Aberrant: Dead Rising - Dinner for three [complete]

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan dug in, savoring the cold sweet. It had been a long time since he had ice cream, Honestly the last time he remembered was With Alicia, Mark, and Lisa. He smiled. "Not my favorite flavor, but not too bad. Definitely a delicacy in these times."

He chuckled. "Doesn't have to be though. I know how to make homemade icecream, I just haven't really had the time or reason for it."

[Dawn OOC]

Alicia stared at the frosty treat before her, struggling to contain suddenly volitile emotions. She didn't remember the last time she'd had it, but she did remember the last time she thought about it...

Click to reveal.. (flashback)

After the guards had left, Ally and Becky whispered through their bars. It was their time to try to forget the horror around them, to try for something normal.

But one morbid night, Becky was dwelling on their position. "What do you miss the most?" she whispered.

Ally was silent, instinctivley listening for a guard who may have heard them. After she was sure it was safe, she replied, "Not being locked up."

"Of course that," Becky hissed back. Ally tensed nervously. Becky had become more careless lately, which scared her. It happened, usually right before a girl gave up completely. "Just... tell me about something nice."

"You first," Ally said, feeling tears starting to choke her up.

"Ice cream. Rocky Road ice cream," Becky whispered. "You?"

My baby, Ally thought, pressing a hand to her flat stomach. Instead, she pulled something out of her head and named it. "Watermelon. My husband and his bestfriend and his girlfriend and me all used to go to the beach and swim and bring a cooler - we always had watermelon."

"Yeah... mmm," Becky whispered back, unaware of her friend's true thoughts.

Less than a week later, Alicia had watched them throw Becky into the Pit. Becky had been one of the lucky ones; the zombie had eaten enough of her that she didn't come back as one.

Pulling herself back to the present, she tried a spoonful of ice cream - and found tears pouring down her face in a flood. "I'm... sorry, Violet, Dan... so-so-sorry to sp-sp--" Unable to finish, she just focused on trying to stop crying, the fake fruit taste thick on her tongue.

She'd never be able to eat this ice cream again.

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan stopped eating and moved with a fluid grace equal parts training and beyond human elements. His arms wrapped around Alica and he pulled her to him. He cast a glance to Violet and nodded.

He hoped she'd understand, but a woman crying in fromt of him was something of a weakness for him.

"It's ok Alicia. I'm here and I'll keep you safe. I'm not going anywhere."

Violet could feel an overwheelming sympathy, and sadness from within the walls of Dan's normally resistant defenses. He cared a great deal for Alicia, but it didn't feel like he cared for Alicia in the same way he did for Violet. Most of all there was a genuine desire to protect Alicia.

[Venus]

Violet held her breath watching the events unfolding across the table like an outside body experience. She wasn't prepared for any of this - she wasn't prepared for Dan's reaction and the wave of emotions she felt almost overwhelmed her. It was so hard to get an emotional response from him, so hard to pick up something from him that she could feel and now this woman let him drop his guard just like that.

Her eyes settled on Alicia and Dan watching them hold eachother. His emotions were so clear and pure it made her cry to experience such compassion, sympathy and sadness. His desire to protect her was unparalleled and for a moment Violet asked herself if he ever felt anything like that for her. Their love was still young and vulnerable and there were many things Violet was insecure about - Alicia being the centre of all her doubts right now.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, tears fueled by Dan's compassion and Violet's insecurities and self doubts. What could she do? What should she do? Right now she didn't know anything so she simply cried without weeping. Silent tears commented the scene - tears Violet tried to hold back but simply couldn't.

[Dawn OOC]

Alicia stiffened for a moment, but after a tense moment, she relaxed. She cried into his shoulder, releasing a fraction of the pain she'd accumulated since Z-day. After a time, she straightened up and pushed away from Dan, giving him a hint of a smile. "Thank you," she said, pulling him close for a grateful hug - just as a friend. He was being a good one to her and she wanted to show that she appreciated that.

She was so caught up in her own pain that she didn't notice Violet's tears. In Dan's arms, there wasn't room for such things as pain and fear. Here, she was safe.

[Venus]

Watching Alicia and Dan Violet actually felt sorry for the woman from his past. The problem was more abstract than she first assumed and she had to realize that in order to make this work she had to make a step back and stop taking the matter personally. Alicia didn’t really know her and she didn’t know anything about her except for the tiny droplets of information Dan had shared with her. The truth was, no one could be blamed – it wasn’t her fault and it wasn’t Alicia’s fault either. Even Dan couldn’t do anything about it, the only thing they could do was to move on and take care for each other.

Violet wiped away the tears she had shed not wanting to draw any more attention towards herself. Her „drama“ was comparatively banal compared to Alicia’s and even though the frustration and disappointment she felt were very real the situation had changed and thus her connection to those emotions, too. Violet could handle this with the necessary distance now that she had learned why things were so fucked up. The exaggerately built bombshell sighed as she led the overwhelming frustration and disappointment seep out of her relaxing accordingly. The knot that she felt in the pit of her stomach was gone and she felt generally better, almost relieved.

Giving Dan and Alicia some more time for themselves she stood up and walked over to the small window which granted her a view to the outside world. The refuge was quiet, most lights were turned off. The tent city had shrunk quiet a lot ever since a good deal of the refugees decided to follow Gabrielle and the religious folk to seek their destiny somewhere else. Part of her was glad that they were gone. Most resentment and prejudice came from them and their absence was a personal gain for Violet. Still she wondered why they had to make this move, why they felt it was necessary to split? In Violet’s mind their chances of survival increased if they gathered instead of seperating but obviously that wasn’t the way they were thinking. Shaking her head Violet decided to not dwell on that subject anymore and looked back to check on Dan and Alicia. They weren’t hugging eachother anymore and it seemed as if Alicia had recovered from her breakdown. She’d wait a moment before she rejoined them, if Alicia needed time to adjust, Violet was willing to give her all the time in the world.

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan nodded. "It's what I'm here for Ally." He smiled. "You know, when I said I'd protect you, I half-expected you to haul off and hit me. "You always hated when one of us said that to you, as though you needd protecting."

It wasn't hard for him to simply think of her as Alicia, his oldest friend, despite everything. That's who she was, and just how he was wired.

[Dawn OOC]

Alicia nodded and rubbed away tears. "I don't need protecting from everything, but I've learned that I'm helpless against some things. And you're not, for whatever reason. But yeah, you try to mother me when I can handle myself, I'll smack you one." The woman smiling up at him was the same one who he'd known so long ago, for just a moment. Then reality crowded back in, and he was in love with Violet and the world had gone to Hell.

[Dan Hawkins]

"Won't ever stop me from trying when I feel I need to y'know." He smiled.

He looked back to Violet and then to Alicia. "Ok, so I'll ask again what would the two of you like to do now? We could get out of the refuge awhile, I know a nice spot that's quiet and peaceful, with no zombies around."

[Venus]

Violet sighed and left the question unanswered for a moment. She knew he was trying his best to make this work but Alicia and her just didn’t click with each other. Violet distanced herself from putting any blame on herself, she was more convinced now that any woman Dan was with would’ve had the same problems with Alicia. Alicia’s world was full of pain and even after Paradise there was little left she could feel happy about. If things had been different Dan would’ve been with her and Violet would still be with James. Maybe then Alicia would be a little happier, but who could really tell? In the end it was good that he was with Violet because blaming the oversexed seductress with the superbust was easy – it would’ve been more difficult if Violet wasn’t a super and just another woman whom she could compete with. At least that’s how Violet rationalized things.

Oh Dan, I’m so sorry this isn’t working out…, her eyes found his and he could see the regret she felt when she spoke, „That’s a wonderful idea, Dan. Why don’t you guys go there and I… I clean up here and wait until you return?“, she held her belly smiling apologetically, „I don’t feel that well right now and rather stay here, maybe next time?“, there was no hint of sadness or disappointment in her voice.

Violet thought that she had no chance of improving her situation with Alicia. She could only make things worse. Even her suggestion to let them go on their own would surely cause another kind of drama but she had no idea what was the right thing to do. The truth was, there wasn’t anything she could do right short of not exisiting. Can’t do you that favour, Alicia – Dan can very well decide on his own. Even if he decides to leave me and stay with you – I can’t even change that.

[Dawn OOC]

Alicia paled. "Thanks, but... I don't want to go out of the Refuge, not even with you, Dan. I'm just... I've seen too many friends turned into zombies to be comfortable without having a fence between me and them." She smiled awkwardly, adding, "You two should go, really."

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan nodded, he nderstood the sentiment. "Violet doesn't like it much beyond the refuge either." There was a hint of sadness in his voice but also resignation.

"Shall we call it a night then?"

[Venus]

An odd emptiness creeped up her spine reflecting Dan’s sadness and resignation without giving any emotional response. Violet just stared – stared right through them and held her breath. She wanted him to be happy, to feel good about this and it didn’t work out. There was doubt and fear that this dinner had caused more damage than it helped to establish some kind of friendship. Alicia gave Violet brief glimpses of her true self – she was strong and determined when she gave her angry speech and Violet believed every single word but at the same time Alicia was incredibly vulnerable and fragile. Even more so than Violet.

Her unnatural purple eyes finally settled on Alicia and it felt like she was looking into a mirror – it was difficult to grasp the similarities but vulnerability and fragility were both states Violet was very familiar with. She felt a great sympathy and compassion for Alicia and it saddened her even more that she wasn’t able to reach her.

Looking back to Dan she slowly nodded giving him a wan smile, „I guess that’s a good idea… Alicia, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… I never wanted to hurt your feelings.“, she didn’t add anything to that and started cleaning up the table.

[Dawn OOC]

"That's probably a good idea," Alicia replied to Dan, her blue eyes sad and weary. She gave Violet a small smile at her words, but didn't reply. She didn't trust herself to speak at the moment. "Can I help clean up, before I go?" It was the least she could do.

[Dan Hawkins]

Da nodded, despite having the feeling that wasn't really addressed to him. Together all three of them cleared the table, and cleaned the dishes.

Once they were done, he gave Violet a brief nod and then made his way to leave with Alicia. It was getting close to sunset so many of the workers wer either heading home or already there, and not a soul was nearby or bothered the Marine and the woman with him.