- Viviana -

@Sanctus Spooki@Penguin

"Sweet moon, every fucking time." Vivi hissed as the younger girl sped back off into the fray. This was precisely why Vivi kept absolutely zero friends, they always drug you into stupid shit and endangered your common sense. Just as the girl darted off another set of footsteps caught her attention. Fools were so loud, she turned her face slightly to watch the man who seemed to think he was going to shoot her horse. That was his first mistake, she recognized his scent nearly as quickly as she was off Gunnar's back. Her luminous blue eyes focused solely on him now, "You're damned right, fuck you, Hiram." She snarled at him as she stalked towards him.

The guard was one she had seen several times before, he was a pitiful looking kid several years younger than her with barely kept dark hair. She often heard the guards in their menial chatter about her, it was always one thing or another about how frightening she was. Vivi had found that people felt highly uncomfortable under her gaze and that she was likened to the vicious and now far-ranging wolves that filled the forests these days. Perhaps she was just a wolf in sheep's clothing, or rather a wolf in a woman's body. She was acutely aware that she was not entirely human anymore, at least not a normal one. She wasn't sure how much more she would change if any at all but she knew that her vision had not always been so clear or her reflexes quite so fast. She didn't spend enough time around other humans to realize just how quickly she moved or how predatory she often appeared.

It wasn't but a few moments before she was standing at the end of the barrel of his rifle. "I should skin your hide for trying to shoot Gunnar. You've seen us a half dozen times just this season and now you want to shoot at my horse." Vivi sighed dramatically, pursing her full dusky pink lips into a much thinner line as she glared down the barrel of the gun at the young man. She'd heard his mistake before he realized it when he pulled the trigger, he'd never chambered a round, too busy being a fearful prey animal bumbling clumsily through the forest to even do that simple of a task. She seemed unconcerned with the gun fight going on just behind them. She'd made her effort to be kind, if the girl wanted to get killed then she was more than welcome to. She threw up her pale slender hands in exasperation, what kind of fools filled the world these days and how in the moon's name were they still alive.

In her movements, her long nearly white blonde hair had spilled from her thick black cloak making her look even more dramatic against the stark landscape around. Some of it was braided in thick ropes while other parts hung loose. Amongst the braids were pretty shimmering beads, they were the only truly feminine thing about her appearance. This was why Viviana Aleksandra Petrov did not associate with other humans. Smart as they could be, they acted like prey more often than not and that was what got you killed in this age. Vivi had no desire to die anytime soon despite how shitty the world seemed to be these days. She lived a simple existence; hunting and trapping while she gathered medicinal plants to take to the settlements to trade for goods she couldn't readily get on her own which were few and far between. This time she was actually headed to down to trade the pelts she'd collected during her time away for a nice yearling filly to keep so she would have another horse and the capability to produce more.

@SkankingDevil

Eddie rubbed the bridge of his nose, exhaling deeply. He took a moment to collect his thoughts.

"Pair of pilers? 10mm wrench, solar panels, copper wire, transformers!? That sounds reeeeeeaaaal great, Daan! He shouted in an upstart. A drank! A room! A whoore! Really Daan!?

He moved to the mule, shifting through the bags strapped to it. He pulled out a small brown pouch made from makeshift linens. He opened to the pouch and flipped it upside down and gave it a good shake. Nothing fell out. The bag was empty.

"Let's do a little flash back, shall weh Daan?" He placed his arm around Don's shoulder. "Remember how we tipped a little extra to that wata merchant for the info on this place? Now tell me, did you forget the part where that was the rest of our money?"

He threw the bag on the ground in a fit of anger and rubbed his chin, his two day beard nuzzling his hand. Drove him crazy. He could use a shave. He rummaged around in the bag hoping that there would be something more inside, a sliver of hope. His hands instead caught a plastic bag. He pulled out the bag, labeled on the side "Micheal's" in big red letters. It was full of plastic vials. He reached into the bag, grabbing two vials at random. He brought them out into the daylight. Glitter. Blue and Gold.

"Hey, Daan my Mayn! Remember when we ransacked that craft supply store a while back? A glint in his eye reflect off the glitter. "How abouts a miracle potion?"

Iris

@Saint Girralo

Iris stared with shock as the girl stood up. Of course she knew she was tall sitting; but standing? Iris felt meager. When the girl spoke, the difficulty it caused became apparent. She listened patiently and smiled kindly up at her. "It's nice to meet you, Sarah. I'm Iris." She glanced at her hand and realized it was bigger than her entire body. She swallowed. One wrong move, and the girl could curs her. To be safe, she didn't move quite yet so she didn't startle her. It proved to be a correct move since Sarah glanced around to make sure she wasn't being surrounded or ambushed. Iris quickly spoke up, "It's just me. I'm on my own. I don't have anyone else." A lump formed in her throat and her eyes teared up. What happened to her parents? Were they alive? Had they died? She felt terrible not knowing or being there to help them. She sighed and tried to focus on the present. There was no time to think about this right now. She wiped her eyes quickly with her sleeve to try to pass it off as having dust in her eye.

Then, she added to change the subject and clear her mind: "Is this your farm? It's nice. I haven't been to one before since I'm usually in the city." Iris sized her up, trying to see if she was starving or nourished. As While she had been speaking, she had her hands on the spokes and was wheeling back and forth. It was like someone pacing to her. Do you need any food? I have some in my backpack if you do." Iris took a deep breath to allow her to respond and smiled at the cow. It was so cute. How could anyone eat the poor animal? She wouldn't understand. She sighed and then looked up at Sarah again, trying not to let off that it hurt her neck.

---

Drake

@Penguin @Sanctus Spooki

The chaos that ensued startled Drake. It took him a few moments to gather his thoughts and understand what had happened. First, a girl came galloping over on her horse and tried to save the girl. The comment "harder to track hooves and paws than feet" stuck in his head. It was true. Meanwhile, this newcomer's dog began to maul the man attacking the women. He stared in surprise as the first girl being attacked turned around and revealed herself to be Adelaide. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened. They had been separated for so long that he thought they would never reunite. Before he could yell out, reality smacked him in the face. The sound of his gunfire had echoed and now the other two men were rounding on him. They were distraught over their friend dying and the sudden onset of people. Drake's gunfire had caused too much attention. He set his rifle in his holster and took his bat out. "Come and get me." He taunted at them and grinned. He knew that needed to get one out. Fighting both would not be the best option. Adrenaline strung him up. He was jittery on his feet and tense inside.

The two men came at him, though Drake jumped out of the way quickly. He swung his bat onto the first man's neck, causing him to yell out. The sickening crunch sent a chill through Drake's spine. As he attacked him, Drake could see Tia being hurt. He saw the fight all over again. He heard his brother and parent's being murdered and his fury rose inside of him. He was so sick of innocent people being hurt and killed. He was done with it. His eyes flashed with ferocity. To continue his assault, Drake quickly grabbed him by the arm and yanked it out of its' socket. The yell echoed loudly. He pushed the assailant into the other man and caused them both to trip. His strength had come in handy and Drake was thankful for it. He took his bat and swung again as the second man stood up. He caught Drake's bat and glared. Before he could react, he swung the bat at Drake's knees. He yelped in pain and limped backwards. The next hit connected with his abdomen and he spat up blood. Pain rushed through him and caught him off guard.

Blinded by tears of pain, grabbed his rifle. Drake blinked furiously to combat the onset of tears. The man's laughter caused his stomach to churn. He'd never understand the pleasure people received from hurting innocent people. He squared his shoulders, then swung the butt of it at the man and smacked him in the temple. He then leaped at him and grabbed the bat from him and kicked him in the chest. He knocked the man down and then swung his leg at his head. The man collapsed finally. Drake watched for a moment, then staggered over to the side to throw up blood. The pain rushed over again as he lifted his shirt to check his stomach. It was bruising fast. He touched it and winced in pain, though he didn't feel anything inside was broke. His left ribs did feel punctured though. He groaned and sat upright again with difficulty. He glanced around as he remembered Adelaide.

"Adelaide," He coughed out and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Addie?" He looked around for her and wiped at his eyes and mouth once more. "Where are you?" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another man aiming his gun at the girl with the horse and dog. Drake tried to move over and coughed loudly. He groaned again and cursed in his head. Why was he aiming at this girl? "What the hell are you doing?"

---

Perenelle

@Penguin @Joshua Tamashii

When the food arrived and her portion was smaller, Perrie felt a rush of annoyance. There was a reason behind this. Was it spite? Anger? She began trying to discover its purpose then looked around. The men and women who had been out had the largest portions. She smirked and leaned back in her chair. That made sense. Amelia was taking care of her wolves for her. She felt a rush of gratitude. The wolves needed to be healthy, fit, and strong in order to perform well. This wouldn't go unnoticed by her, despite it; she was definitely going to speak to Amelia. If it happened again, the girl was going to get her ass kicked. Didn't she understand that she had to eat too? Perrie decided to let it slide - just once. She would try another motive.

While eating, she wondered what Xander had said to Amelia in the kitchen. However, asking in private would be more ideal. She gazed at Xander sweetly and held his hand. "I hope you enjoy your food, Black-Wolf. You did a great job today," Perrie squeezed his hand gently and gazed around once more at everyone's plates. The food was delicious. They had found themselves a decent and talented cook. She wasn't going to immediately show her annoyance with Amelia. Freaking out wouldn't be wise. Instead, she smiled warmly, despite the ferocious look in her eyes. "The food tastes delicious, doesn't it?" Her voice carried throughout the dining hall. Several wolves looked up but didn't answer.

"Amelia,"She glanced over at the child, "why don't you come join us?" She smiled underneath her mask. [color]"After all, you need your strength, too. Take the seat across from me.[/color] There was a stunned silence; then the wolves commenced eating. Perrie smiled at her sweetly and gestured her over again. There were exchanged glances but she ignored them.

“Did you really think you could run away from up kid?” The man asked, giving Tia a slight shake which caused the girl to let our a scream. “I've been told by Aiden that you are supposed to be a smart one but what you did was a stupid move. Did you think we would really let a gem like you escape when you've only completed part of the weapon? You are a fool to...YOU BITCH!” The man yelled as Tia took the opportunity to squirm far enough away so she could bite the man hard on his hand.

Tia held on for as long as she could before the man took a swing at her and started to punch her face. She could taste the metallic taste of blood in her mouth and also felt blood seeping out of her nose. The girl hoped that biting the man would startle him enough to loosen his grip but instead of that it angered the man and made him grip harder. Before Tia could think of another course of action, a loud bang was heard which made the girl flinch before she fell to the ground.

Not wasting time to look for the source of the noise, Tia reached for her baton and scampered onto her feet. She wasn't sure who the shooter was and if they were aiming for her or the man but at least she wasn't dead. As the man tried to pick himself back up as he screamed in agony, Tia made a dash away from the men and as one charged in her direction with a knife in hand, Tia cranked the voltage of her baton up. It would drain her battery quicker but she need the extra edge. Taking a swing at the man as the man aimed for her, there was an audible crackle as the man was electrocuted and crumbled towards the ground. She could feel a sharp pain and glancing at her right shoulder, she saw blood. She could feel her eyes starting to tear up but Tia knew she couldn't stop.

She could hear shots ringing behind her but Tia didn't know if it was from the shooter or from one of the men sided with Aiden, if not both. She didn't want to find out who the victor would be and what her fate might be if either side found her. Tia just wanted to escape. With her face bloodied and shoulder throbbing, Tia knew she couldn't run for too much longer. She would easily be found out in the open. After running for a few blocks, Tia ran into a building with its storefront window shattered and supplies looted years before she was born. Find a small supply closet, Tia closed the door behind her and hunkered down into a corner. She looked at her baton's power level and saw that it was nearly depleted. She could give someone a shock and startle them but nothing more than that until she recharged her batteries. Wrapping her arms around her knees, the girl buried her face into her knees as she let out a soft sob. This whole day was a mistake. She was finally free but nothing went according to her plans after spending two weeks to prepare for her escape.

_____________________________________________________________________

Adelaide skidded to a stop in the dirt, nearly falling over. She had made it in time to find Drake coughing up blood. She had seen him fighting the men and had come over as soon as she could. He had taken quite a nasty hit with the bat unfortunately and she hadn't been able to get there in time to help. "Drake, yes it's me, oh my God."She came over and took his shoulders to help steady him. "Take it easy, buddy."She rubbed his back comfortingly. What were the odds of finding him again? She had been friends with him so long ago. Now that she had actually found him, she sure wasn't going to lose him again. She had been alone for so long now.
She followed his gaze to a man with a gun. She recalled him aiming at the dog. "Leave her and her dog alone!"She called to the man. The least she could do was try to help since the girl had been ready to save her life. People usually only looked out for themselves nowadays. It was rare they actually would help another person. However, Adelaide wasn't so sure how involved she wanted to get with Drake here.

@Dephyus

A devious smile crept across Don's face as his traveling companion revealed two vials from the plastic bag. A miracle potion. There was more than one way to survive in this world wide Hellscape. Some robbed by knifepoint, others stole food and women in the night. Yet, there were a select few who could see above the daily struggle for existence. For those who knew the wishes and desires of their quarry, the hunt was always bountiful. To prey upon their fantasies, to create a new reality. To thrive at the sake of the stupid and naive.

"Riiight..." Don stood and moved towards the donkey, rummaging around in compartments of various cloth sacks in search of his wardrobe. "A miracle potion, I like the sound of that! Worked on those fools back West, can't see these folks being much different."

Having located the small suede bag containing his formal attire, Don proceeded to disrobe. The fact that he was out in the middle of the road, or in plain view of Eddie mattered very little. With the mutated coyotes stalking the surrounding woodlands, the carnivorous ants (which luckily were becoming less populous as the temperature continued to drop) or the hordes of roving bandits who would soon look at you as kill you, nudity just didn't seem like a big deal.

Discarding his torn and bloody travel clothing on the roadside, Don removed a vacuum sealed clear plastic bag, containing black slacks and spotless white dress shirt. Don began to change into his dress garb and continued:

"OK, I'm cookin' up somethin' we can work with here... Check it, here's the deal. We're both scientists. We found out we can use nuclear radiation to make a kind of cancer that actually heals cells, instead of hurt them. Our lab got raided by bandits, so we came to this town for protection to finish our research."

By this point, Don was fully dressed in the pair of black slacks and pressed white oxford. He rounded the mule and ran his hand around the rim of the 20 gallon water tank attached via wagon to the mule's harness. Using the residual moisture, Don wet his face and wiped the grime of the long journey from his sun kissed cheeks, letting the cool breeze dry the beads of water from his brow. With his pristine clothing, silken hair and golden skin, Don radiated an otherworldly picture of healthiness.

"We show 'em how the potion has been working so good on me, they give us a room with a lock and key when we promise them we will give them a vial when we finish. They give us food, they give us booze, because this miracle potion just became their new God. We get our tools, I fix this solar panel, and we're outta here before the fools wake. Or, you know, if things go good, we ride it out here in town. Stay for a couple weeks, get drunk, get laid."

Don tugged at his collar. This was a new shirt. Straight from the factory. Uncomfortable. Not sure why people wore this stuff in the Before Times. Repacking the mule, Don pulled from another bag his 9mm and tucked it firmly into his waistband. His machete, however, he left upon the mule, safely out of sight.

"Then again. Maybe things don't go so good. Maybe the Town Guard comes down on us. Maybe one of the townies doubts the story. Plan B, grab that fucker by the throat, drag him into the bushes, and carve yourself a trophy. I don't think it will come to that.... but it has before, so I don't doubt it could well happen again."

Don again turned towards the settlement. This oasis in the waste could be exactly what they needed. And as his father oft repeated in his boyhood: "Where there is risk... there's reward. What you think?"

Amelia looked up when Perenelle. The moment the woman made her suggestion, Amelia could tell something was up. She might have been the youngest one there, but she was no fool. Perenelle had denied her food only to now suddenly invite her to the table where all of them were eating. Amelia could think of several scenarios for this. The first one was a punishment for the smaller portion she had given Perenelle, forcing her to watch as the others ate and she didn't. A kind of mental torture. Given the position Perenelle was asking her to take, it could be to put Amelia in striking distance, allowing Perenelle to physically punish her. Or, it could be both. She didn't bother to dwell on a charitable possibility, as associating the Alpha with that word seemed unlikely.

Sighing, she knew she couldn't say no, as doing so was bound to incur even more wrath from Perenelle. So, she snapped her book shut and took the seat she had been directed to take, waiting to see what card the Alpha would play.

@SkankingDevil@Dephyus

In a room lit only by a single candle, Lawrence sat at a table in a rented room. The room had been offered for free, but the commander of the Town Guard wasn't the type of person to take credit or reward for the work her subordinates did. Still, the offer had been appreciated, not for the pleasure of special treatment, but because it meant that the work they had done was paying off. People felt safe under the Guard's protection, and wanted to show their thanks.

Lawrence raised one hand to her face to rub away the weariness. She had been on the road for the past few days, trying to get to this town. She had had analysts running probabilities on scavenged military computers specifically designed for this kind of work, and based on the information they had, this was where the duo she had been trying to catch were most likely to show up next. Still, even before the world tore itself to pieces, this kind of prediction had been guesswork. Now that the world had changed, the motivations of people had changed, so the software had been reconfigured. Without the proper technicians, the work had been stopgap. Her people gave her a 50% chance of a correct placement, at best.

She had sent others to the other most likely places, but coming to the town with the largest chance of success was her job. Her aide had argued with her, trying to get her to stay in New York, but these two had already killed more of her men and women than she could just sit by and allow. She had to get personally involved in this case, so she had made her way into the town quietly, sneaking in without being noticed. Not only did that ensure she didn't raise a scene and scare off her prey, but it allowed her to assess the state of the town's defenses. She would have to talk to the Quartermaster here. His troops were getting complacent, and that reflected badly on the rest of them.

She sighed and prepared to leave her room, leaving her typical equipment in her bag. Nobody around here knew what she really looked like, since to the world Lawrence Nightguard was a tall figure in a trench coat and gasmask. The easiest way for her to blend in with the crowd was to be in plain sight.

@SkankingDevil
Eddie smiled wryly. "Ya look like a re-u-lar dappa dan."

He threw himself at the mule yet again, digging around on the oppisite Don. He grabbed a few more vials of glitter. Chartreuse. Gross. He opened the lid and dumped it on the ground. Next vile. Brown? Why? Who uses brown glitter? He dumped it next to the Chartreuse. He dug in once more. Red... Damn. He liked red. He reach a final time, hoping it would be anything else. Baby puke green! Perfect! After dumping out the last vial he cover the glitter up with loose dirt. In each empty vial he mixed equal parts gold and blue with 98 parts water. He shook the vials as though he was a scientist and maybe this really was the cure for cancer.

"So," Eddie started, still fixated on his potions. "Both scientists. Doctas. Hmmmm... Oh! do we still have..." He cut himself off as he began to frantically search. "YES!" He exclaimed, pulling out a white lab coat. Well, mostly white lab coat. The coat was covered in a little dirt and a lot of blood, to the point it seemed more dark red than white.

"Gawd Dammit, Daan! What did I tell ya about people we meet!? You don't..." He stared at the coat, fixated by it for only a moment. "Oh shit. This was my bad. Heh, that's right. Oh man, did I beat this guy to death. That's what he gets for thinking he's so smaat. Egghead bastard." Eddie blows his nose with the lab coat and stuffs it back into the mule's bags.

Well, unless you have another suit that or something nicer thaat you are holeden out on me, we may haave to revise ower plan. Something catches his eye, the barrel of the gun. This was not something special, couldn't have been. Eddie and Don carry the special stuff on them. At least the small stuff. He reaches in the bag to pull out a carbine-esque rifle. High quality, no bullets and also broken. But it sure did look convincing. We do still haave this from those Rubes back west. He subtly blurts out. He rummages around some more.

"Oh, but what ever shall I wear?" He swoons, using his best 'Southern Belle' impression.

@Dephyus

Don eyed Eddie as he rooted through various bags on the mule. One would think Don would have become accustomed to the eccentric behavior of his partner, but time had not dulled the oddity of Eddie's antics. The balance between entertaining lunacy, and sobering violence was delicate at best. There were times when Don would pretend to be asleep near the fire, and swear he could feel the cold tinge of steel upon his throat in the night. In one way Eddie's mannerisms terrified Don. Watching what a man could do to another living thing with such little provocation and so much savagery. But in another way, Eddie's madness was comforting. If nothing else, it validated Don's own sanity in comparison. And if things ever took a bad turn... Eddie was the kind of guy you wanted on your side.

Eddie keeled down and picked up a handful of dry, brown dirt. Rubbing it briskly between his hands, he proceeded to wipe the earthy dust all over his pristine white oxford. Camouflage was key, and nothing had been as clean as that shirt in damn near twenty years. Thoroughly dirtied, Don turned back to the mule cart. It was amazing what kinds of loot and plunder the duo had acquired over the years. Most of it junk, some of it treasure. All earned with their blood, sweat, or experience.

"That gun's good... yeah. Damn shame that kid broke the firing pin." Don said in reference to the origins of said carbine. "You don't see many guns like that anymore. They see us roll up with that, they'll know we're the real deal. Make it seem more believable we escaped that 'bandit raid' too. My name is... Jacob Reddings. You and I... we've only known each other a week or so, and I paid you as a sell sword. If anyone asks, we've taken to the 'Code of the Road.'" He said, referring to the practice in which nomads meeting in the wastelands withhold all personal information, other than that of their names and hometowns. Don walked back to where he had discarded his clothes in the street and selected from the pile his heavy overcoat, which he slipped on- right arm after left. Scooping up the remaining clothing and hiding it behind a piece of foliage, Don now looked the part of a proper nomadic scientist.

"I figure it'll be a good ten minute walk until we hit the first buildings. Keep your eyes peeled, keep your cool, and don't break frame.'

Don said as he lazily gripped the mule's reigns and began to slowly lead the pack animal down the overgrown and crumbled asphalt road.

@Potter

Sarah listened and watched as Iris introduced herself and nodded in understanding. "I...ris... Iris", She repeated, trying the name out for herself. As Iris reassured her that she wasn't deceiving her, that she was alone, Sarah frowned that someone could leave anyone like Iris alone. Obviously she was able to take care of herself but things couldn't be easy for her, having to move the wheelchair with her the entire time. She shouldn't need to take care of herself all the time. It was hard enough for her to watch her back even with the town being close by along with its guards.

"Sarah... make farm... a... ffeewwww.. years... back. Car...ry seed from... home. Live... on farm when... small. Dark... poi...poi... sick...ness snow fall... Mom 'n Dad got ray... sick. Sarah get... big. Mom 'n dad not here. Raiders kill them. Me move-ed a lot. End up here. Here safe... safer...er. Food safe too." Sarah explained after being asked about her farm. And then Iris asked if she was hungry, she hadn't eaten breakfast yet, but she was fine for now. "Thank... you... I'm not Hun... gry. Plenty of food here. Come... cow frien... friend...lee. " Sarah told Iris waving her over as she took a half step back toward the farm.

@SkankingDevil

Eddie scoffed "Jacob Reddings. Heh, you've been saaving that one for a fantasy novel?" He gave himself a chuckle, after a few moments he placed his hand on his chin. "Then again, an alias is prabably a good call."

He pulled out the carbine and began to inspect it. It was damaged all right, but you couldn't tell from a distance. Even a trained marksman would need to be less than a foot away, but people were known to surprise him. Setting it down, he rifled through the bags some more, pulling out a worn, brown duster. This was Eddie's coat for if he ever got cold, but he never really did. It was unused for some time. He threw the coat over his back and punched an arm through each sleeve. Buttoning the coat with one hand, he used the other to continue to dig in these bags. There must have been a hundred pockets. He always kind of felt sorry for the mule, but it couldn't tell him anything was wrong, so everything must be okay. He pulled out an off-brown trilby from the bag.

"Ah shit! I thought we had a Stetson? This will look stupid." He grimaced for a moment. "Ah fuck it, a hat's a hat." He plopped the hat down on his head and used the brim to conceal his eyes the best he could. He picked up the carbine and turned to Don. "Just call me... Thunderfuck Mckillexploder." In this get up, he almost looked like a bad detective with a rifle fetish.

"Oh! By the way!" He was shouting now. "When haave I eva 'breakded frame?'"

Just then a small rodent emerged out of the bushes. It scurried slowly, zig-zagging a path through the brush. It found itself on the road, searching for any scraps left by the mule or the two men. It caught Eddies eye. In two swift motions, Eddie brought the rifle over his head, holding it with two hands at the barrel. In the second motion, he brought the butt of the gun down with a mighty force. There was a short, high pitched squeak, followed by a squishing sound.

"WOO! Nailed it!" Eddie exclaimed, arms overhead. He wiped the former rat off the gun onto the back of the mule, but not very well. "Alright, chief. I'm the sell sword, I'll follow your lead." He gets into position beside the mule and fake cocks his rifle, mouth noises included.

Fumbling with the bolt handle, Hiram hastily re-chambered another round, sweat beading his brow. Not only was it a stupid mistake, it would have been a costly one. The sudden interruption in momentum had kickstarted his brain, jogging his memory "Sorry... Wasn't exactly thinking." He muttered meekly, eyes darting about rapidly. 'You could try being a bit less intimidating though..." he thought to himself, despite that, he was relieved at his own mistake.

As the two other combatants emerged, Hiram rubbed his forehead, trying to relax his already frayed nerves. "I'm just going to assume that the good guys won this one..." Slinging the rifle over his shoulder, he glanced towards Adelaide, grimacing as she exploded at him, "It's a bit late for that, if anything she came closer to killing me than I did her. Sorry if I shot at either of you earlier," He apologized again, "In my defense, someone shot at me first. Let's all just take a deep breath..."

Following his own advice, Hiram took in a deep breath, before approaching Adelaide and Drake with his gloved hands held up in a non threatening way. Noticing the blood at the corner of his lips, and the way he favored his uninjured side, Hiram assumed that he was he one who had been attacked, with Adelaide as the intervening saviour, confusing the two roles they had played. "Drake, right? I'm Hiram. I'm sure you don't trust me, and for good reason. I'm with the Town Guard, though." Glancing between the pair, a wry smile spread across his face, but he chose not to broach the subject.

Glancing in the direction of the fire, he scratched at the back of his neck, trying to appear casual, relaxed, and failing miserably at it "I think we should get back to my settlement, its not too far. I don't know about you..." He waved towards Adelaide, "...But Drake definitely could use medical help, and I'm not the type for that. You might be, but he needs rest as well. The kind you don't get in the wilderness." Struggling to sound authoritative and in control, Hiram wished Lawrence was here, he was much better suited for such situations, the man had a much more commanding aura about him than Hiram could ever muster.

He looked towards Vivianne, hoping that the wild-woman was feeling accommodating. "We can make a makeshift sled for Gunnar, and you two can share the saddle... If Gunnar can handle it. It should save time." He trailed off, giving Vivianne a pleading stare, 'Help me. Please.' Not waiting for them to respond, Hiram moved away, pulling the knife from his boot and set about hacking limbs from a nearby tree, forcing himself to keep busy as he mentally berated himself. His own stupidity was going to make this all so much more difficult. If they even chose to listen to him. After he'd cut down enough branches, he squatted down onto the ground, beginning to weave the sticks together. "If Gunnar can't, maybe Nikita? I need some rope... cloth or strong vines should work." The words ran out of his mouth in a constant stream, and he couldn't bring himself to meet any of their eyes. Why had he even rushed here? Had he really been any help at all? If he had shot Drake, the girl would likely be dead. If he hadn't forgotten to reload, Vivianne might have broken her neck, only for him to have been mauled by a dog.

Stupid, and lucky. A terrible combination.

@Dephyus @chukklehed

Don chuckled as the red and brown visceral smudge smeared over the mule's patchy grey hide. Years ago, such an act of wanton violence would have produced a grimace rather than a smile. But the road is long and grey, and little bits of animation like this become what you live for. Even in his insanity, there was an energy about Eddie that you didn't often see these days. A zest for life. An equal zeal for taking it.

The duo proceeded silently down the road towards the settlement. Makeshift walls surrounded what looks to have been a small commercial district, or maybe some sort of planned neighborhood. Where there were walls, there were likely to be treasures. But there were also likely to be guards. And in this case, non less than the renown Town Guard itself. If the water merchant's intel had been correct, they had been here on a semi permanent basis for almost five years.

The front gate was now fully in view. A guard was posted above the gate, maybe 3 meters above the ground, perched above the wall. The Guard must have been watching them for a solid seven minutes as they approached, but made no effort to contact them. That was the thing many of the Elders spoke of in Don's boyhood. How in the Old World, time was the master. Everyone was always in a rush, always trying to beat the clock. But in this world? The only times that mattered were mealtime, and the hour of your death. Don and Eddie would reach the gate in their own time, and in his own time the Guard would acknowledge their presence.

The duo slowed their mule to a stop a stone's throw away from the gate, and stood silently as they awaited the instructions from the Guard. The Guard took his time, watching down on the duo, his eyes beating down on the, like sunbeams in the desert . "Who goes there?"

Don looked up at the guard. "I am Jacob Reddings of Nevada. This is my bodyguard, Kay." Don hadn't been expecting having to talk his way into the compound. Many other villages in the area were completely vulnerable to outsiders. No gate, no walls, maybe one or two poorly armed lookouts. Don continued softly. "I am seeking sanctuary. My camp was raided by bandits, and my colleagues slaughtered. Kay managed to get me out safely, but we have been wandering for days. I've heard tell that the Town Guard is active in this area, protecting good folks in need. I beg of you, please, help us! I am a man of science, and I won't survive another week in the wastes..." Don stammered to a finish, visibly shaken.

The Guard's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized every wrinkle on Don's face, every action, anything at all that could betray him. But Don knew exactly what he was doing. The water merchant had told him all about the Town Guard's code of ethics. " Protect, Serve, Reinforce." They would have to accept Don and his traveling partner. They had sworn an oath. So he waited.

After another lengthy pause, the Guard disappeared from sight, his head slipping beneath the wall and into the encampment on the other side. A few seconds later, a mechanical whirling sound punctured the heavy silence of the Wastes. The door creaked open, and the Guard stood on the other side with spear in hand. "Welcome to New Hattion. Follow me, there's someone you need to meet."

@Saint Girralo

Iris

Iris listened to Sarah with interest. Despite this girls inability to communicate effectively, Iris was beginning to understand she was harmless. Still, she wouldn't let her guard down. One wrong move and she was a goner. As she listened, Iris realized that Sarah lost her parents from raiders after getting sick. The pit of her stomach churned. Being lonely was killer. Iris understood its' effects and had been trying not to dwell on it. However the constant travel must have made Sarah nervous. The farm wasn't protected. She bit her lip. Did she need help protecting it or learning how to fight? She wouldn't mind showing her how to defend herself. She nodded when Sarah explained she wasn't hungry and leaned back in her chair. When she was invited to come over by the cow, Iris couldn't help but grin from ear-to-ear.

"I'd love to see your cow. Does she or he have a name?" Iris maneuvered over the flat land much easier. However her chair became stuck in a rut and sent her toppling forward. She let out a gasp and quickly caught herself. Iris smirked and pushed herself back up and grinned at Sarah. "I'm okay. I really am. That happens sometimes." She gently wheeled over to the cow and stopped a bit ahead of it. Iris held out her hand for it to sniff, then proceeded to pet it once the cow allowed her.

---

@Penguin @Sanctus Spooki @Bleu Flacon
Drake

Drake could hear Adelaide and her sweet voice; then feel her hands around his shoulders. He swallowed hard as he tried to tune out the pain. He watched as the man lowered his gun away from the girl riding the horse and her dog. He watched as the man spoke and grunted in pain. The offer to go to his settlement caused Drake to tense up. Trusting new people was not in his handbook - especially how it bit him in the as and he lost Tia. His muscle tense, his heart rate accelerated, and his pupils dilated, Drake squinted at the man. "I have my own place," he replied, not trusting the newcomer. How quickly he had turned the gun on them caused Drake to have even more distrust. "I can heal my side, thank you though." He watched the man cut the branches off the tree and forcibly stood up against the opposing tree. He needed his backpack - which he had dumped a few feet away. He glanced at Addie then hobbled towards it with determination.

Drake picked it up then bit his tongue in pain. He kept an eye on Adelaide and the others while he began to tend to his wound. Despite his efforts, tears of pain were clouding his vision. "Dammit," he cursed loudly and sighed. "Addie, do you think you could help me please??" He was never letting her out of his sight now that he had found her again. Drake swallowed hard as he turned to face the group and slung his backpack over his shoulder. He gestured her over once more and bit his lip. The guardsmen meant well, so did the girl. Still, they were new, and he wasn't aiming to trust them off the bat.

He turned to the new girl. "Thank you for coming to save Adelaide. That was kind and sweet of you and I am grateful." He gestured to her horse and dog while trying not to grimace and failing. "It's nice to see animals. Where did you learn to horse back ride?" He allowed silence to fill to give the girl enough time to answer, and for Adelaide to help him with his wound. He was trying to analyze the situation to find any faults of deceit, or wrongdoing.

_____________________________________________________________________

Adelaide knelt beside him and began to take out a small first aid kit from her backpack. She examined the wound and began putting some disinfectant on it. She was no doctor but she knew the basics. She glanced up again, hearing Drake thank the girl. He was grateful she came to save her? Drake must have cared a whole lot more about her than she realized. She down-casted her gaze back to the wound and focused on tending to it as he continued to speak to the girl. She wrapped it and looked at him finally. "You should be okay. Do you want to try standing up?" She put her arm under his to give him help in case he did.


@Potter @Joshua Tamashii

_____________________________________________________________________

"I hope you enjoy your food, Black-Wolf. You did a great job today."

Xander looked over at Perenelle and smiled, "Only the best for you, my dear."
He knew her act towards everyone else was fake but he had a lot of faith that she truly did like him. She was always the kindest to him and appreciated all his hard-work for her. When she regarded the table of people about the food being delicious without answer, he stood up. "You will answer the White Wolf when she's speaking to you."He ordered fiercely. People began giving audible agreements in reply, keeping their heads down. He grinned and sat down again, "That's better..." His eyes traveled to the little chef, watching her take a seat. He wondered what she was going to say. "I'll be taking a group of 8 with me up north tomorrow. Hoping to see what kind of party's starting in New York City. Would anyone care to volunteer to join me?"

The mast creeked ominously as Alden shifted his weight around the ship, counterweighing the sail. The wind and weather had been mostly fair to him in these late hours, but he still bore exhaustion of having to fight a seastorm before that. He thought at some point he would never make it, what with his travelling partner sinking into the waves to never be seen, and waves washing away half of the supplies he had brought with him. The cabin was still partially soaked in seawater though, although the worst had passed yet. Now it was a race of endurance, as he couldn't get someone else to take over. He thus, had spent more than a day without catching a shuteye. He was thirsty, tired and hungry... and yet, he pressed on.

His eyes focused on the sight that awaited him as he travelled through New York Bay. After 20 years, it was there. Weathered down, but pretty much intact. The statue of the Liberty. Alden couldn't help but be moved at the sight. Truly one of the modern marvels of the world he once had lived in, welcoming as always the travellers who came into the United States to seek a new life. It gave him renewed strength, as he tugged from the ropes once more. Not much longer now, before setting the foot in land. Alden, the "Old Wolf" smiled. Perhaps after so much tribulations, he started to see substantial progress in his mission.

Grabbing a couple of binoculars, he peeked at the base of the statue. There was some movement. Some kind of... armed forces. They seemed to have taken an interest in him. Well, who wouldn't? Not many ships came into the Hudson bay these days. He steeled himself and decided to go greet them. Hopefully they'd not shoot him. He wasted no time in tying the ship to one of the now free moorings of Liberty Island, swiftly hopping out of the deck into the land as he did so, and made sure the knots held tight. There was still some time, so he took his meager possesions with him, the urn and the book.

And promptly fell to his butt, then lay down, staring at the sky. "Whew. That was a thing, Monique. We are in New York." He muttered to himself, before the sound of footsteps made him turn his attention elsewhere. There they were, the armed people he had seen before.

"Gentlemen..." He muttered as a salute, as he still laid on his back.

Perenelle

When Amelia took her seat, an awkward sideline fell before the table. Perrie let the suspense hang and smirked, turning her attention away. The young girl could sit on pins and needles. Fianlly, Xander spoke once more and redirected the attention anyway.

Perrie watched with amusement at the reactions from the beta wolves. Their instant replies made her smile. She looked over at Xander after he spoke then around. She saw hesitation and stared with a scowl. "Go on then," she urged wit an impatient wave of her hand. She sighed in relief at the first speaker: Faith- a bright-eyed bushy-tailed pink haired menace.

"Well, Vanitas and I are in," she replied cheerfully, nodding to her twin brother sitting beside her.
The dark-haired young male with twinkling blue eyes nodded. "I could go with seeing the Big Apple." Vantias agreed and high-fived his sister. She watched as others joined in and nodded.

"All-right, Black Wolf; this is your group." She nodded to Xander and looked back to the others. A few had stumbled over responding but she didn't pay mind to it. They would go whether or not they liked it. At least the twins were willingly volunteering.

Her attention was grabbed again by seeing Amelia. She smiled pleasantly at her despite the animosity brewing. "Amelia, please clear the table and then go to your room afterwards. I will have a guard check on you to make sure you're in there. Black-Wolf, you can come with me." She excused herself from the table and dismissed the others with a wave of her hand.

---

Drake

Drake thanked Adelaide. He paused, then nodded. He gritted his teeth and grunted as he stood up. Black dots danced across his vision and he reached out to grab Addie's arm. He shook his head with a deep sigh. "I'm okay, I'm okay, hold on..." He took a deep breath and then fully lifted himself up and let go of her. "I'll take you back to my camp," he told her in an undertone and grunted again. The son of a bitch wound was going to take a while to heal. He scrambled to think of a way to help it heal fast and sighed. The medicine... He had some left at camp, right? "Come on, My Laide."