Task - Construction Junction

“And why exactly are you helping out with this whole… endeavour?”

Eulia didn’t need to turn back to Clive to know what expression was on his face, something she was more than thankful for as he was starting to get on her nerves more than usual. 

It wasn’t that she wasn’t thankful for his want to join Team Allure, goodness knows she and Aleksei could use a bit more manpower around to start climbing the ranks the rest of the GCSF Teams had over them and gain something like renown around the islands, but did he really have to have the attitude about everything all the time? 

He was starting to get on her nerves with how much he questioned their decisions and what Eulia decided the team should do with their time.

“We are helping with the construction efforts because if we’re going to live here we need to help out with the community however we can.” Eulia forced their voice to be light and unconcerned, betraying none of her ideas about smacking her underling with a resonating Bug Buzz sounding sweeter by the second. “Besides, we have a duty to help out those that need it, being Bounty Hunters isn’t just about fighting criminals, it’s helping the Pokémon of Ethovalon however we can.”

She hides her smile, listening to Clive huff to himself behind her. They knew the honour bound noble wouldn’t be able to dismiss the “duty” she’d signed him up for as part of their Team. A promise, even if made by someone else for him, wasn’t something Clive Brairwood would ever dare to break.

So predictable.

“But I don’t know how to build anything.” If Eulia wasn’t already containing how incredibly smug she was feeling, she would have cracked up laughing at Clive’s near petulant tone. “How am I supposed to help with anything that’s going on?”

Instead of laughing like they wanted to, they would save that for when they met back up with Aleksei, wherever her partner and co-leader had gotten off to in the mass of construction and building happening in this newly blossoming part of town, Eulia kept their expression serene and blank, turning to face Clive head-on.

The Snow Continent native was as dressed up as he usually was, completely out of place amongst those around them dressed and prepared to do some heavy work, coat large and flaring at the waist, sleeves long and puffed at the cuff and that pristine white defining his family’s wealth.

Clive was pouting.

Oh Eulia was sure he’d never admit it and that if they pointed it out he’d start a whole other argument with them, so she refrained. Admitting to not knowing something was hard enough for her newest (only) recruit, she wouldn’t push him too much.

(He might leave if she did and Eulia didn’t want to consider what a failure of a leader that would make her, it’d been hard enough to even get a recruit for the Team she couldn’t ruin this for them.)

“Then find a different way to help out.” She said instead, tone light and unconcerned, treating the suggestion as an easy thing. “Not everyone’s building, find another way to help out.” Clive only rolled his eyes before staring at them pointedly. Eulia resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him, or to do something more drastic. Really, must he always be so difficult? “You’re strong right?” His exaggerated nod had her hands twitching at her side so she placed one on her hip before it could clench into a fist. “Then how about carrying supplies to where they’re needed? Does that sound like something you can handle?”

It’s a taunt, a veiled one yes but a taunt all the same and it has Clive’s ears pinning back against his skull in irritation.

They wait, staring down the other and waiting for him to do something.

“I shall see where my abilities are needed then.” Clive said, posture stiff. Then he nodded once more to them tensely, turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Eulia on her own amongst the bustle of work.

Waiting until Clive was well out of earshot, Eulia sighed heavily, shoulders slumping heavily.

“Why couldn’t we have recruited a perfectly lovely teammate?” They grumbled to themself, hand rising to pinch the bridge of their nose. “Arceus give me strength.”

Situation handled and teammate sent off to do some kind of work Eulia turned back to their own task at hand, ferrying food and cool drinks around to those building. Despite all of their attitude they were still a Cutiefly and treated as such no matter which of her forms they were in, unable to escape the assumptions that came with their delicate wings and slighter size. 

Eulia wasn’t going to let it get them down though, not when there was work to be done.

Being underestimated hadn’t stopped them yet, it wouldn’t stop them now. 

Eulia fluttered her wings, the delicate, transparent membranes beating the air quicker than a heartbeat lifted them easily into the air, collection of lunches and drink bottles in tow, and started off towards the building scaffold she’d been pointed towards by those giving out supplies to be carried to the builders.

The scaffold was starting to resemble a small house more and more with each passing hour. 

It was an odd sight to Eulia, who had grown up in a town that had stayed the same since their grandparents days, they’d never seen a building being constructed, had never watched how different pieces of materials fit together to make something that would be someone’s home.

They wondered who these houses were for.

Were they for the various Teams joining the GCSF? For those seeking refuge on the island? Were they for individuals that hadn’t even arrived yet, being created early to wait for when they were needed?

They highly doubted it was the last one, there was far too much needed already for that, but still the idea of more and more Pokémon coming to live here was… a notion they didn’t know how to respond to at that moment. She wasn’t always fond of new presences, especially to the place she calls home, so the idea of new individuals coming here had a lot of potential for bad news.

But that’s why she and Aleksei had left home to join the GCSF as a Bounty Hunter team, to become strong enough to defend their home against whatever and whoever came their way.

Starting her descent to their first destination Eulia noticed Clive below, the Galar Ponyta was looking less than thrilled with what he was doing but he was still helping out by carrying lumber to where it needed to be.

Good. Perhaps he’d work out on their Team after all.

Only time would tell if the stuck up Pokémon would settle and relax with them or if she and Aleksei would end up trying to give Clive a black eye after he said something a bit too out of place.

Eulia hoped, for the team if nothing else, that he would.

She cast her focus back to their own task at hand. “Got a delivery for the hard workers~ Lunch and cool drinks are served so be sure to take a break!”