✞ - 𝕴𝖙 𝕯𝖔𝖊𝖘𝖓'𝖙 𝕰𝖓𝖉 𝕳𝖊𝖗𝖊 O/A

[`silver]

Silver | rooftop oasis | mentions: Jackson

Silver did her best to comfort Jackson, to maybe even get his mind of Grayson and the potential danger he could be in right now. She itched to go out and find the dark-haired man herself, narrowing her eyes at how easily she’d placed her trust both of the men after only having been with Kiba for what felt like years of traveling. Their genuine efforts must’ve been what had allowed her to mingle with them so naturally and even now the thought to send Kiba off to find him crossed her mind. Her shoulders dropped as she loosened up for the first time, her body aching for food and to rest while her mind turned its gears only to soothe Jackson at the moment. Kiba wouldn’t leave her in a state like this.

Upon her glance to Jackson after her words, she could’ve sworn it wasn’t only the inferno that was painting him another color but she could only grin a little in silence, not wanting to press him further after his emotions being so obvious. “I wouldn’t, you might crush me in your sleep,” she joked, realizing now that she was much smaller than both Grayson and Jackson whom had a lot more fit-looking figures while she seemed just petite and lean. Movement from behind her caused her to tense only for her to lay eyes on the notorious jackal that had piqued so much interest in her wolf. She had forgotten about Dog already since everything had moved so fast after the explosion and with Grayson’s safety hanging in both their minds like a shadow deeper than that of the night, the jackal’s calm appearance settling down next to her was welcome. Tilting her head to listen to the words coming from beside her, Silver split her attention between them both as she reached to rub Dog’s chest—a spot that a lot of canines seemed to like since it was an area that helped soothe them when petted or rubbed in an anxious situation. She scoffed in amusement when Jackson mentioned it had only been him and Dog so he was unprepared for an increasing number of people up here. Who would’ve thought Grayson would start rounding them up, after all? “I think the second floor would be good. Wind chill is probably the biggest issue right now since our body temperatures will lower once we go to sleep. Wouldn’t want anyone getting sick from laying outside in this.” Silver said this only to think she wouldn’t mind having stayed out here herself. It was different from perching up in trees for the night where mutated animals could still crawl onto you as you slept. The canopies never offered such an expanse view of the stars either. She pulled her hand away from Dog after patting his head, taking a moment to follow Jackson’s skyward glance. “I wouldn’t mind staying out here but I probably shouldn’t just like everyone else.” Without the artificial lights that probably once illuminated the town and probably the entire world, light pollution must’ve dropped significantly to the point that the stars that were once blotted out by human-induced pollution could now be their guides once again as they shone brightly in the penumbra.

Silver averted her eyes from the sky abruptly at the mention of doubling up with another person, sudden warmth leaping up her backside in her own fluster at the idea. She remembered even as a normal, pre-apocalypse human, she wasn’t allowed to even go to slumber parties, let alone visit other people’s houses. “I’ll stick with Kiba as my place to sleep on, or at least against. I think those of us with larger animals will probably not need the blankets so after laying some down, we should give the rest to the stranger if they end up coming back, since all they have is that bat it seems.” She shifted her weight slightly when her stomach rumbled quietly, nausea lapping at it as if to remind her that her pains had only been suppressed. “Don’t blame yourself for not having more than what you needed. Should you have needed to move or something, your supplies would’ve been perfect to get out quickly with,” she looked over the army jacket he now donned as he shuffled down next to her, “besides, if anyone has bags with them I’m sure they have a couple things to give them extra layers of warmth and the bags themselves could be used like makeshift pillows.”

Silver tilted her head in seeing his mouth open but looked away as she realized she was fumbling with the fabric of her trench coat mindlessly. Was she anxious or keeping herself distracted? She glanced at both canines that had now settled on either side of her, with Dog to her left and Kiba’s big head between her and Jackson. The wolf thumped his tail when the other male had sat down again, nudging his head against his elbow as if to cheer him up a bit and obviously not having taken his sudden movement from before, personally. Silver offered Jackson a pained smile before she looked to the flickering streets that now looked emptier than ever. “Two hours.” She reiterated Grayson’s time frame, “he said two hours and then we can go find him. Judging by how long that car fire has been burning and how the smell of gasoline is not as strong, it’s probably been at least half an hour.” Pushing herself up off the ground, she stretched a bit to loosen her tired bones before shoving her cool hands into her pockets to keep them warm. “If he’s not back here in the hour and a half he’s got left, we can look for him. But now, I just remembered that he’s going to be bringing the deer as well. While you set up the sleeping area on the second floor, I can find some things in the record shop that are flammable since we’re probably going to have to cook this thing.” She squatted down once more to pat Jackson gently on the back. “Have some faith in him. There’s work here to be done before he comes back.”

[lynettetan1]

Aisha Innez
Location: An alleyway
Feeling: Doubting her own judgement. Hopeful.
Tagged: Riki

Yes, they could stand. One moment they seemed to be getting better, looking up with a confused look on their face, and the next they were standing, shifting so they had an open path to the alleyway. Not wanting to get in the way, Aisha shifted to the other side so that hopefully they felt a little better.

The movements of the other were really making this hard, however, especially since she wasn't feeling especially put together at the moment. Looking at the situation, Aisha was torn. The other was barely within the area of her power as it was, and there was already a strain. Where before it was like a barest of aches on her consciousness when the other was crouched before her, it was now a little more like treading water in a pool. Sure, she could do it, and past experience with the activity meant it was mostly muscle memory, but Aisha would be lying if she said it was effortless. There was still room for her to expand her control further, but her grasp on her power was already shaky, and the sound blast during the explosion hadn't helped matters. However, whilst the other before her hadn't necessarily done anything, simply staggering to a more advantageous position, Aisha got the distinct feeling that her trying to close the distance would not end well.

And so, Aisha stood there awkwardly as she wondered if this was a time to introduce herself. At their next words, the compromise she found herself in grew ever tighter, even as their eyes flitted round, perhaps looking for a weapon or other support that Aisha could have had. This was a little dicey. Eve shifted slightly under her jacket, and Aisha knew the snake was contemplating the situation turning into a fight.

"I'm sorry for startling you. If it makes you feel more comfortable, I will." Taking a breath, Aisha focused on trying to keep her power under control and speak clearly at the same time. They were just another person. They probably wouldn't want to kill someone for no reason. Hopefully. "However, I am currently using my power to make our surroundings quieter because it looked like the explosion did a number on your senses. Also, I'm keeping us quieter as well so the zombies won't hear us, and you are very near the edge of my control." At that, Aisha gave the other a little bit of a strained smile, hoping that they understood the situation. She longed to close the distance, but still felt like she'd probably be in danger if she tried.

"I'm not planning to fight you." Eve squeezed her a little at that statement, obviously taking offence at how helpless she was making herself sound, but Aisha ignored the snake. Though a good companion who obviously cared for her, the snake was unpredictable at best and downright moody at worst, and that was a whole lot more complicated a situation than she could explain with limited words. "If you're feeling better, I can retract my powers and step away. You should still be careful, though. The zombies are still out there."

If Aisha really had her way, she would have liked to offer for the two of them to travel together, but the other seemed very uncomfortable, and Aisha was forced to admit that she'd prefer travelling alone over dying.

Still... It was worth a try, right? "I know we're strangers, but maybe we can get out of here together? I had to run from the explosion too, so I'm not exactly in tip top shape either."

[☪ℓυηαя∂яσρ☪]

Tagged: Aisha
Rikimaru took pause- so that's why everything was quieter? They had to admit, they'd really like to stay in the quiet for a bit longer. Reluctantly, they took their hand out of their pocket and took a meager step forward to shorten the area that needed to be controlled by the girl. As she spoke Riki widened their eyes a little- they could have almost killed this girl. If not by the explosion, then at least by dropping a colony of undead on top of her. They felt a little bashful, ashamed slightly that they could have done unto another something so terrible.
But the girl was right, neither she nor Riki looked untouched by the blast. And while Rikimaru would never have admitted it to a stranger, their delirium had already been apparent. They could continue on without this girl's help, but they sort of owed her since they apparently almost blew her up. And, besides, they were really appreciating this dulled sound at the moment. Their headache still pulsed across their skull, but the swirling madness of noise and feedback had been muted, and they were able to concentrate through the pain without contributing to it more.
"Alright. Look, I've come across another person. I can take you to them if you like." Rikimaru hadn't been able to listen out for conversations happening nearby, so they couldn't determine Jackson's status. But Bug was back, so that meant Jackson made it to his camp. What that meant for the bandit gang, Riki did not know. Hopefully Jackson had been able to escape during the distraction Riki had set up. Worst case scenario, the bandits had forced Jackson to show them his camp, followed him there, and were stealing his things. But with the sound dilution, Riki couldn't hear. If there had been a takeover, this girl could likely help. She said she wasn't a fighter, and Riki was inclined to believe her based on her body language.
Bug's incessant clicking was ignored, and Rikimaru silently willed him to try and relax. He didn't, of course. But the point was they tried.

[hxenir]

22. 𝑨𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔. 𝑴𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒕 -> 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒑 . 𝑲𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒏. 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔: 𝑱𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔𝒐𝒏, 𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒓.

As the strangers hand was set on Grayson's shoulder he flinched his shoulders and body tensing momentarily, Grayson soon realized it was a sign that the stranger could be trusted. Once his body relaxed the shaking began immediately, a small pump was located on the side of Grayson's torso. When his blood sugar reached a dangerous low it would start beeping as a reminder for Grayson to take care of it, it as rare for the pump to beep considering Grayson always showed extreme symptoms before he even reached that number. But this time was an exception as the male had no way of administering it. As the male spoke to Grayson he couldn't help but laugh at his remarks. The fact that the stranger was so eager to help showed Grayson how caring the male was, it was nearly impossible to know people's intentions now a days but this stranger showed little to no hesitation when it came to helping him.

The pounding headache in Graysons head became more intense, his body shaking even more. Grayson knew these where all symptoms of him over using his power, but his low blood sugar was only worsening his symptoms. The strangers tone of voice switched completely as he realized Grayson's physical state. Grayson couldn't help but be in complete shock as the stranger instantly knew Grayson suffered from a medical condition. Does he have medical experience? Was he a doctor? Finding someone with medical experience now was rare, most doctors or nurses where exposed to the virus and weren't able to make it out. The fact that Grayson had run into someone that possibly had medical experience was a blessing. Since Grayson suffered from diabetes having a possible ally with medical experience brought him some comfort. Even though the stranger showed genuine concern for Grayson, he hesitated to tell the stranger about his condition. But it wasn't needed, the pump attached to Grayson's body started beeping loudly warning the male of his dangerously low blood sugar. "Well I guess there's no point in hiding it. I'm diabetic. There's insulin in the small pouch on the front of my backpack. I don't have any needles to administer it too. Being blind right now also won't help." Grayson's body could no longer handle sitting up straight, his back hunched over Grayson put his hands next to him his palm touching the cold concert. If it wasn't for his arms holding him up Grayson wouldn't be able to sit up. "The thing that's beeping that tells me what my blood sugar is it. I can't see the number right now but if you press the big button a number will appear on the small screen. Anything lower then 55 is very bad." The words leaving Grayson's mouth where faint but audible enough for the stranger to hear.

"Do you know the time by any chance?" The male had told his friends he'd be back in two hours. Knowing how bad the conditions where out here, Grayson did't want to risk them leaving the safety of the camp. In the state Grayson was he wouldn't be able to walk all the way to the record shop. "I don't know how my group will react to seeing you with me. I have a crossbow it should be here somewhere." Grayson reached into his back pocket and pulled out a lighter. "Grab one of the arrows and light it on fire. Shoot it straight up, my group should be able to see it and come help. But I need you to stay behind me, I don't think they'll attack you but just encase." The stranger had done nothing but help Grayson, so he'd make sure the stranger stayed safe. "My name is Grayson by the way. You can call me Gray for short."

[kalo.]

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𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 ── 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑
[ word count; 668 ] [ mood; excited ] [ tags; silver] [ location; rooftop camp]
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yuck
indentThe comments from silver as Jackson was gathering supplies made him chuckle. It was a funny thought-the two of them being sleeping buddies and him crushing her. "Even if I did crush you, Kiba would probably drag me right off. He seems protective of you." He let out a soft smile-but with the darkness of the night it was hard to see his full expression. Shame. Jackson was an expressive person to begin, so that being hindered did throw him in the loop for a moment. But Jackson being Jackson he was able to bounce right back and forget about it.

indentA cold breeze swept past the duo and sent a shiver down his spine. Silver was right. Sleeping inside was probably for the best. "Yeah. We'll wait until everyone gets back before we head down and make our beds and such." Jackson didn't want to run the risk of going down to get ready and missing someone calling out to them. It made him worry slightly but he quickly steeled those nerves as he sat down next to Silver again. "I know, but still. Maybe I could've grabbed an extra blanket in case this did happen. You never know. I was under the impression I would never actually get to belong with a group so." He was relieved that the light from the fire wasn't as strong now so his face was hidden more in the darkness. He didn't want Silver to see him as he spoke about groups. He had a lot of bad experiences about groups, and sometimes talking about them caused his insecurities and doubts to surface. Jackson had gotten used to pushing those down luckily and keeping his goofy persona on. Most people preferred that anyway.

indentWhen Silver brought Grayson back up he cast his gaze out to the town. He squinted thinking it would help him see better. He was wrong. Everything just got fuzzy and harder to see. He wasn't the smartest. "Thirty minutes is still a lot of time." Jackson kept his gaze out to the town but let a frown escape him. He wasn't wrong. A lot could happen in thirty minutes. It was enough time for something bad to happen-like him getting bit. It sent shivers down his spine thinking about it. But he had hope. Grayson had shown them what he was capable of with his leadership skills. There was no doubt in Jackson's mind that he would get back to them soon. "But you're right. He's smart. He'll get back to us. And so will the stranger. They have been gone for some time now..." Jackson trailed off before shrugging. The stranger was odd, but cool, so he knew they would show back up. It just seemed like their nature even if Jackson had literally met them today.

indentJackson turned his gaze back to Silver though and let out a cheeky grin. "While we wait, why not get to know each other better? Only fit if we're going to be part of a group." He brought his one leg up so he could rest his head on it, it was rather uncomfortable but Jackson didn't mind it. "I'll start. Just easy questions, no need to go all philosophical on me. If you couldn't tell i'm rather stupid," He let out a laugh at his own joke before clearing his throat and moving on. "How did you meet Kiba? And Gray for that matter. I kind of stumbled upon you two when the stranger told me about people talking." Jackson let out a smile before shifting his gaze again to look out at the town. He'd keep his eye on the town for a moment in case something did happen. But for now, he was relaxing with Silver. If this was even classified as relaxing. There was never time to relax in this world anymore. And if you did you either died or came close to it.

indentSo how was Jackson alive? Sheer luck and crappy jokes.

[wildsight]

➸ ━━ ＪＡＳＰＥＲ ＦＩＮＬＥＹ ！！
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21 y/o | male | general member | deflection | tags; open
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━━Well, this was an awful situation to be in. Especially, if one was alone.

━━Nah. It was better this way. At least, it was to Jasper. He'd been traveling for quite awhile, knowing from the start he'd end up here eventually but had fought against doing so for over a week. He had managed to take on a bit of supplies before leaving his home, so he figured he'd be good until he could come across some more. Well, that certainly didn't happen. Instead, he began to find himself with less and less. He knew why - he'd been looking in all the wrong places, but had done so on purpose. He didn't want to go into the abandoned town. It was probably far from abandoned in a way, probably full of hordes of zombies. And if there were any survivors, they'd be there too.

━━He knew that eventually he'd end up there anyway and now he stood along the outskirts of the town. It held an eerie appearance, a place he would imagine only in dreams otherwise. But this wasn't a dream, no it was reality. His eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed around, knowing that if anyone was still alive they would be here. What a predicament. While he had figured he was the last one surviving, a small part of him feared he wasn't. Not exactly because of the zombies, no. But there were others out there...just like him. And he knew what most people did if they came across a stranger in this new and forbidding world - they'd react with such joy and excitement it would be overwhelming. And besides he didn't want to be found, if there was anyone there to find him. He would be just fine alone.

━━So, he came to this - get in there and get straight back out. Easy. He'd get in there and scavenge around for a bit, then he'd easily escape. Well, until he needed to go back. The bag he had with him could only carry so much, but at least with it he could get a weeks worth of stuff or more. He was only one person after all. Taking a breath or two, he quickly began to make his way toward the town. When he finally got into the town, he immediately headed for the shadows. Better not to be seen by any threats. Which were everywhere these days. Stalking along the walls, he wondered where he should head to first. Supermarkets were a good idea - too good of an idea. Anyone would think up that one. Straying away from that idea, he decided he'd simply just roam around for a bit. Just a little bit.

━━Bad idea. He had found a few things after scavenging a few buildings, but at one point there was quite a disturbance. A sound in the air, that seemed to scream of danger. Quickly he had made his way in the opposite direction, no use running headlong into danger. However, it seemed to only get worse as it traveled through the seemingly silent town, echoing among the abandon building, making the place seem even more eerie than it already was. Jasper had hid behind one of the nearby buildings, but couldn't help but turn back in the direction of the sudden noise.

━━Just as expected. Perhaps, zombies had been the cause of the disturbance. That wouldn't be surprising. At least, it wasn't an actual person being stupid. Hopefully. No one would dare (unless they really were stupid), going around making noise like that. So, at least it wasn't that. But zombies definitely were just as dangerous. Blinking, he decided upon watch he should do. He was sure he had spotted something move, but had quickly discard such an idea. He didn't need any more company. Well, he'd do fine for now - it seemed the horde wasn't around anyway. Maybe it really had been something else. Slowly moving away (but keeping to the shadows), he began to move away to the next building. Once he got far enough away, he could make a run for it.

━━Still, he really did wonder whether or not it what he had seen had been a person or not. Not that it mattered. If it had been though, they had no business running around with all that was going on. Perhaps, his mind was starting to play tricks on him. That sounded reasonable during such times. Well, it wasn't his problem. His only problems were himself. And right now his problem was getting out of this part of town. So, he continued on his way making sure to stay as hidden and quiet as possible.

[lynettetan1]

Aisha Innez
Location: An alleyway
Feeling: Excited, hopeful
Tagged: Riki, Bug

Somehow, it seemed like she'd gotten through to them. The other times she'd tried to speak to victims of accidents, the others had been belligerent and disoriented, taking minutes before they'd even been able to notice that someone was in front of them, so Aisha wasn't especially sure what she was expecting, or what she really hoped for.

But the other took their hand out their pocket, stepping forward just a little bit. The actions were small, mild ones, but they undercut the tension, and Aisha felt herself relaxing slightly in relief, her heart slowing it's breakneck race in her chest. Eve felt it too, not coiling quite as tightly. She was a little surprised that they had recovered quite that quickly, but thinking about it, she should have expected it in some way. With the world as it was, these were the people that would be able to survive.

More than just getting out of here, they offered far more than Aisha had even been expecting. So there were others after all? With how her hideout was probably out of commission for a while, she'd been thinking about finding another place to lie low for a while, which would have come with the headaches of securing the location and gathering resources. If there were others, they might have a base all their own, or at the very least provide extra muscle and help. After all, the stranger before her already showed themself to have good adaptability and seemed like they could fend for themself in a bad situation. What more someone else they knew?

She had noticed the distance in the other person's tone, and from the sounds of it, the other might plan on leaving after bringing Aisha to the other unknown person, which was unfortunate, but Aisha felt like the current situation had already pushed them out of their comfort zone. When one was gambling, it was always good to quit whilst you were winning. "That would be great. I'll follow your lead."

As they were speaking, there was a squeaking, clicking noise from her shoulder. Looking over and seeing a bat on their shoulder, Aisha felt like the bat was friendly, but as it was her first time seeing a bat this close, she couldn't be sure. Still, she held up a hand and waved at it, hoping that the noise was at least neutral, if not positive. "Hello to you too." That was probably their animal the way Eve was hers-it was ironic how quickly she accepted facts now that she would have questioned before. Aisha wondered how it was like to have a more vocal partner.

At the very least, it was nice to have someone to brave getting away together, and she found herself trusting their experience. They seemed to know what they were doing, with how they seemed to always be thinking, considering lots of unknown factors at play at once. "I'm Aisha, by the way, and this is Eve." Shifting her jacket a little, Aisha tilted her head out the way as Eve rose out from the folds to look at the other two. The snake in question seemed a little suspicious, but it only considered them for a second before burrowing back under the jacket. The action shocked Aisha a little bit, but it seemed they passed for now, with how Eve allowed them out of her direct line of sight. "You are?"

[FluffyBirdie]

Kiren Stewart | Lead Doctor | Location: Streets | Tags: Greyson

Kiren was somewhat surprised to hear the stranger laugh after his statement of wishing to help, though he guessed it was because that was rare. Many survivors likely wanted to go at life alone, though to him that made no sense. Being part of a group had it's downsides, but the benefits outweighed them by leagues. You could split tasks and work faster, and even if a group needed more of everything, there was more people to do everything. In a good team, you can trust others to have your back, and can fall back on them when needed. Being injured did not mean death. It fulfilled that loneliness one was bound to feel after a few months, years. Who would ever want to go at this brutal world alone?

Well, first thing first. As he waited for the man to reply, no doubt debating between whether Kiren was lying or being genuine, he pulled out a bottle of water and a tupperware box of various nuts. Starvation may be a reason, and you can never go wrong with giving food, especially now when places like supermarkets didn't exist anymore. Ah, what he wouldn't give to just walk into a supermarket and take whatever he needed, worrying about the money in his pocket rather than what danger might be around the corner of the aisle. A loud series of beeps caught his attention, and just as his mind reached a conclusion as to what that sound is, the stranger confirmed it. If it was beeping, then they were in dangerous territory, and he had to move fast. Kiren didn't reply for a moment, his hands automatically searching for the packets of sugar you pour into coffee as he thought through how much insulin he had, and if it was expired or compromised in any way. He definitely did not have much, since he tried to have a little bit of everything. Kiren also checked their quality every now and then, but right now he just couldn't remember if the ones he had were safe. Better use the stranger's one then until he could confirm it. He poured the sugar into a bottle of water and shook it, before placing it by the human's hand holding the gun, with a loud enough thump so he could know it was there.

"Drink that, it's water and sugar. The cap is off. Let me know if you want more. I probably have more needles and syringes than a single person should have legally have, so you're all good on that front." He paused, looking seriously at Mazu for a beat. Inserting a needle that could be filled with anything could very well be seen as a threat, alongside searching the man's bag, but he hoped the cat understood he really meant no harm. Well, permission or not, he was going to do it regardless. "I can administer it. Excuse the intrusion." Kiren added as he quickly felt for the pump, and pressed the button as instructed. 52 flashed onto the screen, and he pressed his lips together tightly, before leaving the pump and standing to look for his needles. "It's around seven thirty." He replied absently, now armed with a needle and turning to look through the other person's backpack. "Crossbow, arrow, fire. I'll do that once you're set, if you don't mind." Well, he didn't feel claws dragging down his back in retaliation for raiding the stranger's bag, so Mazu must be aware of what's happening. Kiren returned the man's side, double-checking the needle had no air as he spoke. "Nice to meet you, Grey. I'm Kiren, and I'll be your doctor for the day." He smiled slightly, remembering his lecturer who said that at the beginning of every lesson, and briefly looked Greyson over. He usually did shots in the upper arm, but since he was using them to prop himself up, and the muscle was likely tense, the thigh would be a better choice. "You'll feel a prick in your thigh. Sorry for not asking for your permission to do this, by the way." He carefully pierced the needle through the fabric before pressing the plunger, watching with a single-minded focus until the process was over. Kiren breathed out, not realising he was subconsciously afraid something would go horribly wrong. This was, really, his first experience with a patient outside of a controlled situation where his parents or teachers were hovering around, watching them. Maybe something would go awry later, but for now the first crisis was over.

"Phew. I probably shouldn't admit this as a doctor, but I was anxious as hell there." Kiren laughed lightly, before picking up the given lighter and heading over to grab the crossbow. Arrows were laying nearby, and he inspected them, wondering how someone even got this. And a crossbow. Well, he saw one video in the long ago past about how to use one, and these things were made to be easy to use, so things should be fine. He quickly inspected its mechanics, keeping Greyson in the corner of his eye in case there was another issue, before flicking the lighter and holding it to the arrow. Firing a flaming arrow. Now wasn't that a dream of his to do when he was younger. He aimed the crossbow up and slightly tilted towards the record shop, so the arrow wouldn't plummet right back into his hands, and pressed the trigger. It shot the arrow a lot faster than he expected, and he looked up in time to see the little light at the apex of its flight, before it dropped back down to land nearby. Kiren watched the shop's rooftop briefly, wondering if Greyson's friends saw it, before moving to stand behind him and gesturing Aria to do the same. Would standing behind him look like a hostage situation? Should he crouch? Well, if there was one thing he should do, it's putting down the other person's weapon. Maybe now things look better.

[`silver]

Silver | rooftop oasis | mentions: Jackson

Silver reflected his smile with a small one of her own at the idea of Kiba nudging Jackson’s snoring body away so that she could escape and tuck into his fur instead, free from being accidentally pinned by the unconscious man. She blinked when he shuddered at the icy zephyr that swept between them, breathing a soft exhale to watch a white wisp materialize from her lips with interest as from where she had come from it didn’t get very cold. Whenever it did though, she enjoyed it much more than the heat and humidity that lapped away at her hydration.

Jackson did have a good point in waiting for the others to return before they made makeshift beds as who knows who could be dragging themselves into their proximity and need their assistance, after all. Her face grew blank at the idea of Grayson being in some kind of trouble to the point that he’d come back a scathed mess. Shaking her head, she tuned back into a Jackson whom mentioned his shortcomings about being in a group again. She had noted the way had touched his shoulder earlier when he and Grayson had exchanged words about them coming together. Something awful must’ve happened to him but by the way he spoke, he didn’t seem quite ready to talk about it yet so she wouldn’t press him on the topic further. “I won’t ask you about it until you’re ready to talk.” She averted his eyes to gaze down at Kiba whom seemed sound asleep.

She shrugged outwardly at the mention of thirty minutes being a while but inside it was only a cause for increasing worry that she was suppressing. Jackson flashing a cheeky grin was enough for her to narrow her eyes warily, shuffling closer to Dog distrustfully. He wasn’t attempting to pry anything outrageous out of her but her instincts were quick to make her defensive at the mention of things that were now in the past. She shook her head at his self-criticism, amusement bubbling through the distrust. He really shouldn’t beat himself up like that but this wasn’t the time to be denying the things he had thought to be true for what seemed to be a long time.

Silver gazed to the sleeping canine on her right whose ears swiveled at the mention of his name, the ghost of a genuine smile crossing her otherwise somber looking expression in the darkness. “Maybe a year or so after this whole mess had begun,” she chose her words carefully as she spoke, not wanting to reveal too much despite Jackson appearing to be trustworthy. “I try to stay away from humans as much as possible now but back then, I was reckless, still weaning off the idea of being truly alone. I tended to fight anything or anyone that got in my way no matter their strength and eventually that got me in a lot of trouble.” She blinked as her gaze locked into her hands that laid in her lap now, “I decided to trust someone after a long time since even before the whole apocalypse deal, I wasn’t the most trusting person. Closer to beast than human.” Silver’s eyes flickered with amber-gold as memories flitted across her vision, “Essentially, I was left for dead by said person in the first winter storm I’d ever gotten to experience after coming from a warmer climate. I had packed lightly off of their recommendation and next thing I knew, they tried to cut me down. Left me to bleed out in the snow after using their only weapon—a long knife of sorts, shorter than a sword?” When she realized her hands were shaking, she balled them into fists as she moved to rest her elbow on her knee, propping her head up with her left fist to appear more casually so her expression could remain stoic. “I was in and out of consciousness for a while until I started hearing howling echoing through the forest we—I had been in. It sounded like there was an entire pack somewhere. I thought to myself, ‘Why not just give up? At least I’ll get to see a wolf before I go.’ A scream sounded maybe a mile or two out, it was familiar. The howling stopped and I went unconscious just before I started hearing something shuffling around in the wind. Next thing I knew, I woke up to warmth, not from blood running still but because Kiba was wrapped around me, having shielded me from the snow. There was blood on him but I never figured out if it was mine or someone else’s. All in all, he had somehow managed to save my life and I’m sure I would’ve been a frozen carcass if it weren’t for him.” Silver still couldn’t quite understand how she had survived being almost fatally wounded but she was sure that the bond Kiba and her had within each other manifested enough that day to keep her life on a tether. “Grayson found me resting in the alleyway after I’d roasted a couple zombies from the inside out but I haven’t eaten for a week so it’s taking its toll on my body. Held me at gunpoint and everything.” She nearly laughed at how ridiculously bold he had been, “I would’ve knocked him down if I could, but my senses told me that he didn’t have a bad bone in his body. I let Mazu be the one to decide whether or not I should join him when he offered though. I gave her a piece of rabbit as an offering, she hissed at it because she hates rabbit, so I took that as she doesn’t hate me so I guess I’ll join. Grayson on the other hand,” she smirked, “I’m surprised he didn’t shoot me when I approached her but then again, his intentions were never to maim from the beginning. He wants to build a strong group.” A family, is what she really wanted to say with the way he was giving his trust to strangers, it seemed a lot more like that. Silver never met Jackson’s eyes until the end of her words as she mostly faced away from him in order to keep her guarded expression from revealing her inner mental and physical strain. It wasn’t often that she spoke of her past so she had to be cautious in case history desired to repeat itself. “And you?” She asked after a bit of contemplating, “how did you and Dog come together?” The still air echoed with a whistling noise, Silver’s eyes darting to meet the new blaze that rode an arrow, amber-gold swirling with realization. “Grayson’s crossbow.” Pain shot through her body when she stood up sharply after the arrow had audibly clattered onto concrete somewhere nearby, her hand leaping to her mouth to muffle another one of her strained coughs. Kiba lifted his head worriedly, a loud whine leaving him as Silver shot daggers at the wolf, using her other hand to gesture the lack of need for concern. “We have to go find him.”

[☪ℓυηαя∂яσρ☪]

Tagged: Aisha
Alleyway->Bottom of rooftop oasis
Rikimaru watched as the girl visibly relaxed. She seemed relieved to hear that there were other people around. Another social butterfly, huh? Riki seemed to be meeting a lot of those today. That was fine with them- it just meant someone else to do the talking for them and play nice. Riki couldn't help the smile that played across their lips as the girl smiled and waved at Bug. It was sweet, they had to admit, and it reminded Riki of themself, especially before the end happened and animals were a more common sight. It was nice to see someone appreciated animals like they did, and it certainly made Bug very happy, as the bat started clawing his way up Riki's hair to get atop their head so he could use to height to drop off of so he could fly to the girl.
Rikimaru had begun to turn and walk away when the girl- Aisha- introduced herself. Upon mentioning an animal companion Rikimaru's curiosity was piqued. They hadn't seen anything walk up with her, so was it something small like Bug was? Maybe it was a bird, and they just didn't look up in the sky to see it. Rikimaru half-turned to look over their shoulder.
And was greeted by a snake.
Rikimaru made some sort of ungodly noise somewhere between a gasp and a yelp, nearly jumped out of their skin, and did jump a good few feet away in alarm. Bug similarly squeaked in fear and scrambled back down off Riki's hat to hide once again in their long and scruffy hair. Riki couldn't help the expletive that they barked out, and had to remind themself to stay quiet, even though they hadn't really been that loud.
That... was not what they were expecting. Or liked. Nope, did not like. Snakes were probably the one animal Riki couldn’t stand. It wasn't as if they had been bitten by a snake in the past or something- the reptiles just felt horribly unnatural. If it didn't have legs, it shouldn't be able to move. (Excluding things like fish and snails, of course.) Snakes didn't have facial features to read, fur to bristle in warning, or even eyes that weren't absolutely terrifying. And they could rear up and even jump without any sort of limbs to speak of. To anyone else this would probably be really funny, as not hours ago Riki had faced down a cougar, a jackal, and a wolf, and had not felt the slightest tinge of panic, even when one of them was aggressive. But one little snake was what did them in. Not to mention they were absolutely exhausted, so their emotional strain was wearing them thin as is.
Riki had never liked snakes, and that hadn’t changed now. They watched with horror as the snake withdrew under the girl’s sleeve, like a hidden presence lurking just out of sight. Aisha said something else, but Riki had froze up and failed to register anything but ‘Oh God there’s a snake’ for a solid few seconds.
“Ah, cool, yep. I-I don’t like snakes, so if Eve could just kindly keep her distance, I would really appreciate that. That would be great. Fantastic. Same for Bug- I’d prefer to keep him far from snakes too.” Rikimaru took a few steps away before turning back down the alley again to continue walking, making sure to stay on the other side of the pathway so they could keep Aisha and her snake in their peripheral vision. Oh lord, there was a snake. Riki didn’t know what kind it was, but chances were it was venomous. Because of course it would be.
Just get back to the base, just get to the camp where Jackson was being held and put that snake to use against someone else. Yep, that was good. Rikimaru’s pace picked up ever so slightly, but no less silently, as they picked their way around to the foundation block and approached the building that they had already climbed about three times today.