The X-Project

Yvette and Catseye leave the New Mutants group to scout ahead, needing to find shelter for the night.
Slightly before this log.

Yvette slipped into the alley, eyes half-closed to avoid betraying her
presence with their glow. At the other end voices could be heard, and
she flattened herself the wall, glancing briefly at her companion. The
others would be safe where they were, but it was getting harder to
find safe ways through the streets.


Catseye gave Yvette a grin and made a noise somewhat akin to a mew,
quiet enough so that she wouldn't be heard by the people belonging to
the voices. "Catseye and SharpSkinGirl are fierce hunters looking for
a place for MutantGirlColony to sleep for the night," she teased,
acting like this was all a game. "VeryImportant job." She cocked her
head towards the voices at the other end of the alley. "What does
SharpSkinGirl think? GoodHumans or BadHumans?"

"I do not know," Yvette replied in a whisper. "I cannot be hearing
what they are saying. Perhaps you can be getting closer, as the cat?"

With a swish of her tail, Catseye shifted. She padded silently down
the alley, making a motion with the tail for Yvette to stay back. She
was worried the men might be mutants, and if that was the case she
didn't want her friend to be close enough to be in danger.

She shouldn't have worried, the catgirl realized as she drew close
enough to begin hearing snippets of slurred, exaggerated conversation.
The men were both drunk, and aside from smelling the alcohol on them
Catseye noticed that they reeked of fear sweat. Just two
SillyStupid humans stuck in BusyTown like Catseye's MutantGirlColony,
drinking too much SmellyBadStuff to pretend everything's
ShinyHappySafe and they're not afraid, she thought to herself,
half disgusted and half relieved, with a touch of sympathy thrown in
for good measure.

With a quick glance back into the dark alleyway to make sure Yvette
would be out of their sight, Catseye picked up a half-crushed beer can
with her tail and lobbed it at them, hitting one on the side of the
head. Both turned sharply to see the purple cat sitting placidly three
feet away. When she had their attention Catseye stood, took a step
forward, and let them have her best roar. It wasn't as effective as it
would have been if she'd been BigCat, but the drunken loiterers were
just edgy enough to jump where they stood and then hurry off.

With a sigh of relief, Yvette emerged from her hiding spot. "So, not
the bad people then?" she asked, slipping on a glove to scritch
Catseye behind the ears very carefully - since awakening in the hotel
to the explosion, her gloves had been off more often than not. "You
are the very brave cat, to be scaring them away so well."

Catseye purred for a moment and bumped her head affectionately against
Yvette's hand before bounding off down the alley. She glanced around
the surrounding area and listened carefully before concluding that
there were no more humans in the immediate area, then shifted back
into girlform to motion for Yvette to follow her. "All quiet. Which
way does SharpSkinGirl want to go to look for a sleeping spot?"

"That way?" Yvette suggested, pointing in the direction they were
heading overall. "And we should be looking for the food places too -
we are being almost finished with what we are carrying."

"Catseye wants food!" the catgirl answered excitedly. "Food food food.
SandwichEatingHouse like before! Ooo! Will SharpSkinGirl show Catseye
the trick with the claw that SharpSkinGirl used to open the door of
the SandwichEatingHouse?" She'd been intrigued by Yvette's ability to
open the door with her fingernail, and hoped that her claws could be
used in a similar way. It would be a VeryGoodThing to learn how to
open locked doors!

"I can be trying - it is depending on how long your claws are being
and what they can be cutting through," Yvette explained, smiling a
little at the tall girl's enthusiasm. "Perhaps if we are climbing up
to the roof of these buildings, we can be looking down for the places
to eat and sleep?" She had to admit, she was itching to repeat her
stunt in Kosovo, where she'd scaled the sides of buildings using her
hands and feet as crampons.

With a raised eyebrow, Catseye eyed the nearest building. There were
fire escapes, which meant it wasn't impossible in cat form, even
regular-sized cat. And besides, it would be a lot more fun than
surveying the buildings from the ground. "Okee dokee," she agreed with
an enthusiastic nod. "Catseye likes to climb the fire escapes.
SharpSkinGirl can use her claws to help her? Or does SharpSkinGirl
want a ride on BigCat?"

Yvette pulled off her glove again and gave Catseye a grin. "To be
waiting and seeing, yes?"