with Roman Maher back at home with willow atkins where he belonged, bo finally felt the possibility of relaxation there within his reach. still, he had to be instructed, only noticing the tension in his shoulders when he really focused on loosening up.

it didn’t exactly help that he was here with sénon game. the head ranger hadn’t rejected him in the way bo had worried he might after the incident at the soiree, but that didn’t make this any less uncomfortable.

all the issues, right out in the open like that… his mistakes. his mess.

it was embarrassing.

“good place to be when the power’s out.”

rXM2PBrn
957

Sénon Game

☉

the pains he typically felt, winding in tension at points along his back, became sore, and then began to soften bittersweetly beneath skillfully unforgiving fingertips. he breathed long out of his nose, through the sensations, feeling things run into the center of his face in a way that might’ve crumpled him if he’d been standing.

bo wasn’t too concerned about the heat. yet. still, cool air was always nice, and it wasn’t exactly cool in here…

“yeah, no shit…”

but no complaints. not out loud, at least. especially not when he was distracted by the terrible things being inflicted on him by the tiny masseuse just barely looming over his suddenly delicate spine.

bElbjPtw
862

Sénon Game

☉

it wasn’t a secret, and bo had been paying attention. hoping for the opportunity. a promotion, better pay, even if it still wasn’t much. he guessed it’d pay enough to at least get into a house with an extra bedroom, for Roman Maher , and that was all he needed out of it.

the question contained the implication. although he’d hoped, he didn’t think they’d be asking him, and if they ever did, it wouldn’t be so soon. yet, here it was.

was he ready?

”i am.”

dU9DG4i6
787

Sénon Game

☉

bo knew the legitimacy of sénon’s pronouncment, but in that moment, he hardly felt the weight of its responsibilities. it wasn’t daunting; it was destiny. everything he’d wanted. he was ready, and he had nothing more to consider.

”thank you, sir. i won’t let you down.”

he was surprised at the question. ”my life?” a bit of a shitshow, really. he blinked at the floor, wheels turning in his head.

”well, i live in rustboro, by myself. i work a lot, and i do my best to wrangle my ten-year-old—but he’s a handful and i don’t see him all the time.”

bo never talked about his son. until the soiree, it had been a totally unknown detail.

”took me a while to grow up. i’m just trying my best to do right by ‘em now, y’know? work hard and stay on the straight and narrow.” for Roman Maher , and willow atkins . and that was his life, really—except for the shadows in the background, and in the rear-view.

”that’s about it.”

RWhEp9Gi
763

Sénon Game

☉

connections? he knew people all over, but that would have been obvious, right? didn’t everyone?

”roman’s mom lives in fallarbor, but...” for a fraction of a second he considered. he’d be close to keep an eye on roman. but he’d probably see things he didn’t want to, like Greyson Connors coming out of her front door. ”i don’t really wanna crowd her, y’know?”

another moment.

”mostly everything’s in rustboro for me. favorite restaurant. favorite fishing hole. whole rest of my family...” he had been called smalltown a time or two. he loved rustboro, but he’d sacrifice it for better pay.

”i’ll go wherever you put me, as long as it’s not too far from my kid.”

jFG1kcmm
686

Sénon Game

☉

this was really good news.

things falling back into place with willow atkins was the dream. unfortunately, wrong move after wrong move had surely set him further from that than he’d hoped to be at this point. maybe it would never happen.

”that’s fine. i don’t mind being on-call.” not even 24/7, really. it was nice to feel needed.

he imagined it wouldn’t be terribly different. he’d lived and worked in rustboro his whole life (except for the stint in rocket) and now he’d continue to work in familiar headquarters. the differences would be his responsibilities, his office. and maybe his friends. he would quickly find out who had his support, surely.

”i appreciate the opportunity.”

IiwoD1V2
665

Sénon Game

☉

”thank you, sir.”

that was it, then. he would be captain of the rustboro rangers. he grinned at the floor from the table. he felt like a million bucks, and it wasn’t just the skilled hands working out the knots in his shoulders.

had he asked before?

”no, i don’t think so. i specialize in rock-types. i keep a variety of things on me, though, of course.” like the dewgong that had done its best to chase after the gyarados that one day when sénon had essentially been eaten. everyone talked about skyler dross . she’d at least had kyogre’s legendary gastrointestinal suite. poor head ranger game had been stuck with the cheap motel stomach and no headlines. typical.

JQFpxbfA
570

Sénon Game

☉