Spring, June 3rd - Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires

[zenoh]

Who: Semi-Open. Ayame has only invited her friends and their Pokemon for the camping part, but any run-ins in the forests or just dropping by for one or two activities before heading home are perfectly fine.
What: Outdoor adventures and camping
When: Early morning of June 3, to evening of June 4.
Where: Forests of Fayren
Warnings: None, but will adjust if something comes up.

Intro:

Ayame had been planning for this trip for some time now ever since she heard about camping in a talk show. Now with the Chimera Infection dying down, she figures it's already safe enough to go for it. Inviting her friends who might be interested in this sort of activity via text message, along with their Pokemon, Ayame went ahead and rented some camping essentials in Genessia City for herself and her party. Shrinking them to pocket-size, they shouldn't have any problems carrying anything to the steep hills of their chosen campsite.

Campsite:

Setting their belongings on a flat area overlooking a good amount of the forest and the distant ocean. Ayame's party makes camp with two-person tents that they could share with someone of their choosing, along with a spare one for supplies like food, weapons, and gear. A spot for a campfire is placed in the middle, and a picnic table for later dining. A hammock is in place for anyone who wants to lay suspended in between a couple of trees, safely nestled near the edge of the hill, giving those on the hammock has a nice view of the forest below. Ayame's pet cat Hibiki can be seen roaming around the campsite, and being unlike her Gardevoir Hibana who is being helpful with setting up the camp. Ayame would primarily be in charge of making the food, but she wouldn't be opposed to some helping hands. Other than lounging around and waiting for the next leisurely activity, Ayame brought a projector screen for movie night in the woods. A pack of wolves and a couple of ravens that Ayame had befriended like to visit the camp, and are surprisingly friendly to the campers.

Hot Springs:

A natural hot spring in a secluded part of the forest, with tall trees and thick vegetation providing ample privacy for the campers.

Waterfalls & River:

If the hot springs is too much in this summer-like heat, the cool and clear waters of the river would seem more ideal, there is a small waterfall not far from the campsite that extends into a river. Ayame makes a raft made of bamboo for any campers to ride and make them feel like floating. This river is connected to a descending stream that the campers could follow, leading them to the next area:

Caves & Cenote:

Half-way to the river's path towards the ocean, there is a fork in the stream with the smaller branch that leads towards a cave filled with water. Anyone willing to dive into this natural maze of wonder and mystery is more than welcome to do so. They get to explore an expansive cave system with bioluminescent lifeforms and crystal formations, and a myriad of other things that lie beneath the surface.

Forests:

Whether through wanderlust, a quick morning walk or jog, or looking for something to forrage in this vast forest, campers can run in to anybody who weren't on the invite list and just so happens to be roaming the woods too. Dangers lurk in these woods, so Ayame advises anyone to go in twos, be on high alert, and bring a weapon if they don't have any special abilities. Luckily, Ayame was prepared for that,
and brought some standard-issue energy rifles from the Dubai subarchway for self-defense, lessons, or for when they're drunk and trigger-happy.

Comments

Anastasia - All campers

[innocent_royal]

(Intro)

[Anastasia was most concerned about the weather, with her natural weakness to all things summer. But with her Glaceon, she should be fine and dandy!

It must be a cold day in hell, because Anastasia actually swapped out her usual fancy-casual dresses for more casual attire, floral-patterned t-shirt and shorts.]

(Campsite - both days)

[Anastasia will never be without her Glaceon close by, reducing the temperature around to keep the girl comfortable. After a few hours of being shy and hiding away in the tent, she eventually came out to the smell of food. It was Ayame!

Anastasia approached with her Glaceon close by.]

Hi, Ayame. ...Is there anything I can do to help?

[At any other time, Anastasia can be found in the hammock, buried in Poké fluff or just walking around the edge of the campsite with her Pokémon behind her.]

(Hotspring - Day 1)

[While the heat is bad for her, primarily heat from direct sunlight, her perpetually cold skin drives her to seek out warm things. In this case, it's a hot spring.

Dressed in her favourite pink skirted swimsuit, Anastasia lounges around on the edge of the spring, with just her feet in the water, with just her Sylveon and Ribombee. Ribombee, in particular, lounging on Ana's head.]

(River/Waterfall - both days)

[On either day, Anastasia can be found by the river in her swimsuit, sitting by the edge and letting all of her Pokémon out to play in the water. Excluding Nidoking. On some occasions, she can be found riding on the bamboo raft.]

(Caves/Cenote - Day 2)

[The camping trip will be ending soon, and one place Anastasia wanted to see was the cave. Surely she didn't come alone, and she will definitely have Sylveon with her. As she marveled at the beautiful bioluminescence and crystal formations, she couldn't help but think to herself out loud.]

...This would be a good spot for a date.

Vie~awwn~

Campsite - Day 1

[zenoh]

[ Ayame felt like she was pretty bossy earlier with her perfectionism coming out to the surface, telling people to do this and that like she's commanding subordinates almost. So she could understand that the others would just want to have some fun or take a break. After all none of them are like her with an unlimited stamina. So while she was making herself busy at a prep table with coolers and containers full of food, Ayame is surprised to hear Anastasia volunteer to help her.

Turning around to meet Anastasia's attention, Ayame takes a moment before she replies. ]

Oh, hello Anastasia. I suppose you can help me prepare our main course. See that blue cooler over there that says "Coleman"? Take that for me, please.

[ At least she said please this time. ]

[innocent_royal]

[Anastasia didn't mind the bossy attitude. She's used to it from her soldiers at home, and even from Satsuki for the past year. She nodded and made her way over to the cooler. Blue is a good color. She opens it carefully and peers into it, but didn't see the requested good on the surface. The girl reaches in and digs around and pulls something out and holds it up to show Ayame.]

Ayame, is this it?

[zenoh]

Yes. That's the one. Put them on the table, I'll give you another lesson.

[ Ayame nods, seeing Anastasia hold one of the four containers that the young woman dug out of the ice. Which Ayame imagines would be a welcome thing for Anastasia. Inside of the containers are whole chickens, weighing 3 pounds each not counting the marinade they are bathed in overnight.

Ayame takes the container from Anastasia's hand and puts it on the table. She cracks the lid open to show Anastasia what's within, and an aroma of garlic, ginger, onions, and bay leaves just escapes from the small container. Ayame takes it from the marinade in the container, pulling out the onions and a couple stalks of lemongrass from the cavity and throwing them away in a compost can ]

Once they're out, we're going to put fresh stalks of lemongrass inside the cavity of the chickens before we roast them over the coals.

[ Ayame instructs, showing Anastasia the small plastic bag of lemongrass on the table so the young woman can help clear out the used ones and put in fresh new ones in its place. ]

They should be done by tonight and that's what we're having for dinner, with a side of rice and some special sides. I hope you're hungry by tonight, we have a lot to look forward to.

[innocent_royal]

[Anastasia marveled at the smell of garlic and onions and all. It all made her eager for tonight's dinner.

She watched closely at what Ayame was doing with the lemongrass. She never knew this was how chicken was prepared, and honestly did not envy any chefs who prepare these birds. But she did follow Ayame's instructions and helped with removing the used lemongrass and putting in new ones. Her tummy would be rumbling if she didn't already have breakfast earlier.]

Mmm~ I'm really looking forward to it. Is there anything else I can do to help?

[zenoh]

Hmm, no you should be okay. You can stay and watch me finish these up, and then we can go do whatever you want to.

[ Ayame picks up a thin bamboo rod right after lining up the chickens in a row, with one end sharpened to a fine point skewering into the cavity of one chicken, and onto the others without harming the stuffing of lemongrass and spring onions stalks.

With the birds firmly latched onto the skewer, Ayame lifts it like it was just a barbecue skewer in a very small stick, when it normally would weigh around a hundred pounds. Ayame points to where they're going to place the birds, showing Anastasia a pit of flaming coals encircled by rocks, all ready to cook their feast for tonight. Ayame places the skewer on to a spit, and telekinetically moves it to spin around for a certain amount of time.

Ayame calls on Hibana, who would be in charge of basting the chickens while they're gone. ]

There. That should be good enough. All we need to do is wait.

[ Ayame sighs with pride beaming from her smile and the triumphant gesture of her hands on her hips. She looks to Anastasia. While her lesson was simple and easy, she hopes at least the princess learned something, like how to make a tasty roasted chicken. Ayame chose this dish because of how easy it was. It hardly requires any skill to make ]

Where do you wish to go now?

[ The caves? The river/waterfall? The woods? Or just chill in the tent? Ayame would be okay with any of those ]

[innocent_royal]

[Anastasia stayed and watched carefully as skewer rods were fashioned from bamboo. She sat on her knees on a seat so she can give herself whatever view she wants to see the process.

When they were ready to start cooking, she got off the seat and...refused to approach the flaming coals. No, she's going to keep her distance from that kind of heat. While Ayame wasn't looking, Anastasia emulated her, having her hands on her hips as well. But she quickly moved to folding her hands in front of her when Ayame looked to smile at her. Maybe Satsuki will let her cook their dinner some day.

But now, what to do next while the dinner cooks? Anastasia had a few ideas.]

I heard there is a hotspring near by, but I think I'll wait until evening. I suppose either the river or the woods. I'm not picky with either.

Konoka

[im_gonna_heal_u]

[[OTA]]

[ At her most approachable, Konoka would likely be playing with her Pokemon: Audino, Pancham, and Umbreon. Momo (Audino) and Negi-kun (Pancham) seem to get into friendly bickering while Yuunagi (Umbreon) naps during the day. Of course, she could also be seen exploring the woods alongside the group. ]

[[To Mariko, via text/video]]

[ While Konoka is happy to chat with Ayame and the others, much of her adventure is exploring the wild nature of Fayren with her Pokemon out and in tow. Yuunagi is more alert, keeping and eye out and scouting ahead while Konoka and Momo take their time to see the sights.

Konoka spends most of the night, however, passing texts to Mariko about the kinds of adventure and exploration she's run into. Not every day (or night, rather) that you get to spend it watching movies under the stars with wildlife! ]

See look, Yuunagi's cool enough that even the wolves like her!

Video and Text

[majestiq]

[ Konoka had been keeping contact with Mariko a lot more since their time in the Holodeck. Even if it's mostly just cute pictures of her Pokemon or anecdotes of the day. Mariko isn't a fan of camping, and she was busy trying to make it as a musician in Nova City, so she opted to stay home for this weekend. Still, Konoka had kept Mariko updated on her little camping trip which helped make Mariko's dull night a little more interesting. She was just in bed, lying down on her side and cuddling with her Pokemon pets like they're dogs. While they are on video, they chat through text as to not disturb anyone else ]

Psh, whatever I still don't like her（；¬＿¬)

Those wolves have shit taste lmao

[ Why Mariko doesn't like Yuunagi? It's a long story. Or she could just be being ironic like always and actually likes Yuunagi. Who knows? ]

Video and Text

[im_gonna_heal_u]

Awwww, why don't you guys get along? You two are so alike! Right down the sarcastic gazes you send at each other!\_(-W-)_/

[ As if aware of what she was talking about, Yuunagi seemed to be giving her a stare right then, as if saying "Please don't be talkin' to that Mariko". ]

You should've seen the caves out here. They're wonderful!

[ Another attachment came Mariko's way, this time showing off the watery cave they came across. ]

[majestiq]

Blech, don't you dare compare me to that thing (￢_￢)

Those caves look trippy tho. Did you guys run into some monsters?

[ Not with Ayame and Satsuki around. Monsters don't have a chance ]

[im_gonna_heal_u]

I dunno, Ayame and Satsuki-han were pretty good at handling threats. Yuunagi didn't even get to pick a fight with anything.

[ Konoka decided to shift the subject for a moment, while Yuunagi retreated back to her 'post' and Momo came nearby. ]

So how are things going in Nova City?

[majestiq]

Kickass. Got a job at Gale's nightclub as a performer. Actually have a gig scheduled sometime this week. Someone's going places! ヽ(〃･ω･)ﾉ♪

Also, you remember that guy I told you about? The one from my world? I don't know what he's up to right now but you should meet him. He could use some friends, the guy is pretty awkward on his own.

[ In their chats, Mariko would have already told Konoka about Rowan, her classmate back in high school. While she helped him out in his first few days here, she and Rowan weren't close back then. While she tries to be more helpful to him since they're from the same world, Mariko's just been kept busy by her job to really keep a good eye on him. ]

Maybe you should take him on a date to those crystal caves. You could use a boyfriend, right? ( ◞･౪･)

[im_gonna_heal_u]

Sweet! Tell me when so I can come over and cheer you on!

[ With a smile on her face, Konoka rolled onto her stomach and idly began kicking her feet. ]

Yeah, you told me about him, where's he staying right now? I've been meaning to at least pay him a visit. Jury's still out on whether or not I'm looking for boyfriend material though.

[ She still wasn't sure on that either. She wanted to give Rowan a fair shake if Mariko was suggesting it, but... why did she keep thinking about Mariko instead? ]

River or Hotsprings

[zenoh]

[ While at the campsite hours before the evening, Ayame pokes her head in the tent that Konoka is using while just wearing a cover-up dress and a pair of flip-flops. She figured it's been a while since they hung out together ]

Konoka, do you want to join me for a dip? Would you want to go to the hot springs or down by the falls? You can leave your Pokemon here. Hibana, Hibiki, and the wolves would remain here to keep them company.

Re: River or Hotsprings

[im_gonna_heal_u]

Ayame-han?

[ Konoka was checking Momo's ears after she seemed to want to feverishly brush them, and had found a twig had gotten slightly tangled. She had just removed the offending twig when Ayame approached her. ]

A swim? Sounds great!

[ She bounced on her feet and seemed ready to leave, but not before she gave a glance at Yuunagi. ]

Yuunagi-han, keep an eye out on the others for me, okay?

[ A lazy, glowing eye was the best acknowledgement she'll get, yet Konoka was confident that her Pokemon was taking that seriously. She then went to Ayame. ]

I think I want the hot springs. Sound good to you?

[zenoh]

Very well, let's go there. Get dressed if you haven't already. I'll be outside.

[ Ayame pulls her head out of the tent flap mid-way through her speech, so she can grant Konoka some privacy in changing if she hasn't yet. Ayame can be found by the edge of the campsite, giving a particularly attention hungry wolf a belly rub. Despite it's size, it acts much like a puppy around Ayame, who is speaking to it in Japanese. As Konoka meets her, Ayame stands up to get ready to walk towards the springs ]

Let's go.

[ The wolf whines, not wanting Ayame to leave, to which she just gives it a look to reassure it that she wont be gone for too long. Ayame leads the way, taking the first few steps along a winding path ]

I hope you're enjoying this trip so far. Does it remind you of home?

[ Because country girls, unite! ]

[im_gonna_heal_u]

[ Now that she's looking at it, Konoka did feel the familiar touch of the home wilderness, even though the Fayren wilds were notably different. But in reality, it was much closer to a different experience she had. ]

Sorta. It's a little closer to reminding me of my trip through the magical world. But with surprisingly less dragons.

[ You'd think there'd be dragons in Fayren, or more than she'd seen. Either way, Konoka was easily keeping up with Ayame's slow pace, though she had to make sure she didn't trip over anything. ]

It sure is nice though!

[zenoh]

[ Ayame nods, somewhat intrigued of what this "magical" world that Konoka mentioned to be like. ]

There are dragons here, but they live even deeper into the forest. We can look at some if you're daring.

[ Ayame says in an almost teasing manner. Ayame was okay with maintaining silence or keep up with small talk until they make it to the hot springs. The steam coming from it can be seen above the trees and boulders that act as a natural barrier from anyone who might peep. Ayame has placed barriers nonetheless, so they're completely safe. ]

Well, here we are. I'll have you take the honors and get the first dip.

[ Ayame gestures into the steaming pool of crystal clear water, cascading down into smaller pools below. She grabs a baby-blue scrunchie with white polka dots to tie her hair up while Konoka gets in ]

Satsuki [Open]

[weavemyownfate]

(Campsite)

Befriended wolves? Satsuki wasn't aware that Ayame had such a talent; and Satsuki just so happens to have an appreciation for forest wildlife- some more than others, but wolves are all right. She doesn't make much of an effort to mingle with company and, at least for the moment, seems content sitting upon a log watching along with the pack as two of them playfully(?) wrestle on the grass. Also with her is her pokemon Furfrou whom seems content just sleeping behind said log.

(Forests)

Satsuki doesn't have much experience with firearms. She's held a gun, what, only four times in her time in Genessia? But curiosity gets the better of her as seeing them immediately brings her mind back to how excited Ted gets at the thought of toting around a big-ass gun. Her situational awareness goes down when holding one, as proven when she's looking in the visor that's focused on a can set upon a log several yards away. When she fires, she may either hit or miss the can. In the case of missing the shot might land near someone else's foot somehow.

It's pretty crazy.

Forests

[zenoh]

The sound of a particle shot firing and hitting a tree was a familiar one for Ayame, afterall, these were the guns used by her fellow soldiers. But seeing Satsuki wielding one was a new sight she never expected to see. Satsuki is a swordsman through and through.

"Your breathing is affecting your shots."

Ayame says, coming up from behind Satsuki while dressed in a cover-up, hiding her two-piece swimsuit underneath. She just took a dip at the river it seems like.

"Your chest heaves when you breath, so it moves the rifle off-target. Mere centimeters may not seem much, but small things can still have a big impact."

Ayame stands right next to Satsuki. The gun is a direct-energy weapon, so she isn't worried about spent shell casings being ejected, or any shockwave from the muzzle blast. Not that it would hurt her anyway.

"Try inhaling first, and when you're halfway in your breath, pause then squeeze the trigger"

Re: Forests

[weavemyownfate]

The voice causes her to look away from her target(s) toward Ayame; which is followed with a small nod. "That does make sense; it seems proper breathing applies to all manner of weapons then."

Therefore the solution sounds satisfactory to her. There is a moment of hesitance with Ayame being so close, but she decides her friend knows what she's doing. Following the instructions another shot is fired, then the can- What happens to the can when hit by that kind of energy? Whatever it does, it happens.

However Satsuki can't help but look slightly perplexed, not taking into account the object was stationary.

"Hmn. I suppose anyone can master a firearm after all."

[zenoh]

"It is meant to be easy to, at least in theory"

Ayame retorts. Even children can use a firearm pretty effectively, or any weapon really. The only main problem is their size compared to the weapons that are usually made to be used by mature adults. Ayame crosses her arms, content in watching Satsuki practice and watches as that can disintegrates into nothing.

"People are quick think firearms are easy to use, just because it appears easy to, and its use is often simplified to 'just point and shoot'. But in truth, it requires the same degree of practice and patience as with swords or other melee weapons."

Some melee weapons are harder to wield, such as flexible ones. But Ayame speaks about them in a general sense.

[weavemyownfate]

"Hmn. Comparable to mastering the blade, or bow and arrow?" Satsuki can't help but look at least a little bit skeptical. "Well if anyone would know it would certainly be you, but it just does not seem.. 'Right', if that makes any sense."

"Though I admit that may be bias in play on my part. At the very least it does not feel unpleasant to carry." And she holds the weapon up again. "Would you mind setting up another target for me?"

[zenoh]

Ayame raises her hand to will the cans back into form. Even if they disintegrated into vapor, their material is still there for her to reform into their original states.

"Bias is definitely a factor. On average, and assuming a person trains a mere couple of hours a day under supervision of an instructor, it can take about two months to fully grasp the basics of the sword or the rifle, and be competent enough with it. I suppose what gives the impression that rifles are easier to use is the training method. Modern soldiers use a more practical and scientific approach whereas traditional sword arts in Japan focus more on kata and mental discipline than practicality in combat. There's not even live sparring in most schools"

Ayame couldn't help but express her opinion a little, which made her realize just how easy it is to do so around Satsuki's company. She herself trained in a more practical manner in using swords, eschewing kata. Which meant plenty of painful sparring and combat simulations in the past, with strict instruction tailored to the individual's progress.