The Truth or Dare game begins! This should be fine, hopefully the game will be fun. It's going to take a while, though, so you can keep up the truths and dares if you have more ideas!

Rosealine gold: Hopefully it will be.

Aquahaze675: It's quite a tragedy.

MikySP: No no, that's fine.

Pokemonking0924: Yeah, tried to make them seem fitting.

Thunder Fire: Sounds reasonable.

Kunoichi69: Yeah, those sound like a lot of fun to see, especially the one where Dakota dares Serefina to give cleavage smothering.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 475

Now, Cynthia had to think of something to truth Serefina. While she would have preferred the dare, she had a billion questions that she could ask the girl, but none was more pressing than this one.

"Serefina! What are your measurements?" Cynthia demanded. "Starting from the top."

Serefina sighed, rolling her eyes. Of course she would start with that. She'd observed Cynthia's behavior. She was honestly a sweet girl. She just had… shortcomings.

Serefina's face was bright red as she replied, "42-25-36."

Blood spurted out of Cynthia's nose and she nearly lost her balance.

Every girl in the room took a bit of an emotional hit to that, though some hid it better than most. Kate's sour expression darkened and she crossed her hands in front of her meager chest, Julia's eye twitched slightly, in spite of her nice figure, and the more normally proportioned Maddi and Giselle didn't feel much better. Kitty's pale face turned even whiter, and Nikita buried her face in her lap. The nearly-flat Sango slid down into her seat, trying to keep her smile up.

Dakota crossed her arms in front of her chest and glanced at her boyfriend, anxiety on her face, but when he looked back at her she breathed a sigh of relief, seeing the confusion on his face. Ayame took it better than most of them, knowing that even though she lacked Serefina's gifts, she was endowed with something that the softer girl lacked, and that filled her with pride. …And a little bit of joy, knowing what her boyfriend liked. But still, it stung a bit. The only two girls who weren't bothered by it (excepting Cynthia, who was actively turned on) were Caelia, whose image of her body was already in the toilet, and Sylvia, who had focus on other things.

Callie herself was wounded the most, placing her hands over her meager chest and curling in slightly; she was older than the other girl, and her figure was nearly like that of a child's.

The boys all, quite wisely, had nothing to say.

"It-it's just my body!" Serefina protested, sitting down and wrapping her coat around her to hide her curvy figure. "It… I'm an early bloomer, it's not that weird!"

"Seri, you're 16," Dakota replied. "Those aren't the measurements of a 16 year old."

Serefina didn't really have a response to that.

"And weren't you just saying that you felt your bra was getting a little tight recently?" Dakota reminded her.

"It still fits!" Serefina protested. "I-I've just been eating more, recently, since it's winter! I'm not getting bigger, I swear!"

"The birthday girl is dead…" Kitty quietly replied. Cynthia had collapsed on the ground, writing "42 inches" on the carpet with her nose blood.

Serefina sighed, and rubbed her forehead in frustration.

"Well, I guess it's my turn, then," she decided, hoping to calm things down. She scanned the room for someone she could feel reasonably safe to ask, her eyes landing on Sango. "Okay, Sango! Truth or Dare?"

"Dare!" Sango chirped, surprising Serefina. She had expected more truths to be tossed around in the beginning, surprised to be the first one to have to come up with a dare. She didn't even have anything she wanted to dare Sango to do.

"Um… okay…" Serefina wracked her brain with a dare. Sylvia raised her hand.

"If you're having trouble coming up with a dare, Serefina, I'd be happy to-" Serefina cut off her offer with a sharp glare.

"Not necessary," she snapped. She took a deep breath to regain her composure and turned her attention back to Sango. "Okay, Sango, since you like eating so much…"

Serefina dug into her backpack and pulled out a small bag of pokemon food.

"I dare you to eat pokemon food!" She declared.

Sango blinked, surprised.

"Really?" She asked.

"Gross," Kitty shivered.

"I'm with Kitty, that's kind of…" Nikita wasn't the only one to feel that way, a lot of other people were beginning to have second thoughts. Serefina started to reconsider.

"N-not the whole bag," she clarified, opening it. She dug in and pulled out a small piece, about the size of her thumb. "Just one piece!" She walked over to Sango and presented it to the blonde.

Sango glanced at the small pellet Serefina offered her, and shrugged, glancing at her partner pokemon. "Hey, if it's good enough for Silver."

Sango took the small piece of food and popped it into her mouth, eliciting a wave of "eeeeeww!"s from the girls.

Sango chewed it with an ambivalent face. She swallowed, and shrugged again.

"Like, yeah, that was disgusting," she admitted, scraping her tongue. "But it's still edible."

Serefina sighed in relief and sunk back down into her seat next to Dakota, relieved that her dare hadn't resulted in any grossness.

"Sango, it's your turn," Cynthia informed her, having made a full recovery. "Ask somebody other than Serefina!"

"I know the rules," Sango said, glancing around to find someone she wanted to ask something. She spotted Aidan, and saw that he was sort of sitting with Arion all by himself, not really integrated with the rest. She'd give him a chance to change that.

"Aidan!" Sango declared, startling the large boy. "Truth or Dare?"

Aidan was surprised to be put on the spot like that, but the good-natured grin on Sango's face told him that it wasn't a big deal.

"Uhum…" He looked around the room, and decided that he wasn't really comfortable with doing a dare in front of all these strangers, even if it was from Sango. "Truth."

Sango expected Aidan to go for truth, considering how shy he was. As she was thinking about what to ask him, she realized that now would be the perfect time to confirm something that she had been suspecting for a few months.

"Okay, then, is there someone you have a crush on?" Sango asked. This got a few whistles, mainly from the more active girls, Dakota and Cynthia, and of course, Sylvia, who was applauding most things just to keep the mood up. Reiner was laughing too. Even Blake was a little interested, and he didn't care much for this sort of thing. Ayame, though, wore a knowing smirk, already pretty confident in thinking that Aidan liked Sango, noticing how he paid attention to her; she was the one who had put Sango on this scent in the first place, all those months ago!

"Um…" Aidan's tanned face flushed with embarrassment, not expecting that question, of all questions, to come from Sango. Everyone was paying attention to him now, and the hardest pair of eyes of all were Sango's, staring good-naturedly at him, not having any idea of how loaded the question she just asked was.

She DID know, but he wasn't aware of that.

"…Yeah," he admitted.

"Oh, seriously?" Cynthia asked, leaning forward excitedly. "Who? Is it someone here?"

"Uh…" Aidan didn't know how to respond to that, but thankfully, he didn't have to.

"Remember, you only get the one question," Maddi reminded Cynthia, causing the redhead to pout, but nod in agreement.

If that was supposed to relieve Aidan, it didn't. What that meant was he couldn't risk going "truth" again, or else he might be forced to reveal just who it was he had a crush on, and that was absolutely NOT going to happen, not when she was sitting a few chairs away from him. He could always take the punishment game instead, but, well, they'd never decided what that punishment was going to be, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to risk it.

Sango's voice snapped him out of his dilemma.

"Wh-what?" He asked, staring at the girl who was both his friend and his crush.

"I said, it's your turn," Sango said. "Ask somebody."

"O-oh, right," Aidan said, nodding, looking for someone else. Blake was the only other person here who he kind of knew, so Blake was the one he asked. "Blake, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," Blake said, not ready to go for a dare just yet.

"Um… okay, if you knew that tomorrow was your last day on Earth, how would you spend it?" Aidan asked.

A complex look crossed Blake's face, to Aidan's surprise. He had thought this would be a fairly standard question to ask, not a stumper. But he didn't know the dilemma Blake was going through.

Blake was of two minds about this.

On the one hand, what he really wanted to do, if he knew this would be his last day on Earth, and that would be finding his sister. Holding her and telling her that it would be okay, trying to help her however he could, to the very last second, since she would be alone if he died.

But that wasn't a feasible answer. He didn't know where Gwen was, or how to find her. And the other thing to consider…

Blake glanced at Ayame. It always came back to her. Before her, he had entered school with a singular goal: get stronger so that he could eventually find his sister and bring her home, and keep her safe from anyone who tried to take advantage of her abilities. But Aya had given him something else. Aya and his friends, they made school fun for him, they made him happy to be here, not just as a tool to get stronger but for the fun they offered just by being around him.

Yeah, when he looked into his heart he knew what he would want to do.

"I'd want to spend the day with Aya," Blake answered, placing his hand over hers. Ayame's face turned bright red and a crooked smile spread across it.

"Ohoho, I should have guessed," Cynthia cackled, leaning in and resting her elbows on her knees, framing her face with her hands. "And what will you two be doing on Blake's last day on Earth, hmm? I can think of a few things…"

Ayame's face turned scarlet.

"Th-that's-!" She sputtered.

"It's not just Aya," Blake interrupted, moving his hand to pat her on the shoulder, calming her down. He turned to Cynthia. "I also want to spend the day with you, Cynthia."

Cynthia's mouth opened, taken aback by Blake's candor. Her shock lasted only a few seconds, her lips curling up into a smile.

"O-oh? A threesome? I mean, if Ayame is cool with it-"

"NO," Blake said, Cynthia smirking. "I didn't mean in a romantic sense. Spending time with my friends, the people who care about me, that's what I would do."

Ayame beamed proudly at him. A few "aawwws" rose up from his friends, even Kate had a little small smile, hoping she would be counted among those people.

Cynthia was less amused, even if she was touched on the inside. This wasn't some love-fest!

"Okay, Blake! Enough with the touching feel-good moments," Cynthia interrupted. "Your turn."

Blake glanced at her, and scowled. "Okay, fine. Cynthia, Truth or Dare?"

"Eh?" Cynthia blinked, surprised Blake would call on her. She considered what to pick, maybe Blake would have a good truth? Or a good dare… yeah, definitely dare. It was time to kick this party up a notch! "Dare, obviously!"

"I dare you to reveal your internet history to everyone here," Blake ordered her. Cynthia paused, letting the words sink in. Then she went pale.

"Uh, another one."

"No, search history."

Cynthia gulped.

"If you don't want it, then it means the punishment game," Blake reminded her.

"We… we didn't decide on a punishment game!" Cynthia said, frowning.

"Well, no time like the present," Blake smirked. "What do you guys think?"

Everyone nodded in agreement, much more interested in seeing Cynthia get a punishment game than seeing her internet history.

"What's the punishment game going to be?" Sango asked.

"How about everyone comes up with an idea together?" Serefina said. "That would be the most fair thing."

"I thought of one," Blake said. "Let me know what you guys think."

He glanced at Cynthia and smirked.

"Her outfit gave me this idea," he explained. "If someone takes the penalty, then they have to serve as the asker's servant until it comes back to their turn, or someone else takes the penalty. What do you guys think?"

"I think you have a maid fetish you never told me about," Ayame said, raising her eyebrow in an accusatory way. Blake averted his eyes.

"That sounds pretty good," Julia cackled. "With that hairband and dress she even looks the part!"

"I'm in!" Callie cheered, already imagining the idea of Nick being her servant.

"Fine!" Cynthia pouted, standing up and placing her hands on her hips indignantly. "If you want me to be your little maid, Master, then that's what I'm going to be!"

"Your master demands a backrub," Blake requested, smirking. "But first you need to ask someone else a Truth or Dare."

"Fine," Cynthia spat, skipping over to Blake and forcing a cheery smile onto her face as he leaned forward slightly, presenting his back for her to massage.

While Cynthia focused her hands on Blake's back, her eyes turned towards someone else, the tall girl sitting next to him.

"Ayame! Truth or Dare?" Cynthia asked.

Ayame wasn't about to go with a dare given what she knew about Cynthia and the aura she was emanating. So she said "truth".

Cynthia smirked.

"Ayame, I have a question for you," Cynthia declared, enjoying dragging this out. She dug her thumbs into Blake's shoulder-blades. Her eyes were gleaming as she said "tell me. How do you feel about the fact that I'm in love with Blake? That we spend time together, and I occasionally get a little flirtatious when I'm feeling frisky?"

The room went silent, save for Sylvia Driscoll, who rolled on the floor in hysterics. Caelia's eye widened slightly in shock, staring at Cynthia's back, but she didn't say anything, and Cynthia's back was to her so she couldn't see.

Ayame's mouth opened, but she was at a loss for words.

"Cynthia, this isn't the time for-"

"It's exactly the time," Cynthia snapped, digging her thumbs in harder. Her grip softened, and she looked around the room. "We all know the deal, or at least most of us do. But… I want to know if it's going to be a problem, Ayame. Because I don't want it to be a problem. So tell me how you really feel, no lies, no 'I'm okay with this' when you're really not. Got it? Just you."

"…Yeah," Ayame said, nodding, her face as solemn as it always was when she was putting on her stern demeanor. "I got it."

"So let's put it out there, okay?" Cynthia asked. Her voice was soft and trembling, and that's how Ayame knew she was serious. This wasn't just a way to bother her.

Ayame took a deep breath, and looked around the room. It was clear she wasn't comfortable with where this conversation was going.

"Cynthia, did you have to ask that in front of everyone?" Blake asked. Cynthia frowned, realizing that maybe she shouldn't have said what she'd just said. Cynthia opened her mouth to take it back, but before she could, Ayame leapt up from her seat and took Cynthia by the wrist, pulling her from Blake's back.

"Blake, I'm borrowing your maid," Ayame declared. Cynthia barely had the time to nod before Ayame hauled her off into the restroom to confront her.

"Look, Ayame, what I was saying-"

"No," Ayame cut her off, narrowing her eyes into a glare. "You wanted to talk? Then let's talk."

Cynthia paled, stepping back and sitting down on the toilet. Today was her 16th birthday, and she wasn't looking very good for a 17th.

"You want honesty, right?" Ayame sighed. Cynthia nodded, the sound of her gulp echoing off the hollow walls of the bathroom. Why did I sit down?! She demanded of herself. That just made Ayame Toujou look even taller!

"Honestly? Seeing you and Blake together… I don't know how to feel about it," Ayame admitted. Cynthia cracked open her eyes. She had shielded herself with her hands, worried about getting hit. They dropped to her sides as she straightened up.

"…Huh?" Cynthia asked, confused now.

"When I think about you and Blake together, knowing how you feel about him… it makes me feel weird," Ayame admitted placing her hand over her chest. "I'm happy that you care for him, I am. The fact that Blake has so many people who love and care for him, it lessens the anxiety I feel whenever I see him, knowing how hard he has things."

Ayame knelt down so she was looking eye-to-eye with Cynthia.

"I appreciate you being there for him. I already told you that, knowing you care for him that way makes me happy."

Cynthia could practically SEE the "but" hanging over her head.

"But…"

There it was. Her heart sunk.

"It stings a little, too," Ayame admitted. "Seeing the two of you together, knowing how you feel, it does make me feel a little… you know. Well, maybe you don't. Because I don't know how to describe it, it's like having a pain in my heart. I know I should be happy to see him smile with other girls, but…" She sighed. "More importantly, I know how BLAKE feels. About me. I know he would never do anything to hurt me, that he loves me, that I practically make the sun rise to him."

Cynthia thought Ayame had a pretty high opinion of herself, but at the same time she couldn't really argue with the girl.

"And yet, I can't help feeling this way, you know? And the fact that I feel that way, knowing how important you two are to each other, it makes me feel miserable," Ayame admitted. "Because I know you care, and I know he needs as many people in his life as he can get. So my hope… that I'm the only girl he shows his smile to… I know it's selfish. But my heart can't help itself, you know?"

Cynthia nodded sympathetically. She could understand where the girl was coming from. Because she wished for the exact same thing, and it was far more selfish of her to do it.

"But please, don't think this means I don't trust you two," Ayame said. "Because I know you wouldn't hurt Blake."

"Blake loves you, Ayame," Cynthia said, nodding. "If he hurt you, that would hurt him. And that's the last thing he wants to do. So I would never try to seduce him, or put him in that position. Not on purpose, anyway. I hope you know that."

Ayame smiled warmly at Cynthia, in a way that made her heart flip-flop in her chest and got her flustered.

"With, um, with that in mind… sometimes I joke around, you know," Cynthia said, fidgeting on the cold porcelain. "Make flirty comments? Is… is that okay? If I joke around with Blake a little bit?"

Ayame frowned a little, Cynthia quickly rushing to clarify.

"I-I know where the boundaries are," Cynthia insisted. "I promise. I won't do anything that would cross any lines or be an attempt to seduce him, I promise!"

Ayame sighed. She didn't like the idea of Cynthia basically coming onto her boyfriend, she really didn't.

"I want you to keep being friends with Blake, and hang out with him the way you always do," Ayame said. She didn't, but the alternative was the two of them not hanging out at all, and she wanted that less. "But please try to keep your flirtatious behavior under control around him, and avoid it as best you can while I'm there. Can you do that for me?"

Cynthia nodded.

"I'll try," she agreed.

Ayame smiled back at her. "Then we should be fine. And I won't say I'll be happy, but… I'll do my best to be cool, you know? And focus on the happy parts. That's how we can make it work."

"Then shall we go?" Cynthia asked hopefully, reinvigorated by Ayame's tacit approval.

"Sure," Ayame grinned, straightening up as Cynthia hopped off the toilet, brushing her dress off. "You have a back massage for my boyfriend to finish."

"Mind if it has a happy ending?" Cynthia joked, testing the waters. Ayame's glare answered that question, and she laughed, holding up her hands in broad defense. "Hey, I was kidding!"

Ayame rolled her eyes, and the two girls left the bathroom, heading back into the common room.

So, truth or dare will continue next chapter! Don't know how long it'll go, but we'll see. For now, just wanted to focus on some story beats.