pkastrid

[pkastrid]

[ momma ducklett ]

𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘​:

@pkastrid

The daycare was a lovely place to work. She felt close to the pokemon left there. Even though they were not hers, she was happy to raise them well and give them love just the same. The pokemon under her care received love, training, and regular checkups. Another one of her tasks was making sure the pokemon left to her were healthy and had no status effects. Verity had a cabinet of medicine in the daycare, of course, but she also liked to bring the pokemon under her care to the pokemon center. Verity loved bringing them in out of their pokeballs, it was always so cute to see a line of pokemon following her like little ducklett’s after their momma. 

Verity also did this because she had become friendly with one of the nurses, Astrid. Her interactions with other people were very limited and a part of her yearned for human connection. It was a small part of her, but she looked to fill it anyway. Just as described, she arrives at the pokemon center with a line of pokemon behind her. She takes a moment before entering to do a headcount-something she does periodically to ensure all of the pokemon are with her. She has never lost a pokemon and that was not her concern-her concern was about mischievous pokemon running off. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 she counts quietly in her head, looking at the pokemon before turning around and going into the pokemon center.

She could see Astrid was at the front desk and quickly approached. “Hey, I’ve brought some little friends for you to see today.” Verity says to the other girl comfortably, knowing the girl had been expecting her. 

Astrid’s days at work tend to be relatively routine, even if she sees a variety of Pokemon, with a whole array of different ailments throughout the day. She likes her job, being the Manager of Medicines and Elixirs at the Memaham Poké Center. While she does the usual tasks that she’d done before when she’d just been at the desk healing pokemon that came in, she also has the responsibility to check the quality of all medicines and elixirs that they keep, produce, and distribute at the Poké Center. Today, she’s at the Nurse’s Counter again, adjusting her cap when a familiar face appears at the door opposite her. 

“Verity!” Astrid calls out as the girl walks in, the usual line of pokemon following behind her. It always puts a smile on Astrid’s face to see them so obediently following along behind in an orderly fashion. They’re so well behaved, and Astrid’s thoroughly pleased that she was stationed for the counter this morning. She’d been expecting her, of course, but even so, she grins as wide as she usually does. It’s always nice to see Verity for a chat while seeing to the pokemon she brings in. “How are you today?” She looks down to the pokemon Verity brought with her and beams. 

“And who have we got here with us today?” Her question, obviously for Verity, seems addressed at the pokemon with her, as she smiles at them, admiring how well-behaved they seem. She thinks of her own pokemon and how she’d had a nightmare getting her eevee to come when called, or follow her without getting distracted. “How do you get them all to follow you so well? I can get about two to follow me, but any more than that and they start distracting each other.”

#[ bumblebee ; th ] #[ th ; momma ducklett ] #pkverity #[ oct. 22 ]

[pkastrid]

[ don’t leave ]

𝐃𝐎𝐌​:

dom was never really the type to easily sweat. he’s used to pressure and more than comfortable working outside at all hours. he’s been doing it since he was young. even when his pops put pressure on him to finish an impossible workload quickly, dom always had it handled. yet in this very moment his palms had no grip to them due to the layer of sweat that has gathered. why was he so nervous? it wasn’t anything big. it’s not like he’s confessing to her.

just the thought made his heart seize. what kind of person would he be if he confessed and then left to his pokemon journey? he would be someone astrid would despise. so he keeps the words locked in his heart knowing that his best friend deserved the moon and back. not just some farmer kid from memaham that provides her family with ingredients for their pharmacy.

his skin prickles. his body is filled with anxious energy. he almost can’t bear to stand there, waiting to hear her call out to him as she always does. it’s almost enough to make him run or worse: throw up. this shouldn’t be this nerve wracking, right? it’s for his future! dominic was finally doing what he always talked about since they were kids. he wanted to prove himself. he was going to get out of the farm. astrid is going to be over the moon for him. so why does he feel like the world is ending simultaneously?

sunlight peeks through the barn as astrid pushes it open. he squints through the new light, the pokemon squealing with the delight at the addition of a new person. to them, it possibly means food. though once they understand it’s astrid, they simply call out in greeting. she’s a semi-familiar face to them. half of them grew up with them both.

“hey bee,” dom says, unable to stop the smile that spreads onto his face. astrid is absolutely gorgeous. the sun seems to make her glow. her skin was flawless and her hair healthy, shiny and long. every time she walks in, the gentle breeze blowing behind her, dominic swears he’s fallen in love with her again. how many times would that be now? too many to count, that’s for sure.

dom notes his own uncertainty with the way he greets her. his tone was just slightly off. to a normal person, it would be nothing. perhaps simply attributed to dom being caught off guard or something or other. astrid is too perceptive. unlike everyone else, she’ll pick up on it in a moment. he tries to recover with a hug: a comforting squeeze that he always gives her when he hasn’t seen her in a while. a few days is long for them. of course with them both being working adults, it’s understandable. but they don’t like going too long without seeing each other.

“i have some really big news. i could only say it in person,” he tells her as he pulls out of the embrace. sending the message through text was impersonal. astrid would have his balls strung up if he even attempted to tell her news via text. at least a phone call would be accepted. depending on what the news was, of course.

“i’m….i’m finally setting off on my pokemon journey.”

When Astrid was little she’d see romance movies on TV and wonder what all the fuss was about. Surely no one could make you do such silly things simply because you liked them a lot! It seemed preposterous to her, until she fell in love when she was thirteen. Dominic Bang is Astrid’s one and only weakness; nothing else can make her do stupid things like Dom can. She understands now how those women on TV felt, filled with jealousy, misery, indestructible adoration that led them to do the most ridiculous things. She gets it. She’s done crazy things too, all for Dom, or to be precise, for her feelings for Dom. 

It’s crazy really, that she’d moved away from home, from her family and friends and the city she knew, to move to a farming town where the only person she knew was him. Yet, she’d never once questioned if she’d made the right choice. Maybe Dom will never love her the way she loves him, but she at least wants to be near him. He’s her best friend after all. Sometimes she catches herself daydreaming about marrying him, having kids, and living on the farm all together, the kids playing out in the fields or helping milk the Miltanks. Then, she shoves those thoughts from her mind, trying to bury the sting of the reality of those things never happening. 

And very time she sets eyes on Dom, her day gets better. Today’s already a pretty good day, but it’s not hing compared to the glow that bursts from inside her as she steps into the barn and spots him. But she can’t tell instantly that something isn’t right. The tone of his voice is off, the smile isn’t as bright and carefree as usual, and the glow is instantly buried beneath a cloud of concern. Even with the anxiety bubbling in her belly she hugs him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder, relishing in the familiar feeling of his body pressed against hers. She wonders how she’d survived years without regular hugs from him, and hopes she never has to go through that again. 

“Oh?” News? She can only assume it’s not something incredible, since it seems as though it’s neither wonderful, nor terrible. She can tell that whatever it is is conflicting. The anxiety grows more oppressive, pushing at her chest and trying to suffocate her. 

And then, he drops the bomb. She can tell now why his tone was so strange, neither excited, nor miserable—there’s both positives and negatives to this news, yet Astrid can’t help but notice only the devastating fact that he’s leaving her. She’d only just got to Memaham a few months ago, and now he’s leaving her behind. There’s a lump in her throat, and though she wishes she could tell him she’s happy for him, excited even, she can’t. That’s not her. She can’t just swallow her emotions and put on a brave face. She’s never been very good at hiding how she truly feels, especially not with Dom.

She doesn’t even realise she’s crying until she notices how blurred her vision’s become. “Oh...” She repeats, not sure what to say—she’s worried she’ll just make Dom feel bad, when she always knew this was something he wanted. She can’t think of what to say to possibly show she supports him, even if she feels somewhat betrayed by this decision, made too soon. She simply stands there, staring at him in shock, tears falling faster and faster, and she can’t do anything to stop them. 

#[ bumblebee ; th ] #[ th ; dont leave ] #pkxdom #[ sep. 22 ]

[pkastrid]

nothing was said.

𝐃𝐎𝐌​:

he tries not to have that doe-eyed look when he walks through the streets of zarania. it’s not his first time being in the city but it is his first time being there after dark. it seems like the city came to life. dom wasn’t the type to be out late. after a long day of being in the farm, the last thing he’s thinking of is going out for drinks with the boys. of course he’s done it a few times but nothing in memaham could compare to the nightlife of zarania.

the streets are thumping from the vibrations of the music. people are laughing, dancing in the queues for the clubs before they’re even inside. the energy is contagious. although dominic is more on the shyer side, even he finds himself swaying to the songs of the clubs trying to pull people in. he chooses one with a lot of flashing lights. there’s no line to enter but there is a fee for men. he pays it with a sigh and goes in.

he doesn’t regret it.

it’s multilevel with loud music and multiple dance floors. there also seems to be at least two bars on every level you can reach so you never have to go far for a drink. dominic starts there. a drink to loosen him up is what he really needed. a thought occurs to him that maybe he shouldn’t have gone to a club by himself to ease himself a bit more but never mind that. he made a big leap doing this on his own. he was going to enjoy it.

drink in hand, dom strays from the bar and heads towards one of the dance floors. he stays at the edge of it, eyes just scanning the crowd casually. people seem to really enjoy themselves. with another drink in his system he should be ready to join them. he knocks back his drink entirely, knowing it was going to hit him fast but he needed to play catch up. he needed to be on everyone’s level.

before he could turn back to the bar, his eyes land on someone. someone he never expected to run into out in zarania and definitely not dressed like that. astrid kim was dancing in the midst of everyone in the club and all eyes were (rightfully) on her. it was samhain so everyone was costumed. dom just went dressed like a pirate. but astrid…. was she just trying to be sexy? or was she actually dressed up like something?

the liquor heats his insides and gives him the courage to walk over to him. he really shouldn’t. he knows this isn’t going to end well. but astrid is like a flame and he just a simple moth. dominic will go to her every time.

“bee? bee!” he calls out to astrid over the music. if she were to stop dancing, she would spot him immediately. hopefully he was loud enough. “bee! what are you wearing?”

@pkastrid

One moment, life can seem like it’s all going right, and the next, you’re left with the crumbling remains of what could’ve been a happy future, withering and disintegrating before your eyes. Maybe she’d had too much hope in the universe, and how it might treat her well. It might as well have spat at her, with the devastating hand she’d been dealt. An existence without a daily dose of Dom might not even be a proper existence at all in Astrid’s eyes—not now that she’d experienced it for a mere few blissful months. She’d been denied, even, a full year with him. 

The devastation she’d felt, stood in the barn listening to the love of her life tell her he was leaving so shortly after she’d moved so far to be close to him was unspeakable. It had knocked the breath out of her, and plunged her insides into ice cold water. She’d never experienced a pain like that. She supposes she should be grateful that she’d lived a relatively suffering-free life up until this point, but she’d have given anything for the pain to come from something else. Having Dom snatched out from right beneath her fingertips was utter agony, and to remedy it, Astrid had decided that getting drunk was the only option. 

With the celebrations going on in Zarania, she’d travelled down especially to get her mind off of him. She’d decided to make a weekend trip of it, just to see what was going on before heading back to Memaham for work the next week. It would give her ample time to drink and dance her sorrows away. Given it was Samhain, she’d spent the first day of her little trip in search of an outfit. With little time to prepare she’d bought some red contacts, vampire canines to stick over her own, and pretty black outfit, with matching accessories. She doesn’t often get the chance to dress up these days, so she’d decided to have fun with it, and hopefully draw some attention to herself to make her feel better. 

Maybe it’s a negative trait, to desire the attention of strangers, to yearn for the hungry gazes to glue to her all night. She wanted to feel desired, as the past few days had left her feeling anything but. That’s how she finds herself, tipsy, in the middle of the dance floor of a nightclub, dressed in a bralette and high waisted mini skirt. Is it a little showy? Sure. Does she care? Not in the slightest. Despite her heels starting to pinch at her feet she refuses to be one of those girls who takes them off in the club—that’s reserved for the walk back to her hotel later. 

The last thing she expects to hear as she sways, eyes closed, to the music, is an oh so familiar voice calling out to her. Even if she didn’t recognise his voice, she’d know who it was from the nickname. As her eyes flick open, and she stills, she spots him crossing the dance floor, dressed as a pirate. God, he looks so good. It’s clear he’s upset, and in her tipsy state, she can’t fathom why he should be mad at her when he’s the one who left her. But then his question makes everything clear, at least as to why he’s upset. She’s not sure why Dom should care what she’s wearing though, so she can’t help but frown. 

“It’s a bralette, and a skirt. What’s wrong with it?” She’s irritated at his irritation, because she simply can’t see why he should care. Had she known she’d see him, she’d still have worn this, though with the goal of a single man’s eyes being locked on her. It seems Dom really doesn’t find her attractive, as she treats her like he would a little sister he was scolding. “I don’t even get a ‘hi’? After you left me behind? Has becoming a trainer really changed you that much in so little time?”

#[ bumblebee ; th ] #[ th ; nothing was said ] #pkxdom #[ oct. 22 ]

[pkastrid]

[ don’t leave ]

THE BARN, MEMAHAM // LATE SEPT. ‘22 Astrid and DOMINIC BANG have a serious conversation …

Astrid had always wanted a life that made her unspeakably happy, and as she wanders along the road towards the farm where Dom works, she realises she’s coming close to being that happy already. There are things she doesn’t have, of course—important things—but she hopes they aren’t out of her reach, and her good mood makes them seem so much less unattainable. She smooths out her work uniform, the sun reflecting off the white apron and making her squint a little. As she reaches the gate into the farm she pauses, pulling a little mirror from her bag, and checks her reflection, tucking some loose strands of hair behind her ears. That pesky fluttering in her belly starts up, though she’d become so used to it by now, having had about ten years to get used to the feeling. 

She’d missed Dom, despite having seen him only a few days prior. A few days... It’s too long for her liking. He’s her best friend, and has been since she was a preteen—the comfort she feels around him is unrivalled by anyone else. Dom feels like home. It’s so easy to relax around him, to just say what’s on her mind, and enjoy even just doing nothing with him. A smile finds its way to her lips as she wanders through the gates onto the farm and heads towards the barn, where they usually meet. Dom’s someone Astrid can rely on; someone who will never let her down (at least not in most ways—the matters of her heart aren’t his concern). 

Excitement bubbles in her stomach, tickling those pesky butterflies. Frankly, she’s rather exasperated at her bodies immature reaction to a mere man. Of course, it was expected to feel these things when you’re a teenager, but she’d outgrown crushes. Logically, she knew though, that this wasn’t just a crush. It had been a long time since it had been just a crush. She can’t say the word though, can’t admit to how she truly feels about the man waiting in the barn for her. 

“Dom!” Her voice carries over the field around her, but she’s used to it by now—the feeling that someone is surely going to hear her voice carrying on the wind, over the open fields. Somehow, it’s always felt so intimate, yet exposed in an exhilarating way. “Pooh Bear!” She calls out in a sing-song voice, pushing open the barn door and slipping inside. 

#[ bumblebee ; th ] #[ th ; dont leave ] #pkxdom #[ sep. 22 ]

[pkastrid]

Hi there!! I’m so excited to be here, I’m BEAR [ 21+. he/him ], and this is my beloved ASTRID KIM [ 990513 ]. She’s a muse I haven’t been able to write for far too long, but who is so near and dear to my heart. Here you can find her PROFILE, and below the cut I’ll leave some basic info & possible connection ideas! If you’d like to plot please send me a message, or like this post and I’ll send you one!

— TRIVIA

Astrid was born in Ellorin to a Pokemon Archeologist and a Pharmacist, and has a bothersome little brother who she pretends to find tiresome, but would go to the ends of the earth to protect

She’s always been very studious and hard-working and one of her main goals in life is to make her parents proud

She continued schooling for a lot longer than many other people her age, as she wanted a solid educational background before deciding on her career. A lot of her peers dreamt of being Pokemon trainers, and while the idea of it appealed to Astrid, she was much more ‘realistic’ about her future, and worried about having a regular income

When she left school she immediately began working at the Ellorin Pokemon Center, originally just as an Assistant doing admin related duties, but very quickly made her way up to being a Nurse Joy. In the early spring of 2022 she was asked if she’d take up a management position at the Memaham Pokemon Center and accepted

Speaking of Memaham, she spent most of her summers there growing up as her aunt lives there and has a wooloo farm

Astrid is just about to set out on her Pokemon trainer journey after learning that her best friend is about to leave to do just that—she doesn’t want to get left behind, especially as she never quite gave up on the idea of becoming a trainer, and has saved a lot of money since taking up the job in Memaham

Astrid is an exceptionally hard-working person, and can be judgemental of those she thinks are ‘lazy’ (though if she likes someone she tends to forgive their ‘laziness’ much more readily). Despite this she’s always willing to help others, even if she’s prone to tutting

Astrid tends to be very motherly over anyone smaller or younger than her. She’s protective, and can nag sometimes, but will always be there for her friends to talk to about serious issues or come to for advice—she doesn’t ever judge in these instances, as her caring nature cancels the judgemental side out

Despite Astrid being overall kind and gentle, she can be a bit petty to those she doesn’t like, or even borderline cruel to those she really hates. She holds grudges, and is pretty hard to get to forgive (though it is possible, you just have to be very patient and consistent). She’s also very possessive, especially of people, and will decide instantly that she hates someone if she feels a relationship of hers is threatened by them

Astrid loves ‘elegant’ or ‘smart’ Pokemon, such as Ninetails, Mew and Espeon & Spectrier

Astrid is exceptionally good with children and young Pokemon, and can often be seen as uncharacteristically soft and sweet with them

— CONNECTIONS

Astrid’s best friend in Ellorin grew up alongside her and is among the few people who truly know almost everything about her. She would confide in this person, and often seek them out before everyone else when she was extremely happy or sad. They don’t see as much of each other nowadays, as they’re both off living their lives, but they do try to keep in touch and meet up often, especially as Astrid still needs to confide in them, and wants to make sure they’re doing well and looking after themselves. [ — Your muse is Astrid’s best friend who grew up with her and who knows all her secrets. They’ve been there for crushes, heartbreaks, arguments with parents, bad exam results, and silly teenage mistakes. They’re her rock, and she’d do anything for them ]

During her teen years Astrid had a boyfriend. They weren’t together for very long, but it was a pretty whirlwind romance. She never did tell him that she only dated him to get over someone else though. [ — Your muse and Astrid dated years ago, and things didn’t end terribly well. It would’ve been worse if she’d told him why she dated him in the first place, but she never did. In truth, she was a little ashamed of it, but she can’t change the past. Neither of them have talked in years, until one day they bump into each other and decide to talk out the animosity between them ]

Once, Astrid was trying to catch a Pokemon, but out of nowhere, someone else beat her to it. To this day she vows to never forgive them for stealing from her. [ — Your muse snatched a Pokemon out from under Astrid’s nose (whether intentionally or unintentionally it doesn’t matter to her) and she will never forgive them for it. She thinks they’re the worst kind of person and will be horribly petty whenever around them, but will never admit that the theft is why, as she says she wasn’t even trying to catch that Pokemon anyway ]

#[ ooc ]

[pkastrid]

‘I AM ME.’ MOOD FILM // DOYEON What made you like this. Since when was it. I feel as if I’ve come too far. I can’t see anymore.

#[ bumblebee ; vis ]

[pkastrid]

#[ bumblebee ; aesthetic ]

[pkastrid]

🥺💖

#[ bumblebee ; vis ]