THIRSTY MIND ¤¤ open

[align=center][div style="width: 51%; text-align: justify; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: georgia;"]This was what Cavalry feared. That the panic would become all-consuming, that the nameless terror that haunted them would reach a peak in their collective conscience and drive them all over the edge at once. He'd done well to keep to himself thus far for that very reason, searching for answers by his own means - books, and what he considered a reasonable amount of pacing and pondering - and avoiding the din of the crowds that moved through the shadows for fear that riots would grow out of hunger, listlessness.

He is exhausted, anger blurring in the corners of his vision when the wailing sirens give another round of ear-piercing screams. He's had little sleep from the noise of it all and little to eat, little to drink, aside from what rations they have divided among them. Like a weary soldier he is no longer fond of the battle, only interested in the fastest, even the easiest way out.

Cav is alone with his thoughts until, rather suddenly, he is not - and before him stands a fellow that looks worse off than the rest of them, pale and scared behind widened eyes. The stocky feline steps back, lets Inu have his breath as he collects words of his own. He is not the best with comforting words but Cavalrychoirs is not a feeling man, at least not with strangers such as these. The best he can do is try to keep them calm, and bring them back to the present. "...There, there."

There's a candlestick on his belt, which he pauses to light with a match. In the soft orange glow he makes out tears in the canid's eyes, and, frowning to himself, he reaches for a handkerchief only to realize that he's left his greatcoat, and thus the remainder of his inventory, with his mount - who was still trapped outdoors. He could only hope little Marengo had been led to shelter and had no chance to run off for the hills, if only for the fact that his belongings were rather valuable to him. That was a silk kerchief he would have offered, and he wasn't sure where he'd go to acquire another.

But his worries are tangential at best. Cavalrychoirs approaches slowly by candlelight, the flickering flame held out before him to illuminate Inu's terrified features. Like coaxing a frightened deer, he speaks low, soft. "You're in safe hands, there's no need to panic. What's the matter, hm?"