✞ - 𝕴𝖙 𝕯𝖔𝖊𝖘𝖓'𝖙 𝕰𝖓𝖉 𝕳𝖊𝖗𝖊 O/A

[kalo.]

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𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 ── 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑
[ word count; lazy ] [ mood; oh... ] [ tags; the gang] [ location; record shop ]
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yuck
indentThe male was lost in thought when the female beneath him suddenly sprung to life, shooting up and backing away until her back hit the half wall on the roof. Jackson immediately jumped at the action before kneeling down and crawling over to Silver with a shocked expression on his face. He brought his hands up to rest them on her shoulders to try and calm her as she was clearly in distress. "Hey hey, it's okay!" But Silver was quick to start throwing questions and asking what was going on. He expected that. She had just woken up after all and there were now more people, quite a considerable amount, than before. So her reaction was understandable and justified.

indentThe brunette kept his mouth shut as Kiren started to talk and tell Silver to eat food. He was right. Silver looked to be in the worse shape out of all of them, and Jackson partially blamed himself. She gave him food instead of taking it for herself, and Jackson knew that he shouldn't have taken it in the first place. It made him feel nauseous. Ill. For taking food from someone who so desperately needed. Guilt. That's what he was feeling. Straight up guilt and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't brush it off. So he'd live with it for the time being as there were more important measures at hand. The first was making sure Silver was calm, which seemed to be working, and the other was to get everyone situated for a longs night rest. Everyone was exhausted, rightfully so, and they deserved some sort of hospitality from Jackson. It seemed like Grayson was already working on getting the food together, which he was thankful for as he was not about to make a meal for everyone. He was exhausted already. But he couldn't just stop and sleep. He had to gather all of his blankets and the sleeping bag and give them to everyone. He was glad that some had some supplies, but still, there wasn't enough to save everyone from the cold that would entrap them in the late hours of the night.

indentBut luckily there was some hope for tomorrow. One of the strangers, the female, told Jackson that if the stranger didn't come back tomorrow morning as they said they would she would go with him to find her. "Id' like that. I kind of owe them. And maybe we can find some supplies while we're out? I know most of the town has been looted but even just a spare blanket or towel would be nice." The goofy grin from before slowly made it's way back onto his face. It was back home. He felt at ease for a moment but it was quickly pushed off as he stared at his pile of blankets, which wasn't many. Most of them had holes littered in them from him using them nearly every night. They were kind of gross in their own way, but you couldn't be picky in this world anymore. You took what you could regardless of its condition so.

indentJackson stood up straight and cleared his throat so the others could look at him, which made him feel nervous for some reason, and motioned towards his camp. "So uh, welcome to my camp! It's not much but it'll do for the time being. There are some blankets and sleeping bags over by the crates if you want. I'm guessing we'll eat the deer and then just head straight to sleep. You're welcome to sleep up here but it will get cold so. I'm thinking of sleeping on the second story as it's warmer and a little more open than the first flood. Safer too. So if you want a sleeping buddy, come my way!" He let out a large grin before doing a fake bow and letting out soft 'thank yous' as a joke.

[`silver]

SILVER BLACKWOOD | rooftop oasis | tags: Jackson, Kiren, Aisha

Cold concrete greeted her backside as her body shuffled backwards in reaction to her vision sharpening and revealing the newcomers that now took position before her. Hands gripped her shoulders in a heartbeat, Jackson’s concern riddled throughout his tone as he tried to soothe her as a harsh look blared in her eyes until she realized he’d been standing beside her. Silver murmured coldly to those she didn’t recognize only to watch in a bit of confusion at the expressions she received from Kiren and Aisha. They seemed… impressed? The one named Kiren had moved forward almost instinctively when she had given the impression that she was going to tear out her IV which had only triggered her instinct to flee further but now he seemed to have loosened up slightly. Glancing to Aisha, Silver caught her evident amazement but luckily she had yet to move. Her distrustful gaze didn’t follow Kiren’s gesture to Jackson whom Silver caught sight of in her peripherals instead, her attention fixated more so on the motions that he, Aisha and Jasper were creating. From the shifting of weight to the rise and fall of their chests between breaths, she did her best to keep track of them while she still had some energy. Grayson was safe at least. The crackling fire that sat a ways away was accompanied by a humanoid shadow along with that of a large, familiar feline. Relief briefly washed over her as both Kiren and Aisha introduced themselves to her, scoffing under her breath in her own amusement at Jackson’s words. “I’ll keep this IV in as long as you would recommend instead, Kiren.” The fluid seemed to be doing a better trick in healing her than the granola bar had, the food seeming to only upset her stomach further. “Although, I would rather tear it out.” She admitted quietly, her gaze drifting back to Aisha once again and pausing for a moment as if deciding whether or not to offer her own name. “My name is Silver and this is Kiba,” the wolf blinked at Kiren once mentioned, shuffling forward a bit to push the hand that held the bit of granola back as if to offer it to him. “Thanks for bringing Grayson back and I suppose… for this.” Her face had visibly brightened from the first time they’d all seen her but her stomach rumbled, voicing her suppressed hunger and causing a flicker of annoyance to cross her otherwise stony expression. To show weakness in front of these people was the last thing she wanted to do.

[FluffyBirdie]

Kiren Stewart | Lead Doctor | Location: rooftop | Tags: Jackson, Silver

Kiren observed the alert woman in front of him, watching as her gaze jumped from one stranger to another. She was an experienced survivor alright. He wondered if she was like this before, or if it was something that emerged following this disaster. He felt like he himself had not changed much, only developed new habits and a new awareness of his surroundings. He still loved people, as evidenced by how he hadn't been as wary as Silver here about newcomers. He was still uncomfortable with death, even if he was killing something that was already dead. He still couldn't fight. Didn't even have a ranged weapon. Was there anything else he brought to this group besides his medical knowledge?

At a throat clearing, Kiren glanced over, before letting out a light laugh at Jackson's theatrics. It was good this group had someone more inclined to jokes to lighten the mood, although Jackson was clearly a very empathic person as well. At Silver's words, he turned to her again, feeling more lighthearted thanks to Jackson, and how Silver appeared to be more relaxed, at least about the IV. "That's good. I'd say tomorrow morning, at the very minimum. And if you don't like needles I can grab some bandages to wrap around it so you don't see it anymore, if that would help. Hey Kiba." Kiren added as the wolf moved forward to nudge his hand towards him. He was somewhat confused as to why the wolf wanted him to eat it instead of Silver. Was she unable to eat something like this right now? What kinds of soft food did he have? Since she definitely had to eat, and just deer wouldn't be enough. On cue, her stomach rumbled, causing him to chuckle. She was tough, but she was still very human. "If you don't want granola since it's hard to eat, I can also get bread? To go with the deer. And water too, since the bread is quite dry. Or canned peaches?" He offered, retracting his hand with the crumbs. He'll give them to Aria as he went to get the bandages and whatever she wanted to eat. And speaking of Aria, he had to figure out how to get her inside. Should he ask Greyson about the door? He seemed busy, and Jackson also referred to this place as his camp, whether jokingly or not. He did seem to know the place well, so... "Hey Jackson, can you widen that door? I'd prefer Aria to be inside, at least for the first night."

[wildsight]

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21 y/o | male | general member | deflection | tags; survivor crew
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━━Can we get this over with already?

Apparently, the answer was this: no. Something was going on nearby, concerning another person that he could very well care less about. Even so, he just wanted to get out of her and find a place to sleep for the night, but with seemingly person after person approaching him (it was only one at the time, but one was still too many of his liking) it didn’t look like that was happening anytime soon. His gaze flickered from form to form, though no one else seemed to be approaching the two - so that was good at least. Despite this, he wanted out as quickly as possible, he just needed to find the right opportunity to do so.

━━When the other stranger responded, he didn’t know whether to be relieved or not. Well, he certainly wasn’t about to let his guard down. Even after doing so, one would still have to break down the many walls he had arranged around himself, so just getting down a single barrier was one tiny accomplishment. He had made sure to observe each and every stranger that he had come across, except the one that the annoying one and the one he didn’t like at all had been huddled over. Another stranger had come over to her with some sort of equipment, but he wasn’t exactly sure what it was for. He quickly discarded the thoughts after this, as he wasn’t going to bother figuring it out.

━━His attention snapped back to the current stranger at hand, his eyes narrowing in the slightest. “Sure, whatever you like. I’m not here to bother you.” He replied, but just before he could turn around the stranger spoke again - much to his annoyance. He let out a breath, listening to her words reluctantly. She was right...though he hated to admit it. He’d eventually have to come back. But who cared? Then again...maybe it wouldn’t hurt to stay among a few others. If they really, didn’t know each other. On one hand it seemed like a fifty-fifty chance. On the other, they had animals with them - this stranger probably had one too, somewhere hidden. Jasper turned the thoughts over in his mind for a tad longer. Oh boy, the conflict.

━━Before he gave his answer, the oversized feline finally moved away. At the other stranger’s comment, he made some sort of sound - something between a grunt and a huff. “So it seems.” He replied with a roll of his eyes. Even if that cat hadn’t moved, he could have easily gotten past it. Probably. Not long after the cat left, it returned for the deer and padded off again. Good riddance. Finally. At least, the cat seemed to know what to tear apart and what not to. But once more another animal began growling, this time a canine - not the wolf though. The jackal it seemed. Oh great, how many animals did they have here? This wasn’t a petting zoo was it? Afterwards, the annoying one spoke about what he had for them - not much. He really didn’t seem like the prepared type and this proved to be true.

━━After awhile longer, the other stranger moved away so the coast was clear. But as if things couldn’t get any worse - another voice interrupted the rest. Another stranger, this time the one that had been lying unconscious on the floor. He glanced in her direction, instantly on guard again. Yikes, he wasn’t going to like this one either. After the rest of the excitement and the like calmed down, the annoying one spoke about what they’d have to eat and places to sleep. Yeah, yeah get on with it. More introductions were made, before finally things seemed to quiet down to how they had been before. Honestly, groups could be so exhausting in just a few mere moments. Finally, as the rest turned their attention back to the bossy stranger, he realized he still hadn’t made a decision on the matter at hand. He decided he might as well stay - for a single night, just so he’d have more to last him until tomorrow. He could only hope that this wouldn’t be the end of his freedom. He’d hate himself if he got locked into this group, so he was going to do his best not to let that happen.

━━And it wouldn’t if he had anything to say about it.

[lynettetan1]

Aisha Innez
Location: Record shop
Feeling: Helpful, though pushing away an underlying feeling of frustration
Tagged: Jackson, Grayson (Mazu), Kiren (Aria), Jasper, Silver (Kiba)

Things were finally settling down.

Jasper let out a sigh that seemed to come from deep within his soul, looking terribly resigned. He never actually answered her, but he had definitely come to some sort of decision, and he'd already listened to her say her piece, so it wasn't really like Aisha was going to expect much more from him.

Honestly, she could, but Aisha didn't particularly want to. He'd already established that he wasn't going to actively harm anyone, and that much at least, she believed. But interacting with him was like trying to pull teeth from someone with her bare hands, and Aisha had never been in the business of doing difficult things. Sure, she'd do them if she had to, as she didn't want to die, but barring that, she wasn't particularly interested in stirring up more trouble for herself.

Just some harmony and peace was all she was really looking for, so when Jasper let out a grunt of agreement, Aisha took it to note that it was definitely all she was probably going to get. That was fine. It wasn't like she was feeling any particular trouble interacting with him, but it just drained her and left her such a sense of tiredness. Perhaps if everyone acted like he did, she would share his feelings of others being a chore, but by then, wasn't it just a self-fulfilling prophecy at this point? Then again, she wasn't really one to talk, with her own neuroses as they were. As such, Aisha nodded, leaving him to his own devices. As far as she was concerned, he was settled. Now to see if she could help out around here.

As the cheerful one agreed to look for the stranger in the morning, Aisha felt some of the frustration fade, and she gave the other a small smile. He definitely was a bit of the more happy go lucky type, but still clearly cared for others. "They're really nice, aren't they? I feel like they prefer being alone, but if it's possible I'd like to have them around." It was hard to explain her feelings exactly, but Aisha did feel more secure when the stranger was around. Even though the stranger acted aloof and removed, it was clear that they cared for others, and tried to help the people they knew when they could. It was like if she knew they were around, she would be okay.

Between him and Kiren, Aisha felt like she did have a bit more hope for company after all. Especially when he mentioned looking around for supplies, which appealed to her own hoarding tendencies. "I've had a little hideout next to a bar, but I don't know how intact it will be, after today. If it's undamaged, I have a lot of supplies, and I wouldn't mind sharing for some company and security. I'm not the best at combat, after all, so some help would definitely be appreciated." For a second, Aisha wondered it would be good to mention her utter mountains of blankets, but then decided against it. Some things they could find out for themselves tomorrow.

His words of getting some food and then going straight to sleep were a godsend, and Aisha found herself nodding in agreement and shifting toward the fire, where the deer sat, smelling delicious. Food and sleep sounded amazing, and even better with some company. At his joke, Aisha chuckled, amused. "I'll head to the second story after eating, thank you." His advice was helpful, especially as Eve didn't do well with the cold, but being close to someone whilst vulnerable was not something she would do upon meeting a stranger. Sure, she wanted a conversation, but that was another level altogether. Still, that didn't mean returning the jibe with a lighthearted comment of her own was impossible. It was clear he was just trying to be fun, and she wasn't about to bring the mood down. "Okay, I'll let you know if I have nightmares."

Looking over at where Kiren and the girl who had introduced herself as Silver, Aisha nodded, looking at the needle. That certainly took her back. Still, if Kiren was able to do this... "Are you a doctor, Kiren?" If he was, perhaps she could ask him to look at the burns on her hands from the explosion earlier. More than that, knowing someone with medical knowledge would be a huge help in this situation, and he seemed friendly enough as well.

But then, hearing the growl of Silver's stomach, Aisha smiled. "Sorry, I shouldn't start conversation when we're all hungry. Lets all go get some food. Do you need help? I've literally never seen anyone wake up that fast, so you're pretty amazing, but still, try not to push yourself." As she said so, she reached a hand toward Silver in an offer of help, though she left it in the air so the other could decide whether or not to take it.

[`silver]

SILVER BLACKWOOD | rooftop oasis | tags: Kiren, Aisha, Jasper, Jackson

Silver had watched as the amusement seemed to spread across both Aisha and Kiren as a result of Jackson, while the male that stood in back that oozed irritation decided not to chime in with the rest. She couldn't help but recognize the rigid composure he held even when Aisha attempted to quell his obvious dread in being amongst the crowd. He itched to leave like a trapped animal. Like you. A mocking tone welled up in her thoughts, her eyes narrowing in her own type of annoyance. Sure she would rather not be in the presence of others but was there really any other choice in a time like this? She wondered just how he'd survived unlike the rest whom all appeared to have some sort of niche--whether it be an animal companion, power or an acquired skill. Thus far, Jasper offered them all nothing but a sharp-tongue to match his presumptive personality. Her eyes drifted back to Kiren whom seemed to be watching her, unspoken questions in his icy gaze until laughter flooded the air that reached his eyes. She briefly shut her own in relief at his next words though, her hands unclenching from their white-knuckled fists that even she hadn’t realized she’d been creating purely out of the suppression of her feelings towards the taunting wink of metal in her forearm. Silver averted her eyes swiftly, fixating instead on the floor when Kiren offered accommodations, “I...would appreciate it.”

Her words held a prominent pause as if she’d mentally turned over his proposal hundreds of times in the time that she had before responding. She was reluctant to accept his help but considering he’d already put an IV in her, there was no use in denying it. She felt as if he would’ve done it anyway even if she’d vouched against it. “Canned peaches. If that’s okay.” Preserved food was a rarity nowadays, she wondered how he could’ve even come across such a thing. Regardless, the idea of a bit of fruit nearly made her mouth water which was a good sign, she supposed. The granola bar had been consumed out of impulse so she couldn’t risk something not going down well again to maintain the hydration she was receiving now. Kiren then mentioned a name -- Aria. Did he have an animal as well? Silver looked to the side in subtle hope that she could catch a glimpse if her assumptions were correct. Widening the door meant whatever it was had to be larger than a person of any of their stature. Jasper’s answering tone to Aisha stirred a certain vice in Silver, the desire to growl at him prominent but disregarded for the sake of the new peace. The woman focused her attention back on the two that stood before her, scoffing gently in amusement at Aisha’s question. By the amount of empathy Kiren held just from his actions he had to be a doctor, if not one in training. “Amazing, is not the word I would use.”

The ghost of a smile lightened her otherwise brooding expression, gazing at the extended hand before reaching for it, only to quickly flip her hand palm up to grasp at the other woman’s wrist ever so lightly instead. The momentary glance had been enough for her to catch the burns scrawled along Aisha’s hands and in gripping her lightly was a good enough anchor for Silver to hoist herself up; careful to not move too swiftly so that the IV wouldn’t be disturbed. It made her feel like a dog in being tethered to it as well as to whomever held the bag but she supposed it was for the best. “Perhaps Kiren can soothe your burns. You too ought to not push yourself, Aisha.” Silver hadn’t realized that the time between her unconsciousness to when the fluids had been administered had been shorter than normal, but regardless, she had an idea as to why as she looked between both of them. “I haven’t had time to rest nor eat. Even before the apocalypse I didn’t need much to survive. Don’t worry about someone you’ve only just met.” Her words could’ve passed as harsh should her tone not have been more logical-sounding than anything else. It was one thing people would learn if they stayed around her long enough. Aside from this, it was due time for them to all eat and sleep.

[FluffyBirdie]

Kiren Stewart | Lead Doctor | Location: rooftop | Tags: Jackson, Silver

Kiren smiled at Silver's reply, quietly glad she was at least open enough to agree for assistance. It might be because he had already stuck the IV in, but people stubbornly resisting help even if they clearly needed it was a waste of energy, in Kiren's opinion. Pretending to be tough could just lead to long-term issues in the future. "Bandages and peaches it is." He repeated, before nodding at her half-question. "It's totally fine. I probably wouldn't eat them until they're expired, and cans get pretty heavy, so this is the best-case scenario, really. Less weight and gratification that saving them wasn't pointless." Kiren moved aside as Aisha approached, leaving the stranger standing at a distance from them. He still hadn't replied to Silver's question for a name, Kiren noticed, and though he hadn't been paying attention to their conversation, he could tell the stranger was very set on distancing himself, if the annoyed look he gave everyone was any indication. He didn't appear to be making moves to leave though, which was a good sign. He wasn't so distant after all, and maybe with food and rest everyone would feel more amicable. Having more people in a group made survival easier.

"Oh I was training to be a doctor, though I guess I'll never finish my course now and get the actual title." He added, grinning. It was saddening to think that there might not be many actual doctors still alive, and that all the knowledge about the human body was lost, sitting in abandoned computers and burnable textbooks. Though humans and animals seem to have changed and mutated, so what was known in the past might just be negated anyway. "But hey, this means no more loans, or worries over money. And amazing is the word I would use as well. You looked real bad earlier, so waking up with just a few minutes of help is unbelievable." Silver getting up and the swaying of the tube in her arm distracted him away from Aisha's outstretched hand, causing him to be hit with guilt when he finally saw the red patches along her hands at the mention of 'burns'. What was he doing? He had literally one job in this group, and he was already dropping the ball on the first day. Every day might just be as chaotic as today, so that was no excuse. She was even carrying the deer as well, and he was across from her. What was he doing?

"Sorry for not noticing your burns, Aisha, and I certainly have a cream for it. I'll grab it alongside Silver's things." He said reassuringly, keeping his tone light but apologetic. "Does it hurt a lot? I have painkillers as well." He felt compelled to move closer or grab her hand to see the extent of the burn, but that would be too much. Sure, a doctor and patient were often strangers, but in this setting it came off as aggressive. And he still didn't know where Eve was, so making a sudden move might spell death. "Well, just because you don't need much to survive doesn't mean you should hit your limits every time. Having days off is vital too. And I'm a doctor, it's my job to worry about strangers." Kiren felt hypocritical saying that last sentence, considering he had completely ignored someone's injury throughout the entire time he's known her, but he kept a smile on his face nonetheless. He'll just have do better next time, and ensure it never happened again.

[kalo.]

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𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 ── 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑
[ word count; lazy ] [ mood; oh... ] [ tags; the gang] [ location; record shop ]
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yuck
indentWhen it seemed that the female before him started to grow more comfortable with the sudden change in atmosphere. Her muscles didn't seem as tense as before and she was talking and interacting with Kiren and the female stranger. [Did she tell Jackson her name or did she not? She most likely did but he forgot in the chaos that was the past hour] He shifted with the IV bag in his hands before perking up as Kiren questioned about getting his horse in. Jackson pondered for a minute before nodding at the doctor. "Yeah! I can move some of the barricade I had set up and let her in. You can stay here unless you'd feel more comfortable coming with me. I promise not to run off in the moonlight with your horse!" He let out another smile, feeling his 'normal' self start to come back. The stress from the day was slowly wearing off, and with Grayson looking better by the minute Jackson felt like he could joke around and enjoy himself more. The heavyweight on his shoulders slowly was easing off. Bit by bit but it was enough to calm him.

indentJackson took the IV bag in his hands, considering what to do with it for a minute before just giving it to Silver without a second thought, apologizing briefly before making his way past the group and towards the stairs. "I'll be back! Don't have too much fun without me," A sly wink and a blown kiss was all he needed to depart. His grand exit. To open a door. Seemed fitting. Without a second glance back he was off. The door to the stairs closing behind him. Acting rather reckless he skipped down the stairs, his footsteps echoing and bouncing off the wall. Giving him something to think about as he descended. But alas it was a short thought [as most of his thoughts were if we're being honest] as the record shop came into view. The record shop was dark, his eyes barely being able to adjust to the darkness as he fumbled his way through the shop. He let out a soft yelp as he tripped over something, his foot getting caught. He braced himself for the fall and luckily nothing happened. His hand let out a soft sting at first but quickly left. Nothing major. Just some rubbish digging into his hands.

indentAs he reached the door, brushing his hands on his jeans before looking at the barricade he had set up. It was just a shelf from the record shop-large enough to hold the door back where most people wouldn't bother with moving it. So he braced himself as he planted his hands on the shelf and started to move it. It didn't budge at first but with enough force, he was able to overcome the friction and start pushing it. From that point on it was easy-it glided along the floor with, a rather loud, screech. He winced but quickly moved the shelf out of the way and stopped. He paused to listen for any kind of movement, but nothing nearby sounded like a threat. So swift he moved back to the two doors and opened them, placing some rubble to prop the door open. He looked up at the large horse and let out a soft smile. "Hey girl. Wanna come in? It's safer in here~" He let out a soft click at the horse and studied what she was doing. He seemed like she wasn't going to budge at all-and that worried Jackson.

indentJackson stepped out and slowly placed a hand on the horse, watching as she let out a puff air [most likely of worry as Jackson was a stranger to her]. He let out a 'ssshhh' before moving to look around the road. Some zombies lingered far off and were clearly making their way over towards the record shop from the noise the shelf made, but they wouldn't reach Jackson in time anyway. So he moved his hand to rest on the horse's rump before slowly urging her forward. "C'mon Aria, let's get you in. Kiren is waiting for you!" At the mention of Kirens name the horse moved forward, ducking her head as she slips into the shop. Jackson let out triumph fist pump before turning to move the doors and close them. Then back to moving the shelf. "Sorry girl, this is gonna be loud." Then, after a short pause, Jackson started to move the shelf back. The noise caused him to flinch again but he didn't stop until the shelf was stationed in front of the doors. It would hold. Nobody would be able to get into the record shop without alerting everyone as they slept on the second floor. Easy. Job done. But the strain he put on his muscles was enough to cause him to sigh and take a moment to sit down. Watching as the horse walked around trying to find something interesting.

indentHe moved his arms to rest in his lap and stared at them. They were exhausted. Between phasing, moving the shelf, and just overall being an idiot they were already sore. But it wouldn't be terrible. He'd survive fine. Just a little stiff and sore tomorrow morning until he stretched them out and woke up. It was nice down here. In the quiet. Listening to the sounds of Aria and his own heartbeat. He brought his knees up and wrapped his arms around and rested his head on the top of his knees. Jackson let his eyes close and took a deep breath in-sighing with relief. The day was coming to an end and he was alive. That's all that mattered. And the two he trusted the most were with him. Grayson and Silver. But what worried him was the stranger. He wanted to go out and find them first thing in the morning. He'd go alone if the female stranger didn't want to go-but part of him knew it wasn't smart to go alone. He'd convince her to go with him. Maybe they'd find stuff and come back with more for the group. Anything was valued at this point. But he couldn't help but feel this intense feeling that something was wrong. He couldn't tell if something was wrong at the moment or if it was just fear of not finding the stranger. He let out a sigh and shifted to let his forehead rest on his knees. Taking a deep breath and exhaling calmly.

[FluffyBirdie]

Kiren Stewart | Lead Doctor | Location: rooftop | Tags: Jackson, Silver

Kiren was still engrossed in conversing with Silver and Aisha, and so nodded in thanks as Jackson headed downstairs. As he finished speaking, regret and guilt swimming around his head, he heard a faint screech, presumably of the blockade moving. He excused himself and headed down the stairs carefully, not wishing to trip. They had enough injuries today, and with grains in one hand, he couldn't block his fall well. There was another grating scrape as a heavy object was moved; was Jackson trying again to open the door? Kiren moved a bit faster, hoping to help, but as he arrived at the record shop, he was surprised to see the sound was Jackson moving the shelf back, not redoubling his efforts to open it, and wow, Aria was inside! "Are you some kind of animal whisperer? That, or you're so charming she took an immediate liking to you." He opened his palm as the mare approached, giving her cheek a scratch with his other hand as she quickly licked up the crumbs. As he wiped his hand on his jeans, he glanced towards Jackson, taking a while to locate the man as he didn't expect him to be sitting. Concern was the immediate emotion he felt on seeing the other person hunched over, but on hearing a deep exhale, he similarly calmed down. Well, Jackson was probably the person who went through the most today, panicking over both Greyson and Silver's health back-to-back.

Kiren decided to let him take a reprieve, and went back to Aria. She was surprisingly calm about being indoors, though he did just dash into a building she couldn't enter and left her outside for a stranger to pick her up, so if she didn't panic at that she wouldn't fret about being inside. He rested his head against her neck for a moment in thanks, again grateful for such a patient companion, before going back to business. Bandages for the IV, peaches, cream. And also tape to hold up the IV. It seemed like everyone was planning to sleep on the second floor, so he could just tape it against a wall so Silver didn't have to hold it as she was doing now.

He hustled back upstairs after giving Aria a final pet, carefully opening the can as he went, before going over to Silver and placing the can besides her along with a plastic spoon. "Here you go. And if you don't mind..." Kiren unrolled the bandages, wrapping them around the needle and her arm until the metal was invisible under layers of white gauze. "The duct tape's for holding the IV bag up when we head to the second floor to sleep. I can hold the bag while you eat, if you're comfortable with that." With that done, he now turned to the cream, though it just hit him that he wasn't sure how she could apply it if her hands were tender, and he would have one hand full with the IV. Oh, maybe, "I can squeeze out some of the ointment on your hands and you can rub them to even the spread?" He asked, unscrewing the cap of the tube. "Wait, but that would make it hard to eat. Maybe just the palms then, and you use your fingertips?"

[lynettetan1]

Aisha Innez
Location: Record shop
Feeling: Content, bashful, hungry
Tagged: Jackson (Dog), Grayson (Mazu), Kiren (Aria), Jasper, Silver (Kiba)

If Aisha didn't see Silver unconscious on the floor of the record shop, she'd never have believed it. The other woman was alert and calculated. Her eyes never stayed in one place for too long, touching briefly on one area before swiftly moving to the next. In such a way, Aisha would have normally assumed that she was looking out for anything that could harm herself the way most survivors were nowadays, but this was different. In those gold brown eyes, there was an intensity that burned. Her attention was almost like an open fire, and when it landed on her Aisha almost found herself holding her breath in the short time before those said eyes flicked away.

Surely, everyone had gained an alertness about them since the apocalypse-it was either that or die-, but that was where the similarity ended. Where Aisha was always scouting for the next hiding place, useful items and others' emotions, she had a feeling that Silver took in far more logistics, was calculating many more factors about the terrain and situation. Silver's mannerisms said as much too, with the watchful pause before she spoke. Before this day, Aisha had always thought that the phrase "eyes of a hawk" was just an expression, but it seemed that was just one more fact she was going to have to change today.

So when Silver flipped her hand over, Aisha felt like some part of her should have expected that. Fighting the instinctual urge to flinch away like a scolded child with an injury on such prominent display, Aisha relaxed after a second, sensing to ill intent from the other. Quite the opposite, really, which was a little embarrassing. Kiren seemed to go a little quiet, seeming embarrassed, and Aisha pursed her lips, wondering if he was alright.

Remembering what he said about his course, Aisha chuckled, her mind momentarily taken to how she'd been before all this had happened. That made two of them. "Funny how the end of the world puts things into perspective, huh?" Whilst she definitely feared for her life a lot more now, the strange thing was that in a way, the apocalypse had been better for her mental wellbeing in a few ways that the therapists her parents made her see never did. It was something she pondered on a lot-how strange a being she was, that the world ending as she knew it gave her a new beginning from a trapped existence and Eve. And friends, if this burst of good luck was something she wished to place her faith in.

As they moved toward the food, Kiren seemed to regain his voice and apologised as well, which made Aisha kind of feel like she wanted to hide in a hole somewhere. He was too responsible for his own good. They'd all just met, after all. Fighting the slight blush, Aisha shook her head. "Don't apologise, please. There were people in worse condition you had to take care of." Wiggling the fingers of the hand that wasn't supporting Silver at him, Aisha smiled. "Besides I am a little bit of a kleptomaniac, so everyone always told me I'd get my hands burned one day. I just didn't expect karma to be a literal explosion."

When he mentioned painkillers, Aisha felt a temptation flickering from deep within her, but then quashed it down, shaking her head with a smile. This pain wasn't that bad. She didn't need it. There were some things that would be better shared later rather than earlier. Hearing Kiren's words, she felt the urge to agree with him, but it felt kind of hypocritical now that she'd been exposed for hiding her own wounds (though she still felt justified, everyone looked worse. She'd been lucky to only escape with burns from an exploding car). As he disappeared downstairs, Aisha remembered his horse. It looked like a wary girl, but pretty stable, and she wondered if Aria would her let close enough to pet. She'd liked horses as a kid, and had a few lessons, but had to stop when they started restricting her finances.

Turning toward Silver, Aisha gestured toward Grayson and the fire. "Speaking of not pushing ourselves, let's get some food, shall we? I'm starving." As she started walking, Aisha thought about the things in her bag, and paused, evaluating the other for a moment. "Question... How do you feel about cheese?"

Sitting them both down at the fire near Grayson, Aisha noticed how the other seemed to look up and smile at the movement, and gave him a cheery nod. "I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name. Thanks for sharing your dinner, it's been a while since I've had some good company, let alone meat. I have some bread, jam and cheese to share, but nothing like this. You are?"

As she spoke, she awkwardly shifted her backpack off, though she left the stuff in the bag for now, figuring she could just ask Kiren to take it out later if anyone said they wanted any (carrying things was one thing, but finer movements like undoing clips was something she didn't want to try now that there were other people that could possibly assist with that). When Kiren returned, Aisha nodded, holding out her hands pliantly. "That sounds good."

Whilst that happened, Aisha remembered that none of them had really seen Eve at this point, but then remembered the stranger's reaction to her friend. Though she said that she wouldn't give Eve up for anything, and she stood by that, the fear had been understandable yet a little disheartening(even though she knew Eve liked it that way), so she decided to sound out the others first. "Is anyone here squeamish around reptiles?"

As she said so, the snake in question tightened slightly in mild disapproval, but stayed still otherwise, showing no other signs of discontent. Perhaps Eve had decided that these people weren't as much of a threat so it was fine? Or perhaps it was due to the cold, which made the other as sleepy as she was moody. It was probably the latter, but Aisha hoped that there was some sort of the former there as well. Eve was rough round the edges, but she was there for her and Aisha trusted the other's judgement, even if their general personalities were quite different.