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For a moment, Maiya debated cooking the cattails she had brought. Lyllii was probably making enough, especially if they were going to be the main ones eating them. But there was nothing wrong with preparing them and eating them later. With the decision made, the elf followed Lyllii's lead, tossing the wrapped roots into the cheerfully crackling flames.

"I've put in my share," Lyllii said. "Anyone else want any?"

It would be a little while before Maiya could eat any of the ones she brought, so she didn't hesitate in nodding. "Yes, please," she answered eagerly. Her stomach had begun to growl, insistently reminding her that it was empty and needed to be filled.

~~~~

Kasha's nose twitched, the mouthwatering smell of cooking meat wafting through the air. The rabbit would probably be better with a little salt, but this was much better than some of the things she had consumed in the past. She eyed it critically, noticing the darkening color.

"It shouldn't be too much longer until it's ready," she announced. Only minutes at this point. That was probably a good thing, because her stomach felt hollow and very impatient.

OOC: sorry...my excuse-of-the-day is that I blame my vegetarianism. Most of my "knowledge" of meat cooking comes from watching Gordon Ramsay cut into a contestant's dish for inspection in Master Chef or Hell's Kitchen.

Lyllii's nose wrinkled at the pungent scent of burning fat and blood as Kasha's, Jason's, and Farren's rabbit roasted over the open flames. Her tongue curled in distaste at the sight of dripping fluids onto the coals. Slowly she moved closer to the fire's edge, and when she thought no one was watching, tried to discretely nudge the wrapped cattail tubers away from the carcass with her staff. Carefully she fed the hot coals surrounding the tubers the fibrous seed fluff from the cattails.

Farren's stomach grumbled, strangely loud in comparison the cooking fire's dry crackling, tentative calls of birds and insects, and mild breeze that stirred the summer air and what was left of the forest's foliage. "Sorry, guys," he said jokingly. "My belly told my nose it didn't want to wai-"

The human's stomach gurgled impressively again. Farren sighed.

The loud gurgle seemed even louder because of the former quiet. Maiya pressed a hand to her mouth in a vain attempt to stifle the giggle that threatened to slip out, but when Farren's stomach growled again she couldn't help it. A laugh bubbled out and her hand dropped, revealing the amused grin on her face.

"Sorry," she apologized, though the corners of her lips were still turned upward.

"It's almost finished," Kasha added. "Since your stomach can't wait," she finished in a rare moment subtle humor.

OOC: Ugh...safe to say, that rabbit's dead, the tubers burned to charcoal, and the gang's staring at each other with fixed emaciated expressions (that is if they hadn't murdered me yet).

Farren shot a half-hearted glare at Maiya. "Forget this; only one way to find out," he grumbled.

With that he rose to a crouch, reaching over with two fingers to the inside of his boot. A moment later he produced a hilt from the heel of his shoe. A small flame popped over his other hand. With a gleeful expression he hovered the blade over his miniature flame, then swiftly stabbed the roasting carcass as the nymph watched transfixed in horrified fascination as she tried not to gag.

Slowly he withdrew the blade, now coated in grease and fluid. He briefly waited a few moments for the blade to cool, then licked off the flat of the blade when the anticipation became too much. "Well," he said between licks. "I say it's as good enough as done."

"You just wanted to stab it," Lyllii deadpanned.

"Perhaps," Farren sniffed.

"...and you scalded your tongue."

"...maybe," he acknowledged sheepishly.

With an exasperated sigh Lyllii moved from her "safer corner" to the fire's edge, gingerly nudging the fiber-wrapped parcels out from the coals and onto the dirt to cool before eating.