(Untitled)

[lastof_five]

Helen had always loved cats. She tried to keep that in mind as she stood at the base of a tree just off the path leading up to the Compound, her own cat thoroughly stuck in the branches and yowling to get down. Of course, today was the day that she'd worn heels and a smart dress that had come with her from home and even with the shoes off, she was

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[worldisburning]

"Not in so many words, but I do climb trees better than you, boss," says Gale, flashing a grin as he offers her his hand to help her to her feet, head tilted on one side. He glances up at the tree.

"I'll get it."

[lastof_five]

"It's just as well, Gale. Austen likes men better anyway."

Helen was slightly embarrassed it was one of her employees come to rescue her but Gale wasn't so terrible a person to happen upon her in less than perfect form. She liked him, found him both competent and pleasant in personality, and she hoped he wouldn't tease her too terribly for falling out of a tree in front of him.

[worldisburning]

"Of course she does," he says, flashing Helen the slightly cheeky smile that she's no doubt used to by now. He sets down his bow in the grass and shrugs out of his quiver.

"Okay, Austen," he says, putting his hands to the tree and starting to haul himself higher. "I'm coming up."

[lastof_five]

"Here's hoping she's more fond of you than me," Helen said, slightly put out that her cat seemed desperate to do things to annoy her. Still, she loved the creature more than anything and hence, she'd gone through a terrible amount of trouble to try and get her back and safe.

She was gone on a stupid bloody cat. It was ridiculous. Will would laugh at her for hours when she told him.

[off_the_grid]

"No, but there are a lot of things I haven't done before."

She didn't have a lot of prior experience with cats, but her few encounters with the compound felines and their claws made her wonder if perhaps a diplomatic solution might be better sought after before trying to grab it.

"Please come down here, cat."

[lastof_five]

Helen was somewhat amused at Quorra's insistence to negotiate with the cat but it was a better idea than she'd come up with so she stifled her laughter.

Austen, on the other hand, merely stared blankly at the two of them and Helen sighed.

"I don't know that negotiation will work on a cat. They're fiercely independent."

[off_the_grid]

"It's not usually my first inclination, but I thought I'd try something different. Plus, he looks like he wants to come down. It makes no sense to stay where he doesn't want to and you don't want him to be."

Quorra tried to get an idea of the cat's motivation by looking its eyes, but she found the feline inscrutable.

[lastof_five]

"Thus is the way of cats, Quorra," Helen said kindly, looking up and finding Austen just as inscrutable. "I wouldn't suppose you've ever climbed a tree before, have you? You're a lot younger than I am and probably more agile. I'd owe you something if you went up and got her."

[not_so_smooth]

"I think I can help you with that," Sam said, reaching down to offer Dr. Magnus a hand up. He didn't have much experience with cats, but he was pretty sure he could climb the tree and at the very least, have it dig its tiny little claws into his arm so he could bring it down.

[lastof_five]

"Ah, thank you, Sam," Helen said gratefully, taking his arm and standing again. She brushed dirt and leaves off her skirt and peered up into the tree where Austen was still yowling.

"You got yourself into this bloody mess, cat, having stayed out all night and not come home. I'm half a mind to leave you up there. You're quite lucky Mr. Witwicky has offered to help me. Otherwise, you'd have to wait for Will to get home."

She turned and smiled at Sam. "Don't know if any of that went through but I'm grateful for your assistance."

[not_so_smooth]

"Hey, no problem," he said as he helped her up before glancing up the tree. He was pretty sure that the cat didn't get any of that or, knowing cats, it understood and didn't much care.

"And you just have to promise to stitch up any cuts I get from tiny kitten claws that rip through my flesh," he told her as he grabbed one of the tree branches and pulled himself up.

[lastof_five]

"Absolutely," Helen said, shielding the sun from her eyes with her hand. "Austen, no scratching Sam. He's only trying to help you out of this predicament you just landed yourself in."

[vestalstone]

Pierette hadn't much interest in cats ever, if only for the fact that the ones that roamed the streets of Citharista were dusty, thieving beasts. She had nothing against the felines, but on many occasions a neighbor by their home or market stall would let out an angered shriek, a cat having run off with dried salted fish hanging from their windows, or having been caught in the cream pot just inside the door.

When the woman called for help, she hesitated. Naturally she knew that it was a reasonable request, and her years in the grove as a child had left her a skilled climber. But to climb up after a strange and frightened animal seemed a poor decision to make, and none too wise.

"Is it a mild creature?" She asked cautiously, wandering towards the woman.

[lastof_five]

"She is, yes," Helen said, watching the new girl with some interest. As small as she was, she was bound to be agile. "I doubt highly she'll bite or scratch unless she's hurt and she doesn't seem to be. Austen is just pig-headed and doesn't want to come down even though she's perfectly capable of it. I don't know what possessed her to try and climb the tree if she wasn't going to come down."

Helen laughed at herself. "Look at me, applying human logic to a cat."

[vestalstone]

"Perhaps she is simply unsure of her footing." She suggested, craning her neck to look up at the distressed creature. "Even a cat if unsure of their standing, would hesitate when faced with a great fall. Or so I would think." Pierrette knew how it was to be overzealous towards a task, and maybe the poor animal had been so intent on reaching the top of the tree that she had neglected to consider that she would need to climb back on down.

Pierrette then toed out of her sandals and considered the tree, and the best route to take in scaling it.

[lastof_five]

"Thank you, for helping," Helen said gratefully, hoping the girl was a quick and agile climber. "I'll have to repay the debt somehow. I hate being indebted."

The last was said with a little laugh; it wasn't so bad being indebted to the citizens of the island. At home, though, she'd always hated being in debt of someone else and usually it was someone like Nikola, cutthroat to the end. She loved him, certainly, but his manners left some to be desired.

But since this girl didn't seem to be a vampire in disguise, Helen felt reasonably safe letting her shimmy up the tree after Austen.

[pitythetrumper]

"I've never been asked to save a pussy before," Freddie smirked. He looked from her to the cat and back again. "I'd offer to help, but I think I'd get about as far as you did before falling on my ass and I probably wouldn't look half as pretty." He wasn't a country boy in any way, shape, or form and unless the thing had easy hand and footholds, there was no way he was going to get up there without help. He'd never learned to climb a tree.

[lastof_five]

"I suppose my rescue's not going to happen," Helen said with a mock sigh. She looked at Freddie and back at the tree. "Do you suppose you could spot me while I climb it? If I can get her down, there's no need to go all the way up. I'm just scared of falling again."

[pitythetrumper]

Freddie's mouth opened and closed a few times and he cleared his throat. "I could do that." It remained to be seen whether he would take advantage of the view or not. He was still undecided.

[lastof_five]

"Thank you," Helen said, grinning at him before starting to shimmy up the tree again. It would have been easier without a skirt, certainly, but that couldn't be helped at precisely this moment.

"Austen? I'm nearly there," she called out to the cat. "Just a little further..."