make up | private.

[OLLIE.]

[align=center][div style="width: 500px; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; color: #494949; font-family: karla; font-size: 9pt; letter-spacing: 0.2px; word-spacing: 1px; margin-top: 10px;"]maldición.

in this state, she knew she wouldn't make it much further. that bitch had gotten her good, hadn't he? went out in his own fucked up feign to glory by puncturing her knee with his knife pretty badly. it would have been fine, sure had something to clean it up with. would have been fine if even he did. she'd searched through the motel room while his dead body laid sprawled under her feet to find nothing. for the time being, she stripped him from his white t-shirt— as if he'd need it anymore— and tied it tightly around her thigh, trying to not feel too disdained. at least i'm not the one on the ground

all was well at the time, thankful that diablo wasn't left as orphaned as she, but now she's growing fatigued. the only thing good she has left is a nutrition bar, and she knows that wouldn't do her or diablo any good after it was gone. the portions she stole from her previous group had vanished, and she's left to ponder what was next. anything else would be better than this, and better than the living hell that kim made her endure in her last moments in this group. 

"let's get some rest, yeah?" a barn has piqued her line of vision. she glances down into the duffel where a mangy white rabbit peaks its head. she strokes its ears before making her way towards the barn. it's tattered and open, but may leave enough room to get some shut eye if she's lucky. so bland. daft. nothing like the comfort of the motel room her last group stayed, ravished in its neon lights. she hates to admit it, but sometimes she wished she stayed.

lost in thought, she nearly misses the noise. nearly. lorena whips around, attempting to adjust to the scenery around her to not much avail. slowly, she retrieved the pistol she keeps at waistband her tongue running absentmindedly of her bottom lip. "muéstrate." she demanded. another noise. she pointed it to the potential threat.

[member=9650]EDMUND.[/member] [member=2919]truce.[/member]

[EDMUND.]

[align=center][div style="width: 430px; text-align: justify; font-family: verdana; font-size: 6pt; letter-spacing: 2.5px; word-spacing: 0px; line-height: 12px; color: #000"]A gentle breath passed chapped, parted lips, eyelids barely blinking back the exhaustion as Edmund welcomed a restful slumber. The journey on foot had been a tiresome one, lumbering his thick padded coat and generously stocked duffel bag along with him only asked for aching shoulders and the will to rest for a moment. The final stretch of the trip was yet to come, that familiar steep incline through heavily wooded land in the melting slurry of sleet where he’d likely only reach the lodge in the early hours of the morning - he was dreading it.

Eddie felt tempted to stay here the night where he could rest the gnawing pain of overworked muscles, back pressed against the wall of a rickety barn, and knees hugged closer towards his chest. Who would miss him if he was gone for another night? He shifted uncomfortably, head nodding off to the side ever-so-slightly. No, he really ought to continue walking, at least until he reached the village. Even the thought of making it from the village to the lodge seemed too strenuous a job. This was all right, for now, though. Sure, perhaps the ground was cold and uncomfortable, but any shelter from the bitter wind outside was better than resting outside.

His senses were piqued instantly at the sound of footsteps around the corner, Eddie sitting up groggily as he pinched the bridge of his nose in some feeble attempt to swipe away the rheum from the corners of his eyes. He blinked, listening closely to the approaching footsteps before he turned his head to look over towards his belt and holster which lay beside his duffel bag, as well as his rifle which was tucked away nearby. He furrowed his brows - it would take him much too long to ready one of his guns for protection, wouldn’t it? Instead, he began to quietly stand up, unsheathing his hunting knife nearby because it would be foolish to stand unarmed.

His boots shuffled quietly against the ground, the soft clink of his belt buckle moving as he grabbed his knife, and then behind him- ❝ Muéstrate. ❞

Fuck.

Slowly, Eddie looked around stoically to reveal a woman stood behind him, pistol aimed right at him. If she were to fire now, Eddie would be a dead man. His knife would be useless against a pistol. He carefully turned to face her, holding his hands up in front of him whilst he watched warily. He wasn’t sure what language she was speaking, but he could only guess that it was Spanish. God, he hoped she understood English. ❝ Don’t shoot. I’m- I’m putting this- ❞ He spoke slow, enunciating his words cautiously as he slowly lowered one hand to drop the knife in his grasp.

It was funny because if Eddie was to die, he wished for it to be on his own accord. But this? God, his death would be so meaningless. Would anybody even find his body if he were to die here? ❝ I was just… sleeping. Here.  ❞ Did she understand anything that he was saying? Eddie thought it was questionable. Gaze darted down to where a bloodied white shirt was tied around her knee, Ed slowly shifting his eyes back to her face before he pointed out, ❝ You’re hurt. I- I can help. ❞

He knew not to admit to her that he had the supplies to help. She could easily just kill him and take them all for herself. Eddie had to be smarter than that. If only he was smart enough.

[spoiler=tags ― updated 06/06.][size=6pt]◜BASICS ┊ SO THIS IS WHERE WE ARE◞
&. ❝ edmund theodore stirling ❞ | ed, eddie | male [he/him] .
&. 24 years old . | seventh august ; leo .
&. currently the captain and official loyalist of flintlock lodge .
&. currently the boss of the stirling's notorious irish crime family .

◜PERSONALITY ┊ IT'S NOT WHERE WE HAD WANTED TO BE◞
&.  ambitious . brave . calm . disciplined . honorable . intelligent . leading . logical . patient . reliable . skillful . trustworthy . wise . aloof . cynical . detached . flirtatious . harsh . jealous . lustful . pessimistic . quiet . ruthless . secretive . stubborn .

◜ APPEARANCE ┊ IF HALF THE WORLD'S GONE MAD ◞
&.  five foot eight & one hundred and seventy one pounds ; reference .
↳ dirty blond hair kept very short and neat .
↳ stocky and well-built frame , lightly freckled skin .
↳ muted blue vacant eyes , unreadable , somewhat frowning expression .

◜ FAMILY ┊ THE OTHER HALF JUST DON'T CARE , YOU SEE◞
&. alfred stirling x leonora moray | both deceased .
&. four older siblings and two younger half-siblings .
↳ dominik stirling , 32 , shot and killed by alfred .
↳ thomas stirling , 32 , caretaker in flintlock .
↳ alfonso stirling , 28 , enforcer in flintlock
↳ franklin darrow , 25 , estranged in bluestem .
↳ henry stirling , 11 , resident in flintlock
↳ ida stirling , 9 , resident in flintlock
&. also lives with four cousins and his aunt .
&. father to thomas , charlotte , kieron and louis .

◜ RELATIONSHIPS ┊ YOU DON'T WANNA FUCK WITH US◞
&. bisexual, biromantic ; mongamous | tends to have a wandering eye .
&. ex-husband to blake kegan
↳ marriage fell apart after he cheated on her .
&. ex-lover to mickey serge
↳ he learned about his bisexuality with him .
&. ex-lover to cove lefebvre
↳ one of the other women , pregnant with his baby .
&. lover to maxine van doren
↳ a rekindled flame where their relationship is kept a secret .

◜ INTERACTIONS ┊ BRITISH TO THE VERY LAST ◞
&.  [ 9/10 ] physically  |  [ 7/10 ] psychologically .
↳ difficulty w/ guns [ very difficult ] | difficulty w/ melees [ difficult ] | difficulty w/ hand-to-hand [ difficult ]
&. [member=2919]truce.[/member] | dm for any major plots .
&. friendly or nonviolent actions may be powerplayed .[/size][/spoiler]

[OLLIE.]

[align=center][div style="width: 500px; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; color: #494949; font-family: karla; font-size: 9pt; letter-spacing: 0.2px; word-spacing: 1px; margin-top: 10px;"]she could see the stranger now— barely but enough— slowly twisting his body to face her. in response she cocks her weapon, making it abundantly clear that one wrong move could leave him facing a very unfortunate fate. she can see him now. a man, no a boy, trembling with not much but a knife in his hands. she would smile, but she isn't really one to underestimate. she had enough distance on him to where, if he were to try anything, she could shoot him point blank. fortunately for him, she doesn't garner the same elation she got when with the girls. her earlier victim, and several others, had been a blip. his move.

the knife, he drops it, announcing he's doing as such. she sees it fall out of his hand, plunging into the dirt beneath it. her eyes flicker to him once more. the gesture was nice, but it didn't save him. whose to say that he didn't have a gun? that when she let her guard down— if only slightly— he'd shove it into her face and kill her, or worse? with any potential boy, she had to consider these questions. she'd run into a few bad apples; the ones who thought they were getting a new pet. those always faced the worst deaths.

sleeping here. huh, makes sense. her puzzlement— eyebrows drawn— didn't deter. it's better off when they don't think you understand; they're far more willing to let their guard down with you. play clueless just enough, and they think they could save you. it was just all apart of the plan of those who were potential victims, whereas, her beliefs are only reaffirmed when he offers to help her. he has supplies.

slowly, lorena advances towards him, though her gun doesn't lower, not quite. she needs to be sure. when she's close enough to see, her eyes flicker to the duffel bag, jutting her chin towards it in the indication to open it. for the proof. and ultimately, there seems to be. once satisfied, she glances at him once more, face relaxing but only vaguely. the biggest indication she's accepted him as her next: she lowered her gun. upon closer inspection, she sees how attractive he is. beats the ugly faces she'd been forced to deal with for her previous victims. she almost hope he isn't a fluke, beyond reasons of her needing help.

she'd let him make the advances first. introductions and all of that. it makes her seem more passive; as if she was just a scared girl trying to protect herself rather than what she really was: a feline, of the sorts, advancing on her prey.

[EDMUND.]

[align=center][div style="width: 430px; text-align: justify; font-family: verdana; font-size: 6pt; letter-spacing: 2.5px; word-spacing: 0px; line-height: 12px; color: #000"]She was a feisty one.

Ed’s eyes scanned her features warily. Whilst the gun was still held in a position which would likely kill him if fired, the woman made a subtle gesture for him to reveal the supplies that he had with him in order to help. Eddie wasn’t the kind to show any sign of benevolence very often, but he was chivalrous and hopefully a good enough man to help a woman if she so needed. Besides, she wasn’t giving him much choice here; if he had no use her then he was as good as dead. At least he ought to try to prove that he could benefit her somehow, as much as the thought of submitting to another made him squirm with displeasure.

❝ Here. Let's have a look at that knee now, hey? ❞ He spoke slowly, careful not to make sudden movements as he pulled the duffel bag over to unzip it. And, moments later, he slowly revealed a first aid kit, opening it up to begin removing the contents he thought were necessary. After all, in a world of crime, it wasn’t an uncommon experience to have to treat deep lacerations and wounds, whether it was from a gunshot or a knife attack. After all, hospitals were not an option, nor were any law-abiding associations or groups who’d look down in disdain at the life the Stirlings chose to live.

Eddie reached out to grab his flask of water, the metal squeaking as he twisted the bottle open, and then he gestured towards it. ❝ We need to - uh - clean the wound. ❞ He pointed out. And, upon closer inspection - damn, this didn’t look too good. ❝ You’re going to have to rest your leg- ❞ He looked up to her as he carefully tended to the laceration. ❝ There’s a village nearby. ❞ His village, he was yet to announce for the sake of not coming across as pretentious. ❝ Like… a little town? You know- A settlement? A bed to rest on. Better medical supplies than the basics here. ❞

Why was he being so patient with her? Awkwardly fumbling like some foolish school boy talking to his crush. But he didn’t know this woman, and the language barrier prevented any kind of genuine understanding between one another. She was beautiful though and, as he seemed to visibly relax somewhat, maybe he had to admit that the fear of her holding a gun to him was more exhilarating than anything. She wouldn’t shoot him; she was just afraid, and rightly so. He was a strange man hiding out in a barn to her and to Eddie, on first impressions alone, she was ruthless.

Eddie liked ruthless.

❝ I was going there anyway. I’m Eddie - by the way. Edmund Stirling. ❞ With all of the seemingly appropriate hand gestures to help get his point across, his eyes lingered on her for a moment too long before he finished bandaging the wound up and packing his supplies away. ❝ If we are going then we should leave now to get there by nightfall. ❞ He ought to keep the offer open, subtly picking up his belt to attach to his waist again. Just in case.

[spoiler=tags ― updated 06/06.][size=6pt]◜BASICS ┊ SO THIS IS WHERE WE ARE◞
&. ❝ edmund theodore stirling ❞ | ed, eddie | male [he/him] .
&. 24 years old . | seventh august ; leo .
&. currently the captain and official loyalist of flintlock lodge .
&. currently the boss of the stirling's notorious irish crime family .

◜PERSONALITY ┊ IT'S NOT WHERE WE HAD WANTED TO BE◞
&.  ambitious . brave . calm . disciplined . honorable . intelligent . leading . logical . patient . reliable . skillful . trustworthy . wise . aloof . cynical . detached . flirtatious . harsh . jealous . lustful . pessimistic . quiet . ruthless . secretive . stubborn .

◜ APPEARANCE ┊ IF HALF THE WORLD'S GONE MAD ◞
&.  five foot eight & one hundred and seventy one pounds ; reference .
↳ dirty blond hair kept very short and neat .
↳ stocky and well-built frame , lightly freckled skin .
↳ muted blue vacant eyes , unreadable , somewhat frowning expression .

◜ FAMILY ┊ THE OTHER HALF JUST DON'T CARE , YOU SEE◞
&. alfred stirling x leonora moray | both deceased .
&. four older siblings and two younger half-siblings .
↳ dominik stirling , 32 , shot and killed by alfred .
↳ thomas stirling , 32 , caretaker in flintlock .
↳ alfonso stirling , 28 , enforcer in flintlock
↳ franklin darrow , 25 , estranged in bluestem .
↳ henry stirling , 11 , resident in flintlock
↳ ida stirling , 9 , resident in flintlock
&. also lives with four cousins and his aunt .
&. father to thomas , charlotte , kieron and louis .

◜ RELATIONSHIPS ┊ YOU DON'T WANNA FUCK WITH US◞
&. bisexual, biromantic ; mongamous | tends to have a wandering eye .
&. ex-husband to blake kegan
↳ marriage fell apart after he cheated on her .
&. ex-lover to mickey serge
↳ he learned about his bisexuality with him .
&. ex-lover to cove lefebvre
↳ one of the other women , pregnant with his baby .
&. lover to maxine van doren
↳ a rekindled flame where their relationship is kept a secret .

◜ INTERACTIONS ┊ BRITISH TO THE VERY LAST ◞
&.  [ 9/10 ] physically  |  [ 7/10 ] psychologically .
↳ difficulty w/ guns [ very difficult ] | difficulty w/ melees [ difficult ] | difficulty w/ hand-to-hand [ difficult ]
&. [member=2919]truce.[/member] | dm for any major plots .
&. friendly or nonviolent actions may be powerplayed .[/size][/spoiler]

[OLLIE.]

[align=center][div style="width: 500px; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; color: #494949; font-family: karla; font-size: 9pt; letter-spacing: 0.2px; word-spacing: 1px; margin-top: 10px;"]slowly, he unzips his bag, revealing the contents that there was, in fact, medical supplies.

so badly, she'd love to trust this boy with her soul. he looked at him as they all do— with the same vulnerable generosity— whether it was for the reasoning that most choose to help her was up for debate, but even if it was. . . was it so bad if she may have wanted it, too. in the wisp of the faint light, she catches the reflection of deep blue, a definite defining feature of him. so badly she wanted to trust him, but even the kindest could be the most cruel. she made sure eddie sees the gun in her lap as she slowly settles down beside him. no need to reveal the gnarly wound, the fact she wears a skirt gives him pretty easy access.

every moment he makes is careful, bearing in mind that any sudden movements may not be favorable towards him. furthermore, he's gentle with his words, although they fumble. her attention should be focused on the her knee, but instead she gives him her devoured attention, the expression she gives teetering between unreadable and even indulgent. she doesn't shy away from her intrigue. in fact, she enjoys giving boys the prospect of 'maybe'. either then does she turn them away, or give in to the temptation, depending on how the other individual responds.

she takes his awkwardness as a good sign.

"settle...ment," the word rolls off her tongue, bordered uncertainty and familiarity, as if she heard it quite a few times in the past. . . as if, 'I think I know what that means.' "asentamiento" sounded good to her; she preferred pillows over bundles of hay any day, so long as that village didn't have any groups wandering, may in which were violent. it's why she tended to avoid them . . . unless her victims expressed them certainty.  sure, she could wander into a trap. but she's been able to avoid that for the most part, as men's intentions could only be concealed for so long.

he names himself as edmund stirling, eddie for short. her eyes drifted from careful hands tending her wound, to those they belong to. "lorena." her gaze holds his unabashedly, a gentle smile caressing her face, not flittering away when eddie's does. as he finishes and stands, lorena already decided before the offer was made. she stands him with a tad uncertainty, hands reaching out for him in the process. "estoy lista cuando tu ¹," she made a gesture for him to lead the way.

¹. i'm ready when you are.