Wildlands (rskde & BurningWillows)

[Risky]

He puts his arm around her, his eyes flicking up to meet Nicki's for a moment before rubbing his sisters shoulder. "I love you too." He says to her quietly as he thinks about the events that had happened. "They just royally fucked us..."

 

[BurningWillows]

Nicki sits down beside Willow, squeezing her hand. Willow wasn't going anywhere tonight, feeling safest right beside Collin.

"They did," Willow sighed, "They took all our weapons and food."

While the three of them talked, Iris sat between Blake and Andrew, Vanessa with them as well.

"We have another problem too," Iris sighed, looking upset as she glanced towards Andrew, "How's Dakota supposed to find us again if we aren't there? She'll be walking right into hostile hands."

 

[Risky]

~Vanessa

She grabs her handheld radio from her pocket, showing it to Iris. "I can tell her where we are." She says quietly before slipping it back into her pocket, unsure of why she revealed that she had it.

 

[BurningWillows]

Iris's eyes widen, "Wait you can contact her? Have you asked her to come home? Me and Andy are missing her like crazy!"

 

[Risky]

Vanessa~

"Yeah, of course I have." She says to Iris, leaning back against the wall. "She just ignored me." She says with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling.

 

[BurningWillows]

"That's a Dakota thing. But why did she give it you, and not me?" Iris furrowed her brow, looking over at Andrew confused, "Did I upset her?"

 

[Risky]

Andrew~

"No.. She uhm.. Sheee..." He starts before leaning into her ear, whispering softly. "They're in a romantic relationship, but they want to keep it a secret." He whispers before leaning back against the wall, going back to staring at the ceiling.

 

[BurningWillows]

Iris looked at Andrew for a second before shooting up, her head swivelling between Vanessa and Andrew.

"Seriously?" she asked, seeing the truth on both their faces, "Fuck this I'm out."

She stomped away, none too impressed at finding out her best friend had been keep secrets. Iris stomped further into the mine, taking only her terminal with her, wanting to be alone while she stewed.

 

[Risky]

Blake jumps up and follows her, sitting down next to her and watching her for a moment. "Anything I can do to help?" He asks her quietly, resting his head on her shoulder as he stares at the terminal she was working with. "Seeing you upset isn't a very good thing." He admits.

 

[BurningWillows]

"Nah, there's nothing you can do about it. I just need to be alone to think. You can sit with me, but I'm...not really in a talkative mood now."

She fell silent, typing away at the terminal. She was almost done learning all it could do, but she wanted to know it backwards and forwards before they started messing with the UN, in case something backfired. A hacker needed to know their way around, the shortcuts and walls and everything. So she sat there in silence, putting her focus on the computer over the hurt feelings of finding out her best friend had been keeping a rather major secret.

Not like I'd ever judge her. I love her like a sister. Why didn't she tell me?

No Iris, focus. Don't think about this. Just focus.

 

[Risky]

With his head rested on her shoulder he falls asleep, only to wake up in the morning with a yawn, moving off of her shoulder and curling up on the ground, his clothes not warm enough to lull him back to sleep.

 

[BurningWillows]

When morning came Nicki woke with a start, having fallen asleep on Willow, who was fast asleep curled up under Collin's arm. Stretching, she got up and looked around, making a quick head count -she could see Blake and Iris down in the shaft- before checking their barricade. The mine shaft would have to be temporary, the stone already setting a cold ache in her bones. If they stayed too long all of them would slowly get sick. It probably wasn't wise either to stay within town, since the assholes that took their home would probably be keeping a look out, expecting them to retaliate.

Looking back at the sleeping group, she wondered where they could go. She wasn't a soldier or a leader, but she was smart enough to know staying here or in town just wouldn't do.

 

[Risky]

Collin wakes and motions for Nicki to come closer, quietly so that they wouldn't wake Willow. He presses his lips to hers for a moment, whispering into her ear. "Sorry.. I really missed your lips.." He whispers before allowing Willow to slowly lay down, he takes off his jacket and puts it over her so that she stays warm before quietly waking up other members of the group, organizing them in different teams to get supplies to make the mine shaft their new home.

 

[BurningWillows]

Nicki enjoys the kiss, stealing the moment with him before its gone. They let Willow sleep, knowing the poor girl has been through too much and needing rest and security. As for the rest of them they head out with chores, supplies they need desperately or they'll freeze their asses off in the mine.

As the day goes by the group ends up meeting all back in the shaft with their loot, missing a few items here and there but otherwise collecting everything Collin asked for. Willow was awake by now, the bruise around her eye dark and round. Nicki pulled her in to a fast hug and held on, letting Collin speak to the team including them while they hugged .

 

[Risky]

"Everyone, we gotta make this house a home." He says to them. "A little further up is the processing area, several offices are inside of it, so we can set up shop in there." He says to them. "Let's not lose hope, we've still got eachother." He says.

He continues speaking to them about how they will make the mine shaft their new home, explaining that they will have to make due with what they have.

 

[BurningWillows]

Iris is standing wedged between Blake and Vanessa, listening intently until she hears a soft sound, her eyes looking around.

"What's-" she starts, but gets cut off by a very familiar voice magnified and echoing by the cave walls.

"I'm back beautiful. You're radio on? Vaaaaaaaannessa...heeeeeeeeellooooooooooooo..."

 

[Risky]

Her face turns bright red, she reaches down and grabs the radio. "Dakota?" She asks, everyone is now looking at her. "We had to relocate, we're in the old mine shaft." She says over the radio, biting the bottom of her lip as she doesn't like the attention she is receiving from the group.

 

[BurningWillows]

Dakota frowns, holding her radio closer to her ear, "Wait repeat that. You're in a mine shaft? Is it that one Collin, Andy and I used to sneak to? Wait...is everyone there...now?"

She stopped in her tracks, jumping in between two houses. Funny she was only a block away from her old house. If Vanessa hadn't answered she'd still be walking to what she had to guess was a empty house.

"Vanessa, why'd you all relocate?"

 

[Risky]

"A dozen guys with guns seized the house." She answers. "So we were forced to leave." She says as everyone starts to gather around the radio. "Everyone's here and yeah, the old one.. That's what Collin says." She says over the radio to the redhead.

 

[BurningWillows]

"Hi everyone," her voice changes, a new more serious tone being adopted. She wasn't one to flirt when people were gawking, "So a group took over the house huh? Hold on."

The radio was muffled, but they could hear her voice saying something, although the words were impossible to make out. When she came back, she sounded even more serious.

"Collin, you there? How many men? Were there any children or women?"

 

[Risky]

Collin grabs the radio before speaking. "More than twelve, some women and no children." He says to her. "Dakota, you should just get to the mine, they don't mind shooting to kill over there, they already let us know that." He says to her.

 

[BurningWillows]

"Hey Collin," the relief in her voice was adamant, "Glad to know you will talk to me. And I will. After I blow these guys brains out. Might ruin mom's leather couch, but eh. You guys can start heading back over, I'll be done with these arses by then. Can I ask how they got you guys out of the house? Did they attack you?"

 

[Risky]

"They took Willow hostage." He says before motioning for the group to get moving, leading the, out of the mine shaft and back towards the house, knowing that Dakota will drive them away within the hour that it would take for them to walk back.

It takes them the hour but they finally arrive back at the house, hoping not to get shot at by the bandits.

 

[BurningWillows]

"They did what?! Oh fuck these guys..." she let out a stream of curses, none too pleasant. When she got back on the radio it was only to tell them to come up from the road side, and then she signed off.

"You think she actually did it?" Iris asked as they passed the grocery store, only fifteen minutes from the house, "One sniper against a dozen people all with guns? Like I don't even hear shooting."

"That's because no one's been shot yet," Dakota's voice rises from the radio, "Thank you to whoever left this on. I'm about to rain hell on these assholes. Keep out of bullet range."

As they got closer and closer they waited to here it, for the first sound of gunfire. They were only three houses away when Iris heard a scream and gunfire finally broke out. She rushed forward, worried for her best friend. Instead she found herself staring at an empty yard, all the gunfire happening inside. The shouting was coming from inside too, people screaming or swearing before a shot fired.

"I can't tell if she's winning or losing," Iris breathed as the gang caught up, all of them standing on the road, waiting.

 

[Risky]

"She's winning." Collin says before walking into the house, the gunfire had ceased already. He looks around before spotting Dakota. "Hey! Nice of you to stop by!" He calls out to her.