As She Approached, He Pats His Hands On The Box, Almost In A Bit Of Warning. But Said Nothing At The

Very Busy People - The Limousines

We need books that affect us like a disaster, that grieve us deeply, like being banished into forests far from everyone. A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us. That is my belief.

Franz Kafka

Glancing over at the boxes as Charlie had, he wondered what the other might think upon learning what all he had in this truck. Lainn decided it was better not to say too much about it. How much could these strangers really do, anyway? As she spoke about making it through the night, he nodded, “Well, unless you know something I don't. I'm thinking I made it through the night.” He looked down at himself, bringing his hands to pat along his body, as if to make sure it was there, “All here.” He sighed, relieved, sarcastically. As she gave a name, he returned her smile, “Hey Charlie, nice to meet you, I'm Lainn.” Then he glanced back to the back of the truck, “Just looking for something-” Pausing, he wondered how much he could say here, given what the town looked to be like, and how they spoke the day before, he narrowed his eyes a bit. He had to approach this strange situation calmly and rationally. That was the best way to get through what he was experiencing, for now. Tali continued to help Lainn. Who had returned his attention to Charlie again, “Maybe you could help me understand this place a little more?” Lainn offered, not sure whether he wanted a stranger in the truck, which he was going to move closer to the house when he got the chance.

charlie glanced inside the truck, spotting all the boxes. if there was one good thing to come from this, at least these two would have all of their belongings. though, she had a feeling a lot of it might go into the communal stock. even outside of colony house, this place had a 'what's yours is mine' way of living since everything was so scares. she wondered how these two would take that once they learned the truth. but she wasn't going to be the one to tell them right now. "so you made it through the night, that's good," she says with a smile. "i'm charlie," she introduces herself. "do you need some help looking for something?" she didn't mind helping and this guy seemed nice enough. he wasn't yelling at her like most of the newcomers she's seen since it was her as the newcomer.

bought this gem secondhand and can’t get over how stunning it is 🪐 reblog is okay, don’t repost/use

Reaching out toward a plant, Lainn delicately brushed the tips of his fingers on his outstretched left hand against the stem, before moving it to glide along the leaves. Frowning a bit, he remembered what his classes told him about the type of tree in front of him. Before he plucks a leaf right off and moves to stand in on the quick succession of moves.

Glancing over, he could see his son, playing and brought the leaf up to his nose, sniffing it before absently twisting it between his fingers and turning to move away a bit, spotting someone a moment or so later. He quirked an eyebrow at the other's assumption that he was looking to hunt, taking note of it, he gave a nod of his head.

Lainn turned his head, keeping Tali in his view, who remained close to him still before saying, “Well, I don't really hunt.” Holding his hands out, he gives a lazy shrug at this, before continuing to toy with the leaf in his hands and going on, “Do you?” Lainn inquired before turning his head back away from the stranger, listening to Tali come closer as he explained the type of plant he was now holding. Lainn gave a nod of his head, commenting gently toward his son, “That's correct. It's a pretty cool find, Tali.”

As Tali grinned at Lainn's words, before he moved a little ways away once more, to look at more of the plants in the immediate area. Lainn looked toward the stranger again, then around the wooded area before them, “It's pretty, this place. This type of biome is great for all kinds of discovery. There's probably loads of strange bugs here.” Lainn commented offhandedly. He had always found swampland and the like to be almost mystical.

where: edge of the woods | when: day time | whom: open to all

Lucas crouches at the edge of the woods, examining what could be tracks. Or could be nothing. He hates how smart the creatures are. They could've left this behind just to toy with him.

He hears rustling from footsteps behind him, and he doesn't bother looking up.

"The hunting woods are six miles that way," he says, pointing his left hand. "Signs and caution tape everywhere. You can't miss them."

He did get told this before, in a way. Certainly, something was wrong with the town, Lainn narrowed his eyes. He couldn't really figure out what exactly this meant, in all. But, he was willing to play this little game for now. Having seen it, they looped back around to the town. In a way, he couldn't find it possible. But yet, had happened regardless, “Right. An infection would weaken the mind to, whatever, this is.” He waved his left hand, gesturing around them. Tali looked over at Lainn before looking back at the woman, grabbing onto the strips of his backpack, and turning his head to look around.

As Mira continued explaining the place, Lainn nodded, “Teeth aren't so bad, I'd guess.” He muttered in reply. Not sure that he was too scared of the place. Even with these 'things' that came out at night. There had to be something at the root of all of this. Being scared to find out what wasn't going to get them out of here. Whatever 'here' even was. Lainn continued, “What's the tea and juice situation like here?” Came the question, a quirk of an eyebrow momentarily along with it before he also looked around, as if he might see something to hint toward an answer to his question, also.

“I'll consider it.” He lied, not thinking he'd suddenly shift to drinking coffee. Now, if there was alcohol around, he wouldn't reject that. Lainn nodded as she had given her name, then asked for their own, “New guy, really? Do I not have any characteristic outside of that?” He asked with a sarcastic tone. Tali grinned at Mira for a moment, clearly amused, before his attention was off to the other's roaming about the town. Lainn went on, “You can call me Lainn, and my son is Tali. He's usually more talkative.” Though not around strangers, he supposed. Which he wasn't going to press about, of course. Lainn and Tali followed behind Mira toward the diner.

“It's nice of you, anyway,” Lainn commented as he moved to follow her inside, letting Tali go before him. Lainn took a moment to look around, then started, “So, what kind of first aid training do you have?”

mira tilted her head slightly as the man spoke, her dark eyes scanning his face. he looked tired — not just the kind that sleep could fix, but the kind that came from being stretched too thin for too long. she knew that look; she’d worn it herself too many times. his response, dry and a little guarded, made her smirk faintly. “yeah, infection’s a real buzzkill,” she said, nodding toward his hand. “especially in a place like this. trust me, you don’t want to give this town any more reasons to mess with you.” she shifted her weight, glancing at the boy. he was quiet, but there was a sharpness in his gaze, like he was taking in everything without saying much. she didn’t miss the way he hovered just enough to keep close to the man’s side, a quiet sort of loyalty that tugged at something in her chest. mira didn’t have anyone like that anymore, but seeing it in others always made her pause. “this place might look like a small town with a swampy makeover, but it’s got teeth,” she said, her voice quieter now, like she was letting him in on a secret. “you’ll figure that out soon enough.” his agreement to her offer surprised her a little. most people here seemed to keep their walls high, especially newcomers. understandably. she raised an eyebrow as he locked up the truck and gestured for her to lead the way. “all right, mr. not-a-coffee-drinker,” she said, her tone lighter now as she turned on her heel. “but if you change your mind, i make a mean cup of diner sludge. best in town — mostly because it’s the only coffee in town.” she walked a few paces ahead before glancing back to make sure they were following. “name’s mira, by the way. i’d say welcome, but..” she shoved her hands deeper into her jacket pockets, her gaze flicking between him and the kid. “what about you two? got names, or should i keep calling you ‘new guy’ and ‘quiet kid’?” she wasn’t sure why she felt the need to reach out, but something about them made her want to stick around a little longer. maybe it was the way the man’s shoulders seemed weighed down, or the boy’s silent strength. or maybe it was just that in this strange, unsettling place, she couldn’t help but want to offer what little comfort or help she could. “don’t worry,” she added as they neared the diner. “i’ll give you the crash course on surviving this place. and if nothing else, at least you’ll have a decent bandage job to show for it.”

Looking up, he scrunched on side of his face a bit, shying away from the sunlight a bit before giving a nod at the question, “Yeah.” Lainn replied. He expected to be asked that a lot over the next few days. He hated being new to a place. But, it was also going to happen if he had arrived at his new destination, with new neighbors trying to figure out if he was some kind of psycho or something. Lainn put a box to one side, “I don't? Huh.” He paused to look around them, “Look's a lot like all the other small towns I grew up around-” Lainn stopped, taking in the sites a bit more, “With a bit more swamp. I'd say.” At their next comment, he looked back, giving a look that somewhat could be read as a mute 'you don't say?'. Letting out a breath, however, he looked toward his hands before dropping them away from himself a bit, “Yeah. Could say that.” Though, all things considered, he supposed it wasn't the worst way things could go. Being trapped in a town, by whatever means. With possible cultists. That was a concern, but, as long they didn't look delicious, he supposed he could find a way out before dinner.

Lainn lifted his head a bit, “Yeah?” At least the ones he had met so far all seemed to be really nice for the time being. Playing dumb, he turned his hands out again, “Well, wouldn't want that. Infection isn't good, I hear.” Lainn watched the stranger glance at the moving truck again. He was thinking he should try to move it closer to the house he and Tali were at, just to be safe. Lainn waited quietly for the woman to continue. Then nodded, listening when she had, “Course. Ain't nothing I haven't dealt with before. High school was a real bad time for me.” Lainn added. Of course, because he was weird and had no parents. Most of the 'normal' kid's hated that. Lifting his right hand up, he scratched it through his hair before looking at Tali and then toward the stranger.

“Yeah. Sure. Okay? Advice wouldn't be too bad. Not much of a coffee drink, though.” She probably had a lot more to elaborate than what he had already heard. Lainn decided it wasn't a bad idea to listen to anything anyone had to say around here. Quickly, he moved to pick up the box he moved and shoved it back into its perfectly sized space, before closing and locking the back of the truck again. Gesturing for the woman to lead the way.

mira stood across the street, her hands shoved into the pockets of her jacket, eyes scanning the quiet morning. the town felt like it was still half asleep, and honestly, she wasn't sure how much longer she could stand the strange, unsettled feeling that clung to the air. she'd been in this place a few weeks now, but the unease was constant. it felt like something was always just out of reach — off, in a way she couldn’t quite place. she noticed the pair then, a man and a young boy walking toward a truck. she hadn’t seen them before. new faces, probably. there was something about them that caught her attention — maybe it was the way the man carried himself, stiff and like he was looking for something. or maybe it was the kid’s quiet steps, as though he wasn’t sure where he was supposed to be, either. mira pushed herself off the diner wall and started walking in their direction, eyes narrowed, not sure what she was expecting but feeling a pull to move closer. she slowed as she neared them, her gaze flicking from the man to the kid, then back to the truck. “you new around here?” she asked, her voice direct but not unkind. “you don’t look like you’re from this part of nowhere." she wondered what kind of trouble they were running from — or if they were like her, just stuck in this strange town, hoping for an escape that wasn’t coming. “looks like you’re having a rough start," she added, her eyes landing on his hand. "need help with that? first aid is in my skill set, i can keep that from getting worse." she glanced at the truck, then back to the man, studying him for a moment. there was something almost familiar about him, like she’d seen that guarded look somewhere before. but she didn’t know him. not yet, anyway. the boy, tall for his age but still looking young, was quiet, but there was a protective edge to his gaze as he looked up at the man. it made mira pause, wondering what their story was. “this place isn't exactly easy on newcomers," she said, shrugging slightly. "but if you want a hot coffee or some advice that doesn’t come with a price tag, i’m your girl. can’t promise much else." her tone was lighter now, like she was offering something small but real.

Lainn raised an eyebrow at her snort, before glancing away. That told him a little more that this place wasn't as panic-inducing as the people behaved on the first night. Granted, the freaks outside at night to be true in the case, whatever reason, Lainn had decided to play along. Giving Tali the same game plan in private. Though Tali was only just nine years old, he had been through plenty enough. Enough that he knew whatever the situation was in front of them, it would be dangerous to give into the childish part of him, now. Following in step with Lainn as they were walking. Lainn listened to the other, “Right. I got a little information on that when I got here.” Though, he did think about what she was elaborating on here.

At the question, he glanced back to Mira and nodded, listening as she explained the situation with juice and tea. Looking vaguely disgusted on hearing this, he clicked his tongue, “The milk tastes like cardboard…” He wondered how that could have even been possible. But, perhaps he was overthinking what he had learned before coming here. So, he really didn't know how to think, given what he currently knows of this place. Now, he was just concerned with why milk would taste like cardboard. Or if Mira was just playing up the whole act altogether. “But you have cows, so, that's something? Are you feeding them properly?” Should he have even been asking her that question? What made him think she was in control of any livestock? “I mean, are they being fed properly?”

When Mira continued, he nodded his head at her reasoning and continued walking toward the diner. Once inside and Mira had moved to rest on the counter to talk to Tali, Lainn sat back a little to one side, observing this interaction. Tali looked at the woman, now more at eye level with him, and gave a nod of his head toward Mira's words, understanding. He offered a nervous smile before turning his head toward Lainn, who offered an approving smile, “Just give him some time to figure you out.” Lainn echoed part of her prior statement back, nodding as he continued to watch Tali for another moment. When Mira went on to Lainn question of her medical experience, he listened attentively to her, “Ooo, a dropout. Thought about doing that a few times myself, in school.” He swallowed, stopping himself from thinking too far back into those years, “Had a lot going on at the time.”

As she prompted, he moved to hold his hands out for her to see more clearly, they had already been cleaned up pretty well this morning, “That would be unpleasant. I would like to keep my hands. Though, I would like to keep my mind, more. Good brains are a hard thing to come by, you know.” He partially joked, watching her closely as she was cleaning the deepened groves his nails had cut into the bottoms of his palms, “By the sounds of it, don't seem like anyone here just rolled in here on purpose.” He pointed out, then turned to look at Tali, who was sitting at the booth now, playing with some toys he had in his backpack. Lainn looked back toward Mira after a moment, “But, yeah, I guess we were just moving, which you can te-Ah-” He winced a bit as his palms stung with the medicine. Then continued the next second, “The moving truck is a dead giveaway. The Twilight Zone is probably what I'd call it, going by what I've been told so far.” Lainn pauses, looking from his palms to her, “Nah, just going to a different state, I had a new job opportunity waiting for me. Kinda a boring story, actually.” Tali looked over, looking uncertain before looking back to his toys again, Lainn continued, “What about you?”

she walked just ahead, the soft scuff of her boots against the pavement filling the quiet between them. her gaze flicked toward lainn’s son, tali, as he clutched his backpack straps, his eyes darting around like he was trying to catalog everything at once. there was a wariness there she recognized — a kid who’d learned too early to read the room, to stay close to the people who mattered. it made her chest ache, just a little. at lainn’s comment about infections and whatever this is, she snorted softly, her breath visible in the cool morning air. “weak minds don’t last long in a place like this,” she said, her voice low, more to herself than him. “but it’s not just infections you gotta watch out for. this town’s got a way of digging in, pulling at the edges of you until you start unraveling.” his dry response about teeth earned a faint smirk from her, and when he asked about tea and juice, she raised an eyebrow. “tea? sure, if you’re not picky. juice? you’re asking a lot from a place where the milk sometimes tastes like cardboard.” her tone was teasing, but there was a sharpness underneath — this wasn’t the kind of town where you could afford to be picky. not about anything. as they reached the diner, she held the door open, letting them step inside ahead of her. the smell of stale coffee and frying grease hit her immediately, and she relaxed, just a little. this place might not be much, but it was familiar now, and in a town like this, familiar was as close to comfort as you got. “new guy’s just what i call people i haven’t figured out yet,” she said, shrugging as she moved behind the counter. her dark eyes flicked to tali’s brief grin, and something about it softened her sharp edges. “lainn and tali, huh? well, nice to meet you. and tali,” she added, leaning forward slightly, her elbows resting on the counter as she looked at him, “if you ever feel like talking, i make a pretty good listener. no pressure, though.” she pulled a first aid kit from under the counter, plunking it down in front of lainn with a decisive thud. “first aid training?” she repeated, arching an eyebrow as she opened the kit. “let’s just say i spent a few years learning how to fix people up when they were too stubborn to admit they needed help. med school dropout,” she added casually, grabbing some antiseptic wipes and bandages. “but don’t worry, i know what i’m doing.” she gestured for his hand, her movements brisk but not unkind. “you’ll be good as new in no time, i promise. or, at the very least, you won’t have to worry about losing your hand to some weird infection from this town.” she started cleaning the wound, her hands steady as she worked. “so, lainn,” she said after a moment, her tone light but probing, “what’s your story? you don’t seem like the type to roll into a place like this by accident.” she glanced up at him, her eyes sharp and curious. “or maybe i’m wrong. maybe you’re just another lost soul who made a wrong turn and ended up in the twilight zone.”

With: Anyone Location: Near Fuel Stop Gas When: Early morning.

Opening the door to his house, he glanced around, taking stock of the area around the small little town. It wasn't too different from his own hometown. Smaller, sure. But, going by what he was told on the first day he arrived, despite his continued skepticism. He was sure if this were a normal town run by normal people, it would have been nice to spend on outdoor retreats. If you enjoyed a swampy environment. It was early. He couldn't really sleep in this strange place. Which was really interrupting his usual sleep routine. As Tali trailed behind him, he closed the door behind his son and began walking beside the other toward the more active part of the town.

Lifting his right hand up, he hissed under his breath, feeling the sting in his palm from his nails the night before. Tali looked over to Lainn and revealed what had happened, “Really? Wasn't too scary, was it?” Tali shook his head and said he had only been worried Lainn would hurt himself. Lainn turned toward the moving truck and opened up the back, “You think we packed the first aid kit near the front or the back?” Staring into the back of the truck, he frowned, not looking forward to going through items in it just to find anything like that. Not that it really mattered at all anyway, given their current situation. It couldn't all sit in there, anyway.