What A Dream Wants

Steven looked at the map again.

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Olivia asked, pulling an empty rope behind her.

They had been trekking around on the green leaves and shrubbery, walking around in circles, trying to find a way out.

"I dunno," Steven replied.

Olivia looked at him pointedly.

"Well, I haven't used a map for a long time." He protested. "It's more convenient to just instantaneously teleport to wherever you wanna go. Sadly, we can't do that right now."

"Perhaps we should have just stuck to the path." Olivia sighed.

Earlier...

. . .

"Oh look!" Steven pointed. "That deer looks very delicious if we cook it."

"Good idea. Let's catch and cook it." Olivia agreed.

As if hearing their malicious intentions, the silver horned deer ran away.

Olivia started chasing after it. Steven followed.

"Hey, don't run too far," Lukas shouted behind them.

He sighed, watching their silhouettes disappear into the forest.

Max and Lukas decided this was the perfect time to pester him with questions.

"Do deer taste good?" Max asked.

"What deer tastes the best?" Jess shouted.

"Do bears taste better than deer?"

The bear pawed Max in annoyance.

. . .

"I caught the deer!" Olivia shouted. She took out a rope and tied it around the deer.

She looked around, seeing only Steven. "Where's Lukas? Where's Max and Jess?"

"I think they're lost." Steven g.r.o.a.n.e.d, putting a hand on his forehead in distress.

"Where are we?" Olivia asked, panicking.

"Don't worry, I have a map," Steven told her. He pulled out a map.

. . .

*End of flashback*

. . .

"Oh wait," Steven realized. "We can just instantaneously teleport to wherever we want to go."

"Well no, I'm carrying a deer." Olivia corrected. "Plus, you wouldn't leave me alone in the woods right?"

"Right..." Steven said. He disappeared.

"Steven!"

Olivia stamped her feet in frustration.

A moment later...

"Where's the deer?" Olivia asked, after realizing the ropes were empty.

. . .

"Wow, you guys got to this town faster than I did." Lukas dryly said.

"Oh, it was nothing." Olivia casually dismissed. "Isn't this a nice room? I thought this inn would be a nice place to stay, and ta-da! What a beautiful room!"

"Mpmph~" Steven protested. He struggled against the ropes, a gag... was that a sock? A sock in his mouth?

"Yeah-" Lukas started to say. "Whatever happened to the deer?"

"Well, in the end, the deer escaped." Olivia sighed mournfully. "I really would have loved some 'dear' old delicacies."

"Mmph!!" Steven squirmed and fell down.

The bear patted Steven's head softly as if pitying him.

Steven cried.

"Too bad the dear ran away." Olivia cupped one hand on her face, silently lamenting the escape of the deer. "Such a pity."

Lukas looked at Steven, who was currently rolling on the floor.

"Uh... Why is Steven tied up?" Lukas decided to ask, after quite a while of speculation.

"Oh, he's such a dear~ Leaving me behind in the forest... I decided to tie him up like a deer." She sighed, her eyes sparkling with triumph.

"Okay..."

At that moment, Max and Jess decided it would be fun to tickle Steven while he was tied up.

Steven's eyes widened with fear.

Right now, their cute, twinkling, mischievous eyes seemed to be the eyes of demons staring at their prey.

"Alright, we better go now." Olivia pulled Lukas out of the inn room.

"Bye Max! Bye Jess!" Olivia shouted out gleefully.

Muffled screams... er... peals of laughter could be heard in the room.

Indeed, what a joyful day.