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Post by Cal Mensen on Jan 9, 2016 18:03:41 GMT -6
Cal gives a chuckle to Reese's joke, bad humor is still humor. Seeing Gwen step up to play, he nods his head, giving her a playful smile. "Gwen, what would you have done if you had walked in and we hadn't designated the room as such? Speaking of pool, I got next game." Seeing Wren and Reese snapping back at forth, Cal shakes his head, moving his hand from Wren's to around his shoulders. He gently rubs the far shoulder, trying to relieve Wren's tension. "Wren can be very... devoted to anything he sets his mind too. Please don't try to take it personally, we're still working on his tact, and sense of humor. We've got a while before this day is over, I think everyone could use a little time to unwind." Cal smiles at Eloise, looking to catch up. "So how was your adventure to the Supply Depot? I've never been, and I'm curious what all is there." "Julian and Reese are covered by myself and Thomas, respectively. I think the items are accounted for too, so I agree with Eloise. Hacks are probably our best move at this point."
Cal looks out the window to see the Watchtower in the distance, wondering how their allies there and beyond are fairing.
"Now that the pods are disabled and if we maintain control of the Hospital, I think we'd want to send at least a small group up to the Watchtower. Based on the Peacekeeper presence sent to each location a few days ago, I'd doubt any other location had it any easier than we did. We'd have a more likely chance to find allies there compared to the Supply Depot. Of course, we'll have to take into account how many should leave based on Reese and Julian's results."
His face turns into a slight grimace as he considers what threats lie up at the Watchtower, not just the Pods.
"If Sharlot moved to the Watchtower today, she can see I'm here. I wouldn't put it past her to seek me out for revenge, and if that means I can draw her away from important objectives/hacking points, that's better for the Accord. Because of this, I'd like to stay here and hold down the fort. Don't care about healing at the moment, it's just a bullet wound or two." |
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Post by Wren Hartwood on Jan 9, 2016 18:25:03 GMT -6
Wren smirked at Cal. "Hey. I can be funny. I've just been under a lot of stress, is all." Wren sighed. "Sorry for being so stern. I guess there's more of my dad in me than I'd like to admit." "So Cal, are you playing winner or can I join your game?" "Yeah, it'll all depend on how the day goes and what we find out. But I'd like to stay too, since Cal can't hack here and someone's gotta keep his reckless ass in check" Wren laughed. |
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Post by Gwendolyn Fisk on Jan 9, 2016 18:32:39 GMT -6
"Ugh, did Holly tell everyone? Dammit, guys, it's the bullet wound! I can dance just fine." Gwen pouts a little until Cal spoke up. She sends him a sly grin, "If I had walked in on you guys? Hmmm, who knows? Maybe I would joined," she laughs as she sets up to break. That wouldn't be an ideal situation, sure, but in her mind she replaces the lumberjack with a certain blue-haired girl. She sighs, but the smile is still in place.
"Alright, let's see if I'm good at this or not," she says as she hits the cue ball.
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The balls go flying across the table, and a couple of the striped ones even find their place in a hole. Gwen grins triumphantly. 1d10
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Post by Eloise Sugarglider on Jan 9, 2016 19:17:34 GMT -6
"Well since we're sitting around and playing campfire, when Reese and I were at the Supply Depot, it had some food, one of those message birds and a computer. Anna got some food and the computer I think."
Eloise sat down next to Cal and placed her head on his shoulder.
"I tried to find whatever I could to help baby Aramis but there wasn't anything there. Reese may have found something though."
"I'm glad we're all here, and safe for the moment. It's nice after a such a shitty week. Cal, I've been waiting for Sharlot, but we can wait to talk more about that later..." she murmured.
Eloise's fluttered as she started to doze off.
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Post by Cal Mensen on Jan 9, 2016 19:39:21 GMT -6
Cal smiles at Wren, not exactly used to teasing the lumberjack but he seemed to take it pretty well. "I think that depends on Gwen and Reese. We don't have a whole lot of time to relax, but I'd be up for a game with you." He gives Wren a kiss on the cheek, grinning at him.
"Those are some great points, Hawk. By all means, take all the time you need to check this ass." Cal grins at Gwen's retort, he'd expect nothing less from "the Siren". He's glad they've been able to lift her spirits a bit. He gives a low whistle after Gwen conducts her break. "Yeah, Wren we should definitely play next game, just you and me. Or if it's against winner, by all means, take my spot." He was a little surprised to have Eloise on his shoulder, but relaxes and settles in. He listens to her story, his expression saddens as he remembers their effort to help young Aramis. He'd hoped that Reese found something for Aramis, thinking the baby boy could stand to benefit from another foster parent. He puts his arm around Eloise, glad to be a makeshift pillow for her. "Probably for the best. Rest up lady, you've certainly earned it." |
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Post by Thomas Windsnip on Jan 9, 2016 20:01:23 GMT -6
Thomas watched his new friends curiously. What was going on with Cal, Wren, and Gwen? Some strange love triangle? Then he heard Gwen tease the boys about a no boning zone or something. hmmm must just be Cal and Wren- that's cool. Oh wait... Maybe Wren and Gwen hate eachother. Thomas was so confused!
Then, everyone started to thank and congratulate him. "No worries! To be honest with you... I'm just a really lucky person. I can't explain it- think I just got lucky."
Just then, Gwen took an incredible shot at pool. "Wow! You really talked yourself down... were you trying to trick us?" He winked.
There was some tension between Wren and Reese. "Everyone's cool, I think! Julian is a sweet kid, though I don't know him well. I swear he's around here somewhere...."
He then turned to Eloise. "Did you end up running in to Sharlot and Harlie at the supply depot?"
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Post by Wren Hartwood on Jan 9, 2016 20:15:53 GMT -6
Wren looked up as Thomas entered. Thomas had given a confused look at Wren, who was snuggled up next to Cal, who had a sleeping Eloise on his shoulder. "Hey! Well, we're really happy to have such a lucky guy here with us. And uhhh... Yeah. Cal and I... It's probably what you think. It's been... an interesting development. But Eloise is kinda like my little sister. We were close during training." "I was in the tower yesterday and we saw Sharlot was in the market. So she could be either at armory, market, or tower today I guess." Wren listened to Eloise as she drifted off to sleep. "So Reese Oberron , do you have like a med supply kit or something? Because we have some injured company." |
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Post by Thomas Windsnip on Jan 9, 2016 20:24:02 GMT -6
"That's cool bro" he said gesturing at Wren and Cal. "It's good to see some love on this effed up place."
"Cal probably told you... But I'm not the highest fan of Sharlot. She attacked me unprovoked... her and my freaking district mate. Not cool!"
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Post by Wren Hartwood on Jan 9, 2016 21:08:07 GMT -6
Wren frowned. "Is Harlie your district mate then? I never really saw my own, Gillian. I hear she died... That's sad. And damn. I'm sorry, dude. Sharlot has a lot of enemies at this point, having played and lied to both sides. I'd be surprised if she doesn't meet a violent end. Actually, if I'm being honest, I'd be disappointed if she doesn't. She was nice to Eloise and I during training, but the last day she got really weird...
Have you run into much violence, then? I hoped things could remain mostly peaceful, with mainly hacking back and forth, but it seems my search for actual peace was a lost cause... I've seen some bad shit these past few days."
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Post by Cal Mensen on Jan 9, 2016 22:54:30 GMT -6
Looking around the room, Cal's pretty elated. He's been listening to Wren and Thomas's conversation while watching Gwen and Reese's game. Noting Thomas's initial confusion, he tried to keep his voice low and not to move much, not looking to disturb Eloise.
"Thomas, it has been a long two weeks. There's a lot that's happened, some hurt feelings in places, and a lot of work to build trust back up. At this point it's easiest just to appreciate the present. I'm damn happy with my situation, but I'm also glad we're not the only ones to find love."
He looks over at Gwen as she continues to play, realizing this is the longest time he's spent with her over the course of the games. Smiling and shaking his head, he turns back to Thomas and Wren.
"Wren, we have seen some terrible things lately. Despite all that and whatever else is awaiting us, I think we've managed to find more happiness and can achieve something greater than if we were just in another Games. I'm glad to share this all with you."
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Post by Wren Hartwood on Jan 9, 2016 23:07:03 GMT -6
Wren beamed and leaned over to Cal with a kiss, careful not to wake Eloise on the other side.
"You, too. I..." He didn't want to admit weakness or a lack of control... "I think I would have snapped at some point, and wouldn't be here today without you there to keep me stable, despite our issues."
"If..." Wren shook his head, " WHEN we get out of this, would you..." He remembered the room was full of people and stopped himself.
"Would you mind if I napped a little, too? I'm pretty tired." He curled up and laid his head in Cal's lap as he dozed off for a few peaceful moments.
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Post by Gwendolyn Fisk on Jan 9, 2016 23:11:07 GMT -6
Gwen listens to the conversation going on around her as she lines up her next shot. She glances up for a second to notice Cal looking at her. She smiles back at him. It was good to be in his presence again without all the mess and drama of the world going on around them. It was weird to think of the impending death that the Games would have otherwise offered as a simpler time, but it was true. With the situation as it was now, she had a chance to have a future. Which was an equally terrifying thought as dying when you had already previously accepted your death.
I miss, Val. She shook her head at the intrusive thought. It wasn't that it was a sad feeling. The thought just hung in front of her like a spider on a string of web. No matter how many times she blew a puff of breath at it, it just kept swinging back in front of her face. She resigned to just letting it hang there.
She took her next shot.
KVY8aoyS1d10
Gwen shrugged. You win some, you lose some.
"Looks like you're up, Reese." Gwen glances back at the couch and smiles, "Looks like you're being used as a pillow over there, Cal. Pretty comfy if I recall so I understand."1d10
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Post by Cal Mensen on Jan 9, 2016 23:31:46 GMT -6
Cal's eyes widened at Wren's words, making him practically glowing. Did he just... was he going to...? He supposes now would be the best time to dream about that sort of future. He looks down at Wren's napping form, glad to be helpful. As Gwen called out to him, he tried his best to stifle a laugh, not wanting to disturb the collective cuddle pile he's surrounded by, his voice dipping to a whisper.
"Heh, I suppose so, it's actually pretty nice like this. Even if the heat goes out, I think we'll be in good shape."
Memories pop back to the training days, today's relief reminding him a lot of this. He allows a sly smile, nods his head back towards him, indicating his other shoulder.
"If you ever feel like resting yourself, I've got a free shoulder. Although at that point, I'd likely to fall asleep myself."
The warmth around him was beginning to make him drowsy too. It's good to be around the ones you care about...
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Post by Reese Oberron on Jan 10, 2016 2:59:03 GMT -6
Gwen had started their game off strong and Reese didn't want to keep the others from being able to relax. "All or nothing here Gwen, lets see if I can pull something off."
Setting up for a bank shot
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"Looks like you win this one Gwen, well played!"
"You know guys, I feel like we all got lucky that we found eachother at a time like this. Y'know, so much coulda gone wrong today but we pulled through... together even." Rummaging around her satchel she pulled out a bundled blanket wrapped tightly around something. "So I found this three or four days ago in the Armory." Uncovering a vial of strange liquid, "I would be really reluctant to try using it on anyone though. For all I know it could be some sort of cure if the baby is sick with something OR it could also be some sort of poison, and I don't wanna be responsible for doing that to anyone right now. I do know though that if I were able to find any MEDICAL EXPERTS that I might be able to learn more about it and that was why I followed Eloise here after I ran into her."
"You all seem to mention Sharlot a lot, which is weird... I ran into her a few days back, it was just me and her pretty much and she was actually pretty decent towards me. Odd since we both knew each other were on different sides by that point. Whatever though, she went her way and I went mine.1d10
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Post by Wren Hartwood on Jan 10, 2016 8:38:53 GMT -6
Wren awoke from a strange and uncomfortable dream, probably caused by Gwen's tease about joining him and Cal in some private matters shortly before Wren dozed off.
"Oh, sorry. I hope I didn't miss much." He looked around. Cal had also fallen asleep, and it seemed Eloise was still out.
He looked at the girls playing pool. "I haven't played much before, so it's hard to tell. Is the game over? Whenever it's over, I'll wake Cal and we can have a try."
He gave Gwen a smirk. "I feel like I should make a joke here about two boys playing a game with balls smacking into things...but according to Cal I have a problem with humor." He laughed. If nothing else, he was glad to take a step out of his angst-filled shell. Most of the boys his age in Seven told raunchy jokes (mostly about wood), so he figured it was worth a shot.
"And Reese, if you wanna trust Sharlot, that's your call. I just felt a responsibility to warn you guys and possibly protect you in the process. All I'm saying is she's attacked Thomas without reason, lied to me, lied to those I care about, and even lied to some I don't really care about. She puts on a hell of a good act. I wrote a book during training about how no matter WHAT we are, we can work together to create something beautiful...but unfortunately Sharlot seems bent on destroying beautiful things. And I have a real problem with that."
He eyed the liquid she had held up. "Any idea what it's called? Like, did it have a label when you picked it up? And is the baby at the Depot? I haven't seen any sign of a baby here."
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Post by Gwendolyn Fisk on Jan 10, 2016 9:57:32 GMT -6
Gwen held out a cue for Wren, "If you want to play, you two are up." She laughed at his attempt at a joke, "No, that was pretty good. I think you could have a real knack for this humor thing if you gave it a try." Her expression hardened at the mention of Sharlot, "I'm just glad I didn't get mixed up with her while there was a chance if this is how she was going to end up doing things. To think, I trusted her..."
Gwen looked closely at the vial Reese held up. "Maybe if we scavenge around some we could find a medical staff hiding out in a nook somewhere? If anything we could find a similar looking liquid we could compare it to."
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Post by Cal Mensen on Jan 10, 2016 10:03:46 GMT -6
Cal is still dozing, his head resting against Eloise. The conversation seems to be getting through to him as he mutters some words in his sleep.
" Eloise... Go take Reese to Aramis and the medical staff... They would probably know if the vial can help him..."
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Post by Wren Hartwood on Jan 10, 2016 10:08:03 GMT -6
"Alright, thanks!" Wren stood and took the cue from Gwen. He nudged mumbling Cal to wake up and began to set the table up for a new game.
As he lined up his shot, he added, "I figured most Capitol citizens went into hiding or something. Is there really nothing we can do but wait for someone to show up and say 'yep that's safe/nope that's poison'?"
He lined up his shot to break the pile.
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About half of the balls scattered across the table, but none found their hole. "Damn. You're up."
(ooc: I tried to clean it up, but there's not really a way to NOT make pool sound dirty...lol)
1d10
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Post by Cal Mensen on Jan 10, 2016 10:30:22 GMT -6
Cal is roused from his sleep, half-hearing that its his turn. Upon hearing the crying, he brings a hand to Eloise's shoulder, tries to rouse her from her sleep.
"It sounds like they need you. If you'd like some help, I'd be happy to come with."
In the meantime, Cal rises at Wren's challenge. He tenderly handles his stick, contorting his body to get the angle just right.
Iq8DlkYM1d10
His rigid stick knocks the ball forward, a white streak striking across the open field. It banks, knocking against two balls, capturing them into awaiting holes. He winks at Wren.
"This is fun."
1d10
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Post by Wren Hartwood on Jan 10, 2016 10:40:04 GMT -6
Wren felt embarrassed that Cal was better than him at something. "Let me see that."
He grabbed the rigid stick from Cal's hand and ran his own hands down it. "I thought maybe you were cheating. Guess it's alright." He handed the cue back to Cal and aimed his own at the remaining balls.
He noticed that the balls Cal scored with were two-toned, so Wren figured he must be solids (a single, focused color). He tried to line up his shot, hoping the cue ball wouldn't pop over the edge and hit anyone in the face.
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Which is exactly what happened. The cue scraped the side of the cue ball, sending the ball flying across the room and narrowly missed Gwen's face. "Oh shit, I'm so sorry! Maybe this game isn't for me, after all." He retrieved his ball and placed it in Cal's hand.
"I guess you're allowed to be good at things, too." He lowered his voice, "But I still get alpha status," and he stuck his tongue out at Cal.
1d10
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Post by Cal Mensen on Jan 10, 2016 10:59:00 GMT -6
Cal raises an eyebrow at Wren's mention of cheating. He supposes someone with less experience in this game would suspect cheating on Cal's part, mistaken for just being friendly. After all, if Eloise and Wren could use him as a pillow, why not anyone else? He's still speaking about pool, of course...
He jaw slackens as Wren's shot nearly hits Gwen. Given a moment to process everything, he gives Wren a scolding look as he accepts the ball.
"Watch your shots, lumberjack. I recall handling wood was something you're supposed to be good at."
Cal places the the cue ball back onto the green, lining up his next play. He's a bit distracted to make more flowery descriptions.
Roll -1 penalty for incomplete concentration
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Just enough to capture another ball, Cal's expression softens. He looks back to Gwen, a silent apology written on his face. Turning back to Wren, he tries to make amends.
"Billiards aren't exactly the most useful skill, call it something intangible in the greater scheme of things. But thank you, I appreciate your praise and attention."
1d10-1
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Post by Wren Hartwood on Jan 10, 2016 11:33:05 GMT -6
Wren shot Cal a look at the lumberjack line. "Hey. I never said I was a good lumberjack. I'm better at climbing up on top of trees than chopping and hauling." He laughed. "Sorry, though. I'll try to keep the balls in check."
As he lined up a shot, he realized something. "I could be wrong, but I think we're playing wrong. Maybe when you score, you get another turn...but then again, Reese and Gwen's game lasted like three turns so who knows?"
tJSZozoy1d10
Wren somehow managed to score 4 or 5 balls into the two far corner pockets. "Guess our game's almost up, too. I'd be up for chatting through the afternoon since we're probably done being productive." He looked around the room, "I don't think there's much more to do after this game until Reese and Eloise take care of that baby."
1d10
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Post by Cal Mensen on Jan 10, 2016 11:55:25 GMT -6
Cal smiles, glad to be back on a stable point. At Wren's suggestion on how the game should be played, he just shrugs. Watching him make his next shot, Cal laughs, seeing Wren's luck turned around. This would have to be the final shot, so he would make it count. It was a tricky position, so Cal flattened himself down, his eyes lining the table. His fingers gently kneaded the stick, his face inches from it, trying to relax. As his stick cracked the cue ball, he let out an exerted sigh.
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The ball banks around the table, accidentally striking the 8 ball into the corner pocket. Cal did his best to handle the wood and had choked, the game cut short. He walks over to Wren, leaning on him for support, a grin on his face.
"You're the alpha..."
1d10
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Post by Wren Hartwood on Jan 10, 2016 12:04:00 GMT -6
Wren laughs at Cal's adorable attempt to show off. "It's alright. We can't all be good at everything...I've been getting better at a bunch of stuff since training, but I'm not the best at pool. Maybe there are other things I'm bad at, too." He looked at Cal again. "And who knows. Maybe you're getting stronger, too, and you just don't know it yet." Wren winked at Cal and leaned in for a whisper, "Thank you. You flatter me. We can work it out if you disagree and if there's any more opportunities. I'd consider switching things up. For you."
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Post by Gwendolyn Fisk on Jan 10, 2016 12:23:36 GMT -6
Gwen stood stock still as a ball flew near her face. After a few moments she laughed, "Don't worry about it, Cal. It's good to know that wonder boy over here isn't an ace at everything." She clapped as the game came to a close, "That was a wonderful display of the handling of balls and wooden sticks." She chuckled as she noticed the two whispering, "Took you guys long enough. I suspect you're going to go wander off now to play a better game of pool." She glanced around, the sounds of the crying baby and murmurings of doctors starting to creep her out. She never was comfortable in hospitals.
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