Log | Day 11 | Morning

[desperate_times_right]

WHO: Chloe Frazer, Taissa Turner, The Cat
WHAT: Finally awake enough for a conversation
WHEN: Day 11 Morning/Day
WHERE: Rust’s old camp at III.S.26
WARNINGS: Blood and injury description
NOTES: So, guess who stepped in a bear trap after I made this post? Oops.

It’s kind of a weird feeling, Chloe decides, to have walked all that distance and still wake up in the exact same spot twice. At least after a full night’s rest, she's actually capable of even that level of analysis. She hadn't minded the suggestion that she sleep at the mouth of their little shelter last night - even though they have to sleep close in the small space and she hates having someone at her back -seeing as Chloe is the one with the best weapons. It's convenient now anyway, since she can roll away and stand (though her sore knee nearly buckles, shit) to poke around at last night’s fire without having to worry about waking the other woman. A little optimistic perhaps, but maybe Taissa has food.

She sits, pulls a small bronze Ganesh figure from her bag and balances him on her good knee, contemplative. This fire isn't half bad. Chloe wonders whether that plane crash stuff was true. It’s kind of wild story, but also the least crazy thing she's heard since she woke up here.

Comments

[absentconstellation]

The Cat puts his paw back down and considers first Taissa's hand, then Chloe. Feeling gracious, he turns back to Taissa and approaches to give the offered hand a polite sniff.

He smells almost nothing. This is such a miserable way to exist, he wants to put an end to it right now. His back arches, his ears go back and his tail stiffens as he lets out an utterly desolate yowl. The experienced could see that it isn't an angry or frightened cry by how little his hair puffs up. It's only a very bold announcement of his dissatisfaction with current circumstances.

[doomcame]

"Alright, alright!" Taissa is immediately up at the yowling and fetching a half of a dragonfruit left over from lunch in hopes to shut up their guest. That's a hungry noise, right? Right?

"Here," she says, setting it down in from the cat. "See? That's all we have. That's all you're going to get."

She looks back at Chloe. "Maybe we should put a call out over the radio. It's the closest thing to making flyers. If this one gets stuck in a bear trap, I don't think he'll make it."

[desperate_times_right]

Chloe startles at the yowl but laughs when the cat doesn't run away or attack anyone. “I don’t think we smell that bad.”

Maybe they do to a cat. She’ll have to remember to ask Nadine what a cat’s sense of smell is like when she gets back.

“You're right.” Chloe’s been reluctant to advertise her location too widely because they're not exactly a team to be fighting off crossbow guys but: “Whoever’s looking for him is at risk too if there are more traps near us.”

[absentconstellation]

The yowl quiets to an unhappy groan in the back of his throat, though he doesn't relax. It's a fair attempt to placate him, and while cats do not eat fruit, he is the one cat in all the Realms who understands 'this is all we have'.

He gives one last piteous mew before quieting down, sniffing the offered fruit, then gently batting at it. It would be terribly undignified for him to sulk, but a bit of nicely cooked meat would have made him feel a bit better.

Even if the fruit wouldn't have been a tragically unsatisfying experience for him, he is far more capable of finding his own meals in this jungle than these women. Rather than play with the fruit, he turns to approach Chloe and give her a sniff as well.

[doomcame]

The fruit serves its purpose in the cat seems resigned to not getting a real meal from the women. The sound of a yowling animal isn't just hard on the ears, it's possibly dangerous if they attract whatever maniacs are out here setting up traps.

"We can bring him with us whenever you're feeling up to traveling. With any luck, his owner isn't too far away and we can meet up before or after getting to fresh water."

[desperate_times_right]

Chloe snorts, but holds her hand out for the cat anyway. “Oh, coming over to yell at me, now?” The ship probably already sailed on trying to be quiet, so she's trying not to worry about it.

The other part makes her sigh heavily. This really is going to be terrible on all fronts. “Yeah, we should probably get moving. Took me six hours to get here from that oasis and I was in better shape then.”

[absentconstellation]

He gives Chloe a sharp, scolding mew before giving her hand a sniff, as if telling her not to be ridiculous. One thing he does smell, close as he is now, is blood. He pauses, then sniffs again to be sure. It's a very faint scent, but it's there. He follows the smell down to Chloe's propped foot. How bad must it be, for him to be able to smell blood when he can barely smell a pair of two-leggers?

[doomcame]

"If you need to lean on me, you can. I wouldn't suggest moving at all if our water situation was better. We'll rest as soon as we hit a river."

Taissa's also anticipating this to be terrible, and for now just idly watches the cat sniffing around Chloe in thought.

[desperate_times_right]

The cat releases a meow that sounds for all the world like a disapproving teacher and Chloe raises an eyebrow. Abruptly, as if just catching the scent, he noses down to her injured foot.

“Hey, don't eat me.”

She has no idea whether a cat would do that.

Chloe looks up to Taissa. “If you can help me up, I think I can lean on that piece of rebar. One of us should have her hands free in case there's trouble.”

[absentconstellation]

Yes... he believes he understands the situation. These two women are out of their element, struggling to find food and water, and one of them is badly injured. There must be other two-leggers nearby that they've been in contact with, but it would be difficult for them to move any great distance to seek a healer. He can sympathize, having his senses jumbled around like they are. They only need a little help, and then they ought to be able to handle things on their own.

Very well then. He isn't injured, and despite his current state he still has claws and fangs to hunt with. He will look after them for now.

Having made his decision, he turns around and tries to climb up into Chloe's lap. He could use a nap just now.

[doomcame]

Taissa is about to agree with Chloe when the cat decides to enact his own plan of inaction. She scoffs out a laugh in spite of herself.

"I'm sure I can if it's okay with your new friend," she says to the other woman.

[desperate_times_right]

Chloe gives a short, surprised laugh, and scratches the cat behind his ears.

“Sorry, buddy. We can nap when we find water, yeah?”

[absentconstellation]

He purrs in appreciation of the scratching. As a compromise, he tries to climb up onto her shoulders. He can sleep while they move, if both women allow it.