[IC] The Travellers

[hagroden]

Ved
"I said he isn't getting a gun, not yet anyways."
He placed his hand on his own gun, further insinuating his point.
"Now holster your weapon, and do something useful for the team. Take your new car and go collect some real supplies. If as poor of a shot as you can survive the mall, then I'm sure it's empty, and has supplies that we could use. Contribute."
He by no means considered himself a leader of the team, that position was held by Ambrosia and he respected that, but he sure as hell knew that he was higher up the food-chain than Cash, and he also knew that he could outlast him in a shoot-off, if it ever came to that.

[Rick Sanchez]

"Punch, you need to fucking relax." Sucker frowned. The same could be said for Cash, but he didn't say that. If he had to guess, the author was coming to terms with himself and Sucker wasn't going to judge him harshly for it--he was just thankful he'd put the gun away.

The offer of a firearm floored him, and he stared at the other, conflicted, until Ved stepped between the two of them. Being the subject of one of the thousands of arguments that went down between Ved and Cash wasn't how he'd like to spending his afternoon, but it gave him a chance to think on the offer.

The answer was no, he knew that right away. And it wasn't that he didn't appreciate the sentiment.

First, if he did accept, he'd be causing more conflict with the group than what a long-range weapon was worth. He would be de-facto siding with Cash on this issue if he said yes, and being ever the neutral party (say it with me now: 'I am Sweden. I am Sweden.') Sucker didn't take sides. Moreover, Ved made it clear that the concept of Sucker having a gun would bother him, and he didn't know if that thought carried over to the others. Having a dangerous weapon wasn't as important to him as keeping the peace.

Second, it wouldn't solve the issue Cash was trying to address. While Sucker was shocked and slightly touched that Cash had perceived some of his hurt feelings, (not that Cash wasn't smart, but he lacked...tact, and wasn't much of a team player), another weapon wasn't going to work as a magic pill to fix everything he'd internalized over the years. If Sucker had really wanted a gun, he would've been able to find one. He wasn't exactly sure what he wanted, but an easy fix would be more simply--something to do.

Thirdly, and most importantly: he didn't like using firearms. They brought back memories he didn't ever intend to relive, if he could avoid it.

He watched on, helpless in this affair, as the adults verbally sparred with each other. He shrugged his apology to Cash.

"You know the rules, one each. I'll be on my rounds. You wanna come with me, Punch?" Amber, God bless her soul, met hell in the form of being argued over with food and salvation. Giving the backpacks of precious food a quick once-over, he turned and gave her a grateful look and nodded.

"And you clearly know what a kid needs, seeing how well you've done with your own life."

And on that happy note, he winced, turned heel, and walked away.

@Aphelion@Billsomething

[Billsomething]

@hagroden "I brought five first aid cases with me back that is more then you have done in this entire day you Uneducated brute and there go acting high and mighty because of that armor of yours. but here the thing i know a lot of things about you and the thing i know they are Bad things. But understand what i was trying to do doing was trying to make the kid understand that i would trust him with a gun and it seems like i would be the only one to do so" said cash having given up on trying to reason with the brute. so he walked into his tent but not before pushing the sawed off into Yuki's arms "keep it, take it apart, i don't care Go Nuts also there should be magazine that i think you would enjoy in the trunk of my car"

@Yukisaa

[yukisaa]

i looked up at Cash, with glimmer eyes, thinking that it was my birthday, when i saw Cash drop the gun into the arms. hearing Cash say

""keep it, take it apart, i don't care Go Nuts also there should be magazine that i think you would enjoy in the trunk of my car"

nodding my head like crazy, before running towards the trunk to look for the magazine.

@Billsomething

[hagroden]

Ved
He was starting to lose his normal sense of calm and began to raise his automated voice, starting from a casual to tone to yelling.
"Right, Right, because maintaining our only reliable form of transportation is so much less valuable than collecting a handful of half-empty and expired first-aid kits. Here, maybe I should Kiss the ground were you walk as well, perhaps that will satisfy you? I mean c'mon, my only form of pleasure comes from serving your drug-addled cracker ass!"
He roared after him, then pulling his rifle from it's holster on his back, he turned on his heel and walked in the opposite of the camp.
"If anybody needs me, I'll be on patrol."
He growled lowly, waiting until he was out of earshot to begin a long stream of profanities. Before he became a merc, he had been in the Navy seals, and like all other sailors he had a mouth on him.

[yukisaa]

i got to the truck and looked through the stuff and found the magazine around some old clothes and items that were left in the truck. holding the magazine and thinking of ways i can use the metal. "i might melt it... no.... maybe make a weapon... no that doesn't work!" i mumbled to myself, walking around in circle, thinking of ways to work with the metal. when i saw Ven leave the area shouting a long stream of profanities. i looked over to sucker and amber and thought of an idea.
"Sucker, Amber!!" i yelled for the first time in my life, maybe surprising everyone and hoping that they didn't leave yet.

@Rick Sanchez@Aphelion

[Rick Sanchez]

He looked on worriedly as Ved stormed away from the drug tycoon. The last outburst (some parts of which would have been hilarious, if not for the volume) was uncouth but not unprecedented, which meant that he wasn't doing too well if Sucker had to guess. Why did it have to be like this?

On a larger picture, what Cash said didn't matter. It had been an offer that he would've turned down, especially if Ved or Amber or Spencer asked him to. No harm done. Knowing he was overlooking something in that exchange, the thief chewed his lip, unsure of how to articulate what he wanted to say without agitating his elder further. Cash said stupid shit all the time, what was the difference?

"If anybody needs me, I'll be on patrol."

"But--" Ved was gone. He looked back as Cash retreated into his tent, giving an excited Yuki the same firearm he'd offered the boy earlier (and he was happy for her, but Cash didn't look 100% either and that occupied his mind a little more), and then back to where Ved had disappeared when he caught a faint word on the wind that he wouldn't usually repeat unless he was hurt or furious.

The situation made him feel nauseous between the gun waving and the familiarity of it. Yes, arguments within the group broke out frequently and in varying levels of emotion, but there was something about this one that gave him a feeling of Déjà vu--something very old, before he'd been caught raiding their camp and adopted as 'team kid', before heated gang fights and rough play-fighting and stealing money from old biddies, long before any of that.

He ran a hand through his dark, choppily cut hair and kneeled down to rummage through a knapsack, finding that even the bits of actual human sustenance did little to quell his anxiety. Maybe when they were on the move, Amber would have more insight into 'What the Fuck Just Happened' and would share some of her wisdom.

He turned when Yuki shouted their names. "Huh?"

@yukisaa

[Erklings25]

Spencer was looking at the little argument going on, and still singing. He'd come to the end of his song and couldn't coatin his laughter any longer. "Hahahahahaha! Oh, you immature idiots hahahaha!" He breathed deeply, and eventually stopped laughing. "Oh, you bastards know how to disturb a guy!" He got up and sauntered over to Yuki. "Nice piece." He said thoughtfully, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Where on earth would you find a bueaty like that in this wasteland, I wonder." He tapped the barrel, and whistled in admiration.

[hagroden]

Ved
He returned a few hours later, having blown off what steam he could, knowing that he was likely to feel like shit for loosing his cool in front of the others. He was aware that the others, Cash exempted, looked up to him in some degree, and he always tried to act in a positive way, to make the team as efficient as possible, but something about Cash just got under his skin. Perhaps it was because Cash reminded him of himself before he went into Mercenary work, or perhaps it was that Cash just couldn't fucking think beyond what was directly in front of him, whatever the reasoning, Ved knew he still had to take care of his team, Cash included.

[yukisaa]

I looked up at Spencer and nodding twice to the "Nice Piece" comment, trying not to talk, knowing what would happen if i did. "Where on earth would you find a beauty like that in this wasteland, I wonder." He tapped the barrel, and whistled in admiration. I couldn't help it, I opened my mouth "constructed of blued steel with grips of checkered walnut. Bluing is a passivisation process in which steel is partially protected against rust, and is named after the blue-black appearance of the resulting protective finish. True gun bluing is an electrochemical conversion coating resulting from an oxidizing chemical reaction with iron on the surface selectively forming magnetite (Fe3O4), the black oxide of iron. Black oxide provides minimal protection against corrosion, unless also treated with a water-displacing oil to reduce wetting and galvanic action. A distinction can be made between traditional bluing and some other more modern black oxide coatings, although bluing is a subset of black oxide coatings." admiring the gun as well, talking really fast. not noticing that i was talking, until i heard "Huh?" being called from Sucker. covering my mouth, to stop myself from talking, I waved my arms around until i got Sucker's attention.

@Erklings25@Rick Sanchez

[Erklings25]

Spencer grinned and laughed. Actually talking to Yuki was his way of winding her up. He gently slid his hand over her wrist and tugged her hand away from her mouth. "Hey," he said gently "you're really really cute when you're embarrassed. Still you want to 'ramble' I'm all ears, m'dear. What I really want to know is what are you going to do with it?" If there was one thing he learnt from the world off law, it was keep them talking. You do it to witnesses they slip up and share the fact that they know to much and you can convict them. Do it to the defendant they will slip up and they may as well write 'I did it' on both barista's benches. Do it to the other barista, you can find holes in their evidence. He used it in everyday life, so he could wind people up a bit. He felt he took it to a new level with Yuki but, he had an good reason fo doing that... @yukisaa

[yukisaa]

noticing Spencer gently slid his hand around my wrist and tugged my hand away from my mouth. "Hey," he said gently "you're really really cute when you're embarrassed. Still you want to 'ramble' I'm all ears, m'dear. What I really want to know is what are you going to do with it?" i stop and looked up at Spencer, wondering what he was doing. being around my father all the time, i really didn't understand the men styles of body language. nodding my head, trying to understand him.

@Erklings25

[Aphelion]

Ambrosia had been in her tent, grabbing her machetes and a few other odds and ends for her rounds. Hearing Yuki shout for her and Punch, which was a rare occurrence indeed, caused her to rush out of her tent, her machetes drawn as she prepared for trouble. When she came out, however, she had a front-row seat to watching Spencer harassing Yuki. “What... are you doing to her, Spencer? Seriously? First Cash is causing trouble, now you?” She sighed, mistakenly thinking that this was why Yuki had called her name. She re-sheathed her machetes and stomped over to the two of them, having just about enough of the shenanigans, and put a hand on Yuki's shoulder reassuringly. “Mosey off, Spencer. I don't know what you did to her, but I'm taking her with me on rounds – if you want to come?” She directed the question at Yuki, peering down at the girl. Ambrosia's tone of voice was once again softer than it was with any of the men.

“Actually... fuck, where is Jay? Has anyone seen her!?” Her gaze swept the campsite frantically. She let go of Yuki's shoulder and turned in place. “JAY?” Ambrosia shouted, her voice suddenly hoarse with emotion. They had left Jessica behind when they went on their hunting trip, but she hadn't seen hide nor hair of the young soccer coach since they returned. The worst things imaginable flashed through Ambrosia's imagination. Mutated creatures ripping Jessica apart, limb from limb, or... bandits. The latter was worse than the former, as humans had still proved themselves to be more abominable than the monsters they feared. Ambrosia shuddered at the thoughts swimming through her brain.

Ambrosia looked Spencer directly in the eyes, sure that he knew what it was that she feared might have happened. He was an incorrigible nincompoop, but he was also smarter than he let on. Surely even Punch and the rest might have some inkling as to what could have transpired.

[hagroden]

Ved
As he walked onto the camp, he saw Cash was still in his tent, hopefully sleeping and not causing any trouble. Perhaps he would apologize once things had calmed down, try to explain why he thought it was a bad Idea for a boy so young to be armed with anything more dangerous than a blade. He also noticed Spencer and Yuki, Yuk seemed rather flushed, and Spencer was looking rather flirtatious. Good God, he thought to himself, The last thing we need around here is ANOTHER womanizer. He watched as Ambrosia rushed out of her tent, machetes drawn, and chuckled to himself, she was so protective of the girls here, Definitely a den mother. He began to approach when he heard her yelling Jay's name, then he looked around himself, come to think of it, he hadn't seen or heard from Jay since before they had returned to the camp, he had simply assumed that she had been with them and was just keeping quiet in her tent. He quickened his approach to Ambrosia, once reaching her he put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

"Calm down Am, I'm sure she's fine, I'll look around the camp for her, you see if she's in any of her usual spots outside the boundaries. If we can't find her, stay calm, the last thing this group needs is something to scream about."

He moved away quickly, stopping first at her tent, he opened the tent flap and did a quick once over, seeing that she wasn't visible he checked her cot to see if she was sleeping, finding that she wasn't, he left the tent and looked in both directions, before going in the direction the truck was in. He looked around and between each tent, as well as checking inside and checking the cots to see if she was anywhere present, searching all but Cash's tent of course.
@Aphelion

[Billsomething]

It was the next morning and Cash was still a little high from the Androchroma he had taken last night and he was currently regretting taking it, for right know he couldn't fin his sunglasses "Ugh" was the only sound that cash could give out at the current moment as he searched for his aforementioned sunglasses. "Fucking finally" said Cash he placed his sunglasses on his face he suddenly began taking notice of an unfamiliar sound inside his tent so he turned around and he went stiff with fear because there was an animal in his tent but specifically a Bat (for those not in the know Cash is really afraid of bats mutated or not)

And it was the size of a small child so perhaps its a child but he didn't really care for the bat charged at him, Cash dogged and he began looking around for something to use as a weapon, Bat flew at him but Cash grabbed his briefcase and swung it at the animal. The hit sent bat flying out of his tent Cash followed it out of the tent still armed only with a Briefcase he found it attempting to stand up Cash ran at it and hit it over the head sending it back towards the ground. Cash bashed it over the head again and again until it stopped moving he looked it over, it wasn't even twitching "Fucking bats"

he said as he opened the briefcase, grabbed a cigarette out of one of the packs he kept in the case. He placed the case on the jeep so he could look for his lighter, he placed hand on his front pocket only to realize he wasn't wearing his shirt looked down and noticed he wasn't really wearing much in fact he wasn't wearing anything he was as nude as the day as he was born. he looked to the side and saw that rest of the group had come out of there tents due to the commotion that he had caused Cash looked at the group and said "Anyone got a light?"

[yukisaa]

“Mosey off, Spencer. I don't know what you did to her, but I'm taking her with me on rounds – if you want to come?”

She directed the question at me, peering down and put a hand on my shoulder reassuringly. nodding my head to show that i wanted to go with her, and trying not to get in between the two adults that where fighting with each other.

“Actually... fuck, where is Jay? Has anyone seen her!?” Ambrosia gaze swept the campsite frantically.

shaking my head to the left, then to the right. to show that i didn't know where she was. after saying what Ven said to Amber i decided that it was better for me to go with Ven, i watched as he moved away quickly, stopping first at her tent, opening the tent flap and did a quick once over, seeing that she wasn't visible he checked her cot to see if she was sleeping. moving to the other tents and looking in both directions, before going in the direction the truck was in with me close by him, looking as well.

@Aphelion@hagroden

[MellyNyan]

Jay sighed She was done with all the boys messing around and decided to take a walk to avoid starting a fight. She was kicking a rock that she had seen about a minute ago and was just kicking it into tree's. She missed playing soccer and hated how people would sometimes joke about that. She sighed as she kicked the rock again "I wish that we could all just get along for once." She mumbled lightly as arguments were common around the camp. She decided to sit down under a tree for a second and finds herself almost drifting off after a minute or two.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Urghhh" Jay murmurs waking up with a pounding headache. She opens her eyes and looks around blinking. She couldn't see anything. "What's the time??" She asks herself looking for her cell phone that she had rescued ages ago. She searches in her pockets while lying down before deciding to sit up to search for them. As she slowly sat up the pain got worse. She decided to stay lying down to not put herself through anymore pain "Hello??" She lightly shouts hoping that she was just at the camp and hit her head while walking around or from Spencer's driving and had just dreamt about walking out and was just passed put the whole time.

[Rick Sanchez]

Sucker looked back and forth, unsure of exactly what to make of this. More people were making commotion--and not just any people, Amber, who he'd praised as a guardian angel of non-drama not thirty minutes ago. He scratched the back of his head, thinking back to the last time he'd saw the young woman.

"Um..." His voice started off as its usual small mouse-squeak, so he tried again: "Um. Jay was with us when Cash told me to ask her about...er, that thing, and she didn't seem all too happy about Spencer's song about her."

He blinked, and then rushed to add, "But, but I didn't see her after that, I was looking at..."

...Titty. He didn't say that, of course. Rather, he bit into an apple that he'd snagged from a pack to hide his rattled nerves.

[Aphelion]

Ambrosia took a deep breath in to steady herself. Ved was right, panicking would not solve the fact that Jessica appeared to be missing, nor would shouting. And Punch had seen her since they arrived back, so she couldn't be too far from camp. Ambrosia slapped her own cheeks hard enough to leave red marks as she prepared herself for what was to come.

Without further preamble, she fetched her crossbow from her tent and her quiver of arrows. “We're going to sweep our boundaries, just like Ved said, but we don't know what's out there so stay within earshot of each other. Every moment is time we lose in finding out if Jay is okay.” She counted Cash out of the running, considering that he had a pharmacy worth of drugs in his tent and was probably on something at this very moment. Having somebody blundering around in the forest while on drugs, not to mention somebody as gun-happy as Cash, was asking for disaster so he'd have to stay here.

She assumed whoever was going to follow her would as she made her way into the forest methodically. There were many tracks that their group had left in their usual patrols, but she was looking for signs of something more unusual having been in the area. It wasn't long, perhaps a minute or two, before she bent down next to a tree. “Somebody sat here recently. Probably Jay.” She announced, but the rest of the information she found was concerning. If anyone else were to look, they'd see the obvious tracks of something being dragged through the grass and off into the forest, not hard to miss. Oddly, the fish-line trap she had put up in between the trees in this area was intact, meaning something had managed to circumvent it while taking Jessica. “The trail leads this way. Be careful.”

She ducked under the fish line and peered ahead. The path had broken branches, and the grass was flattened where Jessica was being dragged but something seemed off to Ambrosia. The tracks of whatever had Jessica were not readily apparent, save for three odd indentations to each side about five feet away that would sometimes disappear altogether when the gap between trees became closer together. The only thing she knew of that could make tracks like that were usually … much, MUCH smaller in size, at least before the calamity of the mutated monsters made earth a living hell. The thought made her insides churn uneasily.

Her fears were confirmed when the trees ahead became laden with a sticky white substance. She turned to whoever was following her, and held out a hand for them to stop. “Don't touch the webs. Do not shout. I assume our shouting and arguments led them to our camp where one of them got Jay.” The webs seemed to lead directly to a large cave about fifty yards down the path, where the density of the webs made the area into a large cocoon-like structure instead of a dirt and rock. She put a hand to her chin, analyzing the situation.

“Anyone got any ideas how to deal with giant mutated spiders? ….And what appears to be a nest of them?”

The whole trip took perhaps eight minutes tops, yet she was surprised they had never noticed the infestation here. “If anything happens to her, I'll never forgive myself.” Ambrosia whispered as she stared at the monstrous nest of webs before them.

[MellyNyan]

Jay soon tries looking around again and sees what seems to be spider webs but more sticky and larger around her and around the cave. "Of course. Giant mutated spiders or something." She murmurs sarcastically before looking around more for anything else. She saw a small bit of light further down the cave and assumed that to be the entrance. She tries to get up ignoring her pounding head but the web material brings her back down. She carefully grabs a sharp rock and starts to cut them so she can get out asap.