[X] My Assistant

[Ceilni]

The morning brought a small amount of rain, Although it was surprisingly clear for such a misty rain. The dark purple tent hadn't let any water in and the smooth surface of a large flat underlying rock gave a nice level surface that the tent wouldn't start to slide off of. Many branch's of many trees were drooping with the weight of water, and even on some, ice. It was a fairly warm morning so the ice was melting quickly and because of the fire pokemon in the tent, it stayed fairly warm inside during the night. There was a thick canopy of leaves above them but light snuck through in rays that one might have only seen in nature shows. The view from a nearby cliffside however showed that another large storm was heading over.

The morning air was filled with the smell of rain, forestry, and dew. The ground was mostly muddy, but the thick layer of leaves, twigs, and other forestry made it much less so if you didn't could the disgusting squish which came up once you stepped on aforementioned layer. The tree's were brown with patches of red, blue, and green with many different kinds of mushrooms and mold. Moss even in some places. Other then the beautiful view which brought the frightening thought of another large storm which was quickly heading towards the tent from the direction they had just come from, which meant the rain followed them, it was a beautiful view not ruined by anything that nature had snuck towards that way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Darci blinked, her eyes very light with no sleep. She had been awake since quite a while ago. Looking around, everyone else seemed to be asleep too. She slowly got up, slightly chilled by the slight dampness of her dress, mostly dry from the heat of the tent. She stretched, wincing as she felt her arm and the cut on her forehead sting.

"Nyeheh..." She blurted out a strange sound showing her dislike of the pain before getting on all fours and crawling to her backpack. Making sure everyone else was asleep, she pulled out her black tank top and black slacks, a clean pair which she had kept in her waterproof bag. The dull throb of her morning headaches banged on her skull like a japanese drum. Groaning quietly, she slipped out of her black nightgown and changed into her tank top and slacks. Pulling out another article of clothing, she pulled out a gothic long-sleeved ankle length silken coat which had black fur as trim on the ends of the sleeves, the bottom and up where it zipped up, and around the collar, and put it on.

"Hoo..." She turned quickly to see Hoothoot flail it's wings for a moment before rolling over. She chuckled.

"Silly." She said, giving a sad smile before slipping on some black socks and her slightly damp black and white converse. Taking a black bow hair clip from her coat pocket she clipped it onto the left side of her head, a small black bow making it's appearance on her early morning traveling attire. She looked around, looking at everyone else, who were sleeping, and slipped out the tent, surprised that the mist didn't make it through to where the tent was. She supposed that the hard rain punched through the protection of the thick cover of leaves above, but the mist couldn't. It was going to be a total pain, but she needed to start a fire and cook something for everyone when they woke up. After half an hour of searching, she noticed that the sun was just about to come out.

'Was it really that early?'

She thought to herself before turning away and piling up the, only slightly damp, wood she had finally found in a small rock cave she had found yesterday when trying to find a place to set up a tent. It was too small to fit a tent and was an old den of an Usuring, so she didn't want to mess with it until morning when she could see if it was occupied or not. She took the matches she had grabbed from her bag and attempt to light the twigs. After a minute or two of trying, she succeeded and the fire sluggishly started. She was extremely overjoyed at this since she was really hoping she could light it, even if it was fairly humid. Then, she started on breakfast. She started to walk towards the tent, and checked her cellphone clock.

6:14

Moving into the tent, she noticed the two were sleeping still. She was thankful that was could move silently around the tent and opened the big section of her backpack which held all non-pokemon related things. Which happened to be a lot. She took out a pack of instant soup, two small traveling pots, and a bottle of water. Darci smiled happily as she poured water in the first pot, closed it up, and set it right in the fire. The second remained waiting. The water slowly started to boil and she put the instant soup mix (with shriveled dried meat bits) in the second pot, pouring in the boiling water before setting that too, in the fire while leaving the pot which held the water on a nearby rock to cool. In about ten minutes, the soup would be ready and would give barely three people, a bowl of a decent amount of soup. She looked over to the nearby cliff side and saw the sun just starting to come out from behind the wall of rain. She smiled, and took out her phone, taking a picture of it before putting it away, and waited for everyone to wake up.

Dear Jesus that was a long post

[Red Kitten]

Small, but persistently bright rays of sun pierced DC's eyelids as soon as they began to filter in through the tent. It wasn't long before she was awake, well maybe not so much awake, but at least conscious. She could feel the warmth of her Pokemon beside her, the fresh humidity in the air, and hear the cries of birds all around her. The forest seemed unbelievably quiet to DC for some reason. Then she remembered the monstrous rainstorm from last night and how the sound of the droplets striking solid matter had been deafening. No wonder everything seemed so peaceful now! Vaguely, DC though she could also hear the sounds of someone up and about around the tent, either Darci or Sora, but not likely both of them, as she could also hear the sound of soft, slow breathing near her. DC was aware that this was probably her cue to get moving, but the seduction of sleep prevented her from opening her eyes just yet. Instead, she gave a hearty stretch with her arms and legs, and was swiftly reminded of her ankle. She had been granted a very pleasant break from the pain during her sleep, but the instant she moved it, the joint greeted her with throbbing waves of pain. DC's teeth gritted, but she refrained from any sort of complaint. This was, after all, only the beginning of her pain. Before long she would have to begin the long, slow, and agonizing limp to Arasam. She was not looking forward to it.

Devil, awakened from DC's stirrings, had apparently regained any lost energy from the group's previous misadventures, and was now ravenously hungry. He began to crawl all over DC's dormant body, butting her with his head and making small grumbling noises as his stomach growled along in unison. "OK, OK, OK..." DC groggily pushed herself to a sitting position, yawning and stretching her arms up as far as they could go in a V position. A couple of torso twists revealed that Cheepie had already been awake, but she had stayed quietly and politely still. As a bird type, it was her instinct to wake up early every day. Better her than Devil, DC thought to herself, knowing that the little lizard never failed to wake his trainer up the second he arose. A quick glance around showed that Sora was still resting, so it was Darci who had risen first. DC could see her silhouette on the wall of the tent. Darci appeared to be sitting outside in front of a fire. Yes, it was a fire alright. DC could hear its pops and crackles, a homey and comforting sound. She also thought she could smell something cooking, and hoped that this was not just wishful thinking of her stomach, which was nearly as noisy as Devil's.

Reaching for her backpack for a change of clothes, DC selected a pair of gray running shorts, a navy blue t-shirt, and her knee-high, white boots, which were thankfully waterproof. Plus, she hoped sturdy shoes would help give more support to her ankle. She changed quickly, sliding the boot onto her injured leg carefully. She ran her brush through her unruly hair, which was still a little damp from the rain. The thickness held in water like a sponge. DC put it into a ponytail, clipping back the small strands that were too short to be held in by the elastic. She slid on a pale blue raincoat, long enough so it went halfway down her thighs, and after stuffing the pockets with a few essentials, DC knew it was time to try and get up. Wobbling, DC eventually got to a standing position, most of her weight resting on her good foot, and began to inch along slowly to the tent door. Ducking to get out was difficult, but she managed, and was able to step out into the misty forest, Devil and Cheepie following closely behind.

"Hey Darci, good morning! What're you cooking? Smells good." DC smiled, despite her painstakingly careful limp. She stopped to look at the forest, relishing the taste and scent of the clean, damp air. Amazing how the woods could go from looking so foreboding to so beautiful in just a few hours. The plant life looked a little worn out from being pelted by the rain, but the abundance of water would soon cause the vegetation to spring up with even more vigor than before. The trees had taken a small beating from the storm as well. There were a few branches down, but not enough to weaken the mighty, chlorophyll giants. DC noticed a particularly strong looking branch nearby, limped toward it and picked it up, dragging it carefully toward Darci and the fire. Sitting down on a damp rock, thankfully protected by her rain coat, DC pulled her jackknife from a pocket and began to slice off the twigs and leaves from the branch, then whittled it down so its height just reached her armpit. After carving a small groove where her hand would go, DC had herself a crude but functional walking stick! She held it up proudly. "Here, now maybe I won't slow you guys down so much," she said with a grin, masking her worry that she wouldn't keep up at all.

Meanwhile, Cheepie had fluttered into the treetops, swiftly killing a Caterpie and eating until she was satisfied. Devil was in the bushes, hunting Ratata. DC was thankful that her Pokemon could usually fend for themselves when it came to food, because she was running low on Pokechow and wanted to save it for emergencies.

[Jay Shay]

[[ o.o words...]]

Sora soon felt heat on her eyelids. Sun... she thought. She really wasn't a morning person. She listened to the sounds around her. Birds, dripping water...little pokemon like Wurmples on the ground. Seemed like a typical forest. Nothing like the monstrous rainstorm of the night before. She felt the tickle of Leafy's leaf next to her and she giggled. It really tickled. She tried to listen for any sign of soft breathing in the tent, or any noise. A few minutes went by and still nothing. She was the last to wake up.

Soon she sat up with a big yawn and stretched her arms to the sky. "Morning Leafy, Twiggy." Twiggy looked up to her with his big Turtwig eyes, and seemed to smile in his own adorable way. He jumped on her and Sora giggled. "Come on now, let's get up." She said. She willed her body to move, and although her mind was awake, it seemed as if her body wasn't, it wouldn't move. Slowly but surely, she got up. She reached for her blue bag, and pulled out a purple short sleeved shirt, and gray pants. Not the best, but it would do. She changed, and then slipped on her pink waterproof boots. She was glad she listened to her mom on that one. A light purple raincoat, as there would probably be after showers, and she was dressed. She brushed her hair, glad water didn't hold in it too well, or she would be a mess, a wet mess, and quickly ran her brush through her orange, and quite tangled hair.

Sora knew it was time to go outside. Listening to the sounds again she heard something different. Popping..crackling noises. Noises that sounded strangely like...a fire? She smelled something, but she knew it was probably her stomach getting the best of her. Following her nose, well, more like her stomach, she walked out of the tent, and the smell of food drowned out all other sounds. The sights however, were much different than the night before. The forest was no longer an cold, and unforgiving place, but it looked more like a rainforest she had seen on nature shows. She really enjoyed mornings after rain. "Good morning everybody." She said, after yawning yet again.

As she walked over to a nice rock to sit on, she noticed her pokemon running off into the bushes. "Leafy, Twiggy?" She said. "Where are you going?" Soon after asking that, she realized it was a dumb question. They were obviously hunting for food. "Food smells good." Sora said, turning to Darci.

[[Moar words! 8D]]

[Ceilni]

Darci kicked at a rock, waiting for them to awaken when she heard a noise. Looking up, it was DC. She straightened and giggled quietly but audibly. She smiled sweetly.

"Hey Darci, good morning! What're you cooking? Smells good."

"Good morning, DC." She looked down at the pot and turned back to DC. "Making some Instant Fish Stew." She said, poking at the fire with a stick, caught in unpleasant surprise when her arm decided to remind her that it was injured and she reflexively jerked back her hand. "Ow, damn damn damn damn..." Darci whispered to herself.

"Here, now maybe I won't slow you guys down so much,"

Darci turned and made a bit of a face.

"Alright, if that works for you." She said, smiling weakly. "You know, i could always carry you." She sighed. "This would be so with easier if we had a big pokemon like a Tauros." She trailed off, mumbling. She reached up and adjusted the bow in her hair before straightening the collar of her coat. She was about to speak when she heard something else.

"Good morning everybody."

Darci turned to see Sora.

"Leafy, Twiggy? Where are you going?"

Darci laughed a bit before getting up.

"Back right back." She said, walking to the tent. She leaned over and grabbed her backpack from the tent before walking back over. Setting her backpack on the ground next to her, she fished out Three medium-sized glass bowls. She then fished out eight disposable paper cups. It wasn't the best, but it would have to work. She set four on the group and set the rest next to DC, four cups stacked on the rock. "For PokeChow." She said, taking a small plastic container from her bag and emptying some pokechow into each cup. She turned around towards the tent and, with her good right hand, snapped her fingers loudly. Victor, Maxwell, and Kaito all rushed out of the tent at once. They must have been trained very well.

"Food smells good."

Sora finally spoke again. She nodded.

"Thanks." She was talking a bit less then last night. She looked at the tent. "Vincent!" She called, the aforementioned Eevee coming out of the bushes behind her. She gasped and sputtered when she turned to face him.

"Whuh, wai-, you, YOU!" She stumbled drunkenly over her words. "That was CREEPY!" She said, the Eevee keeping a straight face and blinking at her. Vincent walked to the pokechow and calmly ate, the others stood waiting. She held out her arm a small distance from the ground. "Flip, Flip." She chirped. Kaito jumped from the ground and onto her arm before jumping forewards again and flipping mid-jump. Kaito landed and looked to Darci. "Good. Flip Flip." Victor jumped onto over her arm and flipped, landing unsteadily. "Good enough." Maxwell stared at her. "You're later." All her pokemon ate the pokechow with glee. Darci took her arm back and looked towards them, yawning. Her eyes had dark shadows under them. "So. How did you all sleep?" She asked, running a hand through her silky waist-length jet black hair, thinking about how much she would hate carrying her heavy backpack again.

She is interested in contests too. It's a daily training thing.

[Red Kitten]

DC frowned when Darci pulled back her arm, a sure sign that the injury was still quite painful. It was to be expected of course, unfortunate as it was. Ekans fangs could do a lot of damage, and truthfully DC felt that Darci was lucky it hadn't been a lot worse. She made a mental note to check up on the bandage soon, but it could wait for now, at least until after they had all eaten. DC planned on taking a look at it while they were all digesting before the long walk. "So how's the arm doing Darci? Any better at all?"

There was a sudden rustling in the brush, and DC instinctively reached for a Pokeball, but it turned out to be only Devil's little orange head peeking out of a shrub. He trotted briskly over to DC and sat by her foot.

"Alright, if that works for you. You know, I could always carry you. This would be so with easier if we had a big Pokemon like a Tauros."

DC frowned, rubbing her temple. "Yeah, it sure would be." She scooped up Devil, cradling him in her arms affectionately. "OK Devil, it's time for you to evolve into Charizard now..." she joked, rubbing the Charmander's stomach. Devil responded by nibbling on her fingers.

"Good morning everybody."

DC turned to see Sora come out of the tent, followed by her Pokemon. "Good morning Sora. Ready for a long hike?" She chuckled, trying to make light of the situation. I can do this, she told herself. I'll keep up with them. Just a little bit of pain for a few days and it's over. Just a little bit of pain and I'll be in Arasam, where I can rest up and heal. She disliked the idea of having to postpone her exploration to nurse her wounded ankle, but what must be done must be done. DC watched as Darci's Pokemon came to get their breakfast, grinning in amusement as Darci was startled by her Eevee. DC remembered all too well the time that Devil had ventured into her dresser once and she had closed it without realizing he was in there, only to nearly have a heart attack later when a disgruntled Charmander popped out of her underwear drawer.

"Flip, Flip."

"Flip, flip?" DC asked curiously. "Is that for contests?" Contests had never really appealed to DC. Battling was definitely her thing. Although the idea of dressing up Devil in little outfits much to his chagrin, now that was amusing. Don't worry bud, I'll spare you from that sort of torture, she thought, patting his head.

"So. How did you all sleep?"

"Like a dead thing," DC replied with a wry smile. "Amazing what exercise can do for insomnia." Without really thinking about what she was doing, DC leaned forward to poke at a large piece of soggy bark a little ways away from her. "Now that's odd," DC murmured, brow furrowed as the piece of bark twitched slightly. She inserted the tip of the stick under it and quickly flipped it over.

"Shroomish!"

"...What the..." DC stared at the strange creature that was revealed. It was about a foot tall, green and brown with spots, somewhat moist looking skin, two stubby little feet, and no arms to be seen. Its beady black eyes glared up at her, resting under what appeared to be a single brow, with a little frown to match. The thing was truthfully sort of funny looking. OK, it was actually more along the lines of damn ugly, but DC couldn't help being fascinated with it. It took a mouthful of composted soil and leaves from the forest floor, munching greedily, its little jaw working at mach speed. A trickle of brown juice dribbled down the creature's nonexistent chin.

"What the hell, a Pokemon's a Pokemon I suppose. Devil, I think it's time for a new addition to our team!"

"Char!" Devil snorted and turned his head, refusing to look at the Shroomish.

DC sighed. "You always were the jealous type. OK, fine, Cheepie could use the extra practice anyway. I'm sure she'll welcome a new member with open, uh, wings!" She grinned in delight, forgetting the pain in her ankle as she whistled for the Pidgey. Cheepie came swooping out of the trees and landed, not so gracefully, on the ground.

"Cheepie, let's start it off with a tackle attack!" Cheepie obliged, charging at the little fungus creature with all her 'might'. She was actually a bit smaller and apparently less heavy than her opponent, because she practically bounced right off. The Shroomish grunted. Apparently the attack had damaged it somewhat, but now it was angry and ready to fight. It charged at Cheepie in an attempt to tackle, but Cheepie possessed far superior speed and managed to dodge, only to be caught in the Shroomish's absorb attack. The little Pidgey cringed in pain as her energy was drained, but she remained undaunted.

"You got this girl! Whoa, watch out for the stun spore!" The Shroomish blew out a puff of little green and yellow spores, shimmering sinisterly in the morning light as they drifted toward Cheepie. "Dodge to your left, the wind's blowing toward your right! That's it, good! Try another tackle, but swerve and abort if you see it preparing another stun spore!" Cheepie charged at the Shroomish again, bracing herself for the impact. Again, the attack didn't appear to have much effect. The Shroomish took advantage of Cheepie's current location and vengefully spat a big, fat, compost lugie into Cheepie's eyes.

"Wha-!?" DC sputtered. "That's no attack move! Come on, ya little jerk, fight fair!" Cheepie stumbled backward, frantically using her wings to wipe at her eyes. Even Devil was watching the battle with keen interest now.

"Shroom, shroom, shroom!" The little fungus appeared to be laughing at them. DC's fist clenched.

"You'll be sorry, just you wait!" The Shroomish stopped laughing and put on its game face, uni brow furrowing and mouth set in a tight frown. It began to puff out cloud after cloud of spores. "Oh eff." DC thought wildly until an idea struck her. "Cheepie, I know you can't see well, so let's even things out a bit. Use sand-attack now!" Cheepie began to kick up as much dirt as she possibly could, her flailing feet giving her the appearance of doing some kind of crazy jig. The dirt went straight into the bloom of spores, causing them to dissipate, then smack dab into the Shroomish's face. The fungus's eyes watered as it blinked rapidly in an attempt to wash out the particles. "How do you like that? A taste of your own medicine!"

"Let's finish this! Cheepie, use your gust attack!" Cheepie flapped her wings swiftly, whipping up a tiny whirlwind that hit the Shroomish head on. This appeared to be much more effective than tackle, likely because Shroomish is a grass type. The fungus creature was blown several feet backwards into a tree and it hit the ground with a pitiful squeak. DC grabbed a spare Pokeball from her pocket and threw it at the Shroomish. The ball inhaled the Pokemon with a flash of red light, wiggled a couple of times, and then remained still.

"...Well I guess I have a Shroomish now," said DC, a mischievous smile on her lips. "I wonder what to name it..."

Shroomish
Gender: Male
Nature: Serious
Level: 5
Moves: Absorb, Tackle, and Stun Spore

((Holy shiz, this one might be the longest post I've ever done... ))

[Jay Shay]

"Flip, Flip."

Sora immediatly recognized this as contest training. She smiled at the flipping pokemon. "Your pokemon are so cute." She said, remembering getting her pokemon as presents. They hid for a few days, not letting Sora put them in her pokeball. It was frustrating at the time, because once she found the little pokemon, then they quickly squirmed away frightened. She found it kind of funny because now they loved her and always wanted to be with her.

As if on cue, thinking about her pokemon, they ran out of the bushes, looking quite pleased with themselves. "Did you guys get a good meal?" She said, knowing that they didn't really understand her, but asking anyway because she had always imagined pokemon could talk when she was little, and it became second nature for her. Leafy lied down next to Soras boot covered foot, and Twiggy was walking around, investigating the new area.


"So. How did you all sleep?"

"You mean after I fell back asleep after you went out to get berries?" Sora laughed, poking fun at Darci. "Great. Surprising how much sleep you can get in a noisy rainstorm." She still wondered why someone would go out in the pouring rain, whipping wind, and cold just to find berries. She shook her head, and then suddenly heard,

"Shroomish!"

Her head quickly turned to the sound of the noise, to see DC trying to catch a Shroomish. She observed as the battle went on, and DC finally caught it. She was learning more and more about pokemon every day.

Yay for relatively short posts compared to you guys! 8D

This post has been edited by Shaymin Girl: Aug 10 2009, 12:57 PM

[Ceilni]

Darci smiled as her new friends replied. Since they slept well enough, she was happy.

"Exercise and insomnia, huh? Oh, and yes. It's for contests." She said, drinking a little water from her water bottle.

'Your pokemon are so cute.'

Darci smiled sweetly at sora, a large contrast from last night.

"thank you much." She said, drinking from the water bottle again.

'Shroomish!'

Darci blew the water into her own face and choked, coughing. The Shroomish surprised her a bit... a lot. She turned and watched as DC had a small, could barely be called a arguement, disagreement with Devil. She couldn't help but smile at it and then watched as DC sent Cheepie into battle. As the battled raged on, her happy smile and interested eyes went to a deep frown and dark, calculating glare. The shroomish was really quite the fighter if you considered what the species usual skills were. Especially the speed factor.

Darci watched the stun spore fly and while the battle kept going, she followed the stun spore up into the trees and through the early morning light. She inwardly marveled at the glitter gold sparks which seems to be littering the air above her. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the world above her. A world of leaves, small rays of early morning sunshine, and of course, the spray of stun spore which hovered into the leaves and slowly dissipated. The world which had become known to her faded as the leaves were startled by a morning breeze and the rays of light were blissfully slaughtered by a passing cloud, the stun spore disappearing with the wind. Oh yes, and of course gust from Cheepie which snapped her out of her trace.

Lowering her threatening eyes to her pokemon, they shrank back. Victor avoided her gaze, Maxwell cowered, Kaito hid in the bushes. Vincent didn't seem to care less however. Darci reached a hand down and placed her hand on Vincent's head, stroking the soft fur from head to mid-back. Taking her hand back, she turned towards the battle, which appeared to be over. It was like flipping a switch; Darci's expression turned from granite to wool and the deathgrip she had on her black cellphone turned to a gentle cradle of flesh.

"Congratulations, DC!" She said, happily clapping. She picked up the new Shroomish from the ground and rubbed the pokeball against her coat before holding it out to DC. "You have a shroomish! And a clean pokeball!" She said, using her injured arm to wipe off the dirt she had rubbed off the pokeball. By now, the sun was almost all the way over the horizon and shone in shades of lavender, red, orange, and pale yellow that the day had officially started. Darci set the pokeball next to DC so she could take it and then took the pot out of the flames. Taking three wooden bowls out of her bag, she laid them out on the ground. She was happy she brought three, one for her, one for Victor, and one for Vincent if she met up with her brothers, who were also avid travelers, well, Vincent anyway. She slowly took off the top and steam burst from the pot. It twisted and danced in the moist, cool, outside air before dying into the colors around it. A delicious scent of subtle spices, nicely cooked meat, and well-cooked vegetables exploded into the air like the steam, but the scent continued. Darci carefully poured three decent servings of soup for each of them and placed hers on the rock next to her before grabbing three plastic spoons. She put one in each bowl before holding out the bowls to DC and Sora.

"Take it! In this weather if it's left too long my bowls will mold!" She joked. Inwardly, she started to Curse Tyler for packing so much stuff in her bag. It would be torture to carry. "I hope you don't mind, but can i call my brothers?" She asked, waiting for them to take her bowls. hopefully, they would have a decent conversation while she called her Music Artist and Doctor relatives.

Vincent Y.
Age: 27
Job: Vocalist in a very widely popular and Well Known Alternative band "Death Penalty"

Victor Y.
Age: 24
Job: Successful Surgeon at an Arasam Hospital.

[Red Kitten]

DC beamed, the wide smile heavily contrasting her usual controlled emotions. "Thank you," she said to Darci as she took the Pokeball gratefully. "I'm pretty excited about this. It may not look like much now, but these things evolve into Breloom I believe. Breloom are pretty decent fighters."

"Take it! In this weather if it's left too long my bowls will mold!" Darci was holding out a couple of bowls filled up with soup. DC gingerly lowered her body back down to a sitting position on the rock and accepted the bowl. She scooped up some broth and a veggie in her plastic spoon and blew on it gently to cool it down before taking a bite. The instant she took in the flavors and textures of the soup, DC realized how ravenous she was and had to do all she could to keep from devouring the meal like a starving Houndoom.

"Thanks so much for this Darci, this is delicious. You've been so hospitable to me, and it means so much." She took another mouthful of soup and stayed quiet for a bit, focusing on eating. Occasionally she held out a little scrap of meat to Devil in her hand, and he munched at it greedily, fangs grazing the fleshy part of DC's palm. It was exciting to her, in a way that she could not explain, to touch these teeth that could rip and shred and destroy. They could cause brutal pain, but the sensation they created on her hand was a mere tickle. He could tear my throat out if he wanted to, really. Maybe not now, but someday... she mused. It's amazing really, that these powerful creatures will take orders from puny humans. And also that we puny humans have the nerve to tell them what to do. What an interesting world we live in...

DC quickly shook herself from her pensive state, reminding herself that she was no longer traveling alone and should be social while she had the chance. She took the Shroomish Pokeball off her belt, examining it with a frown. "I'm still not sure what to name this thing... I don't even know if it's male or female. Maybe I'll ask a nurse at the next Pokemon Center I stop at so I don't have to examine the sex organs of a fungus thing." She smirked. "Oh well, I suppose I'll just give you a unisex name," she said to the Pokeball. "Let's see... What's a good name for a mushroom? Hmm, mushroom, mushroom... I know! Magic! Your name is Magic!" DC grinned evilly, but didn't elaborate or give a reason for choosing the name.

When she had finished her breakfast, DC inquired, "Umm, what should I do with this bowl?" She had never dealt with wooden eating ware before. "Should I just rinse this and then dry it thoroughly, or what?" She gave a sheepish smile.

[Ceilni]

"Thanks so much for this Darci, this is delicious. You've been so hospitable to me, it means so much."

"What was i supposed to do? You and Sora were stuck out in the rain. Was i s'posed to leave you there?" She laughed. "Forget that, yo!" Her much more casual drawl showing through.Darci was comfortable enough to be a little lazy with her language around DC and Sora. Besides, Tyler would always scold her with the rule that 'me and <blank>' was improper english and that the correct term was '<blank> and i'. Personally, she thought it would work both ways.


"Umm, what should I do with this bowl? Should I just rinse this and then dry it thoroughly, or what?"

Darci nodded.

"That sounds about right." She was about to comment about the name 'Magic' when Sora spoke again.

"Hey, guys. Let go!" She whined as Leafy and Twiggy pulled at her shoelaces. She looked up. "Sorry guys, Leafy and Twiggy really want to go, and maybe it would be good. Outrunning the storm and all, at least a little." She said nervously, prying her pokemon from her shoes. "Thanks for everything, Darci!" Darci waved.

"No problem, yo!" She smiled. If you want to get going with some good daylight for a little, then you should start right about now." Sora nodded before turning to DC.

"Thanks to you too DC. For your kindness." She said, smiling at them and waving. "Hope i see you guys again!"

Darci stared after her.

"And then there were two." She sighed. "If you yell, she can probably hear you." She added, just in case after the response to the thanks she wanted to add anything else.

Reki, you can post the rest of the departure.

[Red Kitten]

This is for any Mods/anyone else who happens to read this. Shaymin Girl is going on vacation and won't be back for the rest of the month, so she gave us permission to RP her character leaving this RP. So we aren't being major god-mods or anything. ^^

DC had just taken care of the wooden bowl and handed it to Darci, when she turned around and saw Sora preparing to leave. She was slightly dumbfounded. One minute Sora had been planning to travel to Arasam with them, now she was heading off in the opposite direction.

"Bye Sora, and good luck!" DC called after her. She watched until the young girl and her Pokemon had disappeared from sight. She gave a small chuckle. "Well I suppose that's that. When you're that young, your attention span is shorter I suppose. I remember when I was that age. It was harder for me to focus on my goals back then." Her brow furrowed and she shifted in her seat. "I just hope she's OK, traveling by herself and all. I can't help being a little worried about her. She's a good kid and all, I just hope she can take care of herself. I mean, I'm sure she can. She's been doing it well enough so far." DC gave a small laugh, with a hint of nervousness underneath that she was able to mask pretty well.

DC was quiet for a few moments, looking sort of lost in thought. She poked halfheartedly at the fire with a stick, chin resting on her hand and her elbow resting on her good leg. "Well I guess we should digest for fifteen minutes or so, then we'd better get crackin'. I'll help you take down the tent to the best of my ability." She flashed a weak grin and pulled out a pair of potions from her backpack. "Cheepie, come here."

The Pidgey obeyed, landing gently on DC's arm. "You did well today girl, I'm so proud." DC ruffled Cheepie's feathers affectionately as the little bird bumped her head against DC's shoulder. "Here, this should have you feeling one hundred percent in no time." She sprayed the potion on Cheepie and the Pidgey perked up considerably.

"OK, now it's Magic's turn." DC took the Pokeball off her belt and released the Shroomish. When the red light cleared, the fungus was sitting there, looking extremely disgruntled. When DC sprayed the potion, Magic ceased drooping, but the expression on its face was just as sour. DC giggled. "Ooh, it hates me right now. Oh well, I'm sure we'll be friends in no time." She patted the creature's slick head.

"Shroom!" it huffed at her, but remained fairly docile.

"So, wanna take down the tent now? Might as well get it done."

[Ceilni]

New mouse ftw. NOOOOOOOOOO! SCHOOL TOMORROW! *Shoots herself*

Darci took the bowl and quickly put it in her bag.

"Bye Sora, and good luck!"

Darci smiled and nodded to DC.

"Well I suppose that's that. When you're that young, your attention span is shorter I suppose. I remember when I was that age. It was harder for me to focus on my goals back then. I just hope she's OK, traveling by herself and all. I can't help being a little worried about her. She's a good kid and all, I just hope she can take care of herself. I mean, I'm sure she can. She's been doing it well enough so far."

A pause.

"Well I guess we should digest for fifteen minutes or so, then we'd better get crackin'. I'll help you take down the tent to the best of my ability."

Darci could hear something other then laughter in her laugh, but couldn't really identify it, let alone really recognize it. Darci looked down for a moment, listening to DC talk to her Pidgey.

"OK, now it's Magic's turn. Ooh, it hates me right now. Oh well, I'm sure we'll be friends in no time."

Darci laughed lightheartedly.

"I'm sure too. I made friends with you quick enough, yo!" She laughed again. She turned to Vincent. The pokemon was trusting enough and it even seemed to be interested in her as it sat in front of his nearly untouched PokeChow, rather content with just staring at her at the moment. She smiled at it before looking at her other pokemon. Kaito laid on it's back looking into the trees along with Victor, who seemed to be observing the rays of light. Maxwell was chewing on a leaf nearby, Darci gave a small lopsided smile before turning to DC who broke the peaceful silence.

"So, wanna take down the tent now? Might as well get it done."

Darci nodded.

"Sounds good." She said, sighing tiredly before standing. She reached her arms up to stretch them above her head when she suddenly took back her injured arm and jumped from one foot to the other. "Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow. I forgot about you!" She said, yelling at her own arm through the thick silken black fabric. She started to walk to the tent but then looked inside. Crawling in, she grabbed the three blankets and came back out. They were folded neatly in her arms and shoved into the backpack along with the pots and bowls, which had cooled. The backpack was actually fairly empty without the pots, bowls, and blankets. It would be relatively light actually...

if her damn tent wasn't in there. She swore it made the bag fifteen times heavier. She then walked to the dark purple tent and started to take it apart, deciding to let DC take her time. Darci sighed.

"DC? Have you ever heard of a band called 'Death Penalty'? The one who's singer's name is 'contemptus'?" She asked, somewhat curious. She would be somewhat surprised if she had never heard of them, but then again, not everyone listened to music like that.

Death Penalty
Genre: Alternative rock
Members: Contemptus (Singer), Vehementi (Drummer), immanis (Bassist).
(Most popular) Several Songs: 1.) Redemption 2.) Vanilla 3.) Lives, Loves, and Butterflies 4.) Longing 5.) Mizerable

This post has been edited by TR Darci Niguel: Aug 12 2009, 10:52 PM

[Red Kitten]

DC carefully got to her feet, well more like she got to her foot because only one of them was carrying her weight. She hobbled over to Darci, experimenting with different ways of using the walking stick to move more efficiently. She was now very thankful that she had forced herself to do push ups every morning since striking out on her own. Without the considerable upper body strength she now possessed, it would have been a nightmare trying to use the walking stick to support her weight.

Once she reached the tent, DC began to help Darci disassemble it. It was a bit of a painstaking process, but their injuries balanced each other out and each girl was able to make up for the other's current weakness. Before too long it was stored safely away, ready to be put in Darci's backpack.

"DC? Have you ever heard of a band called 'Death Penalty'? The one who's singer's name is 'Contemptus'?"

DC's brow furrowed, thinking. "Yeah, I've definitely heard a few of their songs before. They're a pretty decent band from what I've heard. You a big fan of theirs?" She began to check her backpack to make sure everything was in place. "It's been a while since I've listened to the radio for anything but the weather or the news. I left my mp3 player at home, no place to charge it while I'm traveling out here and I didn't want it to get lost or damaged. But I miss listening to my music..." She recalled her three Pokemon, Devil resisting at first, but obeying quickly after DC gave him a stern look. With three flashes of red light, Devil, Cheepie, and Magic were tucked away safely in their Pokeballs.

"We should probably change your bandage again before we get started." DC pulled out her first aid kit from her bag and took out the gauze and tape. "You know, I have something that might help the pain somewhat as we're walking." She rummaged in the kit and pulled out a cloth sling. "If you wear this, it'll keep your arm from bouncing around as we walk. Plus you won't have to support the arm yourself any more." DC held out the sling to Darci. "If you like I can help you put it on. Might be hard to do yourself with just one arm."

After the Pokeballs were clipped securely to her belt and her backpack had been hoisted onto her shoulders, DC was felt as prepared as she'd ever be to begin the journey. "I'm ready when you are bud," she told Darci as she took a few practice steps with the walking stick. It was a bit harder with her backpack on, but she could manage.

Death Penalty would be a band you made up, right? Just checking.

[Ceilni]

Yeah. I made up the band. 'tis a cool name. xD

Darci folded the past part of the tent and sigh contently.

"Yeah, I've definitely heard a few of their songs before. They're a pretty decent band from what I've heard. You a big fan of theirs? It's been a while since I've listened to the radio for anything but the weather or the news. I left my mp3 player at home, no place to charge it while I'm traveling out here and I didn't want it to get lost or damaged. But I miss listening to my music..."

Darci laughed.

"You could say that. But i'm not exactly just a fan." She laughed again. she tilted her head towards her backpack. "You can always use my music player. It's a little old fashioned, but i brought it and my mp3 player. It's just an old CD player. I have a couple of Death Penalty albums. I mean, i get them for free so..." She shrugged. "Why not." Darci walked picked up the folded tent and picked it up. She slowly went over and placed it carefully in her backpack. "Besides. 'Contemptus' just happens to be my brother!" She exclaimed, happily. She was very proud of both of her brothers and liked to make sure people knew. And people knew. Many people. "You know, the whole stage name thing." She put up and limp hand and made circles around the side of her head.

"We should probably change your bandage again before we get started."

Darci made a bit of a face but nodded.

"Yeah, that would probably be best." She looked down at her arm and frowned at it. DC's ankle and Her arm. Hikes, not to mention climbs, would be quite difficult.

"You know, I have something that might help the pain somewhat as we're walking. If you wear this, it'll keep your arm from bouncing around as we walk. Plus you won't have to support the arm yourself any more."

DC held out the sling to her. She looked at it for a moment.

"If you like I can help you put it on. Might be hard to do yourself with just one arm."

Darci laughed and nodded.

"Yeah. It would be kind of hard. If you want, i can call Vic and schedule an appointment in a couple days." She offered, her way of thanking her. She slowly undid the bandages and once mostly unraveled she held it out to DC. The punctures had grown slightly darker around the edges and a bit where Victor accidentally pecked her the night before. The irritation around the punctures was a bit worse as well. Darci couldn't help but look at DC's ankle. Maybe the boots would help. "Just wondering, but do you feel the pain more on the inner or outer side of the ankle?"

[Red Kitten]

"Besides. 'Contemptus' just happens to be my brother! You know, the whole stage name thing."

DC's eyebrows raised. "No way! Now that's really cool. They're pretty successful too. That's impressive. A lot of musicians don't make it that far." She examined Darci's arm and frowned. "I'm going to disinfect this again, just to be safe. Sorry for the sting." She dabbed some rubbing alcohol onto the gauze pad and pressed it gently to the wound, wrapping it securely in clean bandages. "I'll have to listen to some more of Death Penalty's songs now. I only really know what's been on the radio, but I find with a lot of bands the hidden gems are the songs that aren't as popular."

"So what made him choose the name Contemptus anyway? Any specific reason, or just 'cause it sounds cool?" DC gently placed Darci's arm in the sling and buckled it, before replacing her first aid kit and stowing it in her backpack. With some difficulty she lifted it back onto her shoulders.

"If you want, I can call Vic and schedule an appointment in a couple days."

"That would be fantastic. I'm going to definitely need a doctor to look at this, and since I don't know or trust any of the doctors in Arasam, your brother would be a good choice for me."

"Just wondering, but do you feel the pain more on the inner or outer side of the ankle?"

"Hnn, I don't really know. It just kind of radiates through the entire ankle." DC moved it around slightly as a test. "I'm almost one hundred percent sure it's not broken, just twisted or sprained. I'm assuming that doctor's orders will just be to wear a brace and use crutches for a week or so, granted I don't damage it too much trying to walk on it. The stick should help." She grinned despite her worry, putting on a brave face and stowing away the fear in the back of her mind.

To prove that she was capable of the hike, DC began to limp down the trail. Whether she was trying to prove it to Darci or herself, she wasn't sure. "Shall we?" DC asked with a small smile, her head turned around to look at Darci.

[Ceilni]

"No way! Now that's really cool. They're pretty successful too. That's impressive. A lot of musicians don't make it that far."

"Yeah. I'm really proud of him. I want him to make it all the way to the top of the best bands in Furoh list!"

"I'm going to disinfect this again, just to be safe. Sorry for the sting."

Darci nodded.

"Alright, i'll try not to squirmmmm-owwwww!" She squirmed just a bit before looking down at her pokemon who looked up at her blankly. As she felt the sting leave her flesh she relaxed but wiped a very small tear from her left eye. "Okay... Err... Sorry about squirming."

"I'll have to listen to some more of Death Penalty's songs now. I only really know what's been on the radio, but I find with a lot of bands the hidden gems are the songs that aren't as popular. So what made him choose the name Contemptus anyway? Any specific reason, or just 'cause it sounds cool?"

"Contemptus is latin for contemptible. He used to have a fiance but they got hit by a drunk driver while they were driving and crashed. His fiance, Mayu, died, and he blames it on himself because of what he calls 'his careless driving'. He's hated himself ever since. He he thinks people should contempt him." She said sadly. "That's why i spend so much time with him. I want him to feel better." She said, shaking her head. "I'm hoping that if he sees that i'm out here traveling and picking up friends that it will make him want to also and cheer up!" She said, brightening.

"That would be fantastic. I'm going to definitely need a doctor to look at this, and since I don't know or trust any of the doctors in Arasam, your brother would be a good choice for me."

A pause...

"Hnn, I don't really know. It just kind of radiates through the entire ankle. I'm almost one hundred percent sure it's not broken, just twisted or sprained. I'm assuming that doctor's orders will just be to wear a brace and use crutches for a week or so, granted I don't damage it too much trying to walk on it. The stick should help."

Forgetting the depressing mood of the previous moment, she nodded.

"I'll call him soon then." She said, watching as DC got up and started down the trail.

"Shall we?"

Darci smiled widely.

"Yes!" She said, grabbing her backpack with a good arm and whistling, her pokemon following her. Vincent stretched and followed the other pokemon, until Darci pulled his pokeball out from her coat and returned him to the ball with a bright red light which engulfed him.

This post has been edited by Ceilni: Aug 13 2009, 07:53 PM

[Red Kitten]

DC didn't really know how to react to the tragic story of Darci's musician brother. "That's awful..." she murmured. "I don't blame the poor guy for being miserable about it." She paused, reflecting on her own experiences. "It's hard not to blame yourself when something like that happens, even when it's not your fault. It's great that you're supportive of him though."

~~~~~

It felt to DC as though they had been walking for ages. The sun had gotten hotter, but humidity still hung in the air like an unwanted guest, creating less than desirable hiking conditions. Sweat beaded on DC's forehead and on the back of her neck, the moisture in the air preventing it from evaporating much. It left her skin feeling unpleasantly warm and sticky. Of course, the storm clouds still loomed in the sky like vultures circling prey. While DC didn't exactly like the heat, she knew that if a thunderstorm started up again the results could be disastrous. If the sky opened up and started pouring, the already muddy ground would turn into soup. DC was already unstable on the gooey earth. If the terrain got any wetter, she'd be falling all over the place.

The path was slightly uphill at this point, sometimes getting steeper for a stretch before leveling out. Every step was a challenge for DC, but she was too proud to show that she was having a difficult time. She had managed to work up a pretty decent speed, considering her condition, and she refused to slow down. A glance at her watch told her that it was nearing noon. The soup from breakfast had stayed with her pretty well, but she knew that soon she'd be getting a little hungry.

"Let me know when you want to break for lunch. I'm ready to whenever, but I don't need food right this second either, so we could keep going until we see a good spot to sit. A few large rocks would be nice so we can rest our legs." And ankle, DC thought privately, then scolded herself for letting the pain get to her.

[Ceilni]

Darci nodded.

"Yeah. I know the feeling, but i wasn't as close with him and those two were. I'll always support my brothers, really besides Tyler, they're the only thing i have."

~~~~~

Darci ached. Her arm throbbed a bit, but that was to be expected. Her long think black coat wasn't helping. It covered her mid-neck, to wrist, to ankle. She wanted to take it off but it would be convenient when they stopped. The sun got much harsher as the day had rolled on. The humidity made the occasional steeper hikes much more unpleasant as she felt the sweat coat her under the... well... coat.

Kaito followed behind, tired, but otherwise okay. He didn't seem to mind the heat an- well really... that was to be expected from Kaito. Heat didn't bother him because he was a Fire type. On the other hand, poor Maxwell had lagged behind. It was tired and hot. Really, Maxwell wasn't that old and was by far the youngest of the group. She could tell when she caught it that he was practically just hatched. Darci carried the poor Turtwig in her arms as it snuggled against, not in the least for the heat, but for the comfort and the shade her coat sleeves provided. Victor hopped along behind Darci's right foot. She was careful not to step on the poor Hoothoot with her converse. Victor seemed a bit worn and tended to trip, having Kaito help him up.

"Let me know when you want to break for lunch. I'm ready to whenever, but I don't need food right this second either, so we could keep going until we see a good spot to sit. A few large rocks would be nice so we can rest our legs."

Darci nodded, agreeing strongly.

"Yeah." She narrowed her eyes. "I think i see a spot up ahead. It looks like it's in the... the... the shade!" She practically dashed forwards, very happy to have a shady place. She didn't dash very fast so DC could easily catch up at the pace she was going at. As she dashed, she missed seeing the small ditch and tripped, throwing her arms forwards to it created a bit of a raised cradle Maxwell would remain unharmed in as she nearly fell face first on the ground. She managed to catch herself mostly on her shoulder. Realizing with happened she made an undignified whine, showing her dislike for the small details of nature ruining the relief of the appearance of small details of nature. Like shade. Shade was a nice detail of nature. She hoped DC didn't think that was too stupid, not that she didn't mind any laughing. Besides, she must look a little funny as she very slowly picked herself up.

This post has been edited by Ceilni: Aug 13 2009, 10:46 PM

[Red Kitten]

"I think I see a spot up ahead. It looks like it's in the... the... the shade!"

DC immediately saw what Darci was talking about. The instant her eyes locked on it she was determined to get there. It had a thicker batch of trees, providing more shade than the trail, and a few rocks that were suitable for sitting. She worked her arms and good leg furiously to try and reach the place as fast as possible. Then before she knew it, Darci had tripped and was sprawled onto the ground.

"Are you OK?!" DC cried out, startled. She prayed that Darci hadn't sustained another injury, especially a leg or foot related one. That would be some serious bad news. Darci appeared to be fine, for she was slowly but surely getting up. DC hobbled over to her side instinctively and was prepared to help Darci, before she remembered that she herself wasn't sturdy enough to bend down and offer a hand. "I'd try to pull you up, but I'm afraid I might just fall on top of you, so I'm here with moral support instead." She grinned sheepishly.

"If you like, I can make lunch for us. That is, if you don't mind health food," DC offered. She knew she had some packaged Tempeh and a little bit of rice in her bag, but she was unsure if Darci would like Tempeh, let alone even know what it was. DC didn't know of many people that ate Tempeh, and its strange appearance seemed to turn people off. She however, thought Tempeh was the best meat substitute she'd ever tried, and it was much more convenient than attempting to carry around a steak in your backpack. There was also a few packets of soy sauce and some dried vegetables, so DC figured she could make some sort of a stir fry.

She began to scan her surroundings for some dry wood to start a fire, but everything was still soggy from the rain. "Maybe Kaito and Devil can team up and try to force a fire onto the driest sticks we can find," she thought out loud.

Tempeh is an Indonesian meat substitute made of fermented soybeans. Basically it is a much firmer (and better, in my opinion) version of tofu. Like tofu, it doesn't have much of a taste, and takes on the flavor of whatever it is cooked with. Traditional Tempeh is made of only soybeans, but it can also contain different grains for added nutrition.

[Ceilni]

I know, i was born in indonesia!(It's too hoooot ) You have no idea how happy that made me to see that someone knew about tempeh... *sniff* It makes me so damn happy... *flying tackle hug* It can also contain herbs for medicinal purposes in some regions of the main isle of java! *Dances in circles with extreme joy and glee throwing confetti* We weren't forgotten! (My mom will barf rainbows)

"Are you OK?!"

Darci mumbled before nodding.

"I'd try to pull you up, but I'm afraid I might just fall on top of you, so I'm here with moral support instead."

Darci smiled.

"I understand. I was being stupid anyway."

"If you like, I can make lunch for us. That is, if you don't mind health food,"

Darci shook her heard.

"Nah. I don't mind. Tyler actually gets on my ass about that anyway, yo." She said, brushing herself off with her injured arm, holding Maxwell in her right so she didn't drop him. She slowly started to walk towards the shade, knowing that DC would follow and sat down on the ground, against the tree.

"Maybe Kaito and Devil can team up and try to force a fire onto the driest sticks we can find"

"Yeah, that would probably be good. I would call Vic right now but..." She pulled out her cellphone and opened it. "No bars here in the forest." She sighed, snapping it shut. "Kaito!" She called in a sweet voice, the Torchic running over immediately. It looked up at her. "Kaito, Honey. Could you get Mama and her friends some dry sticks if you can find any? If you find a kind of damp one, you can dry it out a little with whatever heat-producing thing you do. Okay?"

"Torchic! Chic! Chic!" Kaito ran in several gleeful circles before, in the same state of glee, running off into the bushes. As far as Kaito was concerned, Darci was his mother. Warming him as an egg, Hatching him, and Taking care of him. What more could he want from her?

"Bu-Bu-But don't get lost!" Darci stammered after Kaito.

"Chiiiiic!" Torchic's small call echoed back, signaling it had heard.

This post has been edited by Ceilni: Aug 13 2009, 10:39 PM

[Red Kitten]

That is such a funny coincidence! I became a vegetarian when I was around 13, but I hate the texture of tofu with a fiery passion. So I was thrilled when I discovered Tempeh. Now I've got my non-vegetarian family into it as well. XD But when I mention Tempeh around most people, they're like "Umm, wut?"

"Yeah, that would probably be good. I would call Vic right now but... No bars here in the forest."

DC nodded. "Yeah, I figured as much. I didn't even bring my cell. I'm having my family send it to my aunt's house via snail mail, because I didn't want it to get lost or wrecked." She limped her way over to a rock and sat down, breathing a heavy sigh of relief. Her good foot was burning from overuse, and both feet were uncomfortably warm and sweaty inside her boots. She had half a mind to remove them, but her judgment told her that it was a bad idea. Having a break would just make it much worse for her when she had to put them back on.

DC couldn't help but giggle at Darci and Kaito's interactions. "He's so adorable. What a precious little guy. And helpful too." She watched the Torchic scamper off into the brush. Despite her somewhat tough exterior, DC always had a major weakness for things that were cute and/or fluffy.

She reached for her Pokeballs and released Devil, Cheepie, and Magic. "OK guys, I have a job for you. Go and get yourself some lunch of your choice, but while you're at it, keep an eye out for any dry or semi dry sticks and twigs and bring them back here." Devil trotted off into the forest while Cheepie took to the sky, both eager to please. Magic, on the other hand, looked just as crotchety as before. It remained rooted to the ground for a moment, DC raising a single unimpressed eyebrow. Then Magic began power walking as fast as its stubby legs could take it in the direction of the forest. DC was excited, hoping that the fungus had an epiphany and was prepared to loyally assist her, until Magic stopped at a piece of bark and tipped it over, feasting on the glistening compost stored underneath.

DC shook her head. "Well, maybe you'll feel up to helping out after you've had lunch," she said to Magic. Then, under her breath, "Methinks there will need to be some serious training sessions soon."

While waiting for a supply of wood to start a fire, DC began to pull out her cooking supplies, a small pan and a small pot, a mess kit, and an insulated lunch bag filled with her remaining food. "Would a Tempeh stir fry be alright with you?"

This post has been edited by Red Kitten: Aug 13 2009, 10:55 PM