aboyandamask - Tumblr blog

[aboyandamask]

Bobbie's point is a valid one. The thought of all recruits being Rodney's makes something seize up deep in the pit of his stomach; if they're all Rodney's picks, he'll have too much power. Yeah, sure, Rodney's their leader, and that's fine, but there's nothing Aiden needs less than a pack of fiercely loyal newbies who'll bend to his every whim. Not that Rodney's whims are stupid--because they're not. Rodney's smart as hell and he knows it. But Aiden needs to secure his position on the team, ensure his usefulness cannot be discounted, and to do that, he needs to get some recruits of his own.

He's got projects in the works, of course. But working on it and having something solid are two totally different things.

"Then what are we waiting for?" he says, dropping the toothpick and grinding it into the dirt with his boot. Without waiting for some kind of confirmation, he heads back out toward the main street, looking for the building in question.

It's not hard to find. Life has seeped back into most of the buildings in town, light showing through the cracks and windows scrubbed free of dust and grime, but not this one. It's boarded up most places, the brick crumbling on the pavement around it. The world had forsaken it long before it did humanity.

"This the one?" he asks. Finding a side door, he jimmies the lock and finds that it's shut tight. Pulling a basic lockpicking kit out of his back pocket (too many nights out in the rain taught him well) and goes for the doorknob, but he hesitates.

"Unless you know another way in..." he says, gesturing to the kit. He'd rather not use it when possible, as there's always the chance he could break something, and a set like this is even harder to replace now than it was before. Not that he'd particularly mind showing off to Bobbie, but he's got to think of the longevity of his supplies first.

Give and Take [Aiden & Bobbie]

[aboyandamask]

Bobbie doesn't say much about it and Aiden thanks her silently for that. He doesn't know how much actual gratitude he could take. Then again, this is Bobbie: she's not one for grovelling. He knows that.

What she says is true. He takes it in, turns it around in his mind, examines the possibilities that lie within it. There are ways that they can twist this to their benefit, ways to come out of this on top. He bet Bobbie knows that just the way he does, has already thought about it. That's why they're in Rodney's little group, after all: they've got their minds set on survival, and they'll do anything for it.

Even in times like these.

She offers the jerky and he takes a piece. He doesn't like it that much, but it's protein and he needs it; he's always been a skinny kid. Bobbie seems to be enjoying it as much as she enjoys anything, which is good. At least she didn't spit it out or something.

It's only when he's finished the jerky that he finally angles his head toward her, laying eye on her for the first real time since he'd arrived.

"We should weed out the cowards. Figure out who's useful. No better time to do that than when people are scared like this." He paused, thinking. "A little observation goes a long way."

Give and Take [Aiden & Bobbie]

[aboyandamask]

What's this for?

What a question. Can't answer it straight; can't lie. Don't want to lie. So what is he supposed to say? No reason? Just saw some jerky and thought of you?

Sometimes he gets tired of the bullshit.

"For having my back," he decides on, and it's not perfect, but it'll do. And I've got yours, he adds mentally, then scolds himself for the thought. This isn't some give and take--he's tried that. He's tried that and what he got from it was a bellyful of metal and betrayal. No, he's a taker. He takes what he can from everyone he can, and gives back just enough to keep them complacent. It's politics.

And yet he can't help but feel a little at ease with this transaction, like some wrong has been righted. Like doing a favor for Bobbie is somehow... emotionally rewarding.

But it isn't. It's fucking politics.

He looks up at the sky, clouds barely visible through the trees. A leaf falls to the ground. In the silence he thinks he can hear its rustle as it descends, the light touch of its edges against the dead grass beneath the boughs above.

"It's been too quiet around here." He scuffs his toe in the dirt beneath his feet, anything to break the silence. "Haven't talked to Rodney much. Ration cards still low and nobody's doing a thing. No protests beyond some jackass throwing a punch here or a wailing mother there. It's making me antsy."

He removes the toothpick from his mouth and considers it, bending it beneath his thumb. Willing it to flex before it breaks.

"I'm bored."

The wood snaps.

Give and Take [Aiden & Bobbie]

[aboyandamask]

Give and Take [Aiden & Bobbie]

He feels uneasy about this.

There's something about expressly doing something for someone else that grates against the fabric of his being. He sifts among the wares available at the market and just feels wrong, like there's some strange tilt to the universe, something amiss. He wants to back out, wants to put things right, but he can't.

As much as he hates doing things for other people, there's nothing he hates more than owing someone.

Okay, he doesn't technically owe Bobbie. He could say he owes her fuckall and call it a day, but in his heart he knows it isn't true. She did him a favor once by giving him medicine and then twice over by fetching the other stuff he wanted. It wasn't like he'd begged her to fetch him things--she had fucking volunteered--but still. He can't deal with feeling like he owes her something, like she could use what she did to get him to do something in the future.

That's what causes him to linger after he's found the food he needs for the week, looking for something specific. The pickings aren't great, but he can afford more than most because he's been saving up, thinking of the future. Now he's looking for Bobbie and Bobbie alone, his focus directed with an unfamiliar kind of motivation.

He feels almost relieved when he finds a packet of beef jerky buried in a pile of many varieties of gross-looking dried fruit and hates himself for the way his mood lightens up a little. Grabbing it and heading for the man in charge of this mess, he buys it with his other purchases (because yes, he does play by the rules sometimes) and heads for one of their spots.

There are a number of places she could be, places they've met before. He thinks through them and decides on one she probably likes best, one that's secluded and a little cooler than the rest of the city when the sun's at its peak. If she's not there, well, he'll wait. They always do have a way of finding eachother.

Slipping between a church and a boarded-up schoolhouse, he emerges onto a path that's shaded by a canopy of trees. Hardly anyone comes back here, and it's the perfect place for people who prefer the shadows, who prefer to be undisturbed by the populace at large.

In other words, Bobbie is liable to be skulking around.

He eventually finds her leaning against a tree. Quirking an eyebrow, he settles against the tree, too, close to her without touching. Sitting in silence a moment, he switches his toothpick from right to left and looks up at the brownstone building in front of him. The outline of a cross barely pokes up above the trees.

Funny, being so close to God. He imagines Bobbie appreciates the irony of it.

"I got you something," he murmurs, passing the bag to her discreetly.

[aboyandamask]

[aboyandamask]

Listen to the full playlist here.

Battle of One - 30 Seconds to Mars

Try and stop me Try and save me I want to fall

Skin to Bone - Linkin Park

When your name is finally drawn, I’ll be happy that you’re gone

Sinister Kid - The Black Keys

That’s me, that’s me  The boy with the broken halo

Believe - The Bravery

So give me something to believe 'Cause I am living just to breathe And I need something more To keep on breathing for

Float - The Neighbourhood

They show you how to swim Then they throw you in the deep end

[aboyandamask]

Aiden feels something rise in his chest as Rodney speaks. He listens to those words and, perhaps entirely against his will, he feels a little lighter, incrementally less concerned about what's going on around him. The lightness feels foreign, unfamiliar, but despite this, he knows its name already:

It's hope.

Despite his best efforts, his mind runs away with ideas he can't help but like: if he sticks with Bobbie and Rodney as the group gets bigger, he'll end up being near the top of the hierarchy. Sure, Rodney will always lead, but that's fine with him. He's never really wanted to be a leader. All he wants is to be essential, to be needed, and if he's a founding member in a group of newbies, well, that's huge. That's occupational security if he's ever known in.

Don't get ahead of yourself, he thinks firmly, his jaw tightening so much that it breaks his toothpick. He spits out the broken wood and fixes his gaze on Rodney, wiping his mouth. Some people have taken an interest in what the man said, it seems; they linger in his periphery, too intrigued to leave but too shy or standoffish or uncertain to approach, and that's fine. It's at least a start.

"Sounds great," he finally says, something steely in his voice. He looks out at the market beyond Rodney, scanning over every face, every object. Taking in what they've got to work with.

"Where do we start?"

Never Hurts to Be Prepared [Aiden & Rodney]

Rodney’s lips do turn up into a slight smile as Aiden makes the jump from how they can get more people on their side. “We just have to be better then the other options.”

"And right now we are. The military obviously couldn’t keep their last location, how long before it is us?"

Rodney made eye contact with Aiden while speaking now. He has practiced what he would say so many times before if he found someone he though was useful and he was giving the speech to Aiden just like he would if they kid was a new recruit.

"We maybe small now but we are growing. New people means more protection. With us, we make sure you have protection. That means from us watching out for you, and making sure you are well supplied and feed. The military can’t even keep us feed sometimes with the lack of ration cards. We teach you how to get in and out of the zone where they don’t want us to go because they don’t want us learning to fight the infected and where to find more supplies at. Hell, they don’t even want us armed."

Rodney stopped there, knowing a few others had heard parts of his speech and even though his eyes never left Aiden’s he made small notes about the ones who seemed interested as they walked by. “Wouldn’t that get you on our side?” Rodney looked away again now trying to find a table that would prove an easy target to steal from. “And hell if we don’t get them on our side and worry about them going to the pigs here and telling about us then we just kill them, take what they have, and it’s one less to worry about.”

With a sight shrug Rodney sighed. He was growing impatience, waiting day in and day out for the right people, for the military to fuck up more to cause those living in the zone to get more and more unsatisfied with the work the military was doing. It felt like years had passed and still Rodney was no where near close enough to being where he wanted to be.

[aboyandamask]

 Safe.

It's a powerful word for Aiden. He can count the times he felt safe in his life on one hand: once with his father, whose face is a vague blur to him now, telling him not to get into any trouble. Twice in the arms of the woman who cared for him before he was turned out of the orphanage he called home once they'd decided they didn't want him. Thrice with his scavenging partner shortly before the guy cut him open.

Safe is a mistake. Safe means getting hurt.

Yet he can't help the unwelcome warmth that starts in his chest and spreads down through his belly to his feet, up through his shoulders to his fingertips. He's not sure that Rodney truly wants to keep him safe, but with the smile the man throws his way it's hard to refute.

Can he be safe?

The only assured safety he can get, he decides, is through his own actions: collecting food, stocking up on ration cards, expanding their hunting group, the like. The tasks he performs to survive. But it won't hurt to have Rodney watching his back, either.

“You think we can get them on our side?” he says, his disbelief evident. “We steal from them. Dupe them. Use them to boost our chances of survival. And now we're going to ally with them?”

He pauses, thinking for a moment.

And that's when he gets it.

“We can con them,” he says suddenly, nodding. “They're already disillusioned with the provisional government here, especially with the ration shortages. They need something to believe in. Some better way of survival that doesn't mean bowing to the arbitrary laws of people who don't give a shit about whether they live or die.”

Never Hurts to Be Prepared [Aiden & Rodney]

If Aiden shows any sort of calming or weakness to the fact that he is there, Rodney is to self absorbed to see it. Even when he is talking to Aiden and the kid is answering, Rodney keeps his eyes on the crowned watching those around him trying to look out any targets.

He’s picky. Its the only reason his number are only 3 and not more by now. He wants those who he knows are going to be useful, not in the way. He wants people who are going to bring something more then he already has to the table. Rodney is proud of his picks so far. While he can’t say he trust them, they have proven to be useful to him. Though Rodney has invested in them, for Aiden getting him the fake papers to be in the zone wasn’t cheap, but it has shown to be worth it so far.

"Being prepared is far from a bad thing. Actually being worried that when it happens here I wouldn’t make sure you all are safe is pointless." It’s a lie. Rodney left his own sister to the infected to save his ass. While he does enjoy these kids and would hate to have to start again with finding more, his life is always first.

But he fakes the sincere smile to Aiden perfectly before looking back at the crowd. “But hopefully before we have to worry about the military making mistakes here we will have enough of these people on our side to take them down with out to much of a fight.”

[aboyandamask]

As if on cue, Rodney appears in the crowd. His head is held high, this unreadable look on his face; he reminds Aiden of some kind of demon, cocky and fully aware of how much better he is than everyone else. Not that that's a bad thing--Aiden can emphasize. And Rodney's low-key about it, too (Aiden only notices when he's really paying attention), which means he's less likely to be singled out as a conman, a troublemaker. He's a little bit brilliant, all said and done.

Aiden feels this cool sense of relief wash over him at the sight of his temporary leader and hates himself for it a little bit. He needs to stop trusting these people, Rodney and Bobbie, needs to stop feeling like he can depend on them to not be fucking idiots. They aren't idiots, that is certain, but there's danger in relying on them too much.

It would really help if they weren't so damn useful.

In the present situation, however, Rodney's presence is a boon to him, and he feels a little more secure already. He detests the weakness that comes with needing security, but knowing that he has it, however briefly, helps him to clear his head, so he decides to led it slide for now. He'll worry about his slow-growing dependency when he's less preoccupied with the thought of Chicago going under.

Rodney approaches and Aiden's mask is complete, betraying little in the way of positive feeling or relief. If he's going to accept that Rodney's presence helps his calm, he's certainly not going to fucking show it. He can only handle so much weakness in one day. He has a daily allowance (a very small allowance) to prevent himself from going crazy, and he's nearly filled it already.

Right. Better step it up.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," he retorts, raising an eyebrow at Rodney. "I just assume we're always going to be next. That's why I'm not facedown in a gutter yet."

Never Hurts to Be Prepared [Aiden & Rodney]

It’s amusing, watching the whole QZ come into a panic just from rumors of the Dallas QZ closing down. It was also useful. The possibilities of people being in the middle of fear and getting scared meant more possibilities of new people Rodney could convince that it was better to follow him the then military. It also meant the possibility of people being to panicked to not notice their pockets being picked or easier kills to get supplies.

The possibilities were endless and Rodney likes the options. Rodney let his sight follow the man in front of him. It was sloppy on the mans part, sliding his ration cards into his back pocket. All it took was a slight bump into him and Rodney let his hand slip into the pocket before muttering how he was so sorry for not looking where he was going. Walking away Rodney slide the cards into his own pocket.

Two cards was enough for now. The last thing he needs is to lose the chance of recruiting by getting ‘accused’ of stealing, no matter how true it was. With a more outside view of those it is easier to observe behavior of those and find one who is worthy in his mind.

It only takes one look around for Rodney to see Aiden standing back on the other side of the market. The kid had proven himself more useful then Rodney has originally thought he would be. He has certainly proven his worth many times. It also helped that Rodney only had to put on a concerned father act and he seemed to get the kids trust.

It was easy to find Aiden again as Rodney moved across the market and stood next to him. “Worried we are going to be next like the rest of ‘em?”

[aboyandamask]

Never Hurts to Be Prepared [Aiden & Rodney]

Aiden doesn't like all this Dallas business.

He has, perhaps foolishly, settled into life in the Chicago QZ. His wallet is decently stocked with ration cards here, and his alliance with Rodney and Bobbie is proving more useful than he'd first thought it would be. He has become comfortable, and in comfort there is weakness.

It is for this reason that he shakes himself from comfort's grasp on this particular morning, having recovered from his illness due to Bobbie's medicine (he tries very hard to suppress the gratitude that bubbles up deep in his mind) and now being in possession of enough strength to proceed as normal. "Normal," in this case, means heading straight for the Black Market to see what goods he can find last-minute.

Half the zone had the same idea, it seems. He is assailed immediately by the sight of sub-par goods and too many people mulling over them, and though he's certain that if he really digs he can find something good enough to help him feel a little more secure about the whole situation, he doesn't want to do it alone.

Sighing, he takes a toothpick from the case in his pocket and pops it in his mouth. Maybe if he waits off to the side for a little while, the crowd will die down and he can peruse the goods in depth (or con someone out of something they've already got, if he's lucky).

[aboyandamask]

Aiden had actually managed to drift into some kind of twilight between asleep and awake when he was woken up fully by the sound of Bobbie's reentry. He was a little bleary, having taken the kind of half-nap that was really just sinking deeper into your misery when you were as sick as he was, but he tried his best to seem completely alert. Despite the fact that Bobbie had given him the thing that would (hopefully) make him better, he still didn't trust her enough not to somehow take advantage of him.

The wall dropped a little, however, when she revealed the items he had so craved. How had she managed it so quickly? By using her talent for violence, no doubt. Still, the fact that she'd actually done all this for him made him a little less jaded, try as he might to fight it.

The words thank you were on his lips, but he refused to speak them, opting instead to take the proffered items with a tight nod. No sooner had he taken the tissues than he needed them for the rapidly-developing emergency ticklish situation in his nose, which ended with his face in a tissue and a veritable waterfall from his nostrils.

The sweet caress of the tissue's soft fabric was more than he could have asked for. He sighed with a mixture of relief and exhaustion, sitting back in the chair again. After a moment of recovery, however, his attention was returned to Bobbie, who still lingered.

"Is there anything you need done? I mean. When I'm better. Something I'm good at that I can help with."

God, he was offering to help her now? What had the world come to?

Fuck Everything [Aiden & Bobbie]

[aboyandamask]

Aiden was only half surprised at how easily Bobbie accepted the "mission" he'd given her. She didn't seem like the type who enjoyed getting ordered around, but then again, she was the type who enjoyed stealing from others, no matter how brutal she had to be about it. Maybe her love of the latter outweighed her disdain for the former.

"I'll... see you soon, I guess," he said reluctantly, not meeting her eyes. He didn't want her to see the gratitude in his own. He was forced to look, however, when he heard the sound of plastic hitting wood, and saw a small bottle that looked suspiciously like medicine sitting on his table. Was that from Bobbie? Had she bought some for herself? He was about to protest, to tell her to take the damn thing back, but by the time he got his words together she was already gone.

Dammit Bobbie, he thought, picking up the bottle and reading the label. They were meds alright--just what he needed, too.

God, it was getting harder and harder to hate her.

Filling up a glass of water, he read the recommended dosage and begrudgingly took it, drinking from the glass after. Hopefully it worked sooner rather than later.

He sighed, sitting down in the very chair Bobbie had occupied just minutes before. Now there was nothing left to do but wait.

Fuck Everything [Aiden & Bobbie]

[aboyandamask]

"Of course Bobbie doesn't get sick," Aiden muttered bitterly, his lips settling into what definitely was not a pout. Of course he got sick and she didn't. Rodney probably hadn't gotten sick, either. Fucking asshole.

"'Little cold.' You don't--I--God, nevermind." He barely finished the statement before his nose began to tickle, and he grabbed a new paper towel quick, pressing it to his nose. The sneeze that came was more powerful than his currently fragile body could handle, leaving him weak and somehow more miserable than he'd already been. He groaned, crushing the paper towel in his hand. Bobbie was probably laughing at him internally. Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if she started laughing at him externally, too.

He felt conflicted about Bobbie's question. On the one hand, he could probably do with some extra supplies, but on the other, he didn't need Bobbie thinking that he was in any way dependent. He was an independent person to be sure, and it wasn't like he needed anyone... it was just that getting someone else to go out and get things for him while he was sick wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

Besides, the acquisition of objects usually involved stealing from and often hurting others, which was Bobbie's area of expertise.

"Tissues or something," he said miserably, gripping the paper towel in his hand tightly. "And... some gum, maybe. I could kill for something to chew on." Having a toothpick in his mouth while he was constantly inhaling and sneezing was just asking for trouble, and he wasn't looking to die yet.

Fuck Everything [Aiden & Bobbie]

[aboyandamask]

"Yeah, I'm dead," Aiden announced with a scowl, closing the door behind her. "You've found me out. Congrats." He sniffled miserably, blowing his nose again. Fuck infections.

He eyed Bobbie as she moved one of the chairs, presumably to watch him continue to be dead. Yeah, right, like it was entertaining to see him suffer.

... Actually, it probably was.

"Good. Maybe the guys in the ring won't make fun of me then. I heard it's pretty bad out there--haven't seen it though. Been cooped up in here all day." He sighed. "No fucking luck. Wasted some perfectly good ration cards on it. But my bid was shit anyway, so maybe I deserved it for being cheap."

His eyes narrowed as he watched her, leaning against the kitchen counter as he did so.

"You're not sick. What'd you do, sacrifice a baby?"

Fuck Everything [Aiden & Bobbie]

[aboyandamask]

A knock on the door made his stomach sink. He wasn't equipped to fight anyone off right now; what if whoever it was wanted something from him? A stealthy glance through the blinds, however, made him relax significantly: it was Bobbie, and while he didn't trust Bobbie with every bone in his body, he trusted her a hell of a lot more than he did anyone else.

"What do you want?" he croaked as he opened the door, eyeing her suspiciously. He wasn't sure of her motives for coming to see him, but she probably wanted something, and he wouldn't be able to deliver. How would she react to that? He didn't really know her well enough to tell yet, so he opted for crossing his fingers and keeping his mind as alert as it possibly could be when he was in his current state.

"Come in, I guess. Just don't... touch anything."

The statement was more for show than anything else. Bobbie would touch what she liked--they both knew that. It was more to keep up the impersonal appearance and make sure that they didn't get too comfortable. After all, it was hard to tell when somebody would just drop off the face of the Earth, having died in a ditch somewhere. Best not to get too attached.

Fuck Everything [Aiden & Bobbie]

[aboyandamask]

Fuck Everything [Aiden & Bobbie]

Aiden wanted to die.

He wanted to die because not only had he been forced to miss a fight, but he'd been forced to miss that fight because his body was currently divesting itself of all the liquid in it through his nose.

The groan that sounded from his mouth as he attempted to rise was ungodly. Maybe it was best to just... not try to get up... at all.

He could only lay around for so long, though, and that thought was what finally made him force himself to sit up. Besides, the snot was becoming a problem, and he figured he ought to fetch something new to blow his nose with.

Trudging slowly toward his kitchen--which was, admittedly, a bit in disrepair, but wasn't his entire apartment?--he searched for paper towels or something, anything to control the wreckage of his sinuses. One bad thing about the apocalypse: no fucking paper products. They became a secondary concern after shit like food and water and shelter.

Fuck that. When he got himself out of this, he was going to fucking stockpile paper towels and toilet paper and napkins, everything. And when another wave of awfulness hit, he'd make a fortune.

Luckily, he did manage to find a half-used roll of paper towels under the kitchen sink. Pressing one of the sheets to his nose, he took a grateful blow into it.

So that was done. Now he just needed to figure out how to survive the rest of the day like this.

[aboyandamask]