Taschmonchen

Roter stared around the room, scratching nervously at the back of his neck. He really didn't have any idea what to say.

A verfolchen!

Not only had he just seen the existence of a myth confirmed, he'd met a legend. One that apparently Vanessa hated even more than she hated him. It was an understandable hate, of course.

A policewoman wouldn't have kind feels towards a lawless individual.

Stevie had seemed fine to Roter. Kind enough, and instantly stepping in to to turn a disaster into some kind of small triumph. Even Blissbun didn't completely despise the woman.

Blauer scratched her cheek, "Roter? Can... Can we talk privately?"

"He's mine, biatch." Blissbun was instantly between them.

Roter put a hand on his monchen's shoulder, "Blissbun, can you check in on Shade?"

"Ro-"

"Now."

Blissbun blinked her yellow eyes twice, and then went meek. Shuffling over to where the other monchen tried to protest that she was absolutely fine - missing his meaning completely.

Roter and Blauer stepped out the back of the photography studio, where the garden was just beginning to hum with insect life.

Blauer crouched by a patch of flowers, dropping her head sideways.

Roter waited patiently.

"The world is a mess, isn't it?" Blauer half-whispered.

"Is it?"

She nodded slowly, "There's so much we just don't understand. Where the monchen came from. What they're capable of. They pay us for the research... But the world might as well be dying. This is worse than global warming ever was. The planet suffocating slowly, whilst all we do is smother it some more."

"I don't know. I don't think so." Roter disagreed, "I think the world is the people, and whilst so many of us are depressed or beaten, the world always has space for a little bit of optimism."

Blauer gave a small lopsided smile, "That's... Actually one of the reasons I hate you. Always so infuriatingly bright. Can never admit when things aren't all smiles. You just had a fucking legitimate haunting, and are still bright and fucking happy."

"Proving verfolchen exist is a huge step forward. Their abilities are so different than anything else!" Roter said with a grin. "This could be a huge step forward for all trainers. For understanding how a monchen can do what they do."

"Like I said. Infuriating." Blauer rolled her eyes and stood up slowly, "Unfortunately, I'm the one who got the research grant, not you. I fully admit, you are the one who deserved it. So I absolutely will never forgive you, if you do not prove your theory. Never."

"I uh... What?"

She crossed her arms, "Prove yourself right. Prove they can evolve, Roter. The world needs you to do that, not be Mr. Nice Guy to all the monchen. Photos? Advertising? The fuck are you doing wasting your time with this bullshit?"

He blinked, "Uh... What Bliss-"

"You're the motherfucking trainer! So... Train. Her." Blauer snarled, and then stormed by him, back inside. Unable to stand being around him any longer.

Roter watched her go, smiling sadly. She never could stand him very long, but he did get the feeling that she regretted a lot of their relationship, too. They might have broken up a long time ago, with barely more than a kiss in the whole of their history, but there was still something between the two of them.

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Roter was confused when he got inside. He had expected after the fighting, fretting, and haunting, that his monchen would be busy trying to stand up for themselves.

Blissbun he had certainly expected to be picking a fight.

Instead, he found a scene that did not feel like it belonged in the real world. Both monchen were with Vanessa, and the police officer was bright red in the cheeks, with her eyes closed.

The blitzchen was giving little static sparkles as she nuzzled into the woman's neck on one side, whilst Shade was on the other. The blattchen wasn't wearing her necklace - the wreath was strangely around Blissbun's neck.

Chase was staring nearby, disbelievingly using his camera to record what was most certainly a private moment and not any attempt at advertising. Roter silently took said camera, and removed the memory card and tucked that away for Blissbun to vaporise later.

The other man started at his presence, and very quickly made for the stairs and up to his bedroom. Roter didn't get the feeling that the guilt was enough for the man not to let his imagination finish things.

Vanessa swallowed nervously, "R-roter... Isn't it? Can you uh.. C-control your -"

"She smells nice." Blissbun purred, nuzzling in and crackling with sparks, "Such innocence."

"So yummy..." Shade shivered, "Just wanna tie her up..."

Roter glanced down at the ground, where Shade's feet were managing to sprout grass through the carpet. Not quite enough to spring up a plant, capturing the prey, but that was exactly what this was.

"Hunting." The trainer sighed heavily, "I suppose the two of you have a bit of pent up energy after that little encounter. So, instead of hunting the police officer, how about we go to the park? Do a little training?"

Blissbun glared over at him and lifted an accusing finger, "Buz-"

"Unless you want to explain your dream about katzchen." Roter interrupted.

Her yellow eyes blinked, and then she shoved Vanessa and stepped backwards with a huff. "Not even that innocent."

Shade giggled, and continued kissing away to the officer. Roter nodded towards Blissbun, who sighed, and shocked the heck out of the blattchen. The blitzchen took Shade by the ankle and dragged her towards the door.

Roter sighed and rubbed his face tiredly, "Apologies. Looks like Blauer is right. I have a bit of training to do with these two. They need an outlet. The art isn't enough for them."

"You're a trainer." Vanessa pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her cheeks. Her hands were still shaking. "I get that. It is a difficult job. I do understand. But keeping a monchen is not something that just anyone can do. We get most people to try, because of that. Everyone gets a monchen, but most trainers end up with multiple, because handling them isn't easy. People drop out of the program, always."

He shrugged, "I was hoping to avoid the usual violence of the arena. Blissbun was certain she didn't need it. Maybe I was naive."

"Blitzchen are the worst." Vanessa's face dropped, "I have never seen a single trainer own one for any degree of time. And I know that particular one. You are not her first."

"No, I'm not." Roter stretched his arms, other thoughts ticking over and slotting into place. He wasn't particularly interested in discussing things with a cop. He would do what was best for the monchen, regardless of the angers of the law.

Vanessa glared at him, "You should know, I've requested a background check on both you, and the other trainer who was here. When a trainer comes to the city, it's always done. All the same -"

"You'll discover exactly zip." Roter interrupted, "I'm no one."

"Evolutionary theory." Vanessa spat, "You're a mad one. A stupid idea. Trying to -"

"I haven't tried to do a thing, except get my monchen a job. Haven't been here long enough." Roter snapped, his patience evaporating. "I'm not here on a research grant. Now, if you're done with this intimidation routine, I have two very energetic monchen, unsupervised, in your fucking streets."

Vanessa silently stepped to the side.

Roter walked over, took her by the shoulder, and walked the officer out of his workplace. He wasn't about to leave her unsupervised anywhere.

Blissbun looked up from nearby, where she was sitting on Shade's back. She snapped her teeth, "The fuck you want, copper?"

"Chill." Roter waved a hand, and then bent down and checked Shade's vital points. "Did you have to cannon her?"

"I like my Buzz Cannon." Blissbun growled.

He shrugged, "It's not exactly Storm Claw, though, is it?"

"Oi!" Blissbun nearly burst into tears, "I do my fucking be-"

"Today, I'm going to teach you Storm Claw. And I'm going to teach Shade, Tangling Bush. First one to get that, is going to hit the other." Roter stated flatly, tickling at Shade's ear and making her groan.

Blissbun launched to her feet, "I thought you said I didn't have to fight! I'm a model, remember? An artist. Not a -"

"Storm Claw, whilst wearing a new outfit, jumping down off the table." Roter explained, "We can either go with that framing, or we can have Shade bursting out of a bush, you dragged down behind in last season's clothes."

She winced, "Well, shit. That's actually pretty good. Fuck you."

"Shade?"

The blattchen groaned, sitting up and rubbing her temples, "Do I have to?"

Roter took the necklace back from Blissbun, inspecting it for a moment, noting a few burnt leaves with concern, before fitting it onto the young woman. "Afraid so. Blissbun wasn't the only one acting out, was she?"

Shade grinned at him, "But... It was fun!"

"So... You don't want to tie her up?" He nodded over to the yellow-tailed woman, sparking with frustration.

Shade giggled, "Sure. But she's going to plant a lightning bolt in me ass."

"She's never cast Storm Claw."

Blissbun stomped a foot, "It's not my fault! I can't. Okay? I fucking can't!? I just go boom, that's all I can fucking do!"

Shade raised an eyebrow, "Seriously?"

Roter snapped his fingers, "That's enough. We're all agreed. Blissbun can only Storm Claw, and Shade can only Tangling Bush. We're headed to the park, first. No acting out, okay? I'm in enough trouble as-is."

The three started on the short walk.

The trainer falling in behind Shade, first. "Now, for all your confidence, you've never actually cast Tangling Bush before, have you? Tried it. Never achieved it."

"How in the heck did you know that?" She whispered quietly, looking at him with shame.

He shrugged, "If you had, Vanessa would have known it. You were trying to push your energy down into the ground, overflow and burst upwards, right?"

"Yeah...? That's how you do it."

"Nope." Roter gave a small smile, "That's how an amateur would. It's not the way it gets cast after a few years, because it makes a mistake."

Shade groaned, "Are you really acting all trainer on me, now?"

"I am a trainer."

She nodded glumly, "So... What? I need to flick the bean to make it sprout, before I can cast properly?"

"Wouldn't hurt, but no." Roter laughed, "The mistake is pushing your energy into the ground. Instead, you can check the ambience of the already existing grass. Don't start from scratch. Shift yourself to match, and it'll synchronise to you."

Shade blinked, "... Huh."

"So all you -"

She nodded, "Yeah, yeah. I get it. I just never thought of doing that. I mean, I sync'd to you, to make you sleep with me. I can do that. Hypnotise the plants to grow. That's so easy! Should have thought of that before."

Roter tried not to be horrified, "Right."

He moved on to the blitzchen. Who raised a finger, "Tell me how to Storm, and I'll storm directly into your tiny baby sacks with the vengeance of the Storm gods."

"Actually, I was going to tell you to chill."

Blissbun glared at him, "Excuse me!?"

"It's the anger." Roter sighed and tucked her hair behind one ear. He smiled at her sadly, "I think I've worked it out. You're overpowered, Blissbun. Just like you think you are."

"I can thunder." She growled, uncertain.

He nodded, "Exactly. Too much thunder, and the lightning can't rip free. It gets stuck in you. Dancing sparks behind the eyes. You're hurting yourself, burning up, with an overcharged electrical signal. You'll burn out if you keep up being a buck converter."

"I'm worth more than a buck." Blissbun stared at the ground, fighting back a sniffle.

"I know it, and you know it." Roter agreed and punched her lightly in the shoulder, "You get all stuck, because you don't want to fight. You don't want to hurt anyone."

She gave a bitter laugh, "Sure I do, I'm the angry bitch."

"Nice cover story. Deception check failed." Roter disagreed. "I can see you, Bliss. The real you. The one who hates her name, because she doesn't think she can live up to it. The cute you, the one who loves a pretty dress, and wishes she could just wear it without clipping her tail to a socket. The hurting one, who wrongly thinks the world would be better off without her."

Blissbun just about fell over her own feet, before glaring up at him with tears in her eyes. Her hair shifting and rolling as it crackled with lightning, "I'm gonna buzz you in a minute."

"You let loose, when you're afraid. Not angry. You don't fear Shade, so she'll whoop you." Roter continued on, "Afraid I'll leave you. Afraid that Blauer will hurt me. Afraid that the ghost will hurt me. Turns out, you're pretty determined to protect me."

The blitzchen winced, "As you say, dearest master."

"Still can't admit it." Roter chuckled, and then stopped her, smiled, leaning in and kissing her cheek affectionately, "Not getting rid of me anytime soon, Bliss."

"Call me that again." She glowered, as a tear rolled down her nose.

"You're my favourite, Bliss."

"Buzz buzz!"

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"Shade, on the circle." Roter pointed at the mark he'd made, and then turned to the other woman with her clenched hands, and pointed at the other, "You too."

"A trainer match!" Someone nearby said excitedly, "This is how the professionals do it!"

Roter ran a hand through his spiked hair, and took a deep breath. He knew this wasn't just a moment for the two women. How well he performed here, could very well make or break his own name as a trainer.

People liked to watch the trainers. They threw their support behind the best of the very best, those like no one ever were. Going far and wide, the trainers with the crowds behind them got to do what they needed to do. They only got to help their monchen, with the support of the public.

He was going to try to teach them, and the two would teach him. If he needed to, he would battle them every day. He'd turn his dream to the fight, if it was what it would take to defend them from the world.

"Focus on the grass, not on you. Don't forget Blissbun, but don't keep your eye on her, either." Roter instructed Shade, "This is about speed. How fast can you sync and grow. The blitzchen is fast, she'll skip right on by you, if you try and track her. Build the trap, where she's going to be, not where she is."

He looked over to the other, "Storm Claw isn't about landing the punch. Remember that. It's about seeing what happens, if you don't."

"Fuck you."

He raised a hand, "In three... Two... Now!"

Instantly, leaves drifted on the breeze from Shade. She didn't go right to the trap, completely ignoring what he'd told her to do. She dropped her scent into the wind, delivering a calming payload straight to Blissbun's face.

Unsurprisingly, Blissbun didn't do what he'd told her, either. She charged right up, focusing on building her power and magic, like she always did. Trying to summon up her cannon, even as her sparks burnt the wafting chemicals that Shade had unleashed.

"Shade, drop it! Now!" Roter instructed, "Blissbun, dodge, don't fire!"

The blattchen giggled, and her eyes shone green as she punched a hand skywards. The grass sprang up and twisted, expanding and turning into solid rods that didn't so much as wrap around Blissbun, as punctured her like spears.

A green pole blasting right through her torso, the blitzchen failed to dodge, failed to even try, and ended up hacking up a glob of blood instead of letting loose with a lightning blast.

"Fuck!" Roter yelled and sprinted towards the field.

Shade's eye was on the prize, and she slotted another blade neatly through the other woman's throat. Smiling sideways as the blitzchen was pinned perfectly in place, an inch from death.

"F-fear..." Blissbun whispered, as the light in her yellow eyes flickered, right on the verge of going out.

Her head dropped a moment before Roter reached her, grabbing her shoulders as he desperately tried to think of what to do.

"Listen to me." Roter said urgently, "Listen up, you bitch! You are the bitch. The one who can take a hit, and won't go down. The one who keeps on fighting, keeps on breathing, even when the lightning comes crashing down."

"I... I..." Blissbun gurgled, drooling blood.

Roter stared around at the crowd, "Has no one got a freaking potion!? This wasn't supposed to happen!"

Stevie appeared out of the crowd, "Are you kidding? Kid, she don't need no help. She's about... To get angry."

Roter blinked, "Excuse me?"

"Blitzchen's badass. You did good." Stevie nodded.

Roter looked back, and then winced as Blissbun's hands hooked into his sides, and fingernails drove right through his t-shirt. She gritted her blood teeth, dragging her head up slowly.

Her yellow eyes flickered, turning red.

"Oh shit." Roter flinched.

Storm Claw, is one of the most basic attacks that a blitzchen can make. Most learnt it, even as kids. The mechanics were extremely simple. By channelling their electrical magic, they could propel their hands to move at faster paces. The actual damage inflicted wasn't electrical, so it could affect even the type resistant.

The fingernails of blitzchen weren't technically fingernails. They looked fairly short, about half an inch. However, the material was actually bone, not keratin. The nails were fused to the skeleton, and wrapped with a series of muscles and phalanges that allowed them to be reinforced at the impact of the Storm Claw.

At the peak of a blitzchen's ability, the Storm Claw allowed them to deliver a cutting blow that was fast enough to cause the molecules of the air to crash into each other and actually fuse, igniting into an impact that was used to destroy entire hills and other grade impacts in the construction industry.

Roter saw the wisps of flames as he suddenly found himself flung back in the air, flipping head over heels.

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Roter groaned, rolling his swollen tongue around his mouth, as the rezpill hit the back of his throat. One bleary eye peered up to see yellow eyes in his gaze, a moment before he flinched.

Sparks zapped and numbed his tongue, as Blissbun's own circled his. A million tiny bites, razor sharp as they nipped all along the sides of his tongue. Her lips touched his delicately, pressing into him, as she pulled him into her mouth, trying to get closer.

The blitzchen straddled him on the bed, arms moving in behind his bandaged back, hands clutching at his shoulders as she pushed her hips down onto him, breathing quickly and puffing against his cheek as she kissed him.

He wasn't sure if she was about to moan, or burst into tears.

Roter tried to push her back gently, and the blitzchen pulled in tighter. She broke the kiss to shove her head down and against his shoulder. A million tiny zaps rippled through his cheek and neck on her passage, making him flinch and wince, before he felt her bite him.

Roter thrust up involuntarily, with Blissbun immediately grinding down roughly against him. Slamming him into the bed hungrily.

"Okay, that's enough of that, you horny blitzchen." A voice instructed, and Roter breathed a sigh of relief as she was shoved aside.

He blinked at the newcomer, "Nurse Jenny?"

"Penny. Jenny's my sister." The woman in pink said, before thumbing another rezpill into his mouth. "Relax, blitz. The man has just taken a Storm Claw to the face. He is in no position for sex. Give him at least a day, and then you can do what you want to your trainer."

Blissbun flushed, her cheeks sparking and going bright red, "I... Wasn't!"

"Sure." Penny laughed, "I heard about you, before you got here, by the way. A trainer, rushing onto the field between two monchen. You're lucky to be alive."

"The city needs a real arena." Roter groaned.