Pokémon (Complete) But How Will It Be: A Drabble Collection

[Just a Torchic]

A Facadeverse fic

You may know this story from Bulbagarden, or maybe you know it on AO3. I'm posting it here, as well, for those who don't know it there and for further validation. Also the forum format lends well to reviews.

Ok, so maybe they go over the word limit of a drabble sometimes, but anyway...

This was originally a spin off to Pokémon: Heroes and Villains, but then I decided "Nah, let's put these oneshots in the canon verse". (What does canonverse mean? The games? Anime? Manga? Idk, pal. It's whatever verse my headcanons take place in. Btw, check those out on my Bulbablog.)

Basically, they're miscellaneous drabbles about Pokémon characters' backstories/childhoods/etc. No overarching theme or anything.

The story as a whole is rated Teen (some are rated Everyone, some may be rated Mature, we'll see) for the following:

Mental Illness (including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self harm, trauma, and implicit suicide/suicidal ideation)
Substance Use (including alcohol)
Toxic Family
Character Death

Index

First Memory - Winona
First Memory - Steven
First Memory - Wallace

Home - Winona
Home - Steven
Home - Wallace

Siblings - Winona
Siblings - Steven
Siblings - Wallace

Parents - Winona
Parents - Steven
Parents - Wallace

First Pokémon - Winona
First Pokémon - Steven
First Pokémon - Wallace

Education - Winona
Education - Steven
Education - Wallace

College - Winona
College - Steven
College - Wallace

Mentor - Winona
Mentor - Steven
Mentor - Wallace

Darkest Memory - Winona
Darkest Memory - Steven
Darkest Memory - Wallace

The Future - Winona
The Future - Steven
The Future - Wallace

 

[Just a Torchic]

First Memory - Winona

Winona's first memory is like fog over a lake: vague in some parts, clear in others.

She was with her father in Fortree Woods. She couldn’t remember every detail (she was five at the time), but she could remember the sense of wonder: the way the trees towered above them, reaching for the skies. They were too massive, too majestic to comprehend.

But perhaps more beautiful were the birds.

Her father named every bird they saw, named what they ate, where they lived. She didn’t remember exactly what he said on that walk, but soon, those facts would become second nature to her. Even long after that trip, she would study the birds of the park, the birds of other parks, the birds of Hoenn, the birds of the world.

 

[Just a Torchic]

First Memory - Steven

Steven’s first memory is sharp, like a shard of obsidian.

He was rock hunting with his parents. The two had gotten caught up in a business conversation, so Steven busied himself by looking around for rocks. He showed his parents a cool rock he found, and they even stopped their conversation to marvel at it. It was a piece of concrete that had broken off the road, ending up in a drawer in his childhood bedroom when he ran off on his journey. But the smile on his parents’ faces, the pure joy glowing in him, the pride he felt for finding something cool…

Oh, how he misses those days.

 

[Just a Torchic]

I'm gonna rate this one as Everyone bordering on Teen for mentions of parental death and trauma.

First Memory - Wallace

Wallace’s first memory is, in his words, shrouded in a layer of water whenever he recalls it: blurry and glowing with a pale blue light. He can't make out the details, but he can make out the shadows.

He was at a fountain with his mother—the one in Pearlulu Plaza, Sootopolis City. That's all he can remember. He can't remember what they were doing there—probably watching the Wingulls or making wishes in the fountains. Wallace has never been the best at remembering things, especially things that had happened during his early childhood. If only he could. He can remember the day of his parents’ death so vividly, he can remember the whole month after so vividly, but he can barely remember the memories from when they were alive.

At least he can remember one thing about that day at the fountain: he and his mother were very happy.

 

[Just a Torchic]

This one's a bit longer than the others, but considering the fact that these stories are short enough, it's not like I'm posting something the length of a novel or even a chapter of a novel.

Contains implied Gracefulshipping.

Home - Winona

Winona, like most people in Fortree City, lives in the trees.

Her house has three rooms: the LDK, the bathroom, the bedroom, and the closet. She thinks even that’s more space than she could ever need; her Pokémon sleep in the trees of the city, leaving her as the only one living there (though sometimes Wallace will stay at her place, and sometimes she’ll stay at his, making the number of people living in her house at any given moment 0-2). She doesn’t even bother to decorate the place. There’s a few elaborately decorated boxes of her possessions, and her bed has purple pillows and blankets embroidered with bird motifs, but that’s about as fancy as it gets.

Winona doesn't mind. It’s not like she’s ever in her house. It's hard to even call it a home. It's too big for one person, sure, but it's also paradoxically too small for Winona. Maybe it's the walls.

Her real home is in the skies. Here, she feels free. Here, she feels alive. Here, she feels safe. Maybe that's what home is: freedom, life, and safety.

 

[Just a Torchic]

Home - Steven

Steven lives in a simple cottage on the coast of Mossdeep City. It’s smaller, quieter, more peaceful, and (in his opinion) better than his former home, the Stone Estate in Rustboro City.

The cottage is smaller. It’s less intimidating. For some odd reason, it feels more like a home. Steven may be on good terms with his father now, but Stone Estate will never be his home.

There are rocks on display everywhere: in the main room (which serves as his living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom, parlor, you name it), in the bathroom, in the closet, on the patio, in the basement, everywhere. At times, they’re trophies of his travels. At others, companions at three in the morning when his emotions are getting to him and he feels too guilty to call one of his friends. At still other times, memories of his travels in physical form.

That’s not to say that the place is a mess. Pretty sparse in the decor department, sure, but Steven takes time to make sure it’s clean and tidy. Messes stress him out.

 

[Just a Torchic]

Home - Wallace

Wallace lives in a two story house that gives him a beautiful view of the city he has vowed to protect.

It’s a simple blend of Sootopolitan and modernist architecture, with a parlor that draws from Kalosian design. It has two extra bedrooms (being prepared to give weary travelers food and shelter is an obligation in Sootopolitan culture). There’s a small cove outside where his Pokémon swim, and there’s a small indoor pool.

He moved in with Juan when he began his apprenticeship. During college, he would spend the weekends and holidays at his sister’s house. Now, he lives alone, or rather, with his Pokémon. However, there are moments when they’re off in their cove, when he’s left alone. On the one hand, Wallace, as much as he loves the spotlight, can get overwhelmed by being around other people. On the other hand, being alone can be, well, lonely, and also scary.

He considers his house a home, but in all honesty, he extends "home" to include all of Sootopolis City. Sure, it’s the city that put so many expectations on him at such a young age, but it’s the city with the beautiful white and blue buildings, the city with such wonderful people and Pokémon, the city with the stores and libraries and museums he’s known for his whole life, the city that raised him.

 

[Just a Torchic]

CW// Toxic Family. It's nothing too graphic, but just be warned.

Siblings - Winona

Winona has three siblings (by blood), though when people ask, she always says she has two siblings.

It’s not because Theresa is a step sister. It’s not because Theresa is sixteen years older than Winona. It’s not because Theresa is married to the owner of the Hano Grand Resort. No, it’s because of the things Theresa does: insult Winona’s friends, family, and Pokémon; mock Winona for being a Gym Leader and not “a high class, financially and socially important woman”; call her awful, awful names, only to turn around and pretend to be her friend when it benefits her, only to ignore her immediately after.

Well, at least Winona has Bugsy and Anabel. While Bugsy moved to the Johto region a few years ago along with his mother, he and Winona still keep in touch, both as Gym Leaders and as siblings. Anabel still lives in Hoenn, though, so she and Winona are able to spend more time together, whether that be through Saturday mornings at the Well Tempered Pidgey or matches at the Battle Frontier.

As far as she's concerned, this makes Winona the oldest sibling. Like a bird protecting her nest, it's Winona's duty to be the wise one, the one with all the answers, the one who stays calm even in the greatest of storms: against Theresa, against natural terrors, against human and Pokémon terrors.

 

[Just a Torchic]

Siblings - Steven

Steven is an only child. Almost all of his friends have siblings, leaving him to wonder what it’s like to have them.

He was lonely as a child. He couldn’t get along with the kids of his dad’s friends; he was "too weird". Instead, Steven hung out with his rocks. And Beldum.

But Beldum isn’t a sibling. The word doesn’t feel right. Steven doesn’t know who is like a sibling to him, because he doesn’t have any experience with siblings.

Maybe the other Steel type trainers? The Rock type trainers?

He’s looked up the definitions of sibling, from the most technical to the sappiest, most wine mom-ish. No one in his life fits any of the definitions. Sure, he has close friends, friends he would die, kill, and give up his rocks for, but they aren’t like siblings to him.

Well, at least he has a cousin. Joe, his unfriendly rival and near arch nemesis.

 

[Just a Torchic]

Probably gonna rate this one a T for Teen.
CW// Implied Mental Illness/Eating Disorder/Self Harm

Siblings - Wallace

Wallace has one sibling: Nicole.

Nicole—Ice type trainer and Coordinator—was already famous, strong, and married by the time Wallace began his journey. She was moreso someone to admire—someone Wallace, in his mind, needed to impress.

Things were rough in Wallace’s early college years, not because of Nicole (in fact, they grew closer, as Wallace stayed at her house during the weekends), but because of almost everything else in his life. He tried his best to hide his problems (and the ways he dealt with those problems) from Nicole; she had enough things on her plate. Nicole gave him unconditional love and acceptance, and Wallace returned the favor by keeping up the facade that everything was okay. He also taught Lisia about Contests while Nicole and her husband, Raphael, were at work. Seeing Wallace and Lisia get along so well was the greatest source of joy in Nicole’s life.

Then Wallace was hospitalized for malnutrition brought on by said ways he dealt with problems. Wallace felt guilty for not being perfect for his sister. Nicole felt guilty for not seeing the warning signs.

Nicole walked by Wallace’s side on the path to recovery (a path Wallace sometimes worries he’s still on, but that’s okay, his therapist tells him). She was there when Wallace returned to Contests. She’s still there by his side, even after all these years. She gives him unconditional love and acceptance, and Wallace returns the favor by being open to her.

 

[Just a Torchic]

These drabbles are slowly getting longer and longer...

Parents - Winona

Winona wouldn’t say her parents were controlling, but she would certainly say that they were overprotective.

Her mother certainly was. Maybe it was because Rina had a rough life, but she was very strict with her children: they couldn’t be out after four, they couldn’t leave Fortree City, and they couldn’t go on their Pokémon journey at the age of ten.

Haruki Kimura was an orthonthology professor at the Fortree College of the Sciences (he currently works as a professor at Azalea University). He was also a bit hesitant to let his children go off on a Pokémon journey, but that didn’t mean he didn’t teach his children about the world. After all, knowledge would be their greatest tool and their greatest weapon against the worst of the world.

He taught them everything he knew about the natural world, but Winona’s favorite thing to learn about was birds. She would spend her time reading all of her father’s books on birds, looking at his diagrams, or staring out the window to watch the birds fly. On her fifteenth birthday, Winona even received a Pokémon: a little Swablu she named Aurora.

Winona wasn’t always inside, but she rarely left Fortree City, apart from the occasional visit to Johto. She spent some time outside (under the supervision of one or both of her parents). Sometimes, Haruki managed to convince Rina to let him take the kids flying on his Skarmory. Winona felt free in the sky: free from the cage that was her home, free from the confines of the city, free from the worries of the world.

But the thing about teenagers is that they like independence. This became especially apparent to Haruki and Kimura when Winona turned fifteen. At that age, she began asking, no, begging to be allowed to go on a Pokémon journey. Haruki and Rina spent several discussing whether or not they would let Winona leave. They couldn’t keep their children from leaving forever, after all. Eventually, they would have to leave the nest, but she had to be prepared to fend for herself. The two came to the conclusion that they would let Winona go on her journey if she defeated Haruki in a Pokémon battle.

And then she did.

 

[Just a Torchic]

CW//Suicide, Implied Suicide Ideation, Mental Illness, and Implied Self Harm

Parents - Steven

Steven’s relationship with his father is… complicated, to say the least.

It’s not that Joseph ever hurt Steven, physically or verbally. Steven loves his father, and Joseph loves his son. When Steven was a toddler, Joseph would play hooky from work just so he could spend time with his wife, Sophia, and Steven.

Sophia took her own life when Steven was only five. The topic was and is a sore subject for both Joseph and Steven. For Joseph, grief became workaholism; for Steven, grief became social isolation. Naturally, the two were distant.

Then came Steven’s teenage years, when he and Joseph went from not talking to each other to screaming at each other. Steven didn’t want to inherit the Devon Corporation. He didn’t want to be stuck in an office all day. He didn’t want to stay at the Stone Estate and walk down the halls of bad memories. He wanted to see the world. He wanted to see it with his own two eyes, to walk across it with his own two feet. Aside from that, he rarely talked to anyone other than Beldum, he forgot to take care of himself, and he was overall miserable.

Joseph wanted to understand his son. He knew that Steven was, deep down, suffering, and he could see the warning signs, both in the red marks on Steven's arms and in his mood swings. Joseph saw similarities between Sophia and Steven—their smiles, their love of Pokémon... their self harm and suicidal ideation. Joseph didn’t want to lose Steven like he had lost his wife. However, most conversations between the two somehow turned into arguments.

Steven couldn't deal with being inside all day, so he ran away from home to go on his Pokémon journey.

A very irrational and irresponsible move, in retrospect (even Steven admitted it after defeating two Gym Leaders), but at least he remembered to leave a note saying what his intentions were so Joseph wouldn't worry.

His return home after those two Gym battles was... awkward, to say the least, no matter how good of a trainer he was.

Joseph allowed Steven to continue his journey, on the condition that he would come and visit every so often, makes friends, spend time outside (Steven had a Vitamin D deficiency), and reach out to to someone—anyone—if he needed help. Joseph, in return, promised to try to understand him (both in a “get hip with the kids” sense and “understand his problems” sense), promised to help him in any way he could, promised to support his son no matter what.

And they both delivered on their promises.

 

[Just a Torchic]

CW// Parental Death, Mental Illness, Eating Disorders, Self Harm, and Alcoholism

Parents - Wallace

There was always a sense of rivalry in Wallace’s family. The rivalry over beauty and perfection goes back generations. Wallace was lucky enough to have parents who supported him and his sister, but that didn’t keep Wallace from always wanting to do better, be better, do the best, be the best.

His mother was Lucille Izumi, an artist, actress, and musician from Lilycove City. His father was Dorian Papadakis, Gym Leader of Sootopolis City, poet, and patron of the arts. Lucille and Dorian wanted to give their children a good, well rounded education and unconditional love and support.

And they did, up until their deaths when Wallace was ten years old.

From then on, Wallace lived with his mentor, Juan. From then on, Sootopolis City raised him to be the perfect artist, the perfect trainer, the perfect leader, the perfect person.

Juan had been a close friend of Dorian, and while Juan was unable to have children, he had always wanted to be a father. He was also a wise, well respected member of Sootopolitan high society. Naturally, he was chosen to raise Wallace.

Juan tried to be a good father figure to Wallace. He taught Wallace many subjects: the humanities, mathematics, science, and, most importantly, Pokémon. He taught Wallace about Pokémon battles, Pokémon biology, and Contests.

Juan saved Wallace's life several times: when Wallace was drowning in grief after his parents' deaths, when he got attacked by a Gyarados while training his Feebas, when he was too weak from exhaustion to stand up or hold down food. Juan was the first person Wallace confided in about his identity issues, about his starving and purging habits, about how he would drown out debilitating depression and anxiety with self harm and alcohol.

Juan tried to lessen the burden on Wallace’ shoulders by teaching him that failure wasn’t bad, that failure was a part of learning and growth, that perfection was a summit that could never be reached. Wallace didn’t believe him. In his eyes, anything less than perfect was failure, and failure was bad.

Wallace can make Juan proud. He can make Nicole proud. He can make Sootopolis City and Hoenn and the world proud. But no matter how strong of a trainer he is, no matter how many Contests he wins, no matter what he does, he can never know if his parents would be proud.

 

[Just a Torchic]

First Pokémon - Winona

Aurora was a birthday gift from the former Gym Leader of Fortree City, the Bug type trainer Mari. Haruki and Mari were childhood friends, and Haruki and Rina trusted Mari to not give Winona a, say, Salamence.

As a Swablu, Aurora was just as curious about the world as Winona. She would waddle around the house, or hop on Winona’s head. Aurora and Winona couldn’t travel much, but they could play together and study together. Winona started her journey later than most kids, but they made up for it with knowledge and with training.

Aurora looks up to Winona. She's wise, she's kind, she's brave, and—best of all—she gives the best hugs. Aurora is Winona’s strongest Pokémon, but she’s more than just a powerful Pokémon to Winona. When Winona is stressed or overwhelmed, Aurora is there to help her, be it through holding her with her comforting wings or singing a soothing melody. Aurora is a very motherly Pokémon (she even has two children with Winona’s Skarmory Horus), and she’s always there to support the other Fortree Gym Pokémon.

And if anyone threatens her companions, beware the wrath of her Dragon Dance.

 

[Just a Torchic]

CW// Very Minor Implied Mental Illness

First Pokémon - Steven

Beldum was a gift from Steven’s father, a gift of friendship, a gift of companionship. The two have been together since Steven was ten.

Steven’s not psychic. At least, he’s not psychic in the way Tate and Liza are. His connection to Metagross is something, though. It might be psychic because of Metagross’s type. When Metagross is happy, Steven can sense it. When Metagross is sad, Steven can sense it. This dynamic works vice versa; Metagross can sense the emotions of Steven. They also have the intelligence and memory of a supercomputer, and they can keep Steven in check, whether that’s by doing math even Steven can’t do alone, making sure Steven showers and takes his medications, and making sure he doesn’t spend days in a cave without food or contact with the outside world.

Metagross is a formidable foe on the battlefield, and when they Mega Evolve, they’re a sight to behold. They always like a good challenge on the battlefield, with a math problem, or trekking through a lesser known cave.

To their and Steven’s enemies, Metagross is a menace. To their and Steven’s friends (and young kids and Pokémon), Metagross is a warm, gentle friend. To friendly birds, Metagross is a willing perch.

 

[Just a Torchic]

First Pokémon - Wallace

Victoria is the daughter of Juan’s Milotic Marie. Born a few months after Wallace began his apprenticeship, Victoria became very close to him, and Wallace became very close to her.

Growing up, Wallace didn’t have many friends his age. Due to circumstances, he mostly talked to older people. Most Sootopolitans kids his age thought he was a weirdo: he dressed flamboyantly and spent his days studying or talking to fish Pokémon about art. Victoria was Wallace's only close friend (until, of course, he met Steven and Winona).

Similarly, Wallace was, for some time, Victoria's only friend. Most Pokémon her age thought she was weak and ugly, but Wallace treated her with dignity, with respect, with love.

Wallace can see the beauty in everything, and he’s always been able to see the beauty in Victoria. Even when she was a Feebas, he saw her potential. Despite the mocking of other people, the two were inseparable.

Victoria evolved into a Milotic during Wallace’s Gym battle with Juan. To this day, Wallace says it's his most beautiful memory.

Victoria became known as one of the most powerful Pokémon in Sootopolis City. She's mostly respected, often envied, and occasionally feared. But to Wallace, Victoria is more than a strong or beautiful Pokémon. She’s a confidant; she was the first to know Wallace's deepest, darkest secrets (because as the old saying goes, Pokémon keep secrets). She’s an advisor; even without words, she’s able to give him wisdom or be there for him when things get rough. She’s the moon to Wallace’s sun, the other side of his coin, his other half. He's incomplete without her, and she's incomplete without him.

 

[Just a Torchic]

CW// Minor discussions of sexuality and implied slut shaming

Education - Winona

Winona received a very standard education for a girl who wasn’t allowed to go on a journey.

In primary school (ages 3-10), she learned the basic subjects that every child was expected to know before starting a journey: math, science, reading, writing, Hoennese history, art, and of course, the basics of Pokémon. Kids in her class would talk about what their journeys would be like, what starters they would choose, how they would become Champion. These questions isolated Winona from her peers. Well, that and her overactive imagination. Her daydream believing and whimsical fantasies didn’t fade as she grew up.

Secondary school in Fortree City was, at the time, lackluster at best, though Winona did her best to get good grades and to be a good student. She was always at the top of her science classes, in part because of her love of birds, in part because her father knew about the sciences, in part because she was a diligent student.

But Winona also pursued the arts. At the age of fourteen, she found her calling in dance. She felt like a bird in the sky when she was on the stage. She felt free. She felt alive. And dancing also helped in Pokémon battles; teaching her Pokémon elegant choreography helped them dodge their opponents and land powerful hits. It was this strategy that helped Winona win against her father, and it was this strategy that lifted her to the rank of Gym Leader.

Health class… health class was a mess. The teacher, Ms. Vincent, was one of the biggest contributor to Winona's insecurity, confusion, and guilt over herself, her body, and her sexuality, coming at a time when Winona was already confused and scared about everything. The things Ms. Vincent taught were at best confusing and at worst harmfully incorrect. It would help make Theresa’s later comments towards Winona sting even more, though at least Ms. Vincent never called Winona a "bitch" or "slut".

 

[Just a Torchic]

CW// References to e-cigarettes, homophobia, and mental illness

Education - Steven

Steven’s primary and secondary schooling took place at a private school. He hated it.

He hated how pretentious the kids were, how insensitive they were, how boring they were. He hated the teachers and faculty, who were so stupid, so uncaring, so ignorant.

As much as Steven hated it, he knew that his family was too high on the social ladder for public school (or anything besides Rustboro Preparatory School For the Exalted, really) to be an option. So he just had to put on a smile and do his best to get good grades.

Steven had problems focusing in school, but he didn’t need to study much in order to get good grades. He could learn things pretty quickly. This meant that got bored very easily, so he would read, doodle, or sleep during class. His teachers never allowed it (oh, Steven says, but they let kids vape in the bathroom and throw around homophobic slurs in class). Steven wasn’t a problem child, but he felt… different from his classmates, somehow. He wasn’t ever physically bullied, but he did feel isolated from his classmates, as though he didn’t belong.

He was in a bunch of “gifted student” programs, and he jokes that they ruined him. Later on in his school career, he followed the motto of “D=Dumb, C=Crap, B=Bad, A=Unacceptable, A+=Acceptable”. It was a motto that only made things worse, along with his focus issues. He was a smart kid, he told himself. He could handle six advanced classes. Besides, it looked good on college transcripts.

Running away from home sort of put a wrench in his straight As and advanced classes only plan. When he came back home, he had a lot of catch up to do. His dad and therapist made him drop a few of the advanced classes, though. That was helpful, as much as Steven hates to admit it.

 

[Just a Torchic]

So my knowledge of the Greek language is severely limited (I’m self taught), so if I got something wrong, please tell me!

Education - Wallace

Wallace didn’t go to school. He was mentored by Juan. This messed up his ability to get accepted into Sootopolis City College of the Arts (the school stopped accepting applicants who had been in apprenticeships by the time Wallace started applying for schools), but other than that, he enjoyed it.

Sure, this meant that Wallace had no social life outside of his Pokémon. Sure, this meant that Wallace spoke to dictionaries more than real people. Wallace didn’t mind. Who needs a social life, he said, when you can teach yourself how to play an instrument, teach yourself a language, or read the entirety of Istoría tou Psará (usually translated to “The Fisherman’s Tale”). It was a self fulfilling prophecy; Wallace would spend his time alone, kids his age would think he was a weirdo and not want to hang out with him. As Wallace garnered more fame, and as he began to express himself, their comments towards him would become more… cruel. To compensate, Wallace pushed himself to be smarter, stronger, better, perfect in every aspect of his life.

Juan taught Wallace many subjects, but the humanities were Wallace’s favorites. Science? Not so much. He found it boring, even more so than math. He wasn’t bad at either (quite the opposite, in fact), but his interests lay in literature, in history, in visual arts, in music, in performing.

Mayor Megalos really didn’t want Wallace to pursue the arts. He wanted him to pursue law or politics. Sootopolis, he said, didn’t need another artist like Dorian, as great as Dorian had been. Wallace’s grandparents also wanted him to pursue a “useful” career, but they eventually accepted the fact that their grandchild had no interest in law school. Megalos, however, pushed Juan to teach Wallace politics, economics, business, and rhetoric. Wallace didn’t mind studying rhetoric, but the other three subjects bored him even more than science and math.

Wallace has done many things for Megalos, but he would never give up art for him.

 

[Just a Torchic]

CW// Minor sexual themes

College - Winona

Winona majored in Zoology and Orithnology at Rustboro University, one of Hoenn’s top colleges.

Her parents had been beyond proud of her for getting accepted. For the whole month after she had gotten the letter, she was the pride of the Kimuras, the talk of Fortree City. She was going to get a degree, her parents bragged. She was going to get a job as an ornithologist or a professor just like her father.

Winona had a very sheltered upbringing, so when she finally became an adult and went to college, she felt free. In some ways, she felt like a bird finally allowed to fly after being trapped in a cage for so long.

In other ways, she felt like a bird that had never learned to fly being thrown out of the nest. At least she had friends.

Not just people who were nice to her and who she could talk to, but close friends, people she could trust, people she went out of her way to spend time with, people who genuinely cared about her well being. It felt so strange and so wonderful. Perhaps her closest friends in college were Wallace and Steven. They had both been isolated in their childhoods, just like Winona.

Wallace is fascinated with the aesthetic parts of nature; Steven is fascinated with the technical parts of nature. Wallace provides emotional support and love; Steven provides logical support and love. She needs them both. She loves them both.

Despite the struggles, Winona couldn’t help but savor the feeling of finally being free. She could stay up past midnight. She could hold hands with people, kiss people, explore her sexuality. She could explore herself without fear of judgement from her parents or from Theresa. She could teach herself to fly, and then she could soar.