Baba's Poffins

Noir was often sent out to wander endlessly for his missions. Investigate this, find that person, document this. It was what most would consider both an overwhelming and also absolutely underwhelming life style.  He sighed heavily as he was sent out once more and once more was returning from his mission but he found himself just, wandering He was tired, and he wasn't sure if it was mental or physical but he could not return to Isaiah like this and show off this kind of weakness. His shoulders slumped with an untold exhaustion and he knew he had bags under his eyes, he was simply being run ragged. He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck and ran fingers through his own hair. He had cut his own hair after his recent rejections of the man he had been seeking, maybe he was just more desperate ever since Adrian had rejected him? That had been a few years ago but now he was fruitlessly crushing on the same man who constantly scooped him off from sleeping on the streets and into his house but couldn't even remember his face. Was it pathetic? Was he pathetic? His brows furrowed as he continued to walk, listening to the silence of the forest around him as he continued to move forward and moving a hand to grab the pokeball out of his pocket, rolling it between his fingers as he stared at the vibrant grass and flowers instead of ahead of him and maybe if he had he would realize how far off the beaten path he was, in fact, there was no longer a path to speak of. He finally clicked the pokeball, watching it expand before popping open and he paused to face his own partner, really, the only one he needed. The noivern blinked slowly, eyes adjusting to the gloom before looking down at his trainer and snuffling his hair with a delighted trill and Noir sunk his hands and then his face into their fluffy ruffle for a moment. He noticed how the Noivern glanced around before he did so himself, hesitantly removing his face from the soft fur before he let out a quiet "Oh." at realizing just how lost he was. "..Perhaps we should try to find some help." He murmured, rubbing a hand into the soft fur of the noivern again as he walked forward with them following dutifully. 

It was an untold amount of time in the dim forest, only lit by the glowing plants before he stumbled upon a little cottage, almost literally. He tripped over a branch that seemed to be almost growing out of the pop up stall and looked around, bewildered as he heard a cheery, kind grandmotherly voice call out to him. "Hello, Dearie~ Watch your steps 'round these parts. Lots of trees!" She said before cackling at her own joke and before Noir could respond, he watched as Reaper tottered over to the grandmother, almost instantly enamored as she crooned at him and ran her fingers over his face in a way that made the Noivern purr joyfully as his trainer dusted himself off and walked over, looking around. It was most certainly some type of shop, right here in the middle of the Gloam and it somehow was not out of place. He looked over the various trinkets she was selling, realizing he carried no money and so as he watched his noivern dutifully swallow a plain poffin before he could stop him. "Ah... Shi-- I mean, crud, I don't have a wallet on me." He said sheepishly. The woman's eyes almost seemed to twinkle mischeviously in the dim light of the forest. "Now now, I didn't say anything about payment, but if you want to pay me, why not pay yourself?" She mused and her convuluted way of speech made Noir's head throb. "What do you mean?" He said trying not to sigh as he pulled his partner pokemon away gently by the ruff as he sniffed a bright pink poffin next. "I mean what I said. You look troubled, dear. All your thoughts and emotions in a knot! Why don't you pay yourself for my troubles and go work yourself out of the knot you're in, hmm?" She said and Noir just stared, blankly.

"You want me to... Meditate? Or something?" He asked gently, trying to not offend the old woman if he misunderstood as he ran a nervous hand over the noivern's neck and was licked in responde. "Ahh, that's a good word for it! There's a beautiful spot right in that clearing over there, that'd be perfect!" She exclaimed, pointing at a clearing Noir could have sworn was not there before. "Now, off you go! I got baking to do." She said with a cackle and turned her back on him with a waving hand and not wanting to upset the old lady, Noir walked over to it despite how baffled he felt. As he walked into the clearing and settled down under the shade of a tree, he sagged against the cool bark as Reaper settled down beside him in a loaf like fashion and laid his head across his trainer's lap, providing a welcome warmth and weight. He closed his eyes to focus, to meditate. His brain swam like a rapid current as he tried to make his thoughts coherent and he sighed heavily again as he relaxed. He somehow didn't doze off as he ran through and shuffled his thoughts, his mistakes, his errors. As he came down to the end of it and opened his eyes, he somehow felt... Rested? As he rubbed his eyes and sat up more, waking up Reaper who had fallen asleep, he looked around in alarm to realize he wasn't where he had meditated at. He was in a clearing, but from there, he could see a familiar road leading out-- The road to brookfell. The grandmother was gone, the original clearing, and he saw Reaper pluck something off his lap and start chewing. A freshly made poffin. He smiled gently, gratitude flooding him. "Guess grandmothers will be grandmothers, huh?" He teased as he ruffled the Noivern and stood up and stretched. "We should get back before Isaiah wonders if I'm still worth paying, Reaper, put those wings to use buddy." Reaper squawked joyfully, spreading his wings as Noir got on his back before taking off when the man mounted him. He fell asleep on his back, his brain finally untroubled enough to allow it.