#narvvhal

The only people she can't truly avoid are the guards posted right at the sole entryway into the area - though one very stern glare and a silent, hand-slicing-the-neck-before-pointing-at-them motion ensures that no one comments on her presence and averts their eyes immediately, one going as far as to whistle like nothing of importance was happening.

(Tonia makes a mental note to give that guy a promotion, assuming they continued to keep their mouth shut by the time she gets back.)

Anyway, so far so good! Another point to her plan being a good one after all. As the girl ventures out into the wilderness, she begins to smile and even skip a few merry steps down the way, humming an idle tune as she imagined how the next handful of hours might go for her. If all's going well so far, then maybe the rest of it will go well too?

Ah, well. It will be if time in the Abyss wants to play nice with her plan too... That's a thought that immediately sobers her and her mood, making Tonia pause for a moment to look back. Where her brother is, hopefully, still deeply and utterly asleep and none the wiser of anything.

...There's another passing thought that she's now around the age when he wandered off into the depths of the earth, and it immediately brings a spike of concern and spine-crawling doubt (she's never really wandered off like this, not on purpose and not for very long; is this actually a good idea after all?) but as she straightens her back on reflex, the bag hefted over her shoulder shifts and rattles from the numerous things stuffed inside it, the bowls and utensils and random assortment of ingredients—reminding her of the plan's goal in the first place.

"...Nope, nope nope nope," the girl mutters as she lightly slaps her cheeks. "This is super important, and I have ways to not make it take ten million years. It'll be fine - more than fine! Actually, this is a great idea, me! Super cool and amazing and great! Everything is going to be fine, go fine, and end fine! Super okay and everything! Yup!"

A deep draw of breath, before Tonia sets her face into a look of determination. "This is going to be the coolest birthday ever. Because all my plans are cool. He'll see, soon!"

And with that, she marches on, disappearing into the tree line.