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Post by Clementine on Feb 25, 2020 16:18:26 GMT -5
Los Conejos Vampiros. That's what this small band of girls called themselves, including their two young charges. Clementine, age 15 as of last summer, and now 5'4" tall, was still growing. She was the second oldest of the three eldest girls. For the most part group decisions were made by majority consensus among the three oldest, bit over the years Clementine had grown into the unofficial leader in emergency situations. Mostly because she had a tendency to keep the calmest mind out of all of them, and good at thinking on her feet. At least that's how it worked when the girls were on their own. Their group dynamics were not always as pronounced around their newer family and allies
Clem still kept her curly black hair in short pigtails and she still often wore her Dad's old hat. It was kinda her trademark after all.. Whatever else she wore varied from day to to day. They had collected enough scavenged clothing or even made a little of their own from deerskin. Though she usually went with jeans and an old t-shirt
Post by Dakota Snow on Feb 25, 2020 16:19:05 GMT -5
Los Conejos Vampiros eldest girl, just barely, Dakota had just turned 17 and still 5'2” As tall as she was ever going to get. These days she got to watch Clem and Maria slow catch up or even pass her in height. She had long accepted that Clem was just going to be taller, but it was still little weird when she realized how much evenly she stood with Maria. She was not the shortest of the three eldest yet, and even if she did end up the shortest, she was still the strongest and most athletically gifted. Dakota was the sharpshooter and best hunter, and while she had since passed her old rifle on down to Maria, trading in for one of the bigger rifles her great grandpa and grandpa had stocked on the Motunui ranch. With the growing scarcity of ammunition in mind though, she most often uses Ash's old crossbow. Making her own bolts was easy enough.
Like Clementine, what Dakota wore varied from day to day, and she had the same preference for jeans and old t-shirts. Her blonde locks were often in a pony tail and more often than not she wore Ash's old cowboy hat. It was fit just so these days.
Post by María Vallejo on Feb 25, 2020 16:21:31 GMT -5
The youngest of the three older girls, Maria was no 14 and still growing, but almost as tall as Dakota at an even 5' tall. She had followed well into her parents' path of the medical field. She was far from qualified to call herself doctor, but she was group medic nonetheless. She had collected what books she cold from the local Lakeport library, and even a few old textbooks from Sonoma State University on a trip a little ways south. Maria was also the unofficial team mom, taking the lion's share of responsibilities over the day to day needs of the youngest, Tina (now 4) and Lee (now 5). The girls all took turns with the younger set, but Maria's personal dislike of guns meant she put her shooting skills to work only when absolutely necessary. Clem and Dakota in turn took on most of the hunting. Maria was also a pretty good herbalist. Old Wolrd mecical supplies were even harder to find than ammunition sometimes, so she had learned and experimented with what could done with the local flora.
Maria kept her dark hair longer than the others, but she often wore it up in a bun, and she often wore Dakota and Clem's hand-me downs. She did prefer dresses more than the older two girls.
Post by Clementine on Feb 25, 2020 16:22:28 GMT -5
The girls had elected to stay on at Motunui over the last couple years. They knew the area, and knew how to survive off what its lands could provide, and had developed an elaborate system of traps, foxholes and trenches to hide in or slow down intruders. They were rather ruthless on the rare occasion they discovered a base camp of bandits too close to the ranch for comfort. Such was the case when they found the camp of the bandits that had raided and driven them from their home those two years ago. With wildfire an ever present threat to the area, they may have lit one, and let the flames do the dirty work of burning out the bandits. It was risky, but getting their cabin burnt down and having to live in tents was better, they thought, than living under threat of the bandits' return.
The friends and allies they had met the next day had been invited to stay on at Motunui Ranch if they wanted. Extra hands were always welcome. Haley's friends who had come to make Lampson Field their base however briefly was a great deterrent to the likes of bandits in the area as long as they stayed. Another deterrent to bandits and other trouble from the living was a settlement from San Francisco.
The settlement had been founded by survivors of a government refugee camp that had been set up on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay, when there was still an official US government with hopes of containing the outbreak. The camp had housed people from San Francisco and a number of Supervisors from the City Council. When hope for rescue from the feds proved futile, the surviving council members voted declare the remaining camp survivors and national guardsman to be an independent city state, the Free City of San Francisco.
With a population of close to 1500 people, it was hardly a city by old standards, but veritable metropolis compared to most other post-apocalyptic gathering of living souls. Over time they reclaimed an annexed different islands in the San Francisco Bay and Bay Delta. The FCSF had its share of trials tribulations through the early days. Securing their islands from walkers and new outbreaks was not easy, but they did figure out tricks and rules to make their new island homes as safe could be found. The population dove to around 1100 before things were secured.
The most controversial, but key to preventing a fresh outbreak within their homes was a new law that no individual was allowed to be alone. People were assigned to groups of five or more, and it was expected that everyone in these squads be expected to look out for and watch over each other. They were meant to sleep in shifts, so there was always someone watching. In theory there would always be someone present to put down cases of accidental death to stop the resulting walker from recruiting the first people to stumble in on it to be walkers too. New people or individuals who lost their groups were put into solitary quarantine in Alcatraz until they cold be assigned to a squad.
FCSF also made a point of collecting Old World technology for the sake of preservation and for putting to their own uses. After all these years, the core islands in the Bay had limited electricity and smelting furnace. Everything they could not use was cataloged and stored for future use and reference.
After all these years, their efforts had transformed the Bay Area and some parts north from post-apocalypse into frontier living. A place where survival was no longer the only thing to live for, but a new future was being built. Walkers were a resource to be exploited as much as a threat they remained to peoples' lives.
Not everyone welcomed the change that the FCSF brought expanding their territory and presence, but all benefited from something. Especially the steady trade they allowed in the area around them. In the surrounding area, small groups of survivors had all established some life for themselves, and a select few had established themselves as local warlords. Many were not ready to give up the freedom or power they had come to enjoy.
The steady trade the FCSF's influence allowed is the one thing that coaxed many in the surrounding areas to tolerate FCSF personnel coming and going. The trade connected people and allowed another way to acquire goods people would have to scavenge for or grow themselves otherwise.
The closest and newest FCSF outpost to Motunui Ranch was an old winery where the owners had gone through the trouble to build authentic medieval (13th-century) Italian Tuscan castle on their winery. Castillo di Amorosa in Napa. One county south of the ranch. It was just simply called the Castle under FCSF occupation. The Free City of San Francisco had transformed it into a safe and secure trading bazaar. It featured the FCSF's latest technological achievement, refurbished steam engines and rail line constructed at great cost from the Castle to Fort Vallejo in the former city of Vallejo in Solano County. It sat on the northern most reach of San Francisco Bay, connecting the endeavors north with the core settlements. Rumors say these refurbished steam trains and other steam engines powering things on the core islands burn slain walkers for fuel. The acrid smell of the train's smoke does little to dispel these kind of stories.
Last Edit: Feb 25, 2020 17:50:34 GMT -5 by Clementine
Post by Fr. Thomas Burns on Feb 25, 2020 23:45:21 GMT -5
"You're sure about this? Dropping out of law school--for this? Your 1L grades are pretty damn good, Tommy--"
"Thomas."
"Oh, we're serious now." He slaps my shoulder. "Okay, okay, Thomas." He snorts. "Look, man, you could get a good firm job with these grades next fall. You could probably get in with my firm. Dad would love that. Mom would be elated. Working together would be fun, huh?"
"You don't understand. You just don't. It's all so...corporeal. So...temporal. What, I help a client in an employment discrimination case? I keep the gears of the economy turning? I rake in a starting salary of 150k, and maybe make 800k per year by the time it's all done--for what? To marry some woman I won't love for more than five years, to have two or three children I ship off to school, tutors--pump full of medicine so they focus in class so they can go off to Duke or Georgetown or Notre Dame--for what, Anthony?"
"Vow of poverty. Vow of chastity. I mean--those are the only two I know. A lot more! You're signing away your life to these people, man. Forever. Forever."
"I am not signing my life over to any group of people--to any man. I am signing my life over to God."
"Signing your life over to a guy you've never met." He forms the sign of the cross, mockingly.
"Anthony, I hope one day--somehow--you learn to care about life in a deeper and fuller way. Perhaps you will find a woman who changes things. Perhaps children will change things. But I pray that for you--every day."
"I'm not sure the end of the world could get me to believe in what you believe, Tom." The arrogance is gone. His voice carries pain and regret.
"If the end of the world...would help you to believe what I believe, then I would pray for the end of the world."
Eyes open. Same dream--or, a similar iteration of it. Father Thomas Burns rubbed his eyes and slowly rolled out of his bed. His position as a Holy Man granted him something of a special role in this new community. He was granted limited space and time to be alone, rather than having to always be around others. This was, so he had argued, for spiritual reflection which would better assist his homilies. The sacrament of confession, too, required Father Thomas and the confessor--not a crowd of five people. The American conception of the separation of church and state, too, had been eroded in this new society. Although Father Thomas held no formal political post, he was often advised on the needs of the community, and would provide advice and counsel in return. Usually, these needs were confined to matters moral, spiritual, and cultural--but, at times, he'd assist in more practical matters, too. More people had turned to God since the end of the world, and many had even expressed interest in joining the Catholic Church. Father Thomas had never conducted the sacrament of confirmation before the end of the world, but was happy to try his hand now.
He took his morning swig of whiskey and spat it back out, this was merely a substitute for brushing teeth when supplies were low. After getting dressed, he departed his small abode and stepped into the streets. The smell of the air was particularly rancid today, not doing much to dispel the rumors that steam engines were somehow powered by burning walkers.
The sight of Father Thomas always brought a moment of peace to the residents, even the most grizzled fighters. "Father Thomas, good morning."
"Good morning, Father."
"Father Tom! Hello!"
Thomas returned all of these with a smile, and occasionally a meek "hello." Thomas was not a meek man, but he only spoke when he felt he had to--casual greetings were not his strong suit. As he neared the bazar, Thomas caught sight of the folks he knew the longest--not the grizzled soldiers and not even adults. No, they were children. Dakota, Clem, María, as well as their younger wards. Thomas could not contain his smile. He saw the girls once every few weeks, united by a special bond since their first meeting at the airfield, and was always happy to see them. He'd encourage them to attend mass--often more as an old world habit. "Girls, how are we today?" Thomas asked, his hands in his pockets. "María, you know I may need some help with my homily. Maybe you could give me some pointers this weekend--y'know, to appeal to the youth, huh?" He winked at Dakota and Clem. "But, truly, how are we doing? What's got us out and about today?"
Post by María Vallejo on Feb 27, 2020 0:13:53 GMT -5
María, a life long Catholic, was the only one of the three girls who was truly religious. Clem and Dakota could be counted among those w ho more described themselves as spiritual instead. Hey believed in some sort of higher power that could be described as God, but did not subscribe to any particular Old World religion. It should be no surprise that María was the most regular attendee of Father Thomas' mass. Dakota and Clem attended every so often with her, but María went as often as she could afford.
She was delighted at the offer to help Father Thomas with his homily, a bright grin spreading immediately across her face. María smiled to the father, ”Padre Thomas! Good to see you! I'd love to help, if I can. To appeal to the youth? Maybe you can focus on how God loves them no matter what this world has made them do. Or maybe don't mention the A-P-O-C-A-L-Y-P-S-E without also saying something about the New World that is being born from it.”
Lee: “I can spell ya know! A...p..o.. Um wel mayb enot that word yet. What word was it?”
Tina: “I dunno. But they spell stuffs we not 'sposed ta hear.”
María, chuckled and smiled to the two younger children, ”Oh, don't worry about it you two.” Not wanting to rehash things with lee in front of Father Thomas, so she lowered her voice, to a whisper, ”We were talking about living through the end of the world the other day, and Leew-” Lee proved he had good hearing as he spoke up.
Lee: “Yeah.. how can it be the end of the world? You can't be borned into no world. Me and Tina were borned we were borned, so there has to be a world.”
María sighed a little and nodded, ”I know you probably necessarily mean the just the youngest youth, but when I think about it us older youth might feel something like that. And around here, I think God has made it clear the world goes on.”
Last Edit: Feb 27, 2020 0:17:01 GMT -5 by María Vallejo
Clementine was always glad to see Father Thomas. Even if they met him at one of the lowest points of their lives, He and the other friends that night at Lampson Field were a much needed silver lining. She smiled quietly, ”Hey Padre.”
She laughed as María,tried her best to keep Lee from causing a scene. Clem, for one didn't really see anything wrong with it. ”That's a good question, Lee. It's just a figure of speech. Things have changed a lot. I know it's hard for you to imagine, but there was a time when there was no such thing as walkers. But María is right. Walkers or no walkers, the world goes on.”
She smiled back to Father Thomas, ”There's a couple reasons we're out today. We've got some crops to trade in for some bio-diesel. Gas for our truck isn't that easy to find anymore.”
Post by Dakota Snow on Feb 27, 2020 0:20:45 GMT -5
Dakota was happy to see Thomas too, she tipped back her hat and offered her own bright smile, ”Whatup, Padre!” She snerked at Lee's question being replayed. She did frown a little as she let herself think over how that very question had haunted her one or another over the years. She nodded in more somber agreement, ”Yeah... it can be kinda derpessing when your not sure if there's a future to grow up in.”
Realizing her the effect her words might have on Tina and Lee almost immediately, she perked back up, and offered the two little ones a hopeful smile, ”And now we know there is. I mean look at how big you've both gotten... and next year I'll be 18! There IS a tomorrow.”
After Clementine noted they were here to load up on fuel for their truck, Dakota added, ”We also have our usual shopping list of things we hope somone has for trade.. like maybe a new solar charger for my iPhone. It's amazing it still works, but we're down to watching the movies and shows on it an hour at a time. I hope it holds out. It's nice sharing a taste of the Old World with Lee and Tina. Maybe some candy for Summerween and Halloween. It's never too early to prepare the holidays.”
Post by Fr. Thomas Burns on Feb 27, 2020 20:23:37 GMT -5
Padre. Father Thomas smiled at the name--he'd been called it from time to time before the dead started walking, usually by Spanish speakers. Sometimes English speakers would refer to him as padre as well, as a term of endearment. The fact that the kids--which, soon, wouldn't be accurate because Dakota was 17--were comfortable enough to call Father Thomas by something of a nickname made him happy. He knew the kids well, but certainly not to the level of family. They'd been through a lot together, they found this community together, but the journey was so fast and dangerous that there wasn't a lot of bonding to be done. They got to know each other, to an extent, but not in the most profound senses.
Father Thomas listened as María spoke with little Lee about the end of the world, how the world goes on. "There is a plan, Lee. The Big Man is always looking out for us, even if we can't always see or understand."
Lord knows I can't.
Taking on this role meant providing comfort--even to those who held no faith. Father Thomas would always bring things back to God and the Church, but he also recognized that he could not afford to be too austere and potentially drive people away from Divine Truth. And, more important than all, was the comfort of the children. Comfort did not always mean ignorance, however.
"Hope is always important, María--you're right. I will try to weave this theme into our homily." He smiled at the kids, so full of life and promise. The future. It was true before the apocalypse, and it was true now. He listened next to Dakota and Clem discuss their shopping needs. "Do you need any help buying or trading? I'm on good terms with most of the folks here. Keeping an iPhone working in these times is an amazing feat, Dakota, and I wouldn't want to see it turn off! I would be happy to talk to people here, if you'd like."
Father Thomas glanced about the bazar, the usual bustle. It's amazing how people imitated the forms of their pre-apocalypse life so quickly once some order was reintroduced. Yes, things were dirtier, dingier. People were less clean, and a bartering system had replaced a conventional commercial setting in many ways. But, still, strip away the superficial differences, and people hadn't been changed all that much by the end of the world. At least, not here.
Post by Dakota Snow on Feb 28, 2020 2:03:51 GMT -5
The girls had been coming to the Castle for awhile now. It's bazaar sure beat scavenging for everything. Scavenging was still necessary, but between the girls' garden and hunting and the Castle it was no longer a daily necessity. All the same Dakota would not turn down help with the various people with stuff to trade. Father Thomas was sure to know them all better, just maybe he could get them a priest's discount ”Always..I'm sure they now you way better than us anyway, so maybe they'll offer up special things. Thanks, Padre”
Maria”It might be the most important. .. Hope I mean.”
Post by Fr. Thomas Burns on Feb 28, 2020 3:13:17 GMT -5
"Sure thing--I'm happy to help. How about one or two of you go and tend to trading, and the rest of us can head on over to see about that solar iPhone charger. I'm no tech guru, but if anyone has it, it's Albert--or, uh, Al." Al was a nice man--probably the kindest man Father Thomas had the occasion of meeting here. He was a large man--miraculously, given the seeming scarcity of food. A lapsed Catholic, Al had come to Thomas many times since the latter's arrival. The man had lost his wife, and with her so went the faith. A story to which Father Thomas was accustomed--in the old world. The circumstances were quite different when said-wife rose from the dead and had to be shot by her grieving husband.
Still, Father Thomas had built quite a relationship with Al, and could probably get the charger for the girls, along with other supplies they may need. Al was a jack of all trades, and a handyman to boot. "Whoever wants to come with me can explain whatever Summerween is," Father Thomas invited.
Post by María Vallejo on Feb 29, 2020 3:55:03 GMT -5
María nodded and smiled to Clem and Dakota, ”You two go ahead. I'll take Tina and Lee and go get the bio-diesel, and other sundries we need. I kinda wanna see what med supplies I can find too..”
Lee: “But I wanna tell the padre abouts Summerween!”
Tina: “Yeah me too!”
She affectionately beeped each of the little ones' noses, ”But if you come with me, you get to pick out the treats we'll have!”
Both Lee and Tina both looked at each other and cheered. They would follow María off, greatly excited. María waved back to Father Thomas, Dakota and Clementine. ”See you all back here.”
Last Edit: Feb 29, 2020 3:55:50 GMT -5 by María Vallejo
Clementine frowned in thought. Of all the tings on their collective shopping list, she had thought finding a new solar charger to be the least likely to be found. It was amazing they had a working one at all this far into the New world. If there was a chance to keep that iPhone working, it might be worth it. It was the only taste of the Old World Tina and Lee would ever get.
She nodded to Maria, ”Sounds good. Though if need any help getting any of the supplies back to thet truck, feel free to come get us.”
Dakota chimed in to Lee and Tina as they followed close to Maria.
Dakota:”Be good you two! Find us the best treats!”
Clem smiled and chuckled watching them disappear into the hustle and bustle. She turned her smile back to Father Thomas, ”Take us to this friend of yours, Padre. It'll be great if he happens to have a charger! As for Summerween.. well.. when we were still on the road. We had a lot of time on our hands when we weren't busy running for our lives..and we kinda had started a tradition of declaring holidays, especially since we lost track of what actual day it was. A couple years ago, me and Kota were bored enough one summer day to declare Summerween..because it gave us an excuse to make masks and eat some of the candy we had been saving. Of course, since there wasn't anywhere to go get candy, our trick or treating was handing candy out to the people with us. Now we've been doing it so long, Tina and Lee think Halloween Is supposed to come twice a year. We're fine with that, because it's still a good excuse to have fun.”
Shauna Kelly: That helped, thank you
Oct 4, 2021 14:40:44 GMT -5
Ayita Hunt: dang, January was my last post.. Jeez it's been a hot minute. o7 guys, sorry for the complete disappearance, life got.. a little interesting this year.
Oct 18, 2021 22:34:19 GMT -5