Five minutes later, the two stand outside, watching as the soldiers stand in a line that just happens to curve around the side to start being parallel to the van. It makes it much easier for the kids to happen to not show what's behind the door, as they've put Snow outside and has him pass books from the line of soldiers inside.
"You lot sure do things right. Most would say we shouldn't care about books in a time like this."
"Our duties include aiding the morale of the common people. Only through that can the living have strength in this time."
Makes sense, but also yet another reason for Tussle to be suspicious. They... seem to understand exactly the sort of people the team is, only instead of questioning or pointing it out, they let it lie.
Does he appreciate it? Yes.
Does he want to shove each and every one of them off a cliff? Also yes.
He's a complicated man, he'll admit. He appreciates silence. He also is the sort that feels particularly prone to shoving whatever annoys him as far away as possible. If that happens to be atop a cliff, he'd not mind too much.
"Ah, I see. Well, that'll help. We're making camp after this, if you lot want to set up nearby."
A few gestures come from the captain, prompting the now empty-handed soldiers to start moving to their vehicles, parked nearly a mile down the road. It seems they were cautious about getting too close.
Worried about who it was and their intentions or worried about startling the 'common people'?
Regardless, he waits for the soldiers to finish helping, instead focusing on the kids and helping them set up camp. They do the same arrangement as before, albeit instead of asking for ghost stories, the kids want to talk about their new companions.
"So... do we even know their guy's name?"
"No, they just called him their captain," he answers, passing plates around as Thrash frowns at his bowl of stew. Apparently, something was missing and he's upset, but he also refused to not provide the stew.
Eating it, it's heavy enough for the limited amount, not too salty, and with enough vegetables and broth to counter the flour and meat.
"You forgot garlic. Anyways, you guys have an excuse for not knowing his name, so share if you find out. We'll be going to a museum and a few other places. For some reason, this lot are odd."
"I know, they just helped us. When we didn't want to show them inside, they just adjusted. It's like they know what's going on but how would they-"
"Wait-wait-wait!" Thrash interrupts Sparky suddenly, eyeing Tussle with suspicion.
Cautiously, he points at the stew pot.
"Garlic?"
Tussle nods. Thrasher takes a bite, thoughtful as he swallows.
"You son of a bitch, you know how to cook."
"Course I do, I just don't care about the art of it. Let you do the cooking and have fun, I make breakfast and that'll be that. Sparky, continue, how would they what?"
"Is magic normal in this world? We know nothing about the geography or culture, so if it is, how are we to know?"
"Technically, it's normal where we're from, we just understand it better. Makes it feel more like science. They definitely got weird vibes, but we're weirdos ourselves, so. I think that it would be sensible to watch them a bit, ask a few questions. For that, listen up and listen well.
We're a family of four, I'll be father, obviously. We're on our way to visit your grandmother, who is in a senior living center and was supposed to be here. If she isn't, we'll be fine, she's got a lot of life to her. If they really ask about her, she was in the west side of the city. She might be amongst the ghosts, and I want to check before we leave.
We come from a village, only about a hundred or so folks. We don't know the official name, but we call it 'Vesper Village' because that's what grandma always called it. Your names might sound weird, but your mother thought it'd be funny. We love to collect things, and we like sharing even more, so if folks need stuff, why not bring it along and pass it when we pass the people?
All that clear enough?"
He spends a few minutes listening while they discuss the details, working out the kinks together. They find a few open spots, but mostly he covered them and they just need to memorize it like it's their truth.
Once the food is gone and the questions figured out, they head to bed.
He waits for them to be busy to go about his own business. Trust the soldiers to not hurt them, never to not trick them.
He puts a few pieces of wood out, as though using the dust and debris to choke them and looking for residual embers. The pieces are thin, spread out, and in the most open of places. To avoid them, one would risk falling over or having to touch things.
He takes a few alcohol wipes from the cleaning supplies the kids brought, acting like he's wiping down some of the sticky parts of their chairs and the tent, and says the kids are messy without realizing it as he does. Said kids don't disagree, only laughing at him.
Lastly, he brings out a cooler and portable toilet, which gets looks because the kids are starting to realize they haven't used a toilet in a while. It takes the constant reminder of being around people who do need it to remember, at least for their sort. Part of the perks and sometimes the downsides.
But with the cooler, no one has touched it, and he puts it right in the way of the tent's only open 'window' screen. Small as the screen is, one would need to either master balance as a whole to look in, or they'll at least have their legs bumping the thing.
The portable toilet goes a bit away, and he uses a rather rake-like broom - very twiggy - to clear the area around it, as well as walking towards it. As he does, he states that if any need the bathroom during the night, they won't even need to put on shoes as long as they can see the path he's making. For that, too, he puts the alcohol wipes just inside the tent door.
Only then does he go in and join his kids, wiping his hands to clear the 'dirt'... and using it to hide as he wipes the zippers he closes behind them.