Not Alright (PK/PMW, Open on Request)

[ParamountKeymaster]

In the calm of the evening, as the sun just started to dip below the skyline, the door to the Summer Snow Apartment flew open, making way for Patrick to step inside with a flourish. "Hey, gang! We're home!"

"Hey, Patrick!" Jen cheerfully responded. "How was the hike?"

The mage bounded over to the group gathered in the living room. Despite the pep in his step, it was clear that Patrick was sweaty and exhausted. "It was hecka fun! That rainforest, I tell ya... really gets ya in touch with the wild side, if you know what I mean!"

Close behind him were Swift and Ace. Evan seemed to be lingering in the hallway.

[Pink Moon Wolf]

"Patrick, I'm pretty sure no one ever knows what you mean," Ace teased as she leaned against the back of a couch. She then turned her grin on her roommates and continued, "Yeah, it was really interesting. The land down there really is just gorgeous. Can't even begin to imagine what we didn't get to explore."

"Hey, knowing this island, there's always something that hasn't yet been explored," Swift offered.

"Well, I'm glad you four had fun," Aether mused as she lounged in a chair next to Andromeda. "It's been a rather mellow day for us."

[ParamountKeymaster]

"Not that a mellow day isn't greatly appreciated around here," Darien sighed, albeit with a tired smirk.

Jen elbowed him, then looked back up and asked, "Anything exciting happen?"

"Boy howdy, did it!" Patrick laughed as he leaped onto the couch next to Jen and Darien, the latter immediately reacting with a crinkled nose. "It started out like a normal walk through the woods, but then we found this giant-"

"You know..." Darien cut him off. "Maybe you should tell us the story after you take a shower."

"Sorry, Darien!" Evan called as he finally stepped inside, setting his shoes down on the mat next to the door. The young man was covered head to toe in mostly dried, caked mud. "Already called dibs on that shower."

"Geez, what happened to you?" Jen murmured.

"I... may or may not have fallen into a bog along the journey."

Jen sharply inhaled through her teeth. "Yeah, I think that's a fair enough reason for shower privileges."

Evan chuckled and started trudging towards the bathroom. "I'll try to be quick, I promise!"

[Pink Moon Wolf]

"You do that, Ev!" Swift teased as he disappeared to take his shower. "Can't relax after a long day when you're smelling like a hot foot forest! I mean come on, show some respect!"

With a light chuckle, Swift sat down on the floor next to Carter while Ace settled in adjacent to Patrick. From there, the former continued, "Poor guy had to walk the last quarter of the day soaked to the marrow."

"I had suggested Patrick send him home, but Evan insisted he could handle the rest of the trip like that," Ace added, awkwardly rubbing her neck. "I know he's tough, but to keep going after being that thoroughly drenched."

"I'd probably give up after having to walk five steps with wet socks."

"Goodness, he walked all that way covered in all that filth?" Aether questioned. "What if he had picked something up? Bogs are cesspools of acids and decayed bio-matter."

[ParamountKeymaster]

"Yeah, that's..." Hearing Aether bring this up quickly made Jen nervous. "That was maybe a little too gutsy, not gonna lie."

"Aw, c'mon!" Patrick insisted with a wave of his hand. "I think a guy who's combated monsters by himself can handle a wet sweatshirt!"

"If you say so..."

"ANYWAY!" Patrick boldly continued. "While we were walking, we came across this old temple deep in the forest and figured, hey, might as well check it out! It was super cool! There were a bunch of crazy creatures inside, but none of them really tried to hurt us. That is until we heard... something."

"Something?" Darien repeated skeptically. "Gonna have to be more specific."

[Pink Moon Wolf]

"For a moment, it just sounded like something breathing. Snoring, maybe," Swift explained. "Something... big. I don't know what, but it definitely sounded BIG."

"Obviously, Swift heard it first," Ace picked up. "But then we started hearing the echoes of this thing growling and snarling from somewhere down below... and the whole place started to shake like it was stomping around."

"Not wanting to cause a scene, we left the temple right then..."

"After shooting down your idea to go investigate."

"Regardless..." Swift groaned. "We left at the perfect time, 'cause this gross fog started to fill the temple behind us. Pretty sure it was acidic if the dead plants were any indication."

"Oh my..." Aether curled inward. Andromeda nervously grimaced.

"And once we were out, one particularly nasty tremor sent Evan tumbling headlong into the surrounding bog."

[ParamountKeymaster]

"Uh... Wow..." Jen mumbled, certainly taken aback by the story.

"Yep!" Patrick chimed as if completely oblivious to the implications. "After that, we just kept walking, saw some cool animals, checked out Canopy City... all that fun stuff!"

"Well, great," Darien muttered. "Yet another mysterious, potentially dangerous entity discovered within the depths of this marvelous island."

"I know! Crazy stuff, right?!"

Jen took a deep breath, opting not to worry until she was given an adequate reason. "Well, at least you guys are safe. And... at least you got a decent adventure out of it."

"Indeed!"

"So, uh... anyway... if you guys are up for it, we were considering ordering pizza."

"Ooh, pizza sounds delightful!"

[Pink Moon Wolf]

"Hey, who am I to say no to pizza?" Swift laughed. "Thanks, Jen!"

"Yeah, I'm down for that," Ace responded as she sunk back into the couch. Sure, the others were making the most of the situation, and there was no sense in complaining when everyone had come out unscathed, but she still couldn't shake off a sense of concern and curiosity. Just what was down there in that temple? And why did she get the feeling that it wasn't friendly?

[ParamountKeymaster]

Soon enough, once the order had been placed, Evan stepped out of the bathroom cleaned, refreshed, and dressed in his sweatpants. "Ahh... I needed that. Who's up next?"

"Guess that's me!" Patrick chuckled as he meandered over. "Apparently I stink."

"Took ya long enough to figure it out!"

"You're one to talk, Pigpen!"

After exchanging laughs, Patrick disappeared into the bathroom while Evan stepped into the living room carrying a shopping bag with his dirty clothes inside. "Hey, sorry I took so long. Did I miss much?"

"Not really," Jen answered. "Swift, Pat and Ace were just telling us about your hike and I order us some pizza."

"Ooh, nice!" Evan gestured to the bag in his hand. "I was thinking I should probably go wash these now."

"Yeah, that might be a good idea."

[Pink Moon Wolf]

"Want me to go with you?" Swift offered, scampering over to Evan. "No one should have to face the perils of laundry alone."

"You sure you don't wanna wait until the pizza gets here?" Ace asked.

"Eh, I say we get it started now. If it's cool with you, I don't mind making a few trips there and back," Swift replied, gently nudging Evan's arm.

Right then, Swift's ears perked up and she quickly placed a hand on Evan's arm again. "Evan, you're, uh... you're feeling kinda warm, dude."

[ParamountKeymaster]

"Well, I did just get out of the shower," Evan mused, hardly deterred by Swift's concerns. "But yeah, probably best not to let the mud on these clothes set much longer, and I know that if I sit down, I'm not gonna wanna get back up and do it later."

"A-Alright, then..." Jen mumbled, the topic of Evan's body temperature rubbing her the wrong way. "We'll text you when the pizza's here. Maybe have Patrick send you a few pieces."

"That'd be great. Thanks, Jen!" Evan replied as he slipped on a pair of clean shoes and headed out the door. "See you guys in a bit!"

---------------------------

One short trip later, Evan was tossing his stained, crusty attire into one of the available washing machines of the apartment complex's communal laundry room. After pondering for a moment, he set it to heavy duty, then gratefully accepted the giant detergent bottle from Swift. "So... what do you think? Should we tell people about it? I mean... whatever was down there didn't seem too bad until we disturbed it."

[Pink Moon Wolf]

"I-I guess that's a good point," Swift uncomfortably agreed. None of the local rainforest dwellers seemed to know anything about the creature in the temple, so it was debatable how much damage it had dealt prior, never mind how much it could potentially deal. "On the one hand, no sense in causing panic when we don't even know how much of a threat this thing poses. But on the other... if it does come to the surface, people oughta know so they can protect and defend themselves, right?"

She sighed as she sat down on the bench in front of the washers. "How is it that even a simple walk through the woods can turn into a life and death situation around here?"

[ParamountKeymaster]

"Yeah, that's the million-dollar question, isn't it?" Evan slumped onto the bench next to her. "Great place, Dimensional Island, but darn if it isn't chaotic as all get out. I'd dare say it's time to head back to Summer Snow if I wasn't so wrapped up in... well, y'know..."

He let out a big yawn, then stared into the washing machine as it started to fill. "Guess this means we'll just take it in stride. Again. One little group can't claim responsibility for the whole island."

[Pink Moon Wolf]

"True... Very true..." Swift sighed. "We'll endure. We always do."

She looked up at Evan, unnerved by the heat she could feel coming off of him. Slowly, tentatively, she raised a hand and touched the back of it to Evan's cheek. "Okay, seriously, Evan, you're like... burning up. Are you sure you're okay?"

[DanteMGalileo]

Not too far away from where the couple was, a third person was loading what appeared to be a bunch of black shirts and grey pants into an empty washing machine. A suit and what appeared to be a dark pink wrestling outfit were also mixed in with the more casual outfits. "Man," he said, loading his laundry. "For all the shit I give my god rags they at least don't need to be washed like my other threads. Guess that's the next project."

With perhaps a bit more force than what was needed, Arti slammed the door closed. "At least they're cheaper here than in Biston." With that, he turned to leave, but couldn't help but overhear something.

"It's not even warm in here. I'd say it's cool, tops. Dingy apartment laundry rooms tend to be that way," he said, walking up to the duo.