Can you save me now? [Aodhan]

[Veronica Evie Kaye]

Another morning, another day of aches and pains from sleeping on a mattress strewn across the floor of the abandoned house she was living in. It wasn't exactly the most ideal of situations and she knew as much. Ronnie, in her heart of hearts, knew she'd have probably had a better quality of living had she just stayed back at her apartment and got things going from there. It was just unfortunate that it wasn't very survivor-friendly since her apartment block had been overrun and there weren't that many people left anyway. Still, ever since finding Rustboro and being around other Rebuilders, she knew she'd found the right place to try and settle down. Of course, she still felt like the outcast since it wasn't like she'd made many friends yet, but she was getting there and that's what mattered most.

So, that morning, hefting a rather large box of random electronics and broken trinkets with her, she made her way out towards Big Sister Creek where she could sit out in the sun and work of fixing them. Or even just making something new out of the bits and pieces. She didn't go far, just far enough away that she could shout if she needed help or if there was a sudden zombie attack, and dropped the box down onto the grass. There was a breeze that came through the area and she rolled her shoulders back, feeling the bones click and relax before she sat herself down. She hated to be too tense when she worked, which was why she always preferred to do her fixing outside in the open. There was just something refreshing about being outside in the fresh air instead of a stuffy old house that made her feel better.

Pulling the smallish pouch of tools from the top of the box, she flipped it open and set it beside her, grabbing the first thing her hands fell on to inspect and work out. She was then, for all intents and purposes, mostly engrossed into her work but there was a part of her that was always listening for the sounds of people approaching. Basic survival techniques apparently just came naturally these days.

Notes: omg I'm sorry this is fail D:
Tag: Aodhan
Count: 366

[Aodhan Ciaran O'Dogherty]

Don't feed me scraps from your bed

And I won't be the stray coming back.

Wearing » a pair of baggy dark blue jeans with a gray wife beater tucked into his back pocket, he wears a cross around his neck, Quote » "We talked together, sharpening a knife. Like killing partners for a life. Hey, we can hide the bodies on the ride home.," Tag » Ronnie, Notes » , Inspiration » "She's My Ride Home" by Black October,

It had been a while since Aodhan had been back to Rustboro. It felt good. Everything was just the way that he remembered it was a few months ago. The people were the same. There were a few new faces; a few new places, but for the most part it was still his home. A smile came to the corner of his lips as he continued working. The sweat pouring down his back felt wonderful. Who would have thought that this incredibly spoiled royal child would have been so delighted to be swinging an axe around cutting wood for kindling? Certainly not him.

There was a time in his life when he would have laughed at the prospect of doing this work for himself. But, now, it was a welcome reprieve from the one omnipotent fact in his life; he was immortal. He would never die. But this? This work made him feel like he was truly alive. His muscles burned, he felt hot, dehydrated, as though he needed to take a drink of water. While his body could process water, it wasn't the same as the way that a human's would. He didn't need it to quench his thirst... But he could pretend. Especially now that he had found a life as a Rebuilder, making this town a great deal more livable. And... normal.

Sniffing, he grabbed a rather torn up blanket and threw it onto the ground. He threw all of the wood that he had cut into the center and bundled it up. He'd bring all of this to the carpenter, and there, they would make something useful out of them. Or, it would be left as scraps and it would be used to warm someone's home during the winter. And while they had just entered spring, it was only a matter of time before it started to get cold again.

As he made his way back from the edge of the creek, he noticed a rather cute girl sitting down with a satchel of tools, and a crate of what looked like electronics. Taking his gray wife beater from out of the back pocket of his jeans, he wiped off his forehead as he approached, the smile only growing wider as he got closer. He stuffed his shirt back into his back pocket. "Well, my, my, my..." he said, looking over everything. "Looks like you've got some nice salvage there." he said, the smile on his lips, and Irish accent a little disarming. If anyone else were to make a statement like that, they'd think that they were trying to get a share of whatever it is that she was doing; if not take off with it for themselves.

---

Word Count?:: 453

Last Thoughts?:: You're entirely too overly critical of your posts, just sayin'.

[Veronica Evie Kaye]

Honestly? She'd been aware of other people being in the same area, but she'd moved off to a spot that was distanced from them somewhat. While she liked helping people and getting to know then, she was well aware that some people were not above taking what someone else had scavenged and collected. It was just a way of life really, so she couldn't blame them, but considering her work was everything she couldn't often afford for it to happen. Hence, her self-inflicted isolation.

She'd just cracked open what appeared to be an old walkie talkie like device and was peering in at it's innards when she realized someone was getting closer. The realization made her guarded and she shifted slightly in unease, waiting for the moment they'd be at least close enough to speak. Of course, she'd also looked up to see who they were and if it was someone she recognised, but fell short in that respect. He seemed older than she was and certainly stronger, so she began wondering just how easy it would be to outrun him instead if he came to cause trouble.

"Looks like you've got some nice salvage there." She looked back to her box and nodded, considering the comment. "A month's or so worth of hunting for it, yeah." She answered, looking up at him curiously for a moment. Now that he was closer he didn't seem as threatening as she'd assumed. He had a genuine smile and his accent...well, he didn't sound like the type of guy she thought he'd be, to put it simply. "Can I help you with something?"

Notes: only when I think I'm on a fail roll --.-- haha
Tag: Aodhan
Count: 268

[Aodhan Ciaran O'Dogherty]

Don't feed me scraps from your bed

And I won't be the stray coming back.

Wearing » a pair of baggy dark blue jeans with a gray wife beater tucked into his back pocket, he wears a cross around his neck, Quote » "We talked together, sharpening a knife. Like killing partners for a life. Hey, we can hide the bodies on the ride home.," Tag » Ronnie, Notes » I love how she's like, 'uhm, hi, gtfo mah face. kthx', Inspiration » "She's My Ride Home" by Black October,

Aodhan smirked and nodded, looking down at the equipment. If he were a lesser man, he might have started plotting how to steal it from beneath her nose. But he already had all that he needed in the way of money. While he could speak ill of The Coven until the cows came home, they did financially take care of them. When they finally decided to rebel and put themselves into the center of the human world, they truly were very well off. He sniffed, and dropped the bag full of wood down beside him and flopped down next to her. He took one look at the innards of the walkie talkie and shook his head, a smirk on his lips.

"I'd never be able to put those things back together." he laughed. "I guess, where I'm from, we're a wee bit more archaic than you all." he said, gesturing to the area around them, meaning the United States. "What do you intend to do? Sell? Keep 'em?" he asked, looking into the box. He was a trusting sort; an incredibly honest looking man with a seemingly naive disposition. He didn't think that someone would think that he was trying to weasel in on their good fortune.

"I'm actually takin' my lot off to Ryan." he said, gesturing toward Rustboro with his thumb. "I think his brother is actually in the business of salvaged electronics. If ya want, I can put in a good word for ya so that he gives you the best price. I'm Aodhan, by the way." he smirked offering a hand. "And what, may I ask is your name, lovely?" She was beautiful. Aodhan had never truly been one for blonds, but... Well, his wife was a blond as well. They had the same eyes... He looked away from her for a moment before clearing his throat.

Now was not the time to think about such things. Not when there was a lovely young creature sitting beside him.

---

Word Count?:: 332

Last Thoughts?:: Bahahahaha, failroal.

[Veronica Evie Kaye]

There was a brief moment where she thought she'd gotten off lucky and he was going to turn and be on his way. That is, until he dropped what he was carrying and sat down beside her. Ronnie's face, although he wouldn't notice since he was looking at the device in her hands, was a picture of confusion and the typical 'okay..what the hell?'ness. Clearly this man had no concept of her 'I'm working so leave me be' aura. Perhaps she needed to work on that more than her electronics.

She snorted slightly when he mentioned being slightly more archaic and sent him an amused glance when she retorted with, "Not many people do get electronics, so don't worry about it." However, even as he asked his question, Ronnie's joviality slowly started to end when she noticed him looking into the box. Reaching out, and attempting to not make a big deal of it, she pushed the flaps closed and blocked his view from seeing anything further. She'd gone through a few scrapes along the way to get some of that stuff; she didn't want to risk losing it now. "Keep what I need, give to those who need but can't afford, sell whatever's left." She shrugged, watching him closely, still on edge somewhat. It was truly unfortunate but distrust was probably the only thing that kept people's stuff safe from sticky fingers these days. Subconsciously she even made the effort to push the box a little ways away from him.

Her gaze flitted towards the direction of the town when he gestured that way, and then she looked down to what he'd dropped. Clearly it was only then that it clicked in her head and she realized it must've been chopped up wood. It would certainly explain why he looked like he'd been engaging in something strenuous. "That's a nice offer," From someone who may be part of a Raider group and therefore may just be out to scam her. "But I think I'm pretty much sorted on the selling front, thanks. Nice to meet you though, Aodhan. I'm Veronica, but everyone calls me Ronnie." She shook his hand then, but not after mulling over the thought that he may just be trying to charm her and sweeten her up with a fake genuine attitude and attractive appearance. At times she hated being so paranoid about people, she never was before the apocalypse, but it had saved her skin and her 'loot' more than once in the past.

She also noted how he looked away from her and, briefly, looked like he felt awkward about something. Was there something going on that she wasn't aware of? Resisting the urge to take a customary glance around, for more people appearing out of the blue ready to jump her and jock her stuff, she looked at him in something close to concern. "Something the matter?"

Notes: lol Ronnie, lol
Tag: Aodhan
Count: 481

[Aodhan Ciaran O'Dogherty]

Don't feed me scraps from your bed

And I won't be the stray coming back.

Wearing » a pair of baggy dark blue jeans with a gray wife beater tucked into his back pocket, he wears a cross around his neck, Quote » "We talked together, sharpening a knife. Like killing partners for a life. Hey, we can hide the bodies on the ride home.," Tag » Ronnie, Notes » I have to admit, I never thought that he'd be this awkward, Inspiration » "She's My Ride Home" by Black October,

Aodhan frowned when she closed the box. It was only then that he realized what he must have looked like. He turned crimson, and swallowed hard, attempting to think of a way to get into this woman's good graces. But then, he just realized that there was way to. He had permanently landed himself on this woman's shit list because he was too nosy. Often times, when he was younger, he remembered his mother telling him to mind his tongue, and his nose, lest someone cut it off. And here he was, scrambling around on the ground attempting to pick off the nose that this beautiful young woman effortlessly lopped off.

Clearing his throat, he ran a hand nervously through his hair. "Well, I assure you, my people are... Well, we're above third world countries in our understanding of electronics, so I guess that means something?" he asked, attempting to make it seem as though he was completely unabashed by the... change of scenery if you will. "That seems like a solid plan." he said, unsure of how to continue this conversation now that she had made it incredibly clear that she didn't trust him. Of course, he couldn't blame her, after all, he was a complete stranger that decided that it would be a great idea to simply fall down beside her and start having a conversation. Stupid, Aodhan. Stupid.

He had tried to make up for the lack of trust by making a peace offering of sorts. He'd let her use one of the guys that he went to for some extra coin, and then it would all be fine and dandy, right? No. No, she declined. Probably because she figured that he was going to set her up or something. Well, crap. "That's good. I was just saying... Because a lot of people get swindled out of money, when they should be getting paid a lot more, ya know?" he asked, giving her a rather sheepish smile.

Oh, if he knew that he could get to this level of social retardation, he probably never would have bothered to talk to a beautiful woman ever again. Had it really been that long since he had been out of the game? As much as it bothered him to admit it, he knew that his 'game' as they called it nowadays was rusty. If not completely gone. No wonder he had yet to find a solid love interest. "Do you prefer Ronnie, or Veronica?" he asked, honestly. He thought Veronica was a beautiful sounding name... Why abbreviate it?

Thoughts of his wife soon followed after his embarrassing moment. When Ronnie asked him if there was something the matter, he turned toward her, his eyebrows arched, and a look of, "I'm definitely lying to you, but just accept the lie" on his face. He made a small noise as if to say, 'no,' before turning his attention back toward the creek. "Where are you from, Ronnie?" he asked, looking over at her. "I'd share where I'm from but that would just be horribly boring. And I think a little blatant."

---

Word Count?:: 520

Last Thoughts?:: Bahahahaha, failroal on me this time.

[Veronica Evie Kaye]

By rights, his obvious nervousness should've clued her in on the fact he couldn't have been a scammer even if he'd wanted to be. Unfortunately for him, Ronnie's paranoia far outweighed her ability to reason and or rationalize the situation. In her head he was either up to something already or he was going to be and that was why she'd closed the box. That wasn't to say she'd never come to trust him, despite her distant thought that actually this would probably be the first and last time she saw hi considering how much people traveled, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. Always.

As she listened to him speak she found herself coming to the conclusion that he wasn't like her. Not in the obvious sense, but in what he said and the way he said it. Ronnie herself would've sounded far more common than he did. And then there was the issue of his casual use of the term 'my people'. His people? What, were they something else entirely to the rest of the world? Ha! All it was now was zombies and people. Funny how it took a zombie apocalypse to bring people together. "That seems like a solid plan." She nodded her agreement, looking back to the walkie talkie for a moment and trying to pull it further apart to get at the insides better. "I like fixing stuff, helping where I can. Seemed like a good idea." She added, a frown of concentration creasing her brow for a moment when she had to apply force to the device, muttering a curse under her breath when part of it snapped.

Conversation moved on then, and she rejected his offer to put a good word in for her. She didn't mean to shoot him down so bluntly, but she did think he may have been attempting to scam her. Which, after she listened to him and how he seemed to ramble slightly, she decided may not have been the case and she jumped the gun a little. "Yeah, yeah I know. Just..well, you get contacts you trust and build up a relationship from it, so.." She shrugged, offering it as half an apology and half an explanation. It was half true; she did have her own contact in the next town over, but she wouldn't exactly say they had any form of relationship. He did give her good prices though so she wouldn't speak out of turn about him.

"Do you prefer Ronnie, or Veronica?" The question itself caught her off guard for a moment. Nobody had ever actually asked her that before, they just...natually shortened her name to Ronnie, or even Ron. Often without her having to say anything. Chewing her lip, she looked down at her hands for a moment, fiddling with the wires in the walkie talkie before shrugging. "Ronnie is just natural to me, but I probably prefer Veronica since...well, it was the name my mom gave me." Her answer seemed reasonable enough and it was honest.

Having no reason to assume otherwise, she took his denial of anything being wrong as the truth and watched him look away again. She took it as her cue to mess around with the walkie talkie again until he spoke up once more. "Originally, France. My family moved here, to the area, when I was a kid for my brother's education. Apparently my father's business, a fashion line, would've flourished more over here anyway...so here we are. I was a state or two over before..this happened though." The memories of her family were still unsettled in her mind and she found herself frowning. She hadn't been able to make contact with them, in any way, and so she now assumed the worst. She hoped overall that they hadn't been turned though because that would probably be her worst nightmare. Taking her mind off it, she looked up to Aodhan and tilted her head slightly. "You should tell me where you're from anyway. It's nice finding things out about people, and I bet it's not as boring as you're claiming it is either."

Notes: he's adorable x3
Tag: Aodhan
Count: 686

[Aodhan Ciaran O'Dogherty]

Don't feed me scraps from your bed

And I won't be the stray coming back.

Wearing » a pair of baggy dark blue jeans with a gray wife beater tucked into his back pocket, he wears a cross around his neck, Quote » "We talked together, sharpening a knife. Like killing partners for a life. Hey, we can hide the bodies on the ride home.," Tag » Ronnie, Notes » d'aw! they're hitting it off!, Inspiration » "She's My Ride Home" by Black October,

"Ay! Helping people is always a good idea." he said, giving her an appreciative nod. It was clear that he was one of those guys that enjoyed helping out. Kind of like an easily excitable puppy. Before, he didn't lead a good life; he had everything handed to him, and he was nothing more than spoiled nobility. He had taken for granted his people, and all that they offered. When Gorta Mor took a hold of his people, and threatened to take a hold of him, there wasn't a single person that cared about him. He was simply a Lord's son. It was now, his goal in life to make up for everything that he had ever taken for granted. And helping people was on the top of the list.

A wave of relief crashed over Aodhan when she admitted that she had her own contacts that she liked to use, due to the fact that she already had, or was trying to develop a relationship with them. "Ah. I see." he agreed, nodding slowly. "Relationships are always a good thing to develop." he said, pausing after a moment. "Especially if you've got something to provide that they want. It's easy to be taken advantage of in times like these." He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the sun peering through the branches of the trees. He dragged his tongue across his eye tooth, seemingly thinking about something. "It's happened to me a few times. Guess I'm just too trusting. But, then I got a mite ugly, and they stopped while they were a'ead." He smirked over at her, his eyes still squinted due to the sudden burst of bright light.

Normally, when girls had boy-ish nicknames, it was because they wanted it that way. When Ronnie admitted that it wouldn't be her first choice he tilted his head to the side and watched her. "Well, then it's a pleasure to meet you Veronica." he smiled. "You have too lovely of a name to even think about shortening it." He swallowed and reached for the sheet that carried the timber. He pulled out a bottle of water, and took a sip as though he were parched. Being an Old Blood, he didn't need it. But, it just felt good on the back of his throat. He offered it to her, as one last olive branch, if you will. It wasn't as though they were butting heads, but he could tell that she was going to remain stiff with him.

The question of origins came up. It was a conversation that Aodhan dreaded,but loved at the same time. He loved to hear other peoples stories, but he really didn't like telling his. He didn't like lying, so he didn't. But he did learn to omit certain things about what had happened in his life. Being a blood sucking, homicidal maniac was one of those things that he tended to leave out of the story. Oh, and the whole nobility part. Yeah.

He smiled when he heard that she was from France, and that her father was working on a clothing line. Well, it seemed as though she came from a rather creative family. That must have been nice. Aodhan's parents always told him to nurture the abilities that God gave him, in regards to the arts, however, neither of them were skilled with a paintbrush, nor with an instrument. "You were probably in New York City, then?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. That was the only place that he could imagine a clothing line taking off and prospering.

He had seen many fashion trends come and go, and had heard quite a few whisperings of the fashion shows that happen in New York City. He never would attend however; he had spent quite a lot of time in the Coven, and now... Well, he was just enjoying moving wherever the wind took him. Having specific destinations in mind bothered him to a certain extent. "I'm from Ireland." he said, giving her a teasing smirk. "If ya couldn't tell by the accent." he grinned. "I'm from a small town outside of Dublin." he said, after a brief moment's pause.

"So what is it that your father designed, beside the obvious answer, 'clothes.' Women's fashion? Men's fashion? Is he Victoria's secret?" Aodhan gave a bit of a sheepish grin at the horrible joke. What? It was funny!

---

Word Count?:: 738

Last Thoughts?:: I can't wait for them to actually relax around each other!

[Veronica Evie Kaye]

"Especially if you've got something to provide that they want. It's easy to be taken advantage of in times like these." Ronnie gave a sound of agreement then, offering a comment under her breath about how at least he wasn't taken advantage of just because he had boobs and happened to be blonde though. Even vicious stereotypes seemed to have survived the apocalypse and it was something she was finding out swiftly. The thought that a blonde must be dumb and a woman must know nothing about the prices of valuables was ridiculous. That's why she stuck with her buyer. If she was straight with him then he extended the same respect and was straight with her. His next comment, and the smirk he paired it with, caught her attention and she looked to him. "Forgive me for the way this might sound, but you don't strike me as the type who could make a situation turn ugly." There was a slight curve at the corner of her mouth, a give away of the amused smirk she was concealing.

His head tilt, admittedly, was cute. And the fact he said she had a lovely name only served to make her smile despite herself. She laughed, a small soft sound, as she reached up to brush her hair back and smile again. "Well..thank you." She said, trying not to blush too much and look like a complete fail. "It's lovely to meet you too, like I said." Okay, Ronnie. Stop while you're ahead. Seriously, she still didn't know if he was part of a Raider group even if he was being nice to her. Caution is the number one rule of Ronnie's survival guide.

Thankfully Aodhan had taken a drink of his water before he'd offered it to her. Why was that a good thing? Because it meant he hadn't drugged it. Paranoia for the win! To show that she wasn't a completely isolated whorebag and that she appreciated his efforts to be friendly, she accepted the bottle and took a sip. Savouring the fresh coolness of it before she handed it back with a thank you. Again, she didn't really mean to be so closed off with people but it was just one of those things, right? Unless you could get to know someone a little more you'd never know if you could trust them. Taking anything on face value in these harsh times was pretty much asking to be ripped off.

"You were probably in New York City, then?" And there he was doing his cute head tilt thing again. It was ridiculous how much a tiny, irrelevant action could grown on her so much. But...well, it was pretty adorable. Especially on a man, who seemed a little too kind and gentle to be exposed to a zombie apocalypse. "Ah, Manhattan actually. But his designs were all sent to the studio he'd bought in New York. He was always working down there but my mom didn't want to live there, so..." She ended it on a slight shrug, not really sure what else to say. The situation hadn't been ideal since they rarely got to see their father, more so since he was pretty much a workaholic, but there wasn't much they could do about it now. Probably because they'd been turned into zombies and she'd never see them again. Because life liked to hate her in ways such as that. Just like the delivery guy.

"The accent was a bit of a hint, yeah." She smirked back, collecting up the broken walkie talkie and dropping it back into the box. "I've never been to Ireland though. Is it nice there?" She chuckled then at his joke, during which she was mentally reminding her that such terrible jokes shouldn't be laughed at, and chewed on her lip slightly. "That's something I doubt my mother would've been pleased with if he was," Ronnie mused, another smile appearing on her face. "But no, it was mostly women's fashion. Though he had wanted to branch out into men's eventually. He was really creative so I have no doubt he'd have managed it eventually if he tried."

Notes: Eee, now to stalk his dating page hahaha
Tag: Aodhan
Count: 690

[Aodhan Ciaran O'Dogherty]

Don't feed me scraps from your bed

And I won't be the stray coming back.

Wearing » a pair of baggy dark blue jeans with a gray wife beater tucked into his back pocket, he wears a cross around his neck, Quote » "We talked together, sharpening a knife. Like killing partners for a life. Hey, we can hide the bodies on the ride home.," Tag » Ronnie, Notes » melikesthetwoofthem, Inspiration » "She's My Ride Home" by Black October,

Aodhan snorted at the comment that she made under her breath. It was rather sad how women had become more accustomed to that kind of treatment... That because of what they had between their legs they were taken less seriously. However, she said 'boobs' and 'blonde'. Laughing lightly, he fixed her with an award winning smile, "What happens if it was a rather large, blond man that wanted to sell their belongings? Do you think they'd be treated like crap too?" he mused aloud, looking up at the canopy of branches. Clearing his throat, he looked down at his hands and shook his head. Not many people believed that he was capable of such a temper, but he knew, full well, just how nasty it could get. "Most don't. But it's the quiet man that is to be the most feared." he smiled, raising his eyebrows at her, as though, somehow, that made what he said all the more truthful.

If Aodhan could do so, without making a spectacle of himself, he would have strutted about after making her blush. Alright, so, maybe his game wasn't that far gone. He just needed to practice, right? He pushed his fingers through his hair, and gave her a sheepish smile of his own. "Not a problem. It truly is a beautiful name."

When Ronnie took his bottle of water and took a sip, he took the moment to admire her beauty. She was breathtaking. And somehow, he doubted that she knew just how radiant she was. When she was finished, he dragged his gaze away from her, not wanting to seem as though he was 'creeping' on her. Especially since they had partially gotten over a bit of paranoia. Taking the bottle back from her, he placed it down beside him, and ran a hand over his face. Letting out a grateful groan. It felt good to be sitting after such a long day of hard work.

"Well, Manhattan is one of the five boroughs, still a part of the city." he grinned, enjoying the moment of being able to play the smart ass. But, he listened to her and nodded. "Why didn't she want to live there? Too busy for her?" He asked, his eyes narrowing as the sun grew brighter. He squinted at her, still trying to see the blue of her eyes. My God, her eyes are amazing. He licked his lips and turned a bit so he could look at her better, a smile creeping onto his lips for no apparent reason. Well, there was a reason. She was beautiful, and he was enjoying her company immensely. But it's not as though he had to tell her that was what was going on.

He couldn't help but laugh when she played along with his little joke about where he was from. When she asked if it was nice there, his eyes misted a bit as he started to think about the land of his birth. "Yes, it was beautiful there." he sighed, looking back up at the trees. "The colors seem more vibrant there, the people were always so happy... So drunk." he smirked and looked over at her. "See, in other countries, in the heart of it all is architecture, culture, history... and then there is alcohol on the peripheral. In Ireland it's the exact opposite." he laughed. It was clear that there was no love lost between him and the land of his birth. In fact, it seemed as though he never truly wanted to part from it. "If things eventually get back to the way that they should be, you should schedule a visit sometime. If only for it's beauty, it's worth seeing." He tried not to think about what his home would look like, now that the world had ended. He feared that it would tarnish the beautiful picture that he had in his mind.

He watched as she tossed the broken walkie talkie and dropping it into the box, and then dragged his gaze back up to her, watching as she chewed her lip. It was adorable to Aodhan. Another gesture of hers that gave him something to fawn over. Aodhan was pleased to see that she laughed at his horrible joke. Maybe there was something more than this being a simple chance meeting. They were hitting it off, rather well, all paranoia aside.

"That's... really, actually kind of cool." he smiled, uncertain of whether he should voice the thoughts going through his head that the man must have been... flamboyant to pick up such a trade for himself. Then again, this was a new world that he was living in. His Old World assumptions would get him nowhere. "Do you own anything that he made?" he said, looking over at her. "I'm kind of curious to see what he's designed."

They were now having idle banter, but still, it was rather good idle banter. And that was what mattered to Aodhan.

---

Word Count?:: 829

Last Thoughts?:: So much fun. No lie.

[Veronica Evie Kaye]

She laughed. She had to because only a guy could think to respond to her comment in such a way. It was a fair point though and Ronnie found herself shrugging after a moment. "Y'know, knowing my luck they probably wouldn't." She laughed again, teasing, "Maybe one day I'll have to find a guy like that and test the theory." She'd followed his gaze then, up to the trees where the sunshine was fighting its way through and she suddenly realized just how warm it actually was outside. She'd taken to wearing her old, ratty jeans that had rips and tears here, there and everywhere along with a plain off-white tank top and a checked light blue shirt on top of that. The shirt itself was a few sizes too big, often she had to roll the sleeves up to her elbows, but it kept her covered without being too heavy. Still, she found herself sliding the shirt off and laying it over the box to her side while Aodhan was talking. "Most don't. But it's the quiet man that is to be the most feared." She 'hmm'd to herself, still not quite believing him but deciding to play along nonetheless. "I see. Maybe I'll have to watch my step around you too, then?" She teased, biting her lip to hide her smirk and hoping it looked more like she'd done it in thought.

"Not beautiful enough for such a compliment, but thank you anyway." She smiled, shaking her head at how many times he'd actually made her smile anyway. What was going on with her? "It belonged to my grandma, actually, so full credit for it has to go to her." Ronnie, stop. He doesn't care about your grandma; it was a compliment. End.

Now, if it wasn't already apparent; Ronnie had a little bit of a paranoid streak since the end of the world came about. She'd horde her stuff in more than one location, dividing the valuables so that she'd never be completely out of one of her hiding places got raided. She'd also wait a few days between going to her regular savaging spots, so if anyone was tracking her they'd think there wasn't much there. She also made it a habit of knowing when people were staring at her, and she felt the familiar tingle of paranoia when Aodhan started doing it. Any other time she might have said something about it but... Well, he seemed harmless enough right? Plus it was his water, so he had every right to stare at her while she took a sip. Obviously.

Scrunching her nose up when he told her about it still being part of the city, she stuck her tongue out slightly and laughed at her own childishness. "Well, excuse me for not paying attention." Ronnie commented playfully. "Why didn't she want to live there? Too busy for her?" She looked down for a moment when he asked, shrugging slightly with a light sigh. "I don't know. I guess so? She just missed home, really? It was far different living here than it was back in France and she got homesick quite a lot. I guess she also wanted to distance herself from his work because it was part of the reason she'd had to leave her old life behind." There was a moment then where she grew sombre, contemplating how things might've been if they'd just never moved in the first place, but she pushed a smile back onto her face as she looked back at him. "They were very much in love though, my parents, so I hardly think she held a grudge against him." Only afterwards did she notice the way he'd turned towards her and appeared to be smiling more. A nervous laugh escaped her and she bit her lip again. "Sorry, was I rambling?"

Ronnie listened intently, probably far too interested in where he'd come from for someone he'd only just met, but she tried to put that thought out of her head. If he thought she was a creeper than her life just sucked. Immensely. She smiled when he laughed, and pulled her leg up to her chest so she could wrap her arms around her shin and rest her head on top of her knee. "I bet it is. But I have a terrible habit of getting lost when I visit new places, so..maybe you should be my tour guide." Before she knew it, a shy smile had crept onto her lips and she laughed again. What was she doing, really? Was she flirting with him? Good grief, the things an apocalypse did to a woman. She should probably be ashamed but... Well, he was cute and sweet so she doubted her shame would last that long anyway. Besides, she could totally pass it off as not flirting in the slightest. Maybe.

"That's... really, actually kind of cool." She shrugged slightly, tilting her head to the side as if she was subconsciously mimicking him when he'd done the same before. "Hm...cool maybe when he wasn't constantly asking opinions on fabrics and how things looked." She answered, smiling despite the hint of wistfulness at her apparent lost childhood. "Maybe one or two things," She nodded in answer to his question. "Though they don't look as beautiful now as they had before this whole mess." There was a hint of sadness in her voice that she couldn't hide, mostly over the fact that the few things she did have left of her family she was struggling to preserve.

Notes: :DD
Tag: Aodhan
Count: 922

[Aodhan Ciaran O'Dogherty]

Don't feed me scraps from your bed

And I won't be the stray coming back.

Wearing » a pair of baggy dark blue jeans with a gray wife beater tucked into his back pocket, he wears a cross around his neck, Quote » "We talked together, sharpening a knife. Like killing partners for a life. Hey, we can hide the bodies on the ride home.," Tag » Ronnie, Notes » b'aw, he felt bad for her. =[, Inspiration » "She's My Ride Home" by Black October,

Aodhan snorted and shook his head. "It's a possibility. However, I doubt with the lack of food, you'd be able to find a truly large man that would have a suitable..." he held his hands out in front of him, clearly uncertain as to how to phrase it without sounding crass. "With a suitable, rack," he blushed, "To test the theory with. Sadly." He cleared his throat and willed the blush that came to his cheeks to disappear. But, when it didn't wash off of his cheeks, he found that he was oddly comfortable with being bashful. At least, it proved that he was sincere in at least, one capacity, right? The conversation turned toward a bit of a darker subject. Here, the girl was goading him, taunting him. He knew that he gave off a rather pleasant demeanor. While it bothered him that he was essentially being made a mockery of, he wouldn't take too much offense to it. After all, he has worked long and hard to be considered benign. "Well, if you don't intentionally do anything to bother me, I doubt that we'll have any problems." he smirked. He ran his hand through his shortly cropped hair, all but praying that this topic would change.

Aodhan quirked his head to the side when she said that it wasn't deserving of such a compliment. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, and then arched an eyebrow, clearly not understanding why she would say that. "And why, pray tell, do you believe that it isn't deserving of a compliment like that?" he smirked. And then, she confessed that the name belonged to her grandmother! In Aodhan's mind, that made it even more beautiful, and even more deserving of a compliment. It seemed as though he had stumbled into a woman that was possibly a great deal more critical about herself, than he was about himself. "Now, the name is even more beautiful to me. It has more meaning than just a pretty name that your parents picked out of a baby book." he shrugged, fixing her with one of his award winning grins. He liked her. He could already tell that he was going to get along well with her if they were to ever speak again. But, knowing the world that they lived in, and everything that they all had to put up with, he doubted it. It was sad to him, to say the least.

Aodhan wasn't expecting such a candid answer from her. If anything, he was expecting her to duck and dodge away from responding to the direct question that he asked her. He nodded his understanding, even making a few sympathetic noises when she mentioned that her mother wanted to get away from it all because it was the initial reason that she had to leave home. "I can understand that. The city itself has a way of bringing resentment out in others, when they don't have a real reason to resent it. I could only imagine how living there, with reason would have been." There was a moment of silence; contemplation on both ends. Veronica seemed to have lost herself in her own mind, thinking about her past life; they were all guilty of this. They all missed the lives that they had led before. "That's good." he said, nodding. Resentment in relationships was... never fun. Apparently, his answer made her feel as though she was boring him, or as though she was rambling. His eyebrows arched as he shook his head, reaffirming to her silently that he didn't feel as though she was. Despite the fact that he wanted to provide a better answer to her than this, all he could muster was, "No! Of course not!"

But, it was his turn to share the story of his origins. He was surprised that she was as interested as she was, given the way that they had started their conversation. It was probably the accent. Everyone loved an Irish boy. He smiled over at her, seemingly enamored with the stance that she had taken. In truth, it was adorable how she sat with her knee up to her chest. His face flashed a bit in disbelief as he spoke with her. She was asking him to be her tour guide? It was only a few moments ago that she was looking at him as though he was on drugs, or seriously contemplating making off with whatever it was that she had salvaged, and now she was talking about making a trip across the world, and spending time with him? Perhaps, his charm hadn't worn off over the years. "If you'd ever like to go, I would be more than willing to play tour guide for you." he smiled. He wouldn't tell her that it had been forever since the last time that he had been home; and longer since then when he felt that it was alright to bring home a new lady friend.

But, Aodhan was never one to talk about himself for too long. They returned to their former discussion about her father and his given profession. He noticed the sad look on her face as she mentioned that she had a few things, that were clearly worn with time. All laughter that was born of her initial comment about her father interrogating her for her opinion on fabrics gone from his lips. He swallowed and nodded slowly. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe you could have them repaired?" he asked, knowing of an Old Blood that did phenomenal work with a needle.

---

Word Count?:: 933

Last Thoughts?::

[Veronica Evie Kaye]

She watched, with growing amusement, as he tried to think of a way to phrase what he wanted to say. Of course, she already knew what it was, but she couldn't help but let him struggle to find the right words. It was amusing to say the least, especially because he was saying it to someone who may very well have taken offense to his phrasing. "With a suitable, rack." She giggled, immaturely actually, and bit her lip hard to stop further laughing. Honestly; for someone who had not long ago seemed quite the threat he sure was brightening her day. "You never know, I might stumble upon someone who had all these apocalypse theories before it happened, and who stocked up on twinkies to horde them. I'm pretty sure they'd have the right physique." Another laugh escaped her before she willed herself to stop it. It wouldn't do to have him think she found amusement in the..weight issues of others, but still. It was quite funny. The conversation changed then and she realized, after he'd responded, that he'd apparently taken it in a more serious tone than she'd intended. Trying not to make it too obvious she cast her gaze back to the trees and cleared her throat with a slight nod. She really just wanted to apologize for teasing him, but words escaped her and the moment slipped away. Good going, Ronnie.

Fortunately the conversation moved on again and things were roughly back to being light hearted. Well, they were only talking about names, right? She'd answered his question mostly when she'd told him it technically wasn't her's, but found herself blushing faintly when he said that he found it even more beautiful. Ronnie gave him a curious look, as if trying to work him out, but his grin seemed to work its magic on her and she was smiling once more. "Well, arguing with you is obviously impossible," She said, shaking her head a moment. "So, I'll leave it at that. And thank you. Again." She laughed.

She gave a noise of agreement when he agreed that the lack of resentment between her parents was good, but she kept her gaze to the floor. What she'd failed to mention was that, despite her parents being okay with it, the real source of resentment came from her older brother. When they'd moved it had been for his benefit...though he hadn't had a choice in it. Their father was always trying to do what was best for his children but he continuously made the mistake of never asking them what they wanted. Sebastien, after the move, hated him. He'd ripped him away from his friends, his girlfriend at the time, and the life he was building for himself. It was a lot for her brother to deal with, especially since he was just expected to be the good son and take it in his stride as a move that was the best course of action to take. However, in an act of rebellion, once Seb moved onto the school campus it was a rare day when Ronnie or their parents actually saw him unless they went to see him for themselves. Of course, once she'd gone on her own little tangent about her family, she figured she must have been rambling on and so she'd asked him. Of course, even though he said she hadn't been she was convinced she had and he was just being nice. "Well, if I do, feel free to tell me. Unfortunately it's a bad habit of mine to divulge a lot more information than people are interested in knowing." She admitted with a shrug, hoping that he then wasn't going to think of her as completely weird.

She couldn't deny it; she'd seen his apparent disbelief even if only momentarily and she realized how it may have seemed. There she was talking like they'd been friends forever and yet not so long ago she'd been on guard with him. Truthfully, she still kind of was, but she was the type of person who...well, who knew it was better to make a friend than an enemy. Their conversation leading up to that point had been going pretty well and naturally she'd fallen back into a more relaxed sense of mind with him. He wasn't that much of a threat anymore. Still, he wouldn't know her line of thought and so it probably did seem a little, if not completely, weird. Should she say something? "If you'd ever like to go, I would be more than willing to play tour guide for you." Perhaps not. At least not yet. A smile touched her lips and reached her eyes as she looked back to him. "That would be awesome. Thank you."

The tone of conversation took another turn again and this time it left her with a heavy heart. She'd considered the same question he'd just asked a million times before and so, to answer him, she shrugged. "I could, but... I feel that using materials to restore something just for the sentimental value would be slightly wasteful, right? I mean, what was used for that could've been used for something that was needed much more than a memory." Her eyes had gone distant for a moment before she turned to look at him again. "I'd rather not be selfish in that sense and let someone else benefit in more ways instead."

Notes: x33 I love these two haha
Tag: Aodhan
Count: 909

[Aodhan Ciaran O'Dogherty]

Don't feed me scraps from your bed

And I won't be the stray coming back.

Wearing » a pair of baggy dark blue jeans with a gray wife beater tucked into his back pocket, he wears a cross around his neck, Quote » "We talked together, sharpening a knife. Like killing partners for a life. Hey, we can hide the bodies on the ride home.," Tag » Ronnie, Notes » whee, more reasons to stay in contact eh?, Inspiration » "She's My Ride Home" by Blue October,

"Ah, Twinkies." he laughed and shook his head. "Quite a few people were fixated on getting themselves a lot of twinkies when the end of the world came." He sighed and threw his head back, looking up at the sky. "Little did they know that that was only supposed to be if there was a nuclear holocaust." Shaking his head, he pressed his chin to his chest, allowing himself a true smile. Humans were silly sometimes. But, he remembered being silly about his own mortality when he was like them. When he was of flesh and bone, he felt as though he might break if someone looked at him the wrong way. It's amazing what this... this gift does for some.

Another laugh escaped Aodhan's lips as Veronica said that arguing with him was clearly impossible. With an arch of the eyebrow and a shrug, he fixed her with a deceivingly innocent yet flirtatious smirk. "Well, I am Irish. That is one of our truest, and more... redeeming qualities." he jested. It had been a while since he had been able to simply relax with someone, and joke in such a way. He wondered if it was as therapeutic for Veronica as it was for himself.

Despite the fact that they were having a relatively light hearted conversation up until this point, he noticed that Ronnie seemed a little down. Biting down on the inside of his cheek, he watched her as it seemed as though she was lost in her thoughts. He wished that he would be able to understand what was going through her head, but alas, telepathy was not one of the abilities that he was blessed with. He sucked in a deep breath through his nose, and let it out slowly, seemingly waiting for her to snap herself away from her thoughts. Aodhan wanted nothing more than to pry, but he wouldn't do that to her. After all, if she deemed that he was worthy to hear it, she would share. Then again, there were just some things that one didn't tell someone else. Aodhan had plenty of skeletons in his closet. Enough to understand why someone might want to keep things secret. "I promise, if yous tart boring me, I'll let you know. Although, I don't think you can." he smiled. "If I'm going to lose interest, I generally do in the first couple minutes." he smirked. It was true. Although, he may have exaggerated it for the sake of proving a point.

But, their conversation seemed to have a way of running in circles. They had spoken of Ireland, and their loosely planned visit, someday when things were better, back to Ronnie's parents. Well, in a way, they were talking about her parents. Aodhan was just inquiring as to whether she had something that might be salvageable that her father had made. The look of sadness on her face broke his head. He wanted nothing more than to make it better. But, he understood her reasoning as to why she hadn't gone out and gotten the clothes mended.

Chewing on his bottom lip, he gave her a bit of an unreadable look. "What if someone who had the coin did it as a gift for you?" he asked, after a long pause. He might be giving away too much about himself, but he'd do anything to make her smile.

---

Word Count?:: 565

Last Thoughts?:: I think that we should wrap this thread up soon, and just have them go their separate ways... Of course, after Aodhan convinces her to let go some clothes that she might want mended. :3

[Veronica Evie Kaye]

Ronnie watched quietly as he spoke, smiling to herself and then feeling it broaden when he smiled too. There was something about Aodhan that made her feel... happy, she supposed. Their conversation just flowed as if they'd known each other an age despite having only just met. Biting her lip gently she turned her gaze to the creek and found herself laughing momentarily. "I'd prefer to horde chocolate." She blurted then, laughing when she looked back to him to explain. "Sort of a guilty pleasure of mine... I even have a secret stash of it hidden somewhere, but just a bar or two."

"I hardly think there'd be much for it to compensate for; you already seem lovely." The full weight of what she was saying settled in and she laughed, a faint hint of a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "I mean, I'm sure many people think the same." Why on earth she was feeling so relaxed that she could so openly flirt was a mystery. In fact, if she wasn't careful he was going to start thinking she was a bi-polar freak. If he didn't already.

Another, though smaller, smile touched her lips and she brushed her hair back from her face. She had no idea why he was being so nice to her but nevertheless she appreciated it. In fact, she'd never really been so open about her parents or family in generally before but Aodhan seemed to have a way of making her feel far too comfortable around him. As if he wouldn't judge her or her life should she leave it open like a book to be read.

His long pause shortly afterwards caught her attention and she turned her head slightly from where she was still resting it on her knee to watch him. It was a quiet sort of contemplation that crossed her features, almost as if she were taking in him and the moment, and even when he turned his gaze back to her she didn't look away. Not waning to seem presumptuous, Ronnie gave a slight shrug and a faint smile. "It'd no doubt be a rather expensive gift so I'm not sure I could accept it. Unless there was something I could do in return maybe? That was close to if not the same value of course." She answered.

Notes: Blahhh, shorter but yeah. I agree that this should be wrapping up soon <3
Tag: Aodhan
Count: 389