Leaf

  —

  I was happy that Hope was going to be able to help, but I still wasn't looking forward to being without her for over a week. I hadn't been away from her for longer than a few hours in… ever, since she joined us. It was going to be so weird, without her just… always in my mind.

  Still, this was a good thing, and what Hope wanted to do, so I wasn't exactly mad. Happy sad?

  "It's a week, you'll be fine. Hug Stabby? The Egg?" 'I am hugging the Egg, technically! It's in its carrier right next to you! Stabby? Yeah, like he wants to cuddle with me! I mean, he's tiny and cute, I guess, but nah! Leave him for Erin. They'll probably cuddle, then go kill something. By stabbing it!'

  She started giggling, and after a moment so did I, getting weird looks from everyone.

  We were standing in a police Pokemon interrogation room again, mom looking worried and impatient, Alex nervous, which I couldn't blame her for, and Erin was just… fuming.

  She was not happy about Looker's information last night, she was in an annoying amount of pain thanks to her butt, and to top it all off, she was back in the Saffron Police Department. I think she might have actually killed any cops who tried to interact with us, but thankfully there was a government representative in the lobby. Everywhere, really. The Saffron police were under heavy investigation, and the League officials had already caught a few informants other than the one Erin had barely stopped herself from… dismembering…

  Arceus, she had been terrifying last night! I wasn't scared of her, not at all. I knew she got like that because we were threatened. She hadn't cared all that much about herself being in danger, of course…

  Because my sister thought she was a monster, would never be good, and would never belong here… Because she had been… not evil, but not a good person, either. It wasn't a huge surprise to me, really. Erin rambled, but you could tell what she didn't want to talk about easily enough. She never initiated a conversation about her past. Ever… Well, unless it was to impart some horrifying lesson she had learned… One that always implied she was worse for having learned it, instead of hearing it...

  She also never wanted to talk about that night she had drank, and now? It made so much sense… She had been so broken up over not taking on Giovanni that she had relapsed, and Alakazam and Looker had allowed it! Looker also screwed her over as a punishment for guilting them into it, which… good for him. Erin didn't want to be that kind of person again… She was just scared she would be…

  How do you even help someone dealing with all that she was? I mean, take one of her issues, sure, but all of them? Because it's not like she could just 'get over' her aura-tinted mind! That was permanent! I was grateful I was used to her these days, because she was vicious, and you could feel it when she wasn't paying attention. Like Leto…

  "She's the Tiny Tyrant!" 'Oh Arceus, yes! It's so perfect!'

  The giggles were loud this time, and Erin finally glared at me.

  "Care to share, Leaf?" She was glaring, but it was just… her, I think. Or this place, really.

  We were still waiting on the station's Alakazam, because the interviews of Rocket Pokemon had to be recorded… Even if we wouldn't be using a Psychic. Mom would be using the Indeedee at home when she had to bind them… Them, Wukong, and Maddy, just to be sure…

  "Well, you're not really a huge fan of The Savage Trainer, right?" She glared at me a bit harsher, but then smiled a bit and raised an eyebrow.

  "I mean, it's kind of accurate, now?" She grinned at me like Leto… Yeah, yeah it was.

  "Hope just came up with a new nickname for you, if you'd like to hear?" She narrowed her eyes at us but nodded.

  "You're the Tiny Tyrant!" Mom and Alex both burst into laughter, but Erin? Her face! She looked like Lance! Oh!

  "Do it!" 'No duh!'

  "You look like Lance right now!" Oh no… She was mad!

  Thankfully the police Alakazam popped in with a snap of displaced air, looking exhausted. Poor thing, I bet they were busy…

  The tired Psychic jerked and turned to stare at Erin in shock. Yeah… a fourteen year old talking through aura is a bit… much.

  "Rotom, I'm going to lay them out in some random groups, and when I start, unlock just their audio as you undo the stasis…" The Alakazam was just staring at her now, even as Rotom hovered over the first pile of Pokeballs.

  "It will be done in three… two… one…" There was a faint ding, and Erin just stared at the balls. I guess audio works for aura, too? Somehow?

  You know, I'm not sure why I'm even slightly surprised by this. It was the same as last time… We just couldn't see them, because Erin wasn't taking any chances with this many…

  Considering that it took over five hours for her to sort through them? It made sense… Especially considering the thirty Pokeballs she had set to the side, where Rotom silenced them and re-enabled the stasis…

  "Okay, you are going to be the first group to be bound, and we'll do it here for this first group…" Rotom triggered the Pokeballs, and a wave of red erupted from in front of Erin.

  I was expecting the multiple Rattata, even the single Raticate. I was also expecting the multiple Ekans, even the two Arbok. The Zubats were relatively expected, the singular Skarmory was a little different, and sharp looking, but it was the Grimers that really startled me. Startled all of us, other than Erin, of course.

  Oh, oh no… We needed a new section of the Ranch just for them! The two reeked, and it was just getting worse in here already! They could get relatively non-stinky if you fed them good food, but they would always smell, just not as badly as a Trubbish or Garbodor... Thankfully Koffing didn't smell bad, just… not good. We got used to it at the Ranch easily enough, Koffing spent hours inside…

  "Okay, Stabby. Show us how you… stab the contract." Her voice was disbelieving, but I closed my eyes and watched as Stabby… stabbed.

  I watched through Hope's eyes, through her mind, as she tore a chunk of her mind out. It alarmed me, but I knew it was just uncomfortable for her. Following Erin's very poor castle metaphor, she had just ripped out the… toilets? The baths? The drains? Important, yes, but not vitally, and not deadly… in the short term, at least, and that was as much as she could rip out. She would be fine tomorrow.

  I watched Hope pass her chunk of mind to Stabby, and then it got weird. Stabby used his mind like a huge grid of blades and sliced into the chunk of mind. The pieces immediately began to… dissolve? But they stayed there? I honestly didn't think that was what was happening. I was seeing something that my brain could somewhat comprehend, not what was actually happening below the surface of the illusion. Hope somehow grabbed them all, with something.

  Stabby then proceeded to float behind Erin and poke her butt. Her wound, because Stabby was a bit of an asshole… He was also kind to others. Sort of like Erin, I guess? She wasn't an asshole, but she was… not very nice sometimes… Okay, she could be an asshole, too…

  "Stabby! Fu- Da- Arceus! I love you, you little- little-!" She was faltering in her anger, because mom was not having any more cursing out of her after yesterday. She'd unloaded a lot, so mom had been understanding, but that was over. Mom had given her the triple finger ear flick this morning when Erin woke up ready to beat Looker! Even Cerberus hadn't tried to stop her!

  "Okay… I am so sorry I have to do this… Is there anyone who would rather… Who w-would rather… die than accept these bindings? I already read the two options to you. Of course, I recommend the standard binding, as we can add the House Pokemon terms if needed later…" Thankfully there was no agreement.

  "Hope?" Erin smiled as Hope floated over, and I couldn't stop my own. Hope had been wanting to do this for a long time.

  In short order they were all bound, all at once, and I was stunned.

  A fae's binding didn't latch onto the mind, or the soul, or anything! It didn't stay separate and distinct. It melded into the host's mind, became a part of it! When Erins mind had been… demolished, it hadn't destroyed her binding, because the binding was a part of her mind. It was impossible to separate, to remove, because it became a part of the blueprint for your mind to rebuild itself from.

  Also, that Clefable could have done all of them at the same time! But then it would have had less time to… play…

  Hope was drooping now, though, and I caught her as she tossed herself at me.

  "That was nice! I'm so tired, though…" 'Yeah, but that was such a good thing you did, Hope! Look at them! I mean… Look at the other rescues at home! It'll just take time!'

  I was so glad I didn't have to deal with meanings or anything anymore, that I could just talk to fae, instead of deciphering concepts and meanings. It had taken weeks, but my mind had finally adjusted to their… language? They sounded the exact same, still, I just understood them. We didn't have to 'talk' with words either, but I preferred having a conversation, not just… understanding their side instantly. Thankfully I had gotten used to 'sending' my thoughts. They still didn't listen to my mind's 'words' like a psychic did, they weren't telepathic, it was more like… a board in my head that I wrote on that they could read? Kind of? It was strange, sure, but thankfully it worked!

  It was honestly more disorientating seeing their 'true' forms when we had a deep communion, or what my mind created for them. Not because of the wrongness, I'd gotten very used to that even if the feeling never went away, but it was the inconsistencies! Hope was big, but a normal sized Clefable. Stabby was a tiny Clefable, but he towered over Hope. It wasn't strength, either. He was stronger than her, but not that much stronger, not even close.

  I'd gotten answers as to why that was, but none I could begin to comprehend fully. Something about their name? Giggles had been… I don't know what 'normal' was for fae, but maybe him, and Duncan had barely been there! It was still one of the weirdest things to me about fae. Maybe an unnamed fae would be different? Although Hope hadn't changed sizes once she was named…

  "I'm going to return you all now, and you'll go back to stasis, okay? The next time you're released, or the sensors are unlocked to let you release yourself, you will be at my home, and my mom here is the one who runs our Ranch. I know you can't hurt her, but please be obedient while she attempts to help you settle in. We have less than twenty rescues now, so… This is going to be a big shock for everyone, okay?" The nods she received were highly reluctant, but I didn't blame them. They still didn't fight it as they were returned.

  Erin collected those Pokeballs and put them in a bag that she handed to mom. She collected the rest into another bag… All but the thirty or so she had placed to the side…

  "Rotom…" She trailed off and I began to tear up. I pulled Alex into a one-armed hug, because she wasn't looking too great, either…

  "Rotom, unlock their stasis and sensors, please…"

  Once again, we didn't hear anything, but we didn't have to. The look of sad horror was enough. Most rescues were victims through and through… Some, though, adjusted. They got used to Team Rocket… I couldn't even blame them, not really. I knew most of them hadn't had a choice. Sure, some would have liked Team Rocket anyways, Pokemon could be evil, too, but… Not over thirty…

  "I will ask this once more verbally, just for my own benefit. Do any of you have the desire to accept a binding?" I knew what their answer was by her face. Everyone did.

  "So be it. I regret that you will die, but it is your choice, and your right to decide… I am so sorry you had to be in this situation in the f-first place…" She was crying now, even as her eyes went hard.

  "Rotom, pull up the controls for me. I'm not letting someone else do this..." I wanted to stop her, mom wanted to stop her, but we didn't… We just watched as she set the stasis to full for each Pokeball, gently picked them up, and put them in a last, separate bag. A red bag with Warning labels covering it.

  A disposal bag.

  I tried not to cry, but the look on my sister's face as she walked through a small side door was just too much.

  It wasn't fair…

  —

  Mom left after that, and we went back to our room at the Center for now. It was already past noon, and Erin was still exhausted. Instead of leaning on Leto like normal, she was laying on her side against Cerberus' front, both of his necks curled around her. We would rather she stay near him, so he didn't get mad at us!

  "I already miss Hope…" Erin smirked at my statement.

  "I mean, I kind of miss her already, too, but I've got my own little Clefable, so I'm mostly okay?" I glared at Erin as Alex laughed. Well, Alex laughed for a second, then she got a very nervous look in her eyes.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  "Uhh, just to be clear, Stabby isn't going to try and commune with me, right? Even if he doesn't want to purposefully, he could still take something, right?" Well, not a bad question at all! One I could help with!

  "I mean, yes and no? I think Stabby could commune without taking, I just don't know if he'd want to commune with you in the first place… No offense, I guess?" I knew how most viewed fae. Reasonably.

  "I wont take from her. She's nice, not very stab-worthy. Probably won't commune with her, though. Why would I? She would just complain!" 'I think it would be less complaining, and more painful cries, right? Makes sense to me.'

  I was so grateful Hope was still bound to me, because even if my head was sadly lonely right now, her soul was in there, or in my soul. I still haven't gotten an answer on that… Fae didn't hurt when they communed, couldn't, and if they tried anyways? Well, it wouldn't hurt them much, but Hope could stop a hostile invasion. We had tested with Stabby, even if he wasn't really hostile... towards us, at least. He was very hostile in general, though.

  "He says he won't take from you, you're nice, but he doesn't have a real reason to commune with you either, especially because it would hurt a lot, and he'd rather not hear you… complain." I giggled at the look on her face.

  Her face.

  It honestly worried me the amount of coincidences around Erin, me and mom both. Not that I had anything against Alex. I was surprised, sure, but I had done a lot of research on trans people after I heard Erin's conversation with mom. A conversation she had not been happy to hear that I heard, but that was moms fault, not mine… Not that she cared about me hearing the trans stuff, more the entire thing in general… And mom letting me…

  I was glad I could be there for her and help her, and I knew Erin was ecstatic to help, too… Which was also sad to me, because my sister had never been able to do that before, even though she had wanted to for her whole life… It was what had driven her to drink in the first place, I knew that much…

  Still, I didn't mind Alex the boy, but Alex the girl was much funner already, probably because she was happier. I knew that made Erin just as happy as it made me, probably more, honestly… Alex was so happy to get away from Leto's mouth, too! That had been mean, but also really funny, so… Alex had joined the cuddle pile, and I think she might want the face back soon enough. It got hot in the pile, and Cerberus was… intense, now.

  In fact, I think Cerberus was going to be in headlocks when we slept until he Evolved again, separate from us… The nice head, the one that was more or less the Cerberus we knew? The best! The other head?

  Every part of the Hydreigon line we had never seen from Cerberus before. We were just going to let Erin deal with him as much as possible, for now. I liked my current number of appendages.

  "That's a relief, I guess? I mean, no, I'd rather not commune with a fae again… That one at the celebration just said 'Hi, new friend', and it hurt." I started laughing, Stabby giggling from Erin's head. Alex was giving me a glare, though, so I pulled myself together.

  Barely.

  "Sorry, it's just… that was Duncan… and he did mention he had made a new friend…" Her face was growing more and more worried, because she should be!

  "He was grateful that his new friend looked as bland and boring as his stupid name was." Oh no! I think I broke Alex! Erin was too happy!

  "Leaf! No way!? Duncan said that?!" Stabby was laughing now, holding onto Cerberus to keep himself steady.

  "Why do I feel like Lance right now? I didn't do anything to choose those clothes! I am not bland and boring!" Alex's face was soo red.

  "I mean, you are related to him, it might just be a Blackthorn thing… Plus, he did it with good intentions… technically…" Erin was frowning now, and I wanted to cut that off before it got started.

  "So! Did you still want to try and follow your old… path? Or are we taking on Sabrina?" She barked out a laugh. It was only slightly bitter.

  "The path. Route 6 is a two day walk, and I wouldn't mind more actual walking instead of being carried everywhere like moms lunch, it's been too long! Tomorrow we can- Actually…" She grimaced, but I started to giggle. Alex did too after a second, and suddenly everyone was. My little Noibat was giggling from my shoulder, and I was grateful he was so calm! Alex's Noibat was… actually getting returned as I thought about her, because her laughs went high pitched for a second. Alex was doing it manually, but Rotom had been added to the authorized users for her Pokeball, just in case. Seconds counted with her!

  She was loud!

  "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up… I got shot in the butt! Two days, then we leave… I hate being injured!" She was pouting!

  "She should pay more attention to her ass, then." 'Stabby, that may be true, but that wasn't very nice… Kind of funny, though? Are you going to be her butt-watcher?'

  He started giggling from Erin's shoulder and she glared at me. Then he nodded at me and I burst into laughter.

  "Care to enlighten us, Leaf? I can hear him, but not clearly when he's not talking into my mind." Erin was lightly glaring at me now. There was amusement in her eyes, but a lot of glare, too.

  "Well… He said if you hate being hurt, you should pay more attention to your butt… Also that he's now your butt-watcher!" Her face! Her hands! Her tight grip on Stabby!

  "You think you're funny, Stabby? I mean, you're right, kind of! I was honestly going to have you act as a second assassin. You're tiny, and you love to stab… Just like me, I guess? Is that why we're best friends?" I couldn't help the burst of laughter that erupted from me. From the room.

  "She is correct! More than correct! Stabbing buddies forever!" 'Best friends? I mean… she doesn't have many friends, other than Alex and Raihan… everyone else is an acquaintance or her family…'

  Erin's voice was so confused.

  "'Stab time'? No meanings means I have no idea what you just tried to tell me, Stabby." I was giggling as I answered.

  "He said you were more than correct, and 'Stabbing buddies forever!', actually." She grinned and turned to him.

  "Well, I can get behind that. Bonding time through stabbing?" Their grins were the same, even Stabby's shine!

  "Erin, I almost get it, but not really… What's so fun about stabbing?" Alex, you should not have done that!

  Erin's grin was wide and wicked as she propped herself up a little.

  "Well, I mean, sometimes it feels great to stick som-" Her teeth clicked together and her face went red as she rolled over, shoved her face in between Cerberus' necks, and groaned.

  What does she mean by that? It feels great to stick something… Why was Alex so red in the face… Oh! Eww!

  "Eww, Erin! That was nasty!" Her head didn't move at all, but her ears were bright red now.

  Very, very red.

  She refused to speak or move for a long time…

  —

  Patricia Greenwood

  —

  I had never imagined I would enjoy flight as much as I did. It had always seemed so scary up there, so dangerous. Maddy had quickly dissuaded me from that. She was fast, too, and had gotten me to Saffron City from Pallet Town in only three hours.

  Dragonite could take me back in one.

  Why Dragonite? Because she insisted, that's why. Lance didn't even argue, he had actually looked approving as he saw me off… Which made me slightly worried for different reasons. He had been worried I would be targeted in the air…

  Still, it was a lovely way to fly, thanks to her insane Protect. I say that like I had never seen one as powerful, but Leto could use the Move just as powerfully, if not more. I barely felt anything as I held onto her neck, and it was actually quite soothing, the way the wind roared so quietly behind the Protect.

  We did not go to Pallet Town, though.

  No, apparently Dragonite had been serious about inviting me to the Aerie, for some reason! Did she listen to my reasonable requests to go to Pallet Town first? No. Did she slow down at all? No, in fact she sped up! All the way past Mt. Silver and its surrounding mountain ranges, north of Blackthorn City. I had never been, but it had to be Blackthorn City. We kept going past the city, but only for another minute with Dragonite's insane speed.

  I will say, it was a beautiful place, the Aerie.

  It reminded me of Mt. Moon, actually, a vast mountain with a broken peak, yet this one was surrounded by lesser mountains, and the broken top opened up into a huge cavern. Well, technically it was a tubular cavern? It was also carved and intricately sculpted in almost every location I saw as we descended into the Aerie. There were levels upon levels of different environments spread out, carved into the mountain, and I saw what looked to be a tiny artificial pool of lava in one, while another was just a forest. A small forest, sure, but it was inside a mountain!

  The bottom was an enormous crystal clear pool of water, so deep I couldn't begin to see the depths, and I could already see the dragons begin to notice Dragonite's approach. Dratini and Dragonair came rocketing out of the water as other, smaller Dragonite began circling us. From deep in the water I noticed a huge serpentine shape rising, followed by almost two dozen more as a group of Gyarados erupted from the surface, a massive school of Horsea, Seadra, and dangerous looking Kingdra following the school of titans.

  I wasn't scared, not at all, but I would be lying quite badly if I said it wasn't very startling.

  —

  I sat on a small, smooth ledge that extended into the water, allowing the Gyarados and the Kingdra line to come say hello comfortably. Most had already left, but a few adorable Horsea were still flitting around the ledge, along with a Kingdra, a massive Gyarados, and a lot of Dratini and Dragonair, with a few smaller Dragonite just kind of watching.

  "Dragonite, dear, I really have enjoyed this visit, but you know I need to get back, and you know why. Is there a reason we're still here?" It had been an hour already! I mean, yes I would love to stay and visit!

  I was sure it was some sort of Erin or Leto thing, that dragons all seemed to like me. I had never been interesting to dragons before… or, really, I had never encountered one. They were among the rarest and least numerous of types, and therefore valuable. Maybe I always had this… what even was it? I didn't have a noticeable aura! I barely had more than a standard human! Yes, it was larger, and getting larger as I stayed around powerful Pokemon and it was pressured, but still! Leaf probably had more aura than me, sleeping with Leto every night!

  Dragonite smiled at me, but shook her head. Then she tilted it to the side, thought for a moment, then held up a claw.

  "One what? It's been an hour! If I didn't have rescues, I would love to stay and chat, you know that! I do, though!" She just kept smiling at me.

  Even as she lifted a Dratini into my lap and walked off!

  I mean, it was adorable, yes, but I needed to go! Even if it was shimmying on my lap, rubbing my hand with its head… Seriously, what?

  Well… I didn't have much choice, now did I? I pet the Dratini's head, which of course brought a second, and a third… Soon I was surrounded by them. Literally, they were hanging from my shoulders!

  "I didn't believe it when I heard Dragonite brought an outsider into the Aerie, but it makes a lot of sense now." The voice was old and creaky, but not frail.

  I didn't spin around at the voice, but I was far too covered in Dratini to do that, anyway. I did twist my head around, though.

  This had to be the Clan Leader of Blackthorn, there was no other reason for the bald, wrinkly man to have that fancy of a robe on. Not like a bathrobe, no, this was ornate, almost ceremonial, covered in stunningly beautiful depictions of Dragonites, Kingdras, and Gyarados. That robe probably cost as much as my house…

  "Patricia Greenwood, a pleasure. I would stand, but…" He chuckled and slowly sat next to me.

  "Grant Blackthorn, current Clan Leader, future retiree, great great grandfather, and tired!" He theatrically threw his hands up, slowly because he was quite old, and leaned back. There was a Dragonair there before he even lost his balance.

  "I didn't expect to have to come out here today, but Dragonite, well, Lance's Dragonite since he can't name anything, comes speeding in with a stranger? Well… I didn't have to come, of course, but it seemed interesting!" I laughed, long and hard.

  Lance really can't name anything, can he? He'd been with Dragonite and his team over half his life!

  "Sorry, but I didn't exactly have a choice! She was supposed to take me back to my Ranch, but no! We had to visit! I mean, it's beautiful here, and dragons seem to like me, and me them, but still!" He started chuckling, even as he rolled forward into a sitting position again.

  "She is worried about you. To her, you are a… it's not easy to translate from aura. A friend's mother, but also a… matriarch?" He glanced behind him. "Care to try explaining it in more detail for me, please?"

  I looked back, and of course, Dragonite was standing there, smirking at me.

  "That's basically it? She really likes your daughters, and she approves of your… oh! Rescues, is it?" His expression brightened at that, even as I felt mildly envious. Lance was, or I guess is, gifted, so no surprise he can read aura, and this man obviously could as well at his advanced age and experience. Meanwhile, I just sort of… struggled to understand most things through pantomime?

  "So she really likes your daughters and respects what you're doing… and she wants to make sure you won't be attacked… by Team Rocket… also… Ah! Sure, I have no problems with it, as long as they agree! Not too many, though." I had kind of figured out what was happening already, but I still sighed as the Gyarados pushed its huge face closer to me and the dangerous looking Kingdra waved a fin.

  Is this what Erin feels like? No choice? I would absolutely take more defenders, sure, but still!

  —

  Erin

  —

  "No, I really don't feel like singing. I mean, even if I did, most of the songs I can remember well enough to sing are made for deep bass voices, or sultry feminine ones. I'm fourteen now! Right now I can do high pitched squeaks, basically. Like a Noibat!" I should not have said that, as Alex's Noibat immediately screeched. Gone back to her ball an instant later, still screeched, though.

  "You have to have some songs! One that's not… sad, or that first one…" I grinned at Leaf's face. Insane was kind of rough for this world… Still a great tune, even if they heard the equivalent of me smacking my hand on a table instead of actual beats.

  "I… You have to realize something. There were plenty of songs that were age appropriate for you in my world, but I do not remember them! They were kids' songs! I already sang the Pokemon intro song! That's basically all I remember, because I sang it a lot!" I wasn't lying or even trying to be sneaky, not really.

  Most of the songs I remembered well enough to sing were dirty! Not something I'm going to sing to two thirteen year old kids! I already almost slipped up earlier! Technically I did, because they realized what I was going to say! Or close enough!

  I felt guilty, sure, but also so embarrassed!

  "Yeah, but there had to be songs that you do remember that aren't… dirty, right?" I glared at Alex… because she wasn't wrong.

  "I'll… try to think of one. No promises…" I ignored the fists pumping.

  I understood it, really. Someone from a different world, different universe probably, and they have music? Absolutely, I would want to hear some, too…

  Rotom, the little traitor, spoke up.

  "Erin, you do have a full song you sang and composed! I could play it right now, in fact!" I glared at them hard.

  "Rotom, that isn't me singing or composing! That was me very, very badly remaking dubstep from my favorite composer from my imperfect memories!" I groaned at the intent looks I was receiving from everyone… Except Rotom, of course, because they helped me make that song!

  "Why not just play that, Erin? Wait, a whole song? And what's dubstep?" I grinned a little at Alex's question. What's dubstep? Burned into my mind in my early twenties, is what it was.

  …

  Fuck it.

  "If you take Rotom, and mom for protection, and go buy the largest subwoofer you can for under a hundred thousand, I'll show you what dubstep is."

  —

  "You probably shouldn't be moving around unless you have to, Erin…" Nice try Leaf.

  "Like I'm going to let the first time I hear this song without headphones be a still moment. I'm going to move." I grinned at the two of them as Seraphina plugged the subwoofer in for us. It was decently large, so even with the huge room, it should be enough…

  "Wait, is this what you were… dancing? To?" I laughed at Alex's confused face. I had looked goofy as hell, no doubt about it. Not that I cared.

  "Yeah, it was, it's the only song I've worked on, still am, technically. It still sounds very, very off to me, and probably always will... It's also my workout song, and my work song that I listened to the entire time, just very low volume… which is great, considering it's called 'Work', by a really cool guy that went by the stage name Teminite." I enjoyed the way their faces went pale, poking Rotom with a bit of aura. They hated talking through aura for some reason, so we never did that, but a poke? No big deal.

  It started to play the song… At full volume.

  I really enjoyed the way their faces grew so confused at the basic repeating sound. Then slightly understanding as more tones were brought in, then a tiny little drop, then the moment I was waiting for.

  THE drop.

  With a large subwoofer in a closed room.

  I greatly enjoyed their jump.

  Also their faces as I tried to get them to shuffle, too.

  We got through most of the song before a Nurse Joy came in and berated us for causing a 'disturbance'…