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Post by Slytherclaw on Sept 1, 2018 12:50:46 GMT
Amber frowns at the wailing pokemon. "This thing is going to give us away, if there's anyone nearby." She says with a frown. "Hey, little guy--stop crying and we won't hurt you."
Through her words are meant to be comforting, there's an edge to them that marks her as decidedly different from the quiet, bookish girl who had left the vault.
0a1M88zW5d6 Command
She doesn't wait for a response, moving towards the holder of the vial with a worried glance at Cecil. If she can get her hands on it, she wants to seal it in one of her containment jars, as visibly in Cecil's line of sight as possible.
"Where do these things keep coming from?" She muses quietly, more to herself than anything.
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Post by Seya on Sept 2, 2018 1:26:48 GMT
Kat puts her hammer away, and then kneels beside Josco. She closes her eyes for a moment; Cecil and Christine were talking a little ways away, and by the sounds of it, the medic had her back to Kat. Amber seemed distracted by the Pokémon that had curled up. So... this was it.
If you don't do this, you ain't ever gonna move forward, the whispery side of her says. Besides-- look at him. You've taken it this far. It'd be mercy at this point.
She bites back tears, nodding almost imperceptibly. Hoping the others stay distracted for the time being, Kat bares the claws on her left hand, and quickly drags them across Josco's throat. She keeps him pinned to lessen the convulsions, making sure she watches every second--he deserved that much respect, if none else--until at last he's still. Then she pulls free one of the ribbons from her hair and ties it around the wound.
Then she moves near Amber, sits down, and halfheartedly watches the small girl's efforts with a blank face.
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Post by Robot on Sept 4, 2018 1:35:59 GMT
Joscoe hardly makes a peep as Kat ends his life, having already been beaten into unconsciousness there aren't many autonomic responses left, just a bit of choking as he bleeds out into her ribbon and then he's gone. His face is ashen before Kat even can manage to pull her attention away from him. Cecil's attention wanders from Christine to Kat as the girl has a seat near Amber. The seal-like Pokemon's wailing cuts to much smaller, quieter sobs, as though it's too emotional to quite contain itself still, but it at least pays mind to Amber's commands. "Amber, can you get to modifying their Pokeballs so we can put them in storage? Christine... take Bunnie and Joyce and see if you can't find where they've been stowing their things? I need a moment with Kat." The way he phrases the statement makes it seem like less of a request. (Perception checks from whoever opts to go hunting for what remains of the raider's cache. If they partner with Bunnie and Joyce, add a +4. Kat can add the same bonus for being familiar with this group and their territory should she choose to act on Cecil's request.) Pokemon Rewards Level 26 Adamant Male Mightyena with Moxie and Intimidate, Howl, Bite, Roar, Odor Sleuth, Snarl, and Assurance Level 25 Relaxed Female Alolan Sandshrew with abilities of choice, Iron Defense, Powder Snow, Ice Ball, Rapid Spin, Metal Claw, Slash Level 30 Relaxed Male Shiftry with Early Bird and Omen, Bide, Feint Attack, Leaf Blade, Razor Leaf, Razor Wind, Nature Power Level 30 Relaxed Female Hypno with Hypnotic and Inner Focus, Hypnosis, Disable, Confusion, Headbutt, Poison Gas, Psybeam Level 24 Careful Female Alolan Meowth with Limber and Rattled, Scratch, Feint Attack, Bite, Fake Out, Fury Swipes, Screech Level 26 Gentle Female Brionne with Swift Swim and Drown Out, Water Gun, Aqua Jet, Bubblebeam, Encore, Disarming Voice, Pound.
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Post by DataNinja on Sept 4, 2018 3:12:08 GMT
Christine is concerned for Cecil, but obliges. People do need their time alone, she knows that. But after that battle, and his demeanour... she doesn't really want to. A pleasant distraction, though, is in finding that Coiffe has grown yet again. She laughs, some of the stress melting away. "You're so big, you could probably carry me around at this point." It's hard to believe that it wasn't too long ago that the Pokémon was just a little bird nesting in her hair, preening it. "Alright, let's go grab the others, and look around this place. Keep an eye out for any more trouble."With a last glance at Cecil and Kat, she goes to get Bunnie and Joyce, to look and see what she can find - mindful of what happened the last time she went off on her own. If any of the humans needed immediate attention, they'd have said something. She can only hope... Perception: 17
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Post by Slytherclaw on Sept 10, 2018 15:35:20 GMT
Amber glances at Kat, noticing the blood stains, and averts her eyes as she closes the lid on the jar and pauses. She can sense there are probably some emotional support task type things she should be doing, but the idea makes her feel...squirmy. She's glad for the excuse to keep working that Cecil gives her. She nods at Cecil, approaching him. "Hey, Cecil," She says, holding out the jar. "Best you hold onto this, yeah? That way nobody can use it." She flaps her hands about.
She glances back at Kat again and hesitates before releasing Jasper. "I've got to work. Protect Kat for me, okay?" She says quietly, then lifts the bear. She approaches the girl and drops the teddiursa in Kat's lap.
"Jasper is scared," She says, deadpan, and moves away to collect pokeballs and leave Cecil and Kat to their talk.
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Post by Seya on Sept 10, 2018 16:13:51 GMT
Kat startles at having the bear plopped down on her, but nods and creates a protective hold around him with her arms, still looking a bit distant. "S'alright, uh... Jasper," she murmurs. "Nothin' ta hurt you now."
She's aware of Cecil nearby, and knows that this talk might be an uncomfortable one. But after what all had just happened, well, she wasn't sure there was much fight left in her. Besides, they all deserved clarification, and if Cecil was the one to seek it out... so be it.
"I didn't know they were here. I swear," she says quietly when he's near enough.
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Post by Robot on Sept 10, 2018 17:44:34 GMT
Combing the area, Christine, Bunnie, and Joyce find 2,000 caps in the back of one of the caves, coupled with odd bits of questionable or half eaten food. Little else is salvageable even among the raiders personal belongings, though most damning is the presence of a journal, clearly belonging to Joscoe. It's contents detail trade deals with the Gene Children, selling off raided slaves and kidnap victims alike. Further, it details the location of a vault nearby, and musings about parting with this information for a still larger sum, though this entry has not been followed with anything. With horror, Christine comes to the realization that this is Vault 316. Home.
Amber collected the Pokeballs easily from their former owners and set to adjusting the access coding to match the Vault Dexes as she chooses. The Brionne, realizing that it is not at any further risk has calmed the rest of the way. Pushing itself along the rocky ground, very much not it's environment, it rests it's head on Amber's thigh and looks up at her while she tinkers. There is a brightness, and a certain curiosity about it.
It'd gone better then he could've expected, that was a start. He was surprised when Amber gave him the Destiny Knot Joscoe had kept. Christine would have had a fit if she'd seen it, and it left him with that dry mouth sort of urge to use it at the first available opportunity. Better he was rid of it before he gave into temptation. "Thanks lil Sis." He offered her a wan smile and proceeded towards Kat. Pulling up a patch of ground beside Kat, nearly shoulder to shoulder with her, he replied; "Even if you did, trauma blocks shit like that out. That isn't what this is about."
Having already pocketed the vial, Cecil produced a canteen and a handkerchief. Soaking the cloth, he very gingerly took her hand in his and began to wash it in a tender manner. "I haven't been treating you right since 116. I'm fucked in the head on a good day, and today wasn't the best, but I get it now." He gauged her reaction carefully, his eyes moving from hers back to where he was working. "I'm no good with rope, or I'd tie our wrists together again, you dig? I know what we mean to you now, and I know what you mean to me."
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Post by DataNinja on Sept 11, 2018 1:15:38 GMT
Christine pockets the caps, to split with the others when she gets back to them. She doesn't understand how these people can all live in such squalor. It's all filthy, and... just, ugh. She's very much used to the 'place for everything, and everything in its place' philosophy.
She does find a book around. Maybe that will help her understand. Flipping through it... well, she understands. Understands that there could very well be a whole mess of trouble for home. This is... not good. Not at all. She focusses hard on not reaction out loud though. Bunnie cannot know this. It could very well break her.
With her stomach sinking, she feels the need to just discuss it with someone. But the others are having a conversation out there. She knows that. And they probably need the time alone. So she glances to wait until Bunnie is occupied elsewhere, before sliding the journal over to Joyce, putting a finger to her lips and pointing at Bunnie. Hopefully she gets the message.
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Post by Slytherclaw on Sept 20, 2018 0:10:35 GMT
Amber frowns down at the Brionne, fiddling with the balls. "Hey, Christine, did you want any of these? Might just mark them as Cecil's, let him sort it out later," She calls, not looking up from her pokedex and the critter that apparently has decided it lives in her lap now. She'll mark any as Christines if the girl asks, but otherwise continue with her plans to dump the lot on their resident expert.
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Post by Seya on Sept 24, 2018 15:43:50 GMT
Kat feels her lower lip wobble at Cecil's words and bites down on it, hard. A number of deep breaths come and go before she answers, "I never thought I'd get attached to anyone. Best to keep everyone at arms length, yeah? That's what my dad did, and I learned from him. But he never said what to do when other people manage to sneak their way in." She curls up her fingers in the hand he's cleaning. "Joscoe was there for me, but in his own way. Not always a good one. But you, and Amber and Christine...? I'm not losing you guys. S-so I did what I had to do."
She smiles at him, even if it's a weak one, and watches his hands as they work. Next came the matter of actually dealing with the gang's things, but... she wasn't ready to stand up quite yet. She pats the teddy in her lap.
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Post by Robot on Sept 24, 2018 18:07:47 GMT
Joyce gives Christine a very small nod and pores over the journal in relative silence with a slackening of her posture and a well worn look of concern and disbelief on her face. Bunnie seems to pick up on the fact that something is wrong with the second sideways glance in her direction. Fidgeting, she starts to encroach on the other two women. "Christine... what is it? Why do you keep looking at me like that..."
The Brionne makes a small confused noise in Amber's lap. Even though its former owner had been a hard individual, feigning weakness and fear had always gotten it some measure of coddling. With this new one, even playing nicely merited almost no response. It wasn't sure how to take it, and disappeared into the ball it came from without much further a fuss, leaving Amber to work in quiet. Her work finished shortly thereafter, it was time to decide if they would settle to camp, or press on to the vault that night.
"I know you did. Won't ever ask you to do anything but what feels right to you, even if it makes things rocky with Christine." The last of the blood washed from Kat's hands, he took one in both of his and gave it a tender squeeze. "Home's going to be a rough ride, but I'd still like you to meet Mom. It's stupid..." He laughed softly, a bit of color creeping into his pale features. "Back before PokeRus and Vaults, that was the kind of thing a guy did with their best girl. A-Anyway..." He gently released her and moved to rise. "Should start figuring out the rest of today. Relax as long as you need, and if there's anything I can do, just ask."
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Post by DataNinja on Sept 25, 2018 1:17:03 GMT
Hmmmm… well, this is an issue. And it's an issue that might end up eventually being a non-issue, or a very big issue. But, doctors need to know that sometimes patients need to hear something specific. And this is one of those times. "It's just... they were mentioning the Gene Children in here. And that just reminded me of you, and everything you've gone through." She threads her fingers through her hair. "I was just hoping that there wasn't anything else that might be around here that might bring back bad memories. You've been through a lot, and I was hoping to avoid reminding you of that. Clearly, I wasn't good enough at that." It wasn't all strictly the whole story, but clearly Bunnie knew that something was happening. Hopefully this is enough to assuage things.
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Post by Seya on Oct 13, 2018 0:10:47 GMT
Kat feels her face heating as Cecil speaks, dipping her chin and blinking quickly. Best girl? Surely he couldn't be serious. She opened her mouth to say something, then shut it again-- and when he let go of her hand, she felt her heart drop. Not that she expected him to keep holding it forever or anything...
She readied a retort, and was trying to figure out how to make her mouth move again, when Cecil moved to stand. Something proud and possessive roared from deep within her, breaking her free from the sullen mood she'd been in.
Cecil was speaking but Kat didn't hear much of it at all. Instead, she grabbed the collar of his shirt and tugged, attempting to pull him right back down towards her.
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Post by Robot on Oct 13, 2018 19:53:38 GMT
Bunnie takes the news in stride, despite being visibly upset. She falls into a somber silence for the remainder of the evening as camp is made. Cecil doesn't leave Kat's side after she tugs him in against her, whatever might've transpired was only for the two of them to know. He seems both more content and slightly flustered by the prolonged close contact. With the Pokeballs re-coded and placed in storage, the Brionne included, a fire is started and bread is broken.
Christine's dire news is not well received by Cecil, but without knowing if the location of home had been sold or not there was no point in stressing on it much. He carries little sympathy, as do Bunnie and Amber, for people who deal with the gene children. Several Pokemon are posted guard at the cave mouth where the party settles, and though there is some cussing and growling through the night, they go undisturbed. The remnants of the raiders, along with Joscoe's body are gone by morning.
The road awaits, as does Vault 316.
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Post by DataNinja on Oct 13, 2018 21:39:24 GMT
Christine is not in the brightest of spirits. The last day had seemed to start off so well... but it only went downhill from there. And with home approaching, and the uncertainties and personal conflict that come with it, coupled with her split state of mind about these Pokérus-induced abilities that she has, and the lack of anyone to really talk to... it's not the best state of mind for her to be in.
She mostly keeps to herself, tending to the injuries of the Pokémon, after Cecil and Kat retreat. Trying to lose herself in something that she knows how to do. Something familiar. It's not really enough to help keep her mind off the current situation, but it does help her slightly relax.
"So..." Christine says at last, "Home today..." She runs her fingers through her hair. Oh, how she misses hot showers. "Bringing a few outsiders might end up being... problematic. We probably shouldn't stay there for too long, though. At least for me..." she glances at Joyce, "there are things that need doing. And I know that if I can manage to comfortable there, I probably won't want to leave again. We aren't even done with all of what we left to do in the first place..."
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Post by Seya on Oct 14, 2018 0:01:53 GMT
With the onset of morning, Kat woke with a weight lifted from her shoulders. At first she didn't understand the airy, breathless feeling that was relief, but as she looked around at the weary individuals around her, she rocked back on her heels with a smile. They could be tired and grumpy and anxious all they wanted, but they were alive, and no longer threatened by the shadow of Kat's past life. That alone made her near-giddy. She faced the rising sun with more vigor than she had in weeks, getting Rosco out early on. When he changed forms, Kat was momentarily taken aback; she met the eyes of her former self, grinning wickedly with none of the DNA-twisted markings in sight. "Don't ever forget that one," she said quietly. "It'll be nice t'look back at it again someday." --- When she finally joined up with the others again, she once again made note of their anxiety. She listened to Christine's ramble with a lopsided smile. "Think've it as just checkin' in and lettin' them all know you're still good, yeah? That the surface hasn't gone and defeated you yet." She glanced sideways at Bunnie, then at the ground. "Fact is, it is rough up here, but you haven't let it beat you down. You've adapted. You ain't ever going to be the same folks what left that Vault, no matter how much you try to erase. You need to keep lettin' your experiences better you. 'Broken bones heal stronger' and all that, yeah?" She tossed an arm around Christine's waist and gave her a hip-bump, holding the smile. "And 'sides, I ain't gonna let them steal you back so easy."
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Post by DataNinja on Oct 14, 2018 0:55:12 GMT
"Well, you've got to make sure that the bones are set properly," Christine says, "otherwise you get some big problems." She gives a small smile to Kat. "But, thanks for the thought. Trying to set me."
"I know that I'm not the same," she says, "but... I just worry that I'm not at all the same. And at the same time that I'm too much the same. Part of me wants to go back, to just stay, and settle into a comfortable life there. Part of me knows that I can never really do that. I have the Pokérus in me. No mater what, I'll never be able to fully contribute. That it may just be better for all involved if I never return."
"I appreciate it all, though," she continues, glancing at the arm around her waist. "trying to make me feel like I belong up here. I'll be honest, I've never really felt like I had a place beyond doing my job. It's just how I was raised - you are what you contribute. And not working, meant not contributing. Something that my mother and father believed strongly in. All of this casual comradery... it's something mostly new. So, thank you."
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Post by Seya on Oct 14, 2018 1:30:13 GMT
Kat shrugged, expression open and pleased. "You don't belong up here. I don't, either. Not in a world what's fallin' apart like this, Christine, I don't think there's anyone truly built t'be thriving in a place like this. And so what if you've got Pokerus in ya? It's not ruining you none. If anything, it's like one of them... what're they called..." She snaps her fingers a few times. "Those lil bits inside humans that learn from weak sicknesses to protect against stronger ones. Aah, I forget. But, see, our bodies are takin' to pokerus like a cure, I think. Makes it so we're thicker-skinned against the worst of it. Y'know?"
Entirely aware of how medically inept that probably sounded, Kat laughs, hugs Christine close once again, and lets go. "Ain't never liked the idea of people valued based on how functional they were. Worries me. Josco..." she swallowed. "Josco thought like that... if you weren't contributing to his cause, you were trash. Or a plaything. I value people for the good they bring to my life. Not their services."
She gives the medic another lopsided grin, then wanders off towards the mouth of the cave, calling for Demon.
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Post by Robot on Oct 14, 2018 1:57:16 GMT
Sleeping close to Kat by the fireside had been an experience. She had been impressively clingy, which hadn't lent itself well to him accomplishing anything yesterday. It was nice though, in its own way. Keeping close to enjoy the little things that made her unique. He woke in good spirits, if a little pent up, and watched how Kat and Christine carried on. He couldn't help but watch the muscular protector saunter off. Damn that was nice.
"She's right you know." Cecil commented to Christine as he stretched his legs and rose. "We don't belong anywhere but the place we make for ourselves. You can get fired, and you can't pick your family. I'd say what we got going now is about as close to belonging as it gets." With a yawn he rose and wandered after Kat, Wreckage was around here somewhere.
The morning is overcast, and the dew heavy in the quarry. Joyce looks after Bunnie, meals are had and trainings for the day accomplished.
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Post by DataNinja on Oct 14, 2018 2:57:43 GMT
"Our bodies might be," Christine says, at Kat wanders off, "but it still exists. I don't want to risk infecting others. Not before I know I can manufacture a cure. And I can't have children like this, spreading it." She sighs. "I understand what you're saying about Josco. But... it's different in the Vault. If you're not giving, you're only taking. It puts everyone at greater risk, greater hardship. And if you don't have children, you put the whole future at risk. That's the reality of the Vault..."
She follows Cecil with her gaze as he, too, walks away, but doesn't say anything. He might feel like he belongs... but he also didn't take very well to the Vault life. She had. She'd a place, a purpose. Here... it's just touch-and-go. There's nothing concrete. She's lost in the world, the open expanse simply too much. That's not to say that there isn't good up here... but it's not a place where she feels she belongs.
Then again, at this point, neither is the Vault...
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