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TEN OUTTA TEN

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[attr="class","freiwanttmid"]CHARACTER FACTION league

[attr="class","freiwanttmid"]CHARACTER RANK civilian

[attr="class","freiwanttmid"]FACE CLAIM langa hasegawa from sk8 the infinity

[attr="class","freiwantttop"]ABOUT THE CHARACTER

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C, C-, B-, D+, D, A. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap... The webpage blinks. Uh huh. 2.37. '0.17 better than last semester...'[break]
Clenched fists beget clenched brows. Thoughts race, then silence; quashed by a sharp, deep inhale.[break]
'Aaand, back to center. Exhale on counts; one, two, three, two point three—' Another sharp inhale. 'Two point three seven. Two point three seven. Fun number, love decimals. And counting!' Haggard exhale attempt number two... 'point three seven.'[break][break]

"Yeah. Yup. Leave of absence. And is it possible to take pass-fail for this previous semester."[break]
...[break]
"Yeah. Didn't think so. Worth a shot though."[break]
...[break]
"Yes, withdrawal. And for tuition refund..?"[break]
...[break]
"Talk to the office of ombuds, it's too late into the term. Got it."[break]
...[break][break]

He screws on the top of a plastic bottle hastily, askew from its tread. The desk shakes and it falls as Nine rises from his chair; soaking pages the frayed planner adjacent. Thunk. It's thrown into the trash. Nonchalantly serious.[break]
A sigh—no, a deep breath curbs his diaphragm. He types a familiar number into his cell, "Hey girl~ Guess what I just did!"[break][break]

It always simmered in the back of his mind. A quiet passion sometimes awarded with daydreams or Pinterest boards. He rolled a Pokéball in the palm of his hand—his one, loyal Pokémon. His companion during sleepy days and the occasional jog outside. He reminisces.[break][break]

Nine is an only child, and when his parents returned to working full time as he matured, they brought him into the depths of Castelia City, their hometown, to a secluded park. Hardly visited and surrounded with tall concrete and brick on all sides, the quiet spot of greenery attracted wildlife like nowhere else in the city. Owned by an elderly matriarch-type figure, she opened her personal courtyard to the neighborhood. Its manicured trees and the surrounding stone walls absorbed much of the city bustle and noise. He and his family visited often, even when the weather turned. "It's important to stretch your legs," his father would always say. And he was right—like most in Castelia City, their apartment was cramped and stuffy. Their trips here together would diminish soon; they already had. Their family business went under, and both his mother and father were returning to the corporate workforce. Nine and his father were studying autumn leaves, as his mother approached, clutching a green ball.[break][break]

With a certain sense of finality, she said: "Yejun!" His name. Not his nickname. His ears blushed, as they did every time he was anticipating something.[break]
She presented the Pokéball to him. It was a different color than he was used to seeing. "Your father and I—oh, and your aunties—wanted you to have your own Pokémon."[break]
Nine held the Pokéball, green with brown and gold patterns. "You're fourteen now! And seeing as we're going to be away a lot now..." she looked askance, "well, I asked your aunt in Johto to send us a special Pokéball, too. It's called a Friend Ball. We want you to always have a friend, even when we're away![break][break]

Nine runs his fingers over the familiar Pokéball, grazing old nicks and scrapes. It isn't often enough he spends time with Sylveon anymore. Not since his mother passed, anyways. It brought up good memories. The good memories which aggravate the deepest wounds. Two unanswered text messages and one missed call from his father; who always seemed aloof in these scenarios. Maybe he was trying to give Nine space to breathe. He wishes for a second to call and have a heart-to-heart with his dad, then clears the notifications. Again, with the daydreams. Maybe he should—no, could... With Sylveon, go on a gym challenge, or become a coordinator.[break][break]

A voice from his phone: "Heyyy~? Nine, you still there?"[break]
Right. He's on a video call. "You looked really sad for a second. Are you sure about taking a gap year? Omg wait you're not dropping out right? Did you take your meds today? Helllooooo?!?!"[break]
His friend's voice heard no recipient. On the phone screen: a loading webpage, then a receipt. Tap. Tap. Tap.[break]
"No, I didn't. And ttyl. Just bought a plane ticket to a different country."[break][break]

100x100 image credits to @ccacao_ on Twitter C: