Aberrant: Dead Rising - Chapter 4b: Fox's Refuge

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine listened intently, paying close attention to Violet's instructions. Her gaze flickered between the two women as JoAnna laid her hand on Violet's waist. That didn't seem to make a lot of sense, hadn't Violet mentioned having a boyfriend? Then again, with as beautiful as she was, maybe anything goes. Or maybe she was just misinterpreting.. it had been so long since she'd been around much human interaction, and aside from her Mother and Father, she'd spent so much time in hospitals she didn't really understand much about relationships or intimacy. She'd certainly never DATED, even when she was at home. Who wants to date a girl with no hair and no figure, who's had every bit of life drained out of her by chemotherapy?

Her eyes closed and she smiled slightly as Violet kissed her forehead, treasuring the gentleness of the other woman. Then she arched a brow as Violet pulled away, her eyes sparkling slightly in what looked like, for the first time since Violet had met her, amusement.

"These "wolves".. are they normal men? Or are they.. special, like us? What did you call it - having become?"

[Venus]

Violet recognised that sparkle in Jasmine's eyes and smiled at her knowingly.

"They are "ordinary" men with too much testosterone and lack of a way to vent. Ever since I had the idea to turn this place into a club they've been lurking around, waiting impatiently. Some of them recently tried to get a 'sneakpeek' of what I was doing here. I think they misinterpreted what I said.", there was a playful undertone in how Violet described the men.

"I can take care of myself, but not JoAnna or Jill - they'd try to force them into something they don't want. I'm here to protect them when James is out scavenging for us. I'm not sure about yourself? I hope you have a way of fending them off, else I'd suggest to stay here until James is back.", Violet didn't mean to intimidate Jasmine and force her to stay. She was just trying to explain the situation.

Jill snorts, rolls her eyes, and holds up a knife without saying anything. In her view she doesn't need protecting.

Violet gave Jill an sympathetic smile and continued, "Most of them are good and honest men, I'm sure about that. But they haven't been near a woman since the Virus changed it all... I'm sure they mean no harm - but you know how men can be if they start to think with their hormone-lance.", Violet winked at Jasmine and rejoined JoAnna interlocking themselves with their arms around their backs and their hands laying on each others waists. There was no way to misinterpret that. Violet's bodylanguage left no doubt about her relation to JoAnna.

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine watched the two of them for a moment, a bit intrigued. Then she smiled reassuringly at Violet.

"Well, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Maybe if any of you need any help when James isn't around, I could give you a hand. And if they're really not bad guys, then I'd try not to hurt 'em. Maybe just scare 'em a bit."

She sounded awfully confident for such a small thing. She couldn't be taller than five foot four or so, and though Violet had seen evidence of her athleticism, she didn't look that tough. But she didn't bat an eyelash at the idea of a bunch of undersexed men, and waved a hand at the whole idea dismissively, like she was a daycare teacher who you'd asked if it would be a problem to babysit for a couple minutes.

[Venus]

"I just want to make sure you're safe, Jasmine.", Violet said with an apprehensive smile while she fingered with one hand through JoAnna's long black hair.

"I'll be here waiting for you.", there was a lingering promise to that last sentence as Violet slowly focused her attention to JoAnna. The inhumanly beautiful woman was a stark contrast both in figure and appearance to the young Jasmine. Everything Violet did had an underlying sexual appeal. There was no way for her to move or speak without broadcasting something that would suggest sex or at least a wild flirt. Whatever Violet's powers were they surely were related to that effect.

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine nodded slightly, and headed towards the door. It almost seemed like Violet's powers, whatever they were, might be causing her more problems with the men nearby, whether they helped her with handling them or not. She stepped outside, leaving Violet and JoAnna alone for awhile. While she felt completely at ease around Violet, she wasn't sure about JoAnna yet. She hoped the other woman didn't see her as some kind of intrusion.

She glanced around when she stepped outdoors, her eyes alert for any threat, zombie or otherwise, that could be in the vicinity. She was too used to it now.. it was like second nature.

Click to reveal..

Activating Hyper-Enhanced Hearing, Jasmine rolls 9d10, 6 SUXX, -1 QP, Pool at 21

[Venus]

Jasmine left the club and Violet sighed briefly. "Jill, why don't you lay down that work and come over here to me?"

The muscular blonde gave her a reproachful look but did as she was asked and walked over to her lover. "You know I can look after Jo and myself around the base. Those men got nothing on me."

Violet smiled and smirked a little reaching out with her other arm to pull Jill close to her. Instead of giving her an apology she kissed her deeply. "I know my love.", she whispered into her ear.

"I'll be with JoAnna upstairs and prepare Jasmine's quarter. I make that up to you tonight, promised."

Jill looked at Violet and frowned a little but then relented. She knew Violet liked playing games, but she'd never hurt them or do anything that they didn't agree to. She nodded briefly and resumed her work not looking back. Violet and JoAnna disappeared through the door leading to the quarters a brief giggle could be heard once the door was shut. Jill had to smile at herself and shook her head Silly girls...

[Dawn OOC]

The whispers were the first thing Jasmine heard. This wasn't unusual; she'd heard her friends whispering all the time. But this time, she was the center of attention. The men hanging out across the street were murmuring to one another; Jasmine saw more than one lick their lips as they watched her.

Suddenly, Jose was at her side. He didn't say anything; he just stood between her and the men and offered a piece of bread. A second later, Frank was there, too. "Hey, there you are," he said. "We've been loaned a bunking spot. Two rooms, three each. You'll be with Marion and Anne, of course."

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine flicked a glance over at the men to get a good luck at them. It wasn't a friendly look, by any means, but she didn't want to forget their faces, so she could hopefully avoid any unpleasant situations. Then she turned back to Jose and Frank, and smiled warmly to them both. It was the most relaxed she'd seemed since they met her, all things considered.

"So you guys found food? Good. And thanks.. one of the women around here already helped me out, her name's Violet. I had some food. Even got a shower and some clean clothes, thank God. I almost feel human again."

Her smile flickered a little bit in amusement. After everything that she'd just learned, that phrase seemed to take on a whole new meaning. She tore off a piece of the bread, and chewed quietly as she walked with them.

"I'm probably going to stay with her for a bit. She was very kind, and it seems like she has the space. She runs a club of some sort. Or she will, once it opens. I'll bet Marion will be able to adjust better if she just stays with Anne, for now."

Jasmine didn't say anything, but the idea of staying with a little kid Marion's age, considering everything she'd been through, might not be a good idea yet. She remembered the first night out of the hospital, the little boy had woken up screaming - no doubt from a nightmare. Jasmine had almost attacked him before she'd realized what she was doing. The look on his face as she was holding him up by the shirt still haunted her. No wonder the little one had run away from her. She didn't even know their names.. they had been too busy running for their lives to ask.

[Dawn OOC]

Frank and Jose glanced at one another. "Just be careful with Violet, ok?" Frank asked. "When one of the first things that happens in one of these places is that someone warns you about someone, you should be careful."

"Warns?" Jasmine asked.

"Yeah, there was a fight over her not long ago," Frank said. "Apparently, she nearly got some people kicked out of camp over it."

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine thought that over for a moment, before nodding slightly, and glancing over at the men again briefly.

"I guess I could see that.. she said she'd had some problems with some guys around the club, told me to watch myself around here, that things weren't really safe for women who didn't have someone to keep an eye out for them."

She turned back to Jose and Frank, and smiled a bit playfully.

"Sounds like typical men to me - Momma always told me they could only think with one head at a time. Don't worry, guys.. I can watch my own back. C'mon, take me to where Marion and Anne are - I want to tell them what's going on, and make sure Marion's feelings aren't hurt."

Jose and George looked at each other a little nervously, but Jose shrugged silently and George sighed. Then they both jogged a couple steps to catch up, and led Jasmine down the rest of the path, towards the rooms they had been assigned.

(Edited to add last paragraph to wrap up this portion of the story.)

[Dawn OOC]

The group was going to Dallas, to Jon's lab, for lack of a better place. Talking with Gabrielle had quickly revealed that any encounters with Elijah would require more people than they had with them, or something really clever. Some chatter on the matter had generated some ideas, but nothing that felt safe enough to use.

They had been driving for several hours when the radio on Myf's dash squawked. Slowing, the red-head lunged for the dial, wiggling it a little. "CQ, CQ, CQ. QTH Fox's Refuge. Reporting to the area: Fox's Refuge is a zombie-free zone. I say again: Fox's Refuge is a zombie-free zone. Come-back, and we'll guide you home. Come-back, any ears in the area."

[z016]

Gabrielle glanced at the others in the car. "Shall we risk it? We could all use some rest and contact. Perhaps they can help us or at least give us an idea of what's in the area."

[SkyLion]

Jon shifted slightly in his seat. He was too tall for the jeep, unaccustomed to bing so impeded in movement and being the biggest and heaviest, the others had to sit on his lap. It was really uncomfortable and he was feeling sore all over.

"I'd like to get out and stretch regardless," he answered. "I need to get back to my lab quickly but..." he hesitated, frowning. "If its on the way we could check it out but after everything I've learned today I don't know which is worse, Dead cities or human refuges. At least the dead are mindless...they will never sink to the depravity of the living..."

He gives a pointed not-so-trusting look at Caleb.

[SalmonMax]

"Okay everyone out," Myfwany decided. "We'll take a rest stop, and I'll check in with this 'refuge' and see what they have to say."

She glances at Jon. "Remember, not everyone may want to go to your lab. This place may be a good place to drop off anyone who doesn't want to go the full mile."

She then takes the CB handset and transmits, "Fox's Refuge, I hear your signal...my name's Myfwany Shattuck, I've got a four by four full of people and goods, can you hear me, over?"

[Dawn OOC]

"We can hear you. All non-infected who agree to play by Fox's rules are welcome," the voice came back. Without missing a beat, he began to give them instructions on how to find their way there.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

An hour later, Myf drove her truck through the gate in a chain link fence. Armed men directed her to an open area that was serving as a parking lot. After she turned off the vehicle, the group looked at the settlement. Tucked between steep hills, the fenced area was spotted with clusters of 'buildings' most of which weren't buildings but RVs, tents and other temporary structures clearly being used on a more permanent basis.

The people were another sign of the safety of the place; most were only lightly armed, and there were only occasional glances at the fences. They seemed more at peace, and a small group of children were actually playing. One was clutching a small puppy as she helped build the mud castle.

It seemed like paradise compared to the hell they had seen.

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine's afternoon had gone fairly well. She had followed the guys back to the rooms they had been set up in. Compared to how they had been living, it looked like a dream come true. She wondered if she would be sharing accommodations with anyone at Violet's. She had met up with Anne and Marion, and explained the situation to them as well. Marion had seemed a bit disappointed, but Jasmine had promised she would see her around and come hang out with her. Anne had seemed a bit relieved - and that made Jasmine even more relieved at Violet's offer. The older woman had always seemed a bit uncomfortable around her. Or maybe it was because Jasmine hadn't been afraid to tell it like it was.

Anne: I'm telling you, that's my daughter, and I'm going in there if I have to do it on my own! She has to be in there, she has to! Or maybe she's left a note, or a message.."

Jasmine: I'm sure your daughter would love that, Anne. Why don't you go ahead then. Go ahead and abandon her daughter to strangers you don't know. Leave her here while you chase after the slim hope that your daughter survived the hysteria. Cause that's what you would've wanted, right? Someone to abandon your kid and go chasing after you? That's what you would have wanted as a mother, right?"

That has been under the belt, and Jasmine knew it. Maybe it had struck too close to home, and Jasmine's desperate plans. But there was a difference - at least Jasmine had a slim hope of survival. Anne had none, a normal human woman, well past her prime, trying to survive amongst shambling mobs of the undead. She wouldn't have lasted an hour.. and she had Marion to think of. It had brought her back to her senses, at least.. though she probably hadn't forgiven Jasmine for the cruelness of it. Jasmine couldn't help it, she didn't know any other way. It had been months since she'd had to speak to another living person, much less offer kind words or understanding. And she understood Anne, a little too much. She had promised to herself that she would go back to Oklahoma City, if she could, and make it up to her. At least give the poor woman some closure. There was about as much of a chance of that as there was for Dallas, though. And she wasn't convinced she could make herself go before she checked on her own family first. After all, hadn't she already saved Anne and Marion's life? Didn't she deserve some answers herself first?

Jasmine hesitated at the door to Violet's as the vehicle approached through the gate. It looked pretty crammed, as if there were more people in there than it was really meant to hold. She watched for a moment as they approached, and received the same welcome speech she had heard only hours before. Then she opened the door to Violet's and stepped in, her eyes blinking to adjust to the dimmer interior as she looked around.

"Violet? JoAnna.. Jill? Anyone here?"

[Venus]

Jill was the one to open the door. She had obviously been working hard but seemed to be enjoying herself. "Hey Jasmine.", the tall buff blonde eyes her almost checking her out like a man would.

"The lovebirds are upstairs, I'll go get them. Pour yourself a drink I'll be right back.", Jill pointed with her head towards the bar and walked towards the door through which Violet and JoAnna have disappeared earlier.

After a short moment Violet came down. She was wearing hiphugging hotpants that showed off her long legs and bubbly ass. The tanktop she was wearing was never designed to hold the bounty held within and the printing on it was seriously distorted. As Violet came closer Jasmine could read what it said: I can make milk, what is your superpower?

"Heya hon, I've been missing you.", Violet gave Jasmine a welcoming hug. "Is everything alright with your folks?"

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine was starting to become a little more aware of the nature of the girls' relations around here to each other, and though she wasn't sure of Jill's intentions quite yet, her dusky skin did manage to flush with just a bit of color. She nodded at her, and walked over to the bar as she waited. She didn't want to interrupt anyone, but she didn't imagine Jill would bother them if they didn't want to be bothered when she got back. She walked over to the bar, and glanced at the bottles warily. Her father had always had drank a certain kind of rum, but he mixed it with Coke and she wasn't sure how to do that. She ran her fingertip across the top of an open bottle, and placed it between her lips to taste it. She made a face at the bitterness, but shook her head as she heard Violet descend the stairs.

She returned Violet's hug, and smiled at her.

"Yes, everything's good. They're settled in well. And it looks like there's another group outside that just pulled up. A whole bunch of them all crammed into a Jeep."

She considered telling Violet that the newcomers were being "warned" about her.. but thought maybe that might be something that should wait till.. later.

[Venus]

"I'm glad to hear that...", Violet said and hesitated for a moment. "Another bunch of newcomers you say? That's a lot for one day. I thought we're a pretty secluded place in these parts."

Something seemed to be on Violet's mind but she kept her perfect facade and good spirit around Jasmine. "Your quarters is all set and ready upstairs. I hope you'll like it. Do you want to check it out now or meet the newcomers?", the question was pregnant with a suggestion that Violet seemed always to broadcast no matter what the topic of the conversation was. It wasn't as if she was trying hard to seduce Jasmine, she could have her anytime she wanted. Yet her bodylanguage and the way she pronounced her sentences suggested more than met the eye.

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine smiled a bit cautiously, and glanced up the stairs briefly before shaking her head.

"I can take a look at that later, no hurry. And to be fair, I only found this place because of my abilities. It IS pretty secluded otherwise."

She hesitated, but her curiosity regarding the other "supermen" here were starting to get the best of her.

"Perhaps I should meet this Captain Fox you were talking about? Maybe.. maybe I can help out around here somehow."

[Venus]

She is thinking about staying here, that's good

Violet smiled at her even brighter than before - if that was even possible.

"I'm sure he'll be glad to meet you, Jas.", she looked at Jasmine and waited a short moment. "You're ok if I call you Jas?", Violet's face had a questioningly yet undeniable expression. How could someone say 'no' to her?

"I'll introduce you to him once they're back from Lawton. The men are raiding a military cache for equipment. They shouldn't take too long." Violet held Jasmine's hands like a big sister and bounced a little as she finished her sentence. Her lively and unburdened demeanor was kind of infectious.

"So you want to check out the newcomers?"

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine thought about it for a moment, but Violet's enthusiasm was so OVERWHELMING.. it put Jasmine in a better mood than she had been in for a long time. She grinned back at her, and nodded. It was the first time she had seen Jasmine act.. well, young. It was obvious, for the first time, that this girl couldn't be older than twenty at the very most.

"Sure.. we can do that! Let's go, before they've passed by. And no.. you can call me Jas. That's what my friends used to call me."

(Edited to address Violet's question about her name.)

[Venus]

It felt good watching the young girl open up and behave closer to her age than she had when they first met. Creating a bond with her was instrumental to her plans.

"So what are we waiting for?", Violet didn't wait for an answer and simply turned around taking Jasmine by one hand and leading her outside.

A bunch of people had gathered around the newcomers already and it seemed to be one of the better days this community saw. Hopefully the men would return successfully from their mission, then Violet would've something to look forward to this evening.

Carefully she guided Jasmine closer to the large 4x4 truck parting the assembled guards and people as they came closer to give them more room.

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine allowed herself to be led outside by Violet, looking a bit curiously at the newcomers, but also at the small crowd surrounding them. After all, she was a newcomer too.

[z016]

Gabrielle piled out of the car in relief. Beyond the physical discomfort of cramming so many people in so small a place, she wanted to get her friends some distance from Jon. He obviously didn't trust them or like them, and Gabrielle knew that what they needed right now was some understanding to deal with having so much change so quickly. She glanced around the 'Fox's Refuge', noting the relative ease of the people here and hoping she could find enough good souls to help her rescue her family and others left to Elijah's lies.

She stretched for a moment, reveling in the feeling of good health and apparently good safety.

[SalmonMax]

Myfwany popped open the driver's side door and slipped out onto the firm, slightly springy soil of the parking area. There weren't a LOT of cars, but there were some. Enough to hint at fuel here, and possibly maintenance.

As with most things, she experienced her first good look at Fox's Refuge on two levels. One was just glad to be alive, standing in the sun watching the unexpected joy of seeing children play. The other was noting that there was no sign of a river or other flowing water source, nor were there signs of large scale agriculture or livestock. A spring or well might explain the water, but where was the food coming from? Or maybe it was back behind the hills out of sight.

An unpleasant tickle came when she thought of their last stop. How easy would it be for someone like Elijah to get his trojan fanatics through that simple chain link fence?

With a quick glance at the others, Myfwany said, "I'm going to go see who's in charge here. You guys can come along or...mingle, I guess. Whatever you want to do."

She headed for the little shantytown there in the hills.

[Venus]

The driver is a woman… very good. Maybe they’ll stay for a while?

Violet watched Myf get out of the 4x4 and head straight out to the center of the base. Looked like the woman was in charge of the little entourage she drove and by the way she strode she seemed to be a pretty determined personality.

“I’ll try to catch her attention.”, whispered Violet to Jasmine, “Maybe you can check out who’s in that 4x4?”

Violet stepped away from Jasmine somewhat intercepting the path Myf was walking and flashed her a perfectly white toothed smile. “Welcome to Fox’s Refuge, my name is Violet. Are you going to stay or just passing through?”

[SalmonMax]

At the new voice Myfwany turns around to answer. For a second her mouth hangs open. It wasn't that she was particularly drawn to women, it was just...it seemed impossible anyone who looked like that could have survived for some reason. Or more accurately, that anyone who looked like that would have CONTINUED to look like that after surviving.

"Sorry, you surprised me," she says quickly, cheeks reddening. "Uh, what? Oh! We're...well, I'm just passing through. They may stay, I'm not sure."

She recovered from the shock and spoke with more certainty. "I'm Myfwany Shattuck, I spoke to the man on the radio. I've got trade goods, and I'm a doctor...but first things first, I need to talk to whoever's in charge here. The people riding with me and I...we've seen some things you people need to know about."

[Venus]

Violet noticed how she made Myf uneasy for a moment and tried to adjust which was rather difficult. She had totally forgotten to change into something more suitable instead of wearing next to nothing. Well her plan was to indulge herself with Jasmine but then the newcomers hailed. Maybe an excuse would be appropriate?

“I’m sorry about…”, she started but interrupted herself realizing it was more difficult to explain why she was dressed half naked then to simply ignore it and hope the woman wouldn’t mind.

“I can take you to the authorities although the man you’re looking for is currently away. I’m good friend with him and his men.”, Violet glanced briefly back at Jasmine torn between following the woman and staying close to Jasmine.

“Would you mind if you waited until they returned from their raid? I’ve got someone else who just arrived today and likes to talk with the Captain, too. We can wait at my place, I’ve got some fresh water and some food.”, Violet’s offer seemed genuine although her appearance somewhat tainted it.

[SkyLion]

Quote:

"We can hear you. All non-infected who agree to play by Fox's rules are welcome," the voice came back. Without missing a beat, he began to give them instructions on how to find their way there.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Jon stomach turned when he heard the voice over the radio and glanced guiltily over at Gabrielle. She was staring at the scenery through the window and didn't notice.

*Infected. And they don't know. If I tell them they would cast me out or worse. What about Myfwany? I could probably trust her to understand, maybe. But not yet. Not with so many others around.*

Jon remained quiet for the rest of the journey.

Quote:

An hour later, Myf drove her truck through the gate in a chain link fence.

Jon squinted his eyes at the ramshakle compound.

*So this is Fox's refuge. Seems like a shantytown. People are happy though. Guard towers are a good idea, indicates organization. Fence could use some work though. God I'm hungry.*

Quote:

Gabrielle piled out of the car in relief. Beyond the physical discomfort of cramming so many people in so small a place, she wanted to get her friends some distance from Jon. He obviously didn't trust them or like them, and Gabrielle knew that what they needed right now was some understanding to deal with having so much change so quickly. She glanced around the 'Fox's Refuge', noting the relative ease of the people here and hoping she could find enough good souls to help her rescue her family and others left to Elijah's lies.

Gabrielle had remained silent for most of the ride as well. Jon could tell she didn't like him. She must be afraid of him, for how he acted. He must seem like a monster to the others. That his hairless features were so strange looking didn't help matters.

Quote:

With a quick glance at the others, Myfwany said, "I'm going to go see who's in charge here. You guys can come along or...mingle, I guess. Whatever you want to do."

"Uh...yeah, I'll go with you." He turned to Gabrielle and said "Perhaps, you should stay here and tend to your...um...flock. Will you be alright?"

Quote:

Violet stepped away from Jasmine somewhat intercepting the path Myf was walking and flashed her a perfectly white toothed smile. “Welcome to Fox’s Refuge, my name is Violet. Are you going to stay or just passing through?”

Jon gulped. She was so radiant, bursting with fertility. Something stirred in Jon, both in his groin and in his gut. She pulsed with life and her scent made his body nauseus with anticipation.

*NO! I can not, I must not allow it. You will NOT have her. I will not let you...*

Jom paled and wavered a moment, as if about to blackout, staggered, and then caught himself.

"Ohhh.. headrush. Must have stood up too quickly getting out of the jeep." He remembered Violet's question but Myf had already answered it.

Quote:

"Sorry, you surprised me," she says quickly, cheeks reddening. "Uh, what? Oh! We're...well, I'm We're just passing through. They may stay, I'm not sure."

Jon nodded his confirmation.

Quote:

“I can take you to the authorities although the man you’re looking for is currently away. I’m good friend with him and his men.”, Violet glanced briefly back at Jasmine torn between following the woman and staying close to Jasmine.

“Would you mind if you waited until they returned from their raid? I’ve got someone else who just arrived today and likes to talk with the Captain, too. We can wait at my place, I’ve got some fresh water and some food.”, Violet’s offer seemed genuine although her appearance somewhat tainted it.

Food. Refusing food would draw suspicion. So would asking to just go roaming outside the fence. It was a problem he hadn't yet had to deal with. Maybe there would be some livestock around.

"I'm...uh, not feeling so good. I think I'm just going to take a walk, let the feeling come back to my legs. I'll just uh, catch up with you later..." Jon left abruptly, seeming cery uncomfortable with Violet, himself or both.

[Venus]

Violet raised an eyebrow at Jon’s odd behaviour. She had never seen a man like Jon before. His tall and broad built did appeal to her but something was not quite right about him. She was tempted to check that out right away but had to restrain herself – she didn’t want to lose Jasmine out of her sight and this Doctor woman had spiked another idea in her that she needed to explore.

Originally Posted By: SkyLion

"I'm...uh, not feeling so good. I think I'm just going to take a walk, let the feeling come back to my legs. I'll just uh, catch up with you later..." Jon left abruptly, seeming cery uncomfortable with Violet, himself or both.

I know how to make you feel better but first I need to know what you are about “Sure just make sure you stay within reach if the Captain wants to check back on you. It’s the way he deals with newcomers – only that he isn’t around at the moment. The men are supposed to be back soon.”, Violet’s eyes remained only briefly at Jon, her attention was clearly divided between Jasmine and Myf.

[SalmonMax]

"Your leader, the Captain, checks every newcomer personally?" Myfwany asks curiously. "You must not get too many. Or else he spends a lot of time on that."

She shrugs. "Anyway, I could use some water at least. Food too, but I can trade for that. So tell me about this refuge. Most enclaves I've seen form around some existing facility where people survived and stayed organized. Anything like that here?"

[Venus]

„This is a military base, Doctor. We’re pretty secluded here and mostly independent – there aren’t much newcomers these days. That’s why I wanted to see who you people are.”, Violet smiled innocently and shook her head at Myf’s offer to trade for food.

“No need to trade, Doctor. I give what I’ve got gladly for free. If you’re a Doctor I’m more than happy to share.”, that last sentence somehow sounded as if she was also offering herself for share. Violet kept her eyes out for Jasmine all the while and gave Myf another good look at herself. Besides her obvious ‘skimpy’ outfit Myf could read the distorted text that was printed on the tank top ”I can make milk. What is your superpower?” This made the whole scene a little more bizarre.

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine watched Violet head towards the female doctor, and caught the first few moments of her conversation . She hadn't been entirely sure what Violet had wanted her to look into regarding the others, but after watching Violet's conversation with the female doctor she assumed that Violet wanted to at least get as many of them back to her place for "investigation" as she could. That made sense, of course.. Violet seemed, if nothing else, insatiably curious. She had done the exact same thing to her. Jasmine tried to suppress a small surge of jealousy. There's no reason she shouldn't be as nice to the others as she was to her, after all. And though she might not be as STUNNING about it.. so could Jasmine.

She glanced over at a couple of the people who hadn't gotten out of the van yet. It was the young woman who caught her attention, the one with blonde hair and delicate features. She didn't look any older than Jasmine, really.. and she seemed to radiate something.. serenity, maybe. Serenity had a powerful draw on Jasmine, and she made her way over to her.

"Hey, um.. hi. Welcome to Fox's Refuge. I'm Jasmine.. and your name is?"

She stumbled a bit at the beginning, not sounding quite as sure of herself as Violet.. but hey, she was pretty new to the welcome wagon around here. She smiled a bit wryly to herself, though it just seemed a bit shy to anyone else, and held out a hand to the blonde in greeting.

[SalmonMax]

The buxom woman was, Myf decided, a bit odd in a way she couldn't put her finger on. She seemed to either speak for the Refuge, or think she spoke for it. Maybe she was the 'captain's girlfriend or something.

"Why?" she asked. "Do you personally need a doctor?"

[Venus]

"No... well, maybe. Sort of. It depends I'd say.", Violet bit her lower lip like a little girl.

"I think a Doctor is sacred these days, so if you really are a Doctor this community would profit alot from your presence. We do pretty good so far and there are medics around here but I think the more the better for us all.", Violet sighed a little.

"Why are you in such a rush? Have you been attacked? Has someone been bitten?", Violet eyed Jon suspicously as she asked that question leaning a bit closer to Myf and lowering her voice. Myf could tell by now that something about Violet was more amiss than the lack of decent clothing. Her eyes shone brightly in an unnatural violet color - those couldn't possibly be contact lenses.

[z016]

Gabrielle blinked in surprise at Jon's statement of her having a flock and managed to stammer out a, "I, uh, I think we'll be fine. Th-thank you." She hadn't expected him to care, the way he spent most of the ride glaring at Caleb. She thought he hated all of them.

She smiled at one of the residents (she assumed) of the refuge that came up to greet her, "I'm Gabrielle. Gabrielle Andrews. It's nice to meet you, Jasmine. This place looks amazing."

Her eyes flitted over the encampment, taking in the buildings, the people, the sense of security and living instead of just surviving. As they spoke several other people piled out of the car and gathered around the two of them: a thin, peaked woman, a sandy haired young man, and a ginger boy. They clustered near to Gabrielle with a sense somewhere between protective and awed.

The blond girl motioned to the newcomers, "Jasmine, this is Caleb," the blond,"Maxine," the woman, "and Samuel," the ginger boy. The murmured the right social phrase but otherwise kept to themselves, nervously looking about.

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine paused for an awkward moment as she realized she had no idea what to say to the girl. She glanced over at Violet briefly, as if the woman could provide her with some kind of telepathic clue.. but she was engrossed in conversation with the doctor. She shook her head slightly, and turned back to Gabrielle, an uneasy smile flickering across her face as the girl made her own introductions. Jasmine nodded at them all in greet.

"I guess it does seem kind of amazing, doesn't it? To find a place this.. organized. I'm sorry - I just got her myself earlier today with a small group. I can't really show you around much, but I'm sure we can at least get you all something to eat.."

[SalmonMax]

Maybe. Sort of. It depends, I'd say.

Myfwany wasn't long out of internship and residency, but she'd heard those words -many- times. She stopped and gave Violet a long, clinically appraising look.

"My party's clean," she said absently. She doesn't let Violet completely change the subject though, and quickly adds, "So why don't you tell me why you think you need a doctor? Doesn't look like anyone else is around, but if you want to move inside or someplace more comfortable, that's fine."

Discolored eyes? Not a symptom. This could be a genetic aberration or something. Eyes otherwise look healthy; no discharge or milkiness...

Myf gave Violet her doctor's smile...the kind of reassuring smile one would give while spotting someone weightlifting, or packing their parachute. A smile that said, don't worry, I've got your back.

[z016]

The three around Gabrielle perked up at the mention of food. Gabrielle glanced at them and then back to Jasmine, "Of, thank you. I'm not hungry myself, but I think everyone else is and meals are good way to get to know people."

She smiled again, a nearly beatific expression. "You might be nearly as new as us, but you seem pretty comfortable already. Please, be our guide. Is there someone we need to meet or present ourselves to?"