Kim understood the reasons Jonas had for making them wait. It was perfectly reasonable, but it still meant that they were left with staying where they were and letting time pass by without moving.
Even if Sonya scouted their location, there wasn't any reason to think that they wouldn't change periodically. With Thomas' Blynx, they could easily move to somewhere else without leaving tracks that could be followed. Which was also assuming that they were even laying in wait at this moment in the first place.
For Kim, even with the valid reasons Jonas had given, this was a complete waste of their time. Time that could have been better spent by continuing on towards the dungeon.
Even if Stanley's group got the drop on them, Kim was confident that they'd likely go for the fighters first. As that would reduce their ability to fight them off after that. As Stanley certainly didn't have the numbers, or sheer resilience, to go after their healers first. Which meant Elin would be safe from the initial attack. As one of the mistakes she'd made with Harold was thinking that he was like the others in Stanley's group.
She wasn't sure what had led to Rachel Plum's death, but she was confident that it either occurred because of a mistake Harold had made in whatever they were fighting at the time or because it was just that much stronger, and Harold had to spend more effort to take it down than he had otherwise expected to. Or it could have been some other reason altogether that made her thinking about this pointless.
Kim sighed, trying to get her temper under control.
One reason she'd been insistent on moving as quickly as they could was because she wasn't good at handling down time in the best of times when there wasn't a credible threat to herself and those she cared about. While she had her doubts as to what Stanley and his group might actually do if they had a confrontation, she would rather move as quickly as they could to avoid such an outcome.
Yet, she had worked alone by herself in the past largely because she didn't consider herself any good at forming arguments to get others to come over to her way of thinking. Often she would get into an argument with the others and that would be the end of things. Yet here, while it wasn't like that, she felt that this situation was too delicate to leave to chance like that. That if they let this chance go by that they'd likely end up making it harder to complete.
In all, she felt the situation was too important to leave to chance and her ability to convince the others about her reasons. Maybe she shouldn't worry about that, considering everything that they'd all been through, but she couldn't help but worry that if she failed in convincing the others, then anything that she might suggest later on would be tainted with that argument. Where she'd have less influence later on if something happened that made it necessary for her to say something then.
Or maybe she was just overthinking things and worrying over nothing.
"Kim?" Elin's voice pierced through her thoughts, startling her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I could come back later if you want."
Kim looked over to Elin. Maybe how she was around others was partly why she almost lost this young woman. Someone she probably didn't even deserve in the first place.
"That's okay," Kim said quietly, not wanting to have what she said carry very far. "I was just thinking. Nothing else."
Elin nodded, not looking convinced, but she didn't seem to feel like saying anything about it. Which Kim was grateful for.
"Well, I was wondering if you'd have time to talk," Elin continued, looking like she was either troubled about something or at least that there was something weighing on her mind.
Kim nodded, wondering what this was about. She wasn't sure what to expect, but she knew that she at least trusted Elin. Even if she didn't consider herself to deserve someone like Elin.
Elin took a deep breath, as if she was trying to brace herself for something. It wasn't clear to Kim if that was really necessary or if Elin needed to build herself up in order to say what it was that she was thinking.
"Okay, I spoke to Elmo about what he read in the book of prenatal magic, and I think I understand some of what was said in it, but I first need to try some experiments about it," Elin said, her face growing redder with each word she spoke.
Kim felt a little stunned about what Elin had said. She hadn't expected something like this. If anything, she expected Elin to express worries about either what might happen with Stanley and his group or what would happen if they were able to return to their world. Kim wasn't sure what would happen with that herself, but she certainly hadn't expected Elin to still be on with that book that she'd had Elmo try and translate part of, since he understood a little of the written language of this world. Or at least country.
"I understand if you feel that this isn't the time," Elin continued, looking like she might bolt if Kim made a sudden move. "I probably shouldn't have even brought it up, but I just wanted to say something in case you might actually be willing to try and see if maybe we could have a child with each other, even if we never get to see each other again."
Elin started to turn away and leave, but Kim quickly grabbed her shoulder to keep her from leaving. Elin looked at Kim with a startled expression, her eyes wide and starting to leak tears.
Kim wasn't sure why she was so emotional about this, but she couldn't say that she was opposed to 'trying the experiment' that Elin had proposed. Especially since she wouldn't mind having a child with Elin. Especially if she wasn't able to work out how to move from one world to another. As she could at least content herself with knowing that they had a child together and that child was alive somewhere out there. Even if she'd never get to see that child, she would at least know the child was out there.
"I wouldn't mind trying," Kim said, fully aware of what that would involve. Or at least the physical aspect of what would be involved. She had a feeling there'd be more to it, but she wasn't going to argue. "I mean, we've done that before, right?"
Elin's eyes grew wide in shock at Kim's words, but she quickly shifted to an amused, embarrassed smile. "Uh, I planned on that being a part of it, but there were other things that I'd need to happen in order for the experiment to work out," she said, looking like she'd rather be anywhere else but there at that moment. Or maybe she wished there was someone else to explain what it was that she had in mind.
Kim couldn't say that she wasn't enjoying Elin squirm with whatever embarrassment she had at that moment. She hadn't thought that this might occur, but she couldn't deny that it would at least be something that would give her the reason she needed to be fine with the delay of Sonya going on her scouting mission.
Although, she wasn't sure she'd ever get the sight of that shaggy squirrel out of her mind. She suspected that thing would haunt her nightmares for some time to come. Something she really wasn't looking forward to.
"Kim?" Elin asked, bringing Kim out of her thoughts again. "Stay with me. I don't want to have to explain this again."
Kim nodded, feeling a little embarrassed herself. She doubted that she'd want Elin to explain it again to her, since she really doubted that she wasn't going to find what Elin was about to say rather embarrassing herself.
"Go on," Kim said, feeling like this should be like getting a shot. Best to get it over with quickly rather than slowly. "I'm listening."
Elin nodded, as if she was more worried about what to say than if Kim was actually listening. Which Kim couldn't help but find more than a little endearing at that moment.
As Elin spoke, Kim felt her own eyes widen at the depth of detail that Elin was going through. Such as what position they'd need to have with each other, what Elin planned on doing with her raw MP, something Kim hadn't thought Elin would be able to do. Though, she couldn't help but worry that there might be something else that would go on that might now make this experiment go on as smoothly as either would like.
When Elin finished her explanation, Kim couldn't help but feel her face burning with embarrassment. She hoped no one else overheard what Elin said, but that didn't dampen Kim's interest in trying out the experiment.
Not to mention that the idea seemed to have made her feel like a teenager again. One that was about to do something that, while she hadn't been forbidden from doing, would probably get her in trouble if caught. Which only added to the excitement of what she knew she was about to do.
"So, where do you want to do that?" Kim asked, not caring if they made it to the dungeon or not at that particular moment.