Cleo's practically floating. That is, if floating included the occasional landing on the ground in order to push off again. But if you ignore that, yes, floating! Leaves crunch under foot with each skipping step she takes, the first of many noises to break the blissful silence Muin might find in these unventured woods.

"Oh Woobat! Did you see that? We talked, her and I! It was like, um, like a real, live human interaction! And it went well! She was so nice, wasn't she? Helping us out and all. And even better, she's gonna be there, at the event! I mean, you won't, since… well. Anyways." Woobat trails behind her, wings lethargically just managing to keep it in the air. Cleo's hands twist together. "Maybe… oh my gosh. Do you think her and I can be friends?" Was it weird, talking to a soon-to-be-sacrifice like it was her friend? Maybe. But talking out loud has always been a comfort, and it's only slightly less weird talking to a clump of data than talking to just herself. Really, it's sort of like having a self-destructing diary... that anyone in the close vicinity would be privy to, like it or not.

<Hyah!>

And now her diary is being attacked by an imp. The Impidimp launches itself from an overhead branch, freefalling right onto her Woobat with a loud cackle.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! H-Hands off, Imp! You're not—" She pauses. Squints. Would an Impidimp count as Red Meat? "Y'know what, fine. We'll go to the shrine after this. Woobat!"

Woobat snorts weakly and the wind churns.

The Impidimp squawks in indignation as the leaves cut into it, each a precise blade that manages to avoid her Woobat as it weaves in panic. As wild of a ride as it must be, the Impidimp is holding fast, fingers curled into tufts of Woobat fur. There's little the poor thing can do but flap around like a literal bat out of hell, trying to flip this darn Imp off.

Cleo takes her eyes off the rodeo to greet the new arrival with a large, enthusiastic wave, only to have to duck as her bat is directed right at her. "Try to confuse it!" she shouts as she runs under and past, over to Muin's side. "Hello, hi! Thank you!"

The poor Woobat tries. It really does, letting out an imperceivable cry of Confusion on the creature riding it.

The Impidimp tugs, and the Woobat is forcefully turned to aim at Nin.

She blinks. "I hadn't even considered you having it," she blurts out.

What would she have done if he had? Fight him for it? She steals a quick glance at Muin—maybe she'd last like, a couple seconds—then refocuses on the Pokemon brawl. She clears her throat. The joyfully, bubbly energy from her encounter with Tuesday fizzles, instincts ringing in her ears just enough to tell her something's off, but not enough to tell her to just shut up. "So, since… Well, it all works out! Do you just… you like just battling, then?"

The Imp cackles manically between each bite, seeming fairly high energy for something getting absolutely battered. Maybe the pain is just powering it up. What a little masochist. The poor, panicked Woobat continues to shriek, blasts of confusion only sometimes finding their howling target.

Oh. She looks at the Rowlet in the process of dive bombing the Imp off her Woobat, then back to Muin. "You don't seem like a pushover, though?"

Her eyes jump back to the fight.

"Or, well, like. I mean. Like the kind that would be… um, y'know, affected by what others want to do. You're very. Um, you seem. In–"–timidating as hell? –"–dependent. Strong-willed, and all. So it's just, I'm surprised that you'd… follow what it, um, she wants to do. Y'know? But maybe it's, I mean, she's part of the game, and games are all about following the instructions and— Oh."

The Rowlet's final charge takes the Imp straight to the ground and for a moment, they're both still. A double knockout? No. The awful, manic cackle fills the air again. Winds churn at Woobat's wings in response.

A gaze of a soft lavender hue results to be cold and inimical when falling upon Cleo. What is she implying? Is she saying he's some kind of pushover for going along with his Rowlet's wishes? Maybe he shouldn't expect the worst from this stranger he just met, but, well... yeah, Muin does generally expect the worst from everyone ever.

"Right. She is part of the game, and she wanted to help you." He responds flatly. Muin should have no reason to want to defend Nin's honour, but she is his pokémon, and she's not going to have her depicted as some bloodthirsty brute. Even if it's kind of true. Even if this random girl's opinion shouldn't matter at all.

Oh, and speaking of Nin...

Of course she faints, just as he had warned.

Muin sighs audibly, calling the Rowlet back to her pokéball.

"Well... Enjoy your imp." That's the last thing he says to Cleo before making his way to the nearest shrine. Noonlight.

If only he had known what she intends to do with the Impidimp, maybe he would have felt compelled to take the pokémon instead. Oh well.