Aberrant: Dead Rising - Chapter 10a: Hell [Mature]

[Dawn OOC]

"No," Simon said in a soft voice. Brown eyes locked with Fox's as he said, "The only questionable thing I did was claim Ashley to protect, something I was granted only because I hadn't done it before and because Joshua was my friend." Simon looked away, his expression pained. "Or at least, he was my friend back when the worst thing he did was cheat at poker.

"I was lucky," Simon stated bluntly. "I can look at myself in the mirror, and I'm still alive. I know you have questions about Murphy." He pointed at the man whose wife had defended him. "It wasn't just hell for the women. Men died there, too. There was a gay guard - they set him on fire. Real funny, flaming, right?

"You were either a victim or a monster in there, Mr. Fox. Punishing people like Murphy is just extending Hell beyond this prison. Had Murphy stood against them, they would have killed him, and someone would have claimed his wife and tortured and abused and raped her. If this court has any mercy, consider that Murphy and I did the same thing: saved the one person we could save. I was just lucky."

Simon's persuasive plea done, he looked at Fox, waiting patiently.

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan nodded once and slung his rifle. "I say give them both a chance."

Click to reveal..

(23:32:14) ChatBot: (Dan_Hawkins) rolls 7d10 and gets 4,9,7,2,8,5,1.

[Courier]

While watching Kristin, James commented to Fox, "It's a tight call, unlike Simon and the others. You could do worse than hand it to the refuge. You know, trial."

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

The blood drained from Kristin's tanned face when she heard about the mass grave, but she stubbornly shock her head in denial, that couldn't be, it would be too unfair. Then what Simon was saying percolated Kristin's stunned thoughts and she looked up at him in mounting horror.

What is he saying? He didn't protect Ashley, I did! He's lying, he has to be! Because if he's not, everything that I did, everything I - I let them do to me was... was for...

"There not dead!" Kristin yelled, cutting off her soul-rending train of thought by rejecting their reality and substituting her own, as only a teenager could do. "We're from here, Grants I mean, not the prison. Well, our farms were outside the town, before we had to burn them. They were just looking for supplies, said they'd only be gone for a few days. They... they probably just went to another town, looking for more."

Kristin nodded firmly, daring anyone to say that that didn't happen. "I bet they're at our camp right now. It's not even far from here, just west of here at the McGaffey Campgrounds -" Kristin cut off, suddenly afraid that she had said too much. She and Ashley still had some supplies there, and she still wasn't sure if these new people would try to take them or not.

After a second, her panic eased a bit, the campgrounds were extensive, and she had hidden their stocks well.

[Courier]

Well, that went well. Denial is much better than coming out swinging... and if she's from this local area then denial is the word.

James yielded the point and said, "It's not like I know what they look like, much less see them go down. They could be back at your place waiting for you. And if they are, like Fox said, our door is open."

A thought struck James, "Ah... why did you have to burn your farm?"

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

"Zombies."

Kristin had been giving James a wary look, sure he was going to call her stupid or worse for saying he was wrong, but her expression froze when he asked about the farm. Then her face scrunched up, jaw taut, chewing on a lip, trying to hold the pain in.

"When we heard about the virus, my and Ashley's family holed up at our farmhouse." Kristin tried to sound blasé, but her voice had a quaver to it that she couldn't hide. "It was bigger, with more fences and ditches, so we thought it would be easier to defend. We had a fair stock of supplies, and our dads had gotten more before everyone went crazy. We thought it would be enough, at least until the government sent help, the army or something."

Kristin pulled her gaze away from James - it was getting hard to stay dried eyed, and she didn't want the men to see her crying. She never wanted them to see her cry ever again. Instead she looked down, kicking at a rock with her bare feet.

"They never came. We held off the occasional wondering zomb, but then, a whole horde of them came. To many of them got pass our firewall before we got it lit, then they were at the doors." She angrily kicked the rock away, the started playing with another one, still keeping her eyes averted. "We ended up fighting them all through the house, going from room to room. We.. we had planned for this, but... all of us still didn't make it out."

She squeezed her eyes shut, then stomped down on the rock, the stone cracking with a sharp snap. "Those of us who made it, came out on the roof, then secured the hatch. All the zombs that had made it pass the firewall were in the house now, so Dad did what he had to do. The walls had been sprayed with gasoline and there were a few propane tanks set around the house. We retreated to the barn, and with two rifle shots, the house was on fire."

Kristin scrubbed at her eyes, then turned her gaze to the sky before continuing. "We watched the fire til the house was only embers, and the firewall had burned out. No... no one - nothing got out. There were no zombs around and nothing left for us there, so we left. We took our remaining supplies and all our seeds were already in sealed containers, ready to go - we planned on being able to restart the farm, if we could - and we... left."

"We ended up at the McGaffey Campgrounds. It turned out to be a good spot. They were closed at the time, few people and so few zombs. The generator for the RV hook-ups still worked, and the admin building still had power. Even the small gas station and confectionary were still stocked. It was a good place... safe for all of us..."

Kristin turned her back on them, rubbing at her eyes with a knuckle, while Ashley took her other hand, feeling for her cousin... and herself. "Almost all of us...My brother...Jacob... he... Then my dad and aunt and Caleb left, with Ashley's dad and uncle..."

Kristin turned back and face the men directly, her eyes clear if bright, her breathing deep and slow. "And here we are."

[Courier]

James said gently, "I'm sorry. I lost... never mind." I lost everyone. But everyone has a story like that, and this isn't the time or place to review them.

James added more seriously, "When you get back to the Campgrounds, they'll either be there or they won't. If they're not there, then hopefully they left a message where they're going next. If they didn't, and if you decide to come with us, then you need to leave one yourself. Take a big black marker and write it on a wall, be sure and mention the date."

"That's the best of both worlds, you'd get to wait for them in what passes for a thriving community these days."

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan nodded. "I have a faster option than by the roads." He looked at Morgan. "I'll fly us there and radio you one way or the other. That's going to be more efficient. If Kristin, Ashley and their family decide not to return with us, I'm about the only one who can get a vehicle running in short order for them."

He looked to Kristin and Ashley. "How's that sound?"

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

"They'll be there!" Kristin cried at James, then took several steps back, arms twitching as if she wanted to bring them up in defense in case the large man to offense at her tone. Master would have taken the cattle prod to her is she talked to him like that.

She gave him one last wary look than turned it on Dan. "If you have a way to get us there faster, me and Ashley will take it." She quickly glanced at Fox again, remembering him flying, and a peculiar twist came to her mouth. The thought of Dan holding her all the way there, his arm around her, filled her with disgust. "Thank-you, sir," she finally managed to choke out.

What if he tries something? Then I'll fight this time, even if he says he'll hurt Ashley. I'll never let a man do things like that to me again! Never, never, never...

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan nods and then goes back over to the sled, butting the harness on and smiling. He looks to Kristin. "All you have to do is sit down and tell me which direction to Fly."

[Mr Fox]

Fox listened to all that was said, it still wasn't easy. He believed Simon, but there was still just a small niggling doubt in his mind. "Ashley, tell me straight out. Do you vouch for Simon and testify that he did not treat you or any other prisoner that you know of badly. He did not engage in any rape, murder or other act in the time you have known him? If you can answer this truthfully then he is free to go with you and your cousin." ((assuming she does speak for him truthfully he will continue))

"As for the guard, he will come back to the refuge with us for an actual trial and if acquitted will be freed."

He looked with gentleness on Kristin and Ashley, "Good luck in finding your family." To Dan, "I will open another gateway at this location in five hours, and again every three hours after. In the mean time I'm going to get the rest of these people back to the refuge and cleaned up and fed and settled in. The ones that want to go that is."

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan nods. "Understood." He nods to Kristin and Ashley, waiting to hear her answer, before herding them to the sled.

[Dawn OOC]

"Simon tried to talk Josh... I mean, Hornsbeck out of what he was doing many times," Ashley said earnestly. Fox didn't sense a lie as she said, "He took me in so that someone else wouldn't claim me. Hornsbeck said that if Kristin cooperated, he'd spare me, but he was still going to put me under some man. That could have been awful, even if they never touched me. Simon was a total gentleman, though."

When Kristin moved toward the sled, Simon said, "I'd like to come. No offense to any of you, but I'd feel better if I can keep an eye on Ashley until I know I can trust you guys. You seem like good guys, but I just met you."

"You can come!" Ashley said before Kristin could, reaching out and grabbing Simon's hand.

"Is that alright, Kristin?" Simon asked her.

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

Kristin looked at the 'sled' a little uncertainly, then brightened slightly. At least he won't have his hands on me all the way there.

Kristin had heard what Simon had said about what he did in Paradise, and now she listened to Ashley defending him. It sounded like Master FuckerFuckerFucker had lied to her about keeping Ashley safe - she didn't know why that should hurt, she should've have known he wouldn't keep his word.

Originally Posted By: Simon

"Is that alright, Kristin?"

Kristin stared at him, wanting to hate him, but if he had helped Ash... Kristin hunched her shoulders, looking down, and nodded.

"You can come," she mumbled, then slinked off, sitting on the far end of the sled, as far as she could get from Simon. She pulled her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around herself. Ashley followed Kristin onto the sled, Simon in tow, keeping herself between him her cousin.

Seeing that they were ready to go, Dan broke himself free of gravity's grasp and smoothly lifted the sled into the sky. Kristin immediately directed the Marine west and soon, the party was flying over Cibola National Park. Kristin's directions were delivered with utmost certainty and without needing to navigate the unlevel terrain and winding roads, it was less than forty-five minutes latter when Dan was flying up the wooded slopes of Mt. Taylor.

The clearings of the McGaffey Campgrounds passed beneath then in a picturesque blur, Kristin almost bouncing in her seat, leaning far out as she pointed the way to where they had established their camp. Dan set the sled down on the rough road separating two groups of buildings. On one side, there was a small confectionery and supply store, two gasoline pumps sitting primly outside. On the other side, there was a utilitarian administration building, low and broad, coloured a dismal grey and beige.

Kristin didn't even wait for the sled to stop rocking before she shot off like a gazelle, bounding towards the admin building, heedless of anything else.

"Dad! Dad! Caleb! We're back!" Kristin cried in hopeful relief, pounding heavily on the door. "It's me and Ashley, we made it back! Let us in!"

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan stood ready, watching everything, his gun ready, inwardly praying he wouldn't need it. He stayed close to the trio, seeking to protect Ashley and Kristin, and to some extent Simon should a zombie appear.

[Dawn OOC]

The camp wasn't deserted, but the dozen or so men there weren't their families. They stood up nervously as the super-beautiful woman approached them. While all male, they were also well aware of what she was. Dan, not far behind her, also drew their eyes. "What do you want?" one called to them.

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

Kristin suddenly became aware of the men occupying her camp. She stopped banging on the door, acutely aware that she was only wearing an oversized shirt clinging to her figure. She had seen those looks before, on the faces of Master and his men. She never wanted to see them again.

"What am I doing?!" Kristin growled, glaring at the men, her head twisting, trying to keep them all in view. Her hands were balled into fists, the muscles in her forearms and legs tensed and ominous despite - or because of - her short stature and uncanny attractiveness. "What are you doing here? This is my camp, mine and my cousin's and our families? Where are they? What did you do to them?!"

Kristin crouched slightly, ready to pounce, almost quivering with a terrible excitement.

[Dawn OOC]

"Hey, chill the fuck out!" one of the men barked; Dan saw rifles rising as the men fell into defensive stances. It was clear to him that they'd recognized Kristin for what she was. "There was no one here when we got here! If your family was here, they aren't any longer!"

Simon stepped forward, his hands held away from his body. "Gentlemen, Ms. Mackenzie here has had a really bad day," Simon said softly. "There's no need for the guns, especially since our ex-marine friend here will fill you full of lead before you can fire a shot. Let's all calm down - you too, please, Kristin - and talk about this."

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

Deep down inside, Kristin knew that there was little chance that her father and brother would be back at their camp, but still, after finally being free of Paradise, she had been full of blind hope. That hope had been shattered, the stranger's words hurting her deeply, far more than their rifles could have.

Kristin hunched her shoulders, tense muscles growing slack. Her hands were still up, but no longer in aggression but rather trying to conceal her figure. She chewed on a lip, half her face shadowed by silken gold, her visible jade eye bright, and the men could see just how young Kristin was.

"Is - was - is there no sign of them? They - they didn't leave a note or... or anything?" Kristin's gaze flicked to a large pile of split firewood, trying to determine if it had been disturbed - she had hidden their supplies beneath in a covered pit. A bit of subdued fierceness entered her tone. "You didn't take all our stuff, did you?"

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan stood silently behind them, his combat issue battle rifle easily identifiable as lovingly maintained military hardware. He nodded when his occupation was mentioned, but didn't move threateningly at all. He obviously had other weapons, and was allowing the fact that he looked like a fully geared out Marine to stand for anything he'd say.

Electricity seemed to hum in the air, especially around him, as he activated his defensive barrier.

Click to reveal..

activating Forcefield

(18:11:32) ChatBot: (Dan_Hawkins) rolls 6d10 and gets 10,1,10,7,1,7.

(18:11:39) ChatBot: (Dan_Hawkins) rolls 1d10 and gets 5.

(18:11:47) ChatBot: (Dan_Hawkins) rolls 2d10 and gets 8,5.

(5 successes)

+13/+13 B/L soak

[Dawn OOC]

"There wasn't a note or anything left. I'm sorry," one of the men added. Of all of them, he seemed to get that he was dealing with a deperate, hurt girl who was just looking for her family. "There wasn't any stuff either, though there were signs that someone had been camping here. You're welcome to look, but we don't let you steal our stuff, right?"

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

"I'm not a thief!" Kristin exclaimed ferociously, but her expression quickly became crestfallen. She shuffled over to the woodpile, keeping a wary eye on the men. When they didn't approach her, she glanced at Dan to make sure he was still watching them, then began shoving at the big pile of firewood. "I hid most of our stuff."

She may have been just over five feet tall, but Kristin's physique was extremely well toned, and possessed a strength more than human. Surprisingly soon, the several large stacks of split logs was pushed over, spreading across the clearing. Bare hands began digging at the dirt, until with a pleased grunt, Kristin found an edge of a blue tarp.

She peeled it back with both hands, taking a layer of dirt several inches thick with it, revealing a broad sheet of plywood. This was picked up and tossed aside, as were the supporting four-by-fours. Kristin jumped into the shallow pit, the majority of which was filled with thick, plastic, cylindrical containers.

"Ash! Everything's still here!" came Kristin's bright cry, only her shoulders and blond head visible. Her green eyes narrowed on the men that had appropriated her camp, concerned that they might try to take their supplies. Very obviously, the first thing Kristin pulled out was a heavy fireman's axe, the wooden haft of the large, red blade replaced with a long, flattened piece of solid steel, a rough, rubber grip banding the last foot.

"Ash, what do we do?" Kristin called out to her cousin, pulling out a rifle to join the axe, chewing her lip nervously at the other men. "Do - do we stay here, and wait for out dads, or... or go this 'refuge'?"

Ashley could see her dangerous and dangerously attractively cousin tremble slightly, either place clearly causing her some concern.

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan noded, and considered. If he offered Kristin a place, there as then the issue of the me before him. What should he do with them?

He waited to see how Kristin would answer, before offering his own advice.

There was one matter. "You men have seen people like me before haven't you? You didn't seem to have any of the standard reactions my ability to fly garners."

This could prove interesting.

[Dawn OOC]

The men were eyeing Kristin's supplies with regret. Clearly, had they known they were there, they would have helped themselves. But they didn't seem inclined to take them from the girls or their protectors now.

"We saw a guy who could walk through walls in what's left of Vegas, and there's stories of people who can jump far distances with ease as well as fliers," the guy who talked the most said to Dan. "After you hear enough, you just accept that you're going to run into them. In fact, we've been wondering around trying to see if we can find a group of them. Apparently, they have an enclave, and they'll take normal people, too, so long as they obey their rules." He started to add something, but stopped, closing his mouth.

Ashley had stepped to the side of the hole, peering down. "That's great," she said, grinning. Her smile slipped at the question, and she looked to Simon. "What do you think? Should we go or stay?"

"I think that Fox's would be a lot more secure than a hole in the ground," Simon said softly. "Leave a note for your fathers. They'll feel better knowing that you're with someone safe."

"How do you know they're safe?" Ashley asked.

Simon smiled. "Because they have Jules. I doubt she'd be with them if she didn't feel safe there."

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan normally wold have only nodded, instead he was intrigued. He looked to Kristin and nodded. "You are welcome at the refuge. That's why we went through the effort of what we did."

He looks to the men. "You were about to continue I believe."

It was clear Dan was considering their words, though to what end was not.

Click to reveal..

7d10 to see if they're lying or otherwise being facetious.

(08:47:30) ChatBot: (Dan_Hawkins) rolls 7d10 and gets 7,2,8,10,10,10,5.

(08:48:04) ChatBot: (Dan_Hawkins) rolls 3d10 and gets 7,2,5. (6 successes)

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

Kristin didn't like Ashley asking Simon what to - she had asked her. She stared at him from beneath lowered brows, but they shot up in surprise when he spoke Jules' name. He had a good point, Jules had been in Paradise, she would know that almost no man could be trusted. Maybe, just maybe, the Refuge would be safe. It had to be safer than it being just her and Ashley by themselves at the camp.

She still didn't like Simon, though.

"Okay, Ash, let's go see what this Refuge is like." She gave her cousin a tremulous grin then gave Dan a nod, thanking him for the offer.

After the axe and rifle, the next thing Kristin pulled out was a bulging backpack. She took the pack and her axe then ran across the road to the communal bathroom next to the confectionery. Inside the sunlit dimness of the bathroom, Kristin pulled some clothing out of the pack. She moved deeper in, making sure no one could see her, then stripped out of the shirt that she had stolen from Hornspecker.

Pulling on underwear, even socks, felt odd, yet welcome after so long without. Her worn jeans, once loose, were now tight on her legs. She hadn't worn this pair since she became a slayer and added all that muscle. She struggled with putting on her bra, inadvertently yanking too hard and ripping it apart. She seemed completely oblivious to the fact that she had greatly outgrown her old A-cup. She grimaced ruefully at her strength, then put on two T-shirts to compensate, shrugging when she noticed them tighter than she remembered, a few inches of toned abs showing. She pulled on her old Nikes, regretting the lost of her hiking boots and was ready to go.

Kristin ran back outside, her pack over a shoulder and axe in hand. With Dan watching on, Ashley and Simon took care of the smaller bags and boxes of supplies, some non-perishable foodstuffs, clothing, and camping gear. Kristin handled the larger black and grey containers full of their families crop seeds.

It took some careful finagling, and the liberal use of tarps and pungy cords, but they managed to pack everything onto the sled. They would be sitting on their supplies, and it wouldn't be comfortable, but nothing was left behind. Kristin looked at the sled with a satisfied air, then turned to look at the man who was doing all the talking, axe swung over a shoulder.

"There, you can keep the camp. Can we just write a message in the front hall of the admin building for our fathers?"

[Dawn OOC]

"We were just wondering if you were them," the man said to Dan while Kristin changed. "The ones with the enclave of super-humans."

"What if we are?" Simon asked, his voice calm but cautious.

"Well... we want to join you." The other men nodded quickly. "It's a lot safer with you guys than wandering around out here." The other men nodded again.

Kristin came back out after her rapid changing session, and the men stood back while they loaded the materials. When they were done, and Kristin asked her question, the men said, "Sure, write your message, whatever you want. Wouldn't be right to try to stop you from doing that."

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

Had Kristin heard the men's request to join the refuge, she would have watched them with more suspicion, but she hadn't, so she didn't. Instead, she gave them a curt, 'Thanks," and dashed inside the admin building.

Inside, Kristin jumped over the front desk and quickly searched through the drawers until she found a black marker. She moved back to the other side of the desk, then tore down the promotional and event posters from the front wall. She stood up on one of the waiting chairs and scrawled her and Ashley's name in big letters on the wall, along with the direction's to Fox's Refuge, which she got from Dan while he flew them here. She was about to post the date, when she suddenly paused, hand shaking, making a black scribble on the wall. She had no clue what the date was.

Sheepishly, she poked her head out the building, but there was a glare in her eyes warning the men about saying anything about her confusion. "What day... and... um, month is it?" When she got an answer, she ran back in and added it, then ran out.

"Okay, I'm ready to go!" she exclaimed, climbing onto the sled, looking at Dan and Ashley, and mostly ignoring the others.

[Dan Hawkins]

Deciding the information they might have worth the gamble he nods. Morgan would want to know what they've seen.

"Allright, I'll take you to the Man. Hurry up and get your gear ready and follow me."

He radios to Fox. "No luck in our Trek, though I did find some refugees looking for a home. we're inbound on the prison, carrying a sled and followed by a van."

With that he motioned for Simon and Ashley to climb on and then lifted the sled into the air, heading back for the prison.

[Dawn OOC]

It was a little slower, keeping pace so that the van could keep up. It wasn't as much speed as roads; after six months of disuse, some of them were starting to get impassible. It was just one more sign of the progress lost over time.

Click to reveal..

I'm going to let Fox have a chance to speak up before we go much further.

[Mr Fox]

After Dan and the girls had left Fox was quick to organize the survivors giving them the welcome to the Refuge speech, and adding that they would be cared for and given medical attention. Afterwards he send the security guys in search of paradise's supply stores. No sense in letting those go to waist now that the occupants were either dead or leaving. Any who chose not to go would be given as much as they could carry and allowed to leave. In short order he had everyone ready to go, but before he could open a gateway Dan radioed in.

"Yeah, we were just about to take off, but we can wait till you guys get back."

[Dan Hawkins]

"Thanks, we'll be there eventually."

It took over an hour and a half because of the van, but eventually Dan and the others arrived back at the Prison. He nodded to Hana and Violet when he returned and continued. Dan led the five men over to Fox and nodded. If you guys want to join, he's the man to talk to." He motioned for Kristin to begin loading her things in his Humvee, and waited for Fox's decision on them.

[Mr Fox]

Fox looked at the men and evaluating them for threat level then gave them the brief Refuge speech ending with, "So if you don't mind living by the rules and contributing to the community you are welcome to join us. One question you need to answer for me with a straight response, "Do you intend harm to the Refuge or any of it's residents?" The question wasn't fool proof, a person could get around it by honestly not intending harm to the community but still being used by the RUS as a spy or something. It would eliminate blatantly hostile people who could keep a straight face and lie well however.

Assuming they men don't lie or refuse to answer the question Fox will make a warp back to the outside gate of the refuge. Speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Once we arrive you will be required to remain separate from the rest of the community for 24 hours just to insure you are not infected with the Z, but don't worry, you'll still receive food and new clothes and medical attention while you wait."

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

Kristin scowled at Dan's back - he could have helped, but no, he was already being like all the other men and just telling her what do. Her suppressed fear surged for a moment, afraid that the Refuge was going to full of men just like the ones in Paradise, then she tightened her jaw stubbornly. She was free now, and she'd be damned if she was going to back down already. She wasn't scared, she wasn't!

Kristin began transferring her supplies from the sled to Dan's humvee, giving the two girls standing nearby an uncertain smile. One was just a little younger than her, with black hair, about the size she was before she got all buff from becoming a Slayer, but lots prettier. But it was the other woman who drew her eyes like a moth to flame on each trip back to the humvee, glancing at her shyly from behind the supplies she carried in her arms.

Kristin knew she wasn't gorgeous or anything, not like Ashley or Jules or even that black-haired girl, but she thought she was sort of, almost, sometimes cute. But the tall woman standing next to the humvee was unbelievably, impossibly beautiful, and made her feel completely inadequate as a girl - though conversely, she was also painfully grateful she didn't look like that in Paradise, that would have made her time there even more horrible.

The only woman that Kristin could manage to compare her to was Jessica Rabbit. James Bond might have only been a movie character - and she still wasn't entirely convinced he wasn't just a figment of her imagination - but at least he wasn't a cartoon like this woman. When the auburn haired woman flashed a dazzling smile, it made her feel warm... and a little weird.

"Um, er, hi, I'm Kristin. Dan said I could put our supplies in his humvee, I'm not just, you know, taking it or anything." Though she still had a hesitant, guarded grin on her face, there was a fierce light in her jade eyes, her clothes straining tight across a muscular yet curvaceous figure that no woman should have been able to possess naturally, let alone a fifteen year-old girl.

[Dawn OOC]

Everyone began to troop through, of those that were going. Some women were refusing to leave. They'd already decided that they were going to stay in the prison and build their own enclave. Others were desperate to be away from the place, and some were so badly injured that they didn't have a choice. They would recover at the Refuge and then be given their choice. Some of Fox's people heard that the woman were considering calling the prison Amazonia. It wasn't clear if they were joking or not.

The men that Dan and Kristin had found were another matter. They were quiet, at least until after they had crossed through the warp and saw their new home. "I thought you guys were on top of a mountain," the leader of the small group said, glancing at Fox.

[Venus]

Violet had just wiped away her tears and was still having trouble calming down. Yet she had to appear confident and supporting - these women needed their help, both physically and emotionally and it wouldn't help much if Violet let herself get dragged down by all the pain she felt around her.

She smiled as perfectly as she ever would but it was tough for her to maintain. When the going got tough she... failed. It gnagged at her conscience and self-esteem and adding the tension and the sight of the women almost broke her resolve. At first she cried without really noticing it - then she wept and hid behind the Humvee until she had somewhat recovered. Only after the worst was over she had managed to come out of her hiding place and start helping...

At least she was slowly getting into a routine of some sort and even though she could still feel all the pain and traumata around her she at least had found enough distance for her to tolerate it. For now.

Originally Posted By: Kristin Mackenzie

"Um, er, hi, I'm Kristin. Dan said I could put our supplies in his humvee, I'm not just, you know, taking it or anything." Though she still had a hesitant, guarded grin on her face, there was a fierce light in her jade eyes, her clothes straining tight across a muscular yet curvaceous figure that no woman should have been able to possess naturally, let alone a fifteen year-old girl.

The young voice caught her attention and she turned around to face the owner and expected another teenager but what she saw caught her completely by surprise. Yet she managed to keep her facade and smile although her eyes reflected far more than her confusion.

By the goddess... she is perfect. So beautiful, the buxom succubus almost gasped as Kristin approached and she gave her another smile - an honest almost seductive one which was totally inappropriate given the entire setting. Violets eyes traced over every exposed part of Kristin's amazing body with a mixture of awe and desire which she had a hard time to suppress.

"Of course you wouldn't...", she simply said offering the young woman (girl?) to come closer how old is she?. "My name is Violet - I can't tell if you're wounded, you seem perfectly fine but if there's anything I can do for you, just let me know, ok?".

Violets voice had a magical and soothing quality which perfectly matched her entire appearance - her singing voice must be heavenly. Her eyes flashed with vibrant energy and her skin started to glow with a faint golden hue. All this made her appear even more unreal than Kristin's first impression and although Violet was friendly, warm and welcoming she also sent mixed signals that hinted at more than just that. Or maybe it was just the way she was built which made it hard not to see her as a... pornstar.

[Atomicweasel]

Oh great, Hana thought, the crazy girl. She pushed herself to her feet and leaned against the Humvee, watching as Kristin packed her things and began a conversation with Violet. At least Fox and Dan were done killing people it seemed. Hana risked a look over the top of the Humvee and then glanced at Kirstin. If angels took steroids and spent twenty fours a day in the gym, they'd probably look like that, Hana concluded. Kristin wasn't quite as magically beautiful as Violet was, but she wasn't far from it. She wasn't just cut. She was shredded.

"Hi." Hana worked up her courage to murmur at Kristin as the muscular girl stood before Violet. She jammed her hands into her hoodie as Violet made her introduction and quietly hoped Violet wouldn't offer Kristin pancakes and a place to sleep. Hana didn't want to share. It was hard to think about that now, though...it still seemed so far away, a warm bed, a full stomach, a hot shower. Could any of that be real anymore?

And then Violet was speaking and her voice was like a warm finger tickling its way down Hana's spine. She felt her eyes growing heavy with sleep again and hugged herself, blinking up at the stars for a moment. Hana smothered a yawn behind her sleeve, then turned to shyly ask Violet, "Are we going now?"

[SalmonMax]

From the humvee, Myfwany watched the procession through Fox's gateway with an odd ambivalence. Freeing those women was unquestionably the right thing to do...but there was going to be a cost. A cost she wasn't sure Fox's Refuge could pay.

On impulse she decided to talk to Fox about it sooner rather than later. She got out and trotted over to Fox's side in time to hear the men's question about mountaintops. It brought back a flash from the dreams she'd been having. A mountain, with an immense shaft of light streaming from the top into the sky...

Taken by surprise, she blurted, "Mountain? What mountain?"

[Mr Fox]

Fox looked questioningly at the men. Mwf had beaten him to the question, but he added, "What would make you think we were on a mountain?"

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan looked at the men. "I think it's time for you guyss to tell us what you know. At the very least, everything you've heard."