Rick walked with her just far enough that they could speak privately, but not so far that the others were out of sight. "It ain't that I particularly enjoy thinkin' about this," he began a bit awkwardly, taking a large leather-bound notebook out of his backpack. "But I don't often have somebody I trust enough to tell this to—not these days anyway–so I might as well make the most of it." He tapped the cover of the book. "This is where I keep all my important paperwork. Recommendations, maps, job contracts, letters…..stuff like that. I also have a will written up in there, sort of. Now, I found a hollow tree by the creek, and I'm gonna put this book there for safekeepin'. So…..if for some reason you make it back here and I don't….can I ask you to take that book and get it to my family?" He smiled, trying to ease the seriousness of his words. "I don't really think you'll need to, acourse. But I thought I'd better play it safe."
Charlotte stared at the thick notebook in Rick's hands. She couldn't look up at him. The minute he'd started talking she fought against a rising hysteria, a tornado of guilt and terror.
She couldn't lose him, not now, not when she'd let herself need him. This was her own fault, she'd let him in, this soldier, and he could hurt her now.
None of this showed. She finally managed to look into his eyes, set her own slender hands on his large ones.
"I understand. You can count on me," she assured him. "I would tell you the same, but I don't have much. Let's just do this. I… trust us. It'll be fine."
She silently urged him to reassure her. It'd be fine.
(Dang it, the feels TvT)
Rick's smile became a real one, and he let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "You're right," he said quietly. "We've got a good plan, a good team, and a good cause. We'll get this done, easy."
He went to pat her shoulder, but paused. He still wasn't sure how affectionate to be with Charlotte. She was aloof, and slow to warm up, and had been hurt far too many times. He didn't want to move too fast and scare her off. But he'd seen now how kind and gentle she still was underneath, and part of him wanted to tell her she didn't have to hide it.
In the end, he settled for patting her hand instead. "Welp, that's all I wanted to say. Guess we'd better move out."
(i swear charlotte has so much trauma but i love all these guysssss i wish they could be left aloneeeeeeeeee)
She nodded but made no move to head back. Her heart was writhing inside her, aching with the fear of losing Rick. There was no time for being scared, anymore. She hesitated for a moment before reaching up to put her arms around Rick.
She hadn't been this close to anyone in… a long time. Since she could remember. He was giving off so much heat and a rich smell of sweat and fire, a scent that was somehow familiar to her.
"It'll be okay," she whispered, almost to herself. "It will."
(big SAME)
Rick went still in surprise. He hadn't expected this at all, and yet it didn't bother him. Far from it. What a joy it was, he realized, to be held by someone. Somehow he'd forgotten.
Ignoring the sudden wave of something like sadness that filled his chest, Rick tentatively returned the gesture and wrapped his arms around Charlotte. She felt so very frail, but he knew by now that looks could be deceiving. "I tell you what," he whispered back. "After this, I think maybe the two of us should….stick together. Or, at least not part ways too soon, y'know? There's….a lot more I'd like to learn about you, Miss Charlotte."
(STOP YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME CRY)
(dusty I swear if you decide to kill him–)
She bit her lip hard, begging the moisture in her eyes not to grow. "I'd like that. A lot." She held on for just a moment longer, savouring the safety and the warmth, before letting him go.
She sniffed a bit and met his eyes. "Let's do this then. So we can move on." So that she could move on, actually, from everything in her past, and find something that actually brought her joy.
(lays hand on heart This lad is my son, I'd sooner propose to a sewer rat than do Rick any harm xD)
Rick nodded once, confidently. "Sounds like a plan." He honestly wanted to stay there longer, to keep talking to her, but the sun would rise soon and they really needed to go before they lost their chance. Packing away his happiness—it could be a nice thing to think about later—he started towards the group before remembering the notebook in his hand. "Oh, right. I'll just put this where I said I would real quick. You can tell the others we're ready, I'll catch up."
(well that sure does make it sounds like you mean it so,,,,, thank GOD)
Charlotte nodded, feeling very cold without Rick's arms around her. She found the clearing again and found Jessie seated cross-legged on the ground, distractedly tracing lines in the leaves and the dirt. The second she saw Charlotte she jumped to her feet.
Her expression was quizzical and slightly nervous. "It's nothing, don't you worry. We were just strategizing."
Jessie could tell something was different about Charlie, but through the chaos in her head could not figure out what it was; she simply nodded and waved Slash over so that they could all get going.
(lol yeah, there are some tragedies even I'm not willing to write ^^; )
Slash trotted over, impatient to hit the road. He felt no pre-fight jitters whatsoever, probably due to his natural Deornian self-confidence. Looking around for Rick, he shrugged and glanced at Charlotte. "So, you said you scouted out the big base yesterday. Where are we sneaking in? Did you find a good spot?
(sobs rick is just pure)
Charlotte nodded at Slash, smiling at his restlessness. Jessie managed a smile when Slash came over– nervous as she was, he made her happier. "We did, yes. There is a minor entrance that is guarded by only a couple men. The only thing is that it's in a rather large field with no cover. We should avoid gunfire, as it'll draw attention, and there are narrow in the walls for snipers, which also means we really need to keep hidden."
(cries And Charlotte deserves only good things)
Slash nodded. "Okay. I can sneak, that's fine. And then once we get through the small door, we still sneak? Until we find who we're looking for?"
Rick finished hiding the book and walked back over to the group, catching the tail-end of the discussion. "I think that'd be best," he answered the young Deorn. "The longer it takes Axel to notice us, the easier this'll be. So don't start a fight unless there ain't no other way around it." He glanced at Charlotte. "Sound right to you?"
« Yes absolutely, that sounds like a plan. »
She nodded at Rick, then at Jessie who nodded back. She smiled nervously and Charlotte lay an affectionate hand on her head.
« Okay. Let’s go. » She picked up the bag at her feet and slung it over her shoulder, starting for the opening in the trees that led out into the open space.
Slash hesitated before following, glancing over at Rick. "Where where you just now? What did you have to talk to Charlotte about?"
Rick smiled and ruffled the Deorn's hair teasingly, making the young man snort with indignation. "Jus' some last minute formalities. C'mon, time's a-wastin'."
As they followed the girls out of the trees, Slash eyed Rick suspiciously, but let the matter drop. Now was not the time for talking—now was the time to do what they set out to do. Shifting into his animal form but staying relatively small, he slunk to the front of the group and forged a path through the tall grass, his nose constantly twitching.
Charlotte led the group and Jessie walked behind her. At the head, Charlotte tread carefully; she had entered mission mode and it was evident. Her entire body was tensed and alert, silently walking though the forest and listening for anything at all.
Jessie was in a similar state, but where Charlotte had been calmed by her and Rick’s conversation, Jessie was still extremely nervous, her stomach twisting, her hands tingling with nerves.
Rick kept as hidden as he could despite his large profile, grateful that his dull green-tan clothes matched his surroundings. The path back to Axel's fort was familiar by now, and he was able to predict the sudden appearance of the forbidding walls up ahead. Slowing, he scanned for signs of immediate danger, then focused on the side entrance they'd picked out the day before. With any luck, they'd be able to quickly break in without being spotted.
Finally the little group broke out of the trees onto a grassy ridge, overlooking the field that they had to cross to get to the entrance. From where they stood, they could see the little grey door, guarded by a couple of young men in black.
Jessie could go up to meet them, distract them, but if they saw her too early they’d have time to call for backup. The best plan was to sneak up on them from the other side of the building, have Jessie distract them just long enough for the rest of them to grab them and incapacitate them. Nice and simple.
She turned and explained the plan to the group. “Sound good?”
Rick and Slash nodded, Slash slightly reluctantly—he'd wanted to take down the guards all by himself. "Be careful," Rick whispered. "And be ready in case there're more guards on the other side of the door. We'll be right behind you."
(also if you dont want me moving them around as a group lmk!)
"Okay. I can do that." Her voice was quiet and clear.
Charlotte flinched slightly– she didn't sound okay. "We'll be right there with you."
They started moving, heading down the hill in a diagonal so as to stay in line with the wall the guards couldn't see.
(That's totally fine! My usual logic is that whoever understands/controls the environment is basically in charge of the narrative progression until they leave that area ^^)
Slash watched the guards unblinkingly, resisting the urge to break ranks and chase them down. It wasn't discipline or logic that made him follow the plan. He just didn't want to be on Charlotte's bad side. Rick, he thought, would probably not be that scary if he got mad, but Charlotte's steely attitude impressed the young Deorn and he thought twice before crossing her. So with a tiny sigh, he stayed hidden and followed the others to cover.
(fair enough. what I was thinking for how it's set up is that the building is at the bottom of a hill, and the hill they were on was facing one side of the building. the side that the guards are standing at is perpendicular to the side that faces the hill, so if they're on the hill side they can't be seen until they walk past the corner to the guard side. if any of that makes sense ^^')
It was a fairly short trip down and soon they stood right at the corner of the wall, the guards just a few feet away. Charlotte looked over her shoulder at Jessie and nodded at her. Jessie nodded back, then at Rick and Slash, before coming around the corner and getting the guards attention. She walked over a few feet more, so that they would be facing away from where Rick, Slash and Charlotte were going to come at them.
Charlotte leaned around the corner and immediately waved for the two men to follow her. Charlotte went for the one closest to Jessie, coming up behind him and hooking her arm around his throat to get him unconscious.
(Sure, I can visualize that pretty well!)
Rick moved at the same time, pouncing on the other guard before he could notice what was happening. The younger, smaller man tried to fight his way out, and was promptly lifted off his feet as Rick silently suffocated him. Soon the guard's eyes rolled back and he went limp.
"They won't stay down long," Rick whispered to Charlotte, laying down his victim. "Looks like they have bootlaces. Let's use those to tie 'em up 'n hide 'em somewhere so they can't sound the alarm."
Charlotte hummed her assent. She gently lowered the unconscious guard onto the ground and went for his shoes, deftly undoing the laces on one of his shoes while Jessie did the other shoe.
Once both strings were free Charlotte told Jessie to get his feet and hands before getting back up to inspect the door the guards had been safekeeping.
Rick told Slash to keep watch and busied himself with securing the other guard, glancing at Charlotte as he did so. "How's it look?" he whispered, referring to the door. "I can break the latch if we don't find another way to open it."
(lowkey emotional I finally finished my extended research essay it's been so damn stressful but I'm so happy)
Charlotte ran a finger along the keypad, the hinge. It didn't look armoured, but it did look solidly built. Obviously.
"Well," she started without looking away from the keypad, "it's a code lock. Do they have a card or anything on them?"
(eyyyy congrats! It always feels good to get something like that finished xD)
Rick raise his eyebrows at how high-tech the security was, quickly rifling through the guard's pockets. "Don't see nothin' on mine…..what about yours, Jessie?"
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