bottlecaplogs | August Catch-All

Hey, only one of you at a time!

[ Or this is quickly going to become ineffective for everyone involved. Even though she can tell, now, that while this Pokémon has brought a new sort of vibe to the line, that other, obtrusive feeling was still there...

Still, she'll tap one of her... feet? She has feet as tiny and ineffective that they often feel, hoping that the babbling Pokémon in front of her can get its heads in order. Or subdue one of them? ]

You in the middle, you start.

[ The one silencing the others, of course. ]

[It takes some more aggressive pecking from the middle head before the other two shut up. The two side heads dip down sheepishly; the middle one straightens up and curves their neck haughtily. Dodrio('s middle head) clearly feels they're not the one being disruptive here, and therefore have nothing to be ashamed of.]

A plane, an auger, and a level. [The middle head looks at the left one in particular with the last one, which winces - the sheepish emotion radiating off them gets stronger. Belatedly, Dodrio adds,] ...please.

[Siffrin returns in time to catch this, having decided to put the file back where it was before. Their tail flicks as they try to put words to spots in the wagon.] I know where the levels are...

[Tubes filled with water, with a big bubble in the middle. They're a bit delicate, so Siffrin made an extra effort to remember them, to keep from tripping over them in tight quarters when they weren't facing the levels with their good eye. The other stuff, though...]

[They really are just useless, aren't they?]

[...shut up, Siffrin. Go do your job and find them.]

[For now, they go to fetch the level first, carefully wrapping their jaws around one that seems like a good size for Dodrio. Maybe Archnemon will remember where the other things are?]

Thank you.

[ There was something relatable about that middle one's attitude, so she can't complain there once it seems to finally corral the others more under control. Reasonably. Violence probably shouldn't be the answer, but she was hardly a good judge...

Now it was her turn to get her assigned partner back in order it seemed. That gloom was only increasing, and she winces. ]

... I swear, what's with the hold up all of a sudden? Fine, I'll help look.

[ She glances back to the line. Being only the front for this little handout likely would not be as expedient if it wasn't organized behind the wagon. She hops back down when she sees the Shinx bringing only one of the items after that. Wasn't there some sort of list that came with this? The plane and file might at least have originally been in similar areas. The auger was larger, maybe it had fallen to the bottom? Everything probably got jumbled up from the original journeying out here. ]

[There may have been a list at some point... but if there were, it was definitely one of the things that got lost in the shuffle, on the way to the Outpost. The last shift sure didn't hand anything over! (Which may have been part of why they left everything so disorganized, to be honest...)]

[In fairness to Siffrin, they can't really carry more than one thing in their mouth at a time - at least not easily. And particularly with the level being so fragile. In unfairness to Siffrin... yeah no they totally have no idea where the other two things are.]

[They wonder if they should offer to be the one staying at the front instead. But it kind of seems like she's doing a better job of that than they would, too. And anyway, they're supposed to make sure she doesn't tire herself out...]

[Great job with that, Siffrin!]

[They mumble something through the level, but it's not really audible. Hastily, they drop it off at the front, then scamper back to repeat it:] I'll check the left side!!

[They can at least do that. And she seems like someone who would appreciate a more organized search.]

[ Sure, it would have been only reasonable to expect that when being directed somewhere to work that the previous shift would have kept things more in order. Maybe they were distracted by those organized attacks happening occasionally? Luckily, nothing like that seemed to be going on in the vicinity, hence the eagerness for getting back to work...

She hops over to the right side of the cart when she hears their words. There's certainly more than enough room for the two of them to poke around there, and so many compartments. Wrenches and picks, and then combs and brushes, more files, buffers... the organization comes to a halt when she comes across - a secret door? Is someone trapped in this thing? Almost sounds like the sounds of someone snoozing... ]

Hey you, come over here. I think someone's asleep in here. Is there a lever for this door?

[ Ugh, they were getting so off track... but maybe a stuck compartment had some of what they needed? ]

[Huh??]

[Siffrin bounces over, both ears trying to swivel forward to listen - the ear folded down under the weight of their hat less successful than the free one. It really does sound like someone asleep.]

[They could go find a lever, but... this is supposed to be the kind of thing they're good at, even if that was back when they had proper fingers. (And haha, clearly they aren't actually good at it, since they didn't notice the door in the first place! Still -) They stick their claws out and start testing around the compartment door. It actually doesn't take long at all for them to find a spot that has the feeling of a stuck latch - they hook onto it and brace their other three paws against the side of the wagon, wrenching backward.]

[With a nasty wooden scraping sound, the door flies open! The sudden release of their paw almost sends them tumbling, but they regain their footing surprisingly gracefully.]

[A pun comes to mind, something like "I hope this will be key to finding those tools," but they have the nagging feeling that they've been annoying Archnemon as is, and that she won't appreciate it. They keep their mouth shut.]

[ There are a multiple of things annoying Archnemon at any given time, even if she's used to partnering with someone throwing puns or inappropriate comments... so it wouldn't have been too out of place.

She's finding it harder to concentrate, so she's doubling down on trying to do that, while Siffrin works the compartment. Thankfully, that seems to bear fruit, but that horrible sound does not do any favors.

What seems out of place (or perhaps shouldn't, in this scenario), is that the unspoken pun seems to have some truth to it - amidst the surprise! new cache of jumbled items, there does seem to be an out of sorts... set of keys scattered about (Who's that Pokémon?) who must have gotten themselves into the compartment to track the items, but likely ended up tossed around with all the rough handling of the wagon. They're... sleeping still? Hard to tell with a set of keys.

Or perhaps, that was why the wagon had been previously seeming unmanned to begin with...? ]

You've got to be kidding me- fine, are they okay?

[ Yeah she was thinking of a pun too. Great time to learn support abilities, though... There's a bit of a chatter from the front of the wagon, as they still have a multi-headed patron waiting. ]

We're working on it!

[Siffrin... has no idea how to tell with keys??? Key Pokemon?? How does this work, this is at least as weird as the one they got told about that's just ice cream -]

Um. They don't look dinged up or dented or anything...?

[They very gingerly nudge the keys with one paw (claws very determinedly sheathed) to see if they respond.]

That's probably a good sign...

[ One of the keys does seem to dodge away from the paw, but it still seems like it's just? Sleeping? Or maybe just disoriented, getting roused into whatever this all is, the other keys also slowly starting to bunch up defensively.

Paws off please! Who are you anyway?!]

Ugh - we're here to help, don't be difficult!

[Siffrin yanks their paw back immediately. Their emotions are yelling "sorry sorry sorry" but they are not saying it.]

[...]

Are you okay? [They still have no idea how to tell!! And with slightly less urgency:] What were you doing in there...?

[ The little set of keys starts to carefully jingle each individual key while assessing this.

'Yes... no... maybe?'

It still sounds a little confused for the current situation, but at least the hostility's toned down.

'We hit a rocky path and the door jammed! It shouldn't have gotten stuck like that!'

... Well, maybe a little indignant and embarrassed at being stuck somewhere and potentially forgotten about if no one registered them as lost yet. Bruised ego and invisible bruising from the equipment. But that's another headache for Archnemon on top of the extra emanating from Siffrin right now. ]

Do you at least have an auger in there?

[ She thinks she's... finally... located the plane, in this other messy compartment where the file returned to, but she is waiting for further confirmation. ]

[Oh, right! They were looking for an auger.]

[Siffrin sticks their head into the compartment, relieved to have something to do that's not dealing with the Klefki... and unearths a whole pile of stuff, which they scoop out with some effort. There are indeed augers in there! Most of them are clearly meant for tinier paws, but there's one that seems to be sized right for Dodrio's talons.]

[Siffrin picks it up in their mouth. Muffled through it:] How's this one?

[ The Klefki continues to check itself and move out of the way once Siffrin hops in behind it to sort through the mess.

"You're going to put that all back, right?"

Archnemon is more concerned about the item right now. What Siffrin has seems the right size? She squints at it, not entirely sure - tools were such weird things sometimes. ]

That looks right, come back around for now. We'll deal with the rest of it later.

[ She could already feel a rise of agitation in the air and not just her own. But it didn't help, really. ]

[Siffrin looks between Klefki and Archnemon... aaaand decides that Archnemon is the person they're going to be working with for at least the next few hours. She's right, anyway!]

[Back to Dodrio they go! The bird Pokemon is tapping their foot impatiently, but each of the heads opens their beak to take a tool, and the middle head even remembers to say a perfunctory,] Thank you, [before it takes the auger.]

[Before anyone can return to Klefki, though, the next person in line is already up. Bulbasaur is resting her forelegs on the side of the wagon and peeking over the edge with her vines raised.] I need some more hammers. We had some break on us over the past few days.

[And indeed, she's got some splintered hammers to turn in, for repairs later. (Who knows when they'll have time.) But at least the replacement hammers are an easy request! Siffrin dashes off to get them.]

Whoever was using these got excitable... or maybe they were made too flimsy? Tch...

[ She'll handle very carefully the exchange of the broken ones, briefly scanning them though it's not that she knows how to fix that... in any case, there should be some sort of box these go in right? Maybe just over here, so they're not mixing with anything that is still good. Just needs some kind of sign. Ugh.

Klefki's still muttering to itself as it pulls itself together, back there, seeing Siffrin come back around but clearly too focused on whatever task they're doing. The hammers at least are in an easily retrievable spot, this time. ]

[Siffrin thinks to snag a sack on the way this time, filling it with hammers and dragging the whole thing back with them. Much more efficient! They dangle it over the edge for Bulbasaur to dig through and pick out the hammers she needs.]

Just a little bit! [Bulbasaur confesses cheerfully as her vines shuffle through the hammers.] But we've gotten a lot of construction done too!

[ Look at them go, gaining levels in practicality or something. ]

It's surprising how quickly it's coming together. Almost like they must have had plans ready before this was found, no?

[ Small talk is hard. Look at her, trying it. It's keeping things going, at least. She can't picture herself doing this sort of thing in her previous life unless being specifically ordered, and even more reluctantly.

There's a sandshrew that rolls in line just behind the Bulbasaur still selecting the hammers, ensuring that the next order will be coming up just as quickly. ]

[Siffrin waits to respond until Bulbasaur is finished picking out hammers and they can haul the sack back into the wagon and let go of it.]

It sounded like we were just going to keep going until we found somewhere that made sense to build...

[They're not sure if that's what Archnemon means, but...]

I wonder what Mightyena would have done if we started running out of supplies...?

[Bulbasaur backs off, merrily holding many, many hammers above her head. Here comes Sandshrew!]

[ She can understand traveling and building things to a fault, but they'd also... spent a considerable amount of time surveying those areas! Plotting strategic points. Not... whatever this was. Moving along hoping to just... build a new hideout? A home away from home? ]

Well, likely would have sent everyone back to the city base and started over.

[ That question seems easier than turning over the rest of it. While Sandshrew -- ... has not, in fact, stopped their rolling. That's the corner of the wagon they're about to make contact with. ]

Hey -!

[ It's only a light bump as it wobbles, but there's a muffled 'Hey!' from the Klefki as well. ]

'Sorry! Sorry! I just need a new saw handle? It's shaped like a loop.'

[Wow that sure is a weird burst of panic out of literally nowhere in reaction to the word 'loop!']

[Outwardly, Siffrin doesn't react - they drape their paws over the edge of the wagon again and peer down at Sandshrew.] How big? Do you have the saw with you...?

"Oh- here it is!"

[ Sandshrew uncurls, carefully, making it easier to see that shiny metallic part as the sun glints off of the tool. Clank.

The unveiling of the saw coincides with something else. At the weird sense of panic added to the malaise, her headache gives a brief flare as she sways to the side, managing to keep herself hanging on to the wagon with a timely curl of her hair. ]

Ugh...

[ Don't mind her. ]

[Siffrin eyes the saw and nods - they have seen a matching handle, just recently. They're pretty sure it was...]

[But when they turn around, Hatenna is swaying.]

[They are minding her. They are minding her very much, both because Ribombee wanted them to keep an eye on her but also just because they're concerned.]

Are you okay?? [Clearly not, Siffrin, you idiot.] What's wrong?

[Meanwhile, for any psychic emotion readers around... fortunately, Siffrin's spike of panic has faded as their brain catches up to the word meaning something entirely different. Unfortunately, it is now time to contend with their ａｎｘｉｅｔｙ about Hatenna.]

Tch, I'm -- I'm fine.

[ Perhaps not nearly as convincing as she'd prefer. It's a combination of factors, those aches she insisted on pushing through, these new headaches, those emotions, just swirling around and around the whole time. Ugh. Stupid new body. She didn't ask for this! ]

It's you! This -- these feelings, it has to be you, you've been here the whole time--

[ That makes no sense without giving context but it's hard to stop when hitting a certain point of tirade. Also probably doesn't help someone with guilt issues so she'll probably regret that immediately but she's new at this- ]

[Huh??]

[Confusion and alarm for you, Archnemon!]

What feelings?

[They're... getting a bad feeling about what Hatenna means.]

[ Has she said too much already? Probably. She hates that it feels like an obvious weakness, but she still has to spell it out for people. Probably because of everything she's avoiding, herself! What a cycle.]

... Oh, are you not sure? You're feeling perfectly well, nothing bothering you at all, today?

[ When in doubt, sarcasm deflection...? No? ]

Ugh, just finish helping the customer with the saw problem first...

[ She hasn't registered whether or not if had been taken care of yet. ]

August Catch-All

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gently... swaps how Siffrin is thinking of Archnemon in tags now that I know she's going by Hatenna

to be fair she never... introduced herself...

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