Chapter Text
The Elders Recess, although recently discovered, is something that A2 has taken a liking to. It’s secluded, too dangerous to build a new village like Astera, and filled to the brim with dangerous Monsters. Azure Rathalos, Bazelguese, Uragaan, and more Elder Dragons than she could count. It was a hunter’s paradise. Especially when said hunter is one of those melancholic loner types.
Despite preferring solitude, A2’s trusty Palico, Emil, is always by her side. The little grey Feylne pads behind her, his armor of repurposed Deviljho hide (he insisted on having armor that matched his Meowster’s Vangis Mail set) rattling with each step. The pair walk a short route between each of the Research Commission camps. Part of the deal A2 struck with the Commission for being left alone out here was that she take care of their stuff. That’s fine with her, it’s even relaxing in a weird way. It’s like cleaning a Kelbi carcass.
Just as she takes in the twinkling lights of the crystalline caverns, Emil’s thin grey fur stands on end, making him look twice as big. Though A2 immediately goes on the defensive as well, drawing her Greatsword, she can’t help but snicker at her partner. He looks like an angry little Palumu.
“What’s wrong, buddy?” A2 asks. Her scoutflies were green and passive, idly flying between a herb plant and some crystalbursts.
“I smell something…” he hisses.
“A monster?”
“Yeah. Smells like a….” Emil puts his little nose in the air, “Dodogama.”
Dodogama. A goober of a monster in comparison to everything else that lives here. It’s the Great Jagras of the Elder’s Recess, with only Lavasioth sharing its place in the hierarchy of large monsters. It’s practically docile, only eats rocks and minerals, and is bullied by every other monster that comes across it. But it’s still a large monster and it’s still a threat to those who aren’t prepared. They throw their weight around with more skill than a Jagras, and their diet of the explosive volcanic rocks allowed them to spit up bombs at will.
So why aren’t her scoutflies acting up?
“Emil...We talked about these kinds of pranks…” A2 growls.
His ears fold flat against his head, “I’m not! I really do smell one!”
“You sure it’s not a dead one?” she snaps, “Because my scoutflies aren’t-”
Sure enough, a rotund, blue reptile trundles around a crystal. It’s beady yellow eyes unfocused and vacant as it scans for a meal across the ground. The light refracting from the crystalline cave makes the monster look more regal than its doofy expression suggests. It bangs the heavy plates of its enlarged jaw against a small section of rocks near a massive crystal spire, using the unique shape of its chin to scoop the broken rock into its mouth and happily gulp it down.
A2 always found the behavior of the Dodogama to be endearing, like that of a child or a particularly stupid Moofa. But that wasn’t why A2 found herself staring at this empty-headed beast as it gleefully swallows rocks. This individual is….incredibly small, no bigger than Emil. In fact, if he wanted to, Emil could sit on its head and ride comfortably on the lumbering idiot.
She approaches the runty Dodogama, making sure to strap the Consummate Blade to her back and quell it’s crackling dragonic energy so as not to spook the little guy. It looks up at her briefly, its eyes locking onto hers. If it were any other monster, A2 might have thought it was assessing her, seeing if she was a threat or not. But there’s something about it that makes it seem like there isn’t a single thought in its little blue head. Maybe it was the pale yellow eyes that veer off in different directions, or the disproportionate size of its fat little body to its head, or its stumpy legs and tail.
It’s all...too much for A2 to resist.
The Dodogama makes an adorable honk as A2 pats it on the head.
“Ah! What are you doing?!” Emil yowls.
A2 shoots her partner a glare, “What? I’m just giving it a pat.”
“Thats-...It could-...” Emil stammers, “It’s a meownster!”
“But it’s…” A2 is fully aware of how dumb this is, but the little Dodogama grunts impatiently when she withdraws her hand, “Oh shut up Emil, it’s just a little guy. He’s not hurting anyone.”
The Dodogama saunters over to Emil, who hisses and bounds behind A2’s legs. He clutches his appropriately sized Savage Deviljho hammer and eyes the Dodogama with suspicion.
A2 chuckles quietly, “Okay, we gotta get moving. See ya, little guy.”
She gives Emil a reassuring pet on the head before starting on the path back to the upper Camp. Emil’s quiet padding across the gravel ground echos through the cavern, as well as A2’s own footsteps and the quiet tinkling of crystals falling from the ceiling. There’s also the sound of something heavy dragging across the ground not too far behind them.
Spinning around, A2 finds the Dodogama runt right on her heels. It stares up at her with those beady, vacant eyes as if expecting something. It’s hard to tell with it since, well...it’s stupid. Maybe it just wants a friend.
“Go on, shoo!” Emil meows, waving his white paws at it. The Dodogama just tilts its fat head to the side. A2 swears she hears something rattle around in its empty skull.
A2 and the little monster stare at each other for a long moment. She wants to think she sees something in its eyes, but just as before, she can’t see any semblance of intelligence. Or thought. Or anything besides hot air. The lights are on, but nobody’s home. There’s nothing but air and love in this runt of a creature’s head. She can’t recall the last time she felt this attached to something. Even her possessions are a means of an end to A2, she can’t claim to be enamored to anything she owns or anyone she knows (except Emil of course). But this brainless beast is just….so stupid. It eats rocks for crying out loud.
“...He’s coming with us.” A2 announces.
“What!?” Emil meows, “You gotta be kidding me!”
“Nope, it’s stupid and I love it.”