forum With Gritted Teeth // One on One // Closed

Started September 05, 2020 by @Mojack group

tune

After a moment, his response came. “Sure, I’ll take it with me.” Telo confirmed, reaching his hand out.

He nodded, handing it to Telo. "There. Be careful. I don't want to be the only human on this godforsaken nocturnal cheese wheel." He said. Sure, he might not have liked Telo, but that didn't mean he actively wanted the other man to die. He wasn't like that.

Telo kept his peepers on him for a moment as he put away the scanner. He knew he’d just referred to the possibility of him..Telo..dying out there. But what really could he die to out there? His memory flashed back to the ‘glitch’ on the scanner, and the feelings of being watched, but he brushed it away.

“I’ll be back soon.” He said, turning and leaving. He moved quickly - no, he wasn’t nervous, he wasn’t nervous - but he did want to hurry this task as fast as possible. He paused, glancing at the pod one more time before resuming his trek back towards the stream. It wouldn’t be far.

Kaz nodded faintly, and started working to set up camp. As he worked, he ended up stripping off some of his outer layers, humming quietly to himself as he set up the main tent, working on organizing things. Tent was, perhaps, not strictly the best word. It had stiff, tough sides, and wasn't really all that flimsy at all.

Telo arrived at the familiar stream, leaning down to collect a sample of the water. He wasn’t nervous, he wasn’t nervous - but the jar did slip from his hands as he kneeled to the ground. It didn’t break, but it was a louder noise, in the oddly silent forest. Part of his mind wandered to why it was so silent. Maybe the animals had been scared off by the pod, but you’d think they’d be back by now. But there was nothing.

He could’ve sworn he felt peepers on his back, something moving behind him, but there was nothing showing up on the scanner he’d carried along. Still, Telo readied his rifle, just in case.

Kaz continued to work on setting up the camp, wanting to be able to sleep later without worrying about setting up in the dark. He didn't hear it when the jar dropped, as he and Telo were a bit too far apart for that.

Whatever had been watching Telo had left. All he knew was there was a sudden release on him, that whatever he’d felt - that feeling of being watched had faded away for now.

Telo scooped some of the water into the jar. It was clean, or at least it looked clean. Untouched. He kept on looking, checking to see if he had enough. When he was able to confirm it, he slid the lid back on and stood up, deciding not to waste any time and head right back.
A bit further up the trail, closer to the camp, twigs snapped.

Kaz straightened a little, thinking he heard something. He set the supplies he'd been carrying down, hand moving to grip the butt of his rooty tooty point-n-shooty. He had no brain bubble what to expect, but he didn't want to aim a rooty tooty point-n-shooty at Telo if the sound was just Telo returning.

Whatever was in the woods by the camp seemed to have also have stopped moving, or at least avoided the twigs. Telo himself had not heard the noise - he was beginning to make his way back, albeit carefully. He’d nearly tripped over some roots at first, going at a fast pace. He decided to slow down. Until he was more familiar with running the trail.

There would be a noise. Something scraping against bark, maybe scratching the leafy tower, or climbing up it. Telo heard that, but he just assumed it came from the camp, given how close he was now.

Kaz hummed faintly as he waited for Telo to come back with the water sample. He made sure the testing station was set up and ready so that when the water was back, they could test it. If, in fact, it was safe to drink, then that was all well and good. If it wasn't, then they would need to set up a water purification system, so that they had water to drink other than the stores they had brought with them.

Telo arrived again, into the camp. He glanced around, almost expecting something else - he wondered what that noise that sounded like something rough against trees was. Dismissing it for the time being, Telo approached Kaz, displaying the jar in hand.
“I’ve got the sample,” he said.

Kaz blinked, and then nodded. "Oh, good!" He replied. "Can you get it into the testing station, get that running? It'll take a bit to test." He sighed faintly.

(Gtg sorry)

“Mm, alright.” Giving off a tired sigh, Telo moved towards the testing station and prepared to put the water in it. He wondered if it would be safe to drink. The place already had pretty clean air, which was a good sign, but he couldn’t be so sure.

He ran his hands through his hair, looking around. "Did you see anything while you were out getting it?" he questioned. He and Telo didn't really get along, that was true, but they needed to at least try.

“See anything? Like, things other than the endless amounts of trees out there?” Telo had responded, searching his mind for the events of when he traveled towards the stream. That feeling of being watched, maybe. But he didn’t really see that. And he could be imagining things, for all he knew.

He rolled his peepers. "Yes, other than that." He replied, sighing faintly and wondering if all of these attempts of his at cooperation were for nothing. Telo certainly didn't seem to be trying.

“Nope.” He responded, popping the ‘p.’ “Haven’t seen anything, other than the plants, the trees, and water.” Telo clasped his hands together, rubbing his arms.

“Why the sudden question? Did you see anything?”

He ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head. "No, I was just curious." He said, looking around the campsite.