The Valley Campfire: Monday Afternoon

[iknowstuff.livejournal.com]

Anyone coming across the campfire today would find Layla sprawled out on a blanket as she traced a convuluted route on a map of the Northeastern part of the United States. She was lying on her stomach with her feet up in the air as she munched on a snack of raisins and goldfish crackers

And while a fire wasn't lit in the firepit, there was a cooler of drinks and some goodies from J'GOB sitting on top of them for visitors to enjoy.

[Open campfire is open]

Comments

[vanillajello]

Kate was passing the Valley cabin on her way to town, with Bobby the penguin poking his head from the bag she was carrying. When she saw there were people around, she decided that she could do with a little detour, and approached the fireless campfire.

"Hi, people."

[iknowstuff.livejournal.com]

"Hi!" Layla said with a cheerful wave. "How are you?"

[vanillajello]

"Pretty good," Kate answered with a smile. "You?"

[iknowstuff.livejournal.com]

"Good," Layla replied. "We haven't met. I'm Layla Miller. I know stuff. How's Bobby doing living the life of a penguin?"

[vanillajello]

"He's... doing okay, as far as I can tell," Kate said. "He seems happy enough, although I'm not sure about what I should be feeding him."

"Oh, and I'm Kate. Kate Gregson." Because she hadn't yet grasped that Layla probably knew that too.

[iknowstuff.livejournal.com]

"Nice to meet you Kate," Layla replied. "And most penguins eat krill, squid and fish. However since it's Bobby I'd just let him eat whatever he wants if you don't want to get pecked."

[Okay for Layla to "Know" about Kate?]

[vanillajello]

"That's what I figured. I let him have some ice cream yesterday, and that didn't seem to do too much harm."

[It's perfectly okay. Know away!]

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"How's it going?" Hannibal said, giving Kate a wave from his spot.

[vanillajello]

Kate gave him a nod and a smile in greeting as she sat down on a log.

"It's going okay. Trying to figure out what this guy," she said while helping the penguin out of the bag and onto the ground, "might want to eat today."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"That's...an interesting pet," Hannibal said, glancing at the penguin. "A penguin?"

[vanillajello]

"Oh he's not my pet. If he was, I'd probably know what to give him for food," Kate shook her head. "But no. He's my roommate, Bobby."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"That makes a little more sense," Hannibal said, waving to Bobby. "At least he's an interesting animal, right? Nothing boring like a grasshopper."

[vanillajello]

"I'm usually all for interesting, but I do kinda wish he'd turned into something a little less exotic. And maybe something that didn't involve me carrying him around everywhere," Kate said, followed by a little pout.

Bobby waddled around on his little penguin feet.

"Well, at least he's cute."

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"You have a penguin," Valentine noted, because, really, how could she not?

[vanillajello]

"i don't really have a penguin," Kate corrected. "I'm just... with a penguin."

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"Does this penguin have a name?" Valentine wondered.

[vanillajello]

"It does. It's Bobby." A beat. "He's not usually a penguin, though."

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"Ah," Valentine nodded knowingly. "Usually a person?" She eyed the penguin peeking out just a little, and shook her head. "I've been spared turning into anything so far, and I've got to admit, I hope it stays that way."

[vanillajello]

"Usually he's a boy," Kate nodded. "The island has some twisted sense of humor, turning both me and my roomie into animals within our first month here..."

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

"Is that a transformed student, or are you just trying to make yourself look particularly wise?" Agnes asked, gesturing at the penguin.

[vanillajello]

"It's a student," Kate smiled at the new arrival. Then there was a pause. "...Wait, how would a penguin make me look wise?"

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

"...I guess that's just on my world," Agnes answered with a shrug. "There was this thing with the Goddess of Wisdom, and a really bad sculptor who'd never seen an owl..."

[vanillajello]

"Huh. Where I'm from, hanging out with a penguin just makes you look like you're from a movie that's fun for all the family," kate grinned.

"I'm Kate."

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

"There are movies about penguins?" Agnes asked. "Really?"

[vanillajello]

"Oh yeah, there's movies about pretty much everything. In the past few years there's been at least two movies that were about penguins and nothing else."