forum I summon thee @Young-Dusty

Started May 08, 2019 by @amber_is_in_a_loop

tune

Leaning over the flames to add kindling, Jessie snorted into the fire.
"No problem." She unwrapped the packet and inhaled deeply, attempting to identify what was in it. Cumin, saffron, pepper… paprika, possibly. "Get the meat, I'll set it up," she asked Slash, picking up a couple of the packets and setting the others and the ground.

Slash did as he was told, his nose twitching at the sight of the powdered herbs. "Here." He sat watching for another minute, then decided to ask Jessie about something that had been bothering him. "Hey Jessie? I'm kinda confused….about Axel. Who is he exactly? And how do you and Charlotte know him so well?" He tilted his heard, frowning as he tried to work it out. "He's not your dad, is he?"

She looked up at him, then back down at the fire as he asked the question. « Not really my dad but, he might as well have been years ago. Cause Tess, Will, Tom and me were part of an experiment and Charlotte and Axel were our carers. We were all… young. So we grew up together. Then things happened and, and Tom died, and we left and he got… well, sad. And mean. That’s all I’ve got,» she ranted, taking a breath.

Slash listened quietly. He had to admit that sounded pretty rough. "Was he mean to you?" he asked, his voice serious.

She shut her eyes tight— she could feel the tears coming on. Unable to say a word, she simply nodded.

Slash's expression darkened. "Well you're all grown up now," he said, still very quiet. "You're stronger than him. We all are. He won't ever hurt you again, I promise." He scooted a bit closer, nudging her gently with his shoulder. He wasn't that experienced with giving support, but he wanted to show he was there for her. "Okay?"

Her shoulders slumped at the physical contact and she had to refrain from leaning her head in his shoulder. Instead, she looked up at him, wide-eyed, and nodded slowly. “Okay. Thank you.”

Slash looked both equally proud of himself and embarrassed by Jessie's words. He glanced away, mumbling something gruffly. Luckily for him, Rick returned at that point with wild greens and water from the creek. He nodded at them both cheerfully.
"How's the cooking goin'?" he asked, keeping quiet to avoid waking Charlotte.
(I have to work this afternoon but I'm around for a couple more hours until then)

“Oh!” she gasped softly, her head swivelling in search of the meat and spices. She rubbed the latter onto the meat as the fire cracked steadily in front of her. “It’s going good!”

Rick inhaled the smell of cooking food with relish. "Great. A good meal before a job is very important. Here, I brought some salad to add to th' mix." He couldn't help noticing how close Jessie and Slash were sitting. "You two havin' a nice talk?"

(So… hey. I’m really sorry, once again, I don’t really have an excuse)
Jessie opened and closed her mouth, the gears turning in her mind. “Nice wasn’t the word but yes indeedy,” she settled on, her voice light.

(It's fine fam, I understand. You have a life outside the rp, and frankly I think you should always prioritize that when you need to ^^ I'm glad to see you again tho XD)
Slash straightened. "We were just talking about…..y'know…..the plan."
"Welp, that's a good thing to talk about." Rick sat down across the fire from them and glanced over at Charlotte, making sure she was still asleep. "Still, we don't want to spend too much of our energy frettin' over it. Let's eat supper and hit the hay, alright? I'll take first watch."

Jessie nodded her assent. “The meat’s been cooking for about ten minutes now,” she noted. “How long does it take to cook?”

Charlotte, tucked away into shadow at the foot of a tree, slept soundly, occasionally moving about slightly in her agitated dreams.

Rick shrugged. "I usually just guess based on the smell and the amount of sizzle. Even if it's still a little rare in th' middle, we can always just cut off the outside and cook the rest overnight in a stew."
"Or I can eat the raw parts," Slash volunteered.
"That works too. Besides, I don't know about y'all, but I'm starved."

Jessie listened carefully, nodding along. "Okay." She inhaled deeply, looking for any type of smell that could indicate it was cooked, but the spices stayed dominant. She inched closer to the fire, poking at the branches sticking out of the bottom, enjoying the natural heat of the flames. She began thinking, about where she'd been, where she was, who was around her. She barely recognised her own life anymore, or herself for that matter. She'd stayed with the caravan people for so long, unable to fight, and it had shaken her up. She wasn't use to being weak. She'd hated it. All she wanted was to be like Rick or Charlotte, as strong and secure and clever as they were. There never got scared, they never failed. It must be so amazing to be grown, she thought, and able to fight against everyone.
"How are you doing, Rick?" she asked after a while.

"Hm, me? I'm doin' fine. A little nervous, I guess, but that's only natural." Rick smiled. "Back when I used to do jobs like this with my brothers, we used to always stay up talkin' the night before, when we were supposed to be asleep. We were too wired to do anything but bet on who was gonna drop their gun 'n look like an idiot the next day."

And then Jessie was thinking of her own siblings that she'd once had, the three children she'd grown up with, now either dead or tortured. It was impossible to connect such awful, awful images to the memories she had of them. Will, Tess, Leo and Jessie. It'd always been the four of them. She was all that was left now.
She gave a small smile and looked up at him. "Brothers?"

"Yep," Rick replied, not realizing the impact of his words. "I've got four of 'em. Or well, I did last I knew. They're mercenaries, so I can't never be too sure how they're doin'." His expression saddened slightly, but he tried to brush it off. "Anyhow….that ain't what I meant to say. Supper?"