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Gloriae
Sept 9, 2014 19:52:14 GMT -6
Post by ashestoApples on Sept 9, 2014 19:52:14 GMT -6
July 19th, 2026_________________________
Gloriae: Noun. Female. 1. ambition 2. glory, fame 3. renown _________________________ Conrad decided to put his life in danger for the sake of learning bravery. That was a little dramatic, but that's what he was convinced he was doing. He was aware that it likely wasn't the brightest thing to do, though, so he borrowed the car and two guns. He had extra clips, of course, and he also had a hatchet that Skylar let him borrow just so he'd stop being anxious for long enough to do something. They'd all been in this area and around it before, and knew that the likelihood of him running into more walkers than he could handle was slim, but it didn't stop Conrad's heart from pounding more rapidly with each step into the dark mall. He shakily pulled out a list he'd shoved into his pocket. Food, clothing, first aid equipment, tarps, rope, guns, ammo and short-range weapons were underlined, meaning most important, and there was a list of other things that had been added by others, like cigarettes and alcohol that were likely added by Rick, and CDs and junk food and several other things that were likely added by Skylar. He didn't really need the list, but it helped him stop hyperventilating. When it was all written down and he didn't have to trust his own mind that was so prone to caprice, he found that he could swallow hard and keep moving. After successfully loading up a few items from a first-aid kit from a janitorial closet and fist-pumping when he found a crossbow and arrows in a sporting goods store in the 'recreation' department, he was feeling pretty good about himself. So good, in fact, that he didn't notice that someone was watching him. He took a few things from shelves before deciding that he should inform the crew that there was still some decent stuff left here and they should come back. Using up all of his space before he could even make it around the mall would be a waste. He entered another store that was basically a convenience store- like a gas station without the gas- before he heard a clatter behind him. His eyes grew wide as he whirled around, gun already out and in front of him. It didn't do much to help him, since it was shaking in his teetering grip, but what little security it brought helped him form words nonetheless. "Wh-who's there???" he called, hoping to God that someone would answer him and it wasn't a walker. Or, did he hope it was a walker and not a person because he didn't want to kill anybody that was still alive even if they were bad? He wasn't sure, but it felt like ages that he stood there, shaking, looking around, when in reality it was probably more like thirty seconds that he awaited a response. Maybe it had been his imagination...?
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Gloriae
Sept 10, 2014 16:27:03 GMT -6
Post by macxcheese on Sept 10, 2014 16:27:03 GMT -6
Finding safe shelter had been a problem for Jane, but after slinking around the mall she'd found her way into the movie theater's ticket box. It was on the second floor- perfect to see any incoming intruders or them- and was completely closed in. Blinds hung on the plexi-glass window, and it was just big enough for her to lie down in. An optimal place, to be sure.
Picking up supplies was the next priority after finding her temporary home. She'd gone through the drug store, the weapons store (though she'd been too frightened to pick up anything other than a pack of bullets), and the book store. After stockpiling all her goods into the small booth, she'd snuggled down in mild comfort, unaware that her security was about to be threatened. It was while reading Great Expectations- which did not quite reach her expectations- that she heard a noise. Jane hit the ground, then slowly crept up to the window. She peeked through the blinds and saw a figure moving below. Her hiss of fear fogged up the glass, and she soundlessly crawled back to her corner. She knew she had to go check it out, in case it was a... thing.
She tugged on her jacket, zipping up carefully. Her gun clicked when she loaded it, making her flinch. She stuffed some extra bullets in her jacket pockets and re-tied her bandanna around the bottom half of her face. Opening the door like it was made of glass, she stayed low to the ground. She glanced down to where the figure was. Make that had been. Her heart raced as fast as her eyes as she searched for them. She spotted a small movement going into the drug store. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Jane decided that she had no choice but to go down. The trip was short, but to her it felt like days had passed. She stood at the entrance to the store, her back pressed against the wall. She took a short look inside, saw no one, and slipped through the door space. Creeping along the side of the store, she checked every aisle. By the fifth one she was sure they'd left, but by the six she knew they had not. The sight of someone shuffling through the shelves made her blood go cold.
She realized how unprepared she was to actually see another human being, and her first reaction was flight. Her getaway was hindered however by a case of pop sitting next to her foot. She stumbled over it, making a loud metallic sound and knocking a few two liters over when she went to grab the nearby shelf. She regained her footing and ran like the wind, jumping the pharmacy counter and hunkering down. The boy's words rang in her ears as she contemplated her options: 1) He would find her, possible death. 2) She would find him, better chance. She decided to take the better chance. She anxiously looked over the counter, finding no one immediately in sight. Gingerly, she pulled herself over the counter, trying not to make a sound. She tiptoed to the opposite side of the aisles, listening for movement. She counted each aisle, gun loaded and ready. Finally she was there, with the person in front of her and her arms held steady. With all her courage, she shouted, "This is a hold up! Put your weapons and supplies on the ground and turn around!"
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Gloriae
Sept 10, 2014 20:02:47 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by ashestoApples on Sept 10, 2014 20:02:47 GMT -6
Conrad's already wide eyes somehow grew wider as he heard a girl's voice behind him. Trembling, he dropped the gun to the ground, flinched at its clatter and slowly took off his hoodie which held the other gun, the bullets and the knife. The duffel bag was on the floor next to him so he slowly reached his foot over to kick it away. She was human, and that was enough for him. He would probably die either way, so at least he could try to live in the process.
His hands up in the air, he turned around, freezing at the sight of a girl around his age with a bandana over the lower half of her face. She was scared too.
"A-a-alright," he said quietly, forehead wrinkling in apprehension. "I-I-I'll c-cooperate. Please don't.... sh-shoot..."
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Gloriae
Sept 11, 2014 8:28:47 GMT -6
Post by macxcheese on Sept 11, 2014 8:28:47 GMT -6
Jane stared at the boy, her adrenaline taking a dive. Now that she was in control, she had no idea what to do. She remembered her injured ankle as pain shot up it. Hoping the teen wouldn't notice, she shifted her weight to the other foot.
You should just shoot him, she thought. That's what those people would've done. But she wasn't like those people. She didn't want to be at least. She saw the fear in the young man's face and her hands started shaking. God, she was so weak. Her ankle throbbed and she wondered how fast she could make a getaway on it. She should've just stayed in her ticket booth, it was safe there! Something wet ran down her cheek, and she realized it was a tear. Weak, a voice whispered. All the courage in her gave out and her hand fell to her side, the gun with it. She reached up and wiped away any evidence of her crying and stared at the ground. Her ankle was really bugging her now. She probably had hurt it worse doing all those stunts.
Glancing up at the boy, she asked the one thing she thought might help her situation. "Do you know first aid?"
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Gloriae
Sept 11, 2014 12:55:06 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by ashestoApples on Sept 11, 2014 12:55:06 GMT -6
Conrad wasn't daft. Even from his distance he could see her unhappiness and fear. When her hands dropped to her side, shaking before she wiped her face, he immediately thought back to his sister.
'What's wrong?' he said, sitting down next to her. She had tears on her face and dirt on her clothes.
'Don't you think I would've told you if I wasn't trying to hide I'm upset?' She wiped the tears from her eyes angrily, smearing the dirt on her face. 'You're so clueless, Connie.'
Conrad shuffled his feet and thumbed his Sergeant stripes. 'Yeah, I guess. I'd always want someone to notice if I was upset, though.'
'Not everyone's like that.'
"Yeah. Are you hurt?" he asked, dropping his arms. He reached for his bag and took out a small first aid kit Lorna had sent with him before edging closer to her slowly. He'd stopped shaking for the most part, and though he was still apprehensive, he saw that she was probably just as scared as he was. As long as she wasn't bitten and as long as she didn't try to pull a gun on him again, he couldn't see any harm in helping her.
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Gloriae
Sept 11, 2014 15:46:46 GMT -6
Post by macxcheese on Sept 11, 2014 15:46:46 GMT -6
Jane nodded her head, pointing to her left ankle. "I-I hurt it a f-few days ago while running." She noticed the boy's apprehension and remembered her gun. Finding a pocket big enough, she stuffed it in her jacket. That way she could reach it in case he tried anything. After lifting her hands as a sign of good will, she mumbled an apology for earlier. She was still beating herself up for being so careless and her thoughts were with the ticket booth upstairs.
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Gloriae
Sept 11, 2014 20:09:46 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by ashestoApples on Sept 11, 2014 20:09:46 GMT -6
Conrad nodded and neared her, still slowly, but not agonizingly so like he had been previously.
"Here," he said, looking around to find a folding chair tipped on its side. He picked it up and placed it behind her.
"What happened?" he asked as he sat on the ground in front of her, praying to whatever deity was listening that she hadn't made up an injury for the chance of a point-blank shot straight to his head.
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Gloriae
Sept 12, 2014 16:29:56 GMT -6
Post by macxcheese on Sept 12, 2014 16:29:56 GMT -6
Jane stiffened up when he moved behind her, only relaxing after she could see him again. She took seat and reached down to pull up her pant leg. She didn't get very far, seeing as they were skinny jeans. Skinny, skinny jeans. She'd been wearing them almost everyday since the concert. On one hand, they reminded her of better days, and on the other, they were probably the only pants that fit her so well.
Her cheeks flushed when she heard the boy's question, and she was thankful for the bandana covering her face. "I, um, I thought I heard something behind me and ran, and there was this uncovered manhole and, uh, I tripped on it," she explained softly. In reality she'd almost gone down it, but he didn't need to know that.
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Gloriae
Sept 12, 2014 17:58:23 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by ashestoApples on Sept 12, 2014 17:58:23 GMT -6
Conrad nodded understandingly before timidly checking her ankle for breaks. He tilted her foot up and down and to each side very slowly and carefully and looked up at her with an apologetic look.
"I don't think anything's broken, but you might have severely stressed something..." he chewed his lip. While he knew some, he wasn't sure if he could help her much with this... He rummaged through the lot to find a small roll of ace bandages which he proceeded to wrap around her ankle and secure with pins. Yeah, there wasn't much he could honestly do... He was pretty sure she either bruised the bone or she severely pulled or tore a tendon, but the real medical genius was miles away.
"I... have a.... friend that could help you more... I think this seriously needs attention.... um... Would you... like to see her?" He stood up awkwardly and brushed himself off. Reaching out a hand to help her up, he said, "My name's Conrad." He knew how awkward he sounded, but couldn't think of anything to say that was less awkward.
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Gloriae
Sept 12, 2014 22:28:55 GMT -6
Post by macxcheese on Sept 12, 2014 22:28:55 GMT -6
Her ankle screamed while being twisted and turned. Jane bit her lip, forcing herself not to cry again. She nodded stiffly as the boy told her the obvious information, but froze when he mentioned his friend. All the alarms went off in her head telling her to run, and run fast. She really couldn't do that though. She looked skeptically at the teen, sizing him up. This could be a trap, she considered. Then again, if she declined she would pretty much be trapping herself in here. And as long as she kept her face hidden the chance of danger would be considerably less, right? Besides, if he tried something funny, she had a gun.
She nodded, deciding that she would have to trust him. She pushed herself off the chair, ignoring his hand and lightly using her left foot to stay balanced. She hoped he wouldn't take it as a slight, but she just couldn't bring herself to unnecessarily touch him. She'd forgotten about introductions, so hearing his name surprised her. She supposed he looked like a Conrad. "Jane," she replied. Suddenly remembering the ticket box, she motioned upward. "My backpack, can I go get it first?" Asking was just a formality, her teddy bear was way too important to leave behind.
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Gloriae
Sept 12, 2014 22:34:54 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by ashestoApples on Sept 12, 2014 22:34:54 GMT -6
After moving his hand in a (not very) smooth move to scratch his neck instead, he nodded vigorously. He knew how she must feel, trusting anyone with anything in times like these, and he could only hope to make her as comfortable as possible to show he really, truly had no intentions of hurting her.
"Yes, of course. But, do you need help with it? You could be really injured..." he said carefully, hoping not to offend but rather to sound like he cared. He probably cared too much, considering she could just be using his base as a place to loot and run. Please forgive me, Lorna. My God. He thought he might have a harder time with Rick, though, in all reality.
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Gloriae
Sept 12, 2014 23:21:20 GMT -6
Post by macxcheese on Sept 12, 2014 23:21:20 GMT -6
She glanced down at her ankle. Right. Elevators didn't work anymore. "I think I can make it," she answered. She figured that as long as she stayed near something to hold on to, she'd be fine. She started hopping towards the aisle end, being extra careful of any items on the floor. "It's, um, not that far anyway. Just up the escalator." Her grasp on the shelving was as solid as her determination to make it there with no help. At the end of the row she turned, making a large hop to reach the next lane. She wobbled for a second, clutching onto the metal for dear life before regaining her balance. Taking a breath, she did it again. And again. It was gonna be a while.
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Gloriae
Sept 13, 2014 9:14:05 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by ashestoApples on Sept 13, 2014 9:14:05 GMT -6
Conrad felt terrible that she was hobbling around on her own and caught up with her in a few steps. He looked down at her (he was just realizing how short she was-- he wasn't tall himself but wow was she short), brow furrowed in distress.
"U-uh, Jane? I can help, it's really not a problem..." he said slowly. "I don't want you to... injure yourself further...."
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Gloriae
Sept 13, 2014 11:26:46 GMT -6
Post by macxcheese on Sept 13, 2014 11:26:46 GMT -6
Conrad was probably right, she should just let him help her. They'd be able to get out of there faster and get to the medic. But she'd already given out so much trust today, and it was exhausting. She looked up at him. He seemed sincerely concerned, at least enough to weaken her resolve. Just this once, she decided. Get your ankle fixed and then you never have to ask for help again. She reached out to him and muttered, "Please".
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Gloriae
Sept 13, 2014 19:27:25 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by ashestoApples on Sept 13, 2014 19:27:25 GMT -6
Conrad's bigger-than-average eyes looked apologetic and understanding as he leaned over and hooked her arm (carefully!! He was so afraid of hurting her or making her uncomfortable that he did everything slowly and precisely) over his shoulders and placed his arm around hers, taking as much of her weight for himself to support as possible- which actually was a fair amount. She was so little...! He left his bags behind. When she was safely in the car with the doors locked so nothing could get in he would come back for them, but until then they weren't important.
"Okay," he said softly, and hopefully reassuringly (he was trying so hard). "Where are we going?"
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