[quote=clanjos]
"Okay, okay, uh..."John rummaged through his bag for bit, shooing away the parrots again and giving the strange boy a bottle of water and some of the raisins. What was a kid this age doing out here? And why would his parents abandon him in the jungle."Come on, I'm headed back to the hotel. My name's John Shirkwood and we'll get you something decent to eat there."
[/quote]

August beamed at John with his best possible smile as he handed him the water and some of the raisins. He popped all of the dried grapes in his mouth at once and munched on them, all of his apparently mentioned dislike for raisins forgotten along with his promise to share with the birds in the face of actual food to eat. The water managed to last much longer than the raisins did. In fact the boy seemed to savor the taste of it slowly instead of gulping it all like someone in his situation might be expected to do. He grinned at it and then at John after a minute.

"First water in days that hasn't tasted like the jungle! I could almost hug you if it wouldn't get jungle grime all over you and the scent of not-jungle-y human all over me. The mosquitoes and snakes and boars and stuff don't seem to like it very much y'know. Not to mention...the monkeys." The boy shivered for a second when he mentioned monkeys, the first time he'd shown any sort of fear since he approached John. He seemed to get over it quickly enough once he remembered what John said about the hotel. His eyes lit up like fireworks at that.

"I...guess it wouldn't be cheating to go there and eat now that someone's found me! You seem nice enough too, Mr.John, I mean Mr.Shirkwood, or um...Mr.John Shirkwood! I'm pretty sure my jacket still has some money in it, or that I can probably get some if you can take me to the hotel!"

August trailed after John, still occasionally sipping from the bottle of water as he limped after him, seeming even cheerier and more out on a leisurely stroll than he had beforehand. Had he realized he was not at all playing the proper part of a child being heroically rescued from a traumatic situation, he would have doubtlessly been much more upset with himself.