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[stand_unshaken]

 

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[stand_unshaken]

"Sure. Just, sometimes their 'trinkets' end up being valuable jewelry."

He points at his temple. He's no dummy.

[dog_eat_dog]

Oh, she likes that.

"Their fault for not keeping their shit secure."

[stand_unshaken]

"Knew I liked you for a reason."

He takes the steps down to the Enclosure's door and gives it the description. When he opens the door, the same pasture and river are there, familiar horses in the distance. But Arthur heads for the hills and the stone arches in the opposite direction.

[dog_eat_dog]

Tess is still not particularly fond of the outdoors, but the fresh air is always a welcome change, and she lingers a moment just to look out at the pastures before following him.

"This treasure you found before, or can the Enclosure actually surprise you?"

[stand_unshaken]

"Treasure I found before," he says, and then goes to a small rock that has a paper sticking out of it.

"So I'm guessing it's up to you." And he hands her the Jack Hall Gang treasure map. The rock formation is clear and right there before their eyes - she just has to figure out how to get the actual treasure, now.

"Did half the hard work for you."

[dog_eat_dog]

She takes the map and studies it, gaze flicking back and forth between the paper and the land beyond it. Doesn’t look too difficult. She starts off up the hill.

“And the rest looks easier than getting through collapsing houses.”

[stand_unshaken]

"Little higher up," he says, but gives her no more clues. Let her solve a little mystery.

[dog_eat_dog]

“Yeah, over the ridge,” she replies, still heading up, picking her way through the short scruffy grass towards the rockier bit. Weird, to walk on that kind of ground. “You know, it’s still strange being outside.”

[stand_unshaken]

"Yeah? I reckon it's gonna be a while before it stops being strange. You spent years in that place."

[dog_eat_dog]

“Probably,” she agrees, pausing to look around. Still higher, she guesses, to get up and over. “Nobody around for miles, being able to walk in any direction without hitting a fence or a building or a suburb.”

[stand_unshaken]

He follows her easily, though she likely already knew that he's an experienced hiker.

"I think I'd likely lose my mind within months, if put in a place like that. It ain't in my blood."

[dog_eat_dog]

“Nobody’s meant to live like that, but everyone wants in for a reason,” she replies, gesturing vaguely. “One of my business guys, Bill, he lives out there alone. He’s fucked up. Paranoid. My guys inside the walls at least know they can sleep with both eyes closed.”

[stand_unshaken]

"How smart are they? The, uh, the..."

What's the word, here? Creatures? He isn't sure.

[dog_eat_dog]

"Infected. They're not smart, but they're fast when they're only a couple years gone, and even one can overwhelm you quick."

She flicks the collar of her shirt, over the bite wound. Oops.

"They don't sleep, they don't even really eat. Literally their only drive is to spread."

[stand_unshaken]

"How the hell do they live that long?"

He does not blame her for having been bitten by one of those things. Hell, he doesn't know how he made it to thirty-six, and he lived in a normal world.

[dog_eat_dog]

"It's a fungus. It uses the body the way a mushroom grows on a rotting log. Eventually, when the body breaks down too far to use anymore, it just lets the body drop and it sends off spores. Little bits of itself on the air, hoping some person will walk through and breathe it in."

And there's a little spot that looks like it might be the way back down off the other side, like the map showed. Tess heads off down the incline.

[stand_unshaken]

"So it's the fungus keeping 'em goin', not any living organs?"

God. That's terrifying.

[dog_eat_dog]

"Exactly."

She glances back at him.

"We think there's something left of the person's mind for the first couple days. You can sometimes see 'em trying to resist it, but they were fucked the minute they got bit."

[stand_unshaken]

"How could you cope with that? Knowing about that?"

He, at least, knew he wouldn't lose his mind. And he had months to get used to this idea.

[dog_eat_dog]

"Most people don't," she replies.

At the bottom of the stone ramp, there's just a sheer drop and then a pathway running across the edge. She has the split second reminder of snaking her way through the skyscraper with Joel and Ellie, but she pushes it away.

"Hell, I got myself shot up just to avoid it."

[stand_unshaken]

Arthur makes sure everything he's got on him is strapped on tight - you don't want to worry about a gun falling when you're liable to follow it down. Then, he follows her. He's pretty glad to see how easily she's handling this.

"I guess that much is true. I'd have done the same thing, I'd say."

[dog_eat_dog]

Tess moves a little carelessly. It's not nearly as high as the buildings downtown, even when they were bombed out, and she only glances down to check her footing.

"I bet you would." Most people find a way. It's a particular kind of doom. "But hey, that's why I live in the QZ. Keeps the risk of that mostly to working hours."

[stand_unshaken]

"Think you'll ever go back to livin' there?"

Yeah, he's bringing it up again while on a ledge, what of it!

[dog_eat_dog]

She rolls her eyes with her back turned to him.

"Unless the Admiral lets me tour other QZs to compare first, yeah, it'd have to be Boston," she replies.

She comes to the gap and glances back at him. He's not redirecting her, so she's guessing the only way forward is to jump it. She takes a few steps back again, gauging the distance.

[stand_unshaken]

He nods when she looks back at him - they're likely going the right way, and if they're not, she can figure out how to get them back.

"He might let you. Could ask Iris to take you."