Tripped Unceremoniously (Open)

[Deleted]

_{Tags: open!
Happiness: Reuben - 0 (1/5)}

He had escaped.

Reuben the Sentret dashed out of the barn, enjoying the cool wind buffeting his fur. Okay, so it wasn't like he was being held prisoner or anything, but it was almost bath time and he wasn't quite a fan of that.

He did laps around the edge of the ranch, heedless of who he was passing or what his paws were digging up as he ran about. It was a good thing that Kurt wasn't one to try to raise any berry patches around here.

On about his third round around the ranch, Reuben suddenly tripped unceremoniously over his own paws and, with a startled shout, soared through the patches of long grass until he reached the edge of the river's bank.

[Kris Parker]

Tags: Avalyn Glasse, open!
Pokemon Happiness: Caramel - 0 (1/5)

The sudden shout had stirred Caramel out from her nap and she jumped as she caught sight of the Sentret go flying through the patches of grass that she had been resting in. Reuben, a hatchling from Kiwi's recent clutch of eggs, slid toward the river's bank. The Stantler twitched her ears before gingerly making her way over to Reuben.

"Umm, are you alright?" Caramel was still a few paces away from the Sentret, unsure if Reuben would be the type to accept help or even be annoyed at her asking.

[Deleted]

_{Tags: Kris Parker
Happiness: Reuben - 0 (2/5)}

Reuben continued to lay face down on the ground and, upon hearing a voice tentatively ask if he was alright, he vaguely waved in the voice's direction. "Oh, I'm good. Just giving the ground a hug."

The Sentret, after another moment, finally stood up and shook himself, letting all the loose dirt and grass that had clung to his fur join the wind. He glanced behind him at Caramel. "So, what's up with you? Are you over here to try to escape bath time too?"

[Kris Parker]

Tags: Avalyn Glasse
Pokemon Happiness: Caramel - 0 (2/5)

"Oh, okay." Caramel glanced around after Reuben affirmed that he was fine. "I'm sure the ground feels much better after your hug."

The Sentret sat back up and looked to the Stantler, asking something about bath time. Caramel tilted her head to the side. "What? No... I take care of my own baths. I take them when I think I need them. Is that what you've been doing? Does Kiwi know you left?"

[Deleted]

_{Tags: Kris Parker
Happiness: Reuben - 0 (3/5)}

Reuben made a face at the Stantler. "You give yourself baths? Willingly? If I was in charge of my baths, I wouldn't take them. They're so boring and awful! If you're too clean, you're not having fun."

His mother was mentioned and the young Sentret shuffled his feet. "Maybe... Maybe not. I don't think she likes bath time anymore than I do, though, so really I'm just saving her the trouble."

[Kris Parker]

Tags: Avalyn Glasse
Pokemon Happiness: Caramel - 0 (3/5)

Caramel was dumbfounded by Reuben's reasoning. "But if you don't get clean, then you smell, then no one will want to play with you and you may not have as much fun playing alone."

The Stantler rolled her eyes when the Sentret started shifting his feet. "Ever think she may not like bath time because you give her such a hard time about it? Maybe if you cooperated, it would be over with fast enough for you to still get some playing done. Besides, would you rather have your mother help give you a bath or Kurt with ice-cold water from a hose?"

[Deleted]

_{Tags: Kris Parker
Happiness: Reuben - 0 (4/5)}

Reuben humphed and pouted as he turned away from Caramel. "I can have enough fun on my own," he said stubbornly. "If someone else thinks I'm smelly, then they're the ones who stink!"

The Sentret glanced at the Stantler, trying to not agree with her words. "Yeah, well... I've tried that before, but usually I get messy again after taking a bath and then Mom just wants to give me another bath, and it's a stupid cycle of getting clean and having fun..."

[Kris Parker]

Tags: Avalyn Glasse
Pokemon Happiness: Caramel - 0 (4/5)

The Stantler rolled her eyes at the younger Pokemon's stubbornness. It had been a long while since Caramel remembered her own mother. Having been accidentally left behind by her herd long ago would do that to one's memories. In fact, if Caramel hadn't found Kurt and his ranch when she had, she probably wouldn't have survived very long.

"Well, alright then," Caramel said while standing up. "I suppose I'll leave you alone since you feel like you can have more fun on your own. I wouldn't want to cramp your style." She made a show of slowly walking away.

[Deleted]

_{Tags: Kris Parker
Happiness: Reuben - 0 (5/5)}

Wait, she was leaving?

Reuben blinked as Caramel began to walk away, and his ears drooped slightly. His tail twitched, trying to figure out what to do. It wasn't the greatest thing to play on your own -- he definitely could do it -- but it was always nicer with company.

With a loud groan, the Sentret stood back up and started stomping back toward the barn. "Alright, alright! I'll go take my stupid bath!"