Part 3: The Trees Have Eyes

1Yr. 5Mo. 1Wk.



I dunno if you guys are going to believe this, but something seriously weird happened to me last night. I'll tell you all about it, but first... well, there's what happened to me yesterday. Which wasn't weird, exactly, but was annoying.

Cesare swung by the ranch, offering to take Yuri and me on a little field trip. Anything to get out of this hovel, I figured.



Check out the local arena. Pretty cool, huh? I missed getting a shot of the pyrotechnics in action, I'm afraid.



I did get a shot of this guy, though. Obnoxious little snot, isn't he? But then, they say monsters take after their trainers...



...and guess who his trainer is? That's right, miss 'What Makes You Think I'm A Prostitute' herself. God, she's even named Teetee.



Needless to say, we hit it off right away. Mental note: crush her in a battle at the earliest opportunity.



Yuri shared my sentiments, which is hardly a surprise.



Rio felt the same way too. The thing is, though, she said so before we told her about it. I mean, she could have been there and seen it for herself, but I didn't see her there... and the way she acted, you'd think Chucky told her about it.



I tried to put it out of my mind and focus on the training. Next up was ukemi, which is supposed to toughen the body.



I blame you, by the way.



That wasn't the seriously weird thing, though. The seriously weird thing happened last night. I couldn't sleep, and I noticed Chucky out of his hut, looking like he was sneaking off some place. Naturally, I followed him.



Turned out he was going to visit Rio, who was talking with her mystery man again. He was trying to talk her into helping me out at the ranch.



She seemed to think that was a bad idea. And I was beginning to suspect why... but that didn't prepare me for this.



What



the



fuck.

Anyway, I freaked out, and Rio freaked out about me freaking out, but the freaking tree talked her down, and I managed to get ahold of myself. I mean, I work with monsters, right? Talking tree, not outside the realm of possibility.



Apparently it isn't even the only one of its kind. It learned to speak human a while back, but it kept quiet because it was afraid of freaking people out. I said that was kinda sad.



Which pissed Rio off. Uh, hate to break this to you, Rio, but you're human too. I mean, I sort of get the whole fear and loathing thing, but I think it's cool myself; it's like a super power!



Anyway, once she saw I wasn't going to be leading a torch and pitchfork parade, she calmed down. She even smiled a little. It looks good on her.

...okay, need to go do something manly now.