[attr="class","spiral"]A small pool of water sits in this side chamber of the caverns much in the same way they sit around the other chambers and tunnels. Plank isn't sure if it's convenient or not. It allows for easy access to water! But then the water needs to be boiled . . . Actually she's not sure boiling is even enough to ensure it's alright. She sure hopes it is!

She wonders about this as she walks over to the pool and dips her pot into it -- pulls it back with a reward of visibly clean but no doubt bacteria ridden cave water. Oh, and a Croconaw. Not in the pot, but apparently waiting in the water and drawn by her presence.

It bursts from the water and snaps its jaws a few inches in front of her. A few inches only because she jumps back on reflex.

"Son of a bitch! Who the fuck do ya think ya are, huh!?" she screams and her voice echoes off the walls. There's no answer. The Croconaw has already vanished beneath the water and doesn't so much as peek up at her again.

Cheeky asshole.

"Aw man, did I spill the water?" Plank wonders aloud. An afterthought. When she looks the pot is still about half full. Good enough.

"I'm gonna start boilin' the water!" she shouts to her pokemon, ducking back into the tent and crawling over to the stovetop. Again there's no response. This time because Sassy has fallen asleep against Bunker's shell; and Bunker is Bunker.

[attr="class","spiral"]The gas stovetop works pretty damn well, to Plank's surprise. She'd just found it with her dad's old shit and thought she'd give it a shot. Figured it would be mostly set dressing to be honest; but nope, it boils the water just fine!

"When I was just a little lass, or so me mammie told me," she starts to sing softly as she reaches into a plastic grocery bag and pulls out a couple packets of ramen, "Away, haul away, we'll haul away Joe!"

She pulls their tops open like a bag of chips before shaking them aggressively at her palm, the very bottoms of the dried noodle blocks held tightly enough that they stay in the bag but . . . there! The flavor packets land in her hand. With them safe she shifts her grip on the noodles just so so that they drop into the pot.

Plop. plop.

"That if I didn't kiss a girl my lips would get all moldy!" She continues to sing all the while, "Away, haul away, we'll haul away Joe!"

A few minutes pass. The noodles soften, the blocks separate into individual strands (helped by liberal jabbing and stirring from Plank's stirring spoon).

She's on a fresh shanty by the time she empties the flavor packets into the pot, but soon forgets what she's singing when the smell of the broth hits. Who says you can't have cheap, good, and fast all at once?

"Only a minute now!" she shouts from inside the tent, flipping the heat off of the stovetop and really giving the noodles hell as she stirs them in the pot. There's a rustle at the tent's flap that pulls her attention. Her eyes shoot up and she expects to see Bunker or Sassy staring at her impatiently. Instead she sees nothing.

Then she lowers her gaze a foot or so and she does!

"Well hey there," she greets the timid Mudkip who peeks at her from the tent's entrance, "Couldn't help comin' t' see what smells so good, yeah?"

The wild pokemon gives its answer well enough, taking a few more steps inside. Apparently not being yelled at or chased off was permission enough for it.

"Sit tight and we'll share with ya!" Plank says, a smile on her face, "You're lucky, we had proper bad company earlier so I'm not too bothered by ya invitin' yourself in! But I'll have ya know no one eats for free 'round here! Might need ya t' help keep an eye on the place in return."

Plank blows on the still steaming soup a few times before emptying it into a bowl.

"Help yourself," she says with a smirk, pushing it towards the Mudkip, "Don't let the others know I let ya eat first though."