( I N D U R A T I Z E)

➹ induratize; this heartbreaking act is the manifestation of hardening one’s heart. This is a side-effect from pain; it is a way of emotional self-preservation." Carly Lily Veatch. Rogue.

[thxblacksheep]

Not another day | Open starter

[induratizc]

“My knight?” Jeffery took to his feet with little to no grace just about falling in on himself. He had to reach out and grab her hand to steady himself. “Thanks..I never caught your name..” He knew very well that she had yet said it but it was not in his nature to trust someone new. Let alone someone whom had yet shared their name. He took back his smoke and took a long drag, smiling after the initial exhale. “That’ll do it.” He took another hit and took in his surroundings. With a smirk he and a slight jaunty tone he said’ “I didn’t know anyone was still reading Yelp..” With a quick glance it was as if it had gotten brighter. He couldn’t recognize anything around him, was this the same place he laid down to die? “ Do you at least know where the hell we are? I’m from Gillette, and I’m not even sure what city I’m in.. “

With feet planted firmly on the ground, Carly managed to get him upright, although with his height and stature, it was no small feat. He looked like something out of a men’s model catalog or something and if he hadn’t been so tweaked out of his mind, she may have just told him that. However, she was far too focused on getting him to his feet than what he looked like. “Carly.” She stated firmly, glancing up at him, noting the way his eyes looked. They reminded her of her mother’s; widened and dilated pupils and a lack of any awareness at all. “Not really sure where Gillette is but we’re in Cheyenne; Wyoming’s capital, I think. How did you end up here?” She asked, though suddenly realized he probably had no idea. “Do you have anyone with you? Somewhere to stay around here? Jesus,” She sighed, “What’s your name?”

[thxblacksheep]

Not another day | Open starter

[induratizc]

Darkness had consumed him it was all he had become. no tunnel of light or gates waited for him. Jeffery had made what peace he needed and was ready to just pass on. But even on the brink of death this figure wouldn’t let up.  His eyes opened briefly to her taking out the zombie that could have ended his pain. darkness again only with words was the silence and peace he had found broken.

The world around his snapped back into focus in an instant. Th word mauled brought back memories of his last day at home his fathers cry’s in agony still fresh on his mind.”Mauled..?” he rasped through a leaden chest. “Over my dead body,” he chuckled,” Well that’s the point ain’t it?”  WAIT, his thought weren’t quite straight but, WHO THE HELL IS THIS CHICK. He tried to stand but with the drugs in his system he was nothing but a cumbersome mess. “Who.. are.. you?” his breathing becoming slightly panicked “What do you.. want from me?”

He ignored what could have been concern in her last question. In a world filled with the undead what is there to live for? He’d just lay there forever if it was up to him but seems fate had other ideas. He slid a hand behind his ear and pulled out what was the last cigarette in his possession and paused before lighting it with his only remaining match. “You.. wouldn’t happen to have a light would you?” Talking was becoming easier the more he focused on it and he felt it was a time to break words.

Self-pity; what was it good for? Carly could have spent her entire life pissed at the world and pitying her life and how it ended up. And, sure, she did for a time and maybe she was still angry and bitter in a lot of ways but THIS was something else entirely. This was almost self-sacrificing with no reason. She had half a mind to leave him here; who was she to save someone who didn’t want to be saved? But, Carly was the type of person to think about others in situations and what if Kit had been this man? She would want someone to save him. Maybe that whole bullshit cosmic coming full circle karma shit could do her some justice..

“I’m your knight and fucking shining armor, pal. You’ll look back and thank me for this. If you don’t, I’m giving you a terrible Yelp review.” Aah, there was her humor. It didn’t take long to retrieve. She watched as he attempted to stand but to no avail and she sighed loudly, shaking her head. She was going to have to get physical, wasn’t she? God damnit. “And I don’t want anything from you. All I want is to get you out of the woods and into some shelter before your stomach is turned inside out. I don’t need that shit on my conscience. So let’s go.” She grabbed at his belongings before reaching down to grasp his arm, far more direct than maybe she should. She didn’t know him, didn’t know what he was capable of and, yet, this scene was all the too familiar. Her mother had been a mess worse than this too many times to count.

“If you stand up, yes.” She picked the cigarette from his fingertips and placed it in her mouth, now taking out her matches as she lit the tip, taking a deep inhale ( she deserved this for dealing with this right now ) and passed it back to him.

[2016moonlight]

[induratizc]

The snort the brunette let out was contagious and Nadja’s smirk deepened at the sound of it, almost lost among the usual ruckus of the place. Her dark eyes scanned the bar for any larger threats than normal and, when she was satisfied, she turned her attention back to the woman in front of her–ashing a cigarette on an empty beer can ( the cowboy butts drive me nuts ashtray now appearing like an ashen replica of the leaning tower of piza ). With another disappearance of both her usual companions, Nadja couldn’t help but feel that any connection she made was sure as shit to be ripped from her, but the fault of her own tenacity never allowed her to let on the mark such losses would leave. Even having Nazlie back again didn’t really feel like having her back at all.

“Nah,” She chuckled, shifting her weight above her elbows, which rested on the bar counter top. “That’s some deep, second date shit.” A smartass response to an obviously rhetorical statement. The sound of her inhale on the cigarette was sharp, smoke slowly billowing from the corners of her mouth. “My kind of girl.” She laughed. “That’s pretty fucking much all we can ask for anymore. I swear to fuckin’ Beelzebub.” With a dwindling ration of vices, Nadja was sure that even Nazlie’s supplier would soon turn to moonshine before too long. “Well, Carly–where the fuck have you been if not here?”

“Already a second date? My – I knew I was good but that good?” She teased back, a lazy smirk lifting to her features as her gaze danced over the woman. She was exotic, unlike anyone Carly had ever seen with a post-apocalyptic style to boot. She appreciated a woman who didn’t try to be witty but that it came naturally to them. When Nadja leaned against the bar with her elbows, it allowed Carly to get comfortable within her bar stool as well, her back finding comfort against the railing. Truthfully, Los Abuelos was a place of comfort. Most bars had a similarity to all bars somehow, didn’t they? Back when she still lived with her family, they all opted for the same pub; chipped bar stools, stained and sticky wood from leftover beer that was never cleaned at the end of the night. It was smelly and rank and the bar patrons weren’t any better; it felt like HOME, almost, as sad as that was. There was a culture to it.

“Swearing on a demon? You’re hardcore, huh?” They were coming out like fire; quips and teases that were too effortless when falling from her lips. When meeting someone who can take a joke, it seemed like all Carly could do. Hopefully, the girl wasn’t too uptight to take a few teases, not that she seemed that way. She took a glance around the bar at the others there and it was obvious nobody was expecting cocktails crafted by a fucking mixologist; beers & whiskey seemed to be what’s on the menu. “I haven’t been here all that long. A few months now, I think. I started out in Las Vegas and slowly just traveled up North for a few years before I got here.” She nodded, “What about you? Been here long?”

[thxblacksheep]

Not another day | Open starter

“How many more days can I do this?” A question that was becoming all to familiar in his desperate mind. Jefferey longed for the smiles and warmth of his family once again but knew that day wouldn’t come to pass.The world is what he would would give to be back on the family ranch atop a horse again with his father at his side… It’s been months since he had even seen any wildlife.His stomach roared with anticipation for food, “ When did I last eat?” It’ll be another length of time before he could remedy that. Instead he let his mind wonder as did his hand into the dusty saddle bag tossed upon the ground; A can of tuna, Two water proof matches, A spoon, A syringe and a litany of illicit drugs awaited him inside.

Keep reading

[induratizc]

 Traveling home from seeing Kit, she was always mindful of where she was and how loud she was being. With the alarm system having gone off only a few days prior, Cheyenne was flooded with the undead, at least much more than there were before. It wasn’t unmanageable but she came across a walker at least every few steps and turns, her hunting knife sliding into their temple before falling limp on the ground. It was mindless now, wasn’t it? – Nobody really cared any longer for the intensity and moral high ground of avoiding killing walkers. They weren’t human anymore, of course, but it still had been difficult in the beginning. Even for Carly, a child brought up in harsher environments, she still couldn’t quite keep her food down for the first few times. How long had it been now? Four years? Now she put down walkers like she was pulling weeds out of the ground; it was without much emotion behind it.

However, she heard the footsteps of someone human, that much she could tell by their placement and rhythm of steps. It was so easy now to tell whether certain footsteps were human or not. Carly immediately ducked behind a tree, her eyes peering over to first watch before conversing. With the threat of raiders in Cheyenne, you could never be too careful and while most living people in Cheyenne were friendly, it wasn’t a risk Carly was willing to take. However, she watched as he dropped his belongings, her brows furrowing forward as he took out a needle and powder. “Jesus..” She whispered, too low for him to hear from so far away. He wasn’t really going to do this here, was he? There weren’t any undead around at the moment but surely that wouldn’t last forever?

“What the fuck?” She came out from beneath the tree, glancing down at the man as she neared him. “You realize you can get mauled out here right?”And just like that, Carly heard the shuffling of feet, now turning to see a walker rounding a tree and coming straight for them. She immediately, just like before, shoved her knife through its temple and pushed it over away from them. She dramatically glared back at him, chest rising and falling with heavy breath. “Are you trying to die?”

[induratizc]

He’s not entirely surprised to find that people around here were hesitant to trust anyone, even when they asked a simple question. Sometimes he needs to remind himself that he hasn’t come into a little village full of people that had known each other their entire lives. This safe haven was filled with people just looking for somewhere they could stay permanently without the constant fear of being turned into the undead. It was filled with lost souls that had likely seen more than their fair share of betrayal since the whole world turned to hell. Carter would probably be the same if not for the fact that he’d never get anywhere close to finding Olivia if he didn’t trust the people that could help him. His trust had definitely gotten him into tight spots multiple times in the past, though. Disappointment settled in, as it always did when he was met with the same answer whenever he showed anyone his daughters photo. “Thanks anyway.” He tucked the photograph back inside his wallet. “A couple of days before the outbreak hit New York. She was with my ex-wife at the time and I haven’t seen either of them since.” He grimaced. It doesn’t hurt as much as it used to when his hopes were higher and it had only been a year since the outbreak occurred. “Here was my last stop when it came to looking for them, but it doesn’t look like they’re here.”

Sometimes Carly wondered about the other societies out there. Surely, there had to be loads of others, right? Maybe not the same size of Cheyenne but at least groups of twenty or thirty, all coexisting together. She hoped it were true; namely because the thought of her siblings living was enough to try and hope they might be out there. Unfortunately for Carly though, she wasn’t a woman that held a lot of hope. Disappointment was not something she liked to feel, hating the thought of extending herself only to have it slap her in the face when it didn’t work out. It was pride, most likely, and maybe an avoidance to deal with reality. Fuck, she’d never know. Now, she was just thankful for the miracle of finding Kit. It was more than she’d ever expect to find.

Carly bit on the inside of her cheek at his own disappointment, although she was surprised when he mentioned how long ago he had last seen her. It she was correct, it was almost four years ago. She could feel the dread bubbling in the pit of her belly; this little girl was likely not alive. If the reports were anything like they sounded, New York was one of the worst places to be in. “I’m sorry.” Carly shook her head, gazing at him only momentarily before her gaze flickered somewhere else. “There’s loads of people, though, so you never know.” God, that sounded hopeful and she could feel it tasting foreign leaving her mouth. “When did you get here?”

[upsydedown]

[contractcdkiller]

      (  @induratizc  )

[certasluas]

[induratizc]

Ashley hadn’t been expecting anybody, so she almost jumped out of her skin at the sudden words leaving a girl’s mouth by her side. As she looked up, one side of her mouth opened in surprise, before smiling. “I- Carly!” She greeted happily. She didn’t know the girl a lot, but she was around sometimes, and Ashley had always caught sight of her. Plus, she was Kit’s sister. And she was being friendly, if her statement was anything to go off.

Ashley was nodding, glancing around, slightly abashed. “Yeah. It’s not too bad, right? How about your half?” She questioned, because if Carly needed something to help get by, Ashley would most definitely try to help out. It was the least she could do. Plus, she had a certain appreciation for people who went out of their way to talk to her. It felt like an olive branch being extended, and Ashley was genuinely flattered by the sentiment. “Maybe you could stay for dinner or something?” Ashley offered, a slight hint of hopefulness to her voice. “Only if you want, of course. But the more, the merrier, is what i always say!”

Friendly was not necessarily the best word to describe her. However, some people got to see other sides to Carly. For most, Carly was standoffish and crude; she was not everyone’s cup of tea. She didn’t trust or crave friendships like normal people did and that was just simply because of the way she grew up. It didn’t mean she wasn’t charming – oh no, Carly could charm the pants off of mostly anyone but her ability to feel connection to people proved tough. For Ashley, she got to see a softer side to Carly. For one, Ashley was sweet and had a likable quirkiness to her and, two, she met her through Kit. With Kit being Carly’s favorite person in the world ( and as much as she would never admit it, she idolized him ), she always tended to be kinder to those that Kit associated with. “Eh,” Carly shrugged lazily, eyes still wandering over the place. She had only been here a few times, for both the trading and for the fact that the leader was a bit of an eye piece. “Definitely not like this. But I live in this little neighborhood, kinda. This guy sorta build the place up so it’s not too bad. Definitely better than some of the other rogues out there living in squander.” She smirked, leaning her body against one the huge pillars in the main meeting area. She imagined the leader got a pretty big ego hard-on if he held meetings around here.

Carly is surprised by the invitation. “Wow. A big fancy dinner at a fancy palace.” She teased, although there are traces of a genuine smile that lifts to the corners of her mouth. “I’m not sure if that hot leader guy will say yes but I’m down to just hang around for a little. Wanna give me the inside scoop? The grand tour?”

[blvshed]

It still feels strange. He’s been in this town for little under a week and it was still odd seeing people walking around, acting like a real little town. He hasn’t seen anything like this in all the years he’s been travelling around the country. Sure, he’d find groups here and there, but never any as large as this. Being around people had always made Carter feel more alive, and for the first time in years, he was starting to feel somewhat normal again. But there was no way that his life could feel truly normal again without his daughter in it, without the knowledge of what had happened to her. So with her in mind, he tucked his battered old wallet into his back pocket and headed out of the country club, no real destination in mind. He doesn’t know the area very well yet, but he’s always had an exploratory nature. 

Spotting someone not too far away, Carter approached them slowly. He may not have been around long, but he knows that there are people around here that don’t trust easily. “Excuse me,” he called out, tone soft as he reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet and retrieved the photo of his daughter. “Have you seen this girl? Her name’s Olivia.”

[induratizc]

Carly had felt the same way when she arrived; sure, she witnessed small groups here and there and had even been a part of something for a while but nothing like the extent of this. This wasn’t so much a group as much as it was a society and a pretty damn good one at that. Besides the small amounts of raiders, everyone here was fairly friendly. Camps helped each other out and people were always willing to trade if the items were right. It was only the cherry on top when she discovered her brother here, reuniting after all these years. Still, there was always skepticism in this world and Carly was always watching to make certain she wouldn’t be blindsided. Even the friendliest of people could cause her downfall and after finding Kit, she refused to be taken away now.

At his tentativeness, Carly eyed him carefully. Attractive, friendly enough; Carly still kept a close eye as his hand fished inside of his pocket. Glancing down, she glanced over the picture of a younger girl and felt a small drop in her stomach. Daughter, sister, friend; just like Carly was, he was looking for someone too. For Carly, it was her siblings but she knew better than to hold out too much hope. It was a miracle to have even found Kit at all. “I haven’t, no. Sorry. When was the last time you saw her?”

[induratizc]

While they hadn’t really gotten to know each other well, there was something endearing about the girl. While Ashley seemed sweet and not naturally inclined to aggression, she asked Kit to help her train to fight and Carly appreciated that. Some weren’t meant to fight, no, but that didn’t mean someone couldn’t try to learn and better themselves. Having watched her, she had the heart and that alone was a good sign. Seeing her from afar at her camp, there was a moment of pause. They weren’t exactly friends but Carly was curious about her and the kind of person she is and would become in this new life. She was honestly surprised the girl wasn’t already hardened; maybe there was part of Carly that craved that bit of softness.

Instead of just leaving the Capitol after a trading meeting, Carly headed towards her, offering a quick smile. “Hey. So, this is how the other half lives, huh?” Carly smirked, brows raised as she looked around herself. Not being a part of a camp was her choice and one she didn’t regret but she had to admit certain camps held a certain ‘fancier’ air about them.

@ashhes

[induratizc]

Nuba was simultaneously Nadja’s lifeblood and her casket ( a shrine to Nazlie and a stab in thefucking heart ). It served its purpose–the purpose that its founder had laid out for it–it brought all kinds of fucking people together. Still the Cheyenne watering hole, each shitty vagrant that came by at least was matched by someone decent, or a paying customer, or someone who was ( by all accounts ) decent about being a fucking paying customer. Before the outbreak Nadja had prided herself on her nihilistic hatred for civilization. It was both a defining trait and the source of much contention between her and her estranged parents. Since the outbreak, she found that she’dcraved that old world so much more tangibly than she’d dreamed of this one.

“I’ve found that strangers are less dangerous than the people we love.” People leave when you fall in love them. Strangers have the fucking decency and good goddamn sense to leave first. A far off stare burned a cigarette sized hole in the wall on the opposite end of the bar, before Nadja smirked at her own, dark private joke and passed the comment off with a huff and a growing grin–ashing her cigarette in an old ashtray she’d found that read ‘cowboy butts drive me nuts’ which she’d found amusing and kept, wishing she had Nazlie back to share the humor with. “It’s Nadja, but don’t fuckin’ rat me out if your drink tastes like shit.” Placing the cigarette back between her lips, she extended a hand in introduction. “And who the fuck are you?” The grin, despite the cigarette, was beginning to look coy.

-- “I’ve found that strangers are less dangerous than the people we love.”

Hah. A snort escaped Carly; wasn’t that the fucking truth? Actually, that’d make a great tombstone engraving. For Carly, that was her mother. A once beautiful woman with sunken in facial features, scrawny limbs and a vile tongue. An absent father and a slew of disgusting men coming in and out of the house at all hours didn’t leave Carly with the greatest of hopes for civilization. How the Veatch siblings even turned out to be half decent was a fucking mystery to them all. They were astoundingly somewhat grounded for what they were raised in, although they still had plenty of baggage. Her mother’s band of suitors left Carly disgusted with most men and left her with a shattered sense of trust. Carly would look for anything to run away from getting to know people. Strangers could never leave the impact that her mother left on her and all her siblings; then again, now Carly would never let someone hurt her again. “Tell me ‘bout it.” It were the only words she let linger in the air, not wishing to further make a point of it. Obviously, this girl had someone just the same.

“Taste is subjective. Does it get me drunk? That’s all I give a shit about.” –Impeccable taste was not a luxury granted to her. As long as it served its purpose, Carly didn’t care. She reached back to the hand extended to her, giving a firm shake as she nodded at the woman. “Carly. A first time customer.” 

[mickoymilkovich]

(insp.)

[induratizc]

Los Abuelos was about the only place that reminded Carly of old times. It was an impressive effort to start a society again; or, well, at least that’s how she saw it. The reasoning for starting Los Abuelos could have been a lot simpler for all she knew. Still, Carly took advantage of the opportunity. She wasn’t always keen about paying for alcohol ( she probably could have found some on her own with a lot of effort ) but the bar scene remembered her of her teenage years. She missed sitting around with strangers in a bar, even if she was used to the wasted and emotionally unstable bar patrons that used to frequent the one she lived near growing up. Carly had been in bars her whole life and while it was maybe unhealthy for an eight-year-old to be tagging along with her mother and band of uncivilized suitors, she enjoyed her time there. She played drinking games ( minus the alcohol ) and found her talent for quarters.

Now in the corner part of the bar, she eyed the doors as bodies came in and out. With the threat of walkers constantly plaguing them all, here it was easy to forget the dangers that lay out there. When a man passed her by, she nodded to the empty seat beside her. “You can have that seat if you want. I don’t bite.” Carly smirked, her hand seemingly attached to the drink in her hand.

@detectivexdead

[evabrighis]

[lopeirce]

[induratizc]

Whoever this woman was, she had succeeded in doing something very few – if any – people had managed. Being passive aggressive, or even straight up aggressive during first encounters was always how it went; cracking a smile was rare for him in general, but the first time meeting a new person? Never. It made him feel vulnerable in a way he wasn’t sure he had fully experienced, and so Garth tried his best to shove it back down to the deep of him where it belonged. Keeping piercing eyes like weapons on the female in case she decided to throw any more surprises at him. “Ah see, that just means you’re judging too early.” He let out a cough. “Yeah, I just do my own thing. Those camps don’t interest me.” His chin tipped up at her. “Yourself?”

There’s a sort of dance between them; eyes gazing over the other constantly, as if waiting for a strike. Maybe it was because of the nature in which they met – more aggression and venom – but it had managed to somehow dissipate to this odd circling of quips and jabs. Carly didn’t mind it, of course, she’d be the first to admit she liked a little back and forth of sarcastic quips. She hasn’t fully decided if he was safe but if he hadn’t struck yet, she supposed that was half the battle. At his question, she shook her head, hair falling around her face. “Nah. I have the warning ‘I don’t play well with others’.” She smirked, nodding ahead of herself. “So, where were you heading before you almost killed me?”