♦ ... the clock just won't stop ... ♦

semi-selective independent adaman rp account || must be 20+ to interact || written by Niko

[fracturedmemoria]

♦ canon divergent, headcanon heavy ADAMAN from POKEMON LEGENDS ARCEUS ♦ 20+ ONLY due to possible dark themes. Please read the CARRD before interacting.

♦ a study in: surpassing expectations, brash decisions, guilt, belonging, longing for something more, pacing ones self, accepting yourself as you are, and always moving forward

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♦ other blogs: { volo | leon | piers | elesa }

// written and loved by niko ( 30+ | he/him | cst )//

♦ triggering content may be mentioned including, but not limited to, blood, violence, mentions of colonialism, religious trauma, health issues, mental health issues.

♦tag list below the cut

♦GEN. TAGS { my art | musings | music | headcanons } { gen ic | asks | ask memes | ooc posts } { dash games | dash commentary }

♦VERSES { main verse (modern) | pre-PLA | post and during hisui }

[downtrainmorelikegonetrain]

@fracturedmemoria || diamond clan deserves a funny amnesiac train guy too :)

"Am I okay?" He parroted back towards the concerned stranger that had seemingly stumbled upon him as he lay dazed in the mud, staring perhaps a bit too closely to the sun above. He squinted as he thought about the question. It didn't sound right to him. He peeled himself up and out of the mud, but remained sitting on the ground. His head hurt and his body felt unnaturally heavy- but perhaps that was due to the mud that had begun to dry on his clothes.

"...no." He decided after remaining silent for a good while. He started to shake his head to further make his point, but stopped suddenly when he remembered that it hurt. He returned to his silence for a bit longer as he focused on searching for something, eventually pulling a hat that matched his coat out of the muck. He stuck out his tongue in disgust as he set it in his lap. His head felt weird without it on, but there was no way he was going to voluntarily dump more mud over himself. He hated the way it felt.

He finally turned his head back upwards to see the person speaking to him. He didn't recognize him. He frowned. He furrowed his brow at how unnatural the expression felt on his face. He let his lips return to being flat.

"I am Emmet. I am fine." He didn't sound too convinced. "Though I am prrrretty sure I am lost. Which isn't like me. I am usually very good at staying on track. I think." Directionally? Yes. Mentally? No- especially not right now.

[fracturedmemoria]

Well...

This certainly was a predicament Seki had found himself in. Normally, he would already be home after his seasonal check on Tsubaki and his Noble, but he had gotten fully sidetracked by - quite literally - tripping over someone who definitely hadn't been there when he left the day before. He was now though, and Seki genuinely had no idea where he could have come from.

He'd jokingly asked himself if the guy had fallen from the sky, but...

All things considered, what with the odd weather that had been happening, he wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

At least he seemed...

Okay? Ish. He wasn't sure about it, and it didn't seem like the stranger was either.

"Er... lost? I think you might be a bit more than lost. Did you hit your head or something?" Seki winced. He was usually more polite that than that when he first met someone, but this was a weird situation. Politeness really wasn't at the forefront of his mind. "Sorry. Um... does anything else hurt?"

Seki knelt in front of the man - Emmet, he had said - and reached out. He hesitated.

"I'm just going to make sure nothing's broken. I don't want you moving too much just yet." His hands were gentle, careful, as he, without waiting for a response, checked Emmet over. He tried not to linger too long at one spot, wanting to get the uncomfortable exam over as quickly, but thoroughly, as possible. As he worked, he added, "I'm Seki, by the way. You're lucky I found you before some wild Pokemon got to you... does any of this hurt at all?"

[newdestination]

Nobori lists beneath the weight of Glion for a single tenuous moment as the campfire gutters to life, chin tucked over the affectionate curl of hard carapace about his neck. "Sorry! Sorry— he can be a bit enthusiastic." Luminous yellow eyes flit between the other pokémon at the sudden upset sweeping across the clearing, the pleased ck-ckck-chk-ck rattling out into a low, taunt silence.

Murmured words catch along the curve of Nobori's ear as he juggles items between Glion's heft and the messy ground, a touch too indistinct past the twisting sound of the wind. He sends a glance askance, uncertainty caught.

"...Pardon me?"

Fascinating.

Ah.

That's never good.

Something strange curdles in the pit of his chest at the word, caught somewhere low in his throat. This wasn't his best idea, he belatedly recognizes.

Nobori is no stranger to hiding through his pokémon in the span of his relatively short memory, and for the time being Glion makes for quite the pleasant distraction. Idle fingers find their way beneath its jaw, clay pot tucked neatly beneath his arm. "...Come now— go find Goriky for me. Dinner is soon." The words are spoken kindly, but broker little negotiation in their solidity. It's a wholly unnecessary arrangement— he knows that Goriky keeps to a fine-tuned schedule, but it suddenly seems like a poor choice to leave him be at camp alone. Nobori would have to be daft to not notice the upset that swept through at Glion's entrance— just a bit too much energy, and no great chances to burn it off. A little running about would do it well. Guard work can be quite dull.

The pokémon in mention catches the mountain breeze with an enviable ease at the click of Nobori's tongue, its dark wingspan casting a long shadow across his form for only a scant few moments as it coasts higher into the air. He spends just a scant moment watching Glion disappear over the treetops, thumbs tracing the lip of the pot held to his chest.

Nobori offers Seki a tight approximation of a smile, the corners of his mouth wrought tense like the bars of an iron gate. It's... more akin to a grimace than anything in all honesty, the edges fraying beneath the pressure. His face seems to reject the very notion of a smile— Nobori himself certainly doesn't seem to be much aware of it, or it's doubtful he'd be making that expression in the first place. It's positively dreadful. "I—suppose. I'll be off just a moment, if you don't mind." His feet ache with the fresh memory of the day's labor, but he pays it little mind in light of the task ahead— Nobori is quite sure that there's a small spring nearby...

"Jibacoil, with me." With Glion off of his back it's far easier to relocate the contents of the pot elsewhere, neatly shaken clean and ready for proper use.

[fracturedmemoria]

The second that Nobori was out of sight, Seki loosened his grip on the debris in his arms and felt the air leave his lungs slow, the steady leak of air from a balloon. He wasn't sure how to feel about that entire interaction other than like he had messed up, said something unkind or wrong. And maybe he had.

He must have.

Ingo's expression had been ghastly, but there had been no malice in his voice. He was far too polite apparently to say outright if Seki had crossed some line.

He had been doing that the entire time it felt like in hindsight.

Seki sucked the air back into his lungs just as slowly as he'd exhaled, blinked once and turned to step back over to the center of the smooth, freshly cleaned stone near his pack. He dropped the branches and dried grass, dusted himself off, and squatted next to the pile, striking a fire with practiced ease despite the way his fingers, numb and tingling with pain, gripped the flint clumsily.

Leafia moved to his side, looking up at him with large, curious brown eyes, and Seki dropped back onto his butt with a sigh. As he did so, he gently ruffled Leafia's fur.

"I'm fine. I can do this much." As he spoke, he ran a hand through his hair, pulling the hair tie out.

A beat of silence, interrupted only by the crackling of the newly built fire.

"I'm not very good at this, am I?" He asked his Pokemon, not expecting more than the tilted heads and curious looks he got from them as they curled up around him. "I keep saying the wrong things, doing the wrong things, just when I think I'm getting somewhere with someone. Maybe I'm just tired, or stressed. Everything in between."

He grimaced.

"Ugh... what am I doing..." He pulled a leg closer, chucking his hair tie harder than intended into his bag.

My father wouldn't have fumbled things so poorly. My sister wouldn't have either. Can I really do this? Get the Clans to cooperate and work together? I can't even stay on the good side of one person. He could almost hear the Clan elders mocking him.

He could see his failure so clearly, the meeting going nowhere and the elders bearing down on him like cackling hags, reminding him that he was incapable, lacking in experience, too soft. That all he'd done was made them look weak to Pearl Clan.

Leafia whined a little, and he and his sisters shifted closer to him, hoping their bodies against him would soothe some of the frustration that poured off of him.

Seki glanced down at them, smiling faintly, though he wasn't sure he meant it.

"... I'll apologize when he returns. Try and soothe things over as much as I can. And tomorrow, I'll work even harder." Even if he was exhausted and pushed himself too hard, he had to. He wouldn't let himself be seen as a burden, and he would do his best to make this work.

[newdestination]

"I see. My younger si— or, ah… lea… the.. hm." He stumbles quite badly in the middle of his thought, coming to a full stop in the middle of rooting through everything he had brought along. It's difficult enough trying to refer to Kai in the midst of the clan— guessing how to talk about her to someone beyond it suddenly seems so much worse. Seki himself didn't seem as though he'd have too many issues to the point either way, but saying the wrong thing wears slightly at the edges of his nerves.

"…There's this young miss I attend to," Nobori finally settles on. Neutral and vague enough, disregarding the topic itself. "She's recently evolved a Glacia of her own. They make quite wonderful and loyal companions, if one can reach beyond their skittish nature. They hatched an egg, I believe." Seki's comment regarding his sister certainly piques Nobori's attention beyond the meandering lines of his own words. The method of acquisition was some sort of tradition around Kai's status as the head's daughter and sole child, though he couldn't say he's privy to the details.

"Though, I don't suppose I'd be inclined towards Glacia myself. I was quite surprised, really— a Showers would have done quite well in the Tundra, what with the matchup with type commonalities, and…" Nobori runs his mouth as he picks out a fair heft of wrapped meat nestled in a small pocket of eternal ice. Not great for long-term storage solutions, but just fine considering; it's only been a day or so, after all. He really ought to set up the tent, too…

"Ah, pardon me. I suppose all of that is to say that I'm quite glad to see it!" He really, truly is, above all else. Nobori supposes it'd only make sense to have sent a clan member with a team of their own in the interest of self-defense, but… it just settles him in a way he's not entirely sure how to describe. "Your sister found them, you said?" He prompts in turn, a curious eye cast towards his temporary companion's side. "I'd suppose you're welcome to start the campfire— though, I would listen to your partners if they've an opinion on that, Seki." He'd certainly seen the way they nipped and chased the other man by the feet to herd him into resting. Perhaps they're just an overcautious lot, but— well, it'd been quite a full day, and he still seems… a touch red in the face.

…No reason to be wary. Nobori evenly returns Seki's gaze as their words settle in the air, a low hum in the back of his throat. He ought to be sending for Goriky, anyways. "Very well then… one moment, if you will!"

Nobori trills out a short whistle through his teeth, already shifting to brace himself against the side of a nearby pillar. It only takes a moment for his ears to catch the edge of that telltale rush of wind along the edges of the sky, a dark snap of teeth and leather.

The cold stone digs into the meat of his hand as he tries to stay upright underneath the impact, an overexcited pair of claws slung about his neck. Glion always gets awfully overexcited after spending an entire day out of petting range of Nobori— he's long since learned to anticipate the pokémon's antics. His companion is intelligent enough to understand when it isn't time to be playing, after all— He is hardly going to begrudge the little thing for a bit of fun.

…or, the big thing, perhaps. Glion has long since grown out of fitting in the inner pockets of his coat, begging for scraps of berries and treats. Hot breath gusts over the back of his neck in stark contrast, a chittering squall ringing in the cup of his ear. There's an affectionate tail curling around his ankle, needle-tip stinger bumping against the fabric of his shoes. Nobori offers the pokémon a few sparing pats around the beginnings of dinner in his hands, the pot he intends to actually use still full of other supplies by his feet.

"Yes, yes, I know—"

[fracturedmemoria]

Nobori was... weird.

He said a lot of things that Seki couldn't really wrap his head around - especially when it came to Pokemon. He really wasn't sure what to make of that if he was being honest with himself.

Seki made a noise of uncertainty, muttering under his breath a confused, "Type...commonalities...? What's that mean? Wouldn't a Showers be worse up there where it's cold?" All that went right over Seki's head. He understood the basics of Pokemon - some were stronger than others against others, but... wouldn't water be worse in the tundra?

What a strange guy.

But he seemed pretty knowledgeable... or maybe he was just talking out of his ass. Seki really wasn't sure which it was considering how earnestly Nobori spoke. He didn't just want to blindly listen to him after all, no matter how much Seki enjoyed his company and conversation. That was just commonsense.

Oh well... it isn't like anything Tsubaki says makes sense. I can just nod and pretend I understand like I do with him.

"My Pokemon have plenty of opinions about what I can do... but I'm not going to just sit here on my hands and let you do all the work." Seki huffed as he pushed himself to his feet, his Pokemon not chasing after him. He could handle making a campfire, they had plenty of debris and branches from their cleanup to raid for it, and it helped lessen their load when it came to dispose of it.

He was in the middle of striking the flint and steel, sparks flying and dry leaves and thin shavings of wood catching and curling as glowing crimson kissed the edges when there was a rush of wind and something large landed on Nobori. For a moment, his heart stopped.

Seki's Pokemon, once relaxing and nearly dozing off despite Seki's moving of them, bolted upright and Seki fumbled the flint and steel. "Nobori--" He stood, his Pokemon crowding around him with their ears pinned back and the fur on their backs bristled in an attempt to make themselves look bigger than they were.

The Glion was big and dangerous -- at least, that was the initial assessment until they all realized how affectionate it seemed to be. Nobori wasn't frightened, but fond, and Seki's arms fell limply to his sides, shoulders sagging. His Pokemon, seeing his distress change to confusion, eased up their own tension as well, watching Glion warily.

"Wha--" Seki rubbed a palm to his eyes, squinting. "That's your companion?" He asked, disbelief tinting his words. "Nobori, you are..." He floundered for the words, uncertain of how to best describe the man.

Terrifying? Amazing?

How did one describe someone who could so easily tame something like a Glion? He had so many strong Pokemon, and he was starting to wonder only now what kind of draw he had that these Pokemon could trust and listen to him so easily?

"Fascinating." He finally found the word. He stayed where he was, the fire slowly crackling to life as a breeze blew life into the small embers that had caught in the pile of leaf litter that acted as kindling for their campfire. He eyed the Glion warily, a hand curling at his throat in a nervous gesture. "You're something else." The words are accompanied by a light laugh, though he isn't even sure if it's a nervous laugh or a delighted one.

[newdestination]

The day's work has certainly been exhausting, but Nobori feels rewarded in equal measure through the exertion. He hadn't entirely enjoyed the harder edges of labor in the early course of his arrival, but he's certainly since found his own place in the matter. It… settles his spirit somewhat to feel as though there's some term of undeniable proof of effort made, a small change put towards the environment around him. Nobori leans against one of the pillars he'd cleaned off early that morning to try and shake some of the sensation back into his feet as he listens, pins and needles prickling up the sides of his calves.

"Of course," comes his easy response, gaze finally lifting to meet Seki beneath the black cast of his hat. They're looking awfully flush, come to think of it. The other man wasn't overworking himself, was he? Or has it been too warm out? Perhaps he ought to be keeping a closer eye on his passengers instead of getting lost inside his own head. The meditative rhythm of physical work is perhaps a bit too easy to let his mind sink into— he might be relying a bit too much on his own absent spirit to pull through the day.

They've made more than enough headway to warrant a late start tomorrow morning, anyways. Perhaps he could pay a visit down to the fairy spring proper now that the concern of accidentally encouraging new growth overtop the old stone is set aside, see if he couldn't wrangle up a bit of help.

Nobori bemusedly watches Seki practically be herded like a Stantler back to where their supplies lay, muffled complaints barely audible beneath the low wind. It takes him a moment to catch back up to the conversation beyond the sight, mind momentarily skipping.

"Ah— I wouldn't particularly want to make the trip myself. The mountainside can be quite treacherous come nightfall." Not that he hasn't, or that it's any less dangerous in the broad of day— Nobori's certainly had his fair share of bad trips down the rocky cliffside, and he's been lucky enough to have the assistance of Ohnyula to keep any slip-ups from being too disastrous. Though it doesn't particularly help his case that she's taken on attempting to teach him how to crawl up sheer walls for some inexplicable reason— he'd argue that this habit was the main cause behind most of his 'falling issues', as much as she seems to disagree.

( And speaking of which… perhaps he ought to start putting her treats together too while he starts dinner. Well— offerings. Two words for the same thing, as far as he's concerned. He's bound to be seeing her sooner or later, the longer the day draws by. )

"…Your pokémon are quite good friends of yours, aren't they? I'd suppose you're down for the count, then." Nobori speaks with no small degree of good humor irrespective of the grim cast drawn through the edges of his face. He's certainly been on the other side of that particular maneuver before, as much as it draws a measure of concern from the forefront of his thoughts. One's pokémon are always some of the most attuned to the needs of their trainer, after all. Perhaps it's just been a long day, but whatever is going on with Seki is evidently something the trio has also picked up on. "Do you and your companions have any particular preferences in the way of food?" It's really the least he could do.

Goriky had departed from their station some time ago for that matter, but he's certain she'll be making a return trip soon. She's always been as much of a thing of routine as himself, after all, and he's quite familiar with how picky she could be when it came to a choice in berries.

"And… would you be opposed if one of my other partners joined us? I understand he can be a bit intimidating at times, but he certainly has never meant any harm!" Glion as a species doesn't have the… best reputation to put it lightly, but Seki does have three pokémon of his own— nobody else Nobori has met has come quite this close to what feels like proper team, so surely it should be fine…?

[fracturedmemoria]

"Not that I want to be down for the count..." Seki muttered under his breath, laying a hand gently on Bracky's head as she nuzzled up against his stomach. His palms and fingers ached, fingers throbbing as if he'd stuck them on hot coals and he really couldn't argue the fact as much as he hated it and it made his chest tighten with frustration.

He didn't want to look at Nobori, not wanting to see the other's expression or try to puzzle out how he was feeling.

All Seki could gather from tone alone was that... he wasn't being judged. He wasn't used to that feeling.

He pet his Pokemon lightly, finally looking up over at Nobori.

The other spoke lightly, tone optimistic despite the almost permanent frown that sat on his face and Seki wondered quietly just what he was thinking. Was he just quiet about his judgement, quietly planning how to take the burden off of him, or did he truly not see issue with his weakness? He didn't know how to feel himself; everyone either saw him as a burden or someone to be coddled as if he were a child, incapable of doing things. He hated both of those views, but he'd never really experienced neither.

He probably shouldn't think too hard about it. There was still time for that to change.

He looked up at Nobori finally, expression thoughtful and only mildly skeptical. As if waiting for a shoe to drop, a coddling remark, a scolding for pushing himself.

"Yeah... they've been with me since I was a kid. My older sister found them and we ended up attached to each other. They know me better than I know myself it feels like." He chuckled, not wanting to admit that they had also been taking care of him for years. Though it felt a bit disrespectful to their efforts to not verbalize them no matter how embarrassed he was to say it.

Later though.

Over dinner, they would have time to talk about more things, and Seki was so curious about Nobori. It would only be fair to talk about himself as well if Nobori wished to.

"No food preferences though... and I don't mind if your companion joins us. You have some pretty strong Pokemon at your side," Seki said with a faint smile. "so I have no reason to be wary of any other Pokemon you consider a companion." He was probably being a bit too trusting, and he could already hear Yone scolding him for putting too much faith in strangers, especially someone from a rival clan.

But both clans had been relatively peaceful since Seki took over, and they were actively trying to make a truce.

If this truce was even going to work, he had to be willing to take the first step.

Shifting and pulling his legs free from his Pokemon, he took a breath, then stood. "I can get a campfire going if you'd like." Seki offered, though really, he just didn't want to sit there and do nothing while Nobori wrangled up dinner.

[newdestination]

"I couldn't say much, myself. You'd think it'd be in a more appropriate color, if that were the case." Nobori drags a thumb across the weathered thread, quietly assessing. "It's a bit of a ceremonial shade for regular wear." And that's clearly what the coat had been designed for to begin with, it's difficult to mistake the sturdy construction for anything else. The clothes they'd worked him into for his actual formal 'introduction' to Ohnyula as a prospective warden had been a similar cast of black with the addition of pearlescent tones, but it lacked the sort of finish meant for heavy use. He lets the tail of his coat drop, attention canting back towards Seki.

Nobori can't help the strike of amusement that bubbles up in his chest at the man's sudden twist of pride over the proclaimed expertise of his clan, hands folded neatly over the handle of his hoe. His temporary companion reminds him terribly of young miss Kai in the moment, puffing out his chest over the accomplishments of his clan like that.

"Of course— I see… well then, I suppose I'm in your care for this particular matter."

Perhaps not a thought he'd ought to share, though. He might not have a handle on Seki yet, but Kai is quite the spirited girl.

"The Pearl clan works more often with leather than woven textiles ourselves." Though that's not to say that they never made use of weaving either. He's assisted with various things quite early on into his stay with the clan, from the very noragi on his back to baskets and mats to cover the bottom of the tent. It's quite clear to him now that they simply didn't trust him with a knife after the first few times he'd slipped and cut himself on the edge, but that hardly erases the passing familiarity he's gained with the art.

The request Seki follows that particular statement up with on the other hand…

"If that is what you wish, Seki— I apologize if I've been implying something untoward. I hardly think of us as anything but equals here!" Maybe that's not quite an accurate statement given his position as a Warden, but Nobori would hate to have been giving a poor impression so close before the meeting… though he's certainly more comfortable with polite formalities himself— it's just easier, what's expected from both his stature as a newfound Warden and as a member of the Pearl clan. Space is valued by all measures, in both the physical and social sense; maintaining that polite distance is only what's expected of him. Nobori supposes it must be different with the Diamond clan in that regard.

In other matters, the work proves to still be long and repetitive even with a companion to speed matters along. It's such a sizable area to cover, even with them only pushing the accumulated dirt far enough back to give the appearance of a neat and orderly clearing. Things should, with any luck, go significantly faster than it has been now that they've cleaned up the edges and plenty of the surrounding mess of the clearing... as much as the day had been eaten up by the work already.

Nobori abruptly comes to a halt in his current task like a piece of well-maintained clockwork, attention canting upwards towards the steadily sinking sun as it kisses along the horizon. He can feel that reflexive urge to go… somewhere in his bones begin to rise again as the hour curves down the skyline. It's always the strangest sensation, like he's got some place really, really important that he needs to be at around this point in the day.

…Suppose it's about six in the afternoon then, or thereabouts. They'd been working for about as long as he'd originally intended to, but his decision to only settle with a few berries he could eat while he worked for a midday lunch is really beginning to chew its way back into his appetite.

It completely skips his mind to actually explain himself to Seki, mind already twisting down the list of tasks for the day— what all could he make…?

"Oh, hm. You're welcome to join me for dinner, if you'd like. Are you staying close by?" It's quite a hike down the mountain, and— though he'd imagine the other man's trip back to his clan camp must be a much shorter space to cover compared to Nobori's own several days long hike— he can't imagine it'd be pleasant to go it in the dead of night.

[fracturedmemoria]

The work was hard, harder than Seki had ever really dealt with before. Or maybe, with age, his pain and fatigue had simply gotten worse. Every now and then, whenever Nobori wasn't looking, he had to pause for a second to pop his fingers and wrists back into place, wincing with every quiet pop and shift of bone back into their sockets.

It hurt. But he could power through it.

He cherished every short break they took, sharing berries with his Pokemon. Leafia stuck close to his side, making it harder to work than it was before, and irritation bubbled up. But he kept it down. He knew Leafia was just trying to help and was probably hoping he'd get so irritated that he'd stop, but Seki was too stubborn for that.

So he powered through the pain. Partially because Nobori was still working, and partially because they still had a lot of work ahead of them.

By the time they stopped for good, Seki was absolutely certain he was not going to make the trek back down to the Diamond Clan settlement.

He'd never make it.

Some part of him hoped that Nobori would leave first so he didn't have to see the way he wanted to collapse into a heap. But nope. Nobori was seemingly getting ready to camp there. Which made sense, given where he likely came from, but he was still... embarrassed? Frustrated?

"Ha..." Seki leaned heavily against the handle of the shovel, pushing the hair that had come loose from his ponytail during the day. "Honestly, I don't think I'm heading back down. I think I'm camping here until we're done." He admitted, face red from previous exertion and embarrassment.

Leafia, joined by Showers and Bracky, nudged hard at Seki's legs and the shovel, knocking the tool out of his hand and pushing him off towards his bag.

He complained quietly, giving the Pokemon a dirty look, but that was the extent of his efforts. "Hey-- I'm fine, quit making such a big deal out of-- ow, did you just bite me?" Showers nipped at his ankle, and Seki, finally, took the hint and sunk down to sit on the ground by his pack. His Pokemon immediately draped over him, keeping him from moving.

Seki, face a deep shade of red out of further embarrassment, rubbing his palm across his cheek. "Quit babying me, sheesh..." He grumbled, ruffling his Pokemon's fur lightly. "How am I supposed to cook us anything if you lot won't let me up?" How embarrassing... Nobori probably thought him weak or maybe even spoiled for not being as capable of that kind of manual labor. He couldn't even risk glancing at him for fear of seeing what kind of expression the other must be wearing.

Was he upset, irritated? Or, worse yet, pitying?

[prettythought]

kiss roulette

inspired by the infamous "i want the k" meme by deactivated tumblr user tastcful. send 🎲 to generate a kiss! potential suggestive/nsf.w themes may appear

A kiss on the cheek

A kiss on the nose

A kiss on the forehead

A kiss to the top of the head

A firm kiss

A gentle peck

A romantic kiss

A platonic kiss

A kiss to the eyelid

A kiss along the jawline

A kiss to the neck

A kiss along the collar bone

A kiss on the chest

A kiss to the stomach

A kiss along the hips

A kiss in the rain

An upside-down "Spider-Man" kiss

A kiss while laughing

A kiss underwater

A rough kiss

WILDCARD! Dealer's choice :)

A french kiss/kiss with tongue

A kiss influenced by alcohol/other substances

A sleepy kiss

A kiss that's an accident

A kiss while one or both parties are crying

A kiss in greeting

A kiss in parting

A kiss to the back of the hand

A kiss to the palm of the hand

A kiss to the inner thigh

A kiss while someone watches

A kiss to a scar, birthmark, injury, or other marking

A kiss after a bite

A kiss against a wall

A kiss to the shoulder

A kiss to the back of the neck

A kiss while one party is carried

A tentative kiss

An impulsive kiss

A kiss out of spite

A clumsy kiss

A bloody kiss

[newdestination]

"Of course," comes Nobori's simple reply, jika tabi boots scuffing over a section of cracked tile. The shovel isn't his, but this is the expressed reason as to why he'd been lent it in the first place. He’s hardly going to shy from sharing it with Seki.

"Thank you. That's... a kind sentiment." Nobori's scowl almost seems to flatten out for a scant breath, expression secreted away beneath the shadow of his cap. The conversation is hanging a bit heavier in the air than he'd like, but it's not a terrible thing just yet. "I'll certainly be fine. There's no practical use in dwelling on the might‐haves and the could-have-beens— these tracks no longer operate both ways, so there's no point in attempting to board. I've Lady Ohnyula and the clan here to care for now." It feels more like he's attempting to convince himself than Seki, but his words ring true no matter which angle one sees them from. It's the right thing to say, isn't it? That he's moved on.

"...In the end, I have lived quite a lucky life! I'm still breathing, aren't I? There's still a vast space ahead of me to look forward to, after all. That is simply my new truth." There's always going to be another day. 

Nobori is normally wholly content to drift back into the silent rhythm of his work, to bask in the sound of the world sighing in twittering song beneath his feet. The sparks of conversation coming and going aren't necessarily uncomfortable, but it's a factor that's become somewhat foreign these last few months up in the mountains. 

Everything in him wants to reflexively shoot down Seki's offer. Now that sets his teeth on edge, discomfort at the notion of parting with the last physical evidence of who he is even in the theoretical.

"That's... very kind of you to offer, sir," Nobori begins slowly, eyes pointedly focused on the growing line drawn in the dirt, cut down to the root and stone. "I'm afraid that the state of my coat has little to do with what beliefs I may hold, though."

"...And, ah... to be honest with you, we still haven't quite figured out what material it's made out of, nor has it been an easy time attempting to color match." There are many, many reasons behind the state of his clothes, but this one is both the most practical and reasonable. It's such a particular shade of black, and so even, too. The thumping of Nobori's hoe against the ground slows, falling out of tempo.

Two and a half years in the sun with no repairs or standard upkeep to speak of, and the shade still retains that dark luster, without a hint of any other external colors to speak of the dye that went into it. It's fading ever so slightly, certainly, but it's fading to a completely neutral shade of deep gray. 

...Perhaps he ought to not reject the man's offer out of hand, as much as part of him urges to shake the uncomfortable line of questioning.

"I suppose you're welcome to inspect it for yourself, if you think you might be able to identify it. It's woven, but it doesn't seem to be made of anything traditionally fibrous or even particularly porous. Water seems to just roll off the exterior." Nobori finally comes to a complete halt in his work, hunched over the tall handle of his hoe.

"...That, and— well. The inner construction..."

Nobori sweeps the tail of his coat into the crook of his arm as he speaks, fingers picking down to the rough edges with a certain, steady familiarity. There's a small section where the carefully made layers have properly frayed apart, neatly showing the three visually distinct tiers to the coat. Pin-straight stitchwork, orderly and neat between everything else.

"I'm afraid it's been something of a threefold problem to contend with.”

[fracturedmemoria]

Seki's own work came to a halt, as he leaned a bit closer to inspect the fabric without touching it. Nobori seemed pretty uncomfortable for the majority of the conversation - reasonably so considering how difficult a subject it was - and he didn't want to further increase his discomfort. Though as he inspected it and the frayed threads marking the edges of the tiers.

The thread was so thin and delicate looking, and the stitches he could make out were far too even and straight to be sewn by hand.

What the hell kind of method was used to achieve that kind of stitchery?

"Huuuh? Water running right off of it... I've never heard of water resistant fabric. Maybe it was treated with Combee wax?" He frowned in thought, squinting. "No, it doesn't have the same bend that it would if that were the case." He mused, mostly to himself. "And the threads are so even." It was a little creepy how neat they were.

What kind of magic had made that thing?

"Maybe it was a gift from Sinnoh... I've heard stories about articles of clothing and tools and the like being gifted to people. So maybe it's something like that?" Which was, in his opinion, even more reason to take better care of it. Though there would probably be a lot more care needed if that were the case. He looked up at Nobori, brown eyes full of curiosity.

No fear or discomfort though.

His curious frown fell away, and he grinned brightly.

"Well. No matter what," he cocked a thumb towards his chest, standing up a bit straighter. "the Diamond Clan are all master weavers and artisans, so if anyone can figure out what your coat is made of, and how to repair it properly, it's likely one of us. Perhaps one of the clan elders has seen something like that before. I'll ask when I get back home after we've finished this."

Seki looked down at the work they'd done, adding quietly, "And, uh. Please, don't call me sir or anything like that. I don't care much for formalities. We're both here, getting our hands dirty as equals." Maybe he just wanted to cling to that equality for a bit longer.

[newdestination]

Goriky treads cautiously about Seki's pokémon, as gently as it could. It doesn't take long for it to get distracted from its original task without only a wayward glance, stones abandoned in favor of the others. Nobori doesn't bother to redirect Goriky— everyone needs a break every once in a while, and she has been plenty dutiful already. His pokémon are well-enough trained to stay out of the way of the work in its distraction, if not actively keep the trio herded from tripping over either of the wielders.

"Hm?" Nobori breaks from his focus with a glance at the sound of his name, reaction just slightly delayed. He doesn't turn to look at Seki properly, but the shift in his body language speaks loudly enough.

"I'd suppose not, no." Tsubaki is prone to embellishments at the best of times— it was just the sort of man that he was.

"...Ah." He probably should have seen that line of questioning coming from a mile away.

From the right angles his overcoat completely obscures almost all traces of the pearlescent pink of his kimono, swathed in dark draping fabric. He knows he's somewhat shooting himself in the foot, continuing to wear the jacket long after he'd been given suitable alternatives to wear. It's a simple miracle that the construction and material of the fabric lent itself so well to sustaining damage without immediately unraveling at the seams. This is just quite possibly the first time in a while he's been so blatantly confronted with the fact, though.

"...My coat? Yes, I'd suppose it's rather foreign. I couldn't exactly tell you where it came from, though. Even I am not privy to the details." callused fingers tap against the strange hard brim of his cap under a sudden wash of nerves.

"...You're familiar with Ohnyu— Lady Ohnyula," Nobori states, words punctuated by the Chk‐shff, Chk‐shff of his hoe against the steadily growing perimeter. "You've her grace to thank." Or blame.

Nobori is decidedly uncomfortable with where those particular tracks lead, but it's going to be discussed eventually. If not at the meeting between clans questioning his loyalty, then through whatever intermingling that may follow. He'll have to tell people eventually, or else let someone else make up the details in his stead. He's heard enough Zoroark stories already.

On that note, perhaps he shouldn't wear his coat to the meeting. Nobori hadn't even considered not wearing them until this very moment, but...

"She pulled me out of a wet snowdrift somewhere down the Eichi river, or so I'm told. I'm afraid I don't have much more for you on that point— I don't particularly recall how I'd arrived to this station." Chk‐shff, Chk-shff, Chk-shff. Nobori's tone stays light and casual beneath the labor, chunks of grass and dirt ripped from the ground along the steady pace. There's still a shiny patch of silvered scar tissue along his temple, hidden neatly behind the curve of his hat; he supposes it's only a wonder he'd recovered so much, with such a heavy blow to the skull.

He's just missing everything actually important. Everything that made him who he was. 

Nobori can't help but wonder about it at times, what kind of person he could have been. Was he a cruel man? Kind? Did anyone care about him, wherever he had come from?

He tries not to think about it too often. 

"I believe they were under the impression that I was one of yours for a time, actually, but the Ginkgo Merchants guild didn't recognize me."

And on that note, Nobori finally actually takes notice of what exactly Seki had to work with, too absorbed in the routine process of his own task and the questions levied to have bothered. The steady thumping rhythm of Nobori's hoe abruptly falls silent, white eyes flickering from the tool in his hands to the little trowel in Seki's.

"Would you care to make use of the shovel I've brought, Seki? It's far easier for me to bring heavier equipment than for you to hike up here with it." Maybe he just likes the trowel, but it's awfully small-scale for such a large project. The one Nobori brought was built for the task of snow and ice, but it should certainly still be serviceable when it comes to dirt.

[fracturedmemoria]

The mystery deepened.

It seemed Tsubaki got... a portion of Nobori's explanation right. A very slim portion, namely that the Warden's Noble was to blame for his appearance. The rest of it... Seki really wasn't sure if Tsubaki had even asked or if he'd just made something up or heard one thing and it translated into another in his brain. Who knew with him? He hadn't always been such a pain to deal with, but Seki knew he was just overcompensating.

Likely thought that by acting like a total tool he would cause Seki less trouble.

That was the only reason Seki couldn't be irritated with him. Tsubaki was his closest friend, as annoying and headache-inducing as he could be, he meant well.

He listened attentively, staying quiet as they worked and Nobori spoke. Only when the shovel was offered did he even take an audible breath.

Seki eyed the trowel in his hands, shifting to sit back on his heels. As much as he wanted to reject the offer out of pride, it was faster to use a larger piece of equipment. And the quicker everything got done, the more time they both had to rest and recover from their work. "Ha... yeah, I thought about bringing something bigger," No he hadn't. "but it was kind of impractical to drag all the way up here... so yeah. I'll take you up on that offer."

He pushed himself to his feet and swiftly exchanged the trowel for the shovel, taking that brief moment to mull over how to respond to Nobori's explanation. Returning to his side and back to the task at hand, Seki hummed a bit.

"I'm sorry, by the way. It must be difficult not having any real memory of what happened prior to Lady Ohnyula finding you." He said, voice full of sympathy. He didn't look at him, eyes focused squarely on the ground. "I'm glad the you've found a place that is accepting of you though."

He didn't really know how well Pearl Clan accepted the Warden. Sure, there was likely some hesitation, but surely not that much given the fact that their Noble chose him specifically.

The shovel was a lot easier.

"... But, if you ever need your coat repaired, or at least hemmed so it doesn't fray further, you can bring it to Tsubaki to send my way. Or, should the negotiations go well, then you can just bring it directly to me." He offered, unearthing yet another slab of stone. That one was broken in the middle, but could be pushed together and repaired easily enough. "You don't have to, obviously. I'm not sure what Pearl Clan's beliefs are regarding objects and clothing and sentimentality, but, I would feel terrible if I didn't at least offer."

[jade-do-stuff-deactivated202410]

picrew chain!!!

Do your irl self and your favorite color in the background! Using this picrew

And don't forget to tag some folks!

@the-worm-machine @tarnacop-machine @pagenysaxiphoner @sweet-mango-child @n3komachine @bobanchikn

[mell0bee]

thx for the tag soup!!!

n i’m tagging: @kikithefox231 @candiedjellybean @halflingkima @professionalowl

[candiedjellybean]

Thanks for the tag!

@xionandpluto14 @heroic-endeavors @cryptic-corvidae @poke-the-it and anyone else who wants to :]

[heroic-endeavors]

[I almost forgot to post this.]

@guidemetothedark @historias-multorum @x-whiskeylullaby-x

[Is anyone wants to do this; Do it.]

[penandswords]

No pressure Tag!: @winguhiro @darkenedpunk061 @frogsonalotusleaf and anyone else who wants to grab it.

[darkenedpunk061]

Tagging: @travelers-of-the-multiverse, @throughscarleteyes and whomever else would like to do it :)

[fracturedmemoria]

imagine this but fat lol tagging: whoever wants to do this! :3

[newdestination]

Nobori can't help but brighten at Leafia's reciprocation, rough hands gently scratching down the pokémon's cheeks in small circles. He'd be tempted to stay down here with the man's Leafeon— Leafia all day if he didn't have real work to do. He'd anticipated a cautious sniff, perhaps, but it's rare for a pokémon to be quite so well-socialized in the Pearl clan. 

"There are nine of us here," Nobori corrects without particularly thinking, finally dropping his hand from petting Leafia. "Goriky is mine, as well as Jibacoil." Perhaps it would be best if Glion continued to stay out of sight, though. His clan as a collective whole had an absolute fit when he'd first insisted on keeping a little baby Gliger that had taken a wrong turn into the frozen wastes, and Glion is no longer little or a baby. They've not got all that pleasant a reputation. He can only assume it is the same with Seki's clan, thinking back to Tsubaki's first impression of the pokémon.

Not all of the tools here are actually his— very few of them are, in all actuality. Many he would simply never have a real need for otherwise, but Garana was hardly leaving him up the creek. The garden hoe in the pile is more than enough for his needs for now— he needs to actually establish the edgeline before he goes digging it out.

"Certainly is. But I am a strong believer that the environment you are in impacts the way you feel! Perfection is not a good goal to strive for, but I'd like to do a thorough job. I'm certain this used to be quite the awe-inspiring area."

Nobori rests a hand on the only pokéball secreted away underneath his coat that's not yet empty. It's warm to the touch, but only gives a weak rattle under his attention.

...Hm. Still doesn't want to come out, then. Nobori supposes everyone has their off days, no matter how useful she would have been for upturning the earth for easier removal with her vines. 

Goriky seems pleased to have company as it ferries heavy looking blocks of broken stone— Nobori's other pokémon are primarily on lookout duty on account of not being great with this sort of thing. He could hardly ask Glion to use a move on such old masonry! He wouldn't even dare chance a sand attack on these grounds, as harmless as it is a move he's sure he could train Glion down into. It's clearly seen too much of the local wildlife as things stand. He can see the impact point of a particularly nasty Headbutt, the deep cracking fissures of an Air Slash. He'll have to figure out what to do about that at a later time— Nobori is certainly no stone mason, and the prospect of trying to fix it is a touch boggling to even consider. Maybe one of the clans would have someone more experienced in that particular field.

...It feels a bit strange, having the opportunity to account for the other clan in any terms beyond what the next complaint about them would be. He can't help but wonder if his own people would have wanted him to be a little less... agreeable? Even in the face of a meeting between the groups, plenty seemed completely unwilling to drop their feelings on the Diamond clan.

"...I wonder..." Seki's own uncertainty seems to be almost completely lost on the man, as preoccupied as he is. Nobori mentally circles back to his own point regarding good environments— would he have the time to convince a Roselia to link their car to his for the trip up here? As long as he keeps the new growth away from the...

"...No— first things first! One step at a time, and we will surely arrive to a destination named Victory!"

It's a simple enough process. He opts to start by the closest pillar to them both, momentum ripping back through the shallow-growing plants and the soil they're clinging to. Sure enough, there's a completely intact layer of gorgeous masonry underneath, not yet torn apart by the roots of encroaching plants. Nobori only stops the straight line he's been making when he's pulled the new perimeter line away from the pillar, a small clean break in the dirt and grass to show for the distance. 

The stone clearly extends quite far— he can see another matching pillar off ahead completely surrounded by lush grass, but— no. Not happening anytime soon. 

[fracturedmemoria]

Nine... even with both of his Pokemon, I only see seven. I wonder if he has more off elsewhere. Perhaps keeping watch to ward off wild Pokemon. Practical.

The thought of "Pokeballs" was still a foreign concept to him, one that never even entered his mind in the moment. The thought of Pokemon being housed inside of small, compact balls just didn't sit right with him, and he and the rest of his clan had been utterly mortified when Denboku and his ilk expressed their surprise that none of them used them.

Leafia, Showers, and Bracky were eager to help as much as they could, grabbing weeds and branches and smaller debris in their mouths and running at the sides of Nobori's Goriky with excited yips and cheers. They weren't terribly helpful at times though, sometimes instead choosing to investigate interesting smells or barreling over each other like pups and letting out little noises that could be laughter at each other's tumbles.

Seki didn't scold them though; it was their choice to help or not. He was the one that gave them that option, and they were helping when they weren't playing.

Meanwhile, he set to work unearthing tiles near Nobori, watching the Warden from the corner of his eye as he worked. Nobori had a handier tool for the job, and while Seki hadn't chosen incorrectly (a trowel), he certainly hadn't chosen a practical one. The detail work was better, but it was taking a frustratingly long time, and he quickly realized just how much pain he was going to be in later.

He could practically feel Yone's "I told you so" and disappointed stare.

That probably should have been enough to make him realize he was over his head.

But nope.

It only made him dig his heels in more stubbornly. He would never admit that he had made a mistake, and even if it killed him, he would never give anyone a reason to think him incapable.

He brushed earth away from the stone he'd uncovered, then moved on to the next, settling on his knees and a hand as he worked. He winced at the sound of metal scraping stone, the sound making his teeth clench and ears itch.Seemed that patch of earth was a bit thinner than the last, but carried on with only a moment of hesitation.

"So, Nobori," He said, breaking the silence between them. "I've only heard a bit about you from Tsubaki, and we've already come to the conclusion he's not exactly a reliable narrator." He looked up at him, brown eyes curious, though quickly looked back down at what he was working on. "How did you come to join the Pearl Clan? And where did you come from? Your coat... it's a little... different than what I've seen before."

He eyed the tatters and rips, telltale signs of claws and wear, and he could almost feel the irritation beginning to well up in his chest.

Did no one think to repair that? How was it expected to last if it was just left in that state? No one had even bothered to trim or hem the edges to keep it from fraying... typical. How agonizingly typical of Pearl Clan. Knowing them, they probably found some value in the "space" between the edges or something like that.

[fracturedmemoria]

"Happy pride everyone! It's time to dig the pins out of my bag and replace the camera strap with the rainbow one, haha."

[newdestination]

Nobori can't help but startle at the burst of laughter from the man. He'd anticipate a friendly acknowledgement, maybe some irritation at the potential day-long delay of whatever it was he'd needed from Nobori's fellow warden. The rambunctious peals of amusement weren't particularly high on the list.

"...Am I not..? Well." What on Sinnoh's good green earth was Tsubaki telling people about him to get that sort of reaction? Is there something he ought to be worried about, here? 

Seki's explanation really could not have come sooner— it, blissfully, is actually quite the wonderful news, and an even better distraction. He's never going to get an answer out of Tsubaki on what exactly he's been telling people, and Nobori is hardly brash enough to go grilling strangers for a hock of nonsense himself. It's... probably nothing new anyways. He may not be the most aware man in the world in this sort of sense, but he's hardly so dull as to not recognize what people are saying about him—

...Now that he remembers how to speak, at least. Perhaps that fact alone proves the elderly members of the camp right in talking about him mere feet away as though he were completely deaf. It's still hard to keep up sometimes, when people talk a touch too fast or weirdly.

"I... see! It's wonderful to make your acquaintance, Seki. My name is Nobori— you are welcome to refer to me as you wish." He's certainly aware that the other wardens expect a certain level of respect in association with the title. Perhaps he should too, but he still just can't quite associate himself with being a warden. He looks after Ohnyula, certainly! It is a joy to tend to her needs, just as much as it is a joy to care for any one of his companions. But she does much the same for him in a way that just doesn't seem... acceptable..? Not in accordance with what he's seen from the other wardens of the clan, at least.

It may all very well simply boil back down into a matter of respect. He... doesn't seem to be all that adept at the concept, and Ohnyula doesn't appear to be in all that much of a rush to establish the rules that he is clearly lacking in his knowledge of. It doesn't help that she feels the need to try and groom him like a kit every time she parts from his side for too long— he swears his charge is going to lick all of the hair right off his forehead if she keeps it up. It doesn't help that her recent litter of kits are beginning to pick up the exact same habit of hers, learning largely by their mother's example.

"—And it is quite the pleasure to meet your companions as well!" Nobori crouches down to extend a hand in offering to the nearest one— a fairly average sized leafia— palm facing the ground for her to investigate as Seki approaches. It's meant to be a friendly overture if he's reading her body language correctly, but there's plenty of space for the pokémon to simply swerve away from him if it wills. There's rarely a good reason to crowd an unknown pokémon, no matter how well-trained or kept they appear to be. He can feel the alert eyes of his own companions weighing heavily on his back with the motion, the crooning call of Glion somewhere up above.

"I'm quite glad to have you four join me on these tracks— there's still quite a good deal I should be getting to, and I'm afraid I don't have much space left in the day to do it. This was something of a... surprise, you see." His voice drops a few levels as he talks, still somewhat mulling over the facts of the situation himself. He's not sure how long Garana knew of this, but he really can't imagine much of anything had been decided on like that a scant few days from the important date. The timing is a bit tight as is.

"You're welcome to help yourself to the tools I've brought along if need be. I intend on unearthing more of the flooring first," Nobori pulls back to point out the sections of overgrown land as he speaks, "—I suspect the stone goes much further underneath all of the dirt that's been deposited and packed down as the space moved. I cannot remove all of it before the meeting, but we can certainly neaten the corners somewhat!" He taps his fingers to his chin, mulling over the work ahead.

...It's still going to be quite a lot, but a burden shared is a burden halved!

[fracturedmemoria]

Hm.

That was certainly a lot of tedious work. He was enthusiastic before, but now that he was really looking at it, he could feel that enthusiasm beginning to wilt like his rather pitiable attempt at a garden last year. He tried his best to keep it off his face, covering it up with a hand over his mouth and a series of nods and "hm"s as if he were mulling over where to begin.

Which he kind of was.

The whole thing was just a bit overwhelming.

Flooring overgrown, dirt and overgrowth from the tops and sides of the pillars piled up at the bases from where Nobori had been cleaning, the odd bit of branch from weather or Pokemon damage. It was quite a lot, and honestly, Seki was wondering if maybe he had bitten off more than he could chew. He didn't really know where to start, so he was glad that Nobori at least seemed to have a plan.

"Yeah, there sure is a lot to do." He mused, dragging his palm from his mouth to instead. As he spoke, his Pokemon slunk closer, leafia edging closer to Nobori's offered hand and sniffing at the offered fingers. "I guess we all underestimated the amount of work that needed to be done. But, I think the five of us can handle it easy enough, and it doesn't need to be perfect. Both clans should only be here for a day or two, depending on how long negotiations go on for."

Seki rubbed his chin a bit, murmuring bitterly under his breath, "I wish we could have agreed to this meeting sooner... we could have had more time to clean this whole thing up..." As much as he wanted to place the entire blame for their short timeframe on Pearl, he really couldn't. His own clan's elders were equally to blame for the crunch.

Should have made them come out and do this-- no, respect your elders, Seki. They've lived a lot longer than I have, I shouldn't be spiteful towards them.

Focus.

What could they tackle first?

He should start with the obvious, easier to manage problem. The debris from the pillars and arches were the most obvious. That was a good place to start.

The leafia nudged his head under Nobori's hand, closing his eyes and huffing a bit; he, unlike his sisters, was a bit more sociable it seemed. With Leafia busy forcing Nobori to pet him, Seki turned to his other two companions.

"Bracky, Showers." The two Pokemon paused their approach, ears twitching upright. "If you both don't mind, could you handle some of the cleanup around the bases of the pillars? Just try and gather it up into a pile off the stones." They made noises of confirmation, darting off to do as asked without further prompting. With that task delegated, he promptly strode to his bag, digging out a few tools that he himself had brought.

While he didn't have quite the collection that Nobori had, he had some at least.

Did he know how to use them? Not really. But how hard could it be? They were just trimming up some grass and dirt, and weeding the area essentially.

"Leafia, when you'd done there, could you give your sisters a hand while Nobori and I tackle the flooring?" He squinted at the tool in his hand not quite sure if that was the best one for the job. Well, even if it wasn't the right tool for the job, it would probably work well enough.

Hopefully.

Seki was definitely starting to realize that cleaning to that extent was a bit out of his wheelhouse. But, he was there, and he wasn't about to back down even if he was sorely unprepared for the amount of cleaning that needed to be done. Hopefully he could fake knowing what he was doing well enough that he didn't come across as incompetent.

[newdestination]

The song in his chest abruptly cracks off at the sound of something shifting in the grass, head whipping to look for the source moments before an unfamiliar voice breaks the air. 

Ah. It's just a man. There's a casual smile pinned across the stranger's face, warm and friendly. Nobori had honestly not expected to see anyone today, on account of the preparations he's certain must be happening down in the heart of the clans. Tsubaki is still here in the highlands with Nobori, but he's— 

Well. He's Tsubaki, and their land is chartered to be the meeting grounds for the foreseeable future. It's certainly no wonder to Nobori that the other man would choose to spend his time soothing his noble. Tsubaki makes himself a bit... difficult to take seriously at times, but his job is nothing but admirable.

"AH! Wonderful morning to you as well, sir!" 

[If there was one thing Tsubaki had been completely correct on, it would be Nobori's capability when it came to sheer volume. The responding chirrups and grunts from Nobori's own pokémon are almost drowned out beneath him. Some of the small pokémon bordering the clearing scatter, but not nearly as many or as far as one would anticipate— it's clearly a common occurrence.]

He tips his hat from his place atop his pokémon, squinting down against the harsh morning sun. The stranger is blue on blue on blue in quite a few ways— Nobori is mostly familiar with the Diamond clan's uniform through his exposure to Tsubaki, and that one time he had lent the other man a work top during a particularly harrowing incident with the local wildlife's migration patterns— it'd be a fairly recognizable outfit even if he hadn't spent a few hours hunched over attempting to piece one back together. That, and blue hair must be common in the Diamond clan. That's two for three thus far, discounting Lord Warrgle's warden. 

"Oh, no— just a short while. I wouldn't even suppose it's still that early, with all that still needs to be done." Shaking the rag in his hands out into the air, Nobori gives the side of Jibacoil a gentle pat to urge it back down towards the ground. The sun had only just begun to crest over the far horizon when he initially arrived, but he's gotten up much earlier for far worse reasons— a little manual labor is hardly a weight upon him. 

Nobori casts an appraising eye back towards the rows of pillars and arches he'd just been wiping down, casually shaking the feeling back into his legs after staying perched on Jibacoil like that for so long. They're quite thankfully noticeably cleaner than the entire rest of the Plaza, a small testament to the time he'd spent up there. The stone had been a lot whiter than it looked under all of that wear.

"Are you in need of assistance? A friend of Tsubaki, I would presume?" He'd be genuinely surprised if they were here for a social call, as much as he sees little other reason to have come up this far in the first place. If nothing else, the thought of that notion being strange doesn't show on Nobori's face. 

"I'm afraid I don't have the time to lead you and your friends there right now— I've found it's something of a hike for the unfamiliar— but if you're willing to wait, I'd be certainly glad to guide you the rest of the way." Ohnyula is always amenable to directing people up and down the mountain, but he's found that most people aren't interested in spending any one on one time with the lady of the mountains, nor is she fond of other humans overstaying their welcome in her basket... let alone unfamiliar pokémon.

[fracturedmemoria]

Oh, this guy was loud. Loud enough that Seki's ears were ringing after that greeting, and even his normal speaking volume was on the loud side. It was a little surprising, but even moreso was the fact that the new Warden didn't seem to know who he was. There was a spark of excitement in his chest that made his smile broaden and eyes sparkle just a bit with boyish delight.

Wait, he really has no clue who I am?

He'd never not been recognized before. Whether it be as a curse or a blessing or the clan head, someone somewhere knew him. Even the newcomer and leader of the Galaxy group, Denboku, had known who he was.

Perhaps it was just the change in attire, or maybe the new Warden just hadn't been told about him, but he found that it didn't matter.

He never thought that being unrecognizable would feel so nice.

He chuckled, then laughed, loud and enthusiastic, a hand to his mouth and his arm curled around his stomach. The man surely had no idea why Seki was giggling like a child as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the universe. But he was happy. It was nice.

No frills, no "Lord" or anything like that! Just the innocent question if he needed help, as if he were no one important.

To think it'd be a member of the Pearl Clan that made him feel that way. Maybe that should have been more troubling than it was.

"Haha-- yeah, I'm friends with Tsubaki." He responded, wiping a tear of mirth from his eye. "Sorry, it's just a little funny... you're nothing like I expected from how he described you. Though he always has been a bit dramatic so I shouldn't be surprised." He straightened, resting a hand on his hip. He couldn't stop smiling as he added, "Thanks for the offer though, but I'm actually here to help with the cleaning and setup. I thought I'd left early enough to get a headstart, but it seems you beat me to it, Warden."

Seki took a moment to survey the work that the man had made of the area, admiring for a moment just how white the stone was underneath all the dirt.

Seki wasn't exactly great at cleaning to that level; he tended to get impatient and tired of things like that pretty quickly, but the Warden had gotten there early (a shocking thing for a member of the Pearl clan since they tended to be late to even battles) and he couldn't help but feel a touch competitive.

A member of the Pearl Clan arriving earlier than even I could... that's something else... I'll have to get up even earlier next time!

Leafia looked up at Seki, face scrunching up as if reading his mind. Across the way, his Showers and Bracky mirrored Leafia's look. All of them knew exactly how Seki was and all of them knew for a fact that they were going to have to keep him from pushing himself. They likely wouldn't succeed, but they would at least have the right to look at him with an "I told you so" look when everything caught up to him.

With renewed vigor and excitement, Seki walked forward to meet the Warden. "My name's Seki by the way. I'm looking forward to working with you."

[newdestination]

[Starter for @fracturedmemoria ;; Clan Meeting]

I've been working - - —–...

Grass shifts and sings in the late spring breeze, the pokeballs at his side devoid of any of his partners save for Mojumbo. They're all out and about, helping in their own ways— Goriky dutifully marching behind him with her arms full of supplies, Jibacoil and Glion watching overhead in tangled loops and twists.

...All the livelong day...

Nobori carries the tune under his breath as he divests himself of the materials he'd brought with him, settled into a neat pile with a sigh of relief. The worn stone beneath his feet crackles with dead grass and dirt— That'll have to be one of the first few things he takes care of.

"Can't you hear the whistle blowing..."

He steps over a thick slab of broken stone to thumb through the dirt layered on an old worn dias at the center of the clearing, quietly contemplative. This area clearly hadn't been used in a very, very long time— Garana seemed nervous to even be asking this of him before their arrival, beneath those steely nerves of hers. Perhaps he would have been too had he any context to have built upon, standing here beneath the eye of Sinnoh.

He's fairly certain she didn't want him here, for that matter— he hadn't even been entirely sure what this is going to be for until Tsubaki came around the day after, practically kicking down the metaphorical door about his 'duties to the meeting of the clans' and somesuch. There's certainly enough context clues to go off of from there— even he has noticed the Galaxy team's gradual encroachment on the edges of the clans, how tense the other wardens seem to be getting over the whole matter.

In some ways the introduction of another outsider group has been good for him, as much as he'd hesitate to truly voice such a thing. Brought closer into the fold in defense against a greater perceived threat, less other than the other, just enough to skirt by. Nobori has by technicality been one of them since his very first memory, but this is quite possibly the first time he's felt that was true.

Well. It's nice to be needed, either way.

Now, how is he going to clean off the tops of the arches? Maybe if he rode on Jibacoil...

Right. Best take care of that first, then. It wouldn't do to clean the floor just to dirty it all over again knocking all of the dust down.

"Would you be amenable to lending your assistance?" The returning trill of beeps and screeches is answer enough to his ears— Jibacoil drifts back down from the trees arching overhead to meet him on the floor. It's not the most comfortable perch, but between the signal rod between his legs and the bolts on either side of him Nobori feels well and secure enough. He pulls the woven bag to his front to sift through its contents as they slowly begin to rise, cloth in hand. Nothing to it, then!

"—rise up so early in the morn'..."

[fracturedmemoria]

Yone hadn't been thrilled with Seki's idea of going first to Prayer Plaza to prepare for the meeting of the clans. But Tsubaki had refused, claiming his Noble "needed" him, though they both knew he just didn't want to. Neither of them were surprised by that.

Truthfully, Seki would have been more surprised if Tsubaki hadn't put up a fuss.

Yone had offered, but Seki had waved her off and took up the reigns much to his sister's chagrin. It didn't bother him, and he needed something to do, anything to keep his hands busy. The meeting was too important, and he was nervous. If things went well, it would be the first truce in his lifetime - the first real truce - and he had to put his best foot forward. He had to prove he was capable, especially with the elders of the clan sneering at him and his efforts.

They were just as nervous about the newcomers as he was, but they were far too stubborn to seriously humor a truce. They had no faith in him or the Pearl Clan, and they had no faith in this truce mattering and yet they never had other options to offer. He was sick and tired of talking circles with them. It was exhausting, and did nothing but make him angry and being angry was counter productive.

It just wasted everyone's time.

Before dawn had even broken, Seki left the Diamond clan's settlement, a pack on his back of supplies and his Pokemon at his side. He had exchanged his clan leader attire for clothes more suitable for manual labor, not wanting to fight with loose clothing while cleaning and ripping weeds out of the ground. If anyone didn't know him, he would look like just a regular member of the clan, not their leader.

The journey to the Mount Tengen area wasn't new to him, as he walked that path near weekly to check in with Tsubaki and his Noble. But he was nervous this time. Terrified actually. But he'd never say that out loud to anyone.

Everything rides on this meeting.

Almighty Sinnoh... I try not to ask too much of you for myself. I don't even know if you hear me or see my offerings.

He exhaled a shuddering breath, anxiety building and coiling tight around his chest.

But please... please don't let this be another mistake.

When he arrived at Prayer Plaza, dawn had long since broken and the chill of spring evenings still hung in the air. Morning dew clung to blades of overgrown foliage. Normally, Seki enjoyed the mornings, but the anxiety he'd felt during his journey hadn't faded even as he saw the arches and pillars come into view.

The anxiety only vanished when he realized he wasn't alone, a man already busy at work and singing softly an unfamiliar tune.

He hadn't really been expecting anyone to be there

Especially not a stranger who could only be the Pearl Clan's newest Warden. And somehow, Seki found himself frozen, standing in the shadow of pillars older than the clans themselves and watching. Observing.

The man was... Just a man. From the tales he'd heard, the man was more myth and monster than human. Even Tsubaki had called the man "frightening" with "icy eyes" and a "scowl like a demon's mask." But he didn't look anything like that from where Seki stood.

"Huh... not a monster at all..." He muttered aloud. Was he disappointed by that? Maybe a little, but more irritated than anything. He shouldn't have expected anything less than that.

His Leafia whined a bit, nervous, while his Showers and Bracky settled down in the shade, eyeing the new Warden's Pokemon warily. With one last pet to his Bracy's head to calm his nerves, he muttered a "here we go" under his breath before approaching the man.

"Morning!" He called out, raising a hand and smiling in greeting. Leafia, sticking close to his leg, yipped to greet the man and his Pokemon as well. "I wasn't expecting to see anyone this early. Hope you haven't been working alone too long."