[ti]story[/ti]SIDE QUEST: Escort the Prince

Not far from Verai were another pair of footsteps. Strangely light, despite the intentions of its owner being far from discreet.

There isn’t any particular reasons for the silence; and by reasons, it was solely rational ones. He had found him, and he was curious. And he wanted to freak out that cat.

It’s only when he sees the man and his little posse of felines approach a strange figure on the ground that he emerges.

“So, you finally killed someone?” He hums, though his eyes are set on the prone form, the edges creased and his mouth upturned as if this was the funniest thing to have ever happened. He’s alert enough to dodge whatever’s thrown at him, but his hands are tucked into his pockets and he’s going for the object of interest first.

He can see the new cat healing it. He tries poking it with the side of his foot anyways.

<Hi Purrai! Hi Purrai’s team!> From over his shoulder bounced a familiar green dustball, his face having been pinched red until that very moment. <Did you see? We were sneaking! I learned how to be super quiet! By holding my breath.>

A new face clung to Kazuki’s shoulder. The Pansear blinks at Verai, at his cats, at the body. Its brows rise with curiosity before it hops down, ignoring his trainer and checking the strange, unmoving human himself.

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As the man’s vitals stabilize, there is a jolt. A finger of electricity races down the invisible connection between each Support Pokemon and the Prince. The faint, almost-inaudible crack of static flicks like a whip as it vanishes into each of their chests.

The three Pokemon are left with their fur and antennae on end, hearts pounding too fast, something sizzling in their ears.

The Prince moves. His lids flutter open, revealing raptor-yellow eyes.

“Food…” he rasps, faintly but audibly, the sagging rafters of his ribs expanding with each painful-looking breath. The punctures on his chest no longer weep openly, but they still stand out, red and raw on his bare skin.

Bare, yes. Aero’s concern is justified. The strange man is clad in close to nothing, after all. Verai and Kazuki are close enough to see him shiver against the cold wind. If whatever inflicted those wounds didn’t kill him, exposure to the elements just might.

INSTRUCTIONS

To progress, you must accomplish the following tasks:

• Treat/Heal the Prince's wounds (10/?? HP)
• Find a way to warm up the Prince
• Cook or Forage for food
• Investigate the bloody book

Please work together! You may post multiple times. There will be a Cycle Update when all tasks have been completed or in one week, whichever comes first.

Verai Kazuki Aero

A child comes to help them, and with three pokemon aiding the corpse, it rouses from its deathbed.

“He lives!” He says gleefully, ignoring Verai’s instructions and remaining crouched beside the body, poking around as if the stranger were a particularly gnarly biology experiment instead of a suffering human being.

Pansear shudders, quickly pulling back his hands and shaking his fur. He stares at the strange human with a pinch between his brows, distrustful, knowing healing is not supposed to have that kind of recoil.

His suspicions are doused the moment the man mentions food. His eyes widen and sparkle before he throws himself at his trainer, pulling off the pack slung over the man’s shoulder. It’s the same pack his trainer gives to Mudbray when she’s out, and when Pansear begins unloading its contents, a vast majority of it appears to be cooking supplies. A concerning amount of knives clatter on the ground.

Pansear raises a pack of preserved magikarp to the sun, victorious. It is time.

He scampers to where the fire is being prepared, eager to begin cooking.

With the fire, water, and food seeming covered, Kazuki continues his looting/inspection. “Your childhood’s safe, kid,” he announces to the young trainer. “His underwear’s welded to his ass.” Pulling it offers no slack. No wedgies allowed.

He flips the body over, exposing the puncture wounds. “Nevermind.” Sprigatito by his side yelps at the sight, and not knowing any healing moves, attempts a butchered treatment that amounts to covering the wounds with leaves and pelting the man with a scent akin to baby lotion.

Verai had gathered up some sufficient-looking wood, with Kitten watching bright-eyed and Kitty springing away to bring back a twig. He built the little fire, supervising as Kitten and the crocodile set it aflame. <Yay!! Teamwork!!!>

Verai nodded, and went over to Kazuki, and grabbed him by the wrist. "Stop swearing." He hissed, clearly intent on his role as parental figure. He all but shoved Kazuki aside, returning to Aero, the bug, and sprigatito. "You're doing a good job," He praised gently. "But we need to make sure the wounds are clean before we bandage them up. Otherwise, the sickness will stay in there, and make him worse." Verai explained. Thankfully, the recent fishing... dating... whatever had revealed plenty of lakes and rivers and such around, so he wasn't too concerned about getting something together.

While he trotted off to get clean water, Kitty looked around. Aero was investigated, clothes sniffed at gently. Fuecoco was also sniffed, and Sprigatito was bounced towards. Kazuki was smelled, and hissed at, shoe batted exactly once before she ran away again.

Sphinx finally finished his bath, and let out a sigh at the state of... everything. <How pathetic.> He said, clipped and dismissive, and turned his attention back to the Prince. Did no one understand the significance of what was happening here? The Prince would need to be healed, and properly cared for. Not... whatever this was.

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“Here’s a tip for you: Your threats fall flat when you don’t have the gall to say ass,” Kazuki deadpans. He had encouraged the backtalk, but the delivery disappoints him. Kids these days, he thinks. The art of talking smack has been lost in the newer generations.

That settles it for him. Verai’s busy hand-feeding the corpse and lecturing, and he doesn’t trust the weird smiling kid enough to lend her the book. Inwardly, he groans. He hasn’t read a novel in ages. But he does, miraculously, know how to read. He had done fine in academics regardless of his disinterest.

He attempts to crack the book open to read its contents.

Pansear continues cooking. He has to skip a few steps—not enough time and not enough hands—but he’s got the fish going in a pan, holding it over the fire with his makeshift grill. What berries he had managed to chop has been stuffed into the slices in its sides and tossed into the sauce around it, and as its white scales slowly brown, the scent of fish frying fills the camp.

When it’s ready, he piles the braised fillets on a plate and hops over to the starving human to offer it.

KAZUKI ATTEMPTS TO READ THE BLOODY BOOK
PANSEAR HAS FINISHED COOKING BRAISED MAGIKARP