Mama knows best

[histemptation]

[If there was a time to take on the position of a mother figure, now was better than never. EVA had naturally been broody for quite a while, and maintaining a close relationship with John had only heightened her desire to take her stance as a lover and a parent. To meet John's sons had been a pleasant enough experience and she had promised the boys

Comments

[mnotacomputer]

[Hal had never gone camping in his life, so when James mentioned it, he was excited, but nervous. Sleeping outside? But what if there were wild animals?]

[Of course he couldn't let his friend down so when James arrived at the jungle room, there was a little Hal following along behind him.]

[snakenbake]

[There's a Big Boss lurking amongst the vegetation, watching and lurking...]

[lilquid]

[James takes the knife and holds it in his left hand, nodding to EVA.]

Right. I'm ready!

[He's not trained well enough to notice his father's presence, though...]

[worldpresident]

[Solidus doesn't need a knife! The Snake Arms make good protection~ He takes the walkie-talkie and admires it. One of the big Liquids was going to get him a radio, but this would work well in the meantime. He clips it to his belt and nods as well.]

I'm ready too!

[mnotacomputer]

[Hal stares at the knife, unsure. He is pretty sure that his dad said you shouldn't play with stuff like that. But... EVA was an adult and you're supposed to listen to adults so...]

I-I'm ready...

[histemptation]

[EVA gave the boys a big smile and shot her arm forward towards the alcove of trees.]

Let's go, then. Onward!

[She trudges through the long grass and branches to move forward through the jungle floor.]

Let's see how many types of animals we can find today.

[lilquid]

Ah- EVA!

[James walks closer to her as he tries to get her attention.]

If we see a tsuchinoko, we can't kill it. It's my friend.

[He hasn't seen his pal Tsuchii in a while, but he doesn't want to harm it.]

[snakenbake]

[He steps out from the bushes and curiously follows behind the party as quietly as possible.]

...

[histemptation]

[Big Boss can try all he likes; EVA knows his scent. She can smell him. But she is very much aware the young soldiers have little practice in tracking a person by their scent alone, and so she continues her false obliviousness and reaches down to rest her hand on James' head.]

There are quite a few tsuchinoko in this jungle. How can you know which one is your friend?

[lilquid]

[The little blond boy jumps a bit at the hand on his head and looks up at her with a little bit of a frown.]

I'll know when I see him. He wouldn't hurt us.

[snakenbake]

[John steps silently in the footsteps that EVA left as he quietly tracks them. He will make his presence known to everyone soon enough.]

[worldpresident]

What's a chuki...a shooki...a tsukinoko look like? Is it like one of those snakes that Daddy eats?

[Solidus trails behind a bit. He's always been slower on his feet due to the weight of the Snake Arms. He's looking up at the trees, trying to see birds that he might recognize from his visit with Miss Fortune.]

[histemptation]

I've never had the pleasure of meeting one.

[EVA slinks her way down to the ground and begins to move on her feet as she crouches. She draws out a pair of binoculars from her person and peers out to the vicinity of the jungle.]

There's a lot of rustling going on ahead.

[She turns her head to the children and smiles deviously.] What do you think it might be~?

[It was partly a test, to see if they knew of realistic animals that existed here. If they gave a good enough answer, she would give their father more credit for teaching them these sort of things.]

[mnotacomputer]

M-Maybe a cat?

[Hal knows nothing about the jungle. You're just lucky he said an animal that actually exists instead of a Pokemon.]

[lilquid]

No, it's bigger than a cat, Hal.

[He spoke matter-of-factly.]

Maybe it's a wild cat.

[worldpresident]

I don't hear any other sounds though. A predator would chuff or growl if they're already rustling the bushes so much.

[He flares his nostrils a bit and tips his head up.]

...I don't smell any musk, either. So maybe it's a prey animal? Maybe a goat or something?