Zanna paused for a moment absorbing the information. She rubbed at her eyes as she decided to stay seated thinking standing would do her no good. At least Day grabbed the supplies from the truck, that was probably a smart move. Her mind was still reeling but she did crack a smile at the ghost story comment, “I’m a little… Disoriented I think. How long was I out for? I’m guessing a while.”
"Several hours. I didn't count," Day responded, shoving one of the flashlights into his pocket. "You didn't miss much. I've just been looking around and trying to get settled in. Watching the wildlife through the windows. There are a lot of deer around here. And squirrels." He paused, his gaze resting on her injury. "Besides, you probably needed the rest, anyway."
“Yeah, are you, worried about me?” Zanna asked after catching his gaze on her wound once more. It should recover well from this point on, but who really knew how it would go. And several hours. Lord that was a long time to be passed out for. At least it wasn’t a day, that would have been worse.
Day snorted, but he avoided her gaze, reverted his own to the second flashlight in his hand. "Not really. Just making sure my only ally doesn't croak on me. Then I wouldn't have anyone left to pester, except for the squirrels, but I doubt they're very good company." He turned the flashlight over a few times before setting it on the old table next to the couch, within Zanna's reach. He didn't say it– maybe because he didn't want to give her any ideas revolving around her most previous question– but it was clearly for her, in case she needed it. "I'll tell you what I am worried about, though," he said, changing the subject. "Whether or not this place has running water."
Zanna snorted as she took the flashlights with a smile. Day definitely cared about her, even if he wouldn’t admit it. She didn’t turn the flashlight on but held it in her hand twirling it around. Did this place have running water? She couldn’t recall exactly, “I don’t think it does, but I do know there’s a well nearby if the house doesn’t have it. But don’t get your hopes up, again abandoned house.”
"Mmph." Day waved his hand dismissively. "Eh, it's not really a big deal. I've thrived in worse places." He glanced around before plopping down on a old chair on the other side of the room. He coughed at the dust particles that shot into the air, swatting at them. "How long has this place been abandoned, anyways? How'd you know about it again?"
"I found this place as a kid," Zanna responded thinking back. She had found it by pure chance and back then it had appeared to be recently abandoned. A few blood stains in the bedroom, but even back then she was numb to the sight, "It was abandoned back then, just like it's abandoned now. But it seemed to be more recently abandoned, at least less dust around."
"Nice," Day responded, glancing at the cobwebs on the ceiling. "Well, it's nicer than that cell, at least. I shouldn't have to worry about getting my brains beat out here. At least I'd hope not." He said this all too casually, folding his hands together and resting them on his stomach as he propped his boots up on the coffee table in front of him. He almost looked like a dad in that position. A very in-shape dad with lots of scars.
“I’ve got no plans to,” Zanna responded her stomach churning just slightly at the comment. She honestly wouldn’t have been shocked if she woke up one Day bound and ready to be beaten. It would only be fitting after what she did to Day, but it didn’t seem like he would do that. She looked over at him and let out a slight laugh, “Unless you want me to, dad.”
Day's brow furrowed, and it took him a couple seconds to get it– but then when he realized why she'd referred to him as such, he let out a small scoff and unfolded his hands. He left his feet propped, though, his mud-caked boots resting on the edge of the coffee table. "Well, then, what do we have plans to do, anyway? What's next?" He moved one foot back and forth. "You think they'll find us out here?"
Zanna let out a sigh as she entered deep thought. She didn't know if anyone else knew of this place, but she definitely hadn't brought anyone else here before. Though given its proximity someone might know. Her plans at the moment were to get away. They needed to stop here for a bit, but, "I don't know if they'll find us. As far as I know, I'm the only one who knows about this place. As for what's next, I don't know that much either. Getting this far is a bit of a miracle."
"Yeah, I know," Day responded numbly. "I thought I'd be publicly tried and beaten to a pulp by now." He shuffled his feet back and forth and hummed. "But not today." He smiled a bit, looking thoughtfully down at his boots, though his mind was elsewhere. "They'll probably get me one day, I'm sure, but it won't be today."
"Yeah, good to see you found something to be happy about," Zanna responded leaning back into the couch with a long sigh. She looked up at the ceiling, "Ya know, maybe they'll never get you. Ever thought about that?"
Day was quiet for a long moment. "My chances are so slim that I'd be stupid to try to hold onto the possibility," he muttered finally, looking towards the window. "I'm not just a criminal in their eyes. I'm a huge threat. A traitor to the country. Their rival. Taking me down, shaming me, and destroying me means the world to them, and they're the ones with the power, so it's only a matter of time before they eventually get what they want. With the Reformers gone, there's nothing that stands between me and them. Even with the Reformers, we– I– hardly stood a chance, but now?" He scoffed. "Now I'm a dead man walkin'. I have been for awhile. I'd never say it to them, but we all know it. It's inevitable. They'll catch me. They'll try me. They'll destroy me in any way they can. All I can do now is make capturing and killing me the most annoying and costly thing they've ever done." He stared out the window, out at the slowly darkening sky. "Absalom Day might be a legend, but he's also a man, and men die. Especially when they're up against an army." Another momentary pause. "Everything I am doesn't matter much anymore when there's a loaded gun against my skull and a finger hovering over the trigger. Except I know it won't be that simple for me, when it comes down to it."
Zanna went quiet as Day went on his long, rant she supposed. She understood every point he made being, well used to be, on the side that was desperately trying to capture him. Day was a legend, but she wasn't sure if the military had anyone left who would be willing to go after him. She wasn't going to bring it up though, not at this moment. Zanna bit her lip in deep thought trying to come up with any kind of response to what Day just said. Eventually, she finally formed a response, "First off, you're not alone. You've got your old reformers and at the moment you've got me. Secondly, no, it won't be that simple. It'll probably hurt a lot and most likely you'll be begging for death before they finally kill. They most likely won't kill you until you do so. Lastly, let's not focus on the future, let's focus on getting out of here without getting caught."
"Yeah," is all Day said in reply, rolling his flashlight around in the palm of his hand. Which part of her response he was saying Yeah to was up for debate. Maybe all of it. "Once your arm is healed up you'd probably be smart to get as far as away from me as possible," he muttered, almost apologetically. His brow furrowed a bit, like he was thinking. "Or just shoot me." His voice was cold. Dead serious. He could've been joking; after all, he was Day, and he had already proven that he was a flawless actor. Who knew how many of his emotions were true, and how many were feigned? He tapped the flashlight. "I'm not a lapdog. I'm a wolf. I'm not meant to be caged up all the time, but I don't like living to be hunted, either. It's no fun living in a world that I know will never change." He almost seemed… sad. "If it comes down to it, and they show up, and they catch me, will you shoot me if you get the chance?" he asked hopefully.
Zanna wasn't exactly fond of how Day said 'shoot me' but his later words made her felt just a little bit better. A younger her would never believe how defeated her enemy would sound at some point. She understood where he was coming for though, even if he was a little cryptic. She gave him a slow and slight nod, "If it comes down to it, then yes I will shoot you if possible. It'll be more merciful than if the army got to you. And yes when my arm is better we can leave. Of course, what qualifies as better is up to debate at the moment."
"Thank you." Day went into another long stretch of silence, and he licked his chapped lips as he pondered. Outside, the sun slowly continued to make its decent, disappearing below the treeline. "It's funny. This isn't how I expected things to turn out that day you came to arrest me." He glanced up at her. The lighting inside was dim now and only grew dimmer as darkness drew nearer outside. In the distance, crickets chirruped and sang their songs. "You called yourself a soldier. I called you a slave. I think we were both wrong."
"I do think we were," Zanna responded with a slight smile. She saw how the darkness was starting to grow as day gave way to night. She stood up from the couch her legs still shaking just ever so slightly. She took a deep breath to steady herself knowing Day probably looked around the house, but might not have found all the hidden little secrets, "But that's the past right? Forget the past go for the future or some wise saying like that."
Day let out a snort of a laugh. "Yeah. Some wise saying like that." He looked at her a moment, brow furrowing in confusion. "What are you doing?"
"I don't want to sleep on the musty couch again" Zanna responded as if that much was clear as she kept the flashlight in one hand, "There's a bed on the second floor that should be big enough for two. The only other one in the house is for a child, it's more a crib actually."
Day's brows raised slightly, and he stared at her, as if he were trying to read her expression or figure out whether or not she was actually saying what he thought she was saying. He lowered them calmly, though it seemed that even such a harmless statement had caught him off guard, if for but a moment. Even though he assumed she didn't mean anything by it, necessarily.
"Oh." A long pause. Like maybe, for once, he didn't know what to say. "Well… I think I might be just a tad too big for a crib–" he commented.
Zanna only realized the implications after Day had taken so long to respond. She had no other intentions behind her statement and figured Day would figure that out on his own. Though it was amusing to watch him at the moment. She nodded once, “Yes. Yes you are. And I figured you’d might enjoy sleeping on something that isn’t the equivalent to cardboard.”
"Right. That is true." Day assumed she had no secondary intentions, but how was he to know for certain? Most people would take him as the type of person not to mind, truth be told, but out of all of the things he had done is his life, that area was not one he was experienced in. Granted, he regularly flirted with his enemies to make them uncomfortable, but that was merely a bluff. A tactic to make them think he was insane and creepy in more ways that one. It worked well, too. Nobody knew what to do with a man like that.
Nonetheless, he never let on. From then, he acted like it was a normal suggestion, like there were no secondary implications to be considered.
"That stupid cot in my cell was springiest piece of crap I think I ever laid on. Sleeping on the floor would've been better than it if it weren't for the dang spiders," he said casually.
Zanna let out a chuckle as she started to slowly make her way towards the staircase. He had a point as Zanna had slept on those cots as a child since only the adult soldiers got the good cots. She was pretty sure there was a point in time where she had washed out the blood, but she would find out soon enough, “I can agree with that statement. Anyway, follow me I’ll show you where it is.”
Day unpropped his feet and stood, brushing the dust from the chair off of his shirt and pants. He shoved his flashlight into his pocket and followed her, the floor creaking softly beneath his boots. As they started up the stairs, his hand brushed a cobweb on the railing, and he frowned at it. A spider went scurrying up his arm and he slapped it away. "You lied about this place being abandoned. It's overtaken– with spiders."
((Let me just say; I love the odd dynamic these two have.))
“Spiders live abandoned places,” Zanna responded leaning on the railing not quite caring about the spiders or their webs. She had been in worse conditions than a couple of spiders, “Why? Do you not like spiders?”
(It is quite an odd dynamic, but it’s a fun one. :D)
(Very fun. XD One of my favorite RPs tbh and I have like twenty going)
"Well, I mean–" Day paused. "I'm not scared of them; I just don't like them. They're unnatural. Eight eyes? Eight legs? Nasty-looking little fangs? That doesn't sound like a regular bug or animal. That sounds like– Satan's spawn or something. A creature straight from the pits of hell." He continued up the stairs a couple steps. "Think about it. They literally suck the blood out of other living things for food. I have a conspiracy that spiders are actually miniature demons."