Mix It Up! [Bob Barton]

[Nira'lia]

512 Summer 88th The night had just arrived and the group had just stopped to make camp. Nira’lia was travelling with hundreds of other people. Composed of Syliran Knights, Zeltivan citizens, and various volunteers and mercenaries, the group was certainly a varied one. The Konti wasn’t entirely sure where in the Wildlands they were, but she knew that they were somewhere between Zeltiva and Sunberth. There was a small, black cauldron in front of her, and some men were trying to get a fire started. She wondered what they would have that night. Along with the game meat that the travelers were acquiring along the way, the Syliran group was providing for them with their stocks as well. But even though food wasn’t scarce, Nira’lia wasn’t a fan of travelling. It was aggravating for her to sleep out in the wild, and even more so that she had to suffer extended days without a decent bath. Sighing, she wiped some sweat off her brow. She needed to put her mind at ease. Since they were in the wilds, maybe she could explore...? If she didn’t wander too far from the camp, she knew she’d be safe. Or maybe she could use the fire and the cauldron to make good use of some of the medicinal plants? “…that midget is…” Nira’lia blinked and turned around. The men behind her were speaking about Bob Barton. She knew this for a fact because he was the only one in the camp who went by that description. The Konti couldn’t tell what they were talking about, whether good or bad, and she decided not eavesdrop further. Instead, she walked towards the place the men had been looking at. She assumed that the man they were speaking about, Bob Barton, was towards that way. Bob probably had some ideas to pass the time! That’s what Nira’lia believed, anyway.

[Bob Barton]

If men were talking about Bob Barton, it can never be a good thing. Bob of course was doing what he does best. Trying to profit from whatever situation he was in but while travelling with such a large group provided a lot of opportunities, it also had its problems. Jinsen should have been left in Alvadas. It was hard to clean it up in the Wildlands. With all the excitable people adding extra time to the travel and because Bob could not be petched with constantly cleaning up the dog for picky people. Why just a few chimes before he was already in argument with the people that were now complaining about the stinking midget and his stinkier dog. Maybe it was lucky that Nira'lia chose not to eavesdrop since it might make her avoid Bob instead.

But there Bob was hiding behind the trees where there is peace and quiet. Most importantly there was no bigots to complain about his dog. Telling Jinsen to "shhhhhh" as he tied it up at a tree, Bob cleared out the ground around his dog of the forest's waste but "did you have to do that?" He just cleaned it up. Another spot to find "come" and this time it "better not do any doo doo." No wonder it was so stinky. Bob not bothering to clean it up well had nothing to do with it. He tied the dog up again and told it to "stay and don't...don't do anything alright?" especially if it was dirty. They were running out of places for Bob to try this out.

Taking a long stick, Bob started drawing a wide circle around his dog as he said "stay...stay...stay...stay..." poking it with the stick when it tried to go out of bounds. Jinsen seemed to get the idea and in an act of unexpected intelligence it actually tried to cross the part where Bob had yet to draw. "Yes, I mean no Jinsen! Wait until I'm done" he said sternly pushing the dog back. Hurrying it up, Bob moved faster and where half the circle was well drawn leaving not much room in between it and Jinsen, the other was all wobbly and had a lot of space. Looking at it from the proper angle and distance, it still looked good enough to be a proper focus lacking only the barriers.

He decided he did not need those since the glyph is not going to be storing any magic, only improving Bob's control over it. As soon as that petching dog stopped messing around! Clasping it's body Bob held it in place telling it to "sit and be quiet" but would it obey when he said "...please? that softly? Taking a seat by it and putting his finger to his lips once, Bob was prepared to begin. Now...where to start?

Shutting his eyes Bob took a few short breaths trying to visualize what he was about to do with his dog no less. What if instead of cutting off the stench from escaping he stopped air from reaching it? That cannot really be allowed to happen since he was going to go back to Sunberth. What if the woman who entrusted the dog found out he actually killed it? The more he thought about it the more he was worried that it might actually happen but he knew it was all up to him. Pushing that thought out of his mind he focused on his dog, allowing the sound of the breeze and faint noises from camp to gradually fill up his mind instead of his worries. Before letting the shield that he was about to make be the only thing in his mind when he blocked out the other sounds.

Moving his hands from Jinsen's head downwards to its body Bob decided that he might be able to avoid the risk if he did it on the body first. He started to bring the djed from him towards his hands that were joined together. He was not like the man who taught him that could make a shield so easy. Bob was more of a guy who needed to feel what he wanted to do. Running the djed from his fingers he started to pull his hands apart to meet at the other end. Allowing his djed to spin and intertwine the further down he went since he was taught that it was like a blanket. This blanket was going to be wrapped around Jinsen. That should be the result once his hands met each other again. Still held in place he kept telling himself that it needed to "block the smell..."

Now how was he going to find out it it worked? "Ugh..." Bob was going to need to take a sniff as Jinsen's leg. Holding it up to him he started smelling around he leg noticing that the shield worked in some places more than others. If still being able to smell the stench meant it worked at all. Hopefully when Nira'lia found him she would not think it was some weird fetish especially when he is going to ask "does Jinsen's new uhhh...soap smell alright with you?" A special soap called shielding apparently.

[Nira'lia]

It didn’t take Nira’lia long to find Bob. She circled around people and followed her gut instinct. Her guesses were mostly right, anyway, and she had always attributed that slight precognition to her race. That and the people in the campsite were still throwing mean glances towards Bob’s direction. She went around a large tree and found Bob. The man was with his dog. She had seen Jinsen a couple of times before, and she had heard the complaints being made about his stench. Nira’lia couldn’t deny that the dog did indeed have a smell. And at the moment though, she could smell him. The smell always seemed to be there, though it didn't really bother her... probably for the reason that she never really came close to the dog. And Bob… was holding the dog’s leg up and sniffing it. Nira’lia stared, her expression unexplainable. She knew that different people had their own pleasures in life, but this… this was strange. The Konti turned around slightly and was about to sneak away and leave the man to his fetishes when he finally noticed her. Fortunately, he was quick to explain what he had been doing, and she felt relieved for that. The Konti laughed and walked over to Bob. “Well, let’s see here…” she said as she leaned down beside the dog and sniffed the air above the dog’s head. It was the first time she was this close to the dog, and at that proximity, his stench was overpowering. It wafted right at Nira'lia, making her scrunch her face. No, the soap was not alright with her. That didn’t even smell like soap at all. Sheepishly, the Konti looked back at Bob. “Perhaps… you need some new soap? Or perfume?”

[Bob Barton]

For a race that seemed to be able to see things, it looks like Nira'lia could not see the proper spot where Bob asked her to test. At least that proves that she could not see the shield. Aursitics and shielding would be crossed out of things that she might know as Bob's understanding of the two magic disciplines. Correcting her he pointed out that "I only put some on the leg to test it out..." but maybe she would have made the same reaction regardless. What was blocking out the stench of one leg going to do when there is still the rest of the dog to contend with? "Maybe I should try with more" he asked the konti. it seemed a lot less troublesome than trying to find some soap here.

Convenient true, but still a waste of a precious resource. However when was he going to have a chance to get used to shielding and become better in it if he did not practice it? He learned it to protect himself from the unseen dangers of the world after all. Hopefully Bob would not find himself facing one of those dangers today. Yes "I'll try putting more on Jinsen" he told Nira'lia before thinking a little bit. Did he go wrong at any point trying this out? Maybe it was the glyph he made...or maybe it was Jinsen who cannot sit still for anything because as Bob was thinking, it struck!

Its target was not Bob but...the konti beside him for whatever reason no one would know. As soon as Bob noticed what happened he went right for Jinsen yelling "back off Jinsen! Stop!" It must really be Bob's dog to be so interested in Nira'lia but hopefully she will not think too badly of him because of it. Especially when he was doing all he could right now. Repeatedly calling out for Jinsen to "calm down" and "stop" he finally got a hold of the dog's body and lifted it. "Sorry Nira..." he told the konti after he put Jinsen down, staring it straight in the eye and telling it in a harsh tone that it had been "bad!" so it would know not to attack the nice konti next time. It was then he noticed his dog's intense sniffing of the konti. Something about the way she smelled must have set Jinsen off...

Bob was not stupid enough to point it out right away however. Instead he looked at his friend and asked her if "can you give me a few moments to handle Jinsen a little? So that he won't do that again" in a sweet, pleading voice before harshly telling Jinsen again "bad dog!" The contrast in treatment should deliver the message well enough for the dog that it should never attack Nira'lia again. After Nira'lia had left Bob got to the dog. Looking at everything he has done, he decided that the problem was the indeed the glyph. The one he just used was just way too big to control something that he had not much experience in using. He would be better off using a smaller one so that he would have finer control, if that made any sense.

Who has a vial of ink? Bob does! Since he already wanted to do glyphing he brought it along just in case he could not find anything to draw with like a stick, on the ground. Bob held Jinsen saying "shhh...shhh...shhh..." so that it would think everything was ok before dipping his finger into the vial. "Its all alright" he said trying to assure the dog without the harsh voice from earlier so that the dog would know it is doing something right. Hopefully it will think it is just sitting still. Bob put the finger with the wet ink on it and pressed it beside Jinsen's nose telling it to "relax" over and over as he continued. Words were just as effective on the dog as it is as barriers that Bob did not need.

His finger was dipped into the vial a few more times as Bob completed the focus. Tracing it as accurate as pressing his finger on Jinsen's nose would guide him. The circle was done, blending into the colour of the dog's nose and almost invisible unless someone was really looking out for it, like Bob. He closed his eyes, opened it again to look at his work before closing it again and repeating until he felt he can remember how it looked before shutting his eyes one last time and putting his hand in front of the dog's nose. Bob took a few deep breaths to calm himself down saying "relax" in between them more for himself than the dog but if it obeyed Bob would be a lot more happy.

As if following his breath, each time he inhaled he allowed himself to push his djed further down his arm. Guided by the glyph which made it easier to go towards the dog's nose, Bob did not feel that he was going too off from the visualization in his head. He had no room for doubts since shielding at this point required him to concentrate a lot. When he felt the djed pressing on his hand he let it out slowly as it spread out on the surface of Jinsen's nose. When he opened he could see his own djed oozing around Jinsen's nose. All that was left is to shape it. Again he thought of a blanket, weaving the djed together to bring a solid form in front of Jinsen's nose within the boundaries set by the glyph. When he was done, he thought about what he wanted the shield to do. To block out any scent.

At that moment Jinsen shied away. Apparently it worked and Bob told it "don't worry" since it would not last long and it could still breath from its mouth. Calling for "Nira'lia" he would tell her that "Jinsen is quite sorry and won't do it again..." before asking the dog "won't you?" and using his head to gesture Jinsen at the konti while he told it to "make friends" How the both would act he will have to see and prepare himself to step in if anything sent wrong. Hopefully there will not be now and after. As long as he resolved the smell issue now with the dog, and the konti.

He thought it through and decided to tell Nira'lia that "I guess my soap doesn't work. Maybe you'd want to help me since you are so good at plants?" he asked with a smile remembering some of the things she taught him during their first meeting. "You could use some of it too I think." That's right, Bob said it outright but he was going to recover by the grand lie of "we've all been travelling too far and with too many people. We're going to need to take care of our hygiene" and noses "if we don't want to get sick." Hopefully the konti would believe him...again...

[Nira'lia]

“Ahhh! Bob, get him! Get him!” She was usually a composed person. Most of her actions were gentle and graceful… and all that went out the window as soon as Jinsen came at her. Panicking, she almost made a run for it, but instead she felt on her bottom and looked at Bob with fear. The Konti didn’t have much experience with animals. When Jinsen came at her, she mistook it as an attack. Nira’lia froze in place, refusing to move, as if any sudden movements would cause Jinsen to hurt her. “I-it’s okay…” she squeaked back at Bob’s apology. Nira’lia stood back up and brushed her skirt off. Was the dog… sniffing her? When Bob dealt with Jinsen further, the Konti sheepishly took a sniff of her wrist. A foul expression met her face. Days of not being able to bathe was taking its toll on her… to her horror. She didn’t smell as bad as Jinsen, but she definitely didn’t smell her best. “What’s that for?” she asked, referring to what he was doing with Jinsen and the vial of ink. Nira’lia watched Bob with curiosity. He was practicing magic—that much she knew! She wasn’t even aware that he was a mage. Perhaps she should tell him about the Order of Transcendence? Nira’lia was sure Eridanus would appreciate more recruits. The Konti noted in her mind to mention it to Bob later on. She grinned both at Bob and at Jinsen. Nira’lia was still wary of the dog, but she trusted Bob’s words. She trusted that the dog wouldn’t come at her again. “I’m not an expert at plants… I know enough though,” she said meekly. “And it’s fine. You can say it outright… I don’t smell that good these days. For your information, you don’t either.” The Konti laughed, disguising her statement as a joke… a joke that was half-meant. “I think I saw some flowers around here, but I don’t know how to make soap… do you? What would we need?” she asked. With that, she gestured towards a pathway where she had discovered some nice-smelling roses earlier that day.

[Bob Barton]

This was a new side to the konti that Bob never got a chance to see before. Even in the Garden of no Return when they knew they were completely lost she still remained calm. A little bit scared but still calm nonetheless. Now she fumbled after being caught off guard by Jinsen of all things. What would happen to her in this expedition that the Grandmaster hinted of possible dangers? Unless she was going to rely on the other more capable fighters to help protect her. Bob had no doubts that she would be successful with that since seeing her in this vulnerable state brought out some concern in him to want to help her too. Perhaps this was the reason why she stayed with the ethaefal and the akalak so much even if they were the biggest idiots Bob ever met? After a slight pause with her display he asked "are you sure its okay?" while still holding on to Jinsen. He would have helped her up but he was worried about what might happen to her again if he left the dog alone.

And it looked like she came to the same conclusion as Bob to what set Jinsen off. In order to prevent it Bob needed something to block off scent. His answer to the vial of ink was obviously going to be a lie. What sort of a cruel bastard would put ink on a dog's nose? The best he could think of is making it consistent with his previous lie of "its the special soap I told you about. I'm hoping that if I put enough on Jinsen's nose it will smell good stuff instead of...anything else? Here's to it working" when he realized that the konti was still around when he told her to let him do his work. This time he felt it was better to not make anymore hints to her scent, or chase her off from watching unless he wanted her to start hating him. Bob was already under the impression that she probably liked him a lot less now after the dog attack. Maybe she had some cruel punishment in mind for him, hah! She was a konti that would not be possible but if he had similar powers to her, he would know already she is thinking it .

Seeing Nira'lia smiling at the dog made Bob think it was the perfect opportunity to teach the dog something new in case the shield wore out. Holding it still but inching closer to her, Bob would watch if the konti tried to keep her distance or trust him enough to allow this. If she moved, Bob would return her smile to hopefully hint that he was teaching "Jinsen, Nira'lia is a friend" which was just about the same thing he would do if he was allowed close to her. Releasing it to see what it would do he saw that Jinsen stopped in front of her and started...whining? Damn, that dog is smart. With gritted teeth he told Nira'lia "don't feed it..." and told Jinsen to "stay" so that if Nira'lia really wanted to be regarded as it's friend, "you should pet it." If she started to do it she better do it "slowly, and don't go for its head" and only Bob realized that it could have been what set the dog off earlier too. Opps. If Nira'lia tried to test the dog Bob will be constantly reminding it to "stay" since "Nira'lia is a friend" in his pleasant voice.

Being a friend, Bob would not think of insulting her...alright he will. "At least we match if it makes scents to you" Bob said with a laugh and suggested that "if we're not careful people will start thinking that there's something going on between us." Well, she did ask him to say it outright so of course he will especially if there is a chance that she might return the same intents in a not so subtle manner. But that will not change the fact that "I agree. We don't smell too good thanks to all this travelling. I'm pretty sure that this plague we've been having is because of all this poor hygiene..." Bob knew he should not have neglected his but it was just too tiring. He thought that he would have a chance to rest in the hot springs once they reached Sunberth and get his bath but beggars cannot be choosers so "there should be a pond around here if you're interested in joining me?" Bob asked again with a grin. If she did not agree he could hopefully dismiss it as a joke?

What probably is not a joke is that "I might know how?" but he was not convinced about it. "We could try using some herbs and flowers to keep ourselves smelling nice and clean for a while at least." That was the way Bob's uncle did it for people who needed some medicinal bath for whatever reason. "I think we'll need to find some lye because...I have no idea how to make that and then we'll need to cook the stuff?" or at least that was what it looked like to Bob when his uncle did it. "Does that give you any ideas?" he asked or they would have failed before they started.

[Nira'lia]

“Oh, that’s the soap? For a moment there, I thought it was ink…” But why would he put ink on the dog’s nose? That didn’t make sense to Nira’lia, so she believed him without question. She watched him curiously. After a while, he started to approach her, Jinsen in tow. The Konti gaped and she was ready to walk away But Bob was making an effort to make Jinsen comfortable in her presence, and most likely vice versa. “Why can’t I pet his head?” asked the Konti. Her lack of knowledge in animals made her oblivious to many things. Was petting a dog’s head something that annoyed it? The Konti obeyed Bob’s words and cautiously reached out. She lightly touched Jinsen’s back. She wore an awkward and forced smile, and her discomfort was evident in her less than hard movements. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Jinsen. She just didn’t know the dog well enough. Nira’lia was happy that the dog was allowing itself to be touched. That was definitely a step forward. With a grin, she stepped away from the dog. Nira’lia didn’t miss Bob’s words. “Oh, nobody would think that,” she replied without second thought, referring to his joke that they might be mistaken as being together. “There is a pond, it’s over there. If you’re scared of going off alone, you should wait until the other Knights decide to bathe again…” The Konti pointed to a direction to the north, deeper into the woods. She had seen it the night before, before turning in for the night. It had been crowded with knights and scholars the night before. “Lye…” she muttered, trying to rack her brain. She had never made soap before, but she knew that lye was a necessary ingredient. Bob was right; it would be much quicker to just acquire lye rather than to make it. “I think there should be some lye from the caravans, don’t you think? We don’t need a lot. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.” She turned to Bob. Nira’lia was suddenly excited. It was the first time she was going to make soap, and they at least knew the basic process. “So we need lye, lard, and good smelling stuff! Let’s go! What should we get first? Lead the way, Bob!” she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. The enthusiasm in her was evident. “Or if you want… perhaps I can go grab some flowers, you go grab some lard, and we can meet up after and look for lye together?”

[Bob Barton]

Again Bob found himself needing to continue his lie that "it used to be ink until I finished it and reused the vial. I mean, I'm not going to let anyone put something like ink on Jinsen. Its inhumane" unless it has a specific result that would work well. At least all this proved one thing. The kontis were not the people you are unable to lie to like the stories claimed. That and Nira'lia was a bit too gullible or was it that she trusted Bob? That was nice since she did not try to run away. For that Bob felt nice enough to explain that "Jinsen might think you're trying to attack him. I mean...I know you are a nice girl but he doesn't. Maybe after some time he'll trust you enough to get close to his head but until then, nothing that looks like slaps or headbutts from earlier unless you were trying to give it a kiss?" he asked with a grin. "Maybe we should show an example so it will think that is what friends do?" he asked the konti leaning forward a little bit closer to her before sitting with a laugh.

And Bob waited patiently for her to finish befriending Jinsen, advising her when she needed it that "you should be sincere when you smile. It ruins your pretty face and the dogs can tell you don't like them. Jinsen might not like you for it too..." he said pulling the dog away slightly like it was the one that did not like her when it was him who was disappointed she rejected his advances but he would not show it. There will be plenty of other chances without "...the knights? But they are mean and boring" and Bob did not like them like he did the kontis. Not even the female knights with their stone cold expressions and stoic nature. Bob feigned sadness with a quivering lip while he looked at the direction Nira'lia pointed him towards before mentioning "I thought we had something..." and suddenly cheering up saying "friends don't leave friends alone with the scary knights in the scary woods" being another try that was veiled as yet another joke of his.

Letting Jinsen go as they thought about what they would do next Bob agreed that "they shouldn't mind at all especially if we say we'll give them some. Everyone needs a bath and are afraid of the plague" which was a good fact they can use for their cause. "We could try getting the lard from them too" since the only other alternative would be to hunt, something that Bob doubted he and the konti will be successful in. At least they will have a more better chance in getting the sweet smelling stuff since Nira'lia knew quite a bit about it. Thinking about their options Bob decided that the best course of action is if "we'll go together. I wouldn't mind learning a bit more about the plants that we'll use in case I want to make my own soap next time and..." always with the evil ands "...I wouldn't allow a friend of mine to be all on her own even if..." she would do it. It was a cruel suggestion he knew but it might soften her up for next time as Bob would not stop until he knew he reached a dead end.

"You can lead the way and I'll be right behind you. Remember, what we need is sweet smelling herbie stuff that is good for health" he mentioned while trying to bring the dog along with them. It did not seem like it was prepared to budge and Bob could only ask "should we take him along or leave him behind?"

[Nira'lia]

The Konti laughed at his obvious flirtations. Her cheeks flared almost automatically, indicating that she was not mature enough to withstand such directness from other people. Nira’lia felt uncomfortable, and she hid it behind her awkward laugh—though she couldn’t help but feel slight happiness swell inside her. Every time someone complimented her, her simple mind always took it well. She didn’t know why Bob was being so forward, but she did appreciate it. That didn’t mean she was going to play along, though. She was much too childish for that. Instead, she decided to act stupid. “You would have a much better chance being protected by the knights by me! You don’t know what happens in these scary woods!” She nodded at her suggestions. They made sense—getting the lard from the Knights would also be easier. When he spoke about the plague, she couldn’t help but ask him about it. “Do you feel okay, by the way? If you’re sick as well, you should really be resting…” she muttered. But he looked so lively, so she dismissed the thought quickly. There was really no point in delving on such a depressing topic. The Konti started to walk off towards the direction where she remembered seeing the flowers. Yes, picking flowers was a much nicer task than talking about the plague. “Of course Jinsen should come!” she told him absently. Nira’lia couldn’t tell why he should be left behind. The Konti circled around some trees and led the way. It wasn’t too far off, and she knew it would be much easier to find in the daylight. Soon enough, they arrived at a small clearing that was decorated by different types of flowers, herbs and bushes. However, the one that caught her attention was a flower with purple buds upon a long stalk. Its scent was nice, and Nira’lia walked over to it enthusiastically. She leaned over the mass of lavender and playfully poked at them. “Here, this is lavender… oh, and look, eucalyptus! Those smell nice as well! …I can’t tell what the rest are. Would you know?”

[Bob Barton]

Hahaha, even if she tried to hide it Bob could tell that his efforts were working when the konti's cheeks flared up like a signal. To react so strongly to something like that, maybe Bob should not go at it too strongly. By not going at it too strongly he meant not trying anything new when he said "see?" upon seeing her laugh because "that's a lot better" continuing on the topic of Nira'lia's smile. For him and for Jinsen who was also awkwardly smiling only because Bob had his hands at the side of the dog's mouth, pulling it back so that it will curve up like the dog was happy until its tongue came flying. Yuck. "Now I really need some soap" Bob said to himself softly unless the konti really wanted to hear that as he tried to brush off the slobber on the grass.


What he did say loudly, as if he was proud of it in response to the konti's challenge was "I didn't say I want protection, just the company of someone that looked prettier and less scary than those knights" and just as he was done saying that he looked at the direction of a group of them, gave a disgusted face and then looked back at Nira'lia where he started smiling. Obviously an act for sure. An act that was fake just like the offer that "I'll be the one protecting you from the scary woods my lady konti" as he bowed his head to hide his laughing face. It was not like he needed to protect anyone since the knights would have secured the camp and the pond since everyone was already using it. Nothing would be brave enough to come close, unless they were really strong and dangerous but Bob was confident he would be able to run until the knights came to take care of it. Whether the konti could though was a different story but he would help her in her time of need, maybe, if it will help him.

Someone else that would have helped him too, especially if it came to the plague would have been his uncle. He just mentioned "no, I feel fine unless its a slow acting sickness that I caught out here because I wouldn't be allowed to leave Zeltiva otherwise." Marny was a very persuasive man to Bob Barton especially when the quack, to him had the appropriate tools at his disposal like poisons that would weaken the dwarf for days. Days that the knights would have left him behind. "And you? I'm happy to see that you're feeling alright too. Maybe there is something that makes us different?" Bob asked or it could just be random coincidence. Nah, there has to be similarities between the people who caught it like the fact they deserved it because of who they are. Kontis and Bobs? They were too good for it. "Maybe after we make our awesome soap we can put our minds into finding out what is going on?" Bob suggested like that could ever happen.

The awesome thing about soap? It makes things smell and people feel better. Following behind Nira'lia, Bob let Jinsen go since it would behave, hopefully when he told it to "follow and play nice." No telling how it would play nice with the konti but he would have to be prepared for the worse as he entered the clearing and gave it a quick lookover for anything that would be scary like they discussed earlier. Satisfied that there was nothing much other than the newcomers and the colourful arrangement of flowers among all the green bushes and trees Bob allowed himself to relax and follow Nira'lia to her flowers which he could not tell what from what. "Lavender...? Eww a platypus...? What?" Bob asked not keeping the fact that he was unable to identify the plants a secret. "You better tell me about them or I might end up getting poisoned again" reminding her about the last time they went to look for plants.

And it really might happen if Bob did not already know how poison ivy looked like from that time. It was when he scanned through the clearing that he saw it. Unmistakably it was poison ivy. The accursed plant with its three almond shaped leaflets crawling up the trees with its disgusting hairy vines. If Nira'lia doubted that Bob learned his lesson from that time, it would be cleared now if she noticed the man moving away from that particular plant among all the other green ones. And "No, I don't think I can unless you give me some time to remember" which means Nira'lia would have to start first and jog his memory.