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Post by vladimir on Feb 1, 2013 21:07:28 GMT -5
Hearing his name said by anyone save for Prudence had an off-putting effect on Reinhardt, but he swallowed it and turned quietly to vanish into the dark of the warehouse with a slight, complacent nod. Where he went was a mystery up until the point where he returned with two packs, one fitted to himself- the one with the pots to which the rifle was strapped- and one which seemed to have been built by a slightly smaller, perhaps more wiry man, its top-strap frayed through and its bottom slightly darkened as if it'd been dragged a long way. He didn't explain them, keeping the former close with him as if it were something of great value to himself, a child or a friend perhaps, but handed the second over to Henry. By now Prudence had finished cooking and the others had begun to eat, the silence overwhelming.
Reinhardt was good at silence though, and preferring it to conversation he found himself a little spot farthest away from everyone else while still in the circle to take his own dish and spoon about, glancing at Henry every so often to see if he'd taken to checking through the bag and if the contents struck him any. Both contained packages of dehydrated foods, riceroni and easymac and instant 'just add water' mixes, mashed potatoes which clumped in a sincerely unappealing way to anyone but the most acutely starving. These reserves were a fraction of what they had once been, but Reinhardt had the benefit of having lost a mouth he'd intended feed along the way as well as having found... alternative food sources for a month or so. The food itself was only a marginal part of the supply itself, though which also boasted a lighter, a yellow plastic package which turned out to be an ten-pack of rain slickers which had been ripped open and now only contained six, a hand-pump water filter (the output hose of which was crusted with the black grime of industrial waste) and one (and only one) tightly-folded woolen blanket. At the bottom lay the saddest little matchbox with only one stick left, one corner worn through as if it'd been dropped in water at some point and survived only to decay later on. One side of the pack was dented slightly in the shape of a gas burning stove, but where it had gone was a mystery. If (and how) he had lost it, Reinhardt was not inclined to say. As far as ammunition went, he had nothing beyond what was already loaded, nor did he have any weaponry save for the hunting rifle and his shotgun. After all, he'd packed for two and only two.
It was obvious he'd been intending at some point to go somewhere out in the wilderness, somewhere below the snowbelt from the complete lack of temperature-versatile supplies, and with the company of someone else. If he received any curious looks from Henry, assuming Henry cast a second glance at the pack in any way, he'd look down and then up again before saying quietly, "There's a bale of North-Face jackets in the back, but they're made fer kids. Ah kin bring some, though, maybe... they'd be some kind of useful."
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Post by vampirechicken on Feb 3, 2013 5:03:09 GMT -5
Henry returned from the carpark as the last orange light of day slowly faded into darkness, If he had found anything at all then he had already packed it into his truck. He ignored the others still and went about the unpleasant task of dragging the dismembered corpses into one corner of the room. behind a shelf so that the smell and sight of them wasn't likely to put anyone of their food. It was lucky that they planned to leave first thing in the morning, this place would be a prime target for scavenging bears and wolves soon enough.
Henry didn't search Reys stuff like he for some reason expected, A mans things were his own business and he had no right to ask why there was packs for two. The sort of begrudging respect he held for him only stemmed from the help that he had been in combat. He was relieved in a way that he sat so far away to eat, not just because of the smell either.
"Theres room in my truck, bring as much as you can, better to have and not need."
"Good work..." he commented quietly to Pru, seating himself on the ground next to the girl and digging into the potato soup. "Good shooting too... although we may have to teach you how to fire from cover." he added, trying to sound casual.
He didn't say anything to Aira and avoided her gaze entirely, although it wasn't really obvious whether this was on purpose.
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Post by alexharvey on Feb 3, 2013 10:11:56 GMT -5
Pru beamed at Henrys praise, it wasn't often that she'd gotten praised by her parents, and Rey had left what felt ages ago. At his comment to the shooting she shrunk a bit and answered with a tiny, "Yeah."
Otherwise she ate her portion quietly, happy that no one had actually left. She liked Aira and didn't want her to leave. Rey sat a bit outside the group, making her frown. He had always been kind of distant, but no he was just downright reluctant to get near the others within a certain radius.
The warmth of the meal soon filled her up and together with the load of happenings over the day made her extremely weary and heavy. Additionally the thick Northface Jacket Rey had brought her from the back of the store earlier provided even more warmth and comfort, and it wasn't long until she grew so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. She kept staring at the meager light the small lantern in their middle produced, while the now mostly empty cup dropped in her lap and she slowly slumped sideways against Henry's shoulder falling asleep in an instant.
Before she was completely asleep she noticed herself realizing that she should get all the sleep she could, to make sure to get some around her nightmares, which she was certainly bound to have from now on.
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Post by spiritandsand on Feb 4, 2013 4:59:28 GMT -5
Aira concentrated on eating her food; it was so long time ago she had had a properly cooked meal. She usually just ate what she found with no further preparations, in some cases she fried the meat if it was necessary, but that was it.
The soup brought her warmth and tranquility, suppressing the despair she had been suffering under a few minutes ago. It didn't trouble her that Henry seemed to ignore that she was even there, she didn't care. Her hope had returned.
"I can take the first watch if that is ok", Aira said after having finished her dish. She hadn't spoken to a spesific person, more like to all of them at once.
She knew that it would be easier for her to sleep knowing that she didn't had to wake up at some point during the night, and she didn't really felt tired yet, just calm.
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Post by vladimir on Feb 4, 2013 11:45:04 GMT -5
There was a strange semblance to a family dinner in that moment, a faint overlap between the polite, clean cut family dinners Reinhardt had grown up enduring and this present silent, rag-tag feasting. He himself did not eat, realizing he'd have to remove the bandana masking his face-- something he was not comfortable with.
Eventually, the others drifted to sleep (save for Aira who seemed to be willing to take the first watch) and Reinhardt himself pulled himself off into a safe, dry, comfortable corner. There, he pulled in towards himself with his backpack clutched against his chest like a small child, upon which he rested his chin in pensive silence. He felt a little like a spooked animal, here among the survivors and even though everything had calmed down, Reinhardt still felt a bit unsafe. It'd do no harm if he stayed up and alert along with Aira, even if they didn't communicate. It'd make him feel safer anyways.
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Post by vampirechicken on Feb 4, 2013 19:38:44 GMT -5
Henry dropped the empty dish on the grimy tiles in front of him. He absent-mindedly tried to pick dried blood from under his fingernails. He knew he could do with a shower and some new clothes, he probably looked like a serial killer at the moment. Head to toe splattered in gore with one of his shoulders stained red. It had been months since his appearance had even occurred to him, he realised, looking at Aira now. She had just asked a question, seemingly to everyone, but nobody else was answering.
“Sure, wake me for the second.” he said shortly, still not looking at her.
He glanced down at Pru as she dropped her head onto his shoulder, she must have been exhausted. He was tired too, and dizzy from all the blood he'd lost....
What seemed like only a few moments passed, Henry was woken by a sharp pain in his neck, his head had started to fall sideways and pull on his stitches.
Had he just fallen asleep? Everything was dark now, the kid was still where she had been, breathing quietly against his shoulder. the lantern was out, or it had been moved and there was only the light from the moon outside. He didn't know what time it was but he decided to relieve Aira of her shift nonetheless.
Wolves could be heard calling to one another in the distance, they were far away enough to not be a threat. Rather it just added a bit of eeriness to the already tense atmosphere of the ruined building.
Henry quietly shifted the little girl so she was laying on the woollen blanket they had been sitting on, careful not to wake her as he did so. With his eyes adjusted to the dark , he checked to see if the man was asleep on the other side of the room, he seemed to be sitting upright facing the door.
Keeping an careful eye on him, Henry walked down the aisles silently to find Aira. He wasn't sure if Rey on guard made him feel safer or not.
“I'll take over now...” he said quietly, spotting the silhouette of Aira ahead. Without waiting for her to leave or reply, he simply stood facing the entrance, and that is where he remained until the grey light of a cloudy dawn rolled over the landscape.
It might have been 6am when thunder started to roll ominously in the distance. An hour later, light flashed in the sky, illuminating the inside of the building for a split second. A deafening rumble echoed moments later.
Henry just stood there watching with a dull expression, the others would wake up soon enough and then they would need to brave the storm. A hopeful thought stuck him as the rain started to bucket down outside.
Hey maybe the rain would wash some of the blood off their clothes... or wash the smell off of Rey...
(AMMO AND WEAPONS. (ammo isn't infinite guys, and DM says no more surprise secret grenades))
Pru: 2 ammo in Rifle, Henrys knife
Aira: 2 ammo in Shotgun, sawblade knife. Scissors.
Rey: 2 Shotgun, 3 Rifle,
Henry: 3 revolver ammo, Bowie Knife, Shovel
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Post by alexharvey on Feb 5, 2013 19:54:34 GMT -5
Pru woke up flailing from when the thunder was so near it made the air vibrate. She was shaking and sweating, her heart beating through her chest. She must have had a nightmare, but she couldn't remember.
She glanced around the store, looking for Henry and the others, fumbling to get into the Jacket Rey had got for her earlier that night.
She stumbled out of the store, rubbing her arms to get warmer, looking for Henry especially. When she found him she would greet him happily and would peek under the bandages to see if the stitches were holding up properly. Possibly ask where to go next. Also she would need to find Rey and Aira to wish them a good morning and spread her motivation and positive mood, after all that was all she felt she was good at.
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Post by spiritandsand on Feb 6, 2013 7:30:26 GMT -5
Aira slowly turned her head to the sound of Henry's voice. Her eyes were dark crescent cracks in her face, and her entire posture signaled exhaustion, but she didn't complain out loud. Without saying a word she walked past him, placing a hand on his chest, that glided away as she did - a sort of 'pass the baton' gesture, still it radiated more than just that.
She found herself a spot near Pru on which she passed out immediately, and only woke up when the thunder roared across the skies.
Aira stretched her body, feeling refreshed and ready for a new day. She heartly greeted Pru goodmorning when the girl came over, and she started to gather her stuff looking around to check if the others were okay.
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Post by vladimir on Feb 7, 2013 0:10:40 GMT -5
Rey didn't turn to look at Henry as he walked down the aisles, simply drawing a bit more into himself and maintaining his quiet observation. It was with some interest that he watched Maria and Henry trade places with some nonverbal acknowledgement of one another, real human interaction of some form. After that, the quietness of the place and the strangeness of the situation left him inexplicably exhausted and, somewhere along the line, he dozed off lightly without realizing what was happening fast enough to prevent it. Without any conscious thought, Reinhardt fell into a light, empty sort of rest from which he woke up many times throughout the night with little comprehension in his waking moments.
Luckily for his pride and sense of security, the man woke up fully just a little bit before Prudence, twitching a little as he came to-- at first groggily but then with progressing panic as he recalled the state of things, sitting up immediately and resuming his previously dignified position, greeting whoever it was to first stumble past him with a tip of his hat.
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Post by vampirechicken on Feb 7, 2013 0:36:42 GMT -5
Henry turned in mild surprise as a little red haired tornado of cheer appeared from behind the shelf, he felt a little awkward about the whole thing as she checked his stitches, making him wince slightly in pain. Why was she trying so hard to be cheerful, last night she had been ready to lay down and die, her parents, her cousins... She must have been in denial pretty bad. He felt his heart drop realising how much the kid had been through in such a short time, but at least he wasn't keeping Dalton a secret any more.
“I'm fine Pru, go get your stuff together.” he managed to say with a slight smile before she left to greet the others.
Henry watched the others gather their things for a few minutes, shooting an awkward glance at Aira as she passed by.
"How's the leg?" he asked out of the blue, flashing her a concerned smile.
"I think it's better, thanks.." she replied, sounding uncertain.
"...Uhh that's good news." Henry said after a strange pause, it seemed like he was going to try and make conversation but then called it off at the last moment.
When everyone was finally ready with their things, it was time to head out into the deluge.
The door jingled as Henry pulled it open and the sudden sound of rain rang through the room, punctuated by the distant rumble of thunder. He stepped out with only a little hesitation, and they were all drenched to the bone before they made it to the parked cars.
The Tray on the back of Henry’s pick-up truck was empty now, he had apparently decided to transfer all his things into the looters car the previous night. It made sense to take a car with more seats and a functioning windshield but he was bitter about it anyway. He loved his truck.
In the boot now were a bloodied shovel, 2 containers of lake water and a half full fuel can, as well as various pointed instruments of torture which Henry had left in there just in case they might need a chain with spikes welded onto it, or a bonesaw... for some reason...
On him he had a revolver with 3 bullets left, and a new Bowie knife, confiscated from the large blonde looter he had decapitated.
His old knife of course he had given to Pru when they had met, he hoped she wouldn't need it but he didn't feel like she should be without a melee weapon in a pinch.
“We're leaving the truck behind, not enough room in it.” Henry said with a sigh.
All but ignoring the drenching rain, He stopped in front of their new ride and considered for a moment before cutting a length of rope on either side of the bonnet so that the line of rotting heads dropped to the ground with a wet thump. “Good as new.” he said with a strange cold chuckle, sheathing his knife. The black land rover looked fairly normal now, the rain had started to wash of the writing in blood scrawled all over it.
"Hurry up, who's riding shotgun?" Henry called out through the rain, climbing into the drivers seat and leaning over to pull up the locks on the other 3 doors. He shot a unpleasant look at Rey which made it clear that only the 2 girls had been included in his offer.
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Post by alexharvey on Feb 7, 2013 18:55:53 GMT -5
Pru resisted the urge to scream shotgun. She'd prefer the backseats, where she could sprawl on and sleep in case she dropped tired again, which she felt was inclined to happen, she hoped Rey wouldn't smell too much and maybe provide some warmth. She was drenched despite the Northface jacket and rubbing her arms to get warm.
"Say, where are we going now anyways", she asked ignoring the lump in her throat and trying to sound as casual as possible, "I doubt it will be Dalton now."
She leaned forward against the passenger seat to get a questioning glance at Henry.
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Post by spiritandsand on Feb 8, 2013 6:17:14 GMT -5
Aira came bouncing out of the building jumping over the rubble on the ground having a tight grip around ber backpack. She looked slightly confused, but at least she was smiling when approaching the vehicle.
"I got a shotgun, so I can have the shotgun", she had no idea why she fired of corny jokes - it was actually so bad that it couldn't even be called a joke - maybe it was because that she was really happy for the first time in 3 years. She had agreed with herself yesterday that she would try to be as positive as possible, that might save her live later on. Or at least it would take longer for her to go into depression again.
Aira sat on the frontseat and fastened her belt - she admit that she prefered to sit next to Henry, but also to have a good view out of the window since she easily got carsick.
Listening to Pru's question it downed on her that they actually had no destiny point. Either Henry had a plan, or they would just drive down the road hoping to stumble over something good that wasn't zombies or looters.
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Post by vladimir on Feb 8, 2013 6:46:22 GMT -5
Rey didn't need to be told, giving Henry a long, long look in return which continued for several moments even after the other man had looked away. He wasn't certain about this whole car deal and a tremendous part of him wanted to just run away and forget he'd even considered joining up with the group, but another part of him forced him to step forwards towards the vehicle to a mantra of 'ya gotta make yerself do it, even if 'ya don't want it done'. These people were going east, and if they were going east they might just pass through or over Tennessee- even if he had to break off from the group while in Kentucky or Missouri, he could and happily would walk the rest of the way.
Of course, there was something very comical about the way he looked once he eventually sat down and buckled in, an awkward overflow of his overly concealing clothes bulging out from over the seatbelt and conjuring invoking the description of 'like an octopus in an armchair'. The situation also proved just how thin he really was, though that was to be anticipated; in an effort to make himself at least a little more subtle and to restrict himself to a smaller space, Reinhardt brought his arms close to his side and rested his hands on his knees, donning a rather awkward expression as a tremendous amount of the water that'd saturated his clothing suddenly soaked through well enough to reach his skin.
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Post by vampirechicken on Feb 8, 2013 21:22:51 GMT -5
Henry half laughed at Airas silly comment, not so much because the joke was funny though. The rain had actually been somewhat refreshing, his clothes were drenched and leaving wet patches on the already ruined seats but at least they had kinda all gotten a free shower out of it. The bloodstains on Aira and Henry were much less obvious too. When the doors were all shut they were in the relative silence and warmth on the inside of the car.
Henry was already starting the engine as everyone took their seats. He shot an exasperated look at Pru leaning over behind him, somehow she had forgotten the details of the quest she herself had begun. This was not a good start to their journey.
“You tell me princess.” he said back to her raising an eyebrow, he didn't sound upset but there was a bit of sass in his voice “Where do your friends live then?”
He paused to throw a heavy book of road maps into the back seat onto the girls lap. “I don't know where they hell they are past the highway exit, you're on navigation duty after that.... when the rain stops we'll break for lunch.”
“As far as I know the plan was for Aira and myself to deliver you safely to your associates in the south-east, this bloke Rey's here because you couldn't bear to leave him behind... I hope for all our sakes they're still alive otherwise we'll probably need to start a new colony somewhere.” he said bluntly, gritting his teeth as the engine threatened to not start at all. He relaxed as the vehicle made a sick spluttering sound and then choked into life. He accelerated and turned the car in a tight circle, rolling over the severed heads with a bump as they pulled out onto the highway.
“Just the four of us... we'll design a flag and declare ourselves a new country...” Henry continued talking despite the fact he was just spouting bullshit now. He began to vaguely describe a government involving 4 people and assigning tasks to Pru and Aira including “secretary of defence” and “head police chief” and he named Rey “master of coin” at one stage because he was really concentrating on the road more than what he was saying.
He had the first part of the quest mapped out in his head carefully, the highway journey would take about 3 hours since they could only travel at a moderate pace. The road was not smooth by any description, several trees had actually sprouted from the tarmac in places.
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Post by alexharvey on Feb 9, 2013 9:00:43 GMT -5
Pru blinked. That was true, her parents had intended to go to the Rospevs place in the worst case scenario. They used to live next to them and Pru remembered the young father of the family playing with her occasionally, as well as their baby girl. But that was all foggy and confusing although the many visits at their house after they moved should have stuck better to her brain. But somehow her parents were always there and it was hard to avoid their memory.
In fact it turned out she could remember the way there better than the actual people.
She nodded slowly, "I know the way."
Then she preceded to imagine the flags logo and her dutys as the Princess of fluff and Plushs as well as environments. She grew tired halfway again slowly slumping against Rey only halfway through the highway drive, she must've slept even less well than she had thought. His slightly gritty smell filled the whole car and she was mostly used to it by now, the rain had managed to surpress, or wash away the worst part of it at least.
Suddenly it all didn't feel so bad. More like the family trips with her cousins or parents or the camping trips with Rey. She hid herself from the thought that there would never be family trips again, and that danger was up after each and every next corner.
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