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"I was only joking," Connie assured with a laugh. Perhaps it was but an evolutionary trait for the humans as well, only just beginning to emerge as commonplace. It was an interesting thought, but it all came back to a single point, "Seems pokémon and humans aren't really as different as everyone seems to think, huh?" That actually kind of made him feel a bit more secure about everything, in a strange and roundabout sort of way.

At Eilam's instruction, Grayson's attention locked on the girl riding piggyback. "I'll keep an eye on her, Eilam," he stated, so that the arceus could keep his attention focused on getting her back. The man shook Karma's shoulder slightly to grab attention, leaving his hand resting where it was as he agreed with his daughter's first pokémon, "Go on."

Fidgeting with zher shoulder strap again, Karma's worry was very evidently etched across zher face. After a shakily intaken breath, slowly in and out, the child grabbed at whatever inspiration struck. One hand lowered to rest on the top of the shoulder bag at zher hip, and with a slight flinch, zhe remembered the books that Lucy had let Karma borrow, and began a tale from such starting points, "There... There once was a princess that lived in a castle. But she didn't really like being royalty, because it annoyed her that everyone treated her as though she'd break if they said anything she didn't want to hear. Nobody else got that sort of treatment, so she borrowed some of the work clothes from the servants' quarters and snuck out, so she could see what it was like as a commoner. As she walked the streets, she overheard many conversations simply by passing by. A lot of people seemed to be upset with the way the city was being run and how the middle- and lower-class citizens were being treated..." Karma let the words trail a bit, hesitantly glancing to Lucinda for a brief moment before turning attention back to the front, "Hey, Lucy, what was their biggest complaint? Help me tell the story; it'll help!"

Connie seemed quite amused at the thought of it, but his attention drifted, slightly distracted by the rationale turning over in his mind. His voice reflected this, almost as though he were speaking to himself in tone, "I don't think we'll ever fully understand it unless we were to ask Jirachi specifically. For all I know, it was out of boredom." The teen snickered, "When someone has all the time in the world, being practically immortal like that, it doesn't seem out of the question!" As much as Connie didn't feel like there was ever enough time, he pondered on the idea that he might not have felt the same if time were limitless.

While Grayson's attention on the girl was intent, he didn't choose to stare. He pat Karma on the shoulder once more before coming back into possession of it. Eyes seemed to be more transfixed on the path ahead, but were often unfocused, attention divided. "At least it's not too far," the middle-aged scientist affirmed, more to himself and Eilam than the two kids.

Lucy's strained words made understanding a bit more of a feat, but once Karma linked them together, zher worried frown dissolved into a cheery grin, "Oh, good idea!" Readjusting the strap across zher chest, Karma continued from where the hybrid girl left off, "The princess had no idea that this was happening, and it irritated her like... like a fire, on the inside. But she was still hiding undercover, so had to try remaining unfazed and agreeable with the villagers. She still didn't know if they were saying this out of spite, or if their worries were really founded in fact. Regardless, it was something that many of the people under her rule were concerned with, so she had to devise a way to see it first-hand. If they were correct, then she would punish the offender accordingly. If they were mistaken, then she would have to be more strict about their conduct so there was less of a need to spread false rumors, because they were obviously unhappy about something in relation." Karma's fingers plucked at the straps of the bag a little, realizing zhe was ranting about a relatively insignificant part of the story. Quietly, zhe cleared zher throat and continued, "So then she had to catch him in the act. She knew the general routines that were posted for the guards, so decided to start from there, still in disguise. They were on patrol through the town at this time, and it was a loop from and back around to the castle. If they were as bad as everyone was making them out to be, she was sure that she could catch them in the act!"

Karma hummed a bit, indecisive before turning back to Lucy, "What happened next? Just let me know if it's too tough for you to talk." While the child was trying to keep zher friend conscious by way of talking, asthma was an unfamiliar affliction, and it seemed difficult for her to talk -- was it worse to ask, or did it truly help?

Connie smirked at the thought, "You know, I've always wondered what it was like to be bored. I seem to have forgotten..." For a kid, it seemed like it was the most aggravating thing in the world, but Connie couldn't remember if he had ever had the time to experience it. There had always been something that needed done, but when one had all the time in the world at their disposal, such limitations of scheduling weren't always a factor. As a matter of fact, that brought another question to light... "Hey, I know that legendaries are called that because of how much more powerful their abilities tend to be compared to other pokémon, but... any idea if they're immortal?" He didn't really know much about them himself, but from the way that some people referred to them as gods, the curiosity hadn't been a new-found one.

Grayson's attention maintained vigilance on the half-conscious hybrid-girl, his steps hastened to match with Eilam's hurried stride. His gaze only broke when he glanced ahead to confirm what he had assessed through pace, his worried frown softening just a bit. "There they are, I can see them now. We're almost there," he sighed, waving over to the small group at Connie's table to let them know they were headed over.

That didn't leave much time for Karma to finish the story, but then again, zhe wasn't sure if there was much of an end that could be pulled from it. With a small giggle, the ditto commented, "Hehe, these tales could go on forever, if we wanted! Maybe we should make it a series." The bright blue-haired child would read something like this, at least! With a quick shake of the head, Karma picked up where Lucy left off, "Don't worry, you don't have to say a lot; you're doing great! Okay, so the princess was appalled at the way she was seeing her guardsmen, those that paraded around as the symbol of the city, with no regard for the citizens they were there to protect. Unfortunately, what they were doing wasn't against the law... it was just a breach of what should have been common ethic knowledge. She knew stricter rules were going to need to be written, but it was going to be difficult. This wasn't just any guard she was going to be up against, but the captain, the person that should have been the pride, the example, of the good of the law." This was turning into a very complicated story! It seemed it was problematic when the storyteller had to look at all possible angles and diminish any loopholes that may present themselves in order to make it more believable. With a sheepish smile, Karma apologized, "This is my first time telling a story that I'm just making up as I go along... I don't know if I can wrap it up in time."

Too much detail, stupid! Karma scoffed at zhimself, Just shorten it! With an idle hum, zhe tried to think of a way this story could reach a climax before they arrived to where they were headed. Then again, if they were going to be traveling to the hospital next, maybe zhe needed to extend the story even further... With a squeak, Karma turned to Eilam, "Where are we going to be going next? Straight home, or..?" Zhe knew Grayson hated the hospital, but if they felt it was necessary...

It was clear that Connie seemed fascinated by the idea that legendary may or may not be immortal, but it was not so obvious whether he was taking the notion seriously. It was, at times like these, it became more apparent just how young the tauros really was, especially when in the presence of those that, more often than not, had many years on him, despite appearances; his curiosity was quite child-like, all things considered. "Well, just as long as everyone makes the best of what time they have, unlimited or not, that's what we've all got to do," he offered with a grin, a bit amused. He'd never know what to do with all that time, and the prospect of being near the bottom rung of society the entire time didn't feel all that appealing!

As Dea noticed the group heading back towards Connie's stand, the teen wasted little time in turning around in greeting. He was still plainly concerned, especially when he noticed the girl Lucinda being carried and Arashi nowhere in sight, all degrees of discouraging. "Is... is there anything I can do to help you guys?" he offered again. At times like these, he wished he had access to a car...

Karma made a slight face at the mention of all those tests that Lucy would have to undergo, turning more saddened at not being able to live a normal life without the aid of medication, "Poor Lucy!" The ditto poked at zher fingers a little, glanced to Grayson, and then looked sternly at Eilam as zhe proclaimed, "Can we... no, we're going, too! I can be good moral support!" Zhe didn't care if zher trainer didn't like the doctors; who was to say Lucy liked them any better? At least she was taking everything in stride, and Karma replied to zher friend with a brimming smile, "Yeah! When you get all better, we should try doing that. I bet we could make the story really good! Do you think Fluff would like to help, too?" He seemed a little shy and easily depressed... maybe they could help him out of that by including him more as well. Collaborations could be a lot of fun!

Grayson walked on slightly ahead of the group to speak with Dea and Serenity and get everyone ready to get going. In fact, as soon as he came to a stop, he cut straight to the chase in a lowered, if slightly strained, tone, "We need to get going, Lucy's in poor condition. We're going to take her to the hospital to have her evaluated. I can walk you home once we get there, but..." He sighed, straightening himself and offering Connie a sheepish smile, "Sorry to cut things short like this." Of course, the tauros waved the sentiment off, but was still more than willing to help out where he could. His job at this table was, of course, more of a hobby that could sometimes earn him cash, but it usually didn't end up that way. No harm done.

Connie nodded in acceptance of the offer, hesitation nonexistent as he brushed her concerns over his thrifty business aside, "If I can be of any use, I would jump to the opportunity. It's not a problem to me, don't worry." He took a quick glance to the shops in the area before his attention turned back to Dea with a soft shake of his head, "No, ma'am, but if you're just headed to the hospital, maybe I can start being helpful by doing that. I can go grab some real quick and meet you guys up there?" Seemed like less of a waste of time that way, to hit at all angles, unless perhaps she meant for it to be on the ride over... then that was a bit of a problem.

Karma was obviously still frazzled and worried, but it was comforting to know that things were picking up as they reached the rest of the family. At Eilam's words, a small smile broke out and a small sigh of relief managed to escape zher lungs, "Ah... you're right, family is more important, even if he seems to think sometimes that he can do better." Karma laughed at that, knowing that Grayson was not so knowledgeable in the medical arts. "As long as they don't give everyone the run-around, right?" zhe asked. As could be expected, if Karma had ever been to a regular doctor, zhe sure didn't remember it.

As Lucy accepted the option of having Fluffernutter help write the story, Karma beamed. Zhe didn't like it when people were left out of something fun if they wanted to help, and he seemed nice enough! "Sounds great, maybe we can make a game of it! A brainstorming session, should be fun!" the ditto giggled. At least Lucy seemed to be in good spirits despite her condition. The child patted zher friend on the hand, "Don't worry, we're almost there. I remember passing a doctor's office on our way down here. Was it at the top of the hill?" Sure, they were kind of at the bottom of the low incline, but there were less turns that way than there were in the back alleys!

Grayson waved them over, working to move Connie's table a little to give Eilam plenty of room to maneuver Lucinda past without bumping her into something. His mindset was all about fixing the current predicament, correspondence momentarily forgotten in favor of getting them all out of there as soon as possible.

Connie was surprised at the importance of the honey, though he probably would have been more fascinated with the temporary remedy if it hadn't been for such a dire situation. His ears flicked slightly, snapping him out of the transfixed idea, "I didn't know that. I'll be sure to bring some with me if I know I'm meeting up with you guys again, in that case!" It wouldn't hurt, at least. He sidestepped closer to the wall to give Eilam more room to maneuver past his table as he continued, "Is there anything else we might be able to use, that someone could have?" It was quite the predicament that Dea had forgotten her own medication this time, it seemed, or this might have been solved! Then again, with Lucy's undiagnosed symptoms, there was always the possibility it would do more harm than good to the girl...

Grayson gave little more than a grunt and a nod at Eilam's thanks, still more focused than paying entire attention to the words that were spoken. He went about keeping Lucy steady as Eilam moved around the table, Connie following behind at a bit of a distance, until he heard the arceus' request. He even nearly forgot to vocalize his acceptance in that endeavor until his hands were almost ahold of the handlebars, "Mn, sure, it's no problem! I've gotcha."

"Yeah, we could make it a whole biiig series of books, if we wanted!" Karma chirped, arms held out wide for emphasis, "It has the potential!" Karma's 'brave face' was rather all-encompassing as they all started up the hill, a smile perpetually on zher face to keep Lucy calm through the ragged breathing. "You know what they say," the ditto added, a snippet of a quote entering zher head from text read and copied down, "Rome wasn't built in a day. The princess has a lot of work to do!"

Even if it was obvious that Dea was exhibiting some hesitation about letting someone help her, it at least gave Connie more of an opportunity to chat with her more one-on-one. She was a very interesting person, and he was curious about what else she might have to say! Besides, she seemed quite worn out herself from the day, and Connie had plenty of energy to spare, so there was really no use in making her expend so much in excess when this setup came to more preferred results! "In that case, I wonder if tea would help... or just the tea bag," he thought aloud as he pushed Dea's wheelchair up the hill, considering the possible reasons as to why honey might work; too bad he didn't have any of those on hand to test out, either!

The tauros flinched slightly at the notion that they weren't supposed to share medications, a soft frown appearing on his face. He didn't know the implications of medications very thoroughly, only that they worked to make a person feel better after taking them, so was positive Dea had meant in an ethical -- possibly 'legal' -- sense. "I... don't think I understand," the teen said haltingly. She was suffering, and this defect of hers had the possibility of killing her, didn't it?

Grayson, upon seeing that Connie had hold of his daughter's chair, hung back with Lucy, Eilam, and Karma. He kept steady vigilance on where they were headed, climbing the hill with relative ease and keeping a hand on Lucy's back, rubbing it to keep her breathing more calmly.

Karma, meanwhile, held steady zher smile. Reaching a hand out, the ditto-child opened and closed the fingers into the palm, making a grabbing motion toward the hybrid girl at a few inches' distance, indicating zhe wanted Lucy to give Karma her hand. "We're off to a good start with the stories, too," the child stated with a little laugh. With eyes turned forward for a brief moment, zhe released the grip on zher shoulder bag's strap and pointed forward, "I think we're about halfway there. Eilam's fast!" Zhe stuck a tongue out playfully at that.

Connie may have been glad knowing that there were more things that could help an asthmatic reaction in a tight spot, when medication might not be readily available, but the fact that none of that was around either dampened the positive reaction a little. He made a mental note to carry around some honey sticks, the next time he ran across them when grocery shopping, considering they would be easier to carry around without issue. Once tea bags got wet, they'd have to be tossed!

Dea's explanation of the problems associated with medication sharing were aspects he hadn't thought of when he had asked, and with a start a light bulb seemed to go off in his head. "Ohh... I hadn't thought about that!" Connie considered, glancing briefly back to Lucinda as he continued moving, "She is a lot smaller than you, isn't she? I suppose, even if she did have the same thing, she'd probably need a smaller dosage. I didn't consider the metabolism problems." Not to mention the fact she might not even have the same affliction after all! "Well... it's a good thing we're not far from the doctor's, in that case. I'm sure they can squeeze her in," he said with a reassuring smile.

Grayson gave a bit of a nod in reaction to Lucy's gratitude, but it was mostly out of a reaction to being spoken to, intent on reaching the place as soon as possible. Once he was sure they were near enough, he quickly slid to the front of the group to open the door for everyone so that nobody had to deal with juggling things around to enter.

"Ohh..." Karma mumbled, not having thought about what Dea's condition might be. The ditto was aware that something was wrong with Lucy's trainer, but was not aware of what it was, or what detriments it caused, to Dea or the rest of her family. "That must be tough... to learn how to live with that..." zhe thought aloud, considered a moment with a tap of a finger, and then shook zher head with a bit of a laugh, "Though I suppose I'm the same way. We're all just falling apart, aren't we?" With a grin, Karma held zhimself back, next to Grayson as zhe waited for the wheelchair and Eilam to pass through the door first.