"What would you do if you became General?" Fettelite hadn't expected to hear that well he enjoyed a small meeting and lunch with a few other captains He had to come to know. He had been a captain for a while now honestly, about a year, maybe a year and a half now? The idea of more power didn't ever really occur to him until somewhat recently. Once Chip had finished his research and Shoal could speak his mind, he had decided to give himself a little break. Just for a few weeks so that he could come to terms with all that was going on.

He has certainly considered for a while what he wanted to do. The dream of being able to create a smaller branch of the Negaverse That focused mainly on the idea of protecting people haf cross his mind. Maybe once, maybe twice, but it never really went too far. He was reminded every now and then that there was a branch for that already, and that one of the general kings was in charge of welfare. But did it really feel like enough these days? He had already made his own attempts to try to head off any sort of bad things, but he really was just one person. What was he expected to do all on his own?

He scooped a little bit of his putting that he happened to be eating into his mouth, contemplating how to answer the question.

"I'd want to see if I could change our general rules about how we bring people in." He finally spoke up, absolutely tapping the side of his container. "I realized just how often people tend to leave us when they were forced in here to begin with. I know we're supposed to be kind of just bringing whoever we could, but I want to also somehow figure out a way to maybe encourage consent rather than just have whoever is before us join us in a split moment you know?"

The other captains looked at him for a second, then shrugged, going back on their own ramblings of dreams and potential scenarios for when they grew stronger. Maybe not everyone had that same sort of drive or ideas he had... And that was fine. That just meant that he had to work a little bit harder in order to get his own to come true. And it felt good to actually say it out loud for once, rather than thinking it over and over in his head again as if it would actually come down on paper if he did.

Soon enough lunch was over, and they waved there goodbyes and headed off to fulfill whatever task it was they had for the day. Fettelite, himself, was rather free, so he instead headed out to the training grounds. It was better than sitting in his office all alone and in the dark while he waited for his next assignment.

Once he arrived, He summoned his hammer to his hand, and gave it a good old-fashioned swing. It wasn't anything special, no magic or not even really that heavy. It was just another one of those things that seemed to reflect him just as much as anything else did. Still kind of weak, still kind of fragile, but getting a little bit better. A hammer was only as good as how good someone could manage to swing it after all! And you know what could improve that? Practice!

He would swing back and forth for a while, aiming at dummies that were mounted in the back of the training grounds. He tried to throw it once or twice, mimicking the Thor movies he saw not too long ago, but then he realized that his particular hammer was way too long to actually throw like that. So instead, he had to focus on throwing his own weight into the weapon. In doing so he felt rather silly, honestly. Here he was, this tiny guy, this a little lad, Just hopping and bopping around like some sort of silly little rabbit, that just happened to have a hammer.

It was a vague memory in his mind about how there was a super villain in one of the comics he read that had a hammer like this. She was a pretty lady, kind of crazy though! And, in a way, she reminded him of himself. Being obsessed with being someone stronger, not feeling like he was good enough on his own, but in the end, that lady found her own love right? He racked his brain a little bit as he tried to remember that particular comic, spinning around and smashing another rock or two nearby. Yes, if he remembered correctly she found someone else to love, and realized that the man that she had once loved was just straight up garbage.

There was a smile on his face now as he knocked the living daylights out of a another dummy. It was a wrong to think about such a sweet thing was it? He can only think of just the one person he ever loved, and they weren't a bad person of course, but maybe it was okay to consider loving someone else now. Fettelite still worried about his own self-worth a lot of the time, and it was hard not focus on lieutenants and weaker folk to protect... But the idea of having someone he could go home to and just talk to, and give all this love that was locked up inside of his heart away again, it was a little hopeful dream he had.

Having Shoal wasn't exactly the same, even when he gained the ability to speak. In the end of the day, he was still a youma, a tool that belong to the negaverse rather than himself. And sure, they were bonded together, And he was the form of an old friend he had, but right now as he was, he was still subjecting to anyone else who wanted to call him out. If there was a single moment with a general wanted him, the youma would have no choice but to listen.

Another rock smashed, another crack in the ground, and soon enough Fettelite was out of breath, sweat rolling down his forehead and making his white hair stick in all sorts of places. That wasn't any real time to think about love right now. Love was something awarded to those who could be strong, and who could protect the things they cared about. Right now they could only try to educate people, not exactly swear protection or fealty to anyone. Even after talking to that one lieutenant that belong to his ex-boyfriend, what more could he even do than just warn him about the bad things that happened? He could speak big all he wanted about wanting to protect people, but right now he just didn't have the ability to do it.

And that was why he picked up his hammer again, and swung it over and over, till his lungs burn his arms felt like they were about to fall off. There was no way to get stronger without physically getting there first! And promotions can come whenever. Who knows, as selfish as it seemed, maybe the key to actually hitting general was through his youma. If he could somehow spread the information about how we could get his little feral youma to talk, maybe that will be enough to push him right over that edge needed to reach general.

Or maybe even when he reached the point where he could bring Milo back out again. A small blush crawl across his freckled face at the thought of being greeted and thanked by that Sweet boy who fed him when he was basically homeless and starving thanks to his general. It was silly to have such thoughts about someone who wasn't quite there anymore. Sure, Shoal has said out right that he liked him, but they were simply friends come in it was silly to think about anything more. He was a youma after all! But one day, he was certain he wouldn't be. And maybe during that time, he'd allow December to keep protecting him. And maybe still hold him and call him his best friend.

There was a scoff he could hear in the back of his head, a silly little thought that was finally brushed away as his arms kind of gave out and he dismissed his weapon. But there was no shame in having that little bit of Hope still lingering in his mind. That's what he ran on after all, hope. For now, he would go shower and rinse off all the grime and whatnot, and then maybe go take a little hike into the rift. He had the urge to see his sweet youma right now, maybe feed him a couple of packs of chocolate pieces he got for he left home today. Sweets for the sweets as they say!



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