Ice Age Anew [RP Play!]

[senna_]

𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐒
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. western gathererxxxxxlocation; western gardens xxxxxmentions; tagsxxxxxtags; aviana, erice

“Oh, to be a flying pig,” Bash sighed pensively, eyeing the fluffy white clouds once again. The way they pacifically drifted across the sky was so peaceful, so comforting. Not a care in the world. Not that they had feelings, of course, as they were just clouds after all, but it was nice to see something move at their own indolent velocity when things down below felt so rushed all the time. Bash tried to be the cloud in the group; he liked taking his time, doing things at his own pace, and ensuring the others they could do the same. Being a gatherer resulted in a lot less stress, too. He couldn’t imagine how Aviana handled her job. She was great at it. She was great in general, though. He couldn't target just one thing.

He turned his attention back onto her, observing the way she was carefully raising the cup to her lips. She seemed to put thought into every little thing she did. It came naturally, though Bastian wondered how exhausted she got from having a busy mind. “You, of course,” he responded somewhat cheekily to her question regarding his smile, before gesturing to the tree tops above. “It’s just a nice day out. I have a good feeling about it.” Even he didn’t know exactly what that meant, but neither things said were a lie. Sometimes he simply got a bad feeling when he woke up. Today was not one of those days.

He shifted his gaze towards the garden as she motioned to one of the nearby sprouts. “I think it’s primrose,” he told her. Hand still holding hers, he brought it up so that they were angled towards the sprout, hopefully making it easier to pinpoint the little form of life he was talking about. “See the two little leaves? Almost like a two-leaf clover? That’s what that is.” He smiled, mostly to himself. “They’re so delicate. Precious little things.” He knew chatting about something like a plant likely sounded ridiculous, but they were one of the few things that proliferated joy within him. “Your plans sound much more enjoyable. I was going to stand here all day. Maybe if I cross my arms – ” he did just that to put on a show - “I’ll appear intimidating and they won’t bother me with some horrible chore. Kidding,” he added a second later, partially to verbally assure himself he was only joking, “I’m with you. Just waiting. Watching. Trying not resist the temptation to go back to bed.”

Bash shielded his eyes with one of his hands as his dark eyes skimmed around the visible part of their camp. Despite having dark eyes, the sun always bothered his vision; he had made it very clear that he did not enjoy working afternoons. As a loyal gatherer, though, he obviously would go through with whatever it was he was told to do, whenever that was, but most of his tribe members were aware of his light complaining if he had to do something when the sun was at its brightest. It looked like most people were hanging around; a few had mugs in their hands, one was yawning, another had perched themselves on one of the fallen trees. Where was Connall? Bastian found it unusual that the mighty leader had yet to assign a list of things to do to people, although deeper down, he certainly wasn’t complaining about this extra free time with Aviana. Bash loved hanging out with her, lingering romantic feelings aside. While he wasn’t always the most productive worker (thank you, distractions!), he did often feel a bit of guilt when deciding to lean towards a casual conversation instead of doing work that needed to be done. Now, clearly, was not the case. Maybe it’ll be like this all day. Even leaders had their off days, after all.

He was soon able to spot Erice, not so discretely eyeing Avi from afar. “Did you make a deal with the devil?” he jokingly asked Aviana, nodding his head towards Erice to give his friend an idea of where those words had just sprouted from. “Don’t stop me from going to her. Or better yet!” He paused, and as if a signal from his silent, subconscious brain went out, Erice’s converser Analise had drifted elsewhere, leaving the tracker by her lonesome. “Erice! Come join!” He raised his arm, beckoning her over with a flourishing sweep of his hand. “There’s plenty of room for you, darling.” The nickname was almost spoken mockingly, despite the fact that Bash had a tendency to call everyone that. That or “dear.” He supposed it only came across differently because it was Erice, who was known to tease him. Or to assure Aviana it didn’t mean anything more than just a spoken word. “We were just discussing... plants.”

[senna_]

𝐓𝐎𝐊𝐀𝐋𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐒
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. western hunterxxxxxlocation; western camp xxxxxmentions;tagxxxxxtags; dakota

Tokala gave a simple nod of his head at Dakota’s words. He had always been the type of person that tried to confine his excitement, slice down his hopes before they got unrealistically big. In a time and place like this, everything was a surprise. Nobody could truly make plans and confidently declare they could stick to them anymore. With change on the horizon, drizzling down on them by the hour, it was dangerous to get one’s hopes up. While Tokala was undeniably thrilled to have spotted such a creature, he knew he couldn’t allow himself to believe there would be more, or even that he would see that one again. Things came and went around here so quickly - people included. He enjoyed Kota’s enthusiasm, though. He adored the way she was always so supportive of everyone. She was brilliant. Dakota really was skilled with things like that, though. She knew how to show her support and lighten one’s spirits, yet she wasn’t stupid. Tokala knew she took things with a grain of salt – which was what everyone needed to do. Until their hands were tightly wrapped around their desired target, nothing was set in stone. He knew that, and he knew she did, as well. He believed most people were like that now. The winter months had a tendency to push people into different mindsets, given the horror driven by the snowy season. Few people were unaware of the consequences that came with believing everything would be okay.

“I’ll take my bow,” he finally settled on, given her gentle pressing. “I can’t guarantee they’ll be out now, but it won’t hurt to look. I’ll head back out at dusk time, as well. That’s when we get more activity.” Tokala genuinely wasn’t overly confident that they would find the deer again, as those creatures liked coming out in the early mornings and evenings, but it wouldn’t hurt to take a weapon just in case. For deer or for something else. Maybe it would comfort Dakota a bit, too. He knew she cared greatly for the health of their tribe. Besides, every little catch helped, even if it was something small. Their weapon shack was right near the cabin he had decided to stop at to fetch the beanie for his beloved friend, so it wasn’t going out of their way, either. Although he doubted Dakota would care if they did have to round back. She had a lot of patience, Tokala simply disliked keeping her waiting.

He was grateful she accepted the hat he had offered to her. He knew she disliked tossing her problems onto another being, even if they weren’t considered problems to anyone else. She hadn’t said a word about being cold, but she didn’t have to. They were opposites when it came to weather; he adored the cold, but he knew it didn’t sit too well with her. And with such a brisk breeze that particular morning, he knew she’d be shivering before they even left the camp. “May I?” His gaze grew softer as he peered at her, brushing some of her hair back before reaching into the pocket of his coat. As funny as it may sound, Tokala always had elastics on him somewhere. When he had first come to the tribe, he had far longer hair which was either braided or in a bun, so elastics were a must-have. He couldn’t remember when exactly he had decided to cut it; he was pretty sure it was to detach himself from his past. Whatever the case may be, he still found elastics hanging around to this day. And sometimes they came in handy.

Brushing Dakota’s hair back, Tokala allowed his hands to run through her soft waves before parting them into sections, gently weaving them until they formed a single braid. Braids were sacred to him; they meant a lot to his family, and that was one of the few things he carried with him into the tribe. Dakota knew it. She was one of the only people he only discussed his past life with. “This way it won’t get in your mouth.” He secured the braid with one of the elastics, then placed the beanie on her head, purposely pushing it halfway over her eyes with a grin. “Perfect.” If only she knew he was gazing at her, double meaning in that single word. Then he took her hand and headed off again, walking slowly until she had a chance to readjust the hat.

He stopped once again so that he could fetch his bow and also grab a basket for her. “In case you find berries or anything you could use,” he explained to her, handing her the basket. “Or just to look like little red riding hood. Whichever you prefer.” He set off again, offering her his arm. He had no direct plans, except to enjoy this peaceful time with his best friend. They could both use a little fresh air.

[poppyxoxo]

"So is THE Bastian Rivas telling me that he aspires to be a flying animal?" Aviana clarified joking, turning her head to casually wink at Bash for the added exaggeration. Although they both knew they were only joking, it still felt good to be able to joke around even though most of the time she was off doing other jobs. "You know, for the sake of being mushy I-I am genuinely glad that we can stand out here and talk even if it is for a moment, you know?" Avian spoke after only a few moments of silence but she didn't dare look over at him for a bit in case that meant that he would somehow guess her innermost feelings about him and at that moment she knew that she was just being silly. "You're smiling at me? Oh shucks," she gave him a quick side hug, her head resting on his shoulders only just before she returned to a natural stance.

Aviana allowed Bastian to raise her hand, her eyes following the movements as she too watched the sprout as it forced its way up into the world. "You know, that tiny little thing will soon grow into the prettiest thing to ever exist in this world. "Bastian, you can be intimidating-" she began but soon paused while thinking 'I have my own reasons to be nervous around him' before she continued "-but with all due respect you would have to be the kindest hearted person I have ever met in the whole entire world. I don't mean to rain on your scary parade though" she added for effect.

"Wait, what do you mean?..." she asked but her voice trailed off as she spotted Erice and she gave her a small welcoming smile that she didn't mind her at all coming over to join the pair. "Yes, plants" she agreed matter-of-factly with Bastian, nodding towards the barely noticeable sprout that had begun to push up through the soil. She gently grabbed the cup from Bastian, taking one more sip of the tea before she finally decided that she had had enough also agreeing internally that she felt a few degrees warmer, even if it was just for the moment.

[sunhorsestar]

Kaden Turner | 19 | Captain | Eastern | Tagging: Emma


"Well you’re a good doctor! Heaven knows there are some of us who wouldn’t even be here if not for your care," Kade pointed out. Himself included, with how often he’d gotten sick the past couple years. Like his immune system was slowly deteriorating and having trouble fighting infections off. Yet he’d been brought back from the edge with care, even when things were so bad he’d worried he would die sometimes. Melodramatic, perhaps, but even so, he had always been one to worry a little TOO much. Besides, Emma was right. It wasn’t all about seniority and age.

"Well you’re certainly good at masking it. Something that’s probably useful as both a tribemate and a doctor," Kade noted. He set the tea down on the table in front of her once it was ready. "Yes, they’re getting worse, but it won’t be forever. Things started suddenly, they can end suddenly too. I’m not saying things will go back to normal, of course, but one day, things could get better. I have to believe that in order to keep going without losing hope."

Truth be told, Kade kind of wished for the position, but either way, he was happy with what he had. He had acknowledgement, friends, hope, a job he loved. What more could he really ask for without sounding truly selfish when there were so many deserving people in their tribe? "If I got you your greenhouse, I wouldn’t need anything. The whole tribe would have what we need, access to steady medicinal herbs keeps everyone healthy, and if fruits or vegetables grew, more steady supply of food," he pointed out. "In this kind of terrain, those are more valuable than anything aside from a water supply."

Kade had felt hope wavering, in others, even in himself on occasion, but he tried to keep his optimism up. Even if the rest of the tribe succumbed to fear and a sense of hopelessness, maybe just one person who genuinely believed things would turn out for the better one day could tip the scales. "Tea, please. Peppermint, if there is any? Otherwise, surprise me!" He shot her a smile.


Connall Walker | 35 | Leader | Western | Tagging: Annora, Olivia


Connall couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. Olivia had come right up to them to make herself available for work, and she’d been completely brushed over. So he cleared his throat and gestured towards Olivia to draw Annora's attention to her, as Olivia had been one of the Warriors she’d mentioned as a choice for a patrol.

"Actually it’s perfect timing," Connall admitted, shooting Olivia a tiny, albeit awkward smile. "We were just talking patrols a couple minutes ago. He could hear the apology not only in her words, but her voice too. Connall tried to be a good leader, he had never intended to intimidate anyone though. Yet it seemed that was the outcome anyway, if the meek approach was anything to go by.

In response to Annora's curiosity, Connall dared to allow himself a small smile. "I have a few options," he noted. He’d been thinking about it for a little too long for his liking, but he finally had an idea. "I can’t say it right in this moment though, unfortunately. It'll come out right after the patrol though," he promised. He kissed Annora's temple. "You wanted Olivia and Ryder for a patrol, right?"


Móraín Maria | 27 | Warrior | Eastern | Tagging: Cato, Alessia


Móraín leaned on the table, a flicker of amusement crossing her face. She flicked black hair back over her shoulder. Really, she didn’t mind people who talked a lot, given she herself was quite quiet overall, preferring to listen to what others had to say when she could, so if he wanted to talk, she wasn’t going to complain about his rambling. Wasn’t going to, as he put it, just walk away. Where would be the fun in that, after all?

"Of course, of course. Apologies." Móraín smiled from the corner of her lip. Slightly awkward, slightly apologetic. Being hopeful and then let down would be a crash in morale, but it came so easily under such circumstances. She couldn’t help but be hopeful for a moment, even if the situation hadn’t been investigated yet. It seemed awfully weird running water would’ve been found after all this time, but with weather and changes in terrain, it wasn’t impossible, she supposed.

Deer. After a couple months of just scrawny squirrels and rabbits and what few birds they could find, big game like a deer would give the tribe the energy and strength they would need to start thriving again, get out there and do what they really needed to. Móraín dipped her head to the leader. She knew it was just part of her job, but somehow couldn’t help but feel honoured by the responsibility placed on her. "Understood," she agreed. "We won’t let you down."

[No one]

Cato Jake Cameron/close friends may call him CJ/male/22 years old/Hunter of Eastern Tribe/Tags: Móraín, Alessia, Mateo, Freyja/Location: Camp of Eastern Tribe/Sexuality: Pansexual/No crush or relationship as of now
When Alessia talked about just calling her by her name, he responded, “Of course le… er I mean Alessia, my apologize. It’s a good thing to keep this water situation in the back of our minds and I thank you for trust me along with Móraín. I will not tell a single sole.” He listened more as Alessia focused her attention on Móraín. When she addressed him again, he looked at her and said with a nod of his head, “You are correct. With more hands on deck we can catch more and we can maybe catch some good pieces of food for the tribe. Wise choice sending all of us out Alessia.” He turned his attention over to the approaching people. It was there singular trainee, Mateo and another hunter, Freyja. He guessed they were alright in his opinion. He hadn’t really interacted with either of them outside of being professional and in there work, but he couldn’t help respect them as they were fellow hunters, well one of them being a true hunter. He did respect the seriousness that Mateo brought to his work in the tribe, he sometimes Cato wished he would just lighten up a bit and be so stiff. Being stiff wasn’t good on a hunt and Cato learned that the hard way.

Cato out of the corner of his eye caught the alarm in Alessia’s eyes. Had he done something wrong talking about the water. It seemed as though that alarmed look happened when he was talking about the water and the arrival of Mateo and Freyja. A stab of embarrassment tore through him and he tried to not let his face be all flushed red in embarrassment. Cato nodded in agreement to Móraín’s comment and he said and said giving a salute to the leader, “We will not let you and the tribe down.” He looked around and scolded himself, he had yet to give a gesture of recognition to Freyja and Mateo. He gave both of them a nod and then focused his attention back to the leader and Móraín.

Mateo Antonio Benito/No preferred name/male/15 years old/Hunter Trainee of Eastern Tribe/Tags: Freyja/Location: Camp/Heterosexual with no current information about romantic interests or relationships
Mateo nodded as the hunter talked to him answering all of his questions. He nodded and as she told him to follow. He eagerly went after her. He felt like he was on a sugar rush for how excited he was. As he approached he caught a flash of alarm and the talking did stop between the three already standing there. He glanced at them for a brief moment before listening to the adults speak. It wasn’t that Mateo was feeling awkward in such a big group, the young male just didn’t have anything to say that was note worthy at this time. He looked to the leader. She had curly brown hair. It reminded him of a mocha brown color her eyes were a deep brown and he couldn’t help but feel slightly intimidated by her deep brown eyes. She had freckles as well and he turned to look at Móraín. She had black hair and her eyes were really unique in Mateo’s mind. They were a blueish/amber eye color which Mateo wished he had. They looked so cool and all he had was plain olé’ blue eyes. He looked over to Freyja. He couldn’t really describe her hair color, but he knew her eyes were brown. Cato was the last of the people beside the young male. Now his eye color was something else. They were green which was rare from what Mateo heard. He felt like they were leaves that had gradients all throughout. Cato’s hair was mostly light brown with a few light blonde streaks in his hair. As people responded to the orders he quickly piped up realizing he hadn’t spoken and only observed the physical appearances of hair and eye color of each of his tribe mates going on the patrol, “Yes we’ll make sure to bring food back for the tribe. Hopefully the deer do show up in the coming weeks because that would be a huge advantage for our tribe.” As long as the leader didn’t have anything else to say, Mateo was ready to stretch his legs and get out there to prove he was learning what he needed to become a hunter and show the tribe leader he was learning.

[kellybelly1403]

Freyja Hansen -

Eastern Hunter | 21 years | Location: Near the hunters cabin| Tags: Mateo, Alessia | Mentioned: Cato, Móraín, Alessia, tags

The look on the Leader’s face was one not to surprise Freyja, and neither was her tone, especially considering their unique history. The two of them are what you would call the definition of complicated. They rarely speak, make eye contact, or mention each other, and some unspoken things still lie beneath the Hunter’s stoic features. Freyja tries to avoid her at all costs but considering Alessia is her higher up, it is inevitable, especially when it comes to certain missions.

Hearing the sharp reply, the girl tilted her head ever so slightly. “Traff jeg en nerve?” she mumbled under her breath in her mother tongue with some attitude. She watched as Alessia’s expression changed drastically. Her eyes once narrowed, now wide, almost as if they were popping out. From what the girl stated, it did so. But why was she stressed? Was it because of ongoing duties as the Tribe’s Leader, the water? Or was it the fact that Frey caught her off guard? Whatever it was clearly had her in a loop. But did that phase the brunette? No, not so ever, especially with the tone Freyja was given. “Oh? Unnskyld meg. From what I was hearing, it sounded like you were not going to invite Mateo. But if that is what you say, så vær det.” The girl spoke out. Transferring between broken English and Norwegian. That was one thing the Hunter couldn’t stand, and that was when someone talked back at her, especially one with history. She didn’t care about rank, age, or even age. If you spoke to her ‘wrong’, or if she felt like you were channeling her, Frey would fight it. Now yes, this could definitely get her in trouble, especially with her directed at the Tribe’s Leader, but again, she didn’t care. It was who she was, and if she eventually gets kicked out. So be it, it wouldn’t be the first time the girl was alone.

Freyja relaxed a tad when Alessia gave her speech, allowing herself to settle and breathe. The instructions given were simple, but whether the wilderness was going to let it be so, was the question. She noticed the quick look Alessia gave the girl as she listed off the instructions. It was quite noticeably shorter than the others, but the brunette couldn’t show she cared whatsoever, it meant less time with the girl. Glancing down at the boy, she nodded. Freyja knew she didn’t need to repeat what was being said, Mateo was good for that, which was one of the main reasons she liked him.

_____

Dakota Sanders -

Western Doctor | 24 years | Location: Toka's cabin | Tags: Tokala

Blah

[poppyxoxo]

tags: olivia | mentions: ryder

Annora followed the flurry of gestures by Connall to see that Olivia had begun to approach them which Annora found to be quite convenient, to say the least. “I’m so sorry Olivia, I didn’t see you there. Now that you are here though, I would really love the extra help if you weren’t too busy. I had actually planned on coming to find you earlier” she explained, offering a welcoming smile towards the women.

"I sure did, they are both outstanding people that would be really helpful to the patrol so I will grab them, and we will head out. What was it you said, a general overview?” she asked, just double-checking her objective. Her eyes roamed over Connall’s face, and she couldn’t help but notice that he had the established look of a leader; tired but also awake and constantly thinking of different ways that they could be moving forward, and she really admired that.

“Alright, come find me later. Don’t forget” Annora agreed which added to the last part to boost the mood even if it was only slightly, leaning into the kind gesture for a moment before she turned her attention back to Olivia. “Do you know by any chance where I might find Ryder?” she asked curiously, hoping that she would be able to point Annora in the right direction.

[Mezzo]

❀ 𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐄
─────── Western | Tracker | Tags: Bash & Aviana | Mentions: Kat


All-too-familiar boredom was beginning to set in as Erice found herself without much to do - it really seemed to be a slow day today - and without an interesting conversational partner to at least wile away the time, as it seemed her fellow tracker had drifted away, and if there was one thing that pushed her patience, it was being bored. Her sister seemed deep in conversation, her friends were busy… honestly, just what was a girl to do?

Thankfully, mercifully, salvation came in the familiar timbre of Bash’s voice calling out to her, drawing her attention back to where he and Aviana were conversing. Now, normally it went against Erice’s principles to interrupt a very important chance for her dear Aviana to grow closer with the handsome gatherer who seemed to have captured her affections so, but Bash was gesturing for her to come over and Aviana seemed to be fine with it if her smile was anything to go by, so who was Erice to look a gift horse in the mouth? Bounding over to the gardens with a devilish simper, she clapped her hands as she approached the duo, greeting them with a cheer, “Good morning, my darling dears!” Hey, if Bash was going to get away with calling her darling, then two could play at that game — all in jest, naturally; she was always tickled pink by his sweet pet names, even when they were used to tease. Leaning in and bending to get a good view of the sprout they were discussing before her arrival, she took in its appearance for a second before blinking and asking, “Oh, it’s lovely… so what is it exactly that I’m looking at?” She liked the aesthetics of flowers and plants - of course she found them beautiful and nice to look at, and they made for excellent still life subjects! - but she was certainly no expert. The technicalities of gardening, namely the getting down and dirty on your knees part? No thank you, Erice would gladly pass — it was already hard enough looking presentable in this day and age with whatever the tribe had on hand!

Out of the corner of her eye, Erice couldn’t help noticing Aviana taking what looked to be Bash’s cup and sipping from it herself, and if they were alone, just the two of them girls, her eyebrows would have raised to the top of her head and she would have immediately drilled her friend about the innocuous action. Were the two of them sharing a mug? In other words, had they just shared an indirect kiss without even thinking about it!? What a classically romantic move! See, this was part of why Erice knew she had to see them together together at some point; she had never been the type to have long-lasting, meaningful relationships beyond friendships for herself (one need only ask Kat for proof on that count!), never finding that one person who could keep up with her and capture her interest for that long - which, sure, she could acknowledge was a her thing - but the idea of seeing those she loved, in love? Even the thought of it filled her with giddy excitement and, okay, perhaps she should have been more concerned with her own inability to find love while simultaneously seeking it out for her friends, but playing the wingwoman, the Cupid, for her loved ones made her happy, and to Erice that was enough. Besides, she adored Aviana and liked Bash, so the two of them together? A match made in heaven, if you asked her.

Alas, as much as she wanted to delight in the small signs that maybe, just maybe, Aviana’s feelings weren’t so unrequited as they’d initially thought, Bash was right there, so Erice had to rein her reactions in. There were many a time where she had considered simply dragging him into a private corner of camp, grabbing him by the shoulders - height difference be damned! She’d stand on a crate to be eye-to-eye with him if need be! - and probing him about his feelings for the pretty blonde warrior until there were no secrets left between them, but she sadly had more tact than that. And while such an uncouth technique, lacking entirely in finesse, might be frowned upon by Aviana, Erice was quite sure it would guarantee results. Still, she was here to facilitate Aviana’s efforts - okay, that and alleviate her own boredom - not sabotage them, and who could say how Bash would react if he knew? No, if neither were going to speak on the totally-indirect-kiss, then Erice wouldn’t either. Even if she really, really wanted to call them out on it. Perhaps in the future there’d be chances to laugh about moments like these, where Erice could flaunt that she’d known that they were a match made from the start and how could they not know?!

Instead, Erice straightened herself out, careful not to let on the swirl of excited, bubbly emotions going on in her mind, and went right back to her trademark teasing. “Spending the morning talking about plants instead of getting something done, what would you-know-who say?” she faux-tutted, though in actuality it seemed all three of them had the same idea. If no one was knocking down their doors or calling for them, then why not indulge in what spare time they had?

[senna_]

𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐀 𝐊𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐌
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. eastern leaderxxxxxlocation; eastern campxxxxxmentions; tagsxxxxxtags; móraín, cato, freyja, mateo

Even now, it was still an odd sight to see, people crumbling beneath her with the smallest of words that left Alessia’s mouth. She had always been viewed a bit differently, as leadership had run through her blood, and growing up the leader’s daughter, it had a way of intimidating the kids around her. Leadership hadn’t quite sunken in, even though she had been in charge for almost two years. She had had her ups and downs, even still. Age played a big part in it; she had heard far too many doubtful comments regarding her age. It was always a feel-good moment, when anyone respected her decisions. The best part was when Alessia knew they were being sincere with it. Much like now; even though she wasn’t extremely close to the hunter nor the warrior, she knew they took her request to heart. In return, she respected that.

“I know you won’t,” she replied to Móraín with a twitch of a smile. She wasn’t upset with their glee, and she was glad they weren’t too embarrassed by her comment to tone it down. They were all human, after all; Alessia herself had gotten momentarily excited when Micah had first announced it, so why wouldn’t these two? As long as it didn’t spread like wildfire around the tribe, Alessia was fine keeping it their little secret. Hopefully, within a few hours, Micah and Carly would have some news about the water, anyway. Then they could begin their journey to fetch more, assuming everything went smoothly.

She smiled a tight-lipped smile at Cato, reaching over to quickly pat his shoulder. “You’re a good hunter, Cato,” she told him earnestly. “One of the best I’ve seen.” When she was first appointed leader, Alessia had always felt weird, applying heartfelt comments to a casual conversation like this one, which was strictly a parting conversation before they did their jobs. But she had learned that it was needed; with low spirits and exhaustion blurring their visions, it took a lot to boost their confidence. And Alessia truly did believe in them, even if she didn’t always show it.

When Mateo spoke up, Alessia found her smile loosening as it became more genuine. “Deer are great,” she agreed with what the young hunter said. “There’s so much we can use from them. It’s sometimes a challenge to get the bucks, but with spring season coming up, they should all be more active. But don’t push yourself to find just that,” she added, opening up that statement to her little crowd. “Whatever you can find will be greatly appreciated.”

Her mood dimmed as Freyja muttered something under her breath. Alessia’s honey-brown eyes shot over towards her, and her smile faded. Inside, she could feel hurt spreading, as if a balloon had just burst and the emotion exploded, but on the outside, her expression was barely existent. Frey had once taught her some phrases in the language that was dear to her. As they parted ways, the language had died inside of Alessia’s mind. She was undeniably able to pick up the small phrase “hit a nerve”, though. Her lips pressed together in a half attempt to seem reasonable. “Thank you, Freyja,” she continued in a plain tone. “I’m glad we’re on the same page.” She didn’t have it in her to fight, not when there was nothing to fight. This was the closest they had been, the most they had spoken, in months. She longed to stretch her legs, experiencing the outdoors the way she was once able to do, but for the most part, those days were behind her. Now, she only took a step back, allowing her hands to settle behind her back. “Right then. Off you guys go. And don't worry about getting Vivian; three hunters and a warrior is enough.”

[senna_]

𝐄𝐌𝐌𝐀 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐙
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. eastern doctorxxxxxlocation; eastern camp (dining area)xxxxxmentions; tagsxxxxxtags; kade, rhys, dexter

Emma chuckled a little, rubbing her ever-so slightly dry hands together. “I think you’re giving me too much credit,” she returned. She tried to remain humble, never the type to openly boast and rub it in other people’s faces. Personally, she didn’t feel that got her or anyone else everywhere. When the tables were turned, however, she loved to celebrate one’s accomplishments. Everyone was always so hard on themselves, especially during and right after the winter season. Acknowledging even the smallest achievement went a long way, particularly in the long run. As someone who had naturally always been the caregiver, from her own small family to the entire tribe, Emma felt it was her duty to be the one to acknowledge rewards, not seek them out. She knew that wasn’t overly healthy for her mental health, but she always felt awkward accepting them. Like right now. It’s just my job, was her go-to reply.

She opened one of the nearby cabinets, reaching up to grab hold of a simple white mug for Kade. “Peppermint it is,” she replied in a cheerful tone. It was because of simple things like this that kept her going. Normal things, day-to-day things that would occur without nature’s disaster. She missed the days when she could walk to school without having to worry about experiencing an earthquake or windstorm. It was crazy to think that that was the norm now. How long would they all be able to survive it? If only she had the ability to look into the future.

The kettle howled beside them as it stirred about the water inside. Emma’s eyes remained fixated on the gentle stream of steam that was dashing up towards the ceiling. “One day,” she echoed once again. “I guess you’re right. I mean, look how far we’ve come now, since this all started. If I were told ten, fifteen years ago that I would be living on the edge like this, I would’ve believed I was a character in some dystopian novel or something. It’s crazy to think about how the human body can adapt to things.” The last part was mused, soft-spoken, as if she was speaking only to herself.

The kettle eventually shut off, and she reached for it first, allowing the warmth of the boiled water to hit her face as the steam continued to rise. “I miss my weighted blanket,” she said suddenly, with a laugh. “The good old days.” She paused as she swirled the teabag in, then glanced up at Kade with a tilt of her head. “I honestly don’t think I know much about anyone’s history,” she continued thoughtfully, nodding towards him. “Were you from somewhere warm? Or have you always lived around here?” She set the mug down, then took a seat, smiling appreciatively as he handed her her tea. Silence fell over her briefly as she poured a bit of honey into her drink. “It’s only a matter of time before we’re going to have to move on,” she finally said. It was a hard reality to face, but it was true. They couldn’t live there forever, despite the comfort they had built up around them. “Eventually our supplies will thin out. I just hope it’s not for many, many more years, you know?” Her smile thinned slightly, becoming evidently more forced. The scraping of a nearby chair caught her attention, and she tilted her head to gaze towards the other side of the room, noting Dexter had entered the scene. Or perhaps he had always been there and she had simply been too wrapped up in her chat with Kade to notice. Her cheeks flushed a rosy red, but she smiled nonetheless. "Good morning," she greeted. "Did you sleep in? I added some extra firewood this morning, I hope you could feel it from your room."

She raised the mug to her lips, appreciating the warmth of the tea as it filled her senses. When she set it down, she realized there was a rather frazzled-looking Rhys who had managed to make his way into the same room as them. “Rhys!” she called out in a cheery tone, completely wiping away the solemness that had swept over her. “Look at that, I’m with my favourite people now. We’re just settling down for some tea, do you want some?”