[IC] Rose Plague

[hagroden]

Micah
Taking in the question, he took a long pull from his cigarette, considering his answer. As he did so, he watched the woman interacting with the child, the way she talked made her seem impossibly easy to trust, and the scary part was that she had survived this far, meaning she could kick some serious ass if so inclined, but still... She'd make a good mother. He thought to himself, admiring how good she was with the child, who seemed to be rather untrusting by nature. Snapping back into the real world, he nodded at the question.
"Yeah, Miami Beach. There's a giant chapter down there with access to some serious naval hardware. As well as good old fashioned weaponry, and some not so old weaponry."
He said proudly, taking another long haul off the cigarette.
"Skinheads are serious about their weapons. I heard that they even have a couple AA12's, and maybe even a .338 LM or two."

[Wintergrey]

Astrid Ashbourne

Astrid's head whipped around at the sound of barking. Shit. A girl was standing with her gun leveled at her, dog at her side. Freezing instantly Astrid sunk in the water slightly so her eyes were barely above the water. Her hardened gaze fixed upon the girl. Keeping silent she listened to her talk all the while never losing concentration on her. How had she managed to sneak up on her so easily? The day was fairly calm, and the ocean was not making too much noise. Mentalling she hit herself for not paying better attention to her surroundings, her mind quickly ran through the worst possibilities. Raiders probably. And with that .22 pointed at her head there wasn't much she was going to be able to do.

As the woman requested for her to get out of the water Astrid began to scan the surroundings. Was she traveling alone or did she have a traveling companion that was keeping watch. Determining that she was alone for the moment Astrid's eyes snapped back to the woman. Slowly she grabbed onto the cold and slimy railing on the yacht and began to climb. The second her body left the water a cold breeze hit her raising goose bumps along her arms. She clenched her jaw to keep from shivering and sent up a silent thank you that her attacker was a woman. Wouldn't it be embarrassing to be robbed by a man while half-naked.

Finally out of the water, Astrid moved to stand on the dock. Drips of water fell from her body, soaking into the old wood of the dock. When she was a safe distance away she stopped moving and looked at the woman with her arms crossed. Throughout the entire time her eyes had been locked hard into her, her gaze sharp and angry. Without saying a word she continued to stare at her, trying to keep up a hard facade. Inside she was terrified and freezing. She was about to be shot and robbed while soaking wet and in her underwear. At least if that was going to happen she was going to go out with a hard resolve.
@The Kraken

[SweetOwlette]

Sarah turned back to check on Marcus, feeling less overwhelmed. Seeing Marcus and the young man, she smiled. At lease someone wasn't hostile for once. She looked a that guy and smiled more at him. She noticed that he was looking at her. She quickly looked back at the cat and smiled softly to herself. She petted Pepper, wondering what he was thinking, and why Marcus was so easily distracted with the young man.

Marcus watched Sarah turn away. He took another puff and slowly let it out. "I swear I thought I would never taste one of these again." He took another and listened to Micah's reply. "Pretty nice weapons. Do you know how to get there by chance?" Marcus was interested in his plan. Maybe, he could work something out to get the three of them there together and get some nice stuff to stay a bit more protected.

@hagroden

[hagroden]

Ved
He chuckled softly at the question, not minding that he took another. He had half a carton in his bag, which would be plenty enough until he hit the next town for a supply run. He had a pretty easy trade off for them, a pipe bomb for a carton, which would last him close to two weeks if he was careful, averaging that he only had about five a day. He was actually ahead of schedule, only about three miles from the next town. He could defiantly spare a handful of cigarettes for a fellow survivor.
"I've got plenty to spare, and I'll be getting more soon if you'd like to come. There's a town a few miles from here, that we could reach within the next hour or so."
He stated simply, his voice taking on the maturity of someone much older and much better at survival than the average. What not many knew about him was that he had been homeless on the streets of the toughest city in the world for almost seven years before he was taken in by his chapter. If he knew how to do anything, it was survive with a bare minimum of supplies. He could ration like none other, and knew just by looking at someone exactly how much food and water they needed to have so they could survive, stay healthy, and still eat very little.

Reaching into his left jacket pocket, he removed his two pipe bombs, tossing them, as well as one of his many spare zippos, over to Marcus.
"I hope you got a good arm, cause those will turn anything within a twenty five feet radius into confetti strips."
He said with a smirk, before pulling out his supplies from his bags and beginning the process of building the bombs. Same as before, he cut holes into two caps, took out two 4 inchers, fused them, capped one side, then filled them with gunpowder, nails, and rocks, before feeding the fuse through the top and sealing it so the bomb was glues up airtight, otherwise it would only work as a Molotov, not a grenade.

[Tancuras]

Silent contemplation filled the man in the beaked mask as he stood with the trees. Many thoughts skipped across the surface of his mind - his past, his home, his future, things he had forgotten, things he couldn't explain. He pondered the group before him: the sad older man, the aggressive youth, the nurturing woman, and the young girl with her dog. They nearly looked like a family. Augustus nearly chuckled at the notion.

Family...

Something tickled the cheek beneath his mask. Augustus screwed up his face in confusion, then quickly abandoned the thought, returning to the present.

Armaments, he thought, turning to the youth. Companionship. He looked at the woman and the child. Leadership. He looked to the older man. But what am I to these people?

Augustus stepped forth from the trees, the sun gleaming off the beak of his mask. Nothing, he thought. I am but a shadow. But I will do what I can.

The wide-brimmed hat of the stranger shaded his face, and the black lenses of his mask left his eyes a void as he approached those left alive. He moved to the woman first, giving the dog a wide berth, and went slowly so to not miscommunicate his intentions.

"Good lady," Augustus said, voice muffled beneath the mask. "I have found this child's brother. My attempt to lead him here was spoiled by this animal. But I suspect he should be along shortly." Anticipating the lack of welcome as only a masked man can receive, he held up his arms, bowing his head. "I mean no harm. I hope you will take this as an act of good faith."

@SweetOwlette@XxLyraxX@hagroden

[The Kraken]

Kennedy watched as the girl climbed cautiously from the water onto the dock. The stare that met her was hard, cold, and unyielding. Beside her, she felt the shepherd press against her leg and the vibrating from the low growl in his chest. While most likely extremely pissed off, Kennedy didn't figure this girl was of any immediate threat. Hell, she couldn't be that much younger than herself.

Slowly, she lowered one hand from the gun to comfort the canine at her side, melding her fingers with the fur of the dark mane around his neck. He sat, but his gaze was fixed on the stranger and his body remained tense. Eyeing the girl from behind her dark sunglasses, the goosebumps that followed the calm breeze made themselves visible on the other woman's arms. Kennedy sighed and slowly lowered the gun to her side, clicking the safety on but keeping it in her grasp.

Motioning towards the pile of clothes with her head, she spoke up. "Get dressed, you're liable to freeze soon if you don't get dried off." Truthfully, she didn't want any trouble. Pointing her gun at some random stranger... probably not the best move if she intended to avoid conflict. But these days, one couldn't be too cautious.

"Look, I'm sorry." She apologized, shrugging her shoulders. "I just heard the splashing, then Enzo here got tense. Can't be too careful, ya know?" She noticed the steely expression she was still garnering from the young woman and looked at the gun in her hand before looking back up. "Oh, shit. I'm not gonna hurt you or rob you or anything, we're just passing through." She put her hands up in an expression to show no intimidation, and took a few steps back.

@Wintergrey

[Wintergrey]

Astrid Ashbourne

Her eyes never wavered from the woman even as she lowered her gun. The stranger's other hand went to the dog at her side which seemed to be watching Astrid with the same glare she kept on the woman. Even if she didn't have the gun the dog could probably rip her throat out before she got anywhere. Following her motion Astrid walked backwards to her clothes. Not once did she let her eyes leave the woman. Even when she was putting on her shirt she bunched it up specially so that as it slipt over her head it covered her vision the least.

When she had put her clothes back on and was warm once again she crouched as if trying her shoes. With her eyes still locked her arm slowly reached behind the side of the boat for her lacrosse stick. It might not hold off a bullet, but she would feel a lot more comfortable with it in her hands, especially with that dog. Feeling the tape of the stick in her grasp she stood up suddenly, clutching the thing in front of her with both hands. Her knuckles turned white under her grips pressure, and once again her eyes steeled over daring something to happen.

Then all of a sudden the woman apologized and stepped back. She even put her hands in the air. Astrid listened to what she had to say about how their paths had crossed, but didn't move a muscle. Her heart was thudding loudly in her ear despite her saying she was friendly. When she was done talking she stood there and stared at the her for a long while. Several minutes came and went before Astrid finally croaked out a sentence, "What's your name?" Her voice was stale and broken from lack of use. She hadn't talked to a soul since the outbreak. Most people didn't want to talk anyway.
@The Kraken

[The Kraken]

It wasn't a surprise to see the other girl arm herself the first chance she got, considering the circumstances. Kennedy eyed the remnants of what she immediately recognized as a lacrosse stick. A moment passed where she frowned, reminded of her old life. The one before all hell broke loose. She used to have it so easy. The perfect job, teaching something she loved to young athletes that looked up to her. What she wouldn't give to go back to it. But she wasn't in Kansas anymore, and there were no magic shoes to send her back in time either.

Just as she was about to proceed leaving, the girl spoke up. It was clear it had been a while since she had come in contact with anyone too. A slight wave of relief washed over her, and she put the gun in the holster at her side. "I'm Kennedy. This is Enzo," she said, patting the dog on the head. "Nice stick by the way, STX? Or maybe used to be an STX." She laughed nervously, unsure of the proper etiquette for post-plague greetings. She didn't figure offering her hand out for a shake would go over well, so she stayed still where she was.

"And you are?" She questioned. From the looks of it, the woman had set up shop here in this yacht. Not too shabby, who wouldn't want to live on the water? "Is this... where you live?" Kennedy hadn't had a permanent place to stay since the plague broke out, she never camped out in one spot for more than 3 days. She gathered resources, rested, and then moved on. The promise of safe-zones on the west coast kept her moving.

@Wintergrey

[Wintergrey]

Astrid Ashbourne

Astrid was surprised that the Kennedy had realized what her lacrosse stick was. It was not the most popular sport in the world. Besides that the stick was torn apart and remodeled for spearing. The head of the stick had been completely removed, leaving only a foot long blade sticking out. It was a great weapon for hunting and when it came to the dead, well let's just say it was comforting to keep distance between them. "Used to be." Her words came out abrupt and fragmented. Apparently apocalypses did nothing for her communication and social life.

When Kennedy asked what her name was she paused for a moment. After deciding that there wasn't much harm someone could do with her name she replied, "A-astrid." Looking behind her she noticed that the yacht was filled with junk, empty boxes of food and clothes randomly spread around. It was easy to see why she thought she lived here. Living on a boat was filled with benefits. Traveling up and down the coast made scouting and foraging easy. Plus at night she didn't have to worry about the dead. Realizing that she had taken her eyes off Kennedy her head whipped back around and Astrid studied her to see if she had made a move. Trust was a luxury she couldn't afford in this world. No matter how friendly someone appeared.
@The Kraken

[SweetOwlette]

Marcus was stunned at Micah for tossing him a bomb. "Th-thanks.." He said. "Just to be clear, how do you work this thing?" flipping it around and having a basic idea how to use it. Marcus sighed and pulled his pack closer and stuck it into one of the outside pockets for easy access. Once it was sercured, he looked over at him and watched him build another one. "Geez kid, what don't know you how to fix.. or.. know?" He said with a chuckle. He took his last puff and flicked the cherry off, and rolled the cig into a ball, and played with it between his fingers, resting his arms onto his knees.

Sarah heard a slight rustle from the wooded area, and a man popping out. She quickly stood up and placed her hand onto her weapon, holding onto Pepper. "Mar..." She said softly to get Marcus attention. Marcus quickly looked over, and groaned. "To many people in one fucking day!" he mumbled and looked down at Micah. "This better not be a ambush.." He stated. He quickly jogged over to Sarah and took Pepper from her. "You mean no harm?" He snapped. "Then take off your mask." He said, shoving Pepper into his bag, without taking his eyes off the new male. He looked over to the dog and little girl. "Do you know him?" He said in a softer tone.

Sarah pulled her .22 out and let her arm hang loosely to her side, holding onto her weapon. "If you know where her brother is, why didn't you bring him here with you? It would had made things a bit easier..." She said with a slight sarcastic tone. "Besides, I highly doubt anyone will be going with you.."

@hagroden@Tancuras

[hagroden]

Micah
Following Marcus, he spat out his cigarette and after pocketing the pipe-bombs, he drew his rifle off of his back, then raised it to his shoulder, aiming hard on the new masked man. Approaching, he stepped very close, the rifle poking into the mains chest, right above his lungs. The look on his face made it clear that he wasn't fucking around, and would send the guy six feet under if he didn't answer.

[Tancuras]

At the older man's demand to remove his mask, Augustus felt panic welling inside him. No, he thought. No, I can't take it of. They won't make me take it off.

"Good people, please," he said as the youth pointed a rifle at his chest. "This mask protects me from the plague, and if you insist I take it off, I must decline. I am not here to deceive you. This is how I have survived for so long." Augustus stepped away from the group, slowly dropping his bag from his shoulder. He reached in with one hand, the other still in the air, and removed a single rose. "See? I place these in the mask. They have antibodies against the plague. Roses, against the Rose Plague." The man stopped, laughing loudly. "Ironic, isn't it? The very thing we named it after is how to fight it." He let the rose drop into his bag, then returned his hands to the air. "I am a scientist, and a doctor. I can help you."

At that, Augustus took a deep breath, looking at each of the other people in turn. And if you don't agree to this, he thought, I will simply leave. I have no obligation here.

"I have no weapons spare my knives," Augustus continued. "I am hopelessly outgunned. I pose no threat. Let me take you to the girl's brother."

@SweetOwlette@hagroden

[SweetOwlette]

Both Marcus and Sarah looked at each other. "Roses?" Sarah mumbled to Marcus. He shrugged his shoulders and looked back at the man. "Roses, for the Rose Plague. Sounds cliche." He said. "I think everyone is going to agree, you have to at leas show us you aren't infected. That is the last thing we need is for anyone to turn while on our travels." Marcus said, trying not to sound as rude since the man to be willing to work with them, at lease in reason to fit both parties interests.

"You say your a doctor.. scientist?" Sarah repeated back. "How can that be? I thought all the doctors had to stay back and help people who were infected." She said. "Did you abandoned your patients?" She snapped, instantly getting pissed with this man. Marcus looked at Micah and nodded his head to indicate for him to at lease lower this weapon, but stay on alert. "I don't know about him.. keep an eye on him." He mumbled on his breath.

@Tancuras@hagroden

[hagroden]

Micah
He nodded, taking a step back and keeping the weapon trained on the man's feet. Taking a step to the side, he leaned in towards Sarah's ear, whispering softly. "This guy makes a move, get the kid out of here. She won't need to see what happens.' He often tried to reserve his opinions of a person to himself, but this guy was freaking him the fuck out, and he really didn't enjoy the feeling. Lowering his rifle completely, he held it in both hands, prepared to spin and aim it in a moments notice, readying himself for the possibility of a fight.
"Give a little, get a little."
He growled lowly.
"Take off the mask, prove you aren't infected, and do as M here says, and in return, I won't shoot you down like a dog."
He stated simply, gesturing to Marcus where needed, then piping down and taking another step back and to the side, making sure that if he shot a round, he would miss his companions, and only hit the new character.

[The Kraken]

Kennedy was glad to at least get a name out of the girl, Astrid. She watched the girl as she looked around before quickly turning back to keep an eye on Kennedy. The woman put her tanned arms in the air with her palms open, showing there was nothing in her hands and she wasn't intending on coming at her with anything. The other girl seemed really jumpy, almost paranoid. Though Kennedy couldn't blame her, it wasn't exactly a strange state of mind given death was lurking around every corner.

"Whoa, easy there." She kept her hands up and took another step back, Enzo mimicking her and doing the same. "It's nice to meet you, Astrid." She offered as genuine of a smile as she could to someone who was holding a weapon towards her. Kennedy crouched and put one hand on Enzo's head, the shepherd's tongue lolling out of his mouth at the attention. Looking past Astrid and the boat, the sun could be seen beginning to make its descent in the sky. Kennedy swallowed hard, not wanting to be caught in the dark unprepared.

"I think my pup and I will be going now, I'm sorry we bothered you." She stood up all the way again and straightened her shirt before looking back at the other woman. "We'll probably be making camp near by, if you don't mind. Don't want to get caught without a good shelter." Her feet moved beneath her, head checking over her shoulder but her back never turning. For her first human encounter as a survivalist, she had hoped it would have gone better. Granted, she was glad she didn't get shot or speared with the lacrosse stick of death either. The plan was to hopefully find something sturdy nearby to shack up in and make a fire. Hopefully there would be a boathouse or dock shed nearby. The next concern was food. It had been several days since she had come across any good scavenging areas, and so she was running low on calories. Nevertheless, she would make do with it like she had before.

@Wintergrey

[Wintergrey]

Astrid Ashbourne

Astrid's face was stone cold as Kennedy smiled. Pain, anger, sadness saw to that. This world was too much sometimes for someone. The weight of her phone in her pocket was a constant reminder. Slipping her hand in her pocket she thumbed the power button, not quite pressing down. It amazed her that something so important to her could be so small and simple. It was her sorrow. Not her lifeline or her hope, her depressant.

As the sun began to set at Astrid's back, Kennedy and her dog got ready to leave. They wanted to make camp nearby. On the docks. The docks that flooded at night. Flooded with dead. As much as Astrid didn't want to trust anyone, she wasn't going to kill people. Not these ones too. Gesturing behind her at the yacht, she motioned for Kennedy to join her by stepping back. "Come." Walking towards the cabin, Astrid kept her head tilted to keep them in site. Inside was warm, the generator still worked and had plenty of gas to last her a while. Pointing with her spear at a corner filled with junk food she simple said, "Food." Pointing at another corner she said, "Bed."

She had begun to notice that her words were short and abrupt. She used to be a very talkative person, social was what she had been called. Now... not so much. She could barely get out one word without choking. It wasn't just a lack of having someone to converse with anymore, it was like something in her throat blocked all sound. She had to push with all her might to get anything out. Shaking her head at the thought Astrid sat down on her own bed, facing Kennedy, with her spear sitting across her lap. As she sat there she just watched. Waiting and watching. It was a habit she had picked up post-zom.

@The Kraken

[Tancuras]

Augustus faced the youth with disdain in his hidden eyes. I offer to help, he thought, and you threaten me? He quickly scanned the others before him. Their guns were all lowered, and it would take them a moment to find a clear shot. From where he had backed himself up to, he wouldn't need that long to enter the trees again.

"You fools!" Augustus cried out. "Can you not comprehend anything beyond the scope of your petty survival? I have found a cure!" And the nerve of that woman, accusing him of abandoning his duty! "Why would I waste my time on the hopeless infected when I could be saving what little of humanity we have left?"

He heard a familiar growling. He turned to the little one, fully aware of the husky at her side now baring its fangs, but he was not deterred. "I will find your brother, if only for the reason that a child like you shouldn't be alone in the world." With his last words, Augustus threw himself backward between the trees, quickly breaking line of sight from the group. Even if they dared waste ammunition on him, their shots would find purchase only against the trees.

Quickly into his dash, he heard the four-legged pursuit of the dog once again, barking at his heels. Damn girl. Call off your dog before I have to put it down. Nothing had gone right. It reminded him of why he avoided other men to begin with. I have knowledge and resource to offer, yet I am met only with suspicion. He hazarded a glance back at the dog, closing distance in the woods, and his eyes turned hateful. Very well. Let them all die.

@SweetOwlette@hagroden@XxLyraxX

[The Kraken]

Much to Kennedy's surprise, she was invited onto Astrid's boat. She simply stood there for a moment, unsure of the consequences her next actions might have. After a few more seconds of considering the situation, she followed the girl onto the yacht, Enzo in tow behind her. The warmth of the cabin was inviting, and reminded her how quickly the seasons were changing around them. After making their way inside, she simply stood in the space as Astrid spat out a few words of direction. Kennedy nodded after each word and stepped towards the corner with the other bed, setting her pack down to get her gear out.

"Thank you," she said, turning again to face the other woman. Noticing the spear sitting within inches of waiting fingers, Kennedy realized that it was probably best to set her gun down and away from her while she rummaged through her backpack. The .22 pistol was placed a few feet away, safety on, and Kennedy moved back to get the blanket from her bag. The last thing she wanted to do was appear threatening to someone who had just offered them a warm place to sleep for the night.

Enzo took his place beside Kennedy's cot after she got her blanket down. She sat down then and grabbed a cup of dog food, placing it before the canine who quickly dug into the crunchy bits. Here eyes glanced around the space. It was cozy, almost even seemed safe. Quite the luxury in the world they inhabited. Noticing a .22 rifle across the cabin, Kennedy nodded to herself. She didn't have much to offer, but she reached into her bag and grabbed a small handful of bullets. Figuring it wasn't a good idea to approach someone who had a nice pointy stick sitting in their lap, she placed the bullets on the table and then took her seat back on her bed. "For letting us stay here. I don't have much else to offer. Money doesn't really have any value anymore..."

@Wintergrey

[Wintergrey]

Astrid Ashbourne

Sitting there cross-legged, Astrid watched Kennedy go to work. The only movement she made was her eyes as Kennedy moved back and forth and nodding her head when she said thank you. As the dog dug into the food set on the ground, Astrid's mood lifted slightly. It was nice to see something that could be happy so easily. Unfortunately it wasn't quite enough to remove the permanent frown etched in her face. The cling of bullets snapped her attention away from the feeding animal to the table next to Kennedy. A small pile of bullets sat there. An offering. A thank you.

She stared at them for a minute. They were .22 bullets, perfect for her rifle. Lord know she could use them. She only had 17 left. 17 shots, 17 dead. That was what she kept telling herself. However, as much as she could use the bullets, she wouldn't take them from this girl. Astrid wasn't one to rely on others, even before the apocalypse. She would figure out something when she ran out. Maybe she'd take up archery.

Turning away Astrid stood from the bed and moved to the stairs. Standing at the base she looked back hesitantly at Kennedy. It was a struggle for her to trust someone in her home. But if she didn't go up and kick off the boat for the night, they'd both be dead before it was over. Turning away with a small sigh she stepped quietly and quickly up the stairs. It took her a short time to get off the dock. She had gotten good at it after so long. She remembered before when she had never even stepped foot on a boat. Thank god for manuals.

When she was done and had set anchor up out at sea she moved back into the cabin. At the bottom of the stairs she glanced around to see what had changed. She had only let the girl out of her site a few minutes, but a lot could happen in that time. Seeing that nothing bad had happened she flicked the switch for the light and sat down, once again cross legged, in her bed facing Kennedy. It didn't take long for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, so she watched her waiting for her to fall asleep. There was no way she would fall asleep first. Not in the presence of a stranger.

@The Kraken