Fear to See the World to Be

[soldiers_heart]

WHO: Omeeega, mothcat squad and anyone in Sh'Ka
WHERE: Sh'Ka
WHAT: Seeing things and trying not to be alone
WHEN: Mid-October/During the Storm
WARNINGS: N/A


I. Shoot the Breeze
While she's aware that Sh'Ka isn't exempt from those storms, it still feels like so long ago that she had last experienced one. Then again, for her it has been.

Omega only vaguely becomes aware of the possibility when she realizes the train hasn't been running normally. Or perhaps it was something about the air... Little things that she just can't put her finger on, but it's made her more wary.

"Stick close, Launch. You too, Dart," she informs her squad. The two mothcats glance back from where they've fluttered off ahead of her, inevitably turning forward again to resume their wandering. Omega sighs, rolling her eyes, but she can't help for a faint smile. Some things at least never changed. She reaches up to pat the mothcat perched on her shoulder before letting her hand fall over the bulging bag slung at her side where the tail of another mothcat sticks out. If he'd weighed as much as the space he occupied, she's certain her bag would have split at its seams by now.

"Come on. Back to the shelter," she says, head nodding towards the hotel building.


II. Wish You Were Here
Thunder rumbles above, but that's hardly Omega's concern as she hurries down the streets. For all that things had been quiet the past few days, nothing had actually happened. Today's caught her off guard, and she can only hope the rest of her squad is taking cover at the hotel.

Somehow she's gotten herself turned around though, and only now the girl realizes it. "It's okay, we just... We just need to go back," she says, glancing down at her bag and the fuzzy mothcat head sticking out from it.

Movement from somewhere ahead of them has her stop, and even though she knows her weapon's useless at the moment, she still pulls her energy bow from behind her, its solidness in her hand giving some mild comfort.

"Wh-who's there..?"

Her eyes widen as she sees them, a man in gray armor with a khaki kama about his waist, and in place of his right hand he has a scomp-link. "Echo?"

Comments

I

[stitch_witch]

She isn't the only one to see the darkening sky and look for shelter. Lark had been working in the greenhouse with Little Bear, and now that she saw the weather she gathered up some food and started off toward better shelter, one she felt more comfortable with.

Which meant the hotel. She arrived about as the girl was approaching and nodded to her.

"Sheltering from the weather? I was thinking of making soup. Would you join me in it?"

[soldiers_heart]

Omega breathes a sigh of relief to see someone else there. She watches as Launch and Dart flutter back at the sight of the large canine, not quite on edge but just a little wary. It's not long before they're on the ground, tails swishing lazily as they sniff in Little Bear's direction, curious. They're still young mothcats despite how big they've gotten.

"Yeah, it seems like a good idea," Omega says as she comes up beside the two, patting them reassuringly. She smiles then. "I'd love to."

[stitch_witch]

Little Bear of course sniffs back in their direction. He's so very large, a wolfhound with blonde curls, and after a moment he moves to lay on his belly, to seem smaller. A very sensible dog this one.

"Wonderful. I'm going to get a fire started."

Because food was always nice before bad weather.

[soldiers_heart]

That seems a clear enough invitation for the mothcats to come closer. Launch, living up to his name, goes right ahead and pounces the large dog, ready for play. Dart is quick to follow, and not long after, from Omega's shoulder, Trapper glides over to join them.

Satisfied that at least the three of them will be preoccupied, Omega smiles, nodding after Lark before starting after her.

[stitch_witch]

New friends! Little Bear's tail thumps joyously against the floor, but the dog is very careful not to move to scare them off. Little things are just easy to hurt and he is being careful.

"He'll be gentle with them," Lark smiles at Omega as she moves through the hotel to where she already had some fire wood brought in from another day of work.

[soldiers_heart]

Omega laughs. "I hope they're gentle with him." But at least the mothcats seem more than eager to make a new friend. Trapper pounces at the wagging tail.

"What kind of soup are we making?"

[stitch_witch]

"Oh dear, is that the bigger risk?" she asks with a chuckle. But doesn't seem too concerned. Nor does Little Bear, whose tail only thumps faster with delight at the pouncing.

"I brought some vegetables from the greenhouse. So just a nice bit of that."

[soldiers_heart]

"They're very fierce," the young clone insists. She slips her bag off her shoulder, setting it down on a table. Pulling the flap open, she reaches a hand in to stroke the poof of green fur already sticking out. "Come on Tumble, don't you think you've napped enough?"

The answer is no, never. There are never enough naps.

"Anything I can help with?" Omega asks as she turns towards Lark.

[stitch_witch]

"They seem it, but his fur is all thick and curly like that to make it harder to get at his skin I think."

But that might just be her speculation.

"Do you enjoy chopping vegetables?"

[soldiers_heart]

"I don't mind it," Omega says. She's actually quite happy to do such. She's certainly gotten better at handling a knife.

Tumble stirs from her bag, at least enough to poke his head out. He watches upside-down from there, debating on whether to get out the rest of the way or not. Laziest mothcat!

[stitch_witch]

"Wonderful," Lark says as she moves to her bag and the stone surface she was using for prep.

"Well hello there," she finds herself laughing at the lazy mothcat. "I hope you had a pleasant nap."

[soldiers_heart]

She's answered with a little prrt? and a minor attempt to squiggle out of the bag before deciding nope, he's fine there.

Omega smiles fondly at him. "It's Tumble's favorite pastime. At least I don't have to worry too much about what he gets into."

[stitch_witch]

"Just the bag," she laughs as she starts taking vegetables out of her own things so she can start cleaning them for cutting up.

II

[wearingthestars]

Another figure crosses her path in his own search for shelter, and Billy blinks, looking back behind him to try and see what Omega's looking at.

"Echo?" he repeats. Ohh. There's a guilty flush as Billy realizes what specter must be haunting her. "It's not him-" he offers softly.

[soldiers_heart]

It takes her a moment to place the face of the person who comes up then, and it's only a small comfort that they're not the only ones out there. Omega however still looks off towards the helmeted figure.

She hears a low, uncharacteristic growl coming from her bag and looks down at Tumble whose got his ears flattened back, and very slowly she looks back after the other clone as he begins to walk away. "...I know..." she says quietly to Billy, perhaps the mothcat too as she gently sets a hand on his head. Her expression is sad, longing as she watches 'Echo' go, brow furrowing then into something more angry.

"Why do they do this? What do they want?"

[wearingthestars]

Billy sighs, wishing he had an answer beside the obvious- to make us hurt.

"...I'm not sure," he says, "But...it does give us a way to see our loved ones again. As long as we know not to chase after them and...you know-" Get themselves lost or killed.

"You must miss him a lot..."

[soldiers_heart]

Omega hugs her bag and Tumble within it, close.

"I...think I remember it happening the first time I was here. Well, in Temba, anyway. I thought I saw Hunter. But it wasn't."

She sighs, looking after Echo, Tumble nuzzling her face as she watches the helmeted clone trooper glance back at her as if to ask 'you coming?'

"...I do. He left our squad just before I came back to this place. A different mission. But it just doesn't feel the same without him. I thought since I was back here, I'd be able to see him again but I found out he wasn't here anymore..."

[wearingthestars]

Hesitating a moment, Billy touches her shoulder with a comforting smile. "I know the feeling," he offers, "It's hard anytime we lose someone, but this place makes it harder. I didn't know him super well, but we uh-...we got into some trouble once. He seemed like a good guy."

[soldiers_heart]

She wipes at her eyes, breathing a laugh at that.

"The squad gets into a lot of trouble, but...that's how we get out of trouble too." She smiles a little as she looks back at Billy. "He's been through a lot. But still, he never gives up."

[wearingthestars]

Face twisting with sympathy, Billy returns the smile and nods. "Seems like a pretty determined guy. I'm sure you'll see him again once you go home for good."

Maybe it's not right to make those kind of promises, but they need that kind of hope to hold onto in this place.

[soldiers_heart]

Omega certainly clings to it. "Yeah..." Echo and the rest of her brothers, her family.

The mothcat in her arms finally seems to relax a little, but she still hugs him close.

"Maybe we should go inside somewhere... I hope everyone in Temba is okay."

[wearingthestars]

Inside's a good idea, and Billy nods with a guilty look at the mention of Temba. "...We've been through this before. They'll be all right. Little shaken up, but all right," he assures, testing the door and scanning the interior before waving Omega inside.

"...What's the cat's name?" he asks, trying to distract from...well...everything.

[soldiers_heart]

She may not remember it very well, the time spent here before she'd been sent back and then returned, but Omega recalls enough. People here are resilient, and even though terrible things happen, they still prove stronger for it. At least she thinks they do.

"Oh, this is Tumble." She smiles a little, petting the mothcat's head. "He's usually calmer, napping is his favorite pastime. I don't think he likes the storm either. ...I hope the rest of the squad are okay."

[wearingthestars]

"Tumble, huh?" Billy smiles, and tentatively reaching to pet the mothcat. He's never had a pet, and he's always a little unsure around them. "You have a whole squad worth? I guess these guys breed pretty fast, don't they. They're pretty cute. I'm sure they're all fine, animals usually handle this stuff better than we do."

[soldiers_heart]

The mothcat sniffs at Billy's hand before pushing his nose into it with a tiny lick. Omega laughs.

"Well, there's three others- Dart, Trapper and Launch. They usually join me on patrols. I know they can take care of themselves but I still can't help but worry."