Collin brandished the newly fixed shirt. It was as if it was factory new--no scratches at all--she has really outdone herself this time! Setting aside the repaired clothes, she stretched for a bit, taking in the sweet cold night air. She looked over to the door near Tolia's bed--which is currently being used by him--and smiled at her worked charm. "..get some rest, will you?" she said, before momentarily getting back to her chair.

After some short whiles, the door opens, to reveal Vatoshka. "Hey, Wisconsin, mind f'you came here for a minute? Jasper has some..words for you." he reported to her. Collin, half asleep with her foot down and her head up, immediately regained her consciousness. "--huh what? Oh, Jasper, yes." she said, hurrying herself before Vatoshka came over to lay his hand on her right shoulder. "Take it easy, Lynn, jeez." he lectured her, for a bit. Collin, obviously still drowsy, brushed her hands over her eyes, attempting to eliminate the tiredness.

Vatoshka went back to the door, and went outside. Through the doorframe, a wasteland was revealed, stretching through the rubbles of the house--where Vatoshka is standing right now, it would be a living room--and on and on. Endless sprites of black and red, as artists would paint it as. A symbol for destruction, and inevitable peace. Jasper,in the other hand, was sitting nicely besides a campfire with another woman, with silver hair. "Do you think it's better if we leave him here, Riz? Of course not! We owe him that much, and he owes us much less." Jasper said. The woman nodded, and agreed, taking a stick and placing it near the fire. "I was just concerned with his.. worsening conditions. It might weigh us down--and you know what to do if that happens." she warns Jasper. "..but I'm all for chances."

Vatoshka joins in, setting himself down near the moonlight. "He's getting better, Riz. I know he is." he assured them both. Jasper and Riz looked to Vatoshka. "Are you sure? Our doctor here couldn't even make a miracle to himself in order to get himself out of this one." Riz commented. "Not many survive the plague, Vatoshka. Markus Centre would be our only hope--" Jasper said, before being interrupted by Vatoshka; "Then so be it! We're going to Markus Centre! Better to die there than to die rotting here with the rest of these puppets!" he said, sharply. Jasper winced, Riz sighed.

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Collin emerged out from the room, and hiked her way down the broken floors. "..we oughta get some sleep.." she said, sheepishly. Vatoshka calmed himself down, and sat down again. "Sorry to picture this to you, sweetheart, but we're debating on whether or not to leave our ill friend.." Riz commented. "..what? Are you joking?" she said in desbelief. Her eyes were still kind of droopy, and she made all the effort to make a difference to that. "We can't leave another! That's.. cruel!" she said. "..I don't want to abandon anyone, really." she added later on, her arms crossed as she sat near the fire, along the rest of the four.

"What do you improvise then?" Jasper asked, raising a concerned hand. "Well, why don't we continue to go to Markus Centre? Staying near the wastelands is as good as staying near a nuclear reactor! You know how it goes! We should get out of here--and it would help Tolia!" Collin pointed out, her tired mind refreshed with the grief she now had. "Lynn, please.." Vatoshka said, asking her to cool it. "Can it, Vatie! I can't believe you people--the sole survivors of the great war--absolutely suck at finding hope! You.. you.." her mind scrambled to find the words. "..you." she stopped. Riz looked at her, a slight concerned, and disgusted eye. Collin, realizing the scene, looked away from the fire. "I-I'm sorry." she apologized. The next minutes were silent, with Collin hugging her knees, Jasper finding something to stare at, and Vatoshka organizing his thoughts. Riz stayed the same.

"Listen, Lynn. Whatever you said--I could understand it. I see now how much you care about us. I.. didn't really get much of that in me before this happened. Now, all of you." Jasper called out again. Riz and Vatoshka looked over. Collin cowered. "Tomorrow, we'll get some supplies. Riz will stand by Tolia until further information--and after a quick rest--then we will go after Markus Centre." Jasper said, pointing at the sky scraping tower in the distance. A symbol of blessing, prosperity, and safety, once. Now just a huge fork in the horizon--an undeniably evil huge fork.

"..Lynn." Vatoshka called. "One last stretch, we promise it's going to be the last one, okay?" he promised her. "..didn't said anything about promises." Riz pouted out. She chuckled afterwards, though.

Soon, the stars went asleep as well.

~ end of chapter 2; promises ~