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waywardstation · 3 months

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I'm Glad You're Here

It is Akari's sixteenth birthday, and a surprise party is thrown for her. She isn't able to appreciate it as much as she wants to though, and Ingo can tell. Emmet also struggles with facing his first birthday without Ingo, but Elesa is there for him.

HAPPY (VERY LATE) SECOND ANNIVERSARY PLA!! What a wonderful game that has given me many friends and creatively compelled me for more than two years!! I tried to get this out on the date, but lots of things made it very hard to. So now it's out on valentine's day instead, so I'll just excuse it with saying this is my love letter to PLA haha, and it fits with palentine's day, as it contains a lot of appreciating friendships and found family.

I wrote this including three prompts that I had gotten, such as requesting something about Akari or Ingo dealing with their birthdays in Hisui, Ingo and Akari acknowledging the found family dynamic I write them with, and Akari talking a little more about her own family.

OR read it here on AO3!

Enjoy! —————

“Goodnight, Akari!”

“Hope you had fun at your party, Akari!”

“Happy birthday, Akari!”

Standing by the Galaxy Hall’s doors with Ember at her feet, said teen thanked partygoers and bid them goodbye as they trickled out into the chilly autumn night. Protecting themselves from the ongoing rain as best they could, they were quick to make their way down the steps and back to their village homes.

“Oh, Professor! Rei!” Turning away from bidding goodbye to Darego and thanking him for the photos he took, she saw Laventon and Rei were next to leave. “You’re heading out now too?”

“Unfortunately so,” Laventon seemed a bit sheepish, as if apologetic for leaving despite the event having already ended. “Early mornings filled with paperwork are not the most forgiving of late night festivities. Otherwise we’d stay and properly take care of that whole disaster upstairs!”

“No, no, it’s fine!” Akari waved him off with her hand. “I already said Ingo and I would take care of it! Honestly he’s probably already done by now, so it’s fine, you guys can go home! You both already did so much for me tonight with this whole party, anyways; I don’t know how you did it!”

Laventon returned the smile she gave them both with one that was twice as big, seeming very proud with the compliment. “Well it was quite a delight to finally reveal all this, I’ll say; having to keep all of it hidden from you for the last few weeks was by far the hardest part!”

“You did a good job, I had no idea until everyone shouted ‘surprise!’ , honestly.” Akari shrugged her shoulders, giving a little laugh about it. “Thank you for all of this, Professor.”

“You’re most welcome, my dear girl!” Laventon held her in a tight embrace when she stepped forward to give him a farewell hug. “Once again, happy birthday!”

“And Rei, you too; thank you so much for the party,” She next reached out to grab her friend’s arm and pull him into a hug when Laventon stepped aside.

“Well of course-!” He choked out with some strain, crushed in her sturdy grip but doing his best to return the embrace. “You deserved it!”

As the two moved out the door to head back for the night, Laventon gave one last look back, shielding his eyes from the rainfall with one hand. “I hope you have a very good night, we’ll be seeing you tomorrow!”

“Yes, goodnight Akari, happy birthday!” Rei added on, following behind.

“Goodnight, guys!” Akari made a show of waving and bidding them both goodbye, but as Laventon made his way down the steps first, she reached forward and grasped the end of Rei’s scarf, tugging him back.

“Rei, wait!” She whispered, pulling her confused colleague back to her. “Real quick-”

Before he could even protest, Akari reached around behind the Galaxy Hall’s door, and handed him a small woven basket. Holding it out, she waited for him to take it.

“Here, take these. I know the Professor would say no if I tried to give it to him. But it’s for you both, as thanks for putting this whole party together for me.”

Rei studied the basket for a moment. Quickly picking up the sweet smell coming from inside, he put his hands up. “Akari, thank you but we couldn’t take that, those are yours!”

“I know, but please; I love Radisa’s cakes, but I also have a ton of dango from Beni, and Cyllene got me all those imported pastries from the Ginko Guild, and Floaro made me a whole box of muffins…” Akari explained, numbering all the confectioneries with the fingers on one of her hands. “There’s no way I can eat all of them by myself, and I’d rather someone gets to enjoy them rather than let them be wasted!”

“Rei!” Amongst the rain, the professor’s voice called out from down by the units; he’d finally noticed he was gone. “Are you coming?”

Looking back over his shoulder at the call of his name, Akari took the chance to shove the basket into Rei’s hands, to his surprise. “Hey!”

“Uh-oh, yours now!” Akari put her hands behind her back and took a step away from him, a mischievous grin on her face — Rei was now entirely stuck with them. “Guess you gotta take them now!”

“You can’t just- that’s not fair!” Rei seemed stuck between amusement and exasperation as he looked between her and the professor’s direction, caught in the middle of two different options and no proper time to consider them. He shook his head.

“Agh, fine! Thank you for these, Akari, really-” With a free arm, Rei pulled Akari into another quick hug, before whipping around to rush down the steps, protecting the basket as best he could from the rainfall. “Coming, Professor!”

As her colleague made his way down the steps and into the rain, Akari waved him off until he disappeared. Once he was out of sight, the teen’s big smile waned into a more neutral line, and she turned to go back inside the hall. With Ember quick to follow behind as she headed for the staircase, the door closed behind her.

The drizzle continued on.

—————

“Did we miss another spot?”

Ingo glanced over his shoulder from where he stood up on a chair. Akari had entered the otherwise-vacant room, Ember at her heels while she pushed stray paper streamers aside from where they dangled.

“It appears we overlooked the ceiling,” The warden returned to the task at hand, stretching an arm back up to scrub as Akari came near to watch him. “And I’ve overestimated how stubbornly bean paste clings to surfaces once it’s dried. Would you mind holding that bucket up for a moment?”

“Even up there? Man, Beugene really did get it everywhere, didn’t he?” Akari laughed as she retrieved the bucket from the table and held it up to him – she could already hear Beuregard profusely apologizing again to her tomorrow for letting his wurmple get into (then burst out of) her cake. He really could stand to keep a better eye on Beugene, seeing as Miki’s staravia almost flew off with it the other day, but she truely hadn’t been upset at the incident. It had honestly been too impressive seeing just how much cake and paste the little Pokémon had managed to splatter all over the walls, carpet, and guests to feel mad about it.

“Thank you,” Ingo dunked his paste-covered rag into the bucket, wringing the soapy water out generously before going back to work on one last spot. A couple thorough scrapes, and the last of the cake seemed to finally be gone.

Ingo handed the rag back to Akari as she reached out to take it, having already placed the bucket back on the table. She set it aside as the warden took one last look around the room from atop the chair, a final scan. “There. While I wouldn’t be surprised if a Galaxy Team member somehow finds another spot somewhere tomorrow, that should be the last of it.”

“Ok, now get down,” Akari gestured to the floor with one hand while she held the chair with the other. “Don’t want you hurting your old man back.”

“I’m not that old,” Ingo played along with her teasing as he always did. But regardless, he began to step down with a soft grunt that did suggest some tightness, at the very least.

Normally, Akari would have pursued it with more of her usual teasing, like asking how old he really was then — he always came up with something funny when she asked that. But she knew he didn’t really remember his age. And yes, he always said it didn’t bother him in the grand scheme of things. But reminding him he didn’t have that right after they had finished celebrating her sixteenth birthday felt uncomfortable, especially considering he didn’t remember his own birth date either. So she left it there this time, watching him get down.

“Well, exploding cake and its messy aftermath aside, I’d say your party was quite a success; what an array of festivities we had tonight!” With his feet back on the ground, Ingo sang his praises as he set the chair back where it belonged against the wall. “I’m glad to see the sudden rain didn’t dampen the mood; it’s good the professor had opted for an indoor celebration! I do hope you had a good time and enjoyed yourself.”

“Yeah,” Akari began to pick the few remaining scraps of colorful paper out of the carpet, though with a contradictory tone. “I did! It was really nice tonight.”

Ingo’s frown tugged slightly. He pulled down a bundle of streamers and crumpled them together, but he kept a careful eye on her. “…It was all alright, wasn’t it? Because I can understand if the whole, well, cake incident is still upsetting, what with no one actually being able to have any.”

“No, no-” Akari waved it off and turned away from him as Ember handed her a mouthful of paper she had picked up herself, though it also felt avoidant in nature. “Sorry, no, it’s not that. Really, that didn’t bother me! I’m just tired, I guess. It was a really late party!”

Ingo didn’t quite buy it with the way his features held tight. “Well then, that makes two of us I suppose.”

A couple times tonight near the party’s end, he had wondered if something was bothering her. It surely seemed so, but asking unobtrusive questions and gently inquiring if certain things were ok had come up with nothing but reassurances. But still, something felt wrong. As the evening went on, Ingo had been suspecting it went a little deeper.

And when the teen asked if he could possibly stay back and help her clean up, he was afraid it went even deeper than he initially suspected. Like, displaced-person-problems deep. Something he would come the closest to understanding out of everyone here. It was her birthday today after all, being spent in a time period she didn’t belong to. He could easily see it being a day of conflicting emotions, if that was the problem.

But Ingo didn’t know if Akari was simply seeking company from him, or conversation. And if it was as personal as he thought it was, he would never ask about it before she was ready. So for now, he would stick to the former, but he was prepared for the latter if she asked for it.

“Ok, I think that’s all of it.” cramming the last of the colorful paper scraps into a wad, Akari dropped the last of it into a bucket they’d been using for trash. Besides a table standing a little crooked, and a few chairs a little out of line against the wall, it seemed they had restored it to its previously-clean, empty state. “Thanks for staying after to help out, Ingo.”

“I was happy I could be of service,” Picking up the scraps-filled bucket and stuffing the streamers into it, Ingo went for the doorway and stood at the exit. “Before I dispose of this and depart, is there anything else you’d like any assistance with?”

Another chance for her to get out what was clearly weighing on her. But only if she wanted to. Grey eyes patiently watched her as she looked off to the side, clearly considering what to say.

“Um. I’ve got like, a ton of gifts downstairs.” Akari pointed down, in general reference to the floor below. “Would you be able to help me take them back to my unit? Normally I wouldn’t mind a couple trips, but the rain…”

Ingo gave her a flat-lined smile. “Not a problem at all. I’d be happy to help you carry the extra cargo.”

–––––

The drizzle was there to greet them all when Ingo pushed one of the Galaxy Hall’s doors open with his back, holding it open as Akari and Ember hurried out. Carefully going down the slippery steps, they hurried down the empty street to the teen’s unit, burdened with various birthday presents.

“Quiw!” Ember reached the door first, and eager to get out of the rain, squeezed through the moment Akari opened it by a crack. To the teen’s dismay, her Pokémon began shaking the freezing rain out of her fur with a vicious full-body shake.

“Ember, no! You’re supposed to do that outside!” Akari scolded the quilava as she opened the door the rest of the way, but she already seemed resigned to the fact she’d have to dry the floor and walls off later. She opened up her damp blue hanten, now bulging considerably with boxy shapes, to quickly remove the gifts she had sheltered inside it. At least they were still dry.

Ingo stepped into the doorway after her, holding his own similarly-bulging coat closed around the rest of the gifts. Akari retrieved a towel and began to chase after a protesting Ember with it as the warden placed her presents down near the door, but he then stepped back out to wait under the unit’s eave. He wanted to minimize how much rain he tracked inside – he wouldn’t add to the trails of puddles that Akari and Ember were currently leaving all across the floor.

“Ember! You’re dripping everywhere!”

“Qwill!”

Akari was completely absorbed in catching her Pokémon, Ingo could see. He supposed part of him had been curious if she had wanted him to come with her so she could share what had been bothering her – maybe she just hadn’t wanted to say anything at the party, which was understandable.

But now he supposed not, and that was ok. Maybe she’d share another day. Or maybe not at all. But regardless, he had given enough openings for it, so it was now entirely up to her on if she wanted to share or not.

“Well,” Ingo cleared his throat, “I suppose I should get going then, and leave you two to enjoy the rest of your night.” He pulled his cap down further over his eyes in anticipation of going back out into the rainfall. “But I’d like to say that I had a wonderful time at the party tonight, and thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it. I hope today’s celebrations made for a fulfilling and memorable day with those close to you, and I wish for even better ones in the future. Once again, happy birthday Miss Akari, and goodnight.”

“Wait! Ingo, wait-” Akari abandoned the chase. Throwing the towel at Ember (who was subsequently swallowed up by it in an instant), she came back to him. Arms wrapped around his middle and squeezed tightly as she hugged him. “Thank you. For being at the party, and for helping me after. And for the really nice birthday wishes too.”

“You’re very welcome.” Ingo returned the hug as best he could. “Sixteen is a special milestone, after all.”

The restraint that was Akari’s arms only tightened instead of loosening. She stood against him, turning her face into his tunic and let out a long sigh. She didn’t say anything immediately. Ingo wondered for a moment if he had said something wrong amongst those ten short words.

“...Sorry, I know you’re tired and you have stuff you gotta do tomorrow, and you’re trying to leave,” She finally looked up at him. “But, would you mind sticking around for a second? It won’t take that long. But, um, I can make us some tea.”

So she did want to talk to him.

Ingo’s frown once again pulled into a neutral line, his eyes indicating a reassuring smile behind the shade of his hat’s brim. He would certainly be tired tomorrow, but he found that didn’t bother him much in this moment. “Of course.”

—————

“I… don’t believe I follow. What do you mean it didn’t count?”

“I mean it didn’t count, because today can’t actually be my birthday. Like I didn’t actually turn sixteen today.”

With one hand absentmindedly stroking alongside Ember’s back as she curled further into his lap, Ingo watched Akari take the steaming tea kettle from off the irori. The warmth from the pit was a welcome heater against the cold breeze of the cracked-open window behind him — he would have preferred it closed, but Akari liked to listen to the rain. “But today is the date of your birthday, correct? Did we get it wrong? Oh dear, I… I apologize profusely if we did!”

Firsthand embarrassment crept close. No one ever liked to have the date of their birthday forgotten, or gotten wrong. Secondhand embarrassment trailed behind. He knew Akari would never have the heart to tell everyone they got the wrong day after everything they had planned. It must have been so awkward to know the whole time and not say anything for everyone else's sake; no wonder Akari seemed so bothered today.

“Woah, no, it’s nothing like that!” Akari briefly stopped pouring the tea, surprised at how flustered Ingo seemed to get. “Sorry! No, you guys didn’t get it wrong! And I mean technically, today is my birthday. But it's also… not?”

“...While that is certainly a relief, I’m afraid I am still in the dark.” Ingo insisted.

She had told him once that some things felt wrong, like her name. It hadn’t seemed wrong and she certainly felt it as her own, but for all she could remember, she could never recall the name ever leaving the mouth of her friends or family during moments with them. Not even her mother.

She had considered when she was put here, some personal information had been messed with in her memory to ‘protect’ things. She said it would make sense if her name was one of those things. She also said maybe she was entirely wrong and had watched too many time-travel sci-fi movies, a concept he could only dimly recall once re-explained at length.

Ingo couldn’t tell her if she was right or wrong about that. But he was aware of her thoughts on this by now, and he wondered if she had begun to suspect if her birth date was one of those altered things as well.

Setting the kettle back over the irori and getting up with the two cups of tea, Akari handed one to Ingo as she sat down next to him against the wall. Ember, who had previously been comfortable in Ingo’s lap, immediately abandoned him for Akari’s instead. “Um, ok. Let me try and think of how to explain this… Oh, wait- I have stuff I’ve written-”

Leaning over Ember, Akari reached into her satchel, now placed near her bed. She pulled out her Pokédex and set it across her quilava’s back. Ingo, both intrigued and surprised, sat forward to get a better look. She had written things down about this? He watched her flip through the back pages until she reached the sections she had been looking for.

Notes. Dates. Scribbled out nothings. Timelines of the year by its months. Arrows, jumping backwards and forwards on said timelines. Numerous question marks etched deep and dark with frustration.

Page after page. Attempt after attempt trying to understand.

Ingo blinked, keeping down a reflexive mouthful of questions. Whatever this was, it had been bothering her for a long time, clearly. And she had been trying to figure it out by herself the whole time, because this was the first he had heard or seen anything about it.

“Ok, so I remember that before I was put here, when I was still at home, it was almost spring. It was at the beginning of the year, nowhere close to my birthday! But after I got here, and I first showed up on Prelude Beach,” Akari held up the Pokédex, tapping at the page. “I learned that here, it was almost fall. And only a few weeks after my birthday!”

She was tapping at one of the many timelines she had made that took up two pages, surrounded by notes and question marks, and overall seeming to be one of the simpler ones. All of the months of the year, in chronological order. There was a blue dot on March, and on August, a red dot — an arrow connected the former to the latter.

“I skipped like, five months ahead into the year when I was brought here. Kind of. I went back in time, but like, that doesn’t affect my age, does it? So looking at it that way, I really just kind of lost five months, if I went straight from March to August?” The notes lost Akari’s gaze as she blinked up at Ingo, as if wondering if she was even making any sense to him. “Right?”

“Uhm,” while the diagram she had written out certainly helped visualize the jumble somewhat, this was still a lot for Ingo to process. He sat back, scratching under his hat with one hand. “I might require another run-through or two to fully comprehend it, but I believe I’ve grasped the gist of it. That seems probable.”

Perhaps it was because he himself had no birthday, year, date, or even season of his own to compare with as a reference point anyways, but he’d never really given much thought to something like this. It made sense though, he thought. Just because someone went back in time on a certain day, doesn’t mean they’d show up in the past on that exact same day, down to the second. Akari certainly could have showed up here, with the year five months ahead from when she left her own time.

Not that it even mattered much, but maybe something like that had happened to him as well.

“Ugh, I’m sorry, I know all of this sounds so confusing, and all these scribbles probably aren’t helping. It was hard trying to figure this out with nothing but books to use as reference.” Akari seemed to become self-conscious of her rant; she closed her Pokédex and set it down at her side, replacing it with her cup of tea. “But I know dates aren’t the same. It was technically my birth-day today, yes, but not my birthday . It hasn’t been an actual year since my last birthday. I honestly don’t count myself as turning sixteen for another five months.”

“Well, I can understand the conflicting emotions with the celebrations now.” Ingo swallowed down a long sip of tea in order to verbalize his sentiments. He did not understand, though. Not entirely. When he listened to her talk, he heard confusion, and perhaps a little self-directed frustration. He didn’t exactly hear the well-hidden sadness he saw at the party.

This didn’t feel like it was all of it. But he was beginning to suspect he knew what the rest of it was, and he would not broach it himself.

“It was entirely unintended, I’m sure you understand, but all the same, I’m sorry to hear that the party brought up unwanted reminders.” He added on another statement to address it as best he could, more genuine to his true thoughts. “I’m sure the others would be too, if they were aware.”

“I know, I know… and I feel bad about that.” Akari confessed. “But they didn’t know. And I don’t want them to.” She looked down into her tea. “It wasn’t like, obvious that I was bothered at the party, was it Ingo?”

“Not particularly,” He half-lied. It certainly hadn’t been obvious, but it had been enough for him to suspect something, at the very least. He couldn’t speak for anyone else though, and he doubted anybody would ever be able to guess the reason if they did notice anything. “I don’t believe anyone would suspect themselves as the cause of your troubles.”

“You were asking me a lot tonight if I was ok.”

“An exploding birthday cake can be quite a distressing matter.”

The dry humor got a little laugh out of Akari. “…Yeah, ok. But. It’s just…”

Ingo waited.

“I don’t know,” she stumbled, though Ingo could see she very clearly knew. “The party wasn’t really the problem. It’s not that I didn’t appreciate everything they did, because I really did! I know it took a lot of work! But… I dunno.” She stumbled again. “You saw the party tonight. It was huge! And it’s not like it wasn’t super fun, because it was, or that it was too much for me or anything, because it wasn’t , but I kind of just…”

Akari shrugged, looking off to the side. Ingo watched her, patient as she set her cup down on the windowsill behind them and began fidgeting with her scarf.

“I don’t know, I guess I wished my mom had been here to celebrate it too.” Her voice wavered for a moment. “Even though I know that’s impossible right now. I just didn’t want her to miss it. Or more like do it without her, I guess. She would always talk about how turning sixteen was so big and so important, and it was going to be a special milestone. Just like what you said earlier.”

Oh. So it was something he had said.

“I think my mom was looking forward to this birthday more than I was!” Akari continued. “SO I felt bad that I did it without her. And I really miss her a lot, all the time. And I know she doesn’t know what happened to me. And I’m worried about that, and I just… Yeah. I didn’t want her to miss it.”

Ingo bit the inside of his cheek; it was what he suspected it to be – missing her family. Her mother.

But despite all the growing suspicion he let build up inside him over the course of the night, shamefully, he still wasn’t quite sure what to say. Akari’s mother was rarely the topic of their discussions, on account of the teen’s own emotional distress over it. Ingo never tried to bring it up on his own, and treated it with caution the few times she would bring it up herself, but it meant words always came slowly and with much difficulty when they would turn to it.

“That’s why today just can’t be my birthday. I want to be back with my mom by the time it actually is.” Akari kept handling the fabric of her scarf. “Because tonight I just kept thinking about how she was missing it. And I don’t know if I’ll be able to ever have something like that again. And I’m afraid that she thinks that too.”

“Oh, Miss Akari,” Ingo set down his own cup as she looked back up at him, sniffing with newly-misted eyes that threatened to well up. The sign that that was all she was going to say on the matter, and she was done. He opened his arm when she leaned closer to him, and she slumped into his side at the invitation, rubbing at her eyes to catch anything before it could fall. “I’m so sorry, I know you miss her dearly.”

A child separated from their mother. A mother who doesn’t know what happened to their child, or if their child is dead or alive, and is only more inclined to assume the former as time goes on. Except the child is not, and has no way to reassure the mother, or comfort her — no way to tell her she’s still alive, and that she hopes she doesn’t somehow suspect it’s her fault, and that she’s thinking of her every day while trying to find a way back to her.

It should not be this way.

But it is.

Ingo’s heart hurt; did he leave behind some terrible situation like this as well? Broken hearts and unanswered questions? It was easier for him to forget possibilities like this sometimes, when memories were not there to remind him of them.

“I do.” The teen settled more comfortably, rubbing at her eyes again when Ember reached up to lick at any stray tears. Her voice was shaky, but not uncontrolled — she took a deep breath to regain it. “It is really hard.”

Gears were turning in Ingo’s head, trying to figure something out. What could he say to this? She had been upset to the point of tears, and he wanted to comfort her. But he could not offer a promise to her, telling her she’d get back to her own time, see her mother again, and celebrate with her the way she wanted. Because as much as he wanted it to happen for her, he just did not know if it would. And Akari knew he did not know. Telling her something like that would just be empty, and maybe even painful. And he felt that lamenting the ghosts within white-out memories was a different kind of heartache compared to the vivid grieving over separation from one’s mother. Or maybe it was. But he didn’t know if in trying to console her with relatability, he would end up referencing too much loss, or not enough. What could he possibly-

“But it’s been easier. With you around.”

All the overworked lines speeding through Ingo’s mind halted. “...Oh?”

“I mean, you’re like the only other person in this entire world that can understand this whole thing right now. Like, really understand it. Even though I know they’ll listen, I don’t really know how to bring this stuff up to other people sometimes, because these aren’t things that anyone can really help.” Akari went on, seemingly not even noticing that he had mentally stalled. “Like I obviously couldn’t tell Rei or the Professor the party made me feel like this after all the time they spent putting it together for me, that would be terrible. And I don’t know how obvious it was, but I kind of took a long time working myself up to even tell you tonight. Even though to me, you’re like my, um…”

A very heavy pause as she mulled over her words.

“...I don’t know, my time-travel buddy here.”

Akari pet Ember as she talked, who by now had settled back into her lap, seeing as there were no more tears. Ingo found some appropriate humor in the title she gave him, but was otherwise quiet. She wasn’t finishing her sentences with a tone that suggested she was really done; it seemed like she kept wanting to say more but was cutting herself short.

“So… thank you for listening to all that. It’s just nice to have someone to talk to that really understands what I’m talking about.” Was all that came out instead, all that summarized her feelings on the matter. “I just wanna say I’m glad you’re here too, so I don’t feel so out of place, or lost, here.”

Ingo took in a breath, ready to thank her for such kind words and add in a reassurance that yes, he was there for her, but it seemed the moment of silence had led to quick reflection, then overthinking; Akari became noticeably flustered, suddenly leaning off of his shoulder to sit up straight.

“I mean, wait, no-” She stumbled. “I’m… I’m not saying I’m like, happy you ended up here just to make me feel more comfortable or anything, of course not! It’s terrible that it happened, especially the way it did! Obviously! I’m just-”

A pause to gather her thoughts.

“I’m… thankful I have someone else who can understand my situation, and helps me. And I’m not alone in this. Is what I’m trying to say. If that makes sense.” Akari finally killed her choppy ramble by taking a hasty sip of her tea.

“I understand,” Ingo tried to reassure the flush of embarrassment on the teen’s face; it hadn’t come across like that at all. “And as long as we’re being honest, I must admit I hold similar sentiments.”

He leaned his head back against the wall. Staring at the square of dim moonlight stretched across the floor from the window behind them, he watched the shadows that the rainfall projected as it came down outside. She told him she appreciated that he listened and talked through these things with her, but he hadn’t said much of anything yet. Well, now it was time to do that.

“I hope I’ve been transparent enough about just how much your arrival has changed my tracks for the better.” He started slowly, idly turning his cup of tea in his fingers. “From when I first arrived here until our routes crossed, I felt… entirely derailed. You know that. I’m even sure you can recall that disposition from when our tracks first crossed.”

“Yes,” Akari slowly allowed herself to settle back against his shoulder. She didn’t really give their first meeting much thought these days. Looking back, it felt polarizing to compare him to the man she had first been introduced to, now paling as distant and directionless in comparison to how he was now.

“But I’ve regained an amount of myself that I thought was indefinitely lost due to your assistance. I know that I lived in a time period comparable to yours, if not the very same — wouldn’t that be something?”

It had to be the very same, Akari just knew it was.

“I also know that I conducted many exciting battles alongside someone who enjoyed them just as much as I did, if not more. And I know that this someone was similar to me in many ways, and very dear to me. Perhaps family, from what I’ve gathered at this point. And while the identities and locations are still quite blurred, I’ve recovered many fragments that indicate I was fortunate enough to be loved by friends and family, seemingly up until my sudden derailment.”

Akari recalled the times when Ingo first remembered these things. When she first helped him recover shards of these cracked but significant recollections, whether purposely or accidentally.

He always cried.

Whether that was uncontrollably in the moment with her, or later in the evenings when he had resigned himself to the privacy of Lady Sneasler’s den, there were always tears.

She knew it hurt him to recall such loving, warm, comforting memories when all his situation did was serve as a reminder that it was out of reach, had been for a long time, and may still be for much longer. Questioning if it would ever be felt again by the same people who extended so much love to him, and he couldn’t even do them the decency of remembering their faces. Weaponized grief accusing him that it had all been taken for granted – that it hadn’t been appreciated enough back then.

Akari knew, because she would cry over similar things when she was alone at night, sometimes.

But she could do that. She was a teenager. Teenagers could cry.

Ingo was an adult. Adults could cry too, but it always felt harder to deal with when it was them. Especially when it was Ingo. Ingo, someone who always comforted her. Ingo, who didn’t cry.

At least, he didn’t before he started regaining these memories that she’d helped recover.

“But, it…” Akari looked down into her cup of tea, conflicted. In a way, she felt like Ingo was thanking her for simultaneously helping and hurting him. “I mean, it feels like-” She didn’t know how she wanted to phrase it. “-I know it hurts a lot sometimes, to remember. Would you… knowing what you know now, would you rather not have, um…”

It seemed Akari was becoming disheartened with the question, probably beginning to find it an insensitive question to ask. Ingo understood what she was getting at, and she realized that.

“Nevermind,” she finally ended the struggle and cut herself off. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright. I don’t mind.” Ingo reassured her. “It can be quite hard, yes, to know what I’ve been removed from. It weighs heavy on my heart when I stop to reflect on it. But I know I have something to return to now. And while it can be painful at times, it is, to me, a welcome change from the plaguing hollowness of loss and confusion. I would not have, well… myself without you, and for that I am immensely grateful.”

It was heartening to see his words put her at ease, but he realized he was getting off track from what he was trying to express.

“ Ahem, all of this is to say; likewise, Miss Akari, if I had any say in the matter, I would not wish for you to be displaced here either. Yet you are. And as unfortunate as it might feel sometimes, all one can do is make the best of their situation. And there was nothing either of us could have done about our destination, but your presence at this station is a pleasant one, both in company and agency.” Ingo cleared his throat. “I am thankful for our friendship.”

“Me too…” Akari sounded almost choked up again, her voice quiet. “ See, you always know what to say. Thank you.”

The ambience of the rainfall against the unit’s eave became prevalent as conversation died. They sat like that for a while. Whether listening to the rain or replaying the conversation in her head, Ingo didn’t know what it was that Akari was doing. But the relative darkness in the room, the internal warmth of the tea, and the relaxing pattering of rain against the roof outside was a very dangerous combination for him. His eyes were already growing heavy, he should probably get going before he falls aslee-

“Hey Ingo,” The warden started when he felt a bony elbow suddenly nudge him in the side. “When we both get back, I’m gonna have another birthday party, one on my actual sixteenth birthday, with my mom there so that she doesn’t miss anything this time.”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Ingo yawned, sitting forward to help rouse himself from the weakening grip of sleep. She was treating an ‘if’ like a ‘when’, and he sometimes warned her about doing that, but he found that right now especially, he couldn’t not indulge her a little.

“Yeah, and it’s gonna have tons of balloons, streamers and confetti everywhere.” Akari leaned her head against his shoulder to look back at him. “Like so much, even five days after the party, you’ll sneeze and confetti will still come out.”

“Every proper birthday party needs that.” Ingo couldn’t help but huff a laugh through his nose at the visual she’d constructed. “What colors for the theme?”

“Everything’s gonna be blue, of course!” She knew that he knew her favorite color would be the only choice. “You know that! Oh, and also, one birthday cake that’s the size of two! To make up for the one that exploded today!”

“What flavor?”

“Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. So everyone can have a flavor they like. And-” Akari sat up and fully turned to him, like this next part was serious. “I'm gonna have every single one of my friends and family come. So that means you’re going to be invited too! And anyone else you wanna bring! I’ll get to introduce you to everyone there!”

Ingo smiled. Because it did sound nice, truely. But the small smile quickly dulled. Indulgence aside, he didn’t want to encourage setting herself up for hurt. “You know I would love to. And if I can, I certainly will. However… Miss Akari, I truly hate to bring it up, but please be mindful of what we’ve talked about. I wouldn’t want there to be… any hurt. In case our tracks do not run as close as expected.”

Hopeful prospects built upon skewed expectations are terribly vicious if time reveals those expectations are wrong. It would leave deep wounds if they did go back to their own times, only to be separated by a gate of decades that stretched so far, they’d only ever be able to assume that’s what had happened, and never know for sure. But it would hurt more if they had convinced themselves that would not happen and took that as fact.

And so Ingo did not.

And while Akari had said over and over that she did not either, he could tell that really, deep down, she did.

And all of this wasn’t even considering the very real possibility that Ingo might not have a ticket back home like she did. She had told him time and time again that she’d drag him back by the arm if she had to, and stop anything that tried to keep her from doing so, but… what was a teenager against the Unknown?

“I know, I know.” Akari said it with concerning brevity. “But we have to come from the same time. How could we not? You also know what Pokémon gyms are, and contests! And you actually know what double battles are, too. And you know what cellphones are, and pizza, and video games!”

“It is… convincing.” Even though it was more vague than anything that narrowed things down to decades, not a single year, Ingo decided to just leave it there for now. This was not something to talk about at length tonight. Not after all she had just told him.

“So you’re gonna need to come! I really want to introduce you to my mom. I know she’d wanna meet you after all you’ve done for me! Knowing her, she’d probably try and repay you with tons of home-baked things, and I need to warn you she’s going to hug you with the strength of an ursaring trap.”

“Ah, well now I know where you get that from.”

A quick, simple sentence said without much of a tone, but Akari caught the humor of it. She laughed into her tea. “No, hers are like three times as strong as mine!”

With her leaning into her cup, Ingo did not see the playful look she gave him in the stretch of silence.

“And, just thought you’d like to know, she’s single too…”

“O-oh-” Ingo found himself sitting forward suddenly, his ears steaming hot with sudden embarrassment at the implication. Arceus, of all the ways for her to confirm his suspicions that a father probably wasn’t present. Surely not- “I- no no, with all due respect Miss Akari, I don’t think that would-!”

“Kidding, kidding, I’m kidding!” The teen shouted in between laughs, pushing his shoulder playfully and giving him a big, stupid smile. “Geez, you’re always so easy! I know! That wouldn’t work anyways, you’re like… the weird, distant uncle I didn’t find out about until like a year ago, if anything.”

“Weird uncle?” Ingo snorted at the notion, perhaps a bit too loudly — he hadn’t been expecting that, but it was certainly less heart attack-inducing than the former proposition.

“Yes!” Taking his laughter as disagreement more than surprise, Akari shoved his arm again. “I mean, you let me do a lot of things that I don’t think responsible parents would let kids do-”

“Because I’m- I’m not your parent,” Ingo hastily tried to correct her, still somewhat processing the topic. “And I’m not letting you, I’m simply ensuring you’re performing the proper safety checks when doing them!”

One would have much more success trying to properly equip her with tools and knowledge than to try and stop her from doing anything she was set on doing. Anyone who knew Akari well enough would know that.

“Yeah, well, I know my mom would kill me if she knew of all the dangerous things I was doing, and you don’t. There.” The teen poked him several times to drive her point home. “That’s what uncles do. And, you respond to my jokes with more jokes, and you like all my pranks-”

“I wouldn’t say all of them,” Ingo squeezed in, shaking his head but allowing himself to laugh a little.

“-and you let me hang around you like every time I come by, and you listen to my problems, and you help me when I need it-”

“You make it out to be a chore, I assure you it’s not-”

“-and! And! I don’t know how you do it, but you can fall asleep anywhere within like, thirty seconds.” Akari started snickering, looking back at him to see his reaction. “You were doing it like two minutes ago! I’ve only ever seen three types of people do that.” She began numbering off with her fingers, “Dads, uncles, and grandpas. You kind of best qualify for the latter in that area because you’re like, super super old, but…”

“Hey!” Now it was Ingo’s turn to nudge her with his arm – she was already joking with him again. She laughed more freely this time, quickly settling back against his shoulder.

“Point is, you’re um, kind of what I wished my actual uncle would have been like when I was growing up… if that’s not too forward to say. You’re the weird, distant uncle. Except the weird is a good weird, and the distant part wasn’t your fault. I appreciate that you um, basically look out for me here. It helps with missing my mom.” She finished, ending it by returning to her cup for another long sip of tea.

What a confession.

Ingo had known she had grown very attached to him over the months, and he could not deny he had done the same. She had made it very easy, he supposed; her frequent company filled time that had previously been spent alone, and those times were much happier now. And while he had grown to feel some sense of responsibility over her – she did often follow advice or guidance from him anymore, so logically there was some responsibility there – but he hadn’t thought much past it. He never felt like he had to.

However, she basically just admitted she felt like his ward, if he could compare it to anything. He had not known she had grown to see him like that, exactly – he wasn't sure he even saw himself like that – or when that had even first begun.

But it was comforting, in a way. Whether he had a spouse or children before Hisui, he did not know – he very much doubted it, but realistically, he didn’t know for sure. And siblings? Or parents? The scratched-out faces and names that haunted his cracked memories never made it clear. Those people could have been family, but they could have also been just close friends, and while that was certainly family in its own way, it was… hard, not really knowing.

And although he certainly did consider the Pearl Clan his family in Hisui, eternally indebted to Irida and the rest of the clan for their kindness to him, the circumstances of his acceptance had unfortunately felt purely obligatory or pitiful by some. It felt... different. And he didn't know if that would ever change.

So it was nice to hear someone call him family.

Akari had never said that phrase explicitly, but basically confessing of her own volition that she saw him as a member of hers was, in all honesty, painfully consoling and cathartic.

Ingo realized he hadn’t said anything yet. He turned to address the teen; she was sipping the last of her tea, but her cheeks were pink now, eyes down as she pet Ember with her other hand – she had grown self-conscious of her vulnerability in his silent processing, perhaps thinking he didn’t reciprocate the proposed connection. Or worse, he thought she was clingy for it.

She had confessed everything to him that she’d held back earlier, hadn’t she?

“Well, I am glad to know I live up to the expectations then, Miss Akari.” He made sure to give her a smile, still turned down in the corners but clearly, genuinely happy with his eyes. “I believe the feeling is mutual.”

Very few words, but relieving and emotional all the same. Arms reached around his shoulders to give another steel trap hug. “Thank you. For that. And for talking with me tonight. I know I said it would be quick, but…”

“It’s quite alright. I’m glad we could talk as well.” Ingo picked it up when she trailed off, squeezing her back with an arm in a side hug.

Weird uncle.

Yeah, he supposed he could get used to that.

“Ok then, you’re definitely going to need to come to my real birthday party now, no way you can’t.” Akari finally let go of him. Ember leapt off her lap and onto the floor as she moved to stand up and collect both of their tea cups, now empty. “And you’re gonna have to start showing up to family barbecues too! And your own family’s gotta come too, so you can introduce them to mine, and we can get even more get-togethers!””

She was joking, but he could tell she also was not. Another pang of future uncertainty dampened the sentiments, but Ingo looked past it as he made his own move to get back to his feet, and help her put everything away. “I can certainly try my best to do so.”

Hmm. His own family too.

His heart ached. He did wish he could remember them. He found himself wanting to meet them just as much as Akari did, if not more. (Surely though, he did.)

A part of him once again wondered if they missed him the way he missed them. Or the way Akari missed her mother.

—————

“Thank you, Elesa. I know you didn’t have to.”

“Please, don’t even mention it! You know I’d never pass up another opportunity to drag you around with me.”

Emmet pulled his cap down over his eyes as he stepped out of his apartment to join his friend. After he locked the door, the two of them began to make their way down the stairs to the street below. “Though I’m happy to go with you, I'm sorry to hear about Skyla. That was very unfortunate timing.”

“It really was; she said she’s already feeling better, though! She just told me to tell you to enjoy the premiere for her.” Elesa hooked her arm around Emmet’s as they continued down the steps.

It genuinely had been unfortunate timing for Skyla to catch a cold only a few days before the premiere of Pokéstar Studios’ newest movie that Elesa had a part in. But even if she hadn’t, herself and Elesa had long before agreed that they were going to come up with an excuse to take Emmet in her place anyways.

His birthday was not until tomorrow, and while many things had been planned with friends and family to occupy the day with good times and love, Elesa did not want him confining himself to his dark apartment tonight. Things were often just as painful the day before, as well.

“Skyla’s name is on the ticket.” Emmet absentmindedly observed as she handed the decorated slip to him. The dozen pokeballs within his coat weighed heavy for a moment. “And all of my Pokémon will be there, not Skyla’s. Will I have to show them ID or something?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it when we get there.” She reassured him. “Again, last-minute stuff, but I can work that out pretty easily.”

“Mmm,” Emmet hummed. That seemed like it would be his only response. But as he continued to scrutinize the name on the ticket, he spoke up again. “It’s ok, Elesa. I know that this was not last minute.”

While she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed, Elesa also couldn’t say this wasn’t unexpected. Emmet had always been very good at picking up on things.

She just didn’t want him to think this was being done out of pity or anything.

Which maybe part of it was, how could it not be? But moreso, Emmet was her friend. And she wanted him to have something to think about other than grief tonight.

“I’ve been saying it’s last-minute too much, haven’t I?” She asked, seeming a little rueful.

“Yes, you have.” Emmet sounded almost amused as they continued down the steps. If he was bothered, he certainly wasn’t showing it. “But you also have not said a thing to me about my birthday all week. That is verrry unlike you.”

Harassing himself and Ingo with silly cards, gaudy gifts, and at least one big activity the week of their birthdays. Making Ingo and Emmets’ birthdays a week-long, inescapable reminder of the big day they shared was Elesa’s style of celebration. Not this.

But to be fair, just like how this year was… a first for Emmet, it was a first for her too. It was a first for everyone. Emmet understood why she was walking on eggshells – their birthdays had very much been an Ingo-and-Emmet thing. One was not without the other, ever.

Except this year, it was.

It was understandable why people would be nervous to bring it up to him in all the ways they had before. They were afraid it would serve as a reminder that someone was not there anymore to celebrate it with him. And they were right, it would. But while Emmet appreciated the sensitivity, he didn’t want a careful birthday where everyone was afraid of how to handle him. It wasn’t intended, but it would be demeaning.

“I’m sorry, Emmet. I just didn’t really… know how to do it this year.” Elesa confessed what he had already known. They were practically at the bottom of the stairs now. “And I didn’t want to say or do anything that would be- I didn’t want you to be alone, or thinking of anything that’ll hurt right now. I just want you to feel as loved and appreciated as you are, not sad. Not on your birthday.”

“I do feel loved.” Reaching the bottom of the stairs and stepping onto the sidewalk, Emmet stopped so that they could talk face-to-face for a moment. “Tonight I was invited to an event that was very much not planned last-minute, with my dear friend, to see a movie that she is in. And tomorrow, I will get to spend the entire day with friends and family. And even after that, when I am back in my apartment, I have all of my Pokémon, who need me as well. You all do a verrry good job of making me feel loved. It is a good birthday already.”

“Oh Emmet,” Elesa let go of his arm to reach out for him. She settled into his shoulder as she gently hugged around his neck. Emmet reciprocated, arms secured around her back.

Emmet knew tomorrow was going to be different. Difficult, certainly. For the first time, only half of him would be there. The reminders were still daily and constant, but tomorrow they were going to be a little sharper, a little more poignant. He couldn’t avoid that. But he did not want to try and bury it – he had already slipped into that once before, and learned how destructive and painful it was. And he certainly didn’t want others to feel like they needed to as well for his sake. He was hurting, and a part of him always would regardless, but he was not fragile.

“And it is ok to talk about Ingo.” Emmet spoke into Elesa’s shoulder. “It will be his birthday tomorrow too. And even if he is not right here at this moment, I would not want him to be excluded from it.”

“Alright,” There was relief in the way she sighed, squeezing him a little harder.

“Thank you, Elesa.” Separating from the hug, Emmet gave her a reassuring smile, though it was not without a hint of melancholy. “You are a very good friend.”

At the edge of the sidewalk, a sleek black car pulled up to them and stopped, engine thrumming quietly.

“Oh, that’s for us,” Sniffing, Elesa carefully wiped at her eye and cleared her throat. “You know, Emmet, I’m really…” She stopped, seeming to think better of it. No more apologies or condolences for tonight, she was supposed to be cheering him up. “...I’m glad you could come with me tonight.”

“I am too, very much.” Emmet seemed doubly grateful for the lighter change of topic. He followed her as she led him over to the car, and opened the backseat door for her. “I have not gone with you to one of these in a while! Last time was several years ago when you took Ingo and me with you to see that terribly cheesy rom-com you had a cameo in.”

“Well, funny you should bring that up,” A bit of Elesa’s playfulness slowly began to show itself again, a smile brightening her features as she scooted across the seat to make room for him. “Because lucky for you, tonight’s movie is also a romantic comedy!”

“Blech!” Emmet made an exaggerated gagging sound as he stepped into the car after her, which sent Elesa into a fit of laughing while he closed the door. “I will be watching this for you, not for the romance!”

135 notes · View notes

leggerefiore · 9 months

Note

https://twitter.com/sasaku_rkgk/status/1635669369450795009?s=20

https://twitter.com/sasaku_rkgk/status/1638145415915925505?s=20

I've completely forgot about this but I found it while cleaning out things BUT s/o making bento boxes/lunch that look like this for them.

Thought it be cute.

anon, the pokemon café food could be so many cute reactions from characters. ingo getting the Sneasel Burger™️

▲Ingo▼

● Poor guy was already overjoyed you made him a lunch and just was tearing up. You could put literal garbage in there, and he would still eat it because he's just so happy his love made him something so sweet and domestic. Ingo makes certain he doesn't miss his lunch break because he simply must make sure to eat your lovingly made meal.

● When he finally opens the box, his eyes go wide at the sight of the dishes inside. An adorable Drillbur themed chocolate cream dish explained why you asked him to make sure he placed it in the refrigerator at work. A cute note you left assured him it wasn't overly sweet, to align with his tastes. A thermos held cooled coffee with an adorable Litwick cup sat beside it. He held back a bravo. This was already too much for him.

● The Trubbish and Garbodor themed rice balls broke him, though. You reassured him you were careful to choose fillings that he'd definitely enjoy in your note. Ingo needed to thank you for all this effort. It truly brightened his day. He happily ate all the cute dishes you prepared for him and was clearly in a good mood for the rest of the day. Even an incident report couldn't bring down his emotional high.

● When he got home, you were quickly embraced and showered with endless praise from your beloved train man. It may tempt you to make more dishes like that for him. (This is how the Sneasel Burger somehow happens with his post or after Hisui.)

▽Emmet△

○ When you placed the odd box into his hands on his way out of the house, he had been confused. You then explained it was his lunch, and he nodded. Emmet is happy you made him food, the container just caught him off guard. He eagerly clocks out for his lunch break and sits the box on his desk. He enjoyed your cooking a lot, so he already expected to like what you made.

○ You proceeded to make his jaw drop and him gasp. The food inside made his grin grow large after getting over the initial shock. Joltik omelette left him overly giddy. They looked just like his babies! The ketchup on one even had him slightly concerned at first. The egg rice with a styled Tynamo made him just sit there with a goofy grin. You left a cute note teasing him about needing a diverse diet than sweets and hoping he enjoyed the meal.

○ You, however, weren't so cruel as to deny him his beloved sweets. Two doughnuts laid in the box, themed like two pieces of a Klink. You gave one a black nose and the other a white one. He chuckled at the idea of he and his brother being the pieces of a Klink. Emmet devoured the entire lunch box, but with momentary hesitation towards the Joltik omelette. He was scared he'd bite into it and hear a familiar squeak. It didn't happen, however, thankfully. All the Depot Agents were then terrified by a genuinely at ease and happy Subway Boss Emmet treading through the station. No one dared ruin his mood.

○ When he got home, you got tackled into a hug and covered in kisses. He thanked you for such a “verrrry” cute meal and squeezed you tightly to him. You definitely were tempted to make more for him, though he did beg you for more sweets.

▲▽▲▽▲▽▲

Sneasel Burger.....

#ingo x reader #ingo/reader #emmet x reader #emmet/reader #pokemon x reader #pokemon/reader #pokemon ingo x reader #pokemon emmet x reader

153 notes · View notes

smallestapplin · 11 months

Note

Ingo, Emmet, and N (sep) where during a party the reader had too much to drink. When they wake up in the morning they have a massive hangover. It’s up to the boys to help nurse the hangover. Just basically them taking care of and cuddling their S/O

I am also dying, so nows the perfect time

Also mentions of alcohol consumption, so if that’s not your thing please scroll!

🖤Ingo🖤

He was already a few steps ahead of you. After helping you to bed the night before, he made sure to leave a water bottle and some migraine medicine on your night stand, before crawling into bed.

He awoke at his usually time, but decided to call out of work, letting him lay curled against your back.

Until you woke up that is.

“Mmm…..”

You rolled away from him, not even acknowledging him as you buried your face further into your pillow while you switch to lay on your stomach.

“Darling please, at least take a sip of some water.”

Ingo was met with another low groan.

It breaks his heart to hear you in pain, and there isn’t much he can do about it. Getting up from bed, he walks around your shared room, pinning the curtains closed to keep the sunlight out, making the room nice and dim.

Once he’s satisfied with his work, he walks to your side of the bed, crouching down next to you. Ingo rubs your back in slow soothing circles, trying to get you to look up from your face full of pillow.

“Darling-“

“Ingo…” your voice muffled from the bedding, “I love you, but please….s’too loud.”

He covers his mouth, eyes widening as he forgot how loud he is, no matter how hard he’s trying to be quiet.

“Sorry.” His own voice muffled by his hand.

You don’t hear him speak, but you can hear him opening the water bottle, and feel him nudging you. You finally relent, even in the dim room your eyes squint in pain.

Ingo tries not to laugh at you recoiling and groaning again, but he waits patiently for you to recover.

Once you do, you sit up, taking the pills from his hand and taking the bottle with a soft ‘thank you.’

He knows he’ll have to make breakfast soon, just so you’ll have something in your stomach, but what’s wrong with loving on you a little longer and letting you get use to being awake?

🤍Emmet🤍

After last night, Emmet didn’t think he’d ever get you to bed, you were all over the place and giggling the entire time. Which, he will admit he found adorable, but he knew you were tired, even if you didn’t want to go to bed yet.

Though the moment your head hit your pillow, you were out like a light.

So was he, once he changed into his pajamas. With it being his day off, it’s usually rare for him to wake up before you, but he understands.

You found to good tasting drinks and went all over those, he can’t blame you.

He pulls you closer, burying his face into your neck and just basking in your presence. It’s so rare he gets to be up before you, and just enjoy it.

He lays like that until Galvantula comes crawling over, clicking for food. Emmet mutely sighs before carefully detangling himself from you, and making his way to the kitchen to give all the Pokémon their (late) breakfast.

Silver eyes gaze at the pantry, trying to figure out what would be good for you to eat, but not too much as he didn’t want to upset your stomach.

“Salty crackers are verrry good for blood pressure, but maybe just some tasty broth? Hmm….”

He weighs his options, maybe even thinking a rice based dish would be good, as to fill you up but not overload your stomach.

But he’s attention is pulled from his thoughts when Archeops gets excited, squawking happily, until he sees you round the corner, groaning.

“Archie…baby…please, I hurt.” You pick up the happy fossil Pokémon, which makes him quiet down and nuzzle into your neck.

Emmet chuckles at the scene, but is quick to react. Before you know it you’re being handed some pain relievers and some water.

“I’ll make you coffee in a moment, yup! Go sit.” He gently kisses your temple, and ushering you to the living room.

Once you sit, however, you’re quickly wrapped up in a blanket by your loving boyfriend, surrounded by all your ‘movie night’ pillows, and made cozy.

With Archie cuddling into you.

And Galvantula joining on your head.

And Eelektross trying to squeeze in, and ends up laying on your legs.

And Durant hissing before joining to lay at your left side.

You’re being drowned in cuddles.

They got it from Emmet, but he takes this as a win! Now he can make you some coffee, without worrying about you getting up.

💚N💚

He didn’t drink the entire time, not being one for such parties as he stood by the wall, watching you bounce between him and chatting with your friends.

He was happy watching you enjoy yourself, but one drink turned into two, then three, then four and so on, as the sweet tasting drink hid just how much alcohol you were consuming.

He laughed to himself at how you passed out in bed, clinging to him and refusing to let him go. But he didn’t mind, simply putting his hat on the nightstand and curling around you.

In the morning it’s a different story, as N likes to wake up with the sun, it’s just his internal clock.

But you won’t let go.

Even in your sleep you have a grip on him, nuzzling your face into his chest, subconsciously hoping the pressure will lessen your pain. N can’t help but stay right in bed, not wanting to disturb your slumber.

Though he’d like to get up, he knows you aren’t going to feel well, and he wants to help that! N looks at the clock, realizing he’s been laying here for the last four hours after he woke up.

It’s not that early to you, but it’s late to him.

N slowly starts shuffling, carefully and slowly worming his way out of your grasp.

Every time you seem like you’re about to wake, he freezes, cooing at you and kissing the top of your head until you settle. Once he’s sure it’s safe he starts again, after thirty minutes he’s free! N pushes his hair out of his face, taking a deep breath before making his next moves.

He moves around your home silently, making no noise as he opens the cabinet for some pain relievers, after securing those he starts a pot of coffee before grabbing a water bottle and heading back towards your shared bedroom.

Stopping by the hallway closet to grab a decently weighted pillow case filled with rice.

Poking his head into the dark room, he sees you haven’t moved from your spot. N can’t stop the smile forming on his face, you’re too cute.

He’s entirely too smitten, even now as your eyes slowly flutter open.

He can’t help but softly chuckle at your little groan.

“Good morning, my love. How do you feel?”

Instead of an answer, you let out a pained whimper before covering your face with the blanket. He takes it as the room is still too bright for you.

“I know, but please, you need to take something for the pain.”

His low voice coaxes you from your shield of blankets.

Looking at his outstretched hands, seeing the pills and water bottle, you sigh caving and taking both.

He smiles, happy you’re taking it.

N leans over, kissing your forehead once you’ve placed the water bottle down.

“I have some coffee going, as caffeine can help with headaches, but I’ll also make you some breakfast, you need something in your stomach after all.”

“Okay..” you leans against him, nuzzling against his shoulder.

He hopes you can’t feel how fast his heart is beating.

“Thank you.” You mumble.

“Anything for you, my light.”

He’ll look into buying black out curtains, just in case this happens again or you get a migraine.

#pokemon imagines #pokemon x reader #pokemon ingo #pokemon ingo x reader #pokemon emmet #pokemon emmet x reader #pokemon n #pokemon n x reader #mentions of alcohol #pokemon fluff #submas #submas emmet #submas ingo #submas x reader #submas ingo x reader #submas emmet x reader

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ihaveatheoryonthat · 5 months

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Code of Conductors

Like many, I've found myself enthralled with @critterbitter's recent comics. While this is 100% based on trends I noticed in the story, I'll admit that the tone is something of a departure, so if you're looking for comedy, this might not be the fic for you.

(As a disclaimer, I wrote the bulk of this before the most recent arc began, so it might stray a bit into that territory, as well.)

If you'd prefer AO3 over tumblr's formatting, it's also up over there.

---

Having a starter Pokemon… wasn’t going the way Ingo might have hoped, so far.

He’d tried to temper his expectations-- not everyone could have the storybook encounter that Emmet and Tynamo found-- but he couldn’t help but feel disappointed by the reality that met him. He’d wished to Zekrom for a partner whose ideals would align with his own, and while he understood that it didn’t mean he and this hypothetical Pokemon would see eye to eye on everything, his thoughts had been that they could at least find an accord.

He’d longed to meet someone who might accept him for his imperfections-- for his inability to emote the way other humans expected, for the peaks of volume he couldn’t always control, for the creeping doubt that he was too much and not enough, all at the once. He wanted so badly to work with Litwick, but even though her telepathy made it possible for them to communicate more clearly, his misgivings only grew stronger with every passing day.

Ingo thought he understood. He wasn’t her first pick by any stretch of the imagination; if she’d had her way, she’d have left Emmet as a disoriented heap on the floor and faded into the background, never to be noticed. Instead, he’d caught onto her game, and then caught her. He knew it wasn’t a terribly uncommon phenomenon, and that good trainers could work with even the most reluctant Pokemon, but nothing he’d attempted was working. He’d tried letting her feed from his soul, and while it eliminated the language barrier between them, functionally speaking, it only meant that he could understand her malcontent in her own words. He’d tried compromise, to meet her on her level, but hearing how bland he was-- how utterly lacking-- became difficult to take day after day. He’d even overheard Emmet trying to bribe her into cooperating with him, and it was humiliating. He knew his brother wasn’t blind to how he was struggling, but to have her ambivalence spelled out so plainly made his doubts resurface, tenfold.

He’d waited this long for a Pokemon to show interest in being his partner, so he could wait a little longer. If Litwick truly wasn’t happy-- if he really was dragging her down, as she seemed to imply-- it was only right to let go. The situation in the Celestial Tower had meant that he couldn’t give her a choice back then, but he could now.

It might delay their outset, but maybe a minor miracle would happen, and he’d find a Pokemon that wanted to be his friend-- or was at least open to the possibility-- within the span of two weeks. They hadn’t tried the Desert Resort, yet. Even if he was incompatible with ghosts, maybe a Sandile or Dwebble would suit him.

...and if he couldn’t make the turnaround, he could try to ensure that he’d be the only one inconvenienced; he didn’t have any earthly idea how he’d convince Emmet to go ahead with their plans on his own, but surely being left behind by choice would feel better than holding his loved ones back.

In a roundabout way, that included Litwick.

Ingo had already talked himself out of and back into this course of action multiple times, so he knew how difficult it would be to stick to his convictions-- the last thing he wanted was an audience to convince, too. That was why he waited until it was time for Tynamo’s daily charging session, took Litwick’s pokeball, and sneaked out to the shallow portion of the greenbelt nearby. It wasn’t where Litwick had come from, but everyone had heard stories about forests infested with will-o-wisps ready to lead an unsuspecting hiker off the beaten path, so he could do worse. He walked far enough that the waning daylight dimmed even further, but not so far that he was left without any trace of natural light to lead him home.

He turned the pokeball over in his hands, practicing the words in his head one more time, then drew a bracing breath and released its occupant.

“Alright, sock Grookey, what’s going through that fluff-filled head this time?”

He looked away, keeping Litwick in his periphery, but unable to look her in the face. “You can go, if you would prefer.”

“...what?”

“You can leave. I don’t want to keep you confined if I’m only making you miserable; it’s not fair to you.” The pokeball had automatically clicked shut again, but he toyed with the latch, popping it open for when he’d need it.

He heard Litwick scoff, “Oh great, you’ve hit your emo phase, huh? Nothing like a soggy cracker to snack on.”

“Then you can find someone else.” He said, keeping his eyes trained on the lowest limb of a nearby tree, imagining how its rough bark would feel if he were to reach out and touch it. Cold. Hard. A far cry from malleable wax. “No one’s stopping you any longer.”

He could only imagine that she was rolling her eyes-- maybe her flame flickered in irritation. They may not have spent long enough together to become friends, but he’d learned to read her, and he wasn’t sure he’d lose that knowledge once it became irrelevant.

“Yeah, yeah, read it a hundred times.” She drawled, rolling her eyes. Her nubby little arms raised into the air, waving in an exaggerated shooing motion, “’Get out of here, I don’t want you anymore!’ Have anything more original?”

Of course. Of course Emmet got the fairy tale meeting, and now he was living out some novel fishing for a Clawitzer Prize. He swallowed hard, trying to banish the thought; it wasn’t about him-- none of it was. He could be jealous of his brother and Tynamo, and he could be upset about how badly his short-lived partnership with Litwick had gone, but for their sake, he should keep it to himself. His feelings weren't their responsibility, only his own.

Any and all of the words he’d practiced failed, and all he could do was wave a hand, certain that if he spoke up now, his voice would betray him.

“Are you serious?” Litwick asked, surprise quickly morphing into anger, “Well screw you, too, muppet boy! Do you really think you can do any better? Good luck!”

“I know! How can I possibly miss it when every Pokemon whose path I cross turns up its nose?” On some level, Ingo was mortified that his restraint had failed him, but he was too distraught to let higher thought dictate his feelings. What was it they could all sense that chased them away? What was the deficiency in the core of his being? What was so terrible that no one could look past it? He was so afraid that he was going to be left alone someday, unwanted by anyone new and cast aside by those who had no choice but to tolerate him. In spite of his brother’s reassurances, he felt certain there would come a day where he’d reach out to find that no one was there.

He couldn’t think of anything else to follow that, and Litwick was still simmering in outrage. Dashing a hand across his eyes, Ingo returned his attention to the pokeball and inverted it, holding it by either side to bend its hinge backwards, past the point of repair.

“Wait.” Litwick said, and he felt his own frustration bubble up.

“Why can’t you make one thing easy?” He demanded, a sob working its way into being. He was trying to live up to his own ideals with all of his might-- to ensure that Litwick was able to find her highest state of self, even if this was the only way he could help-- but it was so much harder than everyone made it out to be. Was that the problem? His ideals were so flimsy, so hard for the person who held them to maintain, that no one could align with them?

Ingo didn’t know what he expected anymore. He’d thought Emmet would tell him he was being ridiculous when they'd had their heart to heart, but he hadn’t-- in this situation, though, he couldn’t imagine that Litwick would turn around with an apology, and he wasn’t even sure that he’d be able to believe it was genuine, that she wasn’t saying it to shut him up.

“I don’t get you.” She said, and he could have tossed his hands up in dismay. If nothing else, he supposed they’d come to the understanding that they didn’t understand one another-- and just in time.

As she continued on, however, he went very still, listening carefully.

“It feels like you should be something else, but I can’t tell what. Why are you only half baked?” She asked. It was weaker than it would normally be-- a light fizzling instead of a pointed burn.

That felt like it should have hurt more; it was practically confirmation that he was lacking something intrinsic to the human condition, but Litwick’s bafflement made it fumble the landing. Maybe… maybe it was normal? He’d watched Emmet mature a great deal in the time since partnering up with Tynamo, so there could still be hope for him-- though it did seem like something of a Pokemon-or-the-egg situation. He needed a partner to help him grow, but he needed to grow if he was going to find a partner.

Ingo didn’t realize it in the moment, but his hands relaxed a bit, and one fell to his side, abandoning the pokeball all together; some of Litwick’s tension eased, unnoticed, and she molded back into her preferred shape.

“Maybe... we can make a deal, eh? Mutual aid or whatever you want to call it; we, uh-- we try to train each other.”

For the first time since they’d started this conversation, he looked at her in full. Her flames were low, but still spitting, and he’d never seen that combination before; the dim fire meant that she was upset, and the sputtering was indicative of agitation. Something in the recesses of his mind-- the part that wrung its hands, so utterly convinced that he was a terrible brother and friend-- whispered ‘guilt’, but he wasn’t about to go making any decisive statements. That seemed presumptuous at best.

He took a moment to think her words over, and realized that he couldn’t argue with that. Wasn’t it precisely what he’d wanted, all along? To help Litwick evolve into the best version of herself, and to grow as a person?

Was this what it meant to find someone whose ideals matched his own?

Slowly, he inclined his head, and used both hands to fold the pokeball back together.

---

Litwick never could have imagined that she’d find herself in this situation.

She didn’t see herself as a Pokemon who would ever take a trainer. Something deep inside of her rankled at the indignity of being captured, and so she’d taken it… poorly when she wound up stuck inside a pokeball. She was a literal free spirit, unable to be contained, and not some everyday Pokemon who would allow themselves to be domesticated.

And-- and if she had deigned to attach herself to a human, it would be someone she’d deemed worthy: a savant, someone who understood their partners and knew exactly the footing they stood on together. She wouldn’t tolerate any incompetence, any disrespect; she knew her worth and she wouldn’t compromise.

Muppet kid was… a kid. He’d slapped her in the face with the realization that she wasn’t the heavyweight she’d believed herself to be, and so he’d needed to be taken down several pegs, too. She saw how he looked at his brother and the flying fish that chased after his heels like a needy Lillipup, and being turned into that was an insult she wouldn’t suffer. She hated that he tried to humor her-- that he thought her so far beneath him that she could be humored-- and so she’d lashed out.

She’d never thought she’d be someone’s partner.

She definitely hadn’t thought she’d be someone’s failed partner.

Before she’d migrated to the Celestial Tower, Litwick had spent some time in a nice library; there had been a woman who’d frequented it, reading aloud for the empty archive, and it had sparked a curiosity in her. She’d mostly read cheesy romances because they were hilarious, but there had been a few instances where she’d branched out-- and one of those times, it had been to browse through a book on literary criticism. At the time, she’d thought it encompassed her own snarky commentary, and finding that it was something else entirely had turned her off of it, but it came to mind now.

The exact words escaped her, but it had stated that if criticism caused a writer to give up their craft, then it had failed at its job; the worst thing a critic could do was snuff the desire to create.

Litwick was beginning to realize that she’d done just that, metaphorically speaking, at least.

Even if she didn’t like how he went about it, the ki... Ingo had been trying, and in recent weeks, she’d taken that for granted. She hadn’t given it a second thought when he stopped refuting her mild insults or answering her sass with a subtle sarcasm of his own.

He thought she truly didn’t like him-- and she’d thought she didn’t like him, but now, faced with the prospect of being released into the wild, she had to reevaluate her feelings.

She guessed he was… sweet, but dull, in the way of someone who hadn’t figured out who they were, yet. Somehow, she just expected more from him, and she wasn’t sure why-- there was a smokiness he lacked, the steel of willpower honed to a razor’s edge, and of burning want, the drive to reach an undefined goal. It was frustrating to know it should have been there, but just wasn’t for some reason.

His soul was flatter than ever, now, albeit with a melancholic tinge that felt more like what she’d expected. Litwick realized she didn’t like it any better and-- worse-- that there was no one but herself to blame for its current state.

As things stood, she had been a bad partner. In those daydreams where she allowed herself to have a trainer, they were a master of their craft, someone whose orders in battle were confident and without flaw, who saw her worth and respected her for her power and wit-- but Litwick… had to be able to prove herself worth that ideal, in turn. That was why she’d been so mad at Ingo at first; he’d unwittingly shown that she wasn’t that noble and mighty Pokemon who wouldn’t settle. She’d been captured by a shocked 12 year old whose first instinct had been to catch the ghost snacking on his brother.

If trainers shared their ideals with the Pokemon they trained, using those ambitions to help them grow bigger and better, then couldn’t it go both ways? She already knew what she thought her kid was capable of-- all she had to do was train him back, help in grow into it.

“Maybe... we can make a deal, eh? Mutual aid or whatever you want to call it; we, uh-- we try to train each other.”

Finally, Ingo looked at her, and she hadn’t realized until that moment just how much his refusal to do so had grated on her-- not in the sense that it was disrespectful, which she might have guessed even five minutes ago, but because he couldn’t look her in the eye. For the first time since her spike of white-hot realization, Litwick considered what he’d been trying to do here. He was offering to let her go, yes, but only ever on her terms: ‘you can go if you would prefer,’ ‘it’s not fair to you,’ ‘no one’s stopping you.’ Not once had he implied that this was something he’d wanted and, in fact, the miserable allegation that she was only making things harder on him suggested the opposite

The internal tension holding her wax firm ebbed as he lowered his head into a tiny nod, sealing the deal by tucking her pokeball back into its intended shape. More than anything that came before it, that was the moment Litwick realized that she was at peace with this decision; if she so chose, she could move in another direction with her life, but she would always wonder what might have been.

“That’s an acceptable course of action.” Ingo said, voice hushed in a way she vaguely remembered hadn’t heard before.

“Deal’s a deal, then.” She said, and inched forward, waiting to see if he was about to recall her. He didn’t, and she moved closer, until she was standing just a foot away.

As she moved nearer, he knelt down onto her level, and considered her as she came to a complete stop. After a moment’s deliberation, he held a hand out so she could use it to get up. “You’re welcome to board as our conductor.”

Her first instinct was to brush his comment off with a snide remark, but after the conversation they’d just had, deliberately softened it. Now that they’d reached a new understanding, she thought they could go back to roasting one another within the week, but it would be kind to give it a grace period for the evening.

She took the offer. His hands were gentle as he lifted her, putting her in the mind of rough but discerning fingers running across a chin she didn’t have, and pleasant though it was, she cut it short by climbing onto his shoulder.

“Sounds good. Where’s this train headed, anyway?”

“Tonight, we’re returning to home station.” He said, and then gave her a subtle look, inclining his head, “But tomorrow… we’ll start to run toward our next highest state, together.”

#submas #pokemon #subway boss ingo #fanfic #ihaveatheoryonthat pkmn

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egginfroggin · 2 months

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Imagine...

Emmet is transported to Hisui.

He became five or six years old.

When he comes back, Ingo learns that he will now become a father.

Extremely late answer, sorry, Anon.

I feel that Arceus would get punched by a very irate Subway Boss in that scenario, I love it.

This has spawned many words in the master document, as my brain has decided to positively gnaw on this idea, and alas, nothing is finished yet, so have a bit of worldbuilding and some drawings in the meantime.

Worldbuilding and close-ups under the cut, and please click on the images for better quality.

And again, thank you so much for the ask, Anon, this was really fun! ^^

Pencil sketches:

first doodle of the Little Guy

height comparisons to further emphasize the "Little" part of the Little Guy

a) Akari and Rei making the mistake of turning their backs on Emmet for 0.5 seconds as he notices something off-camera b) the twins continuing to talk, oblivious to Emmet's act of absconding c) the twins turning around to talk to their teeny charge d) swift baseball bat of Realization at the Emmet-shaped absence in their immediate vicinity

Pen sketches (part of a page of sketches that were otherwise unrelated, hence the numbering):

3. a very happy lil man, despite the oversized hat 4. he skrungle scribble 5. who's he looking at? who knows

Digital art:

Emmet craves violence. Akari and Rei are used to this (featuring: probably the best expressions I've ever drawn)

he's a bit older now, but still smaller than his evolved starter; Typhlosion can tell his soul is older, but he is physically small, so she abuses his lack of height to shower him in affection

an internal mess of conflicting instincts, thoughts, and emotional maturity, but Arceus's plan is set in motion, and there's nothing Emmet can do about it

Worldbuilding:

Emmet got shrunk on his way to Hisui, due to the Rift's distorted power affecting him on the way out; he lands on Prelude Beach, drowning in his Depot Agent uniform now that he is teeny tiny

Arceus, panicking a little bit, communicates more directly with Emmet, urging him along on his mission

Emmet's memories are messed up, and his conduct is an odd combination of a child and an adult. By which I mean he can be disconcertingly clever and mature, but also the poutiest little guy with a habit of crying

Young age plus being overwhelmed plus stress equals one mute boi; this does not change his penchant for causing Problems

Jubilife is a lot more lenient with him because of how young he is, but Laventon, Cyllene, and Kamado suspect that he isn't supposed to be like this due to how he was found

Emmet is in an awkward position as far as finding living conditions go, being too odd for most parents to want to take in but also much too young to live on his own

Akari and Rei are assigned babysitters. Let the stressing and development of gray hairs commence

Emmet is Perfectly Behaved and causes no Problems at all, of course, why would he? Why would he?

(He bolts for the gates the moment Akari opens the door in the morning) (Ress caught him)

After sending Emmet home, Arceus shortly feels a distinct feeling of being in danger

After finding out that his brother has been shrunk and not fixed, Ingo fixes metaphorical (and perhaps literal) crosshairs on the back of Arceus's head

Arceus may be in danger

Close-ups of the digital art:

(Program used for the digital sketches: Krita; time taken: about 90 minutes)

Thank you for reading all of this! I hope you have a wonderful, blessed day. :>

#asks #anon asks #eggin's writings #eggin creatin'#submas #subway boss emmet #subway boss ingo #trainer rei #pla akari #wtst #best of intentions au #yeah that's right I'm giving it a tag #just so I can keep all the miscellaneous stuff together though #someone help these teenagers #and emmet for that matter #thank you again anon!#sorry this took so long to respond to

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coramatus · 1 year

Text

Lady Sneasler recounts to Emmet her observations of Ingo before he became the Unknown’s Woodsman. Even when he had a place to belong, it never felt right to him and she could tell.

prev - next

Transcription of decent-for-once handwriting:

Lady Sneasler: Yes, Ingo found a home in Hisui. Yes, he made a place for himself. But I could always tell… He was never truly happy here.

#pokemon #pokemon legends arceus #pokemon black and white #pokemon black 2 and white 2 #under the city streets au #submas #subway boss ingo #warden ingo #woodsman ingo #subway boss emmet #lady sneasler #clan leader irida #alakazam #tangrowth #gliscor #coramatus's artwork #probably the first and only time pla lore is directly depicted in this au

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nartothelar · 11 months

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Thank you for the fanfic food: They have been verrry good and I enjoyed them a lot. (I already knew a few)

As a thank you I share some great fics I have found, hope you don't mind and even like them

"Comfort him" by Waywardstation not exactly a submas fic at first glance but it involves Ingo starting to remember Emmet during his time in Hisui. (even without Ingo and Emmet feature in most of their fics they are all well written fics that absolutely deserve to be checked out

"What difference does one car make?"; "Demon in White"; "At which station does a ghost belong?" and "If your route home changes, will it still lead to me?" by AnxiouslyIntroverted angsty submas fics that all have a very sweet, hopeful and happy ending. Mostly focusing on Emmet but Ingo is still a very big and important part. Prepare yourself some tissues because its easy to cry here.

All submas work by ImpossibleJedi4 (ingo-ingoing-ingone here) A submasfic maestro in my opinion. You won't regret picking up any of them.

"To share space once more" by EVTrainingUniversity this fic focuses on Ingo disappearing, his return and how he and Emmet try to adjust to each other again from Emmets point of view, memories sprinkled in between and a verrry good read.

okay I don't wanna overdo it. I really hope you don't mind me sharing some fics with you.

Wah! I think i read a couple of these before but I'll have to check out the others! 👀 Thank you for sharing! 💖

#ask #fic rec

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bellafragolina · 2 months

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Could you write an imagine for Ingo, emmet, and N (separate) were it takes place during the final year of highschool. The characters and the reader a pining for each other hard and they’re working hard to try and confess as well ask the other to prom. Up to you on who confesses first

you got it babe! these will be a little shorter due to there being multiple characters, hope that's okay!

🍓🍓🍓

Ingo:

You were all he could think about most days. Ingo knew it was hopeless, that denying it would get him nowhere. He had to face the facts that he was smitten for you. It was hard not to be, when you smiled at him and laughed at his pitiful jokes. He was lucky to have been assigned as your lab partner for the year, a blessing he wasn't going to squander after pining after you so hard all of high school.

So Ingo planned. He worked diligently to create something worth your time, an intricate gesture to show the extent of his feelings, hopefully without being too much. As much as Ingo admired you, he didn't want to scare you away by being too much too fast.

He could already be loud; he didn't want to be overbearing.

So on a bright Saturday morning, Ingo plotted himself in your front yard, shaking head to toe as he clutched his big sign, his bouquet of flowers, his balloons, and a bag of sweets he knew you liked. His call of your name had you running to your window, and as you peered down to him, you read the words on the sign he held.

"Please join me for a fun Eevee-ning at Prom!"

"Please!" The red-faced Ingo tacked on, just in case.

You slapped a hand over your mouth, giggling. "Yes! I'll go to prom with you!"

Ingo's resounding "REALLY??" could be heard across Unova. But hey, at least he was happy. That's all you cared about anyway.

Emmet:

Emmet was pretty deep in denial of his feelings for you when prom season began to roll around. You were just his very good friend! And he got so excited to hang out with you that it made him all hot and flushed, so it wasn't blushing, Ingo, he was just hot.

The thing that really kicked his ass into gear was hearing that someone else wanted to ask you to prom. It was just a casual mention he happened to overhear, and suddenly Emmet was struck with horror that he was being dumb assuming you'd go to prom together without him even asking just because you were best friends.

(Jealousy played a hand in it as well, not that he really acknowledged that part.)

Emmet didn't waste time once he came to those several conclusions. He scrambled to get what he needed. He grabbed your favorite sweet treats, he got flowers, he got a plush of a Pokémon you liked. He raced to your house afterwards, nearly tearing out the knees of his jeans as he dropped to a kneel before you.

"Prom!" He shouted at you, sweaty and blushing and deliriously smiling so very wide. "Please!"

"Really?" You gasped, clapping when he nodded. "Yes! Emmet!"

Your kiss kicked his head on straight. Oh, he did love you. A lot.

Good thing he had all of prom to make up for lost time!

N grew up sheltered, but he knew about prom. He knew about promposals, how romantic they were, and figured they were the perfect way to express his feelings for you. He knew through your Pokémon that you were practically swooning over the idea of being asked to prom, so N went to work.

It was. . . more difficult than he expected. Getting the supplies was easy, but what would he say? What would he put on the poster board? There were the typical prom-related puns, or Pokémon-related puns, or what have you, but he wanted it to be special. You deserved special.

He couldn't ask Ghetsis, so N turned towards your own friends. Luckily, they were happy to helpful, if a bit threatening towards him should he even think of breaking your heart (not that he would ever!). They showed him a few quotes you liked, a few puns you found endlessly funny, and other ideas.

And with all the information, N put together the most incomprehensible and crowded poster board to ever be. And he marched it up to your house, along with flowers and candy and a corsage and even a stereo playing music in the background.

"Hello." He greeted, rushing to get the words out as you struggled to comprehend the sign before you. "Please go to prom with me. We'll have so much fun!"

"Oh!" You gasped, but you grinned. N dropped his sign the moment your arms opened to him, beaming into your shoulder. "Of course!"

You showed your friends the pictures your parents took afterwards, and they boggled the monstrosity N put together. But you were covering him in grateful kisses, so they kept any negative opinions to themselves. At least you were happy!

🍓🍓🍓

how cute! promposals sound so romantic and sweet T-T

hope you enjoy!

~Renee

#pokemon imagines #pokemon x reader #ingo x reader #emmet x reader #submas x reader #n x reader

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es46 · 3 months

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Gone in the Sky

- Prompt inspired by @queep1 muse on if Skyla had been the one to vanish to Hisui. - Elesa didn't tell her. There outside of Big Stadium, their day together another one to remember, Elesa had thought Skyla looked so beautiful. Her eyes were bright, her smile dazzling, and her enthusiasm was infectious. Seeing her happy was worth any investment. Skyla hugged her, thanked her for a wonderful day, and Elesa had laughed with her, looking her in the eyes as she told her what a pleasure it was to hang out. They held the gaze longer than expected, embraced tighter than usual, and Elesa saw a blush colour Skyla's cheeks. She saws yearning in her eyes, looked closely at how Skyla's lips curved beautifully, soft and pink. She should've told her. She should've kissed her. Elesa lost her nerve, pulled away, and Skyla's smile was heartbreakingly understanding as she settled on Swanna's back. Hiding her cowardice behind the supermodel expression, Elesa wished her a safe flight. Skyla is gentle as she thanks her, assures her that it'll be a breeze with Swanna, but Elesa can't miss the disappointment in her eyes. Swanna spread her majestic white wings, and Elesa stood outside of Big Stadium long after Skyla had vanished over the horizon. She grabbed her long bangs and tugged hard. "I didn't tell her." Elesa lamented. She said that when she was slumped down on Pumice's coffee table. Pumice had rolled her eyes, remarking how the youth today had no spine, how Clay had punched out her old boyfriend to make his point. Little Lacey was more sympathetic, patting Elesa's shoulder and assuring her that there was always tomorrow. Just make sure to tell her before Lacey started at the academy. She said that when she was home and slouched on her sofa, alternating phone calls between friends. Ingo was unsurprised, sighing how Elesa was far too used to glamour instead of sincerity. Emmet was understanding, noting how long it took to understand his commitment to trains. Burgh simply laughed. They all finished with the same advice. There was always tomorrow. Elesa held that close to heart. She lost her nerve today, but tomorrow, when Skyla was back to see Big Stadium's next match, Elesa would tell her. She'd tell her she liked her. She'd tell her she loved her. Before Elesa goes to bed, her phone rings. It's Miles, Skyla's grandfather. Bewildered, Elesa listens to him apologise for bothering her, stumbling over his words, sounding lost, fettered. Something twists in Elesa's stomach, an unease that gripped her tightly. Working to keep calm, Elesa confirmed that she had seen Skyla today, that she watched her leave Nimbasa. She grips the phone tightly, the twisting only worsening as Miles goes on, sounding increasingly tormented, like he was fighting back tears, an urge to scream. "I, I asked all over Mistralton, I've looked at the tower, but I just... I just don't know. Elesa, Skyla didn't come home. She never came home today, and no-one's seen her, no-one knows where she is." Twisting. Tormented. The air rushes out of her lungs like someone just punched her in the gut. Elesa feels the phone slip out of her hand, see the world tilt on its axis, and it doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense, she thinks, until Elesa realizes she's laid on the floor, staring into nothing, a soundless scream tearing in her throat. She calls everyone she can. Pumice, Burgh, the twins, Clay, Drayden, her manager, her models, everyone. She's out on Nimbasa's streets, atop Zebstrika as he gallops to every house, to every corner, searching with the rest of them. Every sewer, seaway, subway; nothing goes unturned. The sun goes down. The sun comes up. The sun starts to set. By the time Drayden is dragging her back home, Elesa is a shadow of herself, still feeling a soundless scream clawing in her throat. It was tomorrow. No-one found Skyla. There was always tomorrow, Drayden had attempted to assure her. But as Elesa lays on her bed, twisted and tormented, the cruel realization rattles in her mind, refusing to stop. Elesa didn't tell her.

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onestepbackwards · 2 years

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What’s All the Buzz About? Pt. 2

Hello I am back again with part 2 of my Bee Hybird Submas fic (❁´◡`❁) The fic is inspired by @r0-boat‘s BeeGearStation Au! Please go check out her work, it’s really fun and amazing to read! The designs for the hybrids were heavily inspired by @antidotesprout! Please go check them out as well! Their art is truly amazing! I struggled a bit with this chapter, I will not lie. I apologize if it feels a teeny bit off. It felt like I was a bit everywhere with this one. Regardless, I hope you all enjoy the chapter! Summary: After an unfortunate cave in, you find out the subway tunnels you were trapped in were actually now part of a Bee Hybrid hive. Thankfully, one of the twin Kings have offered to take care of you until you recover! Though you were thankful for the help, you can’t help but be a bit nervous at what you might encounter... CW: Leg injury, minor anxiety attack, spiraling dark thoughts, mentions of a cave in, mentions or coercion, bee hybrids, Hybrid!Submas, King Bee Emmet, King Bee Ingo, Word Count: 6744 words! >Previous: Link >Next: Link ------

Your day has gone from bad, to horrible, to damn near unbelievable. From being coerced into going ‘exploring’ with your boss and coworkers, to being stuck and injured in the subway tunnels from a cave in thanks to said boss and coworkers, then to being found by a King bee hybrid. You didn’t even think King bees existed, let alone hybrid ones. And now? You were being carried bridal style by said King bee hybrid, who happily hummed as he strolled through the tunnels, carrying you to his hive. He had offered to help you rest and recover, assuring you no harm would come to you in his care. Seeing as your leg was completely out of commission, you had no idea where you were in the tunnels, and you were terribly exhausted, you decided to take him up on his offer. ...Not like you had much of a choice. But, he seemed genuine and kind, and you were just so done with everything. You needed a break. Even if it meant being taken to a live hive full of bees, as long as you got some food and sleep, you’d take it at this point. Even if it was a bit odd. Emmet had insisted on carrying you, and you were a bit hesitant at first. However, your leg was in no shape to continue having pressure, so you accepted his offer. He had even insisted on walking instead of flying, worried he might jostle your leg if he flew through the tunnels. You were a little touched he, a complete stranger, seemed to care so much. If you were being honest, you were also a bit mystified by the man, you couldn’t help but look him over. He was tall, taller than any human you had ever seen. No doubt he was easily over 7 feet. The way he held you in his arms made you feel especially small. He also wore a uniform of sorts. It was a white uniform, though he wore a golden tie, and his coat had gold patterns on the sleeves and along the middle. You couldn’t help but think it looked good on him. For some reason, it really fit him, though you couldn’t explain why. …And you may or may not have found it adorable how his antennae fit through the brim of his white hat, twitching every now and again. “See something you like?” He suddenly asked, jogging you out of your thoughts. His eyes playfully glinted as they stared back at your own. You could feel your face heat up, knowing you had been caught staring. His smile seemed to grow almost smug at your blush, and his antennae twitched. “I… Was looking at your uniform. Sorry.” you quickly apologized. Emmet only seemed amused. Your face burned hotter as he continued to stare. Thankfully, he decided to give you a break, and you felt him shift you ever so slightly. “Do you like it? My uniform? It is inspired by the role of the subway boss that this city used to have!” He excitedly gushed to you, trying to show off his outfit. You couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. “It looks nice on you. Did you make it?” You asked, trying to make small talk, and feeling more comfortable, seeing how happy he was. Emmet’s smile brightened, and you couldn’t help but think his smile looked good on him. “No, but I had commissioned a friend of the hive to make it for my brother and myself! Through trade, they even made extra Depot Agent uniforms for the drones!” He explained. You blinked. “...So the whole hive is themed like the subway?” You asked, a bit surprised. Emmet nodded excitedly.

“Yup yup! The drones were quite taken with the uniforms! After the Queen died, we had more freedom to do as we wished, dress as we wished.” You were still a bit surprised. You hadn’t heard of insect hybrid colonies or hives doing this, but it was kind of a cute visual, if you were being honest. Though you couldn’t help but wonder a bit at what he said. Just when had their Queen died? Had he not always been a King? How did that even work? You didn’t think hives even had King bees. Then there was the fact he didn’t exactly seem pleased when he talked about his former Queen. You couldn’t help but wonder if their reign hadn’t been a peaceful one. Were they strict? Overbearing maybe? Or maybe even worse in ways you didn’t want to imagine. As much as you wanted to ask, you wondered if it would be rude to do so, especially seeing as he was one of the current Kings. That was another thing you were curious about. You knew hives usually only had one Queen. From you could remember, you know that regular hives could sometimes have two Queens, but this wasn’t a regular bee hive. Could hybrid hives even have multiple royals? Perhaps it wasn’t impossible. As you thought this, you nearly missed the large door covered in wax that Emmet carried you through. It was such a shock, you nearly blanked out from the large area. Everything was covered in wax and combs. There were bee hybrids everywhere you looked! Some were flying throughout the room, others were on the walls, others were milling about on the floor, heading to one place or another. Some bees were even chatting with each other, and checking on papers or clip boards.

This definitely explained all the buzzing you had been hearing, and the drones digging tunnels into the walls was the rumbling, you assumed. True to Emmet’s word earlier, the bees all seemed to be wearing variations of the Depot Agent uniforms that the station used to have. Despite what some might call as chaos, you couldn’t help but find it all finely organized. If you were being honest with yourself, you were in awe at what you were seeing. Chances were, you were one of the few humans that ever even got to step foot in a hybrid hive, let alone this hive in particular. “Impressed?” Emmet’s voice once again shocked you out of your thoughts. His eyes seemed to almost light up as he watched you take in the hive. “It’s… Wow! I haven’t seen anything like this before. It’s so cool!” You spoke quietly, still amazed at the sights of the hive. Emmet couldn’t help but feel his antennae twitch at your words and expression, and his body straightened up with pride. It was a step forward! After all, how could you rule a hive, if you didn’t even like how it looked? That, and the fact that the cute human he found liked his home! You were impressed with what you saw so far, and this was only a small part of the whole structure! Not to mention, you didn’t seem freaked out in the slightest. He had to hold back his wings from buzzing in excitement. It was no secret amongst insect hybrids that they were not well liked among human kind. He had heard all sorts of things from other hybrids, and even from some humans himself. It wasn’t exactly fun being called or referred to as a ‘creepy crawly hybrid’, either. Most humans stayed clear of his kind, and his kind likewise did the same. Sure, there was the little hiccup when you first saw him, but it was now obvious it was from your situation, and your nerves. You seemed un-bothered about his and the drones’ appearances now that you were a bit more calm! Yes, this was already going a lot smoother than he had originally aimed for. Meanwhile, as Emmet carried you further into the hive, you couldn’t help but shift a bit in Emmet’s hold every now and then. Every time you passed a bee, if they weren’t busy, they’d see you in the King’s grip, and stare. Some seemed confused, Some seemed suspicious, others almost looked as awed as you felt. But much to Emmet’s word, they did nothing to you. They didn’t even stop the King hybrid as he merrily carried you along. The stares made you a bit uneasy. Just what would have happened if Emmet had not come across you? Would they have attacked on sight? Or had given you directions out of the tunnels? You couldn’t help but think of the ‘what ifs’, and just how close you could have possibly been to death. This didn’t go unnoticed by Emmet. You didn’t seem bothered by the drones themselves, but you seemed a bit skittish when they openly stared at you both. He supposed he couldn’t blame you. You were in a very vulnerable state. Though it made him feel a bit sad you felt this way. But no matter! Himself and Ingo could get the hive used to you in no time. He was sure with a little bit of kindness, and a bit of a push, you would grow comfortable with his drones as well! After all, he really didn’t want you scared of the other bees, especially when you seemed so interested in them. Truly, as long as himself and Ingo said so, the drones would never lift a finger towards you. He had to make you comfortable. Though that left another thing lingering in Emmet’s mind. No doubt Ingo wouldn’t be pleased with him bringing a random human into the hive without consulting him first. Emmet was sure Ingo would listen to reason when he heard your story, and saw you were injured. His older twin may be wary of humans, but he had always been curious of them, and a big softie to boot, despite his strict face. Ingo also didn’t like turning people away who needed help, unless it hurt the hive. But how to get Ingo on his side for his grand plan? How to convince him? As he went over his minor mental dilemma, you could only admire the hive as Emmet crossed the giant area, taking you into a large hallway. The few bees in the area quickly moved out of his way. Although many had their eyes on you, they still took time to greet the King. Some offered a small wave or smile, others gave a brief bow. It made you critically aware of just how casually you had been treating someone considered royalty this whole time. He didn’t seem upset or anything, from what you could tell. Still, you couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. Have you done anything offensive that you were unaware of? You don’t think you’ve done or said anything, but you couldn’t help but feel a bit weird about it. “Um… Mr. Emmet…” You spoke up gently. His eyes landed back on you. “Yes? You may just refer to me as Emmet.” He told you. Despite the assurance, you could help but still be a bit nervous. “About that… Should I be referring to you with a royal title as well? I don’t want to offend you…” You spoke, unsure about the situation. He was being kind enough to let you stay and heal, you didn’t want him upset. At your question, he seemed to stop for a moment and think. “No. You are not a drone, you are a guest of the hive. Emmet is just fine.” He told you, though. “But thank you for asking!” You let out a sigh of relief. You hadn’t offended him, and you had permission to just refer to him as his name. An odd thing to have been hung up on, but you couldn’t afford to piss a King off, you figure. Before you could dwell more on it, Emmet turned a corner, and entered a rather large room. Like the hall and the large room from before, it was covered in wax, and had several dozen honeycombs littering the walls. There were several drones flying around, checking on the combs, or milling about. A few drones were even on the beds, some hidden behind curtains, others being checked on by other drones. The room itself had several beds across the room, and you easily figured this must be an infirmary of sorts. As Emmet walked in, almost all eyes were on the King and you. You fought the urge to squirm in his hold as he carried you to the corner of the room. A few drones moved out of his way, and he gently placed you down on a very soft cot of sorts. “Give me just a moment, please.” He told you, and ushered a few drones over, and walked a bit of ways away to speak to them. You sat on the elevated bed, looking around the room, though it was a little hard to do so. The bed Emmet had chosen for you had a curtain around the side of it, so you took in what you could. The drones especially had caught your attention, not just the ones talking to Emmet. The King hadn’t been kidding about a subway theme for the hive. Almost all the drones walking and flying around were wearing the green Depot Agent uniform that the official subway used in the heart of Nimbasa city. They each had 2 sets of arms, one through the regular sleeves, and a pair of arms just under the other pair, ripped through the uniform. An odd detail you also noticed. The King only seemed to have one pair of arms. You supposed that was normal? Though you didn’t know enough about King bee anatomy to dispute it. You couldn’t help but also notice little details about the drones. They all looked very similar at a glance, sure, but they each had their own unique little traits. From height, weight, muscle (did bees have muscles???), wings, and even fuzz and face details. They looked so cool. You couldn’t help but find them interesting to watch. You were already a bit of a people watcher, so getting to watch hybrid bee drones move around and work like this was fascinating to you. But you also didn’t want to just stare at them. Was that rude? Probably. Though it’s not like you had anything else you could do. It was the only thing capturing your attention, and distracting you a bit from the increasing pain your leg was in. Emmet was too far away for you to hear what he was saying to the drones, though you did see some salute him, and run out of the infirmary. He seemed to then instruct another set of bees, occasionally gesturing to you. Whatever he was saying seemed to catch them by surprise, though he had their utmost attention. Some even had clipboards, and were furiously writing down notes, occasionally glancing your way, then back at the King. You weren’t quite sure if that was a good thing or not. Before you could dwell on it further, Emmet quickly returned to your side with several of the drones he had been talking with. He seemed excited, along with the bees, who all seemed eager to see you.

“Excellent news! I have some drones on standby learning more about human anatomy to help you heal comfortably. As they go over the information, the hive’s medics will be looking over you to the best of their ability. Will that be alright with you?” He asked, looking over at you expectantly.

You blinked, trying to process what he just said for a moment. That… Was already a lot. You just expected maybe to have a bed and wait for the break to heal so you could leave, maybe get it rebroken at an ER so it could heal properly. This was going above and beyond what you expected them to do for you. They waited for you to answer patiently, and you finally nodded your head. “I… Okay. That will be alright.” Perhaps you should have given it more thought, but the bees were already moving after you gave them the okay. Still, thoughts couldn’t help but flow through your mind. Should you have agreed? When will you be better? When would you be able to go home? You felt the exhaustion hit you when you thought about everything going on in your life, now that you had ended up trapped. Did your boss call anyone? What about your coworkers? Had they left you in that tunnel to die? Have they even alerted the police you had been left behind, probably injured and alone? Did they even think you were alive?

…Did they even care? Would you end up just a passing thought? Would your boss cover up your disappearance?

Would your family even be informed?

You could feel your mind quickly beginning to spiral as you really began to think about everything.

Your breathing was picking up, and your vision was beginning to blur. Faintly, you could feel yourself beginning to sweat. Just out of your vision, you were barely aware of the drones moving around you, until you felt a cold hand on your shoulder. The touch startled you, and you looked up. Emmet was looking at you, and the smile you had gotten used to seeing on his face was nowhere to be seen. “Are you alright?” He asked, clearly concerned.

You had begun to smell… Off. Nor had you looked completely there. When you had started shaking and breathing quickly, he was quick to worry. What was wrong? Was this a human thing? Was it the shock wearing off?

Different questions ran through his mind, and his wings twitched with worry. When you turned to look up at him, he felt his breath catch. The way you looked at him made you seem so vulnerable. It really hit him in that moment, just how much you must be going through. He couldn’t say if it was physical pain, mental pain, or a mixture of everything, but you were trying so hard not to break. You took a moment to stare at him, before reaching up, and rubbing the tears that threatened to fall away. His presence had luckily snapped you out of it before you fell in too deep. “Y-Yeah. Sorry. Just… overwhelmed. Sorry ‘bout that.” You mumbled, looking away from him, a bit embarrassed. Emmet thought to himself for a moment. He really couldn’t imagine what you must be feeling, or what you are going through. Emmet had no idea what kind of life you lived, especially since he had just met you about an hour ago. There was a slight peace in his mind, knowing this was probably just stress in general, not fear from his hive. But he would not lie. He was worried about you. The stress you were under must be immense.

Internally, he went over what you may need in his head. First, you needed medical aid, which his drones were already working on. He had already sent several to grab some human medical aid supplies that he knew had been left behind when the subway was abandoned. After that, you probably needed rest, first and foremost. That, and food and water, something he had sent several other drones on a mission to find. If he recalled correctly, humans could eat a lot of things, including fruit. Some fruit, added with some of their honey, and you should be feeling better in no time! But first, you needed medical attention and rest.

Perhaps he should move you to a separate room? You’ll probably feel more at ease, with less curious eyes on you. Just as he opened his mouth to ask if you’d like that, the doors to the infirmary burst open. “EMMET!” Emmet winced. You meanwhile, jumped at the sudden loud noise. When you faced the direction of the doors, you were surprised to see another bee hybrid the size of Emmet turn the corner. “Emmet, just what do you think you are-” He said, beginning to lecture the other hybrid, only to pause when he saw you past the curtains. You shied back a bit from his intense gaze. The hybrid stared at you for a moment, mouth agape as he looked you over. His eyes landed on your injured leg, before he glanced back at you, and then back to Emmet. As he did so, you got a good look at him. This must be Emmet’s twin brother. Emmet hadn’t specified how he had a twin, only mentioning to you in the tunnels he was one of the twin Kings of the hive. And they certainly looked like it, as they stood side by side. Where Emmet’s coat was white and gold, his brother’s was black and gold. Even his trousers were black, along with his little hat, which also had a gold trim above the rim. Other than that, the only physical difference was the frown on his brother’s face, where Emmet still had a smile. Though you could tell the smile was now a nervous one. Those two were nearly identical.

You fought back the heat rising in your cheeks as he stared at you.

He was just as pretty as his brother. A beat passed, and Emmet tried to speak up.

“Ingo-” Ingo(?) quickly turned to Emmet, before casting one more glance at you, then pulling his brother away from the bed you were on. You could only hope you weren’t getting Emmet in trouble by being here… Emmet however, was more or less expecting this to happen, just not as soon as it did. Ingo pulled him into the corner of the infirmary, making sure you were out of sight and hearing range, before his brother’s eyes were on him. “I can explain-” Emmet began, before Ingo crossed his arms, wings twitching in irritation. “Yes, please do. Why did you think it would be a good idea to bring a human into the hive, without consulting anyone first?” Despite how upset his brother seemed, Emmet held himself back from sighing in relief. He could read his twin better than anyone. Ingo was upset, sure, but also incredibly curious. No doubt after seeing your injury, he had an idea what had happened, but wanted to hear it from Emmet himself. Emmet took a deep breath, before explaining. “I was in the tunnels north of here, going over the expansion progress from our workers. I had been flying back, when I saw the human limping in the dark at the first diverging set of tracks.” He began, and he had Ingo’s immediate attention. “From the split tracks? So they came in from the poorly sealed entrance that had been broken into a few years ago? Isn’t that still unstable?” Ingo asked, his tone growing worried. Emmet nodded in confirmation. “Yes. Apparently, they came down here because they were made to by their boss and his drones. From what I could gather, somehow the entrance caved in, and the human’s leg was crushed, and they were left behind.” Ingo’s eyes widened, and he glanced back in the direction of the cot you were sitting on, before landing back on Emmet. “And they walked all the way to the crossroads? With a broken leg?” Emmet grinned at Ingo’s awestruck expression. “Nope! They walked even further.” Ingo looked at him in disbelief. “I followed them for a while, unaware that they had been injured. I was curious as to why they were down here, and if they were here for the hive. I had concluded they were actually injured, and approached them about 30 minutes out from the north lobby.” Emmet’s hands raised as he tried to explain what happened, his wings and antennae twitching as he did so. “They were startled at first, but seemed surprised, rather than scared to see me. In fact, I think they were rather impressed.” Ingo stared at him for a moment. “So they weren’t scared of you, an insect hybrid?” Emmet shook his head, his grin growing. “Nope. They seemed surprised to see me, but did not fear me!”

It was mostly the truth. Sure, he did scare you, but that was more situational than his hybrid status.

What Ingo didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Ingo had an odd look on his face, and raised a hand to his chin as he continued to think. “So, I offered them help. They were alone, and were about to walk into the hive anyways. They are injured, and are no threat.” Emmet assured Ingo, though continued to speak. “I apologize for not informing you first, I-” Emmet began, and Ingo raised his hand, causing Emmet to pause. “I can see where you are coming from now. No apology needed. I apologize instead for yelling at you in front of our guest. I owe them an apology as well, it seems.”

Emmet’s smile widened. He knew it would not take much for Ingo to waver over this!

Though before his brother could walk over to see you, he grabbed Ingo’s sleeve.

“I would like to talk to you momentarily in private, after this.” Ingo looked over Emmet’s expression, trying to glean just what he wanted to talk about, though nodded his head anyway. Judging by Emmet’s tone and face, he was serious. “Okay. Will do.” After that, Emmet let go of Ingo’s jacket, and both walked back over to the bed you were sitting on, talking to a drone with a clipboard. “...No, not particularly. I should be fine eating that.” They heard you say, and the drone eagerly wrote something down. Both you and the drone looked up when both twins arrived. The drone did a small bow in greeting, before continuing to write. Ingo cleared his throat, before tilting his head towards. “Hello, I would like to apologize for my earlier outburst. I had not been made aware of the situation. I hope you can forgive me for startling you.” Ingo said, putting a hand to his chest, and doing a small bow. Ingo felt a bit embarrassed that he had yelled and intimidated you. If you were truly an injured human who Emmet deemed no threat, then he would treat you like a guest. Both of them dreamed of being good hosts to those who needed it, even if they weren’t going out of their way to have guests. It was something the last Queen hadn’t been, and they wished to change that. What better way than starting with an injured human? You were a bit speechless though, seeing the other King of the hive just come up and apologize to you. “Oh… It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.” You told him, tilting your head. Emmet had mentioned he would need to let his brother know at some point, though you guessed the drones must have gotten the news to his twin first. Ingo shook his head. “I still yelled without knowing the situation. I apologize for doing so.” Despite the frown on his face, he seemed genuinely upset. It tugged at your heart a little bit. You gave him a small smile. “I accept your apology then. I’m not upset!” The hybrid then gave you a nod, and what looked like a small smile. “I’m glad. Now then, how is everything? What do you need?” He asked, clapping his hands together. You blinked, and looked between the two royals, and then to the drone. “Uh… I’m okay? I was telling the drone here what I can and can’t eat.” The drone next to you nodded, giving a small salute. “Yes! We wanted to be sure there was no risk for any allergies, and if we needed to get anything for specific dietary needs.” It was kind of sweet, and considerate, you thought. You wouldn’t have figured the bee hybrids to be more concerned over your needs than your own fucking job and coworkers. But hey, you were thankful. You weren’t gonna complain. Hell, you were half tempted to thank them on your hands and knees. They could have killed you, or left you to rot, completely lost in the tunnels. Instead, the hive actively wanted to help you so far.

The Kings, and even the few drones you have met so far all seemed nice. They were all gentle with you, and were making sure you were comfortable before doing anything with you or your leg. The other drones didn’t make you as nervous now, after talking with one of them. From what you could gather, most were genuinely just curious, which was a relief for you.

Both the Kings looked between you and the drone. “We also have a list of any allergies to be aware of, and the others are currently on their way back with some medical supplies.” The drone piped up again, twirling the pen between his fingers. You nodded. “Yeah. Thank you by the way. I appreciate you all taking the time for that.” You said, making sure to look at all three of them. It wasn’t much, but you at least wanted to vocalize it. The drone smiled brightly, and his wings cutely buzzed behind him. “It’s no problem at all!” Ingo and Emmet nodded at you as well. “Yes, it is no trouble! Thank you for being patient with us as we figure things out. We have not had a human in the hive in over a decade, so forgive us if it takes some time to figure things out.” Ingo said, thanking you instead. You had to hold yourself back from getting a bit flustered. Your emotions were definitely a bit high strung tonight. You felt like your nerves were all over the place. Still, it was a bit nice to be treated so kindly like this. When was the last time anyone had shown you such concern and kindness? Emmet then brought up his hand, and caught your attention. “I was thinking. Would you like a room, instead of the infirmary?” he asked, with a cute tilt of his head. Your eyes widened at the question, and you shook your head, hands waving. “Oh, no, you don’t have to do that! I’m just thankful for the help as it is, no need to go out of your way for me! It’s okay, I-” You tried to finish speaking, only for Ingo to speak up. “Nonsense! You are our guest. Let us take care of you!” Emmet nodded, clapping his hands in a familiar fashion to Ingo. “Yup! Yup! It is no problem!” The drone next to you all hummed, and put the end of the pen against his mouth. “It’s true, despite how cluttered it looks, we have the space. There are plenty of empty rooms we have ready on standby for guests. Some were made for future projects that never saw fruition. Others are remnants from the subway system, we just have not found a use for them.” He explained. “Honestly, it would be no issue! Please, allow us to treat you.” Ingo finished, and you felt all their eyes on you, almost eager to please. You had to hold back your jaw from dropping. You… Were not expecting this kind of treatment. Genuinely, you felt like it wasn’t necessary to go above and beyond for you, but you could tell that arguing as such would probably be a losing battle. “Okay. If you insist.” You said, albeit a bit unsure. Ingo clapped his hands one more time, his eyes lighting up. “Bravo! We shall have you healed up in no time!” You were expecting Emmet to come pick you up again, though were surprised when Ingo walked over, and held out his arms. “May I carry you to your destination?” His silver eyes were on you, waiting expectantly. You suddenly felt a bit flustered, but nodded your head. “You may.” Ingo’s wings buzzed for a moment, almost as if he was excited. Then he reached out, gently scooping you up in his arms, being mindful of your injured leg. You let out a small gasp at the action, and held onto his shoulders as he slightly adjusted you to a more comfortable hold. You happen to look up, and meet his eyes again. The silver, just like Emmet's, almost seemed to glow. It nearly took your breath away. Emmet cleared his throat, causing you both to break eye contact, and turned to the drone. “Please have some drones make sure room 15c is ready. We shall depart shortly.” The drone nodded, and immediately scurried off. Emmet turned towards you, and gave you another bright smile. “The room is more or less already set up, for the rare chance we host visitors and merchants from other colonies. It should be ready when we arrive.” You nodded, a bit overwhelmed again. It has been a long day, and it wasn’t even ten pm yet. A part of you wondered if this was all just a fever dream of some sort. Perhaps you were really just at home, and having the most realistic dream of your life. It wasn’t. You knew it wasn’t a dream. The pain, the fear from earlier, that was too real of an experience. Still, a part of you could hardly believe the situation you were currently in. Just how many humans got to say they were carried bridal style by two King Bee Hybrids in one night? …Granted, you didn’t think most humans could even say they got stuck in a cave thanks to their coworkers, and nearly stumble upon a hybrid hive either. It had been a long day. You were brought out of your thoughts though, when Ingo and Emmet began walking, taking you back into the hallway from before. They continued down the long hallway, occasionally pointing out things of interest to you. Different drones, a few rooms with food, or honeycombs, some rooms with what looked like a lot of paperwork. It was all fascinating to you. As you admired the different rooms you passed, you failed to notice how the twin’s eyes seemed to almost always be on you.

Ingo nearly couldn’t believe it. He was holding a human! One that wasn’t afraid!

He had seen a few humans before, back when he had been a drone. However, he had never shown himself unless necessary. The few times he had, never really went well.

They were either terrified, grossed out, or felt they were above him.

It was enough to make him want to keep his distance.

He knew not all humans were that way, but the few experiences he had made him want to avoid going out and making contact. Unless it was absolutely necessary, of course.

Which unfortunately, would have had to have been soon, regardless of his feelings.

But then he saw you.

You piqued his curiosity.

A human who wasn’t afraid? Who happily chatted with them and the drones?

Not to mention, you were rather easy on the eyes. You were easily one of the most attractive humans he had ever seen He looked at Emmet from the corner of his eye. His twin’s gaze was on you, even as he explained how a room was set up that they had passed. For a brief moment, Emmet’s eyes met his, before going back to you. You had potential. You could be perfect, just what the hive needed. Now it made a bit more sense. Emmet was kind. He would have helped you regardless, unless you had been hostile back in the tunnels. His younger twin didn’t like seeing others suffer. With that broken leg of yours, you definitely needed help, and Emmet wouldn’t have ignored that. However, if Emmet had wanted, he could have easily just taken you out of the tunnels, and into the city for help. No doubt you would have been taken care of. But Ingo could see the bigger picture. Emmet wanted to make a great impression on you. He wanted to help. Wanted you to like him, and to like the rest of the hive. And Ingo knew why.

You had potential to be the perfect Queen the hive needed. Ingo felt the gears turning in his head. Emmet was making gamble, putting his eggs in a single basket like this. However, both were getting desperate. They couldn’t support the hive forever on their own, and there weren’t any other bee hybrid hives in the nearby area to help with this issue. That, and bee hybrids specifically could be terribly territorial. He doubted any would help unless it had major benefits to their own hive. With their own hive being in the state it was in, just reaching out was a risk neither wanted to particularly take. So helping you like this, it was a huge gamble.

But ingo looked over at your cute, curious expression, and felt his antennae twitch.

This was a gamble Ingo decided he wanted to take stakes in.

One thing was for certain, Ingo and Emmet were very similar in a lot of things. One of those things being both enjoyed a risk. You weren’t some trophy to be won, nor would they treat you as such. But you were worth the effort to try and win over, he could feel it. They would not force you to take this role, of course. Everyone would only end up miserable if that were the case. You and the drones did not deserve that. Especially after the last Queen’s rule. But he had to have hope over this. His eyes once again landed over on Emmet. His brother had mentioned wanting to talk to him privately. Ingo had a feeling that it was over you, and the possibilities laid out before them.

He looked forward to that conversation. However, it would have to wait. The room was fast approaching, and they had to get you as comfortable as possible. These next few weeks were going to possibly be rough for you as you healed, so Ingo was eager to get you comfortable as soon as they were able. When they approached the room, Emmet was quick to walk up front and open the door. Ingo gave him a nod, and brought you inside. Your eyes widened as you took in the sight. The room was a little dusty, but still fairly clean. A bed was at the back of the room next to a wall, with a cute little black end table. The bed itself had basic black sheets, with a gold comforter and pillow cases.

‘Cute…’ you couldn’t help but think. The walls were a dark gray, and had a few posters from the old subway, and what looked like motivational posters as well. There was also what looked like a restroom off to the side, something you were very thankful to see. Ingo carried you through the room, and ever so gently laid you down on the bed. It was a lot bigger up close. Was it a king size? Before you could ask, Emmet placed his hands on his waist, and nodded. “Excellent. Is the room to your liking?” He asked, genuinely curious. You looked around the room a little more, before nodding your head with a small smile. “It’s very nice, thank you for letting me use it.” Both twins seemed to almost preen under your thanks, standing a little straighter. “Of course! We’re glad to be of service.” Ingo then turned to Emmet, and whispered something to him, causing the other twin to nod. Ingo turned back.

“We will try getting some more furnishing for you when the opportunity arises, we apologize in advance for that.” He told you suddenly, and you felt your eyes widen. Before you could tell them it wasn’t necessary, the door was knocked on, and a few drones peeked their heads in. They looked at you all, curious, though especially curious about you. Emmet waved them in, and they shuffled into the room. There were four in total, all wearing the cute little Depot Agent uniform. “We have the medical supplies!” The smallest one said with a cheer, and the biggest one behind them held up a box full of first aid equipment. “Bravo! Excellent!” Ingo praised them, and the bees sat up in pride.

Then, everyone turned towards you, and you suddenly felt a bit small at their intense gazed.

You could only hope they knew how to properly help you.

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