Going Out Who: Jasmine, Joyce, KJ, Tayne Where: The streets, various stores When: Day 11, noon
Jasmine was waiting in the lobby at about fifteen minutes until noon. She was nervous, holding the gun she'd requested (and hoped like hell she wouldn't have to use) as though it were going to bite her. Constantly, she checked to make certain the safety was on while she waited for the others, as though she feared the thing would go off on its own in her hands. "I wish I didn't need this thing," she mumbled to herself as she paced the lobby area.
Laying the pistol on an end table, she pulled her small stationary tablet out of her back pocket, re-checking the list of things she wanted to look for while they were out. Hastily scribbled on the bottom was a late addition, find a book about snakes! She sighed, looking at the variety of items she had written down and telling herself that they either needed some kind of super store, or they'd have to make stops at more than one shop. Maybe she should have taken that into account by splitting this into more than one trip... Oh, well, it's too late now, she told herself. She'd already gotten a group together, after all.
It was September first. In Joyce's mind, that meant it was the holiday weekend. Time for a big barbecue, having friends and family over. The kids would go back to school - though, of course, they were beyond school now - and after everyone had gone home, she could collapse on the couch in her PJs and watch old movies.
But not today.
Today, there was no rest to be had. It was hot and she'd spotted the odd form from her fifth-floor window, lurking in the street below before apparently disappearing. She pulled her jeans on, even though she might end up being too hot, and a long sleeved shirt over a sleeveless T-shirt. Layers could come in handy. A shirt could become a pouch to carry things. Running shoes and a baseball cap completed the outfit. Oh, and the bandolier of bullets for her shotgun - Juan's shotgun - gave the look a certain flair. Knapsack strapped across her back, shotgun strap over one shoulder and crowbar in one hand, the tall woman stepped lightly down the stairs to the lobby, her auburn hair spilling out of the gap at the back of her hat in a long-ish ponytail.
"Hey," she said to the woman waiting there. "All set, Jasmine?"
Tayne wasn't far behind, managing not to actually be late despite how slow he felt, though his steps were still a little sluggish. He'd covered the rash, or scrape, or whatever it was on his wrist with a bandage, and then a fingerless glove, gotten his shower and breakfast-- the latter of which he'd forced down, as being faced with food had apparently not been a pleasant prospect to his stomach-- dealt with the eggs, and packed up some things. He had his motorcycle saddlebags, of course; a backpack he'd picked up from an empty hotel room; his axe, slung over his back; and lots of water in reused plastic bottles. Water, at least, still made his stomach happy.
All in all, it'd been a busy morning, and he felt exhausted already.
"Mornin'," he told the ladies already gathered, running a hand over his hair. He had a gun in his belt, but he hated using those things. His axe-- or claws, if it came down to it-- were his preference. His shirt was button-down denim, easier to take off if he did need to shift forms. "Don't suppose either of you know how to ride a motorcycle, do you? Figured I'd bring it along...." But it wouldn't do him much good, shifting tiger, and he wanted the girls to be able to make a getaway if they had to. ... well, two of them, anyhow. Three would be a stretch.
KJ came down the stairs right after, her rolling luggage bag in tow. She had her gun set up in her collection, and she had decided she would leave it there. Perhaps it would be best to learn to use it one day, but she had always hated guns and she imagined that wouldn't change. So long as she had her hands, KJ had her power, at the very least. Nodding at Joyce as she came down, she smirked and went over to the woman. "I suppose we're getting our small group outing after all. Where're we going?"
Jasmine jumped and fumbled her notepad when Joyce addressed her. When she turned to face the other woman, however, she had a tentative smile on her face. "Hi," she said quietly. "Yes... I've got a duffel over by the door, but I didn't think I could probably carry much more than that so that's the only bag I brought." Being overburdened on their way back would probably do more harm than good, slowing them down if they ran into trouble.
She smiled in turn at Tayne and KJ as they arrived as well. Hopefully this would all go well. "Um. So, I realized that the list of things I'd wanted to keep an eye out for were a little... varied. Either we could limit ourselves to only looking for certain things, go to multiple places, or try to find some sort of superstore." She shuffled her feet a little nervously. She'd been the one to ask for volunteers to go, but she was a little uncomfortable when trying to 'lead'. Luckily, she thought, Joyce is with us. Maybe once we leave she'll take charge, or Tayne will. She hadn't spoken with KJ except when the other woman had volunteered to go, but even a nearly complete stranger would probably be a better leader.
Clearing her throat, she stopped her musing and continued. "I thought it'd be best if we all decided on a... a game plan, or something, before we left. I haven't been outside the hotel since... well, the first day of all this... and I was just visiting. I don't know the area at all." She swallowed nervously, looking around at the others, meeting their eyes as she waited for their input.
And there was Tayne, looking like an urban Tarzan and KJ, with that wheeled luggage of hers. "Morning, all," she said to them. To Jasmine's slightly nervous list, she added, "I'll go where the group decides. There's so much to get done, we can't do it in one go, anyway. A superstore might have plants and books and I know those are two things on some of our lists. And there could be canned goods, too." Maybe they could find some herbs or starter tomatoes or something. She reached the bottom of the stairs and leaned against the post. "So, our destination depends." She smiled at KJ. Was the woman ready for an excursion like this? Joyce's gaze slid to Tayne and she noted that he looked a bit pale. She hoped he wasn't coming down with something. "Motorcycle. I know how to ride on the back of one and know the basics of driving one."
"There ain't no superstores 'round here, Jasmine," Tayne apologized. "Not unless we drive, or walk half the morning, and even then, I don't think it'd be safe. Last time we went to the nearest store like that, an hour's walk away, we were ambushed, and it was picked over already, besides. I don't think goin' to big stores is gonna get us much of anything-- I think houses and small shops're gonna get us more of shit that's not been taken already, or guarded be people who ain't gonna give it to us...." He'd been in that last trip to an actual, useful store. He wasn't gonna put anyone else in that kind of situation, nor was he going to let anyone put themselves into that kind of situation, not with him around to warn them off it. "A superstore's just gonna be a waste of time, if we're lookin' for food and survival goods, and I don't wanna have to fight our way out again."
As he spoke, he moved around to the counter, pushing open the little flap of a door to behind it and kicking up the kickstand for his bike. "I've got a bike, it's only really good for two, but it'll make a quick getaway for at least those two. S'better than none, I figure."
"I have no idea what's around here, I came from near the University," KJ shrugged, looking at everyone and running a hand through her hair. She was about to add something when Tayne moved the door and a bike emerged. Oooooh, motorcycle... KJ stared, transfixed for a while, before finally adding on a slight stutter, "B-but if there's a convenience store near here they might have local maps, and keys and whatnot that we can use. Plus, anything there is better than nothing. I've been picking through houses on the way, but I haven't been able to keep much," she added, looking sad about it.
Jasmine nodded to each of her companions as they voiced their opinions. "I have no idea how to ride a motorcycle," she admitted belatedly. "I've sat on one before but it was never moving...." She trailed off, shook her head a bit, and returned to the matter of supplies. "Well I guess the biggest things are the seeds and stuff, some kind of attempt at being able to feed ourselves... So maybe if we see some kind of... of... um, landscaping store or gardening store, right?" She was feeling more naive by the moment. "And someplace that sells camping supplies would be good, for lamps and winter supplies and stuff.Then maybe if we could find a... hobby store or something..."
She blushed. This part probably seemed pointless to the others. "Well, it's just, I was thinking of getting books, games... We've got quite a few kids here, and being cooped up inside'll probably make them anxious, and stuff, so I thought that maybe it would be good to get things like that... recreational things. Try to keep everyone's stress down just a little?" She paused, clearing her throat. "Anyway since we don't really know what we'll find first, we could just keep an eye out for any of those kinds of places, and just go into whatever we happen to find. Does that sound okay?"
"Gardening store, yes," Joyce said, nodding. "That would be good. And the hobby store makes sense." She laughed, thinking of when her own children were small. "Bad enough the kids are stuck in an Apocalypse, but to be in an Apocalypse and bored? I was talking to Juan a few days ago and the idea of school came up. Nothing major, just a few fun lessons, maybe. The hobby store and..." She looked at KJ. "A library or bookstore would be good places to find a few things for them." She thought about the motorcycle and decided that if anything happened and they needed to move fast, it would have to be Tayne driving. She wasn't sure which of the other two was a faster runner or how they would react in a dangerous situation, but she didn't put herself as the one on the motorcycle. She was one of the leaders, after all, and she had a big gun. The others - including Tayne - took priority in her head. Once a mother, always a mother.
"I definitely wanna find a gardening store," Tayne agreed firmly, trying to ignore his pounding head and resist being waspish because of it. He rolled the bike out into the lobby. "A nursery, even. If we can get plants and enough dirt here, we could make a rooftop garden, and the faster we manage that, the better off we'll be." He'd probably need to borrow a truck, to get enough dirt for something like that, but if they could at least find something. "Dunno where we'd find someplace that sells camping shit... we might need to actually go out with a car or truck at some point, g-get a little more range. There's a crafty, hobby kind of store on... on...." He couldn't remember the name, but he fished into the saddlebags for his map. "On Collier Street. That's close enough that we could get there today, no p-prob. Wanna aim for that, and see what we find in that kind of area?"
Motorcycle and a stutter? Now KJ's attention was held. ... for as long as most things could hold her attention, anyway. "Finding a bookstore would be great! Plus, they usually have some home school books and such, so you could have some sort of vague outline of what to do," KJ shrugged, looking at Joyce with a small smile. "Not to mention plenty of other things, like plantings books, for starters. It won't help us to have plants if we don't know primarily what they like and don't like and what seasons to plant them in and such." KJ had the sudden longing for some nectarines, but sighed and pushed the thought aside. It wasn't likely she would have nectarines again for quite some time.
Jasmine nodded. "Okay, we'll go out Collier street then. Hopefully some of the other things we need will be around there too." She picked her pistol back up awkwardly, trying to hide how nervous she was about going back out into the streets for the first time, at least for anything more than a step out.
Thinking of the suggestion of finding a truck, she nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah... If we see a pickup truck that looks like it was parked, hasn't run out of gas or anything like that, we should at least take note of where it is so that it can help us out in future, if no today."
As they finally started to leave the hotel, she hesitated towards the back of the group, trying to control her nerves. They could do this... hopefully they could do it and get back without any trouble. It wasn't likely, but a girl could dream right?
They made it to the craft store on Collier Street without incident. Jasmine didn't have to use her gun, for which Joyce was grateful. The young woman looked too nervous, by far, when it came to potentially using it. She could tell. The wheels on KJ's luggage didn't break and she seemed interested in just about everything they passed. By some sort of silent agreement, Joyce took the lead, her shotgun at the ready and Tayne was the rear guard, pushing his motorcycle along and occasionally sniffing the air. Sometimes Joyce forgot that he could turn into a tiger.
It was a quiet day for 'Action Hobby & Gifts' - fortunately - and they had the place to themselves. Joyce had discovered some of the science kits -You can do this at home, kids, but with the supervision of an adult! - and was debating which, if any, might be good to bring back with them.
It'd been a harrowing trip. While Tayne's nose had finally opened up, his head was only getting worse, and the stabbing sunlight-- even behind his dark sunglasses and the hat he'd snatched from a dead car en route-- felt like he couldn't see, at all. It was hard to think past the growing fact that he really felt like throwing up, and walking was an effort. But he had to keep alert, for the sake of these ladies.
At least they made it to the shop without incident. Tayne was grabbing up light sources-- there was a pretty awesome astronomy kit that wasn't too big-- and every battery he could lay his hands on in the place. He didn't know the first thing about kids, so he was letting Joyce and the other two deal with that, just looking for anything that could, with a little creativity, be used for survival. Though he did wind up nabbing a couple puzzles that looked like they could be interesting for an adult-- read: him; one of them had a tiger on it, which pretty much made him have to pick it up-- and a couple books on camping. Maybe there'd be helpful hints to "wilderness" survival in there.
Upon entering the store, KJ turned into the proverbial kid in a candy shop. She picked up one of almost everything she could find and fit in her suitcase, before eventually pausing and looking down. It was already three quarters of the way full, and they weren't even done with their trip yet. Nor was she even done going through the store! "Oh..." KJ frowned heavily down at her bag. What to take, what to take... She slowly put a modeling kit back on the shelf, looking sadly at it. "Maybe next time."
Jasmine wandered through the aisles, her duffel bag on her shoulder. She looked through the hobby books, taking a few that looked interesting and tucking them carefully in her bag. Tucked into the very back, marked used and priced at all of seven dollars she found a book on snake care. She blinked, surprised by her luck. It was in bad shape and fairly old, but hopefully it would have some useful information. Glancing around, she snatched it up and buried it under the rest of her finds before moving on. Into her bag went several decks of cards and card-based games, dice packs, and a few 'family' board games, including Monopoly, Twister, and some others that were oriented towards younger children.
Noting that the boxes were quickly filling her bag, she frowned, but was unwilling to put anything back as yet. If she found something that seemed more necessary later in the trip, she'd exchange it for one of the other things then. For now, she just held back from loading herself down with more items.
Passing a rack of airsoft and paint guns, she blinked as sudden inspiration struck. She moved through the store until she was at Joyce's side, determined to ask the older woman's opinion even if she looked silly. "Um. Joyce? I was thinking....." She swallowed nervously. "Well. They've got airsoft guns and supplies here, things like that. All sorts of things. And, well, life's not going to be easy anymore, not even for the kids. They're gonna have to learn how to protect themselves, how to handle guns and things safely, and practicing with real ones isn't the best idea, right? So maybe... what if we got a stock of some of those things, for the older kids to practice with? Not the little ones, of course..." It was just a shame they didn't have BB guns... then they could really do a gradual introduction thing.
Joyce turned to face Jasmine when she heard her name and listened patiently. It wasn't a bad thought and as she adjusted her hold on the shotgun - how apt - she said, "Teaching them how to protect themselves is a good idea, Jasmine." She glanced over at KJ - and the dilemma she seemed to be experiencing with what to put in her luggage - and added, "Thing is, I don't know how much we can get this time around. Make a note of it. We'll have to come back here. There's some good stuff." She sighed and adjusted the brim of her baseball cap. "We want to find a garden center, too, and food takes priority... "Damn so much to do, so little time. "Actually, scratch that. I'd pick up at least one now, so we can test out how useful it'll be." She placed a hand on the woman's shoulder and smiled. "You go ahead and keep thinking of things, okay? The more ideas, the better." Joyce looked over at Tayne and the puzzle he was considering. "How's it going?"
Grinning a bit despite his general misery, Tayne held up the puzzle so Joyce could see it, the complicated picture of the tiger peering out of the grass. "I can't resist... everything else I got is practical, but hell if I'm leaving this here...." Dhaval would probably get a kick out of it, too. They could work on it together on a gaming table, or something. He'd ditched the boxes for his light-source games, and just packed the items themselves in the backpack, with whatever pieces they had in the little sealed bags they came with. He was running out of room in the backpack, too, but he still had the motorcycle saddlebags. He didn't imagine he'd be getting a lot of big stuff at the garden store-- not that would fit in any of his bags, anyhow.
He squinted through the dimly lit shop at what she was carrying. "What's that you got?" It looked like a gun-- was that some kind of toy gun, for... what? Intimidating people?
Eventually KJ went back over to the group, looking forlorn and tucking some hair behind her ear. In the end, she had decided on one modeling kit, a book on Dungeons and Dragons, and a coloring book. Perhaps she should have been thinking of things for the group as the whole, but she had been consumed with things to get for her collection. KJ looked around the store and sighed again, feeling like she might cry. She would come back here, with more luggage, and grab everything she wanted to her heart's desire. She nodded, determined of that. "I saved room for said food and such, so... Anywhere near here?"
Jasmine had run back over to the airsoft guns and retrieved one, plus a few jars of the pellets to load them with. "To teach the kids, the older ones. They'll have to learn at some point." Glancing at KJ, she nodded. "We should probably search around... Food is really the most important thing we need." She threw the strap of the air-gun over her head so that it rested across her chest, out of the way for now. "Seed packets, that kind of thing, we can get plenty of. The problem will be the larger stuff, but that's why we need to keep an eye out for a truck, right? No way we could get that kind of thing back on foot even if our bags were empty."
She started towards the door once her duffel was secured across her shoulders as well. Its weight was awkward as she walked, and she found herself wishing she'd found a better sort of bag to bring along. Oh well, wishing did little good at the moment. It was time to find their next destination and then, hopefully, head home.
To KJ, Joyce said, "I'm sure there's a place around here. We should ask Map Boy. He found the hobby shop." She meant Tayne, the only male in their group. Patient guy. Jasmine, excited about the airsoft gun, headed for the door. Joyce grinned when she saw the tiger in the puzzle's picture. As she followed Jasmine, she nudged Tayne gently and asked, "You're going to do that one, aren't you? Admit it." Joyce had chosen some sort of chemistry kit - or as close as they sold in stores anymore - some reflectors, a model airplane that could also fly remotely and a whack of batteries appropriate for the remote control and all sorts of other applications. Also Crazy Glue, because she'd be crazy not to have some handy.
Tayne wasn't at all sure about this scheme to teach the kids how to shoot a gun. Even if teaching them on a toy would be anything like using the real thing-- in his opinion, not at all like-- it wasn't something you really wanted fourteen year olds and the like to know. Defending themselves, maybe, but shooting a gun? Whether or not they were mature enough for that, no one wanted those kids anywhere near a danger zone. They were the closest thing they had now to a future, and ought to be protected, at least until they were older.
But he really wasn't feeling well enough to argue about it, and he just shook his head a little, telling Joyce, "Yeah, prob'ly," in a vague sort of way, and shoving the puzzle in the backpack and zipping it up. He'd gotten all he could out of this shop, he thought. Too bad there weren't more camping things here, too. "I don't know of any garden shops, but I also ain't been in--" He paused, stepping outside and trying to get his bearings despite the stabbing pain of the sunlight even behind his sunglasses. "--in that direction yet. And--" He paused again, this time testing the air. Something smelled off, and he thought he could hear something.... "And I think...."
What had he been saying? Goddamn, he felt so fuzzy today. He'd never had a hangover like this before.
The very faint sound of baying dogs came to his ears, and that snapped him out of it, at least temporarily. "I think we're about about to get company," he said shortly, and made haste for his bike, hoping the girls would follow.
At first, KJ didn't pay attention to Tayne's interrupted sentence. It wasn't her conversation to really follow, and she did such a thing often enough, anyway. Although, it was more she changed topic mid-sentence than let the chatter die. But when he said they were about to get company, KJ scowled and looked around. "What company?" She didn't hear or see a thing. Still, she set the bag upright and put it in a safe place, readying her hands. If it were monsters, she'd stand and fight.
Tayne's announcement made Jasmine check herself as she exited the store, glancing to both sides. When she saw KJ set her bag down, she shook her head and started to follow Tayne as she spoke over her shoulder. "Don't stop, KJ. I can't hear them yet... Maybe if we hurry we can lose them?" It was probably a vain hope, she knew that even as she followed him, but she did it anyway. As she walked, she started to reach for the gun she'd tucked into her belt at the small of her back, then hesitated. She barely knew how to use the thing... maybe it'd be better if she tried to knock them out instead. It'd certainly leave her hands free, which seemed like a good idea.
Joyce paused outside the door and strained to hear whatever Tayne was hearing. She shook her head. "I can't hear anything. What does it sound like? Conversation?" Probably not, since he didn't look like he wanted to hang around to say 'hello'. He headed for his motorcycle and Joyce followed Jasmine's example, assuming KJ would join them. In case she was too distracted, Joyce turned and said, "KJ? Over here, please, sweetie..." It was important that they stick together. If some people were coming and they weren't friendly, she wanted to have her group close, to protect them as best she could. She readied the shotgun, just in case.
"Monster-type company," Tayne answered, kicking down the kickstand on his bike and beckoning the girls over. The sound of baying and howling was louder now, loud enough for the others to hear, and when Tayne looked over his shoulder in that direction, he could see the dog-looking things-- whether they had always been dogs, or if they were changed from something else, he didn't know-- starting to bound in and around the cars far down the street. A couple of them were big-- probably a little bigger than a German Shepherd. "As in, a pack of new-type wolves. Leave the stuff. Joyce-- get on here, let's see if we can't get both the girls on here, with you." It'd be tight. He didn't even know if it'd work.
Leave the stuff? KJ hesitated, looking between her bag, the motorcycle, and the approaching monsters. Leave the stuff... She swallowed thickly and nodded, heading over to the bike, her heart breaking. But they could come back, right? They would come back, and KJ would get her bag then. Looking at Tayne, she got on the bike again. "What are you gonna do?" she asked him, frowning. It didn't seem fair that they would run away on his bike and leave him behind.
Jasmine stood next to the bike, struggling to get her duffel and the airsoft gun off of her back. "Can you tell how many?" She asked quietly. If there weren't too many, maybe they would be able to take care of them-- which would be completely beneficial in her opinion. A few less monsters, plus the supplies they needed. "Maybe if it isn't too many... we should try and, y'know, get rid of them? Make the streets just a tiny bit safer..." Until anyone said otherwise, though, she was still trying to disentangle herself from what she was carrying, muttering as straps tangled on each other. Maybe crossing them both over her shoulders hadn't been a good idea after all... and no way was she going to be able to get on the bike until they were off her back.
She could hear them now and see them, too. A pack of some kind, yes. "New-type wolves," she repeated. "Great." Joyce looked at Tayne and said evenly, "I won't be able to drive this bike like you can." Jasmine and KJ were there now, though the former was talking about a confrontation and the latter was obviously reluctant to leave her suitcase behind. "If we can, we'll come back, but for now? Safety first. Tayne..." She glanced back to the advancing pack. "You drive. Get the girls back to the hotel. I'll buy you all the time I can." Joyce sighed at herself. "And, no, I'm not trying to sound dramatic." She said this in general, in case someone protested. She was just being practical. It came with the job and it was her nature. Protect the family. Mother Love. "Go."
"Joyce, what the hell," Tayne said, staring at her. Jasmine's suggestion to stay and fight didn't even register-- in part because he couldn't even comprehend doing so. There was at least eight or nine of those things, probably more, and as far as he knew, he was the only one of the four of them who was any good in a fight. "Nuh-uh," he told Joyce incredulously. "Get on the damn bike. I'm the one with the teeth and claws here, not you." They didn't have much longer to talk about it. If Joyce didn't get in the motorcycle in the next thirty seconds, they'd all be stuck in the middle of a dog-fight.
"Well if you're staying, I'm staying," KJ said, shrugging and moving closer to them. "I could slam rocks into at least a few of them." Tayne said something about teeth and claws, so she could only assume he could change into a class of animal with those things; what it was, she had no idea, considering there were quite a few that came to mind. Whether or not Joyce had an actual ability that could help her or was just a good marksmen, she wasn't sure, and Jasmine seemed... Well, more talk than action. Looking between the three of them, KJ shrugged again and rolled up her sleeves. "What's the harm?"
Jasmine had finally managed to disentangle herself from the duffel bag and air gun and was tossing them as gently as she could onto the sidewalk. There wasn't anything edible in the bag, at least, so maybe the things heading their way would leave them alone. Nervously, she watched the others. She had no idea how to ride the motorcycle, and since it didn't look like anyone was getting on to drive it, she didn't know what to do. She was ready to help protect herself and the others if she had to, but she'd been expecting someone else to make a firm decision one way or the other by now. Nervously, she swallowed and moved closer to the motorcycle, still watching the others. She wouldn't run away on her own, that was certain at least-- she wasn't a coward, even if she was nervous.
They were resisting, which was very noble of them, but it was time to put her foot down. In her best, no-nonsense Mom-voice, Joyce said, "This isn't a debate. I appreciate the gestures, but we're all going to be dog food if you don't go now. Tayne, you have teeth and claws. That's hand-to-hand, as it were, and I don't want you getting into that with them." She hefted the shotgun. "Long-range weapon. You know how to drive this thing, so at least three of us will have a chance. Go. Now." To KJ and Jasmine, she said, "Get on and hold on. Move!" With a last look at Tayne, Joyce turned and headed for the pack, firing the gun as she went. If she was going down, she was going down fighting.
If Joyce was already getting herself in the middle of things, Tayne was the only other one who could drive the bike. He swore, loudly and viciously, and then grabbed KJ's arm to pull her back towards the motorcycle. "You're c-coming. I'm not letting t-t-t-two of you be suicidal today." He swung onto the bike, leaned as far to the front as he could, and ordered, "Get on, Jas' first, K-KJ you behind her. Hold onto each other tight, now." This was going to be difficult, but he'd manage it. "Leave your stuff. I'll come back for it later, if I can, but lives're worth more than stuff." He started the engine, and waited for the girls to get on.
Still, KJ hesitated, looking between Joyce and the other two. She didn't really know Joyce was an authority figure, but even she couldn't deny the tone in her voice. But how was it fair to leave Joyce to fight a whole pack of monsters? "We can't just leave her!" KJ insisted, a torn look on her face, wanting to leave and wanting to stay. Finally, she took a deep breath, and concentrating, she swung her arms up. A set of bricks flew out of a building close by the pack, and although inwardly KJ cringed to be destroying buildings, she knew they would likely crumble anyway, and Joyce was more important. She rushed her hands through the air, the bricks falling on two of the wolf-like creatures. Having felt like she'd done something, at least, she hopped onto the bike behind Jasmine, still pained to leave the other woman behind.
Jasmine did as instructed, climbing onto the seat behind Tayne as close as she could to leave room for KJ-- These things weren't meant for three people, were they? When KJ climbed on behind her, she looked back at the other woman. "Hold on tight," she said softly, before her eyes drifted back to Joyce. Maybe she knew something they didn't, maybe she had some kind of power that would help, but it would be dangerous if other people were nearby? Whatever the case, Jasmine hoped against hope that this wouldn't be the last time she saw the older woman. Clenching her eyes shut and fighting a guilty conscience, she turned around and put an arm around Tayne, afraid she'd fly off when they started.
She heard the engine start, but she didn't look back. Joyce knew that Tayne wasn't happy about leaving her - none of them had been, the dears - but these creatures were fast and they weren't friendly puppies anymore - if they'd originally been dogs at all. It looked that way, but - A nearby building seemed to give way and two of the creatures were hit by flying bricks. Joyce Watkins smiled. If she lived to see another day, she'd have to make sure she thanked a certain young woman for that. With any luck, the motorcycle and the skilled man driving it would be able to get them all to safety. That didn't mean she was going to make herself an easy target. She hung the gun around her neck by it's strap, vaulted the low, cement partition of a public parking lot, and ran for her life.
The bike didn't really want to go, with three people on it, even if one was scrawny as hell and the other a fairly average-sized woman. Neither of them were tiny, and Tayne was still pretty burly. But he gunned it, hit the gas as far as it would go, and the bike squealed away. A few of the dogs tried to follow, but most of them went after Joyce.
Joyce, who he was expecting never to see again.
Tayne swore viciously again, and focused on getting the other two back home. He could worry about guilt and anger later. Right now, he had a job to do.