07-15-2015, 08:20 PM
They dragged some half-drowned waif of a girl to the fire, and for a second Jaxen appraised her of the potential company. Misery loves, and all that. But it quickly became apparent that she was unresponsive. A glaze took her eyes and he could see the flicker of the fire dance in her pupils.
Elias dropped a dog on the ground. It hobbled near the fire, sensing the warmth, and shuddered its tiny little body. Thing looked like a rat, but Jaxen frowned and snapped his fingers near the ground to catch its attention. It hobbled toward his hand, and as soon as it was in reach, Jax scooped it up and tucked it into his coat. His stomach immediately pebbled cold and he cringed to think about wet dog stinking him up. "Better than snakes,"
he told it, folding its ears back as he pet its head.
Elias's jump made his head turn, but the screaming filled his head with noise he couldn't block out despite throwing his hands over his ears. He wasn't particularly fond of watching people die, but this was horrible. The dog scrambled from his lap and went to the girl's body, sniffing at her face. But it was clear she was dead.
Nobody spoke. Jax's narrowed eyes jet from face to face, daring them to say something. In the end, it was him. "That was the sickness, wasn't it. Show of hands, how many here has had it before?"
he looked pointedly at Elias before flicking sharp accusation at the girls.
He raised his hand. "Obviously not all the way to the dying part, but fuck this secrecy bullshit. I'm tired of hiding it."
He snapped his fingers at the dog but it was too preoccupied with comforting its dead owner to pay attention.
He groaned in irritation and leaned his neck back to find solace in the sky as something flew over the tops of the trees. At first Jaxen thought it was some bird, but the drone hovering over their heads announced one thing. It was followed by new voices sounded through the trees, men, calling his name.
"About damn time."
He said to himself, waved upward at the drone likely sending their video to Stanislav and stood up, making sure the coat covered him as best it could. "YEAH! OVER HERE!"
Stanislav pounded through the snow and upon finding the group of them, deposited the wallet he used into a pocket. He was followed by three additional men. One was operating the drone, as he piloted it to himself, folded it up and slid the robotic into a slender case. The other two, one of whom was holding an additional briefcase, were thick men in long black coats with fur collars that Jaxen took as hired muscle, stationed themselves nearby.
Stanislav always had a snarl on his lip, but as he turned it toward Elias, Elyse and Sierra, the snarl faded to tolerance. It was Jaxen he was there to retrieve. "Kid you better have one hell of a story." He planted himself in front of Jaxen and looked him over. "Look better than I thought you would."
Jaxen smirked. If Stanislav only knew. "Can we get out of here? I don't feel like hanging around when they come to bodybag that one."
Stanislav followed Jaxen's gesture at the girl. With stones for eyes he threw them at the others, and pulled Jaxen away without the option to stay.
He was handed a pair of pants and boots on the way. Awkward enough to manage to pull on without showing the world his bare ass, but it wasn't like they hadn't already seen his best bits. Cold bits anyway.
"Wait wait."
he said. Stanislav had a grip on his arm that said he wasn't given the choice to stay, but the dare in Jaxen's eyes made him pause. The light was there and he was more than willing to use it. He cocked his head backward.
"What?" He grumbled.
"Them. Let's get them back to town. Owe them a ride for saving my life. Wouldn't you agree?"
He turned back and pulled a blessed sweater, temperature-regulated, over his head and he tossed Elyse her stuff.
"That is. Unless they want to continue the camping trip with the grim reaper?"
Elias dropped a dog on the ground. It hobbled near the fire, sensing the warmth, and shuddered its tiny little body. Thing looked like a rat, but Jaxen frowned and snapped his fingers near the ground to catch its attention. It hobbled toward his hand, and as soon as it was in reach, Jax scooped it up and tucked it into his coat. His stomach immediately pebbled cold and he cringed to think about wet dog stinking him up. "Better than snakes,"
he told it, folding its ears back as he pet its head.
Elias's jump made his head turn, but the screaming filled his head with noise he couldn't block out despite throwing his hands over his ears. He wasn't particularly fond of watching people die, but this was horrible. The dog scrambled from his lap and went to the girl's body, sniffing at her face. But it was clear she was dead.
Nobody spoke. Jax's narrowed eyes jet from face to face, daring them to say something. In the end, it was him. "That was the sickness, wasn't it. Show of hands, how many here has had it before?"
he looked pointedly at Elias before flicking sharp accusation at the girls.
He raised his hand. "Obviously not all the way to the dying part, but fuck this secrecy bullshit. I'm tired of hiding it."
He snapped his fingers at the dog but it was too preoccupied with comforting its dead owner to pay attention.
He groaned in irritation and leaned his neck back to find solace in the sky as something flew over the tops of the trees. At first Jaxen thought it was some bird, but the drone hovering over their heads announced one thing. It was followed by new voices sounded through the trees, men, calling his name.
"About damn time."
He said to himself, waved upward at the drone likely sending their video to Stanislav and stood up, making sure the coat covered him as best it could. "YEAH! OVER HERE!"
Stanislav pounded through the snow and upon finding the group of them, deposited the wallet he used into a pocket. He was followed by three additional men. One was operating the drone, as he piloted it to himself, folded it up and slid the robotic into a slender case. The other two, one of whom was holding an additional briefcase, were thick men in long black coats with fur collars that Jaxen took as hired muscle, stationed themselves nearby.
Stanislav always had a snarl on his lip, but as he turned it toward Elias, Elyse and Sierra, the snarl faded to tolerance. It was Jaxen he was there to retrieve. "Kid you better have one hell of a story." He planted himself in front of Jaxen and looked him over. "Look better than I thought you would."
Jaxen smirked. If Stanislav only knew. "Can we get out of here? I don't feel like hanging around when they come to bodybag that one."
Stanislav followed Jaxen's gesture at the girl. With stones for eyes he threw them at the others, and pulled Jaxen away without the option to stay.
He was handed a pair of pants and boots on the way. Awkward enough to manage to pull on without showing the world his bare ass, but it wasn't like they hadn't already seen his best bits. Cold bits anyway.
"Wait wait."
he said. Stanislav had a grip on his arm that said he wasn't given the choice to stay, but the dare in Jaxen's eyes made him pause. The light was there and he was more than willing to use it. He cocked his head backward.
"What?" He grumbled.
"Them. Let's get them back to town. Owe them a ride for saving my life. Wouldn't you agree?"
He turned back and pulled a blessed sweater, temperature-regulated, over his head and he tossed Elyse her stuff.
"That is. Unless they want to continue the camping trip with the grim reaper?"