arockysmith

Why Can't This Be? [arockysmith + tlstiffl]

Ezra held her tightly in his arms as the men began to disperse and go about the missions he laid out for them. Today was the day they would finally get his father back. The sun was shining and he could hear birds chirping in the distance. It would be a good day. The love of his life was finally converted and they were free to marry, and his father would be there to attend the wedding. He hated that he had to sit back and watch the men leave. He wanted to be the one leading the charge into the ghetto and saving whoever they could, but it was against the rules and he refused to break them for himself.

He heard Marta tell him thank you and he pulled away slightly giving her a kiss on the forehead. The Rabbi turned his back to them and began discussing when the two of them would marry with Atalia. They had to do it quick or he would have no time. They were on the verge of infiltrating the getsapo so his time would be consumed and on the line. If they didn’t marry now he might never get the chance. He felt a tug on his arm and turned to Isiah giving him an apologetic look.

“Sorry boss, but we need to run down the plan again before we leave. All the men are prepped and ready to go,” Isiah said.

Ezra sighed reluctantly and turned back to Marta, “I’m sorry. I must go for a bit. Please go speak with the Rabbi about our upcoming wedding. Him and Atalia can tell you what to expect. I’ll be as quick as possible, but it may take time since it’s dangerous. Hopefully in two nights we will see my father again,” he said with a bit of a smile and he gave her one last kiss and walked with Isiah to one of the meeting rooms.

-----------

Abe packed his bag light only taking a couple essentials and he sat in the small room they called a house with twenty other people. He could barely make out the faces he was so nervous. He’d received word from Ezra a few days ago that they would be coming to save him and as many men as possible so to have them all ready. He had collected a couple strong young men and a few girls. They sat together scared, but hopeful. They would no longer be using broken toilets or buckets to relieve themselves. They would have a decent meal and they would not starve or be looked down on. They would not be caged like animals. The sound of babies crying overwhelmed them all as they tried to tune out all the people they would be leaving behind. It was torture for Abe to think he had to abandon innocent children, but his son needed an army not a daycare.

“Are you sure they’re coming?” one of the men asked so quiet that Abe wasn’t sure if he heard him.

“They will be here as long as everything goes as planned,” Abe replied just as timid.

As if on cue Isiah entered the room with Daniel, Harrod, and Joshua. They blended in, but you could tell they were hiding small weapons. If anyone tried to pat them down they’d be caught in an instant. The boys started directing everyone on where to go and who to look for. 5 other men would be waiting on the other side of the fence to start the trek to safety. Isiah began searching for Abe who popped up next to him as the last few men were walking out. They didn’t dare waste time with a hug, so they just gave a quick to each other.

It was nearly impossible to see, but some of the other families had lit candles to discreetly light the way. Nobody spoke or dared to breath. The tension was high between everyone that had yet to find safety. Isiah was the last to cross the fence when he heard a deafening alarm that nearly knocked him to knees. He felt a hand pull him and he saw everyone running as fast as they could. They’d been caught. Isiah did his best not to panic as the men led them to a hiding place. They couldn’t risk being found. Ezra would never forgive them if Abe didn’t make it back.

The feet of the getsapo began to disappear and after a few minutes of hiding they began the march to the cars which were about an hour by foot. Isiah stayed near the back with Daniel making sure nobody got left behind while the rest of the men flanked both sides to provide protection all around. The grass was muddy from the rain so there was only a slight chance of being snuck up on. As they got closer to the car he could hear the sigh of relief from Abe and Isiah smiled up at him. The mission was going to be a success and they would have about 15 new men for their crew. Everything was going to plan and they all began to pile into the cars they’d brought.

That was when Isiah heard the gun go off and he was shoved to the ground. He looked up to see Joshua hesitating. “GO! GET THEM OUT OF HERE!” Isiah yelled and the men obeyed. He looked to see Daniel on top of him, breathing still, but wounded.

He could hear the feet getting closer and the cars sped off leaving one behind for the two of them. He stood up slightly and began to help Daniel walk toward a nearby hiding spot. They would have to wait it out as best as they could. He quickly pulled his shirt off and wrapped it around Daniel’s leg who was doing his best not to cry out in pain.

“You’re going to be okay. I won’t leave you,” Isiah whispered as he sat with his back against the rock behind them.

Daniel shook his head looking pale, “You idiot. You could’ve made it had you run. I saved your life and now you’re risking it. I better not die in vain,” he said with a little laugh.

“Don’t speak like that Daniel. We will both go back and reunite with our people,” Isiah said trying to mask the fear that he’d never get to say goodbye to Atalia.

“That’s easy for you to look forward to. You’re getting married. You need to survive. Ezra needs you there. You and Marta are his strength. Atalia cannot lose you,” Daniel said and then Isiah put a hand over his mouth.

He could hear the attackers closing in on them. His heart began to beat erratically in his chest as he began to picture Atalia in his head. He needed to see her one last time before he died. He could feel tears soak his cheeks and he looked over to see Daniel trying not to cry. The scent of blood was growing stronger as it leaked through the shirt. They heard someone moving above them and before Isiah could react another shot went off and Daniel went limp. He did his best to keep himself relaxed so that he didn’t scream out. Daniel’s blood coated his body and he could feel it dripping down. He closed his eyes not daring to utter a single prayer as he waited for his death.

Why Can't This Be? [arockysmith + tlstiffl]

The two of them emerged from the room an hour later. They were greeted by Ezra's comrades who where whistling at the two of them. They yelled their congratulations in unison and he couldn't help but blush a bit. Had this been a few months ago he'd probably be fighting an elimantion match with Harrod or Joshua again. He'd be starving and he'd be someone that he didn't recognize. The memories of the past haunted him daily, but he did his best to hide it from everybody.

"I better be standing next to you at the wedding. I know it's not traditional but we can branch out a bit," Isiah said pulling his friend into a hug then giving one to Marta, "Atalia is so excited she's already begun sketching a dress design for you. Maybe the four of us can wed together."

Harrod spoke up next, "The Rabbi sent word that he's begun husband journey down here. It will take him a few days to ensure that he isn't followed. We have our best men out guiding him here. When she converts we will recognize your relationship as true," he said speaking for the people that still found it hard to think a Jewish man would take a non Jewish women at a time like this.

Ezra nodded. The tensions had been a bit high with Marta around, but a majority of the people had grown to enjoy her here. Her and Atalia eased the fights between them all since nobody wanted to start a brawl in front of the two of them. It made things easier to handle.

"Thank you all for the support and for the help in setting up. Let's all get into the dinning room and celebrate how things have started looking up. We are not out of this battle yet, but one day soon I plan on going to every single one of your weddings," Ezra said as he and Marta lead them all to dinner.

Abandoned Souls (Full for now)

@Xeron Ryker is shorter. I imagine him to be like 5'7 or 5'8. feel free to use and abuse the boy. no permission. necessary. After all Ryker is basically side eyeing him in the last post. I wouldn't be surprised if Chronus hit him

Why Can't This Be? [arockysmith + tlstiffl]

Ezra felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest when she finally answered and the way she kissed him made him glad he brought the blanket. He leaned back pulling her with him until he was laying flat and she was on top. He once again heard Isiah trying to get everyone away from the door. He let out a small laugh as he kissed her neck once more and used his hands to hike her dress up a bit.

“I really thought you’d say no and I may have cried if you did that,” he said moving his hands to her waist and holding her firmly. He propped himself up a bit on his elbows and began to kiss her neck once more. He could feel the coldness of the ring pressed against his skin as she held onto his neck a bit.

He’d gotten more comfortable when it came to sex and he tended to put her in whatever position he wanted without much hesitation from her. She trusted him and he made sure to show her how grateful he was with every kiss he placed on her skin. His resolve to wait until they were married always faltered when they had time alone. Each morning he would promise himself to hold off, but every night he found himself tangled with her body and leaving love bites down her stomach on the inner part of her thighs.

The two of them had begun to learn each other inside out and they were at the point where words were hardly spoken. They communicated mostly through looks and they expressed their love with gestures. He was ready to throw caution to the wind when he realized he’d forgotten to tell her about the Rabbi. He pulled himself from her with a smile and poked her gently on the nose.

“Oh and I found a Rabbi to convert you in case you still wanted to do that. I mean it’s no big deal,” he said trying to play it off as nothing exciting but the way his eyes shined gave away how happy he was, “He’s coming by next week and then we can start making wedding arrangements. If we put it off long enough I may even get to save my dad from the ghetto they’ve taken him to. I found a lead the other day and it seems solid. I know it’s not the same as your dad, but he could walk you down the aisle if you wanted,” he told her with only slight doubt in his voice that he’d actually get to save his father.

Abandoned Souls (Full for now)

Ryker grabbed a contract and sat down across from Cedar. He found himself feeling more comfortable around her since she was the first person he had a chance to meet. He began reading through it glancing up every and now then to look at Cedar and then Chronus. He felt a little guilty for having lashed out at him. He should have kept his mouth shut, but the guy was being so pompous that he found it hard to control his temper. He looked at Nina thoughtfully. "How do we know you actually donate the money? I mean we'd be dead so who's to say you give the money to the charity of our choice. I don't doubt the legitness of your business, but people with money usually use death as a way to make more money. You see it all the time when famous people keel over." he said a little quietly. He already knew the charity he would pick, but he wanted to make sure that his death wouldn't actually be in vain. He signed his name the last couple times making sure it was slightly legible and then put his pen down.

He never had the privilege of going to a school where you learned cursive so his signature looked like a child trying to mimic their parent. He hid it a little embarrassed. He found himself once again watching Chronus with close eyes. Now that he'd had a bit to cool down he felt like there was something more to the rich brat, but he wasn't sure if he'd allow himself to actually like the kid. He didn't seem strong physically so it wouldn't surprise him if Chronus was the first to die on a job.

arockysmith x SinfulSkills <<Kento & Jun>>

Jun followed him to the room and her mouth fell open. He’d gone all out, and the place looked like their own little movie theater. A smile grew on her face as she walked to him and pulled him to the tightest hug she could muster, which wasn’t that tight since she lacked much physical strength. “It’s perfect, Kenton,” she whispered pulling away. She walked over to the pile of pillows and blankets and sat herself right in the middle feeling the softness of each of them. She’d never been in a place this nice, and she’d never touched blankets this fuzzy. She rubbed one on her face for a second.

“You’ve outdone yourself my friend,” Jun said with a laugh, “I don’t think I ever want to leave. I could stay here forever with you cuddled up in these blankets eating candy and watching movies.”

She wrapped the softest around her and stood up almost tripping as she walked over to him looking like a burrito. She reached for his arm and brought him over to sit with her. She could see the happiness in his eyes and wondered if he knew how much this meant to her. People usually only talked to her for gossip or homework, but not him. He spoke with her because he wanted to and he invited her over of his own free will. She’d never had a real friend before, and after all the time she spent debating if she should talk to him seemed stupid. They could have been friends all along if she hadn’t been so shy.

“You’re officially my favorite person on this planet. Are your brothers home? I don’t want to annoy them if something makes me scream or jump. Which I should warn you. I tend to cling onto whoever I’m with when something scares me. I love to be scared but I don’t like to feel alone while it’s happening,” she said sitting down and patting the space next to her for him to join.

Why Can't This Be? [arockysmith + tlstiffl]

Ezra grabbed her arm gently and turned her around. He’d never seen her look so beautiful. The dress left little to the imagination so he was pretty sure the men had all basically had their eyes popping out. He held her close her back to him and gently kissed her neck. He felt her lean into his body and he took that chance to slip his hands over her eyes.

“I’ve got a surprise for you, my love,” he whispered in her ear as he slowly walked her into the room.

He closed the door behind him to keep people from peeking inside. He’d set up a blanket in the middle of the room. All the tables and chairs had been moved out into storage for the time being. The dimness of the lights added to the mood he was going for and he had lit a candle so that it would smell as close to the bakery as possible. After a deep breath he let his hands fall to his sides and smiled at the gasp. He knew it wasn’t much, but at time like this he was pretty sure she was just happy with the thought he put into it. He walked around so that he was facing her and held her hands in his own. He brought them up to his face and he placed a kiss on each one. He could feel his body trembling as the moment finally arrived.

“Marta, I know that we have not spent our childhoods together and there is still so much we have yet to learn about one another, but I know in my heart of hearts that you are the reason I was born. You are the reason my heart beats and the reason I wake up every single morning. Your smile is like the sunshine and I honestly could not imagine you not being with me. Every time I see you I feel my heart beat quicken,” he said placing her hands over his chest so she could feel, “Every time we kiss my body trembles and when lay together at night I know that there is a God because only he could make someone so perfect. I am not worthy of your love, but I will fight everyday to prove that I am the man for you. I cannot promise for everyday to be good, but I promise to always protect and cherish you. I promise to never take you for granted and I promise to love you more than you thought possible.” He slowly went down onto one knee and pulled the ring out of his t-shirt pocket. He held it up to her; his hands shaking with every movement. “Will you be my wife? Will you marry me, Marta?”

Ezra felt like his insides were about to explode as the seconds ticked by making it feel like an eternity. He could see it perfectly on her face that she had not been expecting him to be so bold, and he could hear the shuffling of feet outside the door trying to listen in for an answer. He heard Isiah shoo them all away and he heard Atalia giggling. He looked at Marta with hope and he prayed that she would agree to his question. He would understand though if she decided her fun was over and she wanted to drop into reality again. He just hoped that she would risk it all with him.

Abandoned Souls (Full for now)

I'll work on my post tonight. I just need to shower and eat first.

Why Can't This Be? [arockysmith + tlstiffl]

Ezra nodded in response, “Yeah, I have a lot of planning to do today. I’m sorry that this has consummed me. I promise to make it up to you tonight, Marta. If everything goes as planned I’ll have the next couple days to be with you without restraint,” he said with a smile as he kissed her gently on the forehead, “I’m going to try and finish quick so that we can have some time before dinner to just be together.” He felt a tap on his shoulder and he turned to see Isiah there.

“Ezra, the men are ready. Let’s get started,” Isiah said with a warm smile to Marta, “I promise to give him back for supper,” he said pulling Ezra by the arm.

Ezra allowed himself to be dragged away and waved his goodbye to Marta. The boys made their way into one of the larger rooms that rarely ever got used unless it was a holiday. A few of the men decide to help Ezra with his surprise for Marta, but the rest had gone to train so they didn’t raise suspicion. Isiah pulled a ring out of his pants pocket and passed it to Ezra. It wasn’t anything special, but it had been the ring his father gave to his mother when he proposed. It was the only thing he could salvage when they traveled to his old home. The place had been trashed and almost all the items worth value had been taken. It took all his energy not to hunt down the men who ruined the home he grew up in.

Baer Bakery was also destroyed. The windows were broken and the oven didn’t work anymore. The food had gone stale and the flour began to house bugs. His heart shattered at the sight of his legacy destroyed. It took Isiah and Daniel to drag him out of their. He had made a promise to himself that day that he would restore it when everything had settled. He would go back and reclaim what was rightfully his and Marta would be at his side. He wanted his kids to know hard work and he wanted them to know that he had started from nothing.

“Thank you for holding this. I might have asked her right then and there had the ring been in my pocket,” Ezra said as he watched the men hang lights along the ceiling. He’d managed to get a few of his people to get flowers to spread about the room and the lights had been in storage. It wasn’t a fairytale, but it was the best he could do. The radio was in there playing love songs and the men began to dance together laughing and teasing Ezra.

“I can’t believe you actually found a Rabbi to convert her at a time like this,” Daniel said with a sigh.

Ezra frowned, “It was hard, but since I’m leading the resistance they feel like they owe it to me. I’m the most likely to die so they want my time here to be fruitful apparently. I won’t complain though. I haven’t told her yet either. I wanted to wait to see if she even said yes. She might not even want to marry me since I’ve done all I have. I barely even get time with her.”

Isiah scoffed, “We all hear you in the middle of the night. You get plenty of time with her. You actually have Atalia trying to sleep in bed with me. She starts in her room, but in the middle of the night I feel her pressed against me like she’s clinging for dear life,” he said.

“Hey, at least you two have girls. We just get to be envious,” Harrod said with a glare as he plugged in the lights to make sure they all worked.
When Ezra was finally satisfied it was around dinner time. He hadn’t realized how anxious he was getting until he started practicing his speech in the mirror. He found it hard to stare at his reflection. He was mostly over what he’d done to Jeremiah and the other man, but it still haunted him whenever he saw himself. He could see the blood splattered on his face and his hands painted red. It took days before the blood finally washed completely away. He nearly drowned himself in bleach to get it off faster. He looked at his watch real quick. It was time. With a deep sigh he went on the hunt for hopefully his fiancee.

Why Can't This Be? [arockysmith + tlstiffl]

Ezra listened to her words, but he wasn’t sure if he was actually hearing them. She was making sense but his mind couldn’t get over the blood on his hands. He looked at her with the smallest smile as he placed his hands gently on her face. He could feel her lean her head against the palms of his hands as he gave her a quick kiss. He killed those men because they were doing wrong. They were hurting not only the love of his life, but an innocent person. They were pushing for a war that was impossible to win and if he sat by and did nothing then everyone in this house would have died.

“I had to do it. It was them or us. He was leading us to a battle that was already lost. With you here I can show them what it means to fight without the violence. I can lead them to peace, rather than blood shed. I won’t corrupt myself or my men,” he whispered more to himself than her.

There was a soft knock on the door and then Isiah walked in a little nervous. “They...they want to make it official. You as our new leader. I think you should do it Ezra. You’re the person everyone looks up to. Whatever you say they will do. You can bring us back to the path we should’ve never strayed from. The path that shows people we are not monsters, we just people,” he said pushing the door open a little more.

Ezra stood up with Marta making sure to keep his hand locked with hers. He led her from the room to the main dining area where everyone had gathered to wait for him. The ones who had been in the room when he passed out had hopeful eyes when he saw their hands together. The other ones still held a form of hate towards him and Marta. He heard Daniel cough to quiet everyone down. Isiah sat towards the head of the table expecting Ezra to take a seat with Marta, but he refused to sit.

Ezra took a deep breath and squeezed Marta’s hand tightly before speaking, “I’ve been asked to take over the resistance. I’ve been groomed for this spot for months now. I’ve taken two lives tonight and I don’t regret it. Jeremiah was bringing us down a dark path. He tortured us all, including Marta. Some of the medical team has seen the wound branded into her arm like she is nothing more than cattle. It’s the same symbol I had carved into my chest. The day that happened seems like a lifetime ago. I held so much hate and anger inside my body for the men who abused me so it was easy to fall in line with Jeremiah and his beliefs, but I lost myself to the darkness and without Isiah or Marta here to bring me back I would probably be continuing down that road,” he paused a moment to look at each of their reactions. He caught Isiah smiling along with a few relieved faces.

“So we’re going to just sit here and let Hitler kill our people? Isn’t he the reason your father was taken to the ghettos back where you come from? Jeremiah told us all. If we don’t fight then we’re just asking to me killed,” one of the men said harshly.

Ezra nodded, “Yes, my father was taken and my mother is dead from illness. Isiah’s fiancees dad was killed by the getsapo and we have saved countless people from their clutches, and we will continue to do so. We will just be less violent. Not everybody needs to die for one person to live. We will prove to everyone that we are rats and we are not monsters. We are people,” he glanced at Isiah as he said that.

The room went quiet and he felt himself tense up waiting for the backlash, especially from Daniel. There was brief moment it looked like everyone was going to walk out of the room and forget the reason they were brought together, but then Daniel spoke.

“We will follow you into battle or into peace. You are who we respect the most and who we need. The death of Jeremiah and his friend has ended the rule of terror. We will follow you, Ezra,” Daniel said and then glanced at the men around him.

“I will follow you, Ezra,” Isiah said next.

“I will follow you, Ezra,” Joshua and Harrod in unison.

“I will follow you, Ezra,” everyone else said together.

“We will follow you!” the whole room yelled together and began slapping each other on the backs.

Ezra felt the tightness in his chest finally release and he let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. A smile spread across his face as the men came over him to one by one to shake his and Marta’s hands to show respect. He could feel her body tensing at first when they came near, but when they showed no sign of harm she relaxed against him. Isiah took his place next to Ezra, it was assumed they would be leading the men together.

“Since you get Marta here, I want my Atalia,” Isiah said with a grin.