The Conductor (Jolteon x Vaporeon)

Chapter 67 - Joy

A sweet, familiar, homely aroma wafted through the air, filling the half awake pokemon in the hideout with pleased, sleepy smiles.

Quietly, keeping his head forward, Tempest went to sit in the middle of the den with everyone else, finding an empty space in the circle of his friends. As expected, Aria and Orenji were bickering furiously, a strange tension in the air as their personalities clashed. Ash and Skye couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle, both turning their attention to Tempest as his vivid yellow fur entered their view. Ash was the first to speak up, the dark circles under his eyes betraying the huge grin he had on his face.

"Morning, bud! Lookin' good!" The Flareon said, his voice deep and croaky. Skye nodded in agreement, her long neck bending as she did.

"Bet it feels good gettin' all squeaky clean, aye?"

Tempest bashfully scratched the back of his head, crossing his legs as he sat. He hadn't expected a simple bath to change his appearance so notably.

"Y-yeah, I feel great. I had no idea I needed to shower so badly," Tempest chuckled, earning amused huffs from Skye and Ash. Aria and Orenji had also paused their argument, both turning to greet the Jolteon with huge grins.

"Tempest! It's good to see you walking again!" Aria chimed in, her voice somehow unaffected by morning grogginess. Despite her penchant for Chesto berries, she was somehow always the most awake and alert, even right after waking up. "How do you feel? Sore? Stiff? Anything feeling off to you?"

Tempest could list a number of things that felt off to him, but none of them were related to his physical state of being, and he wasn't about to disclose his inner turmoil with his feelings to the rest of the room. With a quiet smile, Tempest shook his head, reassuring Aria that he was fine.

"A little stiff, but that's just something to walk off, I suppose. I feel good as new, thank you for asking, Aria."

"..Good to see you taking care of yourself, friend," Orenji added quietly, sharing a knowing gaze with Tempest. The Jolteon nodded, glancing over towards the kitchen station to make sure Vanessa wasn't within earshot, before leaning in slightly. It didn't do much, as Orenji was across the circle from him, but it somehow felt more conspiratorial.

"It's nice to take care of yourself, who'd've guessed? Speaking of taking care of things, how's your most recent 'project' going?"

Tempest slipped his question in as casually and subtly as possible, in a way that only Orenji would pick up on it. None of the others in the circle seemed to care. The Lycanroc grinned, feeling a spark of joy as he matched Tempest's lean. He felt like a young pup, sharing secrets amongst peers in a cryptic, hidden cant.

"..Quite well. I see it being complete in maybe another hour? Less if I don't take any breaks or get interrupted," Orenji said with a soft chuckle, his demeanor a bit more sociable than usual, though that was hardly a noticeable change to Tempest, given the short amount of time he'd been conscious.

"Really? Well, I wish you the best with it. I hope it comes out absolutely spectacular, whatever it is. A lot of the things you do are.. far too technical for my understanding," Tempest said with a forced laugh. While it was simply pointless, directionless small talk to cover up their hidden exchange, there was truth in the fact that he had a hard time understanding a lot of what Orenji did - even when directly shown first hand. "I just read books."

"..Books are good. A great way to achieve an advanced understanding of many things. You just have to read the right ones."

Orenji's emerald eyes sparkled, his silence almost somewhat inspirational. If it had lingered for a moment longer, the impact would have set in, but the sentiment behind his words was quickly wiped away as the primal urge of hunger swept over the crowd's minds - or rather their stomachs. However, just in the nick of time, like an angel from above, a voice called out from afar;