pulsefiring | IC inbox ➢ labyrinthium

[ 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?

[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.]

[ 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. ]

[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?

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. ]

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.]

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. ]

[The wrist won't do. Eren wrenches it free and slides down to tuck an arm around Caitlyn's waist instead. She won't have much time to protest before he's firing them off to the next landing, hook ready for another string of lives.]

They're animals. Why would I do anything for them?

[ With an undignified noise she will definitely deny, she considers putting her arm around his neck but if he passes out, Cait will most definitely end up on the ground. So he just untangles a string of lights and pouts, getting them ready to string them once they reach the next landing, fixing them in place.

She pauses to tie her hair back again, now that it's been unceremoniously ruined by being flung around. ]

You are doing something for them right now, in case you weren't aware. [ Caitlyn just stares at him pointedly for a second. ] Or what do you call this?

Extortion. I think that was the word you used.

[ Caitlyn fights the urge to roll her eyes. ] You don't perform menial tasks for extortion. At this point, they're extorting you, if this is all so against your will.

[ Considering she's counting on this man not dropping her to her death, the little voice in her head telling her not to push really wishes it was louder. ] Why do I have to teach you how extortion works?

You're the one who said it.

[He fights the urge to roll his eyes.]

If you want to put your soul into working for a bunch of pigs, be my guest.

[He fires them off to another landing, tossing lights once again.]

This is already double what they deserve.

You agreed, so I assumed you knew what that meant.

[ Caitlyn does not fight the urge to roll her eyes, and she sighs, too, for good measure. ]

Stringing a few lights is hardly putting my soul into it. [ While she is here, mostly, for the money, she thinks admitting that will only be used to prove his point, so she withholds it. ]

It's really not that bad.

[ Caitlyn secures the string of lights before they're flung off to another ledge. ]

[To the next ledge they go, and then Eren turns to her.]

It bothers you when they don't look right, doesn't it?

I don't want it to look horrible, so yes. It bothers me.

[ Caitlyn takes pride in her work, even things as simple as stringing lights. She frowns, adjusting another string and fastening it. ]

I would prefer not to have my name attached to something unsightly.

It really bothers you.

[He wants to bother her - so, that's all he says, raising an eyebrow at the anal-retentive woman.]

Do you enjoy repeating yourself?

[ That annoys her too, but she's doing her best not to show it, which means she is, with the little crease in her brow, as she pointedly doesn't look at his face and fusses with the string of lights. ]

It really, really bothers you.

[He can do this all night, ever the twelve-year-old moron.]

No.

[ It's not entirely believable, considering the way it's clear she's doing her best not frown as deeply as she wants to. ]

Leave one sloppy. I dare you.

No. That would be even worse than leaving them all looking lazy and half-done.

[ She frowns. Caitlyn doesn't want to lose but she isn't doing a shitty job either just to prove a point. ]

You're a coward.

[This is fun.]

Wanting to do a good job isn't cowardly. But going out of your way to help people, and then saying you don't care for them is.

[ Try that on for size. ]

[It fits, but not because of a bunch of disappointed gelflings. If Eren looks like he feels bad, it's only due to secondhand embarrassment.]

That almost sounds like you're expecting me to cave and admit I love goblins.

Sorry. That won't happen.

[At any rate:]

Take all the time you like.

[He releases his hold on her and turns his back.]

I'm getting it over with and taking their cords.

[And then he fires himself off onto the next platform, then the next, then the next.

[Good luck, Caitlyn. <3]

You could have fooled me.

[ Caitlyn just arches an eyebrow at him. ]

I will, thank you.

[ Getting her footing, she watches him launch himself off in a different direction and she mentally maps the trajectory to check it later because, yes, she is going to check his work even if it takes her the rest of the night.

In the meantime, she finishes securing this string before getting ready to move on, admittedly much slower than before but she's stubborn and she'll finish this, so help her. ]

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hehe...we can wrap

🎀! works for me!