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Post by Gena Martin on Nov 1, 2018 8:34:41 GMT
Gena hated that place. It was a place filled with death, not only the death of the inhabitants, but also the death of countless grounders and of some of their people. The mountain only held trauma for so many people. Gena was one of the fortunate ones who had stayed back at Camp Jaha, being needed there more than here. She was lucky. Which in turn made her one of the people with less history with the mountain, one of the people they sent there to scavange. Some of their peoples belongings was still in there as well. They had to get that. And history itself was in these walls. For some reason they had preserved so much art, so much of what humanity had created before it all went to hell.
So many people had history with this place, so Gena actually had a certain amount of willingnes she brought when going there. As much as she hated that place, she hated people to suffer and so she offered. And here she was, watching Leiana carefully as she saw the telltale signs of PTSD on her face. The girl was one of those who had suffered on the mountain. They needed her there. They needed every helping hand, that is why they asked her. But she knew it pained her. She could not blame her in the slightest. Gena helf her hand close to her, in case she needed to hold onto something. She waved at the others to start going in, they would be right behind them. And so she stood there, waiting for Leiana to react. She did grab her hand so Gena gave her a soft smile.
"You don't have to." She said soothingly. She did not have to. But Gena knew she could do this. She could, if she wanted to. But only if she wanted. to. "But I know you can. You are strong. You survived what happened in there. You are strong. You can get up, go in and survive this, too. And you're not alone. But if you don't want to, I understand. That place sucks."
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Post by Gena Martin on Apr 8, 2018 9:00:09 GMT
Gena was happy in these moments. The people she cared about were within the walls of Arkadia. They had food. They were safe - for now at least. And Gena could finally experiment with things she had wanted to for so much. It had been a bit of a dream for her to finally have a wide variety of plants to experiment with. She now had berries, juices, fruits at her disposal, which was why she was in the common area that night.
She was just mixing a few juices with the moonshine, when she saw Leiana come in. She was young, but she was just the person she needed. She was a sweet person, one of the people she suspected had no taste for the bitterness of the moonshine. "Just who I need." she announced. "So I am working on mixtures. Cocktails if you will. To make the alcohol a bit sweeter, a bit more likable for everyone. Want to try?" She asked her friend. "What brings you here this late?"
Leiana LaCroix
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Post by Gena Martin on Jun 18, 2017 8:13:18 GMT
Cake was no longer that hard to get by. That was one thing Gena would always remember and cherish. She had learned to make a simple cake and a crumble especially for the kids. It was rich in nutrients and taste that it was easy to make kids eat it without having a second thought of what would be left after. And this kid, he was in need of distraction and comfort, especially as the woman who walked with him was basically bleeding, potentially bleeding to death and his mother potentially dead, he needed all the distraction he could get. "Tell you what, when we make it home" if they did. "I'm going to make you a little cake." It was the least she could do and she could do that injured. Her arms were fine. She could make the kid some cake or just a crumble. But that was the only form of comfort she could really offer to him.
"And you don't worry about the ingredients. I am one of the only cooks still left and down here, I can make my own grain and there is enough fruit to last us for ages. And we have seasoning. Have you ever tried a real plum?" Gena had tasted the fake aromas of it, but nothing compared to the real thing in her mind. She loved the real taste of plums and she knew where some grew. She could get him some or have someone get them for her.
Hunter Solomon
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Post by Gena Martin on Mar 1, 2017 17:19:45 GMT
How did they get her? Well her story was probably less adventurous than his. It was rather painful, too, because they didn’t keep her alive because she herself was valuable. They’d kill her. Collateral damage in a war she never fought in and never signed up for. It was who she knew, who she meant something to, which ensured her status as alive for now. It would not do so for long. “Mount Weather.” Gena began. “They attacked it, way back. Blew it up with lots of our people inside. Stabbed me. They kept me alive because they thought I was valuable to someone. Bellamy.” She was a back up weapon, leverage against Skaikru that they might use. That was the only reason she was alive. But recently things changed a lot.
“Things changed down here. It wasn’t that full. Why… what’s going on? Do you know anything of the others?” She looked at him, saw how worn he looked. He looked like he had thought, not just physically for a long time. It caused the young woman to reach out and place her hand on his cheek in a gentle, caring gesture. “How are you feeling?” Was there anything she could do? A wound she could patch up or anything? She couldn’t do much about her situation. But she could try and help him with what she could do. She could still meet this with the only appropriate response she learned: Care.
John Murphy
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Post by Gena Martin on Feb 16, 2017 16:49:51 GMT
Well plants was close enough. At least they would have shown her that those things were fragile. Not like other sources of food. Some could tip over at any moment. And that was more dangerous than people realized. Mold could kill people. Granted, it could also save people. But that was not the point. “Okay, plants are close enough. Fruit and vegetables are plant.based resources after all. Usually, when attached to the plant still, fruit can stay fresh for a long time. But once away from the plant that changes. Some range from mere days of freshness to weeks. All of that can be prolonged exponentially if we put them into cooling. Some will have to be cooked and canned in a vacuum. That was they will survive for months.” But that would be her job. She knew how to do it, along with one or two others.
“The orange and yellow ones need to be put to one side, away from the others. During ripening they create fumes, which will age up the others. Citrus fruit. All with the similar skin need to go to one side. If you see anything weird on any of them, you should tell me.” Immediately actually, but they would be fine. They would store what they had until she had time to conserve it.
@shiloh
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Post by Gena Martin on Feb 10, 2017 19:35:34 GMT
His words reminded her of her own mother. Not that she needed to collect extra points. Her job allowed her to bring leftovers home. Most of the time she even gave points to others, because the left overs that would otherwise have been wasted would go to them. They didn’t need as many as they earned most of the time. Especially once Gena started working, too. With three incomes and that benefit, it was often easy to share what little they managed to aquire to others. Maybe his mother might even have gotten some extra points from hers. It would not far from the possibility of it.
“My mother cooked.” She said. “For the people on the Ark, for Farm and Factory station. She brought back left overs for us, because she was allowed to. She was such a sweet person. When someone would have little she would often pretend to forget she was only meant to serve a small portion. Especially when they had kids. I learned from her, so I did the same. I was always a bit more generous with the kids.” And many of the grown ups had started to ask her for slightly smaller servings so pregnant women and children could get slightly bigger ones. Especially men. There were many guards with familes who asked her to do that. “We also handed left overs to those who had very little. I remember a woman once, so proud of having earned extra so she could get ingredients for a cake for her son. But she forgot one point. My mom just added one of ours to the total so the kid would get a cake. She never admitted to it in front of the woman, always told her that she had enough after all.”
Hunter Solomon
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Post by Gena Martin on Feb 3, 2017 16:52:22 GMT
“We might.” She confirmed to him. It had just been night. The soft light of the morning would last them long enough to get to safe grounds and from there back to Arkadia. But night would fall before they would quite reach Arkadia. In summer that would have been different, but they were barely in spring. Sun would sink earlier. But she could not tell that to the kid. He was probably emotionally shaken enough. At least not in that way. “We might not even have to walk all the way back there. I am sure they will come our way. So if we stay on the main road, we might meet our people even before then.” And that meant they could be home sooner than expected. “They will come and look for survivors. We don’t give up on each other after all.”
As he spoke, Gena smiled. She felt herself reminded of her own mother as he spoke. And her father. They both cared about her so much. She guessed his father was long gone, but then again, it didn’t mean he had a good relationship with his father. There were different kind of people. “Mothers are like that. My mother would have done everything for me. My mother used to make something really cool. It was called champions soup. It was not really made of champions or champignons. But it was sweet. It was just a simple thing, buillon and noodles. But she made it with so much love, I always felt sooo much better immediately. Does your mom have something like that, too?”
Hunter Solomon
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Post by Gena Martin on Feb 3, 2017 16:50:39 GMT
She could imagine that it was hard to see her with all those others around. And in truth she suspected she looked more like a dirty grounder now than the girl in the bar, who used to serve meals and drinks with a gentle smile and a compassionate ear. She was dirty, malnourished and in a condition that others hardly expected. She was alive despite the fact that the mountain she had been in was blown up. But she didn’t even know if Murphy knew of that. He wasn’t in Arkadia at the time as far as she knew.
“It’s me. Gena. You know…the girl who served you food on the Ark.” Back when lives were a loooot easier. Now they were a mess and she was scared. She had to be scared of what would come. She already escaped death once, she might not be so lucky next time. And neither might he. Gena scrambeled up to come a bit closer. “Good to see you in one piece. You weren’t in Arkadia for ages. I thought you might have been one of those who bit it.”
John Murphy
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Post by Gena Martin on Feb 3, 2017 16:49:20 GMT
“Bellamy, I could die from a falling light or from touching a wire that wasn’t properly fixed yet.” She pointed out. Death was within the walls as well. But she respected his wishes. If it was too much for him to bear, she would not make him do it. It was not something she wanted him to feel with her. She wanted his comfort. He had been through so much, so much guilt was on him, she didn’t want to be added to the weight on his overly active conscience. “I’m okay with a little danger.” She looked into his eyes, wanting him to know that danger was not the problem on her mind, it was him. At his suggestion, she smirked a bit. As if she didn’t want him. Under no circumstances would that ever happen.
“Mr. I –hide-my-sexy-glasses-from-my-girlfriend, you are not getting off that easy!” She protested lightly. She’d stop if he really just wanted to rest, but she would not let him think she didn’t want him, not when it was the furthest thing from her mind. “Unless you’re too tired.” But she placed her hands on his hips before gently kissing him once more, hoping he understood, that he had as much control in this as she did and that just because he couldn’t grant her the fulfillment of a stupid idea, she wanted him any less. “Did you have any idea what those glasses would do to me?”
Bellamy Blake
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Post by Gena Martin on Jan 26, 2017 17:05:44 GMT
“Actually it didn’t. It was stored in Mount Weather. The art wasn’t in contact with the nuclear apocalypse. And Mount Weather maintained it in perfect condition.” That was what Mount Weather once was made for after all, to maintain and safe life and art, to safe a culture that was now in the past. And he culture they saved became distorted and cruel. But they tried. “I know. I saw you around sometimes.” And Bellamy and the others spoke of the delinquents. She heard quite a lot of the various ones. But she was usually busy or distracted by someone else to pay too much attention to the delinquents unless they directly involved her in a conversation. There were some she was more involved with, some how she never even talked to.
“Yeah. That one contains fresh fruit, we will have to separate them. Citrus can’t stay with the rest. Apples should be removed and the likes.” But that was details only the farm kids would know and that could wait until everything was safely stowed away. Gena pulled one handle up, leaving the other for her and moved, to go to the direction of storage. With someone actually listening to her this might become easy after all. “Have you handled food in some way before?”
@shiloh
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Post by Gena Martin on Jan 26, 2017 17:02:45 GMT
Gena actually giggled at Harpers reaction. The girl understood very well. But other than those activities, taking a bath in them was actually relaxing. She found it much easier to work out kinks in hers and Bellamys muscles while submerged in the warm water. But the place was outside, it wouldn’t serve many people. It was within the perimeter the grounders kinda set for them, so it was relatively safe, but not safe enough for most. “Oh I didn’t find them. Bellamy did. I think he mapped them down once.” Just not as hot springs. That was information medical might need.
“I can show it to you tomorrow if you want. I need to go out and so far I haven’t found a guard to come with me.” But she needed a guard to join her to be permitted to go out. Or well she needed at least one person who could protect her and or report back to Arkadia in case something happened to her. She understood why it was needed. But at the same time it felt like too much. They had to get used to this place. They had to become part of earth.
@harpermcintyre
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Post by Gena Martin on Jan 18, 2017 17:53:47 GMT
They did have knowledge, Gena knew that more than anyone else now. She had seen them use the actual code in order to trigger the self destruct. It didn’t really occur to her at the time to question where they got it from, but the fact remained that they had it and that they were not actually meant to have them. That was worrying looking back. She paled, not just from that, but from the injury she had sustained as well. Being stable sadly didn’t meant she was okay. But with what Lexa said, it seemed like she was in relative safety here. Compared to out there. The safest, though, she would have been in Arkadia. That was a place she could not go, she assumed. A lot of politics were involved after all.
“They had knowledge. I can attest to that, if you need it. I was there, in the room when the assassin set of the self destruct. He dragged me with him. I saw him. He had the codes written on his arms. He had inside information even.” How that was possible, it was impossible for her to tell. But she could attest to it, she was a witness of this. “Have you spoken to Arkadia? Explained that? I know most of my people are scared. You could maybe take some of the fear away by explaining that to them?”
Derrick
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Post by Gena Martin on Jan 18, 2017 17:28:54 GMT
She understood his fear. She once had it herself and now she no longer had parents. It was a pain she could not compare. So she understood why he was so afraid. Gena looked at him, a soft and warm smile on her face, hoping it would help him a little. She gave his shoulders an encouraging squeeze, knowing it would not help much. But time could heal those wounds. And it was the only thing that could. “I know, kid. And I wish I could tell you to hold onto hope. I lost my mother when the Ark came down. There’s something about mothers you should not forget: They want the best for their kids and they never truly leave us. You are as much part of her as she is part of you. And as long as you live, a part of her will always live, through you! But we will get help!” If there was still a chance for his mother, they would save her.
“We will.” She replied with surety. There were chances they would soon send out teams. When they stayed on the main road, they could make it back and maybe be found by the others. That chance was valuable by itself after all. “I know the way back. I’ve gone to and from often, so I know how to get us home.” She didn’t mention animals or grounders, but that was something the kid shouldn’t have to worry about right now. It was bad enough, that this was an issue to begin with. “Tell me something of your mother.”
Hunter Solomon
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Post by Gena Martin on Jan 18, 2017 17:19:10 GMT
Need a hand? Finally someone was here to offer help. Gena looked at the girl. She wasn’t the biggest muscle pack, but any help would do and maybe there was hidden strength in her. “Two would be preferable, actually.” Gena laughed. She really could use all the hands she needed. And brains! She could really use brains in here. “The stuff in there is food, we have to get them to cooling immediately. That box has to be brought to the storage section, dry. And of course the art, but that can wait, obviously.” She hoped the girl would know why. If she did she would immediately become the most helpful of all of them.
“I’m Gena by the way. I think I saw you around before, actually.” But that wasn’t actually hard when one manned the bar usually. Most people just had to pass through the hangar. It was next to inevitable to go through it. All the most important things were stored in there. Whatever supply was needed, it, one way or another, ended in the hangar and so Gena saw most of the people of Arkadia that way.
@shiloh
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Post by Gena Martin on Jan 3, 2017 11:48:05 GMT
He didn't look too good either. If only she could get to a rover, she could radio in with Arkadia, get them help and allow for both of them to stay seated in a stable position, hidden from prying eyes of other attackers. Bellamy had shown her how to hide between bushes, how to make sure nobody could see her. She could do that for them. But with no radio, staying put could kill them. Especially her. She knew it was a risk just staying here to talk to the boy. She should get going, because who knew what was hurt inside her.
"I'm hurt, too." She admitted. "But we have to get going. I can't see any rover left.So we have no radio to call the others. And with your head and my stomach... we need help desperately." And they shouldn't wait. Especially with a head injury falling asleep could be dangerous. Then again, maybe they could see the smoke from Arkadia. Maybe they were sending people here. Maybe someone would meet them half way. "You can lean on me."
Hunter Solomon
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