Pals encountered:

  SpoilerJolthog

  [colpse]"Juniper..." Aoi drew out her name in an inquisitive manner, bringing her attention from where she's been staring off into the distance a moment ago.

  "Yes?"

  "Are you going to eat? You've barely touched your food."

  The question prompted Juniper to finally look down at the makeshift bowl in front of her on the table. The fish inside was mostly undisturbed, which was a shame considering how nicely the young woman had prepared it.

  "Oh, right. Sorry." She quickly reached down then and plucked away a heaping portion of meat between her fingers before bringing it up and throwing it into her mouth. "It's good, Aoi. Thank you.”

  "You’re welcome. Now, want to tell me what's up? You've been tense these past few days. Tense or lost in your thoughts."

  Aoi was right, it hadn't even been a week since the encounter with Sephie and Lily’s departure but it was all she could think about. Projects and the occasional soft touch of Juniper’s new friend just couldn’t distract her for long. In addition to the food, Juniper had even neglected all the lovely conversations going on around her as the group enjoyed their meal.

  "I just have this unshakable feeling in my gut regarding Sephie's experience. I don’t know, it worries me."

  Also, it didn’t help that Lily was gone. Not that Juniper needed her for protection, it was more…another person to lean on throughout this ordeal. However, she also worried about the woman's safety. Lily seemed capable, sure. However, all it took was one bullet, right? Just one unlucky moment.

  "Yeah? We seem to be okay, though. No other new Pals have wandered in. We’re set up well, too. With food and water."

  "True..." Maybe Juniper was just being paranoid or was letting her feelings cloud her mind. "You're right, we are doing well," she finally said with a forced smile before reaching over and pcing a hand on Aoi's arm.

  Aoi smiled in response before pcing her other hand on top of it and offering a gentle squeeze. "Maybe you'll feel better if you go take a look tomorrow," she suggested. "I was going to have Sephie and Flora come with me to search for more pnts but why don’t you take Flora instead. She knows what I’m looking for if you feel so inclined."

  "Yeah!" Flora interjected from the other side of the table. "Come on Miss Juniper, you've taken Aurora and Vesta out by yourself, now it's my turn!"

  Juniper’s eye shifted to the Glumos and her smile shifted to something more genuine at the enthusiasm she dispyed. How could she refuse such an earnest plea?

  "Alright, alright. We'll go."

  Naturally, Flora beamed and Juniper and Aoi both ughed as everyone returned to their dinner.

  The next day, Juniper was already feeling more upbeat now that she had a pn to check what was going on in their little valley. Part of her wanted to go back to the odd tree with the fruit as well, but that would take too long and she wanted to reach the far hills before turning around for the day. Who knows, maybe they would even run into Lily again.

  The first time she had Vesta take her down to the coast before continuing on; however, Juniper decided it would be best to take a more innd track today. Just to get more familiar with the area, if nothing else. So, she and Flora walked through the forest and then popped out on the other side before following along the base of the steep incline Juniper and Aurora climbed when they'd gone out previously.

  They chatted as they walked, mainly about what it was like before Flora joined the little group. Of course, the Glumos was particurly interested in how Juniper bound the other two Pals. Which Juniper was more than happy to describe in detail. She was a flirt, after all, and it got her mind off the more stressful aspects of the day.

  Finally though, Juniper did notice something odd.

  “Where are all the Pals?” She asked while turning her head this way and that, looking around.

  “You know, I’m not sure,” Flora responded before doing the same.

  There had been a few Lamball at the start and even a Glumos hurrying off to do its morning task, no doubt. But now that they were deeper into the valley, the sightings had stopped altogether. “And here I thought everyone was finally getting used to my presence,” she bemoaned with a sigh. “I was hoping to see more today.”

  “Is that right?” Flora asked with a tone and smirk that indicated her thoughts were still with their previous discussion. “Hoping to scoop up another Pal today? I’d be a great help, you know. Vines are great for tying Pals, and people, up.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you would be,” Juniper said with a chuckle. “But no, just curios. Seeing a Lifmunk has me wondering what else is out there.”

  Flora hummed her agreement before shrugging and nodding in the direction of the rising hills in the distance. “Well, there’s definitely one way to see some you haven't, just go a little further than you’ve been so far.”

  “You make it sound so easy and not dangerous at all.”

  “A little danger is good, right? Like spicy food?”

  At this, Juniper ughed and then shook her head in exasperation. “I don’t know what kind of spicy food you’ve been eating…”

  “You, silly. Well, only a taste.”

  “Perhaps we can remedy that sometime, hmm?” If anything, it had been Juniper who tasted Flora.

  More ughter filled the air around them as the two came to the shore of a small ke that seemed to collect all the runoff water from the nearby hills. A stream drained the excess at the other end and probably ran down to the sea if she had to guess. Another good ndmark to take note of.

  She even had an idea of which of the little inlet was created by it down at the ocean but they would have to test that theory another day. When they got to the other end, the pair continued to make a beeline for the far side of the valley even though the water looked cool and inviting. Perhaps another time everyone could come back and they could spend the day swimming and lounging around the water.

  “So, are we going to cross over the hills and find some new Pals?” Flora asked.

  “Not today. If anything happened to us because we were being careless, I think Lily would find me, bring me back to life, and kill me again.”

  “Yeah, fair enough. We can at least have a look, right?”

  “You bet your sweet ass we can,” Juniper said before reaching over and grabbing a handful of said perfectly sculpted rear end.

  However, the sudden gunshot that rang out in the air only a few steps ter had them suddenly stopping in their tracks. It was quickly followed by another and another. Or Juniper assumed they were gunshots and not a noise caused by some Pal’s special abilities. The stunned look on Flora’s face quickly dissuaded her of that idea, though. It was a gun, it was dangerous, and, judging by the sound of it, it was way too close for comfort.

  Juniper was about to turn from where she had crouched and stalk off the other way when a piercing scream quickly followed the shots. Was that Lily? No, it was feminine but it didn’t sound quite right. More fearful than anything born of frustration or adrenaline. That voice wasn’t in a fight, it was in trouble.

  Whoever it was clearly needed help and Juniper wasn’t about to back off now. So, she stood then and took off running in the direction of the shots. It was a stupid thing to do but she couldn’t help it and was heartened when she saw Flora join her a moment ter, keeping pace and looking just as determined. Soon, shouts could be heard in the distance and Juniper and Flora slowed once they could make out the words so as not to approach too hastily.

  “You little bitch! ”

  Juniper and Flora came up to a small clearing and hid behind a tree with a particurly thick trunk at the edge. In reality, it wouldn’t have done much to hide them but the woman currently brandishing some kind of pistol had her back turned to them. Whoever she was, she stood looming over a single Pal, the barrel shaky and pointing down at the helpless creature. Her all bck clothing must've been hot in the sun but to each their own.

  Juniper had never seen this type before. The Pal had pale skin and spiky yellow hair. Her full size was hard to tell because she was currently on the ground but if Juniper had to guess, she was probably closer to Flora’s size. Definitely smaller than Aurora or Vesta but not by much. Juniper could see that one arm cradled another and came to wrap around the Pal’s shoulder. A few trails of the odd turquoise-colored blood ran from underneath the arm to spill down her abdomen. So, she’d been shot? It looked like the origin of the bleeding was the shoulder but again, it was hard to tell.

  “Jolthog,” Flora said in a low whisper so only they could hear.

  Jolthog? So, she was right, this was a new Pal. However, any excitement at seeing a new Pal was quickly drowned out by the unfortunate nature of the situation.

  “You shocked me!” The woman continued before shaking her head. “This burn better not scar my face.”

  “You shot me!” The Pal quipped back before closing her eyes and gritting her teeth.

  “Damn right and I’d shoot you again if Zoe didn’t want us to bring all Pals back alive.”

  Zoe? Who the fuck Zoe and why was she collecting Pals? Juniper couldn’t recall Lily mentioning that name before and none of the other Pals had mentioned it either.

  “You better be able to walk because I’m not carrying your ass all the way back to camp,” the stranger said while rubbing her cheek.

  She wouldn’t carry the Pal, hmm? Well, then that just meant Juniper would have to! So, she rounded on Flora and brought a hand up to pull her head close. She’d made her decision, now it was time to act. “Can you restrain her if I get the gun out of her hands?”

  “Yeah, no problem.” No question, no hesitation. It was a good thing Flora was with her today.

  “Good, let’s go!”

  It wasn’t exactly a sophisticated pn but Juniper didn’t need a sophisticated pn. She would do what she’d done for so many other problems since she’d arrived on the isnd.

  Kiss it.

  Keep it simple, stupid. It was an acronym that had stuck with her since childhood and one that she tried to apply to many situations in her life. Perhaps too many but that was neither here nor there. Pn in pce, Juniper stood and started running as fast as she could toward the unsuspecting woman. It wasn’t until the Pal noticed her approach, and reacted in a surprised manner, that the woman turned around, gun raised. But it was too te and Juniper was already in too close.

  Right before she hit, she lowered her shoulder and aimed it right for the woman’s chest. The impact elicited a loud “ oof ” and a gunshot that went well wide. However, it still rang Juniper’s ears something fierce. Fuck, she really loathed guns. Juniper definitely had a size advantage and the additional element of surprise helped send the woman tumbling backward to nd on the ground. The gun itself was knocked from her grasp and fell to the side a few feet away.

  “Now!” Juniper yelled to Flora, who came up beside the mysterious woman and held out her hands to summon forth her power. In a matter of seconds, vines sprang out from the ground and wrapped this way and that across the woman’s torso, arms, and legs, crisscrossing enough that she struggled but couldn’t break their hold on her.

  “Hey! What the fuck is this? Who the fuck are you!?” She shouted and continued to thrash but Juniper ignored her, instead continuing on to kneel next to the Pal.

  “Who…who are you?” The Jolthog looked like she couldn’t believe what was unfolding in front of her but as soon as the shock wore off, fear repced that sentiment in her eyes.

  “It’s alright,” Juniper said before holding up her hands in a pcating manner. “I’m here to help you, I promise. But we have to get you out of here, okay?”

  She didn’t bother to wait for a response and slipped her arms underneath the slender figure lying on the ground. One arm underneath the Pal’s legs, the other across her back, just beneath the shoulders. The Jolthog was either grateful or too tired to struggle and she simply let Juniper pick her up and start moving off in a different direction than the one her and Flora came from.

  “Hey! I’m talking to you; just where do you think you’re taking that Jolthog?” The brunette continued to try and break free but Juniper didn’t bother to stop and talk. It didn’t matter what she had to say and any time Juniper spent here running her mouth was time an ally or other curious onlooker could come running. They needed to leave, now .

  “Flora, grab the gun…and be careful with it,” was the only thing she said before breaking out into a jog while holding the injured Pal close.

  “Right!” The Glumos finished wrapping a few more vines around the incapacitated woman and then ran and picked up the weapon where it had fallen. She held it awkwardly as she ran to catch up, keeping her fingers around the barrel and away from the trigger.

  The Jolthog whimpered as Juniper’s footfalls thudded up through her body and into the Pal’s but she would just have to endure until they got far enough away. “Sorry, just hold on, okay?”

  “Who are you?” The Pal repeated.

  “A friend,” Juniper replied with a smile before looking over at Flora beside her. “How long will those vines hold?”

  “Depends on how determined she is but maybe an hour? Quick life, quick death, I’m afraid.”

  Damn, that wasn’t a lot of time. They had to get as far away from the area as possible before that woman started looking for them. First though, they needed to tend to the Jolthog’s wound.

  “Okay, this should be far enough,” Juniper said after another few minutes. Of course, she would’ve preferred to get further from the area first, but she had to make sure the Pal was going to live to get far enough away. So, she found the most secluded spot she could, behind some trees and a rge rock, and finally set the Pal down.

  The Jolthog grimaced as she was id out and Juniper wasted no time leaning in to get a closer look. Flora stopped by her side too and pced the gun at arm’s length, pointed away from the three.

  “Fucking bitch, I can’t believe she shot me!”

  “Yeah? Why did she do that?” Juniper asked while she examined the wound, hoping to keep the Pal’s mind off the pain.

  “She demanded I come back to their base and power some equipment but I didn’t want to go work for her and her group of idiots. So, I ran.” The Jolthog paused long enough to nod toward the gunshot in her shoulder before continuing. “It would appear she didn’t like that.”

  “I see.” Power equipment? And hadn’t the stranger said something about shocking her? Did this Pal have the ability to manipute electricity? Was that her element? The questions were pushed to the back of Juniper’s mind with another groan and she refocused herself on the task at hand.

  “Well, the good news is she is either a bad shot or a really good shot. It went straight through your shoulder and you should be fine as long as we can stop the bleeding.”

  As she trailed off, Juniper looked down at her camisole and noted the rge patch of turquoise blood that stained the front. Well, at least it was warm out. She removed the shirt then, leaving only her bra, before folding it into a rough rectangle. Which she then pressed to either side of the wound.

  “Fuck!” The Jolthog shouted before gritting her teeth.

  “Sorry,” Juniper offered sympathetically.

  “It’s okay, I know you’re trying to help.”

  “Flora, come here and hold this tight.”

  “You got it, boss,” the Glumos replied before scooting closer and pressing the shirt into the wound with both hands.

  “Boss?” The Jolthog’s eyes narrowed and then shot to Juniper where she moved to the weapon on the ground. “You’re just like them, then?”

  However, before she could respond, Flora snickered and shook her head. “Miss Juniper is nothing like anyone, that I can assure you. Especially not the human we just rescued you from. She takes care of us and she’ll take care of you.”

  “That’s right,” Juniper agreed. “But first, I need to take care of this .”

  She lifted the gun, flicked the safety on, and pressed the release button to remove the magazine. All in a few swift motions. Once it was out, she pulled back on the slide and popped the chambered round out. Which she picked up and added to the other bullets. “Much better.”

  “Whoa,” Flora remarked with a slightly confused expression. “I thought you hated guns.”

  “I do,” Juniper said before she shrugged. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t know anything about them.” She tucked the various pieces away for safekeeping on her person and then moved back to the Jolthog where she y.

  “Alright, come on. We need to keep moving.”

  When she was up, Juniper hugged her tight and looked down into the face. She was pretty, of course. In fact, Juniper was starting to doubt there was a single unattractive Pal on this whole isnd chain. Which was…odd.

  “I’m Juniper if you haven’t figured it out. And that’s Flora.”

  “Tempesta,” the Jolthog replied. “Most people just call me ‘Pesta’, though.”

  “Not pest?” Flora interjected with a smile off to the side.

  At that, Pesta rolled her eyes and let out a quick sigh. “Funny and very original...”

  “Yeah, I thought so. Nice to meet you, Pesta. You’re in good hands now.”

  Pesta looked up at Juniper with inquisitive eyes but ultimately settled in to be carried by the woman. “Yeah? I hope so.”