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Fantasy The Last Judgement

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Other
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[div class="left hide"][div class=titleL]Merry[/div][/div]
[div class="right hide"][div class=titleR]Christmas[/div][/div]
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S a n t a
C a m e
a
l i t t l e
l a t e . . .
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B u t
W h a t e v e r,
h e r e ' s
s o m e
g i f t s




Greater Warding of Affliction
Greater Warding of Affliction
Lesser Warding of Affliction
Tome of Blood (adds 2 new blood magic spells of user's choice)
Greater Warding of the Blessed
Greater Warding of the Blessed
Lesser Warding of the Blessed
Tome of Night (adds 2 new black magic spells of user's choice)
Tome of Day (adds 2 new white magic spells of user's choice)


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[div class=statusText] Location: Lowes Home Improvement
Interactions/Mentions: It's a lot, just assume you're being spoken about or like your in the party so you know make your presence known. I'll be finishing up this event hopefully in the next couple posts.
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[div class=statusText][/div][/div][div class=title]Rhys Contiello[/div][div class=text]
Was the announcement blaring over the entire store unnecessary?
Definitely.
Did he give a flying fuck?
Nope.

''Hey! Peanut butter Santa! I was promised a fucking party!''

His body rotated as if on auto pilot, hearing and recognizing the young woman's voice in a split frame of a second. There was always a distinct quality to Alaska's voice, it was memorable. Not in the overtly annoying way but...he thought she had a good resonance, a trustworthy cadence. Not many people had a voice like that, he was damn lucky that she had been here from the beginning. A shadow of a grin flickered across his face, softening those usually hard-set features. "Santa? Snowfall, I think you're looking for another guy: Yay high--" Rhys lifted his hand to hover around his eyebrows, "Blond hair. Blue eyes. Killer ass--" he dropped his hand, "will respond to 'asshole', 'blondie', and probably 'Saint Nik' at this fuckin' point. He's had to have made that goddamn joke at least once tonight to someone." Rhys shook his head, the grin on his face simultaneously sharpening and growing a bit wider. "And party we shall. Just sit tight and let me take care of it."

''I know you prefer guns but.....well, this can be like a b plan....or a c plan.... or, shit i don't know, I wanted to get you something to use as a last resort in case.....You know... umm.''
He blinked, quiet for a moment. His brain was still trying to register the fact that she was giving him a gift. His lips parted but no words came out. The knife rested itself in the palm of his hand, surprisingly heavier than he expected. It had a nice weight to it. Arctic blue eyes gleamed up at him as he twisted the knife in the light. If it wasn't from the scuff marks on the hilt he would have pegged it to be brand new. Almost like someone opened the package but didn't subscribe to the cutting function.

''Merry Christmas big bro.''

Those four words broke him apart. His eyes glassed over. That general off-putting distance to his expression fell away like shattered ice. Rhys had never had a great family. Not in the way that truly counted. He could count the number of bonding experiences he had with either parent on one hand. They hadn't been all that supportive in his youth either. Experiencing that close knit bond --the one that turned his insides to a gooey alien substance-- it had been his ambition to one day have this feeling, hold it tight to his chest, and protect it from all the horrors of the world. When he had been younger, more foolish, he had thought that marrying Monica would bring about that allusive emotion. Starting a family, having a kid, a great career, it would all fill that void that rotted away inside him. Instead, her presence only seemed to wither it; it only caused more decay and gross growth to fester in the depths of his heart.

Alaska's arms looped around him and he moved automatically in response. He squeezed a bit before letting go, wanting her to know without words that he appreciated the gesture more than anything. He wasn't sure what he had done in his past life to have someone care about him this much. No strings attached. "Thank you. For everything, snowfall."

''You said at the hotel that your favourtie drink was rum? Well, it's old, unopened and I'd kill anyone if they tried to take it away from you''
He snorted, shaking his head just a bit. The crookedness to his grin hitching just a bit. ''Don't get too drunk again though, I don't want to see you in nothing but Nik's coat again....Speaking of Nik!''

"Listen, in MY defense, that little fucking gremlin stole my goddamn clothes I had no choice. Fuckin' asshole--wait!" He barely finished his retort when Alaska bounded off towards the man of current conversation. Grabbing her wrist before she headed off, he placed a tiny glass snowflake looped onto a piece of twine in the palm of her hand. "Merry Christmas, little sister." The last syllables of his words fell out in a breathy laugh, shrugging as he watched her exchange hugs. His gaze flew down to the bottle and knife in his possession. Rhys had never been very good with knives. It was just...a thing about sharp objects that somehow became his downfall. The stab part was easy, it was just trying not to stab himself where everything became an issue. He would not turn down a free knife however, especially one that had been given as a gift. So he'd go with it for now...and pray he wouldn't need to use it for something drastic. He would never understand how his counterpart could clean his nails with the tip of a blade so effortlessly and wouldn't get cut. Rhys tucked the blade into the loops of his belt, turning the bottle around in his hands for further inspection.

He moved to the chair that held his bag, slipping the rum inside and mentally labeling it his emergency stash. Good rum was hard to find in this world and he wasn't about to waste it.

“I missed you Woofus. God, I’m so glad to see you…”
"That dog gets more fuckin' love than anyone else I've ever met." The detective turned his head a bit to the side, arms crossing over his chest as he observed the german shepard pounce on Penny. He was joking, of course. Woofus had quickly become just as dear to him as Alaska or Penny or James. Members of this little rag-tag of a family that somehow had a knack for dangerous situations and collecting new members. Like Pokemon. His grin widened, "Pen, I've got a little somethin' for you." He pulled something tiny and silver out of his pocket, holding it out for her. "And no, I didn't make it...I uh...shit maybe it was dumb, I'm not good at presents." He gave her a half smile and shrug combo, not really knowing what else to say to that. A charm bracelet had seemed like a good idea when he found it...but now he wasn't so sure. It seemed a bit impractical for someone like Penny. Rhys bit the inside of his cheek, shifting a bit awkwardly looking for a way out of the situation he found himself in. Spotting James, he made a b-line towards the younger hunter. Shooting him an uneven smile, Rhys patted his pockets down for a second before pulling out a tiny handful of bullets. "It might not look like much, but...a little holy oil does wonders. It should...do the bullet flame thing, if uh, I'm right. We might want to test it out, but, Merry Christmas anyways, bro." He handed the gift over with a bit of uncertainty before his attention was pulled away by another voice.

"...Nobody raided the gas? How the hell did you—you know what, no. I...I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth."
A sly grin quirked the corner of his mouth, attention deviating from the other blessed and his favorite dog. The gas had been raided, but there had been enough for a night max. If nothing bad happened.
"This time, that is," his face screwed up in thought, trying to track down the hidden innuendo in that statement and coming up blank. Rhys blinked, brows furrowing, stare focusing blankly on the other man. His lips parted to retort, but Nik was already turning away. Rhys swallowed the words, deciding that it was better to just let the comment roll past him like any other of their buried flirtations. Rhys moved towards the table of food, happy with the spread. Jerky, canned fruits, a variety of snacks that lasted the years, and some cases of water.

"Hey, peanut butter bandit."

Rhys hummed the notification of his attention, in the middle of stacking his paper plate with some beef jerky that hadn't been completely rank. The tiny excursion to the store seemed worth it now, just for the amount of food that they had been able to snag. It was a fair exchange for the cut he wore across his cheek. He doubted that anyone would be going to bed hungry tonight. When Nik didn't immediately continue that phrase with an action or another string of words, Rhys' gaze snapped to the man. He caught the tail end of Nik's attempt at removing all crumbs from his person, which was kind of cute. "I know this isn't part of the secret santa shenanigans, but...here, it's kind of stupid."

How the fuck did he get so lucky--

His brain spazzed out for a second. It felt like he was getting a lot of gifts, and as grateful as he was, he wasn't sure if he deserved all of this kindness. The palm of his hand was graced with something leather bound. It only took him a moment to identify the object; a leather bracelet that looked home made. Without even staring at it long he could tell that it had taken time to craft, especially when the woven leather needed to be bound together by hand. How long had he been working on this? Rhys turned it over in his hands, a grin stretching across his face. The corners of his eyes crinkled, elation rolling off of him in waves. He slid the band across his wrist, amazed with how perfect of a fit it had been. "Merry Christmas, princess."
His chest ached and for the space of a second, Rhys thought he was going to burst into tears again.
Nik's cheeks had transitioned to a rose petal hue and the whitelighter suddenly swore that there was no possible way he could be in love this man more than he was in that moment.

"Come here."
It was a soft demand, one without any real bite to it. He let him take a couple more sips from his glass before reaching out to snake an arm around his waist. He pulled the quasi-devil flush against him, caring little for what the rest of the survivors around them thought. His breath brushed across the nape of his neck before moving against the shell of his ear. "Buon Natale, mi amore." He kissed his cheek lightly, holding him in that half hug position for a couple of minutes. "Thank you, it's beautiful. I love it...I--" His words were cut off by some other commotion: Roaring laughter, an obnoxious comment, something about alcohol and Christmas spirit. For a moment his attention was captured by an older woman sitting in a couple chairs with a teddy bear. Rhys assumed from his lack of ability to place her, that she must have been the woman he was supposed to be looking for. Azure orbs fluttered back towards Nik as he placed on hand on the curve of his hip, the bracelet already secured to his wrist. "I have to go do this secret santa. Don't go far, I've got a gift for you as well." The corner of his mouth twitched upwards, flashing a wink before pulling away completely.

He strode up to the stranger without any hesitation, gaze shifting over her as he mentally summed her up. "Hey, Kim right? I'm Rhys. I uh, pulled your name out of a hat...well, bucket actually but whatever." His hand, garnished with a leather bracelet, dipped into the pocket of his jeans. The gift he pulled out wasn't wrapped, but he figured that a treasure like this didn't need to be.
"So before you freak out about me handing you expired chocolate," He turned the bar over, tapping his pointer finger on a line of text, "It's pure chocolate. Which can last for two years so...no worries right?" Rhys held the bar out for her to take, lips curved into a barely there smile.

"Merry Christmas. Let me know if you need anything, there's food, beverages, music, so just name it alright?"

With that, he gave her an awkward little wave and retreated back towards the food. Maybe a drink wouldn't be so bad.
“...I wouldn’t suppose any of you have a light and a drink to spare?”
Aren't you a little young to smoke?" He wasn't trying to be patronizing, but the voice of a young girl caused him to stop mid-pursuit of nourishment. She looked like some sort of goth barbie. His head tilted a bit to the side, a frown pulling at his lips.

"Namrata. We need 'ta speak." Allea brushed past him out of the blue, bumping shoulders roughly without so much as an apology. The detective sneered at her back, briefly wondering if he could throw a knife better than he could stab with it. Shaking off the annoyance, he grabbed an unopened water bottle off the table and handed it to the girl.

"Here. Don't let me catch you smokin' some shit for a couple years, kid. You don't need that crap in your system."

She'd probably hate him for that. Teenagers were all a bunch of moody little shits, but her bronchial tubes would thank him for his contribution towards her health. His gaze snaked towards the necromancer for a moment.
"Be careful with those, cher. Ingredients such as them are rare, specially in certain spells. If you wan' a lesson, I'll give you a couple for free, but only 'cause it's Christmas."
It surprised him that she was being nice. Then again, it was probably an exhausting job being a lying bitch all the time. Rhys dumped his plate of untouched food in the goth barbie's lap. "Here, eat something. You're skinnier than some fucking fish sticks."

His arms crossed themselves over his chest, waiting to make sure that she had begun to eat before he made a trek over towards the red sack of stuff he had found in the back room. Some of the objects...he recognized one, it had the same seal as that pendant looking thing James had been lugging around. Adisa, rest his soul, had drummed up some sort of spell that interacted with Nik's affliction. He wasn't sure if it had reduced it or just buried it, but whatever it did, it gave him more time. Which...was far more appreciated now than ever. He left it sitting by the mock tree, figuring that there was time to go through it later. Right now, he had a little something to give.

Rhys' eyes scanned the cluster of survivors for blond hair...which probably wasn't the smartest move on his part. He found Caleb first. Then Penny. Ryan. Fuck why did everyone seem to have blond hair all of a sudden? As soon as he spotted Nik, he made his way towards him, horribly wrapped box in hand. There wasn't any wrapping paper in the back room, so he made do with some old magazine ads. His hand slipped across the small of the blond's back, announcing his presence as he brought the present out in front of him. "Don't shake it, it's a bit fragile and the box is too big. I uh...did the best I could." A little bit of a teasing smile lifted the corners of his mouth, "You might want to open that in private."

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Simjang Kim
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Mentions: Theta izayoiix izayoiix (your welcome!) , Edana Beleth Beleth (you feelin ok?), Rhys Hell0NHighWater Hell0NHighWater (omg im so sorry for not including yoy earlier)

Location: Entrance Way > Party

Mood: Merry & Happy

Equipped With: Ax


The woman already gave her gift to the girl. Kim invited her to attend the small party that the group was having. She also gave her the small dress that she had. It wasn't that dirty since it was well kept by her. She proceeded to go to the party area and interact with the other survivors.

As Kim had arrived, a man whose name was Rhys gave him pure chocolate. It was certainly a gracious gift for her as she started to think on how to bake a chocolate cake for the group. "Oh, thank you. I'll certainly use it if I could.", she said as the man headed off with a friendly wave, she also gave a wave to the man. The food looked not too bad but she really doesn't want to eat.

Kim sat down at a chair, observing everything from a slight distance. She noticed Edana sitting, not interacting with the others. The woman wanted to know what's up with the girl in the black attire. She went up and walked towards the small goth,

"Hey, are you feeling alright? I could grab a drink for you if you'd like."

Kim smiled at the girl, sitting next to her. If it was due to social anxiety, she would understand by a landslide. She hated parties at first since human interaction was not her thing at first but after some time, she craved for it after leaving behind her parents and moved inside an apartment. She wondered what was Edana thinking of.





Code by @Beauty_Belle

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[Class=Notes] // Forward slashes are comments // //and do no show up in the final design,// // these are to help you find everything easily// //and explain some code as well. // // These comments must be with in a class or script tags// // in order to be hidden, from what I know// // Long URls are images// // # followed by letter and numbers are Hex codes// // or color codes.// // This code does not show breaks unless is shows the
code// // When typing responses to rps, be aware that when you press enter// // it will not show that you did. you'll have to use the
tags// // Square sized images also will look best// // but if you have a non square image it'll still work// // Don't worry// [/class] [class=Info] Font-Family:Open Sans; color:Black; padding:20px; padding-bottom:5px; background-color:#D3D3D3; width:85%; margin: Auto; // This is the mainly background and the font// // If the Font does not show up // // use the typical bbc font tag in one area to make it show up// // you'll notice I've done so with the Name// // I don't know why it won't work 100% of the time with out doing this// // but since its just a simple thing to add// // I figured it wasn't to much to do to get the font I wanted// //if you want a more modern look I suggest using the font Anonymous Pro// //just don't forget to change it in the font tag on the name so it'll work// [/class] [class=Line] border-bottom: 1px SOLID #000000; //this is the line under each section // To get the double line I just added a style to it// //as you'll be able to see below// [/class] [div class=Info][Div class="Line" style="border-top: 1px SOLID #000000; height:3px;"][/div]

Interacting:
thefinalgirl thefinalgirl Hell0NHighWater Hell0NHighWater
[Div class="Line"][/div] Mentioned:
Rhys, Nik, Alaska, Penny, Allea, Kim
[Div class="Line"][/div] Loaction:
Part-tay
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Edana (and a little bit of Ruffles) [Div class="Line"][/div]

“Aren't you a little young to smoke?"

Edana’s lips parted, beginning some sort of plausible excuse as to why a frail child as herself had been looking for such a destructive substance as cigarettes. “I’ve … heard it was good for the nerves,” hearing her own voice aloud in mixture with the words made the blood witch feel as though she were an oblivious child. The one thing she refused to be seen as was going to be a helpless pup. It didn’t matter anyhow. The descent of the godfather had turned his attention briefly on the necromancer that had distastefully shoved past him.

“I don’t suppose excuses are much of an option at this point in the apocalypse.” Edana murmured underbreath in the Italian’s direction. Her words weighed more on the sarcastic side but at the same time out of annoyance for the momentary but prominent interruption of their interaction. Much to her surprise, once the conversation had resumed (somewhat), the blood witch found a small water bottle in the palm of her hand.

"Here. Don't let me catch you smokin' some shit for a couple years, kid. You don't need that crap in your system."

Nose crinkling in confusion, the goth met the godfather’s descent with a doe-like expression. A man of his tough disposition … and he was looking out for her? A slight smile tugged at her lips as she lowered her head to regain her stoic mannerisms followed by a slight nod. Perhaps he wasn’t as bad as the blood witch had initially knocked him for earlier. As if he couldn’t surprise her further, Edana’s lap had suddenly some weight to it. Looking down with brows raised, the blood witch looked at him yet again as he spoke.

"Here, eat something. You're skinnier than some fucking fish sticks."

Truth be told, the sight of food made Edana’s stomach churn. Even the slightest presence of a granola bar had made the blood witch want to gag before even so much as unraveling the wrapper. Now, sitting before her, were heaps of foods that had a distinctive smell. Whether rank or inviting, Edana was not able to tell.

“Hey, are you feeling alright? I could grab a drink for you if you'd like."

Kim, Edana recalled her name to be, had sat herself down beside the goth. The thought of even more food made the blood witch lift her shoulders, hiding behind the scarf that was gifted to her. She shook her head once, doing her best to keep her stomach’s rebellion from leaving her lips. “No, no I am alright. I am not much of a party go-er if you will.” Her words were dry though not particularly to the female herself. “Thank you.” She added once, tucking her knees to her chest in a child-like shyness. Between socializing, the celebration of a holiday that is no longer relevant to their human lives as well as the heaping slob sitting between her legs Edana was fighting every bone in her being to not take off and hide in the corner. She herself knew that in order to survive, she would have to make attempts to at least make a repertoire with others. Not necessarily a close one with everyone but she had a list of people she would not want to piss off.

The spot she was in was nice, however. Being on the sidelines was far more preferable than being in the dead center of the entire party. Straight ahead she had a clear shot of Alaska and the Italian baby mafia conversing quietly in a very sibling like manner. After their exchange, Penny had came over to engage in a small talk with the supposed leader while petting Woofus. Then … there was the cute romance between Niklas and Rhys to which Edana’s eyes shifted away. Normally girls her age would fawn over two guys being cute with one another but the blood witch - like her other experiences in society - found herself to be the exception. As a matter of fact she was not able to find anyone else in the group remotely appealing for romances. On one hand, it did not bother her as it was not on the top of her list; on the other, however, during moments like this, when everyone came together to snuggle kiss and gift-exchange in more ways that friendship would not cover made the blood witch feel a bit left out at some points.

Shaking her head once, Edana redirected her attention to Rufus. She was not the only one observing the two lovebirds. He had been conversing with one of the party go-ers, his physical attention on the conversation at hand. Though, she had noticed, his eyes had flickered every now and then in their particular direction, cheeks flushed at the exposure of the rum. For every time he smiled and laughed, it seemed a bit more forced, as if he had to hold himself back. Then, as if by some weird switch the prophet would shake his head vigorously and shift his body in the conversation, his back and vision completely blocked off from the gooey happiness Rhys and Nik carried with one another.

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Althaia Jones
| Location: Store / Lowe's Home Improvement |
| With: a Shit Ton of People & Reina, Caleb & Kim, Edana |
| Mentions: cinnabuns cinnabuns thefinalgirl thefinalgirl Beleth Beleth |
After everything the large group had just gone through, Theta felt it fairly reasonable that her mind turned inwards in a way to try and process whatever it was that had just happened. All she could focus on was that she and Epsilon were safe now. Well. Safe as they could be in this sort of situation.

She swallowed before resting her head on the window of the backseat of the jeep she was in before shifting her hair so she could reach up to grab hold of her faithful companion. Taking in a shuddering breath, she zoned out of the conversation going on in front of her as she pulled up her feet onto the seat and wrapping her arms around her knees as Epsilon wandered up and down her arms, enjoying the chance to move freely in over a week.

So lost in her haze, the raven-haired young woman moved mindlessly out of the vehicle responding quietly to those who spoke to her, looking as if she was in a daze. And to be quite honest, she was in one. Everything in her life had changed so quickly recently and now she was surrounded by strangers. She just...didn’t really know what to do just yet.

She’d gone from sheltered to freed in so quick a time that she didn’t know how to handle herself.

Startled somewhat out of her daze when the man who’d been unconscious for most of their time knowing each other, Rhys, she had to remind herself, approached her and brought her along with him and two others. She glanced around and at finding nothing to do sighed to herself, urging Epsilon back under her hair for warmth and followed after the three males into the grocery store.

While she was still trying to come out of her daze, she only vaguely recognized what she was being told to do, just blindly following after whoever she was paired with. While not really something that was healthy, it was all she’d ever known. Some chains were hard to break even after being freed.

Theta blinked into awareness as she bumped into a clothing rack, causing her to trip, falling to the floor on her hands and knees. ”Oof!” she cried out, wincing slightly as her knees hit the ground, feeling the thud easily through her worn jeans. By her hear she heard a soft hiss, her partner seeming to question if she was okay. She smiled.

”I’m okay,” she murmured, pushing herself to her feet, feeling something soft brush against her hand as the items she’d knocked over shifted underneath her. She paused, narrowing her eyes at the scarf made of such a soft material in multiple shades of brown. Her smile turned soft as it reminded her of the snake around her neck. She nodded to herself as she looked up, resolving to keep it. Surely this would be perfect in such weather.

Brushing herself off, Theta hurried after her...shopping partner? before they got too far ahead of her. As they wandered throughout the store, the young woman grabbed anything she saw that she thought her new...friends would like along with any nonperishable foods and snacks, carefully putting them away in the backpack she’d grabbed a few aisles ago.

As she headed back to the front of the store, she immediately became lost in the sudden whirlwind of activity between Rhys and Rufus. They were….having a...party? Blindly she followed after the group back towards their vehicles in front of Lowe’s and frowned, looking around trying to figure out her neck move.

Rufus appeared in her line of vision before she could decide and had her pick a piece of paper with the name of one of their party. Suddenly she understood what she had missed earlier. They were doing a Secret Santa game. That made sense. Unwrapping the paper she hummed at the name written and bit her lip, trying to think.

It took her a moment before she brightened suddenly, knowing exactly what to give the person. With that thought in her mind, she headed inside the building, planning to hand out some of her rations to those she knew, heading straight for Reina and Caleb who had always been nice to her when they’d been locked up together. While they hadn’t been in cages near each other, the older woman had always wanted to make sure she’d been okay and the man with her had been gruff but somewhat concerned at times. She appreciated that and thought to repay their kindness.

”U-um…” she called out to the two as soon as she’d spotted them in one of the aisles. Caleb raised a brow at her approach. She flushed slightly under his gaze before digging in her new bag before pulling out the shopping bag she’d set aside for the two of them, full of snacks and other non perishables along with other random items that she’d seen that she thought they might like. ”I just...I just wanted to say thank you for um...for um trying to look after me like you did while we were...um locked up I guess.” she stumbled, sighing in relief as Caleb accepted the bag and began to dig through it, humming appreciatively.

”Thanks Short Stuff,” he grinned at her, causing her to flush even more.

”Y-you’re welcome…!” she murmured, happy that they seemed to appreciate her gift. ”I’ll see you guys l-later then!” she said, smiling happily at the two before turning and taking off towards an area that had some access to the cool air outside as a way to cool down.

She’d just come to a stop, having wandered around for a while, when Rhys came over the intercom and announced that they were getting together for a party. She blinked, realizing she was already where she needed to be and shrugged at Epsilon who was now winding around random strands of her hair. She sighed at that and made a mental note to tie her hair back in a braid sometime soon, once she was able to work out all the knots that had no doubt made themselves a home.

At the voice of a woman, Theta jumped, turning so she could face Kim. ”A-ah, yes! Yes I’m Theta.” she answered before flushing red once more as the older woman handed her the teddy bear. ”Oh….” she swallowed, suddenly feeling extremely emotional. ”Thank you...thank you very much…!” she told the woman, hugging her new belonging to her chest tightly, feeling a warmth grow in her chest.

Accepting the gifts happily, she thanked the woman and told her that she’d be going to the party soon at her invitation.

Carefully, Theta put her bear away in her bag, making sure it wasn’t squished by anything else, not wanting to damage the flower. It was when she was moving something aside that she brushed the scarf she’d recently found. A smile grew across her face as she remembered her idea. Picking up the item she gently maneuvered it out of the bag, taking care to make sure that it didn’t snag on a zipper.

Once it was secured in her hands, she made her way into the outdoor living section finally and quickly found her way back to Kim, finding her by another witch. She paused for a second before taking in a steady breath and hesitantly moving to interrupt them, offering a quiet hello to the two females.

”K-Kim, thank you, and um, I had to find my own gift in my bag, so that’s why it took me a minute,” she started to ramble. ”B-but, here you go! M-Merry Christmas…!” she told her, smiling hopefully as she held out the scarf.
code by RI.a
 
[div class=wrapper][div class=box][div class="boxBg boxBgLarge"][/div][div class="boxBg boxBgTall"][/div][div class="boxBg boxBgMedium"][/div][div class=boxInner][div class=statusBox][div class=characterPortrait][/div][div class=statusText]Location: Lowe's Home Improvement
Interactions: BasiliskVeranda BasiliskVeranda
Chise_Robin_ Chise_Robin_ Hell0NHighWater Hell0NHighWater [/div][/div][div class=title]James[/div][div class=text]James felt a great pressure suddenly falling off him as he heard Nik describe the little thing he'd made as 'fucking amazing'. He looked up into Nik's face to see if he was joking but only found sincerity in his friend's warm expression. Reassured, a smile crept back onto James' face, a confident one. Nik's opinion meant a lot to James, he had some expertise with art and things of beauty that James just hadn't, so it was nice to hear that he actually did good.

"Thanks, it..."

"You'll have to teach me. I can't whittle or carve for shit," Now, James chuckled. Just shortly, whilst he closed his hand around the wooden feather back in his palm and put it in the pocket again. He had never really whittled before, nothing like this anyways, and he wasn't exactly sure how he'd done it. "Sure man, I can try to, some time. Just know I ... I don't really have an idea what I did there. I only had time and ... there's always so much shit around, always some fucking problems we can't just go fix, I just have to do something to get my mind off of them and onto anything else or I'll go crazy." It was simple but true, for James problems had to be solved and he needed to help as best he could. He knew there were things he simply can't do or change, times in which he has no way of helping, but it still made him feel weak and useless. After the kidnapping as the rest started planning the rescue mission, he had to keep himself from stupidly running after the raiders on his own. But even if there wasn't anything concerning them as a group directly, the whole world was just a shithole full of monsters and he had no way of changing that. And somewhere out there had to be the rest of his family, but he wouldn't even know where to look, he just can't find them. He can't actually make sure they're alive. So when there was nothing he's occupied with he had to find something so he wouldn't think about how weak he was compared to all the big bad bullshit out there.

----------------------------​

As he stood in front of Alaska handing her the gift all his insecurities were back before he was greatly relieved again as she pulled him into a warm embrace."Thank you......It's perfect.....I love it....I fucking love it.......I..." James' eyes were closed, he was relishing this moment of tenderness. It seemed he had done something right and that was wonderful because he had been scared to mess this up. "I'm glad you like it." His voice was soft but every uncertainty from before was gone.

Alaska pulled away and locked eyes with him. "I don't even know your last name, but......I love you James" The words and the long kiss following them filled James' heart with warmth, an affection he hadn't really felt ever before, hard to describe. He closed his eyes again. They had to hold on to these moments, to keep them, because it was a miracle that these moments still existed in a world like this.

"This was my father's" James eyed the silver watch as Alaska put it around his wrist and then looked up at her. "That's..." He stopped talking and instead listened to her as she continued, and he nodded as she told him to take care of it. First Nik's lighter now this watch, people seemed to like giving him things that meant a lot to them, when most things he ever gave any of them were laughs, hugs, a water bottle ... a wooden feather. He'd keep the things they gave him close for the rest of his life.

"Attention to all you filthy fuckin' animals, there's a goddamn party happening over in the outdoor section with some nice fuckin' space heaters and lights. You're fuckin' welcome, I know no one asked." James had had a lot to say before Rhys voice came bleating through the store's speaker and interrupted Alaska. But with that, they started making their way to this party.

Arrived at their destination Alaska walked towards Rhys first and James smiled at how everything was set up as he looked around. His gaze stopped on the food and he strolled over to the table to get a snack. With a strip of jerky to gnaw on, he found a spot to stand for now and watched the small interactions all around with a smile.

Rhys came over towards James just as he finished eating, he had a slight smile and seemed a bit hesitant as he pulled some bullets out of his pocket. "It might not look like much, but...a little holy oil does wonders. It should...do the bullet flame thing, if uh, I'm right. We might want to test it out, but, Merry Christmas anyways, bro." James raised his eyebrows in surprise as he looked at the bullets and then up at Rhys. "Holy oil, huh? Damn, that's pretty cool, thanks! Kinda hope we won't get a chance to test them out too soon." Blessed bullets, or whatever you'd like to call them, would really be great if they worked. The gun had always been a nice help but this could make it a lot more efficient. And James was running low on bullets too, these shots would at least really count. He looked at the bullets Rhys had by now handed him for another moment and then put them away in a pocket. "Merry Christmas, bro." He was given so many gifts but had only given one to Alaska, well, and Nik, kinda. Indirectly. But that didn't really count.

Rhys made his way for the food now and James walked over towards Alaska again. "Hey, I still wanted to say a few things earlier, before we were so rudely interrupted by Rhys." He shot a smirk over at the man before he returned his attention to Alaska. "Well anyways... Cutler is my last name if there's anything else you want to know about me," James shrugged, "you can always ask, I'll gladly tell you everything about me. Now, onwards the more important thing... I'm pretty sure you already know this, but I have to say it. Want to say it, hope that I get to say it a lot in the future ... I love you too Alaska, please never forget that."[/div]
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[div class=wrapper][div class=box][div class="boxBg boxBgLarge"][/div][div class="boxBg boxBgTall"][/div][div class="boxBg boxBgMedium"][/div][div class=boxInner][div class=statusBox][div class=characterPortrait][/div][div class=statusText]Location: Lowe's Home Improvement
Interactions: BELIAL. BELIAL.
BasiliskVeranda BasiliskVeranda cinnabuns cinnabuns [/div][/div][div class=title]Ryan[/div][div class=text]Talking with Nik was nice, even if wasn't a very long conversation it was full of smiles, short laughs. It was overall pleasant. And Ryan was happy to see that Nik appreciated his gift. Now, seeing Nik's expression as he caught the water bottle Ryan began to understand why James told him to do this but he still didn't get it.

"It's....an inside joke," That made sense, and it seemed it was a good one, seeing how Niklas was now breaking into little hitches of laughter. "...god, that little shit, really? Really, James....?" At that moment Ryan failed to keep some laughter at bay, he would've laughed more if it wouldn't have come stinging pain in his stomach. Little shit was what he used to call James back in the days when the boy had somehow teased him. It had started out annoyed and became something he said lovingly, an inside joke as well one could say. It had become less after a few years, as James started to come out hunting with the rest of the family. These things were so long ago and this had seemed completely gone until now, he was somewhat thankful that Nik reminded him of these times. He definitely understood why James was so fond of Nik.

"Thanks, Ryan. Really,"
"No problem,"
Ryan shook his head, smile still bright from the joyful memories that had been brought up. "...it'd be great if I could figure out how to take down assholes from afar, instead of rushing in there like Satan on wheels," Ryan wheezed as he tried to keep himself from another lough and ended up coughing shortly instead, not much better. "I have to say though, Satan on wheels has his very own charm. But, as I said, I can try to teach you a bit if we ever have time for that. Just, uhm, take of it, was my first ever gun ... well, the first I owned legally, at least." He ended the sentence on a bit of a smirk, leaving it open if he was telling the truth or merely joking.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do~" This was directed more at Penny than at him, this he knew because the look Nik shot her and the way she rolled her eyes, but Ryan couldn't keep himself from calling out after Nik, "No promises!" He looked back at Penny and shrugged, his somewhat sorry expression wasn't looking all that honest with the grin he couldn't keep off his face.

----------------------------​

“I don’t recall those words, at all. You, sir, must have imagined it.”

"Imagined it? Weird, could've sworn you said something like that after you tackled me ..."

But, my, I won’t lose the chance to smack that smile off your face.

"See? That just sounds so familiar!" He didn't really expect her to punch him, so he pushed it a little bit. If he was honest, he didn't know what he expected, but these conversations, these back, and forths, they were fun and he wanted to see where they'd take them. Probably the only thing he expected less than getting smacked in the face was the short and soft kiss Penny placed just above his cheek. As she pulled away he turned his head bit to look at her, brows arched, the smug grin replaced by a surprised little smile, the look in his eyes warm. How he deserved this he didn't know, but he wouldn't question it either.

“I’m glad you’re alive, but don’t let this stop your heart okay?” He nodded slightly, surprised features replaced by expectant ones as he looked into her eyes. She gave him another kiss, this one placed on his lips and a little longer. He rested one of his hands on her shoulder, the other one was still moving to hold her as you do when kissing, but then she quickly pulled away, leaving Ryan with another puzzled expression on his face.

“I’m sorry—I just… I… We should go. Snows…bad. If we stay we’ll freeze… Please come, you don’t even have to look at me just… let’s…” Ryan slowly shook his head at the words as he got up a small smile back on his lips, look in his eyes understanding. He stood close to her, again placing one hand on her shoulder as the other brushed a wisp of hair out of her face. "Don't be sorry, there's no reason to be. It's ... it's okay." He looked at her for another second, then he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Another short and soft kiss, just like the ones she'd given him, but instead of pulling away quickly he did so calmly and stayed close. "See? It's fine. And for the record, I like to look at you, because you have a beautiful smile, not because I have to." He took a step back and had his gaze shift through the RV, looking through a window for a moment. "You're right, we should get out before we freeze to death."

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

“If we follow the voices, I’m sure we’ll find the others.”

"Shouldn't be too hard." As short as their walk through the snow outside has been, it was still great to be inside again. The voices to follow he heard clearly, following them really shouldn't be a problem. He kept his eyes open for any kind of danger, he was sure the others would've killed any monsters inside, but you could never be too cautious.

As they came to the rest of the group they were greeted with friendly faces, lights, food and drink, and Christmas music. Well, and Penny was greeted by a dog crashing into her knees and throwing her to the ground in some kind of cuddle attack. When it came to tackling Woofus had learned from the best it seemed, Penny herself. Ryan shook his head and grinned, then looked at the people around again, flashed James a smile, and then saw Namri, deciding that he should thank her a bit more personally.

He quickly made his way over and then found himself standing in front of her. "Hey, Penny said you did the most for saving me so I figured it would be appropriate to thank you,", he said the words with overacted ironic reluctance and afterward gave her a beaming smile. "Honestly though, thank you a lot for saving my ass. I am Ryan by the way, uh, somebody has probably told you that already."

He was lost in thought for a few seconds and then started speaking again, "Another chance before I die, death avoided again. Not sure why I deserve that, or if do. But, I'll do my best not to almost die again too soon. Hope I was worth saving in the end." Ryan sighed and lost himself in thought again as he stared into the distance. "These people ... maybe I didn't just survive once more but ... but actually get another chance here, again. James is here, that's a good sign ... but why would I - what do I get this next chance for? To break me apart, even more, when it ends again? To show me what a truly am, have always been? I -" He looked over at Namri again just now realizing that he had been speaking the whole time."Sorry, just thinking out loud. Been a rough week and all that... Anyways, thanks again ... guess I'll get something to eat and find a place to sit down." [/div]
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[div class=statusText] Location: Jingle Blacksmith
BGM: Forge!
Sheet: Sheet
Interactions: Cara Cara BasiliskVeranda BasiliskVeranda
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[div class=statusText][/div][/div][div class=title]The fires we make[/div][div class=text]
"Dude, what's with the outfit—you know what. It doesn't matter, you're...clearly busy," "Have you seen any spray acrylic shit? Like lacquer but in a damn can—I'm Nik by the....way..."

"Firstly, I'm David" he says with a small nod of his metal clad head. "The armor, is a matter of practicality, It has saved my life numerous times, I could remove it, but it takes awhile to put on, and we could always be attacked at any moment, and no offense, but I just met you guys and we murdered a bunch of people, burning some of them alive inside their homes which for all we know contained their children. So while you seem nice trust takes time. " The sigh is audible even behind steel. He shrugs his large shoulders shaking his head slowly a few times, as if the demons he carries will fall off his shoulders.

"Lacquer though, I'm not certain, try with paint, chemical stuff like that tends to be stuck together often." He waves his hand in the general direction. "You need anything else let me know, I'm a decent hand shaping steel" He forms a spear of shadow in his hand and pokes his fire a few times, breaking a few pieces to burn faster. The heavily armored man sits down and stares into the fire, shoulders down, back and head bent down as he watches the flames.

He thinks to himself, he said it without thought, but he did burn those RVs people were living in without even seeing who was inside. He doesn't even know how many people he has killed anymore. He doesn't know for certain they were all guilty, he doesn't know none of them were children, or pregnant women with innocent babies inside them. He doesn't know, what cost he paid only that the camp needed to be destroyed, he was on a mission, blood pumping, nearly having died. Then he started fires and ran.

His fist tighten as he watches the wood burn. He has seen a lot of fire in the last two years. It's not a comfortable thing to sit beside anymore. It's a reminder of what he has become. What he has become good at. What he is becoming. He makes these fires to make weapons and armor. It hasn't been enough to kill others, he has armed others so they may do it.

No that isn't quite fair is it? He lifts a hand towards the fire letting the metal armor slowly heat around his hand. He fought monsters, litteral and other wise. He carried children to safety. He failed some times, but he learned some medicine to save lives. He made armor yes, but it protected good people whenever he could make sure it would. Is that an excuse though? Is that the truth? Has he done good enough? How much of the death he accepts is because of his changing nature?

How do you trust yourself when your turning into someone you don't like?

He grabs a coil of boating rope from his shopping cart and sits back down, taking his knife to one open end slicing it length wise open so he can pull it apart easily back into thinner strands. It's a bit of a mess and he has to pull the cart up to throw the thinner strands into. It's tedious work interrupted only briefly so he can pull a name from Rufus. After being explained the Christmas party he looks over at his materials. He has the opportunity for some solid gear here, not top of the line, but very good.

Yet he was just wondering if he is a good person. This would be a selfless act, an act to help someone else. Someone he has seen nothing but good from. Someone who at least seems to be generous, what type of person would he be if he could not reciprocate at least that trait?

In times when he questions what he should do, he chooses whatever option he thinks will piss of the future nearly demon version of himself. In this case it's a good gift, one that he wanted for himself. He gives a soft chuckle, this is kind of funny when he steps back and thinks about it. Fine, he makes up his mind and stands up, back and head held high. He has a task, a good task.

He starts the fire burning his charcoal, he will need to get it hot enough for what he wants, however the titanium isn't very pure so he has some leeway and concentrated air, will be a quite effective accelerent, if a bit odd of one. The roar of the fire should upset as it grows hot in his metal cooking pot he calls armor. However, while the heat is uncomfortable almost to the point of pain, pain is something he has grown quite accustomed to. As he heats the metallic roll he nods to himself, luckily he needs to make only minor modifications. The work feels good to him, to make something. He can't help but wonder why he rushed to make a forge. He chuckles lightly.

He knows why, because making friends is harder than making swords. Particularly, when you don't know if this group will actually become friends, easier not to get your hopes up after all. He has been burned before. He groans to himself as he hammers the roll into a solid flatter shape. Burned before He hates that he accidentally made a pun. The work is not terribly time consuming, after all the modification is simple, the longest part was waiting for the charcoal to finish. After a few dozen hammer blows he has his three plates. He would of cased them in steel for himself, and rope, now threads, would been made into a soft inside layer. A new chest piece, but this is better. His is after all still serviceable.

He throws the cords and the plates into a plain box, throwing in a handful of titanium drill bits with it. All in all it's a hefty box. He makes his way to the party, following the noise of conversation until he see's who he is looking for. He shakes his head and takes a deep breath, making sure for a second he isn't doing anything stupid with demonic magic and walks over.

Cara Cara

"Hello, so um, this is for you" He speaks slowly and he steps back and fourth as he talks before handing her the unwrapped box, he is after all already relatively late to this party. He lets her open it to see the odd metal plates,large amount of ugly yellow cord and a handful of drill bits. "Ah yeah, that would seem odd, maybe I'm odd, I ah, wanted to armor your jacket. The plates, are a titanium composite, not the type used in armor normally, but still strong and light, and the way they were made, gives long stress lines so they won't be penetrated as easily." He nods standing a bit straighter and more confident since he can firmly talk about his area of expertise. "The cords is cut boating rope, which is a type of Kevlar, again not as good as whats normally used for armor. I know, but yeah still enough all together to possibly stop a low caliber round, and certainly make getting beaten or stabbed harder, and all fairly light weight."

He gestures with his hands as he speaks rapidly. "I mean, probably not what you were thinking, but you seem nice and I hope... It, can keep you safe. If you want I mean, I hope you like it" He rapidly shut ups realizing he has probably come off a bit of a chatter box.


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Reverie Lowiezka

LOCATION — Lowe's Home Improvement
INTERACTIONS Hell0NHighWater Hell0NHighWater , cinnabuns cinnabuns
MENTIONS— The Grigori gang.
DESC. — Hair unfettered, tan wrap coat, red scarf, tights, black heeled ankle boots.
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[div class=bye]
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❖ ❖​

She had just about turned away after tossing her gift towards the necromancer when the other woman surprised her with a declaration that she had something to give of her own. Mildly taken aback, Reverie turned to regard the dark haired witch, thinking of the odds that they had both pulled each other's names from the hat. But as she watched Allea rifle through her pack, Reverie quickly realized that from the way she'd replied, this was hardly anything planned. Allea sought to gift, freely. Which was interesting... considering the circumstances of their initial meeting. Reverie's cocoa locks shifted slightly as she cocked her head to one side, as if appraising the other woman. Then again, one obviously can't draw quick conclusions about others whether or not the apocalypse bell had chimed or not.

"I ain't much into alchemy or potions or whatnot, so I figure you may 'ave more use for this than I."

Almond shaped eyes widened slightly as the other woman held up the transparent bag containing her 'gift'.

"Allea, the fuck is--" Reverie glanced sidelong at their errant leader, a little nettled as he poked his busy nose between their quaint gift exchanging. like the nosy kid trying to be part of the cool crowd.

"It's her gift not yours, take ya commentary somewhere else."

The White Witch nearly snorted at Allea's retort. The level of snark infused in her voice as she exchanged a few words with Rhys was certainly beyond acceptable levels, which sat pleasantly well with Reverie. She was beginning to like this woman.
Reverie approves +1

A smile that mirrored the necromancer's own teased on her lips as she took the ziploc bag from her grasp, eyeing the eyeball with evident interest. It was not the most difficult of ingredients to obtain, but certainly not a common one either.

"Thank you." Rare coming from the white witch's lips, rarer still that it should be adorned in sincerity.

She caught Rhys eyeballing them, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Oh don't be like that Rhysie... With this I'm pretty sure I can make you something that will send your blood boiling with the fires of a hellhound." She winked at him, and added in a low voice, a devilish glint suddenly in her tawny eyes. "Nik will definitely be happy." A sudden silvery peal of laughter followed causing Reverie to bring the back of her hand up to stifle her little bout of mirth. It was short-lived, as Reverie quickly suppressed it self-consciously. Nonetheless, it was a surprisingly cheery moment for the witch. The look on Rhys' face was priceless. Some part of her didn't know what came over her, or why she found it so funny. But she couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed like so, and it was certainly a welcome feeling. Perhaps there was indeed something magical about celebrating the season of giving. Shoulders still shuddering, she bit on her lower lip and watched bemused as Rhys headed over to the PA system, tossed a grin her way, and filled the store with his annoying whiny voice.

❖ ❖​

She was in the midst of having a drink and helping herself to some nourishment when a voice spoke up behind her.

“Excuse me. Are you Reverie?”

The Slavik woman turned at the voice to see a bespectacled girl with raven hair. She recognized her as one of the survivors they had picked up from the raid.

“You were the one I got for my secret Santa. I hope this will be of use to you in the upcoming year.” Cordial, if a bit formal. But the girl was looking on expectantly as she offered her the pouch, as if hoping that she'd actually like the gift; and not simply giving out of necessity. Reverie smiled and took the gift from her hands, noting with concealed delight that it contained a swiss-army knife. She'd only just lost her own blade to the vampire.

"I definitely could use this." Reverie assured the other woman, hefting the blade for a moment before she tucked it away into one of her pockets. They exchanged small pleasantries then, before the white witch took her leave and headed to find a perch out front of the store where she could keep watch. Everytime the group seemed to settle down, they had been assaulted by some sort of menace. Finding a stack of wooden pallets against the front wall, she climbed up and sat, a can of beer from her pack in hand to watch the fine gossamer of white coat the land. Half a month ago, she might've scoffed at the group's incorrigible lack of awareness. Now... to each their own, and since she was part of them, she'd rather think this was her own way of giving.

She did miss that overly uptight grizzled ex-soldier though, and his grim cortege of armed adolescents.
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Caleb Isaac
| Location: Lowe's Home Improvement |
| With: Reina & Nik, Rufus, Theta & David |
| Mentions: cinnabuns cinnabuns BasiliskVeranda BasiliskVeranda Beleth Beleth Mirgris Mirgris |
The moment the car was parked, Caleb could not have been happier. Once Reina was freed from her own seatbelt, the man shrugged off his own and couldn’t leave the jeep fast enough. Sure he liked the inactivity of being in the vehicle, but he was honestly sick of listening to the women up front talk. He had no clue who they were and he found himself harboring a healthy dose of not caring.

They couldn’t have gotten to Lowe’s soon enough.

In a few short strides he had walked around the jeep and was at Reina’s side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he slumped slightly onto her, leaning his head on hers. ”Thank whatever gods exist that that tortures finally over…” he mumbled, his eyes drifting lower.

When Reina made it clear she wanted to go check on the others, he shrugged and leaned back against the vehicle behind them, smirking as he told her to not take too long, already missing the warmth of her body beside his even though she had just stepped away from him.

Watching her walk away from him caused him to sigh before rolling his neck, exhaling in relief as some of the tension he’d been holding faded away as his neck popped loudly. Glancing around the area, he paused, narrowing his gaze at the small store across the street from where the large group was, watching as Rhys gather Theta and two others to go grab supplies.

Caleb hummed, looking at the knocked over displays in the windows before something small caught his eyes, causing him to smirk. He glanced back over at Reina who was deep in discussion with the kids from before and he figured he’d have enough time to head over and grab what he’d seen and be back by the time she was done.

Decided, he made sure the knives he’d snatched from the armory at the raider’s headquarters were safely tucked in his boots, he shoved his hands in his pockets and began a lazy stroll across the street.

It didn’t take him long to dig through the random objects on the floor and grab hold of what he’d come for. Shrugging off his jacket, he wrapped it inside as a way to keep it hidden, figuring Reina could use some type of happy surprise. Considering the shit they’d just dealt with in the jeep right after being held prisoner after all, he figured she’d appreciate it.

He paused for half a second at the thought, shrugging before heading back to his place against the jeep to wait for Reina. Even if she didn’t like he was sure he could make it up to her. A playful smirk grew across his features at the possible ways he could make it up to her before he came distracted by the very woman he’d been thinking of.

“So?”

Her hand found his as he spoke, his eyes opening fully as she pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

“We have to grab some med kits and food for them.”

“Have to? You’re too nice. We could just find a bed.” She rolled her eyes at the smirk that grew on his lips. “Get some rest, or not. Depends on how frisky you’re feeling, gorgeous.”

Caleb knew she saw the bit of sincerity in his words, and grinned at the smirk she sent back to him. "We can talk frisky after business is handled."

"Well, I do love a woman who knows what she wants...lead the way, sweetheart."

As Reina led the way into the store, his hand wrapped securely around hers, he wondered what exactly their next step would be. The group that they’d tagged along with had already been a decent size but now it had seemingly doubled in the amount of people. The thought made him wonder how things would all play out. He wondered if they’d ask some people to leave or try and find a way to make this large group work out somehow.

Logic would indicate that they should try splitting the now large group in half to have better chances of finding enough supplies for everyone, however based on the previous performances of some of the ‘original’ members of the group, he wondered if that would be an option any of them would even want to take. Then again, he thought. Not like any of them actually knew each other too much. He hummed to himself as he paused behind Reina who’d come to a stop to begin collecting supplies.

“Now, babe, if you hold too much, where will my hand go?”

“You’re right. It’s too bad, I guess we’ll have to hurry and deliver all of this.” she laughed softly at his responding pout.

“Why do you have to be right?”

He made to make another comment when he noticed someone from the corner of his eye. He raised a brow at the blonde man that approached them. He nodded at the man’s greeting. ”You too I suppose. Caleb.” he introduced himself as well, not really sure what else to say to the random man. He hummed again as he watched him turn back to his painting, watching the way he’d paused at their interaction and seemed to be trying to study or remember them. It almost reminded him of himself, years ago.

It made him wonder just how much sanity some of the others in this ragtag group of misfits had left.

He didn’t have much time to ponder this new thought however as they were once again interrupted, this time by a much younger but also blonde male. He withheld his annoyed sigh, but he was sure that annoyance was clear in his gaze. Was it too much to ask for a little bit of alone time with the woman beside him? A little bit of heaven in such a hell? A bit of reprieve from the insanity swirling around in his head?

Unless the time he was spending with her was something he’d conjured up in his own moments of insanity. He paused his train of thought, already confused but used to his own strange thought processes at random times. He sighed, slouching forward as he was forced to pick a piece of paper from a bag, having missed everything the boy had said before dashed off.

Caleb opened the small slip of paper and frowned at the name written, only to glance up in confusion as Rhys’ voice came over the intercom. He groaned loudly, leaning more heavily onto Reina at the thought of more interaction with people he didn’t know. Sneaking off to find a bed and nap and cuddle and...other things was definitely more appealing, he thought.

”Well at least I know why I have this piece of paper…” he muttered, shifting so he was standing behind Reina and leaning over her so he could rest his head on her shoulder, seeing as her hands were full of medical supplies. ”You know finding that bed is sounding a lot more appealing then going to whatever party that kid was talking about…” he whispered to her as they headed back to the front of the store to deliver the medical supplies.

Once delivered, they had wandered back into the store. With Reina’s hands free once more, he happily snatched one of them as they walked aimlessly before being found by one of the witches he didn’t mind. Theta, the little girl with the snake. He smirked at how flustered she was, explaining why she’d grabbed them some supplies at the other store across the street.

”Thanks Short Stuff.” he told her, grinning at her embarrassment before she ran off.

Digging through the bag, he hummed at the items he found. Bottles of water and iced tea and other liquids along with bags of chips and crackers and multiple sticks of jerky. Caleb paused in his digging at the sight of the younger male that had given them the slips of paper. He raised a brow as the boy seemed to glance at him almost worriedly before beginning to speak to Reina and he realized what was going on.

He almost wanted to laugh, seeing how nervous he made the boy. He’d gotten Reina’s name in the secret santa event and was now nervous. He held back his laugh but smirked in amusement as he gifted Reina, and himself by extension it seemed, a blanket to keep warm during the cold weather. It was his words that saved him from Caleb saying something after the kiss on the cheek he’d given Reina before running off.

Well. That and the fact that he suddenly remembered having to hand out his own gift. He let out a tired sigh, not really knowing what to do other than give the person food, seeing as he knew nothing about the man. Having made his decision he quickly kissed Reina on the cheek, telling her he’d be back in a moment before turning around and heading towards where he’d last seen the metal clad man starting a fire.

Seeing as he held the bag from Theta, once he was a good enough distance away from Reina, he adjusted his grip on his jacket, putting the small item he’d grabbed before hand inside, trading it for a few bottles of water and a healthy stack of jerky.

Finding the man he was looking for as he seemed to be putting the finishing touches on something he was making, Caleb coughed slightly to get his attention. ”Hey, uh, I’m Caleb, pulled your name or whatever in this thing.” he started before handing over the water and jerky. ”Sorry for the lack of thought I guess but seeing as we don’t know each other and all I’ve seen you do is work with this fire here, here’s something to help keep your strength up or whatever. Later.” he finished, giving him a small wave before turning right back around and making his way back to Reina, suddenly ready to give her his gift and find somewhere they could hide out together away from everyone else.

”Reina,” he called out once he was close enough to see her. ”Here, I have something for you.” he murmured as he stopped in front of her, lowering his head slightly so he was closer to her.

Reaching behind him in the bag he pulled out the single bottle that had no twin in the items that had been given to them. ”You know how we were talking about that bed earlier?” he asked almost teasingly as he slowly moved his arm in front of him so he could reveal the small bottle of eggnog. ”I think this right here could help us out.” he grinned shamelessly, giving the small bottle a small shake.

He chuckled, setting the bottle to the side, reaching into the bag once again. ”I’m kidding.” he told her. ”Sort of.” he smirked before revealing what he’d truly gotten her.

Now what he held in his hand was a small wolf plush toy. While it was silly and something she definitely didn’t need, he liked how it was simple and cute and could help inspire something other than fighting. The toy was made with soft and fuzzy gray and black fur with random tufts of ‘fur’ sticking up by its ears and on the sides of its neck in an attempt to give it a wild look. All in all, he thought it was fairly cute instead of wild, but then again it was a toy.

”It isn’t anything practical, I know.” he began. ”But it’s something in an attempt to remind you of something other than fighting. When things get rougher, because they will, if you look back at this toy and this moment, I’m hoping you can remember at least one good moment we’ve made together.” he whispered, slowly moving his head closer to hers as his volume decreased with every word he spoke, truly wanting to convey to her how serious he was.

It didn’t take a genius to know that there wasn’t a chance in hell that things were never going to get worse than they had already been. But at least this way...she’d have something to look back on to remind her of a brighter time even during the darkness.
code by RI.a
 
[class=biggie] width: 100%; margin: 0 auto; text-align: center; clear:both; font-size:13px; color: #1d1b15; font-weight:100; display:flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; height: 100%; [/class] [class=whut]background: url(https://i.postimg.cc/J7cBQG31/snows.jpg); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; background-attachment: fixed; padding:30px; [/class] [class=handsomedevil] background: #ced8e2; text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; padding:10px; color: #1d1b15; flex: 1; border: 1px solid #b9c0ca; font-weight:400; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; font-size:13px; [/class] [class=speaks] overflow: auto; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; flex: 1; flex-basis: 30%; margin-left: 40px; margin-right:15px; [/class] [class=blue] background: #ced8e2; padding: 10px; width:auto; [/class] [class=speakstoo] font-size:13px; text-align: left; font-weight:100; border: 1px solid #ced8e2; outline: 1px solid #eff0f2; background-color: #eff0f2; color: #272828; line-height:2; font-weight:400; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; padding:30px; max-height:1250px; overflow-y: auto; overflow-x:hidden; [/class] [class=speakeasy] font-weight:400; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; border: 1px solid #b9c0ca; outline: 1px solid #eff0f2; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing:2px; word-spacing: 4px; text-align: center; font-size:12px; padding:20px; color: #272828; background:#eff0f2;[/class] [class=bottoms] font-weight:400; margin-top: 50px; clear:both; color: #272828; background:#eff0f2; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; border: 1px solid #b9c0ca; outline: 1px solid #eff0f2; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-size:12px; letter-spacing: 2px; text-align: center; padding:20px; line-height:2; width:100%; [/class] [class=tops] font-weight:400; margin-bottom: 50px; clear:both; background-color: #040404; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; border: 1px solid #b9c0ca; outline: 1px solid #eff0f2; color: #272828; background:#eff0f2; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-size:12px; letter-spacing: 2px; text-align: center; padding:20px; color: #fff; line-height:2; width:100%; [/class] [class=speakeasy2] font-weight:400; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; border: 1px solid #ced8e2; outline: 1px solid #eff0f2; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: left; font-size:12px; padding:20px; color: #272828; background:#eff0f2; line-height:2; [/class] [class name=handsomedevil maxWidth="800px"] margin: 0 auto; padding: 10px[/class] [class name=whut maxWidth="800px"] margin: 0 auto; padding: 0px[/class] [class name=biggie maxWidth="800px"] padding: 0px; margin: 0 auto; flex-direction: column;[/class] [class name=speakstoo maxWidth="800px"]margin: 0 auto; padding: 10px; margin-top:20px; overflow: auto; max-height: 100%;[/class] [class name=speaks maxWidth="800px"]margin: 0 auto; padding: 0px;[/class] [class name=bottoms maxWidth="800px"]display:none[/class] [class name=tops maxWidth="800px"]display:none[/class]
[div class=whut][div class=biggie][div class=handsomedevil] [div class=speakeasy]𝘛𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦`𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦'𝘴. [/div]
noms.jpg
[div class=speakeasy2]Niklas Liam Voss
LOCATION
— Lowes Home Improvement Store > Party!
BGM THE SMASHING PUMPKINS - 1979
WEARING — Thermal black coat, red beanie, red shirt, utility boots. Looks like a dork.
OOC — WHATS THE PRESENT. also if i missed you let me know im not very cognizant today[/div]
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[div class=speakeasy]𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳.[/div][/div]
[div class=speaks][div class=blue][div class=speakstoo]
Hell0NHighWater Hell0NHighWater (Actually Santa, let's be legit)
Rhys had been flitting about giving gifts, if a bit awkwardly. Which Nik thought was incredibly charming, usually his counterpart being on the tall, stoic, and broody side. This made the blond's smile curl at the corner, Nik being an open book for his emotions, for the most part. He had the capacity to lie through his teeth, but he'd always show his hand with that bright mouth for people he cared about.

Which was now amused, wine-rosed, and sentimental. As if everything was made of blurry still frames, tiny bright lights, and colored in the afterglow hues of an ebbing sunset.

There was a murmured tenderness within the whitelighter that he didn't know if many saw. It took a while, but after a period of time, the walls came down, and he let people in. Like Alaska, like Penny, like James, and the dog who was only just starting to not gravely despise the part-time devil. Even if it was just a shoe to stopper the door and peek beyond the veil, the opportunity arose. At some point, there'd be a seam to pull back.

And he would've been a moron if he hadn't tried.

Nik had come in with a sledgehammer. Perhaps it was because he was impatient, the world had ended and was ending and he hadn't wanted to waste time. Perhaps it was because he saw that stillness he roamed the lands for, plainly, with keen eyes playing over features and mind siphoning words to pinpoint.

He was glad he had. Especially because of the reaction he had gotten from his little makeshift present.

"Come here." He certainly couldn't say no to that gentle command, his deep blue eyes lighting up like the small flickers of colorful LEDs strewn around their little party. Like fireflies, he thought, hovering on green vines.

The brunet wound his arm around Nik's waist and he was pulled close. Pulled close to that warmth, the wine bottle almost forgotten but he didn't quite want to waste it by tossing it aside. His skin was soothing, the blond could feel the smile on his face, and see that dimple even without looking. The detective was a bit too close, warranting a sheepish grin to splay across Nik's face, but then it bloomed into something not unlike a daring smile.

Dare anyone to pitch a fit. Not that they would. Then it curled into something sweeter when the other man moved his warm breath over his neck to the shell of his ear, to whisper, some Italian he didn't quite understand. But did, because romance languages all shared a common root. It wasn't that hard to get.

"Buon Natale, mi amore." There was a kiss to his cheek, and the blond turned into it, a soft gesture, this was nice. The wine was bubbling through his veins already. But he wouldn't have needed it to be this close, for the world to feel like it had fallen away, and they were on their own little island. Lost in space and time, everything else was blank for just a moment.

The set pieces, gone. The camera, in focus. He almost forgot how much he didn't understand or know, because of this tenderness.

"I'm glad you like it, Возлюбленный мой...I don't quite know what the first part means, but I guess it's all in Holiday spirit, or some shit.." he said with a fettered chuckle, rumbling in his chest. He took that moment to raise his free hand up and slide it over the other man's face, thumb over his cheekbone, a light touch. Because this moment, and moments like this, were rare. And they could be rarer still.

He had almost lost him, he...didn't want to remember that. But he had, and his brows knit up, face turned away, trying his best to hold onto this pure moment. Keeping the haunting demise of this angel-of-a-man at bay as much as he could. He didn't want to remember that.

He wanted to be present in this moment.

"Thank you, it's beautiful. I love it...I--" Laughter, roaring, a ruckus. It snapped them back to reality, and Nik was almost irritated. He would've been, but the wine was doing its job, making everything a little fuzzy around the edges. He smiled, slow like warmed honey.

"I have to go do this secret santa. Don't go far, I've got a gift for you as well."
"Oh do you, detective?" That wink held a promise, which the part-time devil returned with a devious smirk that was nothing if not tauntingly flirtatious. Nik let him go, and held the wine bottle between his hands. He stood for a moment, and took another sip. He'd stop and start with this. Take a sip, manage to find some food, chew the grandma cookies.

He was smart enough not to get thoroughly tanked. Because that would've been absolutely disastrous.

⛧⛧⛧

Cara Cara , Mirgris Mirgris (Mentions) Beleth Beleth (Goth Barbie - No, you don't get any booze or cigs, srry)​

At some point he saw another new face, a woman, pleasant in the way Percival's had been. Long, oval-shaped, with large eyes. Not even the least bit as severe as the valley girl had been, she had always worn a magenta mouth with caked on mascara, but beneath it all, there was a similarity. Nik knew he was always winding back to the past to remember the before, to make sense of the now.

It was hard not to, but he felt he was doing a good enough job...he tilted his head to the side and took another sip of his wine...maybe not. The blond shook his head slightly, eyes focusing and unfocusing as he glanced on at the others, like little bright lights in the darkness that was always still around them.

Nik spotted a beach chair, woven and colored in off-white, blue, and yellow, chrome on the frame. He snagged it in one hand, carried it along like he were going on a trip to some sunny destination, and set it down closer to the food and drinks.

Sidling into the chair, and placing the wine by his feet, he took the opportunity to lean back, and eat these ancient cookies. Look on at the others, understand them better through a wine-stained haze, but still understand none-the-less. The way they talked, the way they moved, what they talked about.

He was observant. He remembered. Even if he couldn't act properly on much of the information he gleaned, he still kept it.

Looks could be deceiving, but if she had wandered into their little group and hadn't been stopped from engaging at their festive gathering, he could be relatively certain she wasn't a threat.

David, who had responded his name prior when the blond had been on a mission to find some fucking fixative, seemed to be the gift-giver in their discourse. He mused a hum through his lips, curious gaze sparking his brow to raise. Another sip of wine, small in the mouth, too bitter. Almost balsamic tasting, but the butter-colored cookies helped take the edge off.

He had said the armor had been practical. But the only thing the buzzed blond afflicted could think about was how fucking hard it must've been to take a shit. He grinned at his own joke and shook his head. Comedy hour had lit up his mind, and he mused on just what the man beneath the mask looked like.

Maybe he was handsome. Maybe not. Maybe he was covered in the scars of war. Nik narrowed his eyes. He still bet he looked severe, like a marbled statue, like Grigori had looked. Before he had fucked off to make his weird authoritarian human-first not-cult-but-totally-a-cult cult. Nik chuckled, then sighed, tilting his head back, indigo eyes trailing up to glance.

His eyes flickered down. Just how long they had here in this mirth, he didn't know. He wished it could last longer, but based on their track record, it'd probably only be a day, tops.

"Fuck the apocalypse," he said, behind a newly lit cigarette, one that Alaska had so graciously given him. His strong brows raised and he made a noise of discomfort, shifting to cross one leg over the other on his knee, red beanie jammed over his head, flicking ash with poised fingers. Somehow graceful and almost feline despite looking like he was going on a motherfucking stoner hiking adventure.

Payne's gray smoke spiraled from the side of his mouth, his expression softened in warm peach-pinks and glimmers of gold. He hoped they could hold onto this scene for a bit longer than usual. He flicked ash again and brought the cancer stick to his mouth and held the smoke in his lungs.

Just a bit longer than usual...just one more day of thi—

...I wouldn’t suppose any of you have a light and a drink to spare?” The blond rolled his head, and coincidentally his eyes, as if creating a gravitational orbit. This was Edana's voice, the little goth barbie coming clearly into view, piping up asking for things she had no business asking for. His brow raised, angled, incredulous.

"You're a tween, so the answer is abso-fucking-lutely not—" Bitchy Dad mode, activated.
"Aren't you a little young to smoke?" Nik snorted as Rhys finished off his sentiments, but with a bit less rowdy sarcasm dripping from his mouth. Goth Barbie wouldn't be cutting her young life short with cigarettes or going on a dumb bender. Certainly not.

“I’ve … heard it was good for the nerves,” Nik groaned and slumped in his chair, she wasn't fooling anybody, “I don’t suppose excuses are much of an option at this point in the apocalypse.” Rhys had this handled, he started to phase out as he drank a bit more wine, pacing himself but surely buzzed at this moment.

"...skinnier than some fucking fish sticks." He barely caught the end of this conversation, having been staring off at the others as they exchanged gifts, winding his deep blue gaze over their faces, their joy, clips of conversations flitting in like small birds, then flitting away again. Nik guessed Rhys was trying to play Dad. He'd be right.

It warmed his heart in shades of earth, the corner of his mouth quirking as he supped on his cigarette and lulled in his chair.

As his sights fettered over the scene, like an onlooker, and outside observer, taking in as much as he could, he saw Rhys darting his gaze around. The blond cocked a strong brow, and stood, cigarette pressed to his mouth like a blunt, ash flicked, then put it out on the tin lid of the ancient grandma cookies. Metal, metal, and blue. They had held up.

He stretched his arms over his head, the wine doing its job at keeping the mired past—and the present confusions—at bay, tucked away. The things he didn't know were trapped behind a little piece of cellophane, stained plum and red. Too warm to care.

His back cracked, he leaned, thank Raptor Jesus for yoga.

⛧⛧⛧

Hell0NHighWater Hell0NHighWater (Santa Baby) Beleth Beleth (Don't Think He Doesn't See You LEL)
The blond twisted for a moment, spotting Rufus from the corner of his eye. His expression jovial, and then as he heard footsteps behind him, the brit turned away. Strange. Nik had been hoping to offer him some wine or one of these buttery grandma cookies. But he had peeled away. A little disarmed, a hand found the small of his back and his smile blossomed rosey. He didn't have to look.

A gift filled his vision, the blond took it in his hands and grinned, it was wrapped in little magazine ads. He had spent time on this...it was...

"That's...this is very sweet, Detective Peanut Butter, you didn't have to get me anything—"

"Don't shake it, it's a bit fragile and the box is too big. I uh...did the best I could." Nik's indigo eyes caught the whitelighter's cyan, piercing gaze. Then the quirk of his smile, a little mischievous painted line across the very pleasant landscape of his face. "You might want to open that in private." The blond's response was to snort, at first.

Then, it was a chuckle, a sly grin sweeping, brow cocked, and finally his grin tilted into a half-smile. Every single facet of his expression pointed to how pleased he was, and even moreso pleased that he'd need to open it in private. His mind raced to various answers as to what the mystery gift was, but he was sure he'd have to wait for it. There was more partying to be had.

"Your best is more than enough...God, we're fucking deplorable," he remarked sarcastically, on how damned saccharine sweet they were. He knew the whitelighter would understand.

"I'll be sure to open it after the party. And after..." Nik leaned, keening to whisper low in his chest to just Rhys' ears alone, things that would make Satan cross himself. Niklas was not at all subtle and had an exceptionally colorful vocabulary.

A shit-eating grin lilted the corner of his mouth, he left a chaste kiss on Rhys' cheek, and was almost tempted to...actually shake the box.

Slightly buzzed, he really wanted to. But maybe it'd break, he reasoned. And so he wouldn't...there was just something about jostling your presents to find out what was inside, however.

"Thank you, Princess...and thank you," his words hung in the air, his wine-slowed mind hitching though them, "...for loving me."

Each love in someone's life was different. A different piece of a puzzle, a different glimmer in gold, a different feeling that haunted you in warmth and comfort. But his language to explain it all felt the same, in many ways. He was quite simply grateful.

Grateful to have someone care about him in this way. Grateful for Emrys Contiello and his strong character, chivalrous and armored in absolute justice. Grateful for the time spent talking, not just lips and teeth and all those juicy bits. Grateful for the laughter.

Grateful for the strong arm to rest on. Grateful for the handful of stories they had shared, the banter.

Grateful for his company. But he wanted more of it, wanted every little strand the nightmare he had seen had left behind. Every scene he had barely registered, as a side-character staring on at the camera. You weren't supposed to look beyond it, but he wanted to know.

Everything.

Niklas tilted his head to the side and gave the brunet a lingering kiss, slow, heated, and maybe a bit too hungry. For the wine was a steady friend and a partial enemy. But then the blond grinned, and wandered forward to snatch some more grandma cookies, because he was slowly growing to like them perhaps more than anything he'd eaten in a great while.

The present was tucked underneath his arm, he kept it close, took some other assorted goodies, and smiled. From the corner of his eye, he caught Rufus glancing. For half a moment. Nik was not stupid. He was generally aware of people in his area. He kept shifting, and now seemed less with his back towards the whitelighter and his devilish partner.

"Hey, Ruffles. Try these cookies," he half-shouted. He wanted to know what the posturing was about. He also wanted his new, bubbly friend, the one who had rescued them with that immaculate R.V and had the doofy accent, to try the fucking cookies. They were actually...excellent.

[/div][/div]
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DIGq5c5WsAIqlhb.jpg

Niylah Blake
Location: Lowes Home Improvement Store
Interactions: Beleth Beleth , Mirgris Mirgris , BasiliskVeranda BasiliskVeranda , Hell0NHighWater Hell0NHighWater and everyone XD
Out of character: I am sorry I am late ^.^



Rufus stood up and extended both of his arms as Niylah presented him the gift, he seemed really happy, shook it carefully then hugged Niylah “Fanks, luv! I can’t wait t’open it!” he said, at first Niylah was confused when Rufus came towards her, she wasn't expecting a hug, but it felt nice to have one so she hugged him back. He pulled back and opened the box and Niylah's smile extended as he said that he liked the gift “ I kinda hoped that you would like it, it’s hard to find something that still plays music these days, so I figured this would be a nice and a useful gift” she said answering Rufus’s question. And it was a useful gift in Niylah's opinion. Music can be used to have fun or attract attention on a battle failed, it can literature save someone's life.
Rufus’s accent seemed to change however when she brought up bringing the food, medical supplies, and the guitar. “I love to sing… Sing, dance … back ‘ome -- h..home -- I used to go karaokin’ erry...every night in order to burn off typical week steam. We were walkin’ distance to the place from me...my..home.” he said and Niylah couldn't help but ask “ what happened to your cool accent?” she was always fond of accents, she always thought that it was a part of a person’s personality and that no one should hide their personality. She also thought about her home when he mentioned the karaoke, and it made her think that it gets harder to remember her family with every day. Did they ever do karaoke? They did once… at least she thinks that they did. She used to sing with her mother that one song when they were alone as well, a lullaby, how did it go again? Something like:

I'll build a home for you and me
In a land no one knows about
Far a way behind the seas
A safe place inside the clouds


So close your eyes and go to sleep
Don't you worry bout a thing
I will always be with you
In your heart to guide you through


She started humming in her mind just before she was brought back to reality as Rufus started speaking again “Food an’ meds yew say, lass? C’mon then, I can fink of a few nuttahs tha’ may be likin’ tha stash!” he said mentioning the food and Niylah smiled as she followed him. ‘was he embarrassed of his accent? ’ she thought because his face gave her the image that he was mentally slapping his forehead and saying noo i did it again.

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

A voice echoed saying something about a party ‘ so I did understand right, there is a party’ she thought smiling to herself as Rufus turn to face her “Roight then, gonna continue t’be an awkward lad ‘ere an’ feel free t’say no, luv but … Fer tha secret santa aftah party, would yew like t’accompany me ovah to tha gatherin’ point? Didn’t wanna be partin’ ways an’ leavin’ yew all ‘lone. … “Nofin’ weird, o’course! I can see ‘ow this might be sendin’ off some weird message.” He said. Niylah still had to look for a car for her plan B, but the snow made it almost impossible so she decided to raincheck and head to the party instead, after all this was the first party she had in years. “ It’s not weird, and I’d love to” she said with a smile accepting his invitation. Rufus was a nice person, and she didn't think that it was weird, on the contrary she thought that it was best if she showed up with Rufus – who knew everyone as far as she knew - instead of showing up alone and standing in front of the new eyes who may shoot first and ask questions later.

Man they really put a great big work into this party’ Niylah told Rufus as they arrived, there were lights, food and alcohol, it was warm and people were talking and laughing here and there, hell they even had a dog. It was a great sight and it made Niylah smile. She placed the guitar down and took a look around. Among the new faces, there was one who had her attention, a blond man on a beach chair. He switched his gaze from one person to another, but when his eyes stopped on her she felt that he was checking if she was a threat or not ‘ it seems that i'm the only one he doesn't know here’ she thought kind of regretting not leaving the gun behind, or not hiding it at least and trying to fight the urge to stare at him, after all he was acting normal and she was very paranoid when it came to new people, she must have been imagining it. She tried to ignore his suspicious looks as David approached "Hello, so um, this is for you " he said giving her a box “ Hello, thank you” she greeted him with a smile as she accepted the box and opened it, he seemed nervous and it made her more curious to know what was in the box. Inside there were metal plates, a large yellow cord, and some drill bits "Ah yeah, that would seem odd, maybe I'm odd, I ah, wanted to armor your jacket. The plates, are a titanium composite, not the type used in armor normally, but still strong and light, and the way they were made, gives long stress lines so they won't be penetrated as easily The cords is cut boating rope, which is a type of Kevlar, again not as good as whats normally used for armor. I know, but yeah still enough all together to possibly stop a low caliber round, and certainly make getting beaten or stabbed harder, and all fairly light weight… I mean, probably not what you were thinking, but you seem nice and I hope... It, can keep you safe. If you want I mean, I hope you like it"” she imagined the look of her jacket as he explained about the armor parts and she gave him a big smile ‘now that would look bad ass’ she said reclaiming Alaska's statement from earlier and placing each part on the jacket in her mind. That didn't seem at all odd to Niylah, she loved the gift that was presented to her, it was’t some kind of anything just because her name was drawn, it was made with care and for a purpose, and the way David explained how each part was made, gave Niylah the thought that she was really welcomed here, maybe she doesn't need that plan B after all. “I love it. thank you” she told Davied and gave him a hug “maybe you can help me place it on my jacket after the party” she said with a smile pulling away from the hug. “Oh and I bought a guitar, it you know someone who can play we can give them the guitar and get this party starting” she said just having the thought that she wasn't actually ready to play in front of people she didn't know... yet.

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

Speaking of people she didn't know, The man who was suspiciously looking at her earlier was now talking to the young girl who asked for sigartts and drinks. Niylah approached as he and another man lectured the girl about how young she was to start drinking and smoking. Niylah agreed in her mind. She never allowed Maya to drink and smoke too, hell she never drank or smoke herself and she managed just fine. She didn't want to interfere, though she thought that it was best to introduce her self as they were together, you know, just to help save time 'I just need to meet as much people as possible before the end of the night and I'll be able to sleep without worrying about someone cutting my throat at night' She joked to herself stopping right next to them and raised her hand to give them a small wave “Hi, I’m Niylah” she started hoping that she didn't interrupt their conversation.
 


hunt·er
/ˈhən(t)ər/
noun
a person or animal that hunts; a person searching for something.

location
lowe's
mentions
caleb, nik, rufus, theta + epsilon, edana
izayoiix izayoiix , BasiliskVeranda BasiliskVeranda , Beleth Beleth , arkyyy, winter

mushy and motherly, just the way mama reina likes it
namri speaks to ed too < 3​


[/INDENT]


REINA SOLIS


"I'm...Niklas. I don't think we've, shit, my hands are just covered in...fuck. Well, hey...glad to see some more friendly faces.”

Reina tilted her head slightly at the blond’s introduction, at the way his eyes went over them like he was mentally taking a picture of them. She was slightly confused. Did he manage to forget their conversation outside the raider headquarters? She assumed it wasn’t too memorable, even with the blonde bleeding in his arms. Maybe he’d been more focused on that, something Reina didn’t blame him for.

Maybe she wasn’t memorable, in the sea of friends he seemed to have here.

That she also didn’t blame him for. She’d had enough people in her life prove her lack of importance to her, anyway.

Reina suddenly had the urge to fix the high-caliber rifle she’d protected the blondes with, but her hands were full, full with the medical supplies she’d promised to return. She wasn’t sure she’d have much time to work on its scope with everything going on, but she wanted to dedicate time to it. She responded shortly after Caleb introduced himself.

”Good to see you again. My name is Reina, we hadn’t had time to introduce ourselves earlier. We’ll leave you to your paints.”

A soft smile, to prove she was being genuine.

Before she could say anything else, the blond - another one; they must be collecting - Brit came up to them, offering her and Caleb a chance to pick a name out of the bag. The smile on her face grew as she placed some of the bottles down to rustle through it. A Secret Santa? Well, she’d hadn’t done that since--

Since she’d spent the last Christmas with her cousins.

The pain she felt at remembering such a thing didn’t show on her face. But did she feel it - guilt, of holding this slip of paper in her hands when she should have been out in that billowing storm, trying to find her cousins. Guilt, that she hadn’t been able to tell that they had been swept away by her grandparents until it was too late.

God, she really was useless.

Reina’s eyes read the name on her paper and the smile was back, soft again for different reasons, but the amusement she felt entangled with her guilt as she slid the paper into her back pocket.

She could work with this.

”Well at least I know why I have this piece of paper…”

Reina began picking up her bottles while Caleb leaned on her, and she, as almost as if it were a habit already, leaned her head away a bit so he could rest his head in the crook of her neck. She couldn’t ignore how warm it made her feel when he did so, and she had a feeling he knew, especially with the next words that left his mouth, seemingly pressed into her skin. ”You know finding that bed is sounding a lot more appealing then going to whatever party that kid was talking about…”

She couldn’t hide the flush in her cheeks. “I told you, business first.” Caleb had no idea that he’d just helped to relieve some of the guilt she’d been feeling earlier just with his presence, but she hoped the kiss she gave his jaw was a hint as they began walking back to the RV to deliver what Namri had asked for.

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

Now that they were back in the store, Reina found her eyes wandering the shelves once more. Maybe she could find the right gift if she paid attention. She giggled as Caleb took her hand in his, giving his hand a soft squeeze in response as she kept looking. She had to find him something practical, she thought as she leaned into him slightly. It had been freezing out there, and her hair was dusted with snowflakes that hadn’t melted away yet due to the equally-as-cold air inside the Lowe’s.

”U-um…” The look that came from Caleb at the sound of Theta’s voice caused the young witch to blush out of embarrassment. Reina gently elbowed the prophet as Theta dug in her bag, silently signaling for him to play nice - she had been nothing but kind to them, after all. Her eyes softened while she brought out a shopping bag for them, which Caleb immediately began going through with a hum. ”I just...I just wanted to say thank you for um...for um trying to look after me like you did while we were...um locked up I guess.”

“Anytime, Theta. Thank you, and thank you too, Epsilon.” She spoke gently as the young witch sighed in relief, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze before letting it go. How nice it was that she’d thought of them before the blizzard had gotten worse - and it had, as she could hear from the wind bellowing outside.

“Thanks, Short Stuff,” came from the prophet, and Reina chuckled at the new nickname Caleb had bestowed upon Theta, watching as she began to flush again. She was adorable.

Reina hoped she wouldn’t have to deal with anything that would sour that precious mood of hers. She’d do whatever she could to help her keep it.

”Y-you’re welcome…!” Theta seemed elated they liked her gift, and that just warmed her heart. ”I’ll see you guys l-later then!”

“See you soon, sweetheart.”

The hunter’s eyes flickered up as a voice rang out - Rhys’ - telling everyone in the area about the nice set up he’d made. The idea of food and drink after the day they’d had sounded quite relieving….

“‘Allo, luv.”

Reina smiled warmly as the Brit came back around, giving him a slight curtsey in response to his salute. “Hello again, Rufus. Did you need something from me?” The words were as warm as the smile she wore. She watched as he went through his bag, curiosity curling around her heart. Had he gotten her?

“Picked a name an’ got yew fer me secret santa. Wild ainnit?”

Well, that answered that question. Reina’s eyes filled with surprise as Rufus pulled out a blanket - soft fleece - and held it out for her to take. ”Oh, wow,” she murmured as she took it into her hands. This felt...luxurious, during a time like this. Her eyes scanned the material as Rufus continued to speak.

“Merry Christmas, luv. Fought tha wintah ‘s a bit blisterin’ out. Maybe yew an’ Caleb can take turns wif it. Or togetha. Yew know.”

The smile on Rufus’ face was warm, but the chuckle that left Rufus’ lips seemed a bit hollow. She didn’t push it, however, letting him go on. “Had we not been in a crapocalypse, this would be far more than a snuggle buggin’ tool….Ah, an’ fanks. Fer all yew do. Yer a wondah t’ave around on tha team.”

The Brit stepped forward to give her a hug, and she was more than welcome to return the favor.

“Rufus, this is very kind of you. You and I will have to use this at some point, too, I promise. I appreciate it.”

She pressed a kiss to his cheek before the hug ended, and the smile on her face only seemed to grow. She watched as he nodded and headed off, and when she turned to talk to Caleb about their gift, she instead received a kiss on the cheek of her own from her prophet, with hushed words of being back in a moment.


Reina watched him go off, clutching the blanket to her chest. Well, at least this gave her time to find her gift, she reasoned, walking into the clothing aisle once more. Maybe she could find him something warm….

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

Reina enjoyed the warmth her new jacket brought her as she slid it on with a long sigh. She had only just grabbed the items she was giving her Secret Santa after stuffing away the nice blanket in her bag, placing one of the items on the rack to properly look at it before she heard her name being called.

”Reina.”

The hunter turned to Caleb as he came closer, stopping in front of her. Her cheeks grew rosier as he leaned in more. ”Caleb.” She said softly in response, tilting her head slightly.

”Here, I have something for you.” His forehead pressed delicately against hers while he spoke, reaching behind him to pull out something….

”You know how we were talking about that bed earlier?”

She didn’t think he’d let it go for a while, the way his voice dripped in a teasing tone. Reina felt quite captivated by his eyes, so her nod was slight, but when she saw the item in his hand - a bottle of eggnog on which her eyes zeroed in on the many types of alcohol it contained for whatever reason...rum, whiskey, and schnapps, are you kidding - the look on her face changed drastically.

If there was a camera watching her this very moment, it would have captured a mix of hopeless disbelief like no other and curiosity etching itself onto her features. Not that it wasn’t a horrible idea - but she wasn’t someone who usually drank alcohol. Which meant, she wasn’t sure how much she should drink before she’d end up making a fool of herself. She had no idea of how she’d behave….

”I think this right here could help us out.” A shake of the bottle, the same shit-eating grin he liked to wear.

The thought was nerve-wracking, but exciting at the same time.

She had a feeling he knew that.

A chuckle rang out from the blond prophet as he set aside the bottle on the aisle next to them. ”I’m kidding.”

No, he wasn’t.

”Sort of.”

Ah, sweet honesty. He could wear it as easily as he wore that smirk on his face, she thought, as he began to pull out the second item out.

A wolf plush?

“Oh, wow, Caleb--”

”It isn’t anything practical, I know.” She shook her head softly to note that she didn’t care, taking the toy wolf into her hands as he kept going. ”But it’s something in an attempt to remind you of something other than fighting. When things get rougher, because they will, if you look back at this toy and this moment, I’m hoping you can remember at least one good moment we’ve made together.”

Caleb’s voice was a whisper, his lips ghosting over hers as they looked each other deeply in the eyes. Oh, he was wonderful. She felt so at peace with him. She had no idea how he’d managed to do that - but every time he got close to her she knew things would be okay, that the whispers that echoed in the crevices of her mind while she slept seemed soothed as he wrapped her in his embrace. It felt fast, but right. She couldn’t cherish this moment more.

Well, there was one thing, Reina realized as Caleb didn’t close the distance enough between them for a little more intimacy. It dawned on her with a chuckle that he wasn’t even trying to do this on purpose, and she stuffed the wolf into her bag so her hands would be free.

“Would you...just…!”

How could he manage to subconsciously tease her, even when he was being serious?

In a mix of love and slight irritation, Reina tossed the scarf she’d planned to gift the prophet around his neck, taking the other end and giving it a firm tug so Caleb’s lips met hers. After she properly fixed the scarf, the hunter rested her arms on his shoulders, deepening the kiss for just a moment. When she pulled away, licking the bottom of her lip, there was no doubt of the passion she felt for Caleb. If there was, the kisses she placed along his cheek a second after would hopefully dispel it.

“You are so sweet, you know that? This is perfect, Caleb. I love it.” Okay, now even she was tempted by the thought of finding a bed to just cuddle with her prophet, enjoying that eggnog he’d managed to find....but she knew she had to check on Edana, and Namri. Theta again, as well. She had to see if Epsilon had been fed....Reina sighed, giving Caleb another kiss.

“I will always remember what we’ve only began to share, and I will remember our future moments just as well, because I have you beside me to make such great memories with.”

”...Now, come on.” She finished after a few moments, just enjoying how close they were. ”We’ll party for a bit, and then we can find one of those beds, use our new blanket...do whatever your mind was thinking we’d do when you were shaking that bottle of eggnog. Maybe.” Reina winked before moving back.

”But first, let’s get to that party and get something to eat.”

Reina took Caleb’s hand in hers once again and the jacket she’d picked for her Secret Santa in the other.

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

Reina was happy to see the way Rhys had fixed up the outdoor section, bringing Caleb over to a spot where they could cuddle near Edana. She scanned the area, noticing Namri talking with Allea, Nik enjoying a bottle of wine, a man dressed in armor working away as Rufus and a new member she’d have to introduce to herself later, Reverie admiring something she’d been gifted, and a few others she hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting properly, and Edana and Kim sitting near them with a plate Rhys had fixed up before heading over to Nik. The young witch looked quite miserable with the food in front of her, and that made Reina wonder. Maybe she needed something more like a liquid.

It seemed Namri had a similar idea. The scientist had, once Reina had put her stuff down next to Caleb, given her and the prophet some accessories. As Reina went through them, giving Caleb the hat the witch had picked out, tossing the tights by her bag and placing the scarf around her own neck, she noticed the scientist sit by Edana, writing something into her journal.

”When I was studying, before the apocalypse began, I worked on making nutritious beverages to see if we humans were able to fuel the mind and body in a more successful way than protein shakes, or sports drinks.” Namri continued to write while speaking, and Reina was a little confused on why she was writing on white ink...but she chose not to say anything about it just yet.

”...Of course then, I didn’t know I wasn’t just human.” The scientist’s voice was sheepish at the admittance. ”But I’m certain if I find the right materials, we should be able to get you the nourishment you require, and maybe help you with finding more of an appetite for the foods in front of you.”

Ah, that was right. Reina had to grab some food. She looked to Caleb with a smile.

”I’ll grab us something to eat. Be right back.”

The hunter grabbed them a plate to share, grabbing them some food, before decidedly grabbing them some of the sugar cookies in the napkins she got for them. Reina placed the food in Caleb’s lap, placing a kiss on his forehead as she went to get them some water. As she walked by Edana again, she ran her fingers absentmindedly in the witch’s hair. ”I’m proud of you for attempting to eat, sweetheart. Baby steps and hopefully you’ll be able to eat whole foods in no time.” She mumbled softly for Edana to hear as she watched the german shepherd take down Penny with lots of sloppy kisses. How heartwarming. Reina left the witch with Kim and Namri, getting the bottles of water and sitting beside Caleb once more.

She felt like she was missing something…

The hunter perked up as she saw Theta arrive, giving her a wave she came over to give Kim her gift. What a sweet witch, Reina thought fondly, but seeing Theta hand Kim her present reminded her that she hadn’t gifted hers just yet, either. She turned to her Secret Santa with a grin.

“Hey Caleb, do you mind trying this on for me after we eat?” She grabbed the jacket she’d placed beside her and showed it to him. ”I got you as my Secret Santa. Luck of the draw, I think! I wanted to make sure you didn’t freeze.” Reina’s eyes met the jacket for a moment with a sad smile. ”I wish I could’ve gotten you something a little more luxurious...but I think you’re stocked with knives, you already managed to find us alcohol, and we’re in the middle of a blizzard in a home improvement store. So, I hope you’ll forgive me.” The giggle she let out as she met his eyes was due to nerves.

”It’s uhm...flannel lined. Matched the scarf wrapped around your neck, too. I hope you like it.”

Reina laid the jacket by Caleb’s feet so she could grab a cookie from his lap, tossing it into her mouth with a loud, pleased hum. Distracting herself with food after being fed once a day was a miracle, she thought, grabbing a few more cookies as she waited for Caleb’s reply.





 
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Edana | Rufus
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Mentions: Kim, Namri, Reina, Rhys, Nik
Location: Party

cinnabuns cinnabuns (Ack Reina/Namrata & Ed)
“When I was studying, before the apocalypse began, I worked on making nutritious beverages to see if we humans were able to fuel the mind and body in a more successful way than protein shakes, or sports drinks”

Namrata had found herself a spot on the other side of the blood witch, scribbling in her journal diligently. The conversation took Edana’s mind off of the thought of food … by talking about other types of food. She had placed the generous donation Rhys had bestowed upon her by her feet, still fighting down the gagging feeling from earlier. He meant well. She had not been exactly vocal about her eating habits nor did she want to. Everyone knew that people who were starving themselves were just looking for attention. The information that Namrata had presented to herself was certainly new - and welcomed.

“Smoothies do sound nice … protein drinks even better…” Edana’s words were rather absentminded as she picked as some jerky, separating the strands from one another. Just the thought of something soft and quick to restore her stomach’s functioning seemed like some sort of blessed miracle. But this was the apocalypse. There was no active supermarket where she could just pass by and buy herself a helping of bananas and apples to put into a newly polished blender. Instead, they lived in a world where children celebrate no longer having to eat their fruits and vegetables imposed by their parents because, truth be told, unless those kids had psychotic parents that insisted on rotten produce, there was no one to stop them. There was also nothing stopping them from not eating on that note too.

“But I’m certain if I find the right materials, we should be able to get you the nourishment you require, and maybe help you with finding more of an appetite for the foods in front of you.”

“You’d do that?” Edana took a small break from peeling her meat raisin to look to Namrata, the edges around her eyes softening slightly before snapping her attention back to the mundane labor before her. “It would be appreciated. Between you and me I have found myself … collapsing at random periods of our trips, relying on sheer motivation to try and keep up. It sounds like a petty anime trope but I’ve decided I am not yet ready to simply accept death so easily. When Lucifer is in need of my company, He has far clever ways than of starving a 15 year old girl.” She let out a small chuckle of distress at the discussion of food, the possibility of receiving food in the future and just … weakening by the moment.

“I’m proud of you for attempting to eat, sweetheart. Baby steps and hopefully you’ll be able to eat whole foods in no time.”

Edana jolted at presence of a new voice. She had just accustomed to tuning everyone else out with the exception of Namrata and Kim. Two people within her vicinity was all she had needed. Of course, Reina was always an exception to her rule. Of course she wouldn’t let her know that. The blood witch grumbled at the talk of more food and her own future, her nail digging into a nook of the jerky. “Thank you.” She managed, allowing her finely coarse hair to curtain over her eyes and cheeks. Reina was so sweet to her, so motherly, Edana was unused to it. At times she wondered if the female had wanted something more from her or if she was just this kind to everyone. Time had answered her question as she learned that the huntress would go about, offering compliments and forehead kisses to just about everyone in the group - even the ones that seemed to have presented themselves with a direct air of hostility.

Given the nature of the world now, Edana could not exactly blame others for posing threats, acts of violence and killing one another. It was just about as natural as their barbaric ancestors. There was even a time, the blood witch learned, of an era where constant, overly sickening acts of kindness and adamant acts of being politically correct to one another was a very much prominent theme. Humans were only capable of leaning on one end or the other. At this point, Edana would have given to be emotionally jabbed at over the color of her hair and how she didn’t “look Anguillian” over literally being jabbed by a blade over a piece of bread or ammo like a bunch of grown children.


BasiliskVeranda BasiliskVeranda (Oh god Nik why---)
"Hey, Ruffles. Try these cookies.”

If one more person so much as mentioned the topic of food-
It felt as though as soon as the blood witch sat down, everyone just had to mingle about one another with only one topic in mind: the one topic that had increased the goth’s desire to vomit. It wouldn’t be long before she’d just let loose all over her lap and a bit of the minglers that sat on other side of her. Yet again, it was another individual she couldn’t bring herself to snip at. Someone she had grew fondly to view as in a fatherly figure and somewhat look to for guidance - much like Reina. Edana watched as Rufus turned his head, a shot glass with rum barely touched in his hand, cheeks taking on a rosy tint. Considering he had not been swerving yet, he wasn’t wasted but he most certainly wasn’t as stiff as he was before. The blood witch held her breath, watching as the brit replied with a dumb smile.

“Biscuits, guv? Yew shouldn’ ‘ave!” There was only so far his eyes could go before he had to turn his head completely into a floppable tilt, raising a glass to celebrate the fact they had even more food (to which Edana then had to excuse herself and rush to the restroom). It took him a few minutes to realize that Niklas wasn’t just telling him there were biscuits, he had wanted him to come over and mingle with him as they both stuck their hand in the same cookie jar. Granted there were other cookie jars he had wanted to stick his hand in at the moment but this would suffice for now.

The thought of him being so close to the afflicted made the individual’s heart skip a beat, the sensation quickly falling to a flatline upon realizing that Rhys had been standing just feet away from his boyfriend. He had to behave. Rufus briefly looked back at the people he had been mingling with, not wanting to be rude and prance off to his one-sided crush without properly excusing himself. He said his good-byes for the time being and walked over, happily reaching into the metallic tin and picking out one of the rounded buttered biscuits. “Fought these woulda expired long ‘go.” He began, eyes resting on the silver lining of the round container. Part of him had hoped for Nik to crack some sort of funny joke, a part of him had hoped that Rhys would have called him back over so they could kiss and snuggle some more. It was both a heartache and a pleasantry to see the two together. He knew Rhys made him, ecstatic, to say the least when he was around and just by seeing the goodly afflicted being happy brought upon a dumb smile and aching happiness that Rufus couldn’t just pinpoint. He refused to admit he was in love.








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KAYDEN JULIAN HUANG



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OOC: I know I'm stupid and that this thing took me too long to write...but ya know what? It's so fucking hard to get back to rp after a break...had something written before this post ( 13 pages of it), and literally had to throw it away. Also skool's being a bish..so try to understand me, okay? Again...I'm truly sorry. Please accept my apology.
INTERACTIONS: Ruffy and Edy Beleth Beleth , Rhysie, basically everyone


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



''Find the tree, Kayden, find the tree,'' the words kept reminding him of the important task he was given.




Venturing through the empty halls, the hunter yawned, exhaustion reminding him of the time they were being captured in that sad excuse of a place.



Then suddenly, he stopped.



Every time the peace shattering memories came knocking on his door, banging even, he refused to let them in. Shaking his head, Kayden squinted his eyes in the attempt of seeing through the darkness of the room he stumbled upon.




After a few painstakingly long moments, he slowly managed to penetrate the dark, his eyes adjusting to the lack of light. With extremely dilated pupils, the man in a obnoxiously yellow hoodie started moving across the room, making strides, pulling his knees up as high as he could, carefully letting his feet touch the ground in order not to step on something that might endanger his life - something sharp or even worse.. A spider's net or the insects - eating monster itself.



Making noisy stomps, the hunter noticed there were cardboard boxes scattered all over the place, tons of dust resting on each of them. Reaching the point where he thought it would be the best to rummage through, Kayden dived in, humming himself a song while dusting off different signs on the cardboard cubes.



The time flew by as the Christmas spirited boy searched through the boxes, making a few simple dance moves here and there, having a great time. Then out of the blue, a long, average thickness cardboard thing came to his sight. Wrapped in adhesive tape, something green kept pointing out of it straight at Kayden, luring him in.




A smile, no, a grin painted across his lips as he saw what he was searching for, his eyes sparking up at the vision. It was a Christmas miracle indeed he managed to spot a untouched Christmas tree in this chaos of a world.




Lifting it up, something not too far from where he was at - maybe just a step or to the left, a big, cube shaped box started 'smiling' at his face as if it wanted to say, "Open me, you won't regret it."



Trusting his gut, or just listening to his seventh sense maybe, the hunter carefully put the tree down and then approached the inviting thing that kept on calling his name.



Brushing off all the dust that has been collecting on it for years, Kayden sneezed and then narrowed his eyes, knitting his eyebrows in concentration. There was something written at the very top of the box in a rather smudged, horrible handwriting.




It took the freckles a moment before making out what the writing should be saying, but when he did manage to properly read it, there was no way he could leave this precious, awkward to carry, a rather big gem behind.




Crouching down, being surrounded by boxes, he heard someone enter the room.




The footsteps reminded him of Rufus' so he called out where he was at in case the guy was searching for him or just in order to not scare the teen off while making so much noise. Hopping to where the hunter was having a wonderful time, wanting to figure out how to successfully transport his findings back to Rhys, the joyful teen shoved an old Christmas hat full of toilet paper right under Kayden's nose, making him sneeze once again.




Throwing a few sceptic looks over at the britt, freckles decided to just go for it, closed his eyes and then reached out his hand, diving deep inside the old Christmas hat.




Pulling out a piece of paper with a name he was not yet familiar with, Kayden was left with a dazed look on his face.



Not knowing what to do, the hunter started contemplating between asking Rufus about this person, and taking a moment to appreciate the stunning handwriting the guy had.




Being hypnotised by the words, freckles shook his head and then rubbed his eyes when he realized he'd been staring at the thing for too long. Swiftly turning his head around, he suddenly realized the guy he was looking for was long gone by now.




Sighing, Kayden plonked down, being surrounded by hundreds, thousands of old boxes. Some of them completely empty, some of them stuffed to the very top. Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he tried to connect the name to its owner, but all the pieces he'd somehow collected just didn't want to finish the puzzle.



“Merry Christmas, I suppose the saying goes.”




The sudden words that broke through the deadly silence of the room frightened the hunter, making him flinch a little.




Standing up, Kayden furrowed his eyebrows while turning swiftly towards the girl.




“I assume you have found out already but there is a secret santa going around. I have pulled your name entirely by random. I also understand that we have not so much as spoken before this very moment so I completely understand any form of discomfort now.”




Opening his mouth to speak, the witch cut him off, saying,




“Given that there is a scarce amount of resources, I have been led to no choice but to warn you ahead of time about this particular gift. The item I am about to grant you has been hexed. Treat it with care. In the event you are in a battle or caught off guard, simply pierce skin with this object and the hex will take care of the rest.””




Receiving such an amazing gift, Kayden didn't know what to say or how to truly show his genuine gratitude to the goth,



"Thank you, that's really nice of you."



Shooting a bright grin over at the girl, the hunter spaced out for a second as all the pieces finally started to connect themselves, "You're Edana, right?" he asked, looking a bit confused. "Okay, that's.. Yeah.. I admit.. A bit awkward, but I also have something for you," Diving into one of the backpack's pockets, he furrowed his brows in concentration, searching for the thing he aimed after to find.




After a few seconds of searching for a needle in a haystack, Kayden victoriously lifted the thing high in the air.



Standing up, he brushed off his pants and then turned back to Edana, with a children's book in his hands, "I mean.. It's not much, and it's most probably not the thing you were longing for to have, but… here you go anyways."



Handing the present over to Edana, Kayden started to giggle nervously, saying, "Okay, you must be wondering why in the world would I give you this kind of a gift.. Well...," his expression suddenly shifted into a more serious one. Coughing, he then continued,




"Well.. I think we have to be reminded of the fact that regardless of what kind of a world we live in right now... We still can have fun, loose our minds, take the most of the moment here and now...we have to be reminded of our childhood, of that kid that, I'm pretty sure, still lives deep inside every single one of us... Hope that makes any sense, " he added the last sentence with a chuckle.




" Anyway.. Merry Christmas, Edana. Would give you a hug, but judging by the look on your face, I'd make things even more uncomfortable, so, " Kayden stretched his hand out, " can give you a handshake instead? " Tilting his head to the side, he smiled, offering a genuine, friendly introduction to the girl.







Then the PA system suddenly went off, their precious little unicorn princess Rhys blabbering some silly things through the microphone, calling them all to gather in the outdoor living space. That reminded Kayden of,


''Fuck,…the tree.'' he mumbled to himself.


“You heard the man -- it would appear we are expected in the outdoor section.”


The girl really knew when was the right time to speak. Jesus Christ on a bicycle, she really made Kayden flinch every time she opened her mouth.


Nodding to Edana's words, the hunter then said,


''You go ahead. Meet ya there. ''




----




After some time, Kayden finally managed to drag both the christmas tree and the box to the outdoor living section of the store.



Panting, the guy stopped at the very entrance of the room. Taking a moment to look around.



Every single one seemed to be enjoying the cozy, long forgotten feelings of joy that that little christmas party somehow managed to bring back to their faces.



Kayden lifted his arms and then shouted out loud,




''Merry Christmas to every single one of you! Here's the tree Rhys! Sorry it took me sooooooooo long! Also there are some christmas decorations in that rather big box, along with some christmas hats! Feel free to decorate the christmas tree, and most importantly… have fun!''



The guy then plonked himself down beside the nearest heater, smiling.





They were finally happy. And they fucking deserved it!


 
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That dog gets more fuckin’ love than anyone else I’ve ever met.” Rhys said, a joking contempt playing on his voice. Penny snorted out a laugh, scratching furiously behind Woofus’s ear. She leaned back, looking at Rhys with a quizzical stare.

More than Nik? You two are closer than a wart to a toad, and you can’t tell me that’s not true!” She harked out a laugh, standing up to brush the dog hair off herself. She strolled toward the other blessed, Woofus tight on her heel.

Pen, I’ve got a little somethin’ for you.” She furrowed her brows together, once again thrown off by the sentimentality. The two had known each other briefly, albeit with a tight bond forged by fire, and had spent nearly a week apart. But, absence made the heart grow fonder, and Penny couldn’t help but break out in a billion-watt smile when Rhys pulled out a small bracelet. Her eyes glittered, excitement breaking out in a hushed gasp. It was a small, pretty thing. “And no, I didn’t make it…I uh…shit maybe it was dumb, I’m not good at presents.” Penny pursed her lips, cooing quietly to dissuade his deprecating comments. She took the thing, gently examining how fragile it was. It was hardly, and she wondered who might have owned this before? However, it mattered little to the blonde as she slipped it on (nearly dislocating her thumb in the process, but already too deep into the process of sliding it on to unclasp it). She examined the gift quickly, and returned her smile to Rhys.

Noo, ya big dummy, I love it. We may be in the apocalypse, but we don’t have to gift each other weapons and bullets to make a different. It’s beautiful, and I’ll cherish and wear it forever.” She felt a little guilty, having nothing made to be gifted to Rhys. Nik was probably her secret santa, judging by the impromptu arrival of him in the RV, but Rhys had thought about her enough to give her the bracelet. It meant a lot to Penny, and she was sure to show it.

He was standing awkwardly, but before he could run off she engulfed him in a hug. Hopping up, she squeezed the tense man tightly. “I’m glad you’re alive. It’s hard to follow in your footsteps if you’re gone.” She whispered quickly in his ear before releasing the poor boy to run off quickly. Penny rolled her eyes, letting out a laugh. She looked over at the others, noticing the mingling and the release of tension within the group. She saw Ryan talking to Namri and flushed again, thinking about the kiss in the RV. Smiling through the reminiscence, she decided to go see if she could find something to give Ryan. She still owed him a gift, and was probably the last loser to give it to their receiver. She could call the kiss a gift… but maybe, only if she couldn’t find anything else.

Penny slipped from the party, heading down the hall and gazing at the hardware, plumbing and furniture sections. Everyone had been so creative, or entirely lucky to come across gifts. She furrowed her brows, peering about for some entrance to the break room area. She’d worked at a Home Depot years ago, briefly of course, but she recalled the unconventional location of the break room. Lowe’s had to be similar, right?

—————--​


Eventually, she found herself heading up a flight of stairs (or two), to reach the fortress. It would make for a safe place to rest, that’s for sure… but only if you could fit everyone. The group was growing, and she wondered if a small army would be conceived. How many people sought shelter? How many more could they find? Whatever the case, she was ready to be stronger for the new people.

Penny entered the break room, peering about the room. Vending machines sat in one corner, and a few appliances in the kitchen area. She also spied the lockers, which made her heart skip a beat. Hopefully there would be goodie inside.

Digging in one of the drawers, she found a heavy knife sharpener (which made her recall the brutal murder she had committed a weak ago, sending a shiver down her spine). Penny made her way to the lockers, tossing the sharpener in her hand a few times.

What do you think Woofus? You think we’ll find anything?” She looked down at the dog, eliciting a bark from the hound. Penny walked to one of the sections, eyeing the lockers that had locks remaining on the doors. She began to beat, quickly and heavily, with the sharpener. It made a good tool, and within a few heavy hits the lock was busted, and the door swung open.

She continued this pattern, even sneaking into the unlocked lockers to see if anything remained. At the end of her quick adventure, she had quite the luck. Lots of vests, but she reckoned that nobody would want a Lowe’s vest. She also found a handful of loose clothing, sweaters and long-sleeves and the like. Looking down at her own bloody ensemble, she quickly shed the crusty articles and tossed them in the nearby trash can. She slipped on a soft, loose white t-shirt and a black hoodie over top (complete with a few stains, but nothing as bad as blood). She found too-small pair of leggings, which would do. There were a few other lost and found items, and she piled them nicely on one of the tables to bestow to the other survivors. A nice quarter-zip, maroon in color, she had eyed to give to Ryan. It looked big enough for the massive man, so hopefully his arms and torso wouldn’t peek out uncomfortably.

She figured the vending machines could be broken into later, beside the one that was already emptied. They’d spend the night nicely in this Lowe’s, and maybe for once not worry about ghouls or demons.

—————--​


Penny made her way back to the group, toting an entire armful of loose clothing and jackets. Only a few of each, so it’d be sparse. Layering was necessary, especially since the weather was only going to get worse. Returning to the party, she dumped the clothes on an outdoor table. She smiled brightly and stuck out her chest like a victorious hero.

Spare clothes everyone! If the weather is as bad tomorrow as it is now, we should bundle up for the trip ahead.” She said aloud, grabbing the red sweater and zipping over to Ryan and Namri.

Sorry to interrupt, but I believe I owe someone a gift.” She stuck out the sweater to Ryan, grinning brightly. “Whaddaya know, I’m your Santa! While I can’t stop you from dying again, though I’m sure between the two of us we’ll make sure you survive a little longer,” she eyed Namri with a smile. “I can, however, give you something to keep you warm. No freezing to death on my watch.” She stuck up on her toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. She pulled back to grin affectionately at the man. “Merry Christmas.

—————--​


The next day came quickly, a chill settling over the Lowe’s from the onslaught of snow wizardry outside. The snow had stopped, briefly, so the group set to make movement quickly. The faster they headed out the better.

"Let's go, guys, the longer we wait, the easier it'll be for us all to die to a fuckin' snow storm. I'm not sure about any of you, but I'd rather not be dead again, thanks." Rhys had said, earning nods from the others. It was definitely good to have him back. He was a voice that was listened to, not that Penny wasn’t, but it felt right again. There was one last chance for people to grab supplies from the Lowe’s.

Weather didn’t exactly act as it usually did, so any hope of the snow melting was out the window when bits of falling snowflakes stuck to the windows of the RV as the group headed out. Rhys and a few of the others grabbed shovels from Lowe’s, and began to dig the wheels of the RV out. If they had stayed any longer, they would have been snowed in for much longer than a day. The blizzard only worsened at night.

"Fuckin' snow, jesus fuckin christ, whoever decided to throw a fuckin' blizzard on us should have snow shoved up his goddamn ass." Rhys, again, judging by the language. He was a grumbler, that was for sure, and Penny rolled her eyes through another thrust of her shovel.

Yeah, really, if you yell at it I heard the snow melts.” She let out a little laugh, grinning viciously at her fellow blessed as they cleared the space.

Then, it was on the road again. The other cars had taken some time to shovel out as well, but the group had to get going.

The group split off again, opting to return to the vehicles they had entered with. It was easier that way, and given the new bulk of members, the RV was a welcome addition for space. Rhys gave the group one last command, and Penny could tell the poor guy was not having the weather. "I'll take point, just like before, if we get stuck...try not to hit us, James. Visibility is rough as is....please don't hurt my baby."

—————--​


Penny bit her lip nervously, watching the roads from outside the window with a hard gaze. She willed the snow to cease, or for a random gap in the clouds to set upon a blistering sun. Why had the world divulged into chaos and snow? Why not raging heat waves? For the first time in a long time, she missed the feeling on warmth and sun on her skin.

In the snowy distance, Penny thought she saw tall, rounded roofs. Huge buildings, and a spanning lot. Many buildings, and even… planes? There seemed to be activity, as far as she could see, and she narrowed her eyes to focus in.

Unless snow causes mirages, I think I’m seeing something. Guys! Do you think Rhys and Nik see it?” She pointed toward the window, leaning forward. “James, you see it?
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[div class="TinyLines"][/div] Interacting: Hell0NHighWater Hell0NHighWater Lakyr Lakyr | Mentioned: Rhys, Ryan, Namri | Located: The Road So Far —-> Just outside McGuire AF Base [div class="TinyLines" style="margin-bottom:0px;"][/div]
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[class=biggie] width: 100%; margin: 0 auto; text-align: center; clear:both; font-size:13px; color: #1d1b15; font-weight:100; display:flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; height: 100%; [/class] [class=whut]background-color: #f7f8ea; padding:30px; [/class] [class=handsomedevil] background: #ced8e2; text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; padding:10px; color: #1d1b15; flex: 1; border: 1px solid #b9c0ca; font-weight:400; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; font-size:13px; [/class] [class=speaks] overflow: auto; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; flex: 1; flex-basis: 30%; margin-left: 40px; margin-right:15px; [/class] [class=blue] background: #ced8e2; padding: 10px; width:auto; [/class] [class=speakstoo] font-size:13px; text-align: left; font-weight:100; border: 1px solid #ced8e2; outline: 1px solid #eff0f2; background-color: #eff0f2; color: #272828; line-height:2; font-weight:400; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; padding:30px; max-height:1250px; overflow-y: auto; overflow-x:hidden; [/class] [class=speakeasy] font-weight:400; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; border: 1px solid #b9c0ca; outline: 1px solid #eff0f2; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing:2px; word-spacing: 4px; text-align: center; font-size:12px; padding:20px; color: #272828; background:#eff0f2;[/class] [class=bottoms] font-weight:400; margin-top: 50px; clear:both; color: #272828; background:#eff0f2; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; border: 1px solid #b9c0ca; outline: 1px solid #eff0f2; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-size:12px; letter-spacing: 2px; text-align: center; padding:20px; line-height:2; width:100%; [/class] [class=tops] font-weight:400; margin-bottom: 50px; clear:both; background-color: #040404; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; border: 1px solid #b9c0ca; outline: 1px solid #eff0f2; color: #272828; background:#eff0f2; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-size:12px; letter-spacing: 2px; text-align: center; padding:20px; color: #fff; line-height:2; width:100%; [/class] [class=speakeasy2] font-weight:400; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; border: 1px solid #ced8e2; outline: 1px solid #eff0f2; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: left; font-size:12px; padding:20px; color: #272828; background:#eff0f2; line-height:2; [/class] [class name=handsomedevil maxWidth="800px"] margin: 0 auto; padding: 10px[/class] [class name=whut maxWidth="800px"] margin: 0 auto; padding: 0px[/class] [class name=biggie maxWidth="800px"] padding: 0px; margin: 0 auto; flex-direction: column;[/class] [class name=speakstoo maxWidth="800px"]margin: 0 auto; padding: 10px; margin-top:20px; overflow: auto; max-height: 100%;[/class] [class name=speaks maxWidth="800px"]margin: 0 auto; padding: 0px;[/class] [class name=bottoms maxWidth="800px"]display:none[/class] [class name=tops maxWidth="800px"]display:none[/class]
[div class=whut][div class=biggie][div class=handsomedevil] [div class=speakeasy]𝘛𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦`𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦'𝘴. [/div]
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[div class=speakeasy2]Niklas Liam Voss
LOCATION — Lowe's > ~ ~ > On the road > Outside McGuire Airforce base
BGM BILLIE EILISH - WHEN THE PARTY'S OVER
OOC — scooting us on, ay sup base fam ayyyy [/div]
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[div class=speakeasy]𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳.[/div][/div]
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Hell0NHighWater Hell0NHighWater (Ruffles)
Nik had been shaking the round blue tin, a few cookies still stray and strewn. The ones he had yet to cannibalize, awaiting the goofy brit, an olive branch for a war he didn't know existed. He cocked a grin as Rufus piped up, the part-time devil's buzzed vision analyzing. Rhys may have been the detective, deftly parsing things Nik himself couldn't quite pick up on.

Biscuits, guv? Yew shouldn’ ‘ave!” But even buzzed, Nik was a social architect. Backwards engineering why the brit was swoop-swiveling, catching Edana eyeing him all the same, curious. It was possibly just that he was more sloshed than Nik or Edana assumed. Or any of them really.

"Yes, 'biscuits', 'mate'..." he trailed, realizing that Rufus must, indeed, have been more drunk than he assumed. To miss the cue that Nik was trying to share food, the food he had taken a liking to, that he'd honestly just demolish on his own. He would've offered Edana some, but she had fled. In haptic hues, smears of blue-black and grays, paled.

Despite the blond being a good deal buzzed, eyes hazy and the camera lens unfocused, a flash of concern swept across his features in a paint smear. It was a yellowed panic in greens, not honey-warm, he lurched out as if to catch her, but realized that would have done no good.

"...is she al—" She had fluttered away like a butterfly on twisted wings.
Fought these woulda expired long ‘go.” Nik's words hung in the air as Rufus' words cut in, spindled and cheery. Edana hadn't touched any of her food. Mouth forming a thin line, he tilted his head, almost as though to hear something from far away. Except it was more like remembering, a memory that had never happened. Nostalgia for what he would have done, had a child grown sick. Anemoia was a painful thing.

"...well, there's a reason grandmas always have these fuckin' cookies around," he said with a half-grin as he picked up another of the buttery cookies, and placed it in his pocket. He'd let the others have the rest, but this one was for the whitelighter. He wasn't sure he'd like them. But he'd still share everything he had.

"I'd be surprised if a granny didn't end up outlasting us all," he said with a deep chuckle and a lilted grin. Then his thoughts were spun on again, as they always did, trailing like paint in placid water stilled by rain. Inkling, an idea. Inkling, a fear. Drop. The maroon wine barrier wasn't as strong as he thought.

What did he have to give? Food, heart, entrails. Whatever he could give, as if his pockets were filled with those same pretty worry stones, and he wanted to gift each little glimmer he found. Like kids did, sharing thimbles, stickers and skipping stones, for it was simple.

Simple when the world around them was so complicated. Each small good thing meant so much, he thought, as he patted his pocket.

And yet...they were a complicated pair, Nik thought, eyes occasionally drifting back to the whitelighter.

"Have as much as you like, Ruffles," he said as he patted the other man on the shoulder and took a turn to look on at the others. Deep indigo eyes skittered like he were taking in the entire scene to paint it later. Which he may have been, but mostly he was trying to remember, to keep this memory, despite the wine tipping him further than he would've liked.

He'd etch it deep into his bones. Hazy camera lens or not, he'd make it up in colors later. Nik took the present underneath his arm in his hands and smiled, warm, slow, face touched pink. He really did want to shake it up a bit, but...

He'd wait till later.

⛧⛧⛧

BELIAL. BELIAL. (Pennysyworth)​
Spare clothes everyone! If the weather is as bad tomorrow as it is now, we should bundle up for the trip ahead.” The blond was snapped out of his dreamy thoughts at some point. He had spent time talking to the others, but mostly floating on the peripherals. Like his own brand of ghost, with deep chuckles and copious smiles.

Always a smile on that sunny facade, even if the wine had been a bit much, and he was getting too sentimental.

More gift giving, he was warmed, to know their crew of misfits cared so much about each other to eek and scrape at the already pilfered earth. Bring up the bright spots, make them even more aglow, because the parched, bloody earth outside tried to dull with each flick. Disaster would befall them, and he'd want nothing more than to stick his wrists deep in it.

But the other part, the part that was now mulling over some bits and bobs of food, another cigarette trailing in the air from time to time, obnoxious pink sunglasses on his face...the other part. The human part. The part with every emotion underlined in bright colors too caustic to be stared at for too long. The part that laughed without malice.

The part that scraped teeth on skin for the two beating hearts between them.

The part that spun around the little goth on her cart, happiness as palpable for him as the clothes he was now picking through.

That part, that part hated the disasters. All the little and large wars were for the second set of bones beneath his skin, ones he didn't want any longer. Pitch black, covetous, gluttonous. The blond quirked his brow as he stooped and found some things he felt would fit, and of course squirreled away some things for Rhys, who was apparently enamored with the rum at the moment.

It was a very real part still there, and he wondered who had given him that gift. To stay this long when he knew it'd have been easy to step over the line.

He took a leather jacket, his size, and some flannel.

"My Coin has outdone herself yet again. Praise her Highness Queen Sasquatch," he said to her in a buzzed, flourished bow. He righted himself and tossed her a cheeky grin, before gathering more things up. With a raised brow, he twisted around, finally finding a satchel. He thanked the God he definitely didn't put any faith in, and lodged it full of whatever necessities he thought important.

⛧⛧⛧

Sack over his shoulder, the blond stalked forward and took one last sip of wine, before ungracefully placing it on the table. Cigarette between his lips again, he stilled, eyeing over the others, as if making one last mental count. To reassure himself they were okay. His Coin, alive. Ryan, alive. Hopefully, no real nightmares would scrawl through the night. But even nightmares had been their undoing.

Knowing their luck....Nik started up his worrying thought process, it was incessant. Like an itch in the back of his skull, not unlike what the affliction gave, only less thrill-kill and more lip-worrying. With a flash of sky-blue eyes hitting over his face, he crushed those thoughts, like he would a cigarette between his teeth.
"We should get some rest, hmm? Don't know..." Nik hesitated, still smiling despite the heavy missing 'if', "when we'll get a chance to...just..." The blond wasn't sure how to finish the sentence, and instead mulled his lower lip with his teeth. A nervous habit, despite his cigarette being perched between his fingers available for worrying over.

"...spend time, I don't know."

Rhys' eyebrows rose slowly, head tilting a bit to the side as something mischievous twinkled behind the understanding in his eyes. "...yeah, I guess we can't be glued to a conveniently available bed all the time. It's a fucking shame, really." The corners of his mouth lifted into a carefree smile and he made some sort of 'after you' motion with his hand for Nik to follow.

Niklas laughed, but behind his sunglasses, there wasn't that telltale narrowed crinkling. Because he had almost meant something different, yet the same. His grin quirked, as if his mouth didn't quite know how his heart should respond. Wine tugging at his nerves, or frayed heartstrings worrying that lip, he couldn't be sure which.

"Yeah," Nik's heart felt heavy, "it's a fuckin' shame," the blond said with a chuckle. Bag over his shoulder, present tucked under his arm, the other hand freed itself and took Rhys' fingers in his own. They'd find a quiet cove, sure. The camera would pan. And all the afters, and after thats, and cigarettes and well-earned sleeps, and dreams and not nightmares, and war, and war, and war.

"I wonder what you got me..." he mused as they walked, sidling to pull his arm under Rhys' so he could examine his gift as they fettered from the edges of the party. He really wanted to shake the fucking gift.

"Guess you'll just have to open it and find out." Rhys was not at all subtle with his well-timed slap to the blond's ass. Nik's face colored in far more than rosy hues and he was back again to the time before, wine aiding him in being flustered, but happy.

"I'm pretty sure I already know what it is," Nik said with a mischievous chuckle. Happiness was so fragile, he'd need to guard it doggedly. And this one, this complicated detective, gave him that gift in spades.

More than this little box could ever hope to hold.


⛧⛧⛧
The part-time devil had actually been up early. He had studied the side of Rhys' face with the precision of an archaeologist intent on sussing out the nature of something just by staring at it hard enough. The slope of an impossibly strong brow, the scar of the other, strong cheekbones, a beauty mark. Tattoos in black-lined inks, like wings.

The confession about the Archangel came back to him in flickers of thought, souring his expression as his blue eyes darted. However, then his expression colored rosy. It had been...an incredible gift. Enough to make him giddy, and almost forget for a moment how he was still tertiarily pissed off. Almost.

He rolled his eyes, cigarette smoke dotting the air. He finally wheeled away and put his clothes on, shifting the cigarette between his fingers with each garment so as not to waste it.

The blond part-time devil careened over the mattress they had taken to and brushed a kiss to the whitelighter's face, and was off.

Up early, gathering his things. Food down the hatch, water in hand. Making sure that back-pack Rhys had gifted him what felt like ages ago was among said things, canvases scrawled right after their friends had been captured, the various clothes he had found, all the supplies he could reasonably carry, and then some. He wanted to make sure they had a fighting chance, wherever they were off to next. And they would be off, to be plain.

Patterns existed, they never stayed for very long, no matter how enticing Lowe's was. The Inn had also been enticing, but Nik was smart enough to know if even that little slice of (somewhat) heaven could be blasted into like the bloody mafia koolaid man coming to collect on gang dues, then, yeah, they'd have to leave.

He wasn't daft.

He had also managed to find another safety razor, but at this point hadn't had the time to shave, either. There was always a lack of time with their group, even if time was a concept created by humans, and as the apocalypse had ended the world, it shouldn't have mattered that much anymore.

Still, it always felt...like some things were too fast, and others, far too slow. Nik mulled his lip, smoking a cigarette from the pack Alaska had flung at him, and was about to carry out a metric ton of shit out to the RV (like a smarty pants), when he saw just how much snow mother nature had vomited on them.

They were going to be snowed in. He had been too late, not that he could've fought old man winter by himself, but, fuck.

"Balls," Nik said, arms prone out like a fucking pack mule and his satchels, "I knew this was going to fuckin' happ—"

"Let's go, guys, the longer we wait, the easier it'll be for us all to die to a fuckin' snow storm. I'm not sure about any of you, but I'd rather not be dead again, thanks." Nik winced but chimed in a nod as Rhys spoke. It was good he could make a joke about it, that meant he was able to create some distance. At least, that's what the blond hoped, as he dumped his things nearer the entrance. Then, he grabbed a shovel. A disgruntled noise, not unlike one Rhys would make, echoed from his chest.

"I am so fuckin' tired of digging around in the mother fucking sno—"

"Fuckin' snow, jesus fuckin christ, whoever decided to throw a fuckin' blizzard on us should have snow shoved up his goddamn ass."

Yeah, really, if you yell at it I heard the snow melts,” Penny added, and Nik started that low-rolling chuckle he was prone to when he teased people.

"I heard it's more effective when you scowl and brood," the blond part-time devil offered with a shit-eating grin. Then he blew Rhys a kiss, like an asshole, and flickered off to help free the vehicles from their snow prisons.

He wasted no time in actually helping to shovel out the vehicles. Last time, they hadn't done that...at all. A sly smile swept up his face as he plowed away at the snow, not taking the time to make snowballs and act like a dork, despite his impulsive nature begging for it. They were being deluged in a snow storm, it was not the time.

It still didn't mean he didn't think on it, or grin the entire time, or chuckle every now and then. Despite working like a dog to get these fucking vehicles free.

"I'll take point, just like before, if we get stuck...try not to hit us, James. Visibility is rough as is....please don't hurt my baby."
"Heaven forbid," Nik snorted, all in good fun, and gave the rest of the crew a hearty wave before ducking into the vehicle now dubbed Rhys' baby. Baby 2.0. Second Baby. The Second Coming of The Baby.

He grinned as he sidled inside, his own joke amusing him far too much.

⛧⛧⛧
They drove for a while, less in silence than they had before, despite Rhys' mood as overcast as the storm that whipped around them. Mostly because Nik was token Nik, trying to get under the other man's skin in the best of ways. Flirting, dumb jokes, and now that they were a proper couple, stolen kisses at incredibly inopportune moments because, yes, they were driving in a snow storm.

At some point, the blond thought he spotted something in the distance, a sign in colors bold enough to see.

"Turn back?" Nik mouthed under his breath, keening to look out the window, but it was far too cold to really roll it down at the moment. Despite him being clad in two beanies and a bulk of scarves, looking absolutely stupid.

"Wait, hey, hey, slow down even more...there—" the blond pointed as more signs came up like beacons. And...warnings. In the distance came up a sprawl of fencing, then a span of a lot Nik couldn't quite see beyond. The weather was making it hard to see anyways, but he was trying.

"Look, look with your handsome, special eyes," he chirped sarcastically, twisting to point at another sign, that read SURVIVORS THIS WAY.

They were quickly coming up upon what looked to be an old abandoned base. That may not have been so abandoned after all.

"...what's the plan.....sir?" he chuckled under his breath. Nik was never, ever going to let that inside joke go, not for as long as he lived. And possibly even if he went full-demon, it was too rich to pass up.
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Simjang Kim
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Mentions: Theta izayoiix izayoiix Edana Beleth Beleth

Location: Party > RV > Outside of McGuire Airforce Base

Mood: Bored(once more)

Equipped With: Ax


She was having a nice time at the party, drinking occasionally while getting herself a few snacks. Others around her were having a good time while she preferred to keep her thoughts and words to herself. She was already happy from the social gathering. "Oh, thank you! I wanted a scarf since I was feeling a bit cold. How thoughtful!", a scarf was given to her by Theta, she wore it to keep herself from becoming a popsicle in the snow.

When the party was over, they all returned to the RV. It was a nice break from the tension that came from the rescue mission that seemed like days ago. Everyone seemed to get along with each other quite well. It wasn't really much but a simple one that gave comfort to each and everyone of them.

The road was long, Kim slept quite a bit as the drive for another location was long. She hummed to herself, becoming bored as time went on. She remembered trips from her family that she would go to, hopping from state to state, visiting their cousins in the state they're in. The woman did not realize as the drivers of the RV spotted a location, she was busy minding her own business. The bar songstress was enveloped in her own world. She wondered what the goth girl was doing as she wasn't paying attention to her in the party. "How do you do, Edana?", she asked her as she just wanted to check up on the girl, even if it was her being slightly annoying as she repeated that question.





Code by @Beauty_Belle

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Emrys Contiello
[div class=miniBox][div class="miniText mini1"] [div class=bar][div class=title]Location[/div][div class=barText]{On route to} McGuire AF Base[/div][/div] [div class=bar][div class=title]Interactions[/div][div class=barText]Nik BasiliskVeranda BasiliskVeranda [/div][/div] [div class=bar][div class=title]Mentions[/div][div class=barText]Kinda everyone, just read[/div][/div] [div class=bar][div class=title]BGM[/div][div class=barText] Something Human[/div][/div] [/div] [/div] [div class=bigBox][div class=bigScroll] There is nothing friendly about the snow outside; it fell thick, a white sheet dense enough to blind any traveler by foot or vehicle. The gales whipped each flake, soft crystals he might have found bewitching from the other side of a pane glass, into a projectile that stings unguarded skin. In this blizzard, there was no way to know which direction to go. Disorientation was a given; the cold was a killer. Any distant landmarks they might have seen were swallowed by the void. The sky above held no semblance of an early morning glow, black clouds painting the earth in disconcerting darkness. And the sound, dear God, the sound, like one wind-chime shaking in the force hurricane-like winds. "Blizzard" hardly seems an adequate enough word for what the world outside has become. He could feel his blood cool and skin become icy, even from the shelter of the vehicle. Gazing straight ahead, only half-aware of a universe outside the claustrophobic comfort of the car, of Rhys' hands running across the worn leather of the wheel, the almost soundless changing of the gears, he found it to be more relaxing than he should have. Especially with the weather conditions. Every so often, he could feel the tires lose traction on the snow, his heart would jump, he'd remove his foot from the gas, and they would coast until the car became more controllable once more.

His passenger was less willing to take his silence for the concentration that it was. Nik was always a bit...bubbly. Where Rhys was -in some ways- the stoic calm, Nik became the impassioned chaotic. Polar opposites that were somehow still so very similar. At one point Nik grabbed his face for a kiss and the detective almost snapped at him. Not out of anger, but fear. He was a great driver when he wasn't racing Alaska for shits and giggles, but in a storm like this...he was less confident. It wasn't just his life in this tin bucket that he had to be worried for. He felt bad enough about whatever outburst had left his lips to blindly grab the other man's hand. His lips ran over the knuckles in apology, unspoken but still serious in his own way.

After that, the drive hadn't been very eventful. Rhys glared at the barely visible road with narrowed eyes, vowing to never take snow plows for granted ever again.

"Wait, hey, hey, slow down even more—"
"I'm going ten miles an hour, what do you mean slow—"
"...there—"
"I don't see—"
"Look, look with your handsome, special eyes."

His right eyebrow rose, never taking his attention off the road but still somehow looking unamused with the sarcastic quip. "I can't take my eyes off—" Rhys didn't need to finish his sentence, catching the glint of a sign as they rolled right on by. Something about survivors. Which....he assumed was probably was a good thing. Cyan irises fluctuated to the rear view mirror, making note of the vague outline of the RV behind them. The only thing he could really see were the headlights but....it was better than not being able to see them at all. His left knee bounced up and down, anxiety rooting through his veins like some kind of unwanted vermin. The further they moved past that mysterious sign, the clearer the outline of some kind of complex became. High fences. Lights. A gate reinforced with an old bus sitting in front. His teeth captured his bottom lip, suddenly uneasy with the tacky texture in his mouth.

"...what's the plan.....sir?"

If he wasn't so deep in thought trying to formulate that exact thing, he might have reacted to Nik's teasing with something other than a passive glance in his direction. It had been crossing his mind recently...more so with Penny's earlier comment, that the people here looked up to him. They followed his direction and that was...stressful in more ways than one. He was not a leader by force he simply just did the things that needed to be done. But now, as the car came to a stop in front of a towering metal gate he wasn't so sure what they needed to be doing. The RV was too close for them to back up and it was too bulky to make any sort of slick maneuver. Rhys might have been able to get the Cadillac out if things went south, but the rest of them? It would be messy and in snow this high they would need a miracle. The muscle in his jaw lept, mind mulling over a thousand different scenarios in the span of a muted minute. He shifted the car into park, throwing on the hazard lights so James knew to stop, his left hand running across the rough material of his jeans.
He didn't have a plan.
He didn't have a fuckin' clue what they should do.
His attention roamed over towards Nik, the weight of that expectant stare only seemed to inflate his insecurities. It occurred to him that he had neglected to answer. But what answer did he have?

"The plan is....to knock....politely." He muttered, watching a couple figures move to the edge of the fence. The visibility didn't have to be good for him to recognize the red lasers that cut through the smog of snow. Every muscle in his body tensed as those red dots swayed with the movements of the people that held them. Military grade. Had to be. His mind whirled, trying to understand where they might have found themselves this time. He wasn't native to New Jersey...so it was impossible for him to know for sure. But, if he had to guess he'd say that they might have stumbled upon an old military base of some sort.

A knuckle wrapped against the glass of the driver's side, startling Rhys enough to reach for his gun sitting against the emergency break. "Ah. Ah. I wouldn't do that if I were you." The feminine voice was muffled through the glass and wind, but he wasn't stupid enough to ignore it. Azure orbs moved to the figure, one hand frozen on his weapon and the other hovering over the button to let the window down. He took half a second to look at Nik, hoping that his gaze communicated that if anything goes wrong he should drop as low as he possibly could. Then again, if they ended up being shredded by bullets, Rhys knew he wouldn't hesitate to use his own body as a shield. Dying sucked, but he'd rather die for someone else than die without making any kind of difference. He turned his attention back to the woman at the window, noting the wisps of white hair that escaped from the hat-hood combo she wore. The window made a soft noise as the glass escaped into the car, opening the comfortable interior to the harsher elements.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't have my boys tear you all apart?"
"Listen, we're just looking for shelter—"
"Look for it elsewhere."
"The storm is getting worse, we'll be out as soon as—"
"That storm won't be over anytime soon."

Rhys' brows drew downwards, watching as she began to turn away. If they didn't find any kind of shelter soon, he didn't think they would last the night. Rhys wasn't about to sentence these people who looked up to him to death just because he hadn't been insistent enough. The car door opened and Rhys was out before anyone could even utter a protest. "I don't know what fuckin' pit of hell you crawled out of lady, but I've got a kid in that RV. I've got people who don't deserve to freeze to death because some bitch wouldn't provide shelter for a night."

"Hey dude, no need for the hostility. Chantie is just bein' cautious is all, dude."

A new voice piped up from one of the other guards, only this one didn't have a gun as he approached the two. Rhys' gaze moved between the two, crossing his arms over his chest in a subconscious attempt to lock more heat against his body. Temperatures were dropping rapidly and he wondered just what kind of climate change was happening for it to become this cold and this harsh this fast. Rhys narrowed his eyes at the woman, obviously far from backing down. It was a delicate situation. He knew she could open fire on them. Kill him. Wound anyone else. Fuck the cars so bad that they would all be stranded and the cold would take them just as quickly. His throat felt tight, an odd flash of choking on his own blood, struggling to breathe, the feeling of a metal table and teeth ripping into his throat flashed in his minds eye. Rhys' complexion went a bit pale, but the horrors that mulled around in his cranium held no power over the rationality of his thoughts.

He bit the inside of his cheek, tension hanging so thick in the air that it could be physically cut with a knife. Rhys wasn't sure how else to convince them. He wasn't the best with words, he couldn't pull persuasive sonnets out of his ass. "Can't be too careful now a days right dude?"

"We have a full house here, you're going to have to find somewhere else to park your trailer tra-"

"What she means to say, dude, is that we're really full up here ya know?"

It sounded like horse shit to him. A muscle in his jaw lept, anger boiling off of him. If he didn't have guns pointed in his face or others to watch out for he might not have held his tongue. Even so, he was about half a remark away from flying off the handle.


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al·chem·ist
/ˈˈalkəməst/
noun
a person who transforms or creates something through a seemingly magical process.

location
Lowes' -> Base​

mentions
reverie, allea, ryan, penny, reina+caleb, edana, nik, theta, the blackwoods, the rv squad
*eyes emoji*...only tagging who she actually talks to/has a big interaction w/ so I don't bother y'all​




NAMRATA VAIGYAANIK


"I definitely could use this."

Namri’s eyes brightened with the confirmation from the more experienced white witch, and they talked for a little longer before Reverie went to stand watch, beer in her hand. She was almost tempted to join her, but she could tell Reverie liked her space, and Namri herself wanted to continue socializing with the others to learn more about them and to better assume their future responses.

She blinked.

That...hadn’t come out right.

"Namrata. We need 'ta speak."

She hadn’t heard that voice before, but she wondered what could have made the woman request her presence. When Namri saw the witch stride over to her, bumping Rhys as she went by, she couldn’t help but crack a small smile at the same time Rhys sneered.

Rhys.

Wait.

Something felt off. She hadn’t realized it when they were all stuck in the raider headquarters but…

Something about Rhys’ face looked eerily familiar.

Namri had a slight mix of confusion now on her face, but she was certain the witch wouldn’t have minded, as they were just meeting - it made sense for her to be perplexed. She assumed someone had told the witch her name as she made eye contact with her. Namri dug into her mind, figuring out the witch’s name due to process of elimination. “Hello. You’re Allea, right? Pleasure, what’s up?”

The witch dug in her bag and pulled out some materials, handing them over to Namri. She was grateful her hands were free as she took the items into her arms, tilting her head in a quizzical manner at the action. Had Allea been her Secret Santa?

"Be careful with those, cher. Ingredients such as them are rare, specially in certain spells. If you wan' a lesson, I'll give you a couple for free, but only 'cause it's Christmas."

Namri’s eyes softened at the holiday-themed confirmation. “Please, I would love for you to teach me. There seems to be a whole world out there I’ve only gotten a taste of....I really appreciate this, thank you.”

It was true, and now that she wasn’t chained down, she had a chance to explore all this world had to offer her. She just wished she could learn everything at once. There was so much to study, so much for her to spread her wings and try. Allea offering her assistance had her feeling grateful.

The two talked for a while longer before Namri heard Ryan’s voice, trying to get her attention. Namri turned to him with a nod of her head and a tilt of an eyebrow. She hadn’t been this social since the sorority party a few days before the apocalypse had begun. Even then, she hadn’t had much fun. But here, with the memory that she could die at any moment, and that she’d brushed past Death’s shoulder multiple times, she realized taking every moment of makeshift parties like these would be good. Better, even.

"Hey, Penny said you did the most for saving me so I figured it would be appropriate to thank you,"
Namri would have thought he didn’t really mean it until the smile broke out on his face. "Honestly though, thank you a lot for saving my ass. I am Ryan by the way, uh, somebody has probably told you that already."

Namrata watched his eyes as he seemed to get lost in the train of his own thought and she smiled softly, waiting for him to continue.

"Another chance before I die, death avoided again. Not sure why I deserve that, or if do. But, I'll do my best not to almost die again too soon. Hope I was worth saving in the end."

Ryan let out a sigh and Namri let his words hang in the air. She had a feeling he wasn’t finished, and she found herself to be right. "These people ... maybe I didn't just survive once more but ... but actually get another chance here, again. James is here, that's a good sign ... but why would I - what do I get this next chance for? To break me apart, even more, when it ends again? To show me what I truly am, have always been? I -"

Ryan seemed to realize that he was still talking aloud, to Namri. “Sorry, just thinking out loud. Been a rough week and all that... Anyways, thanks again ... guess I'll get something to eat and find a place to sit down."

“Before you do so, let me at least offer a response..” Namrata smirked. “I only just got to know you, but I believe you already proved your worth beforehand, and that is the reason why your friends made sure to find you and enlist my help. I believe now, this next chance is to do your best to protect not only your friends…” Namri’s eyes rested on Penny, who was returning from the aisles with a bunch of clothes with Woofus by her side, “But to protect yourself to the best of your ability. You were given life again to enjoy it fully, with the knowledge that you may never get the chance to live it again. So do what you can, love who you can, and try to do it for as long as you possibly can. I think it's as simple, and as complex as that.”

Penny practically bounded over with a maroon sweater, a grin on her face.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I believe I owe someone a gift.”

Penny held the sweater to Ryan. “Whaddaya know, I’m your Santa! While I can’t stop you from dying again, though I’m sure between the two of us we’ll make sure you survive a little longer”, a smile sent Namri’s way, “I can, however, give you something to keep you warm. No freezing to death on my watch.”

The scientist watched as Penny leaned up on her toes to give Ryan’s cheek a kiss. “Merry Christmas.”

Namri suddenly felt like she was intruding. She handed them both the scarves she’d picked for them before she spoke.

“I think Edana needs my assistance. Merry Christmas.”

And with that, the scientist headed over to the teen witch, whose face managed to turn paler - she needed to know how that could even be possible - every time she glanced at the food that had been placed on her lap. Namri gave Reina and Caleb the items she'd picked up for them before pulling out her journal and pen, beginning to write into its pages as she sat next to Edana and Kim.

“When I was studying, before the apocalypse began, I worked on making nutritious beverages to see if we humans were able to fuel the mind and body in a more successful way than protein shakes, or sports drinks.”

“Smoothies do sound nice … protein drinks even better…” Edana could barely touch her food. Namri’s scribbling went faster over words she couldn’t herself see.

”...Of course then, I didn’t know I wasn’t just human.” The scientist’s tone was full of meek at the admittance, stopping her writing for just a moment. “But I’m certain if I find the right materials, we should be able to get you the nourishment you require, and maybe help you with finding more of an appetite for the foods in front of you.”

“You’d do that?” Edana seemed shocked that Namrata would even think of it. “It would be appreciated. Between you and me I have found myself … collapsing at random periods of our trips, relying on sheer motivation to try and keep up. It sounds like a petty anime trope but I’ve decided I am not yet ready to simply accept death so easily. When Lucifer is in need of my company, He has far clever ways than of starving a fifteen-year-old girl.”

The chuckle that left Edana had a note of distress that struck a melancholic chord in Namri’s rib cage.

“Of course I would do that. It would not only aid you immediately but also be good for everyone else with the way produce is scarce now. No worries, Edana. I won’t fail you.”

After Namri got some food in herself to get a grip on her mind, she’d get to work on finding the right recipe that Edana could stomach. Multiple, if she were lucky, she decided, clicking her pen as the blood witch stood and rushed off to the bathroom at the final mention of food she could take.

She’d fill her own stomach, then soothe the witch’s stomach with some tea while she tested and tinkered away by her side.

________________________

Edana had fallen asleep while Namri attempted to use her newfound skill of telekinesis. The scientist thought if it weren’t possible to find a blender to make this easier, she could try mentally mixing the ingredients together. It was working pretty well, to Namri’s own surprise, and when she’d thought she’d done it best, she’d looked over to Edana in excitement, only to realize the girl had dozed off. With a slight chuckle, Namri made sure the girl was warm before checking off the recipe in her journal. Success, even with limitations.

How wonderfully thrilling.

Of course, she could have just asked Theta if electricity was an element she minded testing out, but for now, like most of the others, Namri would leave her alone to her rest. She’d gotten a few hours of sleep for herself, but her internal alarm clock went blaring off early in the morning. She let a soft yawn escape her lips as she stretched, standing up and stuffing her journal back into her bag.

While she was up at least, she could grab some of the materials she thought they’d need in the RV alongside what Reina and Caleb had already grabbed. More water, more medical supplies...Namri eyed the gardening section an aisle away from the sleeping group.

Something in there might be useful.

But if she was going to get through there, it seemed like she’d need something to help with the...overgrown plants.

In the back of her mind, the Little Shop of Horrors theme song echoed as if to taunt her.

Instead of feeling threatened by the greenery, she went into the Axes and Mauls section for some backup.

Many of the weapons had been taken from this section, but there were still some left, enough that a few members could grab their own. Namri instead made this a learning moment for herself, walking past but tapping the axes she thought would work. The axes, six of them, seemed to float behind her as she continued on, sipping her experiment. She would have left it for Edana, but she thought a fresh mixture would be better for the blood witch. Namri let out a noise as she looked over the glove selection; there were enough of these. They could be useful in the future, especially if there might be surgery on the road.... She filed them in her memory to bring to the front later.

There was no doubt of how the white witch’s own power seemed to be tied to her stomach, but Namri thought it was a little unfortunate, due to the circumstances of food being scarce. Hopefully the drink she made - she fondly remembered referring to the drinks as elixirs with her professor before everything had gone to shit - would aid with that a bit. Namri had to admit she was already feeling well and slightly full due to it, so again, it seemed successful. Maybe she would be able to focus her telepathy on moving the blades within a blender, to make mixing a little easier as well. At the thought, she grabbed a box containing one, noting that the lack of electricity had kept people from stocking up on it. There were a lot of things they needed to grab before they started moving.

Namri’s mind was going through how to tinker the recipe more and a mental checklist, because her brain couldn’t stop thinking of improvements and about what else the group needed, while she walked to the front of the store. She was surprised to find someone else had been awake and had thought ahead like she had to scour the store for extra supplies.

She wondered if it was Elijah and Amara only for a moment, leaving five of the six axes gently on the floor near the pile the person had started. Whoever it was had grabbed medical supplies, some more weapons, and water, fantastic. That meant she could grab things out of the Outdoor and Axe and Mauls section and not worry about that, meaning she could snag those gloves she saw for herself and for the hunters in the group. They also needed rope, maybe some handsaws, some chisels, maybe even a ladder...Namri didn’t wait around to see who the mystery someone was, but while she was heading back to grab more items, she swore she saw blond across the aisles, making a noise as he hoisted more water over to the front, cigarette smoke only visible around his being due to the temperature drop.

Ah, it was Nik.

Namrata wondered if the afflicted chose not to use their powers because it made them feel less attached to their humanity. It might have helped Nik with carrying things, at least. But she didn’t feel the need to question him on it, not so early, even if she was curious.

It could wait. What mattered was preparing everyone for the worst case scenario.

He seemed to understand that.

________________________

Namrata was going through the outdoor section after checking everything off the weapons part of her checklist when she heard the commotion in the front. She had been grabbing Ziploc bags, pouring in seeds and labeling them properly, when the cursing began.

"I am so fuckin' tired of digging around in the mother fucking sno—"

"Fuckin' snow, jesus fuckin christ, whoever decided to throw a fuckin' blizzard on us should have snow shoved up his goddamn ass."


Namri rolled her eyes with a soft smile as she finished up, studying a new five-in-one tool she’d found in the Axes and Mauls section before closing her bag and heading towards the sound.

“Yeah, really, if you yell at it I heard the snow melts,” Penny had let out a grin while Nik followed in teasing Rhys, and himself.

"I heard it's more effective when you scowl and brood.”

Namri said nothing, but her mind was alight with ideas. While their shoveling was helpful, Namrata decided to see if she could move some of the snow on her own to speed up the process, eyeing the stuck RV and the Jeep. She felt like she should leave most of the snow around the first car, just in case she risked bumping it and having Rhys on her case so soon.

It worked, slowly, as Namri focused her attention, the snow seemingly being dug out around the two vehicles with mental fortitude. She noticed it seemed to move a bit faster, and the hiss that came from the person near her helped Namri to recognize Theta helping her. Namri and Theta exchanged a smile as they went to work, Epsilon letting out a yawn of her own as she curled under Theta’s scarf. It went faster, but soon enough, Namrata realized she felt a little faint, and she finished sipping the last of her experiment before tossing the cup in the trash, while she and Theta watched as the others handled the rest of the snow, holding onto the rest of their magical strength for now.

"Thank you, Theta."

She might as well make Edana an elixir for the road, while she had the chance.

________________________

They were on the road again soon after, with Rhys slightly begging for James to not hit his new car. The exchange made Namri chuckle as she thought of it again, shaking a water bottle filled with ingredients to mix them together a bit more before she handed the drink to Edana, halfway through their drive.

“This should help, Edana.” Namrata said soothingly to the blood witch, making no reference to food at the risk of her still-sensitive stomach. She’d seen how Edana had responded to even the mention of it earlier and didn’t want to risk a repeat in the RV. “Let me know how you feel afterwards.”

Kim came to check on Edana too after waking up from a nap. “How do you do, Edana?”

Namri decided to leave the blood witch’s side so she wouldn’t feel crowded with a soft pat on her shoulder and a smile to Kim. The scientist took out the scarves she’d had for the Blackwood siblings out of her bag, holding them out to them with a smile. “These are for you two. I didn’t have the time to give them earlier.” She said, before getting distracted by something she spotted out the window, even in the harsh snowfall.

Wait. What was that?

“Unless snow causes mirages, I think I’m seeing something. Guys! Do you think Rhys and Nik see it?” Penny pointed at the same mass as she leaned forward. “James, you see it?”

Namri couldn’t quite make it out with all of the snow, but there was definitely something there. Was it...a base? Some sort of facility?

“I hope they see it.” She spoke quietly in response to Penny as she squinted, trying again to see a sign that they were passing by.

SURVIVORS THIS WAY.

For some reason, it didn’t sit right with her, but she assumed that was because she had no idea what they would find when they stepped inside. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t know until they got there.

As Rhys’ car pulled to a stop near the entrance of the base, turning on the hazard lights so James could stop, Namri could make out a few figures, pointing their guns at not only Rhys, but at their RV as well.

Namri stood by the door, eyeing the figures through the driver’s window and watching the way Rhys expressed himself when out of his vehicle. She wished she could hear better, but being inside, with the snow blowing outside, made that difficult.

“I’m not interested in seeing any more deaths in this forty-eight hour period.” She said finally, zeroing in on the way Rhys seemed to radiate his irritation. She couldn’t blame him, but she wondered if the way his blood was boiling helped to keep him warm. The joke made her crack a small smile, but she knew Rhys probably wasn’t having much luck talking with them. “Do you think Nik can help handle this, or can we open this and get to assisting them now?”

Curiosity and action would bring her satisfaction.

She could not be killed as easily as the cat. Not yet, at least.





 
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[class=biggie] width: 100%; margin: 0 auto; text-align: center; clear:both; font-size:13px; color: #1d1b15; font-weight:100; display:flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; height: 100%; [/class] [class=whut]background-color: #f7f7e9; padding:30px; [/class] [class=handsomedevil] background: #ced8e2; text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; padding:10px; color: #1d1b15; flex: 1; border: 1px solid #b9c0ca; font-weight:400; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; font-size:13px; [/class] [class=speaks] overflow: auto; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; flex: 1; flex-basis: 30%; margin-left: 40px; margin-right:15px; [/class] [class=blue] background: #ced8e2; padding: 10px; width:auto; [/class] [class=speakstoo] font-size:13px; text-align: left; font-weight:100; border: 1px solid #ced8e2; outline: 1px solid #eff0f2; background-color: #eff0f2; color: #272828; line-height:2; font-weight:400; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; padding:30px; max-height:1250px; overflow-y: auto; overflow-x:hidden; [/class] [class=speakeasy] font-weight:400; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; border: 1px solid #b9c0ca; outline: 1px solid #eff0f2; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing:2px; word-spacing: 4px; text-align: center; font-size:12px; padding:20px; color: #272828; background:#eff0f2;[/class] [class=bottoms] font-weight:400; margin-top: 50px; clear:both; color: #272828; background:#eff0f2; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; border: 1px solid #b9c0ca; outline: 1px solid #eff0f2; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-size:12px; letter-spacing: 2px; text-align: center; padding:20px; line-height:2; width:100%; [/class] [class=tops] font-weight:400; margin-bottom: 50px; clear:both; background-color: #040404; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; border: 1px solid #b9c0ca; outline: 1px solid #eff0f2; color: #272828; background:#eff0f2; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-size:12px; letter-spacing: 2px; text-align: center; padding:20px; color: #fff; line-height:2; width:100%; [/class] [class=speakeasy2] font-weight:400; font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; border: 1px solid #ced8e2; outline: 1px solid #eff0f2; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: left; font-size:12px; padding:20px; color: #272828; background:#eff0f2; line-height:2; [/class] [class name=handsomedevil maxWidth="800px"] margin: 0 auto; padding: 10px[/class] [class name=whut maxWidth="800px"] margin: 0 auto; padding: 0px[/class] [class name=biggie maxWidth="800px"] padding: 0px; margin: 0 auto; flex-direction: column;[/class] [class name=speakstoo maxWidth="800px"]margin: 0 auto; padding: 10px; margin-top:20px; overflow: auto; max-height: 100%;[/class] [class name=speaks maxWidth="800px"]margin: 0 auto; padding: 0px;[/class] [class name=bottoms maxWidth="800px"]display:none[/class] [class name=tops maxWidth="800px"]display:none[/class]
[div class=whut][div class=biggie][div class=handsomedevil] [div class=speakeasy]𝘛𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦`𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦'𝘴. [/div]
shwomp.gif
[div class=speakeasy2]Niklas Liam Voss
LOCATION — Outside McGuire Airforce base > Inside the fucking base
BGM AWKWAFINA - JANET RENO MAD
TAGS Hell0NHighWater Hell0NHighWater (Detective Blood Pressure) {and everybodyyy}
OOC — k we goin in so ppl got some mo stuff 2 work wif. ITS MY TIME TO SHINE[/div]
git it.jpg
[div class=speakeasy]𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳.[/div][/div]
[div class=speaks][div class=blue][div class=speakstoo]

"The plan is....to knock....politely." Nik held his breath for a fraction of a second and looked over the face of the man he loved. He registered the slivers of micro-expressions that flickered over his features, he wasn't quite as good at hiding it as he thought.

That wasn't going to work, and the both of them knew it. The apocalypse had bred fear, mistrust, and paranoia in everyone and every single thing. Even if they did indeed just need a place to stay, to get out of this hellish freak snowstorm, no. Even if they did have things to trade, even if coming together to stand strong against hell itself was the best option, no.

Everyone and anyone could be an enemy. He understood that, and knew, just as he saw the red line of a laser draw a dot over his own chest, as if an all-seeing eye, searching, that this was not going to be easy. Nik thought, if they were to die by firing squad or something as equally daft as that, that he might as well have had one last go at a cigarette. He placed it between his lips, but hesitated lighting it. It was in his back pocket, the lighter, it could've been seen as an act of aggression.

A knuckle rapt against the window nearer Rhys' side of the car and Nik shifted to place his hand on the other man's sleeve, who was already going for his gun.

"Ah. Ah. I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"Don't," was all the blond said, teeth on edge, jaw clenched. They were walking into someone else's home, unwanted, unannounced. Nik understood the drill.

The blond didn't miss the look Rhys shot him, cyan eyes connecting to deep blue, as the blond tilted his head slightly. Tricky, he thought. There were too many, dodging a first volley was one thing, but Nik didn't think Rhys' baby would hold up with all-out war. Even if his boyfriend was a bloody fucking angelic warhead, didn't matter.

The numbers, and the weapons, were beyond them. Plus, they had others to consider, which made Nik check the car's side mirror. Frosted and impenetrable, but he saw the lights. They had precious, precious cargo.

The window slid down, the elements filtering in causing the blond to shiver. He pulled his hand back, slowly, folding his hands in his lap, but his body screamed. Primed and ready, for whatever may happen, to act. To flee, fight, or duck low and stay there.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't have my boys tear you all apart?"
"Listen, we're just looking for shelter—"
"Look for it elsewhere."
"The storm is getting worse, we'll be out as soon as—"
"That storm won't be over anytime soon."

Their exchange was a barrage, Nik could visibly see the irritation scathing over Rhys, even just looking on the side of his face. Tense body language, the blond bit his lower lip and hesitated. Then, the woman who had spoken turned to walk away. Without a moment's notice, the detective flung the door open and lurched into the beyond.

"Shit," he cursed, trying to fumble at the whitelighter and more or less leaning through and out the driver's seat. It was too late. "Fuck, no, what the fuck are you d—" he hissed. Since the brunet was outside anyways, Nik more or less wriggled his way out of the car through the driver's seat and was blasted in the face with wind. A laser in red blared across his field of vision and he winced.

This was really overkill, honestly, but he didn't blame them. He'd be skeptical too.

"I don't know what fuckin' pit of hell you crawled out of lady, but I've got a kid in that RV. I've got people who don't deserve to freeze to death because some bitch wouldn't provide shelter for a night."

"Hey dude, no need for the hostility. Chantie is just bein' cautious is all, dude." Another survivor from the base had shown up, toting no gun. Nik wrapped his arms around his body, gaze flickering between 'Chantie', Rhys, and this other 'dude', judging body language. Leaning into the motions, head tilted but only slightly, eyes darting around him.

He was painfully aware of just how fucked they were.

This was already quite the precarious situation. The snow outside beating down around them, dauntless, as if assailing for a pointed purpose and not for mother nature's flight of fancy. Now contending with a band of survivors their crew of misfits had yet to meet, with guns pointed at them no less, and an increasing agitated Rhys...that was a recipe for the worst kind of disaster.

In some strange part of his lizard brain, Nik hoped that the other man would be diplomatic, but considering how cold it was, that was off the table. They needed to get inside, and fast. The barrier between their cast of characters and shelter seemed insurmountable, but it wasn't.

"Can't be too careful now a days right dude?"

It just wasn't something Nik had wanted to resort to, because if his tertiary talent were ever out in the open, it'd bring up a host of other problems. His lip quirked as he tried to see a way out of this that wouldn't require him to play possibly the only trump card he held.

Nik caught Rhys' shivered, and yet still boiling visage, from the corner of his eye. If people on their crew were aware of what lies he could spin or pieces he could move, he knew the worriers would worry. It was human nature. Had he spun a yarn to get to good graces? No. But...

Fuck it, he thought, pulling down his scarf and stepping forward, carefully, hands raised, cigarette between his fingers, appearing as nonthreatening as possible. Stance low, head bowed, but eyes alert. It was just one small step, but enough to send a few errant red dots his way, to wander his face and torso.

His hands were still raised. The wind felt painful, biting, clawing in daggers. This would still be tricky.

"We have a full house here, you're going to have to find somewhere else to park your trailer tra-" Not her.

"What she means to say, dude, is that we're really full up here ya know?" Him.

Nik's smile spread like a rolling wave, eyes locking with the man who seemed so far removed from this place. Dude this, dude that. He hadn't heard this sort of vernacular since Olivia and her antics. The blond's smile stayed, and then he drew the cigarette between his lips, and cursed under his breath. The man before him shifted, it was the slightest of movements. Like a needle on the edge of a ledge.

"Hey, dude, can you tell your guys to stand down for all of two seconds? I want to get my lighter from my back pocket," he paused for a moment, the brunet in front of him quirking the smallest smile, hooded all the same as the imposing woman who seemed to call all the shots. But if he could get to him, he could get to her, the appeal was there, he could make this play.

He exchanged a fraction of a glance with Rhys, hoping he'd understand: I've got this. How, he wouldn't explain. Not now, and maybe not ever, if he could prevent it.

"Uh...that doesn't sound like a great idea, dude..."
"It's a lighter. Not a fucking hand grenade."
"I don't have time for this," 'Chantie' said with a curl of the lip, almost a snarl but not quite.

"Unless you want to get it from my back pocket," there was the smile. That million dollar Niklas Voss smile, something that promised so many things but would carry out none of them. Absolutely not a one. The woman who seemed to be in command had folded her arms across her chest, gun now lax, with an irritated look what little of her face he could see. A slight movement, he hadn't lost the gift.

"Naw, dude, it's...it's fine...." the brunet trailed, and Nik took the opportunity to spin the story, even as the man in front of him dug his hand into his own pocket. To produce a lighter. For an absolute stranger, who was just, simply, smiling.

"Listen. We have a shitload," the man before him flicked the lighter and Nik inhaled the smoke, teeth starting to chatter. He spun it sideways but the wind was too fogged in frost to even see it. "Of supplies. I think somebody even made a fuckin' forge. Food, medicine, weapons, I'm pretty sure I could find you a fuckin' unicorn in that RV if you asked me," he said specifically to the man who was standing a bit too close. He stepped back.

He'd have a headache from this later. Pain suppression and inducement was thought to only run one way. Not so, not with Nik, but he used it sparingly, if at all. To spin something out of nothing, to placate, to beguile. Except it'd simply be read as diplomacy. He hoped.

The woman, with the beautiful skin and flash of white hair that spun out of her hood as the wind whipped, shifted. It didn't work on some people, for specific reasons that it wasn't in their nature, but he could convince anyways. It's just be the silver tongue and not the prickling the brunet survivor adjacent him was feeling in the back of his skull.

"....continue," she said, deadpan, as Nik slowly let his hands sink down to his sides. He shifted his weight to his other leg, and inhaled the cigarette smoke into his lungs. He was freezing his ass off.

"...put us to work," he offered, then glanced at the brunet who was now hovering. Nik's teeth were very nearly chattering. He cast a glance at Rhys, as if to apologize, for whatever it was he was doing, although it was working. He cast another glance to 'Chantie', there was the tell. She was thinking about it.

"Dude, do you...have any more of those?"
"What, cigarettes? Sure," he said, not bothering to go slowly, instead, taking out the pack Alaska had given him, and tossing it to the other man. He caught it, and his eyes lit up like a thousand suns.

"They're all your's...ah...what was your name?" Nik asked, locking his vision, keeping it in place a bit too long. Like what Rhys did, except not awkwardly, but deliberately.

"I'm Niklas. This is Rhys. We have a crew back there," he pointed with this thumb, "...medics. Fighters. People who can make weapons. We'll work. We just need to get out of this storm," he paused, a smile gracing his wind-pinked face, "And maybe if you have a fuckin' shower available I can stop smelling like a barnyard, please and thank you."

"Declan. Declan Wayne—uh." That was it. The brunet in front of him, without a weapon, smiled. Broad. The curl of something lingering, an off-color look. This was not difficult, but it was fragile. Delicate.

"Fair trade?" His deep blue glance swept to 'Chantie' as if to confirm, and a second later, the brunet in front of him did the same. Playing follow the leader already. Poor son if a bitch would be so fucking confused after this, and the migraine that came after wouldn't be pretty.

Nik smoked, despite patently freezing his balls off, and sidled one step closer to Rhys, deep blue eyes downcast, as he looked at the side of his face.

"...you follow our rules. This is our house, and we guard our own," she said, her gaze meeting Rhys' and then Nik's in a succession that spelled 'I will end you' in no uncertain terms.

"Follow."
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Rufus | Edana

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Mentions: Rhys, Nik, Namri
Location: RV --> base
Interactions: Ed's dialouge is open to everyone.

A lesson to remember shortly before entering the apocalypse: Don’t drink to the tips of your balls while your crush is sitting just a mere 10 feet in the room. Another lesson to remember while in the apocalypse: Don’t eat from the cookie tin.


The RV had proven itself to be a much needed break from the cluster mess that had brought everyone together. Rufus, as per routine, had claimed his top bunk, the mp3 player that Nilyah had granted him working wonders to his fuzzy little white ears. The music was nice. Not as much country as he’d prefer but the still overall a welcoming change. His stomach still gurgled from the shitfest he had allowed himself to engage in … that and the booze. It was always the booze. Deep down, the brit knew well enough he could hold his liquor just about as much as a 15 year old can (can the goth drink? Does she? She’d probably drink him under the table).


Snow collected on the windows of the RV, drawing small breathes of their own as the vehicle continued over each mysterious crevasse. Angry winds whiplashed the side of their small slice of protective haven, some of the whirlwinds hitting beneath the space of the car. Each person dulled in their own conversation, some, a specific white witch tinkering away at something while the goth loli slept. Up ahead sat the subtle model duo, controlling their very lives in this behemoth as the brit recalls once calling it. The heat was nice, alluring, even. It tempted the prophet back to sleep. Hell, he had already curled up within the blankets, formulating himself the european filling of a burrito bundle. Set on his side in a small ball, knees tucked to his chest, Rufus retreated into his deliberate ignorance.

Give me one reason why I shouldn't have my boys tear you all apart?"

"Listen, we're just looking for shelter—"

"Look for it elsewhere."

"The storm is getting worse, we'll be out as soon as—"

"That storm won't be over anytime soon."


Muffled sounds of people … debating … seemed to have made itself known beneath the flurry nightmare that had arose for the crew. Familiar noises … voices … chipping at each other over who knows what. Groggily, Rufus sat up, almost already forgetting about his restrained arms that have been tied to the warm temptation. A few wiggles, a handful of petty kicks out of his momentary asylum and the brit was on his feet, the floorboards giving him away with a thunk. He made his way over to the nearest window with a pained shudder ( perhaps from before? Or has the cold gotten to the point of suggest near death had anyone made a single breath in the wrong direction …), rubbing a fabricated sleeve against the breath created by the watery mist.



There had been a woman standing before Rhys and Nik’s fancy car, hands on her hips as though Rhys wouldn’t even remotely consider running her arse over without a second thought. Nik, as always, had been attempting to calm his boyfriend down, perhaps talking him down from doing anything rash. Rufus pushed aside any fleeting thoughts about how they were good for one another and how caring the blonde had proven himself to be. Shaking his head once, the prophet squinted, eyes narrowing at the individual in the distance. He seemed to have spoken the loudest yet he was the furthest way. What sort of chicken shit was this? It was as though the brit could get a fair idea of the kind of man he was.

"Hey dude, no need for the hostility. Chantie is just bein' cautious is all, dude."


Good on him to have said something. Rufus never pegged himself to be the kind to stereotype others. The windows had muffled the conversation for Rufus to have gotten a thorough listening in and yet this spacelord was the one individual that had managed to speak above the crowd of snowflakes that pierced both parties. Should he say something? Was there some sort of danger..? Something kept Rhys and Nik from pursuing both of the opposers’ necks. Something large, he’d have to wonder.


"We have a full house here, you're going to have to find somewhere else to park your trailer tra-"


"What she means to say, dude, is that we're really full up here ya know?"



A full house? Had there been shelter up ahead? Rufus pursed his lips, turning his head toward Namri and the goth that had once been asleep, her head resting on the scientist’s thigh with eyes silently open. She had been listening intently, fingers wrapped around a half finished elixir the scientist had granted her. The substance was good, keeping her stomach at ease as she rested. The blood witch had almost forgotten what it was like to have something in her food pocket. She had murmured a thank you to Namri earlier upon receiving it but couldn't help but say so again, inquiring what was in the drink. Kim had asked her how she was doing, the blood witch merely replied with a grunt, her stomach both working and not working at the same time.


“There’s an entire party up ahead. She murmured softly, eyes fixated on Namri’s hands and mind tinkering. Her head pounded, both the cold of the RV and the lack of food continuously eating at her. If she had died in that very moment from hypothermia and lack of bodily resilience, it would not have come as a surprise to her. Her hand gripped at Namri’s knee, in need of support to sit herself up with a grimace. “I trust Beach Dad and Baby Mafia will not do anything reckless.”


“I’m not interested in seeing any more deaths in this forty-eight hour period.

"They seem to be, however." Edana kept her eyes locked onto the opposing forces, narrowing them in a contemplative thought. "If they think they're simply going to be standing the way they are without any form of retaliation they have another thing coming."

“Do you think Nik can help handle this, or can we open this and get to assisting them now?”

"Knowing Niklas and Rhys, the have it." The blood witch at this point didn't bother with cutesie nicknames; there was far too much hanging on the line in the present moment. "Though maybe a slight scuff if done properly wouldn't hurt. Understand that we are working on land mines here." Of course she didn't mean literal mines but rather the sensitivity of the situation.

Round doe-like eyes scanned the outside, brow furrowing at the blinding sight. She had managed to see something that Rufus possibly missed.
“...they’re being threatened.” This prompted the goth to internally rise from her excruciating lethargism, reaching around her neck for her bladed crucifix. Holding her engraved weapon out in front of her, the blood witch closed her eyes, murmuring some incantations underbreath, the gem in the center of cross emitting a gentle glow.




“Shit, fuck, dude.” The being that had been hiding from afar covered his nose briefly, blood trickling from inside his nostrils. “Yo, Chantie can we like, hurry this up and stuff? Wind’s startin’ to eat my nose, yo. This cold ain’t chill for the do-” A brief chuckle at his pun before shaking off the humor.

...you follow our rules. This is our house, and we guard our own,"


Good ol’ Beach Dad, he had managed to once again dance his way into others lowering their guard (at least enough to allow them into their base, something Edana was not about to be the first to complain about) while the rest of the crew could saunter in. She would have to ask him later just how he did it and without turning anyone else into swiss cheese.

Upon hearing the agreement, Edana stopped her incantation, reveling in the complaints and hisses Declan let out about the blood freezing onto the tips of his nose. Had the attack been unnecessary? Perhaps. Was she satisfied with the knowledge she had caused some sort of silent retaliation for threatening the pretty afflicted and his blessed counterpart? Absolutely.

Any opponent of her pseudo-father friend was a rival of her own; any cared individual, while Edana was incapable of understanding the very notion of looking at others herself, was most certainly a value the blood witch could come to terms with to protect.


Besides, Declan Wayne had gotten on her last fried nerve and he needed an incentive to shut up. If she had to hear the word ‘dude’ one more time, a bloody nose was going to be the least of his concerns.








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Reverie Lowiezka

LOCATION — McGuire Airforce Base
INTERACTIONS — Jeep Wrangler
MENTIONS— Rhys Witherfork, Caleb Adonis, Airforce Guppies
DESC. — Hair unfettered, Black dress, tights, black heeled ankle boots.
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❖ ❖​

It was a marvelous construct of nature. Calculated geometry so precise it was a sheer miracle how the architectural wonder had been formed without any tools. It's iridiscent filaments scintilated in pellucid delight amidst the darkness of the shadowed corner, catching the faintest rays of greying light from the outside. It was cold, as it had been for days. Or weeks. Maybe months. He didn't really care to count anymore.

"Ros!"

He reached out a gloved finger, carefully pressing against the fine silk. A minute puff marked the breaking of frozen moisture along its wispy tendrils, a coruscating mini explosion of beautiful crystalline microshards. The proteinaceous webbing gave a little. But held. Beautiful.

"ROS!" Rapid crunch of footfalls against the snow. But maybe he imagined it. The squalling blizzard was crashing the side of his little watchhouse, an ever-present howl that grated his senses into numbness. The steps grew louder. A sharp bang as the door burst open.

"ROS! What are you doing!?" The ginger hissed at him, freckled face pink from the frost and the exertion. Though from the way her chest heaved even under the thick clothing, he suspected more of the latter.

"Hey Anya, Sup?" The lanky teen gave a wide yawn, stretching his aching frame out though his butt was still firmly planted on the plastic chair. He hoped it wasn't another one of those. He had no idea why they insisted on the Watch. Nothing sane was going to be traveling in this growing blizzard and they were more likely to freeze their asses off than to encounter a revenant. Vampires were a different matter. But there was still light. He figured they wouldn't fancy that.

"Didn't you hear your radio!?" The button-nosed redhead gave him an open-mouthed incredulous look at his nonchalance.

"This?" He indolently reached for the palm-sized black box that sat stalwartly on the desk in front of him. He shook it slowly, an act of defiance towards her urgency. "I swear I heard nothing. I think the batteries are out... or frozen ove-"

"We have to go. Myles said he saw cars. Three, maybe more... they were moving together-"

"How can Myles see anything for miles in this!" He gestured wildly at the raging storm, though he wore a shit-eating grin at his little joke.

The redhead let out a sigh. Eyes momentarily glancing towards the cold cement ceiling as if accusing the heavens for appointing her as tribute to suffer being 'Ros-ed' as they called it. He was a little endearing to be fair, but she couldn't count the number of times he had driven her up the wall. Anya narrowed her eyes and stood akimbo.

"Myles has never been wrong. We are going, now. Hurry up."

Still reluctant to leave the relative warmth of his perch, he called out as the girl turned to leave. "How far were they out-?"

"I'm telling Chanty I caught you sleepin-"

"Fuck no! Alright alright!" He sprang off his chair, grabbed his rifle and a little silver chain that hung beside it. He clutched the charm in his fist and gave it his customary good luck kiss before slipping it over his head.

❖ ❖​

"Anya!" It was cold. Bitterly cold. But here they were, standing out in the open, pointing their boomsticks at strangers. He was starting to think his finger was probably frozen to the trigger by now.

"Anya!" He hissed again, trying to get her attention. The ginger was perhaps seven feet to his left. The red tracers of her laser sights trained on a rather dashing adonis seated at the backseat of the jeep wrangler parked in the ice in front of them.

"What now!?" She snapped back, voice muffled to a whisper by the scrappy wool scarf masking her face from the cold, and prying eyes.

"I don't think they're raiders." He whispered back.

"We don't know that!"

His tracer was pointed at the forehead of the driver of the jeep. A rather austere albeit refined-looking woman. She had a bored look on her face, as she ran a hand through her long brown hair. Feeling his gaze, she turned her piercing eyes towards him. The action was almost languid, but the weight of her stare was anything but. If the woman didn't look like she could burn holes through his skull just by looking, he might've appreciated the elegant planes of her face a little more. Ros swallowed, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed about pointing his rifle in the woman's face. It felt... rude. He shifted his laser sight a little to the side. It was now pointing at the headrest. How the woman knew it he didn't know, but he swore the edges of her ruby lips briefly curled into a smile.

"Vampire..." That was the only explanation for it. The woman looked as if she enjoyed eating hearts for breakfast, medium rare... no, rare.

"What did you say?" There was a commotion up front, and he sensed Anya briefly glance over to check on the situation. The cold was probably getting to her too, but she'd never admit it.

"I said, this is probably an orgy fest. I mean look at that... four ladies and one guy in the back. It's a little harem." The teen felt a tugging at his neck. The wind probably tossing his chain about.

"Don't! I'll laugh-!" To her credit, Anya's voice only slightly quavered. Though he could hear the strain in it as she tried to keep a straight face. Emboldened, and thoroughly irresponsible of his duties he continued. This time in a louder voice.

"Think we should join them? I mean- ACK-! THE FUCK?!" Ros' eyes watered as one hand flew to his neck where his chain had suddenly and inexplicably choked him. He did still manage to keep his weapon up, only barely. The memory of the cold chain against his neck tugged at his reflex causing him to try to cough it away.

"Ros?! What happened?" He heard the sound of shifting snow, but quickly waved Anya back. He swallowed a bout of phlegm that had threatened to rise up his throat. He narrowed his gaze at the driver of the jeep, who only just happened to look away. He was dead sure of the cattish smile on her face by now.

"Well fuck you... witch."

"Ros?"

"Nuthin"

❖ ❖​

"They're not gonna do it." Reverie remarked to no one, though it was clear she was referring to the watchful eyes outside. She'd been thoroughly annoyed that they had seemed to once again gotten themselves into trouble. But one look at the way their ambushers carried themselves, she knew that the worse that could happen was being turned away. In fact, she hoped that was the case. If they were wanted dead, captured or stolen from, they wouldn't be taking the trouble to stand out in the cold menacingly. As it was, their errant leaders were likely having some pretentious parleying dance up ahead. Clucking about like flustered hens in the snowstorm and flexing muscles, arms, seeing who had the bigger toy. Knowing Rhys, he was likely doing some form of the former. She rested her head back on her headrest and crossed her arms over her chest.

After like what seemed an eternity, the RV up ahead had begun pulling away. They were going in. That was a surprise. The witch turned to give her blond watcher a wink out the frosted window before stepping on the accelerator. And so their group was getting bigger. Tawny eyes roved over the expansive compound, a little rundown, but clearly occupied. She did not like this one bit. Too much meat in a box.

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Location: McGuire AF Base

Interactions: "Glinda" Lekiel Lekiel | Caleb & Reina & Theta cinnabuns cinnabuns & izayoiix izayoiix

BGM: Formation


ALLEA



Her elbow rested against the passenger door, umber orbs gazing off into the swirling winds of falling snow. The party the night before had been...pleasent surprisingly. Namari was a quick learner and eager at that. It reminded her of her own training, how she had devoured spells and tomes like she was starving. Allea also found herself enjoying the banter with the white witch. Reverie was probably the only person in this group she tolerated for more than a couple minutes. She took a deep breath, watching as the window fogged upon her exhale. Subconsciously her finger reached out, tracing a swirling symbol that she had long ago memorized. A warding to death, something that could shield a object or, if powerful enough, a person from danger. At least for a bit, but to put any real magic behind it required concentration. Which was.... something she didn't have at the moment. A medium sized metal box sat placidly in her lap, various marks and symbols marred the once smooth steel. Proof of the extent she went to in order to try and open it. It had her beyond aggravated. No matter what spell, what technique, the damn thing refused to open.

She was in the midst of thought when the vague outline of a sign passed by. Allea sat up slightly in her seat, turning around to look back at the other three passengers. "Did....that say....?" She trailed off, glancing over at Reverie as she faced forward once more.

"I think it's best to be careful, Cher. Ain't know what dangers might be waitin'."

If the other witch acknowledged her warning or not, she didn't say. Allea squinted at the hazy forms in the distance, leaning forward in hopes to gather what was going on based on body language alone. It was obvious from the way Rhys got out of the car that he was angry. Though, from what she observed so far he always seemed to be a degree of angry. Still, she would have really liked to know what the other person said to get under the detective's skin....purely for curiosities sake of course.

A face leered out of the back seat, startling the necromancer as yellowed teeth grew into a wide grin and dark eyes gazed at her with some kind of unlively glow.

"Rekon' they gon start shootin' now? It's been a while since I was privy to a gun fight."

The corners of her mouth tipped into a frown, taking her attention back to the little show before them. Charmer was out of the car now, so at least things should calm down now. As long as Detective McFury didn't get them all pumped full of lead.

"They're not gonna do it."

A sigh left her lips, flopping back into her seat with a bit of a disappointed expression.
"Mm, I wouldn't be so sure. Those guards seemin' to be dyin' for some action."

Allea chuckled under her own breath, finding the hidden pun more amusing than anyone else in the car probably did. She hummed as the jeep moved forward, following in the wake of the RV. Amber orbs flickered across the now open fence passively, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Something in the pit of her stomach didn't feel right. The image in the side mirror showed the gates being pulled back to their original closed position and she wouldn't help but feel like they were being trapped in. No matter the weather, this wasn't particularly the best situation they could have found themselves in.

"An now we find ourselves trapped in a lion's den. How fun."

Maybe she should have left sooner. Allea worked better on her own anyway. Her gaze drifted off, scanning the buildings for any kind of threat. Her gaze lingered on a little boy staring at them in the midst of the snow, lips so blue that they rivaled the color of blueberries. His face was sunken in, a severe face, too pale, too hollow to be considered anything close to alive. Ghosts had always been a constant hindrance in her life, infectious little fragments of souls that refused to move from this world to the next. She would never get used to seeing them. However, this one little boy...there was something not quite right about him. Even ghosts held a quality of life, but this one? Blank eyes that followed them with unnaturally blue hues, hair, face, skin, all coated in a color of frost. His head moved as if in slow motion, eyes shifting with the movement of his head.

"Look away, little lady."

Mordecai's warning went unheeded. The curling curiosity within her mind caused her to meet the little boy's gaze. A chill crept into the marrow of her bones, heart speeding up as those eyes swirled with colors so dark that she knew in an instant what this entity truly was. Her spine went rigid, hand traveling to the satchel by her feet. Fingers curled around the gris-gris she had haphazardly constructed. Allea's knowledge of voodoo was so little compared to the other magical arts she studied, but there were a few things that stuck around from her childhood. As soon as she pulled the talisman from her bag, the boy's mouth opened into a scream. The sound, unheard to the others, shot through her very core causing her to flinch away from the window. The boy began running towards them with inhuman speed, eyes glowing brighter and brighter until they were so luminous it hurt to look at. She felt a pressure on the side of her face, a hand, tilting her chin away from the entity and sparing her from whatever harm it may have tried to inflict upon her.

Chocolate brown eyes glared past her towards where the figure of the boy had been, the ghostly touch pulling away after a couple seconds.

"It's a wonder how you're still alive 'n kickin' with dat hard head of yours."

Allea scowled, making an annoyed noise in the back of her throat. She didn't thank him, nor did she reply. Instead she sat there with the voodoo amulet encased in both hands, her knuckles white with how tightly she had gripped onto it. There was a great evil afoot. And it had eyes in this compound.
Her lips pressed into a thin line, looking up as the jeep rolled to a stop behind the other two vehicles.

There was something not right here. If it were up to her, she would turn tail and run. Run as far and as fast as she could because with the power she felt, that was the only sensible response. If the others had been able to see that boy...to feel something so evil look right into your soul, then they might have been a bit more adverse to seeking shelter here. She didn't even know if these people were spared of it's influence or merely puppets. Allea forced her expression to remain passive, keeping the amulet tight to her chest as the same person Rhys had been talking to at the gates made some sort of hand motion. She watched Rhys cut the engine and after that it was like a chain reaction. All three transporters were parked and their rumbling engines cut. Allea sat for another moment, gathering her frayed nerves before she stepped out of the jeep to follow the others.


 
[div class=Container][div class=profilepic][/div][div class=contentContainer]
Emrys Contiello
[div class=miniBox][div class="miniText mini1"] [div class=bar][div class=title]Location[/div][div class=barText]McGuire AF Base {Main building}[/div][/div] [div class=bar][div class=title]Interactions[/div][div class=barText]Nik BasiliskVeranda BasiliskVeranda [/div][/div] [div class=bar][div class=title]Mentions[/div][div class=barText]Kinda everyone, just read[/div][/div] [div class=bar][div class=title]BGM[/div][div class=barText] Don't You Dare Forget The Sun[/div][/div] [/div] [/div] [div class=bigBox][div class=bigScroll] Teeth ground together, nostrils flared, and eyes narrowed. His right hand curled and relaxed on repeat. The set to his expression, one consumed with fury and worry, had only graced his features once before in his lifetime. He had experienced the same rush of emotion that fateful Halloween night staring at the body of a girl who had been so brutally sliced apart that the image still haunted him at night. Now though, these feelings were funneled towards the group who refused to let them inside. In a tiny part of his brain he understood, he knew why caution was needed and he knew why opening your doors to strangers in this world was not always the best thing. But these people -his people- did not deserve to rot at the hands of winter's grip. Even Allea, for all his unexplainable detest, did not deserve such a fate.

He kept his lips pressed into a flat line, listening but not really hearing the words that Nik spoke. His body was primed for a fight, gaze darting across the several armed men and women, calculating a way to get past this alive. There was a weight on his shoulders and he knew that one day it would drown him.

There was something in the way the male shifted, russet eyes gazing at the space to his right with something like adoration. Perhaps it wasn't precisely that, but he still saw the way the man's gaze flickered south. Rhys bristled even more and if it wasn't for the way the cold was forcing his muscles to shake he might have made his annoyance more prominent. He was too close. Looking too long. Reaching for something that instantly caused his inner warning system to rear it's ugly head.

Nothing but a lighter.

The guy moved forward, far more relaxed than his bitch of a counter part, igniting the cigarette that hung loosely between slightly shivering lips. Rhys' jaw clenched tighter, shoving past the nasty coil that wound tight in his gut. Whatever Nik was saying, it was working. Maybe a bit too well. He diverted his gaze to the other woman once more, throat tightening at the scene. It wasn't right, but, he could only see the way Monica had batted her eyelashes, gave soft touches, leaned forward just a bit too much, all for convience. Or boredom. With him. If he hadn't refused to see it then, maybe he wouldn't have lost everything.

And maybe history repeats itself. Because he didn't want to see it now.

His left boot ground against the snow, pulling the hood of his jacket further to shield his face, if only to block his peripheral vision. He hated being that guy. Hated the rush of jealousy he felt when his mind made the perceptive connection that this man was closer to Nik in age than he was. Which was absurd, but the spiral of the overthinking mind almost always was.

He heard his name somewhere in the deep tones of Nik's voice. Though he made no move of acknowledgment. The detective stood as still as the frigid conditions allowed. A powder keg of emotions building and building and building until it was all shut down. Emotion faded to be replaced by chilled indifference. Rhys welcomed the numbing of his soul, preferring it to the breathless pain his own irrational thoughts gave him. "Declan. Declan Wayne—uh."

He bookmarked the name but again said nothing. He would rely on the blond beside him to charm their way inside. And though he may not have liked it, it was the only chance they all had at getting in. Declan grinned at Nik, a full fledged open grin that soured the whitelighter's expression even further. If he hadn't been so encased with a frosty indifference he might have punched that smile into the next fucking century.

"...you follow our rules. This is our house, and we guard our own,"

It sounded all well and fine to him. Rhys didn't understand why she didn't just say that in the first fucking place. It would have saved them some time and kept him from starting to become a human popsicle. He felt rather than saw Nik shift closer to his side. The action automatically began to ease the tension from his muscles. That is until he watched Declan openly drag his gaze across certain areas. One side of his mouth curled, nose crunching, and eyes narrowing into an icy glare that was colder than the weather. He gave the woman a curt nod, placing his hand on the small of Nik's back as if guiding him back towards the car. There had been no need for such a display other than the possessive instinct that bubbled in his gut. Unwanted and more troublesome than most of his deep seeded insecurities. He shot Declan another look, frown deepening as his muted warning was ignored.

A huff of hot air flew past his lips, clouding into swirling puffs of vapor. He wanted to tell this idiot that he should have stayed in the car. That he could have gotten hurt. But...if he had, Rhys most likely would have inadvertently caused more damage. He hung his head, fingers raking through unruly brown curls.

He was a class A idiot.

Him and his stupid hot head could have just fucked them all. Left them stranded, in a snow storm with no end, and supplies that wouldn't last them through the night. They would have all been dead by the time the sun rose and he would have been to blame.

He was a detective; he was a soon-to-be husband; he was a good guy.

And he fucked it all up. Before everything became hell spawn and survival, he had let his anger get the best of him. His fiancee, his career, his best friend, he lost everything.

His hands dragged themselves down his face, listening to the sound of a bus engine being started.

He had been a couple words away from losing it all again.

Something told him that this time he wouldn't have recovered.

Rhys' hands fell into his lap, gazing blankly at the bus as it moved away from the gates. The sound of metal screeching cut through the harshness of the wind, giant fenses pulling themselves apart to grant them entry into the compound. He shifted the car into drive, moving forward as per instruction. Snow crunched over the tires, the ambiance adding to the discourse of his thoughts. He was pissed at himself, miffed with the bit of flirting he just witnessed, and wishing he had never been given this role.

"Good job."

He was trying to be earnest. But the syllables left his lips with so much dryness it would have given the Sahara a run for it's money. He pressed his lips into a thin line glancing towards Nik.

"What I mean to say is...you handled that well. Better than I did."

Better than he could have. Rhys moved the car forward and into the main compound, gaze remaining on the woman as she pointed him towards a large building in the center. Mutely, he steered the car towards the building and cut the engine. The gun went back in his holster before he exited the vehicle, pulling at his hood again in attempt to keep out the cold. A little bit of weight fell off his shoulders as the group made their way into the large building. The woman fixed her gaze on him for a moment before looking at Nik.

Okay, then.

His hands slipped into his pockets, vaguely listening as she spoke about having them wait here until this Marcus guy showed up. His gaze fluctuated around the interior, taking note of the couches and various lounging chairs, some of which were occupied. His ears picked up on the sound of something bouncing, rubber against concrete, then the tiny tap of something hitting the side of his boot. Azure orbs moved to the area, noting the bright pink ball and the tiny gasp from somewhere to his left. He bent to pick up the ball, tracking the direction it had come from to find the owner. His expression softened, lips curling into a gentle smile as he lowered himself into a squatting position. He held the ball out like some sort of peace offering, head tilting to the side, "Is this yours?"

She nodded.

He smiled.

"Well here, wouldn't want you to be without it. Things like this are precious, ya know."

Timidly, she stepped forward, maintaining eye contact with him as she grabbed her ball from his outstretched hand. She grinned at him, cheeks pink, obviously very happy to have the toy that she had been playing with back. "Thanks!"

And just like that she was off running, bouncing the ball around like his shoe had never halted it in the first place. Rhys stood up, groaning slightly as his knees popped in protest. He hated getting older.


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[div class=whut][div class=biggie][div class=handsomedevil] [div class=speakeasy]𝘛𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦`𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦'𝘴. [/div]
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[div class=speakeasy2]Niklas Liam Voss
LOCATION — McGuire AF Base [Main]
BGM PHANTASMIC - EYES WITHOUT A FACE
TAGS Hell0NHighWater Hell0NHighWater (Less Salt Than Usual) (everybody, because, yeah, we're all in here I guezz)
OOC — meep morp, rhys' doing a good job not freaking TF out tbh[/div]
quiet when im going home.jpg

[div class=speakeasy]𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳.[/div][/div]
[div class=speaks][div class=blue][div class=speakstoo]Nik wasn't flattered with the way Declan's eyes were roaming over his form. They felt like stab wounds, honestly, unnerving because of how unnaturally manifested they were. Emotions pulled felt like people wearing dead-eyed masks, and he was the one conjuring sensations, with his hand stuck in the brain bucket that was their skull.

He was covered in God know's how many scarves and hats at this point, and could scarcely call himself fetching, but that was the work of the skill he had. The card he never wanted to play. The card he resisted playing at all costs. Because of not only how much of a piece of shit it made him feel, but because it brought questions and concerns he didn't want to entertain.

The blond quirked a brow, they had finally decided to let them in, with Declan's whine to 'Chantie' taking up the charge. Now he was down a pack of cigarettes, given to him by his Home State. But this was a small price to pay for their lives. It honestly could have gone a lot worse than this.

Rhys' scowl was scorching the earth even beneath his hood, flared in reds so deep they were maroon—Nik imagined—and the blond just simply sighed. He sighed and let the smoke escape his frigid face as his body had already started to numb in all this. The chill bit, but the way Rhys' body was positioned was even more biting.

Deep blue eyes rolling to the side, then head twisting in turn, he gazed on the others. What little he could see of them, of course, as the wind and snow was like a series of pale sheets spreading thickets of iced needles over the entire landscape. He wondered what must be going through all their heads.

Perhaps they were questioning why this was taking so long. Perhaps they were hopeful they wouldn't have to stay out in the frost and die from this freak snowstorm's deadly embrace.

Snow-clutched for long enough, and you'd go delirious from the frost. He had heard tales of people stripping down to nothing and cavorting into the snow like pagans in some brain-deadening hallucinogenic suicide waltz.

It was a horrible way to go, to be plain.

Whatever the case, the blond twisted his head back and looked over his partner's features. There was no way he could've avoided this, but Nik had wished he could have. Dearly. Because Declan's wandering eyeballs were about to get plucked from his head the longer he raked them like a love-drunk frat boy. It was uncomfortable, and made him feel like a piece of meat.

Only one person was allowed to look at him like this, but even then it was altogether so very different. And he was standing beside him, shivering his nuts off, with explicitly palpable raw russet rage ebbing off him in waves. Like the waves of payne's gray smoke drifting from between the blond's chattered teeth.

They had their in, and Nik guessed that was what honestly mattered most.

Rhys' sidled beside him and placed a hand to the small of his back, to guide him back to the vehicle. It warmed his heart, although sadly it couldn't warm his limbs. He raised a brow, but a smile fell into place, a real one. Not the painted-on come-hither-whatever-the-fuck shit he had just pulled. Like an automaton, no truth behind it, and he hated to wear that mask.

However, Nik wasn't stupid in the least bit, and it was a helluvalot of posturing on Rhys' part. Not that he blamed the other man, but Declan would snap out of his bullshit soon enough. It wasn't like the blond was interested.

This must have been how the girls felt when he brought them out to clubs in what felt like centuries earlier. It wasn't fun, which was why he had always done his best to keep the creeps away. Penny and her mean right hook had done its job as well, but sometimes a male guard dog did a better job at sending the dickheads scattered.

This must have been exactly what they had felt, perhaps even just walking down the busy New York streets, a million eyes on them always. Neon signs blaring, holographic displays prickling images of scantily clad women selling soap or some other nonsense through the peripherals.

Except they hadn't done a damn thing to warrant the attention. Clearly Nik had, but it didn't mean it didn't make the blond's skin crawl.

Nik followed Rhys back to the car and shut the door with a gentle pull, shifting down to slink into the seat. His mouth was dry, his gaze distant, but a smile tugged at his lip. They had a warm place to sleep tonight. He felt useful. He felt that whatever darkness in him bade its destructive power couldn't win the day when he was able to pull through like this.

That incessant annoying tick, which he would never outwardly articulate, wouldn't win. Or at least he hoped. The mired images of desecrated bodies, limbs pulled apart, warm blood and flesh on fresh virginal snow like so many of his paintings, they twisted. Spurred on, but perhaps always there. These would stay thoughts, and thoughts only. Intrusive as they were, they were nothings.

With the people beside him, here to keep him on the path, these thoughts were nothings. And he hoped they'd always be nothings still, like strange little birds warbling in his ear, to twitter and coo destruction. Ah, but who has time for annoying avians, anyways?

Niklas leaned back as Rhys started the car, moving forward at a snail's pace to follow as instructed. Head lulling, cigarette between his teeth, he felt like he weighed ten million pounds. All the little inkling insecurities of what he could be judged for, had been judged for, and had undergone in his youth to shape and mold him into who he was today, they were a series of needles. Light at first, little pock-marks on the skin, but enough of them, and you'd be weighted down like a body dredging into deep black waters.

Stones in the pockets, he thought, as smoke slipped from his nose.

"Good job," Rhys short sentence came out dry enough to crackle over his ears. Nik's smile quirked, as if his face were attempting to make resolution with the situation despite his conflicted feelings.

"What I mean to say is...you handled that well. Better than I did." The whitelighter glanced in his direction, and the blond's deep blue gaze softened to something watercolor-warm. He relaxed a bit, not realizing how tightly he had been grinding his teeth into the cigarette, and plucked it from his mouth to exhale.

"...Thanks, princess. Let's just hope I don't have to play diplomat again," he said as he sunk back once more and rolled his head nearer Rhys, to gaze up at him, expression nothing but gentle. As though this man beside him were the sun, blindingly powerful in the way it could scald the darkness back and cleave the night away. And maybe, honestly, he was.

"I'd prefer to wreak havoc, not play nice with the fuckin' paranoid," he said with a deep chuckle, ending on the outline of a sigh. Smoke filled his lungs and he fidgeted with his cigarette.

When they were through, Nik pulled off the piled on extra assortments of hats and scarves, and exited the vehicle after Rhys, a hand in his pocket. He thumbed over his clear-blue lighter, spiraled smoke from the side of his mouth, and looked around. Restless, because these people may not be trustworthy. And he was unsure, truly, what he had just traded. How would they put the others to work?

What would they be doing?

Usually Rhys took point in most things. A natural born leader, or the defacto one, he couldn't tell. In this case, 'Chantie' looked the whitelighter over then trailed her piercing gaze to Nik. Who wasn't used to being the one people looked to. He was sheepish for all of a moment, then Declan drew a line across the floor and up his way and he winced.

"Dude, thanks for the cigarett—"
"You will wait here until Marcus arrives. He'll know what to do with you," she said, and he thanked her in his mind for halting the conversation with the plucky offspring of Bill and Ted's Obnoxious Adventure. There was no George Carlin here to make sense of any of this, and certainly no Genghis Khan to storm about and wreck everything in a fit of rage.

Actually. Nik swept his gaze to Rhys, expecting more piss and vinegar, but found him talking to a little girl instead. It was one of the sweetest things he'd possibly ever seen. He sidled to stand contrapposto, cigarette between his fingers, his brow raised as a pleasant smile swept a brushstroke across his features. Sunny, that smile, rosed. Nik's million dollar smile, with the crinkled eyes and deep vibrancy colored like an original masterwork.

The pale imitations were just prints of the real thing. Not even numbered, not even important.

"Did you hear me?" the imposing woman asked once more, standing with her hand on her hip, her voice cracking like a whip that failed to snap him out of his thoughts. Thoughts of fatherhood and the pitter-patter of little feet across old wooden floorboards flooded his mind. She'd have had to blast his ear with a foghorn to rouse him from them.

Declan 'The Dude' Wayne started to rub at his temples. Nik noticed in a flash of blue, which caused his grin to blossom further. He'd be done with the needling stares, thankfully.

"Well here, wouldn't want you to be without it. Things like this are precious, ya know." How sentimental, Nik thought, as his smile grew even more honey-colored with each passing moment, at the tertiary interaction he was graced with.

He then pulled his gaze in a long line back to 'Chantie'. Resting, it hovered, expectantly, but of course Nik had to pry the side of his mouth open in a half-smile to dole out a little sarcasm. It was his way, and he'd really never change.

"Yes Ma'am, I did." She let out a small snort at his reply, as if he were a waste of oxygen, but then her eyes traveled his form, his stance. Not like Declan's prior abhorrent barrage, moreso sizing up just what he was truly capable of. To help their cause, he guessed, which he was unsure of what it was exactly.

Hopefully they hadn't bitten off more than they could swallow.

"Hah, Duuudee...Chantel, he called you ma'am—" Declan started before Chantel rolled her eyes at her companion, who shook his head. He must have really been feeling it now, Nik reasoned. It'd only get worse for the poor bastard.

"Ugh. Quit it with the ma'am crap." He had already gotten on her nerves, apparently, but that was also the point. It made him memorable, it made him stick, and people were less likely to give you an impromptu execution when they felt they had a connection with you. Even if it was out of annoyance, it certainly wasn't out of hate, spite, or wrath. Even here, he was socially engineering his position.

He hated doing it. He'd have much rather lay languid in one of the free chairs or neck around with the whitelighter. Or really anything else. He could certainly take lead on many small, fragile, delicate, dulcet little scraps that took finesse to put into play.

More finesse than he thought anyone would probably give him credit for; Rhys had, and it was a little disarming. Loud-mouthed assholes don't tend to be great at things like this.

He could play the part.

It didn't mean he liked it.

As Chantel stalked ahead, Declan trailed a bit behind her, but the pair kept watch on them. Not so out of earshot, truthfully, he watched her calculating gaze. He knew she could hear him, or at least make out what he said in clips or phrases. They were possibly entering a lion's den without knowing any better, he reasoned, shifting his weight on his other leg.

But they had a fighting chance this way. You could shoot a lion in the face, he thought as he remembered the gun Ryan had given to him. But you couldn't shoot a fucking torrential snowstorm possibly spurred on by the hellscape itself.

Smoke fettered out from his nose and into the air, curling around him in a streak of titanium white as the lights above painted him stark for the briefest flicker of a moment as they hummed a small burst. Blips in the generator, see the side character ponder now just how much electricity they could steal if things went south, remembering he ganked some battery banks from Lowe's.

He'd put his own first. Always. Which he was sure their new hosts knew. He was being watched in this different way, like he were a bomb about to go off.

Others, too, eyed their slowly ascending band of misfits over like carriers for some deadly disease. Some seemed curious, some seemed even happy to see new faces, which Nik appreciated.

He flicked ash and rubbed at his nose, skin less pink and chilled with each passing moment. Rhys stood with a groan, and Nik could swear he heard an audible pop.

"Welcome to old age, princess. It's only downhill from here on out," he said with a shit-eating grin. Nik gave Rhys a cheeky wink, colored in gold and promises that he did, actually, intend very much to keep.

With the others now inside, and possibly gathering—he was busy eyeing the various members of quasi-militia (or full blown, he wouldn't know the difference)—Nik shifted and turned to them. Everyone was accounted for, he did a quick mental check. His mouth fell into a flat line, and he drew cigarette smoke into his lungs, and out his mouth in a flurry of gray-blues.

"We're waiting for their leader, I guess. We agreed to trade, and possibly work," he tilted his head to the side for a moment, his gaze flickering as he thought, "it's better than fucking freezing to death, hmm?" he said, cigarette to his mouth once more, held like a blunt.

Inhale, exhale, eye the whitelighter appreciatively, and wait around like an idiot. He hated standing inert like a bump on a log, but if that's what they had to do, that's what they had to do.

Anything to keep the others alive. Absolutely anything.

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