Private Footprints in the sand

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

She gave a nod of her head to that. "Do, no touching and no activating but if we can have supplies to use then it will be better. I am going to go over and check what is in the other debris. Be back in five minutes." She said it and was moving as her footfalls in the sand were quiet and she scanned the treelines as well as scented the air but was moving through the different sections of debris where the fires had burned out. Her eyes were searching other parts though while she pulled out smaller parts that she would be able to use as well as containers of supplies that she was able to check. Some intact food and there were emergency waters for it. That was the real prrize and they were not much but the filtration straws they came with were the important part. The large cathar having a few of them in the pile but one for each of them in a small pack she was using as it was cushioned to not make sounds with vine and cloth between it.

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren moved in closer once Guilia had finished sorting the pile, her gaze immediately going to the small pack and the neatly wrapped contents inside. Relief flickered across her expression when she recognized the filtration straws and intact emergency supplies.

She reached out to lightly touch one of the packs, careful not to disturb the padding.

"This is a really good find," she said quietly, her voice kept low out of habit. "Clean water is going to matter more than almost anything else if we're here longer than a few days."

She glanced back toward the tree line for a moment, making sure nothing had shifted, before returning her attention to Guilia.

"If we spread these out between people, it gives us some backup if anything gets damaged," she continued. "And the food and containers will help with rationing."

After a brief pause, she nodded toward the pile of droid parts and tools.

"Once we get this back, we can see what's usable for sensors without powering anything up," she added. "No risks, just preparation."

She shifted her grip on one of the smaller bundles, ready to help carry.

"Let's bring this in before someone else finds us first."

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

She gave a nod to that, they had a good amount and knew where they would be able to find more. "We can head back but not the same way, we need to circle around and towards the water again. This time tracking it up. We have the light and will be able to use it. If we can find a better source and get to the coast we can leave markers for a second one tomorrow." She said it while leaving the little piles secured and ready to be collected later. Then she was moving taking only the things that they should bring back immediately when she moving silently into the trees. Following her nose back around and away from the killing ground until the sounds of water came. Guilia paused and looked as there was water and the large beast there with one of the wolf like things. It was eating and moving around as she started to back away but circle following the direction of the water towards more rocks.

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren followed Guilia's lead without question, adjusting her pace to match the Cathar's quiet, deliberate movements as they slipped back into the cover of the trees. Her breathing stayed slow and controlled, every sense tuned to the shifting sounds of the jungle and the distant rhythm of the water ahead.

When Guilia paused and motioned toward the feeding predator, Seren stilled instantly, lowering herself slightly and angling her body so her silhouette blended more naturally with the surrounding brush. Her gaze tracked the massive creature and the smaller scavengers around it, memorizing their positions, their movements, the way they guarded the kill.

Only when Guilia began to edge away did Seren move again, carefully mirroring her path.

"That thing's claiming the whole stretch," she murmured under her breath, keeping her voice barely louder than the rustle of leaves. "If we marked anywhere near here, it would be gone by morning."

She shifted closer to Guilia as they circled along the rocks, eyes scanning for safer paths and potential landmarks.

"Following the water's smarter," she continued quietly. "Less scent, more cover. And if it loops back to the cove, we'll have a clean route for tomorrow."

Her gaze lifted toward the darker line where stone met surf.

"Once we hit the coast again, I'll leave something subtle," she added. "Nothing obvious. Just enough for us to recognize."

She glanced briefly at Guilia, a small, resolute nod following.

"Let's keep moving. No reason to remind it we exist."

Then she fell silent again, slipping back into step as they continued along the waterline, careful, patient, and alert.

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

The large cathar gave a nod of her head to that as she moved back and crept to not make any sounds of alerts. Her movement careful but she had one ear turned to follow the creature in case it shifted... benefit of the cone like shape compared to most of the others. The water remaining in her scent as she followed the water up further and further until it was cascading over rocks down to the stream that went. She started to climb up the rocks where she could and adjusted her pack before motioning for Seren to follow her up where she had been stepping to go up and over. The water looped between rocks as they was moving over them to the other side to cross it. She was looking at it and down while touching the water. "It is cool, a better source but climbing up would limit how much we want to be able to take back daily. Climbing down with extra weight wouldn't be as easy as going up." She said it and was moving on the other side while making markings. Her senses orienting her towards the coast as she followed the water and started moving looking for the closest area of connection.

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren followed Guilia up the rocks with careful precision, placing her boots exactly where the Cathar had stepped, testing each hold before committing her weight. The stone was slick in places, worn smooth by constant water flow, and she kept her balance low and centered as they climbed, one hand occasionally brushing the rock for stability.

When Guilia paused to test the water and spoke, Seren crouched beside her, dipping her fingers briefly into the stream as well before letting the cool droplets fall back into the flow. Her gaze traced the way the water wound between the rocks and disappeared toward the lower ground.

"You're right," she said quietly, watching the current for a moment. "It's cleaner, and it's safer up here… but it's not something we can rely on for hauling every day."

She shifted her pack slightly on her shoulders, considering the route in reverse, heavy and tired.

"Maybe this becomes our emergency source," she continued. "If the lower water gets compromised, sick, or guarded by something worse."

Her eyes followed Guilia's markings as they moved again, committing them to memory.

"If we mark this trail well enough," Seren added, "we can rotate. Use the easier route most days, and this one when we need quality over quantity."

She glanced toward where the land began to slope more gently toward the coast.

"If there's a flatter connection ahead," she murmured, "we might be able to turn this into a two-stage run. Cache halfway. Light loads each trip."

Then she straightened slightly and gave Guilia a small, approving nod.

"Either way, this is a good find," she said. "It gives us options. And right now, that's everything."

With that, she fell back into step, eyes forward, alert for the first glimpse of the coastline connection Guilia was searching for.

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

Guilia gave a nod of her head as following he water she was able to see where the water was coming from as there was higher and higher areas in the rocks of the mountain but she was looking at the coastline between the trees. "The shore could lead us around but the water froms from above." She said it and was making more markers while she walked... scratching the rocks to mark it before she was adjusting her own plans and orientation when she came out on the shore and looked around. "This is no where near our camp and side of the island... which means it is too far for daily travel but we would be able to use it more as a region and meeting place. The mountain and cliff gives a marker.. the debris hasn't damaged it."

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren slowed beside Guilia as they reached the open stretch of shoreline, her gaze sweeping over the rocks, the rising cliffs, and the way the mountain's shadow stretched across the sand. She took a moment to orient herself, committing the shape of the land to memory, the angle of the water's path, the way the debris clustered farther down the coast.

She crouched briefly near one of Guilia's scratch marks, brushing her fingers over it to feel how deeply it had been cut.

"Yeah…I see what you mean," she said quietly, keeping her voice low out of habit. "It's too far to rely on every day, especially if anyone's carrying water or supplies back uphill."

She straightened slowly and looked back toward the tree line, mentally tracing the route they had taken.

"But it's solid," she continued. "Easy to recognize. Hard to lose once you've seen it once."

Her eyes lifted toward the cliff face and the mountain above.

"If someone gets separated, or if we ever have to move fast and can't get back to camp right away, this could work as a fallback point," she added thoughtfully. "Somewhere to regroup. Somewhere we know won't shift or wash away."

She glanced at Guilia with a small nod.

"And if we can slowly improve the path over time, even a little…it might become more useful later."

Then, after another careful look around, she murmured,

"Let's mark it well before we head back. Future us will be grateful."

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

She gave aa nod as she was moving with it. The mountain was easier to mark and in a way that they would be able to see as she was testing her claws on the rock. Making scratch marks above where the water would come in with a tide or even storm. She was not certain about the rains but they would have to see and could always check back here. "If it is safe enough or at least nothing major in the way we could use the raft... less to traverse, can carry more and if we can reinforce it then we will be able to move around and quick." She said it as she finished looking at the skies. "If we make good time we'll be able to get back just before dark." She said it and they had a good amount of daylight burned away already but she was moving as the bottles of water were there and the filters. Some materials but she had more of a mental map to fill in areas as well as some piles that they would be able to go and collect.

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren watched as Guilia tested her claws against the stone, the sharp, deliberate marks cutting cleanly into the rock, where tides and storms would not easily erase them. She nodded in quiet approval, committing the placement to memory as she adjusted the strap of her pack against her shoulder.

"That makes sense," she replied softly, her eyes following the curve of the shoreline and the distant break of waves. "If we can reinforce the raft properly, it saves time and energy. Less climbing, fewer risks with loose footing, and more room to carry water and salvage."

She stepped closer to the edge for a moment, studying the water's movement and the way it shifted around the rocks.

"And if something goes wrong on land," she added thoughtfully, "having a route by sea gives us another option. That flexibility could matter later."

At Guilia's comment about timing, Seren glanced up at the sky, noting the slow shift of light and the lengthening shadows along the cliffs.

"We should be fine if we keep moving," she said, already turning slightly in the direction they had come from. "No detours, no extra scavenging on the way back. We've got enough for today."

Her gaze returned briefly to the marks on the mountain, then to the bottles and filters in Guilia's pack.

"This was worth the trip," she added quietly. "Water, landmarks, and a backup route. That's a good day's work."

With that, she fell into step beside her again, ready to head back before the light faded.

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

"No detours, nothing out of the way, but if there is something like another emergency kit. Something invaluable that might be lost we should try and secure it. Components that can be used for a locator or radio if we are able to discern them." She said that and started to walk while she was taking the chance. To walk and was looking for two things.. a quicker route or their original camp on the island. If they could have a distance then it would make it easier to plan. Better to set it up so they were going when it was cooler in the day and able ot make it back while it was still light... to be prepared for any number of things as she pulled a rock up for a moment and tossed it into a tree to drop a piece of fruit. Letting it land in her hands for a moment. The shell hard and cracked for the moment while her claws were prying it apart with a small look. She had half for Seren as the walking was the best part and they would be able to move faster now in the sanad as opposed to the jungle.

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren moved alongside her without hesitation, keeping her steps light and measured as the terrain shifted beneath their feet, her attention divided between the path ahead and the subtle cues in the environment that Guilia was so adept at reading. The way she navigated by instinct and experience was something Seren had come to respect deeply, even if she herself relied more on awareness through the Force and careful observation than scent and physical markers.

She accepted the offered half of the fruit with a quiet nod of thanks, turning it in her fingers briefly before taking a small bite, the sharp sweetness cutting through the lingering taste of salt and sweat.

"You are right," Seren said softly as they continued walking, keeping her voice low so it would not carry through the trees. "If we start wandering now, we waste daylight and energy we might need later."

Her gaze lifted toward the canopy, then toward the distant suggestion of shoreline through gaps in the foliage, mentally mapping their position as they moved.

"But anything that could help us signal or listen," she added thoughtfully, "even something small, could change everything for us. One working transmitter would be worth a dozen comfort items."

She adjusted the strap of her pack slightly, then slowed just enough to walk closer to Guilia, matching her pace.

"Once we know the shortest safe route back," Seren continued, her tone practical and calm, "we can start planning proper runs. Early morning. Lighter loads. Rotations."

Her eyes scanned ahead, noting where the sand firmed beneath their boots and where it shifted unpredictably.

"That will give us options," she said quietly. "And options mean we are not trapped by one bad day."

She glanced briefly at Guilia, a faint, appreciative smile touching her lips.

"Lead on," Seren added simply. "I will keep watch."

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

Listening to her she gave a nod while she moved forward... attention on most of the details around them but also on the shore as it came to the edge and she stopped. Checking over parts of it. "This is as far as I went when I was first scouting." She said it and marked her trails she had left to be a border. "Which was for me an hour out from our first camp." She was marking it mentally for a moment while her instincts were more tracking the direction. "Which will orient us towards your camp." She said it but had a better idea now while she was going along the shore. The sands showing nothing having come as some debris washed up but it wasn't anything large or useful. Returning to the first camp she was able to see areas of it that they had left intact as she point. "We'll send ginger and mari to collect or we can later use these aas extra stores and collectors. A backup but also a way if we can get the droids sensors working properly and networked so that we can monitor further out and see if anything comes."

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren slowed as Guilia stopped, following her lead without question, her gaze sweeping carefully across the shoreline and then back toward the familiar rise of terrain that marked their earlier path. She took in the scratched markers, the subtle signs Guilia had left behind, and nodded quietly in understanding.

She crouched briefly, brushing her fingers through the sand near one of the washed-up fragments, studying the way the tide had shifted it before standing again.

"That makes sense," she said softly, keeping her voice low and controlled. "If this is your outer edge, then we at least know where we can move without burning too much daylight."

Her eyes followed the line Guilia indicated, tracing the invisible route back toward their camp.

"And if it lines up with their position," Seren continued thoughtfully, "it gives us a natural corridor between sites. Easier to rotate people, supplies, and watches without crossing unfamiliar ground every time."

She glanced toward the intact sections of the first camp, considering them for a moment.

"Using these as secondary stores is smart," she added. "If something happens to the main camp, we are not starting from nothing."

At the mention of the droids, her expression sharpened slightly with interest.

"If we can get even basic sensors running," Seren said, "motion, heat, sound, anything at all, it gives us time. Time to prepare, time to hide, time to move."

She looked back to Guilia, a small, approving nod accompanying her words.

"Let Ginger and Mari handle collection when it is safer," she suggested calmly. "Right now, mapping and marking this route is more valuable. The better we know this stretch, the harder it will be for anything to surprise us."

Her gaze shifted once more to the distant treeline and the curve of the shore.

"We are building ourselves layers," she murmured. "That is how people last."

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

She gave a nod of her head to that as she was moving, going through and only grabbing a few of the smaller things that had been left behind when she was moving with some of it. Guilia led the way further through and back down the path that they had made earlier. Following the trail but also seeing where they could alter it once they got to the stone parts of it. The wall that was being developed had shifted to a little with the rocks and she could see the mud hardening in the light still. The large cathar testing it as the crescent of the shore extended out and around but the rocks were there and adjusted. "They move fast."

She wasn't complaining and was pointing to how they were setting up the debris in plates in the water between rocks with mesh allowing it to enclose and extend outwards into the water. Making anything trying to get through have to swim around or make noise trying to get through. Guilia moved around as they had stacked the rocks and with the mud stabilizing it just right she didn't imagine under pressure and strain it would hold up but it would work for many of the smaller predators. She was moving around the jungle towards the entrance with a nod to Seren as they approached. Mugen was there with a look. "Well we have managed a few more things, Good to have you back."

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren slowed as they came back into the clearing, her gaze moving over the changes almost automatically, taking in the reinforced rocks, the drying mud, the mesh half-hidden beneath the water's surface. There was no attempt to take control of the moment, no instinct to step forward and direct anyone. Instead, she let herself simply observe first, appreciating how much had shifted in such a short time.

She glanced briefly toward Guilia, offering a small nod of quiet approval before turning her attention to Mugen.

"It looks like you all got a lot done," she said softly, genuine respect in her tone rather than surprise. "The barriers along the water are especially smart. Anything big is going to have a hard time getting through without announcing itself."

She shifted the small bundle she had gathered against her side and held it up slightly.

"We found a few things that might still be useful," she added, keeping her voice practical and understated. "Nothing major, but enough to add to the supplies."

Her gaze drifted briefly over the camp again, toward where others were still working.

"It feels…steadier now," she admitted quietly. "Not perfect, but better than it was."

She gave Mugen a small, sincere smile.

"You all really didn't waste the time," she said, clearly placing the credit where it belonged.

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

Jesse looked over from working as Guilia returned with Seren and she gave a nod of her head. "No sense wasting time, there is the chance we might not have enough and then we'd only be getting weaker so gaps would be dangerous." She said it looking around and there was more then enough set up for now, the three sides of the walls were made to give them plenty of coverage from the angles.. the mesh nets for fish and smaller sea beds that they were having with smaller pools. SLowly being drained. a small compartment being in the sand and direct sunlight as the metal had a small amount of water as Jesse waited.

"A small pool, the professor says if we can evaporate the seawater, there will be some salt for any meat we have to work on preservation. We have a tank set up right now with a small fire going and working to warm it and draw out the moisture but not burn or char it. Strips of meat will be longer lasting and easier to store. Ginger and Mari were able to get a little extra debris brought over with some wire. Ginger wants to see if we can make a hook and cranks, if it is possible she says we might be able to pull and drag in pods to shore or here to salvage from them instead of trying to swim out to them and we have been working to try and break branches and tree limbs that might be close or extend over the fence."

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren listened as Jesse explained everything, her eyes moving slowly across the camp as she took in the details that matched the words. The walls, the nets, the shallow pools, the improvised equipment. It was clear how much thought and effort everyone had put into it, how each small idea had layered into something sturdier than what they had started with.

She let out a quiet breath, something between relief and admiration.

"That's…really impressive," she said softly, her voice sincere. "All of it. The salt, the preservation, the hooks…it's smart. It gives us more time."

Her gaze lingered briefly on the small fire and the evaporation setup, then shifted back to Jesse.

"It feels good knowing people are thinking ahead like this," she added. "Not just about today, but about what happens if we're here longer than we want to be."

She adjusted the strap of her pack on her shoulder and gave Jesse a small, appreciative smile.

"You've all done a lot," she said simply. "It makes this place feel…safer. More like something we can actually hold onto for a while."

Her eyes drifted toward where Ginger and Mari were working.

"If they get those cranks working," she added quietly, "that could make a huge difference."

She didn't offer orders or suggestions, just quiet confidence in what they were building together, standing beside Jesse as another pair of hands rather than a voice of command.

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

Jesse looked at Seren and was glad she approved... it helped for all of them to be on board as she was walking and inside the camp they put the gates back in place. Resetting the alarms and alerts that would be used for them. A fire pit on the beach dug out with more rocks around it and all debris was cleared away as well as more and more branches and twigs were being loaded into the interior of it. Jesse looked at Mari and Ginger who were loading the wood into it and there was a second pile that they had set up of branches and wood. No way to chop it yet but they had managed to get some good pieces down and broken.

Jesse looked at Seren and spoke. "Glad you like which brings me to the other important part... if we are here for a long time. We have to think about the hard choices and Seren... I want you to be my mate." Jesse said it and stood there looking at her for a moment as she kept her face controlled, neutral and then the sounds of laughter came when Mari and Ginger were there. "Sorry sorry." Mari said it as she looked over. "She was practicing that line and keeping a straight face for the last hour... we tried... we really tried but it was just too cringy." The two of them were laughing and Guilia chuckled with it while she was walking and handing the bottles with the filtration straws.

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren froze, though it wasn't the jagged stillness she adopted when danger crept too close or when her instincts flared in preparation for a fight. This was a different kind of paralysis. The sort that came from her brain simply short-circuiting under the weight of sheer, baffling absurdity. For a heartbeat, she just stared at Jesse, eyes wide and mouth slightly parted, while in her mind half a dozen responses tried to form at once, only to crash into each other in a tangled, useless mess.

Her thoughts raced through the fragments of the moment. Mate? Her? Jesse? All occurring here on a beach with half a survival camp watching. Her gaze flicked instinctively toward Mari and Ginger, searching their faces for some confirmation that this was actually happening, only for the tension to shatter the moment they broke.

The laughter hit like a wave, and Seren blinked once, then twice, as realization finally caught up with her. Her shoulders sagged in immediate relief and disbelief, a sharp breath leaving her as she let out a startled laugh of her own, one hand coming up to cover her face for a second to hide her sheer embarrassment.

"Oh Force," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head. She looked back up at Jesse, her eyes still wide but now sparkling with genuine humor. "Jesse, for about three seconds I thought you had completely lost your mind."

She let her hand drop and laughed properly now, joining in with Mari, Ginger, and Guilia as the sound became warm and unguarded. Once the laughter eased just enough for her to speak clearly, she added dryly, a faint grin tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Also… the answer is no." She gestured vaguely between them with one hand, her amusement still very much present. "Not because you are not amazing, but because I am very much not built for…whatever that speech was supposed to lead into."

Her eyes slid toward Mari and Ginger, her expression shifting to mock sternness. "You two are never allowed to let her practice on you again. That was dangerous."

She shook her head once more, still smiling, then reached out to take one of the bottles Guilia was offering. "But…points for commitment," she said to Jesse with a softer, more sincere grin. "You sold it terrifyingly well."

Jesse Organa