Tako quickly digs a wide but shallow indent in the center of the space to even the ground out. Meanwhile Hiper preps dead moss and bark for kindling, and Justine sorts out plants according to plant family based on knowledge from their first digestion that morning and knowledge from the plant identification skill.
Once the ground is level Tako and Hiper prep a small 'teepee' of mosses bark and thin twigs and sticks. Or pyramid or whatever you want to call it. Surrounded by a short log cabin, 2 thick parallel sticks top by a set of perpendicular sticks and back and forth leaving gaps for air flow. And before they cover the 'teepee' Tako breaths in a soft burst of fire to light it. They set up a few remove able flat rocks propped up on other rocks partially over and next to the fire.
One set of the tasks are done. The three of them gather close to the fire with satisfaction. Justine holding the storage bag now filled with everything that is regularly edible. Hiper is swinging around the large knife while Tako takes charge for a moment. While placing the pan on the float rock partially over the fire in order to fill the water.
" Alright Since I'm the one in dragonkin form and can fly, I will fly back and forth from the spring. First things first I will wash all of the edible plants, roots, berries, fungi, fruits, and vegetables. Just because we haven't watched anything so far, doesn't mean we shouldn't for when we have a proper meal. While I am doing that, you two make various bark containers out of the more watertight and flexible barks. We also have some hollow logs and plenty of resin you two know what to do. When I get back, I will take them and fill them up with water. Agreed?"
"Agreed" Hiper and Justine say in unison and hand over the spatial storage bag. Tako leaves through the crude but hidden, secure and mostly airtight doorway. Hiper works on barks thanks to the sharp Tiefling nail claws and Justine in a rock with an indent and works on patching and sealing hollow logs using the knives and sticks where needed to create plugs and caps. About a half hour later as darkness is setting in Tako returns. The three of them decide its best to dry the containers until morning. So Hiper and Tako continue making them while Justine starts dinner.
Justine starts by pulling out a couple of members of the mint family from the bag and chopping them and throwing them in the water. Followed by some chopped up members of the allium family. And finally, some umbellifers and leaves the pan to boil up a crude vegetable stock, no straining will be done but 3 hours of boiling will do some good on the number of completed watertight containers the three can complete before bed. Justine then returns to working on the logs for another 2 ½ hours, occasionally using the first bark pouch that was completed to taste the broth. A one-point taco grinds up a small salt crystal Justine found earlier with their claws adding it to the broth for taste. The process was also filled with a lot of adding more logs to the fire and moving the pan back and forth to regulate temperature.
Finally, it was time to chop up a lot of roots, grasses and other vegetables. Even a tomato like berry member of the nightshade family called a Rocko that is supposed to be mostly edible. And then just dumping them in one by one starting with the densest roots and finishing with berries and spices. Of course, with a few minutes in between occasionally. Just because you only have basic tools, and you're in the middle of nowhere in an entirely new world is no excuse not to cook properly. And perhaps due to this diligence, the three of them share a smile when an alert pops into their mind.
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Skills unlocked:
Woodcarving lvl. 1
Bark Working lvl. 1
Knifework lvl. 1
Vine work lvl.1
Knotter lvl. 1
Cooking lvl. 7
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"Booyah!" Justine exclaimed while pumping her fist. "I knew we knew what we were doing, and look, cooking went straight to level 7 Guess I really can cook." She thumps her chest proudly and spins the knife slowly in her hand. "Knifework as well, talk about a score but why did we suddenly get all of these skills at once? Is it because we ignored skills earlier or maybe we just didn't notice the notifications. You know like our email all over again like maybe we just didn't see the notifications until you do."
Hiper laughs heartily at the email comment. "Does it really matter at this point? I mean it's been about 3 1/2 maybe 4 hours since we started with the woodcarving and bark work. maybe it just took that long to get a result that met the requirements? after all we didn't get anything for making my skirt and bra nor the doorway now did we?" Hiper gestures up and down their body. "We probably just needed to make a good enough product and didn't notice until now. Or maybe it was just the result of accumulated experience. Either way we have the skills now. Although I do have to admit, I am particularly proud of this bar canteen." Hiper holds up their latest completion, a large diamond of a grey paper birch like bark with firm tight edges that protrudes out a fair bit in the center. The top has an opening which Hiper has fitted with a cut piece of stick. The whole thing looks like it will hold about a quart and a half.
Tako smiles a grin that looks kind ow wicked on their dragonkin face in the firelight. "Yes, I do have to admit that is quite the canteen but it's nothing next to this log jug" Tako proudly gestures to the log sitting next to them currently drying with pitch around the top and around the entrance to where two handles have been fitted. as well as a whole bare straight stick that goes through the top and has vies knotted through it like and over the shoulder strap. The top also has a hole that has been fitted with and unsecured piece of a stick. The log is big enough to hold almost 2 gallons of water and appears like it will dry well enough to support the weight especially the vine rope. "I did so good making the handle I got us the vine work and novice knotter skills. Alliteration wins the contest." Tako states proudly puffing out its chest.
The three of them look at each other for a moment before they all burst out laughing. Then they all speak in unison. "Many may find a measuring contest between ourselves stupid. But I find it hilarious after all I am you and we are me" The statement said aloud lead to another fit of stupid giggles and laughter that persist for a couple of minutes before the tree hollow goes quiet again. Tako then breaks the silence with that same stupid wicked grin on its face. "Okay but in all seriousness our stew will be done soon we should carve bowls and utensils. I say I'll do the bowls thanks to my breath and claws, Hiper will handle spoons and Justine will do forks that we can use in the future. Now let's get to it and not keep our dinner waiting to be devoured." The other two nod with similar grins on their faces and the three of them grab sticks and logs that will serve the right purposes.
About an hour and a half later, 3 partially seared semi crude wood bowls with matching forks and spoons sit next to a cooling cast iron pan of improvised root and mushroom stew. a certain Tiefling breaks the silence with a telltale goofy grin. " I floccinaucinihilipilificate those bowls." Tako pretends to take offense to Hiper's insult using the largest verb in the English language and shoots it back. "Well, I floccinaucinihilipilificate your face!" "Well, I floccinaucinihilipilificate the use of floccinaucinihilipilification" Justine cuts in and they pause before devolving into another round of stupid giggles.
After a minute the laughter dies down, and Justine starts the conversation again. "Ah floccinaucinihilipilification takes me back to high school. Mr. Barry was the best English teacher, and it was so fun using hyphens and unusually long words to throw the class ad lib paragraphs and sentences for a loop." " Right? even though it was literally a lifetime ago I can still remember that class like it was yesterday. I never did watch the good omens TV show. But I never forgot reading it in that class." Hiper adds with a nostalgic smile. "Now jokes aside are we going to eat this stew or are we just delaying dessert?"
"We aren't delaying dessert, we're just ADHD-ing all over the place like normal" Tako says as they grab the pan by the handle and fill up the bowls with skilled pours. "All jokes aside these bowls and utensils aren't half bad, better than the clay ones we made back in ceramics class back in the day. However, none of us are dreading dessert, cannibalism and unusual meals have never actually bothered us. That is also the main reason we chose Vore. we often had an unusual fixation with meal that caused aversion in others. A morbid fascination, a dreadful curiosity. However, you want to put it Vore has long grabbed our attention as more than just an indescribable unachievable fetish. Which feels weird to admit but we have never really tried to shy away from honesty."
"That is true." Justine says as they grab one of the stew-filled bowls and one of the spoons. "It's actually been hard and caused a lot of our past social anxiety worrying of not just saying what's on our minds or toeing around other people's emotions. Especially since half the times we lied have been about things that actually mattered or made a difference in our life." Justine rambles on as the other two follow her lead and grab a bowl and spoon and start chowing down. The stew turns out to be delicious, truly worthy of a Level 7 cooking skill despite being made with unfamiliar ingredients.
"Not to interrupt our deep self-introspection and analyses but this soup is the bomb." Hiper says as they down spoonful after spoonful. "Seriously, Waaaayyyyyy better than everything else we have eaten today!" The other two nod and grunt in agreement as they themselves down their first bowls and scramble for more and just a few minutes later the stew is completely gone. Tako uses their dragon flames to burn the food scraps out and season the cast Iron pan. " Now, Time for dessert."