengthy section of the floor that featured the soft padding she needed, then tapped her foot on the floor and ordered him to stand on the spot. She walked to the other end of the padding, taking note of the distance she covered, and tried to remember the basics from her days as a gymnast.

"Let's see... How far did I typically cover while doing a backflip? I may need to figure that out again, first."

With a shared nod between coordinator and partner, she took a running start. Once again, she vaulted forward and sprung off her hands, pushing with all of her might into a backflip. She flipped once... twice... and landed hard on the floor just a few short steps in front of Juliano. In his desperate attempt to catch her before she hit the ground, he too rushed forward, causing him to nearly trample his fallen partner -- only sparing her that fate with a crashing dive to the side.

"Oww..." she said, shaking her injured wrist yet again. "No pain, no gain, they say..." She looked up towards her Blastoise. "It happened so quick, but that didn't feel right... Was that a single backflip, or a double backflip?"

He raised two of his clawed fingers fully, and his third and final one partially.

"Two and a half? No wonder I landed so hard..." She dismissed it with a shake of her head. "That was not my intent. Let's try again?"

She counted out fifty paces and turned back around to face her Blastoise. "Come on, Kim! You can do this! Remember placing first in all of those gymnastics competitions? You used to be able to do a simple backflip in your sleep!" she told herself. "Almost literally!"

You were also a lot thinner in those days, piggy...

"Ugh!" she bleated as she took her running start towards Juliano. With a deft leap into the air, she adjusted the power of her spin... only to realize she overdid it again when the tips of her toes impacted the floor hard and fast, and gave way under her. Her head slammed down hard into the thankfully soft padding.

At this rate you'll cripple yourself and not even have to worry about a career like this...

She looked around and realized that she was the center of attention; by that point, most of the idle onlookers and even the other practicing coordinators had come over to watch her and Juliano. There was a mix of energy among the onlookers -- several were looking on excitedly, while others had a smug look on their faces.

No doubt all those people are reveling in the fact that you can't do this for shit..! Their competition can't even do the basics...

She reached out for her Blastoise's hand and was pulled back to her feet. She took a deep breath and nodded. "One more time... If I screw this up again, I'm done practicing today..."

Once more, she counted to fifty as she made her way back to the other end of the mat. After turning to face Juliano, she closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, taking a deep breath. "I can do this... I've done it a hundred times before..." She opened her eyes and looked around; Juliano waited patiently for her to begin her approach, the onlookers were speaking softly among themselves with eyes locked on her, and Petyr looked onward with pride. She let the breath go and pushed forward.

About halfway there, she mixed it up slightly, instead attempting one of the more advanced techniques she was last learning during her gymnastics classes all those years ago -- she dove forward and reoriented herself with a cartwheel, then sprang off of her heels with a powerful leap.

Too strong, maybe..! This is gonna hurt...

Before she hit the floor, Juliano caught her in his arms, much to her relief. She felt a strange sensation before she could revel in her success -- upward motion. She opened her eyes and saw that Juliano had tossed her surprisingly far into the air, and she instinctively started flailing her arms at the unexpected move. She tried her best to remain calm, hoping and trusting that Juliano had the strength and coordination to catch her.

That oafish turtle is gonna put you in a wheelchair..!

It was a rough landing as he caught her in his arms, but he managed to keep her from impacting the floor, and had her back on her feet in short order, though she was back on her hands and knees in even shorter order. Energetic clapping came from the onlookers, as did a few hoots and hollers. Though they were her future competition, most seemed to be in good spirits that she was successful in her attempts to pull off her improvised routine.

She took a deep breath and let it out as Petyr approached. "I think I'm done here," she said.

"Very well. Good work today, you've earned some rest."

She reached her hand out towards him. "Can you cancel tomorrow's reservation for our room?"

He grabbed her hand, pulled her to her feet and embraced her for a brief moment. "Cancel? We have a lot of practicing to do!"

"I realize, just..." She looked around at the groups of competitors and sports enthusiasts that had broken apart and returned to their own activities. "Not here. I'd like something a bit more... private. Perhaps we could find a smaller gym to rent out for just myself."

"That'll be quite expensive..."

She dismissed the thought with a waggle of her hand. "Pff. You know I don't care about money."

"Left long enough, attitudes like that lead to financial ruin..."

"Says the man who retired when he was 21. I actually have active investments, ones that are still making money, unlike a --"

"Ha, fair, I get it. Yes, I'll help you find a smaller and more suitable location for tomorrow's practice session."

"Thank you."

He playfully poked her side after glancing around the room. "So, wanna grab a bite to eat?"

"Ah, no... I'm not hungry." She reached down and pinched her midsection. "Besides, I'm trying to watch my figure. I have a little weight to lose before the big show."

"Are you kidding? Not like you'll lose what you need in just a week."

What you need, huh..? Your own man is calling you a pig, oink oink..!

"So I am fat, then?" she asked, hands at her hips.

"No, you're perfect. You won't lose what you think you need by the time of the contest. Remember, Glastonian isn't my native language, I misspeak sometimes."

He uses that excuse an awful lot... He doesn't have much of an accent left, though, does he..? Surely he's lying...

She pressed her fingers against her temple and shook her head.

He turned his head, and with a touch of concern, raised his eyebrow. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Anxiety..."

"Again, huh..." He reached out for her shoulder, only for her to swat his hand away.

"Not here! In front of everyone... Not... Just..." She shook her head.

"I understand. How about we have a private lunch at my rental instead? I'll have a catering company take care of us, that way we don't have to worry about being seen in public together."

He doesn't give up easily...

"Meet me there in about an hour? I'll leave the gate unlocked."

She looked down and nodded.