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Rob Braddock

"Let's see if we can't shake things up a bit." [WIP]

0 · 1,424 views · located in The Wild West

a character in “A Handful of Dust Remake”, as played by wednesdaysun

Description

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Name: Robin Michael Braddock. Rob for short.
Role: Male 5
Age: Twenty-three
Occupation: Farmhand, hunter, smuggler



Likes: A fulfilling day of work, improvising, smuggled cigarettes (there are precious few of them with the scarcity of tobacco growers in the country and, of course, those willing to share), the thrill of the chase, exploring, fixing, making and inventing things, good baths, keeping Ginny on her toes (less so now that her due date's rapidly approaching), the wit and gullibility of children.
Dislikes: The awkwardness of a high-intensity situation petering out, feeling trapped in one place with no freedom of movement, trying to console people, dilly-dallying when there's work to be done, pointless gestures of affection, spoilsports, seeing his sister (and, perhaps, his brother-in-law) disquieted, people with lack of resolve.
Fears: Being the restless soul that he is, he's afraid of being pinned down or made to settle down—and actually enjoying it. He supposes he has Juni to blame for that. As such, he prefers to stick to brief, meaningless rendezvous. He's also afraid of losing control of himself and how that will bode for him should he choose not to stop his fixation with work as a means of distraction, which he's sure will evolve into distraction as a way of life.
Dreams: He doesn't hope for much for himself, but he wishes that Ginny's and Owen's child(ren) won't have to go through the same trials they endured when they were growing up, and that one day they'd be able to experience the childhood their parents relished and that he never got to experience.



Personality:
Background: Rob's earliest memories were that of his parents telling him and his older sister Ginny stories before bed. Copies of Grimm or Andersen's fairy stories were long since hidden away in the wastelands of the chaotic city settlements they came from. Instead of those less practical, archaic cautionary tales, they told them stories about a world they had largely taken for granted in their time—one which was easily as fantastic as those in those storybooks. His early years were driven by the longing to know about and experience all the things they had told them in the stories they wove, though eventually, he got over his childhood longing when he realised that all the things in those fairy tales were far beyond their reach. What was ice cream? Television? Spending time with your friends watching movies? There was none of that growing up in the farm his mother and father built where he was born. Instead they had crops, roughhousing, and a rabbit at the end of the day, if they were lucky. He worked the fields when he was old enough to do so, doing the same work his father and oftentimes working harder to ensure that Ginny wouldn't have to go through the toil.

He would often accompany their father on hunts when he had finished his duties on the farm. There, he was taught the basics of surviving out in the wilderness. Eventually, he would go out on hunts alone to expedite the increase in food stocks. His going out to explore and hunt became a constant point of contention between him and his father, who needed more hands on the farm now that his mother had passed away and he was growing increasingly frail. It all became far less burdensome when his father was next in line. Knowing the farm was going into ruin, he bequeathed him his heavy-duty compass and told him to keep his sister and her family safe, and to that he couldn't disagree. Following his death, they left the farm they once called home to find other settlements.

It was in the first settlement they managed to find themselves in that he started participating in the local smuggling operations. He would go out with small scattered groups, looking through abandoned towns to find any leftover supplies or food, even going so far as to rob from existing settlements. He met Juniper on one of those operations, having settled down in an abandoned shack somewhere near where they were scavenging. She had become something of a friend to him, and he managed to visit as regularly as he could. A few months into it changed what they had into something far more than he had anticipated: he had fallen in love with her. His mind was overwhelmed with thoughts of her day by day, though he never confided in any of it to his sister or brother-in-law. Circumstances changed as their settlement was falling into chaos and became no place to live peacefully. To spare himself the pain of telling the truth of not wanting to leave her, he pushed Juniper away and told her he couldn't stay together with her any longer. The words he'd used to leave her still haunts him to this day.

Finding Dust was a godsend after their last settlement had turned them out, as Ginny's condition made her a liability to the community. He hopes it will be much kinder to them this time.



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"Look, sweetie, that's all you're getting today. Take it or leave it."

So begins...

Rob Braddock's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Evanne Luna Remmington Character Portrait: Owen Thompkins Character Portrait: Juniper Jacobs Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Pamela Clay Character Portrait: Dana Clay
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'For the love of god, it's hot.' Evanne Remmington thought to herself, wiping her forehead on the back of her sleeve. She couldn't wait for the temperature to drop, even if it was only a few degrees. She dabbed a cool rag on a man's forehead. He must have been miserable with a fever and the shakes. She couldn't do much to cool him off. All she could do was keep switching out his towels for cool ones. She had given him enough medicine to help the fever subside but it wasn't working. It looks like the leader Clay wasn't the only person they would loose soon. She got up, walking over to Mrs. Milton and explaining what she needed to do for the time being. She told her as delicately as she could that she didn't think Mr. Milton would be alive much longer. She promised she'd send Risalda over as soon as she was free.

The blonde stayed by the woman's side for a long time, comforting her and doing all that she could for her. But in the end she had to leave. It was nearing the time she needed to pick up Evelyn from daycare. On the days she didn't have her daughter with her, she felt like a piece of her was missing. Every fiber of her being demanded that she had to be there twenty four seven to protect her from anything and everything.

Packing her things, Evanne made her way outside into the blistering heat. She almost went back inside for the shade but she kept walking. Unlike her, she was the only one out there. She shouldered her bag and pulled her hair into a messy bun that she tied with a red ribbon. She wore a button down shirt that she had tucked into her shirt. Under it, she had a tank top that was mostly soaked to the bone with sweat. She wore a pair of jeans with a few rips in them. She also wore her favorite brown leather boots. They came up to her shins and laced all the way up.

Out of no where Evanne heard Pamela shout. She jumped, spinning around to see them. She walked towards them, covering her eyes so she could look up at the roof. She smirked when she saw Juniper and Chip. "Hey guys, getting into trouble again?" She asked. She smiled at Pamela and Dana. "Hey guys, don't be too hard on them Pam. Boys we'll be boys." She told him. She bit her lip, looking away towards Juni so she wouldn't get caught laughing. Oh yes, she knew Juni had also shot at her but that didn't mean she couldn't get in trouble too.

"I have an idea. How about I punish them but making them help me out?" She offered. She tucked a blonde curl that had escape behind her ear. "I need to go pick up Evelyn and go to the grocery to get some stuff for me and I was gonna get a few things for the newcomers." She said, shrugging as if to say she was just being charitable.

Evanne knew all too well that Pamela was against letting the newcomers stay. It made her angry that she could be so close minded about this. These people needed their help. Wasn't that how Dust was founded? Outsiders came together and made a safe place to raise a family. Now there was a family out there that needed their help. How could they deny them?




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This was not a good day for Virginia Tompkins. She knew her baby would be coming any day now. She was trying not to worry her brother or her husband but they had eyes on her like hawks. She leaned back a little as she waddled around, her hands on her back. She definitely looked like the poster child for any woman thinking she wanted to have a baby.

She only stopped in her pacing to gulp down some water. It didn't help her cool down at all but at least she was staying hydrated. That was one thing Evanne had stressed to her. She began to pace once more. She could feel the pressure of the Braxton Hicks hitting her again. She tried not to show on her face. Her body was ready to give birth to this baby whether she wanted to or not.

She heard the squeal, jumping at the sound. She turned and could just make out one of the meaner girls in town with what she thought was her sister yelling at someone. She had to squint at where she was looking but then she saw Juniper up there. She shook her head, snorting. Of course, Juni was causing some sort of ruckus. Leave it to that girl to liven things up and this heat.

Slowly, she made her way over to a chair and eased herself down. Sure, moving helped with the pain and the labor but her ankles were basically double the size they usually were. Her feet and ankles were sore. She sighed, closing her eyes. She adjusted the hat that covered her head to give herself more shade.

The only thing that really fit her at the moment was a large sundress that she had to adjust the top so it actually covered her chest. Beads of sweat covered her skin. She would love to soak in a cool whirlpool somewhere but that wasn't going to happen. They would be lucky to even have a portion of the town vote for them to stay. Would they let them? They seemed like a community that was all about doing right by kids. Did that give them the sympathy vote? She worried that even if they allowed Owen, herself, and the baby, they wouldn't allow her brother to stay.

Could she stay if her brother couldn't? She didn't think so. Maybe if she could get Juni and her brother back together the town would vote to keep them as well. It wasn't like they could deny love... right?

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Juniper Jacobs Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Pamela Clay Character Portrait: Ginny Thompkins
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Entry:

So far, so smooth. We've only been here a few
days and everyone in this dustbowl looks like they
want to eat us. It's not a comfortable thought that
there's the four of us here. Owen, Gin and the
baby, and me. Breakfast, lunch and dinner with a
bit of a pre-dinner snack. We were only too fucking
lucky to have found this town and actually gain
entry—thank you, little Evie—but it's only a
matter of time before they turn us out. Or me,
rather.

Putting Gin and her family in a good place is all I
care about right now. I don't care if the goddamn
town comes at me with torches and pitchforks, or
if
she does it for them by just standing there and
staring at me with those eyes. I'm making sure
Gin's in good hands, and she is—at least, for now
—but it's as if she's waiting for the other shoe
to drop, a.k.a. me getting myself into a fuckload
of trouble. She shouldn't care so much about me.
I'm only the beast of burden. Always have been,
always will be.

The Braddock family Bible was long since lost since the two children left home. It was a nicely printed, but old and tattered NIV—the only thing his mother had left of the past she had so taken for granted. After his parents' death, he lost his already weak faith in God but boy, did he love the stories his mother would pull from the Bible to read to them at bedtime.

Coming to Dust felt like the Nativity. Gin and Owen made an ideal Joseph and Mary, and he their faithful ass.

He still hated the somewhat desolate atmosphere that surrounded them. This is no place to raise children, he thought to himself seeing the distrustful faces on some of the townsfolk. He thought of the stigma his niece or nephew would have to endure being the kid of two outsiders many a time. Still, this was far better than the three other settlements they had lived in. They were even fortunate at all to have had Evanne's help getting them into town. As such, he had no other choice to but to adjust to the town's livelihood.

He managed by helping farm some of the land, which was initially met with some derision. The other farmers, however, were left with little choice seeing as they did need help to till the land. In his spare time, he crafted farming implements out of the junk he would scavenge on his occasional haunts outside of town, like a plow made out of an old bicycle. He visited Mech Hall from time to time to observe either old man Clay or Dana at work, and to try and gather some ideas for new implements. Today, he was about to do just that when a scuffle caught his attention just as he was about to head out the door.

"What in hell's going on?" His expression cheerful, he put both his hands on Ginny's shoulders and observed her amusement until he saw the culprit. A little boy and a lithe figure with a shock of flaxen hair with slingshots in their hands. He pursed his lips, pressed a firm kiss to the top of Ginny's head, and reentered the small shack, muttering an excuse to, "find something to wipe my sweat on. Do you have a spare rag?"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Owen Thompkins Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Ginny Thompkins
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Owen's dark tired eyes had been open all night. With the pressure of first trying to fit in and be accepted into this town Dust, and second the idea of being a father, Owen wasn't getting much sleep these days. In fact, most nights he walked around in the chill of dark thinking of the best way to solve his current issues. He of course was careful, avoiding the houses he knew weren't too fond of him in the first place, and not venturing too far into the wilderness either. After all, there were coyotes and all sorts of night crawlers that could easily take Owen's life.

Last night Owen had mostly just sat outside of the little shake that the people of Dust offered them. He liked to feel the complete solitude of the darkness consume him, he felt that he could think best in that environment. Lying next to his slumbering wife while trying to think such deep thoughts was taxing. It of course wasn't his wife herself, but it was watching her sleep in such peace and knowing that he won't be able to give her that amount of safety while she was awake that made him a tired man. Owen loved Ginny. He loved her more than anyone he had ever had the chance to love before. And he was trying, and maybe trying too hard, to make everything okay.

Owen had been catching a cat nap inside the shack before the usual hum of people around turned into a little bit of ruckus. He had been sleeping lightly and just the slightest bit of tension woke him these days. Perhaps he was just waiting for the night when the Dust people came to their shack with torches and pitchforks to throw them out. His left eye opened first, looking around, then his right eye. The singular door was open and he saw his brother in-law and his wife out on the porch. Owen could tell already from the lame excuse that Robin made to come inside meant that whatever was happening outside had to do with Juniper. Rob wasn't one for running away from a situation, but Owen had never seen anyone make the boy walk the other way as fast as Juni did. Of course, it hadn't always been like, and Owen had always joked with Robin that he had been lucky to escape what could have been marriage. But since coming to Dust, he stopped talking about that all together.

Owen got up quickly, sent a simple nod to Rob before reaching into a bucket of water that sat close to the bed with a handful of rags in it. He had retrieved the thing the other day to help keep Ginny cool. He wrung one of the red rags quickly and tossed it toward his brother in-law. "Catch." He said swiftly before the rag reached Rob. Owen didn't care too much to see if Robin caught the thing, he just picked up another rag and went out to his wife. She had a certain glow when she as carrying, and perhaps the sun made her seen even more radiant than usual as well. "What's happening out here?" He asked casual before kissing his love. He sat down beside her as he noticed her swollen feet and ankles. Almost absentmindedly he began to grab her feet and let the water from the rag dribble over her tired toes.

At some point he would have to leave his wife and go into the town and work. Though he was not welcome by most in the town, a few of the older folks appreciated the help he had to offer during such a busy time in the season. After all, he was nice, hard working, and when he needed to be he could be quite charming. Owen not only worked to support his family at this time, but he also worked for the vote.

He looked out at the situation and soon noticed a character he knew well. Juniper. Owen back at Robin he joked, "Why don't you go out there and show them that Juni can't harm nobody?" Yes, his joke was a little cold, but he figured it wouldn't do too much harm to Robin.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Owen Thompkins Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Ginny Thompkins
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Ginny smiled at her brother. No, she couldn't stay there without him. She hoped he knew that. Did he know how much she loved him? He was the only one left that she had known all- well, most- of her life. She couldn't lose him. Her child needed her uncle around whether Robin knew that or not. "Oh, you know Juni. She has to make a ruckus out of a quiet day." She told him with a smile.

Her face face fell when she saw his. Rob loved her, she knew it. Why couldn't he just admit it already? Wasn't that the real reason Juni didn't stay with them? She was more than welcomed to and Juni knew it. She nodded, not commenting on his sudden change in attitude. "Yeah. I hung some out to dry after I washed them last night."

Ginny perked up when she saw her husband finally crawling out of bed. "Hey, sleepy head. How did you sleep?" She asked, watching him toss a rag to, more like at, her brother. She smirked at that. Owen would be sad if Rob couldn't stay. They were two peas in a pod. It sometimes annoyed her how they were so much alike and even best friends. Sometimes when she and Owen had a fight, Robin would even take his side. So much for family sticking together. Yes, Owen was her husband and family, but sometimes it was nice to have someone on her side for once.

The dark haired woman smiled at her husband, leaning up to meet his lips in a kiss. "From what I can tell, Juniper played some sort of trick on that bitchy woman in town. You know the one; dark hair, tan, looks mad all the time?" She told Owen. She reached out and stroked his hair as he tended to her swollen feet and ankles.

She sighed as the water trickled over her feet. "That feels amazing." She told him, relaxing into the chair more. She continued to play with his hair. She tugged on his hair when he teased her brother. Pursing her lips, she gave him a look that clearly told him to leave him alone.

"How soon do you have to leave to go work?" She asked him. She hated basically being stuck in the shack all by herself when the boys went off to work. She couldn't do much but even mending clothes wasn't something anyone in town was most likely going to come to her for.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Owen Thompkins Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Ginny Thompkins
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Entry:

I've been able to make enough improvements
on an abandoned shack not too far from the town
proper to make it livable enough. I had Owen help
fashion three bed frames. We don't have any
mattresses—not that we could ever afford that
luxury—so the sleeping bags we brought should
do. Will have to remember to make one for Ginny
if we can get the vote. Hopefully that's soon.

This is the sort of town that would readily support
families, if the numerous children are anything to go
by, but it's clear that part of the town perceive me as
a threat. Some uppity dark-haired miss has an eagle
eye on us.

I spotted Juniper at the daycare. Little ones suit her.
Thank Owen for providing that split-second distraction. He quickly grabbed the rag, running it over his face and hair before slinging it over his shoulder.

"Thanks," he grumbled in response, "and no thanks for that, dick. I know what you're trying to get at."

Of course he was going to tease him about Juniper. That one person he hoped he didn't have to meet again. He detested himself for feeling this weak just seeing her there. She was the stuff of nightmares—or his, rather—and the possibility of staying in the same town as her, even if she lived near the outskirts of it, only made this whole emotional conundrum worse. His only consolation was the fact that his sister was taking his side and tugging at her husband's hair as punishment. Far better than picking a completely unnecessary fight with him that could end up getting them out of town before his nephew or niece's birth. He was determined not to do anything stupid this time around.

Rob shrugged. "Dunno. I was just about to head to Mech Hall before that happened. You know what, I'll stay. Take care of you, too. Let this asshole toil in the fields for the day." He shot a withering look at Owen, then turned back to his sister. "I have to fix that fucking rainwater filtration system I was making. You know, to be useful to this goddamn town." He was sure he spat out those last sentences but he was far too offended and angry to care. He stormed back into the house, slamming the back door behind him, and rummaged through the crates in the back to find a bit of the moonshine he had brought with him. He took a gulp, savoured the painful burn, and promptly hid the bottle before getting back to work.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Risalda Enudo Character Portrait: Owen Thompkins Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Ginny Thompkins
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Owen wasn't ready for the spit fire that Robin had. Maybe Owen had stepped over the line, but he figured by this time Robin would at least have a handle of his emotions. Owen was obviously wrong. The dark hair man made a noise when his wife tugged warningly on his locks. Though it hadn't hurt like many of the injuries he had acquired over the years, it was still enough to make him squirm. Regardless though, he finished up running Ginny's feet, shrugging at the situation. If his brother in-law needed to brood about his lose and stay with Ginny then that was fine. Owen was perfectly capable of going out and working in the fields.

Regretful, Owen looked at his wife and said "I need to work soon, if not now." He then made the decision to get going. After all, he had already woken up really late. That meant that people were either going to wait for the heat of the day to pass before continuing or they weren't going to need anymore help. His eyes looked up and down his lovely wife as he stood up, laying the rag on her shoulder. Yes, it was dirty, but there weren't many options now-a-days. "I should go." He ran a hand down her radiant face before laying a kiss on her lips. "Don't get into too much trouble." He joked, then he thought of Robin and spoke seriously, "Keep an eye on him." Owen knew that Robin was having a hard time with this, and knew that he should try and support his brother in-law rather than make things worse.

Owen left, making his way around the town, trying to find a place to start working. Unfortunately, people were not about getting late help. At least not any late help from an outsider. By the time he had gone for four other houses he made his way toward the town run facilities. Maybe some one could use his help there. He looked to the library then shook his head, then looked to the Mech Hall, he could definitely find some work to do there. But something about the Medical Hut caught his attention. Walking briskly he entered the large tent. He wondered why the town had never build an actual building for the medical work, but figured there was a story to go along with it. He looked around for a moment, not many people were there. Not knowing any kind of doctors office etiquette he began walking around trying to find someone. As he walked he looked for Rislanda or Evanne he noticed the abundance of medical supplies. Silently he wondered how they kept such a mass of supplies when Dust was obviously a self sufficient town. He didn't let that bother him though. Soon he found Risalda with a patient. A little embarrassed he stayed just outside of the flap of a wall that separated them from him. Maybe she needed help.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Juniper Jacobs Character Portrait: Noah Ripley Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Pamela Clay Character Portrait: Dana Clay
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Dana was beginning to like how this day was turning out. She was going to get to witness a Pamela and Juniper showdown. Juniper was such a brave and free soul. Dana wanted one day to be as open with her feelings as Juniper. Dana was aware that a lot of the town was stuck between thinking she was a kid and she was the best mechanic in the world. Juniper defied expectations and somehow was the sexiest bartender in history and the derpiest kid in our town, maybe in America. Dana dreamed of that level of comfort in her own skin. She was confident when it came to machines but needed to be more like Juniper. Dana thought the majority of the people in Dust could benefit from a little bit of Juniper juice.

Dana was so wrapped up in Juniper and the adorable Chip Darney’s calm and collected entrance that she didn’t notice the fourth member of their group. “I could go with you as well, Evanne,” Dana, recognizing the voice, could feel her face begin to burn, even more than it was in the hot sun, “I need to speak with the newcomers anyway. And Juniper and Chip might require some extra supervision.” Noah Ripley was here, less than 4 feet away from her. Dana turned to him and managed a smile. She then remembered what she was doing before Pamela came and got her which more importantly told her what she was wearing. I look like a dirty bum right now. Crap , Dana thought to herself. Why did Noah have to come out now? There have been so many countless days that Dana put on her nice outfits, attempted eye liner, eye shadow, and even dreaded mascara hoping to see Noah and she never did. The day she looks like absolute poop is when he decides to just appear! Dana couldn’t decide if she was madder at him or herself
or Pamela! Yeah, blaming Pamela is always the way to go. Regardless, Dana had to get out of there. She shimmied up to her sister and whispered into her ear, “Remember, Pamela, it was just two weed balls; a little joke. Don’t make it into a big deal.” Dana squeezed her sister tight and ran off, spurting some poor excuse as to why she was in such a hurry.




“That’s a bit of sweat you managed to acquire,” Patrick smiled at his daughter as she entered the Mech Hall, “Pamela grilled you that hard, huh?” Dana walked up to the counter, the store was emptying out, “No, Noah was there.” Patrick raised a brow, grinning harder, “ah, the love of your life!” Dana turned bright pink. She quickly looked around to see if anyone overheard her dad, “can you be any louder? Quiet down.” Patrick smirked and slowly got up from his chair. Dana’s eyes widened in fear, knowing what he was about to do. “Challenged accepted,” Patrick said as he made his way to the front door. He opened it and took a few steps out. “Dad, whatever you are about to do please-“

“Hello world!” Patrick exclaimed, “My name is Patrick Clay and I have an announcement! My beautiful daughter Dana Clay is madly in love with a fine gentleman. We aren’t sure if he knows but today is his lucky day because I am here to let everyone know!”

There was a small crowd of forming in front of the Mech Hall. He always took his jokes too far. Patrick maybe had a little too much Juniper than Dana wanted him to have. “Who is the lucky guy?!” Someone from the crowd called. The mood was light and everyone was enjoying Patrick’s boisterous announcement
everyone except Dana. She couldn’t help but appreciate his ridiculousness though. “Dad, you are already a few weeks from death,” Dana pulled at his shirt, “don’t make me make it a few days.” Patrick turned to Dana, “Ha, I already have one daughter who wants me dead. That’s all I need,” he paused in thought and then continued, “Besides, I might as well go out having fun and getting you that boy of yours.” He gave her his Patrick wink-smile combo before turning back to the crowd.

“The special man who has captured my daughter’s heart,” he dramatically grabbed at his chest with both hands. Someone passing by at the wrong moment could have mistaken it for him having a heart attack. He wasn’t too far off from one these days. “Noah Ripley,” Patrick yelled at the top of his lungs making Dana almost faint, “
needs to find this young gentleman and tell him to open his eyes because Dana isn’t going to chase after him forever! That’s all folks!”

Patrick let out a hefty I-am-proud-of-myself sigh and began walking back towards the shop. Dana’s mouth was wide open and all she could do was stare, “you are such a kid some days, Dad.” Patrick stopped in front of his daughter, put his hands on her chin, closing her mouth, and stared deeply at her. All the childishness left as he said, “you will not chase that boy forever. You are the best thing I’ve ever created and you don’t need a guy who doesn’t know how great you really are. I’m not saying to give up on him, he is a great man. Just know when enough is enough. Okay?”

Dana couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her father never talked to her like this, not about Noah. She couldn’t help but take every word to heart because of how serious he was. He spoke like they were his dying words. He was not joking around one bit. Dana never believed Noah would ever notice her if he hasn’t already. He was married for Christ sake. Noah obviously isn’t worried about little old Dana
but she had to try.

“Okay,” Dana knew her dad just wanted her to be happy and appreciated having someone who cared that much about her happiness. Soon she’d have no one to care for her like her father does.

“Now,” Patrick bent over and picked up a heavy sack and handed it to Dana, “you must go help that Rob character with his water filtration system.” Dana smiled knowing that she’d get to prove her mechanical skills once again. She’ll be in her comfort zone and will get to meet one of the newcomers. Win-win. Dana grabbed the sack, put it over her shoulder and went out into the hot sun. She looked back at her dad who was standing outside, now walking backwards, “I am going to get you back for that by the way.”

“Bring it on, Danimals! Give me your best shot.” Patrick waved as Dana made her way to the newcomer shack at the corner of the town. Dana skipped the entire way to the shack, not hearing the coughs that were coming out of her dad as she left. She was beyond excited to do some tinkering and he didn't want to ruin it for her. Nothing worse than a dying old man bringing the mood down.

When Dana reached the shack she knocked on the door three times lightly and quickly, "Hello! I am Dana Clay, the town mechanic. I was sent to help you with the filter."

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Character Portrait: Evanne Luna Remmington Character Portrait: Owen Thompkins Character Portrait: Juniper Jacobs Character Portrait: Noah Ripley Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Pamela Clay
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Evanne was still snickering when she heard a very familiar voice. It was one that made her want to scream and run but also stay and talk with him. Things had been awkward between them since she had arrived back in town. They hadn't completely discussed all the reasons she left or came back.

"I could go with you as well, Evanne. I need to speak with the newcomers anyway. And Juniper and Chip might require some extra supervision."

'With Evelyn? Come with us to get Evelyn and then go to the newcomers with food for them?' The only problem was Evanne couldn't find anything wrong with this. In fact, having an extra pair of hands wouldn't be so bad. She smiled at him and nodded. "Sure thing. I'm sure they'd love to have you over." She told him, looking away from him as soon as Juni came into sight. She was a welcomed sight

Evanne smiled at her friend. She could always count on her to be by her side when she needed her. And then Chip ran off after a bit of teasing from Juni. "Bye Chip!" She called after him, waving.

She couldn't help but look at Pamela then at Juniper when their staring match started. She frowned, confused. She had never heard what happened between them. She would definitely need to get that out of Juniper at some point. It wasn't right that she knew all of Evanne's secrets and she knew none of Juni's. She looked at Noah and nodded her head at the two as if to ask him what was with them. If she couldn't get it out of Juniper, she'd get it out of Noah. She could tell it was more than their usual bickering that they had been doing since childhood.

Evanne couldn't help but roll her eyes, crossing her arms. Sometimes, well most of the time, she just wanted to go right up to Pam and smack her. She didn't care who she was, no one treated her like that. "Did you ever think he might not want to talk to you, Pam?" She called after her. Sure, she didn't really want Noah to come but she was not going to sit there and be push around by that pampered ass.

Evanne grew up with Pam and couldn't stand her. Their families often had dinners together. "You don't have any servants here. Don't ever talk to me like you're above me." She warned Pam as she walked to the daycare in the direction Dana had run off in. As she passed Pam, she bumped into her with her shoulder and continued walking. "Noah, if you don't find us at the store just meet us at their shack." She said to Noah and even offered him a smile.

"Why the hell does she think she's so much better us? You know if she had to go survive outside these walls, she wouldn't even make it one day." Evanne told Juni, trying to calm herself down. She didn't know why Pamela always riled her up so much. Dana was so sweet and so likeable. Apparently Pamela had been hit with the unpleasant stick when she was born, more than a few times.

She saw a crowd forming around the Mech Hall but she kept walking. When she stepped up to the little house that the day care was in. She walked up to the door. It was a split door and the top part was opened in so they could get some light in there. Evelyn always seemed to know when her mother would be there for her because there she was, reaching up for her. She started grinning and babbling the moment she saw her mom.

Evanne couldn't help but smile at that. She opened the door, scooping her up. "Hi baby!" She held her at her side and user her hip to keep her up. She grabbed the baby bag that held Evelyn's things and added it to her shoulder with her medical bad. "Thanks, Helen! We'll see you later!" She told her, waving at her and left. She turned back to Juni as she shut the door. "Ready to get some supplies?" She asked.

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Ginny sighed. Of course, Owen was going to have to go soon. She felt like she never got to see him anymore. She rubbed her huge stomach. Was he avoiding her? She often awoke to find herself alone in bed. Had he found someone in town that he'd rather spend his time with? These and more questions raced through her head. She knew he loved her, she could see that clearly in his eyes. He always saved one look for her, even the first day they met each other. She always knew it would be him. They didn't even wait that long before they were married.

"Dunno. I was just about to head to Mech Hall before that happened. You know what, I'll stay. Take care of you, too. Let this asshole toil in the fields for the day. I have to fix that fucking rainwater filtration system I was making. You know, to be useful to this goddamn town." Robin said.

Ginny looked at her brother. She jumped a little as he slammed the back door. She sighed, moving the rag to her neck. "You went to far that time." She warned her husband.

"I should go. Don't get into too much trouble. Keep an eye on him." Owen said.

She gave him a weak smile and nodded. "I will.. you don't get in trouble either." She told him. She leaned up and kissed him back. Sighing once more as he walked away, she pushed herself off the rocking chair. "I love you, Owen!" She called after him.

Heading back inside, Ginny shut the door behind her. At least without so much sun pouring in they didn't have to worry about it being as hot in there. She dipped the rag into the water again and wrung it out a little before putting it back on her neck. She waddled out the back door, leaving the door open.

"Owen wasn't trying to be mean." Ginny told her brother who was already hard at work.

She found a log and eased herself down on it. "Can I help with anything? I hate not doing anything... That's all I do now. I'm just waiting for this baby to get here." She sighed, rubbing her belly. She bit her lip for a moment. She had to tell someone how nervous she was.

"Promise me something." Ginny told her brother. "Swear to me that if anything happens to me, you won't leave Owen alone here with the baby? The baby needs his uncle... even if I am around. I want you to stay with us... If you can't stay... we won't stay either.

She opened her mouth to continue but she heard the knocking at the front door. Sighing, she stood up again. She probably shouldn't be moving around so much but Robin looked a little held up at the moment. She went through the house and opened the door, smiling at the girl she had seen before but didn't exactly know her name. "Hello, Dana. I'm Ginny Thompkins. I'm sure my brother would love some help." She moved out of the way to let her in then shut the door behind her. She lead her out back. "Robin, this is Dana Clay. She's here to help you with the filter. She looks very handy." She smirked at her brother. She knew he prefered to do things by his self. It would be interesting to see how he worked with this girl.

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Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Dana Clay Character Portrait: Ginny Thompkins
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Entry:

We found Evanne. She's shrunken since we
last saw her but I take it that's because she's
already had her kid. Jesus, how many months
has it been since I last saw her? It's a good thing
the kid takes after her.

She's agreed to take us to the town she came back
to. She told us we were just near the outskirts.
I thought we'd get a chance to hole up in one of the
abandoned houses, maybe find some supplies
when I'd spotted it from afar but apparently it's
occupied—and at a little over hundred total pop.

We had to explain the nature of Ginny's pregnancy
so we could at least get permission to enter the
town proper. Some troubled doc gave her a
check-up and confirmed our alibi. We're in the
clear for now, perhaps until we find another
settlement before this one collapses as well.










It usually didn't take much for Rob to come down from his outbursts but it was waking up from a vivid dream filled with a tangle of damp limbs and whispered promises and blue eyes that made him feel strangely rawer than usual. It had been out of line to lash out at Owen but he couldn't take that back now. Apologies were useless. All that was left for him to do now was let the whole thing pass, distract themselves with whatever it was they needed to do while they were here and hope any moods or tensions settle. It took him a while to calm down from his sudden outburst before he could properly evaluate his situation quietly as he fiddled around with a piece.

His gaze flickered up to look at his sister, and back down to continue his work.

"Owen wasn't trying to be mean."

He tried not to listen to her, but found that increasingly hard to do with the way she always had him wrapped around her finger. Blame it on her being a second mother to him.

"Can I help with anything? I hate not doing anything... That's all I do now. I'm just waiting for this baby to get here."

"I'm not having you go into labor on us because I made you do something." He reached over for her pregnant belly and pat it gently. "The baby's quite a fighter, isn't it? Takes after me that way."

"Promise me something." Rob's head shot up to look at her, not sure he liked where this conversation was heading. "Swear to me that if anything happens to me, you won't leave Owen alone here with the baby? The baby needs his uncle... even if I am around. I want you to stay with us... If you can't stay... we won't stay either."

"Now, Gin, look—"

He heard the sound of the knuckles on the front door and a distant, female voice, and though he made a move to protest she was already inside to answer the door. Damn, that pregnant lady can walk.

He was greeted to the familiar sight of Dana Clay, and he wiped his hand clean of oil on his jeans before he reached out to shake her hand. "Robin Braddock. Call me Rob," he grinned. "You must be the other Clay girl. The nicer one. I watch you and your dad work from time to time. Even got to know old Pat." He turned to Ginny and nodded. "Yeah, this one's handy, all right. So, let's see what you can do with this baby here."

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Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Dana Clay Character Portrait: Ginny Thompkins
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A pretty, dark haired woman opened the door, "Hello, Dana. I'm Ginny Thompkins. I'm sure my brother would love some help." Holy balls, was she pregnant! Ginny seemed moments from labor. "I've heard a lot about you," Dana smiled widely, "and I am looking forward to sitting down with you one day and hearing about your adventures in the wild." Would they sit down one day? Their fates still had to be decided. The next thing Dana said was more for herself than Ginny but she believed it still, "I wouldn't worry too much about the upcoming vote. Your family will be fine." Dana was beyond happy to have another brunette in town. There were too many blondes all over the place.

One point for the newcomers.

Dana was led through the modest shack. It was way too small for three, soon to be four people, to share, Dana made a note to herself to help build the newcomers a new home after they get accepted. This shack was perfect for one person, not so much four. Dana had to shield her eyes when she walked through the back door and back into the sun's rays. She was temporarily blinded, only seeing bright whites and yellows. She heard Ginny's voice through her blindness, "Robin, this is Dana Clay. She's here to help you with the filter. She looks very handy."

Dana blinked Robin's face into existence. His eyes were the first to catch her attention. They were eyes that looked like they've seen terrible things. A shiver went through Dana. His eyes were so cold...and so sad. In the best way possible Robin sort of looked like the devil. Robin was the only member of the newcomer trio that worried Pamela and probably a lot of the other Dusties. He was the forbidden fruit that she was warned about. But the forbidden fruit wouldn't be so irresistible if it didn't look so damn good. His face was littered with small freckles that warmed up his otherwise strong and chiseled features.

Two points for the newcomers.

It took Dana slightly too long to notice that his hand was outstretched towards her. She shook his hand firmly, web to web, like her father taught her. "Robin Braddock. Call me Rob," he grinned. "You must be the other Clay girl. The nicer one. I watch you and your dad work from time to time. Even got to know old Pat." Dana was surprised she didn't notice the handsome devil before. Her dad mentioned him but never in detail. Patrick Clay's version of 'detail' usually sounds something like, "that dude didn't suck."

Dana couldn't help but giggle a little when Rob said "the nicer one." That was an understatement. "Yes, I am the other Clay girl. You should visit me at the Mech Hall sometime. It's full of things that may or may not go boom. It gets lonely being the only person my age with tech sense in Dust," Dana could see Rob's attempt at a rainwater filter from the corner of her eye. She was dying to see it. "And about my dad," she thought of the shenanigans from earlier, "He is....a riot for sure."

It was nice having the newcomers here. No matter how much Dana grew and learned she'd always be Patrick's apprentice or Pamela's little sister but with these three newcomers, only seeing the woman she was and nothing before, she could finally be taken more seriously. Ha, Rob even called her handy!

Three points for the newcomers.

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"Let's see what we got here," Dana cracked her knuckles and made her way to Rob's rainwater filter. Essentially all you have to do is put enough crap in the way to block the crappier crap that is in the rainwater. It was a pretty basic design that Dana personally thought was pretty effective. Dana took out an old, really old, diagram her dad drew for her when she was a kid. A rainwater filtration system was one of the first things she learned how to build. She remembered loving looking for rocks and pebbles that were "just right, Danimals!"

Dana dropped her sack of goodies onto the ground, landing with a soft thud before rolling onto it's side. Robin had a 50 gallon bucket that already looked half full of the charcoal, gravel, and sand, "We need something to prop up the bucket." Dana circled the filter like a shark hungry for its next meal, examining it, "Do you have a smaller bucket that we could put underneath?" The filtered water needed somewhere to go after it was done getting all clean and sanitary.

"You are doing it all correct," Dana went into her bag and pulled out a funnel for the bottom of the 50 gallon bucket, a leaf screen for the very top, an insect screen for the creepy crawlies, two 110 millimeter adapters, a 110 millimeter PVC pipe, and an adjustable drain for sanity, "but I think together we can make it better."

Dana turned to Ginny and gave her the good old Patrick Clay wink-smile combo. It rocked so hard being a mechanic who knew what the hell she was doing.

One point for the Clays. This was going to be fun.

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Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Dana Clay Character Portrait: Ginny Thompkins
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Entry:

Only able to jot this down now. Sis had a BH scare.
Horses are resting, drinking over at the nearest
puddle left over from the rains. Had to repair the
tear in the wagon again.

This is serious. If we don't find shelter soon, we'll
go to the dogs.
________________________________________

Stopped again. Everyone's tired. I can see a few
buildings off in the distance. There'll be food,
water, and medical supplies there, for sure. We
should go and investigate.


"Oh, good, you're responsive." He gave her hand a brisk shake.

The youngest Clay reminded him of a smuggler he had met and joined for a time named 'Shill'. She would mastermind elaborate scams, going from place to place purportedly selling concoctions to ward off Delsis and preying perfectly on the immense fear and desperation surrounding the disease. In addition to being an excellent actress, she was a skilled mechanic, maintaining great interest in mathematics and engineering, and often did most of the repairs to her party's equipment and transportation. Quite a lot about what he knew about building or fixing things had come from her. The smartest fuck I ever had, he thought as he thought back to his past freedom.

He snapped out of his thoughts the moment he heard a giggle. "Yes, I am the other Clay girl. You should visit me at the Mech Hall sometime. It's full of things that may or may not go boom. It gets lonely being the only person my age with tech sense in Dust. And about my dad... He is....a riot for sure." Rob shook his head and gave a laugh of his own sounding like half a scoff.

"Couldn't agree more. He called me 'carrot top' when he first saw me hanging around the hall."

"Let's see what we got here."

He watched as she inspected the filter he'd made as if she was starved of technology, and before he knew it she was taking parts out of her satchel. He grabbed a 30 gallon bucket and handed it to her, then proceeded to lift the 50 gallon bucket off to place atop it. He worked with her, assembling the rest of the filter together with her working on one end and him on the other. They secured the last bit to the end of the slightly modified 30 gallon bucket, then he stepped back to admire the work.

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Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Dana Clay Character Portrait: Ginny Thompkins
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Dana and Rob fitted the last piece onto the bucket and just like that, Dana had a new friend. "We kicked this rainwater filter's ass," Dana raised her open palm up to Rob as if to give him a high five. "I can't wait for the next rainfall so we can see it in action," she stretched her arms high into the sky, feeling her joints crack and let out a yawn. Heavy lifting deserves a reward of rest and relaxation. Dana started heading into the house, not looking back to see if Rob was following her. "Let's get inside and take a load off," Dana said as she skipped passed Ginny, "you too, pregnant lady."

Dana plopped down onto the floor, her favorite seat in any house, and laid down flat on her back. She looked over to her side and noticed a small leather bound book underneath one of the beds. Maybe someone dropped it! Dana scurried over to the bed and picked up the book. She opened it without even thinking, second nature really, and saw at the top of one of he pages the word "entry." Another word on the same page jumped out at her..."Juniper." Someone's journal? About Juni?

Dana looked up to Rob and Ginny, "so, I found this underneath one of the beds. Belongs to one of you?"

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Entry:

Third day out in the desert.

Fought for water at a deep well and managed to get
enough to last two days—today included.

Found another settlement, but they don't
accommodate pregnant women. Rubbed it the fuck
in as well. I've never seen those two as hopeless
as they were then. If we don't get settled soon, we'll
all fucking die. There's not much else I can do
here. I haven't seen any smugglers or scavengers
for miles. Shill said she'd be around this area.
Hoping she comes, or I find her, fucking soon.
"We kicked this rainwater filter's ass." He gave her the satisfaction of a high-five and laughed. "I can't wait for the next rainfall so we can see it in action."

"Let's get inside and take a load off. You too, pregnant lady."

Rob turned to Ginny and shook his head at her. "We've got a busy bee on our hands," he chuckled, and wiped the sweat off his face and neck before helping his sister get back inside the shack. What he saw when he came in made him see red. His jaw set and stance tense, he stormed towards Dana, snatching the journal without a word. However much he was tempted to bite, he remembered his determination to improve Ginny and Owen's standing in Dust. With this girl being the daughter of the founder of the town, any move against her could be used against him and, possibly, his sister's family. He put on the most civil façade that he could but his actions ended up more forced and sarcastic. He bit down his building anger and annoyance and tried to smile.

"Rest here. Drink our water. Eat our food. You're more than welcome to. But never touch my things, Ms Clay." He left to put the journal elsewhere. "Gin, go sit down and chat her up. I'll get you water."

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Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Dana Clay Character Portrait: Ginny Thompkins
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Rob's devilish good looks just became devilish when he came into the house and saw Dana with the journal. Dana knew when he stormed in and took the journal from her that it was his, he was angry, and she was in trouble. Dana saw that Rob was struggling with his next few words. He seemed to be arguing with himself. After a few moments he smiled and snarkily told Dana to not touch his stuff.

"I'm sorry," Dana's cheeks were probably already pink, "I just found it. I didn't see anything." But Dana was lying. She didn't see much but she saw enough. Is this guy the man that Juniper was with in the wilderness all that time? Dana thought to herself. She would be thinking this for some time to come. She would have to go to Juniper and find out.

Rob quickly left the room, probably to hide his journal elsewhere. Dana got and lost a friend all within an hour. Hopefully this can be a small thing in the grand scheme of their friendship. Dana turned to Ginny, trying to lighten the mood, "have you picked out any names yet?!"

Dana chatted with Ginny but secretly was waiting for Robin to return so she could make up for her blunder...if she could make up for it, that is.

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Character Portrait: Evanne Luna Remmington Character Portrait: Juniper Jacobs Character Portrait: Noah Ripley Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Pamela Clay Character Portrait: Dana Clay
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Evanne suspected that Juniper was off in her own little world but she came back to life when Evelyn was in her arms. They walked over to the store her mother owned, she was glad to see that her mother wasn't there. "Hey, Sam. How long is she going to be gone for?" She asked, already putting things in her basket. She only got things that she needed or that it was possible that the newcomers, her friends needed.

Evelyn laughed, clapping as Juni held her and talked to her. Juni was one of the few that could hold Evelyn and she wouldn't mind. She reached up and grabbed a strand of Juni's hair. She stroked it, staring at the pale golden hues.

Evanne sighed when Juniper mentioned the boots. "Yeah, she's just about done with those. But I can't find a bigger size boot for her that aren't huge. I have no idea where to find a pair. Any suggestions?" She asked her.

The blonde moved to the front of the store and paid for what she got. They piled it into as few bags as possible and began to out into the out air. She looked at Juni and gave her a soft smile. "Are you really okay with coming to see them with me? I know there's some... history there."

As they walked, Evanne's eyes couldn't help but search for Noah. Was he okay? Was he getting the wrath of Pamela because of what she said? She hated to think she caused him more trouble. She saw them over by the Town Hall. She couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about. Pam obviously didn't know her secret but she was sure she knew just about everyone else's.

Pam could be a cruel woman when she wanted to. Evanne hated that she had so much power. She always seemed to want to dictate everyone else's lives.

Evanne smiled at Noah and nodded her head as they walked past. Her heart skipped a beat. God, why did he have to make her feel things she shouldn't? She should just go back to Aaron. He would be a fine choice to settle down with.

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Ginny smiled as she watched her brother and Dana go around and around, messing with different parts of it. she didn't know everything they were doing but she sat where she had before and watched them. This was the closet thing she had to entertainment in a long time. She watched the way the two seemed to be connected as they worked. She wondered if this friendship could develop into something more.

She knew her brother loved Juni but if he couldn't admit that, could he have a relationship with this girl? She wished she knew all the facts. She wanted her brother to be happy. If it was Juniper that would be amazing, if it was with this girl who seemed to match him then that was fine as well.

"I think you two did amazing." Ginny said, carefully getting up. She followed Dana into the house. She laughed softly. "Ah... it looks like everyone is calling me that." she shook her head. She went into the cooler house and took a seat on the bed. Her feet throbbed in pain but she tried to ignore it.

She perked up when Dana found the Journal. But then Rob had to freak out again. Sometimes she wondered how he got so touchy about these things. They shared everything growing up. And now he shut everyone out."Robin..." She sighed, watching him leave to go fetch more water.

Ginny looked over at the brunette girl and smiled at him. "I'm sorry for him snapping. He's been through a lot... we all have." She ran a hand through her hair. She rested her hand on her large stomach. "You don't have to worry about him. Really, we're not bad people. He has a lot on his mind." She shook her head sadly.

Smiling, Ginny sat up a little more when she mentioned the baby. "Well, my husband and I haven't really decided on what we want to name the baby. It's hard when you don't even know what your having." She laughed softly as the baby started kicking. "I think the baby knows we're talking about them. Wanna feel the baby kick?"

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Character Portrait: Evanne Luna Remmington Character Portrait: Juniper Jacobs Character Portrait: Noah Ripley Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Dana Clay Character Portrait: Ginny Thompkins
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Evanne nodded when Juni answered her. She sighed. "I hadn't thought so... Ginny's really great at making things... maybe she can fashion up something." She shrugged. It couldn't hurt to ask. "I don't think it would be too stressful for her and it would give her something to do while she's waiting for the baby... Maybe if she can make or even mend shoes, the town would want her to stay that much more?" She thought allowed. She turned and looked at her friend to see her opinion.

Now that she thought about it, she and Juniper hadn't exactly talked about how they were going to vote. Evanne had just assumed she would vote for them to stay. But if things had gotten awkward with Robin, she might not. She chewed on her lip for a moment, thinking of how to ask her. "I know we're not supposed to really ask but... how are you going to vote?" She watched, waiting for her opinion. Would she even bother telling her? Juni was the only one in town that she could call her best friend, besides Noah that is.

'Stop thinking about him.' She told herself. She kept walking, hopinh Juni wouldn't noticed her cheeks were now pink.

There were so many questions people wanted to ask Evanne, who was Evelyn's father, why did you leave town, were you pregnant before you left, if so did you know you were pregnant? The truth was she hadn't known she was pregnant when she left. There were just so many things going through her head at the time that she needed to leave. How could she stay?

Evanne didn't think anyone would really miss her. Sure, she was always the goody two shoes of the town who would stick up for those weaker than herself, but that didn't mean they cared about her. She was a nurse and was vital, but it wasn't like she wasn't the only one. The town even had a doctor. Who would care about little ole nurse?

She had been mostly right when she came back. There were only a few that really welcomed her back. Her mother certainly would have rather she stayed lost, except for Evelyn. She sometimes wondered if her mother was plotting something behind her back. She was so... possessive of Evelyn. She couldn't believe that her mother would try to steal her daughter.

Before she knew it they were at the little shack. She frowned at the idea of such a shabby home for her friend but what could they do before they were accepted?

"Ginny, Owen, Rob! It's Evanne and Juni. We got some stuff for you!" She said, trying to sound cheerful with such heavy thoughts on her mind.

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Character Portrait: Evanne Luna Remmington Character Portrait: Juniper Jacobs Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Dana Clay Character Portrait: Ginny Thompkins
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Ginny apologized to Dana for Rob’s behavior but the entire time Dana couldn’t help but blame herself. She was the one who picked up the damn journal from off the floor. Next time she will just leave the unmarked books where she found them! Ginny looked more pregnant than ever with her hand on her large belly, “You don’t have to worry about him. Really, we’re not bad people. He has a lot on his mind.” He has Juniper on his mind, Dana thought. Did she really want to get between Juniper, the woman she idolized, and her ex-lover from the wilderness?

Noah was beginning to look like a dazzling option once again. Dana just felt like she had no chance with any guy these days. They were all either taken, engaged, or Juniper’s leftovers apparently.

This Dust life was so enchanting.

“Wanna feel the baby kick?” Ginny laughed, her hand still on her belly. Dana shot up from the floor full of excitement and cheer again, “hell yeah, I do!” Dana always wondered what she would look like pregnant. She was a small girl, mostly bones, skin, and muscle. Even though she personally thought that she was blessed by the curvy gods, she always imagined she would look awkward with a big baby lump on her. Dana’s hand was a few inches from Ginny’s belly when a knock came from the front door. Dana remembered that Noah and Evanne were supposed to visit the newcomers so it must have been them. She wasn’t sure if it was okay for her to open the door, especially after the journal incident with Robin. She decided to call him instead, “Rob! Some Dusties are at the door!”

“Ginny, Owen, Rob! It’s Evanne and Juni. We got some stuff for you!” Dana froze when she heard the familiar nickname “Juni”. Juniper was with them and now Dana knew some of the truth. Look's like Dana was getting in between Rob and Juni whether she liked it or not.

“Well, shit,” Dana muttered.

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Ginny watched Dana. She seemed looked like she had a lot on her mind. Everyone seemed to have secrets around here. She wasn't so sure she liked that idea. She couldn't help but grin when she saw Dana pop up like a jack in the box. She moved her legs over so she could sit down on the bed. Just when Dana was about to touch her stomach, someone knocked on the door.

"Rob! Some Dusties are at the door!" She watched Dana call to Rob. She smirked, taking Dana's hand and placing it over her belly so she could feel the baby kick.

The baby kicked again. "Feel that?" She asked her.

And then she heard a familiar voice at the door. "Ginny, Owen, Rob! It's Evanne an Juni! We got some stuff for you!"

Ginny should have known that they would stop by to see them but she was a little surprised by Dana's "Well, shit."

"Come on in. Ginny called out to them, smiling at Dana. "It's just me and Dana Clay in here." She told them, patting the spot on the bed letting Dana know she could sit and keep feeling the baby. They squirmed in her belly. They could even see her belly move as the babies moved. She chuckled.

"That always feels so weird... It looks creepy to me. But at least I know he or she is still okay in there." She admitted to Dana.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Evanne Luna Remmington Character Portrait: Juniper Jacobs Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Dana Clay Character Portrait: Ginny Thompkins
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Entry:

We were only too fortunate to have packed all our
shit and left Jonastown before our house could
burn down to the ground. Managed to get Dad's
compass and this, though Gin's been chastising
me for going back in to get them because I got
injured in the process.

Of course I came back for them. Sentimental as it
is, these are the only things I truly own. I keep
telling her it's only a minor arm burn, I've had
worse, and that it'll heal but she just won't have
any of it. She's taken to gathering aloe vera leaves
when she can find them and slathering them on
me. The shit stinks when it first hits air. Reminds
me of how pushy Mom was.

How'd the house burn? Fucking smugglers.
Thought it would be a good idea to smoke very near
a local moonshine distillery and
everything caught
on fire. Even our shack at the edge of town wasn't
spared. Stupid fuckers honestly giving us a bad
worse name.












That look on her face told him otherwise. If he had to venture a guess, that Clay girl had never taken up a job that involved deception before. She had probably never ventured out of town by herself before, and she had probably never worked any other job than in that dingy shop. She couldn't lie—or rather, she was a terrible liar. The flush on her cheeks, the shifty eyes, and that minute mouth-bobbing like a fish gasping for air said it all. She had seen something in that journal, and it only took one tidbit of information for the questions to start coming.

On second thought, he was a pretty shitty liar as well—at least, when it came to her.

He had made that completely miserable excuse of a reason to avoid seeing or talking about her today. He had done it for all the days they had spent living in Dust as unofficial and unwelcome residents. Damn hypocrisy.

He heard his sister call after him but he didn't bother to turn back to face either of them. The fact that he couldn't let out all of his anger—not on Dana because of her standing in the town, and certainly not on Ginny because it would only give her unnecessary stress—only made him even angrier.

He heard three hard knocks on the front door to the shack and groaned.

“Rob! Some Dusties are at the door!”

"'Dusties'? The fuck are 'Dusties'?" He tried to steel his thoughts as he poured cool boiled water from a kettle into three steel mugs. He took a few gulps from his and let out an exhale. "I can only assume they haven't bathed—"

"Ginny, Owen, Rob! It's Evanne and Juni! We got some stuff for you!"

"Well, shit."

'Well, shit,' was correct. He was, very temporarily, paralyzed where he sat. His hand nearly loosened its grip on the steel mug, but he tightened it and took another gulp, pretending it was the gulp of moonshine he had earlier.

It seemed his legs had minds of their own as they brought him back into the main room, steel mugs clanging.

Well, he wasn't going to stay in that kitchen partition forever.

He cleared his throat, then handed the two mugs to the girls, and set his down by his bed.. "Evanne," he said with a shaky grin, hands trembling as he came closer to her to give her a hug. "And this must be... Evelyn." His eyes flickered to the woman holding her, and he swore he could feel his heart stop then and there.

"Juniper."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Evanne Luna Remmington Character Portrait: Juniper Jacobs Character Portrait: Rob Braddock Character Portrait: Dana Clay Character Portrait: Ginny Thompkins
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Please don't make me go inside. Juniper thought. She was arguing with herself during these milliseconds between actual communication. Stop being a baby. It's just one man. Besides he might not even be home.

"Rob! Some Dusties are at the door!"

Shit. Shit, Shit, Shit.
Wait... Was that Dana?


Juniper shook her head. What was she doing there? She shook her head again. Dana was probably just there to help repair something. Honestly, what more could she be doing there? Juniper really liked the girl, but knew that she could be kind of burden sometimes. Juni admired her bubbly personality and readiness for adventure, but all of that came with a bit of an overwhelming happiness. That was fine though. She was an energetic person, that's just what Dana was.

Come on in. Juni heard from the other voice that she recognized as Ginny's. She felt a certain calmness knowing that Ginny had always liked her and appreciated her. She knew that Evanne would join the situation with warm open arms and discuss the joys of motherhood or whatever. Juniper knew that she would soon feel very out of place. The door was open before Juni really had a chance to prepare herself. She kept her blue eyes down, perhaps thinking if she didn't see him he couldn't see her.

Evanne, he said. Juniper couldn't help but find herself completely fixed just hearing his voice again. Stop it! Her eyes flashed around anything and everything but the male figure. "And this must be... Evelyn." Junipers attention was whipped, first to the baby girl she was holding in her arms and then to the man in front of her. Then it happened, he said her name.

"Juniper."

Her eyes trailed up to his, remembering the little quirks of his hands and the hundreds of freckles he had. She made eye contact with him and just stood there for a moment in the door way. Then she blinked.

"Don't just stand there you moron!"

Juniper took a timid step inside, slowly coming around. She bit her lip before saying "Robin freaking Braddock." Her voice was nervous. A small smile, partly out of wonderment, was on her face. "You just couldn't stay away could you?" She asked. She was trying to erase all of the feelings by being clever but she couldn't. Her expression was tickled, but her tone was laced with a bitter after taste. Suddenly she felt a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

How ironically disastrous her life was. When she came home to Dust she swore she would never see Robin again, yet here they were. Within feet of each other.