Twisted Wonderland 2

Easy Peasy

You and Grim approach the Spelldrive club first. You walk over to where Epel is gathering firewood in the forest.

"What's up, Spelldrive Club!" Grim shouts.

"Grim, you're right by my ear." You take Grim off your shoulder and set him on the ground.

Epel smiles and waves when he sees you. "Oh, hello Grim. Y/N"

Grim places his paws on his hips with a grin. "We came to see how things are goin'. If you're out here in the forest that means you're gatherin' wood to start a campfire, right?"

"Yep, Ruggie told us what to get, and we just finished." Epel gestures with a hand to a pile of wood.

"Huh..." Grim tilts his head. "You got a lotta sticks and leaves. Won't that stuff burn up in seconds?"

"That's the point."

Turning around, you see Ruggie approaching with an armful of leaves and twigs. He adds them to the pile, some leaves sticking in his hair.

"Thick, heavy branches burn for a long time, but they're much harder to start a fire with. That's why you need kindling, stuff that's easy to light, like dried twigs and pine needles."

Grim nods in understanding. "Ohh, I getcha."

You stifle a laugh. "You have some leaves in your hair."

"Oh, whoops." Ruggie laughs as he runs a hand through his hair, though he misses the leaves entirely.

"Here, let me help." You walk over to the hyena.

You gently take the leaves out of Ruggie's fluffy hair, making sure not to tug too hard on the strands. His hair is surprisingly soft. Even his ears when your hand brushes against them.

When the last leaf is cleared, you step back with a smile. "There, all done."

Ruggie grins. "Maybe I should get my hair full of leaves more often."

Epel rubs his arm. "I'm still not sure how we'll actually start the fire, though. We don't have any matches or lighters. If we can't use magic, I'm not sure what our other options are..."

Ruggie waves an arm with a scoff. "Oh, that part's easy. Let's head back to camp and I'll show you."

You and the boys walk back to the campsite. The boys carry back the wood and kindling. At the campsite, you see Leona sitting down and leaning against a tree. His arms are folded and his eyes shut. Epel and Ruggie set the materials in the middle of their camp.

Leona lazily opens his eyes. "Oh hey. You're back." He grins when he sees you. "And I see you've brought Y/N with you too."

Grim folds his arms. "You're just lyin' around here? I swear, you've been slackin' off ever since the tents."

Leona growls, standing up. "You got a problem with me, furball?"

Grim hides behind your legs. "Uh, I didn't say nothin'..."

You smile at the hyena and lion. "You guys found some amazing athletic gear. It looks good on you guys."

Ruggie grins. "Why thank you, Y/N."

Leona tilts his head with a smirk. "Nice to see you have some taste, little herbivore. If I'd known you'd be here, I might've had Ruggie pick some up for you as well. I'm sure you would've looked lovely even if he was choosing the outfit."

Ruggie chuckles. "Believe me, if I were to pick an outfit for Y/N, it would be amazing!"

You hold your arm bashfully. "Oh, you don't have to do anything like that for me. I appreciate the thought, though."