The night was actually fairly cool in the desert, enough that Mat had to make due with what he could find for warmth aboard the crashed airship he found himself on once more. He had come to recognize this place, and knew that there were plenty of felines prowling around. It was probably best to hide in a nice little... Cozy place, and what better place than a discarded sock?
He had crawled inside hours ago when it was still warm. The smell was thick inside of Puzzle's footwear, but that was to be expected - He could tell from the last few encounters with her that she rarely bathed herself... For good reason too, wasting water could be deadly to her or her felines. It wasn't long before the sweat dried and stiffened around him. Before he knew it, he was stuck to the fabric...
The next day came around, and the sun came up. Puzzle's nimble feet padded over, picking up dust as she walked. It was about time to start her day! Today was another little survival run into town, but instead of stealing things that people owned, she was just going to go get some water from the well and boil it back on the ship. It was a lot of work, but the water was worth it - also, not getting sick was a plus.
She plucked her well-used socks off the floor and plopped down, slipping them on without a second thought. She felt a little rock in her shoe, but it wasn't something that she was too concerned with... She always had rocks and sand in her shoes and socks, it was just a fact of life!
Mat was lodged between her toes. The dust and dirt didn't make them smell any better, but at least he was safe this time around... Not pummeled by kitties or crunched into the tread of her shoes, just tucked between her wiggling toes. The light beyond the black fabric disappeared as she slipped her feet into her boots - And off she went with a sled to the nearest water-location so she could continue living. Pesky dehydration...
The work would have been fatal to Mat were he not more resilient from his previous deaths. The heat was overwhelming, and her dry toes didn't stay that way for long. The crusty sweat re-activated around him in the footwear as well, turning his little life into a molten hell. The sweat didn't let him cool off either, so he was roasting as she trudged through the dirt herself... Accompanied by Chumley, one of her little attack cats. It was a day endeavor, and the water supply was only for residents of the town. She didn't care though, she still had to do the thing!
***That Night***
She fell asleep that night with her socks and boots on, exhausted... Mat wasn't doing perfectly well, but he wasn't dead. His arm had slipped under the ball of her foot as she made her way back. He almost made the whole trip without a limb crushed, but that wasn't to be. Her sweat mixed with the wound, adding insult to horrifically painful injury. Her toes twitched every so often inside of her cramped boots, which refused to cool off. Each twitch threatened his tiny body as Puzzle happily dreamed her little dreams.
***Noon, The following day***
Puzzle sat on the deck of her ship after having successfully repaired a few of the ship's systems. It was far from operational, but they would make life a little more comfortable for her in the near future. She hummed to herself, watching the clouds roll by before feeling the little pebble she'd been bringing along again. It itched a bit, and it was an itch she intended to scratch... Her attentions weren't good for Mat's health...
The sweaty boulders came together tightly around his body, clenching tightly around him and crushing his form inward from all directions. He didn't last long in her powerful, casual grip... It was chaos, pain and agony ripped through him as he was slowly compressed from all angles. Bones broke and organs ruptured, insides pushing into places they didn't belong... His little eyes bulged as his skull squished like a little grape.
Puzzle curiously looked to her foot as she felt the pebble 'pop', flexing her toes a bit. Mat's body pulped between her digits, mixing with the dirt and sweat as he was gently 'kneaded' into a fine paste. The sensation disappeared for her, and she shrugged...
The entertainment was gone, the curiosity faded... She didn't bother checking.