[ti]spawn[/ti]night hunt

There’s the sound of something shattering nearby. Saint panicked, immediately reaching down to scoop Pudding into his arms. “What was that?!”

Pudding didn’t stir, neither reassured nor irritated being held like a stuffed toy. <It’s the dark.> She pointed her paw to the alleyway between a saloon and a hat shop.

Saint stared at the shadows, shuffling through a hundred different scenarios. And they were terrifying, of course, but also—

What could be scarier than what he’s already seen?

He squeezed Pudding to his chest, before slowly walking towards the source of the noise.

They continued on. Saint did have a particular encounter in mind, though for the most part, he simply wanted to see what Briarbane was like in the late hours. There were plenty of rumors about the town, from ghost cowboys to Billy The Elekid. But it also let him spend some time with Pudding.

The espurr had been another mystery in his team for a while now. He’d been ecstatic to have her from his first trade, but hadn’t found the time to bond with her under the chaos of… everything in his journey so far. “Pudding, do you like to battle?”

<Pudding fights as necessary. Pudding makes it fast and painless.> She would turn her head on occasion, paying close attention to their surroundings.

“That’s… good? I’m glad you aren’t going out of your way to hurt others.” Saint wondered if he was being a good role model, encouraging this. It was kind of inevitable she’d have to fight, right? And he was training her to be a Tank, so her 'fast and painless' can't really equate to destructive. “Is there anything you’re personally interested in?”

Pudding didn’t respond. Thinking, maybe. Saint didn’t push, only continuing to walk at a lax pace through the lit areas of the town.