This Can't Be Home -- [Lotto&Violet]

[Violet G. Monroe]

The world had been a darkening pool and no one had ever known. The virus had filtered through the outside in with no way of escape. There was never meant to be a way out. The few that had survived? Well, who knew what to call them? After all, there was no hope. There had been. Nor had there ever been luck. Yet, people had relied so heavily on things in life. Some still did. What they didn't know was that came with consequence of death and a second life you didn't even know you had.

Violet heard Lotto cross the room. He'd stopped behind her, and she was glad for that. Perhaps he wouldn't notice. He was asking her what she saw, and when Violet glanced at him from the corner of her eye, she could see him squinting into the darkness that lie ahead of them. Her eyes flicked back to the window, and she didn't respond. She simply stared. He would see there was nothing. Plus, if Violet spoke now, her voice was sure to crack and give her away. Then, Lotto's voice rang in Violet's ears and she could feel her heart begin to ache. Name... She whispered in her head. I still have a name... The tears began to flow now, but Violet didn't shake. She simply let the tears fall.

His voice came again, and Violet was almost shocked by his words though it didn't show. She looked down, folding her hands in front of her and spoke in a quiet voice. "It's not Rose..." She said. Then, she heard one of the beds squeak loudly and Blackjack's menacing snarl. She turned to look at her canine. His hair was bristling and his fangs showed white in the dark hotel room. "Shhh!" Violet hissed, and Blackjack's growls ended immediately, and his bottom fell slowly. He was edgy for a moment, then he finally relaxed. She looked at Lotto. "He thought you'd done something to upset me." She explained simply as she leaned forward to place her palms on the window sill.

Her gaze turned back to the city before she spoke again. "And that's not what has me so upset, Lotto. It's bigger than that." She said, keeping her eyes focused on the different contrast of the colored buildings against the black sky. There wasn't really much contrast of it. The buildings were almost cloaked with the dark, and sight was becoming impossible to the human eye. Ever since the world had been brutally destroyed, Violet hadn't seen the sun, and she was sure no one else had either. The stars and moon were invisible as well in the night. There wasn't a single form of light left, unless you had a flashlight. But, one day, you'd be out of batteries, and then what? You were screwed unless you had somewhere safe to stay.

It was actually a factor Hollywood had right. Actually, when you look back on it all, the most accurate depiction of a zombie apocalypse would have to be 28 Days Later. So, when reality got a check, it was clear that Hollywood was meant to warn the world of it's different paths of destruction. In the end, none of it had mattered. Hollywood had gotten it right. Those things that were only suppose to live in movies had always been alive in reality. It had just been waiting to be released on the world. Something so small, yet so deadly, and with no chance of escape for anyone. It had killed almost the entire superior race. It had excelled where even animals could not. It had evolved.

Violet looked at Lotto. "Well never, ever, see this world be rebuilt." She said sadly and looked back at the window. "What kind of a life is it when you have to run all the time?" She asked. Holy shit... She thought to herself. That was quick. Really, she hadn't expected the idea of suicide to come up so quickly. Then again, was it a suicide thought, or a thought of truth? Violet didn't know, and she didn't know what Lotto would think either, and something inside her tugged, and she knew then that the ladder was what it had been. Truth. Not a thought of suicide.

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[Leroy "Lotto" King]

[/i] His mind instantly input. He didn't give the thought any time, but he didn't know what kind, just something beautiful. She was speaking now, the silence had not been comfortable, he could tell something was amiss with her, and wanted to give her the time to think her way through it, he wasn't a pushy guy, and often didn't care what others thought if they didn't want to share. But this wasn't the case with Violet.... she was.... different. He knew it was more than a bond between two people surviving all this shit together... it was something more than that. She was a light in this darkness... but wouldn't she be a light in any darkness?

He mused what it would have been like if he had known her prior, would she be different? He knew he had changed since, and he hardly had any interactions to know it. Spending all this time alone had given him time to reflect, and to remember. Which was painful, but necessary. Bigger than that? He thought about her words, his eyes didn't need to take in the ugly world out side to know what she was talking about. For three weeks - or just about, he'd been alone, and not known any one else lived. He figured the was his Hell. This was for living the life he did. But then that dog came up; and not only had these two turned around his out look, and made this journey an adventure, but they assured him that this wasn't Hell. How could someone as good as Violet be stuck here if it was? This was something else.

Then she looked at him, her eyes locking on his own. His instincts were to look away from such an intense gaze. There was so much in her eyes he wished he had the ability to understand. So instead of interrupting he listened. "Don't say that," eye brows gathered in the center, what was she saying? What kind of a life is it when you have to run all the time? How could he answer that? It's a shitty way to live, but it was better running with her than running on his own. That was for sure. He looked at her for a little while longer, trying to gather what he needed, "You can't talk like that Violet," he spoke a bit more firmly this time, "I thought for a long time I was alone, all alone in this damn world. Then when I'm left for dead, who shows up?" he looked back to the silhouette of Blackjack.

"You guys found me, and I realized something, there's still life out there, just less..." he had to look away now, her gaze was making him lose his train of thought, and his nerve to say these things, " We've seen people Vi, there's more out there, and they're going to do what we've done, group up..." he shrugged. "Right now they're running, they're scared and alone, but once they're ready to regroup, they'll start forming communities, hell- we could even start one."

The idea of starting a sort of colony with this woman and her dog sort of inspired him. But then he saw more people joining, and then there were men, and Violet would fancy one, and it would be a repeat of his old life all over again, he would show his true colors, lose his mind and probably get kicked out of his own community! He didn't allow this quickly turning daydream into a nightmare, phase his communication with her, "and if that's not the way we want to go, then so be it, you and I will get the hell away from the city, find a home- maybe one of those cabins? Then wait this out, you know humans survive, it's all over history. We're gonna be okay Violet, just a waiting game right now." Lotto was not a talker, and so after this speech he felt extremely foolish, even trying to recall everything he said to be embarrassed about it later, but if it made Violet feel better than it was all worth it.


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ooc: phew.
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[Violet G. Monroe]

She didn't answer him when he spoke the first time. Instead, she just gazed out the window, biting her lip anxiously. It was almost as if she were waiting for something to happen, though she wasn't. A question rang across the space and Violet stopped biting her lip and her facial expression changed. Blackjack... And me... She thought to herself. But, Lotto didn't stop there. He continued talking, and Violet listened with a particular interest. Almost as if she had to, or she'd miss something crucial.

Her brain was now working quickly, processing what he said. Could people really re-group like that? Was there enough? Sure, there were more, but was there enough? Violet shook her head to rid herself of the negativity before she looked at Lotto and sighed. What was she suppose to say to that? Perhaps he was right. Wasn't that likely anyway? That he was correct? In history, humans had been the superior. Always out-weighing the odds despite the fact that the odds had been stacked so highly against them. Humans learned. Did things on impulse, and when it came to survival, there was certain humans that were better at it than others. Violet was in the room with one right now.

She looked at Lotto when he spoke again. "I'll go wherever you go." She said in a light voice. She hadn't even realized she'd spoke until she was standing up straight and watching Lotto's shape in the darkness. She didn't move, simply stood there. The light that filtered in the open window offered little visibility, and Violet hated that she couldn't see Lotto's face. See what he was thinking. It was almost unnerving. She liked to know what people thought. How they were reacting. Especially to comments like the one she'd just made.

"I mean... I just... Well, Blackjack and I found you and... I - I don't know.." She said, dropping her hands to her side with a defeated sigh. She'd always been bad about not being able to say exactly what she meant. It agitated her to no end, and now, it was worse because this was all she had, and her lack of communication in this way could tear it all apart.

She cleared her throat then and moved to the bed slowly, sitting down. She scratched Blackjack's head before putting food on the floor for him. Blackjack hopped down, and she sat, not moving. Not making a sound. She didn't know what to say now. She didn't know what to do or what to think. She didn't know how to act. At this point, everything was last minute. Planning ahead was almost impossible because with the infected running around, there was no designated schedule. A moment of peace could become a moment of horror is a split second, and if you made it, you'd be left wondering what the hell had happened.

Violet glanced back at Lotto's shape. He hadn't moved so far, and she wondered what she should say to him. "Lotto?" She called, not expecting an answer. "I'm sorry." She added. Though it was too dark to see, she smiled. It was gentle, apologetic smile, though invisible in the blackness of the room.

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[Leroy "Lotto" King]

[/i] the thought hit him, and he had no words to say. Didn't she know he was following her lead. Perhaps she was not ready to realize that she was a natural born leader. A leader of this little pack, and could be a leader of another larger pack. Her decisions guided their direction. He was fine with that. He'd never been a leader, never been able to think quick, always submitting before a higher power- but that didn't make him a push over. It just made him... a good soldier? After all this was war.

He heard her cross, the night fall light was brighter on her than he. But the blindness was concerning. He felt the need to whisper even though they were alone aside from the uncomprehending ears. She continued, and then stopped, and then continued once again. The future was dim, but it hadn't seem brighter anytime before this. Even through the darkness he could see a light.

Hands still in pockets, he was sure she couldn't see his expressions. He pulled his head up from the resting position on the wall, and she spoke his name, and then apologized. Once more she'd done nothing wrong, and yet felt the need to be sorry. It had been a long day, and not to mention it was still the first day they had met. He couldn't tell you this woman's favorite color, or her favorite food, any of her past times, not even a thing about her family. But he knew she had a heart of gold, she had an unbreakable bond with her canine companion, and that she could survive this apocalypse.

Lotto pushed his weight off the wall, and passed her bed, he sat on the one that was separated by the night stand. He took each step carefully, as to not make a fool of himself by stubbing his toe, or running into something. He sat on the bed, and faced her, he bent down to untie his shoes. These sneakers had last quite sometime. He slipped them off and it felt like he was missing a layer of skin, or completely bare. He sat back up and set the bag of weapons in the middle of the bed, easy access. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Vi," he reassured her in a whisper. He couldn't believe that in these three weeks he was about to let his guard down and close his eyes with out being backed up against something.


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[Violet G. Monroe]

She heard his shoes hit the floor with a thump, and her gaze fell to where she should be able to see her shoes. With a sigh, she decided to follow his example. She removed her boots, letting them drop to the floor with a louder thump than Lotto's had made. Then, she peeled her socks off, and felt her feet breath. She sighed with slight relief before standing up and undoing her belt. She refused to sleep with it on. Then came her dark over shirt. Her necklaces that had been hidden underneath clinked together as she pulled the fabric over her head. She then plopped down on the the bed and felt her body ache. She groaned at the pain and lay still. Blackjack rested his head over her stomach immediately and whined for her.

She scratched his left ear before sitting up again. She then reached into her bag, pulling out a few protein bars. She reached over to Lotto, letting the wrapped touch his hand. "Protein bar. It'll make you feel better tomorrow." She said in a gentle voice. It was loud compared to his whisper. She opened her bar and took a tiny bite. She'd always been told that she ate like a bird. She swallowed and then moved to sit next to Lotto. "We need a game plan." She mumbled. Her mind had already began to race. What could they do? Had anyone heard anything about a safe place? A place where the army kept the perimeter secure and food and water in stock for the inhabitants? Was there a place of sanctuary they could go?

"I say that when we both wake up, we get the hell out of here. We can go in the woods somewhere, or just find somewhere abandoned to hold out until something is done about all of this. I'm sure we could find a working radio that picks up on police scanner frequencies... If we do, then we can just... Hold out until we hear news that this is over..." She said, and there was a longing in her voice. She rested her head on Lotto's shoulder.

What's going to happen when this is over?" She said, her body shuddering as she forced back the tears. "Will you forget me...?" She asked, and it was clear in her voice that tears had spilled over. She wanted this man to know everything about her. After all, she cared for him. She couldn't quite say what it was, but she did. They'd instantly connected. As soon as she'd saved him, and he her. She wanted to be by his side until the day she died. Why? She didn't know, and she didn't care to answer that question. It was a matter of if he would.

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[Leroy "Lotto" King]

[/i] she asked him, he body was shaking, "Will you forget me...?" his brows furrowed in the darkness, he wrapped an arm around her and held her close to him, "What's going to happen;" he repeated picking out gentle words, they were a little louder than his previous whisper, because this felt like it needed more emphasis, "You, me and Blackjack, we're gonna go off on our own and wait this out- when things settle down, we'll gather back with the rest of them, or we'll stay out there, either way it will be together," he pecked her head, a friendly comforting gesture, that he wondered if it was out of line while he rested his cheek on the top of head. "Forget you?" he replied, with a smile, "I have never needed saving, and then you show up in the time of need, I'm not leaving you anytime soon."


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[Violet G. Monroe]

She nestled her head between the base of his neck and under his chin as he spoke. She accepted his arm around her, and even the light kiss on her head. He rested his cheek on her, and she sighed in content. His words had definitely made her feel better. They had almost warmed her. She lifted her head to kiss his chin lightly. She wasn't sure if it was a friendly gesture or something more. Her emotions were so amped that she couldn't tell. "Thank you, Lotto." She said softly.

She could feel her eyes getting heavier, and she knew that her body was finally relaxing. Finally getting rid of the stress. It was ready to shut down and rest, and Violet could feel it in her very core. She pulled away for a moment to stretch and yawn silently. She could hear Blackjack breathing deeply. He was already asleep. She smiled to herself. She was glad her canine could relax. She was glad she and Lotto could relax. It would make tomorrow easier. Well, maybe. She didn't really know what to expect tomorrow. After all, anything could happen. Absolutely anything.

Her gaze went back to the window. Since it was autumn, she knew it was around seven or eight at night, so they'd get plenty of rest tonight. While they may not get enough, they'd get plenty. It would last them a little while. Maybe another day or so, then they'd have to risk everything all over again to get a safe night's rest. Violet knew it was a sad world when people had to watch their back every second of the day, or be brutally killed. Ripped apart and eaten alive. Literally. Violet sighed.

She stood up then and moved back to her bed, and Blackjack stirred. She scratched his ears and he settled. She pulled back the covers and climbed into them. The sheets were cold, and it made her crave sleep more. Her head rested on the pillow and she felt her body almost abandon her. Quickly, she regained herself and spoke to Lotto in a soft, tentative voice. "Goodnight, hun. Sleep well." She said, and the smile was clear in his vocals. She closed her eyes, and she felt sleep take over her immediately. In only a matter of minutes. However, dreams did not come to her. Her body was simply in a state of rest, and in no condition to dream.

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