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[pulsefiring]

[ 𝚝𝚎𝚡𝚝𝚜, 𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘, 𝚟𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚘, 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚎𝚝𝚌. ]

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(action) light-hanging quest

[abandonhumanity]

[Eren isn't terribly keen on assisting the locals with anything right now, but he did lose more cords than he's comfortable with at that stupid convention (mostly by virtue of owing others for getting him out of that date auction).

[So, he checked the quest board. When he saw Caitlyn checking too...

[He decided to sign up. They meet at the arranged time. There's a device strapped to his back.

[He looks at Caitlyn, cold and appraising as ever.]

How do you plan to get up?

[pulsefiring]

[ Caitlyn still doesn't really understand cords, if she's honest, but if it's currency, it's valuable. For what, she's also uncertain, but she's never been without funds and even in this strange and ridiculous place, she intends to keep it that way.

And she's never been the kind of person to sit still. Hearing about the questboard, she'd gone out and who else did she run into but the one person she finds both fascinating and frustrating. Agreeing to work with him means getting another chance to figure him out. Or throttle him.

It's up in the air.

At present, she's standing, hands on her hips and looking up at where the light needs to be placed. ]

I'll have to climb.

[ It seems like an obvious answer. It's not like she's a mage, and she doesn't have much in the way of equipment here, but she has a few things and stubbornness, which means she'll get to the top even if it's just out of spite. ]

Why, how are you getting up there?

[abandonhumanity]

[Eren is ever egotistical, prone to showing off, which is exactly what he intends to do now. He has a strand of lights in his hands, the hooks meters above them. There are a few paths he could take, but he brought his gear for a reason. Lifting his arm, he fires a tether onto the nearest roof and launches himself off the ground and into the sky. Lights are tossed somewhat carelessly over their hooks as he goes.]

[pulsefiring]

[ Caught between impressed and supremely frustrated, Caitlyn watches for a moment as he sails into the sky before beginning her own ascent, decidedly slower, but she isn't cheating. Not that it's technically cheating, but she'll consider it that in her head as she climbs up. ]

If you're going to do it the easy way, the least you could do is make sure they're settled in place.

[ Reaching one of the hooks, she adjusts the string of lights, fastening it carefully, before pushing on ahead, stringing up another set as she ties herself to the cliff face so she can focus on her work. ]

[abandonhumanity]

[Eren stares down his nose at her from where he's perched.]

Why should I care? Who is this for?

[The locals? Fuck 'em, the brainwashed bastards. Eren fires himself to the next landing point, carelessly throwing another string of lights.]

It will take you a while climbing. Don't you have any other tricks?

[pulsefiring]

Does it matter? If you do the job incorrectly, I doubt they'll pay you for it. That's just common sense. [ Cait's voice is clear and even despite climbing, and she's thankful for all her training just so that she doesn't look incapable. This will hurt tomorrow, but it's worth it. ] Sloppy work doubles the time to complete it.

[ That's not an exact quote, but her mother had drilled that into her head since she was a little girl. ]

Other than determination? No. I'm only human, thank you very much. [ Right now she wished she was a mage. Just as quickly as that thought dawns on her, she regrets it and hopes whatever brought her here doesn't count that as a wish. She's not sure if that's how anything works, but it doesn't hurt to be careful.

Cait continues on, stringing her own lights and securing the ones Eren leaves behind. She intends to be paid for this, which means doing the task well. ]

[abandonhumanity]

I'll make them pay me.

[Simple. Eren fires his hook right above her, landing and extending his arm.]

Slow work triples the time.

[Hold on tight, Spidermonkey. Come on, Caitlyn. Go for a ride.]

[pulsefiring]

So you're going to extort them.

[ Caitlyn looks unimpressed but far from surprised, well, not until his hook bites into the space right above her and she looks at his hand when he holds it out. ]

Fine.

[ Reaching up and grabbing his wrist, she just hopes he isn't going to drop her. ]

[action] Lost in the snow.

[heterochromeow]

[ It figures, doesn't it? As luck would have it, by the time Caitlyn wanders over to the board to get some much needed spending money, there's a familiar, feline-like figure standing there, staring at the quest board with a moment of focus. Her ears swivel as another person approaches, waiting a moment before finally glancing over.

Her expression sinks slightly, glancing away. Back to the quests. Not the best recovery. But she doesn't seem all that hostile, just... reserved. ]

...
Most of these are boring.

[ But her eyes keep refocusing on one page specifically, the one advertising a quest in the Air Cliffs. Dangerous, climbing, one decent reward. It's winning by a landslide so far. After a few awkward moments, her eyes slip over to Caitlyn again, as if anticipating. ]

[pulsefiring]

[ At this point, Caitlyn is convinced her every foray into these quests will be, to some degree, cursed. But she is nothing if not stubborn, and while she doesn't fully grasp the point of these cords all the postings mention, the challenge is more than enough for her.

Stepping closer, she offers Catra a polite smile and then looks at the listings again. A frown settles on her face as she reads through the first batch. ]

They are.

[ Caitlyn pouts as she reads, arms crossing over her chest, shifting her weight. That is when she sees the one for the cliffs. The rescue catches her attention but the promise of danger is what hooks her. Since arriving, all she's wanted to do is accomplish something, and she is a decent enough climber.

Feeling eyes on her, she looks over at Catra, pointing to the posting. ]

What about this one?

[heterochromeow]

Pfft-

[ It's not that the tension melts away, it's that it's replaced by something else instead. An act so instinctive even Catra can fall into it easily. Her tail swishes, letting out a short snerk of a laugh before flashing those feline fangs in her grin. A few steps closer, passing behind Caitlyn with silent movement before glancing back up (and it IS quite up... nearly a foot difference between them). ]

You think you can handle it? Didn't you get lost in the garden?

[pulsefiring]

[ Caitlyn tracks Catra with her eyes, following her movements until she disappears behind her. Her arms cross over her chest but he doesn't react otherwise, not intimidated nor rising to the reaction she assumes Catra might be looking for.

On a good day, when she isn't struggling to comprehend being dropped into an unfamiliar situation that is entirely foreign, Caitlyn is more capable of keeping her head on straight, thank you very much.

So she waits until Catra speaks. And she almost loses it.

So much for calm. ]

I was new, and you said yourself the plants have an effect on people. And we wouldn't go unprepared, unless you're implying you're just going to run blindly into the snow hoping your nose will lead you the right way.

[heterochromeow]

[ Her eyes narrow into that briefly smug look cats are so good at. There it is, that's the burst she's so good at bringing out.

Why is she like this? Many reasons. But, any hint at aggression is quickly dispelled by a laugh Caitlyn is bound to become unfortunately familiar with. High-pitched, sharp, maybe just a little on the edge of unstable, a rare hint of the playful personality beneath. That long tail gives a brief brush past one of Caitlyns hands for emphasis. Fluffy... ]

I'll be fine. I can stay warm. And I can climb.

[ She catches her breath, turning back to face the blue-ette once more. Still smiling, but one brow lifts. ]

We...? You want to go with me!?

[pulsefiring]

[ That laugh catches her off guard and her eyebrows rise. It doesn't sound mocking but she isn't sure what it does sound like. Caitlyn will try to figure it out anyway. ]

I'm sure you can. [ Just a little petulant, but there's a certainty there too. Caitlyn thinks she can read people reasonably well, at least in terms of what they're capable of. The rest is a mystery to her. But she's positive Catra can handle herself. ]

It seems like the best option. Going out alone isn't safe. [ Caitlyn doesn't have any experience in the snow, not snow like this anyway, but she knows the value of never going into the unknown alone if you can help it. ]

[heterochromeow]

[ At the very least, it's the kind of laugh that one can pick out from a crowd. Light and sharp, her voice really breaks through.

Catra saunters around for a moment, one hand on her hip, a quiet look Caitlyn's way like she's thinking of something. ]

Seriously? [ That smile's tugging her lips up just enough to show a fang. ] If you want, I guess. You could have picked anyone else. Better hurry then-

[ And with that, she turns, already starting to wander off towards her quest, just assuming Caitlyn will catch up. ]

[pulsefiring]

Yes, seriously. [ Caitlyn is rereading the posting, picking out all the relevant details and jotting them down in her little notebook, half listening to Catra's footsteps. ] There's no one else here, and this is a rather timely que— Where are you going?

[ Turning on her heel, she jogs a couple steps and slows to a walk once the gap is closed. ] I took down some information about our lost person and the last direction they were known to be heading in.

12/25; secret santa

[noentry]

[Caitlyn made things pretty simple for Sano, or at least in terms of knowing exactly what she wanted. Tea from a cafe in Somnius is bundled up in a package next to an inkwell and a collection of quills. There's a leather-bound notebook in the package beside that, embossed with images of deer, foxes, rabbits, and other local wildlife. A note falls out when it's opened.]

I found a few fancy pens, but then I saw these cool quills and I thought you might want to try them instead. Hope you like this gift since it's what you told me you liked.

- Sano

post-castle / knives out mystery for caitlyns

[petsthedog]

[Shinjiro awakens slowly; his wounds might not have been fatal, but they were severe nonetheless, and even with the clinic's healing efforts, he'll need some days before he's properly recovered. He stirs with a light groan, apparently disoriented for the first few moments before he seems to process where he is. Slate gray eyes settle on Caitlyn and linger, confused. He doesn't recognize her, so...]

Did you bring me here?

[pulsefiring]

[ Standing off to the side, Caitlyn is pouring over her notes and jotting down a few things as she's rereading. There is a little blood on her clothes from hauling him back to where his wound could be addressed properly. She looks up and over at him. ]

I was instructed to tell you not to move. [ Caitlyn places her quill against the gutter of her notepad and closes it. ] Do you remember what happened?

[ A pause. ]

Caitlyn Kiramman. [ And she holds her hand out. A bit in the wrong order but that's probably fine. ]

[petsthedog]

[Yeah, Shinjiro's not really one for following instructions, and he's not about to stay lying down while she stands. With a low grunt, he pushes himself up into at least a sitting position, one hand pressed against his now-bandaged wound.

And he was about to thank her, express that he owed her one, when that question settles in and his eyes catch on the notebook. Is this ... she couldn't possibly be --

The flat 'what are you a cop' look is probably one she's not unused to, but it practically radiates disbelief at first. Then he sighs, taking the offered hand.]

Shinjiro Aragaki.

[His full name isn't typically offered right away, but he supposes it's fair enough, after this woman apparently saved his life.]

Don't go kicking over any hornet's nests on my account, though. Shit happens in this place. It's fine.

[pulsefiring]

[ That sort of stubbornness is far too familiar to Caitlyn, who had been up and piecing together a mystery within hours of being treated for her injuries after the explosion. There was always work to be done as far as she is concerned and nothing was going to stop her from seeing to it.

So she doesn't say anything else, or insist that he lay back down. If the medical staff wanted to lecture him, she wouldn't interfere with that either, but as far as she's concerned, she has an injured party who is also a witness, potentially, to something and she is determined to discover what. ]

A pleasure.

[ Caitlyn flashes a brief smile and nods. ]

Kicking hornet's nests is my line of work. [ You can take the girl out of the Piltover, but you can't take the Enforcer out of the girl. ] So if you do remember anything, I am willing to look into it. I'll look into it either way, just to be clear.

[ And she means that, if the look in her eye says anything. ]

[petsthedog]

[He's definitely noted that look in her eye, and after a moment of silently watching her, he just sighs.]

...Of course you will.

[Really, he's not sure why he even tried; considering she came in here with an entire notebook, he wasn't going to get her to drop the matter, was he.]

Even if it ends up gettin' you stabbed, huh?

[It's probably obvious he does know something, at this point, but the question is whether or not he's willing to cough any of it up.]

[pulsefiring]

Of course I will.

[ Caitlyn is amused but somehow serious at the same time as she echoes the words back, but she is ready with her notebook. In fact, she's already written a few things down but her quill is paused now, waiting for the next observation. ]

I chased a lead right to a bomb. [ She pauses for effect. ] I'm not afraid to get stabbed.

[ Not as much as she should be, anyway. All she's hoping for is that her training on how to avoid getting stabbed in the wrong places is as reflexive as she thinks it is. ]

[petsthedog]

[Yeah, that's not exactly encouraging for Shinjiro to tell her anything about what he actually knows. Despite his grouchy exterior, he can be a bit of a worrywart at times, and he doesn't especially like the idea of someone putting themselves in harm's way because of him.]

It's your life, I guess, but I wouldn't exactly recommend it. Hurts like a bitch.

[A small huff.]

Why're you so invested in this, anyway? Not like we got jail around here. S'like I said, shit happens around here. Then it ends, and you get on with your life.

[pulsefiring]

[ Caitlyn worries. Her priorities are, admittedly, skewed but she is willing to face down a knife or a blade if it means hunting down whoever it is undermining the people here while they're already stretched thin because of everything that's happening. ]

Well, if I get stabbed, I can see how it compares.

[ Is she particularly keen? No. Will the threat of it stop her? Also no. ]

Even so, we can't really let someone run around injuring or even killing people. There's enough to worry about without needing to be looking over our shoulders for someone making what we're already dealing with worse for reasons unknown.