[sebastianridge-blog]

Even Pop Music Is Better Than This || Nikolai & Sebastian

[sebastianridge-blog]

[That couch looked really comfy. And Sebastian never really paused to consider things like some people having really huge personal space bubbles, so he just flopped down next to Sebastian, shifting around to get a cushion at his back, and sighing happily.

It was a little sad to hear about the potential lack of music, though.]

Yeah? I guess you’re right. But it’s weird as hell going from constantly listening to the radio—or kids—to … well, barely anything. Everybody here keeps really quiet.

[He guesses there’s a sense in that. Didn’t want to attract attention, after all.

He’s about to chatter happily some more about music, but Nikolai’s question had his smile freezing. It didn’t fall away entirely, but it does fade into something a little more strained.]

Uh, well, about two weeks? I think? I could be off by a few days, I’ve never been good at keeping track of time. [Sebastian suddenly found the cushion behind his back super fascinating, so much so that he dragged it around to his lap so that he could pick at a loose thread coming off it.] It’s good you found us, though. Honestly, I don’t think we would have lasted much longer.

[nikolaijandrews]

[He shifted awkwardly, watching with a raised eyebrow as Sebastian started to make himself at home on the couch beside him. This man was a hell of a lot different than Finn, who was too scared to even look him in the eye. Nikolai figured that since Sebastian was making himself so comfortable already, he had nothing to hide.]

I understand, but you have yet to see the chatterbox side of the rest of the colony, Sebastian, was it? They're quiet because you're foreign to them. Once you get to know them, you'll hardly be able to shut them up.

Let's just say that some of the people here aren't the most pleasant.

[That facial expression was something that Nikolai noted. The mention of the classroom had an impact on his happiness. Sebastian seemed frozen for a moment, but then started to pick mindlessly at the cushion that was behind him. Something had happened in that classroom. There was emotions that were attached.

He tilted his head to the side and pulled his knee towards his chest as he examined his newest conversation companion.  As much as he hated to admit it, Nikolai was a little bit intrigued.]

Two weeks, I'm surprised you lasted that long, to be honest. Finn doesn't seem like he would contribute too much to survival rates. Were you at the school at the first sign of a virus, or did you find refuge there?

[nosaintsorsaviors]

Great...

[nosaintsorsaviors]

They’re already here - kicking them out isn’t…I don’t think that’s what we should do.What we don’t need is deadweight. We should find something for them to do - something preferably within sight of us. Away from food or weapons or anything else they could get a hold of.

[nikolaijandrews]

You're right, kicking them out may seem rather uncivilized...it may make us seem like monsters.  Have you ever read the novel Lord of the Flies, Alivia?

Deadweight is something we have far too much of in these parts.  Perhaps we could make them plant seeds and make a garden or help rebuild the hotel in the places it needs renovation...Simple things that we can watch.

[jeremiahterrell]

I don’t really want to be admired. I just want to keep as many people as I can alive. 

Isn’t it better like this though? More people we keep alive, fewer walkers there are for us to contend with.

[nikolaijandrews]

Charming, Jeremiah, really...such a man of the people.  

I guess if you look at it that way, it is better, but I'd find it easier to look on the bright side if I actually saw some progress being made.  I feel like we take one step forward and two steps back...

[nedblackwell]

Encouraging Words

Look, let’s be honest. Most of the people here are going to die, anyway. And it’s hardly like anyone will mourn them.

Notice I said them. I hardly intend to be one of the zombie fodder.

Although wouldn’t it be lovely if someone came up with an actual plan? Do you think that’s too much to expect?

[nikolaijandrews]

While I've tried to suggest "plans" here and there, Kendrick, our beloved leaders and colonists find it hard to listen to others opinions...

There is a lot of clashing of hard-headed personalities, I'm afraid.  

I'm beginning to think I should come up with a group of my own.

[baldwynofinn]

Finn simply watched as the older man continued to drink the strong liquor in his hand, almost effortlessly. The younger man never had very good experiences with alcohol, and he could almost smell the foul scent from where he stood. Was that whiskey? Finn tried whiskey once, and he ended up puking his heart out an hour later. Not only was whiskey one of the foulest of liquor, it also reminded the younger man of his father. The man always drank before his actions. Maybe the alcohol is what made him do those things. Finn didn’t know, but it made him dislike alcohol even more. 

The younger man nearly cringed at the every word that came out of the other’s mouth—he was actually right. Even though Finn managed to survive with Sebastian for weeks, he really didn’t do much of anything. After seeing his younger sister’s body, Finn hardly ever moved from her desk. He only moved to eat, or to insult Sebastian. Had Sonia and Nadia never found them, the two of them would’ve withered away soon enough.  Finn wasn’t about to let this man know that, though, and he would continue to pretend he was just as capable of surviving as he was. Finn had reason to be as helpless as he was, his heart was still far too weak to actually survive on his own, but he wasn’t about to pour his heart out to this old, drunk man. He was also doing his best to show the man just how bad his nerves were at that moment, or how he confused he was by the man’s words and body language. He was taking jab after jab at Finn.. but he was smiling, and his voice sounded much calmer than it had before. Maybe this man didn’t react as badly as his father always did after getting a couple of drinks in his system. 

"I-I do a-agree that So-sonia a-and Nadia hel-helpe-d-d us, but Sebastian and I we-were doing ju-just fine befo-before that." he lied, they hadn’t been fine at all. If he had to spend another day alone with Sebastian he probably would have killed him—or killed himself.  Listening to the man’s next words, Finn’s brows creased into a tight frown—so Zane was the man who died while they were out there? Finn had heard of the incident, but no one seemed to even mention the man’s name. It was almost as if he didn’t exist. Finn figured the man hadn’t been the nicest around the place. On that subject, however, Finn remained quiet. Death was still far too fresh on his mind and heart, and even if he didn’t know this Zane, he didn’t want to talk about anyone else’s death. "I-I might ju-just do th-that," he began to speak again—or rather struggle to speak. "be-being o-out th-there with the dead s-s-sounds a-a lot b-bet-better than getting in-insulted by an ol-old drunk i-in here." God, Finn was bad at altercations. He couldn’t think of anything bad to say about this man, he hardly even knew him. All he had going for him was that he was old, and was drinking whiskey. Definitely not enough to come up with any decent responses. Though Finn was aware that even if he actually knew the man, he still wouldn’t be able to speak to him like he had been speaking to Finn.  There was something about the man that made Finn incredibly nervous..but a different type of nervous. Everyone in the hotel made the young man nervous, but this man, this ‘Nikola’ was different. He was intimidating, yes, but at the same time slightly intriguing. It was as if the longer Finn looked at him, the less scary he appeared. But at the same time, he became more and more scared of the older man. He was confused, completely oblivious to what was really going on inside his mind.  He glanced at the empty space next to Nikolai, contemplating on simply closing the distance between the two and sitting down next to him—but he decided against it. He would keep his distance for now. What if this man was hiding a knife behind his back and would just stab him to death the moment Finn sat next to him? Nikolai did appear to be strongly against having more mouths to feed around. Maybe he wanted to get rid of Finn as soon as he could.  "F-Finn.." he responded. "N-nice to-to-to meet y-you, Ni-Nikolai." that was another lie. So far, it hadn’t been very nice to meet this grumpy old drunk. But it was only courteous to say those words, right? "Y-You k-know, y-you r-really ha-have an odd-odd way of in-introdu-introducing yourself, o-old man."

[nikolaijandrews]

The more this guy talked, the more Nikolai realized he was helpless on his own. He spoke about being able to take care of himself, about walking outside with the infected and how it was better to be around zombies than with an 'old man', but the way he said it spoke everything but confidence. It unveiled his insecurities and fears and almost made Nikolai feel sorry for him. Maybe this Finn was an okay kid, but only if he stopped that stupid stuttering.

"If you decide to go outside with the walkers, I won't be letting you back in...so make sure you are certain you want to be out there...all alone, no food, no shelter, and no company..." Nikolai was just agging this on, on purpose now. It was kind of funny. Finn wouldn't stop calling him an old man, so he needed to have a little fun, too. "I'm sure nobody would let you take off with our weapons or our stash if you decided to abandon us like that..."

Nikolai fell silent, taking another drink of his whiskey, just before gazing up at Finn with hazy blue eyes. A tipsy smile crossed his lips, tugging up and making some of the smile lines on the side of his face more prominent. Yeah, he may have been older than everyone else there, but he didn't let the insults get to him. He'd had a more than fulfilling life and was probably more successful than all of the other survivors combined. If he died today, at least he had a happy life and made a difference in the world.

He could tell that this kid was debating on whether or not to sit down beside him, and that he was more than nervous to do so. It made him laugh softly. He then inhaled, situated himself into a more comfortable position, and halfway ignored Finn's comment about once again being an old man and being odd.

"Nice to meet you too, Finn. It doesn't seem like you or I are getting any younger, especially by the way you keep making these comments about me being older than you...so why don't you take a seat and we can get to know one another? If I'm gonna be sharing my food with you, I at least need to know something about you, right? I've been around the rest of these...people longer than I have you, so now's our time to bond..."

The journalist reached over and patted the couch cushion beside him. Listening to other people (if they were actually intelligent) was one of his favorite things to do. Getting people to talk was also one of his talents. Though Nikolai wasn't really interested in the life that Finn used to lead, it was something to pass the time and he'd feel accomplished if he got him to loosen up a little.

"You keep standing around like this and you're going to start making me nervous, Mr. Finn. Tell me what's on your mind.  Do you often stutter like that?"

Nikolai spoke calmly and sincerely. His voice was low, almost in a tone that could be considered soothing. He quirked a brow, finished off what was left of his whiskey, and sat the glass aside. "Now I'm all out of whiskey, so you're really responsible for entertaining me..."

[jeremiahterrell]

I get that it’s more of a burden for us, but I’d rather loose a little food than loose what’s left of my humanity.

[nikolaijandrews]

Yeah, that's definitely why you're a "leader" and I'm not, Jeremiah.

You're a much better man than I could ever dream to be in this position.

Perhaps you are someone I could find myself admiring.

[nosaintsorsaviors]

Great...

…more mouths to feed.

[nikolaijandrews]

And I thought I was the only one with this point of view.

What do you think we should do about it?

[salsasharks]

       The other survivors don’t seem to be troubled by it one bit—- the greatest of their concerns appearing to be the fact that they now have more mouths to feed, that shortages of food will come quicker and that they will need to bring back supplies in greater quantities opposed to the fact that they had lost someone who had been there from the beginning. Well, at least Zane had been there from the beginning in Zyana’s eyes, having travelled to the colony together with the rest of team North; and now… Now he was gone, after the girl had practically wished for his demise. 

Even though it was quite obvious that the two of them weren’t particularly fond of one another, she still didn’t want him to die—- regardless of her words, the words that she regretted now more than ever. 

She hasn’t spoken to anyone since it happened, barely been able to sleep, eat, move—- in fact, this is the first time she’s even left her room. However; she doesn’t make an effort to wander far, rather, curling up against the cushions of the couch Zane had been lounging on when they had their heated argument. 

Zyana wouldn’t be able to begin to explain why she’s so upset over this; even if she tried—— although, a part of her was relieved that she could still feel anything at all. At least this meant she was still human.

[nikolaijandrews]

This was one of the more quiet moments since they returned from their trip out into the city. The tension of getting the four newcomers was starting to dissipate, and Nikolai was coming to terms with the fact that they were stuck with these people and he'd have to deal with them for as long as they survived. He told himself he should be happy that there were other people out there besides their small group at the colony, but he was honestly having a hard time grasping it.

Coming out of his room with a bottle of whiskey and a glass in his grasp, Nikolai headed out into the common areas of the hotel, only to see Zyana curled up on one of the couches that he intended to find a seat on. She was someone that he had slowly realized he could trust, seeing as she had traveled with him to New York City and they had made a pact to share alcohol with one another. Perhaps he should have grabbed another glass.

Sitting across from her on the couch that sat parallel, Nikolai propped his feet up on the coffee table that sat in between the seats and poured himself a glass of the alcohol that he had found in the gas station. His brows were furrowed, lips down turned into a rather serious expression. It may have even been a look of concern.

"Zyana, care for a drink? You look like you could use it..."

[sebastianridge-blog]

Even Pop Music Is Better Than This || Nikolai & Sebastian

[Most people, given the event of what seemed to be an apocalypse and a world full of people that were trying to eat you, would be depressed. Angry. Scared. And all of those, Sebastian figured, were natural responses. He was scared too. He was upset that he wasn’t going to just wake up and find that everything had gone back to normal. He was definitely not happy at, well, everything.

But right now? He was happy.

Because there was a little group of survivors that had somehow made it out alive. There was a hotel where he’d claimed a room, an actual place where he could sleep that wasn’t littered with tiny dead bodies, and people—actual people—that he could talk to. People that weren’t, uh, kind of angry with him. Not that Finn shouldn’t be angry with him, but. Well.]

So does anyone have any idea where to find a radio around here? Does someone have one? Because either we’ll manage to find a frequency that other people are broadcasting on, or we’ll find some radio station that’s still automatically playing.

And I really miss music. Even if it’s just pop music, it’s got to be better than silence, right?

[nikolaijandrews]

[Still unsure of what to think about the four survivors that they'd picked up on their little journey out into the city, Nikolai watched Sebastian with a close eye. He seemed harmless, and after all he'd been through he was surprisingly level-headed. That was quite the relief for Nikolai, since when he'd met Finn, he'd been a stuttering mess.

A little laugh fell from Nikolai's lips as he adjusted himself on the couch that he'd made himself comfortable on. Sebastian missed music, and Nikolai was sure he was going to start missing a lot of other things now that he was out of that classroom and facing the harsh reality of the outbreak.]

Sebastian, I'm sorry to say, but music is one of the small comforts you may have to deal with letting go of for the time being...that is, until we figure something else out. If you're interested in electronics, I believe Kendrick may be the person to talk to...I've seen him tinkering around with some things here and there.

The silence is something you grow used to...even thankful for. It's better than the groaning. Tell me, how long were you locked in that class room?

[baldwynofinn]

[It had only been a few hours since Finn and his small group were found and “rescued” by the other survivors, and he had to admit, it was weird being around so many people again. It almost felt like he hadn’t been around people other than Sebastian, Sonia and Nadia in months, even if it hadn’t been more than two or three weeks. 

The people in this group were very..interesting, however, and it almost impressed him how they could all live together in this small hotel without killing one another. Some looked like they were ready to snap at any moment. Finn was never a fan of altercations (for many reasons), so the moment he stepped foot in that hotel and saw the survivors interactions..his nerves were at an all-time high. He was terrified, to be quite honest. He was standing in front of the table where they gathered all of their supplies—where Sebastian and himself placed what little supplies they had left in attempt to contribute to their new group—when he heard a very snarky comment coming from behind him. Finn was always bad at recognizing voices, so he quickly turned around to see who it was.]

[It was that old man. Finn couldn’t remember if he had ever properly introduced himself, but he remembered him from the group of survivors that found him and Sebastian at the school. He seemed to be the quiet type, which Finn had liked, but things seemed a bit different now. He looked annoyed by Finn’s very presence in the room, and this made him even more nervous than he already was. If that was even possible.  This man also reminded Finn of his father, and that was never an entirely good thing. The appearance was similar, but Finn could only hope his personality wasn’t like his father’s. He swallowed, pushing all thoughts about the older man’s pleasing physical appearance out of his head and struggled to find words. He was nervous and scared of all these survivors, and more than anything he didn’t want to look like a weak link—even if he was fully aware that he was probably the weakest link in the group now. He couldn’t let this man see him sweat.] I-I do apologize th-that your nerves are in b-bad condition, si-sir, but I’ll have you know that I-I a-am no-not an idiot. I was perfectly capable of surviving w-wi-without your help until n-now, so d-don’t-t think I’ll be dep-depending on y-yo-you for much.  [He probably sounded more like an idiot the more he spoke, but the man’s incredibly serious and judgmental attitude couldn’t have made Finn more nervous.]

[nikolaijandrews]

The fact that he was in a rather comfortable position, reclined on one of the nearby couches, knee pulled up against his chest, arm resting atop it, with a nice tall glass of whiskey in his hand was already starting to ease his nerves a little. The warm, familiar feeling of having alcohol in his system was starting to take over as that young, obviously nervous kid that they'd brought into the colony turned around and examined his tired features.

Finn was lucky Nikolai's first real impression of him was going to be from a drunken perspective. He took another drink of his whiskey, swallowed it contently, and gazed up at the man (who Nikolai would consider to be yet a boy) with dull blue eyes. He laughed softly. His stuttering would have been too much for him to handle had it not been for the tingly sensation of being slightly inebriated.

"I'm sorry to say it, but I believe you and your male companion wouldn't have lasted more than a few days had it not been for the lovely females that were accompanying you. I'm surprised they had enough patience to carry your weight, as they seem much more capable than you." He still spoke proper and concise despite the fact that the whiskey was finally starting to take the edge off of his nerves.

"I take it that you're thankful we found you, but from my perspective..." he paused to take another gulp of his drink, "We had it just fine without the addition of four new people....well, three if you factor in that Zane proved himself to be one of the biggest neanderthals we had recruited into our little colony."

Despite his criticism, a smile came across Nikolai's lips now. He stared into the almost empty glass he was holding and debated on delving further into his stash of alcohol that he'd pillaged from the gas station. "If you're confident that you could survive on your own, there's a gate right at the front. I won't stop you, for it's one less mouth to feed...or you could prove yourself and make the most of this...unfortunate situation we've found ourselves in." The journalist shifted in his seat, pulling his leg closer in case this young man decided it was fit to sit down next to him for a chat.

"You can call me Nikolai, by the way."

[moonchildsue-deactivated2015071]

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[jeremiahterrell]

Would you prefer that we’d left them over there to die?

[nikolaijandrews]

It isn't that I'd like them to be left for dead, Jeremiah, it's the fact that we now have three more people than we initially started with to feed and care for.

In this world, the more people we have, the more of a burden we begin to carry.  While it's nice to know that there are still people out there...it's a little bit distressing at the same time. 

I suppose that's why I wasn't deemed an authoritative figure and you were.

[treatyoself-blog]

[faithfulyesenia-deactivated2014]

The loss is sad, but hopefully the gain is not as bad as you think.

[nikolaijandrews]

Half of the people here already step on my nerves too much for me to even function properly, Yesenia...hence why I constantly need a drink.

More bodies means more people to feed...which always causes more problems..

I should be thrilled there are actually others alive...

[nikolaijandrews]

Lose one idiot, gain four.  As if my nerves couldn't get any worse.

[nosaintsorsaviors]

Well...

…we’re going to have to decide what to do sooner or later with that building across the street.

[nikolaijandrews]

Well said, Alivia.  I highly doubt walkers have learned how to use flashlights...or at least I'd hope they haven't...

[sickmarla]