business
"sure" Dev shrugged, June shaking her head and flopping on the couch.
Liam smiled and walked out into the hallway, leaving the door open for Dev. He walked for a bit, skipping the first few doors. Finally he stopped in front of one and checked the handle. "Locked." he said under his breath. "Do you have a bobby pin or a paperclip?" he asked Dev.
Liam smiled and walked out into the hallway, leaving the door open for Dev. He walked for a bit, skipping the first few doors. Finally he stopped in front of one and checked the handle. "Locked." he said under his breath. "Do you have a bobby pin or a paperclip?" he asked Dev.
Devon looked at the door, then pulled out his knife, taking it out of the box, "I have a pocket knife. Or I could break the door"
business
Devon looked at the door, then pulled out his knife, taking it out of the box, "I have a pocket knife. Or I could break the door"
Liam looked at the pocket knife. you are such an idiot he thought to himself. "We could break the door handle. That would probably be the most efficient." He looked up at Dev. "Do you know how to kick it open?" he asked slowly. "I'd do it, butβ¦" he looked down at his legs. "..I'm a twig and have zero muscle mass."
Liam looked at the pocket knife. you are such an idiot he thought to himself. "We could break the door handle. That would probably be the most efficient." He looked up at Dev. "Do you know how to kick it open?" he asked slowly. "I'd do it, butβ¦" he looked down at his legs. "..I'm a twig and have zero muscle mass."
"Kick it beside the door nob?" he asked, putting the knife away carefully.
business
"Kick it beside the door nob?" he asked, putting the knife away carefully.
Liam nodded, still embarrassed about his twiginess. "Right here." he said pointing to the door. "And make sure your foot is completely flat when you kick." he added.
( @Davadio )
Lucas stood, dazed. As Ronni clubbed the dog in the head with the gun he visibly winced, gritting his teeth. "Did you kill it?" He asked her quietly, his voice echoing lightly through the empty store. He found his throat had dried up when the sound of his own voice came back to his ears and he cringed.
He looked down, realising the puppy was still in his arms and frowned. He put it down and it automatically wandered over to its mother with its chubby stumpy legs and began to lick her face. Lucas moved closer to Ronni.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice rising with concern. "Did you get hit at all?"
emoji_events
( @EtherealDreamer )
Ronni didn't respond. She was zoned waaay out, but also listening around them, waiting for his friends to come and attack them, kill them, or do worse things.
The dog was alive, she had just hit it hard enough to deter it, maybe knock it out.
She appeared to be ok, no blood or anything, but she was just kind of staring.
( @Davadio )
Lucas noticed this and looked towards the space she was staring at. When he saw that nothing was there he slowly turned his gaze back to her and gently waved a hand in front of her eyes, when she didn't respond to the hand wave he started to feel the panic clutch his chest and make it throb and ache, he looked around quickly, trying to figure out what to do, until finally he took her by one shoulder and rocked her back and forth, to see if moving her would snap her out of her daze or⦠whatever this was.
emoji_events
( @EtherealDreamer )
Ronni jumped, startled by his touch, and whipped around and out of his grasp. She stepped back, scrambling away from him, and raised the gun. She was ready to put him down, like the last guy, and her finger tightened on the trigger, when-
Ronni, you know this one. Tanya said softly in her head.
Ronni froze, looking at him, then blinked, the lights coming on in her eyes. She swallowed hard and put down the weapon, before crumpling onto her knees on the cold tiles and putting her head in her hands.
I nearly shot himβ¦
Liam nodded, still embarrassed about his twiginess. "Right here." he said pointing to the door. "And make sure your foot is completely flat when you kick." he added.
Devon nodded, waiting for Liam to move out of the way, kicking the door open. He then proceeded to fall on his arse. "oof"
( @Davadio )
Lucas stared at her, when she turned the gun on him, he raised his hands peacefully.
He watched her crumble to the ground, as if everything were in slow motion. He continued to stare, once she was on the ground he mentally debated comforting her.
But she almost shot you.
But it's not her fault.
But she obviously has some kind of strong dislike for men.
But that's also not her fault.
But what if she hurts you?
But what if she needs someone? what if she needs me?
At last, he decided to compromise with both parts of his head and squatted down close to her, but far enough to give her space and started talking to her.
"Ronni, it's okay. You did nothing wrong, it was all in self defense." He said to her softly "I want you to know i'm not mad, i'm not scared and I don't feel any differently about you than I did before."
He took a deep breath and then paused before beginning to speak again.
"I want you to look at me when you feel you're okay, and then I want you to take some deep breaths and tell yourself that everything's okay and you did nothing wrong." He whispered softly.
emoji_events
( @EtherealDreamer )
"I'm sorry Lucas, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I wouldn't shoot you, you just surprised me and I wasn't ready and I'm sorry I freaked out and-β¦ andβ¦" her voice gave out, not used to saying so much all at once. She looked up at him, tears running down her face.
Ronni had wanted to trust for a long time. The ability had largely been taken from her, and she was just learning how to trust again when her family, her therapist, and the few friends she had all died.
She was wondering now if she'd ever be normal again. If she ever could be. She didn't want to live in fear, she hated it, but it kept her alive. It kept her reflexes sharp, her mind alert. That man would have killed them both, maybe, or perhaps just shot Lucas and used her for other things.
But they were safe now, and she was happy about that, except that same thing that kept them safe, that same hair-trigger readiness, had nearly gotten her friend killed.
And he was being so gentle about it.
"Ronni, it's okay. I'm not mad, there's nothing to be sorry about, I promise." He said gently, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder. "Can Iβcan I hug you?" He asked quietly.
He watched a tear slide down her cheeks and frowned to himself, using his sleeve to wipe it away quickly and gently before drawing his hand back.
emoji_events
Ronni hesitated for a moment, still unsure of the situation, until Tanya nudged her again.
If you're going to trust him, then trust him.
She lunged for him, wrapped her arms around him, and pressed her face into his chest. She couldn't hide the shaking, the abject fear that came with being this close to him, but.
He won't hurt me, he won't hurt me, he's not going to do anything, he won't hurt me⦠She kept repeating to herself, trying to calm down.
( @Davadio )
At first Lucas paused, surprised that Ronni had made the move to hug him, instead of vice versa, which is how he predicted it would've happened.
He then wrapped his arms around her, moving one up and down continuously and set his head on top of hers, careful to give her enough room to move if she wanted.
"It's okay, Ronni." He told her softly "I promise."
He kept rubbing and eventually he hugged her closer to him when he felt her shakiness was extremely bad and eventually he got on his knees and began to rock her from side to side.
business
Devon nodded, waiting for Liam to move out of the way, kicking the door open. He then proceeded to fall on his arse. "oof"
Liam moved and watched as Devon fell. He stifled a chuckle as he rummaged around his backpack, pulling out a small black bag, and from it he pulled out two little metal sticks. "We should have started with this." He stuck them into the lock and wiggled them around, pulling them out when the knob turned and the door opened.
emoji_events
( @EtherealDreamer )
Ronni was breathing very quickly as she broke a 2-year-long personal taboo on being this close to a man. She was nervous, and still a bit afraid, not of Lucas specifically, but just from the whole situation and having to fight her own demons at the same time.
He was being very comforting and gentle with her, which she really appreciated, and she found herself leaning into him further the longer he held on. Her breathing slowed down eventually, but her shaking and her racing heart wouldn't quit.
She finally unwrapped her arms from around him, and very gently pushed back from him. She had cried into his shirt, and she tried to wipe the tear stains from it.
"Thank you, Lucasβ¦" she said softly. "We should get going and get what we came for, unless you'd rather leave. Who knows who heard those gunshots."
Ronni wasn't trying to get away from him because she was bothered by him, but they didn't need to keep moving, and the whole situation was going to take her a while to process. She had just shot one man, and hugged another in the space of about 1 minute. Those were both things that were very difficult for her mind to try to wrap itself around right this instant.
Liam moved and watched as Devon fell. He stifled a chuckle as he rummaged around his backpack, pulling out a small black bag, and from it he pulled out two little metal sticks. "We should have started with this." He stuck them into the lock and wiggled them around, pulling them out when the knob turned and the door opened.
"If you have thst, why ask me to make a fool of myself?" Devon crossed his arms, his face flushing red from embarrassment.
business
"If you have thst, why ask me to make a fool of myself?" Devon crossed his arms, his face flushing red from embarrassment.
"I forgot that i had them until you fell." he put the picks back in his bag and stood up once more. "I did the same thing my first time, and that's what reminded me." He walked into the dark room and started groping around for a light switch.
"I forgot that i had them until you fell." he put the picks back in his bag and stood up once more. "I did the same thing my first time, and that's what reminded me." He walked into the dark room and started groping around for a light switch.
Devon shook his head, walking into the room. "What are you looking for anyway?" He crossed his arms, noticing it was dark, but not caring.
( @Davadio )
Lucas nodded and slowly stood up, helping Ronni gently up as well. He let go of her quickly once they were both up, he shook out his arms and legs and both his knees gave a rusty cracking sound.
"I think we should come back some other time." He told her softly "I don't want there to be other people here who can hurt youβ us I mean."
emoji_events
( @EtherealDreamer )
Ronni nodded, picking up the gun and tucking it back on her waistband. He was right, although they'd probably never be safe in a superstore like this. It was a prime place to live, and someone would always be here.
She glanced at the dogs, and tried to ask about them, but her throat hurt. She wound up just pointing at them with a quizzical look on his face.
Do you still want to keep them?
business
Devon shook his head, walking into the room. "What are you looking for anyway?" He crossed his arms, noticing it was dark, but not caring.
"The dare was that June would drink a cocktail with no hesitation, or at least something close to that." He found a light switch and turned it on, illuminating the whole room. "It's a cocktail, what do you think I'm looking for?"
( @Davadio )
Lucas followed her gaze and saw the dogs, the puppy frantically licking its mother's face while whining.
"I don't knowβ¦" he said softly as the dog began to wake and stand. But this time she showed no aggression, just fear. "Do you think we should? I don't think she'll try to hurt us anymore."
emoji_events
Ronni shrugged and pointed at him.
It's your call.
She gave him a small smile and turned towards the exit they came in. This had been a thoroughly disappointing trip, butβ¦
You can trust Lucas a little more, and that's good. Tanya said gently.
Lucas bent down and let the mother sniff his hand, she spent about a whole minutes doing this and then he slowly reached out and petted her.
She whined a bit and then began to wag her non-existent tale. He turned to look at Ronni and realised that she wasn't even looking and found himself a bit disappointed. She picked up the leash of the mother dog, but her collar didn't say her name.
"Ronni," he said, turning back to face her "what should we name her, the mom?"
emoji_events
Ronni was trying to process, and caught herself just staring for a moment. Lucas called her name, and she turned back to him with a small smile.
The dog was ok, and was beig friendly with him, which was good. As for a nameβ¦
"Marti." she said quietly. If the puppy was a boy, she'd be voting for Wally, because naming two dogs they found in Wal-mart Wally-Marti just tickled whatever sense of humor she had left.
( @Davadio )
Lucas laughed and smiled, petting the mother dog's head.
"Hello Marti," he said to her as she panted with her tongue out happily "I guess you're coming with us."
He looked down at the puppy, which was wriggling in his arms and noticed it was a boy. HE grinned and looked to Ronni as he walked to her, the leash in his left hand, his right arm up to carry the puppy. "The puppy, it's a boy. He needs a name?" He said raising his eyebrow.
emoji_events
Ronni stifled a snarky smile and replied as straight-faced as she could.
"Wally."
She turned and immediately headed back up towards the entrance, grinning to herself and waiting for him to get the joke.
( @Davadio )
Lucas followed, Marti trailing quickly by his side and Wally still in his arms, once he got to the car he opened the back door and Marti jumped in, Lucas gently sat Wally next to her as she sat down.
He shut the door firmly and went around, opening Ronni's door. Once she was in the car he got in the driver seat, started the car and pulled out of the parking spot.
"Nice trip." He said sarcastically "almost being killed by a giant of a man and then stealing his dogs, my idea of a perfect day."
.jpeg)
.png)
.jpeg)