merryville (pasde and doubledare)
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merryville (pasde and doubledare)
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Posted 2021-03-09 12:42:34 (edited)
1x1 for 18737 & 17818 pls dnp if u are not us |
 stingray #17818 |
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Posted 2021-03-09 12:42:49 (edited)
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stingray #17818 |
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Posted 2021-03-09 12:42:58 (edited)
Characters! ____________________________________________________________________ Name: Ellie Metzger Age: 21 years Gender: Female Sexuality: Bisexual Appearance: Ellie is a rather attractive young woman, standing around 5'6 and weighing about 115 pounds. Some say she's a bit too thin, but she doesn't seem to care much about this. She has a light and rosy complexion, with freckles littered across the bridge of her nose. Her hair is very thick, and is a light, copper-y red in color with darker highlights, with a choppy, wavy cut that sits just at her shoulders and a set of matching choppy bangs that suit her quite well. Ellie has bright green eyes, flecked with a bit of gold around the iris. She has a full bottom lip and a thinner upper lip, as well as a somewhat large Greek nose shape. Her face is heart shaped. She has curves in the right places, but an otherwise thin build. She'll wear whatever she pleases, and she manages to pull it all off, mostly because of her self-confident personality. She has a few tattoos, all of which being fairly small (except for the one on her ribs) but meaningful. She has one on her ribs on the left, one just below her collarbone on the left, and another on her right forearm. She also has a small scar on the bottom of her chin from a childhood accident. Personality: As stated before, Ellie is quite confident, and is usually a pretty open person. She's known to be funny, as well as kind and caring. Her mood varies a lot based on who is around her, and other's moods will rub off on her. This can have a negative impact on her, especially if she chooses to spend her time around people who typically have more negative feelings. She has an almost motherly personality about her, and she feels almost like it is her job to take care of her friends and family and make sure they are safe at all times. ___________________________________________________________________ Artem Corcer - m, 25, brown hair, brown eyes - bisexual - fc: gregg sulkin soft-spoken, observant, driven, arrogant, flirtatious, sarcastic, honest ______________________________________________________
Settlers of Belridge: Austin Drake - 32 years old
Other travelers: tbd |
stingray #17818 |
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Posted 2021-03-09 12:43:22 (edited)
third save in case |
stingray #17818 |
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Posted 2021-04-10 21:54:51 (edited)
The cool metal of the .22 in his hands was slick with sweat. Glancing down at his gun, Artem readjusted his grip. Beneath his boots, the pavement was frosted with leaves from autumn. Each placed step filled the air with a crackle, like paper kindling in a flame. With no rain falling for weeks now, the dead foliage had no way of returning to the earth, decomposing into black stains on the sidewalk that he remembered from his childhood. So there the leaves of last year lay, snapping under his weight as he walked through the neighborhood, passing trees with pale, dehydrated bark that was peeling in chunks. The new, growing leaves above were thin, and trembled despite the stillness of the air. Even a breeze here was rare. The atmosphere had become heavy as snow, only without the feel of winter. Now, people lived with heat. As he made his way down the street to where he knew their building sat waiting for him, the intimate drip of sweat down his back made him wary. Listening to the birdcalls that would occasionally interrupt the silence put him on edge. Gripping his weapon tighter, Artem scanned the houses nearby as he reached the last intersection before the long stretch of road ahead of him. There was a ringing in his ears, his brain trying to fill the silence, but the neighborhood was empty, as it should be. Artem was suddenly aware of his labored breathing. Relax, everything is fine. His heart was in his throat, however, as he turned right at the ceaselessly blinking yellow light. No one can hide from you here. He was concerned, however, that there were other hiding places for raiding groups like the one they had seen recently. He was only one person, and while there were others he was aligned with who patrolled, they couldn't all be skimming the outskirts of their area at the same time; it was, in all honesty, a waste of energy, so they had different times that they rotated on and off. Artem had been up since six, and judging by the height at which the sun was sitting, he estimated less than half an hour remained in his shift. He was on his last lap regardless, and Artem traded one open sky for another as he made his way back home. As usual, it was dusted with clouds and the air smelled like dried mud. The young man allowed himself to drop his shoulders a bit, relieving the tension that came as second nature these days. He had to be ready to run for cover and he was prepared to shoot any strange thing that moved to threaten him or his adopted family and the apartment complex they occupied currently. His only option was their well-being, his heartbeat and every breath was dedicated to keeping them alive. He had nothing else, nobody else needed him the way these people did. So he did everything in his power to ensure they would be alright, and so far, he had done that. He didn't intend to change that now. Movement in his periphery made him wince. He faced what he saw immediately was a human figure coming from a side street. Instinctively, Artem checked the cloth that covered his mouth and nose, lowering the brim of his faded camo cap to shade his eyes as he squinted. He stood with his feet spread apart, debating whether to run for cover in one of the surrounding buildings or stand his ground and make the first move, if this was some scavenger. She continued in his direction, and Artem touched a hand to the kitchen knife at his side as if to reassure himself it was still there. A last ditch effort, if the stranger, who was definitely a feminine figure, got close enough for him to have to use it. He was more comfortable with his rifle, but ammo was hard to find these days. He wasn't about to waste a bullet if she wasn't going to be a problem. Breathing shallow, Artem watched her walk with curiosity, seeming to not notice him. In the moment when she came close enough that he might have taken cover and removed the safety from the gun, he recognized her. Unfortunately he felt no more at ease when he did. He trusted the people he lived with in Belridge, however, there were a select number of them that made him uncomfortable. Gabriel was one of them. Her behavior in general was strange, and Artem perceived her as an enigma, at best. Still, for some reason, he stood there and waited for her awkwardly, the way a child waits for a parent in the principal's office. It would only be polite, at this point. He'd seen her. He couldn't tell if she'd seen him, though. He would never admit it, but he was scared of the woman. He didn't understand her, didn't know what to make of her. She was barely older than him, but he felt they couldn't be more opposites. Still he waited until she was about twenty feet away before, against his best judgement, he greeted her, "Hi, Gabriel." A pause. "Want to walk back with me?" - > Gabriel Colors. That was the first thing she remembered. Bright blue, shining over her as she watched the world shift into something more, with more colors revealed as time went on. The blue was always there, though. Watching her, protecting her, loving her. There was another, a green, that looked at her like she was pondscum. The gray only ever looked at her like she was some dying turtle. The gray was full of tears and the green full of hate. But the bright blue, the bright blue loved her. She was told, as she grew, that the green was 'father', and the gray was 'mother'. Gabriel ignored both, for the most part, because they ignored her, and focused on the bright blue, her 'brother'. Her first priority was always that blue, even as her parents took her to doctor after doctor, who fed her medicines that clouded her head and made her sick. Her brother stayed with her, even as he grew and went to school without her. He'd always come home and tell her about the outside world she rarely ever saw. Tell her how she was perfectly normal, that she shouldn't listen to what those other colors said. And then one day, there were no more colors. Aside from the gray, but now it was the absence of the rest of the colors. Black, white. Those were still there, but they didn't mean anything. Her brother was gone, and her parents… Gabriel left them behind because she didn't love them the same. Years ago. Now the girl sifted through dirt and debris, sharp amber eyes scanning the pile of refuse that she had found dumped in the heart of the city. A well-kept machete swung ever so slightly in its sheath on her hip. She hummed an old tune from another life as she pulled a small, slightly dull knife from the pile and added it to her bag. Thin hands moved old wood out of the way, plucking nails and screws still in relatively good condition from the half-rotten material. It was almost an hour's walk back to the houses. Often an easy walk, bolstered by the tune reverberating in her mind. She kept pace with the soft drum that echoed, spinning with the thrill of the harp that soared above it and through it all, her thoughts spiraled in patterns, weaving through the clouds above her head. No blue up there, either. The girl could almost feel the vibration of the music as it shivered through her, sweeping from head to toe as a bright cacophony of sound. For as clunky as the gear she was forced to wear when outside was, she was still light on her feet. She was nearing the now-home, under fifteen minutes until she walked through the door, having made much better time with her song than on the way out, when a sharp note of uncertainty suddenly jarred her from her melody. She gave a little irritated hum as she raised her head to find the source of the disturbance. It was easy to recognize. Middle boy friend, she thought idly, tilting her head to the young man that the others called Artem. She had never been good at names, and seeing as many of the boys her age were her friends, she put him in the middle. His own discomfort was easy to see as she assessed her fellow traveler. He was younger than she was, though not by a lot, not as much as Mernie, or the other young one. Younger Joe. It amused the girl that this boy was so unsettled by her, though he was not the only one. A settler yet unsettled. A quandary. The thought touched her mind, making her smile wider as she continued walking the few feet towards Artem. "She greets you, middle boy friend. Artem." She replied, settling back into the mindset of Gabriel, rather than the almost mindlessness that came over her when she was out scavenging. Gabriel left a good bit of space between the pair, though whether this was to make him feel more at ease or herself, was unclear. Gabriel's eyes flickered around, checking for any trouble, before focusing dreamily back on Artem. "She thinks that it would be most agreeable to return to the now-home with him," she sighed, running slim fingers over the handle of her machete, continuing absently, "Her search was quite fruitful." Gabriel paused, distracted by her musing on the word for a moment before adding, "At least more than the last time she went. However she would be glad of any news of the happenings of the now-home while she has spent the morning away." cont. |
stingray #17818 |
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Posted 2021-04-10 21:55:16 (edited)
The faintest caress of a gust of wind brought music to his ears that he was quick to realize it came from Gabriel. She was humming, until his words brought her to an abrupt halt. Patches of yellow-green grass waved at him from a dead lawn, drew his gaze away from her for a moment of reprieve from those honey-colored gemstone eyes. He could feel her studying him, and the back of his neck was pricked with goosebumps, but he forced himself to meet her gaze again. Lifting his chin and frowning slightly in an attempt to come across as unafraid, he couldn't help feeling like a rabbit in a wolf's jaws. Her response was, as expected, odd, to say the least. Speaking in third person, addressing him as if he were closer than an acquaintance. It quite honestly baffled him, and Artem stared when she smiled at him, her gaze void of any real reassurance. He watched as her hand glided to her machete before she continued, making… small talk? Artem hadn't perceived her as the type for such things. He didn't know what to say as they began the trek back to the main house. "Oh, um. I don't know, I've been out all morning… as well. Probably nothing's happened." It was hard to know. He had a lot of ground to cover on his roundabouts. Not the entire city, no, but a good portion of the area around their home. Artem walked beside Gabriel in silence for a minute or so, their steps falling with soft thuds on the hard ground. He was biting his tongue, scanning their neighborhood as they went. He could see the stately complex waiting for them, looking almost miniature from this distance. Artem glanced sideways at his compatriot, trying to hide his uncertainty by shifting his gun around. Sky and Scarlett would know what to say, they wouldn't even acknowledge Gabriel's differences. They would tell him that he wasn't trying hard enough to be friendly. "Be nice, Artie, Gab is funny when you talk to her, she's nice too." Quickly realizing his calm facade was failing, he cleared his throat and attempted conversation a second time. "So… your search was fruitful, you said? How so, what'd you find? If you don't mind my asking." - > Gabriel "What a pity," Gabriel almost purred, watching the man from the corner of her eye. "But she supposes it will not be long until they return to the now-home and she can get news there." His posturing made her giggle to herself. Must be bigger prey to scare off predators, she mused, before a flash of silver through her mind made her retreat from that train of thought. She pushed away the slight feeling of anxiety that crept up her spine, before tuning back into Artem's presence as he spoke once more. The male attempts communication when not prompted. This surprised her. She tilted her head slightly, narrowing her eyes at him for a brief moment, before deciding to take the opportunity in the spirit it was offered. All at once, she seemed to relax, slumping slightly as her steps began to make a slightly louder noise. Her shoulders dropped and her hands drifted to her pockets. When she smiled again, it was as if she were more present than before, more engaged in the conversation without seeming as if she were studying him. "She does not mind the question," Gabriel told him, eyes turning to the sight of the building growing larger as they approached. "While she did not find a vast amount, she believes the items she did find to be useful for the now-home." She hummed in the back of her throat, thoughtful as she considered her finds. "Some small pieces of scrap metal for tools," she snorted, rolling her shoulders in an almost-shrug, "Hardly a big find, but they may prove useful... The other thing she is excited by that which she found," Her words were a little muddled as she grinned, motioning to her bag. "She has found a knife, likely dropped by another scavenger." Her voice got bubblier as she described her findings, but it came to a screeching halt as Gabriel paused for just a moment, before she continued softer and slower. She huffed out a breath, quite exasperated with herself. "What about sir Artem?" She asked in return, interest threading her words, "What has he been up to this morning?" These words were more deliberate, as if she was embarrassed by her earlier rambling. Artem didn't seem to notice. He was flustered by her mannerisms, but stammered a simple, "Same as always. Scouting around." And with that answer, Gabriel seemed perfectly content to let the conversation die, much to Artem's relief, as they reached the apartment building and headed for the stairs. fin. |
stingray #17818 |
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Posted 2021-06-06 18:21:51 (edited)
"Elenor, I need you to come help in the kitchen. Artem and Gabriel are supposed to be back soon, and I want to make sure they have a good meal on the table when they do arrive." His voice pierced through her thoughts like a needle, bringing her out of whatever trance she had been in, and although she had only really caught about half of what he had said, she agreed, offering him a bit of a nod before going out to the communal kitchen. As she went along, she realized he had called her Elenor, a bit of a smile playing on her lips. He did believe that was her name, as when she had introduced herself, she was soft-spoken, and he had just filled in the blanks. For two years, he had called her Elenor, despite everybody else in their small group calling her Ellie. At this point, she had given up on even trying to correct him. What did it matter? She still knew he was addressing her, and that was all that mattered. Ellie pulled a faded, striped navy blue and white apron on before looking around at the scrubbed laminate counters that only served to remind her of what would be in the science classroom of a school. Everything in this kitchen, despite being cleaned numerous times, had a certain grime about it, almost as if a thin layer of dirt and dust had plastered itself to the wall, to the point where no amount of scrubbing could remove it. It wasn't like Ellie hadn't tried either. She ignored this as she got to work, starting to chop vegetables as Antoniniana had directed her to. She focused solely on this as she did it, careful to not injure herself, knowing that it would simply be an inconvenience to everybody else around her if she did. Ellie had nearly finished chopping the vegetables when both Artem and Gabriel arrived, much to her dismay. The meal wasn't ready yet, and she had nothing else to offer. Well, she could offer water, but she wasn't sure what good that would do. Still, it was better than nothing, was it not? She slid the finished chopped vegetables over towards Antoniniana before gently placing the knife down, wiping her hands off on the apron and grabbing two glasses off of the shelf. She looked towards the sink, only to internally ridicule herself a moment later. Running water hadn't been a thing here. It was inconvenient, really, but it wasn't the worst issue they had. Why had she even looked towards the sink? She knew for a fact the water didn't run. Old habits die hard, though, and back in Fort Homer, she would often do just as she was now for folks when they returned. Maybe that was why offering water was the first thing she thought of. After a moment, Ellie instead found a larger, sealed jar of purified water, pouring a bit of it into each glass before bringing them over to the table where both Artem and Gabriel were both sitting. "Did you find anything while scouting?" Conversation was sparse for her. Ellie tended not to speak often, especially these days. Maybe it would do her some good to talk, though. It certainly wouldn't hurt. She felt she already knew the answer to her question, but she figured she may as well ask. The scouts rarely ever found anything of use, it seemed. It wasn't a fault of theirs, the city had simply just been picked clean. There wasn't really much the group could do about that. If they really needed supplies, they could go out of the city limits. For now, though, they had more than enough stocked up, so they would be fine. Once she got her answer, Ellie nodded a bit, getting back to helping prepare the meal. Conversation floated about the room, and Ellie found herself commenting every once in a while, although she was obviously more focused on cooking. After all, she felt it was one of the few things she could provide. She scouted every once in a while, but she always had to have somebody with her. She simply didn't have the heart to take the lives of those who were poisoned. There weren't many left around their section of the city, only a few strays occasionally, but those weren't so bad. It was the groups that were the worst. She had been ambushed far too many times to know that this was true. Soon enough, the meal they had been preparing was finished, the result being a thick stew that would surely replenish any lost energy. Ellie got a few bowls from the painted wooden cabinet, carefully filling each chipped, blue-painted ceramic dish, handing them out to the appropriate individuals moments later. After this, she began to clean the dishes that she could, the only thing left after a while being the large pot and the ladle she had used to serve up the stew. Ellie had decided that instead of staying in, she at least wanted to get a bit of fresh air today, going into the community space that served as a gathering room of sorts. From there, she gently slid open the old window, propping it up with a worn out looking block of wood, stepping out onto the rusty fire escape. The black metal had blossoms of orange-y brown flakes all around, and despite it probably being unsafe to be on, Ellie didn't seem to mind. Much to her surprise, she wasn't the only one out there, finding her friend and on-and-off partner out there too. Today happened to be one of their on days, so she decided to sit beside him, offering him a friendly smile as she did. "Hey, darling." Austin hadn't even looked up from what he was doing, seemingly busy with whittling away at a small chunk of wood he had found using an old hunting knife that was just as rusty-looking as the fire escape itself. "Hey, Austin. What're you up to?" She asked, curiosity lacing her voice. She could see what he was doing, yes, but she didn't know why, and that was what she wanted to know. He paused for a moment, looking up at his partner, shrugging a little as he placed the half-carved block of wood down. "I dunno. I was just bored. I'm going scouting tomorrow. There really isn't much I can do today." He said, and Ellie nodded a bit, speaking up again after she did so. "There's food inside, you know. If you want some. There's plenty." She said, and he looked her over for a moment, bringing his attention back to his whittled block moments later, picking it back up before he started talking. "Did you eat?" He asked, and she shook her head, replying after she thought about what to say for a moment. "No. But I wasn't hungry. I wanted to come get some fresh air." She said, to which he simply nodded, yet again more focused on whittling away at the chunk. There wasn't much else to say after that, so Ellie just stayed quiet, eventually leaning up against the man, carefully pulling the oversized jacket she was wearing a bit tighter around her, only just noticing the nip in the air. None of her clothes seemed to fit quite right, all of which were baggy and need some sort of alteration to properly fit. She had done her best to make them wearable, but now it was simply just small inconveniences, such as having to cuff the legs of her pants or constantly roll up the sleeves of her jacket. At this moment, though, she didn't mind as much, as what would normally serve as an inconvenience was actually quite useful against the cold. It was funny how things worked like that sometimes. "Are you looking forward to scouting tomorrow? |
 Double Dare #18737 |
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Posted 2021-06-06 18:24:41 (edited)
"C'mon, why're you being like that? You know I'm that way with everyone. I'm not mad at you. You're just being sensitive." He said, which only served to annoy Ellie further. "I'm not being any sort of way. Just.. How about we don't argue for once? You've got to leave early tomorrow morning. It's getting late, isn't it? Why don't we just go to bed." Ellie said, her voice laced with defeat. She knew there was no point in trying to reason with Austin. She would never win that battle. Quite honestly, she was too much of a pushover to do so. Austin seemed to agree, and the two headed off to a separate part of the building, one they had claimed as their own little spot. The furniture of the previous inhabitants was still around, so they had a pretty good bed and a dresser or two to keep clothing in, but other than that, it was all things they had brought in themselves. Damaged, dirty street signs that they had found interesting enough to pick up, an old-looking rug that Ellie was quite fond of, little chunks of wood carved into blocky, disproportionate animals that sat on the dressers, courtesy of Austin, with limbs too long or heads too big, all of which had an odd charm to them. In the corner of the room sat an old, beat up guitar that was missing a couple strings, although Ellie still managed to make it work. She had scored it in a music store a few blocks away, although the journey was a bit too far for comfort. At least to Ellie it was, especially if she was to go alone. If she were to go back out soon, though, she would certainly search for a pack of strings. She would ask Austin, but he'd surely say no, and it would most likely lead to an argument, something she didn't want to deal with. Austin must have caught Ellie looking at the guitar, because he asked about it, his tone a little friendlier than before. He must have realized that he had in fact sounded a bit mean, so instead, he tried to make up for it, especially now that they weren't in front of anybody. For whatever reason, he chose to keep a tough guy persona up unless it was just them alone. It annoyed Ellie to no end, but so long as he didn't do it with just her, she was fine. "You gonna play something?" He asked, and she shrugged, thinking about it for a moment before replying. "Maybe, maybe not. Kinda hard when you're missing a couple strings. I'll go out and try to find some someday. I just don't like going alone and nobody likes going over to that side of town." She said with a shrug, going and grabbing the instrument anyways. "Makes sense, I guess. What's that one song you play? Y'know, the one you showed me at the music store when you got that thing?" He asked, and the young woman couldn't help but smile a bit, sitting on the edge of the bed now, handing the guitar over to Austin instead. "I showed you how to play it. Don't you remember?" There was a fairly good chance he didn't remember. They were both busy people with busy lives, and she had only really showed him once. Sure, he had watched her play it more times than he could probably count, but he wasn't exactly able to learn that way. "I dunno if I do. I'll need to try." He said, clearly thinking it over for a moment, beginning to pluck the strings in no particular order, laughing as he did so. The noises that followed weren't exactly pleasant, and she couldn't help but laugh a bit. She took a moment to ruffle his cropped, blondish-brown hair, now gently taking the weathered guitar back, scooting a bit closer after a moment. "Lemme show you then. Here, put your pointer finger on that spot right there, and your ring finger on that one." She said, pointing out two different spots on the neck of the guitar, nodding a bit once he did it correctly. "There you go. You've got it. I'll do this part." She said, gently plucking the strings, clearly comfortable with doing so. The two went on like this for a while, until they decided that it was actually time for them to go to sleep. "Goodnight, El. I'll wake you up in the morning to say goodbye. I should be back before sunset." It was the same as always. Ellie just nodded as she began to get comfortable in bed, cuddling up to her partner, her arms wrapped tightly around his torso. Despite their constant bickering and on-and-off ways, she did truly love him. He was one of the only people here she felt she had a connection with, and quite frankly, she wasn't sure what she would do without him. Maybe she didn't say it enough, but she loved him. It was easy enough to tell in moments like these, but as she thought about it, she realized it would probably be nice to hear it more often too. "I love you, Austin." The words caught him off guard as they laid in the dark together, but he quickly rebounded, responding easily moments later. "I love you too, El. Always will.". With that, the couple stayed quiet for the rest of the night, simply just enjoying each other's company until they fell asleep. |
Double Dare #18737 |
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Posted 2021-09-05 16:52:17
Gabriel had dumped out the contents of her bag on the kitchen table as soon as she arrived. Artem trailed in after her, to see Antoniniana shooing her hands at the table. "Get that junk off of where we eat, Gabriel!" Gabriel huffed in a way that Artem thought was a bit exaggerated. "Goodies," the odd girl retorted to the older woman. "She found some good things. It's not nothing." But she swept an arm over the table, gathering everything up and dropping it back in her bag, which she then dropped on the floor quite harshly. Ellie hardly looked up from where she was cutting vegetables at the counter. What was happening behind her was a typical interaction with Gabriel, nothing to pay attention to, but she didn't even look up when Artem entered the kitchen. This didn't bother him. She was busy. And you shouldn't expect her to, anyway. Ellie kept to herself most of the time, which he understood, because he tried to do the same, but sometimes it came across as disinterest on her part. As if she didn't want to be close with anyone in their makeshift family. It was hard not to take it personally. He didn't know how the others felt about her, but she frustrated him. Or, rather, the fact that he didn't know how to talk to her frustrated him. She wasn't the one to blame for that. Still, Artem was closer with Mernie than he was with Ellie, and Mernie had been with them half as long as she had. But it seemed every time he tried to get her to open up, Austin was there to supervise. Now, there was an enigma. Austin was older, and Artem got the sense that he'd been through more heartache than some of the others in their group, but for some reason, he couldn't summon any feelings of deference for the man. He'd never been able to, not from the moment they met, and he'd really stopped trying a long time ago. They tolerated each other, as acquaintances do. Artem couldn't begin to guess how Austin felt about him. He'd decided it didn't really matter. As long as they were both fighting for the survival of the rest, that was what mattered. Nelly passed through the kitchen with a nod at their return, pausing in his path and holding his hands out in a silent offering to take Artem's gun. Artem thanked him quietly, handing it over for Nelly to take to the safe. Artem then took a seat beside Gabriel, who was staring deadpan at the table, perhaps fascinated by the wood pattern. When Ellie stepped over to them with glasses of water, he caught his breath. She looked like one of those candy-striper nurses from an old tv show, only her apron was blue instead of pink. She didn't smile as she asked them what they found. Small talk. No surprise there. Still, Artem felt himself smiling sideways at her anyway. Knowing Gab wasn't going to respond, he spoke for the both of them: "Gab found some little things. I was mostly keeping an eye out for trespassers." Nellis returned from the side room, going over to his wife and kissing her on the cheek. It was almost imperceptible, because he was only slightly shorter than Antoniniana, but he had to stand on his tiptoes to reach her. She giggled, and Artem almost wanted to laugh, too. But Ellie was standing there. He didn't want her to think he was laughing at her for any reason. Instead, he tuned out the end of the conversation, momentarily glancing into the side room where the safe was, and the television that didn't work, wondering where the others were. Mernie's probably in there writing. Cyrilan had likely already fallen asleep; it wasn't often he and Artem got to see each other since they were on opposite scouting schedules. Elizabeth and Joey were probably in her room together, listening to CDs on the only functioning disc-reader. That left James, Josh, Austin, and the kids missing in action. He resolved to track them all down after he ate dinner. Antoniniana had prepared a hearty stew, and with Ellie's help, he was sure it would be good. But Ellie didn't stick around after she served them. She walked out to the main room, out of sight, and Artem bit back a sigh. There was a lull, and he could hear the living room window sliding open and then shut as Ellie climbed out onto the fire escape. A favorite hiding place of hers, he'd noticed. If he wasn't so afraid of heights, he might have joined her. The twins weren't allowed out there, and neither was Cassondra, but that never stopped them from daring Artem to do it when they were particularly bored and there was no one else around to pick on. He was a good sport, but that was one thing he could not do. The thought of falling made him queasy, and even now, his head was starting to spin, thinking about Ellie standing a hundred feet in the air. Just like that, his appetite was gone. With an apologetic smile toward Antoniniana, he returned what was left in his bowl to the pot so it wouldn't go to waste before he set the chipped ceramic and dingy utensil in the sink with the rest of the dishes that Ellie had started. Antoniniana didn't seem to notice, engaged in a one-sided conversation with Gabriel, who was downing her soup and likely not listening to a word the woman said. As Artem was walking into the living room, the window slid open. Ellie was standing there, her shadow splayed over the floor that was otherwise colored gold from the sunset outside, but another voice made her stop. Austin. The words they exchanged were on the verge of an argument. Artem froze as she climbed back inside, and Austin followed. Quickly, Ellie relented. She looked tired. Artem shrank back a bit, not wanting to intrude, and thankfully they didn't seem to notice him as they left the apartment for their own room. Before Artem could ponder on this, he saw Nellis reappear from the hall, his kids trailing behind him. Upon seeing Artem, Scarlett broke away from her brother, running over and jumping up into his open arms. "Artie's back!" Sky exclaimed, barreling into Artem and nearly knocking him over. It was the same greeting every time he was gone; he couldn't say he'd ever get tired of it. "Come on, guys, let's go eat," Cassondra implored her siblings, sounding annoyed, but Artem knew she was too patient for that. For a teenager, she was fairly responsible. She had to be, in this strange new world. Artem set Scarlett down and the twins ran into the kitchen after their older sister and father. Artem smiled to himself when they started yelling Gabriel's name, chairs squeaking against the floor as they greeted her and took their places, shushed by their mother. Artem didn't want to walk through the kitchen again, so he went around to the hall, into the room with the safe. As predicted, Mernie was lying on his belly on the floor, feet up in the air, pen in hand writing in his journal. "Writing in the dark?" Artem asked, and Mernie looked up, startled as if he hadn't noticed there were no lights on. This room, to the side of the kitchen, had no windows. It was likely a den of sorts before, so the only light was coming from the kitchen itself, but with the sun sinking, it was very dim. Mernie shrugged. "Could be darker," he supposed, resuming his work. "Guess so. You been in here all day?" "No, just a few hours." "Made much progress?" Artem asked, and Mernie paused, holding back a sigh. "Yeah, I think so. A little." Artem smiled at that. Mernie was a private person, especially when it came to his journal. He was always vague about it, but Artem gathered he was writing a story about the history of the end of the world. He always gave different answers when pressed and didn't care to explain himself, but Artem figured he was just being shy about his writing, which was understandable. After a moment, Artem stepped over to lie on his back beside his friend, staring at the ceiling so Mernie wouldn't think he was trying to spy on his book. Mernie grunted when Artem told him dinner was ready, but made no move to get up. Before too long, the scratching of pen on paper and quiet breathing between the two was lulling Artem to sleep. He let his eyes close, and Mernie, appreciative of the comfortable silence, focused in on his journal again. That is, until he felt a breeze coming from the hall. Elizabeth was coming toward them. "Hi guys," she said, and though it was soft, Mernie felt Artem flinch awake beside him. "Oh, hi, Liz Love." Artem said sleepily, and she smiled at the nickname, sitting down across from them. "Did you see any scavengers today?" She asked, more serious now, clearly talking to Artem, so Mernie went back to writing, slowly, so he could listen. Artem shook his head. He knew they were all somewhat on edge. Josh had seen a strange pair a few days ago, wandering a bit too close to their compound. And before that, Joe's dad had seen another solitary figure. Searching. Hopefully they were unrelated incidents, but the group's guard had been lowered for some time in the city, and it was about time they were reminded of their situation. The knowledge that it couldn't last forever made everyone uneasy. "It was probably a fluke," Artem offered in reassurance. Liz gave a small smile, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. He gave her hand a squeeze in return, smiling and shutting his eyes again. Elizabeth held out her other hand for Mernie to take. When he didn't, she scooted closer and started tickling him. He squirmed in protest, bumping into Artem, who started laughing. "I'm tryin' to sleep, here!" "On the floor?" Liz teased, and he shook his head, watching poor Mernie being tortured, his journal forgotten. Finally, Liz relented. "Joey wanted me to ask you guys if you wanted to have a sleepover on the roof tomorrow night. Since it's gonna start to get real cold soon, it'll be our last chance. He says there's supposed to be clear skies. Maybe we'll see a shooting star." Artem glanced at Mernie, then shrugged as if to say 'why not?' "Just us four?" Mernie asked, retrieving his journal. "No, I'll ask Josh when he gets back tomorrow." Artem spoke then: "I'll ask Cass, if her mom says it's okay. She likes to be included." He doubted it would happen, but it was the thought that counted. Maybe she would be allowed to stay out until her bedtime, at least. Cass often tried to hang out with the older kids just to get away from her siblings when she could. "And?" Mernie prompted, and Liz made a face that swiftly disappeared. Artem thought he knew what she was going to say, and tried to save her, "I can ask Gab. She won't want to, though, so I wouldn't worry about it." "I know. And… I will ask Ellie. But…" She leaned in conspiratorially, though the rest of the house was silent now, the others having left the kitchen to get ready for bed. No one would hear her. "I don't want Austin to come. He weirds me out." Mernie nodded, and Artem frowned, dumbstruck at their shared sentiment. He had no idea they felt this way. "Why? It's not like… I mean, you don't think Josh is weird, right? They're basically the same age." Artem wasn't sure why he was trying to defend the man. Mernie was shutting his book and getting up as he responded. "I don't know about Liz, but I—" Liz interrupted him. "Well, Josh isn't a buzzkill, for one thing." Artem scoffed at this. It was a bit unfair of her. "No, Josh is a maniac. You can't compare him with anyone." Liz just rolled her eyes and bid them goodnight, going back to her room at the end of the hall. Mernie held a hand out to help Artem up. The two boys returned to the room they shared with Cyrilan, who was nowhere to be found, but a likely guess was he was talking with Joseph in the separate apartment he stayed in with his son Joe junior. Through the thin walls, they could hear the Jakaubs getting the kids ready for bed in the room next door. Mernie shoved his journal into the only bedside table, shucking off his shirt and flopping on his bed. Artem climbed into his own bed, and for once, Mernie's almost instantaneous snoring didn't keep him awake. |
stingray #17818 |
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Posted 2021-09-07 18:32:08 (edited)
Ellie had decided to go down to the kitchen, starting on breakfast, figuring she may as well do something useful. Before she knew it, there was rabbit and homemade bread cooking, wild onion and carrots grown in their small garden ready to be put into the pot when the rabbit was closer to being done. By five thirty, breakfast was prepared, and Ellie had begun to clean the dishes, and a few people from the building had gathered in the kitchen, presumably the ones that would be scouting today. "Up a little early, aren't you?" Joey asked, to which Ellie responded with a shrug. "Sure. I knew I wouldn't fall back asleep and someone needed to make breakfast. Figured I could do it and save Antoniniana the time. It's ready. Take what you want." She said, gesturing towards a couple serving bowls that were on the table. She fell silent after that, bustling around the kitchen to continue cleaning up, grabbing a slice of the bread off the table after she did so. "I'm going to sit outside for a while. If Antoniniana comes down tell her everything regarding breakfast is taken care of." She said, going to her typical hiding spot. She wasn't hiding from anything in particular, she simply just enjoyed the peace it offered, especially on mornings like this. She watched the sun rise often, and this morning was no different. The vibrant oranges and pinks and yellows were always enough to make her happy, no matter the circumstances. She had loved them even before she had been kicked from Fort Homer. It made her wish sometimes that she had followed through with her childhood dream of being an artist. She knew there was no way she possibly could now, given the reality they lived in, but perhaps she could have shared some of the same joy she felt while watching the sunrise. If only she had been able to. Maybe there were other methods of spreading the peace and joy she gained from such a simple thing, but she just hadn't figured it out yet. Once the sun had risen fully, she decided to step back inside, finding more people were awake and eating breakfast now. Joey's father offered her a gruff good morning, although it was his usual tone. He seemed insincere a lot, but she knew he meant it. "Good morning Joseph. How are you?" She asked, making small talk. "I'm fine. How are you? Woke up early?" He asked, letting out a rough laugh after. "I sure did. Nothing new, though, right? I'm doing fine as well, thank you." She said with a small smile, taking care of the dishes on the table once they were empty. Once she was done, she retreated back to her room, figuring it wouldn't hurt to do some cleaning. The rest of the day seemed uneventful, as Ellie kept to herself, so even if something had happened she wouldn't have known. She cleaned her living quarters top to bottom, even refolding all the clothes in the drawers and reorganizing all the wooden carvings that sat on the dresser. She supposed she had never really paid attention to the differences between the carvings, as now that she took a close look, they all looked quite similar, as if he attempted to make them identical when he carved them, but failed at doing so. He was never able to do so. She smiled a little at the thought, walking over to the window a moment later to open it up, getting some fresh air into the room. The room looked neat and tidy, something that she always tried to achieve and maintain. She hated messes, and always had. It reminded her of her family, as they had always been the neat and tidy sort of people given their backgrounds. They had to be, really, and now it was just a habit Ellie kept up. Before she had realized it, she spent almost the entirety of her day cleaning up, although she didn't mind that. The sun soon began to sink into the horizon again, and Austin still wasn't back. Ellie quietly watched the sun from her bedroom window, eventually giving up on looking for Austin. He'd be back when he was back, right? Eventually she decided to get herself ready for bed, promising herself she'd stay up until he got home. She always did. After another hour or two, the telltale sounds of the heavy metal door opening and the clomping of boots on the empty stairwell signaled that he was back. She exited the room, going to meet up with Austin, happy he was home. Unusually happy, but they were in their honeymoon phase again. It was expected given how their relationship was. When she saw him, she immediately went up to him looking for a hug, smiling when he hugged her back. "I got you something." He said, keeping his voice low in order not to bother anybody else who may be sleeping. It was only around ten, so she was sure other people were awake, but they knew better than to risk that. Everyone needed their sleep around here. "Did you?" She asked with a grin, stepping back from him now. She watched as he dug around his pockets for a moment, pulling out a small, square box and tossing it towards her. She was confused, but after studying the box for a moment, her face lit up, an even brighter smile crossing onto her features. "Austin, how'd you even find these?" She asked, her tone just as excited as her expression. She studied the box again, barely able to believe what the faded blue font said. Guitar strings. She knew he had to cross through the city to get these, and knew how difficult that trip was. "Thank you so much, Austin, I- I don't even know how to properly thank you. A thank you isn't enough." She said, laughing a little, now pocketing the strings. "Sure thing, El. I uhm.. I think I've got an idea, though. Come outside with me for a minute, will you?" He asked, and although she was confused, she followed along nonetheless, stepping into the cool evening air. She followed him, a little wary of being out, knowing that poisoned folk preferred wandering under the cover of night. "Something.. Happened today. I need you to do me a favor." He said, his tone suddenly serious. "What would that be, Austin? What happened today?" She asked, and he paused for a moment, letting out a sigh. "I had a run-in today. With a couple of.. Infected people. I took care of them but I didn't exactly come out unscathed.. Ellie, I.. Just look." He said, rolling up the sleeve of his coat. An injury covered his forearm, and she reeled back, her mouth covered by her hand. "What- What do you want me to do, Austin? I- I'm not a doctor, you could go see-" She started, but Austin raised a hand to cut her off, speaking quietly. "It's too late, Ellie. I can't be fixed now. Please, just.. I need you to do it. You're the only one here that I truly trust." He whispered, handing her the pistol he kept on him while he scouted. "Austin, no, I- I can't do that. No. Just no." She said, trying to hand the cold hunk of metal back to him. "Ellie. I'm asking you to do this for me. Please. I need you to do it." He said, continuing on. "I can't become one of them, Ellie. Not now, not ever." He said, forcing her to keep the weapon. "Why not anybody else, why me? I- I don't get it." Ellie said, the fear in her voice more than evident. "Just do it, Ellie!" He snapped, getting angry with her now. Ellie remained silent, her gaze dropping to the weapon in her hands. It felt so unfamiliar, just as it always had. She had never liked using it, but sometimes she had no choice. And she knew that one of those moments was now. She didn't have a choice. She didn't want him to suffer, did she? "Austin, can I just.. Just have one last hug?" She asked softly, and he hesitated before nodding, pulling her into a hug a moment later. "Thank you, Ellie. I mean it." He said quietly, stepping back now. Was that all? Was this going to be it? She held the gun up, aiming it towards the man in front of her, pulling the trigger once she was sure she knew it would be a good shot. A bright flash, a loud bang, and a thud. Ellie almost immediately dropped the weapon, shocked at what had just happened. "Austin?" She asked quietly, unsure of if the event had actually just happened or if this was just some bad dream. She slowly approached the still body on the ground, quietly kneeling down behind him, her breath catching in her throat as she studied his face. His lifeless face. "No, no no.." She whispered, now checking for a pulse, finding it was fading fast. "Austin, no, no, this isn't.. Get up, get up!" She snapped, sounding desperate. "Elenor, what the hell-" Nellis's voice rang behind her, although she didn't react at all. She just continued to stare down at Austin, barely even processing that he was now gone. "Antoniniana, bring Ellie inside. We will deal with him." Nellis said, although Ellie wasn't sure who else was there. She didn't care either, honestly. She wanted to stay with Austin. "No, I can't go in, I have to- to stay with him, we can help him." She said, slipping off her jacket, now pressing it to the wound, sounding stressed. "He'll be okay, help me bring him in, please, we can help him." She said, still sounding desperate. "Elenor, there is nothing else we can do. Austin is dead." Nellis had a serious and strict tone in his voice, sounding as though he were almost bored of her. "Let's go, Ellie." Antoniniana grabbed her arm, and she struggled against her for a moment, giving in rather quickly. She had started crying, and it was making it more than difficult to fight against anyone. So instead she gave in. "I killed him, Antoniniana, I killed him. He told me to and I did it. I- I didn't want to, but I killed him." Ellie said, sounding stressed. "You didn't have a choice, Ellie. It would have been your or one of us. He was infected. What were you going to do? You did the right thing." She said, but Ellie didn't seem to believe her. "We could have helped him. We could have brought him to.. To Fort Homer, they have a hospital, and- and they can treat people. I would know, I lived there, I saw patients." Ellie said, and Antoniniana shook her head, responding quietly. "Ellie, listen. There was no way we could have done that. We are very far from Fort Homer. The fact that you made it here alone is a miracle in itself. He would have turned before we got even halfway there, Ellie. He was too far gone by the time he got back. The infection was spreading." She said, her voice firm. Ellie just dropped her gaze to the floor, remaining silent. "Go up to bed, Ellie. You need some rest." She said, and Ellie didn't even try to argue. On the way back to her room, though, she stopped onto the fire escape, not intending to stay. She looked around for a moment, finding exactly what she was looking for. The unfinished carving that Austin had been working on the evening before. She trudged off to bed after that, undressing and climbing into bed, gripping the block tightly in her hands, running her fingers over the carved bit that he hadn't gotten all that far on. Now it would never be finished. She couldn't even bring herself to look at it, staring up at the cracked ceiling instead, knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep that evening. The image just kept replaying over and over again, keeping her mind racing. She doubted that she'd be able to sleep any time soon, never mind tonight. She could at least pretend, though, for everybody else's sake. The next morning came around more slowly than Ellie even realized could ever be possible. Once the sun rose, Ellie went out to the kitchen, shuffling much like one of the zombies she despised so much. She couldn't help but feel like one too. She felt empty. Last night she felt pained and hurt, but now? Nothing. She started on breakfast again as she had the day before, not bothering to stick around like she had the morning prior. She left the pots on the stove and went outside as she normally did, although this time she didn't intend on coming inside once everyone had eaten. She just wanted to be alone, so that's what she would do. Nobody would bother her out here, and she knew that. The crisp, cool air didn't calm her like it usually did, only serving to remind her of the man she had killed the evening before. She didn't feel sad about it this time, though. She couldn't. She didn't know how to. She didn't know how to cope. So instead, she tried to get the muddled thoughts out of her head, trying to let the breeze carry them away with it. |
Double Dare #18737 |