FSE

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The following is a story set in the FBA shared storytelling universe, and is a continuation of an ongoing story centring on the character Lauren Fash. For context, on this story, I would recommend going back at least to The Rise and Fall of Rebekah Huotari.

This story was written with help from IllaRouge and Hiroyukken. Lady Black and Travis Buckner belong to IllaRouge. Danny Xing belongs to Hiroyukken. Cici Campione belongs to Baluthebare.

---

Obviously, Lauren Fash's involvement in the 2022 FBA All-Star Week was a play to get attention for the interview that released the day after the event wrapped up. Some might even call it cynical. It didn't change the electric feeling that Huntsville belonged to her for that event.

The skink had assumed that there would be some response to her finally agreeing to participate in the event. It was to be expected - she'd received nominations in the prior two years, and turned both of them down. She'd now made it public knowledge that she was willing to compete this year, in a season where her team's city was hosting the event.

Still, she wasn't ready for how deafening the roars were when she stepped onto the Mayors' court for the first game after the announcement. She was so stunned that she just stood there, staring, until Travis Buckner stepped up alongside her and gave her a tap on the back while smiling and waving at the audience.

"Don't look too surprised now." He spoke out of the side of his mouth at her, yelling so she would hear him over the crowd. "It's not too late for them to change their minds and vote for somebody else."

She rolled her eyes at the koala, but forced a smile onto her face. She hoped it looked confident.

When they announced the participants a few weeks later, it was surreal. Lauren wasn't surprised to see her name on the lineup for the all-star game and the 3-point shootout, but she still felt a sense of relief. What she wasn't prepared for was to wake up the next morning, and see her picture on banners and advertisements all cross the city. She drove to practice that morning with her own face glaring down at her.

At the end of that week, Doreen was able to come up from Atlanta to visit. The two of them went out for a walk one night after practice, Lauren feeling achy and tired from the day's work. They kept away from any of the more busy or populated streets where crowds might recognize the tall skink whose picture was suddenly all over town, and instead stuck to smaller residential areas.

It didn't take long for Doreen to lean over to Lauren and mutter, "Seems like you've got fans everywhere." Lauren glanced over at her in confusion, and the deer nodded over at a house they were walking by. In the front window, there was a piece of Bristol board with the numbers '79' and '43' drawn on in orange crayon - the jersey numbers for Lauren and Cici Campione, the member of the Mayors that had made it into the rookie game.

"Huh," Lauren muttered. She had paused for a moment to look, but started walking again. Doreen took a couple quicker steps to catch up to her.

"Want me to take your picture with it?"

"I think it's frowned upon to take a picture of yourself in front of a stranger's window."

"You're no fun."

Lauren gave a stiff nod. The two of them kept walking for a few more seconds before Doreen spoke again.

"You're doing it."

"What?"

"That thing where you get tense and stop actually saying anything when you answer."

"That's--" Lauren stopped herself, and took a deep breath. She forced herself to think about the past minute or so. She knew her voice was thin when she replied. "You're right."

They kept walking, but Doreen reached over and laid a hand on Lauren's upper arm. When the skink didn't pull away, she slipped her arm around Lauren's, the wool of her sweater sliding over the smooth polished leather of the skink's jacket.

"So?"

"So the last time that I was on big banners like that, people painted pred supremacist slogans all over them, and my uncle spent a week staked outside our house every night."

Doreen squeezed her arm a bit tighter. "At some point you're going to need to accept that a lot of people liking you isn't a bad thing."

"Yeah, I'll get right on that," Lauren snorted, but she shot Doreen a look that she hoped communicated that she was joking a bit. "Sorry. It's just a lot."

"Do you still plan to go through with the interview?"

"For now? Yeah."

It was Doreen's turn to snort at her. "How about we try that again with any confidence."

"What did I tell you about giving me line reads?"

Doreen stuck her tongue out. "The point stands. This has been your plan for a while. I know that agent of yours is behind you on it."

"I know. Right now I'm pretty sure about it. But we've got a month between now and All-Star Week. That's a lot of time for me to second guess myself."

"Right. I assume a reminder that some kid drew that sign and is excited to see you kick ass won't beat that out?"

"It's a nice thought." Lauren shrugged. "I gotta tell you, a kid drawing a nice sign doesn't beat out a bunch of people that want to hurt me."

"Uh-huh. And what would your ex-boxer agent and your girlfriend who's played violent revolutionaries in tv shows tell you does beat out people that want to hurt you?"

Lauren tilted her head back and slumped, being intentionally dramatic. She dragged out her voice into an exaggerated whine. "Punching back."

"There you go." The deer said it with a matter-of-fact tone, as though that settled the whole affair. "Now you're not allowed to be a downer for the whole next month."

"Can't I be just a bit of a downer?"

"We'll write up a calendar. Specific designated downer days. And only when you're playing away games so I won't have to deal with it."

"You're so supportive."

"Aren't I?"

After that, there was a gradual build of excitement leading up to the weekend. With Huntsville hosting the event that year, it felt like it was all anybody in the city could talk about. The staff at Explorer Stadium were being pulled away more and more to focus on preparation for the event, and billboards and bus ads were beginning to show up all over the city. Most years the lead-up to All-Star Weekend was invisible for Lauren - she was always so focused on getting through the season that the rest faded into the background. This year, though, it was a constant buzz growing gradually louder. Lauren had to keep reminding herself to focus on what was right in front of her.

It felt like any moment that Lauren wasn't practicing or playing, she was in a conversation with somebody about the weekend. One day it would be talks with her agent Susan about either her upcoming interview and the logistics around it, or sending her information about various brands that were interested in having her wear their clothing during the events. The next day she'd be called into a meeting with Chuck Mandaville, the general manager of the Mayors, to talk about the events that were being held and what he'd heard from the organizing committee or the mayor of Huntsville about plans. After games, when Lauren normally would have made a beeline for the locker room to avoid any reporters, she got Cici to effectively corner her and prevent her from leaving, and instead talk to reporters with her about the upcoming event.

And then, quite suddenly, All-Star Week was there. The final day or two were a blur as people started flying in, Explorer Stadium filled with cameras and equipment, and the world devolved into schedules and appearances. It was possibly the most that Lauren had ever appreciated having hired an agent - Susan had simply filled a calendar for her with appointments, arranged all of her transportation, and also figured out how to factor in meals - be those a quick bagged lunch waiting for her in the back of a car between appointments, or a private reservation at a restaurant in a separate room for the rare times that she had an hour of down time. Doreen joined up with the two of them the day of the opening ceremonies, and Lauren was only a bit concerned by how immediately and utterly she and Susan got along.

The manic energy continued up until the moment that their limo pulled up outside of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, the location for the opening banquet. The windows were fully tinted, but Lauren could still see all of the reporters waiting outside, their cameras at the ready. A few of them were already snapping premature shots of the car's door. She wasn't alone in the back of the car, but she held up a hand to the others, and everyone kept silent for her. She closed her eyes, forced herself to take a few deep breaths, and then opened the door.

A roar of voices and clicking cameras rushed into the car. Lauren didn't hesitate now - she slid out of the backseat, and immediately rose to her full, imposing stature. She stood there for a long moment, looking slightly down at all of the reporters, her back straight, her face cool. On the way there, Susan had tried to tell her how to behave, and Doreen had helpfully suggested, "Go full ice queen bitch," which Susan had agreed was the exact vibe.

The skink was wearing a long, sleeveless formfitting dress that was probably worth more than any piece of clothing she'd ever owned. It had an open back that bared the five lines going down along Lauren's spine, along with the impressive musculature back there. The colour shifted between orange and gold, depending on the light, and it matched perfectly with the yellow of the skink's lines where they faded from blue. The beautiful piece was all Susan's doing - Lauren would be the first to admit that she knew very little about dressing for formal events. The bulldog had made a few comments about her old boxing coach turning over in his grave at the thought of her arranging the design and purchase of a ballgown, but she'd managed everything professionally. Consultations with a fashion consultant and various designers had led to this immaculately designed garment. The few times throughout the process that she'd expressed discomfort at the dress, it was Doreen that had grounded her.

"Your body's one of your weapons," she'd said, simple and matter-of-fact. "Let them show it off for you."

In that moment, standing in the glare of the flashing cameras and surrounded by people, she reminded herself to think about it in those terms. When she did, she couldn't deny how powerful it made her feel.

After she'd given enough of a pause for the reporters to get their shots, she stepped aside, and let Doreen slip out of the back. The deer had opted for a forest green slip - less impressive than what Lauren was wearing, but as the deer had said again and again, "I'm here to be arm candy - you're the main attraction."

Once Doreen was out, she slid her arm around Lauren's, and the two of them stepped aside for the third member of their group to emerge from the car. This time it was a corgi that was much closer to Doreen's height than Lauren's. She was wearing a powder blue tuxedo that set off the orange of her fur magnificently. Lady gave a grin to the assembled reporters, and Lauren offered the corgi her free arm. Then the trio walked forward through the crowd towards the entrance, with Doreen and Lady flanking Lauren.

The rest of the evening was a blur. There was food. There were speeches. There were dozens of faces that Lauren knew well from the court or from locker rooms, but transposed into formal clothing and a ballroom. Lauren kept close to Lady and Doreen for most of the night, as well as the players that she knew as friends. There were constant flashes from cameras - a few reporters had been invited into the event for promotional purposes. Lauren posed for pictures with both of her dates, several times with Cici as the two player representatives of the Mayors, and sometimes with other players that were there.

On a few occasions, Lauren noticed Rebekah across the party. The badger was all in red. If Lauren's dress had been designed to show off the skink's lean, tight muscles, then the badger's dress had been chosen to frame and exemplify her brawn. She could barely move without her impressive musculature flexing or rippling, and the stark contrast between the red material and her black and white fur only drew attention to it.

Each time she noticed the badger, Lauren felt a rush of jittery discomfort run down her spine. At no point did the badger seem to notice her, though. Rebekah was busy talking to people and posing for reporters. It seemed like she always had a group listening to her. More often than not it looked like she was telling some sort of joke, or leaning in close to listen to somebody. It was a bit surreal being in the same space as the badger and not having either of them acknowledge each other, especially after their last encounter.

Lauren forced herself not to think too much about it, though. She had enough to deal with this weekend, between skills tests, games, and her looming interview. True, thoughts about the interview always strayed to the badger, but Lauren refused to let it ruin her evening. Besides, the badger had been seated as far away from the skink and her party as possible, and Lauren had Doreen and Lady to help centre her thoughts whenever she needed.

The event had been going on for a couple hours when Lauren extricated herself from her group and stepped out onto the balcony. Dinner was long since over, and the attention from reporters had lulled long enough for the skink to slip away for a moment.

The cool air rushed over her scales, and she sighed with relief. The party was good - for her first major public social event since her draft night, it was going better than she'd expected. It was still a lot, though.

There were a few other players milling about on the wide balcony. All of them seemed to be off doing their own things, though - checking their phones, or heads bowed in private conversations. Lauren took the opportunity to walk up to the banister around the balcony and lean against it, looking out over the night. Most of the lights of Huntsville were laid out in front of her. After the hectic night, it was a lovely moment of calm and peace.

The skink actually jumped when the first firework went off in the sky above her. She wasn't alone - a few of the others on the balcony looked equally surprised as the sky lit up with orange and white light, followed by a series of sharp cracks that rushed over them. A few moments later, Lauren could hear a few people letting out noises of surprise and delight from the ballroom in the museum behind her. Lauren took a couple deep breaths, then laughed at herself and leaned forward against the bannister again. She looked up as the sky continued to erupt with light and bangs.

"I have to admit, it's been quite the event."

To her credit, Lauren didn't tense visibly. She didn't let herself look over at first as Rebekah stepped forward to lean against the barrier next to her, a good few feet away. Of course - the badger wouldn't be stupid enough to immediately approach within uncomfortable distance. The pair remained where they were, both leaning forward against the barrier and watching as the fireworks continued. She was holding a tumbler in one giant hand, and even from where Lauren stood she could smell the scotch. The coloured lights flashed off of the white of Rebekah's fur out of the corner of Lauren's vision, before vanishing into the gouges of black stripes.

After a long few moments, the skink made a show of turning her head to face the badger, and kept her gaze even. "What can I say? Huntsville knows how to put on a show."

"It's nice to see you at an event like this for once. Great to see our school represented." The badger gave a long, deliberate shrug, and turned to meet the skink's gaze as the explosions continued. "I'm sure that a lot of people back home are noticing."

Lauren didn't look away. She thought back to their last meeting - alone, in the parking lot outside of Explorer Stadium, with only the lights in the back of the stadium to show anything. She'd been caught off guard that time, and with no recourse other than to keep her distance from the badger and possibly run.

This time, though, she was prepared. She was ready. This time she had a fucking plan.

"I hope they do," Lauren replied. She kept her posture relaxed, her gaze imperious. She let all the power that the night had fed her show. "I've been thinking lately that I ought to be doing more to represent some of the people back home. Maybe some of the more local fans, too."

If Rebekah was confused, she didn't show it. The badger did pause, though. After what felt like a long few seconds, she spoke. "Is that so?"

"I guess you could say that I remembered just how many people are willing to listen when I talk." She shrugged. "You helped remind me of that."

Lauren saw Rebekah let out a long breath through her nose. The booming of the fireworks made it impossible to hear, but the stream of vapour caught the colour of the explosions. Then, abruptly, the badger's muzzle twitched into a slight grin. "You've never talked to anybody that was there after you left, have you?"

The abrupt change of topic caught Lauren off-guard. She kept her eyes narrowed, but didn't respond.

The badger's eyes flicked left and right, no doubt checking to see if anybody was close by. Lauren prepared herself to back away, but the badger didn't approach - instead she just kept talking, the smug grin still playing at her muzzle. "No personal security detail this time? Somebody's feeling bold."

"I told you before - you're not as subtle as you think." Lauren stopped herself from looking around to check as she continued, "There's security all over this event. It's not like you can do anything without every person that could determine your future in the league seeing."

"So strong, Fash. I mean, you always were. Nice to see you acting like it again, though." The badger stood up from the railing, and paused to take a sip of her scotch. "You never did talk to anybody from school after you left, though, did you?"

"You might be surprised to hear that I didn't have a lot of friends on the way out of that school to catch up with."

Rebekah gave a knowing nod. "Sorry to hear that. Well just keep in mind - I know that you figured out how to do some damage when you need to. The interview three years ago was a smart move. It made it so hard for anybody to hit you back, and it would be even harder to hit you back now." The badger lifted an eyebrow. "So after you hit all those big mean bullies three years ago and got them mad, who do you think they took it out on?"

It took Lauren a moment or two to process what the badger had said. As her brain caught up, though, she felt her guts clench. She managed to keep her gaze even, but she knew her breath had hitched noticeably.

The badger stood there for a long few seconds as the fireworks continued, punctuating the silence with pops and bangs. She held Lauren's gaze while keeping that smug grin plastered to her muzzle. Then she pushed herself off from the balcony, and turned towards the skink. Lauren tensed as Rebekah walked uncomfortably close behind her. The badger raised her tumbler to her lips as she passed, but paused just long enough to whisper out of the corner of her muzzle between explosions, "Have a good weekend, Fash. Enjoy the limelight."

Then she was gone, sipping her scotch.

Lauren stood where she was, not moving. She remained there until after the fireworks finished, and she could hear the rest the sounds of the party again drifting out from the doors behind her. She focused on that noise, and let the buzz dim all of her thoughts while she worked to get her breathing back under control. She managed, somehow.

She turned to head back to the party and see if she could find Doreen or Lady. That awful feeling was still sitting deep in the pit of her stomach.

---

Lauren didn't sleep well that night. At first it was working through the buzz of excitement from the day and the opening ceremonies. After that, she remained awake for a good hour or so thinking about her conversation with Rebekah, and what the badger had said. She was plagued by the constant battle with herself that maybe the upcoming interview was a terrible idea, and then forcing that thought away. By then, it was late enough that she was stressing herself out about how much sleep she'd already lost, especially with the 3-point contest the next evening.

As such, Lauren was bleary-eyed when she and Lady made their way into Explorer Stadium the next morning. A few staff looked their way, but when they recognized Lauren they went back to their work. It was still early enough in the day that the stadium's staff wouldn't kick them out yet to prepare for that evening's event.

The pair had left Doreen in the stadium's parking lot. The deer had work that day, and Lauren had made it clear that she intended to spend the whole day practicing at the stadium. The two had shared a few words, at the end of which the deer had given the skink's arm a squeeze.

Lauren and Lady were able to grab a rack of balls, and they headed out to the three point line. Lauren started her drills, moving from spot to spot along the three point line and practicing her form. She'd gone through a dozen shots before she called over to Lady. "This is stupid."

The characteristic pessimism wasn't new to the corgi, so she responded with a smile. She tossed a ball back to Lauren. "Mom would call that stinkin' thinkin', but you might have to tell me what's stupid."

Lauren snorted and caught the ball. "How about we call her up and propose 'skinkin' stupid' instead?" She moved a bit further along the line, then rose to the balls of her feet and shot. "Most things. This whole weekend's one of them. We train to shoot 3s when there's somebody harassing us or we're running out of time. Just shooting a bunch of balls back to back is..." She shrugged.

"Stupid?" Lady snickered, but she knew there was a bit more to Lauren's words. She sent balls back as often as Lauren shot them. "But you decided to come, right? That wasn't a stupid decision."

"Jury's still out on that one." Lauren paused to let Lady collect a few more of the balls. She replaced them on the rack as the corgi passed them over, then squared off with the net as she caught the last one. "Sorry. It feels... I don't know. I keep going back and forth between being so sure about this and thinking it's the stupidest idea I've ever had."

The corgi nodded. She zoomed when a ball missed, but it wasn't too often. "Well, how about this?" She lobbed a ball higher than normal back to Lauren. "Why is it stupid? But also, why is it not stupid?"

"Well I think-" Lauren stopped as the high ball came in. She jumped a bit to grab it, and then shot Lady a mock dirty look. "Cheeky. And it's stupid because I've spent the past two and a half years trying to not draw any attention to myself, and I'm about to completely blow that." She took her next shot. She grimaced as the ball rolled off the rim and went wide. "Not stupid because apparently I'm not good at the whole 'not drawing attention' thing, and it hasn't made much of a difference."

"Can I break some news to you, Lauren, my dear friend?" Lady held the ball instead of tossing it. "We're all famous. It's kinda part of the job." She laughed through her teeth. "You're the best player on your team, in the best basketball league in the world, and your face is on television every other night. Can you tell me someone that would be good at hiding when they're on national TV?"

"Maybe somebody short enough that normal basketball camera angles don't catch them?" Lauren stuck her tongue out at the corgi. "Still. I guess I've got it in my head that keeping my head down will... I don't know. Keep it to a minimum? Make it so I can pretend things are normal at least some of the time." The skink kept her gaze forward as she said this. She called over, "I never asked. Did you ever get any hate for signing with a different team?"

"Oh yeah!" Lady smiled. "But, like, why let that get to me? I had to do it for me, you know?" She shrugged, this time passing the ball slower. "Didn't even care about the money. I just thought it would be cool to work with a different team. Kind of a challenge." She shook her head. "But we can talk about that later. If I can ask, how do you see yourself 'keeping your head down?' From what? How?"

Lauren shrugged. She gave the ball a few casual dribbles before taking her next shot. "Not going out for popularity contests like these. Though I suppose I would have done that anyways. Keeping quiet. Not being as intense and confrontational about people giving me a hard time as I did back in school." She took another couple shots, then called over. "You know in my elementary school, they had this whole... can't remember what they called it. Conflict resolution guide? The steps you're supposed to follow if somebody's bothering you. It was mostly about either trying to ignore whatever was happening or getting away from it. Lots of turn the other cheek stuff. Maybe I'm trying to fall back on that."

She empathized, but she definitely didn't go through the kind of harassment Lauren did. She didn't toss a ball over. "I guess it's hard to avoid or ignore it if it follows you."

"Yeah." She dribbled her ball a few times, very slowly, from hand to hand. "How likely do you think it is they added sections to that guide about how you should 'poke the bear' or 'punch back harder' since I left?"

"With public schools? Probably not likely."

"That's a shame." Lauren stopped her dribbling and just held the ball. She looked up at the hoop and just considered for a while. "Okay. I've told my boss and my agent that I'm going to make a bunch of extra work for them. They're both fine with it. I told my dad that he would probably catch some of the heat if I start pushing back. He's okay with it. I talked to my girlfriend and told her she'd probably get some, too. She's fine with it." The skink finally looked back over to the corgi. "Seriously. What do you think? Is this stupid?"

Lady didn't immediately respond. Dropping the ball halfway there, she walked over to Lauren. She hugged her friend. "Fighting for who you are is never stupid." She nuzzled the skink. "You dumbass."

Lauren didn't let go of the ball or react to the hug at first. Her muscles were tense against the corgi's hug. "It would've been much easier if you'd said yes." She sighed, and then turned in Lady's grip to return the hug. "Thank you."

Lady didn't let go. "You don't deserve any of this. It sucks." She squeezed harder. "But I'll fight for you, too. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. I know you would. And that means a lot."

"I mean like, used to play 'Knife Fight' in the woods kinda fight, if you needed that, but also make you beer and ice cream floats at 4 a.m. kinda fight, too. Stout, of course."

Lauren actually snorted at that. She squeezed the corgi tighter. "Careful. I'll take you up on that." The skink sighed and pulled away from the hug. She took a few moments to gather herself, and then took the ball in both hands again. "If it's any consolation, the contest tonight feels like child's play. The three point shootout's supposed to be all about mental focus, right? Couldn't be easier." She snorted again, and shot.

Lady kept her plans about handing out Fash shirts and 'Go Lauren' and 'Go Arther' signs to everyone in the section behind the shooting area a secret. "Couldn't be easier," she reiterated.

"YO! What's poppin', ladies?"

The voice caught Lauren off guard, halfway through taking her shot. She still released the ball, but it bounced off the backboard and went wide. She cast a glare at the ball as it bounced away along the court, then turned her attention back to the monkey that had called over to them. He was wincing as he, too, watched the ball bouncing away.

His fur was immaculately coifed, and he was sporting a blue, floral dress shirt. A variation of flowers covered it; colours ranging pink, orange, red, and white. It was a bit of a contrast from her own practice clothes - a pair of Mayors-branded sweatpants that were starting to show their age, and a faded tanktop. He forced a welcoming grin back to his face as she faced him.

"Uh... hey." She eyed him for a few moments, trying to place where she knew him from. Lady was already running off to grab the discarded ball. After what felt like an uncomfortably long time, during which the look on his face faltered, the skink blinked. "...Danny, right? From the Keystones." She paused as her brain made a few more connections. "And Thunder Bay Pred."

"Yeah!" The grin returned, and pulled his other hand from his pocket to give her a double thumbs up. "So, like...congrats on getting in, yeah? I mean, I was team Fash all the way! Nice of you to accept the invite this year and...all that. Wish I could be in that comp with you but it's all good! You feeling it? Ready to blow everyone away? Maybe make some peeps cry?"

Lauren watched him carefully throughout, her eyes wandering up and down his form. Her voice was hesitant when she responded. "Yeah, I guess. I'm mostly just hoping to put on a good show and..." She trailed off, the lie feeling stale on her lips. She'd pointedly ignored talking to anybody from that school since she'd left - Rebekah was the only exception to that, and it had hardly been by choice. Having somebody from the school approach her on today of all days felt too convenient. She kept watching him for a few seconds, and then cast her gaze around the court. Lady was fetching the ball. There were a few staff wandering around the bleachers, but none close. Danny was opening his mouth, a smile playing at his lips, clearly about to tell a joke or something. She lowered her voice enough for the others to not hear her, and then spoke before he could, her voice sharper. "Okay, let's get it out of the way. Why're you talking to me?"

"Huh?" Whatever goofy grin he'd kept this entire time, turned into a small frown - maybe even a bit hurt? She forced herself to keep her aggressive glare even as he went, something she'd long practiced back in school. "You know I had to fill your spot after you left, right? I mean," his brows furrowed and he muttered something in mandarin. "Just because you made some statement doesn't mean it got easy for the rest of us.

"I just wanted to talk to you as a past teammate, one of your biggest fans, and a fellow anti-TBPC dude. I'm not like," he lowered his voice for this last part, at least. "Rebekah. I'm not trying to be your personal stalker. I just wanted to talk to someone who maybe gave more a shit about what happens at TBPC."

Lauren eyed him as he spoke, her face not betraying anything. She waited for him to finish, and kept looking him up and down. Rebekah's words from the night before were still gnawing at her guts. At long last, she let out a sigh, and reached up to knead at her forehead.

"Right." She took a moment to centre herself, and then met his gaze again. "I didn't exactly walk away from that interview and have a lovely, safe and fun time, either. The past few years have been..." She trailed off, and made a vague gesture that seemed to indicate that she expected him to know what she meant.

Lady returned and passed her the ball. The skink turned to speak with her, then hesitated. She said something quietly to the corgi, who nodded. Lauren turned back to Danny and nodded to the home team's bench. Lauren made her way over and took a seat, making sure to leave space between herself and the monkey - definitely more than was necessary. Lady stayed at a respectful distance, giving them the space to talk.

Once they were seated, Lauren took a moment to consider how to start. She remembered Danny vaguely from her time on the Apex. It wasn't like they'd ever had any conversations or anything - Lauren was too busy trying to watch her own back at the time. It felt weird to be talking to this person that she'd played alongside but knew nothing about.

"So. I heard that they 'redistributed' a bunch of people after my interview." She rolled her eyes. "Am I right in guessing that they just found themselves in other positions and it made no difference?"

"Uh, yeah, that's about right." He glanced towards her briefly, but didn't meet her gaze. "Like...some faculty transferred out. But mostly it was just them saying 'everyone get along!' and 'we're one big happy family!' type stuff? It's less...how it was with Sergio." Lauren didn't have to think to recall the big tiger that had made her life a living hell for two years. "The team line up changed, some pred and prey are cool. I had my own group. Just..." he sighed, clearly thinking things over. "Not everyone is willing to speak out about whatever happens in the shadows, y'know?"

"Right, of course. That would make it too easy, I suppose." It took her a few seconds to realize how sharp her voice had been, because she sighed and shook her head. "Sorry. That wasn't fair. All of that has been on my mind a lot lately."

"No, I get it. That thunder bay PTSD, right?" He chuckled, his tone joking. His expression soured, though - clearly he wasn't happy with himself for making light of it.

Of course nothing had changed. She'd been pretty sure that would happen, even when she gave that interview two and a half years ago. It didn't make it feel any better to hear the confirmation. Rebekah was smart about the ways she was shitty, but she'd learned from the best. Thinking of the badger, Lauren realized quite suddenly that she, much like Danny, was on the Keystones. She cleared her throat, then spoke, her voice hesitant. "So. Now you're stuck with Huotari." She considered saying more, maybe offering condolences, but thought better of it. Instead she tried, "I barely even remembered her from when I was there, and now she seems kind of obsessed with me. What's her deal?"

At that, the douc chuckled, and this time it felt less forced. "Oh, her royal highness? Now that you mention it, she sort of was like. Like that evil background character waiting to claim the spotlight? She did a lot of sidelining or playing the diplomat. You know, Thunder Bay's representative or whatever."

While Danny was talking, Lauren was thinking about the badger as well. She'd been so focused on the obvious, immediate threats to her that she'd fully ignored anything else. It was easy to pick out the administration turning a blind eye and the big, dumb preds that made it clear what they intended. She hadn't afforded attention to anybody else. Maybe that had been short-sighted.

Danny drew her attention back with a small snort and shrug. "Listen, Lauren. She's like a, I dunno, fox from kid stories. You think they're cute and fluffy but they're always plotting."

She'd known that one public act of defiance wasn't going to be enough to solve all the problems. She hadn't missed Danny's half joke about the PTSD. She let her tail tense and then release behind her, and the inclined her head.

"So. Did things improve at all after I left? Like, at all at all? Get worse? You had your... cadre, I guess, who might have helped, but the checking over your shoulder..." She trailed off. She didn't miss Danny's leg starting to bounce up and down, a nervous tic. She added, "I'm trying to avoid asking if it all even made a difference."

He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "I mean. Like," he looked down at the floor while he chewed his lower lip. "Yeah I had my groupies or whatever. And we got more people who'd try to speak their mind. But..."

He paused for a long time.

"Things can still happen in the...behind the scenes. You know?"

Lauren nodded very slowly. She let out a long breath, and muttered, "Yeah, I know.

"The school made changes but I think more people need to, like, pull a you. Actually go public." He hesitated again before he added: "I want to be one of those people. I just...I wonder what more it'll cost me."

Lauren leaned back on the bench. Her tail coiled on the ground behind her, and then tensed to support her so that she could recline some. She glanced over at him, and looked him up and down, considering. The past few years had been a long time. She'd faced more challenges since she'd joined the league - in some ways, the continued harassment after she'd felt some hope had been more crushing than her original time at TBPC. She'd spent most of her time over the past few years trying to figure out how to protect herself and the people closest to her. As he spoke, and Lauren thought about what Rebekah had said, though, she felt her resolve hardening again.

Lauren didn't like to lie.

"Things got worse for me after I did it." This time she met his gaze, and didn't look away. She thought she saw a look of hopelessness on his face, but she pushed forward. There was a slight tremor in her guts, but she forced it down and kept speaking, her voice even. "For a while. It was both actual people pushing on me, but also me suddenly realizing I'd drawn a target on my back before stepping onto a massive stage." The skink gestured out at the mostly empty stadium. She let that speak for itself, and then considered how to lead into her actual question.

"That said. I guess a thing I always worried about, from before I said anything, was that me doing it and then leaving would, you know." She paused, and then narrowed her gaze as she went on. "Make it worse for everybody else. So I guess I'm going to ask: did it?"

"I'm sorry." He half-muttered the words, his nervous leg coming to a halt and his tail curling low to the floor.

His eyes stared holes into the floor before he looked up and met her eyes. "What you did was the right thing. The school was never gonna change or even start to change. But, like, you took an L by doing that. You gotta always look behind your back.

"I would've done the same thing as you this last year." he looked away then and began to unbutton his shirt. "Just couldn't get my shit together. Not with this."

Danny carefully slid his shirt off; letting it fall behind him. Lauren blinked at first, but her gaze hardened as the shirt slid away. Sitting up straighter and turning slightly to the side, he motioned to himself. There, starting from part of his back and across his ribs, was a long scar.

She let her gaze wander along the length of the parts in his fur. Behind her, her tail tensed around the back of the bench, almost squeezing at it.

Her gaze flicked up to his face. "I would ask who did it, but that's kind of beside the point, isn't it?"

"Ha." He snort-laughed and let his shirt go; covering his scar up once more. "Hu xian-sheng." He paused, then inclined his head. "Er, ah. Serge."

She let out a long, slow sigh, thinking of the tiger's long claws that he loved to show off, and then inclined her head. "So the two of us can agree on something. What I did was the right thing. I've never stopped believing that. The place I go back and forth on is whether or not it was worth it. Like... did what I do actually make a difference, or did it just piss people off and make them willing to do..." She trailed off, and gestured at his shirt, where his scars would be. She kept quiet for another moment or two, thinking, and then asked, "So. What do you think?"

"I think it was worth it, Lauren. I really do." She was surprised by the conviction behind his words. "Like. It made the school freak out an' try to fix things, yeah? But it made them. Made them do something. It sucks that," he motioned to the area where his scar was, "this happened. And other things happened. Shit will always blow."

He scooted closer and, under the bench, his tail brushed up on her coiled up one. The skink tensed momentarily, but she didn't pull away as he went on.. "Things are getting better. What you did was a frickin slap in the face to them. After Serge left, and they started making changes," another small snort-laugh from him. "The team has changed a lot. The school is starting to change but, like, y'know. It won't all change super fast."

The douc inhaled, exhaled, "Can't really stop the haters from hating in the background, though. Like," he pulled his phone out from his pocket and unlocked it. It took a few clicks for him to unlock his Twitter, and then he held it out to her. "I still get messages. Not like I've been super...I dunno. Loud? About the things I say. But I do still say shit. And I do still get shit for it."

"I don't need to look." Lauren sighed, and reached up to knead at her forehead some. She paused, with her fingers still pinching at the bridge of her nose, and then muttered, "Thank you. I'm, uh..." She paused, then tried again. "Thanks for being straight with me. I needed that. Like, to know exactly how it got worse, but also that it did something. It makes it..." She trailed off. The douc was on a team with Rebekah. He was probably going to have to deal with any of the blowback from whatever Lauren did next. On top of that, there was still a whole school full of people in Thunder Bay that would be impacted. It would only be fair to warn them.

For a long few seconds, she considered doing it. The nervous energy still pounding in her temples stopped her, though. Instead, she let out her breath, and said, "I'm sorry we couldn't help each other back then. And for everything you went through. I've, uh. I've got to keep g- have to get back to practice for tonight."

---

"So. Lauren. This is your third season in the league. You got invitations to the rookie game in your rookie season, and to the three point contest last year. Both times you turned the offers down. What's different this year?"

The skink drummed her fingers along the surface of the table a few times, considering her answer. It was somehow exactly like, but also entirely unlike, the interview two and a half years ago.

Back in 2019, Lauren had gotten a ride with her dad to the local CBC studio, where the very lovely staff had guided her into a booth and gotten her set up with headphones in front of an expensive looking mic. They'd done a couple sound checks, and then had patched her through to talk to her interviewer in another studio.

The layout was different this time. For one, she was in the same room as her interviewer - once again, it was Ernest Callaghan, the same reporter who had conducted her previous interview. She trusted him after last time, even if he'd changed outlets since then. Secondly, the two of them were just seated at a table, in an unused meeting room in Explorer Stadium that had been set aside for them. There were no headphones - just a portable microphone set up on the table in between them.

She wasn't looking up at him, though. Her eyes were down, focusing on those drumming fingers. Callaghan already knew exactly what this interview was going to be about, so he wasn't pushing her. His voice was perfectly casual as he set her up.

Like he'd suggested before they'd started, Lauren focused on only the question at hand. It was an easy one - clearly something meant to get her comfortable speaking. She hadn't actually written anything out ahead of this, as per Callaghan's instructions. She inclined her head, and then spoke.

"In the past, I've been pretty up front and outspoken about part of my reasoning. Frankly, All-Star Week is a bad deal for players. We play a game every two days for most of the regular season. In between those games, we practice for hours every day. I don't think any of us have any illusions about the toll that takes on our bodies. We're constantly putting ourselves in positions where we could harm ourselves, severely or chronically, and we get... maybe a couple days off throughout the season? And more often than not, we spend those days off training. All-Star Week is one of the few potential stretches of days off we get across the entire season. But instead, a bunch of us get an invitation to... what? Go and work even harder for a few days, risking more injury or exhaustion, so that our teams and the FBA can make some more money off of the marketing? Not my idea of a good deal."

"Your view isn't exactly popular though, is it? For a lot of players, and a lot of young fans, the chance to compete at All-Star Week is a dream. More than a few people have said that it's something you should strive for. Getting that spot should be all the compensation you need."

Lauren snorted, then replied. "Ernest. You work in media."

"Sure do."

"How many times have you had a boss tell you that you should just be grateful for the opportunity you have, and tell you that lots of other people would beg for the chance you've gotten?"

"More than a few."

"How many times has a boss said that specifically so you wouldn't ask for better compensation, more reasonable working hours, better conditions..."

"True. But you're an athlete. Playing in the FBA should be your greatest dream come true. Isn't that a bit different?"

"Playing in the FBA is a dream come true, in some ways. It's also my job. I'm not going to put in extra work and put myself at additional risk just for the chance to put my name on a vanity trophy."

"Right. So what's different this year? If I'm understanding correctly, your reticence to attend All-Star Week has to do with not getting anything out of the additional work and risk."

"Mostly, yes."

"So this season... what? Was there some sort of agreement baked into that sweetheart deal you got from Huntsville?"

"No," Lauren laughed. "No. Uh..." The skink trailed off. She shrugged. "I never get in touch with you for the fun interviews."

"I suppose not." There was a moment of silence, and then Callaghan's voice spoke again. "I paused the recording. You're hesitating. You're sure you want to do this?"

Lauren let out a long sigh. She narrowed her eyes. "Turn the recording on." She waited for Callaghan to nod. She leaned forward, and folded her hands. "No, no special agreement. I accepted this year because I knew that it would draw attention, and I wanted attention."

"Our last interview drew a lot of attention too, if I recall."

"Sure did. I think a lot of people assumed that the attention died down after that first interview. That as soon as I got out of Thunder Bay, things would be better." She gripped her hands a bit tighter, and then spoke. "I didn't attend All-Star Weekend during my rookie year partly for the reasons I said. I actually do feel that way. But also I'd just finished moving apartments again, after somebody had left a threatening message on my doorstep."

She stopped and let that hang in the air.

Callaghan's voice was gentle when he responded. "Are you comfortable explaining what you mean by 'threatening?'"

"Somebody nailed a feral skink's tail to my apartment's door. I think the intension was pretty clear."

"Was that the only threatening treatment you received that year?"

"No. I mentioned that I was moving apartments 'again.' I had already moved once that season because somebody sent a threatening note to my previous address. That's on top of countless messages I've received to various email addresses and social media accounts. During my first season, there wasn't just a casual wall of hate directed at me. There were targeted attempts to make me feel unsafe and threatened, and those attempts were clearly meant to show that my harassers were quite capable of following through on those threats. At the time, I was... well. I told myself that I was a rookie, so I needed to not cause trouble or cause my team or the league any headaches. Honestly, though? I think I was just tired of dealing with shit, and so I was trying to keep my head down and not be noticed."

"And what changed?"

"See that's the thing. Nothing changed." Lauren cleared her throat. "Yeah, sure, I eventually managed to save enough money to move into a condo building with security. I hired a service to go through my mail before bringing it to me. I've changed all of my contact info, they're only handed out to a select few people, and I still get people to screen my emails. But it doesn't change that people were doing it. Hell, it doesn't change that even some people in the league thought I was being too big for my britches. I think it was last year while I was preparing for free agency that it fully hit me - it doesn't matter how small or quiet I decide to make myself. Even if I do everything they want, they're still going to make my life a living hell. So instead..." She shrugged. "They taught me in school that the best way to deal with conflict was to ignore it or walk away. That doesn't deal with the problem, though. So instead, this is me deciding to throw a fist right back."

"We can get into more detail in a minute, but before we do: do you actually think that's going to solve the problem?"

"No. It won't." Lauren considered her next sentence for a long few moments, her guts feeling like they were going to tie themselves into knots. She set her gaze, and went on. "I've got it on good authority that things didn't get better at Thunder Bay Pred after I left. Sure, they had to be a bit more quiet. It's easy to keep things quiet, though. And the thing is, it's not just that one school or that one city. The problem is, most of the people that are dealing with this can't afford to take the risk of pushing back. I can, though. So yeah, it's not going to solve the problem. At least it might leave some of the people doing this with a bloody nose and make them think twice next time, though."