#001. shawn betancourt.

[marlodalton]

Watching her friend carefully, there were layers to her worry. It’s like they were hunkered down in a barrel, unsure if they were sitting on gold or powder about to explode around them. Marlo wasn’t an idiot and not as oblivious as she pretended to be just to keep herself on the sidelines. Paxton wasn’t just a town, it hadn’t been for far longer than she was around and developments like the one at hand meant a new game of chess had just started, And the people of Oceanview were the damn pawns sacrificed for the outcome of the game. Now it was up to them to decide what pieces they’d become but Marlo knew one thing, whatever Shawn decided, she’d be right there beside her.

Glancing around with a smile that hadn’t quite reached her eyes, she attached her matching domino to one of the ends and lightly tapped the table at her other companions. “Keep up, I’ve got a game to win.” She teased lightheartedly before turning back to Shawn and their own private conversation. “The city still has a say here. They can bring in their big bucks, but a city council is still at play.” Marlo stated matter of factly before blowing out air through tight lips, unsure if she was convincing herself or her friend. “They can’t just leave people out on the street.” She realized how naive she sounded the second the words came out of her mouth. Of course, they could. But no new housing options would be provided. No, not for people like those who were about to lose everything. No, just for those upper-class jerks who decided to make Paxton their playground. The anger that resided in her chest for far longer than she’d like to admit made her shift in her seat, gaze lowering as she gathered her composure.

When it came down to it, it wasn’t really so much the pieces of town they were taking she truly cared about, it was the people it would hurt in the process. And one of those people was sitting beside her, one of the most important ones to Marlo. “What do you need? What can I do?” Gently bumping her knee into Shawn’s under the table, she offered a reassuring smile. “And don't you dare put on your pretty little brave face for me, Sugar. Let me at least cook for you and your Paps tonight.”

~~*~~

Shawn couldn't help the easy smile that spread across her face. Games with the old cowboys was something she and Marlo knew about. She was pretty sure they just let the girls win when they were younger but now it could be a real competition, exactly how Marlo said. "Of course," Shawn gestured for her friend to draw their hand and all she could really think was let the games begin.

Then the reason she had been so eager to join her father at the Market reared it's ugly head. The anxiety that had kept her from sleep the night before came back with vengeance and she rubbed at her chest absently. All those people. Her friends, family really. They had to do something but she wasn't really sure what. She was just so angry about it. Her temper flaring up at the worse possible times. At least she was doing what she could. Stopping the construction was a small step in the grand scheme of things but it was a start. Though it showed her hand. If there was a way to say I'm affiliated with your enemy, Shawn had just found it.

"Yea," she kept her voice low to match Marlo's and not disturb the other conversations happening, "Just doing what I can, you know how we do things around here." She cleared her throat and straightened the tiles in front of her not really seeing them. How they did things around here was usually riding the line of legality but it got done. That's why Shawn continued to do it. "But it is shit."

[apocalyptixs]

"I dunno about that. I mean, it seems like a lot of these people haven't seen the outside in a while. They've gone soft. They might have more skinned knees then you could ever expect to handle." Truth be told Atlas isn't sure they can make such a judgement call just yet about these people. They have groups that go beyond the wall regularly - or, it at seemed that way. Before this latest group returned one fewer in numbers than they'd left with...

"Are you suggesting a quail is more likely to be around here popping out eggs than chickens or ducks?" It seemed less common, somehow, but Atlas didn't really know their farm birds. "Maybe there's a barn or something around here that we haven't seen yet." They step forward, following as she steps back. "Do quail eggs taste any different? Not that I even remember what a chicken egg would taste like at this point..." Or really much of anything that didn't come out of a can. And even that was a risky game to play sometimes.

"I bet people who had farms before all this probably had no problem. I mean sure, they had to build up the fences or whatever to keep out the dead. I guess, I dunno how long farm animals live for but it seems like a pretty never ending source, right? Makes you rethink the whole farming profession a little, doesn't it...?"

~~*~~

It was strange how people clung to things that no longer served them. While she was sure that Atlas actually didn't give a shit what people thought, especially here, she was equally sure that actually sharing a bed would cause rumors. People still talked. And now there was nothing else to talk about since the world practically ended at the edge of this makeshift town. But at least they all had the recent news to distract them from the gossiping.

"Please," she snorted, "The only one I worry about getting seriously injured is you and you wouldn't bother the infirmary with a skinned knee." Unless they were joking and asked her to kiss his boo boo better.

"I haven't seen chickens...or ducks...but honestly they could be quail eggs and I'd be good with it," she started walking backwards, "I really can't remember the last time I had eggs. Unless you count those chocolate ones we found in that gas station."

[marlodalton]

It felt like the morning after a heavy storm—chaos had struck in the dark, leaving only the aftermath to assess when it was already too late. Oceanview might not be the town’s most attractive feature, but it was essential, especially for those with the least voice in its fate. For Marlo, it was deeply personal; she knew Shawn and had witnessed the Historical Society's struggle against its removal. The situation reminded her how quickly something fragile, like a debt-ridden vet clinic, could vanish. She shook her head, trying to dispel her thoughts. She had barely slept the night before, and making this about herself would only lead her down a darker path.

Clutching a paper bag of groceries a little tighter, Marlo crossed the market toward her truck when she spotted familiar faces. It was surprising to see Shawn there, caught up in a game of dominoes—but then again, it wasn’t. Everything that had happened was a mess, but she didn’t have the power to change it.

As she approached the table, she gently squeezed Shawn’s father’s shoulder in greeting. “Good morning, senior.” Looking around, she smiled at the group. “Morning, boys! I see you didn’t waste any time gambling your hearts out. But don’t worry—the real competition has just arrived.” She set her groceries on the ground beside her, her gaze lingering on Shawn as she took a seat. “Ready to show them how it’s done?”

Her tone was light, but her eyes betrayed her concern as she leaned in closer to Shawn, lowering her voice. “I heard the news this morning. It’s shit. Are you okay?”

Who: Shawn and Open

Where: Main Street Market

When: Early the morning after the news broke

One thing about her father, or old men in general, regardless of what was going on they were going to stick to their schedule. And her father's schedule since moving in with her had included going to the Market almost every morning to drink coffee and play dominos with the other old men who apparently had nothing better to do. She had a love and hate relationship with this schedule. On the one hand, she loved that her father was settling into a more mundane lifestyle that would hopefully keep him from keeling over anytime soon. On the other...well...she knew men who had lived his lifestyle probably shouldn't have a set schedule. Too easy to follow.

So the morning after the news broke, when it was most likely that something would happen, Shawn joined him. What could it hurt to play a little dominos and keep an eye on her father. Whether he wanted her to or not. Usually, he referred to this as babysitting but today he was just happy that she was winning some money off his friends.

Her eye caught a person standing next to their table, "You can go ahead and sit. Join the next round if you want. These guys are easy pickings."

[apocalyptixs]

Atlas snorts, though there is a part of them that agrees entirely with the statement. There are so few people in this world left that they can fully place their trust in. In fact, perhaps there is only one, these days, and she's standing right here with them. Intimacy is one of the furthest things from their mind these days...and frankly, sharing a bed with Shawn, there isn't anything particularly intimate about it. There is safety in it, and comfort in it...but there hadn't ever been more.

But could there be? Well - that might just be a thought for another day.

"Oh please, you? Tarnish my stellar reputation? Nah. If anything, you bolster it." Besides, Atlas had never been the type to give a shit about what people thought of them. For the most part. The people in the Domus Spei? Their opinions hardly mattered. Shawn's? Will's? Well. Maybe a little more...

"I don't think they're looking to send out any hunters or militia any time soon," Atlas said in a manner that agreed with Shawn's statements. "Unless someone trips around this little town we've found ourselves in and skins their knee or something, I wouldn't expect any crazy injuries coming in..."

Their attention snaps back to her when she speaks of getting food like its walking down to a cafe or something. Now that was something they weren't used to hearing these days. "Eggs?" They repeat, as if the word tastes strangely on their tongue. "Are they raising chickens around here, too? Shit. Who would've thought? Lead the way."

~~*~~

"Oh there's no one I'd rather share my bed with," she rolled her eyes with a smile. It was a completely true statement with or without the subtext though that wasn't something she'd exactly share openly. With them or anyone else. Sleeping without their steady breath next to her was much harder than she thought it would be when the living arrangements were settled. And being intimate with someone these days was damn near impossible for her. Not unless she trusted the person. And there was only one person she trusted anymore. "But don't worry. I won't tarnish your sparkling reputation by telling people about it."

Shawn glanced behind them at the door of the infirmary and then back up at Atlas. "I think I'm probably done here for the day. The only two patients aren't exactly in dire straights so. You want to go get some food?" The access to decent food was probably her favorite part about this place. There was really only so much canned food roulette you could play before it got old. "I heard they actually had eggs this morning."

[apocalyptixs]

Atlas had to wonder if it would ever feel normal again, their relationship with their father. They didn't think back on their youth in a poor light by any means; in fact, Will had always provided for them in every way that was necessary. Atlas had been taken care of, even with their mother out of the picture and in the wind. But the world had changed, and Atlas had right along with it. They weren't that carefree child anymore, as much as they wished they could be, as much as they still tried to be.

And they didn't need their father's protection anymore, either.

"Aww," Atlas cooed lightly, giving Shawn a cheeky sort of smile. "Are you asking me to have a sleepover? Careful, Betancourt, one might think you were trying to get me in bed with you." They knew full well that wasn't what Shawn meant by the statement and truthfully, they were going to give the offer a fair consideration. They had settled down in far stranger places together than the same apartment building. "Thanks. I might have to take you up on that one of these nights."

~~*~~

The corners of her mouth twitched as she tried to suppress the grin threatening to break across her face. Their inability to communicate their thoughts ending in the most comical explanation, though that was likely unintentional. The funny part was, she did know. She knew exactly what they meant. Everything that had happened over the last few years had changed those that survived and when people change, their relationships changed with them. That made it all the more complicated when you hadn't seen family for over a decade. She wondered if her it would be this way for her if she ever found her brother. If he was even still alive.

"Yea, I get it," she shrugged. It was still shocking they even happened to end up at the same place as Will. Her parents would make some very dramatic speech about fate if anything like this happened but maybe it was just a smaller world than it used to be. "You know you're free to come stay with me whenever. We could both sleep at the same time for once."

[apocalyptixs]

"Maybe..." Atlas had learned plenty over the more than decade of being in survival mode, knew better than to think the best of a safe zone. But it was hard not to hope for the best, regardless. They wanted a home that could be considered safe. They wanted family and community. But maybe that just all looked different in this world of theirs. Maybe safety just never would be a given. "I suppose they told anyone who would be going outside the wall. Maybe they figured that's all who needed to know." Why worry the rest of them when ideally within the walls was still safe?

They wanted to believe it, that this was it. That the Domus Spei was safe, would be their place for the long haul. They really did want to believe it. They just weren't sure they could.

When Shawn changed the subject Atlas glanced back in her direction, eyebrows raising up the slightest bit. "Uhhm," they hesitated, trying to piece together a proper answer to the question. Another thing they weren't at all sure about. It had seemed like it would make the most sense when they found out Will was here - move back in with family. But Shawn was probably closer to family at this point than Will. "I dunno. Weird? He's...I dunno. Ya know?"

~~*~~

"I'd buy that if we were fresh off the world ending," she sighed and crossed her arms. Humans were a terrible species. "But we're years into this. Anyone alive now knows you gotta be smart when threatened. Sounds more to me like they don't want people to leave. We have a tendency to do that when things aren't safe and the more people they have here, the cushier it is." It all boiled down to control. And she didn't like to be controlled. But they were right. Compared to outside, domus spei was the Ritz of the apocalypse.

Shawn closed her eyes and moved her head side to side stretching her neck muscles. It probably wouldn't be bothering her as much if she wasn't so tired. She hadn't really slept well since they got here and she just couldn't put her finger on why. Well, she could, but she didn't want to. "How's staying with Will going?"

[apocalyptixs]

Atlas held up their hands in a sort of 'don't shoot the messenger' gesture. They had a feeling the leaders of this place were keeping the details on the down low. Perhaps they were only informing those who went outside the walls of the threat that they were quote on quote 'accepting' by picking up those roles. At least they weren't keeping it a secret from them, too?

"Maybe they're trying not to have mass panic?" Atlas offered by way of explaining their reasoning, their voice having dropped to a softer tone in hopes of keeping any prying ears from listening in. "I mean, we don't really know any details, right? The scavengers walked themselves into a trap that got one of 'em killed and another knocked out cold..." They spoke in a light way, even if the topic wasn't light in any real sense. But Atlas was far too comfortable and familiar with death - losing one was just one among the many. "They seem to have it pretty cushy here, after all."

~~*~~

Shawn tilted her head to the side with a flick of her eyes, conceding their point. It was a fair statement. They couldn't really fill in any gaps if she didn't tell them what the gaps were. But they kept talking. And none of what they were saying was anything she had been told yet. "No I think the fishy part is that we weren't told that," she lowered her voice. A habit she had gotten into in the apocalypse, it was always better to be quieter. "We were only told that there were walkers where these guys were scavenging and we lost one and that she heard a helicopter."

"Jesus," she wiped at her face and glanced around again, now more intentionally looking for humans. It was one thing for them to share a secret but it was quite another for anyone else to overhear them. She didn't want to start a full blown riot about being lied to. Her mind was already weighing the pros and cons of being here in this safe zone versus being out on the road with Atlas. Out there they at least knew who to trust, each other, here they had some resources and manpower. So far, staying here was winning. But she also didn't like being kept in the dark. "Why do you think they'd keep that from everyone?"

[apocalyptixs]

"It seems like you think I need your permission or somethin'." Atlas gave a playful little smile. "If you think I wouldn't take the opportunity to hang out in a helicopter for a while if we came across one, you're crazy. I mean, that shit doesn't happen all the time. Even back in the real world I don't think too many people could say they even got to sit in a helicopter, let alone fly one." It wasn't as if it were some frequent mode of transportation back in the day, either. The hospitals and military, probably. But still, it was a fucking helicopter. That was pretty damn cool no matter what way you sliced it - other than the fact that it had been related to an attack on the safe zone.

But Atlas didn't really have that much of an attachment to the safe zone yet. Just...perhaps, a specific person in it. And that was a complicated story in and of itself.

"Well, I don't really think you answered mine, either," Atlas points out. "Can't really say what else they might've told us if I don't know what they told you, can I?" Granted, Atlas's loyalty was to Shawn over pretty much anyone else in this place. So they weren't about to keep any secrets. "They think it might've been pre-planned. Had the biters all locked up together in the shop that had been empty last pass through. And if the story is to be believed, the door they'd come in through was locked shut behind them, pinning them in together. I dunno, does seem a little fishy."

~~*~~

A picture came to mind of them sitting in a cockpit making rotor noises and she couldn't help but snort with laughter again. Of course they would. That was something that they had brought back to Shawn's life when they fell in together, laughter. There wasn't a lot of entertainment at the end of the world and she had managed to find the one person who kept their sense of humor. "Alright, I'll make you a deal then. We ever find a helicopter, you can pretend to fly it for a little bit. Ok?"

She purposefully ignored the jab about saving each other. They weren't wrong. But to Shawn, that was just what people had to do. They had to watch out for each other or none of them were going to make it out of this alive. And her attention was taken quickly anyway. They were looking around, asking questions in response...

"Well one doesn't want to chat and the other can't so...not much. And you didn't exactly answer my question."

[apocalyptixs]

"Oh, I dunno. It's probably not that complicated. They just want you to think it is. Bet there's like an 'up' button you press and that's all it takes to get it going. Then it's like...driving a car?" As much as Atlas would've wanted to fly a helicopter had they ever come across one in their travels...she made a point. It simply didn't make any sense. The whole point was not to attract the biters right to your location with a loud, whirling contraption that took probably too much time to take off and touch down.

"...Noo...I wouldn't try to fly it if we found it..." They trail off. "I mean, maybe just sit in it and pretend for a little while?" It was a helicopter, after all - who didn't want to at least sit in one? They weren't that much of a fool to cause unnecessary problems attracting all the dead in the immediate area. But it was a fucking helicopter!

"Okay, c'mon now. It hasn't only been my ass needing saving all the time. This is a two way street, you and me. Don't discount me like that." To be fair, Shawn had saved their ass probably far more often than the reverse - but that was neither here nor there.

Their eyes lift to the sky briefly before turning back towards Shawn, biting the inside of their cheek. "I don't know, what did they tell you? Don't think there's all that much to tell other than what the survivors have said. Did you hear anything else from them?" They gesture vaguely towards the infirmary.

~~*~~

"Do I look like I know how to fly a helicopter? I wouldn't even get it off the ground. Probably be ripped apart by those munchers just trying to start it." It just wasn't practical, not that she was exactly known for being practical. The two of them had met because she had chosen not to be and it was probably one of the best decisions she'd ever made since the dead rose. "Please don't tell me you'd try to fly it if we had found it. I can only save your life so many times."

Shawn couldn't help but snort as she shook her head. "Sure sure, because we all aren't a little hypocritical in this day and age. But you're probably right. I mean, the world already ended. Can't get much worse, right?" She sighed as she glanced back up at the sky before her eyes wandered around them again. It felt like a bad omen. That something was coming and they were powerless to stop it. It wasn't the dead walking around that really bothered her, they could only kill you. Humans always had ulterior motives and a lot of times they would make you wish for death instead. "They didn't tell you guys anything else did they?"

[apocalyptixs]

"Why wouldn't you want to fly it? At least you'd go out with a 'bang'! Probably both literally and figuratively." Not to mention, flying a helicopter had to be such a rush - back when it didn't summon the walking dead straight to your current location...

Their shoulders lift in a shrug, pondering her comments. "I mean, it could just be luck of the draw. Maybe they finally got into the local army hanger or wherever helicopters were kept back in the day and it was just sitting there fueled up, ready and waiting." It seemed like maybe that wasn't the case, not after a dozen years, and yet... Well, Atlas felt like that was probably the best circumstance. Because otherwise it would seem as if the helicopter were connected to the trap that had been laid out for the hunters and militia team... and they didn't like to think what that might mean.

"I think it's a little hypocritical if they accuse us of being to loud and attention seeking..." Atlas murmurs, an eyebrow lifting as they tried to lighten the mood with a little humor. "But we've all been through shit, I'm sure this couldn't be much worse." Hopefully, because Atlas wasn't sure how much more bullshit they could handle.

~~*~~

"I didn't say I wanted to fly it," Shawn lets a low laugh escape her as they jab at her ribs and she turns to face them with her arms crossed protecting from any more. They aren't wrong. There is no way she would want to be anywhere near noise like that outside of these barriers. She still finds herself flinching with loud noises in general because you never know what it could attract.

"But think about it," she insists even while the smile still plays at the corners of her lips, "Something like that means someone out there has access to lots of resources and has chosen to hoard them. What's that really mean for the rest of us?" She glanced behind them as she spoke, a subconscious habit to watch their back ingrained so deep in her she's certain it will never go away. They had spent far longer out there being back to back than they have been safe inside this place, "It means we're expendable. More than that, we're a threat to their little stock pile. I don't even trust the people here let alone some random person flying a helicopter around. What happens if they decide we're too close? Or we're too loud? Or we attract to much attention?"

[apocalyptixs]

Atlas had to admit, arriving at a safe zone only to hear so shortly thereafter that members had returned with reports of being attacked and killed (a well planned, well executed attack at that) didn't really make the greatest first impressions. Granted, they had to take it with a grain of salt, since they couldn't even count on the fingers of one hand the number of places that had felt 'safe' since all of this had started.

Safe was certainly a relative term, these days.

They had been pondering the news ever since, walking a bit aimlessly through the community before they spotted Shawn staring up at the sky like she might behold a miracle at any minute. They sidled up beside her, craning their neck the slightest bit to look up at the sky as well.

"I dunno," they admitted truthfully, chewing firmly on the inside of their cheek. "Honestly, not sure I want to find out." They glance in Shawn's direction, elbow pressing playfully against her ribs, "I mean, a helicopter isn't really a discreet means of transportation. You try to land that thing you're gunna get swarmed by the dead."

Where: Outside, in front of the Infirmary

Who: Shawn and Open

There were very few people that had any desire to go back outside once they made it to this safe zone, or any safe place for that matter. There weren't very many of them anymore. But there were a few and they were essential for any of this to function. Eventually Shawn hoped they could become self sufficient but that was probably years off and they needed things now. There was the risk they wouldn't come back, or worse, they would come back as something else. This was one of those times. They had to look on the bright side though, someone came back alive and were able to tell them what had happened.

Shawn stood staring at the sky. Part of her hoped she would see the helicopter even though she knew she would hear it first. This far into this mess made something from the old world feel very much like a threat. She was too tired to have strong feelings one way or the other at this point. It wasn't like either of the survivors needed a lot of medical attention, it was observation at this point. And they probably wanted someone that knew then better doing that. But the adrenaline rush from having them come back was fading away and being replaced by fatigue.

"Where do you suppose it came from?" She asked when she felt someone come up next to her, not moving her gaze.