Story Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 2: Perspiration
"Girls, today marks the start of my new philosophy on pokémon training."
Chris made this pronouncement over breakfast two days after his loss at the Pewter City Gym. He was sitting with Lara and Farah in the same restaurant that he had visited the previous day, enjoying much the same meal: eggs, bacon, coffee, and fresh Nanab berries. The Weavile twins were eating more simply, with an assortment of berries in front of each of them, a meal much more suited to a pokémon's diet. Towards the front of the shop, the restaurant's owner was watching them carefully; she had been reluctant to allow two free pokémon into her establishment, but the generous pre-meal tip that Chris had given her had convinced her, for the most part, that there would be no harm in it.
At Chris's words, Farah raised a scarred eyebrow. Lara looked between Chris and her sister, somehow aware that Farah knew more about this than she did. Her sister still would not tell her what she had been doing before she had woken up the morning before, and she was most curious to learn that information. But Farah was stubbornly refusing divulge it.
"I've decided to try a new approach," Chris continued, talking around a mouthful of eggs. "I want to try a more hands-off style to training. Something that will give you guys more leeway in how battling goes."
*What is he on about?* Lara muttered.
*I don't know,* Farah answered. *But I wish he'd just go ahead and say it.*
Draining his coffee mug, Chris tapped his fingers on the tabletop. "What we're going to do is take a little camping trip," he said. "I'm taking all of you to Mt. Moon for training. The pokémon in there are mostly Rock-type pokémon, and I think it will be a good place to get better prepared for what we're going to face the next time we challenge Brock." He looked at Lara and Farah. They both had less than enthusiastic expressions on their faces, but he chose to ignore them. "Great! Well, as soon as you guys finish eating, we're heading back to the hotel. We have to get our things ready for the long hike ahead of us."
On the walk back the hotel, Lara and Farah strode several steps back from Chris to talk.
*Well, at least he isn't depressed anymore,* Lara grumbled. *But I'd rather not spend however long he plans to spend up in the mountains.*
Her sister looked at her. *I know it seems like a bit much,* Farah said, *but isn't it good that he has a bit more direction now?* She looked up to Chris. He was walking briskly, a bit of a bounce to his step as he gazed up at the clear morning sky. Farah allowed a tiny smile to appear on her face.
Lara was watching her. *Sister, what did you do?* she asked, her voice growing suspicious. *Nobody becomes that happy that fast without a little bit of help.*
*Nothing,* Farah insisted. At the disbelieving look from Lara, she added, *Much.*
*Nothing much? What does that mean?*
*It means I just...gave him a little boost.* Farah rushed her words, dropping her eyes.
Lara wasn't satisfied. *Tell me. What kind of boost did you give him?* Blushing, Farah leaned over and whispered in her ear for a few seconds. Lara stopped in her tracks. *WHAT?*
At the sharp noise, Chris turned around and saw the pokémon lagging behind. "Hey, hustle up, Lara," he called. "You too, Farah. There's work to be done."
Shocked, Lara started walking again. *You didn't,* she breathed.
*I did,* Farah confirmed.
Touching a finger to her mouth, Lara thought for a moment. *So, that's where you were the other day.*
*Yep.*
*Whoa...* The sisters walked without talking for several minutes. Lara let the revelation sink into her mind. A devious smile slowly spread across her face. *So?*
Farah looked momentarily confused. *So...what?*
*So how was it? Did you like it? Did he like it? Would you do it again?*
*Oh, you!* Farah sniffed. *Don't be jealous! I did it so he wouldn't be depressed anymore. You said yourself that you didn't like him like that.*
*I'm not jealous,* Lara said. *I'm just want to know about it. I've never heard of a pokémon doing that to a human before. I just wanna know what it was like.*
It was Farah's turn to look a little devious. *Well...it was kind of like sucking the juice out of a Mago berry,* she said, her face reddening even more.
*Yeah?*
*Yeah, but more different. A berry can't touch you back.*
*He touched you back?*
*Uh-huh.*
*So he liked it.*
*Look at him! Of course he liked it!*
*Wow...* Lara stared at Chris's back for a moment, her imagination tearing along at breakneck speed. *I can't believe you really did that. Did it...taste funny? When his 'stuff' came out?*
Farah thought about for a bit, remembering back to that instant. *It tasted...pretty good,* she said simply.
*Details!*
*I can't really describe it,* Farah said. *I've never tasted anything like it before. It was kind of salty, kind of bitter, warm...that's all.*
Lara wanted to ask more, but at that moment they arrived at the hotel, and their conversation ended as Chris brought them up to the room. He told them to help him pack and get ready to go. Once that task was completed, they returned downstairs to the hotel lobby and checked out. Shouldering bags, the trio reemerged into the sun and started off for Mt. Moon.
By nightfall, they had reached the base of Mt. Moon. They searched around for a nice, flat spot to make camp. Finally finding a suitable location, Chris pulled out two pup tents from their bags and began setting them up, with Lara and Farah's help. When the tents were up, Chris and Farah sat down for a rest while Lara, predictably starting to brim with energy just when it was the time that most people would be getting tired, went off to cut some wood for a fire. While she was gone, Chris and Farah kept each other company by the light of a small battery-powered lantern.
"Look up at the sky," Chris said, pointing.
Farah looked. The sky was clear, with a small sliver of moon and the stars visible above them. Because the air was thinner at their elevation, the stars barely twinkled at all. It was a lovely sight.
"You can really see the stars out here, away from the city," Chris said, wonder in his voice. "No matter how many times I've been camping outside, it never ceases to amaze me."
Lying back on the ground, Farah made a noise of agreement. Besides the view, the quiet up in the mountains was nice as well. A pokémon somewhere off in the distance made a goodnight call to the rest of the forest. A cool breeze blew through the trees, rustling the leaves and lending a calming sort of whisper to the night. I'm about ready to fall asleep right here, Farah found herself thinking.
Chris rested his chin on his knees. "Hey, Farah, about the other night..." He hesitated for a moment. "This sounds weird even to me, but thanks. I think I needed a reminder that I take things too seriously sometimes."
Farah offered a smile, her expression clearly conveying "you're welcome" to Chris. The glow from the lamp reflected off of her eyes.
"I hope what you...we did won't make our relationship too awkward, and I hope Lara won't be mad about it if she finds out," Chris continued, leaning back and propping himself up with both arms. Farah said something surprised sounding, and Chris guessed at the meaning. "Yeah, I know about it. I've always known. Sorry about that. I didn't want to make you guys too uncomfortable."
Well, you almost gave me a heart attack just now, Farah wryly thought.
"Anyway, it might be a good idea if you didn't tell Lara about it."
Great timing on that. A whole day later is always a nice time to tell someone not to spill the beans. She didn't allow that to show on her expression though, instead opting to put her hand over his in a reassuring fashion. At least Chris was wrong about Lara being mad. In fact, she had seemed interested, even curious.
Chris looked down at Farah. She looked back up at him. There was a strange feeling in the air, almost a feeling of inquisitiveness. Like they were trying to figure something out.
"Farah, I...," Chris started. He stopped, words failing him. He bent down slowly, angling his head to hers. He seemed to be moving on autopilot, and Farah as well. Their faces were inches apart, when...
*Well, what have we here?*
They both started and looked up, breaking apart. Lara had returned, carrying a sizeable load of firewood on her shoulders. She leaned down and let the wood roll off, creating a loose pile on the ground.
*I leave for twenty minutes, and you can't keep your hands off one another,* she said.
*Lara!* Farah said, sounding distressed. *It's not what you...*
*Calm down, sis,* Lara said, her voice soothing. *I'm joking.*
Farah looked irritated. *That's not funny...,* she muttered under her breath.
Feeling his heart begin to slow down, Chris stood up and picked up a few pieces of firewood. "Thanks, Lara," he said. "I'll just get a fire going and we can start getting dinner ready."
Later, after dinner was over and the fire had died down, they all turned in for the night. While Lara and Farah took one tent, Chris took the other. He laid down on his bed roll and closed his eyes. Closed his eyes, but didn't go to sleep. He was thinking. The trainer knew that he had been about to kiss Farah when Lara had interrupted. That fact was certain in his mind. But what he couldn't figure out was why.
"Weird...," he said to himself. "I mean, I know we did kind of go a lot farther than kissing a few nights ago, but...that was just a one-time thing, right? Farah was just trying to cheer me up. It didn't mean anything." That statement felt wrong, somehow. "She's a pokémon. Sure, I like her, but that only makes sense. She's my pokémon. That's all I'm feeling."
Who are you trying to convince? a voice inside his head seemed to say.
"Nobody," Chris said to the air. "I'm just speaking the truth, is all."
Are you?
"Sure," Chris protested. "Farah's with Lara. I'm not interested in her. I'm just- " He stopped short. "Listen to me. I'm talking to myself. I need sleep..." He rolled over and was snoring away in minutes.
In their own tent, the Weavile twins were cuddled up against one another, each keeping the other warm. They could hear the snores coming from Chris's tent.
*Listen to him,* Lara said. *He got so excited about this camping trip, he tired himself out.* She looked at her sister. *So, what did I interrupt?*
*Nothing,* Farah insisted. *We just...we just...*
Lara dragged a hand through the crest on her sister's head. *Sister, do you love him?*
*No!* Farah said quickly. *I mean, of course I love him, but I don't love him. I love you.*
Lara hummed softly. *I wonder...*
*Wonder what?*
*You know that you're his favorite,* Lara said, matter-of-factly. *Maybe you like him more than you think.*
Farah was shocked. *Sister, that's not true!* she said. *He doesn't play favorites with us!*
*Sure he does,* Lara said. *He's always preferred you.* She shrugged. *It used to bother me, but I don't care anymore. You've always been special to him, even if he doesn't realize it himself.*
A gust of wind buffeted the tent suddenly, bowing in one side. The girls were quiet until it passed. Chris's snoring faltered for a moment as the wind died down, but he soon resumed his normal tempo.
*You're wrong,* Farah said. *I don't care about Chris more than I care about you.*
*Oh, really?*
Farah's eyes flared. *I'll prove it!* She kissed her sister without warning, pressing hard and taking Lara off-guard. She shoved her tongue inside Lara's mouth, and cupped her head in her hands.
Lara licked her lips when Farah let her go. *I don't know...,* she said, with mock uncertainty. *That wasn't very convincing.*
*Oh, yeah?* Farah leaned in slower, taking her time with the next kiss. She carefully ran her tongue over Lara's lips before connecting her mouth with her sister's. The Weavile slid a hand under the other's collar, brushing the tips of her fingers over her breasts.
Holding back a moan, Lara enjoyed her game of pretending not to enjoy it. She trembled as Farah moved her mouth down to her neck, lightly sucking. The scarred twin's other hand descended to just above the tops of her legs. She lightly rubbed Lara's lower belly, ruffling the fur with her claws. Lara shifted, momentarily betraying the pleasure she was feeling. Farah made a small noise of triumph and inched her fingers down, just barely touching her sister's sex. She halted her advance.
Lara nearly screamed in frustration. *That's not fair!*
*Say it.*
*Oh, come on!*
*Say it!*
*Oh, all right.* Lara kissed her sister. *I believe you. Now, hurry up!*
Farah, grinning in victory, gently ran her fingers over the outside of Lara's nether lips. She was rewarded with a deep moan. She parted the folds of her sister's sex and went in, touching the slick, increasingly wet flesh inside. With a careful and practiced touch, so as not to harm Lara, she slipped a clawed finger into her vagina and began to thrust it in and out. Lara's face was pinched into a tight expression. The moisture was leaking from her sex, and her arousal filled the tent with a musky scent.
Slowly, Farah withdrew her finger and brought it up to her mouth. She sucked off the moisture that clung to it, making a point of putting a delighted look on her face, as though it was the most intoxicating thing she had ever tasted. Which wasn't far off from the truth.
*Maybe you need just a little more convincing?* Farah asked innocently. Her sister nodded fervently. *Well, I suppose I could try.* She turned around so that her head was at Lara's waist, with her legs on either side of her sister's body. She brought her face down close to her sister's pussy, feeling the warmth radiating from the aroused flesh. Her tongue extended, and she took the first lick, savoring the taste of Lara's juices.
Lara cried out in pleasure as her sister's tongue dove inside of her sex. The intruding organ went deep into her body. Farah knew exactly how to drive her crazy. She wriggled her tongue around inside of Lara's vagina, mixing her saliva with her sister's secretions. Her tongue came out to swirl over her clitoris, sending waves of bliss pulsing through Lara's body.
Pausing for a moment, Farah looked over her shoulder. *Am I going to do all of the work?*
Taking the hint, Lara grasped Farah's hips, pulling her sex closer to her. She closed her mouth over her sister's cunt, letting her own tongue go wild all over it. Farah gasped, immobilized for a split second before returning to what she had been doing. The twins lapped at each other continuously, coming up every so often for a breath of fresh air before diving right back in. Their hips gyrated as they both grew closer to orgasm.
*Farah, I'm almost there!* Lara managed, pure bliss washing over her.
*I know, Lara,* Farah squeaked. *Me too!*
Lara put her lips right over her sister's clitoris and began sucking hard. Farah brought her hand up to pinch Lara's as she kept licking at her sex. Nearly simultaneously, they both drew in a sharp breath as their bodies seized up in a powerful orgasm. Their voices joined in a cry of passion as the ecstasy rolled over them.
While they were both still in the midst of their climax, Farah spun around so that she was facing her sister. They locked lips with each other, exchanging breath as their bodies continued to rock against one another.
After an eternity, they stopped, winded and totally exhausted. They gasped to breathe, tangled in one anothers' arms and completely relaxed.
Farah brought a hand up to brush her twin's face. *Don't ever question me again, dearest sister.*
*Never.*
Several weeks had passed since they had arrived in the mountains, and Chris felt like he was making good progress with his new style of training. He was growing used to the idea of allowing his pokémon more leeway in determining their strategies. The only hitch was that his pokémon weren't grasping the concept quite as fast as he was.
"No, Liam, don't look at me!" Chris shouted. He was actually inside the long, winding cavern that went through Mt. Moon. Inside the mountain, the pokémon were large and strong. Perfect for a trainer trying to toughen up his own pokémon. Right now his Garchomp, Liam, was facing a rather formidable-looking wild Graveler. Liam kept looking at Chris, waiting for instruction and trying his best not to get hit by the wild pokémon's attacks as he did so. "Just attack it! Use your own judgement!"
Liam, appearing very uncertain, lunged at the wild pokémon. It easily dodged his attack and the Garchomp's back was hammered hard with a pair of rocky fists. Chris winced as blood started to flow from splits in the skin on his pokémon's back.
Farah, standing by with Lara, had to hold herself back from stepping in. If this was Chris's idea of training, she didn't believe Liam would be leaving the mountain in very good shape, unless he figured out what Chris wanted quickly. But Chris was the trainer, and it wasn't her right to disrupt his work. Hopefully her trainer would recognize the problem and pull Liam out soon.
Then, surprisingly, Liam turned around and struck at the Graveler with a powerful Dragon Claw attack. The strike hit the wild pokémon right in the center of its mass, propelling it into the cavern wall. Momentarily stunned, the wild pokémon recovered its senses and burrowed into the wall, covering itself with loose rock and vanishing from sight.
Chris waited for several minutes, but it soon became clear that the Graveler had run away from the fight. He brushed sweat from his forehead and walked over to Liam. "Good work, buddy. Took a little bit of doing, but you did alright in the end." He inspected the Garchomp's wounds. "This doesn't look too bad. You'll be good as new in no time." Chris pulled a water flask from his belt and washed the blood and dirt away from the cuts, and then retrieved a hyper potion from his backpack. He sprayed the injuries with the medicine, and watched as it began to accelerate Liam's healing process. The cuts scabbed over in a matter of minutes. "There you go. Just take it easy for a while. You've earned a bit of a rest." He returned the Garchomp to its poké ball and turned to Lara and Farah. "Well, girls. How was that?"
Farah shrugged her shoulders and gave a noncommittal shake of her head. Lara merely sighed.
Chris grimaced. "I have a little more to go, don't I?"
They both nodded.
Giving a sigh of his own, the trainer checked his watch. "Well, we might as well call it a day. What say we head back to the campsite and get something to eat before we turn in?"
His Weaviles nodded again, much more enthusiastically this time. Chris laughed, and began to lead the way out of the cavern. When they got to the exit, the sun was already well below the tree line. The sky was growing darker by the second. After arriving back at their campsite, Lara stacked some of the firewood they had gathered there into a small pile, which Chris lit for their nightly campfire. They all sat in the warmth and glow, while he began preparing dinner for the group.
While he was distracted with the preparations, Lara and Farah talked about the day.
*Do you think he's getting any better?* Farah asked.
*I don't know,* Lara said. *I think he should just stop caring about that gym leader and just care about what he wants.*
Farah looked at Chris for a moment. *I don't believe he is doing this to prove something to that man. He's doing it to prove something to himself.*
*What do you mean?*
*I think losing really made him think that he's not as good as he always thought he was. And he's doing this so he can regain that confidence.* Farah sighed. *I hope he can.*
Lara eyed her sister. *Gods, Farah, just do him already.*
Farah turned a sharp look towards her. *Don't be so vulgar!*
*You're one to lecture me on that!* Lara snickered. *I've heard you say things that would make our mother blush!* She quieted. *Besides, I don't mean anything by it. It's just a joke.*
Scowling, Farah turned away from her. *Well, I wish you'd stop telling jokes like that.*
A few days later, Chris ventured back into the mountain, this time with the aim of focusing on Lara and Farah. To do this, he knew he would have to search the caverns until he found either two pokémon together or one very strong pokémon. With the twin Weaviles by his side, he started into the deepest, darkest recesses of Mt. Moon, where he knew the largest and most dangerous pokémon would live.
Too bad that the largest and most dangerous pokémon were also the hardest to find. As he got deeper into the mountain, he encountered fewer pokémon. This made sense. The weaker, and more numerous, pokémon would logically be situated closest to the available exits, so as to put as little potential for enemies and predators between them and their source of food, the forests surrounding the mountain. The stronger specimens could afford to have their lairs further towards the center of the mountain.
As he got closer to what he knew was the halfway point to the other side of Mt. Moon, the temperature steadily increased. The mountain offered considerable insulation, making the inner passages much warmer than the outer.
"What was that?" Chris suddenly asked. He'd felt a small tremor. Somewhere, something very large had just moved.
Lara and Farah kept their senses tuned to the highest point. They had felt it much better than Chris had, and knew that there was a giant pokémon moving nearby. The pair readied themselves mentally for battle, tossing aside their uncertainties. Soon, their skills would be put the test in a big way.
All of a sudden, the passage they were walking along opened up into a huge open space. Looking up, Chris could just barely see the ceiling overhead. Mineral veins threaded their way through the rocky walls of the cavern. Loose rock was scattered all around, some of the bits as small as Chris's eye and others the size of a car. A group of such boulders was arranged into what the trainer recognized, in a startled flash of clarity, as a pokémon's nest. Around the walls of the cavern were passages similar to the one they had just come out of.
Something very big lives here, all three of them thought at the same time.
"Let's get a look at that nest," Chris said. He scurried over, nearly tripping over rocks several times, and climbed up one of the boulders to peer inside. "Huh...empty." He turned to Lara and Farah. "Whatever lives here isn't home, I guess. Maybe it was whatever caused that shaking just a few minutes ago."
*Bright one, isn't he?* Lara commented dryly.
*Shh!* Farah hissed. *Listen!*
Lara and Farah pricked their ears up. Seeing this, Chris strained his own hearing. Presently he could perceive a low rumble, steadily growing in intensity. As the sound grew louder, the ground began to shake harder.
"Oh, shit," Chris breathed. "This is a big one."
Out of one of the tunnels came a terrifying sight. Long, serpentine, and made of solid rock. It was the largest Onix that Chris had ever seen. While the average Onix was around twenty-five to thirty feet long, this one had to be fifty at least. The wild Rock/Ground-type pokémon looked around its lair for a few seconds, and then it spotted the awed trio. The Onix roared, rearing up on its tail.
"Girls, we might want to pass on this one," Chris said.
Farah turned to Lara. *He's got to be kidding.* Her eyes had a feral glint to them. She was ready for a fight.
*Ah, he might have a point, sis,* Lara said.
*No way. We can take it.* Farah grated her claws together. *Come on, let's do it!*
Lara looked up at the towering pillar of living rock. A predatory grin spread across her face. *Alright, let's go.*
Springing into action at the words of her sister, Farah made a dash for the wild pokémon. It anticipated her movements, and swung its tail to head her off. With lightning-fast reflexes, Farah dodged the attack and struck at the tail with a Metal Claw attack. Her claws, shining with metallic with energy, cut deep furrows into the Onix's rocky hide.
"Dammit, Farah!" Chris yelled. He stamped the ground. "This wasn't what I meant when I said I wanted you guys to do your own thing!" Farah didn't listen. She continued to strike at the Onix, hitting it again and again while avoiding the slower pokémon's attacks. Chris had seen her like this before. She was quiet outside of battle, but in a fight situation she would go into a pure state of blood lust. This made her a fearsome fighter, but it wouldn't be long before her body would tire, and then she would get hit. And with a foe this enormous, a single hit would be devastating. He looked at Lara. "What are you waiting for? Go help her."
Lara didn't have to be told twice. Running around to the side of the Onix opposite her sister, she opened her jaws and blasted the pokémon with an Ice Beam. Frost crackled over the surface of the Onix's skin, but the sheer size of it proved too much for Lara's icy attack. The pokémon retaliated by thrashing its tail at Lara. She barely jumped out of the way in time, and was knocked off of her feet by the vibrations sent through the cavern's floor. Her face hit the ground, and she tasted blood. She touched her right hand to her face, and the claws came away crimson. Okay, now this thing is dead.
On the sidelines, Chris kept up a steady stream of encouragement. "Come on, girls, you know what to do!" he shouted. "Keep it up!" With his Weaviles, keeping from directly ordering them was easy. They had never required much in the way of direction, and as a team they worked off of each other to get the job done. He just watched their fighting, putting his faith in their inherent skills.
Meanwhile, Farah continued striking away at the Onix, gouging out chunks of rock. She was cut in several places from flying rock shards, but she didn't care. She was blind to pain at that moment. Abandoning the use of her claws, which were beginning to dull, she prepared her most powerful attack: Dark Pulse. Focusing on the anger and rage that were produced by battling, she concentrated those emotions into a hard knot of dark energy.
Seeing her sister was readying an attack, Lara worked to keep the Onix distracted. She hit it with another Ice Beam, this time right in the face. The rock snake roared with anger and alarm, shaking its head from side to side and trying to clear the ice from its eyes. Cracks appeared in the walls of the cavern as the shaking rose to frightening levels. Suddenly, the Onix struck out with its tail, catching Lara in a Bind. She strained her muscles, attempting to keep the pokémon from squeezing her to death.
Her body glowing with dark light, Farah screamed in a bloodcurdling cry of wretched torment as the powerful emotions inside of her reached the boiling point. There was only one place for them to go: her enemy. She unleashed a devastating energy pulse. The blast crashed into the Onix at point blank range, and spider-webs of cracks spread over its hide. Farah dove away from the wild pokémon as it gave one last gurgling howl of agony. Almost gracefully, the beast crashed to the ground, kicking up dust and rock and causing a thunderous crash of noise.
For a moment, Chris thought it was all over. Farah sank to the ground, exhausted. He wiped the sweat from his brow, starting to exhale in relief.
Suddenly, the rumbling began again. But this time, it sounded different. The rumble was accompanied by the ominous sound of rock buckling. Horrified, Chris saw that the cracks in the cavern wall were widening.
"Look out!" he yelled. He threw himself to the dirt, covering his head with his arms.
A horrendous crashing and crumbling ripped at his ears, deafening him and making him tear his throat raw with a screech of pain. The roar sounded like a nuclear explosion, and he felt rocks hitting his body. He actually felt himself moving across the ground as the earth violently shook. Thoughts raced through his mind. I'm going to die. Where are the girls? Why won't it stop? I don't want to die!
Finally, after what seemed like hours, the terrible shaking and crashing stopped. Carefully, Chris brought his head up. Dirt and bits of rock slid off of him as he shakily stood up. His ears were ringing, and he shook his head, trying to clear it. A cloud of dust was settling in the cavern, and he strained to see through it.
A large section of the cavern wall and ceiling had collapsed. The Onix they had been battling lay underneath, buried by the rubble. Fear overtook him. He ran towards the collapse, dust swirling around him. When he got to the pile, he saw Farah, frantically scrabbling at the fallen stones, and crying in her own language.
*Lara!* Farah screamed, tears streaming down her face. *Lara!*Chapter End Notes:To be continued...
Yes, I'm a bastard. But, come on, everyone loves a good cliffhanger every now and again, right?
Stay tuned for the next thrilling installment