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WHO: Cougar Alvarez
WHERE: Bungalow #22
WHEN: July 2nd - Day After Arrival
OPEN TO: OTA
WARNINGS: n/a
STATUS: Closed

It takes Cougar two tries down the well before he gives up. The sirens and the windstorm force him to move on and make nice in the inn, but when things clear up and the sun rises on another day, Cougar slings his pack over his shoulder and heads out to explore the rest of the strange settlement they seem to be in the middle of.

It's quiet.

Normally, Cougar likes the quiet. He's a taciturn man himself, preferring signals and gestures over words, but this is an eerie kind of quiet that he doesn't like. The homes are empty and that means something drove everyone out, but for Cougar's life, he can't figure out where they went. He tries to go to the edge of the cliffs, but he can't climb the sheer face. Returning back to the village, he finds a dark green bungalow near a forked path and knows that if he wants to get a better view, he needs to be in a sniper's nest.

More than that, he's going to need to set up base. Throwing his bag to the roof, he grabs for the porch and starts to lever himself up, using the windows and the shingles of the roof to scuttle his way along until he's managed to free-run himself up to the apex of the roof. He tugs his bag along with him (stuffed with a few berries he'd found on his exploration) and settles down at the top. High above everything, he feels at home even in this strange place.

He sits, cross-legged, and chews on some of the berries as he stares at the streets that wind below him. He'd prefer to be much, much higher, but this will do for now as he stakes his claim on this house as a base and keeps an eye on all the vantage points around.

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If he has to feed a whole village, then it will be a problem. If he is just feeding himself, he can ration out the meat for at least a week until he finds something else. He thinks he will need to develop a plan, but this place is already his, in his mind. He has a bed and a roof over his head. He's already miles ahead of expectations.

"What have you found?" he asks, moving to the information gathering portion of this.

"Not a whole hell of a lot," Sam replies with a certain degree of resignation. "It's more like what I haven't found. No signs of people outside of us have been in here in years, the place seems to be of the same technology my grandparents' parents would have used, and the pipes are shit."

It's negative, most of it, so he adds, "Plenty of shelter though and there's a river that might be useful for fresh water in the meantime. There are some tools in the kitchens and such but most of it is barely sharp enough to cut through butter let alone be used for hunting or even eating with."

What Cougar wants to know is who was there before. There's civilization and there's evidence that they've been gone for a time. What he wants to know is what drove them out and how they got out, because there are always signs when something goes bad and there's a body count. Teeth, bones, graves.

He hasn't found any of that, which makes it even more worrisome. Maybe there's just another fountain waiting for them. "Worried about someone coming to hurt you?" Cougar asks, raising his brow.

Sam shrugs, "Let's just say the last job I was working left me a bit paranoid. But mostly at this point I'm more worried about a working kitchen for food and getting food for said kitchen. Starvation can be just as bad as anyone trying to hurt me." He's also met some questionable people, but so far no one has gone around attempting murder, so eh's not too worried about someone coming to hurt him.

Although, he hasn't actually completely ruled out this is some messed up abduction of some kind -- those theories were troublesome but not 100% psychotic. As much as he'd hate to admit the guy breaking stools for weapons had been right.

Cougar will be able to hunt whatever he needs to, so starvation isn't a problem. He's willing to share too, of course, but it's better if there's some bartering involved that gets him something in return. "Are you hungry now?" he asks, his own stomach having been sated by the berries he'd found, but he's willing to go out for a longer hunt, if necessary.

Better to make allies now, when they're all still new.

Sam considers the offer. He hadn't exactly eaten or found food yet--but he didn't want to necessarily come across as desperate or incapable of finding resources of his own. Still, they're all new to this environment, so it's not like the guy is going to be able to offer him much. Sam can always find a way to return the favor later.

"I'm not starving yet, but I also realize the situation...so if you're offering a little food I wouldn't say no."

Cougar hops his way down eaves and poles, sliding his way back down until his boots hit the ground firmly. He's free-climbed enough to be comfortable with a single story building and he gestures for Sam to follow him.

The berries are good for snacking, but the hare he'd cooked up with a little fire will be good only for a few hours more and he's not hungry. It's a shame for it to go to waste. "There," he says, gesturing to it. "Take what you want."

Sam's actually pretty impressed by the maneuvering. He'd seen similar stunts pulled, of course, but he'd known those people could do it. He was still learning about the people he was "stuck" with and the scrubs they were wearing made it always difficult to tell where someone came from. Until they demonstrated skills, they were all unknowns and virtually the same. The man definitely moves with the confidence of someone who has spent a lot of time with heights and probably doing some pretty dangerous work -- given his skills demonstrated earlier.

That or he just really enjoyed parkour.

Sam is further surprised by the hare, of all things, set up nearby. How'd he miss that? More importantly, how had the man caught it? Were their more? That would be great actually and Sam actually smiles, "You're going to be Mr. Popular pretty fast if you can manage this." He then realizes what Cougar said and turns back to him, "You sure?"

"If you don't eat it, it goes bad," Cougar says, not really enjoying his sudden trip back to a time without refrigerators, but it's not like he hasn't been in the field in similar situations before. Only, back then, he had four other mouths to feed and they could all pack away a good deal of anything Cougar would hunt for them.

He nods, again, to encourage him to take it. "Not a problem to find something else," he assures. "I'm okay at hunting," he says, his understatement clear.

"I can see that," Sam remarks. Still, he's really grateful. While he hasn't been in situations like this (thankfully) that often, even he knows that this is not the kind of situation where you want to let food go to waste. If Cougar wasn't going to eat it, then it made sense to offer to share.

Sam moves closer to the rabbit, keenly aware of how hungry he must actually be if he's not questioning eating a freshly caught and cooked rabbit. "I may not be as good at hunting...but I'll fine someway to pay you back." Honestly he didn't know what his own skill level would be. He was a decent shot, but he'd never actually had to hunt before--especially not with such primitive weaponry. But maybe he could learn, he did think he was good at that. Not to mention he could cook and gather--if someone showed him what was edible anyway.

Cougar nods because that's the point of this. His kindness isn't without motive or purpose and when it comes to this sort of situation, he knows he's going to need to cash in at some point. Better to start giving out favours now before he needs one in return.

"What did you do, at home?" he asks, because information gathering is just as important in the early days of a strange situation, too.

Sam starts picking at the meat to eat. He's aware of the information gathering angle as well. After a few bites he replies.

"Former military. Former employee of the V.A. And I was an Avenger...though that last one is kind of iffy at the moment and might not even mean anything to you." He'd already learned that not everyone was from the same time or even the same universe. Peggy was proof of the first and Jo had explained the second to some degree. That meant his titles and status might not mean much, but it did little to diminish his skill set. "Basically, I've spent most of my life fighting bad guys and surviving bad situations in one form or another."

He pops another piece of rabbit meat in his mouth, "What about you? I'd peg you for a hunter, except most of the fellas I know who hunt don't also practice jumping from roofs like that too."

Cougar lifts his brow when Sam identifies as both military and someone who works with the V.A. He knows that there are bad eggs and that the CIA betrayed them first, but he seems like good people, and has given Cougar no reason not to trust him. Besides, if the time and need comes, he can deal with betrayal.

"Special Ops," he says. "Long range eliminations," is his follow up. "Former active duty." Which is shorthand for 'the CIA blacklisted us and we had to pretend we were dead to stay alive', but he did only just meet the man, really. "Do what I have to, to survive."

"So...sniper. I have a friend you would have liked," Sam remarks. Clint was slightly more talkative than this guy was proving to be. "He was former active duty too...couse he still seems to somehow get dragged into trouble most of the time."

Yeah, he had a feeling the two would get along. Or at the very least it would have devolved into a pinecone chunking competition to see who had the better aim. Sam smirks at the thought, almost laughing, but instead he shakes his head, "I get that. I think in this situation we're all gonna have to do what we can to survive."

"Sniper," he confirms, even though it's not a reputation he wants to go shouting about. Still, it's not like it's something he's ashamed of (not most days) and so he gives a firm nod of his head, wishing that he had his rifle, if only for the sight in the scopes. "Trouble finds me," is all Cougar says roughly, poking at the small fire to put it out now that the rabbit is done.

"Where did you fight?"

Sam feels like he can relate to that. Maybe trouble finding them is why they are both here.

"Two tours in Afghanistan while I was still in the Air Force, after I joined up with that other group I mentioned I've seen action all over the world now: U.S, a couple of different countries in Europe and Africa. Definitely seen more desert than jungle, although that changed recently too -- just before I wound up here anyway."

He stretches, the meal was good, but he did still mean to head out and explore the forest more. "You've probably been all over too I would guess."

Cougar's face darkens slightly at the mention of Afghanistan, seeing as he's done his own fateful tour there. That's when he'd stopped talking so much the first time around, before Bolivia had made it worse. He doesn't like to think about what he did in that country, but he's given blood and time to it. "Yes," is his answer, when Sam suggests that he's been all over. He can't count the number of countries he's served in, but the bad ones will always be highlighted in his mind. Afghanistan and Bolivia are the worst, yes, but there are others he dislikes. Anything too cold had chilled his blood and makes him far from eager to go back.

And after LA, the United States is fairly high on his list of countries he takes issue with. "This place, it's like none of them, though." Too cold for the jungles he's used to, not dry enough to be the deserts he's fought in.

Cougar definitely reminds him of some of the veterans he's helped and even more that he'd served with. It was both the way he carries himself and those short, to the point answers. Sam doesn't comment on it, but it definitely is something he makes note of in the back of his mind.

"Agreed. This place makes me nervous and I don't think it's just cause we got pulled here through a fountain," Sam admits. It's several things that have just been rubbing him the wrong way, some he can put words to and others are just gut feelings that he isn't sure he could explain. Either way, the reactions of some of the others makes him think they feel it too. "I was actually heading out to explore some of the places outside of the village before I saw you. Figure the more information we have the better."

"Want company?" Cougar's not exactly going to be at his most comfortable because he doesn't have a weapon to speak of and he doesn't even have his scope in order to sight the situation, but he also doesn't like the idea of people going out there. Both because he doesn't trust them, but he also doesn't trust this place. "Maybe I can keep you company."

And maybe he can get the chance to investigate himself while someone else is there to watch his six.

"Doesn't bother me one bit. Would actually be a little reassuring," Sam says. Sure, he'd planned to go on his own, but he isn't going to turn down company. This isn't a jog around the Washington Mall and he has no idea what to expect out there. It would be nice to have someone who could watch his back. He may not trust the man entirely, but he'd offered food and a pair of extra eyes were better than nothing.

"Maybe we can find some good hunting spots too."

His nod is accompanied by a gleam of pleasure in his eyes. He might not regularly hunt, but he also finds pleasure in letting his mind quiet and focus on the shot. Hunting allows him that peace without the guilt of human blood on his hands. With everything that's been happening lately, he's more aware than ever of his kill count. He's not keen to add to it, at least not here.

Without a gun, though, he can't see that happening. "We can find enough to feed all, at least for a day."

Sam thinks that sounds good. Honestly food was probably their biggest concern around here since, at the very least, they technically had water and at least had stable shelters. Even if he was skeptical about this place, it wasn't like he was about to turn his nose up at the luxury of having a bungalow when they could just as easily have wound up in the middle of a forest with none of that.

Sam doesn't say much else, and just gestures with a nod of his head for Cougar to walk with him back towards the road and head out of town.

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we can end here if you want?