Aoi/Amelia - Camp Site/On the Road - Evelyn/Libby/Tobias/Amelia
You have to treat yourself.
It had been awhile since Aoi did that. It was hard now, of course. The new world was a relentless beast. However, you had to
own it. You had to find time for joy. Doing something not for survival, but for fun. So, while the group went for a hunt, Aoi relaxed, choosing to treat herself for a bit.
Taking her top off so she didn't have to worry about tan lines, she closed her eyes, soaking in the sun as she rested against the car's hood.
When she and Libby found Tobias, Amelia, and Riley, the three were surrounded by corpses. Libby was always the kinder person between the two ladies. When Libby started taking down the dead around the trio in order to help them, Aoi jumped in to help, even if she hadn't been initially sure beforehand. The two woman were a team.
However, since then, certain...
developments had happened. Tobias, in Aoi's eyes, was a useful threat. The young woman knew better than to trust the admitted "professional killer", and as much as he was trying to get Libby on his side, the deaf woman knew that too. And the other two? Rose, the female, was distant, but nice. Aoi and her were just starting to get a light bond. Aoi
trusted her. And Riley? When the ladies found the trio, Aoi was pretty sick, and, even not knowing her, Riley had treated her illness, treating her so well and with such care... The kindness the Scottsman had shown had endeared him to her. Plus, the man was handsome, and Aoi could tell he was lonely. Of course, things had been awkward between them and most of Aoi's attempts at bonding with him blew up in her face.
Now, here we go again.
Riley had walked in on her tanning, and as much as her reaction showed amusement at first, Aoi quickly became redder than even Riley, eventually moving to snatch her shirt off the ground. She slipped it on like a glove and hopped into the passenger's side of the vehicle, avoiding eye contact with Riley as she waited for him to get in as well. Her tone was none too proud as she said, "I'm sorry about that. I assumed you guys would radio me when you were coming back. My intention... was not for you to see me like that. Well, uh, not just
you... like, anyone. You know? It's just such a nice day, and the sun was out... You have to live a little bit." Aoi paused to awkwardly rub at her arms. "Plus, in my defence, discretion kinda died when the dead didn't..."
She trailed off, wondering if Riley thought she was a total idiot. She kept her gaze away from him, waiting for him to respond, but soon only the sound of the van coming to life filled her ears. She turned to Riley to catch if he was ignoring her, and she found red still tinged his face. It was so noticeable under the red of his beard. "It's fine," he eventually managed to mutter. "Let's just go." Sensing the tone of the situation Aoi just nodded her head and kept her mouth shut.
***
As the van was on its way, Amelia saw fit to answer Evelyn's question. "Temporarily. We have a later destination in mind," she said, her British accent likely recognizable. She made quite the pair with Riley, most people who met them noted. The worst was when people confused their accents somehow. How was that
possible? "But I don't think we plan to stay. How about you? Do you live around here, or just passing through?"
Not that Amelia felt the girl would be quick to say where she lived if she did have a place, but it never hurt to ask.
Myriah - Back of Apartments > Inside the Apartments - Rob/Emma/Joe/Enrique/Cutter/Danny
Like she even had the capacity to run off after all that.
Myriah let out an exasperated sound and reached out to take Emma by the arm. The notion was clear: Myriah wanted Emma to come with her. The girl seemed to trust her for reasons Myriah couldn't fathom at the moment, and the last thing she wanted was this man digging his claws into her. Cutter didn't like her, that much was clear, though she didn't think she had given him much of a reason to feel that way. Maybe it was just because she was a woman, but Myriah didn't want to start assuming things about people like she always did. So, instead, she decided to ignore Cutter and guide Emma into the apartments, Joe and Rob presumably trailing behind them. If Cutter wanted to talk with her later, he would have to come to her.
Once they were inside and heading up the flight of stairs, Myriah began to notice that the building seemed a little quieter than usual. The apartments had filled up quickly lately and it seemed like something was always going on. Today? Things seemed more hectic than usual, which had led Myriah to the conclusion to choose now to leave in the first place. She just hoped the silence didn't have anything to do with her.
On her floor, she caught sight of Danny, who flinched at the sight of her. It was hard not to feel hurt at him avoiding her gaze. She assumed he would just continued past her down the stairs without a word, but something made him pause. Perhaps Danny was able to recognize the panic Myriah was feeling. In any case, he met them once they reached the top step, nodding his head toward the front of the building. "You guys know what's going on up front? I was just bringing some supplies from those, uh, ambassadors or whatever the fuck they're calling themselves. It's some kind of commotion..." He trailed off, looking uncomfortable. "... After my outburst earlier, I'm kind of worried about showing my face."
Myriah got the sense Danny was trying to talk more with Emma and Rob, but at least he was looking at her. She had the sudden urge to tell him what had just occurred, but she was scared at how he would react. "I... We don't know. We've been preoccupied."
Danny slowly nodded, seeming to suddenly realize then he didn't want to be there. "Okay... Okay, I guess I'll check it out myself, then. Uh, see you." And like Myriah had envisioned, Danny took his exit by awkwardly moving past them and heading down the stairs. She shook her head before gesturing down the hall.
"Now, can we go sit down for a moment?"
Caleb - Roxie - Kylie/Becca/Adam/Aiden/Jake/John/Ricky
The trio turned on the voice with expected severity, but at the immediate sight of who the source turned out to be, Caleb and Becca relaxed immediately. Adam kept his weapon trained on Scarlett for a second longer than was probably necessary, earning a sour look from Caleb. "Of all the places for you to end up," Caleb muttered, barely believing what was happening.
"Wow... just... wow!" Becca let out a laugh and stepped forward to take one of Scarlett's hands. "Scarlett! How...? You look so so tired!" While Caleb wasn't sure that was the most appropriate way to put it, it was clear Becca was beyond relieved at the development. He smiled at the sight, taking a few steps forward to stand next to the pair. He gave Scarlett a nod.
"We've been worried about you. Tyler, he..." Caleb looked down at the ground for a moment, unsure how to put it exactly. "... He missed you." Clearing his throat, Caleb then turned back to their new acquaintance, hoping she wasn't totally freaked out now about all this. "So, hey, this is a friend of ours that went, you know, missing. We're... just as surprised as you are right now, really. You see--"
"Hey there!"
Caleb flinched, turning quickly on yet another new voice. Adam, as usual, did the same, this time looking like he was out for blood. When Caleb laid eyes on the mysterious stranger, he felt his blood similarly begin to boil.
Just down the road, a blockade of armed men had situated themselves in a line. Standing in front was a tall, gaunt man with a black, pointed beard. He held a rifle in his hands, the barrel pressed against the back of John's head. John was evidently bleeding, a wound present in his shoulder. Beside him, Aiden didn't look much better, a large gash clear across the top of his head. There was no sign of Jake, so if he had escaped or was being held somewhere where Caleb could not see was not clear.
Beside Caleb, Adam growled. "I got 'im, Caleb. I'm going to take the fucking shot!"
"Don't you dare," Caleb said, his voice low. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest. He cursed the fact he'd put his own firearm on the ground moments ago. "You'll get them killed."
The man holding John hostage had a deadly serious look upon his face, but Caleb could see the faintest of smirks on his lips, even at this distance. "Listen up! If you all want to get out of this alive, you're gonna submit to us and let us go through your stuff. Then, we'll talk some more and see what to do with you. That all right?"
Caleb was at a loss for words. He licked his lips, mind reeling at the suddenness of all this. There was no real option other than to surrender, right? If they wanted John and Aiden to live, that's what needed to happen. He slowly and gently gestured for the girl they had just met to get down. "Adam, I think you need to lower your weapon." Caleb could see that his friend was shaking. He wanted to shoot so badly, Caleb could tell. "Please, Adam. Please."
