Devil's Tower

Who: Grey and English
When: Around 3AM Tuesday morning
Where: In the farmhouse's kitchen
What: Grey gets hungry and comes out of his brooding bedroom.
Rating: PG 13 for violence and swearing

Since Jed had left on Friday only a handful of people had seen Jed and those were the few that had watched him storm up to his room. He hadn't said a word. To be completely honest he didn't know how to. What exactly could he say to the realization that the person he had been in a relationship with, the person that he had thought was dead for the last few months not only was not dead but was with someone else. It wasn't even honestly that Grey knew how to handle. All he wanted to do was go and hunt Hawk down and kick the living shit out of him never mind what he thought he might do to Nova. She had let him believe she was dead. Although logic would tell anyone that Nova likely didn't think that Grey had thought she was dead, logic wasn't on the table. It had abandon Grey just as quickly as Grey had abandoned the idea that Nova was dead. The one thing he did know was that doing what he wanted to do would get him killed and would put his tribe in a bad position, so instead of taking his horse to the Twin Feathers to inflict some sort of ex-lover's justice, he had locked himself in. There had been multiple knocks on the door and pleading voices. Everyone might have thought everything was alright had there been anguish or screaming, but all anyone had heard was the nails going into the boards that were blocking the window and the door.

By the time Tuesday rolled around he had not slept in day and it showed. Deep circles had formed under his eyes and his knuckles were red from clenching and clenching his fists. Never mind that his hair was greasy where sweat had formed from doing push-ups and sit-ups and any of the other exercises he had done to stop himself from killing anyone. His clothes likely stank from the sweat as well and the fact was he didn't care. It wasn't like he was going to slit his wrists, no he wasn't that type. Nor did he think that death was better than this. The problem was he just didn't even know how to begin to process and deal with anything. He didn't know how to tell his tribe that the woman they had searched for, for an entire month had just gone down to the Twin Feathers. A tribe that could easily has sent word to them.

Voices were echoing in his head; Wolf's, Nova's, his brother's, English's and many others. Each telling him that the relationship was nothing or even better that he was everything to her. His head had continued to pound with the headache that wouldn't seem to go away.

The one thing he had not stopped doing was eating, but to be honest although he would deny it Grey was an emotional eater. It was something passed down from his mother and although he controlled it well, he was not the type to just stop eating. So to avoid everyone and anyone he had been going down to the kitchen late at night when he heard no one and that morning was no different. He had lived in that house since he had been born (literally) so there was no need to turn on any light as she walked down the stairs and turned down the hall that lead to the kitchen. There was no touching of the walls to figure out where he was, he knew exactly where he was which is why that fact that there was a chair in the entry way to the kitchen caught him off guard. He jammed his toe into it and without even the groan of pain, he picked up the wooden chair and smashed it against the kitchen counter. A sigh left his lips then, knowing he;d eventually have to fix it or make a new one. Everything seemed to weigh on him so heavily. Walking over the the fridge he opened the door and started loading his shirt with food, not bothering to look around.

Who: English and ?
When: Monday Afternoon
Where: The Farm, out on the boarder
What: English being antisocial
Status: Open, In progress
Rating: TBD


There were times that English just couldn't handle the atmosphere of the Farm. There were times she had to get the hell away and be by herself. After a long hard winter English was agitated and tense enough to come really close to just going off on her own and leaving and never looking back.

English always took a camping trip by herself once the weather broke. It was her way of letting off all the agitation of being cooped up for months at a time. There truly was only so much of people, especially Wren, she could take. She adored the girl, much to everyone's shock, but there was only so much English could take of someone trying to lighten her mood. So it was a full week ago that she had set out from the Farm. There was something freeing about being out alone in the wilderness with nothing but what you could carry.

Several rabbits met their death to fill her belly. She cleaned the skins and would bring them back with her. There would be someone that wouldn’t mind a pair of rabbit gloves for next winter or the like. If all else failed it was something to trade at the Trading Post.

Bright and early Monday morning she packed up camp and would start the trek back to the Farm. By early afternoon she could see it in the distance and by mid-afternoon she was planting a hand on the fence to jump it. She was dirty and sore from sleeping on the ground but she could not feel the tension building in her shoulders anymore and her want to maim someone was at an all time low.

WHO: Jack and Azrael
WHAT: Az needs to lighten up.
WHERE: Mountain Lion Lodge; Az's office
WHEN: Monday afternoon

Azrael was in full austere leader-mode. He reclined behind his desk in his large, comfortable chair with his feet propped on the desk itself and his arms crossed over his chest. His boredom and mild annoyance showed on his face, but Azrael listened attentively to complaint after complaint from his loyal followers. They were stupid problems that Az usually would've foisted off on his best friend, but things were still tense between himself and Ace, and Az had refrained from speaking to him lately in a form that could've been taken as commanding, in the spirit of avoiding another fight.

As time passed, his expression became harder and the punishments he was obliged to mete out grew harsher. Azrael had little patience for people, especially the less intelligent sort that he more often than not found himself in command of. They served their purposes, but there were many reasons why Az didn't mingle with his subordinates often, and this was one of them. What he sincerely hoped was his last case ended with the girl he was dealing with shaking with nerves and finally bursting into tears as she left the room, after only a few harsh words from the tall blonde behind the desk. Azrael rolled his eyes and rubbed his hand down his face, finally getting up out of his chair to look out the window. It was a beautiful day outside, but in the glass itself he caught sight of the stormy look on his face.

Week Twelve-- Sunday to Saturday

Month: Second week in March, Sunday to Saturday
Year: 2021

Week Twelve:

Hope and higher spirits brought on by the change in weather and social acitivty didn’t last long for the River Runners. On Saturday of last week a younger River Runner went to speak to Gypsy at her boat. The young River Runner searched everywhere for her and no one in the tribe or at the Trading Post had seen her since Friday afternoon. It was at first believed that she was off looking for the self-exiled Pan, but when Tuesday of this week rolls around and no one hears or sees any sign of Gypsy, she is officially labeled as missing. The tribe breaks into her boat and finds everything perfectly intact as if she simply disappeared. Members of the River Runners are being sent to all of the tribes to see if they can find any clues to their missing leader’s whereabouts.

The Mountain Lions are celebrating the warm weather in their own way by bringing back their cage fighting. For the first time since winter set in there will be a cage fight hosted by the Mountain Lions at the Vance Copper Mine. The event starts at dusk and everyone is welcome. Betting is welcome though you may stand to lose some of your winnings if the Lions catch you. They don’t provide their entertainment for free! Volunteer fighters are welcome, though there are threatened hired drifters there to fight as well. Rumors start to circulate at this fight that the Mountain Lions will be opening a club of sorts (think drinking, girls, gambling, etc.) in the northern fringe of the city that they still have under control.

Strange lights and sounds are reportedly seen in the southern part of the city by those brave enough to venture into shambler (The Carrion’s) most southern territory.

Rumours spread like wildfire that one of the Wolves is pregnant. With pregnancy being next to impossible since the virus all kind of stories are flying. These rumors also spur on whispers that the farm Wolves are leaving the city Wolves to join the Twin Feathers.


Week Events:


All Week: The Trading Post is doing a booming business. The market stays steady all week with vendors and customers from all over.

Saturday: The notorious Mountain Lion cage fighting returns! This Saturday starting at dusk at the same warehouse as before at the Vance Copper Mines. Volunteers are welcome, though there are threatened hired drifters there to fight as well.

Sunday: A poor attempt at a traveling circus has come to town and set up their show at the outskirts. Admission is one food item per person. The circus features jugglers, dog tricks and a zebra!


Citizen Birthdays:

March 13th - goddessofearth
March 14th - carbonite
March 15th - lone_ranger

Week Weather:

Sunday : Blue skies! High: 71 Low: 69
Monday: Scattered whisps of cloud High: 73 F Low: 68 F
Tuesday: Totally clear and sunny. High: 72 F Low: 65 F
Wednesday: Breezy. High: 70 Low: 64 F
Thursday: Clear High: 69 F Low: 65 F
Friday: Partly cloudy. High: 68 F Low: 64 F
Saturday: Overcast. High: 69 Low: 63

Who: Ace and Jack
What: Jack is walking the perimeter when Ace returns from 'visiting' Ryder
Where: The edge of the Mountain Lions' territory
When: Wednesday, around noon

Ace was in, if not exactly a good mood, at least a satisfied mood. His little visit to the Twin Feathers' territory had scratched an itch that had been bugging him for a long time. He'd wanted to take Ryder down a few pegs long before the man had even broken up with Danni, but now he could tell himself that it had been about protection and retribution, rather than strictly jealously. Ace didn't do jealousy.

Returning to his home territory, for a change he was looking less than his best. The encounter, and the long walks there and back, had tired him out. He'd fared far better in the fight, if you could call it a fight, than his opponent had, but he didn't escape unscathed. He had a few blossoming bruises, a tear along the seam of his coat, and his cuffs and sleeves were decorated with flecks of blood.

Spotting a sentry, and recognizing just who it was, he perked up and smiled like a shark sensing blood in the water. It had been awhile since he'd last seen Jack. She was obviously getting better at avoiding him, but then he had no particular reason to seek her out either most of the time. "Look lively, Jack," he called out as he approached. "You never know who might be coming this way."

Who: Jed and Grey
When: Friday morning
Where: Wolves territory 
What: With the constant glares and bad mutters Jed tries to decrease the tension in the tribe towards him by swapping manual labour for food.

Being second in command sucked, by all definitions it blowed on several levels Jed wasn't even sure existed.  Jed didn't exist either, according to some people in the tribe, he would have even been surprised if Silver had decided to not talk to him either.  How many times could he tell her what he did was what he thought was in the best interests of the tribe?  Just because a guy tells you, you look nice while he steals from you doesnt mean he's not a thief, it just means he's a really flattering thief.  Jed was not going to keep a flattering thief in the tribe and just because Gypsy sometimes found him useful didn't mean that he wasn't allowed to feel what he felt.  Perhaps he was over reacting, perhaps fear was getting the best of him when he saw that bandana in Pan's hand, the one that belonged to Silver.  He didn't for a second think that if Pan found out what it really meant that it would just lie, there would be a whole explosion of bad things that would head Jed's way.  Short of being kicked out of the tribe he'd probably have to see Pan take up his spot while he waved goodbye to Sundance forever.

He quite liked being where he was.  And Pan hadn't even been kicked out yet, he was just not staying in their camp for the while.

Jed's frown seemed to be etched into his face and no matter how much he tried to tell himself that deep down everyone understood, he had never felt himself believe in a lie less than he did now.  It wasn't easy doing what he had done, he'd tried to take it back, he'd tried to give him a second shot but the idiot wouldn't take it, and now he was trekking all the way from the river to the Wolves camp to chop wood in exchange for food.  Turned out he didn't have anything for trade, he hadn't been burgled, he just didn't have anything.  Pan was the trader, he was the one who made things and Jed had gotten rid of him.  His own intelligence, or lack there of, never failed to surprise him.

As he arrived at the back gate he darted a look around, pulling his beaten leather jacket back on his shoulders kicked the gate with his foot.
"Grey!" he hollered across the field, gaining the attention of some startled but never interested animals, a few goats and some sheep...the goats looked away and continued to nuzzle the grass, the sheep made disgruntled noises and stared.  The staring was getting creepy and Jed kicked the gate again, "Grey, your sheep have murder in their eyes!"  When did sheep look homicidal?

Who: Saint
When: Friday afternoon
What: Saint is bored as hell and up for smiting.
Where: His room at the Mountain Lion's "mansion"

To say it had been a slow week would have been the understatement Saint needed to make the day perfect.  He hadn't seen Flower in days after she'd been locking herself in her room lately, he worried slightly about her behaviour but mostly he woried about the others stumbling across her and becoming victim to her irrationally murderous side.  Perhaps it was a good thing the others could still be afraid without knowing exactly what she was capable of.  He'd never felt the need to divulge just what she was like he only requested that they have rooms at least near eachother and that nobody stay too close to her for any length of time.  She was like a wild pet he had to look after, no, that was exactly what she was like.

But she was freezing him out and he was concerned he wouldn't be able to weedle his way back in.  After all what good was a shepheard without his sheep?  His fellow apostle?

Currently Saint was sitting in his bed, having gotten up hours ago and finding there was borderling fuck all to do he had turned back to the once warm comforts of his blankett and had gotten cosy all over again.  It was strange for him to think that even though he'd been with the Mountain Lions for a fair while he had never really made many friends amongst them.  He had spoken to Danni only a handful of times but suspected she found his company less than comfortable and although it hurt his feelings a little bit he saw the way she acted so under Ace's thumb and decided he'd rather not spend time with somebody who seemed very weak willed.  Perhaps it was his fault he hadn't anything to do today, sure he'd heard about some weird travelling circus had come into town, boasting of great tricks in an effort to gather better supplies.  Sure he would have gone, but seeing things like that made him guffaw and tut, and nobody wanted a spoil sport in their vicinity.  So he'd stayed at home.

As his head lolled back on the pillow he had the chance to stare at the cream ceiling above him, the rosary tattooed around his neck seemed to grow warm and he traced his fingers over the ink absentmindedly.  He hadn't really had a chance to talk to anybody about the drifters he'd overheard gossip on, he heard about what they'd done and grown angry to hear of such things, to hear that one human who had stolen from them before, had now stolen again but a life.  A life that needed repaying now.  He'd run the idea by Flower before but she'd been less than eager to take it on, however her saying no did not sate his desire to avenge the lost soul.  He had to do something about it.

Who: Nova and Wolf.
What: A reunion! And news.
When: Saturday afternoon.
Where: The House.

She'd been dreading this day for weeks. Ever since she'd found out she was going to have a baby, she'd been making excuses not to go into town and tell her brother. First it had been too cold, then it had been too wet, then she'd had other things that needed to be taken care of. Hawk had caught on to her heel dragging however, and had finally volunteered to go on his own to tell Wolf if he had to. That had nearly sent her into a full scale panic attack (which had the side benefit of giving her a few more days to put off the trip). Eventually, she agreed to go on his own. If he was there, the chances of Wolf trying to choke him to death were way too high. Nova had a very good idea of how her brother was going to react, especially giving just how things had gone during their last meeting. He'd been so mad, leaving her there with Grey. And then she'd left Grey. Following that train fo thought, how was Otter going to take the news?

At least the weather wasn't too bad for walking. Hawk hadn't wanted her to make the trip on her own. Whatever. She was pregnant, not crippled. Walking wasn't going to hurt her. Nova had left fairly early in the morning, wearing a jacket to ward off the chill and to hide her growing stomach. A general lack of good nutrition made it fairly obvious what was going on with her, if you knew what to look for. Luckily, her morning sickness had gotten better. It wouldn't have been much fun to be puking the whole way there, espeically giventhe state that her nerves were in. She already felt kind of naseous, without the added benefit of a human being growing inside of her.

There were a few people out and about once she crossed in to town. Nova was easily recognizable, with her wild hair and brightly colored clothes. People waved and called out greeting before going on their way. With winter finally gone, there was lots to do. Everybody had a job to do. Sighing, she followed the familiar route back to her house. Wolf's house. It wasn't really her house anymore. She'd been gone for months. For all she knew, Wolf wasn't even there anymore. Okay, so that was kind of dramatic, but she was allowed to induldge in a few dramatics. Mood swings and all that.

Shuffling up the front walk, she debated knocking. That felt weird, even thinking about it. Just like walking right in felt really weird. Apparently, there wasn't anything about this confrontation that wasn't going to be awkward. Squaring her shoulders, she ran a hand over her bump before pushing open the door. Nova cleared her throat and glanced around once before calling out. "Brent?"

Who: Danni and whoever
What: Pondering life
Where: Outside on the porch
When: Night, Late

Danni hadn't taken much time lately to just sit and try to relax. Today she was feeling particularly tense. The week had been hard ever since she received her letter from Ryder. Even stranger was that she and Ace really hadn't spoken since.

When crossing paths with someone in the house, she kept her eyes low or in another direction, not wanting anyone to see that she was upset. Surely, they could tell. They seemed to all be keeping their distance, at least that's how she saw it.

It was times like these that she really missed her parents, specifically her dad. It was obvious to her entire family that she was a Daddy's Girl, ever since she was born. Her mother hadn't minded at all. Grabbing a glass of homemade juice from the fridge along with a blanket, she made her way outside onto the porch.

The night was clear and she felt as though she needed to reunite herself with the stars. It had been such a long time since she'd just sat outside and named off the constellations. She wrapped the blanket around herself and sat down on the loveseat. Figuring she was a bit rusty, she started with the easier ones first. "Ursa Major..." she whispered, sipping her juice. "Orion's Belt..."

Who: Peri and Shepherd
What: Peri almost dies and then finds herself with a tenant
When: Saturday
Where: The Marketplace
Rating: R... for sexual content

It had been a very long week, she had risen everyday at 7am and had gone to sleep well past midnight. The mission of the week had almost been accomplished though and that was what really mattered. The wares she had produced all winter were almost gone and they had been replaced with food and a few other thing she an her tribe had needed. To be honest, Peri had actually sold faster than she had anticipated and for a better price. She always left those who wished to trade with her determine the price they wanted to pay and then she bartered until she thought it fair. This year the price they had given was high and she had rarely had to barter for a higher bid. It had been wonderful in fact. Apparently a lot of the dishes had been broken or had just become too brittle over the winter months.

Her evenings had been spent rejoicing with her tribe, who had also seemed to have the same fortune. It had been apparent to her than that the stores that the other tribes had made for the winter had been more plentiful than any had let on. It was likely why they had been able to receive help from the Wolves when their store had been diminished, and it was definitely why their own store of preserved food was now almost full. She figured she had one dya of the marketplace before she could rest. It wasn't as if Peri had to sell everything she had made, but when she set a goal for herself, even if she did better than she thought she would she always pushed through and finished it.

Walking out of her house onto the deck she disengaged her boat from the rest of the Runners. Generally they pooled together at night not only for their own convenience put for safety's sake as well. Together they were a tribe you did not mess with, even separately they were strong, but during sleep anyone was weak. Pushing down with her pole she pushed away from the fleet and then replaced the pole into its appointed slot. The kiln was used to warm her boat because even with it on the deck in made her house warm. Placing a few new logs in it, the small flames from the large embers left from the night began to lick at their new home.

Soon enough she had arrived at the marketplace and docked in her usual spot. It was a slow morning to start with but as mid day came the market filling and the noise level was immense. It didn't take Peri long to start trading leaning off the side of her boat with a twinkle in her eye always help and it never seemed to matter with whom she was trying to converse she had a way about her that seemed to reel them in.

There seemed to be a few new faces in the crowd that day and when one of them boarded her ship, she thought nothing of it. Peri was never one to keep anything of too much value to her out in the open and she always had a knife somewhere near. In all likeliness she had become too self assured. She had begun trading with him for some bowls she had; thick earthenware that was expensive because it was very durable. When she turned to grab a bowl, unlocking the earthenware section of her storage unit, she let her guard down and it that second all she felt was a sharp pain than nothing. The sound of him hitting her with a rock the he had been hiding was almost unheard over the noise of the crowd. As quickly as it had happened though Peri was falling off the side of her craft having been knocked unconscious. It didn't take long for the thief to grab most of the earthenware and run off into the crowd without most knowing what had happened, or really caring.

[Edit: wrong day]

Who: Windchaser and open
What: Trying to find the Twin Feathers
When: Thursday Evening
Where: Following the river
Rating: TBD

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Windchaser was following the river, following the river as Peri had suggested. The air was heavy and she could tell that dusk was near. Cabello plodded along, and she was convinced she was able to hear him grumbling under his breath. She valued the bond she had with this beautiful animal more than anything else she had in her life now. Not only was he with her constantly, he also tied her to another time and place, where things had been different.

 

Windchaser gazed out across the terrain. The light would be dropping away within the next hour or so and she’d still seen no one. She had no vast issue with sleeping outdoors. She did it often and had grown used to never sleeping all that deeply. Such was the lot of a drifter. Particularly a female one perceived to be travelling completely alone. However, Windchaser knew better. She trusted her horse as her early warning system, her protector, who she in turn protected.

 

“It shouldn’t be long now boy…Peri said that they would find us, so they will.” She spoke softly, knowing it was more to reassure herself than her mount, and she imagined that somehow the horse knew too. Cabello snorted, and Windchaser silently agreed. There was no one out here. No herbalist, no tribe, no anything. She’d have been better shrugging off Sundance as soon as she’d heard of a tribal feud. No sense in looking for trouble. Particularly as her reputation, which generally gave her some degree of safety and respect, had apparently not preceded her this far. She gave quiet thanks to the fact that at least the route they’d been given left them close to that most precious resource, water.

 

However, without her herbs she had nothing to trade other than her body and she would rather die than resort to that. Literally. So, she needed to keep going, to find the herbalist and offer them something worthwhile. They could have what they liked so long as they didn’t ask for her horse. If they were actually out here.

Who: Libby and Marmie
What: Just hanging out at the library and suffering from Wolf-related tension
When: Late afternoon?
Where: Sundance Library, Wolf Territory
Rating: G?
Status: Incomplete

Wolf. How dost thou irritate me? Let me count the ways...

Sitting in her cozy windowsill once more, Libby scribbled away in her journal. She had hoped to make some progress with Wolf at the Christmas party, but no dice. If anything, that seemed to complicate things. Apparently, he wanted to kiss her when they had gone searching for decorations, but for the past couple of months, he had been so distant. They had shared a few brief kisses, but their interactions remained, for the most part, strictly business. Which was fine; Libby did not want to hinder Wolf from his leadership roles, but it left are all confused about what they were. What was going on in that weird head of his. They had tried talking a few times about it, like at the Christmas party, but someone always interrupted, and they would get nowhere.

So here she was, hiding out in her library and journaling out her feelings in hopes of alleviating some of the craziness. She almost hoped that Wolf would come looking for her, but perhaps it was best if he didn't. She knew she would explode at him, but she wasn't sure if it would be a verbal attack, demanding that they figure what was going on between them, or if she would end up shoving him against one of these bookshelves and kissing him senseless. Yes, it was best that he was otherwise occupied. And better for her to just sit here until she got herself under control.

Men. Stupid, stupid men.

Who: Dusty and Ryder
What: Found some horses
When: Afternoonish
Where: Just south of Devils Tower
Rating: PG-13 (Dusty's got a bit of a potty mouth)
Status: Incomplete

It had been a hard winter for a lot of people this year, especially with the world having gone all crazy since the virus broke out. But who could blame anybody for their reactions? Everyone had lost at least one person they loved, and that would be enough to knock anyone off their rocker. Dusty had lost his mama, daddy, his two sisters, and his beautiful wife of two years thanks to that damn Ans Virus. Who would've thunk that a bunch of plastic phonies out on the West Coast would bring about the end of humanity? Well, half of it anyway.

( With no women or children to have to be polite around, Dusty spit at the ground. )

Who: Blaze and Hazard
What: Return to Sundance
Where: The old fairgrounds
When: Tuesday evening

Blaze was sure that they had been heading straight for the south side of Sundance. He'd refused to listen to Hazard's suggestion that they had gone too far northwest. They thought they were close yesterday before sunset but when darkness fell with no sign of the city in sight they had given up and made camp for the night. The next morning they came upon Sundance, but a part of it that they'd both rather have forgotten.

The past two months had been some of the best since the virus had wiped everything out. They'd found a tribal commune of a people that called themselves The Free and there they'd settled for two of the cushiest winter months they'd ever had. The Free had reminded Blaze of a more kosher set of River Runners that happened to live on land. Blaze had been more than tempted to stay but in the end Hazard and him agreed that they had to return to Sundance, they couldn’t completely desert the people they’d called family for the last three years. Besides, Sensei was there, and though to most people it looked as though Blaze hated him, it was quite the opposite.

Tuesday evening they finally saw the first signs of Sundance, and it was not what they’d been hoping to find first, or ever. The tattered ruins of their circus lay before them. Out from the knee-high yellow grass rose the remains of their former life. A few tattered flags flapped half-heartedly in the breeze, their bright colors long faded. Their mother was buried here; their family and their former life were buried here. Blaze readjusted the weight of the bags he was carrying. They were full of supplies from The Free and other things they’d traded for along the way. They were also pulling a kind of stretcher behind them that was loaded with supplies. Blaze held up his end of the stretched still but looked to Hazard.

“Should we go around?” Blaze said in a voice that was almost a whisper. Blaze had not been back to this spot since he’d came to his senses and dragged the two of them back to the city to join the Carrion. He’d turned his back on this life and now here it was, suddenly before him. He could see their trailer in the distance, it looked so old even after three years. It looked like the door was open, or gone. A rectangle of black space stared at Blaze from across the dilapidated fairgrounds and he started to feel a sickening dizziness creep up on him.

WHO: Sensei and Blaze
WHAT: One's brooding, the other is homeward bound
WHERE: The Hospital
WHEN: Early evening,
RATING: TBD

The winter had passed far too slowly for Sensei's liking. Everything combined...the cold, the dwindling amounts of supplies and, personally for him, missing Blaze...it was all just too much. It made the days pass by at a sluggish pace and made it all the better when winter passed into spring. Things were better than they had been, but not enough for the Carrion to be better off than how they'd began. He wasn't sure just what else to do, most especially since a voice of a certain someone kept echoing in the back of his mind. Criticism after criticism after criticism. Blaze had been the one to insist that what Sensei was doing wasn't best for the tribe as a whole. The one who quite possibly had ideas to help the Carrion and make things better. But now that he was gone, the lonely leader was on his own in the decision making.

Then there was the fact that he'd missed Blaze in another sort of way. That time they'd been stuck in the basement had been on his mind just about every day. He'd loved the way it felt, his and Blaze's bodies so close. And then, of course...the kiss. The first and only kiss they'd ever shared and yet was a window for the mind to imagine what could stem from just that one kiss. The lust and general sexual frustration had not been displaced. In fact, if anything, it had only grown over the winter months. Sensei wanted Blaze rather badly. The only problem was, he didn't know if the feeling was mutual. Or if Blaze was ever even coming back.

Sensei was lounged at the base of the stairs on the first floor, just thinking. Thinking and brooding. Things were so different now, at least for him. Because there was a piece missing. There was no way of knowing if things would be whole ever again. Perhaps it was better to forget, but it wasn't as easy as it sounded. Especually after being around the one you were supposed to forget about for so long.

He chuckled to himself, the sound humorless. "Sensei, man...you are so pathetic. Who would have thought just one guy would end up making you feel like this?" Another chuckle.

"Pathetic."

Who: Pan, NPC drifter, NPC Fox and Shadow
What: Pan stops by Shadow's to give her the gift he promised her (and have some company).
Where: The Outskirts and Shadow's apartment
When: Thursday mid-morning

Pan awoke that morning with the chills and a rather stiff body. He sat up with a yawn that sounded more like a whimper, an arm slid down his chest to lay across his waist. He looked down at the young drifter who'd shared his bed last night, if a few blankets on the ground could be called a bed. Pan had been to the outskirts only a few times before and it had never been for pleasant reasons. He pinched the end of the drifter's coat sleeve with his thumb and fore-finger and lifting the boy's arm he slipped out from under the arm and the blankets. He couldn't believe the kid didn't wake up. All the drifters Pan had been with before had practically slept with their eyes open, if they even stayed with Pan that long.

He slipped his boots on and dug in the mess of covers for his many layers of jackets and shirts. When he left the River Runners the night before he'd put on as many of his clothes as he could. Granted he didn't have many clothes, but what he did have hadn't all fit into his bag. It wasn't too chilly in the empty warehouse but it was cold enough for Pan. After he'd properly dressed he went to find where they'd hid their belongings for the night in the corner of the warehouse. He threw his own bag over his shoulder and re-hid the kid's things. Pan was not a thief.

He walked back to the makeshift bed and crouched beside the fire. The coals were still a candy-orange underneath and so Pan built it back up with what wood they had laying around.

"You're up already, want something to eat? I have something more left in my bag." The drifter, Pan hadn't even asked his name, sat up on the pile of blankets.

"No, no thanks love but I've got something to do today." That something was to deliver Shadow the gift he'd made her for helping Gypsy those many months ago. His heart ached at the thought of it, the thought of leaving his tribe. He stood and pulled on his holy and fingerless gloves and threw the drifter what he could muster of a smile before he turned to leave.

“But we- I haven’t given you anything yet!”

Pan didn’t look back but called over his shoulder, “And you don’t have to.”

( It was Fox who Pan once again found at the edge of Wolf territory. )

Who: Bishop and Jace.
What: A TRIUMPHANT RETURN Being themselves.
When: Tuesday afternoon.
Where: Their apartment.

Bishop still hadn't quite settled in to having her own place. Well, her and Jace's place. Coming to terms with the fact that this wasn't just a pit stop was taking some time. She was getting there though. There were lots of aspects of this tribal life thing that she actully enjoyed. Regular food, electricity, clean water...all of the stuff that she'd been living without for two years were now readily available. Now that they were out of Wolf's house, it was even nicer. She could add privacy to that list of perks. That had been one of her big issues with staying. Now, she was getting way too comfortable. It scared her a little, just how cozy she was.

Since the weather had finally started to warm up, she had all the windows and the door open, enjoying the brisk breeze. She'd be glad if she never saw another Wyoming winter. It was just too damn cold. Spring she didn't mind so much, though. If she had to pick a favorite season, it would be this one. Everything was all fresh and green. The cold and snow always started out pretty and fun, but it ended up just being a pain in the ass. It was always a relief to see the end of that. Even though it was sure to bring some sort of new drama to her and Jace, she couldn't help but enjoy it. She figured it was only a matter of time before someone from the Mountain Lions came looking for them, but they'd just have to handle it when it happened.

Tugging her hair back into a ponytail, she stretched out on the couch and rolled over onto her stomach. They still had all the furniture that had been there when they'd moved in. It was kind of morbid, knowing that whoever owned their apartment previously was dead now. Then again, just about everything in their lives was kind of morbid. It was inescapable, what with the fact that so many people had died. Luckily, it wasn't eh sort of thing that she dwelled on in the day to day scheme of things. Especially not when she was trying to take a nap.

Who: Ryder and Ace
What: Ace shows Ryder what happens when someone hurts Danni
Where: The burnt ruins of Ryder’s cabin
When: Mid-morning Wednesday

Ryder hadn’t been back to his cabin since the night of the fire when he’d walked all the way to Grffin’s place in the main canopy. He hadn’t even looked for his horse yet and she hadn’t turned up at the main camp like she had other times when she dissappeared in the past. On Monday he’d gotten up enough gumption to write Danni a letter. He didn’t know how he really felt about anything at the moment. All he could think about, all he could feel, was an emptiness- deep and dark. It was probably one of the worst letters he’d ever written, but at least he felt somewhat accomplished- as if he’d successfully closed that chapter of his life.

It wasn’t until a Wednesday in early Spring that Ryder decided to return to his cabin. He figured his mopey figure was starting to get on Griffin’s nerves. He didn’t know if he even wanted to rebuild the cabin. It felt like everything he’d worked for in the last two years had been pulled out from under him in a firey blaze. He didn’t know what pieces to pick up or where to go next.

When he arrived at the cabin he sat his bag on the ground and stuck his hands in his pockets. The cabin had been reduced to a blackened carcass, picked clean by the elements and who knew- maybe a couple of drifters as well. He walked to the edge of the shiny black pile that was once his home. An image from two years ago flashed before his eyes. His incinerated ranchhouse; the burned remains of his crippled mother. God, how could anyone go on living after seeing those things- those horrible things that swept the earth at the height of the virus.

He knelt next to the cabin with a sigh and made the sign of the cross. The earth was cool and the layer of moisture buried just beneath the soil seeped through the knees of his jeans. He began a low prayer out loud, in Spanish. He prayed to the Virgen de Guadalupe for something to pull him out of the darkness that had taken all his joy away. He prayed for some reason, or some way to go on.

Who: Peri and Windchaser
What: Peri's first visit to the trading post
Where: On the River outside the Trading Post
Rating: G right now, will increase if necessary

It had been a very long winter for Peri, but it hadn’t been one any more remarkable than any other she had gone through since the Ans Virus had taken everything away from her. Peri looked slight on a normal day when she was well fed, but after the winter where the tribe had lost a good portion of their food to the elements she was hardly more than skin and bones, and even her abnormally large chest seemed merely normal within her overly thin frame. The winter still plagued her farther than her frame showed though as a slight case of pneumonia had struck her during the winter months. Having known her own infectiousness, she had isolated herself from many and to most she was already done for. Anyone who knew Peri, however, knew she was far heartier than most among their ranks. Thus few were surprised when she came back into the fold of the tribe, slightly wheezy, but no worse for ware than any other. Working in front of her kiln had been her saviour, as it not only kept her warm, but had also provided her with what she would need to recover.

That was what had brought her to the trading post that first morning after the Rivers had finally released their crafts enough to make it freely around the River. Having worked in front of her kiln all winter and having rarely parted with anything meant that she had a stockpile or earthenware to sell and the first thing that she would be trading for was food. It was not only for herself, but also for all those in her tribe and the loss of their storage had made twigs of them all.

It had seemed like hours since she had left the Winter Camp, but the sun was barely past the 9th hour when she spotted the familiar dock awaiting her. As she placed her pole on the deck, she felt the muscles in her arms more than she thought she could ever remember having. Again this was not true, but after the long winter she was sure she was totally unfit, though not many would have been foolish enough to take on the wily girl. She may have been small, but she knew how to get herself out of trouble, a quality that had meant her survival before tribe life had brought more security to her life. Reaching out to the familiar T-Head on the dock, she tied her line efficiently to it and then stepped of the boat onto the dock. Her step showed nothing of having been on the water, as there was nothing to show. Instead it was one of ease and confident as she walked to where the dock met the land.

Looking around she found that not many were around, but she knew that come noon there would be more. It was never a quiet time when the River Runners came back to the Trading Post. She wasn’t sure how many would come today, but she had left ahead of most because she wanted the time to sort through her wares and place them out for display properly. Smiling and nodding at a face she knew although the name that matched the face escaped her, she turned on her heel and walked back to her small boat. Stepping back on deck she felt an enthusiasm build within her. It had been some time since she had interacted with any that were not Runners and she wondered quietly how many new faces there would be this year and how many old ones would be gone.

Who: Danni and Ace
What: Danni reads her letter from Ryder
Where: At the lodge
Rating: Probably PG-13 for language

Danni thanked the drifter who gave her the letter and gave him a small bowl of soup. After he left the lodge, she walked back to her room. Leaving the door open a crack to let in some fresh air, she sat down on the edge of her bed and opened up the letter.

She hadn't spoken to Ryder in a long time. It seemed as though he'd just gone and decided she wasn't worth it, not good enough or whatever it was. Now, sitting on the edge of her bed, having read the letter, her heart sunk. She had been right. He didn't want her anymore. For whatever unknown reason, she wasn't good enough. She tried desperately to read what had been messily scribbled out, but she couldn't. He'd probably found someone else, someone willing to give him everything he'd tried to get when they were at his place snowed in.

A silent tear fell down her cheek and onto the letter, smudging the word beautiful. She sat there, staring at the letter for what seemed like hours, but really were just a couple of minutes.

At least she felt a little closure, knowing that he was safe. But really, it only convinced her she wasn't good enough for anyone. Not that she wanted Ryder anymore because she had given up on him weeks ago, but it still hurt. A lot.