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iamawaited) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
wordburger2015-06-09 08:00 pm
iamawaited) wrote in wordburger2015-06-09 08:00 pm
MAD MAX SANDBOX POST
Welcome to the Wasteland: a sandbox/open post for Mad Max RP
(Seriously, go nuts.
That's what this canon is for.)
He looks down at the bar in her hand and lets out a growl that sounds very nearly feral. She's stronger than she looks -- but then again, gaunt though he may be, so is he.
He wrenches it back out of her hand. "It's been claimed," he tells her, quite seriously, taking a step back towards the car again. "It's coming with me."
He wrenches it back out of her hand. "It's been claimed," he tells her, quite seriously, taking a step back towards the car again. "It's coming with me."
(angharad squints, brows knitting together in confusion and then her expression crumples, but briefly, only ever briefly. she'll never be used to hearing bad news, but she is used to pretending she isn't rattled by it.)
Oh, (she says simply, after a long, silent moment. clenches her hands against the open air. the green place, hope for them, home for furiosa: sour, gone. why?)
What, (she tries, has to start again after a careful swallow. the words hurt in her throat.) What happened? Where did they go? Do you know?
Oh, (she says simply, after a long, silent moment. clenches her hands against the open air. the green place, hope for them, home for furiosa: sour, gone. why?)
What, (she tries, has to start again after a careful swallow. the words hurt in her throat.) What happened? Where did they go? Do you know?
We were...
[Oh, but this will be hard to explain without giving her the wrong idea. He hesitates, looking around himself a little helplessly, as if all the green will give him an idea of what to say.
Surprisingly enough, it does. He looks back at her, nervous, but tentatively hopeful.]
There's green on top of the Citadel -- the others said so. We were going back through the pass, Imperator Furiosa and the other Wives and the Many Mothers, and my blood bag and me. And we-- they-- we killed Immortan Joe.
[That still doesn't feel real. Even saying it aloud, it doesn't feel possible. Now it's his turn to swallow back a lump in his throat, and it's neither Larry nor Barry this time.]
[Oh, but this will be hard to explain without giving her the wrong idea. He hesitates, looking around himself a little helplessly, as if all the green will give him an idea of what to say.
Surprisingly enough, it does. He looks back at her, nervous, but tentatively hopeful.]
There's green on top of the Citadel -- the others said so. We were going back through the pass, Imperator Furiosa and the other Wives and the Many Mothers, and my blood bag and me. And we-- they-- we killed Immortan Joe.
[That still doesn't feel real. Even saying it aloud, it doesn't feel possible. Now it's his turn to swallow back a lump in his throat, and it's neither Larry nor Barry this time.]
"By who?" Capable sets her jaw, lowers her voice, as she's digging for her phone in her pocket. This situation is surreal, almost laughable. "That's my friend's car! Look," she tells him, follows him that step backwards and reaches out, this time to touch her fingertips briefly to the arm of his worn jacket.
"Look," she says again, pushes her hair back behind her ear and pulls her phone out, keeping it at her side with her thumb pressing against the buttons, ready to dial at a moment's notice, "My friends are only a couple walls away from here and they'll come looking for a fight if I call. Nobody needs to get hurt. You'd better go back to whomever told you to take this and tell them it's off the market. Okay?"
"Look," she says again, pushes her hair back behind her ear and pulls her phone out, keeping it at her side with her thumb pressing against the buttons, ready to dial at a moment's notice, "My friends are only a couple walls away from here and they'll come looking for a fight if I call. Nobody needs to get hurt. You'd better go back to whomever told you to take this and tell them it's off the market. Okay?"
(she stares at him for a long, even moment, desperately trying to process this information. eventually she turns back and rests her chin on her knees again, staring at the grass as it sways in the breeze. the immortan is dead.
she can see furiosa's plan laid out neatly before her now, knowing that. he had taken his entire war party out to chase them across the sand, leaving the citadel unattended. she hiccups on a breath, and presses her cheek into her knees, squeezing her eyes shut tight. the relief is unbearable. there's something else there too, something twisted and scared, a small part of her that thinks he'll be the next to show up.
when she gets a grip on herself again she stands, unable to help marveling at how easy it is to stand now that she isn't carrying the extra weight of a child with her.)
You helped them? (she asks, coming to stand opposite the war boy, drawing herself up tall before him.)
she can see furiosa's plan laid out neatly before her now, knowing that. he had taken his entire war party out to chase them across the sand, leaving the citadel unattended. she hiccups on a breath, and presses her cheek into her knees, squeezing her eyes shut tight. the relief is unbearable. there's something else there too, something twisted and scared, a small part of her that thinks he'll be the next to show up.
when she gets a grip on herself again she stands, unable to help marveling at how easy it is to stand now that she isn't carrying the extra weight of a child with her.)
You helped them? (she asks, coming to stand opposite the war boy, drawing herself up tall before him.)
[He watches her grapple with it, feeling lost and unsure. This place is her place; he doesn't understand it, and he doesn't know if he understands what looks like grief or fear or both to him.
Well, no. He understands it perfectly well, if that is what it is. He just doesn't understand why it's hers. Isn't she happy? Hadn't she hated him? Or does she feel just as confused as Nux without him, even so?]
I tried.
[That's another kind of grief. He wishes he knew what happened next. What had happened to Capable... He swallows.]
I drove the rig into the canyon pass. To bring the rocks down -- block the pursuit coming back.
Well, no. He understands it perfectly well, if that is what it is. He just doesn't understand why it's hers. Isn't she happy? Hadn't she hated him? Or does she feel just as confused as Nux without him, even so?]
I tried.
[That's another kind of grief. He wishes he knew what happened next. What had happened to Capable... He swallows.]
I drove the rig into the canyon pass. To bring the rocks down -- block the pursuit coming back.
Nux startles again when her hand brushes his arm through his beaten leather jacket and twitches away, although there's really no room to pull back much. He stares at his arm, then at her -- and then in the phone in her hand. Oh, no. His stomach sinks, heart fluttering with sudden panic when he sees her thumb ready on the dialer.
He's under-prepared for this, it's very clear. He had been expecting it to be easy and quick: grab the car and get out quietly, before anyone could even notice it was gone. Now he's at an impasse. He can't go back to Joe empty-handed, and he can't call him from jail. Neither shame would be forgiven. Neither would be liveable.
So he does the only other thing he can think of. "No," he growls, and darts out a hand to grab her by the wrist, not really hard enough to hurt, but hopefully hard enough to make her drop the phone. He turns in almost the same movement, the jimmy bar in his other hand, and shoves it down beneath the window until he hears the click of the door. He tugs her towards it. "You'll just have to come with me."
He's under-prepared for this, it's very clear. He had been expecting it to be easy and quick: grab the car and get out quietly, before anyone could even notice it was gone. Now he's at an impasse. He can't go back to Joe empty-handed, and he can't call him from jail. Neither shame would be forgiven. Neither would be liveable.
So he does the only other thing he can think of. "No," he growls, and darts out a hand to grab her by the wrist, not really hard enough to hurt, but hopefully hard enough to make her drop the phone. He turns in almost the same movement, the jimmy bar in his other hand, and shoves it down beneath the window until he hears the click of the door. He tugs her towards it. "You'll just have to come with me."
"It's more than okay." Capable murmurs, glancing on each side at the way his arms are coiled around hers. She looks back up at him. "We don't know how much time you have." The truth of it presses down on her the way Larry and Barry press down on his windpipe. "But we're going to find a way to give you more." It still won't be enough, she thinks. The only amount of life for him that would be enough is a full one. And almost every minute of it with her.
The first part relieves him. His smile widens again, and he runs his hands up and down her arms just for the pleasure of the touch, then rests his head against hers again. "Good."
The second part... The lift grinds to a halt and he takes advantage of the distraction for a moment, because her proposition sets his head to whirling. The only reason anyone has ever considered prolonging his life before -- the only reason he's ever considered it -- has been to spare him for a greater death. The idea of living just to live is supposed to be something for other people. Full-lives, not half-lives.
But in those last few moments on the rig, just before Rictus had come up on him and torn his engine out, hadn't he thought: what if? Hadn't he thought, skidding into the canyon wall, that maybe he might have hoped to live after all?
He slips his hand into Capable's as the lift stops and limps with her into the Citadel proper, oddly quiet in the face of her declaration. It's a lot to chew on, and not only for his tumors.
The second part... The lift grinds to a halt and he takes advantage of the distraction for a moment, because her proposition sets his head to whirling. The only reason anyone has ever considered prolonging his life before -- the only reason he's ever considered it -- has been to spare him for a greater death. The idea of living just to live is supposed to be something for other people. Full-lives, not half-lives.
But in those last few moments on the rig, just before Rictus had come up on him and torn his engine out, hadn't he thought: what if? Hadn't he thought, skidding into the canyon wall, that maybe he might have hoped to live after all?
He slips his hand into Capable's as the lift stops and limps with her into the Citadel proper, oddly quiet in the face of her declaration. It's a lot to chew on, and not only for his tumors.
Leading him in, she considers his limping form with concern. "Do you want to go see the Organic Mechanic?" she asks, keeping her fingers curved around his. "If you can wait, there's someplace I want to take you - someplace I don't know if you've ever really been allowed in."
Because now all places are free, and accessible, and she wants him to know that freedom.
Because now all places are free, and accessible, and she wants him to know that freedom.
He shakes his head. "I can wait." He knows he can -- he hurts, and he's tired, but he knows the difference between pain and weariness and something closer to fatal. He'll know when there's no choice but to see the Organic, but he's not there yet.
And if it's a choice between sitting around on a rock with a tube in his arm for hours or going somewhere with Capable, he knows which one he'd rather do. It'll spare him from his thoughts a while longer, anyway. There are suddenly so many of them.
She wants to ask if he's sure, because he really does seem like he needs a medic, and at this point the Organic Mechanic is actually too frightened of the Wives (a revelation, imagining anyne would actually be afraid of them!) to not do as he is bid - Nux is going to get the best care. But she doesn't, trusting him to know is own mind.
Instead she keeps hold of his hand, an begins to guide him deeper into the Citadel. It's just as much up as it is in, and the stairs cut out of rock that she's guiding him to lead to the very top of the Citadel, an heretofor forbidden zone full of lush greenery. Her fingers tighten around his. She's taking him to a sacred place.
Instead she keeps hold of his hand, an begins to guide him deeper into the Citadel. It's just as much up as it is in, and the stairs cut out of rock that she's guiding him to lead to the very top of the Citadel, an heretofor forbidden zone full of lush greenery. Her fingers tighten around his. She's taking him to a sacred place.
Through all of this, from the very beginning, one hope has been recurring in Nux's heart: that whatever the reason the gates refuse to open for him -- or whatever the truth out there might really be -- that he's lived all this extra time to be able to do something great. He'd thought to do it with his death, and it's still an adjustment, trying to think of it as something he could do with his life.
But that's all to say that when he first gets to the green place, he wonders if this might have been it all along. He'd caught glimpses, the faintest glimpses of it before, moving through the aquacoladucts, and he's seen the produce, but... he'd never imagined that there was this much of it. It's almost too jarring to be beautiful, like he doesn't know how to love it. He grips her hand tightly, staring all around them, astonished.
But that's all to say that when he first gets to the green place, he wonders if this might have been it all along. He'd caught glimpses, the faintest glimpses of it before, moving through the aquacoladucts, and he's seen the produce, but... he'd never imagined that there was this much of it. It's almost too jarring to be beautiful, like he doesn't know how to love it. He grips her hand tightly, staring all around them, astonished.
"Hey–" she protests, hand jerking when he grabs her, phone slipping from her fingers to crack on the ground. She isn't worried about the phone (it's a sturdy little thing), but when she leans for it the boy gives her a little tug. He's surprisingly sturdy, considering his stature. Must be hiding all his strength in his wiry little arms; he tugs again and she nearly falls off balance, voice rising in alarm, "Hey! Cut it out!"
She fights him off with her elbow, throwing her free arm up between the both of them and tugging her hand, hard. The want to sort everything out by herself is warring hard with the urge to shout out for help, which she knows is nearby. The only thing stopping her is the mental image of Furiosa punching this poor, stupid kid right in the head. He doesn't know what he's doing– even now it feels like he's running on pure panic.
"Listen," she entreats him, voice a wavering hiss, "What are you doing? Whomever told you to steal a car wouldn't have wanted you to steal a girl as well!"
She fights him off with her elbow, throwing her free arm up between the both of them and tugging her hand, hard. The want to sort everything out by herself is warring hard with the urge to shout out for help, which she knows is nearby. The only thing stopping her is the mental image of Furiosa punching this poor, stupid kid right in the head. He doesn't know what he's doing– even now it feels like he's running on pure panic.
"Listen," she entreats him, voice a wavering hiss, "What are you doing? Whomever told you to steal a car wouldn't have wanted you to steal a girl as well!"
Oh.
(it's all that angharad can think to say. she doesn't feel badly about facing him harshly, before– she hadn't understood, then, and how could she have known what he did? she feels badly for him now, instead. she isn't sure how she is supposed to react.
her mind is still reeling from the amount of information he's threaded her.)
... Thank you. (gratitude is always a good start. she startles herself with how sincere she sounds when she says it, but if he sacrificed himself to aid in their escape, why shouldn't it be so? she had been prepared to do the same. she's touched to know she isn't alone in that respect.)
(it's all that angharad can think to say. she doesn't feel badly about facing him harshly, before– she hadn't understood, then, and how could she have known what he did? she feels badly for him now, instead. she isn't sure how she is supposed to react.
her mind is still reeling from the amount of information he's threaded her.)
... Thank you. (gratitude is always a good start. she startles herself with how sincere she sounds when she says it, but if he sacrificed himself to aid in their escape, why shouldn't it be so? she had been prepared to do the same. she's touched to know she isn't alone in that respect.)
[He doesn't blame her for it, though it does make him a little awkward around her now. If she were Capable, Furiosa, he might know how to take the thank you. With Angharad... He's just as unsure as she is, if not moreso, and all he can think to do is give her an uncomfortable nod.
Like her, he's still dressed the same, right down to the mismatched boots. He hitches his thumbs in his belt and hunches a little, ducking his head as he glances around.]
What is this place?
Like her, he's still dressed the same, right down to the mismatched boots. He hitches his thumbs in his belt and hunches a little, ducking his head as he glances around.]
What is this place?
Wouldn't he? Nux isn't so sure about that. He's heard rumors that Joe likes beautiful women, and this one is very beautiful.
Although, he realizes, even as he starts trying to bundle her in the car, if he takes her back to the garage, if she knows where it is... That could go real bad, real quick. "We're just gonna go for a drive," he decides hastily instead. "Just take a little trip." He can leave her somewhere a decent klick or two away and double back to present the car to Joe, he thinks.
Although, he realizes, even as he starts trying to bundle her in the car, if he takes her back to the garage, if she knows where it is... That could go real bad, real quick. "We're just gonna go for a drive," he decides hastily instead. "Just take a little trip." He can leave her somewhere a decent klick or two away and double back to present the car to Joe, he thinks.
(she takes her time with answering, slow turning in place on the spot to take in the green, and the trees.)
I don't know, (she admits eventually, fingernails pressing gentle into her palms. something old and half-forgotten bubbles to the surface as she thinks, something she thinks miss giddy must have mentioned to her a long time ago.)
Maybe this is Heaven.
I don't know, (she admits eventually, fingernails pressing gentle into her palms. something old and half-forgotten bubbles to the surface as she thinks, something she thinks miss giddy must have mentioned to her a long time ago.)
Maybe this is Heaven.
Heaven.
[He echoes it without any real understanding. Then he thinks of the Dag, though, praying to anyone who would listen, and he wonders if someone heard.]
Wonder why.
[Why this place. Why them, and not any of the others who'd died.]
[He echoes it without any real understanding. Then he thinks of the Dag, though, praying to anyone who would listen, and he wonders if someone heard.]
Wonder why.
[Why this place. Why them, and not any of the others who'd died.]
Mmm.
(maybe it is only a stop on the way to something else.
still, she's glad she got to see it. she loves the trees, how the steady breeze makes the leaves rustle gently above them. it's hot, but not so much that sweat sticks to the back of her knees and under her arms.)
Whatever it is, I wouldn't mind staying.
(maybe it is only a stop on the way to something else.
still, she's glad she got to see it. she loves the trees, how the steady breeze makes the leaves rustle gently above them. it's hot, but not so much that sweat sticks to the back of her knees and under her arms.)
Whatever it is, I wouldn't mind staying.
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