well wow apparently gods exist (Closed//Stalkers Enabled)

"What if I made another one? I engraved that one special. I want it back."

"No," Havenwood repeated as he hacked away at the dead animal.

"Why? I can make a better one, even. Who are you under attack by that you need my weaponry, anyway?" Elise started up at the ceiling as she talked.

"You shouldn't have to care, Elise," Havenwood growled through gritted teeth.

"And yet I do. Please don't growl."

Havenwood shook his head and chopped off a leg.

There were about thirty seconds of silence. He won't notice if I switch them out, will he? I need that gun - it has my most prized possession hidden in the stock. I can't let him keep it. She got up. "I'm going outside." She needed to find some metal, first and foremost.

"I know what you're planning. I can feel it. Sit down, you're not gonna find metal."

"How the hell did you know I was looking for metal?" Elise harrumphed. I can melt down a spoon, for god's sake. I need that gun.

"I know when an animal is going to fruitlessly hunt for something. Sit down."

"You calling me an animal? I might just put pop-its under your pillow tonight. I want some soup with whatever we're needing tonight. And a spoon, haven't had one in ages."

Havenwood shook his head. "Look, I'm bringing this gun up to Zeus tonight, so you won't be able to swap it out, genius. As soon as I finish with this Ox, I'm going to bring the meat and the gun. I'll probably make you something before I go."

"What?? Havenwood, I'm serious. There is something of mine in that gun. Please. Just let me get it out first!" Elise rarely found herself in a position to beg, but this was one of them.

"What's in it?" Havenwood felt the nip of curiosity.

"Why do you want to know? It's mine, and I really need it."

"You offered the gun to me, and you snooped through my room. I deserve to know."

Elise groaned.
"It's…a dog collar. Just lemme have it, Haven! I should start calling you Heathen. Not too different."

Havenwood sighed. "Fine, take it. My hands are busy." He gestured his elbow to a belt loop.

(oof I see what ya did there)
Elise looked at it, then to Havenwood's face, then back up again. She got up and trotted over to him. It was rather strange being this close to him for a benevolent reason; the only time she had been before was when she was shutting the door in his face.
She reached to the belt loop and slowly eased out the gun. Her fingers brushed his waist for a mere second, and she startled, drawing herself and the acquired gun back.

(hahaha you did it well, my friend)

Havenwood ignored her further and continued chopping apart the ox's bones, which was extremely grueling work, but he found the marrow of ox bones good in soups.

Glancing back at him from her settlement on the floor beneath the couch, Elise unscrewed the stock with her teeth, and out of the pewter, casing came tumbling a rusty, iron chain, large enough to fit around an average food-deprived human's neck. And that's what it was. This wasn't a dog collar, it was a human collar. It had been hers when she was sixteen - taken as a slave of sorts for one of the most powerful gang leaders in the City. She had won her way out by selling her body numerous times. She shuddered at the memory and stuffed it in her pocket, closing up the gun and throwing it behind her where it skid to the floor next to Houston's feet.

(oh god, prostitution. hates thinking about it I hate it when writers use that as a dramatic background.)

Havenwood picked it back up and back into his belt loop it went. He continued chopping up bloodstained bone, occasionally wiping sweat off of his forehead.

(I know I hate it too, but it's a real thing, especially in the streets of the city, people need to be more aware)

(idk really what to do)

(I am very aware of it, and it makes me feel sick and ashamed of the American stature. Being a per say, woman, I can't imagine having to sell my body like that, especially to sick men who think they 'require' it. I'm getting more and more pissed off with America every day, and I'm only 15 (I'm really mature for 15, if you couldn't tell)!)

(idk really what to do)

(And I think we can solve that with a time skip.)

(To when they're about to sleep)
Elise heard some scuffling about in Havenwood's room, but she tried to block it, laying her head on the rug in the main room. It wasn't very comfortable at all, but it was a step up from her home in the city - her city bed was made of two sheets of thin flannel laid out on the cement floor. The old chain was tucked safely into her pocket. She'd have to find something to sew it up with later lest it fall out in front of Havenwood - that'd be a lot of questions she didn't want to have to answer.
(Make it happen it'll be interesting…in the middle of the night maybe? I'll make it happen)

(uhhh can I know what you're about to do?)

(She'll need a drink so she comes to get water, turns the lights on, they wake up Havenwood and as she's about to leave the chain falls out and he'll ask about it and idk it's a way of churning up some convo)

(ugh i don't want to bring up her past too much. I really don't want an elaboration)