It was the duty of a clan leader to ensure the safety of their people, to seek the best for them until their journey’s end. Irida had taken her job very seriously, serving the Pearl Clan well after her tenure as leader had ended, and even looking out for them in the twilight of life. Until the last generation of Pearls she’d fostered found their own rest, Irida lingered, content see her duty through until the very end.

Which was why it was odd that now, so long after the division of the Pearl and Diamond clans had bled across the [lines], she opened her eyes to Almighty Sinnoh’s plane.

[…]

So caught up in the foreign sights, she failed to notice the pair of giggling children tearing off into the distance.

—

Even if she hadn’t been a spectator to the day’s events, Irida would have been able to tell it had been a difficult one from the manic edge to Emma’s smile. If she understood correctly, both sisters had reports due to the local Professor they studied under, and it wasn’t going well; the fact that they’d taken on duties beyond education only compounded the matter.

So when a patron crossed the threshold from one of their assigned railway cars to the next with a [?], “–prettier if you smiled.” it stood to reason that neither would take it well.

Irma, still visible through the closing door, frowned over her shoulder; it stirred something at the back of Irida’s mind, but the recollection was lost as Emma straightened up in full and too-cheerfully chimed, “Is something the matter, sir?”

Through the visible sliver, Irma’s eyes widened and she began to scramble nearer.

The man waved Emma off, trying to force his way past, but Emma neatly sidestepped, keeping herself firmly in his path. “Are you certain nothing is wrong? I find that our patrons are far more likely to abuse the staff when upset. Or they’re simply as–”

A hand clapped loudly over Emma’s mouth; with a horribly artificial, forced smile, Irma said, “Please return to your seat, sir. We’ll be arriving in [w/e] in short order.”

Without waiting to see if he complied, she dragged her twin to the previous car.

Though she couldn’t do anything to alert the girls if he chose not to heed the instructions, Irida watched to ensure that he sat down before following her charges.

“–call a passenger an asshole to their face!”

“He had no issue insulting you to yours.”

[this eventually turns into the ‘just another day that makes you wish you were a man, am I right?’/[agreement]/’Uh, besties? That’s not normal’ bit]

—

Grinning in genuine delight, Emma nudged her sister with an elbow, “Go on. You know you want to.”

“Ah,” Irma flushed, ducking to obscure the [flustered] tilt of her mouth and a portion of the blush behind one hand, “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather…?”

“I would, but oh no!” With a dramatic dip into Irma’s shoulder, Emma swept one hand up to her forehead, knocking her uniform’s cap askew, “First dibs rightfully go to my beloved older sister.”

As the last stragglers made their way off, Irma bumped a cheek against the top of Emma’s hat, then shook her off so she could stand properly and drew a deep breath.

“ALL ABOAAAARD!”

Several puzzle pieces abruptly clicked into place.