Oak Forest Outskirts- Finders Keepers

[V for Vizetta]

In the small clearing near the edge of Oak Forest, it at first looked like a group had broken camp, and simply left things they no longer needed behind... but a closer look revealed something far more similar.

Laser blast marks, scraps of metal... This place was one of many that had been attacked by Robotnik's patrols...

And a teal wolverine was looking through the possessions that had been left behind. To him, it did feel a little like stealing from the dead, but he was running low on supplies himself. He hadn't really planned on traveling this far, but he had anyway.

"... I'll bet they're all gone anyway... No one'll want thith thtuff back." The male cringed lightly at the sound of his own speech. Oh how he hated that lisp of his.

[Leda]

Depending on how acute Crash's hearing was, he may have started picking up on a subtle humming just then. Tikal meandered gently through the swaying grass, less focused on finding the abandoned supplies than she was on simply taking in the beauty of the landscape. Moments alone were rare, and the young priestess always cherished them. If not for the fact that her father and grandfather were expecting her hastey return, Tikal might have simply flopped down into the foliage and napped as nature's loving hug enveloped her soul.

Then again, maybe she wouldn't have gotten to do that anyway. Making her way over a shallow hill, the echidna girl was stunned to see another person on the other side. "O-Oh!" was all she could think to say in her surprise.

[V for Vizetta]

The wolverine's ear twitched at the sound of humming, but he didn't react to it FULLY until he heard Tikal's startled gasp, at which, in what could ONLY be a practiced set of movements, he ran towards the remains of a wagon, planted one hand on it, and hurdled over with seemingly impossible ease.

That sounded like a girl... Taking a moment, Crash then straightened up slightly, looking over the wagon to see the echidna.

A survivor?

Then, realizing he probably looked kind of stupid hiding behind a wagon because of a girl, the messsenger stood, waving a little self-consciously.

"Uhm, hi."

[Leda]

"U-Uhm..." Tikal stuttered, recoiling slightly and eyeing the ground. She found herself surprisingly uneasy with the situation, and eventually realized it was because no one was around to tell her how to behave. It'd been easier when she'd unwittingly encountered Athair, because she already knew the proper way to act around a priest. But this person... This was just a strange man. Tikal had not been alone with a stranger in.... ... Actually, had she EVER been alone with a stranger?

The echidna wrung her hands and took a step backwards, her eyes still focused on the ground. Not to mention that this is where I betrayed Father...

[V for Vizetta]

Crash looked around at the remains of the caravan, then at the young woman.

"Wath thith your caravan?" Too late, Crash caught his lisp, one ear twitching in light annoyance at the sound. But he couldn't stop now.

"I thought it wath abandoned, and I needed more thupplieth. My apologieth."

[Leda]

"M-My father... The Swatbots... ... ..." She began to tremble -- not with fear, but rather with sheer anxiety. Thoughts of what Pachacamac might say to her, or about her, made the echidna girl so incredibly... Nervous? Fearful? Likely enough, that and more.

Was she right to even be standing here talking to this person? Her father had always handled business with others, and supervized her when she was involved. Actually even then she'd usually remained silent unless she'd specifically been asked something.

But beyond that, she'd been about to mention what had happened here the day before -- which Pachacamac had already been displeased by. He's angry enough over what I've told the Elder... Tikal fretfully thought, wringing her hands even more tightly. If I go blabbing to someone else now, too...

Without warning the priestess turned and bolted back in the direction she'd come.

[V for Vizetta]

With a muttered curse, Crash hurdled the wagon, and dashed after the echidna. He didn't want her telling someone that he was some psycho or something trying to kill her.

Taking a moment, the wolverine figured out which way Tikal was heading, and began weaving through and over obstacles until he ended up directly in her path.

"Ok, hold it! I'm a Freedom Fighter, I'm not gonna hurt you!"

Usually, the phrase Freedom Fighter calmed people down. It told them you weren't a bandit or something equally unpleasant.

[Leda]

Tikal froze in her tracks, in what was probably a comical pose, and an expression more of awkwardness than fear. "I-- I-- I--," the priestess stuttered. "Ah-I'm sorry!! I just, um... I don't think I should talk to you but I can go get my father!"

[V for Vizetta]

The wolverine held his hands up in a peacemaking gesture.

"That won't be needed. I jutht need to know if that wath your caravan back there."

If it was, he felt a little obligated to help this young woman and her father find someplace safer. A village would be ideal, but he wasn't sure he could find one.

[Leda]

Still reeking of uncertainty, Tikal resumed her hand wringing and mumbled, "Um... Yes... It was ours... I ruined it though... I'm s-supposed to be scavenging."

This conversation was more difficult than she'd expected. Talking to Bella and her grandfather hadn't been so bad; not only had the subject matter been much tamer, but Paccy and Athair had been right there to make sure she didn't do anything stupid. Now, in their absence, Tikal had begun to examine and re-examine every word that escaped her mouth. It was quite possibly the most stressful conversation she'd ever had.

[V for Vizetta]

"Oh... Then why not let me help you? I've been in thith area before-" Once. "-and I could help you all find thomewhere thafe to thtay."

The wolverine couldn't help noticing how tense the echidna seemed, so tried to suggest a remedy.

"Perhapth you should thit down?"

[Leda]

"...Yes.... Yeah, thanks, good idea..." Tikal whispily replied, lowering her body to the grassy hill. The priestess took several deep breaths, determined to calm herself down. It still wasn't clear whether or not her father would approve or disapprove of how she was handling this... But the fact was that Pachacamac simply wasn't here, and she could only do what she hoped would be best.

"I apologize for my behavior," the young woman finally said, though her eyes remained lowered. "I didn't mean to be so rude. I'm.... I'm a little out of sorts."

[V for Vizetta]

Crash just sat down in front of her cross-legged, so he was facing her, and smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry about it too much. From what I've notithed, a lot of people are the thame way." The wolvering rummaged in his bag, before he found what he was looking for... a fruit bar.

Which he then offered to the girl.

"It'th not much, but it might help calm your nerveth."

[Leda]

A touched smile melting across her face, Tikal took the offering appreciatively. "Thank you, sir, thank you very much! You're really too kind!"

All of a sudden the echidna straightened up and blinked, as though she'd just had a realization. "Wait, I'm sorry! I never even introduced myself!!" Letting out a somewhat forced laugh, the priestess bowed her head in lieu of a curtsy and continued, "My name is Tikal. What's yours?"

[V for Vizetta]

There was a moment of silence from the wolverine, before he started chuckling, his face getting firmly planted in his palm. "You're right, I never thought to introduthe mythelf either."

Crash answered Tikal's bow with one of his own, before he continued speaking.

"My name ith Maynard, but everyone I know jutht callth me Crash."

[Leda]

"Okay, Crash it is, then!" Tikal replied, appearing pleased with the introductions. That out of the way, she turned her focus onto the fruit bar he'd given her, but paused after only a single bite. "...Are you sure you don't want any of this? We could always share it."

[V for Vizetta]

Crash just waved off the offer with a smile.

"Don't worry about me. I've got a few more of thothe." The wolverine glanced around, remembering the woman had said something about her father.

"Who all ith in your group? If you don't mind me athking."

[Leda]

Upon having clearance to indulge on her own, Tikal happily resumed eating the treat. She particularly enjoyed sweet tastes, especially when so much of her diet tended to be fairly bland. Once the subject of her elders came up, however, the priestess suddenly wished she hadn't pigged out on the fruit bar. I probably should've saved some for them...

"Just my father, and my grandfather recently joined us. They're resting right now; I came on ahead to get to work, since it's my fault anyway."

[V for Vizetta]

Crash's ear twitched at Tikal's self blame, and it piqued his curiosity... as well as worried him a little.

"Your fault? How'th that?" The wolverine seemed to be all ears.

[Leda]

Tikal paused, and cast her eyes astray in shame. Pachacamac's ire over telling this utter stranger about their private family matters drifted across her mind; she and her father had a lot of secrets, and he had never been pleased with her for revealing any of them.

At the same time... it just didn't feel right to lull this gentleman into thinking he was dealing with an honest or trustworthy person. He'd just given her something to eat; she at LEAST owed him the truth. Pulling in a deep breath, the priestess quietly answered, "I... I betrayed my father... I let him walk into a Swatbot attack while... I ran away."

[V for Vizetta]

Fortunately, or possibly unfortunately (who really knew), Crash was the type that didn't really see anything WRONG with running away.

"Hey, anyone would run away from Thwatbots. Bethides, you jutht thaid that you were going to talk to him, tho he mutht be ok, right?"

The fredom Fighter settled back a little, resting his hands in his lap.

[Leda]

".................." The next confession was difficult to admit, but if she'd been able to tell the Elder, she could certainly tell this man. ... Then again, when she'd told Athair, she also hadn't yet realized her own intentions of murder. "What you don't understand is..... I knew they were coming. Ilefthimtodie."

[V for Vizetta]

His eyes widening, Crash sat up a little straighter, a slight tenseness going through his figure before he spoke.

"You knew they were coming? How'd you do that?" Crash's mind was, for a brief moment, filled with the idea of someone who could predict a SWATbot attack, and reduce the risks to others on raids and the like...

It seemed the darker part of her confession had escaped his sensitive ears.

[Leda]

"I, um, did a stone reading," the priestess answered after a preparatory breath. This conversation sure was going strangely. "This time, the reading worked out. Lots of times they don't. But, the other day, it did. Antowas told me that danger was coming."

[V for Vizetta]

The wolverine was quiet for a moment, before giving a surprisingly enthusiastic response.

"That'th amazing! I mean, even if those predictionth aren't always right, predicting thomething like that at ALL ith incredible!"

The poor wolverine seemed to have forgotten his lisp in this moment of excitement, so, depending on how close Tikal was to him, may have given the echidna an impromptu shower.

The narrator apologizes in advance.

[Leda]

"...." Wiping the spray away with the edge of her cloak, Tikal couldn't help but smile sheepishly. Either this gentleman really didn't understand the magnitude of what she was confessing, or he really didn't look down on her for it. Either way, his positive attitude was infectious, and the priestess chuckled. "I'm not very good at it, really. But sometimes Antowas does smile on me!"

[V for Vizetta]

With a smile, and a nervous chuckle at realizing he'd accidentally got spit on Tikal, the wolverine sat back.

"Well, that'th thtill pretty cool."

Where had he heard "Antowas" before... wasn't it another name for Aurora?

Deciding it wasn't THAT important, Crash glanced back towards the ruined caravan site, then at Tikal.

"My offer to help you carry thupplies thtill thtandth, if you want."

[Leda]

"That would be great!" the young priestess replied brightly. Her mood seemed to have significantly improved. "It'd at least save me some time, although I'm not sure how I'd be able to repay you."

Tikal rose to her feet and dusted off her rear, feeling rather satisfied with the current turn of events. Pachacamac would probably be irritated with her for associating with a non-echidna again, but she guessed that the amount of time saved by his assistance would make up for it. With any luck, he could even be pleased with her for working the situation out all by herself!

I just hope I can find most of what we lost, or else I don't think anything will please him... she thought while clenching her jaw. With a preparatory breath echidna headed back over the hill.

[V for Vizetta]

The wolverine just smiled, waving off her offer to repay him.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad I can help after thcaring you half to death."

The wolverine stood, and stretched a little... then, something she mentioned earlier came to mind.

"You thaid you did a predicthon, right? Can you do anything elthe?" Crath Crash chuckled softly, almost to himself. "Thorry if I'm nothy, I haven't theen another living perthon in almotht a month."

[Leda]

Tikal giggled airly. Crash really was a nice guy. She'd felt silly for being so nervous earlier, even if her father had been the real root of her anxiety. "I don't mind," she answered as they walked. "I can do a couple of other tricks... But like I said, they don't always work. I'm probably not even doing them right, really." The priestess chuckled in a somewhat less gleeful way and knocked against her own forehead with one fist. "I'm not really a great learner..."