Toby had been a Morpho Defender for two weeks now. These two weeks had been special training on movement, strength and the use of weapons, as well as regular classroom teaching. They wouldn’t be sent out on missions just yet, as it was too dangerous for inexperienced defenders, but they were informed that they would go on their first missions after about six weeks.

So still plenty of time to learn, train and work with their partners and classmates.

Today they had Morphology - the science of morphing and how to do it.

Their teacher was Mr. Franklin, the eccentric man with the long, white hair the students already met during the recruitment test. The class was exciting and refreshing, as they finally got to see their partners morph.

It was difficult at first - especially for little Memis, who has never morphed before. A few had more or less the same problems, but most of them actually were successful. After all, Pergrandis form was the easiest to reach and every Morpho Mon could do it.

Memis turned into a huge dog, bigger than a horse, with teal fur on his body and a blue and yellow mask. He was easily large enough to ride, and Toby was beyond excited. The day was spent practicing the Morph and the Morpho Mon’s powers. Memis, as an ice element Morpho Mon, learned to shoot small blasts of ice. The next weeks, they’d practice to get even stronger, so that soon they could go on patrol.

“That was so cool!! Memis looked so greeeat!!”

Classes were over for today, and the students were dismissed. Toby had Prior form Memis in his backpack again, and he was accompanied by two of his classmates, Randall and Sophia with their own partners.

“Yeah-” Sophia began fiddling around with her hair. “I- I just wished Straph would’ve let me help her morph.”

The bunny-looking Morpho Mon has not turned back into her Prior form yet. Her Pegrandis - form was a tall, green anthropomorphic bunny with long ears and a long fishtail. She was walking behind Sophia, but did not look at her.

“Morpho Mon relationships are complicated,” Randall said. “Give her more time to get used to you.”

“Ah-” Sophia shook her head. “Y-You’re probably right… I should be glad she morphed at all.”

They passt the laboratory, and Toby glanced inside. “Ah-” He turned to his two classmates. “I’ll- I’ll have to go somewhere~ We’ll see each other tomorrow!!” He quickly left to head inside the laboratory, leaving Sophia and Randall behind confused.

“Tobyyyy?” Memis peeked out of his backpack. “What are you doing? Why would you go into the lab?”

“Don’t worry Memis, it’ll be just a short visit~”

Toby took off his backpack and let Memis out as he approached a tall, blonde man in a lab coat. He was standing at a metal desk, writing something on a notepad. On the desk was a little basket with a pink pillow, where his small ferret-like Morpho Partner was sleeping.

“Hey Roy!!”

“Huh?” Roy turned around. “What are you doing here?”

“Nothing much~" Toby sat up on a metal desk. “I just wanted to say hi~"

“Gh.” Roy pushed up his glasses. “Apprentices don’t come into the lab just to say hi. In fact, they barely come here outside of science class.”

“Maybe I’m not like the other apprentices!” Toby giggled. “Well, to tell the truth-” He folded his hands. “I’m very grateful you helped me get here in the first place, and, despite being here for weeks now, I haven’t seen you a lot.”

“So?” Roy wrote some more notes. “There are a lot of people that work here who you will probably never really see in your entire career. I’m not more special than they are.”

“Ehh?! Are you kidding! I just told you you are the reason I’m here! Of course that makes you special!!”

“Mhm.” Roy looked at him. “If it’s about finding your father, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but we’re not far enough with our tests that we’d need your contribution now.”

“Ahh- No it’s not that- I’m-”

“Darling, is the boy annoying you?”

A female voice was heard.

“Mh?” Toby looked around. “Who was that? Your girlfriend?”

“N-No- I don’t have a girlfriend.” Roy got red because of the implication. “No it’s-”

“My my.” The little ferret Morpho Mon got out of its bed and approached Toby. “Would you look at him~ The great Mr. William’s son, right? So I heard.”

“Famfay- don’t worry-” Roy said. “He isn’t annoying me. You can go to sleep again."

“Famfay?” Toby smiled. “What a cute name!”

“How curious.” Famfay placed his little front paws on Toby’s knee. “You feel flustered, why is that?”

“Wha- wha what?” Toby let out a nervous chuckle. “I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

“Famfay is an empath.” Roy crossed his arms. “He can read people’s emotions.”

“Well he must be wrong this time- I’m not flustered at all!” Toby rubbed his cheeks to get rid of his redness.

Wait, why was he even blushing to begin with?

“It’s okay.” Famfay climbed on Toby’s lap and curled up. “This power is a concept that’s hard to grasp for many humans.”

“Wraaaf?” Memis, being the curious dog that he is, looked up to Famfay as he was resting on Toby’s lap. “Who are youuuu?” He jumped up at the desk.

“Hello.” Famfay looked down and sniffed on Memis nose.

“Here- go play together.” Roy carefully lifted Famfay off Toby and placed him on the ground next to Memis.

“Yay!!” Memis excitedly wagged with his tail while jumping around Famfay.

“So.” Roy faced Toby again. “Where were we?”

“Ahm-” Toby placed his hand on his neck. “I think- ahm- Yeah I really just wanted to talk to you.” He smiled. “No deeper meaning to my visit.”

“Okay, then talk.”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“Why so quiet, Mr. Williams?”

“I’m sorry- this is awkward-”

“Not at all.” Roy took off his glasses to clean them with a handkerchief. “It’s nice to have company, sometimes.”

“Really?” Toby tilted his head and twirled his hair around his finger. “Do you maybe wanna hang out some time after work?”

He usually wasn’t the type to just ask people to go places, but with Roy it was different. Despite his strict impression, he seemed like a really nice guy he really wanted to be friends with.

“Mh. Sure.” Roy put his glasses back on. “I was told to see more people anyway.”

“Ah nice!!” Toby was all smiles. “How about Friday? We can go to the park!”

“Oh, you’re not going to invite me to dinner?”

“Ah- Ahmm-” Toby blushed again, flabbergasted.

“I’m just kidding. Sure, let’s meet on Friday.”

“Uh- Yes!” Toby jumped off the desk. “I’ll come pick you up after work!”

“Good. I’ll wait here.” Roy picked up Famfay, who hid behind his legs after Memis got a bit too wild and playful with him, and rested him on his shoulders. “See you then.”

“Yes! See you on Friday!!” Toby jumped off the desk, picked up his backpack again, waved at Roy and left the lab, Memis following him on the step. “Come on Memis, let’s go to the rooftop just like we planned~"

“Wraff! Yes!”

They went down the hallway to where the elevators were, and waited for one to come.

“So Toby.” Memis sat down. “Do you like Roy?”

“Mh?” Toby looked down to the little dog. “What do you mean?”

“I mean like, do you LIKE him?”

“...” Toby had a puzzled expression on his face.

“Will he be your BOYFRIEND?”

“AH- SHHH- D-Don’t yell that out loud!!” Toby got down to pick up Memis. “This is not something to just yell out in public!!”

“I’m sowwy….”

“Besides- ahm- that’s really not something to ask for at that point in time- I kind of just met him.”

“Ohh…. So you don’t feel a connection to him at all?”

“Ahm…” Toby entered the elevator that just opened before them, let Memis down again and pressed the button for the rooftop. “This is not how humans work Memis. And it’s really not something to casually talk about….”

“But YOU were the one crying about how you never had a real relationship before!”

“Ah… I guess I did…” Toby rubbed the back of his neck. “Sometimes I forget that you’re not an actual dog.”

“So? Will Roy be your boyfriend?!”

“Mh… Still, this is not how it works…” Toby closed his eyes and sighed.

He was well aware of the fact that if he got into a relationship, it would be with another man. He had known about his sexuality for about two years now - after a painfully embarrassing incident with his “first girlfriend”, aka a close friend who he thought he liked romantically. After a very awkward kiss, they had come to terms that what they felt was not love, and that just because you like someone as a person, and think they are pretty, does not mean you are attracted to them. Figuring that out was a revelation - for the best, as now he knew who to look for in a relationship. Technically.

“Human relationships are more complex than that. Before you get into a relationship with someone, you have to know someone for some time, see if you are compatible, and if the other person likes you as well.”

“Ohhh.” Memis tilted his head. “So I suppose humans and Vit- I mean Morpho Mons aren’t that different when it comes to love.”

“Ahah? So you’re the same?”

“We are VERY complex!”

“And you thought humans are more simple?”

“Nooooooo… Of course not.” Memis looked before him again. “But still. I hope you can finally find a real human boyfriend….”

“Mhmh…” Toby sighed. “I gotta concentrate on making friends first. But thank you.”

They got out of the elevator on the rooftop. It was very high up, in fact, higher than most buildings around them, and you could see the entire town from up there. The sun was already setting, and everything was tinted in a warm orange hue.

“So, Memis.” Toby reached in his backpack and took out the Gem he got - a bright magenta stone in a gold-shimmering device. They received their respective Gems earlier this week and got to use it today. “Are you ready?”

“So ready!”

Toby hovered his fingers over the Gem, and it started to glow from Memis’ soul energy, and just a moment after Memis grew into his Pergrandis form.

“AWOOOOOO!!” He howled, and his blue fur glistened in the light of dusk.

“Whoaaa-” Toby was all smiles. “I- I still can’t believe this! You are so cool, Memis!!”

“Come on, jump on jump on!!”

“Okay--” Toby put the Gem back in his backpack, shouldered it and climbed almost effortlessly on Memis’ back.

“Hold on tight!”, Memis said and Toby did immediately, then he began to run and leapt off the building, landing on the next one, running and jumping off again.

“WOHOOOOO!!!!!” Toby held on tight on Memis’ neck, the wind flying through his hair and the incredible sensation of flying pumping through his entire body. It was an amazing, freeing feeling. “Memis, let’s go a few more rounds before we head home!!! This is amazing!!!!”

“Awoooo!!” Memis did a big leap onto a higher building. “O-KAY!” He took a run-up and jumped off again, doing so many more times, not thinking of going home any minute now.