I HAVE MY SHADOWS AND MY COLORS
AND THERE IS THE SMELL OF TIME PASSING
── ⋅ ⋅ ── ☽ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──
JIN . 20 MOONS . HE/HIM . LONER BEWITCHED
His crestfallen expression twitches, a predator's satisfaction glinting behind his dark eyes. Snake would hunt. Good. That boyish glee is back, energizing him, and Jin is stretching and idly scuffing at the stones underfoot. He glances about as if he's decided to appreciate the nice day, making sure his final look is aimed back toward the overgrown shed.
"There's shelter there," he mentions sweetly. "A good place to sleep after you've eaten. Nobody else is using it." Nobody besides Jin, of course. "So you can, if you'd like."
Snake gave a good look at the area that Jin was talking about.
“I’ll go there, after I hunt.” He responded bluntly, before going off to do exactly that.
He padded off somewhere in the area, before scenting a mouse.
That would do.
He crouched, and slowly moved towards the scent.
He spotted it.
Jin wasn’t lying, the mouse looked pretty round.
That just meant it would be slower, which was useful to him.
Snake got just close enough, before pouncing.
[roll=18]
[Success!]
He grabbed the mouse with his teeth quickly, and gave the killing bite.
He picked it up, before heading towards the overgrown shed.
I HAVE MY SHADOWS AND MY COLORS
AND THERE IS THE SMELL OF TIME PASSING
── ⋅ ⋅ ── ☽ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──
JIN . 20 MOONS . HE/HIM . LONER BEWITCHED
Jin takes another step back, this time turning some to indicate that he'd be off, now, leaving them to the hunt.
It isn't that easy to avoid prying eyes, though.
While Jin knows not to intervene, knows when his overshadowing presence might spoil a hunt or throw another cat's focus, he has other ways to keep himself busy and to just—check. To make sure that Snake hasn't wandered off quite yet. If not by staking himself in another handy vantage point to catch a glimpse of black-and-white then by checking the perimeter, haunting all the places his visitor shouldn't be, just to...to, yeah. Check.
The boundaries of Gravelly Waypoint are paw-stamped and heavy with scent. Jin circles the fringes often. Today, though, he's almost embarrassed by how evident his pacing is out here at the edge; hopes his guest doesn't think him a desperate (he is that) cad waiting for just anyone to wander on in (he is that). Then they wouldn't feel special.
Jin swallows thickly and puts the matter out of his mind. These are small worries. Pointless ones. He can always just lie if questioned, which is not a bad thing to do if it's done to put another at ease. And so that he can get his way. Two very good, very important things. Nobody could begrudge him for wanting those things.
He wonders if Snake has finished hunting. He hasn't yet caught their scent somewhere it ought not be, and ample time has passed for a hunt. Part of him wants to finish checking, to tread the entire path around the entire border, just to be sure, or even to see if someone else will be joining them (the idea of two guests at one time has him over the moon). But, then, suppose Snake is all alone and waiting for him right now? Wondering where he is?
It doesn't seem very likely that Snake would fret over Jin at all, but Jin's suddenly so compelled by the make-believe that Snake is sitting around, lonely, waiting on a friendly host to entertain them...how pitiful.
Not projecting at all even a little bit, Jin hurries back up the slope and bounds across the tracks, headed for the shed.
"Hello?" He chirps, wide-eyed until he spies Snake again. Oh, good. Good. Still here. He feels silly for ever doubting them.
Snake had already begun to eat when Jin arrived in the shed as well.
Odd that he took longer than himself, but that wasn’t Snake’s problem.
“Thank you, I guess.” Snake replied to Jin complementing his catch “And thanks for letting me hunt here.”
He decided it was better to at least show a bit of gratitude.
He didn’t need this cat disliking him either, just in case they met again in the future.
He was full, already, he never really ate much at once, so he silently offered Jin the rest, if he wanted it.
I HAVE MY SHADOWS AND MY COLORS
AND THERE IS THE SMELL OF TIME PASSING
── ⋅ ⋅ ── ☽ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──
JIN . 20 MOONS . HE/HIM . LONER BEWITCHED
"Of course. I'm an excellent host. And this place—it's good. Nice. Safe. Lots to share. You can stay as long as you need to." He assures Snake, settling on the dusty floor. "Do you have family, Snake?" He asks, blinking.
The questions will continue for as long as Snake allows. Jin is as excited to learn about other cats' lives and whereabouts as he is to keep them comfortable in this place.
His dark gaze drops, half-cautious, to the half of the meal being offered. For a moment he's unsure. Is the prey not good? Are...are they lodging some sort of complaint? Worried, Jin's mouths opens, an excuse or an apology or something on his tongue, but—wait.
No. No, of course there's nothing wrong. This is sharing. Sharing, like friends. Jin's astonished, touched, and all too eager to ascribe a way heavier meaning to this than Snake simply not wanting to be wasteful. They're friends, now. They must be. Snake likes it here. Snake likes Jin. This has to be the case, it has to be.
This is perfect.
Jin's giddy and giggly, an overgrown fool as he scoops the mouse close with one tan paw. "Oh, thank you!"
Family?
“None.” He answered bluntly, with a bit of disdain in his voice as he thought about something.
Those stupid upwalkers never counted, anyway.
Snake watched as Jin took the food.
“You’re…” He hesitated a bit, for a reason even unknown to him “… Welcome.” Maybe the hesitation was caused by his lack of trust in others.
No way to be sure.
He sat down more comfortably as he awaited inevitable conversation.
This was the place everyone was gathering? This rundown— hold up, there wasn’t even anyone here. Sweetbriar stared at the mossy old train tracks on the ground. Okay fine, there was someone here, but that was it. Just one singular scent, not multiple overlapping as she’d expected.
Lungs burning, eyes watering, Sweetbriar lingered. Had she taken a wrong turn? Prey and safety and shelter could be anywhere, sure, but she was in no condition to fight someone off currently, not with the weakened state of her own body and the adrenaline finally leaking out. A glance down at her paws clarified that oh… her limbs were actually trembling with exhaustion. It was an odd feeling, because if she pressed her paws down hard into the earth they stopped shaking, but loosen up again and her forearm was involuntarily trembling.
She had reverted back to Cougarivy’s voice, forgoing Starrywisp’s as Sweetbriar only usually used that in lively, happier situations. Starrywisp had been a merry cat in life, so it was hard to use her voice to snarl at others. Dawnstar’s was kit’s play, too boring and easily mimicked. Cougarivy, meanwhile… “Hello? Does anyone live here?” A lilting call, an echo of the former Enforcer Commander.
Sweetbriar usually stuck to dead cats anyway. It was easier, but sometimes she’d adopt the speech habits of other cats, and they’d just escape her at random times. Recently she had been indulging in the guilty pleasure of reassuring herself Rushingpaw was safe by… talking to herself. In his voice and then a random voice. She wondered what her own voice sounded like. It’d been so long since she’d last used it she wasn’t sure she even knew how to anymore.
[ @nyme - Jin | Your fire starter has been snatched ]
I HAVE MY SHADOWS AND MY COLORS
AND THERE IS THE SMELL OF TIME PASSING
── ⋅ ⋅ ── ☽ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──
JIN . 20 MOONS . HE/HIM . LONER BEWITCHED
Jin's heart swells with pity. None. Oh, Snake. His poor, poor Snake. A wanderer with no family...Jin can't help but eagerly note, though, that is something they have in common. He also can't help but note that having no family means there are less cats who might come looking for someone. Which could mean anything, of course. Right now it just means that poor, dear Snake is clearly without the support that they—Jin is sure—need, the connection that might ground them. Maybe that's why this traveler wanders. Maybe it's in search of a family.
Jin's very happy to believe that. So happy that he holds off on asking just so he can entertain the thought anwhile longer. Instead, after savoring the mouse-half he'd been charitably gifted, his pale face lifts again and the questions continue: "What about friends, Snake? You must have friends."
Alright. Maybe a part of him doubts that. If Jin were free to wander, he doesn't think he'd ever go anyplace far from where his friends are; do most cats think the same? He doesn't see why they shouldn't. So if Snake has been to nowhere and anywhere and, perhaps, all wheres in-between—Jin's letting his imagination run just a bit—then which place has room for all of their friends?
He shifts in his place, oddly delighted by the hopeful guess that Snake may be without friends. It isn't that he wants a guest of his to be lonely; quite the opposite, in fact. Jin thinks he sees himself in his visitor. And if Snake is anything at all like him, then they'll want to stay here. Surely they will.
"Or...anyone. Do you have anyone?" He can't help but to press the matter, just to be sure. He's got such high hopes and he needs to be sure that they're not unfounded.
Jin's made it back deep enough into his home to no longer feel like a ghost in his own skin. He's just feverish now, shivery and unhappy, but the fear of burning alive and alone was bound to do that to him anyway. He's not sure if he's accepting his own fate with a noble temper or if he's just worn himsef out too badly to muster up a meltdown. A bit of both, likely. Jin doesn't consider himself to be particularly brave, but he's learned and knows well that resignation is often the wisest choice. The one that keeps you sane.
Or, something close to it.
Right now he's right where he started: in the storm drain. Usually he'd have made for the shed by now, a cozier and more comforting place, but he feels safe laying in the water here. Grimy and odd, yes—but safe. While Jin knows very little about fire, he's still seen it before; it and its aftermath. Fire is hot, and it is something voracious. Jin hopes it'll have a harder time hunting him if he stays here where it's cool and damp and hidden. The spiders still don't seem very worried, but then, he's not very sure what a worried spider would look like...
Does anyone live here?
What. Oh. Right. Right, right, he almost forgot what he'd done before he had to turn back. He lied. He hadn't wanted to have to come back and hide, alone, with the spiders (sorry, spiders). Jin hadn't entirely expected his lure to draw anyone but now that he knows it has he's quick to wobble to his feet, sloshing upright and, oughhh, his paws aren't the only thing sloshing. Jin's mind is mush between his ears. A familiar price. Nothing he should dwell on when there's a guest around, though.
He's happy. Thrilled, even. But means he has to keep his lie afloat somehow. There is no food here, and no shelter that he can guarantee won't soon be eaten by flames. While the foreboding faraway glow hasn't grown any brighter, any nearer, it also hasn't diminished, and that smoke-stink permeates all. Things don't look great. It's a good thing Jin's optimism borders on delusion or else he might've done something sensible, like hunker down and keep his mouth shut and let the poor wanderer drift off to find a more promising refuge.
Can't have that.
Despite a full-body ache and his genuine desire to just lay down in the muck and have a self-pity nap, Jin slouches out of the drain tunnel and hauls himself up the slope.
"Someone's here," he confirms to the wind. He's too tired to play sweet-voiced at first, only sounding brittle and haggard. Terrible manners. At least he won't need to remind himself to stoop and be small; he's already slumped, walking low like he means to hide away from everything but the guest. Dark eyes scan the tracks—where's his guest? There.
Sweetbriar is given a long look-over from a fair distance. Jin tries to think: someone's here now, so what can he say to keep her here longer? Nothing else matters but having someone else here. His lie worked. Now what? He's thinking, thinking—but now he's also grinning (when did that happen?), he's also laughing (oh, dear), he's just...so relieved. And still sick, and still shivery, and happy.
"Ha...haha—" Goodness, alright. Jin just needs a moment. "You—," no, that's wretched, try again; softer this time: "...you, need someplace. Someplace safe." It's a hoarse whisper. He hopes it's appealing enough. He hopes it isn't frightening. "It's here. It's here, I promise."
Jin has asked if Snake had friends, but right before he could answer, he asked if he had anyone.
His fur bristled for a moment, but he quickly calmed himself down.
It was just a question, no reason to be angry.
"No, not anymore." Snake answered. Though, it felt like he never really did, but he liked to pretend it had been real at some point.
I HAVE MY SHADOWS AND MY COLORS
AND THERE IS THE SMELL OF TIME PASSING
── ⋅ ⋅ ── ☽ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──
JIN . 20 MOONS . HE/HIM . LONER BEWITCHED
☽
Jin's made it back deep enough into his home to no longer feel like a ghost in his own skin. He's just feverish now, shivery and unhappy, but the fear of burning alive and alone was bound to do that to him anyway. He's not sure if he's accepting his own fate with a noble temper or if he's just worn himsef out too badly to muster up a meltdown. A bit of both, likely. Jin doesn't consider himself to be particularly brave, but he's learned and knows well that resignation is often the wisest choice. The one that keeps you sane.
Or, something close to it.
Right now he's right where he started: in the storm drain. Usually he'd have made for the shed by now, a cozier and more comforting place, but he feels safe laying in the water here. Grimy and odd, yes—but safe. While Jin knows very little about fire, he's still seen it before; it and its aftermath. Fire is hot, and it is something voracious. Jin hopes it'll have a harder time hunting him if he stays here where it's cool and damp and hidden. The spiders still don't seem very worried, but then, he's not very sure what a worried spider would look like...
Does anyone live here?
What. Oh. Right. Right, right, he almost forgot what he'd done before he had to turn back. He lied. He hadn't wanted to have to come back and hide, alone, with the spiders (sorry, spiders). Jin hadn't entirely expected his lure to draw anyone but now that he knows it has he's quick to wobble to his feet, sloshing upright and, oughhh, his paws aren't the only thing sloshing. Jin's mind is mush between his ears. A familiar price. Nothing he should dwell on when there's a guest around, though.
He's happy. Thrilled, even. But means he has to keep his lie afloat somehow. There is no food here, and no shelter that he can guarantee won't soon be eaten by flames. While the foreboding faraway glow hasn't grown any brighter, any nearer, it also hasn't diminished, and that smoke-stink permeates all. Things don't look great. It's a good thing Jin's optimism borders on delusion or else he might've done something sensible, like hunker down and keep his mouth shut and let the poor wanderer drift off to find a more promising refuge.
Can't have that.
Despite a full-body ache and his genuine desire to just lay down in the muck and have a self-pity nap, Jin slouches out of the drain tunnel and hauls himself up the slope.
"Someone's here," he confirms to the wind. He's too tired to play sweet-voiced at first, only sounding brittle and haggard. Terrible manners. At least he won't need to remind himself to stoop and be small; he's already slumped, walking low like he means to hide away from everything but the guest. Dark eyes scan the tracks—where's his guest? There.
Sweetbriar is given a long look-over from a fair distance. Jin tries to think: someone's here now, so what can he say to keep her here longer? Nothing else matters but having someone else here. His lie worked. Now what? He's thinking, thinking—but now he's also grinning (when did that happen?), he's also laughing (oh, dear), he's just...so relieved. And still sick, and still shivery, and happy.
"Ha...haha—" Goodness, alright. Jin just needs a moment. "You—," no, that's wretched, try again; softer this time: "...you, need someplace. Someplace safe." It's a hoarse whisper. He hopes it's appealing enough. He hopes it isn't frightening. "It's here. It's here, I promise."
"Someone's here." Sweetbriar didn't realize she was repeating the spoken words, mimicking them back in the same voice, until it was already done. Gah, damned instincts. Mismatched blue and amber eyes flitted to the approaching cat the second they came into view, and the former ShadowClanner had to bite her tongue to keep from recoiling. Habit. Not her fault.
"Who- What the bloody hells even happened to you? Had a brawl with the muck, innit?" She was more concerned than disgusted, actually. It was a tad fascinating. No, wait, this was off-topic. Someplace safe? Wait, had she heard wrong? Safety was fine, sure, but... Ah, yikes, she'd assumed on her own accord that there were others here. If there was a gathering of cats, there was a chance of her brother being here.
How was she to convey that now? Because what sort of guest would she be if she'd put her host through all this... hassle - a pointed glance towards the tom's bedraggled coat - and then walked away? She could leave after staying for a tiny bit, she supposed. Just until it wasn't rude. "Nevermind. Um, lead the way, I guess."
Re: GRAVELLY WAYPOINT ☆ OPEN
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