She laughed, a great and lighthearted sound that few these days actually heard, and rubbed the dog under his chin, delighting in the cute little shivers that racked his tiny body as his leg twitched back and forth.
"Where on earth did you find this little guy?" she asked. "Was it before the outbreak?"
And a tad randomly, she looked at him and smiled rather sleepily.
"You're a good guy, Mike."
She yawned--a giant, gaping spectacle--and pulled the hem of her shirt up a little, exposing the giant, ragged acars near her navel.
"I never thanked you for takin' care of this, did I?"
Urban Dead: But At My Back I'll Always Hear...
-
Pcm979
- Adept
- Posts: 1306
- Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 5:22 am
- 19
- Location: Command Deck, the UMSC Pillar of Awesome.
#77
"I do my best." He said, answering the second and third questions at once.
"August? Nah, he adopted me a few weeks after. I was hiding in a bakery and I saw our famished friend here licking the chocolate off some stale doughnuts. I tried to tell him that chocolate was bad for dogs, but he wouldn't listen. We had some disputes over who owned the bacon sandwiches, but we managed to get along somehow."
"August? Nah, he adopted me a few weeks after. I was hiding in a bakery and I saw our famished friend here licking the chocolate off some stale doughnuts. I tried to tell him that chocolate was bad for dogs, but he wouldn't listen. We had some disputes over who owned the bacon sandwiches, but we managed to get along somehow."
"Are you trying to give me a spasm?" ~The Necrontyr Messenger
#78
She grinned, ruffling the dogs ears.
"Well he's a cute bugger, ain't he?"
At that moment, one of the Blackcaps who'd been sent to scope out the post office crept timidly up to them, coughing a bit to announce his presence and looking to Sherry.
"We went back to the post office, but the wounded chap you mentioned--I don't know his name, sorry--was gone. Blood everywhere, too. Probably got chewed to bits, I'd imagine."
She shook the gory visual out of her brain and nodded. "Thanks," she said, "if we catch sight of any more of the Southenders around town, let me know. I'm still not sure as to whether we can trust 'em."
"Well he's a cute bugger, ain't he?"
At that moment, one of the Blackcaps who'd been sent to scope out the post office crept timidly up to them, coughing a bit to announce his presence and looking to Sherry.
"We went back to the post office, but the wounded chap you mentioned--I don't know his name, sorry--was gone. Blood everywhere, too. Probably got chewed to bits, I'd imagine."
She shook the gory visual out of her brain and nodded. "Thanks," she said, "if we catch sight of any more of the Southenders around town, let me know. I'm still not sure as to whether we can trust 'em."
#80
"Not because of me personally," she said, "just because they needed somebody. I doubt I'll do too well with it... I'm too emotional to be a leader. I get attached. And it fucks things up."
At least she wasn't in denial about her faults, like many people in positions of leadershp seemed to be.
At least she wasn't in denial about her faults, like many people in positions of leadershp seemed to be.
-
Pcm979
- Adept
- Posts: 1306
- Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 5:22 am
- 19
- Location: Command Deck, the UMSC Pillar of Awesome.
#81
"I know what you mean. That's why I jumped at the chance when NT offered me a job; There weren't any patients to get attached to."
"Are you trying to give me a spasm?" ~The Necrontyr Messenger
#82
She laughed. Earlier in her youth, she would've called him a pussy and done a great deal more laughing, but she'd changed now. Not necessarily matured, but changed.
"Yeah... you know, I never did get around to going any further into university than my first year. Never even got a job. Christ, I was a kid before all this..."
It was rather overwhelming to consider, seeing as how they'd all suddenly had to grow up so fast.
"Yeah... you know, I never did get around to going any further into university than my first year. Never even got a job. Christ, I was a kid before all this..."
It was rather overwhelming to consider, seeing as how they'd all suddenly had to grow up so fast.
-
Pcm979
- Adept
- Posts: 1306
- Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 5:22 am
- 19
- Location: Command Deck, the UMSC Pillar of Awesome.
#83
"Mmm. It's amazing what a human being will do when it has to. Before this shit happened, I was embarrasingly preppy. You could've measured my hairdo with a set square, and my cologne was Au De Eager. I think I left a visible trail of helpfulness behind me."
"Are you trying to give me a spasm?" ~The Necrontyr Messenger
#84
She grinned.
"I was about as far from that as possible. Grew up in a dirt-poor slum of an apartment, constant runaway... after I finished school I tried to pay for university on my own, managed to get a small scholarship, but none of it ended up working out. And I couldn't go home because of... well... just a lot of shit happened while I was gone. It was easier to just pretend I'd never lived there in the first place.
It was odd, to sit there coated in another human's blood, calmly crossing her legs and chattering on as though nothing had changed from three or four months ago. The nostalgia of the moment was almost overwhelming.
"I was about as far from that as possible. Grew up in a dirt-poor slum of an apartment, constant runaway... after I finished school I tried to pay for university on my own, managed to get a small scholarship, but none of it ended up working out. And I couldn't go home because of... well... just a lot of shit happened while I was gone. It was easier to just pretend I'd never lived there in the first place.
It was odd, to sit there coated in another human's blood, calmly crossing her legs and chattering on as though nothing had changed from three or four months ago. The nostalgia of the moment was almost overwhelming.
#86
A light flush crept to her cheeks at that. She'd never really been one to act 'educated' around but a few individuals, so he'd probably find her response confusing:
"Ah... Literature, mostly."
"Ah... Literature, mostly."
-
Pcm979
- Adept
- Posts: 1306
- Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 5:22 am
- 19
- Location: Command Deck, the UMSC Pillar of Awesome.
#87
By then, it was getting darker. Over the previous half an hour, starting with a light drizzle, the rain had been getting heavier, culminating in a thunderclap.
"Yup, winter's coming alright." Mike drew his labcoat around himself as a chilly gust of wind came in through one of the unbarricaded second-floor windows. "It might be time to hit Marks and Sparks like we were saying. Before the rush sets in. Do you think they'll mark the prices down? "Loot one, get one free!""
"Yup, winter's coming alright." Mike drew his labcoat around himself as a chilly gust of wind came in through one of the unbarricaded second-floor windows. "It might be time to hit Marks and Sparks like we were saying. Before the rush sets in. Do you think they'll mark the prices down? "Loot one, get one free!""
"Are you trying to give me a spasm?" ~The Necrontyr Messenger
#88
She laughed at that, then shrugged.
"It wouldn't be past me to rig up a donkey generator and get some heat going. Be loud, but if we've got this many people come November we might have to."
She stood and offered him a hand to do likewise.
"I've got a propane stove set up in my room. Want some coffee?"
"It wouldn't be past me to rig up a donkey generator and get some heat going. Be loud, but if we've got this many people come November we might have to."
She stood and offered him a hand to do likewise.
"I've got a propane stove set up in my room. Want some coffee?"
#90
She grinned.
"Fortunately, you don't have to. Although if we leave the doors open and the smell gets out, you may very well get your own ass killed."
With a playful wink, she grabbed him by the wrist and hurried along, hoping that the distraction would provide her enough reason to keep her mind off of the more unpleasant things surrounding them.
--
And a mere ten minutes later, the small once-office was filled with the aroma of hazelnut brew, two cups of which had been poured from the thermos. She didn't have anything to add to it, but doubted he'd care at that point.
"Fortunately, you don't have to. Although if we leave the doors open and the smell gets out, you may very well get your own ass killed."
With a playful wink, she grabbed him by the wrist and hurried along, hoping that the distraction would provide her enough reason to keep her mind off of the more unpleasant things surrounding them.
--
And a mere ten minutes later, the small once-office was filled with the aroma of hazelnut brew, two cups of which had been poured from the thermos. She didn't have anything to add to it, but doubted he'd care at that point.
-
Pcm979
- Adept
- Posts: 1306
- Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 5:22 am
- 19
- Location: Command Deck, the UMSC Pillar of Awesome.
#91
He grabbed the cup eagerly and almost inhaled the liquid. "Ahh. That hit the spot. You were brewing it slowly to get me salivating, I could tell."
"Are you trying to give me a spasm?" ~The Necrontyr Messenger
-
Guest
#92
She laughed, taking a small sip of her own as opposed to his practically choking on the stuff.
"Was not! You makin' me out to be a villain?" she asked jokingly, giving him a light slug to the arm. The coffee was strong and hot; she could almost feel it warming her from the inside out, spreading through her veins to the very tips of her fingers. Except for the fact that coffee didn't go in the bloodstream. Oh, well. She perched daintily upon the forgotten desk, patting the tabletop beside her. Not the most luxurious furnishings, but he was welcome to everything the room had to offer. Except the hammmock. That was hers.
"Was not! You makin' me out to be a villain?" she asked jokingly, giving him a light slug to the arm. The coffee was strong and hot; she could almost feel it warming her from the inside out, spreading through her veins to the very tips of her fingers. Except for the fact that coffee didn't go in the bloodstream. Oh, well. She perched daintily upon the forgotten desk, patting the tabletop beside her. Not the most luxurious furnishings, but he was welcome to everything the room had to offer. Except the hammmock. That was hers.
-
Pcm979
- Adept
- Posts: 1306
- Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 5:22 am
- 19
- Location: Command Deck, the UMSC Pillar of Awesome.
#93
Mike poured himself a second cup and sat down, drinking this one much more slowly.
"We've got our own real estate, a generator and honest-to-god caffeine. Are we the luckiest SOBs in Malton, or what?"
"We've got our own real estate, a generator and honest-to-god caffeine. Are we the luckiest SOBs in Malton, or what?"
"Are you trying to give me a spasm?" ~The Necrontyr Messenger
#94
"Indeed!" she said with a laugh, nodding enthusiastically at his words. Their luck was almost... Unreal. She yawned and took a swig of her coffee as though ot was alcohol. God, that felt so good on her throat...
"Can you believe we've made it this far?"
"Can you believe we've made it this far?"
-
Pcm979
- Adept
- Posts: 1306
- Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 5:22 am
- 19
- Location: Command Deck, the UMSC Pillar of Awesome.
#95
"Not really. But then again, I still occasionally expect to wake up and find out that I've just been having one hell of a nightmare. We're living in 28 Days Later!"
"Are you trying to give me a spasm?" ~The Necrontyr Messenger
#96
Sherry laughed at that. Hard.
"Well unfortunately my imagination isn't this... Fruitful, let's say."
She shrugged and finished the mug, setting it on the desk and just delighting in the smell of brewing coffee throughout the whole room. It was divine, to say the absolute least.
"By the way, you're welcome to come in here and fix some anytime you'd like. Long as you leave some for me!"
"Well unfortunately my imagination isn't this... Fruitful, let's say."
She shrugged and finished the mug, setting it on the desk and just delighting in the smell of brewing coffee throughout the whole room. It was divine, to say the absolute least.
"By the way, you're welcome to come in here and fix some anytime you'd like. Long as you leave some for me!"
#98
"Has it really been that long?" she thought aloud, trying to remember what date she'd been rescued from that hellhole of a prison and trying to configure the present time in. But she honestly didn't know either, so it seemed to be a lost cause.
"Ugh, my head hurts," she said morosely, rubbing her jaw. The entire left side of her face was bruised and her temple was beginning to swell from where Jaycee had pistol-whipped her. "Feels like someone damn near ran my head over."
"Ugh, my head hurts," she said morosely, rubbing her jaw. The entire left side of her face was bruised and her temple was beginning to swell from where Jaycee had pistol-whipped her. "Feels like someone damn near ran my head over."
#100
"If you've got it, I'll take it. I just wanted some ice, but we know that's impossible to come by these days."
She grumbled and rubbed the tender spot near her temple, cursing under her breath
"... Bastard ever shows his face 'round here, I'll fix him good..."
She grumbled and rubbed the tender spot near her temple, cursing under her breath
"... Bastard ever shows his face 'round here, I'll fix him good..."