Description
Picture:
Name: Tayte Breed
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Tayte (pronounced "Tay-teh") is 5'9'', 130 lbs, and very athletic. When there was a highschool to go to, she was on every sport team, as was her brother. She has olive skin, shoulder-length, naturally curly blonde hair, bright green eyes, and an energetic smile. She generally covers her long legs and curvy body with leggings and a plain, dark grey shirt. She always wears her dark leather jacket and her black knee-high boots. She usually keeps her blond hair in a messy ponytail.
Personality
Tayte is a bubbly and happy extrovert. She is very optimistic and likes to look at her world as "glass half full." Internally, she sees the horrors in her city and is deeply saddened by them, but she knows that she can't let that get her down. She believes that giving up hope is the fastest way to die, so she keeps her wits about her and tries to keep her chin up. She deflects pain with humor and tries to enlighten everyone's moods around her. She sees no sense in giving in to despair and tries to make the best out of bad situations. Quirky and spontaneous, Tayte is a fast thinker making her quick-witted and sharp. Her smile tends to light up the room, and she knows it, so she uses it to the best of her abilities. She sometimes comes off as a "dumb blonde" but underneath she's actually very well read and very intelligent. She idolizes Jacki Onassis and reminds herself "think Jackie O." whenever she feels like she might break down or cry in public, because Jackie O. never cried in public, even after JFK was killed in front of her. Tayte is very strong and resilient, a fiercely loyal friend, she'll do whatever it takes to take care of the ones she loves. Even though she's very friendly, if betrayed or hurt she can be biting and acidic, having no love for anyone who has done her or her loved one's wrong.
Equipment
Her softball bat, from the team.
History
Tayte had been on the basketball, soccer, softball and swim teams at her high school. Having just graduated, she was going to go to university with a full-ride scholarship for softball, but when the contagion hit she was forced to withdraw, being trapped inside the city she was born and raised in. She grew up in a middle-class family. They were your average family, full of Taco Tuesdays and family fight Fridays. They had their ups and downs, as every family did, and now, as Tayte dashes from hiding place to hiding place, scrounging food where she can and trying to make the best of life, she would just give anything to have them back.
Her father, Evan, had been infected almost immediately during the outbreak. He was a hospital worker and had contracted the disease from a patient coming in through the ICU. A day later, Tayte and her brother Jason watched as their mother, Charity, was ripped to shreds by their father. Horrified, Tayte had backed into a corner as Jason ran forward to save their mother. He had murdered their father, and, unsure how to deal with what he had seen and the actions he had committed, ran from their family home. Tayte hadn't seen or heard from Jason since, and she is still unsure whether or not he was in the city at the time the dome was put in.
After her family's terrible demise, Tayte stayed in her house for a week. Afraid to leave, afraid to stay. She ignored the phone whenever it rang, she never answered the doorbell, and she stayed in bed through most of the days. When she did move, she wandered from room to room, with every door to the outside world locked, but never entered the kitchen where her mother and father's bodies were beginning to rot. She had heard the helicopters, the masses of them, carrying the dome. She had been dimly aware of the deafening thump as the glass dome had been put in place. She didnt' know what any of the noise was, nor did she care. She refused to turn the t.v. on, or to listen to the radio. She preferred her solitude.
Some days later, she lay in bed, staring at her ceiling, ignoring the gnawing in her stomach from little to no food when a tap at her window surprised her. This was how her boyfriend, Jeff, had used to tell her he was home from one of his many vacations. She remembered that he was due home some time soon from his trip to Europe with his rugby team and slowly she pulled herself from her bed. Making herself as presentable as she could in as little time as she could, she had crossed to her window and thrown open the blinds in excitement, which was replaced only a moment later by sheer horror. Jeff, the wonderful boy she had been dating was nowhere to be seen. Instead a pre-maturely balding man of around 30 was tapping at her window. His eyes were bloodshot and trickles of blood ran from his nostrils. His skin was covered in red pustules and his once well-pressed business attire was ripped and covered in vomit. Shock running through her system, Tayte had immediately gone into "worry-mode" and opened the window.
"Are you okay?" she had asked, "What can I do to help? Do you need water? Food? Come in and I'll help you, you poor thing!" Just as she had turned to move towards her restroom and first-aid kit, the man lurched forward, growling. He had caught hold of her hair and pulled her, yelping, backwards. She hit the floor hard, weak from days of not eating. Dazed, she watched as the man climbed through her window. He had lurched toward her, snapping her back to reality, and she rolled just in time to miss his claw-like fingers from reaching her eyes. Is he... he's trying to hurt me! She was suddenly reminded of her father, and terror coursed through her. As fast as she could manage, she dashed to her closet, retrieved her softball bat and swung as hard as she could at the man's head as he ran toward her, arms out-stretched and mouth making gnawing motions. The sickening crunch/squish of his skull had caused bile to rumble through her stomach, and she dropped to her knees to vomit as the man fell, un-moving to the ground.
Some hours later, as the sun began to rise, she moved. She stared at the man a moment, then looked out her window at the world that was so unfamiliar to her now. She stared, disbelieving, at the dome, the already dilapidated houses, the bodies in the street. For a moment, she hadn't known what to do, where to go, what had happened. Finally, Tayte resolved herself, decided it was time to "be Jackie" and shut her window with a determined snap. She took a quick shower, packed some essentials in her back-pack, grabbed her softball bat, and moved to the front room. She turned one last time to look at what remained of her life before, then dashed to the mantle and grabbed a family picture. She removed it from it's frame and folded it into her back pocket. Tayte then stepped to the front door, unlocked it, took a deep breath, and opened it. Blowing a quick kiss over her shoulder, she stepped forward into her new, terrifying world, never wanting to step foot inside that house again.
So begins...
"I'm still alive, but I'm barely breathin'," Tayte quietly sang the tune to herself as she re-arranged items in her backpack, "just prayed to a god that I don't believe in..." She chuckled at her own irony. This is the song I have stuck in my head tonight? She'd spent the day rummaging through the large abandoned apartment, and now it was time to get a move on. She'd napped mid-day, knowing that the infected were less likely to attack then, preying on victims at night because it was easier. Not that she'd allow herself to be an easy target. Sighing, she looked at her over-stuffed bag. "Damn." She'd never been good at packing, and this just proved it. Some first aid supplies, a thin blanket, cans of food, and a few bottles of water? Shouldn't that all fit in her backpack?
"Hmmm... what would Jackie do?" She asked herself under her breath, staring at the bulging bag, then chuckled again, "She wouldn't have been in this mess to begin with, Tay, duh." Rolling her eyes, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. "Annnnd you're talking to yourself again," she chided her reflection as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. After assessing her face for a moment, a few scratches, but nothing too horrendous, she returned her sight to the bag. Cocking her head to one side, she considered her options: Leave some stuff behind, or make it work. She chose the latter. Crouching she wrapped her knees on either side of the bag and squeezed, tugging on the zipper desperately until slowly, and with a little pain in thumb and forefinger, the zipper moved an inch. "Progress!" She smiled to herself and continued this way for a couple minutes until only a hand-length or so was open at the top of the bag. "That'll-do-pig," she told her back pack in a horrendous Irish accent, patting it as though it were beloved pet. Standing, she launched the backpack over her shoulder and grunted as the weight of it hit her. Woops... heavier than I anticipated. She considered re-opening the bag and dropping some things after all, but thought better of it when she looked at the angry, red zipper marks left on her fingers. I've done weight training before, just think of soccer practice. She told herself.
Grabbing her once white but now specked with dried brown blood softball bat, she set it by the only door of the apartment. She'd rigged a warning bell to it that morning when she'd got in, after searching the place for any sign of life, hostile or otherwise. She hadn't found any and so had deemed the apartment safe enough to sleep in. As she got closer to the door she could feel the cold night air entering. Pulling her leather coat slightly more closed she huffed, "Man... I hate the cold!" Then she began to undo the bell, holding the clapper to the sound rim so it wouldn't make any noise. Congratulating herself again on such an intelligent design, she pushed the bell and it's attaching string into a small side pocket on her back pack. Picking up her bat in her right hand, her swinging lead hand, she set her ear against the door. She slowed her breathing and waited, quietly, for some time. She listened as intently as possible, hyper aware that apartments weren't the best place to get stuck in due to the possibility of multitudes of infected, second only to hospitals, but she'd been desperate and tired, both unsafe emotions for the world she now lived in.
Minutes passed, when, suddenly, she heard a terrified shriek. Now! she urged herself to throw the door open and run, even though every bone in her body didn't want to move. Her human instinct was 'scream=unsafe' but she'd learned over the last two weeks that now it meant 'someone else is causing a distraction for you, utilize their death, don't waste it.' Thus, she threw the door open, took a moment to orient herself where the scream was coming from and took off in the other direction. She sprinted down the hall, slowed a little by her rather heavy backpack, but adrenaline keeping her moving. She got to the stair well and jumped down the flights two at a time. Calm down! she commanded herself as she almost missed a step in her rush, getting hurt will mean your end! Better to be slow and safe than fast and dead!
She slowed to a walk, having successfully reminded herself of the danger of herself, and made her way down the stairs silently. Listening with each step. The screaming had stopped which meant that the woman had either been killed or was undergoing the infectious change. The last thing Tayte wanted to do was find out. Finally she reached the utility door that led outside, into an alley way. She winced as it squeaked when she pushed it open slightly. Freezing, she waited to see if the noise had attracted any attention. Letting her breath go, she was relieved when it seemed no one was headed her direction. Pushing the door open more cautiously, she squeezed herself through it, then stood with her back to the wall next to it. She shut it as silently as she could, then placed both of her hands on her bat. Now the fun begins, she thought with a sardonic smile as she started down the alleyway, making sure to keep her eyes and ears open, 'cause I got time while she got freeeeedom...
Tayte emerged cautiously from another alleyway a few blocks down, looking to her left, then her right. She hadn't been on foot long, but her stomach was beginning to growl dangerously loud. She tended to wait to the last possible moment before breaking down and eating anything, aware that food was precious and was soon going to become hard to come by. She double-checked her left and right again. Coast seems clear... but something just doesn't feel right. Holding her bat down and to her side, but at the read, Tayte very slowly moved forward. The thoroughfare seemed clear, but that had gotten her in trouble before. Hmm... blue or red pill, Mrs. Breed? she mused with herself. Looking left again, she saw less cars and fewer open doors, "Red," she told herself softly.
Keeping her back to the wall, she moved by cross-stepping her right over her left foot, ready to take off running at a moment's notice. Crash! Tayte's breath caught in her throat and she froze, softball bat raised to her shoulder, at the ready for a nice, strong swing at head height. Her heart throbbed, seemingly for eternity. She could hear and feel each beat and was positive if anyone was around they'd hear it to. When all was finally silent on the home-front she inhaled slowly through her nose, then exhaled through her mouth. "It's okay, Tay... A cat, most likely... Silly buggers...Never liked 'em anyway..." Murmuring to keep herself company, she began to move forward again, a little more quietly and carefully. When outside she felt a teensy bit more vulnerable, more ill at ease, but she'd decided in the beginning of her days on the streets to keep her head up, so she would. Remembering her promise to herself, she stood up a little straighter, and pushed her head up high. "Paint the roses red!" she smiled to herself and laughed on the inside at a joke she had shared a long time ago with her older brother. Although she had no clue where he was now, she knew that she had to survive. She had to know whether or not he was safe and sound.
Crash! This time Tayte didn't think, she dropped down to a knee and hid behind the nearest mailbox. It was closer, whatever it was making that noise. I definitely don't want to find out! Tayte waited again, momentarily caught in her spot by adrenaline, then, with a quick bolt she stood and turned, ready to enter the nearest store-front. She yipped quietly though, as she ran smack into the chest of a rather large looking man. "Oh... god." She could barely get the words out past the fear enveloping her, the softball bat secure but unused in her right hand.
"Hey there, pretty lady." The man's sneer was made all the more menacing as Tayte was close enough to smell the rotting flesh caked on his clothes and see the streams of blood that she could tell were not his own on his clothing. She suppressed the urge to retch everywhere, taking two quick steps back, which put her back against the mailbox. Well done, Breed, she chided herself, and how do you suppose you're getting out of this one?
"Aw, don't be so shy!" The large, extremely infected man blinked, brown-red blood tears rolling down his face. Tayte's stomach flipped and she had to again stop herself from doubling over and losing what little food she had in her stomach. "I just want to play!" He took a step forward and Tayte's brain went into overdrive. She hop-stepped to the left, landing in the batting stance that had become very familiar to her muscle memory.
"Oh, I'll play," she smiled at the revolting, blood thirsty infected, "I'm such a good sport. Come over here and I'll show you what a good player I am!" She winked at the man, raising her bat to shoulder height, and setting her gaze on the spot between his eyes. His smile was so feral she almost lost her faux-confidence, terrified he hadn't fallen for her rouse, but he stepped forward and she took her chance. Stepping onto her right foot, she threw her hips with as much force as she could, pulling her right arm towards the middle of his eyes as hard as she could. As her left hand followed and continued to guide the bat to it's mark, she brought her step through full force, as if to take off for first base. She felt more than heard the crunch of the man's temple as the shock absorbed through the bat and jangled her arms momentarily. He crumpled and fell to the floor, but Tayte wasn't done. She hit him one more time in the head, just to be sure, and ground her teeth as the bat moved through already softened skull and hit concrete. Her eyes widened as the sound reverberated down the street. "Shit, shit. Double shit." She looked left and right and saw some shadows beginning to move at either end, "Alright, fine. Quadruple shit!" It might have just been her over-active imagination, but she wasn't going to stick around and find out.
Turning, she grabbed the one door that was nearest to her and began to pull on it. "Locked. Always friggin' locked! Doesn't anyone trust anyone anymo-" before she could finish nor knew what happened, her foot slid out from under her. Dazidly, she looked at herself, covered in blood. The man had bled out. "Fuck." Footsteps were beginning to sound, the infected and whoever else were coming, it was true now. With one last desperate attempt she grabbed the door handle and pulled, then pushed, then jiggled. Time was running out and the hair on the back of her neck was beginning to stand up when suddenly, miraculously, the door came free and swung wide. tossing it behind her she dodged inside, pulled it shut, locked it. Looking around, it seemed to be a storage of some place, boxes littering everything. "No time." She mumbled and quickly spied a chair, grabbing it, she blocked the door with it, then backed up, bat held high. She could feel the blood on her clothes now, it had soaked through. [i]I have to get these off now... but who knows who's in here! What happened to my plan![/] She waited as the footsteps grew close, then moved on. The infected must not have seen her after all, or had seen their dead companion and decided to move on. Momentarily proud of herself, Tayte breathed a sigh of relief, then collapsed. "oh... uh oh..." She retched. She couldn't help it. All the adrenaline was subsiding and she felt safe for the moment. She'd have to check the rest of the building she was in before feeling completely safe, but there was no stopping her body from taking control. Her body rolled with nausea and again expelled her insides. "Bile. Well... so much for dinner..." she thought aloud as she stayed on her hands and knees, breathing deeply.
Viola sped down the road on her 2008 Yamaha Royal Star Tour Deluxe motorcycle, the cold night wind in her dark red hair as she wived in and out of cars. She loved this motorcycle mostly because it was a royal blue which was not only her favorite color but, the color of her eyes. but, since the out brake of the L7X9 Virus she loved it because unlike most motorcycles it wasn't loud which meant it wouldn't give away he position as easily unless there was an infected really close by.
Viola looked up at the sky to see that she had lost track of time. "Shit. looks like I need to find a place to hide the bike and bunk up for the night." she mumbled under her breath. Most nights Viola would hide her bike and half her supply's as good as she can in a different location then go about a mile off and find a place to stay for the night. It was her way of always planing ahead so that if she ever ran into any untrustworthy survivors that decided to jack her stuff and run she always had a plan B. 'Never trust anyone' that was one of the many saying they had at the orphanage, especially when your money went missing because the big kids decided to go looting so they have some spending cash. and thats why Vi had always taken about 15 dollars and put it where the big kids would find it the hid the rest for herself when she was younger. It was smart and it always worked.
She stopped at an intersection and turned off her motorcycle listening to see if there were any infected around that felt like playing. she closed her eyes and concentrated it was quiet but, then she heard a voice "Oh, I'll play. I'm such a good sport. Come over here and I'll show you what a good player I am!" Vi sat there and listened to make sure it wasn't a trap. Thwap The echo of a...what was that a bat?? bouncing off the concrete road and smashing what ever it hit came back to her. Then silence. Viola waited one more second before she started her bike then heard the same person shouting "Locked. Always friggin' locked! Doesn't anyone trust anyone anymo-" followed by running."Shit. Shit. Shit."
Viola kicked her motorcycle on and raced it towards the voice. Under normal circumstances she would not have been doing this but rather, driving in the other direction and getting the hell out of doge but, this person was obviously still alive and in a lot of trouble. And Viola was still human enough to know it was the right thing what she was about to do.
Viola turned the corner and found four!! Count it four of those nasty contagious humans surrounding their fallen comrade and starting to turn toward the house of which he lay in front of. Vi took her right hand off of her bike handle and reached behind her back grabbing the handle of her machete. She heard the clean swosh of the blade as it came out of its holder. Readying herself she speed up and with one swift clean motion she slid her machete through the first two infected people it came in contact with taking their heads clean off. Didn't even know what hit them. she thought as she laughed at her own dark and twisted humor and turned her bike around stopping. The two people that were left turned to look at their attacker pulling back their lips and growling at her in anger and charging at her. Quick to react Vi swung her Winchester 101 , 12 Gauge, 3 Barrel Trap Set gun around from her back and shot the closest one running toward her in the head, brain matter and blood flying out of the exit wound. Then she turned her gun and shot the last 'Ugly' in the face.
Vi kicked up the stand for her bike and left it running, then ran toward the house where the first dead infected body's comrades were heading. As she grabbed for the door she reached behind her and pulled out one of her 75 P-07 9mm guns for protection. As she turned the handle and pushed she found the door was blocked. "Ugh. It always has to be difficult doesn't it?" She shouted at no one in particular.
Stepping back she rammed her shoulder into the door braking it free what ever was blocking it and swinging it wide open. As Vi stepped over the threshold she saw a Blond girl that looked about her age on her hands and knees on the floor breathing deeply and approaching behind her was a a very buff man with rotting flesh and dried blood on his face, arms, and chest. With out even thinking about it Vi lifted her gun and put four bullets in his head. The turned to the girl. "Are you okay? Your not infected are you? Because if your not you need to come with me and fast because there will probably be more 'Ugly's' coming and I don't know about you but, I don't feel like being around here for round two."
A gunshot, loud, boomed in front of the door and Tayte froze, "What the?" she mumbled as her stomach began to calm down a little. Breathing heavily, she waited, her heart beating fast but not too loud. She listened as intently as she could, something was at the door. She stared at it, praying that her make-shift block would work. It budged a tiny bit but held as whatever or whoever on the other side of the door tried to push it open. "Ugh. It always has to be difficult doesn't it?" The shout boomed from the other side of the door and Tayte scowled, cocking her head in confusion. That wasn't something she'd ever heard or thought of hearing an infected shout. Then, suddenly, the door popped open. Okie dokie... chairs are no good as blocks, good to kn- her thoughts turned into a vocalization as the red-headed girl raised the gun and shot over Tayte's head. "Oh. My. GOD! Are you crazy?! Guns are loud!" She took in the girl's determined set of her jaw, the blood splattered on her clothes and the way she stood, half-ready to run, and knew she wasn't infected.
A loud thump behind her and Tayte jumped up, quenched the desire to puke again, and got into batting stance with her back to the girl. Trusting, true, but better to look in the eyes of the infected than in the eyes of a "crazy". Ready to take on anything, she stood for a moment, then looked down and chuckled at her own delayed reaction. "Sucks for you!" she told the blown to smithereens dead man laying on the ground. Then, it hit her. The girl had just saved her life. Her eyes widened, and she turned back to the blue-eyed red-head, an eyebrow raised in an incredulous manner, a smirk on her face with laughter in her eyes, questioning her.
The girl ignored Tayte's questioning look and simply started talking in hushed tones, "Are you okay? You're not infected are you? Because if you're not you need to come with me and fast because there will probably be more 'Ugly's' coming and I don't know about you but, I don't feel like being around here for round two." The girl was quick with her speech, cutting down to the bare facts. Tayte appreciated this and smiled fully.
"Yeah, I'm good." She began to strip, "And you're right, round two will be worse thanks to your trigger finger." She caught herself, "No offense! I mean, thank you for saving my life and stuff." Then she went to work, taking her shirt and bra off, no time for modesty, "This will only take a second, I promise. I may not be infected now, but I don't want to know what happens if this blood seeps into my pores, you know? Watch the door?"
She talked as she moved, "I'm Tayte, and I've decided to trust you." Grabbing another tank top from her bag she wiped the rest of the blood from her body, then threw it and the already blood soaked one down. "Aren't you a lucky lady!" She pulled on a third new tank top, sans bra, Damn... I hate going braless, her leather jacket over that. "Or am I the lucky one because you totally just saved my gastro-intestinally distressed life?" Hastily chucking a couple of un-imperative items from her back pack so that it would close easier this time, she zipped it and threw it over her shoulder, grabbing her bat. "Alrighty, let's go!" She followed the girl out the door. "So what's your name?"
"Yeah, I'm good." Vi turned as soon as the girl began to strip down and change her clothes. As the girl changed her clothes Viola raised her gun at the door for the ready encase any unwanted visitors decided to drop in. You know never can be too careful. she thought. From behind her the girl spoke. "And you're right, round two will be worse thanks to your trigger finger. Vi rolled her eyes. No offense! I mean, thank you for saving my life and stuff." "Your welcome." Vi responded softening her voice but, keeping a strong stance.
"This will only take a second, I promise. I may not be infected now, but I don't want to know what happens if this blood seeps into my pores, you know? Watch the door?" " Already on it and Its okay just be thorough that way it doesn't happen."
"I'm Tayte by the way, and I've decided to trust you." Lucky me.Vi thought laughing and rolling her eyes. "Aren't you a lucky lady! Or am I the lucky one because you totally just saved my gastro-intestinally distressed life?" Viola laughed and turned around to look at Tayte for the first time taking in her olive skin, and shoulder-length, curly blonde hair that was pulled up in a messy pony tail. A few strands of hair falling out and into her bright green eyes and for that moment Viola knew she could trust her as well. "You know your pretty funny for the whole Apocalypse thing we're going through right now." Vi said smiling.Wow haven't done that in a while.She thought.
Tayte bent down and grabbed her back pack throwing it on one shoulder and setting her base ball bat on the other her stance strong and on full alert, as if anything could jump out at her at any minuet, not that Vi blamed her she felt the same way every single day since the outbreak.Hot damn!!! Vi thought smiling to herself. I was right it was a bat I heard. I'm pretty good. "Alrighty, let's go!" With that Vi turned and walked out the door Tayte following behind her. "So what's your name?" Tayte said as Viola jumped onto her bike and slid her gun in its holder. "I'm Viola, but you can call me Vi if you like. I figure we have about 15-16 minutes until the 'Ugly's' start a coming so hop on and we can go find a place to hide this and sleep for the night." Vi turned around to see Tayte's eyes widen when she saw the motorcycle. "come on she won't bite I promise and I'm a really safe drive." She said laughing mostly because it wasn't true she loved driving fast in fact she had three speeding tickets just to prove it and now that there were no limitations she was a maniac out on the road but, she was a safe maniac and had never crashed before so in her book that meant she was a safe driver. "besides it's the other psycho's you have to worry about." Vi smiled and held out her hand.
Tayte watched as the girl gracefully jumped onto the intimidating blue motorcycle that sat idling outside. "I'm Viola, but you can call me Vi if you like." Tayte nodded, "Vi it is. You can call me Tay if you're a fan of the nick-name." Stepping forward, Tayte could feel her adrenaline begin to throb again. She'd never really been one for motorcycles, preferring the safety of a roof over her head when in a vehicle. It felt less "open" somehow, less... "vulnerable."
"I figure we have about 15-16 minutes until the Ugly's start a coming so hop on and we can go find a palce to hide this and sleep for the night." Tayte's eyes widened at the idea of getting on the bike. The passenger seat looked comfortable enough but she wasn't sure how she felt about not being in control, so she stood awkwardly, in a limbo between wanting to stay on solid ground, and wanting desperately to get out of a place that would be crawling with blood hungry humans in 14.2 minutes. Vi helped her make the decision, "Come on, she won't bite I promise and I'm a really safe drive." Tayte watched as the girl chuckled a little and smiled in return. It struck her how much she'd been craving another human being, someone not bent on killing her, and she suddenly had a very warm feeling grow from the pit of her stomach. She apparently had a similar attitude to Tayte's, about not letting an apocalypse get you down.
Taking a step forward, Tayte could see the gleam in Viola's eyes. Hmm, safe driver huh? So what is that smirk about? Shaking her head on a chuckle, Tayte took the hand Viola offered as she clumsily kicked a leg up and over the other side of the bike to land with a thunk. "Besides, it's the other psycho's you have to worry about." Tayte set her bat on her lap and made sure both straps of her backpack were on, "God, don't I know it! And to answer your question, about my being so chipper in light of recent events? I just figure, why make bad situation worse, y'know?" She yipped as Viola kicked the bike into gear and took off, the knuckles of her right hand going white around the bat she held, while her left hand flew forward and around Viola, "Sorry, I'm not really the speed demon type. It's a quiet bike though, great choice! What about you? Why did you help me?"
"To answer your question, about my being so chipper in light of recent events? I just figure, why make a bad situation worse, y'know?" Viola nodded in agreement. "I know exactly what you mean.Trust me, I do." Viola frowned momentary and her shoulders tensed up as she started thinking about the family which she had never really gotten to know and how people always reacted when she told them she was an orphan, though she rarely told people because the whole, 'Oh. God how sad. I don't know what to say.', that she always got as people looked at her like she was broken really pissed her off and that's probably why she didn't have any friends or a foster family because really? When you tell someone something like that there's really no way you can make it better, no way to take away the pain, and no way to fix what was already broken.
As Viola kicked the bike into gear and took off, Tayte yelped and her left hand flew around Viola, "Sorry, I'm not really the speed demon type. It's a quiet bike though, great choice! What about you? Why did you help me?" Viola laughed and turned left, " Thank you and It's fine, but you might want to hold on. Tight. And also it helps if you lean into the turns, just kind of let yourself go I know its scary but, its amazing when you get the hang of it and so exhilarating. That why I have her. And as for why I helped you I figured I was still human right? and if the roles had been reversed and I was in your situation I would have wanted someone to come save my ass too. You know?" Viola shrugged matter of factually and took a right followed by a left and pulled to a stop turning the bike off. They were about 3.2 miles off and should be safe but just in case Vi closed her eyes and listened. It was quiet which was usually a good sign but still.Never can be too sure. Vi thought as she jumped off the bike and grabbed one of the handles " Okay, come on help me push this to the other side of the street to that shed over there. I need to hide it there. Oh!! And Tay, will you grab that pad lock and the chain out of the compartment please? Once it and half the supply's are locked up we can go into the hardware store about a half mile away from here. It should be safe and I use to work there so I know the layout." Vi turned and smiled at Tayte.
"Thank you and It's fine, but you might want to hold on. Tight." Tayte did so, as Viola continued to up the miles per hour and Tayte's adrenaline levels. They took a turn a little wobbily, "And also it helps if you lean into the turns, just kind of let yourself go I know its scary but, its amazing when you get the hang of it and so exhilarating. That why I have her."
Tayte breathed in deeply through her nose and thought to herself, Alright girl, you can make it through all this crazy-craziness, letting go a little on this beast can't hurt... right? She relaxed a little and followed Viola's movements as they took another turn. This one went by much smoother and was almost... fun. Tayte could have laughed out loud if she wasn't concerned with making too much extra noise.
"And as for why I helped you I figured I was still human right? and if the roles had been reversed and I was in your situation I would have wanted someone to come save my ass too. You know?" Viola shrugged matter of factly and Tayte grinned, "Absolutely. I do have to be honest though, I don't know if I'm as brave as you, to run in, guns blazing..." She thought of the woman who had screamed in the apartments and shook her head. Best to keep that to herself. While making ally's and friends was one thing, desperate times sometimes called for desperate measures. Tayte hated that she felt that way, but sometimes you had to do what you had to do. Viola parked the vehicle and hopped off, Tayte following shakily. She looked at Vi a moment and knew that she wouldn't ever sacrifice the girl. Not only had Vi saved her life, but she had a good heart, a kind soul. Tayte decided right there and then that Vi was a better person than Tay would ever be.
Tayte stood very still as she watched Vi close her eyes and listen. "Okay, come on help me push this to the other side of the street to that shed over there. I need to hide it there. Oh!! And Tay, will you grab that pad lock and the chain out of the compartment please? Once it and half the supply's are locked up we can go into the hardware store about a half mile away from here. It should be safe and I use to work there so I know the layout." Vi turned and smiled at Tayte, and Tayte smiled warmly in response, "You got it, El Commando! ... Commanda? ... Commander?" She screwed up her face, "Whatever, let's do this." Doing as she was asked, she grabbed the belongings needed out of the back compartment, then snapped it quietly shut again. Grabbing one handle, she helped push the bike into a corner and cover it with a dirty sheet. "That's super effective! Looks like a junker now!" She beamed at Vi. "Alright-y! Where to, boss?" She thrust her bat over shoulder and turned to follow the only person Tayte knew or trusted anymore.
"You got it, El Commando! ... Commanda? ... Commander?" Tayte screwed up her face, "Whatever, let's do this." Viola smiled and laughed at Tay and together each one of them grabbing one handle, and push the bike into a corner and cover it with a dirty sheet. "That's super effective! Looks like a junker now!" Tayte beamed at Vi while she laughed and rolled her eyes. "Alright-y! Where to, boss?" Vi smiled and knew right then that she could trust Tay with her life and for that second she was happier to have know she had meet one kind hearten person in this hell hole of a place even, if it would all end at any second.
"This way." Vi pointed at a ditch that followed the road and started to jog. "I use to walk when I went to work and I would find the strangest things. I use to think it so funny what would be abandoned out here and I always felt like I fit in here some how, seeing as how this is where the car accen-" Vi stopped talking and jogging at the same time and scrunched up her face shaking the memory clean from her mind. "Wow!! I'm so sorry, I have no idea where that came from." Vi grind lopsidedly and looked down." I ramble when I haven't had a lot of sleep or am stressed. So just try to disregard anything I say k?" Viola smiled at Tay and turned back around and keep jogging.
Coming out of the ditch after a half mile jog they finally ran across the road and safely to the back of the hardware store."I think we should go to the Employees lounge its going to be our safest bet plus they have food there if it hasn't been taken yet but, ummm just to be safe if something goes wrong and I don't make it out with you I want you to remember this; when you go to leave you want to make one left turn and two rights to get back to this exit and also there is a fire ax at the end of the hall when you take that first right that you can use and I also want you to have the spare key to my bike that way you can get the hell out of here as fast as you can okay?" Vi smiled as she pulled out the spare key and put it in Tayte's hand and shrugged , "But, don't worry I doubt anything will happen but, just in case you know?"
With that Vi pulled out her gun for protection and lead Tay into the hardware store pointing out the ax on the way that way she knew where it was. When they got to the only door leading into the room marked 'Employees Only' Vi opened the door to a large sized room colored a horad dark shad of baby barf green. As Vi surveyed the room she saw the familiar The Employees room with its two fully stocked vending machines, a refrigerator, and a microwave on one wall and a row of lockers on the opposing wall where the employees can store their belongings. In the middle of the room there were seven round tables with chairs around each one so that the employees had a place to sit when they needed to rest or wanted to eat lunch.
"We should do a sweep of the room just to be safe, then we can lock up for the night. That's what the chain and padlock are for." After the sweep they locked up and settled down at one of the tables. "Ill take first watch if you don't mind? You look like you could really get some rest But, lets eat something first because I don't know about you but, I am so hungry I could eat an elephant right now." Viola laughed and looked over at the fully stocked vending machine. getting up and walking over to one of the machines she dropped to he knees and pulled out her hand extendable back scratchier to help her get reach some of the higher things and stuck her arm through the slot and appreciated a bag of M&M's, A bag of Chexmix, one honey bun, and a bag of Cheetos.A feast fit for a king.She thought laughing, as she looked over at Tayte and asked. "Any requests?"
"This way." Tayte nodded then started after Violet as they began a slow jog. She listened with interest as Vi started a story of her past. Skidding to a stop a she jogged past Vi's sudden stop in speech and jogging, Tayte turned around with concern to see Vi frowning. "Wow!! I'm so sorry, I have no idea where that came from. I ramble when I haven't had a lot of sleep or am stressed. So just try to disregard anything I say k?"
Tatye rolled her eyes, "Oh please honey bunches of oats, don't be sorry! I don't need to know your history if you're not up for sharing it yet. And don't you worry about the rambling, I do it when I'm 100% rested and full. Shoot, I'm a ramblin' cowgirl." She faked pulling two guns from her hips "western" style and shooting down the alley way, blowing "smoke" off the tips of her fingers when she was done. Vi smiled and Tay watched her pick up the jog again. She had the distinct feeling that Vi had been about to say "car accident" which told her that it was a sad story, and she knew what that meant: deflect, deflect, deflect. She got it. Tayte definitely understood what it was like to have those hard memories that popped into your brain every now and then, and she understood that whey they did it was best to occupy that mind elsewhere or the pain would start again. She made another pact with herself then: Don't worry, Vi-lady, I'll be here when you need to talk, 'cause you will. Till then I won't ask questions if you don't! Shaking her head a little to pull herself out of her reverie, she turned and sprinted to catch up with Vi, who had gotten a good way down the block.
A couple minutes later, Tatye saw the hardware store. Grateful that she'd been in good shape, she slowed with Vi as they came around it's corner. "I think we should go to the Employees lounge its going to be our safest bet plus they have food there if it hasn't been taken yet but, ummm just to be safe if something goes wrong and I don't make it out with you-" Tay stopped listening. She didn't want to think that way, it wasn't right. She understood being prepared, sure, but thinking things like "if I don't make it out" tend to led to people not "making it out." At least, that's how it was in any horror film ever! Nope, nope, nope. She'd be prepared to take on the infected if need be, but she'd also make sure Vi "made it out" so she didn't want to make plans of any sort. If need be, she'd been on her own up until this point, so she could be again and would, but she refused to think that way. So, instead, she just smiled and nodded when Vi's speech patterns showed her that she'd finished talking and it was time for Tayte to respond. She was a little suprised when Vi set a key in her hand, then realized it would be to the bike.
"But, don't worry I doubt anything will happen but, just in case you know?"
"Oh, uh, yup! Definitely! Be prepared. Boy Scout motto, right? So, shall we see what's in this place?" Tayte pocketed the key and jabbed a thumb to the door they now stood in front of. She pulled her bat out from behind her where she'd stashed it while they ran (through the arm holes of her backpack and against the small of her back) as Vi pulled out her gun and opened the door cautiously. They moved in, Vi pointed to something off to the right and then made a beeline to the break room. Tayte following and turning to survey behind them. When they got inside, her stomach grumbled at the sight of doritoes in the vending machine, and then even more when she saw the Honey Buns. If there was one thing she adored about life, liberty and the pursuit of sugar it was Honey Buns. "You are my knight in shining armor, vending machine," Tayte said as she walked over and hugged it, whispering, "Thank you."
"We should do a sweep of the room just to be safe, then we can lock up for the night. That's what the chain and padlock are for." Tayte looked over, making a mock annoyed face, "Buzzkill!" Chuckling she moved about the room, making sure to double check the restroom too. They locked the door, and Tayte was grateful for the window in the door. They could hide so that no could see them, should they come into the store, but they could also see out if need be. That would come in hand. She stood and looked out at the story, eerie with all it's boxes and shelves, only the light coming in from off the street to illuminate things and cast creepy shadows.
"Ill take first watch if you don't mind? You look like you could really get some rest But, lets eat something first because I don't know about you but, I am so hungry I could eat an elephant right now." Tayte laughed along with Vi, turning and leaning her back on the door, "Are you just saying I look like shit in the nicest way possible? That's all anyone ever means when they say someone looks tired." She made a funny face, "But hey, if you're offering, what kind of girl would I be to turn down my... uh..." she paused as as he was trying to run a finger through her hair and found a twig in it, "When did that get there? Well, my 'beauty' sleep, anyway." She watched approvingly of Vi's back-scratcher trick. She saw the M&M's fall, then the chex mix, then was bored and turned to look back out the window. Clunk. Clunk. Two more items.
She was looking out the window at the creepy store when she saw movement. Get a grip, Tay. Probably just your mind. Viola's right, y'know. You do need sle-- nope, nope. That was definitely movement! She moved to the side so as not to be seen and kept her eye on the movement, opening her mouth to warn Viola, she was cut off, "Any requests?"
Tayte kept her focus on the movement she saw in the corner of the store, putting a finger up to her mouth to signify silence to Vi. How had they missed this? Crap. Now they were just sitting in a box of death. She felt like the Honey Bun in the machine, looking out a window at what was surely impending doom: The jaws of humans. Wait... there's... she squinted and blocked the light of the employees room with her hand, "A little girl! No, a group of people. Oh my god, Vi!" She whispered excitedly as the adrenaline began to pump in her for the thousandth time that day. "Guns are drawn, now they're not... should we... what do we do?" She turned and looked at Vi, "More importantly, is that a Honey Bun?!"
