Realistic or Modern (Closed) When it all falls down...

[ZombieBaee]

Slade

Slade took the water from Callie with a smile before scoffing at Gillian’s words. Could that idiot hear himself? Here was Callie, brave as ever and baring her soul to her brother and he could say was that. “How in the hell do you think that conversation would have gone Gillian? Real swell I’m sure.” Slade could almost imagine it now and it wasn’t pretty. Anger was starting to bubble in his chest as he heard Gillian spill the words tantrum from his lips. “And what gives you the right to say that huh? Callie isn’t having a fucking tantrum you spoiled brat, she’s getting her hands dirty and helping people that your family hurt.” He didnt spend weeks watching this girl break her back just for her to take this shit from him, brother or not. He had watched her get so scared and nervous to see her family again and all Gillian was doing was proving her fears right! And he was supposed to be the good one!

Things took a turn for the worse quickly when Gillian chose to call Slade out personally. “Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean? I didn’t do this to prove shit you ass. I did this because anyone with half a brain cell could tell how much Callie was hurting. Though I used to think of you as a smart man so maybe not…” Slade stopped to take a breath and was about to follow up with more insults when they were approached by a man Slade instantly recognized. Without thinking, Slade reached forward and placed a gentle but firm hand on Callie’s shoulder and turned to glare at her father and fiance.

War crime? They had to be joking right? By whos standards? And when that jackass said see you soon to Callie a rage filled up in Slade so much that he had to physically stop and let out a growl to not follow after the fucker and beat the shit out of him right here and now.

Once he regained his composure, Slade gave Callie’s shoulder a squeeze before leaning down and peering up into her eyes. “Hey you okay? That was a lot… I’m sure.”

 

[EclipseRosee]

Ava

Ava glared straight back at the man in the seat besides her as he glowered over at her. “Oh you’re fine.” She grumbled before taking another large bite of her bagel and settling into listen to the siblings argue. Part of her felt really terrible for Callie… the things Gillian was saying weren’t very nice. But the other part of Ava, the part that had been there when there sirens went off, knew that he was speaking out of pain rather than logic. “Gillian…” Her scowl finally fell and Ava let out a small sigh as she reached over and rested her hand gently against his. He just needed to calm down and listen to Callie… it was clear Slade didn’t run off with her by force if he would just take a moment.

“Slade that isn’t going to help.” Ava shot Slade a look as he started to fling out insults before shooting Callie an apologetic smile. “Callie you look like you’re happy. I’m sure everything you’ve been doing is just amazing…”

As Ava trailed off she went to speak with Drake and Haru just as Sullivan and Zhao we’re approaching. The sight of the two of them made Ava sit up straight as a chill ran down her spine. She had seen their faces a lot in TV while in the hospital and they weren’t comforting in the slightest…

 

[KAYDEN]

Drake

Dad jokes? Well that was just plain hurtful! Drake thought he was rather funny if you asked him himself! “Hey now don’t bruise my inflated ego okay. It’s prone to damage.” He grumbled and took a sip of coffee, his arm still around Harus shoulders as he listened to her join in on his gossip. It made him smile, a real smile, not his fake cocky bullshit. Before meeting Haru, Drake couldn’t remember the last time her ever gave another person the time of day, let alone a girl. He had plenty of one night stands and fake friendships but talking and being around her felt different... more real.

“I mean you’re not wrong. Maybe you really are a doctor! It’s times like these when your brain shows itself. And when you’re calling out medical shows for being wrong.” Drake smirked and ruffled her hair a little before straightening up and tuning fully into the tense conversation between Callie and Gillian... yikes.

“Well of course you can hang with me! I wouldn’t have it any other w-“ Drake stopped in the middle of his sentence when he saw Sullivan approach, the mans presence was one that made Drake physically flinch away and turn from the table, forcing Haru to move away with him. It was so hard to look at a man who was responsible for your own near death experience and in all honesty Drake was scared as shit. Suddenly he wished he had told everyone to fuck off and had stayed at home...

 

[Sir Damien]

Gillian

Ava was right about everything. He was hurt that his sister left, hurt that she ran off with someone she barely knew. But she was right about the fact Callie looked happy. She was smiling a real smile, one he didn't see much when she was living under the New States. He hated to admit that Slade was right. Callie was miserable and Gillian couldn't do anything to help her. He hated the fact that Slade looked out after Callie better than he did. "I-" He froze as he felt the chill in the air. He didn't even have to look around to know who it was. As always his father was using the fear technique.

After they passed through Gillian looked over at Ava. He knew she had it rough in the hospital and it was a miracle she survived. He also knew how terrified she must have been of been. "You're safe here, he can't touch you. He's very limited in the things he can do here and he's heavily monitored. I'm uh, I'm sorry about him." Quietly he cleared his throat before looking back at his sister and Slade. He was already comforting her. "Let me be clear about this, I'm still fucking pissed that I didn't get a heads up about this. In hindsight yes I probably was a little unapproachable at the time, for that I apologize. But...you look happy and well taken care of, something I couldn't do for you when you lived at home. And I'm sure you're doing great things." He smiled slightly before giving a small sigh. "But...it's not going to last. Father already anticipated that something like this would happen, he has a whole defense prepared for the war crime trial." Gillian shot a small smile at Callie and Slade. "I'm afraid the only way you two would be safe is if you got married. Then, in the rules of the New States, she'd be yours."

Gillioan straightened out his tie before slowly taking out the book he had tucked between his arm and torso, gently setting it on the table. "Ava I think this belongs with you." He had hoped he'd see Ava today so he could return that. With that said Gillian followed after his father, a heavy heart weighing in his chest.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Callie

Gillian didn't mean what he was saying. He was upset and hurt and she couldn't blame him, she'd be upset if she was in his shoes too! But that didn't mean she'd let him bad mouth people. Ava was their saving grace, she was able to put the boys in check and keep the peace. Well, the little peace that was there. "Thank you Ava, I-" Callie lost the words when her eyes landed on her dad as he walked into the large food court. Her mouth hung open for a moment as she stared at him in shock. He was so cold and distant and it gave her the chills. And Zhao was still hanging around him...it was like he was still waiting for her. She felt like she was going to throw up. Thankfully a warm hand found her shoulder and brought her back to reality.

"I-uh-" but before she could finish her sentence her dad and Zhao was gone. Callie had tried to prepare herself for seeing her dad and brother but she didn't expect Zhao. She didn't expect the cold treatment. "Huh?" Her green eyes bat slowly when Slade appeared in front of her. "Oh, hi there." Callie gave him a sweet smile before she wrapped her arms around him, giving him a gentle hug. Once again he was her constant in all of this.

When Gillian spoke once more she pulled from the hug and looked his way. Another smile formed on her lips when he said he was glad she was happy, though the smile fell when he brought up the fact that they couldn't escape the war crime. Callie had already planned for a war crime argument and, just like Gillian, she only seen three ways out of this. Callie either goes back willingly and Slade stays free, she goes back against her will and they take Slade with them as prisoner, or they got married. Callie just prayed that her dad didn't try to pull this.

"See you later Gillian." She gave him a small wave as he walked away. "A-Are you guys ready to go do this?" Callie stood to her feet and took hold of Slade's hand before heading towards the summit room for the first meeting of the day. They'd do 3 hour meetings and get a 2 hour lunch where they could hopefully talk more.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Haru

Drake had never come clean to her what happened to him that made him so anxious or to hide his name from them. Haru never really asked, she figured he'd talk about it when he was ready. Now she knew it had something to do with Sullivan. Drake was terrified of the man but she didn't understand why. When Sullivan walked near them Drake turned both of them around like he was trying to hide. "Hey, you know I've got your back. Right? We're the only people allowed to mess with you." Haru looked back and watched Sullivan and his crew basically threaten Slade. This guy was a monster, she should have stabbed him instead.

When he walked away Gillian tried to apologize for him and she rolled her eyes. "Oh, shove it Gillian." She looked up at Drake and leaned in and whispered to him. "Come on, let's play hooky and skip this shit until lunch. I'm not making you sit in a room with that piece of shit for three hours." Haru took Drakes hand and looked back at the others. "Yup. We'll meet you there in a little bit." Haru gave a small wave to the others before moving into the building to search for an empty conference room they could hide out in.

 

[EclipseRosee]

Ava

Ava sat back with a small frown as everyone wrapped up their discussion… this was all just really sad to see. She knew nothing would be perfect straight away but she was really hoping they could make the best of this and so far everyone seemed so down about this whole conference. Finding Callie and Slade was an amazing upturn but it also meant that this summit was going to be MUCH different than expected.

When Gillian apologized for his father after he left, Ava shot him a sad smile and shook her head slightly. “You shouldn’t apologize for him, you’re not him.” She dropped her eyes back down to her lap and fiddle with her nails for a few moments, trying to regain her confidence after the image of Sullivan had shaken her. When Gillian next said her name it caused her to look up with a start, “What?” Her eyes moved to the book on the table that he sat down with a gentle thud and suddenly Ava could feel something blooming in her chest that made a grin spread across her face. “Oh my gods!” She jumped up from her seat and grabbed the book, clutching it to her chest like it was long lost family… it kind of was.

Ava was so absorbed in her own happiness that by the time she moved to thank Gillian for finding and returning it, he was already taking off down the hall and causing her to deflate a tiny bit. She would have to remember to thank him later…

—

Through the first three meetings of the day, Ava found that Sullivan was quickly going ahead with the trial against Slade and that he was suing for possession of Callie like she was cattle! The trial would take place on day three. She also found that most representatives here were on the side if shutting down these radicals but… the crazy people that were here were powerful people from LARGE countries. Votes wouldn’t matter here… it was becoming apparent. They could outvote anything a million to one but let’s be honest who’s winning out there in the real world, two hundred rebels or a million fanatics. Ava made her opening statement by telling her story of her time inside the hospital. The things she was told… that she was useless for being infertile… ugly for her tattoos and evil for her faith. It was the hardest thing she ever had to do… when you say those things out loud. Those scary disgusting things… and a lot of the room looks at you like you deserved it… it made you want to vomit.

When lunch finally rolled around Ava escaped the room quickly, before any of her friends and before any of her peers. She needed to find a closet and just calm down. Ava found her self bustling down the hallway and busting into the room for her and the others before hiding in the corner and covering her face in her hands and she pulled in many deep breaths.

 

[KAYDEN]

Drake

Drake had taken Haru up on her plan to stay as far away from that meeting as they could. They were honestly only needed in attendance on the third day, day one and two were just so they stayed together.

They spent their three hours in an unoccupied office, Drake was pulling books off the shelf and the two of them made a game out of defining big words they found in the law journals and then looking them on up on the computer. Haru won… though that was probably obvious. Then they just spent a lot of time sitting on the floor of the office and watching videos on YouTube. Much better than sitting out there in front of those politicians for hours.

Drake couldn’t help but look over at Haru and smile a bit before turning back to the computer screen and sighing. “Thanks for hiding out with me today… I just. Sullivan really freaks me out.” His shoulders twitched without him realizing and he let out another heavy sigh. He wished he could get over this mental block… remember fully what happened and move on from the fear. “He’s always freaked me out since I met him when I was younger but ever since a while ago now I can’t even look at him.” Drake paused to shake out his hair and let out a curt laugh. “I mean fucker is ugly but man I shouldn’t act this dramatic right?”

Drake stood up and turned to offer his hands to Haru to pull her up off the carpet. He held on for a few seconds longer than he needed to before letting go and rubbing the back of his neck with his palms. “But in all seriousness… thanks. I owe you one.”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Lo

Lo and Marco had stood to the side watching it all go down and Lo slowly felt the creep of emotion in her chest. But for the first time in a long time it wasn’t fear… she was angry. “Oh FUCK that guy!” She growled as Sullivan and Callies douche fiancé left, Gillian soon behind them. He had to be joking about the marriage thing with Callie and Slade. That couldn’t be the only way? I mean people weren’t fucking objects…

“What an ass.” Lo finished her small breakfast and threw the waste in the the garbage before Heading off after the others for the meeting. At first she had planned on sitting back with Marco and playing crosswords but her anger made her pay attention. Half way through she turned to Marco and finally decided she couldn’t take it anymore and needed a distraction. She was so thankful he was there, if not she probably would have lost her damn mind.

When lunch got closer the two of them ducked out early to reserve their small group a table away from all the hustle and bustle. Lunch was a catered buffet so as soon as Lo filled her plate high she returned to the table and saved their little bit of safe heaven. “So what did you think of all that?” Lo peered over and Marco with a raised brow, “it was different than I thought… less hostile.”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Slade

Slade followed Callie, hand in hand, towards the meetings for the day. He couldn’t stop thinking about Sullivan’s threat or Gillians… advice? Sure let’s call it advice. There was no way he would ever make Callie do something she didn’t want to do… well not now. Not after seeing how strong-willed she was and how happy she was now. In this “New America” she wouldn’t be allowed to keep up with her law career or education. Something about that sat in a bad spot for Slade… that and the fact that he didn’t want her to marry some asshole like that guy. Slade has probably known for a while he had a giant interest in Callie, but only did he realize it recently. How could he not? She was smart and beautiful and kind… “Hey Callie…” Slade pulled her to a stop just before they went into the room and gave her hand a small squeeze. “Don’t worry about anything okay? I promise I won’t ever let anyone make you do something you don’t want to again…”

Without another word he escorted her inside and found their seats.

The meetings were brutal, they were only opening statements but it was scary to see how many people they were up against. And a lot of the people on the rebellion side were not trained politicians… Slade stood when it was time to break and pulled out Callies chair for her before stretching his arms far above his head and yawning. “Ready for lunch?”

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Callie

Slade said he wouldn't let anyone make her do something. But what if she wanted to marry him? It wasn't an ideal situation, she would have preferred dating him like a normal person, but with the fear of a war crime charge, well...she didn't want to see him beaten and hanged on the side of the wall. The whole three hours she struggled to pay attention to the meeting; her focus was on their present situation. Callie had a big crush on Slade. How could she not? He was strong, caring, handsome, and he was a gentleman. He was her ideal partner, she just didn't know how he felt about her. Though, she was certain he'd want to marry her versus hanging on a wall.

"Slade I have a proposition for you." Her cheeks were a bright red as she stood up and tucked her chair back in. "I admire you so much and I thank you for the fact you don't want to make me do anything. But, I want to marry you. I don't want you to get this war crime charge, I want to be able to stay with you. If you don't have romantic feelings for me that's okay. You're my best friend and I don't want to lose you. A-And I do like you." Would the harassment she was receiving get significantly worse? Most likely. But losing Slade was something she didn't want. "I saw a drive thru chapel down the road from here. However, if you think we can beat this or if you want to fight it we can take this to trial and I'll stand by your side until the end." Callie gave Slade a nervous smile with heated cheeks. "So...lunch or chapel?"

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Haru

Honestly Haru would have preferred to spend all week of the summit playing hooky with Drake. Even when they were doing nothing she had fun. Hell she enjoyed whooping him in their little definition game. Once upon a time ago she only used the internet to further her studies. Thanks to Drake she found that youtube was more than surgery videos, there were things from snake bite videos to cooking videos. "Oh, you don't have to thank me. That's what friends are for, right?" Haru gave him a small smile before taking his hand and standing up in front of him. "Sometimes we block out trauma to protect ourselves from the pain. Sullivan's a monster, he could have done something you blocked out." Haru smoothed out some wrinkles on his jacket before patting his chest gently.

"I'd do anything for you, even if that means taking out that old creepy fuck." She pushed back a few of loose strands of hair he had in his face. "C'mon, let's go meet the others for lunch." Haru walked out the door of the conference room before heading down the hall to the lunch area. As she made her way through the options she settled on a salad, a piece of chicken, and a bottled water. Her chocolate eyes looked over the tables until she found Lo and Marco. "Well, how was the meeting you two? Did they address the war crime charge or are they just full of shit?"

 

[Colt Voltage]

Marco

"Politics is so complicated. This was why I was a pilot, I didn't have to deal with this." Marco gave a quiet sigh before following after Lo to the meeting. Everything was already so tedious and complicated in this world the last thing he wanted to do was go to the meeting. They said he had to attend the meeting but he didn't have to pay attention. Hell, Drake and Haru were skipping the meeting, why couldn't Marco play his crosswords and sudoku? When Lo tuned out of the meeting he gave her some of his activity books and even played tic-tac-toe with her to pass the time.

Eventually lunch came and Marco couldn't have been more grateful. He packed up the small backpack he brought and followed after Lo to the buffet. Where did Ava go? Didn't she rush off this way? Ah, whatever. She'd catch up. He piled food onto his plate before sitting next to Lo with a small sigh. "I think it's boring and a waste of time. Obviously Sullivan is beyond being reasoned with; he should just be assassinated already. Do the world a lot of good." Marco tossed a meatball into the air and leaned back to catch it flawlessly into his mouth. He quickly chewed and swallowed before giving a small shrug. "I think-" He blinked a few times as Haru joined the table. "Well look who decides to show. Where the hell were you? You made us sit awkwardly next to two empty seats, people kept looking at us funny."

 

[Sir Damien]

Gillian

What Ava said struck a chord in him. He wasn't his father? He was being trained to be his father, he had always been groomed to be like him. He was meant to take over leadership if anything ever happened to his father, he was meant to take over if and when something happened to his father. How was he not like him? During the meeting he sat quietly in the front row with his father. Well, when his father wasn't speaking at the large podium. He occasionally glanced back at the others in the room with a heavy heart. Slade and Callie looked more than stressed. Ava looked extremely nervous. His heart ached when he thought about everything she was doing, this must have been so hard on her. Marco and Lorna looked bored, and Haru and Drake were MIA.

When Ava started to speak his body stiffened up at the mention of the hospital. She was brave to speak out about the abuse suffered. Unfortunately his father wasn't an idiot, Gillian was sure he was procession the whole thing and piecing it together. Once the meeting was over Gillian stood to his feet and gathered his papers. "I'll meet you in the conference room for lunch. Gentlemen." Gillian walked out of the room as he felt his father's heavy gaze on him. Oh he was in deep shit.

As he walked out he seen Ava darting into what appeared to be a closet. He looked around to make sure no one was watching before walking over and gently knocking on the door. "Ava are you okay? It's me, Gillian. You did amazing, I'm proud of you."

 

[EclipseRosee]

Ava

When the knock came to the door, Ava jumped and held her breath, not fully ready to deal with people should they open the door. Wait… why would anyone knock on the closet? Then Gillians voice rang out and she finally started breathing again. His words made her chest feel full… everyone had been looking at her in pity or with hatred and hearing someone think she was brave? Especially him… it felt great. The two of them spent very little time together but he was important to her so his praise meant a lot.

“Gill?” Ava opened the door a crack, peering to the side before reaching out and grabbing him by the shirt and yanking him inside the small room before shutting the door again. As soon as the door was closed she threw her arms around his torso nearly tackling him to the ground before burying her face into the material of his shirt. “Thank you so much. For bringing me my book… for believing in me… for saving me. All of it. Thank you Gillian…”

“I wish you didn’t have to stay near them.” The last part slipped out and caused Avas face to go bright red before quickly letting him go and regaining her composure. She had told herself she wouldn’t give him any shit about his dad… she knew how it felt to be stuck by family who you didn’t agree with. But selfishness took over for a minute. She truly wished he could feel free enough to do what Callie did, to come into their side. “Sorry, I don’t want to start, I didn’t mean too. I just… I wish you were with us. Today just seeing the way these men were looking at me as I talked. Like I was evil cattle for getting away, for not just sitting down and taking it. You don’t look at me that way. You took me away from all that! You don’t think like them!” Ava had started despite trying to not and suddenly she was crying again. “I just hate this!”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Slade

Slade wasn’t romantic or spontaneous. Slade wasn’t suave or witty. He’s never even been on a date in the past like four years. In all honesty he hadn’t even liked a girl really since high school… but Callie was amazing. He’d known that since he met her, gravitated towards her. At first he thought she was just quiet and kind, less obnoxious than all the others but soon he realized it was more. When he was tasked with finding her he put his entire being into it. Since the returned to the safe hold with him, his entire life became trying to keep her safe and create a world she could be herself in.

All of this is why when Callie spoke and Slade reacted… he was shocked with himself. For just a moment he forgot where they were, that they were surrounded by people who saw Callie as a face of both sides of the fight, surrounded by people who saw him as the devil… and he reached down, placing his hands on either side of her face and planting a soft kiss on her lips. It wasn’t until he heard a gasp that he pulled back and blushed cherry red. “Probably shouldn’t have done that here huh?”

Slade wrapped his hand around Callies and quickly pulled her out of the room and down the hall towards the parking lot, stopping once they hit the doors outside. “Callie I-I just want to make sure you’re a hundred percent sure.” His eyes glanced down at her for a moment before he let out a heavy sigh and hid his face in his hands. “God woman I wanted to at least get through this and ask you on a proper date first… but then this happens and you say those things and now I just.” Slade let out another exasperated sigh and dropped his hands to his sides, pulling out the keys from his pocket. “But if you’re sure… I would be honored. And that date will just have to wait for now. But I promise you I will make it happen.”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Lo

Lo couldn’t help but to agree with the waste of time. “I mean you’re not wrong my man you’re not wrong.” Lo stabbed some of her lunch and shoved it in her mouth as Haru and Drake approached the table. “Yeah like we were zoo animals or some shit! Though I have a feeling they would be staring no matter what…” she continued to eat before finally stopping and setting down her fork and rolling her eyes. “I mean they can waste time during those meetings, they know they’ll win.”

As they got situated her eyes fell on Callie and Slade slipping through the hallway and out the door. “Did you guys see that?” Lo blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes, not sure if what she just saw was real. “They can’t be taking Gillian seriously?! I mean he’s probably lying right? Just messing with them?”

Lo turned to Marco with a raised brow before turning to Haru. “Seriously where did you hide because this is all about to get so much more volatile if they do this. I don’t want to be in there when Sullivan finds out.”

 

[KAYDEN]

Drake

“Well I appreciate that babe but maybe we just not do that. Right now at least.” Drake couldn’t help but laugh as she mentioned killing Sullivan. Not the worst plan in the world honestly… and one that rang true to him as less of a joke and more of a reality. Then life hit him like a sack of bricks as he followed Haru out into the hallway. That’s what he was going to do before he got to the hospital! The police didn’t believe him and no one in his family would help! So Drake was planning to poison the fuck but his plan was found out and he got caught.

The world around him seemed surreal as they got their lunch and sat at the table with Lo and Marco. He was swimming in his own thoughts for a while before suddenly being pulled out by Lo and Marco questioning them. “It’s a secret. You don’t get to know pretty boy.” Drake tried to eat some but couldn’t stomach it at all… “What? They left?” Drake peered down to see a flash of blonde leaving the building and he pushed his food out towards the middle of the table.

“Oh fuck this if we can leave there was a bar a block down the road. Let’s go hide there! Avas doing fine without us! We can just walk back before she’s done!” Drake desperately needed to leave this place. His hands rested on Harus shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze before smirking. “Pleaseeeee, I’ll challenge you to pool and buy you a shot?”

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Callie

Callie more expected Slade to turn her down or scold her. Not that he would, but it was something she was used to. She definitely didn't expect him to press his lips to hers. Her cheeks heated up a bright red as her heart began to beat wildly. Before Callie could react people were gasping and Slade was pulling away and pulling her out of the conference room. They stopped at the door and, still red in the face, Callie quietly watched him go about back and forth. He planned on asking her out after this? That somehow made her feel better about their situation.

When he pulled the keys from his pocket her heart skipped a beat. This was really happening wasn't it? "A date sounds perfect. Alright, let's go before someone stops us." With that said she took his hand and rushed to their car. The chapel was just down the road and it didn't take them long to get there. When they walked in they were instantly recognized and welcomed the two of them. They said the whole thing was on the house, anything in hopes to stop Sullivan and his rapid growing empire.

Within half an hour Slade and Callie were fitted for their tux and dress. White roses, a boutonniere, rings, a photographer, and the cutest little chapel. The girls did Callie's makeup and put a tiered veil on her. The dress she wore was a perfectly fitted off the shoulder mermaid v-neck dress paired with white heels. The time flew by with how nervous she was. Was this really happening? She didn't mind, she really did like Slade. All her life she had dreamed of the perfect wedding. This was far from her ideal perfect wedding, but it felt just right. Like she wouldn't have it any other way.

Before she knew it Callie was being told she could walk down the isle. With a deep breath and heated cheeks she walked down the isle with a small shy smile.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Haru

"So what if they left?" Her brows arched curiously as Drake began to freak out about going to a bar. He probably did need a drink to help take the edge off. If they got caught leaving Haru and Marco could get in big trouble. But when Drake squeezed her shoulders? Her cheeks heated and she let out a small sigh. "Fine fine fine, but I want two drinks." Haru stood to her feet and ran a hand through her shoulder length straightened black hair. "Well? Let's go, but no getting hammered. We need to be somewhat presentable." With that said she grabbed Drakes hand and headed for the car.

Before they knew it they were a couple blocks away at a small bar. It was pretty much empty at this time of day since they just opened, a few regulars were there at the bar but pretty much everything else was free game. Pool, darts, bar snacks, plenty of booze, and good company. Before she knew it they were 20 minutes in and Haru found herself taking shot for shot with Drake. How many had they done? Five? Six? Haru was a lightweight but she hated losing anything she felt like was a competition. "Teach me pool." Haru threw a piece of popcorn at Drake, her pale cheeks tinted from the excess of alcohol in her system.

She stood from the bar stool and nearly fell into Drake's lap. "We're taking bets. When you lose you'll be my slave for the day. Now name your price, though you won't be winning." Haru gave a small smirk and pulled on Drake's sleeve. "Come on pretty boy, time to kick your butt."

 

[Colt Voltage]

Marco

Leave? Callie and Slade were guests of Canada at the moment, they were more immune to things than their group was. Drake, Ava, and Lo were safe as well, but Marco and Haru? They had to be model citizens and stay out of the trouble. If they fucked up they would be deported. "Drake I don't think-" But Haru seemed to be on board. If they were didn't make any trouble and got back in time for the next meeting they'd be fine. "Right. Guess we're going to the bar. You thirsty?" Marco smiled at Lo before he stood up and walked out to their car.

The bar wasn't hard to find and it wan't that busy. They basically had the bar to themselves save for the few locals that were already there. While Drake and Haru took shots like no other Marco sat back with a water and sipped on it slowly. Someone here had to be the DD. "I feel like those two are going to sucker us into going to the hotel bar with them later too. What do you want to do later? I hear there's a pool. I'm sure a bunch of those stuck up snobs aren't going to use it." Marco tossed some bar peanuts in his mouth as he looked over at Lo with a sad smile.

"Japan and Italy are firm against their stance against Sullivan's states. Canada has become a place for refugees and the old America, they need the space to help people. They've tried to convince me to go home since I have property there, and now that Haru is mentally stable they're trying to send her home as well. We've dodged deportation as of now but if we get into any trouble, well, I'm afraid they'll make true to their threats. That's why I've been on my best behavior as of late." He didn't mean to upset the good time they were having but it felt so good to finally tell her. "I like being around you. My whole family is dead; if I go to Italy I can't keep an eye on you'd. I'd probably worry about all of you like crazy." He chuckled quietly and took a long drink of the water.

 

[Sir Damien]

Gillian

When Ava yanked him inside the room he made a quiet 'oof' sound. He didn't expect that and he didn't expect the large hug she gave him, her face was even buried into his shirt. He froze, he didn't want to make a wrong move and honestly he had no clue what to do. His face was a bright red; Gillian had never even had a girlfriend before. His life was always devoted to his father's cause. Child abuse, mental anguish, strict schedules and little time for sleep was what broke Gillian into the obedient soldier he was today. The only thing that made him have such a soft heart was his gentle mother and sister, that's what inspired him on saving Ava and the other women he had saved.

"I, uh, you're welcome." He quietly cleared his throat and pat her on the head. "You may not believe it but this is what I'm meant to do. I've been raised to follow in my fathers footsteps, I know it's hard for people to understand but...I've followed him since I was little. I'll take over when and if something happens to him. Callie and I are his legacy. She may be exploring her own path in life right now but I'm continuing on my true path." He sighed quietly at her tears. "You're not evil cattle. You're Ava." He pulled the handkerchief from his breast pocket and wiped away the tears on her face. "I cannot leave. My mom has been broken since my sister left and my father has gone mad with power. Hopefully with my rank I can do something to change the society. We're all doing our part, right?"

Gillian may have been selfish but he wrapped his arms around Ava and gave her a tight squeeze. "I want the world safe for you and the women of the world. I've gotta stay on the path I'm on in order to accomplish that. I know that's not what you wanted but it's the best I can offer."

 

[ZombieBaee]

Lo

How bluntly Marco put his families death always hurt her a little... she felt so bad. Lo couldn't imagine losing everyone like that, she was thankful that once they reached Canada she was able to track down her parents travel records and ensure they were still overseas. They were still unreachable but at least she knew they weren't back home. "Marco... I like being around you too. It's nice, I don't feel so lost anymore." Lo had never left her hometown until it was under attack, since her feet left the soil of Portland she felt more and more lost about her life. Up until then she had the same friends, same job and same look. Now that was all gone, her home had been ransacked and her friends were god knows where. This group of idiots, Marco among them, had created a new sense of family for her. "I don't know what I would do if you had to leave." Lo ordered a bloody mary and ran her fingers along the edge of the bar as she thought. "I mean if they did make you go, do you think I could go too? I mean... God sorry forget I said anything."

As the bartender put down her drink, Lo took a big sip before setting it down and zoning out, staring into the red liquid.

--

The first day of the summit went well, four of them just went and got drunk and played pool before heading back for a quick scolding from Ava and returning to their hotel. The second day was equally uneventful. But now, on the morning of day three, the group was preparing for their time to share their stories. Lo wasn't too worried... thankfully her part in everything was fairly vanilla. She was however scared for her friends, the son of a diplomat in the new world, two immigrants who were involved in murder and boat theft and Ava who knew all about the hospitals testing on women. Who knew how these people would react to their dirty laundry being aired, or if people would even care.

Just as they had the past two days, the five of them sat at a table in the food court with their small breakfasts and talked lightly before it was time to start for the day. "Ava have you heard much more from Gillian? I mean..." Lo didn't like Gillian, despite the good things hes done, he still sat next to Sullivan and that was enough for Lo to count him out, "I mean... you can't really say how you got out can you? It would get him into trouble right?" Or killed. Lo spoke softly as she shoved a few bites of hashbrowns into her mouth and looked around the room. Oddly enough it was rather quiet today and lacking to prescence of Sullivan and his lackeys. Maybe it was still really early?

 

[ZombieBaee]

Slade

Their vows were short and sweet all things considered. Slade knew he really cared for Callie, deeply, he wanted her to be safe and happy more than anything at this point. That was all he needed to say. Honestly he would have still done this even if she wasn't interested in him but man did it make it better that she was. After their quick wedding, the two had raced out to their Jeep, still in their wedding attire and sped back to their hotel to avoid public eye. Of course, that didn't work. Before they even made it back to the hotel, they were already on the news. "Well, we should probably let this calm down before we leave again..." Slade moved to the window of their hotel room and pulled the curtain back just slightly. Already news vans and people with cameras were surrounding the poor people working security for the summit. "And it might take a while."

--

Callie and Slade spent day two of the summit hiding in their hotel room, watching movies and eating room service as they talked about anything and everything. It was their small honeymoon before returning to the chaos that was the real world the following day.

"Hey does this look okay?" Slade stepped out from the bathroom of their hotel and straightened out his suit jacket a bit. Today he was wearing a charcoal grey suit with a black and white checkered shirt and a black tie. As he smoothed out his coat, he made sure to pat the jacket pocket to reassure he has tucked his surprise for Callie in there. The chapel had provided them with rings yes but... they were plain and not really personable. Slade had stayed awake late last night and used the computer in their room to find exactly what he was looking for at a nearby jewelry store and tracked down one of the other "rebels" to help him by going to buy it as soon as they opened this morning. It was like Callie, raw and real but also light and beautiful. The aquamarine matched her eyes and god he just hoped she liked it.

"You ready to head out? One of the other groups from the strongholds offered to give us a ride so we don't get chased down by reporters in the jeep..."

Callies Ring

 

[KAYDEN]

Drake

Drake hadn't realized how much he and Haru had drank... she made her bet and he made his. When he won, he wanted a kiss. She claimed there was no way that he would win but he was quickly realizing that despite being a doctor, drunken Haru did't have very steady hands when it came to pool. So he beat her, three times. That was when she finally gave up and gave him the most pissed off and annoyed kiss that Drake thought he had ever witnessed. At first they laughed about it and kept drinking but Drake's mind was completely engulfed in it soon enough. Up until know he had known he liked her as a good friend and found her very attractive but he never thought about more than that simply because of the situation they were in.

When they finally got back to the hotel, Drake kept Haru behind the others in the lobby and as soon as they were alone kissed her again. A kiss that finally got his brain off the last one and well it went from one thing to another quickly. The following morning when he woke up in her bed he quickly left and went back to his own room, afraid of her anger or the conversation he knew they would have to eventually have.

--

It was the third day of the summit now and Drake had been doing his best to stay with the group and avoid being alone with Haru. He... he liked her. Hell he might even love her, he didn't know what that was. All he knew was that he was afraid of her hating him so he avoided the talk about what had happened. This morning they were all sitting at their breakfast and Lo brought conversation up with Ava when Drake stood. "I'm going to go to the bathroom before we head in, see you guys in there ok?"

Drake took care of his plates before heading down the hallway towards the bathroom. The only thing was, he never made it there. Drake didn't know what happened but when he turned the corner to the next hallway, suddenly his world went black and he hit the ground with a sickening thud.