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Realistic or Modern Patient Zero (A Zombie Survival RP)

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S A R A H

Aurora Outskirts -- Highway 45
Tuesday, October 16th, 2018


Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
Albert Einstein

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Flashback to Quarantine Hour...

“Where’s Barb? Did she... convince you to stay?” Sitting against the hood of his Honda Accord, with his hands buried in the pockets of an old high school letterman jacket he’d pulled out of the trunk, Pat watched from the parking lot as Sarah came down the steps of the small condo she rented with her best friend. She, too, had put on some layers. Her green sweater and black skirt hadn’t really fit with her mood today, after all. And it was getting a little chilly out, too. But the red jacket, grey thermal, black jeans, and black winter boots she wore now certainly compensated for that. Safely holstered to her hip now, too, was the gun her father had given her for her eighteenth birthday.

“She wasn’t home… she didn’t leave a note or anything. And the land-line’s dead. I wasn’t able to make any calls out of that either.” She replied in a bit of a worried mutter, looking around for any sign of life besides herself and Patrick. Her neighborhood, once a lively student housing sector, was empty. She guessed most of them were at the quarantine the military wanted them to go to. The one in the middle school.

“You think she’s at that quarantine, too? With everyone else?” Pat continued, lifting his butt off the hood of the car as she came to a stop before him, hands buried in her armpits as she tried to warm herself up. “Maybe we should go, too, I--”

“No, nope,” Sarah interjected, shaking her head dismissively. “Barb wouldn’t do that. She’d leave me a voicemail. Or a note on the fridge.”

“Yeah, but Sarah, she probably had to leave in a hurry to grab her parents or something. I’m telling you, I think if we go to the--”

“I said no!” She suddenly shouted, covering her face with the side of her arm and sniffling as she hurriedly walked past him, opened the passenger side door, and slammed it closed.

It took a moment for Patrick to snap himself out of his stupor afterwards. He had to catch his breath, before heading to the driver’s side door himself and entering the car. Sarah, with her face turned away from him and out her window instead, was usually pretty good about keeping her emotions in check. The whole time he’d known her, she’d only switched between neutral, sarcastic, and playful. Sometimes 'playful' in the ways that he really liked. But, even for an oaf like him, it was clear to see something was wrong. He was about to ask, but then she answered as if he already had.

“I’m still having trouble believing it but… it’s official, Pat. I have the same kind of crazy my nana had.” She sniffed, resting her forehead against the cold surface of the window pane. “I started... seeing things two weeks ago. Inexplicable things that no one else saw. At first, I thought I just wasn’t drinking enough water or maybe somebody was playing a prank, but… then I started seeing it in my house... and I freaked out Barb. So I went to the hospital today to get it sorted out… turns out it’s been with me my whole life. It just doesn’t start showing symptoms until early adulthood… fuck me, right?”

She snickered, looking down at the wrinkled note in her hands. She’d been doing so well, up until this. Crushing the note into a ball, she flung it forwards against the windshield disdainfully. “So the good ol’ doctor signed me up for some drugs and recommended I get a psychiatrist.” She scoffed, turning away once more. As Patrick reached up to grab the crumpled piece of paper off his dashboard, Sarah took a deep breath to steady her nerves before sighing. “My mom’s gonna have a fucking field day...”

After opening up the prescription note, Pat struggled to read a lot of the scrawled gibberish upon it. Even as a nurse, he was still having trouble deciphering doctor’s notes. But, from what he could tell, Sarah had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. And Doctor Schultz apparently had seen fit to start her off on some serious medication. He sighed, crumpling the note and stuffing it into his pocket when she suddenly continued.

“I just… I feel like my whole life just came crashing down on top of me. And the last thing I need is to be in a school full of people I don’t even know. People who wouldn't even understand me on a good day. I really just… I want to be away from it all. I want to go back home, to my dad.” Tears started silently rolling down her cheeks. She sniffed and rubbed them away with the sleeve of her jacket as Patrick looked at her solemnly.

A moment of silence passed. The birds outside chirped and the wind blew. Then, without warning, Sarah suddenly heard the engine turn on. “Okay,” Pat spoke nonchalantly, buckling his seat belt. “Let’s go then.”

Sarah removed her forehead from her window, confusedly blinking as she turned to him. “Wait... what? Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

“Patrick, my parents live in Oregon. That’s over a thousand miles away.”

“I got a friend working at the hospital in the next town. We should be able to grab your meds with him then make that trip, in what… six hours?”

Sarah laughed, the corner of her eye twinkling with a forgotten half-formed tear. “More like twenty-four if we make some stops, but yeah.” She smiled.

“Well, we’re not stopping, baby. Ready or not, Mister Sinclair, here I come!”

“Waiiit, I just need to grab some things out of--”

“I said no stopping!” Pat grinned, prompting her to laugh again and buckle her seatbelt as he pulled out of the parking lot and drove them towards the highway that would lead them out of Aurora. Behind them, the sounds of gunfire at the middle school echoed.

Present…

Oh, god… oh god, what did I do?
The last vestiges of her scream echoed throughout the woodland bordering the highway as Sarah’s erratic breathing caused her to whimper and her throat to wheeze. It felt as though her entire body was constantly shivering… but she couldn’t tell. Her gun appeared steady in her hand even if her legs blatantly weren’t. She tried to keep her eyes focused on it, and not her ex-lover’s bloodied corpse splayed across the driver’s seat. But, soon, the glock was calmly taken away from her grasp and placed on the passenger’s seat. She didn't resist. She couldn't. The way her body and mind was reacting right now was alien to her and she had little to no control over it. But she felt naked without her gun. And she gulped at the thought of having to step forward and pull it off the seat it'd been placed on. Because that meant she’d have to get closer to… to it.

As such, Sarah remained frozen in place, her eyes completely shut as she tried to choke back her sobbing and breath normally. She had to focus and concentrate and ground herself in reality. This is reality. This is reality… is it, though? Could it be? She’d either just seen a horrifying thing or done something equally as horrifying to a man she’d only just been beginning to love… or both. If this was what reality was, she didn’t want to live in it. But she had no choice, did she? If this was reality, she’d have to go back into the car-- even if only for a split-second-- to grab the gun the stranger had taken out of her docile hands. Her daddy had given it to her. She didn’t like having to use it and she had planned to get rid of it the next day, considering her affliction.

But, if she opened her eyes and this was all real… she needed it back.​

The moment came to her like a spear of lightning, however, when she felt herself being forced to turn by a pair of hands on her shoulders. Sarah opened her eyes sooner than she’d expected at that point. Then, without warning, was slapped hard across the face. She’d been ignoring this girl up until now, almost completely. The pain that stung her now reddened cheek did well to snap her mind back, however. She felt as though her perspective had once again widened, clearing up her world like the new lens of a camera. The girl apologized and introduced herself. Her name was Alex.

“S-Sarah.” The raven-haired female replied in a stutter, blinking her eyes as she sniffled. “My name is Sarah. I… I have to get out of here.” She continued, drawing up a burst of courage as she turned back to the car and to finally draw her verdict on ‘reality’. Finding out that it was all true certainly shook her to the core, but she’d already spent most of her life expecting the worst. Instead of letting the fear and horror paralyze her again, however, she sucked in a breath and held it there. In a blur of motion, she bent down to pluck her glock out of the passenger’s seat quickly and pull back immediately after.

Too worked up to wait or beckon her, Sarah walked past Alex and proceeded up the hill slowly, holding her empty gun in her right hand while her injured left arm hung limply by her side. Whimpers of pain escaped her lips with every well-placed footstep forward. Her knee didn’t hurt as bad as her arm or sore torso. But it still begged for her to quit.

‘At least they’re not broken, baby girl. You still want to get that cut on your arm stitched up, though. You’re bleeding out. We can’t have that.’

Meanwhile, the walkie clipped to the soldier’s corpse on the other side of the crashed car would crackle on as one of his comrades check in on him. It was clear they would have to leave the scene immediately, before any more of them came. Sarah had already figured as much by the time she made it to the top of the hill and onto the paved highway, making a beeline towards the neighborhood on the first exit.

She paused for a moment when the pain in her arm became too great, seething between her teeth and mentally trying to block herself from it all… before turning over her shoulder to find Alex standing there. The girl probably thought Sarah looked a crazy person with her bloody face, unkempt hair, and the tired bags under her eyes. “I… I might need your help. My arm, it… it keeps bleeding.”


Interaction: BunnyQueen BunnyQueen
 

This is a collaboration post between Maj Maj and Brax Brax .

* This post is slightly long. Read the entire thing or feel the wrath of Brax. Seriously. Read it.

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Now, good ol’ Luca isn’t exactly the type to attend family gatherings, but in this case it was a bit of a necessity. His wound had slowed him to the point that he couldn’t run. In actuality, he was extremely lucky that the gentleman in the camper had come along to swoop the crew when he did. Luca had no alternatives. It was why he was the first in the camper; he had surrendered to the fact that he had to depend on a stranger to save his ass, for the time being. Unfortunately for the baker, however, Luca wasn’t exactly the kind to say thank you. The back of the camper was separated from the main living area and obviously the front. It had a sliding door which was open.

Without thinking about it, Luca unhinged and pushed open the window immediately to his left. A cigarette was still burning away between his index and middle fingers, though it was getting rather close to the filter. He took another quick drag off of it before dropping it out of the window. Meanwhile, Leliana had slid through the doorway leading to the back of the camper. Luca noticed her out of the corner of his eye, forcing him to turn to look at who exactly it was. Then, she tossed the bag of processed cookies over to him. Luca lifted his right hand to catch it, his beaten and bloody knuckles aching each fraction of an inch his fingers moved in order to do so. He took a look at the package of cookies and then looked up to the female.

As she spoke, he put a bit of pressure on the bag with his fingers. They were most definitely crumbling up. She paused. The corner of Luca’s lips turned upwards, before he looked back down to the bag once more and slowly opened it up with his equally bruised left hand. She mentioned that she new he was injured, which was apparent to Luca. He had made the connection when she threw the bag of cookies at him without a word. Upon her request to take a look at it, Luca nodded hesitantly. This woman obviously was of no harm, she just wanted to help.

Didn’t stop him from keeping silent, though.

He looked back up in Leliana’s direction to see her turn and smile at him once more. The expression on Luca’s visage remained neutral. That was when the camper pulled off, obviously with Owen at the helm. The italian peered out the window next to him, watching the wave of zombies move slowly in their direction as they drove off. Honestly, it was a hell of a sight to see. Massive drones of monsters, who were all once people. They had families; husbands, wives, kids. Career paths, aspirations and goals. Some of them had genuine purpose to live, were skilled in their craft. Almost the entire populous of Aurora brought down to its knees by an airborne disease.

Luca turned his head from the window and leaned it back, dumping the contents of the open cookie bag into his mouth. As he chewed, the man listened to what was going on around the camper. Colt was hanging outside, for whatever fucking reason, refusing to be let in. However, within the same string of conversation was their destination. Owen was taking the group to the lodge, one that Luca had seen a few times back when he was a child. Back when he better associated with both Andy and Owen’s family. Owen was right. The location was truly it’s selling point, being far removed from the city itself. It would take any reanimated folk quite some time to make it out there. Neighbors couldn’t be found for miles.

The camper eventually came to it’s stop. Owen turned off the engine. Luca looked around, wondering why the hell they were still standing around.


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Andy spent the entire car trip in silence. It wasn’t like she spent most of her time talking anyway, but she barely knew anyone in this camper. It was full of total strangers, and while the throws of a zombie outbreak had shoved them all together, she didn’t plan on going out of her way to make friends.

When Owen spoke, she made sure to answer him directly, but other than that she was already nose deep in her sketchbook. It was a nervous habit that she had adopted since childhood. The girl was always doodling something, it was one of the reasons that she had decided to go into graphic design in college. When you paired an ability to draw with an ability to think about things logically, the career path seemed like it would have been easy enough for her.

There was likely not much use for marketing during the apocalypse however. The girl chastised herself for thinking so negatively. There was still a chance that they all skipped town, forgot all about this absolute tragedy. Deep down she knew this to be a lie though. If they managed to survive the zombies, and then the hazmat troops who were still looking for them, wouldn’t they just be spreading the disease by leaving? Skipping town could cause more and more lives to be cost. Andy would likely die in Aurora, when was yet to be seen.

The lodge had been her plan all along, but now instead of three people they had nine. She had spent so much of her time at the family lodge. Andy knew it inside and out, and the most pressing matter was the fact that there were going to be five bedrooms and nine people. Some people were going to be sleeping on the floor, or sharing beds.

At the end of the day though, close living quarters trumped running for your life. The lodge would provide shelter, seclusion and food. Andy hadn’t eaten anything all day. In fact, the only thing she had put in her body that morning was the cup of coffee she had meant to share with her mother. If her mother had left work to drink that cup with her...she may still be alive.

But she wasn’t.

Andy had been staying in the lodge off and on when she wanted to get away from campus. She had many of her own belongings already stored in the master bedroom. Her uncle had given it to her after he discovered how often she had been coming up without him.

The fairest way to decide sleeping arrangements, she decided, was by random chance. She would pair up the females with other females and males with other males and let them fight out who got the bed in each room by themselves. The trouble with drawing names was that she didn’t really know any of their names. On her pad she began to write names down. The first few she knew, her own name was followed by Owen, then Luca and Colt.

Writing down descriptions for the others was easier than actually bothering to ask their names or explain what she was doing, so on the next few lines Andy wrote:
  • Girl with Green hair (Lily)
  • Blondie (Leliana)
  • Camper Dude (Ray)
  • Russian Guy (Ivan)
  • Boyfriend of Green Hair (Marcus)
Andy busied herself ripping the papers into strips and then folding them all the same size. Once she was done, the girl put all the pieces of paper into the front pocket of her hoodie. It wasn’t long after that they arrived at their destination. Andy was one of the first to step out of the camper.

“So uh, welcome I guess. Feel free to make yourselves at home, but I have to warn you sleeping arrangements are going to be weird, there are only five bedrooms. I figured the fairest way is to draw names for the rooms in pairs. Then we can figure it out amongst ourselves who gets bed and the like so anyway…” Andy had the male names in a separate pocket, and pulled two strips from her front hoodie pocket. After unfolding them she read:

“Colt and Blondie...that would be you,” Andy said pointing at Leliana. She continued to do the same with each other slip.

“That leaves me and uh...you.” Andy pointed at Lily. “I have the master bedroom, so it should be big enough for both of us. For the men we have… Owen and Russian guy? And then Luca and that girl’s boyfriend. I guess our knight in a camper gets a room to himself. Seems fitting…” She took a breath and looked at the people she was to be sharing a house with. It was likely they wouldn’t like being paired up against their will, but Andy honestly didn’t care.

“That’s not going to work for me...” The italian cooed.

Luca stepped out of the camper, just in time to hear whom his bunk buddy was supposed to be. He took a step beside the door to the camper, momentarily looking amongst the group. While he thought that it was a good idea to pair each person with another of the same sex, Luca had immense trust issues. It was fair to say that there more people than not in this house that he was going to let see him in a vulnerable position for eight or more hours a night. Unfortunately, Luca also understood that he was better off dead as opposed to working with others. Over time, he would eventually be forced to get to know all of these people.

There were two things Luca did not involve in the equation. One was the sleeping arrangements that Marcus and Lilly desired. The second was how undoubtedly pissed Owen was going to get upon Luca declaring where he was going to sleep at night. Luca turned to look at Owen momentarily before looking over to Andy. Owen was a strong man, but not even he was going to dictate how the mobster lived his life.

“I’m going to bunk with you. It’s the best room in the house.”

Owen and Luca had not been on speaking terms for close to ten years. He had absolutely no desire to be stuck in a room with a man who would have preferred to have his head on a spike. In addition to this, Luca had no interest to learn first hand about whom Marcus was by being forced to share living space with him. There was a moment of silence among the group, which was undoubtedly soon to be broken.


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“I don’t fucking think so…” Owen growled, coming around the side of the camper. “You think you can just…” Andy grabbed his arm forcefully with an overly exaggerated smile. Her nails dug into the side of his arm, but it didn’t stop him from glaring at Luca.

Had the two of them been dating? It felt weird that he had gone years without seeing or hearing anything about Luca and all the sudden he was around his sister twice in the same day, and then trying to force his way into her bedroom.

What a scumbag.

Andy led him slightly away from the group. He could tell she was pissed at him, that was her default emotion lately. Everything he did and said caused her to roll her eyes and remind him that he wasn’t her babysitter.

“Why are you freaking out?” Andy snapped, trying to keep her voice as low as possible. She was avoiding making a scene with the other group members.

“Why?” Owen did his best to bite back sarcastic laughter. “When were you going to tell me about your new boyfriend Andy?” He ripped his arm from her grip and stared her down. She did laugh then, that signature roll of her emerald green eyes following behind it.

“Not that it’s any of your business who I date, but I haven’t seen Luca since we were like...five? Who I am or am not fucking is none of your concern.” Owen softened, he believed what she was saying.

“Then forget him, come stay in my room,” Owen offered. Andy was beyond reasoning now as she bit back a sarcastic laugh.

“Why would I stay with you? He’s right. It is the best room.” and with that she walked back to the group, leaving Owen feeling even worse. Why did she always have to do this? When he pushed for something that he thought was good for her, she always did the opposite. He wanted to protect Andy, but it was becoming abundantly clear that she didn’t want anything to do with his protection.

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Luca waited with the rest of the group until Andy came back, removing a cigarette from the dwindling reserve he had left. He lit it, while he was patiently waiting. Within another minute, the Italian watched as she walked up, taking another drag of his cigarette before turning to her and speaking. Smoke erupted from his nostrils, stopping only to escape from his lips when they parted to speak.

“Andrea, unlock the door.”

Andy moved to do as was asked of her, but not without a roll of her eyes.

“Don’t call me Andrea. If we are going to be sharing a room you should at least get my name right. It’s Andy. I haven’t been called Andrea since I was a child.”

The man’s eyes watched as she moved toward the door, his nostrils exhaling air at a faster rate than usual. Then, his eyes turned back to the rest of the group.

“Some of you have had the pleasure of already meeting me. My name is Luca Brasi. If you don’t know of me, that’s fine. I am a capo in La Cosa Nostra, which you’ve probably should have heard of if you live in this town. I’ll keep it really simple for you folks; I have a big problem with new people. Unfortunately, I have a fractional amount of intelligence - enough to know that without a group, I can’t possibly face the walking dead without giving up my life. Fight among yourselves as to whom gets the bed in your rooms, share them, to be honest I can give a fuck where any of you sleep. In the morning, we’re going to have to make a run for supplies.”

“Colt.” Luca pointed at the woman, recalling her mentioning it to him back when they were in the parking lot of the middle school.

“You know how to handle a gun. You’re best to lead. We’ll meet in the morning and discuss who you’re going to bring with you. I’m not going to let you go alone, so be sure you make good with your choices. I want you to come back in one piece.”

“The rest of you…” Luca looked once more among the group. He unzipped his jacket and removed it, revealing the blood-soaked shirt he had tied around his lower torso. “We’ll talk about what you guys can do tomorrow. Until then, have a good night. You know where to find me if you need me. Capiche?” He stood around for a moment, waiting for someone to interject before turning from the group and walking inside of the lodge. It was time for him to get acquainted with his new room.

Rumble Fish Rumble Fish FireMaiden FireMaiden King Vioogra King Vioogra AgWordSmith AgWordSmith Soma Schicksal Soma Schicksal TheTreForce TheTreForce
 
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This part is a collab between King Vioogra King Vioogra and FireMaiden FireMaiden

Ivan looked up at the younger girl as she sat across from him, dumping what was left of a first aid kit into the bulging pile of supplies. "Thank you." He said quietly as he took a deep breath in and moved his hands towards the pile. Before he was able to touch anything, he saw the crusted blood, specs of gunpowder, and layer of graphite on his hands. He pulled his hands away quickly, knowing that he'd contaminate whatever was here if he touched it. "I'll be right back." He said quietly, standing up and over the pile as he maneuvered through the van in search of some water and sanitizer, a lot of it actually.

Leliana smiled at him, "Yeah, no problem." So far, he had impressed her, either through what appeared to be actual skill, or just the sheer tenacity of his luck. Sure, his little stunt back in the gym maybe wasn't the best choice in the long run, and she had gotten hurt because of him outside of the classroom, but she was also alive because of him. Being mad seemed a little rude. Her attention fell to the pile of supplies on the table, examining without moving anything, before she looked up at him as he stood. "What are you looking for?"

"Something to wash my hands off with. I don't want to contaminate what supplies we have left. Maybe some sanitizer too." He said in basically a whisper as he searched the cupboards of the van, stepping around people as to not disturb them. There was a single bottle of water laying on the counter, which Ivan quickly grabbed it and took it over to the sink. Unscrewing the cap, Ivan poured a small amount onto his hands before rubbing it in, shaking loose some of the graphite and gunpowder. The blood would definitely need to be cleaned more thoroughly later, but he was sure he'd grabbed a box of rubber gloves or two.

"Oh." She wasn't sure why he was being so quiet, it's not like anyone was trying to sleep, or at least, I didn't look like anyone was trying to sleep. And she was sure they wouldn't mind the two of them making noise while sorting through stuff. Nevertheless, she looked over the supplies. She thought she had some hand sanitizer, or...she grabbed a small plastic package from what was in her kit, inside was a pair of blue surgical gloves. "Here. You aren't allergic to latex are you?"

"As far as I know I'm not." Ivan said with a hopefully not obvious fake smile as he dried his hands off, smearing the blood lightly on the towel before looking down at it, swiftly opening the window and tossing it out. He walked over to Leliana, taking the gloves in his hands, brushing against hers a bit before pulling them away gently. "Thank you. Now we can get some stuff done before we get to wherever we're going." He said with another fake smile as he plopped back down in his seat and cracked his neck quietly. The events of the day were eating him alive. The murders he'd committed outside the school, inside it, and even the mishap with the molotov. While lost in thought, Ivan's eyes drifted to the bandages on her arms. "What happened? You were fine before we left the classroom?" He said, a bit of fear creeping up his back as he suspected he already knew the answer.

She gave him another smile, her attention once more wandering down to the supplies on the table. She would begin to sort through, first looking for the actually equipment. There weren't many tools, but there were more than enough for her to use when ever someone needed. Breifly her eyes went past Ivan to Luca, before back to the man standing across from her. "Oh. Well, one of the hazzies tackled me, and so I didn't have enough time to get out of the way of whatever you threw," She said with a shrug. "I should thank you though, you saved my life." She would pause, her hand hovering over a pack of what looked like ibuprofen. Leliana shrugged again, brushing it off. "Besides, it's not the worse thing that's happened to me. A few cuts are nothing."

Ivan's face immediately tensed up as soon as she said it was because of the thing he'd thrown. He reached out slowly and gently took her arm in his hand. he looked over the bandages, turning her arm this way and that in the least creepy way he could manage before letting go and burying his face in his hands. "I'm sorry. I should've thrown it further away." He said quietly as he started slowly tapping his feet against the camper floor. The anxiety of the day only got worse as the regret of doing what he'd done started piling onto him on top of his other actions. He exhaled sharply before inhaling quickly, trying to play off his mounting regret and anxiety as just stress.

She watched as he examined her arm, tensing slightly because of both the slight pain when her arm moved, and the fact she just wasn't the biggest fan of physical contact. Never really had been. "It's okay, in not mad at you," she said softly. "If you hadn't thrown it, we would have been overwhelmed, probably killed by those creeps. You saved our lives, we owe you," She said, chuckling a little. "I guess it's okay to feel bad about it, but you gotta realize a few cuts were probably the best outcome."

Ivan sighed quietly at her attempts at reassuring him before digging his hands into the pile of supplies and sorting through, his jet black hair falling in front of his face for a moment, partially hiding a tear welling up in his eye. "Thank you for choosing to think of it lightly. I'm sure there are others who would rather view my techniques reckless. I do admit they are, but it's not like I felt nothing." He said, his tone getting slowly lower as he seemed to shrivel lightly. A small spot of ash on his shoulder made it apparent that he was speaking of the fire. "There could've been so much more for us to take, but I had to start a fire," He said in a deeper tone than before as he pressed his fist against his forehead and sighed again, letting his head hang as he cleared his throat a few times. 'Now's not the time for a breakdown Ivan, keep it together.'

Once again she chuckled, her hands getting bust as she picked through to pick out the pills Ivan had gathered. "Well, I didn't say your methods weren't reckless, but they worked. I can't argue with results now can I?" She placed the sorted painkillers with the sorted equipment, neatly put together. "You know...I don't think you've told me your name yet. I'm Leliana."

"Leliana, huh? That's a very pretty name. I'm Ivan." Ivan said with a smile as he looked up at her, wiping away the single tear with his gloved hand. He cleared his throat again quickly before he started sorting again, putting a few more bottles of pills next to where Leliana had put them. He glanced at her occasionally, small smiles forming on his force each time he did. This girl was very optimistic to say the least. After some more sorting, he leaned back in the seat he was in, allowing his back to slap the back of the seat quietly as he let out a short sigh. "All this self-pity is making me want a drink." Ivan said in a Russian whisper, chuckling softly after he finished saying it

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Ivan," Leliana replied, starting a small pile for wrappings. Two ace bandages, and three decent sized rolls of gauze would be enough for now, but Leliana was already making a list of what they would need in the future. Getting into Moe's supply rooms was a thought, since she and Michelle managed to keep them clean. Well, as clean as Moe's could be. Anyway, her brows were furrowed, and she was gently biting on her lower lip as she concentrated, almost making a mental list of what all they had. Most of the numbers weren't ideal, but they were better than nothing. Leliana was pulled out of her concentration however at the sound of Ivan's voice. She cocked her eyebrow a little, "Was that....was that Russian?"

Ivan's head jerked up as Leliana pointed out what he'd said. He chuckled quietly as a light blush painted his cheeks. "I said that out loud, huh?" He said with a soft smile before deciding there was no point in not telling her. "It was. You know any?" He said with a smile as he tossed a boxes up, catching it quickly as he looked over at her.

"Nope!" She gave him yet another smile, as she was a very smily person, before she laughed. "No, my uh...my uncle knew some." It was evident in her voice that the topic of her uncle may be uncomfortable to bring up, but she also knew there wasn't a point in lying about it. "I uh, think I remember how to say goodbye in Russian." She looked back down at the supplies, standing up slightly so she could put what they had gotten through already back in the duffle bag, she continued to speak. "I know a a little bit of Spanish, and I know ASL. I don't even know my mom's native language, Galeic."

Ivan smiled as he looked at Leliana, watching as she put the now organized things back in the bag. "I can teach you a few things if you'd like. Russian anyways, I only know a few Gaelic phrases. Though I've always been one to butcher the pronunciation." Ivan said with a short chuckle, scratching the back of his head as he closed his eyes. "So how'd you find yourself in Aurora?" He said, hoping not to remind her too much of the events of today.

Leliana gave him a little sideways, cocked eyebrow glance when he asked her about how she got there in Aurora. "It's that obvious I'm not a native?" He may have looked a little embarrassed, but she just kinda shook her head. "It's not as interesting as you may think. It was just me and my mom, and we fell in some hard times. We moved out here to be with family." She shrugged, picking up a few things she would need for patching up Luca, like some gauze and surgical thread. She wasn't sure if he needed stiches just yet, but that's why she told him she would need to take a look. It was better than letting it get infected, because she wasn't sure what she could do for blood poisoning. "What about you? Cool story or just an Auroran native?" She asked. Ivan chuckled, and was maybe going to answer her, but th camper came to a stop.

The two looked at each other, Leliana giving him a shrug. "Guess we're here?" She didn't sound confident, but as the red head got out, it confirmed it. Ivan and Leliana worked quickly to pack everything up, making sure that nothing was left behind. Leliana was also going to carry the bag, but Ivan took it from her. With one last look, and Ivan morning for her to get out first, Leliana stepped out of the camper, Ivan following a few seconds later.


ee6f7cbea685f7d985f82f8ccbbe004e.jpgLeliana James
Location: Lodge
Interaction: King Vioogra King Vioogra (Ivan) Brax Brax (Luca)

Mentioned: Maj Maj (Owen/Andy) AgWordSmith AgWordSmith (Lilly) Soma Schicksal Soma Schicksal (Marcus) TheTreForce TheTreForce ( Roy the Bakeman) Rumble Fish Rumble Fish (Colt)
Stepping outside, away from botht he school and somewhat odd smell inside the camper was a bigger relief than Leiana had initially expected. It was like her body finally let god of a breath it had been holding in for far too long. Most of her panic and anxiety had been replaced by content, for now at least, and she finally felt like she was able to breathe properly again. Which may have been more than just a figure of speech, the school had been set on fire. She cast a glance in the direction they had come from, and she could just barely see smoke through the trees, a dark reminder of what they had just escaped from. She wonder though, if they would ever see the school again, or of they would do their best to avoid it. Leliana didn't expect this little ragtag group of strangers to be together for too long, but maybe, just maybe, she would be wrong. And right now, Leliana wanted to be wrong.

As more people came around to face the redheaded girl, she realized just how lucky all of them were. Most were looking a little worse for wear, herself included, but they were all alive. Still breathing, still kicking, still alive. That was something. Anyway, Leilana's full attention turned back to Andy as she began to speak, a nice little welcome with a word of caution. An sleeping arrangements. Her way of picking them seems pretty fair, and while Leliana didn't know who Colt was, she was going to assume it was the lady who had yelled at her earlier. At least is was just yelling to keep her safe. Leliana looked over to the older woman, and figure that she would be taking that floor. That was okay, Leliana actually kinda liked sleeping on the floor. At least that's what she would assume would happen, the other woman might let her have the bed. Or they would share, or switch off each night, something like that. Anyway, she turned back to look at Adny when Luca spoke up. Seems like he was gonna be causing trouble again.

And right she was. He said something about sharing the room with Andy, which made Owen upset. Her earlier assessment of them being related was probably correct, because of the way they talked to each other. She almost wanted to laugh, but figured it wasn't the best idea, and remained silent, just kind of watching the scene play out before her and the others. Leliana was almost jealous, she didn't have any siblings, and while she wanted some, it just never worked out. Hell, she didn't even have any cousins roaming around. It always made her little sad, but hey, she at least had her mom.

No. No that's not right. She doesn't have anyone anymore.

The stress of what had happened at the school must have temporary blocked out the memory of what had happened to her mother, and Leliana had almost forgotten about it! How could she forget about something like that? Her finger nails dug into the palm of her hand, which was enough for her to keep the tears back. She couldn't just start crying infront of everyone like that. No, she couldn't. And Leliana was determined to keep her composure, which was easy to do when she had something else to focus on.

After the siblings argument, and Andy going to open the door, Luca turned and went about introducing himself to the group. Her remembering his name early suddenly made a lot more sense. Michelle's little brother ran with the La Cosa Nostra for some reason or wanted to one, and he would talk about Luca occasionally. It didn't change her opinion that Luca would be valuable, as dangerous people right now were, and upon seeing the bloody shirt when he removed his jacket, she relieved. Mostly because he was smart enough to try and stop the bleeding. While he may not have stopped it completely, he would defeinatly have slowed it. That made her job easier. At least, a little easier. When everyone was finally done talking, Leliana made her way to the back of the camper to grab her bag. Inside was some water she could use to clean Luca's wound, and she would only use the rubbing alcohol if she absolutely needed to. Slinging it across her body, she made her way inside.

The security of these walls though was soured slightly by the still overhanging effects of the ambush at the middle school. It may take a little bit to get uae to it, and Leliana found herself expecting a hazmat suit to appear just around the corner, but it didn't happen. She just stood there for a few moments, examining the first floor, catching a glimpse of which room Luca headed into. After a few more moments, she took a deep breath and approached the master bedroom. Outside of the door, she would hesitate before knocking, pausing a moment, before she spoke. "Sorry if I'm bothering you Luca, but I wanted to know if it was okay for me to go ahead um...well, to patch you up. If you want me to do it later though, it's okay, but I wouldn't wait much longer." Her voice may have been a little muffled through the door, but she would stand there and politely wait for answer instead of just barging in.

Afterall, she didn't want to be rude.
 
Shinoa Bradford
Age: 17
Current Location: Bar - Somewhere in Downtown
Last Known Location: James D. Wilcox Middle School - Girl's Locker Room
Interactions: None

Pregnancy Progression: 39 Weeks

Countdown to Childbirth

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Morning of the Outbreak - A Few Hours Earlier10:15AM
It stated as a normal day, just like any other. High School Student and Expecting Mother Shinoa Bradford was just resting in bed, contemplating on what to do for the day after her weekly prenatal check-up. Not to mention it was hard to believe that . As she sat up she saw some texted messages from her Grandmother. She smiled as they started texting each other back and forth. Compared to her Mother, who she currently was not on talking terms with after getting kicked out by her Mother as a result of her pregnancy and the choice to keep the baby, who has since been confirmed to be a girl. While she was excited to become a mother, she still had her worries, such as being a single mother, as the pregnancy was a result of a one-night stand. Not only that but she could hear her Mother's last words to her.

'I don't even want to look at that child!'

Hearing it left Shinoa heartbroken. Telling her daughter that her Grandmother doesn't love her was going to be hard. Not only was she wondering how to do it, but the idea of it just sounded horribly wrong. The idea of telling a child that they're not loved sounded wrong. Sighing at the thought, Shinoa slowly took her blanket off before stretching her arms and gently swinging her legs off of the bed and putting on her pink bunny slippers as she straightened out her sleep dress. Looking at the clock, it would seem that she had about an hour and fifteen minutes until her Doctor's Appointment. So she figured that she would use this time to get breakfast. As she started waddling towards the bedroom door, her stomach growled. "So glad I wasn't in public." She sighed before exiting her room and quietly waddling down the stairs, holding the railing so that she would not fall.

Grandma
them
Good Morning Sweetie, how are you?
me
Morning Grandma. Where are you? I didn't see your shoes when I got up this morning.
them
I'm going out for a hike with some friends. Are you going to be okay? How are you feeling? I know this pregnancy wasn't easy on you.
me
I'm feeling really heavy. My stomach and my back really hurt and I don't feel like getting up. More then usual. And...Well...I wish Mom wasn't so harsh about me wanting to keep the baby.
them
I know and I'm sorry, sweetie. Just one more week and you won't have to deal with it anymore. Better yet, you'll have a free live-in nanny. At least until your newborn can go on flights.
me
I really appreciate you taking care of me these last six months, Grandma. I'll never forget it and I'll be sure to tell my darling little princess about how her Great-Grandmother was so loving and caring. Any idea when you'll be home?
them
No idea, sweetie. Hopefully before dinner. Now don't forget about your appointment with your midwife. Its at 10:30. Don't be late! Tonight, we'll also talk about your birth plan.
me
I won't. Thanks for the reminder. Have fun on your hike. =)
them
I will. Don't over-exert yourself today and be sure to rest. Now I'm about to lose reception, so see you tonight. Have a good day, sweetheart.
As she made it down the stairs, Shinoa took a deep breath. More often then not, she had to be extra careful whenever using the stairs. As she got into the bathroom, she quietly started brushing her teeth. After rinsing out her mouth, she went into the kitchen, where she ended up deciding to make scrambled eggs and a bagel with cream cheese. Thankfully, cooking didn't take that long. One of the pros for pregnancy, was that almost everything she ate tasted a thousand times better...sometimes a thousand times worse. Two sides of the same coin, so she was not only mindful of her diet, but she was often weary of what she ate as well. There was a lengthy list of foods she stayed away from, some of which she used to enjoy, and only stayed away from them for safety of her baby. After she had finished eating, Shinoa went back upstairs to go take a quick shower. After drying off her hair, she put on her favorite dress, as it was probably going to be the last time she would get to wear it with the baby bump. Checking herself out in her mirror, Shinoa smiled before grabbing her purse and calling for a Lyft.

Doctor's Appointment11:15 AM - Forty-five Minutes before Outbreak

As she got to the Hospital, she took note of how busy it was compared to her last three to four visits. Concerned, she went into the chapel for a few minutes to pray that she will persevere through labor and delivery...and that she will be a wonderful mother to her daughter to come. After a couple of minutes pondering in the Chapel, Shinoa waddled to the nearest elevator so that she could get to the Maternity Ward where she was going to have her next prenatal check-up. As she got onto the operating table, her Midwife lifted up her dress before putting ultrasound gel on her belly. Taking the ultrasound wand, the midwife began to spread the gel across the belly to examine the baby. From what both Shinoa and her midwife could tell, the pregnancy was going very well, especially for someone her age. In most cases, there would be some risks when it came to teen pregnancy, but Shinoa was a lucky one, especially since she had her Grandmother to take care of her, not to mention her Father had been sending her money to help pay for the Prenatal Care and would be covering whatever insurance wouldn't for childbirth. Not to mention he had been supportive of her throughout the pregnancy unlike her mother.
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After the ultrasound, the Midwife examined Shinoa's weight gain. Taking off her dress for a more accurate weighing, Shinoa stepped onto the scale. According the scale, she weighed one-hundred and fifty-five pounds, having gained thirty-five pounds throughout the pregnancy. Thankfully, she also had a reasonably healthy diet. Only downsides were her constant cravings for sweets and ice cream, which the Midwife advised her to not eat in excess amounts. Otherwise, she was doing fine. As she got back onto the operating table, the midwife measured her belly to gauge the growth of the baby. As soon as everything was over and done with, from checking the baby's heart rate, taking the urine sample for later and discussing her birth plan, which she would later discuss with her Grandmother and plans for postpartum. With her emotional health, her midwife was concerned that she was at-risk for postpartum depression, but hoped that it would be no more then baby blues. The last part of the conversation was what to do if she were to go past her due date. Wanting to go mostly natural, she agreed to induce labor at forty-two weeks. As she waddled out of the office, Shinoa began pondering about how to induce labor naturally. As she made it back down to the lobby of the Hospital, she took note that it was even busier then before, just...what was going on? If it was something bad, Shinoa decided that it was probably best to not stick around. As she got into her Lyft that was waiting for her, she heard Police Sirens. Closing the door, the Lyft Driver quietly drove them away from the Hospital.

ChaosHer quiet ride soon turned into a horror tour. As she looked out the window, she saw numerous Police vehicles, even S.W.A.T Trucks, which she found not normal as Aurora was a quiet town, most of the time. Taking a deep breath, she looked away. Her Lyft Driver soon told her to hold on and soon started speeding down the street. They soon approached what seemed to be a Police Checkpoint. The Police Officer there, armed with an Assault Rifle, soon told them to head over to James D. Wilcox Middle School and it wasn't long until the town's emergency broadcast started sounding. A city-wide emergency. Something really bad was going on. Her thoughts soon turned to her Grandmother. Despite her three or four attempts to get ahold of the elderly woman, to no avail, it didn't take long for the teen to realize that the phone lines were either overwhelmed or shut down. As soon as they had made it to the school, the first things Shinoa noticed before entering were four trucks. Not paying much mind to it, she went ahead and inside the school. As she went into the Gymnasium, the young woman soon found herself interrogated. After a series of questions and being stripped to be examined, Shinoa was soon allowed into the Gymnasium, where she saw a lot of people, terrified, confused even. She hoped that her Grandmother was okay, as she couldn't get ahold of the elderly woman. From what she could hear from the murmuring, Shinoa could only guess what was going on.

Just when she thought it was peaceful as she waddled towards the girls' locker room, it wasn't long until she started hearing gunshots from outside. People were being shot and killed. But for what purpose. Before she could even think about anything else, gunfire erupted in the gymnasium. Escaping the confusion, Shinoa fled into the locker room and into what was a Gym Teacher's Office. She then proceeded to turn off all the lights. Pulling out her phone, she silenced it and turned down the brightness, not wanting to give away her position. She even zipped up her purse. As she laid low, she sat up against a wall and waited for the gunfire to stop. Instead it just got louder and louder. She covered her mouth as she heard the door of the locker room open. Taking slow deep breaths, she made sure not to make any sudden moves. Whoever had just entered the locker room, most likely had a gun and was there for the intent to kill. Hopefully they would leave the room soon. She saw a flashlight being waved around as she saw the silhouette of what seemed to be a Soldier in heavy, heavy gear and she was able to make the outline of what seemed to be a gas mask. Something horrifying was going on here. To her luck, the lone soldier exited a little faster then he had entered. Whatever was going on, Shinoa was now in a very, very dangerous situation. She couldn't run, she couldn't climb...she was practically a sitting duck. The only thing that she could hope for was being sneaky and that there were multiple routes for her to take. She took a deep breath as she got up to her feet and quietly started waddling towards the other door...

PresentHaving very narrowly escaped the horrors of the school, Shinoa found herself in downtown after a long, horrifying walk. As much as she hated it, she stuck to the alleyways to avoid the heavily armed soldiers and what seemed to be post-human cannibals. Hoping for some temporary respite, Shinoa tried a door in the alleyway, to her shock, it was...unlocked. She soon entered a bar, which was eerily empty. It looked mostly ransacked as she went to take a look. Blood riddled the floor and some of the furniture. Grabbing a kitchen knife that she saw on the counter, she kept it close in case someone...or something... were to attack. But if one of those heavily armed soldiers were to find her...she was dead anyway. As she sat down in one of the booths in the dark corner, she set the knife down on the table before sitting back and relaxing as her legs were badly hurting...and so was her back. Taking several deep breaths, she peered at the front door as she moved back against the wall, hoping that no one...or nothing...would come in for her.
 
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Lilly Verde
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[div class="Status"] Status

Interacting: Soma Schicksal Soma Schicksal Maj Maj

Mentioned: Brax Brax Rumble Fish Rumble Fish FireMaiden FireMaiden King Vioogra King Vioogra TheTreForce TheTreForce

Located: Upstairs
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The lodge was on the outskirts of town, but still well within the limits. He and Andy (Andy more so) had spent many nights out here with their uncle. His sister was almost more at home out here than he was, she loved being in the woods. Owen wasn’t happy without good WiFi signal most of the time. For the needs that they had currently it would do fine. The camper turned down a long, winding dirt road. The longer he drove the more dense the trees became. Before long the cabin was in view. For a moment it was easy to forget all the chaos, it was another weekend at the cabin, another sleepover. This time it was just with a bundle of strangers. Owen pulled into the driveway and shut off the engine
“So uh, welcome I guess. Feel free to make yourselves at home, but I have to warn you sleeping arrangements are going to be weird, there are only five bedrooms. I figured the fairest way is to draw names for the rooms in pairs. Then we can figure it out amongst ourselves who gets bed and the like so anyway…” Andy had the male names in a separate pocket, and pulled two strips from her front hoodie pocket. After unfolding them she read: “Colt and Blondie...that would be you,” Andy said pointing at Leliana. She continued to do the same with each other slip. “That leaves me and uh...you.” Andy pointed at Lily. “I have the master bedroom, so it should be big enough for both of us. For the men we have… Owen and Russian guy? And then Luca and that girl’s boyfriend. I guess our knight in a camper gets a room to himself. Seems fitting…” She took a breath and looked at the people she was to be sharing a house with. It was likely they wouldn’t like being paired up against their will, but Andy honestly didn’t care.
“Some of you have had the pleasure of already meeting me. My name is Luca Brasi. If you don’t know of me, that’s fine. I am a capo in La Cosa Nostra, which you’ve probably should have heard of if you live in this town. I’ll keep it really simple for you folks; I have a big problem with new people. Unfortunately, I have a fractional amount of intelligence - enough to know that without a group, I can’t possibly face the walking dead without giving up my life. Fight among yourselves as to whom gets the bed in your rooms, share them, to be honest I can give a fuck where any of you sleep. In the morning, we’re going to have to make a run for supplies.” “Colt.” Luca pointed at the woman, recalling her mentioning it to him back when they were in the parking lot of the middle school. “You know how to handle a gun. You’re best to lead. We’ll meet in the morning and discuss who you’re going to bring with you. I’m not going to let you go alone, so be sure you make good with your choices. I want you to come back in one piece.” “The rest of you…” Luca looked once more among the group. He unzipped his jacket and removed it, revealing the blood-soaked shirt he had tied around his lower torso. “We’ll talk about what you guys can do tomorrow. Until then, have a good night. You know where to find me if you need me. Capiche?” He stood around for a moment, waiting for someone to interject before turning from the group and walking inside of the lodge. It was time for him to get acquainted with his new room
Lily didn't say much as they rode to this, lodge. Though the commentary between Colt and Marcus did not fall on deaf ears. They made it out safely, that's what mattered. Even if she felt immensely disappointed that an ex machina seemed to come by with a van. She almost had the car running. If there had been just a little more time. She sighed quietly. Nonetheless they should all come up with a thank you to the driver, sometime.

Upon walking in and settling for a moment lots were drawn for rooms. Her eyes met the red head's, noticing the sibling resemblance between her and the guy who lead them out the school. She knew a pair of twins when she saw one. Though some tension between the Red head dude and the smoker cut across the room, even in hushed tones. Guess the roommate roster changed, leaving her and Marcus together. Which was perfectly fine of course. "Guess you and I share then," She turned to him, offering a bit of a smile. It was hard to summon one up though, but Lily managed.

Then came the lovely speech. Luca, seemed, brash, though his words made sense. Hopefully they could hold up here for a while, and hopefully a supply run wouldn't end up being a run in with the dead. He was approached by the blonde from earlier. Lilly looked around the room for a moment, she didn't really feel like talking, or chit chatting or worrying or anything at that moment."I'll just, check out upstairs," speaking more or less to no one. She walked off to check out the rooms hoping no one would follow, but there were about eight or nine of them. Most likely they would all move to see the rooms as well, doubting any of them would stay too long in a single room of strangers. At least she slipped away first.

eventually she'll learn names, be friendly. For now, in the light of things, the girl wanted no part in company. Not even Marcus' at the moment. Though being alone with her thoughts wasn't the best idea, at least thoughts could be control and gently pushed away from certain subjects. As the view of the others disappeared down the stairs she looked around the second floor. The rooms seemed the same, saving the bunk beds in one. Reminded her of her old house.

Of The sirens, the fire, the shots. It was the sight of police tape around the property, the silence of the funeral, the void of his steps, a room with only a single bed, it was the emptiness that got her. Snap out of it. Her head was brought back to the room, she closed the door and looked into the next one. Queen sized like the others. Honestly sharing a bed shouldn't be a problem in this situation being queen sized beds. Lilly couldn't speak for everyone else though. She stayed in the room across from the bunk beds, more or less looking around it, out the window, filling the silence with a bored tapping on the window sill. [/div]
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1547174957873.png Alex Marcus McCarthy
Location:
Aurora Outskirts -- Highway 45
Date: Tuesday, October 16th, 2018
Interaction: Oslonaut Oslonaut

Once upon a Midnight Dreary
“S-Sarah...My name is Sarah. I…I have to get out of here.”

The girl stuttered out while turning to face the car Alex got concerned for a moment before Sarah quickly bent down grabbing the gun from the passenger seat where Alex had stored it Alex was about to say something to Sarah when she walked right past Alex heading up back onto the Highway. Alex could hear a whimper from Sarah as Alex followed her and was wondering if she would be okay but before she could think more the soldier's walkie cracked to life Alex walked backward for a moment, still following Sarah, Alex couldn't help but look over the car crash one last time before turning again to face Sarah right as Alex turned around Sarah was looking over her shoulder.
“I… I might need your help. My arm, it… it keeps bleeding.”
Alex looked at Sarah's arm it would need stitches Alex couldn't see the full damage or how many stitches she would need because of Sarah's jacket but they don't need to worry about it right now. Alex's eyes ran up the girl's arm to her face blood was on running on her face Alex didn't know if it was her own or the things and it was clear she hadn't slept recently from Sarah's eyes and unkempt hair, Alex walked in front of the girl and took the lead.
"At my work, there is a first aid kit I've kinda done stitches before but...It'll be fine."

10 years ago...
John approached his front door with a sigh of relief he had just got done working a twelve-hour shift covering for his friend, he unlocked the door and opened it up walking inside immediately he was jumped on staggering him back a bit his seven-year-old daughter Alex stayed up past her bedtime to greet him the dog was barking from the kitchen waiting to greet John.
"Daddy I need your help pooh's been hurt!"
"Well don't worry sweet pea, Doctor Dad is on the case."

John said picking up his daughter and letting the dog out of the kitchen he walked into her room and sat Alex down on the bed while kneeling down picking up the pooh bear toy it looked as if someone made the toy a pin cushion with staples and tape he walked out of the bedroom and entered the bathroom and grabbing the sewing kit. Walking back into Alex's room he saw her attempting to change into her pajamas but she couldn't find the head hole on her shirt John sat the bear and sewing kit down and kneeled in front of her fixing her shirt Alex's head popped out with a giggle.
"How did Pooh get hurt?"
"Gravy Chewed her up!"
"Well let me show you how to fix him then."

John said standing back up with a grunt and grabbing the bear and sewing kit he sat down on the floor with Alex standing behind him leaning on his back looking over his shoulder. John started to pluck the many staples and pieces of tape off of the bear from when Alex tried to fix it, he then took the needle showing it to Alex and threaded the string through it he slowly started to sew the bear backup while Alex watched. After a couple of minutes, it was done John picked up both the bear and his daughter setting them both on the bed.
"Now you're grounded for staying up past your bedtime, Goodnight Love you."
John said turning off the light to her bedroom and closing the door knowing full well Alex wouldn't accept the grounding and would still do whatever she wants, no matter how much John disliked the childlike rebellion in his daughter it reminded him so much of Alex's mother, he walked into the kitchen grabbing a cold beer before going back into the living room and turning on the tv Gravy their dog sat on his lap.

At the Supermarket in the Present COLLABORATION BETWEEN BunnyQueen and Oslonaut Oslonaut
Sarah seethed, squeezing her eyes shut tightly as she buried the side of her face into her own shoulder. She'd taken her now ripped jacket off to give Alex access to the gash in her arm. It was placed haphazardly alongside the other items on the counter: the rubbing alcohol, the pharmacy store floral print towel, and the sewing kit Alex had torn apart with her bare hands. She never would have imagined doing this in the middle of a Bunnygreens before. But no one was here, so they had to improvise.

Alex stuck the needle into Sarah's arm again pulling it through and out the other side of the gash, tears were running down Sarah's face as she gripped the counter she was sitting on. Whimpers of pain left Sarah's lips when Alex stuck the needle back into Sarah's arm for the final stitch. Alex struggled at first to pull the blood covered needle out of Sarah's arm before getting a better grip and pulling it out. Then she was able to tie it off while reaching over the counter to grab some rubbing alcohol.

Gathering herself as she felt Alex finishing up the stitch, Sarah turned to see what she was doing now... and immediately flinched when she saw the rubbing alcohol in her hands, turning away from it she pleaded.
"Oh goood... do we have to?"
"If you want it to be clean"
"Where did you learn all this shit anyway?"
Sarah whimpered to herself but, eventually, nodded. There was no 'bracing herself' for the moment. She realized that seconds before her world delved into pain again. Alex was worried about how she would explain this to her boss using things from the store without buying them or telling her about it but Alex figured her boss could just take the payout of her check.
"My dad taught me to sew after the dog chewed up my toy bear"
"Your...Toy bear?"

She paused one second to make sure she heard that right, before looking down to double-check the fresh new stitch on her arm. She winced and immediately regretted doing so. It looked nasty. Without another wasted moment, she reached for her red jacket and carefully put it on, getting as far as halfway before the pain from her injured arm stopped. Hopping off the counter, she turned her back to Alex and looked over her shoulder.
"Never mind. Mind helping me put this on?"
Alex carefully pulled Sarah's jacket over her shoulders and walked around to her front zipping up the jacket before looking at Sarah's arm hoping it would be okay for the time being. John Alex's father could probably do the stitches better, Alex started to worry a little bit about her father getting antsy just standing in the store she looked to the entrance of the store then back to Sarah.
"My dad can do the stitches better, and he may already have a plan for how to ride this storm out."
Alex said walking towards the exit of the store, she would also be able to change clothes and pack at home.
 
Ray Childress: The Lodge

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Owen took over as pilot of the exodus van so Ray made his way back to a seat and plopped down. He never really got to get a good look at the back portion of the interior until now. All the accessories a recreational vehicle should have all seemed to be there and in working order. A sink, bathroom, comfy seats, a neat little area with a table, a small bed in the back room which was separated by a door.. The walls were a milky white color and everything fabric was a green plaid. The company was filling the whole of the van now wherever there was space and the door slammed shut behind the last person, save for the crazy lady hanging out the driver side door. The car took off as the horde of creatures was getting worryingly near. They soon hit the road and Ray took the moment to finally sit back and catch his breath. Not even thinking about introducing himself to the crew he had stumbled upon, the strain of the crazy ride of a day caught up to him as his eyelids eased to a close. His body sank deeper into the seat and he removed his glasses, setting them on the sill next to him. His backpack also lay next to his feet to his left as to not create an obstacle in the aisle. His head was still throbbing, making it a small challenge to relax, but his exhaustion outmatched it. Something about a lodge in the woods was the last thing he heard before drifting off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Ray was brought comfortably out of his nap by the shuffling of feet to his right and the engine coming to a halt. He got out of the seat and claimed his glasses and pack. He followed suit as the group of strangers gathered outside. It was getting pretty dark now as the sunset was soon going to be upon them as far as he could tell. The scene could still be made out though from what they could see where they were standing. There was the lodge, surrounded by a dense forest; In fact, all around them was forest. No sign of civilization was noticeable, save for the dirt road that they had apparently come in on. Ray breathed it all in. This was so nice. The woodland smells, the visuals, and the break from the living nightmare he had found himself in brought a sense of peace. He couldn't wait to explore more of the property, but right now, he had to find some much needed rest.

The red headed girl, Andy, spoke up about the sleeping arrangements. So it must have been her idea that brought us here. Ray found himself without a roommate but didn't mind all that much. He didn't have to worry about any of the problems that could be brought up while living in the same room with someone. It would be nice to commune with some of these folks though, make sure everyone is doing alright. Ray hadn't lived with anyone in a long time and was actually looking forward to sharing the beautiful resort with this group of people he hadn't even properly met yet. He felt blessed to have found them. Who knows where he'd be wandering right now if he hadn't. Probably hunkering down in a hotel or back at his house, all alone and lost on what to do next. It would be nice to go back to his house though, for supplies and memorabilia. All that he had now was a backpack filled with not enough supplies and a dead phone with no charger in his pocket. Not even a change of clothes or any toiletry items. I'm sure we'll figure it all out in the morning or maybe even sooner.

Ray made his way into the house after everything was sorted. The creak of the natural wood floor was pleasing to his ear. The bottom floor was quite spacey and the kitchen in the far left corner caught his eye. Plenty of cabinets and drawers, probably filled with all the tools he'd need to make some delicious meals. Everything together created an atmosphere that just screamed "cabin vacation". His shoes met every step with a hollow THUNK as he ascended the stair that was connected to the living room. He entered the bedroom immediately to his left as he came to the top and closed the door behind him. He still hadn't actually met any of them but he'd worry about that in the morning. A small mirror brought him over to it to check his head out. The wound had stopped bleeding completely now, just the dried up blood on the left side of his head remained. He washed it up in the bathroom across the hall and sat himself in the room again, taking out a bandage and some medical tape from his bag to patch it up. The queen sized bet met Ray with open arms as he collapsed onto it. So soft.. So tired.. He set his backpack in a chair by the bed and kicked his shoes off. Before it even occurred to him to take his clothes off and get under the covers, he was out.
 
S A R A H

Bunnygreens & Pharmacy
Tuesday, October 16th, 2018


The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.
Ernest Hemingway

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Flashback to the crash...

Patrick’s hand reached for the volume dial as he slowed down on the highway, quieting the Smash Mouth tune that had been rocking their world only moments earlier. Like a melting icicle that had finally given in to gravity’s embrace, the mood had immediately dropped and shattered into pieces when they spotted the military barricade ahead. “What the fuck? How did they get all this set up so fast…” Pat muttered, squinting his eyes confusedly at the operation on the horizon. It looked like the barricade wasn’t simply contained to the highway either… they were setting up fences alongside it and appeared to be gathering the materials necessary for a... wall?

“It’s almost like they knew what was going to happen ahead of time...”

One of the soldiers at the forefront of the barricade stepped forward and raised his hand to bid him to stop as the car continued to slowly approach from afar. That was all good and well, but why weren’t they opening up the barricade for them? Neither of them were sick. He supposed he would just have to have a talk with him, then. Maybe take some tests. There was no way he intended to be turned away at this point. He intended to take Sarah home. He’d practically promised.

“Put your gun in the glovebox.” He said. “We don’t want to startle them if they search us. Just let them know what to expect when we get out.”

Sarah nodded, unholstering her 9MM Glock and opening the glove box before placing it in. As she shut it closed and looked up again, however, she suddenly noticed something Patrick apparently didn’t. She froze momentarily, hoping she was just confused or seeing things wrong. But just to be sure…

“Paaat.”​

If he didn’t know any better, they were locking Aurora away from the rest of the world. But why? Was the sickness really that bad? What was the point of the quarantine if they were just going to lock everyone in, anyway? He examined their trucks and caches of equipment. Some of them appeared to be US military… others, tinted black instead of the traditional olive, he didn’t recognize. He was about to ask Sarah but--

“Pat!” She repeated in an exclaimed whisper.​

“What is it?” Patrick blinked, emerging from his own thoughts and turning to Sarah with a confused look. By that point, she was already patting the side of his shoulder repeatedly with one hand while pointing ahead with the other. The incredibly worried look on her face certainly didn’t match the situation… at least, he didn’t think so. Not until he followed her finger and saw what she saw: unlike the soldier at the front of the barricade, the soldiers at the top of the cheaply constructed watchtowers and alongside the fences… they all had their guns pointed at them. They weren’t here to help.

He gulped, carefully reaching down to the gear stick with his free hand as his girlfriend lowered her own, gripping her knees nervously. “Sarah… hold on.”

Present…

Her arm still felt pretty bad, despite the stitches. But at least Sarah could rest easy knowing she wasn’t going to bleed out because of it. She’d never received stitches before herself: this was her first time. But she’d certainly practiced delivering them. On the many hiking trips she’d taken with her dad in the Oregon wilderness, the day he fell twenty feet from a ledge of crumbling rock and opened up a gash on his leg was one she would never forget. She was twelve at the time. He’d smiled throughout the whole thing, apparently glad to have the chance to test his daughter’s skills despite the excruciating pain.

After everything that had happened today, it was easy to ignore her own injuries now. Her world had been flipped upside down on all kinds of levels. And there was not much else she could do for her arm anyway-- except let it heal, like the rest of her body. For now, they needed to find a safe place… away from the military that had betrayed its people and killed her ex-boyfriend.

There was a bit of hesitation following Alex out of the supermarket. That was fear. But, eventually, Sarah sucked in a breath and nodded. “Yeah… yeah, okay. Let’s go to your dad’s, then.” It’s not like they could have gone to her own dad’s place, anyway. She’d already tried. Making sure her gun was still strapped to her hip with a reassuring pat from her hand, Sarah followed Alex out. “We have to move quick. And quiet… okay?”

Minutes later...
Sarah was quite frankly surprised that Alex could lead the way so quickly without getting tired. It was clear they had about the same level of endurance, and it practically gave away the fact that Alex was an athlete of some sort-- whereas Sarah had picked it up during parkour across city streets with her graffiti gang. That being said, Sarah was as quick and didn’t tire as easy either… but her appearance certainly didn’t cry out ‘athlete’. So she supposed there was a slight possibility Alex wasn’t either. She was about to ask when, as they were approaching the street Alex lived on with her dad, they suddenly heard someone calling out: “Hello? Hello!? Is anybody out here?!”

Almost instinctively, Sarah pulled Alex behind a nearby bush at the side of the neighborhood street. The block she lived on had several homes and some apartments, nestled together alongside a laundromat and a quaint-looking cafe called Theo’s. Their position behind the bush gave them a decent vantage point of the entire street as they waited for the man behind the voice to round the corner. When he finally did, garbed in a blue flannel and jeans rather than the military fatigues she expected, Sarah thought she noticed some sort of immediate reaction from Alex. She was too suspicious to let go of the girl’s arm for now, however. Everything still had her on edge.

“Alex! Alex, are you out here?!”​

Suddenly realizing who this man probably was, Sarah started to release Alex’s arm… before hearing the approaching engine of a car and grabbing it tightly once more. It was a military jeep packed with four armed soldiers and a scientist in a hazmat suit. Alex’s dad turned around when he heard the noise, too, jogging into the middle of the street to wave at them. “Oh, thank god! Please help! I’m looking for my daugh--”

The Jeep skidded to a stop several feet away from him... but only to allow one of the soldiers upon it to shoot the man accurately enough with his assault rifle.

Shuddering at the sound of the gunshots, Sarah would cover Alex’s mouth if she tried to scream, keeping her tugged down behind the bush before whispering in her ear. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry-- but they’ll kill us, too. Y-You know this better than I do.” She spoke, watching as the soldiers examined the street around them with their eyes. It felt like an eternity but, eventually, they sat back into the Jeep and it drove away. At least they were kind enough not to run over the man they’d shot.

It wasn’t until the Jeep disappeared over a hill and the sound of its engine grew faint, that Sarah finally let go of Alex. They’d made it… but apparently not quick enough.


Interactions: BunnyQueen BunnyQueen
 
Shinoa Bradford
Age: 17
New Location: Moe's “Don't Tell” Motel
Last Location: Downtown Bar
Interactions: Open

Pregnancy Progression: 39 Weeks

Countdown to Childbirth

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Time to MoveEven though quite a bit of time has passed since the carnage at the school, Shinoa could not help but think about it. From the gunshots to that brief game of cat and mouse that she had to play, the young mother was most certainly scared. Thankfully, she got to a deserted bar and had a chance to catch her breath. With everything going on, she hoped that she would not be going into labor anytime soon. That was when she was going to be most vulnerable and if she was found by those soldiers, both her and the baby would most likely be killed, something she didn't want to think about. As these thoughts traversed through her mind, Shinoa felt her baby kicking. "I know, sweetie, but Mommy's really scared right now." She took a deep breath as she felt a sharp pain in her belly.

To keep herself from yelping in pain, she bit her lip. Since the bar was unprotected and the doors were transparent, she would have to find another place of refuge. Sadly, her grandma's house was not an option. It was too far from where she was currently at and with the extermination squads running about, she would most likely end up dead before even getting close to her neighborhood. Surely there was a place with a bed that she could stay at for the night. Then tomorrow, she would need to figure out where her Grandmother was. Hopefully the elderly woman wasn't dead and was out there looking for her. The poor old lady must be worried sick. If she was lucky, she's probably with the other senior citizens seeking refuge in the mountains somewhere. Slowly, she got up from where she was sitting before stretching out her arms and her legs. Grabbing the kitchen knife, she exited the same way she had entered; through the back door.

Seeking RefugeBack out on the streets, the young mother stuck to the alleyways as the open street were just shooting galleries. As she navigated through the now-dangerous city, she continued to hear gunshots in the distance. While walking down the alley, she would run into another person. He didn't seem to notice her or anything. However, his...hospital gown was covered in red stains. That alone left her concerned. Was he sick? Could it be about the ordeal behind heavily armored troops showing up in town and murdering everyone? However, before she could do anything, the man went crazy as he heard a car honk and ran in the direction of it. The last thing she heard was the sound of him getting hit by a car. Grimacing at the thought of his last moments, Shinoa continued on to go find refuge for the night. She still had to tread carefully as those armored troops killed anything that moved. It was getting darker and darker. A contraction then caused her drop her knife and she could only watch in disbelief as it clanged against the concrete before it slid towards a storm drain. She went pale as it fell in and clanged against the ground below. "SARGE! I THINK I HEARD SOMETHING! OVER THERE!"

Shinoa's eyes went wide as she heard the loud stomping coming in her direction and shadows with guns. Not wasting anymore time, she just grabbed onto the nearest door and...it was locked. Staying up against the wall, the young mother held her breath. She even held her hands over her mouth to keep herself from making any noise. She then started feeling a stomachache, a dull pain in her belly. She shed a few tears. "Guess it was nothing. Let's go boys. Back to patrol!"

She then heard the sound of boots walking away. As it got quiet again, Shinoa breathed a sigh of relief. "God that was close..." She whispered to herself, before continuing on.

Refuge...for nowAfter about an hour and a half of careful navigating, with brief resting in between, Shinoa eventually emerged from the alleyways and back onto the street. A lot of the hostile patrols seemed to be closer towards the hospital and deeper into the main street of town. The only place she saw was Moe's “Don't Tell” Motel. Given the town's state of disarray, hopeful she could seek refuge here. Rest for the night and then find a way out of the city alive. Near the gas station, she saw people wandering around, walking in circles and bumping into each other with little or no reception. Not wasting anymore time, she crossed the street and towards the motel. It was mostly empty. Where was everyone? With no one around, she snuck behind the reception desk, where she saw a mutilated, half-eaten corpse. She started feeling nauseous just looking at it...even smelling it. Not stepping any closer, she just grabbed a room card key. Holding her breath until she got out of the room, she then went ahead and tried one of the rooms that seemed to vacant. As she approached the door that said 107, as the door showed no signs of tampering and had no blood on it, like some of the other doors that she saw. Trying the door, it unlocked briefly allowing her to get inside. Upon getting inside, she closed the door, locked it with both a deadbolt and a security clamp. Because of what's been going on, she even wedged a chair under the handle and then closed the curtain. Feeling a bit more secure, the young mother sighed before setting her purse by the TV and checked her phone. There was still no reception, much to her chagrin. She then set the phone to maximum power saving mode to conserve energy. As she started feeling nauseous, she went to the restroom and vomited into the toilet. After flushing it, she washed her mouth out at the sink before getting onto the nearest bed. As she got comfortable, she started massaging her belly. "Its okay, sweetie, we're safe now. At least for a little bit." She said before straightening out her dress and her hair.

The day went downhill rather quickly. There must be something really bad going on. If she couldn't find her Grandmother, then hopefully she could find safer refuge away from the city before long. As her stomach growled, she went ahead to check her purse to see if she had brought any snacks. She grinned a little as she found a chocolate bar. Because she was so busy playing cat and mouse, she unfortunately forgot about eating. Sighing, she looked towards the door, not feeling all that comfortable about venturing outside. It was for a good reason, but posed quite the risk. It was already bad enough that she was pregnant and had trouble sneaking around. Hell, she couldn't even run. Factoring all this in, she hoped that she could find food back where she had found the motel key. Though for now, she really just wanted to rest after what she just had to go through. Pulling a water bottle out of her purse, she took a quick drink before rolling over to her side, thinking about her Grandmother and the unborn child that rested in her belly. She let out a sigh before attempting to close her eyes.
 
Jenna: The Suburbs

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Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. Even Rogue tapping on her leg was enough for Jenna to slightly jump in her seat. The longer they waited, the closer the hazmat troopers got. Luka didn't seem to help much either, suggesting a felony for starters and then ramming the barricade. She put a finger to her lips.
"Keep your voice down. If they hear us, we're all in deep shit." She whispered "More than we are already."

"The city of Aurora is now under quarantine! Step out of the vehicle!" A trooper barked, carrying his voice using a megaphone.
The two soldiers kept closing in. Jenna started to breathe rapidly through her nose, watching their movements with her eyes darting back and forth between them.
"I said get out of your car, now!"
Her eyes continued to pace. She looked at their rifles.
She gasped as the troopers raised their guns, pointed directly at the car. The first bullet would break the windscreen, the second would go through her skull. That was, if she was lucky.
"Ten!"
Would the badge be any good? It had to be worth considering at least. No, it was suicide. An FBI agent with a Danny DeVito t-shirt and purple hair? Even if Luka's badge was legit, there was no way trained personnel would believe her as a legit FBI agent.
"Nine!"
Ramming the barricade and trying to escape would be suicide. The car would get ripped apart like tin foil by the bullets, and even if they somehow made it past this barricade there would surely be others along the rest of the highway. If, by some miracle they managed to make it further than that the Americans would brand them as fugitives.

"Eight!"
Negotiating with the soldiers? Even if they wouldn't let them leave the city, she could still keep the car and find another way out. She bit her lip. They'd have the other roads and main means of transport blocked too.
"Seven!"
If they were going to be trapped in the city, they'd at least need the car. Going on foot was a death sentence, but what if she stepped out of the car? Would she be shot on sight.
"Six!"
There was only one way to be sure, and it was too great a risk.

She turned to Rogue and Luka and shook her head
"Oh, fuck it." She gritted her teeth

The door on her side was flung open and Jenna stretched an arm out. A bullet struck the window almost immediately. Closing the door, Jenna put the car into drive and spun it around. The speed limit was ignored this time as the car raced back into Aurora. A few more bullets struck the car, ripping through the pile of junk on wheels like it was tin foil. The back window shattered, a bullet struck the dashboard. Just missing Jenna's right hand.

"C'mon, c'mon c'mon 'cmon c'mon..." Jenna muttered. The car reached it's limits at seventy five miles per hour, speeding into Aurora. Jenna did not slow down.

Liezarria Liezarria AgWordSmith AgWordSmith

Doctor Ralph Fisher: Outside School
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As Fisher got closer he heard the sounds of gunfire and types screeching. He stayed out a sight, keeping low behind a car on the side of the road. It could have been more of those hazmat troopers, already acting on their quarantine protocols.
Even from the outside he could tell it had been an absolute bloodbath. Infected roamed around outside, with some tearing people limb from limb. A few of the hazmat troopers tried to mop them up with gunfire, but they lacked the numbers. These troopers were just men and women following orders, taking a mixture of CDC and US Military tactics to the extreme in order to contain something horrible.

He watched as another hazmat trooper was put down, grabbed from behind by a host and wrestled to the ground. Ralph looked away, hearing screams followed by a sound he had grown all too familiar with since the hospital. The tearing of flesh. After that, the screaming stopped.
Part of him wanted to help the hazmat troopers, but he knew what the consequences would be. In following their orders, they'd committed atrocities. Herding the city into a building like cattle in order to slaughter them.

His grandparents had fled from men like that.

He kicked the side of the car and started to move again. The sounds of gunfire and screaming easily masked the sounds of any movement he made. Through a few side-doors and windows, he watched as other people escaped the slaughterhouse. He could see blood smeared on the insides of windows as infected tore through the school.

He was too late to stop the troopers and the situation in the city was getting worse. Ralph had ducked down behind an overturned car, watching the carnage unfold before his eyes. Off to the side was the body of a hazmat trooper, his hands still gripped around a rifle.

A sidearm was attached to his waist.
Picking up a rock, Fisher approached the body and stood over it with the rock raised above his head. He had to be sure.

He almost jumped when the trooper turned his head. The protective material around his face had been torn off, revealing one, youthful green eye. A bite had been taken out of his cheek as well.
"Please..." He groaned "Please, sir. Don't let me turn. I..."

Ralph's mouth widened in horror.
"Please..."
He took one deep breath and closed his eyes, bringing the rock down on the trooper's head. His eyes were still shut, but the sounds of crunching bone as the rock struck again and again confirmed things for Ralph.

He pulled the rifle from the trooper's cold, dead hands and removed the sidearm from his belt. In just a few hours he'd been reduced to looting bodies, but he told himself he needed the ammunition.
A few spare rounds could be the difference between life and death.
 
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1547250792506.png Alex Marcus McCarthy
Location:
Near Alex's House
Date: Tuesday, October 16th, 2018
Interaction: Oslonaut Oslonaut

While I pondered, Weak and Weary
Alex was leading Sarah down the road in the direction of Alex's house, her father would have to know what to do in this sort of situation he always talked about the end of the world but Alex worryingly wondered if he left without her.
“Hello? Hello!? Is anybody out here?!”
Alex couldn't really hear the voice that well but before she could go out to investigate Sarah pulled her into cover behind a bush to hide and see who it was from a vantage point. When the man came into view he was wearing a blue flannel shirt and a pair of jeans Alex stuttered for a second wanting to leave the bushes and great her father but Sarah had a hand on Alex's arm stopping her for a moment.
“Alex! Alex, are you out here?!”
Sarah started to let go of Alex's arm realizing now it was Alex's father, however, the sound of a car approaching caused Sarah to grab Alex's arm again and pull her back down into the bush. Alex watched her father run out into the street to flag the military jeep down.
“Oh, thank god! Please help! I’m looking for my daugh--”
Before he could finish that sentence the jeep slammed on its brakes with one door opening a barrel peeked out and fired shots into Alex's father killing him dead his corpse slammed onto the pavement. Sarah covered Alex's mouth and Alex froze at the sounds of the gunshots tears started running down her face her scream of agony was muffled by Sarah's hand as she sobbed into Sarah's arms.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry-- but they’ll kill us, too. Y-You know this better than I do.”
The soldiers hung around observing the street seeing if anyone else was nearby Alex ignored them she was to busy grieving and crying into Sarah's arms, eventually, Alex felt Sarah's grip lighten and Alex not even checking to see if the coast is clear lept out from behind the bushes running as fast as she could to her fathers corpse. Alex stopped a few feet in front of her father's corpse it was him no doubt about it.
"No no no no no no, this can't be happening, you're okay it'll be fine..."

Alex muttered to her father's corpse not being able to believe that just like that she would never be able to see her father again, she knelt down next to his corpse her face felt hot as the tears ran down her cheeks. Alex reached out her hands were shaking she touched his arm it was still warm but the reality of it all became clear when Alex felt the blood coming from her father's chest.
"Its all my fault...If I would have just stayed home..."
Alex stood back up looking down on her father's corpse moving one hand to her head parting her hair out of her face. In the distance, the sound of another car approaching could be heard Sarah grabbed Alex's hand softly.
"Alex I'm sorry but we have to go now."
A Couple Minutes Later at Alex's house
Alex stood in the middle of the road looking at the small one-story red brick house she walked slowly towards the house unlocking the front door, the smell of home filled her nose as she closed her eyes trying to hold back tears. 'survive, for now, grief later.' she repeated in her head over and over again walking through the front door and into the living room. Alex walked past the living room and went straight to her room taking off her bloody top throwing it on her bed and searched in her closet for a new shirt. Alex threw on a grey short sleeve t-shirt and changed into a pair of blue jeans walking out of her room and into the bathroom Alex grabbed a hair band and did her hair up in a ponytail before walking into her father's room. Alex stopped in the doorway looking at her father's unkept room she took a deep breath in before walking over to his bed and kneeling down grabbing an empty duffle bag from underneath the bed as she was walking out of her father's room she saw a baseball cap she lightly grabbed it and put it on her head tightly.
"Sarah! My room, there should be some clothes for you to change into if you want!"
Alex yelled in a solemn tone from across the house as she left her fathers room walking into the kitchen she opened the cabinet and sighed wishing that her father would have gone shopping before the apocalypse she threw what little-canned food they had into the duffle bag she opened the silverware drawer grabbing the can opener and shoved it in the bag. Alex kept running around the kitchen putting various different things into the duffel bag.

 
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Ivan yawned quietly as the camper pulled up to a large wood cabin. He’d seen it from the window of the camper and given it a quiet whistle of awe. When they pulled up the the place however, it seemed much bigger than it had just down the road.


‘This place probably costs more than everywhere I’ve lived.’


He thought to himself as the vehicle came to a stop and everyone started to get off. When the younger individual introduced himself as Luca Brasi of the La Cosa Nostra, Ivan scoffed quietly.


“I’ve lost count of how many times those assholes have tried to rob me.”


He chimed in a quiet whisper, watching as everyone dispersed, Andy hanging out on the porch and seemingly looking out at the crowd of people.He calmly approached her, clearing his throat as he spoke in a quiet tone.


“Excuse me, сударыня. (ma’am) Could you tell me where the bathroom is?”


He said quietly, respecting personal space as he put his hands at his side. These people could force him to leave at any point, so he didn’t want to get on their bad side.


--


“Huh?” Andy looked up, seemingly distracted and caught off guard by the man approaching her. The words he spoke to her finally registered with her tired mind. The girl nodded and guestered to the staircase that was visible through the doorway.


“Yeah sure thing. Up the stairs there is one directly across from you, and one to your left. Make yourself at home.” She echoed her earlier statement. Her tone was flat, which for Andy was about as friendly as you could expect, her facial expression never changing, she looked on with bored, tired green eyes.


--


A short smile spread across Ivan’s face as he turned away from the girl, saying a short thank you before walking through the door, going up the stairs towards the bathroom. Hoping that no one was in there, he put his hand on the doorknob and slowly turned it. A short sigh escaped from him as it opened with no resistance and swung open, cold and dark aside from the natural light that came in through the window. A short smile crossed his lips as he strode in, closing the door behind him and locking it quickly, a quiet click sounding in the room. Before he’d closed and locked the door, he had flicked the light switch, the room erupting with light as he looked over in the mirror. He looked like shit. Slightly torn and bloodied clothes hung from his body, clothes that he quickly stripped out of, his tags jangling quietly as he pulled his shirt from his body. He looked in the mirror again and a shuddered breath escaped him at what he saw. A bruised and lightly cut torso that had suffered from the events of the day. Ivan slowly brought his hand up to one of the forming bruises, wincing in pain as he pressed into it. Turning away from his negligible wounds and moving towards the shower, he turned the water on slowly as warm water started to shoot from the faucet. Of course he’d had plenty of showers in all the places he’d been, but none this fancy. Most of them had been a tub and shower combined and didng have functioning hot water. He knew he’d taken a shower just this morning, but the events of today had gone by so slowly as to be compared to an eternity. He stepped in, letting the water fall over him as he looked around for some shampoo. After thinking about it, rinsing would be fine for now, as he didn’t want to take more than he was worth at the moment. He rinsed for a few minutes, allowing the water to get everywhere, using the soap only to scrub his hands to the point of raw red skin. When he was satisfied with his cleanliness, he turned off the shower, redressing in his tattered clothes before leaving the bathroom and feeling exhaustion weighing him down. He traveled down the stairs slowly, eyeing the couch in the den and simply ignoring other contact with people as he walked over slowly. Ivan simply took off his shirt and laid it out on the couch and laid on top of it. He pulled a small blanket from the back of the couch and laid it over himself, his eyes almost immediately becoming boulders on his face as he drifted into a deep mostly dreamless sleep.​
 
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This is a collaboration post between FireMaiden FireMaiden and Brax Brax .

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> Andy and Owen's Lodge.

The master bedroom looked exactly as Luca had remembered it. There was a king-sized bed against the wall, with a night stand on each side. Over in the back right was the bathroom. On the back wall was a dresser as well as a vanity. A rug covered the center of the room, a piece that reminded Luca of a similar rug that he had bought for his own home. Unfortunately being in the heart of Aurora wasn’t exactly the best option anymore, not that the state of his humble abode was a concern of his at the current moment. Luca untied the shirt around his lower stomach with a wince. When it came to removing the actual shirt from the cut, he had to separate the fabric from his skin with a slight pull. It was around that time that Leliana had made her presence known with a knock on the door. The man froze, waiting until she speak before moving to toss the shirt into a hamper in the open bathroom.

“Yeah. The door’s unlocked.”

In the meanwhile, Luca opened the mini fridge next to the bathroom. There was quite a few drinks in here; apparently, it seemed as though Andy typically used the master bedroom when she stayed at the lodge on her own. Not that this was surprising, but Luca was extremely happy to not traverse out of the room in order to get a drink. Inside of the fridge itself was a few water bottles, some beer and a few bottles of whiskey. One of them was only half-full. Between Colt and Andy, it seemed that a common enjoyment of whiskey was shared. Luca didn’t understand this at all, where the fuck was the Hennessy at?

Begrudgingly, the Italian grasped a bottle of whiskey and removed it from the fridge. Luca removed the cap, reminding the female to shut the door behind her as he brought the mouth of the bottle to his lips. His jacket was resting over the dresser, which meant his entire upper-torso had been exposed. While Luca was in relatively good shape, his upper-torso was less-than-tantalizing. His right shoulder had a large scar running across the side, from a knife. There were various knicks and cuts all around his chest and abdomen. A gunshot wound, as previously mentioned, right underneath the fresh stab wound. While the front of his body didn’t have any tattoos, his back was completely covered with the face of a lion; the king of the jungle.

Luca was wearing jeans, but had also taken his shoes off. Aside from what he was already wearing, those boots and that jacket were the only articles of clothing that Luca had with him. He would have to see if there was any clothing he could slip into in the master bedroom after getting cleaned up. His back turned to Leliana, he made his way into the bathroom and took a seat on top of the toilet seat cover. This wasn’t the first time that Luca had to settle for a patch job that was not under the supervision of a doctor. He was quite used to having to settle for medical attention from others, though he usually had pills or some sort of drug to help dull his pain. In this case, all he had was the handle of alcohol in his hand.


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Leliana hesitated for a moment, her fingers brushing the doorknob of the master bedroom. She wasn't sure how she should feel about being in a room alone with Luca. He was dangerous, and she had seen with her own eyes just how so. But he was also in need. Unfortunately, she had inherited an insanely annoying sense of selflessness from her mother, which often kept her from doing things that were probably smarter than whatever it was she was going to do for someone else. So, with a deep breath, she entered the master bedroom. The first thing she noticed of course, was Luca. He had already taken the makeshift bandage off, which allowed her get a quick look at it from afar. Leliana could almost immediately tell that he was doing to need stitches. It's what she had expected, but not something she was excited to take care of. The fact he was drinking made her a little nervous, but depending on what it was, she could maybe use it for sterilization. Some alcohol actually worked better for cleaning than some medical products, bourbon for example. However, she wasn't planning on taking it away from him. Leliana shifted her weight, as she was still standing there at the door, before she figured that maybe she should get ready. Turning slightly from Luca, she placed her bat, and her personal bag next to the door, as she hadn't stopped by her and Colt's room to drop anything off. She would even take her holster off, placing it on top of her bag, Leilana's attention briefly turned back to Luca when he told her to close the door.

The girl would nod, gently shutting the door behind her. Turning back to him, she moved a little further into the room, her eyes wandering. The room was nice, it made sense as to why Luca would want it. Plus there was an en suite, which reminded her she wanted to take another shower. She could still feel that hand around her throat...but a shower wouldn't wash that away. Leliana also couldn't help her eyes from wandering to Luca's chest.

Scars were of course something she was use to seeing, but Leliana didn't remember a time when she saw so many on the same person. It worried her actually, but at the same time, she was curious. Surely each one had a story, though asking about then maybe be a sore spot. Maybe at some point in the future? If he stuck around that long anyway. But it also gave her more time to examine his wound from there. It wasn't bleeding as much as it would been either fresh, or untreated, but it was still bleeding. Leliana would have to be gentle.

When he turned away, she followed behind him after a few seconds. She walked just past him, putting the bag with her supplies in it on the counter, unzipping it. Inside were the things she knew she would need, as well as few other bits that may not be needed, but still useful. However, the first thing she pulled out was a pack of painkillers. She popped two out of the plastic casing into the palm of her hand, and handed them to Luca. "Here, take these. Alcohol probably isn't the best thing to mix with them, but nobody I knew had any problems."


Luca chuckled slightly, his eyes peering down to the woman’s gesture while his damaged hand removed the pills from her possession. He turned his palm upward to examine the pills, just to get a bit of understanding as to what they were. Luca was no stranger to drugs; he had tried everything himself just short of meth. The man was certainly no stranger to ingesting two or more substances, as he was curious in his youth of the effects. He also partially had a death wish, but that was a conversation for a different time. Luca had been selling drugs for far longer than he had been using them. The pills were yellow in color. On one side, each pill had the letters ‘OC’ on them. Opposite of that side, the two pills had the number forty. Luca instantly recognized them, looking down at Leliana before standing back up.

“One moment, Leliana.”

The Italian placed both pills on the counter-top. Slowly, he removed his wallet from the depths of his pocket. He recognized exactly what these pills were. They were Oxycontin, painkillers designed to be prolonged release. They were forty milligrams each. Luca was well aware of what they were capable of, as he had spent an entire year on a bender with Oxys. During that period of time, Luca could have easily blown up to 240 milligrams of the painkiller throughout a twenty-four hour period, no problem. He pressed the bottom of the bottle against the pills, applying a bit of pressure and moving it around until the pills were sanded down into a fine powder.

He moved the bottle of alcohol to the other side of the bathroom sink. Then, the man removed a credit card from the depths of his wallet, meticulously scraping the powder into two long lines. When they were shaped to his satisfaction, he placed the card back in his wallet. He removed a hundred dollar bill in exchange and rolled it up into a long straw shape. Taking a step back from the sink, Luca bent over slightly. He felt a sharp pain in his side in the process, but ignored it. The man put one end of the bill to his nose, and the other end to the beginning of one of the lines.

Then he snorted it.

Lifting himself sightly, he removed the dollar bill from his nostril. He placed the back of his hand against the opposite nostril and blew in as much of the residue as he could. Then, he placed the the side of the bill that had touched the crushed-up pill to the tip of his tongue. Luca repeated this process once more. Once he was finished, he placed the money back in his wallet. He left it on the counter for the time being, while his pinky finger moved around the inside of his nostril - in attempts to collect any and all residue of the pill.

Luca placed that pinky briefly in his mouth before sitting back down on the toilet cover.


Leliana almost immediately realized what he was doing. She lived downtown, worked at Moe's, and grew up around shady people, she knew what was happening. "Dude." Leliana obviously wasn't going to stop him, she wasn't an idiot. But the straight up alcohol was bad enough, it increased blood flow, which made you bleed more. The oxy was the best painkiller she grabbed, and she didn't expect him to, well, to do that. But...Leliana just sighed. "I guess it works either way." She should have given him the Naproxen. Instead of lecturing him like she probably should have, mostly about the fact they didn't have mamy painkillers, her attention turned to the cabinets in the bathroom. She was looking for a towel and a washcloth. The towel was to put in the ground, and the wash cloth was to clean his wound. After a few moments of rummaging, finally finding what she was after a few minutes, long enough for him to finish and sit back down. "We uh, we don't have a lot of those by the way," she said, moving back over to where her bag was sitting. From inside, she pulled out a pair of gloves and a bottle of water. "I'll ask you keep that in mind."

“Guess I shouldn’t make a habit out of getting stabbed.”


She pulled the latex gloves on, wiggling her fingers a bit so the gloves would sit comfortably on her hands, before she grabbed the washcloth as bottle of water. She stepped beside Luca, squatting down as she poured some water into the green cloth. "Lean back a little please," She said, waiting a moment so he could, before she began to wipe blood away from area surrounding his wound. She was gentle, obviously, but it would still stung a little. "What did you get stabbed with?" She asked. It would make it easier if she knew what type of debris to look for when she started to clean the actual wound.

“Glass. We broke a window to escape the middle school and had to crawl out.”
 
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lisich5.pngAndy waited for most of the crowd to funnel into the lodge before walking in the doors herself. It was weird to see the place full of so many bodies. For years it had just been her and her uncle, Owen on the odd occasion. Then lately, just her. Now there was a small hoard of people walking through and exploring the house.

Open wasn’t a word that Andy would use to describe herself. Yet she had opened the doors to a bunch of strangers. The walls of the lodge were lined with family pictures, framed stills of her and Owen playing. A glimpse into her history was there for anyone to glance at if they so pleased. Her eyes settled on her brother’s semi defeated looking form.

Owen was standing in the dining room, his eyes fixated on one of the pictures hanging next to the archway into the living room. A smiling face she barely recognized stared back at him, it was her own. The picture was only taken about six years ago, her eyes shone bright and vibrant, matching her brothers.

“Andy what happened?” He asked softly as she came to stand next to him. The girl felt herself stiffen, she hated when he tried to have this conversation with her, but it never stopped him. She shifted uncomfortably and put her hands in the front pocket of her jacket and let out an audible sigh.

“I don’t know Owen. Life. People change.” The answer was short and similar to the one she always gave him. He didn’t take it to heart any more this time than any other time. He turned to look at her, smiling nostalgically.

“You were so happy then though. We were close and now…”

“Now what?” She snapped. Owen shrugged and looked for the words to explain himself.

"Do you care about anything anymore Andy?" Owen’s voice was frustrated, but when he looked at her, his face was apologetic.

“If you focused on your own life for a fraction of the time you spend focusing on mine, maybe I wouldn’t be so pissy at you all the time.” She had just barely let go of the anger she held at him for his outburst about Luca earlier and now he was pulling this stunt again. He let her storm off, like she always did after this conversation. How many times till he learned to just leave her alone?

She still had her duffel bag across her body and decided that she might as well put her stuff away in her room. Luca being in there made it belong to her no less. Andy threw open the bedroom door, the knob bouncing off the wall behind it.

“Listen. I get it Luca. I’m the lesser of evils here. You want to sleep in my room? Whatever, but….” Andy stopped dead, not realizing she was interrupting blondie from being knuckle deep inside Luca’s gut. The girl bit her tongue, keeping the rest of her speech to herself. Luca wouldn’t care what she had to say anyway, and making a scene in front of a complete stranger wasn’t exactly Andy’s style.

Maybe she needed to just get away for a bit, reset her head. Instead of opting to drop her bag off, Andy instead grabbed a few more things to put inside it. The girl had spent many a weekend at this lodge, partying in her own way. Solo.

The mini fridge she had brought from school was stocked with alcohol, and after a day like today, the girl felt she deserved a drink. The first thing she noticed was the bottle of whiskey that she had been nursing was missing, a quick glance into the bathroom informed her that the Italian had taken it upon himself to take what he wanted from the fridge.

When Andy had told everyone to make themselves at home, this wasn’t the sort of thing she had imagined. She opted to grab the full bottle and then throw the mini-fridge door shut with a frustrated slam. Andy then turned to one of the dressers and rifled through the drawers for a moment. The picture on the dresser caught her eye, a shot taken of her, Owen, their mother and their uncle a few years past. The girl slipped the picture into her bag before producing a t shirt and some lounge pants of her uncles. She tossed them on the bed with a clean towel so he could shower if he wished.

"There's more towels in the bathroom if you need them."

Andy left the room as quickly as she came in. Her hood was pulled up around her ears, the deep green of the hoodie matched her eyes and caused the mess of tangled red hair that flowed from beneath it to look almost aflame.

She felt a blaze.

“Where are you going?” Owen asked, her voice was soft and sad, afraid to upset her again. He stood in the door of the lodge, watching her take the stairs of the porch two at a time. She didn’t even turn back to look at him, although she paused.

“Do you think this is a smart idea right now Andy? We should stick together…”

“I’m more safe in the woods than I am in this house.” Andy said and continued walking. He didn’t fight her, although he knew her to exaggerate. It was true Andy was likely one of the few people in the world who felt better among trees and crunching twigs than she did in four walls. She had been frolicking in these woods as long as she could walk, hunting in them from the time her arms were strong enough to pull a bow. There wasn’t a place in them she could get lost in, and yet there was truth to what Owen said.

It was unlikely that the undead had made it up this far yet, but not impossible. Was she ready to draw her bow in defense again? What if another soldier showed, the cold steel gun pointed directly at her vitals? Could she draw the bow for herself like she did for another?

None of that mattered in the end, the endless questions tossing around inside her like a bird beating itself senseless against the sides of its cage. None of them did. She was only exposed for a short while, and without incident. Moments later she was climbing the rope ladder to a perch built into a large and sturdy pine tree.

Andy loved this perch. Most kids wanted tree houses, or hideouts, but Andy liked this better. No walls allowed her survey the land while still hidden in the branches of the tree, high enough that you would have to look up to find her. It was surprising to her how few things looked up. The girl had bagged many kills from this spot, just waiting for them to cross into her path.

She propped herself up against the base of the tree, her body visibly relaxing at the feel of the bark against her back. Her left hand rummaged around in the duffel bag, it retrieved the glass bottle of whiskey and then pulled the strap over her head and taking the weight of the bag entirely off her body.

The sun was on the horizon, it bathed the wood in an orange and red glow. The last light of the day shimmered down through the trees, spotlighting the flora in an otherworldly glow. It felt like fall in the dead of winter, bringing warmth and light back to the forest for a short period of time.

The girl took a long drink from the neck of the bottle before squeezing it between her thighs for safekeeping. Her right hand reached for the quiver that was still attached to her hip. Andy pulled an arrow from it and mindlessly ran her thumb up and down the softness of the fletching. The sythicated feathers were nice to the touch, soothing. Like the feel of crawling into your own bed after a long vacation.

It was the same arrow that only hours earlier had been deep in the throat of another human. When she gazed down on it she noticed the rust color of the dried blood hanging to the crevices of the arrow, some still dried to the carbon shaft. Andy turned the arrow over in her hand, examining it from tip to notch. At the end of the day, it was no different than any other arrow that had taken down her target. It was the same carbon, same tip, same brand. It had done what it was intended to do...and yet.

Andy made quick work of cleaning the blood from the arrow. It was easy, like cleaning her equipment after any hunt. She couldn’t bring herself to feel bad about her decision to shoot the soldier. They had been trying to kill her and her companions. He fell the same as anything else she had shot at.

But it was a human life, not an animal or monster or target. Shouldn’t she be upset? Have thrown up? Feel some sort of remorse or or regret? However Andy felt…

“Don’t you care about anything anymore?” her brother’s voice echoed.

The girl scoffed and took another long drink from the bottle. She put the arrow back in the quiver and then removed the hip harness from her waist, and moved to put it back in the bag. Just beyond the teeth of the zipper was the gleam of the picture frame.

Her smiling face shone back at her, Owen’s too. Her Uncle had a stupid grin on his face, with his arm wrapped firmly around her mother’s shoulders. Andy’s calloused finger ran down the glass where her mother’s face stared back at her.

She was gone and Andy was alive. The girl had never been the religious type, but she had to wonder what kind of cruel fate would take her sweet, nurturing caring mother from the world and leave such an angst ridden sack like her behind in her stead. Andy wasn’t even a fraction of the woman her mother had been, and yet she still breathed fresh air and drank whiskey.

And her mother was likely snacking on someone’s shoulder.

Before she could stop them, hot tears stung at the corner of her eyes. The alcohol and the comfort of finally being alone lulling her into a false sense of security. The girl hadn’t mourned her mother yet, she had been to focused on not dying to mourn. She hadn’t even cried when they told her that her mother was gone.

“Don’t you care about anything anymore?”

His stupid, irritating voice kept creeping it’s way back to her. Tears washed her face of the blood and dirt that had dusted her normally clear skin. Each one leaving fat trails down her chin as she let them flow, head leaned back against the tree. The sobs came next, sneaking up from the depths of her guts and getting muffled in her throat as she kept them at bay. Her body hiccuping with each shutter of despair.

As the light faded beyond the horizon so did Andy’s tears. Once she was convinced that the puffy eyes and red cheeks that would give her away were gone, she drunkenly climbed back down the latter and made her way back to the lodge.

Interactions: Brax Brax (Luca)
Mentions: FireMaiden FireMaiden (Leliana)
 
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This part is a collab between Brax Brax and FireMaiden FireMaiden
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“I had a problem with pills, a few years back. I don’t really touch them anymore; i’d rather save them for situations such as these instead of waking up sick everyday and needing to constantly take them.”

Luca’s back was pressed against the top of the porcelain bowl. Luckily, it was pretty tightly pressed against the wall so the cover of the fill valve didn’t get shoved off due to his weight. Leliana had done a good prep job, but unfortunately it was just going to get worse from here. He took another swig of his alcohol, swishing it around his mouth momentarily before swallowing. Each time the washcloth touched around the wound, he was reminded of just how tender it was. That stinging sensation was something that Luca had never been accustomed to, despite being in the same position numerous times. After he brought the bottle back down to his side, he continued staring at the ceiling momentarily.

He didn’t exactly understand Leliana’s eagerness to help him out. Luca hadn’t done anything of value to or for Leliana. The one thing he tried to do which was nice - pick her up and bring her to the middle school - turned out to be just him driving to an attempt on her life. While, of course he had no way of possibly knowing, if he was in Leliana’s position he probably would have just let himself figure it out. Leliana did seem to know what she was doing; most of the people whom had patched up Luca had not been as stubborn for details as she was.

“I appreciate you helping me.” Occasionally over the next few minutes, Luca would make a sniffing sound from his nose. Snorting up crushed pills usually left with a hell of a drip in the back of the throat. In addition to this, it always made Luca’s nose slightly runny. He was just trying to get as much of the pill as possible, to dull his pain. Between the alcohol and the painkillers, they were doing quite a good job. As the seconds turned to minutes, Luca eventually found himself battling to keep his eyes open. The bottle of whiskey had been maybe halfway finished at most, but combined with the pills it was nothing but a downhill battle.

“I want to ask you something.” Luca said, breaking a bit of the silence that was looming between the two. He kept replaying it over in his mind, unsure of why it was that he had found that girl walking down the sidewalk in the middle of the repeated broadcasts hosted from the Aurora Police Department. At that time, it was the entire hysterics conjured up by the same department responsible for marching most of Aurora’s civilians to their death. Luca had killed plenty of people throughout his life and the same went for him witnessing murders. However, that was a scale so massive even he had a hard time believing that there was maybe a fifth of the Aurora population alive at best.

“Why were you walking alone down the sidewalk earlier today? You had a car in your driveway.”

"Then yeah, you really shouldn't make a habit of getting stabbed," she chuckled, almost done with that part of the prep work. The one thing she still did despite taking online classes, was hands on classes. Three days out of the week, she would head into the hospital to kind of intern with other the other medical students, and take care of easy cases like stitches or caring for some of the sick patients. She enjoyed doing that, it gave her a break from Downtown, and more practice for taking care of her mom at home. The washcloth she was using to clean off his was covered in blood, but the area was cleaned. She stood, her knees popping, chasing her furrow her brows a small bit. She would just ignore it however, and grab the water bottle and the second towel the red headed girl had given them. Leliana was going to ask Luca if he knew why she was so angry, but he looked like he was going to pass out.

When she returned to the spot next to him, she folded the towel over once, and put in on Luca's lap just under the wound. "Yeah, no problem." The fact he was thanking her, or at least, that's what she was taking it as, relieved her. Her worry about him being dangerous was just a worry for the time being, and hopefully that didn't change the more the alcohol affected him. Anyway, she didn't dwell too long, as she lifted one part of the folded town up with her free hand, and began to slowly pour some water over it. She wanted to make sure there was nothing in the wound itself, and the towel would catch the water and anything else. To her surprise, she didn't see any other out of the ordinary debris, which meant he had covered it pretty quickly. Once again, proving smarter than half the people she's encountered with I juries like this.

When he said he wanted to ask her something, she nodded. "Go for it." It was then she began to gently dry his wound, before discarding the new towel for the one beside her. Once again folding it so no contaminants from the floor would be an issue, before she stood once again. This time she was just grabbing her entire bag, and was in the middle of threading the curved needle when he asked his question. "Oh." She would stay silent for a few moments, before Leliana shrugged. "It was an old car, the battery had been acting weird lately, and neither me or my mom could lay to get it replaced." She dipped the needle in some running alcohol, shaking it to air dry. "As for why I was alone...my mom had become one of those...things, and attacked me. And, well, the blood on my clothes when you picked me up earlier wasn't mine, it was hers." She would pause for a few moments, looking down at her hands, which were about to be covered in Luca's blood, before she looked back up to his face. "You want something to bite down on?"

Half-opened eyes looked down at Leliana’s face. It was at this time that Andy made her entrance, slamming open the door and instantaneously yelling at Luca in the process. She neared the corner. High as a kite, Luca tilted his head to the side. Glazed-over eyes stared at Andy, whom had immediately stopped yelling upon seeing Leliana getting ready to shove a needle through his stomach at multiple points of contact. The expression on Luca’s face could be best described as uninterested. He could have been equally as mad; had the window back at the middle school been kept open like Andy had said it would be, he wouldn’t have gotten stabbed in the first place.

When Andy moved to do her own thing among the room, Luca turned his attention back to Leliana. Luca didn’t even notice Andy had laid clothes out for him on the bed. However, he did notice when she left the room, because she had slammed the door just as hard as she had kicked it open. Luca was sure that Leliana would have rather been doing anything else. He was sure that Andy felt the same way, which was why she was quick to close her mouth. Luca was just going to have to deal with her attitude later.

“Yeah. You got a spare washcloth?” Luca was well aware that Andy’s attitude was an immediate result of the events that had unfolded over the past twelve hours and he understood. While Luca wasn’t in the position to act like a high roller currently, it was behavior that he certainly wouldn’t tolerate within his own organization. Fortunately for Andy, she had multiple factors on her side protecting her. One was the fact that he had known Andy and Owen for a large majority of his life. Despite their falling out, he didn’t wish harm on the two siblings. Luca also respected Owen enough to feel the same way. While Owen hated Luca, the Italian did not dislike him. It was his parents wishes for them to become acquainted originally, as they had been friends. Luca continued to honor that wish despite both of his parents having been dead for years.

He waited for Leliana to hand him a spare cloth. Luca then rolled it up, nodding toward her to signal that he was ready when she was. The man placed his bottle of alcohol down on the tile of the bathroom floor beside him, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. If this was the last time that Luca ever had to feel this pain in his life, he could die a partially happy man without a doubt. As the needle pierced through his flesh, Luca bit down on the folded-up wash cloth - a guttural groan escaping semi-closed lips from the depths of his throat.

Not having an actual needle driver wasn't something she was use to. Ivan either hadn't grabbed one, or they weren't keeping any there in the gym, which would make the process of stuturing his stab wound a little harder. But, she had brough a pair of scissors with her that should work for now. Leliana made a mental note to have someone look for one at some point as she took a deep breath to steady her hands as she started the first draw. While cleaning it, she had seen how far down she needed to go in order to close it, but not stab anything that didn't need to be, well, stabbed. Once she had tied the throws for the first knot, she snipped the excess thread, and started the next one about a fourth of an inch down from the first. As she was doing this, Leliana began to hum to herself, keeping herself focused, and hopefully keeping Luca awake if he had something as well as pain to focus on. She would have to wrap the wound, and wouldn't be able to so so as effectively if he passed out. "Luca, I also brought some tape for your hands if you want me to wrap them as well." Leliana had seen how busted up his hands were, so it was probably a good idea to take care of them as well. He also may have been able to take care of them himself, if he wasn't high.

It almost annoyed her, but Leliana wouldn't voice her concerns. It was helping her at least, and she knew it was helping him despite the fact it was still a bad idea to mix Oxy and alcohol. Anyway, she kept her focus, slowly moving along the wound, now up to three knots. Pausing, she would grab the wet towel, cleaning fresh blood from the stiches and from just underneath the stab in order to keep everything clean. "You know, you're pretty lucky," Leliana said, "If it was any deeper, you'd probably would still be back at the school."

When she had finished putting the stitches in, Luca slowly reached a hand up to his mouth to remove the washcloth. He was in pain, but at least the hard part was over. His vision was slightly hazy. The pain had left as fast as it came, thanks to a little help. At this point, the mixture was doing more than just helping him get over the physical trauma; it would help him sleep as well, slowing his thought process to a barely functional level. It was at this point that Leliana had finished cleaning up. When she mentioned that she also had tape for his hands, Luca mumbled - slowly lifting himself up to a more up-right posture. Of course, this wouldn't last long.

Luca held the back of his hands out toward her, so she could wrap them. They would constantly be slowly drifting downward, so every few seconds the man would have to force himself to bring them up. However, his eyes remained closed and his head hung while she cleaned up and then wrapped both of his knuckles. He still needed to clean himself up with a shower, but he wasn't so sure that was a possibility at the moment. There was a high probability he wasn't going to remember any part of the night after deciding to inhale those pills, but it was a choice he had willingly made in order to avoid a large portion of pain in his body. At this point, Luca was clearly blacked out.

She took his hand, leaning down slightly while his head bobbed to get the tape for his hands. She wrapped them both quickly, not go finishing fast enough to be able to wrap the now sticthed stab wound. She sighed a little, pushing him up so he was once again leaning on the back of the toliet. It would take her a few minutes to wrap the stab wound, but she managed. And honestly, she was planning on just leaving him slumped up against the toilet, passed out there in the bathroom, but...leaving someone to sleep in jeans was just inhumane. So, after a few moments of consideration, she managed to wake him enough to help him move into the main part of the room, and to get a shirt on him. She debated on leaving him like that, but it's not like she hadn't changed a drunk guys clothes before, highschool was a wild time. So, while keeping him awake, she also managed to get him into the lounge pants Andy had set out, and laying down after another 10 minutes. A difficult task she was rather not repeat anytime soon.

49897585_601029503682992_7231483869894017024_n.pngLeliana James
Location: Owen and Andy's Lodge
Interaction: Open

Mentioned: King Vioogra King Vioogra Rumble Fish Rumble Fish Maj Maj
Leliana sighed, finally stepping out of the master bedroom. She was exhausted, the bag over her shoulder feeling heavier than it should, or had felt all day. The door cut quietly behind her, and she turned to walk towards the stairs, hoping to go an claim one of the rooms upstairs, or at least, to find the on her roommate claimed. If Colt was in one already, Leliana didn't want to bother her, but the girl wasn't sure if being quiet was really possible right now. Her feet made little this as she climbed the stairs, a yawn leaving her as she reached the top. After checking breifly, the two bedrooms on the left had been taken already, so she took the first one on the right, leaving the door open slightly.

Hopefully, anyone else who needed first-aid, like Owen or Ivan maybe, could wait until tomorrow morning. She slipped her bag off, putting it, her bat, and pistol all on the dresser, before she peeled off her skinny jeans, hoodie, and shirr, leaving her in her underwear and a tanktop. She took a moment to look out the window. Leliana was still expecting to see hazmat suits there in the trees, but as she stood there, watching with nothing happening, Leliana found herself growing more worried than relieved. If anything happened while they were there in the lodge though, they could possible defend themselves, and hopefully su-Lelianan suddenly shook her head, drawing herself out of through by pressing into one of the bandaged cuts on her arm, sending a jolt of pain through it. She would then shut she curtain and climb into the bed, though she probably wouldn't fall asleep for a while.
 
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Collette “Colt” Stanhope
Colt stayed incredibly silent throughout the journey. She had turned down Owen’s offer for her to come inside for… pride mostly. And there were too many people in there to cope with right at this moment. It all felt very familiar. Like transporting a bus of rescued hostages and having to fight tooth-and-nail to get to safety. Safety, that was rich. Nowhere was safe. Not back there and not here. Out here she could get a good shot on anything that tried to attack them. She had to take a few shots at some undead that were attempting to run after them but that was it. Maybe by some miracle, she would lose her grip on the handle and go tumbling to her death.

As the car rumbled along, Colt (despite her heavy grip) was letting her mind wander. What was going to happen? There was no way this could be contained. Surely. Those who did not escape the school in time were dead. The whole town was lost. The thought of, again having to walk through barren streets, without a sound, nothing but a trail of chaos and death desperately looking for survivors, it was just too much. She came here to escape it all! But it seemed to love coming back. There was no way to ignore this. She could drink It away as much as she could but all that would achieve was a bloated liver appropriate for foie gras. Whoever said drinking causes memory loss is a big fat liar.

Feeling the wind rush through her hair, Colt was reminded of her time in boot camp, holding onto the side of a jeep as they trundled over terrain as part of her training. Sasha was a wild driver, the woman smirked a little as she remembered how, whenever Sargent Baker was not looking, she would swing the jeep, trying to throw those gripping to the side off. She could never get Colt off, she would stick herself to the side of the door like glue. There was always a bet of who would get thrown off first. It was fun… which stopped when they were shipped off to war.

Colt was dragged out of her thoughts as she felt the camper trundle to a halt. Stepping off the small platform, her leg felt like jelly. She fell hard onto the grass with a heavy groan, feeling the weight of the rucksack push her down. With an irritated sigh, she used a tree to get her back up. It seemed that the whiskey was fully taking effect now that her adrenaline had crashed. Leaning on the tree, the war-vet silently watched as people left the camper, counting the heads. The thought of having to introduce herself to all the people she did not know was one that caused the woman’s forehead to become clammy. Colt saw that she was at the back of the group, which suited her just fine.

She was not always this socially anxious. Before joining the Marines, she had been a bubbly and happy teenager. She would only drink when out with her girlfriends or with Marcus. Sociable. Even during Bootcamp, she alongside Sasha were ‘those two girls’ who were always together and cracking jokes. They kept the troop in good spirits. She would have been the one to cheer up any of the other women who seemed stressed or angry, always finding some way to get them to crack a smile.

There were no smiles now. Nowhere. Once everyone was out, Colt listened as Andy then regulated where everyone would be sleeping. It appeared that Colt was going to be sharing with “blondie” who she assumed was the young lady, Leliana. She had heard her name in the camper. She made a scribbled mental note to tell the girl that she could take the bed. Colt was more accustomed to sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag than a bed. From Afghan and the number of times, she had passed out in her apartment, sleeping on the floor. Colt, sipping the whisky, continued to lean on the tree, as the tattooed Italian (she assumed it was him in her blurry vision) stood up at the front, speaking in an open and clear voice. Ahh… Luca Brasi. That was his name. Colt snorted a little as she listened. Of course, he mentioned his name now, when it suited him. She looked up as he mentioned being a capo in La Cosa Nostra. She had never heard of them. Giving himself a bit too much credit. As he mentioned that he had a problem with new people, that was something she had to agree with. He clearly did. That, and she could relate in some way. Still, his mannerisms annoyed her. This was like her standing up and yelling about how she “spilt blood for them” and all that nonsense she saw in those war movies. But she was not that… she couldn’t remember what she was just thinking about.

Colt kept her head drooped as she listened, only looking up as she heard her name being mentioned. She tilted her head a little as he told her to lead some people in a scavenging mission. He seemed impressed by her gun-skills and even said be wanted her back in one piece. Colt was conflicted. She still did not have a good impression of Luca but… he seemed genuine. With a quiet growl, she looked around for a moment.

Thanks… I’ll thin-” she hiccupped “-thing-think tonight.” She answered him, hardly able to string her words together. She really wasn’t willing to go along with this… but she wanted her guns. She would not feel comfortable unless she had them. With that, the man dismissed the group and went inside. She saw the older man that the camper belonged to, but she did not have a chance to say anything to him before he left. She wanted to thank him. She could just do that tomorrow. Right now, all she wanted was to be alone to collect her scattered thoughts.

She caught sight of the Russian man, Ivan as she walked past. She was still unimpressed with him. What kind of Army taught recruits to throw Molotovs at people and cause even more death and chaos? None of it made sense. He was supposed to be experienced. She was even beginning to question the authenticity of his claim. She’d talk to him tomorrow. If she opened her mouth now, she’d end up saying things she would either regret or that would cause a rift in this freshly established group.

Walking inside the cabin, being one of the last people, Colt took a moment to stop and look around. Still, nothing felt right to her. She was about to walk further when the girl Andy suddenly walked past her and outside. She was holding a bottle of whiskey. Biting her lip, Colt opened her mouth to say something but the girl had already gone before she could speak. Her brow furrowed worryingly. Normally she would not care. But… something was wrong. She knew herself, nobody just took a bottle of booze for no reason. She would have gone out with her, but by then she had no idea where she had gone.

With a huff, Colt sat outside the lodge, her Glock on her lap. Her right leg tucked under her body as the left fake one sat out straight in front of her. She sighed heavily and put her head against the wood, shutting her sore and red eyes as she drank more from her flask. Nobody seemed to care much for the extent of her alcohol intake, but Colt did not care. If anything, she was glad. Nobody was going to give her shit for it. If she didn’t have that relief, she’d go mad from the trauma.

With her eyes shut, Colt’s troubled mind began to drift back. Way back. Back to the beautiful and blue mountains of West Virginia. She remembered riding with her father through the Appalachian Mountains. Her father, Brooks was her hero. More so than anybody she knew from Afghanistan. An outdoorsman and expert horseman, stubborn as a mule but with the wisdom of an old eagle. He taught her how to ride a horse, to shoot a gun and how to live. He had the stature of an old redwood, but with the same soft touch. Colt had adored him, and they had never fought or fell out.

Tears started welling up in her eyes as she thought about him. She missed her father. Missed his face, his resonant voice and his stubborn but kindly demeanour. At this moment in time, she just wished he was here. She remembered when she was young, every night or whenever she was needing reassuring, he would always sing ‘Wand'rin' Star’ to her. They would sit on the roof of the barn, watching the stars pass over the mountains. He was like an old cowboy. Spoke like one, shared the same as one and would not be out of place in a Clint Eastwood picture. If anyone knew what to do in this situation, it would have been him.


Sorry pa…” she slurred under her breath, too quiet for people to hear, “I can’t be you…” she raised her head to look up at the setting sun. It bathed the trees in an intense orange glow, casting everything in shadow. Much like the current climate, they appeared to be living in. Intense, dark and nearing the end. Was this humanity’s sunset into an endless night? With a sun red like their blood? Will there be stars in this night, souls glimmering on? A silver moon to cast a light hope? Or will it be a howling, wild winter’s night? Complete darkness with nothing but the screaming wind and the melancholy howl of the wolf, a cry for the life lost…

There was a thud of someone sitting close that got her attention. Colt turned to face Sasha, the woman’s red hair tumbling down her shoulders.

Whatchu doing, sitting here alone?” she asked, punching Colt playfully on the shoulder.
Getting away from yer annoying ass.” She answered, her scar-free face showing a slight smile. The two women turned to face the sunset as it set beyond the fence of their compound.
Lorrie gave us some wine, said she might as well since we completed training. Better get some before the girls guzzle it.” Sasha said, turning to a methodical Colt.
Nah… y’know I don’t drink.” She shook her shaggy head, “You go on.
And leave you on your own? Ha, fat chance.” Sasha laughed as she shimmied closer. The pair were silent for a long time as they just watched the sun. Colt sighed heavily, and Sasha felt her shoulder’s droop.
What ya thinkin’ of, lovely?” she asked, her tone like honey.
I’m no’ so sure about Afghanistan, Sash.” Colt finally admitted. Sasha seemed taken aback by this statement.
It’s a bit late to say that, Colt. We’re off tomorrow y’know.
I know but… What about Marcus? What if he doesn’t wait for me? And… what if I don’t come back?” the younger woman asked, feeling a little unsettled. Sasha Oberon noticed her change in attitude and put her arm around her. Colt leaned into her with closed eyes, letting the tears fall down her cheeks.
…Look. Y’know the ranch?” she asked, to which Colt sadly nodded, “If he doesn’t wait, just remember; I still want you. We’ll raise our horses, show our calves and we’ll have two sheepdogs called, what were they again?” she gave Colt a playful pull, making the woman smile.
Sonny and Cher.
Shonney and Chuuur!” Sasha drawled, mimicking the singer’s signature tone, causing a chuckle from Colt.
Yes, yes I forgot, Shonney and Chuuur.” Colt smiled, she could never do the voice like Sasha could. Then again, she was the biggest Cher fan to walk the planet.
We’ll get through it. And once it is over, we’ll go home. It will all be okay, Colt. Besides, I thought you liked shooting things.
Well… it beats shooting targets.
“You’re a psychopath, Stanhope.”
I know.
...
Colt was jolted back into reality by the hoot of an owl. With a sigh, she ran her hand down the left of her face, feeling the dented and leathery scars. Damn… Shaking her head, she downed the rest of her flask, growling and shaking her head as she went to refill it, but instead started drinking right from the bottle itself. Her head felt like it was detached. Nothing felt right. If she was stupider, she would have walked off into the woods. But chances are they’d have a one-legged zombie breaking through to kill them tomorrow.

Could she really do this? Luca told her to go for a supply run. Why the hell would he have her do it? Surely there were more capable people. People who wouldn't collapse at the sight of blood. People who didn't need a bottle of whiskey in their belly to be brave enough to shoot another human being. Colt was uncomfortable with how easily she killed those Hazmats. She did not feel guilty. Blame the war. She was comfortable with killing. But she hated that. Was she any better than the Hazmats? Was she any better than those zombies? Normal people were not this okay with killing, even when they were under threat. Even Sasha, the bravest woman Colt knew; she hated killing. She'd have nightmares. Nightmares that Colt now shared. She ran her hand along the Glock. She had to remind herself to thank Ivan for returning it. At least Sasha knew he had taken care of it. Being the only keepsake of her fallen friend, losing it would have driven her off the edge.


The woman let out a long yawn as her head flopped back. With a deep sigh, she shut her eyes. She knew she was going to have a killer hangover in the morning. That or she'd be dead. Regardless, it was going to hurt.
Come out upon my seas

Cursed missed opportunities am I
A part of the cure

Or am I part of the disease...
Brax Brax FireMaiden FireMaiden King Vioogra King Vioogra Maj Maj
 
The following post is a collaboration between myself and Soma Schicksal Soma Schicksal

As they sat in the small RV Marcus listened out for the directions of who was sleeping with who and sharing rooms. Luckily Luca had some sort of problem staying with Marcus so he got to be roomed with Lilly, though his green-haired girlfriend was irritated with him…he could tell, guess that was his fault for complimenting another girl…no scratch that, complimenting a woman who seemed older than him, guess that would make him upset too if Lilly had done the same with another guy.. He sighed as Lilly walked away and to go check out the place, he wouldn’t bother her now otherwise she may just give him back the gift he gave her.

Marcus decided he would go check out the place too a bit, oh ya and he wanted to talk to Colt about going on that supply run, for this type of situation the hunting store would prove to be very useful. He went and checked out the moderate sized Cabin and was happy…he never really got to be in a cabin before it was more something the wealthy of Aurora got to experience, well at least one with comforting furniture like this. He then noticed Lilly from the corner of his eye, he needed to stay away until later tonight, maybe they could talk then. He could only hope they wouldn’t argue later and keep everyone out, if he knew any better people like Luca and Owen would throw him out of the group since Lilly was more in the right than he was…he would lose her forever…all those years trying to be with her and learn about her would be for nothing. Hell…if she left he would probably just go become one of those things in the city.

Marcus found himself stumbling upon Colt who looked sadder than he did. He wondered what was on her mind. He went and sat next to her and cold smell the strong scent of whiskey in her breathe. “Hey…you alright there?” he asked genuinely concerned, judging by her leg and the excessive drinking he could definitely assume she had been through a lot.
*
Colt was staring absentmindedly into space, stuck in her thoughts. But a familiar voice broke her out of it. Shaking her scarred head a little, she turned to see the boy Marcus standing there, asking her if she was okay. With a deep sigh she sat up more, swirling the bottle a bit before turning to face him, still sitting on the ground. She glanced down at the ground.

Um...I’m...Yeah.” she sighed heavily, “Fine.” she answered Marcus’ question as she took in another sip. She leaned back against the wall. She was really trying to think of something to say that would not be complete nonsense. Despite her slight annoyance with him before, she was glad he was safe. Maybe she should say that. That would make sense.

Glad yer… yer okay.” she huffed. For some reason it felt rather hard to breathe, “Just… thinkin’ ‘bout things…” she continued to look ahead before looking towards Marcus again, “Everyone okay?” she asked, trying to keep her voice straight. Something that was becoming more difficult with each passing minute.
*
He could tell that everything actually wasn’t alright but he answered her anyway. “I...ya thanks” he managed to say. “And ya I feel ya, thinking helps us cope…but talking also helps so how about it?” he offers her. “Orr...ya know we can talk about scavenging tomorrow? Up to you…” He wasn’t too sure if she was even in the mood to talk, or even to talk to him. Even if she said before that he wasn’t annoying he still felt that way. She probably didn’t even want him around right now to be honest. He was starting to get nervous around her too so none of these thoughts really helped his current situation.
*
Talking? Colt glanced at the ground with a deep sigh. “Hmm… I was juuust… I dont know. I just… want everything to be okay.” she took another sip of whiskey as she thought about her answer. As he mentioned the scavenging that was to happen the next day, she tilted her head in his direction.

I...I meant to-” she hiccuped, “to ask.” she turned to face him properly, “Y’wanna come? Need… three was it?” she narrowed her red eyes as she tried to remember. At this point she could hardly keep a thought in her head. All she could do was try and focus on Marcus, even though just his name made her extremely unsettled. She really hated thinking about it.
*
Oh, alright...ya I wanted to come, My dad owns a hunting shop and I have the key on me to get inside, it has some more useful weapons we could get and even some things for like fishing, and of course convenient snacks.” He gives a bright smile. “You said you had some guns you wanted to get from your house right? Maybe we could go there first then go to the shop after?” He stared at her for a moment and noticed her squinting and really trying to focus on him. “Heh...you sure you gonna be fine? I know you like drinking but sooner or later that might get you killed.” he mentions giving her a discomforted expression.
*
Hm. That’d work.” she nodded as he talked about his dad’s shop. And he agreed to go to hers first before the shop, something she did indeed want. But as she was feeling rather content with that agreement, his next comment made her look away from him for a second in thought. Great so people did notice. Great…

Don’t matter. I know-know what I’m doing.” She shook her head in slight annoyance. Though, frankly, she was aware of it. Still. She looked up towards the sky, seeing it was going dark. She growled out a sigh as she shut her eyes, “Dammit… What the hell is-is going on?” she said, to nobody in particular. Well… Marcus.

Thought I left all this crap back in Afghan! Now its… fuckin’... hazmats shooting citizens and…. Why?! Damn government, they’d rather cover their asses than actually do something!” She looked at Marcus with a look of defeat. She really hated exposing her emotions like this but, it was not like she had much control over it.

I just… CAN’T go through it a second time…” She was practically lying on her back now, looking up at him.
*
He wasn’t sure what to say, he didn’t want to say he understood when he really didn’t but he did somewhat understand it just wasn’t exactly the same as what she has went through. “No one expected this...but all we can do now is just try to survive Colt...all we can do is try to escape and hopefully leave this place while the government tries to contain it...we need to sneak out though because if I had to assume this whole city is blocked off from the rest of the world…” Maybe he wasn’t making this situation any better but it was all he could think of, just to have hope. “Sorry if it isn’t what you want to hear...I’m sorry you have been through so much and that it hasn’t ended for you yet but everyone has a purpose...maybe your purpose is to help whoever you can this one last time ya know?” All he could hope was that he was helping, he wasn’t super good at giving supportive speeches or anything. “I want you to survive Colt...I want all of us to survive and even though you don’t see it yet...we are all going to care about each other, we are each other’s family now...and some of us may even become more than that.” His cheeks got slightly red saying that last part, he stared directly in her eyes meaning every word.
*
Colt stayed lying on her back, just staring up at him as he spoke. First, he mentioned that they were probably trying to contain the infection, “By rounding people up and killin’ them like fish in a barrel?” she asked grumpily. She could not help but be cynical about that. She had seen the same dirty tactic before. And it never worked.

As she drank more, she listened as Marcus launched into a soft speech about having to get herself together for the good of the group. The woman let out a gruff sigh and shut her eyes for a moment. She had put herself in danger for other people's’ safety and well… the evidence was clear. She looked at him as he talked about them being like a family, and saw the blush in his cheeks. She tried to focus on his eyes but, that was becoming more difficult.

I guess that’s true…” she sighed as she finally managed to sit herself back up against the wall. Colt then tried to stand up, using the wall for support. She looked as she saw the girl Andy climb down, making her way back to the lodge, holding her bottle of whisky.

Say uh… I’m… gonna talk to Andy for a bit. You’d better get some sleep.” she had to speak slowly because if she didn’t what she said would have been a slurred mess.
*
Marcus nodded and smiled at least feeling a bit better he helped her out, talking always made things better...something he would need to do right now with Lilly. “Ya...I’ll get going, hope I helped, anyway don’t leave without me tomorrow mkay?” He made his way back inside to sit on the bed in the room his girlfriend was in.
*
Yeah, I wont.” she sighed before looking towards Andy, frowning a little. She took a few steps forward, blocking the girl.

Right.” with one swoop, she had removed the bottle from her grip. Granted Colt was unsteady on her feet herself and could hardly even see or speak but that was not important. “What’s goin’ on?
Maj Maj
 
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Lilly Verde
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[div class="Status"] Status

Interacting: Soma Schicksal Soma Schicksal

Mentioned: Rumble Fish Rumble Fish

Located: Bedroom 3; A collab with Soma Schicksal Soma Schicksal
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[div class="Line"] [div class="Icon"] Actions[/div] As Marcus sat next to Lilly he couldn't shake the feeling that she hated him right now...or that she was just generally upset. “So...umm wanna talk? You look like you are mad at me again like that one time I broke that new vase you bought for your special flowers on mother's day...you didn’t talk to me for 3 weeks remember? I don’t want that to happen again so...I really hope we can talk about whatever is bothering you.” He finishes with just waiting for a response from her, all he could hope is that she wouldn’t punch him one good time in the jaw...she had a really strong right hook. He rubbed his face already just thinking about it.

She sighed and crossed her arms, looking away from him momentarily. Her eyes fell down to see the little bracelet on her wrist, the gold glinting slightly in the light of the room. “At the school, in the car, seriously Marcus. I thought you liked me. I thought, you wanted us to be together and I know.” Lilly paused looking up at the ceiling. “I know today has been straight out of a nightmare but seriously, I was sitting right next to you, standing right by you. You like that lady more don’t you? Or what? You gave me this today because you care for me so much and are so happy to be with me but, day 1, zombies and day 1, you are just drooling over someone else.”

Part of her wanted to seethe with anger, it wasn’t so easy to keep silent when it happened at the time. The other part wanted to just, shut off and not think about it. Sleep and not feel anything sounded pretty good to her. “Do you understand how I feel? I thought earlier at your dad’s shop the bracelet was so sweet and now I don’t know. Do you actually like me at all or what?” Her eyes met his, partly feeling stupid for getting jealous but… really he had told her his feelings today, it felt like, he just went back on that for someone better.

Marcus sighed and his facial expression saddened. “I definitely love you...there is no doubt in my mind that I love you and that I would do anything for you. I know you are upset and I’m an idiot...I know I’m an idiot but Lilly I need you to know something about me...I can’t help wanting to be with others because I’m poly...remember we talked about that a few months ago? You seemed to be okay with it at the time...so I figured you just knew I guess...I’ll stop focusing on her if you really want...I’m sorry.” Is all I say feeling like shit now for liking what I even like.

She sighed, “I was. But, I don’t know I guess.” Her chest closed up, her cheeks burned. Wanting to bad to be mad at…. him.. him, him, HIM! Lilly stood abruptly from the bed and walked over to the window. Her back stayed facing him, her fist clenched her heart felt heavy and still aflame with..anger right? She was mad...or..was she? “I didn’t think I would be so jealous!” Lilly admitted, her arms hugging each other, her shoulders tensing up, attempting to take up less space in the room, in the world, in existence.

It was stupid to be jealous, she never got jealous. It felt, awful and yet she felt so justified in her thinking. It was irrational and dumb but that’s how she felt. Marcus, asked her out, not that woman, Colt was it? It just felt...less special..he didn’t even...like make an effort to stop his words to Colt earlier. She, it...It didn’t matter that he was poly, she was ok with that. She was it just, Lily wished that at least, getting together today would’ve been a little more special, then again. No one plans for a zombie outbreak do they? That wasn’t much of an excuse to let him use though. “I just thought..at least it would be just us for a bit since you were always shy with other women...that it would feel a little more special and cute and romantic. I know I don’t give off that vibe but I want something like that...guess with how today went, it may not be that possible all stuck in this house of strangers”.

“Hey...don’t say that....” He stood up from the bed going over to her. Gently he placed his hands on her tensing shoulders, hoping to explain and calm her down. “You are special to me and...nothing will ever change that...I love you Lilly...I truly love you.” He moved so his eyes could meet hers, speaking sincerely. “But I didn’t think you were the jealous type.” He chuckled softly. “I do...have a crush on Colt...a little.. A lot… some...heh.. But we talked before remember?” He went to take her hands in his, hers felt warm, his own cold, not realizing they were before. “Today has been...weird and yeah I didn’t expect zombies but I love you no matter what. Being poly means many loves and you, are most definitely my love, and one day, yeah I may get with someone else but I will always have my feelings for you Lilly...so you have nothing to worry about. Besides Colt...I think she needs someone ya know? She seems to be missing love...I would like to be the one to give that to her and help her.”

She looked up at him, sighing and blushing a little. “I..suppose….but…” Lilly, sighed again, head falling forward to rest against his chest. “Just stay right here for tonight…” Her arms went to wrap around him, feeling a little silly but still..a bit justified. Though he was right and they had talked about this long before and she understood. Guess she never took into effect, that she would get like this but she never thought they would be together for real either. She loved him, so taking things a day at a time would be best.

Marcus smiled and held her close and bringing her back to sit on the bed. “Heh don’t worry I’ll be right here with you...I’m sorry i caused you all this trouble, I’ll make it up to you. I’ll do anything you want right now.” He kisses her cheek and relaxes for a moment.

She chuckled just a tiny bit. “Even if I said to read homestuck?” Lilly cracked a smile and hugged him. “Just stay like this for a bit, that’s all I want right now” [/div]
[/div] Code by AgWordSmith AgWordSmith [/div]
 
The following post is a collab between Maj Maj and Rumble Fish Rumble Fish
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red-haired-girl-by-httpserafleurdeviantartcom-on-deviantart.pngIt had taken Andy longer than anticipated to trudge her way back from her perch to the lodge. Light had left the world faster than she had anticipated, and walking back with hazy eyes and no light made the journey more tedious. Soon the light from the porch light was in view however and Andy was able to find her way back relatively easily.

It appeared that Colt had been sitting outside, talking with...Andy couldn’t remember if he had told her his name. If he had she surely didn’t remember it. When Colt’s eyes fell on her however, the woman’s attention moved for the male to her. Andy rolled her eyes. Was she about to get another lecture? She got enough of those from Owen.

Soon her bottle was ripped out of her hands and Andy looked up at the woman and blinked pointedly at her. The nerve of this woman was astounding to be be honest. Andy had opened up her home to them, what right did she have to just take things out of her hands? What was wrong? Maybe the fact that she had a house full of strangers for starters.

“Well you just snatched my alcohol,” Andy said with a sickly sweet voice. “So that’s a start.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Colt was angered at the eye-roll. Something about that attitude frustrated the female. If she did that in front of her superiors, or even any of her troop mates, she’d get a backhand across the back of the head or at the very least a dope slap. But despite her inebriated state, she couldn't bring herself to think of doing the same to her. She looked fed up.

“Hm. Suppose that’s… a-a good reason as any.” she hiccuped as she looked at the bottle’s label, “Good stuff.” she shrugged before taking a sip of it herself. It had a sweeter taste than her own. With a deep sigh, she looked at the woman with a glazed expression.

“I ain’t gonna scold ya.” She said, her other hand on her hip, “I’d be quite the…. Hypo...hypocrite.” she slurred, struggling over the words. This was going badly and if she had been sober, she would have never even approached Andy in the first place. Why she was talking to her, she did not know. Maybe to also help herself.

“What’s goin’ on? What are ya thinking?” she asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

What was she thinking? Andy was a little taken aback by the question. Many people tried to talk to her, get her to talk to them. Most were unsuccessful, but this woman was direct. Andy couldn’t tell if she appreciated that or disliked it.

“I’m thinking…” The woman started, softly taking the bottle back from Colt. She was able to maneuver pretty gracefully for a girl who had been drinking heavily. “That people who don’t scold me get to help me drink this.” Andy walked up past Colt and onto the porch. On the right side there was an old porch swing she frequented as a child. It was a good place to sit, think, drink...whatever she felt like doing at the time.

The air was still cold from the Colorado fall, but the warmth in Andy’s gut kept it at bay. She sat on the old wooden swing and let her feet be pulled out from underneath her as it swung forward with her body weight.

“Want to sit?” Andy offered.

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proxy.php.jpgColt was a little surprised at the woman’s answer. She stumbled forward slightly as she took the bottle back from her. She listened as she answered her question, she was expecting an explosion. Or some kind of “nobody understands me!” bullshit that would easily have gotten a verbal beat-down from the one-legged veteran. She blinked a few times as she offered for her to sit and drink with her.

“...Why not.” she answered bluntly. An excuse to keep drinking? Sure. The woman knew Andy was feeling unsettled. It was clear as day. Well, as clear as underwater right now. Colt followed her unsteadily to the swing, gingerly sitting on it. She looked up, seeing the sky becoming dark. With a sigh, Colt took off her army cap, exposing her facial scars completely, putting it on the swing next to her.

“Purdy night, hm?” she said, “‘member my pa ‘nd I would ride up in the mountains and watch the stars…. He said he knew all the consolations-No… constellations but I don’ think he did.” She let out a sigh, slightly smiling. She really did not want to think about her father. But… she was trying to talk to a girl who… well, was coping with the end of the world the same just like everyone else.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Andy felt the swing move as the woman joined her and watched as she took her cap off and exposed the scarring on her face. It didn’t bother Andy, in fact she felt that it gave what was a classically pretty face a little bit of character. It was pretty apparent that Colt had a military background, her way with guns and her attire made that pretty apparent. Also the kind of wounds that she had received on her face and leg were the kind that only happened in a warzone. It must suck being back in the gunfight.

“It is beautiful. I love being out here…” Andy started, her head leaning back against the high back of the swing. Her crimson hair flowed over the wood, letting movement of the swing cause it to wave in the breeze.

“My uncle and I used to do the same. We would spend whole weeks out here sometimes. Or we would go out and camp further in the woods. I know most of them myself…” Speaking of life as it used to be felt nice, but hollow. Like she knew that she would never have those moments again.

Then again, here she was, drinking, looking up at the sky. So maybe not all hope was lost. The girl took a long swing from the neck of the glass bottle and passed it to her companion.

“It’s less lonely to drink alone anyway.” She added. “It’s been a while since I have drank with other people though.” the girl paused and looked at her companion, the warmth of the alcohol bringing a nice pink color to her cheeks.

“I don’t think I had the chance to thank you for helping us back there. I don’t mean to come off so…” Andy gestured her hands in a way that meant. ‘Whatever the hell this is.’ The redhead offered the woman a rare smirk.

“I appreciate you not letting me become zombie food.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

The woman listened to the younger girl talk about her uncle. She just kept quiet. Even when she stopped, Colt allowed a soft silence to come between them. She noticed how she never seemed to notice the scarring, something that Colt was mildly surprised by, but extremely appreciative although she would not admit it. On the rare occasions she would leave her apartment, people would give her looks and, this hurt more, some parents would even pull their kids away. Like some dirty leapor… As she had the whisky passed to her, Colt did not hesitate in taking in advantage, she needed to get that memory out of her head. She had been drinking throughout the day so her cheeks were flushed and she swayed slightly in her seat. Still, she felt stable enough to keep talking.

As she mentioned how drinking with others was less isolating, Colt just looked ahead. “I wouldn’t know. Used… Used to be tea-total. Ha… funny that.” she took another sip, “Haven’t… really talked to anyone for…” she paused to remember, “...five months?” it was more of a question than a statement. She honestly could not remember.

Then came the thank you. Colt tilted her head as she looked at the girl expressing her gratitude. Colt turned her head to look straight in front of her. That was something she had not heard in a long time.

“No need… Just…” she sighed deeply with shut eyes, “Just… wish I could have done more.” she turned to see the girl’s smirk, offering her a sad smile in response before looking ahead again.

“Thought it was over… guess not.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

It was apparent that her and Colt had more in common than Andy would care to admit if there wasn’t alcohol coursing through her veins at the moment. They both isolated themselves, somewhat purposefully. They both carried unspoken shit with them every single day.

At her last statement, Andy let out a low whistling noise and shook her head sadly. It was true that the girl had baggage that caused her to transform from spunky, happy go lucky Andy to whatever sunken, snarky bitch that she had become, but that had nothing on War. She knew that carrying that with her must be hard for Colt.

“That’s rough buddy. I can’t even fathom…” Andy shook her head again. What right did she have to even talk about that? The girl had grown up with a mother who loved her, in a house with shutters. Other than her encounter with the hazzies earlier today, the girl had never even been in a fight before.

“I appreciate your service...and your sacrifice.” Andy added as an afterthought. Just because she wasn’t an asshole enough to comment on Colt’s leg, doesn’t mean she didn’t realize what it meant to lose it.

The girl shook her head, the room was starting to spin and it was late. And to be honest the days events had zapped her of any energy that she had left. Andy gave Colt a drunken smile and a small pat on her thigh before slowing the swing and stumbling to her feet.

“I should probably turn in before I get so drunk I can’t find my damn bed.” Andy actually enjoyed this conversation, although there wasn’t enough alcohol in the world to make her say it out loud.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Colt again allowed a silence to build, allowing Andy to think. When she finally spoke, it was an admission of not being able to even imagine her struggle. Colt let out a gentle snort as she shook her head, a dumb and drunk smile on her face.

“Heh… I’d be worried if you could, kid.” she answered her, “But… I appreciate the sentiment.” she added. This was strange. Her response was different to that of what she would typically hear. That dreaded “I know how you feel”. Colt had made a personal decision to pull the head off of the next person to say that. But… Andy was smart. Rude. Snarky. An eye-roller. But smart.

“Thanks…” she gave her another slight smile at her appreciation, “Glad I could help.” and with that, the woman gave Colt a slight pat on the thigh as she got up. Colt wasn’t going to say it, but she agreed for her turning in for the night. If she was going to be useful, she’d need to have less of a hangover than what she was going to have.

“Good plan. I’ve lost mine before. Not pleasant.” She smirked, “I’m… I’m gonna stay out here bit longer. Watch the stars.” she said. The Glock was still on her lap, giving the impression that she was dedicating herself to guarding. Maybe?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Andy exhaled through her nose in what could have possibly been a laugh. She took the bottle with her and flicked her wrist in a small wave as she headed for the door.

“Be safe. There is plenty of places to crash and there are more blankets in the hallway closet if you need them.” With that she ducked inside the doors into the lodge. The warmth of the house was comforting, and slowly caused the goosebumps on her flesh to smooth and dissipate. It looked as if Owen had finally gone to sleep. Just as well, Andy didn’t want to deal with him any more today if she didn’t have to. There were people sleeping through the living room, so the girl did her best to stumble through the house as quietly as possible.

It wasn’t hard to find the bedroom, she had stumbled into it many times drunker than this. With her mind clouded from the drinking she had forgotten that there was another person in her room however. Luca was asleep, thoroughly passed out by the looks of things.

It wasn’t the first time that Andy had found a boy in her bed that she didn’t expect, but it was the first time she had ever found Luca in her bed. The last time he had been this close to her was as children, camping in the living room for a sleepover. It didn’t matter. The king bed was big enough for two bodies to sleep on it and be nowhere near the other. Luca wasn’t the worst person she had ever had to share sleeping arrangements with.

It didn’t matter to her that Owen kept trying to warn her that he was dangerous. So what if he was? It was obvious he wasn’t a threat to her. Saving her life twice just to hurt her was pretty counterproductive. What’s the worst thing he could have done? Killed someone? That made Andy dangerous too.

He was sleeping soundly enough that she didn’t mind stripping down in the bed room. He wasn’t going to wake up to see anything anyway. The girl pulled off her torn and blood splattered hoodie and jeans and found a pair of boy-shorts and a large t-shirt out of the dresser to pull on. With some labor through her haze she pulled the covers back on the opposite side of the bed and climbed in, wrapping her arms around a pillow.

She was out almost as soon as she pulled the covers up to her chin.

Interactions: Rumble Fish Rumble Fish (Colt)
Mentions: King Vioogra King Vioogra (Ivan) Brax Brax (Luca)
 
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S A R A H

Alex's House
Tuesday, October 16th, 2018


Into the darkness they go, the wise and lovely.
Edna St. Vincent Millay

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After she’d convinced Alex to move before they were spotted by the next patrol, Sarah dove into the dead man’s pockets quickly while her back was turned. She produced the set of keys she was looking for in seconds before following Alex to the house on the side of the street. As they left the man’s corpse behind, it slowly began to groan… but they were too far to hear it by then. Sarah jogged to catch up to Alex and handed her the keys as they approached a red-bricked house, neither of them aware of the creature rousing to wakefulness behind them. Thankfully, it didn’t become aware of them either.

Minutes later...
Finally having arrived at Alex’s home, Sarah almost immediately took a minute to wash her face and arms at the kitchen sink. Alex had been quiet the whole way here and was putting off a really weird vibe… Sarah, of course, hadn’t lost any of her parents. So she didn’t exactly know what the girl was going through. But she supposed she expected a bit more grieving or solemness. Instead, she was behaving like nothing had happened. Almost like she’d been expecting it to happen and was just moving on with her life now. She sounded kind of sad when she called out to let Sarah know she could borrow some clothes, but even that wasn’t entirely convincing.

Maybe she was looking into it too much, or expecting something unreasonable from Alex. All in all, as long as she didn’t go batshit and try to kill her or something like that, Sarah knew that it could hardly be called her business anyway and she had no right to dictate how Alex should deal with her heavy loss or how she should be acting. As such, when the girl came into the kitchen to gather some food, after Sarah dried herself off and turned the faucet off, she gave her an appreciative nod and a convincing fake smile before moving into another room to browse her options for new clothing. She found a nice jacket with a (fake) fur-lined hood, which she used to replace her torn red one. As for pants, however, she didn’t find anything that fit her curvy hips. They were built different.

By the time she exited the spare room and its closet, Sarah found Alex sleeping in her bed in the room next door. Quietly, she moved to the phone at the corner of the kitchen and tried to make a call… but, much like the phone at her home, it didn’t work. She sighed. She felt so… tired. Moments ago, the adrenaline had been pumping into her system at such an intensity, but now? Now she felt like she’d been hit by a truck and forced to run a marathon afterwards… she practically had.

Moving towards the couch, she plopped down and settled into a comfortable lay. Ignoring the gunshots and screams in the distant night was difficult at first… but eventually she managed to close her eyes and let the sleep take her away completely. At this point, after her diagnosis today and everything that had happened after, sleep was the only peace she could imagine herself having. But that wouldn’t last long.

Nightmare…

She remembered being in the passenger seat and holding on to the side bar as Pat swerved the car around sharply, slamming down on the gas pedal with his foot afterwards. The gunfire from the soldiers at the barricade behind them rung out like thunder, shattering the back of the car window and putting a few holes in the trunk. Unfortunately, a stray bullet struck the back left tire as well. It lasted seconds before exploding and prompting the car to dangerously bounce and swerve. In all the clamor and blur of motion, Sarah could hear Patrick screaming but she couldn’t tell what he was saying. At least, she didn’t think so…

Whatever he’d said, she felt terrible for not replying. She knew she couldn’t bring herself to reply anyway. There was too much going on. Her life could end at any moment and she could only think about everything she’d failed to do, everything she’d wanted to do, everything she’d wanted to say. Oddly enough, as she felt the car swerve to the right and begin to take a nosedive off the highway… she felt at peace. This was it. She didn’t have to deal with her sickness anymore or her mother or the hallucinations. Her life would end and her story would close.

Then the world froze. She could turn and see everything captured in mid-motion. The glass from the back window flying down towards them. Pat’s body in mid-air as his head was inches away from striking the windshield… the glowing red eyes of a dark figure peeking in from the side of the--

The world suddenly unfroze and, in a tumultuous roar, the car struck the ground and the world turned black.

5AM

She shot up, awake and in a cold sweat, gasping for air as she tried to discern whether the pain she felt was real or imaginary. The nightmare itself had felt so… vivid. And her body (particularly her arm) was still incredibly sore from yesterday’s events. But she was safe for now. She’d figure out something and reunite with her parents. Everything was going to be okay. A moment passed in the darkness of the living room… she scoffed at herself. She was never one for wishful thinking. It just made her feel stupid.

But, alas, there was no going back to sleep now. She stayed awake the rest of the night, pulling out a half-empty box of Ritz crackers and sitting at a chair by the window to peek out from the curtains. This part of Aurora was quiet, and empty. But she swore she could see figures walking in the distance between its many buildings in downtown. She ate a cracker and wondered who they were.


Interaction: BunnyQueen BunnyQueen
 
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Rouge: currently internally and outwardly panicking, The Mad Queen The Mad Queen AgWordSmith AgWordSmith



Rouge almost choked as her body smacked against the car door. One hand gripped on the handlebar and the other gripped the back of Jennas car seat for dear life. Bullets were ricocheting all around them and it was hard to see clearly where she was driving them.


“Jenna. Jenna! What are you doing!?”


She yelled in pain and hugged her arm to herself as she felt a sudden burning pain on her shoulder.


“Jenna!”


She was shot. Quickly she scrambled to take off her dirty long sleeve showing her sport bra underneath.


God it burned, and her breathing was sporadic from the adrenaline and high level anxiety.


“fucking!- JENNA SLOW DOWN!” Rouge yelled smacking her shoulder before yelling again and holding her arm. It was stupid using her injured arm but the pain didn't registered for long due to her adrenaline…..she needed to stop the bleeding. - Freaken, their going so fast-


A part of her mind noticed that they wern’t being shot at anymore and another screamed that they might still be followed.


She put pressure on her wound with her hand, a part of her was worried that she’ll get an infection from her dirty hand and another part was just panicking from the red liquid flowing out from around her fingers.


Again, a small voice in her head once again complained that she should have stayed home.
 

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The Italian’s eyes slowly opened to the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling.

Luca’s vision was hazy, but he could see. With the use of his hands he had pushed himself upright so that he was sitting on the bed. He turned to notice that Andy had been sleeping. He was curious as to why she didn’t just kick his ass out of bed. Maybe she tried, but she couldn’t wake him up? He laid back down onto the pillow, shutting his eyes in attempts to sleep. However, this didn’t work. After a few minutes, he repeated the same process. Luca then turned his body so that his feet were resting on the ground. As he stood he felt the drugs he had taken the previous night still coursing through his veins; the feeling was feint, but it was still there. He wasn’t completely sober yet, but this was as close as he was going to get. His head was heavy and it felt cloudy. Regardless, it was time to start the day as sleep wasn’t going to come back to him.

He closed the bathroom door behind him and ran the water to the shower while he stripped down. Looking at himself in the large bathroom mirror, Luca remembered what happened the previous night. The area where Leliana had stitched him up was still sore and red, but it was no longer bleeding. He was going to have to thank the woman for taking care of him and being persistent. Luca probably would have attempted to do it himself if not for her and there was no way that scar would have looked any prettier in that case. He ran the sink, collecting some water in his hands and rubbing it over his face. As Luca looked back at the mirror to stare at his own reflection once more, he noticed his left eye was twitching.

The oxycontin were still working their magic.

After he had taken his shower, Luca got dressed in the same clothes that Andy had left him the night before. The shirt was white, with a picture of an animated mouse smiling and holding up one of its hands in pose. It wasn’t a shirt that Luca would be caught dead in, but this wasn’t the usual circumstance. He didn’t have a choice in the clothing he wore because all of his own were back at his place. It mattered little; he normally didn’t dress to impress anyone anyway, but it would be a lie to say his own sense of confidence didn’t partially come from how expensive the clothes he wore were.

So, the shirt with the mouse and a pair of dinky sweatpants it was! Much to his chagrin. He opened up the door of the bathroom in the master bedroom, allowing some of the steam that had been captive to billow out. Even Luca’s boots were completely ruined; the blood puddling at the bottom of the middle school locker room had seeped into his boots and socks to the point where he didn’t feel comfortable putting them back on. They merely sat in the corner of the room, resting upon the blood-stained ripped shirt that Luca had been wearing the previous day. He wasn’t about to put those back on. Attempts to clean them would probably be futile, as well. New ones would settle fine, as today a group was set to leave in order to gather more supplies for the lodge. It was best to start early, before everything else went even further to shit and the group had to start fighting for their supplies. Luca made one quick check of the dresser, grabbing a long-sleeved button-down shirt he could throw over the stupid looking one Andy had gifted him in attempts to keep slightly warmer.

Luca walked out of the master bedroom, shutting the door softly so that he wouldn’t wake Andy up. He took a moment to survey the living room and the layout of the floor leading from the door, as he had not properly done so the night before. There were some people still sleeping; others upstairs might have been awake. Still, Luca moved silently as to not make any sudden or loud sounds. When he finally made his way into the kitchen, his eyes took sight of a large empty coffee pot almost immediately.

Jackpot.

He walked up to the coffee machine, first grabbing the glass pot and running some water from the tap into it. Luca would have preferred bottled water, but he wasn’t exactly in the position to make demands such as those. He would have to live with what he had for the time being. Opening the top compartment of the coffee machine, Luca poured water into the tank in order to fill it up. Then, he placed the pot back into the maker before beginning his search for coffee. Andy must have had something, right? Luca quickly but quietly searched through various drawers and cabinets before he came across a band of coffee grinds. It didn’t have any particular flavor, but that didn’t matter much to Luca. Really, only the caffeine mattered more than anything.

Luca put the grinds into its appropriate compartment before plugging in the coffee maker and turning it on, leading to the sounds of a machine slowly dripping the concoction of beans and water into the glass pot. He leaned over the kitchen counter, waiting for the pot to fill while allowing his chin to rest on an open palm. He stared out of the window located right above the kitchen sink.


 
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Interaction between King Vioogra King Vioogra and Rumble Fish Rumble Fish

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Ivan tossed and turned lightly in his sleep, nearly falling off of the couch (that he didn’t know was a pullout) multiple times, waking himself for enough time to readjust his body on the couch before falling back asleep immediately. This happened a number of times before Ivan finally woke up to sunlight in his face and a light beeping in his pocket. A realization hit him that he’d had a lecture today and he sprung up on the couch. When he looked around the room and realized this wasn’t his dorm room, the memories of the events the day before came flooding back quickly. Ivan pulled his phone from his pocket quickly, turning the alarm of and putting it on power saving mode, despite it being at 97%. He sighed quietly as he looked around before swinging his legs off the couch and stepping onto the floor below him. He lifted himself from the couch slowly, grabbing his shirt from the couch and slipping it on to himself. Ivan’s body heat had kept the shirt warm while it was sandwiched between him and the couch, so there was a certain satisfaction to putting the wrinkled mess of an item of clothing on. After stretching quietly, Ivan looked around the room again, a quiet sigh escaping him before he started walking towards the stairs quietly. Despite his efforts, the sturdy man’s footsteps were quietly booming as he headed up the stairs towards the bathroom. As part of most men’s morning routine, Ivan needed to take a leak.

--
After spending another hour or so outside, Colt had finally managed to stumble her way back into the lodge, and by some further miracle was able to locate her room. Her roommate was already in bed and out like a light but that didn't matter as the inebriated woman, as soon as she stumbled in, dropped onto the floor and was asleep practically as soon as she made contact with the ground.

Hours later, the vet’s eyes opened, for the woman to be instantly met with a killer headache, causing her to groan and clench her teeth. It was quiet but, every small noise was torturous, her muscles hurt and, worst of all, she felt an intense pain in her left leg, or more accurately, where the leg used to be. Colt really needed her nerve medication, all the more reason to go scavenging. Upon that realisation, the woman sighed irritably. Oh yeah… that damn scavenging trip. If she had been sober she would have told Luca to… well nothing because she just wouldn't have answered.

It was the loud and unsettling gurgling coming from her stomach that finally convinced the woman to get up, despite the phantom pain. She needed a bathroom, now! As she dragged herself onto her feet, she realised she hadn't taken off yesterday's clothes, now a crumpled heap strewed on her body. Thankfully her thick jacket had kept her warm throughout the night.

Stumbling out of the room, she had just made it to the bathroom door, when the creak of stairs announced Ivan’s arrival. Colt looked at the man and huffed through her teeth. Great… he obviously needed the bathroom too. With a roll of her sore eyes, she leaned against the wall, holding her pounding head in a hand, silently telling Ivan to go first.

“Morning.” She managed to slide out. Seems some of that whiskey was still in her system. This day was going to hurt…

--

Ivan yawned quietly as he got to the top of the stairs, he caught Colt in his field of vision. She looked like she'd had a rough night, no doubt with the events of yesterday, but he'd have to ask her if she was okay after he went to the restroom.

“Morning. I won't be but a moment.”

He said, giving a quick nod of thanks as he walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He didn't bother locking it because as far as he knew Colt was one of the only other people up other than him, if anyone was at all. After lifting up the toilet seat and unzipping his pants and doing his business in the bowl. Finishing quickly, he zipped his pants back up and let our a quiet sigh, flushing the toilet before going over to the sink and washing his hands. He then quickly opened the door and walked out, making way for Colt to go in with a simple smile on his face.

“When you come out, can we talk for a bit?”

He asked her quietly, looking down at her due to their height difference with a serious yet gentle look on his face.
-
Colt simply waited for the man to finish as she leaned against the wall, the cold plaster was rather soothing against her sore head. She only opened her eyes when he came out. Before heading in, the man requested to talk to her after she came out. The tone in his voice made Colt give him a look. What did he want to talk about?

“Sure.” She answered bluntly before heading into the bathroom. Once she got in, she was thankful for the closed door as she suddenly felt her mouth fill with sweet tasting saliva and a burning feeling in her chest. Feeling her diaphragm jump, Colt grunted and dropped to her knees (knee?) and pushed the toilet seat up just in time. Colt threw up several times, all of which seemed to be the whisky left in her system. After several long minutes, she sat against the bathroom's cold wall to regain her senses. Her face was pale and her forehead was clammy. Cursing at herself, she was finally able to stand up. She flushed the toilet and washed her face as well as gargling water to get rid of the taste. Looking up, she caught her reflection in the mirror. A pale face and something Colt hadn't noticed before. Her nose was becoming red. With a sigh, she finally stepped out of the bathroom. Her head was still pounding but she did not feel as shaky or sick. But the phantom pain was still more than Colt wished to deal with.

“...So. What is it?” She asked latonicly. She had an idea of what he wanted to talk about but she'd still let him lead it on.

--

“I want to apologize for what happened in the gym. I was afraid and thinking irrationally.”

Ivan said bluntly as he looked ahead, attempting to avoid eye contact for the moment as he went about his apology.

“It was at best a distraction that got innocent people killed, and I saw what happened to you after I threw it…”

It was now that he looked over at her, his face saddened with a hint of pity as he let out a quiet sigh downwards.

“I just don't want that incident to hinder any friendship we may have moving forwards, if that's alright with you.”

He said with a painfully fake smile as he held his hand out for her to shake. Smiling felt weird to him. It was obviously fake with how forced it was, plus it probably made him look like a psychopath if he was smiling after a day like yesterday.

--
Colt stayed silent as he went on to apologise for what he did in the gym with the molotov. As he did, the woman’s eyebrows lowered into an angry glare. She had not forgotten about it. It seemed he noticed this as he actively avoided her gaze as he spoke.

“Thinking irrationally…” she sighed quietly. She then looked at him, more with a look of confused disappointment rather than anger, “You said you were in the Army. I’m just… I don’t understand.”

As he mentioned he saw what had happened to her once he threw it, Colt bit her lip. She remembered the panic attack she had upon seeing the fire. Thinking back, all the red, unable to tell what was blood and what was flames, the screaming. Even thinking back, she felt hot and breathing became difficult.

“Shit…” the hungover war-vet took out her flask, taking a drink from it in an attempt to calm her nerves. Showing this much vulnerability was too much for Colt to bear. Shaking her head, she looked fully up at the man. While she would never show this to someone on the fly, it was needed to prove her point.

“Right.” She rolled up her sleeve, exposing the bare flesh on her right arm. Along her forearm and elbow, was the result of charred skin. It did not hurt… anymore but the story behind it was what she wanted to get across.
“See this? This was from a grenade. I was lucky to not lose my fucking arm.” She looked away with a heavy sigh, not wanting to go into details, “We were being attacked. And, in a panic, one of them threw it. Killed the rebels. But also three of our own.” she looked away with a melancholy gaze. After a moment, she turned back to Ivan and his open palm. At first, she wanted to smack it away. But upon more thought, she decided against it.

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“...I can’t forgive you. But-” she grabbed his palm and their hands locked, “I can move on.”
--
Ivan's hand clasped gently around Colts when she took his, a legitimate smile passing over him for a moment before returning to a normal gaze as he cleared his throat quietly.

“I hope someday you can come to forgive me, especially in our current situation.”

He said quietly before Colt rolled her sleeve up and showed him her charred skin. At first he thought that was from him and his eyes widened before she explained what it was. He almost sighed quietly but decided against it.

“I'm… So sorry to hear that. I'm beginning to imagine our experiences in service were very different.”

Ivan said, his eyes drifting up to her face as a look of sadness passed over for a moment. He could vaguely tell what she'd been through. Her limp was obvious, so she was either missing part of her leg, or it was damaged severely. He wanted to get to know her eventually so he could be there for her if she ever needed him, but as far as he knew she hated him.
--
Colt saw his smile as she shook his hand, but all she could crack was a slight smile. If she wasn't feeling so sick and… generally in a bad mood she might have smiled more but for now, that was it. He expressed his desire for her to someday forgive him, to which Colt let out a gentle sigh,

“Maybe…” She said after some thought, “But no more molotovs. The foresight to use your hindsight is a great thing.” she said, the scarred side of her face twitching in a slight smirk. His remorse seemed real, especially as he had seen first hand what had happened as a result of his recklessness. However, Colt was not completely won over. He’d have to prove it. How? Who knows. But he would find a way. Eventually.

As he then lamented over their times in service being vastly different, Colt simply sighed, screwing the cap on her flask and putting it in her pocket. He was right. But she was not going to turn this into a ‘woe is me’ moment. She had too much pride.

“I suppose it has.” she answered bluntly. At least he was now beginning to understand, and that was all the woman wanted. If she had been drunk (well drunker) she would have been likely to give him a verbal beatdown. But at least he had good timing.

--

“Thank you for being so understanding. To be honest I half expected you to hit me.”

Ivan said with a nervous chuckle as he scratched the back of his head for a second.

“I was thinking on going for a walk, you know, to familiarize myself with the area. Care to join me?”

He asked as he stood up straight and looked out of a nearby window into the dense forest outside it before letting a quiet sigh escape him.

‘That went much better than expected to say the least.’

He thought to himself as he glanced at a clock at the end of the hall. He might need a jacket if he could find one here, since it'd likely be a bit chilly.

--
Colt listened as Ivan seemed thankful for her response. She shook her head a little. She was too sore, too tired and too hungover to consider doing more. As the man started walking away, she thought for a second before having an idea.

“Ivan.” she said, walking forward. Reaching the man she stopped, “I need another man for this mission- thing. If ya don’t mind being commanded by a woman.” She had to keep reminding herself she wasn’t in the Marines anymore. She tilted her head slightly, silently asking for his answer. Maybe if she saw him in action today, she’d gain a better opinion of him.
-

A smile spread slowly across his lips as she spoke those words to him. She trusted him, or so he wanted to believe, enough that she trusted him with this level of a task.

“Of course! As long as you're alright with me moving ahead every now and again. Reconnaissance was mostly my deal during service. You don't happen to know Morse Code do you?”

Ivan said with a bright smile that betrayed his otherwise burly and intimidating appearance. He began a mental list of things he'd need in order to maximize effectiveness on the run. His knife of course, binoculars, a flashlight maybe, and a number of other gadgets.
 
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Jenna: Moe's Motel

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-SEVERAL HOURS AGO-
Jenna was snapped back to focus by Rogue's yelling. With her foot still on the pedal she spun around to look, only to see that Rogue was bleeding. She'd obviously been shot.
"No. No. No..." She muttered, finally slowing the car down.

She started to hyperventilate, shaking and staring into space for a few moments. Jenna slapped herself across the face
"Okay. Not the first time I've dealt with a gunshot wound. I need to find a room. This car's probably covered in glass so I can't do it here. We need a bed. I've got everything else I need right here."

The door to the clinic burst open and a man covered in blood stepped in. He held a dog, a Border Collie in his arms. The receptionist stood up, her eyes widened.
"What ha.."
"Please help her." The man begged
"Jenna!" The receptionist screamed


Hearing the yelling, Jenna rushed out. Her hair was tied back and she wore scrubs. Her eyes met that of the Collie first, then the man.
"What the fuck?"
"She w-was s-h"
"Shot?" Jenna asked, getting a nod in response


"Alright. Carry her through."

Jenna kicked the door to a motel room open. It was dirtier than the rooms at Doris' motel, but there was no way Jenna was going back there.
"Keep pressure on it." She ordered "Come through and sit on the bed." Her eyes turned to her other companion "Luka, I need you on lookout right now, but..."
She shook her head "I might need your help later."

Doctor Ralph Fisher: Moe's Motel
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As much as Fisher had wanted to charge into the school, guns blazing and save everyone from the hazmat troopers. It was impossible. He'd buy one, maybe two people more time but it was a lost cause. With his head lowered he started to walk away. The hazmat trooper's sidearm was attached to his belt, while the rifle was slung over Ralph's shoulder.

Keeping to the back-streets and alleyways, he managed to avoid both the infected and what was left of the hazmat soldiers. He was sure that more would be on their way. Even if they hadn't gotten word to the United States government on their failure to contain the outbreak, it would only be a matter of time before there was a response.

It would be an even larger bloodbath than last time. He hoped at the very least that the National Guard knew to burn bodies. As Ralph walked by an abandoned bar, he stopped to think.
The hazmat troopers, operating on their barbaric containment protocols would have sealed off the entire city by now. Nothing, aside from perhaps some reinforcements was getting in or out.
He needed to get out, but going to the border was suicide...For now.

With their tactics and gear they had still been overwhelmed at the school. Any guard posts they had set up would follow suit as well, given enough time. He had to hunker down in Aurora until that happened though. As he thought about his next move, Fisher ran a hand through his hair. It felt wet. Looking at his hand he realised it was smeared in blood.

Gasping, he ran to the bathroom. Thankfully the plumbing still worked. They would have shut down the phone-lines and would be shutting down the power soon enough, he told himself but the plumbing might last a little longer.
Using a soap dispenser he washed his hands and hair under the hot taps thoroughly. Some of the antibacterial soap got in his eyes and needless to say, it stung like hell.

But Ralph knew that was better than the alternative. He tried to think about where the blood had come from, to pin down a source. He hadn't been injured, surely. He would have felt it, after all. It was obvious, it wasn't his blood but the soldier whom he had killed.
As his vision cleared, he looked at himself in the mirror.

"It was mercy." He muttered

He checked himself over. Thankfully, the blood had only gotten on his hands and ankles. He removed his shoes, trousers and washed them at the sink in the same soap. With how through Ralph was, it took about half an hour.
"Okay, think."

He drew a crude map of Aurora on a napkin. If the Untied States government was operating a containment at any cost type of procedure he wouldn't put it past them to carpet bomb the city should their on the ground forces fail. With that in mind, Fisher marked out the centre of town. The infected presence there was too high anyway.
The outskirts seemed to bode well though. Close enough to the border so he could keep an eye on the hazmat troopers, and with a smaller population meant there'd be less infected.

Throwing the napkin away, Fisher gathered his things and left the bar.

Walking through town, he continued to keep to back-streets and alleyways until he was in the clear. It took a few hours at least. Without his phone or a watch Ralph couldn't say for certain just how much time had passed, but by the time he reached a motel on the other side of town he was out of daylight. As much as he wanted to put his head down and sleep, he didn't feel secure enough and so set about checking out the motel before resting.

He set about to go room to room for infected and hazmat troopers.

Interactions: Liezarria Liezarria AgWordSmith AgWordSmith (Jenna) BloodThunder27 BloodThunder27 (Ralph)

Note: Keep in mind, there are several hours between Jenna trying to treat the gunshot wound and Ralph arriving at the motel.
 
The following post is a collab between myself and Brax Brax
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Morse code?” A smirk twitched on the woman’s lips, “Do bears shit in the woods?” As he went outside, Colt sighed heavily as she went back to the room she shared. Leliana still appeared to be asleep so the woman was quiet as she grabbed her rucksack and dragged it out of the room to get her things ready. She dug around, looking for her nerve medication, only for her to realise that the damn things were still in her flat. With an annoyed sigh, she found her aspirins. Opening the capsule, she poured an uncounted amount into her palm and took them with a swig of water. The pain in her limb was terrible, but she could not show that. Everyone would know she had a hangover, that was going to be obvious. But this? Not when she had a job like this to do.

After loading her Glock, shotgun and the M16, she figured some fresh air could help to clear her muddled head. She struggled her way down the stairs, limping more than she did before. At the bottom, she had to stop. It was like the knee was against a saw and every movement caused the saw to grind against the bone. She just needed the meds. That was it. If anyone asked, that was her answer.

Once outside, Colt sat on the porch with a heavy groan, her pale forehead clammy with sweat. Fresh air in her lungs softened her pounding migraine, but only slightly. Taking out her whisky flask, she opened it as she looked around the woods. It was quiet and chilly, but she was wearing her heavy camo jacket and cap, so she was relatively safe from the elements. Before they head out, she hoped for a few moments peace. Just to think…

__________________

After pouring his cup of coffee, Luca came to the realization that stepping outside without his gun was probably not the best option. However, he needed a cigarette and time was certainly of the essence. The master bedroom was across from the kitchen, so Luca just snuck in quietly to grab his own assault rifle before exiting - leaving Andy sleeping in the same position he had left her. She really was hard to wake, wasn’t she? Luca had been drugged to high-hell, yet he somehow had it in him to stir enough to begin his day. Perhaps it was the looming reality of her situation that had made her so tired.

Luca threw the gun over his shoulder, fitting the strap around his chest with his free hand before slowly and quietly shutting the door behind him. He brought the cup of coffee up to his lips - taking a sip of the black muck water in slight disgust. Usually, he kept his coffee black, but he was accustomed to using a much finer quality of beans and a machine that costed well over a grand. Andy and Owen’s coffee maker was most definitely from close to ten years back, judging by the shape it was in and the type of machine it was.

The Italian placed a cigarette between his lips, his teeth biting the filter softly as he exited the front doors of the house. This was when he noticed Colt had been sitting outside, by herself. He had heard someone open and close the door a few minutes prior, but he didn’t care to guess who it was. Logical deduction said it was Colt. The man stood there momentarily, looking down at the woman before taking a seat on the step a few inches away from the woman. He placed his cup of coffee on the wooden ledge, removing his lighter immediately afterwards.

So, Colt. What do you have for me? Who are you bringing and when are you leaving?” Luca’s eyes had been fixated on the ground at the bottom of the steps he was sitting on, lighting his cigarette immediately after beginning the conversation.
_________________
Mud can make you prisoner, and the plains can bake you dry... Snow can burn your eyes, but only people make you cry…” Colt crooned shakily to herself as she watched the world around her. She felt like she was about to vomit again but she couldnt. She must have brought up everything before. Still, all she could really do was really massage her abdomen and hope that would settle it. Though the constant gurgling within her system proved her wrong on that.

She only reacted to Luca’s presence as she noticed him sitting next to her. As he questioned her on who she was taking, the woman took a moment to think. She had asked Marcus and Ivan… who was third?

Marcus; his dad’s shop is close to my place. Ivan’s good with guns…” she inhaled and exhaled deeply in an attempt to rid herself of sickness, “And Owen. I have to ask him though.” she explained to Luca. She did not really look at the man as she spoke. If anything, she did not feel like she could do this. Her mouth felt dry and her throat was scratchy. If anything, Colt wanted to back to sleep. But… she had to do what Luca said. It wasnt as if she had too much of a choice.

Trying to get all the food, guns… oh and meds we can,” she added. She wasnt going to specify what those meds were or why they would need them but she knew she was not the only one who would need medication at any given time.
__________________
It’s the first run,” Luca interjected, taking another drag of his cigarette.

Focus on the shit we can’t live without. Grab enough storage for food, grab as many guns as you can hold because there are never enough. Ammo. Make sure to grab weapons that don’t require ammunition. Medication for anyone who might need it… Might be a good idea to have Marcus or Ivan reach out to some of the people who aren’t going before you leave. To see if they need anything I haven’t specified… Oh, and cigarettes.

The man turned to look at the woman, seeing that she was obviously uncomfortable. Her skin looked pale, as though she had just seen a ghost. She must have been rather uncomfortable, something Luca was used to dealing with. Whether she was not happy being within his presence or otherwise, he had been on the receiving end of this behaviour more often than not in his previous career. It wasn’t his job to pretend to be a caring force in her life, but Colt provided more value to Luca than most in the lodge.

Don’t do a fucking thing to put yourself in danger. I mean it. This isn’t a fucking game. People back here need you. They need to learn how to shoot and defend themselves. I’m not going to be the one to do that. So if there’s one thing you have to do to motivate yourself, understand the situation at hand. I need you to do this job today, in hopes that you’ll pass along your ability to shoot and engage hostiles in a tactical manner. Then, they can do the dirty work for you later down the line. For right now, I know for a fact you can handle a gun. So you need to lead and most importantly, be as quick as possible. There’s a whole town’s worth of dead people roaming the streets…

Luca realized if this had been twenty-four hours earlier, he would have sounded like a crazy person.

“I don’t know you worth shit. I don’t know anyone here worth shit. But, there is power in numbers, so if this is how we have to live for the time being, so be it. If I can’t be selfish, you can’t be either. Just get it done. You’ve got a plan and two stops to make. If you can pull off a third for food, that’s fine. I don’t know for sure that other people in this lodge are competent to take care of themselves and carry out tasks. It has to be you.

His wound made it hard to walk or manoeuvre properly. He knew that he was best left at home, for he would have been more of a liability to hobble around town as opposed to resting for a little while. The former capo slowly stood up to his feet, using a free hand to grab the railing of the steps and pull himself up before brushing off his backside with the same hand. He upheld a momentary silence; taking a moment to observe the natural flow of nature, the wind forcing the trees, plants and even grass to dance in its wake. It wasn’t going to be easy to pull off the supply run, but if Luca was in any sort of position to help, it would have been him running out and leading the group instead of Colt.

No, rather, Luca was still inebriated. His drugged state wasn’t made easily apparent by his intelligence, but rather, his ability to converse with someone without pushing them away. The man would rather not have the conversation at all, but Luca knew it was important for the group to have some sort of leadership resemblance, at the very least.

You understand everything I’ve said? Take it at face value.

---------------------------------------------
Colt listened to the man as he instructed her on what to focus on. As he spoke, she straightened herself up, despite feeling like death, as if she was standing ready in company line. Well... this had a very similar feel to the Marines. Being berated while also being told what was expected of her and how this was not anything to with her personally, but on the task at hand. She mentally noted everything he asked for. Food, weapons not requiring ammo (knives and stuff) and any medication that the others may need. She looked at the man as he then mentioned that he wanted cigarettes. Her eyebrows lifted for a brief moment.

Cigs, sir-Luca?” she asked, shaking her head a little at her mistake. Well great… Now she looked dumb, “Sure.” She added, her expression not changing from a stoic gaze. Despite the fact she felt like throwing up her guts and dying on the spot, she could not show that. Whether Luca cared about her or not, she did not care, he wanted her to do this. And he was technically her superior. He was telling her what he wanted, which was supplies. Colt could not argue with that. Even with his tone, there was a sense of familiarity. He would have made a good drill instructor.

I’ll tell them.” she responded, hoping that she could easily find the three men to bring with her to tell them this. Luca began telling her to avoid doing anything that would cause her or the men to get hurt. While in another climate, Colt would have rolled her eyes, she listened intensely. But when he told her that she had to come back to teach, the woman stopped for a moment.

You… want me to… teach them?” she asked, not so much in disbelief but in insecurity. She was very unsure about this. Could she do that? Colt had only ever been under command, she had never actually been in charge of anything, especially other people. He seemed to ignore her question to instruct her to focus purely on the job at hand, something that Colt agreed with. As he got up to leave, he asked her if she understood what he said. With a deep sigh, Colt pulled herself onto her feet. Her prostethic had managed to come loose from the position she sat in, and she had to fiddle with it. She had to bite her lip to suppress a scream. That sawing pain would not go away. But, she simply could not show any weaknesses. As far as the others knew, she was just hungover, that was it.

Yeah… Lemme get them,” she said, grabbing her flask and taking a long swig from it. The thought of shooting her gun made her extremely anxious. She collected the weapons, she truthfully never wanted to fire the things again. Even holding them up in the firing position scared her. She thought about the day before. How easily she fired the thing. But that was with whiskey, stress and adrenaline charging through her veins. She thought back to months ago, back in July. Like a scared dog, she had pretty much spent the 4th of July in a troubled fetal position under the table, distraught from the shower of fireworks exploding outside her apartment, as far as her alcohol-sodden mind was concerned, they were not fireworks but grenades and gunfire. It took her days to completely calm down... and a shitload of booze. Shaking those memories from her head, Colt, using the support of the door, poked her head inside.

Marcus! Ivan! Owen! Out here! Now!” she called into the lodge as she went outside to wait. She hoped to get back soon enough. She was hungry, having not eaten since the day before. And frankly, she wished someone else could lead them. But… she was assigned to. So that was it.

--------------
Luca watched as the woman contemplated what he had told her. When she asked him about the cigarettes, the man knew exactly what was going through her mind. His thought process was, if they were going where there was food, then there must be cigarettes too. Did he want her to go out of her way for him? Absolutely. Luca loved his cigarettes. Did she absolutely have to? In a life or death situation, absolutely not. Only Colt and the company she took could decide on what the right move was at the time, ultimately.

When she yelled for the three men, Luca winced slightly. Her voice was loud, booming; it was as though she had been in the army at some point. Her aggressiveness was on full display, but it seemed as though she knew of what to do and was ready to act on that as soon as possible. Within the same minute, Luca finished his cigarette. He contemplated tossing it onto the ground in front of the lodge, but ultimately decided against doing so. If this was going to be where he was living for an undetermined amount of time, the least he could do was try to provide some decent upkeep in any way he could muster.

All right, girl. Have at ‘em.

Then Luca took his leave, entering the house the same way he had exited it and moseying back to the kitchen for another glass of mudwater.
Maj Maj Soma Schicksal Soma Schicksal King Vioogra King Vioogra
 

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