the knife is gingerly taped between her shoulder blades, just below her gem. she's thought of options, of ways to avoid repeating the previous scenario. this can end normally for everyone - though clearly she'll have to take more caution around miss jeane than she anticipated. ]
Mr. Travis. [ it's a polite acknowledgment - not quite brusque, but certainly less affable than the first go round. that said, though she is repeating her actions precisely, her focus on jeane is still entirely genuine.
she gasps when jeane speaks, smiling wide and delighted. ]
How wonderful! I'm glad you know better than to take insults from someone like him. [ she reaches forward, to jeane's head - hesitates once again, giving the impression of propriety - even draws her hand back again. ] Ah, I know he just said, but is it alright if I...?
Oh, knock yourself out. I like it behind the ears. [Just as before, the top of Jeane's head bumps against Satoko's palm; the cat purrs, urging her to continue petting. Travis snorts.]
See? I told you she likes girls.
[Once more, Travis drapes his arm over the bench. If he stretched his fingers out a little straighter, just a few inches further, he might touch her shoulder-- but Travis isn't some creep, especially not to some teenage girl he's simply introducing to his cat. Instead, he takes in that warm sun beaming down. The faint breeze of the late spring. Again, he recalls Kimmy Howell and her childish innocence. Until she pulled a weapon on him, anyway, but it'd been refreshing while it lasted.
Why is he thinking about Kimmy, again?]
So, Satoko.
[Jeane tilts her head up to afford Satoko access to the underside of her chin. Travis' eyes are on her, not Satoko, when he poses his question. It's no big deal, just some small talk. Maybe he could even get this kid to catsit one day.]
[ once more, satoko doesn't hesitate in giving jeane the scritches, extra ear love and all. this isn't the part she's worried about, at least. ]
As well she should! Young men are so brutish with their affections, are they not? [ she considers her options as she rubs at the base of jeane's ears. her earlier response, even in jest, had ended up costing her dearly. for now, she should answer directly and forthcomingly - as a teenager, not one who lives in loops. ] Miss Jeane is a discerning woman, clearly!
[ right. and here she is - the moment of divergence, the roll of the dice she intends to tamper with. rather than a smug grin, this time it's a casual indifference. ]
I wouldn't say long, exactly. Though certainly longer than I thought we'd be kidnapped for... [ scritch, scritch, scritch. ] It's been three whole months now. Time's certainly passed by quicker ever since Rika arrived.
[ the blush on her face, the fond smile - neither of those are acted, at least. ]
[Both Travis and Jeane remain content, wholly ignorant; Jeane shuts her eyes, Travis leans back on the bench, relaxing.]
Ha! Sure is. You two look like you're best buds already.
[Jeane breaks away from Satoko's attentive scritches and rubs herself against the girl's leg all over again. Travis follows her with his eyes, expression fond, as she hops onto the bench, settling comfortably against Satoko's thigh. Jeane's a smart cat, more perceptive than most-- and that'd been well before she somehow figured out how to speak. If she's already fond of Satoko, she has to be all right. Right?]
So Rika's your girlfriend, huh.
[Satoko speaks about her with such affection that even Travis can feel that warmth. It's cute, really. He chuckles and gives her a genuine smile.]
She sounds like something special. You're really lucky, getting to spend time with her here... even if we are still technically stuck.
Edited (my html fail ate HALF THE TAG) 2021-06-04 07:11 (UTC)
...mm. That's right. The most beautiful girl in this city, I've no doubt. [ an extra rub just under the ears; satoko leans in with a grin. ] Perhaps Miss Jeane can confirm it for us another time.
[ she glances down at jeane again, still smiling as she answers. ]
And... I suppose I am, yes. [ her thumb runs over the cat's ear, gently, delicately. ] One mustn't take these things for granted, after all. And who can say? Even with all the hubbub of this place, perhaps it isn't so bad as long as she's around.
Oh, yeah. [he scoffs, raising an eyebrow down at Jeane.] She's definitely gonna wanna be the judge of that, but she thinks all girls are cute, to be honest. You can totally catsit her one of these days, just hit me up if you and Rika want.
[Jeane relishes in all the extra attention, simply purring her contentment. Travis watches her fondly and continues without waiting for an answer.]
It helps a lot, though... not being alone. Might sound silly, but getting to call Jeane out here makes everything feel more like home for me, y'know? I've had her since she was a kitten. Even if a couple people from home eventually showed up with me, it didn't feel right without her by my side.
[Having a partner here, however... is a whole other can of worms, so he'll pointedly avoid that...]
Goodness, the two of you have quite the bond then! [ a polite but not ingenuine chuckle; she finally pulls back her hand, not wanting to overstay her welcome. ] Honestly, it's much the same with Rika. The first month in this place was simply miserable. We'd lived together since we were young, so...
[ a beat. she chuckles, speaking without even a hint of malice: ]
I didn't sleep at all the first night I was here without her! It took a few days of setting up traps around the house before I managed to sleep at all.
[ she's working so hard on not being suspicious, but this is something that simply doesn't occur to her. she is a trapmaster, after all. this is what she does! why would something so elegant as traps be suspicious? ]
[He's all too happy to listen politely to her story about Rika: childhood friends to a romance, how sweet. But, of course, it's the mention of traps that both he and Jeane stumble over this time. Jeane utters a trilling chirp as she looks up at Satoko-- puzzled, but not quite on her guard just yet. Travis himself raises an eyebrow, looking from the girl to the cat and back to the girl again.]
Traps?
[It's... odd, but surely there's some logical explanation for it. World full of blood-sucking monsters. Puzzle VN. Extremely big fan of Home Alone. He's seen all sorts of shit in the few months of being on Noctium alone, much less his whole life.]
Don't tell me you and Rika came from somewhere that was that dangerous.
[ okay, if she's given away over something as completely sensible as trapping her house, she's going to have to figure out a convincing lie real quick. it's not weird to set traps!! anyone could do it! she's talked to the network about this before!! ]
...mm, ah, it wasn't that dangerous? [ now that is a bald-faced lie - a lie with one hundred years of experience to the contrary. ] There was... um, there was an incident, when we were much younger. But past that, it's really nothing so strange as that. I just... Needed something to distract myself with, so...
[ she's going to have to reset again, isn't she? ]
Dunno. Not like a security system's that out of the realm of possibility. But traps? That's a little weird.
[Maybe Satoko's just weird. Or needed some sorta hobby. It doesn't have to mean that she's as paranoid as the whole trap deal sounds without context. Travis' expression is quizzical, nonetheless; he reaches over to scratch under Jeane's chin as he contemplates the way the young girl trails off.]
Somebody broke into your house or something? Stuff like that happening is pretty scary. The idea of home not being safe can really wig you out.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
2/2
the knife is gingerly taped between her shoulder blades, just below her gem. she's thought of options, of ways to avoid repeating the previous scenario. this can end normally for everyone - though clearly she'll have to take more caution around miss jeane than she anticipated. ]
Mr. Travis. [ it's a polite acknowledgment - not quite brusque, but certainly less affable than the first go round. that said, though she is repeating her actions precisely, her focus on jeane is still entirely genuine.
she gasps when jeane speaks, smiling wide and delighted. ]
How wonderful! I'm glad you know better than to take insults from someone like him. [ she reaches forward, to jeane's head - hesitates once again, giving the impression of propriety - even draws her hand back again. ] Ah, I know he just said, but is it alright if I...?
no subject
See? I told you she likes girls.
[Once more, Travis drapes his arm over the bench. If he stretched his fingers out a little straighter, just a few inches further, he might touch her shoulder-- but Travis isn't some creep, especially not to some teenage girl he's simply introducing to his cat. Instead, he takes in that warm sun beaming down. The faint breeze of the late spring. Again, he recalls Kimmy Howell and her childish innocence. Until she pulled a weapon on him, anyway, but it'd been refreshing while it lasted.
Why is he thinking about Kimmy, again?]
So, Satoko.
[Jeane tilts her head up to afford Satoko access to the underside of her chin. Travis' eyes are on her, not Satoko, when he poses his question. It's no big deal, just some small talk. Maybe he could even get this kid to catsit one day.]
You been on the planet long?
no subject
As well she should! Young men are so brutish with their affections, are they not? [ she considers her options as she rubs at the base of jeane's ears. her earlier response, even in jest, had ended up costing her dearly. for now, she should answer directly and forthcomingly - as a teenager, not one who lives in loops. ] Miss Jeane is a discerning woman, clearly!
[ right. and here she is - the moment of divergence, the roll of the dice she intends to tamper with. rather than a smug grin, this time it's a casual indifference. ]
I wouldn't say long, exactly. Though certainly longer than I thought we'd be kidnapped for... [ scritch, scritch, scritch. ] It's been three whole months now. Time's certainly passed by quicker ever since Rika arrived.
[ the blush on her face, the fond smile - neither of those are acted, at least. ]
no subject
Ha! Sure is. You two look like you're best buds already.
[Jeane breaks away from Satoko's attentive scritches and rubs herself against the girl's leg all over again. Travis follows her with his eyes, expression fond, as she hops onto the bench, settling comfortably against Satoko's thigh. Jeane's a smart cat, more perceptive than most-- and that'd been well before she somehow figured out how to speak. If she's already fond of Satoko, she has to be all right. Right?]
So Rika's your girlfriend, huh.
[Satoko speaks about her with such affection that even Travis can feel that warmth. It's cute, really. He chuckles and gives her a genuine smile.]
She sounds like something special. You're really lucky, getting to spend time with her here... even if we are still technically stuck.
no subject
[ she glances down at jeane again, still smiling as she answers. ]
And... I suppose I am, yes. [ her thumb runs over the cat's ear, gently, delicately. ] One mustn't take these things for granted, after all. And who can say? Even with all the hubbub of this place, perhaps it isn't so bad as long as she's around.
[ scritch, scritch. scritch. ]
no subject
[Jeane relishes in all the extra attention, simply purring her contentment. Travis watches her fondly and continues without waiting for an answer.]
It helps a lot, though... not being alone. Might sound silly, but getting to call Jeane out here makes everything feel more like home for me, y'know? I've had her since she was a kitten. Even if a couple people from home eventually showed up with me, it didn't feel right without her by my side.
[Having a partner here, however... is a whole other can of worms, so he'll pointedly avoid that...]
We've been through a lot together.
no subject
[ a beat. she chuckles, speaking without even a hint of malice: ]
I didn't sleep at all the first night I was here without her! It took a few days of setting up traps around the house before I managed to sleep at all.
[ she's working so hard on not being suspicious, but this is something that simply doesn't occur to her. she is a trapmaster, after all. this is what she does! why would something so elegant as traps be suspicious? ]
no subject
Traps?
[It's... odd, but surely there's some logical explanation for it. World full of blood-sucking monsters. Puzzle VN. Extremely big fan of Home Alone. He's seen all sorts of shit in the few months of being on Noctium alone, much less his whole life.]
Don't tell me you and Rika came from somewhere that was that dangerous.
no subject
[ okay, if she's given away over something as completely sensible as trapping her house, she's going to have to figure out a convincing lie real quick. it's not weird to set traps!! anyone could do it! she's talked to the network about this before!! ]
...mm, ah, it wasn't that dangerous? [ now that is a bald-faced lie - a lie with one hundred years of experience to the contrary. ] There was... um, there was an incident, when we were much younger. But past that, it's really nothing so strange as that. I just... Needed something to distract myself with, so...
[ she's going to have to reset again, isn't she? ]
CRAWLS IN POST-HIATUS
[Maybe Satoko's just weird. Or needed some sorta hobby. It doesn't have to mean that she's as paranoid as the whole trap deal sounds without context. Travis' expression is quizzical, nonetheless; he reaches over to scratch under Jeane's chin as he contemplates the way the young girl trails off.]
Somebody broke into your house or something? Stuff like that happening is pretty scary. The idea of home not being safe can really wig you out.