thecatinahat: (forward lean)
thecatinahat ([personal profile] thecatinahat) wrote in [community profile] sixthiterationlogs2018-10-14 11:12 am

second verse, different from the first

WHO: Cougar Alvarez
WHERE: Village / Inn
WHEN: October 15
OPEN TO: OTA!
WARNINGS: N/A

coming back from the wilds

A man had come up and out of the fountain, soaked and in the middle of the night. He'd taken his time to go through his pack, look at his clothes, and then made the natural assumption -- he'd been drugged, kidnapped, and sent into the wilderness somewhere in dark scrubs that look like they belong in a medical lab, not in the field. So instead of lingering, Cougar does the only natural thing.

He heads out to map out the immediate area, finds high ground in the trees and he starts to explore. Cougar spends days out there, finding animals, plants, and determining that he's not anywhere near Miami or the East Coast, the two most recent places he could have been grabbed. He doesn't have his gun or his hat, so someone got their hands on him, but he's alive and in good shape.

It has to be Max, it can't be anyone else.

On the third day of lurking in the wilderness, he brings back the rabbits in snare traps that he'd been setting, whistling as he walks back into town like he's always belonged there, his mind set on one thing. He's going to figure out how Max got his hands on him, and then he's going to find the way out and escape. Until then, he needs to stay alive and figure out who else has been put here with him, who else might be a victim of Max's schemes.

reclamation

Once he's settled with the animals skinned and prepared and delivered at the inn, Cougar turns his attention to the pile of things in the corner. There are weapons and supplies, clothes that he hauls out to look for something to wear and to hunt with. He wants his hat back, the familiar brim and the security of having something to hide his face, but it's not here. Grimacing, he pushes through the things and starts to pick out one by one what he actually wants to take.

He takes a spear here, a bow there, a few arrows. It's not the same as a gun, but it'll give him a chance to hunt and prepare himself. He finds a few knives too, which makes him grin as he tucks them into his back pocket, still sat crouched over the items like a magpie tending to its hoard.

He only stops when he hears the creak of a floorboard and rises to his feet, not wanting to seem like a scavenger, which is why he tries to subtly nudge most of the items aside with his foot. When he turns, he hasn't got a hat to hide behind, but he does have the ability to put on a guileless look on his face, see who's come to challenge him for the items in the closet.

Better yet, maybe Cougar can take advantage of this. "Hat," is what he says. "Have you seen a hat, here?"
killorder: (Plotting/Smile)

The Inn

[personal profile] killorder 2018-10-14 11:07 pm (UTC)(link)
It's not obsessive or anything like that. It's merely missing the company of his family, his unit, and if all he has to connect himself with them is Cougar's hat, then so be it. So definitely not obsessive to have it with him at breakfast, sitting on the table in front of him as he settles in to try and get some breakfast before heading out to try and gather firewood and do what he can to gather food for himself and others here.

Porridge isn't his favorite, when is it for anyone? But at least it's hearty and should get him through the day. So he heads into the kitchen to get another bowl, leaving the hat there on the table, figuring he'll only be gone for a few minutes.
killorder: (Heh bluff)

[personal profile] killorder 2018-10-15 03:28 am (UTC)(link)
Jake notices first the hat is gone. Almost instantly.

"Where's my..."

He looks around, angry and flushing quickly.

"Whoever took that.."

And then he sees the hat. The hat on someone's head. The hat on...

"Cougar!"

The bowl falls from his fingers, hitting the ground with a sharp sound, shattering. Porridge and shards hit his ankles, not caring if he's cut. Not caring about anything but...

"Where have you been?!"

Even as he asks it, he's closing the distance between them, moving to pull Cougar to his feet, elated and excited and positively glowing.
killorder: (Oops)

[personal profile] killorder 2018-10-16 02:05 am (UTC)(link)
He doesn't care if it bothers Cougar. There is a hug. A huge one. One where he's not sure if he wants to let go though eventually he does. And only then because of what Cougar says.

He stares at him, stunned. Blinking at him before glaring. "Three days? Really? Could have had it sooner if you'd not played around in the woods," he snaps, though he's fairly bouncing in his boots, happier than he remembers being in a long time.

"I found it in the storeroom. Wait, did you leave it there?" Which makes more sense than some Cougar living with Jake and some girl named Veronica left it before. Right? So sense. Sure, that is it.
killorder: (Eeek)

[personal profile] killorder 2018-10-17 02:31 am (UTC)(link)
Damn it. There's part of him that has hope that Cougar came through when he did, and got out in the bunker like some talked about, but all of it is swirling in Jake's head and the things he's learned and then he's asking the world's dumbest question.

Pulling back, giving Cougar an odd look. "Who's Veronica?"

Because that is so going to make no sense, but he's not sure yet, and he just wants something to make sense. Especially about what he's learned of the Jake and Cougar that were here before. Were they them? Were they clones? He has no idea and not sure this is what will get him answers.
killorder: (Eh)

[personal profile] killorder 2018-10-17 11:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Jake stares at him for a long time, not sure what to say or even how to say it. At length he shakes his head, even if that pause is enough to make things clear there's something.

"Probably not. Also, I'm not sure if I'm proud or not that you remember her name," he admits, grinning. "Okay. So... Let me clean this up, and then I have a place. Three bedrooms. There's an attic with a view towards this place. I mean it's like literally right back there," he says, pointing.
succored: (puppy dog eyes)

Reclamation

[personal profile] succored 2018-10-18 03:24 am (UTC)(link)
It had taken a little time for Ty to warm up to starting to use the communal supplies, mostly out of necessity and because it seemed foolish not to. Seeing enough people go through things and returning them without any fuss got him to cave in, and he was going to check out a few traps himself when it seemed like someone else was rummaging through the mess. He stood a respectable distance away, hands clasped loosely in front of him, waiting patiently when he was addressed.

... Somehow it felt like he had just had a conversation like this, and while the description Jake had given of his friend could fit this guy, he wanted to be sure.

"Brown leather, cowboy hat, gun oil mark on the front brim?" He asked, gesturing vaguely around his head to help illustrate his points.
killorder: (Business)

[personal profile] killorder 2018-10-18 11:41 pm (UTC)(link)
And that's the question he fears. Not the exact words, but where that can lead. Is going to lead. All the things he doesn't know, and the rumors he's heard.

"Got us?" He's thinking about the things that Bucky's told him, about the time disparities between himself and Steve. "What's the last thing you remember?"

He needs to know. Because this talk could get a lot worse depending on what that is.
succored: (teasing | amused | snarky)

[personal profile] succored 2018-10-19 04:02 am (UTC)(link)
It might not have been the best idea to describe the hat like he had it in his possession, especially since the man he was pretty sure was Cougar had a wicked looking spear and most likely knew how to use it. Ty raised his hands up to show that they were empty, smiling a bit sheepishly.

"Not sure, but your friend Jake is here looking for it too. And you." He said, holding out a hand to shake. Hopefully that namedrop would be enough to deter Cougar from impaling him. "Cougar right? I'm Ty."
killorder: (Hero)

[personal profile] killorder 2018-10-19 04:09 am (UTC)(link)
"Petu..." He pauses and then chuckles, nodding. "Okay. Right. The shirt," he says, thinking that they had seen it just before Aisha came and told them she could get them back into the states. "Okay. So it's not as bad as with Steve and Bucky. Bucky told me that Steve knew things he never did, that somehow it had been months or longer since they had seen one another, but like the next day too," he says, rambling in relief.

"I... I hadn't thought Max found us at the airport, but maybe that's where he picked us up? I mean, my coffin never even got opened," he says, head cocking. "Yours neither?"
killorder: (Well damn)

[personal profile] killorder 2018-10-20 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh man. It is like Bucky and Steve," he says, brow furrowing and looking utterly heartbroken and upset at this. "Okay. So... Somehow they do this thing where, I mean, I was there with you, right? I didn't just disappear from Mexico?"

In a way it is reassuring and in so many ways it's not. In that he isn't sure how much it supports the clone thoughts and he isn't sure if he wants to be part of that or not. It's definitely a momentary crisis thing.

"So you didn't get him?" And that makes him even more sad.
killorder: (Sunlight)

[personal profile] killorder 2018-10-20 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
Jake shakes his head, glancing away and then back. "I don't think so," he admits, having thought of this before now, even before knowing how odd this might get.

"Come on. Let's head home and I'll fill you in on what I've learned since I've been here," he admits, pausing before he revealed that truth. "It's been about six weeks now."

Which he suspects isn't going to sound any better than what he's about to ask.

"So we got back to the States? To the finals? Really?"

And he light sup at that, even if there's a lot of uncertainty in the way he holds his shoulders, and he darkness around his eyes.
succored: (laughing | happy)

[personal profile] succored 2018-10-20 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
Considering what Jake had told him about Cougar, he wasn't going to take it personally that he was still looking at him like he didn't trust him or would rather wipe mud off of his boots. Ty let his hand fall back to his side, giving the other man an amused grin.

"As far as I know, he was staying in the inn. When I met him though, he was wandering around. If I see him, I can let him know you're here if you don't find him first."

He paused, not even sure if he should add it, but, "He'll be really happy that you're here. He said you were the one who could keep him alive."
killorder: (Hopeful)

[personal profile] killorder 2018-10-21 01:07 am (UTC)(link)
There is nothing that Jake has done in this place that hasn't been with Cougar arriving eventually in mind. It's what he needs, and a reality where it wasn't a possibility upset him more than he could imagine.

So the house is big enough, there's an attic with a window facing the village, and he's done some of the cleaning as well. At least in the main rooms, so it is ready for other people, at least.

"I..." He snorts at that, smiling a bit. "No clue. I woke up here like you did, like everyone apparently does. It's been a few weeks. Mostly? I ate stew here at the Inn and studied things, and tried to learn what I could. How I've talked to a few that talk about how things work here, weird as it is. But..."

And he figures he should make this clear. "The last thing I know? I was in Nogales in a coffin, then I was in a tube here in the bunker. There's a list, and your name is on it too," he admits, figuring he should know that.
succored: (interested | amused | smiling)

[personal profile] succored 2018-10-22 04:49 am (UTC)(link)
"I think he did, actually. He doesn't seem to give himself enough credit." Ty offered, since talking about Jake seemed to be a safer topic than anything else, and it even seemed to relax Cougar. Which, considering he still had a spear in hand, was one of Ty's main goals.

He forced the rest of the tension out of his shoulders, instead crossing his arms over his chest, lips quirking up slightly.

"But I'm looking forward to watching you work. Have you been settling in okay?"
succored: (neutral | listening)

[personal profile] succored 2018-10-24 02:55 pm (UTC)(link)
It was always a relief not to have a weapon pointed at him, and Ty gave a quick smile as Cougar set the spear down. He relaxed slightly, nodding as Cougar spoke. Three days to take stock? Pretty impressive, and Ty was grateful that he had met Jake first. Who knew how this meeting would have gone otherwise, and whereas Ty would have been a bit harder pressed to believe Jake was special ops, Cougar on the other hand basically radiated it.

Maybe he should ask if he could sign up for having Cougar look out for him too.

"No, though I'd be happy to trade you." Ty said, opening up his jacket to show the bright orange scrubs he was stuck with. Half of the time he felt like he was an inmate, and the other half like a rather oddly shaped pumpkin. "Scrub colors seem to denote different powers in different people. For me, I can become intangible. For Navy Blue you guys have clarity of vision?" He shrugged, spreading his hands in an apologetic manner.
succored: (earnest | listening)

[personal profile] succored 2018-10-26 05:14 am (UTC)(link)
The nose wrinkling was met with a small laugh, Ty stuffing the scrub back away under his jacket. "My thoughts exactly. I can't say I'm the most fashionable guy, but this offends me a little."

As for the question... he shrugged a bit apologetically. "Can't really say. You'd have to ask someone else who has the same scrub color as you, they probably know how it works a lot better than me. Or activate it yourself, but how to do that seems different for everyone."

His own power is easier to answer, even if it makes him slightly uncomfortable. He'd activated out in the woods, when he had felt a crushing and quiet moment of panic and frustration at being stuck here when he should still be home. His expression turned a bit more solemn, his mouth thinning.

"Like I can go through things like a ghost. I got stuck waist down in the forest and couldn't get myself out of it because my hands couldn't grab onto anything." So from now on, his whole aim was to be as zen as possible. "Wouldn't recommend it."
succored: (wtf | ouch | welp)

[personal profile] succored 2018-10-27 11:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Ty groaned, covering his face at the other man's obvious amusement, glad at least that Kira wasn't around to overhear it. He'd never live it down. Though he doubted Cougar would be any more merciful.

"I'm glad you find it funny. It was really weird at the time because I hadn't been expecting it." He complained, but otherwise didn't seem to be too put out.

"Anyway," He added pointedly, eager to get off of that topic, "Jake said that you were a world class sniper? What other skills do you have, if you don't mind my asking?"
succored: (amused | smiling)

[personal profile] succored 2018-10-30 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
He watched as Cougar dragged over a chair, making himself comfortable by leaning against one of the inn walls, nodding as Cougar listed his skills. It wasn't anything that he was surprised by except-

"Cards? Is there a specific game or can you do tricks?" Mostly he's just joking, but it would be nice to have some sort of normalcy around here. A card game night wouldn't be too bad, and would certainly help pass the time.
succored: (teasing | amused | snarky)

[personal profile] succored 2018-11-03 01:09 am (UTC)(link)
"Sure, but it's more fun when you have things to bet." Ty said, not a gambler by any means, but for him, if there wasn't a little bit of danger or a bite of a loss, what was the point? He supposed companionship and building good will were good enough for now, but he wondered if Cougar would think the same thing.

"Unless you're fine with things like betting chores or the like." He shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest.
succored: (interested | amused | smiling)

[personal profile] succored 2018-11-06 01:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Ty couldn't help but laugh at the insinuation, taking a seat across from Cougar as he considered the stakes. While usually he liked to think of himself as a good person, that wouldn't stop him from agreeing to this and kicking back and watching Jake's reactions as they played strip poker. He was pretty sure they would be hilarious and he wanted a front row seat.

"So long as we start out with an equal amount of weapons and clothes, I'd be game." He paused thoughtful, drumming his fingers against the table. "I'll see if I can drum up a deck of cards and who else might be interested. You should ask Jake."
succored: (laughing | happy)

[personal profile] succored 2018-11-10 09:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"What, you don't want to do it here at the Inn?" Ty joked, but he nodded. "Sure, we can do it where I'm staying. Otherwise all the cleaning and sprucing up I did to the place would be for nothing." He'd have to run it by Ashley, but for some reason he doubted she'd object to it.

As for the concerns about Jake, Ty couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head. "Nah, I'd rather beat him fair and square, but good to know he's that amicable."
succored: (being a shit | polite interest)

[personal profile] succored 2018-11-13 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
"I'll just run it by my roommate and let you know." Ty said, brows starting to raise up at the sudden change in Cougar's body language and tone. For a guy who had suggested he just ask Jake to strip, he sure didn't seem keen on having anyone actually follow through with that. Ty was slightly tempted to continue on this dangerous road, if only to suss out just what exactly Cougar's intentions were, but it wasn't his place really. Jake had only asked him to find Cougar and let him know if he saw him, not interrogate him about his feelings.

"He's a good looking guy," Ty started blithely, before quickly adding, "but you don't have any reason to be worried. The first thing we talked about was you and it was at pretty great length."
succored: (amused | smiling)

[personal profile] succored 2018-11-14 04:50 am (UTC)(link)
"Are we really-?" Ty started, before he stopped himself. No, he supposed if he was in Cougar's shoes, he'd want to know too, and it wasn't like Jake had seemed particularly embarrassed about what he thought about his teammate. And if it kept him on Cougar's good side, it wouldn't hurt to repeat some of it.

"That you were like a cat, and that you tended to curl up with people." Ty said with a small shit eating grin. "Though is that only for him or should I be worried?"
succored: (teasing | amused | snarky)

[personal profile] succored 2018-11-18 05:21 am (UTC)(link)
Was it bad to feel a bit of triumph to get a small rise out of Cougar? Either way, Ty was feeling it, grinning slightly. He leaned forward as if they were swapping secrets, but mostly he was curious.

"Okay, so Cougar and Pooch. Is everyone in your unit going by animal code names and Jake just missed the memo or didn't tell me his because it's embarrassing?"