And for a moment there he was almost unable to believe his luck. Not only are they rifties but they are like, scientists or something, ridiculously smart and observant and they know about the cats and they're already, already picking up on his pathetic attempts at communication. He'd been so thrilled when the woman declared him aware, only to have the moment almost instantly ruined by another fucking cat.

He hasn't met this one before, which is good, because every other time he's been around the cats they've been much bigger than him, and this one is huge even when normally proportioned. He recoils sharply, floating backwards and halfway through a wall, having to then flail back out.

"Go away," he says, and he feels as though his hands are pulling into fists, even though that's impossible. "Tim pulled me out. I don't belong to you anymore."

Tough talk. He has no idea if it's true. He's barely 'out', and Tim probably has no idea he succeeded at all. For all he knows this cat is here to collect him, pull him back in. But surely - the Rift already killed him without conversation, surely it can pull him back just as easily?



"Um..." Iman takes a faltering step toward the cat. She'd felt immediate dread when it appeared, and a little bit of fear, too, like maybe they somehow stumbled onto something the cats don't want them to know about - but now it's just ignoring them pointedly. "Can we help you?"