Zombie Apocalypse: Fractures

Chapter 9: Nyxen, Thalia

Nyxen sits around the small camp they've made since leaving the city a year ago. He still can't believe that it's been a year since this all happened and he's lost his brother. Him and Thalia have found other survivors but with no luck as they've had to kill them due to trying to take him and her as prisoners or take them out of this world. He was the one to decide that it'd be safer on their own to survive this hell. Nyxen gets up with a huff to go grab more kindle for the fire pit, running his fingers through his now shoulder length hair.

"This certainly doesn't get any easier man. Not as excited as when this started." He was only speaking his mind to himself when he hears the snapping of twigs behind him. He immediately spins himself around while grabbing hold of the knife and unsheathing it. He lets out a sigh of relief when his eyes set upon Thalia, whom was carrying a duffel bag over her right shoulder. "You were about to be shanked woman!" She smiles as she approaches him stopping in front of him and reaches up to tap his face a few times. "That is so sweet you thought you could. Good reaction time though and not grabbing your gun first either. Keeping the zombies away." She chuckles as she walks over to their tents by the fire pit and sets the duffel bag and starts sorting through it.

Nyxen just shakes his head, sheathes his knife with a slightly shakey hand, and resumes his search for more kindle to use for the fire pit. Thalia was taking out canned food, bottles of water, first aid items, and a few treats she found that she found he loved grabbing on his runs. She decides to lets herself smile a little as she knew he was still struggling with this new world and the loss of his brother without a proper burial. Thalia gets up, walks over a few steps to his tent and chucks the bags of chips into the tent. She walks to the log she has in front of the fire pit and sits down on it which felt great to her as she got to relax. "You know, you could let me do more runs. I'm not useless and definitely not dumb about how to survive. Considering we've gotten this far without us dying and my trap ideas with your location ideas have made our camp able to continue living in." Nyx says as he sees how relaxed she has gotten in seconds from sitting down on the log she used. He sets down a rather large bundle of branches and sticks he collected, grabbing his fire poking stick and pokes around the fire to make sure everything gets burned.

Thalia watches him but has always kept herself from asking him how he's been. She looks to him as a little brother from knowing his brother and everything he had told her about Nyxen. "Yeah, maybe you should go on more runs. Give you a break from being here and I think I'd enjoy the time not going out all the time." She wanted this for him so he could move on and to grow himself with more responsibility. It's definitely what his brother would have wanted and she's glad that Nyxen is wanting to do more now. She knows that the terms and situations aren't exactly what they were supposed to be for him to grow but it's better now than later. "Well, I'm going to take a little recon before fully relaxing here. Better to make sure that the traps are still up and haven't been tampered with." Nyxen interjects with a small smile, "Already did that before you got here and before I gathered the kindle. Just go rest, you've earned it."

Thalia nods as she stands up slowly to take in the fact she was going to actually enjoy some time away from making runs. She stretches her arms above her head for a few seconds before she drops them to her side so she could reach into her left side cargo pocket. She pulls out her hand out with a big folded up paper in her hand and tosses it to Nyxen. She watches him catch it as she heads to her tent. "A map with enough notes to show you where I've been, where we are, and what paths are the safest to take." Nyxen nods to her before he returns to the upkeep on the fire. He stays up for just an hour before he gets up to put out the fire by peeing on it. Once he had the fire put out, Nyxen heads to his tent and opens it up to see the bags of his favorite chips. This brings a warm smile to his face while he sets them off to the side, settles himself on top of the sleeping bag, and closes his eyes to succumb to the effects of slumber.