Rapture

[Mistress of Whispers]

Wisperlee's face lit up when she saw the second dog in tow. Wisperlee's dad, who'd been something of a dog aficionado, had always preferred dogs that could hunt or guard in addition to being a family pet and she easily recognized the build of a Bull Mastiff when the animal drew closer. It was hard to mistake it for anything else, really - imagine a solid wall in dog shape and that's basically what Bull Mastiffs looked like. It wasn't just larger in height than Nougat, it was also twice as wide as the lean Lab.

 

"We used to have a dog like that!" she said even as the more cautious part of her mind pointed out that if this Mastiff was unfriendly, they were in BIG trouble. The animal seemed to be playing with Nougat though, so it looked friendly.

 

Sticking her own fingers in her mouth, Wisperlee whistled as well. Unlike Emily's, Wisperlee's whistles were high-pitched yet low in volume, but they seemed to get the Mastiff's attention. Veering off sharply, it bounded towards Emily and Wisperlee in what the latter hoped was a friendly manner. Either way, she had no intention of letting a Bull Mastiff slam into her - that was akin to being hit by a, well, a bull.

 

"Down boy!" she snapped and, to her relief, the animal slowed down.

 

"Sit!" she tried, but this time the dog merely eyed her with contention. She took a step forward, making sure her body posture was non-threatening but assertive. "Sit." Somewhat reluctantly, the big animal sat down. Riiight, well-trained but not suited to inexperienced owners she thought to herself.

 

"Well," she said to Emily without taking her eyes off the dog, "I did say I wanted one of my own."

 

She noticed the dog's colour and markings now that the initial meet and greet was done realized that it was too dark for a pure Bull Mastiff. Maybe someone had bred it with a Rottweiler? Mastweilers were a popular mix. Next she noticed the round name tag hanging off the dog's collar. C - u - j .... Cujo?? Who the heck names their dog Cujo?? Wisperlee had a dog named Trouble once and even she thought naming your dog Cujo was a bad sign.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Mistress of Whispers

[Fortune86]

Before James could talk to Mak there was some sort of commotion in the bar. James would have bet his right arm then and there on who the cause was. He sighed, rolled his eyes, and followed after Mak back inside the pub.

 

He was right, Jaune was flipping out again. Once again it looked like he was ready to burn something down, only with people instead this time. When Erin told Micah that he was the only one who could calm Jaune down James shook his head in disagreement.

 

"Nu uh. I can't handle him any better than the rest of you. I just found the guy, that doesn't make me his keeper."

 

When Micah insisted they try and disarm Jaune, James gave another sigh.

 

"I'd agree with you, but it seems he is a pro at finding more. Even if we managed to get everything off him within ten minutes he'd be armed to the teeth again. Erin's right, it's best just to leave him be and give him a wide berth when he starts acting up."

[Fangirl05]

No better? "What are you, blind?" Erin gave James an incredulous look, "Yeah, you don't have him singing on cue, but he's still most likely to listen to you. And like it or not, you kinda are his keeper." She didn't notice it, but her voice and face shifted into a more emotionless and serious setting; her Profiler setting. "It doesn't take much effort to realize that Juane is a child in a man's body. Children instinctively seek out people, places and things that make them feel safe. Currently he feels safest in James' presence. He won't do anything that might cost him what gives him security."

[Fortune86]

"Hell no" protested Jame to Erin. "No way am I taking responsibility for this guy. And in case you forgot, he threatened to burn my bike last time I tried to calm him down. I wouldn't call that listening. Since you are the one that thinks you know what he needs, you take care of him."

 

He turned to look at Mak.

 

"I need to have a word with you when you've got a moment. I'm going to go and check out the rest of the town, see if we missed anyone else."

 

With another look at the rest of the group James left the pub a second time and went back outside. There was some kind of hardware store on the other side of the street. He looked both ways, out of habit more than an actual expectation for any traffic, and crossed over to investigate.

[Fangirl05]

Erin rolled her eyes at James's suggestion as he walked off. "Love to," she snarked, "except I can't get near him without one of us wanting to kill the other." She scratched the top of the kitten's head, starting it purring, and smiled at the noise. "Nice to know someone likes me."

[Salix]

The walk was doing her good, Petra could feel the tension drain from her body as she distracted herself by walking around the village, she was even becoming accustomed to the silence, well it was silent except for the odd bird twittering. It was a strange to be able to wander along the middle of the road without having to worry about any traffic.

 

Stanleytone looked to be quite an affluent village, most of the houses had 4 wheel drive land cruiser type cars parked in their drives; she supposed that most of the inhabitants were commuters, so it would make sense that they had cars that they could rely on in most weather conditions, a few of the 4 wheels even had the type of exhaust that came up and discharged near the windscreen, they reminded Petra of snorkels, the though of cars with snorkels made her smile.

 

Her wanderings eventually brought her to the shop, she did question how she would gain access as she didn’t particularly want to break in, but as she came closer the automatic doors slid open inveighing her to enter. The doors must have been unlocked in order to accept an early delivery of milk or something.

 

Cautiously she tip-toed in and squeaked “Hello is anyone here?” Smirking she thought that she would probably have dropped dead with fright if anyone had answered her. Forcing herself to be bolder she walked further into the shop, a quick look told her that it was just a normal corner shop, stocking the usual selection of items.

 

Drifting up and down the isles she paused every now and then picking up items that she thought may come in handy. It dawned on her that she wasn’t really prepared for any kind of long journey, she had no toiletries or change of clothes. The lack of toiletry items she could fix now, Petra decisively selected the items she thought she would need and packed them into her bag, next she went in search for some lighters, matches, plasters and some string.

 

Even though it was deceptively large, her poor shoulder bag was starting to look a little on the stuffed side. Remembering that she had passed by a shelf that had held small rucksacks she walked back and selected a green bag with plenty of pockets.

 

The rucksack was next to the section that had a limited supply of car items, things like antifreeze and windscreen wash etc, but there were also a few jerry oil cans, which Petra thought could come in handy, along with a few of travel rugs, a large torch and a tow rope.

 

Gathering up the items Petra placed them in front of the door, so that she wouldn’t forget them on her way out, and then went to fill up the rucksack with some bottles of water, packets of tissues, some tea, a jar of hot chocolate, chocolate bars, and some pieces of fruit. The food reminded Petra that she hadn’t had anything to eat yet and caused her stomach to grumble its dissatisfaction.

 

Deciding that she probably couldn’t carry any more, she scooped down and gathered up the things she had left at the door, and made her way back to the pub.

 

[StarriAngel]

((omg I'm soooo behind!!! Sooooooooooooo sorry guys Anyone want to give me a synopsis of what's going on so I can catch up, or should I just read? I lost my password and couldn't access this))

[Fangirl05]

((Okay, so, the gang's moved on from Hawkingsthorne to Stanleytone, they've found a religious fundementalist in the local pub, Wisperlee and Emily are contemplating running out on the group, Wisperlee's found herself a mastiff named Cujo, and Erin's found a nameless kitten.))

[Mistress of Whispers]

"He needs a leash," Wisperlee mused to Emily out loud. "Think we can find the place he came from? Or should we try to find a pet shop?"

 

By now Cujo accepted 'Sit' and 'Down' from her, though he still stared balefully at any other commands. She hoped a leash would bring some sense of recognition for the dog - a leash, even if she was just holding it, clearly spelled 'handler' and the dog might accept her more readily then. She hoped. She couldn't afford to bring a dog this size to the group unless she had it under control.

[StarriAngel]

((Thanks Fangirl!!!))

 

Ari frowned at the continuous commotion that seemed to befall the group as they stayed in the pub. No one noticed the slight girl as she quietly slipped away. Once outside and away from the group, she took a deep breath. She sat down in the little alley she had found and put her head in her hands. "All I want is to go home and pretend like none of this ever happened," she said sadly. She wanted to cry, all the talk about the rapture and everything finally hitting her. More than crying though, she wanted to call her mom. She took out her cell phone and dialed the number. No answer. She sighed and stood up, deciding it was probably best not to stray too far. When she got back she heard a mewing and noticed that Erin was holding a small kitten. She looked so sweet with it.

 

'Who knew someone so vicious could be so gentle?' Ari thought.

 

She then picked up on the argument going on. James was saying that he didn't want to take care of Jaune, or at least that's how it sounded, and Erin was saying that he was the only one Jaune listened to. She sighed as James walked off and looked to Erin. She sat down near the girl and started to speak. "Why do you always seem to start fights with everyone?" she asked. She wasn't trying to be mean, instead she was trying to get an insight into Erin's mind. She then looked down at the little furball in the girl's arms. "That's a really cute kitten by the way," she adds.

[Fangirl05]

Erin sat next to Ari and flopped onto her back, rubbing the kitten's back when it curled up on her stomach to sleep. "It's not entirely intentional" she answered, "I come from a long line of redheads." She folded her hands behind her head with her elbows up. "I was never good at making friends, anyway" she admitted, "All I had was my family; I figured that was all I needed." She sighed. "And now here I am, stranded across the Pond with no conceivable way to get home."

[StarriAngel]

Ari nodded at Erin's response to her question. "I know how you feel," she said. "I'm not the best at making friends either." She never liked talking about her past but maybe it would help Erin feel like she had someone who understood. "Everyone always said I was too quiet and too weird, since I didn't talk much and always preferred my own thoughts and musings to the company of others. Most people when I was younger couldn't stand to hang out with me for more than a little while. Maybe that's why I'm so shy," she said. She had never even admitted most of that stuff to herself, let alone someone else. Maybe being on her own was a good idea.

 

Maybe mom was smart to make me move out, Ari thought. "And as for not being able to get home, I know that must suck, but you can maybe try and make the best of it. And if you ever feel like you need a friend, just know I'm here," she said. She smiled, really wanting to show the other girl that she meant what she said. Most of the others in the group were really off put by Erin's aggressiveness, but Ari just wanted to know why. She was a fan of the "don't judge a book by its cover" mentality.She knew that there was always a reason behind people's actions and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. Everyone needs a friend, especially now with this constant talk of the Rapture and how they truly might be the last people around. "You also have your new little kitten," she said giggling at the cute little guy as he went to sleep on Erin's stomach.

[Fangirl05]

Erin fiddled with one of the kitten's ears and nodded in acknowledgement. "Just so we're clear," she said, "I'm not being a * to everyone just to do it, it's just how I am. I started to comparing myself to a Pitt Bull a few years back: they're the sweetest little things when they don't feel that they and theirs are threatened, but if they do..." She shuddered. "By the way, you got any ideas for names? I'm thinking 'Dingo.'"

[StarriAngel]

"'Dingo' sounds cute," Ari said with a smile. "Makes him sound tough." She reached over and patted the little guy on the head. She then looked around, realizing the others had been gone for a while. "When do you think everyone's gonna get back?" She asked Erin, hoping the girl knew. Throughout this entire experience, Ari has had this nagging feeling of dread in the back of her mind. This feeling intensified after all the talk of the Rapture and everything. She shuddered. She hadn't done anything wrong, or at least she didn't think so. Her mom and dad took her to church as a child. Granted she stopped going when she moved out, but she was still a generally good person. She decided to ask Erin about it. "One more question," she said. "Do you believe what the religious guy says about the Rapture? Do you believe we were left here to suffer or something?"

[Fangirl05]

"Yeah, I do" Erin sat up, "I mean, how else do you explain what looks like the majority of a country disappearing overnight?" She picked Dingo up and looked at him thoughtfully, wondering what she could use for a collar, if anything. "But you know, I've been thinking about that" she continued, "You know how there's always that two percent of the population that's immune to whatever plague's going around? Well, I'm starting to wonder if maybe we and everyone we've run into might've been left due to being better than the rest of the world in some way, like how you cut away the dead or dying parts of a plant." She raised her hand and twirled her index finger in a circle. "'The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth'."

[StarriAngel]

((I might've left this out on my character form. Ari is wearing two red ribbons in her hair that match her skirt.))

 

"Huh," Ari thought aloud, musing over Erin's ideas. "That's an interesting idea. I mean I don't think I'm substantially better than anyone else I've met in my life, but I don't remember doing anything awful that would warrent eternal suffering either." She took one of the red ribbons out of her hair and tied it loosely around Dingo's neck. "It's a little girly," she said. "But every kitty should have a collar." She smiled as the kitten mewed in delight at having the ribbon. She pulled another ribbon out of her pink dance bag and retied her hair where the other had been. She turned her attention back to Erin. "I have been immune to most sicknesses," she said jokingly. "So maybe you're right."

Edited July 24, 2014 by StarriAngel

[Avialae]

OOC: Hmm . . . what is going on with Kestra? I can't think of anything for Micah to do that would seem natural to his character at the moment, as he thinks he is going to get scolded by Mak and is waiting for him to respond . . . maybe someone could try to talk to him?

[Fangirl05]

Erin grinned. "Looks good to me" she assured her, "It looks good with his fur." She lifted him out of her lap and held him against her chest, scratching him under his cheek and starting up another loud session of purring. "I'll find a marker or something later. Not much point in a collar if it doesn't say the name somewhere." She nodded thoughtfully at Ari's "not holier than thou" mentality. "Well, we've only known each other a couple hours" she said, "maybe we'll start to notice some commonality later."

[Kestra15]

((OOC: Kestra is doing 60hrs in five days and has his review today, so is a little preoccupied this week -KM ))

[Fangirl05]

"Well, I hate to be abrupt," Erin apologized as she stood up, "but I'm heading back to the pub. I feel the need to run interference in case Micah decides to perform an exorcism on Juane."

 

She let Dingo shift onto her shoulder and nudged the pub door open. "Yo!" she called, "Juane! Micah! Did one of you kill the other?"

Edited July 25, 2014 by Fangirl05

[Mistress of Whispers]

((DragonSpirit009, did you still want to reply to the Emily x Wisperlee conversation? Otherwise I'll slowly head the pair back to the group or on to the petshop?))

Edited July 27, 2014 by Mistress of Whispers

[DragonSpirit009]

((I still want to reply. Sorry for not posting. I've had a bad time in RL. I'll post something soon.))

[Fortune86]

The door to the hardware store had been locked shut, but that wasn't any problem to someone like James. Within a minute he was standing between the dusty, slightly musty smelling shelves that were stacked all the way to the ceiling. James was a slim guy, which was just as well. Any wider and he'd had to edge down the tightly packed aisles sideways.

 

There were all kinds of stuff in here, mostly tools he had no idea what were named. Bits of wood of various length. Nails of all kinds. Cement bags and fertilizer. There was so much crap labelled with tiny little orange price stickers that it took James some time to find what he had seen advertised for sale in the shop's window.

 

"Ah hah."

 

His hand closed around the crowbar. It was one of the 'proper' kind, with a curved hook end. James had no idea how long he and the others would be moving around, surviving on what they could pick up, but at least this would help them open a few more doors than he could with his lock picks, or clout someone round the head he didn't feel like wasting bullets on.

[Kestra15]

Mak simply shot Micah a look. "Micah, just wait outside until I've finished talking to Jaune. Keep Erin out there too." With that he looked back at Jaune, dismissing Micah with his body language - and fervently hoping that the boy would get the message and leave. Because Micah was right, Jaune was dangerous and unpredictable and would likely be the death of someone at this rate. Standing in a bar with alcohol over the floor...well, alcohol was flammable but it would have to work hard to start another inferno with only a match and a litre of spirits on the floor. But would Jaune stop there?

 

By now the match had burned out in Jaune's hand, and Mak took a step towards the young man. "Jaune, you really have to stop this," Mak said, voice a little less threatening than when he had spoken to the other two but no less serious. "Please. You are putting everyone at risk."

[Marcus Pheonix]

Jaune stood perfectly still, his eyes averted from Mak. He didn't really know what to think at the moment, simply sadness?

He continued starring at the spot on the counter, his eyes transfixed by the image.

Lying on her side was Lucy.

Jaune continued to stare, he had placed her on the counter when he'd been napping so that she could catch some food. He knew that there had been little to feed her, he had hoped that the new location would provide a greater supply of moths and flies for her to catch.

Jaune took a step forward, pushing Mak out of the way as he slowly leaned down to look at the insect. There was no doubt about it, life no longer flowed through her exoskeleton. Jaune was puzzled slightly, death was an interesting notion. He had never been a personal witness to it, he had read about it and seen it in many forms of media, but he had never known a close member of his family who had died. Hell he didn't even care whether his family had died, they had been restricting him.

Which was why he was so surprised by this, perhaps it was the fumes from the alcohol, perhaps it was the shouting, she was a sensitive creature. She'd been with him for several months, he knew the life-span of a mantis. But the sudden loss of her... he didn't know how to react.

He stood up straight, his eyes still transfixed. He felt something warm trickle down his face, perhaps it was blood? No he hadn't been injured he was certain of that.

Jaune closed his mouth, he'd been quietly muttering all of this under his breath. He suddenly recognised that there were others in the immediate vicinity. Pausing his eyes moved briefly from the still form of his beloved mantis to Mak, the closest. He looked at the man for what seemed like years, the sadness evident on his face.

"I'm going outside," He said, quietly and devoid of all emotion. Jaune slowly walked past Mak and trudged zombie like out of the room, he walked straight over to the ambulance they had come in an climbed inside, he slowly shut the rear doors behind him to block out the light. He didn't care for his lords gift at the moment, all he wanted to do was sleep.

"This is a dream, a stupid dream brought on to test my faith... I'm going to go to sleep and when I wake I'll be in my bed... my stupid mother will present me with tea and I'll be at work by 11, and Lucy will be with me. Why is she a prey mantis? She is more human than any of these dream manifestations, shes a human, and she's waiting for me..." Jaune trailed off his body was shaking and the warm liquid continued to stream down his face, he had no idea what it was. He closed his eyes and blanked out all the sounds, this was a dream nothing was real, he would wake up and all would be fine.

 

((Hooray for character development, I wasn't planning on doing this so soon but now seemed okay

 

EDIT: I should re-itterate Jaune will be a lot calmer and easy to manage now, he's still crazy but he will no longer have violent out bursts mainly sad ones, he will also be less cheerful and oblivious to things around him, though be warned he will want a friend coughJamescoughnochoiceevillaughcough))

Edited July 28, 2014 by Marcus Pheonix