A quick glance upwards at the sun confirmed to Lydia that it had started to sink into the West. Shadows were growing longer but it was still only early afternoon and the air was still warm, the chill of night still a distant thought. Despite the relative warmth of this part of Yugen, she still wore her long coat though she had made the small concession of leaving it open and unbuttoned. She rarely removed it entirely outside sleeping and bathing, usually only for strenuous activity. She carried a burlap sack over her shoulder, her 'winnings' for the day in the form of some rice the locals had offered her after she had done some simple chores for them that morning. Food in Saisho had been prohibitively expensive, and while she could forage in the woods, the luck and danger from terrain and wild pokemon involved simply made it inefficient.<br/><br/>Lydia had arrived in Utsumi three days prior, and had been living out of a smaller one-person tent she had set up on the outskirts of town not far from the woods. Though she had been offered lodging, she refused, both wishing not to be a burden and so as not to become accustomed to more comfortable living. This was merely stop one, she reminded herself. If she needed a bed after a few days in the woods she wasn't cut out for this kind of expedition.<br/><br/>In the grass around her heels, Kat was trotting on its diminutive stubby legs, trotting quickly to keep up with her long stride. She was chewing happily on a rusted nail, the rust acting something like a candy wrapper for the delicious iron within. Kat enjoyed traveling outside of the ball, and as she was small (though remarkably heavy) and so long as she wasn't a pest Lydia frequently indulged her. The rufflet, tiny menace that he was, was still in his ball strapped to her belt.More training was in order for him.<br/><br/>It wasn't a long walk to her tent from the small town. Lydia liked Utsumi, she had since she had arrived there. The rurality and remoteness of it reminded her of home, save for the warm climate. But she knew she would have to move on within a few days, a week at most. And the less familiar she was with the town, the easier it would be.<br/><br/>She stored the rice deep in her pack,  piling clothes on top of it then locking the zipper before doing the same for the tent to keep any bold critters out. This was her food dammit! Save for a few somewhat stale treats, all Kat ate was iron, and Rufflet still had a wild streak on him, preferring to hunt over taking anything she could produce.<br/><br/>Her fresh bounty safely secured, she allowed herself a moment to relax. Sitting on the grass as Kat finished munching on the nail. Rather than unwind out here in nature with the sun overhead, however, Lydia could only focus on how the morning's work had caused her to work up more than a bit of a sweat. Combined with the heat of the coat it wouldn't be too long before she was positively rank.<br/>"Don't get comfortable, Kat." She smiled, stroking the smooth iron head of the aron beside her. "I think a trip to the onsen is in order."<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>