[OOC: Sorry for taking so long guys! And, below is the evening from the night before, gotta catch up. ;P
@Skirt: Beer aisle, nice, your Canuckness is showing.
]
Vivienne 'Vee' WintersNight
Vee & Cris' HomeVivienne peeked out of the boarded up window, it was pitch black outside. They’d been cleaning for hours!
Their chosen house was simple enough, a small foyer leading to a large main room, which was adjoined to a kitchen, a washroom, and another small room. Stairs in the main room led up to a bedroom. They’d had a big job cleaning the place up; there had been rubble everywhere, a bookshelf of ruined, scorched books, a dusted, mangled tricycle in the foyer, etc. After assessment, they searched some of the houses that weren’t inhabitable; roofs caved in and destroyed foundations; and dragged a mattress and a few shelves back to their home.
The shelves they added to the one they had, setting up a few rows in the main room and filling them up with various items; a selection of food, ammo, small appliances such as toasters and coffee pots, detergent and cleaners, cooking supplies, clothes, tools, books, magazines, etc. The smaller room in the back they set up as a clinic, bringing in the mattress they’d scavenged and setting up a table and chair. Empty boxes of mentats, med-x, rad-away, and other assorted chems were lined up on the table to show their available stock.
Upstairs, Vivienne unpacked her favourite purple satin sheets, pillows and blankets and after cleaning the mattress thoroughly, set it up as nicely as she could by the illumination of her flashlight.
One last thing…Vivienne went downstairs and pulled out a piece of plywood she’d found. Taking a bit of ink, she wrote ‘Emporium de Winters’ and underneath ‘Clinic & Pharmacy’ in nice calligraphy. Cris was lounging on the couch in the main room next to a propane-lit lantern, sipping a shot of single malt scotch, watching Vee at work.
“Beautiful penmanship. Or,” he paused, looking at the paintbrush she was using, “Brushmanship, I suppose.. Though I wonder, do you think the locals will understand what that means?” he asked.
Vee paused for a moment, considering. She added a word, so that it read ‘General Emporium de Winters’.
“They can guess from there,” she replied, adding finishing touches.
Cris shrugged and having finished his scotch, put the glass down and settled down properly on the couch.
“Turn off the lantern when you head up to bed… But leave a flashlight for me.. Just in case,” he said, shotgun held at his side, his bag of chems nestled between him and the couch.
“Gute nacht, Herzi,” she replied in the little German she knew, which Cristian spoke fluently. He was already sleeping soundly. ‘Herzi’, her petname for him, or ‘little heart’… He was still just a child to her, but look at him now.. Vee studied the lines in his peaceful face.
“Our deepest condolences, Ms Sommers. Frank was a great man, and a good friend to us, as well. He was lucky to find his match in you, and lucky to have had you doting on him so lovingly to the end. The world was a better place with him in it,” Marcus Ramesh said, his wife and son politely standing behind him.
Vivienne sat at her desk, paperwork laid out in front of her, her pale face stricken with grief and dried tears. She nodded silently to her dark, tanned friend Marcus and his family. The skinny boy peaked out curiously from behind his blonde German mother, he couldn’t have been more than 12 years old but was small for his age. Marcus bowed low before his employer and then ushered his family out, the guards at the door nodding to them.
Vee looked down at the papers before her; account balances, work orders, memos; and then suddenly her vision went blurry again with tears.
Frank… How am I supposed to keep going on with all of this? None of it matters to me anymore. It’s unfair that fate’s left a long weary future for me, without you… Though you never seemed to notice, and somehow, I’m glad. I never would have wanted you to know what I’m becoming…Vee came to suddenly and a strong sense of despair enveloped her. Her fingers were clutching the small locket at her neck, inside was the portrait of Frank. She looked at Cristian sleeping on the couch, no longer the little boy peaking out from behind his mother’s skirt.
How time flies… Why are you wasting your short years with me?Grabbing the sign, she stood up abruptly and paused before the foyer window as her reflection peered back at her. She looked the same as when Frank passed… She quickly put the sign in the window and checked the new lock they’d put on the door. Putting out the lantern, she made her way upstairs to her bedroom.
Did I remember to lock the door? Oh [censored]…She quickly ran downstairs and checked the lock again. Satisfied, she returned to bed, quickly putting the curlers into her hair.
She lay down on the soft satin sheets, her head swimming with half-forgotten memories.
Herzi… I suppose one day I’ll outlive you, too.--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cristian 'Cris' RameshMorning
General Emporium de WintersCristian was gently woken by the sun shining on him through a window. The smell of coffee was wafting from the kitchen.
“Ah, the beans… They beckon,” he mumbled as he groggily stumbled towards the smell. Vee sat in a chair by the counter, cradling a hot cup. It took her a moment to notice his presence, when she did she stood up and turned away, pouring a cup for him.
Was that a tear I saw?Cris sat down in another chair, and Vee turned, offering him the cup of coffee, which sat daintily on a saucer with a spoon and sugar cubes. She gave him a small smile before sitting down again. A moment of awkward silence passed as they both sipped their drinks.
“… Something on your mind, Vee?” Cris ventured.
She quietly took another sip of her coffee, her silvery white curls obscuring her face.
“… Hey, where’s that chipper lady I once knew?” he asked, smiling.
Before she could answer, the door opened and a voice groaned “Painkillers…”
A tall, gruff man in a duster stumbled into the foyer, wincing in pain. They recognized him from when they’d come into town the day before, except this time he looked a bit more worse for wear.
Jesse, I think the name was… Looks like a pretty tough guy.. Somehow, that doesn’t rub me the wrong way, like usual.
“Painkillers, please,” Jesse said again politely.
“Please, come in. We’ll get you sorted out in no time,” Vee said warmly, putting an arm around him and helping him to the couch.
Cris was carefully inspecting the grizzled man.
“Jesse, was it? Doesn’t look like anything external. What seems to be the matter?”
“Headache, real bad,” he mumbled, gritting his teeth. “Nauseous…”
Cris studied him.
It’s not a flu… Chem addiction? No… Wait… I've felt like this often enough, I think..He sniffed.
Judging from the smell of alcohol on him, I suppose it’s obvious..He rummaged around in his medical bag and took out a bottle, popping out two capsules.
Mild form of Med-X should do the trick, even if that might be going a little bit overboard.
He offered Jesse the capsules, Vee went to get a glass of water.
“This’ll have you feeling much, much better within the half hour. You might feel the slightest bit of grogginess for the better part of the day, though.”
Vee returned with the water, which she offered to Jesse.
“Oh, and if you’re looking to feel better tomorrow too, I’d recommend drinking as much water as you can. Hydrate yourself... And try not to drink too much of the bubbly at tonight's festivities, if you know what I mean.”
» Wed Mar 23, 2011 5:28 pm 
