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literal thorn bush
i can't sleep
posts: 135
nickname: beth
zodiac: capricorn
affiliation: shadowhunter
affinity: spirit
child of: artemis
clan: riverclan
class: rogue
district: 7, lumber
faction: amity
house: slytherin
kingdom: lannister
patronus: hyena
planet: scarif
status: dhampir
trainer type: fire
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last online Apr 17, 2021 19:50:55 GMT -8
White Queen
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Apr 16, 2018 0:39:39 GMT -8
Post by ellabeth on Apr 16, 2018 0:39:39 GMT -8
as we knew itYears ago, it all went horribly wrong. A disease, a terrible monster that rips the conscious from the body, turns us into empty shells, ravaged the human world. People lost their minds - tossed them right over a ledge. Inside of their skulls, a spora bloomed - bloomed so much until their head unfurled, like a deadly flower: a ravenous trap. Clickers, they call them, because - sightless, almost senseless, echolocation is all they have. The world has fallen apart, corrupted governments rise with no rights, no sense of wrong. Our story begins with a single hope; one person, that could be the answer to it all.
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posts: 16
nickname: megabitch
zodiac: aries
affinity: fire
child of: ares
clan: riverclan
district: 7, lumber
house: slytherin
patronus: ragdoll cat
trainer type: dragon
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last online Apr 15, 2018 23:16:31 GMT -8
Team Nivalis
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Apr 16, 2018 0:50:39 GMT -8
Post by zireael on Apr 16, 2018 0:50:39 GMT -8
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literal thorn bush
i can't sleep
posts: 135
nickname: beth
zodiac: capricorn
affiliation: shadowhunter
affinity: spirit
child of: artemis
clan: riverclan
class: rogue
district: 7, lumber
faction: amity
house: slytherin
kingdom: lannister
patronus: hyena
planet: scarif
status: dhampir
trainer type: fire
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last online Apr 17, 2021 19:50:55 GMT -8
White Queen
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Apr 16, 2018 1:01:44 GMT -8
Post by ellabeth on Apr 16, 2018 1:01:44 GMT -8
SLOANE R. ASTLEY TOMORROW I'LL BE BACK AT IT!
_____________________________________________________________ sloane r. astley : gay as hell : cis female : twenty five years old : redhead, long & wavy : icy blue eyes
sloane is not exactly the nicest woman in the world. she has a tendency to shoot first and ask questions
later. she has no moral limits, aside from when it comes to pets -- her anger fuels most of her actions &
its difficult for her to slide from emotion to emotion. she struggles to understand who she is, so trying to
make sense of other people and their actions is basically kind of impossible for her to do. She is a very
explosive person - and tends to release her anger in none-too concealed ways
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posts: 16
nickname: megabitch
zodiac: aries
affinity: fire
child of: ares
clan: riverclan
district: 7, lumber
house: slytherin
patronus: ragdoll cat
trainer type: dragon
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last online Apr 15, 2018 23:16:31 GMT -8
Team Nivalis
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Apr 16, 2018 1:08:16 GMT -8
Post by zireael on Apr 16, 2018 1:08:16 GMT -8
"So... What was it like before the outbreak?" the voice of the fourteen-year-old chimed, mingling with the echo of their footsteps as they strode through the seemingly vacant building. The auburn-haired adolescent regarded the older woman ahead of her with virescent eyes that twinkled with apt curiosity.
Tess angled her head to peer over her shoulder, quirking a brow at Ellie. "Come on now, I'm not that old."
Being young as she was, Ellie was amongst the fortunate to not have suffered the ordeals of the outbreak; granted, they suffer the aftermath, but the first moments of the outbreak were regarded as far worse than the situation twenty years post. The nationwide panic, the utter chaos that ravaged the streets as quickly as the fungal virus spread; the downfall of society as they knew it. The government struggled to retain order and to contain the spread of the mutated strain Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis─ a fungus that seeded itself inside their skulls, where it bloomed. It altered the behavior of its host, gradually stripping them of the individual that they once were; destroyed their memories until they were but a shell of the person that they once were. By that point, they were no longer people. No self-control, blind aggression, and insatiable desire to kill anything in sight. Tess was far too young to remember much, if anything at all from this time, or perhaps she repressed those memories; however, her father remembered the day all too well. The man was haunted by the events of the outbreak even now, reluctant to even speak of that day to his own daughter. Most of what she learned was from her time with the Fireflies. All she knew was that the second her father heard what was going on, he packed what they needed, took his daughter and wife to the car, and drove them away. If there was more to it than that, then Tess wouldn't know due to her father's reluctance to discuss the topic. And it was probable that she would never get to see him again after her current mission was accomplished─ which, there was no guarantee she would even complete it.
Ever since her mother's execution for her affiliation with the Fireflies, Tess cut off her ties with them; abandoned her former duties as a rebel, a dedicated striver for the cure. She refused service to the militia as well, instead taking to the profession of smuggling─ drugs, weapons, rations, you name it. For five years, she has dabbled with the criminals within their seemingly perfect society of corrupt officials and a militia that cared more for their own skin than the citizens from whom they stole rations that were rightfully the citizens'. There was no doubt that their system was corrupt; everyone knew it. But with the militia's firepower and recent slaughter of many alleged Fireflies, the peoples' hope dwindled. There was no hope for a successful rebellion, not while they all lacked proper weaponry to move against the militia. And so, they were forced to obey and accept, like the dogs that they were deemed. It was during a deal with one of her exchanges that she ran into Marlene, the face of the Fireflies. The woman had a task for her, one that was far too risky for Tess's liking; but with the promise of guns and incentive of a potential cure against the Cordyceps, she reluctantly agreed to hear her out. That was when she met Ellie. Marlene explained to her that she needed Tess to smuggle Ellie out of the quarantine zone and to Salt Lake City, practically on the other side of the country. An outrageous proposal, but when questioned as to why this girl was so special, Marlene would not answer; rather, she said Tess could either accept her offer or she would find someone else to do it for her. After some debate, Tess accepted. With Ellie as her companion, she explained to her father that she may be gone for sometime, or might potentially never return, and with that, the pair departed once they had whatever they needed for the journey.
Their trek thus far was littered with close-calls. Just sneaking out of the quarantine zone proved to be a challenge and the two barely made it out unscathed. Tess assumed that Ellie never encountered any of the Infected prior to this, but she learned otherwise. While inspecting for wounds, Tess came across an old wound on Ellie's forearm, undeniably a bite from the Infected. In haste, Ellie explained that she was immune to the Cordyceps and spores; that the wound was weeks old. It all fell into place then, why it was so urgent to deliver Ellie to Salt Lake City. Whatever made her immune to the virus would help them at last forge a vaccine─ or at least that was the hope. Regardless, it rekindled hope within her and made her all the more determined to escort the girl safely. The two bonded more, and where her father didn't like Ellie much because of her spunk and foul-mouthed attitude, Tess, on the other hand, grew very fond of the adolescent. Ellie's curiosity was endearing, and her questions certainly made their journey far less dull.
Ellie scoffed. "Oh, come on, you gotta have something. You were, what, like seven?"
"Five," Tess corrected her. There was amusement dancing in the older woman's eyes as she rummaged through the shelves of the room that she led them into, searching for any supplies that they needed. "Way too young to remember much of the outbreak itself, let alone what I did before that. I probably just waddled around at home and watched cartoons, honestly. Hardly interesting," she mused, crouching down on one knee to check underneath a desk. A small bin, crinkled up papers... Nothing that they needed.
Ellie crossed her arms. "Not interesting to you, but it might be interesting to the one who never got to watch cartoons."
"Mmm. Good point, kiddo." Tess stood up and brushed off the debris from her knees and cast her eyes over to Ellie. "But I really don't remember much. I wish I did. Should have asked my dad─ he definitely is old enough to remember."
Ellie shook her head. "Nah. I don't think he liked me."
"Well, with your mouth and attitude, don't be surprised that some of the elderly don't really like you."
"Welllll, fuck 'em."
Tess chuckled, ruffling Ellie's hair as she strode past her, enticing a small laugh from the girl. "Exactly my point. When I was your age, my dad would have kicked my ass for talking to him like that." Ellie had her quirks and vices, but Tess adored her nonetheless.
They maneuvered their way through the building at a leisure pace. Tess inspected each room to ensure that the coast was clear before she allowed Ellie to come in with her. In one of the rooms, they found a couple of small bottles of hard liquor, which would be useful for cleaning wounds. A few pairs of scissors that could be made into shivs, and then a handful of rags; Ellie even managed to find an unopened mini first-aid kit, stashed away in one of the file cabinets, behind the folders. Tess continued to entertain Ellie's questions about her past life while they scoured the rest of the floor. The building was vacant, they assumed, so Tess let her guard drop just a little bit. It wasn't until she opened the door leading downstairs that she heard it; the clicks.
Before she could so much blink, a Clicker sprang out at her, malformed jaw snapping as it sought flesh. Tess cursed aloud as she sidestepped, narrowly evading a bite from the Clicker. In this time, she whipped out a shiv from her pocket and jammed it into the creature's throat. It shrieked as it was pierced; seconds later, the clicks subsided. Tess let the body drop and had to lean against the wall behind her, eyes still wide as she breathed heavily. Fuck, that was close.
"Shit! Tess, are you okay?" Ellie exclaimed and reached out to put her hand on Tess's arm.
The girl's fingertips barely managed to touch her when they heard it; the cacophony of screams, clicks, and thunder of footsteps of multiple Infected, headed right for them. Ellie was frozen, eyes wide like a deer in headlights. Tess knocked her out of it, though, as she pushed the girl the opposite direction, her free hand reaching for her revolver. "Ellie, run. NOW." Thankfully, the girl didn't have to be told twice. Ellie turned and ran; Tess shut the door and tried to bar it the best she could before she did the same, following after the teen. The echoes of the Infected slamming against the door rang out in the corridor, until there was an unmistakable crash as the door gave. "Fuck─ Ellie, we need to get out of here, fast. Whatever you do, don't stop running."
Tess could hear the Infected behind them and cursed; they won't be able to outrun them. "Ellie, at the next intersecting hallways, go left. I'll try to lead them away to the right. Halfway, there's stairs leading downstairs; the doors open out, so they shouldn't be able to follow you. I'll find you, alright?"
Ellie's eyes were fearful as she glanced briefly at Tess, but she nodded. "Please be careful," the girl pled, but there was no time for Tess to offer her solace. Once they hit the intersecting hallways, Ellie made a left. Her lungs burned from running, but she did not slow down; she couldn't afford to, not unless she wanted to get ripped apart by those things. She followed Tess's directions; but as she glanced over her shoulder to see if she was being followed by Infected, she ran smack into something─ no, someone.
She immediately assumed it was an Infected; she panicked and leaped away, sputtering, "Fuck, fuck, FUCK─", until she realized that the woman wasn't Infected... But she didn't look that happy either. There wasn't time, though. "We gotta fucking move!"
Meanwhile, Tess had the Infected right on her heels. She knocked over whatever objects she could in any effort to slow them down and buy her some time, and it looked like she was having some but minimal success. At least most of them pursued her and not Ellie, who was her priority; she'd rather be ripped apart herself than a hair harmed on the younger girl. As soon as she could, she ducked through the doors halfway through her side of the hallway and pattered down the stairs. She made a beeline straight for where she was supposed to meet Ellie on the other side, but when she couldn't find the girl, her stomach knotted with worry. "Ellie! Where are you?"
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literal thorn bush
i can't sleep
posts: 135
nickname: beth
zodiac: capricorn
affiliation: shadowhunter
affinity: spirit
child of: artemis
clan: riverclan
class: rogue
district: 7, lumber
faction: amity
house: slytherin
kingdom: lannister
patronus: hyena
planet: scarif
status: dhampir
trainer type: fire
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last online Apr 17, 2021 19:50:55 GMT -8
White Queen
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Apr 16, 2018 1:15:53 GMT -8
Post by ellabeth on Apr 16, 2018 1:15:53 GMT -8
- SLOANE She used to like simple things like the sunset. It reminded her of her mother, the way it was so intricately formed. Somewhere, a painter was hiding, sketching a new scene each time the sun stole the throne from the night. She remembered briefly, sitting on her mother's lap, watching the sun kill the stars. Somehow, the woman had mimicked the sky itself and reproduced it on the canvas she held so dearly to her heart. Sloane wondered if her mother painted her, too; just as beautiful as the rising sun. She was naive then, unwilling to accept that not everything was as breathtaking as the glowing star her mother trapped on paper - she didn't understand. How could she? All she knew was the simple life they had, the laws they obeyed. It was only when she grew and her mother - her sweet, sun-jailing mother, died at the foot of their stairs by the teeth of a monster that sported a head shaped like a supernova. The memory overtook the sweet moments cradled in her mother's arms. Instead, replaced now by the horrifying scene at the end of barrel while she aimed, unable to pull the trigger until the Clicker, as sightless as it was supposed to be, looked right through Sloane. She killed it - oh fuck, did she kill it - but not before it infected her: it infected her in a different way than most. This sickness, this disease, was not something that could ever be cured with nothing but the grace of death. A stranger to the little girl that loved to watch the sunrise, Sloane spit into the world as a monster herself. The Fireflies found her long before a man by the name of Darius had. He'd done his best to convert her to his ways, to show her the ropes of living among the dead, but Sloane had all but refused to make amends with the brutal world she lived in. For a while, she did their bidding, acting as one of many idiotic martyrs to their hopeless plans. It hadn't taken long for her to seek escape.
Her escape, however, had not been granted in a manner that she'd wanted. During a run with someone she thought she'd grown fond of, shit had hit the fan. Sloane was used to shit hitting the fan - but this time, it hit it hard. Tess, her only friend in the band of heartless wrecks, had let her fall off a ledge, tumble right into a gurgling river lined with Clickers. She'd gone on, hadn't even looked back over her shoulder as Sloane had been swept away - right out of the Quarantine Zone. Somehow, dispite the horrid odds, Sloane had found herself washed up on a ledge at the break of dawn. It had been so vibrant, that morning - it almost looked like the blood that smeared the rocks she lay upon.
Fuck the sun. Just. Fuck it.
Quick footsteps echoed down an abandoned building as a shadow hopped along the dark. She'd explored this place many times before, having found quite a lot on her first trip. Sloane had left a few things she found not immediately of importance and had vowed to return for them; this trip, however, had been put off until this moment, as she'd had a nasty run in with a few men taking over her turf. The battle had been gruesome, leaving Sloane with a rather ugly wound marring the back of her leg. It still forced her to limp, slowing her usual long strides significantly. The auburn haired girl supposed it was a small price for the reward of those bastards' deaths. They'd done many nasty things to her that she dare not speak; they deserved worse than the spikes she'd driven through them when they stepped over the trip attached to her Molotov activated trap. These grounds were a bit far, even for her reach, but she didn't mind making the walk here. It got her away from the rancid smell of the alcohol that still overpowered even the stench of the flesh she'd been forced to burn. No way in hell was she going to give those assholes a proper burial. Creeping alongside the bricks that had been swallowed by wild foliage long ago, Sloane peeked over the rim. There were quite a few Clickers here, but if she was quiet - which is what she was indefinitely good at - Sloane could easily avoid being their dinner, just as she had for most of her life.
The barrel of her .45 remained angled to the floor as she sidestepped along, her lope awkward. Her leg burned with the desire to rest - something cold would be marvelous to press against the hot wound. Sloane found it an indirect way to receive a rush; the pain brought for a tingle in her chest that could not be ignored: pain demanded to be felt. A small grunt echoed around the empty halls as Sloane hauled herself up a few steps, poking her head around the corner in search of anything out of place. She could hear the distant snap of Clickers, their awkward teeth gnashing on empty air in search of anything to quite the raging spores fueling their heads. She stood perfectly still, listening to the directions in which their ruckus glided. They used echolocation to find their prey - it was a gamble, really. Either you lucked out in remaining as still as a board, or they saw through your facade if you moved even the slightest of muscles. She listened for a few more moments, before finally deciding that they were carrying the other way, before slipping along the walls to duck into the room where she'd left her stash not long ago.
She knew precisely where she'd put it - a few scissors, some alcohol, an unopened first aid kit, all things that could be used. In the corner, she'd left some Play Boys she'd found in someone's office. Those were the things she collected first. She gave a careless flip through the pages; the pictures were so faded you couldn't even see anything. Sighing, Sloane gave a reckless toss over her shoulder, letting the papers flip dramatically through the air as if it were the biggest disappointment since the very last Paramore album ever to be made. Turning away, she wobbled to her stash, removed the drawer and stared with disbelief at an empty hole.
"What the fucking shit," Sloane hissed, ripping the next few drawers open. Anger thrummed against her chest in the shape of her racing heart. She'd put them right there. Where the hell could they have gone. Her nostrils flared, sitting back on her heels. It had to be those men that came through here. They must have been watching her longer than she thought. Snarling, she gave the drawer a kick and marched outside once again, storming down the halls far more recklessly than perhaps she should have. Her brain, buzzing with stinging wasps, was almost impervious to the sudden ruckus that sounded not too far off. Had she not been so trained by paranoia to the cacaphony of the living dead, she probably wouldn't have heard the Clickers screaming. Gasping, Sloane picked up into an awkward sprint, gritting her teeth as her leg gave her ample amount of trouble while she soared down the long halls. God she should have stitched herself up, stupid, stupid, stupid.
She'd nearly made it outside when something crashed into her. It came at her like a wave - blinding and fast. Sloane tried to lift her pistol at the figure's head, but their collision made it damn near impossible to even move. She tossed her hands out, to dislodge the Clicker - but as they stumbled away, Sloane saw that it was not a Clicker at all, but a young girl. A shrieking static composed of utter confusion and the Clickers chasing them down filled her brain, silencing the words that Ellie tried to tell her. Nonetheless, she mocked the girl's actions of running - sprinting just behind her, as her leg refused to work any faster than the shorter girls' limbs. To her surprise the redhead managed to fire a few rounds at a couple of Clickers that hopped out of nowhere, the sounds of the bullets shattering the eerie peace that previously held the abandoned place under lock and key. Sloane joined her, taking care of a Clicker that dove right for her shoulder. Somehow, after Ellie smashed a crowbar into one of their faces and Sloane finished it off with a bullet, they managed to burst outside. Sloane slammed her shoulder against the door, sealing it shut, then leaned against it, panting, with wide, furious eyes.
"Shit, man!" Ellie wheezed, curling her fingers through her hair. Her chest bobbed up and down, with her coming hysterical chuckles. "Oh, fuck that was so close." She turned to speak to Sloane, to express that she had to return for her friend, but the girl snapped her jaw shut when she found not a pair of eyes staring at her, but the barrel of a gun. "Whoa, man, whoa, chill," Ellie gasped, hands flying up. Sloane, baring her teeth like a wild dog, slammed her good heel into Ellie's chest so quickly that the girl fell back with a startled squeal. Sloane clicked away the safety, Ellie's hands shooting out in self-defense. "Hey, relax!"
"Who are you?" Sloane demanded, voice soaring two octaves higher than normal. "What the hell do you think you're doing fucking with my stash? How old are you?" She lunged forward, clasping Ellie's shirt front with a balled fist. Ellie, backpedaling, swung her fists at Sloane, but the stronger, older woman, slammed Ellie back against the glass doors so hard she lost her breath. Sloane shoved her face into Ellie's, eyes blazing. "Were you with those men?" Sloane accused, pressing the muzzle of her .45 to Ellie's head. Ellie paled, on the verge of hyperventilating. "You picked the wrong bitch, motherfucker," she snarled. She could see the urge to fight blazing in Ellie's eyes - as it was definitely not her nature to be overpowered - but apparently she knew better than to struggle against some people.
"I don't even know what you're talking about, lady," Ellie squeaked. "We're just trying to get through here."
"We?" Sloane raged. She jerked her hand to the side, firing off a bullet. Ellie screamed someone's name that Sloane didn't catch. "Who is we?" Ellie panted, unable to answer. Sloane placed the gun back to her head. "Five seconds. You have five seconds to tell me who you're with!"
"T-Tess," Ellie stammered, but she wasn't looking at Sloane - she was looking over her shoulder.
Sloane froze. Tess?
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posts: 16
nickname: megabitch
zodiac: aries
affinity: fire
child of: ares
clan: riverclan
district: 7, lumber
house: slytherin
patronus: ragdoll cat
trainer type: dragon
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last online Apr 15, 2018 23:16:31 GMT -8
Team Nivalis
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Apr 16, 2018 1:18:36 GMT -8
Post by zireael on Apr 16, 2018 1:18:36 GMT -8
Rather than the sound of Ellie's voice, the harsh pops of gunshots rang through the halls, mingling with the chilling clicks and shrieks of the Infected as they thundered through the building. As if any other Infected in the area wasn't already drawn to the noise. But that didn't even cross Tess's mind when she heard those gunshots─ no, her thoughts went straight to Ellie, and she knew damn well that the fourteen year old did not have a gun on her. That only meant that there was someone else besides them in the building, and Ellie was defenseless against them. Tess's blood chilled. "Fuck," she hissed under her breath. She shouldn't have suggested they split up, but then if they hadn't then the two likely wouldn't have made it. Yeah, but now Ellie might have been fucking gunned down because you thought splitting up without giving her a gun was the best thing to do.
So, she darted in the direction which she heard the shots─ which, unfortunately, were from upstairs. Whoever fired that gun must have drawn all the Infected in their direction, so there shouldn't be any crowded around the door to the next floor. Additionally, that would mean that wherever the fuckers were, that was where Ellie must be. Or if not Ellie, then whoever was there with them. She tried hard to not envision the unwanted, potential images of just what she might find when she went back up there. Just the brush of the thought of Ellie being hurt, let alone dead, was enough to make the woman's stomach knot painfully in her gut. It wasn't even about the fact that she wouldn't be able to collect her promised payment upon delivering a mutilated corpse rather than a live girl. To hell with the fucking guns and other shit that she was promised; Ellie was just a child, still. Tess was supposed to keep her safe, promised Ellie herself that she wouldn't let any harm come to her, vowed to herself that she would do everything within her power to ensure the girl's safety. She failed to─ she just hoped that it wasn't as bad as it sounded.
As expected, there were no Infected by the door upstairs. Tess slipped past the door and held her gun ready as she maneuvered her way down the hall as silently and quickly as she possibly could, the dissonance of clicks and hisses being her guide; however, another gunshot rang out then, accompanied by a startled scream of her name. Ellie. By that point, Tess was beyond caring that there were Infected on this floor; she ran. The moment that she heard the approach of the Infected, she ducked into the nearest room, grabbed the nearest projectile, and then chucked it down the corridor so that it made a loud clank. Then, she shut the door and let the Clickers hobble past. It wasn't until she was sure they were past that she slipped back out again and snuck her way down the hall. Now, she heard not only Ellie, but another voice─ a woman's. She discovered the room in no time, and thanks to the constant chatter of the Clickers, she was able to open the door smoothly and quietly, slipping right into the room unnoticed.
First thing she noticed was the gun pressed right to Ellie's head. The girl was breathing heavily, terrified out of her wit, but alive─ a small relief, that was instantly replaced by the fire that began to boil in her. Tess fingered the trigger of her revolver, itching to fire, but she knew that if she missed, Ellie was done for. Jaw set, Tess began to slink her way closer. The woman's shouted demands blocked out whatever shuffle of Tess's feet as she crept closer and closer until she stood directly behind the woman, barrel of her revolver pressed right into the woman's skull. Thumb pulling back the hammer with a click, Tess resisted the urge to pull the trigger right then and there; instead, she growled, "Step the fuck away from her, before I blow your fucking head off."
Relief flashed in Ellie's eyes, but the adolescent knew that she was far from danger's way. Tess's presence was a reassurance nonetheless. A snarky jeer was at the tip of her tongue, but she kept her mouth shut, because there was no telling whether this chick would lower the gun or just fire without care. She was just as terrifying as Tess was right at that moment, dark eyes blazing with anger as she pressed the barrel of the revolver tighter against the redhead's head.
Normally, the rule was to shoot first and ask questions later; it was just how it worked outside the quarantine zones. Not all the zones were as well equipped and militarized as Tess's, where it was impossible to have any sort of rebellion. The zones that were less guarded, less strict, allowed rebellions to rise and rogue groups to form, and these rogue groups ransacked whatever safe zones they stumbled upon. Any survivors that they ran into were either beaten, raped, or even killed on sight and their belongings stripped of them. Tess knew how fucked up it was out here─ but the fact that this chick hadn't shot Ellie straight away was what kept Tess from doing the same. Consider it as a thanks. "Drop the fucking gun while you're at it," Tess added lowly. Since she couldn't see the woman's face yet, she did not realize that this wasn't some random bitch
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literal thorn bush
i can't sleep
posts: 135
nickname: beth
zodiac: capricorn
affiliation: shadowhunter
affinity: spirit
child of: artemis
clan: riverclan
class: rogue
district: 7, lumber
faction: amity
house: slytherin
kingdom: lannister
patronus: hyena
planet: scarif
status: dhampir
trainer type: fire
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last online Apr 17, 2021 19:50:55 GMT -8
White Queen
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Apr 16, 2018 1:21:36 GMT -8
Post by ellabeth on Apr 16, 2018 1:21:36 GMT -8
- SLOANE "Step the fuck away from her, before I blow your fucking head off."
Well this was fucking unfortunate.
Even if this Tess was her Tess, that would be just as terrible as the disappointment she'd find if she wasn't. Her eyes fluttered over Ellie's face, her hand falling away very slowly from the kid's temple. Wary, Sloane clicked the safety back on, but stood still as she debated whether or not to lay her arms down. If that voice did belong to the same Tess that had left her to drown in a river, she would most definitely not be wanting to drop her gun any time soon. She had the concealment of surprise on her hands - when they'd been together her hair had been cropped short. Now, it ran to her shoulder blades.
There were a few options, as Sloane saw it. By some miracle - and she was a firm believer that everyone gets a miracle - she could dodge out of the way and cram her fist into the chick's face before she shot her. This, however, was not probable - as Sloane was beginning to wonder if miracles had died with any and all tangible relaxation years ago when the world went to shitville. She had another option; to pull the trigger on the kid and go down with her, at least she could get a little satisfaction in death. This, albeit a little masochistic, seemed like her best option for a moment longer than probably healthy. Sloane contemplated being a nice helping of fresh meat for a clicker that stumbled upon her dead body - this disgusting idea happened to be the only thing to knock the idea out of her head. Though she hated the idea of it, doing as the woman said seemed like her one true out - if she didn't shoot her anyway. She eyed Ellie, who looked back at her smugly. She was well aware of the shit Sloane was in - and damn was it deep. A long sigh rolled from her nose, her fury boiling hot.
"Mommy and kiddo," Sloane growled sarcastically, her voice void of any audible emotion. "Surviving the apocalypse together, how cute." Slowly, Sloane let her pistol fall to the ground and began to turn, keeping her eyes angled at her feet. Only when she situated herself before the woman with stiff knees, did she move her eyes to her face without moving her head. Despite the rollercoaster of emotion roaring through her chest, Sloane offered Tess a sly, venomous grin. "Wow," She breathed. "And here this whole time I thought you only saved your own ass. People really can change!" Her face fell then, unable to keep herself free of her boiling anger any longer. She snarled a slew of curses and insults that were quite inaudible, cocking her fist back, slamming it right into Tess' wrist. The moment the gun was knocked to the side, Sloane did the only thing she knew to do.
Sloane ran.
Her leg pleaded for her to stop, to take a load off, but no such privilege would be granted anytime soon. there was no damn way it was really her. There was no way they could have both survived this terrible world, only to meet back up with one another. It made no sense for Tess to be outside of the safe zone - she had no business out here. The fireflies kept their havoc aimed at the militia. It didn't make any sense. It didn't make any fucking sense. Breathless and wheezing, Sloane shot across the open road, making a B-line for an overgrown field. If she could just make it back to her truck she could get the fuck away from them.
Teetering near Tess, Ellie shot her a look, brow raised. "Trouble in paradise?"
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posts: 16
nickname: megabitch
zodiac: aries
affinity: fire
child of: ares
clan: riverclan
district: 7, lumber
house: slytherin
patronus: ragdoll cat
trainer type: dragon
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last online Apr 15, 2018 23:16:31 GMT -8
Team Nivalis
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Apr 16, 2018 1:23:51 GMT -8
Post by zireael on Apr 16, 2018 1:23:51 GMT -8
Every second that ticked by felt like an eternity, dragged out by the vehement tension between the two women. She was sure she wasn't even breathing as she waited for the woman to do something─would the redhead choose to shoot Ellie anyway, or would she lower her gun and step away as she was told? And then who is to say that the redhead won't try to turn on both of them the second that Tess would turn away from her? The brunette realized that her decision may have been a mistake that may cost them both their lives, but she would see how this would all play out. Fortunately for her and Ellie, the redhead chose to comply. The gun was lowered from Ellie's temple and the safety clicked on, but that did little to ease the tension in Tess's shoulders, although it did offer some relief as she let out the breath she'd been holding. Ellie was safe as can be for the time being; however, until the two of them got out of there unscathed, danger was imminent because who knows what this woman would do? Or, maybe even worse, what the Infected would do if they'd manage to find their way to the lower levels, or even attract others from the outside?
All these scenarios played in Tess's head until she was jolted back to reality when the woman spoke, voice a low growl, accompanied by the thud of the pistol as it fell to the floor. She braced herself as the redhead began to turn, and the second that she saw her face, Tess wondered if she had ever met this woman before. There was something familiar about her face, but most of all, her eyes; icy blue, like the frost come winter, yet burning with fury. Tess only knew one other person with mesmerizing eyes like that. But just as she dismissed that she knew the woman, the redhead jabbed at her. Tess narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to ask what the fuck she was talking about, but then it hit her. Why the woman looked so familiar, and why she taunted her the way that she did.
Everything came back to her; being pursued by a horde of clickers as she and the group fled along the outer wall, beside a river. The adults made it further ahead; meanwhile, she and her companion lagged a bit behind, one of them injured and the other refusing to abandon her. A storm raged around them, rendering the ground beneath their feet muddy, while the river beside them roared with the powerful current. She remembered the warmth of another's hand in her own, and then the coldness when it was suddenly vacant; remembered skidding to a halt, intending to pull her fallen friend to her feet, but before she could, she was torn away. Hands hoisted her away and she was carried off, and no matter how much she thrashed and fought to get out, she couldn't; meanwhile her friend, the short-haired girl with the icy blue eyes, was surrounded by clickers before ground beneath them shifted, and all of them fell into the river. Even to this day, she remembered the devastation that tore her apart that day, that she hadn't been able to save the one person that meant so much to her.
But now that person might be standing right in front of her. Tess's eyes were wide as she now gaped at the woman in front of her─can it ber? Emotions swam within her as she stared into those so familiar blue eyes, even as the woman began to slew curses at her. "I..." she barely managed to find her voice, but couldn't put together words for a coherent answer, nor did she have much time to as the redhead pulled her fist back and then pained sparked from Tess's wrist to her hand and forearm, prompting her to drop her revolver with a fuck wrenched from her lips. She coiled to strike back, but instead she discovered that Sloane bolted.
"Trouble in paradise?" Ellie raised her brows at her.
Tess just stared in the direction that Sloane fled, conflicted. It wasn't like her to be indecisive like this─but then again, it wasn't every day that your friend that was considered long dead pops up alive right in front of you. Earlier she noticed that Sloane had a wound to her calf, one that was left untreated; she made her decision. "Come on. We have to hurry." Tess reached for her revolver, ignoring the painful throb in her wrist.
Ellie realized what she meant. "Are you fucking serious?" she exclaimed, appalled.
"Just come on."
Part of her still couldn't believe that it was Sloane; she thought, tortured herself, for all these years, that Sloane was dead. And in some crazy one in a million chance, they ran into one another, albeit under not so good circumstances. Now Sloane was on the run, and Tess was driven to confront her. To get answers. To reconcile. But most of all, that small part of her that pined for the woman urged her to go after her, despite the fact that this same woman held a gun to Ellie's head.
It did not take long for the two of them to catch up to Sloane; unlike the redhead, Tess and Ellie were not injured and capable of pursuing her. "Sloane, wait!" But the woman was stubborn and would not let. The brunette eventually gritted her teeth and pushed until she was able to clasp a hand around the redhead's forearm, forcing her to slow."Don't be a fucking idiot. You need to look at your leg. We have the kit that was in the office, if that was yours,' she managed between breaths hoping that it would halt the woman for at least one fucking moment. "And we need to talk." No shit. "So are you going to let me stitch up your calf or not?"
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literal thorn bush
i can't sleep
posts: 135
nickname: beth
zodiac: capricorn
affiliation: shadowhunter
affinity: spirit
child of: artemis
clan: riverclan
class: rogue
district: 7, lumber
faction: amity
house: slytherin
kingdom: lannister
patronus: hyena
planet: scarif
status: dhampir
trainer type: fire
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last online Apr 17, 2021 19:50:55 GMT -8
White Queen
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Apr 16, 2018 1:25:21 GMT -8
Post by ellabeth on Apr 16, 2018 1:25:21 GMT -8
- SLOANE Sloane had never been a lucky person. From the games he and her mother would waste their days with, to the chances of clickers roaming the fields she walked, she was usually at the end of the line. She'd learned long ago not to bank on the cruel things that seemed to control her fate - because one way or another, Sloane would lose. Sometimes she'd lose a first aid kit, sometimes she'd almost lose her goddamn toe - but no matter what the situation happened to be, she was always at the shit end of the stick. This fact seemed to be slapping her right in the face as she hobbled at an agonizing pace across the long stretch of asphalt in her terribly futile attempt at escape from a past she'd begged to put behind her. Anger boiled deep inside of her as the redhead pelted in a direction she wasn't even sure of. Wasn't the world cruel enough without all this added bullshit? Tess had left her for dead - for dead - not for the better of either of them, not because she had to, or anything else sappy that would probably make her gag if she thought about it too hard. This was just uncalled for. She cast her eyes to the sky, wondering if there happened to be a God, why he got off on such terrible things. She tossed a middle finger to the rolling clouds over their heads.
She probably would've run until her body simply couldn't anymore, if it hadn't been for the jagged strips of sidewalk she crossed and a hand that fell around her forearm. Crying out, Sloane tried to twist on Tess, her fingers curled into vicious claws that were meant to strike her cheek, but they fell short as a familiar tearing sensation shot up her leg. Hissing, Sloane bent over herself, staggering back until her heel caught the edge of the sidewalk, falling back with a gnarled grunt right on her ass. Cringing, Sloane bared her teeth, following the motion of her body until she was rocking on the ground at Tess' feet. Her hands involuntarily shot to cradle the wound hindering her pace. Sticky blood brushed across her fingers when she touched her pant leg. She'd torn it open again. "Fuck," she snarled to herself, clasping her palm over it. It would figure that it would choose now to be dramatic. Limb trembling with the rockets of pain rolling over her calf, Sloane let her head smack back against the grass, her fingers rolling over her face to shield her eyes from the blazing sun.
"You sure she's not infected herself? She's kinda batshit crazy. Do you two like-" She glanced at Tess, raising a brow. "Know each other or something?" Ellie muttered as she came to stand beside Tess, leaning over to clasp her knees while glaring at the woman at their feet with a confused scrunch of her nose. Sloane's hands fell away from her face to reveal an ugly scowl that made Ellie righten herself for the small fear of being punched herself. Sloane followed suit, but far slower, struggling to catch her breath as she glared up at the two women before her with a fire in her eyes that could burn even the most impervious of people. There were so many things Sloane wanted to say to her - to scream at her, actually, but none of her words seemed to come. Swallowing hard, Sloane finally tore her gaze away from Tess to lock eyes with Ellie.
"Well, I thought I knew her," she snapped. "But now I'm not so sure." A hand appeared before her, offering Sloane help as to get to her feet, but the woman smacked away Ellie's palm, staggering to her feet with a shudder and a hang of her head. Tess was right - it was idiotic not to accept their help. By now there was probably an infection, despite the fact that she'd tried to keep her wound clean and stitched, but with the struggle recently faced with the terrible men that invaded her place and her own refusal to accept her own damage, Sloane admittedly needed an extra hand. She cast a glance to the bag over Tess' shoulder, no doubt holding her stash. She pursed her lips with a squint. "Yeah, that shit is mine," Sloane told her roughly. "Everything you found in that building is mine," she waved her hand dismissively - her tone taking on a sarcastic air. "But go ahead, take it. I'll find something else."
She took a step back, hissing through clenched teeth as her leg tried to buckle. She'd pushed herself too far. Sighing, Sloane caught herself on the crooked lamppost beside them, not bothering to keep up her facade anymore for lack of care. "What the fuck are you doing here, Tess?" She asked, her voice bleak. "You shouldn't be outside of the safe zone - and who the hell is this anyway?" She motioned her hand to the girl beside her. "You guys need to get the hell out of here before dark. The clickers like the lights too much." She motioned her hands up to the lamps overhead. "I don't know how the damn things still work. I've searched for the power source for months, but no go." She waved her hand. "Just- you're not gonna be safe here. You gotta go."
"You mean you've lived out here by yourself?" Ellie asked, one brow raising.
Sloane glared at her, then cut a glance to Tess. "Mhm, been E-S-T your friend Tess here let me fall in a clicker infested river."
Ellie rolled her head to Tess with a blank look. "Dick move, man."
"That's an understatement," Sloane growled.[/quote]
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posts: 16
nickname: megabitch
zodiac: aries
affinity: fire
child of: ares
clan: riverclan
district: 7, lumber
house: slytherin
patronus: ragdoll cat
trainer type: dragon
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last online Apr 15, 2018 23:16:31 GMT -8
Team Nivalis
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Apr 16, 2018 1:27:29 GMT -8
Post by zireael on Apr 16, 2018 1:27:29 GMT -8
Tess gritted her teeth as she noticed the sanguine that stained the fabric over Sloane's calf─she'd torn open the wound. Fortunately, though, it stopped the redhead from staggering to her feet and bolting again. If it wasn't a likely chance she'd get clopped in the jaw the second she tried to touch the wound, then she would try to patch it up. But if Sloane hadn't looked furious before, she sure as fuck was now, and Tess didn't know if this Sloane was anything like the girl that she knew way back then. Sloane had always been abrasive, pissed at the world for what it was, but Tess saw past it. She wanted to show Sloane that there was some good, and that was the start of their friendship. They were both recruited into the Fireflies, Tess by her own mother, who was Marlene's right hand essentially, and that was how she met the redhead in the first place. Sloane was the only one that Tess gave a fuck about in the band of Fireflies they paraded around with. Her and Sloane had been the youngest, whereas the rest were older, seasoned soldiers. She knew Sloane back then. Now it was years since they last crossed paths─since Tess believed that she perished with the Clickers when they fell from the ledge into the roaring current of the river beneath. Sloane was, at that moment, a stranger to her.
When Ellie asked if they knew one another, Tess nodded, "Yeah, we do. We trained together when we were with the Fireflies." Normally she would have entertained Ellie's curiosity, but Tess's focus was on Sloane's wound, which needed to be cleaned up and closed again before it got infected, if it wasn't already. She watched as the redhead smacked Ellie's hand away when the adolescent tried to help her too her feet and set her jaw. "Let me stitch up your calf and you can have your shit back," she insisted sternly. She knew how stubborn the woman could be, but Tess was equally so. One of them would have to cave─given Sloane's current situation with her wound, it would be in the redhead's best interest to allow Tess to treat her wound as she insisted. Tess's dark eyes never left Sloane's, cautious.
What surprised her was the concern that Sloane expressed next. The former Firefly quirked a brow and scoffed when Sloane commented that she shouldn't be outside of the safe zone. "Headed out of state. Private matters," the brunette replied after a pause, not wanting to reveal the details of the mission yet─especially Ellie's immunity. "She's with me. Company for the road." She cast a look over at Ellie to go along with it. The brunette would rather not disclose this information to anyone─keep it between the two of them. Unless, of course, they encounter a couple of Fireflies along the road. She figured that all of them knew that Marlene was sending Tess out with the immune girl. "And I've been outside the walls enough to hold my own against the Infected. By now you should know that not even the quarantine zones are safe." Political corruption and the war waged between the rebellious Fireflies and the government─the walls may protect them from Infected, but they did not protect them from the crossfires of Firefly and government warfare.
And that was when Sloane said: "Tess here let me fall in a clicker infested river."
That did it. Tess gaped at Sloane, eyes wide with disbelief. Did she, the girl that she was so close to all those years ago, believe that she left her intentionally? "Are you fucking kidding me?" Her tone was unchanging, but the fire burned in her eyes. She was pissed. "After all that we fucking went through, through all the times that I've risked my ass for you, you think that I left you on purpose? Is that now low you really think of me, Sloane? You of all people?" Underneath the cold sharpness of her tone, Tess was hurt and livid. Hurt, that the one and only person she considered a friend thought so low and bitterly of her; pissed, because the redhead actually accused her as such, when it was not true. "I fucking tried to go back and get you when you fell, but Vance grabbed me before I can. I tried to get to you regardless, but then the ground gave in and you fell into the river... I fucking thought you were dead, Sloane."
There was a flash of hurt in her eyes as she said that last statement. She felt that tightness in her chest as she remembered just how devastated she had been when she thought that her best friend was dead; how long she lamented after. After a few moments she scoffed, mouth twitching into a humorless, anything-but-genuine smile. "Where's the closest safe area? I'm patching up your leg, I don't give a fuck whether you want me to or not. Then we'll be on our way as soon as possible." There was an edge to her words, one that Ellie herself had not yet heard. The reddish-brown haired girl stood there quietly as the awkward silence settled between the two of them.
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