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Realistic or Modern The Dead Hills - IC

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“You can’t be a part of people dying,” Jennifer shot back at her with her head tilted, looking at Cali with confusion mixed with annoyance. “People are dying. Look all around you! We had a massacre, people protesting and becoming violent. People are killing each other, just look around!”

Jennifer, who was tense, eased up and took a deep breath in to try and relax and calm herself. She was rather in disbelief that Cali didn’t want to be part of “people dying,” when less than 10 minutes prior, people were dying In protest of Dave running the Mountaintop to hell. Jennifer had, however, heard Milly say before that Zelda potentially had a gun. While this would be good if she could get a hold of the weapon, this wasn’t enough. Jennifer needed to arm herself and those she trusted. But as of now, with Cali being the way she was, she didn’t want to give away more of her plan.

“Milly,” Jennifer said, turning to her. “Can you you do me a favor and get Archie for me?”

Once the girl had left, she turned her attention to Cali again.

“Look, I can tell by your pauses and your words that you’ve been through some shit out here where people died,” Jennifer said, walking up to her and putting a hand on her shoulder, looking her in the eyes. “I’ve been through hell since I was 12. My life has been hell, so I understand it. But something I’ve had to continually do is fight when my life, and potentially others, were in jeopardy. When people were dying around me, I had to fight for my survival and others. I had to do things I didn’t want to do.”

Jennifer removed her hand from Cali’s shoulder, and walked to the wall adjacent to her and leane on it. “The way I see it, you either fight to live her and try to do something, or become a victim when someone starts shooting again. Our safety is in jeopardy. We have groups out there like Haeredes Helios who want to kill us, a boogeyman who is trigger happy with nukes and has a fondness for abducting our people and turning them into freaks. We need unity and strength as a group right now, not trying to kill each other and burn this place to the ground. If my father was up, he too would want Dave’s ass out of power.”

In frustration, Jennifer sighed and shook her head. But, knowing emotional arguments can sometimes sway a person from agreeing with their view when on the fence, Jennifer tried to release all of her emotions, and try a sympathetic approach, one that was calm and even caring in tone. Jennifer walked closer to her and stood a few inches from her, but relaxed in posture, a small smile on her face, hoping her relaxed and caring appearance could help sway the girl.

“Look, I’m not saying that we’re going to get arms and revolt. That’s not my plan. But with how things are right now, we need to be able to defend ourselves. I’m going to try to solve this thing diplomatically if I can. Besides my father, I’ve known Dave long, before this all started and the world was normal. I’m going to try hard for that. But what I’m saying is that we need to be prepared to defend ourselves if we have to. I’m not saying to get arms and attack. I’m just saying we need to be able to defend ourselves from any threat, inside or outside of these walls. I don’t want to be a victim. I want for you, my friends, myself, all of us, to be safe here. The threats are growing. We need to be safe. No armed rebellions or revolutions here. Just precautionary steps to keep ourselves safe just in case. Can I count you in?”

Rumble Fish Rumble Fish Emotional Enigma Emotional Enigma
 
Milly jumped violently as Cali snapped at the notion of them arming themselves. She listened to the girl’s reasoning with horror, covering her mouth with her eyes wide like saucers. That would have hurt people? She didn't want that! She didn't want to do that! How could she be so stupid? Of course, Jen had said it was for protection rather than attempting to do more harm but at this point, Milly was too scared and upset to think about that. The stranger then ranting about her own struggles only made her more upset. She didn't want to upset the woman and felt awful that she had.

Whimpering, she looked at Jennifer as the woman gently suggested she went and got Archie. Despite pretty much crying st this point from guilt, she nodded and simply obeyed. Maybe if she did what Jennifer wanted, she would not be angry at what she had said. And she just wanted to get away from Cali. Without another word, she left the room quickly, clinging to her bear for support. She just wanted to run away and hide. How could she be so stupid as to suggest getting Zelda’s gun?

“Archie?” She squeaked, going through the halls, until she thought she could hear the Scotsman’s voice from a room. Wiping her eyes, she knocked the door before gingerly stepping in. To her relief, she found Archie and Zelda. Zelda looked very rough, like she had a really hard time and judging by her glazed expression, she was clearly really drunk. But at this point, Milly was not surprised, nor did she judge.

Looking to the Scotsman, she wrang her hands anxiously, “um… Archie? J-Jen wants you in her room.” She mumbled softly before looking at Zelda, “uh… she might want to see you too, miss,” she rubbed the back of her neck before finally asking the difficult question, “do you… do you have a gun?”
***
After she had finished her rant, Zelda sighed shut her eyes, trying to ignore the urge to jump up and tear the room apart, looking for her flask which Archie presumably moved. She felt him press closer against her, making the woman shudder a little. It had been some time since she had this kind of contact, even before the world went to shit. Given that her marriage to Mark was… not stable to say the least for obvious reasons, they did not have much in terms of contact in the last months before… The woman sighed heavily as she came back into reality, just as Archie was speaking again.

She stayed silent as he rubbed her back and told her that despite everything she thought about herself, he would not believe it and he was not going to leave. Zelda sighed, knowing what he meant. Sure… easy for him to say. It wasn’t like a pep talk like this was going to actually fix anything. The woman groaned as she sat up, grabbing the bottle of water. She uncapped it and downed the whole thing. Her throat was sore and dry. She gasped slightly once it was done before looking at Archie. “...Just… just hope you don't think badly of me.” She mumbled before throwing her covers off to stand up.

But once she was on her feet, Zelda instantly felt sick and dizzy, her feet and legs feeling like jelly beneath her. With a gag, she sat down, putting her sore head in her hand. “Ugh...shite.” She muttered she stood up again, still feeling unstable and sick, but still up. “...when can I have it?” She asked, she knew for a fact that the whisky within the flask would make her feel less shaky and sick.

Just as she asked, the door opened, and the small girl, Milly appeared. Thankfully Zelda was wearing some pajama shorts and an oversized top, courtesy of Archie. As the small girl then mentioned that Jennifer wanted to see the pair. “...Jennifer?” She huffed slightly as she sat back down. “You go, Archie. Doubt she really wants me there.”

idalie idalie Emotional Enigma Emotional Enigma Peacemaker .45 Peacemaker .45
 
ARCHIE "THE SCOTSMAN" MCKEEGAN​
With Zelda getting up, he put a steadying hand on her back. She didn't look good enough to leave, let alone help with all the chaos going on. Archie had barely parted his lips to respond when Milly opened the door, eyes still reddened with tears and voice softly mumbling. The Scotsman tugged on his beard decisively, concern darkening his brow for both women. "Zed, if you're staying I want you to drink more water. You can't be having withdrawals already. I won't be thinkin' badly of you, if you manage to bounce back." McKeegan decisively scolded her, moving towards the gun he abandoned on the side -- stuffing it in the back of his belt before rifling through the cupboards to find the ammo for it. "And with that asprin I gave you, it might cause a bad reaction. I don't want our only surgeon pukin' her guts up because she couldn't keep away from the bottle. When I come back, I'll make you some Irish coffee to keep you goin'. How's that sound?" He clasped her face between his worked hands and planted a kiss right on the middle of her brow. Sternly glaring into her eyes, with the intensity that it felt as if he was tearing two holes within a soul. "Don't disappoint me, Lilypad. I need you to get better." Arch wagged his finger before moving towards Milly.

Upon further inspection of his favourite companion, nonetheless, it became clear someone had made her cry. Part of him was scared it was someone from the protests -- perhaps if they'd done other such things -- fear rose in his throat like a bubble of bile. "Sweetheart, what's with the tears? Your eyes are all ..." He motioned up to them, before cupping the younger girl's cheek in his large hand. "Did anyone hurt you?" His expression crumpled into worry, not before pulling the dark-haired bad-kneed girl into his embrace. Stroking back her hair with evident affection and fatherly love. "Let's go get Jen, huh? And you can point out the wanker who made you cry. I'll do what I need to for my lasses, you know that." Archie attempted to cheer her up with a nudge of her chin, even so, ended up lifting the girl off her feet and cradling Milly against his torso like a child. She was his Pandora's Hope. The sister he left behind, the people he failed to protect. The hard-seeing youthful character that made him believe things could get better from the present. Made him believe he could really make a change. Milly and her triangle sandwiches, or her bear; the nightmares which never left but could be soothed, and Norris who simply adored the spark of naivety and innocence. What little was left in those dark days.

He turned back towards the Doctor, Milly's fragile form bundled against him. "Jen might need you, Zed. She's still recovering. Won't you rethink it? Tag along. I know you've done work under worse hangovers." The Scotsman vaguely attempted to joke.

Rumble Fish Rumble Fish
 
Zelda frowned deeply at the man as he scolded her for what she had said, making the woman bear her teeth. "Okay, okay I get it!" She snarled before sighing deeply and shutting her eyes. "Ugh... I'm sorry." She sighed, running a hand through her hair, "Just... not used to this." She looked away from him, only to have her face grabbed in his hands and... a kiss? Zelda simply bit her lower lip, worried about what Archie was saying. Get better? Yeah right...
***
Milly looked at Archie as he instantly seemed disturbed over her puffy eyes. "Oh... nothing." She muttered as he asked her what was wrong. "No... no, there's nothing wrong. It's just... got a fright." She answered, only to be pulled off her feet by the large Scotsman and carried. The feeling of being held brought huge relief to the girl. It reminded her of being home, with her mum. As Archie asked if they should go and see Jen, she looked up at him and nodded before shutting her eyes, relaxing in his protective grip.
***
Zelda watched the interaction between the two silently. It reminded her a lot of her and Jason. In a way, Milly reminded her of him. Well, when he was a child anyway. He was timid when he was younger. Zelda sighed heavily and drank the rest of her water along with the aspirin.

When Archie then turned to her and said she should come, the woman initially scoffed and looked away from him. Jennifer? Nah! She didn't need her. But... she was still not completely well. And it was one of her duties. She sighed heavily, despite everything Archie had just said, it clashed with everything Dave had said. But... Zelda sighed heavily as she got back onto her feet, still swaying and a bit unbalanced but up.

"Yeah... sure. I'll come." The doctor sighed, scratching at her arm from a patchy spot. She had a lot of patchy spots. Archie probably saw them but at least he had the courtesy to not mention it. Or her purple-ish nose. Or the darkness around her eyes. Or... well. She looked at the window, seeing her reflection. She sighed deeply, it had been a long time since she had a proper look at herself. This what people saw. And frankly it was a good reflection of what she was. A stupid, worthless, piece-of-shit alcoholic who can't even keep her own life on the right track, how the fuck was she supposed to help others? The woman then looked at Archie with a forced smile, "right... lets go. Doubt Jennifer would want to be kept busy."
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Calliope was feeling the full extent of her frustration, "I don't need your sympathy Jennifer," Her skin tingled after Jennifer had touched her shoulder, "Don't pretend you know what I've gone through because you have no idea," She blinked hard, and refocused her gaze, "People are going to die either way, but it's different when you're the one symbolically pulling the trigger. If what I decide to do right now kills someone in the future, I don't want any part of it. I don't want to be the next Dave where someone else is blaming me for some bad chain of events." She didn't falter, didn't stutter. She had never been more grounded than ever on a decision. Normally, Calliope was all over the place with decisions, debating the pros and cons endlessly. This time however, she knew the outcome despite not even knowing the final decision.
"I don't need a gun to be safe, they're dangerous, loud and attract unwanted attention. If you want to break into the stronghold and steal guns, just know someone is going to go down for it, even if it's not you." Calliope has seen too much, felt too much to indulge Jennifer. Her experiences were too fragile and she didn't think anyone deserved the right to know them. At the same time, she understood Jennifer wasn't going to take a different route.
"You certainly don't have to listen to me, as you're clearly practicing, but the stakes are too high for me this time," It wasn't so much the lack of empathy or understanding that propelled Calliope to turn down her offer, it was the fact she couldn't just pack up and leave this time when things got bad. Daniel was too infatuated with the colony, with Dave and Archie. Leaving the Mountaineers meant leaving Daniel behind, and not leaving meant actually having to stick around to deal with the consequences of her actions whether be it good or bad. Drawing unnecessary attention and painting a target on Daniel's back.
As Milly left the room to fetch Archie, she knew this was her chance to make her final point. She put her hands on her hips, popping one out in a lazy stance, "Jennifer, the most I can do without throwing Dan-" She paused, "-throwing my own visions into disarray would be spreading the word for you. I can tell people your plan but I have too much on the line if anyone finds out I'm apart of any plan against Dave." Her tone sounded final. She refused to be bullied by illogical reason and sympathetic, sugar coated words. Jennifer was smart, but she lacked in charisma. With her mind made up, she figured it'd be best to leave before Archie arrived. The less fruitless persuading she had to deal with the better, as her patience had been stripped away with an unapologetic rip. After she had walked out the door, she stood there a moment. Calliope always wished she had been the quiet, vanilla-type of girl in high school, but the fact of the matter was she just wasn't. She was dangerous, she didn't know her genuine fears from the lies her anxiety told her. She didn't know how protect people. But most of all, she couldn't tell bad decisions from good ones anymore. She couldn't tell if she was dooming the colony and Daniel or if she was doing the right thing. The thought of seeing him walk in a field of dying flesh brought bile to her throat in an anxious rage. Not knowing was worse than knowing..
She stood in the hallway a little while longer before hearing voices down the hall. Calliope didn't wait to see if it was Milly and Archie or not, she just turned down the hallway.

Peacemaker .45 Peacemaker .45 Rumble Fish Rumble Fish
 
With Cali going on her semi-rant back to her, Jennifer simply stood there and listened. She didn’t reply to anything she said. It wasn’t so much that she had been outsmarted by what Cali. Instead, it was more of her trying to keep her emotions in. Had she not, things could get ugly. And she wasn’t in the mood to fight. At least not yet. She listened until the girl left.

“‘You don’t know what I’ve been through,’” Jennifer scoffed to herself quietly after Cali left. “This isn’t a contest. Walk a mile and my shoes and then complain about your life being hard.”

As she finished saying that to herself quietly, Archie, Milly, and the doctor, Zelda, came through the door. Jennifer glanced at the doctor with confusion for a moment. But being she was with Milly and Archie, she assumed that she was on their side. And being that she generally didn’t care for her father, she assumed that she was part of this.

“Okay, good. You’re all here,” Jennifer said as she walked behind them and closed the door to the room, before walking back to her bed. She signaled for them to come closer to her.

“Alright, there’s no hiding the fact that the Mountaintop is falling to shit ever since Dave took over while my father was out. And it’s also no secret that this place is falling apart and too many people are dying. These are desperate times. And with these people going insane, and killing others all because of Dave’s pussy ass, I’ve had enough. We all aren’t safe here with the current state of the community. And because of this, we need to darn ourselves so we can defend ourselves. Dave locked up the armory, but I know where there are guns we can get to and grab. But it’s a risky plan. We need to let go of past grievances, because I need your help, all of you.”

Jennifer looked around at them all before continuing.

“Okay, here’s the plan. Tonight, around 10, I’m going to sneak into the vehicle storage area. My truck is there. A bunch of my weapons were in that truck. And even if they cleaned out the weapons visible, the truck had secret storage compartments that no one really knows about. I stash weapons in there in case I ever need them and for some reason I didn’t have them on me. Those guns are what I need to get. Now I hear that you, Zelda,” Jennifer said pointing to her, “have a gun. I don’t know how you have one, since Dave shut down the armory for the citizens here. However you have it is unimportant. But we’ll need that gun.”

With a deep breath, she continued stating her plan, making sure to talk quietly so no unwanted ears heard it.

“The guard towers are busy, as you know at all day and night long. But they always change guards at 10. 11 is the mandatory curfew imposed by Dave. I need two people to make a scene and grab the attention of the gate guard and the guard nearest to the parking lot. I need two people make a scene, fight, something. I don’t care what. The commotion needs to be long enough for me to slip in and out of there without anyone noticing. I need another person to stand outside the gate of the parking lot, and to keep people out of there. If someone comes and wants to go in, distract them with someone else. I need someone to watch my ass while I’m in there and it’s dark enough to not be seen. I don’t care who does what, but I need people to do those things while I sneak in and grab several handguns.”

“So,” she started with a sigh, “who’s in on this plan? I don’t have any intentions of storming into the house Dave is at. I’m going to try a diplomatic approach to get to him. But God forbid things go south, we can defend ourselves, and perhaps even take out threats. But that’s the worst case scenario. This plan to obtain my guns is more of a precautionary step. So, again, are you guys in on this plan?”

Jennifer knew it wasn’t too he best plan in the world. It was a risky one. But after seeing the Mountaintop turn into a battleground for people going insane and Dave not doing a damn thing about it, she knew her life, and the lives of her friends around her, were in trouble. She couldn’t let her, or them, become a victim. Her plan is still to sweet talk her way into getting now to see Dave, and perhaps get him to step down. But if diplomacy doesn’t work, and Dave gets worse amen imposes more rules, they might be in danger for their lives. And they might need to defend themselves. And that is precisely where the guns come into the equation.

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Milly was content in Archie's arms as he carried her into Jennifer's room where the girl sat. She saw that the girl from before had stormed out, making her hide her face from her as she went past. She had made the girl angry by mentioning the gun and didn't want to make her more angry.

She looked at Jennifer as the girl then started setting out her plan to get into the armoury. The girl bit her lip anxiously and shifted her eyes worryingly. The plan involved a distraction and then sneaking in. She was not sure. She hated what was going on within the camp but at the same time, more weapons might cause trouble. But... they needed to protect themselves from Dave if it went wrong.

She looked at Jennifer as she asked if they were with her on the plan. Milly was very anxious and reluctant to try it. But... she didn't want to let Jennifer down. Especially not after what she had been through. The girl simply nodded in response to her question, though she still clung to Archie and shaking a little. She looked at Jennifer and gave her a slight smile, trying to stay positive. Archie had told her to help and be positive and... this was the right time, right?
***
Zelda rubbed her head as she walked after the Scotsman, still feeling very shaky and unsteady on her feet, often bumping on the wall as she went. The woman was still extremely dizzy and drunk so was still out of it. So much so, that when a girl, who had left Jennifer's room bumped into her, Zelda grunted as the force, despite being fairly mild, was enough to make her fall into the wall. "Watch it!" She snapped at the girl as she got back up and continued walking. Great...

Upon sitting down in Jennifer's room, Zelda noticed how the woman looked at her as if she was confused as to why she was there. The woman narrowed her eyes, trying to see her face clearly. She listened to what she said before she mentioned that they needed the gun that she had and how she did not know why Zelda still had hers. "To... to tell you the truth, missy, I haff no idea either." She then looked at Archie, silently telling him to hand it over.

Zelda listened to the rest of what Jennifer had to say, only nodding occasionally as she took it in. Once she was done, Zelda frowned a little as she tried to process it all through her wine sodden mind. Once it was done, Zelda couldn't help but smirk a little. "Hm. Suppose we could... distract em." She looked Archie, "You gotta come up with a wrestling name of some kind." She added. As she sat on the chair, she kept swaying a little but was somewhat steadier as the asperin started to kick in and the water was beginning to heighten her senses. After Jennifer then asked the trio if they were with her on the plan, Zelda glanced up at the ceiling. Hm... maybe she might see Mark and Jason again after all. She then looked back to the girl. "...Ain't like I got anything to do or live for right now. Might be fun."
idalie idalie Peacemaker .45 Peacemaker .45 Emotional Enigma Emotional Enigma
 
ARCHIE "THE SCOTSMAN" MCKEEGAN​
The Scotsman noted Milly's worry, placing his palm against her soft locks of hair in reassurance. "You don't have to do anything if you don't wanna, alright? Milly?" Archie absent-mindedly pressed his lips to the top of her head. McKeegan's gaze was drawn to Zelda with her comment, causing him to shake his head with a chuckle. "Everybody already thinks we're in bed with each other, lass. It won't be hard to have another half-naked argument. It'll be like Eastenders, but I'm Danny Dyer." He cocked a grin, before pointedly staring at Jennifer. "But if we're doin' the distraction, you need someone to go with you and Milly ain't in no position to do that. Not over my dead, fuckin' body," Archie then ducked his head beside Milly's "--No offence, love. But I can't have you ruinin' your knees or gettin' hurt." The Scotsman shifted the small teenager onto a nearby seat. "Where's that gal? The one with the brother?" He pulled the firearm from his belt, accompanied by the ammo and placed them in Jennifer's hands. "We need as much help as we're gonna get, and I can bet you half the people here ain't fond of you already."

McKeegan shifted, breathing outwards with a nod. "I track her down, you keep your eyes on the prize. Might be able to get the lass to see sense. Try and refine that plan, Jen. I don't want people gettin' hurt too bad over it. I know neither do you." He clapped a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "I trust you to make the right decisions." He straightened up, and left promptly to make good time. Yet jogging back and forth, he discovered nothing of where she'd been. Although it was when clambering up to the rooftops where it had been popular for the youth to hang out occasionally, he noted Daniel. Napping by the looks of it, to which McKeegan snuck down to and gave a rather hard prod. "Hey, lad, rise n' shine. I'm gonna need your help, matey." The bearded lumberjack flashed a grin. "We gotta find Calliope. We're gonna end all this malarky with Dave, and get home in time for tea -- but I can only do that if I manage to persuade yer, stubborn bull-headed sister. I'm even up for makin' a deal. How 'bout it? I give you the secrets to bein' a handsome devil and you get your lazy ass up to give me a hand."

Emotional Enigma Emotional Enigma Rumble Fish Rumble Fish Peacemaker .45 Peacemaker .45
 
Daniel sprang up to a sitting position upon hearing Archie's voice. He tried to hide his eagerness to join in on Archie's mysterious adventure,
"Cali?" The cool breeze woke up his tired complexion, "Why do you need Cali?" He was willing to help, even without being given something in return, but he knew how stubborn she could be. She didn't like to admit when someone else was right or knew the answers; she didn't trust anyone to know the answers. Daniel smiled, excited and prepared on the spot. He hopped to his feet and scurried down off the roof to the apartment him and Calliope shared. When he opened the door, Calliope seemed to be cleaning up. Or rather, packing up.
Calliope hadn't noticed Archie and Daniel in the door at first, but upon turning around to pick up newly filled water bottles, her eyes caught their figures. If she hadn't been currently fueled by anger she would've wondered when they arrived. She stormed into the room where the mattress was neatly covered by a blanket on the floor. She started grabbing at clothes that were hung on a line, ripping them down ferociously and bent over with her arms full and swiped a family picture off the floor. She walked over to the couch where the duffel bag sat and jammed the belongings inside. Calliope stood up from the bag and walked to the counter, anger still fueling her actions. She struggled to reach all the cans of food in cupboard, stretching up on her tiptoes and whipping her hands around.
As her fingers grazed a can of spagetti-o's she said to Daniel, "We're leaving tonight," She huffed and relaxed, cursing herself for having thrown the cans up there to begin with. She glanced at Daniel still standing in the doorway, "Archie," Her gaze lingered on the burly, lumberjack guiltily, "Can I have a moment with my brother?" This seemed to have rubbed Daniel the wrong way as he interrupted her,
"No, whatever you have to say, you can say it with him here." Daniel never looked so young as he did now to Calliope. It was as if he was 8 years old again. Her was completely burnt out and out of energy to get angry or argue anymore but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't uncomfortable with Archie being present during her demanding moments.
"Fine," She placed a hand on her hip, "We're leaving tonight, it's not a discussion."
"I'm not going." Daniel sounded just as sure as Calliope did, neither of them willing to budge.

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With Archie handing the gun and ammo in her hands, Jennifer observed it for a moment, before returning her attention to Archie, who brought up a good point. Not many people there seemed to fond of her or her friends. Why they didn’t was only something that she could merely speculate. Maybe it was her special treatment granted to her by her father. She didn’t have to work to get to her status whereas others did. She was just handed it. There was most likely resentment over that. Or, it could have been for a different reason. There were no true answers, just speculation.

Putting the handgun in her waistband and covering it with her shirt, and putting the spare ammunition in her pocket, the girl thanked Archie for the gun. But, as noted by herself earlier, she knew one gun wasn’t enough, regardless of how skilled the individual was wielding it.

Before Archie left, he said something to Jennifer that made her pause momentarily, as it carried a lot of weight in her mind. He told her to refine the plan she had. But the thing that made her pause was that he trusted her to make the right decision. Whether Jennifer liked it or not, she always found herself assuming some sort of leadership role. Even when she thought she was over having to lead when she arrived at the Mountaintop, she’s finding herself in the leadership position yet again. And furthermore, her actions that she will take could have some potential consequences that could have hefty penalties if caught. Only when Archie left had the weight of what she’s going to do set in.

“Shit,” she said under her breath, facing the way and sighing.

This was hardly the most dangerous thing she has done, or one that had worse consequences as a result. But the luxuries of not having to watch her back every second since arriving there may have softened her, made her not be aware of her surroundings. And this comfort is something she knew she couldn’t let sink in. She needs to be just as aware in these walls as she were outside of them.

Pulling out the handgun once again, she observed it. It was a Glock 23 in .40 S&W. Glocks were popular handguns before the world turned to hell. They weren’t expensive, they had a huge aftermarket, and they were reliable. Very, very reliable. Since the world’s turned, Glocks were very common to find among survivors, due to their vast numbers in houses and on scavengers. Checking the magazine, and then the chamber, she put it back in her waist, covered by her shirt.

Only Milly and Zelda remained at this point in the room. There was some uneasiness in the room. Jennifer hadn’t treated Zelda particularly kindly in the past, due to her obvious alcoholism, given how Jennifer had experienced alcoholics in the past with her father. The excuse was the bottle, the escape was the drunkenness. It was a sad and terrible life, from her observations and experience dealing with one. But, at the same time, Zelda saved both Jennifer and her father, though her father hasn’t woken up yet. If he will. Either way, Jennifer was alive because of her. Clearly, she was a capable doctor. But something drove her over the edge. She assumed it had something to do with a “Mark and Jacob,” but she didn’t plan to pry information now. While she was still an alcoholic, she did deserve a thank you from her.

“Hey, Zelda,” Jennifer started hesitantly, twisting around to look at Zelda, “Archie explained to me recently how you saved my life, and my father’s, should he wake up.”

“And I just wanted to say thank you,” she said, walking up to Zelda, her voice sincere, “and that I’m sorry for how I was... a bitch to you when you and I first met. I’m sorry. And I’m grateful for you giving me a second, or third, chance at life. I’m forever in your debt for that. And, thank you for helping me here. Dave will lead this place to death before anything else gets us at this point. And something needs to be done, for my life and everyone else’s here. Whatever your reasons are for agreeing to do this, thank you. I owe you a thing, or two, or three. Hell, I owe you a lot for this and saving my life. So thank you, for whatever my words mean or count for these days. Thank you.”

The girl then slowly eased her way to a chair on the wall. She sat down, waiting to hear Zelda’s response, whatever it would be. The frame of the Glock dug into her stomach. She slouched some and adjusted it. It didn’t feel better doing so, but when carrying in the waistband, a gun is prone to cause discomfort with the way she was doing so. After doing so, she began to began to think of her plan and how this could be refined, like Archie said, as the best plan was needed for something this risky.

Rumble Fish Rumble Fish
 
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Milly was still snuggled against Archie as they sat in the room, listening to Jennifer. But just as they were, Milly felt Archie stroke her hair which made her look up at him as he commented that she was in no condition to make risks within the plan. She looked down with a quiet sigh but she understood what he meant. It was not like she was useful anyway.

But what Archie did next made her nervous as he picked her up off of his lap and sat her on a chair. Milly squeaked and kicked her legs anxiously before watching him leave but not before saying he was going to get the girl, Cali back. Milly bit her lip anxiously, she didn't really want her back. Not that she didn't like the woman, she was just afraid that she would do something to upset the woman and make her angry again. She curled up on the seat and cuddled her teddy worryingly, just hoping Archie would come back soon. He had her sandwiches...
***
Zelda watched the man as he left, letting out a deep sigh and shut her eyes. She felt tired and still very tipsy, swaying on the chair she was on. But the sound of the woman's voice made her open her red, sore and bloodshot eyes as she mentioned that she knew it had been her who did her and Mack's surgery. The woman froze "Uh-Um-I know he isn't waking up but he might- I did all-" she stopped her slurred stammering as the woman came closer.

Zelda blinked as she listened to the woman speak, expressing both her gratitude and apology for what she had said in the past. The woman looked away before glancing at the ground once the woman said that she owed Zelda her life, "Hm... Don't beat yourself up over what you said. I deserved it. And you don't owe me anything, missy. Frankly I don't deserve anything from you or anybody." She shook her head a little, "But... well. You're welcome. And hey. I don't care about my life, this could kill me for all I care. But just cause I wanna die doesn't mean other people should too." She crinkled her face a little when saying the next thing, "Also I have a bone to pick with that bastard." She added before looking behind her, seeing that Archie was still gone and busy. Sure he was gone, she reached into the side of her jeans and pulled out a small flask, one she had managed to hide from the Scotsman. Uncapping it she took a long drink from it before putting it back. Once the alcohol had hit her system, she instantly felt more settled. Zelda scratched the back of her neck and looked at the still very nervous Milly sitting there. "Hey, this might calm you down." She said as she reached into her back pocket, taking out a small lollipop and handing it into the girl.

Milly was a little worried about taking the lolly from Zelda, looking at Jennifer for a moment wondering if she would object. When she didn't, Milly took the candy from Zelda and unwrapped it before gingerly putting it in her mouth. After a second, she let out a quiet yet happy little squeal at the realisation that the lollipop was blackberry flavoured, one of her favourites. She held the lollipop in her mouth contently, while Zed turned her attention back to Jennifer, thinking about the girl, Cali. "Hm... think he'll succeed?"
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ARCHIE "THE SCOTSMAN" MCKEEGAN​
Following Daniel down from the roof, they promptly ended up in the doorway of the siblings' apartment. Archie placed a comforting hand on Daniel's shoulder for a moment as the tension seemed to thicken the air. Calliope, desperately packing as much as she could away into bags with sudden fervour. "Cali, I think it best we calm down." McKeegan soothingly remarked, moving into the room with slow, methodical steps. "Come on lass, you want to leave now? It's dangerous at night, you know that sweetheart. I ain't gonna try guiltin' you into anythin', but think about the little lad here." The burly Scotsman continued to swivel slightly with a laugh. "Well, little ain't the right word. He's gonna grow up to be a strappin' man."

Archie grasped Cali's palms in his calloused ones. "I know you're not sweet on this thing Jen's got planned. But Dave is killin' people, and I've worked hard -- I've worked so damn hard for this place. I come home and the only thing that makes it worthwhile is knowin' that people like Danny-boy and Milly are gonna be safe. But, just trust me on this, lass. I'll switch places with you. Make a distraction, that's all I ask, Daniel can stay with Milly and nobody'll be the wiser. Let me go with Jennifer, and then it works out for everyone. You can stay here, you can live and maybe even grow old. Die from somethin' like a heart attack instead of gettin' a chomp outta yer leg." McKeegan sighed. "I've been part of a lotta colonies who didn't make it. I get that you're doubtful, and so am I. But everyone here has been through hell and back. Hm?"

He released her and continued to stare with those dark, hazel irises of his. Sincere and sweet, flecked with green as if moss growing up an old oak tree. "Everyone has lost someone. You're just like the rest of us, tryin' to survive. Young Dan here, is gonna become a man in a world where he'll need more than his sister." He put a hand on his heart. "I swear on my life, if anythin' happens I'll look after you and him. I'm not askin' you for a suicide mission, I'm not askin' you to do anything I wouldn't. Just do this, and in the mornin' you can leave. I'll help you pack, get you supplies. Anythin'. At this point I'm ready to sell myself." The Scotsman laughed, yet pointed at Daniel. "Don't tell anyone I said that though." He flashed a grin.

Emotional Enigma Emotional Enigma
 
Calliope normally would've shoved someone who closed a distance as Archie did so quickly. It served only to feed her anxiety of letting someone in her space. But Archie had a weird knack for calming people, one that oddly made Calliope feel at peace. As he crept closer and grabbed her hands, she was acutely aware of how tiny her frame was compared his own towering over her. In the moments that followed, she found herself hating Archie but not with the same ire she held for Jennifer currently. She hated how he felt like home, how he radiated emotional warmth like blanket, how he tiptoed around his words. Most of all, she hated how it was working. How her anger had dissipated and how she wanted to trust him. How good it would feel to just trust someone else for once, to let someone else worry and get upset or someone else find the answers. She blinked hard, trying to remember that that was a luxury she couldn't afford to wish for. The future Archie talked about so readily, Calliope doubted that he actually knew what kind of whimsical fantasy he was putting in her head, the hopes he was setting her up for.
"Damn it," She cursed, she knew what he was planning with his words, but it was far too late; the seed had already been planted. She crossed her arms, unable to find the anger she had before Archie came, "Fine." She bit back a grin to his semantics. Logically, it wasn't funny. She shouldn't have the urge to laugh, it was a serious moment, her fear and concerns were serious. Unfortunately, Archie was not acting like a dead serious guy. Calliope hated herself for unwillingly, and unknowingly, trusting him. It wasn't something she did often and to acquire her trust was a proven feat.
"Listen Archie," Her features softened, and she felt heavy cinder blocks lift from her shoulders for the first time in years, "Daniel is all I have left, he's the only thing in my life that holds any value. If something happens to him, don't expect me to stick around either." She was trying to relay the message of her own demise upon Daniel's, but she didn't think it came across very clear.

Daniel, still standing in the door, smiled brightly. It had been a long time since he had seen his sister genuinely smile for herself and not to just to keep himself blind to her inner trouble. He may only be 14 but he was still a genius and smartest kid at his school before they all began eating each other. He did feel a little uncomfortable at their growing closeness as he had never seen Calliope get very close to anyone not apart of their family. Daniel guessed Archie was part of their family now, since that was the only explanation that made sense. Calliope adopted him. He giggled at the idea but his inner excitement didn't dissapate like Calliope's anger. When Archie addressed him, it propelled his admiration,
"So we're going to help?!" He ran to Archie's side, practically leaping out of his skin, "Do I get to shoot someone?!" This brought a sour expression to Calliope's face, but Daniel pretended not to notice, "Let's go! What are we waiting for?!"

Rumble Fish Rumble Fish
 
With the sound of Milly’s sweet little voice hitting her ears, Jennifer was distracted momentarily from what she was going to say to Zelda. What it was ultimately escaped her mind.

“Archie? I don’t know,” Jennifer said turning to Milly. “I don’t know Cali enough. All I know is that she’s stubborn. She has this anger that burns in her eyes. I’m guessing that her actions before we met her have shaped her to who she is. But she’s foolish to think that they are a valid excuse to act how she is, at least with me. She seems hard headed, and honestly, that anger I see in her eyes scares me. I don’t know if Archie could sway her or not. But that damn bastard’s got this sweet talking way about him... so we’ll see.”

But with the talk about Archie, the thought she had in her heard that she forgot started to cone back. Jennifer looked to the side in thought, trying to recall what it was, and what it had to do with Zelda.

But then she remembered.

“Zelda, wait,” she said suddenly turning towards her, full of sudden energy, though, hidden by concern in her voice. “You said you don’t care if you die. But I think you need to think about others as well. I’m not saying you’re suicidal or anything. But I think there is someone here who cares about you. Archie cares about you. To what extent, I don’t know. But enough to upset him if you died. I’m not telling you what to do or anything. All I’m saying is that it seems at least one person cares for you enough to miss you if you’re gone. And while I can’t speak for him, I can speak for the fact that you’re a valuable asset around here. There could be people potentially dead if it wasn’t for you. I would be dead if it wasn’t for you. I certainly don’t want anyone else dead here either. I wouldn’t want to see you gone. This place is about preserving life. We want preservation of that. While you might not have meant much by the statement, just remember that there are people who care about you, and people who may depend on you. I just wanted to tell you that for you to consider. That’s all.”

“Anyway, who wants to place bets on Archie’s success?” Jennifer walked over to Milly and crouched down in front of her. While she wasn’t eye level with her, she preferred crouching to get down on her level, as she was a smaller girl.

“I bet you,” she said, poking her on her chest, pointing at her heart, “that Archie doesn’t get her onboard. And if I’m wrong, you can have my secret stash of Smarties, lollipops, and any other candy I have in my truck when this is all over. Sound like a deal?”

Rumble Fish Rumble Fish
 
Zelda listened to Jennifer as she admitted she was not sure about the girl, Cali. Zelda frowned a little as she glanced away. She had not properly met the girl but given that she seemed to be the reason Milly was upset before and what Jennifer was saying, she would rather she didn't come back. While that was a bold statement to make about someone she didn't even know, she just felt that way. Cali did not seem loyal. And, while she had not brought it up with anyone, to Zelda, loyalty was something that must be taken seriously and she had very strong feelings towards it. She could only assume it was that extreme view of loyalty that kept her pushing on an helping people. She swore allegiance to Mack and vowed to keep it. And as Jennifer was his daughter and wanted what was best for the community, she felt obliged to remain loyal to her too.

However, Zed's calmness was shattered as the woman continued to speak, now dissecting what she had just said about not caring if she lived. The woman was about to snap something at the girl, but the word "suicidal" stopped her in her tracks. The woman froze and her bloodshot eyes widened a little at the word before she simply looked away, taking her flask out again and taking a drink out of it, still listening to Jen's words. She mentioned how Archie would feel if she were to die. Zelda frowned slightly, she knew Archie had wanted to help her but... care? Even if he did, it was one in fifty. Dave's words kept playing in her mind along with every other insult or foul words she had heard. Including Jennifer's. When the girl mentioned that she had saved many people who wouldn't be alive without her, the woman shut her eyes and took another drink before putting the flask back where she was hiding it. "Seriously. I appreciate your concern but..." she sighed deeply and sadly, "Sometimes... people would still be alive if it weren't for me." She didn't want to go into any more detail. "But... I'll still do whatever you say." She simply turned to stare out the window blankly. She was so confused... what was she supposed to think now?
***
While the two women talked, Milly continued to hold onto her teddy bear and sucking on her lolly as she watched the door, hoping Archie would come back soon. She missed him already. When Jen questioned if Archie would succeed, Milly turned to face her. "Archie's really kind... don't know why she wouldn't like him. Although..." she bit her lip worryingly, "Sh-she doesn't seem to like you or me." She added, looking at Jennifer a little sadly, "I- um, we didn't do anything bad did we?" She asked, becoming increasingly anxious.

Jennifer seemed to notice this as the woman then got down to her eye level, Milly was slightly worried about what she was going to say so leaned away a little, but what she said next sparked her interest. "Bet?" She asked with a tilted head. She had never taken part in a bet before. She listened to Jennifer's proposal, her one baby blue, one grey eye sparkling as she let out an excited little squeal and she clapped her hands together at the prospect. "Really?" She asked, now more happy than anxious like she had been a few seconds before, "Wow... wait." She looked around, "So... if Archie does get her to come back..." she pondered, trying to figure out what she could do.

She then looked at Zelda, who was still sitting away from them and looking out the window.
"Ooh!" Milly cooed, "I know, I know!" She bounced in her seat a little, excited about what she had just thought of. "If Archie does convice her, Zelda had to drink apple juice the rest of the day!"

"PFFT-" Zelda almost spat out her whiskey as she heard this, "wait I what-?"

"Yeah! Apple juice, not that!" Milly pointed at the flask.

Zelda groaned angrily and rolled her eyes at Milly, "Look, I don't think you understand this game, kid. You can't-"

"bawk." Milly puffed her cheeks.

"What?!" Zelda looked at Jennifer with a wide eyed, annoyed yet confused expression before pointing at Milly with a gruff "Hm!?" Basically saying 'you seeing this???'

"bawk bawk bawk- No Norris not you." Milly giggled as the hen jumped on her lap, clucking back at her.

Zelda looked at Milly as the small girl stared back her with a cheeky glint in her one good eye. The woman then frowned and rolled her eyes as she sighed through her teeth.
"Fine! I'll only drink apple juice the rest of the day." She sighed, frowning as she looked away with her arms folded. "Fuckin' hate bets..."
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ARCHIE "THE SCOTSMAN" MCKEEGAN​
At the vague mention of her demise and that of her brother, Archie tutted like an old housewife. "You stop that talk before it ruins you." As Daniel ran to his side, McKeegan opened his arms. "First I gotta ask we bring it on in, come on team." The Scotsman practically picked up the younger boy and continued to squeeze him and Calliope into a tight, bear-like embrace before putting Dan down and giving a signature, curt nod as if he'd completed some grandiose peace-act. Nevertheless, he dropped to his haunches with the talk of shooting that enthusiastically escaped the child. "Not today Danny-boy. But I'll tell you what, I'll take you out huntin' some time. Proper man stuff and all that. Right now, it's gonna be dangerous -- so you're gonna stay with Milly, alright? She's a lovely lass, the best I know." His features creased into that pure warmth of a smile till straightening up.

Again he faced Cali. "Now, be nice. I know you and Jen ain't on good terms but let's not make it into a fight. You're gonna need to save that for the distraction." He put a palm on both the sibling's backs and began to gently push them towards the door in a guiding manner. "Time to make Mack proud. Save the Mountaintop, return home as heroes. Aye? Make it like Camelot and all that. I bugsy King Arthur because I'm the best lookin'," He nodded, rambling on in that oddly charming manner of his.

At last reaching Jen's room they were planning in, Archie wandered through the doors with triumph. "We got the team back together folks. Or rather, I did, because you're shite at usin' yer nice words. Apart from Milly. She's got it down to a fine point." McKeegan ruffled Daniel's hair till moving towards his small, crippled counterpart. "Whats with the looks? You been talking about the plan right? What's with Zed? Face looks like a busted boot, love."

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While Calliope trusted Archie and Daniel seemed excited enough, she still didn't too much appreciate sharing the space with Jennifer or Milly. They gave her bad vibes and she knew Daniel hadn't exactly met them yet. Daniel beamed when he entered the room full of people discussing "adult" things. Calliope neglected to allow him in on conversations to do with his well-being. He assumed it was because she thought she knew better, but it did annoy him sometimes. Daniel scanned the new faces; it meant new experiences and new minds. But upon seeing Calliope's sudden change in body language, he felt her hostility towards them. She put a hand on Daniel's shoulder, gently pulling him close, as he meekly smiled to the group. He eagerly wanted to help but knew Calliope wouldn't allow him for obvious reasons.
"I don't agree with anything you're doing, and as much as I'd love to leave," She looked at Archie a moment before letting her gaze pierce through Jennifer in the dimly lit room, "Archie convinced me it was against my best interest." She knew her stubbornness was on full display, but being ignored didn't suit her well, "Daniel stays out of whatever scheme you're planning". He scowled a little but seeing as Calliope was already tense, he thought it was best to finally just do what she said and stay put. She was tired these days and under a lot of strain, it didn't make him feel good to cause her stress.​
 
The bet Jennifer made with Milly seemed to have lift the girl’s anxiety, which was something that she hoped the bet would. Milly was just an anxious and scared girl. The little things seemed to have made her happy, which was pleasant in this world where little things were all you could give, if you were lucky. But Jennifer was caught off guard when she made a bet with the doctor, Zelda, to have to drink apple juice instead of alcohol for an entire day if Archie has success in getting Cali to join her side. Zelda’s reaction caused Jennifer to start to try and hold back a laugh, something she hasn’t done in a long time. Zelda looked at her when Milly started to bawk like a chicken. Jennifer just shrugged her shoulders, tilting her head, smiling.

“Don’t break this girl’s heart if she wins the bet,” Jennifer said back, still trying to contain a laugh that did not want to be contained.

As soon as the two were done talking, Archie arrived with both Cali and a young boy. The air became uneasy for Jennifer, as her smile and laugh turned into a serious face of uncomfortablity. Walking in, Archie made a smart ass remark about Jennifer and Zelda being bad with words. And while he might have been right, as Jennifer lost a part of her that once was good with words and emotions, now she was too uneasy to laugh, as Cali stared her down with a piercing glare. She knew Cali was not happy to see her, and she didn’t quite understand why she disliked her so much. She had done nothing worth the dislike she received from her. But then again, some people just hate and they aren’t sure why.

Cali spoke to Jennifer with that piercing stare. She explained she wasn’t happy about what they were doing, but Archie explained how it was against her best interests to do so. That, and she explained that she didn’t want the young boy, whose name she said was Daniel (which Jennifer could only assume was her younger brother), would not take part in anything with the plan. Jennifer just nodded her head, and look away, licking her lips before she got down to business, again.

“Okay, all I need is a distraction of two guards who could see my slip into the parking area, and for someone to stand outside where the gate is to try and make sure no one goes in there and let me know if I can exit without being seen, that’s all. I’m going in and getting to my truck. The weapons are in there. It’s a simple plan. Distractions are simply what I need. Who does what is up for you all to decide. We need to do it when guards change so we can get all guards distracted at 10. I’ll allow you to decide who does what. But tonight, at 10, we go all in.”

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Zelda Williams ​
Zelda opened her mouth to retaliate but upon hearing Jennifer's words, the woman simply sighed and ran her hands down her face. "Ack... Fine! But I'll do it tomorrow if he comes back with the girl. But seriously, it's not going to... Aw shit." She saw the Scotsman strutting in happily with the girl and her brother in tow. She saw how the girl had glared at Jennifer, annoying the woman. Coupled with what the girl said next about not being happy about it, Zelda sighed gruffly. "And I wanted to be a six-foot wrestler named Moe but, hey we don't always get what we want and just gotta suck it up." She said as she gave the girl a strained smirk when in reality she really just wanted to let loose. But she couldn't, this was far more important than her own stupid feelings.

She then looked at Archie as he made a comment about her looking put out. "...Hangover and wasted. Why wouldn't I look like a fu- um... darn burst boot?" She caught herself as she glanced at the boy, her mum-instincts kicking in for a few brief moments. She took another, smaller sip from the flask before putting it away for good this time. Despite the urge to down the whole thing overriding her mind, she had to be somewhat alert to listen in on what Jennifer wanted to say.

As Jennifer, again, laid out the plan, Zelda nodded occasionally. As she finished, Zelda made a "Hrmph." sound as she looked to Archie. "Hm... I guess I could take it. I'm already on their hit list for... other things, they'll definitely react if I'm doing anything. The only problem I can think of is that they might just fill me with holes. But... hey, whatever will be will be, right?" she added, getting some more lollipops from her bag and handing them to Milly, who seemed a little shaken by what she just said. "Better it's me than any of you if that happens." She knew fine well this was going against what Jennifer had just said to her about others caring about her, but as she had just recovered from her suicide attempt the night before and it all being clear as day to her how she felt before Archie had intervened. Despite what both Archie and Jennifer had done, it was going to take a lot more than a few kind words to break it. If they could somehow bring Jason and Mark back, that would be a start.

Milly McDonald​
Milly could not stop herself from laughing a little at Zelda's moodiness but she still agreed to what she had said. Something, Milly was not expecting. Maybe the woman was not as unreasonable as she had previously thought. But it was seeing Archie return that really made the girl happy, her getting up from her seat and instantly grabbing the man in a bear-hug. Despite him only being gone a few minutes, she was still happy to see him. And the sight of both Cali and her brother made her gasp happily at both Jennifer and Zelda, though the doctor seemed less than happy to see them back. As Archie questioned Milly on what was wrong with Zelda, she giggled slightly, "I said if you did get Cali to come back-" she briefly looked at Zelda as she grumbled a bitterly sarcastic response, to which Milly blew a raspberry at her before looking back to Archie "She's being moody cause now she has to drink apple juice for a whole day."
"Tomorrow!" Zelda snapped.
"Yes, tomorrow but still!"
"Urgh..." Zelda grumbled, "Don't even like apple juice..."
"What do you like then?"
"W-"
"Can't start with a 'w' though!" Milly caught her.
"Bah! You little-! Fine, orange juice is that okay?"
"Yup." Milly chirpped happily.
"...Does it have to be the whole day?"
"Yes!"
"Okay, okay calm your beans..." She looked at Archie, "...You're enjoying this aren't you?"

Milly then settled down as she listened to Jennifer and then Zelda talk about the plan. She wriggled a little in Archie's grip, looking at both him and Jennifer. "So... what do I do? I wanna help." she said before looking to the boy, and, wanting to make friends with him, took one of the small lollipops Zelda had given her and tried to hand it to him. All she could hope was that her one grey eye and the few scars on her face didn't scare him. It had happened before. Maybe that was why she could never have friends when she was younger. But... it wasn't too late to try, was it?
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ARCHIE "THE SCOTSMAN" MCKEEGAN​
As Milly flung her arms around him, Archie returned the long hug. Pulling her up till she was on her tiptoes, the big lumberjack resting a cheek against the top of her head. "I wasn't gone that long, you numpty." He began to chuckle, before letting his jovial expression lift upwards to Zelda and Jennifer. "All right, all right. I'll go with you, Jen. I'll watch your back, just don't shoot me again and we're fair." McKeegan was then distracted by the enthusiastic remark from the girl he still held tight, the discussion turning to bickering back and forth with no other than the Doctor. Although he tried to keep a straight face for the most of it, he couldn't help let a few twitches past his lips -- wavering as they listened in to the surprising confidence Milly spoke aloud with. She was getting better; the thought made his heart well.

He grinned at Zed on the other hand, as she turned to face him. "Just a little bit." The burly man coughed, keeping down bubbling guffaws. "Don't bet against McDonald, she's a dark horse in the gamblin' world." With Milly's wiggle he loosened his hold and met Calliope's gaze. "I told you, sweetheart. Danny-boy is gonnae be alright. As long as he stays with Milly here and behaves himself. He won't be involved with anythin'. I trust Jen, and she knows what she's on about." McKeegan gave Jennifer a light punch on the arm, "She's a good lass. Might not seem it when she's all scowlin', but damn it! This one is a diamond in the rough if ever I saw one." He then caught Jen in a headlock and continued to viciously ruffle her hair in odd, masculine affection.

"And Zed," He pointed at her with a comical threat of 'you're next'. "Don't talk shit about gettin' yourself killed. Or me and Dan the Man will come a rough you up. Ain't that right Daniel?" He let go of Jennifer and kneeled beside the boy, flexing his biceps with a humorous grin. "We got it covered, matey. You and I, we'll take out these girlies by the legs. Apart from Milly, 'cause she's a goddamn princess. These three are all old crones." He snorted, insinuating Jen, Zed, and Cali.

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Daniel chuckled behind Calliope at Archie's jokes, and his chuckling brought Calliope back to reality. She sighed to herself, "So, whose doing what?" She still wasn't fully on board with the plan, but they couldn't spend all afternoon hatching out ideas, "Archie said he wouldn't mind going with Jen, and she said she'd distract some guards," Calliope looked to the woman apologetically, not having been introduced yet, "so that means we still need one more distraction?" She didn't want to be the distraction, but she knew she could do it if she had to. Her acting skills were a little rusty since high school theater club but seeing as her choices were narrowing down she figured she could pull out some old Grease or Footloose. She wasn't sure if Jen needed two, but from what she understood, that's it sounded like.
Daniel looked at Milly as she approached and had the initial urge to back away, her appearance deterring him from interaction. But he knew if she were any type of danger, Calliope would've pushed her away and she hadn't moved as she got closer; so by his inductive reasoning, she was safe despite her looks. He smiled to her warmly, taking the lollipop from her and jamming it in his pocket. He wished had had picked up some sweets on their travels but they were hard to find outside the walls. His ears perked up at the sound of Calliope talking about a distraction and he yanked on her arm,
"Cali, the radio," He stepped in front of her, taking center stage and projecting his voice to the group, "I've been working on a radio that emits a loud screech. The colony had one in the apartment they lent to us but it was broken, so by reconnecting the wires and using silly puddy to fasten them together, it emitted a screech because the volume stick is gone. At a lower volume it would be static." He was nerding out and Calliope forced herself to stay serious. Her inner sister was trembling with pride; look at my little bro go.
"I thought that this was bad and I've been trying to fix it, but it could be helpful if you need a distraction. It's not loud enough to attract hoardes of zombies but certainly loud enough to grab someone's attention and become annoying, especially if someone were to make it seem like it's their fault." He balled his hands into fists dramatically, "Turn off this racket! What are you guys doing?! Why are you at this time of night?! Have you no respect?!"
Calliope grinned and looked at Archie as if he had a hand directly in making Daniel come out of his shell. If he started doing acrobatics and doing naked girl graffiti on people's buildings next, she'd blame Archie for his teenager-esque behavior. But his plan didn't seem so ridiculous, risky though. If they could create a big enough scene about the sudden noise, and maybe even lead the guards to where they think the noise is coming from, that could give them quite a bit of time.

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With everyone there, they all started offering their hand at the roles they could fill. Archie stated that he would go with Jennifer. This, however, wasn’t what she wanted him, or anyone for that matter, to do.

“No,” Jennifer immediately responded to him. “I go alone. More people in there with me means more of a chance of getting caught. It’ll be easier for me to go in and out by myself. I don’t want to put you in harms way by going with me. I know that it’s the most dangerous thing in this plan because of the fact That I have no idea who’s in there, if anyone is. I go alone, I sneak in myself, get what I need and get out.”

As she finished, Milly and Zelda started another back and forth. The back and forth between Zelda had caught the attention of everyone in the room. Archie especially had a hard time keeping himself from laughing at the exchange. Jennifer herself tittered at the exchange, keeping a slight smile as she watched. Though she couldn’t help but look down during the exchange towards the end. She knows there could be potentially severe consequences for the actions that they were going to take. She didn’t want to endanger anyone here. She didn’t want to kill anyone. Additionally, she didn’t want to have herself killed or taken away before her father wakes up, whenever that would be. But Jennifer knew she couldn’t sit around any longer and let this keep going. There was something good here, and it could be gone if someone doesn’t do something. They need an alibi should there be questioning.

While Jennifer was pondering this part of the plan, she heard Archie talking to Cali about her. She looked up with a concerned look still present from her previous thought, but smiled at what he said about her, albeit the smile didn’t last long, and her previous train of thought came back from where it was interrupted. However, this was also interrupted when Archie grabbed her in a headlock and ruffled her hair. Jennifer laughed from this, and felt an odd feeling from it as Archie let go.

Family.

It had been awhile since the brunette had the word come into her mind. While she had her father again, it wasn’t quite the “family” she was thinking of. Some of the people around her, Milly and Archie specifically, started to give off a feeling of family, a feeling as if they were part of hers. While they hadn’t known each other for too terribly long, they had been through a lot together so far. It was an odd feeling when strangers become family. The content feeling they gave her she wanted to fight off, especially after all of the people she’s lost in the past. She didn’t want to suffer the heartbreak of losing more people she considered family. Perhaps that’s why the girl didn’t want to get too close or personable with others. Potentially that’s why she was so frequently closed off from them, preventing them from really getting to know her. But as time went on, and she interacted with them more, the more they felt like family to her.

Daniel, the young boy that Jennifer pieced together was Cali’s brother, stepped forward with a device he had played around with. The kid was young and handy. He was intelligent too, being able to make this radio do that. He was also eager to be a part of this plan, unlike his sister. Though, as Jennifer watched and listened to him, in the back of her head, his personality started to remind her of someone she lost at a young age and who she was best friends with: her brother. Jennifer’s brother had a curiosity to him that made him tinker with everything he got at his young age. He liked to take things apart, see how they worked, and then put them back together. Sometimes, he made his own contraptions with little toys and objects he had. And just looking at this boy, it brought back some of the emotions buried deep inside from when he died st such a young age, and the pain she felt. She fought these feelings she had suppressed for far too many years, but the boy reminded her of him.

As she fought it, the boy let out a dramatic depiction of what people might say in a cheesy movie. This prompted Jennifer to chuckle, and put away her emotions once more, as she needed to step up again and speak. She had been so good at throwing emotions in the back of her head when needed. This might have worked against her, consequently contributing to the mental and emotional decay of herself after so much trauma in her life. Regardless, she needed to speak.

“Daniel,” she said looking at the boy, “this could really help if I need a distraction once I slip in. If you don’t mind, I’d like to take your cool gadget and use it to help me get away, if the need arises and I need a distraction.” The girl gave him a quick, playful poke when she spoke about his “cool gadget.”

“Now, everyone,” the girl started as she faced everyone else, “there’s more people here than I anticipated. We have extra hands, and I think maybe we ca consider some other options here to make this plan go smoothly. Does anyone have binoculars and radios? I’m thinking that someone can get on top of the housing building, and maybe give me some eyes on the area around me and if anyone was there. The radio would help you communicate with me and tell me what you see. That could be useful. Otherwise, distractions will still be needed. I’ll also need help carrying the weapons to a safe place, which brings up another issue. Where are we going to store the guns? Is there some hidden place under floorboards that anyone knows about, or some place no one would look or know about? We can’t have these guns in the open until we need them. Lastly, we need have have an alibi for me that we all agree on. While everyone else will be visible, more or less, I won’t be. I’ll be unaccounted for. And we need to agree on some sort of alibi for me. Maybe we could have me waiting in Zelda’s room so she can check on me because I need to see her because something to do with my surgery. Or something that would put me in a place where no one could dispute the claim.”

“This,” Jennifer said as she took a deep breath in, “is all the plan that I have so far. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas? If we’re a team on this one, we need to shoot ideas around if we have them. This being success rests on all of us doing our parts and working together. So, any ideas or things to add? If not, then get prepared to do it tonight.”

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Milly McDonald​
Milly winced slightly as Daniel initially did not accept her offering of the lollipop and looked away for a second, feeling slightly deflated. Maybe she was too unappealing. But when the boy then took up her offer, making her smile. She looked towards Archie as he assured Cali that she would help watch Daniel, to which Milly grinned at him and nodded. She did not really pay attention to what Jennifer then said next, given it did not concern her. But when she mentioned she wanted to do it alone, Milly tilted her head worryingly. "But... what if you get hurt?" she asked quietly, slightly hesitant about asking this question. She knew how Jennifer felt about people getting hurt, but still... she did not want the woman to get hurt or killed. Milly had not told the girl but... she almost felt like she was, some kind of older sister to her. And Milly had always wanted a sister. Milly looked at the ground, before getting up from her seat (groaning slightly from the pain in her back and knees) and went over to sit next to Jennifer. Without saying a word, she put her arms around the woman in some kind of side hug. No real reason. But she did want to get her feelings across, even though Milly had never been good with words in the first place. Zelda, still unsettled by what Archie had said, simply stared out the window, sipping at her flask. She meant what she said. And she was not going to backpedal now.

Zelda Williams​
As Zelda sipped at her flask, staring blankly at the window, rather than out it, she could not stop herself from rethinking everything. How could she have un-done all her own and others' hard work? Thinking back to her younger days in Harvard, she would never have dreamed that this would have happened. Harvard... Bah. There was no way anyone would believe her if she mentioned it. She would not have done so well if she did not have her mother, Elizabeth there to support her. Just the thought of the woman was enough to make Zelda tear up slightly, not that she showed it to the others. She missed her terribly. It came as such a shock when she died. Her father had died in a car crash three years prior, but at least the two women had each other to comfort one another. But when Elizabeth had died, it was too much for her to cope with. The woman had died of a heart attack while Zelda was absent. The only source of comfort she had was the knowledge that she was pregnant with a girl and had planned to name her Eliza or Lizzy after her grandmother. But that never came to be.

Her memory flashed back to that awful day. After two days of labor, exhausted and weak she heard nothing but the soft, somber whispers from the doctors. They looked distraught. All she could remember was her asking the question, "Where is she? Where's my baby?" before a midwife squeezed her hand and mournfully told her the dreadful news. A stillborn. Even today, Zelda still felt the urge to scream the way she had upon hearing it. After that... it was over. Everything fell apart. She tore herself to pieces trying to figure out what happened. She must have done something wrong to cause this to happen. If she had been with Elizabeth, she could have most likely have saved her. Surely she had done something to cause Lizzy to die. She could not remember the real reason, but it must have been something she had done. Just like how she caused Jason and Mark to die.

She took a moment to turn around and look at the small group. She had seen how Archie had given Jennifer a noogie and played with the younger boy, Daniel. And now Milly was hugging Jennifer like an older sister. Almost like... well, a family. Just the mere thought of that was enough to make the woman turn away again, not wanting to look at them. Everyone she had loved was dead. Except for her. Not that she loved herself, if anything it was the complete opposite. Why couldn't have she died in a car crash? Or had a heart attack? Or... was stillborn? At least that way it would have meant none of this would have happened. But... with the job she now had to distract the guards, who were violent and ready to shoot anything that moved... she had a chance to complete the cycle. Part of her wanted to lash out at the group. Make them hate her. At least that way she could not hurt them. It felt like she had a toxic presence. Any remotely good thing in her proximity would cease to be. Taking another sip from the flask, she went back to dully staring at the window. She didn't care. She stopped caring a long time ago.

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ARCHIE "THE SCOTSMAN" MCKEEGAN​
The Scotsman appeared more than interested in the device young Daniel had put together, getting a closer look whilst he could. "You oughta teach me some of that. Got a good head on those shoulders, don't lose it." McKeegan smiled, gently punching Dan on the arm before meeting Calliope's momentary gaze. "That is if the lady says its alright with her." He winked, retaining the charismatic grin that could make the man seem as innocent as apple pie. He was a family man through and through, however, that much was certain in the manner of how he conducted himself. The ease at which he interacted with Milly and Daniel, even Jennifer and Zelda. Considering the older women were more of a handful in comparison. He had a heart too big for his chest and it was a wonderful, warm thing to experience in times of such dark hardship. The sort of fella who could make the worst situation seem just slightly better.

Jen replied with a 'no'. McKeegan arching his brow as he listened to her excuse which swiftly moved on into the plan. "I'll wait outside then." He butted in, intently gazing at Jennifer whilst his arms crossed defiantly across his chest. "You can't go completely alone. What if somethin' happens? You're like a bloody senior citizen. Old age can kill." There was a smile before he shook his head. "Just let me lend a hand, huh? That's what I'm here to do. Getting in trouble or not, It's not somethin' to make you do alone, lass." He beseeched, eyes wider to emphasise. "I'll even put the guns somewhere safe. A place where nobody is gonna take a second glance."

Zelda, on the other hand, he wasn't sure he wanted to be involved. The woman was delicate; vulnerable. Even if she didn't want to show it, her eyes betrayed thought as they stared into nothingness. Vaguely flickering with the echo of emotion. The big man wandered up, wrapping an arm around the Doctor's shoulders and pulling her tight against his chest with a cuddle. Like a passive, normal display of affection. He bent his knees to get closer to her level, using his fingers to gently pinch her cheek. "I ain't leavin' you be till it's the end of time, Lilypad. So you better turn that frown upside-down or I'll have to do somethin' drastic. And in front of all these people, I doubt you want them to hear how you giggle like a right little girl." Archie teased.

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Daniel was thoroughly excited at everyone's willingness to accept his help. It was a welcomed change compared to how he and Calliope had been conducting themselves up until this point. He smiled to Milly, albeit a little confused by her he had ascertained she was no threat; just weird. His face only seemed grow more colorful as Jen complimented his idea and Archie punched his arm playfully. Daniel pulled the bulky contraption from his hoodie pocket. It was as big as an old radio that grandparents used to put on their nightstands and looked well worn. Daniel shrugged and handed it to Archie, "It needs batteries. I used the batteries out of our flashlight but they died." Some of the nobs were missing on the machine and only thin, strips of metal jutted out in their place.
Calliope watched him guiltily, a familiar ache forming in her chest. She felt the lingering fear and guilt of trying to cage Daniel for his safety, suffocate her. She ignored it and stepped forward callously, "If Daniel stays with Milly, where he's safe, I think I should be the one to be look out on the roof," She looked around the room, her eyes resting only briefly on Archie's warm and determined smile, "Considering I'm not a 100% okay with this plan, I think it'd be better if I wasn't directly involved with it," She shifted uncomfortably on her feet, feeling the weight of failure o her shoulders, "But are you sure you're able to haul a load of guns in your condition?" She aimed her question at Jen with much less malice as she had earlier. Slowly, she was trying to tear down the walls she herself had built, but it was easier said than done. It felt like leaving herself open to ridicule,
"Not to doubt your intentions or abilities, but if something happens can you run? How quickly can you get the guns from point A to point B? Do we run a risk with you?" She hated being the bad guy and sounding so cruel, but she felt like it was a question that needed to be addressed and a question that was on everyone's mind.

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