route_1065 | A Camping We Will Go....

Entry tags:

A Camping We Will Go....

Who: Jimmy Darling (

garbagechild).
Where: Mt. Mortar area
When: July 30
Summary: Jimmy and Wrath are camping and looking for fire Pokemon.
Rating: PG-13, some language probably.
Log:

[It's been a long time since Jimmy's done any real camping. He's always sort of camped, living his life in a caravan, but it's not the same as sleeping under the stars. He's got a tarp up and a fire going and a pot over it, fixing up dinner. This was a nice idea, going on a little trip with Wrath. Even if the weather hasn't been exactly the best.]

[This planet's weird as hell, but he's gotta admit, it's treating him pretty well. He misses Eve, and...well, Maggie if he's being honest. But he's got a house and a job and good friends who don't give a shit about his hands. He's not even wearing his gloves, and he leans back and fishes his cigarettes out of his pocket as the smell of stew begins wafting up from the pot. Lenore and Omi are at his feet, the Cubone already beginning to get restless now that the moon's coming up.]

So tomorrow we head in and try and get ourselves some fire guys!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

_{[Wrath has been in and out of the campsite-- but always audible as he CRASHES AND ROMPS through the undergrowth like a wild animal. He's been in the city quite literally ever since he GOT here (not counting his impromptu visit to the Ilex Forest), and as much as Goldenrod City has plenty to explore, he's been bottling up a LOT of energy that apparently hasn't quite had an outlet until NOW.]

[At Jimmy's voice, the crashing turns back in the direction of the fire and Wrath promptly bursts out of the grass atop a small hillock and straight-up somersaults downs to join his friend in a spray of sand and pebbles, skidding right into Jimmy's side. And then flopping right down in the dirt against him, PERFECTLY CONTENT. c8]}

YEAH!

Fire guys!

[Jimmy just laughs and reaches down to ruffle Wrath's hair with his non-smoking claw. He's glad to see the kid enjoying himself. Feral kids don't do great in cities, and he gets the feeling that this little trip is something Wrath could use.]

[He still doesn't know too much about Wrath's life before, but he's gotten enough confusing explanations to know it wasn't good. He was abandoned, as far as Jimmy can tell, by everybody who was ever responsible for him.]

[It makes him sick. He's always had a special soft spot for kids - the innocent of any type, really - and it's only gotten stronger here. Between Ib and Wrath, Jimmy's realized how important kids really are to him. It doesn't change that his deformity is genetic, but it's something he can't deny.]

[He slips down off the bit of log he's sitting on, to sprawl with Wrath in front of the fire. He chuckles a bit, and starts to sing. He hasn't since he got here, he used to sing around the camp all the time back home.]

I don't want to set the world on fire....I just want to start a flame in your heart...

_{[They really don't. Wrath has learned his way around-- and, indeed, spent a bit of time running around towns and cities with the Homunculi before everything went to hell-- but it's obvious that he's more at home out here in the open mountain air.]

[The sharp-toothed kid laughs outright at the hair-ruffle, just soaking up the attention, and then sprawls flat on his back with his arms out on either side, listening to Jimmy sing. It's a safe bet he's never really HEARD much singing before. God knows none of the Homunculi really did much of it. He listens with the same kind of affably-interested expression that a dog might. Those are nice noises that Jimmy is making!]}

Always wanted to sing on stage.

[He admits this when he's finished, looking upwards.]

I got a pretty good voice, you know. But Miss Mars does not like anybody taking the spotlight off of her.

[But Miss Elsa isn't here. And Jimmy hasn't exactly missed the fact that not having her around is one hell of an improvement to his own outlook on life. And himself.]

Fraulein Elsa don't like a lot of things. She had her dreams, that's all that mattered. What about you, oh Wondrous Wolf Boy? What do you dream about doing when you grow up?

_{[Wrath nods, surprisingly solemnly. This lady Jimmy occasionally spoke of sounds a LOT like Wrath's Master, and he can empathize on that front.]

[When the question is posed, Wrath rocks backward with his feet in the air so that he can hold onto his toes, thoughtfully lolling his head back and forth.]}

Um, I was just gonna become a human.

I didn't really have any plans for after that.

Well, what do you like? I mean...you're already a great human. And this place is full of opportunity. I didn't really believe people when they told me, at first, but... this is the kind of place anybody can do whatever they want.

[He's got a job, a house, a little family... all things he's spent many nights awake and mourning the impossibility of. Now he's got it all. Sure, it's weird, and his life now revolves around crazy alien animals, but... he likes it.]

You can be anything you want to be, Wrath. I mean, you're smart, you're young, you've got more energy than a bottle of Moxie...you've got everything going for you, little man.

_{[At that, Wrath sits up, head still craned back to look at the sky.]}

Everything going for me...

_{[He's never heard his life summed up like that before... back home, it was pretty clearly established that he had NOTHING going for him.]}

... I don't know. There's a lot about humans I don't know.

_{[Abruptly, he turns to look at Jimmy, blinking owlishly.]}

What do YOU think I'd be good at?

All kinds of stuff. You could design and build buildings. You could be an artist. You could be an athlete. I bet you'd like working outside and doing something that was really active.

[Jimmy doubts all that energy will just melt away as Wrath gets older.]

And don't worry about what you don't know. I been basically human my whole life, and there's tons of stuff I don't know.

I like being outside.

_{[He says this thoughtfully... then flops against Jimmy again.]}

I dunno. I guess if even YOU don't know everything, I've got plenty of time, right?

Outside's real nice. I kinda like having a house, though, I never had one before.

[Jimmy wraps an arm companionably around Wrath, pulling him close and hugging him fiercely. He wonders if the poor kid's even used to being hugged and touched nicely. He doesn't remember his own dad ever hitting him, but he's seen enough abuse in the lost monsters he's helped Elsa rescue to know how it can screw a kid up.]

You gotta come see my house sometime. And don't even worry about the stuff you don't know yet - I'll teach you. I don't know everything, but I know a lot. Hey, did you know the short sleeved shirt was invented in nineteen forty two?

_{[He's not. Like, at all. He'd gotten hugs back 'home'-- but only from Sloth. Nobody else. It's still a weird, alien gesture. A pleasant one, and an absolute treat every time it happens, but not something that he gets on a regular basis by any means.]

[So, unsurprisingly, he is DELIGHTED with the hug, and promptly returns it.]}

Nuh uh!

Is nineteen-forty-two an address?

_{[... He's more familiar with locations than dates, okay.]}

It can be, but the nineteen forty two I'm talking about is a year. That's all twelve of the months, and when they've all gone by, another year starts. Do you know all the months?

[At this point, Jimmy's not making any assumptions about what Wrath does or doesn't know. Beyond 'probably doesn't know', at least. But he's so damn smart and takes in everything, Jimmy figures he'll learn real easy. Especially if he can just slip lessons into regular conversation, instead of sitting Wrath down and making him learn like he was in school.]

_{[Wrath shakes his head, but still looks curious.]}

Nuh uh.

I kind of know what a year is. It's a pretty long time, right?

_{[As much fun as staying up ALL NIGHT chattering with his friend would be, eventually the inevitable came to pass. Fortunately, Wrath has learned at this point that people do in fact come back to life in the morning after dying every night. Whew!]

[So instead of constantly shaking Jimmy awake like he might have when he'd first come to Johto, Wrath instead waits very patiently for him to wake up, not making a single peep! He's learned to be considerate, too.]

[... On the other hand the first thing Jimmy will probably be aware of when he does return to the land of consciousness is a noticeable weight sitting on top of him-- and if he happened to have fallen asleep on his back, the first thing he sees when he opens his own eyes will be a pair of blue ones staring RIGHT AT HIM.]

[If he fell asleep on his stomach or side, well, then he'll just have to use his context clues to figure out that the kid who had been in his own sleeping bag at the beginning of the night is now on top of him, legs and arms tucked neatly under him like a loafing cat.}

Good morning!!

_{[... Did... did he sleep at ALL?]}

[What the...?]

[Jimmy blinks blearily, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand.]

I think your sleeping bag's probably more comfortable than I am.

[Wrath was on top of him. Wrath had likely slept on top of him. Which Jimmy didn't mind, but it's the kind of thing a guy likes some warning for. How long has the kid been awake? Kids barely sleep when they're excited, Jimmy knows that much. Geeze, the kid's heavier than he looks.]

G'morning. What time's it?

_{[Wrath BEAMS. Jimmy's back! Everything is great.]}

That's okay. You're warm.

_{[SOUND LOGIC.]

[He shrugs his shoulders a little.]}

I don't know, but I saw the sun.

That's what they tell me. Okay, if the sun's up, guess we should be, too.

[He ruffles Wrath's hair, a motion that's becoming unconscious and habitual. He's really not in that much of a hurry to be up and about.]

Gotta have a big breakfast for a big day.

_{[Wrath giggles and rolls off of Jimmy cheerfully.]}

I like breakfast! Breakfast is my favorite!

Can we have more hot dogs like we did last night?

Or-- or or or-- did you bring any crunchy fruit circles? Those are the BEST breakfast!

Nah, got something better. Pancakes! Over in my bag there, there's a blue thermos with a Squirtle drawn on it, go grab it. It's got pancake batter in it, I'll cook'em up for us.

[He pauses a moment, contemplating.]

And I'll do some hot dogs, too. You can wrap a pancake around one like a bun, it'll be like a sausage wrap.

Pancakes? Pancakes! All right!

_{[Wrath has no idea what a thur-mus is, but 'blue' is a thing that he knows. And he's seen Squirtles before, too. So he scampers cheerfully over to Jimmy's pack and fishes out the thermos.]}

I got it!

Alright! We're gonna be cooking soon.

[Jimmy slowly gets himself up. It's chilly in the morning, despite being summer. He gets the fire going quick and takes the thermos from Wrath.]

Now I want you to find me a good flat rock we can put the fry pan on.

[He wants the kid to help out as much as possible. Start learning how to do things.]

_{[Jimmy's barely finished the sentence before Wrath goes galloping off. He's gone for six minutes or so, before coming back with not one, not two, but THREE big flat stones!]

[He skids to a stop next to Jimmy and explains, breathlessly--]}

I couldn't pick.

Look at this, it's like Wilkinson's Drugs in here! I got options!

[Jimmy laughs and shakes his head as Wrath shows off his haul.]

Hey, we had a bigger fire pit, we'd have an outdoor three burner.

[He picks one of the rocks and arranges it over the fire, surprisingly deft with his hooked, fused fingers. The fire's starting to warm him up.]

What shapes you want?

_{[The kid plops down next to Jimmy and watches what he's doing eagerly. This is so neat! Aside from those few days in the Curtis household, Wrath has never actually gotten to watch anybody prepare food.]}

A circle!

_{[... He likes round things.]}

[Jimmy laughs.]

Circles I happen to be aces at!

[He gets the pan all prepped and pours in a couple of circles of batter. This is nice. It's normal. Old normal and new normal.]

Look at that, thing of beauty right there. You like'em thin or fat? Thin's best if you wanna wrap'em around a hot dog.

Thin then!

_{[He's excited to try pretty much anything Jimmy recommends at this point. He watches the batter bubble and sizzle in the pan, drumming his fingers on the ground.]}

When are they ready to eat?

Are they ready now?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A Camping We Will Go....

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

8/01

Re: 8/01

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject