:33 < furst pounce

[furocious]

Characters: Nepeta Leijon (OU) and open!
Setting: Around room 2-07 and the dormitories.
Format: Action preferred, but I can go either way.
Summary: Nepeta's new to the tower, so time to look around.
Warnings: Mentions of death, probably not much else.

[The act of waking up is a strange one when you don't expect to wake up at all. Freaking out is also mitigated when you're stuck still in--what is this, a human bed?--for half a minute before you can get up. It gives Nepeta the chance to, if not calm completely, get a push on the way there, and also realize she's not in pain anymore. But then what is this place? It doesn't look like the lab, and again, she's pretty sure she didn't have something soft to lay on when her eyes first closed.]

[Once her limbs decide they can move again, though, she's up instantly. Three things come quickly to her attention: the collar around her neck (which gets some pokes, prods, and tugs before she gives up on removing it), then the two letters. Being told her world has been destroyed is no news at all - Alternia is already pretty much gone! - but the rest is unexpected. This is a place to live. There's things here to help in that. And again, most importantly, she's alive.]

[So what does this mean for everyone else? It's a stab to the gut to think back on what happened to Equius, and she can't stop a sharp hiss at the thought of Gamzee potentially being here. But if they could save her, maybe, just maybe, they could save her friends too.]

[After one last delay spent checking the contents of her trunk, she's out the door to get an idea of this place. Her nerves aren't totally settled; her feet carry her light and careful through the halls of the dormitories. For all she wants to see who's here, she can't afford not to be wary.]

Comments

[sevenyearbeautysleep]

[Zelda has had a lot on her mind, lately - not a lot that she particularly wants to talk about, either. Being hated by yourself is... a little odd, and fairly disheartening, after all. Even if "yourself" means "an alternate, royal version of you".

So needless to say, she wasn't watching where she was going as she went back to her room - ultimately running into Nepeta and stumbling back a bit.]

Ah, my apologies -

[... Whoah. Whoah. She's not one to judge by looks - but this is definitely the first trolls she's ever met, so don't mind her... ogling those horns in confusion, of course.]

[furocious]

[Whump!]

[Okay, maybe she wasn't paying as much attention as she should have been. Nepeta backs up a few quick paces herself, gaze swinging to--]

Oh!

[Her eyebrows raise and both gloves hands come up, though not the claws; those stay sheathed.]

Wow, I've never met a human in purrson before!

[Even with her concerns, that surprise definitely warrants some comment. And she is human, right? Pale skin, hornless, that's how it goes. And yes, she does indeed purr the r's of purrson.]

Do you live here? I just showed up a little bit ago, like maybe ten minutes.

[sevenyearbeautysleep]

Oh, no... I don't count this as where I live, anyway. And...

I am a Hylian, not a human.

[That has the sound of uncertainty, of course; not too long ago, she'd have called herself a Kokiri...]

You are new here, then - my name is Zelda.

[furocious]

I don't think I've ever heard of one of those.

[She peers over Zelda, trying to piece out what details it is that differentiate her. Maybe the ears? She doesn't recall the ones she's seen having points to theirs.]

Mhmm, I've never even seen this place before. I'm Nepeta Leijon, and I'm a troll.

[sevenyearbeautysleep]

That's quite alright, Nepeta.

[... That's a really adorable name. Nnnot going to say it aloud, but what a cute little girl. Troll. Girl troll.
... Hopefully this troll is a girl, anyway, wouldn't want to offend -]

It's a pleasure to meet you, despite the circumstance. ... Though, I'm sure you would like to know what the circumstance is, wouldn't you?

[verymuchalive]

[Aradia's just heading back towards the dorms when she spots a familiar figure. Her excitement pushes aside any thoughts that this might not be her Nepeta, but another alternate; besides, there's only one way to find out.]

Nepeta!

[furocious]

[Well there's a familiar voice, even if the tone sounds a bit different than normal. And obviously it's someone who recognizes her! Heartened by this though, Nepeta turns to look at the speaker.]

[She stares for a full five seconds.]

A--Aradia? Is that really you? Oh wow, I thought--I thought you were gone, but now you're all alive and pretty and everything!

[She scampers over, every step bespeaking her excitement, while her gaze flicks over from hood to symbol to wings alike.]

What happened?

[verymuchalive]

[Aradia giggles at Nepeta's reaction. It still hasn't gotten old, suprising the people she knows by being non-exploded and all round happier]

It's really me. I guess I had a dream self after all and she was just waiting for the right time to wake up.

[And a little more seriously]

Did you just get here?

[furocious]

That's really great! I'm happy fur you.

[And it shows on her face. One friend alive that she didn't expect bodes well.]

[She nods to the question.]

Yeah, I haven't been here very long at all.

[mutab1e]

[For the past couple of days, he's been... shaken up. It was better than when he first found out Nepeta, his Nepeta, was gone. But he was still seeing her face out of the corner of his eye, or the little tails of her hat flutter around a corner. And so when he walked out to the second dormitory level, hunting for something he's pretty sure he misplaced, spying her from the back is enough to make him nearly jump out of his skin. He pays no attention to the clothes; the hair and the horns are identical, and that's all that matters.]

Empress!

[And now he's picked up his pace considerably, hoping to close the gap between them as quickly as possible.]

[furocious]

[There's a voice Nepeta would know anywhere. For all the task of exploring and meeting at least one new face has turned into pushing aside her worries, she has far from forgotten what happened to her so recently - or more importantly, what happened to her moirail. Her attention snaps to the speaker, and like him, she doesn't bother to process the differences when the hair and horns are so similar to what she wants to see more than anything.]

EQUIUUUUUSSSSSSS!

[So what if he called out Empress, of all things? Not important when she's too busy leaping up to execute a pouncegreet. He better move quick if he doesn't want to get tackled to the floor.]

[mutab1e]

[Equius is pretty fast by troll standards -- you need to be when you're in his shoes -- but even he is nowhere near the levels that either of the Nepetas could boast. And he's also much WEAKer than his other self, obviously. So Nepeta might find it a little odd just how easily she bowls him over... but you know what, he doesn't mind. This is the exact same thing his Nepeta did when she saw him for the first time, and as they skid across the floor, Equius promptly wraps his arms around her in a hug.]

(1/2)

[furocious]

[How easily she bowls him over is an odd point, but one she doesn't pay as much mind as she could. She's excited enough that it could be simple enthusiasm giving her tackle an extra oomph, and maybe his own gladness to see her in turn. Maybe.]

(2/2)

[furocious]

[That maybe becomes a no, however, when she feels him hug back.]

Equius?

[She sits up from her perch atop him, and it's then that the differences click. Bicolored shades like Sollux. Both horns intact. A different shirt in both style and sign color. While one of her new roommates already had the foresight to explain to her that there could be other versions of people around, her brow scrunches up all the same at how odd it is to actually encounter such a thing.]

You... You're not my...

[She trails off. For all this guy is obviously pleased to see her, it doesn't stop the confused mix of emotions that rolls up to replace her initial glee.]

[chronomancer]

[Eridan makes a habit to not use the same Network terminal all the time. So he's slowly making his way towards a different one, minding his own business as usual. He just wants to check in and see what people are posting, though typing with one hand is very, very tedious. Almost enough to make him consider forsaking his quirk. Almost.

As he approaches the terminal, though, he notices a... a very familiar face nearby, actually. Except it's not. For lack of anything better to do, however, he waves at her.]

...Nepeta?

[furocious]

[Nepeta saw the terminals mentioned in the second letter she read earlier, and of course the act of exploring this floor would eventually lead to an encounter with one. Maybe not a message from her just yet, but a look see to figure out what they're like, beyond the instructions provided. It'll be a change from her drawing tablet computer or what they had in the Veil, in any case. But when she's likewise approaching one for that task, she spots the half-familiar troll right around when he sees her.]

Oh!

[And, well, it's not the Eridan she knew. Certain differences here and there point to that much, along with what Aradia said about the one from their world not even being here. She reminds herself of those facts, then steps a little closer, enough to speak to him better.]

Hi. You're one of the Eridans here, right?

[Though she's still a little reserved.]

[chronomancer]

[Much like with Gamzee and Aradia and Vriska and Terezi and Sollux, Eridan can't help but stare at her a little. It is Nepeta, of course, but not. The fur of her pelt is a different color and the obvious lack of fins and gills and tiara...

This is obviously not the same girl he traded quirks with for the sake of being silly, that much was obvious. This is not his terrifyingly cute Empress-to-be, and the pang of disappointment makes something in his face twitch just a little before he dismisses it.

It's alright, though, he supposes. It always is. He shrugs at her.]

Yeah. Just got here?

[furocious]

[She catches the twitch in his face, and really, she can't blame him. While perhaps glad this isn't the Eridan she knew, she'd be a hypocrite if she claimed she hadn't been sad before to meet someone who wasn't her Equius before. But it's something no one can really help. A person can't just stop being who they are, can't trade lives with someone else, and it wouldn't be fair to expect it. She lets it go without comment, then nods to the question.]

Yeah. I just got here today. You know Aradia, right? Um--I don't think she mentioned any other versions of her around... but the one with the pretty red wings, I'm from her world.

AHUEHEHUHU

[hystericull]

[Gamzee was no stranger to the dormitory halls. Even if it wasn't his floor, he enjoyed the company of people milling about, the occasional freak-out of a new arrival, and sometimes catching a glimpse of a more recent acquaintance. Today he looked like he was almost sleepwalking, bumbling dazedly down the hall with no real destination in mind. Considering he'd been here almost a month, he could have been a lot worse for wear! All he'd managed to get was his shirt ripped up, which was promptly sewn back together in a day or two. His big mess of hair was tied up haphazardly in a gray scarf, and he chewed absently on one of the tails that hung down from it.

What he hadn't expected to see, however, was another of his friends. An actual, honest-to-goodness, familiar face - the right color and everything! Not that he didn't enjoy the company of all of the flip-flopped Alternians, but it was so refreshing to see someone he recognized and actually have it be who he thought it was!

A slow, delighted grin spread all over his neatly-painted face as he clenched his hands into fists, honking and bounding his way towards that little green kitty that it seemed he hadn't laid eyes on in sweeps.]

Nepetaaaa!

[furocious]

[There's not really many one could say Nepeta dreads seeing here. While Eridan may be a creep, she could deal with him. While Vriska might be kind of scary, she could deal with her too. And it's not from ignorance of what they're capable of - she's for sure heard that Eridan was on the loose back on the meteor. If she felt threatened enough, she could defend herself. She's not helpless.]

[But things get a bit different when it's someone between those colors. Defending yourself only means so much if you wound up dead anyway, if the guy responsible even took out your most important person without even a fight. She's happy for what friends are here and safe, and really, she could deal with the more dangerous ones if they're behaving themselves. But this--this is just different.]

[The moment she hears even a honk, her reaction is immediate. She turns, fangs baring, claws out, hackles raised as much as they can in a cat-obsessed girl without fur of her own. Her expression says nothing good: fear, anger, hurt, all littered with the shards of broken trust that can't be mended through just a friendly smile. Her posture is defensive but not passive; she is a beast who'll strike if she has to. A hiss rasps from her throat before she speaks.]

Stay back! Don't you even come any closer!

[hystericull]

[The unusually vicious streak in the sweet girl's voice is enough to halt Gamzee right in his wobbly tracks. The clown's sudden stop might have been considered quite comical if not for the strained circumstances, although he still had no idea why she seemed so defensive. It almost scared him. Fuck, it did scare him. Was she all right? Maybe one of the monsters here had frightened her?

That seemed unlikely. Nepeta was a fierce huntress, powerful enough to take down most of those ferocious beasts with her bare claws. Gamzee was pretty slow, but the idea that something as trivial as that had gotten her freaked out this badly was a stretch, even to him.

He wasn't... really sure how to respond to her unexpected belligerence, so his expression changed slowly, lazily as he tilted his head in confusion. Surprise, befuddlement, anxiety, concern. They flashed across his moronic painted face as he stood a few feet away from her, rooted obediently in his spot.

Or, as obedient as he could be with such a short attention span. A smile quickly returned to his face. Maybe this was a joke? She'd always been into that pretendy shit, hadn't she? Was she putting on her warkitty persona in a playful (albeit not-so-playful) greeting? As he eagerly reassured himself of this, he stepped forward. Slower this time, to be sure, but reaching an arm out to her as he approached.]

Heyyyy, kitty. Time all the fuck out for a quick motherfuckin' blink while I'm all to be like, gettin' my wicked greet on of a girl! 'Cause a brother haven't all to been seeing at her in a motherfucking while, yeah?

Troll with Cat Ears and a Guy who Loves Cats WELP

[terrificmachoemperor]

[Kanji was still rather new to the whole place, and it showed. He sometimes ended up in levels that were potentially dangerous, and might have come close to death a few times.

So, the dorms then! Still exploring them, to see what they offer. That's when he spots the troll and does a double blink. He's seen a few of them so far but...the horns...and the tail...almost makes her look like...a cat. MAYBE A LITTLE TOO ADORABLE?!]

W-woah.

PERFECT

[furocious]

[Nepeta at least knows what humans are, and she's seen them before, but in person is the part that's still pretty new. And while some might be put off by this guy's tough appearance, she is decidedly not one of those people. If anything, with how her moirail is--was--okay not worrying about tenses right now--it just leaves her more intrigued. Especially when he reacts like that.]

[So, not intimidated, she offers him a warm and friendly smile.]

Hi! Are you looking fur something?

[It gets better, Kanji: she uses cat puns.]

Don't you mean...PURRFECT? hahahaha---okay no

[terrificmachoemperor]

[Someone who is not afraid of him! There aren't that many who can stand up to Kanji in the eyes and offer friendly smiles the first time they meet, so he's taken somewhat aback. Who is this strange cat-like person and what POWERS IS SHE USING ON HIM. Oh god, she has tiny little fangs and yellow eyes and she uses cat words as she speaks and...and...]

I-is that tail real?

[Kanji what kind of question is that?!]

yes, purrfect. it's only fitting

[furocious]

Heeheehee!

[She's giggling at him. What now, big tough manly man?]

If you mean real fur, yes. It's purrt of a pelt from something I hunted myself. But if you mean is it purrt of me, that is obviously not the case.

[She peeks around behind her and reaches to take hold of the fuzzy accessory. Then using her hand she wiggles the tip at him.]

It's still very soft though and I love it. Do you want to feel?