Catalysts: IC (Oh the thread is slowly dying...)

He nodded, his head hitting the wall rather suddenly. He rubbed his forehead, bleeding a bit, and laughed.

"Y'see, I was kinda.. waiting for the awkward moment to end myself. I don't blame you, my charisma's like absolute zero."

Steph looked at him again. "You carried me here, that means a lot right off the bat." She felt her face again, scratching at some of the cuts. "If you don't mind my asking, what's the deal with Bloom? I didn't hear her say much at all."

He laughed and shrugged before thinking.

"Let's see, she thinks I'm a crazy murderer, is a bit cautious of other Catalysts -- thats our word for what we are y'see, catalysts -- and uh.. Well, she's a bit of a paranoid bugger but otherwise very kind."

Steph nodded. "Okay. So when she comes back, we eat, and head off to that more secure place?" She looked outside again. Paranoia was beginning to set in. "I'm a bit rattled, that's all." She lay down on the bed once more, it was still the most comfortable thing she had ever used that day.

Winter rounded the corner leading to her hovel in naught but a few minutes' time, any follower(s) in tow. As she approached, she called out to Ragnarok and the awakened Steph.

"Aaaah, so you're up and running? Good, good. I brought some... well, food, I suppose you could call it." She held out the rabbits as the entered the shack.

"We'll have to make a fire without being spotted, is the only thing."

"Thats no problem, with all the smoke from the firebombings they'll stay away. They'll just blame it on Pandora. So c'mon, let's get me some grub, I'm half-starved and pretty cold myself.."

He smiled at Steph and gave a sarcastic wink before sitting down.

"Flint and tinder, ya got any?"

Steph thought about it for a moment. "I may be able to help." Gathering up a small pile of wood splinters and torn paper, her fingers transformed into steel knives. Using the back edge, she generated showers of sparks which danced into the little stack. "Also good alternative to pepper spray."

"Oh thank god, a nice warm fire.. I'm chilling half to death, and I'm fucking Russian. That's saying something, considering how cold Syberia was."

He smiled and whistled at winter, commandingly.

"Heya, I want the.. ew... Rabbit? Squirrel? Not even SKINNED?! WHAT IS THIS?! I AM A JUDGE YOU KNOW! I SHOULD GET GOOD FOOD!"

Steph rolled her eyes. "Just give me one." Picking up one herself, she promptly used her blade fingers to skin a rabbit cleanly, picking the good meat out from the bad. "There, I hope that's more to your taste."

Winter gave Steph's tactics an inquisitive glance. "That, um. That works. Let's set up outside."

She built a small pyre of the various fuels and began to skin one of the carcasses with her knife. "I'm afraid it's not much, but it's all I could manage. Calm yourself, Ragnarok, if you like you can get your own food."

Aeron followed in shortly after Bloom did. "Hey." He said simply not making eyecontact with anyone or looking at anyone really. "I'm Aeron I guess. Yeah." he made his way over to the nearest flat surface and sat down.

"Pfft, and leave you girls defenseless and for dead? I'm a gentleman, you know. Don't worry though, I'll get something edible for the next meal. Simple."

He scoffed at the food that was presented and took an entire rabbit, shaking his head.

"Animal murderer.."

"Oh yes. Everyone, we, ah... well, he feel from a window and we introduced ourselves."

Winter returned to sheepishly skinning the rabbit. "Just roll with it, Ragnarok, it's the way of nature."

"Hello Aeron. You're uncomfortable; you feel you don't belong in a group of people."

He smiled after making eyecontact for less than a split second then chuckled, grabbing the rabbit. He mulled it over and was tempted to actually eat the rabbit raw. But he sighed and put it back in winter's arms.

"Here ya go.."

"Hi guys." Nox greeted everyone inside the room. He then looked at the snake-headed girl. He walked up to her and patted one of the snakes, a pine snake. "Well aren't you a little darling." He was, of course, speaking to the girl. The snakes were fine specimens too. Nice and healthy.

"I don't like people." Aeron said flatly. "People judge. Even if they say they don't, they do." He felt compelled to cover some of his scars. Not that it was really worth it. Any attempts to cover them all were futile. He pulled the bone mask over his face again and just stared at the floor.

Steph shrugged and merely ate the rabbit meat raw. Quickly finishing it off, she skinned another rabbit and ate it too. Leaving the rest to the others, she sat on the bed, gaze set on Ragnarok, as Bloom had referred to him.

While she resented the contact initiated by yet another stranger, she chose not to comment. His patronising tone however made her shuffle that much closer to Ragnarok.

Having skinned and cooked the last rabbit, Winter shuddered. The fucking awkwardness here is almost bloodyphysical.

"Anyone hungry?" She offered the morsel around.

"Nox, leave her be, you're already in love with Bloom so you don't need to bother this one.."

He yawned loudly and layed back in the dirt, smirking.

"Sun's up, why're you awake? You know you need a good sleep or else you'll get insomnia and some whack ass hallucinations. And, whatever your name was, if you don't like it you're welcome to leave. Dunno why you came in the first place."

"..."

At this, Winter retracted her offer and promptly strode out. I really, really do not need any more of this today. Perhaps some fresh air will regain my sanit-

She stopped cold at the distant sound of sirens. Smothering the fire, Winter quickly ducked back inside.

"Everyone quiet. We may have company."

"Fuck you, things see me. Like the eyes. In the ruins. You've seen them, right?" He hoped he wasn't really hallucinating. But anything with those eyes would be very unpleasant. Searching, hostile. Burning eyes. He returned his gaze to the young medusa girl. "Is that a corn snake?"

Ragnarok jumped up quickly and pulled his pistols out from their hostlers, spinning them swiftly before aiming them straight up at the sky. He nodded to them to recede into the house, and went in last, preparing to open fire on anyone who had entered. No one would harm his friends, nor the stranger.

"Oh yay! More people!" Aeron proclaimed loudly. "Happy day, oh happy day! Why did I even follow you to begin with." Aeron slammed his head into a wall. Sure it might not have been so good for his brain, but at least his skull would be okay.

He sighed and smacked the back of Aeron's skull.

"Hey, bone boy, c'mon. We gotta make sure they don't fucking die, otherwise you can just take your god damn leave. I didn't ask for you to be here, but I'll sure as hell as for you to get outta the way."

"Dammit. Dammit dammit dammit."

They're going to slaughter us like fish in a barrel; this alleyway's a dead-end.

The sirens grew progressively louder, and the sounds of numerous helicopters approaching could clearly be heard.

"Welp. We're fucked if we can't get out of here. Anyone have any bright ideas?"