the ruckus comes like beedrill in a bulb, batting against thinning glass until it shatters. noah is quick to drop his weights. grabbing a small hand towel, he wipes his hands, his damp neck. machop rush to his station, spritzing any offending areas with cleaner.

noah arrives, skin thick against the hot percussion of his heart. although time had tended to his temper, his limbs are forced into a cross over his chest. his fists are tucked underneath his arms and cling close to his sides.

"sorry, but we're not taking walk-ins today, balder."

Balder Schwartz

as noah listens, he pulls a dewy cold squeeze bottle from his overstuffed short pocket. his eyes cut above the white bottle's body and focus on balder's. with each gulp, the adam's apple bobs in steady beats.

"are you saying i don't measure up to kyle already?" he speaks through the corner of his mouth, the bottle's tip still wedged between his front teeth.

he pulls the bottle out of his mouth. a parade of droplets collect at its bottom before their inevitable surrender to gravity. noah knows it to be true.

doesn't make it hurt any less though.

"i don't know what you're saying. what do you mean?" noah tosses the bottle.

it lands perfectly on its butt.

Balder Schwartz

noah rubs his neck as if he were wiping away a stain on his palm. frankly, the word, "avatar", unnerves him. causes him to squirm a little. crane his head back and forth as if the weight of the word rolling around in his head is affecting gravity's pull on his skull.

"i don't care about being on the same footing," noah says quickly, but his body is compelled to a nearby training room. his feet begin to move before he realizes, "fine. show me."

after a small walk, noah opens the door to a room with several gym trainers and machop. he asks them to leave and as they file out quickly, noah retrieves a target dummy from a closet on the side.

he hauls it to the center of the mats and waits with folded arms.

"go ham."

Balder Schwartz

at first, noah remained skeptical. the odd pose, the slow setup— perhaps, this was an elaborate mockery designed to waste his time. nevertheless, he watched. and watched. then witnessed.

within an instant, the dummy lost its head.

noah takes a moment to register the happening. briefly, he contemplates how much money that dummy cost. he relaxes his shocked stature, clearing his throat as he stares at the lopped head and the faint fist on the other side.

"what the? where'd you?" noah recoils almost, alarm flooding his face. "is that pose... really necessary?"

Balder Schwartz

noah scrubs the back of his head. dissonance, like some kind of sand or dandruff, scatters from his skull in shards and spirals. a sleek sigh slips from his mouth as he relents.

"fine, i'll bite." noah says. "protocol's a bit weird. this some sorta sacred knowledge? where'd you learn this?"

he relaxes, some. still, the practice stirs more questions. the abrupt nature of balder's appearance is like a flare of fire. smaller embers burn around from its bursting. smoke clouds the context.

"is this even legal?" noah jokes. in part.

Balder Schwartz

legendary dojo? no bell is rung. no memory inspired. still, noah surmises there is much to be uncovered. obscuring schedule and freedom is the tumult of the region. there is little time to explore hoenn itself for all of its secrets when it feels like its secrets are the ones conducting the journey.

"i haven't. then again, i'm not a hoennian." noah scratches the back of his head. "should i know about it? you've been there then, huh? special invite?"

the fomo settles in like dust on the mats.

Balder Schwartz

"i've got time, sure."

other things could wait. despite the incessant orbit of his gaze grazing against balder's knuckles, noah stomachs hostility. he shakes off his second thoughts. limbs loosen as he rolls his shoulders like wrenches tightening his resolve.

"alright, balder. show me what's up."

Balder Schwartz