{F}ight {T}o {S}urvive [IC]; Can we last the winter?

[Mysteria]

A Roleplay By skyestarweaver:

Sergio huddled in the corner of The Shack, the current living space of the small band of criminals. His knees were pulled up to his chest, and his arms were wrapped tensely around them, hands pulled as far back into the sleeves of his sweatshirt as possible. His whole body quivered with cold, lips trembling and gradually turning a darker shade of blue. He shook his head abruptly, flicking his dirty blonde hair out of his eyes. The boy cringed slightly as, with a soft shattering sound, ice sprayed onto him. His hair was starting to freeze, and he was quite certain that if he didn’t do something quickly, the rest of him would become a great big Sergiocicle in no time.

The teenager struggled to his feet, grabbing at the cement wall for support. He fumbled through his pockets, finding it difficult with his numb fingers. Eventually he managed to yank out a pair of fingerless gloves and force them onto his hands before pulling the ends of his sleeves back over them. Sergio gave a small cough, and his eyes widened as a wave of panic flooded over him. He wasn’t sick, was he? There was no way he’d survive winter if he got sick! If he didn’t die, he’d be killed or driven out. He could spread the sickness around to the others in the gang and then . . .

Shuddering, Sergio stumbled across the room to a wall with pitifully empty shelves. He reached up and knocked a small packet of matches into his hand before making his way towards the centre of the room, where a large garbage can had been recently placed. His heart fell into his stomach when he saw that there was only one match left. He heaved a great sigh, knowing that he would never get a fire going with his numb fingers. The boy dropped the packet onto the floor beside the bin and returned sadly to his corner. He knew he should probably be moving around, but he felt too weak to even properly consider it.

Sergio’s stomach growled with hunger; just another reminder of how poorly they were doing. If the cold wasn’t enough to kill you off, the lack of food would get to you.

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

Larissa watched Sergio drop the box and return to his corner. She moved over and picked it up noticing the last match. Deciding that it would be easier to light the thing rather than freeze to death she held the match between her lips and pulled off her gloves giving her fingers a quick rub, she leaned into the barral. She moved some of the stuff around before finding a good lighting source of paper.

She only had one chance at this, otherwise they'd all be frozen. Grabbing the match between her forefinger, she attempted to lick her lips only to have them feel frozen again. The match rolled between her fingers for a moment, before she took a deep breath and struck the match next to the paper. Glad that it had caught. She stood up slightly blowing on it to get it going.

Then noticed that it was nothing else could catch fast enough and the fire began to dim again. She looked around quickly and saw everyone watching her with hungry eyes for warmth. And were closing in steadily.

Taking a swallow, she slipped the glove out of her pockets and threw them into the fire, to keep it going long enough for everything else to warm up and catch on.

Luckily, it worked.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

Sergio watched Larissa play with the fire, his eyes following the flickering flame as the match was lowered into the garbage can and brought towards a wad of paper. There was a flash of light as the paper caught, though it was dimming quickly. Curious about what the girl would do and desperate for warmth, he forced himself to return to a standing position and move across the room with all the others. He joined the gathering crowd, already feeling warmer as they brushed against one another and exchanged body heat. He gently pushed his way through the people until he was closer to the front, just in time to watch Larissa toss her gloves into the fire to keep it going.

Extending his hands towards the flame, Sergio shook his head slowly. That girl would regret getting rid of her gloves like that unless she managed to steal another pair. Sighing to himself, he slipped one of his gloves off and tossed it over the rapidly growing fire and towards her. He’d be one glove short, but she’d be one closer to warmth. She deserved something for giving up some warmth for them. Sergio shook his head again. That was a strange thing about The Gang. Sometimes they acted like family and shared what they had; sometimes it was every man for himself, and they fought like dogs for scraps of food or extra blankets.

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

Larissa caught the flying glove before it could hit the ground. She glanced up at Sergio as she pulled it on giving him a small smile and a nod of thanks. After her glove was situated she pulled the other one into her coat and put it over the fire as though she were roasting a marshmellow.

She watched everyone as they huddled around the fire, graciously accepting its warmth. Some licked their lips to moisten them back up, or wiped their noses with the back of their hands. Others stood there just watching the fire with a foggy look. There was a couple shuffles as a couple guys moved out in attempt to find some more garabage in case the fire ate up all the rest.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

Watching to make sure that Larissa caught the glove and one of the other thieves didn’t snatch it up, Sergio gently returned her smile and a nod of his own. As the group shifted, he was one of the many that moved also, trying to get closer to the fire. He watched his breath rise in silvery wisps, though was happy to see that as he got warmer it got harder to see it. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans, gently fingering his lock picking tools. It always brought him some comfort to know that he had his tools on him. Though he could pick a lock or disable an alarm without his tools, he’d had them for many years and always felt incomplete without them. He was a little surprised though, to find a different item in his other pocket.

Sergio gently held the coin against his fingers, drawing his thumb around it. It wasn’t normal money that was for sure. He could tell by the grooves in the plastic that he was holding a poker chip. Though without seeing it he couldn’t tell how much it was worth, it was something. His eyes flickered around the room as he suddenly felt a wave of self-consciousness wash over him. If he could cash it in, he’d be a couple dollars farther along than most of the people around him. And if he didn’t want to cash it in just yet . . .

A small smile reached his lips at the thought of the sound of cards being dealt across a table and the feel of his hand between his fingers. Sergio hadn’t played cards in quite awhile; he’d been too busy staying out of sight in The Shack and trying to get by with what food he could get his hands on.

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

Larissa wrapped her braided hair around her neck, in attempts for a bit more warmth. It was going to be an interesting night that was for sure. Especially since they needed to start partnering up to help with the warmth. Otherwise you'd never wake up again like some of the others had this morning. She glanced back at the body of an old man that had been one of the ex-fighters. He seemed just find yesterday, but ended up stone cold this morning. After the fight over a bit of breakfast food, everyone agreed to the pairing up.

-This ought to be interesting- She thought to herself. She gave her arms a hard rubbing on her coat as a small shiver was sent down her body. But the heat from everyone and the fire was warming her up quick.

"Whose turn is it to go out tomorrow?" Someone spoke up. "We're running low on food supplies, we're going to need a bit more to last us through the rest of the week."

"Didn't we just get some yesterday though?" A man stated.

"Yes, but if you don't remember, we ended up scarfing most of it down. So we've got to restock for the next week or so. Just in case something happens.

Murmurs started going through the small crowd. About who would go this time. Larissa took in a deep breath. She hadn't before and her turn was bound to come up, so why not sooner than later?

"I'll go." Larissa voiced up.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

Sergio was woken out of his reverie when the crowd began to murmur about the problems at hand. His eyes turned towards Larissa at her volunteering, and he quickly ran his mind through some ideas. If he went with her he could get the food and send her back without him. It would give him enough time to play a quick game of cards. Or two. Or five. With a hesitant smile, he spoke up before another person could. “I can go with you,” he offered, putting on a casual shrug.

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

She glanced at Sergio as he volunteered himself with that small grin of his. She took in a deep breath, he was planning something...but then again, when wasn't he.

She rubbed her gloves over the fire a couple more times, before she backed away from it allowing others to move in closer. She went to her corner of The Shack and began a couple exercises to help her stay warm.

Taking in some deep breaths she pulled the gun belt off and set it on the ground next to her. Standing up straight, she closed her eyes and began the different Tai Chi movements. If there was one way for her to get her mind off of things and keep her warm, this was the thing for her.

[Mysteria]

Deleted User:

Mikey walked through the streets of the city, her heels clacking in quick movements as she hurried back to the others. Her hands, stuffed in the pockets of a new coat, fondled a wad of bills that she had just earned. She had been lucky last night, she snagged a rich one. He had seen her shivering out in the cold, looking for costumers, and he took her in. A cuddly old man who wanted nothing more than a little company. You don't get that often.

He had given her his coat, saying he had multiple just the same at home, and sent her on her way with enough cash to... well, she didn't know what really. Whatever she wanted. A grin spread across her lips as she thought what is could buy her. Food for the winter for her and the rest of the gang, maybe. Or... she could buy what she really wanted.

Mikey glanced down an alleyway, looking for the tell tale shadow of Greg, the man who brought her to this city. Violently, she pulled her head away from the alleys and set it forward. She wouldn't be lured by the drugs this time; she was getting this money home to the gang. They needed it more than she needed a little fix. Maybe...

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

Sergio slid his tongue over his teeth, picking remains from last nights scraps of dinner out from between them. He pulled his hands back from the flames, folding his arms across his chest and drawing his sweater closer to him, if that were possible. The thief gradually moved farther from the fire, keeping enveloped in the crowd of criminals for awhile longer, determined not to lose his heat again. Once he was out of the crowd he stretched out his limbs, lifting his hands high over his head with a loud, echoing yawn. He rolled his shoulders and started to walk slowly along the perimeter of the room, keeping close to the wall. Eventually he found himself near Larissa.

He leaned casually against the wall, folding his arms over his chest again. He watched the girl with a raised eyebrow, though he let it drop after a moment. It looked like she was keeping warm, at least.

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

She started out with a calm mind at first before it began to pile on her what was going to be needed for tomorrow, food, clothing, garabage...

Footsteps inturrupted the thoughts and drew her mind blank again. Larissa opened her eyes and noticed Sergio next to her. She almost opened her mouth to greet him, but closed it and finished off a couple last moves. Taking in a deep breath she turned toward him while pulling her hand into the coat and smiling.

"Hey Serg. How's it going?" She stepped a bit closer to him so they wouldn't have such an echoing conversation.

[Mysteria]

Deleted User:

Mikey's heart started beating in anticipation of her choice. She could use the money for her own use, or the use of the group. Her hand caresses the bills in her pocket slowly, it was quite a stash... maybe she could use it for both. Her head quivered as it tempted her to look into the alley, but she didn't, she remained forward.

She broke into a sprint in an attempt to restrain herself; she had to get back to the crew before the devil on her should won this particular battle. She decided to keep the money for now, not to tell anyone how she made out, except for the obvious new coat of course. Later, she would decide what to do.

Mikey barged into the shack where they were staying, skidding to a stop in her high heels, her eyes wild. She giggled nervously as those who had seen her entrance and righted herself, pretending that nothing was out of the ordinary. Though, she knew someone would ask in a moment, she might as well tell them something.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:


“Other than freezing cold and starving, I’m fine,” Sergio replied, chuckling bitterly. He lifted a hand to brush some stray strands of gold hair out of his face, his eyes snapping to the door as it was thrown open and another figure skidded inside. One eyebrow raised as he watched Mikey, his gaze flickering briefly to the door. She wasn’t being chased, was she? If that was the case, she had just brought them right to their den. He frowned slightly, suppressing a shiver.

Sergio rubbed his hands up and down his arms, looking from Larissa to Mikey curiously. “Wanna see what happened?” he offered, his gaze finally resting on Larissa. He jerked his head towards the other girl, awaiting her reply.

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

Larissa smiled at his response then Mikey burst in. "Yeah. We probably should. She looks paler than usual." Larissa followed Sergio over to Mikey. "Hey girly, what's going on?"

She noticed a little gleam in the girl's eye that had been seen before. "You didn't get any...did you?"

-Hopefully she restrained herself.- Larissa thought to herself. -None of us can really handle another drug addict after...- Her thoughts drifted off after Mikey began to speak.

[Mysteria]

Deleted User:

"Any what?" Mikey replied, looking sideways at them, "I didn't get anything. I have nothing. Except... this new coat of course... You take what payment you can get, right?"

She smiled at them, failing in her attempts to look unsuspicious. She saw the look Larissa had given her; she thought she had already bought the drugs. She had yet to do that, she had restrained herself this time. But her addiction was hard to handle, she wasn't as bad off as some of the people here, but she did have it pretty bad. The addiction is what kept her in the city, she had a loving family somewhere. But her shame was too much to go back to them.

"I was just... jogging," she continued, turning her back to them, "Getting a little exercise, you know. Gotta keep in shape for when I... have to run away and stuff."

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

Sergio walked with Larissa towards Mikey, and stood in silence for awhile, eyeing both girls as they took turns speaking. “Eh, we’ve all got secrets,” he shrugged casually, noting Mikey’s tries at appearing more casual. “I mean, we’re considered criminals, right?” he smirked, flipping his bangs out of his eyes. “See any police around?” he added to Mikey, glancing briefly at the door. “You weren’t being chased on your way in, were you?” He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his sweater, rolling his shoulders and trying to loosen up. He was getting cold again, and his muscles were automatically becoming more and more tense

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

http://209.85.48.22/static/blank.gif "True." Larissa said with his comment about us all being criminals. "I bet if she had then, they definitely would have been here by now. But hey, at least you got back safe." She wrapped her arm around Mikey. "Now lets go get some warmth before we all freeze to death." She grabbed Sergio's hand and pulled him along and pushed up right next to the fire. Then released the two. "I'm going to go grab a bit more garabage for the fire I'll be right back." She turned and headed over to the door where Mikey had just come from.

[Mysteria]

Deleted User:

"No," Mikey responded, shaking her head, "I wasn't chased. I was just..." She stepped away for a moment, trailing off as she took off her heels and grabbed her boots to put on instead. "I was just running." She grinned at them nervously, knowing the thought of her 'just running' in heels, was somewhat ridiculous.

She could tell they didn't believe her, but they didn't seem to care that she was obviously hiding something either. Relieved, she stuck her hands in her pockets again and wrapped her fingers around the wad of bills. It was reassuring, just to know it was there if she needed to use it or something.

She came along with Larissa and Sergio to the fire. The old man's coat was surprisingly warm, warm enough that the fire might be too much. Mikey stood at the edge of the fire instead, just in case someone may want to get closer, someone who needed to.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

Sergio allowed himself to be tugged back towards the fire, slowly rolling Mikey's words around in his head. Shrugging, he dropped the subject and extended his hands towards the flames again. "Nice coat," he commented after a pause, letting his gaze slide towards the girl beside him. "Did a friend give it to you or . . . ?" he'd been meaning to steal something warmer than his old hoodie for some time now, but hadn't really gotten the chance. He wanted to plan things out a little more. Should he break into a store or house to steal it, or corner somebody in an alley? If Mikey had stolen one, maybe he could figure out what would be easiest in this weather.

[Mysteria]

Deleted User:

"Uh... you could call it a friend..." Mikey replied, looking down at her feet. She wasn't exactly ashamed of what she did, almost proud that she was capable. But that didn't make it any less embarrassing to tell others, especially men. The people in this group did what they could to survive. Most of them stole and scavenged and the like. Mikey just added to the spoils of those activities by participating in another. Not only did she get extra cash, but every once and awhile she had a warm room and a soft bed to sleep in, not just the cold concrete of this shack.

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

Larissa stepped out into the cold and a dry cough was forced out of her. Rubbing her neck she continued down the small alley and onto the street. And she froze immediately.

"You'd think we'd have found them by now. I mean, a group of theives? Really shouldn't be that hard to locate." A man's voice said with a bit of irritation.

"No kidding." Another one said.

If they saw her come around the corner then they'd know something was up.

"Onions! Come here Onions!" She started around the corner. "Have either of you policeman seen a dog around here? He got out of the house and ran off with my glove." She held up her hands showing the missing glove.

"No Ma'm." One of them looked around. "But what did you say his name was?"

"Onions. A bit crazy I know, but the crazy names are the easiest to remember." She gave a small laugh. "Well, I must be on my way, if you find him then just come find me on main street." She began to head away from them, calling out the "dog's" name. She looped around a couple streets, grabbing some full garbage cans and dragging them with her back to the shack.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

"I'm sure," Sergio agreed with a small nod, taking a deep breath and supressing a shiver. "I'm going to have to get a hold of a better coat soon," he rubbed at his arms with his hands before reaching back and pulling his hood over his head. There was a moment of silence, though it was disturbed by a loud scraping that approached the building. "Hm, sounds like Larissa's back," he commented, slowly starting to make his way to the door to give her a hand. He hesitated with his hand on the doornob, and listened carefully. What if it wasn't Larissa? What if it was the police? Taking a deep breath, he turned the handle and opened the door.

A blast of icy air caught him off guard, and Sergio stumbled back slightly. He coughed quietly into his sleeve and shook snow from his eyes before squinting through the wind.

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

Larissa stumbled in, her fingers and toes frozen with barely any feeling. "Shut the door..." She said hoarsly as she let go of the filled garbage cans.

Her body shivered violently and her teeth chattered loudly. "T-t-the p-p-p-p-police. They a-are c-c-close to u-us. G-got to be. M-m-m-more care-are-ful." She shivered in a deep breath and continued. "G-got m-more trash-sh." She grabbed the garbage cans again and dragged them closer to the fire.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

Sergio nodded weakly, stumbling out of the wind and leaning heavily against the door to get it to close. He wiped his arm over his eyes, brushing most of the snowflakes out of his lashes before turning towards Larissa. He hadn't even stepped outside and he was shivering much worse than before. "R-really?" his eyes widened at the mention of police being nearby. They could be in serious trouble. If the police stumbled across The Shack they'd find almost all the thieves on their list. "D-damn. We rea-lly have-ve to watch it-t." he grabbed one of the garbage cans and started to drag it towards the centre of the room. "N-nice catch," he added with a weak smile, glancing up at the girl.

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

She managed a small chuckle out. "T-thanks." She stopped about five feet from the fire, and let go of the garbage can. "T-t-this will d-d-d-do." She waited for Sergio to let go of his. As he did, a small cough came up through her throat and scratched violently as she let it out. Covering up her mouth, she curled up a bit. If there was one thing she hated it was winter. She didn't exactly get sick, but she did get some pretty horrid coughs. She straightened back up and tried licking her lips.

As she got closer to the fire, the incident crept back up into her mind. The police. -Man, if they only knew how close they were...- She thought still shaking violently. -If it were any other season we'd be able to all easily take them all. But in this state, we'd probably be able to take down about ten at most, before we would be overcome.- She shook her head slowly. Then turned to Sergio.
"You doing alright?"

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

"Y-yeah. I think I'll be a-alright." Sergio let go of the garbage can, forcing a smile. "Y-you?" He realized that there was no point in asking these questions. All the members of the Gang would say they were okay, even if they weren't. Admitting that you weren't in good health meant that you'd be kicked out and on your own, and nobody wanted that.

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

"J-just a b-b-bit chilly-y." She exaggerated a shiver and made a small laugh. Taking in a few deep breaths she attempted to calm down her body. It worked for a couple minutes before she started again. She shifted closer to the fire, and put her hands close enough in they were practically touching the flames.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

Sergio nodded his agreement and pushed his way towards the front of the pack gathered around the fire. He grabbed a piece of wood that had been placed nearby for later use and held it into the flames, waiting for it to catch. Once fire was slowly spreading across the log, he turned and made his way through the parting crowd to the newer garbage cans. It didn't take long to start fires in them as well, so all of the garbage cans were giving off heat. He dumped the wood in one of the cans and stood by the fire, watching the crowd spread out around him.

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

Once everyone was spread out, Larissa remained at the first one, as it was closer to her sleeping area, and was less crowded. A yawn made it's way out of her mouth and she backed away from the fire, other's quickly moved in to take her place. Turning around she noticed the old man who had passed away in his sleep earlier on that day. Yet no one had the guts to take his clothing yet. She made her way over to claim the clothing.

The body was frozen stifff, and with the clothing itself frozen to the body. So that was why. She travled the yard over to her own corner and slid down into it shifting herself around inside of her clothes picking up bits of warmth. She lifted the collar of her coat and stuck in the lower half of face. The rest of her leaned against the wall and she looked out at the group of theives.

[Mysteria]

Flex:

It was at times like this that Del felt the sudden aggressive urge to give herself a good punch; where, though? The chin? The nose? Preferably the mouth, to be honest. She was… such an idiot; so stupid. So freaking ungrateful. If she had just… been good - never complaining; never messing-up every chance of a new leaf she had been presented with, then maybe… just maybe… she wouldn’t have ended-up here; amongst a circle of thieves, struggling for warmth and life.

Heck; here she was - clad in some skimpy outfit she had snuck from some third-grade theatre troupe; surrounded by criminals. Yes, criminals - young ones, old ones, small ones… tall ones and short ones. Of all different ages; backgrounds; lifestyles. Yet… here they were; helping each other. As thick as thieves, she thought to herself, smiling at the thought.

A glow was illuminating around the room; faces of The Gang darkened as they stood around the heat. She could see little fragments of desperation caught in each of them. “One day we’ll get out of here,” Del murmured to her beautiful German Shepherd, Kypton, “one day we’ll leave these people; and we’ll run… to be free… to think for ourselves. Not as criminals… not as law-abiding citizens; and definitely not as in-betweens,” she laughed, caressing Kypton’s gorgeous golden fur. “We’ll run to be emancipated… if they’ll let us.”

Kypton’s eyes glazed and for a second their eyes met. Del loved him more than anything in the whole world; she could still remember first finding him - he had been tiny; a gorgeous little circle of golden - fooling around the garbage tips with the other dogs. He was a lot older now… and they had been through a lot together. He was her friend; her confidante; her rock. She thought the world of him.

The girl who had started the fire - Larissa, if she could remember correctly - interrupted Del’s reverie; breaking into her proximity. Del felt herself tense slightly, before turning in the direction of the newcomer. “Are you sure you want to do that” she asked as the fellow thief attempted to tear-off the clothing of the old man who had frozen to death earlier this morning. “He doesn’t look very sexy to me,” she laughed, shaking her hair.

She wasn’t sure of the exact moment she had transformed into the… the brat… she was today. Once upon a time, she had been just a normal kid; sharing the her toys with the others in the sandbox. Then she had grown up; seen the real world and learned. Experienced. Nastiness came naturally to her now.

Still… that was how things ‘rolled’ in The Gang. It was a fight for survival; for The Fittest - Darwin would have loved studying them. Heck… even Del enjoyed watching The Gang with an almost disgusted fascination in both them and herself, because she knew - despite how much she hated the idea - that she was one of them…

…and that wouldn’t be changing anytime soon.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

Sergio stood at the front of the crowd gathered around one of the newer garbage fires. The heat of the flames tickled his face, causing it to flush with warmth. It was a feeling he was experiencing less and less as the winter wore on, but he'd have to make do, just like the rest of The Gang. He shook his head and ran his fingers through his sandy hair. He was leery to leave the fireside, but the heat was getting to be too much, if that were possible, and he had other things he needed to do.

The boy gently pushed his way out of the crowd, watching as his place was swallowed up by the other thieves around it. Chuckling humorlessly, he found Larissa and began making his way towards her. Who was that girl beside her, with the dog? He ran names through his head. It was Del, wasn't it? Not many of the thieves had pets with them, a pet usually got in the way or died off too soon, so it was generally easier to remember the ones that did have one.

"Larissa," he interrupted lightly, settling his green-eyed gaze on the girl's face after quickly sizing up Del and her companion. "I need to grab a better coat, and possibly another pair of gloves." he tugged meaningfully on the thin hoodie that covered his arms. "A lock pick tends to do better with a fighter at his side. You up for it?" Sergio could fight, if he really had to, but he much preferred to concentrate on a lock or alarm, and let somebody else deal with the enemies for him.

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

Her face lit up with a large grin. "Definitely." She replied. She knew she might not get a whole lot of action, but it was always better to be sneaking about looking for a fight, then just sitting there waiting to die.

She stood up and turned back to the Del and the dog. She couldn't remember the dogs, name and never would. But still, this one was one of the few dogs, she though, that even liked her. She bent over carefully and patted its head. Then turned back to Sergio.

"Let's do this." She was practically skipping with joy to be out of The Shack. -Might as well go and do some sharking around in town. There were even bound to be some people at the bar looking to take their anger out on someone. - She continued smiling. Fighting meant money and money meant food and or a warm place for the night.

[Mysteria]

Flex:

Del acknowledged the newcomer’s presence; not that he was a newcomer really. His name was Sergio - and he, apparently, had a shady past. Like… really shady. As shady as the floor of a dark, secluded forest; completely shrouded by the night. “Larissa, I need to grab a better coat and possibly another pair of gloves. A lock pick tends to do better with a fighter at his side. You up for it?” he spoke. It was interesting really; he was usually silent.

Still, the prospect of obtaining… better clothes… was a good idea. Del stared down at her tight, khaki shorts and black, leather jersey. Sure… the jersey provided some sort of warmth; but the shorts? She was freezing her ass off, to be honest. The heat of Kypton was somewhat comforting; still a new jumper would be nice. Something to keep her warm, anyway. Was that really too much to ask for?

Larissa spoke up immediately. “Definitely,” she grinned. She twirled around, extending her hand towards Kypton and patting the dog lightly. Kypton roused slightly, his eyes glazed. He purred - a deep, comforting sound and moved in the direction of the fighter. What is this, Del thought to herself, no way. No way. Jealousy flared; the thought of Kypton liking someone else… that made her blood burn.

Still… maybe she could use this little event to her advantage.

“Hey,” she spoke, enjoying the warmth of the fire against her skin as she got up and moved closer towards the two. “Looks like he likes you,” she giggled at Larissa, acknowledging Kypton. “His name’s Kypton,” she smiled, turning to Sergio, “I heard what you said… about the new clothes… the warmer clothes, actually. I’d like to come with you,” she murmured, circling around him, “you don’t really expect me to spend the rest of the winter dressed like this, do you?” she laughed, pointing at her khaki shorts.

“Besides, we’re a team. Right?” she laughed.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

"Heh, the more the merrier, I suppose," Sergio agreed, watching Del with a slightly raised eyebrow. The more people the less food, a thought in the back of his mind corrected. The teenager shook his head and brushed his sandy hair away from his eyes. "Alright, let's go." he eyed Krypton warily, hoping the dog wouldn't get in the way. "Maybe just keep dog under close watch, hm?" he added as an afterthought, crossing the room and grabbing at the doorknob with his gloved hand. Sighing to brace himself for the shock of icy air he knew would come, he pulled the door open and side-stepped out of the way, offering the girls a chance to go through first.

The wind seemed less harsh than earlier, and snow fell in a lazier manner, thick flakes covering the already blanketed ground. Sergio shivered and rubbed his hands together, holding the door with his foot. As long as they kept moving and didn't stand around, he supposed they wouldn't do too bad.

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

Larissa watched Del with a wary eye. Yeah, she needed some actualy winter clothing, that was for sure, but the way she had circled. Something was up...but then again something was always up in a group of theives. Even though they were all going after some warm clothing, in their own way, they were being selfish about the opportunity. She was going to use the advantage to scrape up some money and possibly food. Who knows what the other two where up too.
Kryptonite, kryptonite, she was screwed. Oh well, the dog surely couldn't last that long could it?
She stepped out first, glad that the storm had died down for them. It was going to make things tons easier for the night. She stepped off to the side allowing Del and Sergio through. Intending to just follow one of them.

[Mysteria]

edeekbcool:

Faye had been quitely sitting in the corner watching for the past hour. First she saw a boy, Sergio, looking at the garbage contents then looking at his (probably empty) match box before seeing another girl get up and sucesfully light a fire even though she sacrificed her gloves in the process.

She was tempted to go and warm up around the fire but being new to the thievs and trying not to make a name for herself. She waited for Larissa to come back with more garbage and start a few seperate fires before slowly moving over to one to warm up.

After Faye was warm she over heard Sergio and Larissa talking about going out to get some warmer clothes...thats another thing she could do with... She watched Sergio and Larissa leave with Del and her dog folowing close behind. Faye continued warming up for about a minute then slipped out the door, un-noticed, to follow them.

Using the skills she had learnt from years of survivng just from pick-pocketing she followed silently, wondering where they were heading.

[Mysteria]

Flex:

The moment they were out of the door, Del realised her mistake. God, what a stupid mistake. Inside it was somewhat warm, cozy even… outside? Freezing. Horrifying. Flakes of snow and an overall icy gust brushed against her body; it attacked her skin, causing goose-bumps to pattern her fully-exposed legs. “Great,” she commented to the other two, wanting to sound somewhat cheerful - after all, she wasn’t going to back out now; backing out was a huge no-no amongst The Gang - still, though… she was in deep trouble.

She remembered what Sergio had told her earlier – better keep an eye on the dog – and whistled at Kypton. “Keep up boy!” she hissed. Okay; now she was more than a bit worried - sure, Kytpon was fairly furry (after all, he WAS a German Shepherd), but how would he survive in the icy landscape winter had provided them. How would she survive? “Let’s do this… and let’s do this quick!” she told the others, starting into a brisk walk.

Still… where would they go for clothes? A what would she get? Preferably something wooly and warm - something that would totally keep her comfortable and snug. Maybe a cute hoodie like Sergio was wearing? It looked great… that being said, anything that boy wore would look great. He had the look and build that would suit any type of clothing. “So… do we have any idea where we--” she began to ask, before coming to a halt.

A few metres into the distance - looking in the opposite direction - stood a couple of cops.

[Mysteria]

edeekbcool:

Trailing in the shadows about 50 metres behind the main group Faye could only catch glimpses of the conversation. She heard Del talking mainly and then she noticed the dog. It stared straight at her and started barking...

Making herself as small as posible Faye curled into a ball and hoped the other wouldn't notice her. The dog calmed down after a few seconds but Faye hadn't survived yet. Then she spotted the police behind them...

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

Sergio slipped out after the girls, already feeling his cheeks and nose burn red from the cold. He brushed snow from his long eyelashes, blinking rapidly and turning away from the tumbling flakes, glad the wind wasn't too vicious. He caught up with the two girls easily, his long strides causing him to pass them by. He slowwed, walking in time with them.

"We could snag some kid off the street," he suggested with a shrug, noting the lack of people wandering the sidewalks. "Or we could break into a house. Look around a store," he shruged a second time. "Do you want your clothes to be new, or--?" he stopped talking but made sure his pace never wavered, his gaze resting on the group of cops that were headed their way. "Act casual," he hissed from the corner of his mouth, rubbing his hands together. "We're just a bunch of stupid teens who thought we'd go for a walk,"

[Mysteria]

Flex:

(Sorry about the wait, guys.)

“Uh… okay. Okay,” Del said - why should she be scared? She had no reason to be scared… whatever. “We’re just three teenagers stupid enough to go for a walk,” she told the others, with a slight smile. The frosty air continued to shower around the three of them as they ambled in the direction of the policeman.

Del could feel her heart pumping inside her. Thud. Thud. Thud. What if… what if they did end-up getting caught? What if they were grabbed by their collars and pulled into those motorcars that cops drove around - blazing lights and screeching sirens. Thud. Thud. Thud. Did they look like thieves? What if they smelled like thieves? What if… What if-

“Not great walking weather,” one of the cops commented as Del neared him.
“Uh… yes. Yes, but we… we like it,” she smiled. Her heart was beating fast and hard; yet she tried to look cool - look calm. Would it work? Would it… “Bye,” she murmured weakly, her legs like jelly as she walked away.

She didn’t look back to see if the other two had been forced into conversation with the cops; or if Kypton was back there somewhere, trapped in the plummeting snow. She just continued to walk… and walk… and walk.

Then perhaps she’d be able to walk out of her own existence altogether.

[Mysteria]

edeekbcool:

Hiding in the shadows Faye relised that; thanks to the cops she had avoided being seen. She stayed back to watch the groups next move "were just....teenagers.....walk" she heard in pices from the group.

She saw Del visibly speed up and try and shrug off a conversation with cops and keep walking without looking back. WOW did she look suspicious... Still in the shadows Faye crept up closer to watch what the other two would do to try and avoid the cops.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

Sergio could feel all his instinctual alarms going off at once. 'They're policemen!' they seemed to scream. 'Get out of there, idiot! Run! Hide!' Keeping an expressionless face and adding a slight slouch to his saunter, the teenager managed to look casual, for the most part. He forced his body to stop shivering, and blew into his cupped hands a few times as they approached the adults. His gaze slithered to the side, taking in the appearance of the girls. How were they doing? He hoped none of them panicked and gave them away.

"Not great walking weather," the sound of one of the cops' voices brought Sergio back round, and he returned his attention to walking in a straight line. He resisted the urge to groan when he heard Del's response, and simply rolled his eyes, smiling politely and nodding at the men as he passed, agreeing with a simple, "Isn't it though?"

He shot a quick look over his shoulder at the officers and quickened his pace to stand at Del's side. "We like it?" he asked her quietly, doubt filling his tone as one eyebrow raised questioningly. "You might want to work on your comebacks," he gave her a teasing smile and patted her shoulder.

[Mysteria]

Flex:

Del glowered in embarrassment. “Sorry… sorry… sorry,” she muttered under her breath - her voice so quiet that even she herself wasn’t able to hear it. Out loud she spoke; “okay; it was a stupid lie – I’ll give you that; but… but…” her voice trailed off and she continued walking. What a great beginning to everything; the others probably thought she was an absolute fool. Okay, Sergio had acted somewhat nicely about it; but Larissa? Who knew what she was thinking - the girl had a wiriness to her; a magnetic energy. It was almost breathtaking.

Snow continued to shower around them and Del glanced around for Kypton. “Hurry up boy,” she muttered, grinning as the German Shepherd caught up with her. The snow was steady at the time being; but she knew by experience that it could start speeding up at any time; she didn’t want to lose Kypton to something like this. “Good boy,” she murmured, ruffling his golden fur. To the others she turned and spoke; “we ought to hurry up; we really should… look at the sky…” she took a look around them; snow pelting them down.

“The snow could get worse any minute.”

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

"Hm," Sergio agreed quietly, casting his eyes skyward. All he saw was a dark, gloomy grey overhead, broken only by the silhouette of a brave, still surviving bird that flew overhead. He returned his gaze to where he was walking and ran his fingers through his hair with a shiver, brushing snow off his shoulders. "W-where do you want to get c-clothes?" his body shuddered again with cold, and he clenched his teeth together to try to stop them from chattering, as he was sure it would start soon. He rubbed his arms with his hands, walking stiffly.

Glancing down as the German Shepherd caught up, Sergio wondered briefly what it would be like as a dog. Krypton didn't seem to be too cold, and his fur looked thick and warm. A brief smile teasing the corner of his mouth, the teenager squinted through the snow at where they were going.

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

Larissa stayed quiet around the cops.. She didnt want her voice to be known around them, now, or ever. She kept her eyes down, and with the cold nipping at her cheeks making them red, they helped with her shy character act. Once they had gotten away from the policemen, she turned to Del.

"That was cutting it a bit close." She nudged the girl. Del apologized and called up the dog.

"Lets go ahead and just do what comes first. Though there is that market just around the corner up ahead, we can try there, I bet they've got some clothing and what not." She turned and looked at the surroundings. One out of the five houses around, had the lights off. "Or there's that house. Looks like its been empty for..." She checked down at the snow. "Almost the entire day."

She pulled the the coat tighter around her. The sky seemed to darken, from both the sun going down and, the darkened clouds.

She glanced at Sergio and Del. Before looking back down to the ground.

[Mysteria]

Flex:

“The decisions, the decisions,” Del smiled, pacing around the two. Suddenly, the snow seemed to not exist – hell, she was excited. They were in the out and in the open; they were in freaking danger. They were having the times of their lives. Okay, not really; Sergio was shuddering in the cold and Larissa looked pretty uncomfortable… okay, Dell had to admit, even she wasn’t feeling that great. But still…

“We need to…” she spoke, “we need to…” she looked around - the markets had the most potential; she could just imagine all the furry, warm clothes… clean and dry… all piled-up together. The thought of something that would cover her body properly made her quiver with excitement. All-in-all, she was a bundle of nerves just waiting to be unleashed. “W-w-we n-n-need to,” she struggled for words as a sudden draught swept over her, “…the house,” she said finally.

She glanced at Kypton and knelt down, running her fingers through his soft fur. “I say we go for the house.”

[Mysteria]

edeekbcool:


Still trailing in the shadows Faye overheard the group talking about going to either a market or a (seemingly) abandoned house...

Oh please go to the markets. That will be soo much easier for me She thought still trailing the group.

Starting to shiver she started breathing on her hands and rubbing them together to try and warm up.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

"I'm cool with the house," Sergio agreed with a smile, digging through his pockets and producing a pair of silver lock picks. He held them between his fingers meaningfully, changing course towards the building. "It's much more fun than just waltzing into a public store," he added, shooting a mischievous grin over his shoulder at the girls. Holding the metal picks between his teeth, he rubbed his hands together to warm them. Shaking fingers weren't going to get them far, that was for sure.

Inspecting the house curiously, the teenager stepped to the front door and listened carefully, searching for any signs of life coming from the inside. What if they had a dog in there? A slight frown toyed with his lip, which only deepened as a second, more brooding thought, entered his mind. What if those policemen had followed them, and saw them break in?

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

"Sergio you have to move fast. Think you can handle that?" Larissa nudged him in the shoulder glancing at the houses around them suspiciously. She looked at the alleys around them and saw someone dogde into one. -must be a passer-by- She thought to herself. She turned back to him as he took out the tools and warmed up his hands.

[Mysteria]

Flex:

“Hurry up!” Del urged Sergio as he stepped to the front door. The snow had begun to pelt harder and the thought of shelter, food, money - the whole lot, had suddenly become rather enticing, to be honest… she also had this weird feeling they were being watched; cops perhaps? They always seemed to be lurking around and they ALWAYS meant trouble.

“Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up,” she murmured under her breath. Larissa stood impatiently by the door and Sergio was toying with the locks - how much time did they have? Hopefully enough to find something decent to wear; the goose-bumps on her arms stung. “Hurry up,” she repeated, louder.

[Mysteria]

edeekbcool:

Damnit! thought Faye to herself when she saw they were going for the house. Well, Seeing as I am not going to be able to follow them without being caught might aswell go and join them

Slowly coming out from the alley she was hiding in, Faye walked up to the group. "Sooo.... what are you guys trying here?" she said in her most inocent voice, hoping more than anything that her plan would work.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

"Honestly, you people insult me!" Sergio told them sarcastically, satisfied that the house was empty. "It's a standard house lock. One in the doorknob, one deadbolt. Piece of cake!" he slid the lock picks into the handle's lock and twisted twice, leaning down to listen carefully. "Ready . . ." he pulled the tools out when he heard the satisfying click of the handle unlocking and moved on to the deadbolt. "Steady . . ." he knew this one would take a little more time, but not by much. He fiddled and turned the lock picks, listening and feeling carefully. Soon enough he had it unlocked and pulled the tools out. "Go!" he grinned, turned around and was startled out of his mind by the sudden appearance of another girl.

"Holy--what'reyoudoinghere!" he exclaimed, actually jumping with surprise. Eyes shifting suspiciously, he jammed his tools into his pockets and stood defensively in front of the door, answering her question with a suspicious, "Nothing."

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

Lariss watched Sergio jump, and made a small laugh. -She looks familiar...- She thought to herself. But shook it off. Probably just another thief by the looks of her clothing. "You in need of some new clothes too?" She asked her. "But you need something to contribute, if you're coming in with us." She watched the girl anxiously. They need to get in quick before the police made their way around again.

[Mysteria]

Flex:

“Not bad,” Del murmured wistfully as Sergio unlocked the door. It was almost an art of sorts; a feat of mastery - done with such delicacy and skill… it was somewhat incredible. “Not bad at all,” she repeated. She stood by him, watching his hands fiddle with the lock; slowly undoing a piece of work that people held so much security and faith in me. The people who went to bed each night in this house believed in this lock, the lock that was at this very moment being undone by a teenager on the verge of manhood. Society really disgusted her sometimes.

“Ready… steady…” Sergio began, his fingers feverishly working the lock. Del grinned, enjoying his theatrics; hey, she actually liked this guy. “Go,” Sergio grinned, the door swinging open. Del stood up, mouth open, ready to congratulate him, when a fourth party entered the scene. “Holy--what'reyoudoinghere!” Sergio snapped, jumping in surprise. Larissa turned around, her eyes flickering with surprise. Del gasped.

“Sooo… what are you guys trying here?” the girl asked; her voice soft and innocent. Del knew it was an attempt at innocence; besides, she had seen this girl before. This suspicion only deepened when Larissa welcomed the newcomer with open arms.

“Are you kidding me?” Del laughed softly, walking towards the girl. “We don’t even know her, she could be anyone… besides, I’ve seen you before,” she murmured, “somewhere…” She glanced around for Kypton and caught him nuzzling Sergio’s stained jeans. Jealousy flared inside her and she swung back to the newcomer. “What’s your name?” she snapped.

[Mysteria]

edeekbcool:

"ummm... I'm Faye" she said "and yea, im looking for some new, warmer, clothes"

This might just work she thought as she clenched her eyes

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

Sergio resisted the temptation to the tell this 'Faye' girl that she could go get clothes at a clothing store, like normal people when he realized that that would classify himself as being not being normal, and probably wouldn't make himself, or the other two girls, look that great. He settled for a strange sort of huff, folding his arms over his chest and eyeing the girl semi-suspiciously. "If you've seen her before she could be anyone," he muttered to himself, rolling his eyes and blowing his hair out of his face. A plume of smoky breath whisked upwards from his mouth, disappearing in the clouds. "Where're you from?" he asked the girl, more loudly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

He glanced down at his shin, where Krypton was sniffling with interest, rubbing his head against Sergio's leg. The boy raised an eyebrow, tentatively reaching a hand out to pat the dog on the head. The dogs he used to have, when he actually lived in a house, would have bitten his hand clean off if he'd tried to get anywhere near them. The memory made him frown slightly, and hesitate even more.

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

"Where are you from?" Sergio asked the girl.

Larissa couldn't blame them either. She herself, shouldn't have just welcomed the girl the way she did. That was a huge mistake. She'd just gotten her guard down a bit around Del and Sergio, she hadn't even realized it.

"Look guys, can we at least get inside and talk about this? It's freezing out here, and I have a feeling this house may be warmer then outside. And the police could come around the corner any minute? She pushed passed Sergio and Del heading inside of the house. Leaving the rest to make their own decisions.

She glanced around the house and noticed a closet a few feet from the door. She headed over and opened it up. It was full of coats. "Jackpot." She whispered to herself with a sneer. There was enough for all four of them, if this Faye chick joined in with them, for all of them to take two. She grabbed a heavy dark blue coat, with a thin black jacket. "One to stay warm, the other to fight in." She thought to herself and stepped back from the closet.

[Mysteria]

edeekbcool:

"I've been hiding out in the shack for the past month or so" Faye said slowly. Folowing Larissa into the house and grabbing herself two coats out of the closet after Learissa. She grabbed a wooly black one and a thin light pink one for when she was pick pocketing.

"Im guessing this is ok?" she asked before going and sitting down on a Sofa near the door.

[Mysteria]

Flex:

“I’ve been hiding in the shack for the past month or so,” Faye murmured, following Larissa into the house.

Del stared at her, confused. She swore that she could remember this girl; the Shack… the Shack. Sighing she shrugged at Sergio, “just let her get away for now; she’s already seen us rob a house… It’d be stupid to let her out of our sight now…” She then brushed past him and through the doorway.

A sudden warmth her the moment she walked inside the room - to be honest; it wasn’t all that warm, but after so much cold… so much freaking cold… it was somewhat glorious. “This is paradise,” she moaned, instantly forgetting about Faye and the cops - how quickly humans adapted! “This is freaking paradise,” she repeated, her eyes widening as she caught sight of the coats hanging from a nearby closet.

She chose a long, woolen coat; gorgeous and dark brown. She brushed the piece of clothing against her skin, burying it against her nose and breathing into it. “Look at this Kypton,” she laughed, dangling the coat in front of him, “look at this…” she repeated, before following the other two who had ventured further into the house.

It was time to look for some food.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

"Hm." Sergio agreed quietly, casting his eyes once around the block before turning and padding after them into the house. He paused and turned back, closing the door after him and sliding the locks into place, though locks didn't mean much to him anyway. The transition from the winter cold outside the house and the considerably warmer climate inside made his skin burn, though pleasantly. He felt his cheeks and nose sting slightly, probably quite red from the wind's bite. A soft smile on his lips, he rubbed his hands together and moved towards the closet, casually flipping through the coats. He figured he might as well look at what was available before he just grabbed something.

Sergio finally found a thick, black trench coat that suited him quite nicely. He slipped his arms into the sleeves, making sure it fit him first. The coat was long and fell just past his knees. When he did the buttons up, it fit him perfectly. If anything, it was a little big, allowing room for extra layers of clothes and growth, as if that were ever going to happen anymore. Smiling, Sergio took the coat off and slung it over one arm before flipping through the small collection of remaining jackets. Unsatisfied, he glanced around the house.

"I'm going to check the bedrooms," he announced with a smirk, moving towards a staircase beside the closet. "Anybody want new clothes? Del, you might want to replace those shorts before we have to amputate your legs!"

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

Larissa noted a box of gloves on the floor, and quickly moved over to them, she slipped off her one, and grabbed a nice pair of black ones, that fit her perfectly. None of the gloves seemed to be the warmest things in the world, but they would have to do.

"I'm going to check the bedrooms. Anybody want new clothes? Del, you might want to replace those shorts before we have to amputate your legs!" Sergio said.

Larissa smiled at the remark and yelled up to him. "Grab me some clothes if you could, Sergio. I'm going to go look in the kitchen for some food."

[Mysteria]

Flex:

Del watched the others spring into action; they all had jobs to do… things to find - food, clothes… “Yeah some pants would be great,” she agreed with Sergio following him upstairs. She slid her hands up the walls, across gorgeous paintings and exotic stone ornaments placed around the house. “This is a nice place…” she murmured. It was fairly roomy, spacious and tastefully decorated. “Very nice…” she repeated, slipping a glass ornament into her pocket. Perhaps it would come in handy later on.

They made their way into the nearest bedroom and Del reclined against the wall, leaving Sergio to rifle through closets and other household fixtures. “We should find some… matches. Matches! Oh god, that would be so great if we could find some,” she spoke quickly, sprinting into action and attacking the nearest closet. Watches, torches, batteries… an archaic mobile phone…

“Found anything?” Del asked Sergio.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

"You've hardly given me time to look," Sergio chuckled in reply, sorting through clothes in the dresser drawer. He didn't bother trying to be clean about his work; shirts and socks were strewn across the floor at his feet. "Need a T shirt? I think this is a girl's bedroom, so they'd look better on you," he closed the underwear drawer and moved towards the closet, shuffling through shoes and dresses with disinterest. A grin spread across his lips when he slid his hand into the back pocket of a pair of jeans and pulled out a small handful of change. He shot a glance over his shoulder and placed it in his own pocket, starting to check the other pants on the hangers.

[Mysteria]

Flex:

“Looks good,” said Del, extending her hand for the t-shirt. To be honest, there were a lot of clothes that looked good here and she methodically went through cupboards, selecting items that she was sure The Gang would appreciate; good clothing was rare and such things as batteries and - yes - money, were invaluable. She pocketed nifty items she came across here and there, just like she had the glass ornament. “Well have you found anything now?” she asked Sergio as she moved her way across the room.

The boy had opened up a drawer that seemed to be full of pants. Del stared at the clothing items, sizing them up in her mind. “Hm… they look pretty good, but…” But what? “We can’t take them all, can we… unless…” she groaned, “unless we ask the other girl to help out.” She stared across the room, “we have to take some things for The Gang, we don’t want them to kick us out because we were being… selfish… or something,” she said, grabbing a few pants out of the drawer and selecting one for herself. A pair of comfortable, well-fitting jeans; and black too (apparently the blue ones contained hazardous chemicals or something – Del wasn’t a fan). “These’ll be great,” she grinned.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

"Del, we can't bring clothes for everyone; there's a lot of people in The Gang. Besides, with this winter most of them are treating it like every man for himself," a frown touched Sergio's lips, but he shook his head and looked away. "I'm going to check a different bedroom." he turned on his heel, pausing briefly to run his eyes over the top of a desk. Noting a small incense burner, he shuffled through the drawers and pocketed a small packet of matches with a grin. "Come find me if you need something," he added over his shoulder before stepping out of the room and into the hall.

The boy stopped, listening carefully to make sure there had been no disturbances downstairs. They had no idea when the residents of the house would return. Get in, get the stuff, get out, Sergio told himself as he padded towards the next room. That's how it's supposed to work. We need to go fast.

[Mysteria]

Flex:

“Or herself,” Del muttered angrily as Sergio left the room.

The moment Sergio was gone, Del sprang into action, swinging open drawers and perusing suits - she selected the ones with the most potential and quickly threw them into one corner of the room. Sure, things were ‘every man for himself’ as Sergio had informed her a few minutes ago, but still… The Gang would cream them if they came back loaded with no consolation prices. They were criminals after all; greedy, desperate and cold-hearted. Who knew what they would do to them… and if the boy was stupid enough to think they would get away with something like this, well… then she had to do something about it.

Grabbing a large cloth bag next to the bed, Del proceeded to shove all the suitable items of clothing she had acquired into it. “This’ll do…” she muttered, scanning over her work with a slight grin, “this will--”

“Oh daddy, daddy,” a high-pitched, childish voice sang, too nearby for Del’s liking “please? Pleaaaaase?”
“After dinner, darling,” a gruff voice spoke curtly. “Maybe.”

“Oh… oh no,” Del murmured, grabbing her bag and rushing to the nearest window, staring intently through it. It was fogged-over and everything in sight covered by snow, but were those… two… “oh no… no freaking way,” Del spoke, loudly this time, rushing out of the room. “Sergio! she yelled, rushing downstairs. “Hurry up. We’ve gotta run.”

[Mysteria]

edeekbcool:

After grabbing her coats and wrapping them tightly around herself Faye proceeded to head into the kitchen and look for matches or anything that would b of use.

Walking through the door she instantly saw some matches and pocket'ed 2 packs before looking through cupboards and grabbing some batteries when she heard the front door click open.

With no other hiding place avaliable she jumped in a cupboard under the sink and shut the door behind her.

[Mysteria]

Hell Knight:

Cross was pushing hard agains't the cold wind, his hair was half frozen, but his body was not. The only clothing he had was heavy boots, blue jeans with thick fur over it, a black shirt, a long sleeve brown jacket. He managed to get a fur coat and make some fur pants, but not enough for his boots. With little meat left and his water frozen, he could the future of his doom, being killed by a bear than let the winter cold do the job.

He fought a couple of wolves before he got where he is at now, he came from a long ways and he is a long ways from home. He tried to go back, but he lost his way, and so he kept pushing of where he was heading, though he couldn't see anything in the cold snowly flakes, he had to find shelter and build a fire before he freezes to death.

[Mysteria]

skystarweaver:

"We've got company, don't we?" Sergio called back quickly, snatching up the new outfit he'd gathered for himself. He shrugged into his new trench coat and grabbed a nearby backpack, quickly emptying it of most of it's contents before stuffing the outfit into the bag and swinging it over his shoulder. He scampered out of the room and down the hall, taking the stairs two at a time and lightly jumping the last four. He landed in a crouch and stood up quickly, rushing towards the others and trying to rally them together.

"Del, where are they coming from? Should we go out the back door? A window?" his brows knit together with concern, and his heartrate sped up considerably. Oh, this was cutting it close all right.

[Mysteria]

Flex:

“Uh… I have no idea,” Del moaned, clutching her head. Great. Now she had a headache; and her heart was racing. This was insane… this was not meant to happen. She sped across the living room, catching sight of the new girl, Faye, leaping into a nearby closet. Awesome - now they were going to end up stuck here. Just what she needed. She raced to the closet and priced it open. “Are you crazy?” she snapped at Faye, “what about the dog? What about Kypton? He is going to bark, he is going to--”

But that was all she got to say before the sound of a lock being fiddled with broke through the previously tense and quiet atmosphere.
“Daddy, daddy, please?”
“Wait, darling, wait.”
“Daddy, please?”
“I said; WAIT!”

“Great,” she snapped, “it’s some old guy and his bratty kid. At least they’re not crazy hoodies or something; they must be somewhat sane…” Del muttered to Sergio, “they’re coming through the front door… argh, forget it,” she groaned, swinging the door of the cupboard under the sink wide open. “We don’t have a choice now - we have to get in here,” she spoke quickly - each second was becoming more and more valuable. However when she took a closer look, it became obvious the cupboard was just too small - besides, Faye alone took up a good three quarters of it.

“Great, now what do we do?” Del asked Sergio. “Any ideas?”

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

Larissa had found a small backpack hanging by the back door, and she had gotten enough snack foods, to last for a couple of days, stuffed into it, before the chaos had started. With everyone trying to find a place to hide, she tried to figure something out.

"We've got to go out the back door, it might be the best place," she whispered harshly to all of them. Making her way past them she went and put her foot into the door and gribbed onto the handle as it began to turn.

"That's odd..." She felt the handle jiggling around a bit. "Must be frozen again..." Larissa turned back to the group, motioning them to head out the back door. She adjusted the pack on her back with the one hand, and biting the lower lip. The father would figure it out that the door wasn't frozen soon enough if they weren't quick.

[Mysteria]

Hell Knight:

Cross felt like he was traveling over hills and across prairies for days, he could barely feel his face as it was pressed agains't the cold, but he could still feel his legs pushing themselves forward, he didn't stop. He clutched his fists together to keep from them from numbing up.

It felt like hours maybe days that he was walking, he looks towards ahead of him, he sees some sort of a house, or shack as it appears clearer every time he takes a step closer to the building. He stops at the front of the building, his breath could be seen from the cold, he stood their with a look, he could feel there is a presence in the building. But he wasn't sure.

He takes a deep breath and walks up small step of stairs, he finds himself in front of a door, the wood seemed really old and couldn't handle the cold, but it managed, he clutches his hand again and grabs the door knob, slowly turning it and opens the door, there he stands at the door way.

[Mysteria]

Flex:

“Upstairs?” Del snapped, “upstairs?” This was incredible - they were actually going to get trapped. Trapped! How could Larissa possibly say that crawling further and further into the belly of the beast would be a good idea? What if they were caught… who knew, what if he had a gun? What if he was a complete psychopath; what if he thought they were dangerous? Sure; there were four of them and one of him (the kid barely counted) and Sergio was pretty much a man already, but still… it was a dangerous option.

“Daddy. Daddy!”
“Yes, sweetie… ah, sweetie… can you hold this for me? I can’t seem to find the right key…”

Del swore. “Fine,” she snapped at Larissa, “fine! But if we get caught, if we get caught…” she trailed off, shooting the other three a meaningful look. Then, without further ado, she rushed up the stairs. She could feel the others running after her, Kypton galloping at her heels. “Quiet boy, quiet,” she murmured to him quietly as they quickly made their way up the stairs. She could feel her heart beating - Larissa was clambering behind her, Faye clinging to the walls of the narrow stairway, Sergio almost like a ninja of the night at the back.

They had just made their way upstairs when the door swung open.

“We’re home,” the father sang to the child, “home sweet home.”

Del rolled her eyes at the others. “What do we do now?”

[Mysteria]

edeekbcool:

Hiding in her place beneath the sink Faye was waiting to get caught, when all of a sudden, someone oppened the door and started screaming at her to get upstairs. With no better ideas, Faye jumped out and followed the rest of the group upstairs.

Oh god, this is not going to end well.... at least the snow will be soft if we have to jump out the window....

[Mysteria]

Hell Knight:

Cross ears were muffled from the sounds of the blizzard, his eye's barely see the darkness of the building, he walks in quietly, or at least he tried, he's eye sight could barely make anything in the entire area, he doesn't know if he touched a door knob or touched a piece of a wooden stool or what.

So he walks in unannounced, finding his way around the building, he could tell the place was like a house from the outside where he could see better, but just walking in the dark makes his eye sight bad. As he slowly strolled around the room, he carefully touches and moves of where he was going.

[Mysteria]

skyestarweaver:

Sergio stood uncertainly, wondering what to do. They needed to think fast and act fast. The sooner they got out, the better. He felt his heart pound fast and anxious at the thought of being caught. At least jail would be a place to stay with enough food. That thought hardly helped; if anything it made him hesitate even further. What were they living for anyways? They were barely pulling through on the streets. Wouldn't a jail cell in a heated building with regular meals be better than always foraging for food and freezing to death? No, he decided, shaking his head. We're free the way we are now. That's what makes it worth it. He snapped out of his thoughts at Del's frantic words just in time to see the group start dashing up the stairs. Shooting one last look around, he followed.

He moved up the stairs as fast as possible, not wanting to pass the people (or dog) in front of him. Once they made it into the hall he looked around quickly, trying to judge how high up they were. He froze, feeling the start of panic trickle into him when the residents entered. "The window--" he hissed desperately. "Quick!" Sergio scrambled into the closest room and struggled to pull the window open, mentally cursing the ice that was holding it in place from the outside. He pushed hard on the handle, finally managing to force it to slide to the side. Okay, great. Now they just needed to pop the screen and jump, hoping they made it out alive and didn't land in front of another window, in plain sight.

[Mysteria]

Nelly:

Larissa froze at the sound of dogs, and the cheerful scream of the girl. But it wasn't coming from the house they were in. It seemed to be a different one. She glanced at Sergio as he attempted to open the window, then made her way to the room across the hall, that had a window looking down at the street.

"Guys," She whispered harshly, as she saw the father and child, stepping into the house next door. But bumping sounds, and shuffling, came from downstairs too. Looking around the room, she noticed it was a childs room.

Ok someone was in the house...but where would the children be. People in town new better than to let their children out of their sight during a blizzard. Let alone, the guy down stairs, from the sounds downstairs, he didn't seem to know where he was at. Another intruder.

She stepped out into the hallway, giving a glance to the others. Rotating her arms a couple of times, she headed to the stairs, she was going to give this ...person, a lesson, on knowing his territory.

[Mysteria]

Hell Knight:

Cross blinked his eyes a couple of times to improve his sight, hoping to get a better look, he looks around, he still sees mostly blurry of black shades areas, and figures, his hearing slowly coming back, as though he felt like he was hit with a grenade.

Shuffling his feet so he couldn't hit anything hard, he slowly made progress to a find a fire pit, but instead he found a display glass. He couldn't tell which one it was thought, since he has three displays showing on a wall in the living.

The living that was it, he was in the living room. he had to find his way towards the fire pit so he can warm himself up. But he still has a hard time finding his wa, one thing he forgot to do was closed the door.


Cross couldn't tell where he was, or where he going, he doesn't know the house, but he knows this house empty by the looks of it from outside, nobody was home, so it was good timing to break in. He rubbed his eyes from frost bite, blinking them several times, and rubbing the inside of his ears.

His sight and hearing started to come back, he could almost see the inside of the building. he looks around for a bit, he notice that these occupants had some nice things, some stuff he could steal quickly, but he notice'd the door was unlocked, so he couldn't tell if the owners are home or not, but everything was dark and not one light was on.

When his hearing came back, he heard some foot steps up on the upper floor, he heads towards the stair case and made his way up stairs, figuring if he wasn't the only culprit in the house, preparing his fist to punch the first person he sees who tries to ambush him.

[Mysteria]

Flex:

Just when there seemed to be hope; Sergio’s frantic fingers pricing at the tight-shut windows, everything fell apart. “Where are you going?” Del snapped as Larissa left the room, occupied with something else. What was WRONG with the girl? They were in serious danger of being caught and this girl - this girl who was meant be intelligent - was walking into the path of danger, or police. “What is wrong with you?” Del called out as Larissa left the room.

“This is insane, this is freaking insane!” Del ranted, throwing herself at the bed, “what is wrong with that girl,” she murmured into the thick sheets, suddenly losing herself in their comfort. It had been so long… too long… what she would do for a sleep in a bed like this; it was as if her body was so, so tired. She WAS so tired. “This is insane…” Del murmured, succumbing to the enticing drift of sleep.

[skyestarweaver]

"I think . . .I . . . got it!" Sergio triumphantly pried the screen out and placed it on the floor, resisting the suddenly strong urge to let out a loud woop. He ran his eyes along the room with a frown, noting who was there and who was not. "Del, where did Larissa go? We need to get out of here--now!" he frowned heavily, his heart still hammering.

If they didn't move fast, they wouldn't get out. They couldn't risk getting caught. They had everything they'd come to get and more, now they just had to leave and get back to The Shack. Hoping that nobody followed them would be a good thing to do as well. "We have to get her to come back here," Sergio said quickly, his eyes returning to Del. "Otherwise, we'll have to leave her behind."

[Flex]

"Del where did Larissa go..." the voice pulled at Del; pushing her, prodding her. She groaned, forcing her heavy eyelids open. She was tired; just so, so tired. Really tired. Maybe just... one second..., she thought to herself. Just one second... The waves of sleep continued to pull her; she could rest her head back, ignore Sergio, let them take her away... to a better place perhaps. An alternate reality.

But... she couldn't. She wouldn't. Del yawned, pulling herself up; ignoring the cries of her body as she pushed herself into action. "Um... we have to, we have to..." Del thought about the police; the people inside her. A neon light; 10 YEARS IN JAIL - HOUSE ROBBERY flashed before her. Ten years? The period of time seemed... forever. It stretched endlessly before her. So much could happen... and so little, if she made the wrong decisions.

"We..." she spoke, "we... we leave her - we leave her behind," Del spoke softly, "we... oh god, we can't leave her behind, we can't..." her voice trembled; she was caught between her head and her heart. Friendship or...

TEN YEARS IN JAIL. TEN YEARS IN JAIL. HOMELESS TEENS PUT BEHIND BARS.

Del savagely pulled at her hair. What was wrong with her? They were street kids; they didn't make friends and they most DEFINITELY didn't make rash decisions. She felt as if she was seeing everything through a different light... a mellow, conflicted hue - there were so many dimensions to it, but ultimately a deicision would have to be made...

"We leave her behind," she told Sergio throatily.

[skyestarweaver]

Sergio thought things over himself for a moment before giving Del a slow, solemn nod. "Come on then. You can go first. Try to land in a crouch, and don't break any bones." he motioned for her to move to the window, lightly stepping out of her path. He bent and picked up the screen he had removed, holding it in his hands. There was no way he would be able to replace the screen as he jumped out. Not that it wasn't already obvious that the house had been broken into. Sighing, he propped the screen against the wall and turned back towards Del.

"What are we going to do about your dog? Can it take the fall?" another frown creased his features at that thought. It wasn't exactly a short drop to the ground, and the chances that the girl would leave her companion behind were extremely slim in Sergio's eyes. "Can you lift him? Would you be able to hold him while you jumped?" another frown. "That could just get us all killed."

[Flex]

"Wait, wait, wait," Del muttered, pressing a hand to her head; there was something she was forgetting - something very important... so important. "Uh..." she murmured to herself; she could see the room around her in a blurry haze; the bags stuffed full of clothes, Sergio looking concerned and anxious... and then it struck her. Krypton. "Krypton," she hissed, scanning the room, her gaze heated and concentrated. "Krypton... Krypton... Krypton..."

She caught sight of the dog huddled nearby the bed; panting and shaking - she felt relief at first and then worry - is he okay? she couldn't help but think to herself; the thought indistinct under the several other voices in her head trilling at her. Screaming at her. There was Nelly... then there was Faye... and then there was... Del heard the footsteps; a soft padding... her eyes narrowed...

"There's someone up here with us. It's not Faye... and it's not Larissa. It's... it's someone."

[Nelly]

Larissa froze at the sound of footsteps as they got closer to the stairs. They were treading carefully but had a threatening sound to them all the same. Backing up slowly, she shifted her hands behind her back to the room. "There's someone up here with us. It's not Faye...and it's not [Larrissa]. It's...it's someone." she heard Del's voice. She turned around sharply, her hip bone ramming into a small hall table that held a vase. The table made a bang against the wall and the vase rolled on it's bottom, threatening to fall over. Her hands reached for the thing, gripping onto it with her finger tips. She set it down quickly and carefully, and ran back to the room. "Go!" She basically shouted at them. She turned to the panting and shaking dog, and slipped her hands underneath it.

[skyestarweaver]

Sergio glanced sharply at Del and turned his eyes to the door as a soft bang sounded from the hall. “Shit.” He muttered, watching as Larissa darted into the room with wide eyes. He looked around quickly, motioning to the window. “Del, you go first. Hurry! Larissa, you’re next. The dog, the dog . . .” his movements were quick and frantic—panicked. “Can you manage the dog, Larissa? I could try taking him. We need to hurry!”

He crossed the room to the door and peered into the hall, pausing to listen intently. Yes, someone was in there alright. Where was that Faye girl? Sergio shot a quick glance both ways and shook his head before stepping back into the room and closing the door as quietly as he could. She’d have to find her own way out at this point. What was taking so long? He turned around, making frantic hand motions. “Hurry, hurry, hurry!” He whispered harshly.

[Flex]

This was the moment; the moment they had all been waiting for. Del glanced from the faces of Sergio and Larissa; trying to gather the courage and calm she needed in order to complete her task within thin the span of a single second. She felt herself wobble towards the open window; her body moving in slow motion - step by step, as if frozen by time. The entire room seemed to drain of colour and for a moment, Del was rigid - completely moving. Then…

“Hurry, hurry, hurry,” she heard Sergio whispering harshly - and suddenly everything had returned back to normal time; the colour was slowly returning, Larissa pacing nearby them - Krypton in her hands. Del stared into the dog’s gorgeous, soulful eyes. We’ll get out of here, she tried to communicate. We’ll get out of here. Then, grabbing the bags she had gathered, she quickly shoved them out of the windows - shards of frost from outside attacking her fingers. Shivering - the cold wind from outside was entering the house - Del attempted to climb out of the window; one leg out at first. Man, was it cold! She pulled out her other leg, sitting on the window ledge for a mere second, before jumping to the ground.

[Nelly]

Larissa adjust the shaking dog, and watched as Del fell out it would have to be Sergio next since she had the animal. "Go ahead Sergio, I'll come right after you." Larissa was just waiting for the house owner to come running around the corner with either the police, or a shotgun.

She started clenching and unclenching her fists in nervousness, causing her to scratch at the dog. She noted as it seemed to be shaking a bit more. "Probably sick..." She felt disgusted at first realizing she might catch the cold it had too. Then it quickly turned to pity. The poor thing just seemed along for the ride and survival for the winter. She quickly shook her head. This was no time to worry about the dog. They had to get out of that house now! Before the owner caught them!

[skyestarweaver]

Sergio gave a slight frown, but nodded in Larissa's direction, resisting the urge to ask if she was certain she could manage to safely get the dog down. He walked quickly to the window and stuck his head out, shivering with cold and peering down at Del. "Are you alright?" he called as loudly as he dared. He waited a moment or two until he thought he could make the jump without landing on and killing the girl.

Sergio sighed softly with another shiver and placed his hands on the edge of the window, lifting himself onto it. A fierce wind blowed his hair in his eyes, causing him to squint so he could see better. Taking a deep breath, he scanned the wall to see if there was a way to climb down. He frowned. There was none. "Let's do this." he muttered to himself, launching off the edge of the window and into a temporary freefall.

[Flex]

“I’m fine!” Del yelled back when Sergio’s voice--sounding deep and somewhat hoarse--sounded from above, asking her how she was. Del held the coat she was wearing around her body; she couldn’t express in words how appreciative she was of her new gear. They were perfect… perfect! Like an insulation blanket. Smiling to herself, she picked up the other two bags of clothes that she had gathered--clothes for The Gang. They would be pleased, she just knew they would. And she was pleased as well; they were free… they were free… and they had been successful as well; they had completed their, well, mission.

All they had to do now, was return to The Shack, and honestly... after everything they had already been through, how hard could that be?

[skyestarweaver]

Moments after Del called back an answer, Sergio landed in front of her. He hit the ground hard, the jarring impact shattering through his bones. His weight rolled onto the side of his right foot as he touched ground, a burst of pain spreading through his ankle. With a soft gasp and a curse, he stumbled to a sitting position and clutched his foot, his swears coming more fluently.

"Damn! We're--urgh--screwed." he used his hands to force himself onto his uninjured foot, tenderly putting a small amount of weight onto the injured one. Hissing a breath through his teeth, he pulled his foot off the ground and limped painfully towards a nearby tree, clutching at the sturdy trunk for support. "Del, can you call up to Larissa and tell her, ow, that the coast is clear? Her turn to jump. Warn her about the--er--impact at the end. She has to be careful with that dog."

[Flex]

Del had been optimistic; positive about the future--she just had a feeling that everything... everything... would turn out okay. Not anymore. Sergio, had... taken a bad fall, well... not a fall really--but he was injured. It seemed he had twisted his ankle and now with a torrent of swear words erupting from his mouth; he was--they were--screwed. "Damn! We're--urgh--screwed," Sergio gasped, his hands tenderly massaging his injured foot. Del tentatively approached him; whilst he was still somewhat young, he was a man--basically, anyway--and she knew how sensitive some men could be when in pain. Feminine intuition kept her standing a few inches back, just in case. "Del, can you call up to Larissa and tell her, ow, that the coast is clear? Her turn to jump. Warn her about the--er--impact at the end. She has to be careful with that dog," Sergio finished. Del glanced at him for one more second, just to check that he was okay, before walking closer towards the building.

"Larissa," she called into the winter air, "Larissa--the coast is clear. The coast is clear. You can jump, but... be careful. Sergio has hurt himself, I think he has..." she glanced at Sergio, "...twisted his ankle," she finished, lamely. "Just be careful--especially with Krypton, hold him tight." Daring one look back at the building, Del walked back, hobbling beside Sergio, her knees buried in the snow. "Do you need a, uh... a bandage?" she asked him, tentatively, "because there's a shopping center somewhat close by, we could check out that place, or... or we could go back to The Shack. It's your call."

She patted him on the shoulder, lightly and tried--tried--to smile. It was hard though; there was so much to do... SO much to do... and so little time. Del bit her lip. It was Larissa's turn to jump.

[skyestarweaver]

"Nah, I'll be fine." Sergio replied with a small grimace, shivering lightly and pulling his new coat tight around himself with one hand. "There's no blood." he continued to clutch at the tree, turning his eyes towards the window expectantly. It was up to Larissa now. If the girl could get down as safe as Del, and with that dog too, then they might make it.
Might.

Sergio looked around the area, trying to remember how long they'd walked to get from The Shack to the building. He could send the girls ahead of him and hobble after at his own pace. At least most of them would get back safe. If he didn't make it . . . well, The Gang had others who could pick a lock. He wouldn't be missed.

The last thought brought a second grimace. What a way to think! What a way to live. He hadn't really made many 'friends' within The Gang, and if he got caught now (or ever, by his standards) nobody would remember him. Sighing, he watched his breath rise up in a mist before returning his eyes to the window. "C'mon Larissa . . ." He muttered softly to himself.

[Nelly]

Larissa headed towards the window with the dog. She saw Sergio with his hurt foot or ankle whichever it was. She turned back into the room, there was no way she was going to make it out the window with the dog. It was going to be just her or the dog. She layed the dog on the bed, returning to the window, maybe there was something she could use to get her.... There it was. It was perfect. The only problem was getting there. Two windows over, there was a fire escape. If she could get to that thing, the rest would be a piece of cake.

She turned back into the room. She had to buy herself some time. Taking a few large quiet strides to the door, she quickly closed it and locked it. That would hopefully buy her some time, especially if the owner of the house didn't have a key with him immediately. She threw open the closet doorn only finding boxes, blankets, and a few other misc. items. None of them seemed to be helpful, other than....the rope. She reached for it with a grin.
-Hopefully Del doesn't kill me for this, and the dog doesn't bite my head off.- She returned to the dog, and quicklly manuvered so her back was ontop of its belly. Wrapping it's front two paws around her shoulders, and its back two around her waist, she tied the four together with a knot. Carefully hoisting the dog up as she stood, the dog whined at her.
"I'm sorry pup, but it's either this way, or get caught." Reaching behind she patted it on the head then returned to the window for the third time. She sat herself on the window seal with her legs hanging over. Turning to face back inside the window, she placed her feet on a small ledge that stuck out no more than a half an inch. she slipped off her gloves, and then shoved them into her pockets. Holding herself by the window seal she glanced up,
Right along, ,at the top of the window, there was another small ledge hanging out, and looking a bit further across the wall she noted some holes in the wall that her hands could possibly fit in.
Larissa took in a deep breath, "Here we go." She said to herself and the dog. It whimpered in reply and continued shaking. Then she began.
Her hands kept a good grip on the ledge at first, making the first three movements easy, but her hands were getting cold fast and losing their grip because of it. After a couple more minutes, she heard the bedroom door crash in, just as she reached the hole a good 4 feet from window they had all climbed out of. She slipped her hand iinto it then made a fist locking herself to the wall for a moment's rest. She took her free hand and warmed it up with her neck as she watched the window waiting for the owner to stick out his head.
Upon not seeing any movement for a minute or two she made another grip on the ledge and unlocked her arm. Her muscles were beginning to scream in pain already and so was her hand that had locked in the hole. Luckily, there was only 7 feet left to go, with 2 holes left.
She made it to the second hole by the time she had felt her lip bleeding from her biting of it. She locked in the second hand, and warmed up with the original.
-One more.- She thought, -then I'll be there-.
Ignoring the whimpering dog, she pulled out her hand and continued on. She was only a couple movements from hitting the third hole, when she felt her foot slip, and her body begin to fall.
The dog made a loud whimper as she caught herself by stretching out and locking her hand in. It wouldn't last long, so she had to move fast. She took her dangling hand and slipped it above the already locked hand, and did the same. She groaned as she pulled herself up and place her tip toes on the edge once again. She bit her lip as she lifted up her feet up and over the fire escape gate. Unlocking one of the hands she pulled the rest of her body over along with the dangling dog.

[Flex]

Del watched in shock--and admiration--as Larissa got herself out of the house; no, ‘got’ wasn’t the right word. ‘Accomplish’… ‘create’, perhaps? Either way; it wasn’t just a fall--it was a piece of art; so delicate, so glamorous… Del hurried towards her fellow thief, her feet slogging in the thick snow. “Thank you,” she murmured to the girl as Krypton fell into her arms; only for the relief to completely evaporate. Krypton; his body was cold, his limbs--dangling. The urge to completely lose it was very inviting, however Del managed to hold herself together. “It seems like he’s… sick,” she told the others, sounding somewhat terse, “and Sergio isn’t all that great either… we have to get back to The Shack as soon as possible.”

[skyestarweaver]

Sergio watched as Larissa worked hard to get both herself and that dog out of the house. He’d have never thought of tying the dog like that . . . if he was completely honest, he knew very little about the care of dogs and was worried that it would hurt the animal. From his post by the tree he examined Larissa’s last jump and Del’s embracing of Krypton. They’d made it without further injury it seemed—good. It was Del’s comment about her pet’s state that started to worry him, though. Sick? How could that thing be sick? It had that fur coat on all the time! If anyone should be sick it was the humans! Hissing through his teeth, the boy shook snow from his hair and glanced back up at the girls.

“Are you two okay?” he called, his grip on the tree never lessening. “How’s the dog? Maybe . . . you two go back to The Shack. I’ll catch up with you . . .erm . . . “ If I make it back before dying from the cold or getting caught he added mentally, though aloud he simply finished with a lame “ . . .later.”

[Flex]

“No,” was all Del could say, “no way…” she let out a light laugh and held Krypton closer to her body--hopefully he would be able to absorb the warmth from inside her; something, anything… “No…” she said Sergio, “we either do this together; or we… we give up altogether,” she finished simply. She glanced at the shopping bags they had accumulated--the bags she had been gazing upon with pride only a few moments before. “We’ve already come this far; we can’t… we can’t break up…”

Yet, perhaps they would have to. With The Gang, it was always… always… about themselves; that was the way it was expected to be. Sure, they lived together, however perhaps… just perhaps… Del could change that; she didn’t want to live life like that; wary of others, distant… “What do you say, Larissa?” Del asked the other girl, who stood, snowflakes sticking onto her wooly coat, “we’ve already lost Faye, and well… and well…” she glanced at the snow falling through the trees, dipping through the wind.

“We have to do this together.”

[Nelly]

Larissa raised an eyebrow to Sergio first. Leave and let him freeze to death? Tempting, but Larissa wasn't that cruel. True she might have had other plans, but what was the point. Then she took a look at Del.
"We have to do this together."
It was true. Without Sergio, Larissa would end up fighting her way through everything without a second glance, and Del would....do whatever Del did to get her way through. But with this winter getting as harsh as it was, they'd have to stick out for each other...or at least try too.
Larissa made a semi-sigh and walked up to Sergio. "Yeah, leave you here." She said sarcastically as she bent down slipping her arm around him. "That's a smart idea." She hoisted him up, then turned to Del. "Come on, we've got to get out of here asap. Otherwise, whoever in that house might see us and report us to the cops."

[skyestarweaver]

Sergio hissed through his teeth, watching his breath rise as mist. When Larissa approached, he grumbled softly, but accepted her help, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and leaning as much of his weight onto her as he dared. “This is stupid.” He told them angrily, though secretly he was touched by their companionship. “If you go ahead then at least most of us will make it there! Don’t worry about me, I’m not important. Every man—er, woman—for him or herself, right?” He shivered as he spoke, fumbling with one hand to do up the button at his coat’s collar and adjust the backpack’s strap on his shoulder.

With a quick glance from one girl to the other and a brief reflection on their words, he saw that it wouldn’t be easy to get them both to go without him. “Fine.” He agreed after a pause, shaking his head. “If you both won’t go, then at least one of you should take the dog.”

[Nelly]

"True, but at the moment that's not an option, leaving you behind could mean getting caught which could lead to you leaking out information on us and the rest of the group. Not that we don't trust you, it's just how things work." She made a cheesy grin at him.

Larissa adjust her hands around his waist and hooked it onto the belt loop. It might have felt a little awkward with him, but with the cold beginning to freeze her hands, she'd rather have him locked onto her, then having him just fall onto the ground. She then adjusted her own coat and shifted the small pack she had found in the bedroom and filled it full of food and clothing. She looked ahead of them. The alley way was getting darkened by the hour, and snow chunks fell from the rooftops, some more deadly than others. "We need to watch out for those frozen blocks of snow. Some of them turn out to be just powder, but some of them are pure ice." She told the other two teens. She made a quick glance to make sure Del was alright, before they began their way back.

[Flex]

Del did her best to smile at the two. In all honesty, smiling wasn’t exactly easy; her face felt half frozen and with Krypton’s limp body hanging in her arms… they had to get back to The Shack as soon as possible. Her thoughts were constantly disappearing and reappearing, she wasn’t able to concentrate; not completely, anyway and that was… incredibly frustrating; especially in a situation like this in which her concentration was required; 100% of it.

Del grabbed her two shopping bags, slinging them over her body and carrying Krypton with both hands. He felt weak and… vulnerable. She shivered; he had always been so full of life and vivacity. But now? She shook her head. There was no time to think of this; none--when they got back to The Shack she’d be able to vent quietly to herself, but as for now? As for now, she’d have to give their current mission her one hundred percent--and fight her way out of here. Fight to survive.

The others were attempting their best to be good natured as well; Nelly joking around with Sergio and Sergio in turn speaking light-heartedly back; he even revamped a typically sexist line that Del despised--“every man for himself”--into, well, something more politically correct and, well… it was kind of cute. She had to give him props; she had to give them both props. Working with most members of The Gang usually felt like thankless, soulless work, yet with these two… well, she had actually had fun. She actually had.

“Guess we’d better get going, eh?” she asked the others, laughing quietly to herself before she stumbled off in the direction of The Shack.

[skyestarweaver]

Sergio bristled at Larissa's words, carefully eyeing her facial features to double check that she was, in fact, teasing. His lip curled slightly, though he allowed his muscles to relax as she adjusted her grip on him. She was just trying to lighten the mood, he knew, but even joking about leaking information like that . . . he resisted the urge to shake his head. It wasn't a topic he liked to speak of without the utmost seriousness.

His head swiveled towards Del at her prompt, watching her struggle through the wind and snow. "Yeah. Best hurry." he grunted in agreement, starting to take a step on his strong foot. He went slowly, watching Larissa. They were going to have to walk in synchronization for this to work.

[Nelly]

Larissa started on the same foot as him. Then they did the next one. "You can put as much weight as you need to on me. I can take it." She turned back to Del who seemed to struggle a bit with both the dog and the bags. But there wasn't much she could do. Del wanted the stuff, she'd have to carry it.

She kept up with them though which seemed to be good, but how long would it last? Well, better question, how far away was the Shack. When they had first done it, it seemed only five to ten minutes to get to the house, now it was going to take twice as long, and with the police possibly arriving any minute from now, they really had to hurry. She bit her bottom lip though to keep from speaking. Surely the others already knew this.

[Flex]

Del struggled ahead of the other two, her arms struggling under the weight of Krypton and the two bags--they were full of clothes; for The Gang. For the The Gang, for The Gang, was what she kept telling herself, but really? Were they worth it? They had been at one point, but in their current situation… she would keep them for now, she decided. However, if the time ever came up when leaving them behind would result in a better end for all three of them, she would eagerly drop them; the weight that pressed down on her shoulders was somewhat unbearable.

The three of them plodded through the snow for a few moments; all was quiet and somewhat sinister. Del kept on remember the cops they had come across earlier… would they come back? And what if the people they had just robbed had, well, seen them? Would they call the cops? She continued to nag herself with her own worries; pecking at her insecurities--she knew she wouldn’t stop; it was what kept her going. They just had to get back to The Shack… as soon as possible.

“Um, so--” Del had turned around to ask Larissa if she knew where she was going--she and Sergio had got themselves into a suitable walking rhythm; it seemed to be working quite well… for now--when a loud, piercing scream erupted from somewhere nearby them. The loud wails dissolved into the air; yet Del could recognise the sound perfectly--the electronic wails of a police car. “Uh…” Del scurried closer to the other two, eyeing the snowy environment around them somewhat warily and then, knowing that they wouldn’t know the answer, she decided to speak again. “Where are they?”

[skyestarweaver]

Sergio looked at his feet, matching his awkward limp with Larissa's steadier steps. Right . . .Left . . . Right . . . Left . . . he winced with every other step, putting more weight on the girl than his foot when it came to his injury. As he heard Del’s voice, the boy glanced up to her, squinting through the tumbling snow to show that she had gotten his attention. She was cut off by a sharp cry, causing his head to snap towards the source of the noise with furrowed brow. He couldn’t see the police vehicle, but he could definitely hear it.

“They might not be after us.” he mused, though he still didn’t want to take the chance. “You two run ahead. Larissa, you can take the bags.” His brow furrowed with worry as the uneven scream of sirens got louder. “Hurry up!”

[Nelly]

Larissa was about to argue with him, but instead turned and leaned him against the wall, pulling out a garbage can from a small slit in the wall. "See if you can fit in there. If you can you might be able to get away." She took Sergio's bag from him, and turned to Del taking hers. "Come on." She coughed out. "We'll meet you at the Shack." She began to run.

[Flex]

Del stole one more glance at Sergio--just to check if he was alright; it seemed like he was--before rushing after Larissa. Why did this have to happen; why? When they had been so close to finishing, a complication had arose--only to be compounded by yet another one not that shortly afterwards. She rushed after Larissa, not entirely sure where they were going, but she had enough trust in the wiry fighter--she seemed to know what she was doing and besides, she had this air about her; this powerful, sultry aura of tension.

Del rushed after her fellow thief, her long feet dragging in the snow—drenching the hems of the dark leggings she was wearing. She couldn’t help but smile, feeling the material… clammy and… uncomfortable. Krypton’s limp body banged against her chest. Del groaned; when would this end? When? Why did she have to do this to herself; she had had a life--a good one too; a private school, a mother who loved her, a future before her and she had… dropped it all, without thinking. In absolute haste. In the euphoria of being a teenager… rebellious and innocent... compulsive and idiotic...

She had lost everything.

[skyestarweaver]

Sergio nodded, watching the girls hurry off a bit before turning towards the garbage can that had been placed before him. He sighed, shivering, and started trying to haul himself into it. He was going to have to put weight on his ankle. A lot of weight. Frowning heavily, he looked for an easier way. Placing his hands on either side of the rim of the can, he hauled himself up with his arms and gingerly dropped his body inside, pulling his knees up to prevent his feet from getting caught on the edge. The thief put his weight on his strong foot and ducked inside, pulling the lid over his head as he lowered himself down.

Sergio shivered again and pulled his coat tightly around him, curling into a tight ball to keep warm and so he could fit in the garbage can. He quieted his breathing, holding his breath for awhile to listen to the blare of the sirens combing the streets. He closed his eyes, unable to see in the darkness of the closed garbage can anyways, wondering how long he should wait once the sirens finally die away.

[Nelly]

Larissa turned out of the alley-way and started heading the way they had came, it usually wasn't a good idea to make tons of tracks in the same area, but with their rush at the moment, there was no time to really think about a different way to go. Then again... With all the snow that was falling, the police wouldn't be able to track their shoe marks from the shed, but from the alley-way back. She took a quick turn around to Del. "We need to go the other way...we can't lead them to the Shack." She wasn't sure which way...maybe Del knew one...she hoped...