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Post by Espionage Akero on Dec 22, 2010 1:18:06 GMT -5
It was way too early, but they had to get a move on while the sun was up or they wouldn't make it far enough in time. Espio wasn't entirely sure where they were going yet. He just knew that this place wasn't safe anymore. He wanted to get out, maybe even reach the forest. Though the forest might be less safe than the city. Somewhere, anywhere, nearby preferably, there had to be a safe building. Somewhere hopefully with more people. People who had a whole lot of medical supplies. There weren't any injuries yet but there would be. They'd probably have food, water, better sleeping supplies than whatever they had. They didn't have anything. Just the clothes on their back and each other. No, Espio wasn't alone. He had his one companion only recently met and he was depending on this hooded man to do a lot of the ass-kicking in this zombie invasion. Espio wasn't one for fighting. He wanted to be the brains of this operation.
Espio, groaning, dragged himself through the front door, hardly even paying attention to where he was going. That would have been the perfect chance for a zombie to attack. His eyes were shut, a hand rubbing absently at them as he pulls his jacket closer around him with a shiver. He hated winter. At least being outside in it. It was rather beautiful if you were on the inside looking out through frosty windows. With a weak yawn, the boy turns his gaze up to that cloudy sky, squinting as he readjusts that bag over his shoulders and gets a better grip on the bat in his hand. This was going to be a long day. Just like every other day in the apocalypse. The seconds tick by like hours and, wishing it would end, the time only expanded. When facing the zombie apocalypse in person instead of through a window or a computer screen, it wasn't as fun as Espio thought it would be.
The boy turned around, back to the street and facing the open door now as he peers in a little. "Hey, Mr. Hood? Coast is looking kinda clear. No dead people, no blood, no random livers or spleens. Not even a single scream. I think we're good," Espio called inside, wondering where that man was. He'd left to go outside before the hooded man had told him to. But Espio wasn't taking orders from that man. Espio was the leader in this duo. He decided this the moment they embarked from his house. If the hooded figure had complaints, he hadn't voiced them yet. Which was why Espio was doing this his way. He was leaving when he wanted to leave, whether the other was ready for it or not... and sometimes without bothering to tell the other. |
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Post by Koota Dubois on Dec 22, 2010 1:49:13 GMT -5
we're dead in this ghost town [/i][/color]
So damn early. Morning was not Koota's favorite time, he was more a dusk type. When the sky grew dark, the night started to grow loud with the sounds of creatures and bugs and life alike. At least, back when people were around he had loved night. That had been when the bright lights would blink to life, the music would turn louder and things got hot and heavy. Bottles were popped open and drained, clothes were tight against hot bodies that pressed against each others while they moved to the beat of the sound around them.
That had been his life before everything fell to shit. Nights of wild antics and bad choices, intoxication and contagious laughter. The nights now held a much more deadly meaning, lights became the enemy and sounds were a death sentence if too loud and close. They were no longer lonely though, in fact he always seemed to have this little boy by his side..
Speaking of that boy. Koota looked down, perched on teh railing of a balcony. It was not high up, he could see the fine details of the boy below as a low sigh escaped him. The things he would give if they could break into a house with a smoker. That wasn't the issue at the moment though, instead he tugged his hood lower over his face before placing the strap of his bag on the edge of the balcony, pleased when it balanced. There was only a brief moment of a smirk before he pushed off the ledge and landed on the ground beside the other, slightly crouched down. He quickly stood up straight and only had to jump up a bit to yank his bag free from it's hold, and his eyes were set on the boy, a amused look on his face even though hidden. " hn " He didn't like to talk. It was fun watching the boy, Espio, struggle to get words from him.
these are the bad lands, the worst place to fear |
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Post by Espionage Akero on Dec 22, 2010 2:02:03 GMT -5
Confusion quickly swept over the boy. He couldn't figure out why the other wasn't at the door by now. A light frown covered Espio's face as he took a few steps back, scratching at his chin lightly with his free hand. Maybe he'd gotten lost in the building. It's not like the place was that big or anything. Just as the boy was a about to turn around, the shadow caught his eye, quickly followed by the thud beside him. A rather loud scream- or was it a squeal?- escaped his lips as he quickly turned to face his attacker. The first thought coming to the boy's mind was zombie. Thinking that it really was a fleshing eating beast, the bat, studded with some rather rusty nails and a knife, that had been held so tightly one minute ago in his hand was chucked at the dark figure. It flew right from his hand at the other, instead of using the smarter idea of making a run at the creature without giving up his one shot weapon.
But as the figure's appearance sunk in, Espio slapped his hand over his mouth, his eyes going wide as saucers. "Oh shit shit shit... you! Why would you do that?! What crazy stunt were you trying to pull? I could have killed you," he yelled at the man, immediately stepping over to him and reaching out to grab at his shoulder. Espio's hands were shaking, both fear and worry clear in his eyes as his hand jerks back, resulting in a single step backward. The boy swallowed hard and turned his head away nervously. "I-I did miss, right...? I... I don't have medical supplies on me right now but..." The boy drew in a sharp breath, avoiding looking at the other as he slipped his bag from his shoulders and dropped down to his knees to search. But there wasn't anything in there that could possibly used for first aid purposes. Not even band-aids. |
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Post by Koota Dubois on Dec 22, 2010 2:16:50 GMT -5
we're dead in this ghost town [/i][/color]
So he did have reflexes? It was shameful that this fact was shocking to Koota. The sound he uttered distracted him though, enough so that he reacted late at the bat falling at him. Koota was lucky though, his trained feet slid back in enough time that the part that connected with his shoulder was not decorated with nails. A soft grunt escaped the older male as he felt the harsh sting against his shoulders, but he didn't dare touch it. Instead he just forced a smile -- even if it couldn't be seen -- and let his dark eyes stare down at the other. His hand gently pointed up to the balcony, silently showing where he had been.
His hand reached out to grab Espio's arm, pulling the child to his feet as he shook his head. He was fine, the dull pain would drift off. The European mutt had been through worse, besides they didn't have time. With a lost grunt, he softly tugged the boy's arm before dropping it and turning away. They had to start moving fast, and it was so fucking cold that Koota wasn't going to enjoy this day. A shiver shook his body as his feet started to walk away. That froggy boy would catch up, he always did. Koota had to think about where to go next, they couldn't just keep ducking away into homes -- no doubt the child was colder then he was. He had to find them stable living, for at least a few days. If the temperature dropped anymore, they couldn't keep traveling like this. Espio was too small.. he would need rest. Koota didn't know why he brought along this puppy -- guppy? He was just.. those eyes, he couldn't just abandon the kid when he looked at him with those eyes.
Didn't mean he had to be nice though. ".. Nice squeal, frog princess "
these are the bad lands, the worst place to fear |
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Post by Espionage Akero on Dec 22, 2010 2:29:03 GMT -5
A soft gasp escaped the younger's lips as he was pulled back up to his feet. The bag was pulled up with him and he turned his gaze to where the man was pointing. His eyes instantly narrowed at the balcony. Espio sure as hell hoped there weren't any Left 4 Dead Hunter styled zombies around here to come swooping down from building to eat him. Though that only got really curious about what the hooded man would be like as a zombie. That would be one scary ass flesh eating walking dead. A soft huff escaped the boy's lifts and a few incoherent grumbles mostly about how he had to start paying attention to anything that had higher ground than him. The boy had nothing against heights and Espio would take full advantage of higher ground if he could have it. But the highest ground he'd seen so far was a roof and he had no clue how to get on top of those.
Espio watched the man walk away and he glared daggers right into his back. He quickly zipped up the bag and slung it back over his shoulder before picking up that bat in one hand again. The boy was clearly annoyed. It showed it the weird expressions that came to his face along with the muttered curse here and there. But the boy was distracted from his annoyance. He had let out a deep sigh and a puff of white air escaped from his lips. Espio kept walking, following a few meters behind the man. But he kept on blowing out the foggy steam, using his free hand to try and bat it away like he was some sort of kitten. Even while following, he tried to make foggy white rings from his breath like smoking men could do on TV. But he couldn't form anything with his breath besides blobs. Again, he was distracted, only this time by that voice. The annoyance was back and Espio was glaring again. "Frog what? What did you call me? Honestly? First of all, frogs don't squeal last I heard. Second, I don't have a squealing bone in this body," the boy sneered as he gave a roll of his eyes and quickly picked up the pace to catch up to the man, though still a good three meters behind him. He didn't want to get too close. The hooded figure might bite. |
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Post by Koota Dubois on Dec 22, 2010 3:08:33 GMT -5
we're dead in this ghost town [/i][/color]
That may be another reason he kept the kid around, he was so damn cute. Even a few feet away, he only had to glance back to see those batting motions and the like. Really.. how old was this child suppose to be? Letting his eyes fall back to the road ahead of him, hands tightly gripped and shoved into the pockets of his hoodie, a laugh followed the boy's accusing words. It wasn't a loud laugh, merely a sharp chuckle that barely lasted a moment before everything fall silent again. The child wasn't going to get a response other then a shrug of his shoulders. Did he really expect Koota to reply? Well, not with words he shouldn't.
His steps stopped suddenly and he spun around. When Espio was close enough, he took a step forward so his own figure was towering over the child, his lips gently curved with amusement. A hand slid out from his jacket, eyes staying on Espio's and even though his eyes couldn't be seen, teh gaze could be felt. His hand brushed past the boy's open jacket and fingers swiftly dipped under the boy's shirt. His cold, uncovered fingers brushed the other's slightly warm skin and gave a quick, soft jab at the boy's side in a way to almost purposely startle him, then merely turned his back again, taking his hand back into his jacket. Gripping his bag, his steps started to pick up again. The weight of the items wasn't much, but enough to keep his attention on them and not the boy he had touched. Espio was still warm.. that was good. They couldn't risk using some fireplace. The smoke would draw too much attention..
these are the bad lands, the worst place to fear |
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Post by Espionage Akero on Dec 22, 2010 3:28:36 GMT -5
Of course the man wasn't going to reply to him. He never did. Out of pure annoyance, while the man's back was turned, he glared and stuck his tongue out at him, so very tempted to pick up a nearby rock and chuck it at his head. But either the rock would be too small for Espio to hit his target or it would be too heavy for him to get very far. So he just shoved both hands deep into his pockets, his bat hung by a string around his wrist, and grumbled away while following the other's lead. Whatever. As long as this hooded man could follow all of Espio's orders, they wouldn't have a problem. It wouldn't matter if he answered or even talked at all. Espio could just talk to himself. He could always rely on himself to reply to himself. And talking to yourself in a zombie apocalypse wasn't all that crazy. Everyone did it. It was becoming a trend. Espio could swear that it was.
Espio's eyes had been on the ground and he'd hardly noticed how close the man suddenly was. A deep breath was taken in and held, staring up at the other man's face, or at least what he could see of it. As the the man's hand touched at his shirt, Espio shut his eyes, heart pounding loud and fast in ears while his fingers clenched tightly in his pocket. Then, the cold fingers touching his skin, Espio let out his breath in a weak sigh, a shiver going right down his spine. A soft gasp slipped his lips at the book and his eyes were wide again, fixed on the other as a deep blush spread over his face. Espio had enjoyed that too much and would have hated if the other could have noticed by his reactions. While the other was pulling away, the young boy was growling and turning away to quickly zip his jacket up right to his chin. Stupid man thinking he can touch Espio's body without even asking. "What are you? Gay? You honestly think you can touch another guy like that and be off the hook just like that?" Espio started asking, watching the other walk away. He narrows his eyes and quickly catches up to him, right at his heels this time. "You better have an explanation for that, you creep." |
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Post by Koota Dubois on Dec 22, 2010 4:01:09 GMT -5
we're dead in this ghost town [/i][/color]
Strange, strange, adorable child. Those sounds and blush, what a little pedo-nip. ...he did not just think the words pedo-nip, did he? Whatever, didn't matter. Heat words followed his actions, as expected, and so was the grin that followed them. This kid was just simply too fun to tease.. such a thing wasn't good to dangle before a bullying wolf like Koota. Was he gay? Tsk, what a strange accusation. Koota has flirted with men of course, done more then flirted even, but he wasn't gay. Just a flirt and a young man who didn't mind falling between the sheets with a charming smile or pair of beautifully bright eyes. Of course they didn't always have to be bright; he greatly enjoyed Espio's eyes.
There was still no reply. At the 'you better have an excuse' snap, Koota merely lifted a bare hand and gave a thumps up before placing it back in his pocket. There was no way he was going to explain why he had done such a thing, and there was no way he was going to regret it either. Humming a light tune, though gently, he kept his eyes along the road. He couldn't think about the cute frog princess right now, after all he had to keep his mind aware at all times. He became a felt dubbed guard of this child, sadly. As much as he didn't wish to admit it.. Koota knew that zombie or person alike, he wasn't going to let a damn soul hurt a hair on that precious boy's head. He was precious now? Geeze..
Koota still wasn't going to take off his hood.
these are the bad lands, the worst place to fear |
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Post by Espionage Akero on Dec 22, 2010 4:12:18 GMT -5
Espio's eye twitched in annoyance and one of his hands, having slipped from his pocket, was now clenched tight around the baseball bat at his side. The urge to swing that bat at this man's head was huge right now. It was all a lie. Espio couldn't deal with this man not answering him. When he had a question, he wanted an answer. Especially when the question was about something that had confused him so much and got him flustered so bad. But the boy took in a long few calming breaths to calm down his anger. Espio didn't want to kill off the man he'd recruited as his minion. He had no idea where he'd find a new one. Most of the people in the town weren't alive anymore. They were walking about but they were definitely dead. Espio hadn't seen another living soul since he'd left the front doorstep of his warm and cozy home.
There was a big huff from the boy and his footsteps starting to slow, his gaze dropping to what was supposed to be his path forward. "You really suck, ya know that? Explanations would have be nice. Useful even. They would have made things a lot easier between us," Espio told him simply. His voice was blank yet his gaze was hard while his footsteps had went straight to a stop. The boy had a big habit of running away from his problems. Sure, he could face his bullies back in school, but they actually talked to him and gave him a whole lot of attention. This hooded freak didn't do that. So, as Espio always did before, he ran from his problems that he didn't know how to fix. His eyes were on the man's back, slowly turning away from him. He didn't say another word and tried to keep his footsteps silent. Trying not to grab the man's attention as he, at a quick pace, started walking in the complete opposite direction of the man. He didn't know what could be in that direction that was useful. What mattered is that he could run away. Maybe going with this man was a huge mistake. Maybe he should go back home and hope someone a hell of a lot nicer showed up for him. |
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Post by Koota Dubois on Dec 22, 2010 4:32:54 GMT -5
we're dead in this ghost town [/i][/color]
Oh no, that wasn't happening. His eyes widened for a moment -- he knew that tone. With a sigh, he turned and indeed saw the feet moving away. This child.. what was he playing at? A soft frowned appeared on his face as he wondered if he should let the boy go. Where was he going to go? Back into one of th empty house and stay hold up in there? Alone with no one around, with no food, with no on to protect him, to give him a jacket when he shook at night or to feed him.. the thoughts were barely finished before Koota found his fingers around the child's elbow. He didn't yank him back, just kept him still as himself took a step to press his chest to the child's back the best he could with the bag there. With another low sigh, he leaned down a bit so his face was closer to the child's. His hand not gripping the boy reached up and pulled back the hem of that hood, so his lips could whisper warm breath against that child's ear.
"Espio.." His hands moved to the child's shoulder and slid the bag from his shoulders. It wasn't hard to him to place it over his shoulders along with his own, they were both fairly light. What really mattered was that he wasn't letting this boy go. "I need you" With that, he gripped the boy's shoulders and turned the child to face him. For a long moment he stared at him before crouching down a bit. Without a pause, his arms wrapped around the boy's legs and hoisted him a moment, forced the child to bend forward and stood -- the child was over his shoulder. Keeping a firm arm around the back of the boy's thighs, he gave a smirk and turned back towards the original direction, starting to walk again. This child was not going to get away. " was checking body temperature " It was a short, soft reply. All of Koota's were short and simple, like most things about him. Somethings were huge however, like his experience with surviving on minimal supplies and the street, as well as his care for someone after a time. Unaware even to himself, Koota almost hoped that Espio would soon learn of these large things. He was growing attached to the guppy
these are the bad lands, the worst place to fear |
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Post by Espionage Akero on Dec 22, 2010 5:03:39 GMT -5
This time, when something he couldn't see startled him, he made himself think it was the hooded man. He felt that hand on his elbow and he did stop walking. He didn't say a word and he didn't move. Espio could only hope it weren't a zombie. If it were, it would have just penetrated its teeth right into him without bothering to stop him from walking. He felt the pressure being pressed onto his bag, which then pressed at his back. He shut his eyes and tried to be calm. He knew he'd been overreacting. But he hadn't known what else he was supposed to do. He didn't handle things well. Not things that confused him and ignored him. Maybe he'd only walked away in hopes of him coming back after him. Maybe that was why he didn't make another run for it.
There was a shiver the went down the boy's spine at the sound of his name and that hot breath against his ear. Absently, Espio licks his lips and lays his head back a little, closer to the man behind him. His body went limp, making it so easy to get that bag to slide down of his shoulders. Every breath he took was deep, keeping his eyes shut and straining to hear more of the man's voice, but he just wasn't talking much. Until those needing words. Espio shifted rather awkwardly and tilted his head away. He didn't think this man needed him. Espio's talents, whatever they may be, could probably be appreciated elsewhere, not by this silent possible-serial killer. The boy turned easy and opened his eyes to stare up at the man, entirely silent as he slowly shook his head. He hated not being able to see his eyes. How could he know if this man was lying or not when he couldn't even see his expression. So Espio promised himself that he would never believe what this man said if he could not see his face while he said it.
Those hands grabbing him to move him from the position he was in definitely got a reaction out of Espio. A blush tints his cheeks a little and he finds himself gripping tightly at the man's hoodie, tugging at it a little and considering fighting back to get on his feet again. But he let out a deep sigh and propped his chin against his hand, now staring down at the ground. Whatever. At least he wouldn't have to walk anymore. Espio shut his eyes and listened to the man's footsteps and then the words that followed. He frowned instantly and shook his head. "Maybe you should have told me in the first place... so that we wouldn't be in this position," he pointed out with a roll of his eyes. But as he dropped his gaze again, Espio's eyes made contact with the man's rear end that was only a short distance below. He blushed instantly and forced himself to look away, realizing what an awkward position this was really and wondering how long he could go without doing something stupid while in this position. |
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Post by Koota Dubois on Dec 22, 2010 16:40:11 GMT -5
we're dead in this ghost town [/i][/color]
He wasn't angry. It would be stupid for someone to assume Koota was angry just because of the child's actions. When he himself was younger, far younger then the boy in his arms, he had taken care of a child just like him. However silent, the child still was always trying to run away, huff, give him a cruel treatment. It never really worked. Koota had always found a way to grab the boy, to make him smile and return to his arms.
There was no way in hell he was letting Espio get away, so he planned to do the same thing with this boy. As the other spoke, he just gave a pleased hum, continuing his walking. "Not a talker" Those were the only words he gave, after all he really wasn't much of a talker. Softly patting the child's rump, his eyes flickered around the area, a low sigh escaping him as he noticed how bad this area looked. Trashed, empty. Each day they were heading more west, towards the forest. Koota wanted to check the train stations, but what was the point? No doubt hundreds of people flocked there, planning to use the rails as a guide to the next town. He had no doubts the creatures thought the same way. So Koota planned to use the forest, after all it had to end sometime didn't it?
His attention was returned to the child over his shoulders, frowning briefly. " .. too light. Eat more " It was a grumbled demand, though a useless one. They ate what they could find in the house they had been sneaking into.
these are the bad lands, the worst place to fear |
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Post by Espionage Akero on Dec 22, 2010 20:00:11 GMT -5
Espio was not pleased at all with this man having to point out the obvious. Of course the hooded man wasn't a talker. He had hardly said a word since the first moment they met. So all the comment got from the boy was a roll of his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest and began to tap his feet against the man leg. Sure, he didn't have to walk. But if he fell asleep, the blood would surely rush to his head and there wasn't seeming to be anything interesting other than sleeping. When the man's hands were touching at his behind, that surely got a blush out of the boy but he still kept quiet. He felt like he were a prisoner and, if he tried to escape, he'd surely lose. There wasn't a any chance of Espio being able to take on this man. He looked like a beast. At least, from what he could see with that hoodie on him.
The boy lifted his head, peering around at the area. Espio didn't know whether to be worried or relieved about not having any run ins with the infected today. Maybe they were all dead. A silent zombie killing nuke might have came in the night and wiped them all out. Or maybe they were all preparing an ambush. Were these zombies that intelligent? They were supposed to be mindless idiots who acted on pure instinct rather than actually planning. But Espio decided that, if anything went wrong, this man he was being carried by would deal with it like he had the past few days.
Wincing, the boy shut his eyes and turns his head away. He didn't want to hear those words from the man. He knew he was getting really thin and light. "It's not exactly easy to find food, buddy. A lot of the stuff is either stale or rotting. You find me food and make me a good meal and then I'll eat it. But I don't cook. And I don't see much around that's edible," Espio ranted with a deep huff, balling his hand into a fist and hitting at the man's back with whatever strength he could muster up in that position. He mumbled that the man was an idiot and went back to his curled up position over the man's shoulder, with arms over his chest and his head tucked against his arms. |
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Post by Koota Dubois on Dec 24, 2010 2:51:59 GMT -5
we're dead in this ghost town [/i][/color]
This boy.. so snappy and cute. A sigh fell from Koota, loud and exaggerative as they walked. He was teasing the boy. Still, the snap did make him frown. He wasn't about to let his only companion slip away from him due to hunger. Merely rolling his eyes, he shifted the boy on his shoulders faintly. " I cook " It was a soft mutter, loud enough to be heard though while they continued down the street. His brows were gently knitted together in thought for the moment though. There was something eating at him.
Espio wasn't the only to notice the lack of dead. Not even corpses, no animals. However the birds were chirping about, undistributed and unafraid. It was unnerving.. but stilll, he did enjoy the sense to relax. With a soft sigh, he patted the boy's leg to get his attention for a moment. ".. Where should we go?" Another soft comment, well question. They had been tracking through residential area for a while now, and the town wasn't that big. Anywhere they wanted to go.. it wouldn't take more then the day to get there. Koot was growing tired for breaking into houses anyways.
these are the bad lands, the worst place to fear |
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Post by Espionage Akero on Dec 24, 2010 18:04:19 GMT -5
Espio would have loved if he'd known sooner that this man could cook. Then he wouldn't have had to eat things raw and by themselves. But most things that could be cooked could also rot and there's a lot that could have rotted within a month. Maybe if they raided freezers and found food that was still frozen. The thought of a nicely cooked chicken with a side of mashed potatoes and slathered in gravy. A rumble came from the boy's stomach and he groaned, wrapping his arms around himself as he shook his head. "Then make something... tonight. We should find a house with edible food and you can make me something good. 'Cause I can't cook for shit," Espio grumbled with a shake of his head. When preparing through his teenage years for this zombie apocalypse, he had quickly eliminated the need for food from his head. He hadn't thought out entirely how he was going to get it. He had only cared then that the zombies needed to die.
The question caused the boy to wiggle a little, trying to shift over the man's shoulder and lift his head. His hands pressed at the man's upper back, lifting himself a little and slowly glancing around to take in where in the neighborhood they were. "Do you know where the mall is? We need to get there. We can barrackade the doors when we arrive. There will probably be a lot of zombies though so we'll have to kill the ones we find in there. Should find you something without ammunition so you won't waste it," Espio started explaining, shifting more and trying to pry those hands off of him so he could slip back down to his own two feet. But, even standing on his own, he gripped the man's sleeve and glanced in the direction he knew the mall was in. "We can stock up there though. Maybe find bigger bags. Definitely get all the food we can carry. Maybe we'll find something really interesting there. Does this sound good?" The boy looked up at the hooded man, waiting for the answer. The child's expression seemed almost serious. No sign of running away or joking around. He meant it. This was his plan and it had been from the beginning. Espio was really set on this idea working too and hoped that this man would believe him and go along with it. |
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