candyleptic
Junior Member
Haar probably
Posts: 84
devArt: C--YOU
art blog: C--YOU.tumblr.com
active character(s): Rashad, Malina, Mace
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Otium
Mar 8, 2015 22:39:31 GMT -6
Post by candyleptic on Mar 8, 2015 22:39:31 GMT -6
December 25th, 2026 _________________________________ Otium: Noun1.) Leisure 2.) Repose3.) Peace_________________________________macxcheese
There were hands everywhere. They were holding her up as she surged over the crowd, as they cheered her name. She smiled. Then one of the hands grabbed her arm and pulled, and she felt it pop off. Another hand grabbed her hair, another her clothes. They were all pulling, tugging, and she could only lay there frozen. She glanced down and saw a figure on stage. She tried to call out, and he must have heard her, for he called her name back. "Jane! Jane! Run Jane-"
Jane blinked and found herself staring at the roof of a car. She felt a pain in her arm and looked over. It was half gone. "Stop the car," she whispered. She was going to throw up.
Candyleptic
“♪She don't look back, she's seen enough
Close the book, the story's done, see Jane run!”♫
Malina’s tablet continued to play even though she fell asleep quite a while ago! Rashad was only half awake, driving pretty slowly, and didn’t even realize what was playing!! It wasn’t loud, but Jane’s voice from the back startled him, and the car quickly halted to a stop! Malina stirred in her sleep, but didn’t wake.
Rashad clicked the doors to unlock and turned, not really sure what to expect. Would she want to leave them? He understood, but it would be vital someone was there to check it out… He cleared his throat, “How are you feeling?” Now conscious of the song, he clicked it off.
macxcheese
"I'm gonna puke," Jane answered quietly. She had a hand over her mouth in an attempt to keep herself together. It was getting pretty hard though and she could only lay there, staring at Rashad for help.
Candyleptic
Rashad nodded to her for a minute before realizing she was looking to him for help! “Oh right!” he exclaimed before quickly putting the car in park! In a second he was at Jane’s door and (really carefully!!) picked her up and took her outside. They were in a highway, and he let her to the shoulder of the road. He helped her get on her knees, and carefully held back her hair for her. He realized at this point she wasn’t sporting her signature braids! Not that he was one to talk about hair but… “Do you want a hair-tie for later? Malina has a few, I believe.”
macxcheese
Jane let out a small gag as soon as Rashad got out, quickly clapping her hand over her mouth when he reappeared. She didn't have time to say thank you when he set her down before she vomited, then vomited again. She only managed a nod at Rashad's offer as she leaned back. She took a second to make sure she wouldn't puke again before holding up her good arm so he could pick her up.
Candyleptic
He looked away, but he did realize that two hands would mean that it would be hard to braid her hair, so while she reoriented herself, he quickly braided it for her. It was only a single braid, but at least it would be out of her face, he wagered! When he got to the end, he split the three strands into two, and knotted it loosely- it would stay, but wouldn’t be too hard to get out later. It was really the least he could do after all of what went down, honestly. He picked her up and started back for the car, glad he left the door open- it would have been pretty hard to get in any other way! After he set her back down, he reached in the back for his canteen that he had filed with distilled snow earlier. He got in the drivers seat, and handed the canteen back to Jane. “So how are you feeling? I uh…” He kinda of half-laughed/breathed out, “Words…cannot express how sorry I am for all of this.”
macxcheese
Jane jumped when she felt hands in her hair. She calmed herself, and when they were done she said, "Thanks Skylar." She turned and was surprised to see Rashad. "O-oh sorry", she mumbled. God she was tired. As soon as she returned to the backseat she closed her eyes. She opened them to the sight of the canteen, which she gratefully took. After a long drink, she stared out the window. "I-" She felt like shit, but she didn't want to make Rashad feel worse than he already did. So she moved on. "Don't apologize. You couldn't have known. It was just bad luck."
Candyleptic
He started the car up again, and moved the rear mirror so he could see Jane (He tried to be stealthy but- that usually wasn’t his forte!). He looked down at the wheel for a moment before starting to drive again. “I think it’s more than that but… I uh, I had to take more off, actually.” He awkwardly drummed his hands on the wheel, but started to talk faster and faster, “I knew what I was doing though! I mean, I had never done it before but I figured it out- I mean, it’s textbook, actually but…” He breathed and looked out the window, “I didn’t want you to have it worse than you already had it.”
macxcheese
Jane glanced down at her left arm and winced. "Oh." She met his eyes in the rearview mirror and said, "I'm still alive though, so thank you." She watched trees pass as they drove, and a small slice of light marking the dawn. She closed her eyes again. "So... Where are we going?"
Candyleptic
Rashad blinked hard a few times at the approaching dawn. “Yeah.” He didn’t really know what else to say- it was probably hard enough without being told she ended up losing more than she thought. Still, she might want to be distracted more than anything- “Well, for obvious reasons, motels are no longer in question! Quite honestly however, we are looking to find shelter soon, as gas is getting harder and harder to come by. We know of a church a little ways north, but I was thinking we make a stop before that.” He smiled, “Merry Christmas, Jane! I thought… it might be out of place (or obviously out of place, rather!) but…the three of us… are quite lucky to be alive after all, and that’s worth celebrating, isn’t it?” He gave her a tired smile.
macxcheese
Something tugged at Jane's memory, and suddenly her eyes opened wide and she gasped. "It's-it's Christmas?" She couldn't speak for a moment and actually started crying. A smile lighted her face as she rubbed the tears. "It's my birthday," she explained to Rashad. "I made it to twenty!"
Candyleptic
“Yeah!” He said happily, until he slowed the car waaaay down when she started to cry!! He double took from the road to her- was that a trigger for something?? The car stopped and he looked behind him quicky, “Your birthday? Oh…!” He let out a relaxed sigh. Thank God! “Well, happy birthday then!” He laughed, “Take it from me, twenty’s a good age to be! Jane Austen, actually, wrote Pride and Prejudice when she was twenty! Oh and what else… Bill Gates created Microsoft, Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein, Charles Lindbergh learned to fly, ah…Oh! Plato became a disciple of Socrates too!” He laughed, “And we just escaped from Hell, so you’re up there too!” He started the car again!
macxcheese
Jane laughed as he listed off all the famous twenty year olds. Her laugh became nervous when she realized it was her second time escaping from Hell, and she made a birthday wish that there wouldn't be a third. She quickly looked to change the subject and asked, "When are your and Malina's birthdays?"
Candyleptic
“Weeeell,” He said, changing lanes as carefully as someone would in heavy traffic (Or any at all). “Malina’s is mid-June- the nineteenth! Mine is actually in four days, I believe!” He smiled, “I wish I could be twenty again! You couldn’t pay me enough to be thirteen, though,” he said, giving a look to Malina, who was now waking up, “What?” She said tiredly, and let out a yawn, “Is Jane okay? What’s going on?” She rubbed the sleep from her eyes before she perked up, “HEY!” She called to Rashad, excited, “I killed a guy! Like, a human this time!! I’ve never done that before! We killed a guy!” She wasn’t happy, but just kinda shocked! “We won!!”
macxcheese
Jane raised her eyebrows. "Really? Happy early birthday I guess then!" She turned to the very excited Malina and grimaced at her exclamations.
Candyleptic
Rashad was about to thank her, but let his shoulders fall and eyes roll at Malina. “It’s over, what’s done is done.” Malina looked totally siked though, “WE WON!” She threw her hands up in the air, “Team Jane wins again! HA HA HA!” She was exhausted, good Lord!! Rashad kept falling asleep at the wheel all night, so she was constantly waking up! She had only slept for a few hours, actually, but still! Rashad shook his head at his sister, and instead looked back at Jane through the window, “Who is Skylar, by the way?” He let out a laugh. “I don’t think I’m handsome enough to pass for a Skylar, but I thank you!”
macxcheese
Jane grimaced even more at "Team Jane." She was glad for the subject change, even if it was still a little painful. "She was part of my last group," she told them.
Candyleptic
Rashad nodded his head awkwardly, and spoke with a stifled laugh, “Those uh, unisex names sure can be confusing!” Malina sunk through her seat, feeling kinda bad for her previous behavior but tHEY WON! She was glad, it was over! And Jane still stuck with them! Speaking of which, “Hey Jane,” She got quiet, “Are there kids our age in your old group? Like…have you met any more?”
Rashad looked away embarrassed and Malina squinted at Jane. Rick?? Man that sounded familiar. Really familiar. She shrugged it off though, and picked up her tablet. She started to sort through it while Rashad looked back at Jane, “She asks because she hasn’t met any preteens yet. She’s convinced she’s the last one,” he sighed, “Our old group was mostly adults; that’s why she acts the way she does. She wasn’t like that bef-“ Malina cut him off, “I was always kind of a bitch.” Rashad was about to answer but instead he just kinda agreed. He tried to redeem her, he really did!
macxcheese
"Oh," Jane said, a bit taken aback. "I- uh-" Honestly she couldn't remember any preteens in her /old/ old group (and was slightly relieved she couldn't). "I'm sorry," she sincerely told Malina.
Candyleptic
“That’s okay, they probably all got themselves killed,” She said, pretty nonchalantly. She was preoccupied with whatever was on her screen, and started to play snippets of songs to find one she liked. The June Rhodes song from earlier was one of them, but it was only on a second. Rashad started to talk over her, “Actually, we’ve found a vast majority of survivors tend to be in their mid to late twenties and older. It makes sense, considering that is when one is at their peak but it’s amazing how few older adults have made it-“ He trailed off for a moment, about to bring something up when Malina nearly dropped her tablet and turned to Jane, “WAIT. HOLY SHIT.” Rashad was about to nag her about her language but she kept going over him, “I know who you are!! I didn’t know before because of the- the-…” She didn’t know the word for bandana so she just gestured to her face, “But I know now!!”
macxcheese
Jane nodded along to Rashad's explanation, thinking that it was pretty accurate. Suddenly Malina was yelling and it took a moment for Jane to understand what she was going on about. When she did finally get it, her eyes grew wide and she covered her mouth with her hand. How in the world could she have such bad luck?! She grimly waited for Malina to reveal her secret.
Candyleptic
Malina put the tablet down, “You were with that MOLE KID in Wal-Mart!! You and Prick!” Rashad tried to stifle his laughter, “Duh,” he added, in her same moody tone, “I thought Lorna and Rick sounded familiar.” Malina shook her head, “You should have told us!! Those other kids are waaaaay older than me and you!” She laughed and turned back around to play on her tablet. Rashad smiled a moment and looked back at the road. “I think she’s a singer too, she looked like a girl on a billboard I passed last night.” He said, with a wink in the mirror to Jane. “That’s cool,” Malina added, passively.
macxcheese
Jane had a look of complete shock on her face. "Wha- WHAT. I-" She looked between the two, flabbergasted. "I'm at least five years older than you!" She finally said.
Candyleptic
Malina turned, confused, “WAIT, five then ME? Not-not Rashad right??” Her brother was nearly choking laughing, but Malina was confused out of her mind, “You mean, this WHOLE time you’ve been a grown up?? What?! HOW OLD?” She pouted, and Rashad finally breathed out, “She’s twenty today!” Malina turned around to face front, and picked up her tablet again, not so angry, but more to make a scene, “Well- well then Happy Birthday, you liar!” She was kinda laughing too though! Rashad, now full heartedly laughing, “Oh shut up, Malina!”
macxcheese
Jane sputtered before finally joining their laughter. "How have you not known this whole time?" She gasped between her chuckles. "Thank you though!" She glanced out the window and gasped. Outside the sunrise smeared pinks and oranges across the sky. "It's so pretty," she commented.
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Otium
Mar 14, 2015 0:29:45 GMT -6
Post by macxcheese on Mar 14, 2015 0:29:45 GMT -6
gif
Jane leaned over until she was laying on the seat, lifting her legs so that she could lay on her back. Something suddenly occurred to her and she looked at her stump of an arm. "How am I not dead again?" she asked nervously.
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candyleptic
Junior Member
Haar probably
Posts: 84
devArt: C--YOU
art blog: C--YOU.tumblr.com
active character(s): Rashad, Malina, Mace
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Otium
Mar 14, 2015 1:26:04 GMT -6
Post by candyleptic on Mar 14, 2015 1:26:04 GMT -6
Malina looked into the sky tiredly, and felt her eyelids start to fall, but she was partly curious as to how Jane did make it out alive. Still, most of what Rashad said always went over her head, and she was pretty used to it. As long as she was going to be okay, that was all that mattered. gif
"Divine intervention," Rashad started, "for one! I know that's probably not what you want to hear, but you definitely have angels looking over you. We all do," He said, looking back at Malina for a second before stopping at a broken light. "You're going to want to keep that elevated," he said, and leaning back, he lightly lifted what was left of Jane's arm up a tad. He breathed out, "Honestly though, it was a miracle. Volkav's cut was not meant to heal ah.... as you know! It was ragged, sharp, and not complete. He didn't completely sever the tissues from your hand, and chances are an infection these days would prove to be deadly. As a doctor," He let his hands slide down the steering wheel, "It was a terrible on the spot decision. But as your friend, I was worried for you, so I did all I could. That being said, without resources available to us, there is no chance of ever reconnecting your arm, I'm deeply, deeply sorry to say." "The hand that was amputated- disgustingly so- was lost in the scuffle, and with what was left, I did not have much left to save or, at least, attempt to. I was more concerned with prolonging your own life." He looked up at her from the rear mirror, "It's my job." Malina felt her eyes start to droop. It was brighter outside, but that didn't make her less tired. "My first priority was pain control. Volkav had large amounts of hospital grade chloroform on hand, and while that left you out the entire procedure, I was afraid of how you would take the pain later. I'll explain later, but firstly, I actually performed everything where you are now. I imagine you are still in shock, as you where during the amputation itself- I actually took care to perform it outside so that your blood vessels would condense. Furthermore, to control bloodflow I used my shirt as a..." he kinda laughed here, "a 'ghetto' tourniquet, if you will. Thankfully, it was actually unneeded; after the limb was removed- very precisely just under the joint that connects your forearm and elbow- the vessels from your 'stump' (for lack of a better term) miraculously went through spasms, but retracted all the same. You are very lucky," he actually smiled, "To be traveling with someone who has more saline and gauze on hand than water and food. The foremost layer on your "stump" there is actually the netting of eggshells, believe it or not, as it was sterile and also will promote the growing of skin over the aforementioned cut." At this point, Malina was out cold. This was too much sciencey speak. She couldn't deal. "I really hope you don't plan on going anywhere from us, Jane. For one, those bandages should be changed every few hours for quite some time (I've already changed them once!), but secondly, and perhaps even most importantly would be how I went about on this "pain control." When...this all happened... I mean, two years ago or so... The majority of the pubic raided grocery stores and the like first, yes? Malina and I raided four hospitals in a twenty four hour period. And the next day, we hit more." He lightly started to drum the steering wheel, "The reason," he started, relatively lightheartedly, "Malina is in charge of all foodstuffs and clothing is partly so that should we get separated, she would survive much easier, as we tend to let on; but much moreso, if it was made known what I'm carrying, I would very well be killed! We're targets enough as it is, wouldn't you think? The actual reason we tend to move from place to place is because I am carrying enough morphine to sedate a small hospital, among other things." He laughed, "I trust that you wouldn't kill us for it, mostly because you probably aren't fully 'there,' if you know what I mean. Your last dose was just recently before you woke up. Of course, it's not perfect, and chances are you probably will feel quite a bit of pain on and off, but it would be nothing compared to otherwise. As for if you get addicted to the stuff, I honestly cannot say. I imagine that as we run low, I'll administer less as they would at a hospital? I'm not quite too sure, to be honest!!" He had to admit, he was never a practicing doctor, and med school could only do so much! "Don't worry Jane, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. It's a small price to pay for your life, I wager! Things you can expect your way will be pain, nausea, and you definitely will be a lot weaker. Slowly though, you'll get your strength back! Also expect sequences of phantom pain, not so much actual pain, but your brain is not wired to compensate for the loss of a body part immediately, and you will feel a numb, tingling sensation as if your arm was still present, but asleep. Very uncomfortable, but nothing terminal, I assure you. Minimal blood loss with compression and attention to detail, I would have to say that the entire process was a success! My expert opinion? You'll definitely live." Malina moved in her sleep and muttered something along the lines of "are you done yet?" Rashad hummed and kept driving- if anything, his complete lack of sleep since yesterday morning left him in an almost dream state, mixed with the fact that they were all still breathing and alive! "Did you know that in the 1800s, only six percent of sailors with amputations actually died from it? Only six percent! And that's the same procedure, on a moving boat or what have you, in the middle of the ocean, without doctors and using only whiskey to null the pain?? The human body is amaz-" "-Nerd!! I'm glad you're okay, Jane." "Of course, the same goes for myself as well!"
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Otium
Mar 14, 2015 20:07:59 GMT -6
Post by macxcheese on Mar 14, 2015 20:07:59 GMT -6
Jane pulled her arm away from Rashad and managed to set it on her chest, albeit awkwardly. It would at least keep it elevated without her having to hold her arm up in the air. She listened to Rashad's monologue, her eyes fluttering around the cab all the while. Part's of speech drifted in and out, and at one point she might have fallen asleep as well! She was wide awake when he finished though and started laughing at Malina's exclamation. "I'm glad I'm okay too," she agreed. She rubbed her shoulder and closed her eyes. She was feeling a lot better than when she'd woken up. She attributed that to the morphine and blinked her eyes open again. Jane looked down at her bloody clothes and suddenly decided, "If we're going somewhere for Christmas presents, I would like to request a new outfit please." She glanced over at the siblings and smirked. "All this blood is ruining my aesthetic."
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Otium
Mar 15, 2015 21:06:56 GMT -6
Post by macxcheese on Mar 15, 2015 21:06:56 GMT -6
candylepticRashad scratched his chin. "New clothes sound pretty nice, actually!" he laughed. Malina kicked her shoes up on the dashboard. "Uh.... Are we even going to find anywhere with clothes?? I grabbed what I could but uh... won't everything be taken by now?" She looked back at Jane, "That is, unless you know a place!" She smiled, "You probably know around here better than us, right Jane?" Rashad looked back to the road with a nervous cough; was Jane lucid enough to give directions? macxcheese “Where going back the way we came, right?” Jane assumed they were and thought for a second. Where had she stayed before, hm hm hm. She started humming until finally something came to her! “There’s a mall if you go down I-94. I think.” She drew her eyebrows together and searched through her muddled mind. “There’s clothing there though, at least last time I was there.” The last time she was there… Her eyebrows furrowed deeper. What a mood killer. candyleptic"We are currently, correct!" He said, humming again. He wondered for a moment if he had enough morphine for himself---- not that he WOULD do that but he did have enough... He snapped back to Jane, "A whole mall? Nearly untouched? That means-" "Zombies!" Malina said, leaning towards Rashad. "If you can handle that!" She laughed, she would GLADLY take zombies over Volkav, anyday! "Let's go then!" Rashad deflated and looked back at Jane, "Did you happen to see uh...them while you were there?" macxcheese Jane snapped out of her little trance and looked up. “U-um, yeah. There were a few. If we’re quiet though, we should be fine.” candyleptic_______________________________________________________________ Again, the car was parked so terrible there was no way a living breathing human would have parked it that way intentionally (save Rashad). Malina slammed the door shut behind her and took a walk around the lot- she was pretty tense from being in the stupid car for so long! She took out her rifle (So sure to get it!!!) and checked ammunition! While she attended to that, Rashad got his own pack on and ready before opening Jane's door and helping her out. She was far too weary to stand on her own, however, so he quickly resorted to carrying her again. She actually felt lighter than Malina, but he would never bring that up...! He was about to cautiously leave the area they had parked in (close to the receiving area of the mall- hopefully the last place any people would check, it was well hidden!) before Malina called something back from the truck. He stopped and turned to her, only for his face to fall when he felt her tug at his belt!! "Asshole!! You left your gun in the car!" She mocked, and stuck it halfway in his pants. Rashad, feeling extremely violated, turned and hastened towards the mall entrance, letting Malina follow. macxcheese Jane tried to get out of the car, yet as soon as she stood up the world was a little too wobbly. She flinched when she felt someone pick her up and starting panicking until she realized it was only Rashad. Letting out a gasp of relief, she hooked her good arm around his neck. Rashad started walking unexpectedly fast and Jane’s arm tensed as they quickly neared the mall. “Y-you know, there might be some stuff still hidden in the movie theater’s ticket box,” she recalled. “I don’t think we ever came back for it.” candyleptic"I'll go first!!!" Malina called out, excited to show off!! Being good at anything was only cool if you got to impress someone, and Jane didn't get a good view of it last time!! Plus...Jane was older now and that meant she would be harder to impress or, at least, that's what occurred to Malina. She jogged ahead, rifle ready and tazer in pocket. Rashad called after her, annoyed, because they were lucky enough to be alive, and risking it was just plain ridiculous. Malina didn't heed anything, and opened the door for them. "Why's it unlocked?" she asked to herself as they came closer. Rashad adjusted his grip on Jane- if she was going to be carried the whole time, she should be comfortable! He really wasn't all that strong, but he had carried Malina a lot (mostly because he could run faster). "'We' ever came back? Where you here with someone before?" He started to wonder about her previous group- he really did hope to God they were all alright. Jane didn't appear to have "lone survivor syndrome," so hopefully there was another reason for her departure? macxcheese Jane watched Malina run ahead, a little concerned! She pulled her attention away from her and replied, “Yeah. Well, more so he found me here but, um… the mole kid? His name’s Conrad.” Quickly looking for another topic, she spotted an H&M. “Clothes!” candylepticRashad nodded happily, she said his name 'is' Conrad, not was! That was a pretty good sign!... And probably as much as he'd know for awhile. He didn't want to ask Jane about her group- she'd open up about it when she was ready. He entered the mall first, cautious, and while it wasn't too lit up, it wasn't terrible. Malina commented at the broken glass sprawled around the place. Stuff was thrown about here and there, but they'd seen much worse! She squinted at the store, "What's that?" while Rashad made his way there. He motioned for Malina to get the door, but instead, she took the butt of her rifle and smashed in the glass, letting it fall inside. "Well...that's one way to do it..." Rashad said, as he stepped carefully over the rim. Malina scoffed proudly, "Now we can get out easier! You don't need me to open the door, yeah?" It was true, but Rashad still didn't like vandalism. He set Jane down on the counter in a sitting position, hopeing that was okay for now. "How are you?" He said, as Malina started to pick through stuff. "Hey," she called out, "What's the difference between guys and girl clothes in America?" macxcheese Jane cringed at the sound of breaking glass and looked nervously around her. She had suggested they be quiet, hadn’t she? It was too late now though, and if anything had heard them it would be apparent pretty soon. Her anxiety actually flared more when Rashad set her down and she suddenly wished for a weapon. She still had one good arm! She tried to smile, though it looked more like a grimace. “A little dizzy and itchy, but otherwise not much pain.” She leaned to see what Malina was look at and called, “Guys has better pants pockets, but girls will probably fit better!” candylepticRashad called to Malina, "Men's clothing! Men's clothing can fit either sex, so that's what will be more scarce." Instead, Malina brought him a dress, "This looks like what Mom was wearing." Rashad started at her for a moment solemnly before Malina let out a light laugh, "Don't look at me like that!! We don't do sappy!!!" Still, she shoved it in her bag. "Am I stealing?" she said, as she looked around for more things." "Yes. Expect three consecutive life sentences!" he laughed. Malina made a face towards him, "We're already in prison!"
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Post by macxcheese on Mar 16, 2015 16:50:38 GMT -6
Jane floated in and out of the conversation and laughed when the siblings laughed. She hadn't felt this relaxed in quite a while! Remembering the reason why she felt so good sobered her up, and she found herself staring at a rack of jeans. She mumbled, "32/34, 33 if they're around," and then "A four or maybe a two." She looked up and called, "Malina could you find me a size 00?"
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candyleptic
Junior Member
Haar probably
Posts: 84
devArt: C--YOU
art blog: C--YOU.tumblr.com
active character(s): Rashad, Malina, Mace
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Otium
Mar 23, 2015 19:10:47 GMT -6
Post by candyleptic on Mar 23, 2015 19:10:47 GMT -6
"Huuuuuh?" Malina called to Jane. She understood "00" was in fact a small size, but English numbers were just so different than Hindi ones. Zero was definately the oval one, but the other numbers she called out (thirty what?) didn't register, so she just stared blankly at Jane. Still, she rifled through what she could, and produced a pair of black jeans that were the ovals in size, apparently. She brought them back, and at her return, Rashad left to go look at clothing too. It was understood between them that Jane shouldn't be left alone at any given time!
Malina hopped up on the counter and handed her the pants, and lightly swung her legs. "I am confused," she started, "how come American malls are actually prisons though?" She looked to a few stores away from the windows- steel bars covered them. Weird place for inmates to stay, she guessed, but OKAY. America was a pretty weird place with their clothing stores where guy clothing looked like girl clothing and girls apparently wore nothing?
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Post by macxcheese on Mar 25, 2015 20:08:42 GMT -6
Jane was about to repeat "double zero" when Malina seemingly found the size. Jane smiled brightly and gladly took the jeans. "Thank you! I- prisons?" Jane followed her gaze to the steel bars and laughed. "No, not prisons! They're there so the animals won't get out!" At least that sounded right... Maybe she was thinking of zoos...
"I'm gonna try these on!" Jane declared, holding up the jeans. She hopped off the counter, made it about five feet, and then sat down hard. She looked up with a confused expression on her face. "How did I get down here?"
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candyleptic
Junior Member
Haar probably
Posts: 84
devArt: C--YOU
art blog: C--YOU.tumblr.com
active character(s): Rashad, Malina, Mace
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Otium
Mar 26, 2015 21:04:27 GMT -6
Post by candyleptic on Mar 26, 2015 21:04:27 GMT -6
candylepticRashad's face crossed as he realize his suspicious were correct- men's clothing was definitely scarce. The entirety of the men's section looked as if it had been attacked by wolves; he imagined the only reason Malina and Jane had found any clothing is because there was little demand for people in their size these days. Despite this, he did managed to find a pair of white sneakers to replace the thin slippers he had left Volkav's cave in. A little ways, buried beneath piles of rubbish was a white button up shirt, thankfully in wearable condition. Pants were his highest priory though, and though he'd seldom admit it, he did end up looking through the women's section anyway. candylepticMalina raised a high brow at Jane---"Ani..mals...?" In the mall??? Did they get out when the zombies- no they couldn't get out! The bars! But who was feeding them?? Was this a joke? Still, Malina wearily kept an eye on the barred stores; are there lions in America?? She snapped out of it when Jane hopped off the counter- was she supposed to be walking? If she could walk that why was Rashad carrying- "Hey!" She called out, worried that Jane kinda(?) had fell!!? Did Rashad mess up and take out some of her brains too?? "A-Are you okay? Rashad? Rashad!!!" Rashad, now dressed much more comfortably (he's never tell where he got his jeans, thank you), slipped on his last shoe and ran over, confused to find Jane on the floor? He offered her a hand, and lightly put another on her shoulder (one arm did make it kinda hard to help someone up...) "Jane, let's be more careful, okay?" macxcheese Jane snapped her head back and forth, confused by all the shouting. She took Rashad’s hand and, once he had pulled her up, nodded vigorously. She glanced back nervously at Malina and whispered (or so she thought), “You should tell Malina too! She’s kind of loud and you know there’s ZOMBIES!” She made a face at the last part, like they didn’t know about it. Jane moved to return to the counter, and as she did so caught her reflection in the shop’s glass. She spun back to Rashad and grabbed his shirt. “I LOOK TERRIBLE. PLEASE FIND ME CLOTHES.” candylepticMalina gave Jane a pout- she wasn't...that...well... she kinda was pretty loud, actually. Rashad sighed, he actually, for a moment, didn't worry about zombies too much. Seeing as the mall had been ransacked a few times, he guessed a majority of the zombies had been cleared or resided towards the mall's front rather than the back, where they were now. "I think Malina's breaking glass already shot that horse in the face," he muttered, looking back at it; they really ought to do something about- "UuuUUhhh?" he called out, surprised she had grabbed his shirt so tightly! He felt his hairs raise on end from being touched- that always made him pretttty uncomfortable. Still, he reminded himself Jane wasn't at fault, and he was the one who drugged her in the first place. "I think you look great!" He nervously laughed, but Malina just nodded. "More ovals for you then, Jane! macxcheese Jane’s eyes narrowed. “You’re /lying/,” she hissed. She let go of her shirt and took a step back, feeling pretty dejected at the moment. Even Malina’s declaration of “more ovals” only made her feel a little better. She crossed her arms, realized there wasn’t a second arm to cross the first one, and suddenly started crying. Between sniffles she mana ged to whine, “I d-don’t have two arms!” candylepticMalina found more of the oval-shaped stuff over in a corner, and, not really caring to go through it all, she just brought over the whole pile! Happily, she was about to call out a big "Happy Birthday Jane!" When she started to cry?? Malina lowered the clothing a bit and her eyes opened wide- was she feeling more pain?? Or maybe it all finally got to her? candylepticRashad sat on the counter to tie his shoes while watching Jane do this and that- he didn't notice she went to cross her arms, but his head shot up at her sniffling- "Jane!" He hopped off the counter quickly and put a hand on her shoulder; these things were always so hard. Should he hug her again? Give her more drugs? He just couldn't tell! "There there," he said, as fatherly as possible, "I know, but soon you'll be used to it, okay? Malina found you some new clothes, want to try some on?" macxcheese She sniffed. “That’s what they said. ‘You’ll get used to it Janie, it’ll be fine!’” Jane got quiet for a moment. Finally she sniffed again and noticed Malina with the large pile of clothes. “Okay.” She rubbed her arm and added, “I might need help.” candyleptic"Janie?" Rashad mumbled, "It that you prefer to be called then?" Maybe that was a stage name? Malina passed between him and Jane, "I can help you," she said, not as confident as she usually spoke. Getting dressed in girls' locker rooms was always kinda uncomfortable, but this would be different, right? "Hit the bricks, Rashad!" She said, now in her ~confident~ tone! macxcheese Jane bristled when Rashad mentioned the name and she gave him a look that said ‘I will mess you the fuck up bro if you say that again’, before smiling at Malina. “Thank you!” candylepticRashad felt a chill down his spine at Jane, and instead gave her a quick nod before turning and geTTING OUT OF THE STORE as fast as possible. While outside, he started to feel a pretty heavy lingering headache, and almost felt dizzy. He leaned on the wall outside for a moment and just rested his eyes for a second when Malina called out "TA DAAA" and it woke him up. Still, Rashad didn't dare come in until he was invited, no thanks!! candylepticWith Jane, Malina had a hard time getting clothes on and over her, but it wasn't terrible. Her clothes fit her pretty well and looked a lot cleaner than the ones Malina had picked out, and, being sure Jane was good for a second, she went to the back to get changed herself. She found a large white shirt, a pair of kids' khakis and a cardigan, but all she was missing were shoes, and she cursed Volkav for hiding her pink boots after all of this. Still, she showed Jane her outfit and smiled with her hands on her hips. "All good?" macxcheese With the help of Malina, Jane was able to put on a pair of jeans, a long sleeved shirt, and a pair of warm socks. They had to roll the loose sleeve up when the younger girl realized it might get caught in various, and possibly dangerous, things. Jane moved her arm back and forth and sighed, but quickly put her attention on Malina. She smiled and ga ve her a thumbs up. “You’re the most fashion forward in the entire apocalypse!”
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Otium
Mar 27, 2015 22:43:46 GMT -6
Post by macxcheese on Mar 27, 2015 22:43:46 GMT -6
candylepticMalina lowered a brow, "Whaaat? No way," she said, writing it off, "maybe you Jane! Not me though." She stepped over the broken glass to find Rashad, now in a sitting position, asleep. She called back to Jane in the store, "What a loser!! Are you getting tired Jane?" macxcheese Jane smiled brightly. “You’re probably right, haha!” She was joking of course. Kind of. She took a few steps after Malina, but when her head whirled she decided to stay put. Jane shrugged at Malina’s question and pursed her lips. “Losing an arm merits a nap I guess.” candyleptic"Okay," Malina said, pretty flatly. She proceeded to walk back towards the sitting Rashad and gave him a kick. "HEY. Jane's tired." Rashad stirred and rubbed his side, still half asleep, but rather than punish her, he just nodded. "Give me a moment," candylepticA few minutes later, Rashad was back with a shopping cart, which Malina filled with the clothing they had found (and some extras here and there). After making a sort of "bedding," he walked over to Jane and rubbed his eyes. "Sorry about this, would it be alright if we changed your mode of transportation for the time being? Just for an interval, I mean?" macxcheese Jane waited patiently for Malina to come back, every now and again glancing at her reflection. She would never get used to it. Quickly enough, the siblings were back and Jane eyed the basket. "Oh um, okay I guess. It looks comfortable enough." candyleptic"Okay, in you gooo," Rashad said with a yawn and he lightly (super carefully!) picked up Jane and set her in the cart. "There's Macy's a little ways away; Malina already promised she'd take watch if we got a little rest." He wheeled her over, asking as he went, "Are you feeling any pain? Or nausea? If so let me know, I might be able to do something to help." Malina lagged behind a little ways, watching for zombies while Rashad yawned again. How long had he been up? It was definitely over thirty hours, right? He didn't feel too tired, oddly enough for him! macxcheese Jane settled into her new wheels, setting her tired head on the back of the cart. “I feel just fineeee,” she half answered half yawned. This was more comfortable than she thought a shopping cart could be. “I want twenty mattresses stacked up high, please!” she mumbled. candylepticRashad blinked at Jane's comment, and it hardly registered at first. "We can try?" When they did get to the mattress Macy's, there actually were quite a few mattresses left in "stock," mostly because moving them proved too hard. A few brave souls bothered to try, but it was evident by a few messes on the ground that they definitely had company. Malina noticed right away, and went to protest to Rashad; but he looked pretty worn out, so she didn't say anything. Rashad wheeled the cart until they hit an escalator - perfect! His assumption proved correct; Macy's stored their bedding displays on the upper level. He had to carry Jane up the 'stairs,' but sure enough, there were bedding sets. Some where stripped but for the most part he imagined untouched - There was too much else worth value in the mall to try to take a whole set. Finding a comfortable looking one, Rashad moved Jane from her "transportation" and set her down. He was unsure of whether or not he should tuck her in or even pull blankets over her, so he hesitated. Malina, keeping them in sight, started to take a look around. macxcheese The idea of sleep made Jane very tired, and she was almost out by the time Rashad moved her. She muttered a quiet, “Goodnight,” when she felt her head hit the mattress. After rolling over onto her side and tucking her legs up, she was fast asleep. candylepticRashad rubbed the back of his neck, "Goodnight then!" And made his way to a larger display. "Malina, do you-" "I've got it!!" She shot back, full of energy as usual. "Just sleep, you loser!" Her words actually were a bit heartfelt, and while the entire aspect of sleeping in a public place defenseless did scare Rashad a bit, but he was tired and decided he really didn't want to make decisions anymore. He let his backpack fall to the side of the bed and, tucking his gun under his pillow, laid his head down too, and soon he was fast asleep too. macxcheese Jane slept well and without dreams (or nightmares). And when she woke up she was feeling pretty good! She noticed a bunch of hair had come loose from her braid, so rounded it up and went to put on a ponytail holder. She failed. A few tries later and she’d accidentally flung her ponytail holder across the room. Anger boiled in her stomach and suddenly an idea popped into her head. She got up, tested her stability, and managed to make it to the nearest cashier’s desk. After rummaging through the drawers, she found what she was looking for. Scissors. candylepticMalina was already long gone. Rashad and Jane had been out for a while, and she started to wander further and further until she was confident zombies couldn't even find Rashad or Jane. Actually, she was a little off put- there...weren't that many zombies? She had seen zombie remains, but actually had yet to find any live ones. This only made her want to find them more, so she (After double checking zombies definitely couldn't get to Rashad or Jane!) made her way down the row of stores, and tapped her gun to the wall as she walked.
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candyleptic
Junior Member
Haar probably
Posts: 84
devArt: C--YOU
art blog: C--YOU.tumblr.com
active character(s): Rashad, Malina, Mace
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Otium
Mar 28, 2015 22:06:47 GMT -6
Post by candyleptic on Mar 28, 2015 22:06:47 GMT -6
macxcheeseJane stumbled back to her mattress and plopped down cross legged. She pulled her hair to one side and held her head straight, then picked up the scissors. The blades slid open and she managed to get most of her hair on top of one. After positioning them a few inches under her collar bone she cut. Hair spilled on the mattress and Jane attempted to c hop off any stray pieces. Finally she stood up, brushed herself off, and went to check out her new ‘do.
It was… great! She was great at this! She couldn’t believe her new found talent! She twisted and turned in front of the store’s window, amazed by how well it had turned out! While she turned she noticed Rashad, still asleep. She also noticed that his hair was prettyyy shaggy! A smile lit her face as she decided to do him a favor. CandyLeptic Malina let her gun drag on the ground behind her as she chewed on a sucker - sommmeeeone forgot to clean out their candy machines, and with a quick hit of her rifle's butt, she acquired quite an array of candy-goods! She's just have to keep them on the down low for now so she wouldn't have to share... She was now in what looked like the heart of the mall, and she looked upwards to the dome up top that acted as it's roof. It was glass, and was the only light source they had, but it served as enough to get a good idea of what was around you, thankfully. Still, she could tell that it started snowing, and the piling snow on top gave the entire mall a dim, eerie sort of lighting! It was kind of cool in it's own way. She walked around a bit towards benches and a fountain, and, thoughtfully stepping over the remains of a zomb here and there, got a sense it was pretty kid-friendly awhile ago. There was a plastic play-scape of sorts with bright bugs and leaves and a slide that was a frog's tongue, and it made Malina smile. She was tempted to give it a go, but she decided she was a little too old for that now. After looking a bit more, she did find something more age appropriate- a photo booth! She couldn't tell what it was at first, and to be honest, she never had used one in the first place. India had them, but she never had gone to the mall with friends before (mostly because she had such a hard time making friends..) and she sure wasn't going to do it with Mom! After cautiously checking to see it was, in fact empty, she sat inside it. It was too dark to get a feel for it though, and it was kind of boring. On her way out though, a picture left behind caught her eye, and she took it outside to get a better view. CandyLeptic Rashad turned in his sleep. For a split second he dreamed someone was next to him, and the thought felt fairly nice and relatively fuzzy until his eyes fluttered open. "Jane?" He started up at her still dazed until he noticed SCISSORS. With that he flipped off the bed, dragging down a majority of it's decorations with him, and, panting, ran a rushed hand to pull his hair from his face to see- except...he could...? Noticing that something was DEFINITELY not right, he lifted a weary hand to feel his hair, or, rather where it SHOULD have been...! The front was definitely shorter, but he was terrified to see the damage. His hand continued to check and mess with his new "bangs" while he tried to recap what happened- They were in Macy's...Not with Volkav- Volkav was killed! Who killed him...? No he, right? Right, okay, but then-- Jane's arms!! Amputation! Good God, he hardly remembered it. His head felt fuzzy and hurt a great deal- He hasn't slept since then, right?? macxcheeseJane jumped at his exclamation, almost falling off the bed. “W-wait! I wasn’t done!” she whined. It had been going so well! She shifted to cross her legs and felt a throb in her arm. She stopped moving and it went away, so she just stayed in a weird sitting position. “Do you think there’s a razor in here? I think an undercut would suit you!” CandyLeptic Malina had to squint her eyes before she could make out the picture. She hung out of the booth and lifted it up, but when she saw who it was of, she couldn't take her eyes away. "Kids...!" KIDS. HER AGE. Two boys and a girl! And the girl looked so nice! On her wrist, she even had silly bandz on! And one of the boys had glasses, so he was probably picked on a lot! But the other boy looked kinda nice, and she stared at him for a moment before noticing there was a blank spot between their three heads. It didn't look like it was on purpose but just sort of happened, but she blinked at it for a moment before deciding that she belonged in that spot, sort of. It was kind of made for her, in a way. She looked to the corner of the picture, and it was dated sometime in April (The first '4' meant month in American, she remembered!) but when there was more than one letter, she got confused. Was that a 9 or 6? Which one was larger? Hindi numbers were so clear, but lazy Americans used the same symbol more than once. She ignored the second part. The last part was definitely the year because there were four (4!)numbers... Excitement got the better of her, and she read it as THIS current year. Jumping to conclusions, Malina guess that OBVIOUSLY there were kids here- ones who could fight, just like her, and they cleared it of zombies! And then, then they probably lived here! Because they were smart, just like her, and if she could just find them, then her and Rashad and Jane (who could lie about her age again!) could all live here with them and finally be happy and finally have a place to stay and not worry anymore. It was a stretch and Malina knew that but, she really wanted to believe it, so she started to jog through the mall, stopping at all the "Kid" places she could think of- toy stores, anywhere. In a toy store she came across a red bike, missing a seat and pretty beat up, but she didn't care! It had a horn, and they would hear it, right?? She could just stand too, so she did, and she rode that bike through the main part of the mall, now calling out and ringing to her nearly imaginary friends, really hoping for anyone! CandyLeptic "No razors!!" he cried! What was it with these kids and sharp objects?? Good God! Rashad reached into his pocket and took out a bottle of caffeine pills- his pride and joy! He had saved them for all of the two years they've been at this, and have only used them when he absolutely had to, but his head hurt so bad he figured this would be a good time. Still, the bottle was alarmingly light, and when he popped the top his heart nearly stopped. Gone. He had at least eight pills before they encountered Volkav, and he knew for a fact he didn't open them once during their stay. His face froze as he did mental calculations- he had taken EIGHT pills (each worth the amount of caffeine present in a cup of coffee) between Jane's amputation and now. THAT was how he was staying awake, but he felt absolutely ill at the cost. And with that, he remembered her procedure more carefully, and half of him was proud he actually had the nerve to do it, but he also wanted to pull his legs to his chest and cry and shake. He almost threw up when he realized he had given Jane- nearly the size of his kid sister, adult doses of morphine just casually. Should the world not have gone to Hell, he would have gone down in the books as world's largest halfwit, undoubtedly. Looking back at Jane, he made a promise to both her and himself, "No more morphine." macxcheese“Aww, come on!” She pouted. “Look how well I did with /my/ hair!” It appeared she’d lost him though as he stared into space. She huffed and tried adjusting again. She succeeded with only minimal throbbing, and traced the shapes of the bedding until she heard Rasahd’s proclamation. She shrugged, not totally sure what that meant. Her arm throbbed again. CandyLeptic Rashad got up and retrieved his gun, and with a sigh sat next to Jane on the bed. "May I?" he asked as he lightly grabbed her amputated arm and inspected it. He dragged his bag over and carefully changed her bandages. He was fairly famished at that point (what else was new though), but he was glad he had packed gauze over food. While he worked, he counted out loud, "Four... five hours? I wonder how long we've slept," he mumbled. "Are you in pain? Your morphine dose, I imagine, has weakened considerably." He spoke to her arm and stuck his tongue out as he worked. "If I had any brains at all I would have just used Nitrous Oxide the entire time, really..." Still, he was fairly unlucky in gather enough; it was hard to find any with enough oxygen to be directly inhaled, and he felt as if he had caused Jane enough pain as is. Essentially two doses of Morphine wouldn't cause her any long term harm, but he still reprimanded himself silently. As she was wrapped up again, he looked over her hair. "I'm sure Malina could try to even that out, you seemed very preoccupied with your appearance before all of this, really!" He let out a light laugh before his head cocked, WHERE WAS MALINA. CandyLeptic Malina was having herself quite a joyride, actually!! She learned fairly quickly that yes, a bike CAN do down escalators! Pretty fast too!! Standing up was tiring though, and she was getting pretty worn out searching for her new friends. But that didn't mean her brain stopped running; she had already named them (or, given them names just for now), and decided on what kind of people they were. The girl was definitely going to be her best friend because she had a karate person on her shirt, and Malina was in karate too!! Malina decided then that she must like basketball, because she was also in basketball and they were obviously very a like. The nerd with the glasses was like Rashad was when he was a kid. He was really smart but only like their group of people. Even adult Rashad might scare him, but that's okay because Malina could always protect him! The other boy pretended to be the leader but Malina knew she was going to work her way up to leader anyway. He still was a good kid though! She decided he would have a crush on her, but she would pretend not to like them back. And that's how it would go! And they'd have adventures and it would be fun and all well! And she took her own thoughts with a grain of salt, because they were pretty out there, but it still was sort of fun. Racing down the mall lost in her ideas, she didn't notice the figure in front of her and landed right into a zombie woman! Malina was sent flying off her bike and landed on the ground with a roll, super confused. The woman however, took the majority of the hit from the bike, and as the drool down her face flung, she was knocked backwards, thankfully down an escalator, with Malina's new bike. They both fell with a crash, and Malina rubbed a bruised knee as she got up. That...was really close, but she got her gun ready, just in case the woman could figure out stairs. macxcheeseJane looked away when Rashad changed her bandages, unsure if she could handle the sight. She winced every now and again and wondered if it was because of the morphine he mentioned. She shrugged awkwardly at his question, yet suddenly winced right after. She supposed that answered that! Jane had no idea why he would make that comment on her hair though! It looked so- she caught her reflection in the mirror and suddenly she wasn’t so sure about it. Actually, now that she’d calmed down, she wasn’t so sure about what had occurred in the last /day/. That scared her and she felt her heart start to race. That, along with her sore arm, caused her to whimper quietly as she waited for Rashad to finish dressing her wound. CandyLeptic "I'm sorry," he said as he very carefully got up and called for Malina. She had left a note on the cashier's desk in Hindi (Writing in English was a lot harder than speaking it) saying should be "be right back!". Terrified, not so much for her but for he and Jane, he looked down the escalator- she had pushed furniture this way and that to barricade it. Only one zombie stood below, murmuring and repeatedly bumping into the furniture. Rashad let out a whimper and turned back to the still whimpering-Jane. Laughing Gas wouldn't work forever, but if this was going to be an ordeal, he would give it a good shot!!! He searched through his expertly packed....pack... and took out one small tank of the stuff- he only had one and honestly Tunman gave it to him how long ago? Back when Wernicke joined them, Tunman made the mistake of using it on her, believing her to be hysterical. Rashad kept it, mostly because he was frightened Tunman would misuse the tank as a weapon, and he was so tired of people using his medical supplies as weapons! He took out the face mask and properly secured everything. He had to do some guesswork, and thinking of it, he took out a scratchpad from the cash register and did some calculations too. The whole ordeal took him awhile and he apologized profusely to Jane, hoping her pain was at least tolerable!!! Finally he got everything set up, but was quite unsure with how to proceed, so he resumed sitting next to Jane and started, "My next trick is a little different, okay Jane? I'm going to give you the same stuff that dentists use, you'll feel a little light headed but very happy. Don't worry, I'll keep us safe for the time being but you have to keep the mask on no matter what, okay? It only works if I keep giving it to you. I'm going to be turning it on and off again to save it for a long time, so I really need you to tell me if you feel any pain or nausea, okay? Promise?" CandyLeptic Malina was so confused. Two shots later she clicked off her lazer sight and made her way down the stairs, sans bike. If the other kids were so good, why did this one get out? Where they busy? Wait, no, she didn't actually know if they could fight. She started to forget all of what she made up. Instead maybe they were hiding and scared, and SHE could be the one to save them!! They maybe they could travel with Jane and Rashad and her, and they could raid houses and stores like her past group! She kept searching through stores. And every store she found closer to the opposite side of the mall was looted more and more. She started to realize the real genius of Rashad's idea: Most looters came into the front and didn't make it very far with what they were trying to carry years ago. Then, new looters came in the same way, and each time there was fewer zombies left. They took what the others couldn't, but they all tried to make their way to the back. But in the very back it was almost safe, because she guessed people were still really used to going in the same way they came. Finally Malina tiredly came to a bench and sat down, and looked into a fountain that had stopped working long ago. macxcheeseAnother whimper escaped her as Rashad approached with who knows what. She really didn’t like this out of control feeling. On the other hand, she really didn’t like the growing pain in her arm! After a few moments of back and forth with herself, she decided that the siblings had gotten her this far and she could probably trust them to keep taking care of her. She finally nodded, albeit a little absentmindedly. Before he could place the mask on her though she asked, “How long will this take to heal?”
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candyleptic
Junior Member
Haar probably
Posts: 84
devArt: C--YOU
art blog: C--YOU.tumblr.com
active character(s): Rashad, Malina, Mace
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Otium
Mar 28, 2015 22:12:59 GMT -6
Post by candyleptic on Mar 28, 2015 22:12:59 GMT -6
Rashad carefully put the mask on her face and secured it. He checked his notes again quickly before his eyes flashed to the tank. He would have to definitely start with low doses first, and very carefully increase it. He had half a mind to start with a high dose and ease Jane of her pain now, but nausea later could prove to be just as bad. Preoccupied with getting the dials correct, he just mumbled back to Jane.
"That is a very good question!" He started the anesthetic very slowly. "In about thirty minutes the nitrous oxide will reach your brain and you'll feel almost fuzzy. Two minutes later, your pain should die down."
While he wanted to stay here, he was getting anxious concerning Malina. He was sure their shopping cart was still down a level. Rashad could hear their "company" down below continue to smack into a clothing rack, until he heard the thumping stop- and the crash and the rack falling over. His heart skipped a beat but his face didn't reveal his worry, and instead he turned to Jane. "How are you feeling?" he said with a smile as his hand reached for his pistol behind him.
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Otium
Mar 29, 2015 21:17:31 GMT -6
Post by macxcheese on Mar 29, 2015 21:17:31 GMT -6
Macxcheese Jane tensed as she felt the mask being placed on her face. As soon as Rashad finished, she scooted back until she met the headboard. His lecture on the gas didn’t really comfort her (and she wondered if he was avoiding her question). She could already feel the gas working and she let her head lean back. Instead of answering Rashad’s question she asked again, “How long until it heals?” candylepticHe kept a steady eye on the tank. One hand was on the dial steadily while the other clamped around his gun. He gave her a very minimal dose for the time being (hopefully just enough to make her floaty!) but to be honest, he wasn't exactly sure how much did what. He had only seen Tunman do it once before, so he was very honestly "winging it"! "That' s a very good question," he repeated in the same tone. "Oh ah, honestly it depends on a lot of things. I'm sure not too terribly long," he lied. Now that he was (somewhat rested!) his mind was all over the place. What had he even been thinking?? Like he had enough supplies to treat an entire amputation! What would he do when he ran out of laughing gas? He had other various painkillers but they wouldn't last her the whole few months she needed. But Jane didn't need to know this, and he was sure his face remained upbeat and smiley. Either way, she would be feeling pretty happy soon. He clicked the dial to administer the regulated amount he set rather than increasing amounts, and turned his head behind him. He could hear something trying its utmost hardest to get up the stairs, but whatever was going on back there was having a pretty hard time doing it for some reason. candylepticIt must have been getting dark outside because it sure was in the rest of the mall. The glass dome had a steady layer of snow now, but it still was kinda see-through, so Malina was still okay for now! All the water in the old fountain was gone but there was American money in the bottom (why??), so she was collecting handfuls and examining them. She was pretty torn between going back to Rashad and Jane and finding the other kids she imagined. On one hand, she thought as she glared down at the shiny president things, she knew Rashad and Jane were still alive and safe. But, there COULD be kids who still need to be saved. Malina checked so many places though, and was getting tired of calling out things. She didn't want to go back to Rashad and Jane just so they could stress over what to eat and where to live. She didn't want to get captured again. She didn't want to meet another Volkav and then feel split in half because she was glad he was dead but she felt like she should feel pretty guilty. But she kinda didn't. And she kinda decided she would do it again if she had to. As the quarter in her hand reflected what little light was still left, Malina could have sworn she heard a commotion; just a little ways away. Most kids would be afraid but she really wasn't- she counted ten shots left (something like that..) and she was confident- nothing took her down yet, and she wouldn't go down easily at all!! So she threw the coins on the ground to make the loudest noise possible and started to call out whatever she could think of towards the direction of a young girls' boutique. (She didn't bother checking there before, because she was certain her new friends didn't like fancy clothes!) She heard growls and the like in the distance, and she swung her rifle around and squinted in the fleeting light. Macxcheese Jane’s breathing slowed down and she relaxed more. She remembered going to the dentist’s once, for a filling or tooth pulling or whatever. He’d called the gas “the magic carpet ride”. She wasn’t sure how “magical” it was, but it was quite a ride. She blinked her eyes a few times and sighed. “What now?” candyleptic"That is a good question," he said again with a smile. He got a little closer to Jane and started to act more "giggly" himself, hoping it would speed the process? That made little to no sense but it was worth a try! "Heya Jane, can you hold this for me pretty please? Thanks!" He lightly set the tank in her lap (it did have a little weight!) and checked her mask really quick. All was good, so he made his way to the escalator slowly. "I'll be right back Jane, just stay put, okay?" He tried to hide the fact he had a gun to Jane, and he took a quick look over the escalators top. Well, it sure didn't get too far, thankfully!!! Their company managed to get itself tied in a mess of hangers/ extremely tight for no reason women's sweaters/ and the clothes rack itself. It was about three steps upwards, and Rashad started to descend the stairs, keeping a steady eye on what was below. When he was about halfway down and Jane couldn't see him anymore, he slid his own mask (gas mask!) up over his face and pulled his pistol out. After something that resembled a wild-west standoff, he finally got enough nerve and to raise the gun, steady his hands, and pulled the trigger!! He had to look away, and actually missed the first shot. He spun the barrel again (you did that between shots...right?) and started to think about pretty much every failure he had accomplished so far- staying in the shoddy motel, trusting a man in a Jeep, then amputating an ARM in a jeep (all things very sane people seldom did!) and fiercely fired one more shot. To his surprise it did the job, and in a spray of red their company was slain. NOW absolutely grossed out of his mind, Rashad let out a whimper akin to Jane's, and lightly gave the figure a kick, and it was sent down the remainder of the stairs. Afterwards, after collecting his thoughts again, he managed to scoot it some paces away (Jane didn't need to know!) and retrieved the cart. He was so surprised that he managed to get "one" that he almost called it out, but no one was around, and a deep shiver went up his spine. He let out a whimper again. candylepticThe rifle's lazer sight shone on the creature's face, and Malina's finger rested right on the trigger. She steadied her shoulder and was about to shoot until she realized who's face she was looking at! She felt her rifle slide through her hands and thankfully get caught by its strap, and she drew her arms in an almost defenseless position. A hand reached towards her, but it wasn't the flesh she was fixated upon, but rather the silly bandz on it's wrist. Malina's shook her head but called out a "HEY!" as if it would register! The girl zombie was quite a ways out of the store but the other two weren't far behind- whatever they were previously leaning over apparently lost it's interest! Malina (very stupidly) put her hands on the girl's shoulders, and didn't even flinch when the zombie tried to get closer to her face. "HEY!" She shook her, and turned to the oncoming boys, "I've been looking for you and YOU TURN INTO ZOMBIES?" What shitty friends!! But even though her words stung she still found momentary happiness- she had FOUND friends! But it quickly fled from her as she realized what deep shit she was now in, as the boys gathered around her too. She slid her gas mask over her just in time to avoid a face full of slobber, but was ambushed on three different sides by her new "friends." She called out this and that - some happy words but most swear words and yells, unsure of whether to shoot or if "Friendly" fire would be a mistake- she did realize fairly quickly though, and struggled to bring out her rifle as her new found clothing protected her from scratches. Macxcheese “Of course,” Jane replied, more so directed towards the tank placed on her lap than Rashad. She watched him leave, and at the last minute called out a small, “Goodbye!” She snuggled into the blankets and felt her eyes droop a bit. That was until a gun shot went off! Her head shot up and she looked around wildly. Had she missed the New Year’s fireworks?! candylepticRashad was back up again, and tried not to act differently but was both giddy that he actually killed a 'zombie' by himself but also very grossed out and kinda wanted to vomit. He stood at the counter for a minute before making his way to Jane and sitting next to her on the bed again. "Hiya!" Maybe if he played along with the whole weird charade it would be easier? He was sure dentists always played it up? Perhaps because it was fun to watch someone on laughing gas too.... "Do you want to go on a ride Jane? Like a field trip? Does that sound nice?" From the look on her face, her pain was mostly gone, and he gave the tank a quick check. Macxcheese “You’re back!” Jane commented. She nodded excitedly at the prospect of a field trip. “Are we going to see the animals downstairs?” She vaguely recalled a zoo somewhere, or at least bars… “Wait a second!” All of a sudden, she sat up and grabbed Rashad’s shirt, then pulled him into a kiss! She had to admit, it was a little awkward with the mask on her nose. She quickly let go and did a jazz hand. “Happy New Year!” candyleptic"Yes, the animals!" He laughed! Actually this was almost fun, and it was... it was really nice to see Jane so happy! He started to look back to the stairs when JaNE PULLED HIM INTO A KISS. His first instinct was to kiss her back but his face flushed red. ABSOLUTELY NOT she is a patient!! And how old? 20 today? Oh my God. Actually, that wasn't too large of a difference but still!!! Rashad, still embarrassed hid his face in his hands and mumbled, "Happy New Year." It wasn't her fault, he reminded herself! She didn't know what she was doing! Actually wait then, would she ONLY kiss him if she was loopy? He actually sat up a little at that thought, but shook his head! What was he even doing?? They still didn't know where Malina was! Good Lord how did he do anything himself? He rubbed his face again and then picked up Jane again. "Okay," he said with a puff, "Let's go see those animals okay?" He took her down the stairs and set her back in the cart with her tank carefully. "All comfy?" he asked as he started to adjust the dials again. candylepticBetween the mask and the "zombie tent" around her Malina had a hard time seeing, but she got her gun up. Still, for one of the first times ever she had a hard time with shooting her "friends," but kicked a leg out from under one, and it fell to the ground too. Quickly now, she got into a crouching position and shoved the rifle's butt into the stomach of one. using her free hand to protect her head from their hands, she fired the gun backwards- not expecting a kill but hopefully some space! It landed in the boy zombie's (without glasses!) leg, but she couldn't tell afterwords. She let out a yell when the girl took a swipe at her, but whacked her again, and this time she was pushed a few feet away. Malina stumbled, but the glasses boy was now very close, crawling, and reached for her hair. He managed to take her pony tail with him when she kicked him in the face hard, and his glasses shattered off his face. Then the first boy managed to get a hold of her. Malina struggled- in her moving her mask had moved from over her face and onto the top of her head, mostly because she failed to secure it properly. This proved to be in her favor though, and when the boy bit down, got a facefull of mask instead of flesh. Malina swung her head back fiercely and caused him to stagger, and gained herself enough time to get away and get her gun up. "The first fucking time a boy hugs me," she called and aimed, "Go figure!" and shot. He was down and she fixed her mask while managing to get away from the other two. Quickly she ran back to the fountain and they followed, and with some careful footing and heavy breathing she got to the mid section, which was a bit higher than the rest. Looking down at her "old friends," she felt heavy, but still took up her gun again. Minutes later she slowly took her mask off and looked at the crack the boy had made solemnly. She ran a finger of it as she slung her gun back, and let herself sit on the fountain's edge. With a heavy breath, she let her voice show how disappointed she was because no one was around to listen. She cradled her mask, "Now I'm alone again..." Macxcheese Jane felt someone picking her up and swiftly caught her tank, cradling it. As soon as she was set in the cart, she made herself comfortable and nodded in reply to Rashad. “When was the last time /you/ went to the zoo? I think the last time I went was during this concert in New York, I got to walk around and actually pet a horse and-“ she kept rambling under the nose piece, all the meanwhile inspecting her haircut. candylepticRashad pushed the cart quickly out of Macy's and into the main area of the mall, opposite the front side. He kept a firm hand on the cart and the other on his gun, and cautiously examined every turn and corner before proceeding. "/I/ have never been to the New York Zoo but I have heard it's amazing." He said, leaning over the cart enough to see a turn and possible blind spot before moving on, "I use to live in New York, you know. Was it your own concert, then?" Macxcheese Ko stood slowly, making sure her brother Pika was behind her. She heard a scuffle outside the store, but only barely. The rushing of blood in her ears was so loud she was surprised she hadn’t attracted any `Uhane. The trip to the store’s doors felt like forever, and when they finally made it she poked her head out. She saw the three on the floor and a fourth figure sitting a bit away. She saw the knife she’d dropped to her left and, after motioning for Pika to stay put, made for it. In her haste she accidentally kicked it, sending it clattering across the floor. She froze like a deer in headlights, hoping her brother was smart enough to get back in the shop. Macxcheese Jane tossed a lock over her shoulder and smiled. “You should go sometime! When it’s not, uh, infested with zombies.” She frowned towards the last part and picked at her jeans. “It was a benefit concert I think. There were a few others… I know Eve Hollow sang but I can’t remember the rest! She quit picking at her jeans and inquired, “Are we going to stay here?” candylepticRashad's face crossed; he actually really did wonder about the animals. Chances are they didn't get loose but he couldn't imagine they were living comfortably. Rashad didn't really know of an Eve Hollow, but then again he didn't really know much about the people behind the music, anyway. "Oh no," he said, and kicked a cart wheel so it would roll quieter. "We're just getting a few things. We'll find somewhere better and safer soon after, promise! Would you like that Jane?" he checked her dials again too. "Are you in pain at all? Let me know and I'll give you more, okay?" candylepticMalina looked up from her mask at the sound- where there more? It occurred to her that maybe more kids have been here than where in the picture, but she had no idea. She decided that she was going to stop thinking about them because it hurt and also because she was starting to get really tired and just wanted to find Rashad and Jane again. Their company sounded a lot better, so she hopped of the fountain, but stopped dead when she saw the figure of a girl just a little ways away. Macxcheese Jane bit her lip, remembering somewhere that had been better and safer than here. “Yeah,” she replied quietly. “That sounds good.” As to the question of pain, she moved her arm up and down a few times. It did throb a little, but nothing too bad. She shook her head. “Are /you/ in pain?” Macxcheese As soon as the girl noticed her, Ko sprang for the knife. She slid across the floor and managed to get to her feet, holding the blade out. After a moment of silence she called, “I don’t want any trouble. You go your way and I’ll go mine!” candyleptic"Am /I/ in pain?" He said, taken aback by the question. He still had both arms, for one!! He did still have a lingering headache from sleep deprivation, but he sure it wasn't anything compared to Jane. "I'm all right, thanks for asking!" They turned a corridor and Rashad drummed his fingers on the cart, thinking of conversation. "Sooo, I take it you are definitely a fan of New Years, then...?" He gave her a laugh, "I can't say I know many who are as excited as you! And it is still Christmas day, so I guess we could try to celebrate it in full?" He puffed his cheek. He didn't mean to bring THAT up again but it...kinda happened...! candylepticMalina watched in amazement at the girl. She put her arms up in defense absent mindlessly, but her face was lit up with excitement! "Do you know how to use that??" She grinned, "Wow I love knives too! Can you shoot a gun? I bet you can!!!" Macxcheese Pleased that Rashad was well, Jane smiled. She pulled her knees up to her chest and answered, “I guess so! You get to dress up nice and then you have a whole new ye- Is it really? What were those fireworks then?” She placed her hand on her cheek and felt her face flush. How embarrassing! Macxcheese Ko faltered. “Wh-what? Of course I-I can use this!” She held the knife up straighter for good measure. “Why do you care if I can shoot a gun? Shouldn’t you be scared??” Who was this weirdo? candylepticRashad's face got red too, "Fireworks? Uhhh I have no idea! Um..." He looked to the ground, "I mean, I don't think it's that weird, people kiss on Christmas right?" He hated himself for even saying that, "Nonetheless!!" The cart came to a stop as he found Malina's "new" bike next to the corpse of 'one of them.' "Well, we know we're getting closer! At least...Hah haaa." He started to just push the cart again. candylepticMalina actually started to giggle! "No no I'm sure you can!! I bet you're really good at it!" She took a step closer, "My name's Malina!! Who are you? Are you friends with them?" She gestured to the other kids. Macxcheese Oh god maybe she’d just imagined those! Jane drew her legs closer, totally embarrassed. “I’m so sorry,” she mumbled- though in her dazed state she was sorrier she’d gotten the dates switched up! Jane shied away from the sight of the thing and tried to laugh as well. Nothing really came out though. She peeked around the mall, searching for a new topic. “We should…. try to find new shoes soon!” she suggested. She only had socks on at the moment, not really suited for the outdoors! Macxcheese Ko took a step back, her hands shaking. “Why do you want to know? And of course not, they were trying to eat us!” She caught her slip up at the last second and would’ve slapped herself had she not been fending off some over friendly girl! candyleptic"That's a great idea! Uh," he gave behind them a weary look. "Okay so...if Malina can get a bike then she's probably okay?" Nevermind it was turned over, if she killed her company then she should be close. Plus she needed shoes too, so maybe they would...run into her... "Okay really quick!" He said and ran with the cart (still being mindful of Jane!) to the closest shoe store. Of course most of what was left was a disaster, but girl's shoes, especially kid's shoes were still there. He found a pair that might fit Malina and dropped it into the cart. He wheeled Jane close enough she could get a look on the shelves while he stayed close. After a silence he started; "I mean like, you really don't have to be sorry over it- it was nice! Really." He didn't mean to bring it up again!! But he did and he winced. He needed sleep, definitely! candylepticMalina smiled again, "Sheesh I was just asking!! US?? Are there more?? Are they our age?" She practically yelled, "HEY can I meet them??" Macxcheese Jane nodded absentmindedly, checking out a fallen mannequin in a nearby store. Suddenly she felt the cart collect speed and found herself racing towards a shoe store. “O-okay!” she cried. As soon as they were in the adult’s shoes, Jane started searching. She managed to find two of the same hiking boots in a size five, although they were two different colors! She fumbled with them when Rashad mentioned /that/ again and mournfully watched them drop over the side of the cart. “I’m glad??” Jane mumbled, her cheeks red. No amount of laughing gas could staunch the embarrassment. Macxcheese Ko looked at her, incredulous. "No you can not meet them!" Wha- "HEY!" She caught Pika running out of the store, all the way over to her. He was wide eyed, pointing in the direction that he'd come from. Ko followed his gaze and notice another zombie making his way out. "Sh-shit," she trembled. candyleptic"Ah- I'm sorry!!" Rashad bent down to get her boots but accidentally dropped them again, and then FINALLY got a grip and handed them back to her before feeling quite embarrassed! He walked backwards into a mirror and almost knocked it over before just stating "I'm going to go look at Men's shoes, uh. Yes." And turned to go into the next aisle. Silently belittling himself, he counted boxes here and there. He looked out the store window after finding a few pairs of socks and the like; but nearly dropped it all when he got a glimpse of Malina!! She was with two other kids?? They seemed to be alarmed too, so he ran back to Jane in a hurry! candylepticMalina was about to protest too when a really small kid came out too! She put her hands down to see what they where looking at, before her eyes got wide- "Oh man, there are more! Shit!" She laughed though and took her gun out, ready! She was about to charge when she stopped for a second, really quickly- "Hey do you have a hairtie??" Her hair was loose and everywhere, and it was super annoying! She got her mask ready and started to fasten it as she talked!
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candyleptic
Junior Member
Haar probably
Posts: 84
devArt: C--YOU
art blog: C--YOU.tumblr.com
active character(s): Rashad, Malina, Mace
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Otium
Mar 31, 2015 21:59:56 GMT -6
Post by candyleptic on Mar 31, 2015 21:59:56 GMT -6
macxcheese Jane took the shoes gratefully and went to put them on. That was pretty unsuccessful. She saw Rashad run over and was about to ask for help, then suddenly the cart was moving! She turned forward, trying to see where they were going, and recognized Malina. She glanced excitedly at Rashad and exclaimed, “I found Malina!!!” macxcheese Ko raised an eyebrow. She was worrying about her hair at a time like this? She grabbed Pika’s hand and backed away, eyeing the nearing `Uhane. In a low voice she commanded Pika to run on three. “One.” She looked back to Malina. “Two.” She tightened her grip on the knife. “THREE!” She yanked the small boy to the side, running as fast as she could towards the nearest exit. As soon as they’d passed through the door, she slammed it shut and stuffed a broken stick under it so no one would follow. Then the two siblings high tailed it out of there. candyleptic"Great job, Jane!" He called as he pushed the cart full speed (or at least, fast enough it wouldn't bother Jane) towards Malina, who now was close enough to call out for! candylepticMalina put a hand out, "Wait guys!! Hey!! HEY WAIT!" But it proved worthless, and she was left without friends again. The zombies got closer but she didn't move right away, instead looking off where the two left. She was half brokenhearted but half very excited-- if THAT girl was her age... then there really could be a group of friends like the others, waiting for her somewhere. She supposed she just had to find them! Her name was being called out in the distance though, and she turned to see her own group group high tailing it! "RASHAD! JANE! What are you guys doing here?? I thought you were- whoa hey!" She didn't realize the zombies had come so close, and she dodged a swipe as Rashad nearly plucked her off the ground!! She protested (and was awfully heavy with her pack and everything) but he was having none of it! Malina finally squirmed free and ran beside him opposite where the kids had been, trying to explain in between breaths "RASHAD!! There were other kids- and is Jane okay?- other kids Rashad!" "Malina I swear to Ghandi right now," he snapped, so sternly it actually made Malina freeze for a moment, "If you EVER leave us like that again I- I..." his voice started to fall and Malina started running again, now with a cocky smile, "-You'll do what??" "I have no idea!! But you better not!!" Still running back towards where they had parked, Rashad called out more pleasantly, "How are you doing Jane?" macxcheese Jane bumped up and down in her cart, clutching her gas machine like it was a baby. She raised her brow when Rashad actually got angry and swallowed a giggle. She look thoughtful at his question and finally answered, “I feel like I’m flying.” candyleptic"Oh, that's great!" Rashad felt a ping of guilt talking to her as if he was talking to someone much younger, but he really didn't know what else to do! Now that the other sibling pair had left, their undead cohorts turned their attention to the trio, but they proved too fast and made it outside safe! Malina had her gun cocked but Rashad reminded her (several times!) not to use any bullets if she didn't need to. Had she not been adamant on hoarding them with Cobb and Tunman, she would have definately run out long ago! Rashad wheeled their cart to their terribly parked car, but even in the lot they had unpleasant company. Malina cried for him to light a molotov but he refused! By he time he would have got one ready, Jane was in the car with her tank, Malina was in the passenger seat with their stuff, and Rashad was starting the car. macxcheese Jane let herself be stuffed in the car, along with all the clothing and shoes they’d collected. She sat straight up for a minute before slowly falling to the side. She laid under the pile, still clutching the small machine to her chest. It occurred to her that this was a fort of sorts. Which rhymed. The thought made her giggle. candylepticRashad stopped here and there to check on Jane, but it was getting darker by the second. The growing snow made him weary, and the Jeep was starting to have trouble with it; naturally, he parked as terribly as usual in a pretty beat-up neighborhood, a few houses down from what he deemed would be a fine fit. Jane was asleep at this point, and he motioned for Malina to be quiet. For once, tiredness had caught up to her, and it wasn't much of a chore! He picked the lock, but went back to the car to stay with Jane as Malina did a thorough zombie check! Amazingly it was empty} but to be honest, he planned for that! Rashad figured that people would avoid bad neighborhoods moreso in this setting than anyother, but with his days as a scavenger, he knew it was a goldmine! As Malina started to unload, he lightly opened Jane's door and lifted her up with her tank. He would have to find something else for Jane's pain, because by now his Laughing Gas should be close to expiring. Holding Jane now, he slowly entered the dark house- the front was a living room decently decorated. It wasn't anything fancy but it gave off a certain homely vibe that was definately welcomed! To the right of the living room was an attacked kitchen, but a door separated them thankfully. He decided they would insulate the living room then, and after exchanging words, Malina started a fire. Rashad lightly set Jane down on a couch and started to quietly compile paper again, and pretty soon the warmth started to circle around the three of them. macxcheese Jane had kept herself half awake the whole time (old habits die hard) and let out a content sigh when she felt heat fill the house. She peeked an eye open and, after a bit of shifting the gas tank, sat up. A small yawn escaped her and she smiled at the siblings. “Time for presents!” Without further explanation, she reached in her pockets and brought out a pack of sparkly hair ties and a pair of dinosaur print socks. candylepticMalina finished the fire and turned to Rashad to start at it again - "I SWEAR I saw two kids! One was my age and the other young-" "Malina, do you know how lucky WE are to be alive? How would two kids traveling together even make it?" Good Lord it was like she had never watched the Walking Dead. "Not to mention a whole GROUP of teenagers. What were you even thinking?" Malina stared into the fire though, "At least I didn't fall asleep..."" Both of the siblings stopped dead when Jane awoke though! Malina's eyes grew wide with excitement while Rashad almost had a heart attack! "Jane, are you feeling all right?-" "-WHAT REALLY? Jane that's so nice!!" Malina took the hairties and happily tied her mess of hair up again, "Wow thanks Jane! I really needed these!" Rashad just looked at her wide eyed. "Jane where did you-" Malina cut him off though! "Hey I have something for you guys! Wait just a second!" macxcheese Jane looked at the two, confused. The hair ties had been for Rashad and the socks for Malina… But at least they seemed happy! “Really?” she gasped, quite excited herself. She scooted closer to them and crossed her legs. Once comfortable, she started stroking the gas tank like a fond pet. candylepticMalina came back with her pack and plopped down next to Jane and started to fish things out. "Come on Rashad! Don't be a loser, it's Christmoose!" Malina called out and patted down next to them! He came and sat, but was bewildered at Jane's caressing of the tank. "Thanks Jane! You didn't have to! I love fun socks." He kind of wanted those hairties but he was definately not going to say anything. Malina happily took out something for Jane first- perfume!! Actually it was pink and sparkly and she couldn't read the fancy cursive label but it looked like something Jane would like?? "Here you go Jane! Happy Christmoose!" "Christmas." "Happy Christmas!" So close.... Malina reached back into her bag and pulled out a stuffed elephant and handed it to Rashad. He looked bewildered, so Malina took it upon herself to explain; "For you! Because you're ugly and have a snout!" She laughed, but then turned to Jane, "Elephants mean wisdom in India!" Rashad still looked confused: "But why a toy-" "HAPPY CHRISTMAS. Do you like your thing Jane?" macxcheese “Happy Christmoose back!” she giggled. Jane stopped her petting long enough to receive the perfume bottle, which she looked at earnestly. She turned it in her hand to look at the brand. It was actually really nice, making her smile grow. “I love it, thank you!” She announced. She held it out and asked, “But could someone open it for me?” candyleptic"Christmas..." he very quietly corrected and reached for her bottle to open it- but Malina swiftly beat him to it!! It was HER gift, after all! She peeled the plastic wrap off with her teeth and handed it back to Jane! She then stuck her tounge out at Rashad, "You didn't forget gifts, did you??" He sighed and got up for a moment before returning with a pink cloth in his hands. It was houndstooth, just like what he wore around his neck, and he lightly tossed it to his sister. "I know you were always a little taken aback that Dad gave his scarf to me but...I'd like to think you should have one too. Maybe it's good luck is what kept us going, you know?" He smiled at her, but Malina's eyes were fixed on it. That really had bothered her- but she wouldn't DARE show Rashad how touched she was at the gift. She tried to hide her sniff while she laughed, "Gross, now I have to match you!! What a stupid gift!" Still, she muttered something about being right back and left to find the restroom- she didn't care if it was Christmas, she wasn't crying in front of anyone! Or...at all, if she could help it. Rashad had a good idea of what she was doing though, and smiled to himself as she had left. He did good, in his opinion! He then turned to Jane- "I have something for you too!" He came back now with a few balls of brightly colored yarn and handed it to her- "I don't know if you like crafts or not, but when I did residency with kids awhile back ago, I learned how to make a few things, and I thought I could show you? There's a surprising lot you can do with one hand." He thought for a moment, hoping that it wouldn't be of ill character to suggest otherwise. macxcheese Jane took back the perfume bottle with a small thank you and popped the cap off with her teeth. She spritzed a bit on her wrist and held it up to her nose to smell. When she put her arm down, Malina was gone. She looked around frantically and was about to ask where she went when Rashad presented some yarn. “Oh! Um, thank you!” She inspected the strings, not sure what to say, and looked up at Rashad for any guidance on what to do with it. candylepticRashad laughed a bit awkwardly, "It does look a little overbearing! But you can thread looms or weave or maybe try friendship bracelets? Catharsis can be very therapeutic, believe me!" He shifted a bit and picked up some sting with one of his hands, and started to braid it, carefully, with one hand. "There was a woman with arthritis in one hand so bad she couldn't move it during my residency, and she taught me how! I don't think it would work with anything thicker than yarn though... Speaking of hair, where IS Malina?" He waited a moment in silence before smiling at Jane and then back at the floor. "Hey Jane uh, about like, before..." He thought heavily for a moment. He told himself countless times NOT to bring it up again because in reality it would do nothing but make them both more confused than they already are (or him, at least), but it was driving him crazy it was unsettled and up in the air. "I mean, I know you didn't MEAN it like that of course! Ha ha..But you know algebra, right? Two negatives cancel out always? One negative throws off an entire numbers value, but another negative restores it to its previous positive state?" He was starting to speak much faster though, "Not that ...what happened was negative at all! Not my point! It wasn't! But what I mean is, oh, you know, it-" He gave in and quickly pecked Jane on the lips again as fast as possible before leaning back- "WOW Okay I can't believe I actually did that!!! Hahaha!! Wow okay! Woo. But see! I did something embarrassing too, so they cancel out! Like it never happened, you know? Back to a positive state! Not saying...!" He started again but heard Malina coming back, so he hopped back up on his feet, "And now I'm going to go make dinner, okay?" He was much happier now, honestly believing that logic worked (or, rather, being fine with pretending it did)!
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Post by macxcheese on Apr 1, 2015 21:22:31 GMT -6
Jane was pretty taken aback by his rambling, mostly because she didn't understand half the things Rashad was going on about! Why was he doing math? Did he realize she was prettyyy high right now and had zero capacity for mat- She felt lips on her lips and blinked in surprise! As soon as he retreated she leaned back, a bewildered look on her face. Had they not established that it was Christmas and not New Year's? Wait wait wait- was that what all that math was about? How rude to keep pointing out her simple mistake! Six days! It wasn't like she'd skipped a whole month! Jane crossed her arms as best as she could and glared at Rashad while he walked away. When Malina finally returned, Jane wrinkled her brow and huffed, "Your brother is weird."
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