-when dead walk | open+accepting-

[borahae.]

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𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐄 ! ! ───────────


lone survivor ✩ twenty-four ✩ cismale ✩ pansexual ✩ tag: tobias ✩ location: temporary camp/exploring

Unperturbed by his friend's pout as he sought an answer from their furry companion ─ because after spending the past few weeks together, that's what they were, right? friends...as foreign as that was for the boy ─ Boone watched with a raised brow as the other spoke to Arlo and couldn't hold back the amused snort as the dog merely wagged his tail, Tobias' comment causing him to release a quick and dramatic gasp before he reached down to cover the doberman's ears with his hands "Hey, there's no need for that kind of slander; Arlo didn't do anything to you" With a playful glare sent towards Tobias and a gentle pat to Arlo's head, the boy again removed his hands from the dog and returned them to his side, sticking one into the front pocket of his jeans and the other used to hold his backpack strap in place.

As the other began to speak about duties and get more into detail about their plan for today, Boone gave a hum of agreeance and nodded along where necessary, not at all upset by his suggestions. If there was one word to describe Boone, it would be confident: in this case, confident over his uselessness in the current apocalypse situation. "Mm, okay, sounds good here." Then, seeming to note Tobias' unease, he stepped forward and placed a hand on the other's shoulder, giving a small smile at the slightly taller boy "No need to sound so scared ─ I'm not gonna bite your head off for suggesting it. I'll happily take the easier job."
Then, hearing the other mention running back with Arlo if need be, Boone let out a genuine laugh, rolling his eyes playfully and again returning his hand at his side "Yes, dad.." Barking out his response in the most sarcastic voice he could muster, he continued "Y'know, I survived this long without you guys ─ it's not like I'm entirely incapable out there. I'm just lazy. Big difference."

If he chose to eliminate the harsh fact that he spent most of that time hiding and running from walkers, avoiding facing them head on at all costs, well...that wasn't anyone's business but his.

Taking the lead and stepping up to the door of the warehouse, creaking it open as gently as possible and peaking outside as stealthily as possible to make sure they wouldn't be surprised by unwanted guests, Boone let out a sigh of relief at seeing empty streets before opening the door entirely and stepping outside, holding it open so Tobias and Arlo could follow "We should get going, then, before it gets too late ─ the last thing we need is to be traveling at night, especially without any light. I won't put my fate in the hands of that faulty flashlight of yours."

──(timeskip tehee)──

It didn't take the three of them too long to reach their destination, luckily, so with a murmured 'good luck' to Tobias ─ doing his best to remain as quiet as possible in the case that there were any walkers nearby ─ he branched off from his friend and began his search for firewood, happy to be able to assist where he could. While he didn't necessarily mind being on his own, used to it after so many years and naturally introverted anyways, he had to admit that it was a bit weird to be away from his traveling companion. They'd spend the past few weeks together, so he'd just kind of...gotten used to his presence. He didn't realize how much that could change him until he began to wander out and lost sight of the other, picking up twigs and dry leaves on his lonesome, the silence of the woods surrounding him. He was bored.

Putting what he could into his backpack, glad to have left it fairly empty before leaving camp as he began to fill it with what he thought they'd be able to use in the upcoming days, he was just about to call it quits and head back towards Tobias when he heard a muffed sound coming from a few feet away. Furrowing his brows, his hand automatically going to his hammer that was still sheathed in his belt, he squatted down and did his best to narrow down where the sound was coming from; if it was a human, the last thing he'd want is to be spotted first, so the smaller he could make himself, the better.

From what he could tell from where he was, although muffled, it sounded most like someone living ─ he'd grown accustomed to the groans of walkers and could tell that sound from any distance ─ and someone crying, at that. Although he wasn't exactly perfect in the empathetic department, admittedly bad at being able to comfort others, he was still sympathetic by nature and the loud sobs were beginning to make him feel an overwhelming sense of guilt. I shouldn't leave whoever that is out here...they'll attract walkers in no time with that wailing.
So, after looking around to make sure there wasn't any other presence hiding in the darkness of the woods, Boone stood upright once more and stealthily made his way to the stranger, following the loud sobs and silently cursing under his breath. Hopefully Tobias doesn't mind company...

When he finally stumbled on the crumpled figure of a boy, his body small and shaking as he curled in on himself in the dirt, Boone immediately let his hand drift away from his hammer and did his best to call out to the other without spooking him; from what he could tell, it had been a hard day for the stranger, and the last thing he wanted to do was let him run off. Who knows what could happen to him if he let the boy wander off like this, blinded by his emotions. "Hey, you..."
Wincing at himself, recognizing how awkward he is and feeling almost bad that the stranger had to be found by the most emotionally stunted person possible, Boone raised both hands in surrender before continuing "I'm not here to hurt you, don't worry, but...You should probably go somewhere else. It's not safe here."

Unsure if the other would even be coherent enough to respond to him, he crouched down to where the boy was and hesitantly placed a hand on his back, unsure what he should do but knowing full well they'd need to leave that area fast if the boy's wails were going to continue "..Do you have anywhere else to go? It's really not good to be out in the open like this...damn..."

[senna_]

-
𝐏𝐄𝐘𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋
↳ 22 , he/him , commonwealth medic , loc: outside apartment --> the square , mentions/tags:billie, bodie

For a moment, Peyton wasn’t too confident Billie had heard him speak. Their nose was wedged in between the crispy pages of their book (he couldn’t see the cover from the angle he was at), and knowing Billie, it genuinely would not come across as a surprise if his voice got lost in the breeze that danced about above them. It was quite chilly today; Peyton wasn’t a fan. The warmth of the comforting, cheery sun boosted his mood a good thirty percent, and today he'd have to fight for it. Although, despite the many clouds that dotted the blue sky, he could see the gigantic ball of fire, so he supposed that was good enough. The companionship his friends offered would be a lovely stand-in for the physical warmth the sun lacked, anyway.

Peyton hadn’t realized he had ended up zeroing in on the sun until he looked away and noticed his vision was almost completely covered by a big black circle every time he blinked. Oh, that is just great. Good going, Peyton. Likely looking like a fool, now, Peyton began to frantically blink out his chocolate-brown eyes, desperate to rid the dark outline of the sun his mind had captured. By the time the little image had cleared and he turned his attention back up towards the balcony, his friend was leaning over the railing, grinning down at him. He smiled his classic boyish smile in return. “Rapunzel, Rapunzel,” he greeted. “There she is. Beauty and grace herself.” It had taken a lot to get Billie to open up; for the longest time (and sometimes even now), Peyton felt he was nothing but a pesky bundle of static annoyance for his friend. And yet, they still stuck, clearly. And Peyton even reeled out a smile from her, something he once thought would forever be a rarity in his presence.

His lips connected together as Billie’s words came out in a scramble, and he did little more than offer a nod to show that he heard and was acknowledging what she said – if she even saw it. His right hand secured itself around his left wrist as they fell behind his back, resting casually. Peyton was in no rush, and although he was inwardly complaining about the chilly temperature, it really didn’t bother him that much. Peyton adored being outside; something he knew his friends enjoyed teasing him about. He didn’t mind, though. Something about nature really fascinated him. He could easily spend hours gushing about the smallest thing.

He had allowed a small smile to play at the corner of his lips at the sight of a nearby robin hopping along the trimmed grass, forcing his gaze away from it as Billie came down to meet him. “Hi,” he spoke aloud, feeling like his voice was splitting the silence around him in half, despite the fact that in reality, it definitely wasn’t that quiet. There were distant voices around them, birds singing in greeting, rustling leaves and so much more. If Peyton focused hard enough, he was almost sure he could hear the buzzing of a local bumblebee. But he didn’t have the attention span for that at the present moment. In return to Billie’s curtsy, Peyton straightened his posture and gave a semi-awkward bow in return. “Greetings,” he jokingly corrected himself, before offering Billie his arm. “It would be my honour.”

Much like how Billie had opened up a lot around him, in return, Peyton found himself acting far more playful than usual. He typically had a lighthearted type of energy to him, but that wasn’t exactly defined by extroversion and jokes. He supposed part of this was due to the fact that he didn’t have any predeveloped drama of any sort with Billie, or, the Murphy family altogether, and thus felt no need to act as “adult-y” as he did around some others.

A soft hum rose from within his throat as they strolled, and his eyes skimmed their surroundings. “See the way the sun catches those leaves?” he finally voiced softly, raising his free hand to point to one of the nearby trees. “It’s a perfect golden outline. If I was good at art, I’d paint that in a heartbeat.” A distant smile, perhaps one crafted from fascination, lingered on his face for a moment before snapping into reality. He looked back over at Billie. “Are you ready for your shift today? Maybe you can help me find something. I want to look into health care. I know, it’s boring. But that’s the life of a med student.”

Just as a chuckle began to trail aloud after those words, he was quite literally thrown off balance by an incomer. Bodie. Of course. A gleeful laugh came into contact with the morning air at the sight of his other close friend, and he steadied himself before joining the two of them once again. “Favourite people,” he echoed, eyeing Bodie. “That’s generous. What do you want?” As per usual, he was teasing. Bodie was like a brother to him. “Unlike us, Billie actually has a job to do today. We’re just walking over to the library now. What are you up to?”

[ꜱᴀʟᴇᴍ.]

────── 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒓𝒐𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒉𝒚
age thirty-two tagged adrian location in her bakery
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𝒎onroe was in her own little world, as usual. as soon as she walked through the threshold of the bakery, her brain was immediately switched into work mode. she took the chairs off of the four tables she had in the shop, placing them in their proper positions, and cleaned every table as if the few specks of dust they may have collected throughout the night was way too much. she then lay down the red and white table cloths in their places, putting small vases of flowers on he tops of each table along with sweet little doilies for underneath dishes her customers may use.

once monroe was satisfied with the placements of furniture and such, she went on to getting all of her baked goods out for people to buy. as she walked into her kitchen, she made sure to put her apron on and put her hair into a tight bun, as well as washing her hands thouroughly. she then began began to take things out of her freezer and place them into the ovens, and put some fresh icing onto the cupcakes she’d made trhe previous day and placed in the refrigerator.

soon, everything was ready and monroe had started placing them on her front counter for all to see. the smell of bread and cakes flooded the shop, a smell that monroe could never get tired of. she’d been baking ever since she could remember; it was a good hobby for her to just forget everything bad going on in the world.

her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door open, and she saw adrian walk in. a warm smile presented itself on her face. ”good morning adrian!” monroe called to the young boy, watching him walk up to the counter. ”what’ll it be today, kiddo?”

────── ʙɪʟʟɪᴇ ᴍᴜʀᴘʜʏ
age twenty tagged bodie+peyton location in the square
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ʙillie rolled her eyes at her friend playfully as he gave an awkward bow and presented his arm for her. they hesitated, but eventually took his arm in theirs and started walking alongside him. billie really wasn’t used to having people like peyton around. meaning, they simply weren’t used to being able to let loose and be theirself. sure, she had monroe, but even then- they weren’t exactly that close. peyton and bodie were the only two people billie could just be around for hours and never get sick of their presence.

billie didn’t look like the type to be childish and outgoing; in fact people often steered clear of them either because of intimidation or ‘yikes she’s weird, stay away from that’. little did those people know, billie was extremely playful and extroverted - she just had to be around the right people. that being said, they would never let people see that side of her in public, hence why she was so active now, at 5am; there was nobody around apart from weirdos like her who liked early mornings. yes, that means you peyton.

as the two walked, billie was so far away in her mind that she didn’t even realise peyton spoke. it was like he was miles away from her - his voice was muffled. she soon managed to zone back in, in time to hear him talking about a.. golden, outline? ’oh- the sun!’ billie thought as they finally processed the first thing their friend had said to break the silence. ”i’m decent at art, i can teach you.” they said softly, before then listening to peyton’s question about work. ”oh of course! i actually freed up another shelf the other day specifically for books on biology, anatomy and such. just for you and bodie!”

then, as if she spoke him into existence, bodie came barreling into the pair. at first she didn’t know who it was and she was so ready to yell and swing, but then she saw that it was bodie, and her body language and facial expression immediately changed and she melted into the position of having the boy’s hand on her shoulder. ”oh he definitely wants something.” they said with a smirk. ’favourite people.’ billie thought. adorable. she listened as peyton told bodie what they were doing, revelling in the comfort of being with her two favourite boys. favourite. they never thought they’d use that word towards people - and yet, here they are.

[lush]

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𝑩𝑶𝑫𝑰𝑬 𝑲𝑨𝑵𝑮! ! ───────────


commonswealth medic ✩ eighteen ✩ cismale ✩ demisexual ✩ tag: peyton & billie ✩ location: in the square

peyton and billie were bodie's favorite people, and it wasn't a secret. the way he wouldn't ever shut up about them when he's around other people, the way he would always bring them up and always find a way to think about them when he's doing things, it was just something he was good at. it was like they lived in his brain rent free. every time bodie did something, he would either think of how much peyton would like it, or how much billie would enjoy laughing at him for buying it. it was just something embedded in his brain. growing up with them, it helped him get very attached to them.

especially with medical school. going with peyton all the time, training to be a medic and often helping when they need the assistance, peyton was bound to be in bodie's life frequently. bodie just never expected it to get so close with the boy, to care so much about the boy and care about him so intensely. he never expected to be so close to him. but bodie would never complain about it - god no, he loved him so much.

same with billie. he never really expected to be close to the person who he barely talked to when he entered the library, but now he found himself bothering her every free day he had. god, he loved their company. if anything, he'd make sure to bother them more when he was in the library and they were just trying to do their job.

looking over at peyton, bodie only rolled his eyes as he moved his hip to bump into the male's side. "your mother, peyton. i want her," he winked, leaning his head forward to let out a small laugh as he sighed. letting out a small scoff, bodie only let his jaw drop as he stared over at the shorter female by him. "billie.....not you too!" he exclaimed, moving his arm off of her shoulder to place against his heart, acting like he was wounded.

"no but seriously, what are you guys doing?" he asked again, chewing on his bottom lip as they continue to walk slowly fowards. "if we're going to the library, i need help looking for a book. i remember it from a few years back but i can't think of it," he said quickly, chewing on his bottom lip as he smiled down at the girl beside him. god did he adore her.

[lush]

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𝑻𝑬𝑫𝑫𝒀 𝑯𝑾𝑨𝑵𝑮! ! ───────────


group 2 scout ✩ 20 ✩ cismale ✩ homosexual ✩ tag: dash ✩ location: outside camp

teddy was sad.

almost all the time. he had dash, which was amazing, and when dash was around, it was intensely hard to be sad. but when he was alone, stuck with his thoughts, it was so hard to be okay. it was so hard to be happy and not constantly wallowing in self pity. he didn't know what he did to deserve his mindset to be stuck like that, but it had been stuck in such a sad set ever since sawyer had left him. he knew she meant no harm, and he knew she did it so she could do what was best for her, but it still stung him the day she left.

teddy hadn't felt the same since. he didn't know what to do with himself, he didn't know exactly how he was supposed to care about himself without one of his best friends being there without him. and it wasn't like teddy could ask dash to be there for him every waking moment of his life, it wasn't like he could ask him to sleep in the same tent, to hold his hand when he's panicking and to know everything. teddy didn't even tell dash about sawyer. well, he did. but he never mentioned names. he didn't see the point - not when the names didn't matter, and whenever teddy said her name he'd tear up and struggle to keep his composure.

he really missed her.

though that didn't mean teddy wasn't thankful for dash. god teddy loved dash, that boy was his everything, and hell did he wish he was his forever. teddy hadn't had the guts to say it out loud yet, but teddy had intense feelings for him. butterflies whenever he entered the room, a smile gracing his lips whenever dash looked his way, his face turning red whenever dash was around. teddy was in love with the boy, but teddy knew he didn't feel the same way. so there was no point in putting himself out there just to ruin the relationship and destroy what they worked so hard to build.

but man. did teddy wish he could do it.

imagine the opportunities. imagine being able to wake up next to him. in his arms. being able to kiss his soft lips, his soft nose, and his forehead and cheeks. to be able to cuddle him and hold him all hours of the day. to hold his hands, to kiss his knuckles, to kiss him everywhere. to tell him he loves him all the time, to fall in love and be with him forever. everything seemed so perfect. he just wanted to be able to wake up in his arms and be able to be with him.

but he couldn't, so it wasn't even worth dreaming about.

pushing himself out of the sleeping bag slowly, teddy only sighed. god he was miserable. he didn't know why he was always so miserable when he was alone. but every time he was alone, it was always just the worst times for him, always putting him in painful situations and letting his mind run wild with awful thoughts. it was like the world didn't like him being happy all the time, and had to add just one painful situation to keep him in check. he didn't always mind it, but man. did it hurt sometimes when he was alone thinking about sawyer or dash. or himself.

chewing on his bottom lip hard enough until it bled, he quickly pulled on some clothing and pushed himself out of the tent, a frown on his lips as he looked around the camp. everyone was doing their own thing. they all woke up a lot earlier than teddy did. it was normal - man, teddy slept in a lot. he didn't know why. he wanted to blame his depression causing so much exhaustion, but he didn't want to called just lazy. he just wanted to know what was his problem. running his hand through his blonde hair, teddy looked through the camp sadly, and debated going back into the tent until someone needed him.

"kaiser!"

squinting slightly, teddy turned around to see dash with a dog running towards him, with something in his mouth. teddy wanted to approach for multiple reasons - one, it was dash. and two, a dog? how did he know the dog's name? and what did the dog have for him? was he hiding a pet dog from the entire camp? and from him? teddy scratched his head in a confused manner before walking towards the male and the animal slowly. he didn't want the dog to notice him and run away in case dash got upset, or the dog was a bit skittish. but by the looks of it, the dog looked almost scarier than moxie.

following after dash slowly, teddy quickly started to speed up once the two started to leave. "dash!" he called out, running towards him and tapping on his shoulder the moment he reached the male and the dog, stopping them temporarily. "what are you doing? waait, did that dog bring you chocolate? that's lowkey cool," he smiled, his voice soft and low, incase anyone was overhearing them or again, the dog was feeling a bit skittish.

"what's happening?"

[.gray_bones.]

★ L O R C A N ⏵
―――――――――――――――――
◄24｜male｜irish｜pan｜tagged; open n/a ►

indentation Lorcan was deep in thought, staring at the rising sun, fiddling with the hilt of his knife. His mind had been clouded lately, and he needed to get out of this...mood before someone was hurt. Shaking his head, he turned to the sound of footsteps behind him. He breathed a sigh in relief to see Moxie, and he dipped his head.
"Morning Moxie, can't say much." The man sighed, and waved an arm to the tents gathered around the small camp.
" Just thinking about how much of a pain it's going to be to try and find a different...housing situation once it starts getting colder. I've noticed the nights have been getting colder and colder each night, and it's going to get to the point where a sleeping bag and some thin layers of plastic aren't going to do very well." He shook his head, and ran his fingers through his hair. It had been growing thick and long lately, he had been dying to be able to wash it properly, or at least be able to look at himself in a mirror. He moved his hand from his scalp to his face, rubbing it.
" I've noticed firewood and some rations have gotten low, I was planning on going out today to look for some stuff, not too far, maybe take Dash with me if he's free." He had taken count of food and water before he went back to his tent last night, and he was surprised to see such little supplies. Nothing made him more concerned than the possibility of running out of food. Then there was the thought of having to find better shelters for the rest of the group. There was a possibility that they could run across a shack or cabin of some sort, but they all knew those chances were low. He didn't dare think about moving closer to the more populated areas, there was no way they would be able to fend off that many walkers and survive. The thought troubled him, but he knew with the leadership qualities that Moxie possesses, she would lead them all in the right direction.

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★ A D R I A N⏵
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◄19｜male｜caucasian + british｜gay｜tagged; Moxie - Mentions: Bodie - Open ►

indentation Adrian's head snapped up at the voice of Monroe. His face curled into a small grin. He always liked Monroe, she seemed to always be so cheerful, plus her baking skills were astronomical. He walked up to the counter, his hands remaining in his pockets, fidgeting quietly.
" Morning Monroe," he let out a half-hearted smile
" Could I have two croissants please?" He spat out the words so fast his face flushed at the thought.
" Sorry, Sorry, Two croissants, please" He stated again, his hands in his pockets now getting hot. Such an idiot. He used to be better than this, but when you live alone with your cat, and your old friends and mom are probably dead, your personality tends to change. At least for him. But the last thing he needed was people feeling bad for him. As he stood, his mind wandered to Aether, his own cat probably had more friends than he did. But that's alright, the fewer friends you have, the less you have to worry about. At least that's how he thought about it.
While thinking about Aether, he also remembered to try and find more pencils, his sketchbook still had a few pages left, and his last pencil broke last night, right as he was about to finish a decent portrait of the city skyline. He missed his old room, with all the sketching pencils, and the charcoal set. God, he missed his art stuff, but just having the chance to still be able to draw was enough for him. Maybe one day, when this was all over, he'd go back to his old hometown, and he would be able to see his old room again, but Adrian knew those chances were slim. The very thought of possibly returning to his house was enough to keep him going every day.

[lush]

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𝑲𝑨𝑰𝑻𝑳𝒀𝑵 𝑯𝑼𝑨𝑵𝑮! ! ───────────


lone survivor ✩ twenty- one ✩ cismale ✩ bisexual ✩ tag: boone ✩ location: idk hes lost

the knot in his throat. the way he could barely see his hands properly through the salty, warm tears in his eyes. he couldn't breathe. the sniffling in his nose, kate thought he was about to die just from the panic attack he was feeling coming up. he didn't know what to do. he hadn't been alone any time in his life like that at all. and now that he truly had no one, no one to even eat breakfast with, he was broken. destroyed, almost.

all he wanted was lewis back. to hear him playing guitar in the morning when he woke up, to smell the cooking food in the kitchen, to wake up to his old smile. his wrinkles around his eyes were comforting, to know he was being so genuine when smiling towards kaitlyn. even though they were years apart, he felt like a young friend of his. maybe it was because he was young when kaitlyn was young, and the twenty years working with kaitlyn had just given him the wrinkles from how much of a pain he was. either way, he was going to miss his smile. miss his laugh. miss his music.

whimpering quietly as he balled his hands into fists, digging his nails into the palm of his hands. he was hurting so much, and he didn't know how to deal with it alone.

hearing a voice behind him, though, caused him to flinch immediately. falling back towards a tree near him, kaitlyn pushed himself off the ground quickly and put his hands up defensively. he didn't know what he was going to do. if the male wanted, he could have easily taken over kaitlyn and hurt him quickly. or slowly. however he wanted- kaitlyn wasn't armed, nor did he know how to fight without weapons. he always had been protected, he didn't know how to protect himself.

"what?" he said quietly, his voice hoarse. "no. no no no no, i... i have a place. it's just not safe right now. and i don't know how to get in," he said softly, tears streaming down his face. he was scared. more scared of the male in front of him than the zombies at his front door. kaitlyn hadn't interacted with an actual person outside his family in so long - he had seen them, and waved, and occasionally talked to another kid when he was younger and made a temporary friend before going home, but never had to actually interact with one on his own, and never had to fear that he wasn't going to be alive in the next few minutes.

"....can you help me? i don't wanna go back alone i'm so scared. i don't have anyone," he cried, sniffling quietly as he shakily put his hands back down, small whimpers and whines falling from his lips the harder he cried. he tried to keep himself muffled, and quiet, and tried to calm himself down, but the more he suppressed it, the more whimpers came out.

[serendipity !]

...

...𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘.✩.𝗗𝗜'𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗭𝗢 !
......mattie ✩ nineteen ✩ she/her ✩ lone survivor ✩ feeling; hopeful? ✩ location; woods.

.........a profound growl emitted from the young woman's abdomen, the discomfort awoke her from a very delicate slumber. a filthy mattress arranged on a cold and splintery wooden floor made for a temporary resting place, it wasn't the most congenial but it was all she had as of now. from the birds chirping outside and the pale sunlight beaming through the ruinous ceiling boards, it was clear that it was early dawn and isabelle had an insufficient amount of sleep. she turned over from her back to her side and tightly wrapped her arms around her stomach, she let out a faint groan. she was famished.



.........in all honesty, mattie couldn't recall the last time she had consumed a decent meal; she often would scavenge for berries and for the last couple months, she sustained off of the last of what was a can of cold beans and a pack of hot dogs. mattie genuinely thought that she was doing adequate at this whole apocalypse thing but with the temperature dropping and the deprivation of sustenance, isabelle desperately needed more than just herself to survive and she loathed to admit it but it was true. isabelle's supplies were getting limited and she was gradually getting more and more lethargic each day without proper nourishment so hunting .and .gathering was quite the tribulation and even though it was debilitating, she would wipe the sweat off her forehead and tough it out, like she always has ever since she was a child.



.........mattie was very much aware that today would be even more difficult than the last as she tried to rise from the floor .and. she wasn't very much capable of doing so just yet. from the amount of pain she was currently in, she could almost shed tears but she rarely did these days. after her best friend's passing, it was all mattie ever really did. .she was so devastated and for a while, it was the only thing she could dwell on. it has been seven months since then and it feels just as raw as it did when it happened. . isabelle constantly incriminated herself for it,. she thought if she combated more diligently or if they were more prepared, he would still be here but there wasn't much she could of done differently. isabelle had mourned her friend every single day since then and it hasn't got much easier.



.........eventually, mattie had gotten herself up and off of the floor and before doing anything else, she took a brief moment to stretch. .for her young age, she had terrible back pain from sleeping in a cramped van and converting to an old mattress on the ground. .she .could .confess that her life and the world she was living in wasn't so pretty but she managed the best she could all by herself. . she slipped on a pair of muddy boots and a tattered jacket she was using for a cover over her shoulders and made her way towards the rickety cabin door but before mattie could take a step forward, a flash of multicolored fur and stubby limbs flashed from the doorway. she stepped back, "buddy!" mattie exclaimed, "you scared the crap outta me!" she crouched down to pet the dog between his large ears, a light chuckle escaped her. .she .furrowed .her .thick brows, "did you venture off without me, little guy?" mattie questioned the pup and the answer she got back was a pink slobbery tongue to the face. . mattie couldn't help but smile at her tiny furry friend, he was there for all her misfortunes and rescued her from a lot of anguish. .she wished .the puppy could simply understand her gratitude.



.........isabelle collected a black dilapidated bag from beside the mattress. it stored her bow and arrows, a very much used and cherished journal and other miscellaneous items. mattie took a deep breath in, the journey ahead of her wracked inside her mind.. isabelle .knew .that it would be exceptionally strenuous but she hoped that at the end of her trek, . mattie would be rewarded with a .shower, a hot .and .fulfilling. dinner .and a comfy bed so she could finally get some rest. she could only hope and dream. mattie was significantly motivated, she exhaled. before she headed out, she inspected the area and her bag, checking for anything she might had misplaced. every .corner and .pocket, mattie .searched .and made sure that everything she owned was in it's rightful spot. it was instinctive for isabelle to .be organized and one step ahead of herself, growing up she simply had to be. once she was absolutely certain she had everything, she threw her bag onto her back. "are you ready, pup?" he barked as a response, mattie firmly nodded towards her companion as she headed out the door and into the green and soggy forest.

[senna_]

-
𝐏𝐄𝐘𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋
↳ 22 , he/him , commonwealth medic , loc: the square , mentions/tags:billie, bodie

The silence that had draped itself atop of Peyton and Billie was comforting, and even though Peyton seemed to be doing more of the talking than his friend, he didn’t feel bothered by it. Billie often drifted into their own world, something Peyton had been warned of earlier into their friendship, but Peyton understood maybe more than Billie had expected. Peyton was the same way; a daydreamer who was too embarrassed to admit it. He knew he had a softer side to him. It was something he had been teased about quite often when he was in school. It took a certain person to do the job he had signed up for, and his classmates often joked about if he fit that category. Soft, but determined, Peyton was still ready to prove them wrong. He supposed Billie was the same way, but while doing her own proving. In this day and age, it seemed everyone had to prove something, really.

Eventually, Billie’s voice became detectable to Peyton’s ears, and his warm brown eyes shifted away from the path carved ahead of them and onto his friend. Something about Billie’s quiet voice always felt soothing. It was a funny mix, the two of them; one minute they’d be excitedly chatting over one another, the next, stuck in a daze. “I’d love that,” he responded, eyes lighting up like a child’s. “I have to warn you, it may get to the point where even you would want to stop. Love, you put more faith into me than you should.” A smile curved the corners of his lips up towards his eyes, and he let his eyes linger on Billie. It seemed at the moment, she was on the edge of reality and fantasy. Their attention was there, but it was hanging on by a thread. Peyton found it amusing, almost. Sweet, for sure. It wasn’t the type of distraction that made him feel like he wasn’t heard. It was that of a busy mind.

He perked up like a dog who set eyes on a toy as Billie brought up new books at their workplace. “Brilliant,” he practically chirped. “You’re too good to us.” His gaze snapped back towards Bodie, side-eyeing him as if genuinely suspicious to add to the fun of the moment. Bodie was the first real person Peyton befriended when he had first moved here. It was an instant connection; even though Bodie was evidently more vocal than Peyton was, it certainly did not take much to coax Peyton out onto a similar level. Peyton had a tendency to adapt to different characteristics depending on the person he spent time around, and it was clear that he was more of a hyper boy with a horrible sense of humour when with Bodie. And he loved it.

Peyton intentionally stumbled when Bodie lightly bumped his side, as if his friend had put much more force into his actions than he really did, just to make a point. What point, exactly? Peyton hadn’t even decided that far. “Bloody hell, Bodie,” he grumbled with a shake of his head. “Not again. Get in line, there are about a dozen more Past Bodies who are ahead of you.” The “your mom” jokes Bodie so cheekily shoved towards Peyton were never bothersome, though Peyton figured that was probably because his mother was young and the two of them got along well (and she got along well with Bodie), so she took it just as humourously. His father, on the other hand… He wasn’t quite up to date with Bodie’s humour. Bodie’s jokes always resulted in a hearty laugh from Peyton’s mom and a confused, blank stare from his father.

He shifted back into the present moment as Bodie continued on babbling. “Good guess,” he shot back. “Maybe it was ‘are you my mother?’, since you can’t seem to figure out which one to settle on.” His voice trailed off as he caught sight of his two friends gazing rather fondly at one another, and turned his head sharply, focusing his eyes towards the grass, which suddenly seemed to dim in colour. He had suspected something was going on between the two of them for a little bit now, but neither had said anything to him. He was bad at jumping to conclusions before knowing the whole story, but he had already fallen into a dark hole of what ifs. Peyton didn’t want to get involved, but selfishly, he didn’t want to lose two of his best friends to each other. Was that ridiculous? It was hard to tell. For now, he knew it was best to remain quiet about it, and pray it didn’t mean what he thought it was. He continued to stare elsewhere, the cold silence yet again bundling him whole. The moment would pass soon enough.

[bigwig.]

𝐌𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐄 𝐉𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒
X ✧ female ✧ group 2 leader ✧ location: group 2 encampment ✧ tags: lorcan
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Shortly before Lorcan began speaking, Moxie was struck by the strange feeling that something was wrong. Ah, yes - Zoey was around here somewhere, wasn't she? Moxie whistled quickly and Zoey came trotting up to her. She didn't typically tie the dog up, as she was extraordinarily loyal and did not typically run off. Moxie had tried to get her to come sleep inside the tent, but Zoey had never really enjoyed being inside confined spaces. The black-and-white Staffordshire terrier mix sniffed Moxie a few times before sitting calmly by her side. She petted the dog's ears.

Moxie listened intently to her second-in-command as he described his worries. "Reading my mind." She sighed. "It's only gonna get colder, and we're not ready the way we need to be." She declared, with bald honesty. She'd never been one to sugarcoat the truth; never saw the point to it. Especially with a small group like this - they would know immediately if she was lying about something like that. She had to keep things frank, and focus more on figuring out what they would do going forward.

"Food is the number one priority." Moxie said, knowing he was probably also thinking about their current housing situation. Their shelter was poor, but the prospect of running out of food was even more frightening. If it came down to it, Zoey would probably be a sacrifice, which Moxie hated to even think about. The dog didn't drain their resources too much, as she ate much less than a fully-grown person and was fine drinking from puddles rather than needing clean water. Moxie considered her a valuable asset, with senses much better than those of a human, and there were many times she had alerted Moxie to danger before she'd ever even noticed it.

"If you want to take Dash or Teddy with you, go ahead; don't know where they're hanging out, though. But it's better if you don't go alone." Moxie could always go, but she was reluctant to move around without the entire group.