pulsefiring | IC inbox ➢ labyrinthium

[ 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. ]

[ 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?

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?

[ 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.

[ 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!?

[ 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. ]

[ 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. ]

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.

I'm going to the Air Cliffs, duh.

[ There's a brief sense that, with how quiet she is, Catra's steps only make a sound when she's trying to. Still, she's slow enough, it's not hard to catch up, and when she does Caitlyn gets a quiet side-glance from those sharp mismatched eyes. ]

He's going to be a pain to find, if the snow hasn't covered him already.
Got anything to help you climb or move faster?

[ Otherwise, they can enjoy a decent walk to get there, even Catra does up her clothing layers a bit on the way. ]

[ Caitlyn sighs, a touch dramatically, but she just falls into step with Catra. She does take note of the sound of her footsteps, or rather, the almost lack thereof. ]

I should hope not. Hypothermia sets in rather quickly in the conditions they mentioned in the posting. [ She doesn't say it, but she is hoping for the best case scenario because the alternative is grim. Regardless, she is prepared for the worst. ]

I can keep up. I'm more capable than I look, thank you. [ It's a familiar hurt, not one that anyone really needs to put pressure on. Caitlyn had faced more than her fair share of scrutiny when she had joined the Enforcers, none of them believing someone like her was suited to the work. And initially, she hadn't been, but that was years before she had applied and the looks on their faces when she beat every single one of them in training was well worth the work she had put into it. ]

Sure, sure.

[ There's a part of Catra that's remembering those reactions, she's learned to pick at peoples weak spots a little too well. What a happy cat.

Unless she's feeling particularly chatty, the walk is probably pretty boring. It's not until they reach the air cliffs that Catra's slowing to asses her path. Sharp eyes scanning the landscape with a small frown. ]

Lotta ground to cover... How far up do you think he got?

[ Where would they even start? It's too bright to look for lights, and they can't wait around until nightfall. Catra spends a few moments buckling up her warmer clothes before letting out a sigh, exchanging looks. No time like the present, right? Time to start trudging their way up. The lower half isn't quite so bad looking, at least. ]

[ The unimpressed look on her face is an old friend, but Caitlyn does her best to clear it before it really settles. She's trying to be more mindful of her expressions if he can help it and she's trying to help it.

Caitlyn doesn't mind the quiet as they walk, already preoccupied with pouring over what she read, eyes turned down to her notebook. Scribbling more observations, he glances up every once in a while to make note of their surrounding, jotting that down as well. Pulling out her device, she has it pull up the current temperature and she writes that in her book, too. ]

Judging by the height listed on the poster, the date he went missing, and the weather conditions described, I would imagine not very far. It's difficult to see now. Hopefully he didn't fall.

[ Grim, indeed.

Caitlyn zips her jacket all the way up, tucks her book away, and pulls on her gloves. ] Perhaps we should call out to him while we climb. He might be able to hear us.

Might make this easier. We can start over there.

[ She briefly points to a steady slope up the first, hill, the easiest way up the first cliffside for someone not planning to climb. ]

There's only so many ways up. So, here's hoping.
Feel free to start shouting.

[ Catra isn't planning on it yet, unless she feels like she's close. But the space feline's already making her way through, trudging through thinner layers of snow with a moderately brisk pace. The slope isn't too bad. But the further up they get? It's the wind. Even hearing each other from a few dozen feet is hard.

Without much to go on, they're looking for a needle in a haystack. Every so often Catra pauses, trying to get her ears to focus while her posture slouches beneath the wind. ]

See anything?

[ Following that finger, Caitlyn looks at the slope. Even from here, it's an impressive slope that she can't imagine would be an easy climb. Why this man was out here attempting to scale it, alone, with a storm coming is beyond her. Caitlyn intends to interrogate him about it on the return trip, assuming he's still conscious enough to be interrogated. ]

This is the easiest path up that I can see.

[ Caitlyn does look around at the others, but the snow doesn't seem like it's been disturbed there, either by climbing or falling. Hiking beside Catra, she turns and calls out — "We're here to help. If you can answer or make a noise, we'll be able to find you." — every few feet, as loud as she can manage.

Part of her suspects he won't be this close to the base of the cliff, but it's worth checking.

Once the wind picks up, Caitlyn needs to adjust her scarf and her hood, pulling them all close. It's hard to shout over the roar, and it echoes against the sheer walls that are rising up around them. ]

This way.

[ Caitlyn hopes that excellent hearing Catra claims to possess works because she can barely hear herself shouting. In case she can't hear her over the wind, Caitlyn points towards a trampled area to the left of them, a couple feet away. ]

It looks like someone fell here, but they kept going in that direction.

[ Despite her lackadaisical energy, Catra is actually trying. She doesn't want to be up here any longer than necessary. Those larger feline ears swivel this way and that, staying close enough to Caitlyn that they could grab each other if someone fell. Subtle... ]

Yeah?
Never knew you were a tracker-

[ She's heeding the suggestion though, pivoting to follow the new path and making sure Caitlyn keeps up. Every so often a strong gust of wind nearly knocks one of them over, forcing Catra to hunch down and brace next to her travelling companion with a growl. ]

Ugh, I swear this wind's always against us-

[ In this place? It probably is. They're travelling for a while but, Eventually, she manages to catch something. Her ears perk, and Catra's head jerks up with a sharper look. ]

That way- up there!

[ There's an overhang further away, a small but tenable shelter from the wind that someone could hide in. But the moment Catra takes a step closer the wind gusts, blowing her back to almost collide with Caitlyn. ]

I have some training in it.

[ Caitlyn is just perceptive, and that lends itself to tracking. Noticing the details, especially the ones that don't make sense, is the real key to tracking someone or something, and in the wilderness like this, anything that seems out of place within the blinding blanket of snow is a lead worth following.

That's her thought on it anyway. ]

It does seem odd. [ Caitlyn holds her arm up to shield her face from the wind. It's unnatural, really, and Caitlyn almost has to wonder if something is trying to keep them from going this direction. ] We need to push forward. We might be on the right path.

[ Confident her theory is correct, she presses on, looking back every once in a while, at Catra but also at the slope back where they came from.

Following the direction Catra is looking, Caitlyn sees the overhang, but she's distracted by attempting to both hold her arms out to catch her companion if needed and to keep herself upright against the strong wind. ]

Are you alright?

[ This wind has some teeth. She falls back for a moment, as if it's going to lift her off her feet, only to fall into Caitlyn's arms and swing back, getting that momentary brace needed to steady herself and bunker down. ]

Ghh- I'm fine.

[ Her body lowers, ducking some into the wind after a brief frown. At least she's forgivingly light? Without boots or gloves on even Catra's starting to feel the chill. All the more reason to hurry up, right? There's a brief glance up, then her brows fix into something more determined. ]

C'mon... Get low- we can push through it.

[ If the wind's determined to stop them, they'll just have to duck beneath it, minimise the drag while they push on. There's a light up there, somewhere, more obvious the closer they get. There's hope yet- ]

[ Caitlyn doesn't argue and with the wind kicking up, she doubts she'd even be heard. Instead, she directs that energy into helping to keep Catra steady as she strains to see against the blinding white of the snow caught up in the wind. ]

Here.

[ It's more of a shout just to speak louder than the roar of the wind, but she's holding out a pair of mittens she'd packed as a spare. ]

We can make it.

[ She sounds more confident than she feels, but Caitlyn is stubborn and they've come too far now to turn back, so she pushes on. ]

[ Hunched low, ducking beneath the wind as they can, Catra's tail's whipping about behind them with a few swaying thwaps, face grit with determination. Like the whole world is trying to challenge her again and she's fighting it on principle.

The gloves are taken with a muttered thanks, though based on how her claws punch through the ends Caitlyn may not want them back after. Huddled close, She's leaning into or pulling the other woman along as they force their way through the snow.

Just a bit further!

The wind picks up the closer they get to the shelter, as if trying to prevent success. By the time the two stumble into the sheltered light it's with a toppling push that sends one or both tumbling down together, half tangled as the cold tries to chill them. ]

Haaaah. Finally-!

[ And somewhere behind the light, sits a small figure huddled up against the stone wall. ]

IC inbox ➢ labyrinthium

[action] Lost in the snow.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject