(@Stuffy McPatch) Lucy squinted at the sparks above her, wiping her hand across her forehead as she studied the tiny flames that spiraled and fell around her. They were beautiful, she mused, binding the sparking wires with the electrical tape in her teeth, pulling them together. The engine above her purred to life and there came a slight cheer of triumph from outside. "Hell yeah, Luce. You're a genius." "It was nothing," Lucy said modestly, pulling out from underneath the car, a smear of grime across the bridge of her freckled nose. Aisling gave her a rare smile, revving the engine almost playfully. Lucy had that effect on her; she often found that the girl softened her harsh demeanor. "Wanna go for a joyride?" she asked playfully. "We can pick up Ellis on the way." Lucy considered this, pulling her long, dark braids back over her shoulder. "I should probably go look for more supplies," she said slowly. Aisling raised a dark eyebrow, and Lucy would already know what she was about to say. "*squee!* that. C'mon. Get in the passenger seat. I'll help you look for supplies later." Lucy paused before relenting with a small smile, joining her friend in the car. They took off, kicking up dust as they sped down the dirt road.
Dion sat in the shade. The linoleum floor was cool and grimy from years of exposure. Half of the building was destroyed, similar to many others, and left a wide open wall, giving an unrestrained view of the crumbling city. This had been something once. The city. Bustling with people, clean and shiny, but it was no match for nature. He had heard stories of what it had been like before, mostly from his grandmother. He enjoyed the fantasies the stories came along with, picturing a strange life without the interruption of disorder. He rolled a leaf between his index and thumb, carefully slipping his legs over the broken and crumbling edge of the building, letting them hang high up in the air. Life at home was a bit less serene. Nana ordered people about, hustling the children into one room, telling people off in another, trying to get food ready for everyone. Blaise sat in her corner of the room, noting things down on her map as usual. Jaz was helping in the kitchen, using what little knowledge he had of cooking to make himself useful. And Rory watched the children silently, her expression bright as she watched them play with toys the family had made or found with scavenged items.
Ellis sat in the backseat, resting his head on his hand and looking out the window as they headed towards the city. "Emerson's gonna be pissed," he said, his low voice rumbling in his chest. "You realize that, right? Emerson's going to be mad." "Emerson will be fine," Aisling replied smoothly as they charged down the ruined roads, her hands resting on the steering wheel. "He could stand to relax every once in a while." Lucy frowned, looking over at Aisling. Worry lines carved themselves into her youthful face and she pursed her lips in concern. "Do you think he'll be cross with us?" Aisling glowered at the road before pulling up to a large building, screeching to a stop. "He'll be fine," she said flatly, getting out. "C'mon. Let's get scouting."
Dion listened, sitting up at the sound of a strange rumbling. He'd heard this sound maybe once or twice in his life, but knew it was a working vehicle. He stood, looking in the direction of the noise for starting on his journey to the ground floor, slipping through holes in the broken floors and watching for sharp edges and rusty nails, his worn bag around his shoulder. After a short trip, he dropped to the main floor quietly, lurking along curiously.
Aisling knelt down, her gun at her side as she opened one of the cupboards. Her fingers were tentative as they pulled away some rubble, her lips pursed. She heard Ellis and Lucy moving away, going to investigate the other side of the building. Her brown hair fell in front of her face, and she ducked her head, raising a tattooed hand to tuck the lock behind her ear. A loose nail tore the fabric of her sleeve and she cursed, jerking her hand away with a frown. Her search into the cupboard yielded nothing, and she exhaled, disappointment staining her breath as she closed the drawers quietly.
Dion peered into the room silently, his blue eyes striking as he watched. A frown crossed his face as he glanced toward the door, waiting for her back to be turned before slipping along the walls, going to leave without looking for a problem.
As he moved to leave, he would see Lucy and Ellis towards the entrance. Ellis looked like he was patiently trying to coax Lucy to go deeper into the building. "C'mon, Luce," he would hear him say. "Aisling's already in there, and she's fine, right? It's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of." "I don't know why I came with you guys," she said worriedly. "I'm not being helpful at all... Maybe I should stay with the car...?" "You'll miss all the fun if you do that!" Aisling called from her room, still looking around.
Lucy sighed, leaning back against the doorframe, her brows furrowed. "It's... don't worry, Ellis. Go explore. I'll... I'll keep watch, okay? Don't worry. Go explore and have fun." "No," Aisling said smoothly, coming back into the main room. "El, take Lucy with you when you guys go explore. I'll stay here and watch you guys and make sure no one is going to stab you."
He went silent, crouching against the wall as hid near a desk. He wasn't up for any fights today and would rather leave as fast as he could.
Lucy looked nervous, but Aisling leaned up against the doorframe, pursing her lips. "Go. Explore. I'll be here, I promise." Ellis tugged Lucy away and Aisling sighed, rolling her shoulders idly.
Dion looked around before moving to go back the way he came, figuring it would be easier to find a different way out.
Aisling noticed, her brow furrowed. "Hey, you!" she called, her voice stern and sharp, but still quiet, not alerting Ellis and Lucy just yet.
"Hey, stop!" she barked sharply, taking off after him, sprinting through the building. Her brown hair trailed behind her, but she was fast, following closely behind.
He stopped after a short chase, realizing it was a dead end before turning back, looking at her with sharp eyes, picking a broken board as a weapon if it came to that.. "Why are you chasing me? What do you want?"
Her green eyes darted to the board and she squinted, her gun at her side. Her eyes were intense and although she didn't have her gun pointed at him, he got a distinct impression that it would be shooting before he could think up an escape. "Whose clan do you belong to?" she demanded. "Are there more of you?"
"I'm.. I'm on my own. Those who I keep with prefer to stay hidden. Besides, I was here first. I didn't even take anything."
She pursed her lips, analyzing him sharply. "I don't want to kill you, or anything," she said flatly, although her voice was still sharp. "I just gotta know if there are other people in here. That's all. Hidden or not, I don't want to *squee!* with anyone. So, besides from you and my party, is there anyone in this building?"
