The Barrens Of Serenity [IC]

[Redriak]

It all happened too quickly to comprehend. First, it was the dead silence of the night, and then, suddenly, the town exploded. There seemed to have no true source of the destruction, it simply consumed the town.
As the town flared, the few survivors who could make it gathered their things and ran for their lives, and they gathered outside the limits of the flames, growing ever higher, consuming everything in the town, as if its own natural hunger was nearly a part of what drove it, and there was something deeper, more powerful that was also forcing it to burn through all of Utopia.
As the stranger left the smoking remains of the town of Utopia, a cold breath seemed to follow behind him, and as he passed each of the hideouts of each gang of the barrens, every member of the gang was stirred from their sleep by the sudden chill, driven to investigate the source of the change in temperature.

--------

"What's happening out there?" Darius made his way through the crowd, placing his faded hat on his head with his left hand and gripping Christo in his right.
There was an orange glow on the horizon, but it was far too early for the sun to be rising. Something else was happening. "Fire," Someone near Darius whispered.
"What's on fire?" Darius continued to struggle through the bodies blocking his way. The group slowly began to part for him, seeing that their leader was looking for a path through them. "What is it?"
"Utopia is burning," someone said, "Utopia is ablaze."
Utopia was the only town nearby for miles. It was the only reason why traders would even venture near the Barrens. Darius felt the stump where his pinky had once been. It was his nervous habit. He bit his lip.
"What will we do now that Utopia is destroyed?" Now the crowd began to undulate with noise as this new problem arose.
"Everyone, calm. We don't know for sure that the town is really destroyed. Perhaps we should send someone to investigate?" Darius took control of the chaos that was threatening to overtake the group that had gathered. The people stayed under control. Darius awaited a response.

[Livlaffluv]

During the time of Utopia blowing up Alli had been beating up a bandit. She threw him into the fire and ran to the dump she called home. It was small and right in the middle of a huge dump. She ran inside and grabbed her two dogs, who both were whimpering. She took a bag off the table (which she made out of wood found in the dump around her home), clicking the leashes around her dogs collars and ran outside into the blaring light of the fire.

Alli found herself out of Utopia and in a bare desert. She fell to the ground and her dogs panted heavily. Her thoughts went blank until she fell asleep.

(OOC : Writers block!)

[Maple]

The desert at night was a peaceful place, silent but for the sounds of wind and sand. That's why Sheriff Bailey Byrd took to wandering the Barrens at sundown, sometimes for hours at a time: it brought balance to a life that was too often anything but peaceful. Her dog Rose was her only companion, and together they drifted through the darkness like tumbleweeds born on the breeze, guided only by moonlight and whim.

Then one night, a distant crackle broke that cherished silence, and Bailey turned to see a glowing band on the horizon. Swift though they ran, Bailey and Rose arrived on the scene well after the flames had died. Standing at the city's edge, Bailey paused to let the realization sink in: Utopia had been burned to the ground. So suddenly and so completely, it was difficult to believe, much less accept.

But there was no time to question what had happened. Drawing a deep breath, Bailey took off running again, to the smoking ruin that was once her home. Fumbling for a voice, she shouted "DAVID!" and Rose howled in unison. There was no response. There was no sound at all. If there had been any survivors, they must have fled already.

While the others escaped to the desert, Bailey marched onward into the haze of smoke and ash, calling out her son's name over and over. "DAVID!" She searched everywhere, but there was nothing to find - nothing but a gray-black muddle of wreckage slowly being buried by ash. Nothing but smoke that filled her lungs and sent her into fits of coughing. Nothing but the occasional charred fragment of ribcage...

As they neared the center of town, Bailey began hacking violently and stumbling as though dizzy. Eventually Rose whimpered and fell behind, barking for her master's attention. Bailey turned and stared sadly at her, then croaked, "No. You go. Don't follow me. Run. Be a good girl. Run far away..." The last words were muffled by coughing. Bailey fell to her knees.

Rose hesitated for a moment, then obediently turned tail and ran, yelping with all her might. It was the last thing Bailey saw before she fell unconscious, right on the mayor's doorstep.

[Ushima]

"Five, six, seven." Finished counting and loading the weapon the sound of the cylinder spinning rang through the base. Michael aimed down the sights. "Bang." He spun his revolver on his finger before holstering it.

"Hey did you hear?" Someone asked. Michael perked up and listened in as he shook dice in his hand.

"Nah. What happened?" Someone else said.

"Utopia is gone. Just vanished." Michael threw the dice on the table.

"Snake eyes." He said before picking up the red and black dice and pocketing them. "Time to find Mikhail." He got up from his seat and went to look for his friend to share some interesting news.

[spirits breath]

He sat down, a small circular stool and the large wall behind him. His ordained feet hanging out of the window. A gentle breeze came in, cooling as much as it was in speed. Practically nothing. An occasional gust would blow in, moving the large feathers on his vest about. Moving his sniper rifle onto his lap, the small talons near the cartridge rested on his thigh. A gentle left hand rose and fell along the side of the gun, The thick mass of feathers covering the bone frame of the vulture that was once a bold hunter. He lifted up the thick bone where the wing would have been, checking to make sure there was no bullet loaded into the gun.

Mikhail leaned against the wall, head resting in a downwards slant. eyes focused out through the window. The large wasteland as he called it seemed to stair at him. The several mounds and the endless path into the horizon. The smaller building that seemed enveloped by a blue aura could of. No must of had somebody looking at the building he was in. At him. His head crained forwards, cocking to the side a little bit as he sat up again.

The door handle of a latch seemed to wiggle around a bit, in desperite need of being fixed. The latch opened up the slab of wood going over in a semi-circle. The small ladder that could be gotten rid of becaue mose people could jump up and pull themselves into the watch tower that Mikhail deemed his "nest"

Crooning his head to the left, Micheal climbed into the room. Mikhail sighed softly, his silence now gone, and now he had to wake up and fight the urge to start talking to "Vulture" and "Blue Jay" His feet retreated into the room, clolliding the the groun flatly. "Enjoying my nest Micheal? There is a soft breeze, and right now nothing to gamble on. You my friend." He stood up walking towards Micheal, bobbing his head with his steps purposly for his own sake of irony. "You have a problem. Gamble like there is nothing at stake, and well you make the dead put on earmuffs when you get in a mood." His feathery ornated clothes seemed to move at one with the wind, his body walking semi-normal. his large sniper rifle laid flat on the wall in a diagonal angle. His small pistol seemed to be fused with the rest of the mess of feathers on his hip. "So. What is it this time? Manage to go posotive in your winnings? Or some good news for a change. Utopia colapses, someones dog dies, or they are serving some mystery meat for lunch. Please not that last one again. Just managed to avoid some intestinal problems by avoiding it."

[bluemoon]

Kat struggled up the cellar stairs, pushing debris to the side to make a pathway to the first floor. A short time ago there had been a odd sound emanating from above her. It was similar to the sound of air exploding outward and then being pulled back in on itself. The ground had shook and things had begun falling around her. Now as she crawled up the stairs, she could feel an almost unbearable heat coming from the ground floor. Pushing the last of the debris from the stairs, she saw an opening where the door had been. She rose from her knees, a jagged piece of metal catching the side of her face.

"Damn it!" She cursed, putting a hand to her cheek. The darkness was alight with small fires burning in every crevice. The walls of her father's grand home were now only rubble and ash. She spun in a tight circle, amazed and shocked at the devastation. Picking her way through what had once been the kitchen, she looked for any sign of other survivors. There was little movement around her other than the crumbling of weakened walls. The only sound other than the crackling of flames was a dog barking in the distance.

Seeing a flicker of silver in the ash, she bent and picked up a partially melted butcher knife, the wooden handle crumbling in her hand. She was about to drop it back onto the floor, but decided to hang onto it--just in case. Wrapping a piece of her shirt around the exposed hilt, she formed a crude handle, tieing it in place.

She had almost made it to what she guessed was the front room when she noticed a prone form lying on the front doorstep. The metal door had melted to a indistinguishable blob standing barely a foot from the ground. Stepping over the door, she approached the woman, seeing only the back of her form. A discarded weathered hat lay near her, unscorched. Kat knelt before the unconscious woman, shaking her lightly. The air was heavy with smoke and it was getting harder to breathe. She put her hand over her nose and mouth, taking shallow breaths.

"Hey, wake up." She said, her voice muffled. She rolled the woman over, seeing the face framed by black hair. She seemed familiar, but the soot covering her features made if difficult to be sure in the fire-lit night. "Come on...damn it..." Kat paused, coughing violently. "We have to get out of here." The smell of charred bodies and burnt wood and plastic filled her senses, carried on the light breeze. She gagged, turning her head to vomit. After a few moments, her stomach empty, she wiped away the saliva from her lips. Trying to breathe only through her mouth, she grabbed the arm of the prone woman and began pulling her away from her home. Seeing the hat resting on the step, she reached out and picked it up, placing it on the woman's chest.

Her breath coming in sharp gasps from the effort, she slowly made her way closer to the perimeter of the town. The air was finally becoming clearer--making it easier to breathe. Kat sat down hard on the ground, panting. She could hear a dog howling somewhere close by. Bringing her knees up, she put her arms about her legs, her head hanging down. She tried to wrap her mind around what had happened, but came up empty. Too tried to move she sat waiting for the woman to wake up.

[Mary Sue]

Kyla sat up and rolled off her cot. She was half-dressed, and proceeded with the flow of chattering voices that had awoken her. Slowly, she felt the upward slope of the ground as they headed above ground. Intense vibrations had caused the Houston Gangs underground base to rattle disturbingly. Now everyone was surfacing to discover the source.

The desert sky was lit a bright orange despite the dead of night around them. Their leader, a large red-skinned man stood silent as he stared out in the direction of Utopia. His gun was still in his hand, Kyla realized. Stone had been out hunting. She pushed her way through the crowd to his side.
"What happened?" Kyla asked.
"Utopia exploded." Stone said simply. "Fire engulfed the entire town."
Kyla's eyes lit up. It was a sad thing, sure but....
"Let's go raiding! Maybe there'll be some art work left the flames didn't touch!" She suggested excitedly. Stone turned to all the eager faces behind him. Any chance to add to thier collection was a chance worth taking.
"Everyone wear goggles and masks. Only a fool would walk through fresh rubble without it..." He said. A raucous cheer swelled from the gang as everyone surged about to gather thier weapons and bags. Kyla finished dressing and slipped her weapons into her belt. A wide grin stretched across her face as she thought about all the treasures they might find.

[Shifty]

Patrick woke up with a start, coughing. He sat there for a moment, breathing heavily. He slowly sat up and put his had on his forehead. He felt dried blood. Then he remembered. He woke up in the night to screams outised. He had gotten dressed and tried to get to the door, but his house fell on top of him. I must have been hit in thead with a roof beam or something. He thoguth. His first action was to get his personal items. His clothes were all burnt, but he had a cast iron safe. He got his canteen, his pistol, his sunglasses, and his hunting knife and put them in his satchel bag, which had survived the fire but with one side charred.

he started to move when his foot hit something in the ash. He reached down and picked up his family's old Springfield rifle. It had been in his family for decades. He suddenly just broke down. He fell to his knees, crying silently. Not for his parents. His relationship with them was not much. It was for his home. His friends. Everything else he cared for. He cried for almost 10 minutes before he heard a noise. A dog barking.
He looked up and saw a dog come around the corner of what was once a rather large store. It's paw was bloody, and it was limping. It had it's head down and didn't see Patrick until he stood up. It yelped and tried to run, but fell over when it stood on it's hurt paw.

"Hey, it's okay. i'm not going to hurt you. It's fine." Patrick said in as soothing a tone as he could. He sat next to it and began to pet it. It's fur was covered in ash, with a couple of charred spots. He rinsed off the dog's wound with some water and wrapped it up with a piece of cloth that was once the curtains of his house.

It whined, but licked Patrick's hand. He in turn patted it on the head, smiling. "See, I'm not bad." He let out a heavy sigh, then slowly stood up. "Well, let's see if we can't find anyone else. I hope to god I'm not the only one left." He startted waling towards the otherside of town, towards the mayor's house, the dog following closely behind him.
----------
Mouse was amazed. All around him, it was gone. It had taken him all of two hours to escape the six or seven feet of rubble he had been buried under, and he was tired, sitting down, panting with exhaution. He listened for anything, anyone that was still there. There were still a few small fires that gave off an eerie glow.

He heard something not too far away. someone talking. He moved quickly, scurrying along the debris like, well, like a mouse. He stopped at a large piece of debris and peaked around it. He saw a girl. She was trying to pull something, but he couldn't see what it was.

"Come on...damn it..." he heard her say, then get into a violent coughing fit, which led to her vomiting. Mouse moved to a new spot to get a better look. Once he was there, he saw that the girl had sat down. He could now see what she was dragging. It was the town sherrif, Ms. Byrd. She looked like she was asleep. Or dead. He sat behind his cover and thought for a second.

He had had a few run-ins with the law. Well, more like a few dozen, but whose counting. After all, Mouse was the best thief in Utopia. He and Bailey had never gotten along. The thief-cop relationships never worked out. He thought out his options. He could ditch right now and leave, saving his own skin, or he could stay and help this girl, risking being killed by sherrif Byrd. If not then they wouldn't get along by any means. His consiensce, which by now was all but dead, made one last move. He slowly moved towards the girl, being as quiet as possible. When he was about ten feet behind her, he finally spoke.

"Hello?" He said. The girl spun around sharply, and she nearly collapsed on the ground. She fumbled for something. He saw the knife and raised his hands defensively. "Hey now." He said, calmly, "No need for that." He lowered his hands as the girl lowered the knife. "I'm Bertram. Bertram Matheson. People call me mouse." The girl just sat there, almost trembling. She started to get into a coughing fit, but was able to stop herself. Mouse started to move over to Bailey.

I can't believe I'm doing this. he thought to himself. He knelt down next to her and started to look for injuries. There was a decent sized cut in her left leg, which he cleaned up. Otherwise there were just a few scratches and bruises.

He moved and sat opposite of the girl, who just stared at him. "Not much for talking are you?" He said, putting his hands behind his head and closing his eyes. "Wake me when she wakes up, alright?" He was snoreing within seconds of saying that.

(( I won't write for both every time, so don't worry about posts like happening often. ))

[bluemoon]

Kat was surprised when a man behind her said hello. She jumped despite herself, turning quickly and grabbing her knife. As he introduced himself, she slowly lowered the weapon to her side. She cleared her throat, stifling a cough, as she watched him check the prone woman for injuries. Her hand went up to the cut on her cheek. The wound was still bleeding lightly, dried blood starting to cake around it.

When he sat opposite her, she stared at him blankly. She had not invited his company and was taken aback by his forwardness. As soon as he fell asleep, she rose and looked back at the still burning fires in the hub of the city. Morning was still hours away and it wouldn't be safe to travel until first light. She couldn't imagine traveling into the desert without transport, especially with the gangs that bordered the town. She would need supplies if she was going to survive. The only chance of finding anything useful would mean going underground--into cellars and crawlspaces. She considered heading back to her destroyed home--the cellar was rich with various wines and dried goods. Her decision made, she quickly retraced her steps, holding her shirt over her nose and mouth as she walked.

Arriving at her doorstep, she was once again shocked at the devastation. What could of caused such total destruction? Pulling debris away from the blocked entrance to the cellar, she climbed down the stairs, having to crawl backwards in the tighter spaces. There was very little light, a fact she had failed to consider. Arriving at the bottom of the stairs, she used her memory of the cellar's layout to find the sought after supplies. She removed her outer shirt and going by feel, put several pouches of dried food into it, tying the corners together to form a sack.

'The wine cellar should be on my right.' She thought, making her way to it. Again by feel, she found the door and entered the cooler room. She pulled two bottles from the shelves and placed them in her makeshift bag. Satisfied, she left the small room, entering back into the main part of the cellar. She could still hear the sound of crackling fires above her. She decided to stay below for a while. It was safer than roaming the ash filled landscape above. The woman she had pulled from her doorstep would be safe with the man named "Mouse" for the time being. Sitting on the bottom step, she wiped away sweat and ash from her face. What she needed was water. Sighing, she took out a bottle of wine and pried the cork from it, using the broken knife's edge. She took a small sip, relishing the full flavor.

[Maple]

When Bailey finally began to stir, the smoke had cleared somewhat, allowing the first light of dawn to penetrate the murk. Lying there scraped and bruised, her face and clothes filthy, the Sheriff looked more vulnerable than ever. Many an outlaw would have dreamed of this moment. Many of whom had no doubt burned to a crisp.

Before she had a chance to orient herself, Bailey hacked up the last of the ash polluting her lungs. She then sat up slowly and squinted at her new surroundings. Once her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she saw what was once a busy boulevard, now lined not with shops and taverns but with burned-out foundations. Ash blanketed everything and danced on the breeze like snowflakes. It was a beautiful and terrible vision, the stuff of nightmares.

But the ache in her chest and the burning in her lungs told her the devastation was quite real. Her world truly had crumbled overnight. And now what?

That question became even more problematic when Bailey spotted the man sitting nearby. He was sleeping, unconscious, or dead; more likely the latter two, since Bailey's coughing had not roused him. Then again, anyone who could fall asleep at a time like this must be a strong sleeper. Bailey crawled over to him and checked his neck for a pulse. A strong sleeper indeed. She frowned and stared at the man for a long moment, contemplating her next move. Then, sighing to herself, she grabbed him by the shoulder and jostled him awake.

"We have to get out of here," she said hoarsely as soon as Mouse blinked awake. Her tone left no room for argument or protest: it was simply stated as fact. She swept to her feet and shook the ash from her hat in one graceful motion, placing it back on her head and dusting off her clothes. She wore a long leather duster over a billowy white blouse and tight jeans enveloped by tall black boots. Everything stained with shades of gray.

"Are you injured?"

~~

The small Doberman mix that befriended Patrick could scarcely be recognized as Rose, the Sheriff's dog. Her coat once glistened jet black; now it was caked with ash and stained with blood. Her braided leather collar, with its engraved metal name tag, was buried amidst the filth. She looked how she felt: hurt, lost, and hopelessly confused. But at least she was no longer alone.

Grateful for the company, Rose followed Patrick closely, ears perked. Suddenly, she must have sensed something, because she raced ahead of him. Climbing the steps of the mayor's house, she sniffed around desperately, then seemed to follow a trail to the cellar door. She paused and then stepped cautiously into the cellar, her snout probing the darkness.

[Shifty]

Mouse, true to his character, was dreaming of stealing things. In his dream, he had an enormous amount of money, probobly all made illegally. he didn't care, though. He just wanted to be rich. He didn't care how he got it, or when, but he would get it eventually.

His dream was stopped short by someone shaking his shoulder. He woke slowly, thinking it was just the girl. When he looked up, he saw not the girl, but someone else. She didn't look anything like the young girl. She looked more experienced. Then Mouse came to his full senses. It's the sheriff. He thought. She had asked if he was injured.

"No, I don't think so." He said as he began to get up. He coughed a bit as he did so, and he struggled to stand. Now that most of the adrenaline had left his body, he felt all of the cuts and bruises he had gotten from getting out of the rubble. Now his entire body was sore. "Nothing major at least." He said. He put his hands on his knees and took a few deep breathes to focus and relax. It took him a moment to realize that Bailey hadn't recognized him. Do I look that different? He thougth to himself. Then he realized that he was probobly covered in dirt and ash, not to mention a little blood. Even his closest friend would have had a hard time recognizing him.

He stood up straight and looked around. They were alone. "Where's the girl?" He asked, looking around. "She was here just a moment ago."
----------
"Hey!" Patrck exclaimed as the dog that was following him bolted past as fast as it;s leg could allow. "Where are you going?" He started to jog after it. Evedntually he followed it to the mayor's house. or at least where it used to be.

The dog was sniffing into some hole in the rubble. As he got closer, he realized it was a very big hole. A cellar from the looks of it. He knelt down next to it. The dog had gone in, and Patrick was wondering whether or not to follow. What harm could be done? He thought as he stepped down into the darkness.

[bluemoon]

Kat had fallen asleep shortly after drinking a good share of the wine. She was awoken by sounds above her, an animal digging at the entrance to the cellar. She barely had time to open her eyes before she heard it coming down the stairs. Against the backdrop of firelight coming from the hole, the shape looked like a nightmare beast coming from the gates of hell. Ash circled in the air around the animal, drifting up from the stairs.

Kat let out a quiet gasp as she watched the dog descending towards her. It wasn't until it was almost upon her that she saw it's tail wagging. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until she let it out in a heavy sigh. She started petting the dog's sooty fur when she heard a man yell out. He seemed to be calling to the dog. In short time he too was climbing down the stairs towards her. It seemed her father's house was a very popular place to be tonight.

"Whoever you are, I recommend you stop right now." She called out. "I have a gun." She pulled the knife from her belt and held it in front of her, hoping her bluff worked. Some of her father's various collections were stored in the cellar and she wouldn't be surprised if they attracted looters. She didn't have any plans of being here when they arrived.

[Shifty]

Patrick stopped in his tracks when someone shouted that they had a gun from within the cellar. He strained to see them, but it was too dark and smoke was obscuring everything from sight. Well, this isn't good. He thought to himself. "Hold on," he said, slowly unslinging his rifle. "I'm just here for the dog. it did come down here, right?" He slowly puled the bolt of the rifle up and out, angry that it made such a noticable clcik when he did. He then slowly returned it to the closed position, a bullet ready to be fired. "No need to be shooting anyone." He said as he slowly walked in the direction of the voice.

He could hear the dog panting in the darkness, and followed where he heard it. He rounded a corner and was face with someone. The dog was near them. He couldn't tell what they looked like, but he saw a glint of metal in her hand. He couldn't tell if it was a gun or not. Instinctively he raised his springfield to his shoulder and aimed right at the person. "Drop it!" He said loudly, his voice echoing around the room. His finger was ready to pull the trigger at any moment, but he refused to give in to impulse. "Drop it now or I'll shoot!"

[Mary Sue]

Kyla and Stone examined the town before them. Kyla's expression was a mixture of eagerness and sadness, but Stone's was impossible to read. They leaned against Stone's rusty old bike.
"There could be people inside," Kyla said. Stone nodded and pulled on his goggles and face mask.
"Let's not engage if you can help it," he replied, and headed into the wreckage. Kyla smiled as he climbed over the rubble and pulled on her own goggles and mask before heading out to explore.

[Maple]

Bailey stood watching the horizon, hands darting in and out of her pockets, taking inventory. She was surprised to find her gun still safe in its holster, and her knife still clipped to her belt. But her greatest relief came when she grabbed for the small canteen she kept in a coat pocket. She took a quick swig, struggling to restrain herself from gulping down every last drop. It was still mostly full, but she didn't know how long she would need it to last. She turned to Mouse.

With obvious reluctance, Bailey offered the crook her canteen. "One small sip," she commanded. "What girl?"

~~

When she met the girl in the darkness, Rose became fixated on her. She was too preoccupied with sniffing and wagging to acknowledge Patrick's arrival, but when he shouted, the dog froze and let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a whimper. It's not clear whose side she's on, only that she disapproves of the situation.

[bluemoon]

Kat could hear the man moving down the steps despite her warning. He claimed he was there for the dog. 'Not likely.' She thought. She could hear shuffling noises--probably just debris being kicked out of the way--but she couldn't be sure. When she heard the audible clicking noise of a rifle's bolt being drawn back, she quickly got to her feet, backing up a step. "Shit." She said in a quiet whisper. The dog beside her went still, a low growl coming from its throat.

When the man rounded the corner, aiming a gun directly at her, she let out a surprised gasp. 'Drop it.' He said. She immediately opened her hand, letting the knife clatter to the step at her feet. She put both hands up, palms open. "Ta...take whatever you want." She said in a shaky voice. "I won't stop you."

[Ushima]

"Hey I win a lot more than you like to think. I can beat anyone in the gang at any game." Michael pulled out a cigar and a lighter. He took a long drag and exhaled the smoke right in his friend's face. "Atleast I don't have some weird animal feather fetish, creep." Michael turned to look out the window. "But yeah, Utopia. Think we should check it out. Boss is going to send someone, might as well be us right?"

The gambler dropped down from the sniper's nest. While the nature man might be a little weird Michael trusts him more than anybody else, except the boss. And going into the unknown he'd need that. Utopia didn't just randomly disappeared, that much was obvious to anyone willing to think about it for a second. "Yo let's go!" He yelled back over his shoulder. He stopped at his equipment locker real quick. He sheathed his knife, which was across his lower back, he put on his ammo belts on his arms and waist, sheathed his throwing knives and grabbed his grenades. "Ready, you?" He said, turning to his friend.

[Shifty]

As soon as heard and saw the knife drop, Patrick relaxed. He lowered the rifle and slung it back over his shoulder. "I'm not here to take anything. I was just looking for the dog." He said, pointing to Rose, who was also more relaxed now that Patrick had stopped pointing his gun at Kat.

Patrick decided to take a chance. "My name's Patrick Nellson. Who are you?" Patrick asked. "You don't look like a bandit." He scrutinized the girl. Some of the smoke and dust was clearing and he could see better now. She looked familiar, but all the dirt and ash made it difficult to recognize her.
----------
Mouse ignored Bailey's offer of a drink at first. He was too busy turning around and around, trying to find any sign of Kat. "That girl," He said, turning to face Bailey. "who was here just a second ago, before you woke up. She was dragging you or somethng. Don't know why. I don't know her name either. It was just.. some girl!" He was a little frustrated.

That little punk just left, and now I'm being interrogated! He though. Honestly, can today get any worse? He finally took the canteen and took a nice long drink from it, realising just how thirsty he was. He handed it back to Bailey and stared at her again. "Well? Are we just going to stand here? Or are we going to go look for her?" He said.

[spirits breath]

Mikhail rolled his eyes at his friend, knowing that things were a bit different when they played for fun. He never did have money on him at all times, and certainly didn't need to compete over bragging rights. It was not a great game for him the last couple hundred games only to win possibly ten max, plus or minus three games. As Michael gave a remark about his attire, he felt a bit bold. "You know, I can do a lot of things with these. Heck it holds true about finding a mate. Least she wouldn't be indebited to me by having to owe me money over cards. But combined with my crocodile skin pants and hat, well we will see who is laughing when it rains. I am freaking waterproof in this. Not to mention undoubtfuly sexy in these. Plus, well. Beats gambling when you can talk to my guns."

We walked over by his friend, he walked with odd grace. "Besides the fact that they are water proof basically, this is like natures armor. Bullets would be bouncing off of these. As well as I can get my own food with my outer skin."

He watched the gambler drop down from his nest, it was once again cleared. He was to gear up to go out to where Utopia once was. He himself jumped down, closing the hatch above him. Mikhail walked softly across the ground, his shoes worn down, and the small feathers rose when his feet came down, and pressed against his shoe as he lifted his foot. He needed his canteen and a ammo pouch for both of his guns, each holding two extra clips and held 12 spare sniper bullets, and 15 9mm handgun bullets. Let alone his machette. While it was not needed much, it felt good to have it by his side. Just for in case he needed to reload and he had to defend himself.

He filled his canteen of a stomach, and tied a string to the opening. "You bringing anything to drink? Might want to, unless if you want to drink out of this again." He loaded into a small side pouch if anything a few small bags of various nuts. Slinging his gun vulture over his shoulder, and blue jay at his him, he felt natures protection around him, despite holding about three pounds of feathers with him and mabie a 4 or 6 more from the crocodile as well. That was both without the actual fabric of his shirt and shoes. He wrapped his ponytail beding the tail on his head and let a small rubber band cold it at the end of the tail. "And you try to call me odd. This is natural. You are a walking gambling machine without a spot to put in quarters. And obsessed with seven is it? As well as cards. As I am to birds and crocodiles." He gave a light chuckle to himself.

[bluemoon]

As soon as heard and saw the knife drop, Patrick relaxed. He lowered the rifle and slung it back over his shoulder. "I'm not here to take anything. I was just looking for the dog." He said, pointing to Rose, who was also more relaxed now that Patrick had stopped pointing his gun at Kat.

Patrick decided to take a chance. "My name's Patrick Nellson. Who are you?" Patrick asked. "You don't look like a bandit." He scrutinized the girl. Some of the smoke and dust was clearing and he could see better now. She looked familiar, but all the dirt and ash made it difficult to recognize her.


Kat was relieved when the man lowered his weapon. It was hard to see his features with so little light, but she was sure she did not recognize his voice. The dog seemed less tense, but wasn't responding as though this was its owner. It made his story about being after the dog hard to believe.

"Patrick Nellson?" She repeated. "Sorry, I don't know you. ...and I am not a bandit. This is my house...at least it was. I think it's best that you leave." She picked up her knife and folded up shirt with the food and bottle of wine, leaving the almost empty one on the floor. "I know I'm leaving before anyone else stops by." She pushed her way past him on the steps, turning back after she had gone up a couple of steps. "My names Kat. I'm sure you knew my father." She said with a bit of attitude. When she made it to the surface, she paused, waiting for Patrick and the dog. At this point, any company was better than none.

[Shifty]

"Well, she's got a bit of an attitude problem." Patrick said to himself, but he looked at the dog. It simple looked up at him, then ran to catch up with Kat. Patrick followed close behind. "You said this is -was- your house. That would make you the mayor's daughter, Katherine Coombs." Patrick said as he got to the surface. "I'm really glad I'm not the only one alive."

"Do you know if anyone else survived?" Patrick asked, looking at their surroundings. It was lighter out, but the air was still thick with smoke and dust. He coughed and realized that he should have a mask or bandana to keep out the dust and smoke. "All I could see on my way was ash, smoke and dust. Nothing living." He realized his gun was still cocked and loaded, so he quickly emptied the loaded shell. Better safe than sorry. "Except for that dog, of course." he knelt down and pet it softly, stirring up a little dust cloud from Rose's fur. "Well? Is there anyone else left?" He looked up at Kat.

[Maple]

Almost before Mouse could finish his last sentence, Bailey lunged forward and landed a quick slap across his left cheek. At the very same time she drew her pistol and aimed it squarely at the man's head.

"I said one SMALL sip, you ungrateful little worm," the Sheriff hissed, her free hand beckoning for him to return the canteen. "The only reason you didn't wake up in handcuffs is that I thought you had saved my life. But if it was someone else who dragged me to safety then I don't see why you deserve a single drop of that water. I know exactly who you are, and I would spit in your face if it wouldn't be a waste of precious saliva."

~~

Rose panted and gazed admiringly at Patrick as he stroked her, tail wagging lazily. Even on the worst day of her life, Rose found she could enjoy that simple pleasure. But even then, she did not seem at all content - she seemed preoccupied, or as preoccupied as a dog can seem. She glanced from side to side, from Patrick to Kat and back again, and whined softly.

[Ushima]

"Hey don't you worry about what I got aight?" Michael buttoned his coat. "Besides, we probably won't be there that long." He patted Mikhail on the shoulder signaling he ws heading out. "Oh this'll be fun."

~

"Ruins, well this was expected." The place was still burning.

"Maybe we'll find more crazy people like you." The nature man said.

"Laugh it up, one of these days you'll play a bad hand and really piss me off." Micahel spit out his cigar stub.

"You mean if I say something like." Mikhail left the sentence hang, Michael's hand dropping to his revolver was victory enough for him.

"Don't go there." Michael looked around. "What the hell can cause a city to just disappear. I mean besides the obvious."

[spirits breath]

Mikhail followed behind Micheal eyeing the fact he put a jacket on. He only smiled and looked at the ground that his legs moved below him.

~

Micheal asked what would cause a city to disappear. Mikhail gave a small thrust of air in his throat in a miffed ahem. "Want to know what would have caused this? Several wolves, deer, and birds came into the Utopia and with the mass panic caused this. PRetty much what happened was they entered, and caused gas tanks to explode. The explosion went to the under gas pipes, and hit those. Those went to houses, and they lit on fire. From that, the houses broke a bit, sending flaming peices of wood or whatever to the cars. The cars lit on fire and continued the chain." He brought his hands to his vest, and brought them down over the feathers.

He jogged up ahead of Micheal. "So we can always check around the ruined buildings for what may be left to scavange. Can help up a bit. Maybe we might find something for you to bet on, like... rags or something. Maybe a few peices of metal." He turned around, arms spread out wide. "Seems peaceful. Lie out in the sun. Nobody to disturb you. Nobody for you to pick a fight with and screw both of us over again."

[Higurashi]

Matt Fredricks had been about to win a gamble when Utopia exploded. A couple of the newer gang members (you consequently didn't know who he was) had challenged him to shoot fifteen bottles down the neck to break the bottoms with only twelve bullets. When the explsion happened, he didn;t even flinch from histask as the other two turned around in surprise. It would take a little more than his normal skill and percision. He thought it out in his head. The first eleven shot would be easy. The last would take the skill. He would have to shoot so that the eleventh bottles glass shards would spray to the right, breaking the other bottles with the force of the shards. All that thinking only took a second. He raised his guns in what seemed to be slow motion to him. One.. two... three..- eleven... TWELVE. The shots sprayed perfect, breaking the bottom of every bottle. The glass shards sprayed out, breaking the backs of the thirteenth, fourteenth,.... and barely the fifteenth. He lowered his guns and walked past the dumbstruck pair, taking his money from the better's loose fingers. He reloaded his guns as he walked into the ruined town.

[Ushima]

"Several wolves, deer, and birds? You are really weird my friend." Michael entered a building, at this point it was two walls, no roof, furniture turned over and burning. "Well I'm thinking big missle. M.O.A.B. is possible. Couple of those could take out anything."

"True. But who could've got their hands on those?" Mikhail entered behind Michael. "Find anything valuable."

"Nothing yet." Michael kicked over a table. "Wait," Michael pulled out his revolver and knife. He rested the barrel against his left wrist with the blade out ready. "Think I hear something. What you think?"

"Could be other raiders." Michael moved to the doorway. "See anything?"

"Nothing yet. Could be anything really, though I'm not willing to rule out Stars or Houston." Michael pulled back the hammer, smirking when he heard the click. "We'll have to be careful from now on."

[bluemoon]

"Well, she's got a bit of an attitude problem." Patrick said to himself, but he looked at the dog. It simple looked up at him, then ran to catch up with Kat. Patrick followed close behind. "You said this is -was- your house. That would make you the mayor's daughter, Katherine Coombs." Patrick said as he got to the surface. "I'm really glad I'm not the only one alive."

"Do you know if anyone else survived?"

Kat looked at the young man. "Yes, I am Katherine--how very astute of you to figure that out. If you don't mind though, I prefer Kat." Now that the threat of his rifle was gone, she found herself slipping back into her normal way of dealing with others--with a snooty air. She started walking back to where she had left the other two at least an hour ago. It was hard to tell how much time had passed with the air clouded with smoke and bits of ash. It hid the sky from view.

"I encountered two others." She said as she set a quick pace. "...a woman and a man. I left them sleeping on the edge of town to search for some provisions. Come morning, I plan to hike to the closest town--wherever that is. I don't suppose you know of any salvagable maps of the desert and bordering towns that survived the fires?" She asked sarcastically. She reached down and scratched between the dogs ears as she walked. "I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

[Mary Sue]

Kyla grunted softly as she turned over a charred piece of wall. It crashed with a muffled thud as the wall disintegrated into ash. Kyla waved her hands to clear the smoke and readjusted her goggles. A wide grin broke out behind her smoke mask.
"Jackpot!" She exclaimed, hoisting a small vase. It was hand made in Utopia. A last surviving relic of the town that had just gone up in flames.
"You're my first heist of the day. Lucky you and lucky me!" She turned the vase around in her hands and frowned. There were long charred scratches along the larger side of the vase! That wouldn't do at all! Kyla reached into her pocket and pulled out a soft cloth. She plopped down amidst the rubble and cinders and began to polish away the scratches.
"I'll have you cleaned up in no time," she cooed lovingly to the vase. Once it was clean of that hideous scratch, she'd tuck it away into her bag and continue to search for more treasure.

Meanwhile, not far away, Stone was climbing over rubble with all the grace of a feline. Occasionally, he stooped to examine areas of particular interest, but nothing in particular pointed to any reason why the town would suddenly blow. However, not much was left from the destruction. Stone even doubted that there were survivors. Still, paranoia kept his hands firmly on his knife and his guns were within reach as well.

[Shifty]

Patrick jogged a little to catch up with Kat. "I've been out a little ways in the Barrens, but there are no towns that I know of. The closest I can think of is a trader or caravan, and that's sort of hit or miss trying to find one." He said. "And my name's Patrick Nellson." He finished with a little bit of indignity in his voice. This may be the mayor's daughter, Patrick thought, but for someone who's just seen the destruction of her entire life, she's pretty snobbish. He let it go for now, believing it to be her way of dealing with stress.
----------
Mouse wasn't prepared for Bailey's slap, and was even more unprepared when he was staring straight down a gun barrel. Still, he didn't freak out. He didn't even flinch. He just slowly raised his hands, never taking his eyes off of Bailey's finger as it lay on the trigger.

"Whoa, now." He said calmly. "No need to get physical." He said sarcastically. He took a deep breathe. "If you'll notice, the person who 'saved' you also deserted you, and me, for that matter. Now what kind of savior just ditches the people they save? For all you know, She could've been a bandit, who ran to tell all of her little bandit friends that Utopia's burning, and all that's there is ripe for the picking." His voice was calm and collected, but slightly tinged with fear. Fear that Bailey could decide to end his life right there, right now. He lowered his hands to his sides. slowly, as to not make Bailey suspect something.

"I know we have never gotten along. Thieves and sheriffs never do. But still, who are you going to believe? Little old me, who stayed with you and made sure you were okay and is here in the flesh? Or that little punk girl who ditched us both as soon as she got the chance?" He looked up from the gun to see Bailey's response to his little rant.

[zyta]

Tanis greedily sniffed at air. There was the stench of death riding the wind across miles of rising and falling dunes. The scent of blood was enough to wet Tanis’ pallet. He pulled a sleeved arm across his mouth to stem his drooling. He was alone, atop of his brown mustang breed. The mustang was a sturdy and proud beast standing tall and built like a tank with a long, flowing black mane. Tanis girdled himself in the saddle and kicked the horse forward into a slow trot across the dunes. The two were carefully wrapped in a weather beaten cloth as a preventive measure against the scorching out wind, flecked with bits of burning sand. Tanis’ face was obscured by cloth and shadows from his cowboy hat, but even from a distance the Lone Star Scar was visible peeking from out of the cloth like an eyesore.

[bluemoon]

Patrick jogged a little to catch up with Kat. "I've been out a little ways in the Barrens, but there are no towns that I know of. The closest I can think of is a trader or caravan, and that's sort of hit or miss trying to find one." He said. "And my name's Patrick Nellson." He finished with a little bit of indignity in his voice. This may be the mayor's daughter, Patrick thought, but for someone who's just seen the destruction of her entire life, she's pretty snobbish. He let it go for now, believing it to be her way of dealing with stress.

"Well, that's a pity," Kat said. "...because we can't stay here... everything is gone...everyone gone..." She fought to control the sound of emotion that crept into her voice as she contemplated the bleakness of their situation. "There has to be somewhere we can go." She decided.

She heard the sound of annoyance in the man's voice as he repeated his name to her. She had never been good at remembering names. Perhaps it was because she didn't bother to pay close attention to anyone other than her father. He had been her world, her focus. She had always envisioned herself taking his place when he gave up the position of mayor. A political career was all she ever saw for herself. Now, that was gone. She would have to start over wherever they ended up, whoever "they" were and where that would be, was a mystery.

She slowed as she neared the place where she had left the two other survivors. She could hear them talking, or perhaps it was more akin to arguing, before she could actually see them. She heard the man refer to a little punk girl that had deserted them. 'He couldn't possibly mean me, could he?' She wondered to herself.

[Maple]

The Sheriff was unmoved by the thief's protest. In fact, she didn't acknowledge a single word. The beckoning hand kept beckoning, the gun kept pointing, and the cold eyes kept staring.

"Hand over the canteen and any weapons you have, and I promise not to harm a single hair on your head unless you do something to deserve it. That includes guns, knives, explosives - anything you have that could be used as a weapon, short of your arms and legs. I'll confiscate those later if I have to."

While she spoke, the sound of barking grew nearer and nearer, until a lone dog emerged from the haze. She darted to Bailey's side, tail wagging, oblivious to the tense situation at hand.

Despite the potential distraction, Bailey didn't break focus even for a moment. It was as though nothing had happened. She kept eye contact with Mouse and awaited his response.

[Shifty]

"alright, okay. No need for dismemberment. I get the point." Mouse said. He realized that there was no reason to arguing. He handed over the canteen, slowly. "Here, this is all I have on me." He said, taking his knife from his pocket anddropping it to the ground. "Everything else is in my pack. All that's there is some rope and my lockpicking gear."

He was starting to get nervous now. Bailey hadn't even looked away from him, even when this dogcame running up. She hadn't even wavered a bit, and it worried him. Will she really shoot me? He thought. It was possible. He didn't like thinking about it. Mouse didn't function well under this kind of stress. He was usually able to talk his way out of bad situations, but not here. His fear finally got the better of him.

"Please, please, don't kill me. I won't do anything bad. I was a thief, but I can change, honest I can." He was able to get out. "Don't shoot me. Don't kill me please." He was now pleading. He closed his eyes to prevent tears, and to not see if she decided to pull the trigger.
----------
Patrick almost ignored Kat as she talked. He was listening to the sound of two people arguing, but was tossed from his focus when the dog suddenly barked. It's tail began to wag and it took off towards the voices.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" He yelled, and he started to run after it. He saw the two people who were arguing, and saw a woman holding a gun right at a man's head, with the dog standing by the woman, looking up at her. She was totally oblivious to him. His instincts took over and he unslung, shouldered, and cocked his rifle in one swift motion. "Drop the gun," He yelled for the second time today. "or you won't get a chance to pull that trigger!" He hated to make threats, but he also hated to see people being held at gun point.

[bluemoon]

Kat stood back as Patrick rushed forward, unslinging his rifle and pointing it at the woman she had dragged here earlier. He seemed quick to point his gun at people and she wondered if he was also quick to pull the trigger. She was obviously at a disadvantage here, with only a knife for protection.

She looked at the irratating little man who had called himself Mouse. He was begging for his life in a most degrading manner. She almost hoped the woman would shoot him--putting him out of her misery. She had no patience for weak individuals, prefering the strong of mind and body. Putting her hands on her hips, she took a step forward.

"Would someone please just pull the trigger already, we have plans to make and this is a waste of precious time." She said with just a hint of sarcasm.

[Maple]

Bailey took the canteen and slipped it back into her coat, her pistol still aimed at Mouse as she watched his knife clatter on the ground. The dog began sniffing it curiously.

Before Bailey had time to react to his pitiful plea, her attention was diverted to the rifle-toting stranger. She regarded him warily, then took a step back from Mouse and spread her arms slowly. She didn't drop her pistol, but she pointed it straight down. Perhaps sensing the changed dynamic, the dog stood beside her presumable master, ears erect.

"Alright. Settle down." Bailey spoke with the soothing voice of a trained negotiator. "We got it all worked out to where no one needs to get shot. I'm Sheriff Bailey Byrd with the Utopia PD. Just keeping the peace."

Her face contorted suddenly, as though she was stifling a cough. Indeed, coughing right now could prove a fatal mistake. She stared down the barrel of the rifle and grit her teeth, fighting the urge to clear her lungs.

[Mary Sue]

Kyla was tucking the vase into her bag when she heard it again: That familiar click of a gun. Wiping the ash coating from her goggles, Kyla peeked over a pile of rubble. About three football fields away, and barely visible through the ashen-haze stood a group of four people. Two of which were armed with guns from what Kyla could see. Instinctively, she patted her chest and instantly frowned. She forgot bulletproof gear! Well...in her defense...they thought the town would be deserted...
She shook her head. Stone would kill her if he found out! She pulled out her hand gun and held it at the ready...

"What are you doing?" Stone's voice startled Kyla and she spun around with her gun ready. Stone cuaght her hand and forced it away from them.
"Shh shh shh!" He hissed, pulling her close. Kyla's body relaxed as realization flood her.
"I think there are survivors..." She whispered. Stone nodded.
"The Rio Gang is here as well. Lone Star might not be far behind..." His grip loosened and they stepped apart.
"What should we do?" Kyla asked.
"Start making your way back to the bike. I'll cover you." He said. There was no sense in engaging either gang in the ruins of Utopia. His gang was barely armed for combat, since they had assumed there would be no survivors...

[Higurashi]

Matt continued walking through the town, unsatisfied with what he saw. He passed many burnt bodies without even a glance and simply headed onwards and inwards. He smelt burnt gunpowder in the air. He knew that smell better than anyone, yet that didn't explain the massive explosion that had taken place. Gunpowder gave off a smokey explosion, the one that had overtaken the town was more of a sudden bright flash, and there hadn't been much sound either. But that could be discounted by where he was standing. Matt entered a building that was still half standing, and found a number of burnt bodies around a large table, about thirteen to be exact. From the burnt peices left behind, he deduced that they had been having a party. He also found a half burnt peice of paper stating that this was the town saloon hanging on the wall. The stench of death was overwhelming, but he didn't mind it. He took off his backpack and took some malformed silver cultery that he found in a pantry. He figured that he might be able to make some money off of it. Thoguh only fools cared about precious metals. It was soon after that Matt came upon a motorcycle. He looked around quickly and ducked into a nearby peice of cover. That motorcycle had definetly NOT been here when the explosion happened. Matt waited for a few minutes then crept out again, got on the motorcycle, jacked the ignition, and drove back to the Rio headquarters. He had had enough for one day.

[Mary Sue]

"Uh...uh...oh...What the hell!?" Kyla exclaimed. They had parked the bike RIGHT THERE! Glancing around, she noticed a trail in the dirt leading off into the desert. Someone jacked the bike! And not just any bike....Stone's bike! The one piece of history Stone cherished above all! That antique bike was special! Kyla shuddered at the thought of Stone discovering the one responsible...

"What happened to my bike?" Stone asked, startling Kyla again.
She shrugged. "Gone! Someone's jacked it!" The growl that erupted in Stone's chest, sent a shiver through her spine.
"The tracks lead straight to Rio," He grumbled. "I'm going to flatten them...That bike is mine." He shouldered his pack and started jogging.
"Guh! Stone! Wait up!" Kyla called as she hurried after him.

[Shifty]

"Thank go," Patrick said as he let out a long sigh and lowered his rifle. "At least there are more survivors." He slung his rifle over his shoulder and started walking towards Bailey and Mouse. "Still, why were you pointing a gun at him in the first place?" He knelt down and began to pet the dog beside Bailey.

It took him a secodn to remember kat. "Oh, Sheriff, this is Katherine- I mean, Kat -Coombs, the Mayor's daughter. She survived too." he said, nodding in Kat's direction.

Mouse opened his eyes slowly, looking around. He realized he was still shaking, and that there was no longer a gun barrel inches from his face. Realizing he was out of danger, he began to relax. He looked at the stranger with a rifle petting the dog, then saw Kat a ways away. A sudden surge of anger was released as he started to walk towards her

"You little punk!" he almost yelled. "You just left us here! We could've been hurt or taken by bandits, and you just left us." He was surprised by his own anger, but didn't stop. "Didn't you think of us for one second? Yeah I know you saved her life," he pointed at Bailey, "and dragged her out of the ruins,b ut you don't leave people alone out here! There are bandits everywhere out in the barrens, and I'm sure they would jump at the chance to raid utopia for anything they can, including people like us, and who knows what our fate would have been." He finally stopped and took a breathe. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" He finished.

[bluemoon]

Mouse opened his eyes slowly, looking around. He realized he was still shaking, and that there was no longer a gun barrel inches from his face. Realizing he was out of danger, he began to relax. He looked at the stranger with a rifle petting the dog, then saw Kat a ways away. A sudden surge of anger was released as he started to walk towards her

"You little punk!" he almost yelled. "You just left us here! We could've been hurt or taken by bandits, and you just left us." He was surprised by his own anger, but didn't stop. "Didn't you think of us for one second? Yeah I know you saved her life," he pointed at Bailey, "and dragged her out of the ruins,b ut you don't leave people alone out here! There are bandits everywhere out in the barrens, and I'm sure they would jump at the chance to raid utopia for anything they can, including people like us, and who knows what our fate would have been." He finally stopped and took a breathe. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" He finished.

Kat stood quietly as Patrick introduced her. She had met the sheriff before, but hadn't recognized her under all the ash and soot that had covered her. She nodded a greeting then turned to the man called Mouse. She was taken aback when he started walking towards her yelling and calling her names.

"You were not alone--you had each other!" She spat back, targeting his accusations. "...and I am not your protector--if you were so worried, you shouldn't have fallen asleep..." She stood with her shoulders back, her legs apart, one hand on her hip, the other pointing an accusing finger at Mouse. "You're nothing but a low..." She began-- a fit of coughing taking over. She coughed into her hand, a rasping noise coming from her throat. She felt like she had just chain-smoked a pack of cigarettes.

Kat leaned against a partially standing building--her cough subsiding. She tried to control her breathing--getting upset wasn't helping with all the ash in the air. She glared at Mouse, her expression saying more than any words could. "Not worth the effort..." She said quietly.

[Maple]

As the stranger lowered his weapon, Bailey sagged with relief and returned her pistol to its holster. She then crouched to discreetly slip the thief's knife into her coat, while answering Patrick's question. "There was a misunderstanding, but I think we're both on the same page now." She glared at Mouse as if to say "Right?" but she didn't say it aloud, denying him the chance to disagree.

When Patrick knelt to pet her dog, Bailey put an arm about her protectively, suggesting some lingering distrust for the young man. "This is Rose," she said. Glancing up at Kat, she nodded in acknowledgment, then looked back at Patrick with an eyebrow raised. "And your name is...?"

She ignored Mouse completely, much the same way she had ignored the barking of Rose a few moments earlier. She seemed to have an impressive ability to tune things out when it suited her.