Posts by agara

Levi listened to the man's story with great interest. He found it comforting in some strange, morbid way that they had both lost their entire family. Although, whether or not Wesley's family was truly gone was still up in the air. Even if the chances of their survival were impossibly low, being able to hold onto that hope that maybe, just maybe they were still alive somewhere had to be a ray of light in a world so full of darkness, right?

"Yeah, I know what you mean. It's something to hold on to. A hope that maybe things can get better." He noticed only then that Wesley hadn't said anything about his father, which he thought somewhat odd. Perhaps his father wasn't important to the story? Or maybe he wasn't around. Levi hoped that this wasn't the case. Growing up without a father was a tragedy in its own right, and Levi personally could not imagine being raised without his father around. Perhaps Wesley just neglected to mention him?

By now a building had come into view that appeared to be the apartment building they were searching for. He couldn't be too sure though, even if the other man now seemed a bit more guarded than he had before. "Is this the place?" he asked in a somewhat hushed tone.

// Sounds good!

Cassandra had gotten to class only a few minutes earlier than when it was supposed to start. By then almost everyone was there, but thankfully her seat was still empty. She swiftly made her way over to it, placed her bag on the ground beside the desk, and sat. She looked around then, noting who was there and who wasn't. She wasn't surprised to see that Jonas hadn't shown up yet. The rumors had, of course, gotten to Cassandra, and she assumed that the dark room was probably where Jonas was holing up at the moment. Whether or not she believed the rumors was another matter entirely, and personally she considered them to be unfounded.

For a moment, Cassandra had almost expected Jonas to not show up, considering the bell had rang and his seat was still vacant. Just as the thought crossed her mind, he appeared in the doorway, looking somewhat unkempt. The teacher addressed his untimely attendance as they all do, and then class began. Unsurprisingly, it was just as boring as it always was. She found herself being beyond relieved once it ended, and was preparing to leave the room when Mr. Grande announced that he had assigned them partners on their projects.

She sighed then. The brunette really did not want to work on a project, especially one in which she wouldn't even get to pick her partner. All she could hope for is that she wouldn't be paired with someone who would try to take advantage of her. As the people in the class began to clear out and the crowd around the list began to dissipate, Cassie decided that now would be a good time to get a look at the list. She stood, but before she could even take a step a boy came and stood in her path like a roadblock.

Cassandra looked up at the boy, a bit surprised to see that it was Rodney. She once again offered a half-hearted smile. "Hi, Rodney," she began sweetly, putting her facade back up. "Are we partners, perhaps? Or is there something else you need?"

Desgusting I really like all of those interactions actually haha

I think that Cedric, like literally everyone else, would find Ophelia physically attractive, but he might not like her personality as much. I think he would be observant enough to notice that she can be manipulative. I think he would be able to notice her other bad traits and this would probably make him view her as somewhat abrasive. Although, he knows that she is widely regarded to be the most eligible bachelorette, and as one of Charles's closer friends, he would learn to tolerate her. He might find the flirting annoying, though, but Ophelia is just trying to get a reaction, then she'd get one.

But yeah I can see Alexander and Ophelia being solely acquaintances and maybe getting closer depending on the relations between her and Charles. I think Alexander would find her pretty, though.

As for how Marin and my characters interact I think that I would have to agree again. As a straight man, Cedric isn't going to be finding Marin attractive, but he can definitely appreciate that the man looks miles better than most other priests. I don't think Cedric is very religious, but I think that he would definitely be religious enough to want to get into heaven and all that. Cedric would want to stay on Marin's good side.

Alexander would appreciate that Marin likes him because of his humble nature. I can also see them having intellectual conversations, but I think that Alex would be smart enough to avoid science-y topics because of the way that some religious people view certain scientific theories. I think that they would probably talk about philosophy and history if anything.

Viserion I saw!!! I'm so excited. Truly a great birthday present.

Alexander, who was now growing bored because of the lack of response from Valeria, had begun to gaze once upon the people seated below him. A few tables had become the object of his attention for a few moments, and he recreated in his imagination the conversations that they might be having. He was particularly interested in the table where Cedric, Liviana, and Joanna sat along with a few others that he wasn't as familiar with. He recognized Adonis as the painter who was meant to make his portrait someday. He wasn't unfamiliar with His Holiness, the Saint. Alexander has never fancied himself as being particularly religious, though.

His thoughts were interrupted by his father's sudden movement. He looked over at the much older man to see what he was doing, only to see him talking to Charles and presumably Clarissa. He couldn't hear his father's hushed words, but based on Charles's mostly-unseen reaction, he could guess that they were being scolded in some manner.

Alexander's thoughts were interrupted once more by Lady Barentstochter's frankly obnoxious arrival to the feast. Her words and actions were beyond off-putting and her... odd attire wasn't helping. However, his father was quick to reprimand her, which pleased him. An entrance like that wasn't appropriate for anyone in front of any audience in Alexander's opinion. He watched the woman for a moment longer, and turned up his nose slightly at the flask that appeared in her hands. Was the alcohol not strong enough or something? After a few moments, he no longer had any interest in watching her and instead averted both his gaze and attention back to the tables below.

Cedric would have likely continued listening idly to the conversation near him, but at the sound of his name he immediately perked up. It was from the doctor, Joanna, asking him what he preferred to be called. He chuckled slightly upon hearing his surname split like that, when truly it was meant to be read as one thing. "Sir Cedric is fine. My surname is not meant to be divided, though; it's my father's last name. Not a combination of my parents'."

It was then that the woman asked him what he did for fun, which was probably the more difficult question. He opened his mouth to answer, but before he could he was interrupted by Lady Barentstochter's arrival to the ball. Instinctively, Cedric made to stand and reprimand her, but the king got to it before he could. Cedric did not miss, however, the flask she retrieved from her skirts. He chose then to keep a keen eye on the woman.

After that, Cedric decided to finally answer Joanna's question. His definition of "fun" didn't exactly match up with what everyone else thought was fun. For some, fun might be heading out to a tavern with some friends and getting drunk, but Cedric does not. "Well, I enjoy training, mostly. I'm planning on participating in the upcoming tourney." His words were quickly drowned out by Ophelia's, though, but he really couldn't blame her. Not only was the rose more suited to conversation, but her idea of fun seemed more conventional as well. So he would choose once more to sit back and listen, but would remain more engaged in the conversation than he previously was.

Did Cassandra want to go to the Halloween Howler with Rodney? Not particularly. But could she tell him no, either? Of course not. She'd heard the rumors about him potentially asking her to the dance before, but the girl didn't think that she would actually be faced with that decision. His personality wasn't precisely what she desired out of a partner, but he was quite attractive, and perhaps if they didn't hit it off he might give her some distance. The girl didn't even think for a moment about telling the male no, mostly because she wasn't sure what he might do if she said no.

Without a moment's hesitation, the brunette offered a response. "Sure. I can't wait." She feigned yet another smile and hoped that would be enough to keep the boy happy.

By the time Rodney had left, room had been made around the list so that Cassandra could finally get a look at it. She was pleasantly surprised to see that she had been paired with Jonas. The pairing could certainly be worse. She definitely preferred Jonas to one of the jocks in the classroom that probably would have expected her to do most of the work, and for that she was glad.

---

The girl left the building a bit later than usual. She had to have a conversation with one of the teachers about a missing assignment which she was able to clear up, thankfully. The walk back to her car was normal for the most part, although she was a bit perplexed by the presence of the guys who passed her. She recognized one of them as Nate, who was their de facto leader at the moment. They all said hey to her, and she greeted them in return.

Their acknowledgments were fleeting, though, and she didn't stick around to chat with them. Cassandra continued to move towards her Mercedes, but she couldn't help noticing that the Jeep beside hers was covered in what appeared to be egg yolk. She was momentarily disgusted, but the pieces of the puzzle quickly fit together in her mind: the guys she had just passed had egged Jonas's car, and there was no telling what they had done to the boy himself.

She approached the driver's side of her own car, which was parked in the spot immediately left of the male's. From her spot, she had a clear view through the window of Jonas's own car, and she immediately felt pity for the boy. From what she could tell, he was pained and visibly distressed. Concern immediately made its way onto her soft features, and she called out to the boy. "Hey, are you okay?" she would speak, unsure if Jonas could hear her from his place inside his car.

// Cassie's father's dialogue will simply be bolded. I'll play him for the time being, unless you want to do it.

Perhaps Cassandra should have been angry at Jonas for ignoring her once more. But she wasn't. Perhaps the boy hadn't heard her from inside the car over both the radio and the steady hum of his own vehicle. It was a better thought than him purposefully ignoring her again, and it was a much more comforting prospect as well. She watched the boy back out and drive away without a second thought before hopping in her own car and heading home. The girl remembered then that her father was supposed to be having interviews that afternoon for a landscaper of sorts. Great.

She wasn't quick to get home, even if she had to prepare and get ready for the dance that night. Hopefully Rodney would be okay if she was a bit late, albeit fashionably so. Although, she wasn't particularly concerned with what Rodney wanted out of her. He asked her, not the other way around. The boy would just have to be okay with whatever she had in mind.

By the time she had gotten home and pulled into the quite expansive driveway of their grandiose home, another car had already been parked. Her father's. That meant that there would be an expectation of interaction, which she dreaded. Cassie had been hoping that he wouldn't arrive until she had already gotten home. That way she would be able to hide from him, in a way. Instead, she took her sweet time getting out of the car, and when she finally headed inside, she attempted to be as quiet as possible, hoping not to attract her father's attention.

She tip-toed through the mudroom, but to her own surprise as well as detriment, her father happened to be in the foyer, which the mudroom opened up to. His gaze immediately fell upon his daughter. "Cassandra." He swiftly made his way over to the girl and embraced her. The brunette reluctantly accepted the hug, and it took her a moment before she decided to reciprocate it, which took more willpower than she was willing to admit.

"Hi, dad," she uttered eventually. She quickly broke from the embrace, not wanting the hug to last any longer than it had to. The man stepped away for a moment to get an up and down look at her. It had been probably a month since the two had last seen each other. It was apparent that Mr. Hall still loved his daughter, but his efforts came in vain because Cassandra certainly did not reciprocate. How could she love someone who left her all alone after her mother died?

"Cassandra, it's been-" the man started, but she quickly interrupted him. "Dad, I've got to get ready for the dance tonight. I don't have any time to stop and chat." The man frowned slightly, but he understood and let her by. "Thank you." From there, Cassandra quickly headed upstairs and to her room where she began to get ready.

While she was getting ready, other things were taking place downstairs. She wouldn't have noticed due to where her room was positioned in the house, but while getting ready Jonas arrived at her home. However, her father noticed, and he was the one to open the door for the teenager.

"Hello. You're Jonas Wilde, correct?" Mr. Hall would say upon opening the door. He was the curt, straight-to-business sort, and he would not waste any time in beginning the interview.

Like Wesley, there were only a few groups of survivors that Levi had been able to fall in with. Those were all before losing his brother, though. Since then, Wes had been the first person that he'd traveled with, even if they had only been together for what amounted to less than an hour. He'd been highly distrustful of anyone that happened to cross his path after the death of his brother. It had been that way for the past year and a half.

Not traveling with a group had its benefits, honestly. It was easier to feed only himself than have to hunt for several people, and one person was much quieter than a group of them. It was also easier to ward off and outrun ghouls as one person. They wouldn't be as attracted to him as if he had been traveling with a group. He didn't have to worry about being stabbed in the back while he slept, either. However, traveling as one person wasn't always the best. He was always alone, which while that has its benefits, it also brought feelings of isolation that he hadn't felt before. Sometimes that isolation was fine, but other times it was simply awful.

Levi didn't have time to dwell on Wesley's words, though. They had reached the hotel where the man had been staying. His own pistol, which had been previously holstered, was removed and found its way to his hand.

He followed the man into the hotel, remaining wary of his surroundings. Ghouls were loud so it would be hard for one of them to sneak up on the duo, which was helpful in a way. What wasn't loud, though, were Levi's careful steps across the floor. He was careful to avoid stepping on the shattered glass scattered across the floor so as to not attract the attention of the undead. The lanky blond man took his place on the opposite wall and peered around the corner alongside Wesley.

Damnit. The hallway just had to be infested, didn't it? He considered the man's hushed words for a moment, even considering his own bullet count as well. "Is there another stairway somewhere? Like an emergency fire stairway, or a fire escape. Something?" he inquired in a similarly quiet tone.

Hi, Charlie!

Unfortunately, I haven't seen Game of Thrones. I intend to watch it at some point, I just haven't got around to it yet due to being preoccupied with school and other shows. The arranged marriage plot sounds good though. Do you have any particular ideas as far as that goes?

// I should apologize for how infrequent my posts have been recently. Between school and real-life responsibilities becoming increasingly prevalent, I haven't had much time to respond. Hopefully everything will clear up by the weekend.

Mr. Hall shook Jonas's hand in return and gave him a small smile. "No, the pleasure is mine," he would say before stepping back, as if offering for Jonas to come into his home. The duo made their way through the mudroom and a grand foyer into an equally grandiose living room. It was lavishly decorated with modern furniture and several pieces of contemporary art hung from the walls of the large room. It was clearly a very expensive room, but for the Halls it was barely scratching the surface of their wealth. The room also happened to be where Mr. Hall had decided that he wanted to conduct the interview.

The older man had been thinking that perhaps their short journey to the living room would be silent, but instead Jonas had asked him a question. What was the irony in that? The interviewee asking the interviewer a question. It made the older man chuckle slightly, but he would answer irregardless. "Well, as far as landscaping goes, it's just the normal stuff. Mowing the lawn, tending to the garden, trimming the shrubs; the usual. The 'other responsibilities' that I mentioned would just be to repair anything on the off-chance that something breaks."

When they finally reached the living room, Mr. Hall took a seat on one of the couches situated on one side of a rather large coffee table and gestured to the opposite sofa with his hand, as if offering the seat to Jonas. After the boy sat down, Mr. Hall wasted no time in beginning the interview. "So, Jonas — is it alright if I call you that? — why do you want this job? Convince me that you're the best candidate." In the back of his mind, Mr. Hall knew that there had been few other applicants, and quite a large sum of them were somewhat questionable. He was hoping that Jonas would be more dependable than the others had seemed, and would come with a better work ethic, too.

While the two chatted, Cassandra remained upstairs so that she could get ready for the dance. She spent more time considering her options than actually dressing up. After many minutes of contemplation and consideration, she decided that maybe it would be best if she chose to dress fancily, but like no one in particular. That way she didn't have to embarrass herself with revealing who she was dressed up as. With a large gown, the girl could easily just say that she was dressing up as a queen and anyone would be inclined to believe her.

It took only a few minutes to actually get dressed. Cassandra had finally decided on a billowing red dress accented with black lace around the collar and the bottom. It was an elegant gown, and she was undeniably beautiful in it. And since it was red, if anyone asked, she could just tell them that she was the Queen of Hearts or something. A matching red and black mask was meant to be worn with the dress, but she wouldn't put that on until she got there.

The brunette would take a few more moments to add the finishing details on the look — makeup and jewelry, namely — before heading downstairs. The stairs opened up into the foyer, and to the side was the living room. She could the faint sound of chatting coming from that room, but she assumed that it was just the TV.

Despite her assumption, she still figured that maybe it would be best if she said goodbye to her father. After all, this might be the last time she would see him in months. There was no telling with that man.

Cassandra approached the living room, eyes trained partially on the floor. Once in the doorway, she would say, "Hey dad, I'm —" and subsequently cut herself off when she looked up and saw Jonas sitting on one of the sofas in the room. That was definitely a curious detail. Perhaps he was applying for the landscaper position? "Oh, hey, Jonas," she would stand after standing there for a moment like a deer in headlights.

Mr. Hall looked up then to see his daughter in the doorway. He found it oddly intriguing that the boy knew who Cassandra was, and from the way that Cassie spoke, it sounded like they were some kind of friend. This couldn't be farther from the truth, though, and they were both basically acquaintances. Mr. Hall did not know this, however, and his gaze would revert back to Jonas after examining his daughter for a minute. "You two know each other?" he asked, cocking his head to the side ever so slightly in an inquisitive manner.

// Sorry for the delay. School has been kicking my butt this week, not to mention I had to go to spring training for marching band and teach rising freshmen how to march. I'm hoping that things will slow down by this weekend.

Fuck. The past few moments had come in a blur of events, and before Levi even had time to think, the ghouls were already rushing at them. What had even happened?

First, Wesley had moved out from behind the wall and toward safety. In isolation, this should have been a relatively safe move, but misfortune struck when a ghoul waltzed out of a room whose door was open just a little too much. Before Levi could even react, a bullet had already been driven through the thing's head. Now he looked back down the hallway only to see the ghouls now approaching at a faster pace than he was comfortable with. His head whipped back around and he gave Wesley the "oh shit" look that everyone in a sticky situation had had at some point or another.

Levi momentarily considered putting a few of his own bullets in their heads, but it probably wouldn't be worth it. Twelve bullets would not be enough to off the entire crowd of undead, and only God knows when he would be able to find more ammo or when the next ghoul attack would be. No, he would conserve his bullets at the moment.

Instead, he chose to chase after Wesley, not bothering to consider where he stepped. If the ghouls were already on their tail, then there would be no point in watching his step. All they needed to do now was escape.

Perhaps, though, this could be used to their advantage. The noise had gotten the attention of the undead, but now Wesley and Levi were captivating them. If they could lure them out onto the street, then maybe it would be possible to pick them off one-by-one after they dispersed. And all without using precious ammunition.

He wouldn't have time to consider the details at the moment though. Right now, he was sprinting towards the door, looking over his shoulder periodically to make sure that Wes was in close pursuit. "Let's go!" he would shout over his shoulder at the other man. He would fill in Wesley on his idea once they had reached safety, but right now he was only concerned with getting there.

Mr. Hall leaned back on the pristine white couch as Jonas spoke and placed his arm onto the back of the couch. He examined Jonas's words carefully, considering all of the past experiences that the boy had had while working. An impressive résumé to be sure, especially for someone as young as Jonas was. Mr. Hall knew of all these places, and he was also aware that the Hodge estate wasn't something to be scoffed at. Definitely one of the best candidates that he had interviewed so far. In the back of his mind, though, he knew that Jonas was probably going to be the one to get the job.

"I see," he would mumble. He took even longer to consider the boy's words after Cassandra entered. He didn't miss the note of hesitation in Jonas's speech and wondered why the boy had chosen to say it like that. Perhaps he was leaving out a detail or two, or maybe he was just concealing the truth. He didn't bother to pry further though because it simply wouldn't do to turn away a potential worker just because of some doubt that might turn out to be unsubstantiated.

A moment's silence gave way to him turning once more to his daughter. "You were saying?" he inquired. "I was going to say that I'm leaving now," she returned quickly, wanting to get away from the situation. The less she had to interact with her father, the better.

Cassandra's own thoughts were a bit different though. She recoiled a bit when she heard her full name come from the boy's mouth. Normally, people she knew from school could get away with calling her Cassie, but Jonas opted for her full name. Her full name was usually reserved for teachers and her father, so it felt a bit odd to hear it come from someone else's mouth. Except for Rodney, she supposed, who had only used her entire first name as an act of formality.

"Alright," her father responded quickly. A small frown formed on his face, but Cassie did not notice because of the hurried pace with which she left. The girl was probably going to be late at this point, but at least she would be fashionably so.

After she exited, Mr. Hall turned once more back to Jonas. "Well, Jonas, I think this interview is over. I've heard all I need to." The man decided then on barely more than whim that Jonas was the ideal candidate. He stood and offered his hand for the boy to shake once more. "You've got the job. Don't disappoint me." The last sentence carried an air of hope to it rather than the poison that it often was laced with.

Dracarys Do you happen to have any ideas? I feel that thing about activity as well. Also, congratulations on your child! I don't know how you have the patience to take care of one; I can't stand kids.

-ghost- That sounds interesting, actually. Without any spoilers, though, could you elaborate on that a bit? I might watch the first episode soon so I can see exactly what you're talking about, but for now it would be nice if you could elaborate a bit.

// We probably should come up with something more concrete. Right now their main goal is probably to get to St. Augustine, but we do want to develop their relationship along the way right? Other than that I really don't have any ideas lmao

Levi burst through the door after a moment of running. He looked over his shoulder for a few seconds to make sure that his newfound companion was trailing behind him and held the door only for as long as it took for Wesley to exit. As soon as the other man had done so, he fell back into stride with him.

He continued to run for a few minutes, trying to put as much distance between them and the ravenous horde of ghouls as possible. Eventually they came upon what appeared to be a long-abandoned bar. Levi stopped running then and, panting, headed inside with Wesley. On the way, he had heard the other man's question, but until now he had not had time to consider it. All he could think about was putting distance between them and the undead, but now they could rest for a moment and consider their options.

Once inside the bar, he took a seat on one of the bar stools at the counter. Perhaps if the world had not gone to shit he would be in a similar position, but this time much happier. Maybe he would be celebrating something, or maybe he would be drowning his sorrows in alcohol. Who knows?

Now that he had time to rest, though, he could finally think about Wesley's question. What now, indeed. Well, they needed to get that ammo bag. There was no way around that. But maybe they could use what had happened to their advantage. "Well, those things would have been following us. Meaning they're out on the street somewhere, which we can use to our advantage. They're going to be more spread out on the street, meaning we can avoid them easier or pick off the ones that we need to. Either way, we need to get that bag."

I would love to play muse B, if that's alright with you!

Alexander took a moment to consider Valeria's words. Was she a snake? Oh yes, most definitely. There was no doubting that the former princess of Avalon was not to be trusted with courtly affairs. Would he admit that out loud though? No, certainly not. "No, Valeria. You don't." A lie, but whether or not the princess would be able to discern that was another matter entirely.

Their conversation was abruptly ended when the woman stood and made her way over to the piano. Its sound was beautiful, but it became quickly overshadowed by the other goings-on in the room. Notably, the quickly-evolving conversation happening at the table that he had been observing moments earlier.

Previously, the table hadn't been so talkative, but as more and more people arrived, it slowly became a larger group. However, the most telling interaction was still between Lady Barentstochter and the king. The widow was digging her own grave at this point with the tone that she took with his father. Playfulness in this situation was certainly not the way to go about pleasing an enraged ruler. Her comments, as well as Ishmael's and his father's retort, made for an interesting show, and Alexander was content to lean back and watch it happen.

Cedric listened for a moment to the other conversations happening at the table, a bit more interested than he was previously. He didn't miss the addition of Octavian, and the questions being asked of nearly every individual didn't go by him either. He was especially interested in the inquiries that Joanna presented to the knight, though.

"My, aren't you inquisitive," Cedric mused at Joanna. He offered a sort of half-smile and adjusted his posture before answering her question directly. "I believe it has something to do with my great-grandfather," he answered curtly. The next question came quickly, though, and he was glad to finally move away from the topic of his surname. "Yes, actually. I've been competing in them since my youth." Then Ophelia offered him her support, and he nodded towards her and verbally offered his thanks.

As if on cue, as soon as he finished answering Joanna, the musicians began to send the sweet cries of their instruments throughout the room. He enjoyed the display for as long as it lasted, but couldn't say that he was necessarily interested in it. Although, what came afterwards was certainly entertaining, even if he didn't exactly approve of what was happening.

Lady Barentstochter had been proving so far to seem very oblivious to the mannerisms of the court. Cedric was too, but at least he knew better than to disrespect the king. Ishmael's comments weren't necessary either though, and seemed to only serve to further instigate Alianor. He assumed that that's what would continue to happen after Ishmael left to walk over to the woman. Cedric was quite glad when the king demanded an apology for her disruption. Like Alexander, he chose to lean back and let this particular situation play out.

Dracarys I love that idea! It seems like you've really thought it out, haha. However, this is one thread that I would have genuinely no idea how to start, so could you do me a favor and start it?

-ghost- Okay, I like how that sounds as well. Could you start the thread? I don't know much about how it would work so it would probably just be easier if I go off of what you write.

★ Isaac Andrew Nolan

— Twenty-one years old.

— A bit of an outgoing personality; he's never been shy or afraid to talk to people. Generally very laid-back and fun-loving, and often tends to just go with the flow. In many ways, he has become the life of the party and has been known to break people out of their shells. An unintentional flirt, as well. However, he is deeply insecure of many things, including his sexuality.

— Still closeted due to the conservative attitudes of friends and family. Also because of what happened to Cedric in high school.

— Does not dislike Cedric as much as he probably should. He feels bad about letting so many bad things happen to his ex and deeply regrets not taking any action. He often thinks about it and beats himself up over it.

— Likes dogs, music, partying, the outdoors, the rain (it helps him sleep), sleeping, Netflix, and photography.

— Dislikes sitting around for too long, drugs of any sort, cold temperatures, little kids, and school among others.

— Majors in music and can play several different instruments, his favorite of which is the alto saxophone.

— Actually a very good cook, but doesn't often get the chance to do so.

— He is quite skilled at photography.

— Used to play lacrosse and was in marching band in high school and wishes that he had time to do so now, but college takes up most of his time.

— Faceclaim is Brendan Dooling.

If you want to start, that would be awesome! I'm not particularly sure how to do so in this case.

Levi breathed out a little laugh. "Thanks. I ran track for a few years before everything happened," he breathed out in between pants. By now, though, his breathing was beginning to slow and return to normal. His heartbeat was just starting to do the same, as well. But there was no time to get comfortable. They would need to formulate a plan if the two intended to get Wesley's bag back.

He listened intently to the other man's speech, but thankfully he didn't have to thank too hard about his words this time around. But unfortunately Levi had no firearms to spare. His supply of bullets was running low as well, to the point where he was barely even sure if he had another box of them left in his bag.

The blond bit his lip, as if in thought. He only took a few seconds to respond this time around. "I don't have any guns, but I fancy myself a good shot." He set his own gun on the counter and checked the clip once more just to make sure that he hadn't somehow miscounted or lost a bullet. "We've got fourteen shots in total. Yours" — he nodded to Wesley's revolver — "should be saved for emergencies. As for mine, we can use it a bit less sparingly."

Levi slid the clip back into place before speaking again. "Once we get that bag, we can return here for the night. It'll probably be dark soon." Now he was looking around at the room. Alcohol still lined the shelves, even if all of the bottles were covered in several layers of dust. He realized then that he had never even had a proper drink; the apocalypse had come several years before he would be legally allowed. He wasn't exactly eager to start now, though. All he wanted to do at the moment was getting to that damn bag,.

// I quite like all of those, actually. Maybe we could use a combination of them all? Like one of them gets hurt in a disaster and then they fall in with a group that uses one of them to scout ahead while holding the other hostage because of their injury. Personally I volunteer Levi to be the one to get hurt, but if you would rather Wes be the one to get hurt then that's fine too!

It had only been an hour since Dietrich had departed from his home and smithy in favor of the town. He'd had a particularly rough experience working his shop that day and he figured that a brief reprieve from his work would do to quell the rage that had begun to build. The man was afraid of what could happen were he to become too enraged. Not necessarily for his own sake, though; he knew that he was capable of turning into a beast who would be more than capable of slaughtering whoever crossed his path. No, he could not subject himself nor the people of this town to that.

Earlier that day, while working the forge, he accidentally hit himself with the hammer he used to temper steel. A string of curses foul enough to make a nun faint escaped from his lips due to the pain, but this would not be the cause of his anger. That would come from a particularly impertinent patron whose pickaxe had broken from overuse, but of course the fool couldn't realize that. The man blamed Dietrich for his "shoddy workmanship" and when he calmly suggested that the patron should probably handle their tools with a bit more care, the man went into a frenzy. Dietrich swiftly removed the patron from his shop, bit not without a few of his works being sent clattering onto the floor.

The patron had nearly caused Dietrich to go into a frenzy of his own. Upon seeing the things he had worked so hard to create lying on the floor, he became immediately incensed and could feel himself beginning to turn. Fortunately though he was able to calm himself down and headed into the town for some fresh mountain air. Silently, though, he hoped that misfortune would come for the man who nearly wrecked his storefront.

The anger he felt an hour ago came as an unusual emotion to Dietrich. He and many others generally regard him as a kind and benevolent soul. Some even describe him as charismatic and charming despite being somewhat of a loner as far as intimacy and love goes.

Before leaving, he retrieved his coin purse from the other half of his smithy which functioned as his home. It was relatively heavy, which he was certainly thankful for. The merchants that passed through the town every season tended to pay generously for the things he made and he was grateful for that. Paying for the things he needed never came as an issue even in the harsh winters of the mountains.

Dietrich ventured out from his shop and into the town and after several moments of walking he came upon a priest selling fruit. The apples on display were large, round, and a deep shade of crimson. He could almost taste them and he hadn't even bit into one. With no hesitation, he bought a basket of the fruits. A few moments later he was offering a few to an old woman who needed them more than he. She offered him a handful of silver, but he turned her down with a swift but genuine "no thank you."

Not a moment later, his blue gaze landed upon a woman. She was undoubtedly beautiful, and she was presently returning his gaze. A charming smile worked its way onto his face and he confidently strode over to her. A hand reached into the basket and retrieved one of the apples, and he wordlessly held it out to her. In no time at all she took the apple from his hands, but not without brushing his time-roughened skin. Hers, though, was smooth. Not unusual for a woman, who were often made to carry out the more delicate tasks, but smoother skin was often also a sign of nobility or wealth. Just who was this woman?

Without warning, another man arrived who was now calling this woman his wife. She squirmed away from his touch, though, which cast doubt upon the man's statement. Based on the woman's actions, Dietrich didn't know whether or not to believe the man's claim, but who would he be to call him out on the topic? After all, he doesn't even know them.

"It's no problem," he returned in his deep voice. He lowered the basket to his side and pored over their appearances for a moment. No, he certainly had not seen their faces before. He was familiar with the names and faces of some of the traveling merchants, but these people were complete strangers. Who were they? Where were they from? He would vocalize his thoughts. "I've never seen either of your faces before. Are you two from around here?"

// No, this is very good! I think I'll just let you play Gregor though. Also, I'm assuming that my character knows of his ability to transform. Sorry if he wasn't meant to know lmao