VRRRM…rrrmm…GRNNN—!
"Howdoislowthisdown!"
Click.
brrraap…brrraap…
The two stared at one another while Ikade retracted her hand, her fluffy ears twitching happily.
"...how'd you find it?"
"Uhh...it was on the back of the seat, duh."
Sienna whipped her head forward, watching the scenery expand and grumbling under her breath while the feline stumbled away.
With her foot off the brake, the massive vehicle slowed to something more manageable, its exhaust note hammering against the cabin.
The dunes below rolled in waves, patches of green scattered across the land—getting closer by the meter.
Until.
WHAM—THUD—KRRRK!
"Sie! What the—!"
The vehicle leveled out on the ground, Sienna turned her head just in time to see Ikade get flung up, then slammed straight onto the floor, her curses cutting through the cabin.
Sienna shot the feline a weary smile, then mouthing an apology before focusing on the front, reaching out and switching the retarder off.
"You okay?"
Her question was meet with silence, a sharp glare drilled into her while she guided the vehicle through the river of smaller vehicles clustered near the ramp.
Slowing down a bit more, Ikade returned to her side while rubbing her bottom. Before processing to flick her forehead in retaliation, gripping onto the seat and watching folks move on with their lives.
Maneuvering away from the mess, she pressed the brake and turned the wheel until they faced the makeshift town ahead, figures moving through its streets.
Tap
The cabin stopped vibrating and the engine stopped cranking. The two let out a quiet sigh before Sienna unbuckled and rose from her seat.
"Mmm~"
She stretched her arms above her head, then glanced toward Ikade.
"Well. Might as well finish up here. Right?"
"I guess."
The two looked at each other before moving together and down the stares, pushing the door handle down and immediately, the glare outside struck them like thunder flash.
Both raised a hand toward the sun, blinking hard while waiting for their eyes to acclimate.
Sienna reached for the feline's hand and guided her toward the rear of the vehicle. Once they reached the ladder, she let go and climbed up onto the small porch.
With a firm yank, the stairs dropped and slammed against the ground below, dust lightly flying up.
Ikade walked up the steps and onto the porch. The two crouched near the remaining boxes still tied down. They got to work at the bindings, loosening the straps holding onto the chassis before carrying the first load inside the cabin.
They repeated the process again, this time however, the last crate levitated off the floor and followed them near to the cabin stairs, gently lowering it onto the ground.
"I'm starting to have second guesses." Sienna stared at Ikade's cheeky smile, her brows pulling together. "Just kidding.~"
Ikade slipped past her and went up the stairs, vanishing from sight with light footsteps.
"Hhah."
Sienna shook her head and turned toward the vehicle's side storage. She then pulled the handle at its side, the panel slid down with a smooth drag, revealing a half-filled container stocked with maintenance equipment.
A soft hum slipped from her lips while she reached in and grabbed a crowbar. She walked back over to the crate and wedged the metal tip beneath the lid.
Click...click..thunn.
A machine, humming.
Her gaze traveled over her shoulder and upward to the generator mounted near the center of the vehicle, separating their home from the cabin. The fans on top pulled out the warm air, a faint haze shimmering around them.
"Oh It actually works."
She crouched and peered into the crate, counting the tools one by one. After confirming the contents, she started placing them into storage.
Then she split.
One became two. Two became several.
Each librei picked up a tool and moved, finding spaces to hang them from, working for a couple minutes.
Before long, Sienna was lightly sweating, taking a short rest atop the closed crate.
"That took way too long."
She pushed herself up again and flicked her hand. A strange sensation crept over her head while the crate lifted, levitating back toward the porch.
Step...step...step.
Her last footstep echoed in the cabin, a feline tail swayed in her direction, the tip's shadow flicking lazily in the single light.
"When'd you even get this from—I didn't see it in the shopping cart."
"It was on sale."
Sienna stepped closer to Ikade, who was unboxing a small coffee kit on the table bolted right in the middle of the room. While Ikade worked, Sienna turned to the remaining supplies and started opening them as well.
The first box held wall padding, each piece a slightly different shade. She pressed them against the dark interior walls one by one, moving them about until it felt just right.
Then came a smaller package, she tore it open and pulled out a soft blanket with the print of a beast on it. Sienna stepped back, then moved toward the sink on her right. Her fingers hovered over the knob for a moment before twisting it.
Water burst out in a sudden spray before tapering into a steady stream.
The two chatted while they made the cabin feel more like home. The blanket was tossed over the red couch to opening a smaller package and taking out the couple light fissures.
They took their time finding places to hang them, then returned to the box for the provided cable, tucking it carefully into the crevices near the ceiling.
In between, Ikade took a break on the couch, tearing into a small bag of chips.
Sienna, on her part, walked over to the workstation and sliced open a thin package. Inside sat a matte silver wall mount. She flipped her knife again and cut away the padding over the work area.
She shifted the mount into position until it clicked into place, the hooks on the wall catching it, she then gave it a firm tug, nodding at the end.
At last came the miscellaneous stuff.
A couple wired speakers went into the corners. A hammock was strung between the couch and the table. Then they grabbed several packaged waters and stacked them neatly in the gap beside the couch.
"Huwah…I think my legs are officially finished."
"Oh? Look at that. Someone's getting fluffy."
Sienna reached over and pinched Ikade's side, gently tugging at the soft fluff with a grin.
The feline stiffened—then sprang a few feet away, her ears snapping back.
"Me? Getting fat? That's slander."
"You're the one who bought the chips."
"They were discounted."
Sienna snorted. Ikade narrowed her eyes, her tail brushing her side. Eventually, after their bicker faded, Ikade crouched near a wall and connected the lights into a plug.
flic.
Warm light spilled across the cabin.
It washed over the padded walls, the red couch, the mounted fixtures and the swaying hammock, shadows stretching across the floor. Strips of sunlight cut through the so called windows, overlapping with the glow.
They kept going.
One of the silver-clad heaters was bolted onto a ceiling support beam. They dug through the box for the brackets, fixing them in place. In the end, they still had to drill holes before guiding the cable down along the beam, securing them snug against the metal.
A miniature fridge being tucked under the sink to a couple board games being locked away, it kept going on until dawn.
srrp…
"This took way longer than I though it would."
Sienna crushed the empty water bottle and tossed it into a hanging bin. The lid spinning a few times before settling.
"Kae?"
She turned her head and spotted Ikade fast asleep, her head lightly bobbing with soft snoring. Her eyes softened, lifting herself up and carefully laying the feline on her side before pulling the thick blanket over her.
Pausing, she raised a hand and rubbed the soft white pom of Ikade's feline ear. Immediately, the soft ear began to twitch.
After tucking her in, Sienna switched off the warm lights, leaving a single white one glowing overhead. She leaned toward the placard near the generator, reading through its information.
Her eyes skimmed the labels, taking everything in and the simple screen.
Then she pressed a button.
vrrrmmm…rrr…r…
The generator turned off, buts its fan kept on churning.
fhh…sixty hours huh? Lets see...its a PTO, with three power banks and a total of nine fifty kilowatts.
...so...I only need need to charge it every once in a while.
She racked her mind for but a moment. Satisfied, she straightened herself and casted one last glance at Ikade before heading back to the driver's seat and sitting down.
Dim light from outside spilled through the windshield. Sienna fumbled near the dashboard until her fingers found a small knob, giving it a twist until static came though from under.
She adjusted the dial next to it, turning it again and again until a voice suddenly cut through the noise.
〈...op playing around you dumb fu—! Get in already!〉
A few minutes later, Sienna yawned and stretched her arms overhead before muting the speaker.
Outside the windshield, a few vehicles were parked around, people coming and going between them. Sienna lifted her wrist and a screen flickered to life above her bracelet, the time glaring back at her.
Still sixteen forty-five…whatever. Something'll show up sooner or later. Actually, I'll do it me-self.
With that, she stood up. She grabbed her jacket off the seat before sliding her arms into the sleeves, fixing the collar with a quick tug. Twisting slightly, she checked herself over, giving herself a small nod, then turned.
Picking up her backpack sat on the table, then heading down the cabin stairs.
Was it always this damn cold down here…? I can't even remember.
She shook her head, letting the thought fade while her eyes settled on the working town beyond.
People.
An abundance of them, of every race.
Side to side, passing one another. She blended into their parade, her footsteps becoming theirs. Their faces carried a whole circus of expressions.
Busy with intent.
Makeshift stalls formed in mismatched patterns and groups forming at every corner, a miniature city beneath another, its own tune forming a sound her ears took in.
Her breath formed faint puffs in the air. little by little, more and more people began to brandish their own piece—small things, heavy things, otherworldly things.
Dawn painted everyone in orange and white, sunlight catching in everyone's eyes.
Her gaze followed the silhouette of a navy-clad man, his guard uniform melting into the structures. All the way until it became someone else.
"Hmm? What's in stock, shady merchant?"
A single vehicle was pushed behind the stalls, away from the streets, its lower half painted in sand. The beanie on his head covered in small cuts, his attire rugged.
"Well, that's blunt. Ah—don't burn me with your eyes now."
The beaned man let out a dry crackle of a laugh. He rose from his foldable chair and walked to the back of his vehicle, popping the trunk. With a thunk, he pulled on the handle at the top and several racks of goods slid out.
His one good canine ear flicked while he stepped aside, digging into his pocket to pull out a cigarette.
Sienna ignored him. She moved down the rows, pushing past lightly used clothes, unexpired medicine, until she reached a smaller section—tools that had been used.
"Flashbangs? How the hell did you get those…you know what, forget it. I'll take one. Got any knives? Something less lethal?"
Sienna fired out a few more while the man came up and took her order, pulling them out and placing them over a small table he procured. Afterwards, he brough out two small crates and flipped their lids to the side.
The smile on his face never wavering, his beanie obscuring his eyes.
Her eyes scanned throughout the boxes, grabbing two knives and testing their grip before giving them to the merchant.
Then her gaze shifted to the next crate, housing different types of capsaicin spray.
"We've also got this, if you're interested."
thmp.
"Resiniferan, strong enough for Ursine."
Sienna picked up two larger canisters and handed them over, one black, the other orange. Smoke curled from the tip of his cigarette in a thin trail.
"That'll be two hundred fifty dollars."
Sienna stared for a moment.
She slung her backpack to her front, turning slightly to the side and unzipping it to pull her purse. She counted the money, then handed it over.
After the man took the money, he also counted them before handing over her order.
Sienna took her order without a word, sliding the flashbang, the knives and the canisters into her backpack, tucking everything in one by one, in a way she could reach quickly.
Once satisfied, she zipped the bag shut and slid her arm through the strap, securing it against her body.
She stepped back into the moving crowd, lifting a hand toward the merchant in a lazy wave. A yawn crept up on her so she covered her mouth with the same hand.
A sudden headlight flickered on, washing part of the street in white.
Then another. And another.
One by one, more lights followed.
Their beams cut across her face with every step. The tone of engines and generators permeated the atmosphere, mixing with the crowds' song.
The miniature town brightened in uneven patches, shadows waffling like leaves on a swaying branch.
And on the end of her short stroll, Sienna found a lone feline sitting on an edge of a porch, their porch. Her legs swayed back and forth. Back and forth.
Bundled in the thick blanket, Ikade gazed up at the shimmering lights overhead.
Her tail flicked lazily. Her fluffy ears twitched at every passing sound.
Warm light traced along Ikade's profile, softening the edges of her face. The blanket rose and fell with each quiet breath.
For a moment, the two stayed still.
She exhaled through her nose and walked up the metal stairs leading to their habitat.
Sienna stopped beside her before lowering herself down, joining the feline. Her shoulders slouched the second she sat, the weight of the bag fading away.
Sienna placed her bag at her side and reaching inside it, her fingers finding the bright orange canister before holding it out.
Ikade blinked, her eyes shifting from the lights to the canister.
"What's that?"
"Resiniferan." Sienna's said, her tone, soft. "In case a fearh suddenly attacks."
"You went shopping without me. How cruel."
Ikade huffed, leaning her shoulder into Sienna's and grabbing the bright canister.
The two sat there for a while longer, the patchwork glow flickering around them, their words mixing with the nights hum.
"Sie?...suki."