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Alastor nodded. "Yeah, it's true. That's why whenever I take Zeus to different places then I try to make sure he won't get overheated. I'm glad we landed in New York when this flu thing happened instead of like, Texas or someplace like that."
(cries in Texas heat it's fall and I can't even wear fall clothes.)
(Bro same, I live in Texas too lol)
"Oh that's smart" she says with a small wave of her hand. She goes to say something else but her mother appears in the hallway with a duffle bag and closing her bedroom door behind her. She was dressed in a simple crop top T-shirt and a flannel with a pear of leggings. Her hair is pulled up into a ponytail and the dark circles remain under her eyes.
She slings the duffle bag from over her shoulder, turning into the kitchen to pack what little food they had. Which was about three cans of food and that was it.
She turns over to Alastor "i was able to get ready much faster than i thought." she says.
"That's good," Alastor smiled. Zeus stood up and headed out the door. He sniffed around for a bit outside before wagging his tail, pleased that he found the path back to the apartment.
"Zeus will lead us to the city and the others," Alastor said, stepping out the door. "Everyone ready?"
Liana was the first out the door, following the dog happily. "i am!" she says as she steps down off of the porch and into the grass.
Cassie follows her happily, a small, suppressed looking smile on his face as he focuses on his feet walking one in front of the other and occasionally stumbling when he got a little too focused on his steps instead of what was in front of him.
Eva smiles at the kids, then looking to Alastor. "i think we are" she says with a deep breath and a shrug, stepping outside and shutting the door behind her, giving the inside of her home a onceover before letting the door click shut.
She steps off of the porch and into the sunlight as it beams down on her, feeling the warmth on her skin and letting the breeze cool her down. It was nice to say the least.
"what lovely weather" she says quietly to herself as they start there way down to the city.
Zeus walked ahead of all of them confidently, only pausing occasionally to check and see if he was still on the right track.
Alastor breathed in the air, relishing the nice breeze. He kept an eye on Cassie and smiled fondly at the child, hoping that he wouldn't fall over and hurt himself.
As they got father away from the house and the small farm Eva had grown over the years, her anxiety rises.
She wraps her arms around her once again and softly pats her chest over her heart repeatedly with her other hand as a way to calm her down. Eva looks around in worry, trying to be as calm as possible. But she couldn't help her thoughts flooding into her mind.
The buildings get closer and closer and Liana only gets more excited. Cassie has fallen back to his mother, teasing the thought of touching the dog to pet him. Though he could never work up the courage to, he holds onto Eva's flannel, looking up at her. He watches her pat her chest lightly with her hand and he does the same, patting his own chest.
Eva looks down at him as he does, pulling him closer and resting her hand on his shoulder as they walk.
When they enter the city, Eva looks around warily. Anybody or anything could be anywhere. She didn't know what she was going to find nor did she know just how dangerous this could be for her children.
But she had a good idea.
"How many people do you have in your group?" Eva asks Alastor
"Umβ¦seven, I think," Alastor replied to Eva, doing a mental count in his head. "Yeah, there are seven people, not including me. Two of them are teens, I think Liana might get along well with them. Another two have an aversion to men, and I haven't really had the chance to get to know them better. And the other three are pretty chill, I think."
As he was talking, it just occurred to Alastor that he didn't really know anything about these people. On the other hand, they didn't know much about him either. He hoped they wouldn't be hostile to Eva and her kids, or get mad at him for bringing three more people along in their group.
Alastor noticed the buildings becoming more familiar as they walked on, and he started to walk more confidently. "The apartment's just a couple of blocks from here now."
Lucas placed his hands on the wheel and followed Lucky, who was riding Sinjoro in the street and honked, leaning out his open window. "Aye!" He shouted in a New Jersey accent "get off the road grandpa, some people are tryna get to work here!"
Alastor noticed the buildings becoming more familiar as they walked on, and he started to walk more confidently. "The apartment's just a couple of blocks from here now."
Lucky grinned back at him. The guy was funny, and despite his frustration with some things, Lucky was smiling because of his jokes.
He slowed down and dropped back till he was even with the window. "I'm gonna look around for Alastor, you two drive on back if you like."
Ronni nodded from the passenger seat. Alastor had been gone all day. She turned to Lucas. We're not far, we should drop the car and check its engine and stuff. It was a lot easier to communicate when she had a dashboard to point at.
~~~~
Lucky took off down another street, cantering in the direction he thought Alastor had gone. He made it a couple of blocks before he saw some people, folks he didn't recognize, but with a dog he definitely knew. He smiled and headed towards them.
Zeus's ears perked up and he quickly spun around, almost knocking into Alastor as he gave a loud bark of greeting, his tail wagging playfully.
Alastor turned around as well, alarmed, but he relaxed when he saw Lucky. He stopped walking and waved at him, feeling relieved. If Lucky was still here then that meant that the others hadn't left either. Hopefully.
Lucky smiled waved back, glad Alastor wasn't still mad at him. He caught up to the group and slowed Sinjoro next to Alastor. "Hey, new people. Who are you friends?"
And are they coming back with you to us? was the unspoken question.
Zeus jogged up to Sinjoro, clearly very happy to see the horse again as he sat down patiently right in front of the massive creature, his tail still wagging excitedly.
"This is Eva," Alastor said, glancing at her. "And the two besides her are her kids. I asked if they wanted to come with me back to the city and they said yes."
Alastor turned his gaze back to Lucky, still smiling even as his eyes hardened slightly, daring him to protest the new people be brought into the group.
Lucky jumped down, and gently petted Zeus's ears. He noted Alastor's expression and reassured him quietly.
"I'm glad they're coming with us. Looks like they could use a group." He smiled, but lowered his voice. "Some of the rest of the group might bristle though. I'll back you bringing them with us, for sure ."
Alastor blinked in surprise, his expression turning into one of gratitude.
"Thank you," he replied earnestly.
Lucky smiled at him. "Of course. Gotta stick together if we can." He tugged Sinjoro's reins. "You know where you're going from here? I can stay with you guys if you'd like?" Lucky had a great sense of direction, honed by spending years blazing trail in whatever mountain range he could get into. He knew exactly where they were in relation to the apartment.
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Ariella giggled quietly and nodded. She curled up on her side of the couch. "How should I make him pay for yelling at me? Yelling doesn't solve anything and he needs to realize that." His anger had been uncalled for and had hurt her. She wanted him to see how it hurt her.
"Ignore him, I mean I think that's the best way to make him feel sorry" Devon shrugged. "personally, I almost never raise my voice. But other people do, its human nature or something." He rolled his eyes.
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Lucas slowly drove back, parking the car in front of the apartment building, shut his door and Opened the passenger door for Ronni.
"After you ma'am." He said, bowing slightly.
Lucas slowly drove back, parking the car in front of the apartment building, shut his door and Opened the passenger door for Ronni. "After you ma'am." He said, bowing slightly.
She smiled at him as she climbed out. He's sweet.
Ronni walked around the front and popped the hood, checking over the engine. It occurred to her that she hadn't done the same thing for the truck, and probably should. She beckoned Lucas over and pointed to the various parts.
Everything look ok to you?
She knew what she was looking at, but a second pair of eyes never hurt.
She smiled at him as she climbed out. He's sweet.
Ronni walked around the front and popped the hood, checking over the engine. It occurred to her that she hadn't done the same thing for the truck, and probably should. She beckoned Lucas over and pointed to the various parts.
Everything look ok to you?
She knew what she was looking at, but a second pair of eyes never hurt.
Lucas took a minute to look and then nodded.
"Yeah, I think so." He told her and smiled. "Good thing we have you, I'm not to great with cars."
Lucas took a minute to look and then nodded. "Yeah, I think so." He told her and smiled. "Good thing we have you, I'm not to great with cars."
Ronni flashed him a thumbs up, before checking a few things.
Oil looked like it had been recently changed, coolant was full and fresh, battery terminals looked clean, belt wasn't super worn. She closed the hood and looked the rest over. No dents, tires had good tread and weren't super worn, brakes hadn't squealed when they'd used themβ¦
Lucky found a good one.
A faint smile crossed her face. She turned to Lucas again and pointed at the truck.
Wanna help me with that?
Ronni flashed him a thumbs up, before checking a few things.
Oil looked like it had been recently changed, coolant was full and fresh, battery terminals looked clean, belt wasn't super worn. She closed the hood and looked the rest over. No dents, tires had good tread and weren't super worn, brakes hadn't squealed when they'd used themβ¦
Lucky found a good one.
A faint smile crossed her face. She turned to Lucas again and pointed at the truck.
Wanna help me with that?
Lucas smiled and nodded.
"Sure." He said and turned towards the truck, putting his hands on his hips.
Lucas smiled and nodded. "Sure." He said and turned towards the truck, putting his hands on his hips.
Ronni went and pulled the inside lever to pop the hood. She walked around the front and started to raise the hood, but the truck was a bit too tall for her to do it. She wound up standing on her tiptoes, the hood only half up, looking at Lucas. A little help here??
Ronni went and pulled the inside lever to pop the hood. She walked around the front and started to raise the hood, but the truck was a bit too tall for her to do it. She wound up standing on her tiptoes, the hood only half up, looking at Lucas. A little help here??
Lucas hurried to help her and lifted the hood all the way up, pressing it into place and letting go.
"Okay," he said, looking over the contents of the truck and frowning. "I think everything is fine? I'm not sure though."
Lucas hurried to help her and lifted the hood all the way up, pressing it into place and letting go. "Okay," he said, looking over the contents of the truck and frowning. "I think everything is fine? I'm not sure though."
Ronni could see the engine, but when she tried to reach in and check stuff, she couldn't reach. She pointed to the oil dip stick, and looked at Lucas again. Check that?
Lucas held up his index finger and brought out a box from around a building shortly behind the corner, he pulled it over to the hood of the truck, opening it to check if it was stable by stepping on it first.
He gestured to the box and smiled.
"So now you don't have to ask for help unless you want to," He said as he checked the oil dip stick.
Lucas held up his index finger and brought out a box from around a building shortly behind the corner, he pulled it over to the hood of the truck, opening it to check if it was stable by stepping on it first. He gestured to the box and smiled. "So now you don't have to ask for help unless you want to," He said as he checked the oil dip stick.
Ronni smiled, bigger this time, and nodded slightly.
Thank you, Lucas.
She hopped up on the box and checked the dipstick he was holding. It looked fine, the oil wasn't as pristine as the car, but it would do. The coolant was the same, the belt was older, the battery was slightly corroded, but all in all, it would be fine. She hopped down and gestured to the hood.
Just close it whenever you're done.
The tire tread was ok, and the brakes had seemed fine, so. They were in possession of two decnt vehicles with full tanks of gas and lots of storage.
Ronni smiled, bigger this time, and nodded slightly.
Thank you, Lucas.
She hopped up on the box and checked the dipstick he was holding. It looked fine, the oil wasn't as pristine as the car, but it would do. The coolant was the same, the belt was older, the battery was slightly corroded, but all in all, it would be fine. She hopped down and gestured to the hood.
Just close it whenever you're done.
The tire tread was ok, and the brakes had seemed fine, so. They were in possession of two decnt vehicles with full tanks of gas and lots of storage.
Lucas nodded tightly and shut the hood gently.
He looked down at Ronni and opened the box she had been standing on, revealing large cans of tomato soup. He carried it over to the bed of the truck and put it inside, then came back to her.
Lucas nodded tightly and shut the hood gently. He looked down at Ronni and opened the box she had been standing on, revealing large cans of tomato soup. He carried it over to the bed of the truck and put it inside, then came back to her.
Ronni watched him, before gesturing at his face and frowning, with a quizzical look on her face.
Something wrong?
He'd stopped smiling kinda suddenly, and she was worried.
Ronni watched him, before gesturing at his face and frowning, with a quizzical look on her face.
Something wrong?
He'd stopped smiling kinda suddenly, and she was worried.
Lucas shook his head, giving her a tight lipped smile.
"No," he said quietly "i'm fine."