Radiate

S

Shadez

Guest
Original poster
Character Sheet: http://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/radiate.20117/


Anna searched around the station as government officials separated the mass of people and children into groups and ushered them towards the trains. Like everyone else, she wasn't entirely sure where they were taking them, but she'd hoped she'd at least be able to find her brother. Squished close to another person, she felt herself tumbling towards the ground, her knees scraping against it harshly. Someone had shoved her in all the panic and rushing as they were trying to get the children out first. Many people were in a state of mass hysteria, especially since the officials were prioritizing by age, youngest being the most important. Covering her head with her arms, she wasn't trampled too much before a hand was grasping tightly to her arm and hoisting her up and out of the chaos. A man heavily clothed in white protective gear gave her a flat look, pushing her towards one of the entrances to a train that seemed to be packed full of people around her age.
"They're taking you to a facility where you will be safe and tested for any mutation because of the radiation leak," he said, his monotone showing that he'd probably said it over a dozen times just in the past five minutes. Any, if not all of their belongings were being processed and brought to the cargo holds of their assigned trains. She assessed that everyone there varied from about 15-20, but still no one she knew was there. Deep down, she didn't want to admit it to herself, but she already knew that they were all dead. Finding her brother at this point would probably be a monumental waste of her time, but…she still hoped at least he was okay.



Chase ran through long twisted paths, the ruins unescapable. He'd thought he could get the children to safety, but he hadn't been expecting them to be purged in flame that night. It seemed the government hadn't done a full sweep of the small town, assuming them all to be dead with how close they were to the radiation leak. Unfortunately, that hadn't been the case. Chase and a few of the other foster kids had managed to get away, but not without horrifying injuries. Chase's left shoulder was badly burnt, and in his right arm, he carried Dylan, the youngest of the group. He'd heard there was a center or at least someone he could contact in the next town over, but that was still a few miles he'd have to lead these kids. Rose had died about three miles back, and so he'd had to leave her. Kyle was already looking faint and Chase had had to carry him piggyback for a few hours before he could walk again. Chase felt incredible guilt for pushing these kids so hard, but, they HAD to keep moving. There were only four of them now. Kyle and Dylan were twins, both about 8 years old. Ben was 12, and Cecile was 14. Ceci, at this point was all but dragging Ben, who'd been the first to wake in the fire and make sure everyone got out alright. Chase stopped with the kids for another short break, setting the twins down and checking their wounds once more. They didn't look any better or any worse really, but he was no doctor, and he knew for a fact they'd all been exposed to the radiation, but many of the other kids and staff had been killed early on after being exposed. Chase hadn't noticed this until he saw how many people hadn't woken up when they'd tried to get everyone out of the orphanage. He'd been staying the night and undergoing training so he could actually help kids like these find a home, but he hadn't anticipated such natural disasters to hit, nor all at once. Picking up the twins once more, he gave Ceci a meaningful look. She nodded, supporting Ben once more, and continuing down the remains of highway 27.
 
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"Hey! Watch it!" Aidan growled actually having to choke back a bark as some idiot deigned to pull on his tail. He'd had the thing for a matter of days, and already it was pissing him off to no end. But what was worse, was the smell around here. Not only was the crush of unwashed people causing his nose to clog up with terrible body odour, but he could also feel the sickness on people. Some who appeared strong and healthy were harbouring deadly cancers, or other mutations yet more deadly. Of course, many were suffering mutations much like his, though he seemed to be among an elite group who got the luxury of animal ears. Apparently, trying to protect his dog had been a bad idea, not that he would ever change what he had done, even given a million opportunities to do it over again. He had loved that animal, and although they had now been horribly mashed into one being, he felt that perhaps he could live with it.
After a while of pushing and shoving, Aidan finally found himself on the correct bus, and it didn't smell quite so bad as it did out there. It appeared that the majority of the people on this vehicle were well, and so the only unpleasant odour he had to attempt to ignore was that of stale sweat, not to mention the fresh stuff. It still wasn't great, but he could cope with it for now. He found what seemed to be the only spare seat, next to a random girl that appeared to be a little bewildered by all that was going on. Of course, that was the same for all on the bus, but still, that was her. He glanced over to her, but then looked quickly away, staring fixedly at the head of the person in front, mostly because he had little idea what he could say or do. He just wanted some order restored.


Louise was on her own. She had started off with a group of five others, strangers brought together in a time of desperation. Two had since been left behind, the radiation sickness had taken hold. The others had left in the night, leaving the ill to wake, finding themselves alone. It had not been done lightly, but Louise, along with her companions had known they could not face the guilt of breaking the news, and certainly couldn't have performed a mercy killing. Louise herself had struggled to kill the stray cat they'd happened across. There was no guarantee that the meat was safe, but they needed food, and so had eaten the thing. So far, no adverse effects. Unfortunately though, said cat had been the cause of another loss. Two had squabbled over portion sizes. Apparently one woman was cutting more for herself, and the man who had accused had been killed during the snap of the already frayed tempers. That had left just three. The last two had died only yesterday. An out of control mutant. By the looks of things, a labourer of some kind. He was dressed in bloody hi-viz, and had been armed with a mallet, permanently fused to his arm nnow. In the attack, one woman had her head bludgeoned, while the last man of the group had fallen on an exposed, jagged spike. It had once been an innocent road sign, but not anymore. Louise had only survived by seizing the chaos and running. She was armed, with a makeshift sword and shield, but it was hardly enough. She needed a real weapon, a gun of some kind. But those would be few and far between.
Hours later, after resting for just a few hours, Louise found herself approaching the exit to highway 27, and perhaps her salvation. She didn't know if the rumours were true, but staying in the city was suicide, and so on she went, determined to make it to the facility, the promised land that was most likely a fantasy. On her approach to the highway, Louise spotted a group in the distance, but could not quite make out if they were sane or not. The way they shuffled, they looked like they might be as mad as that first mutant she had come across, but then again, they were all so exhausted - everyone moved erratically. So, Louise lay in wait for them to become properly visible, at which point her fears were put away. They seemed fine, and so she called out, "Hey!" She stood slowly, appearing from her hiding place. She approached slowly, her weapons held in clear view, her arms open, attempting to show that she was no threat.
 
Anna turned to the guy who was seated beside her, tilting her head as she watched him curiously. Quickly looking away, she didn't want to stare, but she found him to be a fair distraction from all the people. She felt someone kick their seat and jumped, massaging her temples and fighting the urge to turn around and glare at the other frightened passengers. Scrunching her nose, she closed her eyes in concentration as the strange feeling passed over her once more. It was almost a feeling of nausea. Her body felt like it was being urged somewhere else and then almost like her molecules were…separating. Taking a deep breath she looked over at the guy again, hoping to further distract herself, even if he caught her staring this time. Looking at his ears, she couldn't help but crack a small smile. She didn't really know what he'd been through, but she had the strangest impulse to touch them. Shaking her head, she turned back around, glowering at her messy appearance before pressing her forehead to the cool glass as the wave of nausea subsided."What's your story?" she asked, in a small futile attempt to make conversation. She wasn't really interested in making any friends with how quickly people were dying out, but she didn't know what else to do. They'd already been informed that the trip would be a long one and she couldn't help thinking that this guy was interesting.




Chase flinched when he'd heard someone call them. Ushering the kids behind him, he turned towards the figure, shielding them from view, his hair turning from his normal blonde to a slick raven color. The girl, he assessed, didn't seem like a real threat. He relaxed, setting the twins down for a moment. One of them whimpered as he set them down beside Ceci. He gave her another meaningful look, and she nodded in response.
"Take care of them. If anything happens to me, take them and run," he informed her. She gave another solemn nod before Chase headed towards the stranger alone.
She was armed and looked about as beaten as they were, assessing her as he moved closer.
"Who are you?" he asked, looking at her skeptically. He didn't know if he should trust her, what with all the radiation eating at everyone's brains and whatnot, but he figured he should at least give her the benefit of the doubt first.
 
He was aware that the girl was looking at him. It was driving him mad, but he wouldn't take it out on her. They were all under alot of stress, and he had no desire to burn any bridges even before he had discovered if they were capable of bearing his weight. So, rather than bother the one sitting next to him, he sinmply continued to stare straight forward. Well, that was until some idiot decided to shove into the back of their seat. That was it. He snapped into a standing position, his face still void of all but the most subtle expression of emotion. For half a second, the bus was silent, and it was during this moment that he spoke.
"Do none of you understand that we are here together? We work as one, or else we all die. Is that what you want?" It was potentially a bit of an over reaction, but it was far better to get all the hoodlams on the bus under control before they really needed eachother. Even if this facility could help them, Aidan was well aware that even the government couldn't keep hunger and disease at bay forever. Sooner or later the facility would enjoy a coup, the place would be plundered by gangs, and they would disperse again. It was what happened in desperate times such as these.
Now that he had at least given the others something to begin to think about, Aidan sat himself back down, glancing over at the girl once more. In the end, she chose to speak, and Aidan rolled his eyes. "I don't have one. I was normal, shit went down, now I'm here. Same as everyone else." He didn't really mean to be rude, he just wasn't a fan of dwelling on the past. Even with this simple rebuff, he did deign to give her his name, he wasn't all that rude.
"I'm Aidan. What's your name?" He hoped he wasn't being too harsh on the girl, not that he was ever a great judge of this.


Louise didn't move any further, not wanting to appear too intimidating, though it was damn hard to do, given her current state. She was just as filthy as the rest of them, truly destitute, as almost all of the survivors were. Thriving in an environment such as this simply wasn't possible, and so they were all just doing what they could to get by, surviving as best they could. When the leader of the group reached her, Louise responded to him simply,
"My name's Louise. I was with a group, but - you know. They didn't make it." She rubbed her arm nervously, glancing at the ground slightly guiltily, not that she could really be blamed for their deaths.
"I know you don't know me, but please give me a chance. I'll do what I can to help, I won't be a deadweight." If she was honest, she had no idea how much use she would be if her services were called upon, but at least her presence might distract from the children a little. In truth, only time would tell what fortitude Louise possessed, and she hoped that by some miracle she would never be called upon to prove herself, not that this was likely at all. For now, she just had to wait for the response of the young man before her, hoping that he would show her some kind of mercy.
 
(Grounded recently, so my replies might take some time to upload. >.<; sorry. Also, Chase is pretty accepting. lol)


Anna rubbed her arm where the man had grabbed her from before, the skin still pink from the encounter, but she jumped as Aidan stood up, trying to suppress a laugh as he spoke. She knew a great deal of them really didn't care, some even welcoming death, but it was worth seeing the kid behind them scared shitless in the window's reflection.
The nausea hadn't quite subsided, but at this 'Aidan' character sure had proven a good distraction from it. Shrugging off his story, she sat up, leaning back against the seat instead of the window this time. Stretching her arms high in the air and yawning, almost cat-like in her actions before casting a sidelong glance at him.
"Anna. Nice to meet you, Adam," she said, watching his reaction carefully, her expression giving nothing away.



Chase relaxed a little. This girl wasn't a danger to them, which was good enough for him, though he could still tell she'd already been through much. Slowly his hair melted back to his natural blonde, a ripple coursing through him very subtly.
"I'm Chase, and I'll introduce you to the kids in a minute. Not to make assumptions or anything, but you wouldn't happen to have a first aid kit, would you?" he asked, running a hand through his sandy hair. Turning towards the kids, he motioned her to follow him with a nod, giving the kids a wave, his expression clearly showing the anxiety he felt. The twins were so badly hurt that he dared to think they might not actually make it before they got to the next town.
Ceci relaxed after receiving Chase's signal, setting the kids down and resting while she waited for him and the stranger.
 
Although it was perhaps a little bit silly, Aidan couldn't help but be ever so slightly irritated by the way Anna stretched. Perhaps it was just because the bus was so crowded, there was no room for anyone to move comfortably, and to see the girl enjoying her lovely, satisfying stretch was just unfair. Of course, he kept his mouth shut, knowing that he was far more irritable than he normally would be, and he had no right to take this stress out on the girl.
When she spoke, he furrowed his brow, scowling ever so slightly, "It's Aidan. Not Adam." He corrected dryly, his tension quite obvious, though he himself thought he was hiding it quite well.


Seeing this persons hair change colour was a little bit odd, but Louiise took it in her stride, seeing as nothing was normal anymore. She either had to accept everything that happened in the world as it was now, or else go mad trying to process it all. So for now, she just acted as if all this mess was totally normal.
Now, about that first aid kit. "I might have something." Louise said, quickly shrugging off the torn backpack she wore, rummaging in it for a few moments before producing a grubby looking nylon bag. "There's not much in there, and I don't know how clean it is, but it's all I have left." Louise handed the poorly stocked, makeshift first aid kit to Chase. It had just a couple of bandages, the last dregs of an antiseptic spray, and a few painkillers. It was hardly worth having, but it was better than nothing.
"Thankyou, for not killing me, I mean." Maybe a bit of an odd thing to say, but these were odd times.
 
Anna let out a soft chuckle, her icy blue eyes flicking from Aiden's ears to his eyes, to his muscular physique, and back to his eyes again. He was rather intimidating, and although she'd intended to make a game of the current situation, she couldn't find it in herself to push the guy further. Had he been in a better mood, she probably would have risked it, but she didn't feel like starting any fights, especially when she knew she'd lose.
"Sorry. There must be something wrong with my hearing- oh wait, IT'S TOO DAMN LOUD IN HERE!!" she called, silencing the bus. Slowly a grin broke out on her face. Blissful silence, even for just a moment. Suppressing more laughter, she felt another wave hit her and instantly fell silent herself, her brow furrowing in concentration as she tried to swallow the feeling. Unfortunately for her, they weren't allowed to open the windows lest they want to invite in more radiation and further pollute the air they were breathing. Turning away from Aiden, she slid closer to the window, scrunching her body up as close to it as she could, a single hand resting on the bridge between her collar and her throat as she focused on her breathing, cursing breathlessly all the while.
Turning a sharp gaze back to Aiden, she frowned.
"Sorry," she repeated, turning back around.



Chase's eyes lit up as Louiise passed him the emergency kit. Now he had something he could treat the kids with, even if it was just as much as bandaging them up. He could barely contain his thanks at this point, grinning from ear to ear, that is, until he heard what she said afterwards. He paused in his stride, turning and giving her an odd look, his hair flickering a curious orange color for a moment, before letting out a snort, which quickly broke out into a small fit of laughter, for which he regretted right after, wincing as he let out a hiss.
"If the two of us were to have gone at it, I doubt you'd have been the one who ended up dead, sweetheart," he said simply, giving her his signature grin before turning back to the kids.
"These are the Kyle, Ben, Dylan, and Cecile," Chase said, pointing to each with his right arm, so he didn't have to exert as much energy on his damaged left. Kneeling down beside Ben and the twins, he opened the emergency and began dressing their wounds before finally turning to Ceci and doing hers. She'd been such a trooper, and hardly had any wounds either, which was surprising considering girls were generally more 'delicate' as society had depicted them anyways. Chase didn't buy it after such a terrible endeavor, but she was still a girl, so he did his best to be extra gentle with her. When he was done with the kids he closed the kit and easily handed it back to Louiise, smiling gratefully at her.
"Thank you. We REALLY needed that. I think they'll be okay at least until we make it to the center," he said.
 
He didn't much care for her laughter. How could she show any kind of happiness in a time like this? So many of them were smiling and joking together, as if none of the butchery they had seen had ever occurred. It was insane. Of course, he hadn't considered the fact that this was the only way they could keep themselves sane. Pretending everything was normal when the world had gone mad wasn't such a crazy thing to be doing, even if Aidan himself chose to face it head on. In the end, perhaps it would be him losing his mind, rather than the ones who adopted coping mechanisms, or else genuinely didn't understand or care about what was happening to them.
At least he could respect the girls mouth. She certainly had a set of lungs on her, and although shouting was a crude method of control, he knew himself that it was a damn useful tool.
"Don't worry about it." Aidan muttered in response to her, only then noticing that Anna was extremely tightly pressed against the side of the bus. He frowned - or at least deepened the one that already stood. "You won't sprout fur if you touch me, you know." Well, he couldn't be sure of that, but he doubted anymore splicing was going to occur. It had been a freak accident between him and his beloved dog, nothing more.


Louise wasn't as certain about who would have come off better in a fight. Although she had fared better, having been the weakest of the group, and therefore being protected by her elders, she was not killer material. It was likely that she would have run from Chase, even though he was injured and she was not. But, thankfully that hadn't happened, and so it didn't really matter. What mattered, was attempting to gel into the group and become a part of the survival machine. If she made herself a loose link in their chain, she would likely bring them all down.
"Pleased to meet you." Louise responded to all the others, though perhaps it was an inappropriate greeting. She doubted any one of them would overthink it though, they had far more important things on their minds right now.
The blonde was glad she had been able to help, even if it was only by supplying the minimal means to aid them. It remained to be seen what else she would be able to do for them, but for the time being Louise just kept herself to herself, still a little shocked by the luck she'd had so far.
 
Anna paled, little jolts running along every nerve in her body, her fingertips buzzing.
"I'm not scared of you," she breathed, giving him a firm look, before turning back to her corner. Arching her back, she laced her arms behind her neck, facing upward and breathing as slowly as she could manage without taking too much space. Any playfulness she'd shown before was gone. She'd only welcomed the pain and nausea once before, and that had separated her from her only family and literally knocked her unconscious for hours before she awoke again. She wasn't about to succumb to it again.
"Did changing hurt you? Cuz this sure as hell doesn't feel good." she asked, her expression tense.


The kids all nodded, and Ben went even as far as to give Louiise a welcoming grin before Ceci picked him up and ushered him forward once more. Taking her cue, Chase picked up the twins and nodded, giving her wave.
"Welcome to the group. Where are you headed?" he asked, trying to make the trip as pleasant as possible. Really, the more tense the atmosphere, the longer the trip seemed to stretch, so he tried to stay as friendly and positive as possible.
 
Well, wasn't that just great? It was actually only at this point that Aidan noticed the girl and how pale she was. He furrowed his brows, wondering if she was suffering from radiation sickness, or if she was about to turn into some terrible, mutated monster. Of course, she could just have the flu, or be suffering from a mutation that was not a danger to the rest of them, but he liked to err on the side of caution. It was a habit of his.
Her question surprised him, but he answered it all the same, not seeing the point in lying. "No. We were caught in the centre...well, close enough to survive, anyway. We were unconscious the whole time." He shrugged, smiling wanly, "When I woke up though...I've never known pain like it." It had been confusion more than anything. He had heard the echoes of his dogs fear, and had almost pissed himself, much like old Jezza. He'd also thought his nose was burning from the inside out, and that his eardrums were bursting, though he had later found out this was just down to his senses adjusting.
"Do you know what's happening to you?" He asked, curiosity getting the best of him for once.

As they set off, Louise settled down into a lurching stride, her pace steady but not comfortable. She was tired, and ached all over, but she did not complain. She had managed to fare a helluva lot better than anyone else she had come across, and counted herself lucky for this. Of course, the future was still out there, and probably held great horrors for them all, but there was no point in dwelling on this.
"Honestly, I don't really know." Louise answered, "We heard rumours of somewhere safe. We just knew to follow the highway, thanks to some graffitti. Could all be crap, for all I know though." She was tentatively hopeful though, and soon added, "Do you think it's true?"
It was also at this point that Louise offered to carry one of the twins, "I'm not injured, if they'll let me, I want to help." She sheathed her makeshift weapon, still carrying her silly little shield - that would most likely be useless in a fight - in her left hand, just in case by some miracle it would help her.
 
Anna grimaced, closing her eyes as the sickness merely sat in her gut.
"Maybe I'm just adjusting then…" she whispered, though she didn't dare hope for such luck in the situation.
Looking over at Aidan, she was all but green in the face, the tension easily expressing her discomfort.
"I'm…not entirely sure," she answered truthfully.
"Last time I just…disappeared…woke up at home, or rather, what was left of it," she said, her eyes falling to the floor. She didn't want to mention how she'd left her 12 year old brother to fend for himself by default. The guilty feeling in the pit of her stomach grew exponentially, only adding to the nausea.


Chase nodded, contemplating for a moment, his shoulders slumping.
"We really can only hope that the rumors are true. I don't know how long these guys will last if they aren't…" he admitted, his voice grave. He didn't want to think of what would happen if there wasn't safety or some sort of shelter at the end of their journey. He'd lose more of the kids if that were the case, so he blindly hoped, though he knew he should think more realistically.
Chase paused in his steps, but reluctantly handed off Kyle, who seemed to welcome anyone as long as they were carrying him.
Chase rubbed his neck, bashfully, looking forward.
"Thanks. Both of them were getting a little too heavy…"
 
This girl really didn't look well. She was a distinctly unhealthy colour, and if he was noticing her pallor, then it had to be serious. He could recognise broken bones and gunshot wounds, but sickness wasn't his forte. Aidan wondered if he should do something, or maybe just let this god damn journey continue. He growled under his breath, a habit he had always had, though since the fusion with his dog it had become far more recognisable as an animal sound. It might have been disturbing, if he hadn't had those beautifully fluffy ears.
Moving swiftly on from this fact, Aidan commented, "I'm sure you'll be fine." He didn't believe that for a second, and it showed in his expression, as well as the stiff way in which the words erupted from his lips. At least he was aware of this, which was half the battle in being a convincing liar.
"Like...teleportation? That could be an issue." He wondered what would happen to everything around her if that happened in here. He didn't like to think about the potential for carnage, depending on what was really going on. "You've got to stay focused then. Keep control of yourself, okay? And if you get scared, think of this bus. Nothing else." He had no idea if this advice was worth anything or not, but he felt it was worth a shot, just in case the girl found herself in any bother.


Although she was not necessarily the most maternal person in the world, at times like this when primal instincts were running high, Louise was more than glad to have Kyle in her arms. She did like children, and although she hated to see them in this state, at least they were trying to do the best for them.
While walking down the long and seemingly ending wreck of a road, the girl asked a simple question, trying to make small talk, wanting to at least make the journey seem to pass quicker.
"Where have you all come from? You seem close." She didn't know if that meant anything though. In these dire circumstances, strangers could form achingly strong bonds, and also form rivalries to match those of legend. It was an odd double edged sword, but unfortunately the balance usually tended to be weighted on the negative side. Human nature was not a good thing, it had to be admitted.
 
Anna flashed Aidan a weary glance, letting out a deep breath. He wasn't very good at lying, but he seemed to be trying his best to help her. She nodded, focussing on the bus. Slowly the feeling began to slip away and she found herself facing forward, he gaze obviously dazed.
"I…need a distraction. Something to keep me focused on where I am now," she said evenly. She hated the fact that her life would now be based on the condition of how concentrated she was, but there'd been a rumor that they were going somewhere where they could be helped. She just hoped that meant being able to be rid of this useless power. It had caused her enough trouble already.


Kyle hugged closely to Louisse, his eyes slowly shutting as he rested in her arms, all his energy exhausted. Chase smiled softly. Kyle hadn't been very good with people before, so he was surprised that he'd been willing to be passed off. He was sure he was being more protective over Dylan in this case, but even still. He was trusting this stranger with his life, though Chase was sure it had more to do with him being tired than anything else.
Ceci peeked back at Chase a moment, curious as to how he would answer.
"We're family," Chase said simply, smiling lightly. Although the fact wasn't 100% true, he found them to be just as close as family should have been, despite them all lacking biological 'family'. Ceci flushed lightly, turning ahead once more, but didn't comment. She'd always stuck to Chase before and was proud to be called family. Ben grinned, remembering all the times Chase had helped him with his homework when the others were busy taking care of the younger children in the orphanage. He'd always idolized him to some degree, Chase being the closest thing to a fatherly figure in his life. Dylan seemed to snuggle close to Chase. They'd all seemed to become attached to him within the last few years. Chase felt the same, feeling it was his duty to take care of them.
"What about you? Where are you from?" Chase asked, trying to keep conversation light.
 
Seeing as there was little that could be done, Aidan did his best to provide help for the girl. "Why don't you try memorising the position of all the people on the bus." He shrugged, giving a wan smile that showed his distinct embarrassment. "I know it's stupid, but perhaps if you've got that to think about..." He trailed off, guessing that Anna was intelligent enough to understand what he was getting at. Hopefully she wouldn't think him a complete idiot, though in truth it would have bothered him too much anyway. Fortitude was a strong point of his, even if he didn't actively seek out proving this. He was content to take the easy route where possible, but was equally capable of slogging it out on the difficult roads.
It was minutes later that Aidan sneered in disgust. He wasn't sure what the smell was, but he could take a guess. It was coppery and foul. It was rancid, but parts of the scent were fresh and still smelled almost alive. He couldn't really interpret what it was, although he had the ability to sniff out nearly anything, he still hadn't worked out how to identify these unfamiliar smells. Even so, Aidan immediately yelled to the driver, "Stop the bus!" Something was wrong, and it was up ahead. He couldn't tell exactly how far, or even if there was any danger, but better safe than sorry.


Louise did her best to keep her pace steady, and her route smooth, not wanting to disturb the child in her arms. She couldn't help but coo to him ocassionally, gently stroking his head as if he were her own brother. Of course, the girl made sure not to interfere with him too much, knowing that the best thing for Kyle right now was to be left to sleep. Even if he slept for hours, he would undoubtedly remain in the realm of exhaustion for some time. That seemed to be the case for all of them, and it was unlikely to let up any time soon.
"You're not actually family though, are you?" Although some parents did choose to have large gaps in between their children, it seemed farfetched - particularly when coupled with the fact that they bore no resemblance to eachother. Louise hadn't noticed that this might have sounded like quite a biting remark, and as such, she simply plowed on with answering the question put to her.
"From the ruin we just left." Louise shrugged, "My brother tipped me off just before it all happened. So I'm going to try and find him." She knew it was a fools errand, but now that he was the only hope left to her, it seemed like the most logical plan of action. But for now, it was just a matter of surviving long enough in order to have the resources necessary to dictate her own actions.
 
(sorry. I'm having difficulty finding time to reply. Dx I'm also going to be gone this week.)

Anna quirked an eyebrow at Aidan, letting out a sigh as she began to scan the crowd of teens. She grimaced. All of them looked grimy, malnourished, and or on the brink of death. It was almost worse than the nausea. Before she could comment, Aidan was demanding for the bus to stop. Passengers and various others looked at him like he was mad, continuing on as if he hadn't spoken up at all.
Anna let out a growl, mentally kicking herself for what she was about to do. She didn't want any attention, but...she stood up and yelled at the top of her lungs, demanding the driver stop and It probably wouldn't have worked had Anna not been glowing, energy rolling off of her in waves, but the quickly came to a hault. Anna was quickly grabbed from her seat and thrust into the isle by one of the officers. He ushered Her to the door like a criminal.
"go cool off." he commanded coldly. She bristled, but didn't comment, instead turning to look back at Aidan. Just what was it he had sensed?

Chase frowned slightly, readjusting Dylan in his arms, holding him tightly as if to shield him from the world.
"it is true we aren't biologically related...any of us, but we've been family for many years. We were all orphans in the same foster home facility and have been watching over each other for years." He clarified. Ceci nodded and Ben let out a laugh.
"Chase and Ceci here have been my only family ever. The twins are a newer addition." Ben confided.

Chase looked over at Louise and frowned.
"i hope you find him." he said sincerely.
 
Had Anna not had the audacity to intervene, it was more than likely that the bus would still be moving. As it was, her intervention had brought all the chatter to a halt, along with the bus that was careening along to disaster. Aidan followed her off the bus, allowed to do so as he had also been a bit of a trouble maker. He immediately stiffened as the fresh air hit him like a brick wall, marred by the distinct aroma of the danger he had first perceived just a few minutes ago. As he breathed in deeply, he became aware that it was moving. No doubt about it, some of those ghouls that had once been people were on the move. It was only a matter of time before they stumbled upon the bus.
"Anna," He spoke quickly as he caught up to her. The tail that he had sprouted was tucked quite firmly between his legs, as he was apparently feeling rather concerned. "Up ahead, there are some...things. If they're not going to change course, you can't get back on that bus." Although a bus was a decent mode of transport, Aidan was certain that there were enough of those former people to claw their way to dismantling the motor.

Needless to say, Louise felt a little bit stupid for her previous words, but didn't say anything about it. There was no point in crying over spilt milk, as they say. "I see." Her life had been a relatively sheltered one, and in all honesty, she had almost forrgotten that orphans existed. Of course, that shelter was doing nothing for hher now, and it seemed that whatever ones background, nothing at all mattered anymore. It was all about survival, and nothing else.
"I hope so too." Louise murmured, mostly to herself, when Chase spoke again. In all honesty, she wasn't that hopeful. She was choosing to live in the present, keeping her expectations of the future low, and simply ignoring the cushioned life of the past. It was irrelevant now, and she felt better able to survive, just pretending that this desolate land was all that had ever been.
 
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