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[postictal]

. . .

( private action | private correspondence via stone of farspeech )

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mid july

[catpiper]

[Look, she had been asleep for the last few hours, having nice dreams about cats and stuff, when she was jostled awake by-

A thought. An idea. And she slowly rolls herself out of the comfy tent with the full intent of sharing that thought right now, even though it's in the middle of the gd night. Sorry, Tim. She's got a q for u.]

Are you awake? Are your eyes tired?

[postictal]

[Tim is, indeed, very awake. It's hard to sleep on Umui - no harder than usual, to be fair. But the frozen lumps of the passive, still automatons sitting couched in flowers feels a little bit too much like being watched.]

Wide awake. [There's almost no hesitation. He was staring at the star-speckled sky when Ren's voice pipes up from his stone, and his response comes just as easily:]

Are you?

[catpiper]

Yes, my eyes weren't tired anymore, so I woke up.

[His immediate answer doesn't surprise her. It's like that whenever she calls him and it's part of the reason she seeks him out this time to night. He might want to learn how to ignore her after this little discussion because the question that tumbles out of her mouth, the reason she had to speak to him right now, is-

It's something.]

Did cats play instruments with you in school?

[postictal]

[The non sequitur is no longer something that takes him off guard. Tim multi-tasks; digging in his pocket for another cigarette while picking out the words for an answer.]

What gave you that idea?

[catpiper]

I had a dream about it. The cats were whistling with the grass and it sounded pretty.

[Which, naturally, means Tim could've had some kind of feline companion on campus. It might not have been a traditional cat, but there could be things like that going on at a school. What does she know??]

[postictal]

No cats here. Or in school.

[Which is a shame; he thinks a couple cats might make this place feel a little less...off. But then, the absolute silence has always been unnerving to him in ways that are too apparent, given his history.]

Just flowers, and a bunch of dead robots.

[catpiper]

[Oh, so he's on Umui. And here she thought he'd be nice and cozy in his islet shack this time of night. At least bring a cat or two if you're gonna explore that place, gosh.]

Are you alone?

[postictal]

[He hums to the contrary.]

Got a couple people here along with me. We're sticking together. What about you?

[catpiper]

I'm home. I'm not on that island.

[It's a mess of labs and bizarre letters and she kind of hates it. The flowers are pretty though, despite their potentially spooky origin.]

That place doesn't scare you?

[postictal]

[He takes a moment to consider that. Scared? Not especially. Unnerved? Probably. When isn't he, though? When isn't on edge, chasing the edges of his own paranoia?]

I wouldn't wanna vacation here, but nothing's happened yet.

[catpiper]

[Something could happen, Tim. That's the whole ding dang problem. It was fun to try looting the place for treasure for the .2 seconds she thought this place was simply flower isle, but fear overcame her pretty fast once she noted what these buildings were. How does that not spook him? He's made of tougher stuff than her, that's for sure.]

Okay, but you have to run away if something happens. If there's a scary noise, you have to come back.

[postictal]

Nothing's bothered us yet. Nothing but flowers and old buildings.

[And private panic attacks held in old hospital research centers, but no one needs to know that.]

I'll let you know if anything jumps out at us. Okay?

[catpiper]

[Yet being the keyword in all of this. That's fine. Just stay mcheckin alive Tim&co.]

I'll listen for your voice in this rock. It's okay if it's very late or very early-I'll still hear you.

[There's a pause and then-]

You don't have to run away if it's a cat, but you can call me for that too.

[postictal]

You gonna hike all the way here for a cat?

[All told, it isn't surprising. He's also rather grateful for the fact that this is probably overwhelmingly unlikely as far as he's concerned; he hasn't seen a single living creature here besides those who have fanned out to venture across the island.]

[catpiper]

Yes.

[There's no hesitation in her voice. If there's a cat, the island's fine and she can roam to her heart's content-those are the rules. It'll be a beacon of feline hope in these dark, dark times.]

I'll run there and we can play with it.

[postictal]

I wouldn't hold your breath, but I'll...uh, I'll let you know.

[She knows what that saying means, right? He...sure hopes she does.]

[catpiper]

[No, she freaking doesn't Tim. There's a long pause on her end.]

I need air, so I won't do that. Don't hold your breath either-you need that stuff too.

[postictal]

It's an expression. It means, uh...you probably shouldn't wait for something that might not happen.

[TRYING TO LET HER DOWN GENTLY, the fact that there probably are not any felines here, because he hasn't seen anything living other than a fucking shitload of flowers.]

[catpiper]

[Joke's on him, she's always rooting for cats. They might not show themselves, but that doesn't mean they aren't there.]

The cats will come out when it's safe. It's okay if they want to hide until it's not scary anymore.

[It might be scary 2k4ever though. There's another pause, and then-]

I won't hold my breath.

[postictal]

I don't think there are any cats on this island, kiddo.

[Just to be frank here - he hasn't seen anything that's resembled so much as the remains of any kind of...prey or predator animal. It's not a dissonance he welcomes.]

[catpiper]

[Thinking isn't knowing and she heckin knows.]

There is, but they'll stay where it's safe. I think they're in a sewer or-

[That's a great place to hide and where your friendly neighborhood local cats'll be hanging out.]

By a dam. That's where they'll be. We have to find those things and they'll be there.

[postictal]

I don't think there's any of that around here either. Sewers or dams, I mean.

[He's seen nothing to suggest irrigation, or means of watering these plants, or...well, that's a thought, actually. How have they flourished without any care?]

[catpiper]

[The island could be huge enough to house one. She lowkey hopes no one explores far enough to find a gigantic dam, but if they do? They're in the kitty money or there could be a building with some cats around it. The possibilities are endless.]

You have to find the big round lid to get into the sewer. The flowers might cover that thing.

[postictal]

Wouldn't you hear running water or something?

[Maybe sewers are different where she comes from. Him? He's good. He's traversed enough cramped spaces, tunneled pipes, and underground networks to last him a lifetime, thanks.]

[catpiper]

You have to go down the ladder and then you can hear it.

[Stumbling on that place had been a stroke of good luck and kitty fortune. It's not like she knew there was water there, initially. The sewers are a weird, dangerous and shockingly safe place.]

The cats will be there to help.