[IC] War Never Changes

[Tsar Gatto]

Chrlotte listened and slowly nodded as Alyssa spoke to her, pausing when she asked if she was armed and replied hesitantly “I actually don’t have a gun”.

A few moments later she pulled the large hunting knife from where it was hidden and flashed the blade at her.

“If any of them find me they won’t be around to pass on our location” she said quietly, nodding again though as Alyssa had told her to run. “I’ll try” Charlotte added uncertainly, her leg and the wound still stinging fiercely “but I may not get that far”. She gestured to the wound.

Charlotte waited and watched as the others made moves to get rid of the Blood Army members that we heading towards them, before deciding briefly that she’d rather be doing something than sat waiting. With a careful glance back towards her new companions she made her way inside the house that they had until a few moments ago being heading inside of. It was a large house and had a large set of hedges running around the perimeter of the property, serving to cut line of sight between her and the others. She noted that it would also keep them safer from any other prying eyes that may come through. She cautiously tried the front door, frowning as she found it was locked. Making her way around the house she tried several windows before she found one that was unlocked. She carefully clambered through making efforts to keep the weight off her leg. Once inside she wasted little time in search through the rooms one after another, quickly though her mood sank as she found that the majority of the cupboards and draws were completely empty. As she finished searching upstairs she made her way back down into the kitchen, pausing to listen at the door to the basement before she pushed it open and slowly descended into the houses cellar. Quickly the stench of death and decay reached her nose and she almost gagged. Covering her mouth and nose with her sleeve she continued with her knife clutched tightly in her other hand, cautiously and carefully making her way down. The source of the smell was soon obvious, a pair of corpses sprawled in the middle of the room with a shotgun still protruding from one of their mouths, but her eyes were drawn to the room itself and the vast array of containers and other provisions that had been horded here.

There were boxes of non-perishable food, bottled water and best of all first aid supplies. She paused and examined the bodies, kneeling down as she saw that one of them had a blood-stained book clasped under a hand. Moving the hand with her knife she picked up the book and flicked through it. It was a photoalbum filled with pictures of a young couple. As she flicked through she saw that they looked happy. She frowned then as she saw a series of pictures with them at a hospital with a newborn baby, grinning up at her like idiots in love. Towards the end of the album the pictures were of the baby at home and even what looked like a first birthday. She glanced around the room looking for any signs of the baby, or of what may remain of it, but couldn’t see anything. Flicking to the last page she saw that there was a long paragraph scrawled in pen. It was a suicide note. Reading it struck her again how fucked everything was. These two had food, supplies and a mostly secure location. But their baby had a rare disorder and needed specialised medication, which they hadn’t been able to find. He’d died and they’d buried their son in the backyard before then killing themselves. Struggling briefly with the thought Charlotte dropped the book to the ground and quickly made her way back upstairs, pushing the couple from her thoughts.

She would wait for the others, she was confident that the three of them, plus archangel would make fast enough work of the Blood Army. Charlotte made another mental note, that once her leg was patched up she would ask one of them to show her how to shoot. Her mind went to the shotgun in the basement and she wondered how she’d feel using a gun with such a dark history – before deciding it didn’t matter if it helped her stay alive.

[jaybreezy]

Jake nodded and searched the dead soldiers' bodies. He found some much needed ammunition. Besides that, he found some small food items. There was a pack of gum on one soldier and a bag of candy on the other. He smiled at the sight of the sweets. His smile then fade as he began to drag the bodies out of sight. He hid them in some bushes. After he was done, he got in the car. He turned it on and waited for Quinn to get in. He didn't see where the other two went, so he was both confused and a bit worried.

[Gelatinous Cube]

Quinn hurried into the back of the car, keeping a paranoid eye on the surroundings. The shadows of dusk had lengthened into the cover of night, and it was enough to make him sweat with anxiety.
He cautiously slid a bullet into the empty chamber of his revolver.
Only fourteen left...at least we got something from those men.
He hadn't seen where the other two went, and suddenly felt a chill up his spine as he realized Charlotte was alone with their mysterious newcomer.
Something about that girl made him uneasy. Though, he supposed it was just the natural wariness you had to possess in order to survive. Quinn probably knew it better than anyone. He had seen through his own eyes the cruelty of man unbound. Had felt in his own hands the sadism of a man with nothing in the world left to lose. Had felt in his own heart that complete and utter absence of remorse in the slaughter and torment of the helpless.
Such self-pity would get him nowhere in this crumbled world, and no matter how great the act of atonement, no forgiveness ever seemed to match.
But if he could save one life, enrich one poor souls world in the slightest way...well, then that was something. A small grain of sand in an ocean of misdeeds and savage acts.
It was all he could cling to, after all.

He felt weary, his furrowed brow aching under the strain of the days events. All he wanted was to sleep, no matter how fitful his slumber would be. He was strangely grateful for having chanced upon Jake. Nothing about the man suggested anything untoward or nefarious. Indeed, he seemed as sincere in his helpful nature as anyone Quinn had ever met. His stature and general sense of poise seemed to hint at a past in law enforcement, but Quinn couldn't be sure.
He only wondered how much Jake might still cling to the tenets of protection and service should it come out that he was once of those dreadful Blood Army that the rest of the world so despised.
Just another bridge to burn, I suppose,he thought to himself with a deep, inner sigh.
Just another bridge to nowhere.

[jaybreezy]

Jake drove around, looking for the two. He found a house that looked quite nice for a place to sleep. He looked at Quinn, tiredness in his eyes. "I think it'd be good to crash here. And if those two aren't here, whatever." He said with a groggy voice. He got out the car and grabbed his gear as he opened the door. He was sure they'd be there, but he wasn't sure. "Hey it's Jake! You guys here?" He called, drawing his gun just in case he was wrong.

[Always]

"And I know how they fucking operate too! They would of never even noticed us!" She half scolded as she saw him roll out the tear bass. She huffed as she mumbled,"idiots," to herself. Quickly, before the shooting began she ducked behind the building for shelter. She may of had a gun, but she was already out of amo. Her only source of a weapon would be her knife, which she couldn't even emphasise how much of a bad idea that was.

She nodded at Charlotte as she said the stuff but she didn't pay much attention at the moment. She stayed quite behind the wall as she watched them. She was surprised that they actually beet them at the moment she probly shouldn't of been but she was. She had never seen it happen.

Alyssa sighed as she eyed them away. She felt like Quin was going to stab her in the back or something while she wasn't looking. He couldn't be trusted. She didn't understand how the others could trust him so easily. 'How long have they been together?' She wondered.

She shook the thought out of her head as she saw them coming back. She sighed, as she walked away from the wall and took a seat in the car besides Charlotte. She closed the door after she got in but didn't bother buckling up. Her mind was once again jabbed to Quinn. 'Why couldn't she just forget about it, or shake it off?'

She stayed quiet for most of the car ride. When they came to a stop she eyed out the window. "This the place you had in mind?" She asked before she bothered to open the door.

[Tsar Gatto]

The house itself was a large and once may have been quite the place to live, but aside from the remains of the previous owners in the basement and the supplies they had gathered, there was little else of interest that Charlotte had found.

As she emerged from the basement she coughed and spluttered a little, glad to be free of the foul smell that hung in the air down there. She quickly found the others and before she said "There are some supplies in the basement" hesitating briefly searching for the best way to say the rest. "but there are also two bodies down there. They don't smell or look good, but I think there might be enough food and water for at least a few days".

She stood looking at her companions, wondering if she looked as tired and run down as they did, her eyes darting from one to the other. She smirked slightly as she looked down at the blood that covered her already stained jeans and she lifted her hands and examined them, trying to identify what each bit of grime could possibly even be. It had been a long time since she'd been able to stop running, and she suddenly realised how feral and dirty she must look. Her smirk faded as she made her way to the table that dominated half of the kitchen and took a seat. It felt good to take the weight off of her leg and she sighed and closed her eyes just for a moment, enjoying the slight feeling of relaxation that spread through her - even if only briefly so before she again turned her full attention to her companions.

[Gelatinous Cube]

Quinn placed his reacquired, ragged poncho over the back of a dusty chair. A sheen of sweat had developed on his brow and shoulders from and equal mix of tension and the exertion of escape. He took deep breaths, rationalizing in his head that he was safe. At least they were safe for the night. Not even Blood Army wanted to face the ragged, shambling freaks that ruled the darkness.
Quinn's stomach growled and churned and it suddenly struck him how long it had been since he'd had some real, proper food. Even something from a can would do instead of preserves.
He closed his one working eye for a moment. He'd have to find a quiet spot to change the rags around his scarred eye. He didn't like people seeing it, he himself had only looked at it sparingly, begrudgingly to make sure there was no infection.

After a time he hadn't been keeping track of, he opened his eye and glanced around the room, reading the somber faces.
"Anybody got a deck of cards?" He asked to try and lighten the mood, even get a grunt of amusement out of someone. It was unlikely, but where would anybody be if they didn't at least try?

[jaybreezy]

Jake looked around the house, still on edge from today's events. He felt like someone was watching him, staring into his soul. He took his backpack off, placing it against a wall. He then leaned against the wall, listening to what Charlotte said. He was a bit surprised that she explored along, something he wouldn't do. He could smell the stench of death and rot, a smell he unfortunately knew too well.

"I'll take a look down there soon." Jake mumbled before getting off the wall. He then focused his attention to Quinn. He smirked a bit, letting out a small chuckle from his request for cards. He knew he wanted to lighten the serious nature of how life was now. Jake shook his head a bit. "Haven't seen cards in a while." He said, patting his pockets as if he was actually looking for a deck in his pocket.

Jake walked to the door leading to the basement, covering his nose a bit as the smell intensified. The bodied had definitely been there for a long time, decomposition setting in already. He took a couple steps backwards before returning to his group of new companions, a smile on his face. Aside from the feeling of being watched, Jake felt comfortable.

[Always]

Alyssa walked up the stairs, blocking her nose as she noticed that the others were there now. "Hey. " She said as she made it to the top of the stair case. She pushed a piece of her hair back as she turned to Charlette. She sighed as she stated, "There's a lot down there, we can go through it tomorrow." She stated. She sighed as she walked around the place where Jake was standing and into the hallway where she leaned on the wall, tapping her finger on her arm.

[jaybreezy]

Jake looked over to her, walking around the house to explore. The house was a bit destroyed, some holes in walls, floors, and areas on the roof. There were signs of some sort of battle, bullet holes littering the walls near the front door. They weren't recent, but they were visible. Jake investigated, trying to find some sort of answer. After a few minutes, he gave up and walked around the rest of the house.

He opened the door to a room, an old television sitting there. Jake chuckled lightly, reminiscing about back when TV was a thing watched daily. Now it was almost a myth, something foreign to a few people. Jake sat on a chair in the room, closing the door and locking it behind him before he did. He put his head in his hands and took deep breaths, his sanity faltering. Today's events pushed him farther than normal.

[Gelatinous Cube]

Quinn took some time to retrieve his water skin from his bag. He was parched, his mouth bone dry. He took a restrained sip and then got out of his chair to find a darker corner of the house. He was still in the room with Charlotte and Alyssa but he faced away from them. He knelt down and in the glow of his flashlight he gingerly removed his bandages and placed them down on the floor in front of him. He filled his cupped hand with some water and then proceeded to clean the area around his scars where sweat had left him sticky. He ran some hands through his scruffy grey-blonde hair and through the accumulation of rough stubble on his cheeks. It wasn't much of a bath, but it would have to do.

He tied a new bandage around his head with the practiced motions of repeated application. It was incredible how much better something like clean bandages could make him feel. This was his last one, and unless he spent his dwindling supply of water on cleaning his old ones, he'd have to make the fresh ones last.
He frowned slightly and got back up to join the others at the table.
The silence hung between them heavily. It made Quinn shift in his seat.
"I suppose," he said at length, "this would be a bad time for a ghost story." He said as he shined the flashlight on his face as if he were about to tell one around a campfire. He smiled crookedly and immediately felt abashed by the action. He probably did cut a rather ghoulish figure after all. At least two of his teeth were cracked and then the edges of burn scarring gave off a dull shine like thick red spiderwebs.
He lowered the flashlight and muttered a weak, strained, "Sorry..."

[SaikaAnge]

It had been a pretty uneventful day and Celty needed shelter for the night. Walking all day wasn't one of her favorite things to do, but she did it often nowadays. As she continued to walk she saw an encouraging, yet caution invoking, sight. A house several yards ahead. 'A house means people' she thought to herself. 'And people aren't always a good thing.'
Being cautious Celty grabbed her sniper rifle off her shoulder and looked through the scope, surveying the windows for signs of life. Seeing what seemed to be some movement she decided that she would be close and stay alert. Somewhere high up would give her a better vantage point, a treetop would be perfect.

A nearby tree would be her "shelter" for the night. It would provide protection from anything on the ground while she slept. So she climbed up and tied a rope loosely around it as an anchor so she wouldn't fall out as she slept, if she slept that was. Celty ate a small portion of her food rations and held her rifle on her lap, ready to use if need be, as she got comfortable. "It's gonna be a long night."

[Tsar Gatto]

Charlotte watched Alyssa emerge from the basement and nodded in agreement as she said that they should go through it tomorrow, a feeling of fatigue already gripping her from the day’s excitement. Her leg throbbed and ached and as she briefly watched Quinn dealing with his eye as he faced away from them. She wondered briefly what it would be like to have her field of vision reduced by half and how much it might affect his depth perception, and for example if it had been hard for him to keep his obviously skilled shooting skills as honed as they were.
She wanted nothing more than to curl up somewhere safe and rest, but as of yet she still needed to fix her leg up and make sure that they would be safe enough before they lowered their guards at all. She made her way over to what was left of the table and with a little effort scooted herself onto it as she slipped her slim and somewhat tatty rucksack off her back to beside her before she pulled out what was left of her medical kit. Gingerly and with little regard for her decency she slipped the legs of her jeans down enough to reveal the still bleeding wound as she gritted her teeth slightly.

“Can one of you give me a hand here?” she asked, her own first-aid knowledge severally lacking beyond cleaning and wrapping the wound. She didn’t know if it would need stiches or not, after all the piece of metal she had fallen on had stabbed deep into her leg. She pulled out the box that was filled with cereal bars and with only a few brief thoughts to the contrary pulled one out for each of her new companions and tossed one to each of them.

“Here” she said “Least I can do for you lot saving me”.

As they spoke she soon steered the conversation towards sleeping arrangements and asked what they each would feel comfortable doing. “We could split the night four ways and make sure one of us is always awake? You know just in case”. It had been longer than she could remember since she had last been able to sleep without fear of being discovered and she could think of little else than sleep at this stage, hoping that she wouldn’t be elected to take the first watch.

[Gelatinous Cube]

Quinn got out of his chair, grateful for the clean break from his awkward moment. He knelt down to inspect the wound, carefully removing the fabric around it, trying not to hurt her or appear inappropriate.
It wasn't too deep, but it would limit mobility for a while, and even though the human body was remarkably good at fighting infections it was never a safe bet. Quinn felt almost guilty for having prioritized his own scars for his bandages.
He thought for a long while, then sighed.
"Please don't stare," he said in a quiet voice, far removed from his usual tone. It was somewhat unnerving to hear. They had all seen Quinn gun down soldiers without hesitation, but now in the relatively safer confines of the house surrounded by people who were definitely not immediately threatening, he felt most vulnerable of all.
He undid the bandages around his head, exposing his hideous, scarred face to all present. He tightened them around Charlotte's leg, perhaps being a bit too rough in his haste to want to get out of the light.
"That should do you for tonight. Tomorrow morning I'll try and boil some water for the wound. It will hurt, but it's better than losing it to an infection."
It was the best he could do. He'd picked up some rudimentary first aid from the folks who had saved his life, but he had been fairly delirious for most of that time.

[jaybreezy]

Jake emerged from the room as Quinn tended to Charlotte's injury. He wiped his face, sweat droplets forming. He walked to the group and stood there. He overheard what Charlotte suggested and he agreed.

Jake felt a bit light headed and decided he needed to go step outside. "Hey guys...I'm gonna go get some fresh air." He alerted, walking to the front door. He took a deep breath before leaving the house. It was dark outside with a small breeze. Clouds covered the sky, making it dark and gloomy out. Jake sighed and walked around the house, not seeing anybody nearby. He had brought his rifle with him, just in case something happened. He was low on ammunition, but he was a good shot. Jake had no idea there was a girl in a tree, a sniper at that.

[SaikaAnge]

Hearing the door open, Celty was instantly alert and made aware there was a guy walking around. She put the scope on him to scout him out and saw he was carrying his own rifle.

Quietly she watched him to see if he was any threat. It didn't seem as if he even noticed her, which was good. She had the advantage if it stayed that way. And Celty wasn't planning on giving up her poaition, not this early.

She continued to watch him, scope fixed on him, monitoring what he did. Judging if he was any real threat to her at all. It just looked like he was bothered by something. Everyone was nowadays, so it want such a surprise to her. But being as cautious as she was, she stayed low to her branch and silent to make sure he didn't catch her.

[Always]

Alyssa eyed Quin, having her eyes set on him tensing up slightly. She knew there was something about him but she couldn't just walk up and question him especially with everyone around. She sighed as she looked away from him and looked at the wall instead, thinking to herself as she listened to there conversation. As the comment about the night shift was brought up she nodded not bothering to turn around. "Yea, we can do that. Twelve hours? Three hours each? I'll take first shift." She stated. She heard Jake and half turned to him. "Okay." She said as she looked back towards the wall.

[Gelatinous Cube]

"I can take second. I don't sleep much anyway," Quinn offered. Broken sleep was just something he'd grown accustomed to over years of it happening. The last time he'd slept deeply was through the medicinal aid of the merchants who had saved his life. Ever since then it had been nightmares, or more recently just plain alertness. He could only really snatch a bit of sleep when he grew sufficiently exhausted, and even then it was restless.
It struck him as odd, really. If there was any way he'd prefer to die it would be while he was sleeping. The closest to a peaceful death any one could hope for. Failing that, anything quick would do.
He shook himself from those dark thoughts, caught off guard by them, "I don't mind taking a double shift. She'll need to get a decent rest to help her leg heal," Quinn said, referring to Charlotte.

[Tsar Gatto]

Charlotte watched with a concealed expression as Quinn examined her leg before removing the bandage around his head and beginning to apply it to her wound instead. She was about to tell him not to, to keep it for himself, but his sudden change in demeanour almost vulnerable change stopped her. She made sure to avoid staring at his eye as he requested, her attention soon gripped by the pain shooting through her again as he tightened the bandage and quickly moved out of the light into the shadows around the edge of the room.

Charlotte remained silent as the others quickly discussed who would be taking watch, first Alyssa offering to take the watch followed by Quinn. Jake said something about getting some fresh air as he made his way through the house and towards the front door.

In the brief silence that followed she again felt her weariness washing over her as she blinked several times. She still felt uneasy about trusting the others, letting them keep watch whilst she slept, but something about the trio made her feel safer than she had in a long long time. Standing and keeping her weight off of her newly bandaged leg she glanced at Quinn and Alyssa before she mumbled her thanks again and made her way towards the stairway and headed upstairs to find somewhere to sleep. In her exhausted state she soon found a bed and took only a few moments to close the door to the room before she collapsed on the bed and swiftly fell into a deep sleep.

[Gelatinous Cube]

Quinn let silence settle in the room for a moment, before addressing what was bothering him.
"Been giving me that look a long while. Something on your mind?" He turned and glanced at Alyssa, one eyebrow raised inquisitively. It wasn't his intention at all to call her out, and he kept his tone as even as possible to avoid an argument.
He was no stranger to weird looks when he went into towns or settlements, but most folks got the picture quick enough and just let him be. Alyssa however, hadn't been able to keep her suspicion (or disdain, perhaps) off her face. Quinn would sleep better knowing he wasn't going to get a knife across his throat.