Fantasy The Last Judgement

[Hell0NHighWater]

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[/div][div class=statusText]Location: Ford F150;That sexy beast
Tags: Ken BasiliskVeranda Other Blessed Boi Artificial Angel The Sprite in the Back JustAki
Mentions: The Merry Band of Misfits
BGM: Everybody
OOC: Rhys is having a good time okay? Leave my poor baby alone
[/div][/div][div class=title]Rhys Contiello[/div][div class=text]
He fixed him with that same mildly annoyed expression, his right eyebrow twitching up a little further than the left. "Love is a bit of a stretch. It's more of like a forced tolerance." He muttered, matching Nik's gaze head on before the man returned his focus back to the road. The grin that threatened to split his face in half concerned Rhys enough to think that maybe that mumbo jumbo of words the sprite in the back spouted was something he really should have known. He didn't dwell on it for too long because that insistent ear-grating chorus was making him want to eject the CD out the window along with that stupid Christian album.

He forced himself not to jump to conclusions though, there could be a redeemable song somewhere on here.
"Okay, Ken, I'm changing the channel." Before my ears start to bleed...

The disk whirled for a second in the drive and Rhys looked up just in time to catch an expression he would have never thought to have seen on Nik's face. His smile was almost bashful, a demur little slant that made the air between them grow thick with a tenderness that couldn't help but make him breathe slower, deeper, and for a second not at all. His gaze darted to the backpack sandwiched between his legs, grateful that it hadn't been lost earlier in the scuffle. He bent down to grab it, pulling the onyx bag to his lap and opened it without a seconds hesitation. Rhys peered into the gloom, reaching in to pull out a family size bag of chips? A tiny chuckle escaped him, reading the block-letter font across the front.

"That reindeer in a suit was carrying this!?" He gave a crooked little smile as he held up the chip bag so that the rest of the car could see 'DIRITOS' written in warbled text. "We're eatin' like Kings tonight, boys....and girl." He amended the last part quickly before dissolving into another fit of momentary laughter. He couldn't believe this. It had to be some joke. Rhys opened the bag, listening to the holy sound of the plastic tearing open just before the salty smell of chips wafted into the car. The mating call his stomach made reminded Rhys of just how hungry he had been. When was the last time he actually ate something? Shit, he couldn't even remember the last time he had a proper meal. Rhys adjusted his sunglasses as they slipped down the bridge of his nose, reaching into the bag to pop a chip into his mouth. The flavor was as if he had been allowed to taste heaven itself, yet so sinfully delicious that it begged him to eat more. He tapped the bag against Nik's shoulder, "Want some of this?" He waited for the reply and the inevitable consumption of a chip before he passed the bag to the back seat.

"Here, eat some of these. They'll tide you over till we can get something else."

Rubbing the chip dust off his fingers, he returned his focus to the radio again, not even focusing on what song had been playing (presumably something with a techno beat, he didn't know) and pressed skip again. An electro crescendo followed by the pulsing of a beat had a genuine grin spreading across his lips. Automatically, he cracked the volume up until the bass of the truck was vibrating lightly against them. His shoulders moved from side to side in a bit of a mock dance, unable to move freely in the confines of the seat. As the first word hit, Rhys mouthed along, his left hand doing some sort of expressive movement. His head nodded to the beat almost instinctively, a half smirk forming on his lips as he lip synced the first chorus with frightening accuracy.

"Am I original?" Rhys used his pointer finger to slide the aviators down so that he was looking at Nik over the rim, his voice now mixing with that of the song as he sang. Considering he hadn't done it in so many years, he was surprised that his voice hardly cracked at all.

Rhys turned in his seat, now looking at the two in the back still somehow dancing stationary to a song that was almost triple his age. "Am I the only one?" The rich timbre of his voice rang throughout the truck and on any other occasion he might have been a bit self conscious of it. But here, now, in this moment, he was having more fun than he had had in years and frankly couldn't find the energy to care. He turned back around, pushing his sunglasses up with a deft flick of a finger. His childish grin morphed into something way more adult, oozing with a suggestive connotation that should have sent him straight to hell.

"Am I sexual?" The purr to his voice coupled with the way he rolled his hips on each syllable, right arm raised to the roof of the car to help leverage himself, only added to the display. He plopped his ass back onto the leather seat with a shit eating grin, still moving a little from side to side with the beat of the song.
He turned the volume down just a little, leaning forwards a bit in the process to whisper, "Still wanna go for that ride?"

And then he was cackling.

A booming sound that forced him to double over until the laughter was nothing more than ragged panting. He placed one hand against the side of his head, removing the shades to wipe at the tears in his eyes.
Was it sad that he couldn't remember the last time he had laughed this much? Or the last time he had let his guard down enough to laugh? Banter was one thing, but the fact that he felt comfortable enough to not be constantly nagged by the dangers of the world around him was a feat in of itself.

The only person he could blame was the devil in the driver's seat.

Movement out of Nik's window moved his attention past the man and to the station wagon that was driving up alongside them. He saw the familiar flash of Alaska's brunette hair and gave her a little half wave, just two fingers, almost like a salute. He also saw James in the passenger seat and was that Stella back there somewhere? Rhys' lips parted to comment when her challenge floated into his ears.
''I bet that old beat up sad excuse of a truck doesn't stand a chance in front of my brand new wagon!"
His left brow twitched, a seriousness replacing the jolly, almost youthful, look he had on just moment earlier. His azure orbs narrowed on the huntress, practically leaning over Nik from the passenger seat.

"You just insulted my truck, sweetheart. This is my jurisdiction and that isn't gonna stand." His 'a's drew themselves out with the threat, the New Yorker in him coming out in one unconstrained flurry of vowels. His head moved so fast that if he had longer hair it might have whipped Nik in the face. Their noses were centimeters apart, but the closeness either didn't phase him or he didn't register it. There was a fire that ignited deep in those blue eyes of his and he'd be dammed if he let her win and insult his truck.

"Pull over, Ken boy, I'm driving." A shark like grin spread across his face and in that second he really didn't resemble an angel at all.
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[Epiphany]

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[/div][div class=statusText]Location: An old Shell Station
Tags: Lekiel [/div][/div][div class=title]Emma Treadstone[/div][div class=text]
On the back of the motorcycle, Emma found herself underway somewhere without being in charge of the direction or course. For the first time in a year or more, she was a passenger. And she took the moment given to close her eyes and rest her head against Reverie's back as she clung closely to the other woman.

She'd nearly lost her soul. Emma had seen her share of the black-eyed demons, wielding corpses and even still-animate bodies like a weapon. But she'd never had one try for her. To be fair, it might not have if she hadn't put herself between it and its prey. The horror of it, the weight and feel of it pressed against her mind and body, the thick molasses of its length still stuck to her, a residue of stickiness imagined more than real. No, not imagined but not something any amount of washing could remove. Only time. Time and distance from the moment a monster almost made her a monster.

Again. Now more than ever, Emma realized how much she'd changed in the last year. While those changes had been underway for sometime, it'd taken a face to face with a demon to see the woman she'd become. And yet she was still Emma Treadstone. Still the woman who'd killed so many. Burned so many people alive, watching them scream and bat uselessly at flames she would never allow to ebb. She'd watched and smiled then. And for a moment, just a few minutes ago, that demon might have made her that way again.

But it hadn't. The brunette in front of her had saved her, after a fashion. Perhaps God's power alone would have won, in the end, and if not it would have been her failing to be worthy of it. The golden glow of Reverie's own magic meant the question never needed to be asked, though. It'd trapped the demon. Yet, even now, Emma realized that hadn't been the intent. She'd sensed it in the moment of casting and knew Reverie had meant to shield her from pain, had actually borne pain that might have been hers otherwise. Who would do that? Emma wanted to, tried to save others but she never imagined someone would try to save her. Want to save her. Would risk themselves for her.

The two women drove for a time and gradually Emma became aware of the hair in her face. Reverie's hair, unbound and wild in the wind. It held the scent of hard nights, a long time since a proper shampoo and yet it wasn't unpleasant, the smell of this woman's hair. As the scent penetrated her recovering mind, Emma realized how warm her companion was. How surreal that warmth was. How long had it been since she'd really touched another human being? A few, here and there, over the last year. Mostly the briefest of reassurances, the occasional hug of someone who inevitably died. Not this sustained contact. Not the feel of softness and the strength that came from self-reliance pressing back.

Reverie's sudden request for a hairband brought a smile to Emma's face. The redhead loosed one of her arms and slid a hand across a hip back to the back pocket in question. It felt strange. Just touching someone else. If this had been any other locale, the sheer proximity would be unbearably intimate. The road calmed such apprehension. Out here, the roar of the wind was its own silence and even Reverie's breaking of it lacked the force it would otherwise have.

Emma's fingers dipped into the pocket and quickly secured the hairband. Wordlessly, she reached up and bound Reverie's hair back up for her, fingers moving with a familiar grace despite the wind and the vibrations of the road. Because of that wind and road, though, Emma didn't do anything tricky but simply bound it back to keep it out of the driver's face.

"I think we all remind each other of someone," Emma said at last, responding to the second sentence as slowly as it had been asked. "Maybe the people we've known since it all happened. The people we lost, despite ourselves." Quiet for another moment, the redhead continued. "I thanked you, back there, for saving me. We have a little ways to drive. We have time. So I'd like to tell you something, if I can."

"Before all this happened, I wasn't a good woman. Wasn't a good human being. I did things that would get me the death sentence in most states. By the time Hell came to the world, I was well and truly deserving of it. The thought isn't lost on me that, if I had been caught and killed, I might be one of those black-eyed or red-eyed demons who broke free to invade." She smiled, though the expression couldn't possibly be shared with the driver. "But for some reason I lived. God gave me a second chance and I've used that to save those I could. It hasn't been many. It hasn't been nearly enough."

"And I'm telling you this because you just gave me a third chance. A chance to be better than I was. A chance to kill a few more of them and save a few more of us. A chance to inch a little further away from the pit of Hell my life dug me into and instead inch closer to the other guys. I don't know what you believe. I don't know if what I believe makes any sense to you, or if you care. But now you know a little more about who you saved and why what you did matters to me."

"So when I say thank you, when I say you saved me, you understand just how much that means to me."

Emma took a deep breath and let it out, finding no more words spilling out. She felt lighter and strangely hollow after expressing the heavy sentiment. The warmth of the other woman soothed the pain of each word. And when Emma reached up a hand to touch her own face, she found she was smiling so hard she couldn't stop. Endorphins from a near death experience, maybe. Or maybe this is what deliverance felt like.

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[Artificial Angel]

Terra

As Terra was chatting with Ventus, he said to Ventus, "I missed you, ya know. I wondered where you were but you just left like that. Quite disappointing, don't you think?". Ventus' eyes widened but he said in a sorry tone, "You know, there are somethings that sometimes leave without you knowing in life.", he said with low eyes. He continued with, "Such as happiness, one day it appears but the next day, it disappears with no warning.", as he looked up and saw the stars. "It's the memories of it while it was stil there make you happy.", he said with teary eyes. "How did you exist in the first place?", Terra asks in which Ventus responds with, "It was more like a punishment for me from the gods. I was banished to that shrine but you gave me company for my time.", as he looked at Terra with his blue eyes. "I had comitted a horrible deed from the heavens and was banished to Earth for at least 100 years which was the minimal amount.", he said with making a gesture from his hands indicating a small thing. "I went on a rampage in the heavens, killing everything in sight. After they have captured me, they stripped me of my strength.", Ventus said with regret.

As they were conversing, Terra began to hear a song, "Barbie Girl?", in which Ventus responded with, "Excuse me?". Even though Terra was out of his body, he could still hear the noise of his surroundings. "You know you should practice your spell that I gave you.", the man in white said to Terra. He responded with a 'nod' and proceeded to cast it. The light was suddenly absorbed from the land and changed into a aura around him. "I'll summon a dummy for you test on.", he said as a scarecrow appeared out of thin air. "Look at your enemy and make sure that you lock your sight towards it.", Ventus said as Terra looked at the scarecrow with fierce eyes and pointed his sword towards its. He felt his body floating and his sword dancing. It was spewing bullets that were shaped like meteors. He hold his sword and danced along with it. He then felt a rush of light enetering him and coming out of him. He realized he shot multiple bullets at the speed of light and was impressed with himself. The spell then stopped and Terra felt drained from casting it. "Impressive, you perfected it with no difficulty whatsoever.", Ventus said to him as he gave Terra some water to drink.

He then woke up inside the car, feeling drained. He tried his best to feel awake but he layed his head down on the shoulder of a man and slept with a slight smile on his face.
BasiliskVeranda

 

[JustAki]

Haruka was eating some of the chips when suddenly the car stop. 'Why did we stopped? Someone probably want to piss' she thought, not caring because all she want is to sleep. She looked outside of the window, only to see the car where the others where. She nodded to them as a greeting before dozing off.

Flashback

"Ha-ru-ka~" A voice called out, Haruka looked and what she saw is a girl with long blond hair. Oh she thought, eyes widened at the sight.

"Haruka~ How are you? Hmm, I was very busy, How about we catch up? " The girl said, closing her eyes and opening them, making Haruka gasped in horror as she saw her eyes, It was very mischievous. She felt the girl grabbed her hair and pushed her inside a locker. "Wha--What are you doing?! Someone, Open this up! " Haruka said trying not to move because the locker was very tight. Everything was dark and Haruka doesn't like it. Haruka was breathing hardly, she doesn't like the dark and the tightness of the locker. Haruka's plead was not heard, it was as if she didn't exist. "it's alright, don't cry, Haruka" She said, trying to cheer herself up.

She then felt her world spin, she then realized that she was in a dark space with many pictures. "This is-" memories, that was on the pictures. Every pictures contains her memory, from childhood to adulthood.

One of the picture contains a smiling Haruka who looks very happy for shooting 3 pigeons in one shot. She then turned to her right, only to see a picture of Haruka's parent arguing while Haruka is embracing her little brother, Natsume. She then turned to her left seeing a boy, around 8 years old, with black hair smiling while he plays with little Haruka. She turned to her right, seeing a picture that made her heart beat furiously. It was a picture of her beating a woman up. Her past self eyes was very dark. It was full of killing intent and what made it even more terrifying, that the girl was smiling widely at the pain of the woman. She doesn't know, she don't remember this. She tried to recall it but she doesn't remember, I it was as if something inside her was missing. "oh how I love the look in the womans face, how she cried for help but no one came" Someone whispered behind her making her look there, only to see nothing. She then heard a breathing in front of her, she turned her head slightly, only to see a girl who looks like her but with more sinister look. "Just like how you plead for help but no one went to help you" the girl said, circling Haruka. "Who, who are you?" Haruka asked, fist clenched and eyes sharpened.

"Me? I am you and you are me" The girl said, pushing Haruka down and making sure that she was the one who dominates. "What do you mean?" Haruka ask, struggling to get out of the girl's unbelievable strenght. "What a laughable attemp, you should just stay where you are, Glovering at my feet" The girl said, laughing before vanishing in sight.

Haruka suddenly woke up, face full of fear and breathing hard and fast. 'That was...interesting' She thought, looking down at her lap. She then chuckled a little bit before turning her face to the window and saw a reflection of the girl before but this time she looks lonely and her eyes looks dead, she looks tired. Haruka blinked and the girl disappeared.

 

[BasiliskVeranda]

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“To go wrong in one's own way is better than to go right in someone else's.”[/div]

[div class=handsomedevil]


NIKLAS LIAM VOSS

[div class=speakeasy]LOCATION:xxxx In the truck Rhys has a boner for.

OOC:xxxx backstreet boys???? LOL

TAGS:xxxx JustAki Artificial Angel Hell0NHighWater
BGM:xxxx actual tv static. I told you that this would break him and you just went for it like the hell mother you are.




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"Love is a bit of a stretch. It's more of like a forced tolerance." Nik shook his head at this response with irreverence beaming through their shared gaze. It was obvious that Rhys was having a good time, he wasn't fooling the blond part-time devil with his gruff words and agitated disposition. This was good for him. That display during the war they had just undertaken must have brought a toll down on the other man's shoulders. He seemed the type to take on the world's problems. Friendly banter with good company was something everyone needed. Even their prickly fearless leader.

"Okay, Ken, I'm changing the channel." Nik made a disappointed sound and then a large frown spread across his face. He really liked this old as all hell trashy-ass euroshit music. It was also great to dance to. But he got why it was grating...but that was half the fun. Or even three-quarters of the fun. Or maybe, actually, all of the fun.

Rhys had brought up a backpack onto his lap, and Nik's stomach probably audibly growled at that moment. That mystery meat in its dangerous vacuumed sealed plastic wrap had to have been rat with mold. It couldn't have been anything else. So hunger struck him, especially at that moment when he realized just what a treasure the man beside him had unearthed.

"That reindeer in a suit was carrying this!?" It was a bag of chips. It was a fucking bag of chips. They were probably borderline stale, but it was a bag of chips, and Nik's eyes had gone as wide as saucers, his mouth gaping at the beauty of it all. Fucking...'diritos'? What kind of off-brand bullshit is this? he thought for a moment. And then, the idea of cheese and salt and corn chips dashed that away. He made a noise with his mouth, which was something along the lines of a satisfied, muted, short murmur. Not unlike you'd hear in very compromising circumstances, cut short. Chips.

"Uh..."

"We're eatin' like Kings tonight, boys....and girl." This was turning into an actual, honest-to-God roadtrip. With snacks. He had been wrong, they had snacks. God, what he wouldn't give for some lays potato chips right now though. Or some dumplings from Queens, from that old guy Yuen who had a little cart outside. Perfectly crisp and pan-fried, with pork and veggies in the middle, moist and fluffy, hearty and divine. That was one of the things he missed most about the time before. The absolutely exquisite food from New York. He missed curry. He missed the endless fucking pasta bowls. He missed juice bars. He missed Starbucks.

But at least, now, they had...diritos. And that was a treasure he didn't think he'd see in his new lifetime of darkness, danger and destruction.

"Want some of this? Rhys offered the blond some of the off-brand cheese-and-salt-and-corn-chip goodness and he dug his free hand in there to very, very ungracefully fill his mouth with the stuff. He made sure not too take too much, crunching loudly, his eyes lidded, a look of pure ecstasy on his face. Cheese. Chips. Salt.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you...." was about all he could say between loud bites. Then his fingers came to his mouth and he licked every single one of them, aggressively. He would not waste this. This was perfection in a small triangular shape.


He thought for a moment on the others. He thought of James, specifically in that moment. He'd have loved some of these. When that idea played in his mind, offering something so simple but so wonderful, he thought how all their lives would've been like if they had met before and none of this hell, this brimstone, these rolling flames and toothed beasts, had ever enacted on their green and blue sphere floating in space.

Would they have had times like this, and often? He thought so, and it warmed his smile.

Since no one had given him the go-ahead with the cigarette, Nik took matters into his own hands and switched to his right hand to roll the window down enough to blow smoke out of it. He made sure it was just a crack, so they wouldn't freeze to death, and flicked his be-sparkled, boisterous lighter on, the cigarette now between his lips. This would certainly be some kind of insane maneuver, to drive while pressing one's lips against the small space he had given himself, but he was growing listless for the nicotine that had been tapering in waves, out of his system, for a while now.

He pulled the awkward move, inhaling deeply, his chest rising, and then shoved his face in the small inlet, exhaling a trail of smoke into the frosty air outside. He maintained his eye on the road, which was a feat in and of itself, and sat for a beat. Driving forward. He had done this enough times, as Olivia had hated the smell of cigarette smoke, but had loved spliffs. He didn't quite get that, but he guessed the weed cancelled the other one out, or something.

Had...cancelled the other one out.

Rhys was changing the music, and Nik silently prayed for more ridiculous ancient beats from a time when synthesizers were a new and amazing technology. They had had such better tech as time went on, that it was almost mind-blowing. But he couldn't say he didn't hold a candle for simpler times. A nostalgia for an era he had never lived in, but had wished to. Alaska, in some way, wished the same. He remembered her speaking about it while she had been trying to keep him tethered. A simpler, simpler time.

Rhys had changed it, and the song that came on was absolutely a band he would not have rescued from the annuls of history. His mouth fell open when the other man started lip-syncing to that God-awful garbage, but Nik was now too distracted staring at him as he danced in his seat. He had never expected this side of him, and had never expected him to know all the lyrics to this bloody boy band from hell's smash hit. This had been Henry's mainstay. They had all loved the old and eclectic, but he loved the boy band bops.

Nik looked shocked, lips parted slightly, as he took in the display. He was singing now. Oh God, lord in heaven that he cursed and didn't believe in, he was fucking singing it.

"Am I original?" Why. Stop.
"Am I sexual?" Nik's brain started to do something quite peculiar. The situation was comical, of course, they were all having a wondrous time. With the chips, and the glasses, and the dancing, with their genial passengers in the back seat, with this "ham sandwich" sitting next to him dancing in place. Laughs all around, smiles, but Nik's grin was completely swept off his face. He sat there, driving, as his mind went to some dark corner, digging into the recesses of his lizard brain, and he gawked.

Instantly his head jerked forward and he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He was not going to look at this display. Rhys was calling his bluff in the worst way and Nik's cigarette was threatening to break between his teeth. He wasn't looking. He wasn't going to look. Nope, no. Absolutely not, not at the gyrating which was far, far too much for their car ride. Which he was now thinking was actually hell, as he was in a confined space with this sadistic fucker. Who didn't know he was being a sadist, at this very moment.

There was a reason Diana and Nik had worked out so well. It wasn't just their shared interests, or how their personalities had played off one another, or how beautiful, intelligent, or fun she was. It wasn't just the curve of her neck, her deep, deep gaze, or the swell of various assets that had ensnared him. None of that, specifically, but the way she talked to him, and the way she never backed down from a challenge, and always tried to one-up his ridiculous antics.

She was the one who called his bluff, she partied hard or not at all, she stuck him in uncomfortable situations, she did the same thing to him that he did to other people. Affectionately, but a bit sadistically. Like this shit was doing to him without probably understanding it. With the blasted music that he would, actually, very much like to fling out the window like the Christian CD. And whatever the hell he was doing in his seat.

Rhys leaned in to whisper into his ear and his head shot back but it was too late, the words left his lips, and Nik's brain flatlined. It completely folded in on itself, and he wore a vacant, yet almost horrified look.

"Still wanna go for that ride?" He swerved around a rock that he had no reason to swerve around, gripped the steering wheel more tightly, and smoked like the cigarette owed him money. You bastard.

"....Ah..." That wasn't even a word.

Alaska, in all her glory as his new home-state, rumbled beside them in her station wagon—and saved his mind for a full-on dip into nothingness. She belted out the window, and Nik smiled. Happy to see her in high spirits, she deserved nothing less. He caught a glimpse of James in the back and gave him a wave—hoping he'd see him.

''I bet that old beat up sad excuse of a truck doesn't stand a chance in front of my brand new wagon!"
He was about to make a quippy remark, but Rhys cut him off by leaning over him and Nik very nearly stopped staring—or trying to stare—at the road. Instead, his eyes looked up at the ceiling, counting his brain cells dying with each passing moment.

"You just insulted my truck, sweetheart. This is my jurisdiction and that isn't gonna stand."
"Wh--"
"Pull over, Ken boy, I'm driving." Nik's mouth became a straight line, his eyes blanking as he looked at Rhys, then the road, then Alaska, then back at Rhys again. This was a bad idea. Even he knew it was a bad idea. This would not end well.

"Guess I can't stop you. You gotta' defend your sweetheart's honor, after all," he said with a snort. Men and cars, always cars. Henry had been the same. But there was nothing like a motorcycle, absolutely nothing.

Nik pulled over and hopped out of the car, the chill scraping at his arms and sending pain into his wounds. They'd need to be treated when they got there, wherever "there" was. Rhys' too, of course. He wondered how many other people were injured, and hoped for the best. With his arms wrapped around himself, he warmed his body with movement, and rounded to the other side. He got in to ride shotgun, closed his door, locked it for safety reasons, strapped on his fucking seat belt, and started to slide down into the seat.

The cigarette was pointed at a forty-five degree angle, and he was no longer bothering to filter it out the window, instead trying to brace himself against the corner of the now locked door, because this wasn't going to be a great time. It was one thing to be speeding around on his own motorcycle, he trusted himself to drive. And it wasn't that he didn't trust Rhys, but Alaska and Rhys together, trying to beat one another, in a duel of vehicles, was definitely something he didn't trust.

"Hold on kids," he said to the pair on the back.

"Put on your fucking seat belts." He didn't want to mistrust Rhys' driving skills. But anything could happen. Anything. Hellbent on defending his "sweetheart's" honor, Nik wasn't sure what this jaunt held for any of them. Alaska certainly wouldn't back down either. And they'd be running through fuel all the same.

Fuck.

[/div][/div]
[div class=biggie]
[div class=speakeasy]“The man who has a conscience suffers whilst acknowledging his sin. That is his punishment.”[/div][/div]

[/div]

 

[Lakyr]

James
Chise_Robin_ BasiliskVeranda

Alaska - it was a nice name, nothing stereotypical, he liked it. He nodded shortly as she recalled his name and smiled at her compliment. He started laughing from deep inside his chest as he heard the music blasting from the truck in front of them, but his laughter died away quickly because it just hurt. As he saw the spark in Alaska's eyes and the grin that painted itself across her face he knew she was up to something. ''Let's race them!'' James' eyes widened. "You can't be serious." It was a stupid idea, but he couldn't keep himself from smiling. "Okay, you're dead serious, got it," he muttered as he straightened up out of his slumped down position in the seat. They were now driving right next to the truck and he watched over towards the others. He was just relieved to see Rhys and Nik fine and seemingly having fun. He saw Nik's wave and his reply was smiling and nodding once more. Glad you're alright. Words the other man couldn't hear right now and James wasn't sure he was ever going to say that out loud. All he could give Nik at that moment was a sincere smile and he just hoped the pain wasn't too obviously drawn across his expression. It was hard to hide, merely moving his lips hurt owing to the scratches and light burns some of the hellhounds had left in his face.

As Alaska screamed towards the truck and he saw the look on Rhys' face, his own facial expression turned from hurt but hiding it into full-on worried but almost bursting out in laughter. This was just bad, but it was also just too fucking good. The moment they've stopped waiting for the others to swap their driver James turned to Alaska with that somewhat concerned look still on his face.

"I'm sure that you're a great driver and you'll most definitely kick their truck-seated asses with this beast," he couldn't help himself but chuckle briefly, "but please - please - don't get us killed after all of this."

With that he straightened up even more, tried to get into a comfortable position and strapped his seatbelt on.

 

[Chise_Robin_]

Alaska​

location: just outside the gas station
tag Lakyr Rui Gravitational Force Hell0NHighWater BasiliskVeranda
OOC: Groups that come to hotels at 4 am SUCK
mention protector of the state BasiliskVeranda , God Dad Hell0NHighWater
BGM

""I'm sure that you're a great driver and you'll most definitely kick their truck-seated asses with this beast," he couldn't help himself but chuckle briefly, "but please - please - don't get us killed after all of this." The grin never left her face as they pulled over waiting for the others to switch sides , she looked into James's eyes with fire in her own and chuckled nodding. "Yeah I guess it would suck to die because of car accident after brutally bringing hell to it's knees, wouldn't it? We're such a crazy lot! I love it!"

Her eyes wandered to Rhys who was now in the driver's seat "Ooh Mr uptight can have fun!" Alaska was genuinely happy, she looked back at James now fastening his seat belt. She turned back giving the young witch a gentle look : " Hey, let's have some fun!" her voice came more of an excited whisper then she fixed her eyes on the truck that was now ready for the race.

"Would you do the honer of counting down Partner? Let's kick some ass" Alaska's words were addressed to James, hands were now on the steering wheel, a serious look hovering over her face as she teased the gas with her foot producing a loud sound : " Come on beast Slayer we don't have all day! . After a pause she added: " And no funny business you two! I swear if you make that truck fly with your powers you'll be welcoming two matching bullets in your shoulders" She joked grinning really hoping they wouldn't pull a stunt like that.

It was crazy! The whole idea with how little gas they had was completely nutts! She needed something to remind her to keep her distracted from the day's significance though. Because if it wasn't for the end of the world, she'd have been next to her brother and father, holding an orkid, and standing next to her mother's grave.

As soon as she heard James's words she went off, 80....90.....100....120...140 mph
The station wagon took the lead for about four minutes till the truck catched up. They fought for the lead, two cars racing to the end of the world, pretending that everything was fine. The landscape started changing, as Alaska took the moment to appreciate the change of scenery the truck went passed them : " Shit! Come back here!" she let out a full hearted chuckle then pressed on the gas again trying to catch up with the truck.

curtsy of the state protector BasiliskVeranda

 

[Gravitational Force]

Relocation Event:
Mentioning: Chise_Robin_ Lakyr
Ezra:
2 Years Ago:
Ezra's alarm went off at 6:15 as it did every single weekday. Another day at the job that was slowly grinding away his life to earn money so he didn't starve, freeze, or die of lacking medical service. And hopefully have enough left over to do something fun on the one day of the week he wasn't either slaving away or sleeping off the lack of sleep.

His Friends were electric, his enemies were on and offline, and his life sucked. And society apparently existed to both fatshame people who couldn't afford a gym or healthy food AND tell them it was their fault for being poor. Like he'd still be 315 lbs if he wasn't stuck sitting in a cubicle most of his day before heading to his cheapass apartment. At this point he'd gladly strangle the next Libertarian he met with their own bootstraps.

He walked into the office 5 minutes early as usual. He barely noticed that people were staring out the window as he made his way to his cubicle. Another fucking day of ensuring people got health care because apparently "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" were only for those with more zeroes behind the balance in their bank accounts.
Then everything exploded. Or the walls did at least. Ezra actually felt glad this was happening it at least was a change. Ignoring the screaming, Ezra made his way to the exit and got out as pillars of flame erupted around the area, masses of rock crashed down, and the Earth shook.

Volcano, fuck. What did he know about them? Toxic gas, deadly hot ash, and don't go near lava. Well, he was out of anything else. Ezra moved to find shelter just as something huge with wings zoomed through the space next to him, knocking him back and-


2 years later:
-Ezra yawned and shifted as he tried to get comfortable in the back of the car. He needed sleep and it was hard to get comfortable with the car moving. He was too used to sleeping on still ground and he could feel the difference.
James and that other person were in with him and the rest of them were in other cars. Fuck, it was hard to concentrate on anything when he was tired.

Still, at least it would be a slow, steady drive to-
FUCK!
The car sped up and Ezra jerked upright.

"The Hell's going on, are we under attack?! What the Hell!"

Blearily peering out the window on his side, Ezra didn't see anything but the other cars had also sped up.
And the window was open.

"What the Fuck?!"

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

[div class=wrapper][div class=box][div class="boxBg boxBgLarge"][/div][div class="boxBg boxBgTall"][/div][div class="boxBg boxBgMedium"][/div][div class=boxInner][div class=statusBox][div class=characterPortrait]

[/div][div class=statusText]Location: Ford F150;The Mistress
Tags: Ken BasiliskVeranda Other Blessed Boi Artificial Angel The Sprite in the Back JustAki Girl who's gonna get her ass kicked Chise_Robin_
Mentions: Jammies, Ezra, Stella
BGM: Life in the Fast Lane
OOC: so salty he threw the race
[/div][/div][div class=title]Rhys Contiello[/div][div class=text]
Rhys' eyebrow ticked up, already unbuckling his seat belt before the truck even came to a complete stop. "You're damn right I do."

Bitterly cold and humid --such an enchanting combination or it would have been if the wind hadn't smacked him in the face as soon as he stepped out. His boots crunched on a bit of snow, taking the time to inspect his shoulder as he crossed to the driver's seat. The pain was a dull throb, an ever constant reminder that their fight could have gone a lot differently. He let out a his of pain as he re-situated himself, adjusting the mirrors slightly before taking a quick glance at Nik. Slouched in the seat with a cigarette hanging on for dear life between his lips, he looked as if he was mentally signing his death certificate. His words of warning caused the occasional angel snort, running his hands over the wheel for a moment. He let the leather steady his nerves, looking at the station wagon over the brim of his glasses.

The humor in his expression sobered, shifting the car into drive so that they could cruse up next to where Alaska sat.
"Put on your fucking seat belts."
Rhys hummed a bit in reply, right thumb tapping restlessly against the wheel. He forgot how good it felt to drive, to have something so powerful under your control, it was just as exhilarating as he remembered. The tiny, rational part of his mind was grateful that Nik seemed to have taken on the cautious role. If he hadn't been having so much fun....had that little taste of freedom, then he wouldn't have been burning the resources they were about to. He had deep throated a tube for this gas and this was what he was going to do with it.

Engage in a childish antic that could get all the people in both cars killed.
It was a possibility that he would have to have been stupid to ignore.
Worry started to creep up on him again, that nagging little feeling of anxiety that reared its ugly head just to remind him of all that weight on his shoulders.
Rhys let out a sharp exhale, glancing towards the radio. He couldn't do this to Backstreet Boys. It took a couple sharp jabs to the skip button before a guitar rift he recognized blew out of the speakers. He took another glance in Nik's direction, the shadow of a smile playing on his lips.

"Relax. I used to do this all the time."

He hoped that was reassuring. Even though it probably wasn't.
He was a hard-headed man, he was brutally handsome
The station wagon beside them revved, a guttural sound that caused a shiver to race down his spine. He stole a glance at Alaska.
And she was terminally pretty
One side of his mouth slid upwards, a slow assent that was almost mocking as he focused his eyes on the road in front of them.

James's voice was the trigger.
That shot them off like bullets.

The sound of tires screeching in the air and the light scent of burning rubber wafted in from the tiny crack he left in the driver's side window. Rhys's foot pressed onto the gas at a gradual rate, not even bothering to look at how fast they were going. The station wagon was ahead of them, but only slightly. He wasn't that concerned about it. Soon enough they started gaining on the much smaller car. His foot pressing the gas pedal to the floor. Without taking his eyes off the road, he rolled that crack in the window up, snickering a little as he noticed her begin to slow down.

"Eyes on the road, Girly." Although she couldn't hear the advice, some part of him knew that she had distracted herself and he took advantage of it. The engine hummed and at 150mph the highway was a blur of empty space, at least on the side of the road that they were driving on. The other side was lined with rows and rows of car stuck in a perpetual traffic jam. Rhys kept both hands on the wheel, thumbs tapping to the beat of the song as he lost himself in the pure act of driving.

God. He missed this.
The adrenaline.
The frantic pounding of his heart.
For a moment he could have sworn he heard those familiar sirens blaring above.

The truck plowed ahead, leaving the station wagon behind. It was at that moment that Rhys decided to look over at Nik with a goofy kind of grin that pointed towards the delight he took in this whole thing. It quickly died though, his foot lifting off the accelerator at the expression the other was making.

"Are you okay?"
There was nothing but concern there and in the next second, the station wagon passed, victorious. Rhys let the truck coast, not caring about the stupid race when Nik looked like he was going to hurl. He would have given it to her anyway, he figured, after all it wouldn't have been fair if he squashed her hopes and dreams. He reached out with two fingers and turned the volume down so that it was a soft hum in the background.

"Do you need me to pull over?"


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[Lekiel]

Reverie Lowiezka

Location: Somewhere on the long road| Interacting with: Epiphany | Mentions: Foolish Monkeys | Current Do: Hair in a ponytail, White zipper anorak over black laced-up blouse, Jeans, Black Converse.

❖ ❖​

Didn't it start off this way as well back then? The time and place was different. A dingy backalley pisswater pub, in the wee hours wherein it was neither night nor morning. It was a stark contrast to bright daylight, with blustery wind in your face threatening to freeze your eyes into glassballs as you balanced yourself precariously on a duo of spinning rubber, kept upright simply for the fact that you kept moving. But all things considered, it wasn't too dissimilar. They played the same characters, and could've easily played the same ones had they been transported back in time from atop the motorcycle to that defaced and sticky bar-top. Deja vu. A shared moment, she the unwilling passenger, riding shotgun along a chronicle of the deepest recesses of someone's life as they poured out their souls to her attentive ears. And if she would say it truthfully, she wasn't unwilling, but she didn't really have any choice in the matter; in both instances. She'd compared the two, but there were many others in between. Was there something about her that provoked both men and women to disinter their very being, their most intimate thoughts and sentiments, and lay it out for her to see? A gift? A curse? Why her? So that she could grace their vulnerability with her passionate indifference? To crush them at their weakest with a cold knife of apathy?

If she had a voice back then, she would've told him to shut-up, she didn't care; but she had been silenced by her duties, forced to crack an understanding smile she had perfected so well. It certainly paid for the tips. After that things had spiraled out of her control into Fate's ironic hands. Now... now.... now she didn't know. She had a voice. But she didn't know what pulled her lips into a thin flat line as Emma told her of the monstrosities of her past. The numbing wind in her face perhaps. She didn't know what made her cast a look over her shoulder as Emma spoke of the light that saved her from the darkness that was herself, as if she wanted to share in the rapture of that past memory that had defined the woman seated in her back. She was just being cautious of their surroundings perhaps, it paid to be vigilant. And when the euphonic syllables of gratitude left Emma's ruby lips, she felt something crack within her. It wasn't the first time the redhead had said it of course. But there was a sobriety in daylight that could not be compared with a moment when the heart was awash with adrenaline, having just escaped from the clutches of darkness. No, it took so much more to say such things under an open sky, with all the heavens to witness.

Her first instinct was to react as she always did. A rush of anger, of disgust. She wanted to scream at those sapphire eyes, to tell her to save it. She deserved no recognition. To show gratitude was weakness. She didn't want it. But all at once, she felt fear welling up in her as she realized that those simple words, unintentional as it may seem, had found a crack in the forgotten wall she had put up to enclose her heart long ago. The feeling was so foreign to her, it felt like she was an archaeologist unearthing an unknown tool that held a vague resemblance to something of the present. She couldn't see Emma's face, but she thought she could feel her smiling. A radiance that resonated off her in infectious waves. It warmed her heart.

She'd turned her head slightly, the edges of her vision catching the tips of flaming hair. She blinked, her bottom lip quavered ever so slightly. She should say something... was about to. But the sudden revving of two metallic hearts being pumped into full throttle distracted her, and she stuck her eyes back on the road as crazy idiots joined the bandwagon of foolishness. So the moment had passed. and she left it unsaid. Hazel orbs tracked the backs of the cars as they sped into the near distance, but she let her gaze rise, leaving tarnished metal and into the horizon. She drew a long breath of cold air.

Thank you too...

She didn't know exactly what for, but it definitely wasn't just for yester's night.

code by Ri.a

 

[JustAki]

"put on your fucking seatbelt"

Haruka, who was looking outside, just simply ignored him and just kept looking at the road. She then felt the speed of the car going faster than before and instantly fastened her seatbelt. "Wha--?" Hakura whispered but she was cut off when she felt the car jolted. "Slow down!" She yelled, heart's beating fastand eyes widen in horror as she felt an urge to vomit "this is too fast!" she said but her plead was not heard, she looked at Rhys who 100% looks like he enjoyed driving the car. "Relax. I do this everytime" Every time, my ass Haruka thought as she heard him say that. I'm gonna get myself killed with this mad ma- she thought but was cutted off by someone yelling. "Oi-"she said and was cut off for the 3rd time when she felt the car going faster and faster than before. What's with me getting cut off in everything I say?

She looked in front and saw Niklas making a face, "Oi, Daijoubu desu ka?!(Are you ok?)" she asked, not realizing she was speaking in Japanese. "STOP THE FUCKING CAR" she yelled, kicking Rhys seat. I think my lifespan will become shorter and shorter with this guy.

After she felt the car stop, she quickly took her seatbelt off and opened the door. Bending over, Haruka emptied her stomach.

 

[BasiliskVeranda]

[class=biggie] width: 100%; max-width:1200px; margin: 0 auto; text-align: center; clear:both; font-size:12px; color: #140033; font-weight:100; background: #fff;
[/class] [class=whut] background: #fff;[/class] [class=handsomedevil] background: #fff; text-align: center; width:30%; margin: 0 auto; float:left; padding:10px; color: #140033; font-weight:100; [/class] [class=speakeasy] letter-spacing: 3px; word-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: solid 10px #140033; text-align: center; font-size:10px; background: #fafafa; padding:30px; color: #140033; font-weight:100; [/class] [class=speaks] padding:15px; text-align: left; float:right; width:65%; background: #fff;[/class]
[div class=whut]
[div class=biggie]
[div class=speakeasy]
“To go wrong in one's own way is better than to go right in someone else's.”[/div]

[div class=handsomedevil]


NIKLAS LIAM VOSS

[div class=speakeasy]LOCATION:xxxx OUTSIDE the truck Rhys has a boner for.

OOC:xxxx whyyyy

TAGS:xxxx JustAki Artificial Angel Hell0NHighWater
BGM:xxxx BLAQK AUDIO - GRAPHIC VIOLENCE




[/div]
[/div][div class=speaks]
"You're damn right I do." The look in Rhy's eyes shot whatever fresh hell had been broiling in his stomach in overdrive, especially since they were now racing Alaska. Racing at speeds he was not used to, as it had been quite some time since the careless joyrides of the older, simpler days, and they never sped this fast in their vehicles. Never. He was a responsible driver. He had been a responsible man, for all his vices and eccentricities.

He had had a good credit score, had been good to all the mothers and fathers of anyone he had ever dated, he was an exceptional partner, and had built his own business while being a painter. Diana's family had loved him, which was a great feat in and of itself, as they were staunchly devout and the only time he shouted God's name was in vain, in multiples, loudly. But he had still won them over, because he was responsible.

He had even mentored a little artistic pink-haired brat who had ended up becoming one of his closest friends in the universe.

For all intents and purposes, it was Nik who had been the golden boy—albeit a hellion in his own way—and yet he had been saddled with hell's sinful, euphoric grip. It wasn't just ironic, it was downright mean. Nik, the responsible one.

This was not a responsible move.

This joyride at speeds inhumane was sending his parental-panic-meter into overdrive, as well. As he was in the age, and had been in the age prior, to want a little munchkin running around scribbling on walls and trying to eat paste, he felt the concern wash over his face, amongst the yellowish tinge he was trying to fight. They had precious cargo. His stomach was bottoming out, digging down in sickness, and his blood pressure was rising.

This was bad, very, very bad.

"Relax. I used to do this all the time."
"If you kill me, I'm coming back to haunt you like a sarcastic ghost," Nik slunk further and jammed his foot against the dashboard in an attempt to keep himself from flying forward. The truth of the matter was that he was perfectly safe, but his deluged stomach, was not. Not at all.

"And ruin all your dreams by barging into them like," The truck bolted forward, and Nik screwed his eyes shut. He would have possibly been laughing at the top of his lungs at any other time, but what he had eaten was making a journey, and he was not into seeing that journey all over his shirt. He also worried for just how fast they were going, and the possible fuel they were just burning up in mass quantities with reckless abandon.

"The...Kool-Aid man, or fuck, whatever!" The truck passed the station wagon with flying colors, and Nik half-thought to cross himself, but didn't. For obvious reasons, he didn't want to give any credence to that white bastard in the sky who shit on everyone's life.

"Are you okay?"
"N--"
"Do you need me to pull over?"
"I'm going to become what's-her-face from the Exorcist very shortly, so please, yes, please, God."

Haruka had been displaying her dismay this entire time, and Nik's brain had been swimming in the abyss. At one point he had been alright, maybe up to 80mph, still flustered by the man who had mere moments ago been gyrating in his seat to boy band bops. Then as the speed had increased, that had been torn away, and replaced with a foggy mental smear of that fucking packaged abomination.

Swirling in his vision against the blackness of his eyelids, as if taunting him.

He knew it was a risky move. He had eaten it anyways. And he only had himself to blame.

"STOP THE FUCKING CAR." Haruka was playing to the beat of their shared off-kilter, off-tuned drum, which was now hammering in both his ears, the sound of his thrumming heartbeat. But he had a saving grace, their fearless leader was slowing the vehicle.

Nik shot up out of the seat as Rhys began to slow down, clawed at his seat-belt, jerked it off of his body, and tried to wrench the door open. Only to find that it was locked. With a few microseconds of panic setting in, he frantically jabbed the button, all-but kicked the door open even if the thing wasn't completely stopped yet, and lurched out into the cold.

With snow under his smart shoes, crunching, he got a short distance away, saying nothing. Leaned on his knees as men do when their backs hurt, and pivoted forward with one hand on his mouth, the other holding his knee.

"I'm sorry, it was the mystery meat...I know you wanted to win that race...goddamn..." Nik mumbled something about overactive testosterone, trucks, stupid-handsome-crazy-men, and other assorted sentences in a similar fashion. All under his breath, all hushed, all disgruntled. A flush came to his face from his body trying to decide if it wanted to stay the way it was or turn itself inside-out to free his stomach from the hell that was waging war inside of it.

He stopped for a beat, the color in his face moving elsewhere in his body, and he felt that he may, indeed, be fine. And perhaps that he was just being a big baby, and his stomach was throwing a fit like one. He removed his hand from his mouth, and smiled. Everything was fine. It was fine, he was just overreacting, best to not eat something strange again, everything was sunshine and daffodils and Barbie Girl.

"I'm okay!" he said, raising his hand up on high, the universal symbol for 'I'm good'. He turned to look at Rhys, his face written with all the apologies in the world. He had fucked this up, and he felt bad about it. Nik offered him a sheepish smile, shook his head, and mumbled something about feeling like an asshole.

About to come up off his knee, Nik turned to look at their passengers to check if they were alright, and saw Haruka fling the door of the truck open, and empty the contents of her stomach.

His face instantly dropped, the color sickened to yellows, he grew gaunt, faced away from the scene, and did the same.

That mystery meat was definitely not better the second time around, especially with the added knock-off chips of cheese, and salt, and corn.

"Do...do we have—do we have some water? Fuck. Fuck me, fuck—ugh."

"I—"

"Hate you."


[/div][/div]
[div class=biggie]
[div class=speakeasy]“The man who has a conscience suffers whilst acknowledging his sin. That is his punishment.”[/div][/div]

[/div]

 

[Chise_Robin_]

Alaska​

location: on the highway to NJ
tag Lakyr Rui Gravitational Force Hell0NHighWater BasiliskVeranda JustAki
OOC:Shit we made them sick!
mention crazy hot gals and dude on motorcycles
BGM

Ezra's complaints made her go slower, he was sitting up now, eyes wide open asking whether or not they were under attack. ''No..... we just wanted to lighten the mood...I'm sorry'' her voice was concerned as she looked at him through the mirror. That was not responsible at all she thought, yet boy did she enjoy it.

A hint of a smile played on her lips as the wagon got closer and closer to the truck......till it passed it. Stealing a look at the other team, Alaska didn't miss the concern that was on Rhys's face, nor the sick look in Nik's eyes ''Shit!'' she slowed down more till the truck stopped, and parked the wagon right in front of it.


"Do...do we have—do we have some water? Fuck. Fuck me, fuck—ugh."

"I—"

"Hate you."

Nik was on his knees, puking a combination of yellow and orange on white snow, Haruka following in his lead. The distance between the two cars was virtually ten feet, yet it still felt like an hour's run till she got there. Standing in front of the truck....panting...with pain shooting through her leg from the cold and the previous fight reminding her to get it checked when possible, a cut on her cheek still hinting a faint bleed.

The young huntress went closer and crouched beside the part time devil, her eyes shifting from him to the other hunter who didn't look any better: ''I'm sorry, we shouldn't have had the race in the first place...It's my fault'' she whispered now more frightened for the two ''Are.....are you guys alright?'' Her words were addressed to the four of them, the palm of her hand resting gently on Nik's back.

There was no water in the wagon, she stood up hoping there'd be some left in the truck. Her eyes wandered to Rhys who looked like he carried the world's burden on his shoulders. Alaska felt so guilty! Just like when a little kid does something she wasn't supposed to do then gets caught by a parent, she opened her mouth to speak....no words came out. It was freezing , Rhys's shoulder was torn and flesh was visible, it must hurt like hell she thought. ''I'm sorry about this'' She was able to muster the words before the girls on their bikes came closer.

Her eyes went back to Haruka and she asked if she needed anything. The joys of her little stunt died away as the reminder came clear on that ghost highway. No body was there, safe for some abandoned cars scattered along the way. THE APOCALYPSE presented itself with all it's silent glory, reminding them that things will never.....can never, go back to normal.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

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[/div][div class=statusText]Location: Ford F150;The Mistress
Tags: Ken BasiliskVeranda Is he even here? Artificial Angel Lil Shit JustAki Girl who's gonna get her ass kicked Chise_Robin_
Mentions: Jammies, Ezra, Stella
BGM: Life in the Fast Lane

[/div][/div][div class=title]Rhys Contiello[/div][div class=text]
His seat jerked roughly each time a booted foot slammed into the back of it. Rhys gritted against the pain that flared into his shoulder, trying to stop the car as safely as possible while being kicked from behind. If he hadn't been so concerned about that pale texture to Nik's face he might have snapped. Especially when each thrust only seemed to turn the previously dull ache into an epicenter of needle like stabbing. Tires skidded against the asphalt as Rhys hit the breaks, the vehicle coming to an extremily fast, but fairly safe, stop.

His lips parted, prepared to reach out in some manner of concern, but Nik was already out the door. He shifted into park before he jumped out of the drivers side with almost the same amount of urgency. When had he become so stupid? When had he become so fucking reckless? He always had been to a certain degree but never with anything like this. He moved around the front of the truck, cautiously approaching where Nik stood dry heaving. Rhys gave him enough space, but the concern was pliable. He stood there a little awkwardly, a bit of a self-deprecating smile etched across his lips. His shoulders raised a bit in dismissal but he didn't say anything to Nik's comment. The race had never been that important to him. Maybe the only reason he had accepted in the first place was an excuse to show off. It shouldn't have happened to begin with.

The relief he felt when Nik turned to tell him he was fine eased away the dark thoughts that had begun to swirl around in his head. That is until he heard Hakura wretch her guts onto the ground. It was like a chain reaction then. Nik just happened to be the next domino to tip over as he, too, emptied the contents of his stomach into the snow. Any relief he felt at that point flew away with the rest of his good mood.
He hadn't meant for this to happen.
Rhys closed his eyes for a second, eye brows drawing together in frustration as he took a deep breath. Moving back to the car, he managed to wrangle the bottle he and Nik had shared the night before out of his pack. There wasn't much left, but it should be enough to get whatever puke taste out of his mouth.
On his walk back it was like he had become a ghost, withdrawn to the point that he didn't even acknowledge the presence of Alaska or that Nik had taken the bottle offered to him.

"I—"

"Hate you."

His lips pulled into a thin line, hands slipping into the pockets of his jeans as he took a glance at the small group that had gathered on the side of the road. Any traces of humor or mirth now completely vanished.

Me too.

He didn't vocalize that thought though as he turned on his heel to head back to the car.

"I'll be in the truck when you're ready." Was the only sort of reply he offered, one that could barely be heard over the wind.

[/div][div class=text][/div][/div][/div][/div] [class=wrapper] background-color:#2a4047; box-sizing:border-box; color:#FFFFFF; display:inline-block; position:relative; width:100%; text-align: justify; [/class] [class=title] color: #b5b7b7; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size:3em; font-style:italic; padding:0; text-shadow:0 0 1em; margin-bottom: 10px; [/class] [class=box] margin:2em 1em; padding:2px 4px 0px; position:relative; [/class] [class=boxBg] box-sizing:content-box; height:100%; pointer-events:none; position:absolute; width:100%; [/class] [class=boxBgLarge] top:0; left:-5px; padding:0 4px; border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.35); [/class] [class=boxBgTall] top:-8px;left:3px; padding:8px 0; width:calc(100% - 8px); height:100%; border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.25); [/class] [class=boxBgMedium] top:-4px; left:-1px; padding:4px 0; border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.4); [/class] [class=boxInner] background-color: ##2a4047; overflow:hidden; margin:0.5em; [/class] [class=statusBox] box-sizing: border-box; border-right: 3px dotted white; padding: 15px; float: left; max-width: 250px; margin: 0px 15px 15px 0px; [/class] [class=text] padding: 0px 15px 15px 15px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size:0.8em; [/class] [class=statusText] font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.75em; margin-top: 5px; [/class] [class=characterPortrait] box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; border-radius: 20px; overflow: hidden; [/class] [class name=characterPortrait state=hover] opacity: 0.5 [/class]

 

[GuavaJuiceXI]

Luci
Mentions:@Hell0NHighWater BasiliskVeranda Rui Slightly Interacting with: Paarthurnax
"Y-Yeah, I don't have a problem with motorcycles.." Luci squeaks out to Luiza. Luci rubs his hand as Luiza straddles the bike. He then shuffles over to the bike and threw his right leg over the bike. Luci grabs onto the handle behind him. Luci quickly winced at the pain, as he forgot that he BrOke his hand. As they took off, Luci turned his head to look at the gas station. He prayed, and he really prayed that everyone got out safely. As the wind blew on his face, and his hair flowed with the breeze, his mind wandered over to Rhys, the other sexy man, Stella, and Terra. Luci slung the shotgun over his shoulder with a makeshift sling. He sticks his hand into his pocket. He runs his fingers over the chipped and slightly worn musical box. It was time to move, anyway.

 

[Lakyr]

James
Chise_Robin_ BasiliskVeranda Gravitational Force Rui JustAki Hell0NHighWater

As soon as the race started he just sat there still smiling and enjoyed the ride. He looked outside and soon the whole scenery was just a blur. It was stupid but he loved it. However the fun didn't last for very long, he could understand the sudden complaints coming from the back seats but as the truck in front of them started slowing down it seemed like something was wrong. He turned to look back at it after they've passed it and saw the truck coming to an abrupt halt.

James got out the wagon seconds after Alaska did and as she rushed towards the others he just walked in the same direction. He took in the scene. "Are you okay?" he asked flatly but concerned, not expecting an answer since it was a somewhat stupid question. Afterall they were just puking in front of him right now, that didn't seem too okay. The fun he and some of the others just had was gone, it was all regret and concern again it seemed. But he wanted to cling onto the trace of better times the situation had been to him until it had gone sideways. So he stood there in the cold and tried to think of something to ease the situation, maybe even make somebody smile. "So I guess we've won?" It was nothing and just dump but it was all that came to his mind right now.

Walking towards Nik he saw a smoldering cigarette lying on the snow, he picked it up and held it out towards the man. "I think you've dropped this." James made a pause waiting for Nik to take it back, "You okay?" he then added. Removing the concerned look on his face again he said, "Do you guys have food in that truck or what have you just dumped off into the snow?" After that, he turned to face the road ahead and the two cars.

"Typically, the car I am no passenger of is a damn party-truck including awesome music, neat sunglasses and something to eat or drink."

He faintly smiled into the road ahead and hoped his poor excuse of a joke didn't come across wrong.

 

[BasiliskVeranda]

[class=biggie] width: 100%; max-width:1200px; margin: 0 auto; text-align: center; clear:both; font-size:12px; color: #140033; font-weight:100; background: #fff;
[/class] [class=whut] background: #fff;[/class] [class=handsomedevil] background: #fff; text-align: center; width:30%; margin: 0 auto; float:left; padding:10px; color: #140033; font-weight:100; [/class] [class=speakeasy] letter-spacing: 3px; word-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: solid 10px #140033; text-align: center; font-size:10px; background: #fafafa; padding:30px; color: #140033; font-weight:100; [/class] [class=speaks] padding:15px; text-align: left; float:right; width:65%; background: #fff;[/class]
[div class=whut]
[div class=biggie]
[div class=speakeasy]
“To go wrong in one's own way is better than to go right in someone else's.”[/div]

[div class=handsomedevil]


NIKLAS LIAM VOSS

[div class=speakeasy]LOCATION:xxxx OUTSIDE the truck Rhys has a boner for.

OOC:xxxx whyyyy

TAGS:xxxx JustAki Artificial Angel Hell0NHighWater Lakyr Chise_Robin_
BGM:xxxx HOLY GHOST! - OKAY



[/div]
[/div][div class=speaks]

The race was over, his home state had won. But the win was short-lived because the group that had stopped found themselves with two hunched over humans with volatile stomachs. Stomachs that were evacuating themselves all over the snowy, cold ground. It was Haruka's movements that had been the final needle to break the proverbial camel's back. Nik cracked a grin even as he felt his stomach turn again. He didn't know what Haruka had eaten, but it sounded—he wasn't going to look—like it was a far worse fare than his own journey to vomit villa.

Even in this, he was trying to smile, because it wasn't that big of a deal. Not really, not with Alaska coming over on her wounded ankle. Trying her best even when in pain, trying her best for the young woman whose stomach had been sent into outer space, and the man with his hands on his knees, facing the snow-speckled pavement, in a moment he wasn't exactly proud of.

''I'm sorry, we shouldn't have had the race in the first place...It's my fault.'' She hovered near him, feather-light fingers extending to touch his back, and Nik shook his head. The only response he could give as he tried to keep the rest of his internal organs still within his body.

''I'm sorry about this.''

"Honestly? It was fun. Not the wanting to vomit most of the way through part, of course, but you two were..." Having a good time. He didn't finish his sentence, but he managed to toss Alaska a wide grin, wiping his mouth with his shirt sleeve. He'd need to wash this shirt, he didn't want the smell to stick around any longer than he already knew it would. Noticing the stains on it from their skirmish with hell's S.W.A.T team, he rethought that idea. Maybe he'd just need a new shirt altogether. That was a better idea. And a shower. A shower was absolutely necessary and well-deserved, for all of them.

Because they probably all smelled like what a hellhound would shit out, gnaw, and then barf up on any given day. As dogs are apt to do, even the ones from hell.

He didn't share this thought, and simply snickered.

Their fearless leader had been quiet, returning only with a water bottle—James'— so both upchuckers could wash their mouths out. He swished a small amount of liquid around a bit, and then spit to the side. He'd save the rest for the girl with the wild ideas that he had only half-caught during their joyride. She probably needed it more than he did.

Nik straightened up, feeling his back pop awkwardly. He also wanted a massage. Badly. But this time of now didn't have the gratifying luxuries of the past. And apparently, any moment could get as tense as his muscles were right now. It pained him to see Alaska rushing forward on a fucked up ankle over something like this, in particular. That was another one that took the entire world on her shoulders.

Nik was beginning to realize just how much work he had left to do before he was finally taken to the dark side. Taken this time, not charmed, seduced, uprooted, or tempted. Taken.

He knew, deep down, it would come for him. Someday. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not the next day, but someday. And sooner, rather than later. His job, right now, was protecting these people, as they had already gotten under his skin and into his very human heart. And a way to do that without pushing his luck right over that invisible, but—ever-present—line was simple. It was to make them smile. That would be his role.

That would be the work he had left to do.

He stood and walked with a fluid, confident gait, and let the water bottle rest by Haruka's side. He wasn't sure she was finished yet, and didn't want to overstay his welcome, should she want to bathe his actually-very-nice-shoes in her castoff.

"So I guess we've won?" James, his young friend here, as safe and sound as he could be. Nik shot him a beaming smile, broad and toothy, with the corner of his mouth tilting up mischievously.
"Yes. Never fuck with the State," the part-time devil said with a snort. James had knelt to grab his cigarette, which the blond had completely forgotten about. Yet he hadn't yet lost the amazing sunglasses bestowed upon him by a certain prickly alpha male who loved racing cars and the ridiculousness that was ancient boy band beats. The blond graciously took the cigarette back and smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

"Do you guys have food in that truck or what have you just dumped off into the snow?"
"Ouch. Where have you been hiding this sass the entire time?" Nik asked, teasing, the short laugh of his turning into the constant tick of a low, satisfied chuckle.
"Typically, the car I am no passenger of is a damn party-truck including awesome music, neat sunglasses and something to eat or drink." This was brilliant, Nik couldn't help himself but to shoot out a sharp, loud jaunt of a laugh, but his stomach also hurt. And he was smoking, and all these flavors were wrong, and this was all wrong. His face soured but he stayed the course.

"Next time, for sure. But it's good you didn't this time. It was mostly Rhys gyrating to horrible boy band music, Haruka being a dork, and me making heavy-handed attempts at flirting," he said nonchalantly behind his cigarette, smoke ghosting out into the chilly air.

"Right?" Nik looked for his sunglasses wearing banter-partner for a pissed off reaction, a humph, a guffaw, an eye roll, a denial, or anything at all.

And found no one.

Rhys had put up a wall, when moments ago they were all enjoying themselves. Well, some of them were, some of them weren't. Parts...parts of him weren't. One that had been vexed with mystery meat. But mostly it had been a reprieve from their earlier skirmish with the forces of evil, a much needed respite during their long journey through a series of lives quite stranger than fiction.

But now the wall was up. A very tall wall, that he was sure the man had put up plenty of times before. Walls kept things out, sure. But they also kept other things in, and sometimes what was left inside of them would wither before the sun came out again.

If the sun ever came out again in all this cold, that is.

Nik shivered, wrapping his arms around his body.

"Haruka, you ready?" he asked the girl who he hoped was done spewing. If she was ready, he'd enter the truck, and they'd be on their way. If she wasn't he'd stand by. In any case, James got a wink, and Alaska a smile, as he'd always try to give them these little gifts. It's all he had to give in return for their kindnesses.

He hoped it'd be enough until he found something a bit better.

[/div][/div]
[div class=biggie]
[div class=speakeasy]“The man who has a conscience suffers whilst acknowledging his sin. That is his punishment.”[/div][/div]

[/div]

 

[JustAki]

"UGH" Haruka groaned as she let everything she ate out. Absolutely disqusting she thought, looking at the pile of vomit on the snow.

"Haruka, you ready?"A person behind her said, judging from the voice, it was Niklas. "I'm ready" She said, standing up and dusting her clothes. She looked at Niklas, rubbing her nape and smiling nervously, "well, I didn't expect that, I kinda feel bad for ruining the moment" She said, looking at the car where Rhys was sitting -don't forget about Terra-.

"Let's go?" Haruka said, nodding to Niklas and walking back to the car.

Going inside, Haruka ransacked her bag to find her wattle bottle. When she found it, she quickly drank some. The water going inside her throat and cooling it.

"Nik, want some water?" Haruka asked, offering her water to Nik.

"Uhh Rhys, sorry for ruining your fun but it was really sudden and I.... Well, I...I kinda panicked" she said, rubbing her nape and looking in front nervously. Haruka was never really a fan of that kind of ride, not like she experienced it before but she figured she really don't like it. I think my lifespan got cut into two

"Heh, I hope you forgive me, though" She said, nervously chuckling at the awkward atmosphere. I don't like this awkwardness she thought, lips in a tight line and eyebrows scrunching. She blinked and looked at her lap and thought goddamn awkwardness

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

[div class=wrapper][div class=box][div class="boxBg boxBgLarge"][/div][div class="boxBg boxBgTall"][/div][div class="boxBg boxBgMedium"][/div][div class=boxInner][div class=statusBox][div class=characterPortrait]

[/div][div class=statusText]Location: Ford F150;The Mistress
Tags: Ken BasiliskVeranda Is he even here? Artificial Angel Lil Shit JustAki
Mentions: Station Wagon Crew and The Motorcycle Club
BGM: Alone in a room

[/div][/div][div class=title]Rhys Contiello[/div][div class=text]
The highway stretches onward, hugging the land, taking each turn in easy stride. It was a grey that has welcomed many suns, become silvery as it soaked in the rays. He let his eyes run over each hue, seeing imperfections for the first time, yet feeling that as details created by an artistic hand, they render it all the more beautiful. The car was letting out soft panicked beeps as if he weren't aware that the car door beside him was open and the keys still resting in the ignition.

It was always over him, casting its shadow on his life. That dustbowl of the soul, melting into soundless oblivion-- falling-- bottomless pit, nothing to grab onto, tumbling, swirling blackness-- despair-- gloom welling up from below, engulfed in nothingness, sinking, clawing at the walls of the pit, dragged down, swamped with negative emotion, as steady and merciless as sinking sand-- smothered and helplessness-- a firm grip of desolation, a void, as if the soul was being trampled on by feet in heavy boots, even sunshine seems cold. It was hung by a thin thread, too fragile to hold something so heavy. Most of the time he didn't know what caused the thread to finally break releasing the weight on him. It fell too fast, and before he could run he'd be pinned down. It crushed his ribs, made it hard for him to breathe. He tried to scream; a cry for help was of no use. No one else could see it - the weight that had been slowly crushing him to death. It had been like that ever since she died.

In the space that should be filled with her love - at his foundations, keeping his soul aloft - there is a void so black no light can penetrate. It is a wound that can never heal no matter how much salve is poured on. The best he could hope for was to shore up his mind with new loves and pray they never leave. Pray that they, too, would never be taken by the ugly hands of death. Because if they were, his house would fall like the tower of cards it is. Though he liked to pretend the walls were as strong as brick held together with mortar, they were just cards that get damp in the rain and wobble in the wind. He had Monica to thank for that. Not that he could really blame her, it wasn't like she chose to be killed. Perhaps if he could remember the color of her eyes or the sound of her voice, the memory of her wouldn't have been so haunting.

For hours, he remembered that he would have no emotion, only an urge to move fast; then all at once suddenly be on the floor, shaking with a grief that bled from his bones. Days then became weeks and months, and in every single moment of every single day his soul had asked God: why must I still live? 'Are you just going to lie there all day? You’ve seriously been lying in the exact same spot for over twenty-four hours, and believe me; you look like a freak. And just so you know, you’re getting seriously red and tanned at the same time, which is weird. You do remember that we’re due in court today, right?' He didn't know why that conversation came back to him in that moment. It was something his partner, Detective Nicholas Stone, had said all those years ago. The shadow lengthen for just a second, remembering the way his best friend had reacted to what he'd done.

The sound of a car door shutting pulled his thoughts back to the present and he followed suit. With the car door shut, he slipped on his seat belt and turned the car on with the flick of his wrist. Hearing his name he turned his head in the direction of the back seat, looking at the younger girl out of the corner of his eye.

"It's fine. Should have never happened anyway." With that, he faced himself forward once more with his eyes glued to the road. The truck pulled away as soon as everyone was situated and Rhys made sure to drive slow enough so that the station wagon could jump in behind. The bikes that had been left in the dust by their foolish little race had caught up and were now a peaceful hum of engines drifting along behind the station wagon. The radio was a soft hum in the background, some ratchet song that he didn't bother even listening to. Rhys drove with one hand on the wheel, the other laying limp on his lap. He could feel his shirt begin to stick to the wound in his shoulder and he realized that it would be best if they stopped for supplies. Especially when the amount of food they had was questionable and water was scarce.

He made a gesture out the window, signalling that he was taking the next exit.

The road lay before them like a tarmac ribbon; albeit, one that had been worn over time. A white line ran down the center, relatively unbroken compared to the scarred and potholed concrete. Houses and buildings began to line the road, skeletons that were darkened by lack of life. The cars are still there too, waiting for owners that will never come. The gardens have burst into life, not in the manicured way they were before, but it's every plant for themselves- reach the sunlight or die.

He guessed, in a way, that's how it is for humans too.

The plants have no more gardener, the humans are without the social structures they complained about so incessantly.

Without the traffic he could hear the birds; calling out softly in the wintry light of day. A general store marked itself by a decrepit sign, swinging slightly in the wind and Rhys again motioned that he was pulling into the parking lot. The engine died and the driver's door opened with a creak. A black boot thudded against the ground and Rhys stepped from the confines of the truck watching as the rest of the group rolled in and parked. He gestured back to the sad looking store, hoping that in a small town like this the pillaging hadn't been as bad as Newark.

"Why don't you guys go check it out? See if we can get some more supplies before hitting the road again. I'm going to go check out a couple of those cars, see if I can't get some more gas."
He didn't ask if anyone wanted to come with. Didn't really care at this point, dangerous or not he would rather choke on gas then have to look Haruka or Nik in the eye. Throwing up wasn't that big of a deal, but it was the principle. Rhys had caused them to get sick and in their ever present survival situation throwing up was probably one of the worst things you could do.

He moved to the bed of the truck, retrieving the gas canister and blasted tube. A slight breath left him before he began to walk off towards the first skeleton vehicle he saw.

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[Chise_Robin_]

Alaska
​

OOC: No pretty code, I'm on my phone (not that I'm any good anyways)
#emo Rhys
Tags: all of you crazy peepz

Saying that she was relieved to see them alright was an understatement. Alaska's smile returned when James cracked his jokes, forming a snow ball and throwing it at him jokingly : "you forgot one thing the truck you're not a part of doesn't include...vomiting" her chuckle died when Rhys isolated himself in the truck waiting for the others to join him in total silence.

As she stood up and started making her way to the wagon, Alaska stole a look at the half angel, she wanted to say something... But didn't. Why was she so determined on making him proud? Why did she look up to him so much? Why did she feel like she wanted to keep this group together? She grinned at the fabulous glasses Nik was rocking and walked on.

She waited for James to get in, giving him a kind smile when he did : "you know what, I hope your sense of humor rubs off on me" she was grateful for his jokes, for how easily he was able to change the mood. One arm was out of the open window, wind blowing her long brown hair away from her face, the chill in the air reminding her of the importance of staying awake. Her other hand rested on the steering wheel, her neck resting sightely on the head rest behind her.

Alaska followed the truck slowly, watching the lifeless road as it spread ahead. She hummed a song faintly to stop herself from falling asleep and told James about old tricks they used to pull off at the hunters' academy, pranking teachers and getting scolded. she spoke of her brother, Alex so proudly and cheerfully, as if he didn't die a tragic death - which she left out of the conversation- James was a really easy person to talk to, she felt at ease , she felt like herself.

The truck stopped in front of an old store Alaska was skeptical about. She frowned,parking right after the grey truck and got out of the car, hand resting on her waist where her newest knife now sat waiting.

Rhys went to find some gas, she was tempted to go after him...she didn't, he needed some space and Alaska understood that, she felt as if she was the last person he'd want to talk to right now. Instead, with all the cheerfulness she could muster, she went inside the store, looking right and left cautiously , the last thing they'd need was a demon.

Coffee..... The smell of fresh beans enchanted her soul as she followed it religiously, it's been over a year since the last time she drank coffee. Alaska found herself standing in front of a very small batch of coffee, next to a manual grinder, "what is this..the nine hundreds? she smiled not meaning to insult.

 

[Artificial Angel]

Terra

As Terra was sleeping, he felt something cold touching his face. He wakes up to find himself in an unknown place with the environment having a thick fog and black background. There was a floor but it formed a picture. It was stained glass of him with his eyes shut and holding his sword to his chest. He was surrounded by tarot cards but the ones that he saw that were revealed was The High Priestess, Justice, The World, and The Emperor on top of his head. The colors of the background of the stained glass floor was black on the left and white on the right side. It was giving a faint glow of light. The thing that he stood on was a column with no walls, which made him try to fall of the ledge but he was pushed back by an unknown force.

A puddle of dark sludge and ooze appeared out of nowhere and formed into a copy of him. Terra looked at it with shock and tried to fight the impostor but it was no use, he copied every move that he did, even the spells that he casted acted the same way. It was as if he was a perfect mirror of him, he copied everything he did, he was just a darker copy. He tried to fight it again but he never seemed to defeat it. He kept on fighting until his heart was almost giving up. He wanted to win but he thought of a plan. Since it kept on copying him in every move, he tried to cut his arm with his sword and it copied him, making it feel damage and weakening him. He then punched himself and bit his other arm, making it do the actions and damage him. He then tried to finish it off with a slice of the sword, which worked because the entity was busy trying to heal itself, making it vulnerable to attacks. After the encounter, Terra healed himself and cleaned his sword. His mind was feeling heavy and his heart ached which made him feel even more in pain. He tried to stand up but his body had fallen to the ground, his eyes had fallen shut, and his mind was now numb.

He wakes up from his slumber and notices that the car stopped moving. It seems that Haruka was puking which made Terra feel slightly humored since he would always laugh at people throwing up when he was a child and until now. 'What happened?', he thought to himself as he checked his arm to see if there were marks or bruises on his body. The dream felt real and wanted to know what was that thing he stood on. After he got up and exited the car, he saw a store. Hoping to find some food or a source of entertainment, he enters it. What he found first was a small bag of chips that were unopened and a notebook with a small pen. He took the bag of chips but he left the notebook. He then explored more to find a cluster of stuffed kittens which made him smile.

 

[Gravitational Force]

Ezra hums as he scoops items into his newly-looted duffel bag. If he's got a group he's got more space.

Ezra finally bursts into song in the toiletry section.
"Toothpaste in rows
And soap on display
Water filters to remove metals and warm clothes, hooray!
Toilet paper packages tied up with strings,
These are a few of my favorite things!"

Now the food section.
"Cream-filled caramels and crispy rice chocolates,
And plenty of other snacks
Although I don't have a pot fix,
Frozen peas so my diet has healthy green things,
These are what I'm taking as I sing!"

And then really getting into it as he grabs random tools and other items.
"Losers whining while I'm looting their stashes,
Blood flowing to the ground where it splashes
The thrill of adrenaline that energizes as it stings
These are a few of my favorite things!

When the Vamp bites
When the bell rings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad!"
Ezra sings as he empties the cash register. It had already been mostly emptied, but he found a few bills and coins stuck in it.

 

[JustAki]

"Supplies, huh? " Haruka said, getting out of the car and stretch her stiff body. She then check if her shotgun and FN P90 is loaded. Seeing it loaded, she nodded and walk to a random store. Holding her FN P90, she walk inside with caution.

"Whoa" Haruka said, smiling at the supplies in the store. She first went to the food station and get foods as many as she can. "Canned goods, chocolates, instant Ramens, some coffee, water bottles and my bag can't take it all" She said, sighing in dissapoinment and decided to look for some plastic bag. "Hmm, where are you?" She said, walking up to the empty cashier and looking if there's any plastic bags. Finding some, she silently said yes and went back to getting more food and others.

"as I said before, we need Paper Goods , Personal Care, Frozen Foods, Jarred Goods, Dairy, Beverages, Bread and other things that can be useful. "She said, keeping everything in mind.

She went back to the food section getting some vegetables, spaghetti sauce, ketchup cheeses, eggs, milk, yogurt, butterfruits, waffles, individual meals, ice cream, pasta, cereal and some snacks. Oh boy, people are gonna eat some spaghetti If we find somewhere to camp by.

She went to the toiletry section getting some shampoo, soap, hand soap, shaving cream, 2 hair brush, Some female personal hygiene, 4 toothbrush and some razors for the boys.

She also went to find some other things like batteries, flashlight, cigarettes for NIK, some knife, medicines, a card, Bullets for shotgun and for her FN P90 and some random tools and condoms. Someone probably needs it

Humming in delight, she carried all 6 bags back to the car, 3 bags in each hand. "Good stuff, yeah?" she said and putting the bags inside the car.

Sitting down in her seat, she then said "I brought Some Good stuff "

 

[Lakyr]

James
OOC: Come on, cheer up sad boi!
Chise_Robin_ BasiliskVeranda Hell0NHighWater

His smile grew wider and he was satisfied as he listened to Nik's responses and his chuckle. So he did, kinda, save the moment, at least for somebody. As a snowball hit his back he jumped, almost toppled over and turned around. "Hey, that's cheating!" he yelled laughingly. He chuckled at Alaska's comment and quickly gave a short reply, "Fair enough." They then walked back towards their cars and he slumped into the seat once again.

"you know what, I hope your sense of humor rubs off on me" he glanced over at her as she was beaming towards him. "I just hope I can keep this up. Haven't smiled as much as I did since the gas station in the past two years." After these words, he grew silent for the most part, watched the extinct scenery around them and listened to Alaska charing stories. He smiled the whole ride, laughed sometimes and made comments when they seemed to fit.

They pulled over at some old store and everybody got out into the cold. Rhys stated that he was going to check some cars for more gas whilst the others could search the store. It was obvious he wanted to be left alone, James knew that feeling way too well. But sometimes when you feel like company is the last thing you'd want it's actually all you need. And even if there would only be awkward silence between them James could live with that. So he stepped up and asked, "Would you mind me joining you?" It wasn't that much of a question, as long as he wasn't told to fuck off he'd stick around. After waiting for a second he turned towards Nik and raised his voice, "Could you grab me some food and maybe another water bottle in there?"

When they were a little bit away from the group James started talking again, "Don't feel too bad about that race, you didn't mean for them to get sick." He put on a kind face as they were checking out the first car. "Was it stupid? Of course, but you were just having fun and fun has always included some stupidity. Without that, you'd go crazy. Believe me, I've been there until we've arrived at that gas station." James stopped for a second thinking back to the race and his face brightened even more, "You should have seen the smile on Alaska's face and the spark in her eyes, she was so happy about the race. Well, you know, when it still was all fine of course." With that, he stopped again and gave Rhys some time to respond, if he wanted to.

 

[Rui]

STELLA:

Location: the ground
Mentions: everyone
———————————————————-
Stella had been quietly reliving her past, but the cold was catching her. She was walking with no destination, her legs off, but only a few feet at the most. As she stumbled out through the maze of empty vehicles, Stella’s small form suddenly dropped onto the ivy pavement.

She was shivering violently, uncontrollably, and then things started to become alarming. Her vision tunneled, shifted, and darknened slowly, like the end of a movie, or merely a fade between scenes. Her eyes fluttered closed, the cold overtaking her, curled up in the fetal position on the abandoned asphalt.

Behind her closed eyes though, her mind, although it was slipping away, was whirring like the coggs of a clock.
_____________________________________________

In her mind, someone held her. She was laying by the fireplace, her hair, cut short at the time, being casually played with.

“You know, I liked it better long.”

Stella’s subconscious form sat upright.

“Soliel...?”

The redhead snorted rhetorically, “who else?”

“You’re dead, you can’t be here. You aren’t here...you’re gone.”

The ginger shook her head, clucking her tongue at her twin, “I am, yes, I’m dead, gone? Maybe not. You, on the other hand, shouldn’t be here. You aren’t dead yet, but if you don’t heat up soon, you’ll be a popsicle. I wonder if revenants, as you call them, like frozen treats?”

Stella hugged her sister tightly, taking Sol by surprise.
“I’ve missed you, God, I’ve missed you.”
“I know, Stell, I know. I’m still with you, you know?”

“I know. I’ve always known.”
_____________________________________________

Back in reality, Stella was slowly freezing to death on the ice. Her body was giving up; homeostatsis was hard to maintain for this long, and she’d left one important thing at the station; the talisman for warmth. A gift from Soliel many years ago, as Stella had preferred the snow, but always came back inside with a cold.

Now, without it she was helpless against the elements.​