[attr="class","hanapoke"]

[attr="class","hanahold"]

[attr="class","hanaflavourtext"]❝呼べよ、花の名前を❞

[attr="class","hanatext"]There is never a moment in her mind where she isn't questioning herself, never a piece of silence loud enough to drown the world out. As the world becomes an ocean of passing faces and blaring sounds, Lilith finds herself lost in the heart of this joyous madness. The sights, the sounds, the atmosphere is overwhelming in more ways than she can possibly describe and the sheer size of the crowd does nothing for her fluttering heart as she cradles Rubia tighter to her chest. Even from the rare hazy memory she draws upon, the grand parties she'd once attended felt nowhere as close to the chaos that was man, the pedestal she'd been placed on ensuring that many are quick to scrape the surface of her existence but never bother to take a moment to unravel more.

But she digressed from the predicament at hand. Though she had initially planned on dabbling in the festival just to understand the gist of what beliefs and traditions were held in Hoenn, she's now being reminded why she avoided people like the plague. Everybody is too busy and wrapped up in their own pursuit of fun, the passing graze of a stranger's touch causing her to flinch instinctively and scurry further towards the outskirts of the festival grounds. Ducking her head, Lilith can't help but bury her face in Rubia's wool, her mind desperately seeking a way out of this mess as she struggles to convince herself that saying 'Fuck' isn't quite the answer.

Oh, if only she had asked someone like Rye or Cat to accompany her...

[attr="class","hanatags"]@ vitalspiritfestival

[attr="class","hanapoke"]

[attr="class","hanahold"]

[attr="class","hanaflavourtext"]❝呼べよ、花の名前を❞

[attr="class","hanatext"]How very peculiar. Though Lilith often kept her guard up, there would have been a moment that one could have seen the curiosity that shone in her eyes, a child grasping onto every detail she possibly could as she tried to unravel the person that stood before her. With his choice of language and the accent that bled of nostalgia, Jade Mercier was a Kalos child through and through - Much like a certain broccoli head she'd run into just a few days prior.

She was all for listening to the tales of a stranger, readily inferring that he didn't have the best of living conditions but blankly allowing his slip-up to fly over her head. After all, lingering on things that she couldn't understand would probably only lead to migraines she didn't want to deal with. He spoke with such confidence, blessed with a kindness that extended to his own companions. Quick to trace the movements of Skip, Lilith would watch in silent awe as the Dratini began making donuts in the sand, the glimmers of a tiny smile tugging upon her lips as she visibly relaxed in their company.

"U- uhm..." And yet, when the spotlight had been placed on her, she'd instinctively tense up once more, uncertainty pulsing through her veins whilst idle fingers haplessly grasped at sand. "Li- Lilith..." Averting her gaze, the girl wouldn't know what to focus on anymore. "Rubia..." In times like these, she would only know how to mimic, a finger pointing towards the Wooloo. "Yule," the excitable Alolan Vulpix. "Eclipse," the young child who would shed his illusions, landing quietly as a prideful Zorua with messy fur. "Hex," the gremlin of the batch, an idle Mimikyu already scooping up a wad of sand and aimlessly hurling it at the ocean.

Gently tapping Hex's head for his misdemeanour, Lilith seemed rather uncertain on what exactly she wanted to do, her gaze flickering over Kenzie as the gears in her mind seemed to whirl to life. Yule's and Eclipse's fur were often soft and fluffy, well-maintained by the hours she'd spend brushing them each night... Taking advantage of the distraction, Yule would bounce from her grasp, prancing over to Skip and attempting to follow his lead by chasing her tail in circles. It wouldn't be long before Eclipse joined in, tugging upon Rubia's wool if only to get the Wooloo to join in the fun, leaving but Hex and Lilith behind.

"We were... getting supplies for our journey... and... thought the beach would be good to visit..." Though slow and most certainly crude, her sentences would flow a little better with each second she took. "Are... you not from here?" It was a rather strange question for her to ask considering how she'd guessed his roots, but one that she would ask nonetheless - Perhaps, to buy time to settle the strange flutter in her chest. Picking up on his trainer's unease, Hex would nudge her ever so slightly, bobbing up and down in a rather strange manner much like a Diglett would. Then, as if ending a ritual, he'd shake his head vigorously, jumping up onto her shoulder to headbutt her with a vicious snarl.

Go on! His expressions practically screamed. Be more assertive, you darn wimp!

Well, that wasn't necessarily what he said, but Lilith could feel the judgement anyway. With the rage-induced pep talk hammered into her head, she would take a deep breath and dare to look Jade in the eye, her determination painstakingly gathered up as a singular question slipped off her tongue.

"U- uhm... can I... pat him?"

[attr="class","hanatags"]@jade || theme

[attr="class","hanapoke"]

[attr="class","hanahold"]

[attr="class","hanaflavourtext"]❝呼べよ、花の名前を❞

[attr="class","hanatext"]As with the upbringing of many kids, a gesture of kindness - whether intentional or not - would often have been repaid with gratefulness. Watching as the duo were quick to accept the notion of calling truces, Lilith would take the moment to turn her attention back to the Arbok, scratching its chin ever so gently as she waited. Sure enough, the snake pokemon would catch onto her train of thoughts, shedding its illusion as purple scales readily flaked off, only to be replaced to a rather distinctive shade of black and red. Swishing his tail, the Zorua would then latch back onto her arm, slinking his way back onto her shoulder and licking her ear as if apologising for the sharp nip he'd done earlier.

Right, she hadn't checked if the bite had actually broken skin, but it probably wouldn't take much time nor effort to treat. For now, she had to deal with the two main problems at hand, a happy-go-lucky kid and a drenched heap of talking moss. Reaching into her backpack, Lilith would retrieve a dry towel and pass it to the flower child, wary never to have even the slightest bit of contact in any way. Gathering hints from appearances to choice of language, the boy was from Kalos while the uh... while Cat hailed from Galar. Furthermore, both of them had close to no idea as to how they were meant to deal with Pidgeys, so that was another checkmark to these kids being new to adventuring in the wild lands. The only thing that separated one from the other was that Cat at least had some grasp of self-defense instinct...

Nodding softly at the introduction, Lilith would wait for the cauliflower head to introduce himself, seeming to ignore the question posed towards her as she dug once again into her pouch. This time, she would pull out cotton swabs and a bottle of iodine, taking a moment to consider the benefits of further providing any help to the kid. On one hand, she'd be burning valuable resources that she should have kept for herself. On the other hand, ignoring Eclipse's expectant gaze proved to be much more difficult than she'd hoped, a soft nudge to her cheek evoking the smallest hint of guilt - Curse the sunk cost fallacy and the fragility of a human heart.

With a final sigh, Lilith would gesture for the Pidgey magnet to sit down, waiting for him to make himself comfortable before moving a little closer. Once he'd done so, she'd proceed to make quick work of his little peck wounds, basic first aid and practice over the years allowing her to neatly patch each one up before they got infected. Or if he'd refuse, she'd simply pack the medical supplies back into her pouch and give the duo a blank stare - Not that she was mad at them for getting her involved or that she expected some sort of reward, but rather because she now needed to decide when was a good time to leave this kids behind.

[attr="class","hanatags"]@cat || @rye || outdoors

[attr="class","hanapoke"]

[attr="class","hanahold"]

[attr="class","hanaflavourtext"]❝呼べよ、花の名前を❞

[attr="class","hanatext"]Life really was strange in its own ways, oddities found oddities as like-minds attracted one another. For a brief second, Lilith would notice the new presence sitting by her side, a lone Poochyena that had just... appeared from nowhere? There wasn't any wild grass nearby, had they gotten lost? Just as she readied herself to go on a quick search, she would be interrupted by the an unfamiliar voice, the song of the sea now mixed with the unmistakable crunching of sand. With her attention turning to the stranger, Lilith would take a moment to look over their appearance, the faint smile fading from her expression as it would be replaced by a light veil of confusion. Who exactly was this? From observations alone, she could infer that Louis was probably the Chespin that had taken some form of offense to the comment... but who were the rest?

Even as she spared the newcomer a nod to his request, Lilith found herself drawing Yule close, embracing her gently as if cradling a young child from harm. Hex and Rubia would be quick to follow up, temporarily calling a truce and bounding back to her side whilst Eclipse would maintain his illusion as a child, silent but ever-watchful as he gently clung onto Lilith's arm. Though filled with utmost curiosity for their visitors, there would most certainly have been a hint of caution lingering behind those doe-eyed pokemon, a decision of 'fight or flight' brewing in mind as they nudged for the girl to test the waters.

"Everything's... alright." Long had her accent been lost, the endless journey across regions having brewed a strange articulation that simply couldn't be placed. "Just... passing by." Adding on the fact that she'd barely spoken to anyone over the years, save for the shopkeepers she visited, hearing her voice once again would have felt somewhat off, eliciting a small grimace as she quietly cleared her throat. "Who are you?"

A subtle prod at identity would most likely result in her being asked in kind, but she supposed it would have been better than... avoiding any pronouns or references throughout their conversation, no matter how long or short it would have been. Besides, having some information to go off of would probably have been much better than assuming the worst of all the humans she'd meet.

[attr="class","hanatags"]@jade || theme

[attr="class","hanapoke"]

[attr="class","hanahold"]

[attr="class","hanaflavourtext"]❝呼べよ、花の名前を❞

[attr="class","hanatext"]No matter where she went, it seemed that nature truly did have a Pandora's box of surprises lying in wait. Whilst Pokemon cries weren't out of the ordinary, the yells in a well-understood language definitely were, especially in the wildlands. Despite the countless regions she had travelled and the numerous people she'd met, a cry similar to that would only ever signal distress and an urgent need of help.

Of course, there'd be a full second that the girl would slow in her step, squinting ever so slightly at the sight as she weighed the benefits of interfering with nature's course. In this world, it was most definitely a survival of the fittest, the remnants of a war having shaken this region to its core as those who lived on struggled to pull their lives back together. Poor living conditions in some regions, harsh climates in another; Only heaven knew if this region was infested with those whose hands were covered in blood. If a kid couldn't even defend themselves from a bunch of Pidgeys... Well, she didn't want to guess how his fate would unravel.

Just as she was about to turn tail and leave this farce all behind, there would be a sharp nip to her ear, a soft curse escaping her lips right as Eclipse used her shoulder to leap right into the bushes. And with a quiet rustle, he was gone without a trace, his scent soon scattered to the wind. It would take all but a second for her mind to take it in and her body to soon follow, a cursed chill creeping right through her veins as she scrambled right after him.

Knowing his tendencies, he was probably trying to help the stranger, wasn't he? Those Pidgeys seemed unwilling to flee even in the face of danger, so getting involved didn't necessarily mean that anything would be achieved. What if he got hurt? Or worse, what if they were affiliated...? A thousand thoughts would flutter by but nothing would stand out more than the knife right in her back, a serrated blade twisting deep into her consciousness even as she stumbled and scraped her knees.

Right as she'd reach the duo, an Arbok would slither right out of the tall grass, glistening fangs bared as it raised itself to its full height. Serving as the natural predator of Pidgeys, fear would no doubt have been struck in their hearts, feathers rustling restlessly as they warily took a step back. With its unnatural size, it could easily have held a person in a chokehold too if it tried. And yet, she'd show no hesitance in approaching the Pokemon, readily pulling the Arbok into a hug and holding it tight - Oh, didn't fate love taunting her for a reaction. Of course, it was inevitable that she'd be caught up in things, pulled in by chance encounters and led to follow the hearts of others once again.

Caught off guard, the Arbok would freeze, only to then soften in her presence and accept the situation for what it was. No more separations, unsaid words that would be kept for as long as time allowed them to. Then again, they still did face the predicament of the hoard of glaring Pidgeys, neither party willing to make a move just yet. Releasing her hold on the lengthy snake pokemon, Lilith would reach into her pouch and pull out a small offering of leftover bread crumbs, gently crouching down and holding them out to the antagonised flock. Sure enough, the smallest of the Pidgeys would waddle its way over, casting the large Arbok a narrowed glare before cautiously reaching out to snag a piece.

Not much in terms of making everlasting friendships, but just about enough to convince the foul fowls that she wasn't here to fight. Redirecting her gaze to the two toddlers, Lilith would squint as she reached into her pouch once more, gesturing the duo to put out their hands. If they did, she'd have given them a portion of bread crumbs as well, waiting for them to call a truce with the Pidgeys before things got out of hand. And if not...

Well, they could just find out what people meant by the cruelty of nature.

[attr="class","hanatags"]@cat || @rye || outdoors

[attr="class","hanapoke"]

[attr="class","hanahold"]

[attr="class","hanaflavourtext"]❝呼べよ、花の名前を❞

[attr="class","hanatext"]Slateport Beach, a rare and beautiful slice of heaven bestowed upon the lands. From the gentle carol of tides and intertwining melody of life, to the kaleidoscopic reflections dancing upon the endless deep blue. Sand crunched beneath her feet with every feeble step, each quiet bleat and nudge from Rubia leading into yet another step forwards. Up ahead, Yule was already having her dreams shattered as the ebb and flow of the sea would rob her of her ice castle, while Hex would simply flail around as if laughing at her predicament. Eclipse, on the other hand, had already donned his disguise, a silent creature now gifted with opposable thumbs as he haplessly patted sand together into a large lump.

With yet another step coerced out of her, Lilith would finally decide that it was time to stop, just barely 10 steps from the ocean as she firmly plopped herself down into the sand, much to the dismay of a certain Wooloo. And yet, such a reaction could only be responded with by a reproachful glare, one that would immediately shove Rubia off of her case and garner her a small headbutt in return. In the end, it served well as a reminder that they weren't supposed to be here in the first place - As a long established rule of their travels, they had agreed to never stay in big cities or large ports for longer than absolutely necessary. For the sake of... well, not running into unwanted presences.

Drawing her knees closer to herself, Lilith would bury her head and blind herself to the sight, a sigh lost to the hums of a gentle sea breeze. Since they were here anyways, there'd be no point trying to ruin the fun of the others when nothing had happened just yet. Attention being drawn once more by a nudge at her ankles, she would look up to the sight of an actual sandcastle, gritty and oddly-shaped but most definitely made of frozen wet sand. Rubia would soon be quick to trot up and take charge, sharply bleating with a hoof raised at the suspicious invader as his yellow and black-tipped ears drooped against the towers. Though she had her suspicions - an eye raised at the shapeshifter refusing to meet her gaze - she'd crack nonetheless, a fragile smile painting itself across her lips as she reached out to pat the Alolan Vulpix.

One day. Just for this one day, bending the rules a little would be fine, wouldn't it?

[attr="class","hanatags"]@jade || theme

[attr="class","hanapoke"]

[attr="class","hanahold"]

[attr="class","hanaflavourtext"]❝呼べよ、花の名前を❞

[attr="class","hanatext"]She knew better than to curse the sun. Sunlight was a necessity for all living creatures in this world, delicate rays that basked the soil in such warmth and allowed life to flourish and grow. It drove many natural cycles and often blessed the people with sights that had yet to be seen, a gentle soul that simply gave and never asked for anything back.

And yet, she still cursed it anyways.

Bright, uncomfortably warm and most certainly trying to get in her eyes, sunlight was a gremlin that knew not the meaning of stop, eliciting the quietest of sighs as Lilith haplessly blocked the light with her hand. Having listened to the vehement protests of Rubia, Hex and Yule all morning, she simply watched as they escaped into their precious pokéballs - No doubt having the time of their lives as they avoided the dreary notion of being baked under the sun. So it seemed that she'd only have Eclipse by her side for this leg of her journey, a young and vibrant incarnation of mischief itself as he darted between her legs and dipped into the tall grass nearby.

Every so often, he'd disappear for a brief moment - eliciting a soft twitch of fingers from Lilith - before returning with a pebble in tow, dropping it before her feet with a puffed chest and a loud growl, almost as if he'd just returned from the greatest hunt known to pokémon-kind. And with each turn, she would only raise an eye, crouching down to pick the offerings up and reward him a scratch behind the ear. Returning the gesture with an affectionate lick of her palm, the Zorua would be quick to latch onto her arm, bounding right up onto her shoulder and letting out a sharp yowl into the warm seabreeze.

Even as she cursed the sand and the endless heatwave, even as the sharp edges of wild grass grazed her calves and the world was drowned by a cacophony of Wingulls, there simply was something comforting about the carefree attitude of Eclipse. Far beyond the dark corridors and halting breaths... Trembling fingers entwined themselves with a silky pelt, rhythmical strokes gradually losing their hesitance with every low purr that rumbled in her ears.

Even if she hated travelling in such places, it couldn't have been all that bad if at least someone was enjoying their time.

[attr="class","hanatags"]@cat || @rye || outdoors

[attr="class","hanapoke"]

[attr="class","hanahold"]

[attr="class","hanaflavourtext"]❝呼べよ、花の名前を❞

[attr="class","hanatext"]A single flame to light the dark
I wear it every day everywhere that I go
There’s a dream for peace within my heart
But now it fades every day without any hope

There’s a single flame to light the dark
Is this the path you take? ‘Cause I don’t know where to go
Doesn’t matter ‘cause we’re always stuck
A heart that’s so warm can never help it

The fire lights our way
Guides us when we’re led astray
Like a melody for us to follow every day

They say there’s no eternity, so why do we all fight?
I try my best to laugh at it, and go and live my life
The things we have that shine so bright - one day their light will die
We walk our paths sharing this burden
We will walk and live our lives until our light burns out!
Here’s a question, let me ask you why (ask you why)
We seem to ignore that our time will soon pass? (time will soon pass)
There’s a dream for peace within my mind (within my mind)
But now it fades every day from knowledge it lacks

‘Cause it tastes so good, we all indulge
Forgetting that we cannot stop it rotting away
Now the flames of life surround us all
It’s heating up the scars we have inside us

The droplets start to rise
Dissipating in the light
Everyday a brand new memory for us to hold tight
We’ve got a new idea
Found a reason why we’re here
when the Sun rises again we find another appears

They say there’s no eternity, so why do we all fight? I tried my best to laugh at it, but all I did was cry. The bubble we’re inside today could pop or change it’s size. We walk our path despite this mortality. We’ll protect the source of life until our light burns out!

[attr="class","hanatags"]lilith eirwin || xxx words || theme