hadriel_logs | cold out there. [OPEN]

Who: Rey and You.
What: Wanting to get a lay of the land, Rey scouts northward.
Where: The tundra beyond the city.
When: December 13th-26th. As mentioned here, this log will overlap the Your Best Enemy event. Also feel free to date your tag in the subject line.
Warnings: None, other than the general Reyness stuff. Will update if needed!

I. 13th; Leaving

Those at the recent dance night might have noticed that, while the Speakeasy was alive with music and basic lighting to continue on as normal, it was harder to spot Rey within the establishment. That's because she had other matters to attend to, mostly spending her time down in the cellar and packing camping gear.

At least she isn't departing without warning. Those who she would never hear the end of if she ventured out on her own with not even a word of her whereabouts. Confusion might be back, but there's no guarantee that the phones will work after a certain distance is put between her and the city -- the GPS included.

Whether she is seen or accompanied, the scar-faced woman is seen with a large rucksack nearly half the size of herself strapped to her back, departing from the city limits. The size and

Her offer for those who wish to learn about survival in these conditions still stands, but that doesn't mean she is going to wait for them.

II. 15th-21st; Camping

On a planet with the longer nights, it's necessary to travel a bit longer in the dark. After a few miles, however, Rey swings her bag from her back, dropping it to the earth once she reaches an area of light snow and trees. For someone who appears to be dramatically under-dressed for the climate -- the usual tanktop, cargo pants, and combat boots -- even the late chill doesn't affect her. Most who know her would hardly be surprised; her body practically radiates heat as it is.

Despite this, she starts inspecting some of the plantlife. "Should be good enough for kindling."

Fire is always good for more than just warmth.

Whether you're stumbling upon the site -- a makeshift tent and campfire crackling at the center of the clearing -- or already there with her, she appears to be more interested in the sky than you.

Among the glistening twinkle of stars and the twin moons, colorful lights dance across the heavens, in various cool hues and shapes. For a moment, there is a sort of peace in Rey's soul, as she treasures the sight of a clear sky at night.

"Wonder if the people on this planet had a name for those stars..."

They mean something to her. Her brother was named after them. In a way, they remind her of him again, and she feels closer with her better half even when he isn't here.

III. Anytime; Scouting

The icy fields stretch out for so many more miles that it seems never-ending. It's been several days since she left the city, and walking on the bare minimum of her rations. Being what she is, she can function on minimal food and hours of sleep. Makes her more effective as an individual than with a scouting party, though she isn't opposed to the company.

"Haven't seen much in the way of fauna," Rey comments aloud, jotting down notes in a small notebook with a pen. She captures more doodles than descriptive passages. "Not surprising. This planet seems to be heading into its winter cycle."

She sticks the tail end of the pen in her mouth as her eyes dart up to the vast landscape. It's a good thing that she's not hungry, or she'd be dragging her feet while hallucinating grub in this barren place lacking thereof.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The quiet has never really bothered Rey. She's grown rather used to it with Nick around. Oftentimes a lot can be said without words, and she's thankful that he's someone who gets that, too.

As her eyes trace the pattern of the clear night sky overhead, Nick replies but she doesn't glance his way. She just scoffs at his comment, not shocked at all by the ever-present nature that is humanity.

"Guess we could start doing the same on this planet. Like those stars, see?" Rey points to the sky. "Doesn't that pattern look like a dog taking a shit?"

Eloquent as always, that's Rey.

Eloquent indeed, but her familiar crassness makes Nick smile as he glances upward, trying to see which batch of stars she might even be talking about.

"I could maybe make a dog out of some of those," he remarks. "The other part, I'll leave to you."

With his eyes already up there, he entertains another thought: "I wonder if one of these days, we'll get someone coming through the Door who recognizes some of these. The Null and the gods can't be the only ones out there in this place."

That arrangement is probably for the best, knowing how Rey can be.

At Nick's last comment, her attention casts back his way. "What, you mean like a local? Would be nice." She scoffs. "The gods were never very helpful with that sort of stuff."

Even when asking what to expect on this planet, what they ended up getting was pretty far off from the lifeless world they were expecting. Hell, it's not even that cold...

"Yeah. I think they've got it in their heads that they are being helpful sometimes, but even when they're not far off, there's always someone who'll tell them otherwise. Give them the wrong idea." That's not so bad for the more pragmatic gods, but it's got to be vexing for Hope, who seems hellbent on trying to please everyone as much as he can. Nick can relate to that in a lot of ways, as much as he might not want to admit it, but even he knows you can't make everyone happy.

He turns his attention back to his leg, reaching into his sack for a smaller screwdriver; he yanks his arm back half a second later as the bag lets out a low, rumbling weeeh.

Nick gives the bag an alarmed, albeit puzzled, look. "I know I didn't pack a friend when getting ready for this trip."

When it comes to the gods, Rey can be on the fence. Some have merited her ire whereas others her sympathy. It's a mixed bag, just like they are.

Hearing that familiar whine nearby, her head snaps in the direction of Nick reaching for the bag. Her eyes fall to the shifting inside.

"Wait, what?"

She rises from her spot so she can get closer to Nick's bag.

Nick doesn't even get the chance to answer before a long, skinny tail emerges like a charmed snake from the sack, twisting and curling as though it were looking in every direction. Next comes the ears, longer and wrinklier than a cat's have any business being. They're followed by the rest of Tripod's head, his single eye closed as he lets out a yawn. Apparently, he found being buried under some tools and spare parts was a suitable napping place.

"I closed you in the bedroom with food and water," Nick chides, his brow knitting as Tripod hops out of the bag and meanders toward Rey. "How in the world did you get in there?"

Rey starts to walk over until Tripod appears from his napping place, wide awake and already approaching her with vociferous greetings. She just blinks down at him for the next passing seconds before addressing Nick's question.

"You do remember that he can somehow crawl under doors, right?" Much like the time he squeezed into the bathroom when Rey was trying to wall herself from the feline.

No matter what, Tripod always finds a way.

Nick looks as though he'd kick himself if his leg weren't in pieces. "Damn. I'd forgotten he could do that."

Not that Tripod ever squeezed himself under doors for him, of course, but the cyclopean feline always did have a soft spot for Rey, and clearly he didn't want to be left alone while they went out of town. So much for that catsitter Nick had bothered to call.

"Atem's going to have kittens when he can't find you, you know," he continues; Tripod just continues to rub against Rey, either oblivious or uncaring to Nick's rebuke.

Please don't break yourself anymore than you already are, dad.

"Knew cats could squeeze into tighter spaces, but how the hell he does that is beyond me."

She looks down at Tripod, circling around her legs while rubbing his face against the brim of her combat boots. After a moment, she just sighs and scoops him into her arms. It's too damned cold out here for a hairless cat to be out in the open for long. Which is probably why he is drawn to Rey's body heat, pressing himself up against her as soon as he's in her arms.

Casting a glance towards the direction they came from and then back to Nick, Rey sighs. "This isn't how this was supposed to start, but... Too far to walk all the way back home now."

Her sigh is met with one from Nick himself. "Yeah. And I won't be in walking condition for another hour or so, anyway." He'd ask Rey for help, but her arms are immediately preoccupied as Tripod makes himself comfortable in them. He doesn't generate heat like the two of them, and without a layer of fur, he's going to be cold. It's no wonder he's been in the bag until now.

Nick looks back toward the sack, scooting over toward it and digging inside. After sliding around some tools and scavenged pieces, he pulls out a small blanket that had been nestled in the bottom, one that has a cat-shaped dent in it, currently.

"I brought this in case you needed it," he admits as he offers it to her, knowing good and well she wouldn't, but wanting to keep her protected anyway. "Guess it turns out you did." Sort of.

Now that's settled...

"Great. Looks like we got a travel cat, for the time being."

Rey's not sure how she feels about that. They don't know what they'll run into out here yet, and while she doubts Tripod will stray very far from them and get lost, she can't promise that she'll be able to keep an eye on him all the time.

She blinks at the blanket Nick offers, then takes it with her free hand so she can wrap the skinny kitty up inside with a muttered 'thanks'. It'll have to be much warmer this way than anything else, even cuddled up to her the way the cat is.

Ugh. What a pain...

"Sure does." Nick seems to be taking this a little better than Rey, actually cracking a smile as she wraps the cat up in the blanket. Tripod nestles tightly against her, perfectly content to be swaddled. He gets back to work on his leg, finding the shaft he needs in the bag.

"He managed to do just fine with the islands and being dragged over to the Speakeasy," he continues, finagling the part into place. "So long as we keep him warm, he'll probably do just fine out here, too. If need be, we can wrap him against me under my coat. Might not be the most comfortable spot, but when the main processor runs hot, I can't imagine he'll complain too much."

Nick has seen Tripod sit on the stove when it was turned on, and he didn't even budge. He's not exactly a normal cat.

cold out there. [OPEN]

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