Mirin awoke with the winter sun, around 7am. She got another 3 hours or so of sleep before her internal clock told her to start the day. Down the stairs she went to the smell of last night's dinner. Her stomach growled as she rounded the living room corner into the kitchen, greeted by a clean foyer and Hobie sitting at the kitchen island. "Hobie? You cooked something and you cleaned the floor? Did you ever go back to sleep?" She asked, a small smile on her face from the unexpected gesture. Pulling his attention away from his plate, he nods up at her to greet her good morning. "Couldn't really get back to sleep. I reheated some for you too." He nudges a second plate towards her across the table. Hobie had dozed off with the hen, but when he tried to go back to bed, he just tossed and turned until he came to grips that sleep was no longer an option. He went back downstairs to kill time, hoping he'd get tired again. With a re-lit candle, he went rummaging through various cabinets and drawers in the living room, quietly. As the sun started to peek through the window and illuminate the cabin, a red color caught his eye. The foyer floor was painted with a trail of drips of dried blood and footprints leading to the bathroom. He shrugs and finds the cloth they cleaned the tub with, in the laundry room hamper. He gave the hen a few pets on the back and wiped up the trail.
Sitting with Hobie, Mirin softly chuckles as she takes her plate, "You're as sweet as sugar, you know that?" he averted his eyes to the floor, feeling his face heat up a bit. "I was just bored waiting for you to wake up." "Mmhmm, alright," she smirks, eating her breakfast. "Well, the effort is appreciated, but there's only one problem now." Hobie looks around, trying to figure out if he had done something wrong, if she found out that he went through her things. "You're gonna be tired now." His sigh of relief is audible, he finishes his plate and rolls his eyes, "Odd way to say thanks, innit?" Mirin just shakes her head, getting a kick out of his accent. "Thank you~" She enunciates, "Now get to bed please, I don't need you slowing me down on our trip."
Feeling himself yawn finally, he washes his dishes as Mirin eats. "Am I not going with you, then?" He asks sarcastically. "I heard that yawn, boy. I need you to be awake and alert for Glensfield. So, while you rest up; I'll reset my traps and see what I can find. I got a pretty good haul the last time I looked around." Hobie nods, waving her off to tend to her things. "Oh, and could you feed the hen?" Mirin asks before Hobie exits the kitchen, "Already taken care of, yea? Don't worry your pretty lil' head about there, she's good." He flashes a cheeky yet tired grin her way and continues out the kitchen. Mirin chuckles to herself softly, shaking her head thinking of how his teeth were quite pretty. "Okay, I see you. Keep it up."
Hobie backtracks into the archway with a smirk, arms up behind his head. "Oh ye?~ Do I get a treat for good behavior?" He teased mischievously. Finding his sly banter cute, she decided to play along. "Come and find out~" His brows perk up in awe, not expecting her to flirt back. She turns to him halfway, matching his energy as he sheepishly walks back over. Mirin motions for Hobie to dip down to her level, sensually curling her finger for him to come hither. His cheeks flush hot, he does as told. He gets as close as she'd let him. She then gets close to his ear as if she was telling him a secret. Her breath brushing past his skin set shivers up his spine. Mirin whispers, "Take yo ass to bed."
He just sucks his teeth and jolts back, embarrassed. "W-what kind of reward was that?!" Mirin just bursts out laughing and makes a kissy face to further tease him before returning her attention back to her plate. Thoroughly flustered, Hobie storms off, hands now in his sweatpants pockets, "Not cool, man-" "Aha~ you mad." Mirin laughs aloud, she was just messing with him. Seeing his face flush as his cocky attitude diminished into boyish curiosity and then a small pout was adorable.
(Later)
"Keep an eye on the hen while I'm out, alright?" Mirin calls out from the front door and slides the gate open. "Got you." Hobie calls back from upstairs as Mirin takes her leave, locking the door. He flops into bed, still a bit flustered. 'Ugh, she didn't have to tease me like that, I looked so stupid in front of her,' he mentally scolded himself while he got comfortable under the covers. Slowly, he drifts in and out of sleep. 'Shit…the hen.' his eyelids dance with slumber, 'I'll get up in a minute.' That minute turned into 10, then onwards. He was out like a light.
In the winter woods, Mirin foraged for whatever she could find as she followed the path of the traps, resetting them as she went. It was quiet, and peaceful as she went along. Finding some black walnuts, and hickory nuts on trees, and surprisingly she came across some red rose hips on a bush. Mirin loads her backpack with loot while she scans for any plants that grow during winter. Resetting the traps takes her a bit of time, the sun seeming to follow her across the sky as time passes. Before long, the sun was high overhead, indicating that it was now around noon; and she had been foraging for quite some time. On her way back, she does well to avoid any unwanted attention from the invasive species. She's had plenty of practice staying low, only attacking when necessary. Feeling fatigue settling in her feet, she didn't feel like walking all the way to the bridge. The heels of her feet ached a bit, but she figured it would be quicker to skip across the stream. While crossing, movement in the corner of her eye made her peer over. To her delight, a trap she missed the other day had managed to catch some fish. Skipping across and proceeding down the stream, she gets on her knees in the snow. Reaching out, her hand almost grasps the net as the current comically sways it out of reach. Kissing her teeth, she crawls closer to the edge and reaches for it again. A wave crashes by and something sharp grazes her hand with the added chilled winds and frigid water. Wincing back, she yanks her hand to see that her gauze had been ripped open, and so had 's love bite.
With her wound now reopened, Mirin contemplated just saying fuck those fish. Her growling stomach protested otherwise and she reached out again. "Almost got it," she strained with her fingers inches away.
"GNAH!" A zombie reached out and latched onto her wrist as it rushed past with the current pulling it along, and pulled her in. Into the stream she went. The freezing water washes over her and carries them downstream. The stream was usually shallow, only measuring maybe three feet deep. However, with the velocity of the rushing water, the water rose to about four or even five feet. Mirin tried to stand but she was only 5 '4, and the speed of the current kept her off balance. Trying again, her lungs desperate for air, her free arm latches onto one of the seven stepping stones. The zombie just wouldn't let go, trying its darndest to get close enough to bite her with the current negating its efforts each time. Finally, catching her breath, Mirin finds herself in a shitty situation. Her right arm was being held by her demise, and her left clung onto the wet, cold bolder. If she tries to lift herself up on the rock, the zombie may be able to bite or scratch her. If she lets go, she'll most definitely go back under. But, if she does let go, she'd have better odds of the current splitting them apart as it pulls them into more rapid waters. The clock was ticking, if she doesn't make a choice soon, her body will give way to the cold. Her eyes dart around as her head gets washed over again. The smell of her open hand wound entices the zombie, making its hunger ravenous as it tightens its grip. It groans loudly, and Mirin makes her mind up, letting go of the rock.
Back into the stream she goes, and so does her backpack. The strap catches onto the zombie's open mouth and hooks around its head. This causes the zombie to thrash its head about, gnawing on the strap as they're swept further out.
-BAM- The zombie's head makes full contact with one of the bridge's pillars. It lets go of Mirin, but not before she is swept towards the pillar as well; pressing her up against the starving demon. In a panic, she has to think quickly and extends her hands out to hold her bag against the zombie's face as it still attempts to devour her. She struggles until the current's force pushes her further out and away from the zombie. She holds on tight to her bag, crashing into the next pillar and clinging to it. Finally able to catch her breath and cough up the water in her lungs, she uses the remaining adrenaline within her to try to climb up. Using the grooves and notches along the pillar; she lifts her soaked body out of the water, just to be grabbed again by the same zombie. "JUST! FUCKING! DIE ALREADY!" She yells as she holds on tight and stomps on the zombie's face with all her might. It was persistent, and just as it raised up to sink its teeth into her leg, a wave pulled it under. It yanks Mirin along with it, and her resolve was reached. She reaches for her holster and swiftly pops the zombie square in between its nose and open mouth. Its grip never falters though, even with a gaping hole in its head. Mirin breaks its arm with her foot with forceful downward kicks and finally climbs up.
Through heavy pants, her breath visible in the air, she cuts the zombie's hand from her ankle and books it back upstream to the fish net. With that gunshot, more zombies would be here soon. "I almost died for those fucking fish, you're coming with me!" She proclaimed. Learning her lesson; she uses a stick to hold the net in place, reels it in, and cuts the net free from the trap. "Should've done this from the start, dummy." MIrin scolds herself. And with that, she dashes down the valley towards the ramp.
The adrenaline was starting to wear off as the cold set in. Her bones ached and her body trembled all over. Panting, she kicks the button for the ramp, sneezing and coughing the remaining, burning liquid in her lungs. She watches the ramp jut out and pushes herself to get up without slipping or dropping the net of fish. The dripping water turns the faint snow into slush beneath her feet. Her heart pounds in her ears while her chest heaves and feels like it's caved in, struggling for air. At the top, she sluggishly stomps on the foot pad and trudges into the house. As soon as she gets inside, she tosses the heavy fishnet aside and slumps against the wall, using her foot to slam the door shut. The cabin shakes as the sound echoes, jolting Hobie out of his sleep.
Hobie was slumped in deep sleep since Mirin left. He sat up in his bed and quickly ran downstairs. 'Shit! The chicken!' is all he thought as he descended the stairs. To his surprise, the hen wasn't the problem. In the foyer, he finds Mirin leaning against the wall, soaking wet and shivering. He rushed over, "MIRIN?! What the fuck happen?! Why are you all wet like this?" Mirin's breaths were shallow as she looked at him, "I just fell in, don't worry about it." She shivers violently towards the edge of the gate and starts to pull, making very slow progress. Conflicted, he runs over and quickly closes the gate for her, kind of knocking her off balance as he does so. He instinctively puts a hand out to sturdy her, "My bad, but you should really let me do that-" "I got it, I'm fine." she coughs between her words, a bit frustrated as she thinks she can handle herself. Her head starts to spin and she places a hand on her forehead. He gives her a face, pursing his lips as he moves to push the latch in place, "You don't look fine; what happened?" Mirin places a hand on the shoe cubby as she takes her bag off, "A damn zombie...pulled me in-" Her voice trails off as her eyes flutter and she stumbles. "Mirin?" Hobie backs up a bit, concerned. She then staggers and collapses onto the floor with her bag in hand.
"MIRIN?! HEY!" He rushes to her side and holds her in his arms. He was scared for her, but in the back of his mind he was scared for himself as well, his eyes darting between her and her pistol on her hip.