#☾ friends of the half lycan; Rosita

[lunarruled]

Death was a first cousin to the half lycan by now, the last few years of her life spent figuring out who deserved that ending more than she liked to admit. When she was in hunt mode she tried to find those that had the darkest feelings to their soul, the ones that society had already turned their backs on, those who in some way, shape or form had already sealed their fates. But these things? The ones that used to be a living person, a lot of them didn't deserve to go out like they did and that was messing up Kyleigh's entire world. It was also seriously taking out her wolf's only food source (animals were alright, but they never satisfied that hunger that always gnawed at her). So whether or not the person had done bad things before was starting to not matter.

Even now she couldn't stop the way she had imagined how she would hunt down one specific member of their little group: Warren. Kyleigh hated that she thought about it, but when you pissed off the human you pissed off the wolf as well and that animal was itching for a taste of that man. He was useful though, smart enough to have survived this far and probably could help them in the long term. But if it came down to it she wouldn't hesitate to rip his throat out or at least knock his jaw clean off his head.

"I've had to do it before, put someone down. Before the army came around I was in this house with a couple of other people. One of them was sick with something, the flu or a really bad cold. They ended up dying in the middle of the night and maybe fifteen minutes later they came back. Bit two others before we could get them down. No one else had the balls to take out the bitten ones so I did it. Only three of us were left after that and now just me. So if it happens to any of us I will do it again and if it happens to me, I want one of you to end it for me if I don't do it myself."

A morbid way of thinking but what other choice did they have now? It was quite clear there wasn't going to be some easy fix to this and if there ever was a cure it was going to take time, which they all may or may not have. She agreed with Rosita fully, vowing silently that she would stick with the other brunette for as long as possible. She was smart too, street smart, which sometimes went a hell of a lot further than book smarts. She also knew how to handle herself around others, not afraid to say what she felt and put someone in their place if she had to.

"I don't like touching people anyway, so you won't have to worry about that with me. Just a thing, don't touch me unless you want a black eye. No lying about any interactions with those things either. If they gave you an injury you tell us right away and if you don't like it, get your shit and get out."

Most of the time Kyleigh ignored rules, but this time it was possibly the only way to keep them all safe as they figured this shit out. Hearing Warren speak with some real emotion for the first time was an eye opener for her, and while she wouldn't take back any earlier hostility towards the man she did feel bad for him. The people she had taken out were friends but they weren't family, so it really wasn't that big of a loss for her.

"You don't have to believe me man but I'm sorry you had to go through that. It's one thing with strangers but with family…. shit you won't have to worry about that with me. Same goes for everyone here. And I say we stick with each other. The more people the more supplies we need, the higher the risks we take out there. Until we know for sure that we're found safety we're going to know each other on a level that no one should know another person."

Rosita gave a sharp nod at Kyleigh's suggestion. It was admittedly brutal to stab anyone through the eye the second they died even if they hadn't been known to be bitten, but in the state of the world? It was a smart move. A safe move. Nothing she had thought of. She definitely approved of Kyleigh's attentive suggestion.

"Better to be safe than sorry," Espinosa agreed, pausing for a moment as she thought of what she had witnessed earlier. The way that woman's body had hit the floor, forehead penetrated by a bullet. She had never witnessed a living person being shot before from a close distance like that. The way the life had faded from her eyes all of a sudden had sent a shiver down her spine for what had felt like minutes, yet Rosita couldn't fail to see the logic in the decision. What felt unfair had been necessary.

"The guards back there might have seemed cold, but they were doing what they had to do. Saving lives. It takes some sacrifices," she admitted. "If that's what we need to do to survive, we need to be ready to do the same."

Something Rosita just couldn't left unspoken. If they wanted to keep going, they all needed to understand what it meant. Not just that it meant breaking the rules like they were doing right in this very moment, but also doing things they would never have thought of doing.

Now that Warren and Irina were awake after the abrupt turn the truck had taken, she gazed towards them. "That this is how we do things now. We don't leave any dead bodies lying there if they could reanimate any moment."

The brunette paused for another couple seconds, pondering the possibility of how it spread.

"Let's not touch them, either. Maybe skin-to skin contact is enough to spread the virus. It'd sure explain why it spreads so fast. Even though the military shoots everyone who has the smallest scratch on them, it keeps spreading like a wildfire," Espinosa noted.

"I'd say if one of us gets touched, the rest of us will keep their hands off that person."

A strict rule, but honestly, it seemed like basic protocol. When someone got sick, you avoided direct skin to skin contact with them. Maybe the reason why it spread so fast was because people ignored that possibility, just mindlessly hugging their friends after they had battles with those monsters.

"It's time to establish some rules. There are so many things that could go wrong, we all need to be on the same page when it comes to dealing with different situations", Espinosa declared.

Warren was the first to speak up, his sleepy eyes widening, attention suddenly sharp like a razor. "The bite kills you. I know that for a fact. It took my father two days", he confessed, holding up two fingers with a pained expression on his face. "We thought he was immune because he didn't seem to get sick from it. Everything was tranquil. We thought there was hope, that perhaps some people had antibodies that could be utilized for a cure. My sister was smart, she had a microbiology degree - she insisted that once we got him to the camp we would have him checked by a doctor so they would make a cure but in the middle of the night I heard her screaming and then when I came checking I lost my entire family that night. Mom. Dad. My sister. Because we were cowards. We let him turn! If someone here gets bitten? We'll give them two options. They do it themselves or someone of us does it."

Jesus. Rosita hadn't been prepared for that revelation, and she hadn't seen Warren as shaken before, voice raising like that as he delivered a rapid-fire sum up of how he lost his family in front of everyone. He had mentioned that his mother had turned and that she had been rather fast compared to the other infected. Warren been rather distant towards Rosita since he had mentioned it. What she hadn't known is that he'd seen his whole family die.

[lunarruled]

The one thing that Kyleigh knew about her aunt that no one else could ever know was that Joan was full lycan, so she was immune to whatever kind of virus it was these dead things carried. Even if she was bitten or scratched she wouldn't become one of them. Herself on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. Figured considering that was how her entire life was. One big fuck-over after another. Still she was alive and away from that idiot camp. She really couldn't ask for more.

Well she would kill for a giant cheese pizza and an ice cold beer, but she could probably come up with a cure for this thing before that would happen. At least if anything she had a friend in Rosita for however long they were together. It was going to kind of suck when they went their seperate ways but both of them had their reasons for doing so.

"No matter what's happened to her, it'll be good to know."

Closure was one of those things she had taken for granted, brushed off since she had all the time in the world back when it was normal. When people went about their days ignoring everything but that tiny screen in their hand or whatever flashy thing caught their attention for a few seconds. Even she had been guilty of just assuming she would have another day to call her Aunt, to go out for a few slices, or take a long ride on her bike. What she wouldn't give for just a few moments of those things. When she didn't have to think about every single breath she took and watch for death around every corner.

Thrown out of her doom filled thoughts as the truck hit a rather hard turn, the half lycan forced herself to focus on what Rosita was asking her. Those things… the ones that used to be human beings… they were monsters but in their own way. Letting out a sigh she sat back on her heels, adjusting her weight to be as comfortable as she could in her position.

"I was too repulsed by how it looked and smelled to let it get that close to me. All I can remember is how cloudy the eyes looked, how black its tongue had gotten, and how it smelled like mold and really old trash…" A visible shudder came over her, a hard swallow so she wouldn't vomit a little before she continued.

"They are attracted to noise and light. When our little hideout got attacked by them it was only two or three at first. But when this young girl screamed more of them came in. They have a group mentality you know? Just do whatever else the others are doing. All I know is that you can't let them bite or scratch you, and if you want to take them down for good you have to get the brain. I'll never forget the sound it makes…."

Rosita wasn't surprised that Kyleigh assumed the man had been some kind of actor. When things got too terrible you often didn't realize what was truly going on until it's too late because the reality seemed too harsh to believe.. well, for Kyleigh it hadn't been quite too late. Luckily. She wondered how she had gotten the dead one off her. They seemed to be incredibly strong. "I get you. I was just as like that in the beginning. Some people were shouting warnings everywhere that the world was going to end and that we should set up barricades in our homes and hoard food. I thought they were being ridiculous, but turns out they were the clever ones."

Rosita felt guilty for not having prepared for this. In the beginning though, this virus hadn't seemed any different than the swine flu. She had heard reports of "sick" people but the news were being vague. Why though? Why the hell couldn't they have told the truth?

"Thank you", Rosita said as Kyleigh comforted her about her family. "I hope you get to find your aunt, too."

Family. No topic could hit her harder than that.

As Kyleigh mentioned things possibly getting ugly, she gave a saddened nod. "You've been close to one of those.. monsters", Rosita pointed out, intrigued to know more. "So.. did it.. touch you? Was it.. smart?"

She didn't have the slightest clue of how the infected hunted for prey. "I mean- do they hunt us? Or just walk around and attack who's there? If we want to have a chance against them, we need to know everything about them."

[lunarruled]

As soon as she heard Rosita's voice Kyleigh allowed herself a few moments to enjoy the small victory. Yes what she had done could have gone horribly wrong and gotten them all killed but it worked and that was the whole point of this. Maybe the others had wanted to stay in that camp, but when she saw how quickly the guards were willing to kill whenever a situation arose she knew she had to get the hell out. Besides it was getting too risky for her to sneak out anymore. There were no more calendars, days were only separated now by when the sun was up and when it went down. So she had no real way to plan around the full moons. And some years had more of them than others. Huh maybe she should have gone out before and never came back.

Especially since Warren always had to have something to say even though he was the one that probably would have been just fine staying behind. Should have left him there, see how far his smarts would get him when the camp became over run with those dead things. The half lycan was about to give him a real piece of her mind when Rosita interjected, saving him from getting embarrassed in front of a bunch of women. And possibly getting them caught, defeating the entire purpose of their planned escape.

"Agreed." Was all the half lycan said, speaking to Rosita but glaring at Warren. Now was the time to be quiet and think of their next move, not argue over something stupid like a damn scream. Not like it did much anyway, everyone was too busy worrying about the gun shot to care about it.

Long trips in the back of a truck were no big deal to Kyleigh. She often drove all through the night just to get to the next place she wanted to visit. Following some fool's dream of finding a cure for what she was though no such thing existed. Didn't matter now. The world was over and no one gave a shit about cures or the supernatural. Just the dead walking around trying to eat the living.

Getting rest? Well maybe she would but she was kind of wound up from the adrenaline rush of what just happened so she highly doubted it. Still she would try, or if not take a watch and let the others sleep a little longer. They needed it more than she did, and man she would give anything to go a couple of hours without having to hear Warren bitch about every single thing she did.

The softness of Rosita's voice brought Kyleigh back to their current situation, a sigh falling from her lips. "Yeah. I mean I would say I've been through worse, but I think this kind of tops it." Not the exact time to crack a joke, but something had to break this damn tension while they waited for the truck to get back on the road.

"And you? Still think this was a good idea?"

"Wow. That distraction really worked", Rosita spoke in a low murmur. Nobody would be able to hear them as they were hidden behind crates in the back of a closed truck, but she still somehow felt like it would be odd to speak normally.

Frankly, she thought Kyleigh's move had been incredibly risky, but she didn't want to complain. Things had gone incredibly well considering they were trying to do the near impossible. Escaping a military camp. Thinking about it like that sounded ridiculous. It felt ridiculous they were trying to escape a place behind fences when there were flesh eating creatures out there, sometimes featured in larger groups. She remembered when she had seen a dozen of them at once.

There was a feeling gnawing at her that maybe she would come to regret this decision. Maybe she was throwing away her only chance of surviving..

They could still sneak out of the truck, she remembered. As for now they still had a choice of staying here or leaving.

Irina interrupted her train of thought, commenting how the guard was a caring person to have climbed over the fence for Kyleigh with no hesitation, followed by her expressing her hope that he comes back safely. "Few men would risk their lives for the life of a woman's man, especially if they don't know him..", she added.

"Let's hope you won't scream when we get out there. Noise attracts the infected, in case you haven't figured that out. More of them will be heading towards the fence now", Warren reminded, tone neutral, but with a tired edge to it. As he went on he began to sound more chiding. "Next time, get more creative and less impulsive. There are other ways to distract a guard. You could've gotten yourself in trouble-"

Rosita quickly chimed in before the two would have the chance to get snarky with each other. Admittedly, she thought he was right, but she didn't want her new companions to have a pointless discussion in the back of a truck. Plus, maybe it had been the best way to distract that guard. Maybe something else wouldn't have worked. Maybe he would have just called another guard over to keep an eye on the area while he investigated it in any other case. Who knew?

"We're here now. We made it", Rosita reminded. "From now on, everyone will be quiet."

Damn, she sounded very military, didn't she?

"We were screwed anyway. That guard's shot was pretty loud", Rosita argued, glancing at Warren. "Definitely louder than Kyleigh's scream. We're not safe here, that's why we're trying to get out."

She sighed, looking over at Irina who looked more than exhausted, the bags under her blue eyes having taken on a purpleish tint.

"We'll be stuck inside here until tomorrow morning now. I suggest we all rest. We can take turns keeping watch on the others. Three of us can sleep while one stays awake. You can rest now, I'll keep watch."

Irina was quick to fall asleep, and so was Warren. If Kyleigh didn't fall asleep, Rosita would decide to ask her something. "Are you alright? It's been.. a lot."

And there was so much more to come.

[lunarruled]

Both Rosita and Warren suddenly questioning her wanting to go through the back exit had Kyleigh's wolf feeling cornered and when that happened she got ready to spring forward with an attack. This time however Kyleigh was able to keep the animal in check, instead opting to take in a deep breath. She really didn't give a shit what that man thought, but Rosita showing some concern did bother her. Maybe she should stick with their plan on going with the truck. More of them together could be better.

Instead of shooting off her mouth and possibly ruining the entire thing Kyleigh kept quiet so she could focus on what her brunette friend was saying. Both of those routes had their pros and cons, but what she was seeing was that no one needed to go on their own. There were times to be that hero, but apparently this was not one of those.

"No shit, you were a mechanic? Me too."

It was the first time in what felt like forever that Kyleigh was able to get excited about something, even if it was just finding out she had a career in common with another person. It also let the half lycan know that she was going to have to team up with Warren, and as much as that made her want to claw her own eyes out she knew she couldn't deal with someone that panicked like Irina did just then.

"Don't worry about that guard. Just let me know which one he is and I'll make sure he won't even think about glancing in your direction." She assured Irina before turning her attention to Warren.

"That means you're with me, and since I know you don't want to go the back way we'll go that other route. It'll be easy for us to blend in. They can think that we hooked up once we got into the camp and you're showing me how they put the fences up so well or some dumb shit like that. I'll play along if anyone asks, but I highly doubt they will."

Everyone these days had a lot on their minds, so if she could play well with Warren for the time being Kyleigh was sure they would be able to blend in with the crowd and eventually make their way to the truck. "This is the time if you have any doubts or worries, you get them out and we move on. We all need to keep our heads on while we do this and we don't need any surprises out there. Do we all agree on that?"

"The back exit? Why?"

Rosita was puzzled. Why would she take the back exit if it was more than likely heavily guarded? Sure, three of them hiding inside the truck was less obvious than four of them, but there was no doubt she'd get caught trying to open that lock and escape.

Maybe she was overconfident as Rosita had feared.

Warren seemed to think alike, given his shake of the head, and the comment that he made, "If you pick the back exit, it will be the exit for your life, lady."

"No one should go alone", Rosita assured, certain that going in teams of two was the best option though if anyone had a better suggestion and a good reason for that she was happy to listen.

"This route", she said, fingers trailing over the map, "is a decent option. You should run into few people and not too many guards, but you might run into a few patrols. They might or might not question you if you're running around with a backpack. "

She went on as she began to trace the other route, "this one isn't bad either, but you'd pass through a communal area with lots of people. There are plenty of guards, though maybe the number of people could make it possible to blend in. So we have one route where we should try to remain undetected and another one where we have to blend in. The second one is a bit longer, so I guess we'd have to move quick."

Irina's expression seemed somewhat horrified, blue eyes widened and arms crossed tightly. "I can't sneak through anywhere.. And there's this one guard that always stares at me.. I swear it's like he already knows what's going through my head. What if he's there, and sees me and questions me.. What do I say?"

At her question, Rosita gave her a reassuring smile and reached to take out a small badge from her jacket pocket.

"Don't worry - I'm a military mechanic. If anyone questions me I can easily find a valid excuse as for why I'm going near the truck. So you can come with me if you want, I'm ready to back you up."

That meant Warren and Kyleigh would be a team and Rosita and Irina; in both cases the team would consist of two people who were strangers to each other. But Rosita thought that someone needed to keep Irina calm and she wasn't sure if Kyleigh or Warren were up for the task. Definitely not Warren.

[lunarruled]

She had wondered the same thing herself, why no one was at that back entrance but Kyleigh didn't bother to question it at the time. She was too busy trying to sneak out before the wolf took over, fearing that people would freak out more over that animal than those things out there which were basically walking corpses. She never used the same escape twice, so after she came back she didn't use that way again. So it was completely possible that there was a guard by it at this point. And until Rosita had mentioned those two guys getting out she had completely forgotten about them. Damnit this was becoming so much harder than she thought it was going to be.

"This was before they got out, so I'm guessing that any and all exits are guarded now at all times." Well there went that idea. And of course Warren had to go and push his plan again, causing her to glare at him. Yeah it was a decent one but there were problems with that one too. One or two people could easily hide behind empty containers or even boxes. But there were four of them, and if the truck was checked on the way in and out they would likely end up out there with those dead or un-dead former people.

"First of all." Kyleigh started, already sick of this guy. "I didn't think it, I knew it. I checked around and the place was clear of anyone. No foot prints, no old food containers, nothing. So I know what I saw."

Before she completely snapped on him she stopped herself, instead focusing her attention on the other two women. Surely they had to be smart enough to think of something better. Thankfully Irina was the one to speak up, her idea gaining a nod from Kyleigh. It would be less suspicious with just two at a time and easier to sneak around. If what Warren said about the times the trucks came in it would be better for just one or two people to check them out and sneak in. The four of them just had to decide who was going with who and where. Kyleigh already knew who she would want to do this with, but she wasn't going to voice it unless she had to.

Leaning over to catch a glimpse at the map Irina had drawn Kyleigh was quick to memorize it. They would need that to circle around and meet up with the truck. It would only take her about five minutes to gather up what she had, for once agreeing with what Warren suggested.

"And get whatever it is you think you have to bring with you. Nothing that can't fit into a shoulder bag or backpack. I'll bite the bullet and take the back exit. The second supply truck should be showing up soon, so we better get this show on the road."

A back entrance without a guard. How stupid was that? They should know that in times like this, people are desperate to find a safe place. People who have been infected could sneak inside and spread the disease. Rosita wasn't a fan of being locked inside here with the way things were being handled, but if she ran this place, she would have guards everywhere. One more reason to leave this place. They didn't keep it secure enough.

"Both options are risky", Rosita concluded. "The supply truck might not be there until a less dumb guard is on duty, and if the people who run this place aren't total dumbasses, the fence would be guarded now, especially after those two guys escaped", she argued. "Did you check it before or after their escape?" That was worth knowing, because she couldn't imagine the place not being guarded after the two men left the camp without permission.

"Which is why the supply truck is the only valid option," Warren insisted right as Rosita mentioned the escape of the two guys, talking over her, "the back entrance is the most obvious escape path, it's previously been picked before, so if anyone catches us running around with backpacks and looking suspicious, the first place they'll keep an eye on is the back entrance. Aside from that, you only think there were no guards because you didn't see them", the engineer claimed, glancing over to Kyleigh.

"Maybe.. we should split up and not all take the same path?" Irina suggested. "Four people running around with backpacks is kind of suspicious, right? The guards here keep an eye on everything that looks slightly off."

"I guess we could split up in groups of two", Rosita suggested. "If we all go alone that puts us at risk too." She wasn't sure if everyone was up for the task. If someone got lost or caught, it would complicate things a lot. Two minds are smarter than one. "Two people at once is less obvious than all of us, plus we wouldn't have to figure out things on our own. We'd just need to find a way to get to the supply truck in time, and we'd need good routes for each team."

Irina was quick to mention having drawn a map, and she pulled out a map with the layout of the place. While Rosita had tried to wander around as much as she could to get familiar, she hadn't had a perfect overview, so having a map was fantastic. Now they had an overview of both the place inside and outside the walls.

"If anyone needs to go to the bathroom, better do it now," Warren advised, "we might need to stay inside that truck for a while."

[lunarruled]

At the mention of it getting dark and the rest of their little group not being able to see those dead things, Kyleigh couldn't help but smirk a bit. That was when her lycan senses would finally be of some good use even if she had to keep them hidden from everyone. She would be able to detect them from yards away, hear their shifting feet, and smell their horrible stench well before anyone else. Her only issue was finding out a way to keep them all safe without giving her away her secret.

So she just nodded along in agreement with Rosita, happy that for once she wasn't going to have to be the one to plan everything. And incredibly relieved that she was finally surrounded by smart people. What they didn't need was Warren jumping in with his damn two cents every single time one of them spoke, but with a glare she just decided to ignore him and give her new friend a little bit of help.

"I was with a couple of people before I got pushed into this camp. We were keeping shelter in an empty warehouse on the outskirts of town before those things overtook us. Rosita's right, we need to stay away from the major streets and neighborhoods. That must have been where it all hit first. A vehicle might help, but we need the quietest one we can find." Right at the time this all started she had been traveling around with her prized car but by now that thing was either stolen or still sitting in back of that warehouse she had been camped in.

Proud of herself for never relying on things like electronic G.P.S., the half lycan reached into her bag and pulled out a map she had bought at a gas station right when she arrived from out of state. "This should help us, but we need to make sure we have light to read it. Flashlight, matches, melting crayons, whatever we can get our hands on." If she was alone she could use her ability to read in the dark without issue, but around them she was going to have to pretend to be like everyone else.

"So the best bet is for us to get the hell out of here as fast as we can, carrying light and only the essentials." Looking around to make sure no one else was watching them, Kyleigh unfolded the map and placed it on the empty chair beside her.

"We are here." Her index finger pointed to the camp. "About a mile up through the woods to the North there should be a small river. If we get separated on the way out we meet there. It's easy to find, even if it's dark. Everyone take a look at the map and we'll decide where to go after that."

"Then let's get to planning our escape. We'll be screwed if we don't do this thoroughly. It'll be dark around 6:30 or 7:00 PM. The night shift starts at 5:30 PM, meaning if we're lucky, we get one and a half hour of daylight. Sounds like plenty, but who knows if we'll find a car and how easily we'll find shelter. Those things eat flesh, so they probably can smell us and get to us while we won't be able to see them when it gets dark", Rosita reminded, expression grim.

She hoped that someone in this group knew something she didn't, because she feared she wouldn't be able to contribute much to the plan. Ironic that she was doing so much of the talking and reminding when she didn't know jackshit. Maybe she was about to get herself killed because God knew how many angles you had to consider when escaping a military camp.

When it came to the layout of this town, she knew nothing. She had been traveling with the military and gotten stuck here in this camp in the city outskirt when things went to shit. If they wanted to have a shot out there, they needed someone who knew how to navigate the town.

"Is there anyone who's familiar with the layout of the town?" Rosita asked the group. "We need to take less popular routes if we want to make it. Any common paths will probably be infested with whatever those damn creatures are. And most buildings and houses will probably be full of them, too."

Warren nodded in agreement. "No matter how clever you think your idea is, a bunch of people probably had it, too."

Pfft, Rosita thought. His comment wasn't helping although it was valid. People got themselves killed because they thought no one else had the same idea.

A moment later, he added, "I don't know anything about this area. I don't know if it helps, but I am familiar with some areas of El Paso, I've worked on an engineering project along the Rio Grande a few years back. Marvellous experience."

Espinosa nodded, "Sounds like a start. But we need to get an idea of the layout around here. What about you, Irina, Kyleigh, do you know anything? Or maybe know where we could get a map? Anything that would help?"

[lunarruled]

Okay well. They said never to judge a book by its cover, and Kyleigh definitely should have listened to that advice. The last thing she expected for Warren to do was throw some sass their way, standing up as if she and Rosita were the biggest annoyance he had ever experienced. Not those dead things walking around trying to eat people. But two women who simply wanted to have a nice chat with him. Taking a deep breath to calm down the urge to break his jaw, Kyleigh then rolled her shoulders and forced a smile back onto her face. What didn't surprise her was the fact that Rosita hadn't been expecting that reaction either, guy looked like he could barely hold the book in his hands yet alone actually read it.

She also did not like the way he cut her friend off, the half lycan's eyebrows rising. Okay this guy seriously had one more chance before she gave him a piece of her mind that he wasn't going to like. Kyleigh didn't care if he was smart, if he was an engineer or some other fancy shit. There was no need to get so defensive. In order to save herself from getting into actual trouble (who knew what the rules were around this place, but Kyleigh would guess one of them wasn't fighting with each other), she simply let it all slide for now. They had more important things to worry about other than some dickhead with an attitude.

"Straight to the point, I can deal with that. And I'm going to excuse the rudeness given the situation we're all in right now. I don't happen to think we're doomed just yet but opinions are like assholes, everyone has one huh?"

It felt good to fire back a bit of her own brand of sass at him, but Kyleigh knew not to push her luck. The last thing she wanted was to give Warren a reason to say no to them simply because she had been a bitch to him. A defensive mechanism really, but also just how she was.

"The reason why we interrupted your reading is important, at least to us, and we think it might be to you as well. I'm sure you've figured out by now that these little set-ups aren't going to last long. Either those things out there are going to get in or supplies are going to run out and it's going to get real ugly, real fast. We want out but we know we can't do it all alone. You've made it this long, so I'm sure you can figure out where we're going with this."

If he wanted to play it like this then Kyleigh was more than ready for it. The last few years of her life had been spent making deals with people she rather would have for lunch, but it had given her what she wanted at the time. It was also the reason why she was stuck in this place right now but that had nothing to do with this conversation.

Rosita was glad that the other woman started the conversation. She wasn't always the best when it came to talking to people. Not that she was socially anxious or awkward by any means, but not everyone dealt well with her tendency to shoot straight to the point. She's never been one for dancing around the subject, but not everyone was like Kyleigh. A subtle approach worked better for some people.

Crossing her arms she shot the young man a smile, who gave them both a nod in return, expression remaining stony. "Rosita and Kyleigh", he greeted. Rosita had told him her name a while ago, but unbeknownst to her, Kyleigh hadn't. Perhaps he had overheard her mentioning it to someone? Either way, dancing around the subject might not have been necessary when talking to Warren, either. "What's got you troubled?" He inquired as he stood up. At that, Rosita shot Kyleigh a look of mild surprise.

"Well, we aren't in any trouble-", Rosita noted though the engineer was quick to cut her off.

"But I'm guessing you think you will be", Warren concluded before shifting his attention back to Kyleigh. "The book was one of the few things I brought with me. I was about to finish it. I hope you have a good reason for interrupting because I'm tired of people asking me the same questions over and over again. I'm not a virologist nor am I a therapist and I'm just as doomed as the rest of you."

The brunette raised a brow, somewhat taken aback by his brash tone. If he was that rude towards someone for asking a simple question she could understand why he was alone all the time although at the same time she couldn't blame the guy. How could you not be frustrated given the situation? Everyone was living a nightmare.

[lunarruled]

Perhaps she should have been paying more attention to the others in that camp, but up until today Kyleigh had been thinking of herself only and how she was going to get out. After that whole thing with the guards shooting that guy she was quick to realize it wasn't that great of an idea, and whether she liked it or not she was going to have to go with another person. Or even a small group. The only thing she knew for sure was that she wanted Rosita to be a part of that, so if she felt that it was better to have others with them then Kyleigh was going to take the leap and agree.

The slight hesitation about when it was the best time to speak to this guy had the half lycan immediately nervous, thinking at first that Rosita might want to wait longer. But when the other brunette suggested that they go now when there was less of a chance of other people overhearing what they were talking about, those nerves quickly melted away. "This is why I knew you would be better at this. Yeah, count me in."

Kyleigh hoped she didn't appear too intimidating towards Warren as they approached him. She had been told a few times before that she looked too mean to talk to, and while that had worked out in her favor she knew now was not the time for her resting bitch face to be used. So she tried to relax her features, make herself appear friendly and as if she didn't have a hidden motive for wanting to talk to the guy.

The first thing she noticed about him was that he was so absorbed in his book he didn't even notice they were coming up to him. Not good, she understood since it happened pretty much every time she had read one, but in this new world it wasn't ideal. Sure they were in a 'safe' area, but if he was going to leave with them then he needed to be more aware of his surroundings. Something they could always work on of course.

"Good spot to read, nice and quiet." The half lycan commented softly, trying not to scare the poor guy too much. When he looked up from his reading she smiled at him, then glanced down at the book. "You bring that with you or find it here?"

Breaking the ice with someone new wasn't her strongest suit, but reading had always been a passion of Kyleigh's so she figured that might be a good spot to begin with.

Rosita gave an affirmative nod towards Kyleigh's question whether she wants to talk to him during dinner. "He never sits close by the others, so there isn't much of a chance of others eavesdropping. But.."

She pondered the wisdom of asking other people during dinner. Or what was considered dinner these days - cans of stuff that tasted like dog food. Discussing escape plans when everyone was gathered together was far from subtle.

If they wanted other people to join their team, they needed to ask them pretty soon. After dinner was less than ideal as it wouldn't allow everyone as much time to prepare.

Standing up, the brunette crossed her arms, gazing at the other woman.

"I don't think we should waste too much time. It's better if we ask him now. I have a guess where he is right now. You wanna come?"

If Kyleigh was involved in this, Rosita figured it was best if she came with her to talk to Warren. It'd be good to have some back-up, someone to convince him in case Rosita failed to do so.

"There are a few others I think would make good additions, but let's see what Warren thinks first."

She turned around, heading towards a relatively isolated spot where a young brunette man was reading a book, so absorbed in the material that he failed to notice the two women approaching.

He sure as hell needed to work on that if he wanted to make it out there, Rosita thought, but at the same time she was fascinated that he managed to seem so.. well-adjusted.

[lunarruled]

No matter what kind of plan they did come up with Kyleigh knew there were going to be pros and cons with it. Right now if it were just the two of them that was probably the biggest con; it was just two of them. Plus the half lycan had never seen Rosita fight or use a weapon so she had no idea if the other woman could do either one of those. Not to say that she looked weak but if she were to go on just looks alone, neither herself or Rosita looked like they could fight well. Kyleigh of course had the unfair advantage of being what she was and all the power that came with it, but there was no way she could expose that to another person. The dead rising and walking was acceptable, not a tiny ass woman transforming into a monster at will!

So whatever it was they did finally decide it had to be well thought out and kept only to those they could trust. Kyleigh hadn't spoken more than a few words to anyone else there, so she really didn't trust any of them. Rosita it was starting but how far it went and how strong it became only time could tell. She was smart though and everything she had said so far made perfect sense. And once more she was right about those around them being a resource. Even the wolf agreed with that, though she wanted them for a completely different reason.

"Yeah who's to say that once we get out there we won't find that everyone's been infected and the only thing keeping us safe was this place." That could be an option too, as much as Kyleigh hated to think it. Those guards may be crazy, but maybe that craziness was keeping them all from turning.

At the mention of Warren she cast her gaze over to him. Out of everyone that had come into the camp he had been calm, never once fought with anyone or raised his voice. She hadn't spoken to him personally, but it was good to hear that he knew something about disaster recovery. And he could always be shown how to use a gun or any kind of weapon.

"A level head in these kinds of situations is always good. Sounds like he could help out with rebuilding and navigation. Alright, we should talk to him, see how he feels about things. That could clue us in on if he would want to join us or not. You want to try tonight, when we get fed?" It always was a bit more calm around that time of the day and Kyleigh would bet anything that Warren wouldn't mind some female company as he ate.

Rosita pursued her lips, torn between agreeing with the woman or arguing that there was safety in numbers. She had a point; people could pose to be something like baggage in the worst-case scenario. Rosita didn't think that many of the people here would try to kill them, but.. looking at them, some would probably panic and draw attention. Get them all caught and blow their chance of escaping.

But Kyleigh was an unknown variable. Who knew if she was really that competent? Plus, there was only so much two minds could consider. They needed a plan, and Rosita knew a couple of smart people in this camp. Smart people who could help them fill in the blanks. Point out weak spots in their plan.

She didn't know them well, but not any better than this woman who might be just as likely to turn on her as anyone else.

"Too many people trying to escape might draw attention. You're right", Rosita concorded, "but you know how fast this infection spreads. Who knows how many people might be out there? We can't bet on finding many others so easily. We have people here, and we shouldn't act like they can't be a resource. Let's bring at least a few others with us", the woman suggested, her tone shifting into something somewhat stubborn as if she didn't want Kyleigh to disagree.

"Warren is a pretty smart guy, don't you think? He worked in disaster recovery rebuilding processes as an engineer, which might come in handy. Plus, he's relatively calm, given the situation."

He might not be able to handle a gun, but Rosita preferred to think in a long-term way -- at some point, they'd need someone with skills other than brute force. And being able to shoot wasn't useful when you were the type to panic.