pulsefiring | IC inbox ➢ labyrinthium

[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?

[ 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?

[ 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. ]

[ 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?

[ 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?

Extortion. I think that was the word you used.

[ 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.

[ 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?

[ 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!?

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.

[ 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. ]

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?

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. ]

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.]

[ 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. ]

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.]

[ 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?

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. ]

[ 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.

Leave one sloppy. I dare you.

[ 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. ]

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. ]

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?

You're a coward.

[This is fun.]

[ 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- ]

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. ]

[ 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. ]

[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

[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. ]

IC inbox ➢ labyrinthium

(action) light-hanging quest

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[action] Lost in the snow.

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12/25; secret santa

hehe...we can wrap

🎀! works for me!