( closed ) said you would never give up easy

[gevurah]

Date & Time: from early to mid-january
Location: various locations
Characters: kate & various
Summary: doing things and running into people: the rp life.
Warnings: there will be some violence eventually
Notes: while there's prompts for those from the CR meme, if anyone else wants to do something don't hesitate to ask. feel free to PM me on this account or through plurk.


Raiden

[ Richard Lawson's parting words have left quite an impression on Kate.

Don't let them find you.

Her nights are a lot more restless than usual. The bottle of wine she gifted Ros is tempting, but she knows better than to turn to alcohol again while there are pressing matters. As usual, she dons her layers and boots and heads outside. She goes for a jog again today. Without any kind of workout facility she relies on the cold terrain.

The shelters are her first pit stop. They need to be cleaned out and stabilized, but at the forefront of her mind the UE's stash of bombs render shelters useless if they can easily drop another nuke on them.

If they know they're here, why haven't they? She stands with her hands on her hips, lost in thought. ]


Lightning

[ She's grown somewhat rusty with hunting. In spite of her intensive training that pit her around and against the world in various death traps and unfamiliar land, until last year she's lived a life of luxury.

The elderly woman she and Roslyn have been residing with lent her copper wire to ensnare rabbits with. She stalks the snow covered land for a rabbit trail, following their footprints into a good clearing where it appears they pass through.

As quickly and quietly as she can, she cuts down branches thick enough to hold any large rabbit. When she's done with setting up the branches and placing the wire, tying a noose and letting it hang in the center.

There are heavy footsteps in the distance. Yeti, she concludes, and hopes they don't frighten off the rabbits. ]


Seiya

[ Another grey and cold morning, but Kate's out for her usual jog. She warms up with basic stretches outside her current residence and half a minute after she's completed them, she's off. She sticks to a familiar path, edging along the outskirt of the town, but never wandering too far off.

She breathes through both her nose and mouth, but exhales through the latter only. Always breathing through the stomach or diaphragm to ensure she's getting enough air.

It's not always the most quiet run; there's always someone, be it Transport or one of the locals. A yard away from her she can hear dogs barking and the loud crunching of snow as the dogs run forward, pulling along a large sleigh with dead their master and his bag of what appears to be his hunt for the day. ]


Actual Damsel Martin

[ Today's jog is quickly disrupted by deep rumbling and the ground beneath her shaking to a point Kate nearly loses her footing. She stands with feet spaced out, applying as much weight as possible to keep herself upright while her eyes scour the clearing to spot whatever large animal it is stomping across.

It doesn't take long, but it's not exactly difficult to miss the mammoths bursting into the clearing. She's ready to hightail it out of here when she catches a glimpse of something else running ahead of the pack.

No, not something. Someone.

Kate's heart is almost ready to leap from her chest as she shouts: ]

Martin!

[ There's no hesitation, no second thoughts. She breaks into a sprint to meet the boy halfway, maneuvering with her bag to dig into its content, reaching for the grappling hook she always has on hand.

Cue. ]


Roslyn

[ Kate shudders one last time as she pushes the door in behind her. She notes the silence in the house, cocking her head to one side curiously and wiping excess snow off her boots on the rug. Then she begins to undo the buttons on her jacket, angling her head the other way. ]

Anyone home?

[ Home. It's almost laughable. God knows how long this setup will last this time. Lawson's disappearance reminds her the kind woman who owns this house may someday vanish before her own eyes. It's an unsettling feeling, not knowing it will happen and if it does. ]

Ros?

Comments

[gevurah]

The worker dogs.

[ Although, it doesn't clarify anything. ]

Were you chasing it?

[theguideless]

No–! [fidgeting and freezing up. on a tree. this is uncomfortable.] No, it follows me. When I go out walking...that's all.

[gevurah]

[ Kate can only sigh. She tilts her head, listening to the sound of the mammoths growing distant. She'll wait another couple of minutes before getting out of this tree. ]

You have to be careful out here, Martin. We don't know what else is roaming these lands.

[theguideless]

[ducking his head.] I know. I mean...I know better now...

[gevurah]

Good.

[ She motions for him to hang onto the branch. ]

We'll stay up here for another three minutes and then quietly descend.

[theguideless]

[he does so, extending his arms and finding himself at a strange angle compared to the ground. strange for him, anyway.]

Umh...[his eyes wince.] How? I don't climb trees.

[gevurah]

Hold onto my waist and I'll carry us both down.

[ She can manage his weight and the bag's; weaponizing her body came in handy in the long run. ]

[theguideless]

Al-alright.

[he's rather relieved that's an option – letting someone else figure out trees.

and he's halfway to hugging her before hesitating.] Wait– you said. You said wait, right? [grabbing the branch she told him seconds ago. oops.]

[gevurah]

It's fine.

[ She's not exactly unused to people clinging to her, just usually not out of uniform. ]

We'll have to go the long way back into the city, just to steer clear from those things.

[theguideless]

I don't mind...I, I don't think I know which way's long or short, anyhow. [long is long, cold is cold, and he's more preoccupied with how weird it feels to be hanging out in a tree like this.

but, having to steer clear...he frowns.]

But you mean...they'll come back if we go the wrong way?

[gevurah]

I wouldn't want to risk it.

[ She nods toward the clearing. ]

We won't have anywhere to hide if we're out there.

[ She may be stronger than the average human now, but she's not capable of punching out raging mammoths. ]

[theguideless]

Mmh...

[it makes sense; he should've thought of it, he thinks, eyes wincing.

there's a lapse before another thought prompts a question:]

How did you find me?

[gevurah]

Hm?

[ She looks over him, eyes widening a touch in surprise. ]

I heard you... and those mammoths.

[ They were a lot harder to not overhear. ]

[theguideless]

[he stares, as if expecting more.

and blinks, realizing...that's it?]

...Oh.

[huh. looking past her, toward the ground:] We must not be so far away, then...

[gevurah]

I was going to see about hunting some rabbits, but that can wait. We're not hurting for food.

[ She looks back in the direction the mammoths ran. She can't see them and she doesn't hear them anymore...

She shifts her weight and beckons Martin to come closer. ]

Let's go.

[theguideless]

Al-alright...

[he hesitates before letting the branch go, leaning and grabbing for her waist.] Holding on, just like this? Or...

[gevurah]

Hang on tightly and don't look down.

[ She slowly begins to descend, keeping an ear out for anything unusual or those mammoths charging back the way they came. The branches are thick and sturdy enough, but once she finds thinner branches she has to stop and maneuver around so it can support the both of them. ]

[theguideless]

[he does exactly the opposite – but not right away; he did make a fair effort to listen, but...you know how the saying goes as far as looking down or not is concerned.

still, all that comes of it is a loud gulp and a tighter grip, because the ride's half over at that point and soon enough his feet are back in the snow. there's just the slightest delay in letting go, and even after his arms stretch out, uncertain of himself.]

Uoh...

[no, he's got this. his arms settle down and he lets out a sigh before glancing back at Kate.]

That wasn't so bad!

[gevurah]

[ She hops down, the snow crunching lightly beneath her boots before she straightens herself out. She adjusts her bag and pushes back the bangs that have been obscuring her vision. ]

Let's get moving.

Are you staying with someone in the city?

[ Maybe she should walk him all the way home to ensure he's safe... ]

[theguideless]

Mmh, no. But we can go there anyway! [he's cheerful enough about that, falling into step half a pace behind hers, adjusting his distance to avoid bumping into her belongings.] I can find something to do before I go back.

[gevurah]

[ She starts to move, looking over her shoulder to make certain he's right beside her. ]

It's no good to be alone, Martin.

[theguideless]

[a wincing smile.] I know. I'm not! I mean, sometimes...but not always.

[gevurah]

Where are you staying?

[ Martin, still an enigmatic boy to her. ]

[theguideless]

Mm, in a cabin Koltira built. It's...[uh...

he squints, looking around.] It's out here, somewhere. Sometimes it's hard to find.

[gevurah]

[ She slows her pace, turning back to look at him before her eyes scour the land around them. ]

You're living away from civilization?