[fieldbox="Dexter | Jackson Mississippi | 1 October 2026 - Nightfall, darkorange, solid"]
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"Ah…" Dex lifted a hand to rub at his cheek, mulling over the question. "I don't know. Maybe getting to Nashville will be just as good? Maybe they're working on something there, too?" He knew that was unlikely at best, but what else was he supposed to say? Making the trip to D.C. was far too dangerous. Especially now that they had even more people to drag along.
"I guess," she hummed. She didn't want to pursue the topic. After everything that had happened, with the fading - yet still present - headache, with the prospect of how easily everything could be snatched away, she didn't want to pursue it at all. "What do you think it'll be like in Nashville?" she asked.
Grateful for the change in topic, he shrugged gently. "I dunno. If it's anything like it was pre-end-of-the-world... larger than life, I guess is one way you could describe it. Nashville's one of those places that was pretty, uh… quirky even before everything went to shit."
"Good quirky or bad quirky?"
"A little bit of both - they once built a life size replica of the Millenium Falcon in the middle of downtown, or something like that."
"Millenium what, now?" she asked, raising her head slightly and craning it to look up at him.
For a minute, Dex didn't speak, only stared at her incredulously. "Do they not have Star Wars where you're from, or have you just lived under a rock for your entire life?"
"Oh! It's from Star Wars!" she exclaimed, laying her head back down as the curiosity was sated. "I'm not from Mars, Dex. We do have Star Wars. I just - y'know - thought it was kinda... rubbish - well not rubbish, just not my style."
"I feel insulted on a personal level," he chuckled, fiddling with the damp fabric of Evie's shirt. "While we're on the topic, though… what's your favorite movie?"
"Erm... you probably wouldn't know it," she dodged. A flush hit her cheeks for a moment. It wasn't that she was embarrassed by her choice of films but it hardly screamed 'cool kid'. In fact, it may have even topped Star Wars in 'Nerdville'.
"Challenge accepted. Lay it on me."
"Michael Collins," she admitted, her tone firm and delivery quick.
Dex squinted. "Ok, you were right I've got no idea what that is."
"Told you so," she smirked, head nodding against his chest. "What about Railway Man?"
"Nope. I think we probably have different tastes in films. Nerd."
"Said the Star Wars geek," she retorted, proudly. "At least my films are educational." She added a haughty huff after her statement and gently nipped at his waist.
Making finger quotes, he scoffed. "Educati - hey, stop that!" He swatted at her nose very gently with his fingertips. "I think we've established who will win in a tickle war, don't start a fight you'll lose. Anyway, it's not so much me that was a Star Wars fan as it was my mom. She was a fanatic… me and Riley grew up on those movies because she watched 'em so often." Seeing that Dex was serious with the latter part of his statement, Evie decided it best to match the tone. Laying a gently kiss on his chest, she settled back down, quiet for a moment.
"Sounds like my dad with Terminator films," she replied. "Except, something tells me Star Wars is maybe better." She went silent again for a time before she posed a question out of the blue, "Do you miss her?"
"Who, my mom?"
"Yeah."
"Well… obviously, yeah. I do," he started. "But… she died a few months before all this, and in a way I'm glad she wasn't around to watch everything go to hell, you know?"
"I get that," Evie empathised. "I mean... kind of. I don't even know what's happening back home: if my parents are still alive, if things are safe there... it's just nothing. I just hope that nobody back home has had to see all of this."
"Maybe we'll find out, once we get to Nashville? Makes sense that if there are survivors elsewhere, they'd all try to be in contact, right?"
"Please don't..." she pleaded, her voice weak and quiet.
Blinking confusedly, Dex fell silent, trying to figure out what exactly he'd said that could be considered upsetting. Unable to identify the culprit, he frowned. Why would she be upset at the possibility that her home had been unaffected by all this?
"I d-... don't wanna get my hopes up, that's all," she clarified, sucking in a deep breath to suppress a some rogue tears that were welling behind her eyelids. "Still," she began again, almost too loudly. "We weren't talking about me. What was your mum like?"
Eager to backpedal to a topic that didn't involve tears, Dex rubbed Evie's arm comfortingly. "She, uh… she was kind. And generous. And would give a perfect stranger the shirt off her back if they needed it." His voice hardened a bit. "She didn't deserve to go out the way she did, but… if it's not one way, it's another, right?" He trailed off. "Riley reminds me a lot of her, actually… when she's not being a bull-headed brat, anyway."
"Riley stops being a bull-headed brat sometimes?" Evie joked, hoping to alleviate some tension.
"Everyone once in a while," he smirked. "What about yours? Your parents, I mean."
"Parents? They were pretty typical parents. Dad was away a lot for work being in the army - don't know too much about that, though. Don't know what else to say, really."
That seemed suspiciously vague, but he didn't pry. Instead, a comfortable silence filled the room, broken only by the occasional clap of thunder or the murmur of voices from below them. Shifting a little so he could reach, Dex rubbed Evie's back in slow circles. Even though they were still both damp and chilly, and the leather couch wasn't exactly as comfortable as their bed back in Ballamory, Dex found himself starting to doze.
INVENTORY (DEXTER)
-------------------------
Wearing
black basketball shorts
On Person
Hunting Knife, with Sheath [on right leg]
.50 Cal Desert Eagle (15/15) [on left leg]
DD M4 Carbine V5 AR-15 (6/32) [holding]
In Bag
.50cal Rounds x32
9mm Rounds x46
Minor First Aid Kit (mostly used)
Small LED Flashlight
Military Dogtags
Letter from his Father
Change of Clothing
Antibiotics & Assorted Medical Supplies
Food & Water
17oz Bottled Water [3]
[/fieldbox]