Corgi
I am a Corgi *3*
November 12th, 2019
Roughly 9 : 0 0 A M
Aubrey has woken up at the break of dawn, which wasn’t odd for the girl. What was odd was the lack of sleep she had gotten the night before. A large majority of the evening she spent studying the dull ceiling of the barracks, wondering when she would find peace in the darkness, but never reaching it. Eventually, the blonde got tired of not being tired and decided to do something productive with her energy- moving corpses.
So in the chilly air, the girl dragged corpses to the burn pile. It was strangely normal to her at this point. After the battle with the Hazzies, she assisted the others in the clean-up process, and it felt no different than it did now. This time, though, it all seemed to happen a lot faster. One minute she was by herself, and the next others were dragging and piling with her. She wasn’t sure what time it was when they all finished, but the energy she once had was zapped from her body. The day had just started and she felt like she could pass out any second now, but there was work to do.
Specifically finding Colt. After yesterday’s charades of being stuck outside the lodge while those Things moved in on it, she felt like she owed the woman both a thank you as well as an apology. Unsure of where she was located, Aubrey figured Colt’s room would be a good place to start. It was incredible possible that having to take care of the lodge while Andy and Luca were away was absolutely exhausting. If Colt was still asleep, Aubrey wasn’t sure she’d have the heart to wake her.
Either way, she figured it was worth it to check. Staggering her way to the lodge, Aubrey made her way up the stairs and promptly to Colt’s door. Lightly wrapping on the wood, she listened for any sign she was already awake, “Colt…?” She asked, voice barely above a whisper, “I-It’s Aubrey. Can I come in?”
Vanessa, who had been laying on her bed, mulling over the million scattered thoughts within her mind, jump at the sudden sound of knuckle against wood. Quickly she reached into her bag and produced a small wooden handled hatchet, though she felt silly for doing so. With a quite breath to mentally ready herself she set the hatchet on her new bed and limped to the door, turning the knob and opening it just a crack so she could peer through. Aubrey was taken with surprise as she saw a tired, blue eye stare back at her. Colt didn’t have blue eyes, did she? She opened her mouth to say something but figured it’d be best to just wait till she was invited in.
On the other side of the door was a blond woman Nessa had yet to meet. No doubt one of the other lodgers. Vanessa cleared her parched throat before speaking, pulling the door further from its frame so as to gain a better view of the person on the other side."She's asleep. Any way I can help ya?" She said in an overly cheerful tone that was matched only by her smile, but did not reach her eyes.
Aubrey stared at the rather pretty woman in front of her, her dark tresses and bright eyes caused her to be even more confused. When did this woman get to the lodge? Has she been here the whole time and Aubrey just hasn’t noticed? She felt her hand shoot to her hat at the sight of the stressful situation, grinding the worn fabric between her fingers as her hues moved to look anywhere but at the woman. “Uhm… Yes. I-I mean, no? Uh…” Her throat was surprisingly dry as she stuttered out a nervous laugh, “Ehe, uhm, I’m Aubrey.” She stated quickly, letting her other hand launch in front herself towards the brunette.
Vanessa looked at the woman’s hand nervously for a moment before gently giving it a shake with her own. "Vanessa the Acrobat, pleasure te meet ya!" She said, her smile returning. "So how can I help ya?" Aubrey’s smile withered slightly at Vanessa’s hesitation, but quickly replaced it again.
“Oh, uh, right. I just wanted to talk to Colt…” The girl paused for a moment before making eye contact once more, "Where did you come from?” The question was with little to no context but she really didn't remember her from the previous days. Unless she was losing her memory, which was very possible, she didn't know this Vanessa
"I got here just the other day. I was with the Russian circus until all this started." Vanessa replied truthfully. This woman seemed friendly enough, and nothing immediately stuck out about her that bothered the acrobat. "My ankle was sprained and I was starvin when boss Luca found me…." Aubrey nodded slowly, taking in what she said. She found it odd Vanessa referred to the Italian as ‘boss Luca’, but wasn’t one to judge.
“I see… Well, I'm glad you’re okay.” Aubrey replied, glancing at the woman’s ankle before looking back up at her, “Uhm… Right- I should come back later… Probably.” It seemed as if she was having and internal debate as to what she should do.
"Well I suppose ya could wake her up, but I'd be careful… " Vanessa retorted. "Might be the safer way te come back."
The veteran was drunk, not deaf. Her sleep had already been disturbed by nightmares so waking her up was easier than one would think. At Nessa’s last remark, Colt was awoken mid-snore, resulting an a hard snort as she sprung upright, wiry and sweaty hair pressed to the right side of her face from lying on it and her pink eyes glazed.
“Fuc-wha-? Whothefuck’sthere??” Her head swung to the door, her vision blurred to the point of opening her eyes under water would get a better picture, she spotted the blonde and blue and her rigid frame settled into a slump as in her attempt to stand up, she slid down the bed and onto the floor, her backside hitting the floorboards hard.
“Ack- fuckin’ floor… Aaaubrey? Y’neeed meh?” She looked up to the younger woman, after the shit-storm that had just happened, it wouldn't be a surprise.
Chuckling softly, Vanessa moved out from in front of the door so that Aubrey could get a better view of Colt. After all, that's who she had come to see. "Good te see ya awake. I'd give ya a hand, but it looks like ya need a Leg up instead." She joked lightheartedly, still making sure she wasn't within fist range of the drunken woman.
“Shuddup.” The woman growled, she was lucky in the fact that she was in no state to retaliate or she would really get it. “Good t’know ah am nothin’ but a fuckin’ joke t’all ya people.” Aubrey watched the two bicker back and forth, unsure of what to do. She didn't know the relationship between the two or if there even was one seeing as Vanessa came in a day ago, but she didn't feel comfortable stepping in to say what she needed to quite yet.
"Don't be like that Colty Wolty." Vanessa teased, a somehow kind smile creeping across her visage. "Everythin is a joke silly, even life. And that one? It's funny as hell!"
“Stop it.” Colt snarled sharply. The woman was already making light of something Colt both hated about herself and wished to forget, she didn't need to feel bad about it too. “Aubrey, what is it? Y’okay?”
Once Aubrey’s name was said again, she figured it was permission to talk so she shuffled a bit closer through the door frame, keeping her distance from Vanessa for personal space, “Uhm, yeah. I'm alright. I just wanted to, uh, speak to you a bit about yesterday and the run we'll be going on.”
“Mhm?” The woman grunted, feeling around near her for her flask or any kind of bottle, wanting to suppress the rising thoughts she had wanted to get rid of but had been brought back up by Nessa’s teasing, “whatchu wanna talk’bout?”
Having been told to stop, Vanessa figured it best to stop making jokes at her new roomate’s expense. Instead she watched Colt stumble about as if drunkenly looking for something. The acrobat didn't know much about her one legged companion, but from what short time she had known the woman, Vanessa was able to come to a conclusion she felt confident in. "In me bag there, I got about a quarter bottle o whiskey. Nothin fancy, just the cheap stuff I had yesterday but yer welcome to it."
“I wanted to say thank you for yesterday and making the tough decisions, and also that I’m sorry for getting stuck out.” She stated simply, not paying mind to Colt’s search for a liquid depressant, “I, uh, also wanted to say that we’ll be leaving within the next few days, I think. If you’re ready, that is.”
Colt looked to Nessa, considering her offer before finally taking it. Just as she did, she heard Aubrey finally answer her and tilted her head towards the blonde. The veteran was a little surprised at her apology and thanks. She could understand both, but perhaps it was the drink but she couldn’t quite place where this came from.
“Y’don’ need t’thank me. Just did what I had to.” she spoke laconically, “And don’ apologise fur nothin’. Y’were a mighty big help.” she looked to the blonde, the corner of her mouth twitching in the closest variation of a smile. That smile then faltered as she mentioned the run they were going to go on. Colt rubbed the back of her neck with a sigh, right now she didn’t feel like she could do anything. But she had given the woman her word. With a few shifts of her eyes, she looked back to the woman as squarely as she could.
“Sho. I’m ready fur it. Are ya? We should be fine. Unless my good stream of luck continues and some’dy fucks it all up. A woman can hope, right?” Aubrey returned the small smile Colt gave with a nod.
“If ready is what you'd call this, then yeah. I suppose I'm ready. It'll all be fine.” She wasn't sure if she said that for herself or for Colt, but it gave her a bit of comfort, “But, uh… That's all I needed to say. Thanks.” She muttered, letting her hand fall from her cap with a tiny wave.
Aubrey took a few slow steps back before turning to Vanessa, “Uhm, nice meeting you.” With that, she turned on her heels and disappeared down the hall.
“Get some sleep, y’need it.” Colt called to the woman, “Y’did well yesterday!” she added as she disappeared from sight. The woman sighed quietly and stood up. Part of her wanted to have the blonde stay. Having a more familiar face would help settle the veteran but she couldn’t expect her to stay for her sake. With a sigh, Colt stood up and started climbing back up to her bunk, hoping she could sleep this off, but with her record so far, it seemed unlikely. Not to mention she expected Nessa to pipe up like she seemed to do a lot.
And pipe up Nessa did. "Sorry if I went too far with me jokes. I don't mean nothin by it." Vanessa said, looking down a little. "D'ya smoke at all?" She said asked. Moving to her bunk and sitting on it, she opened her bag and began sifting through its contents.
As she was half-way up the stairs, Colt looked down at the woman as she apologized for her jokes. The woman’s shaggy brows lowered a little in confusion. An apology? That was new. Not knowing what else to say, the woman grumbled in her throat.
“It’s fine. Just watch it.” she was about to continue her climb when the acrobat then asked if she smoked, “Sometimes. Why?”
"Well, Yu.. my old Ringmaster… use to smoke a lot of Cubans. Big cigars, and apparently they're good but I don't smoke. I've got a couple of boxes if ya want some?" Vanessa said calmly, pulling a wooden cigar box from within her bag.
“Never smoked a cigar… but could give it a go.”
Nessa retrieved from her bag a silver zippo, engraved with the lettering 'YSR' on its surface. Pulling a cigar from the box, she passed both it and the lighter to Colt.
"I hear it's good for the nerves or some shite like that. Figured it may help ya a bit."
Colt took the cigar up with her to bed as she lit it on the way up. Once in the bed, she took a long puff from the large thing, the second the smoke her lungs, she coughed hard, striking her chest with her fist as it struggled to settle. Smoking has never been something to settle the woman, but it was worth a go.
“Fuuuuck, thaaaat's some stroooong shiiiit.” She choked on it before it finally settled.
Interactions: Rumble Fish (Colt) and TheMightyRedLemon (Vanessa)