ａｕｄｉｏ + ａｃｔｉｏｎ.

[wolfchild]

[ she begins without preamble, speaking clearly and surely. ]

I have things to trade in the cafeteria. There's hams and cheeses, doughnuts, and juices. Socks too, and wet wipes, toys and jewelry. I've got books too for those who want them and markers in lots of colors. There's a lot more too. I'll be here all day or until it's all gone.

[ she took over a section of the cafeteria for her use. her direwolf lies beside her, guarding both her and the cart.

her wheeled cart ( commandeered from the clinic ) is full of items: the top has a tray of finger food from the promised cold hams and cheeses to oysters and shrimp packed in ice with sauces alongside, even cooked mini pizzas. below are assorted vending machine goods in their wrappers, sacks of ground coffee and hot chocolate, and a dozen fresh doughnuts. she has a pitcher of lemonade and a half-gallon of fruit punch.

in the drawers are assorted items such as wipes, hand sanitizers, socks and scarves, toys including a stuffed bear that moves and talks when you press its stomach, a few books and papers and markers.

hidden inside a bag at the girl's feet are a few cartons of cigarettes and small bottles of whiskey and wine for those who can pay a little extra. ]

Comments

[beardedflannel]

[ well he can't say he'd feel faint, he's had to deal with ellie while on the road for nearly over a year. and in a post-apocalyptic world, girls might as well be back in old egypt. ]

You're talking with a father who's raised a girl and is raisin' another. Where I'm from it's called ah- it's called a period. Or menstruation. Not... not ah- not flowering.

[wolfchild]

You've got better names for it. [ and by better she means "less stupid." ]

[beardedflannel]

There's been quite a few over the years.

[ why are they discussing menstruation. sob all he wanted to do was trade goods. ]

[wolfchild]

I don't care for them.

[beardedflannel]

Then that makes two of us.

[wolfchild]

So what have you got?

[ make a deal or stop wasting her time, man. that's rude. ]

[beardedflannel]

[ a slow breath because his list is pretty big. ]

Lets see... bedding, pillows, blankets, vitamins, coffee, alcohol, chips and snacks and candy, medical and hygiene supplies, pocket knives, pepperspray, hair things, board games and cards, cigarettes. Some extra clothes.

[wolfchild]

[ some of those she has never heard of before. some intrigue her. for the moment, she settles for the familiar and useful. ]

Any holes in the sheets?

[beardedflannel]

Nope. They're brand new, still in their packaging.

[wolfchild]

I'll take a pack.

[beardedflannel]

Comes with two pillowcases, a sheet and bed cover.

You mentioned juices. What else you got for drinking?

[wolfchild]

You can come see. [ translation: she's not saying it over the network ]

audio;action;

[beardedflannel]

Gimme a few minutes and I'll be there.

[And he cuts the feed.

Minutes is all it takes, as he said, for he shows up in the cafeteria with the packs of sheets in his backpack for her. Joel doesn't know exactly who he's looking for other than a teenage girl he imagines to be similar to Ellie.

Really though, Arya can't be hard to miss considering the assortment of goods she's got on the tray set up. And she's kind of the only one there with that sort of set up.]

[wolfchild]

[ much shorter and much younger than ellie with medium-length brown hair in a tangled nest and a direwolf at her feet. she dangles a shrimp over nymeria's head. the direwolf catches it. ]

[beardedflannel]

[ spotting her is easy peasy, especially with that direwolf next to her. joel eyes it curiously and cautiously as he approaches; he doesn't remember ever seeing a dog that size before. ]

You the girl?

[wolfchild]

You the man? [ the reply comes quick with a flash of teeth. ]

[beardedflannel]

I might be.

[wolfchild]

[ she gets up, standing on tiptoes as she cranes her neck to peer behind him. beside her, the direwolf fixes her bright yellow eyes on joel. even if the rest of the animal weren't so large, so clearly different, the eyes make it obvious she is no dog. ]

You have everything?

[beardedflannel]

You mean the sheets?

[ joel glances at the direwolf again, taken this time by the brightness of its eyes. and then he looks again to the short-haired girl. ]

[wolfchild]

[ sweetly: ] And my presents too.

[beardedflannel]

[ brow raises. ]

Presents, huh? I might have somethin' for you in my pack.

[wolfchild]

[ she crosses her arms over her chest and waits expectantly. ]

[beardedflannel]

[ he might have a bag or two of m&ms left over from a recent supply run somewhere in one of the pack pockets actually unless she means something else. his pack slides off his shoulder and Joel catches that expectant look. ]

What're you hopin' for?

[wolfchild]

What we agreed on exactly as promised.

[ though her smile remains sweet, the implication is clear: she refuses to be cheated. ]

[beardedflannel]

I bring you a pack of sheets and you show me what books you got. Plus your juice collection.

[ he doesn't need to tell her again that it comes with pillow cases and a bed cover and whatnot. ]

That was all we agreed on.