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Description
Tap tap tap tap

tap tap tap tap

Mar-Lynn watched tiredly as the stranger paced back and forth in the small cell. The sun was well down outside, the only light in the whole place coming from a candle on a small desk outside their new enclosure. The Quollan dwelled on the thought that this whole thing seemed hauntingly familiar, like one of those foreign movies the captain on her starship used to watch in his free time.

"Stranger perhaps you should stop that. You are like an animal in it's cage," she tried softly, twiddling her four thumbs from where she sat on what she supposed was to pass for a bed.

The Painted cat stopped and looked at her, hazel eyes seeming almost electrified, "I am in a cage! And tomorrow they will kill me for a crime I di'not commit don't you un'erstand?!"

The gravelly voice echoed around the empty building. Mar locked eyes with the stranger for a moment wide blue eyes looking sorrowfully at the repti-mammal. The smaller of the jailed duo opened her mouth to speak but a different voice spoke.

"Woman not even this purple thing is gonna believe your the innocent one. Don't care if she's one ah yer type er not."

The Sheriff barked in laughter, stepping in to view, the space cat one step behind with his hands folded behind his back looking rather stoic about the whole thing. The stout man's mustache wiggled back and forth in his amusement.

"Evenin' Sheriff," The stranger growled lowly.

"Such formality for a lowlife like yerself. I am impressed."

The repti-mammal scoffed loudly, "Sheriff you know as well as I that two days ago you would have expected nothing less."

"That was before you killed that man and-"

"You killed a man?!" Mar interrupted, shoving herself further back into the corner on the bed in a panic.

"It was a murder but not a crime!" Stranger yelled, the fist wrapped around one of the jail bars shaking, causing the door to rattle.

The Sheriff shrugged as he turned to leave, "A man is dead, and we have a witness claiming that you broke into the house and -"

The bars shook again under the repti-cat's rage, "You don't know what you're talking about! It was not a crime! It's perfectly natural!"

"There's no point wasting my time talking to an animal like you," The sheriff raise a hand in dismissal. "Simon, le's pop down t'the tavern for a drink, hmm?"

For the first time the other competitor spoke, nodding slightly, "I'll be right behind you Sheriff."

"Very well," the shorter man ambled out of the swinging doors.

The only sound for a few moments was that of his boots walking down the wooden planks outside the building. When those had petered off into nothing Mar's frantic breaths could be heard. The stranger was staring at her feet as if they knew the secret to calming her rage. When the sheriff was surely gone the oddly-clad cat bowed, folding an arm in front of himself as he did so.

"I don't believe we've met. I am Simon, and you are?"

Mar blinked but said nothing. Stranger exhaled sharply, green eyes glaring daggers at the man.

"Well I suppose it doesn't matter much. You'll forgive me for getting you arrested of course. Opportunity and all, it's safer to have you locked up here than out trying to find the portal."

"Portal?" the repti-mammal turned to Mar seeking confirmation and explanation of what was happening. Mar blinked again.

"S-sorry, what?"

"The portal. You know that dragon with the strange name said it all. Before you went psycho and ran into the beam. We arrive in an environment to test our abilities, have to deal with an opponent and find the portal to get back to the check-point," Mar stared blankly at the man. "You didn't listen at all did you?"

"How c-can she expect me t-too listen when I was s-sitting in a room full of potential m-m-murderers?"

"You're listening now and you're sitting in a jail cell with a confirmed murderer," Simon commented matter-of-factly. Having that pointed out causing Mar to eyeball her cell-mate and shrink into herself a tiny bit more.

"Hey buddy, I'm standin' right here and that Sheriff's got you all kinna backwards."

"Stranger is. . . the only person who has been nice to me s-so far. Here. . ." Mar squeaked softly from the back of the cell, causing the other two to stop what was growing to be an argument so that they could be sure they heard her. With a little more strength to her voice she spoke again "So, m-murder or not I think that. . . for now. . . I will trust her."

Simon shrugged, and with little more than a curt nod to the pair left through the swinging doors.

-----x-----

The next hour passed in silence. Stranger had taken a seat on the floor and leaned against the wall opposite of where Mar was still sitting on the lone cot. Her knees drawn up to her chin in thought. Finally she broke the spell of silence the strange purple bear seem to have cast on the room since she last spoke.

"Thank you."

As if being pulled back from a trip through space the petite girl gave a small jump and looked over to her jail companion. "For what?"

"For trusting me," the repti-mammal said just loud enough so that Mar could hear.

The Quollan nodded and the room dove back in to silence.

-----x-----

Another hour passing found Mar considerably more relaxed. She was standing and moved in front of the bars slowly, looking at each one before she finally moved on to the next. When she had finished with that she walked along the back wall, observing it and every once in a while scratching her finger at the surface. It was not missed that even then she gave stranger a wide berth. As wide as she could in the enclosed space.

Stranger, for the time being, sat in silence. In in a while she would look up at the smaller girl as she paced around inspecting her area. With a soft grin she watched as the childish looking bear raised a hand to the charm on her necklace and tapped at it thoughtfully while staring at the barred window.

"Planning our escape?" the painted cat asked jokingly.

"Yes actually," Mar spoke flatly, in a voice calmer than it had been all day. Her eyes never moved from the window.

"Wha- Are you serious?"

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" the Quollan scoffed indignantly, finally turning from the window. "If I can get us out, is your offer to be my guide still up? And if so are there any known landmarks in the desert and could you take me to the biggest one? How long would it take?"

Mouth gaping for a moment the stranger coughed before speaking up, "Honey, you get me outta here and I'll take ya t'the moon. Heh. Uh yeah, place not to far from here, maybe a couple days could be less if weather permits though. Man in the mountain. Why?"

The purple girl nodded, looking back to the window pensively, "What is behind this wall?"

"Uh," Stranger stood slowly "Nothing. It's a straight shot to the desert."

"Can you reach my pen on that desk?" she pointed without looking back at the desk beyond the bars.

"Your pen? Really? You need your pen to get the escape going? What are you gonna-"

"You wanna get out?!" Mar snapped with uncharacteristic anger, taking the stranger aback.

"Yes."

"Then stop asking questions and get me the pen."

Description
Tap tap tap tap

tap tap tap tap

Mar-Lynn watched tiredly as the stranger paced back and forth in the small cell. The sun was well down outside, the only light in the whole place coming from a candle on a small desk outside their new enclosure. The Quollan dwelled on the thought that this whole thing seemed hauntingly familiar, like one of those foreign movies the captain on her starship used to watch in his free time.

"Stranger perhaps you should stop that. You are like an animal in it's cage," she tried softly, twiddling her four thumbs from where she sat on what she supposed was to pass for a bed.

The Painted cat stopped and looked at her, hazel eyes seeming almost electrified, "I am in a cage! And tomorrow they will kill me for a crime I di'not commit don't you un'erstand?!"

The gravelly voice echoed around the empty building. Mar locked eyes with the stranger for a moment wide blue eyes looking sorrowfully at the repti-mammal. The smaller of the jailed duo opened her mouth to speak but a different voice spoke.

"Woman not even this purple thing is gonna believe your the innocent one. Don't care if she's one ah yer type er not."

The Sheriff barked in laughter, stepping in to view, the space cat one step behind with his hands folded behind his back looking rather stoic about the whole thing. The stout man's mustache wiggled back and forth in his amusement.

"Evenin' Sheriff," The stranger growled lowly.

"Such formality for a lowlife like yerself. I am impressed."

The repti-mammal scoffed loudly, "Sheriff you know as well as I that two days ago you would have expected nothing less."

"That was before you killed that man and-"

"You killed a man?!" Mar interrupted, shoving herself further back into the corner on the bed in a panic.

"It was a murder but not a crime!" Stranger yelled, the fist wrapped around one of the jail bars shaking, causing the door to rattle.

The Sheriff shrugged as he turned to leave, "A man is dead, and we have a witness claiming that you broke into the house and -"

The bars shook again under the repti-cat's rage, "You don't know what you're talking about! It was not a crime! It's perfectly natural!"

"There's no point wasting my time talking to an animal like you," The sheriff raise a hand in dismissal. "Simon, le's pop down t'the tavern for a drink, hmm?"

For the first time the other competitor spoke, nodding slightly, "I'll be right behind you Sheriff."

"Very well," the shorter man ambled out of the swinging doors.

The only sound for a few moments was that of his boots walking down the wooden planks outside the building. When those had petered off into nothing Mar's frantic breaths could be heard. The stranger was staring at her feet as if they knew the secret to calming her rage. When the sheriff was surely gone the oddly-clad cat bowed, folding an arm in front of himself as he did so.

"I don't believe we've met. I am Simon, and you are?"

Mar blinked but said nothing. Stranger exhaled sharply, green eyes glaring daggers at the man.

"Well I suppose it doesn't matter much. You'll forgive me for getting you arrested of course. Opportunity and all, it's safer to have you locked up here than out trying to find the portal."

"Portal?" the repti-mammal turned to Mar seeking confirmation and explanation of what was happening. Mar blinked again.

"S-sorry, what?"

"The portal. You know that dragon with the strange name said it all. Before you went psycho and ran into the beam. We arrive in an environment to test our abilities, have to deal with an opponent and find the portal to get back to the check-point," Mar stared blankly at the man. "You didn't listen at all did you?"

"How c-can she expect me t-too listen when I was s-sitting in a room full of potential m-m-murderers?"

"You're listening now and you're sitting in a jail cell with a confirmed murderer," Simon commented matter-of-factly. Having that pointed out causing Mar to eyeball her cell-mate and shrink into herself a tiny bit more.

"Hey buddy, I'm standin' right here and that Sheriff's got you all kinna backwards."

"Stranger is. . . the only person who has been nice to me s-so far. Here. . ." Mar squeaked softly from the back of the cell, causing the other two to stop what was growing to be an argument so that they could be sure they heard her. With a little more strength to her voice she spoke again "So, m-murder or not I think that. . . for now. . . I will trust her."

Simon shrugged, and with little more than a curt nod to the pair left through the swinging doors.

-----x-----

The next hour passed in silence. Stranger had taken a seat on the floor and leaned against the wall opposite of where Mar was still sitting on the lone cot. Her knees drawn up to her chin in thought. Finally she broke the spell of silence the strange purple bear seem to have cast on the room since she last spoke.

"Thank you."

As if being pulled back from a trip through space the petite girl gave a small jump and looked over to her jail companion. "For what?"

"For trusting me," the repti-mammal said just loud enough so that Mar could hear.

The Quollan nodded and the room dove back in to silence.

-----x-----

Another hour passing found Mar considerably more relaxed. She was standing and moved in front of the bars slowly, looking at each one before she finally moved on to the next. When she had finished with that she walked along the back wall, observing it and every once in a while scratching her finger at the surface. It was not missed that even then she gave stranger a wide berth. As wide as she could in the enclosed space.

Stranger, for the time being, sat in silence. In in a while she would look up at the smaller girl as she paced around inspecting her area. With a soft grin she watched as the childish looking bear raised a hand to the charm on her necklace and tapped at it thoughtfully while staring at the barred window.

"Planning our escape?" the painted cat asked jokingly.

"Yes actually," Mar spoke flatly, in a voice calmer than it had been all day. Her eyes never moved from the window.

"Wha- Are you serious?"

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" the Quollan scoffed indignantly, finally turning from the window. "If I can get us out, is your offer to be my guide still up? And if so are there any known landmarks in the desert and could you take me to the biggest one? How long would it take?"

Mouth gaping for a moment the stranger coughed before speaking up, "Honey, you get me outta here and I'll take ya t'the moon. Heh. Uh yeah, place not to far from here, maybe a couple days could be less if weather permits though. Man in the mountain. Why?"

The purple girl nodded, looking back to the window pensively, "What is behind this wall?"

"Uh," Stranger stood slowly "Nothing. It's a straight shot to the desert."

"Can you reach my pen on that desk?" she pointed without looking back at the desk beyond the bars.

"Your pen? Really? You need your pen to get the escape going? What are you gonna-"

"You wanna get out?!" Mar snapped with uncharacteristic anger, taking the stranger aback.

"Yes."

"Then stop asking questions and get me the pen."