Fantasy The Keepers {Post- Apocalyptic Fantasy}{Closed.}

[Elenion Aura]

NAME: Markus

Faction: Badger


Occupation: Guard


Location: Entrance to the Fields


Currently: Having a chat with the Witch Doctor


Tagged: @Quip a Witticism @Glass Jellyfish

He entered the Fields, flanked on either side by junior Badger Guards, both of them brandishing pistols. He, on the other hand, carried no weapon, and needed none. Eyes, steely blue and piercing, swept the Fields and absorbed the carnage before him with an even temper and a strong stomach. This had been too close. They had teetered on the brink of catastrophe before, but this particular instance had brought them closer to that ledge than they had been in recent memory.


The Witch Doctor's voice reached his ear. Soon enough, Markus caught sight of the Unaspected man and, much to the Guard's surprise, Keeper Etta up ahead.


"One more word outta you, an' ah'll throw yeh over tha' fence mahself."


Markus, thinking that the quarrelsome Badger might retort, stepped in timely to avoid an escalating conflict. Slapping a heavy hand down on the Badger's shoulder, Markus' firm grip made it very clear that any misbehavior on his watch would be met swiftly with punishment. "That's enough, now. Go on and do as the Good Doctor tells ya."


Markus watched James work for a moment, noticeably amused by the sight of the Unaspected man ordering around a Bear, no less. When the Bear Guard finally left, off to fulfill the directive meted out to him, Markus took it as his cue to step in and take a closer look at his Keeper, catching sight of the ugly wound festering on her arm. He crouched down beside James and Etta, cocking his head to his Keeper, even if she was in no state to respond in kind. "Howdy, Keep. Y'ain't lookin' so good."


"Got'a ge' yeh teh the Firs' Gate."


Markus cleared his throat when he thought that James was about to try and carry Etta to the First Gate himself. "Now, now. Hold your horses there. Let the boys, here, carry Keeper to Medical." Markus didn't intend to take no for an answer, and made this point abundantly clear when the Badger Guards on his left and his right stepped in to assist their Keeper. "You look pretty banged up yourself." The old Badger pointed to James' bruised and swollen neck, as well as motioned to his general state of dishevelment.





"Sir."


Markus nodded, and rose to his feet, entrusting his men to escort Etta, and James, to the First Gate for James to work his magic on their Keeper. But, as their party set off toward its destination, Markus placed a hand on James' shoulder. He took care to be gentler than he had been with the Badger before, but forceful enough to merit a full-stop. Apparently ignoring the loss of half of their group, the pair of Badger Guards, with Etta dangling between them, carry on ahead toward the Medical Wing.


Markus tugged James back, bringing his lips uncomfortably close to the Doctor's ear. He whispered, barely audible. His grip on his shoulder tightened.


"Now, I reckon you've come to think that your little trick gives you some kind of diplomatic imm-un-it-y." Markus stretched out the word, syllable by syllable. He paused, inhaling sharply before continuing. "But, make no mistake. We did just fine before ya' showed up, and we'll do just fine after you've gone." Markus let the weight of his words linger in the man's ear before he pulled away, squeezing his shoulder once more for good measure before withdrawing his hand. After a brief pause, Markus' entire demeanor changed.


"Well, go on boy!" Markus chirped, a smile breaking across his worn and weathered features, and slapped James on the back. "The Black ain't gonna pull itself!"

 

[Quip a Witticism]

Location: His Examination Room

Currently: Beginning the Process of Pulling the Black

​

James hadn't been expecting that- for someone to step and give the orders. Honestly, he would be lying if he said he wasn't relieved at the sudden arrival of an authoritative figure, but at the same time, it made the anger within James' stomach wroth. Etta was injured, not dead.


"That's enough, now. Go on and do as the Good Doctor tells ya." He didn't know why, but it felt somewhat.. condescending. Still, it got the Badgers off his back, and that was what James needed right now. He made sure to prop Etta up just a little more, letting her lean her body weight against his. He just needed to get her to the First Gate, and everything would be fine.


"Howdy, Keep. Y'ain't lookin' so good." James shot the man a sharp glower- yup, definitely condescending. He felt his jaw habitually snap closed, and the muscles around his jaws visibly clenched and tightened. Unfortunately, the base of his neck was freshly agitated due to the amount of effort he'd put into speaking, and the action that normally would have comforted him now cause him physical discomfort. He didn't have time to play this guy's game, so he reached over to scoop up Etta from where she was standing.





"Now, now. Hold your horses there. Let the boys, here, carry Keeper to Medical." Did this guy seriously just...? James felt his jaw clench together tighter when the two Badgers stepped forward, and suddenly he felt surrounded. Slowly he turned to look up at the man- to really look at him. He was larger, and older- he had a face James could have sworn he'd seen coming in through the gates, but he wasn't sure he'd been specifically through his examination room. James watched as the other man's eyes fell to his neck, and he almost raised a hand instinctively to cover his wound. "You look pretty banged up yourself."





That made James shiver a little- the man motioned to his whole body, and looked him up and down. Jaw clenching painfully tight, he was suddenly aware of the fact that he was soaking wet, without a shirt on, and his back stung in specific places- signalling he'd suffered a few scratches from the gravel earlier. For a second, James thought he would shoot out a retort- but realized that it was far too late, and the two men were already taking Etta away. Instead, James found himself stepping towards the other man whilst the Badger's eyes were not on them, and looked up hard into his face, getting in close.


"Thanks." He wasn't sure if it was the wound, but his response came out low and grated. James made sure to look directly into the other man's eyes, not daring to break eye contact. If this guy was going to play the condescending game, James wasn't going to submit to the part of the defeated man. Instead, he kept eye contact with him, right up until he sidestepped around him, and rushed back to Etta's side. She was slipping- her complexion was paling too quickly. He scolded himself for getting distracted, and letting the frustration of the day get to him like this. Etta needed medical assistance, and James' hatred towards people right now would have to wait. Or, at least, he thought it could wait. But just as he had decided to put all of his effort and focus back into Etta, the man gripped his shoulder with force, enough to make him stop, and it jerked his neck a little. He winced, without meaning to, as both he and the man came to a stop, and James felt him lean in close to his ear.





"Now, I reckon you've come to think that your little trick gives you some kind of diplomatic imm-un-it-y." The words made him shudder- but not because of the threatening undertones, no. He was speaking so quietly, and his breath tickled the threat at him, nearly inaudible. That, and his hand was still planted firmly on his shoulder. "But, make no mistake. We did just fine before ya' showed up, and we'll do just fine after you've gone." James gave a sharp intake of breath, fury taking his senses. A small, nearly silent sarcastic laugh left his lips, and he shook his head a little.





"Wotever helps you sleep a' nigh'." His reply was bitter, if not completely unexpected- perhaps the events of the day had finally made him snap. Though he had just barely whispered it, he turned his head slightly to look the man in the eyes again, and shot him a forced grin, accompanied by a sour look as he finally made the move to release him. However, he managed to give James another stern squeeze, shooting pain up through his neck- a small sound of discomfort left his throat, and he was finally let go.





"Well, go on boy!" James pretended to nod, but didn't really, and he rushed to meet back up with the group carrying Etta. "The Black ain't gonna pull itself!" He was right, it wasn't. And it suddenly dawned on him- this man had wasted some of the very valuable time James had left to pull the Black easily from Etta. Whoever this guy was, he didn't appear to have any compassion for the position that Etta was in. Unfortunately for him, that only made James even more determined to get her back on her feet.


--------





The rest of the trip went smoothly, and as a result it was rather quiet- something James really and truly appreciated. He wouldn't be able to talk too much, even if he wanted to. Still- Etta was fading faster than he anticipated, which reminded him of one of his previous theories he had been exploring whilst out in his old camp. The idea that 'Full-Term' crags carried an advanced 'strain' of the Black. He hadn't been able to prove it, and had ultimately forgotten about his medical theory, but seeing Etta pale so quickly in the hands of the Badgers that carried her to his medical room had served as a reminder.


Actually, it had been his mother that had suggested the correlation between time and the advancement of the Black. She was an absolutely brilliant woman- James remembered her talking with their Keeper one day about it. About how she believed that the Climbers, Jumpers, and Abominations were actually super advanced versions of the Black infection- super advanced, she said, by time. She seemed to think that the Climbers could possibly be around fifty years old- whereas the Jumpers were more like one hundred.


James wanted to cry out and tell everyone to have more faith in him- however, there had been a reason as to why he hd forgotten his mother's theory. James hasn't needed to cure a Bite from a Climber or a Jumper since he first arrived here, three years ago. In fact, he doesn't think he's ever cured an actual bite before within these walls. He mostly pulled the Black from wounds that had been exposed to Crag blood- in a Camp of Fortitude, there was no need to get up close and personal. It was no wonder people believed Etta was a dead woman- James hadn't had the opportunity to prove that he could pull from a bite. Still, that man he'd met out in the yard seemed to be relishing in the chaos. Finally, they reached his room, and James quickened his pace to rush through the door before the Badgers, scanning his room.


They'd done what he asked them to do- his duffle bag was sitting neatly in the center of the room, and there were fresh sheets on his hospital bed.


"Pu' the lass there." He instructed, voice weary. The Badgers took the chance to send him one last, incredulous glance, and James could have sworn he saw the other one laughing at him when he turned away. It took everything James had to ignore him and focus on his pants instead. James fumbled with the waistline as he walked, leaning down to unzip the duffle bag and reach inside.





"Ge' ou'." He ordered flatly, after Etta had been placed rather unceremoniously onto a chair, making him grind his teeth with rage. These people had no respect.





"You can't do it, you know." The man who had laughed at him stated, rather plainly. "She's a dead woman, and you're a fraud." James pulled a fresh pair of pants from his tattered duffle bag, and didn't even look back at the man before he responded.





"Ge' the fuck ou'." Snickering followed his snapping reply, before the sound of the two men exiting the room and slamming the door behind him could be heard. James was finally left to his own devices, back inside the safety of his own space. Instantly he reached around the bag for an extra pair of undergarments, and retreated into the attached bathroom to change out of his wet clothes. He was almost finished with this task when Etta called to him from her spot on the chair, causing James' teeth to gnash yet again.





“On my dresser.. there’s a pair of gardening gloves. Give.. please give them to Grant, he’s a farmer here. I know that my possessions will belong to the Compound but I borrowed them from him, I meant to return them today. Tell him I’m sorry.”





"No." He bit back, finally getting a clean pair of pants on and barreling out of the bathroom again. "I won' do it." James replied, cooly, and reached into his duffle bag once again. Fishing out an old, ratty jacket, he threw it over his shoulders and onto his body.

"Yeh can get 'em yerself, an' yeh can give 'em back to 'im yerself. You're going to be fine, yeh hear? No more o' tha' dyin' nonsense. Ahm no' lyin' to yeh, lass- ye've go' to trust me." James was pleading, now- he couldn't let her give up before the fight even began. His voice was shattered from physical strain, but he wasn't going to remain silent while she talked like that. He reached into his duffle bag for a third time, this time the sound of clinking jars and metallic objects could be heard.





"Ah've pulled from a worse bite than tha'." He admitted, grabbing out several small jars filled with dried herbs and roots. "An he was on death's door 'fore I go' to 'im." Placing the jars down onto the table- James turned back to his bag, periodically pulling strange chemistry devices and numerous other jars out, including gauze and tape.





"It'll be hard, bu' you'll make it. Yeh won' remember much of tomorrow or the day after." He explained- it was for that reason that everyone always called him a Witch Doctor. First off, no one who wasn't infected would be allowed to enter his room. Secondly, the majority of the process wouldn't be remembered by those he did pull the Black from- leaving victims to blearily explain flashes of his so called 'witchcraft' to others upon waking up in the Medical Wing.





"Bu' you'll be fine. I promise."

@Glass Jellyfish @Elenion Aura

Unfortunately for him, that only made James even more determined to get her back on her feet. James

 

[Noivian]

Ray

Faction | Location | Action


Otter | Field | Giving Orders

​

"Up to the Ship Tower, go an' fetch anyone who needs medical atention. Make sure yeh find Caleb- I don' know if he had time to ge' checked ou' or no'- but yeh make sure he gets healed 'fore he does anythin' else. Send 'em out to Ray..... someone find Laila, an' ge' the other healers together."


Ray snorted, recognizing Jim's voice. While Ray wasn't about to ignore Caleb's injuries, whatever they may be, he certainly didn't want to comply with James, simply out of spite for what the unsaspected man did. Otter nature won out, however, and he stood from where he had been crouched by the man with the formerly broken arm that had been healed. He clapped his hands together to get the attention of everyone in the yard. "Okay! Everyone who was out here during the attack needs to get to the Medical Wing ASAP, regardless of if you actually were injured. Need to check for bites and all that. And don't try to tell me you weren't bitten, because I won't believe you until you get checked out."


The assembled group started to disperse from where they had gathered around Etta, some going to pick up their fallen comrades and help them to the Medical Wing, while others made their way there on their own, the gaits of the guards ranging anywhere from limps to what could be considered marching. The farmers involved generally grumbled under their breaths about this being a waste of time, but Ray shot them a glare that shut down their complaining.


Order. Peace. Stability. This is how Ray liked the Compound. It offered so much more protection than a roaming camp did. Even when breaches like this happened, everyone was together and could clean it up quickly. Looking over his shoulder at the now mostly empty fields, Ray figured someone would have to start delegating responsibilities now that both Keepers were dead. Ray guessed that someone would step up after a while, but who would lead until then? Who would lead once someone worked up enough common sense to put a bullet in Etta's head?


Only time will tell. Ray made his way back to the Medical Wing.







Tagged;; @Quip a Witticism @Glass Jellyfish @JustWhipIt

 

[Glass Jellyfish]

▤ETTA GRAY▤
╔Location: First Gate ● Currently: A little bit better ● Tagged: @Quip a Witticism ╗

Alright witch doctor, do your worse Etta

​

"No." Etta jolted slightly in surprise as James barreled out of the door. He continued coolly "I won' do it. Yeh can get 'em yerself, an' yeh can give 'em back to 'im yerself. You're going to be fine, yeh hear? No more o' tha' dyin' nonsense. Ahm no' lyin' to yeh, lass- ye've go' to trust me."


She stared at him trying to read his face and see if he was bluffing or not. While she knew the Black could be pulled she’d never heard of someone surviving a bite, let alone a climber bite. Not only that she wasn’t even sure if it had been too long since she was first bitten. As James rummaged through his duffel bag he continued "Ah've pulled from a worse bite than tha'. An he was on death's door 'fore I go' to 'im. It'll be hard, bu' you'll make it. Yeh won' remember much of tomorrow or the day after. Bu' you'll be fine. I promise." He looked like he seriously believed he could save her..


Etta contemplated his words for awhile before giving a small hint of a smile, her confidence returning. “I’m sorry James, I have full confidence in your abilities”, she spoke truthfully, he had saved many a Badger guard before, “I guess the crowd rubbed off on me a bit.” She frowned, remembering the way the Badger guards had disobeyed her. That had been what truly shook her up. She had felt powerless, not to mention the Compound didn’t have the time for insubordination. “Even so it doesn’t help much if the Compound still treats me like a dead woman” she huffed annoyed. It would take some work to regain the trust of the entire Badger force. Her composure regained, Etta was herself again, at least a more tired self. Somehow she could guess that she wouldn’t be feeling so sleepy after going through the painful process of drawing the Black. “Alright witch doctor, do your worse” she quipped, holding out her wrist.

 

[Quip a Witticism]

Location: His Examination Room

Currently: Finishing the Process of Pulling the Black

​

Sighing softly and placing the last jar onto the counter, he made his way over to Etta. Scooping her up as carefully as he could, he took her over to the hospital bed instead. Considering how rudely they'd dropped her down into that chair, James wasn't going to let her move to his hospital bed on her own. Very delicately, with a medical practitioners light hand, he placed her down onto the hospital bed and pulled the sheets up around her. Rubbing a thumb thoughtfully under his nose, James turned back to the sink and gave her a chance to get comfortable.


“I’m sorry James, I have full confidence in your abilities”, she began, and James suddenly felt relieved. Being a doctor was pressure enough- but if even the patient didn't have confidence in his abilities, then the pressure to save her would be agonizing. “I guess the crowd rubbed off on me a bit.” Oh, right. People.


"Fuck 'em." James said suddenly, without thought, and realized that his response was entirely unlike him. He rarely showed emotion- so why was the only thing that was coming out of his mouth bitter and angry? Frustration filled his stomach as he made his way to the sink, pulling a clean metal basin off the counter and cracking the faucet on, waiting for the water to warm.


“Even so it doesn’t help much if the Compound still treats me like a dead woman” James grunted out a response- he wasn't sure it was safe to say anything else, to be honest. He wasn't usually an irritable man, but something in him had snapped earlier that afternoon. While he waited, he went back to his duffle bag, and searched around the bottom. Pulling out a large, strange package wrapped in what appeared to be a leather satchel. James placed it onto one of the counters to the opposite end of the room, and proceeded to unlatch it. He reached into one of the counter's many drawers, and pulled out two small containers. Stuffing his hand into the satchel, James pulled out several darkened strips, and filled the first container, before putting one small strip into the second.


“Alright witch doctor, do your worse” James winced, deciding not to respond to that notion, and instead took to clenching his jaw together. That is, until the now familiar pain of his wound screamed out that it was, in fact, still very much so there. Clearing his throat gently, James stifled a cough, and grimaced heavily.


"This stuff is called pemmican."

He began, his voice cracking far worse than before. Turning around and taking the container over to Etta, he handed it to her with an insistent expression. James took a second to let her get settled with it, then proceeded to rush back over to his basin and fill it with warm water. "Its made ou'ta dried venison- deer." While deer was a rare, fleeting commodity around here, James usually traded with passing hunters for extra cuts whenever they came through. "Tha', an' its go' some herbs an' other plants to keep up yer strength. Ah need yeh to eat as much as yeh can now- in a few hours, yeh'll be nauseous."





Making Pemmican and surviving off it was a technique that he'd learned whilst living out in the wild with his mobile camp. The drying process was infinitely useful- they could store food for the winter, and it would never go bad. It held essential proteins and other nutrients that the body needs, and thus it was the perfect survival must have. James wandered over to his small strip, and took a couple of bites, before he left the other half of it abandoned in its container.


Turning the water off, James snatched up a clean rag and rushed over to Etta, ever so softly gripping her wrist. He slipped the cloth into the smooth, warm water, and examined the wound- it appeared to have opened multiple times, but had clotted again on their trip over here. A small black line could be seen forming down the center of her fore arm, and James rang the cloth and quickly went to work cleaning the wound.


Speaking in a hoarse, rough whisper just loud enough for Etta to hear, James tried to think of a good way to explain the next couple of days.


"It ain' witchcraft," he began, thoughtful,"Its science...sorta." Ugh, how to explain the process to someone outside of the family? Usually the men and women that came back in with the Black from the gates were too far gone or unconscious, thus giving him little opportunity to talk. "The Black ain' a sickness, it's smarter than tha'. Its like a.. well, the only word ah can think o' is plant. It starts off as a seed, tryin' teh grow a root, see?" James said with his voice grating, gently lifting up her now clean arm, and brushing the tip of his pointer finger gently along the black line forming up her arm.


"The root is the problem. If yeh le' it take root inside yer body, it'll take you. Imagine it like a weed- the only way teh ge' rid of it is teh pull the whole thing ou', or else it'll keep coming back. If yeh pull ou' the root, yeh pull ou' the weed." He said, bringing his soiled cloth over to the far corner of the room, where a large metal box lay, and tossed the rag into its open maw. Grabbing a surgical table on wheels, James snatched up several jars, some gauze, some tape, and a glass. Filling the glass with fresh, cold water and placing it onto the surgical table, James wheeled it over to Etta and handed it to her.





"The trick is to no' le' the root take form inside the body. If yeh can trick it into forming outside of the skin, yeh can pull it ou'." He finished, still whispering through the gritting flame in his throat. That was where his herbs and concoctions came in- to simulate the perfect 'bodily environment' on the outside of her skin to draw the root out. Tricking the Black wasn't easy, though, and it required quite a bit of constant alert and work on his part. He wouldn't be sleeping for a while, that's for sure. At least the seed line appeared to be fairly close to the top of her skin, so with a little attentiveness, he could probably pull it with little physical repercussions on Etta's end.


James cracked three jars on the surgical table open, and reached over to snag a set of disposable gloves.


"Yeh ready, lass?" He asked, a flash of concern flying over to his features. It was now or never- and it was not going to be easy, on either of them.


----Time Skip Initiated.Two and a Half days Later.----


James had found a particularly comfortable spot on the floor, and he sat with his back up against the the wall. His legs were spread eagle at awkward angles- with one knee up and the other lying haphazardly on the floor. His hair was disheveled, and he'd abandoned his jacket some time ago to don on a grey muscle shirt instead. When had that been? Nine hours ago? Ten? Whatever. He hadn't slept, so he didn't suppose it mattered anyway. It felt like he'd only just put up a barricade on his door, and had only just mixed up the herbal dressing and strapped it to Etta's wrist. But... James knew that couldn't possibly be right- because he was on the edge of pulling that damn root out. His face was both flushed and red at the same time, pupils dilated from dehydration and exhaustion. His vision wasn't cooperating- sometimes it would split, other times it would blur in and out of focus, but mostly it just felt like he was attempting to function whilst looking through a cloudy glass.


How long had he been sitting here? Maybe an hour, or.. two? James would have physically tried to shake the confusion from his mind, but he didn't want to waste the energy. He was so damn close. Just a little longer. Etta had flown into a vicious feverish state some time after he'd begun the process of Pulling the Black, and she had been out for the majority of the time. However, she'd been waking up periodically as of late. He wasn't sure if she was conscious right now- because to be honest, he wasn't entirely conscious himself. When was the last time he had anything to eat, or drink? Perhaps a day ago, as that was when the Black started seeping in through the gauze, and it was no longer safe for him to do so,


James felt the cold of the concrete wall on the back of his neck, and his sluggish gaze shifted back to Etta- he needed to check on her again. He had been 'resting' for far too long. James lifted his hand to rub the back of it at his cheek, and found himself shaking terribly. Scolding himself for his weakness, he placed both his hands down onto the frozen floor beneath him, and struggled to push himself up and onto his feet. A sudden dizzy spell swept over him, and he stumbled as he stood, reaching out to grasp desperately at the walls. Clenching his teeth together, he swallowed the vertigo, and attempted to make his eyes focus on the room. The metal box was filled with blacked gauze, soiled herbal dressings, bloodied rags, and a few shirts of his own that came into contact with the Black. Jars were strewn all over the room, some left open, others only meekly screwed shut, and rags were tossed over every inch of counter space. Taking in a deep breath, James ignored the chaos and forced himself to stand up straight, taking weary strides over to Etta.


So damn close, don't you quit now.


His vision swam, and his stomach screamed for something, anything, to fill it.


Don't you fucking dare.


James felt sweat fall down his forehead, and he brought his shaky hand up to wipe at it, before he dunked his hands in a basin filled with soapy water, and rubbed them clean. Grabbing a rag, James tried to still his own breathing- but his raspy breaths had a mind of their own as he fumbled with the gauze around Etta's wrist. Almost there, they had to be almost there- he wouldn't be this fucked up if it hadn't been a couple of days, at the very least. His eyesight floundered, and he had to take a moment to get himself together again. After what felt like forever for him, he finally managed to get the gauze undone and he took in a deep, shuddering breath.


Please let it have migrated.


James gently pulled the gauze apart, revealing the herbal dressing beneath, peeling the sticky substance from her wound. Closing his eyes for a second, he let himself try to get his mind to focus on his task, before reopening them and peering down at it.


There, sitting in the center of the bottom teeth impressions, was a large, fat black root, protruding out from her skin. James would have cried out, had he not lost his voice some hours ago.


Finally. James wasted no time, grabbing the pair of tweezers that he'd laid out atop his surgical table, and positioned them over Etta's wound. Carefully, ever so carefully, James reached down with his tweezers, and wrapped them around the width of the root. All he had to do was pull the damn thing out, now- and Etta was home free. He swallowed thickly, painfully, focusing the last of the energy he had, and slowly plucked the parasite out of Etta's wrist. James gave a sound of relief when it came out whole without any resistance, and he placed it down into the soiled gauze he'd just pulled off of Ettas wrist. Wrapping it up inside it, James grabbed the last of his herbal dressing, and tossed both the items into his box. Numbly, he stumbled over to the sink, and pulled open the cabinet beneath it, grabbing out a can of gasoline.


He wasn't sure how long it took him to gather everything infected up into the metal box, nor how long it took him to set the contents ablaze, but the scent of smoke and fire lifting up into his nostrils breathed a new sense of urgency into him. Making his way stiffly to the door, he knocked out his barricade, and tossed the door open to his room, allowing the smoke a place to escape. James was entirely unsurprised at the large gathering of people outside his door, and he raised a weakened hand up to rub through his locks.


"Ge' her ou' to medical. She's clear." James, somehow managing to find his voice, called out to the crowd, who responded in cries of shock and disbelief.


"Someone send fer a healer." He forced out, attempting to make himself seem as if he were fine. People around him said words, he thought, but he didn't have the concentration enough to hear them. He brought a hand consciously up to his throat- the bruise around it was no doubt monstrous by now, and he didn't feel like letting people stare.

@Glass Jellyfish @Elenion Aura @Casssiopeiaaa @JustWhipIt @sealdust @Semblance

Whatever. He hadn't slept, so he didn't suppose it mattered anyway. James

 

[scoorpiuuss]

Laila Mendoza

tag ;; @Semblance


location ;; South Wing

"You're good now." She said, removing her hands from the badger's over arm. The guy had stopped by her this noon for healing on a wound that he didn't want to share how he got. Laila hadn't asked either. Lately her mind had been in other places than caring about her patients. She couldn't stop thinking about how she hadn't seen Jim since the day the compound got attacked. When she had tried to ask after him people had just told her that he was busy pulling black from the badger keeper, but it wasn't like Jim to not stop by her while pulling black. Sometimes he would need healing himself, and Laila had always been the one he had gone to. Now she hadn't seen him at all, and it was strange. If she wasn't busy worrying about Jim, she would worry about Kaden. She had seen him, but they hadn't talked much to each other. Laila wanted him to change his mind and let her help him, but it didn't look like he wanted anything to do with her right now. Maybe he needed time, but she was afraid that something would happen if she gave him time. Lately there had been so much talk about him strangling Jim. People wanted him thrown out or arrested, and she couldn't let that happen, but Kaden didn't want her help.


"Thank you." The Badger replied, waking Laila up from her thoughts. "No need to thank me." She said, and walked with him over to the door so she could open it up for him. She was tired of staying in the Medical Wing. After the attack she had been put on extra shifts. There had been some people that had gotten seriously injured, and one of them had even died on the table while they had been healing. It had been stressful. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened, where she had spent hours trying to save lives, but with everything going on with Jim and Kaden it was really tearing on her, making it extra stressful.


Laila walked down the hall of the Medical Wing with the badger, following him out to the South Wing. "Oh look, the famous otter who let many people lie in the fields hurt to run to her beloved cheetah." The comment was harsh, and she didn't get time to react before the badger who had said it had his hand around her wrist. The badger she had just healed and two others were standing around her in the South Wing trying their best to drag her down with their words. She tried pulling her hand back to herself, but the badger's grip around it was tight. "You know that he'll get thrown out and maybe you will as well for running away. People died and you could've saved them." There was a growing lump in her throat now as she thought about what they were saying. What if it was true? What if she could've saved people, but since she ran after Kaden she hadn't been able to. Could this really get her thrown out?


"Don't compliment her. Her healing skills aren't good enough to save lives." The badger who she had just healed said. The people who were walking by didn't seem to mind the fact that Laila was standing there completely helpless and getting verbally abused by the badgers. This was reminding her an awful lot about the times as a teenager where she had gotten bullied because she apparently wasn't a real otter. "Please, let me go." She begged as she tried to get out of the badgers grip again. Had all of this been a set up for Laila to heal one of them and then attacking her right after? Maybe that was why the badger hadn't told her how he had gotten hurt, or was she just overthinking this. "Listen to her. You're such a coward, just like your cheetah." He let her wrist go, but pushed her away from them causing her to stumble backwards and struggle to find her balance.

 

[Noivian]

Ray

Faction | Location | Action


Otter | Medical Wing | Heading out

​

The smell of smoke through the halls hit him before the Badger made it to the Medical Wing. Initially, Ray thought the Compound had caught on fire, but the guard running through the door spoke otherwise.


"Someone, come quickly! Etta's been cured and need healing!"


Bullshit, she'd been cured. Ray had to see this for himself. He pointed to the sink. "Get me a bucket of water and follow quickly," he instructed the Badger guard, brushing past him as Ray briskly made his way down the halls to the First Gate.


There was quite the crowd gathered, and Ray realized that he'd probably have to shove his way through. With an angry glare and squared shoulders, Ray carved his path through the crowd. Spotting James, it wasn't hard to tell that the bruise on his neck was giving him trouble, both socially and physically. It looked angry, to the point where it almost looked like his neck was painted purple. Ray typically wouldn't talk with Jim, but seeing people injured compelled the Otter in him to offer advice. "You should get that looked at. Not by me; I'm going to be busy with Etta, but definitely stop by the Medical Wing." With that, Ray brushed past Jim and into the room.


Inside the room, a box full of medical supplies was burning. Ray narrowed his eyes at this; so this was the source of the smoke. It made him cough: Etta couldn't stay in here. She's need to be moved to the Medical Wing, but first Ray needed to heal the bite wound. When the Badger arrived after him with his bucket, Ray waved his hands to dispel some of the smoke, rolling up the sleeves on his turtleneck sweater and dipping his hands into the water, drawing them out with watery gloves over them. Looking over the bite wound on Etta's wrist, Ray was surprised by how clean it looked, and how there was an odd absence of Black from the wound... that couldn't be right. What had Jim done in here? It actually looked like Etta was cured. Ray had been counting the days; only four more to go. Already, Etta was displaying high fevers, Ray could tell when he lightly grasped her wrist, his healing ability coming into play as her wound slowly closed itself and healed up. The bite wasn't terribly deep, thankfully, and there were no broken bones, so it should have been a speedy recovery.


If only she hadn't been bitten.


Wiping away any leftover dead skin and blood with the water coating his hands, Ray let the water drop to the floor, shaking the last of the droplets from his fingers. Unlocking the wheels on the hospital bed, Ray maneuvered it towards the door, nodding for the Badger guard from before to clear a way through the crowd. Ray could tell this wouldn't look good for Etta's reputation, being wheeled through the compound on a stretcher, but it was what had to be done to move here. There was no way he was letting anyone touch this woman until she actually died and they needed to burn her body.


When he arrived at the Medical Wing with Etta, Ray caught the tail end of a group of three Badgers picking on Laila. His glare, which hadn't let up since he approached the First Gate, deepened. "HEY," Ray barked out, voice stern and sharp, "Leave the girl alone. Don't you three have anything productive to do?" he asked, not really expecting an answer, and at the same time not wanting to fight. If looks could kill, the entire compound would be dead at this point with the look Ray gave the group. He wheeled the bed into a position by the sink a good distance away from the other beds, locking the wheels again. "Laila, Jim needs you by the First Gate. That bruise on his neck is probably internal bleeding, and it's been sitting for three days."







Tagged;; @Casssiopeiaaa @Quip a Witticism @Glass Jellyfish

 

[Semblance]

CHEETAH

OCCUPATION: Guard (Bear)?


LOCATION: East Wing (his room) South Wing


TAGS: @Casssiopeiaaa

Sweat poured down his face as Kaden threw another punch at the dummy, followed by two more successive hooks. The blazing sun shone through his bedroom window in the East Wing, emphasizing his muscular torso and the various scars that covered his body. The kill marks along his arm looked even more prominent from his sweat beneath the bright sunlight, although looking at them only made him feel more nostalgic for his Cheetah camp.

The cloth dummy was practically dismembered at this point, as all Kaden had been doing in the past two days was practice his fighting. Normally, he would have trained with one of the other Guards in the Training Grounds, but rumors about what had happened on the Livestock field had spread like wildfire. Kaden couldn't go anywhere in the Compound without judgmental looks, angry glares, or looks of fear. The only time he had left his room was to eat, shower, or clear his head at the top of the Ship Tower. It wasn't that he was afraid of the rumors, but more so that he needed time to process the recent events, and the whispers didn't exactly help his attempts at soul-searching.


In fact, he didn't even know if he was still a Guard or not. He remembered seeing Etta getting bit by a Crag, so he had assumed that his punishment was simply being postponed. Wondering if Jim had succeeded in curing their Keeper, Kaden couldn't help but let his mind replay the events of that fateful day over and over. He must have done something right in his past life, because he hadn't see the Witch Doctor at all yet, and he didn't know what he would say or do if he did bump into him. Luckily for Kade, James had locked himself up in his examination room with Etta to do his job.


The Cheetah's thoughts naturally wandered back to his brief conversation with Laila when she had followed him to his room after the strangling. Although he had seen her occasionally around the Compound, their encounters mainly consisted of polite greetings and small talk. He had made a conscious effort to keep his distance from the Otter, deciding that it was the best course of action for both of them, but that didn't keep her from constantly appearing in his thoughts.


After a few more punches followed by a final roundhouse kick, Kaden sat down onto his bed, the metal springs creaking at the sudden weight. He unwrapped the torn gauze from around his fists, which he had used as makeshift boxing gloves, and tossed them onto the floor. He threw on his sweaty black shirt and opened the wooden door of his room just as his stomach growled. He made his way through the corridor and down the stairs of the East Wing until he reached the Training Grounds. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, the Bears who were sparring stopped to look at him, their looks clearly filled with resentment. "What are you looking at?" Kade retorted hostilely as he walked across the arena. Couldn't a Cheetah just get some food in this place?


When he reached the exit, however, he was about to turn towards the Mess Hall when the loud voices of a few Badgers caught his attention. Kaden's piercing gaze filled with anger when he saw Laila in the middle of the group, clearly being targeted for her actions during that day on the field. Guilt shot through him as he realized that he was the reason for this injustice, but the guilt was quickly replaced by fury when he saw a Badger grab the Otter's wrist. The look of helplessness and fear on her face was all he needed to quickly close the gap between himself and the Badgers.


"What do you think you're doing?" Kade shouted angrily, grabbing the Badger's arm and ripping it away from Laila's wrist. Keeping a tight grip on the Guard's arm, Kaden shoved the Badger as hard as he could into the wall behind him. The Guard stumbled backwards and hit his back against the metal wall, a look of shock then anger on his face "You think I'm a coward? Why don't you say that to my face instead of gossiping around like little girls and targeting an Otter? I could rip your throat out right now if I wanted to," he said, his voice filled with hostility, as his scathing gaze pierced the man's eyes. "Too bad your sorry ass isn't worth a second of my time. Otherwise, I would actually enjoy it."


"Look who it is. Cheetah coming to the rescue," another Badger sneered from behind him.


"What are you going to do? Choke him?" his friend added with a smirk.


Kaden turned around to face the two Badgers, his eyes cold and emotionless. "Get the fuck out of here before I--" His words were cut off as the Badger he had thrown into the wall lunged at him from behind, followed by angry yelling. The Cheetah tumbled to the ground along with the Badger, but Kade quickly tossed his opponent to the side before the Badger could pin him to the ground. Instinctively using the air to aid his movements, he instantly straddled the Guard and punched him square in the cheekbone. Pain bursted throughout his fist as his flesh came into contact with hard bone, realizing that this wasn't like punching a cloth dummy, but the pain barely fazed him. He knew that the situation would probably be twisted to make him look even worse than he already did, but somehow he didn't care. All Kaden could think about in that moment was the Badger laying his filthy hands on Laila.


He threw another punch at the Badger, on the other cheekbone this time, when he saw from the corner of his eyes the Guard's two friends quickly coming up from behind the Cheetah. However, Kade was gone before they could even touch him. The wind swiftly carried him away from the mess he had created. He had lost his appetite and he needed to get away from everything, as his current mental state was certainly not the ideal time to risk anymore encounters.

 

[scoorpiuuss]

Laila Mendoza

tag ;; @Semblance @Quip a Witticism


location ;; Medical Wing

It all happened so fast when Kaden showed up. The badger was pinned to the wall and Kaden was threatening him. In the next second they were on the ground and he was punching the badger. This wasn't right, even if they had just been verbally bullied her, it didn't feel right. "Kaden." Laila said, walking over to stop him, but she didn't get very far as he was gone in the matter of seconds when he had realized the other two badgers were coming for him. She hadn't gotten the chance to talk to him or calm him down before he had ran off, and she wanted to go after him, but he would just push her away again. That, and she had no idea where he had gone. "Next time we see him he's dead." One of the badgers said as he helped his friend up from the ground. "He'll get arrested for this and no one would care if they found him dead in that cell." The badger who had gotten punched said as he looked at Laila. This was why it hadn't been right of Kaden to do this, he was putting himself in more danger, but she was going to protect him even if Kaden didn't want her to.


They walked away before she got to say anything and she took a minute to collect herself after what had just happened. There was still a tingly feeling around her wrist from where the badgers fingers had dug into her skin. His grip had been tight before Kaden had stopped this all. Then she remembered what Ray had said about Jim. How Jim needed her at the first gate. Had he really asked for her help or was it just something Ray had said? Laila didn't waste another second standing there in the south wing.


Quickly she rushed down to the third gate where she got through by telling them she needed to heal Jim. Laila didn't get through the second gate as the guard quickly told her that Jim had left. He didn't even know where Jim had gone off to, and she was left there with no answer to where he was. Why had he asked for her if he wasn't even here, or had he even asked for her? Maybe he didn't even want to see her, and that was why he had walked away. Something didn't feel right about Jim, and it was worrying her. It wasn't like him to do this if he was hurt. Most of the time he would come to her even with a small injury, and now with a bad bruise he hadn't even said a single word to her. If Jim didn't stop by soon she would have to find him so she could heal his bruise, and ask him why he wasn't talking to her anymore. There had to be a reason.


She walked back to the Medical Wing, still wondering where Jim was and how Kaden was doing. This was all a big mess in her head, and she couldn't seem to focus on anything when they weren't doing good. Soon she would have to get over them somehow, but that would be difficult. Jim was her best friend, and Kaden was someone who she cared about a lot. After getting into her medical room she sat down on the patient bed, placing her hand over her forehead as she let out a deep sigh.

 

[sealdust]

occupation: metalworker / mechanic


?Every careful breath I take has a chance of sparking fire.?
​

< Ariel K ing >??< Dragon >

​

Location: South Wing


Currently: Trying to Manage the All-Important Water Canon Project | Still Grieving


Tagging: @Elenion Aura and anyone/everyone else?

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Ariel hated collaborations. However, she was charged with working together with Simon for one, which was almost unfair. Perhaps someone had brought up how she said that she trusted Simon's work the other day, and all Ariel could concentrate on was her frustration for ever verbalizing those words. She shouldn't have tried to support the Badger, not publicly, anyway. She may have liked the kid, but most of it was rooted in how he reminded her so much of her younger brother, who she was incapable of hating, even if he was fuel for her worst nightmares, being endlessly chased through forests and ruins.


Synn was gone, so Ariel's room was more quiet than usual. She hated to admit it, but she'd gotten more attached to the Dragon than she'd wanted to be. Perhaps she should have known better than to feel attached to someone so sickly. Ariel certainly knew she should have been more worried when Kaden brought her in during their most recent incident. Thoughtlessly, Ariel had assumed that Synn was going to be fine, since she was in the good hands of the Otters. The Dragon was reminded of how her brother had died, his agony before the Black overtook him entirely - that was probably close to the suffering that she'd let her roommate go through alone.


Ariel looked over with slightly red eyes to Simon, who she glared at with only half of her usual strength, and it was probably noticeable how hard she had to try to keep him at a distance. Perhaps it only looked like she was going to cry, however, since the Dragon's week was hardly working out for her.


She sighed. "We'll have the most luck getting something to work if we can find the right material. Perhaps one of us will need to go out with a team to find something suitable." It didn't have to be Simon who left though, as Ariel honestly thought it would be less dangerous for her to go, since at least she'd had experience out there before. Her eyes glanced down to her hands, as she counted down her points with her fingers for representation. "We'll also need to see if we can build additional water containers, since we don't want to use up all the available water The Compound has, even if it does seem to endlessly pour from the taps." Ariel tried to smile, aware that Simon wasn't to blame for their collaboration, but the gesture was falling a bit flat today.


It was days like these where Ariel just wanted to fight with someone, to feel the rush of anger as she verbalized her frustration with everything. It was strange to think that Etta had been a convenient outlet for her, but the Badger had been someone Ariel fought so frequently, it had a habit of allowing her to wind down a little. But Etta was dying - that's just what happened to those who caught the Black. Ariel was bothered by that thought, frustrated by the fact that she lived in a world where people died so frequently, and that somehow she wasn't as impassive to the Badger's probable death as she'd thought she'd be.


Kaden was also someone Ariel found calming, since she could express her frustrations or spar with the Cheetah, and it was just refreshing. However, rather than seeing her friend, she heard the rumors about him - the ones that detailed how he was planning to murder everyone, and that outsiders couldn't really ever be trusted. Ariel didn't really know what truly happened, but she was worried for Kaden. The Cheetah might be many things, but Ariel did not have murderer on her list. Something must have happened. Laila also had whispers about her running around the camp, but even though Ariel wasn't as close to the Otter, she knew that it was probably just backlash of Laila's concern for Kaden. The person who had healed the wound next to Ariel's shoulder peonies so attentively was not cold and uncaring.


The Dragon turned her attention back to Simon, suddenly aware that she was tuning him out by getting lost in her thoughts. She was distracted today, by concern and grief, and even if she felt relief that the camp hadn't been lost to Crags, the other day had been a reminder that The Compound could end up exactly like her home. That the people within its walls could end up like her parents or her brother. Ariel shifted uncomfortably, "It's just been a very long week." She wasn't going to apologize for her grief, but it was the closest that she got to apologizing for her distant behaviour today.

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

[Quip a Witticism]

Location: The Guard Barracks

Currently: Passed out AF

​

Everything was numb, and for a moment, he wasn't sure what to do with himself. Normally he would have waited for a healer to arrive, then made his way down to the Medical Wing to seek attention from Laila. Only she really understood how badly this usually kicked the shit out of him, considering she was the only one he saw after the grueling process. But that was just the thing, now, wasn't it? James feel into silence for a moment, standing at his door with one hand gripping the splintered doorframe, his knuckles pressing white. Laila had given up on him. His sleep deprived brain fluttered erratically to the events.. two days prior? Perhaps a little more? James could still see her expression of disbelief, and how she had turned so quickly to leave.


How could he turn to her now, when she had already turned away from him? A voice snapped him out of his thought process, and he felt himself get shoved aside from the door.


"You should get that looked at. Not by me; I'm going to be busy with Etta, but definitely stop by the Medical Wing." Was that Ray? James wasn't sure, blinking the confusion from his mind, he turned to face the man that had just shoved his way through the crowd, and made his eyes focus just long enough to get a good glimpse at him.


Yup. That was Ray. And he had been telling him to go to the Medical Wing? After what he had said earlier? James would have laughed a bitter response- but he didn't have it in him. Right now, he needed sleep, and he needed to find himself somewhere quiet to tend to his wounds. Badgers had flooded the room, carefully examining the area, just in case James missed any bit of Black. He was usually pretty good at damage control, but he appreciated a rested mind taking an interest in the matter. A couple doctors that James knew- Jocelyn and Reggie, bless them- came in and began tidying up his jars, clearing herbs from the floor, closing open jars and fixing up his tools.


The heavy smoke was starting to fade, as there was only so much that had been burning in his metal trunk, and the Badgers were making sure the flame had consumed it all. James hadn't realized, but apparently he'd begun to wander about the examination room, picking smaller jars from shelves, and stuffing them into a shoulder bag he had tucked away in a cardboard box across the room. One large jar of Hypericum, one large jar of Arnica, and milk of the poppy, just in case. He also gathered up his package of pemmican, a few extra bandages, and some tape. Voices spoke all around him, but James hadn't been paying attention to what they were saying.


"Ah need to replenish my stock." James literally croaked out, and a semi-silence fell around him. Turning to Joce, he shot her a look and gently pointed towers his duffle bag. "Can yeh move tha' over to the Medical Wing fer now? Ah'll see wot ah can ge' from there, an' then pu' in the request." Jocelyn glanced over at Reggie, who was currently sealing a jar tightly, and paused his ministrations to shoot her a look in return.


"You're not going to-" She began, but James wasn't going to hear it.


"No. Jus' ge' it ou' to the Medical Wing, an' I'll be around some time."


"Some time?" Reggie asked, incredulously.


"Sure." It was a lie, but it wasn't like it actually mattered. Hoisting the strap up onto his shoulder, James tried to pop the collar to his jacket. Reaching down into his duffle bag one last time to pull out a couple articles of clothing, James took to shoving them awkwardly into the bag hovering around his waist. He wasted to time shoving himself out the door; although the crowd parted instantly for him as he made his way down the hall. Hell, sometimes being one of the most distrusted men in the compound had its perks. At least he didn't have to try to ferry people out of his way. He didn't have the strength for that.


Nonetheless, he put on his best poker face, and set about the incredibly long journey to his place of respite.


--------





James had successfully changed out of his work clothes, and managed to sneak himself a quick shower before anyone really saw him.

It was likely that everyone was off preparing for the coming thunder storm- though if James was honest, they definitely needed the rain. Plus it would give them a moments reprieve from the onslaught of Crags at their doorstep. James wasn't sure if stragglers were still a problem or not, but he himself would welcome any sort of break from the relentless monsters that constantly clawed at their backs.


Pulling his open night vest over himself a bit, James glanced around the Barrack room he'd holed himself up in- there was a bathroom in this one, at least. The blankets were old, and the mattress had seen better days, but it would be just enough for him. Turning to face the door, he closed it as gently as he could, attempting not to alarm anyone with noise. After holding his breath, James managed to get the door shut with little shrieking, and decided that it was probably fine.


Sprawled out on a somewhat broken, teetering salvaged desk, James had already cracked the jar to his Arnica cream and Hypericum salve. Bringing a shuddering hand up to his wound, James ghosted his fingers along the edges of it, feeling the angry swell of heat beneath him.


He'd already placed a coat of Hypericum- or St. John's Wort- over the wound when he'd first exited the shower, and he would be lying if the pain of rubbing something into a bruise wasn't one of the most agonizing experiences ever to be had. It was something he needed to do though, so he'd sucked it up as best he could. Hypericum would stem further bleeding and prevent static pain, although it was the stuff he usually saved for more severe types of wounds. There were some agitating side effects, but he would sleep those off in a minute. He still had the Arnica cream, however. Arnica would redirect the blood flow, and force the blood pooled beneath his skin to dissipate.


He was no Otter, but this was the best he could do.


Reaching two fingers into the jar beneath him, James instantly felt his skin prickle with heat- Arnica cream had a side effect, too. As a result of increased blood flow to the top of the skin, it would create giant rash like patches over the skin wherever it was applied- meaning the instant he put this all around his neck, he was sure the wound would look absolutely horrific. It would help clear his bruise, but it would make it swollen and ugly in the process. It wasn't anything a few layers of clothing couldn't fix, so James began the tedious process of coating his neck with a layer of the stuff.


It took him a few, mind numbingly painful minutes, but he managed to get a good layer all around his wound, and even a little around the area. Just in time, too- his brain was shutting down. James almost regretted not eating anything after his shower, but he was too tired for that. Closing his jars of salve, James dragged himself to the bed in the Guard's Barracks, and barely even hit the mattress before he finally succumbed to sleep.

@Semblance @JustWhipIt

my bby is asleep now jfc James

 

[Semblance]

CHEETAH

OCCUPATION: Guard (Bear)


LOCATION: Guard Barracks


TAGS: @Quip a Witticism

Fury still boiled in his veins as Kaden slowed down to a brisk walk, the thought of that filthy Badger's hands on Laila still angering him. He knew that there had probably been many witnesses, and given his current reputation at the Compound, punching the Badger would certainly not help his case. However, he realized that he somehow didn't care. He would have done the same thing if given another chance.

Kade's feet naturally carried him towards the Ship Tower, as this was where he always went to clear his head. And recently, he had been needing a lot of time alone. He slowly climbed the stone staircase, keeping his breath even to not show any emotion on his face should he encounter another Badger. As he passed by the second floor, he decided to grab a sniper rifle from the Barracks on his way up to the Tower. After the recent Crag attack, he realized how rusty his aim and skills at using sniper rifles had become, so there was no harm in a little practice.


Kaden thoughtlessly opened the first door and flipped on the lights to the dark Barrack. His piercing brown eyes scanned the room for a rifle when he saw someone lying on the dusty bed. Upon closer examination, however, he recognized the Witch Doctor's face. More specifically, he noticed his ugly, swollen, purple-colored neck from when the Cheetah had strangled the man. Guilt immediately overwhelmed Kade at the sight of such intense injuries and brief flashbacks of that fateful day surfaced his mind.


Kaden quickly moved towards the door to leave the man to his rest when he saw James shuffle and open his eyes. Shit, the Cheetah cursed to himself when he realized that he had just awoken the Doctor. "Er... Sorry for waking you, I was just looking for a rifle," he said quickly, avoiding eye contact. He was eager to leave the awkward tension that he felt in the room, but he didn't want to be rude.

 

[Glass Jellyfish]

▤ETTA GRAY▤
╔Location: Kitchens ● Currently: A lotta bit better ● Tagged: @Quip a Witticism @Noivian ╗

Great idea-Let's growl in front of this cute girl Etta just met Etta's stomach

​

“-cured and needing healing!” Etta blinked at the sudden exclamation. Everything hurt but she was healed; James had cured her! Her head dipped suddenly as her consciousness faded for a second from exhaustion, when her eyes opened she noticed the back of a dark head of hair and the familiar cold touch of healing water. “Thank you Mei” the words slipped out so naturally that it didn’t even occur to her she was in the Compound and not her old camp with her former friend. A little later she dully recalled being wheeled into the medical wing. A slight feeling of mortification at having to be carted anywhere flicked through the back of Etta’s head but was quickly drowned through the continuous slipping of consciousness. She felt like she was burning up yet her wrist pain was entirely lifted thankfully. As she was let onto a bed in the medical bay Etta dozed off again, this time staying asleep.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


“We know what you’ve done”, a crowd surrounded her on all sides. She was trapped, backed to the edge of a cliff. Etta scanned the crowd for a familiar face, anyone, but she couldn’t recognize anything. They seemed to be a faceless singular entity. She tried to speak but couldn’t, tried to move but was frozen to the ground.


Suddenly there was no ground, she was falling, tumbling off the cliff. Rocks cut into her sides as she rolled down the slope. When she looked closer she came to the jarring realization they weren’t rocks. A tangled mass of crags formed the cliff face, their teeth and nails scratching against her like sharp pebbles..


_________________________________________________________________________


Etta jolted away, breathing short gasps of air. It was just a stupid dream.. She noticed her fever had broken leaving her coated in sweat, dirt, and grime from the previous days. She felt awful, but, more importantly, alive. She rolled out of bed bumping the flimsy metal cot against the bed noisily. What time was it? She peered around for any hint of the time of day but there was nothing to go by.


An otter opened the door and timidly walked inside.


“Oh! You’re awake already?” she hung awkwardly back as if unsure what to do. “Uhh I need to.. I think there is still some check ups to be done. Actually I’ll get you a glass of water first, you look parched! Stay right here!” she scurried away undoubtedly to find someone who knew what to do with Etta. Not that Etta was going to stay, she was the Keeper and didn’t have time to be sleeping in the medical wing at whatever time it was. She set her feet solidly against the ground and checked outside her room for any tremors of another Otter. Satisfied the coast was clear she quietly slipped away.


Etta breathed a silent thanks that her quarters were so close to the medical wing. She had successfully managed to traverse the hallway without anyone noticing, she really did not feel like talking to anyone in her current state. As she neared her room she stopped, pausing at the Bear Keeper’s quarters close by. The door was ajar and the room was barren except for furniture. Sudden realization dawned on her, she finally recalled the agitated bears from after the crag attack relaying Nicole’s demise. Etta was unsure how to feel about it, the Bear Keeper had always been infuriating to Etta but she certainly didn’t deserve that. Face hardened she realized that the Compound would desperately need her to lead until a new Badger Keeper was appointed, she would definitely need to call a meeting to give a plan of action. However that was to be worried about later, Etta turned away and, pulling the key to her door from her pocket, entered her room.


Etta’s room was simple and sparse. A small dresser sat in the corner to store a few possessions, spare clothing, and the gardening gloves set upon it’s tarnished surface. To the right was a single bed with a tattered but clean quilt, a small flower pot holding a marigold, and on the wall was a clock, a rare find, she noted it was almost noon. Tugging off her flannel jacket, blouse, jeans, then undergarments Etta plopped them all unceremoniously in a heap on her floor. They were covered in dirt and crag blood, to the point they couldn’t even be used as cleaning rags. She sighed at the waste knowing she’d have to burn them later. Finally she entered her private bathroom and enjoyed a refreshing, if not chilly shower.


Etta washed quickly then hurried out of the bathroom and tugged on a tank top and cargo pants. Cruel pricks of hunger had finally hit her, the dull ache empty stomach reminded her she hadn’t eaten in days. She strode down the stairwell and walked purposefully towards the kitchens, this time through pure luck she was not stopped by any inquisitive guards. Peeking into the mess hall the sight of workers cleaning up the tables reinforced her fears, she had missed lunch. Desperately Etta tested the kitchen door. Luck was on her side again as she noticed it was unlocked and she slipped in surprised at her daring-ness. Only kitchen workers were allowed there, even as Keeper she was technically breaking the rules although she doubted anyone would care but herself. Hunger was simply too great a motivation.


She spotted a red headed kitchen worker in the back, a new member to the compound. Hopefully the woman was new enough she wouldn’t think much of Etta breaking into the kitchen. Feeling oddly tongue-tied Etta finally spoke. “Is there anything left from lunch?” Her stomach betrayed her and growled loudly making Etta flush with embarrassment.

 

[JustWhipIt]

Location


Outside the Common Room

Status


"Escaping" from Gavin

”I’m tellin’ you, I saw it with my very own eyes—it was amazing!”


”Really now? I’m surprised you weren’t cowering inside the tower."


”No, I’m serious—Cal, tell ‘em how you fired that thing!”


Groaning, Caleb shook his head at the Bears crowded in front of him. They were Caleb's closest friends, having been acquainted with him ever since he was a child. They were a decently-sized group of six, all gathered in a corner of the Common Room. It was a rare occurrence for all of them to be together given their conflicting guard shifts, though the current storm allowed for more than enough leisure time. "It was just a damn mortar Gav," Caleb sighed, much to the disappointment of the expectant Bears.


"Then tell 'em about how you smelled funky!" Gavin exclaimed, giving Caleb a playful nudge. "I liked that story better anyways."


"There's no story behind it," Caleb responded. "It was something the Witch Doctor gave me, that's all."


"But aren't you worried at all?" One of his friends asked. "He could've put some kinda curse on 'ya."


"But here's the thing: he smelled like a bed of flowers!" Gavin interjected, an overly smug smile on his face.


”That’s... awfully poetic of you," another Bear retorted before turning to Caleb. ”I guess you oughta thank him for that then," he said with a light chuckle.


"I’ll think about it," Caleb answered, chucking off the matter himself. Supposedly, James was off treating Etta, who had contracted the Black during the Crag attack a few days ago. To many, the Badger Keeper had already been written off as dead. That, coupled with the death of Nicole, caused a great deal of tension among those in the Compound. In fact, the preliminary duels for the position of Bear Keeper began not too long after Nicole's untimely death. Fights among Bears were commonplace, and oftentimes broke out of nowhere. Admittedly, Caleb had thought about the competition to some extent. Of course, they were merely thoughts. He knew better than to get himself involved with the mess that was the competition, having no intentions of sustaining any further injuries either. Thankfully, his collar wound was barely noticeable at this point, having been treated by an Otter immediately after the Crag attack.


Although, Caleb still felt bitter towards Kaden, whom he hadn’t caught sight of ever since he dashed off the Ship Tower. Though, there were some rumors circulating about the Cheetah attempting a murder on the Witch Doctor during the attack—by strangulation, no less. Even if murder was a serious crime, Caleb couldn’t help but find it slightly amusing. The morning he spent at James’s examination room was still fresh in his memory. The thought of both James and Kaden being exported from the Compound was a gratifying one to Caleb, as cruel as it may sound. The Compound had no need for reckless guards or suspicious doctors, after all. Ultimately, however, what went down between the Cheetah and the Witch Doctor was of no concern to him.


Rising from his seat, Caleb stretched out his arms before peering out a nearby window. The storm made it fairly difficult to tell the time, clouds covering any sign of the sun or its current position in the sky. Yet, it was somewhat light outside, implying that it was still early in the day. "Well, it’s been nice," Caleb began, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “But I can’t sit in that goddamn chair any longer.”


"Then where are we off to now?" Gavin asked, jumping out of his own seat.


"We?" Caleb raised an eyebrow at the other Bear, again questioning their friendship.


"Of course! Wait... I got it! We can drop by the Training Hall and see if there’s a fight going down," he suggested.


In truth, it wasn’t a bad idea at all—Bear fights usually proved to be fairly entertaining. There was a reason play fighting was a popular form of entertainment among Bears, after all. Though, Keeper duels were another case entirely. They could get quite rowdy and heated at times, considering exactly what was on the line. That in and of itself was enough to deter many away from witnessing said fights, Caleb himself not wanting to get caught up in the mess.


"You know, as great as that sounds—"


"Well then, we must be off!" Gavin interrupted, grabbing Caleb by the shoulders and pushing him towards the exit. Caleb pulled the Bear’s arms off, letting out another sigh in the process. He would have said something, but decided against it, afraid of possibly starting a conversation with Gavin. Instead, he speeded out the door, pondering whether or not to give the Training Hall a visit.

 

[Quip a Witticism]

Natalia Ivanov

Location:The Kitchen.

​

- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -

​

Confound this absurd contraption. Natalia had been attempting to get it to function for what felt like an eternity. Silence had settled about the kitchen- and Natalia had been left to her own devices, tasked with making herself more familiar with the black magic of these Utopian devices. Seriously, what the fuck was this thing, even? Natalia picked up the fork she'd been toting about the kitchen all day, and jabbed the odd piece of junk one more time. What had her boss lady called it? A 'toaster'? The fuck was that even supposed to do?


Perhaps Natalia just wasn't frowning at it hard enough. Taking in a deep breath, Natalia smoothed out her tattered but clean, small black t-shirt, and mentally prepared herself. If this thing was going to be stubborn, then she was going to have to be the bigger ass. Grabbing the only thing that made sense in this entire cluster of confusion- her fork- she stuffed it into the back pocket of her faded denim shorts, and focused all of her attention to the expression on her face. For a moment, she was calm; until she threw it a surprise attack, and frowned at it as hard as she possibly could. Her face contorted in a deepest look of displeasure she could possibly muster up, to the point of ridiculousness, and attempted to mind-meld with it.


Work, damn you.





She fell into a staring contest, her expression locked, until she heard the quiet shuffle of someone entering the kitchen. Natalia nearly groaned as her concentration was broken, but managed to keep that one to herself. She didn't want the toaster to feel like it had won. She went back about her station, grabbing a clean cloth and wiping down the food splattered counter, shooting looks of intense distrust at the toaster every now and again. She was positive it hated her. Just then, a quiet, almost feeble voice sounded from behind her- and she realized that the person who had entered the kitchen was not, in fact, Ronaldo. Wait- was his name Ronaldo? Natalia had no idea, if she were being honest, but it was hilarious when he kept insisting she'd gotten his name wrong.


“Is there anything left from lunch?” Natalia almost jumped, but prevented herself from looking too startled as she turned around and set her gaze on the woman who had just spoken to her. A tiny, frail looking thing. She was ill, by the look of it, or at the very least had just gone through something physically daunting. Natalia opened her mouth to reply, when all of a sudden the sound of the woman's stomach gnawing in protest filled her ears. Natalia felt both her eyebrows raise in surprise, and the woman who had spoken appeared to flush with embarrassment.


She couldn't help the flurry of giggles that left her throat, fluttering out in a quietly joyous tone.


"Da!" She got out, through her chorus of amusement. Reaching out a hand, she motioned for the woman to follow her. Natalia made her way between two islands of counters and appliances to the end of the row, where four large tray lids sat over a metal surface. 'Hot Plates,' they'd called it. Granted, they had been turned off some half an hour ago, and the food beneath the lids might have gone a little cold by now.


"You must be hungry," Natalia began, being far more careful to enunciate her words, though her thick Northern accent still flew from her throat. "Did you sleep through lunch?" She asked, genuine curiosity filling her voice as she reached into a basket filled with kitchen tools, pulling out a ladle. She whisked around lightly on the balls of he feet, and reached over to a stack of plates on the island behind her. Snatching one up, she hurried over to the hot plate, and placed her hand over the lid.


"We just turned it off a moment ago, you're in luck!" The lie slipped off her tongue like truth, and Natalia focused just a tiny bit of energy through her fingers and down into the chamber beneath the lid. It was less than a fraction of a second, but once she lifted the lid of the hot plate, a small amount of steam came puffing out, filling the room with the scent of rice and eggs. Meat was hard to come by around here, apparently, so they made use of proteins in the eggs they gathered from the chickens every morning. Today's meal was a mixture of vegetables from the garden, rice, herbal spices, and scrambled eggs.


Pshhaw, someone give Natalia two hours and a bow, and she'd have enough meat to feed the whole damn compound. Humming a soft, airy tune, she reached out with her ladle and stirred around the last bit of the leftover food from lunch, scooping a good amount of it onto the plate. Glancing back at the woman to make sure she had not fainted from malnutrition whilst Natalia hadn't been looking, she sent her a kind, amused smile, before returning to her quiet tune and setting up the plate. She reached back into the basket, pulling out a spare fork, and handed it to the woman as she worked.


Once the last of the leftovers had been transferred over, Natalia replaced the lid to the hot plate and made her way back over to the fridge- which was next to that fucking toaster. On her way, however, she passed the full plate over to the tiny lady, and snatched up two glasses from the clean side of the sink.


"Eat, or you'll blow away in the wind." She exclaimed, placing the glasses back down onto the counter next to the fridge. She cracked the cold demon open, and almost winced at the sudden feeling of cold air crashing against her face- a feeling she wasn't sure she'd ever get used too. "I'm not sure I can reach any higher than the third shelf, so if you drift past that, you'll get stuck on the roof till Ronaldo gets back."


Wait, who the fuck was Ronaldo, again? She laughed a little, and pulled out one of the newest additions to the kitchen- a wide, square container of fresh milk. She snagged out the funnel they had been using to pour the milk out of the container, cracked the lid, and carefully filled the glass about half way. Replacing the lid and sliding the milk back into the fridge, Natalia made her way back over to the woman, but stopped at the bowl filled with ice and clean water, dipping the second glass into it and filling it up. Carrying both glasses, Natalia plopped them down in front of the woman, and found herself examining her paled features.


"What is your name?" She asked, unable to contain her impulsive inquisitive nature, and unconsciously raised a brow.

@Glass Jellyfish


Natalia had been left to her own devices, tasked with making herself more familiar with the black magic of these Utopian devices.

 

[Quip a Witticism]

Location: The Guard Barracks

Currently: Startled

​

The sun had started to blot out- ominous clouds of a thunderstorm threatened to overtake the compound. James must have been asleep for hours, as he was sure the sun had been out when he had hit the mattress. The harsh, biting winds of the storm began to batter at the walls of the Ship Tower- but that wasn't what finally jerked James out of the claws of slumber. No, it was the sound of the door being thrown open, and the horrible shriek of old metal joints protesting against such a quick movement. There had been some shuffling, too, and despite James' eyelids not wanting to open, he couldn't help but instinctively force them to. As his vision came back into focus, the throes of sleep that gripped his mind snapped into overdrive, shoving the exhaustion out with terrifying speed.


Kaden.


James felt his jaw snap closed in rage- and realized that the source of his bitterness was bubbling out uncontrollably. One moment, he was laying there, and the next, words came out of Kaden's mouth.


"Er... Sorry for waking you, I was just looking for a rifle," It was like a rush of emotions James couldn't explain- he hardly acknowledged their existence, let alone cared enough to identify what he was feeling and when. But the knot in his stomach was enough to make him move without realizing it- he pushed himself up from his mattress, let his legs swing over the edge of the bed, and stood up quickly- sending him into a dizzy spell. However, the tangled rage in his stomach managed to push him through it, and he strode past Kaden over to the door. For a second, he thought he would leave; because that's what he would normally do. However, James found himself shutting the door instead, and throwing the lock without a second thought.


He hovered there for a moment, before he turned around and faced the other man, staring into his eyes. James felt his gaze radiate the rage he was feeling on the inside, and his jaw visibly clenched and ground forward.


"Wha'-" He tried to speak, but his voice came out garbled and stiff. Swallowing thickly, James found that his herbal remedies had done the majority of their job, and he cleared his throat with relatively little pain. He would ask him. That would be it, he would just ask him why-


James found himself flying towards Kaden, grasping the hem of his shirt and pulling him in close. James felt his nostrils flare with anger, and his head swam.


"Wha the fuck did I do to yeh?" He hissed out, finally, feeling his hands clench and shaking with the effort he was expending to restrain himself. He wanted nothing more than to throw the man off balance and hook a fist to the side of his face. "Cause I don' remember doin' anythin' to you." The last words was careful, and he intentionally pronounced it with a southern United Nation's accent.


"Why?" He hissed out, his voice cracking with emotion, as he looked hard into Kaden's eyes. James searched for something- anything- that would betray the reasoning behind this man's hatred towards him. "Why do you hate me?" He demanded, a little louder than he intended, still carefully enunciating his words. James felt his hands jerk forward a little, and he untangled them from Kaden's shirt. Letting them float in the air for a moment, they shuddered with force, and his fingers widened and clenched with aggravation. Turning away from Kaden for a moment, James felt the need to hit something.


He turned to the already teetering desk, and lifted his left foot, planting it firmly against the side of the wood. James then took to applying as much force as he possibly could- it sent the thing flying up against the wall, knocking the last little bit of support it had out of place. The desk shuddered and groaned, crumpling down to an angle. The two jars he had on it rolled off, one of them cracking as it fell heavily to the floor. He tried to clam himself, at least a little, and brought a hand to rub at the stubble on his face out of exasperation.


Even if James was angry with the man, he didn't think he could ever bring himself to intentionally harm a person like that. It went against everything he stood for as a man of healing.

@Semblance

Turning away from Kaden for a moment, James felt the need to hit something. James

 

[Quip a Witticism]

Location: South Wing, Bottom Floor

Currently: Being challenged to a Duel

NPC Character Post

Danny​

It had been a productive day, so far. Danny had managed to take down two of his largest rivals- all in a fight that took place in the halls of the East Wing. Two birds with one stone- or, sheet of steel, if he was being more precise. So far, the preliminary matches of the tourney to become the next Keeper had been rather tame- if not entirely spontaneous. Still, there were still too many people up in the running, so the hallway scuffles and the training yard scraps would have to suffice until there was a smaller group still in the running. Danny flexed his arms while he walked- in a boisterous show, one that merely begged for someone to walk past and challenge him.


He was on a roll, and he wasn't about to back down for anyone. There were a few Bears out in the South Wing today- some were injured from previous scuffles, others were heading out after having something to eat and returning to the training yards in hopes of another brawl. Danny was one of the ones heading out to the training yard- and it was clear in the way that he was walking that he was up for yet another fight. A few of his friends had gathered around him, and he was about to take the last step towards the door to the yard, when someone came barreling around the corner and smashed right into him.


A chorus of hollers came out of his friends' mouths, and Danny grunter out a particularly offended noise.


"What the hell?" He barked, letting his stony brown eyes lock on the man that had just dared to come colliding with him. Was that Caleb? Awe, hell, no. He was just a scrub that hung around with fucking Gavin guy all day, of all people. Where did this guy get the idea that he could take Danny on? A sharp, loud laugh left his throat, and he pointed at Caleb with his thumb, whilst he turned to look back at his friends.


"Oh, look. It's flower boy." He snarled, and a chorus of snickering sounded after his remark. "What, not hanging out with your weak little fri-" That's when Danny spotted a grinning Gav, and he rolled his eyes. "-Never mind. I guess the scrubs all gotta stick together, right?" At that moment, Danny reached out both his arms and gave a good, heavy shove against Caleb's chest.


"You think you're better then me, Cal?" Danny hissed, butchering and mocking Caleb's name towards the end. "Maybe I oughta show you scrubs what it means to wipe the floor."

@JustWhipIt

 

[Glass Jellyfish]

▤ETTA GRAY▤
╔Location: Kitchens ● Currently: Eating ● Tagged: @Quip a Witticism ╗

People didn’t relocate to the compound for happy reasons. Etta's thoughts

​

The redhead’s mirth at Etta’s stomach growl didn’t help her blush much but when the ginger answered her question with a “Da” Etta quickly forgot her embarrassment in her relief at the promise of food. The kitchen worker must be a northerner Etta guessed, her speech carried a thick accent and bits of Russian.


“Did you sleep through lunch?” the northerner enquired. Etta nodded, eyes still locked on the delicious promises of the hot plate. “I guess you could say that” she said cryptically, not eager to explain being bitten. She shifted slightly tilting her left arm to hide the faint line of a scar. Etta watched as the ginger let her pale fingers lightly trace the lid before lifting it off of the hotplate letting the delicious aroma waft along with the steam. "We just turned it off a moment ago, you're in luck!" Etta grinned, noting how once again luck was on her side. It seemed fortune was making up for the previous shit show of being bitten. “Oh thank god!” Etta moaned watching as the kitchen worker spooned a generous portion of rice mixed with eggs and veggies, “I’m so hungry even my shoes were looking edible at this point”. The ginger plopped the plate down with a clack and Etta descended on it giving an appreciative hum as she spooned mouthful after mouthful at a speed that should be faster than humanly possible only pausing to blow at the burning hot food.


"Eat, or you'll blow away in the wind..I'm not sure I can reach any higher than the third shelf, so if you drift past that, you'll get stuck on the roof till Ronaldo gets back." Etta snorted at the playful jest. Etta had always erred on the skinny side but considering the previous ordeal she probably looked like a skeleton. Etta noted it seemed that the northerner didn’t know she was Keeper. She’d let her discover it herself later.


"What is your name?" Etta paused from her inhalation of the food and swallowed painfully. “Etta, Etta Gray.” she replied scanning the woman’s face for any hint of recognition of the Keeper. Satisfied her status was still unknown she added “What’s your name? I’m guessing you’re a northerner.. Did you leave a Dragon camp?” she paused wondering if she was being a little too nosy. People didn’t relocate to the compound for happy reasons. Scraping up the remaining grains of rice Etta picked up the glass of milk and took a small sip, her hunger now staved. “That was delicious,” she amended “Thank you for letting me in so late”. Downing the rest of the milk she gathered the dishes and set them gently in the sink before starting to wash them. Doing the menial labor didn’t bother her and she wanted to cling onto the moment of peace before she had to get to work fixing both the Compound’s structure and trust in her.

 

[Semblance]

CHEETAH

OCCUPATION: Guard (Bear)


LOCATION: Guard Barracks


TAGS: @Quip a Witticism

Kaden watched the Witch Doctor's weary eyes shift from exhaustion to pure rage before the man stood up swiftly and marched across the room. Expecting James to leave the Barrack, Kade heard the door slam close and the lock click in place. A brief, tense silence filled the air as the Cheetah's piercing brown eyes fixated on the angry man before him, his swollen, purple neck still evident even in the dim lighting. When the Doctor turned around to look Kaden in the eyes, he could visibly see the radiating fury that emanated from James' entire being.

Suddenly, Jim lunged towards Kade and grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulling him close. Kaden instantly suppressed his natural instinct to fight back and looked the Doctor in the eyes. "What the fuck did I do to yeh? Cause I don' remember doin' anythin' to you," James hissed angrily. "Why? Why do you hate me?" the Witch Doctor demanded louder before aggressively unclenching his fist.


The man proceeded to kick a wooden desk against the wall, his every movement filled with fury. Watching such a display of violence in a man he normally viewed as more passive made Kade realize that the truth had to come out, as much as he didn't want to. He

despised showing any vulnerability and he usually ran away from anything that even remotely resembled digging into his emotions. The only people he had ever truly opened himself up to were his father and his sister, and both were gone now because of him.


The Cheetah let out a deep breath, turning around to slowly pace around the room, as he gathered his thoughts. He could feel the tension in the air, and every fiber in his body told him to leave, but he suppressed these instincts. After a long period of silence, he finally shifted his piercing eyes onto James, his gaze clouded with a mixture of emotions. "You've never done anything to me," he said quietly. "It's what you didn't do. Or more specifically, what I didn't do."





Kaden swallowed before continuing again. "I've lived in a Cheetah camp for as long as I can remember. My father and little sister were my entire world... Until my father was bitten by a Crag," he began softly, painful memories threatening to overwhelm him. "I had overheard a few Howlers speak of a Witch Doctor who could supposedly Pull the Black, " he said, looking into Jim's eyes. "I would have done anything at that point to save my father, so I traveled day and night, questioning almost every Howler I encountered, looking for you." He paused, closing his eyes before opening them again. "You're a doctor. You know how the rest goes. I couldn't find you, so my father turned into a Crag," he said, his voice aching now.


Kaden slowly sat down onto the edge of the bed frame, leaning his weary head against the bed post, as he recounted the next part. "My father... he was going to kill my sister. He turned so much earlier than we expected.. I-I didn't have a choice. I had to shoot him. He was going to get Kira. I didn't know what else to do." He was rambling at this point, his thoughts coming out completely unfiltered, and he couldn't stop.





"We didn't even know what had just happened before the Horde attacked... So many Crags... I had never seen so many in my life. I was about to shoot one of them when I heard Kira scream behind me. I turned around and there she was- my baby sister clutching her bloody arm with a dead Crag at her feet. She had just sacrificed her life for me... she had gotten bit in the process. We had no choice but to flee the camp." He stopped to swallow. "She shot herself four days later... right after she began hallucinating images of our Crag-turned father attacking her."


Tears threatened to spill out of his eyes but he controlled them well, focusing his gaze on a crack in the wooden wall. "What happened on that Livestock field... I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to," Kaden said, sighing. "One moment, I'm about to shoot a Crag, and the next, I'm back at the Cheetah camp. I'm reliving my father's and my sister's deaths..." he tried to explain. "I thought you were a Crag," he added softly, knowing how crazy he must sound. Kade wondered if James thought he was lying- after all, how could anyone mistake a human for one of those gray, mangled bodies? He shifted his grief-filled eyes onto the Doctor's face. "I'm sorry," he sincerely apologized. "I would take back what I did in a heartbeat if I could," Kaden added genuinely, his voice filled with guilt.

 

[Elenion Aura]

NAME: Simon Everette

Faction: Badgers


Occupation: Crafter


Location: South Wing


Currently: Working with Ariel


Tagged: @sealdust

Well, of course she'd have no context. He'd already established that she could not read his mind. Simon

A redness around the eyes usually ensued following the proliferation of tears. He'd seen many people cry here, and many sets of red, bloodshot eyes... Noticeably more so within the last few days. He gathered it was because there was much to cry about. People were dead, after all. If there was ever any cause for tears, that was it. But, it was worth noting that he'd never seen her cry. Not that he could think of, anyway... Not that he knew her that well, and not to say that her lack of tears thus far meant she was incapable of crying. In fact he hypothesized that she likely possessed functioning tear ducts. Whether they had atrophied from neglect was another question, however. Oddly enough, this train of thought left him feeling strangely fuzzy, and altogether uncomfortable. He happily derailed it.


"We'll have the most luck getting something to work if we can find the right material. Perhaps one of us will need to go out with a team to find something suitable."





'I'll go.' Simon thought loudly and abruptly, though apparently not loudly enough, as Ariel didn't seem to hear him. In the moments that followed, he felt a swell of relief that she hadn't, and found himself questioning where his sudden, albeit brief, longing for the outside originated from. The Compound had been all of the world he'd ever known. Its walls had surrounded him and kept him safe for the past twenty-odd years. He'd be lying to himself he didn't feel a slight pang of fear at the prospect of leaving it all behind, if only briefly.


"We'll also need to see if we can build additional water containers, since we don't want to use up all the available water The Compound has, even if it does seem to endlessly pour from the taps."





Simon nodded, though he was only half-listening through the haze of his own rumination over the possibility that he might walk through a world that wasn't encased by walls... At least, a world not encased by walls made of stone. His attention piqued suddenly, this fact becoming immediately apparent when Simon snapped to attention, his eyes scanning Ariel's lips, searching for whatever it was that had drawn himself out of his own idle thoughts. He found it.


A particular word, of the thirty-eight that she'd uttered, rang like a bell in Simon's ear: water. When he realized why his mind had latched onto that word, and where his thoughts were tugging him, he recalled what he'd meant to show Ariel earlier. Now all that was left to determine was... Where did he leave it?


He searched his person, unslinging his satchel, letting it slide off his shoulder and down the length of his arm. He set the bag down in front of him as he crouched, rummaging through its contents as he searched for the object he'd been meaning to debut.





"Ah!" His fingers happened upon the familiar cool-to-the-touch feel of metal. Here it is." He withdrew the object. It was spherical, save for a small cylindrical portion that was capped shut. He held the canteen out to Ariel, waiting patiently for her to take it. When she didn't immediately reach for it, Simon realized what he'd done probably seemed strange when taken out-of-context. Well, of course she'd have no context regarding something he'd shown her for the very first time. He'd already established that she could not read his mind.


Simon uncorked the canteen himself, shoving the crude stopper into his pocket. He extended his hand, and the metal gourd along with it, inviting the Dragon to take it from him. "Take a sip! It's just water." If she still had doubts about the validity of his words, not that he expected her to, he hoped they dissipated when he took a swig from the canteen himself. He smacked his lips with delight and surmised that there was nothing quite so refreshing as a drink of cold water.


Accepting the canteen back, he dove into his pocket and retrieved the stopper, sealing up the canteen and dropping it into his bag.


"I've been working on it for months. It's good, right?"

 

[sealdust]

occupation: metalworker / mechanic


?Every careful breath I take has a chance of sparking fire.?
​

< Ariel K ing >??< Dragon >

​

Location: South Wing


Currently: Managing her frustration | Trying not to be mean


Tagging: @Elenion Aura and anyone/everyone else?

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

The Badger pulled out a spherical metal object all suddenly after Ariel finished speaking, and it took her less than two seconds to get all annoyed. The fact that he didn't immediately explain what he meant did not help things along either. Her right eyebrow arched high, skepticism clear on her features. Dragons above, she hoped that Simon was not kidding around with her.


Ariel stared down Simon, looking from his spherical metal object to the Badger himself. She sighed internally, sincerely hoping that he had a better point other than the fact he'd made a flask. While sure, it would be refreshing, the context in which he'd presented the object inspired her irritation. Sure the portability of the flask was nice, but she obviously wasn't talking miniature size containers. This was a serious conversation they were having, since they were officially in charge of coming up with a solution, and she didn't need more temptation to go off topic. A biting comment almost made it's way from her lips, before she looked at the Badger again, seeing his genuine nature, and Ariel lost the strength to be harsh or sarcastic with Simon.


'Not his fault' was becoming a mantra. Repeated over and over within the confines of her mind. Because it wasn't Simon's fault that they were working together. The compulsion to walk away and let this be Etta's problem was there, but as the Dragon remembered, the other Badger she was acquainted with was dying in the same manner that Leon did. So the Dragon took a deep breath, trying to look past the hurt and frustration she was currently feeling, so that she could be dragged along with Simon's more optimistic nature.


"Take a sip! It's just water." He then proceeded to take a sip himself, an obvious reassurance of the 'if I drink it, it's not poison' variety.


The Dragon felt a hint of amusement at the corners of her eyes at his eager attempt to demonstrate that the contents were in fact, only water. "Or just poison you're immune to." There was a slightly teasing quality to her voice, as she tried to let Simon know that her problems weren't really with him. Ariel then took a sip, proving that indeed, she didn't think that the Badger was trying to poison her. It wasn't that she thought Simon incapable - there was probably no one left in the world that was not above murder to achieve their goals - but it was just that Ariel couldn't see any immediate benefit to Simon that would come with her demise.


Though then again, Simon was someone that Ariel had treated differently from the start. She'd spared his feelings not because of his vulnerability - since Ariel could only perceive strength from the young Badger - but because of her own projection of how similar Simon was to Leon. It was her vulnerability that lead her to avoid trying to upset the Badger.


He retrieved the flask back. "I've been working on it for months. It's good, right?" There was probably no way she could actually say that it was terrible, even if it had been. Simon was not someone whose dreams she wanted to crush.


The water was nice, and Ariel nodded her head in approval to Simon. "It's good. Very useful." Honestly, it was really well made, and the type of thing that would be really handy to have at hand. The Badger had probably sourced the right materials for it too, since the water didn't taste metallic. That was always a clear sign that the metal wasn't right for containing food or liquid, since metal poisoning would be a nuisance.


The Dragon leaned forward, stretching out her arm to place her hand briefly on Simon's shoulder, since physical contact was a large way of how Ariel showed affection. "If word got out about these, you'd probably have a lot of people insisting that you make some for them. Especially since it's metal - it keeps the contents cool when out of direct sunlight, but also, you could probably put soup in these and avoid visiting the kitchen altogether." Though, she was of course, speaking the obvious. Ariel knew Simon would already know about all of this, but she wanted to convey to him how useful she thought they were.


Guards would probably be the worst, insisting that for their shifts, they kept one with them. Plus, as a metalworker, Ariel would probably also be expected to help make them for the entire camp. Though, if they could locate the same metal, it would be good for making the larger water containers, though they would require a lot more structure and planning. Perhaps Simon's experiment with making the metal flask would prove to be very useful in that regard.

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

[Quip a Witticism]

Location: The Guard Barracks

Currently: Having an Epiphany.

​

The silence was deafening. James took the moment to let the sound of the wind bettering against the walls engulf his senses, and he focused his attention on picking up the jar that had cracked as Kaden paced about the room. The crack didn't look particularly deep- if he kept it out of the extreme heat or cold, he could probably transfer the contents. By the look of the salve, it appeared to be his Arnica cream. In an attempt to keep himself level headed, James tried to pick up his other jar and examine it, but the rage that had set in his jaw was making the teeth grinding rather painful at this point. James could feel the energy in the room, which was quite possibly just as volatile as the gather storm outside, and he was afraid to open his mouth again. What if he couldn't redirect his anger this time? Just as James had made his way over to the shoulder bag he'd carried his medical supplies in with, Kaden finally spoke.


"You've never done anything to me," Kaden began, making James visibly twitch with annoyance. Still, he managed to steel his grip from clamping down on his already cracked jar as he shoved it back into his bag. "It's what you didn't do. Or more specifically, what I didn't do." James had reached out to grab at the cloth he'd used to wipe his hands clean earlier, but paused before his fingers touched the crumpled fabric. Kaden's statement instilled a feeling of confusion within him, and James felt his eyebrow s rise with surprise, so he turned to look back at Kaden for a moment. He seemed to hesitate, swallowing even, and James let his shoulders relax from their hostile posture into a more apprehensive position. He didn't want to interrupt the man whilst he was talking, so he glance back down at the cloth he'd been hovering over, and scooped it up.


"I've lived in a Cheetah camp for as long as I can remember. My father and little sister were my entire world... Until my father was bitten by a Crag," Kaden began, and James felt his jaw unclench. This was quite possibly the most Kaden has ever spoken too him- and by the sounds of it, he had decided to open himself up. James might have been infuriated with him- but as a doctor, James had a silent responsibility to listen, and it was something he usually took very seriously. So as Kaden began speaking of his family, and of his father, James took to gathering up the gauze he'd decided not to use during the last minute and placing it back into his bag.


"I had overheard a few Howlers speak of a Witch Doctor who could supposedly Pull the Black, " James paused his ministrations with the gauze, and felt as if someone had just sucker punched him in the gut. James' eyes met Kaden's, and the breath left his lungs. He'd heard of him? From a Howler? James' eyebrows would have knit together in thought, but a look of silent shock that was slowly forming into horror had planted itself on his features, and his eyes widened without him realizing it. "I would have done anything at that point to save my father, so I traveled day and night, questioning almost every Howler I encountered, looking for you." The wince that surfaced on James' features came upon him so hard, that he felt the sting of his wound on his neck cry out in protest. James raised a hand, at first to nurse his wound, but the reality of Kaden's words struck him like a rock to the face, and his fingers instead raised to cover his mouth, and rub at his cheeks.


Oh, god. No.





"You're a doctor. You know how the rest goes. I couldn't find you, so my father turned into a Crag," When was this? James desperately wanted to ask, but a lump of guilt was rising in his throat like a stopper, and he couldn't find his voice. Watching as Kaden took a seat, James dropped what he was doing, and removed his hand from his mouth. Silently, with a look of anguish on his features, he strode over to the bed and sat himself down- gently, and entirely devoid of his previous aggression. James propped his head up in his hands and rest his elbows against his legs, letting his gaze drop to the floor as Kaden continued to speak.


"My father... he was going to kill my sister. He turned so much earlier than we expected.. I-I didn't have a choice. I had to shoot him. He was going to get Kira. I didn't know what else to do." James cleared his throat a little, a small unconscious sound of regret that slipped through his defenses. Kaden had to put a bullet in his own father? James would hate himself, too, if he was Kaden. In fact, he wasn't sure he even needed to be Kaden to hate himself- the anger he had felt earlier was churning around in his stomach, changing the object of its loathing from Kaden to himself.


"We didn't even know what had just happened before the Horde attacked... So many Crags... I had never seen so many in my life. I was about to shoot one of them when I heard Kira scream behind me. I turned around and there she was- my baby sister clutching her bloody arm with a dead Crag at her feet. She had just sacrificed her life for me... she had gotten bit in the process. We had no choice but to flee the camp." It felt like the dam had burst on Kaden, and everything was flying out all at once. James tried to keep himself together, but he found his fingers digging painfully into the sides of his face, so he had to pull his head from his hands.


"She shot herself four days later... right after she began hallucinating images of our Crag-turned father attacking her." James could hear the emotion in Kaden's voice, and he swallowed thickly. He wanted to say something, anything- but he wasn't sure it was appropriate to try. James had asked- and Kaden had told him. To be honest, now that he knew, he wasn't sure there was any way Kaden could forgive him.


"What happened on that Livestock field... I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to," Kaden began, and the furious uncertainty in his voice prompted James to look up from the floor, and turn his body somewhat to the side so he could look Kaden in the eyes. James could feel his own eyes prickling with emotion, the whites of them were probably reddened and deepened with guilt. "One moment, I'm about to shoot a Crag, and the next, I'm back at the Cheetah camp. I'm reliving my father's and my sister's deaths..." He felt his eyes furrow down with thought, and a realization started dawning on him.


"I thought you were a Crag," Oh. Oh, no. Not this. Not because of him. "I'm sorry, I would take back what I did in a heartbeat if I could," James felt the weight of his sincerity crush him like an ant, and for a moment, he had to regain his senses. James had no right to be angry with Kaden. Kaden had shell shock, and it was James' fault. James felt his hands clench in rage yet again- only this time, it was one hundred percent directed towards himself. One shaking hand went to grip against his own arm with an alarming amount of force, but James wasn't paying attention to the pain.


"It's not yer fault." James finally breathed out, finding his voice again. However it came out wracked and heavy, so he focused on the force he was applying to his grip and attempted to steady his words. "Yeh may no' know this, ah don' suppose ah've ever told anyone, bu'.." He paused, taking in a deep breath before he continued. "Mah ma taugh' me how teh Pull the Black. Frail bird, she was. Pullin' is real hard on the body. It ain' no walk in the woods- it used.." He cleared his throat again, this time wincing at the painful force behind it.


"I used teh knock 'er out fer a week, sometimes more. I grew up watchin' her nearly pu' herself in the ground teh save people. She always said that the pain was worth it, she said-" James had to release his arm when he realized that he'd perhaps bruised himself, and shook out the tension from his now stiff fingers. "-she said tha' it was people who were gonna fix the world. She said tha' the more people there was, the better chance we had teh survive. Cept.. I was selfish." He sighed out the last word with such self loathing, he had to take a moment to regain his composure.


"I couldn' stand watchin' the colour go from her face, watchin' her stay up fer hours withou' eatin' or sleepin', watchin' her collapse and not' ge' up again fer days. So I made her teach me, even when she insisted I learn when I was older. She was the kindest little bird ah've ever met, an-" His voice cracked, and he shook his head. "I abandoned her." He spat out, for the first time in his life since he had driven away from his camp. "We wasn' anythin' special, jus'.. jus' a mobile camp of unaspected folks. So when the Jumpers showed up out'a no where, an' when she screamed fer me ta take the truck an' go, Ah listened. I grabbed three other people what ah could, shoved em' into the truck, turned the key an' booked it out'a there." James brought his hand to rub at the swollen, self inflicted impression along his arm- he hardly felt it as the words left his lips.


"At least yeh know wot happened to 'em both. I'd give anythin' to go back in time an' at leas' know what happened teh her. I don' know how she died, an' I don' know-" He stood up, then, attempting to shake the thought from his mind entirely. "-I don' know if she's gonna be one of the ones teh wander up teh the gates. I don' know who's going teh be the one teh put a bullet into her face. An' I don' know if I haven't done that already." He breathed, finally, but turned to look at Kaden once more.


"Tha's why I wasn't around no more. We lost everyone, an' everythin' that day. Ah came here by chance." He muttered the last part, lifting a hand up to his face, but deciding he didn't feel like talking about it anymore. If he did, his eyes would well over. Silence fell on them yet again, and James waited a moment before he rose a hand up again and made a motion towards Kaden.


"Yer no' crazy." He said, finally. "Ah've seen it afore- it don' happen often in aspected camps, so it's no wonder you haven' heard of it. Mostly happens to us little guys who don' go' nothin' but our own two hands an' wotever we can carry to fend off the Crags, cause we don' got no choice but to fight up close an personal all the time." He explained, and brought hand to rub thoughtfully at his jaw.


"S'called Shell Shock. It happens when you experience somethin' traumatic an' don' have no one teh talk abou' it after it does, so it sits in the back of yer mind and comes up whenever somethin' happens tha' reminds yeh of it. It don' mean yer crazy." James sighed out the last thought- and looked over at Kaden with regret in his eyes. "Yeh didn' mean teh do it, so I ain' gonna hold it against yeh. I, uh- I got somethings tha' can help it go away, if yer no' against taking help from me." He finished, the sound of thunder clapping filling his ears, and nearly made him jump.

@Semblance

Mah ma taugh' me how teh Pull the Black. Frail bird, she was. James

 

[Quip a Witticism]

Natalia Ivanov

Location:The Kitchen.

​

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​

Natalia hummed to herself as the woman ate, and was suddenly far cheerier than she had originally expected to get today. Which, for the record, only meant that Natalia had won, and the toaster was a soggy wiener. The thought sent her into a spiral of mischievous giggles, and a twinkle of amusement rooted itself in her eyes. She had busied herself with cleaning the kitchen- that, at least, was something that did not present itself as a disastrous challenge- and had lost track of their conversation, up until Etta's voice startled her from her thoughts yet again.


“I guess you could say that” She mused, and Natalia paused in mid air. She supposed she might look a little silly, what with her semi-dripping washcloth floating over the table and one hand in the sink filled with soapy water, but she turned to glance over at the woman anyways. Curiosity clawed at the pit of her stomach, and it only served to fuel the look of tom foolery settling within her gaze.


“Oh thank god!” The woman practically groaned, and it was then that Natalia had realized just how ravenous she had actually been. That did nothing to prevent Natalia's thoughts from wandering. Had she been sick? Or was she injured? Had she just arrived? What happened? Ugh, the questions were nearly overwhelming. “I’m so hungry even my shoes were looking edible at this point”


"That is such a shame! Those shoes appear to be in such good condition, we would have to mourn their sacrifice. With salt," She began, pausing to snort at the mental image of the woman cooking her shoe. "Lots of salt, and spice. I don't imagine shoes have very much flavour to them." Natalia would have to steal a pair of boots and see what it was like, the curiosity was too much for her to contain. She plopped that down onto the list of things to do tonight, and went back to fussing about the kitchen. Natalia, having distracted herself too many times to count, finally caught wind of the woman's name.


“Etta, Etta Gray.”


"Etha!" She repeated, her accent immediately getting in her way. Frowning deeply, Natalia knit her brows together in concentration, and cleared her throat. "Etha? Eay- Eth.." Fuck. "Itta?" She tried, finally managing to say it without butchering it..you know, completely. That would be another thing to add to the list of things to do tonight- walk around the compound, map the layout, steal and cook a single shoe, all while talking to herself and attempting to figure out how to say 'Etta' in a common tongue accent. Humming with thought, Natalia brought the cloth back down to the sink and wrung it out.


“What’s your name? I’m guessing you’re a northerner.. Did you leave a Dragon camp?” Natalia paused her thinking and pursed her lips together. What, uh... what was the story again? Iosef had told her the cover story a million times, as she had forgotten it at least a million and a dozen. Still, she wasn't one to lose a lie in the face of adversity. So after a moment of silence, she finally remembered.


"D- ah, yes. It was a small camp, in the west. I was born there with my family- my mother was kind, and my father was very high standing in the Camp, as his was the second......noble blood?" Natalia struggled to find the right word for it, and shifted her weight onto the balls of her feet for a moment as she pondered how to say it. "First Noble blood is Keeper. Second is guardian, yes? Commander of force." She continued, taking a step over to the fridge with her cloth and wiping down the face of it, including the 'handle' and the 'doors'.


"Very strong fire. Me? The only thing I could spit was spit, and trust me, I learned how to spit it very far. I bet I could have made them jealous!" She uttered with glee, the laughter filling her throat yet again. However, after a moment, she let it die out. "The jumpers were very, very fast. We had been driven from our home- it was a small camp of fortitude, but it could not withstand so many. There was too much fire, yes? Consumed everything. We ran and ran, at first there were many of us- but then, not so many. And then...very few. I was left with a the others, and we came across passing traders. Were it not for their kindness, we would have died." That's right- the passing traders. Her brothers would need a cover if they were going to siphon the information Natalia would collect.


"Told us of this place! I came recently. Three days ago- I spent the whole first day seeing doctor, yes? Then after that I was given place to sleep, while they found me work. I work here now! Others left a day ago. Not sure where they have gone." Natalia noticed that Etta had finished eating just then, and came back from the fridge to watch her curiously as she went about cleaning her dish. “That was delicious,” she had begun, “Thank you for letting me in so late.” Natalia came sneaking up to her side and stuck her hand into the water with Etta's hands, giving out a playful snort as she brushed her fingers whilst in search for a funnel she had left in the sink a little while ago.


"Don't mention it! No, really, don't mention it, Ronaldo would be furious. Ronal. Ronaldo? Or was it Stephen?" She mused aloud, finally snatching up the funnel and making her way over to the fridge yet again. Grabbing a clean, dry cloth from the basket, Natalia began to dry off the funnel. Without warning, however, the sound of furious footsteps beating against the floor reached her ears, and she stiffened. Instinctively, she cracked open the fridge to place the funnel inside, and a pair of men came bursting into the kitchen.


"Rud!" Natalia shouted at them, and she heard a confused sound from one of the men in response.


"Pardon me... miss, have you seen anyone come by? Ill? Infected, perhaps?" Natalia found her eyebrows hitting the roof in surprise, and realized that the fridge door was blocking sight into her hallway, leaving Etta undetected. Taking in a breath, Natalia began a long 'n' sound, and pretended to think very hard about it. Infected? What was this about?


"-Nnn.. nyet? No?" She questioned aloud, and the second man made a disgusted noise.


"Nothing? You mean to say you're in the kitchen, and you haven't seen anyone?" Natalia made a noise that she was sure sounded rather unintelligent, but pointed out from behind the fridge door back at the exit.


"I saw you! Just now!" She retorted, glancing over at Etta whilst she attempted to hold back a burst of delighted laughter as the man groaned.

@Glass Jellyfish


Her brothers would need a cover if they were going to siphon the information Natalia would collect.