"Hello? Are you even listening?" Varia huffed, flipping her hair. "You could be talking to someone way more interesting than my weird little brother."
Winter continued studying the beetle with genuine interest as Volio excitedly explained its feeding habits and lifecycle. "Fascinating. And you found this species yourself?"
"Yeah!" Volio beamed. "I've been documenting all the different insects in this area. I have a whole journal full of drawings and notes about them."
"What a total nerd," Varia muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Would you mind showing me your journal?" Winter asked Volio. "I'd love to see your research."
The boy scrambled to his feet. "Really? No one's ever wanted to see it before! Well, except Dad. I'll go get it from the truck!"
As Volio rushed off, Varia let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, be that way. Waste your time with bug boy. See if I care." She stomped off to sit by the fire, shooting occasional glares in their direction.
When Volio returned with his carefully maintained journal, Winter spent the next hour going through each detailed entry with him, asking thoughtful questions that made the boy's entire face light up with joy.
"And this species here," Volio pointed excitedly to one of his drawings, "I discovered it's actually nocturnal! No one else had documented that before!"
"You've got quite the eye for observation," Winter said with genuine admiration. "The world needs more curious minds like yours."
"So, what brings you out to these parts?" Daniel asked, stoking the fire with a long stick. "Ranweis is quite a journey from here."
Kyo warmed his hands by the flames, choosing his words carefully. "Just needed a change of scenery, I guess. Even a town can get pretty overwhelming sometimes."
"Tell me about it," Daniel chuckled, passing Kyo a marshmallow. "That's why we try to get out here whenever we can. Highfield's great and all, but sometimes you need to disconnect, you know?"
"Yeah, for sure," Kyo nodded, carefully roasting the marshmallow. "Though I have to admit, I didn't expect to find such friendly company out here."
Daniel's eyes crinkled with warmth. "The wilderness has a way of bringing people together. Back in the city, everyone's too busy rushing around to even say hello. But out here?" He gestured to the clear blue sky above them. "Out here, we remember what really matters."
"And what's that?" Kyo asked, genuinely curious.
"Connection," Daniel replied, assembling a s'more. "Family. Simple moments like this. You know, Volio was having a rough time in school, kids can be cruel about what they don't understand. But out here?" He nodded toward his son, who was animatedly showing Winter his insect journal. "Out here, he can just be himself."
Kyo smiled, watching the genuine interest Winter showed in Volio's passion. "And then sometimes the right person comes along at just the right moment."
"Speaking of which," Daniel lowered his voice, "your friend there... he seems to carry quite a weight on his shoulders."
"You noticed that, huh?" Kyo said softly.
"Hard not to. The way he moves, always aware of his surroundings... reminds me of some veterans I know." Daniel's expression grew thoughtful. "Everyone's fighting their own battles, I suppose."
"Yeah..." Kyo agreed, thinking about everything they'd been through.