Heat Rises

Sosio: {51 - 20 (entrance) = 31}

Items:

Just a small speck of grey in the wintery white landscape, Sosio shivered violently as she trudged through the snow. At least with the numerous coniferous trees, some wind was shielded from reaching the inhabitants inside. Even still, it was too much and far too cold for the firebird to take flight safely for very long, lest she risked freezing her feathers from the wet snow whipping into her exposed underside. She much preferred them close to her warm chest, which generated her flames and heat to keep her warm in this freezing environment, even if it meant getting her feet wet from walking through the frozen crystals completely blanketing the ground.

Though the bird had very limited feeling in her bony feet, the snow at times would reach her knees, completely encompassing her stick-like limbs and making her blood run cold and slow. Should she have been even the slightest bit discouraged, the Fletchinder might have just given in to the frigid claws of her surroundings and simply remain still until the never-coming Spring. However, with an unreasonable level of determination, the bird pushed onward as if her life depended on it. The more she delayed it, the more she grew aware of just how long she had been putting this journey off, whether out of fear or her rising irritability that came with the number of responsibilities she gained since she was just a Fledgling. Being surrounded by stressful situations had dimmed the inspiration that made her travel in the first place--more than anything in the world, the robin Pokemon wanted to reach the Floating Islands and finally live her life-long dream of joining the guild there. Her current goal: to reach the peak of the tallest mountain she knew of and fly with sheer abandon into the dreamy sky above to find the town rumored to be resting among the clouds.

With every ounce of will in her spirit, the flying-type blocked out the numbing feeling of the ice surrounding her; one of her greatest weaknesses, but ironically something she should be able to overcome easily thanks to her ability to ignite her surroundings and even set her own heart ablaze. Even before she had gained her beneficial typing through evolution, the energetic creature always had a fiery spirit and a level of excitability that could spread like wildfire to her like-minded companions. Right now, however, she was filled with an uncharacteristic misery, thinking that if she had failed many times to pass through the Frozen Stream, then just how difficult would this dungeon be to travel through, not to mention the mountain that lies just beyond the border? A cartographer ghost informed that this would be the most ideal path to close the gap of distance between Sosio and her destination, but the frostbitten Pokemon wondered if this was even worth traversing. Why not just fly directly upward in hopes to reach the sky? A rhetorical question, as she already knew the answer; a Fletchinder's body was not built for high-altitude nor long-distance flight, and although she could simply evolve and gain more strength, the stubborn girl figured that to be "giving in," especially since she had wanted to join the guild back when she was still a little Fletchling.

And look at just how long that's taken, Sosio thought bitterly, gripping her beak shut tightly as to not hear the redundant chatter of her warmth-desperate jaw muscles. Truly, she had no one to blame but herself and getting so sidetracked by others that she completely forgot how much this expedition and goal meant to her.  Without further hesitance, she let out a hearty sigh, the trapped warmth among her lungs escaping her throat and swirling to the air above, spreading and dissipating in a singular fleeting moment. Just like the heat, she too wished to rise up into the sky as she was destined to this whole time. So the bird pushed on, hoping she could even make that dream come true today.

Not too far away, an eevee had found himself in a very similar situation.

Celio had started his journey with only one goal in mind to start with: get away from the northeastern mountains. Home was great and all, but he was trying to broaden his horizons here, and that meant exploration. So when he took off in a random direction, completely ignoring the completely accurate map and reasonable directions his parents gave him, it didn't surprise him that his surroundings began to change.

Dry valleys and rocky crevices no longer encircled him. They'd become more and more rare as he trekked north, slowly but steadily being replaced with fields of grass. At some point, Celio had discovered snow—seeing that for the first time had been amazing—and immediately doubled his travel speed, eager to see more of what the north had to offer. Admittedly it wasn't much; the woods and forestry surrounding him had been dominated by ice, snow, and chilling winds. He was quick to don a heavy cloak from his bag and spend a while tromping about the snow, diving into piles left and right and exhausting himself.

It didn't take long for the cold to set in, though, which led him to his current debacle. After his discovery and playtime, Celio wanted nothing more than to be warm again. He'd spent the last hour or so of his chilling existence gathering kindling and modest chunks of dry wood. The eevee had congregated his findings at the center of a modest clearing in a thicket of trees, tortuously dragging tree limbs and sticks equal to his size or bigger. It wasn't until he'd collected enough to last him through the night that Celio realized he had nothing to start a fire with.

That little realization had been enough to send him into a miniature tantrum, throwing himself into the snow bodily and growling as he thrashed about. Once he'd expended his anger and energy, Cel hauled himself up, resigned to doing... something. Whether that was abandoning his pile of wood and letting his time go to waste so he could go somewhere else, or trying to rub cold, snowy, freezing sticks together in an attempt to get a spark, he wasn't sure.

Fortunately for him, he didn't have to decide. A flicker of orange in his peripheral immediately caught the excitable eevee's attention. It struck him instantly as out of place; for miles now, all he'd seen was white snow, brown trees, and green leaves. But this... this was a pokemon! If his lessons with his mother were accurate, that looked like... well, it was too small to be a Talonflame, so that just left a few possibilities. "Hey!!" Celio raised his head and shouted, throwing caution to the wind. "Fletchinder, right?! Come over here for a sec!!"

Who'd ever heard of "stranger danger"? He had, actually, but Cel figured the risk of attracting the pokemon's attention was well worth it. If it wasn't hostile, he'd be able to use its help to start a fire. Without it, the odds were he was going to freeze all night, even if he tried to turn around and get out of this godawful dungeon. If worst came to worst, he could always run away. He was good at that.

25 energy - 20 (energy cost): 5 energy

(apologies for the length here but it's the first post for this character and so I felt like a little intro was appropriate. Subsequent posts are gonna be shorter lmao)

Sosio: {51 - 20 (entrance) = 31}

Items:

The further the firebird traveled, the slower she began to walk, taking pauses to lift her ice-cold legs up to her feathery bosom to absorb some heat before continuing onward. Even for an animal without external ears, either side of her head was growing cold as the wind whipped and her muscles ached, the sound of the wind overpowering everything except the "crunch" of the snow compacting beneath her head. Even with the howling gusts, a voice still managed to reach her sore mind. Coming to her senses, the bird snapped immediately to alertness as her eyes began to dart this way and that, her neck creaking with tension as she searched for the location of the voice. Finally, her eyes landed on a fluffy vulpine creature, thinking a little jealously of its thick coat that could be able to retain heat. Realizing that it called her over, she debated for less than a moment about whether or not to obey its request. Without further thought, the Fletchinder hopped over, curious about what it could possibly seek from her.

"What do you need?" she asked as openly as she could, voice somewhat trembling from the chills that coursed through her spine and body. Observing what she now identified as an Eevee and his surroundings, Sosio took notice of the wood gathered beside him, yet she did not seem to connect the pieces. Surely, since Sosio didn't recognize species right off the bat, then it wouldn't be possible for someone else to recognize that she was a fire type. In truth, she still frequently forgot her ability to conjure fire in the first place, even though she used it near-constantly. More likely, though, it's that she's never encountered a situation where she could use it for practical reasons, like lighting a fire for warmth. The reality was simple, though: she just wasn't the brightest feather of the bunch.

Ahaa, not only was this bird not immediately hostile, but it sounded as cold as he was! Celio had to fight to keep his grin from under control. It was both a relief that he wasn't going to have to run for his life and exciting that he actually came across someone reasonable. With a start, the eevee realized this was the first pokemon he'd met outside of his home region. He hoped it would be memorable.

The eevee took a careful step forward, nodding sideways to the pile of firewood he'd collected behind him. "Fletchlings are fire-types, right?! I've got some kindling here for a fire, and it looks like we're both freezing our butts off," he explained genially. "If you give it a light, I don't mind sharing!" Cel finished, trotting in a quick, excited circle as he presented his offer to the bird pokemon. It was a win-win, in his eyes. They got to save themselves the time and effort of gathering resources for a fire, he got some heat finally, and they both got someone to talk to!

He kept his posture tense, however, eyes boring into the fletchling intently, watching for any kind of aggressive movements. Just because it hadn't immediately attacked him didn't mean he was out of the woods yet...

Spoiler:

Energy: 31 - 20 = 11

Darcy pulled the scarf tighter across her face as she made her trek into the dungeon. She wished she could've brought Alki along, considering the time of year it was, and all that. Christmas had already passed, but it'd still be nice to see the snow! But her sibling had rejected her offer, and said that she was working on a project of some sort, with her friends...? Well, that was alright. This didn't seem like it'd be that difficult a mission, and especially since her cut from discharge prairie had healed, she felt pretty confident in her ability to do this mission on her own!

At least, she hoped she was. Her family needed the money... The reward was two hundred and fifty Poke, and she could probably sell off the items and get, maybe, fifty more...? Of course, she'd have to set aside a bit of money for herself and Alki...

"Ergh..." The skitty mumbled, bringing a paw to her head as she closed her eyes. It was freezing. And the thin coat and hat she'd bought at a store in Grassveil was hardly cutting it. What was she looking for, anyways? ...A pidgey?

No, that was the client... Daddy... Pidgeot? Yeah, that sounded right...

"It's so cold..." She mumbled under her breath. She was beginning to regret not being more insistent with her sister. Flamethrower would certainly be nice here... But what choice did she have now? She'd taken the mission, so she should just... keep going. She could probably start a fire without the help of moves, anyways! It'd just... take a while. The wind continously whipped snow into her face, and almost blew her hat off. The snow was cold on her feet, but what was she going to do about that?

Her weather-related woes soon came to an end as she spotted a pair of Pokemon, sitting beside a pile of tinder. The Skitty sped up from a walk to a brisk trot as she approached the two, a smile growing on her face as she stumbled through the snow. How nice to see other Pokemon! One of them was a fire type, even!

"H-Hullo! M-Merry Christmas, y-you two!" She called out cheerily, despite her rather snow weathered look. "Um, s-sorry to be a bother, but, could I... Um, would it be ok if I..." The Skitty cleared her throat, unable to control her voice in the cold. It was hard to get things out clearly... Her tail flicked from side to side before she finally got it out. "Do you guys have room for one more? I'm..."

Of course, she'd meant to introduce herself properly. But before she'd managed to mention her name, she'd suddenly found herself under attack by... Snow? Her entire head felt covered in snow... Of course, she hadn't bothered to look up as she was walking, or else she would've noticed a rather large pile of snow on the branch above her, which had already seemed ready to fall. How lucky that it'd chosen now...

"Ow..." She said instead, as she began to remove her head from the snow that had fallen on her. Her hat was askew now, and one of her ears was poking out from beneath it. A large pile of snow was still resting on her head, but despite her less-than-ideal introduction, she was still managing a smile. Of course, it was just as embarrassed as it was happy...

"U-Um, I'm Darcy... H-Hi!"

Sosio: {31}

Items:

Hearing the small normal-types excitability filled Sosio with a feeling she had long forgotten; with so much pure energy that was practically palpable in the air, the ever-young bird was filled with a sort of fuzziness that could beat the cold above real warmth. For a moment she supposed that the other Pokemon was only being friendly so he could get something out of it, but the bird had already long regretted her change in attitude toward others based on her past encounters. For once, she just wanted to see the good in everyone right off the bat. Plus, she was very desperate for some warmth herself, and the stranger did offer... So she grinned and waddled closer.

"Y-yeah, of course..! Well then, let's set these up so they don't burn the other trees..." she pointed out thoughtfully, looking around the clearing to ensure that nothing else could be caught up in the flaming embers of a campfire. Already, the bird's chest was puffing in anticipation to use her flames, mustering up every ounce of warmth she had remaining in her to keep the surroundings heated.

Sosio's tail fanned and waved enthusiastically suggesting she was stimulated and happy, but her eyes told a different story. She looked content but incredibly tired, and with everything she's been through and all the characters she's met on her journey, the bird looked like she just wanted someone safe and comfortable to be around. Being alone drained her jovial livelihood, but being around pessimistic Pokemon took an even greater toll on her tolerance. Rather than the happy-go-lucky child she's always been, slowly but surely her nature has been drained away after learning of how unforgiving the world can really be. At this point, she would kill to have her innocence back.

Before she could even unleash the concentrated flame at the fire she wished to form, another voice drew her attention and she swallowed her concentration in a moment. A shaky voice spewed a nervous string of words, and as if to break the awkward silence, introduced herself. Sosio looked to the small animal with full sympathy, who not only could hardly travel across the blanketed surface with her incredibly short legs, but also had the terrible luck of being hit with a pile of snow much more tremendous than the kitten's size. Sosio greatly wished she could've helped the poor creature, but she struggled in shock and hesitance and found that the cat had already freed itself before the bird could even take a step.

"Ah, hi Darcy, you look... Cold. Please, come join us," the Fletchinder spoke with sincerity to the unfortunate Skitty. "My name is Sosio. It's nice to meet you!"

Not only one, but now two friendly Pokemon came seeking help, and the fire type was the only one in the area who could provide it to them. Although they were unfamiliar faces, they were still new faces who she could get to know and befriend, and that filled Sosio will enough hope to reignite her soul. Even if it was just a small spark, it was still a start to get the bird back to her peppy self. So with that, she lit the safely placed pile of wood to warm the hearts and bodies of those she could rely on and prove reliance to.

Success! Celio bounced in place as the fletchinder—Sosio, it seemed—agreed to his idea. He eagerly did as she bid, nosing the kindling around into a neat little pyramid, separating the pieces of wood from the edge of the clearing so that the fire wouldn't spread. As he finished, another pokemon had introduced themselves, and he found himself pleasantly surprised at just how genial and non-threatening everyone was up here. Maybe things were different up north, but back home, the only pokemon he'd come face-to-face with that were friendly were his parents! He supposed nothing promoted good relations with thy neighbor like the ever-present threat of freezing to death any day.

The eevee grinned at the skitty and her messy hat-hair. This was a pokemon he was pretty familiar with. His mom had been a skitty once upon a time! "It's Christmas? That's... probably why it's snowing, in hindsight." he mumbled to himself, staring up at the cloudy sky as if it would send him down a clue. "Well, I'm Celio! It's nice to meet y'all,"' he exclaimed, plopping down next to the now-lit fire. He gestured wildly with a paw for either of them to take a seat before shoving his face in his own bag.

"You guysh hungwy?" the fox pokemon threw in without warning, withdrawing his head, an apple clutched in his mouth muffling his voice somewhat. "I got fwuit," Cel finished, nudging the slightly-open satchel slightly away from himself and closer to the two strangers. If someone was going to make friends with him, he'd want it to be like this: with free food.

5 energy + 5 (Apple): 10 energy

the sunset hero carried out 10 launched of one Icicle Woods :

, , , , , , , , ,

"Y-Yeah, it's snowing pretty hard. But it's nice to meet you guys too!" Darcy grinned, nodding as she took in these Pokemon's appearance further. Both of them seemed as cold as she was, if anything, even more so! This realization made her feel ever so slightly guilty at the fact she'd felt herself so miserable. The kitten shook her head, trying her best to get the leftover snow that had fallen on her off. The Eevee - Celio, she reminded herself, - was even offering them free food! And while she found herself smiling and nodding at the gesture, she couldn't just take his food! Not in good conscience, anyways. She'd just sorta... Showed up, she wouldn't feel good if she started taking their food as well as their warmth!

"Oh, fruits? I brought some food too, see, since I'm from the guild and didn't know how long I'd be here. I brought, uh, sandwiches, and sugar cookies, and... Uh..." ... Was that it? Darcy's mouth twisted into a pensive frown as she found herself trying to remember. She occupied herself with readjusting her hat in the meantime, before she finally decided: Yep. That was it.

"Eeeeeyup. That's it. Sandwiches and cookies, B-but, I'd be happy to share with y'all as well! I brought more food than anything, haha." She smiled easily, nudging her own bag open, so the food she'd wrapped so hastily as she'd left the guild revealed itself.

"We could trade, if you like, Cel! I like fruit, and Sosio is givin' us warmth, so that way we all contribute something!" Despite their situation, Darcy trotted forward, before lying down on the snow, tucking her tail beside her body, and laying her head on her forelegs. They'd only known each other for minutes, but she already felt quite at ease with this pair of Pokemon. They seemed quite nice!

"S-So, what brings you two here? Are you guys celebrating the holidays? I don't think it snows that much in grassveil or Rainfront, S-So I guess coming here would be a cool idea... This is a very pretty dungeon." Maybe she could do that next year! Come here with Alki, that was. Maybe she could even invite some of her friends!

Sosio: {31}

Items:

As Celio introduced himself, Sosio tried to jot it down in her memory. She saw no reason not to ever see this Eevee again. If everything went alright in this journey, she truly hoped she could return to the peppy Pokemon's side again. Ignoring the comments about the snow, the Fletchinder nestled closer to the fire and felt the warmth that radiated back into her body. Holding an ember in her own throat seemed to use up too much energy, but to spew it and keep it burning outside was a perfect solution to her concentration problem. So long as the environment was right, she could restore her heat without needing to push herself too far.

The snowy winds brushed and stroked the surface of the fire like a tongue licking wild fur sticking out of the top of a Pokemon's head. Though flickering, the fire was much too strong at this point to be put out by a simple breeze. Depending on the speed, sometimes smoke would billow in the same direction as the rushing air, making Sosio cough and sneeze until it died down or switched to face another Pokemon. The winds tickled and the flames danced mischievously as if knowing what they had caused, crackling and howling with soft laughter.

Upon hearing a comment about the food, Sosio looked over to the source of the voice, smiling in reaction to the offer.
"Thanks, that would be nice," she said with a beam, but losing the sparkle of her eyes for a moment to add, "but maybe that would be best for when we get colder again. Food does warm you up from the inside, after all!"
Satisfied with her wording, Sosio went back to admiring the fire. It was phenomenal to her that something she could do was capable of bringing Pokemon together. Even being mentioned by name to have contributed to something made her heart rate practically match the speed of the wind surrounding the group, her crest feathers standing on end out of sheer joy.

Shortly after, however, the topic of holidays came up once again, which filled Sosio with this inexplicable depression. Was it because she didn't know what the celebrations were for? Or was it because she felt like she was missing out? She wondered, if just for a moment, what it would be like on Aileron, spending time with others and appreciating each other's company for the entire time they know each other. Even on a negative thought, Sosio couldn't just leave the question hanging in the air.

"Actually, I'm out here trying to make my way up the mountain. I was about to make the journey alone, but I didn't expect to see others out here in this eternal snow..." she commented on the fact that the weather here was almost as perpetual as the showers in Rainfront. While the season did call for snow in other places, it was always like this in the icy biome. The bird shivered upon remembering her time at the Frozen Stream, and with cold-hearted companions to boot. She was just glad to have a change of pace this time around and sincerely hoped things between the group would be different.

OOC:

Celio sat down hard in the snow with a soft whump, absentmindedly chewing on his apple while the two other pokemon spoke. Sosio and Darcy both struck him as friendly and upbeat kind of people, eager to help others and more than happy to band together if it made surviving in a snowstorm easier. He was grateful they showed up so quickly one after another. The eevee subconsciously mirrored Darcy's body language, lowering himself to the ground as he shredded his apple and listened.

He tilted his head curiously when the skitty mentioned being from the guild, mentally filing that information away.

"I'm not really interested in climbing the mountain," he cut in, pawing his finished apple core into the growing fire. "Not that it doesn't sound fun, but I didn't bring any kinda supplies for that kind of trip. I wasn't really trying to come here in particular; I just left home n' I picked a direction to go in and I wound up here!" Cel laughed. "Why're you headed up there? Is there something cool you're lookin' for?" the eevee asked, ears twitching as he focused on the fletchinder. If there was treasure to find or mysteries to unravel, he wouldn't mind tagging along.

"And what's a sugar cookie?" he said a moment later, his focus instantly swiveling from Sosio to Darcy. He sniffed in her direction curiously, picking up traces of something obviously sweet.

10 energy - 7 (rolls): 3 energy

The Skitty nodded along, agreeing with the Fletchinder. A good meal did tend to warm one up, and it'd probably be best for them to save most of the food for later, for just such a purpose! They had a fire at the moment, but they wouldn't be sitting beside the fireplace all day! At least, she hoped not... She needed to find somebody! "Yes, I think you're right! But... Well, I did pack a lot, so if either of you two want a snack feel free to ask me! And we can feast for real later, I suppose!" She exclaimed with an easy-going smile. The guild member unwrapped one of her cookies, taking one for herself. A bite of the chewy, sweet dough brought her back to the guild; the warmth of her room and the pleasantness of her teammate, and even memories of home: before the guild, and before all the worries that plagued her with her departure.

She enjoyed the guild, but she couldn't say she enjoyed the responsibility that had been thrust on her as a result... But why worry? This was hardly the time for such thoughts to be in her head... And it's not like she regret it! It was just... difficult.

Things were more difficult alone. Her smile grew as she reflected on her luck, her ears bent back as her tail flickered, watching the two Pokemon. The eevee seemed somewhat...on the young side. He mentioned he'd left home...? Darcy reflected silently; Alki had left home when she was young. It hadn't been for very pleasant reasons. Not everyone had a story like Alki's though! At least, she certainly hoped the eevee didn't... At the very least, he seemed much more confident than her sister.


"Y-Yeah, I've gotta find somebody in this dungeon, y'see, f-for the guild! T-They're lost, and need help, a-and... Um... Well, yeah. I'm afraid I don't have the time to spare to go climb the mountain, although it certainly sounds like fun! I... don't imagine either of you have seen a Pidgeot in here?" She asked, tilting her head, before she turned to address the Eevee specifically.

"And a sugar cookie's sorta like... Well, it's this baked treat, right? It's really sweet, and probably a bit unhealthy, but it tastes amazing. Would you like one?" She asked, pushing another cookie towards the eevee. She wished she could bake like that... The guild really did outdo itself, in terms of food. She'd tried to bake her own batch once, while visiting her parents. She'd burnt them...

Sosio: {31}

Items:

It was fine. Sosio hadn't really expected two complete strangers to want to travel with her somewhere far away from home and especially difficult to return from. Plus, truth be told, the bird wasn't even sure if she would want to go back after she made it to Aileron. From everything she'd heard about it, the town sounded like an absolute paradise to Sosio's standards. There was nothing she had wanted more than to find herself in a close-knit community where everyone knew their neighbors, especially if the fire type were to become somewhat of a big deal there. Her ambitions may be somewhat different, but more than anything she wanted a place to call home.

"Ah, that's okay. I only meant my path to the mountain, anyway," she added, hoping it didn't sound like she was trying to guilt-trip them before. "I'm just glad I'm not alone now, but the mountain..." she scoffed, "I mean, who would wanna climb that for no reason? Please, stay warm instead."
The way the two had responded made Sosio imagine that the others the normal types had explored with must have been selfish and forceful. Maybe not in every case, but the bird wanted to prove at the very least that she wasn't like that. There was nothing she couldn't stand more than someone who was wholly self-serving.

She had perked up once again when the topic of a guild mission came to be.
"Find someone? A Pidgeot? What a glorious side-quest to my main mission!" Sosio stood up, now excited by the concept of helping a guild at all. Even if she didn't get any credit for it, the wanna-be guild member wanted a taste of what guild requests would be like. Maybe if she was lucky, too, the bird Pokemon would end up flying with her to Aileron, too! In her overexcited mind, it was already decided.
"Enough about sugar cookies, what are we waiting for? Let's go find that bird!" She practically hopped into the fire, driven by her renewed spirit and eagerness to be back on her feet. Coming to her senses for a quick moment from her close encounter, though, she acknowledged that there were the others' opinions she had to confront as well.

"Well, when you're ready, of course," she calmed her voice and stood awkwardly between sitting and standing, unsure if they also wanted to leave now or rest for a little while longer. She could wait if need be, but she still felt a little silly for her outburst and suddenly became uncertain of her outgoing nature. No matter how old she got, the peppy Pokemon just couldn't sit still.

OOC:

Celio eagerly nodded at Darcy's offer of the treat. He accepted it with gusto, creeping forward, biting down on the cookie, and bouncing back as soon as he had hold of it. The little eevee's eyes bulged at the overwhelming sweet flavor. It was unlike anything he'd ever tasted before; the most sugary he'd ever gotten was the natural sweetness of berries and the occasional dessert treat after dinner. This trumped that pretty solidly, and he was halfway done with the cookie by the time Sosio's words registered with him.

"It'sh fine," he mumbled through a mouthful of sugar and cookie. He forced himself to swallow a moment later, a visible bulge trailing down his throat as he neglected to chew in favor of speaking. "I wasn't super cold to start with, and as long as you come, we're kinda taking the heat with us. It's probably better for your client if we hurry, huh?" Cel asked rhetorically, standing up and shaking himself out like a wet dog. This caused the snow caked to his cloak and his fur to fly absolutely everywhere, landing indiscriminately around him.

The normal-type stretched some kinks out of his limbs as he visibly prepared to resume moving. He wasn't exactly satisfied with the short rest—they'd only just sat down before the fletchinder wanted to get a move on, honestly—but sitting still kind of drove him nuts regardless. Cel wouldn't be able to sit and rest up as long as he knew Darcy had a bird to rescue. "So yeah, I don't mind helping. It'll be good payback for the cookie!" he enthused, smiling wide. "It was great and I want more later." Cel intoned mock-seriously.

He didn't really want to help the Pidgeot for its sake, but rather for his own. This would be a good experience! He was relatively undecided on when he wanted to join a guild—or if he wanted to join one at all—but there was no better way to figure that out than tagging along on a real bonafide rescue mission. It was sure to be rife with trials, challenges, and battles!

Darcy smiled brightly as the Eevee took hold of one of her treats, seeming to quite enjoy his time with it. His eyes widened and a smile seemed to appear on his face, or perhaps was she just imagining it? Either way, she was happy that she wasn't the one to have baked them. The reception would be much less positive if she had. It was nice to be able to offer something to these two! Of course, a small treat like a cookie wasn't really worth much compared to the warmth of the fire, especially in the midst of the current storm, but it was something.

"Ah, y-yeah, I think it would be better for him. I... Well, it might take a bit of time to actually find him, so I suppose the sooner the better, yeah!" Darcy said, standing up with the rest. She picked up the treats that might have rolled out of her bag, and closed it. "That's really sweet of you guys to offer to help me out!" She added cheerily, stretching her front legs as far as they could go. The cold still seemed to bite at her, but the presence of the nearby fire kept her limbs from stiffening too much, at the very least.

It would be a nice experience, to do this mission with a couple of new, friendly acquaintances. And who knew?! Maybe they could turn into real, bona-fide friends by the end of the day! The kitten mewed softly as she stood up straight, beginning to bounce slightly in place as she waited for the others. "I'm ready whenever, really!" She said, as she began to chase her tail, waiting for the others.

Oh! The fire. She couldn't leave the fire going! That could be... Quite unfortunate for the people living in the woods. Hadn't Alki come from a mystery dungeon? Everyone was so spooked by the dungeons, but she didn't want to cause anyone living in it undue harm... "Umm... Once everybody's ready to go, we should probably put out the fire." She said, scooping up a bunch of snow with a paw, ready to toss it onto the fire as soon as the others agreed to go. "And you don't have to pay me back for the cookie! It's my pleasure, really. Sharing's really... pleasant, I suppose. Just let me know if you want another one, Celio! And if you want to try one as well, Sosio, it'd be my pleasure!" She added brightly, ears perking up, as though to reflect her mood.

Sosio: {31}

Items:

Glad to bounce right back up to action again, Sosio shook off her uncertainty and bounced to express her excitement. Filled once again with her signature vigor, the Fletchinder's flame sac was alight anew and ready to keep her and her new pals warm as can be.
"Well since everyone's on board, let's get a move on!" The bird suggested with excitement, grin disappearing shortly after as she realized something.
"Oh, but we should probably put this fire out first," she stated awkwardly, unsure just how to do that.

Pushing some snow with her beak, Sosio attempted to cover the fire and hopefully extinguish it. On her own though, it was relatively fruitless given how thin or weak all of her limbs were, not to mention that the harder she worked the more heat she emanated. The fire was, however, eventually put out to the bird's relief, sighing with exhaustion from her efforts.
"Alright, now that that's over..." She breathed back to composure, exhaling all the lost energy and restoring her lungs with oxygen. "...I think I'll take one of those cookies for the road."
A smirk appeared on her face as she said that, eyes glinting with the hint of mischief that implied a desire to be offered a cookie this whole time.

Crunching noisily while on the move, both the snow beneath the trio and the cookies in their mouths made the same sound as they crushed their path and their snack. The newfound energy provided both by food and social activity allowed the bird to keep herself and the others warm for the most part, even without having to huddle closely. Behind them, a trail of slight slush refroze as soon as its absorbed heat was lost again to the ice-cold air above. Despite the temperature, the trees all around seemed to flourish, their frost-covered needles wisping elegantly with the wind making a delightful crackling noise that tickled Sosio's eardrums, filling her with the warm memories of home. If it weren't for the icy winds, the Fletchinder might have been taken by bliss all the way back to her childhood.

Just a small Fletchling, resting atop the back of a joyous Venusaur, voice crackling with laughter as he watched the bird hop and nestle between his leaves excitedly as he told stories of the jungle they resided in. For the past moon, Sosio had dreams about nothing but the Pokemon she missed so dearly. It had been a lifetime since she had seen any of them, and it practically broke her heart to realize how much must have changed since she was gone and how she might not ever know how everyone was doing. Did they even miss her? Did they already forget about her? Her heart sunk so heavily and so suddenly that her pace slowed slightly, the pain in her chest tearing her focus away from her task at hand.

This is exactly why I haven't made any progress, she thought bitterly, pushing on powerfully. I always get distracted by the dumbest things...
Of course her family loved her. Of course they missed her and hoped for her wellbeing. Ever since the darkness had fallen upon the land so long ago, the Fletchinder found a new sour taste to her life that stole her positive attitude right from under her beak. What happened to her carefree nature? Her blissful ignorance? Even though she wasn't as much of an embarrassment as she once was, she'd rather live without pain than struggle with thoughts of doubt.

"Brr, chilly," she said, trying to destroy her negative thoughts and break the ice between everyone again. "Hopefully as we go further into the forest, there will be less snow," Sosio offered, hoping quite a lot herself that it was true. Pounding now with anticipation, her heart and mind pushed her forward to a part of the forest that was somewhat different from what everyone had seen so far. The trees were more densely packed, and the brittle branches of the pines around them had become darker in shade. Maybe an adaptation to absorb sunlight, or possibly a completely different species, this was still a marker of progress for anyone exploring the dungeon. This was where the true journey began.

aMEWzing carried out 5 launched of one Icicle Woods :

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