[Freezair]

"They say there's only 8 billion jokes in the world, and the problem is that everybody already knows 7,600,500 of them," Sky said. "So you're bound to run out at some time." She glared at Avani.

Krii pushed the last of his French toast in his mouth. Rather stickily, he said, "Wath da diffth between Mither Potatohead an' a thupermodel?"

"Oh, this is going to be one of those tasteless jokes, isn't it?" Avani complained.

Krii swallowed heavily. "It's not THAT bad. It's 'Mr. Potatohead has fewer faces."

Toelespi stared and grumbled something.

"Supermodels...? 'Cuz they get plastic surgery...? C'mon, laugh!"

I rolled my eyes. "That one smells worse than you do when you don't bathe."

"Oh, so like he always does?" Avani said sharply.

Sky snorted.

[dragonflyINN]

[sub]"Mu, whassa 'Mr. Potatohead'?"

"It's a toy that some kids play with...it's kind of hard to explain, but basically it's a pototo-shaped figure whose facial features can be removed and rearranged."

"Oh."

Typhon "sneakily" took another piece of toast and dashed off before Muse could run after him. Muse rolled his eyes and shrugged, brushing his claws against the rough, brittle grass. He turned to Jimmy and his troupe of...interesting characters. "So...my I ask how you fellows became acquainted with one another?"[/sub]

[Freezair]

((Sorry to go out of turn-ish--just post twice...? XD Also, I forgot to mention that Jimmy is a woman. Her real name's Imogene. *facepalm* Dumb me, forgetting basic factoids like that...))

I pushed a few stray bits of red hair away from my face. "Well, my real name's Imogene Dashall," I said. "I guess I'll go in opposite order, here. I obtained Toelespi here from the Imperial-Purine war a couple months back. He was a prize available for Purine Pathfinders, like me."

Toelespi looked proud at being worth so much. He lowed happily.

"Avani here--same origin, only rarer. She was a gift from the Purine heads. Apparently, I earned the most war merits of any Pathfinder. Their claim, not mine. I mean, I guess I did mess up the big Imperial base a little, but I got in HUGE trouble for it the first time around."

"I and six others," she said. "We all came from the Imperial and Purine leaders."

"Skycutter, here, she's my mount. I raised her from an egg. I've had her for about... Oh, nine years," I said. "Since I was... sixteen?"

"Ten years soon," Sky said. "My birthday is coming up."

I smiled at her. "And Krii's been with me... Since... Goodness, I can't even remember."

"I seem to have a dim recollection of meetin' you out in the jungle," Krii said. "I think I was lost, so I came home with you. Your parents took me in."

"I think something must've happened to your parents," I said.

[382, 47, 22]

[Feint]

Terran shifted uncomfortably. He himself wasn't involved with the war, no, but he remembered his master's favorite, a rengosett, talking endlessly on how great the Imperials were, or how the Purines made another attack on helpless Imperial pets. Not like he had a chance, but he was stuck quite well in the mindset that all Purine things were evil, and yet here were plenty of them that were all nice people who cooked good french toast. He was confused, and it showed. His eyes went from one to another, trying to fix the kind faces to the exaggerated stories he'd heard.

[dragonflyINN]

[sub]"Ah, the Imperial-Purine war," Muse said, scratching his chin and nibbling on the remains of his bread. "Typhon and I tried to remain neutral throughout the conflict. We were in the Craiss Caverns." He smiled at the recollection and then looked around for Typhon. The little Chombones had entirely vanished. "Typhon! Typhon!" He called. "Here! 'M right here!" Typhon grinned, a bit of toast hanging from his mouth. "I hunted down some bees 'n swiped some honey t' put on the toast. Real yummy."

"Did you take any for me?"

"Erm...no." [/sub]

[Freezair]

"I guess we were," I said, looking thoughtful.

"Yeah," Krii added. "How'd you avoid it? You're right in the middle of the field, here. I'd think, somebody come through, you gonna get hurt!"

"Oh, I'm sure he found a way," Avani said.

"Hey, guys, I think this talk is making him uncomfortable," Sky said. Well, trust her to look out for that sort of thing.

I reached for another piece of toast, but my hands found air. I looked confused.

I did not immediately notice Typhon... or Toelespi, who seemed to be ferreting them beneath his wings.

[Feint]

"I wasn't out here at the time, or I would've been hurt. I probably would walk right into a fight without ever seeing it," Terran said. He mentally thanked Sky for changing the subject.

Terran sniffed at Toelespi, who appeared to be the source of Jimmy's confusion. He couldn't see the toast (or even Toelespi all that well) but he could smell food somewhere on or near him. "Did he take something?" Terran asked, leaning forward and squinting.

[dragonflyINN]

_{"Sneaky 'un," winked Typhon as he licked honey off his lips. "Fast as lightnin'." He shook out his fur and settled down in the brittle grass, laying his large head on his paws as he began to doze off. Muse ruffled his fur and watched as Typhon released loud, gravelly snores. Muse took a small object from his cloak pocket and uncorked it, placing it under Typhon's nostrils. It was his medicine - without it he snored like a monster. Muse, too, was grateful that the subject had changed from the war. It wasn't a very uncomfortable subject for him, but he could tell it was for others.}

[Freezair]

I shoveled the last bits of my breakfast/lunch into my mouth and chewed thickly, trying not to talk or make any otherwise noise around the huge lump of food in my mouth. Krii chuckled, but Sky gave me a disapproving expression.

"S-s-s-sso." I stammered, and I felt a bit awkward. "Um. So, tell me what you are all up to... Recently... Done anynthing interesting?"

"Smooooth, Jim," Avani said to me.

"Yeah, be quiet," I replied.

Toelespi slunk his entire, huge body low to the ground, apparently attempting to stare Typhon straight in the eyeless skull. He made a few deep growling noises, and looked at what appeared to be a piece of toast Typhon was hoarding. Or perhaps it was something else--it was hard to tell.

[384, 49, 24]

[dragonflyINN]

"Oh, nothing much. This and that..." Muse said. "Mainly research and the like. I hope to one day attend Medicai City College." He sighed wistfully, but set that thought aside. Medicai could wait. For the time being he was a wanderer, an explorer with no boundaries. He grinned at the thought.

Meanwhile, Typhon had become startled by the loud grumbling noises of Toelespi and stood with an alarmed shake, his body droopy with sleep. "Eh? What? D'you want this stuff?" He asked, indicating at the bottle of his therapeutic medicine. He pushed it over for Muse to cork, as the medicine often stank after a few minutes of being left in the open. "Maybe it's that piece of toast you have hidden in the grass, Typhon," Muse said, indicating with a claw. Typhon sighed and pushed it over to Toelespi. "If you really want it..." the small Chombones grumbled.

[Feint]

"Medicai?" Terran asked, impressed. "No one I've met yet could get there, until now, of course."
"My life?" he asked, and snorted. "I dig, eat, and photosynthesize. What about you?" he asked. He curled his tail around his feet, trying very carefully to not send anything flying with a swift smack.

[Freezair]

Toelespi snatched back the piece of toast. He curled his vast, thick body around it, hiding it in his coils.

"Really now, Toel," Sky said to him. "Is that a very nice thing to do? No? I don't think so. It's his toast. You should--"

Toel snapped it up and swallowed.

"No! Bad Toel!" Sky said. "Bad! Apologize this instant!"

He went stiff and indignant.

Sky shrieked something at him even I couldn't understand.

Toelespi growled low and upset. He whistled plaintively. Putting his head low, he mumbled something that sounded like an apology at Typhon.

I rolled my eyes at the drama. I said, "Well, I'm moving out!" I looked proud, I hoped. "I'm a bit of a storyteller and pet tamer, y'know. I'm goin' out to--oh, I dunno, see a few fights, tell a few stories, see the land and learn--and hopefully figure a few things out about myself."

"We seem to be collectin' people," Krii said. "You can't see it, but we actually have a few small friends sleeping in that covered caravan-thingie Toel had on 'im 'fore Jimbo took it off."

"And I want to become a star!" Avani said, happily dazed. "A famous voice actress and comedian! Performing for people! Being in cartoons! Oh, I bet it'll be marvelous!"

Toelespi, still lying low from his scolding, grumbled something.

"Oh yeah?" Avani replied. "What ABOUT my jokes?"

[385, 50, 25]

[dragonflyINN]

<sub>Typhon's jaw hung open as he stared blankly at Toelespi. He stifled a whimper as he watched the toast disappear down the serpent's throat, rubbing at an empty eye-socket and muttering nonsense about some sort of dust particle. "I's okay, old fellow," he sniffled. "Feller's gotta eat, an' that includes you." He shook out his short, rust-colored fur and sat down on his haunches. "Show-biz, eh? I dunno, sweet-cheeks. Show-biz is kinda demanding. Lotsa stress."

"You weren't even in show-biz, Typhon," Muse remarked, cocking a slender eyebrow in Typhon's direction.

"Yeah, but I 'eard it from a friend of a friend of a friend's cousin's roommate's brother that entertaining is rough stuff."

"Not to alarm you our anything," Typhon added hurriedly, turning to Avani.</sub>

[Feint]

"Show business can be tough," Terran said. "So I've heard, anyway. Lots of drama and stress and frustration," he said pessimistically. Terran doodled on the ground with a foreclaw, depicting a small stage with lights and stick-figure singers. He focused on one with a wild hairdo that kept getting larger every second. He smirked and added a curly mustache.

[Freezair]

"So I've heard," Avani admitted frankly. "But they say it helps to have a good grounding. And I'm pretty sure that if Jimmy here doesn't smack some sense into me, Sky will." She snorted.

"Darn tootin'," Sky said. "One brain-addled dumbo in my life is enough."

Krii cackled madly. Then hey stopped. "Hey... wait a minute..."

Toelespi looked down at Typhon. Shrugging, he put out one of his wings to the little Chombones.

[386, 51, 26]