an endless road

CHERRY KNOWS SHE ISN'T EXACTLY THE BEST PERSON . like, by moral standards or whatever . honestly, she made peace with it a long time ago . following the rules was for suckers, and out in the real world it was kinda everyone for themselves . this was more than the real world though . this shit was amplified . yeah, everything was pretty kumbaya for now but who knew how long that would last . cherry was pretty determined to be okay if everything turned to shit, which, in her defense, things already seemed to be . and perhaps it's that ( and, admittedly, her natural urges ) that have led to her being here, rummaging through kina's shit like a racoon . cherry is trying to be decently respectful at least . putting things back where she found them, not wrecking anything . kina was nice enough, she's not trying to be an asshole . but useful shit is neatly pocketed all the same and interesting shit is tucked away, all with swift hands that cherry still prides herself in . she's about halfway done when she hears it . a noise from outside . just the sound is enough for her not to hesitate, body moving swiftly to slip into the first hiding place she spots and wait . she's done this too many times to hold her breath, but her heart hammers briefly all the same . she's determined to wait whoever it is out . that is, until she spots exactly who her company is in the crack of the closet door . the sight is simultaneously enough for her shoulders to loosen and for her eyes to roll as she steps out of the closet with an exasperated, " bobby, what the fuck are you doing here ?" she gives him a dry look before huffing . " y'know, for a second i thought it might be somebody i should actually be worried about ."

while  bobby  branson  wasn't  completely  heartless,  he  was  always  someone  to  take  full  advantage  of  any  situation.  and  with  so  many  people  lost  from  the  night  before,  what  kind  of  man  would  he  be  if  he  let  perfectly  good  belongings  go  to  waste?  the  ex  convict  was  quick  to  start  picking  through  houses,  sneaking  around  to  snag  whatever  goodies  he  could  find  before  others  started  doing  the  same  thing.  he  had  managed  a  few  good  finds,  careful  not  to  take  too  much  at  a  time  to  avoid  extra  suspicion  as  he  smuggled  it  all  back  to  his  motel  room. and  now,  with  kina's  stuff  in  his  sights,  bobby  slipped  unnoticed  through  the  back  door,  a  bit  of  a  skip  in  his  step  as  his  eyes  began  to  move  over  the  contents  of  the  area.  it  was  a  damned  shame  the  woman  had  passed  (  she  was  one  of  his  favorite  pieces  of  eye  candy  )  but  he  had  hoped  she  at  least  kept  some  good  snacks  hidden.  it  was  when  he  was  about  to  raid  a  cabinet  that  he  nearly  jumped  out  of  his  pants,  a  string  of  loud  curse  words  falling  from  his  mouth.  “fuckin'  hell,  cherry!”  he  blurted  out,  hand  over  his  heart  as  he  stared  at  the  recently  revealed  other.  “you  gonna  send  me  to  a  grave  like  the  others  at  this  fuckin'  rate,"  he  grumbled,  shoulders  slumping  as  he  tried  to  catch  his  breath.  “now  ya  gonna  tell  me  ya  got  all  the  good  shit  already,  huh?”

though  his  face  and  head  ached  (  and  his  hand  was  annoyingly  bandaged  and  secured  with  splints  for  his  fingers  ) ,  dae  was  just  happy  to  be  alive  after  the  mess  the  storm  had  brought.  his  trip  to  the  infirmary  was  to  secure  another  slathering  of  ointment  for  the  cuts  along  his  face -- but  once  he  saw  el,  his  mission  of  the  moment  changed  quickly. a  smile  was  immediate,  slight  but  very  much  there  as  he  gave  his  friend  a  once  over.  "  yeah  --  she  knocked  me  around  and  busted  a  few  fingers  ,  "  he  mused,  a  light  laugh  following  his  words  before  giving  a  shake  of  his  head.  "  nah  --  managed  to  get  a  little  too  close  to  one  of  those  things  while  helping  someone  --  a  door  and  i  also  had  some  issues.  it  was  a  wild  chain  of  events  .  "  but  as  his  words  trailed  off,  any  smile  he  had  was  gone.  "  glad  you're  okay,  el  --  got  worried  when  i  heard  you  got  hurt  .  "

⟣ ─ ˑ 〃 ۫ ▶ ❛ thanks — ❜ he does not sound thankful , he ' s exhausted . yet , he catches the stress ball --- giving it a gentle squeeze before throwing it against the wall only to catch it on the rebound . perhaps it ' s the lack of sleep , or perhaps it ' s that he grew up with the type : a cornshucker from nowhereville with something to prove . in other words , all bark - no bite . harmless entertainment , really . he looks him straight in the eye . a challenge . the corner of his lip quirks upward . he bats his lashes in an almost cartoonish way ❛ so . . . you think i ' m pretty ? ❜

it  was  a  very  obvious  look-over  that  bobby  gave  the  newcomer.  blue  eyes  moved  slowly  from  head  to  toe,  then  up  again  once  more  before  he  let  himself  give  a  half  smile.  "  i  usually  like  'em  a  bit  rougher  but  i  could  make  it  work  ,  "  he  nodded  as  he  spoke,  legs  being  pulled  from  the  seat  they  had  been  perched  on  previously.  feet  were  planted  on  the  ground  for  a  moment  before  he  pushed  off,  sending  his  chair  (  and  himself  )  rolling  toward  the  other.  coming  to  a  stop  just  short  of  the  newcomer,  he  leaned  in  as  if  he  were  wanting  a  closer  look.  "  but  i'll  give  it  a  few  weeks  --  then  you'll  look  a  little  more  hopeless  and  haggard.  "

It was something David would have scolded her for. Despite the fact he'd always sworn he'd liked her because she wasn't afraid to say whatever came to her mind at the time. Truth be told, it wasn't that she wasn't afraid. It wasn't that she didn't have a filter of the sort, it was just the fact that she was and had always been authentically who she was. Growing up in a room full of caviar and carnage dressed up in a black tie event, she'd been eaten alive by the upper east side if she hadn't. In another world, he reminded her of someone she loved. Truth be told, Ivan had always had this fucked up aura about him. Like, you knew he would only cause trouble. Like, every footstep he took was heading towards a spiraling downfall. She was a candle lit dinner, for the doomed and glorious. Like moths to a flame. Maybe it was a twin thing, maybe she was just kidding herself that she was any better than him. It didn't matter now, anyways. Lips pursed, and there's a pang of guilt in her chest. On the outside, she was freshly engaged. On the outside, she was on the run from a doomed marriage before it ever began. "Save it for another night, if we make it out of here." She pauses, sucking in a breath and taking a small glimpse around. "Besides, I don't see any ropes." At least she knew Bear would be okay, tomorrow she'd look for him. "And the rain?"

bobby  should  have  been  taking  it  all  more  seriously--should  have  been  avoiding  flirtations.  but  there  were  a  lot  of  things  bobby  branson  should  have  been  doing--and  he  never  really  did  them.  a  brow  quirked,  a  little  nod  of  his  head  follow.  "  don't  go  forgettin'  that,  now.  i'll  remember  ,  "  he  grinned,  already  enjoying  this  newcomer  more  than  he  did  most.  leaning  back  more  in  his  seat,  a  hand  dropped,  fingers  tapping  at  the  belt  that  was  now  on  display.  "  doubtin'  me  already.  i  can  make  all  kinds  of  magic  happen.  "  the  wink  that  followed  said  more  than  words  could.  ropes  were  unneeded  when  one  was  creative.  both  hands  soon  came  to  rest  on  his  knees,  gaze  fixated  on  the  windows  that  had  been  closed  the  moment  those  things  came  out.  "  now  the  rain?  that's  more  fucked  up  --  never  had  rain  like  this.  least  not  from  what  i've  heard.  little  sprinkle  here  and  there  but  this?  might  be  doomsday  finally  comin'  round  to  take  us  all.  "  he  paused,  head  turning  back  to  give  the  newcomer  an  obnoxiously  slow  once  over.  "  but  don't  you  worry--i  know  mouth  to  mouth  if  it  starts  floodin'.  "

"Oh hi," he says, putting on a smile and waving. "I hope I didn't scare you. Didn't mean to."

with  the  door  locked, the  talisman  still  secured  on  the  wall,  and  bella  out  of  his  arms  to  roam  freely,  daehyun  could  finally  turn  to  inspect  the  newcomer  who  had  scrambled  in.  the  questions  weren't  anything  new--he  had  answered  them  a  hundred  times. taking  in  a  deep  breath,  he  moved  to  the  other,  offering  a  hand  out.  "  those  things  want  to--do  some  really  awful  stuff,  so  it's  best  you're  not  outside  right  now--or  at  night.  "  it  was  as  gentle  as  he  could  be  in the moment ,  as  his  adrenaline  was  still  racing.  and  when  bella  seemed  to  make  herself  known  once  more,  daehyun's  attention  quickly  turned  to  the  girl.  "  hey  princess  ,  head  upstairs  and  see  if  grandpa's  awake,  okay?  "  there  was  no  objection  from  the  toddler,  who  scurried  to  the  stairs  and  ventured  up  at  her  father's  instructions.  now,  with  tender  ears  upstairs,  daehyun  felt  he  could  finally  speak  freely.  "  we're  all  stuck  here.  don't  know  why--don't  know  how.  and  those  things  outside?  they've  killed  a  lot  of  us.  "

it  was  no  shock  to  daehyun  that  charlie  seemed  surprised  by  his  lengthy  stay.  most  people  didn't  make  it  to  nine  years.  hell,  most  people  didn't  make  it  to  a  single year.  "  seventeen--missed  my  last  year  of  high  school  and  everything  ,  "  he  confirmed  with  a  gentle  nod,  though  a  light  laugh  did  manage  its  way  out.  at  least  he  missed  out  on  on  the  god  awful  CSAT  exam  he  and  his  friends  had  been  studying  for  since  their  first  year  of  middle  school.  "  parents  and  i  were  in  the  US  visiting  my  aunt  before  we  saw  the  tree  ,  "  his  words  cut  off,  as  bella  suddenly  slipped  off  his  lap  in  favor  of  standing  directly  next  to  charlie.  "  well  charlie--i  think  she  likes  you  ,  "  he  chuckled,  hoping  the  newcomer  didn't  mind  the  toddler's  lack  of  respect  for  personal  space.  "  bella  and  i  can  show  you  some  good  spots  for  daytime  walks  sometime  ,  "  daehyun  added,  smile  lingering  after  his  words.  in  his  years,  he  had  managed  to  find  a  few  nice  spots  to  get  away  from  the  town  and  clear  his  head--while  ensuring  he  never  ventured  too  far  from  what  safety  the  town  did  offer.

his  whine  was  loud  and  drawn  out,  arms  falling  limp  at  his  sides.  "  i  knew  it--just  take  the  whole  leg  while  yer  at  it  ,  "  he  mused,  grin  lingering  beneath  the  unkempt  mustache.  tipping  his  head  slightly  to  the  side,  the  cook  gave  becca  a  once  over.  looked  like  a  doctor.  talked  like  a  doctor.  she'd  remain  doc  regardless  of  protests.  "  i  dunno ,  ma'am  .  yer  actin'  like  a  real good  doc  .  now  quit  lyin'  to  me  .  "

She's observing him, eyes shifting from the way he'd rubbed his temples to the exasperated sigh that filtered unspoken between each word. Her hearing aid isn't working, but it's quieter in here, aside from the sound of the rain pouring down outside. Brows furrowed, just an inch, and she's glancing at the spot he's now motioned to. She's still wet, her hair tucked behind her ears and she takes a few small steps forward. "Yeah well in another life I might've liked that." It's slightly under her breath, but she's slowly sitting down in the chair. Unsure of what to look at, him- or the silhouettes outside the windows. She couldn't hear what they were saying before, too scared and frantic to pay attention to the smiled lips of whatever creature wore her brother's face. "What- What about my dog?"

had  he  heard  right?  bobby  wasn't  sure,  as  the  rain  was  pretty  loud  against  the  roof.  but  as  he  so  often  did,  the  cook  assumed  he  was  very  much  right,  and  even  in  the  midst  of  the  chaos  that  was  going  on,  a  crooked  smile  made  itself  known.  " --i  mean,  i  could  still  tie  ya  up  if  yer  into  that, "  he  added,  giving  a  little  shrug  of  his  shoulders  before  dropping  into  a  chair  not  far  from  the  newcomer.  " wouldn't  worry  'bout  yer  dog.  them  fucks  out  there  don't  seem  too  interested  in  the  animals  'round  here. "  with  a  sigh,  bobby  rose  his  arms,  tucking  his  hands  behind  his  head  with  interlocked  fingers.  " they  just  like  tearin'  us  up. "

⟣ ─ ˑ 〃 ۫ ▶ ❛ . . . not this shit again — ❜ exhasperation at the unsatisfaction at his failing phone comes as a symptom to exhaustion , it ' s evident : in the red in his eyes , and the darknes beneath them . it ' s in his voice , and the way his usually perfect hair looks slept in . which is funny , since he has not slept a blink since his arrival . he has seen . . . enough to not risk going against their orders . he felt it . heavy in his stomach upon arrival : something here is deeply wrong . yet , something in him refuses to fully accept this as his new truth . call it skepticism . call it optimism . ❛ . . . how about we cut to the part where someone comes out and says ' you ' ve been punk ' d ' . . . and then we can all move on with our lives . ❜

a  huff  of  a  laugh  came  from  bobby,  who  had  stolen  an  office  chair  from  a  room  he  was  probably  not  supposed  to  venture  in. but if he was going to be stuck here , he'd make sure he was comfortable.  with  his  legs  kicked  up  on  another  seat,  he  fiddled  with  a  stress  ball  (  yet  again  taken  from  someone's  office  ).  “ ya  know--i  spent  my  first  two  months  waitin'  for  someone  to  tell  me  this  was  all  a  fucked  up  joke, ”  he  piped  up  as  he  heard  the  newcomer  question  everything.  “ --never  did  hear  it.  ya  gotta  suffer  with  the  rest  of  us,  pretty  boy. ”  he  grinned  as  he  spoke,  giving  the  stress  ball  a  light  toss  to  the  other.  “ think  you'll  be  needin'  that  more  than  i  will. ” 

with  her  legs  shaky,  she  stumbled  into  the  house  after  her  brother,  nearly  collapsing  against  the  door  as  she  slammed  it  shut  behind  her. " what is going on ? "

with  the  two  newcomers  safely  inside,  daehyun  kept  a  hand  pressed  against  the  door.  what  was  going  on?  he  didn't  have  the  answer.  this  place  didn't  enjoy  giving  much  for  answers  at  any  moment.  and  now,  with  the  abnormal  onslaught  of  rain  and  the  appearance  of  those  damned  creatures  during  the  day?  daehyun  was  baffled  as  he  held  his  now  crying  toddler  on  his  hip. " i--i  don't  know, "  he  stammered,  swallowing  the  lump  in  his  throat  as  he  forced  himself  to  pull  it  together--for  both  his  family  and  the  new  kids  in  town.  stepping  away  from  the  door,  daehyun  moved  quickly,  rushing  to  pull  the  curtains  and  blinds  down.  " they've  never  come  out  during  the  day  like  this. "  the  words  were  quiet  as  he  moved  around  the  living  room,  ensuring  everything  was  closed  and  sealed  off  before  he  finally  stopped.  "  you  two  okay?  "  he  questioned,  looking  between  his  two  guests  and  whispering  comforting  words  in  the  ear  of  his  very  confused  and  upset  child.

KYLE GALLNER as HASIL FARRELL Outsiders | 2.10 "Stranger in a Strange Land"

the  smile  daehyun  gave  was  slight,  almost  sad.  no,  the  feeling  of  being  overwhelmed  with  all  of  it  never  did  truly  go  away,  at  least  not  for  the  teacher.  "  been  here  almost  ten  years  and  it's  still  confusing  as  ever.  we  don't  know  why--don't  know  when  this  all  started,  we  just  know  we're  here.  for  whatever  reason,  we're  here.  "  it  wasn't  the  most  hopeful  of  words,  but  it  was  truthful.  answers  for  this  place  existing  and  why  they  had  all  been  chosen  were  yet  to  be  found.  "well--no  more  late  night  walks,  okay?  be  inside  before  sundown,"  he  warned  lightly,  not  at  all  wanting  to  see  another  newcomer  perish.  but  daehyun  was  quick  to  push  the  thoughts  aside,  a  more  genuine  smile  returning  as  he  waved  his  daughter  over.  and  with  that,  the  toddler  was  quick  to  climb  upon  daehyun's  knee,  eager  to  always  meet  the  new  folk  in  town.  "bella,  this  is--"  he  paused,  realizing  he  had  yet  to  get  her  name.  "forgive  me.  i'm  daehyun,  this  is  bella  and--you  are?"

clouds  have  never  scared  rory  osbourne  —  they  are  always  a  welcoming  sight,  every  time  they  cover  the  skies  and  bring  refreshing  droplets  of  cleansing  rain  with  them.  this  time  it’s  different,  though,  and  she  can  feel  it  as  an  ache  in  her  bones,  as  breathing  on  the  back  of  her  head.  she  understands  the  feeling  a  second  later,  as  the  thick  clouds  overshadowing  the  sun  serve  as  an  invitation  to  the  only  thing  she  fears  and  hates  at  the  same  time  these  days:  the  monsters  that  killed  her  family. then  the  scream,  coming  from  daehyun  standing  on  his  house’s  porch,  door  open  ready  for  them  to  enter  just  feet  away  from  her.  she  jumps  in  an  instant,  body  and  mind  always  ready  to  escape,  always  ready  to  be  safe  (  why ?  why  does  she  put  so  much  effort  into  surviving ?  she  has  nothing  left,  why  does  she  want  to  stay  alive  still ?  ).  she  breathes  next,  heavily,  charged  with  melancholy  and  relief.     “  thank  you,  ”     her  first  words  come  in  a  whisper.  she  clears  her  throat.     “  i  wouldn’t  have  made  it  to  the  motel  in  time.  are  you  two  okay ?  ”     for  someone  who  doesn’t  care  about  much,  unfortunately,  she  does  care  greatly  about  this  little  family.  maybe—  maybe  too  greatly  for  her  own  good.

daehyun's  breath  was  shallow  as  he  held  his  daughter  close  as  she  began  to  cry,  back  pressed  against  the  door  as  if  fearing  the  creatures  would  try  to  break  it  down.  he  knew  better--but  it  still  didn't  ease  his  worries.  nothing  about  what  just  happened  was  normal.  the  rain--the  things  coming  out  before  nightfall.  what  the  hell  was  going  on  in  their  little  town? pulling  in  a  deep  breath,  his  hand  smoothed  over  the  little  one's  back,  a  light bounce  starting  when  he  forced  himself  to  take  a  few  steps  from  the  door.  "  we're  okay.  are  you  okay? "  he  questioned  rory,  quite  thankful  that  they  had  all  managed  to  get  inside  before  anything  terrible  happened.  while  the  father  knew  rory  could  be  a  little  rough  around  the  edges,  she  had  been  one  of  the few   permanent  people  in  his  life  over  the  last  nine  and  a  half  years  in  oblitus.  if  there  was  anyone  he'd  happily  be  stuck  with  overnight,  daehyun  was  glad  it  was  rory.  " look,  bella--ms. rory  is  going  to  hang  out  with  us  for  a  while.  that's  cool,  huh? "  he  cooed,  stroking  the  toddler's  hair  as  he  tried  to  soothe  her.  he  forced  a  soft  smile  to  rory,  motioning  to  one  of  the  old  couches  that  was  pressed  against  the  living  room  wall.  " make  yourself  at  home--i  can  get  you  some  clothes. "  even  amidst  the  chaos,  daehyun  would  be  a  proper  host.

She doesn’t mean to be DEFENSIVE — but she doesn’t know what to do, or where to turn. “Yeah? Why should I trust you?” After everything she saw. “W-what the fuck was that?”

Was this what it was like for others when he first arrived? Bobby almost felt guilty, but there wasn't time to dwell. Instead, he gave a chuckle, fingertips rubbing at his temple for a moment as they stood inside the diner. "Ya know--I'm probably not the best person to be tellin' ya anything but--" he cut off, a shake of his head following as he tugged a seat out. "Jus' take a seat. Might be here a while--and don't go thinkin' bout runnin' outside. I'll tie ya up before ya could yell for ya mama."

complete and utter bullshit. that's what this was. a string of curses had been muttered under bobby's breath as he made a mad dash for the bar--only to step on a poorly placed rock. he managed to catch himself from falling, but the throbbing in his foot was still present once he managed to get inside. now, he sat on a stool, grimacing as he was examined. "ahh--there. there--that hurts," he grumbled, taking in a deep breath before looking up from his foot to the blonde. "--tell me it's just a sprain, doc," he mused, forcing a light laugh amidst all the chaos. at least, there were worse places he could be stuck. here he had alcohol and the company of a pretty face.