[IC] Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

[Mogtaki]

Cecil didn’t know why he was destined to be deactivated, but he had a few thoughts going through his mind to what it could possibly be. He didn’t know too much about people or how they worked, but he did know they didn’t like things that were not running correctly or were damaged. Looking to Nymira as she spoke he soon sighed, looking down and away from her, his eyes going to his hands. “Even if it is intentional, maybe I woke up with a fault in my system, like a glitch or something”, he spoke, frowning slightly, “I am probably broken and they are not happy with that. It is hard to see on the outside, but maybe they know there is a problem on the inside and want to stop me before I hurt someone innocent”.

He didn’t know how prone he was to harming the innocent but if there was people who were scared of him maybe it was entirely possible. He was different from other Machina, he recognised that from everyone’s reactions and people telling him he was, but he didn’t know how much different he was. He did want to see other Machina just to compare and maybe he’ll understand the problem people have with him. He did wonder how that woman would’ve reacted to him if she thought he was just a normal person like them. Maybe she would’ve freaked out a little when she saw Norman open him up, but he couldn’t tell what this woman was thinking anyway.

Giving his chest a slow rub he tried to understand what he was supposed to do to understand why they were so willing to deactivate him. There must’ve been something they could see that nobody else could; besides, they were the people who made him. He didn’t understand what parents were or anything, but if the others were willing to compare his creators to them and feel shocked over it then it must’ve been pretty terrible what they were wanting to do to him. Looking to Amuné at the mention of Norman he gave a little nod, feeling quite alright that he was getting to have some of his own supplies to take on the trip too. Maybe the trip will take his mind off the experiences he had been through with him finally managing to get to the city at an even faster pace than he would’ve before when he was alone.

[GambolMuse]

"Back to Norman's, and on the road again!" Ethan said in agreement, beaming as he hurried along. Clasping his hands together he spun on his heel and began walking backwards, as to better address the rest of the group face to face. "We should probably travel as far as we can before it gets dark, then find somewhere off the road to rest. I figure tomorrow morning we can figure out where we're really heading, but tonight let's just get out of Galloway. Sound good?"

"If that's what you believe is best then yes, it sounds good," Nymira responded, a bit put off by just how excited Ethan was becoming. "I trust you'll take me to busy cities though and not backwater retreats. I want to speak with high-ranking officials, not mayors of little villages." Her clan wasn't going to benefit off of relations with the everyday man, she had to go right to those in top. While it was unlikely she'd speak with someone as high ranked as a Church leader, she could hope for second best and aim for governors of the various districts.

Ethan kept smiling despite Nymira's comment, even if his own home had just been called a 'backwater retreat'. "We probably won't get a ton of information for Cecil or Amuné there anyways, so the big cities it is!" They would have to travel there anyways if he hoped to find his own friend. There were probably more places for people like them to be held in busy centers than in the middle of nowhere, at least he thought there might be. He certainly hoped so, it would be a real shame to have to trek out into the wilderness to find someone.

Not long thereafter they had reached Norman's shop again, and the engineer was just finishing putting together Cecil's care package. Hearing Amuné call out to him he lifted his head, a smile crossing his face as he waved back to her. "Well howdy there, didn't expect you all back so soon!" he replied, taking a moment to place one last box in a crate. Standing up and placing his hands on his back he gave it an audible crack, showing his relief with a sigh before gesturing to the container at his feet. "Right in there my friend, that's where all your goods are. Oil, a handful of tools, some polish, and a couple of other little bits and dew-dads I figured you might be able to use. That should all hold you over for a while anyways."

Wow, that sure was an awful lot of supplies, and Norman was just giving them away? Then again Ethan had no idea what the value of any of this was, for all he knew it could be junk. "Thanks Norman, looks like we're all set to get moving! You've been a huge help!"

"You kidding me? All I did was give your friend a check-up, you saved a princess. If anyone ought to be thanking someone, it should be me. You three be sure to take care of her out there, you hear? She's got important business to do, can't have that getting ruined by some bandits."

"Norman, I'm not a damsel in distress. I can handle myself perfectly fine," Nymira grumbled, narrowing her eyes at the engineer.

"I know, I know, but a little help is never a bad thing!" Norman replied, smiling nervously as he held up his hands. "You all should get going though, it'll be dark soon and you might not want to travel then. Best of luck to you all!"

[shylarah]

Norman's shop

"Thanks Norman," Amuné said, looking at crate in amazement. Norman really was a nice guy, if he was giving them all this without charge. She looked at the other members of their little ragtag group. They had supplies now for them, and supplies for Cecil, and a cart and horses. That should be everything they needed, at least for now. "I guess it is time to get going, huh?" the girl said, looking back to Norman. The state of things had changed so much from what they'd been when the group arrived in town. They'd been /really/ ragged then. Now she had new clothes, and everyone had had a chance to clean up and rest. Cecil too was doing so much better. Amuné had been afraid for him when they'd first reached the town.

On impulse, she darted over to Norman and flung her arms around his waist. "And thank you for saving Cecil. I don't know what we would have done if we hadn't found you." She smiled up at the mechanic before stepping away and returning to Ethan's side. Things certainly seemed to be looking up for her. The girl wondered if her parents were doing better by now, if her daddy was resting somewhere and healing, with her mommy looking after him. That would be good, if he was. She just had to find them, that was all.

[Mogtaki]

Cecil didn’t really know what he wanted at the mention of finding information, knowing there was too much on his mind to try and focus the idea. He didn’t know if he wanted to know or if he had to know, trying to give himself a change to think through it before deciding what was best for him. It had been a rough day and a bit for him so far and there was no way he was going to be able to calm down after falling into a state of paranoia that he was a lot more dangerous to others than he initially thought. With the fact people were screaming at his presence in the last village, how he handled the attacker and then how he instinctively reacted towards Nymira he wasn’t sure about his own future and whether he was being wise with the whole hanging around these people.

Maybe it was bad to start thinking like that just as they were starting their journey, but it was hard for him to concentrate ever since being told he was a combat Machina. He might end up hurting someone accidentally, he didn’t know what could set him off next time. Feeling some doubt towards his future with these people he tried to keep his mind off it, frowning as he looked to everyone before to Norman’s place as they arrived again. He stared at Norman once he was spotted, watching as he put together what was for him before gasping when he thought what he heard was Norman breaking something. He didn’t know what that was but it scared him a little, wondering if he somehow broke the man just by looking at him. Hoping that wasn’t the case, he stared at Norman as he gave off a list of everything, confused as to what ‘dew-dads’ were initially before slowly nodding. “O-Okay…thanks. Thank you. I hope it is okay…”

This was going to be some journey. He didn’t know what he was going to end up doing on the journey but he hoped it wasn’t going to involve too much fighting. He didn’t know what he could do fully and if he had to fight he would probably find out, but he didn’t know if that’s what he wanted in the end. Seeing how it made people scared last time he did hope there would be no problems this time. Looking off towards Amuné he didn’t really understand what she was doing to Norman, watching her grab him and give thanks. Seemed like a rather violent ritual of thanks to him, but it must’ve been a positive. Slowly moving away he soon turned to leave again, knowing Norman would be there if he requested his help like he told him before. He just needed to get into the cart now and they were to start their journey.

[GambolMuse]

Narrowly avoiding a good thrashing at the hands of Nymira, it looked like the group might finally be on their way. They were an interesting lot, those three, and he figured that the princess was bound to be in good hands. Nodding at Amuné's thanks he smiled in response, giving them another small wave as Ethan and Cecil handled the crate. Certainly not who he'd imagine to handle a foreign dignitary, yet something about them gave him a good feeling. So long as Nymira didn't go making a huge name for herself or draw attention those three ought to be all she needed to get around. Figuring the group as good as gone Norman was a bit surprised when Amuné rushed over and gave him a hug, smiling amused as he glanced down at her and chuckled. "Don't mention it kid, glad to help. Only the right thing to do after all, right?" Be it human or Machina, anyone or anything that was in need of help should get it. In regards of Cecil it was a little more than just right to be though, his own interest had been piqued and he was hoping to learn more. And he'd be learning more provided Cecil kept a log, he rather wished to know just how he worked. "Now get out of here you kids, you've got a long trip ahead of you to the next town, and hanging around won't get you there any sooner!"

"Can do, thanks again Norman!" Ethan added in a cheerful tone, parting with a wave and smile before exiting the shop. What a stroke of luck to have come across a man like that, what were the chances? Sure they'd had to go on a bit of a wild hunt for his help but in the end it hadn't been so bad. With their newly acquired goods they made their way from Norman's shop and off to the stables on the western side, passing through that familiar warehouse district from earlier. No thugs were around this time though, or if there were they knew better than to try anything. Just as they had been promised their horses were awaiting them just on the edge of Galloway, a cart already fastened to the larger of the two and bags of feed provided to get them ready for the journey ahead. Loading their goods into the cart, Ethan took hold of Amuné's hand and lead her over to the saddle, smiling before grabbing her and easing her up into her spot.

"We'll take this one Nymira, you can get the one with Cecil and the cart. Don't want to make the horse work too hard," Ethan explained as he hoisted himself up, making sure Amuné was safe against him before grabbing up the reigns. Carefully leaning forward he ran a hand along the animal's mane a few times, wanting to show it he was its friend before they got moving. "You need to be gentle with horses, they'll work harder for you if you're nice," he added as he glanced down at the little Ydran girl, "Try petting him, like I'm doing, he'll like it."

Nymira didn't particularly have much problem with taking Cecil and the cart, albeit she didn't exactly know how to handle it. Riding horses wasn't a common thing even for nobility where she came from so her experience in the matter was a bit limited; add on a cart full of goods and suddenly her minimal experience meant even less. Still she'd not complain, and so long as they stayed to the roads it shouldn't be too hard. "Whatever needs to be done to get us moving along," she told herself, clambering up into the saddle and fixing herself into a comfortable position. Seeing the others petting their animal she furrowed her brow curiously, not understanding why they were bothering to do such a thing. It wasn't a dog or some other kind of pet, what reason might they have for showing it affection?

"Right, well then... Let's get moving. As Norman said it will be dark soon, I'd prefer not to travel in the dead of night," Nymira declared, grabbing up her reins and giving them a shake to move her horse forward. When the animal did nothing she frowned in disapproval, giving them another shake and not even getting a whinny of protest. "You're supposed to move when I do that! Come now, move!" A third shake did nothing either, serving only to annoy the princess further. Growling testily at the horse's stubbornness she glanced over again and saw Ethan watching her curiously, letting out a sigh before shaking her head. Was that why he was petting it earlier? What a ridiculous thing to do to a beast of labor, but if it helped... "Um... I apologize horse, I should have said hello first," Nymira said with a faint smile, leaning down and stroking the beast's mane, "Hi, my name is Nymira, Princess of the Rumia clan and first daughter of- H-HEY!" In mid-introduction the horse let out a whinny and began moving forward, nearly making the Dimuran woman fall off in the process as she clutched the reins for dear life. The animal settled down once it was free of the stables, but it had still managed to give her a little fright.

Ethan had to stifle laughter behind a hand at that sight, though Amuné probably still heard it. Nymira was definitely new to this no question and she'd be in for one heck of a journey if so. "Poor princess, maybe I should have explained it better," he mused, chuckling before shrugging his shoulders. Then, using the heels of his feet he gave the horse's sides a gentle kick, spurring it into a slow trot out of the stables, following just behind the cart and Cecil. Guiding their animal around then he stopped briefly at the Machina's side, smiling and giving him a small wave, "Enjoy the ride Cecil! And how's about keeping an eye out while you're back here? You know, for spooky monsters or something!" Ethan joked, moving his horse to the front. He seriously doubted they'd run into trouble so soon, as creatures tended to keep a ways back from large settlements. With himself and Amuné now in the lead, Ethan glanced down at his little passenger and freed one hand to ruffle her hair some, smiling endearingly at the Ydran girl. "I'm glad you like your clothes by the way, you look cute! I bet your parents are going to be so surprised when they see you all spruced up!"

[shylarah]

Edge of Galloway

Amuné waved goodbye to Norman as the group exited the shop before turning her attention to the journey ahead. She was glad to see the horses already prepared, one hitched to the cart and the other one saddled. She hoped Ethan knew how to handle all their tack, because she doubted the rest of them had much clue. The horses tossed their heads at Wyth's approach, but didn't seem scared, just nervous. Still, the girl made sure not to bring her moorcat closer than she needed to. "Up, Wyth," she said, pointing at the cart. The feline easily leapt in, and Amuné clambered after to make sure he was settled. "I need you to stay, and keep Cecil company, okay? You can take a nap if you like," the child told him, scratching his head. "I'm gonna go ride with Ethan, but I'll be right there so don't worry."

With a final pat she went to climb down and let Ethan lead her over to the horse they were going to ride. "It's pretty," she said, grinning at the man as he lifted her into the saddle. "What's its name? Is it a boy horse or a girl horse?" She ran her hand along the animal's neck a few times when prompted. "I think everyone does better work if you're nice," Amuné added, smiling back at Ethan.

Nymira seemed to have some trouble with her steed, though eventually she sorted it out. Amuné covered her mouth when the woman nearly fell off, though it didn't completely muffle her giggles. "Careful!" she called. And with that they were off. Riding a horse was new to her. She'd ridden before, but usually on a pony, and they were much smaller than her current mount. The ground was a long way down.

Ethan ruffled her hair, and the girl tilted her head back so she could look up at him. "I love them!" she exclaimed, beaming. "You'll have to come visit us after we find my parents, okay? My mommy makes an amazing rabbit stew."

[Mogtaki]

Cecil was sure he was going to be okay, he had to be okay and not going to end up hurting the others anytime soon. He had to be sure he wasn’t going to hurt his friends, but even if he did he was going to record all the data so it wasn’t going to be as if Norman wouldn’t know what happened to set him off. He didn’t want to be a burden to everyone by having him accidentally hurt others. Sighing lightly, he looked off to the side as he waited for everyone to get everything ready so he might be able to get into the cart himself, knowing he was going to be safest in there. It wasn’t that he was lazy, he was a Machina and couldn’t be lazy, but rather the fact he didn’t know how to ride would hold them back. He could be useful in the cart too, he was sure, even if he would be taking up some space.

As his eyes wandered back to Norman upon exiting he felt it was time to start concentrating on the journey, his eyes wandering to the others as they all started getting ready to go. He would just have to wait before getting into the cart himself, knowing he should be last if he was to get into a good position without taking up too much space. Staring at them as they talked between each other about their plans and the horses he looked up at Ethan when he was addressed, staring at him before looking back to the cart. "I will. I’ve not seen a monster before, though. I hope I can do my job well”. Slowly moving around to the back of the cart he waited for Amuné to get her animal friend ready before climbing in himself, shifting into a little corner he could sit comfortably in without flying right out.

He was a little nervous but he was going to do his best. He hadn’t travelled off his feet before and certainly did prefer to be on his feet seeing how it was the best place to be for him, certainly making it the most efficient method of travelling. Even if he could run fairly fast, it wouldn’t be very efficient. It would use up a fair bit of his energy and he would have to find a way to recharge. Now that they were on their journey Cecil felt it was time to try and forget all those bad thoughts that were going through his head, hoping they weren’t going to show up on the log he was making even though it was highly likely they would.

[GambolMuse]

With everything already prepared for them it was but a matter of getting mounted up and moving now. It was exciting really, having found some traveling companions for the journey ahead; if Ethan had thought he'd be traveling with a Machina, a child and a princess earlier he might have been crazy, but here he was now with such a group. "Uh... Good question, I don't know," the Muran responded, holding up one finger before smirking, "I'll find out!" Setting Amuné in her seat he crouched down and peeked beneath the horse, his face reddening before immediately bolting back up. "It's a guy, DEFINITELY a guy! Feel free to name him!" He could have gone through the day without seeing that, now he was left scarred and feeling somewhat insecure. Climbing up into the saddle himself he made sure Amuné was comfortable, nodding in agreement. So long as they remained friendly he reasoned they would have an easy time of things.

Nymira's troubling start aside and they were finally able to get a move on. Ethan figured he and Amuné ought to be on the lead horse here, made more sense to have all their valuables in the rear to keep them safe. Once in the front of the pack so to speak he slowed their horse back down, smiling down at the Ydran girl and ruffling her hair as he complimented her clothes. Would they really find her parents? Only time would tell, but he'd try to remain optimistic and tell her as much until then. "Rabbit stew huh? I'll be there, you'd better believe I will!" Ethan responded with a laugh, setting his hands back on the reigns and looking back to Nymira and Cecil. "You two are gonna come too right? Amuné's mom makes great food, we should all have a meal together when we're done!" Well Cecil wouldn't eat per say, but he could still come along just for the company.

"If I have time for such things then I'd be happy to come," Nymira answered, more to Amuné than Ethan, "But my duties don't end with this. There's always work to be done." Because of the nature of her people it was natural to be constantly ready for fighting. As such her father, the chieftain and best warrior of the clan, was required to remain home and help protect their people. The result of this meant all of the other duties, meetings, trade agreements, fell to Nymira. Anything that required leaving the clan's territory was her responsibility, and while a difficult mantle to hold it was one she did so with pride. "Still... Sometimes it can be challenging..." she mumbled, more to herself than anything. It required constant travel which was tiring, dealing with difficult people with was CERTAINLY tiring, and occasionally fighting like today just to keep herself out of harm's way. Looking over her shoulder at Cecil, the Dimuran woman frowned and clicked her tongue to get his attention, nodding her head then in the direction of Ethan and Amuné. "How did you meet those two, and where? I would like to know exactly who it is I'm traveling with."

[shylarah]

Outside Galloway

Amuné considered the issue of the horse's name. "How about Jorvind?" she said at last, giving the horse a pat. "You're Jorvind now, okay?" The girl adjusted her seat a little. When Ethan shared her praise of her mom's stew, Amuné nodded eagerly. "Yes, everyone's invited! You can't work /all/ the time, Nymira. A break for dinner won't hurt, will it?" The girl hoped they could all come. She was sure her parents would want to meet the people that had helped her, and she wanted to stay in touch with Ethan even after she was reunited with her family.

In lieu of reins, since Ethan had those, the girl grabbed a handful of Jorvind's mane. She remembered her daddy telling her that it was okay to hold onto a horse's mane, as long as you didn't pull on it hard. The hair was very coarse, even more so than Wyth's fur, but that didn't bother her. She leaned back against Ethan, breathing in the scent of his leather coat. "So...what are you looking for?" Amuné asked. "I mean, we know Nymira's goals, and Cecil wants to find out about himself. I'm trying to find my parents. But what about you?"

[Mogtaki]

Cecil did wonder what it would be like in the city, whether it was anything like he imagined. He didn’t know what he wanted to do in the city or what he might be looking for, but he imagined he’d be able to find out once he got there just what path was set for him. He didn’t feel he really had a choice, plus he heard there was a lot of people with mechanical parts like him so that was pretty encouraging. He could fit in a lot better in a city and with so many Machina that should be there he was sure there was going to be nobody staring at him or questioning why he looked like he did. He was sure he was going to have an easy time there, so long as he didn’t talk about being a Machina. He did hope he would also lose those people who were after him too, but even then he did have an increasing doubt that he was going to get into trouble there too. The place could be swarming with those guys and that would be especially bad. He hoped he wasn’t making a bad decision with this, he was really hoping he was doing the right thing by wanting to go in that specific direction.

Making a glance over at Ethan when his number was counted in a conversation he stared at him for a moment before looking away again, watching everything pass by. “Uhh, you know I don’t really eat”. While he could eat, he didn’t get anything from it and might end up sluggish and smoking as he burned the food and that would be rude and possibly disturbing to people who didn’t know what he was. While it would be nice to see her family, he felt he might be rude being there and not doing anything other than sit around and watch as they all ate. Come to think of it, he didn’t really know what a mother or father really was to someone. He was told they were similar to a creator, but to him they sounded a lot kinder. It made him wonder really, maybe even a little jealous of the living.

Sighing lightly he didn’t really know he was being looked at until he heard a strange noise, his eyes turning to Nymira immediately. Staring at her as she spoke he glanced to Ethan and Amuné before sighing, feeling like she was starting to investigate now. He didn’t know if she liked him or not because of what he was, making him feel a little uncomfortable. “I, umm…met them when I was in trouble. People wanted to take me away and I accidentally hit them while I was running. I guess they…got dragged into fleeing with me. I don’t know why they wanted to stand up for me, because umm, because I’m a Machina and all”.

[GambolMuse]

"Hm, Jorvind huh? I think it's a great name!" Ethan said cheerfully, though internally he questioned it a little. Jorvind huh, was that Ydran for something? He couldn't ask because it would make Amuné suspicious, what with having her think he was one of her kind and all. The horse didn't much seem to mind it, giving a satisfied whinny as it was pet by the young girl. That just left the other horse without a name, and until they found out whether it was a boy or girl naming it would have to wait. "A break is never a bad idea. If we just worked all the time then we'd burn out, and then we wouldn't be helping anyone now would we?" the Magi spoke with a nod, smiling again as he held up a finger as he made a point, "If we can't help ourselves then how can we expect to help others? Makes sense when you think about it." He'd been told that time and time again by Kinsgrove's guards, how sometimes you couldn't help because it meant putting yourself in danger. There was risk and then there was being reckless, they'd say, and if you ended up in trouble then who rescued the rescuer?

Ethan was ecstatic at the idea of sharing a hearty meal with everyone, forgetting even for a moment there may be no chance of it happening. It would be so nice to have everyone gathered around a table together, laughing, eating, sharing stories, he could imagine it already. "I know, but you can come for the company! Plus there'd be all sorts of story telling!" the Magi answered back, smiling as he addressed Cecil, "Plus you'd get to meet Amuné's parents, wouldn't that be fun?" He thought so, it was always nice getting to meet new people... Most of the time. Glancing down at the Ydran girl when she spoke to him again, Ethan's face fell slightly when his reason for traveling was questioned. Glancing straight ahead again he put back on a smile, trying to not let his worry or uncertainty show. "I'm going to meet my friend in one of the cities, he's waiting for me there," the Muran replied with a chuckle, closing his eyes as he broke into a sheepish grin, "I just forget where he is, and I don't have any way of getting in touch, so I've been having to look. He got in a bit of trouble I guess, so I'm going to clear him and take him home with me." And he would too, it didn't matter where he was being held or who had him. Ethan would grovel if that's what it took to see Cedric home safely, or even trade himself in turn; everyone loved and knew the old man back home, so seeing Cedric returned mattered more than himself returning.

"Hm... Is that right? So your problems were forced on them?" Nymira asked for clarification, frowning before nodding to herself, "I see... They're good people then. Anyone can turn a blind eye to someone in need, but they helped. They're honorable and have good hearts, that much I can tell now. Even if he might be a bit of an idiot." A well intentioned idiot at that, but an idiot nonetheless. From hereon out she'd be having more of a say in their decisions without a doubt, just to offer some common sense into what was done here; though she herself was still relatively new to these other cultures Nymira thought herself more worldly than the rest, and thus better able to make decisions. Besides that she knew how to handle diplomatic meetings and how to appease even the toughest of people, leaving her in a far better position than Ethan.

"Listen... From this point on I will be making decisions, it's only right that I do. Not only am I of a higher rank than those two, but I know what I'm doing. I need you to support me when I tell the others later, understood?" Nymira asked, glancing back at Cecil sternly, "I will not take no for an answer. It sounds like we all have a lot to do and no real direction to do it. If you want to find your answers then just follow my lead." Ethan would be useful for his knowledge of the land, perhaps Amuné as well, but she'd limit their guidance to that. They were in essence her attendants, meaning they weren't meant to tell her what to do or where to go; she'd accept ideas and suggestions, but if they thought they were going to be able to order her about...

As the sun had begun to set and the sky darkened the group had finally settled on a place to stop along the road. Splitting off from the main stretch was a path leading down a hill, and at the bottom of the hill was a river which ran from some place beyond the road and well past their field of view. Its rapids were not terribly loud meaning they could keep an ear open for any potential threats. The river seemed deep too, giving them a natural buffer from the other side of the banks, leaving them pretty well protected on that end. After leaving the horses along the banks to graze and roam a bit, the group had set up their camp a bit further inland. Ethan had begun setting up a fire pit before anything else, managing to find some fallen branches and twigs that had washed up along the shore. Lighting them was no easy task, but after plenty of attempts he managed to get a fire going, illuminating the immediate area with a warm glow.

"There... We... Go! Fire's all set, now to get the tent put up!" Ethan announced as he dusted his hands off, satisfied with his handiwork. Lighting wet wood was always such a pain, but if you managed to find those few fibers that were dry then it was still possible. They had probably best consider getting some food as well, and with luck they could catch a few fish in this river without too much trouble. But who to ask? Amuné probably was too small to wade in far, and Cecil wasn't waterproof. Nymira might know how, but seeing her sitting off by herself and not offering to help any didn't instill much hope. So that left fishing to him then did it? "Man... Guess I'm on chow duty as well," he mused silently, smiling as he pushed himself back to his feet and stretched out, "Hey Amuné, know how to set up a tent? Maybe you and Cecil can do that while I fish?"

[shylarah]

Campsite

Amuné accepted Ethan's explanation of his goal without question, though she made a face when he said he'd forgotten where he was supposed to meet his friend. "You should have marked it or something, so you wouldn't forget," she scolded him. "I bet he's really worried about you, since you're gonna be late."

Once they stopped for the evening, the girl helped gather firewood and lay the fire. Wyth prowled around the campsite, glad to be on his feet after so long in the cart. Amuné looked at the man across the fire when he asked her about the tent. "Um...no, I've never done that before. Why don't you give me the rod and maybe I can catch something? I mean, I could try, and Old Dan says it's mostly waiting...." Her expression turned to disbelief when Ethan's face fell. "What do you mean, we don't have a rod? If you were planning on fishing, you should have gotten one!" the child exclaimed. Ethan could be so...thoughtless at times. She sighed. "I'll try to help with the tent, I guess, but I don't know how much use I'll be. Though it doesn't look like it's going to rain, and it's not really very cold. Do we need to use the tent?"

Her gaze drifted over to where Nymira sat, and the child frowned. "She should help too, I mean she's travelling with us after all." Amuné looked at Ethan. "For someone so bossy, you'd think she'd be more hands-on."

[Mogtaki]

Cecil didn’t know what he was supposed to think towards seeing someone he had never met before. He had never been in that scenario, even when it came to meeting Norman considering he had to find someone who could help if he was to remain online. It wouldn’t be right to get all excited over someone he had never met knowing they may not actually be alive, even if chances were they probably were still alive. He didn’t know if it was just him who thought like this, but when you had no social skills whatsoever regarding normal society it was a little hard to imagine meeting someone and having all sorts of fun with them when he had no idea what they were like or if they even liked him back. So many people had shown they didn’t like Machina so it would be no surprise if Amuné’s parents were like her when they first met him and seemed startled that he was a Machina and not an actual living person. Giving Ethan a side glance at the subject he soon sighed and simply nodded, finding it just too difficult to respond accurately without sounding like a complete downer.

With Nymira trying to talk to him now he felt confused by her initially before guilt sunk in, knowing he was the reason they were all travelling together on the run from who knew what. He didn’t know if that guy they encountered on the bridge was all part of it too, but he was certain he was the cause of the attack back there. He did want to say something about it but Nymira was quick to tell him his problems were forced on them only making him feel worse about it. “I wouldn’t want to wish that on anyone I know, even if they’re the first people who have ever wanted to get to know me. I am not well received by others”.

While he did have doubt over his place in the world he still had a desire for friendship, even if other Machina probably didn’t feel the same way. Staring at Nymira for a moment his eyes soon started to wander when he thought she was done with him, only for her to come up with something that sounded rather strange to him. “Huh? But…huh?” He didn’t understand what she meant by ‘rank’ or how that granted her authority over everyone else when it came to decision making, all of it simply sounding strange to him and fairly unlikely that the others would take that well. “You leave me with little chance of making a choice for myself with your inability to take a possible ‘no’…”

Cecil had been thinking about it the entire way and when they finally stopped to set up camp he did forget that is what normal people did when it got dark rather than continuing on. He was often fairly forgetful about their desires to stop to rest, seeing how many hours it wasted out of the day. Night time wasn’t all that dangerous if you could see what was happening, but turns out their own batteries seem to die down when the light disappeared. It really confused him but he was still willing to keep trying to understand how they worked.

Watching as everyone started to get settled down his eyes wandered, wondering if they were too much out in the open to be here for so many hours. Sighing lightly as he moved close to the fire he looked off in Nymira’s direction before gasping when his name was mentioned, turning to Ethan. Something about setting up a tent, whatever that entailed. Looking to Amuné for an answer to what that was like to set up a tent it didn’t sound like she was really wanting to do it either and was even questioning Nymira’s role. She was not helping by being all the way over there, that was for sure. “Are tents dangerous? Is that why she is all the way over there? Is she scared of the concept of setting up a tent? Did she give orders to do these things?” He was feeling rather confused, especially after what he was told when they were travelling. She didn’t appear to be leading anybody or telling the others what to do, he thought she was wanting to be the leader too.

[GambolMuse]

Ethan wasn't thrilled to be lying to Amuné again, but he wasn't terribly keen on sharing his own case just yet. His reason for travel was a fairly grim one, the potential outcomes even more so and little chance of a truly happy ending. He knew all of this even if only subconsciously, yet he had to try. If he just let Cedric be taken and do nothing for it then he'd be plagued by guilt the rest of his life; he used to idolize the guards growing up, and what guard would let a captive go without even trying to help them? He knew he wasn't a guard, or even a well-trained soldier, he was just some kid who had managed to steal a sword and could use it, that was all. A Magi too, he supposed, one who was essentially going on a suicide mission by rushing headlong into the cities. Ethan knew all of this and was still persisting, then at least he could say he tried. If it ever got particularly bad then he'd leave these three and go on his own, having no desire to put any of them in harm's way. None of them should have to suffer for his crazy mission.

Camp had to be set up while there was still some light left, and the tent pitched just in case there was any rain tonight. On top of that they needed to catch some food still, and should probably come up with some sort of plan as to where they were going tomorrow. A lot had to be done, and Ethan wasn't quite sure how they should accomplish it all. "I know, I know... I just kind of forgot was all. But I can catch fish without a rod, no problem!" the white-haired boy said, beaming as he rolled up his sleeves, "Even if we don't need it, better to set it up and not need it than need it later, right? Besides, if it does rain then Cecil should be kept out of it, so he can use the tent with you and Wyth." He and Nymira could stay outside and make some sort of shelter if worst came to worst, though he was sure they would be alright. Leaving the tent up to Amuné and Cecil, Ethan slipped off his shoes and started for the river only to stop when the Machina asked about the tent. "Huh...? No, tents aren't dangerous. And I don't know why she's over there, maybe she just wants to be alone," he remarked with a shrug, glancing down the shoreline towards Nymira, "Far as I know she isn't ordering us, I just figured we should do it just in case. Maybe see if she can help though?"

Such ridiculousness, being questioned about giving orders. What attendants questioned their master? While those three were not her true attendants and were doing this as a favor, Nymira was plenty used to having her orders be met. Should these people obey what she said? Maybe not, but then who would? Was she supposed to do it all herself? What a bothersome journey this was so far, even a Machina was refusing to do as she asked. Letting out a sigh she closed her eyes briefly, only to open them again and look to her left when Ethan approached, bearing one of his idiotic smiles. "What is it, Muran? I'm busy."

"Er... Yeah, well I was kind of hoping you could give those two a hand," Ethan said sheepishly, pointing back at Amuné and Cecil over his shoulder, "I'm going to get us some food, so I'll be busy too. It will be quick, then you can get back to... Uh... Whatever it was you're doing."

Nymira narrowed her eyes in irritation at Ethan, and for a good moment she looked like she might tell him off for even asking. Instead she exhaled before reluctantly rising to her feet, dusting some sand off of her pants. "Very well... I suppose I can't expect a child to do everything, that would be unfair. And the Machina barely seems to know how to dress himself, let alone prepare a camp," she remarked, giving Ethan another glance as he continued smiling. "Your optimism annoys me, go catch some fish will you? And don't come back smiling or I might be too ill to eat." Watching as he wandered off into the water she rolled her eyes, trudging across the sand to where the tent had been taken out, its components now strewn across the ground. "Let me see... So we just have to set up a tent, yes...?" Nymira asked as she leaned down, taking two poles and glancing between them curiously. She knew what a properly fixed tent should look like, but how exactly did you accomplish such a thing? There were about six sticks in all to be used, plus the canvas and some weights, though she wasn't entirely certain what those were for either. "Cecil, was it? You must know how to make a tent don't you?" she added, her cheeks flushing slightly as she dropped the poles back in the pile, "I... Have never done it myself."

[shylarah]

Campsite

"Poles are easier," the girl told Ethan, "but I suppose it doesn't matter now. Good luck!" Amuné watched the man go talk to Nymira, who didn't seem pleased but came over to help with the tent anyhow. "Yep, gotta set it up, but I dunno how." It seemed the Dimura didn't know what to do either, and Amuné gave an exasperated sigh. "What good does a tent do if no one knows how to make it?" she asked, frustrated. You'd think someone would have thought of that. "If we can't put it up maybe we can just...I dunno, use the wagon and two of the poles to prop up the cloth for a shelter, at least? It'd be better than nothing...." She looked at Cecil. "Unless you know how to make it, Cecil? Do you think you can figure it out?" The girl looked at the various pieces dubiously. She didn't even know what shape the tent was supposed to be, much less how to put it together.

Wyth watched the group from a little ways away, attention grabbed by the sound of the dropped pole. He meandered back over to his girl, butting his head against her side and demanding attention. Amuné obliged, small fingers scratching his skull and chin until the moorcat started his rumbly purr.

[Mogtaki]

Cecil was definitely the least likely person in the group to know how to do anything productive on this trip such as make a tent or provide them with sustenance. He didn’t really have much of a use in the group apart from being the one who was not entirely willing to give up and leave everything to everyone else. He did want to learn and even if he didn’t know what it was he could do to help he still wanted to try. Setting up camp was something these people required, but he would need help understanding how he was supposed to do such a thing when Amuné showed signs of being unable to do so too too. He knew they needed help to make this, but with one unwilling to help he wondered whether it was a danger to set up a tent. She was probably more capable than either of them to set it up and yet she was sitting out. Hearing Ethan tell him his worries were empty he stared at him for a moment before looking off to Nymira, curious as to why she might be sitting out.

Gazing over at Nymira as Ethan asked her for help he waited patiently until she was willing to get up, smiling a little before sighing. She was certainly full of herself it seemed, he couldn’t even understand why and yet Ethan and Amuné were tolerating it. He didn’t understand all this clan stuff or Princess stuff, she was just another person to him. Slowly tilting his head he soon gasped when she insulted him, looking down at himself quickly before pulling at his shirt. He thought he looked pretty alright, or at least he felt alright in the clothes he was in. Feeling a little hurt by her comment and self-conscious about what he was wearing he shuffled on his feet, frowning as he heard her simply insult Ethan’s good mood before coming on over.

He didn’t know if he was going to like travelling with her if she was going to be like that. She was awfully mean to them for no reason. Looking to Amuné before down at the gear for making a camp he stared at it for a moment, wondering how it might be constructed as it was just now. Narrowing his gaze a little he gasped when Nymira spoke to him again, looking at her before moving away a few steps. So she didn’t know how to make a tent either it seemed, and yet she was getting on at them for being unable to. “I have only been alive for a few months, you have been alive for many years”, he spoke, looking back to the tent’s parts, “I have never had any need to make a tent…” Judging by the pieces of the tent and how large the canvas structure was there was probably a solution to this that ended with them retrieving a canvas.

Curious to what a tent looked like he had to investigate, moving over to the pile of rods and the canvas structure and analysing it. For some reason the setup looked familiar to him, so now it was time to figure out how it all worked. Looking over it curiously he soon bent down, placing the rods where he thought they went and judging the canvas structure to see what he could create. Placing the pieces together and locking them in tight he pulled at the tent’s structure before moving back, staring at what he had created. “Is this a tent?” he asked, pointing to the now completed tent. He didn’t know what he had made and hoped it was right, he was just thinking through the possibilities of the placed pieces, thinking of their importance and how they might work together.

[GambolMuse]

Of course Ethan knew poles were easier, but they didn't have one now did they? There was no one to blame for that oversight other than himself however as he really ought to have thought to grab one for them. Ah well, he'd gone fishing without a rod before and gotten a decent haul, so no worries! Rolling up his sleeves he began skimming the water for any fish, barely able to see with the sun setting overhead. He wasn't even sure there were fish here come to think of it, which if there were none then they'd have to seriously reconsider their meal. Maybe some edible plants? He knew of a few that tended to grow along rivers, and if they really needed to they could break into some of their provisions from the shop. "Should really save that stuff for an emergency though..." Ethan told himself, frowning as he pulled a log over and spotted a fish flee from him, grasping at it fitfully and coming up empty handed. Letting out a sigh he glanced back to the shore to check on the tent, smiling amused seeing the group was still sorting it out. "At least I'm not the only one having problems."

"No reason to be upset Amuné, I'm sure we can make Ethan do it when he's through playing in the water," Nymira interjected, figuring to just leave it up to that knucklehead. Though if he was really half the moron she thought he was and yet managed to set up a tent, what did that make them? Frowning at the notion of being lesser than him she shook her head, looking across at the wagon at Amuné's idea. "Use the wagon...? I suppose that could work, though wouldn't that be difficult? How would we make it stay upright?" There was probably some painfully obvious solution to this dilemma and they were simply not seeing it, whether through lack of expertise or pure ignorance. The fact that Nymira found herself relying on a Machina for something like this was embarrassing, yet neither herself or the Ydran girl could solve it.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I know how to do everything. It's unfair to assume that just because of my age," Nymira shot back, frowning as she placed a hand on her hip, "I've never had to make one either, I had people who knew how to for me. There must be something in your programming though?" That was how Machina worked right? She didn't know the particulars, but just from listening to Norman talk she understood they could be given certain abilities when made, and Cecil seemed like he had all kinds of abilities. Watching the Machina toy with the parts for a moment she was ready to give it up for a loss, beginning to consider how they might make Amuné's idea with the wagon work. "How should I know Cecil? I've never had to..." Nymira began to say, looking back to assess how the Machina had gotten along. "Make... One..." He'd actually done it, that was a tent if she'd ever seen one. Large too, it hadn't seemed quite so big when it was in pieces all over the sand. Blinking in surprise she walked over and shook the structure lightly to test it, amazed that it was sturdy and holding itself upright. "Ralthor be praised, you actually did it!" the Dimuran said in shock, looking over at Cecil with a smile, "I take it back, you did very well! Seems you're much more capable than I thought!"

[shylarah]

Campsite

"I dunno if he knows how either, Nymira," Amuné said, sounding doubtful. She watched Cecil examine the pieces, and eventually assemble the tent without too much trouble. The girl clapped her hands. "Yay, you did it! You're smart, figuring that out!" She beamed at the Machina, glad someone had managed to do it. Amuné went to grab her bedroll and lay it out inside, since they'd conquered the tent problem. Before she got down from the cart, though, she tossed a second bedroll to Nymira. "Here, might as well set it up now." Cecil didn't have one -- and hadn't he said he didn't sleep? The girl wondered what that was like. He could probably get so much done during the hours other people were sleeping.

When she was satisfied with the way she'd fixed her bed for the evening, Amuné wandered over to the river to watch Ethan. She'd let Wyth go off to find himself supper, and the moorcat had promptly vanished into the brush. Amuné took off her shoes and stuffed her socks inside them. They were nice socks, and she didn't want to lose them. Setting them down beside her, she dipped her feet into the water.

The girl considered her travelling companions as she waited for Ethan to catch something. Ethan she trusted. Cecil was odd, but he seemed okay. Nymira, though, Nymira bothered her. She was curt and bossy and not always nice. She seemed to think she was in charge, and didn't care who she inconvenienced. She didn't even ask, just assumed people would do things her way. Amuné grimaced. Maybe the woman was a good fighter, and they'd be safer with her around, but she didn't like the Dimuran very much.

[Mogtaki]

Cecil didn’t know what he was doing really, rather he was having a moment to himself while he was building the tent. He didn’t know anything about camping as far as he knew so setting it up was a case of him zoning out and forgetting all about that. Once he was all done he did question whether it was correct and apparently the correct answer was ‘yes’. He had managed to do it well enough that Nymira seemed shocked by it, staring at her for a moment as he tried to analyse her facial expression. Watching as she started to test the tent he gave Amuné a quick glance before gasping when Nymira spoke up again. “I uhh…I am? I, uhh…thanks, I suppose”. While he probably should’ve been happy to gain approval he didn’t like how he had to show that he was adequate. Looking to Amuné when she praised him in a much better way he gave a smile, feeling a little embarrassed at this point. “Oh uhh, smart? That’s nice for you to think so…”

While that was now done they could move onto what was next on the list, even if it didn’t involve or concern him. They were all going to eat and eventually they were going to shut down for the night, leaving him by himself again for some hours whenever the sun eventually came back up. He was certainly feeling the loneliness with that aspect and felt maybe he should try and shut down for the night, but then again something or someone might attack or take him away. He was certainly nervous and would probably have to put up with him not having company or moving anywhere for some hours. As everyone went on with preparing for the night and getting themselves some food he sat outside the tent, feeling like he somehow accomplished something even though he had no idea what it truly was. Sure, he made a tent when he didn’t know how to, but he was still left in a state of confusion that made him wonder how he managed to work out how to make the tent and just what he was going to do now while everyone seemed busy. While being unable to work out what to do while everyone ate and slept, he stared off into the horizon wondering just now much of their journey they had to go before they reached the city, especially now that they had Nymira with them.

[GambolMuse]

"I feel much better about our chances now, at least when it comes to resting outdoors," Nymira added with a nod, smiling as she stepped closer to inspect the tent. It would be tight but they could all fit, if they didn't mind being side by side. Being used to having her smaller, own personal tent for resting in it would be a change of pace for her, but the Dimuran intended to tough it out if she had to. Deeming it plenty large enough then she went to get her sleeping roll, a little surprised by Amuné throwing it to her. Nodding appreciatively she brought it to the tent and laid it along the side, making sure to give herself plenty of space for moving around if needed. Nothing more needed to be done on her part, and once Ethan brought back their food they would eat and turn in for the night. Figuring she'd best just sit down and wait she debated on going back down the shore, but paused when she saw Cecil sitting outside the tent. Opting instead for some company she eased herself down not too far off from where he'd sat, glancing to the river to watch Ethan and Amuné. "You are all interesting people... I'm not used to a group like this," the Dimuran commented, a small smile appearing as she glanced over at Cecil, "But then I guess you aren't either, are you?"

Now there was a fish, finally! And a decent sized one too at that, it would fill them up for the evening. Just what was it exactly, a bass? Eh who cared what it was, it would be tasty! Managing to wrangle the fish down he brought it over to a rock, digging through the water and finding himself a sharp stick at the river's bottom. "Sorry little buddy, but we've gotta eat. Thanks for the meal!" After killing the fish he carried it in two hands back to the shore, beaming at Amuné who seemed to be standing and waiting for him. "Lookie, I got us a big one! Hope you're hungry squirt!" he declared with a laugh, stepping out from the water and shaking his legs before trudging to the fire. Now what to do with all the innards? He should probably toss them in the water, no sense in tracking a predator because of them. But then Wyth might eat them too, perhaps he'd leave them aside for the moorcat to snack on.

Carving up and gutting the fish didn't take too long, and pretty quickly everyone had a belly full of freshly roasted fish. Their tent was set up, bedrolls laid out and the fire still burning strong, meaning that now they could look forward to getting some rest. After a busy day like today Ethan couldn't wait to lay down, but he'd hold off for a little bit; best to be safe and make sure none of those goons from Galloway were going to come after them, as unlikely as it might seem. Nymira had already head off into the tent by now, meaning that he was the only one left to really keep an eye out. It would be unfair to ask Amuné to stay watch, and Cecil might be able to if he didn't jump at the slightest sound, being so unsure of things out here. It would be a bit silly for everyone to be woken over a squirrel happening into their camp for instance, which at the very least Ethan knew what was out here and wouldn't overreact. To keep an eye on things he'd moved back up the hill a ways, sitting down in the grass where he could overlook the camp and the river before them. He'd get to bed eventually, but for now he had to make sure everything was safe.