Folly & Agendas & Talulah

[50] - "𝓐𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓫𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓾𝓶"

"The world cares not for you."

"Even if that's true, we can still hope for a better future!"

"How naïve. How foolish my dear. This world is fraught with tragedy-"

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't stop trying!"

"Where did you learn those words?"

"I learned them from Kaiser Rye. Now he's my husband."

"So you have chosen to be marry that disgraced Draco? Your future bears rotten fruit."

"No it won't. The future will not bear the 'rotten fruit' you so speak of."

"You may find a paradise amidst the turmoil, but horrors shall befall you."

"And I shall overcome them."

"You shall find that you have no place in this world; you are a servant to the vice of time."

"No. You're wrong."

"Hmm?"

"I shall find a place in this wretched world. A paradise for me and my future."

"How persistent."

"You'll be proven wrong!"

= Last Discussion with Koshchei before the "Grand Escape"

---
Marzanna Two Years of Age...
---

"Everybody gather in closer! Come on! We're all family here! Why aren't you all standing together? Come on! Stand together! Stand still! I want everyone to be in this photo!"

The rumbling of trucks grazed across the landscape. A long caravan of vehicles traversed atop hills and valleys and plains and bends. Our destination could be a permanent one, and we were already here. A Catastrophe struck the land, causing Originium deposits to form in clusters everywhere. We used the disaster's rampage as cover for our trip farther south. 

"Sasha, Eno get in here too! Yelena go grab Mr. Patriot. Kaiser Rye, look this way!"

We spent three days unloading crates full of food, supplies, medicine; everyone has settled down by the fourth. The Guerrillas, the Yetis, Kaiser Rye's men, the ordinary Infected, all let out a sigh of relief when the move was over. Hard work, paid off.

"Lucas! Get your old ass in here! Someone get that fucking joint out of his hand!"

And now Haley is hell-bent on taking a photograph with everyone. She had a vintage camera stored in her bag, and she is forcing a poor man to help take the photo with all of us. Her vulgar vernacular paired with her gleeful behavior prompted me to cover my daughter's ears.

"Hey! Leave room for me! You can't leave me out of it!" 

I looked around and smiled as I saw Yelena and Patriot enter our little group. My husband, Kaiser Rye, stood to the right of me; Sasha and Eno stood to the left of me both of whom had bright smiles on their faces; and finally, Lucas arrived with his large fur coat and stood next to the two boys.

"We're almost ready! Take the shot in ten seconds!"

Haley jumped in, planting herself in behind Sasha and Eno with her hands on the former's shoulder. Yelena and Kaiser Rye greeted each other with a smile as we turned our gaze towards the camera. Lucas quietly smoked a cigarette before he tossed it away. Now the cameraman was ready to take the photo.