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ADHD, ASD, and BPD

I ain’t listing all my physical issues here, just know that everything hurts and that I’ve had a few organs removed ((or just not work properly)) over the years and will likely die with even less haha. I will often joke about it and really don’t seek any sort of pity, moreso just understanding when I drop off the face of the earth for bits of time

I’m an adult, and while the vast majority of things I create are family-friendly, there will occasionally be adult themes. I do my best to tag them as nsfw, so if you’d prefer to avoid said posts please filter accordingly. It is not my place to curate your dash to your preferences

While this blog is not centered around politics, I may sometimes post things that may be viewed as political. I’m a queer individual from central Appalachia ((USAmerica)) and my views could most easily be boiled down to “let all folks live authentically and love harmlessly” and “nature is beautiful, let’s respect it,” and neither of those should come with a price tag

Fandom talk:

I’ve been playing Pokemon since Blue, and will continue to do so with future gens. But HGSS is my favorite

Especially Will. I fucking love Will ♡ ((I also cosplay as him, but I don’t like posting pics of myself on the internet so have this instead haha))

Other fandoms that I often gush about are Bokumono, Tales, and Fire Emblem. This is not a full list by any means, just the most common ones

*****

Team Spirit

*****

It all came down to this. The weeks of grueling matchups. The blood, sweat, and tears were all a prelude to this grand event. The final Yooyuball game of the Altador Cup. The roaring of the crowd could be felt throughout the entirety of the grand land, a certain Techo’s voice somehow rising above it all. A particular Eyrie stalking around just off the sidelines furrowed her brow, wondering just how he never seemed to strain his voice.

I think he gets more of a workout than us players…

Kreludor slowly began to make itself visible, accompanied by a twinkle of stars. Its glow should have been a sign of things to come. It should have illuminated a sea of purple and orange washed throughout the audience. But that simply wasn’t what happened. The semifinal matches had been intense. Team Kreludor in particular had proven itself to be the highlight of the season, and all anticipated them taking the Cup. Yet in the final leg, Qyldae Wegg fumbled unceremoniously over his own two legs. Allowing a certain, detestable Maraquan Centre Forward to rush in and claim the yooyuball for himself. It was that moment that sealed fate for both teams. Team Kreludor would sit firmly in third place. And Team Maraqua would slither their way into the Championship match.

It was bittersweet. Jair Tollet had promised to meet her former teammates before the game, to wish them the best. Her gaze kept shifting to the locker rooms, waiting for them to make their grand entrance out on the pitch. But each moment that passed seemed to weigh heavier on her. She was at home in Team Roo. There was no denying that. But there were times that she pondered just what her life would be had she stayed in Maraqua. If they would have made it this far with her still sporting that blue-and-green striped jersey. Or if she would have held them back.

That jersey… Shoot!

Jair jolted back into her own body, taking a look at herself. At the clothes she wore. And for the first time, it really dawned on her just who Team Maraqua was up against. The green and gold sweater that she had purchased from a vendor was an act of defiance against Elon more than anything. It had been a tradition of hers for the past two years. Any match that Team Maraqua played that wasn’t against the Rooligans, Jair would deck herself out in fangear of the opposing team. Luckily Elon was the only member of her former teammates that took offense to it. Barit in particular found it hilarious, and he was by far the one that Jair was closest to. She had always viewed him as a younger brother, and they were still good friends years later.

But there was a problem. This wasn’t just Jair’s tradition. While Lilo had made half of an attempt to talk her out of doing so the first time she showed up to a Maraquan match wearing a Shenkuu cap, he had to admit that it was amusing. And before long all of the Rooligans began to follow suit.

Squeaky had been the last to join in. But the moment he did, it was no longer just an act against Team Maraqua. Team Brightvale received the same treatment. Lilo-and-Friends were a family before they were a Yooyuball Team. And anyone who had hurt one of their own deserved their own lighthearted but pointed brand of justice.

She could hear Oten’s voice booming from the locker room, followed by Elon’s. Followed then by all of Team Maraqua joining in on their fight song, somewhere between singing and chanting. She began weighing out her options. She could tough it out, and explain to Squeaky later that her nerves had gotten the better of her. She could simply wait until her old teammates came out, catch their attention in her Brightvale sweater, then quickly strip the sweater off and throw it into the audience. She could-

An arm gently wrapped itself around her shoulders. She froze before turning to face the second-best smile she had ever come to know.

“You okay, Jairie?”

Lilo’s eyes held hers for a moment. His voice was warm, and his smile was knowing. Even now, it sometimes caught Jair off guard just how genuine the Team Roo Island captain was. How he truly cared more for his teammates than the sport itself. And just what a blast that had made the sport. He had cooled her burnout when he offered her a spot on his team.

“I-”

Before she could put her lie into words, he saw through it and interrupted. Ever on top of seemingly everything, he held up his free hand, presenting an oversized Team Roo Island t-shirt.

“They were on sale since we lost midway. Thought I’d stock up and we could give them all away at Circus Rooleil.” The Eyrie tilted her head, noticing that the Blumaroo was wearing a matching top to the one he held in front of her. “But there’s no reason we shouldn’t treat ourselves!”

A warmth passed through Jair’s being. She couldn’t help but lean in slightly, resting her head on Lilo’s shoulder. If not for his mastery of balancing on his tail, the height difference between the two of them would have made things awkward. But as it were, the embrace was perfect. Misfits making masterpieces, she recalled Fenny describing their ragtag team as just that once. And it was a phrase that Jair found herself repeating on the regular. Enjoying the side hug for just a moment longer, she then collected herself, took a step back, and threw the Team Brightvale Sweater over her head. The static sparked at her feathers with a crack that Lilo had to have heard based on the slight concern in his otherwise permanent smile.

Taking the t-shirt from her captain, she eagerly threw it on over her simple gray tanktop. Lilo knew her well and had grabbed a shirt that was two sizes too large. Jair always liked her loungewear a bit loose. The hem hit just above her knees, nearly concealing the shorts that she wore. With a soft giggle, she gave a twirl, which elicited clapping from the Blumaroo.

“Much better! Never forget, we love you, Jairie. You don’t have to try to one-up your past.”

Jair held her breath for a moment, ruminating on his words.

Roo Island was her home. This was her family. This was where she shined brightest. No rank that Maraqua could ever reach could ever undermine that.

Just as she opened her beak to speak, the crowd around them grew infinitely louder. The pair turned around to watch as five men made their way out of the locker room, pumping their fists up in the air, feeding off of the electric energy around them.

Mara! Mara! MA! RA! QUA!

Rather than making their way straight to the center of the pitch to meet Team Brightvale who had already made their grand entrance, Team Maraqua was more than content in basking in this moment. Gloating in their certain victory. This was their year. They had bested the Team Kreludor, and Team Brightvale was simply a fluke. Despite being much shorter than most of his teammates, Elon pushed his way into the spotlight. He raised his tentacles and led the fans into the chant once more.

And while Jair was less concerned about making some grand statement to Team Maraqua as a whole, a part of her still wanted to put Elon in his place.

Lilo immediately took note of the shift in her expression. He shook his head and muttered something about how she really should let bygones be bygones, but his smirk betrayed his words. He reached down and scooped up the sweater that had been thrown onto the ground beneath them, which Jair took in her hands.

“You wanna show me again, Jairie? How you scored that goal against Shenkuu last time?”

Jair made sure that she caught Barit and Tonie’s attention as she rolled the sweater into a tight ball. The Koi gave a knowing smirk and a small nod before stepping back ever so slightly. A move that could have easily been missed had one blinked. The Techo took a larger step back, throwing his hands over his face to hold back his laughter.

This is gonna be good. Jair, Lilo, Tonie, and Barit all thought to themselves.

“Who’s ready to see Hagan’s little lackeys get sucked into the Black Hole?!”

The reaction from the audience was exactly the sort of deliciousness that made Elon shiver in excitement. He was fully consumed in this moment. It was all he had ever dreamed of. Yet he needed more. Jumping up, he threw his head back and bellowed with even more gusto. “I SAID, WHO’S REA-”

His boasting was cut off unceremoniously by a face full of fabric. Staggering back, the Acara shouted a string of curses. He bumped back into Barit, who couldn’t contain his laughter anymore. Most of the crowd continued to cheer, though there was a bit of laughter and a couple gasps. Elon threw the article on the ground and stomped on it with a single tentacle before his gaze followed that of the young Techo behind him. Though he couldn’t quite figure it out.

The Roo Island pair had already darted away from the scene, hand in hand as they had spotted their teammates a bit further in the crowd. The middle finger to Elon was enough. Jair didn’t need him to know that it was from her. Fenny and Clutch waved eagerly at the pair. The Usul practically throwing herself into a group hug between herself, Jair, and Lilo. Jair melted into the embrace for a long moment, proud of all the choices she had made in her life until this point. Even the less civilized choices like throwing her clothes at her old captain.

It took entirely too long for her to notice the Lupe standing calmly behind Clutch. Though he hadn’t quite assimilated into Roo Island’s casual touchy-feeliness as well as she had, Jair knew that Squeaky felt the same pride that she did. With a slight tilt of his head, he shot Jair a warm smile. The best smile she had come to know. There were times that she caught herself wondering just when his face had become that red. Just when his blue eyes had become that bright. Now was one of those times.

All of the Rooligans were in matching shirts. Squeaky included. But Jair noticed familiar shades of blue and green folded up neatly in his arms. Realizing that he had made the same ill-fated mistake that she had made, she pulled away from Fenny and Lilo, taking a stand close to him, wrapping her wings around one of his arms.

“You ready to cheer on the best team?”

His brow furrowed for a moment, debating whether or not he should say something about the way they were breaking their own tradition. But her smile was infectious, and he couldn’t help but return it. He choked on his words, unable to say anything about either of their former teams. Instead, he found comfort in the present.

“To Team Roo?”

Jair nodded, giving his arm a firm, but comforting squeeze. A cheer that was mostly drowned out by the eruption of screaming around them. But it was the only thing either could hear in that moment.

“To Team Roo!”