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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 12, 2019 14:50:58 GMT -5
(( it’s cool, no problem! ))
It came as no surprise when the stranger with the car brandished her own weapon, a gun perhaps, something that caught the fading light and glinted orange. It was also no surprise that Dove’s attempts to hide and cower were shaken off, albeit somewhat gently, by the man he had been clinging to. They weren’t acquainted with each other at all and there was no reason for him to put his life on the line for Dove, but the gesture sent panic spiking into his already pounding heart. Dove was not a fighter, barely a survivor, and used to being coddled. The plush life that the man assumed he lived before the fall of society was not far from the truth.
Many days spent confined to a bed, ill and sickly, but well taken care of. That was not the case now. It was a wonder Dove had made it this far at all.
A second figure trailed not far behind the first that approached them, shoulders squared and a bow gripped tightly in their arms. The closer they grew, the more obvious it became that they were large men, and almost certainly prepared for a fight.
What Dove didn’t expect was for the man in the back to speak.
“Dovevett?” A raspy, low male voice called out — the second approaching figure, his bow slightly raised. He wore the same outfit as all his companions, light camouflage, face concealed against the sun and wind. Typical attire for a raider of the Copper Death, a vicious gang that quite lived up to its namesake. His voice held a thick, unmistakable accent that broke his English apart.
In that moment, Dove was frozen solid. Blood turned to ice, bones to dust, skin to frost — he couldn’t find the strength to melt his muscles, to move. In this desert, there was no real warmth, only false hope and death. No one knows my name, he thought, in a blind panic. No one. There’s no one. No one —
“Dovevett,” the figure repeated, voice louder, more certain. He did not lower his bow, but he did step forward, one confident footfall at a time. Less than a foot away from the shorter, scrawnier man, the sharp point of the arrow placed right above the vital organ of his heart. “I thought you died. Long time, no?”
It didn’t click in Dove’s mind, not right away. Where he knew that voice, that accent, the set of the strange attacker’s shoulders — “Koray?”
Koray, a friend. A friend from before the world turned to death and dust. A very close friend, one of his best friends. It had been so long since Dove had seen a friendly, familiar face. He wanted to cry from the sheer joy that instinctively rose in his throat. Maybe he could be lucky enough to finally have a nice bed again. Food. Shelter. Anything but the death he thought awaited him. Was luck real? Was this what being lucky felt like? Did someone come to save me? The step that Dove took forward was met with a violent kick to the shin that sent him sprawling into the dusty ground, choking on a cry of pain. His hands scraped across gravel, his leg aching from the blow as he clutched it with his hands.
Hope was a fickle thing. Under the force of that kick, it shattered like glass, broken into a hundred pieces.
“Do not move,” Koray snapped viciously and drew the strings of his bow back tighter. He jerked his chin at the woman and her weapon. “Drop your weapons, all of you. I will shoot him. We want your bags.”
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Post by 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚊 on Oct 16, 2019 6:31:42 GMT -5
[sorry, I’ve been busy myself!]
Fallow Murphey | Near a run-down gas station in the desert Fallow tensed as the raiders grew closer, her grip on the ‘gun’ in her hands growing so tight that her tan skin was growing pale white from the pressure. The awkward ridge of the handle against her palm drew home just how unlike her wrench was to the gun it was pretending to be - still, she figured, all the better to hit these guys with when they come closer, unless they decided to fire from far away like cowards.
That’s what she hated about archers and other long distance fighters - they left you helpless without ever having to risk themselves. It was why she’d never carry a gun for real if she found one, no matter how much it could save her life.
All three groups were close enough together now that they could easily hear each other talk. She braced herself, waiting for the raiders to get close enough that she could get up in their face and threaten them properly, when one of them stopped, and - was staring at one of the other figures? The one who had fallen over earlier. The raider called him Dovette.
She stepped forward. Come on, just be distracted enough for me to get within hitting range of one of you - just a little more-
She jumped back, barely avoiding the Dovette guy as he was kicked down onto the rock and gravel. The raider, Koray, aimed an arrow at his back, and she quickly pointed her ‘gun’ right at his face, although at this close range they’d be able to tell it was jus ta wrench for sure -
”Drop your weapons, all of you.” He seemed to be referring mostly to her, and he had the nerve to look completely unworried by any potential harm caused by a wrench near his face. “I will shoot him. We want your bags.”
Fallow held her pose for a beat. Two. Then she lunged across Dovette to tackle Koray - he turned, surprised, fired an arrow but the shot went wide - they went down to the ground and she held up her wrench to his throat, shoving his head down onto the gravel.
Koray mostly just looked surprised. The other raiders, too, but they were getting over it fast, already pointing arrows right at her, one was opening his mouth to speak but Fallow beat him to it -
”Shut up, I’ll tell you what the hell is going to happen here. You see that?” She jerked Koray’s head to look at the massive storm taking up half of the sky now, the wind blowing across them enough that it nearly destabilised her. ”That’s the storm that’s going to kill us, all of us. It doesn’t care how many arrows you have to point at it, it’s going to kill you violently and ruthlessly and you’re not going to get anywhere with whatever you steal from us. You think you could outrun that?” She looked down at Dovette. ”You think he could? You seem to care about him even while you’re trying to mug him. It’d be a shame if something were to happen to him, right?”
“But do you see that?” She jerked his head the other way, at her broken down pickup truck. ”That’s your ticket out of here, but it’s broken, and guess what? I’m the only one who can fix it. So you’re going to help me push it to the gas station, you’re going to help me fix it, and then we’re going to drive away together and we can finish this when we’re all a safe distance away from impeding supercharged doom.” Koray was staring to struggle now and she was straining to keep him down in place, pressing the wrench with more pressure onto his throat in a desperate attempt to keep him from just shoving her off, which he looked more than capable of doing.
Stars, if this didn’t work she was so dead. ”Deal?”
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Post by 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝 on Oct 19, 2019 12:55:51 GMT -5
They were so close. For a minute, Jude thought they might make it. The air, crackling with electricity, was tense between the three groups, like they were connected by a taut rope. They seemed to be in a stalemate. The first man who came toward them and the truck did not speak in response to the girl's threat, only kept walking, his eyes darting between her and Jude. One of his companions was not far behind, bow arched and arrow notched at the ready. Their third companion remained on the rock a short distance away, guarding their backs. But nothing was shot in their direction, so Jude and his companion continued until there was.
As they came within ten feet of the other two parties, it became clear the girl was not holding a gun. A tool of some kind, a good disguise. Whether the raiders noticed or not, they didn't alter their course, also stopping a few feet in front of them. As the man behind the first came close enough, he seemed to hesitate. His leader (or who Jude assumed was the leader) stood motionless, but the second man spoke, looking straight in their direction, ignoring the girl for now.
Dovevett. He said, and Jude couldn't help the frown that landed on his face, his default expression. Who was he talking to? He didn't know anyone with that name. Why's he looking this way? Whose name was that unique... Wait. The other man was still cowering behind him slightly. He turned to look at him, and his eyes gave it away, wide with shock at the recognition, but he responded to his name with an eagerness. Jude, on the other hand, with this new information, felt his blood run cold at this apparent change in allegiances. They knew each other. That either meant three more friends, or one more enemy.
The man stepped forward past his leader, and the other man, Dovevett, stood motionless, almost trembling. Jude stepped back, out of the way of the archer and his reunited buddy. He was torn between his two options: Make a run for the girl. Too risky, he didn't know how they would react. Despite the friendly words coming from their mouths, Jude still felt hostility radiating from the trio. Take his weapon. Certain death. His feet were fixed to the ground, rendered immobile by uncertainty and indecision, a rare occurrence for him to ignore instinct, waiting to see what would happen.
Finally, Dovevett stepped forward, and without warning, the man called Koray drove his heel into his shin, causing Dovevett to drop to the dust with nothing but a muffled sound of pain. Jude flinched at the blow, hands curling into fists, though he knew there was little he could do if they decided to shoot him next, even with Dovevett's knife in his pocket. Koray drew back and aimed his arrow at Dovevett's head, instructing the girl to drop her wrench. They weren't taking any chances, despite the obvious lack of a threat from either her or Jude, who raised his hands a bit to show he was unarmed.
The girl didn't waste any time in attacking Koray, which startled Jude and the other raiders. Quick as lightning, she had Koray on the ground, his bow dropped, arrowless. Jude grabbed it as the other two raised their bows, but unlike him, they could actually do some damage. If they came close enough, he would be able to use it as a bat, but they kept their distance. The man on the rock jumped down and jogged over, his weapon trained on Jude, meanwhile, the first man was focused on the girl, who had her wrench at Koray's throat.
Despite the deadly sharp arrows pointed at her, Jude felt she had total control of the situation. Something about her made the archers hesitate to shoot. It would have been simple for them to do that, take out Jude and Dovevett next and save Koray, get the truck, all at once. The only thing that held their hands steady was the overwhelming threat of the storm, and the girl must have known this too, using it to her advantage. Though the phrase 'safety in numbers' wasn't necessarily true, some human part of their minds must have wanted it to be. They listened, albeit begrudgingly, the hate visible on their faces. But she was right. They all would need to work together to get out of here alive.
She made a tempting offer. Whether it was true or not, if she was the only one who could fix the vehicle, they couldn't afford to kill her. And she had a point about the other man Dovevett. Koray seemed to feel something about him, had spared him at least, but where did that leave Jude? The odd man out, as usual. But Dovevett and the girl would need him to ensure their numbers were evenly matched if the archers decided to turn on them. So maybe he wasn't going disposable. He wasn't going to be left for dead, he would make sure of it.
Koray was starting to struggle for footing, attempting to push her off. It wouldn't be long before he overpowered her and they had the upperhand once more. "Deal?" She asked, and the first man nodded, signalling to his partners to lower their weapons.
"Deal," he said so quietly, Jude almost didn't hear it. His voice was almost nonexistent, like he'd been sick recently. Koray stopped struggling, scowling up at the girl as the other two put their bows away, slinging them over their backs. Jude held tight to what had been Koray's bow, unwilling to give it back when he seemed the most violent of the three of them.
"We will help push." One of the raiders spoke, but Jude had stopped paying attention to which. He knelt by Dovevett, sensing the man wouldn't move unless someone made him.
"Get up. Come on, time to go," he said softly as the girl carefully released Koray, allowing him to stand up and brush himself off. He rubbed his throat and glared at her, glancing at Dovevett before returning to his companions' sides, looking at the girl for further instructions.
"Are you okay?" Jude asked Dovevett, struck by the desire to touch his shoulders and rouse him in some sort of comforting gesture, but he held back. "Let's go, I'll help you up. Put your arm around my shoulders." They were going to get out of here. That was all that mattered. If this man wanted to lie on the ground and let the storm take him, so be it. Jude had done all he could for him, and this was his only chance to live another day; he wasn't about to let it go to stay behind with Dovevett. I'll carry him if I have to, he resolved, but only if he showed signs of wanting to go with them. Jude wouldn't force him. He had to show some desire to fight from this point on, or Jude wasn't sure he could go on with him.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 19, 2019 13:45:47 GMT -5
“Deal,” Koray’s comrade agreed in a voice so quiet that it sounded like the wind in Dove’s ears. He had a rough voice, like he might have been sick not too long ago.
Koray, for one, scowled up at the woman and slowly held his hands up in defeat to show that he agreed. They were equally numbered — three armed men against the woman, Jude and Dove — but if they had played their cards right, it would have been easier to win. Dove posed no threat at all, so it was more like three against two. Even so, Koray had not been wise with his decisions, and here he lied. Threatened into surrender by a woman with a wrench and a man who gripped his bow like a club.
As soon as he was able, Koray rose slowly to his feet. He stepped past and away from Dove, without sparing him a single glance to see if he was alright. Over his shoulder, he called to Jude, “You should put him out of his misery. He’s always been sick. He’s never going to be of any use to you or anyone else.”
That hurt almost as much as a kick to the leg. True or not, it was never fun to be talked about like a terminally ill or wounded animal. Dove didn’t want to be put out of his misery. He wanted a soft, warm bed and a hot meal and friends to keep him company. He wanted his favorite pillow and his grumpy old tom cat.
He would be lucky if the woman offered him a ride in her car and was lucky that Jude hadn’t killed him yet.
Dove was shaken. Arms weak, leg pulsing with pain, and heart aching in his chest. He curled his fingers into the dirt, scraped against rock and gritty sand that stuck beneath his nails, but he didn’t move. The world was an awful place full of awful people who did awful things. It was no place for him, a quiet and shy man with no desire to fight. When it came down to it, he would rather cower than struggle against those that wished to do him harm, would rather lie down than continue to suffer through each horrible day of his pathetic life. Even so, he clung to that tiny spark of hope that the next day would be better. Tomorrow, he might find something to eat. Tomorrow, he might feel better. Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow.
He wanted there to be a tomorrow. It might be a bad day, a worse day than today, but he wanted the chance to find out. Wanted to leave to see the sun rise and set just one more time. Clinging to life like a hopeless, insignificant insect.
“Fine—I’m fine,” Dove breathed quietly, as he scrabbled to hold onto Jude’s shoulder and pull himself up. The movement shot white hot pain through his right leg and he bit his tongue to hold back a cry of agony, eyes watering from dust and discomfort alike. The arm around Jude’s shoulders was tight, his hand digging into the other man’s shoulder blade, clinging to the material of his shirt. If walking had been difficult before, it was a nightmare now — each step was tortuous and slow, the weight of his skinny body somehow still too much for his injured leg. Tears stung the corners of his eyes, though he fiercely fought them away and refused to let them fall.
No more crying today. If he kept crying, they would all leave him behind to die all alone — part of him would prefer to at least die surrounded by other people, strangers or not. At least that way, they would know that he was dead, and maybe someone would miss him.
“Let’s push this thing and get out of here,” the first raider said in his rough voice, as he put his bow away and placed his hands on the back of the car. He, along with Koray and the other man, had an easier time forcing the car along the dusty road. It moved slowly, but it moved, and the three men worked well together in silence. Clearly, they had known each other long enough to become a seamless, trustworthy team. Perhaps they had made some sort of deal between themselves or became friends through this horrible world, but either way, they were able to make a reasonable amount of distance with the car.
Watching them felt strange to Dove, who fought the urge to rest his heavy head on Jude’s shoulder. He was tired and in pain and heartbroken, but this man was not a friend. Just a stranger that he happened to run into. Dove had no friends. “Thank you,” he murmured, but he didn’t let go, afraid that he might fall over if he did. The storm was toiling and creeping closer, the wind tussling his filthy hair away from his face. Unnecessarily, he added in a timid voice, “I’m Dovevett. Dove.”
They didn’t even know each other’s names.
It took a while, but at long last, the raiders were able to push the car closer to the gas station in question. The one with the croaky voice glanced over his shoulder at the storm, back to the car, then shook his head. He spoke to Fallow as he began to walk. “We’re going,” he announced.
The second raider nodded his head and turned to follow after the first. “We’re not sticking around for a car that might never be fixed. That storm is going to hit before you ever get it working. We helped you push it, fix it on your own.”
Koray was the last to move, his gaze lingering for just a moment on Dove. There was something there, some slight emotion, but he too followed after the rest of the small group and said nothing.
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Post by 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝 on Oct 26, 2019 13:59:01 GMT -5
Koray's words were not surprising by themselves. They surprised him, however, because they almost perfectly mirrored his own thoughts. For a second, Jude thought he had spoken aloud, revealed his true intentions to Dovevett, a man whom he had been trying to help, all the while thinking it wasn't really going to be worth it in the end. But those were Koray's words, not his. Jude kept his gaze on Dove, refusing to acknowledge the other man whose bow he still had in his hands. He kept silent, because he was considering those words and the truth behind them. He was right, Dove was of no use to anyone, least of all himself. It seemed Koray considered it a miracle that he'd survived this long on his own. Jude shared this opinion, for sure, but he wasn't sure he agreed with the solution offered to him. Put him out of his misery.
Maybe that would be better than trying to drag Dove to the station. He wouldn't be able to fix the truck, probably wouldn't even be able to stand alone long enough to climb onto the seat if they did get it running again. Leave him behind. Maybe that would be better than stringing him along, making him suffer. It would be an act of mercy, in a way, like killing a wounded deer. But the more he considered this thought, the more his stomach rebelled against him. His throat closed with disgust and anger at the darkness, inside and out. The wind was picking up, tossing his hair around, getting in his eyes and making them water from the dust.
Just keep moving. Dwelling on anything at this point took away precious seconds that they desperately needed to conserve to get out of here. Dove followed his instructions, laying an arm across Jude's shoulders. They stood, perhaps too quickly, and the man wobbled like a newborn deer. He's not a deer, stop calling him that. Jude wrapped his arm around the man's waist to hold him close enough to steady him. Glancing sideways at him, he could see he was holding back tears. He couldn't imagine the pain, didn't want to try and sympathize at all, but Dove was favoring his right leg and Jude knew it was bad. Not broken, but it probably felt like a shin splint, and there would be a sizable bruise there.
They walked slow, slower than before, Dove's sluggish and jerky steps threatening to tip Jude over. He couldn't let the man go or he would fall, and this time, he probably wouldn't be able to get up again. Thankfully, the three raiders, pushing at the bumper of the truck, weren't going much faster. Thank you. Jude heard him speak, but it took him a confused second or two to realize who it was. The girl was walking beside them, keeping an eye on the other three men behind her car. He looked down at Dovevett, unsure of how to respond. What was he thanking him for? Being a decent person? Not likely. He didn't mean to, and it had been all of an hour in which he was constantly fighting with himself whether to drop him and run. The man reintroduced himself as Dove, and Jude frowned.
"Like the bird?" He asked, dumbfounded enough to ask such a stupid question. He didn't really care, but it caught him off-guard. He shook his head to dismiss it. "I'm Jude. Like the saint Thaddaeus." An attempt at humor? He hadn't heard that come from his mouth in a long time. He held his tongue from any further unnecessary dialogue and thankfully, Dove did the same, focused more on catching his breath as they went.
It was maybe ten minutes before they reached the parking lot of the gas station they had left such a short time ago. And just as the truck was coasting to a stop, the raiders turned to the girl and announced they were leaving. Jude was struck. Why would they leave now, after helping us? They'll never make it. But he kept his mouth shut. If they could get the truck working again, they would overtake them on foot anyday. That was a big 'if', and he figured they knew it, too. They were taking the safe exit, the cowardly one. They would run to escape the storm and maybe have a chance of finding shelter somewhere, but they would be going the same direction that the car would if it got fixed, giving them a chance to hop back on without doing anything. Smart. But cowardly.
They were gone without another word to either Jude or Dove, but he noticed Koray glance back at Dove, uncertain, before running after his mates down the road, not even asking for his bow back. Now, Jude looked at the girl.
"Tell me what to do, I'll help you." He said, gently removing Dove's arm from his shoulders, leaning the man against the side of the truck before looking back at her again, awaiting instructions. He didn't know a single thing about vehicles, but he could obey some of this stranger's simple direction if it meant they would get out of here.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 9, 2019 17:05:39 GMT -5
(( Sorry for the delay! I’ll get a post up soon. ))
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Post by 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝 on Nov 9, 2019 18:27:49 GMT -5
[ np i was actually honestly waiting for 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚊 bc next in line kind of thing? don't want to cut them out but go for it my dude take your time it's chill ]
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 9, 2019 22:27:13 GMT -5
(( Oh whoops I totally forgot what the order was. Somehow I thought I was next rip my brain, I’ve had a long week lol ))
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Post by 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝 on Nov 10, 2019 9:32:13 GMT -5
[ no you're good i'm willing to wait a bit longer but if they don't come back then i guess you're free to continue ]
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 12, 2019 0:16:02 GMT -5
(( alrighty, I’m more than willing to wait, so it’s up to you when/if I should go ahead and reply.
Edit:: Idk if you’d be interested, but we could always turn this into a one on one and make a new thread? Not necessary or anything, just a thought if you’d be up for it. ))
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Post by Protractor on Nov 12, 2019 7:49:11 GMT -5
(Ree I'll go away if this becomes a one on one.Just gimme the word and I shall leave without conflict
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Post by 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝 on Nov 12, 2019 17:15:24 GMT -5
[ i'm up for it always lmao but i figured we could give chimera til the end of the week. and seeing as chlo is interested, we might as well just keep going as is hahaha go for it chlo, i don't want to completely cut chimera's character out til the end of the week so i guess you may take some creative liberties to figure out how to insert your character instead... ]
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 16, 2019 14:27:09 GMT -5
(( It’s fine by me if Chlo wants to join in! I just wasn’t sure if anyone else would. ))
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Post by 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝 on Nov 16, 2019 15:27:36 GMT -5
[ well how about we give it til tuesday lmao and then if chlo or chim don't, we can just label this 1x1 and ask mods to move it?? lmao idk if that's okay with you, i just don't want to exclude anybody prematurely. ]
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 16, 2019 15:40:48 GMT -5
(( No that’s absolutely fine by me! I don’t have any problems with waiting and I don’t want to exclude anyone, either. I just wanted to put the idea out there just in case no one came back/replied, since you seem to be pretty interested in this. ))
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Post by 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝 on Nov 16, 2019 16:23:19 GMT -5
[ awesome! yea for sure i really like that this is chill and can go anywhere i can't believe i forgot about it i'm mostly interested in dove and jude's interactions bc i sense they are going to become more ridiculous and hilarious as time goes on apocalypse? more like unlikely couple gets unhappily married strictly to avoid dying alone lmfao ]
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Post by Protractor on Nov 16, 2019 16:32:11 GMT -5
(*Proceeds to not have a clue on how to jump in xD*
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 16, 2019 16:56:04 GMT -5
(( Lmao I can totally see that happening. They just grow so absolutely ridiculous as they try to survive and eventually just act hilariously fed up with everything. Even better, they just turn into an old, cranky married couple that bickers all the time and secretly complains about anything they can xD
I’m sure we can brainstorm a way for you to jump in, Chlo! It’s not a problem. ))
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Post by 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝 on Nov 16, 2019 17:32:17 GMT -5
[ hmm we've given them literally no way out except the truck so. perhaps mid, you could continue before chlo jumps in, like they get it started but we need a way to do that without killing or controlling fallow... or as little as possible kind of like with flow, just to get their character out for now... i always feel bad doing this lmao honestly the only way i see is by making one of the characters kind of turn on chim's character... i'm okay with it being jude, like they steal the truck and stumble across chlo's character? or chlo, you could jump in and help start the truck but then betray fallow?? idk just bouncing ideas here lemme know what ya'll think ]
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 16, 2019 17:52:16 GMT -5
(( Ooo I like the idea of Jude going rogue and just stealing the car. Dove would just flip and scramble his way into the car so he doesn’t get left behind lmao
Edit;; I can reply to your last post, star, and we could go from there so Chlo can jump in? ))
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Post by 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝 on Nov 16, 2019 18:13:07 GMT -5
[ lmao okay! you go ahead and then i'll let chlo can get a starter in before jude goes rogue, and they will probably stumble upon chlo's character along the road if that's alright with chlo ]
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 16, 2019 22:03:41 GMT -5
(( Hope this works for you guys! Let me know if I need to edit it or change anything. ))
Putting Dove out of his misery would have been a task as simple as breathing: quick, effortless, over in an instant. A major fight would not be put up, not on his end. He didn’t have the strength for that, didn’t have the skill set to know how to defend himself from an attacker. Running, figuratively, was his strongest talent in this apocalyptic wasteland. Hiding, sneaking, avoiding the trouble that he physically wasn’t able to deal with. Despite how he couldn’t hold his own in a fight and how sickly he was, he still had that tiny will to live. To keep going. To survive. Maybe it would be an act of mercy to put him out of misery, but if it were left up to Dove to decide, he would likely choose to struggle forward. Anything was better than dying alone in the middle of this cursed desert, where no one would miss him. Not that anyone would miss him anywhere else—but maybe, if he were going to die, he could find a better place to do so. Somewhere with a nice lake and trees that were still living, with birds and animals. A nice place for him to curl up and go to sleep, forever.
Still, the thought of dying frightened him. He didn’t know what would be waiting for him on the other side, if anything. Death was a mystery he didn’t want to solve, a door that he would rather not open. It had scared him before society collapsed, when his doctors had discussed alternative medical treatments and new medications. Scared him on each trip to the hospital, the flashing machines and beeping heartbeats, the smell of cleaning products and chemicals strong in the air.
At least the air out here was clear, if a little dusty.
“Yes, like the bird,” Dove confirmed, with an instinctive twist of his lips upward. Not quite a smile, but the closest thing to it that he had shown in weeks. It felt natural to do so, like his body remembered what it was like to be somewhat happy, to smile often, even when his mind did not. “It’s a family name.” He snorted out a harsh breath of laughter through his panting at the weak attempt at humor from the other man, too out of breath to continue much of the conversation. It was nice to finally put a name to that face, however: Jude. A fitting name for the man, somehow—it just seemed to match his face, his overall body structure. He certainly didn’t look like a Michael or Jonathan, nor did he look like the type to have a super uncommon name like Dove.
Names were important. Even now.
Dove leaned back against the wall, his hands braces on its rough surface, as he watched the others work on the car. He didn’t know anything about machines. Or cars in general. Except how to drive. He could do that. Would they let him drive? His injured leg ached even more at the thought of having to drive and he immediately put the idea out of his mind. It was probably out of the question. While the others did their best to get the car started, he rolled up his pants leg to get a better look and grimaced at the sight. It was already starting to bruise, dark against his pale skin, and was swollen to the touch. With a sigh, he fixed the hem of his pants and leaned back. Nothing he could do about his injured leg right now.
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Post by 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝 on Nov 21, 2019 23:01:13 GMT -5
[ lmfao it's thursday sooo... i'll give anyone who's interested til saturday ( Protractor) and then imma close this and turn it into a 1x1 and go ahead and respond to you magic <3 ]
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 22, 2019 10:30:21 GMT -5
(( Alrighty, works for me. This weekend is going to be pretty busy for me as a heads up. C: ))
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Post by Protractor on Nov 22, 2019 18:00:59 GMT -5
(I'm just waitin for you to respond to that before I jump in
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Post by 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝 on Nov 22, 2019 18:54:30 GMT -5
[ oh i'm sorry. i mentioned above that i wasn't going to respond until you got a starter in but. if that's what you were thinking. i guess i will respond first then. ]
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Post by Protractor on Nov 23, 2019 13:47:49 GMT -5
(Oh wait you did? Ig I missed that x.x
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Post by 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝 on Nov 24, 2019 15:48:33 GMT -5
The girl accepted his help silently, nodding to acknowledge him but saying little else. From the backseat, she pulled a wooden toolbox that was sparsely filled. The metal plating on the corners was rusted. The wood itself looked rough and unsanded. She set the box down and slid under the truck on her back. Jude crouched to watch her, handed her a tool whenever she stretched out a hand at him and barked an order at him. She worked for a few minutes, shielded from the wind that whipped through the gas station, growing more vicious as the storm chased after them.
"Blowtorch," she almost had to yell for him to hear her above the wind. He grabbed it and handed it to her beneath the vehicle. He was no expert, but a blowtorch sounded dangerous, especially under the fuel tank, still dripping. A moment later, he heard her curse, then she tossed the torch back out at him. "Nothing left in it." Jude stared, unsure of what this meant. She didn't leave him waiting long.
"I can't weld this piece of metal over the hole if there's no flame."
Jude's mind raced back to the lighter he'd picked up in the gas station. He pulled it from his pocket, and inspected the fluid at the bottom. "Will this work?" He reached under the truck and handed it to her. She glanced at him incredulously, but accepted the lighter and went back to her work, which gave him his answer.
Climbing out from underneath, the girl pointed at the driver's seat. "Try and start it, I don't know how much gas is still in there now." Jude obeyed, opening the door and hopping up onto the seat. He turned the key from neutral and heard the truck sputter for a painfully long time before he eased off. "Try again," the girl said, and Jude turned the key again. This time, the spark connected and the car started.
"Great," she said, "move over." Jude nodded, scooting over to the passenger's side. But she didn't climb in right away as he expected her to. She disappeared around the back of the truck, presumably to put away her toolbox and close the trunk. A rock, flung through the air by the storm, bounced off the windshield in front of his face with a sharp clink, cracking it slightly. His heart skipped a beat as he glanced out the back window at the sandstorm. It covered the horizon, snuffed out any sign of variation in the landscape. All he could see was a swirling gray mass. A thought flew into his mind, perched so softly he almost didn't even consider it. But he couldn't ignore it. The truck was running. He was inside, no one else was. It might not get him far, but it would get him away from here.
Jude glanced out the window at Dove. It seemed too easy, too obvious. He could ditch the dead-weight, and the girl, who wasn't exactly his enemy, but she also wasn't his ally, either. This could be his one and only shot. The last time he hesitated to make a decision like this, he ended up unconscious, face-down in a puddle of oil in the dirt, outside this same gas station. A mere few hours ago. He wasn't about to make the same mistake again.
Jude slid back over to the driver's side and shut the door, ignoring the feeling in his chest that accompanied a small voice, telling him this was wrong. He would never do this to another person, but things were different these days. His life was the only one that mattered to him, and the second he stopped accepting this as truth was the second that he would lose his life. He just knew it would happen that way. So he had to do it. Odds were, he would die in the storm like Dove and the girl. But maybe not. Not if you leave right now. Jude shifted the truck and stepped on the gas pedal, and the truck lurched forward. He thought it was about to stall, with the way it kicked and groaned, but it didn't, it kept going, and he pulled the truck onto the road and then he was free, driving away from the storm in the rear-view mirror.
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Post by Protractor on Nov 24, 2019 17:23:14 GMT -5
"Well damn it!" Three threw the plastic water bottle to the side as he trudged on through the desert. A pain is what it was. He'd been out here for almost a month now and hadn't seen one drop of water for almost a week. It was pretty annoying actually. He had two large bags with him. One bag contained a bunch of clothes,so not of much importance. But the other bag contained food. Most of it just bread but food's food. And whatever gave him the idea to walk through the desert with a bag of food and a large knife was a good idea was long ago forgotten. To be completely honest he didn't want to remember. But the shape of a certain rock brought it all back. -_-_-_-_-_- "Come on Three! You're the only one with the skills necessary to getting the supplies to our friends on the other side of that God forsaken plot of land!" That was Julie,the one who was in charge of the survivor camp set up about 100 miles back the way Three came.
"I'm good at scouting ahead and coming back without my neck being slit!" Three exclaimed,and it was true. Anything else he wasn't capable at doing,just rabbiting when it was helpful. "In what screwed up universe am I good at making it through a desert without enough water to turn a leaf the other way around?" Yes,he was being hysterical. Yes,he was probably blowing things out of proportion but wouldn't you? Wouldn't anyone that didn't want to do something make every excuse they could to get out of it? -_-_-_-_-_- So yeah,he didn't want to be here. He didn't want to even be looking at sand. And the only thing keeping him from not going on was the armed wall behind him and the starving people however many miles away they were.
He looked down to his right,his red shirt all torn and burnt looking and his arm bearing all kinds of scars and sratches,to look at the large border collie padding slowly beside him. Her long fur a black with white around the collar. "Ok girl,I think it's time we st-"
SNAP!
Three let out a loud cry as he fell down,dropping all his stuff and turning onto his back to look at his ankle. And to his amazement he saw a bear trap. A freaking bear trap. Of everything out here,the snakes,the coyotes,even the cacti,he managed to step in a rusted bear trap.
"Spade!" He called to the dog and she came trotting up to him. Three rubbed her muzzle and looked around until his eyes landed on it. "Girl,go find help." He told her as he pointed.
The large dog darted off as fast as possible and started barking frantically the whole way there. She was heading to what she hoped would be able to save Three. She was heading towards a gass station.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 27, 2019 10:37:57 GMT -5
Dove was no stranger to betrayal. These days, it was difficult to place trust in anyone, and doing so could turn out to be a fatal mistake that cost one their own life. He had been left behind on more than one occasion, by those who believed that he would do very little to benefit their survival. They would promise him protection, company—a place to stay in this unwelcoming wasteland. Then, with no regard for his well being or feelings, they would rip that promise away. When push came to shove and things became difficult, they realized that nothing good would come of allowing him to stay.
It always hurt. Always, every time.
Today was no exception. He saw Jude slide into the driver’s seat of the car, saw him sit there with a look on his face that was hard to describe. Half guilty, half thoughtful. A dark feeling of dread pooled into Dove’s stomach—he didn’t know why, right off the bat, until he saw the man turn the key in the ignition. Change the gear shift, grip onto the steering wheel. He knew, instantly, why he felt the way he did. Knew what would come next, that the inevitable betrayal was looming right here before him. Inescapable, unchangeable. He would be left behind once more, like always. By someone he had just met, yes, but also someone he had hoped would be different.
Nothing about it was different. Nothing, except perhaps the way he responded to the revelation. Dove had very little time to react, but he did have a moment, and a moment was all he needed. To throw himself at the car door and pry it open, even as the vehicle began to move. His feet dragged along the ground, sending pain shooting up his leg, until he was able to weakly haul himself into the back seat. Out of breath, sweating, and very much in agony. It was a miracle he hadn’t slid straight out of the seat and back onto the dusty road, though perhaps that would have been for the best. After all, he wasn’t sure what would happen now.
They were strangers, yes, but now they were strangers with even more trust issues than before. Pulling the car door closed, he frowned and shot an icy look to Jude in the driver’s seat.
“You were going to leave me,” he accused, none too friendly, and certainly with a heavy amount of accusation. For once, anger outweighed his sadness, and it showed on his thin face. “If you didn’t want me to tag along, all you had to do was say so. Drop me off somewhere after the storm passes, not ditch me on the side of the road to die like a jerk.”
The only thing the end of the world had done positively for Dove was that now, he had no qualms about speaking his mind. Was he still shy and awkward? Absolutely. Speaking up about why he was angry came more easily, though, when he knew that very little mattered these days. It helped to be able to say what he felt when he knew that his time on this earth would be short.
As he was prepared to lecture Jude about how just because the world was ruined didn’t excuse him acting like a horrible human being, he noticed a strange sight on the side of the road. A dog, barking up a storm. That was rare these days—many domesticated animals had died out in the early days, unable to fend for themselves. Or had gone feral.
“Is that...a dog?”
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