allison argent.

“You’re probably right about that,” he snorted, trying to make light of the situation, despite feeling a sense of dread deep in his stomach. “I’ll be here.” As Finn watched her walk away, he berated himself, deciding to get changed as much as he could whilst he was waiting. God forbid one of the infirmary staff caught him half-naked and drinking coffee — he’d never get out of there. Grabbing a jacket Kol had left behind, he zipped it up, and pulled on the drawstring pants patients were forced to wear. It was the best he could do for now, and he made it right on time. Grinning at her joke, a master at masking, he took the cup and sat down. 

Allison raised her eyebrows at Finnick’s remark, before she smiled, noting the change of clothes. She and the vampire had never really gotten along, but she couldn’t deny his sense of fashion. The jacket looked good on Finnick, even partnered with some old sweatpants. “Oh god, now there’s two of you. I don’t think the rebellion can handle that.”

"Bloody Christ —" he swore, slapping his hand to his neck, killing the bug that had landed there. "I'm this close to having you walk off the edge of a cliff, just so you know. You're leading me in bloody circles here. How much further is it?!" Of course, Kilgrave had not ventured out into the bush on his own, having compelled a gun-wielding fool to guide him. He'd claimed to know the way to Alexandria, a supposed safe haven. If Jessica wasn't there, somebody ought to know of other settlements. But his already thin patience was wearing out, patting frantically at his dirtying suit. His guide stammered, unsure of an answer, and Kilgrave's eyes narrowed, seconds away from saying something he'd later regret. That was, until, an arrow whizzed right past him and thudded into a tree. "Shitting hell! Why are you just standing about? Stop them!" With Kilgrave cowering behind a tree, the guard continued on, approaching the stranger, unflinching. Glancing through the bush, Kevin saw dark, flowing hair. Instantly intrigued, he stepped forward, sure the woman hadn't noticed him yet. "You there," he called out, commanding. "Put that thing down now. Turn to face me." It wasn't Jessica. But it was the first person they'd come across in days. Surely they were close. "Tell me — where are you from?"

With more strangers entering Alexandria by the day, the residents had slowly begun to notice the strain on resources, predominantly meat. They had Oliver's farm, of course, but the occasional cow or pig was hardly substantial enough for such a large group of people. The wildlife on the outskirts was thinning in population too, either hunted by their own, or the monsters that ran rampant. Allison was starting to understand Gale's point of view. So much so that she agreed to his plan, to split up and venture further out, past the concealment charms. It was the only way they'd have any success, as it was the best way to avoid scaring off game, and to cover more ground before nightfall. Gale had taught her enough that she could handle her own, anyway.

With he and Peeta newly confirmed as the recruitment team, Jesus knew it was imperative he keep in peak physical shape and keep expanding his expertise. You didn't get to be as skilled as him by taking long hiatuses. The war had certainly carved a hole into his training schedule, but he could no longer afford to fall behind, well aware how dangerous the outskirts were. One slip up and they'd be dead. As a very private person, he found the early mornings suited him better — the world was quiet and he could be alone. He was just picking out some rope to start off with when he spotted her.

Allison jumped as she heard a voice break through her attempt at concentration, not having expected the interruption. She was quick to wave a dismissive hand at the apology, however. If anything, he'd done her a favour, because she'd have kept going until her fingers bruised, and she doubted it would've changed the outcome. She was off form, sloppy, distracted. She hadn't successfully hit enough targets in the Capitol, and that failure had remained with her, scarring her very technique. Placing the bow down, she turned to face the stranger, forcing a smile. "Is that a trick question?"

Jess raised her eyebrows at the reply, not having expected it. “Didn't have you pegged for a day drinker.” Bummer. She was usually great at reading people. “I have, though. A few times.” She practically lived there. Kev had even let her sleep over a few times, not wanting to risk waking her. “Just.. not with anyone else.” An awkward pause followed, but Jessica hadn’t meant to sound like she was uninviting her. She wouldn’t admit it, but company would be good for her, especially new company. God, she missed Trish. “Free country now, though, right?”

“Ah, yep, yep, that’d be it. If you could just order me a lot of that, I’d be very grateful. And I’ll pay you back, of course. Just maybe after I get some tips. If I do.” For the most part, he was joking, though some actual income would be nice to help out his family. Things had been tight for a long time.

"No problem. But don't worry about paying me back, I'll use my rebel discount for it," Allison smiled, planning to pay in full regardless, but aiming to ease Simon's feeling of debt. Considering her father's occupation, and her own work as a guard, she was doing better financially than most. She aimed to help where she could, knowing the small favours made all the difference. "Well, that depends how good you are. Just make sure you leave the tip jar in plain sight, so everyone gets the hint," she teased.

“– Yup,” she replied dryly as she walked past, already making a beeline for the training centre, having just left her psychiatrist's office. “I need to punch something.” It'd been a few months since Jo had been tentatively released from the infirmary, but she was still on a strict care plan, one she cared about less and less with each day that passed. It required her to attend two psych appointments and one physical therapy session a week, and she went along to every one, but it didn't mean she actually did anything. Jo and Noah had a care plan of their own, she didn't need anything else. Outside of her appointments, she'd had to promise to no physical exertion, but her and Noah broke that rule daily too. So what was a single training session going to do? Kill her? “Oh, and just so you know?” She continued over her shoulder. “It’s not just the ‘doing nothing’ part that makes you crazy. It’s the ‘sitting around completely alone’ part, too.”

Allison was unsurprised by Johanna's response, knowing that 'punching something' was how she dealt with stress. After all she'd been through, Allison figured she deserved it, whether it went against medical instruction or not. It'd been a while since she'd last visited Johanna in the infirmary anyway, hearing she'd been dismissed a few months prior, so a single session shouldn't do too much damage. Hopefully, it'd help resolve some of the uncomfortable tension between the pair, considering it was how they'd communicated whilst Johanna had mentored her. "You're not going to take it easy on me, are you?" She questioned, already knowing the answer. She'd also be yelled at if she pulled her own punches. Johanna was not one for sympathy.

“Can’t get kicked out if you didn’t start it,” she smiled in return. It wasn’t an official rule, but it sounded reasonable enough to her. “Besides, we really only have one rule here." She pointed to the sign that said 'if you fight, you mop' before turning back to continue making drinks. "Oh, since January-ish. I’m.. glad I found you all, though. It was a total accident, and I wouldn’t have stayed if I wasn’t talked round. Guess my luck’s finally beginning to change," she smiled a little, actually quite struck by how far she'd come in only a short few months. It could've been a sarcastic remark but she found herself really meaning it, especially as she remembered a certain blonde's smile. Maia had only met him a few days ago but it already felt like months. “So, I'm assuming you’ve been a part of this since the beginning?”

Glancing at the sign Maia redirected her eyeline to, Allison smiled in amusement. At least they'd prepared for the inevitably of drunken arguments breaking out in their establishment. "Fair enough. Hopefully it won't come to that, it's supposed to be my night off," she teased, although there was truth behind her statement. She'd be back on guard duty in a few days, which'd give her plenty of opportunity to resume her training. "I'm glad you found us, too. It's much safer here than it is out there. Was it Peeta that talked you into joining us?" Allison knew he'd been working tirelessly to find anyone left stranded, and although she was wary of the people he'd brought inside their walls, she also understood the importance of it. "Yeah. I was reaped for the seventy-fifth. Which... now feels like a life time ago. We were all such different people when this first started."

“That’s how it is,” he repeated with a shrug, a grin lifting his lips once she’d agreed. “Thank you. I certainly owe you one, don’t let me forget it. But yes, it’s good to be up. Another second in there, I would’ve become one with the sheets.” Finnick joked, though his smile slipped completely when she continued on.

The woman’s response only worsened Jessica’s sour mood, feeling an annoying spike of guilt she definitely didn’t want to deal with. Rolling her eyes in an attempt to shake it off, she crossed her arms and waited for Allison to pass. “Yeah, whatever. Have fun with that.”

Jessica nodded at the acceptance and introduction, wondering if she’d be forced into small talk now. She probably would be, knowing the Rebels, but now that things between them had been settled, Jess was itching to walk away, drown it out literally. Yet she knew if she did that, the apology she'd worked so hard to muster would be for nothing. She'd be back to square one. She sighed. “Jessica. Jones.”

It wasn’t a name that she’d heard anybody mention, but Allison nodded at the introduction, glad that their dynamic had shifted. “A drink?” She paused, as if considering it, before shrugging a shoulder. “I could go for a drink. Have you been to The Alibi yet?” The walk there would likely be dragged out by an uncomfortable silence, but Allison figured a shot or two would open them up into a less tense conversation after they'd arrived.

Jessica certainly did remember the woman, which was exactly why she’d tried to avoid running into her again. Jess had a lot of unsolved feelings, and anything that remotely resembled guilt made that list. Apologising was not in her current vocabulary, so she found it better to steer clear of anything she might regret. Clearly, this woman wasn't going to make it that easy. Jessica considered playing dumb, pretend she didn't remember the altercation, but if she was honest with herself, she was curious. What did the stranger even want? Attention? Redemption? As someone who needed the latter herself, Jessica eventually nodded in silence to the initial question, eyes narrowing in question as the woman went on. Of course, she could choose to be an asshole – that’d certainly end the conversation fast. But the woman’s admission had thrown her enough that Jessica felt some sort of need to respect it. Respect her. She could never have been so vulnerable. “Yeah. It’s… whatever. It’s no big deal, so.”

Allison was glad, in a backwards way, that she wasn’t the only one who remembered their previous interaction. It had played on her mind in times of silence, as she hated any form of tension amongst the rebels. It only caused problems, both in the moment itself and in the potential future. There may be a day where they needed to band together again in cause of the greater good, and unresolved conflict certainly wouldn’t aid that. “Glad to hear it,” Allison agreed with a shrug, also grateful for the similar need to dismiss their argument, if it could be called that. She could only imagine Tony’s expression if he’d seen her bickering as a result of her grief for him, and it wasn’t a positive one.

Maia wasn’t supposed to accept pay from the Rebels, but she figured she’d just let the next drink slide free. Besides, she had made a whole jug, and Veronica wouldn’t be too happy with that going to waste. She could consider it a tip. Maia smiled at the compliment. “Glad to hear it. And yeah, I’ll be right here, so shout if you need. I’m Maia, by the way.”

“I mean, I could handle it myself — but I don’t want to get kicked out,” Allison joked, despite knowing it could be true if she wished it to be. After taking another sip of her cocktail, she smiled at the introduction. “Allison. Have you been here long?”

“Yeah, well, I’m not most people, and I don’t fit into most places, so sounds like here is no exception. What a shocker. Have fun with that.”