is it ever gonna be enough?

she was born on the fourth of july with her hand on her heart, loves america, & being patronized. no one ever told her to guard her heart. she was an angel for halloween once, but never again. and for christmas every year, she's haunted by demons.

[angel--ramirez]

omar-farouk:

No thank you. [Omar looks up and brushes himself off, taking a moment to regain his composure before looking up to regard the woman. He clears his throat, and he seems to think he’ll start up again, so he moves to the side, steadying himself to stop losing more of his lunch.]

Yeah. [She thinks to maybe tell him he ruined her joke (which was that she didn't have any breath mints), but she holds off. And she also holds off from telling him that she thinks he probably should have a stronger stomach by now, what with all the rotting flesh they've smelled only since she's been in the group. Angel's not going to tease the man, even if she's not partial to him. He's puking, so he obviously doesn't feel too hot, and from what she understands, he's lost a few friends recently.] You need anything besides a breath mint?

[omar-farouk]

[Omar sits up late at one of the windows, peering through a crack into the darkness outside. The noises in the fog have his head spinning, something like an unpleasant motion sickness taking root in his stomach. And leaning over, he takes a stuttered breath before jumping to his feet and barreling for the door, picking a clear corner and spilling his guts in the dead grass. He breathes heavily. The rot smelled worse here, and he wouldn’t be sleeping for it.] Uggh…

[angel--ramirez]

[Angel preferred the smell of fresh paint on a car to this, and that stuff became pretty toxic pretty quickly. She preferred the gritty smell of her old garage. But this world smelled pretty bad now anyway, rotting corpses an epidemic anywhere they go. And Angel isn't exactly happy about all the bodies on the way there, but she's happy that the place they're staying in seems to be clear. Still, she doesn't like this horror movie shit. It went from zombies to crazy God bitches and at least you could shoot the former.] Need a breath mint? [She questioned, but made no motion to grab anything.]

[angel--ramirez]

What do you think happened to the scouting group?

Think they got held up by something. Think I'm a little skeptical of that Jessica woman, considering she made it back and the rest of 'em ain't nowhere to be found.

[angel--ramirez]

Who do you think should be in charge? (can be a group or individual.)

I think Samson should be in charge, but he up and left, so I think who we have in charge now is good.

[angel--ramirez]

omar-farouk:

You want to go search for them, go ahead. But, look, Beck went missing, nobody looked. Sidney died, nobody even noticed, let alone cared. So I’ll be damned if I’m going to let A.J. and Mara rot out there. I don’t have anything to lose, and I’ll be honest, I don’t have much faith in any search party. [Omar shakes his head. There’s bitterness in it, and he doesn’t deny it. But as far as he’s concerned, going along, whether he’s on his own or not, is the only way to ensure that a decent search actually happens.] I needed a locksmith. Because it was broken into and left like that for me to find. I’m just…I’m tired, okay? I’m tired. Of being the medical tape dispenser. 

[Angel scoffs, nothing with malice, but she's fed up with this conversation and she expected better from Omar. She expected better from a medical doctor. At this point, he was looking for every chance to leave that he could find. And Angel was done talking him down from the ledge calmly.] Man, suck it up! What do you want, some recognition? You want us to throw a barbecue in your name? Come on. Everyone pulls their weight and helps with what they can, that's how this system works. Your friends didn't have many friends and that's why no one went looking for them. That sucks, but that's not my problem. I told you we can send out a search party. If that ain't good enough for you, then go put everyone else in danger and go search for them yourself. But if you leave, you tell Kris. See how happy she'll be about the doctor runnin' away to play hero 'cause he's fed up with dispensing tape. You're thinking about what's best for you, not what's best for the group. And it's fucking disgusting how selfish that is, man. [A hand waves with her last point and she shakes her head as she turns and walks away from him. She's got nothing left to say. It's his choice from then on.]

[omar-farouk]

No, just…Really, what are they going to get? A few hours of halfhearted searching, and when nothing comes up, oh well, we tried? It sounds like a crap deal to me. [He bites back a more severe swear only because he was raised not to use it. He gives a long sigh, running his hands through his hair.] You don’t understand. A.J. was the only real friend I still had. And Mara…Mara was the only one who cared enough to fix my broken ambulance. I can give them two weeks. I can afford to keep looking. 

[angel--ramirez]

Come on, man. You really think I haven't lost people, too? You think I'm not taking into consideration that they're your friends? [She adjusted her position again, something closer to getting up, but no real move to leave. She didn't want to have this conversation. It seemed unnecessary.] Think about it. Thank about what's best. You can't afford to keep looking. You need your ambulance fixed? I'm a mechanic. Tessa's a mechanic. You ain't gonna be any use to anyone as a fuckin' snack for some bullshit monsters we get saddled with. What you're gonna be a good use for is being here, helping people that need help.

[angel--ramirez]

omar-farouk:

Something’s wrong. A.J. was my friend. They wouldn’t just walk out and not come back. Not without telling me. [Omar shakes his head. It’s out of character for them, and if they had not returned to the mall, it was because they couldn’t, not because they didn’t want to. That thought only serves to make him more upset because he’s lost his closest friends one right after the other, and finding a reason to keep going, let alone with the group, only gets more difficult. He inhales deeply, features tightening.] If anyone’s going to look for them, it’s going to be me. I can’t leave any more people behind. I don’t care if they’re worth the group’s time; they’re worth mine. 

[Angel sighs, then moves herself a little bit almost as if to prove a point. Everyone always got so emotional over these things and she wasn't one to chastise people over their feelings, but people stopped thinking with their head and started thinking with their emotions. And she couldn't be having that coming from the group doctor.] Nobody said they're not worth the group's time. But what they're not worth is someone else getting lost or losing their life over it, too. So like I said, we can send out a little search party to find them. But it's not in anyone's best interest for you to be a part of that.

[angel--ramirez]

omar-farouk:

[When the woman sits down, Omar knits his brow and averts his gaze, eyes running over the ceiling a moment before sort of accidentally finding their way back to Angel’s face. He remains stubbornly silent for a few moments, thinking of excuses, but it’s clear enough that he’s been caught and will not be able to lie his way out of it.] A.J. and Mara are gone. I haven’t seen them since Friday, and no one slept in their bedroll last night.

[Angel noticed this. They'd left together, so she had no qualms. They used the buddy system rule and she knew A.J. was armed, if not the girl. And while Angel wasn't really friends with either of them, that wasn't her duty. It wasn't her job here to make friends, but instead, to make sure everyone was okay. And she had noticed. She just figured she ought to give that whole twenty-four hour thing before they went off looking for the pair.] Yeah. They left. Together. Guess I figured they were coming back. We'll go look, if you want. [There was a search party for a lot of other people, there should be one for them if someone wanted it. But within reason.] But not you, since you're the doctor. And it's gonna be limited for time. No one's going anywhere if it means they can't advance with us.

[angel--ramirez]

omar-farouk:

Yeah, just fine. Thanks. [The words come off more casual than curt, and he does a better job of hiding the fact that she’d found him upset. Keeping his back pressed to the sign, he takes a breath before poking his head around to give the woman a small smile. There’s some ruddiness around his eyes, but he decides if he has to, he’ll pass it off as allergies.] Do you need anything?

[Angel's not sure if she should stay or go. She's been doing her part, but physically. She's never really been a counsellor, though. She's never been good at fixing much else but cars. She'd always been okay with that, though. She gives a sigh and resigns into herself, despite her thinking and finds herself a seat across from him, at least enough room for a particularly large person to fit between them.] All right, what's wrong with you, man?

[omar-farouk]

[Omar sits in the floor with his back pressed hard against a mall map. The advertisement on its opposite side has flickered out long ago, leaving only a darkened image of a woman with shopping bags dangling from her arms. For some reason, it had upset the doctor as he passed by it; more than likely the thought that the catalog models, the faceless people they had passed every day at one time, had lives too. They were out here somewhere or already gone, leaving them surrounded by vestiges of lives that once were. 

The man lets out a long sigh, a mumbled prayer leaving his lips before a strained choke did the same. He wiped at his eyes with the back of his sleeve. And while he tries to keep the tears out of his voice, they persist all the same when he hears the footsteps behind him.] Yes?

[angel--ramirez]

[It wasn't really in Angel's interest to involve herself in other people's business, but it was in her interest to help people and the man she recognised as the group's doctor seemed like he might need help. It wasn't in her to stop when someone was crying (as he obviously was since she made it in time to see him wipe his eyes) and help them get over their emotional problems, she'd feel bad with herself if she didn't at least check it wasn't because of something she could help.] Heard a noise. Just checking if you're okay.

[angel--ramirez]

Is it a bad idea to have children in the group?

The fuck you suggesting, cabrón? Children are more work, but I ain't about to tell them to get the fuck out and go fend for themselves.

[angel--ramirez]

andrew-joseph-golden:

Room’s clear. Think I’ll keep it. [The words come out in a breathy grunt, fatigue, irritation, and restlessness evident in his voice. While he’s relieved to see another person standing there, the past few weeks are not high on his list of favorite things. Death after death has only cemented a distant hollowness in his chest, and the futility of their efforts weighs heavily on his mind. These forebodings bleed through into his posture and demeanor, but rallying against them, he does a quick check of the bathroom, leaning in the open doorway.] Already checked most of this hallway.

[Angel wasn't aware until then that he was checking for himself, but she doesn't care either way. There didn't seem to be any zombies in the place or any undead that she could see. So she lets it rest, deciding she'll just finish the place. She wasn't excited about the aspect of help in the first place, even if he seemed like a perfectly fine guy. She brings her hand up to signal toward the door.] Be my guest.

[andrew-joseph-golden]

[Since arriving at the inn, A.J. has been scoping out rooms, looking for one that’s not in terrible shape. Opening yet another door, he sweeps the space with his weapon, giving it a once over in the dark before stepping inside and beginning to do a more thorough check, looking beneath the bed and in the closet. When someone comes in behind him, he turns with his pistol raised, having been taken off guard.] Shit, sorry. [He mumbles hurriedly, lowering the firearm to his side.]

[angel--ramirez]

[Angel's gun was up, too. It wasn't like she couldn't probably figure it out, but everything looked like a human in the shadows before it wasn't. And Angel fucking hated those zombie fuckers taking people away from those that loved them. The recent death, she knows, isn't due to zombies. He was shot by some other lone traveler, but she puts the anger of it toward the rotting dead things because it's the best she can do in the mean time. She decides she'd rather this guy take the same precaution and have his weapon raised than get bitten by whatever would come up behind him. And it isn't her assigned job or anything, but it looks like he's doing what she does. And she hasn't seen that until now. Death struck fear in people.]

Don't worry about it.

[angel--ramirez]

beth-magus:

[She doesn’t have time for this. She can’t explain without answering questions but gives it a shot anyway. Beth’s is beyond done with patience and just waiting around for something to happen. She looks at the other woman with a serious face.] Look. You’re the one waisting time. If you can help me that’s great, if not then I’m going by myself. I can control the dead, alright? I don’t know anyone else here who can do that but considering the shitload of zombies outside, I’d say that’s pretty fucking helpful. If you can cover me, I can get enough away to give everyone here some extra time and space to escape. If I go by myself I could probably do the same thing but take longer and I’m not a fan of dying. If we don’t clear a path I don’t know how you guys expect to get through that wall of zombies outside beyond just mindlessly shooting into the darkness.  So, [Beth pauses to exhale, having talked at what felt like a hundred miles an hour,] will you help me?

[Angel has to think about this, just for a second. It seems unlikely that she can control the dead and if she can, chances are it won't be too many at once. But if she can, and she can clear a better path, it might be useful. But Angel doesn't trust that it'll work and in the end it could complicate things if it doesn't.] No. And I think you should get to a car and get out. People can handle leaving without it for now, we have capable hands. But I think you should come talk to be afterward about that. That could be useful, but there's no time to go over details right now. Please just go get in a fucking car. [She takes several steps back until she turns around and walks back into the building, quickly moving destroy the stupid fucking undead pieces of shit she wishes just didn't exist.]

[angel--ramirez]

rory-lavery:

[Rory shrugs her shoulders. She only knows of one other person with the same ability as her, but the fear of being a bother gets the better of her.] I figure it’s safer if I keep it between me and the tables. [She’s got a spare bottle of water in case any small fire breaks out and a blanket for anything big. Despite her practice with Alex, she knew it was dangerous to try something untamed around others.] At least until I can manage something other than roses and wings on command. 

[Angel's keeping it nice. And it's not like she's not able to be nice or that she's just generally not a calmly kind person, but lately, she's got less patience and less time, then more skills about her guns and she thinks after a year now, the only excuse is people who have lost their memories. That was more of a hassle at this point than anything. She felt bad. Enough.] It's more dangerous if you don't figure out how to use it. If all you can do is wings and roses like you say, a rose ain't gonna kill someone. If you know someone, ask them for help.

[angel--ramirez]

wesleykelley:

Well that’s good for you. [He nods, it’s not sarcastic but it’s not exactly overwhelmingly positive either.He’s glad she doesn’t ask any more, he’d probably just give her frustratingly vague answers if she did press him for answers.] Turning it round or whatever… [Wes loses the words as he speaks. He doesn’t really have anything to say on it, just what he’s already said. He looks out through to the fog again. Hoping it’s a while before he sees any of the Dead walking through it.] 

[Angel takes the sort-of-praise with a nod and nothing else. She doesn't draw anymore attention on it and because Wes doesn't seem to want to, she changes the subject. She'll go soon, leave him alone like he wants.] Should probably stay away from the windows. [For obvious reasons, she thinks, though she's sure he won't listen. And no one should die if they don't have to, but if they go because they didn't follow advice, the Darwin Awards live. And it'll rest on her conscious a little less, at least knowing she said something.]

[angel--ramirez]

wesleykelley:

Not really. [Wes drops down onto the chair, he’s got a decent view outside from where he is. Keeping watch is something he can do.He does his best to keep his tone light and casual.] Haven’t been to school since I was fourteen. [It’s a simple question with an answer that’ll just get more questions. So he asks the same of Angel, even if he’s not overly interested in the answer.] What about you? Did you go to high school?

[Angel's not sure what that means -- if he got pulled out, if he couldn't afford it (despite that it was supposed to be free education), if something happened, but she doesn't push and ask because it's a lot more complicated than just asking personal questions. And though she doesn't want to tell him, she does, because it's only fair.] Yeah. Dropped out. Got my GED. [She only adds it because she's proud of it. It's not part of the answer, really, just some kind of disclaimer.]