Chapter Text
It was a peaceful Monday morning - or at least my husband Steven and I hoped it would be. Steven had just finished teaching his 8:30am class, and he was hoping the spend the next ten minutes or so cooling down from his class, which I hear is very exciting - at least for a geology class.
I was happy enough to be standing next to Steven, who was sitting on an office chair in his new office. Normally, I would like to sit on the couch, but it was currently being covered with boxes that needed to be unpacked. There was chalk dust all over his jacket, which always happened when he taught class, and I took the time to dust it off for him. I shook off some chalk dust from my signature white hat, which I let Steven wear after he received that bald spot from that encounter with the late Professor Lizette Merkel. I took a deep breath at the thought that her hijinks were no longer going to be an impact to Sootopolis.
“Is everything alright?” asked Steven.
“Yep,” I replied. “I’m just thinking - now with Merkel gone, maybe we can actually get work done.”
“As in work in the Boiseko Battle Etxea?” asked Steven.
“Actually, I was more thinking of the lines of - maybe we can actually unpack this office.” I replied. “I can’t have a man as handsome as you work in a office that looks like a warehouse,” I added playfully before giving him a kiss on the cheek.
The university was renovating the science building, and as a result, all the professors from the current science building were moved into different offices across campus. Steven’s office happened to be a small and windowless office. It had the basic furnishings and, of course, boxes and boxes everywhere. Did I mention boxes? Brown cardboard boxes are an eyesore. They had to go. Soon.
“By Arceus,” groaned Steven. “How long is it going to take to unpack all of this?”
“We’re doing it the way we do it at home,” I replied with an understanding smile. Organization hasn’t always been his strong point - before I moved in with this man, I was always tripping on piles of field maps and rock samples on the floor - so he agreed to have his room renovated community-style, like the way things are done in Sootopolis. “And I brought the perfect soundtrack this for this.” I reached my phone and started playing one of my favorite playlists.
“Looking for some hot stuff, baby, this evening,” I sang along as a bounced to the beat. “I need some hot stuff, baby, this evening.” I reached over, took off Steven’s cravat, shook out all the chalk dust from it, and then started tying it back on his neck. Normally Steven wasn’t a fan of disco music, but he at least seemed to somewhat enjoy the experience because he smiled at me and even nodded along with the beat the entire time.
We we enjoying our time together when suddenly I heard the door being thrown open. Steven immediately stood up. I instantly turned off the music and stood behind him in preparation of meeting who was on the other side of the door. In retrospect, it seemed a bit silly since Steven is slightly shorter than me and has a slim build, but hey, Steven’s a better fighter than I am.
“We did it!” shouted a very excited Lillie as she bolted into the room. “We won the election!” Her announcement was accompanied by her double fist pump.
“Lillie,” said Steven as patiently as he could. “How many times have I told you that in Idaho, you have to knock before you enter an office. This isn’t Alola or Sootopolis. You can’t just barge into rooms or offices without announcing your presence.”
“Oh, sorry Steven,” replied Lillie genuinely as she casted her eyes on the floor.
“No worries,” responded Steven with a comforting smile. “Just remember for next time.”
Our younger daughter Jessica then knocked and entered the office. “Good morning, Da! Good morning, Papa! I’m sure Lillie told you the news. Lillie, Weston, Orlando, and I were elected to the student government.”
“Congratulations,” said Steven. I offered the two women high fives.
Steven and I are so proud to have Jessica and Alysia as our daughters. Jessica, as well as Lisia, as she prefers to be called, are actually my nieces by blood - their biological mother was my elder sister. They spent a lot of time with Steven and me when they were growing up. After my sister passed away from breast cancer, Steven and I adopted the sisters.
My father-in-law, the business person that he was, loved his new grandchildren. They may look a lot like me, but they have Steven’s intelligence and determination. In addition, my father-in-law loved that his grandchildren were interested in working in Devon - and perhaps even inheriting it - one day. Steven, with his ADHD, knew that running Devon was not for him. My father-in-law, to his credit, accepted Steven’s choice, but he challenged him to find a heir. He was impressed that Steven and I brought him two intelligent and well-bred daughters of Sootopolis.
“I am so glad that we won the election,” said Jessica. “Even though we were one of the two slates running for two of the open residence hall groups of seats, I was afraid that there would be some backlash.”
I nodded in understanding. Given the fact that Liz Merkel, who was well-loved by many in the university, was killed just outside of Sootopolis last week, being Sootopolitan isn’t very popular on campus - especially if one has the stereotypical teal Sootopolitan hair color, as do Jessica and me. To be fair, emotions have very much been very strong on both sides. Those of us in Sootopolis wished that Merkel did not have to die, but we were also very happy that she could no longer disrespect our sacred sites and hurt our people. Many of those in this university, however, remember Merkel as a mentor and a role model, and understandably they were grieving when Merkel was killed.
“See, I told you we were going to be fine,” replied Lillie with a genuine upbeat smile. “I don’t think that most students here will judge you or Weston based on where you’re from. Maybe some of the bad ones will say something, but you can’t let them stop you.”
“Did you tell your sister about the election results?” I asked Jessica.
“Oh, not yet,” she replied as she retrieved her phone and started texting.
“I’m going to text Gladion and Hau,” said Lillie as she took out her phone.
“Do you have a copy of your announcement of candidacy?” asked Steven. “I could hang it on the wall of my office.”
“Of course,” replied Jessica as she handed him and me a copy.
SLATE 13
Candidates for Student Government
Living Group: University Residence Halls and Apartments
Jessica Whittle Stone of Zumalakarregi Heights
Major: Business/Accounting/Marketing
Hometown: Sootopolis City, Hoenn
Lusamine “Lillie” Mohn of Haines Residence Complex
Major: Undeclared
Hometown: Hau’li City, Alola
Orlando Garcia of Goikoetxea Graduate Apartments
Major: Geology, M.S.
Hometown: Castelia City, Unova
Weston Waterman of Haines Residence Complex
Major: Education
Hometown: Sootopolis City, Hoenn
“Has Orlando found out yet?” I asked Steven.
Orlando is Steven’s one and only graduate student. He looks a lot like Brendan when he was a bit younger. Steven seems to send him on “quests” all the time. Orlando’s a gamer and liked that format. Steven keeps a running tally of all the quests that Orlando has done, and Orlando is surprised that Steven hasn’t lost count yet.
“Not yet,” Steven said. “He’s teaching a lab.” He then checked his phone. “Hey, if we’re going to decorate the office today, I might as well check my mail. Who knows who else may have sent decorations.” He then left for the mailroom. Beldum and Rotom, of course, followed him out the door.
Three minutes later, the door got thrown open again. After Lillie, Jessica, and I cringed for a moment, I was planning on lecturing the guest on the proper way to enter an office in this institution when I saw a mixture of anger and frustration on the man’s face.
“What happened, Weston?” I asked.
“Thank Arceus, you’re here,” replied Weston. He was breathing hard through his panting - as if he was running from something. “Wait - where’s Steven?”
“He’s picking up mail,” I replied. “Don’t worry about it. He can handle it. Let’s work on what you’re dealing with right now.”
“Well,” said Weston, “I just left Steven’s class and was standing around in the campus food court when this other person pulled me over. She said that she was part of a ‘task force’ and that my t-shirt was inappropriate for this school and that I needed to change it because I was creating a ‘climate of hate’. I said that no, it wasn’t, and then a bunch of students started chanting slurs.” He then pointed to his t-shirt. “Does this look like an ‘inappropriate’ t-shirt to you?”
I looked at the shirt he was wearing. It had “Kalliste”, the indigenous Sootopolitan name for our city, in artistically distressed screen print. While I admit I am not a fan of hipster styles, the shirt was definitely not “inappropriate” for anywhere - well anywhere except my closet.
“No,” I said. “It looks fine to me. And if others have a problem with it - who cares. As for the chanting - let’s talk to someone in the administration about it. You should be able to wear a shirt with the name of your city on it.”
“Can I stay here for now?” asked Weston. “I am sick and tired of dealing with annoying people.”
“Only if you help us decorate Steven’s office,” I replied. “We’re doing it old school.”
A few minutes later, Steven entered the office with an armful of packages. Rotom, Beldum, and Hau were following him.
“Sorry,” said Hau as he placed down a few packages on the table. “I accidentally went to the mailroom address.”
I chuckled. “It happens, Hau.”
“Since everyone is here,” said Steven as he picked up his Rotom Dex, which was in sleep mode at the moment, “let’s start. First, we’re going to have storytime. Follow me.”
I waited for everyone else to leave the room and the followed out with a Pokeball. Elizabeth, my Luvdisc, was going to be a part of this too. On the way out, I locked Steven’s office.