Slowly Dead

[CrunchyCHEEZIT]

Soldier: 76 didn't have much in the way of words as Ellis took the reigns on dealing with this 'Junko'. His gaze fell upon the camera monitor, spotting the rest of the group making their way back, seemingly safe. A sigh of relief would've been muffled behind the mask, so the old man only reacted with a silent nod to himself.

As four became seven, Soldier nodded in agreement to Carol's plan. "Good idea, we'll take a rest there and plan out our moves in the morning. Someone'll have to stay up for the night watch. Guess that'll have to be me," the old man sighed, lumbering through the ruined parking lot and arriving at the RV. The soldier wordlessly assisted Carol in her securing of the area, scanning the opposite side of the parking lot and sealing any potential openings or issues in the area. It wasn't a base-camp up to military standards, but it was something.

"We'll be cycling through sleep, so I don't want to hear complaints over who sleeps where. Ellis, check to see if the RV has any heating. I didn't come out in the middle of the damn apocalypse just to die from the cold," 76 growled, waving to Ellis as he admitted his order. He stalked past the rest of the group and sat up on the hood of a nearby ruined car (of course, not before checking to make sure the car wouldn't trigger an alarm), bringing his pulse rifle up upon his knees and silently maintaining it.

@Atomyk @Yun Lee @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Josh M
​

 

[Josh M]

Ellis couldn't help but feel bad for Junko. The way his group had been treating her, and looking at her. Like she was a burden. It saddened him. Keeping an eye on Junko, Ellis smiled at 76.

"Sure thing, umm. I just realized I don't know your real name. Shoot, I just know you as Soldier: 76. That's a pretty baby name. I mean, I've heard worse. Like Neveah. Shoot, it's just heaven spelled backwards. Just name the kid Heaven. Or naming a girl Ladasha, and using the dash symbol thing as part of the kid's name. It's really dumb, but also kinda clever, you know? Anywho, I'll take a look. Care to, um, join me, Miss Junko?"

Motioning Junko to follow. The two entered the RV. As they entered, it was noticeable how wide the inside was, and how modern it was.

"Shit, this is nice. I bet ever Honda could fit in here. We get some clean water, I bet this baby could heat it up, and we get some hot showers!"

Moving inside, Ellis' tools banged against his hip. Remembering something, Ellis reached for it, pulling out a surprise.

"That reminds me... Umm, you need a nail file, right? I keep some with my tools. Ya never know when you need a good nail file to get the job done."

@Atomyk @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Klutzy Ninja Kitty
​

 

[Atomyk]

"It's okay," Junko said to Honda with a wink. "I get it. The multiverse is a big and scary place. There's probably evil versions of all of us out there, somewhere." She then allowed Ellis to escort her inside the RV, not noticing as Claire shuddered at what she said.

"I agree about sleeping in shifts," Claire said, thankful that Carol and Soldier: 76 were not just insisting on doing it all by themselves. Claire would have just felt bad about that, even if it meant she got more sleep out of it. She nodded her head for Aqua and Honda to join her just outside the RV while Ellis and Junko checked out the interior.

Resting her back against the side of the RV, Claire sighed. "You usually don't get a quiet moment in times like this. We're lucky it's now, during dusk, so it's pretty beautiful out."

Claire then went silent, not sure what else to say. She wanted to lose herself in the moment, at least for a minute.

@Yun Lee @Klutzy Ninja Kitty

---

The RV was spacious, certainly, albeit a bit messy.

Despite the conditions, Junko was excited anyway. Sleeping in a vehicle like this seemed a totally authentic American experience, and she was totally down for it. Sleeping on some futuristic ship just didn't seem as cool by comparison.

"What's that?" she asked, not realizing at first what Ellis was doing. The last thing she expected him to pull out of that belt was a nail file, nor had she expected him to offer it to her. At least it wasn't some kind of weird fruit. "Oh... well, yeah, that'd be useful. These days, my nails tend to break on me and I get pretty depressed about that. So, uh--"

Junko took the nail file delicately, finding her cheeks growing a bit warm. It wasn't for any special reason, she just felt embarrassed. It sucked having people be nice to her when she knew she'd never get the chance to know them for long.

"I don't have anything to give you in return. Sorry about that..."

@Josh M

---

"You enjoying yourself?" Carol asked Soldier: 76. She had moved to stand next to the car he was perched on and was surveying the distant end of the parking lot, her rifle in her hands and ready for action. Both she and the soldier had made it through the horrors of Rapture, but even then she didn't feel like she shared any kind of bond with him. She knew that was more her fault than his. After all, getting close to another naturally led to a desire to protect them, and in this kind of world, protecting who you care about meant killing those who would do them harm.

Carol had to admit, she was pretty tired.

"You mind if I ask why you're here?" She turned and looked at him. "I mean, helping Ellis like this. Don't you have your own business to tend to?"

@CrunchyCHEEZIT​

 

[CrunchyCHEEZIT]

Soldier looked up from his position atop the hood of the car, the visor meeting Ellis' goofy smile when the young man questioned his real name. It was a funny thing, because a couple months ago Jack would've done everything he could to avoid someone asking that specific question. He would've done something rash, or maybe he'd just leave and act like it never happened. Now it just feels like he could tell the world his life story, and he wouldn't give a damn. Is that a sign of something? Or is he just getting that senile?

76 opened his mouth to speak, but a hacking cough escaped his throat instead of words, muffled by the thick mask. In response, he coughed out a raspy "Oh, fuck it," under his rumbling coughs. He gripped the shell of his mask and removed it, revealing a man underneath.

A crumbling man, but a man nonetheless.

"It's Jack, Ellis. My real name is Jack Morrison," he muttered, still recovering from his coughing fit. "I don't know if it makes any difference, but-- ah, what the hell." Jack didn't seem to fazed by dropping his name, now. It's not like Ellis, of all people, is going to use that information against him. He doesn't know the story behind either identity. None of these people need to know the story behind any of it.

It doesn't make the identity of Soldier: 76 any less threatening.

Watching Ellis move off into the RV with Junko, Jack glanced back down at his mask. He stared at it with some contempt, before shoving it off the car and glaring back down at his rifle. He continued doing so, even as Carol sidled up next to him. Carol was partially right about what she thought about the nonexistent bond between the two. Jack wouldn't be lying if he said he couldn't remember the names of every person he tried to protect in Rapture. It was a turning point in his life, and a turning point in how he looked at life. The consequences of that change haven't caught up to Jack entirely, but he can feel the difference.

He couldn't feel tired, as much as he wanted to.

"It wasn't my idea, he came to me first. When we got out of Rapture, I thought I wouldn't have to deal with this kind of...'business' anymore; different worlds, different people, you know. But, hey, there he was; right on my doorstep, asking for help," he glanced up and looked at her. "A part of it is the same reason you're here."

"If he came to me, of all people, then how many did he have to choose from in the first place?"

"I would've shot myself in damn knee instead of saying 'no' right to his face."

@Josh M @Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Yun Lee
​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"It's okay," Junko said to Honda with a wink. "I get it. The multiverse is a big and scary place. There's probably evil versions of all of us out there, somewhere." She then allowed Ellis to escort her inside the RV, not noticing as Claire shuddered at what she said.

"I agree about sleeping in shifts," Claire said, thankful that Carol and Soldier: 76 were not just insisting on doing it all by themselves. Claire would have just felt bad about that, even if it meant she got more sleep out of it. She nodded her head for Aqua and Honda to join her just outside the RV while Ellis and Junko checked out the interior.

Resting her back against the side of the RV, Claire sighed. "You usually don't get a quiet moment in times like this. We're lucky it's now, during dusk, so it's pretty beautiful out."

Claire then went silent, not sure what else to say. She wanted to lose herself in the moment, at least for a minute.

@Yun Lee @Klutzy Ninja Kitty

---

The RV was spacious, certainly, albeit a bit messy.

Despite the conditions, Junko was excited anyway. Sleeping in a vehicle like this seemed a totally authentic American experience, and she was totally down for it. Sleeping on some futuristic ship just didn't seem as cool by comparison.

"What's that?" she asked, not realizing at first what Ellis was doing. The last thing she expected him to pull out of that belt was a nail file, nor had she expected him to offer it to her. At least it wasn't some kind of weird fruit. "Oh... well, yeah, that'd be useful. These days, my nails tend to break on me and I get pretty depressed about that. So, uh--"

Junko took the nail file delicately, finding her cheeks growing a bit warm. It wasn't for any special reason, she just felt embarrassed. It sucked having people be nice to her when she knew she'd never get the chance to know them for long.

"I don't have anything to give you in return. Sorry about that..."

@Josh M

---

"You enjoying yourself?" Carol asked Soldier: 76. She had moved to stand next to the car he was perched on and was surveying the distant end of the parking lot, her rifle in her hands and ready for action. Both she and the soldier had made it through the horrors of Rapture, but even then she didn't feel like she shared any kind of bond with him. She knew that was more her fault than his. After all, getting close to another naturally led to a desire to protect them, and in this kind of world, protecting who you care about meant killing those who would do them harm.

Carol had to admit, she was pretty tired.

"You mind if I ask why you're here?" She turned and looked at him. "I mean, helping Ellis like this. Don't you have your own business to tend to?"

@CrunchyCHEEZIT​

"That sounds fair to me," Aqua replied, agreeing with the group's plan to sleep in shifts. The keyblade master didn't really sleep well these days and would've been more than happy to stay up the entire time herself, it was the most logical move for her to at least try and get some sleep while they were here. They all needed their rest while on a dangerous mission.

Standing straight while Claire would lean against the RV, Aqua glanced over the area. She took a deep breath in, exhaling through her mouth as she would attempt to relax. "It is beautiful. We've been lucky to have a lot of nice nights since we started our travels. Even here." Aqua paused for a moment, taking in the sounds of nature around them. "I'm glad we came here, all of us. We're out here looking for people who need our help. And, personally, that is my duty as a keyblade master." Aqua glanced down for a moment. Now if only she could locate her friends, the boys who she feared needed her help most of all.

@Atomyk @Yun Lee​

 

[Yun Lee]

"Really, thank you. It means a lot." Marco replied before walking to a place where he could get some shut eye. He needed it after a day like today.

---

The next two days had been rather peaceful. No monsters to fight, no rainbow blasting innocent bistanders, and it was all around a comfortable voyage.

Then they reached the island.

As soon as Marco stepped off the ship his safe kid senses were off the charts. Literally everything about this place screamed "get out" to him. "Usually when someone asks 'What's the worst thing that could happen', something really bad happens." Marco said to Songbird in a tone that almost made him sound like he was angry with her, though he was really just nervous as all hell. The safe kid traversed through the island near the back of the group with Hiro and Flash while making sure to keep the rest of the group, specifically Star, in his eyesight.

"I'm sorry, but what even are you?" Marco asked Tigger as they traversed through the island in an attempt to get his mind off of the eeriness of their surroundings.

@Verite @Josh M @Jeremi @Takumi @Yun Lee

---

Speaking of Star, her reaction to the island was much different from Marco's.

"Woah. This place is huge! Do you really think we're gonna find some buried treasure?" Star asked Killian as she nonchalantly skipped beside him and Emma, wand in tow.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden


​

"It's okay," Junko said to Honda with a wink. "I get it. The multiverse is a big and scary place. There's probably evil versions of all of us out there, somewhere." She then allowed Ellis to escort her inside the RV, not noticing as Claire shuddered at what she said.

"I agree about sleeping in shifts," Claire said, thankful that Carol and Soldier: 76 were not just insisting on doing it all by themselves. Claire would have just felt bad about that, even if it meant she got more sleep out of it. She nodded her head for Aqua and Honda to join her just outside the RV while Ellis and Junko checked out the interior.

Resting her back against the side of the RV, Claire sighed. "You usually don't get a quiet moment in times like this. We're lucky it's now, during dusk, so it's pretty beautiful out."

Claire then went silent, not sure what else to say. She wanted to lose herself in the moment, at least for a minute.

@Yun Lee @Klutzy Ninja Kitty

---

The RV was spacious, certainly, albeit a bit messy.

Despite the conditions, Junko was excited anyway. Sleeping in a vehicle like this seemed a totally authentic American experience, and she was totally down for it. Sleeping on some futuristic ship just didn't seem as cool by comparison.

"What's that?" she asked, not realizing at first what Ellis was doing. The last thing she expected him to pull out of that belt was a nail file, nor had she expected him to offer it to her. At least it wasn't some kind of weird fruit. "Oh... well, yeah, that'd be useful. These days, my nails tend to break on me and I get pretty depressed about that. So, uh--"

Junko took the nail file delicately, finding her cheeks growing a bit warm. It wasn't for any special reason, she just felt embarrassed. It sucked having people be nice to her when she knew she'd never get the chance to know them for long.

"I don't have anything to give you in return. Sorry about that..."

@Josh M

---

"You enjoying yourself?" Carol asked Soldier: 76. She had moved to stand next to the car he was perched on and was surveying the distant end of the parking lot, her rifle in her hands and ready for action. Both she and the soldier had made it through the horrors of Rapture, but even then she didn't feel like she shared any kind of bond with him. She knew that was more her fault than his. After all, getting close to another naturally led to a desire to protect them, and in this kind of world, protecting who you care about meant killing those who would do them harm.

Carol had to admit, she was pretty tired.

"You mind if I ask why you're here?" She turned and looked at him. "I mean, helping Ellis like this. Don't you have your own business to tend to?"

@CrunchyCHEEZIT​

"That sounds fair to me," Aqua replied, agreeing with the group's plan to sleep in shifts. The keyblade master didn't really sleep well these days and would've been more than happy to stay up the entire time herself, it was the most logical move for her to at least try and get some sleep while they were here. They all needed their rest while on a dangerous mission.

Standing straight while Claire would lean against the RV, Aqua glanced over the area. She took a deep breath in, exhaling through her mouth as she would attempt to relax. "It is beautiful. We've been lucky to have a lot of nice nights since we started our travels. Even here." Aqua paused for a moment, taking in the sounds of nature around them. "I'm glad we came here, all of us. We're out here looking for people who need our help. And, personally, that is my duty as a keyblade master." Aqua glanced down for a moment. Now if only she could locate her friends, the boys who she feared needed her help most of all.

@Atomyk @Yun Lee
​

An evil version of everyone...Honda didn't like that, to tell the truth. He was the only Edmond Honda he knew, and hopefully the only Edmond Honda out there! Just imagining multiple versions of himself running around...though maybe it wasn't all a bad thing. Maybe there was a version of himself who managed to get sumo introduced to the Olympics! That would be something!

Honda took a place by near the RV door in case someone needed to burst in there to assist Junko and Ellis. From the way Claire and Aqua talked, he knew he had the potential of being a third wheel, but that wouldn't keep him from talking. "It's good, to help people out. Gives you a good feeling." His mind flickered back to the letter Wanda sent him about coming here. He was worried about her; Wanda had been going through so much. There was some big trouble down at the Coalition she worked at, and a lot of people ended up hurt-including Genji. "Hey now, if he's in a coma, there's always a chance of him waking up! Plus that robotic gear of his could keep him alive better!" Did that comfort her, give her hope? He didn't know. All Honda knew was that he didn't like being pessimistic at all. No matter how bleak things could be, he always believed hope could win out.

Not wanting to leave the conversation hanging awkwardly, to Claire and Aqua he said, "The world-well, Multiverse, I guess-can be a really cruel place. You always gotta make sure you give hope and kindness whenever you can."

@Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Josh M]

"It's okay," Junko said to Honda with a wink. "I get it. The multiverse is a big and scary place. There's probably evil versions of all of us out there, somewhere." She then allowed Ellis to escort her inside the RV, not noticing as Claire shuddered at what she said.

"I agree about sleeping in shifts," Claire said, thankful that Carol and Soldier: 76 were not just insisting on doing it all by themselves. Claire would have just felt bad about that, even if it meant she got more sleep out of it. She nodded her head for Aqua and Honda to join her just outside the RV while Ellis and Junko checked out the interior.

Resting her back against the side of the RV, Claire sighed. "You usually don't get a quiet moment in times like this. We're lucky it's now, during dusk, so it's pretty beautiful out."

Claire then went silent, not sure what else to say. She wanted to lose herself in the moment, at least for a minute.

@Yun Lee @Klutzy Ninja Kitty

---

The RV was spacious, certainly, albeit a bit messy.

Despite the conditions, Junko was excited anyway. Sleeping in a vehicle like this seemed a totally authentic American experience, and she was totally down for it. Sleeping on some futuristic ship just didn't seem as cool by comparison.

"What's that?" she asked, not realizing at first what Ellis was doing. The last thing she expected him to pull out of that belt was a nail file, nor had she expected him to offer it to her. At least it wasn't some kind of weird fruit. "Oh... well, yeah, that'd be useful. These days, my nails tend to break on me and I get pretty depressed about that. So, uh--"

Junko took the nail file delicately, finding her cheeks growing a bit warm. It wasn't for any special reason, she just felt embarrassed. It sucked having people be nice to her when she knew she'd never get the chance to know them for long.

"I don't have anything to give you in return. Sorry about that..."

@Josh M
​

"Give me somehin' in return?"

Ellis raised an eyebrow, look at Junko like se was speaking nonsense.


"You needed a nail file, and I had one. I'm just helpin, ya known? I'll I need is from you is to use it.

A wordsmith Ellis wasn't, but it was the thought that counted. Looking around rather awkwardly, Ellis spoke, is question to sum would be endearing or dumb.

"So this your first time in the south? How you liking it?"
​

@Atomyk

​

 

[Atomyk]

"We'll find them," Claire offered, looking at Aqua. These were Ellis' friends and all, but Claire knew the pride Aqua took in her duty of helping others and was more than happy to assist her in achieving those goals. Aqua maintained the kind of attitude that Claire thought she had lost years ago when the last time she had truly felt good about herself was when she helped little Sherry survive Raccoon City.

Well, that wasn't true. Claire felt pretty good being with Aqua. They'd saved each other in so many ways now that it was hard to think of herself or Aqua as a single entity. Their lives were forever entwined now, with this latest mission just one of many chapters in their time together.

"Then we'll find a way to save so many others." Claire reached out delicately and clasped Aqua's hand. "That's what we'll do." She stared at Aqua, being reminded just how beautiful the other woman was in the setting sun.

Claire then turned slightly, catching Honda at the edge of her gaze. A blush broke out on her face, but she didn't let go of Aqua's hand. "You think it'll be a peaceful night?" she asked. "Seems like Ellis decided to get comfortable in there."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Yun Lee

---

"In the South?" Junko questioned, a little confused by the phrase. "You mean, the American South? I figured that's where we were, but I wasn't really sure..." She looked down at the nail file and rubbed it with her finger. It was a weird thought to have at this point, but she regretted not gathering more souvenirs from her travels. You know, besides the mental trauma.

"I guess it's okay here," she eventually said. She looked back up and smiled at Ellis. "I've been around much worse zombies. Ones that talk and like to eat brains. I hope you don't have any of those here in America. Oh... you know what? I wonder if this world is like mine at all. I'm originally from Japan, which I know is probably obvious, and things got really weird. Like, really fucked up? I don't know for sure, but my world was looking pretty post-apocalyptic, so maybe these zombies are a part of all that."

She then paused, eyes squinting at Ellis. "You didn't have any nukes going off, did you?"

@Josh M

---

Carol stared at the soldier for a moment, before letting out an amused scoff. She turned away from him with a smile on her face. "Same reason? That's more noble than me."

Carol had come to care about Ellis, but she didn't know if she would have agreed to come had circumstances been any different. His timing had been convenient, giving Carol an escape the exact moment she needed it. The thing was, the lives of her family mattered more to her than Ellis' friends, but Carol couldn't say if being around the people back home was right for her. Maybe not now, and maybe not ever again.

"I come from a world not much different than this one," she eventually said. She was still looking away from Soldier: 76, not desiring to glance anywhere but the sunset. "It's all gone. Or at least most of it. There's so few of us left. Every day is a fight for survival, and you either change who you are, or you die. Or, worse, you lose the people that matter." She looked down for a moment. Carol wasn't sure if this made her a coward, or worse.

"I am not that kind of person. I play that part every day, but it's-- it's a lot. It's too much. We kill to survive, but killing grinds out a piece of your soul every time you do it, and I'm afraid mine's all gone. So... I'm here. I ran here to get away from it all."

@CrunchyCHEEZIT​

 

[CrunchyCHEEZIT]

Jack silently stared as Carol explained her reasoning. It wasn't any surprise to him that she wasn't from any world that was like Jack's. He wouldn't expect a woman like Carol to be able to do the things she does-- and he doesn't think anyone else would. He was still just grasping at the idea of other worlds existing out there. It's something that he didn't want to talk to anyone from his...'world' about. It makes Jack look like a coward when he talks about pain, because he's from a place that didn't have to face anything like this.

Omnics, that's one thing. But this-- the apocalypse -- is another. Carol and Ellis will never live to see the future Jack lives in.

Well, enough thinking about that.

"I didn't think I'd be able to relate," Jack looked down, staring at the 76 mask. "It's something that only a few people can deal with-- killing, you know. There was a time where I'd look at that differently, but...If I was still like I was back then, I wouldn't have the gut to do the things I do now -- the things I do to protect what really matters."

"It's not something I can run away from, or something I ever tried to run away from; it's just apart of me now."

"Maybe, you could see it the same way."

@Atomyk​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

An evil version of everyone...Honda didn't like that, to tell the truth. He was the only Edmond Honda he knew, and hopefully the only Edmond Honda out there! Just imagining multiple versions of himself running around...though maybe it wasn't all a bad thing. Maybe there was a version of himself who managed to get sumo introduced to the Olympics! That would be something!

Honda took a place by near the RV door in case someone needed to burst in there to assist Junko and Ellis. From the way Claire and Aqua talked, he knew he had the potential of being a third wheel, but that wouldn't keep him from talking. "It's good, to help people out. Gives you a good feeling." His mind flickered back to the letter Wanda sent him about coming here. He was worried about her; Wanda had been going through so much. There was some big trouble down at the Coalition she worked at, and a lot of people ended up hurt-including Genji. "Hey now, if he's in a coma, there's always a chance of him waking up! Plus that robotic gear of his could keep him alive better!" Did that comfort her, give her hope? He didn't know. All Honda knew was that he didn't like being pessimistic at all. No matter how bleak things could be, he always believed hope could win out.

Not wanting to leave the conversation hanging awkwardly, to Claire and Aqua he said, "The world-well, Multiverse, I guess-can be a really cruel place. You always gotta make sure you give hope and kindness whenever you can."

@Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

"We'll find them," Claire offered, looking at Aqua. These were Ellis' friends and all, but Claire knew the pride Aqua took in her duty of helping others and was more than happy to assist her in achieving those goals. Aqua maintained the kind of attitude that Claire thought she had lost years ago when the last time she had truly felt good about herself was when she helped little Sherry survive Raccoon City.

Well, that wasn't true. Claire felt pretty good being with Aqua. They'd saved each other in so many ways now that it was hard to think of herself or Aqua as a single entity. Their lives were forever entwined now, with this latest mission just one of many chapters in their time together.

"Then we'll find a way to save so many others." Claire reached out delicately and clasped Aqua's hand. "That's what we'll do." She stared at Aqua, being reminded just how beautiful the other woman was in the setting sun.

Claire then turned slightly, catching Honda at the edge of her gaze. A blush broke out on her face, but she didn't let go of Aqua's hand. "You think it'll be a peaceful night?" she asked. "Seems like Ellis decided to get comfortable in there."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Yun Lee

---

"In the South?" Junko questioned, a little confused by the phrase. "You mean, the American South? I figured that's where we were, but I wasn't really sure..." She looked down at the nail file and rubbed it with her finger. It was a weird thought to have at this point, but she regretted not gathering more souvenirs from her travels. You know, besides the mental trauma.

"I guess it's okay here," she eventually said. She looked back up and smiled at Ellis. "I've been around much worse zombies. Ones that talk and like to eat brains. I hope you don't have any of those here in America. Oh... you know what? I wonder if this world is like mine at all. I'm originally from Japan, which I know is probably obvious, and things got really weird. Like, really fucked up? I don't know for sure, but my world was looking pretty post-apocalyptic, so maybe these zombies are a part of all that."

She then paused, eyes squinting at Ellis. "You didn't have any nukes going off, did you?"

@Josh M

---

Carol stared at the soldier for a moment, before letting out an amused scoff. She turned away from him with a smile on her face. "Same reason? That's more noble than me."

Carol had come to care about Ellis, but she didn't know if she would have agreed to come had circumstances been any different. His timing had been convenient, giving Carol an escape the exact moment she needed it. The thing was, the lives of her family mattered more to her than Ellis' friends, but Carol couldn't say if being around the people back home was right for her. Maybe not now, and maybe not ever again.

"I come from a world not much different than this one," she eventually said. She was still looking away from Soldier: 76, not desiring to glance anywhere but the sunset. "It's all gone. Or at least most of it. There's so few of us left. Every day is a fight for survival, and you either change who you are, or you die. Or, worse, you lose the people that matter." She looked down for a moment. Carol wasn't sure if this made her a coward, or worse.

"I am not that kind of person. I play that part every day, but it's-- it's a lot. It's too much. We kill to survive, but killing grinds out a piece of your soul every time you do it, and I'm afraid mine's all gone. So... I'm here. I ran here to get away from it all."

@CrunchyCHEEZIT​

"You're both right," Aqua chimed in, giving a slight nod of her head. "Hope... kindness... they're both so important. And if we can bring those feelings to people," the woman paused to place a hand over her heart. "We'll make lives better." She then turned her head, offering a gentle smile to Claire. "Of course we'll find them, and I'll be glad when we do."

When the other woman would clasp her hand, Aqua naturally clasped it back. She gave Claire an endearing smile afterwards, her chest tingling with warmth from the touch. After how long they had been together and all they had been through, it was safe to say that Aqua loved Claire just as much as she loved Ven and Terra. Maybe more. It was something she already came to terms with some time ago, but was never something she spoke to Claire about. Why? At first, it was due to looking out for Claire's feelings, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. They were far past the point of being uncomfortable with one another though. So her reason now? Really, it was just because she hadn't gotten around to it yet. She had gotten comfortable with the way things were and was happy so long as Claire was at her side.

Mirroring Claire's own expression, a blush would appear on Aqua's cheeks too, mostly because Claire had held onto her hand a lot longer than she expected. She didn't let go either, but glanced to Honda when he was addressed. "If only it were entirely peaceful around here. If that were the case, I'd take a walk back to the mall. That crafts store looked like it would've been fun to explore." It wasn't as if they were on this trip to have fun, but it was still a nice thought.

@Atomyk @Yun Lee​

 

[Yun Lee]

"Crafts, huh?" Honda chuckled. "Me, I'd love to look at the food court. I hear Americans process everything-a lot of their food may still be good, gahaha!"

Oh. Um...he coughed. Boy, this was awkward. "Y'know girls, I'm gonna, uh, go to the other side of the RV. Good to have all our bases covered!" And to give two lovebirds some alone time without a 300 pound third wheel around.

@Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​