Introduction
“I have heard the languages of apocalypse,
and now I shall embrace the silence.”
― Neil Gaiman
CHAT - Also use this to work on collaborative posts.
and now I shall embrace the silence.”
― Neil Gaiman
CHAT - Also use this to work on collaborative posts.
It's 2035. Twenty years ago, earth went under a catastrophic dry spell produced by frequent and powerful solar blasts from the sun. Due to the solar waves, electricity went into a surge overdrive and power throughout the entire world went out. Humanity panicked for they were not ready for this change. Half the population were able to find refuge underground, hidden away from the scorching world above, but even then, the majority of the refugies died from diseases and lack of medical care. A year underground proved to be even more dangerous than the rays above, but eventually, as earth cooled once more, people have begun to rise above, only 100,000 of the population remained, all scattered throughout the dry lands. Some in groups, others solo, while some had decided to stay in their home-towns and try surviving with little resource.
Traveling during daylight hours proved to be dangerous if you're not covered, there was little UV protection left in the skies above, the smart ones traveled at night. But again, wild animals that have survived, prowl for prey, not to mention bandits and people who've resorted to doing everything possible for just a bite of flesh, maybe even your flesh.
20 years after the apocalypse, there is word of an oasis where the Great Lakes used to reside, and word traveled across Northern America, drawing those who are not afraid to travel. Here we have a small group taking hike towards the Great Lakes with the same goal of surviving, their travels begin right outside New York- the deeper out of the city, the more danger.
Here is the character sheet (Copyright to Averagebear):
Traveling during daylight hours proved to be dangerous if you're not covered, there was little UV protection left in the skies above, the smart ones traveled at night. But again, wild animals that have survived, prowl for prey, not to mention bandits and people who've resorted to doing everything possible for just a bite of flesh, maybe even your flesh.
20 years after the apocalypse, there is word of an oasis where the Great Lakes used to reside, and word traveled across Northern America, drawing those who are not afraid to travel. Here we have a small group taking hike towards the Great Lakes with the same goal of surviving, their travels begin right outside New York- the deeper out of the city, the more danger.
Here is the character sheet (Copyright to Averagebear):
- Code: Select all
[justify][center][size=200](CHARACTER NAME GOES HERE)[/size][/center]
[right][img]Must be realistic, align how you want it.[/img][/right]
[size=120][u]BASICS[/u][/size]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Nickname:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Sexuality:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b]
[b]Nationality:[/b] (You're allowed to be from all around the world)
[size=120][u]APPEARANCE[/u][/size]
[b]Eyes:[/b]
[b]Hair:[/b]
[b]Height:[/b]
[b]Weight:[/b]
[b]Skin Tone:[/b]
[b]Build:[/b]
[b]Body Markings:[/b]
[b]Voice:[/b]
[b]Description:[/b] (at least a paragraph)
[size=120][u]MENTALITY[/u][/size]
[b]Quirks:[/b]
[b]Fears:[/b]
[b]Likes:[/b]
[b]Dislikes:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b] (at least a paragraph)
[size=120][u]EQUIPMENT[/u][/size]
[b]Clothing:[/b]
[b]Carried Items:[/b]
[b]Main Weapon:[/b] (Describe in full.)
[size=120][u]COMBATIVENESS[/u][/size]
[b]Skills:[/b] (at least two) [list]
[*][i](useful attribute you were born with):[/i] (description of attribute)
[*][i](useful good attribute you were born with):[/i] (description of attribute) [/list]
[b]Weaknesses:[/b] (at least two) [list]
[*][i](something you're lacking in regards to battle):[/i] (description of weakness)
[*][i](another thing you're lacking in regards to battle):[/i] (description of weakness) [/list]
[size=120][u]HISTORY[/u][/size]
[b]Marital Status:[/b]
[b]Family:[/b]
[b]History:[/b] More than two full paragraphs.
[b]Relations:[/b] (Thoughts about the others in the group.[/justify]
- 36 posts here • Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2
The Story So Far... Write a Post » as written by 8 authors
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Vlad Fostorov-- or Wade Foster now for the last twenty years, looked out over the barren fields they planned to cover tomorrow. The blistering heat of the sun had left them virtually soaked through, and it was good, it was the way the human body can cool itself. Slipping the dark scarf off his face, Wade wiped his moist skin with the rag he held clutched in his right hand. They'd been walking for the most part of the day, trying to cover the distance that was left out of the city. It was never wise to get caught in between, between wilderness and city lies many nooks and crannies that individuals can make camp-- bandits used that opportunity. Despite the sun tiring the group out, it was fairly calm and quiet. Now with the ball of fire slit by the horizon, Wade decided to stop. "Ve make camp over dere," he called out, pointing his gloved finger towards a one-floor building that looked like a remnant of a hotel, it's presence masked by the heat rising off the asphalt, disrupting the image. "Just for couple hours," Wade then added, slipping the scarf off entirely and tucking it in the back pocket of his pants.
The brute of a man walked beside Sato and Kitty, who kept her face covered until the sun would be properly gone. She'd had enough damage to give her permanent freckles. The girl squinted against the light, staring in the direction that Wade pointed, whatever was left of the Hotel's entrance read 'Georgia Inn', but to Kitty, the letters were foreign, more of decorations than an actual title. She had never learned how to read and Wade didn't have the resources nor patience to teach a child to read. Kitty glanced at each individual in the group, smiled beneath the scarf but said nothing. It was time they rested, everyone seemed exhausted, she was sure no one would complain.
The quarter of a mile that separated them from the hotel seemed to drag on, and as feet shuffled and the group walked, the sun lowered slowly but surely. By the time they reached the front entrance, what was left of the sun was just a small strip of light lining the horizon, thought there was enough evening light not to leave them in pitch dark. The way the hotel was constructed, the front entrance along with the windows lining it had shattered overtime, parallel to it, there was a wall of windows at some point, show-casing a grand pool in the back of the hotel. As the group crossed the non-existent entrance, the glass beneath their feet crackled under the pressure, making their steps far louder than it had been on the asphalt. Kitty broke from the companionship of Wade and Sato and strided over to the other end of the open lobby, observing the large pool which was cracked by now, empty with debris at the bottom of it. She was fascinated by everything that the previous world offered, and her imagination often ran amok with the ideas of what 'this' or 'that' could have been.
Before they could settle in, there was always that need to carefully inspect every corner of the building, mainly the breakfast room adjoining the lobby. Separation was never good, so the idea of separate rooms for each one of them would never cross as a good idea to Wade. The breakfast room had enough comfort to provide them for a couple of hours of sleep, or relaxation if one or the other couldn't sleep. It was time to kick back for a bit, the daytime trek had probably exhausted each and everyone of them.
Dark, dirty rugs were scattered all around the room, and although the breakfast room was virtually open to the outside atmosphere through the door leading into the lobby and out the two remnants of glass walls, it was enough of 'inside' that they would get, as long as it had a roof. A spot for a fireplace was a comforting sight, for the nights were freezing, and the amount of broken chairs and shredded couches were somewhat useful. Over the years it seemed, ivy and other contagious plants had began taking over the building, windows were shattered and the plants seeped in, giving it an ethereal appearance. This was home for now.
"Kat," Wade called out, shaking the girl from her daydreams, without having him say anything more, she backed away from the pool and re-entered the hotel, folding her arms across her chest in what looked like a self-embrace. Wade turned to the others, as if visually counting the group, then just like that turned and strode into the breakfast room, breaking into labor to move a few broken chairs and tables away from the fireplace. "I'll start de fire," he explained, knowing full well that it was necessary, for light and for heat.
The brute of a man walked beside Sato and Kitty, who kept her face covered until the sun would be properly gone. She'd had enough damage to give her permanent freckles. The girl squinted against the light, staring in the direction that Wade pointed, whatever was left of the Hotel's entrance read 'Georgia Inn', but to Kitty, the letters were foreign, more of decorations than an actual title. She had never learned how to read and Wade didn't have the resources nor patience to teach a child to read. Kitty glanced at each individual in the group, smiled beneath the scarf but said nothing. It was time they rested, everyone seemed exhausted, she was sure no one would complain.
The quarter of a mile that separated them from the hotel seemed to drag on, and as feet shuffled and the group walked, the sun lowered slowly but surely. By the time they reached the front entrance, what was left of the sun was just a small strip of light lining the horizon, thought there was enough evening light not to leave them in pitch dark. The way the hotel was constructed, the front entrance along with the windows lining it had shattered overtime, parallel to it, there was a wall of windows at some point, show-casing a grand pool in the back of the hotel. As the group crossed the non-existent entrance, the glass beneath their feet crackled under the pressure, making their steps far louder than it had been on the asphalt. Kitty broke from the companionship of Wade and Sato and strided over to the other end of the open lobby, observing the large pool which was cracked by now, empty with debris at the bottom of it. She was fascinated by everything that the previous world offered, and her imagination often ran amok with the ideas of what 'this' or 'that' could have been.
Before they could settle in, there was always that need to carefully inspect every corner of the building, mainly the breakfast room adjoining the lobby. Separation was never good, so the idea of separate rooms for each one of them would never cross as a good idea to Wade. The breakfast room had enough comfort to provide them for a couple of hours of sleep, or relaxation if one or the other couldn't sleep. It was time to kick back for a bit, the daytime trek had probably exhausted each and everyone of them.
Dark, dirty rugs were scattered all around the room, and although the breakfast room was virtually open to the outside atmosphere through the door leading into the lobby and out the two remnants of glass walls, it was enough of 'inside' that they would get, as long as it had a roof. A spot for a fireplace was a comforting sight, for the nights were freezing, and the amount of broken chairs and shredded couches were somewhat useful. Over the years it seemed, ivy and other contagious plants had began taking over the building, windows were shattered and the plants seeped in, giving it an ethereal appearance. This was home for now.
"Kat," Wade called out, shaking the girl from her daydreams, without having him say anything more, she backed away from the pool and re-entered the hotel, folding her arms across her chest in what looked like a self-embrace. Wade turned to the others, as if visually counting the group, then just like that turned and strode into the breakfast room, breaking into labor to move a few broken chairs and tables away from the fireplace. "I'll start de fire," he explained, knowing full well that it was necessary, for light and for heat.
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Unlike Kitty, Cora Cameron could read a little. She'd received a larger sum of tutelage than most were able to get these days, from the man who had raised her from birth. That had been eight years ago, however, before her fragile lifestyle had been torn to pieces by raiders. Cora squinted at the words, her eyes the only skin showing through the dark blue scarf that was covering her face. The first one, 'Georgia', was foreign to her; she had little clue as to what it meant. But the second word, 'inn', put her on her guard. She knew an inn to be a place in which people had stayed to rest, in the world before. Surely an inn would be a likely place for others to choose as a resting point as well. And if there were others, there was always the potential that they were hostile.
Cora winced at the crackling noise her boots made as they crossed over broken glass. Too loud, but there was little way around it. Her hand rested around the hilt of a large hunting knife tucked under the front of her belt, fingers ready to tighten around the grip at the first sign of trouble. With the others she made a thorough inspection of the building, ensuring that they were in fact alone. Once satisfied, Cora visibly relaxed, her hand finally leaving the knife hilt and returning to her side. It was a good place to rest for a few hours.
In the shade at last, Cora found a chair just inside the entrance and set her messenger bag down upon it. She untied the scarf from her face, allowing it to fall loosely around her neck, and pulled down her hood, letting a tangled mass of black hair fall, damp with sweat. In a while it would be freezing, but for the moment Cora just wanted to cool down. It had been a hot day, and traveling in it meant that they needed to cover up. It was like cooking themselves inside their own clothes. She unzipped her self-fashioned sleeveless hoodie and pulled it off, before removing her long sleeved shirt, and shoving both articles of clothing in the bag. Wearing only a black tank top now, the feeling of rapidly cooling air against her damp skin was delightfully refreshing. With a contented sigh she slid down into the chair, dropping her bag onto the ground next to it, and stretching her legs out in front of her. The feeling of getting off her feet came close to cooling down.
She gave the others a small, close-lipped smile as they began settling in. There hadn't been much talk during the day's travel, which had only been Cora's second with Wade's group. She felt slightly uncomfortable being the newest member of the group, but from what she'd gathered so far, the group as a whole hadn't been together for very long, apart from Wade and Kitty, that was. They seemed like a nice enough, capable enough bunch, and their company sure beat traveling the wastes on one's own. Solitude was something Cora had experienced for long periods before, and it wasn't something she enjoyed.
She found that she'd been drifting nearest to Boston for most of the day's walk. He reminded her of a guy she knew a while back. And in a group of strangers, a mere resemblance could serve as a comfort. She distantly wondered if he'd noticed her walking near him during the day. Not that the formation in which they walked mattered, but still.
It was nice to be back with good people again. Cora found that she didn't much care for the bad, even if they had a higher survival rate.
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Like the others, Rio gently tugged and pulled away the blue scarf, moist with her sweat and tossed it to the ground where she also shrugged off her sports bag. Holes and tears made up most of what she was wearing, giving breathing room for her skin as the group walked endlessly in the daytime. Her eyes carefully watched as Kitty moved over towards the cracked pool, staring at it with a curious gleam in her young eyes. While Wade's deep voice, thick with his Russian accent called out for the girl, Rio couldn't help but wander over to the pool. As she stepped carefully over a few broken items and debris most likely left from bandits or animals running amok, she bent down and reached a hand out to lightly trace the edge of the pool with her slim fingers. She was amazed she could be overwhelmed with nostalgia simply from seeing what used to be such a normal thing for people.
Shaking her head, several small hairs hit her face and in annoyance she let out a small string of curses. "Stupid hair, probably time for another trim.." She mumbled under her breath, silently wishing she could find a pair of scissors around so she wouldn't have to use a knife to cut it again. The gnawing feeling the blade created when cutting against her hair always made her scalp ache for several days after. Absentmindedly, Rio's eyes would glance up to take a small peek at everyone around the room. Wade, always the hardy leader was looking to make room for them all and get a fire going. Kat, never quite far from her uncle's side, was standing around holding her arms tight to her chest as if wrapping herself in her own tight hug. Cora was relaxing in a chair nearby, something Rio herself was looking forward to doing very soon. While the others continued wandering inside and looking around, a warm feeling of peace seemed to wash over the woman.
These people weren't ones she had known for very long, but they were all she left. After being with them for a few months, Rio had found herself beginning to care about each individual she had grown close to, and the very feeling frightened her. It was possible that at any time, any of these people could suddenly wish to leave or even die. Then what? She would be forced to go on just to survive, having to live with another death on her shoulders as well as more days without sleep. The very reason was why for months she stayed on her own after her brother left her. If you were alone in the world, there would be no one's death to mourn. Less sorrow to bear, and no tears to shed.
"BAH" Rio would suddenly exclaim, kicking a small wooden table leg that appeared to have broken off one of the tables, and it hitting the wall in front of her directly. She would give a satisfied smile to no one in particular and shake her head as if attempting to shake away all the thoughts she was having. Living in these times one couldn't afford to mope and reminisce in their head for too long. It would make you go crazy and that was one of the last things Rio wanted. Food and water? Yup. Crazy feelings? Nope. The smile remained on her face even after she began helping Wade move some the crap that was surrounding the room, as well as looking around for anything that could be potentially useful.
"Don't know about you lot, but I'm looking forward to a better nights sleep tonight. I'm no princess but sleeping in a shoddy hotel like this definitely beats sleeping on the road." Her voice rose enough so that everyone around could hear her, but not loud enough so that if there was anyone else around they wouldn't be alerted.
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A collaborative post by Airanea and Kincaid
With the blistering heat falling heavy on each traveling member their spirits seemed to be slowly wearing thin, the distance crossed seemed so much longer than it was in the minds of the exhausted. Each foot landing seemed to be heavier than the last and each breath taken thicker than the one before. A place of rest had to be found eventually - perhaps it was the just that thought - a thought of an ending that kept each individual moving along, then again it could have been the push of life or death - we all had made that choice.
Small beads of sweat had been felt drizzling down the small of Jessica's back, her skin moist and sticky, the not so thin fabric of her thermal quickly becoming drenched throughout the long journey to find the pit stop of this night. Had her face not been covered by the UV ray protected mask strain and misery would have been seen although no signs of it showed in the way she carried herself, not a complaint was peeped. Quick glances had been passed to Frank seeing his soaking wet hair allow for small droplets of salty sweat residue to slide down upon the raggedy scarf which covered his face, a sign that the journey in the blazing sun was slowly taking its toll on him. With his sweater slung over his shoulder as he walked, trying to allow as much air into his sweat stained shirt to keep his body cool. With each passing glance she opened her mouth to speak but it seemed she had nothing to say - and so the silent journey continued.
Francis sluggishly reached back into his bag, rummaging around until a jar barely filled with water was produced, with his free hand he gave her a playful shove as the glass jar was risen in jester for them to share.
With a unseen roll of her eyes at the shove - and a small smirk - Jessica gratefully lifted her mask to take a small sip. "I owe you, remind me when we stop." Barely audible but still a gesture of thanks, in her own special way.
"Not a problem." He let out in a raspy voice before he took a sip of his own. As the water flooded his mouth and eased the pain of dehydration another voice sounded from up ahead.
"Ve make camp over dere," The accent and deep baritone giving way to Wade, not to mention his obvious need for commanding those around him.
"Veal make de camp dis way!" Jessica mocked under her breath, the heat causing for extra irritation in her piss poor mood this day - although being far enough behind the others Francis would be the only one who had a chance of hearing so. A small laugh escaped from his unseen smirk.
"Dah I zink dat waz a great imprezzion." He said happily yet his voice stil hoarse. A loud burst of soaring laughter blasted from between Jessica's ripe red lips - which would be loud enough for the others to hear. A soft shake of her head let waves of uncontrolled hair flow with the motion, staring off into the distance the Georgia Inn was seen, and her pace began to quicken to close the distance. Frank looked to his side as Jessica's walk sped up and met his. "Glad you got a laugh out of that." He said with a cheerful voice.
"Shut it Grizzly Adams." She retorted quickly, trying to hide the obvious humor in her voice. Reaching out he gave her a poke in the side, making her squirm a bit with held in laughter. Beneath the small chime of laughter Frank could feel a set of smoldering eyes burning him with a glare of despise - the joys of living with someone for so long, you don't have to see to know.
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"You know, if you keep up your bullshit I will leave you out here to rot" Jessica said obviously joking as they walked into the broken down hotel, as a small rock was making its way across the short distance between them headed for the center of his back, although she aimed for his skull. A light ping could be heard as it hit the soaked shirt on him
"I think you just broke me..... yup you finally did it, I'm broke." He said jokingly as he dropped to his knees. While Frank dropped to his knees Jessica quickly yanked off her mask exposing a very shinny dirt smeared face, her boots crunched random bits of debris giving away her position as she neared him.
"Oh thank god, it's about time; I've only been trying for nearly a year and a half!" Spoken as she bent over and wiped her face off with the end of his scarf.
"Do you think I'll ever be able to play the piano again doc?" He said in a playful manner with a protruding bottom lip.
"Yeah sure, why not" She snapped back before nipping at the tip of his nose and started to strut away from his still kneeling body.
"Awesome, I didn't know how to play it before." He said as he stood back up and stretched his tense back out.
With a huff of breath Jessica passed by Cora's lounging self, giving the girl a quick pat on the shoulder as if to say 'we made it' then quickly found herself a spot on the floor and began removing layers of clothes - Figuring it would be best to hang them over the fire before the bone chilling cold set in for the long night ahead. As Frank passed Cora he gave her one of his usual cheerful smiles and a nod. As he made his way closer to Jessica, he took his que from her and removed the sweat drenched button up from his body, the cold air feeling extremely refreshing after a long day in the scorching sun. It was strange watching the two of them together, they never really talked strategy of survival and yet they seemed to have a system, feeding off one anothers actions. As he hung his shirt to dry out, he removed his heavy peacoat from his bag and set his back pack as a pillow for the night.
While Frank set up his situation Jessica let those taunting blue eyes linger from face to face as she slowly scooted her rear across the floor until her back hit a wall. Leaning into the hard surface it was obvious that she relaxed some, hiding the twisted scars that marked her back. Within the long time spent between the two of them, they had picked up on some of each other’s little quirks and peeves, this is one that Frank knew well as he took his peacoat over to her and handed it off. She didn't respond to him verbally but a small sheen in her eyes thanked him, taking the jacket she carefully wrapped it about her shoulders before digging in her pack and pulling out her nearly full bottle of Jack, while nodding her head in agreeance to Rio's statement. "Anyone else need a drink?" those soft fluid words spread across the room much like the faint smile on her face.
"Yeah me, you owe me remember." He said with a smile as he laid down in front of her and rested his head on his bag.
Slowly untwisting the cap she lifted the bottle to parted awaiting lips, letting the thick alcohol fill her mouth, letting it rest on her tongue before swallowing and letting the burn warm her innards whilst the bottle was held out in front of her for Frank to take. The offer still remained for anyone else to help themselves, and then curiosity struck.
"Say Wade, how long did you say this trip would take again?" Peering over at the big Russian brute from the corner of her eyes.
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Pulling off his face mask, Yuuta looked around the hotel assessing the exits available to them and signs of recent "occupancy" despite his exhaustion. It seems that most of them in the group have been habituated to this sort of inspection which is even more reason why it was important to travel as a group. The image of the empty pool jotted memories of watching the Olympics and he smiled watching Kitty being fascinated by it, making a mental reminder to tell her about swimming competition and that sort of thing. It had been a long time since he could share about the other world, he was grateful more than his face could show for group' companionship even though he could feel Wade observing him intensely on more than one occasion not that he minded. As his eyes lingered on the empty pool for awhile, he could not help noticing Rio's expression as she touched the pool's algae covered ceramic tiles. He pushed away his thoughts about the absurdity of their nostalgia.
Yuuta shuffled uncomfortably as Wade suggested, rather, he just went about starting the fire. Yuuta had not dared the luxury of starting a fire at night, especially when he was alone, for the fact it draws people not unlike moths to a flame. Apparently, Wade looked confident as always with his decisions and Yuuta slowly eased himself into feeling an odd sense of safety. "Don't know about you lot, but I'm looking forward to a better nights sleep tonight. I'm no princess but sleeping in a shoddy hotel like this definitely beats sleeping on the road, " Rio commented. "This is literally a five star accommodation compared to many other places," Yuuta said honestly, taking out his sleeping bag. He sneaked away to change and came back almost as quickly that nobody realised. Frank and Jessica relaxed and started offering drinks. Yuuta took out some barbecued rat meat and passed it around, while many animals had become extinct, rodents somehow survived perhaps by pure reproduction speed. "Rat," he said plainly.
It was then, Jessica broke the calm with her question. The fire that Wade had started cackled softly in the background. Yuuta knew they were near New York City from the faded road signs and if his geography was right, they will soon reach Ontario Lake. The presence of the various plants that adorned the old hotel meant that there was definitely a certain level of rainfall in the area. The possibility that the Lake was still exists was very high, at least from Yuuta's inference.
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The days trek had been fairly long, the sun hot as all hell, and he had to keep lifting a hand to wipe the sweat before it fell into his eyes and stung. It was times like that Boston really missed home, the snow mostly. Nostalgia aside Boston had acquired a new-found habit of making sure he kept everyone in the group to his right - where he could hear them properly. At the same time it almost didn't matter because all day he had been in his own little world, lost in thought not really acknowledging anyone yet somehow remaining aware to some extent purely out of habit. He was aware enough to make sure that as their misfit band of travelers trekked across the sun cracked wasteland, he remained a good deal to the left of everyone, even taking periodic glances with his icy eyes to survey the surroundings and make sure they wouldn't be caught off guard before slipping back into his own head for a while. As usual though, he'd allowed himself to wander off a few times usually to pluck some random and possibly useful item of two and stuff it in his bag for later. However on one or two of those occasions it was really just to have a brief moment to himself and perhaps also a little to test the waters with Wade to figure out just how much free reign he had. Ultimately though, they trudged along step by sweaty step towards whatever destination the Russian had planned for them. Minutes felt like hours and the only indication that any time was actually passing was when the twenty-five year old tossed a wayward glance up to see where the sun was in the sky and how close it was until nightfall. Suddenly pulling him from his thoughts was tell tale Russian accent of Wade as he broke the silence and pointed them towards the days refuge in the form of a place called: "Georgia Inn".
Trailing behind the group, perhaps out of some sort of protective instinct, Boston looked smoothly over his shoulder one final time before entering the building and shutting the door behind him and the others. Striding with sudden impatience over to one of the corners, let his bag slide and drop from his shoulder. The brunette male pushed back his hood and slid his sunglasses into a spot atop his head, half buried in his currently moist hair that stuck up in odd places. Next removed was the ski mask that protected his face followed soon after by his leather jacket and then the hooded zip-up sweatshirt underneath that. He continued to shrug off his top layers until he was almost at the lowest layer of clothing; Jeans and a white tank top. He felt disgusting, and with an eye sweep of the room, he wasn't the only one who was covered in a layer of dirt and multiple layers of sweat. Finally peeling off his tank top, he folded his articles of clothing messily and resolved to soak them in some water if he had the chance otherwise he'd just let it dry out for now.
Focusing on the group now for a moment he noticed Wade had began preparing the fire and others were conversing back and forth. Boston took another moment to stretch before puffing his out his cheeks and letting out an exhale of relief. He could cool down now and relax, even just a little. Hearing mention of a good nights sleep he couldn't help but agree, but at the same time he wondered if they'd sleep in shifts tonight, in case anything were to happen. "I'm gonna look around, see if there's anything useful" He announced to no one in particular before starting towards the adjacent room. If anyone wanted to join him he wouldn't object, but he wasn't about to ask either. First and foremost right now, he was searching for a bathroom and however unlikely, running water. A shower sounded damn great about now.
Trailing behind the group, perhaps out of some sort of protective instinct, Boston looked smoothly over his shoulder one final time before entering the building and shutting the door behind him and the others. Striding with sudden impatience over to one of the corners, let his bag slide and drop from his shoulder. The brunette male pushed back his hood and slid his sunglasses into a spot atop his head, half buried in his currently moist hair that stuck up in odd places. Next removed was the ski mask that protected his face followed soon after by his leather jacket and then the hooded zip-up sweatshirt underneath that. He continued to shrug off his top layers until he was almost at the lowest layer of clothing; Jeans and a white tank top. He felt disgusting, and with an eye sweep of the room, he wasn't the only one who was covered in a layer of dirt and multiple layers of sweat. Finally peeling off his tank top, he folded his articles of clothing messily and resolved to soak them in some water if he had the chance otherwise he'd just let it dry out for now.
Focusing on the group now for a moment he noticed Wade had began preparing the fire and others were conversing back and forth. Boston took another moment to stretch before puffing his out his cheeks and letting out an exhale of relief. He could cool down now and relax, even just a little. Hearing mention of a good nights sleep he couldn't help but agree, but at the same time he wondered if they'd sleep in shifts tonight, in case anything were to happen. "I'm gonna look around, see if there's anything useful" He announced to no one in particular before starting towards the adjacent room. If anyone wanted to join him he wouldn't object, but he wasn't about to ask either. First and foremost right now, he was searching for a bathroom and however unlikely, running water. A shower sounded damn great about now.
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Cora was rather familiar with the current feeling she had. Being on the outside and all. As the newest member of the group, she wondered just how suspicious the others were of her. She could tell pretty easily that Wade didn't trust her yet, and it wasn't like she could blame him. She hadn't done anything to earn anyone's trust yet. If she was going to be with the group for an extended period, this was something she was looking to change. The last thing Cora wanted was to look like she was just hitching a ride with these people, using them as protection, sharing their supplies. It had been a while since she'd had any good friends, and she was more than ready to have a few again. Although, that of course came with the risk of losing them. That feeling of loss almost made the effort of making friends not worth it to begin with. She suspected many of the others understood this. It was a fact of everyday life now.
From her relaxed position, Cora watched Rio near the pool, tracing the edge. Cora couldn't remember ever finding a pool that wasn't empty like this one. It seemed a waste of water, to just leave it sitting around, waiting for people to swim in it. Not that Cora knew how to swim. That was something her old caretaker couldn't teach her. One of the few things.
She was pulled from her thoughts by a pat on the shoulder, and turned to see Jessica stride by with Frank. The two were in the middle of rather playful conversation. Even though she'd only known them a few days, Cora could recognize that the two had a pretty strong bond. She returned Frank's smile and nod as he passed by. When Jessica offered her bottle of Jack to the group, Cora just politely shook her head. She was not a drinker in any sense of the word. For one, she hated the taste. And two, she understood that the effects would make her...less capable. Perhaps she was a little too wary, but Cora wasn't going to take the chance. In the event that she needed to move or act quickly, she didn't want intoxication getting in the way.
Boston came in last, moving swiftly over to a corner of the room. Cora couldn't help but glance his direction multiple times as he stripped down to his lowest layer, a simple tank top and jeans. She made sure to avert her eyes when he looked around the room. She didn't want to seem weird or anything. By the time she looked back, though, he'd removed even his tank top. Cora certainly didn't find him difficult to look at, and she felt herself getting a bit red in the face for doing so.
Wade began work on a fire. Boston stated his intention to begin scavenging the building. The others were conversing, or going about their own business.
"I'll help, if you like," Cora said, standing. She felt a little guilty for sitting around when others were working, especially when she was so new to the group. Although there was no point lying to herself; she was interested in getting to know Boston a little better. Having a friend in the group certainly couldn't hurt. And there was little chance they'd find much of value, as the place had likely been looted dozens of times before this.
Regardless, Cora pulled her knife from her belt and dropped it in her bag. Pulling her tank top down over her belt, she followed Boston into the adjacent room.
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Before he got to far, Boston turned briefly back to his belongings fishing out a small, surprisingly clean towel from somewhere within the contents of his bag, along with a fresh t-shirt. Also plucking out the canteen of water he had, the former items were slung over his shoulder, the latter stuffed in his back pocket. After making the group aware of his whereabouts, he started yet again towards the connecting room. For whatever reason, he hadn't been expecting anyone to want to join but the still somewhat unfamiliar voice of Cora spoke up. With the multiple conversations flowing back and forth across the room, he had to actively lift his gaze up and crane his neck around to see where she was to make sure she was speaking to him. A moments eye contact seemed to confirm so, and with a subtle upwards motion of his chin in acknowledgement he agreed. "Yeah, sure."
Boston didn't wait though, he progressed into the next room a few moments before the girl could follow. As he stepped through the threshold there was a slight crunch under his boots due to broken glass. Pausing for a second as he did a general survey of the room he suddenly became aware of a few things. One, the room smelled strongly of musty disuse. Two, as expected it appeared as if everyone and their mothers had looted this place, twice - what with the flipped over furniture, torn couch cushions, and the amount of draws and overall debris that littered the room. & three, that the glass he had stepped on was part of a larger mirror and that what was left of said mirror just a few feet away was currently angled just right for him to turn and notice the relatively large, jagged and puckered mark between his shoulder blades. A grimace brandished Boston's features for a moment as the memory came flooding back in seconds.
Rapid footfalls. Labored breathing. Panicked yells of formation, strategy, and the ratio of the them versus us. He could hear the pop of gun fire, and there was a ringing in his ears. "Shit, Charlie -" Boston began, trying to talk between strides and pants. "I think they got Chad, and Trent, we need t-"
The sound of shoe on glass again quickly brought the young man crashing back to earth to rejoin reality where he did his best to resist the urge to swing around and face the individual he had only briefly forgotten was Cora. He restrained himself well and the only visible sign of his momentary distress was the startled look in his eyes as his gaze flickered sharply towards her upon entering. Within a blink of two it was gone and replaced with the habitual gesture of raking a hand through his hair as he stepped forward some more muttering a slightly delayed; "Watch your step.".
Making his way to the side of the room opposite the half shattered mirror Boston left Cora to explore the other half of the room as he examined what was left of disarrayed front desk, and it's few draws that hadn't been tossed around. After a minute or two, and noting nothing of practical value, he scooped of a partially torn pile of papers that seemed to be a list of past residents at the inn. His eyes moved down the list with a dull curiosity reading a few of the names and flipping through a few pages until he reached a local travelers brochure of sorts - in essence, a map. After a moment he narrowed his gaze towards Cora as he set the pile of papers down but waggled the 'map' slightly in the air. "Travelers guide." He explained tossing his shoulders back in a shrug, but tucking it into his pocket anyway. He had the feeling that nothing else useful would be around - "You find anything..?" He then asked turning towards the decrepit stairs deciding inwardly if it'd be worth and or safe to climb.
Boston didn't wait though, he progressed into the next room a few moments before the girl could follow. As he stepped through the threshold there was a slight crunch under his boots due to broken glass. Pausing for a second as he did a general survey of the room he suddenly became aware of a few things. One, the room smelled strongly of musty disuse. Two, as expected it appeared as if everyone and their mothers had looted this place, twice - what with the flipped over furniture, torn couch cushions, and the amount of draws and overall debris that littered the room. & three, that the glass he had stepped on was part of a larger mirror and that what was left of said mirror just a few feet away was currently angled just right for him to turn and notice the relatively large, jagged and puckered mark between his shoulder blades. A grimace brandished Boston's features for a moment as the memory came flooding back in seconds.
Rapid footfalls. Labored breathing. Panicked yells of formation, strategy, and the ratio of the them versus us. He could hear the pop of gun fire, and there was a ringing in his ears. "Shit, Charlie -" Boston began, trying to talk between strides and pants. "I think they got Chad, and Trent, we need t-"
The sound of shoe on glass again quickly brought the young man crashing back to earth to rejoin reality where he did his best to resist the urge to swing around and face the individual he had only briefly forgotten was Cora. He restrained himself well and the only visible sign of his momentary distress was the startled look in his eyes as his gaze flickered sharply towards her upon entering. Within a blink of two it was gone and replaced with the habitual gesture of raking a hand through his hair as he stepped forward some more muttering a slightly delayed; "Watch your step.".
Making his way to the side of the room opposite the half shattered mirror Boston left Cora to explore the other half of the room as he examined what was left of disarrayed front desk, and it's few draws that hadn't been tossed around. After a minute or two, and noting nothing of practical value, he scooped of a partially torn pile of papers that seemed to be a list of past residents at the inn. His eyes moved down the list with a dull curiosity reading a few of the names and flipping through a few pages until he reached a local travelers brochure of sorts - in essence, a map. After a moment he narrowed his gaze towards Cora as he set the pile of papers down but waggled the 'map' slightly in the air. "Travelers guide." He explained tossing his shoulders back in a shrug, but tucking it into his pocket anyway. He had the feeling that nothing else useful would be around - "You find anything..?" He then asked turning towards the decrepit stairs deciding inwardly if it'd be worth and or safe to climb.
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Collaborative post done by Airanea and Kincaid
After the inital question was asked of Wade, Jessica looked to Frank with weary ice cold eyes, they trailled from his scruffy dirty face down the long lines of his neck to finally land on the firm planes of his chest. She knew each of his features like the back of her hand - with a few exceptions. His lean body was marked with scars in every which place, a few she was around to witness become permanent marks, the others held stories which she knew nothing of. It seemed as if unwritten lines had been drawn between the two of them - or just in her on state of protection, no matter how hard she may have wondered she felt uncomfortable even thinking to ask. Her body had been proped against the wall wrapped in his jacket with her feet rested on his chest. Frank's arm draped itself over her calves as he layed in front of her. Under thick boots her toes wiggled and a small smirk spread along plump dryed lips, with strong hands he gave a small playful squeeze to her calf as he stared up at the ceiling in a daze.
As the day was coming to a close the eerie cold of the night was carefully slinking in on the Georgia inn - not only could such a thing be felt in the air but it could be felt in the general atmosphere of the room. General chatter became more soft spoken, sight seemed to search for threats, and hearing now was hieghtened. Living in a world such as they did - being weary of their surroundings had become second nature. The fire softly crackled, giving off a warm hue to each surface its glow had touched, long shadows grew across the floor and walls in a tender silent waltz.
Frank's eyes shifted to Jessica looking at her in the dim dancing light, studying her face - her eyes that would draw his in, and the small smirk that rested on her plump red lips, one being contagious enough to spread a small half smile across his own- he asked in a hushed tone. "Mind if I get a bit of the whiskey?" so she wouldn't be able to catch him staring. Gripping the bottle by it's neck she carefully she passed it to him, not noticing his eyes moving over her face beforehand, treating the whiskey as if it were a life source. With a quick slip of a wink Francis lifted the bottle to his lips taking a swig. The warm booze burned lightly as it went down his parched throat. He held out the bottle to her, waiting for her to take the Texas Mickey back from him. Waving her delicate hand Jessica dismissed interest in her dearest friend Jack, but rather nodded her head towards the others just incase any of them had changed their minds.
"Say - Frank?" Her voice nothing more than a whisper as she took the rat meat that was being passed around and plopped a piece in her mouth.
"What's up?" He replied in the same tone she spoke in. She hated when people said that 'what's up', what is that even supossed to mean?! Even though he knew how much she hated that, he still chose to say it more often than not. With an exagerated roll of her eyes at his obvious intention of pushing her buttons she continued.
"Do you - I mean of course you remember but - do you miss" Cutting herself off Jessica gave a small shake of her head and tossed the bag of cooked rodent at his face.
The rat bag slapped against his face with a light sound, making him let out a low laugh. " Do I miss what?" He asked his face returning to a more normal setting. "You know you can ask me anything."
"Home" Very blandly put "I mean before." Waving her hand in the general direction of the world.
"Any one who's old enough to remember does I think? It's hard for me to remember all the things from when I was younger, but the ones I can - I miss." He said with a small change of tone. "And you?"
"Nah, I think I prefer this." The tip of her tongue snaking out from between her lips tauntingly. "You're just a big ole marshmellow."
"Do you really? That sun kicks the shit out of me daily." He stated with a small bit of humor in his voice.
"Frank, the fucking rat that we're eating tonight could kick the shit out of you daily."
"Say that next time we get into trouble." With that Jessica puckered up her lips blowing the man a flightly kiss. "Thought so" he said mixed with a hearty laugh. It was so much easier talking to Frank than any of the others. Botson was kind of a jackass, Wade was too serious even for Jess, Kitty was too shy, Cora - kind of a paranoid freak,Yuuta stuck more to himself, and Rio - well was Rio. The two of them had stuck together for a while and learned a lot from each other. Through everything they had been through all they had left for one another was trust. There had been days that they had next to nothing left to their names - yet it was shared between them, they fought with each other and with others but as an end result they were there for each other. Their connection was obvious to the group.
With Jessica's mouth spreading, the long yawn gave way to her position of sleepless nights and how they were catching up. Whipping her legs off Frank's body she slowly scooted closer to him, letting her head fall to the dirt incased ground with a light thunk and her legs streching out leaving her feet closer to the fire. As Frank's arms stretch out, a small pop lets out from his chest, his arms fell down to the ground spread wide as he looked over to Jessica. " Bed time?" He asked in almost a whisper.
"Sounds about right to me." Peering over the brims of her eyes at the others who were still awake, it seemed safe enough at this moment to take a quick nap. Wiggling about on the floor Jessica re-positioned herself, lifting her head then lightly placing it on Frank's stomach. "Is this alright? - are you going to be warm enough? - did you want your jacket back?"
"I'll be fine, you need it more than I do. You're always cold." He said as hand slid up to his bag and under his head. With a quick motion of her fingers Jessica saluted the rest of the room goodnight - perhaps Wade did answer her and she missed it - oh well.
Thick black lashes slowly made contact with high cheek bones and just before falling into a very light sleep "Goodnight Polar Puppy, I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight Jess, I hope you have nice dreams." Frank said in a whisper back to her as his free hand lifted up and rested itself on her shoulder.
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" I would like to think we will reach in a couple of days, but a map would be good to really be sure. Right? Wade." Yuuta, surprisingly, offered an answer. He wondered if a map from twenty years ago was still accurate but it is definitely expensive to get one from a black market. It seems that the others were satisfied with the answer or perhaps the topic was buried away with Boston and Cora leaving.
Yuuta could not help feeling a slight tinge of envy as Cora followed behind Boston. He hated himself for feeling that way, as much as his fear, he hated his inferiority complex. He touched his unkempt hair that hung around his shoulders now. He guessed he looked like a mad man and he could not deny that he felt like one sometimes. But at least, things were going well now and whatever he did, he knew he must not let his real emotions show through. He would not want anyone in the group to be suspicious of him and least of all, to be kicked out of the group. Yuuta went over to sit with Kitty oblivious to the fact that her eyes traced Cora out of the room.
" Kitty, the pool we saw today, it used to be filled with chlorinated water and people would swim in them. There are even swimming competitions held all over the world. Some pools even have slides and wave pools," Yuuta prattled on about sports and random things as Kitty listened asking questions now and then. As the night grew cold, Yuuta went back to where he laid his sleeping bag. They probably had to sleep in shifts tonight and he was not keen on being the first person. He slept to his side on his sleeping bag rather than in it. " Wake me up when it is my shift," he said to no one in particular. It seems as if Wade was going to take the first shift as Frank and Jessica also prepared to sleep while Boston and Cora were still not back from their exploration. He could not tell what Rio planned to do. With his sandals on, his backpack strapped to his back, cricket bat in his right hand, he fell into a deep sleep as if to pay off his months of sleep debt. "I can trust this people.. probably,"he thought to himself and he reach an almost comatose-like state of sleep.
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A collaborative post by AugustArria and Artik
Cora, meanwhile, had become a little lost in her own thoughts, gazing up the stairs, to where the individual rooms were located. Believing that there was little chance they'd find anything of use, she allowed her mind to wander towards memories that the inn was recalling while she poked around. It had been a long time ago, about eight years, she guessed.
She was fourteen, almost fifteen. She was strong and healthy for a girl her age, but at this point, she hadn't eaten much of anything for about two weeks. It was dark outside, and she could hardly keep her eyes open, but the tension of the situation pumped enough adrenaline through her for her to remain conscious. There was a dim light in the distance, a dull orange color, muffled by the blinds of a window. It hadn't been muffled enough. It was how they'd found them, and their basis for launching an attack.
When she was able to focus, she could see them, figures dressed in black moving like shadows towards the inn. Their faces were blackened with inks and oils, to the point where they were practically invisible in the darkness of the night. It was cloudy, the moon refusing to provide the light that could save the people inside. The figures reached the inn, following the lead of a man in an old hockey goalie mask, painted black. He lithely slid through a shattered window, and more followed. Their cloth-wrapped feet made no sound as they touched the ground, a technique they'd mastered at this point. They glided up the stairs and out of her sight.
Cora wanted to cry out, alert the poor people inside as to what was coming. But it would have been pointless. At this point, they had them surrounded. Also, the sharp edge of a knife at her throat, coupled with the warm breath at her ear, told her that crying out wouldn't be a wise move for her. They'd simply dispose of her if she became too much trouble.
There was the sound of a door being kicked open, and then the screaming began...
"Traveler's guide," came Boston's voice from across the room. Cora struggled not to jump at the sound. "You find anything?" Boston's gaze narrowed at the dark haired female naturally but he couldn't help but notice how, even if slightly, his voice had startled her. His eyes flickered down to where she kept her knife surprised to not spot her hand gripping it ever-so-tightly. Either she really was paranoid, or he had shook her from some thoughts much like his own. Furrowing his brows, he figured it best not to ask and to keep things as superficial if he could, it made things easier that way.
Cora just shook her head, shaking herself out of awful memories. She gestured upstairs with a flick of her head. "Not likely to be anything down here. You want to try the rooms?" Pretending otherwise not to notice her faint jump reaction, his eyes followed her simple gesture and he was back to comtemplating if it would be worth scavenging. His long legs carried him over to the stairs in just a few strides and he paused at the bottom briefly, testing if the first one could hold his weight. Tongue leaking out to run over his bottom lip in thought, Boston moved up the next few steps then looked to Cora evenly. "Wait until I get up about half way before you follow me. If they don't collapse under my fat ass by then, you should be safe." And with that, he proceeded up to the second floor relatively cautiously, one step at a time. The second to last step to the top had a gap in it which required only a short little hop to surpass.
Upon reaching the next level of the Inn, Boston stared down the hall way counting the number of rooms on either side. He stepped towards the first one on his left then glanced back to see how far Cora was behind him. Confident that no random bandits would burst out of one of the rooms and ambush them at the moment, he turned and extended a hand to help her over the gap if she wanted it. She took it briefly, though she didn't exactly need it. He then turned back to the hall and shouldered the door to the room nearest to him open. Hand at his waist in the case that something or someone was in there, he peered in only to find a busted bed frame and the nasty mattress against the wall, otherwise the room was empty and abandoned just like everything else in this place. "Awesome." He mumbled sarcastically before motioning Cora to the next room. "I don't think there's anything we need to be worried about up here, you check the left side, I've got the right?" He suggested waiting only briefly for any kind of agreement before moving on to the next room leaving the cautious female to her own devices as he explored and scavanged some more.
As Boston entered the next room, its contents seemed to be significantly more promising than the last. He was rather surprised to find the bed intact for the most part, albeit still gross from disuse. There was another door on the far end of the room, perhaps leading to a closet or a bathroom. However before he got to that, the room itself had a wardrobe, a night table, and even two suitcases tossed about. He started towards the wardrobe first with a slight hope of finding an unused shirt or two to add to his limited collection of clothing. As he pulled the doors open though, he wasn't too surprised to find it empty and dusty. Next he slid open the top drawer, finding only a torn and tattered women's blouse. The second drawer was stuck though and after a minute or two of tugging resulted in a still stuck drawer. Finally, Boston gave it a good kick and it came open, it's contents falling to the floor in a heap. It seemed to be a pair of pants or two of which he picked up and searched the pockets, finding a small wad of money and a bottle of aspirin that felt as if it had a least a few pills left. The money was useless, but the medicine was a pretty decent find. Even the pants weren't bad, they might fit Wade or Frank. As he contiued to pick apart the room finding nothing else of use and making his way finally to the shut door, Boston was blissfully unaware of how Cora was faring. He was too busy enjoying contemplating what might be in the next room.
Cora moved about the initial room slowly, taking things in. It was rather difficult to imagine what the place used to be like. After all, a functional inn wasn't something Cora had seen in her lifetime. She was slightly awestruck to think on just how many people there must have been, before all the disasters. She meandered over to the mattress leaned up against the wall, inspecting it briefly. It seemed an odd place for such a thing to end up. She momentarily considered if it would be comfortable enough to risk sleeping on, before noticing that there was something behind it. She shifted the mattress slightly, looking behind it. There was a door. Intrigued now, Cora shoved the mattress away from the wall, tilting it over and setting it down gently away from the door. She flicked some strands of hair from her face before trying the door. Locked. Now she was really interested. Taking ahold of the handle, she rammed her shoulder into the door, resulting in a thud and an unmoved door. Sighing, she took a step back, and kicked the door. Still no movement. She kicked it once more, grunting with the effort, and it burst open.
She was almost immediately overcome with the smell, one that was both unmistakable and unforgettable. Death. Coughing slightly, Cora covered her face with her scarf, and cautiously peered inside. It was a gruesome scene. A lone man sat dead up against the far wall of what appeared to be a bathroom. By the looks of him, he appeared to have been there for some time, perhaps a month or more. There was a bullet hole in the side of his head. Then she saw it. The revolver lying on the ground. "Hey!" she called to Boston. "You might want to see this!" -- "Lets see what's behind door number one.." Boston joked to himself as he prepared to investigate when despite his bad hearing, Cora's voice reached him from across the hall causing him to tense up instantly. She didn't sound afraid or upset yet he couldn't help how in seconds his walls of defenses was back up. Without responding aloud, he almost reluctantly left the mystery door and moved quickly and quietly to where he thought her voice had come from. Back in the first room he'd only bothered to glance into, he quirked a brow to see the matress moved, if only slightly, and Cora standing just in the door way of another door. Then it hit him. The tell tale smell of a decomposing body and Boston visibly grimaced, scrunching his nose in disgust. "The hell did you find?.." He began as he crossed the short distance between them, the smell only getting stronger. However the smell was nothing compared to the sight when he finally stepped into the threshold beside Cora. Bringing the back of his hand up to his mouth and nose, he held his breath and averted his eyes slightly.
Cora gestured to the weapon lying on the floor next to him. "Guess he went out on his own terms..." - "That's one way to put it.." Boston mumbled in response as she started slowly toward the corpse. She took slow steps towards him, holding the scarf firmly in place over her nose and mouth, finally stopping to crouch before the man's body. Respectfully, she bowed her head to him. "I hope you found what you were looking for. And some peace." She spoke the words in little more than a whisper, "Hold up." The New Englander interrupted. Reaching to the towel on his shoulder, he tossed it to her. "I wouldn't touch that barehanded if I were you..." She caught the towel, before carefully removing the revolver from his fingers, which still clutched the weapon. She set the gun down on the ground, and then covered the man's head with the towel. So much for washing up.. Boston thought raking a hand silently through his hair as he exhaled. Cora then grabbed the weapon and walked swiftly from the room, Boston right after her. She shut the door behind her.
Next thing was to check the weapon. Inspecting the old six shooter, Cora sadly found it to be empty. "Ah well," she said, snapping it shut and tucking it under her belt, "Can't hurt to have. I think I'm about done looking around..." As much as Boston would liked to have checked the mystery door, he felt the same as Cora. The sight of a dead body, no matter how many times you had seen it before, always got to you in some way or another. In this case, it all but stole the rest of his motivation for searching the place further - hell, he didn't want to find Mr. Suicide's friend in the other room so it seemed best to keep the shut door shut and leave it that way. "Sounds like a plan." He responded, wasting no more time as he turned and headed back to where the others were probably preparing for bed. Cora followed. She'd let Boston tell the others about it if he wished. As it was, she didn't want to make a big fuss about it. They'd be leaving soon anyway. Cora was glad for that. Oddly enough, as if sensing what Cora had been thinking Boston reached out to touch her shoulder before they entered the main room where the other's were. "Best to keep our uh...little discovery to ourselves, yeah? No point in upsetting anyone.." Immediately thinking of Kitty, Cora nodded. And with that agreement the pair rejoined the group.
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Rio didn't speak even as she idly watched Cora and Boston walk off together. She assumed they would be safe enough on their own, as long as one of them had a weapon which with Cora's knife always on her, she was positive they had. It would seem everyone besides Wade and the two who had left the group were planning on catching a few hours of sleep before they would all have to restart the process again. " Kitty, the pool we saw today, it used to be filled with chlorinated water and people would swim in them. There are even swimming competitions held all over the world. Some pools even have slides and wave pools,". Yuta's voice brought Rio's attention towards him, staring at him with an interested and almost amused expression. "I remember that. My mum always got her knickers in a twist whenever I'd jump into the pool at my Aunt's house. Probably had something to do with the fact I always jumped in with my clothes on." She would emit a short laugh, a smirk overtaking her face before she looked away from Yuta and went back to her thoughts.
The feeling of falling asleep seemed almost too good for Rio to sink into, which is the reasons she usually took the second shift or so after whoever took first. Sleep always seemed like something that would end up getting her killed one day, no matter how much she needed it. Unlike the others, she only ever managed to sleep for a couple hours at a time. The rest of the time she usually pretended to sleep, her eyes quick to open at even the slightest of noise.
Rio found the silence that surrounded her to be somewhat uncomfortable, and her being the type of individual she was , well....it just wasn't her style to let it go on for too much longer. Inhaling sharply enough air, Rio's mouth would form a solid "O" right before she would begin singing quietly to herself as to not disturb the ones already beginning to fall asleep, but loud enough for anyone close to her to hear.
"Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,
Lavender's green
When I am King, dilly dilly,
you shall be Queen." Raising an eyebrow she carefully pick up one of the small pieces of wood around the ground and drum it on her thigh as she continued singing. Perhaps her voice wasn't going to win her any awards, but it wasn't so awful that she worried anyone would have an issue with her singing. One of the rare lullabies her Mother used to sing to her, before and even after the Apocalypse hit.
"Call up your man, dilly, dilly
Set them to work
After the last few lyrics were sung, she would cheerfully continue humming the rest of the tune, staring at the ground beneath her and pondering a few things as well.
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As soon as the group began to settle in, a strange calm rose over the individuals. Wade gave Rio a crooked smile as she decided to help him shove a few things aside, and despite the previous outburst, her smile was a warm sight. Anyone who smiled was a valuable sight these days. He nodded about her exclaim of a good night's sleep, though was briefly distracted by Jess and Frank's banter and the latter offer of a drink. The Russian didn't need one, not now at least. He didn't speak often, maybe it was that language barrier he started with, even though Kitty spoke Russian, as thought by him, she much prefered English and had put him on the spot to practice speaking it. Honestly, he was envious of their slang and the ease with which they spoke, sharing vocal creativity, something he couldn't do with anyone. He'd missed Jessica's previous question, pulled off as if he didn't hear it- he had no idea how long it would take, America was foreign to him. Thankfully, Yuuta saved him the trouble, "I would like to think we will reach in a couple of days, but a map would be good to really be sure. Right? Wade."
"If ve valk nonstop," was Wade's grub answer, before he took a seat next to the makeshift fireplace he'd made, one of the broken chairs as his backrest.
Eventually, Katerina let her arms hang at her sides, squaring her shoulders as soon as Boston came in. She stood there like a pole impaled into the ground, and once he called out to the group that he planned to take a look around, Kitty moved, but only slightly. Raising her palm up to her belly as if forcing herself to speak, she pressed, opened her mouth--"I'll help, if you like," Kitty suddenly deflated, puffing out her cheeks in frustraction. She wasn't so much frustrated with Cora who bravely spoke up, but with herself. She eyed the two as they dissappeared out another set of doors and she turned to stalk to the nearest wall and slump against it. Kitty watched Jess and Frank with awe until Yuuta spoke up to her, sitting beside her. "Kitty, the pool we saw today, it used to be filled with chlorinated water and people would swim in them. There are even swimming competitions held all over the world. Some pools even have slides and wave pools."
"I don't understand," Kitty began, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her thin arms around them, "Water is so valuable, why would they dirty it with chemicals?" It was a rethorical question of course, because everyone knows why people did what they did-- they just didn't know this was going to happen. Rio then spoke up, sharing the kind of memory Kitty could only wish to have, "I remember that. My mum always got her knickers in a twist whenever I'd jump into the pool at my Aunt's house. Probably had something to do with the fact I always jumped in with my clothes on." Needless to say, Kitty laughed, enjoying the brief comic relief from the sufferable day to day life.
Eventually Yuuta went back to his spot after they spoke for a bit, but Kitty's gaze snapped onto Cora and Boston as soon as they rejoined them. She didn't move, just watched them maneuver into the room with sharp eyes, not glaring ones, of course, just intense and attentive. With the group settling down, Kitty and Wade were close enough to hear Rio sing, it was a soft welcoming sound that neither wanted it to stop. Kitty was able to relax and draw a sheet of fabric she carried in her bag over her torso, however, she remained sitting against the wall. Wade smiled, his intent gaze on the small fire he's made. Things were quiet, it shouldn't be a few hours longer that they could sleep, though Wade would prefer to stay in the shade and head out in the late afternoon or evening tomorrow, just to better their chances to cover more land, at night, it was far easier to travel. He'd contemplate his plans while the others slept.
Around five hours later, Kitty was curled up into a ball against the wall and her sheet tangled with her limbs, the fire was dying out, but there was enough morning light to brighten the room. Wade wasn't there, however.
"If ve valk nonstop," was Wade's grub answer, before he took a seat next to the makeshift fireplace he'd made, one of the broken chairs as his backrest.
Eventually, Katerina let her arms hang at her sides, squaring her shoulders as soon as Boston came in. She stood there like a pole impaled into the ground, and once he called out to the group that he planned to take a look around, Kitty moved, but only slightly. Raising her palm up to her belly as if forcing herself to speak, she pressed, opened her mouth--"I'll help, if you like," Kitty suddenly deflated, puffing out her cheeks in frustraction. She wasn't so much frustrated with Cora who bravely spoke up, but with herself. She eyed the two as they dissappeared out another set of doors and she turned to stalk to the nearest wall and slump against it. Kitty watched Jess and Frank with awe until Yuuta spoke up to her, sitting beside her. "Kitty, the pool we saw today, it used to be filled with chlorinated water and people would swim in them. There are even swimming competitions held all over the world. Some pools even have slides and wave pools."
"I don't understand," Kitty began, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her thin arms around them, "Water is so valuable, why would they dirty it with chemicals?" It was a rethorical question of course, because everyone knows why people did what they did-- they just didn't know this was going to happen. Rio then spoke up, sharing the kind of memory Kitty could only wish to have, "I remember that. My mum always got her knickers in a twist whenever I'd jump into the pool at my Aunt's house. Probably had something to do with the fact I always jumped in with my clothes on." Needless to say, Kitty laughed, enjoying the brief comic relief from the sufferable day to day life.
Eventually Yuuta went back to his spot after they spoke for a bit, but Kitty's gaze snapped onto Cora and Boston as soon as they rejoined them. She didn't move, just watched them maneuver into the room with sharp eyes, not glaring ones, of course, just intense and attentive. With the group settling down, Kitty and Wade were close enough to hear Rio sing, it was a soft welcoming sound that neither wanted it to stop. Kitty was able to relax and draw a sheet of fabric she carried in her bag over her torso, however, she remained sitting against the wall. Wade smiled, his intent gaze on the small fire he's made. Things were quiet, it shouldn't be a few hours longer that they could sleep, though Wade would prefer to stay in the shade and head out in the late afternoon or evening tomorrow, just to better their chances to cover more land, at night, it was far easier to travel. He'd contemplate his plans while the others slept.
Around five hours later, Kitty was curled up into a ball against the wall and her sheet tangled with her limbs, the fire was dying out, but there was enough morning light to brighten the room. Wade wasn't there, however.
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The night sky was wearing thin slowly being overcome by the rising sun the heavens to be sent ablaze in hues of orange, red, and pink. The warmth reached its long arms through broken jagged windows, heating what exposed flesh Jessica had – her sight going from pitch black to an increasingly thick blood tinted hue. A new day had rung to be started and Wade would want to be leaving shortly.
Slowly turning her head to the side Jess let thick lashes lift to give sight, slamming her eyes shut again and then opening them with ease as to adjust to the dim glow. Frank seemed to still be sound asleep known by his short whimsical snores, very slowly she lifted his hand from her shoulder and rested it on his stomach, and even more cautiously lifted her head from his abdomen trying her hardest to not wake him. It was time for her morning routine – Washroom, water, mouth rinse, attempt to remove residue of the previous day’s journey and any scent of body odor, re-dress, more water, and inventory count.
She moved with the stealthiest of actions, if one were to wake and see her it may have even been taken as suspicious movements, but it seemed as if everyone had still been resting. Not a peep was made from her position with Frank, over to her bag, and sneaking across the room. Observant crystal glazed eyes had noticed the disappearance of Wade but she made no real fuss over it – figuring he may have been out catching some sort of food for the group, washing up, possibly even using the little boys’ room. Thinking of which – Jessica really had to do so as well, which brought her back to focus.
Carefully Jessica tip-toed around the hotel - for all she knew someone could have squatted here over night as well, she was well aware that doing anything alone really wasn’t the best idea and it was possible Frank would give her hell for not taking Rio or Kitty with her – but when a girls gotta go a girls gotta go.
Going up the same stairs Cora and Boston searched Jessica held the broken banister just in case the staircase gave way to her weight. “Whew – made it to the landing… now which room” Jessica mumbled under her breathe. Turning right down the corridor light footsteps landed, one foot in front of the other, the first corridor didn’t seem the safest the rooms were really run down and if someone did decide to take vacancy and they were tired enough it would be the rooms closest to the entrance.
Coming to the end of the hall she was presented with two options. “Left” and so the game went Jessica took winding rights and lefts until she was presented with doors that looked less worn down. Of course they had been withered with age and weather damage, but at least many of them were still on the hinges, door frames rather intact, and handles still attached.
“eenie meenie miney mo” Jessica gently whispered as she wandered further down the hall. “Catch a” As she slowed down “Tiger by the…” Then coming to a sudden halt “toe.” Reaching out her porcelain white hand she wiped at the door numbering “Twenty-one one.” With a brief shrug of her shoulders Jessica lifted her steel booted foot and slammed it into the door just below the knob, with ease the rotten wood splintered and allowed her access.
She paid no attention to the details of the room; in fact it would seem as if she didn’t see the mayhem that obstructed it – no rather her eyes searched for signs of life. Blending into the casted shadows Jessica snaked along the walls until finding her point of focus – A washroom – finally.
“Well here we go now” She once again spoke to herself as she picked a dirty towel off from the ground. With great attempt she tried to wipe the old dried bowels from the seat but it wasn’t happening. “ugh.” She groaned whilst dropping the towel in defeat and pulling back the shower curtain. It wasn’t spotless but it was better than the toilet.
After lady business had been taken care of she found herself staring in the filthy mirror which was plastered with residues of mold and dust. There was no running water - of course, or sewer system, or electricity, and even though it was expected she seemed disappointed – there was nothing she wouldn’t do for a hot shower at this point. While an elongated sigh broke her thoughts of lack of luxury she began rubbing at the mirror with the ball of her palm – catching a glimpse of what she really looked like. Sobs began breaking from her pouty cracked and sore lips, tears welling up and leaking over the flesh of her face to leave long streaks of very white cheeks to be extenuated but the dirt that coated her.
A noise of creaking wood sounded down the hallway but at this point she didn’t care.
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I had been a long night for Wade, yet he wasn't sure why he didn't really sleep, maybe it was the mere fact that in the several days it took them to arrive at the Great Lakes promised either joy or disappointment. And then what? The man tried his best not to wonder along the lines of 'what if', but he couldn't help himself, for the sake of everyone. He'd been looking through the rooms as a way to pass time, an old broken off table leg used as a torch-- That is until the sun rose over the horizon to snake through the cracks of the mostly bolted windows. As of yet, he wasn't lucky to find anything valuable or worth anyone's time, and it wasn't until a little past dawn did he hear footsteps. Wade didn't move, as to not alert whomever it was, he couldn't be sure if it was his own or another traveler. When he heard Jess speaking to herself, he visibly relaxed against the wall, but he didn't make a point of letting her know he was there.
Once the woman walked past the door he stood behind, and once Wade was sure she walked into another room, he stepped out, turned and was about to head down to the rest of the group when he heard crying. Turning on his heels, the brute strode down the hallway, the wooden floorboard creaking under his weight, he located the room he could clearly hear crying from and stepped in, immediately maneuvering through the dark and into the bathroom. "Vhat happened?" The intensity of the way he looked her over to spot any injuries only promised protection. As intimidating as the man was, he was there for whoever chose to stick around.
Once the woman walked past the door he stood behind, and once Wade was sure she walked into another room, he stepped out, turned and was about to head down to the rest of the group when he heard crying. Turning on his heels, the brute strode down the hallway, the wooden floorboard creaking under his weight, he located the room he could clearly hear crying from and stepped in, immediately maneuvering through the dark and into the bathroom. "Vhat happened?" The intensity of the way he looked her over to spot any injuries only promised protection. As intimidating as the man was, he was there for whoever chose to stick around.
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A collaborative post by AugustArria, DumbDora, and Madmoiselle
As the first signs of light began to appear over the horizon, Cora had quietly moved from her sleeping position among the others, heading just outside the inn, where she sat up against the wall. With the darkness leaving so too went her fear, fear that had been drudged up by last night's exploration with Boston. She was glad they'd be leaving soon. She wasn't keen on staying here any longer than necessary. Though it had been eight years ago, Cora still feared that one of these nights they would return for her. She'd seen evidence of their camps since escaping. They were still out there, of that she was certain. She could only hope they had moved on, migrated to other lands.
It was quite chilly, but Cora tried to enjoy the cold. It wouldn't be that way for long. She had re-donned her other layers, her long sleeved shirt and her hoodie. In addition, she was currently wrapped in the lone blanket that she possessed. It left her bag feeling quite empty at her side, but her newly acquired firearm helped to weigh it down. Though it was devoid of ammunition, it was certainly useful to have. The mere sight of it alone could be used as a defense, even if it was simply a bluff.
Cora gazed into the first rays of the sun as it appeared on the edges of the world. It always looked so friendly when it first came up. She had a habit of watching the sun rise. There was something so peaceful about the early morning, the stillness of everything, an overwhelming calm. She used it regularly to forget about terrors experienced during the night, a way to shed the tension. She didn't remember if she had ever gotten to sleep last night. If she had, it hadn't helped much. She felt exhausted as ever. There had simply been too much on her mind to allow for sleep. The threat of outsiders, the memories of a month in captivity, the atmosphere of being around strangers she didn't really know yet, beyond name. Wondering what lay ahead for her. The were getting close to the lakes, she had learned. Her geography wasn't great, but she'd been taught a little when she was young. Enough to know that going north was just asking to freeze to death, going south was asking to burn alive during the daytime, and going east led to a undrinkable body of water that was impossible to cross. Which left west. Truth be told, Cora didn't know why she hadn't tried migrating sooner. Probably because she didn't want to do it alone. As much as she distrusted strangers, Cora found that she needed other people by her side. There really wasn't much point without them.
And these people were some of the most promising she'd met so far. They were tough, for the most part, with the exception of perhaps Kitty. But she brought other attributes to the group, much needed ones at that. And more than anything, she overwhelmingly felt that these people were, above all, good people. That was the most important. As afraid of death as she was, Cora wasn't interested in sacrificing her humanity for her survival. She wanted to look out for others, and let them look out for her.
Cora smiled slightly as the pleasant glow of the rising sun warmed her skin. That was what friends did, right? They looked out for each other...
There wasn't a single night that Kitty couldn't sleep. It didn't matter if it was on the ground, outside in the cold, against a rock- she slept soundly all the same. It was probably one of the most obvious reasons why the girl had so much energy to stay positive. The sun didn't wake her, it was more so the heat that replaced the cold. Kitty wasn't entirely fond of warmth, it made her uncomfortable and sticky, while the cold was good just as long as she had layers. The floor was warming underneath her and it instantly shook her out of her slumber. The girl tossed the sheet aside and left it laying where it was. A morning ritual was in order. For the next five minutes, Kitty disappeared somewhere through the numerous doors, only to reappear with a fresh smile curling her lips. While Kitty stretched, she glanced about the area where they made camp, surveying each and every individual that still slept as well as noting the lack of others. Wade wasn't there, and neither was Jess, Cora was missing as well. There was idle wonder as to why the most unlikely individuals were gone together-- Or maybe not together, Kitty feared.
Quick footsteps took her through the front door and into bright light, as soon as her eyes adjusted to the difference in light, Kitty spotted Cora, who was comfortably leaned against the nearest wall, facing east. "Can you imagine?" Kitty began, walking up to Cora and sliding down the wall to sit next to her. "That ball of fire was once our source of life, but now it kills..." The girl muttered, casting a sideways glance at Cora, hoping she'd take her presence well.
By this time Cora had begun idly playing with strands of her dark hair, which rested on her shoulders and chest. She looked up at Kitty as she approached, allowing her to sit beside her. Of all the people in the group, Kitty was the one that Cora felt most comfortable with, though she did not know if the feeling was mutual. Perhaps it was simply because Cora felt she had nothing to fear from the girl, or maybe it was just something about her. Her energy, it helped keep the group going. Though underappreciated, it was a vital part of any group these days. Cora smiled to herself. If the world were filled with nothing but girls like herself, it would be a dreary place indeed. She could see why Wade was so protective of the girl, though. Even after only a few days, Cora felt an urge to keep her safe as well.
"It still gives life," Cora commented softly. "Even if it's rather mean to us sometimes. We couldn't live without it, could we?"
After her song had completely ended, and sleep overtook her it would seem as if the day had come. Resting her arm over her eyes to block out the annoying bits of sun pouring in, Rio could only pout as she was reminded they would be forced to walk again in order to find a new shelter. She liked this place despite not exploring it like the other had. Yawning slightly, she would arch her back similiar to a cat and glance around, noticing several people missing from the little slumber party. Jessica, Wade, Cora, and Kitty. She didn't worry much about Wade or Jess, figuring them both to be pretty capable people who'd probably give a bandit or even a freakish raccoon a run for their money. Kitty and Cora though? Well.....she still had her worries. It was probably the mother hen instincts in her that made her constantly think about the two of them ended up getting hurt. Hell she felt the same thing about Yuta, but that was probably because he was so skinny, she thought a strong gust of wind would blow him off. Getting up from the cold floor, Rio's bones would creak slightly and her ears would catch on to the sounds of light footsteps.
Walking towards them, like the lovely fool she was knowing well enough that it was someone dangerous trying to get in or out of the building she should at least bring a weapon with her, she instead continued walking towards the noise. Weaponless. As soon as she saw the two girls talking to one another, a sigh of relief quickly came from her. "Fucking A , I'm glad both of you aren't raccoons."
Kitty nodded when Cora felt the need to correct her, she was glad that she wasn't the only one with a positive attitude among them. Within seconds, Rio joined them outside, confidently striding out without even knowing who was there behing the corner. At the sight of the woman, Kitty threw her arms in the air and exclaimed, "Rio! Good morning!"
Cora smiled at Rio as well. "Sorry for heading outside without telling anyone." She gestured towards the sunrise. "It's sort of my morning routine."
Rio's eyes and expression would soften slightly as they both greeted, albeit a bit more energeticly than Rio herself had. "Good morning to you both as well. It's no worries though Cora. Routines aren't a bad thing. Anyone know where Wade and Jess are though?"
"I have a feeling that Wade's scavenging, he likes to do it alone- most often," Kitty replied, shrugging her frail shoulders. Cora shook her head as well, indicating that she didn't know either. In fact, she hadn't noticed anyone being gone when she got up. Perhaps they'd moved after her. And also, Wade and Jessica were two people that Cora felt didn't need looking after. She was sure they were fine. It had been a quiet night.
Rio only nodded her head, her eyes still very focused on both of the girls. "Eh. I know Wade and Jess can look after themselves, so I guess nothing should be amiss. Ah well, I'm starving. I say we look in our bags and try to find something that doesn't look too disgusting to eat hmm?"
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After having finished he and Cora's interesting scavenger hunt, Boston felt about ready to lay down, try to sleep, and prepare to trek through the sun soaked wasteland yet again. Resolving to wash up in the morning, he tugged on a fresh t-shirt, and a layer or two more, stuffed the travelers map and other items he'd found into his bag for the time being and slid that bag under his head. His hands were tucked under his head acting as a makeshift pillow before shutting his eyes. It didn't take long the New Englander to actually fall asleep, but as usual it was another night of broken sleep. Tossing and turning here and there, and the habit of talking while he slept that he had. It was something Charlie loved to point out, to tease him about, but no one in this group had yet to call him out on it - not that he was complaining - he had no idea what he said when he was out, and the idea of saying something personal was slightly unnerving.
It was with a slight, yet silent start that Boston's icy eyes flickered open. He caught his breath in an instant and sat up before running a hand up his face and back through his hair. As his eyes adjusted to the morning light, he scanned the room rather surprised to find that most everyone was gone. Everyone save for Frank and Yuuta. Pushing himself to his feet he stretched letting joints crack and pop. "Shit.." He mumbled to himself rolling his neck around on his shoulders for a moment. "I slept in." Surprised at the rare occurrence, it momentarily distracted him from the fact that the group was separated and the underlying, almost protective feeling that came with that realization. Pushing the thought aside, he slipped into a morning routine that consisted of a limited wash up and other hygiene related activities, re-dressing, and gearing up.
It took a total of ten, maybe fifteen minutes and no one had yet to return back to the main room. Leaving the others to their routines, whatever they may be, Boston found that he was in a decent mood. Probably because he had gotten even just a half hour or so more sleep, it did wonders in a time when you weren't sure how much sleep, if any, you would get. With his bag tucked by his side, Boston dug through it's contents and plucked out one of his mother's old books, one he'd read probably fifteen plus times. He could probably recite the whole novel by heart if he felt like it. The name Miranda Knight was printed on the front cover, and flipping to the first page it read 'For my one and only son, Thomas. I hope you live life to the fullest'. He couldn't help but smirk grimly at the irony of her acknowledgement. Live life to the fullest, huh? I'm sure as hell trying Mom.. He thought before flipping finally to about mid book where he make shift page marker held his place. It reminded him of home and brought back nostalgic feelings of better times, vague and ever-fading memories he tried to cling to. Sitting back and stretching his long legs out, Boston let himself get lost in the words and phrases he mother wrote until Wade or someone signaled him it was time to head out.
It was with a slight, yet silent start that Boston's icy eyes flickered open. He caught his breath in an instant and sat up before running a hand up his face and back through his hair. As his eyes adjusted to the morning light, he scanned the room rather surprised to find that most everyone was gone. Everyone save for Frank and Yuuta. Pushing himself to his feet he stretched letting joints crack and pop. "Shit.." He mumbled to himself rolling his neck around on his shoulders for a moment. "I slept in." Surprised at the rare occurrence, it momentarily distracted him from the fact that the group was separated and the underlying, almost protective feeling that came with that realization. Pushing the thought aside, he slipped into a morning routine that consisted of a limited wash up and other hygiene related activities, re-dressing, and gearing up.
It took a total of ten, maybe fifteen minutes and no one had yet to return back to the main room. Leaving the others to their routines, whatever they may be, Boston found that he was in a decent mood. Probably because he had gotten even just a half hour or so more sleep, it did wonders in a time when you weren't sure how much sleep, if any, you would get. With his bag tucked by his side, Boston dug through it's contents and plucked out one of his mother's old books, one he'd read probably fifteen plus times. He could probably recite the whole novel by heart if he felt like it. The name Miranda Knight was printed on the front cover, and flipping to the first page it read 'For my one and only son, Thomas. I hope you live life to the fullest'. He couldn't help but smirk grimly at the irony of her acknowledgement. Live life to the fullest, huh? I'm sure as hell trying Mom.. He thought before flipping finally to about mid book where he make shift page marker held his place. It reminded him of home and brought back nostalgic feelings of better times, vague and ever-fading memories he tried to cling to. Sitting back and stretching his long legs out, Boston let himself get lost in the words and phrases he mother wrote until Wade or someone signaled him it was time to head out.
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The whites of her eyes had been bloodshot stringy bits of red tainting her orbs of sight – which only made the blue iris’ seem all the more bright. Her arms had been wrapped about her lithe body – holding herself in a hug until she heard Wade’s voice sound “Vhat happened?” Instantly Jessica whipped her body around so her back was facing him – her hands lashed out to wipe at her face, smearing the tears and dirt about her face.
With a small pathetic laugh Jessica attempted to hide the emotional pain in her voice. “You know Wade – I was attractive at one point, I didn’t always look like this – I wasn’t always so….” A long pause made the room fall silent. “I guess we all have reasons for why we are the way we are – I see the way the others look at me, I guess my past has made me untrustworthy.” Slowly the woman turned around with a small half smirk, her tongue sliped out and traced those cracked lips tasting the small trace of blood. “I’m sorry, I should be – nothing’s wrong, I’ll be fine.”
She then began to gather the small items she brought with her for clean-up, filling her arms and squaring her shoulders to him with a small shrug, staring up at him in defeat. She had never felt so pathetic in her life. How could she be so stupid to have a break down now of all times? – How could she have been so weak to let someone witness her falter? Her face was slowly morphing back to the hard exterior she usually portrayed, the strong and cold person they all thought her to be.
With a quick wink of thick black lashes Jessica blew Wade a kiss and attempted to push past him – to head back to the others – although she had no clue how to get back, she was never very good with directions and she had a terrible memory.
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Have a piece. Go on. Why? Aren't you hungry? STOP ACTING LIKE A WUSS AND EAT! Yuuta forced himself awake. His consciousness pulled away from the realms where nightmares and memories overlapped and into the equally harsh reality. He wiped the cold sweat off his forehead quickly. He quickly realised that there were only three of them left in the room and that probably Wade stayed vigilant the whole night. He rolled up his sleeping bag in a precise and neat manner then he clipped it back on his backpack. He took a sip of water from his jerrycan wondering if they can find other water source later. Yuuta signaled to Boston that he was going out of the room, somehow not wanting to wake Frank up. He couldn't see anyone in the lobby and for a few fleeting seconds wondered if something had happened to the others. His fears were quelled as he spotted the three girls from a window. He convinced himself that they were all just having a bit of freedom, something quite different from his previous group that ran like a clockwork. He took a towel and wipe the dew off some of the weeds, avoiding the poisonous ivy and ambiguous plants. He stared at the damp towel, considering to squeeze it dry for his water supply or to clean his face with it. He planted his face into the towel, wiping off the grime on his face, then his arms and his hands. Feeling much cleaner and more presentable, he hoped that they will reach the lake soon or find a well, then he could even make some soap. He could not do anything with the facial hair that could not ever grow long enough to be a beard. While Rio suggested finding more palatable food, Yuuta just search the plants for ants. He killed a quite a few and popped them into his mouth, chewing them properly before swallowing. He snapped off a some leaves and cleaned his teeth. "Good morning." He waved at the three of them before returning to the room.
Boston was still reading. He looked almost vulnerable at that moment, quite different from his usual assertive self. Yuuta did not know how to react as Boston suddenly caught him staring curiously. " You can get some breakfast from the lobby, you know," Yuuta said with fake half chuckle. He then dug his bag as if he was looking for something. His hand touched the cool metal of his sewing and pulled it out. "Yeah, I was thinking of lending this to Rio," he said and walked off briskly to end the awkward moment.
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Heavy lids open to the light of a new day and the hopes that this one would be better than the last kept Frank in his usual high spirits. Pushing his body to sit up he took in a quick glance of the room. Jessica isn't there, Boston is reading with Yuuta near him, Wade's gone, and the rest of the girls are grouped together obviously by the sound of thier voices from outside the room. Hey wait a minute "God damn it... how am I the last one up?" He says to himself not caring on who can hear him. With a small shake of his head he stands and gives his body a stretch; you know with most of his life poorly lived followed up with constantly moving, you would think his body would be used to sleeping on the hard ground by now. Francis walked off to another room to have his privacy to clean himself up for todays continuous journey, he took out a rag and wiped down his chest, digging the dust and grime from this world out of the crevices of scars.
Frank put on his old, worn shirt and buttons himself up, at that point he is now ready for a new day. 'I wonder where Jessica is, I know she takes longer to get cleaned up than me but what the hell is taking so long?' he thought to himself. "Hmmmm" He lets escape to his mouth as he walks over to Yuuta and spoke with his usual cheery voice " Morning Yuuta, hey have you seen Jessica around?" With Yuuta's obvious lack of informaition Frank shrugged his broad shoulders."Thanks anyway Yuuta." He replied as he walked back to their bags.
Jessica's was still there as was his jacket that he gave her last night.She couldn't have gone far, probably wandering around the place he reassured himself. Small little thoughts sat in the back of his mind about something going wrong, and with a heavy shake of his head he tried to push it away, ' She is more than capable of handling herself, she doesn't need me to always push my way in.' He took a seat next to his bag and pulled out his shotgun, cracked the breach, and stared down at the two lonely shells. Frank let out a heavy sigh as he took his rag and started to clean it as he did every time he found himself thinking.
' Ok if she doesnt make it back before I'm done cleaning, then I'll take a quick look for her.' He took the two shells out and placed them next to him as he started to clean. His eyes drifted to the shells for a moment. ' I really hope I never have to use the two of you.'
He took his time yet his scared and ruggid hands moved with pression, being sure to get every nook and cranny, his face falling sollem as if in concentration. The rag slid though the breach and easily took off all the dirt build up from yesterday's hike with it. The trigger spring and the barrels got a smooth wipe down, making sure to not leave any dirt on the inside. The look of the gun meant nothing to him, it was the functionality. He looked down the barrels and gave a small smirk as he lifted up the two shells and slid them back into place. ' Time to go find Jessica'
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She was just reminiscing. Wade fell into worry for nothing. The woman wasn't hurt, nor was she in pain, she was simply remembering. He understood that for most, remembering often drew tears through most unlikely eyes. In response, the brute grinned, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the doorframe of the room, the wood creaking under his weight. "You know," he began, "Vhen the vorld change, everytink vit it change too- Beauty change, money change- your beauty vort much more now than vould have tventy years ago," it was a big step for the man. And although those were words of encouragement, they were only spoken so throughoutly for the main reason that no one else was around. He was glad enough that everything was alright, and as she pushed past him and into the hall, he stepped out as well, making his way back to the group. If Jess was awake, then most of them should be as well.
Meanwhile, Kitty virtually bounced back into the breakfast room and to her previous spot, tugging her bag up and against the wall so she could unzip it and rummage through the contents of it. Wade had been the one to distract her as he returned down the stairs that lead up to the rooms. "Find anything?" Kitty called out to him, while plopping down on her skinny rump to have a couple pieces of her hard candy, not entirely a good choice for food, but one that provided energy. In response to her question, Wade shrugged, eyeing her choice for food with one of his disappointment ridden spectacles that rarely provide a show on his features. "Whaaat, it's good for the soul," Kitty replied to his glare, knowing full well what he meant by it.
"Ve can head out once ve eat," The man let everyone know, gathering up his own things, he had eaten before he went out to investigate, so that tedious part of the morning was done. "But ve von't go all day. Out of the city, tings vill be harder, ve have to travel at night after today- ve take rest midday until night comes, then ve go again. That vay, ve rest at day, walk at night." Wade flashed Kitty a glance, "Panimajish?"
"Da," was her reply through a mouthful of sugar.
Meanwhile, Kitty virtually bounced back into the breakfast room and to her previous spot, tugging her bag up and against the wall so she could unzip it and rummage through the contents of it. Wade had been the one to distract her as he returned down the stairs that lead up to the rooms. "Find anything?" Kitty called out to him, while plopping down on her skinny rump to have a couple pieces of her hard candy, not entirely a good choice for food, but one that provided energy. In response to her question, Wade shrugged, eyeing her choice for food with one of his disappointment ridden spectacles that rarely provide a show on his features. "Whaaat, it's good for the soul," Kitty replied to his glare, knowing full well what he meant by it.
"Ve can head out once ve eat," The man let everyone know, gathering up his own things, he had eaten before he went out to investigate, so that tedious part of the morning was done. "But ve von't go all day. Out of the city, tings vill be harder, ve have to travel at night after today- ve take rest midday until night comes, then ve go again. That vay, ve rest at day, walk at night." Wade flashed Kitty a glance, "Panimajish?"
"Da," was her reply through a mouthful of sugar.
Setting
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The natural and loving way Kitty and Wade spoke to each other made Rio feel slightly envious of their relationship towards each other. If anything it made her miss her parents even more than usual. Rio watched as Kitty munched quite cheerfully on her tiny treats, thought it only reminded Rio of her own hunger and lack of food. "What I wouldn't give for a Turkish Delight right about now.." She mumbled under her breath, kicking a bit of dirt up into the air . She strode swiftly over to her bag, lifting it up and flipping it upside down as well as shaking it rather furiously in order to find the half-eaten granola bar she had left inside.
The shaking caused the tiny bar to spit out several crunchy flakes out onto the ground and make the bar itself fall out of her bag and straight into Rio's hand. It might not have been the breakfast she would have hoped for but it would have to do for now. As she finished picking up the several other items that had dropped from her bag along with her breakfast, she couldn't help but notice Yuta once again straying away from the group. She pegged him as an awkward bloke from the first time she met him, but he was a good sort so she always felt a little bad whenever he was off by himself.
Swinging her bag over her shoulders and shifting it to fit comfortably on her back, she marched with heavy footsteps over towards where he was and plopped herself down next to him. "I'd share my bar with you if I hadn't already ate most of it" She joked quietly, looking at the man with an amused expression.
Ve can head out once ve eat," "But ve von't go all day. Out of the city, tings vill be harder, ve have to travel at night after today- ve take rest midday until night comes, then ve go again. That vay, ve rest at day, walk at night." Rio would nod her head in agreement, even though she was sure Wade couldn't see her do so.
"Damn. This is going to make sleeping even more unlikely. Stupid bandits and their eating habits, fucking up my sleep schedule." Her voice grew a bit louder but not enough so that she wasn't yelling in Yuta's ear. "Times like these I wish I could read a bit better, or actually have a book."
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"We're traveling at night after today?" Cora asked, a little more suddenly than she meant to. Also, she'd risen to her feet rather quickly, joining the others. Her blanket was hanging halfway out of her partially unzipped bag, her appearance raggedy as ever. Realizing that traveling at night would likely be easier on them as far as energy went, though, Cora deflated her somewhat apparent worry, appearing calm again. "I suppose that's good. No more frying under the sun."
She had an urge to respond to Rio's statement, as she had learned first hand that some bandits preferred traveling at night as well. It was the reason for her worry about night time travel. No matter how many times she told herself she was just paranoid, she couldn't get that fear out of her. The very thought of those men getting to her again made her feel sick to her stomach. She suspected that few of the others had such reasons to fear the night. Even so, she felt that spreading her worry to the rest of the group would just get everyone on edge, especially with her being as new to the group as she was. She wasn't interested in challenging Wade's authority, even if she did think it a better idea to bunker down at night.
Regardless, she'd do her best to ensure that everyone took the necessary precautions to remain hidden at night. And even though it went against her instincts, she decided to trust in Wade's ability to lead the group. He was older than she, and she was willing to believe he had the right experience to keep them all alive. Trust. Such a dangerous thing to get mixed up in...
Cora shoved her blanket fully into her bag, zipping it closed. The revolver she had found yesterday was buried at the bottom, hidden from sight. As far as she knew, only Boston was aware she had the gun. Best for it to stay that way, she thought. If the event came up where she actually needed to bluff with it, some genuine surprise from the others would help to sell the act. She was fully dressed already, wearing her usual light layers to cover up the skin, protecting it from the harsh sun. Her scarf hung loosely around her neck, her hood pulled up over her head. Some of the others indulged in measly breakfasts. If they were really only traveling for part of the day, Cora decided she could go without breakfast, save it for later. She was used to not eating much. Missing one meal wouldn't hurt too much.
"We should get moving," she said quietly, "Don't want to stay in one place too long."
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Why the fuck was Yuuta staring at him?
The sensation you got when you felt someone's eyes on you tickled Boston's skin distracting him mid sentence. Immediately he looked up and caught eyes with Yuuta, his gaze narrowed and his eyebrows crinkled, one quirking up in a silent question. The obvious "..What are you looking at?" question was asked without audio but it took only a few seconds for the asian to react, laugh awkwardly, and pretend he was doing something other than staring. Suddenly self-conscious about whatever had caused Yuuta to look a him like that. He felt sort of exposed...vulnerable. And just like that his defenses were back on full alert as he shut his book and stuffed it securely at the bottom of his bag.
It seemed that everyone was finding their way back to the main room, and he just caught wind of Rio's voice amidst other conversations.
"Times like these I wish I could read a bit better, or actually have a book." He almost responded, about to offer to teach her, or lend her one that didn't belong to his mother. But before he could spit out the words Wade's voice grabbed his attention with a vice grip.
Ve can head out once ve eat," "But ve von't go all day. Out of the city, tings vill be harder, ve have to travel at night after today- ve take rest midday until night comes, then ve go again. That vay, ve rest at day, walk at night."
Boston was instantly not fond of the plan. Traveling during the day was harder, more exhausting sure- but traveling at night was significantly more dangerous despite the fact that it would probably conserve a hell of a lot more valuable water for the group. Bandits were practically nocturnal, they were packs of wolves searching for groups and picking them apart in the dark when it was harder to defend yourself. At least Charlie, him, and the others had learned how to efficiently work as a group, how to handle themselves in case of an attack during the day and night, this group - they'd be eaten alive. He made a face of obvious resistance, pushing himself to his feet.
Partially because he had just felt defenseless and thus felt the need to lash out in response, and partially because he honestly didn't think Wade's plan was a good idea, Boston chimed into the conversation with blatant, and brazen rebellion."Bandits travel at night." He began, pointing out what to him felt like an more than obvious fact. "and half of us don't have a clue on how to correctly fire a weapon, never mind effectively use one to kill another human being if it comes to that. - We'd get slaughtered and left to cook in the sun the next morning." If he hadn't already made his point clear, he finished with. "I don't think it's a good idea."
Boston didn't outright think his opinion would change the Russian's mind though, and he wasn't about to fight with him about it, not now. Wade did what Wade thought was best and no matter how hard he tried to fight it, the older man's decisions always stood strong and firm. However that hadn't stopped the younger male from expressing, without a filter, how he felt about the situation and others before it, if only so he could later say 'I told you so' when he predictions came true. Despite his brief little outburst though, Boston would, however reluctantly, respect Wade's decision - he had after all gotten them this far and he couldn't argue with that. Shrugging his bags onto his shoulders, slipping on his sunglasses, hood, and ski mask Boston made it clear that he would say no more on the subject unless he was addressed.
He was ready to leave.
The sensation you got when you felt someone's eyes on you tickled Boston's skin distracting him mid sentence. Immediately he looked up and caught eyes with Yuuta, his gaze narrowed and his eyebrows crinkled, one quirking up in a silent question. The obvious "..What are you looking at?" question was asked without audio but it took only a few seconds for the asian to react, laugh awkwardly, and pretend he was doing something other than staring. Suddenly self-conscious about whatever had caused Yuuta to look a him like that. He felt sort of exposed...vulnerable. And just like that his defenses were back on full alert as he shut his book and stuffed it securely at the bottom of his bag.
It seemed that everyone was finding their way back to the main room, and he just caught wind of Rio's voice amidst other conversations.
"Times like these I wish I could read a bit better, or actually have a book." He almost responded, about to offer to teach her, or lend her one that didn't belong to his mother. But before he could spit out the words Wade's voice grabbed his attention with a vice grip.
Ve can head out once ve eat," "But ve von't go all day. Out of the city, tings vill be harder, ve have to travel at night after today- ve take rest midday until night comes, then ve go again. That vay, ve rest at day, walk at night."
Boston was instantly not fond of the plan. Traveling during the day was harder, more exhausting sure- but traveling at night was significantly more dangerous despite the fact that it would probably conserve a hell of a lot more valuable water for the group. Bandits were practically nocturnal, they were packs of wolves searching for groups and picking them apart in the dark when it was harder to defend yourself. At least Charlie, him, and the others had learned how to efficiently work as a group, how to handle themselves in case of an attack during the day and night, this group - they'd be eaten alive. He made a face of obvious resistance, pushing himself to his feet.
Partially because he had just felt defenseless and thus felt the need to lash out in response, and partially because he honestly didn't think Wade's plan was a good idea, Boston chimed into the conversation with blatant, and brazen rebellion."Bandits travel at night." He began, pointing out what to him felt like an more than obvious fact. "and half of us don't have a clue on how to correctly fire a weapon, never mind effectively use one to kill another human being if it comes to that. - We'd get slaughtered and left to cook in the sun the next morning." If he hadn't already made his point clear, he finished with. "I don't think it's a good idea."
Boston didn't outright think his opinion would change the Russian's mind though, and he wasn't about to fight with him about it, not now. Wade did what Wade thought was best and no matter how hard he tried to fight it, the older man's decisions always stood strong and firm. However that hadn't stopped the younger male from expressing, without a filter, how he felt about the situation and others before it, if only so he could later say 'I told you so' when he predictions came true. Despite his brief little outburst though, Boston would, however reluctantly, respect Wade's decision - he had after all gotten them this far and he couldn't argue with that. Shrugging his bags onto his shoulders, slipping on his sunglasses, hood, and ski mask Boston made it clear that he would say no more on the subject unless he was addressed.
He was ready to leave.
- 36 posts here • Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2
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View All » Add Character » 14 Characters to follow in this universe
Newest
Myles Dunaway
"I spent my fiftieth being hunted, maimed, what have you. It was quite extraordinary."
Francis McKinnley
Try to smile, it's not the end of the world. That already happened.
Jessica Kiley
What has been lost is not worth dwelling on - except for maybe Starbucks.
Rion Caulfield
"Can't take my eyes of any of you for one bleeding second."
Yuuta Sato
Where is the end?
Boston
"I refuse to give up or give in. You need to fight tooth and nail for what you want in this world and if you come out unscathed then you didn't fight hard enough."
Kitty Samson
"Wade! If you leave them, it hurts me- It hurts my heart!"
Wade Foster
"A man's got to know his limits... If dere are any in dis varped reality."
Trending
Francis McKinnley
Try to smile, it's not the end of the world. That already happened.
Wade Foster
"A man's got to know his limits... If dere are any in dis varped reality."
Yuuta Sato
Where is the end?
Myles Dunaway
"I spent my fiftieth being hunted, maimed, what have you. It was quite extraordinary."
Kitty Samson
"Wade! If you leave them, it hurts me- It hurts my heart!"
Jessica Kiley
What has been lost is not worth dwelling on - except for maybe Starbucks.
Rion Caulfield
"Can't take my eyes of any of you for one bleeding second."
Boston
"I refuse to give up or give in. You need to fight tooth and nail for what you want in this world and if you come out unscathed then you didn't fight hard enough."
Most Followed
Yuuta Sato
Where is the end?
Wade Foster
"A man's got to know his limits... If dere are any in dis varped reality."
Kitty Samson
"Wade! If you leave them, it hurts me- It hurts my heart!"
Francis McKinnley
Try to smile, it's not the end of the world. That already happened.
Myles Dunaway
"I spent my fiftieth being hunted, maimed, what have you. It was quite extraordinary."
Boston
"I refuse to give up or give in. You need to fight tooth and nail for what you want in this world and if you come out unscathed then you didn't fight hard enough."
Rion Caulfield
"Can't take my eyes of any of you for one bleeding second."
Jessica Kiley
What has been lost is not worth dwelling on - except for maybe Starbucks.
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Discussions
Most recent OOC posts in Embrace the Silence
Re: Embrace the Silence - ooc
Uh-Oh; Crappy day for Myles to meet the oh so charming Jessica. lol.
Cranky Cranky Cranky Airanea - should I have let that effect my roleplaying, most certainty I believe her profile states mood swings.
Cranky Cranky Cranky Airanea - should I have let that effect my roleplaying, most certainty I believe her profile states mood swings.
Re: Embrace the Silence - ooc
JESSICA. I'm crying for all the right reasons.
Posted, and a late Haaaappy New Year's. Mad, this is the perfect time to have an accent party.
Posted, and a late Haaaappy New Year's. Mad, this is the perfect time to have an accent party.
Re: Embrace the Silence - ooc
I would post again but I don't want to take the RP over - I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that everyone is busy with the holidays.
Re: Embrace the Silence - ooc
New post is up - feel free to do whatever you all wish to do with the noises behind the desk - thought maybe it could be some trouble or a good way to bring the new chara's into the story - also the gathering of figures outside could very simply be people passing by, bandits, or a illusion. Just thought we would open it up to some options, I really don't want to see this RP fail.
Re: Embrace the Silence - ooc
Gah! Sorry for disappearing for a while, although it looks like I didn't miss much :(. Busy Christmas time and all. Anyway, around now, still hoping to continue with this! :)
Re: Embrace the Silence - ooc
Hey guys, sorry we ARE still planning on posting things have just been crazy with visiting Airanea and Christmas, our post should be up tomorrow.
Re: Embrace the Silence - ooc
This FABULOUS little tool that's hidden away next to the RPGateway logo ----> here!
In fact, it just might be PrimaryPad in disguise.
In fact, it just might be PrimaryPad in disguise.
Re: Embrace the Silence - ooc
Also here, anticipating the right time for an awkward introduction.
Gidds, have you considered RPG Write? It looks to be virtually the same as PrimaryPad, and I missmucking about discussing IC stuff with you guys. :'(
Gidds, have you considered RPG Write? It looks to be virtually the same as PrimaryPad, and I miss
Re: Embrace the Silence - ooc
I'm still up for it, I just need to find some inspiration to finish Naz.