Lucas laughed.
"No." He said heartily "I don't think Devon would do that, I think he just takes a while to warm up to people."
"That's even better," Alastor chuckled, giving Zeus another piece of beef jerky.
Lucas smiled at both Alastor and Zeus, her dug a toy bone out of his bag and set it on the ground for Zeus to chew on if he got bored of eating.
"So what breed is he?" He asked, looking at Zeus and then back up to Alastor.
"German Shepherd," Alastor replied as Zeus happily bit through the new toy. "He's the reason I'm still alive right now, honestly."
Liam put his now empty cup in a trash can and walked over to Al and Lucas. "And Al's the reason I'm alive." he said and gave Zeus a head pat and ear scrunch. "I'm Liam by the way."
Liam put his now empty cup in a trash can and walked over to Al and Lucas. "And Al's the reason I'm alive." he said and gave Zeus a head pat and ear scrunch. "I'm Liam by the way."
Lucas looked at Liam and smiled.
"Lucas, if I get to know you all well enough, you can call me Luke." He told Liam."I think we all have someone to be thankful for, in this situation."
"I had a dog back home named Clover, she was a red lab and spaniel mix, she had like red tinted fur and she was bigger than the average spaniel and she had big floppy ears and a long tailβ¦"
Lucas' smile flickered for a second.
"Last I heard she's okay, she's still alive and with my younger sister, who survived the flu as well."
"She sounds wonderful." He said. "Do you have any other siblings?" he asked carefully. People could be touchy on the subject of family.
"She sounds wonderful." He said. "Do you have any other siblings?" he asked carefully. People could be touchy on the subject of family.
Lucas smiled and waited for a moment before answering.
"No," he said at last, the image of Gabriella popping into his mind. "It's only the two of us, she's 14 now, her birthday was right before my parents died."
"14?" he asked. "I'm 14."
"14?" he asked. "I'm 14."
Lucas nodded and smiled.
"I hope you're not like my sister, she acts like everyone's the worst person ever." He said quietly "though im sure shes changed since this all started.
"I don't think everyone's the worst person ever." Liam thought about it. "At least not all the time."
"I don't think everyone's the worst person ever." Liam thought about it. "At least not all the time."
Lucas smiled strongly at this comment.
"Good." He said gladly.
He took a long sip on his slushie and smiled.
"What's the green flavor supposed to be?" He asked curiously.
(Ariella isn't gonna like new people either)
(Well, this'll be fun)
"I have no Idea." Liam said slowly. "But it was good!"
Lucky made it back to the apartment and dismounted. He slung the saddlebags over his shoulders and walked in. "I got slushies, guys!" He set two down on the coffee table for Devon and June, before going to find Ariella in the kitchen. "Got you a green one, I think it's sour apple and you like apples, right?" He winked at her and held out the drink. "Wanted to let you know⦠We might be getting more people. Just a heads up." He smiled at her, trying to set her at ease about the idea. "2 guys, a girl, and a dog."
"I have no Idea." Liam said slowly. "But it was good!"
Ronni tapped the side of the truck. The guys were talking, which was great, they were all getting along just fine, but she was ready to hunker down somewhere, and it was starting to get dark.
She hopped up in the driver's seat and hotwired the truck again, before revving the engine at the guys. C'mon fellas!
Ariella had a glass of water, sipping it and leaning against the counter. She had pulled osome food she found, just some Ramen and a couple cams of soup. They would need to light a fire to cook it but atleasr it was something.
She looked at the slushy Lucky held out for her. She was surprised the machine was still on.
She murmured a thank you as she took and began to sip on it.
She stiffed at the news of other joining them. She wasn't comfortable with that. She didn't like it. She had only just gotten used to Lucky. She was still wary of the others. She gave Lucky a look that translated she'd rip him a new one later. She had a feeling he was the initiator for the addition of these new people. "Do we need to look for a bigger apartment?"
Ronni tapped the side of the truck. The guys were talking, which was great, they were all getting along just fine, but she was ready to hunker down somewhere, and it was starting to get dark.
She hopped up in the driver's seat and hotwired the truck again, before revving the engine at the guys. C'mon fellas!
Alastor saw Ronni get into the truck and he walked out of the building, Zeus following closely behind at his heels. Before he got into the passenger's side, he opened the back door for his dog who quickly leaped in, wagging his tail excitedly at the thought of a car ride. Alastor then got into the front, giving Ronni a small smile.
Liam started toward the truck, but turned back to Lucas. "Do you need a ride, 'cus we don't know how to get there, and it would be rude to just leave you." He looked back to the small truck. "I could ride in the bed, we could make room."
"I can have Zeus move to the bed so you can have an actual seat, Liam," Alastor said, glancing at the rearview mirror.
Liam hid a smile. "No, no, that would be to much trouble, I can just hop in." and he Jumped in the back, leaving the other real seat for Lucas.
Alastor shrugged, leaving Zeus where he was. The big dog glanced behind him at Liam before turning his head back to the window next to him.
Ronni smiled at Alastor as he got in. She was fiddling with the truck radio, not really getting much. The station they'd found earlier must not broadcast constantly.
Ariella stiffed at the news of other joining them. She wasn't comfortable with that. She didn't like it. She had only just gotten used to Lucky. She was still wary of the others. She gave Lucky a look that translated she'd rip him a new one later. She had a feeling he was the initiator for the addition of these new people. "Do we need to look for a bigger apartment?"
Lucky raised his hands, looking at her apologetically. "I didn't call the shots on that one, Lucas invited them here." He looked around and wobbled his head, kind of a 'yes and no' answer. "I think we're ok here. If folks want more space, we can kick in the next apartment down. Besides, we're not going to be here that long." He stepped closer to her. "I'm sorry, Ariella. I knew this was going to bother you."
He cringed internally as he absolutely slaughtered her name. He couldn't wrap his French accent around it correctly.
Ariella's glare softened a bit. She took a long sip of her slushie only to wince in pain a moment later. Freeze brain. She had drank too fast.
"You can call me Ella's if it's easier for you. I don't mind," she spoke a couple minutes later as the pain had dulled.
"And where are we going to go?" With as people as they had, they were bound to have different people go in different directions.
He smiled when she softened, and chuckled quietly at her brain freeze. "Easy, there." He liked Ella. It would definitely be easy to get his mouth to say. "Thank you, Ella."
He thought for a bit. "Well. I've been coming east all this way, trying to find a way back to my mom and sister. I've not heard any news about Europe, so⦠I'll probably try to keep heading that way." He glanced at her. " Lucas and the siblings are headed West, I believe, and the new guys said they were going somewhere more rural, so probably they'll all go West together if they get along." He looked down. "You're welcome to go with them and the girls." He kept his eyes down, but his voice had a hopeful uptick to it. "Or⦠you could come with me?"
Ariella listened to him, her anxiety growing by each word. She didn't feel comfortable with anyone other than Lucky. And as much as she wanted to make sure her family was alive, she didn't want to travel with someone she didn't trust.
"I've never been to Europe," she said quietly, looking down at her feet before looking up at him.
Lucky beamed at her when she said it. He'd hoped she'd choose him, but wanting to stay with the group would've been fine too.
He turned and began unpacking his saddlebags, laying out various forms of sealed food and drinks, still smiling to himself.
Ariella watched him pull out some food, sipping slowly on her frozen drink. "How are we going to split all of this? Are we going to split any of this? You were the one that found it."
Lucky shrugged. "I figure everybody contributes somehow. If you see something you want though, take it now." He smiled at her and slid a candy bar her way. "To make up for all that granola earlier."
He turned and went back out with the empty saddlebags to put them back on Sinjoro.
Ariella smiled and tucked it into her pocket to put in her bag. She waited until he left before going to their room and putting it on her bag. She also checked over her supplies just to verify if anything had been stolen. Everything checked out at the moment.
She walked back in to the living room, looking at everyone warily.
June got up and took one of the slushies, she contemplated waking her brother up, or just letting the drink melt. She chose the latter, Devon hadn't slept much since this whole thing started, so it was a good change that he felt safe around these people. Devon had fallen asleep, laying on his back, hugging his pillow to his chest. June picked up Devon's drink, still slurping her own, and brought it to the kitchen.
Lucky came back in from making sure Sinjoro was fed and watered for the night. He'd left the horse tethered in the hallway, not really wanting to leave him outside. He smiled at June as she picked up the slushies. "I didn't know what flavor you'd want so. Sorry about that." He watched her take it to the kitchen. "We're gonna have new people. The girl seems jumpy, so don't spook her. But be your usual friendly self."
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