LV 3
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HP: 485
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STR: 08 (+21)
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DEX: 00 (+08)
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CON: 00 (+77)
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THYME? IS
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Post by Comic on Sept 23, 2016 10:26:18 GMT -6
She didn't intend to get stuck on a dumb fetch quest after logging in, but that was what happened when you fucked around without reading instructions. Comic had hardly gotten settled into the odd sensation that this system felt as she had logged in when some older lady began to pester her - what? Cats, lost? Rain? She stood there with a look of confusion and indifference and, indeed, momentarily forgot it was a game environment - she was about ready to give her the patented Comic treatment when the quest prompt hit her HUD.
Oh.
Groaning, she read the fine print - fetch some kittens before it rained. A timed fetch quest, it seemed. However - the catch was that this wasn't a solo quest, despite its appearances, and she had no idea how to remove the notification from her HUD. Stuck at an impasse, it seemed she would have to wait for someone else to free her from this misery and help her catch some tail. Comic sat her ass down on the street, back to the lady's fence, and waited.
Alkaid /// quest prompt
Last Edit: Sept 23, 2016 10:27:14 GMT -6 by Comic
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LV 2
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HP: 140
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STR: 01 (+5)
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DEX: 01 (+5)
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CON: 2 (+6)
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Benetnasch IS
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Post by Alkaid on Sept 23, 2016 11:39:32 GMT -6
Alkaid knew exactly what she was getting herself into today, and that was supposed to be tons of questing and ass kicking, but--.
Pigs were assholes. There were tougher enemies around than the angry little porkers, and though they were the weakest, so were her skills. That, and she had not exactly acclimated with the whole virtual reality shtick yet. Alkaid was essentially the kid left flat on her back when the football was yanked away at the last minute, and after being bested twice in a row, she decided a small break was in order.
She told herself and anyone who dared to ask that she was focusing on the more technical details; a ruse to shield her pride from further assault. And what better use than to ensure the quests and NPCs were not glitching out? There were plenty of other idiots to test out the combat system and work out the kinks for her.
The first quest toting NPC to catch her eye was some old broad, offering something so bizarrely easy. But it was the flaming haired girl sitting outside the house that encouraged her to stay, though mostly due to the quest needing a party.
Adverse to the whole "Hey pal, wanna party up, wink wink, nudge nudge, fingerguns" tactic of most players, Alkaid nudged the redhead's foot with her own. "Come on. I need a wingman, and you're the only nerd around."
Comic
Last Edit: Sept 23, 2016 11:41:20 GMT -6 by Alkaid
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LV 3
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HP: 485
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STR: 08 (+21)
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DEX: 00 (+08)
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CON: 00 (+77)
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THYME? IS
OFFLINE
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Post by Comic on Sept 23, 2016 12:11:41 GMT -6
Comic had zoned during her wait - eyes glazed, hair obscuring her view, and viewing nothing but her feet. This was a past time she was quite skilled at; spending hours on end in a state of disassociation was practically a talent at this point. The number of times she had missed her shift or important meetings... truth be told, she tried not to dwell on that part too much. She considered just logging out, relogging, and getting rid of the quest that way, but her train of thought was derailed as another foot met her own.
Look up, look at her, squint, curl your nose, look confused. She did all that and more in a moment's notice, taking in a few things but keeping them to herself. She pulled herself up and to her feet before responding, looking around and then making a shrugging face. "Okay. Sure." This was better than wasting her first day away.
A few things occurred to her. How do you make a party, for quest acceptance...? She moved her hands to open up her HUD menu, but scanning it didn't show anything outright to her. A noise of concern escaped her closed mouth and she tried to avoid the other player's gaze. This wasn't doing her any favors or making her look good.
Alkaid
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LV 2
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HP: 140
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STR: 01 (+5)
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DEX: 01 (+5)
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CON: 2 (+6)
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Benetnasch IS
OFFLINE
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Post by Alkaid on Sept 23, 2016 13:13:25 GMT -6
Alk had half-expected to be turned down, and would shrug it off like always, if that were the case. She knew how she could be at times, and was always prepared to snap back. Red here didn't seem like the snappy type so far, but she'd heard how volatile redheads could be, and was not going to lower her guard. Asserting dominance was more her style.
So when Red appeared to be dicking around after accepting the vocal invitation, Alkaid got a little impatient. "What are you doing over there?" It didn't help that the girl wouldn't look her in the eye, either. That was too sneaky for Alk's taste, and her first instinct was to sneak a peek at Red's menu.
"Hey! We're burning daylight." If Red moved to evade, Alkaid would only invade more. It was like the time she tried to help her old man set up his first smartphone, and he was too stubborn to show her the amount of tabs he'd inadvertently opened on his mobile browser. "Come on, Red. Don't tell me you're actually a virgin. Flick the two person icon, and look for party request or whatever it's called." Most games tried to be user friendly with their icons, though some managed to overdo it.
Comic
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LV 3
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HP: 485
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STR: 08 (+21)
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DEX: 00 (+08)
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CON: 00 (+77)
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THYME? IS
OFFLINE
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Post by Comic on Sept 23, 2016 13:32:30 GMT -6
Fidgeting with her menu called out too much attention, it seemed. She was hardly a moment into it, finger hovering, before the other crowded into her space. The shorter girl was suddenly all up in her grill, so to speak, and Comic flinched back and pulled her arms up - in her neighborhood, you didn't just let people approach like that. Her discomfort was apparent, and her face twisted back into some level of disgust at how close this chick was getting and the way she was talking to her.
She listened to the party explanation and pulled away a step, finding and accepting it. She turned on her heel to her - Alkaid? - as the HUD updated. "Fuck off with the Red stuff. This isn't my first game, just my first VR." Arms crossed, trying to gather as much height and posture as possible. She was determined to keep up a front and not be seen as lesser by someone else, let alone this girl.
Meanwhile, some kind of notification blinked about quest acceptance. Seems like the cats were out of the bag now, just waiting for them to go a-hunting.
Alkaid
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LV 2
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HP: 140
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STR: 01 (+5)
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DEX: 01 (+5)
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CON: 2 (+6)
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Benetnasch IS
OFFLINE
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Post by Alkaid on Sept 23, 2016 15:45:27 GMT -6
This bear did not need a lot of poking to be roused, it looked like. Alkaid was not going to be so easily intimidated, however. Red was taller, and likely the sort you wouldn't want to bump into in a dark alley, but this was a game. What was she gonna do? Grief her? Good thing she could log out and or block people.
Alkaid placed her hands on her hips, puffed her chest out, and stood on the tip of her toes. She lasted a few seconds before feeling utterly ridiculous. She wasn't convinced at all that this wasn't Firefighter Comic's first rodeo, but fighting over it was a dumb waste of time. "Fine then, Comic." She almost expected something...tougher.
"Fine then, Comic." Someone as tall as Red should be out playing b-ball and dunking on shorties. "If this isn't your first game, I guess you'd know where virtual cats mingle?" Her first guess would be to check fish markets and warm patches of grass. Or alleys. Cats were alright, but she preferred snakes and rodents, and could easily point someone in the right direction for them.
Comic
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LV 3
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HP: 485
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STR: 08 (+21)
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DEX: 00 (+08)
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CON: 00 (+77)
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THYME? IS
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Post by Comic on Sept 23, 2016 15:56:07 GMT -6
The posturing was almost bird-like; they both stood there in that moment, trying to out-big the other. It was... very silly, but also, very important to accomplish. In fact, the pointlessness of the task seemed to make it more important to accomplish; the fact that Alkaid even tried to do it made it a challenge worth taking.
It didn't stop Comic from feeling like a redheaded fool afterwards.
"Cats should just be in the area, right? I mean, we've got... what is that, ten minutes?" She tried to move her head to follow the HUD at first; after failing, she moved just her eyes and found the active quest information. "Ten minutes, three cats? They have to be local..."
She scratched at her chin, wondering where to go from there, looking from the old lady NPC to the road. Feet might as well be used for walking, and she begin in a singular direction, moving her gaze to alleys and at the boxes littering the area. If only she was an animal person...
Alkaid
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LV 2
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HP: 140
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STR: 01 (+5)
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DEX: 01 (+5)
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CON: 2 (+6)
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Benetnasch IS
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Post by Alkaid on Sept 23, 2016 17:12:16 GMT -6
Now that they were done trying to out big each other, Alkaid felt comfortable relaxing into a less imposing posture. She even went so far as to tuck her hands behind her waist, gaze trained above Comic's head. From what she knew of cats, they loved to show off their ease at scaling buildings and trees. This often led to the younger and inexperienced ones getting stuck.
"Well, that narrows it down." If they were really this close, finding them would be a cinch. It would be even easier if they were dumb dogs. A dog was too curious for its own good, and eager to make new friends -- or tell strangers to get out of its territory. With cats, you had to hope they gave a damn, but fooling a virtual cat was different.
Walking abreast of Comic, but with her head turned to the side, Alkaid squared her shoulders. "Here, kitty kitty," she cooed in a high octave. Embarrassing, but the false sincerity rewarded her with a curious meow.
The cat peeked at her from around a corner, bright blue eyes dulling when it failed to recognize her. With a lazy flick of its tail, the cat turned to walk off in the opposite direction. As much as Alk wanted to run after it, the sudden movement would only scare it away. She inclined her head at Comic. "Easy." The girl trotted after the cat, confident the others would be nearby.
Comic
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LV 3
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HP: 485
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STR: 08 (+21)
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DEX: 00 (+08)
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CON: 00 (+77)
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THYME? IS
OFFLINE
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Post by Comic on Sept 23, 2016 17:25:18 GMT -6
The ease at which Alkaid went about this quest was growing a ball in the pit of her stomach, which grew larger in conflict. On one hand, Alkaid was the one actually putting in effort and actually called out to the cat - perhaps she actually owned one before, or a pet of any kind. Some people also just... had a thing for animals. Impossible to tell without asking for those irl deets. On the other hand, Comic didn't like the idea of Alkaid getting all of the credit for completing the quest, and when she went for the one revealed cat, Comic marched off down the street to try to find the next on her own.
She somewhat hoped that Alkaid would get a scratch or two, but it was doubtful this quest would try that kind of thing on them so soon. It was only the first town, after all - right?
Not actually waiting to see if her companion would fetch the kitty or not, she moved into one of the other side-alleys on her own volition, moving between the assorted stacks of boxes and hardware. What did you have to do? Call out, or what? "Come on, don't make me look all day..."
Nothing, but that's what poor attempts get you.
Alkaid
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LV 2
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HP: 140
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STR: 01 (+5)
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DEX: 01 (+5)
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CON: 2 (+6)
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Benetnasch IS
OFFLINE
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Post by Alkaid on Sept 24, 2016 12:49:56 GMT -6
Alkaid was a little too occupied with her charge to wonder how Comic was faring. As far as she was concerned, the cats were already "in the bag". Level one fetch quests like these were designed to familiarize the player with the system, after all.
As expected, the curious kitten was rolling around the alley, batting at a ragged piece of cloth. Tiny black paws held the scrap close to its body. It blinked up at her with clear blue eyes, before continuing with its play. That cat saw no reason to treat Alkaid as a threat, not when she was merely observing it. It was too young and dumb to realize just how cruel the world could really be.
The girl masked her demeanor with an air of indifference, the very behavior that attracted most cats. The fur balls were more likely to flee from the enthusiastic and grabby, something Alk could easily relate to. Occasionally the cat paused to fix its gaze on her, small body splayed out in a lazy flop.
It lifted its head to mew inquiringly at the girl, now standing a few inches away. Alkaid winced as the kitten's sharp claws attempted to dig into the sole of her boot. The cat twisted its head from side to side, trying and failing to gnaw through the material. "Gotcha."
"Mrow?" A pink tongue poked out of its mouth when it was seized by the scruff, and hoisted into the air as though by a mama cat. The meowed again, louder, until Alkaid was cradling it in her arms. She winced as small teeth nipped at her arm, but there was a look of triumph on her face. "You having any luck, Red?" Red. Comic. Commie.
Comic
Last Edit: Sept 24, 2016 12:51:07 GMT -6 by Alkaid
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LV 3
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HP: 485
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STR: 08 (+21)
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DEX: 00 (+08)
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CON: 00 (+77)
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THYME? IS
OFFLINE
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Post by Comic on Sept 24, 2016 13:29:40 GMT -6
Comic's attempts at pacifying the pussycats was... less than optimal. She had no idea how to treat one; she went at it rigid, quick, unable to predict movements or just how they could turn in your grip to scratch and bite and scurry away. It was because of that unfortunate truth that Comic's arms were now covered in claw marks; her own hit points were unharmed within the safe zone of the town, but the sensation was still quite painful. Fuck having a pet...
The kitten she had been clawing after was scurrying out of the alley now, towards Alk's position; matching the timing of being asked how she was. Disregarding the nickname - it frustrated her at best, due to her hair color already being an unfortunate target for attention - she came out of the alley in a side step, spotting the cat and taking a dive. A face full of ground and earth, but no cat; it dashed out of grasp. The only sound she could pull up to make was a frustrated growl, slamming a fist down.
Alkaid
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LV 2
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HP: 140
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STR: 01 (+5)
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DEX: 01 (+5)
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CON: 2 (+6)
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Benetnasch IS
OFFLINE
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Post by Alkaid on Sept 25, 2016 11:08:46 GMT -6
Alkaid stepped back as a frightened cat and frustrated redhead came barreling out of the alleyway, ending with the human outwitted. The cat shied away from the other girl, back arched and tail as thick as a coon's. "Don't fuck with me," was what its body language said. "Cats one, Comic zero." She decided that Comic was definitely a dog person. They responded better to being chased, though she wouldn't advise doing so.
She lowered herself into a squat, not to comfort Comic or anything, but to make herself less imposing to the agitated kitten. "Don't laugh, but there's this English proverb about catching more flies with honey than vinegar." The cat flinched when she extended a hand towards it, but as the seconds ticked by without her moving, it soon became curious. "Cats are shy, and they don't like to be grabbed or chased. If you treat them like prey animals, they're going to fight or run."
She was speaking more as someone who owned a snake, but Comic didn't need to know that. Her python was upgraded to a frozen mouse diet, thanks to his last live mouse nearly scratching an eye out. That sort of logic worked well with other animals, and some humans as well. If you bullied an unstable person to the point where they thought they needed to use deadly force to protect themselves, well…
The riled up kitten was now rubbing its face against her finger. Alkaid was confident she could pick it up, if she tried. "See? We don't have a lot of time to be too patient with the last one, but there's no use in being too hasty, either." The world would be simpler if people and animals were easier to boss around. It would also be incredibly dull.
Comic // Sorry for the delay
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LV 3
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HP: 485
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STR: 08 (+21)
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DEX: 00 (+08)
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CON: 00 (+77)
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THYME? IS
OFFLINE
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Post by Comic on Sept 25, 2016 12:34:10 GMT -6
She pulled herself to her feet, slowly, making sure to take a step back and give the animals some berth - quest partner included. If these cats were going to be such a pain, she wasn't going to put up with it as long as she could stand - just knowing that her approach was all wrong was enough to heat up that slow pot of annoyance and failure. It shouldn't have mattered - it was just a bunch of kittens, and they weren't even real. But the fact that this was something simple that she couldn't do right off the bat was enough to cloud her judgement on it.
Alkaid explained some English mumbo jumbo and how she shouldn't treat the cats like prey, more or less. That was... fair. Comic had been going at this like she was trying to hunt them down, not gather them up, and now Alk more or less had the leash on two of them. Comic decided to try it out, and kneeled; hand out towards the kitten eating up fingertips. A few moments, a bit of hesitancy, but soon the redhead had a single furball in one arm. It nipped, but that was acceptable pain for what she now had.
"One more."
Alkaid /// never apologize to me or my small son ever again
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LV 2
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HP: 140
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STR: 01 (+5)
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DEX: 01 (+5)
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CON: 2 (+6)
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Benetnasch IS
OFFLINE
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Post by Alkaid on Sept 26, 2016 10:02:32 GMT -6
Alkaid waited for the cat to take to Comic, and neatly disengaged. The squirming fur ball in her arms was pawing incessantly at her shoulder, demanding attention. She winced as it tangled its paws into her long mass of black hair, and tried to ignore the nibbling that followed. Her poor hair. Well, her avatar's hair. It was still gross, feeling her with the nagging need to wash and condition the cat saliva out.
There was a brief lull after Comic's comment, broken by the sounds of a struggle -- and mewling cries for help. The unfortunate victim manifested a moment later, losing a fight with a paper bag. The kitten's back side and hind legs kicked helplessly against the ground and air in desperation. Alk reckoned that most cats would simply back out of the bag and be on their way, but not this one.
With a sigh, she moved to seize the violently thrashing bag. Cat and an apple core tumbled onto the ground, the former wide eyed and staring. It barely had a moment to blink before it was scooped up and nestled in the crook of an arm. This one tried to climb over her arm and onto the ground, but Alkaid wasn't having it. "Go missing on your own time, Müll Katze." They weren't going to get much for wrangling kitties, but it was something.
Comic // She called it a trash kitty
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LV 3
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HP: 485
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STR: 08 (+21)
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DEX: 00 (+08)
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CON: 00 (+77)
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THYME? IS
OFFLINE
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Post by Comic on Sept 26, 2016 13:32:32 GMT -6
Her own red cascade of hair was becoming a mess of kitten claws and bites. It was extremely intolerable - Comic's face was constantly wincing in pain and anguish, and she tried to pull back, only to make it worse. Comic decided then and there that she would never deal with cats again. This was as bad as that girl last weekend who thought scratching was acceptable.
By the time she was done trying to process the pain and cup the kitten's head in her hand - more or less shoving it into her elbow - the final kitten was already in Alk's reach. Two to one, it seemed, would be the score on kitten corralling. That was acceptable, given how carrying just one of these things was painful. She did pick up something that wasn't understood - foreign language. Perhaps a mixed demographics parent, like herself.
". . . i guess that's that." She felt the kitten bite down. ". . . i guess we turn it in." Another bite, another wince. This was getting old.
Alkaid /// trash katz
Last Edit: Sept 26, 2016 14:26:10 GMT -6 by Comic
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