Video | Checking in

[knifecollecting]

That storm was a hell of a thing. [She had gotten used to no weather. Heaven didn't have weather. Neither did the cave. That was the norm.]

Did any buildings go down? [She's checked on the clinic since the storm abated, but even she can't get everywhere in a day or two.]

Hell, what about people? Is everyone okay? [She knows she was stubborn and tried to go out in almost the worst of it. She hopes anyone else didn't do that.

Then she realizes it's been a while since she made a network post.]

Uh, my name is Jo. I've been here a while. If anyone new needs anything, I'll try to help.

Comments

[pellameno]

[ Pell looks tired on the feed, but not sick or hurt so that's a good thing. He doesn't offer her a smile like he usually would, though. His voice is flat and kind of businesslike. ]

Has anyone answered that they need help?

[knifecollecting]

No, not yet. [Jo doesn't like this version of Pell at all. She looks a little worried.]

Are you okay?

[pellameno]

I'm fine -- hid out during the storm and I'm at the clinic now but maybe some people are trapped and can't get here. Maybe we should ride around and see what the damage is for ourselves?

[knifecollecting]

That's why I posted this. Maybe they could let us know where they are.

Do you want to come along?

[pellameno]

[ Pell doesn't mention that they could probably have called for help themselves if they were able -- he'll be trying to sense people that are bad off enough they couldn't use their phones. He nods to Jo, reaching for his medical bag with his free hand. ]

Where should I meet you?

[knifecollecting]

[Jo knows they could have called, but this might be...less embarrassing or something. Whatever.]

Where do you live? I'll come by.

[pellameno]

I'm at the clinic... there are a few bikes here, if you don't already have one.

[ He's gotten better at them, not enough to do tricks but enough that he doesn't worry about falling off or riding into buildings anymore. ]

[knifecollecting]

I can be there soon. [She knows the fastest way to get there.]

We'll take a tour, okay?

[pellameno]

Sure. I'll be outside.

[ And he closes the feed and goes outside to wait. When Jo pulls up he's leaning against the wall of the clinic, smoking idly. Now that he sees her in person, he offers a bit of a smile but it's still an echo of what it would usually be. ]

Hey Jo.

[knifecollecting]

[Jo smiles broader, hoping to get a bigger smile from Pell.]

Hey. I've missed you.

[pellameno]

[ It works, if his responding smile is apologetic more than anything. ]

Sorry. I've been... doing the opposite of what I should be, I think. I miss Flick.

[knifecollecting]

[She looks away for a moment. She misses Flick too, but she knows how Pell feels. She lost Dean and Cass too.]

It's okay. It's hard.

[pellameno]

If he doesn't come back I'll probably never see him again, not as I am. It's... complicated.

[ He grinds his cigarette out and takes a step away from the wall, towards the little cache of bikes they keep by the clinic. ]

Maybe a ride will help. Do you know where got hit the worst or should we just work our way around the whole city?

[knifecollecting]

[Jo gives him a sad smile. She gets it, kind of. She doubts she'll get to see Dean again.

Death is like that for most people.]

I think everywhere got hit the same. We can make a quick round?

[pellameno]

[ That's the thing. It may not be, for him, but he'll be... someone else. Someone he's not sure he'll like. Complicated is the easiest way to put it.

But he's up for the ride, and mounts a bike carefully, like he's still not used to being in full control of something meant to carry him. A lifetime of horses rather than vehicles gives him an odd air of respect for the device even as he starts it easily. ]

A quick round, then. If everything seems okay, we can come back here and you can help me with inventory?

[ Now that he's actually with a friend, he doesn't want to be alone again. ]

[knifecollecting]

[Jo smiles softly, nodding her answer to the question.]

Sure, that would be nice. [She doesn't want to leave Pell alone until he's ready. She doesn't mind helping at the clinic either.

She mounts the bike easily, looking rather comfortable.]

Ready?

[pellameno]

Ready.

[ And they're off, touring the city at a decent pace. It doesn't look like much was destroyed that wasn't halfway to it in the first place, but Pell slows down every now and then all the same, to try and sense if anyone's alive inside. Nothing. No one calling out for help, either. It's only once they've circled all the way around to the Silent Hill zone that he makes a full stop. ]

...dare we?

[knifecollecting]

[Jo looks at the fog carefully. Eventually she shakes her head.]

I don't want to go in there. I've heard horrible things.

[pellameno]

I've been inside... my friends make terrible decisions. [ And that's all he needs to not go in; he points his bike away, to finish their rounds. ] It's pretty bad, even by this place's standards.

[knifecollecting]

[Jo turns and follows him, nodding even if he isn't looking her direction.]

Yeah. To the clinic now?

[pellameno]

Might as well. Check your phone first, see if anyone's answered needing help? Before we head back.

[knifecollecting]

[Jo nods and grabs her phone from her pocket, double-checking her messages and seeing if anyone had responded.]

Nothing. If someone responds while we're at the clinic we can head out again.

[pellameno]

[ A nod of acknowledgment and they're off again, finishing the loop of the city and parking the bikes back in front of the clinic. He gets the door for her. ]

Glacius and his friends had a supply drive in Kate's honor -- we've got a lot of stuff to go through.

[knifecollecting]

Yeah, I took some stuff. [She didn't want to completely empty her makeshift pantry and supplies, but she took as much as she could.]

At least the clinic is semi-stocked now.

[pellameno]

It'll get good use. Thank you.

[ He leads her into the storeroom, where there are several boxes full of donations that need to be sorted. ]

Pass me things and I'll put them in the right places? And while we work you can catch me up on what you've been doing that I've missed.