The new world (Zavaya & MsBloom)

[Zavaya]

It had been almost a year since Alys and Eryn had left San Francisco for a road trip to visit their dad in Texas. They'd spent a week or two at his place before things began to change. The comet struck eastern Russia, which seemed to give everybody a break since hardly anybody lives there but the consequences of the impact were soon spreading around the world. First of all, the comet set off the so called Ring of Fire. A series of volcanoes across the coastal countries on the Pacific Ocean, all joined together somehow through fault lines. The eruptions themselves caused massive damage but casualties were not that high yet. The volcanoes however were just the start. They triggered earthquakes, cataclysmic earthquakes which destroyed and levelled much of Japan, New Zealand and Chile and causing widespread damage across other countries.

By this time, Alys had decided to get home to San Francisco as soon as they could. When they were driving through Nevada though, the apocalypse had reached the United States. First San Andreas went off, killing hundreds of thousands in the biggest earthquake of the country ever. San Francisco took the brunt of the damage but all across California the devastation was enormous. Then the tsunami's from the Pacific struck the already battered California coast causing more damage and casualties.

At this stage, the entire earth was shaking and quaking and even Europe was struck by earthquakes and tsunami's.

Alys still had some hope that somehow her apartment at the campus had escaped unharmed but when the Yellowstone volcano inevitably erupted, the chaos that ensued meant they were in more direct danger than they had ever been. Trapped between the devastation of California to the west and the massive ash cloud in the east, Alys and Eryn had no choice but to improvise. Alys suggested to stay put in a small town which seemed relatively calm for now. She was worried about her mother but power and phone lines were cut in California and when she saw footage of what San Francisco now looked like, her rational brain told her there was very little chance anybody was still there. So even if her mother was still alive, she wouldn't be in San Francisco anymore.

The earth calmed down after weeks of turmoil, a global death count reached dizzying numbers with some estimates of a billion death. But the survivors now faced the aftermath. Governments struggled to keep control, crops were ruined and the basic needs were under thread or simply not there anymore. That's when Alys began to realise how vulnerable she and her sibling were. Two young people, trapped away from home with nothing on them but the stuff they had in their vehicle. The town was friendly enough at a start but as food supplies began to run low, Alys convinced her sibling that they had to leave.

For months they drove through the remains of the country, trying to stay away from trouble and large pockets of civilisation. The weather had changed, temperatures fluctuated more than ever with winters being extremely cold and summers being hotter than ever. After settling down in a small refugee camp in Utah, Alys came to terms with the new world. She hadn't been in contact with her parents, or her friends or any family and with the reports coming over what little communication was left about raiders and gangs and total anarchy, she wasn't holding much hope.

They spent the winter in the refugee camp and barely made it through. Many people in the camp died and many lost hope but, like always, winter is temporary. The snow started to melt and Alys and Eryn helped around the camp wherever they could, settling into the camp as it being their new home.

Until people found it time to change. Alys immediately had a bad feeling at the campfire meeting when three people appointed themselves as the leaders. It wouldn't be so bad if they listened but they knew it all better and they were leaders so everybody had to follow them. Alys knew that certain crops wouldn't last through the summer in this area of the world and with the prediction of summers being hotter than usual, the other issue was water. The leaders sent out tanker trucks to collect water but Alys again convinced her sibling it was time to leave.

That was a few months ago. They had changed cars a few times and their current one, an absolutely massive Chevrolet Suburban had been serving them for a few weeks. Eryn had made some modifications to it so they were now carrying a water tank on the roof, the back was stripped of the seats and contained two beds and in a small trailer behind the car they had some supplies. The deserts were too hot, the Rockies, because of the altitude and the snow were practically unreachable so Alys had decided their best bet for a neutral climate, as far as that still existed, would be the Appalachian Mountains near the East Coast.

She had taken a turn though that she shouldn't have and with diesel running low in the tank, she had to stop at a gas station that looked crowded. As she pulled in, she could see that a group of people had made a camp here and although her plan was to keep driving, if these people didn't have diesel left, this was their destination. Alys looked at her sibling before opening the door and climbing out of the car, waiting for the approaching man to speak to them.

 

[MsBloom]

Eryn Flint

"On a dark desert highway, Cool wind in my hair, Warm smell of colitas, Rising up through the air."
Eryn chuckled to themself and a grin spread across their face as they had reclined the passenger seat as far back as it went and had their feet out the rolled down window with the pale brown leather hat pulled down over their face. It was probably about the fifth or sixth time they had sung those first lines of the classic rock song Hotel California, presumed to be located somewhere around where they were after Alys had turned right instead of left as they had tried to circumvent The Rockies since they were no longer passable due to the earthquakes and floods.
"Y'know sis, colitas can either mean a very specific part of the female anatomy as well as the bud of the marijuana plant, and damn if I couldn't go for a bit of both right now," they said and sat up, straightening the seat to look out at the indeed dark desert highway, and the desert surrounding it for as far as the eyes could see.
"Any idea where we are more exactly," they asked and then they saw faint lights in the distance, a sign of life, which meant there would probably be food and water, both of which the two siblings were running low on. It had been a few days since they had last had a chance to fill up the tank on the roof, and all that was left foodwise in the trailer was a box of protein bars, some beef jerky and what might be the last cans of baked beans left that side of the mountains.
"Y'think they've got coffee?" they asked as Alys pulled their survival vehicle off the freeway up to the fuel pumps.

It had been a rough year for the two of them. The Earth had indeed struck back, well it had had a little help from a meteor smashing straight into the Siberian wilderness, but it ha set off a chain of events that had awakened every weapon of mass-destruction the Earth had in her arsenal, from the pacific ring of fire to Yellowstone, most of which would probably have happened with or without global warming and climate changes accelerated by CO2 emissions.

At first both Eryn and Alys had kept track of the reported death tolls, especially from the San Fransisco area after the San Andreas fault line had opened up more violently than ever before recorded, almost tearing California loose from the continent, or at least parts of it. The day after the two had seen images of the Golden Gate bridge that looked like the scene from X men: The Last Stand when Magneto twists it towards Alcatraz. It had almost looked like the steel skeleton of some primordial beast like Gojira. In the same images it was obvious that whatever was left of San Fransisco were little more than flooded ruins, which surely meant that both Oakland and Berkeley too would be in a similar state. Whatever the two siblings had had there it would be gone, including their mother. And that had only been the beginning.

The two had spent the following year chasing one sanctuary after another, staying in temporary pockets of relative civilisation all over the western parts of the US. But sooner or later Alys had decided it was time to move on, and even if in the end Eryn too realised it was unsafe or unsustainable to stay, they also had begun to grow weary of living out of a car. They wanted somewhere more permanent, a place they could actually call home. Of course they were sure that Alys wanted the same thing but perhaps in the end was less prepared to fight for it than Eryn was.

Stepping out of the car Eryn first stretched their body out, hands high above the head, momentarily standing on their toes before bending forward to touch said toes. They took off the hat and ran a hand through their unwashed, somewhat sticky hair, and looked around at the people that had begun to gather outside the diner with a barely legible sign that had probably once read Allie's. They gave the group a polite nod for hello.

"If you're looking for fuel," a woman in her forties said and stepped to the front of the group.
"I'm sorry to inform you that we have none to spare. What little we still have we need for ourselves."

---

Allison Ward-Cooper

"A car approaching from the west," James Oates said as he opened the door to the diner that had once been a regular stop for him going back and forth between Los Angeles and Albuquerque on his regular route.
Now it was less a diner than it was a combined kitchen, dining hall and general lounge area for the small group of settlers that had sought refuge there after the world literally came crashing down around them. James had been sitting at the counter watching the satellite images of the meteor crashing into Siberia unaware that by the time he returned from New Mexico there would be no Los Angeles left to go back to. Like most of California it would have been either torn apart or drowned by tsunamis.

He had picked up the rifle kept behind the counter, made sure it was loaded and then followed Allie outside along with everyone else who was still up. He kept in the background and the rifle aimed at the ground but ready to raise it at the first sign of hostility.

Allison, taking the lead as her partner Martin was away on a scouting mission to find new places to scavenge, told everyone to keep back and not do anything rash.
"We cannot assume that everyone pulling onto our small piece of civilisation are here to rob us," she said and wrapped a thin knitted shawl around herself as she approached the modified truck out of which two young people exited, a young woman and ... Allison was less sure of the other. There was something both feminine and masculine about them. It wasn't until they stretched out their body that it became clear to her that it was most probably another young woman, at least anatomically.

"If you're looking for fuel," she said after the androgynous one had greeted her and the others with a nod.
"I'm sorry to inform you that we have none to spare. What little we still have we need for ourselves."
Allison kept walking towards the vehicle addressing the more obviously female of the two strangers.
"But we can offer you food if you are hungry, and also a place to sleep for the night."
"Does that include coffee," the androgynous one asked with a smile.
"I'm Eryn and that's my sister Alys. We're heading east, or at least that was the plan until big sis took a wrong turn towards LA instead of Albuquerque."
They had now closed the distance between themself and Alys.
"Who knows what the plan is now, right sis?"

---

If Alys decided to put it to a vote, and of course if the woman in front of them agreed, Eryn would vote that they should stay right there, at that service station.

 

[Zavaya]

Alys was, as usual, slower than her sibling with reacting. She just wasn't as good with people and the end of the world hadn't helped her with any of that. She also had troubles changing the subject. They came here for fuel, not coffee. Although coffee and a good meal would be a really nice bonus. But the main thing for Alys was to get back on the road as soon as possible.

But the lady had already offered them food and a place to sleep and Eryn had already sort of accepted the offer, leaving Alys with the choice of being the one who spoiled what her sibling wanted or accepting the offer.

"I didn't make a wrong turn... The sign had fallen off."

Another example of how slow Alys was in handing conversations. But she felt it was important to state that she had to guess the exit and therefor, technically, in her mind at least, had not taken a wrong turn. And then there was the other thing. They didn't really have a target or place to be. They were just looking for a place to settle down. Wandering the country in search of it and, as Tolkien once said: Not all those who wander, are lost.

She looked at the lady, the people behind her and the collection of vehicles behind that. It gave her post apocalypse campsite vibes. These people had formed a settlement right here on the truck stop. Then she looked at her sibling. They were both tired and weary from the months of driving, spending day after day on the road and as far as people and settlements went nowadays, this one looked welcoming enough. Apart from the few people holding a weapon, but Alys figured that made sense with the reports of raiding gangs.

"Yeah... we can stay and rest for a bit. I think?"

Alys sighed, uneasy with the decision she had made.

"Do you know where we can get diesel? Is there anyplace nearby?"

 

[MsBloom]

Allison Ward-Cooper

Allie smiled at the two strangers and seeing Alys hesitate at the sight of James's rifle and perhaps also a few of the others holding some manner of weapon, a few knives from the kitchen but mostly improvised and only one firearm, gestured to her people, three women and two men other than James, to stand down. At her gesture James put the safety back on the rifle and hung it over his shoulder and the others, one way or another the others also lowered their weapons and most of them went back inside. James however remained outside but now standing by the door to the diner just watching.

"You have to excuse us but I'm sure that you both know that there are those who has taken the end of the world as an opportunity too become savages, to take what they want by force or by threat of it. Nell, our medical expert, came to us covered in blood after her partner had been shot dead with a shotgun to the face, and for what? A gallon of water and their vehicle. One becomes wary of strangers, as I am sure you are as well."
She paused, momentarily ignoring Alys's question, and looked over at the modified Chevrolet Suburban which, while of course covered in dust from the desert looked to be in very good condition and the modifications were both creative and well engineered.
"I am Allie. You can choose to trust me or not but neither I nor any of the people living her mean you any harm unless you first mean us harm. We believe in cooperation and community. Everyone has something with which they can contribute and earn their living. It looks to me that at least one of you is a more than decent mechanic or engineer ..."
She smiled and looked between the two strangers to see which one of them reacted to her statement and when she saw a hint of a smile on Eryn's face she smiled back and directly addressed the as yet undefined person.
"... and that is one thing we could surely use around here. As for where you can find diesel my life partner is currently out scouting for it with two others. If he find a source then we will send out a small group to retrieve as much of it as possible. The solar panels on the roof are good and so is the wind turbine out back but a diesel generator, as much as I hate to admit it, is more reliable and effective."

As she spoke she had indicated a single wind turbine some five hundred feet behind the diner and the roof where one could see it being covered in solar panels once one knew they were there.
"Now why don't the two of you grab what you need for the night and follow me round the back. There is a bathroom with one working shower if you would like to freshen up before you eat."

---

Eryn Flint

Eryn had mostly listened as the woman spoke. She had a soft voice that to some extent reminded them or their mother's, and she also had a kind look about her that did put them at ease, especially when she, with no more than a gesture, scattered the group and made the man with the rifle stand down. There seemed to be truthfulness to her words about not wanting to harm anyone unless the settlement, or anyone living there, was first attacked.

Hearing the recognition of their skill as a mechanic and engineer made them smile and when Allie next made a not so subtle offer for them and Alys to settle down at the truck stop Eryn gave a brief nod of acknowledgement. It was of course something they would have to discuss and no matter how much Eryn wanted to just say yes right then and there they would not stay if Alys didn't. The two of them had too deep a bond for that, even if of course they argued, teased and fought like all siblings do. That didn't mean that they didn't love each other. Even as they had set out to visit their father in Texas, making it a road trip rather than flying down for the very reason of reconnecting as siblings after having fallen out they still loved each other more than anything else in the world. That love was after all the reason they had decided that some time alone, just the two of them, would be good for their relationship.

There was no one more important to Eryn than their sister, as annoyingly over-protective as she could be.

Eryn also acknowledged the need to be able to protect oneself. The two of them had certainly seen more than their share of pointless violence in the time they had spent on the road, and had had to defend themselves more than once. Alys had objected when Eryn had raided a guns and ammo store for two revolvers and as much ammunition for them as they could carry, but it was for their safety. They were after all two young female-born persons alone in a wasteland. They had only had to use the revolvers on a handful of occasions and the only time either of them had had to fire one it had been a warning shot into the air. But they had them and they had gotten them out of dangerous situations more than once.

"It's ok sis," Eryn said and leaned in close to Alys.
"I'll get Thunder and Rumble from the glove compartment, just in case. Ok," they whispered almost inaudibly into their sister's ear.
Thunder and Rumble were the nicknames Eryn had given the revolvers.
"Now I don't know about you sis but I sure as fuck could use a shower. The smell from my armpits aren't exactly clear on whether I am still alive or have been a rotting corpse for a week now."

That said Eryn gave a nod at Allie and opened the door to the passenger side of the pick up truck they had modified into a survival vehicle, retrieved Thunder and Rumble from the glove compartment and put them in a large duffelbag into which they then packed the closest approximation of clean clothes they and Alys had between them before following Allie around the back of the diner where there was indeed a bathroom with two showers although only one of them worked.

"I'll leave you to it then," Allie said.
"I'll rustle up some food for you while you freshen up. And make a fresh pot of coffee as well."

Eryn bolted the door behind Allie after she left and started to undress.
"I just hope they've got hot water," they said and turned the shower on.

 

[Zavaya]

Again it was Eryn instigating change by showing just how much she wanted to stay in this settlement and even though Alys knew they were running out of options, it infuriated her again.

When they were younger, two girls back then, they were the perfect sisters. Close knit, tight, reading each other like a book and always standing up for each other. That changed, for Alys at least when Eryn told her they no longer identified as a female. Alys didn't understand at first, Eryn had given her no indications of anything but she accepted her siblings wish. But from then on it was like she had lost a sister. Eryn was a nice person but things changed so rapidly after that with Alys also going to university that she felt she had lost her sister.

The rare occasions they did speak were moments Alys really treasured until the one night she told her sibling about her feelings for Laura, a girl from school she really fancied. Beautiful red hair, pale skin, blue eyes to drown in. Alys had opened up her heart to her sibling, who then went on to hit, flirt and win over Laura for herself. It felt like a stab in the back from her own sibling and ever since then, there was friction between the two of them. Friction that should have been mended on the road trip between their parents. But then the apocalypse hit and friction was the last thing to be mended in this new world.

Now in the shower with her sibling, Alys felt uncomfortable. She hadn't undressed in front of her sister in years. Out on the road, there was always one standing guard and keeping an eye on the car, which right now sat unattended and unlocked. Everything they had was in that car including about a gallon or two of diesel, a scarce commodity in this new world.

She watched Eryn undress and leaned against the door.

"You go first.. I'll go after you."

She glanced over to the shower stall only to see her sibling naked under the water already and quickly averted her gaze. If they were going to stay here, they had to deal with the elephant between them and Alys had no idea how to do that.

 

[MsBloom]

Eryn Flint
"Still shy to see me out of my clothes and to undress in my presence huh sis?" Eryn said teasing their sister about the perhaps understandable change in comfort-level after they had come out to her as non-binary towards the end of their sophomore year in high school.

Alys had admitted, when they talked about it some weeks later, that she had begun to think of Eryn as a brother in certain situations, to which Eryn had explained that physically nothing had changed. True, they did of course at times have the male gaze just as they knew Alys still had the female gaze, adding that since they were both attracted to both girls and boys there was no reason really for Alys to be any more shy around them than she had been before when they used to take baths, or showers, together.
"I mean we are still siblings right? Regardless of whether you see me as a sister or a brother or neither. And like I said, I've felt this way about my gender since puberty so ... nothing has changed between us really ... you just didn't know until now. No one did. No one else does."

It was also at that same time the two of them had stopped sleeping in the same bed when the mood struck them, probably for the very same reason. Perhaps if they had had more time together after Eryn came out to their sister and their mother things would have slowly returned to the way they had been before but Alys moved away to Berkeley. They didn't see each other as often and in the end didn't talk as much on the phone either, not until Eryn was admitted to Berkeley as well. Even then things were tense between them, perhaps because the more embracing environment allowed Eryn to present more androgynous than they had been able to back in Sweetwater, Texas, where people still were mostly suspicious towards anything that didn't exactly fit the heteronorm. It had been bad enough for both Eryn and Alys that they were both attracted to both boys and girls. However while Eryn had rebelled against that norm by dating a few girls in high school Alys had remained closeted until she moved away.

And that's how Laura eventually happened. Alys had been so excited about having met this stunning redhead with the bluest eyes one could imagine and had talked about little else for weeks. Now what Alys didn't know the days she opened up and shared her infatuation with Eryn was that Laura was in the same maths class as Eryn and that Eryn had been eyeing the beautiful redhead for most of the semester. This is where Eryn's story differs from Alys' about what happened.

Alys perspective was that Eryn had only moved in on Laura after she had told them about her and how much she was crushing on her. Accusations of betrayal had been thrown around like darts and the two of them had not spoken a single word to each other for a full week after Alys learned that Eryn too had dated Laura, even slept with her.

From Eryn's perspective it was entirely different. Through high school and the first years at Berkeley they had gained quite a reputation for being promiscuous, rarely dating the same person for more than a week, not counting Eve of course, their first girlfriend in their sophomore year in high school whom they had dated for all of the six months the poor girl managed to not care what others thought before breaking up with Eryn, saying that it had just been an experimental phase, that she had been confused. This had broken Eryn's heart and caused them to lose faith in love. They had bawled all night about it in the arms of their sister. It was probably the end of their first relationship that eventually gained them the reputation they had, for promiscuity. What was, after all, the point of long term relationships when it hurt so much when they ended.

Until they first met Laura's eyes across the classroom, that was. That moment they felt that deeper emotion called love rather than simple carnal lust. And perhaps if the relationship between them and Alys had been more open at that time than it was they would have talked to her about it, telling their sister that they had actually found someone to love again. Not that Alys knew much about their siblings reputation or disenchantment with the concept of romantic love. She had after all not been there for those years after Eve when Eryn threw themself between boys and girls like a rubber ball to which nothing stuck.

It was also never really cleared up who had actually dated Laura first, but according to Alys' version of events Eryn should have stood down the moment she told them about her. Perhaps that was true, perhaps Eryn had breached some kind of unspoken agreement between siblings when they didn't stop pursuing Laura, but how could they. She was the first person since Eve that they had actually felt love for, and that was more than Alys felt for her, at least that was how Eryn had interpreted the admission from their sibling that she really fancied Laura. To Eryn that was worlds apart from how they felt about Laura and in the end Laura chose Eryn over Alys, which of course didn't make things one bit better between the two siblings already struggling to connect the way they once had.

However, about halfway through the desert on their roadtrip to go see their dad Eryn had finally opened up about Laura and as the two talked in a much calmer way about it than they ever had before they both began to realise that Laura had in fact known that they had both fallen in love with her without saying anything to either of them, that Laura had in fact dated them both at the same time. When that dawned on them both it also dawned on Eryn that perhaps the reason Laura had chosen them over their sister might have something to do with their non-binary identity. It had happened before since they arrived in Berkeley. Realising this as a possibility, but also because of how Laura had played them against each other, Eryn promised Alys that as soon as they were back home they would break up with Laura.

And that was what eventually caused that particular issue between the siblings to be resolved. Except ... they never made it back to Berkeley. And now, in this new world they found themselves in it didn't much matter anymore, at least Eryn felt that it didn't. Laura was probably just as lost to them both as their mother was.

Shaking their head Eryn looked over at Alys as they stepped into the shower, and being the pragmatic they often were concluded that there was probably limited access to hot water, if any and that it would make more sense for them to share what little of it there was.
"C'mon sis. This is no time to be shy."

 

[Zavaya]

Again Eryn was right and Alys was slow. This was no time to be shy but Alys' brain was, as usual, working overtime to process everything and every single outcome to every single possibility on what could and would happen next.

"Yes."

She spoke absent minded but began to undress any way, still trying her best not to look at her sibling at all. Aside from the fear of losing their vehicle and getting mugged and the general fear of living in a post apocalypse world, she now had to worry about being so close to her sibling again. Alys had forgiven Eryn for Laura. Or at least she said she had and deep down inside she wanted to forgive but every time she thought about it, her mind went back to what could have been. She'd have been played and used by Laura, yes, probably but at least she wouldn't go into the apocalypse a virgin. The fear of rape was always present on her mind, the fear of being raped while a virgin was sometimes almost unbearable and even though she understood that even if she had sex with Laura, technically she still would be a virgin, it probably felt different.

Then there was the confusion she felt regarding Eryn. For the majority of their lives they had been sisters until out of the blue Eryn basically said she was no longer her sister but her sibling. Alys was confused about what it all meant, had to look things up and ask and because she was slower with her sexuality than Eryn as well, basically felt a little confused as to what it all meant when they got in the shower. Eryn still had a female body, and a nicer one than Alys, or so Alys always said to herself, she wasn't happy with it. Or something. The road trip had been meant to clear so many things between them, Eryn's gender topic would be one of them. But like other things, they never got to it.

By the time Alys had stripped naked and got in the shower, the water was luke warm at best. Every time her skin made contact with Eryn, she took a step back or moved away, probably a bit too extreme. She didn't feel comfortable around her own sibling anymore and she hated that feeling. Suddenly she felt like crying. Just to let it all out. For the last months she had been the cool, collected and calm big sister. Switched into a survival mode to keep her and Eryn safe but there was only so much she could handle.

Maybe Eryn was right. Maybe they should stay here. The people seemed friendly enough, or the lady at least. Park the car somewhere and live in it permanently until they had other options. Help around the settlement with chores. Then the insecurity struck again. Eryn was a mechanic and seeing how she converted an old rusty pick up into a survival camper, a damn fine one as well. What could Alys bring to the table? Her brains? Sure she was smart but what good would that do in a settlement of people who only try to survive. She could cook and farm but she had no idea if those skills were even needed. Fine dining wasn't important. Just any food would do. Boiling everything into a stew was how she cooked in previous camp. Get the most nutritional value. Of course she knew boiling stuff did the exact opposite, the leader wanted it boiled cause he believed it was best.

She stood under the water for a few moments, letting the water run down her dark long hair and small frame, then plucked her hair out of her face and ran her hands over her face. Then big sister mode kicked in again and she stepped out of the shower. She rummaged through the bag and found one of their two towels, picked the one who looked cleanest and began to dry herself off. Hygiene wasn't what it used to be and not properly washing a towel for months really doesn't improve the smell or texture of it. Again she felt that sense of despair and fought back her tears as she placed the other towel neatly folded on the corner of the wash basin, ready for when Eryn needed it.

Alys quickly dried off, put her panties back on and then her bra, although she often wondered why she still bothered with one. She didn't need them for support and modesty had quickly followed hygiene out of the window in the new world.

"If you want to stay here Eryn, we can give it a try. Maybe settling down isn't such a bad idea. What else is there for us out there right? We're not going to make Virginia anyway."

She sighed and continued getting dressed in a set of clothes from their bag. Alys had stopped calling them 'clean clothes' about six months ago. The words of not having made Virginia finally caused Alys to crack. She turned away from her sibling, desperate not to be seen crying but the failure of getting her sister to what she believed was a safe climate at least was the last straw. She tried to regain her composure but even without the sobbing, her sibling probably knew her better than anybody else in this world.

 

[MsBloom]

Eryn Flint
Sensing their sister's awkwardness about being naked around them Eryn did try to keep their distance and not bump into her. The shower was however quite small, as they usually are at truckstops, and the occasional bump was inevitable. At the same time as they stood there rubbing their skin with their hands and the lukewarm water they knew that it couldn't go on like that forever. They needed their sister back, the one they had grown up with, not the one who could barely look at them without any clothes on. It was perhaps a conversation for later, after they had eaten.

They almost threw themself into Alys arms to give her a hug though when she said that they could try staying where they were. They did manage to restrain themself though as that would almost certainly have triggered something in their sister, seeing as at the time they were both mostly still without clothes. Instead they nodded and smiled as they agreed that reaching Virginia, as had been Alys latest plan, did seem rather far fetched, even if perhaps the roads and facilities might be in better shape there than they were in the western and central parts of the country.

They waited until Alys was fully dressed before taking the towel she had put out for them and started to dry themself.
"Y'know we are going to have to talk about this sooner or later. I want my ..."
Having put on a pair of relatively clean boxer briefs but no more they realised that Alys was crying so, ignoring the awkwardness their sister might feel, they stepped closer to her and gave her a hug from behind.
"What's wrong sis?" they asked in a soft comforting voice while at the same time trying not to press into her, to avoid further triggering her awkwardness, as they were still topless.
"All things aside you know I am here for you, always. It doesn't matter if I'm not your sister anymore. I am still your sibling and whether you feel you can or not you can always talk to me ... about everything, anything. Please ... I want my sister back. I need her. I think you know her. We used to stay up all through the night and talk about boys and girls, about life, the universe and everything inbetween ... remember?
Eryn rested their chin on Alys' shoulder, pressing their cheek against their sister's.
"And as annoying as she was I always knew she had my back whenever I got myself into trouble. Like the time I decided to fight both the Watson boys down the block after school. Remember?"

 

[Zavaya]

She wanted to push Eryn away from her. The naked breasts of her sibling against her skin made her feel even more uncomfortable than when somebody hugged her normally but she couldn't.

"It's not about that Eryn... I.."

Alys sighed and took a deep breath, carefully wriggling loose from the hug and turning to face her sibling.

"I always had your back. I'm your big sister but.. I failed. I.. we.. This place.. I don't know if it's good or safe or will last. I'm just... I'm scared okay?"

There. She had done it. She had shown emotion. Something she had not done in a long, long time. But after so long alone on the road the rational facade was starting to show cracks and the timing could not have been worse.

"You don't need me Eryn. I'm your sister, yes but you don't need me and that scares me. You're better at all this than I am. And if you don't need me, what good am I? You already saw how they reacted to you and your skills. What do I bring?"

Alys ran her hand through her eyes, wiping the tears that remained away.

"This isn't about who you are. I promise, it's not. Because you're still my sibling. The fact that I struggled with your pronouns and what not is not because I'm angry or disappointed, it's because it's change and we both know how well I handle changes. I love you Eryn, you're all I've got left."

Even more emotions. More than she had ever shared in maybe a week or a month, all out within minutes, probably clearing the air between the two a long way.
She took another breath, emotions gone to the background again and smiled at Eryn. Alys then reached over to grab the towel and held it between her and Eryn's chest for a bit of modesty on her sibling. Not that they wanted or needed it but for Alys it was at least some normality in a world of change and emotions.

"And you'd have kicked those Watson boys' arses. Only reason I stepped in is because they wouldn't hit a girl. I saved them from an ass kicking."

 

[MsBloom]

Eryn Flint
"Failed?" Eryn asked.
"How did you fail? Did you drop that hunk of rock into Siberia setting of a global game of Disaster Dominoes? Don't think you did sis. You've done all you can, all I could ask you to do, since we heard the first reports about the ring of fire erupting."
They hugged their sister a little tighter and then stepped back to allow some comfort between them again.
"And of course I need you. I mean sure. I am probably handling all of this apocalypse stuff better than you, at least the practical aspects of it with my problem solving and tinkering, a nearly finished degree in engineering probably doesn't hurt, but also because I ... nevermind ... you know what I'm talking about. But you ... you bring care and love to the table. You're an excellent cook. Remember the rattlesnake I killed and you made an awesome stew from it. I don't know how you even knew how. Rattlesnake isn't exactly part of our normal diet. And like I've seen you when you gather plants. You know which ones are edible and which are not. I mean fuck I'd barely recognise a parsnip over a beetroot were it not for the colour. And yea, I know you're thinking they've probably got someone like that already, like probably Allie, but I'm sure she would love to have an assistant y'know. Someone to help with the garden maybe."
Eryn knew there was a garden because they had seen one out near the wind turbine as they walked around the building.

"And yea I know how poorly you deal with change. And I'm sorry I dropped it all on you in one go. But you were going away and I knew it would be at least six months until I would see you again. You've been there all my life and I depend on you more than I think you know, for emotional comfort. And y'know I wish I had told you a lot sooner because after I told you I really could have used that from you. If you had been there for me to lean on emotionally I might have come out to mum and dad too, and to the school. As it was I ..."
Eryn hesitated and was starting to feel very emotional as well.

"And you are all I have left, I love you too," they continued rather than going into details about the emotional roller coaster they had been on after coming out to their sister, how every day on their way to school they had decided to book an appointment with the school counsellor to talk about it but never did, how they had decided to at least tell the few friends they had at school, Janie, Mike and Will but never did. Because what if ... everyone reacted badly, pushed them away or even attacked them, what if the other girls demanded they shouldn't be allowed to use the girls' bathroom because they weren't a girl, what if ... and without Alys to lean on and her shoulder to cry on they would never have lived through it, at least not very well.

When Alys did hold up the towel between them though to cover their bare torso it did sting a bit. Because that wasn't really about struggling with pronouns. It was probably more about the fact that Alys still, in certain situations, such as showering together, maybe thought about them as a brother and that modesty dictated they shouldn't see each other naked. Eryn could to some extent understand this as in parts it was true and in other parts not. It was true that Eryn was no longer Alys' sister but they were also not her brother by default. Saying nothing about it though they simply dug into the duffel bag and pulled out a long sleeved hooded t-shirt with an elaborate skull print on it, slipped that on and then a pair of jeans that had once black but now leaned ore towards a dark grey and was riddled with holes

"Yea I would have, and that's the trouble I would have gotten myself into. Can you hear mum and dad when they found out I had beaten two boys to tears? And you do know why I was going to fight them right? Because of what they said about you, how you ... let's just say it wasn't very nice."
This was another aspect of Eryn and Alys teenage years that had held them tightly bonded together. The same way Alys was always there for Eryn emotionally, Eryn was always there to defend their sister's honour, with violence if needed.

"Now. Let's go in there, hand in hand if you want, show a united front and eat, sleep and try to negotiate us both staying. I mean if they want me to stay because they need an engineer and a skilled mechanic then they will have to let you stay too because no fucking way south of hell I'm staying without you. I mean who is going to depend you against rattlesnakes and coyotes if I'm not there."
Eryn said light-heartily with a smile as they laced up their boots.

---

Allison Ward-Cooper
Inside the diner Allie had reheated some left over from the meal the group of survivors had shared earlier that evening. A vegetable stew with tinned meat. She also made a fresh pot of coffee and while the siblings showered she sat down to talk to the group about letting them stay on a more permanent basis.
"That retractable water collector on the roof of their pick up is quite ingenious by the looks of it and definitely something we could use. The other one I'm not as certain about but as Martin always says, everyone is good at something if they want to be, everyone can contribute in their own way. I suggest that when He returns with the others we put it to a vote and until then we offer Eryn and Alys shelter and food. And try to get to know them a bit better."
There was a bit of grumbling from a few of the group about more mouths to feed but in the end no one objected and when Eryn and Alys appeared through the backdoor to the diner they were met with mostly smiles and the smell of warm food and fresh coffee.

 

[Zavaya]

Alys had never cared about what others said about her. She hadn't even known they said things about her until Eryn explained to her why she wanted to beat up the Watsons. It was just one of those situations where ignorance was bliss and when it came to social etiquette or arguments, Alys was about as ignorant as they came. One time she went out with a boy. He had asked her out to the theatre because he obviously fancied her. Alys believed he asked her because she had told him the would like to see the movie. Not once did it cross her mind that he fancied her. During the movie, whenever he placed his hand on hers on the single armrest, she pulled her arm back, thinking he wanted to rest his arm. When their hands met in the bucket of popcorn, she pulled her hand back and waited for him to grab his'.

He had later told Eryn about what happened who then told Alys who then felt confused for a couple of days before she forgot about the whole encounter. But even if the boy had told her without any doubt or ambiguity that he liked her, Alys would probably have said something blunt or inappropriate anyway.

And now that same person had to blend into a group of people, probably strangers to each other up until recently, who had already bonded and set up some social hierarchy. More than ever Alys felt like she needed her sibling. If they were to be accepted into this community, she needed Eryn's help.

She looked at her sibling's choice of what to wear and had her opinions on it but kept them to herself. Although Eryn was her little sibling, they were still an adult, capable of making their own decisions.

Together, hand in hand as Eryn had suggested, they went inside the old gas station shop. They were greeted by the smell of coffee and warm food and a bunch of strangers, some of which looked unhappy with the two of them being there. Alys hesitated for a moment, pinched Eryn's hand but then continued and sat down at Allie's gesture. Once seated she tried to make herself as small as she possibly could, feeling the eyes of all those around them on her.

Coffee had never been her thing. She liked it, was grateful for it but any other beverage would have had the same effect on her. The food though, that was welcome. It had been too long since they had a warm meal containing more than one ingredient, often roasted meat of whatever creature they could catch or find. Rattlesnake at some point. When she was given a bowl of stew and a spoon, she thanked Allie and immediately dug in.

After one spoonful, she realised she could be of service here. Whoever made this soup had no understanding of flavours and had clearly just dumped some ingredients into a pot of water. Still, warm food, a lukewarm shower and fresh coffee. This place wasn't so bad. Especially since the only thing that would run out eventually, was the coffee. With Eryn's help they would have hot water and with her own help they would have warm meals.

She pinched her sibling's leg under the table, urging them to say something to break the awkward silence.

 

[MsBloom]

Eryn Flint

Eryn had always been more of an extrovert, perhaps a bit too much at times to compensate for their sister being introvert. At times this made them just as socially awkward as Alys was, just on the other end of the scale. They often spoke their mind too bluntly and too honestly, often over-shared and quite often didn't realise when they had invaded someone else's personal space. They often interjected themself into conversations they had not been invited into, and more often than not dominated them by not knowing when to stop talking. Where Alys often doubted herself and preferred if people didn't notice her, because it was easier that way, fewer misunderstandings and social faux-pas, Eryn was confident and enjoyed attention. They were in many ways just about as different as two siblings could be but as they walked into the diner hand in hand Eryn had never felt closer to Alys, never felt they needed her more. Alys was the balance in Eryn's life just as they were sure that Eryn was in Alys' life.

And this difference between the two siblings was apparent to anyone paying any attention at all to them as they walked in to be formally introduced to the other people in the group. Eryn didn't let go of their sister's hand but squeezed it back to reassure her that it would be fine. They were together, they were alive and no one held a gun to their heads or a knife to their throats. They had actually showered and were about to have a hot meal.

Eryn guided their sister to the table where Allie had set out spoons, mugs and a thermos of coffee, and smiled at their hostess.
"That smells good," they said as they poured themself a cup, lifting it to their nose and inhaling deeply.
Then as Allie placed a bowl each of stew in front of them and they began to eat Eryn was a little disappointed. It tasted very little and of course they realised that spices and such was probably not a top priority when they went scavenging.
"You have to excuse the lack of taste. We ran ut of salt about a week ago and I'm really hoping Martin will have found some when he gets back."
Allie then left the two to eat in peace and a silence descended on the diner.

Eryn could feel the discomfort in their sister as the others all sat around three other tables watching them eat. And in all honesty Eryn too felt a bit uncomfortable to be scrutinised in that way. It actually took Alys pinching their leg under the table too get their mouth to do more than open, close and chew.
"So ... I'm Eryn," they said realising they had perhaps not properly introduced themself to anyone but Allie.
"And this is my older sister Alys," they continued jerking their head sideways to indicate their sister.
"We kind of got stuck between the tsunamis and Yellowstone on our way back to Berkeley from visiting our dad in Texas."
At the same time their accent did betray that they had not been born in the US, or even spent their early years there. Even 13 years after having moved to Texas from Wales Eryn had a distinctly British accent.
"Back then we had a Miata convertible, mine actually, a gift from dad when I passed my driving test. So yea it was a few years old but hey, awesome car still though. Not the best for survival mode though so we kind of upgraded to an abandoned Land Rover Discovery. Good for off road but essentially too small to live out of, not even with my conversions, so well we found the one we're in now abandoned outside Las Vegas about what? Five weeks ago, four? And fuck that place is a real fucking cesspool, dangerous place indeed. First time we had to use thunder and rumble for anything other than hunting. So yea ... we got the fuck out of there fast, stopped at a garage close to Reno and well. I did some work on the car and then we decided to, or rather Alys decided to, head for the East Coast ..."
Here they stopped talking and remembered to actually eat.

They downed a few spoonfuls and a mouthful of coffee not realising that no one took the opportunity to talk through the silence they continued.
"I mean where she goes I go of course. And it sounded as good as any other plan. It's not like we will miraculously find anywhere that is unaffected by the apocalypse right, so ... Virginia sounded about as good as any other place and certainly a lot better than the West Coast anyway, assuming there is anything left of California anymore, what with the earthquakes and tsunamis and what not. And well ... I'm a decent mechanic with an almost finished degree in engineering and Alys is a kick ass botanist. Like you should see her kicking tumbleweed ass."
They began to chuckle at their rather bad joke and glancing sideways at their sister saw how embarrassed she was about it.

Knowing it would only make things worse to linger on it or to apologise Eryn continued talking up their sister's usefulness.
"And on top of that she makes a mean fucking rattlesnake stew, not to mention what she can do with rabbits, and with what you are growing out back ... she could serve a meal fit for royalty ... well ... assuming there is salt and pepper and such."

In about fifteen minutes Eryn had basically given the group a quick summary of the two siblings' year as nomads through the apocalypse and had not really noticed that after about five it was only Allie and James still listening to them. The others had begun talking amongst themselves in hushed voices and once Eryn actually stopped talking and focused on finishing the bowl and the coffee they realised that they were probably talking about them, about whether or not to let them stay.
"And like ... that water-collector you've got out back by the turbine," they started again.
"I mean sure I suppose it works and all, as does the one on top of the bathroom but like the shower could use a bit more water-pressure, and the water could be a wee bit warmer. I mean don't get me wrong that shower was almost as good as a fucking orgasm but like ... y'know ... it would have been even better if the water had been more than lukewarm. And like I'm thinking you could probably recycle it somehow, for irrigation maybe. It shouldn't be too difficult to lay pipes under the ground all the way to your garden, which by the way I'm sure Alys would just love to get her hands on. I did mention she's a botanist right. Me, I barely know carrots from cauliflower but I could for damned sure increase your water pressure if you give me a day, maybe two."

With the coffee and food now all gone Eryn had leaned back in the chair, left leg over the right and hands resting on the back of their head in a very masculine, confident pose and looked first at Allie, then James and then the other five members of the group as if asking them if it was enough for the two of them to stay.
"How about you and Katie go make up somewhere for our guests to sleep," Allie asked a woman about her own age who nodded.
"Come with me," the woman said as she and a woman about Eryn's and Alys' age of obvious Asian descent.
"I'm Nell. I'm a nurse, as close to a doctor as we have around here I suppose. This is Katie."
The younger of the two smiled.
"That's Claire, Owen and Bob," Nell continued indicating the others in turn.
"The dorms are through here. There's not a lot of privacy though so if you're shy I suggest undressing and dressing in the bathroom."

 

[Zavaya]

Alys didn't even register the names of the people that were introduced. She had only remembered Allie, as it was close to her own name and it was written on the front. Quietly she followed her sibling and the nurse, her ears still ringing from the barrage of words her sister had let out at the table. She froze a little at the word dorms and fought back the urge to turn around and run away. She had promised her sibling to give this a chance so she would.

Once they got to the dorms, Alys immediately made up her mind. There was no way she was going to sleep in there. It was, or had been, a storage room. Very small and few windows and there were too many beds and mattresses. Did people really sleep here? A quick glance around gave Alys the answer. There were bags and clothes and belongings on most of the beds.

She grabbed Eryn's hand and pulled her out of the room. Alys raised her hand at Nell as to excuse them and Alys quickly took her sibling outside.

"There is no way I'm going to sleep there. Think of all the snoring! We have the bed in the back of the car. Why not park it up somewhere and sleep there? I'd rather sleep in the safety and comfort of the car than in there."

They had been sleeping in their car for a long time now and no, it wasn't comfortable but Alys had gotten used to it. In winter it had gotten really cold, but a lot of blankets, duvets and snugging close to Eryn had made sure they pulled through. With summer approaching, it would probably be really hot but the same was probably true about that dorm.

"We don't even know these people Eryn. What if they're rapists? Or some crazy cult or something. I mean... if you want, you can sleep there but I'm not going to. I'll ask Allie if it's okay to park the car around the back somewhere, where the other vehicles are and we sleep there."

 

[MsBloom]

Eryn Flint

To say that Eryn was impressed with the sleeping arrangements would have been a grave exaggeration. The mattresses were almost stacked on top of each other and to call it a lack of privacy was a joke. There was barely any room for personal space. Eryn could only imagine from the lingering scent in the room what it must smell like in the morning after everyone had slept there. And as Alys reacted to it, demanding to speak to them outside they too had made up their mind. The beds in their pick up was not only more comfortable but certainly also provided a lot more privacy.
"Do you want me to talk to them instead while you bring the car around back?"
They of course already knew the answer and suggested Alys parked close to the showers but not too close.
"If we are to stay here I might have a few ideas for further modifications. Something more, semi-permanent, that we can still pack up fairly easily should we have to leave at some point."
They took Alys' hand and squeezed it reassuringly and went back inside to inform Nell and Katie of their decision.
"We just feel that it is already very crowded in here, especially considering my sister's issues with lack of personal space. She has always been uncomfortable with crowds. And we already have the beds in the back of our pick up. This is in no way us being ungrateful and I would hate to think that it would be seen as such."
They paused and looked at the two women in front of them.
"How about tomorrow morning I take a look at your water collector. I als think that it is only fair that at least one of us volunteer for guard duty. I assume you do keep watch in shifts through the night."

Eryn and Alys had slept in shifts themselves when they were alone on the road, at least until Eryn had managed to figure out how to fix the cars alarm to go off if anyone approached the car from the outside but not react to any movement inside. After that they had both slept through the night, and only twice had the alarm gone off without it being a curious animal of sorts approaching. Both times Thunder and Rumble had been useful as deterrents and only once had they had to actually use them, but that was an incident Eryn preferred to keep stored away in a dark corner of their mind.

Nell nodded as if she actually agreed about the sleeping arrangements in the storage room and told Eryn to speak to Allie and James about guard duty.

"So. I volunteered to a shift on guard with James," they said as they met up with Alys who was waiting in the car's driver's seat.
"I'll take both Thunder and Rumble along and do my very best not to wake you when I come back to sleep."

 

[Zavaya]

"No.."

Alys looked at her sibling as she started the car and manoeuvred it past the pumps onto the parking lot behind the building.

"Please wake me when I'm sleeping. I want to know you're safe."

She drove the car to the furthest corner, turned it towards the buildings and then sat and looked at her sibling. And then her brain switched on again. What would it show to the others parking all the way back here? We don't really want to be here? It also meant a lot of walking to the main buildings. She sighed, started the car again and slowly drove it closer to the other vehicles scattered around the lot and the building and found a spot near the edge of where the woods began but still within shouting distance of the rest.

"This is alright yes?"

She waited for a confirmation from her sibling and then turned the ignition off. Alys padded the steering wheel and pulled the handbrake on.

"Thanks car. For everything."

Then she looked at Eryn.

"I'm scared Eryn... so when I say or do something stupid. Please tell them I don't mean it? I just... I have no idea what to do now. I mean, do we eat and cook together with the others? And what if they're upset we sleep here and not in that room? Or what if I want to sit here and read something rather than in the cafetaria?"

 

[MsBloom]

Eryn Flint

"Yea this is fine," Eryn said as their sister finally decided where to park their car.
"We're not leaving it here," they added as Alys thanked the car for everything.
"And don't worry too much about the others just yet. I mean sure we need to make a good first impression but I doubt they will hold it against us that we prefer to sleep in the beds we brought with us. I actually think that some of them already sleep elsewhere. I think James, for instance sleep, in his semi."
They indicated the large semi with a trailer attached to it parked not far from their truck.
"To be honest I think that room was more of a guest room, or a room for those living here that doesn't have any other place to sleep. I think I can help them sort that out. I already have a few ideas for how to improve our own home a bit, make it more like an actual home than just a truck with beds and a trailer.

And yea, of course I will have your back. They might not know you, or how awkward you can be in social situations but give them time to get to know you and I'm sure they will learn to accept you for who you are, just as I am sure they will learn to accept me not being able to shut up once I start talking, whether it is appropriate or not."
They put their arms around their sister and leaned their head against hers.
"I know it is hard and the past year hasn't done much to help, but how about we trust these people to be good people with open hearts and open minds. And if they turn out not to be then ... well then we keep going east and see what the great plains has to offer. Perhaps we could even head back to check upp on dad."

They sat there for a while holding their sister for comfort, not only for their sister but for themself as well. They were after all still just to female-born strangers to these people. Which was why Eryn wanted to make themself useful as quickly as possible and make sure that these people also saw Alys' qualities and what she had to offer.
"It will be fine," they said as James approached their truck with the rifle over his shoulder.
"I'll wake you when I get back ok."

They then grabbed Thunder and Rumble sticking them both between the belt and their jeans where they could easily reach them, and stuck a box of ammo into the pocket of their leather jacket.
"And I am sure that if you want to spend an evening reading alone, they won't object much, and if they want or need you for anything they know where to find you right?"

Eryn stepped out of the truck and fell into step with James as he passed. At first they just walked in silence, patrolling the perimeter of the settlement that still was little more than an independent, off grid, service station but then Eryn began to talk about all kinds of improvements that could be done to it.
"A fence might not be a bad idea if you think about it, " they suggested.
I mean sure you take shifts to keep watch all night but if a less benevolent group were to decide to just drive up and take what you have there would be very little to stop them. I mean, apart from your rifle how many other firearms do you really have here."
As they thought about it they began to wonder just how these people had not already been raided. Of course they were at a remote location but it wasn't as if they weren't easily accessible.
"You do talk a lot don't you," James concluded when they did get back to the pumps in front of the service station and the diner.
"Yea ... I guess I do," Eryn admitted.
"Someone has to make up for Alys not being very talkative right?" they joked.
"She's more the care taking type y'know, the kind that always makes sure you're comfortable before making sure she is. A great cook and great with herbs and plants. I mean give her a year and I'm sure she'd be growing watermelons here. Well after I make sure she has enough water supply for the irrigation system."

They followed James into the diner where he poured them each a cup of coffee before going back out for a closer patrol around just the buildings and pumps.
"I have also been thinking about the sleeping arrangements. It wouldn't be too difficult, I think, to set up small shacks or tents around the back where people could have a bit more privacy. That's kind of the reason Alys wanted to sleep in our truck rather than in your dorm. Not that we don't appreciate the hospitality but well she is shy and awkward around people and just feel safer and mor comfortable with what she already knows. "
James nodded and confirmed that he didn't sleep in the dorm either but in the back of the cabin of his semi.
"No need to crowd up that room any more than necessary. It is crowded enough as it is."
He then stopped and pointed east along the road.
"You hear that?"
Eryn stopped talking and listened and sure enough not too far away there was the sound of hooves approaching.
"That would be Martin and the scouts." James explained but still took the rifle off of his shoulder in case he was wrong.
Eryn took Thunder and Rumble from their belt as well, following his example."
"So horses eeh? Nice touch considering how rare fuel is."
"We only have three for scouting but yea. The semi drinks its fair share as we go to collect what they have found.
"But it looks like maybe you won't be improving the water collector or fixing the showers in the morning but rather go scavenging with myself and maybe Robin and Martin too. Assuming you want a chance to find stuff you might need for all your big plans without having to put an order in for it."

"Good run?" James asked as three horses came into view through the darkness and then nodded his head at Eryn.
"We've got visitors, possibly residents, this one's a very talkative engineer and then there's her sister too who is apparently some kind of wizard with plants and stuff."
"They/their/them, if you don't mind," Eryn corrected James as he misgendered them.
"Apologies," James said and smiled.
"They still talk enough for two, if not three," he added with a chuckle as Martin and the other two dismounted.
"We did find some interesting stuff yea. We're really just going to wash up and get something to eat and then I was hoping we could head back out to Albuquerque."
He took a long look at Eryn.
"You drive I assume, do you know how to handle a semi. It is always good to have a back up driver in case James should for some reason be incapacitated."
"Can't say I have tried," Eryn admitted adding that they were of course willing to learn.
"Good. Then sh ... they are your new apprentice driver then James."

Eryn and James followed the group into the diner where they were relieved of their shift by Nell and Owen. Allison put out food for her partner and the rest of the scouting team and sat down with them.
"You two best get some rest, we'll be heading back out again at dawn," Martin suggested and with a nod Eryn walked back to the truck, crawled into the bed in just their boxers and a tank top full of holes.
They gently woke Alys up and let her know that they would be joining Martin, James and a really hot girl, on a trip to Albuquerque in the morning.
"I'm sure if I ask they will let you come along as well. I'd rather not leave you alone here to make yourself awkward with no one to step in and explain. Unless of course you think it could be a good opportunity to try to make friends of Allie and the others."

 

[Zavaya]

Being an Arizona native Robin had joined the community early on but even so, she was a mystery to a lot of the people around. She mostly stayed to herself and didn't let anybody get too close. As she got back to their camp, she left the horse, her own horse on which she arrived in the camp, with Martin and peeled off towards a corner of the camp, close to the former overpass until she heard Martin mention visitors. With her curiosity peeked, she made theatrical u-turn and stood next to the group, showing off some of the smaller items they had managed to find and bring back. For herself, the most interesting things was the ammunition, which she proudly showed off to James, who then explained to the new kid that Robin was a bit of a gun enthusiast.

She hated the term but never bothered to correct anybody and as long as she got meat on the table, nobody really cared about her being a little secretive and reclusive. Fact was that she had been an outdoors person ever since she was a kid. Robin knew the desert like the back of her hand having spent so much time in it as a kid with her father. She could read the terrain, find food and once she found said food, her accuracy with any sort of gun was deadly. She also had her own ideas on how to make a camp and how to survive, which is why she had done it herself, under the overpass. Large groups attract large groups, especially out here and now in times of dire needs.

When Martin suggested the new kid came along tomorrow for the collection run, she wanted to protest. New faces were always a threat and even though she knew that Allie had probably welcomed them with open arms, Robin didn't agree. They were going to a good location with a lot of materials. Some for the short term, others for the long term and even with the big trailer, there would be enough for three or four runs, which if this kid scarpered after the first, would be in jeopardy if they decided to go after it by themselves.

"See y'all in the morning then."

She tipped the right side of her forehead with her right index and middle finger and quickly disappeared into the darkness.



Alys had stayed in the car, reading through her notes to figure out where she had made the wrong turn. This wasn't the place where she wanted to end up and having left the high desert of California and Nevada because of the impending summer, this place wouldn't be much milder, if at all. The good thing though, according to a map was that a little south there was a river, which in summer would probably be dry, if the seasons still worked the same as they did before. The advantage of a desert was the views all around. You could see things come for miles. Unless it was dark obviously than you would just stare into a pitch black abyss, which really unsettled Alys but also comforted her. If doom, in whatever shape or form would be out there to come for her, she wouldn't have time to be afraid before it got to her.

Eventually she wanted to get to sleep but had to pee before that. Not wanting to wander around in the dark and ask for a toilet, she quickly hunkered down behind the car and peed before quickly climbing back, closing the doors but leaving the windows half open and got under the sheets wearing just her panties. She didn't wear a top because it was usually too warm in the car and also because she wanted to keep them clean as much as she could.

She woke up when Eryn climbed in the bed with her and told her about a hot chick and a scavenging run.

"I don't know... I mean, what good can I do? I think I rather stay here."

Alys wanted to add some depressing stuff as to how she wanted to be alone with the misery of having probably lost both their parents, the love of her life and now having made a wrong turn which in her mind doomed her and her sibling.

"Maybe I can ask.. ehm.. Allie was her name right? The woman who gave us food? Maybe I can ask her about a garden or something. Not sure if anything grows here in this soil but it's worth a try I guess."

 

[MsBloom]

Eryn Flint

Eryn had at first just stared at Robin as she walked away, seemingly with no interest whatsoever in any form of social interaction. And it was a sweet sight too. The confident sway of her ass while walking towards the collapsed overpass sent shivers through Eryn and reminded them of just how long it had been since last they had been intimate with another person. It was in their mind another reason to stay at the service station and help build it into a real settlement. Of course in that moment it was little more than physical attraction combined with the need to relieve some tension. Perhaps the young woman wouldn't even be interested in an AFAB, no matter how Non-Binary they were.

The scepticism on Robin's face as Martin invited Eryn to not only join them in the morning on their scavenger run but also offered them the role of back up driver was quite obvious and also something Eryn appreciated. While they of course also appreciated how Allie had welcomed themself and Alys with open arms they had also felt it was perhaps also a risk she had taken. Perhaps Allie trusted her people to defend the settlement in case the two new arrivals showed any ill intent, which Eryn and their sister certainly had no intention of doing. All Eryn wanted was to stop looking for the perfect place to settle, to stop living on the road, to find a community into which they might fit and contribute to.

As they listened to their sister they cuddled up to her, forming a big spoon around their big sister, taking in the comforting scent of her hair like they had done so often when they were children.
"Yea. I think that is a good idea actually," they agreed when Alys suggested how she might spend the day, or even days, alone without Eryn.
"And as I told James before, if anyone can make just about anything grow here it's you. I think they will appreciate your knowledge."
They inhaled deeply through their nose letting the scent of their sister fill their head.
"Good night then. Do you want me to wake you in the morning before I leave?"

---

No more than a few hours later a knock on the car window woke Eryn up to James' face and minutes later they were having a mug of hot strong instant coffee and a piece of relatively fresh but compact and ultimately tasteless bread to wash down with it. As breakfasts went it lacked a lot but under the circumstances it would do more than well. Martin and Robin had already begun to load the semi with supplies they needed for the run, food, water, and ammunition. It calmed Eryn a little to see that both Martin and Robin also had firearms, Robin seemingly packing quite an arsenal of her own. That meant that whatever else they were they were not defenceless.

Dawn came fast in the desert as there was little to block the sun as it rose and soon the four of them were well on their way along Interstate 40 into New Mexico. A few miles outside of Albuquerque Martin instructed James to make a right that would ultimately take them around the city to an untouched emergency storage facility, probably not placed there by the state or the federal government but by a survivalist. It was an absolute goldmine of supplies. There was conserved food that would easily feed the settlement for months, perhaps longer with whatever they could hunt and gather in terms of edible plants. There was bottled water and fuel as well, and ammunition.

Eryn had never seen anything like it, not even in the larger settlements they and Alys had lived in before. The moment they came down the ladder they began to investigate and found large amounts of tarp and rope which they pointed out could be used to expand the living quarters of the settlement but also to improve the water collector. They also found a few extra diesel generators that would certainly be a great addition to help build a heating system for the showers and while the other three focused on water and food, Eryn began hauling these things to the surface and into the trailer which was soon filled to capacity.

"How on earth did you find this place?" they asked as the four of them rested with some water and a protein bar each.
"And like, why hasn't anyone else found it."
Sure it had been quite well hidden with the entrance inside an old seemingly abandoned barn but still, for the place to be untouched and uninhabited a full year after the end of the world as they had known it was nothing short of miraculous.

It was then they heard the sound of at least two vehicles approaching fast from the city.
"Alright everyone into the semi now," Martin said and within seconds James had taken the wheel.
"Everyone in defensive positions," he added as they began to roll towards the approaching cars as this was their only way back onto the main road.
"Here," Robin said and handed Eryn a semi automatic rifle.
"You take the left side and I'll take the right. Don't shoot unless they shoot first. Ammo might be abundant now but it is not endless."
Eryn nodded and managed to get the left hand window of the sleeping cabin open.
"Now let's just hope those fuckers are only after what we might be carrying and haven't figured out where we got it," James added as he made a u-turn to get them back towards Camp Houck as Eryn had heard Robin call the settlement at the service station.
"Maybe we should waste a bullet or two after all to take out their tyres," Martin suggested as he rolled down the window on the passenger side and leaned out.
"We don't want them to follow us all the way back home."

 

[Zavaya]

Robin was already hanging out of the window when she heard Martin mention the waste of bullets. She froze for a second and then got back into the cabin where she just sat a moment, thinking. Then she pulled Eryn back in.

"We do.."

She was quiet again, letting her words hang in the air for a moment before leaning forwards to explain herself.

"We do want them to follow us home. Listen... they have two vehicles, probably loaded with supplies. If we take them out here, we have to leave those behind yes? If we lure them home, or at least as far as we can, we take them out there and have their vehicles at our camp."

There were a few risks obviously but Robin was quick to go over them.

"If they are smart, they follow us. They probably figure we have a camp they can raid because why else would we drive a big semi rather than a small vehicle. Radio's don't work out here unless they are within a certain range of each other. So if we take them down in our camp, they can't contact anybody else and if they already have, we will be ready."

She looked at Martin and James and then gave Eryn a wink.

"And if they stop following us, well, we won as well. As long as they won't shoot at us, we don't have to risk anything."



Alys woke up alone and immediately felt a crushing pressure in her chest. She now had to get breakfast and do everything else alone. It soon combined with a worry and a fear for Eryn. They had been together, usually no further apart than a meter, for almost a year and now Eryn wasn't even in sight. She lay in the bed, sighing, telling herself everything would be okay before she eventually climbed out of the car after getting dressed.

Slowly she walked towards the building where she had the stew last night and found a few people still having breakfast. Thankfully, one of the people was Allie whom Alys immediately clung to like a toddler to their mothers leg. She was shown the kitchen, told what they had for breakfast and a little while later Alys appeared back out of the kitchen with two sandwiches with peanut butter. Quietly she sat down and tried to eat her sandwiches while becoming invisible clearly making the others feel rather uncomfortable as well.

When she was done, she took her plate to the kitchen and then wandered around aimlessly, exploring the camp a little until she saw Allie appear from the building. She quickly walked up to her.

"Hi.. Goodmorning ehm... I.. Do you have a garden or something here? Like, where you grow things? I think it's very hard to do here in this soil but I think it can be done. So.. I think I want.. no.. I.. I want to help in the garden? My sibling's obviously good with tinkering stuff and I want to make myself useful as well."

 

[MsBloom]

Eryn Flint

It seemed to Eryn a risky idea but at the same time it made sense. It would not only give them more supplies, probably, but with some luck also two more vehicles, both of them pick up trucks, and fuel. There was another aspect as well that had Eryn agreeing with Robin's plan. It was as she said, obvious that these people had figured out that they had a settlement somewhere to the west of Albuquerque which meant that if they disabled their vehicles right there instead of luring them back to Camp Houck they might return to their own group and gather larger numbers for an attack. It was better to deal with just a mere handful than maybe a dozen.

After Robin's weighing of the risks against the advantages of her plan even Martin agreed and James nodded with a grunt.

The trip took about another hour before they could see the wind turbine in the distance. This meant that they were within range to use the semi's radio to contact the settlement and Martin alerted his partner that they would be coming in hot and for her and the others to be prepared to receive obviously hostile visitors.

Allison Ward-Cooper

"We have tried to make a garden of sorts," Allie explained when the clearly nervous Alys approached her some time after breakfast had been cleared and the plates washed.
"But as you say it is far from ideal conditions to grow much else than tumbleweed," she added with a smile to signal that it was an attempt at a joke.
She beckoned Alys to follow her in the direction of the wind turbine where there was indeed a small patch of fertilised soil with what looked like stunted potatoes, onions and carrots growing.
"We picked up the soil from a greenhouse Martin, James and I raided shortly after the effects of the meteor began to show all over the planet. But of course it is far from enough and it doesn't quite grow as well as I would have wished. If you have ideas to improve it, maybe alternative vegetables, or other edible plants, to grow instead I would welcome them. We're hoping to be as self-sufficient as possible."
She sighed and looked at Alys almost as if hoping the girl would just wave a wand and magically transform the small garden into a lush paradise of all manner of vegetables, corn, tomatoes, maybe even cereals such as wheat, oats or barley, or better still, strawberries. She of course realised that was not how it would work. It would take time to turn the small garden into something that might actually pass for farming.
"As it is we mostly get by on preserved food and whatever Robin manages to hunt for us when she goes off into the desert. And what they manage to scavenge of course."

Allie continued the tour of the settlement trying her best to ease the awkward young woman by talking about the others in the group and by the time they made it back to the diner it was past noon and already quite warm. Nell and Katie had prepared a light lunch that didn't really differ all that much from breakfast.
"Chickens," Allie said as she sat down with a mug of instant coffee.
"I could kill for pancakes," Claire said and bit into a piece of dry bread with Nutella on it.
"And a cow," Owen added.
"This stuff is barely drinkable without milk," he added and took a sip of coffee.
"Not to mention butter," Claire added.
"And proper yeast."

It was about then the radio crackled and Martin's voice came through to let them know to prepare to defend the settlement if necessary.

Moments later the semi came into sight with two pick up trucks still following not far behind.

 

[Zavaya]

Alys, not knowing anything about how to defend the colony or protocols had followed Allie's advice and was hiding in their car, thinking about her sibling and how close she would get to the frontline of whatever altercation would follow. Moments after hiding, she heard the large diesel engine of the semi approach. She looked through the window of the car at the truck arriving and if she could spot her sibling.


"Hit the brakes hard we get to the overpass, I'll try to take out the driver of the car on my side."

Robin used the side mirrors in front to judge where the cars where and when the semi did hit the brakes, the cars were slow to respond. She took her rifle, hung out of the window and before the driver and his passenger could react, Robin had put a bullet in his brain, causing the car to swerve and come to a halt. Before the rig had come to a stop, Martin and Robin were already out and took out the passenger in the following car.

Guns drawn they walked up to the second car, which was now stopped as well and held under gun shot by a few settlers and Robin and Martin.

"Turn the car off and show us your hands. Both of you."

It took a moment for the occupants to follow the order but soon their hands appeared out of the windows. Robin walked to the car, gun still raised and pulled the passenger door open while Martin walked to the driver's side and pulled that open.

"Out!"

The two people got out, one man, one woman, looking angry more than scared.

"You killed my brother and his girlfriend!"
"Yeah well, sorry I'm not going to wait and start a conversation when two cars aggressively follow us out in the desert."

It was at this point Allie, being a leader took over the conversation from Robin. She apologised and asked what they wanted and why they followed the semi. The answer was bullshit, Robin knew that. They were looking for shelter and supplies they said to take back to their camp.

Robin immediately called them on their bullshit.

"You have two cars, filled to the top with gas, you have a lot of food in your car and you all look pretty healthy to me. Well apart from those two over there but you don't look like you need supplies or anything. You were looking to raid us."

Allie raised her hand, basically telling Robin to shut up. Robin, in turn, took the hint and stormed off south, giving Eryn a look suggesting she'd follow.

 

[MsBloom]

Eryn Flint

There was a moment of shock for Eryn when instead of taking out the tyres of the car following closest to them Robin instead put a bullet through the head of its driver. It seemed a bit over the top and not what Eryn had thought the plan to be but they didn't allow the feeling to linger and were out of the Semi only moments after Robin. Thunder and Rumble drawn they first began to approach the crashed car to see if perhaps the passenger at least had survived the crash but it was too late as Robin swiftly put a bullet into the passenger as well, which Eryn again thought was a bit unnecessary but said nothing because it was at that moment more important to maintain a united front rather than questioning decisions made in the heat of the moment.

They stayed mostly in the background looking their most menacing, as they felt that was what the situation called for. James had remained in the Semi but was aiming his rifle at the second car through the window.

In a sense the two surviving pursuers were telling the truth, they were of course looking for supplies to take back to their camp, wherever that might be or how many others depended on them, they just omitted the method by which they had intended to do so. Perhaps, as they had seen the service station, they might even have figured they could take it over and in the process gain a semi along with sustainable power. It was that thought that had Eryn realising the necessity to make sure that neither of the four that had followed them returned to alert the others back at their camp, assuming there were others of course.

As Robin stormed off Eryn looked around and realised that Martin and James and the others had the situation under control, at least for the time being and so they followed her as she seemed to suggest.

Allison Ward-Cooper

Allison sighed at Robin as she stormed off lite a petulant child who was not interested in even trying to solve the situation before them with diplomacy. At the same time she of course knew that Robin was almost certainly correct in her analysis of the situation. She just didn't exactly agree with her solution. Still though, as much of a pacifist as Allie was, and had been all her life, she too realised the dangers of allowing the two in the car, a relatively young couple, maybe in their early 30s, to return to report their location. Still she was reluctant to kill them as a first solution to the problem. Perhaps a better one would be to offer them sanctuary within the camp instead. Then again, she had already taken in two new strangers only the evening before and Robin was not the only one suspicious of them. Strangers did after all mean danger. It was however easier to make a case for Eryn and Alys since they had not actively followed anyone to the service station but rather just happened to pass by. They had also not shown any signs of ill intent. One might perhaps also argue that neither had the two couples in the pursuing pickups, one of which was now dead by Robin's impatient hands.

"There really is no need to deny what she accused you of?" Allie told the couple.
"I think we are all aware of what sort of world we now live in. It is a mostly dog eat dog world, a world in which each to themself is a far too common motto, and while I realise it is easy to think that way I do not agree with it. I would rather see a world where those of us who has survived the sixth mass extinction event worked together to rebuild a better world than the one that was destroyed, a world where we work together instead of against each other."
Allie sighed. It was of course an impossible dream, she realised that, humankind was not prepared to take a step backwards to simpler times, to times before they began to dissemble their home through industrial exploitation, gradually working their own way towards a sixth mass-extinction event of climate change through raised levels of carbon dioxid. To some extent she was unsure whether she would be willing to herself, at least not entirely. There were however in the present less intrusive methods to make electricity and better knowledge of sustainable farming, if perhaps not on the same scale as before, but not only were there much fewer mouths to feed in this world but there was also no need for the level of over-production of before.

When neither of the two captured persons spoke in response to her statement Allie looked to Martin as if to silently ask his advice. The service station had after all been theirs before the apocalypse and thus the two were considered leaders among those residing there now.
"We can't take the chance to let them leave to possibly return with more people," Martin concluded and from the nods and looks from the others gathered around they all agreed.
"Why don't you park the semi behind the diner," he told

Martin Cooper-Ward

"We can't take the chance to let them leave to possibly return with more people," Martin concluded and from the nods and looks from the others gathered around they all agreed.
"Why don't you park the semi behind the diner," he told James and then pointed at Owen and Bob telling them to remove the bodies from the other car and then follow James.
"You take this one and follow him as well," he told Nell and Claire.

This left only himself, Allie and Katie to handle the situation but with the couple disarmed and no longer in possession of their vehicles it didn't seem to need any more people.
"And you know what that means," he then said to his partner.
"I know you and Robin don't see eye to eye on these matters but she does have a point. We can't take the risk of offering them a place within our camp, especially not as we already have two new arrivals, one of which I will admit performed admirably during the scavenging run and seems to know what she is doing."
"They," Allie corrected his misgendering of Eryn and then nodded.
"I suppose you have to do what must be done. I would rather just not be part of it," she added and walked back towards the diner to help the others to start unloading.

 

[Zavaya]

As soon as Robin saw Eryn followed her she got further away from the highway until she was sure they were out of sight and hearing distance. Allie and Martin could handle the situation up by the camp but Robin felt they were missing something. So when Eryn got close to her, Robin grabbed her by the arm, held her tight and gave her a stern look.

"Who are you really?"

It would be obvious to Eryn quick enough that Robin wasn't messing around by her demeanour and the look in her eyes.

"We've not had troubles with raids for months and then you and your sister arrive and we get trouble."

Maybe she was overreacting or being paranoid but the simple facts were all Robin cared about.

"You come in with promises of what you can do for us, the sky's the limit, everybody already likes you. You say your sister can grow anything, everybody gets excited. The next day, we get charged at at a scavenge run on a route that the day before had been perfectly safe when we scouted it on horseback."

Robin let go of Eryn and took a step back.

"If you double cross us, or cause any trouble at all, know that I'll be keeping an eye on you and your sister.."

She turned her back on Eryn and continued heading south.

"Go... Get back to camp. Get out of my sight."

 

[MsBloom]

Eryn Flint

Robin's reaction was not at all what Eryn had expected though in the light of her analysis it made sense, even to Eryn. They were not about to let the barely veiled accusations go unanswered though and instead of following Robin's request of going back to the camp and get out of her sight Eryn followed her and this time it was they who grabbed Robin by the arm.
"Who I really am? Who We really are, my sister and I? Ok. I get your point so here it is ..."
Still not letting go Eryn gave Robin a brief background of themself and Alys and what they had been through in the year that had passed since the meteor struck Siberia, trying to sound as calm as possible despite how upset Robin was.
"Now I know it probably doesn't mean anything but me and Alys came from the West and we were followed back from the East. Of course we could have circled back to throw you and your people off but think about it ... Wouldn't it have been easier for a group of raiders to just wait at that bunker, over-power you all, take the semi, force you to lead them back to the camp or simply rob you of the fully loaded semi?"
They gave Robin a stern look to let her know that they weren't messing about either.

"I get that strangers means danger in this new world and that the coincidence of our arrival and the other group showing up at a very opportune moment. I get that trust has to be earned even more now than ever before but tell me what I have to do to earn yours and I will do it, no questions asked. Do you want me to go back and what ... take care of the problem?"
They lifted their left eyebrow to signal that they basically meant go back and kill the two that still remained of their pursuers.

They had never killed another person before, had never had to, even if they had on numerous occasions been forced to resort to violence both in defense of themself and of Alys, once even shooting a man in the foot to incapacitate him, but if that was what it would take to earn Robin's trust, and prove to the people at Camp Houck that they were not part of a group of raiders.

Not to mention that in the end they agreed with Robin about Allie being a bit too quick to trust people. They knew just as well as Robin that there was no way they could allow those two to return to where they had come from. They could not allow them to alert their group, if there was one, or any other group that might be residing in Albuquerque or its vicinity.

"I'll do it if that's what it takes because there is almost nothing I want more right now than to stop living out of that car with no one by my sister, to spend entire days scavenging for scraps. I want to settle down, even if it is in the middle of the desert. I want people around me, people I can co-operate with to make life just a little bit easier and bearable in this Fucked Up world. I want peace and quiet, maybe find someone to love."
At this point Eryn had let go of Robin and stood with their hands at their sides clearly very emotional and on the verge of breaking into tears.
"And for that ... Yes ... I am prepared to kill. If that is what it takes for you to trust me."

 

[Zavaya]

"No... You're good."

Robin had listened to what and how Eryn had told her what she just had and was sufficiently satisfied that she posed no threat to her or the camp and her sister seemed scared to even get out of the car so these two newcomers were solid.

"They want to be leaders, let them lead."

She led Eryn back to a small track and continued to follow it south.

"I've always had a bit of trouble with authority. Must have gotten that from my dad. We always used to be outside, camping, hiking, hunting, that kind of stuff. He taught me never to trust people on first sight. It takes time to trust people."

The chill of the morning had completely gone and the sun was burning hot above them in the spotless blue sky, quickly warming the sand all around them as well.

"Unfortunately, out here in this world, time is something nobody has and don't let them fool you otherwise. For all we know, tomorrow we're all dead. Do you fear death?"

It was a hollow question the way she casually asked it and she clearly didn't expect an answer as she immediately continued.

"I don't. But I go on my own terms. Not raped and tortured by some clan of nobody's. So I prepare for everything I can possibly think of. And that's where you come in. Hopefully."

They reached the top of a hill going slightly downwards and Robin pointed down.

"That's a former sand and gravel pit. They used to load sand and gravel into the train carts using the silo's. Now... Allie and Martin shook it off as a useless pile of metal but if you really are as good as you say you are, those are prime materials. Those empty railway carts will make excellent shelter, if you can find a way to keep the heat out. There's metal and electronics all over this place and a little further down, is the river bed."

Robin pointed further down to where a river once carved its way through the sand.

"It's been a while since there was water in there as we haven't had rain for seven months."

She looked at Eryn and smiled as she pulled a bit of cloth from her pocket. It might have been a curtain or table cloth or a handkerchief, it was impossible to tell.

"Use this over your head and neck so you won't burn while we check this place out. If you find something we can use, maybe you can convince Allie to scavenge this place. She won't listen to me and rather spends gas on the semi to go to the big cities."