[Her hopes teeter in a way that make her want to throw up -- every second that passes make her want to bolt so she won't have to deal with it anymore. It's for Teo, she miserably reminds herself, grimacing. She tries not to exaggerate it more when Maddison is the one offered up. Cecily is louder, impatient, and might not take things seriously enough, as far as she can tell -- would probably drive her fucking crazy in no time at all -- but maybe that's not so unfamiliar! Plus she had a real-ass nail bat. That's rad.
She's grateful Maddison -- Maddy, much better -- doesn't put her hand out, or anything like that. The "nice to meet you" is already over the top. It's very much not nice to meet them? Ryder was fully willing to let their dad get eaten. Still, they could help each other, and it was better to know where the survivors were, if they were going to be sticking around. She's already turning before she remembers that she should probably introduce herself in turn, and mumbles,]
Ryder Mm -- [No, wait. If she has a last name, Teo should have a last name, and he didn't. Did...Teo even know what her last name was? She should tell him. It makes her want to cry, and so does the painful stiffness in her fingers settling in from gripping her axe too tightly.] ...'Graves' is -- cool.
[An apocalypse-fitting name, like Ryder. Ish.
God, she doesn't want to fucking talk to this girl!!! She was a better option than her dad, but talking at all sounds like torture. For Teo. This is your part, remember? He does the dead, you do the living. Suck it up. Suck it the fuck up? Yeah. Suck it the fuck up.]
Be quiet. [Wait, shit -- ] I m-mean -- stealth. Guns aren't our -- thing. An' lemme go ahead.
[She needs to reach Teo before Maddy does. At the very least, he needs to have his coat on again before he's stuck interacting with these people. Anything that could help protect him a little longer.]
Okay. Let's -- let's go.
[Ryder moves a little faster than she would have on her own, too eager to find him. The sooner they found Teo, the sooner they could get these people some supplies, and the sooner they'd be on their way. They could get back to their peaceful lives. It's not until they're closer to where things had gone from bad to worse that she starts to heed her surroundings more, going up to vehicles to peek into the windows and checking other places he reasonably could be waiting for her. As much as she wants to throw caution to the wind, leaving Maddy to make up for how careless she is, Ryder forces herself to maintain the idea that she's gotten this far into the apocalypse for a reason. That didn't all go away because of some man being around to protect her! It doesn't matter how badly her nerves are consuming her, this is their life now. Just...a life together, instead. She has to keep living for it to work. These people have to believe in the value she has to help her. Only good reasons to keep a level head, as excruciating as that is.
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She's grateful Maddison -- Maddy, much better -- doesn't put her hand out, or anything like that. The "nice to meet you" is already over the top. It's very much not nice to meet them? Ryder was fully willing to let their dad get eaten. Still, they could help each other, and it was better to know where the survivors were, if they were going to be sticking around. She's already turning before she remembers that she should probably introduce herself in turn, and mumbles,]
Ryder Mm -- [No, wait. If she has a last name, Teo should have a last name, and he didn't. Did...Teo even know what her last name was? She should tell him. It makes her want to cry, and so does the painful stiffness in her fingers settling in from gripping her axe too tightly.] ...'Graves' is -- cool.
[An apocalypse-fitting name, like Ryder. Ish.
God, she doesn't want to fucking talk to this girl!!! She was a better option than her dad, but talking at all sounds like torture. For Teo. This is your part, remember? He does the dead, you do the living. Suck it up. Suck it the fuck up? Yeah. Suck it the fuck up.]
Be quiet. [Wait, shit -- ] I m-mean -- stealth. Guns aren't our -- thing. An' lemme go ahead.
[She needs to reach Teo before Maddy does. At the very least, he needs to have his coat on again before he's stuck interacting with these people. Anything that could help protect him a little longer.]
Okay. Let's -- let's go.
[Ryder moves a little faster than she would have on her own, too eager to find him. The sooner they found Teo, the sooner they could get these people some supplies, and the sooner they'd be on their way. They could get back to their peaceful lives. It's not until they're closer to where things had gone from bad to worse that she starts to heed her surroundings more, going up to vehicles to peek into the windows and checking other places he reasonably could be waiting for her. As much as she wants to throw caution to the wind, leaving Maddy to make up for how careless she is, Ryder forces herself to maintain the idea that she's gotten this far into the apocalypse for a reason. That didn't all go away because of some man being around to protect her! It doesn't matter how badly her nerves are consuming her, this is their life now. Just...a life together, instead. She has to keep living for it to work. These people have to believe in the value she has to help her. Only good reasons to keep a level head, as excruciating as that is.
God, she wants to yell for him. This sucks.]