Tarah
❥───────────────────── 🦚 Cerul 🦚 


꧁~ Cerul had brought so much stuff to this drab town, it was just all moved now to Silas' damn mansion. Cerul had brought most of his wardrobe's worth of jewelry, lots of papers, her fair share of books, and more. It had all been crammed into two inns worth of room, and now it was moved to the upgraded room. SIlas' mansion was 100% less money than staying in an inn, and it had more comfortable beds and furniture! It was a steal~! So what if he had to put up with Silisp???

◈ **"Hfff..."** And yet... Cerul still wasn't happy with the town. In only a couple weeks Cerul had been arrested, had to break and enter, and was ROBBED by some feral axe wielding cat!!! 'Of course such lowly behavior came from such a lowly town', Cerul thought... All the stress was probably causing wrinkles... Arceus forbid Cerul gets crows feet ONTOP of already having bird feet. 

◈ **"What am I going to doooo..."** Cerul moped, staring at a mirror and droning ooon and ooon. Woe is her. **"Carlisle, I'm not getting stress marks, am I?"** Cerul turned to face his number one and *Only* Personal Butler with a stressed gloom.




❥───────────────────── 💎 Aetris 💎
Kim
Following closely yet not _too_ closely behind the Aetris heir was the loyal Carlisle, who paced behind Cerul with a seemingly permanent smile. Carried under the Breloom's shoulder was an open basket of fresh greens and Aguav berries. Ever since they arrived in Wisterwood, Cerul had faced misfortune, and with Cerul-related misfortune came a higher density of Sitrus and Aguav based dishes. Carlisle had orders by the senior Aetrises to make sure Cerul maintained a proper diet, but all parties understood that Cerul's mood often dictated how willing he was to eat balanced meals rather than.. Purely Sitrus dishes. Still, the Breloom had gotten decent at preparing these meals with some added nutrition snuck in. 

As Cerul turned to Carlisle with a question, the butler would stop in his tracks and attentively analyze Cerul. With slightly exaggerated movements, he put both his claws together to form a faux camera border, gazing at Cerul through it. After a moment, the Breloom's claws separated, and one offered the Altaria a thumbs up. "Picture perfect as of right now, Young Meister." 

While his smile never faded, he offered his insight. "The proper means to avoid stress marks is, of course, to negate stressors. You've been through quite a lot in our short time here, but unexpected detours aside, the work you put in thus far has been commendable." 

As he spoke, he was already pulling out a piece of paper from his satchel. Cerul would probably recognize it as the list of business she had in Wisterwood, kept with Carlisle in case anything happened. Expanding the business queries was like a domino effect; the once extremely small paper multiplied over and over as the total list nearly touched the ground, like that stupid Spongebob gif. Looks like they were far from done here in Fey.

Carlisle cleared his throat, something he did often before making a point of something. "Thanks to your due diligence in tending to the first dozen or so deliveries, the only fast approaching due date would be... An important book query from Mrs. Sartha Mewart nearby, due for Tuesday of next week." 

It didn't even look like Carlisle was paying a ton of attention to the list itself, making full eye contact with Cerul. Did he just have all these deliveries memorized? 

"This is all to say that you can afford to take a day off. Perhaps two!" Carlisle summarized. "I understand you wish to leave Wisterwood as soon as possible, but you mustn't disregard maintaining your status in favour of overwork. What do you say to taking a relaxing bath at the mansion? I happened upon some surprisingly exquisite Nutpea berry oil used for skin care. Of course, I'll see to inquiring with Mr. Jalorda about lending you his estate's boudoir afterwards."

As elegant as Carlisle sounded, his words also came off as rather methodical. His words were the result of an internal checklist Carlisle perpetually added and removed from in his head, which could be aptly called the Cerul Care Checklist. Nothing was to be forgotten. Every need must be accounted for. That was the attentive nature of this Breloom.
Tarah
❥───────────────────── 🦚 Cerul 🦚 


꧁~ Cerul contemplated Carlisle's words, staring at him to squeeze out any lies or deception... And decided that he was right, Cerul didn't look that far gone from perfect. She still did a once over in the mirror once more before giving a hyperbolic sight of relief, and running a cloudy wing through her two head feathers. Carlisle might be the only person on earth who Cerul actually listened to a majority of the time! Most of Cerul's meetings with Fenix were of her accidentally phasing everything out and gawking at the Typlosion instead... Nope! Only Carlisle. Cerul didn't *Care* If Carlisle was just on a payroll, he was the only butler Cerul had, and the singular soul who even tolerated the altaria!

◈ **"You're right, haaah... I look down right fabulous, don't I~..."** Cerul said to his reflection, tweening the mirror small so it only focused on Cerul and not Carlisle. 

◈ As Carlisle talked, and Cerul listened, the word 'stressor' sent a strange pang through Cerul. The only STRESSOR was that *Vile* Hoax of a sherif... Even thinking about Anonymous made Cerul make an audible *'tch'* **"You are right, I have been through too much here... First that idiotic stone faced good for nothing law enforcer-!"** Carlisle had certainly heard this string of insults a few dozen times. **"Oh, that cat too, and one of Fenix's robots ugh... I swear I thought this place was supposed to be a quiet little rundown dirt mound..."** Cerul was spiteful towards most Magearnas, mostly because Fenix typically liked them more than Cerul.

꧁~ It didn't take a lot to get Cerul mad. It did, however, take a lot to ingrain oneself in her memory. Anonymous, Torstein, among others, did that at an accelerated pace. Gold stars for all of them, really!
.

꧁~ Cerul watched as the name list rolled out, and nodded knowingly at what it meant. Cerul must have tackled a little over half the names by now? Well, at least from what Cerul had remembered. 

◈ **"But taking a day off is just so... Blegh"** Cerul enjoyed relaxing; only after getting some things done first. Cerul hates not feeling accomplished. Even if the task he did was minuscule, doing something looked better than just lounging around and not doing something. ***"There's always that no good mission board."*** Cerul muttered, the reward for finishing the last one and finding some tree killing culprit was so minimal, it left Cerul feeling bored.

◈ **"Mmmm"** Cerul filled a brief silence with a humming noise. DO NOT ASK how birds hum, you won't like the answer... **"Nutpea oil would really add a glisten to my feathers~, wouldn't it?"** Cerul asked, semi-rhetorically, as she glanced back to the mirror. 


❥───────────────────── 💎 Aetris 💎
Kim
"Undoubtedly so, Meister Cerul," Carlisle responded amicably to the Nutpea berry comment before returning to the matter at hand. 

Carlisle's blue irises peered at Cerul through the smile, contemplating the "Correct" Response. Defying Cerul's wishes were always out of the question unless her order was superseded by his parents' own commands. Alone with just Cerul, Carlisle was relegated to his own free thoughts and will. One might think this was ample opportunity to get payback, or find a way to abandon the bird. This however was far from Carlisle's motive; in fact, it only served to strengthen his resolve to find the best outcome. If Cerul didn't wish to take the day off, then—

"Leave the sheriffs and cats to their dirt mound; you shan't belittle yourself by allowing them room in your head," He suggested. "Understanding the futile squirming of the lower class is also the duty of the nobility. Their petty squabbles with you are irrelevant to your great future."

First, acknowledgement of Cerul's turmoil was in order. First the carrot, then the stick. 

"To that end, if you wish to remain productive, might I suggest a round through the market plaza? Fey marketplaces are indeed lacking in luxuries, though I have found some trinkets of interest not found in other territories. Something the senior Meisters would find worthy of being gifted, perchance?"

Essentially Carlisle was proposing they head through the marketplace and look for a gift or two for Cerul's parents. Being as rich as they are, the Aetrises often had no need for luxuries they could easily obtain. Nothing was really out of their price range. However, this made trinkets and treasures unavailable in Neone valuable in their own way: the only thing that could satisfy such gluttonous nobility of their caliber was a true surprise.
Tarah
❥───────────────────── 🦚 Cerul 🦚 


꧁~ That's what Cerul liked to hear. She lived for validation, reveled in it! It made the pretentious peacock feel infinitely better, like he was *Invincible*, a shiny blue diamond among the rough dirt and coarse filth in this wretched town. At least Carlisle agreed with her... She was better than these low life country bumpkins. Hmph!

◈ **"If I forget what those two did, then when they eventually get just desserts it's not as satisfying..."** Cerul scoffed, but simply accepted what Carlisle said as fact. Maybe it was better just to leave them squirming around like the worms they were~.

꧁~ Cerul didn't like his parents... Of course, they gave him everything he reasonably should need. Food, money, shelter, hell even a Butler. Unlike Carlisle, Cerul's parents never struck that chord of validation... Nary did Cerul get a 'good job' from them, only ever dumping more work on her. Such as that long list Carlisle held!

꧁~ The mentions of the market made Cerul visibly react. A very hard blink as Cerul's tiny little rich Pokémon brain remembered that she had been there recently. Carlisle was right! Cerul had found a number of things worth while there. 

◈ **"Then how about I add that to my daily agenda, oh where did that thing go-"** Cerul patted his wing around the desk he was doing makeup at, even though Carlisle probably had it... Cerul had a tendency do dump smaller things onto Carlisle for carrying... Cerul started to wonder aloud what would even impress his parents. The family had a custom jewel maker, clothing sewer, and more. Despite Cerul not having the strongest relationship with her parents, she still sought their praise. **"I haven't overdone my budget yet, have I?"**

꧁~ Budget is a funny word. For rich people, a budget could be somemon's entire life savings. Cerul's 'fuck you' money earnings was denser than any stone on the planet, but it had been disturbed by that dreadful jail fee.


❥───────────────────── 💎 Aetris 💎
Kim
Carlisle remained perfectly still during Cerul's words, simply listening intently. One had to remember that Carlisle's listening was selective by design; it focused on problem-solving rather than emotion. What may have come off as him listening to every word, was more than likely just him taking Cerul's words as a way to measure how far away he was from a current or future crisis. 

It didn't take very long at all for Cerul's agenda to be presented to her with a polite bow. "Here you are," The Breloom said simply. 

Carlisle twitched at the mention of Cerul's budget. They weren't in dire straits, but Cerul's parents tended to give Cerul a "Limited" Amount of funding during deliveries. Maybe there was a reason for that? Visas weren't a thing in this world, so while Cerul had infinite money at home, in order to use it they'd have to return to Neone. Which would, of course, get in the way of their time quota. 

"You haven't a need to worry," Carlisle assured him. "Your finances for this venture aren't in the red, and even the highest selling items in Fey wouldn't be enough to cause concern."

This was true; Fey's economy was much more lax than Neone's, so things weren't nearly as expensive here. 

"Beyond the cost, it may be prudent to seek items by their value as a rarity rather than their cost. The Meisters can purchase anything they see, thus making it important we find something they wouldn't see. To that end..."

The Breloom left a hint of silence to add some suspense. 

"... I happened upon a shop during your mission," He said, referencing the whole missing trees mission he wasn't around for. "They deal in ornate wood carvings, statuettes and other such novelties. Wood-based art is quite interesting, don't you agree?"

Wood wasn't exactly as important to Neone as it was Fey, in fact you'd have to travel quite a bit to even see a speck of green in the entire city. Wood was probably imported, but even then due to Neone's technology, there wasn't a lot of it being bought and sold. Woodworking as an occupation barely existed in any capacity there, in favour of masonry and plastics, leaving artistic wood carvings obsolete. 

"They were struggling when I spoke to them, due to the issue with that tree-thief. I wager you could gain a hefty discount by virtue of having saved their business."
Tarah
❥───────────────────── 🦚 Cerul 🦚 


◈ **"Of course they wouldn't~. Have you seen this place? I'm shocked it hasn't been boughten up and turned into some business partner's back yard."** Cerul said arrogantly, treating this town not like it was a home to several people, but as if it were a purchasable object. A tax write off.

꧁~ As they say, ignorance is bliss~. Cerul was happy so long as she believed that there were people who would listen. Cerul didn't have any friends nor family who'd listen, the only person who he perceived did was Carlisle. It was sad... But as a famous book once said "I hope she'll be a fool—that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool", and Cerul embodied that. As they say, ignorance is bliss...

꧁~ Cerul nodded, eating up every word Carlilse gave her and still trying to take more. Rich people, despite having everything in terms of wealth, always craved more. Some craved money. Cerul was different. He craved more people paying attention to him. Was it popularity she craved? The pompous bird seemed to make it appear that way for certain.

◈ **"Good, that rotten bail bill didn't hit a dent in** ***My*** **Money."** The word 'my' is misplaced! This was not Cerul's money! It was her parents. 

◈ **"Rarity?"** Cerul asked in confusion. Was Carlisle insane? Money was everyone? Who cared if your rock was rare if it wasn't dazzling and made with precious gold and silver~. But... Cerul supposed that if the breloom said it, it was true. 

◈ **"If we are heading out, do you mind handing me my necklace? It should be somewhere in my luggage..."** Cerul tried to attach the gems that went onto his head feathers, and it took a couple seconds before they clipped on. Cloud wings aren't nimble enough to put on Cerul's custom jewelry very easily. ***"I wouldn't be seen dead without it..."*** She mumbled.




❥───────────────────── 💎 Aetris 💎