604 - Sarah, Nat & Alex's room

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Sarah, Nat and Alex find themselves assigned an empty 3 bedroom apartment, along with their cute new dogs Tony and Pepper. How do you decide to furnish it? You'll need to drag furniture from other places, and find supplies from the 6th floor to stock it.

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Sarah-
"Oh wow, I hope you guys are ready for some work... I could just sleep on the floor if I had a nice comforter. Maybe we should just sleep in the living room for now? Not like it makes a difference which empty room we sleep in, right? Ha..."

[DKender]

"Oh! I got it! Let's find all the beanbag furniture and just ... just make this room into a HUGE beanbag room. It'll be so comfortable! Maybe some weights over there. Oh, hm, think we can find an exercise machine somewhere, too? Those stationary bikes don't need electricity."

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Sarah-
"Oh remember they're getting the stationary bikes so you can charge ipods and stuff with them! Maybe you can ask if we can get one in here, and we can have some music! I love the idea about the bean bags, that sounds so fun. I'll help you carry anything, but I'm not that strong..."

[DKender]

"It will be like one of those ball pits at Chuck E Cheese, but with beanbags! I’m so excited!" Alex has apparently vastly overestimated the amount of beanbag furniture the apartment building contains. "Oh, uh, and we'll need a crucifix over the beds and in every room. Just ... just to be safe."

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Sarah looked skeptical.

Sarah-
"I like the bean bag idea but eh.. do you really think the crucifixes would..."

She considered Alex's feelings as she looked at him.

Sarah-
"Yeah sure, I guess it couldn't hurt. If I see any I'll let you know, OK? Let's go get at that furniture..."

Sarah and Alex go on the hunt-- they find exactly one big white leather beanbag chair, and a very small assortment of religious paraphernalia including some cheap rosaries and a small gold cross necklace. Unless of course, they go to the fourth floor... MUAHAHA.

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Muahaha and stuff, go to the 4th Floor thread, IF YOU DARE! *lightning crash*

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Nat returned with the two happy dogs, which ran around yipping and prancing all over the new room. His other new roommates were nowhere in sight...

[kilnarak]

Nat smiled and bade goodnight to Zoe and Chantelle, before leading the two french bulldogs into the room. The pair yipped and pranced about Nat's legs, before scampering off to explore the rest of the room.

For the first time since this fiasco began, Nat felt *happy* - the antics of the two little dogs was adorable and lifted his spirits. Although... the fact that Sarah and Alex weren't around struck him as a bit strange.

Nat wandered about the still mostly-empty apartment, setting the cans of dog food on the kitchen counter, and the toys (as well as some doggy-beds from downstairs) on the floor for Tony and Pepper. He also shrugged out of his satchel, setting the bag on the floor near the door.

He kind of wanted to sit down and get to know his two new furry friends, but... the rather empty state of the room seemed somewhat more pressing. The only piece of furniture apparent was a single, rather sad looking beanbag chair.

"Nn. Okay you two! Stay put! I-I'll just be downstairs a minute," Nat called to the dogs. Pepper meandered on out of the bathroom where she had been snuffling around. The little bulldog barked excitedly, running in a little circle around the beanbag chair. Obviously, human talking meant 'play time!' Tony trotted out after her, eager to join in the play.

Both dogs would be disappointed, however, as Nat slipped out the door, closing it behind him. He needed to get some blankets, at least - maybe a mattress, if there were any left. Some blankets, comforters, maybe sleeping bags if he could find them? Oh, and maybe a few more candles... and toothpaste... Essentials, at least for the night. They could worry about other things in the morning.

(Nat is... heading off to grab stuff for the room! Maybe he'll run into Alex and Sarah on the way?)

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Nat made his way to the 6th floor supply depot, and gathered up some nice cushions and colorful knit blankets. It was starting to get late, and most everyone had gone to their rooms. It was a little eerie and dim out here, and Nat had to balance the stack of bedding in one arm, and carry his light source in the other. He could see glimmers of light from under his neighbor's doors, Doctor Victor and Micah next door on one side and another room on the other. He heard a small baby's cry from behind that door, and the murmur of conversation. It was so quiet without the hum of electricity, he could hear the sound of voices downstairs through the floorboards.

Alex & Sarah may come back as they wish...

[DKender]

When Alex returned to the apartment with Sarah, he found two new roomies frolicking around the place. Dogs made everything better. "Nat. Is. A. GENIUS." Alex played with the bulldogs until bedtime, his voice an octave higher whenever he said, "Good girl! Where's my sock? Where is it?"

During his guard duty hours, Alex spent forty minutes exercising in the dark - he mainly did push-ups, sit-ups, and stretches, since they were the least disruptive option - and passed the remaining time lounging on his beanbag with Pepper in his lap, thinking.

Since he saw Doretta’s apartment, something had been nagging Alex. It all boiled down to Mary. When the possessed woman at the mall called herself "Mary," he thought she was being sacrilegious. But what if "Mary" had really been the woman’s name? It was a good Christian name - the best, in fact.

And then, Abdhur (he refused to refer to the demon as "Mary" anymore) had remarked, "Your world is so much less vital than the elder times, the times kept alive in the hearts of people like young Alex here. The times when people knew well the fire beneath their feet ..." She was praising him. Alex remembered every word, whether he liked it or not. He possessed quite the memory, actually, which is why he couldn't play cards with a single deck. Stupid Uncle Brick taught him how to count them, and he couldn't help himself anymore. Alex spent the next few minutes being angry at his uncle. Then, he continued thinking about important matters. But why would a demon praise his piety and fear of hell?

Doretta, also, had been religious; he gathered that much from the brief glance into her apartment.

Oh no.

Demons had a FETISH for possessing Christians. His heightened fear of hell must have turned Abdhur on. Alex anxiously pulled Pepper closer. The dog wiggled and ruffed softly, then fell back to sleep. As he gently pet Pepper's head, Alex wondered how many religious people belonged to his new group. He'd seen Tyrone praying. Who else? Maybe, it would be safe to take a tally. He just wished he'd converted to Buddhism when he had the chance. Now, with the evidence piled in front of him, he couldn't deny that they were all subjects to a wrathful god.

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Sarah Nat and Alex wake up in a sunny apartment, lacking electric lighting but otherwise not shabby! Hangovers as appropriate!

[DKender]

When Alex woke that morning, he clasped his hands and immediately started to pray.

After falling into a deep, wine-muddled sleep after the party, he dreamed about the senior prom ...

This is a dream sequence. Woooooh spooky!

Alex and Carly stood in a ballroom lit by pale blue lights. Taio Cruz's Dynamite blasted from intimidating speakers along one wall.

"Please, Alex, bring me water," Carly said. Her voice sounded faraway. "I'm so thirsty."

He responded in piss-poor Spanish, "No bailes sin mi, Carlita."

By the time he returned with two glasses of milk and a heaping plate of chicken wings (for some reason, Alex often dreamed of chicken and milk), Carly had moved from the dance floor to the stage, and she wore a silver and crystal tiara. It must be time to crown them Prom King and Queen. He couldn't believe that he missed the announcement. He climbed onto the stage and reached for her hand. "You're so beautiful," he said. "I love you, Ca ..."

Under his fingers, the skin on Carly's calloused hand sloughed off like a glove. Alex stared stupidly at her exposed muscles.

"It doesn’t hurt," she said. "Not yet." Then, she collapsed against him, her brown eyes blushing with hemorrhages. Alex cried out with surprise and shook her by the shoulders; every movement knocked more skin from her bare arms and face, until wet, fleshy ribbons piled around their feet like streamers. Carly was falling apart! "Stop," he groaned. "God, please. Why?" Her mouth moved ... Alex leaned closer to hear.

"Y-you're all going to fuck-king die," she said.

The next thing he knew, Alex was beating Carly's head with a metal pipe until it caved. Somebody stepped behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Very good, Alex," said an all-too-familiar voice. "She never really loved you. Let's dance." He dropped the pipe and turned around. Standing there, dressed in fine clothes, was ...

Wakey wakey. The dream sequence has concluded.

NO! He refused to think about that PERSON (considering who it was, Alex felt particularly disturbed), and how they'd danced together in front of Carly's broken corpse. What a depraved, grotesque dream. That lie during the party had kicked him down a slippery slope to damnation, all right. He had to confess, but who would listen?

Alex proceeded to the community center, more than a little disturbed.

This dream sequence is dedicated to fried chicken and Indea.

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

And then he was gone! Head to 6th floor thread, sadly breakfast was chicken and milk served over white pancakes.

[DKender]

After a full and unexpectedly peaceful night's rest, Alex woke at 5 AM and decided to visit Mr. Ashley. Social visits and prayer helped the recovery process - Alex now suspected that Ash was also Catholic, since he wore a Saint's medal in his jacket, against his heart (somebody has jumped to conclusions!!).

Weren't dogs also good recovery tools? After some consideration, Alex wrapped Pepper in a towel, to prevent the dog from shedding or otherwise causing mischief in Mr. Ashley's room, and then picked up the bundle. Pepper wiggled until his towel fell off, barked once, and licked Alex's chin. Hm. Maybe a dog was a bad idea. He regretfully put Pepper down.

And perhaps it'd be wise to wait until the sun rose properly before he bothered a seriously injured man, who probably needed rest ...

Until then, Alex exercised, prayed, and pseudo-bathed. He really did miss hot showers.