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]

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.

[wolfchild]

[ she slides the books out on their little shelf. ]

These re the ones left. Juices are up there. Your turn.

[beardedflannel]

[ he looks over the covers of the books, reaches to take one up and flip through it. sheets for books, can't really go wrong. ]

These two. [ joel taps the two books he wants to take in exchange for the sheets. he sees the juices on the top tray and instead gestures to the bag near her feet. ]

What's in there?

[wolfchild]

[ she glances down at the bag. when she looks up again, a tiny smirk flits about the upward turn to her lips. ]

Something that will cost you more than sheets.

[beardedflannel]

I might consider it if I knew what it was.

[wolfchild]

[ she looks him over before admitting— ] Whiskey. Wine. Cigarettes.

[beardedflannel]

[ he remembers the last time he'd had any of the hard stuff. his birthday. it hadn't been the best of times. the mention of wine brings vanozza to mind, having it around for any future drinking nights they might share. ]

Where'd you manage to get your hands on all that?

[wolfchild]

[ she smiles and spreads her hands. information is worth more than the bottles themselves, and not something with which she will part. ]

Interested?