Team Black

[Blackfridayrule]

The rising sun always had a deep, reddish glow when it crested the horizon over the vast dune field of Varion, the country Ryker Black currently called his home. He and his sister had been there for a while now and were now well established in their hometown; he had seen many sunrises like this one. Sometimes he imagined that the land was on fire, though he never particularly enjoyed that thought. After all, it was still within his ability to remember when the blaze of riot and war came to his doorstep so many years ago. Ryker remembered the fire and those who were lost to it, the devastation it caused, and the eerie glow of its flames against the night sky as he and his family looked back on their home for the last time. Ryker blinked the thoughts away and instead focused on the dark silhouettes of dunes in the far distance.

The blonde had seated himself outside on the upper balcony of the brothel they ran, which merely served as a front for their true profession of resource hunting. This was his favorite place to be when he wanted to be alone, wanted a breath of fresh air, or wanted to think in peace. This particular morning he found himself awake earlier than usual due to some rather unpleasant dreams and instead of attempting to fall back asleep (he learned long ago that it was a worthless endeavor) he simply lounged in a chair outside. He was so lost in his own thought that he didn’t notice the presence of another creature until it leapt onto his shoulders and inserted its claws into his skin. Wincing in surprise at the sharp prickles, he smiled softly and reached up to pet the sleek striped cat as it purred at him. The cat was more or less a stray, though it tended to stick around the brothel (and more specifically, Ryker) most of the time, as that’s where he was often fed and treated well. Ryker let him come and go as he pleased. “Still ought to name you, cat,” he said softly. With the cat still perched on his shoulder like a furry bird, Ryker rose to make himself a cup of tea and returned to his chair on the balcony. The tea was swill compared to what he grew up drinking, but it was better than nothing so he bucked up and got used to it. Plus, he maintained that tea held all kinds of health benefits that would do him some good in a climate such as Varion. He missed coffee though. It was a tough thing to find, even for a resource hunter.

Loosely, he thought back to his dreams again. Images of a dark, cool place, the sound of weapons clinking and voices shouting. The gurgling gasps of his father’s last breath and his mother’s final scream. A hot flash of anger and streams of warm, sticky blood. He would never forget what it was like to kill for the first time, though sometimes he wished he could. Ryker was experienced in the matter now; it felt different now. But there was never anything quite like the first time. The rage, the pride, the shame and guilt, the anguish. He’d been encouraged to talk to someone about the incident to get things off his chest, but Ryker never did. He rarely ever wanted to talk about it, even with his twin sister.

He should think about something else. Work, maybe. At some point he needed to haul himself downstairs and start preparing food in the kitchen for customers and to check the levels of all the kegs at the bar, too. What was more, he needed to go scope out some new jobs in his actual field. His mentor always told him that when business was slow, it was best to go and seek it out personally, lest it go to someone else first. Maybe tomorrow he would drive over to the neighboring settlement and see if anyone there needed anything of importance. For now, he just wanted to relax.

[Daleeria]

If it had been any other time period in the world, and her private balcony hadn't opened up to a vast land of sand, dirt, and town, there might have been birds chirping that morning, she was sure of it. She didn't well remember the sound of twittering, but she knew it was a thing somewhere, in another lifetime. Never was she up this early. Her whole thing was being up late, after a long night of questionable activities with friends, or some random boy she met at the bar, or occasionally even a couple of the girls at the brothel that were having a slow night. It didn't matter who it was, really.

No matter who she spent the night with or where she ended it, all she cared about was making the nightmares go away. They didn't come often anymore, as long as she exhausted herself the night before. As a matter of fact, for the most part she couldn't remember what the actual nightmares were about. By the time she awoke... the images had faded and all she was left with was a sense of pure panic and a cold sweat covering her body.

This morning was one of those rare mornings that she woke up completely alone and in her own bedroom. In her own clothes, none-the-less! Weird.

The brunette sat herself up from bed and looked as the rising sun cast a shadow over the buildings behind the brothel that she had her brother had spent the last five years basically running by themselves. It was a good life, brothel owners by day and resource hunters by night. They had more than most, and wanted for few physical needs. They had food, shelter, employees, even a damned pet cat that for some odd reason her brother kept around. A small smile crossed her face at the thought of her twin. He was most likely up by now. He usually was.

A quick bath just to wash the dirt and sweat off from the night's little mission she had endeavored by herself, and she dressed herself in her typical day attire of black pants and a sleeveless black shirt. True, in the summer sun it would turn blistering hot, but she liked it that way.

Sera had a present for her brother anyways. She found him on the main balcony, seeming to enjoy some tea and the rising sun. A giggle escaped as she wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and gave his temple an affectionate peck. "Morning, baby brother~~" she teased, grinning at him. "It's a beautiful day isn't it?"

Out of the two of them she was the most playful and energetic, and also the most temperamental. Many business had her banned from bar fights she had caused and the other trouble she tended to get herself into.

"Soooo... I snuck out last night to do a little side work and I got you a gift~~ call it an early birthday present if you will?" she sat on the arm of the chair he was occupying with a grin on her face, something obviously hidden behind her back.

[Blackfridayrule]

Ryker noted how still the horizon was. There were no animals loping about, no birds or butterflies or anything that might usually accompany a summer morning. What was he thinking? Usually. Hah. More like it USED to be such, but now this emptiness was normal. Some days he liked it. It made him feel as though he stood on the edge of the world itself and all it would take was a few paces and he would be removed from all society. How strange that would be. The sun was stronger now, higher above the squiggling red line of dark dunes ahead than it had been, and already he could feel the temperature rising too. He wore pajamas now--a loose fitting white (or not quite so white anymore) t-shirt and loose shorts, and for now, it was comfortable attire. At some point he would need to put on his black cargo pants and a less ratty t-shirt to be suitable for work--most of the time he spent in the brothel was either behind the bar or occasionally in the kitchen when the need arose. And always, he served as the resident bouncer. It wasn't just guests he had to pry off of a fight, either--his sister was just as guilty. Ryker always acted annoyed when he had to do this, but he liked it about her. She was tough, strong, and she had adapted well to the harsh reality they found themselves in now.

The cat deftly hopped off his shoulder onto his lap, then the floor, and then up to one corner of the railing, tail curled around his striped body to survey the land. He meowed once. Ryker watched absently, then studied a breath of wind that swept up a cloud of russet dust below. He'd kill for a tree. An evergreen, just one. There used to be one near their home growing up, and he would always throw pinecones at Seraphim just to irk her, despite his mother's displeasure. He wished there was somewhere he could swim, too. Water was scarce in Varion, and though he and Seraphim never really went without, he still longed for a river to swim in on a hot day. Which, in Varion, was nearly every day.

Distracted by his own contemplation of life, he did not notice his sister come out to the balcony and thus was rather surprised when she looped her arms around him from behind. Ryker flinched a little, barely a flexing of his muscles, but relaxed in a fraction of a second. The blonde gave an exasperated sigh as he pushed his curls out of his face and swept them back with his fingers. "You know, I'm twenty six." There was a tiny tug at the corner of his lips though. His attention turned back to the horizon with somewhat distant blue eyes. "Well...it's a day I suppose. I'll take what I can get." He looked and sounded distracted, not to mention tired. He did not sleep well the night before.

A real smile touched his lips when Sera informed him she had a present for him. "Really? Well shoot, I didn't get you anything." His eyes and grin said this was a lie; he liked to tease her. "You have to wait for yours though. Pony up, what'd you get me?" He was glad to see her. She wasn't always around in the morning (he'd gotten used to that a long time ago) so it was a refreshing change of pace to have her there. Besides, he seemed glad for the distraction of occupying himself with something other than his own thoughts and memories, and his mood brightened a little as he spoke to her.

[Daleeria]

Sera knew they were an odd set to most people; him the quiet, semi-broody, tall, muscular brother, and her the petite, spitfire of a markswoman who was more obnoxious that ever necessary. She liked her drink, and she loved a good fight, and she knew her brother would let her have it if she wasn't messing with anyone that could affect their reputation.

The smaller being moved herself to lounge on the chair next to him and pulled out something wrapped in a tan cloth. "You do realize I don't much care if you're 26 or not, because I'm still older than you. Come on, open the gift! I think you'll like it. Found it with a bunch of random goods I collected last night. Figured it'd be my share of the mission, despite the fact the mission was nothing but transporting some non-perishables from the next town over," she grinned at him and handed it to him. It was small, and light, but inside lay a leather cord attached to a silver pendant of a tiger. It had been carefully crafted in its time, and had withstood many seasons of neglect before coming to her hands... still it was in pristine condition, and looked nearly new despite its age. "For some reason I made it think of you. Maybe it's your pet pussy cat over there, or something? And I swear if my gift isn't at least HALF as awesome or illegally-gotten as this one, I'm going to beat you."

She grinned at him playfully before she actually took a moment to look at his face. "You haven't slept again," she noted, her smile falling as quickly as it had appeared. Instead concern overtook her pretty features and she sat up, her head cocking ever so slightly to the right in a way that let him know she wouldn't go anywhere until he talked. "Nightmares again? Same one as usual or a new one?"

[Blackfridayrule]

In a voice that did not seem possible for the large framed man, he made a curdled face and mocked in a nasally tone: "My name's Seraphim and a couple hours makes me ooolderrrr. Nyeeh." He shook his head. "You know, I think you only like to remind me of that because everyone else thinks I'm the older one. We both know I'm more mature, responsible, better looking..." He flashed her a taunting grin. "I think you're just compensating." Though he generally thought of her as an equal, she was more prone to getting into trouble. That much, nobody could deny; she started trouble, and he finished it.

Ryker had no idea what she might produce from behind her back, though he somewhat suspected it would either be something really thoughtful and useful or something she thought would be funny to give him, and he half expected to find an old women's hair clip in the small little package she handed him. That seemed like the kind of thing she would do, he thought, and he knew also that if she did, he would humor her and wear it for a day. Besides, if anyone questioned his masculinity, his fists would remind them that it was not really up for debate. Instead he found a necklace made of leather and sterling silver; the strap was tied together by two slipknots so that the leather was continuous and could be adjusted to fit over his head. The tiger pendant looked like it had been crafted by hand, not a machine, a long time ago. It was simple in design, but still he could make out the tiger's open, roaring maw and its tiny silver teeth. He smiled and laughed. "Where in blazes did you find this?" Ryker slipped it on, admiring it as he adjusted the length. "Thanks sis." He ruffled her dark hair, which for him, was affectionate. He did not outwardly display affection often, and when he did it was honest and heartfelt.

"Ohh, yours was tough to get. I might have killed a guy for it. Maybe. But if I told you the details, I'd have to kill you, too." He smirked and then shrugged. "Ah what the heck. I'll give it to you now. I'm not really a patient sort of guy anyway." He rose and was gone for some time before coming back with a small object wrapped up in a clean sock. For its size, it was heavy and hard. "I've had this stashed away for almost a year. Remember the huge job we did back in September? The one where I broke my finger? I happened to find this that particular job and I've been hiding it from you ever since." Inside the sock was a little black bottle of an extremely expensive Gin. Most of the label had been worn away, but it was clear from looking at it that this was no cheap liquor. "Pre war," he said proudly.

All his mirth faded when she pressed him about his lack of sleep and he shut down immediately. Ryker cleared his throat and got up to scoop up the cat, sat back down, and focused only on scratching under his chin. He wouldn't look at her directly, but he could see the expression on her face and knew it well. He wasn't getting out of this one. Ryker gave a noncommittal grunt, hoping she would back down, but instead she asked him which one he had. Stonily, he muttered. "The usual. Mom and Dad." That was all he was going to say on the matter. He had a few that were specific, namely this one and the memory of having to flee their home as the fires and rioters came closer and closer. Others were more vague. "I'm fine," he assured quickly. "Just up a little earlier than usual this morning. It's fine." He still wouldn't look at her.

"Anyway, what are your plans today?"

[Daleeria]

Seraphim was more than happy with her gift. To say she was ecstatic would have been an underestimation about her joy over the bottle of expensive, very old liquor. She grinned at him and put the bottle in the sock again, just for protection purposes of course. "I'll save this for our actual birthday, then we'll have a drink together, okay?" she said affectionately. He knew her far too well, but then again they had been together since before birth.

It pained her to see him shut down though, especially to shut down away from her. There were certain barriers she just couldn't seem to get him past, and that hurt her. She was an open book to him, at least on most things... It was just fortunate she knew his dreams well.

"You need to sleep, Ry... can't have you passing out on me now can I?" she tried to lighten up a bit before all but crawling into his lap next to the cat, grinning. "Lets do something fun today! We've been so busy taking care of the brothel and stuff like that we haven't had much time to do anything for ourselves!! Lets go shopping, or take a ride or something, get lost in the desert for a few hours! Scavenge a bit!"

There was a bright light in her eyes at the prospect of adventure. She had no plans for the day, as she didn't have plans most days. She wasn't like her brother; her life wasn't crafted around any schedule. She slept until noon most days, and then got up and helped around the brothel or screwed around all day, whatever caught her little heart's delight. Today was no exception. Originally she planned on working on some promoting of the business in a couple of the nearby settlements, but she felt like it'd be far more fun to go spend time with her brother. "Maybe we'll find something interesting on the way, like a real job. We've spent nearly two months just hanging around here and doing odd jobs for the hell of it. We need to go out and get some real work before people think we've died or something!!"

She didn't realize how long it had actually been since they had a real job. There were lots of fights and rebellions going on in the Eastern regions, where most of the big trading hubs were, meaning there was less work publicly available to hunters such as themselves. "Maybe we should head North for a few days even? See if we can pick up anything in Renora City, or something? Capitol City being out of commission is putting a hurt on both of our businesses... I hear a lot of the traders and bounty hunters are starting to set up shops elsewhere until the blockade is done."

[Blackfridayrule]

It made Ryker happy to see joy on his sister's face. He always liked making her happy and he usually knew how to cheer her up if she was down. When he didn't have the opportunity to treat her to something special like he just had, Ryker had his own special way of trying to lift her spirits. If she was having a less than stellar day, or on the occasions where they both were up at unholy hours at the mercy of nightmares, he would simply sit next to her, put his arm around her and hold her. It was about as physical as Ryker ever got, except for the occasional hug, but it was certainly the most heartfelt. When things were at their worst, Ryker would on rare occasion sing to her. No soul but her ever heard this phenomenon, not since their parents died, as he only did it when it was just the two of them and no one else was around to hear him. Typically he would sing old sea shanties.

Ryker smiled at her. "Alright. That sounds like a deal. Between now and then, I'll see what I can do about finding a lime. Or even just a bottle of lime juice to go with it. But what I wouldn't give for a whole fresh lime..." His mind drifted to things like ice cream momentarily, and he wondered if he could even still recall the taste or texture of the fabled dessert. No, not really, he discovered to his dismay.

Ryker did not acknowledge nor apologize for the inner hurt his silence caused in Seraphim. He just couldn't. For years, Sera had tried to coax him into talking, as she was just the type of person to be very open about everything, and that seemed natural to her. Ryker was not. Some of the girls who worked downstairs noticed that some days he would have a drawn face and red, bleary eyes and on those days he'd have as much caffeinated tea as he could get his hands on. Tea, and booze. More than usual. A few of them had guessed what ailed him and on slow nights would occasionally try to broach the subject. Ryker would either pretend not to hear them or would immediately bring up another subject, flat out ignoring them. Sera would not let him get away with that, however, not typically.

"I get sleep," he said defensively, though not with much conviction. "I'll be fine, Sera. I'll turn in early tonight maybe, have a couple of night-caps. Don't worry about it." And by that, he meant try not to bring it up, for he felt that the more it was acknowledged, the more it became a reality, something that he could not forget or ignore.

Seraphim curled up in his lap; the cat did not appreciate sharing his seat so he hopped nimbly off and wandered inside to find a soft place to curl up and nap. "Shopping!" Ryker laughed, glad to be on a more neutral subject. "What, do you think I'm made of money, woman?" He was only teasing of course. "I like the idea of getting lost. I'm not sure I'm really up for running the bar today, listening to all those poor drunk saps dribble on about their lives." Because Ryker was often quiet, people tended to talk at him, knowing he would listen. Ryker hated it. It wasn't that he didn't like the social interaction, because he did enjoy talking with people, especially if they were willing to do most of the talking. Only, these conversations were rarely intelligent or worthwhile and were often about a man's favorite whore, or something equally as insipid.

"Renora..." Ryker mulled this over in silence, drifting off again into his own thoughts. "I suppose we haven't been there in a while. Capitol City is in shambles...I doubt it will ever return to what it once was with all the strain the fighting has put on it. And if traders are turning their backs on it now, it'll likely stay that way. Pity. But I suppose," he said with a sigh, trying to gather himself up out of morning relaxation mode, "We could do that. Maybe treat ourselves to some decent food while we're up there and look for work while we're at it." He nodded. "Yeah. That sounds good to me. I can run down and tell Corwyn she's holding down the fort for a bit till we get back. It's about time we took a mini vacation anyway." He smiled, flicking a lock of her hair into her face.

[Daleeria]

Sometimes Sera remembered things of the old world and longed for her childhood again. Up until a certain point their childhood had been quite grand; they had wanted for very little, and those things that they didn't have they were taught they didn't need. Yes their parents were wealthy and had a nice stash of resources at their whim, but the little she could remember of their father was him telling his young twins that they were luckier than most and that they needed to enjoy what luxuries they had instead of pouting over what they couldn't enjoy. That was something that had stuck with Sera and probably always would.

A lime would have been great, but she had no clue where to get one of those... she did however, have a few clues on where to get some juice, even if it was to cost her an arm and a leg... She'd have to look into it while they were out adventuring.

That's what she considered it; an adventure. Sure it was job hunting, by all technicalities, but for her every life needed to be an adventure. And so she made it that way.

Growing up they had always been so close, talking about everything, sharing their closest secrets and dreams, down to every last nightmare they had shared... but losing their parents had changed them. They were still close. They spent nearly every day with each other, and to this day he was the only person she bonded with on any sort of emotional level. They just... didn't talk like they used to. There was nothing to reminisce about because the people they loved were dead. All they had was each other, the brothel, and their mentor. And that was all they had needed for the last 10 or so years after finally accepting that they had been put on a path that would get them farther than anything else in this world would. They were good at what they did, even if no one truly knew it was them. They waved their mentor's banner when it came to REAL jobs, and just acted as representives for him. No one knew how he could be in so many places at once; but honestly he wasn't. They just put up the illusion that he was by being his right and left hands when he was on particularly long and involved missions. Seraphim had long realized they didn't need to take credit for what they did; they reaped full benefits and were more than happy to put the glories under someone else' name as long as the brothel was fully stocked with alcohol, the girls were clothed and fed, and they had money laying around to waste as they saw fit. Almost all of it went back into the brothel anyways.

After a while of silence she grinned, still curled in his lap. "You're not made out of money, dear brother, you're made up of soft gooey marshmellow insides, and I'm sure your pet stray would agree," she always teased him about being so affectionate to strays. He had a huge soft spot for them, and she liked to pick at it a bit, only because he knew her soft spot for children. Finally she got up off his lap and rearranged her hair.

"Corwyn can handle everything. I'm sure she wouldn't complain if we procured some of that aged whiskey she fancies in repayment. That always makes her a happy girl," the older twin smirked and leaded against the balcony railing, looking at her brother for a moment. "Honestly, I think Capitol city was doomed a while ago, because it got so big. Renora, however, doesn't just let any merchant in. It scans cargo, it's extremely meticulous in who gets to sell what, when, and where. When it reaches 'capacity' they don't let anyone else in until someone else leaves. It's walled in, safe, and secure, and the guards are hella tough, and the younger ones are pretty good in the sack. I think that Renora has a MUCH better chance of lasting than Capitol City every did."

Everyone knew the more people you put in one crowded space, the worst the situation was going to end up when things exploded, as they often did. Still, the government over at Capitol had had no restrictions on merchandise, no way to monitor it, no log of who was in the city at any time, and very little defense from the inside. For that, it fell. "I'm going to head down stairs and go pack up some gear then. Be a darling and grab our weapons?" she suddenly stood straight, letting go of all her thoughts and just breathing for a minute. It was no point in dwelling on this. Nothing they could do would change it. "Thanks, bro." She leaned over and kissed his forhead before heading off to go grab a couple of backpacks and some gear to get through their travels. Renora wasn't too far; just a days' bike ride away, provided there were no bandits on the road, or tollers being dicks.

[Blackfridayrule]

Something in his sister's eyes made Ryker feel as though a rift had opened up between them slowly over time. They were still incredibly close, closer with eachother than they were with anyone else, but it was clear to him in that moment that some fissure had formed in the space between them and over the last several years it had crept further and further apart. A sudden twist of guilt hit his stomach; the thought of losing her, even emotionally, was a terrible prospect. He would put some effort into mending that, and also into figuring out how it'd happened. Part of it, he thought, was on him. He once was a sweet natured kid who would save every bird with a broken wing and who would spend hours outside playing with sticks and moistened clods of dirt. But the day they lost their parents, the day Ryker took his first life, was pivotal. It broke him, something in him buckled and gave way under the might of the steely, calloused survivor that emerged. Sometimes he imagined that scared little boy was still in there somewhere.

Ryker made a stony face. "Gooey? I'll have you know, my insides are ice cold steel." Even his straight-faced joke wasn't convincing and he gave up almost immediately with a grin. "Alright. So you got me. But on the outside I have bulletproof armor, impenetrable and unbreakable." And in this he was partly serious. Partly. Not many people knew he was a sensitive, kind guy, as he tended to put on a game face when he worked and was otherwise just removed from other people so they did not have the chance to know him. The girls did, or at least the ones who had been around a while. They tended to like him, because he never gave them trouble and was the first to break a nose if a customer was being too pushy. Twice, Ryker literally threw someone out onto the dusty street for misbehaving. Regulars respected Ryker and tried not to piss him off. His sister was the spitfire, but he was the heavy-hitter, and if he was provoked into getting violent, 'unscathed' was not a viable ending.

"Mm, some good whiskey would please her. She often gets tips when she works the bar too. I'm sure she won't be opposed..." Ryker drifted off into thought, as was his wont, and then mused, "We'll likely have to go in under Orion's name once we get to Renora. If they're so choosy about who they allow to work in there, than Ryker and Seraphim Black will likely not gain us any rapport. I'll have Corwyn leave him a message to know what he's up to." Ryker smiled to himself, amused by the idea. They had worked for Orion for something on five years now, and mostly the man just left them alone to do either his work or their own--he didn't care so much these days. But Ryker liked doing work for him--it meant he got to BE Orion for a time, to have the respect of others and to have sway in the goings on of the world. Besides, he had learned so much from him.

"What do you say," Ryker began, rising and stretching in the now bright morning sun, "We pack ourselves a bottle of something that burns on the way down, something heinous, and on our way to Renora we set up camp somewhere and sleep under the stars, you and I. Just like old times. Eh?" He bent down and scooped her up just below the waist, slinging her over his large shoulder casually as though she were just a gym towel. Of course, like he usually did, he moved to the beaten-up sofa in the corner and plunked her down onto it like a wrestler throwing down his opponent, only he was a bit more careful not to actually hurt her.

[Daleeria]

Sera found herself wondering if Orion ever cared about the things they got up to under his name. It was their usual guise; Ryker acted if he was the older hunter, and she usually acted as a companion of some sort, though it varied from place to place; in Capitol she had been his right hand, there last far-off visit to Renora she had actually been his sister, in another city someone had once mistaken her as his wife and they ran with it to save face. It was different everywhere, depending on what their needs were. She hadn't had the luck of traveling with Orion as of recent... the old man had been doing some very long and involved missions, and hadn't even been home in two months. He left everything in their hands, including his name.

Occasionally she found herself missing him, if for no other reason than he told the best stories. He had a flare for embellishment that the girl had picked up on over they years, and while she would never be quite to his level, she had a certain skill of spinning tales of her own. It was part of what made her a good actress.

"I could use a little burn... been a while since I got to enjoy a drink without some man who thinks he's a badass trying to get in my pants," she finally remarked, winking at her brother. "They all just think I'm easy, don't they?!"

A squeal of delight escaped as she was picked up. She didn't struggle much as he walked... the last time she had put up a playful fight she had elbowed him in the ribs and he had dropped her on the floor... only her head had connected with a table instead and she had ended up with a couple of stitches. She wasn't eager to repeat that... success...

Instead she hung there limply until he dropped her and then she punched him playfully in the shoulder and grabbed onto his arm, clinging to him. "I think, your idea sounds wonderful. Ooooh and I have just then thing too! Come on!" she giggled and bounced up suddenly, dashing away to her room. Under the bed there was a long flat box made of wood that had been carefully carved with designs. This was her stash box; everything in here was valuable. One of the bottles of liquor could buy them meals for a week, and not just cheap ones either. Any of the various herbs and scented lotions and perfumes in here would feed the entire brothel for a month. "Ah, here you are, my love."

In her hands was a tall bottle of aged whiskey. "Orion bought this for me for our last birthday. It's been aging forever... I haven't even had the want to open it," she grinned and looked back at him. "If this doesn't burn, I don't know what will, my dearest brother."

[Blackfridayrule]

Ryker looked down at Sera as though he were an old woman looking down through low-set glasses at an unruly child. "Ah, but my dear Seraphim, they think that for a reason. I'm pretty sure you have a reputation around this town sis...you're not exactly difficult." He smirked at her, though he never really bothered her about her decisions. He had once expressed his disapproval of his sister going around and sleeping with random men, but he never said anything about it now. She wasn't about to change and he was not so much of a saint himself. Ryker was often so emotionally closed off that he rarely had any interest in fraternizing with women, but he was the type to go off alone and drink. Sera did too, though she often was more social about it than he was. Once or twice, he had more than was good for him and ended up having a visit to the local physician. "I will enjoy having a drink without some man telling me about how much he would like to get into my sister's pants. Do you know how many gross dudes I shove off? You oughtta thank me someday," he teased.

Ryker beheld the bottle of expensive brew with a soft smile. "Oh, Orion, you know us so well. This sounds like a good way to celebrate, I think. May my breath light a fire." Ryker stuck his tongue out and pretended to breathe fire like a dragon, right in her face. He may have been the younger one, but he often acted like an older brother in the way he teased his sister. He tended to be more strategic as well, which made him often forget he was the younger of the two. Ryker was slower to lose his temper, slower to speak, and quick to assess a situation. He was more of a mechanical guy too and good with fixing things or ad-hocing spare tech to make something functional. It was something Orion recognized early on and fostered in him from the start, often giving him broken things to fix or leaving random parts around to see what he might create.

"Come, let's ditch before people start coming to us to fix their petty problems: 'my beer's not cold enough', 'don't you have some kind of nicer scotch?'--Don't you have nicer money? No? Then go home," Ryker mocked, flinging a hand into the air dismissively. He knew he'd be better at the bar than Sera as she was easier to set off, but sometimes people's complaining irritated him. Didn't they know what he had to go through to get all that stuff there? Didn't they know people died so he could have that stuff half the time? That was the difference between the two of them and most others who were raised in the Old World rich--they adapted and others could not seem to forget what they had in the past.

"I'm going to go downstairs and give Corwyn the rundown. Grab some things for us and get us ready would you, sis? I'm gonna be bringing my green frame pack I think." Ryker padded downstairs to the second level (they lived on the third) and knocked on Corwyn's door. "Cor. Cora."
An older, matronly woman answered in a red robe, though she seemed to relax when she saw it was him. Corwyn had a steely demeanor that could melt in an instant for a customer or a friend. But she wouldn't suffer a fool, that was for sure. "Mm, hello Ryker hon. What'dyou need?"
"Wanna run the place for a couple days? Sera and I have...business to attend to."
Corwyn winked. "Mm, yeah. Business. Got any idea when you'll be back?"
"No. Could be a few days or it could be longer. Depends on how things go. But you know what to do."
"Mmhmm. You get any sleep last night Ryk?"
He looked away. "There are two more kegs in the back if the one up front empties. And don't let Davis come back until he pays his tab. The gun's loaded too, I checked. You should have everything you need."
"Ryker Morrison Black," she scolded sternly, but he took no notice.
"If you need some extra muscle, Kai said he'll be around this week."
Corwyn sighed in defeat and nodded. "Sure. Take care of yourselves now. Both of you," she said, slapping his chest with a scarf she held in her hands.
"Thanks Cor."

Ryker returned and prepared himself for the journey ahead, which included inspecting his blades and pistol. Ryker never fired the pistol, but he always carried it, as it could end most fights before they began. After gathering a few more supplies, finding his leather jacket, and shouldering his backpack, he looked to his sister. "Ready to roll?"

[Daleeria]

Sera had no problem preparing them for the trip. She grabbed a few days of dried fruit and jerky, some canteens full of water, a couple of bottles of lighter alcohol that they could sip on while traveling, and a loaf of fresh bread from the morning. As she did so she informed their girls that they would be gone for a few days for some work-related things, and that if they needed anything to talk to Corwyn.

While Ryker was more fit for the bar, with a reputation for being able to pour some of the best drinks in town, and being their best bouncer, Sera had more of a knack for dealing with their... entertainment. She was the one who set up scheduling, and who made sure the girls weren't stretched thin, and where happy and healthy. She went out of her way to make sure birth control was found in excess around the brothel, and all the girls automatically came to her with wants/needs and complaints. That's why it was a bit of a stressful time when they decided to leave. The girls didn't mind going to Corwyn, but she was less forgiving than Sera was when it came down to special requests. Sera loved Cor to death, but she knew Corwyn hated dealing with the schedule of their 15+ whores.

Quickly, Sera slipped into the office and pre-scheduled the girls into time frames and left Corwyn a note about who needed what times off for what appointment, etc. After that she grabbed her dagger, her guns, and the rest of the miscellaneous stuff they might require on the trip. Blankets were packed for them to lay on, extra ammo, even some old sentimental items she rarely took out of the house; a picture of their last birthday with their parents, a manual Orion had written up for them when they were little on how to most effectively kill someone, and her old teddy bear.

"Ready!" she bounced down the stairs with the pack full of stuff, grinning up at him as she grabbed the tan leather jacket she had taken to years ago. "I left Cor some notes in the office for scheduling so she doesn't have to fiddle with that too much."

[Blackfridayrule]

"Good. She'll appreciate that." Ryker began to head outside and as he did, he slowed a little in his pace to turn and say, "I always have mixed feelings going out. The logical part of me senses the danger, but a greater part of me just needs...out. Hm," he laughed, amused with the thought, and continued walking. Outside, the sun felt hotter and more intense than it had out on the balcony not long ago. There was a strong wind, thankfully, though Ryker feared it would get worse out in the dunes and kick up a small sand storm. They'd survived them before, but sandstorms were never fun. He glanced out at the horizon; they'd be alright.

A strong bark sounded from off to their left and a large german shepherd pranced towards them, only to leap up and shower Ryker's stubbled face with his wet tongue. Ryker sputtered a little and laughed, then pushed the dog off of him. "Loki, off," he reprimanded, to which the dog responded by leaving Ryker alone and jumping on his sister. Unlike the nameless cat, who just sort of appeared in Ryker's life and tended to stick around, Loki had been with them for years now and came with them whenever they moved to a new place. Ryker had found him on the road shortly after their parents died; the dog, emaciated and filthy, sensed that the boy was obviously separated from his pack and needed someone to look after him. So he did. On many occasions, Ryker and Sera had been saved from a run in with bandits because Loki heard them coming, gave them warning, and on a few occasions, scared the perpetrators off with a display of his teeth and a growl. Ryker never admitted it, but Loki and Sera had been the key to keeping his sanity after being so broken by the loss of his parents.

Loosely, Ryker wondered where Loki had been all night (usually he fought for space on either Ryker or Sera's bed, or would occasionally antagonize the cat), but his wondering ceased when a young girl with dark skin and a plume of perfect corkscrew curls followed the dog from around the corner of a building. "Aha," Ryker smiled. "So that's where Loki's been. Stealing our dog again, are you Hadia? Hope you're not spoiling him or anything," he teased.
The girl smiled coyly. "Maybe." She ran over to Seraphim and hugged her waist. "Hi Sera." Hadia was one of the few children who lived close to the brothel, and as such, she naturally found her way to Sera eventually and came to befriend the twins. Loki liked her too, and sometimes the german shepherd would wander over to where she lived in the hopes that he might get scratches on his belly and scraps of food.

"Hadia," Ryker said in a low voice as he beckoned her over and squatted down to her level. He slyly handed her a small chocolate bar, which made her face light up. "Don't you tell anyone I gave you that, now. And don't go sharing it either. It's our secret, eh?" Hadia had come the closest of anyone outside the brothel to knowing exactly what Ryker and Sera did--they did not tell people in town in case someone got wise and decided to try and rob them. Of course, everyone knew that they were not businesspeople strictly and people in town often gave them a wide berth unless they knew eachother, for they had a rougher air about them than most, and Ryker, at least, was never shy about carrying weapons in public.

"I'll go get the bike," Ryker said to Sera, then dismissed himself to do so. He unlocked the shed they kept it in and gave the bike a quick inspection before turning it on; it was his pet project and he was constantly adjusting and making improvements on it, or fixing worn out parts. The bike roared to life, their alternative fuel modification performed splendidly, better than gasoline, he thought. He put a helmet on and grabbed another for Sera (he'd crashed too many times to not wear one), then wheeled it outside.

[Daleeria]

Sera grinned at her brother. "I live for the danger. Makes me remember what it's like to feel things, like fear, and curiosity, and adventure. I love it," she replied as he voiced his minor concern. Yes, there were a million dangers out in the sands. She could see the rising wind already, though it didn't have the feel of a sandstorm yet. It was still early though. Sera was fairly good at predicting these things though, something she excelled at since childhood. She always knew when storms were on the horizon. "They're just wind- AH LOKI!"

While Ryker could take the force of the large dog jumping onto him, Sera was petite and not as strong. Loki easily pushed her to the ground and began to lick her face mercilessly until Sera shooed him away. "Damn dog!" she laughed as Loki sat down next to her and scratched. She had to balance herself on him to get up, and he sat there behaving like he was used to it.

Sera was happy to see him with Hadia. She was a sweet little thing that Sera had come to love like a little sister. She was always engrossed in the embellished stories her and her brother would tell her, and looked after and played with the dog when they were busy and looked out for anything suspicious around the brothel when they left. "Hey there sugarpea!" she grinned and hugged her back. Hadia had single-handedly brought down a drug operation that an old employee of theirs had been running while they were away. She had been watching for days and got them a message in the most genius way possible. For that she got paid in whatever candies and treats and toys they could find that she would enjoy.

The brunette watched her brother head towards the garage and kneeled beside her little friend. "Hey, you know what to do," she whispered and slipped something into the kid's hand. "Keep an eye on this place for us. We should only be gone for a few days... we just need to get out for a bit. Been cooped up too long."

"Okay!" The little girl grinned up at Sera and nodded, looking at the cute little charm in her palm. Sera had given her a charm bracelet a while back, one of the last things Sera's mom had given to her, and since then had been collecting charms for the girl. Sera herself had no interest in anything like that. It felt too girly. It didn't deal in guns, and that was what Sera liked. Guns. Big, shiny sniper rifles with high powered scopes and recoil reducers. Large, old double barreled shotguns with wood trim and heavy duty steel barrels. Rocket launchers, pistols, itty bitty tiny novelty guns. She loved them all.

Hadia gasped. "It's a dog!"

Sera smirked. "I figured since you like kidnapping our dog so much, you'd like it for your bracelet. Now off with you, don't need you getting caught with your loot!" she pecked the small girl on the head and sent her off. "Loki, protect Hadia."

Usually she liked having their dog with them, but she wanted the little girl safe and she felt they would be traveling too fast on the bike for the dog to safely keep up.

She grabbed her pack and strapped it to her body before joining Ryker right outside the garage. "Loki's on Hadia. She'll do what she does. We should find her something super nice while we're out. She'd been doing an amazing job with running stuff for us when Jo's out of commission as a runner," she mentioned.

They truly were business people, though not all of their business was legal. Sera alone was basically the equivalent of the old gun cartel of previous generations. Sure, while 30% of her guns were kept, she made major money off of selling guns she built herself, and a lot of the shipments she got from her various connections we're anything useful for her. So, she doubled the price, got in contact with some people, and got rid of them. Her usual runner Jolene was fifteen and good at what she did. She never got caught, Sera never got pointed it, and she always made sure the sale was completed. She knew exactly how to negotiate and what her employer was willing to negotiate to. She was the only person outside of Ryker that Sera trusted to handle her side business.

Lately though, Jolene had been off the radar due to some legal difficulties with the local drug dealers. Sera planned on bailing her out as soon as she got back, but figured Jo needed a lesson in humility. She got too cocky trying to do her own thing. While Sera didn't approve of drugs, she knew how to handle herself around them, and the people that sold them. She knew what she was looking for in weed, and other miscellaneous pills that were on the market... Things like heroine and cocaine were a thing of the past. People fought and killed for allergy meds these days. If you sold marijuana you made bank, provided you had a steady supply. And everything in this town usually ran through Orion and his whims. Meaning, if he wanted you shut down, he would shut you down. Sera, while not quite that omnipresent yet, had a degree of his importance... The gun business around here would be dead without her and even Orion knew it. She could take nothing and turn it into a gun. She was a genius with it. And as an extension of Orion's business, she had connections in pretty much everything. Drugs, alcohol (how else would their bar always be completely stocked), other weapons, car parts, household goods... All of them got traded at one time or another, and usually for money, guns or whores... all three of which she and Ryker had in excess. In the end, everything came to or through them, and if they didn't want to deal something with you, you were stuck going to the next closest trading hub.

"Ready to hit the road, baby brother?" she grinned finally and grabbed her helmet from him. "Lets get out of here before someone has some major emergency they need us to attend to!"

[Blackfridayrule]

Loki's loose, bushy tail swept back and forth as he was further acknowledged by his owners, and even after Sera pushed him off, he continued to run around her and her brother, occasionally rearing up to try and lick one of their faces, though not as aggressively as before. Eventually, he trotted underneath Ryker's legs and looked up at him expectantly; of course, Ryker obliged and scratched his chin and chest.

Seated upon the bike, Ryker debated how much more they should involve young Hadia. She was good at what she did and was an excellent runner and informant, but she was too sweet to be ruined by the stains of their harsh lifestyle. The last thing he wanted was for her to get in trouble on their behalf, though he knew she made that choice willingly. She was no slave, she was a friend. He then changed his tune and thought that maybe she needed that little sprinkle of harshness in her life so that she would thrive later on. That was what Orion did for them, after all, and it worked. Besides, Ryker could hardly remember what the civilized world was like before the fighting broke out, before his life became all about guns, sharpened steel, and hard knuckles. That was all he knew, now.

Loki barked once upon hearing his new charge and trotted smoothly off to find Hadia, though not without circling his two masters once as if to say 'are you sure I can't come with?' Ryker nodded to Sera, "We should find her something nice. Hmm...but what do little girls these days want? Back when we were kids I would have said like...some kind of toy. But it ain't when we were kids, is it? Times have changed. Hm, we'll think on that one and see what we find." As she took her helmet from him, Ryker cast her a sour glare that was one of his little specialties. "I almost weigh twice as much as you. I'm not your baby brother. Keep that up and you can walk," he teased before revving the engine once and peeling out onto the street, a cloud of dust behind them. Though it was a loud spectacle, nobody really paid much attention--it was not unusual for the Black twins to go roaring out of the tiny alleyway and into the main road on that bike.

Ryker wore sunglasses underneath his helmet and he pulled a thin lycra band over his nose and mouth to protect him from any dust, sand, or bugs that he might encounter during the ride. It felt good to be out. Like an overfull water-baloon finally bursting, Ryker felt a relief to his restlessness as the hub grew smaller behind them; apparently he needed an adventure more than he thought. The last several years had conditioned him to be always ready, always moving, always active. When he was not for long stretches of time, he often got irritable and restless.

For a long time, it was just the two of them and the howl of the wind swirling in with the roar of the well-maintained engine. Ryker drove on for hours until he finally pulled over in the shade of a massive, sharply crested dune that curved beautifully and was ridged with playful shadows. Ryker dismounted and stretched. "I figured we could eat something, maybe study the landscape a bit. It's changed since we were last out here. That's the problem with sand dunes I guess...mm."

((Also totally had a dream about these two, but they were like, shapeshifting wolves? like their natural form was a wolf but they could become other animals. Stylistically the dream was very much like, Twilight Princess' shadow realm. But it was cool.))

[Daleeria]

"Still my baby brother," Sera teased and got on the back of the bike, making sure her helmet was on securely and that they were loaded and ready to go. "Let's go fuck shit up!"

The farther away they got from town the more she relaxed on the bike. Despite the high winds she was more at peace out here on the desert than she was anywhere else. This is where they had spent long cold nights together just praying for salvation. This is where they had taken their first lives, where they had fought their first monsters and learned how to shoot. This is where Orion taught them how to drive, and how to track, and how to cook. The dessert was the only true place that felt like home these days.

She drifted off somewhere during the trip, her head resting comfortably against his back and a truly relaxed smile on her face for the first time in a while. It was peaceful.

As he finally stopped she opened her eyes and stretched, climbing off the bike slowly and stretching as well. "Food sounds good, and a bit of break. My legs are a bit stiff," she commented even as she stretched herself into a complicated yoga position to stretch her legs out properly. "Been too long since I rode that long... well maybe the other night with Jacob came close but... still, another story!"

She couldn't help but grin at the memory of the fling before taking a swig out of a bottle of water and offering some to her brother. "So what shall we eat, dearest brother of mine!?"

((sounds purty :3))

[Blackfridayrule]

Through the end of the ride, Ryker felt his sister's body loosen against his back and droop a little upon him and he knew she was sleeping. Sera was probably the only person he knew who could sleep on a motorcycle. Ryker had tried, but he found that he was always too distracted by something or another to find any peace in sleeping. Mostly, he was wrapped up in his surroundings, looking for landmarks and signs of storms, unwanted company, or potential water spots--just like Orion taught him to do. It was something that came naturally to him now, but it wasn't always that way.

"Kid...'ey, kid. What're you thinking about, all quiet and moody over there?" Orion squinted at him, though Ryker couldn't tell if he was in trouble or if the man had some genuine concern--probably both. Ryker didn't answer at first, which earned him a, "I don't like being ignored, kid."
"Ryker. My name is Ryker."
Orion smiled and roughly clapped his shoulder. "Atta boy. Now c'mon, what's on your mind?"
The blonde hesitated again, turning to fidget with the tattered seatbelt of the equally tattered truck. "Home. My family. How things used to be before--"
"Now stop that," Orion hit his arm with an open, relaxed hand. It was not an abusive gesture, but it was harsh and startling in its own way; Ryker flinched. "Are we the only ones out here on the road?" Before Ryker could even consider the question, he asked another. "How many miles have we gone since we left that camp? Which way are we going? East? South? Is there a storm brewing ahead of us?"
"I...don't know..." Ryker was flustered.
"There's where you went wrong. You aren't paying attention. You need to know these things, Ryker. It could save your life, and I mean it.

Ryker stretched almost catlike in the soft, fine sand where he stood. Some childish part of him wanted to bury himself in it and swish it around, to dig a hole and then fill it back up again, just because he liked the way the little tawny grains felt in his fingers. Tonight was for letting go and relaxing, but not that much.

The skin of Ryker's face wrinkled and folded in a scowl. "How many times have I told you, I don't want to hear about your conquests, sister." He smiled though as he shook his head at her. "Well, I'd thought about going hunting for rattlesnakes or something--just for old time's sake, but frankly that ride was tiring enough. Instead, I scored us something special." Ryker took a bundle wrapped in cloth from his pack and revealed a fresh loaf of bread and a wedge of real cheese. "I called in a few favors for this one. Baking yeast is surprisingly hard to come by."

Ryker plunked down onto the lukewarm sand, spreading the cloth out like a rudimentary placemat and beckoned for her to sit across from him. He smiled. "Booze me up enough and I might lose my inhibition enough to sing for you." This was a rare thing indeed, even though he had a decent voice. On two occasions, he'd been loosened up enough with liquor to sing for the bar--once for the girls during off hours, and once in front of a whole crowd of customers, who were mostly quite drunk as well. That time, Ryker had gotten lost in the moment and ended up singing said song on a table--an energetic tune from ages past when sea shanties were common (Ryker once found a disc with some shanties on it and he'd been enamored with them since). The latter occasion, he deeply regretted in the morning.

"It always brings back a lot of memories, being out here again. Mostly of piling together--you, me, and Loki on winter nights. I don't know how a place can be so hot in the day and so cold at night, but boy...I hardly ever got any sleep then. My ass would freeze." He laughed. "Have you ever thought, just for fun, what life might be like if the revolution never reached us? If we had continued on with our lives like they were? Where would we be, I wonder? Aside from bored," he snorted.

[Daleeria]

Sera plopped in the sand casually, staring up a the fairly clear sky. There were hardly ever clouds in the desert. On occasional though one of those white wispy clouds would meander across her path and cause her to smile.

This was much better. The stress of the last few weeks rolled off of her shoulders and she relaxed visibly for the first time in ages. it was good to be back out here again, spending time with her brother and getting a break from running the brothel. Being a business woman wasn't particularly easy. "I'm going to buy a truck next time I find a suitable one. It'd be nice to haul things again, and I know Orion misses that old truck he had when he first found us. I figured it'd be a suitable gift for his return," she said quite suddenly, looking at her brother and the gift he was offering her. Bread and cheese, real fresh shit. That was rare in itself. She pulled out a bottle of wine she had pulled out of storage that morning and offered some to him. "I feel like this would be a better accompaniment to this fine meal than whatever the dusty bottle is!"

It was a red moscato from probably about 20 years prior according to the date. It was old, and expensive. There were people that would kill for a bottle of this, and they just had it lying around in the cellar. They had a great life.

Sera sighed at his question and shook her head. "Honestly... no... I mean, I know where I'd most likely be right now, trapped in some arranged marriage with a kid or two by now..." she frowned, opening the cork of the bottle with her pocket knife. She didn't like thinking about what might have been. "I don't think about it often. I like our life. Our vagabond lifestyle full of booze and whores. More money than we can spend and more power than we know what to do with. Babe, we're not at the top of the food chain, we ARE the food chain. That town would be long gone without us. Many of the little towns around this area would be. They survive off of our little hub; what we bring to them supplies wise, what we spend on them, the trades we make and business we bring in just by being located in BFE... I wouldn't trade that for anything."

Sure, it sounded power hungry, but in reality it wasn't. Here in this world she was important now. Not just their names, but Orion's name was also carried on their shoulders. The more business they created in their homebase, the more wealth was spread among everyone. They were all but single-handedly keeping an entire region's economy afloat right now. What they did every day was nothing short of fantastic in the scheme of things; with next to no resources they had become the top dogs. They held the money and the power to ruin any reputation if they so chose to. They held the money and power to feed a town's worth of starving, and on occasion during harsh winters they pretty much had. It was their generosity, and also their wisdom on how to spread it, that kept everyone working in town, and everyone not only respected them for it, but often praised them. There was no shortage of needs in town, granted, but people paid them back tenfold for every good deed they did. Whether it be feeding a starving family, putting someone to work who desperately needed a place to stay, or killing a group of bandits that suddenly invaded town, they were doing good for the people that mattered most.

"I know we don't live a safe life, but we live a good life Ryker. Sometimes I miss mom and dad... and occasional I do miss conveniences, but honestly... I don't like mulling over where I'd be if I wasn't here. Too depressing and involved," she took a swig of the wine before offering it to him.

[Blackfridayrule]

Mm, a truck would be nice. Though instead of hauling, for whatever reason, Ryker had a distinct picture in his head of mowing down unwelcome bandits with a roaring truck with gigantic, high traction wheels. He smiled to himself but did not share this picture with his sister, for it was better savored in silence in the painted world of his mind. "Yeah, we'll have to be on the lookout for one. Bandits like them...maybe if we find some out here we'll take them down and steal their truck...and whatever else they happened to have with them." Ryker hardly considered himself a thief, for he never took things from ordinary people. He stole from bandits, people who often stole from citizens or other resource hunters' hordes. These types were often violent and generally not very intelligent. Ryker had no pity for them--survival was all about outwitting other parties. More often than not, though, he and his sister traded for what they were lacking. Ryker had developed a knack for scoping out what settlements needed the most, and what they had to spare. He had a journal of these findings and a chart that showed what could be traded for what and where. In effect, he and his sister stimulated the nearby economy and completely fueled the local one. Though some people at home feared them, everyone gave them respect. This, Ryker appreciated.

"Wine! I haven't had wine in ages. I don't think I remember the last time I did...My, this one is old. Should go well with the cheese, I think. Nice one, sis." Sometimes Ryker wondered if they shared some kind of extrasensory connection. There was a stereotype among twins that they were somewhat connected at the brain, so to speak, and could read eachother's thoughts. While it was over-exaggerated, some of that was true. Sera and Ryker had an odd ability to communicate silently with one another through subtle body language, which made for excellent communication when trying to lie, trick someone, or get out of trouble. Ryker always credited this to the fact that they were always together and simply knew each other well, but some of the girls at the brothel thought they were kind of freaky in a humorous sort of way.

"Arranged marriages..." Ryker snorted with distaste. He likely would have been pressured to do the same, to marry a girl for status and money rather than any kind of love. He'd never really been keen on the idea, but he had resigned himself to such a fate long ago, until their lives were turned upside down and everything changed. Now, the thought seemed barbaric. "I certainly don't miss dressing up for those stiff parties we always had to go to. Old people with too much money pinching at our cheeks and asking us trivial questions like they thought they knew us...and we were sheltered. We never really got to do much of anything..."

Ryker pressed a chunk of cheese onto his hunk of bread and chewed it savoringly. "I can't say I don't like my life, because I do. It was...difficult getting to where we are, but we made it now and we have freedom. But I guess it always feels like...well, I don't know, like there's some parallel universe out there in which the wars never started, mom and dad never died...I can't help but wonder what that parallel me is like. Or just the world in general. There used to be so much art, but it's virtually gone now. Wouldn't you have loved to see an art show? I would have." He sighed. "Mm, I guess there's not much for it now. I don't expect the world to bounce back to where it was in our lifetime--nature itself hasn't healed quite yet. Which," he said, raising the bottle of wine, "Is where we come in. Cheers to that." He took a drink and passed it to her.

"This kinda reminds me of childhood. Except then we had Loki with us. I'll bet you Loki would love a truck. I swear that dog kept us alive with all the little animals he hunted and brought back for us. I mean, I can't say I ever want to eat lizard again, but if it's my only option, I'll take it." Ryker laughed.

[Daleeria]

"I bet parallel you is still an asshat," Sera didn't miss a beat as she took the bottle from her bottle and took a heavy swig. She let the sweet wine settle in her mouth for a moment and took in the taste, the texture, the sweetness mixed with a bit of aged bitterness, the taste of the alcohol on her tongue as she swallowed it with a smile on her face.

"Remember when we were kids, and mom and dad used to drink a glass of wine with dinner, and on holidays dad bought us those little glasses so we could have wine with Christmas dinner? I was so delighted because I felt like a little lady. Now look at me. Swigging what would have been expensive wine back then straight from the bottle. Fuck, now it's even more expensive. Before this would have cost what... $100 maybe? Now most people would KILL just to be able to put this bottle in their cellar for a special occasion!" she grinned at him, handing him the bottle as she took her cheese and her bread and started to nibble at them, even making a show of sitting up like a proper young lady with an ironic smirk on her face.

Ah yes, the lizard. She was actually quite a fan of it when done right over the fire. While it was chewy, it was also quite tasty in her opinion. "Hey, lizard isn't all that bad. You just didn't know how to cook it like a pro!" she teased affectionately.

After a few bites she settled down and stared up at the sky for a moment or two. "I think parallel me would still be where I am right now, wandering the world with abandon, never settling down for long... I loved our parents and you but even back then I didn't want the life they offered us. I hated the pretty dresses and the formal parties. I hated the constant feeling of suffocation. I wanted freedom. I probably would have run away years ago just to escape it," Sera's brown eyes met his and she gave him a wry smile. "You'd find me liquored up in some alley being accosted by some asshole who thought I was a hooker. Then you'd have to beat him up, 'rescue' me, drag me back home and sober me up... I do a damn good job looking like a hooker most days. Which is why I'm the decoy and you're not. You're scary looking. You make a horrible hooker."

She giggled a bit, the warmth of the alcohol and the food settling into her belly. "I hated art. I would have killed to see a good concert though. I always loved music... classical, rock, anything I could get my hands on. Remember how I broke Gramp's record player listening on repeat to all his old records of Mozart and Beethoven? Grams was SO ANGRY at me and all he could do was laugh and tell her to calm down, at least I had good taste in music for a five-year-old... I think I miss them most. Gramps and Gram were always so good to us. They tried to foster our hopes and dreams, and they hated Dad's uptight attitude. They felt marrying him made mom too strict despite them both coming from the same money. I think Gramps was so laid back because he had seen it all and it didn't effect him. He knew life was too short to have a stick up your ass..."

There was a sad tinge to her voice as she tried to recall faces and voices... they were long gone though. They had been for a while.