✞ - 𝕴𝖙 𝕯𝖔𝖊𝖘𝖓'𝖙 𝕰𝖓𝖉 𝕳𝖊𝖗𝖊 O/A

[☪ℓυηαя∂яσρ☪]

Rikimaru watched from a distance, having come out of hiding but still standing far off and silent, which was enough to make them practically invisible to anyone not looking directly at them, apparently. They reasoned that if someone looked they could see Riki, and, besides, everyone was going to have to walk past them to go back to the rooftop, so the extra walking to the group and back wasn't worth it in Riki's mind. They watched as Aisha diffused the situation, and mentally gave a nod of relief and assurance that they had made a good decision in sending her- Riki would have just blown up at the stranger for being just as brash and loud as he was accusing everyone else of being.
Rikimaru smiled as they noticed Bug clinging onto Jackson's back like a little fuzzy stowaway. Cheeky little thing. He chirped happily at all the attention he was getting, and it seemed like he made a new friend today after all, considering Jackson had not jumped at the bat's sudden appearance like he had last time. (Granted, Bug hadn't flown directly at his face this time, but still.) Then Jackson immediately asked about them, and Riki froze stiff.
...What? Was that worry in his voice? Rikimaru had assumed they had been forgotten during the events of the day, as Jackson had since met up with people he clearly liked better and Riki had only had a brief conversation with him before disappearing for the rest of the day. But the man was definitely radiating some form of concern. They couldn't tell which heartbeat was his amongst the crowd, as their rhythms all blended together, so it wasn't possible to listen for his heartbeat.
Rikimaru openly stared with wide, round eyes. A large part of what made them so hard to notice was that they never looked directly at a person's face while watching them from a distance- looking at a person's face more often than not granted them a sort of sense that they were being observed, which puts them on the metaphorical offensive as they look out to detect the source.
But Riki wasn't thinking about that right now, they were too busy trying to pick apart the nuances in his words, trying to read in between what lines there might be. And they felt a budding self-confidence in themself as they concluded that they made a good decision in choosing to help Jackson. He was good, they could tell. That was probably why he had seemingly attracted so many people in the span of a day, like a human magnet.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Bug was just happy to be here. There were so many new people! For as long as he had been with his favorite person, he didn't think he had seen half as many. This was great! And his person was just over there, watching from a distance while he got to socialize. He felt giddy, but he was also getting pretty hungry. He had gotten to eat a few grapes before the day began, but he could hear and sense all the insects nearby, and they were making him hungry. But he could wait! He would wait until his person saw him again. It couldn't be long, right?

[`silver]

Silver | outside the record shop>inside | mentions: Kiba [everyone]

Pure white fur cut through the darkness, catching both the light that shone from the brilliant indigo above them as well as the fire that remained kindled by remnants of gasoline. Kiba’s amber-gold gaze was fixated on the various humans ahead of him, his fur bristled at the sight and scent of Jasper and Aisha as they both mingled with those that he recognized. He straightened when he felt a pair on himself, his ears pricked as he cut his attention to the man beside Grayson with the horse companion. The ungulate voiced its discomfort as Mazu lunged forward at the unrecognized Jasper, earning itself a soothing pat from the male. Kiba caught his scent that was riddled with curiosity and concern for the well-being of those around him and pinned one of his ears in contemplation. A mixture of distress, relief and distrust radiated from Grayson and Jackson upon Jasper’s approach whereas only a moment ago it had only been relief when Jackson had embraced the other brunette excitedly. This new human—the one with the horse—seemed to have helped Grayson, could he do the same for Silver? Her words echoed in his head and his tail lashed irritably at it. She was putting herself through danger, keeping her pain to herself for humans she hadn’t even known for a whole day but for what? Silver herself knew that they weren’t to be trusted.

Silver panted quietly as her eyes failed to focus on the multiple blackened bodies in front of her, a sharp pain bursting from her skull causing her hand to grip her head irritably. I have to stay out here in case of their return. There was nothing left out here, is what her senses were telling her, they would have a safe path. A blurry white figure in the distance meant Kiba was still positioned at the perimeter. There was time to rest now that the threats were destroyed for now. Rest. It echoed in her tired mind, a moment of alluring respite that had her moving unintentionally back into the shadow of the record shop as she was consumed by a sea of nausea. Blood roared in her ears when she realized she was back inside the first floor of the shop, stumbling forward to the nearest wall before vertigo dragged her down onto her hands and knees. So this is my limit. Humans are so weak. Silver cursed aloud as her stomach lurched as a wave of warmth washed over her, a bout of dry heaving wearing down on her already battered body. Faint light coming from outside struck hope in her that Kiba would remain true to the task at hand but also that the others would returned unscathed. She chuckled feebly, knowing that Grayson especially would be upset that she used her powers again but it was for the best. A shadow cloaked half of her face in darkness as she could no longer remain conscious, her eyes narrowing to irritated slits as the cold was creeping up on her just like when she was entrenched in snow. Her breathing was quiet—erratic even—as her pulse grew slow.

[wildsight]

➸ ━━ ＪＡＳＰＥＲ ＦＩＮＬＥＹ ！！
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21 y/o | male | general member | deflection | tags; survivor crew
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━━Well, this would be...interesting.

━━Truly, he knew he had no business walking into - a party? a celebration? a meetup? whatever - he was heavily outnumbered and for the first time he noticed something else. Animals. It seemed as if this entire group had animal companions of some sort, otherwise they would have surely turned on them and shredded them to pieces by now. Some of them anyway. He eyed the group suspiciously, slowly sizing up each person and animal. If anything happened to break out, it was clear he would have to make a run for it. Deflection wouldn't help against claws or fangs. Or whatever else these strangers were hiding among themselves.

━━Unfortunately, before he even had a chance to reconsider even making his way over he one of the animals leapt toward him. The cougar made it over in a single bound, circling him with a menacing gaze as if he was prey, a clear warning that he better not make any sudden movements. Unless of course, he wanted to loose a limb. Figures. He turned his attention back to the strangers, the one who had called the cougar specifically. He supposed that meant he was the leader of this group. He didn't seem like much of a leader, allowing everyone to be in potential danger as they were now. Including you, a voice reminded him. Yeah well, things weren't too bad. Yet anyway. Well, until the gun was drawn.

━━He could handle that. Projectiles couldn't really hurt him. A lot anyway. Still, he was probably sure he should play it safe for now. Once he got out of this mess, he could easily escape later. His gaze flickered around the group, noticing that it actually seemed like two. Well, this was something. Nothing here looked good at all. Hm. Should he mention why he was here? Honestly, he didn't want anything to do with them. But better to be safe then sorry, he guessed. His gaze flickered to the male that had been next to the leader earlier, at his words. He could already tell, he wasn't going to like this stranger. He remained silent for the time being, still watching the feline and occasionally watching the rest of the strangers.

━━Soon enough, there came the mention of them moving somewhere else. Well, that was good he supposed, but he didn't want to go with them. He'd easily would have just walked away, if it wasn't for that stupid cat. Seems like he had no choice. After a few tense moments, one of them spoke up again - the one he didn't like. As tensions wavered, it seemed that everything would be ending soon now that they would be leaving. "Fine with me. As long as someone calls the kitty off." His gaze turned to the rest of the group, all of which who seemed on edge. Hopefully, things would get better soon because as of this moment, things seemed to be going down hill. He'd have to find some way out of this, when things finally calmed down.

Unfortunately, that didn't seem like it would be anytime soon. Well, here's to hoping.

[FluffyBirdie]

Kiren Stewart | Lead Doctor | Location: Streets | Tags: Greyson, Jackson, Jasper, Aisha, Kiba

Kiren nodded at Jackson's reply, glad he wasn't against Greyson picking up a stranger to join their camp. From his assumptions, the group of what seems to be three, though the stranger with a bat may be part of it, had been together for a while, and inviting another person would definitely throw off whose task was whose, and the group dynamic as well. At the mention of a rooftop, Kiren flicked his eyes over to Aria, suddenly finding himself with a new decision. He wasn't sure if horses could go up stairs, but considering it was likely a small stairway meant for humans, it wouldn't fit her anyway. She was also most certainly a wild horse before this, so she wouldn't understand stairs and second stories. Aria would not take well to him disappearing up somewhere where she can't follow, especially since they haven't been apart since their meeting. But if he was going to join this group, it was important to spend at least the first few nights with them. Sleeping together was an exercise in trust, knowing people in your group wouldn't attack you while you were asleep and vulnerable. But this group also had predators like wolves and cougars in their midst, and although Kiren was sure they wouldn't let their animals attack her, she would still be anxious. Knowing something did not mean you were comfortable about it. The idea of Aria alone on the bottom floor fretting over nearby predators for the entire night did not sit well with him. But there was likely small talk in the moments before sleep, also vital for getting to know each other and building relationships. Maybe he could sleep by the stairwell? Then Aria could be reassured since she would be able to smell and hear him, though he was out of her sight. And he could ask for their animals to sleep upstairs, and if they wanted to go downstairs, Kiren would smell them approaching first and wake up...and then what? Stop them from going downstairs?

He shook himself mentally, realising he was just looping the same arguments over and over, and refocused on the situation at hand. He always overthought everything, crossing bridges before he even came upon it and jumping from one assumption to another. He should just talk to the group. They all had a close bond with their animals, something would work out. If not, then he'll run through these loops. Rambling about it mentally now only made him more tense.

The constant movement besides him caught his attention, and as Kiren listened to the conversation, he watched as Jackson ran his hands over his face and through his hair, accompanied by unsteady breaths. The guy was on edge, probably stressed from seeing Greyson injured and then from a multitude of people appearing. Scratch that, everyone was tense, worrying about one thing or another. After Jackson and the male stranger spoke, he decided to add his own opinion to the mix. "I'm glad we agree leaving the open would be a smart idea. How about we gather everyone in a building first, including Silver and the bat's owner, then talk things over? I've got mints and gum, both spearmint and peppermint, or various other sweets if you prefer that, and we can just have a chill chat. I don't think anyone here has intentions to harm each other, so let's sit and have a meet-and-greet style gathering, yeah? Then we can-" he was about to say 'break off into groups', but that made it feel like he was a teacher talking to kindergartners, which wouldn't go over well with strangers, and instead said, "leave or form a group or groups, after spending a nice night just relaxing as best we can. Yeah?"

[hxenir]

22. 𝑨𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔. 𝑴𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒕 -> 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒑 . 𝑲𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒏, 𝑱𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔𝒐𝒏, 𝑱𝒂𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓, 𝑨𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒂

The un-comforting blackness that filled Graysons vision made moments like these un-settling. He had no way of knowing what was happening besides his other sense and the reactions of others. Grayson desperately kept his cool during the situation but deep dwon wanted nothing more but to get to camp and rest. Hearing the faint growls and hiss coming from Mazu along with Kiren and Jackson standing next to him gave Grayson the confidence to know that the group had an advantage. If the male stranger wanted to escape he'd have to pull a massive stunt.

Just as the slight fear of panic that sat in Grayson's throat began to subside another voice echoed out of nowhere, this one was female. The voice seemed calm, and hesitant. He could tell the person was friendly due to the fact the person's suggestion was peaceful. Yet the fact she knew about Jackson's camp made Grayson feel uneasy, did this newcomer know one of them? Did she possibly know Jackson, Silver, maybe even the stranger with the bat. Due to Jackson's and Kiren's reaction Grayson knew this person was unfamiliar with her but by there immediate support of the stranger plan they had good gut feelings about her. Knowing this Grayson's paranoia trickled away yet his guard didn't drop. Since everyone including the male stranger agreed with the females suggestion Grayson made the choice to go along with it. At the male newcomer asked for Mazu to be called back Grayson chuckled, "She won't hurt you but she'll walk behind you to make sure everything stays as it should be." Mazu stood behind the male and growled slowly taking steps forward to encourage him to move forward.

As Grayson heard the footsteps approaching he turned around to face the direction of where the record store was located. The sound of flames had left completely now just the crackles of the burning car remained along with the faint sounds of the dead. It seemed most of them had left the town after the fire. Luckily none of this commotion had caused them to steer this way. Graysons breath and hands began to shake as he began to walk to the camp, being blind was one of the worst side-effects Grayson could get. The black-void that filled Graysons sight made him nervous, and reckless it took his focus on logical ideas and made him obsess over safety. The burnet tried holding back his outstretched arms as he tried desperately to keep his though and leader like appearance. But the fear of falling, getting hurt, and the paranoia of being unaware of his surroundings made Grayson's lip tremble.

With hopes of shaking away his fear Grayson spoke and gave orders. "Female stranger, considering you are aware we have a camp. It's safe to assume you already met one of us so I won't be very worried about you. I'll assume you met the stranger with the bat as Silver isn't with you and Jackson and Kiren don't seem to know you. I'm gonna ask two things of you, a name and if you see a deer laying around by you please grab it, Your welcome to have some when we cook it. It's heavy if you need help ask." The order where blunt, Grayson felt bad for asking the stranger to do something without knowing what condition she was in. "I'm sorry for giving you orders. But it's been a lang day and we can all use the food and sleep." Grayson turned his head away from the stranger bad back towards the direction of the record shop.

[lynettetan1]

Aisha Innez
Location: On the move
Feeling: Relieved, still a bit anxious
Tagged: Riki (Bug), Jackson, Grayson (Mazu), Kiren (Aria), Jasper, Silver (Kiba)

Somehow, things seemed to have worked out. Aisha had had her doubts before, especially with how tense the situation was and how there had seemed to be others. The more people the more perspectives, and in the apocalypse, everyone who survived was lethal in some way or another. The price for ignoring others' feelings was in a way, both lower and higher than ever.

One of the males in the three person group seemed to brighten at her suggestion, though he did not say anything. Maybe the quiet type or a stranger? The other, not injured male spoke bitingly at the loner, sarcastic comments falling from him with an ease that suggested that such words were possibly a norm for him. At his agreement, Aisha nodded, though his concern for the other had her smiling-and dimly noting that he called the person with the bat 'Stranger'. It wasn't any better than what she had been doing, so perhaps her not knowing the other's name wasn't quite the detriment she thought it would be. Still, it was nice to see that the other had a companion. No matter how much of a lone wolf they seemed, it looked like they weren't as alone as they assumed themselves to be.

Reflexively looking toward where she'd left them (it did seem to be pretty safe, after all), Aisha's eyes widened upon seeing them stand out in the open, staring past her with a look of confusion. Tracing her line of sight to the more outspoken male that Bug clung to, Aisha couldn't stop the smile this time. It seemed that them receiving concern was a new development for them too.

"They're as okay as someone can be in this situation, I suppose." Aisha simply answered, as she gestured vaguely at them, inviting Jackson to look for himself without being too specific. She didn't trust this group enough for that yet. As she did so, she took a step back so she was a little closer to them. She was pretty sure that the group of three wouldn't harm them, but she wasn't so sure about the prickly loner. Though his agreement had her breathing out a sigh of relief-he had seemed like the main person to oppose her suggestion, after all-, he might try an attack. This way, if anyone rushed toward them and seemed to have ill intent, Eve would probably be able to land a bite before the attacker would know what was coming toward them.

Aisha would prefer not to have anyone die, of course, and Eve was highly venomous, so it wasn't her preferred method, but right now, she didn't know anyone before her. On the other hand, they had clearly gone out their comfort zone to be with her and escort her to safety. Whilst Aisha loved being with company and didn't especially want to choose sides, if it came down to it, she knew who she would protect.

It was one of Eve's preferred methods, however, and Aisha could feel the snake coiling in excitement. Geez, she thought to herself.

That aside, she turned her head so she could see them in her range of view too. "Will you come?" Try as she might, she couldn't quite keep the hope out of her tone. Though it was for a short time, she knew them better than she knew the rest of the group, and knew that they wouldn't cause her harm. If anything, going somewhere with lots of people meant more eyes for approaching zombies, and a chance to heal. All the same, she forced herself to keep in mind that the other might not see it the way she did. They might not want to have company, and she didn't want to push them to do something they were uncomfortable with.

But then the quiet one from before was speaking, and he was proposing a location where they could all hide out and Aisha found herself nodding almost unconsciously. That was easy enough, she could pick any one of the locks of the buildings in the area as long as it wasn't an automatic sensor. She also really liked the thought of sweets. At that thought, she flashed the other a smile, about to voice her agreement.

Then the last of the males was talking, and she paused, listening. At his authoritative tone, she frowned a little, confused. Was he the leader? She'd assumed that they'd all hovered round him because he was injured, but perhaps it was also because he called the shots. He certainly seemed like it, from how he ordered the others around. Still, she wasn't from his group, and getting control by establishing your voice wasn't quite her favoured style (though she had a feeling Eve would like that other male). From the sounds of it there was yet another of their group, however, but they weren't close by. If anyone was sneaking up on her, Eve would have let her know. At his apology, however, she softened, tampering her slight animosity. It was a long day indeed, and everyone was stressed.

He mentioned a camp, however, which had her a little confused. They'd had a camp? She'd just been talking about shifting somewhere more secure, though somehow he seemed to assume that meant she knew they'd had a base. The idea brought a lightening feeling to the load upon her chest, however-did they have a secure location? That would definitely be best. As such, she chose not to say anything. It was a miscommunication that had lead to a favourable outcome, after all, and she'd rather they moved now instead of clearing the air.

"I understand." Stepping forward as she did so so he could hear her (she wasn't sure how injured he was, after all, and she didn't want him to attack her if he panicked or something), Aisha picked up the head of the deer, hefting it so that she wedged it's head between her hip and her elbow. Her hands were still raw, after all. She didn't look all that strong, but between all the running and lugging stuff around, she'd built up quite a lot of stamina and strength. "Dragging it is okay, right? I'm Aisha, and my companion is Eve." As she said so, she didn't gesture to the snake, who was still hidden within her jacket, watching the surroundings. For one, her hands were full with the deer, but also, if any of them had been planning to attack her back whilst she was occupied, the idea of an unknown companion would probably make them at least think twice.

Though it wasn't quite the deterrent a giant cat had. Staring at the cougar, Aisha gulped. She'd always loved going to the zoo and had always wanted to pet anything furry, but the way it was currently growling and it's proximity made that idea a very distant one. Perhaps if she got to know the cat better someday. Looking around, Aisha stopped in her tracks, seeing a huge wolf. A wolf too? Were big predators just the norm? Wait, but one of those guys had a horse. Pursing her lips, Aisha took a breath before shaking her head and continuing to lug the dead deer. That was the thing with predators right? They could sense fear and all that. Best to just keep a cool head. "Am I right in assuming that I follow the big wolf over there?"

[FluffyBirdie]

Kiren Stewart | Lead Doctor | Location: Streets | Tags: Greyson, Jackson, Jasper, Aisha, Kiba

Kiren kept his eyes darting around, a habit developed after hell on earth began. He was fairly certain Greyson would agree along with them to go to somewhere safer, as it was the most logical choice and he seemed like a logical man. He still kept a careful eye on the gun however, worried somehow that things would go very far south. Greyson was still blind, but he might fire a warning shot of some kind. Blind people had good spacial awareness, but he wasn't sure how soon that awareness developed. Greyson had only been blind for a few minutes after all, so there was a chance that warning shot might turn into an injury.

Constantly changing his focus meant he almost missed the flash of white from the female stranger, and on confirming it was a smile, he automatically returned the gesture. It was good to know there was someone else whose first instinct towards strangers wasn't to wave threats or insults. Greyson finally gave his thoughts on the situation, and Kiren relaxed slightly, glad for his agreement and looking forward to leaving this tense setting. Getting in a secure area should help everyone lower their guard somewhat, at least, and they could have a civil discussion.

Greyson started to walk towards the record shop, and Kiren was about to follow when his attention was caught on the other person's strange arm movement. Was he walking while blinded? Seeing Mazu still threaten the stranger made him realise Greyson's reasoning. Being blind was quite a serious disadvantage, and he likely did not want to reveal it in front of new faces that hid unknown intentions. Jackson and himself might be the only ones to know it right now, if Kiren was right in the assumption that they knew each other for a while. Well, if Jackson knew, things should be okay. Everyone saw that the two were close, so if Jackson subtly guided the leader to camp no one would notice. It would be smoother than Kiren attempting to guide him anyway. He did still want to help though, so as if to make an offhand comment to Greyson, he said, "Are you maintaining the roads or something? It's smoother than some of the roads I've seen before the apocalypse. There's not even a crack from here to camp." He added a gesture at the asphalt before them, as if the man could follow his gesture. That should do it.

Greyson spoke again, this time to the female. Oh, the deer! He had completely forgotten about it. Giving one last look at Greyson to ensure the guy was doing okay, he turned to help the woman, Aisha. He wasn't sure where Eve was, but it was likely a small companion like the bat still clinging to Jackson. He gave her a small friendly wave, before introducing himself as he picked up the deer's back legs. "I'm Kiren. I have a horse, named Aria. Um, dragging it would probably ruin the fur. Or pelt. I'm sure we can use that to make something, like caveman times."

[`silver]

Silver Blackwood |inside the record shop | mentions: Kiba [everyone]

Amber-gold eyes scorched the crowd of people, darting restlessly between those it recognized and those it didn’t as the anxiety it’s owner held began growing exponentially. Kiba seemed as if he was carved of marble with the stature he held in staying true to Silver’s wishes. He could sense her fading away into unconsciousness and the fact that he wasn’t at her side threatened to waver his fortitude. The humans were conversing amongst themselves; settling a power struggle of sorts as mixed emotions oozed from the haphazardly put together crowd. Some tried to soothe those that clenched to distrust and anger, some merely watched from the sidelines after having stepped in to make their point and Kiba himself merely waited for that single moment that would signal that they were on the move again. He was sure they could follow him from this distance with no issue. A new male had stared at him earlier from afar but with awe in his gaze rather than something to question their next motive, he figured, but it wasn’t long before a new female whom now carried the prey that smelt of Mazu had set her focus on him after halted her trek forward. That was enough. The others were on the move again, including Grayson and Jackson—the two that had been with Silver earlier. His ears pricked at her inquiry and as if to answer her, he made a straight beeline for the record shop. The wolf took off at a hurried trot, tail held high as he expertly maneuvered around the several charred remains of zombies that littered the area surrounding the building. The bodies once rotten flesh were burnt to a crisp, reeking of a particular mixture of smoke and effluvium. The large wolf took a single confirming glance to the crowd before wedging himself into the opening Jackson had left to the entrance of his abode. The brute wasted no time in locating his companion whom hadn’t moved from her feebly lit spot on the first floor, looking as much of a statue as he had before only she carried the cool touch that had him whining as he shoved his head under her lifeless hand. Silver continued to breathe almost inaudibly, the pattern having become more ragged over time and noticeable only if you were to draw close to her shadowed position. It appeared that she was in a slumber but Kiba knew that it had to have been caused by her body having hit it’s limits from exhaustion and lack of sufficient nutrients. Tucking close to her, Kiba rested his head in her lap with his ears pinned tautly to his head as soft, distressed whines continued to leave him. The girl remained unresponsive.

[kalo.]

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𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 ── 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑
[ word count; 1028 ] [ mood; oh boy oh boy oh boy ] [ tags; the gang] [ location; alleyway-->record shop ]
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yuck
indentEverything was happening fast for Jackson. With two more strangers in the group, no, make that three new strangers in the group. The female, the doctor, and the aggressive one. It did make Jackson feel overwhelmed but he had to try and be strong because Grayson was. And Grayson was blind. How could someone blind be stronger than someone with vision? Jackson felt like he was going to vomit from the pressure. Or maybe it was just the side effect of phasing through walls. How many did he phase through today? One too many times apparently. But it was nothing Jackson couldn't handle for now. He'd be fine until he laid down for the night.

indentWhen the female stranger spoke up, Jackson couldn't remember if she even said her name or not, and motioned towards the road Jackson perked up. Jackson scanned the area until he felt someone's eyes on him. After a soft pause, he finally found the stranger. Jackson felt his eyes light up and a wide smile spread across his face. He wanted to run over and hug the stranger and tell them how worried he was just then and there. But that wouldn't be appropriate. He was still holding onto Grayson and he had one stranger who seemed to be rather aggressive and ready to pounce. So he stayed where he was but he used his other hand to wave towards the stranger, using that hand then to motion towards Bug so they could see that he had the bat with him. He liked the bat. Even if the bat scared him at first and made him nearly piss himself, they were nice. Having a smaller pet made it easier to travel. Dog required a lot of food and attention from Jackson and he could only provide so much.

indentWhen the fighter finally tore his gaze away from the stranger when Grayson spoke up. Jackson felt himself pale for a moment thinking about his camp. Were they all going back to his camp?. It made him worry. What if they decided to leave and then come back to attack them? What if his camp wasn't big or good enough for everyone to pile it? He didn't even have enough blankets for everyone before. What would happen now? He still didn't have anything prepared. He left all of the blankets and sleeping bags, well more like two of each, on the rooftop. Everything wasn't prepared. And by how everyone looked, even with it being so dark, he could tell people were exhausted. Jackson himself was exhausted and wanted to sleep for twelve hours. It was rough. So when Grayson just started to move towards the record shop Jackson felt himself tense and quickly follow next to him. He wrapped his arm around Grayson's shoulder in an attempt to keep him from wandering off. He opened his mouth to speak up but quickly closed it. It could wait.

indentJackson looked up towards their camp and saw the silver wolf that was Silver's. But what alerted him was that Silver wasn't there. He felt his face pale again before tightening his grip on Grayson's shoulder with his hand. "Not to alert you but I don't see Silver but her wolf, Kiba, is here. Not sure what that means." Jackson tried to keep his thoughts positive but with how the day had gone, it was hard to stay positive. Jackson glanced at the doctor as he spoke about the road. He let out a puzzled expression before shrugging it off. Jackson lived here longer than anyone he assumed, so he'd know if something about the road was different. Why was he getting defensive? It was a road. But what he did notice was the smell. It smelled burnt. An awful smell because it was the burnt smell of the dead. That meant. Oh no. Silver!

indentJackson watched as the silver wolf made his way into the record shop. Jackson didn't want to speed up and worry Grayson so he kept his pace. But his grip never lightened on Grayson. As the group got closer to the record shop Jackson felt himself grow nervous. It didn't want to see Silver even more injured when he got inside. He wanted her to be okay. It was funny how in not even a day he grew to care deeply for three people. Silver. Grayson. And the Stranger. Six if you count their companions. Seven with Dog! That was too many people for someone to care about in this world. It meant it was easier for him to get hurt and bruised. The more they got hurt the more he got hurt.

indentAs they made it to the record shop Jackson opened the door some more, enough to let Grayson slip in before him. Did he hold the door for the rest? No. He wanted to but he could tell something was wrong when he heard the large wolf let out a small whine. Jackson quickly made his way, in the dark, to Kiba. As he approached he let out a loud gasp when he saw Silver on the floor. Was she okay? Unconscious? She wasn't dead was she? Jackson knelt down next to her and put his hands on her cheeks. "Silver? Silver! Can you hear me?" He could hear the panic in his voice. Everything was starting to break down in Jackson. It was one of the most eventful days he's had since-no. He wasn't going to think of that. Jack cleared his throat before looking back at the group as they started to make their way into the shop. "Kiren, was it? I need you." His voice faltered for a moment but he didn't have the energy to correct it. Grayson was blind, Silver was injured. Where was the stranger? Were they okay? Jackson moved his hands to his head and shook it for a moment in frustration and panic. Today was going terribly wrong and it only made him stress more.

indentAnd to top it all off Jackson still had to get his camp ready for the group to sleep in. Jackson wanted to pass out right now.

[☪ℓυηαя∂яσρ☪]

Tagged: Aisha
Rikimaru blinked, bringing themself back to the present. They saw Jackson smiling and waving sheepishly at them before turning back to the group and revealing Bug on his back once more. The little bat chirred happily at seeing his partner safe and dived off Jackson, flitting a quick few circles around Rikimaru's head in excitement before taking off into the night to hunt. Riki smiled at his greeting/farewell and watched him fly off until they couldn't see him anymore. Shutting their electric-blue eyes for a moment to try to soothe the strain, they took a breath and looked back to the rest of the misfit group. Aisha's diplomatic attempts had been well met, fortunately, and the group seemed to be pacified for the moment- if for no other reason than the sheer exhaustion that was burdening them all. Though the proposition to stay at what was originally Jackson's camp seemed a bit presumptuous and imposing towards the man. But, whatever, they really didn't have the energy to argue. If it was a huge problem, then Jackson would have to bring it up first. But he didn't, and Riki was too out of it to get into it. They couldn't stifle the yawn that rose from their throat, and held a hand up to cover their mouth as they did so.
Aisha had backed up a little towards Rikimaru, somewhat self-consciously, and turned to look at them. She asked what is was that the androgyne planned to do. The girl's voice had something light in it- not quite pleading, but something along those lines. Whatever it was, Riki didn't care to dissect it for now. They just wanted to go home, put their earplugs in, and sleep. Their mouth pursed in a thoughtful grimace as they weighed their options. When they spoke, it was low and slightly slurred along with their accent, though still understandable. "I... would rather not. I will reconvene with everyone in the morning. Or afternoon, that is- I'm... very tired." They realized refusing to stay at the camp would serve only to make them look suspicious, but at this point they really just did not care- they just wanted to get away from people.
Oh, but wait, that would mean... "Er, I don't mean... I'm not just going to dump you with a bunch of strangers, not that I'm much better, but, rather, ...uh..." Riki instinctually wanted to be polite and offer Aisha shelter for the night, but at the same time they really wanted to be alone, and would rather not show anyone their home. But they also couldn't well just abandon her after they ran her out of her original spot with the Molotov Carbomb (patent pending). "Let's... I can find us someplace to wait out the night, if you don't feel comfortable with this group." There, that was a good compromise, right? That way, they didn't need to reveal they had a place. Bug could listen for their heartbeat and find them just the same, so worrying about him losing them wasn't a problem.