[Kitsumi]

Malcolm, Roman, Rylan
This roleplay is just a test for these personalities. It may or may not be considered canonical, and I may end up completely changing the names/characters for these Lucain.

"Set up camp, boys," Malcolm tossed the pack he had been carrying to the older of his two sons. He watched as the young man barely managed to catch it, staggering and grunting at the bag's heft. "I expect the tents to be set up by the time I get back."

Roman simply nodded, setting the bag on the ground and unzipping it. But Rylan had questions. "Where are you goin' pops?" he asked. "Aren't ya gonna help us?"

[Kitsumi]

"If the two of you aren't even capable of setting up a couple of tents by yourself, then this entire trip will have been a waste," Malcolm responded, a stern frown on his face. "We don't have enough supplies to last more than maybe three days out here. I need to head back to that town we passed by earlier, and get everything we're gonna need. I'm assuming that the two of you can handle things here while I'm gone, yes?" His voice took on a patronizing tone.

[Kitsumi]

"Of course, father," Roman replied in a low voice. "You can trust me to look after things in your absence." Glancing at his brother from the corner of his eye, he barely managed to suppress his disdainful sigh. "And I'll make sure that Rylan stays out of trouble, no matter how difficult a task it may be."

"Hey, shut up!" Rylan whined. "It's not like I purposefully cause trouble or anything. It just happens to find me all on its own!"

[Kitsumi]

Despite Roman's reassurances that all would be fine, Malcolm couldn't help but wonder if leaving his sons behind in the middle of the desert was a good idea. He may have been a strict man who expected a lot from his children, but he didn't want anything bad to happen to them. And Rylan in particular didn't seem to be quite mature enough to handle being on his own, despite the fact that he was practically an adult himself.

[Kitsumi]

At least Roman seemed responsible enough, and Malcolm decided to focus on this. He needed to give his boys a chance to prove themselves. They weren't going to become reliable young men if he treated them like children and was constantly babysitting them. After all, that was pretty much what this entire trip was about. He was going to prepare his sons to be men, men capable of carrying the weight of the "family business" as he liked to call it.

[Kitsumi]

As soon as their father was gone, Roman turned to his younger brother. "Grab the other tent and start setting it up," he commanded in a no-nonsense tone.

Rylan heaved a dramatic sigh. "I don't know how," he said, trying to weasel his way out of doing his share of the work. "It would probably be easier if you just set up both tents, and I can sit right here and-"

"No," Roman interrupted. "I'll set mine up slowly, so you can follow my actions step by step."

[Kitsumi]

Although he continued to grumble, Rylan knew that there was no arguing with his brother. Roman had proven his authority over his younger brother time and time again. If he said that Rylan was going to set up one of the tents, then that was what was going to happen.

"Don't blame me when everything goes wrong," the younger brother muttered under his breath. Of course, he knew that it wasn't that difficult to set up the tent. He just didn't want to do it himself.

[Kitsumi]

Roman could have had the first tent up and ready within minutes. But having to show his younger brother how to do it meant that he had to work much more slowly than he normally would. Honestly, Rylan had been right when he had said that it would be quicker for the eldest brother to do all the work. But this wasn't about efficiency anymore. Rylan needed to learn how to do these things by himself, even if he didn't like it.

[Kitsumi]

While his sons were putting up the tents, Malcolm was making his way back to town. He knew for a fact that this particular town - being one of the last stops before travelers entered the wilderness of the desert - would carry all of the supplies that he needed. Of course, he had already packed most of the essentials. But things like water and food were heavy, and the tents and other supplies had been difficult enough to carry on their own, making the second trip necessary.

[Kitsumi]

Getting enough water for the three of them was of course the most important thing, more important than food. The problem was that water was difficult to transport in large amounts. Malcolm knew a few tactics for gathering water in the desert, and he hoped to eventually find a stream or something near which they could make camp. But for now, he was simply going to purchase as much water as he could carry, and hope that it would last longer than a few hours.

[Kitsumi]

Upon entering the town, he walked up the main street... which also appeared to be the only street. At first, he began to head towards the building marked 'General Goods' until he noticed a sign that caught his attention. It read:

'Need survival equipment for your desert vacation? Come to Gail's Oasis for all of your adventuring needs!'

The corner of Malcom's lip curved upwards, not quite a smile but something close. Surely this place would have everything he needed.

[Kitsumi]

Gail

"Well hello there, stranger," the woman greeted Malcolm as he entered the shop. "It's been a minute since we've had travelers pass through. Anything I can help you find?"

The man didn't even bother looking her direction as he answered. "I'm sure that I can find everything I need by myself, thank you." As he began to browse the shelves, he asked, "How do you manage to keep this shop running if you don't get many travelers? I can't imagine the locals would need this stuff very often."

[Kitsumi]

"You'd be surprised," Gail said. "The locals like to go out to the desert too, ya know. It's not like there's a whole lot to do in town, and this shop is the only one that offers the supplies townies need for their various outdoor activities. And when I am lucky enough to get a traveling customer like yourself, they tend to be willing to spend a pretty penny in order to stay alive." Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, "It's not like I need the money anyways. I'm set for life - my mamaw left me an inheritance, ya see - this shop is more of a hobby than anything.

[Kitsumi]

Malcolm didn't know how to respond to that, so he simply didn't. Besides, he was currently too busy comparing the prices on different brands of dehydrated meals to really carry on a conversation with someone. That certainly didn't stop Gail from trying, though.

"So how long are ya gonna be out there?" she asked. "Are ya on your own? They say it's dangerous to go traveling out in the desert alone, ya know. Who's gonna go get help if ya get bitten by a poisonous snake or somethin'?"

[Kitsumi]

He didn't care to give too many details, but Malcolm gave just enough information to hopefully silence the woman. "I've got my adult sons with me," he said. "And we plan on staying out there for at least a month, possibly longer.

Gail's eyes widened. "A month, huh? You guys out huntin' for something?"

"Something like that," Malcolm mumbled. Actually, hunting might be something that he did with the boys while they were out. But for now, he was simply planning an exercise in survival.