survival of the fittest;

amber casey. earth-attuned. making the most of this killer island thing. { talk so pretty, but your 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐇 }

[amberxbolt]

“But I knew better: no matter where you go, the past floods back.”

introducing AMBER CASEY as BOLT. 29 years old; 1.5 years on meridium. earth-attuned. a canny businesswoman who is relentless in pursuit of her own self-interest, and who struggles to find a place now that all she has known and valued is useless here. | as written by theia (she/her).

                            BIO | STATS | INTERVIEW | SKELETON                                                 [ gif credit ]

[amberxbolt]

akbartheolder​:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

“Right…”  Emre said, deflating for the second time in the shed.  He finally shifted away from Amber, heading to a bowl of water bobbing with soapberries.  Emre slowly started to scrub the blood off his hands.  “Nothing, I suppose.  I weren’t thinking nothing.  Not looking at anyone either.  Dunno know if you’re special or not, Amber.”

They were quiet for a while, as Emre used the mashed-up stem of a thick branch like a brush to scrub at his nails.  “Right, erm.  Where do I know you from, in London?  Because I’m fairly sure I know you from before.”  And Emre didn’t have any precious concept of himself like ‘I never forget a face’ or ‘I remember everyone’s names’.   Fuck that.

He’d sloughed off a lot of his memory under the naïve assumption that he wouldn’t require his past life any longer, not on this paradise island where no one except Iyaz knew him.  All that RAM reset to fill with socialism and communality and farming.  And cleaning animals for cooking, and fighting rain monsters, and fending off attacking jungles and ghosts, and making kind friends, and finding he could be loved as much as he was hated.  

Why the fuck would he have ever needed to remember faces from London, in this remote bloody place called Meridium? Because Talia, and Frank Hauptman.  Because Suresh and Karima.  Because Nadia.  Because Hannah, because little Nellz, because Genevieve.  Because Amber, apparently. Maybe.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Where do I know you from, in London?

Hm. Hm-hm-hm-hm.

What was the harm? What was the point of keeping it secret? Beyond the glee inherent in holding something out of another’s reach, a precious secret known only to yourself. Her boss wasn’t going to come out of the ocean and demand the blood debt repaid. Emre’s boss was equally out of reach.

But to give up the chase so easily? 

When Emre deflated, Amber did too. He’d been the one to turn his back first. Shame. Shame. She’d wanted to play just a little bit longer. But if he was done with this, she was too. He’d come back. He would, he would.

Amber squinted at him. Careful. Considering. Finally she shook her head. “Maybe I have one of those faces? I’m sure there are lots of average American girls in London.”

She finished the last agouti — meticulous, perfect, as her own QA demanded — and put it with the rest. “Right. Anything else you need from me? Otherwise I have to take these and my other orders to Kaz.”

[amberxbolt]

sagetomashardy​:

..&&..

Tomas laughed, a little caught off-guard, when Amber breezily claimed being fucked in the head for everyone on the island at large, and twitched his eyebrows upwards in acknowledgement. “You’re right about that,” he bumblebeed, his voice a pleasant rumble deep in his chest, and plucked out two of the smaller flowers: one to tuck behind her ear, one to poke into his curls. “There. Now everyone’s adorned.”

He left her arrangement alone after that, looking interested in her offer of dinner. “I think I could break my reservations, yeah,” Tomas said, glancing at his watch. It was one of those self-winding types, that you had to wear to keep going. He’d forgotten who’d found it and gifted him with it. Emre? Aurelie, Kaz? It couldn’t have been that long ago. And he loved the watch. But its benefactor had slipped the cogs and watchworks of his mind, possibly so it could get ticking again. He’d thank whoever it was when he remembered.

Remembering he’d been in the middle of a joke, Tomas shook off his pondering and finished, “–I hear North Beach Grill has lost its popularity now, anyway.” Maybe that joke wasn’t in good taste. He didn’t really care. Amber wouldn’t either, Tomas was pretty sure as he smiled at her, letting her attention wash over him. 

(This wasn’t an entirely new dynamic. He’d had students who gave him the eye, back when he was teaching. Tomas was besotted with his wife but he wasn’t totally unaware of his own appeal. He just tended to give Libby an edited account of how many times he’d had to instruct students visiting his office to leave the door open, and the intensity of the hints those students dropped. Every relationship had to have one partner be the more attractive one, and Libby took her position very seriously; Tomas never cared to upset that apple cart. After all, he found her the most engrossing creature in the whole wide world, too.)

“Can I tell you something?” Tomas asked impulsively. That was a thing he was doing these days, apparently. “Something I noticed, after I got plugged in the head. Something kinda … well, it’s not exactly something I wanna shout to the rafters about.”

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Her smile widened at Tomas’s laugh and she leaned back against the countertop, tilting her head back. Only a little. Not too much. A barely-there thing. Her eyes darted to his hand tucking the flower behind her ear. Darted back to his face. Lingered. Only a little.

She half-laughed at his quip about North Beach Grill. “What a shame,” she admitted with a sorrowful click of her tongue. “That was my favorite place, too. Fortunately for you, I hear there’s a new café in town. The chef isn’t half-bad from what I’ve heard.” 

Or at least she didn’t think she was; Tomas hadn’t had any complaints when she’d stayed with him. There would be days he would walk through the door after a long day on the old farm and find the house swept, the laundry done, the smaller chores completed, and dinner hot and ready to eat. 

She was a perfectionist at heart. Guilty as fucking charged.

Amber smiled at his question, raising an eyebrow. “Sure. I’m all ears, Professor. What did you notice?”

[amberxbolt]

Have you ever been in love?

[amberxbolt]

genevieve--alphonsus​:

★彡

“Don’t mention it. It’s been a rough few weeks.” Genevieve stepped inside their now shared home, noting its relatively spotless surfaces. It was no easy thing to be so neat in a world without Lysol or bleach. But somehow, Amber and Thulani made it look easy. 

Amber seemed so sympathetic and so concerned over her new roommate. Was it genuine? Not for the first time, Genevieve wished she could just ask and not hide behind half truths. But that type of frankness required two parties and they were nowhere close to that. Yet.

“At the risk of sounding heartless, of course I feel for Mr. Kaba. Who wouldn’t? But he’s got the whole of South Beach asking after him and bending over backwards to make him comfortable since he’s all alone.” Genevieve paused, meeting Amber’s eyes. “I’m more worried about you, honestly. Everyone is trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy and process all the awfulness of the creature, but you’re the only one who can’t actually go back to normal with someone new sharing your space.” 

“So, I know we’re far from besties and I’m honestly the least qualified person to be any sort of counselor, but I came calling to check on Amber, not her guest.” Genevieve smiled. “I won’t even be offended if you to tell me to bugger off and mind my own, but the offer as a drinking buddy or someone to vent to still stands.” 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“More worried about me?” Amber asked, eyebrows raising, before she put on a smile. Affected. Touched. What the fuck did Genevieve care about her? They’d hardly spoken at North Beach. She might claim otherwise, but she was absolutely there for Kaba, not Amber. Or if she was there for Amber, it wasn’t out of the goodness of her heart. These people had been content to overlook her, and now that she had Kaba on her board they realize she exists?

Yeah. Not one fucking inch.

“Oh, that’s, that’s really kind of you. I appreciate it, really. Don’t worry, I don’t think you’re heartless. But I’m okay, I promise. The Beast didn’t go after me as hard as it went after the others, so I don’t have as much to process about it.” She shrugged and put on a sheepish little smile. “And Mr. Kaba’s a great roommate. It reminds me of college, a little.” 

Amber pulled out two dented little tin cups and poured them both a cup of moonshine. Was moonshine a liquor to take shots with or a liquor to sip at? She didn’t know and didn’t really care. Alcohol made people slip up.

She pulled out a seat at the table for Genevieve and sat across from it. “But how about you? Did the Beast pull any fast ones on you? It talked to me in my mom’s voice. That one almost got me.”

[amberxbolt]

You get to live the life of another inhabitant of Meridium for one day. Whose life would you live?

“So I’m of two minds. You didn’t say we couldn’t pick a dead one. So, Matthew at his peak, because leading an island and having everyone look to you for solutions sounds great. Two, if I had to pick someone alive, probably Father Joaquin. He doesn’t have anything going on in there and I would love to live a day without having a single thought for a change.”

@manojoaquin

[amberxbolt]

hazelbeaufort​:

It’s always a little jarring to see someone that she hasn’t seen since the incident on the farm. There’s usually staring, which is understandable, but it doesn’t feel great. Not that Amber’s staring. Hazel’s just… braced for it. Or maybe she is staring? No, probably not. Or… she shakes her head and clears her throat, adjusting the little basket she’s holding.

“Hi, yeah, hi! Good to see you, too,” Hazel belatedly babbles back. It’s not like she and Amber are BFFs, but they’d known each other tangentially on the North Beach. Sort of. Through Magnolia. Who is…

She clears her throat again. Thoughts are not being helpful today. “Yeah, no, totally, everything’s fine. I just, um – I heard the um – the guy – um, Thulani. I heard he was here. I don’t know where his other friends are staying but I figured – well it must be tough, like… jarring, you know? To go through all that. Kind of like when we all fell into caves.”

That was an attempt at a joke. Sort of. Hazel gives a semi-smile then shrugs, which causes her to remember the weight on her arm. “So I brought stuff! Stuff from the distillery. Uh – stuff my nana brewed, so don’t worry, it’s not… like, I didn’t mess it up. But I thought Thulani might enjoy it. Or I guess you, since you’re hosting him.” That was… a lot of words. Hazel’s mouth pinches in small and her big eyes blink a few times before she offers, far too late: “How are you, by the way?”

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“Mr. Kaba, yeah,” Amber says, nodding. She smiles at Hazel and reaches to take the gift basket, saying, “Aw, Hazel, this is so nice of you. I didn’t think you would’ve messed up anything, I promise.”

No wonder she and Madi got together. Their self images were trapped in the same pit and showed no signs of ever climbing their way out. Especially now that Hazel’s face looked... like it did. Christ on a pogo stick. 

With the gift basket in hand, Amber stepped aside to allow Hazel in. “Mr. Kaba isn’t here right now, but I’d be happy to have you for tea while we wait? He should be back soon.” She bustled over to set the gift basket down on her makeshift table, quickly scanning the items and setting them out one by one. “Wow, Hazel, thank you,” she said, giving her a grin over her shoulder. “You really didn’t have to do this, but I appreciate it so much. I’m sure Mr. Kaba will too. Did you want to open the stuff now or wait ‘til he gets here?”

She turned out one of the dining chairs for Hazel and sat down. “Oh, I’m fine, really,” she said, with a small shrug. “I didn’t... this is so sad to admit, but I didn’t really have anyone the Beast could tempt me with. So. I got lucky. Depending on how, you know. One looks at it. I guess. Um.” She smiled again. Small, of course. Awkward. But genuine, sheepish. Relatable. 

“But how are you doing?” she asked, concerned. “Magnolia still hasn’t...?”

[amberxbolt]

sagetomashardy​:

“No, no, I don’t need food, the posies are just right. This isn’t a case where the shoemaker’s children always go barefoot. We get quite enough to eat.” Tomas wasn’t exactly sure if Amber would know that idiom, but she was a bright girl. She’d catch it in context. And if not, she could always ask; she’d never seemed hesitant to do that, giving Tomas chance after chance to expound and elaborate to his heart’s content.

Amber turned away to fix the flowers some more in their pot, assuring Tomas that she wasn’t the Beast, and he murmured, “Well. I would never say that you’re just you, Amber.” His gaze drifted down from her hair to her back, the soft way her hip was cocked as she arranged and rearranged. She looked good, strong and healthy, standing surely.

His gaze lifted when Amber looked over her shoulder, talking as if she’d felt his thoughts. Talking about her not being tempting enough for him, and Tomas canted his head, a slight smile touching his lips, watching her heavy-lidded and letting himself dally in that notion for a moment. What it would be like to want her. Riding along the idea that she might want him. 

“It’s a very good change,” he said, after a moment. Shaking it off, easily, because Amber wasn’t his real life. His family was. “But you’re right, we’ve drifted, and I do miss you. We could remedy that, easy.” 

Tomas’ smile bent at that, though, turning into a pained twitch, and he sighed at the ceiling before moving over to touch the petals of the flowers. Tipping them out of the careful way Amber had arranged them. “But I’m fucked in the head, a little.” He tapped at the side of his head, that growing-in shaved area of the wound, wanting her to see it as if it could carry the entire freight of his current handicap, everything it meant. “You’d probably be the one leading the discussions, this time around.”

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

She made sure to smile at Tomas at his reference, to let him know she’d picked it up. Then she heard the low tone of his voice as he said “I’d never say you’re just you,” and she thought: ah.

And immediately she dismissed it. No. He was too devoted. Too dedicated to his work and family and what he’d built. Also his daughter would probably kill her. Or wife. Either. Not sure which was more likely.

Though... weren’t they gone for the week, off on some trip to North Beach? Hmm. Still no. But... something to keep in mind for the future. That ball would be in his court, not hers. Just like it had been in Madi’s.

Her smile still was shy. “Thank you, Professor. I appreciate that.” She turned to rest her hip against the countertop equivalent, watching as Tomas approached to mess with the flowers beside her. 

He showed off the uneven hair that shielded some of his wound, and Amber studied it with the same thoughtful expression as when she’d listened to him discuss humanism or how food was transported throughout Pre-Columbian Mexico or something equally intellectually stimulating.

People probably handled him with kid gloves because of the injury. Did that bother him at all? Did he appreciate it? She didn’t know. Not anymore. The Tomas she’d known hadn’t appreciated coddling or (too much) fawning, but that had been a year ago.

“We’re all a little fucked in the head, Professor,” she said with a shrug and an easy smile. “I think you’ll find I can handle whatever you want to throw at me. Do you have any dinner plans for tonight? I could come over early and Flora could be the taste-tester.”

[amberxbolt]

Who or what would you consider your worst enemies (list as many as you want)?

“They aren't here, thankfully. No one here will come close to those people, not even Akbar. And I’m too sweet to have enemies on Meridium. Rivals, though... rivals are much more fun.”

@akbartheolder

[amberxbolt]

madibyrd​:

Amber kissed back, exploring and interested, and Madi just sank into it, pushing everything to the side. This was something that helped her forget about everything in the past, even if momentarily, not that she was thinking about the fact that she’s been here before all those years ago, just more softness under her hands, lips.

“You and me, doing anything but talking. I am tired of talking right now,” she muttered at the question. Talking meant reliving bad stuff, talking meant digging too deep, talking meant thinking about Hazel and how much she missed her or the beast appearing as Talia or all the horribleness that she mostly ignored and pushed aside because that was easier.

She chased after Amber’s lips, catching her lips again, her hands sliding over her sides and pulling her closer while she deepened the kiss.

“Whatever you’re comfortable with, just–” she kissed her again, her grip on Amber’s shirt tightening. “Let me keep kissing you.” As long as she did that, she could forget about all the other things. She’d deal with anything else, including the guilt, later.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

When Madi reached for her, Amber moved easily, gently setting aside the bottle to straddle Madi’s lap. She smiled when Madi deepened the kiss, and when they next broke apart, she tipped Madi’s head back to look up at her. 

What a turn of events. Not entirely surprising, but welcome all the same. No sex in a year and a half — thank you, Madi Byrd, for breaking that dry spell.

“Anything but talking, huh?” she purred, pressing her lips to the curve of Madi’s jaw, her throat, her shoulder. Wet kisses, punctuated by sighs, accompanied by subtle shifts of body weight over Madi’s lap. Her hands sought out Madi’s resting on her sides, moving them to cup her ass. “I think I can do that, honey. Kiss me as long as you want.”

She brushed Madi’s hair back and leaned in to kiss a spot near her ear, nipping playfully at her earlobe. “Should we take this back to your place?” she rasped against Madi’s ear, turning her chin to capture her mouth once again.

[amberxbolt]

genevieve--alphonsus​:

★彡

Genevieve returned Amber’s slightly stilted smile. “Rest easy, I did not come with bad news. Just with a bit of questionable moonshine.”

Amber was so quiet, so dutiful sometimes that Genevieve had to wonder if it was genuine. She didn’t think people were really capable of being that selfless. Correction, she didn’t think people of her generation could be that selfless and compassionate. The world they left behind was too greedy, too brutal, to make something of yourself simply by being good. It required a hefty tribute and even being born into a fortune didn’t mean you could live by a saint’s code. After all, Genevieve had ended up jumping into a dirty canal to escape arrest.

So if Amber was truly that good, Genevieve was inclined to try shield some of that goodness from the horrors of the island, the way she tried and failed both Hazel and Magnolia to keep Hazel safe. And if Amber was hiding some secret behind her pleasant hospitality charm? Well, Genevieve wanted to know that too.

“How’s your new roommate? Suppose you don’t have to argue about taste in music or leaving the lights on.” Genevieve pressed the bottle into Amber’s hands.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“Moonshine?” she asked, her smile curling into something more genuine. “Thank you, that’s very kind of you.”

Booze was the gift of choice of visitors, it seemed. First Hazel, then Genevieve. Though both had been close to Magnolia, before her disappearance, so perhaps not so surprising. Amber didn’t have the bottle Hazel had brought; she’d used it in her chat with Madi.

She stepped aside to let Genevieve inside. Thulani was meticulous in his cleanliness, and it was almost like he left no traces of his presence here. 

“Mr. Kaba isn’t home right now,” she said apologetically. “I think he went to go sit by the lagoon in case one of his people comes out. That’s what he’s been doing of late, trying to talk to them through the water. Apparently one of them has great hearing. But overall, yeah, he’s been a great roommate. I’ve been trying to give him space. I just... feel so badly for him. I can’t even imagine what he went through.”

She shook her head and looked to Genevieve. “But, um, anyway. If you’re willing to wait I’d be happy to provide some company!”

[amberxbolt]

kazxraval​:

“That person is the blonde you saw me chatting to at the fence. So yeah, she’s right as rain.” 

He nodded along as she spoke of Thulani. “I imagine he’s pretty fucking traumatized after all that. Must be weird to be back and surrounded by strangers. Sounds like you’ve gotten to know him more than most then?” Kaz faintly grinned again. “Bet his head is about to explode, the amount of people who want to ask him questions.” Kaz didn’t backtrack on what he said. There would be more of a demand for food, and it was a real concern. But fair enough, Amber cast herself in the light of the helpful. Nothing wrong with it. 

A blogger? “Mhm.” He was aware of that image too. “Heard I missed the whole podcast thing.” And thirst traps on an app called TikTok. The way people described the old world was fucking fascinating. How things changed in a decade plus a few years. He wondered if, he went back, would he even recognize the world? 

“Just sitting in the dark, smoking a bowl, type-type-typing away.” Amber wanted to take a stab at the topic of the blog, so…why not. Kaz watched the way her light eyes flickered in search of clues. Aside from ones he’d already provided. 

Dark brows rose and fell. He laughed from the back of his throat. Short, clipped, and quiet. “Final answer? Wrong answer, I’m afraid. No, not a travel writer. Wouldn’t have minded the traveling part though.” The other parts far too tedious for Kaz. 

He noticed Amber came at it like a tennis match. A soft serve over the net for Kaz to knock back. Not his style but to each their own. Harmless enough. 

His brain kept pinging over this or that, but perhaps she was just an awkward soul?

His turn to serve. What sort of job do I look like I’d have? His brows followed the line of a frown but his smile said he was amused. It was the do I look like piece. “I don’t like to make guesses off of what someone looks like. You know. ‘Never judge a book’ sort of thing.” True crime was littered with descriptors of ‘average white dude, helped his neighbors, kept the lawn mowed and– oh oops he had bodies stashed in the crawl space’,

And Kaz was jaded. An innocent face had once charmed and fooled him too. Stabbed him in the heart ruthlessly, if not with a knife but the sweetest smile. And he never forgot it. But to Amber’s question… he could think of a few serious guesses, even if he wasn’t a fan of wagering one. And some outliers, for the sake of it. He’d go with the furthest outlier. His head tilted. “Uhm… I dunno. Drug dealer?” A pause. “Or, crime boss. Ran a cartel, laundered money through casinos and quote, charities?” Another pause. “Am I right?”

He conceded. “I don’t know, just tell me. What did you do before? Unless you want to play along with my guess. Fair warning: if you do play along, I’m gonna be looking at how you swing that knife a bit differently.” 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” she said about Thulani, shaking her head. “I’ve had a few conversations but they were mostly basic stuff. Have you had a chance to talk to him yet?”

When he told her that her guess was incorrect, she said, “Aw. What did you write about, then? Um... politics? Or true crime? True crime is a big thing right now, right up there with roleplaying and politics. Or it was. When I was... yeah. Not here.”

She laughed at his guesses, propping the empty basket on her hip, brushing her hair over her shoulder. Funny first guess. Funny.

Her next words were teasing, playing along. “Ha, you got me! I was both, actually, and I was also a secret assassin trained by the, the um.” She thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers. “The Illuminati. That’s their name! Right.”

With another laugh, she said, “No, I um, I actually worked for one of the big firms on Wall Street. I’m sure some people think my job is — was equally bad. Trading stocks and equities and advising people about mutual funds... it’s not really, uh, translatable here. Thus the trying to get really good at farmwork thing. Welcome to the farmfam, by the way! Don’t know if you’ve been given the proper welcome yet.”

[amberxbolt]

akbartheolder​:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

With his voice barely above his usual whisper, Emre just curled his lip in a snarly-smile..  He was yelling, indeed.  She’d know when he yelled, and this was hardly it.

But Emre felt no reason to get loud when he preferred intimate. He kept watching her.  Analysing her body to the point it might typically make someone become uncomfortable.  Like nothing else in the shed, or on the farm, or in the world mattered to Emre. Only Amber.

The game, she said.  At least it was out in the open between them now: Amber admitted this was only a game to her, that she’d enticed Emre into playing.  For reasons Emre still couldn’t quite fathom, even though he could taste it.  Sharp and bloody, like the scent of raw game that currently filled up the butcher’s shed.  Making Emre’s mouth water slightly, nostrils prickling.

Because the truth was, sometimes Emre craved this sort of thing.  He missed it.  These wicked mind games designed to trick and manipulate and confuse people - his enemies, his boss’s enemies, his victims, his mates, his lovers - just for the sheer pleasure of fucking someone up mentally.   Maybe emotionally too, if he managed.  And fucking Amber up physically could’ve taken on a whole different meaning, a consensual violent release between them. But she’d taken that ‘off the table’ as she’d oh-so primly deigned.  

“What’s the point of this game, exactly?” Emre asked.  He traced a finger along her bloody knuckles.  “I’m still playing it, but I’m a little unclear how one’s supposed to win.  Everyone already knows I’m a killer. No secret there, sweetheart.” 

He licked his lips in thought, then decided to answer.  Like he said, there was nothing to hide now.  “I was on my way to Australia.  Never been there, or LA for that matter. But I don’t reckon LA much cares for blokes like me.”

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“The game? Oh, I just meant us getting to know each other better,” she said with a casual shrug. She glanced at him from her peripheral, mouth curling into a little smirk. “Our turns, you know. I ask a question, you ask a question. I talked about it five minutes ago? Why, what did you think we were doing?”

On his way to Australia. Halfway across the world from Europe, from London. With his brother on the flight. But why would a flight from Europe not go across Asia? She didn’t know enough about flight patterns and choices to determine whether or not that mattered. Maybe through America was shorter.

Could’ve been a family vacation. But she doubted it. Emre in the corner, watchful, trusted. Emre now on the farm, latched onto Tomas and trusted by him, doing whatever he was told. Emre was the one who was sent to do the dirty work, to get his own hands bloody so the boss’s would stay clean. Family vacations were not feasible in such lines of work.

His gaze on her was a palpable weight. “Do you look at everyone like this, or am I just special?” she joked, beginning the deboning process. She made no comment on his unfamiliarity with LA, because, really, it wasn’t relevant. “Okay, your turn. What do you want to know? Just one question, remember. Them’s the rules.”

[amberxbolt]

libbyblum​:

“Eh, a little bit of toxins never hurt anyone,” Libby jests, waving it away. Flower-eating is the least of her concerns for Flora in a place like this. She lets Amber handle it, watching with unshielded amusement as Flora gamely sticks out her little tongue to allow Amber to take the flower back, then reaches after her confused when her colorful treat gets taken away. “Meeee,” the kid whines, flailing her arms out and sulking when she’s ignored.

Libby settles into a chair beside the kid, absently giving Flora her good hand to play with as she listens to Amber. Of all people, The Instigator (ex-Instigator?) should know when she’s being, well, instigated. But with a furrowed brow, Libby gamely takes the bait. “What? You’re kidding.” 

She gives an outraged little laugh, slouching back in her chair and petting at Flora’s hair as her head shakes. “Yeah, great, okay, that’s fair. We bust our asses on this end of the farm trying to fix what she broke while she sits in the train all high and dry, relaxing. Fuckin’ great.” Libby’s nostrils flair and her teeth grind. “Why don’t they pull an Emre on her, huh? Attempted coup and people shot in the head and she doesn’t go to the fisher’s hut, doesn’t do an ounce of work, she just…” Libby exhales noisily. “Where’d you hear that from? Have they said anything? Esther and Seamus, I mean.” They don’t deserve some fancy title.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Amber nods along with Libby’s outrage, leaning against the counter and crossing her arms over her chest. “Yeah, they asked me to take some guard shifts a while ago,” she explains. “But I thought they would’ve done something about her and her crew by now. At least they handed that Castaway over to you, though, so, I’m glad you did something with one of them.”

It wasn’t lost on her how, every time something major happened, the Castaways tended to band together, like they were closing ranks. Amber was almost certain that, at least for most of them, their loyalty wasn’t with the Duo, but with Libby.

Amber had yet to see why, for herself. She’d heard stories from some, gossip from others, mostly about cool leadership moments or fuckups or, in the case of her Alphonsian friends, that time she went up to attack the farm with Tamyra Williams at the same time as Kotka was attacking the Hardy farm.

“Can I ask... did anything like these disasters—like the blizzard, or the beast, or what-have-you—did any of that sort of stuff happen in the jungle? Or is that new for you too?”

[amberxbolt]

serendipitysiva​:

Speechless. That was how it always went whenever Tomas’ name got sprinkled over a conversation. The reincarnated Demeter in the flesh himself. She smiled through the old impulse of calling him a quack at the drop of a hat. See? She could be the bigger person within this 1.6m body.

“That was so generous of him. I would consider your kindness paid forward as I’m sure he put you to work right away to meet productivity quotas.” The following laughter came through crisp and hearty in comparison to Amber’s demure chuckle. 

“Ah,” she sighed as the reaction her own joke died down. “I would love some company on the way over. Let’s walk and talk.” She went from facing Amber to standing beside her with a turn of her heels. As a playful gesture, she gently bumped her elbow against the other girl’s.

They were never familiar by any means. What Siva did notice from Amber could give any saint a run for their money. Siva’s next thoughts flew straight out her mouth without much effort to filter them through, “You’re always doing good. Like a little wind-up doll that keeps marching. What motivates you? What keeps your key wound up?”

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Amber laughed at Siva’s joke — a good joke; a great joke, even — and said, “Well, you’re not wrong.” But she cleared her throat when Siva’s own amusement faded, and she started nodding, turning to walk back to her house alongside her companion. Luckily she’d gotten the morning orders done; she’d check in with the afternoon orders later, then.

Like a little wind-up doll, Siva called her, and that startled a laugh out of Amber. “Wow,” she said. “I um, I’ll take that as a compliment! Thank you! That’s very nice of you to say.”

“And you know, it’s, it is hard, some days. But my family was always trying to get us to be more conscious of the world. Tikkun olam, faith without works is dead, stuff like that. And I wasn’t... I didn’t take that to heart. So Meridium is my second chance, I think. And I don’t want to waste it.” She smiled at Siva. “I know there are people here who don’t view it like that, but I do. Anyway, um, what were you hoping to talk to Mr. Kaba about? His own group?”

[amberxbolt]

libbyblum​:

“See here, kid – yeah, bananas aren’t for throwing – oh, you’re a real comedian, aren’t you?” Libby has just stooped down to pick up a chunk of banana that Flora had hurled onto the floor only to stand up in time to watch the kid stare her right in the eyes and do it again, opening her chubby hand to let the thing land on the floor with a plop. Libby sighs, but it doesn’t really linger. It can’t, not with how Flora laughs, big and deep in her belly. “Yeah, you crack yourself up, huh?” Libby smiles and rolls her eyes, though she holds up her hurt hand and shakes her head when Flora looks like she might try it again. “That’s enough, Lenny Bruce. Eat your banana.” 

Flora looks a little chided – that is until there’s a knock on the door that gets her excitedly bouncing in her chair. “Banana,” Libby instructs again before crossing to the door without the baby. Her heart still beats a little faster every time they have an unexpected visitor. She can’t help it – and that’s part of why she leaves Flora behind in her seat. Just in case it’s someone less than friendly. But… well, Kotka hadn’t exactly knocked, had she?

With that thought in mind, Libby inhales deeply then forces herself to open the door. To… Tomas’ ex-roommate, from what she’s gathered about their past dynamic. She doesn’t quite know what to make of Amber, still. “Hey,” she greets, not matching Amber’s chirpiness. Not that it isn’t welcome – she just… doesn’t have it in her. “Oh. Flowers. Hey, Flo-flo, look,” she calls, moving aside so the baby can see and pointing to the flowers that Amber holds. “Flory-floras just for you.”

The baby ups the speed of her bouncing and reaches out with chubby, sticky hands, demanding: “Me, me, me, mama, me.” Libby tilts her head by way of invitation, stepping aside so Amber can enter the house. “Thanks for these. We’re doing alright.” Are they? Debatable. Flora’s fine, at least. Better now having been reunited with her little lagoon friend, it seems. “How’re you?”

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

To her relief, Libby lets her in, and Amber goes in, setting the flowers on the table. She grins at the baby, who grins right back at her, banana mashed over her mouth and all over the floor around her seat.

Ah, kids. Gotta love ‘em.

“Me me me,” Flora says, and Amber takes the prettiest flower from the vase and gives it to the kid.

“Flory-flora for Missy Flor, just like your mama said,” Amber coos, and Flora takes the flower and, after wide-eyed examination, shoves it into her mouth. Amber gasps and rushes to take it back, laughing awkwardly and giving Libby an apologetic look. “Sorry. I forgot kids, um, they do that, yeah. They’re non-toxic, I promise.” She laughs again. Hair tuck behind ear. Sheepish move of the flowers further from Flora’s reach.

“I’m, I’m good,” she says, nodding. Look back up to Libby. “I’m glad the latest thing is over. It’s just...” she sighs and catches herself. “I always feel like we’re sitting ducks when these things happen. And I don’t know what to do about it, who to talk to. Did you know, Kotka is still locked in that train, waiting for the Duo to set a trial date? Can you believe it? After everything she did?”

[amberxbolt]

serendipitysiva​:

The greeting disarmed Siva completely. Her face emptied of any expression it was previously holding together. ‘Since when’ was the first response hanging on her breath. “Um—” The vibrations of her own voice thrumming in her head jolted her out of her daze. “Yeah, I’m good. How are you?”

Filler words, filler thoughts. Their polite words maintained the chasm of space between them. Normally, Siva would be okay with that. Receiving and delivering surface level manners sufficed for most interactions. Today was an exception.

She watched Amber shield her eyes from the sunrays beaming down. Perhaps if Siva was taller, this wouldn’t present a problem. All the more reason to get to the point.

“Actually, yeah,” she interjected before Amber could answer the question. “I was hearing that you opened your home to Thulani. Is that right?”

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Siva was a nice person. Amber was tempted to say kid because of her youthful face, but she knew better. Everyone here was hot, and everyone here was old. And while they didn’t dislike each other, Siva tended to keep to her own group, as most had on North Beach. And her group was Gabe, who Amber stayed away from, and the beach kid whose parents were crushed by Amber’s plane, who Amber also stayed away from.

Amber was also a nice person. She had helped out on North Beach. She had contributed to society. She’d made friends with her fellow nobodies and given people flowers and helped them build their houses.

She was still thinking when Siva asked her question, and Amber nodded, expression understanding. Yes, of course she would be in the Thulani group. “Yeah, it is. He just, he just didn’t have, you know. He didn’t have anywhere to go.” She shrugged, tucking her hair behind her ears. “And you know, Tomas opened his door to me, not so long ago. So I felt it was a good way to just give back. Do some good.” She gave a breathy, embarrassed little laugh.

“But um, did you... did you want to talk to him? I don’t know if he’s still at the house, but we can go together?”