Hello spacegirl (Ari&Archer) EN.

Sitting there, on an old barely standing bench made of rotten wood, Aaren is watching, disheartened, the roaming passer-by. He had been in a sour mood for a few hours, not knowing exactly what had rendered him so dejected. Counting and recounting aimlessly the ammunitions in his hand for his Ak-47 that he had traded a few minutes ago, he was frowning, and thinking. For some reason, those last few days (weeks ?) he had felt completely depressed, barely able to leave his bed in the morning. Evidently, he did. He put one foot after another on the edge of his mattress, and went on, for the sake of Arianna and Archibald, as well as for the quarry's inhabitants. He owed it to them. He really needed to clear his head, otherwise he knew he would just explode on the next person that wanted to berate him (and they were numerous). He passes a hand through his hair - a bit dirty - and touches his beard - too long. He must look like a hobo, he thinks with a little smile on his otherwise serious face. This impression is confirmed by a little girl, barely three years old, all smirks and laugh and blond hair, that sees him and suddenly flees like the devil is chasing her. It's his turn to laugh. Okay, he really needs to wash up a little, change his clothes. He kind of misses his old days in the mine, at least there was running water, even though it was fucking cold and he always got out half frozen to death. The wrinkle in the corner of his eyes, that he couldn't help but scratch constantly these days, revealed just how exhausted he really felt inside.

A woman, in her late thirties, comes to him with a basket full of vegetables « Aaren » she salutes him with a grin « This is for you. And for little Arianna, she told me she loves potatoes so I made sure there were three kilos of them. ». Indeed, the bag is very heavy when he takes it in his hand, and he flinches a little. He had hurt himself in the shoulders, six days ago, and he still felt sore all over. And he smiles, thinking of the outraged expression he would find on his daughter's face if she learned anyone had dared call her "little Arianna". « Where did you find all that food ? » he asked, surprised. Lily - that was her name - rolled her eyes, seemingly amused. « We just exchanged it with some vagrants, not very far from the Rhodes Ranch. I don't understand why in god's name they would think anything is worth that much food, in the age we live in, but whatever. I'm willing to get whatever God is sending me. Especially when it's delicious potatoes. ». Reflecting he would need to investigate this matter further, Aaren decided to let it slide for the time being. He would bring it to Arianna (or maybe give it to her when she came to visit, she most often than not came to see him every day). « Here, your medicine » he answers, and hands out the small plastic bag in which he placed the insuline he had found after a day of foraging. She thanks him, and goes away after a last smile.

Looking over the market place, always vigilant in case some fuckers tried to stir shit up, a thing that happened more often than not, he noticed a very familiar head of dark hair. Of course, who else but Arianna. She was talking to an old woman selling flasks of alcohol, and seemed to be negotiating the price. A bit infuriated that his baby girl would buy something like this, Ren got up and made his way across the qyarry to admonish her. « ARIANNA » he shouts to attract her attention « Young lady, you'd better not be doing what I think you are doing, or you're gonna have a bad time » he adds, once he finds himself in front of her. The old woman just throws her hands in the air and mumbles a thing about overprotective father and what not. He ignores her, and she goes away on her own volition. She's not one to cross the king of the Quarry.

Today she almost died again. Arianna and a few other raiders were out in some abandoned city, looking for meds and food (but anything not eaten by worms would have made them happy, really). Everything was going well, when around midday they were attacked by a bunch of prowlers. Mike lost it. It was his first time out of the Mine since the accident. He wasn't ready. « Dude. Come on! Do something! » She cried at the petrified teenager. She and an older man actually waited for him, tried to pick him up… « Guys leave him, he's not gonna move! » They knew that of course. However, they couldn't just let go. Not like that. « Mikey, listen to me, we’re gonna be fine. You’re gonna be fine! Just… Let us help you! » Inevitably though, when one of the prowlers came close enough to touch her arm and Mike still wouldn’t move Ari took off without looking back, quickly followed by the other man. Losing one life was enough. Raiders weren’t heros.

Sadly, that was not something extremely weird or rare in Ari's life. Losing friends. Of course it didn't happen every day, but she was used to it. Once she was back at camp she knew thinking about it was a waste of time and energy. She had more important things to do, stuff to think about. And if she didn't, well she didn't need to feel miserable about things she couldn't change anymore. « See you later kid! » Snorted one of the raiders when they parted ways in the Quarry. « I'm older than you Lisa! » Protested Ari laughing. Lisa winked at her, and replied « Don't care kid. » Ari flipped her off and took the path to the Quarry's market. Lisa was a thirteen-year-old girl who had clearly seen a lot, but still was the funniest living thing. She liked Lisa.

« Ari, what d'you got for me? » Asked an old women when Ari passed by her display. « Oh Suzy, my dear, so many wonderful things! » Suzy raised an eyebrow unimpressed. « Don't lie to me sweetheart, I'm not one of those dirty men you can charm with a smile. » Ari rolled her eyes, she was right. And maybe that was the reason Ari liked trading with her so much. « Alright, alright, take a look. » She opened her bag and Suzy started going through it.

Arianna was about to close a great deal with Suzy when she heard a familiar voice. « ARIANNA » It said. She growled. First of all because she hated being called by her full name and also because she was going to be yelled at and that was never a pleasant thing to look forward to. She sighed. « I’ll come back for this. » She informed the old woman. No way she was not getting that flask of tequila. The Night of the Dead was in a couple of weeks and she wasn’t staying sober through the night. She turned around and here he was, her father. « Young lady, you'd better not be doing what I think you are doing, or you're gonna have a bad time » Ari smiled at her old man in the most charming way she could and answered. « A good day to you too dad! » She rolled away from Suzy’s display. A few people were already looking at them and Ari hated being the center of attention. Or at least in those situations. « As you can see, I’m not doing anything, am I? » That was a lie. Well… not really. She wasn’t explicitly prohibited from buying alcohol, but she knew if her father saw her do it he was going to be pissed. Wait until he sees her drunk! To him, Ari was still this little fragile thing, the baby in diapers who played at his feet while he served beers to already too drunk slobs. Thankfully, or not, Arianna was not the kind of girl who didn’t do things because someone somewhere was going to disapprove. « But in case you’re still set on that “bad time” thing, could you do it not in front of the whole Quarry? » That being said, she still feared the wrath of her father. As anyone should.

« I’ll come back for this. » she says defiantly, his baby girl, to the old woman who grumbles and rolls her eyes. No she won't he mutters angrily.  Ignoring his rebuke, she smiles cheerfully and answers « A good day to you too dad! » Aaren folds his arms, his eyebrows lifted so high it's almost as if they're going to sprout wings and fly away. « As you can see, I’m not doing anything, am I? » she opens her arms, as if to demonstrate her innocence. Hint : it doesn't work. He just keeps staring at her with a reproachful expression. « But in case you’re still set on that “bad time” thing, could you do it not in front of the whole Quarry? » she adds, a bit more fearfully. He looks around and realizes a lot of the buyers and merchants had stopped momentarily their activities to look at them with raised eyebrows and curious eyes. He sighs. She's right. And he's not one to purposely humiliate her by berating her in a public place for everyone to see. Not uttering one word, he turns his back and joins the quarry's quietest corner. At least, here, they wouldn't be interrupted by giggles. He doesn't check to see if she's following him, he knows she is. She might act like a rebellious teenager from time to time but she still respected his authority enough to obey him, silent commands or otherwise. He turns his body towards her, and invites her to sit on one of the multiple benches of the area. He feels as if it's been ages since they've really spoken. He doesn't really condone her going on raids. If he could chose, she'd stay all day and everyday in the mine, where she's safe and sound and out of harm's way. But, unfortunately, he has to accept those risks. Everyone has to participate, one way or another, and she's not under his official authority, but under Anita's. And she's too old to justify inaction. Which he doesn't like as well. There are many things he doesn't like, as of today. For example, the fact that Anita threw him out of the Mine. But one day... Well, that was a thought for another day. He was still thinking about his plan to retake the mine and claim it as his own.

Sitting next to Arianna, he sighs again. He doesn't know how to communicate with her, most of the time. Why did young people have the need to make everything difficult and complicated ? How hard was it to understand that she was not to drink alcohol ? It was for her own sake, god dammit ! He wouldn't ask her to give up a way to loosen up if he didn't feel there was justification to it. What if one day, she got blackout drunk and some stupid asshole abused her ? It had almost happened once, after all. And while he was ready to kill everyone that touched his children, he didn't think the Quarry's people would accept it so easily. And what if there was a walker invasion and she was too drunk to defend herself ? He worried constantly. But the problem, really, wasn't that she was going to drink, but why she felt the need to get drunk, even though he had forbidden her to do so several times. « Ari » he starts tentatively, like he's scared of an outburst. But Arianna is a level headed child (well, woman, though he can't quite see it). She rarely yelled at him, unless he confiscated one of her stuff. Like those legos ghostbuster she used to be so fond of. « Why do you want to drink ? Are you depressed ? What happened ? » he's concerned, he can't hide it. She's his little princess. « Is there someone I need to have assassinated ?  Just say the word. » he adds, only half-joking. Had someone broken her heart ? Or said a stupid remark ? Again, he feels old, and slow, and he wishes he could sometimes understand her better. He loves her, but she remains a mystery to him. Always had been always would be. Archibald was much less mysterious, in that way. He kind of reminded him of himself at his age, in a much well-behaved manner. Thank god. « Listen, Arianna. I may not always be the most comprehensive father in the world. But if there's anything you want to talk about, I'm listening. I love you. And I'm concerned about you. ». He knows she's going to roll her eyes up and pretend there's nothing. But he hopes she won't.

Lying in high grass, his gigantic dog puffing on his lap, Archer was covered in mud from head to toes. You could hardly see his blond hair under all the filth and he was dying for a cup of water. He had no idea what time it was, he hardly ever had, but this time he had a reason. A good one. Out of the Quarry, he and Magnus were training when two prowlers came from nowhere, both trying to eat them. Archer drew out his machete while Magnus grunted at the two undead monsters. « Are they serious right now? » Hissed the teenager as he cut open the head of the first prowler. The second one was playing hard to get or so it seemed. When Archer turned around, he was nowhere to be found. As was Magnus. « Mags! » He called. The dog barked in response and Archer ran to the source of the sound where he found the prowler stuck in a pond of mud. Magnus on the bank, was trying to bite him. The thing was. Archer could have let him there. Stuck in the mud, this prowler would probably never hurt anyone. But he couldn't stop thinking of all the scenarios in which it could still happen. A Quarry kid falling in the pond, the prowler getting out somehow and attacking the camp at night. Who knows? Archer surely didn't. So he jumped in. Because he had forgotten his shotgun in his tent back in the Quarry and also because he was an idiot like that. It took some time to get to the prowler without being scratched but in the end, it went well. The prowler lost his head. Archer didn’t. Although he was in serious need of a shower (or rather a jump in the ice-cold river – he was not looking forward to that). No harm was done. At least to the living.

« Of course I'm not depressed... » answered Arianna rolling her eyes. At least she didn't feel like she was. She just wanted to have fun. For once. « But could you assassinate Jules, pretty please? » She joked. Her father didn't laugh. « Listen, Arianna. I may not always be the most comprehensive father in the world. But if there's anything you want to talk about, I'm listening. I love you. And I'm concerned about you. » Well that was uncomfortable ... And somewhat sweet. She was about to talk again, maybe give him a hug or something, but as always, Archer came to the rescue.

It wasn't his attention. It really wasn't. Archer was tired and hungry and he thought the looks he was getting were because of his and his dog's hygienic state. Completely unaware, he came in his father's tent, threw his backpack and his machete in a corner, only to discover Arianna and their father staring at him. « Oh. » He stated. « Did I hum ... Interrupt or someth... » He hadn't finished his sentence that Ari already responded « No! I think we were done here … Right? Thank you dad really I ... » She stood up and tried to put as much distance between her and Aaren as she could without leaving the tent. Archer stayed put and watched them, a curious expression on his face. « Anyway what happened to you? » She asked raising an eyebrow at her little brother. Looking one last time at their father, Ari put her arm around her brother's shoulders and they left the tent quickly followed by Magnus. « Where do I begin ?! »